A/N: Random facts: there are seven places in the Phillipines that are called Roxas, and one of the former presidents of the Phillipines had the last name of Roxas. One of the places is Roxas, Palawan. I want everyone to know that I misread that as Padawan. (And if you don't believe me on this, go wiki "Roxas".)

I'm sorry I didn't explain more about the Conclave in this chapter, but they're really not important to the story. Still, I'll try to clear up their identities later on—though I'm hoping you'll have figured it out by then. And, on a sidenote: Damnit, DiZ, wtf are you doing in this chapter? You weren't supposed to be here! ...But thanks for the word count.

Warnings: OMG, so much sap. Damnit, Axel, stop being a dork.

Disclaimer: Sorry, if I owned Kingdom Hearts there would have been a Pocahontas world. What? It's one of my favorites!

Chapter Six: We May be Some Sort of Crazy

Xigbar had assured him that this meeting with the Conclave was just going to be a formality, a morbid sort of getting to know you between gangs. They were pretty much supposed to just hang around and trade insults, the Organization being made fun of because they had (yet again) gotten a child to join them, the Conclave being made fun of because none of the leaders could (or would) really fight and nobody actually wanted to be a part of their group. There was, of course, going to be very little fighting—maybe Demyx was going to get a chance to show off his penchant for tsunamis, maybe Lexaeus was going to have to wave his tomahawk around a little. But it wasn't going to have to be anything for him to worry about, since he was new.

The illogical side of him decided that he wouldn't be in this situation if he hadn't been told not to worry. The bitter side of him thought Xigbar had purposely been fucking with him. But most of him was just focused on not dying.

He didn't think he was going to be able to dodge and swing fast enough for long enough, could feel himself tiring and eversoclose to panicking, which was not something he'd ever been prone to doing. At least not the way he was about to do it now, and that more than the thought of death unnerved him—to be utterly lost to his own fear, unable to form a single coherent thought when he tried so hard to base his entire life around his need for self-control. He couldn't afford to lose his mind, just like he apparently couldn't afford to lose his hood or his life.

And that was why, when the person he was fighting knocked both keyblades out of his hands in a move that was too fast for Roxas to follow, let alone block, he found himself falling backwards, crawling away from his enemy with his butt nearly dragging along the ground and smacking straight into a wall that he hadn't known was behind him. He found himself glancing away from the weapon in front of him, searching desperately for someone who could come to his rescue though he knew they were all too busy fighting themselves. When his eyes finally shot back to the person in front of him, all he seemed able to see was a triumphant smirk and the sun glinting tantalizingly off the sharp metal that was so close to impaling him. He didn't want to watch his own death, not when it happened so soon after he'd gotten out of his home, and he raised his left arm in front of his face, wishing with all of his might that Oathkeeper was clenched tightly in his fist where it ought to be.

A light filtered through his eyelids, burning bright orange-red, and the familiar weight of his weapon settled soothingly in his hand. His eyes snapped open and he stared at the dying light that was slowly receding from the keyblade for a split second before he jumped to his feet, swinging with all his might at the shocked man still poised to kill him. The light returned momentarily, seemingly lending strength to his already powerful swing and knocking the man backwards. Was this the manifestation of his magic, then? If it could call Oathkeeper to him, then...

Holding out his right hand, he wished for Oblivion as well. For a long, long moment, nothing happened. And then the black sword materialized in a bright white light, tendrils of...darkness?...swirling around the blade, and he was armed again, oddly rejuvenated, ready to jump back into the fight.

But everything, it seemed, had mysteriously stopped. He could see Eleven's scythe raised, could see three daggers, surrounded by lightning, in midair, aiming straight for the back of a man who had what could only be Demyx pushed against a wall. But none of it was moving.

"You're not supposed to be here," a lightly accented voice said from somewhere to his left, and he spun to meet this threat, backing away slightly with his keyblades poised to attack if necessary. "The Organization must not have the keyblades, Roxas."

"Who are you?" Roxas snarled, unnerved. "How do you know my name?"

"That is no concern of yours," the man replied, single visible eye staring, it seemed, right through him. "Just heed my warnings, Roxas, and run while you still can. You hold the keys to Kingdom Hearts, and the Organization will betray you to obtain it. You must leave now!"

"What are you talking about?" Roxas questioned angrily, curious despite himself, and didn't lower his guard. "Why should I listen to you? I don't even know who you are!"

"Who I am is not important, Roxas!" the man snapped. "Just get the keyblades away from the Organization. They can't have them. I won't—destroyed my—the Heartle—" The man's form was shimmering, blinking in and out of existence. Roxas stared uncertainly, jumped when a hand landed heavily on his shoulder.

"It's a hologram," a familiar accented voice spoke softly, and Roxas turned to stare up into the hood of the man from earlier that day. Luxord. "And a very good one at that. But if you really concentrate—" A common playing card appeared suddenly between his fingers and his companion flung it at the stranger. It passed through the still shimmering form and cracked into something behind it. The hologram disappeared entirely and Roxas stared at the metal object on the floor that was crackling with interrupted electricity.

And just like that, time seemed to resume itself—he looked up to see the daggers plunge into the man's back before Demyx punched him heavily in the face—and the fight was in full swing again, but he could only watch. He turned to Luxord to ask him what the hell all of that had been about, but the man was already gone.

"Kid!" Axel's familiar voice called suddenly, and Roxas turned to greet him, blue eyes still wide as Axel grabbed onto his shoulders. "Are you alright? I saw you call your keyblades. That was so awesome, you got your magic just a day after finding out magic was real! That's—"

"Axel," Roxas interrupted quietly, and the taller man fell silent instantly, nearly hidden green eyes narrowing in concern. "What's Kingdom Hearts?"

Axel opened his mouth uncertainly, brow furrowing with confusion, and seemed about to respond when a sharp cry of "Look out!" forced him to turn around just in time to get hit with a lightning spell. Roxas yelped, surprised and scared, staring down at Axel in concern for a brief moment (relieved to discover that the man was still alive, wide eyes looking utterly shocked, chest heaving with painful-looking breaths) before he moved to make his own attack. Unfortunately, the assailant was already disappearing into the fray, red robes billowing as he floated away. Snarling, Roxas fell to his knees beside a dazed-looking Axel, hands hovering uncertainly over his chest.

"Ow," the redheaded man said quite clearly, and levered himself slowly into a sitting position, ignoring the hands fluttering anxiously around him. "Seriously, fucking ow. I have never been happier to be a fire element in my entire fucking life." He reached up and tugged his hood back down into his eyes, shaking his head lightly.

"Are you alright?" Roxas asked concernedly, jerking his hand away from where it was nearly touching Axel's (apparently minor) injury. "How the hell are you alive after that?"

"My magic protects me," Axel muttered, pushing himself to his feet and pulling Roxas up with him. He dug around in his pockets and pulled out a vial, grimacing as he swallowed the contents. "All better. Let's get back to the fight before somebody notices us standing around aimlessly."

"But—" Roxas hesitated, not wanting the man to overstress himself, and then nodded when a grin spread over Axel's face. He was obviously fine. How, Roxas didn't know, but damned if he wasn't going to find out after this fucking battle was over. "Let's stick together."

"...Always," Axel murmured, leaning over to press a brief kiss to Roxas' head before pulling away and calling his chakram to him in twin bursts of fire, just in time to spin around and block a swing from a burly man that had been attempting to sneak up on them. Schooling his expression, Roxas pressed his back against Axel's and smiled grimly at the three men running up to him with scimitars extended. With Axel behind him, he thought vaguely, there was no way he could lose.

-----

"I can't tell you until the Superior okays it, Roxas," Axel sighed, leading Roxas through the hallways the next day. "And I already told you I don't know who the hologram is. Can't you ask me a question I can answer without Xemnas siccing Saix on me?"

Roxas rubbed wearily at his temple and wondered idly who the hell Saix was. "I don't like not knowing things," he said shortly. "And I really don't want you to keep things from me."

"If I could tell you, I would," Axel insisted passionately, coming to a stop beside one of the many plain doors that were scattered throughout the castle and turning to look Roxas in the eyes, hand cupped around the short blond's jaw to tilt his head back. "You can trust me, Roxas, I swear it. And that's precisely why I'm bringing you here!" He pushed the door open with flair, grabbing for Roxas' hand and pulling him into the musty room.

"I'm surprised you even knew there was a library in here," Roxas said dryly, staring up at the shelves upon shelves of books surrounding him. They were surprisingly clear of dust. "How am I going to find anything here?"

Axel rubbed at the back of his head, grinning shakily down at Roxas. "Well, Xaldin and Larxene practically live in here, so I kind of figured we could ask them."

"I'm sure they'll be utterly thrilled by your strict adherence to the wording of the rules."

"Man, when'd you get so snippy?" Axel asked ruefully, shaking his head. The soft smile on his face softened the question. "Did Xigbar molest you in your sleep? I knew he couldn't resist for long. Don't hide your feelings, it's okay to cry."

"I hope you fucking rot," Roxas grumbled, pushing the door shut as he stepped farther into the room.

"Hey," Axel murmured from behind him, and when Roxas turned to look at the man he found himself being pushed gently up against the side of a bookshelf, Axel's hands and hurt eyes keeping him pinned to the hard wood surface. "What exactly did the hologram say about Kingdom Hearts to make you be such a dick?"

Roxas turned his face away from the man's, not wanting to share any information when he wasn't getting any himself, but Axel didn't budge. He took a deep breath. "He said that I have the keys and you—all of you, not you in particular—would betray me to obtain it."

"Do you really think I'd do that, Roxas?" Axel asked softly, his grip on the boy's hip tightening almost painfully even as a gentle hand rested itself against his cheek. "Look at me." Roxas did as he was told, heart skipping a beat as the man pressed their foreheads together. His eyes, as intoxicating as absinthe, left him completely open and Roxas was once again blown away by the sheer emotion in them. "I won't tell you that others wouldn't betray you to get to Kingdom Hearts, because that would be lying. The Organization is ruthless. You know that. But I promised I'd take care of you, Roxas. I told you I'd be the one to kill you if they didn't want you. I'm promising, now, that I'd kill every goddamn one of them before I'd betray you."

"How can you be so sure?" Roxas asked shakily, curling a hand into the shirt covering Axel's chest. "You barely fucking know me."

Axel grinned. "'I fear / no fate(for you are my fate, my sweet)'," he quoted softly, pressing his thumb to Roxas' lips when he opened his mouth to talk. "My heart won't let me hurt you. You might think I'm being ridiculous, but I knew from the moment you came into my life like you already owned it that you were the only future I was going to have."

"I do think you're ridiculous," Roxas said firmly, wrapping his arms around Axel's neck and pulling himself closer, "but I like you anyway. I can't believe you know e. e. cummings."

"A little bit of romance never killed anybody," Axel replied playfully, and pulled Roxas into a soft kiss, sliding his hands down the blond's back and flattening them against his butt to lift the shorter man and press him more firmly against the bookshelf. Roxas obligingly wrapped his legs around Axel's waist and arched into him, fighting back a whimper as Axel pulled away from his mouth and found a particularly sensitive spot at the base of Roxas' jaw.

"I'm beginning to understand Number Two's complaints about taking care of the boy," a faintly amused voice murmured, effortlessly breaking through Roxas' dazed state.

"Fucking damnit," Axel growled against the blond's neck. "One day I swear I'll get you alone and not be interrupted. Since when are you a patron of the library, Saix?"

"Though I can't claim Xaldin's excuse of being a one-time scientist, Eight, I at least like to hold myself to a certain level of intelligence," the controlled voice returned calmly. "I only wish the same could be said of the majority of the younger members, Larxene naturally being excepted."

"You flatter me, Saix," a familiar girl's voice chimed, and Roxas felt his face heat up as he realized that he and Axel had a small audience. "Though I can't help but wish you hadn't interrupted. I was waiting for the perfectly humiliating opportunity to announce my presence."

"I, for one, am grateful," a growling voice said. "If that had gone on much longer, I'm sure it would have interrupted my studies."

"Speaking of interrupting!" Axel butted in cheerfully as he slowly lowered Roxas back to his feet. "Would you mind giving Roxas here a nice little tour of the library, Xaldin? I thought he'd appreciate having something to do besides get lost and make out with me."

"First I want the two of you to promise that you'll never have sex in here," the harsh voice said. "Zexion would have a fit if you got stains on any of the books."

"No sex in the library, got it," Axel agreed amiably, holding his hands up placatingly. "So. Tour? I think he mostly wants books on magic and maybe some history or whatever, so he can get caught up with all they don't teach him Above."

"Very well," Xaldin sighed, frowning at Roxas. "Follow me. And if you two can't keep your hands to yourself, at least keep it hidden from me."

A/N: Wow that was a terrible ending. Anyway. Axel quoting e.e. cummings is pure fanservice, at least in that it makes me squee. Larxene likes hot man-on-man action? You better believe it. I fail at writing so bad it hurts? Oh yeah. Sorry about the long wait, etc. etc. Will try to update faster next time. No promises, though, holidays are bad. And also, I have a kitty, and every time I try to sit at the computer she attacks me! (Yes, this is a recent thing. We just got her a couple weeks ago and good LORD you should see my hands. We haven't had time to get her claws trimmed (no declawing for our kitty!), and she has some pretty damn sharp claws for being about eleven weeks old. ...We call her Little Vicious. (Her name is actually Luna.)) ...Man, the amount of parentheses in that sentence. XD

I'm really really uncertain about characterization in this chapter, and would like to take this moment to apologize profusely if I fucked anyone up. Also, if anyone can tell me how to get the umlauts (the two dots above a letter) in Saix's name, I will be FOREVER GRATEFUL. After five years of German classes, I know what the dots are called but haven't the foggiest idea how to form them. Fugginay.

And, finally, thank you like woah to everyone that came back! I love you guys in ways that ought to be illegal, but probably aren't. Please don't ever leave me, I promise I won't abandon this story!