Nobodies didn't have hearts. Everyone knew it. It was law in The World That Never Was. If the Nobodies had hearts, they wouldn't have had to organize to scheme a way into getting back their stolen identities; they wouldn't have to slay untold thousands of Heartless in order to build the bridge to Kingdom Hearts; they wouldn't have to corrupt the strong in order to force new Nobodies into their burgeoning army.
Roxas knew what his mission was—he knew what to do to get back his heart. Everyone told him he had no heart, and he believed them. Or rather, he used to. But recently, something's happened to make him question the Superior's "law". Roxas could feel something tingly and strange in his body. That's right. He could feel. And the sensation was foreign to him.
Not knowing where to turn, Roxas spent too long a time keeping his thoughts to himself. But he could only keep it a secret for so long. He soon received orders to go on a mission with Axel to defeat some Heartless, and so he went reluctantly.
"You ready to go, partner?" Axel said with a coy little smirk.
"Uh..." Roxas couldn't focus for some strange reason.
"Oh come on, kid! You've been with us long enough to learn how to speak!"
Despite Axel's prodding, Roxas couldn't say a word. Axel continued to talk, and Roxas just trembled. Something was wrong with him, and when Axel grabbed him by the arm to drag him through the dark portal, he just about lost his balance.
"Partner, what's gotten into you?" Axel said with concern. They had reached the other side of the portal—a town lit only by the pale moon in the sky. Not another soul was around for miles, either because of the Heartless or because they were tucked away sleeping for the night.
His head spinning, Roxas stumbled to regain his composure. But he just couldn't hack it. The strange feelings bubbled within him, and as he looked up at Axel, his eyes pleaded for help.
"Hey, hey! Roxas!" Axel caught his partner just as he fell. "Are you alright?"
"I'm...not sure..." Roxas mumbled, his whole body shaking with strange feelings. "I feel...dizzy and... my stomach feels weird."
"Hey, now that you mention it..." Axel said introspectively, "I'm feeling kind of funny, too..."
Roxas, still in Axel's arms, looked up at the man. "You...you are? Is this...normal?"
The two, unsteady, looked at each other. Roxas tightened his grip on Axel's arms where he clung to them. His index finger on his left hand stung in particular.
His tensed and re-tensed, trying to gain a bearing on his sensations.
Axel looked down at his partner with a look of concern and surprise. "...Roxas?" He choked out in a hushed whisper.
"I... think..." Roxas half muttered. He was lying though, and he knew it. It was becoming harder and harter to think.
His shoulders ached. He was paingully aware of his shoulder muscles for some reason
Axel was feeling it too. Roxas leaning against him like that was making it worse. He began to really feel it in his knees. The backs of his calfs were starting to weaken and weaken. They ebbed and burned as the tendans bunched up and pulled at his hemstrings.
Slowly and much to Roxas' surprise, he began to lower himself and his partner onto the cool cold ground. Water dripped off the rroftops like a drippy facet and splish splashed on the concrete like a leaky sink
Roxas unconsciously licked at his chapped lips his hands fishing around in hsi pockets franticly "Oh no he cried. Did he even have one?
Axel reading his partners plight like a librarian at a booksigning conversation held in downtown michelin ohio took to frankly patting down his own pockets
"Oof!" Without his partner's support, Roxas flopped forward and collipsed. Axel tussled backward with both his hands in his pockets like a school play version of a Charlie Chaplin film done in slow mosion
Axel fell on his back and while turrin over he conked Roxas noggin wif his knee and fished one ham out of hsi pocket and reached for a ticket stub htat he had had earlier in his pocket.
Roxas nearly comatoise from his feelings him was ffeeling he lay their stuck like a mudbrick in a hayloft on a sunday in the sun at noon grocery shopping
"Urr" Roxas plyed for help cawing at the ground
"Almost!" Axel seized the flighty ticket stub drew it close reading the lines to make sure it said what he thought it did.
It did. Yes!
So he turned back over onto his back and leaned forward to embrace Roxas "Roxas! I did it!"
He felt Roxas' back shaking him slightly to get a response but he didn't. No don't do this to me you daft bastard he punched him on the back trying to do cpr but it wasnt working so he flipped roxas over prepared to do the kiss of life to revitalize his ailing partner
No don't leave me!
Roxas barely had a pulse and couldnt open his eyes any more than a bartender could open his bar on a church sunday in a church city on a church holiday in the middel of a church town
Axel chucked his ticket stub at the young man in a wild attempt to work out his pentup rustration bt he couldnt because he was getting hngy and it was getting harder and harder to handle like a big juicy steak between too hamburgur buns slathered with grease and chicken sauce. You know the ones that get right spongy when theyve been left alone for too long? Ya? Well that was Axel and Roxas
they were starving like they hadn't eaten in w eek and they haddent it was true thats why they were so week
so using his last bit of strength Roxas slowly and barely opened his eyes, his lips quivering as he grew close and he spoke in the harshest of whispers his stomach gurgled
What, Axel?" What did you get?
Axel not breaking eye contact with his partner patted at his partner's chest until he relocated the ticket stub he was hungry too
"All you can eat at McDuck's Ice Cream Shop."
Now they can replenish the food subsistence that keeps their bodys going
Yay
Teh E