Sora!
Sora jerked in surprise, leaving an opening for Ikkaku to smack him firmly in the head with his staff.
What is it Roxas? Sora demanded, sensing the obvious distress in Roxas's voice.
Ikkaku stared at him. "Um…Sora?"
"Shut up for a second!" Sora ordered.
Axel! I can feel him!
What are you talking about?
He's here! Somewhere in this world! I don't know how but…I feel him! Sora! Look for him! Please!
"Ikkaku! I need to go. Now. I can't explain it but…I just need to go!" Sora begged.
Ikkaku shrugged. "Alright. Go on. I'll tell Kenpachi."
"But he's supposed to follow me."
"Like he cares. Just get going," Ikkaku ordered, waving his hand in dismissal.
Sora nodded and sprinted away from him. Where? Where do I go?
Just stop! Let me concentrate!
Sora slid to a halt, waiting patiently as Roxas tried to find away to identify where he felt Axel.
How do you feel him? Sora couldn't help but ask.
It's just a pulsing energy and it feels like him…I don't know how to explain it but…head left. And keep going left until I tell you to stop.
Sora ducked to the left, tearing across the grass and onto the concrete, wincing at the loud and echoing sound his shoes made as he ran. But at the moment he didn't care. If Axel was alive he would do anything to reunite him with Roxas. He did feel partly responsible for their separation, after all.
See that alley way up there?Roxas asked as Sora raced past another row of buildings. Go right. We'll find him there.
Sora whipped to the right, stopping at what he saw. Axel was there all right. He was slumped against the wall, head hanging between his knees and his panting was audible, fists clenching and unclenching. He wore the black cloak, the trademark of Organization XIII as well as the gloves and boots.
"Axel?" Sora breathed.
Axel!
Axel glanced up, green eyes flickering in and out of focus. "Roxas?"
"It's Sora," Sora said softly, slowly approaching him. "Roxas is with me though."
"Sora…did you save Kairi?" Axel whispered, staring up at him when Sora came to stand in front of him.
"Kairi is fine. But how are you here?" Sora asked, crouching down to his level.
An all too familiar smirk crossed Axel's lips. "The funny thing is, I don't remember."
Axel…
The sigh was one full of love and even thought Sora knew it wasn't him feeling it, he couldn't help but lean forward and hug Axel tightly.
"Roxas misses you," Sora whispered.
"He better. I went through hell for him."
Axel, I love you.
"He says he loves you," Sora said, pulling back to look at him closely. "I'm guessing you love him too."
Axel smirked again before letting his head fall back against the wall, taking in another shuddering breath.
"I'm so weak. I can't even stand up," Axel admitted. "I don't know why though."
"I'll help you. I need to get you somewhere safe."
Axel nodded. "Alright."
ARARAR
Riku was bored. Honest to God bored. Byakuya hadn't said a word since they had arrived at the Squad 6 dojo, which was empty. Byakuya had instead left, giving him a silent command with his eyes. Stay here or die.
So here he was, leaning up against the dojo wall and staring off into space. He wondered how Sora was faring with Kenpachi. The man had appeared frightening, almost as though he were mad or something. And Kairi…he didn't even want to think about it.
"So you are the newbie," a voice said from the doorway.
"Finally! A cure for my boredom! I mean, yeah."
Riku stood up, quickly scanning the newcomer. He had bright red hair that was held into a ponytail by a leather band and a strip of metal circled around his forehead like a head band. Intricate black tattoos could barely be made out against his neck and along the sides of his face giving him a somewhat intimidating look. He grinned at Riku.
"I like you already. I am the Fukutaicho of Squad 6. Byakuya is boring so don't worry, I understand."
"Alright. So um…what are you doing here?" Riku asked.
"I am here to explain how things work in the Seireitei," he said. "By the way, I'm Renji. Anyways. There are 13 Squads. This is Squad 6 and they are all made up of Shinigami. We have the ability to send people from Earth to the Soul Society after they die if they do not pass along to this life. We also defend the Seireitei and all of that stuff," Renji explained.
"Sounds complicated. In all honesty, I don't really care all too much," Riku admitted.
"Alright! Wanna spar? I've been bored for the past couple hours and Ikkaku is busy. And Yumichika is off being gay or whatever the hell he does," Renji said.
Riku laughed lightly. "Alright."
ARARAR
"Spiritual Pressure?" Kairi asked.
Soi Fon sighed, getting ready to explain again. "It's basically energy that you radiate. If you focus enough you can use it to speed up your movements, like what I did."
"So uh…how to I focus it?" Kairi asked. "God I feel dumb."
Soi Fon smirked. "Well, for now, we'll just meditate. Sit down and get comfortable."
Kairi did as she ordered, shaking her arms to relax her muscles.
"Now close your eyes and just try and empty your mind. Forget all your worries. But them to the back of your mind."
Kairi was surprised at how gentle Soi Fon's voice became as she spoke and smiled lightly, feeling more and more tension drain out of her as Soi Fon continued to speak. By the time Soi Fon had stopped she was completely relaxed and strangely aware of everything around her, her ears pinpointing each and every sound she heard.
Wow…she's catching on amazingly quick, Soi Fon thought. Suddenly, a flare of spiritual pressure sent her to her feet, whirling around to try and pin point it.
"What is it?" Kairi demanded, scrambling to her feet as well.
"Someone has arrived without permission in the Seireitei again. Follow me, if you can," Soi Fon ordered, breaking into a sprint.
It was fast, but not so fast that Kairi couldn't keep up if she ran. Soi Fon led her straight to the source, skidding to a halt when she saw the boy, Sora, from earlier with his arm around a thin and wiry man's waist, the man's arm looped around his shoulder as he slowly dragged himself forward, faltering every couple of steps.
"Axel?" Kairi gasped.
Sora stopped, glancing up when he heard them. Axel looked up as well, grinning tiredly when he saw her.
"So you are alive. I'm glad," Axel said, slumping even more against Sora as his strength began to wane again.
"Who are you?" Soi Fon demanded.
"He's a friend," Sora answered hurriedly. "He's not going to cause anyone harm, I promise."
"I can see that. He's way too weak," Soi Fon commented. "Set him down. I'll call Squad 4 to take care of him and check for injuries."
Before anyone could say anything, she was gone.
"Since when did you get on such good terms with her?" Sora asked, helping Axel lean up against a wall.
"We sorted some things out I guess you could say," Kairi told him. "Now…how did you get here, Axel?"
"I have no idea," Axel admitted, rubbing his temples before sliding a hand down his face. "But I am exhausted."
"How is Roxas taking this?" Kairi asked, turning to Sora.
Sora laughed. "He's still recovering from the shock a bit."
They were interrupted when they were suddenly surrounded by five of the Shinigami, one of which was wearing the Taicho haori. She had a gentle face with kind eyes and long black hair that was braided in the front instead of the back.
"Well. I see one of your other friends has arrived," she said quietly, motioning for a dark haired boy to step forward. "Hanataro, can you please check the basics?"
"Hai Taicho!" he said eagerly, kneeling down beside Axel.
Unohana turned to Kairi and Sora. "So what is the situation?"
"Well…he was supposed to have died…a pretty long time ago. And suddenly Ro-I felt him," Sora explained, wincing inwardly at his slip up. "I don't know how but well…we've always been good friends."
"Hm…"
Before Unohana could say anything else, however, Hanataro stood up.
"Everything is okay Taicho! Just severe exhaustion. And a missing heart beat," Hanataro informed her.
"How is a missing heart beat okay?" one of the other healers exclaimed.
Hanataro flinched.
"Funny," Axel said bitterly, drawing everyone's attention to him and away from Hanataro. "And when I thought I could finally have a heart again if I survived. I suppose Kingdom Hearts doesn't love me that much."
Sora looked crestfallen as he crouched down beside Axel.
Hug him. Kiss him. Do something to let him know I love him, please Sora!Roxas begged.
"This is from Roxas," Sora whispered, leaning forward and gently catching Axel's lips in his.
Axel sighed and then pushed him away. "Don't. I feel like I'm betraying him."
"But he-"
"Is you, I know," Axel sighed.
"I'm confused," Unohana said. "Would you mind explaining, please?"
"Not here. Not in front of everyone," Sora said.
"Sora! You can't tell her! We aren't supposed to-" Kairi started.
"But what if she can do something?" Sora asked.
Unohana gave a stern nod at her squad and they quickly vanished from sight. "Alright. Now please explain."
"You might want to sit down," Axel told her. "It takes awhile."
Unohana smiled and did as he suggested, Kairi doing the same.
"I am a Nobody," Axel started. "I do not have a heart. My body was strong enough to prevail over what we call the darkness. The darkness is made up of the dark feelings within ones heart and when those dark feelings consume them, they are swallowed. But for some odd reason, my body prevailed."
"But your heart didn't," Unohana finished, catching on quickly.
"Precisely. And my feelings were lost with it. Now I only have vague memories of what it is like to feel," Axel sighed.
That's not true! I know you loved me! And I know I loved you! Axel-
"Roxas, please!" Sora hissed.
"And Roxas is who?" Unohana asked.
"Roxas is a Nobody as well," Kairi continued. "Sora unlocked his heart about three years ago. In doing so, he became what we call Heartless. Those are the beings that have been attacking the Seireitei. Well, for every Heartless, there is a Nobody. Only in rare cases to Nobodies take on human form."
"Roxas," Sora started. "Took a human form. While I was traveling, somethings happened and my memories had to be taken apart and put back together again. But I couldn't wake up because my other half, Roxas was missing."
"He was with me," Axel added. "But Roxas was eventually caught and forced back into Roxas."
"So now he talks to me. We're two different people in the same body," Sora finished. "He and Axel were…well…lovers. And when he felt Axel's presence he wanted me to go find him."
"So here we are," Axel said.
"This is very interesting," Unohana said after a moment's pause. "It is unlike anything I've ever heard of. So…what was it that you thought I could help with?"
"Well…I'm guessing you're a healer, right?" Sora asked.
"Yes, I am."
"I was thinking that maybe…you could um…separate Roxas and I somehow without me um…dying," Sora muttered, scratching the back of his head. "I want Roxas to be happy."
Axel's eyes widened. Seeing Roxas again? Being able to hold him, touch him, kiss him? What he wouldn't give for that.
Unohana appeared perplexed. "This isn't really something I'm an expert in. I suppose if you really wanted me to, I could ask Mayuri Kurotsuchi for help. He's good with things like this."
"But what about the Keyhole?" Kairi asked.
"We'll look for that first. That's our first priority above anything else…sorry Axel," Sora said with a wince.
"It's fine. I understand."
"Hm…I suppose if you let Mayuri and I examine you we could try and find a way to help you while you search for this…Keyhole," Unohana said, not questioning at all what the Keyhole was. She wasn't the prying type.
"Really?" Sora asked, excitement seeping into his voice.
"I don't see why-oh!"
Sora had tackled her in a fierce hug, practically squeezing the life out of her and making Axel and Kairi burst out laughing.
"Good job Sora," Kairi giggled.
Sora blushed, pulling away. "Sorry! Thank you so much! Just for trying!"
Unohana smiled gently. "I'll inform the other Taichos of the situation. I think…I'll try and make it so us Taichos don't have to trail your every move. It must be bothersome."
"Oh thank you so much Unohana! We don't know how to repay you!" Kairi said.
"Don't worry. But, if I may, take Axel with me to our hospital quarters. Just so he can rest."
"Is that okay with you, Axel?" Sora asked.
"Just fine. Just wait a little longer Roxas. You'll see me soon," Axel said, flashing a grin at Sora and Roxas.
I love you, Axel.