Part Two

Axel frowned, blinking in his direction.

"I'm helping a friend." He told the newcomer. "...wait. Wait, I've SEEN you..." He muttered. "I've seen you before!"

The man nodded.

"Indeed.. The one you call.. 'Friend'," he began, the word filled with disgust. "Is not what he appears to be.. But I assume you are one in the same.."

"I don't really have time for you." Axel snapped, heading for the stairs. "Roxas needs me, go be mysterious and creepy somewhere else. Besides. That's XENMAS'S schtick, go get your own!"

DiZ looked at Axel with an unimpressed look.

"Roxas is not of your concern.. Someone else in this world matters more than that Nobody.. He is not meant to exist.."

"Whether or not he was meant to, he's real to ME." Axel said proudly. "Our feelings...however much of an ECHO they may be of the real thing...they're close enough!"

DiZ looked at him incredulously.

"Do you not understand how ridiculous you are being?" he remarked. "Nobodies have no business existing in the first place.. Roxas does not belong in this world, regardless if you wish it or not."

Axel was now at his friend's door, and he frowned, turning back to face DiZ again. "Doesn't matter if he wasn't meant to be. He's here now." He said firmly.

You do not seem to understand the consequences of your actions.." DiZ stated, trying to get Axel to see reason.

"It will only be a matter of time before you discover your mistakes."

Axel rolled his eyes, closing the door behind him, going into the room with Axel, holding up the potions, and giving Roxas the healing potion he needed so desperately.

Roxas very weakly began to drink the potions, soon coughing rather horribly before groaning. He however did not awaken from his slumber. Axel patted over Roxax's shoulder.

"You're gonna be okay, Roxas. I promise. Just relax and rest, you'll be better in no time!"

Roxas didn't respond, though his breathing more slowly than before and was more relaxed as the potions began to slowly heal the wounds.

It was then that voices from somewhere within the mansion.

"Are you guys sure about this?" asked a young boy's voice.

"Of COURSE I'm sure!" said another boy's voice. "A couple of ghost stories aren't gonna scare ME away!"

"Hayner, maybe we shouldn't.." said a young girl's voice. "What if we get in trouble?"

"If you and Pence want to stay outside, be my guest." said the second boy's voice. "But I'm checking this out."

Axel blinked in surprise, racing off for the door, peeking outside, trying to see who was there.

Three kids around Roxas's age were gathered in the foyer. It was the trio Axel had seen while searching for Roxas in the virtual Twilight Town. They were glancing all around the room.

"Hayner, maybe we shouldn't.." said the girl, a bit nervously.

"C'mon, Olette.. Don't be such a sissy." the boy known as Hayner said.

"I'm not being a sissy!" Olette nearly shouted.

"Ssshhh! You want somebody to HEAR us?" Hayner hissed, keeping his voice down a bit. "We're not that for from TOWN you know!"

Axel quickly closed the door. Uhoh! He couldn't have them finding Roxas! He had to get him out of there. "Okay, buddy. We're going out the window." Axel told Roxas, opening up the window, lifting Roxas up into his arms. "This'll be tricky..."

The window made a loud rattling noise, catching the attention of the three kids' attention.

"Did ya hear that?" said Hayner.

With that said, Hayner had run in the direction of the sound, his friends following close behind him.

Roxas had not stirred as Axel lifted him up. Before Axel made his way to the window, the door to the room swung open.

"What the-?" Hayner gaped in shock. "What's going on here?"

Axel gulped nervously. Crap. CRAP! He had to go, now!

He dove out the window with Roxas in his arms.

"Hey! WAIT!" Olette cried out in shock.

*THROMPH*

Axel landed down on the grass below, panting a bit. Phew. He stuck the landing! However, as he stuck the landing from the second floor, the impact was still enough to cause an ankle to be bent at the wrong angle. Behind him, the same man in red appeared again.

"You cannot run from your problems.. It is only a matter of time before your luck runs out."

Axel cringed, glaring back at DiZ.

"Will you not just GO AWAY?!" He snapped. "Leave me and Roxas alone!"

DiZ was not moved by the shouts and merely walked over to him.

"This Nobody should not be your concern.. But.. It seems you are one yourself.."

Before DiZ could take hold of Roxas, he heard shouting from behind him and gritted his teeth and turned toward Axel

"This is not over.."

It was then that he vanished from sight, revealing Hayner and his friends hurrying toward Axel and Roxas.

"Hey, I don't know what's going on with you, but you shouldn't be randomly jumping out of windows," Hayner frowned. "I mean, you know you could'a DIED right?"

The girl named Olette made her way over to Axel and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Please, let us HELP you and your friend." she frowned, a look of concern on her face.

Hayner and the other boy named Pence nodded in agreement, making their way toward them.

Axel hesitated...then sighed.

"...guess I don't got much of a choice. My friend Roxas is hurt bad, and I gave him some potions, I thought it would heal him right up, but he's still not waking up." He told them all.

Hayner and his friends nodded in acknowledgment, Olette's expression being that of concern.

"What happened to the poor guy?" Pence asked, also concerned. "Maybe we could find a way to help."

"We got into a fight." Axel sighed, shaking his head back and forth. "We almost NEVER fight but...we were both really upset and he got hurt worse than I did and I tried to heal him up, but it's still not doing much." He explained.

Olette placed a hand on Axel's shoulder, as if she expected him to knock it away.

"We'll do what we can to help you," she assured him.

"Yeah," said Hayner. "We're not gonna stand by while somebody's badly hurt."

Pence and Olette soon nodded in agreement. Axel looked touched.

"I...I don't know what to say." He remarked.

"Think nothing of it," Hayner smiled. "Just tell us what to do and we'll do what we can to help."

Pence and Olette nodded in agreement.

"C'mon, we should get him somewhere safe." Olette stated.

"I need to get him somewhere safe where he can heal." Axel insisted. "Can you help me bring him into town, maybe?"

Hayner, Pence and Olette nodded and helped Axel through the hidden tunnels that led from the forest into town.

Author's Note: I apologize for not updating in such a long time.. But I will try to get more up soon..