Roxas climbed out as fast as he could, not really noticing the door close behind him, and altogether disappear. He struggled a bit, coughing as he sat up in some sort of pool of water. He looked around curiously, taking in the sight of the greenery and cascading water. They were in some sort of…spring?

Roxas stood to his feet and looked around. He looked down at himself, clothes completely soaked. Great. To make matters worse, Axel hadn't climbed out after him. Roxas didn't know if he should be worried or angry about it. He spotted a path to his left and decided to follow it. At least it wasn't a maze right now, it was pretty clearly marked. Roxas hesitated, wondering if he should wait for Axel. It didn't appear that Axel was coming, though.

Roxas sighed and continued on, walking slowly down the path. He crossed a suspension bridge and wandered into what looked like a forest. It was growing dark really quickly, and he squinted at the sign. Woods? Village? He wasn't sure where to go, but he kept on straight. After what felt like an hour, he approached what looked like a cave entrance. Only, it was blocked by a swirling red vortex of shapes and noise. Roxas lifted an eyebrow and approached it cautiously, holding his hand out to see if he could touch it.

A giant red hand shot from the wall and wrapped itself around Roxas' body. Without warning, it pulled him into the vortex in one swift motion.

Roxas woke with his face pressed to the cold stone floor. He moaned a little as he sat up, feeling the weight of his clothing and hearing the dangling pieces scrape across the floor. He was no longer soaked through to his underwear at least. Roxas looked around, blinking. If he endured much more passing out, he was liable to wake up with brain damage soon.

"I found you!" Roxas' favorite familiar voice chimed in. He whipped his head around to see Axel standing there, dressed in a black hooded cloak that draped to the floor and zipped up the front. Roxas tried to scramble to his feet, only to find that his movement was restricted. He tripped on his own cloak and crashed to the floor.

Axel chuckled at him and Roxas glared, pulling at the shackle on his ankle. How rude to laugh at him while he was chained to the floor! Roxas growled.

"Ooh! Aren't you scary? Are you sure you want to do that? Snarl and glare at me?" Axel asked, shrugging and walking about the cell that they were in. Geeze, climb out of one dungeon, into another one? "I was planning on helping you, if you were nice."

Roxas sighed in an annoyed fashion and sat down cross legged on the ground. Axel clearly had the solution to this situation, and he really had no choice but to do what he said. Axel walked over to him and ruffled his hair, bending down to be eye level with him. "I don't really get it but, weren't we climbing up a ladder just now? But I just got overwhelmed with this feeling of change." He pondered on it for a moment, and Roxas stayed silent. Axel patted his shoulder. "You're obedient to a fault, aren't you?"

Roxas attempted to bite his hand for making a cheeky remark. Axel withdrew it. "Geeze, no reason to get frisky on me," he complained. He stood and dusted himself off. "I guess you noticed we're dressed a little differently. My source of information is telling me that it might be important."

"What exactly is your source of information?" Roxas asked.

Axel pointed his finger in the air and opened his mouth, but then scratched his head as if he couldn't decide. "I'm not sure. Whatever it is that tells me that I'm supposed to lead you out of here. It isn't the same thing that recognizes you as Roxas, that tells me that I…" he trailed off.

Axel changed subjects faster than a woman changes diets. "I bet you're wondering where we are! Well, I'll make you a deal. If you can get over here-" Roxas did a double take from where Axel was just standing, to where he was currently situated outside the cell. "Maybe I'll tell you."

Roxas tried to stand and nearly tripped again. He pulled at the shackle a little bit. Well, great. Besides the fact that he was quite clearly in a cell, he wasn't going to get out by being chained to the floor. Roxas looked around for anything useful, and found a rock. He stretched his body out across the cell to reach it, feeling kind of stupid. Roxas looked up momentarily and caught Axel's eye watching him intently, as if he couldn't make sense of what he was thinking as opposed to what he was supposed to be thinking.

Roxas used the rock to pretty easily break the chain. The shackle was still around his foot, but he couldn't much help that. Once he was free, he stood and took a good look at himself. The dark, heavy coat he was wearing seemed really inefficient. Not to mention a little breezy, considered he wasn't wearing much underneath. Roxas looked up at Axel, who appeared to be yawning. He tried not to think of the fact that Axel wasn't probably wearing a whole lot more. Less in fact, if Roxas knew him.

"C'mon, what's the matter? Get over here!" Axel said, beckoning him beyond the cell bars. Roxas wrapped his hands around the bars and shook. Apparently, they weren't going to budge as easily as the shackle chain. He looked around, but didn't really see anything to pry the door open, or anything useful at all.

"If you can't force your way out, why don't you see if there's some kind of hole you can squeeze through?" Axel suggested.

Roxas glared at him. "Are you calling me small?" he asked, defiantly.

Axel shrugged. "Places like this are always full of holes, right?"

"I'm going to punch you in the face when I get out of here," Roxas promised, moving aside some boxes near the right side of the bars.

"I'd like to see you try, shorty," Axel said with a grin. "You can't even reach the top of your own bookshelf."

It was true, Roxas had a box that he stood on to get to the top of his bookshelf. Their house had high ceilings! That meant tall furniture! But, wait. "You remember that?" Roxas asked, moving the last box aside. There was a hole that made a significant gap beneath the bars. He got on his back and started under head first, attempting to squeeze his shoulders through the small opening.

"I remember a lot of things. But they are all jumbled up in my head," Axel said, grabbing hold of Roxas' hands and helping him through with a gentle tug. It wasn't in the instructions of what he was supposed to do, but he wanted to do it anyway. They worked well as a team, he thought.

"Listen, Roxas," Axel said, helping him pull the rest of his feet out of the hole and helping him stand. "I like you so, I think I'll get you out of here," he decided.

"You what?" Roxas asked, looking up from brushing the dirt off his jet black garment.

"I'm going to help you out so-" Axel started.

"No, the other part," Roxas prompted. Did Axel mean…?

"I like you?" Axel asked, turning the tiniest bit red in the cheeks.

Roxas looked him in the eye curiously, feeling his heart rate increase just the slightest bit. Which kind of 'like' did he mean? "What kind of-"

"In exchange you have to do exactly as I say, okay? Lets go!" Axel avoided the situation and grabbed Roxas' hand, dragging him along the damp corridor. Damn, he was good at escaping!

Roxas let Axel drag him through the dungeon. He noticed that all the cells they were passing were empty. Roxas was so busy looking around he almost ran directly into Axel when he stopped.

"What are you waiting for?" Roxas asked, as Axel just stood there.

"You have to do it by yourself," Axel said, as if this were obvious. "In this game, I'm only supposed to give you hints." As if to emphasize his point, he pointed upwards. Roxas saw a chain hanging from the ceiling. He reached his hand up and his fingers were a good five inches from the handle dangling on the end. Roxas jumped, but his fingers only brushed the handle, causing it to sway.

"I can't reach it," he muttered, crossing his arms.

"What?" Axel asked, leaning in closer.

"You have to do it, its too high up," he said, a little louder.

Axel smirked and leaned in even closer. "Can't hear you," he prodded.

"I'M TOO FUCKING SHORT! PULL THE DAMN THING BEFORE I KICK YOU IN THE FACE!" Roxas yelled at him. He tended to have unnecessary outbursts when he was frustrated.

Axel laughed. "Alright, alright," he said, reaching up and yanking the thing easily. Roxas brooded over it, secretly glad that he was with Axel and not say, Sora. Then they'd really be screwed.

The barred passage in front of them opened into a dank sewer. There was a raised walkway that hugged the wall, and a few inches of water gathered in the sunken areas. Roxas and Axel stayed close to the wall. They almost ran directly into a hunched soldier on the corner, who looked as if he were scared out of his wits. He was panting heavily. "Can't…run…any…further. This…is far…enough…right? I'll be safe here…I think," he muttered to himself quietly.

Axel paid him no mind, but walked right past him. Roxas stopped. "Shouldn't we help him out?" he asked, attempting to pat the man on the shoulder. His hand passed directly through his body, and he felt a cold tingling sensation on his skin. "What was that noise? Don't…don't anything come near me!" he shouted, curling his body in on itself and clutching his lantern for dear life.

Axel reached back and grabbed Roxas' hand, pulling him along. Roxas followed, keeping his eyes on the shivering guard. He had looked directly at Roxas, but hadn't seen him at all.

There were several other guards along the walls. Axel pulled Roxas past them, all of them muttering to themselves. Something of monsters and black evil creatures. Roxas didn't understand, until he saw something flit past his vision.

"What was that?" he asked, peering over the edge of the walkway. Axel pulled on a chain that was dangling in front of him, and the opening of a heavy door could be heard. Water began to rush in and fill the near empty channels to the brim.

"I'll just tell you, I doubt you're used to it yet. They're going to attack you, but you can fight back," Axel informed him.

Roxas saw one of the black creatures swimming towards them. He looked at Axel, who appeared to be making no move to defend himself from them. "Fight with what?!" Roxas asked, suddenly feeling a great weight in his hand. He looked down to see his fingers wrapped around a black weapon, its shape somewhat resembling an old fashioned key. He looked from the blade to Axel, who nodded at the advancing creature.

Roxas struck it with the blade, and it exploded on impact. He looked at the sword in his hand. That wasn't so bad at all, actually. He could get used to it. He got used to a gun, this was just a little different was all.

As they went along, Roxas seemed to lag further behind, the creatures keeping their attention on him, instead of Axel. Axel seemed to be able to go where he pleased, pulling chains here and there, really only stepping in when he was needed, while Roxas hacked at the black monsters that attached to his legs and bit at his knees. Roxas almost walked into another barred gate, seeing Axel already on the other side.

"I'll wait for you here, but you have to help yourself for a change," Axel informed him.

"That isn't fair!" Roxas protested. What if he had to pull one of those chain things!?

"What are you waiting for? Just look down," Axel hinted at him, pointing. Roxas saw a passageway disappearing, but it was covered by at least two feet of water. He'd had enough trouble doggy paddling over those spikes earlier in the heavy coat he was wearing, like hell he was going to try and swim through a passage in the thing.

Roxas stomped around angrily for a bit, spotting a door closely akin to the one they had opened to get the water flowing in the first place. He turned his head upwards and spotted the dangling chain with the handle. Roxas cursed internally. He was too damn short to reach it! Freaking Axel. He looked around for anything that he could stand on, that could help him get just a little higher. One of the bricks on the wall appeared to be jutting out just a bit, and Roxas took advantage of that. He stood the key blade vertically, headfirst on the ground, rotating the blade towards the wall. Roxas wedged his body between the wall, with one foot on the underside of the blade, and the other on the piece of brick that protruded from the wall. He was able to elevate himself for long enough to grab the handle and use his bodyweight to bring it down.

The door lifted open and all the water rushed out. Roxas jumped down into the canal and raced along it, ducking into the opening. He passed another cowering guard before meeting up with Axel on the other side of the bars. "Aww, did the detour tire you out?" He asked, ruffling his hair again, rather affectionately.

Roxas frowned at him, though it wasn't a very threatening one. "No thanks to you, jerk," he muttered.

Axel laughed and led them along the corridor once more. "It looks like the spirits in here…they're all soldiers," he pointed out. "I wonder where we could be?" he taunted, in almost a singsongy voice. Roxas didn't find it amusing.

They entered what appeared to be a tower, with stairs sweeping up to the top. They looked somewhat unstable, and Roxas was unsure. Axel hopped across them with ease. "You want to get out of here, don't you? C'mon then!" he coaxed, stepping along with a light foot.

Roxas followed cautiously. His attention was upward when he stepped on a weak spot and the floor gave out under his feet. He started to fall, but was caught and yanked roughly into Axel's arms, who didn't lose his balance at all. "Geeze!" Roxas exclaimed, gazing at where he had just been standing.

"Do I need to do everything for you?" Axel asked, pulling Roxas closer to him suddenly. Roxas' breath caught a little and he stuttered. "I…uh…" he managed before he was being pulled along roughly by Axel. "Follow me closely if you don't want to fall! Want to know where we are? If we make it to the top, maybe you can find out!"

Roxas followed him quickly and a bit clumsily up the stairs, leaping over spots, catching his foot on areas that gave way. He was exhausted by the time they made it to the top, and Axel practically pushed him out of the window onto the ramparts below.

"Hmmm…" Axel said, surveying the area. They passed even another soldier, hiding his head in the corner. "There are even spirits up here, huh?" When Roxas looked at him weirdly, he elaborated a little. "The whole spirit thing is new to you, isn't it? They can see those monsters, but they don't know a thing about us," he explained.

"W-what are these monstrous birds? What's happened? Oh, our poor castle!" The soldier whined to himself as they passed.

Castle? So…! Roxas grabbed hold of Axel's arm. "Does he mean castle as in…THE castle? Is this a game or are we-"

Axel smiled down at him. "Lets get to that tower. There's someone I want you to see," he said.

Roxas' eyes widened, and he looked over at the tower. Was it really Sora there? Roxas didn't know for sure but, he had to find out. Roxas went ahead of Axel, carefully, as there were broken parts of the walkway and large gaps that he couldn't jump without Axel's help. Axel stayed close behind him, watching him. He felt as if a jigsaw puzzle was being pieced together in his head. The parts were being placed quickly. Himself, Roxas, home, school, Sora, his family, Riku, his friends. All these things were falling back into his memory.

Axel grabbed Roxas and hoisted him over his shoulder. "Ahh!" Roxas protested, but Axel held on tightly, just as eager now as Roxas was to reach their destination. "Just a little further!" Axel said, taking the last large leap and kicking down the door of the tower. He put Roxas down, who immediately dashed up the spiraling stairs. Sora, Sora was at the top of the tower, he just knew it!

He grabbed the handle of the door at the top and rattled it violently, not able to get the door to budge. "Axel!" he called, a little desperately. Axel appeared behind him in a matter of seconds. "I can't get the door open!" he cried, pulling at the handle. All that and he wasn't going to be able to open the stupid door.

"Calm down!" Axel said, cupping Roxas' face in his hands. "Calm down, okay?" Roxas nodded, taking a deep breath.

Axel reached out and opened the door easily, which caused Roxas to rage internally. He pushed Roxas into the room a little, where he saw Sora standing at the window, gazing out rather blankly. Roxas was a little dumbfounded for a moment, feeling that it was a little too easy.

Sora turned to them. "Roxas!" he exclaimed. He dropped the robe that he had been clutching to himself and dashed across the room, throwing his arms around his brother's neck.

Roxas sort of laughed, coming out of his initial shock. He patted his brother's back just a little. "C'mon, you're going to get me sick," he said, lightheartedly.

Sora backed off with apologies. "Axel, you came too?" he asked curiously.

Axel put his hand on his chest. "You remember me, also?" he asked. Sora was really familiar to him, too. He knew who he was. He almost exactly knew who he was.

Sora's face fell a little. "He's just like Riku," he observed of Axel, going back to the window. "Riku doesn't really remember me, or himself," Sora said, picking the robe back up and feeling the soft fabric between his fingers. He wrapped it around his shoulders again.

"I think you should explain what's going on," Axel prompted him. He needed to know the most, out of all of them.

Sora sat down on the bed, and Roxas wandered over to him, but didn't sit. Sora shook his head a little. "I don't really know. I was sleeping at home, and suddenly I was in the castle. Riku was there, but he thought he was the Goblin King or something. He said that…that you wished me away…" he looked up at Roxas, who avoided his gaze.

Roxas leaned against the bedpost, his back turned to Sora. He felt like such a jerk, and so embarrassed about his selfish actions. "I didn't mean to yell at you, Sora. I was just…Larxene was being a bitch and I…really wanted to go to the fair with Axel. I was just frustrated and…I said something stupid…I'm sorry…" he sort of trailed off. Roxas wasn't really all that good with apologies, and though he tried, he wasn't always the best brother to Sora that he could be. He loved Sora, but he was selfish, and arrogant, and felt as if Sora always got treated as the favorite, because he was so good.

Roxas felt a tug on his sleeve. "Its okay. It wasn't really fair to make you stay in all night with me. Its not like I blame you. I'm used to you being such a brat," Sora said with a smile.

Roxas frowned at him. "Hey!" Was really all he had to say in his defense. Sora was right, of course, about him being a brat. But that didn't mean he had to point it out.

"Uh…what about me?" Axel asked, pointing to himself.

Sora shrugged. "I don't really know. Roxas and I were taken here but…somehow Riku and you were, too. Only, we know we are ourselves, and you two keep thinking you're someone else. Its like some weird dream that keeps changing. But I think maybe Riku is figuring it out. I don't really know what else to do to get him to realize it sooner." Sora admitted. There wasn't really anything he could do but be himself.

Roxas smirked. "You could wrestle him to the floor and molest him senseless. He'd probably get the message then," he suggested.

Sora turned red to his ears. "ROXAS!" he squeaked out. Despite the fact that he would actually rather enjoy that, the last thing he wanted was to finally kiss Riku before he even remembered exactly who he was.

"I wouldn't complain if you wanted to help me 'discover myself' Roxas," Axel said, with a rather smug grin on his face.

Roxas turned red to his ears as well. "Don't be a pervert!" he yelled at Axel, who just laughed at him in return.

"Look, Roxas. For now, you have to get through that Labyrinth to come and get me," Sora urged. "I don't know what Riku thinks he has planned, I don't know if he'll come to before that. So you should hurry."

Roxas was confused. "But I'm here with you now. Why can't I just rescue you now?" he asked.

Sora shook his head. "Isn't this a little like a game? It's like an illusion that you got dropped into from the Labyrinth. That's why Axel always thinks he's someone different." Axel nodded in response. Every time he seemed to be doing something, he ended up suddenly infused with a new set of rules that he felt compelled to follow.

"So…it's like a different…level? Before the final boss?" Roxas started to understand a little. "Then, we're sort of not really here?" Sora kind of shrugged. It wasn't really any of their places to question if this, or any of the Labyrinth, was real.

Axel touched his chest. "I feel here," he replied, perplexed by the whole thing. Sora smiled at him, in a way that reminded him not to think too hard about it.

Roxas wasn't sure what to do next, and he was about to ask Sora, when he caught him looking out the window again. "The guard is supposed to come up soon, so you should get out," he told them.

Axel appeared to know exactly what he was talking about, because he was informed about this part of the game. "Let's go," he said, taking Roxas' arm.

"But…" Roxas replied, feeling reluctant to leave Sora. He knew that this was just a side story to the real deal, but all the same his feet were rooted to the spot and he didn't want to go.

Sora smiled at him. "Bye, Roxas." he said, as a sort of a 'get your ass moving NOW,' statement. Axel promptly pulled him out the door. Roxas started mechanically down the steps, not following Axel, confused as to what to do next, slightly angered at this taunting of a meeting with his brother, only to have to leave him behind.

Axel caught his arm again. "Not that way, the guard is coming. Man, he's prompt!" he said, looking around. He held out his hands in a cup, intending for Roxas to step into it. "Here, I'll give you a boost, through that window."

Roxas nodded and stuck his foot in the cradle of Axel's hands, feeling his body being hoisted upwards. He latched onto the windowsill with his arms, and clambered through it, tumbling out onto the stone ground below. The floor of the Labyrinth.


If you're still confused; don't worry! It won't last forever. Look forward to the appearance of a friendly face in chapter eight: "Saving Demyx"

PS: Go see the poster for 'Something Epic' (the original title) in my DeviantArt gallery! (The link is in my profile.)