Vexen was angry. Not just annoyed, but seething with full-blown rage. He watched through the mirror as Roxas, the prince who was SUPPOSED to be dead and buried somewhere in the forest, moved about his business, completely alive and well. He didn't know who the spiky red-head he also saw was, but he knew that this man was obviously Roxas's new caretaker. But if Roxas's heart was still beating, than who or what-
Rushing over to the box he fidgeted with his key until he found the right lock and slipped it in. As he gazed at the heart inside, he realized. "The heart of a pig! Then I have been tricked!" Demyx would pay for this, oh yes, he was going to pay. But not before Roxas was dead, no.........he would kill Roxas and drop him at Demyx feet, then he would find suitable punishment to match his mental agony.
Vexen left his chamber, traveling to the far lower side of the castle. He passed the dungeons on his way there; through the darkness he could make at the poor souls he had imprisoned there. The people cried out for justice and freedom, but instead of deterring him they fanned the flame of his hatred. He cackled at them as he passed, before he finally reached his laboratory. Inside were several vials and glass tubes that connect in a strange maze of pipes and funnels. Ducking under some said pipes, he mad his way to the book shelf where he pulled a dark, deep blue leather book from his collection. Opening the inside cover he found the words written: Spells of the Cold, Volume One. Flipping through the pages and grabbing supplies absent-mindedly as he read, he knew this upcoming spell almost by heart. Walking towards the large cauldron that sat before him, he tossed in what he needed, until the surface changed to reveal his target. From one vial he drew a few strands of blond hair; he had taken care to get these from Roxas when he was a child, completely innocent then to the terrors of Vexen's magic power. But no more...
The surface melted away to reveal Roxas, sleeping soundly in a bed, the moonlight from the windows giving him an almost angelic glow. The red head was not in the room, but that didn't mean he wouldn't come if there was a problem. Vexen had no hair with which to curse him, so instead he tossed in several more odd-looking ingredients..........
Back at the cabin, Axel was washing the last of the dishes. Roxas had slept right through dinner that night, but Axel made sure to put away the leftovers so that Roxas could try some of the rabbit he had caught. It really was pretty good. he thought to himself. Suddenly, out through the kitchen window, he saw something strange. A dead tree near the cabin had caught on fire somehow; Axel was dumb-founded, after all it wasn't like the air was dry and hot recently! They had just had rain a couple of days ago! Not stopping to think more, Axel grabbed his bucket and whatever he could find before he rushed out the door to try and put out the fire. It was too close to the cabin, which was made of dryer wood, for his liking.
Roxas stirred slightly at the sound of the door slamming. He blinked hazily up and around the room. "Axel?........." He felt too tired to get up, but he was still wondering where Axel was. Suddenly a sharp pain hit his chest, and he brought his right hand over and clutched it madly as he screamed. It was cold and harsh, like nothing he had ever felt before! The window began to slowly frost over, ice spreading across the ceiling and down the walls at an alarming pace. Roxas fell back against his bed, the cold filling his lungs and the pain in his chest weakening him. He couldn't breathe, and his head was reeling. He tried to call out, but his voice was harsh and raspy, instead sending out soft whimpers he could barely hear himself over the growing ice. He raised his left hand towards the door as his vision began to fade. "Axel..........help..............."
Axel managed to put the fire out, and he crashed down onto the couch in the living room, sighing with relief. That fire had been something else, almost like it was started by magic. But why would someone set a tree on fire in the middle of nowhere? Pondering that thought, he noticed the room seemed colder somehow, despite the warm fire he made in the fireplace earlier. That didn't seem right; the flames before him still crackled loudly and brightly. He glanced around the room and then to the hall where his room was, and noticed Roxas's door glowing a strange shade of blue. That can't be good.......
Axel pushed off from the couch and ran to the door. As he grabbed the handle he jumped back, hissing as the cold pained him. He banged his fists on the door. "Roxas! Are you okay?! Answer me, kid!" He heard a faint reply, but he couldn't make out what it was. That's definitely not good! "Roxas, can you open the door?! Come on, buddy, stay with me!" No reply came this time, and Axel immediately jumped into action. He began ramming the door with his shoulder until it finally felt like the ice was weakening. Before it could take hold of the door again, Axel raised his left foot and kicked the door as hard as he could. The door fell in with a loud crash, revealing a dark, icy room shrouded in a strange mist. Just stepping inside the room made breathing hard and painful, so Axel pulled the collar of his shirt up over his mouth and nose before he burst in. The mirror and window were completely covered in a thick sheet of ice, but Axel quickly turned to see the figure huddled on the bed. Roxas was lying on the bed, his left arm hanging limply off the side of the bed facing Axel. The boy's face was pained and still, and he wasn't breathing. "Roxas!"
Axel easily lifted Roxas in his arms and carried him out of the room. The ice seemed to stop growing at the doorway; he just hoped that the whole house wasn't in danger of freezing over. He tossed some cushions from the couch to the floor with one hand, and he set Roxas down on them so he was closer by the fire. He piled blanket after blanket on him, before sitting down beside him to place his head on Roxas's chest. He couldn't hear the heartbeat, and when he grabbed the boy's wrist he couldn't detect a steady pulse either.
Frantic now, Axel shook Roxas as lightly as he could, given the circumstances. "Come on, Rox! Stay with me, kid! You can't leave, do you hear me?! You can't!" He saw the blue lips move slightly and caught the faint sound of his voice, Axel's eyes widened at the flickering hope. ".......Ax......el....?" It was quiet and breathless.
Remembering the technique his mother had taught him, Axel leaned over Roxas and quickly began administering CPR. He worked steadily, cycling through chest compressions before tilting Roxas's chin back to provide rescue breathes. A slight blush came to his face as he thought about what he was doing, but he pushed those thoughts aside, focusing solely on saving his dying friend. Come on, come on! Breathe, Roxas! After a few moments, he put his ear down to listen for a heartbeat. Suddenly Roxas's blue eyes snapped open and he coughed and heaved as he tried to catch his breath. Axel could barely contain his joy at seeing his friend breathe again, as he finally felt able to breathe himself. He helped Roxas to sit up and patted his back as he watched him.. This had been close, way too close, and there was something strange about the whole thing. Where had the ice come from, and why? It just didn't seem right....
Once Roxas had stopped coughing, Axel pulled him close until his head rested gently on Axel's chest. "Don't scare me like that again, you got that?! Jeez, Rox!" Roxas looked up at him weakly, shivering as he muttered a soft apology. He was soon asleep again, the near-death experience having worn him out completely.
It would take a while for him to warm up, but at least he was breathing again. Axel scooped him up and carried him back to his room; although the ice in Roxas's room seemed to be melting unnaturally quickly, he wouldn't take any more chances tonight until he figured out what was going on. He placed Roxas in his bed, piling more blankets around him. He snagged the medicine from the drawer, in case Roxas needed it again. He placed it by his bedside table, moving back a little to watch the unconscious boy in front of him. It broke his heart to see him so small and fragile like this. Raising a hand to his own face, Axel felt the tears slip from his eyes and he hurriedly wiped them away. He hadn't seriously cried since his mother's death, and the thought scared him. Was he falling in love again, despite his promise? He loved Roxas, but he had thought it was more like the love of a brother or that of a best friend. But what he felt for Roxas seemed to be something more.
His fingers gently brushed his lips, blushing a little as he remembered what he had done to revive Roxas. The boy's lips were so soft, and they tasted so sweet. Despite himself, he smirked. Maybe sometime, if I'm feeling bold, I'll try again. He wasn't sure how Roxas would react to that, and it made him feel a little nervous thinking about it.
He made his way over to the bed and laid down beside Roxas, offering some of his body heat to warm him up. He felt too tired and stressed to think too much more about it all, so he contented himself to fall asleep beside his friend.
Vexen slammed his fist on the table, shattering a glass vial and spilling its contents all over his hand. Damn that brat! I promise you that you won't be so lucky next time! How had the red head broken the spell? How did the brat manage to survive it all? He slammed the book back onto the bookcase and stomped from the room, retiring for the night. He swore to be back the next morning, with something even nastier and more painful than those two hapless idiots could possibly imagine!
Don't worry, AxelxRoxas fans! They'll get together soon! But if you're looking for something like hardcore yaoi, I don't so that stuff. sorry.......... Disney ain't rated R and neither is my stuff. Cept for occasional language and adult jokes, but Disney does that sometimes too :)