For some obscure reason I thought I'd uploaded this chapter... apparently not, and so it's been sitting in my folder for what?... almost 3 months.

That's pure disgrace lmoa! I apologise. So here it is! This and chapter 3 and I haven't checked it over, I'm just putting it up and I'll re read it at a later date.

Disclaimer: Quick Axel! Save your damsel in distress! Square own the characters, I own the story.


By now Axel was ready to just… leave. Go. Walk away from all of this frustrating irregularity, his previous encounters had done nothing but confirm to him that carnivals were probably the most annoying and freaky places in the world. He wouldn't be returning to another one in his life after this.

Even though he cursed every possible plant, tree, flower, weed or animal that came his way as they -one way or another- made his life a living hell, he knew he couldn't go home yet, one: because he was totally lost and unwilling to return the way he came in case he bumped into the only two weirdo's he'd seen since he entered that damn hall of mirrors and two: because that Tifa woman had made him realise that he really just needed to find Roxas, the boy was in trouble but as much as Axel wanted to deny it his heart strings were pulling for the boy and -after everything they'd been through in the past seven or so years- he was worried about the blond.

So Axel walked. Walked through the forest which was trying its best to scrape away his sanity, walked in an unknown direction just to find Roxas. They really needed to talk at least.

The redhead soon found himself trudging deeper into a maze he hadn't even noticed he'd entered, the bushes becoming thicker and forming a defined road the more he walked and he finally reached a threshold of more dripping flowers. Was it even possible for the pink haired freak to have made it here before him? Even worse what if the guy was still around?

Axel pushed on through the mess of paint cautiously but what he saw astounded him more than anything else he'd seen since he'd been here. There was a strong smell of incense he hadn't even noticed until now and it made him cringe a little at the potency of the musky smell, and through the light mist from the burning sticks Axel saw a mountain of tattered, dusty books, the bottom cluster crushed to almost dust by the weight of the others and Axel wasn't kidding when he said a mountain, not to mention the walls filled with book upon book and he realised this was the first structural room he'd been in since that hall of mirrors.

The redhead craned his neck, watching the pile as it reached its peek and atop of that a young boy, perhaps Roxas' age, perched on it, one book in his hand and a single eye scanning its' pages, the other hidden by a mass of slate, almost pale blue hair. "Welcome," the boy greeted without shifting his gaze and Axel blinked, the voice snapping him out of his awe and he took a small step back to squint up at the -newly unfamiliar- boy.

"H-hello," the redhead stuttered, careful as to whether he should be talking to this person or not, the people he had met already hadn't exactly been in a stable state of mind.

"Can I help you with something?" the other enquired, setting down the book he had to pick up another and Axel continued to shuffle back, his neck aching slightly and he squinted.

"I'm looking for a way out," Axel answered.

"Then you must see the crystal bearer, only she can take you back to where you were," the boy answered and the redhead's hopes shot up rapidly. This one knew something!

"Where is she?" He asked in anticipation, perhaps now he would find some answers.

"In the Radiant Garden of course, but be warned, once you leave here things will be hard, not many reach her and nothing is what it seems," the boy added, throwing down the book he had and retrieving another.

"Have you seen another person?"

"With her," was the answer and Axel found himself confused.

"What?"

"The bait is with her, you know how to get there, they always know." Once again none of this was making sense and Axel found himself more bemused and frustrated than ever.

"But I-"

"Oh dear, dear," a new voice interrupted the redhead who spun on his heels and searched the area for the owner of the echoed voice, but he saw no one, "now look what's happened Zexion," the male voice continued calmly and Axel once again looked up to where the boy -who he guessed was being addressed- was sitting and the outline of a new person came into view. "You've said too much this time haven't you?" the man asked and tutted.

The redhead took in the features of the newcomer; he wore a suit similar to that of Marluxia's though this one was crisp, black and a lot cleaner than the others' had been, Axel also noticed this man wearing gloves with a strange symbol sewn into the white in gold and he had short, blond hair. "I've said too much," Zexion agreed, still flipping through book after book, faster and faster and the new blond placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, stopping him in his vicious sequence and Zexion looked up at him with wide eyes.

"And you know what we do with people who say too much don't you?" the man asked childishly as the other nodded and without another word he was swiftly gagged out of no where and Axel's eyes widened.

"Hey!" he shouted, he had no right to do this, "who do you think you are?" he shouted angrily and this new comer finally turned his attention to the redhead, smiling as a greeting.

"I am Luxord, a mere servant of the crystal bearer and you, I am told, are Axel, yes?" Said male was taken aback by the others casual tone and said nothing to confirm or deny the question. "You must excuse this thing, he's been causing a lot of trouble lately," he continued, clapping his hands and Zexion vanished without a sound.

"Where are you taking him?" Axel bellowed but again received only a smile.

"That is none of your concern," Luxord answered and the redhead bristled. What was going on here? He wanted answers, and it seems his only source of information had just been swept away from him. "Please excuse my rudeness but I must return to her."

Her, the thought clicked in Axel's head and he quickly told the blond to stop, "where's Roxas, what has she done to him?" he asked.

"Nothing, but that won't be the case forever," he answered and before Axel could interrogate him anymore Luxord disappeared.

"Don't fucking run away from me!" The redhead shouted furiously, making his way around the books at a sprint but there was no one on the other side of the pile and Axel cursed. Now what? He didn't know where to go, how to get where he needed to be or how to get there. What had Zexion said again? Radiant garden, where was that? Nothing is what it seems?

The redhead groaned in frustration, kicking the pile of books beside him though he regretted it immediately. With a loud creak the mountain wobbled, gaining momentum as the books slid like an avalanche and Axel sprinted away finding a new exit just as the pile fell with a deafening bang and he panted for breath, looking back at the scattered mass with a triumphant smile before turning away and beginning his journey again.

However Axel didn't get very far. Almost as soon as the redhead had discovered a sliver of hope it had evaporated once the familiar fog from the beginning of his current nightmare settled in for the second time and he cursed, furrowing his brow and squinting as hard as he could, though his efforts were all in vein. He couldn't see, and there was nothing he could do about it. However a voice Axel didn't expect to hear so soon made its way to his ears and he honed in on it, following the sound as it continued to get louder and relief fluttered over him as the fog got thinner. But what he found was not encouraging and it sent uneasy shivers up the redhead's spine.

Sitting there, in very dim light and only grey concrete around him was a boy, a boy hugging his knees as he rocked backwards and forwards, his face hidden in the crevice of his body and he sang,

"Hickory Dickory Dock,The mouse ran up the clock struck one,The mouse ran down!Hickory Dickory Dock."

Axel's first thought was to leave him alone, he didn't know this person -though he felt a faint nostalgia that the voice was familiar, but what did he know? Everything was wrong in this place.

"Tick. Tock. Tick." Just as the redhead shuffled to move away the head that had been down shot up and two large, sky blue eyes bore into him and Axel was stunned. This was… but I-it couldn't be. No. "Oh, hello," the voice greeted shakily, the eyes scared, the breathing panicked, and Axel had never seen this person in his life. This wasn't the person he knew, it couldn't be. Not-

"S-Sora?" The redhead stuttered, taking a step forward but regretted it when the brunet scurried backwards.

"W-who are you, do you know who I am?" he asked and Axel could do nothing to comfort the boy, apparently he only terrified him and that thought struck him hard. Sora had always been Axel's friend even since they were children. Was the brunet really scared of him?

"Of course I do Sora, we're friends," the boy tried reassuring him from a distance but it did nothing. "What are you doing here?" To this the spiky haired brunet tilted his head in confusion though his eyes were still filled with terror.

"I'm… waiting," he mumbled, his jaw moving as he whispered to himself, "I was w-walking through the clouds… a-and lost him. He promised h-he'd find me," Sora's voice cracked as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Sora, who are you waiting for?" Axel asked but the brunet wasn't listening anymore and there was only one thought in the redhead's mind, how could he be so stupid, there was only one person who he would wait for. "Is it Riku you're waiting for?"

Sora's attention shot back to Axel, startling the redhead and he froze, staring into the blue pools of the brunets distressed eyes. "There's only one way he'll find me," Sora whispered. "Follow the stars, they're the only thing that can lead anyone to what they want but…" the brunets lip quivered and he sobbed, "you can't see the stars when you're in clouds," he said as he began to cry.

"The stars?" Axel wondered and something clicked in his mind 'the star will guide you to your new hope and the thing you want to protect most.' "So it isn't just me." Was that what Zexion meant too? Axel looked down at Sora and his heart squeezed with grief for the boy, he couldn't imagine what the brunet must be going through, waiting to be found by the one person he loved most in the world and it made the redhead think, was Roxas waiting too? Was that why he was still there, was he waiting for Axel to be his again and remember how happy they used to be? The though… kind of hurt, he was right, he really was spineless.

"Sora," Axel said, a new resolve in his heart but the boy didn't look up, "I'll find Riku for you, I promise," he said and turned away as his friend began singing again:

"Hickory Dickory Dock,

The cat ran round the clock,

The clock struck seven,

She wanted to get 'em,

Hickory Dickory Dock."

Stars… Axel needed to find a star, but how? Like Sora had said it was impossible in this fog and as he looked up into the grey abyss above him Axel finally wondered what time it was, surely someone was out to find him and Roxas now, they'd been gone for hours, they must have been.

The redhead's walking stopped abruptly as the hard ground he'd been walking on suddenly squelched under his feet and threw him off balance. This was unexpected, what was he walking into now? But what time did he have for caution? None of his questions so far had been answered, he'd only been presented with more riddles and questions since he got here, so with a shrug Axel tested the ground, making sure it was somewhat stable to walk on and wouldn't engulf him as he trod on it and thankfully it seemed safe. He slowly began making out the outlines of trees and marshland as he travelled and he was happy to know he was making some sort of progress through this place; regardless of if it was in the right direction or not.

Axel watched his feet as he walked and approached a sequence of stepping stones which he made his way across, looking up only when he was at the other side and once again the sight was a shock to his system, the fog was thin but still present and Axel distinctly made out the image of a swimming pool along with the strong scent of chlorine. To the redhead this was just getting stupid now. Marshland… And a swimming pool? How far out of town had he wandered anyway? The sound of humming caught the redhead's attention doubled with rippling water and finally a boy appeared, though the sight immediately startled Axel since it was just floating on the top of the water and staring up. "The sky is so pretty," the person awed and shock once again wracked the redhead's system. 'What the hell's he doing here!' "Don't you think so?" he asked and Axel stayed silent, wondering if he was talking to him or not. "I thought you might," the boy giggled and the redhead raised a questioning eyebrow. No one had answered. Without Axel even having time to announce his presence the boy's turquoise orbs shot to him and he grinned. "Who are you?" the boy asked excitedly, flipping over so that his wet, blond hair parted to stick to the sides of his face and head.

"D-Demyx, you know me," Axel accused the boy who continued to giggle to himself. "What are you doing here? And what's wrong with you you're acting stranger than usual," the redhead continued but received nothing but bursts of loud laughter from the blond.

"Silly Billy, I live here," Demyx answered and once again Axel looked at him confused. "Oh! I know!" the blond exclaimed, "you should come swimming," he cheered, "the only other person here is Riku there," Demyx pointed over to his left and Axel's eyes shot in the direction the blond was pointing. "But he can't remember a thing, so he won't swim with me," Demyx pouted.

Axel made his way over to the silver haired boy who was sat on a chair, examining the space around him with confused curiosity. "Riku?" the redhead addressed the boy who didn't answer to his name and Axel looked on worriedly "excuse me," he called and the boy gave Axel his attention.

"Hello, who might you be?" the silverette greeted and the redhead felt his stomach turn. Why didn't anyone know him? They were all friends weren't they, or was Axel just too different now?

"It's me, Axel," he answered the boy who nodded.

"And, do you know who I am?"

"Of course I do Riku," Axel explained and he watched as the name passed over the boy's interest.

"Oh, so you're Riku? Nice to meet you," the redhead was immediately confused and felt he might end up in the same kind of conversation he'd had with Marluxia, though this one would be more painful than irritating. "Excuse me," Riku said after a short silence and Axel returned his attention to the boy, "who are you?"

Axel felt sick, was this some kind of super amnesia? Or was the silverette just messing with him? "It won't work," Demyx's singsong voice came from the pool and the redhead turned back to his friend. "I told you he doesn't remember. Honestly," the blond sighed exasperatedly, "you heard me tell him didn't you?" Demyx enquired to the empty space on his right before nodding.

"Demyx, what the hell's wrong with you?"

"Me?" the blond grinned a little too insanely for the redhead. "Nothing, oh I have some chocolate, do you want some?" Demyx asked as he pulled a bag of water and chocolate out of his pocket and began eating the sugar joyfully, his eyes dilating as he did so and Axel gasped. What the hell was that stuff?

"Demyx, stop eating that right now," the redhead demanded making said blond pout.

"But it's mine," he wined, clinging to his bad and Axel outstretched his hand, his look stern and the blond gave in, handing the chocolate over to the redhead who threw it as far as he could in the opposite direction of the pool. "Meanie," Demyx mumbled, "once this fog clears and the stars come out I'll get it back," the boy exclaimed and stuck his tongue out childishly.

"Stars?" Axel wondered, training his attention on the blond, "the stars come out, when?" he asked but Demyx only shrugged.

"They walk past sometimes, and the next time I see one, they'll help me," Demyx said triumphantly and Axel sighed, it seemed like Demyx was seeing things now and that wasn't going to help him at all. "Or I could go to the Radiant Garden, she'll help me find it," the blond declared.

"Where's the Radiant Garden?" Axel asked, he needed to get there more than Demyx and if the blond knew he would definitely get the information out of him if he could.

"Over that way," Demyx pointed down the pool where Axel could only see the outline of more trees, "it's not far," the blond smiled, "I'm going to go and ask her."

"No wait, Demyx," the redhead protested and said boy turned to look at Axel again who had to come up with an excuse and fast. "Y-you need to look after Riku," the redhead explained, "how about I go for you and you stay here with him?" he asked and Demyx's eyes lit up excitedly.

"Really! Ok!" he cheered and the redhead nodded before making his way towards the trees.

Finally he was getting somewhere, finally there was hope.


A/N: Ahaha nursery rhymes! xD It's lame but I had to.

I do not want to eat what Demyx is eating |: I don't know what it is, but it doesn't sound good. Mother Axel FTW! xD

Luxord's evil D: poor Zexy! )':

I feel so bad for Sora and Riku too. :C

Anyway. Please leave a review it'd make me really happy. ^^

Kit.~

Oh and 'Hickory Dickory Dock' doesn't belong to me either. Just putting that out there. (: