A/N: Ha! The shrine candles for my muse worked! I was hit with inspiration in geometry (again) today! At this rate, I'll never pass that class, but at least I'll have good writing material, no?
Disclaimer: I do believe we've been over this before.
Chapter 7
It was another whole week before anything of consequence happened, and when it did, the shit hit the fan all at once. The day started off innocently enough, all things considered. They ate breakfast, did some boring but necessary work, and took a stroll around the castle and marketplace. It was when they were heading to the throne room that the first piece of bad news reached them.
"So I told the guy that there was no way in hell we could grant him permission to smuggle three thousand stolen chocobos across the desert. I mean, how do you smuggle even one giant bird anywhere?"
Roxas threw back his head and laughed at Axel's tale.
"Well…actually, you know, I have absolutely no idea. You'd think they would attract attention. Chocobos are rather rare around here…how did he even steal them?"
"Beats the hell out of me. In the end, we had to…" Axel trailed off, throwing out an arm to catch Roxas in the chest and keep him from stepping any farther forward. Roxas blinked in confusion for a moment before he noticed what Axel had already seen. An inky black spot was stretching across the floor, much like the one that had produced the imps that had attacked them. Demyx and Zexion were in front of them in seconds, weapons drawn and at the ready should they be of need.
Roxas couldn't help the sinking feeling in his gut. If they were attacked there, they wouldn't be able to stop the assault. Not with just the four of them. Roxas was ready to summon his weapons at a moment's notice, but after half a minute or so, he began to grow curious.
"Majesties…" Zexion said slowly as if he wasn't quite sure of anything. "I think you should look at this." Roxas peered cautiously over Zexion's shoulder, gasping aloud when he saw that the inky blackness had taken on the form of letters.
"We're coming to claim our prince. If you care for the kingdoms left behind, you will not attempt to hinder our mission." The note was signed with a loopy 'M'.
"Something tells me that's not a warning," Axel said with a low growl. "But what does she mean, 'kingdoms left behind'?" Roxas merely shrugged, not seeing any sense in the words.
"The answer is no." The blonde snapped at the ground, gasping in surprise as his words formed in the darkness and sunk through the floor, no doubt to deliver the message to its sender.
"Oops," he muttered.
"Do you think, perhaps, she means the locations of the old kingdoms?" Zexion piped up, eyebrows rising deftly. Axel straightened up considerably, fists clenching.
"You think she'll attack Ne'erwas and Hartz," he said through clenched teeth.
"Shit," Roxas muttered, tensing up as well. "Most of the army has to be kept here. She must know the old kingdoms are undermanned. If we send out more troops, we'll have to halve them, and then everywhere will be shorthanded."
Axel nodded in agreement, eyes flashing around as if expecting to find the answer presented to him from thin air.
"Son of a bitch," he growled. "I don't feel right leaving them all out there alone. They shouldn't be punished for not wanting to leave the place they've known their entire lives. But we can't send any more troops…"
"We'll go," Roxas said quickly as the idea popped into his head. "I'll go to Hartz, you to Ne'erwas. It won't be that much more of a stronghold, but it will certainly raise morale. Sometimes that's all you need."
The look on Axel's face clearly said that he liked that idea.
"What?" Demyx squawked. "But…what about everyone here?"
"They'll have the whole military at their disposal," Roxas spoke impatiently.
"What if this is a ruse to get you away from Twilight Town?" Zexion interjected.
"It's a chance we'll have to take. Either way, I doubt it. It's not us she's after." Axel quickly shut that thought down. "Zexion, alert the stables to prepare our horses for the journey. Demyx, tell Leon to meet us at our chambers."
After a shared look and a moment's hesitation on the Guards' part, they both nodded and took off down the hall at a run. Roxas and Axel headed in the opposite direction, slipping into a shortcut passage three halls down. This one led to a room a hall away from their bedroom.
Getting ready to go was a rushed affair, the pair dressing for a long horse ride and grabbing any extra weapons they could think of. Leon burst into the room after a few minutes, protesting loudly as he went.
"Are you insane? You can't leave right when everything is going to hell! If she attacks while you're there, you'll die!"
"Better to die watching out for our people then hiding away," Axel responded. Roxas interrupted Leon's next protests before they even started.
"Your concern is noted Leon, now listen up," Roxas snapped, not having time nor patience to listen to all the reasons why what they were doing was a terrible idea. "I want this entire place on lockdown. Nothing and no one gets in or out until Axel or I give the word, you got that?" He continued at Leon's nod.
"I don't know how long we'll be gone and I don't know what's going to happen, but I trust that you'll be ready for anything. I want you to keep things in order in our absence."
"Sora's going to be running things while we're gone," Axel spoke up, his voice muffled from where his head was stuck in the closet, "But if the time comes for military action, I want you to do what you think is best for the people. Keep them safe, above all else."
Leon nodded, his stormy gray eyes flashing dangerously. He seemed to have accepted the fact that they weren't going to listen to his protests.
"I must insist that you bring at least two people a piece with you," he said after a moment of silence. "Personal guards and one other. I don't trust the feeling in the air." Roxas hesitated, glancing across the room at Axel, who rolled his eyes and shrugged.
"All right," Roxas agreed. "Any suggestions?"
"Whoever was the most well-liked Guard in the kingdoms of old," Leon responded.
"Xigbar," Axel said immediately.
"Riku," Roxas answered in the same breath, focusing on Axel again. The redhead stared back. They watched each other for about half a minute before Axel nodded.
"We don't have time to argue about it. Take Riku, then."
"Leon, alert Riku and Xigbar. Tell them to be ready to go in ten minutes or we ride alone." Leon nodded curtly and rushed off.
Axel and Roxas continued getting ready and rushed off down toward the stables. The entire group assembled basically at the same time, and Roxas tried to ignore the structured chaos that was taking place all around them as the castle prepared to lock down. He nodded at Riku and Zexion, who would be accompanying him and then to Demyx and Xigbar.
"You two, take care of him. Don't let him do anything stupid," Roxas instructed the guards. The blonde then turned to look up at Axel, eyes blazing, stomach clenching with worry, knowing that, if things went wrong, they might never see each other again.
"Stay safe," was all he could say. Axel nodded, trying to crack a grin, but failing miserably.
"You too, Roxas." Axel said, grabbing him roughly around the middle and pulling the blonde forward into a hard, searing, wonderful kiss. A kiss that was a clearly a potential goodbye. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Roxas answered breathlessly. "Come back to me in one piece or I'll fucking kill you."
He turned away before he lost control of his emotions, casting a quick glance at Zexion and Riku, who were saying goodbye to their own loves.
"Let's go," he barked, swinging himself up onto Luz's back.
"Don't falter, Sora," he offered as final advice to his brother before spurring Luz on and taking off at a fast pace across the courtyard. He could hear Zexion and Riku follow behind him. The gates opened before him, allowing him out into the town. He could hear people calling out, but he steadily ignored them. His one mission now was to get back to Hartz castle as fast as possible.
He couldn't allow himself to look back. If he did, he might see Axel, and then he might not be able to go through with it. He knew what they were doing might be a death sentence. But they had to do it.
Not long into the desert, Riku drew up beside Roxas, shouting to be heard above the thundering of hooves.
"Majesty, what exactly is going on? Leon told me the basic gist, but I'm not quite sure I follow."
"There's not much to follow," Roxas answered with a shrug. "We've figured out that the prince is from Hollow Bastion. The queen has threatened the castles of Hartz and Ne'erwas, probably knowing that most of the army resides in the new location. Axel and I are going to each of the old kingdoms so that we can be available if anything bad happens."
"So…wait a moment here…you're telling me that right now, I'm following you toward your potential death?"
"Just like old times," Roxas nodded in agreement.
"Except in old times you weren't stupidly throwing yourself into fruitless danger with only two allies at your back!" Riku protested. "What the hell has Leon been doing if he's allowing this sort of thing?"
"Leon didn't have much choice in the matter. I have to admit, though, I do miss working with you. Leon's efficient, but it's not the same, you know? Axel's regretting being an idiot, too, but he's too stubborn to admit that he was wrong. But I'm working on him, I promise."
"You realize that you're insane, don't you?" Riku asked a few minutes later.
"The best leaders always are," Roxas answered with a grin.
Riku's laughter accompanied them along their ride.
