Disclaimer: All property of Disney and Squaresoft, etc.

Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for the Kingdom Hearts games. Nothing too spoilerish until later in the story.

A/N: (rubs hands together) Okay so...random idea comes to me one night as I play KH2, figured, why not attempt to write a fic about Axel, who is absolutely my favourite character in the game. I'm a diehard KH fan and I want to do this justice.

Now, I beg of you to please go easy on me (smiles) due to the fact that this is my very first KH fan fic ever. I'm extremely nervous, doing this, but I wanted to give it a shot and see how it goes. I will try to keep everything to what we know throughout the games and give you a story that you'll remember.

A huge thanks to Crystina, whose help I definitely wouldn't have been able to write this without.

I would appreciate your reviews, comments, suggestions, thoughts, fav parts/characters etc. Let me know if you think this is something worth continuing:)

The Beginning

The bright light stung his eyes and he threw up a hand to help diminish the blinding effects of the sunlight. Well, he assumed it was sunlight, but then again, he didn't even know who he was, let alone where he was.

Axel.

What was that? Was that his name?

He groaned and pushed himself to a sitting position, squinting in the bright light. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of a train rushing by. Wait…a train? Where was he? He remembered an island but the memory was faint and flickering. Soon that was gone and all he could remember was darkness. Soothing, that's what it was. The darkness was why he was there. Wait…where had that come from? What happened?

Once his eyes had adjusted to the light, he drew himself into a standing position and looked around at his surroundings. The squawking of birds drew his attention to the sky and he looked up at the cloudless blue expanse, watching as seagulls flapped overhead. The ocean…I must be near the ocean, he thought and returned to gazing around at the town. He was near the top of a hill and the town spread out around and below him, the red roofs glinting in the midday sun. He could hear the sounds of engines and the train in the distance. Looking out over the rooftops, he saw a glittering, deep blue ocean with dark forms rising out of the water. Islands. They seemed familiar yet he couldn't reason why that would be. He didn't even know what he was doing here.

The sound of a car honking drew him from his thoughts and he jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being run over. He heard the drive yell out something at him and then the car was gone, disappearing around a bend in the road. He sighed, frustrated with his own confusion, and began walking. He didn't know where he was heading but it would be somewhere, and that was better than standing in the middle of the road.

As he neared the more populated area of the town, he noticed the odd looks everyone gave him. He frowned, feeling anger build inside him. What's their deal? He hadn't even done anything except nearly get hit by an asshole driver in an ugly car.He paused outside a small convenience shop, looking in the window at his reflection, startled by the unfamiliar figure staring back. He saw a very tall, lanky teenage boy dressed in baggy, black pants and a dark-green, short-sleeved shirt. His spiked hair was a brilliant shade of red, his eyes a deep green and filled with uncertainty. His skin was pale, already tinged pink from the midday sun on his face and the backs of his arms.

As he stood, studying the reflection, a bubble of awareness flickered up through his consciousness. His reflection. These were his eyes, his hands reaching up to touch his hair, to smooth his shirt. With the recognition came a small sense of accomplishment. At least he knew what he was now, if not who.

A small boy dressed in some sort of school uniform stand a few feet away; he became aware of the boy's curious stare on the back of his head. An intense feeling of irritation swept over him, and he whirled to face the child, his cheeks turning hot with his own indignation. People shouldn't stare. He wasn't a freak. He wasn't.

"What're you looking at?" he asked sharply, surprised at the force of his own voice. His voice. This is what he sounded like.

"Nothing," the boy replied. "It's just not every day we see a new face. Lately, there hasn't been much traveling…the routes are just…gone. It's really weird."

"What?" He felt stupid, incapable of understanding even a simple conversation with a little kid. The word fell from his lips, dull and monotone, dropping to the sidewalk like a lead coin.

"Don't you know?" asked the boy, arching an eyebrow. "All the worlds…they're disappearing."

"Worlds just don't disappear," he scoffed, trying to sound knowledgeable and succeeding only in seeming vaguely petulant, even to himself. For all he knew, maybe they did. He'd just woken up in the middle of a road with no memories and no name. How did he know what worlds did in their spare time?

"Well, they did." The boy shrugged, apparently unconcerned if the older kid believed him or not. "There's rumors goin' round about some kid who's supposed to be able to bring the worlds back. But nobody really knows."

Silence descended; the boy looked at him, and he became uncomfortably aware it was his turn to continue the conversation. He cleared his throat and tried not to feel awkward. "Where are we?"

The boy looked surprised at this question. "What?"

"I said, where are we? Do I need to repeat myself again?" he snapped, irritated with having to repeat himself, frustrated with his own ignorance.

"Whoa, chill," said the boy, holding up his hands. "This is Marina Town and those," the boy pointed out towards the islands in the distance, "are the Destiny Islands. Ring any bells?"

He shook his head. "Are they supposed to?"

"Did you hit your head on something?"

"I'm beginning to wonder."

The boy glanced at his wristwatch and then looked back at him, seeming agitated, like he had somewhere to be. He wondered where. "What's your name, by the way?" the kid asked. A gaggle of boys ran by, screaming with laughter, and the kid waved at them with an eagerness he found himself envying.

The question made him pause. He wasn't sure about anything, least of all his name. But even as he thought about it, he knew the answer. Just like studying his reflection in the window provoked recognition, the boy's question caused a word begin to surface in his own head, becoming sharper and more familiar as repeated itself in his memory like a mantra. A name. His name.

"Axel. The name's Axel," he said at last.

"I'm Ralfie." The boy jerked his head towards one of the side roads. "I've got to meet up with the gang soon, so I better go. It was good meeting you, Axel." He turned and began to walk away.

Axel stood in silence, watching Ralfie leave, not really knowing what to do and feeling a vague sense of loss as the fledgling companionship ceased. The conversation had allowed him to forget for a moment how he had no purpose, no memory. Lost. He watched the boy run and join the larger group, again feeling that strange jealousy at their zeal, their effortless belonging. He turned, disgusted with his own self-pity, and began to walk. The streets were a maze, unfriendly and unfamiliar, but if one walked long enough, one had to arrive somewhere. He just hoped he knew where that somewhere was when he got there.

He turned a corner into a darkened alley and suddenly found himself on the ground, seeing stars. The world tumbled and tilted at odd angles, the darkness once again threatening to envelop him, like an old friend. At least he had one. From the shadows above, three older boys appeared. They looked to be his age, though one was taller than the rest, and they all carried large, heavy-looking bats. Axel scrambled to his feet as best he could; the motion was watery and his skull ached where he'd been hit, and his pulse pounded in his ears as his temper flared white-hot in the gloom.

"You're in our territory," the taller boy, the one who'd appeared first, replied with a haughty smile. Axel knew instinctively he was the leader, and the one who had hit him.

One of the smaller boys piped up. "Yeah! Johnny says this is our territory!"

"So you knock down a stranger?" Axel sneered at the taller kid, Johnny, his hands balling into fists. They were armed and he was not, but they no longer had the element of surprise, and he could dodge bats well enough. They looked to be the slow, lumbering type, though there were three of them and that in itself was worrying.

"I didn't like the way he looked," scoffed the boy, hefting his bat over his shoulder. The other two chortled.

"If you've got a problem with me, deal with it," spat Axel. He was canvassing the street as they talked, wondering if it was worth fighting, or if he should make a run for it back out of the alley. He was pleased to note he was still a good few inches taller than Johnny.

"Oooh, whatcha gonna do about it?" One of the smaller boys, emboldened by his proximity to his leader, taunted him. He had short, greasy hair the color of old straw, and Axel hated him instantly.

"I think he's gonna cry," snickered the other.

He could feel that darkness inside his chest, that emptiness, and he could sense the way his rage and fear and bitterness slipped effortlessly down to fill the void like a key fitting squarely into a lock. Something inside him clicked. It felt good. "Why don't you leave before someone gets hurt," he said, his voice dangerously quiet.

Johnny laughed, nonplused, and the boys took that as their cue. They began to advance upon him, bats at the ready.

"Whaddaya say, boys? Think we should get a little practice in before the tournament begins?" Johnny's grin was smug, derisive, and threatening. They surrounded him now, and he knew there was no way he could run. Instinctively, Axel reached deep down, took hold of his anger, now hot and rich and violent, and pushed.

"WHOA!" he heard them yell above the sudden scream of white fire shooting up all around him. "What the hell!" They were screaming, scrambling, tearing at their clothes and their hair to try and stop the burning, but Axel barely noticed. For the first time since he'd awoken on the road, he felt alive. He heard someone laughing with a crazed joy, and realized it was himself. As the flames began to recede he stared at the place they'd been. The void was draining now, and he sagged a bit, trying to salvage what euphoria he could, trying to keep the emptiness from returning again. He didn't want to lose that feeling. For a moment, he'd been whole.

The flagstones were cool when he sank down to meet them; he was vaguely surprised they hadn't retained any heat. But it didn't matter. He was tired, crushingly so, and his legs seemed loath to hold him upright. This was worse than when the kid hit him on the back of the head. "What's going on?" he whispered, knowing there was nobody there to hear him.

"You've got a special talent, that's what," said a cool voice from everywhere and nowhere.

Axel jumped, spinning to face the source of the voice: a tall, deep-chested man in a hooded, black robe. The hood concealed the man's face, the fading sunlight making the silver chain around his neck glitter.

"Who are you?" demanded Axel, but even as he asked the question he felt a prickling in his chest. The man struck some sort of resounding chord deep inside him. They were the same.

"I am someone who can help you, Axel," came the reply.

"Oh really. And why is that? And how do you know my name?" He felt faintly cheated that this man could summon facts about him so effortlessly, facts he had to work to produce, like his name. Axel tried to keep up his mask of disaffected indifference, of sullen anger, but he already knew he would listen to anything this man had to say.

And somehow, the man knew, as well. "So many questions. This is neither the time nor the place to discuss such things." His voice was smooth and bottomless, commanding attention and obedience. Axel at once found himself being drawn to the sound and resenting it. "If you wish to find out who you really are and more about that fiery talent of yours, I will be waiting." The man motioned with his hand and a portal of darkness appeared behind him. "I can teach you everything you need and want to know."

There came a long moment then, a face off, where the two men stood in silent contemplation. Clearly, Axel was expected to follow into the portal, but he wasn't so sure he trusted this man with his black coat and his fine words. Though he wanted to. Very much. No one ever offers things without wanting something in return. "And what do I have to do in return?"

The man chuckled, a dry and scathing noise, which only made Axel feel more confused and ill at ease. "Simply…exist."

Once again, he felt his temper flaring at this man's deliberate evasiveness. The void gaped inside of him, aching to be filled again.

"What are you talking about? Tell me!"

"I will return in one day. Until then, think about what I offer you. Knowledge, power, abilities far beyond anything you could ever dream of…control of your talent…it's more than anybody could ask for. Especially a Nobody like you." The man tilted his head; in the slanting sunlight Axel caught sight of a chilling, predatory smile. And then the portal flared and he was gone.

"Hey!" he yelled, lunging forward to where the man had been moments before, but there was no one there to hear him, and he stumbled to the ground. His anger was there in an instant, bubbling just beneath the surface, ready to be used, but he pushed it aside.

What was the point? He resented being toyed with and watched, and he damn well wasn't going to be goaded into displaying his "talent", as the man had called it, just for the sake of a little amusing show. He was sure the man was still watching, somehow. From the shadows, he could almost feel the eyes…

"I'm not a nobody," he hissed vehemently into the darkness, climbing to his feet and dusting himself off. But even as he said it, he wondered who he was trying so hard to convince: everyone else, or himself.

And so you have the beginning of Axel's story. Jump aboard mates! We've got quite the story to come :D

I would love to know your thoughts about this chapter.

Who do you think the person is at the end? (winks)

I do hope that this lives up to any expectations and I hope you enjoyed it! (crosses fingers) Next chapter involves some very familiar names of certain Organization members :D

Thanks for reading!