What's this? I'm updating again already? I need to be shot. Or something.
Maybe I'll just go listen to Roxas's Theme again and sob my eyes out, 'cause Axel did too. -pout- But seriously. With all these new Final Mix+ videos coming in, it's so hard to keep my own story in line with the new facts xD Ah well. This story'll be pretty short anyway.
In any case... see that little button down at the bottom of the page? Yeah, I know you do. Don't lie to me. Now click it. CLICK IT, I SAY! And review! A nice comment or two, a few words of advice, s'all it takes, yo.
Thanks for all your others reviews, by the way!
"You take just by insufficient words; trying to snatch it away
But, with shouting, a person is like a hungry shadow.
Only my pale heart continues to run,
Like a sad messenger.
Embracing those that can be held with my thirsty flesh,
Where do you think life is?
I question you who are damaged."
-- T.M Revolution "Mugen no Kokou"
Web of Night
Chapter 4
"Y-you... what?" For the first time in his life, Roxas saw Naminè's eyes constrict, then widen in shock.
Roxas stared off into space. "I don't know. Why am I feeling what Sora is? I don't..." An abrupt movement distracted the teen as the other blonde moved from her seat to grab his hand. Her expression had grown somber.
"It's like I feared. You see, it's just like I told you. Because you're such a rare case... such a strong pair coming from one powerful heart, you both basically share that heart. And you establish a connection. And if everything had gone right, you would be sharing not only a heart, but a body. You would have become one because in reality, you are one." Naminè paused to bite her bottom lip worriedly before continuing, "But Sora awoke without you and because you have a part of his heart that, really, you don't even feel, it doesn't bother you. But Sora does, Roxas. The agony of only having half of his heart is going to kill him. And now, you're feeling his pain as well."
Spotting Roxas's bewildered look, Naminè shook her head. "If this continues, the pain you feel will continue to grow as Sora fades. Tell me, what does it feel like?"
Number XIII looked away from her gaze, hesitating. The news about Sora was startling, but not unexpected. Sora really was dying, and it was up to him to save the boy. Perfect. Just great. And this feeling in his "heart", so to speak, would only get worse.
So what did it feel like? He knew the answer. He knew what it felt like, even if it was impossible. "It felt like someone was ripping my heart out. But that can't be true, I don-"
Naminè shook her head in impatience again, interrupting, "Roxas, you have to talk to Sora. Connect with him like you did before, I mean. He needs your help." Her innocent blue eyes stared with an uncharacteristic fierceness. Perhaps it was the look that she was giving him, or the urgency radiating from the girl, but Roxas felt himself nod almost against his will.
He swallowed thickly. "What do I need to do?"
Naminè's lips formed a small smile. That smile... Roxas blinked, trying to rid the meshed images of Kairi and Naminè from his mind's eye. He just barely caught the girl's words.
"Reach out to him with your mind. You two are connected; I think it will be easy for you. You are stronger together than apart, you know."
Jaw tightening, Roxas curled his fingers around the witch's in a vice-like grip. Hoping against hope that this would work, the boy closed his eyes. He was met with the sparkling darkness that was the back of his eyelids. Roxas frowned slightly.
Concentrate... just find Sora. His mind set to reaching out across expanses of physical distance to touch his somebody's troubled soul. Time passed without notice. Eventually, even the tense hold around Naminè's hand that had turned almost painful faded away.
Roxas wrenched his eyelids open, knowing that he would no longer see white walls, but muffled black shadows.
Instantly, an overwhelming pain burned through his limbs, his body, clouding everything with a haze of red. What was this? The inside of the brunette's head was an inferno of agony. "S-Sora?" Roxas rasped, choking and falling to his knees.
"Roxas?" A voice, just barely a whisper, sounded somewhere to his left. Grunting back a sob of agony as the unbearable tension in his heart seemed to double, the nobody crawled to the limp figure, half hidden in the shadows.
"Roxas, help. I can't... my heart..."
Roxas reached out to touch the wretched figure. His hands passed into the shadows and, to his horror, it dawned on him that the shadows were actually darkness, oozing over the brunette, targeting the heart. Like liquid heartless.
With his last amount of energy, Roxas pulled at Sora's arm, dragging him partially from the black substance. It felt like his body was going to split apart. Or, at least, it did. Tugging harder, he managed to haul Sora out of the shadowy substance. As he did, the throbbing aches were pushed back. Even Sora's incessant quivering was dying down.
"You are stronger together than apart." Naminè's mysterious comment now made sense. The burning truth, so to speak. Roxas couldn't help but frown, watching the darkness recede to a dull gray. A mixture, the neutral ground between black and white. Not the pure white that was Sora, but it was enough to ebb the pain.
"Roxas?" Sora's voice came in clear now, not static-like or far away as before. Soft, weak, innocent. His top lip curling in disgust, Roxas looked down at the other teen. Was this really his other? The Light's eternal, blazing champion? What would everyone think if they knew that Sora was half-complete, that the gaping emptiness was allowing darkness and evil to seep inside and torment the boy? Blasphemous.
Roxas knew now what Naminè had wanted him to come here for. For Sora to be whole, his nobody had no choice but to rejoin him in body and spirit. Why? Why him? Why couldn't they all just leave him alone and let him live on his empty life in peace? Roxas was stronger than Sora. I deserve a heart, a normal life... why can't I get it? They all want me to disappear and help Sora. Who would really care about a Nobody, anyway?
"... what?" Roxas finally sighed, his depressing thoughts muffling the hatred beneath. No emotions, my ass.
"You made the pain go away." The key blade wielder murmured, sitting up to lock his sapphire eyes on the matching ones of Roxas. "You got rid of the darkness. How? Why?"
Why are you always asking me questions? Why? Can't you just let me be? And if I really do tell you... you'll make me go back. I don't want to go back, not when I have so much left back in my own world. Don't... don't make me go back!
To Roxas's horror, his inner thoughts were echoing aloud throughout the entire chamber, bouncing to and fro as Sora looked around, his mouth open in astonishment. The obvious fear in the reverberating voice startled even Roxas. Sora tried to sit up, still holding a hand to his chest. "In your... own world? What do you mean? Roxas?"
But by now, Roxas had had enough. He didn't want anything else to do with Sora. Not offering any explanations and not even daring to meet his other's eyes, Roxas fled, dashing out of the room and severing his connection. Breathing wildly, his eyes snapped open, back in Naminè's room. The girl's eyes saw the anger in his face and she hurriedly backed away.
"R-Roxas?" She whispered, holding her notepad close to her chest.
"You!" Roxas snarled, standing to lividly look at the artist. He had an urge to punch something, or, preferably, run it through with a keyblade. His sensible side had him turning and walking out the door before Naminè had a chance to stop him. He hadn't anticipated that she would try, though.
" Roxas, wait, stop!" The pale girl grabbed Roxas's wrists. "Don't! Don't just abandon Sora!"
"Let go of me. I'm not going back to the way I was. I won't. " he said coldly, his voice low and bordering on murderous. Shrugging away her hand, he stormed out, leaving Naminè alone. More than anything right now, he wanted to cool off. Maybe it was time to actually listen to the Superior. Without even thinking, Roxas turned and headed off in the direction of the simulation rooms, his boots echoing in the halls as he stalked past the mindless dusks that soundlessly shifted to let him pass.
.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.
"Where do you think Roxas has gotten?" Demyx mused, leaning back in his seat as he tuned his sitar. His coat had been zipped all the way down to show the black shirt he was wearing.
Axel snorted softly, hiding his inner concern and anxiety that was raging. "Maybe he's still talking to the good ol' Superior. Although... knowing him, he probably got lost on the way here."
The remaining members of Organization XIII were sitting about in the room they had dubbed, "The Room that Xemnas Never Comes Into", or the lounge room for short. One of the few rooms where the other brainless Dusks and Berserkers couldn't sidle in, the guys often grouped up here in-between missions. To do mostly nothing.
A wide smirk spread on the short-haired blonde sitting across from Axel. "So our little Roxas really is back, is he?"
"Yeah, he came back. Escaped from DiZ and everything." Axel muttered from his place on the couch where he had thrown his head back to stare up at the high, white ceiling.
Luxord shuffled some more of his trademark cards, his laugh low. The way he cocked his eyebrow at the red-head suggested that he knew more about the situation than he let on. "You don't look too happy, though."
"It's 'cause Roxas knows about Sora now..." Demyx answered solemnly, plucking away at his instrument's strings.
The gambler's yellow eyebrows shot up with intrigue. "Oh really, now?" A vicious little smirk stretched out his lips. "Hope that doesn't make him go traitor on us."
A booming laugh from the right signaled Xaldin's interest in the conversation. "Our little XIII? Please. I doubt he'd have the guts."
The Flurry of Dancing Flames said nothing, one of his hands curling in to form a tight, angry fist until the leather of his glove began to creak. The truth of the matter was that Roxas had more guts than everyone gave him credit for.
The blonde musician nearby finally got an airy, soft tune going. "It's been a little boring without him, to be honest."
The comment brought a small smile to Axel's lips. "Yeah, no one to distract us from Saïx and Xemnas's boring meetings and ravings."
Xaldin slid his fingers through the strange worm-like things that made up his hair and scratched a part of his skull. He had been occupied with sharpening one of his countless pointy things when a question came to mind, "So where'd Saïx slither off to, anyway?"
Across the room, the single eyelid of Xigbar slid open to look over lazily at the Whirlwind Lancer. He had been attempting to sleep, using his coat as a blanket, but found that slumber was eluding him. "Probably worshipping Kingdom Hearts and making a new shrine for it or somethin'."
"Or sucking up to Xemnas, as usual." Axel drawled with a roll of his eyes.
An appreciative chuckle went through the Organization members before a rather somber silence enveloped the room. Kingdom Hearts these days was a rather depressing subject. They all couldn't help but be a little skeptical about the infamous gateway. Would it really give them hearts, as Xemnas promised, or would it be their downfall? At this point, no one knew. Xaldin, Xigbar, Luxord, and Demyx... they never talked about it, but somewhere, they all knew it was getting harder to believe that they were indeed nothing. Emotionless. How could one be emotionless when they're filled with so much anger and suffering?
Axel finally grew tired of the empty feeling spreading through his core and stood, not meeting Demyx's confused eyes. "I'm gonna go look for him."
"Look for who? Roxas?" Demyx asked quickly, but the only response he received was the sound of the door slamming as Axel walked out.
.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.
"Roxas!" Sora sat straight up, his hand scrabbling over his shirt as he looked around. Panting almost frantically, Sora's eyes only widened as he realized that he had no idea where he was. This was definitely reality, yes, but what part of reality? The last thing he could remember was the agonizing pain... and Riku? Was Riku here, in this very strange white room?
"Riku?" The spiky-haired teen spoke out into the vacant room, wondering if he would receive a response. Switching tactics, Sora raised his voice, "Goofy? Donald?"
"Donald and Goofy are still asleep."
Sora nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected soft words coming from the corner of the room, where he was certain no one had been before. "Who's there?"
Turning in place, Sora came face to face with a hooded figure, hidden in a black coat. The boy's senses buzzed almost sleepily into action, picking up the fact that whoever this was, he was dangerous. "Who are you?"
The stranger stared at him for the longest moment, or at least, Sora thought he was staring. He couldn't really see the figure's eyes, but it seemed that way. Finally, the cloaked man moved forward to tower over him. "How do you feel, Sora?"
Riku watched tentatively as his friend's eyes narrowed in recognition at the sound of his voice. Immediately, the key blade wielder took up a defensive position, scooting back farther away on the bed. His lips curled with anger as those beautiful blue eyes darkened with surprise and hatred. Riku could almost feel his heart breaking inside.
The brunette finally reached the bed's head post and leaned back on it as far as he could. "Ansem! What are you doing here? I thought we destroyed you!"
"Sora..." Riku barely managed a whisper, turning away so that at least he wouldn't have to see the golden eyes of his enemy.
"What have you done with Riku? Give him back! I'll fight you again if I have to, Ansem, you-" Sora's angry words were caught off with a choke as his heart flared up again in protest. Gasping sharply, the boy collapsed back into bed, beginning to shake in a violent manner. Riku was almost instantly at his side, trying to help, but Sora pushed him away with the little force that he had.
"No! Get away! Riku! Kairi! Goofy! Donald!" Screaming the names of his friends in hopes that they would come to help, Sora sank back into the torturous stupor while Riku watched helplessly.
.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.
Roxas grunted in pain as his chest was stabbed through again with Sora's anguish. The idiot must have shaken off whatever help he had gotten and started up the throbbing wound once more. If this kept up, Roxas wouldn't be able to get any peace and quiet with these constant near heart attacks. Stubbornly, he attempted to keep walking, but his heart had something else in mind. More pain filtered through his chest, spreading to the rest of his body. Finally, Roxas stumbled. With a quick intake of breath, he tried to keep his balance, but failed miserable and began to fall helplessly to the floor and undoubtedly, onto his face.
"Clumsy as always." In true Deus ex Machina form, lanky arms appeared out of nowhere, snatching Roxas right before he flopped to the floor by grabbing his shoulders and tugging him back.
Roxas blinked briefly as he regained his footing before turning to stare up at a wide, Cheshire-cat grin. Axel. The red-head had somehow managed to find him at the nick of time. "Axel. What are you doing here?"
The chakram user smirked, looping an arm around the blonde's shoulder. He leaned his head down to be somewhat level with the shorter boy's. "I could ask you the same thing. You didn't come to breakfast."
"I, uh, I wasn't hungry anymore." Roxas lied quickly, hoping that his wide eyes wouldn't give anything away to those perceptive green ones.
Axel hummed under his breath, then began tugging the boy back down along the hall. "So you decided to get back to training? And without me? I'm so hurt, Rox..."
Roxas moved along with him without protest, relieved that he wasn't bringing up any more questions. Even better, the pain in his heart was fading as well. "S-sorry... I just didn't know where to find you and I didn't want to bother you."
The red-head nodded as the pair continued to walk along. He was careful to keep the blonde close to him and, unable to resist, he reached out with his other hand to ruffle the boy's unruly spikes. "You can always bother me. I don't mind." He said warmly, grinning again.
A comfortable silence was established as they walked. Another turn in the hallway and they reached the corridor of simulator rooms. Picking the first one on the right, Axel nudged open the door and led the way inside. Upon closing the door, he leaned against it with his shoulder and, in silence, began programming the room for a scenario.
Meanwhile, Roxas walked out into the middle of the area, looking around. He had almost forgotten about these intricately designed rooms. They could take on any territory and conjure up whatever enemy the user wished. Indeed, he and Axel had spent hours at a time here, honing their attacks and abilities.
Before his eyes, the white grid design shifted and molded into a dimly lit alleyway that could only be somewhere in The World That Never Was. Roxas glanced around at the smoky walls and humming neon lights. He quirked an eyebrow at Axel. "Why this?"
The pyro shrugged, stepping away from the building that he had been leaning against. "No reason. You ready to go?"
Roxas nodded stiffly. This was how it always was. Axel or he would ask the other if they were prepared and then the training would begin. There was an unspoken challenge to each one. Whoever can't get up after the round was the loser. Roxas shuddered as he remembered their last fight. Axel had unofficially declared that the winner would be seme for the night.
Wonder if those rules still stand... Oathkeeper and Oblivion shimmered into life in Roxas's hands. Axel, in turn, smirked wolfishly. In a showy blaze of fire, his chakrams danced into the red-head's grip.
Roxas couldn't help but grin as well. Training right now was the best possible thing. He didn't have to think about Sora, Riku, Xemnas, or anything else. It was just him and Axel, fighting. Gloriously mindless fighting. With a deep grunt, Roxas pushed off from the floor and flew at his friend, key blades at the ready.
Axel was waiting for him. In a sharp move, he brought up one chakram to block Roxas's attack. The force of the blow drove him back a few feet. "Woah! What's this, Roxas? Working off some steam or something?"
With a yell, Axel swung around his second weapon, driving it for the blonde's side.
"Maybe." Roxas muttered, pushing away from the pyro and jumping nimbly off of the chakram's flat side. He launched himself into the air, flying over Axel to land on the other side. As soon as his feet touched solid ground, a wave of fire rushed at him.
Roxas just managed to dodge. Rubbing ash from his partially singed pants, he briefly twirled Oathkeeper for a better grip before flying back at the red-head.
"Maybe?" Axel laughed, bringing a spinning disk up to shoot another ball of flames at his partner. "For all I know, maybe you're just sexually frustrated!"
Roxas glowered. Axel always could think of the best battle banter. Honestly. With a growl, he slashed both key blades through the fiery orb. It dissipated instantly, but behind the attack was a thrown chakram. Clang! A well placed spinning attack shoved the weapon back into one of the nearby buildings, the tips embedding themselves deeply. Landing back on solid ground, Roxas then counterattacked with a well-timed ice spell.
Axel burned right through it, leaping forward with his weapon out to the side on hopes of performing another slashing attack. Roxas dodged around it, pushing off from the side of the nearest building and jumping away. But Axel thought quickly.
"Or maybe you're just thinking about Sora...?" He turned his body and flung his weapon while Roxas was in mid-dodge. The spiked ring flew right at the blonde. With a deadly thunk, it buried itself into the skyscraper, grabbing a loose part of Roxas's shirt and trapping his left arm in between the spikes at the same time.
Axel stalked forward in triumph. His prey was caught. And so wiggly, too. Roxas was getting angry trying to rip his shirt away and wrestle his limb out, but so far, his efforts were delightfully fruitless. He had already dropped his key blades so that he could concentrate on escaping. But Roxas abruptly stopped when he felt his friend grab his free hand and pin it above his head to the wall.
"So... does this mean I win?" Axel purred, leaning in closer. Roxas frowned, trying to jerk his arm away.
"No! Not yet!" He grit his teeth, trying not to look weak, not daring to show how Axel's words had struck home.
"So was I right? Were you thinking about Sora?" With a leisurely smile, he pressed himself to the smaller boy and went to continuing where they had left off that very morning. He blew gently on Roxas's ear before slowly kissing it and licking the outer shell as the nearby chakram faded away.
Roxas gasped, cursing silently at his own weakness, before he tried to escape again. This time, he won. With a forceful shove, Axel was sent back a few feet. Not wasting time, Roxas turned, intent on storming out and perhaps seeking solace in his room.
Axel watched his partner take the first few steps, then decided that perhaps now was the best time to talk. Ah well... looks like getting into his pants will have to wait. He sighed mentally. His hand darted out to grab Roxas's wrist, green eyes burning as the blonde turned his head to face him. "Don't turn away from me."
Roxas sharply turned his head to face Axel, looking livid. "...what do you want from me?"
The bitter edge that Roxas had in his voice resulted in Axel frowning and pulling the boy in closer. "Quit being stupid and tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing's wrong!" Roxas exclaimed, trying in vain to pull away. Axel still wouldn't let him go. "Just... just let me go!"
"I won't. Not until you tell me what's going in with you." Axel retorted, wrapping one arm around the blonde's waist. He began to soothingly run his fingers through Roxas's hair, hoping to calm him down.
"I... I just..." Roxas could feel his defenses being shot out from under him. Knees shaking, he buried his face in Axel's warmth. "Everything's just so wrong right now."
"Things'll get better, Rox. You just need to stop worrying so much." Axel replied softly, resting his chin finally in the mop of blonde hair.
"Worry? Can we even do that?" asked Roxas bitterly, closing his eyes and looping his arms around Axel's thin waist. The question lingered in the air for a brief second before Axel pulled away to stare down at him.
Roxas almost flinched at the intensity of the green gaze. Axel's fingers began digging into his side. "Roxas, don't give me that. You know better than anyone that no matter what bullshit the Superior feeds us, it's a lie. We can feel. I felt so damn worried when you left. Hurt that you left, even. And absolutely fucking overjoyed when you came back. And this whole time, I still love you. Love you, Roxas. And don't let anyone tell you any different."
The fierce words rendered Roxas speechless for a moment. Axel... worried, happy, hurt... loving. In fact, Roxas was feeling quite an onslaught of emotions himself. An overwhelming feeling of guilt settled into the pit of his stomach. Guilt of leaving Axel to mull in his wretched anxiety. He regretted not believing Axel before. Pain and fear of what was to come later. Too many emotions, too many feelings. Too much uncertainty of how those emotions could even exist.
"You love me?" He eventually found himself forming words to ask a very stupid question.
Axel rolled his eyes, snorting as he tugged Roxas back into another warm embrace. "Of course, you idiot. I'm the only one, probably, to love someone as stupid as you. Just like you're the only one... who makes me feel. And has me believe that I really do have a heart. Doesn't even matter to me if it's there or not. As long as I have you." He added in a breathless whisper, clutching at the blonde tightly.
"Y-yeah... me too." Roxas closed his eyes, allowing himself a tiny smile. So small that it was almost... nothing at all.
THE END! xDD Not really. We still need Sora to get better!
Ah, that's so short, though. Since I usually write each chapter about 10 pages at a time, I decided to stop here and have the smex, Riku wreaking his wangsty goodness, and Roxas finally making his decision in the next chapter or two. This fic really is quite short. It most likely won't even get past 10 chapters. I'm estimating maybe 3-4 more. Luckily, I've already got most of the ending figured out already. Then I'll start on my OTHER Akuroku. Which will be long, hopefully beta'd a bit, a good.
"Ja ne, sempai!" -snicker- Poor Vexen.