Forgiven

Master Yen Sid's tower stood before the five, hanging in its crooked glory against a swirling orange backdrop. Aqua and Sora headed towards the large front door, leaving the others to stand in awe of the strangely magnificent building. Riku caught up with Sora as Kairi and Axel trailed behind.

"I thought we were going to Disney Castle, Sora." Riku looked at Sora, questioning his skills with portals.

"I figured we needed to talk to Master Yen Sid first, especially now that Aqua's here too." He strode to the door and flung it back to reveal a staircase spiraling up to a door that looked as if it hung in midair, star shaped windows dotting the walls at regular intervals. Riku shrugged and followed Sora and Aqua up the endless steps. Axel was a bit behind with Kairi bringing up the rear, the two out of earshot of the other three.

"...I forgive you." Kairi's hesitant and awkward statement came to Axel's ears.

"Hmmm?" He kept his face out of her sight, grinning.

"I know you just want to hear me say it again, but I won't." She crossed her arms, nearly stumbling on a step without her arms to help her balance. He smirked, something that seemed almost audible between the quiet clicking on the stairs.

"So, has Sora made a move yet?"

Kairi was completely thrown off by his random question and nearly fell flat on her face, which felt extremely hot.

"What?" She pushed herself back up and had to jog up a few steps to keep up with his now quick stride.

"You know what I mean." It seemed like a foreign concept to Axel, though he did not act the way he "felt." He had gotten quite skillful at that over the years, not something he was very proud of, but nevertheless it was still useful.

"Uhh..." Kairi's nervous response hung in the air, leaving a brief silence.

"Well, if he's anything like Roxas, then nothing will ever get done. Those two are hopeless. They know nothing about girls."

Kairi regained some of her composure as she walked through a small round room, at least enough to insult him some more. They passed through the room in silence until they came to the last staircase to the tower's top.

"And you do?"

He stopped before the top step, one foot below and the other firmly before the door.

"I don't know, I wouldn't remember."

With that he strode off through the final door, leaving a red-faced and confused Kairi standing there.

When Axel entered the room, he found Aqua, Sora, and Riku discussing recent events with Master Yen Sid. They turned to him, and Yen Sid beckoned him over with a slight movement of the hand.

"So you are the one who has no heart yet survived your demise? Very interesting indeed. Axel, unless I'm mistaken?"

Axel nodded, wanting to say "That's my name gramps, got it memorized?" but even he could tell this was not the man, or rather wizard, to use such informalities with. Kairi soon joined them, standing in line with the others and mimicking their poses of respect.

"Hmm..." He stroked his long beard and paused for a moment, soon after turning to Kairi.

"Kairi. You are now among the chosen few who wield the Keyblade, and while you cannot participate in the Mark of Mastery Exam, you should take the time to learn from your friends' individual experiences." She nodded understandingly. He returned his attention to Axel, whose wandering gaze found its way to the colossal book on his desk, its many pages ruffling slightly with every movement in the small room.

"I understand you are having trouble recalling a certain person from your memories?"

"Yep." He looked down, pinpointing his focus on something below Yen Sid's beard.

"Do you have any clue as to why you have had this sudden absence of memories?"

"No idea, though Namine said it seems like something's blocking them."

"I would like to test that theory, if you do not mind."

"Go ahead."

Yen Sid placed a hand in front of him and concentrated on Axel, who felt something in the back of his mind comparable to the rifling of papers, some stuck to one another and not coming apart. Yen Sid let his hand drop as he closed his eyes, assessing whatever he had just discovered.

"That is correct- something is an obstacle in the path of your memories, but it is yet to be identifiable to me. Now unfortunately, you and Kairi cannot be a part of this conversation as it is for those concerned with the Mark of Mastery exam alone."

He motioned to a large wooden door to their right, which creaked open on its own. The two slowly walked through the doorway, Kairi glancing back over her shoulder to get a glance at Sora before it shut and locked.

"I saw that." Axel smirked as he settled in a nearby chair, putting his arms comfortably behind his head and crossing his legs that now rested on a table.

"What?"

He rolled his eyes at her innocence.

"Nothing that matters, since you two will never do anything about it," he mumbled under his breath. Kairi must have caught some of what he said, because she huffed and put her hands on her hips.

"How did Roxas and Xion put up with living with you?"

He suddenly grew serious and looked out the window at the strange landscape. "I'm not sure, since we were together all of the time, or so I'm told. Roxas managed to put up with me. Don't remember much though. It's like someone reached in and pulled out parts of the memories, leaving something unfinished and broken."

Kairi felt bad for bringing up his friends, but she was curious to hear what he had to say when he actually was being serious for once.

"What do you remember?"

He looked at his boots and laughed quietly. "Of her? Nothing more than a face and a voice. Roxas would refuse to tell me more, and Riku doesn't want to talk about it either, but I don't need them to tell me she's gone because what I feel when I think of those few things I do remember is enough for me to know."

Kairi was at a loss for words at the pain Axel so willingly told her about just because she had asked. He took her silence as her not believing him.

"Yes, I know what I am. Maybe it's just that the hole in my chest is just bigger than it was before."

The door creaked open again, startling Kairi whose head jerked towards the sudden sound.

"C'mon you guys, we're taking the gummiship to see the King!" Sora couldn't help but exclaim, for he was excited at the prospect of seeing Donald and Goofy again. When he saw Kairi's jumpy state, he gave a suspicious sideways glance back at Axel, who simply slid his legs off the table and followed at a leisurely pace. His same grin was plastered on his face, but for some reason it seemed the smallest bit less cheerful as usual to Sora. Thinking no more of it, he bounded off down the stairs to the awaiting gummiship, Kairi close behind. Axel had a hand on the door to the winding staircase when Yen Sid stopped him.

"Axel. You may be a Nobody, but I sense a great light within you. Whether it is simply there or an obstacle to your memories' progress is another matter entirely."

When Yen Sid had once again resumed his stern, watchful position from his chair, Axel turned and began down the stairs to meet the others.