A/N: Sorry to take so long to update. It's midterm time for me, so I've been pretty busy with school. Thanks to all who have reviewed! And to answer NinjaSheik's question, I did paraphrase and steal some of Axel's lines from Re:COM. It just seemed fitting under the circumstances.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney and Square Enix do.
10. Surprises
Kanixa watched as Demyx banished his sitar, face expressionless. He'd sounded worried when Saïx had ordered him to battle Sora at Hollow Bastion. Obviously, Number Nine didn't think he could win a fight against the Keyblade Master. But how could she cheer him up?
"Demyx?" she asked softly. "Can we go back to the castle now?"
"What? Oh, sure." Demyx opened a portal, and walked in absently, Kanixa filing after. In only a few steps they reached a location from which he could step back out into the Castle, right outside his room. "Well, see ya, Kanixa," he said, but the goodbye lacked his usual spunk. He gave her a weak smile.
"Wait a second, Demyx," she said firmly. "Let me know when it's time for your mission. I'm coming with you."
"You'd have to get permission from Axel," he reminded her.
She smiled at that. "Like he'll care. He'll be thrilled to be rid of me for a while. So, you'll come and get me?"
His smile did gain some wattage at that. "What are friends for?" he asked, sounding more cheerful.
"Great. I'll let you know where I'm headed if I get sent on a mission. Don't go to Hollow Bastion without me, all right?" She met his eyes with an intense gaze. "I wouldn't want to lose the only friend I have here," she added seriously. "That's what made Axel the lunatic he is today, after all."
His smile turned wistful. "Yeah…Listen, I'll catch you later, Nixa. You should get some rest. You've got that undercover mission to go on, remember?"
"I remember," Kanixa said sourly, rolling her eyes. "More quality time with Axel. Just what I've always wanted." She recognized Demyx's suggestion for the brush-off that it was, but she wasn't offended. He must really be rattled by this upcoming mission. Was Sora that good of a fighter?
"Oh. And this is yours." He handed her the dress she'd picked out, which surprisingly looked none the worse for wear, despite the fact that Demyx had been throwing water left and right. Giving him a parting smile and a wave, she strolled back to her room, thinking.
Saïx had noticed Demyx's reticence to take the mission, she felt certain. He almost seemed to enjoy it. Did he think that the Melodious Nocturne couldn't handle Sora? Did he not want Demyx to make it back? Surely the Organization couldn't be that cold. Well, maybe they could, but it made no sense. Why would they get rid of valuable members? Especially considering how many shrines were red in Proof of Existence—they were down to only half-strength already.
She heard a portal open behind her with a soft whoosh of displaced air. "Kanixa. It's show time." She glanced back to see Axel standing in the middle of the hallway, arms folded.
"A new mission? Now? You've got to be kidding." Kanixa looked at him incredulously.
"I don't make the rules," Axel responded. "And look at it this way. Come back from this alive, and you can go on missions by yourself."
"Just what I've always wanted," she replied sarcastically. "Fine. Just let me change."
"Don't take forever," he called after her. It only took her a few minutes to go to her room, exchange Larxene's dress for her own, and return to where he waited. Back in the hallway, Axel looked her up and down. "Not bad," he commented finally.
"Will this work for wherever we're going?" Kanixa asked, folding her arms.
"Yep," he replied, opening a portal. "Then again, almost anything would. This world has a way of adapting things to meet its needs."
"I don't like the sound of that," Kanixa declared. "What do you mean?"
Axel smirked. "You'll see," he said, before gesturing for her to step into the portal.
"Wait a second," she objected, holding up a hand. "I need to talk to Demyx."
Axel folded his arms, glaring at her. "No you don't. The waterboy isn't coming with us on this mission."
"Who said he was? But he needs to know where to find us, just in case…" Kanixa trailed off, uncertain of how much to tell Axel. Probably as little as possible. After all, who knew what he would do with the information?
"In case what? Worried that I'm going to kill you and dump the body?" Axel smiled nastily.
"That's always a possibility," Kanixa said seriously, "but no. I want to know when it's time for his mission." Without waiting for a reply, she ducked around him, walking over to room number nine and rapping on the door.
"What mission?" Axel asked suspiciously. "Demyx has been in disfavor ever since he lost the Olympus Stone to Sora at the Coliseum."
"Come in," Demyx called from inside, sounding glum. Deciding against answering Axel's question, she opened the door to see Number Nine sprawled on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.
"Hey, Demyx. I've just been assigned another mission. We'll be on…" she glanced back at Axel. "Where are headed?"
"That would be telling," Number Eight said, face unreadable. Was he doing it just to be obnoxious, or because it was somewhere the rest of the Organization shouldn't know about? She wondered.
"Seriously, Axel. Where are we going? The name probably won't mean anything to me, anyway. You can still have your fun." She folded her arms.
"Halloween Town," Axel supplied grudgingly. He gestured back to the still-waiting portal. "Now go!" Kanixa obeyed, and a few seconds later he appeared behind her in the mists. "Well?" he demanded as she glared at him, waiting for a proper response. "Get going!"
"Fine, but you'd better explain what's so special about Halloween Town when we get there," she grumbled. She didn't trust Axel as far as she could throw him—which, assuming she could get ahold of him without him killing her, would probably be a fairly long way. He looked like skin and bones.
"You don't trust me, Kanixa? I'm hurt," he drawled, putting a hand over the spot where his heart would be, if he still had one.
"I would say I'm sorry, but I wouldn't mean it," she retorted.
"Haven't you figured it out? We never mean anything we say here," he said cryptically, marching forward through the corridor. "How can we?"
"What do you mean?" she demanded, hurrying after him.
"We can pretend at whatever emotions we want, but we can never really feel them. Therefore, nothing we say matters," Axel replied in a conversational tone. "Although you seem to have stronger memories of your emotions than the rest of us, Kanixa. Maybe it has to do with your Keyblade," he added, stressing the last sentence.
"Are you hypothesizing, or are you dropping a hint?" she asked flatly. "Does this have to do with my power and how you think that you have it figured out?" She couldn't resist the gibe. Axel had to be the most obnoxious person that she'd ever met.
"Man, oh man. You really don't get it. All right, I'll make it easy for you. The Keyblade is link to the—come on, Kanixa. Fill in the blank," he prompted.
"The heart," she responded.
"Exactly. So your power must have to do with—" He broke off, looking at her expectantly.
"The heart?" she repeated, this time incredulously. "You can't be serious. Do you think I can wave my hand and give us all hearts again?"
"No idea. If you could, it might be worth keeping you around after all." Axel smirked. Well, it was worth a shot. She might as well test out her theory on Axel. Though of all the Organization, Demyx deserved a heart the most, it should definitely improve Number Eight's personality. And if her attempt backfired and had some dire consequence like an explosion, well, she'd never liked him anyway. Closing her eyes, Kanixa summoned her second Keyblade, the one with the hilt in the shape of a heart. Pointing it at Axel, she closed her eyes. A heart, she thought, feeling ridiculous. Give him a heart….
"I guess not," Axel said after a moment, shrugging. "It was worth a try."
"Well, then what can I do?" she demanded, opening her eyes to glare at him, frustrated. Banishing her Keyblade, she took a deep breath, attempting to stay calm. Maybe Axel had been toying with her. He knew that she was sensitive about her lack of a power. After all, without an element, she was ordinary, just a girl with a sword. She'd never stand a chance against the rest of the Organization and their respective magics.
Axel opened his mouth, and then closed it. Good. One snide comment from him and she'd probably start a fight. Why did he always have to be so…provoking? Why couldn't he ever decide to be nice and helpful? "Let's just get this over with," she snapped, stalking past him.
"Giving up already?" he inquired.
"I'm not giving up. I just don't have time for your games," she informed him. Why couldn't she have had a nice, helpful mentor?
"The heart is more than just an organ, Kanixa. It holds our memories and our feelings. We've already had a memory witch, so that's out. Maybe your magic deals with emotion."
"As in, I can make us feel again? Yippee," she said sourly. What good could that do? Returning their emotions might make the rest of the Organization nicer people, but she doubted it. Unless…could she control which emotions they had? Now that would be fun. She would have to play with that later. "As much as I would like to know what I can do, shouldn't we complete the mission first?"
"Keep walking," Axel instructed. "It's a little farther off than where we've been so far." A good twenty minutes later, he finally signaled her to stop. "We're here." He opened a portal and nodded for her to precede him. She stepped out into a dark, gloomy space. Tall trees, their branches bare, loomed all around. It looked like an empty scene from a nightmare.
"Where is this?" she asked in a near-whisper.
"Halloween Town," Axel responded, coming around to face her.
"It's…spooky," she said finally, folding her arms. She half-expected some kind of monster to jump out at her any second now.
"That's the point. This whole world lives to scare people," he said with a smile. Kanixa gasped—he'd sprouted a pair of fangs.
"What happened to your teeth?" she demanded.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Axel found himself amused by Kanixa's confusion. It was a rare sensation, the memory of humor. The Castle that Never Was wasn't exactly a fun place, and none of his colleagues were pranksters. But the look on her face was priceless. "I told you, remember? This world changes your appearance so that you blend in."
Naturally, Kanixa glanced down at herself next. The changes weren't too drastic, Axel noted, glancing over her new outfit. The hem of her dress hung in tatters above her knees, and she wore a wide-brimmed hat that tapered to a ridiculous point. One hand clutched a broom. "I'm a witch?!" she said in an incredulous tone.
"Could have been worse," Axel commented. "You could have been a zombie."
"I'll keep that in mind," she said wryly. "So, what are we here to do?"
"Not much. Kill some Heartless," he said in a light, bantering tone. "Come on. The sooner we get moving, the sooner we'll be done." He strode off through the Hinterlands towards the town square, Kanixa following along obediently. Once they reached the graveyard, whose many hiding spots among the tombstones made it a good training ground, he stopped. Axel smiled predatorily, concentrating on his powers. Summoned by his strength, a mob of Heartless surrounded them, dancing. Not bothering to summon his chakrams, he stood back, folding his arms. Kanixa, who held both Keyblades in front of her, glanced over at him questioningly.
Now, to test the limits of her strength. Xemnas was interested to see how much she was capable of, and this would be as good a place as any to find out. The Keyblade Master had just left here, if the reports were accurate, so there should be no surprises. "Dispatch them," he ordered. "Try using your battalion." Kanixa closed her eyes, concentrating, and in a moment the lithe silhouettes of the Sneaks formed a protective circle around her. As one, the creatures danced around the surrounding Heartless, cutting with their elbow, wrist and leg spikes. Soon the crowd of Wight Knights and Search Ghosts were gone, destroyed by the Sneaks.
"Not bad," he said, impressed by the skill of her lesser Nobodies. They had brains, and the more intelligent and evolved a lesser Nobody was, the more strength of will required to summon it. "Now let's see you beat this!" Holding his hands out, palm up, he closed his eyes, concentrating. This time the circle that surrounded her held both powerful Heartless and some of his own Assassins. "Alone," he added.
Kanixa glared at him, but banished her battalion of Sneaks. She had to roll out of the way as a Crimson Jazz—not typical on this world, but he hadn't thought that the Heartless here were quite challenging enough—sent a volley of mines at her. She got to her feet only to have an Assassin erupt out of the ground behind her, sinking its spiky arms into her back. Biting back a cry, she wrenched forward, freeing herself. Pivoting, she lit into the offending Nobody with both Keyblades, sending it dissolving back into nothingness. In the process, she turned her back on a Silver Rock. The Heartless teleported into being directly behind her, hitting her with a blast. Axel watched through narrowed eyes as her fighting style devolved. Each time she moved to engage one enemy, another attacked her from behind. Finally, the relentless series of attacks drove her to her knees.
"Get up!" he ordered sharply. "Or they'll finish you." Kanixa shot him a filthy look as she leaped into the air, spinning, her Keyblades clearing a circle around her. As she landed, she stepped forward into the closest enemies, two Assassins. Using one Keyblade to block their spikes from driving down into her from overhead, she swept the other into them. Executing an impressive series of turns and jumps, she managed to clear the field once again. Just as the last Assassin dissolved into nothingness, she collapsed into a heap on the ground, releasing her Keyblades, which vanished.
"Not bad, Kanixa," Axel conceded grudgingly. "Now we can have some real fun."
"This is your idea of FUN?!" Kanixa panted from where she sat. "I thought you said this was supposed to be a simple mission!"
"It is," Axel replied, smirking. "If you can't handle this, what will you do when you have to face Sora? The Keyblade Master might not be the brightest boy in the worlds, but I have to admit, he can fight."
"Easy. Just bat my eyelashes and watch him sink into confusion," Kanixa fired back. "You could try the same, but I doubt it would have the same result."
"Very funny," Axel sneered. "But it's time to get back to work." He summoned his chakrams. "Summon your weapons," he ordered.
"You mean, now I have to fight you?"
"That's right," Axel agreed, smiling nastily. He would enjoy this. Just because Kanixa could act halfway likeable some of the time was no reason to go easy on her. With a flick of both wrists, he sent his chakrams spiraling through the air towards her. Ducking, she somersaulted over to him, straightening and ramming her Keyblades into his side on the way up.
"Oof!" Axel doubled over, but his chakrams had completed their circuit and traveled back to him, and he was able to slice at her unprotected back as the momentum of her attack carried her forward. She hissed in pain, but didn't stop as she turned to face him once again. Axel leaped backwards, out of range of her attack, sending a column of flame at her. Kanixa yelped in surprise, sidestepping not a moment too soon. Eyes narrowing in determination, she ran at him, evidently wanting to end the fight quickly. Well, he wouldn't make it that easy.
"Get back!" he snapped, jumping into the air and sending a blast of fire towards her off of his chakrams. Kanixa threw herself sideways, but he could hear her shriek as he singed a leg. "What's the matter? Too hot for you?" He closed his eyes, concentrating, and a circle of fire walled them in. Kanixa looked around, and if he hadn't known that emotions were lost to them he would have sworn that she was afraid.
"This is just a training session, remember?" she asked, a hint of a quaver in her voice.
"Haven't you heard, Kanixa? What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," he said, advancing across the space at a walk.
"Fine. Let's end this." She ran at him, left leg dragging slightly. It was almost too easy to knock her out of the air. She landed hard, fortunately avoiding the flames, the breath leaving her in a whoosh. She clamped her mouth shut on a cry of pain. Axel considered her through narrowed eyes. Maybe he had gotten a bit carried away…
"Kanixa? Are you all right?" he asked, putting out the flame barrier and striding over to her.
She laughed, a harsh sound. "You burned one leg and broke what feels like every rib on my right side, and you want to know if I'm all right?" The laughter abruptly turned to coughing. "Once you're no longer my mentor, I am never training with you again."
Axel glanced down at her appraisingly. True, her left leg did look pretty singed up until where it disappeared under the hem of her dress. He couldn't tell about the ribs—he was no healer. "Let's get you back to base," he said, kneeling beside her.
"Don't touch me," she hissed, jerking away and then hissing in pain as the movement jostled her ribs.
"Fine. Stay here, if that's what you want. Unless you can get up by yourself." Wincing, face white with pain, Kanixa actually managed to lever herself to a sitting position. Axel watched with raised brows, impressed. But when she tried to put weight on her burned leg, it buckled.
"You win," she growled, glaring at him where he stood by, arms folded. "Help me up."
"I didn't hear a please," Axel said.
"…Please," she said, looking away from him, face drawn in pain. He scooped her up so that she reclined in his arms, taking her into a portal.
"Only a few more minutes, Kanixa. Get a potion down you and you'll feel good as new," he said, awkwardly trying to reassure her. She didn't reply, staring off into the mist. Axel fell silent, picking up the pace. A small, unfamiliar twinge in his chest startled him. He tried to remember the name for this memory of a feeling…could it be guilt? Over her? Ridiculous. He scowled.
In record time, he reached the Castle that Never Was. Opening a portal into his room out of habit, he deposited her on the bed. "Wait here," he ordered. She shot him a filthy look.
"No, I'm going to go turn cartwheels down the hallway," she snarled.
Axel glared back, but didn't respond. Slamming his door behind him, he stalked down the hall to equipment stores. Grabbing a glass bottle filled with green liquid off of the shelf, he carried it back to the new Number Thirteen. Uncorking it , he handed it to her. "Drink up."
"Is that poison?" she asked suspiciously.
"It's a potion," he said impatiently. "To heal you." Kanixa glared, tossing down the potion and handing him the empty bottle.
"So now I magically get—" she broke off, face twisting in pain. She bit her lip, but a whimper still escaped. "You're sure that you didn't just poison me?"
"What's wrong?" Axel asked sharply. He hadn't grabbed the wrong bottle by mistake, had he?
"If I'm really being healed, I would guess…that my ribs are repairing themselves," she gritted, each word an effort, hands clenching into fists. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. He stood there, uncertain what to do.
"I'll get Xigbar. He's had every injury in the book." He had already opened a portal when Kanixa shook her head vehemently.
"I think…it's stopping." Sitting up, she glanced down at herself. Axel could see that the skin on her left leg was smooth and unburnt. "All right. I'm going to my room now. And I'm warning you, don't talk to me or touch me or you'll get a Keyblade where the sun doesn't shine. Got it memorized?" she snarled, getting to her feet.
~*~*~*
Kanixa walked slowly back to her room, shaking with exhaustion and rage. Scratch Axel being bipolar—the man was just evil. He'd practically killed her back there, and hadn't so much as apologized! Not that he would mean it if he said it, but it was the principle of the thing.
Her lips twitched upward into a grim smile. There was the problem. Nobodies were totally without principle, except Demyx, herself, and she had thought Axel. Her expectations were too high. They couldn't really feel remorse, after all. Feelings…that reminded her of Axel's words to her on the way to Halloween Town. Could she really give Nobodies their feelings back? Could she influence those feelings?
No time like the present to find out. Kanixa reached out a hand to knock on Demyx's door, then pulled back. It would be cruel to make Number Nine her guinea pig, when he was the only one in the Organization who treated her with kindness. She would have chosen Axel but for the fact that she couldn't even stand the thought of the man at the moment. An idea popped into her head. Saïx, she thought, grinning evilly. The Luna Diviner would be perfect. Steeling herself, she raised a hand to knock on the door to room number seven. A gloved hand shot out to grab her arm.
"Nixa, what are you doing?" Demyx hissed from beside her. "Let's get out of here."
"But I need to talk to Saïx," she protested in a whisper as he towed her down the hall to his room.
"It's not safe," he said firmly, turning back to hold her gaze with an intense stare. "I think he's been meditating. And when he's been drawing on the moon's power, it's best to stay away from him. Understand?" he asked, shutting the door to his room behind them.
"That's sweet, Demyx, but I really do need to talk to him," she said, putting her hands on her hips. Demyx blocked her way out, arms folded.
"Fine. But first, tell me what's so important?" the sitar player asked in a reasonable tone.
"There's a…theory I need to test," she hedged. Demyx was trustworthy, she felt fairly certain, but she didn't want to look stupid if Axel's hint didn't turn out to have anything to do with her power. "About my power," she added.
"And you wanted to use Saïx to try it out?" Demyx asked incredulously. "Here. Use me instead."
"I don't think you want that," Kanixa warned him.
"No, I mean it. Go ahead, give it your best shot," Demyx invited, smiling. Well, if that's the way he wanted it…Kanixa closed her eyes. She had been going to try and change Saïx's personality so that he was nice. So she would try and bring out Demyx's mean side. All right, Demyx, she thought. Get mean.
She opened her eyes to see Number Nine smile at her darkly. "You can't fool me, Kanixa," he said, wagging a finger at her. "I see what your game is. You're trying to trick me, aren't you?" He summoned his sitar. "Abusing my trust, again."
That had worked too well, if it had been her. Stop, she thought wildly. Be nice again…be Demyx again! The cruel smile vanished, and Demyx banished his sitar, scratching his head. "Sorry, Nixa," he said, beholding her worried expression. "I really don't know what came over me. Now, don't you want to do your test?"
She needed to try at least one more emotion, to see if she was really in control. Tired, she decided. Feel tired. Immediately, Demyx raised his hand to stifle a yawn. "You know what, Nixa? I'm really tired. Could we maybe do that test later?" he asked, already sounding half-asleep.
"Demyx—"
"But promise me you won't go try out whatever it is on Saïx." He gripped her shoulders. "Promise me?" He repeated, sounding far more awake now.
"I don't need to, Demyx. I've already run my test." She paused, looking up t him. "When you got angry? That was me. When you felt tired? That was me, too." She watched him for a reaction.
Demyx released her, stepping back. "…I don't understand." His green eyes looked distant. With a sinking feeling, Kanixa realized that she had probably just alienated her only friend. She could guess what would happen next. He would wonder what other emotions that she'd toyed with.
"I think I've figured out what my power is, Demyx. Emotion. I can help us to feel again." She paused. "I can also control what it is we feel. This is the first time I've ever tried it, I swear. I'm sorry it had to be on you," she added quickly. "Now do you understand why I wanted to use Saïx? Someone that I don't like?"
"I think that you'd better go, Kanixa," Demyx said finally, stepping out of her way. She left wordlessly, walking back to her room, staring at her feet. Due to her selfish urge to test out her power, she'd just lost the one ally that she had in the Organization. She felt like crying, but no tears would come. Could Nobodies even cry? She wondered. Once back in her room, she retreated into the bathroom. Locking the door behind her, she turned on the shower, hoping that the sound of running water would deter anyone from opening a portal in and bothering her. Besides, the falling water matched her mood exactly, almost as if it represented the tears she felt like shedding. Instead of getting into the shower, she pulled the curtain shut to prevent water splashing out, and tucked herself into the corner behind the door, hugging her knees to her chest.
After a few moments of just sitting, her head on her knees, someone knocked on the door. "Kanixa?" the voice she least wanted to hear inquired, without its usual harshness. "You in there?"
"No, Saïx is borrowing my shower," she snapped. "Who else?"
"No need to get snippy," Axel retorted from the other side of the door. "Hurry up in there."
"If you tell me that we have another mission, I'm drowning myself in the tub," she threatened. She expected him to fire back with a snide comment or a 'good riddance.'
"What?!" Number Eight yelled, shocked.
"It was a joke, Axel, a joke—" she tried to reassure him, but she already heard the whoosh of a portal opening, and the tell-tale circle of darkness appeared in the center of the room. Axel stepped out, facing the shower.
"Kanixa?" he called, leaning forward and staring at the curtain intently, probably looking for a sign of life.
"Now this isn't an invasion of privacy at all," she drawled from her spot behind him. He whirled to face her, hands balling into fists.
"What are you doing over there?" he snapped.
"Getting some time to myself. I thought this was the one place people would leave me alone and not portal in. Apparently I was wrong," she snapped.
Axel glared at her, but suddenly his face smoothed out. Reaching up a hand to run it through his hair, he inquired, "What's wrong with you?"
"Oh, nothing," she said airily. He smirked at her.
"Your poker face is improving," he complimented. "But you still can't fool me. You're lying." He folded his arms. "So, what's the problem?"
"In case you've forgotten, I'm not talking to you!" she snapped, getting to her feet. Stalking over to the shower, she cut off the water, and then she stormed out of the room. Axel followed at a more leisurely pace.
"Aww, don't be like that, Nixa—" he drawled. Immediately she spun around to glare up at him.
"Don't call me that!" she snarled at him, hands balling into fists.
The playful smirk disappeared from his face, and Axel wore an inscrutable expression. "Why not? It's your nickname, isn't it?"
"And friends use nicknames, Axel. We are not friends!" she snapped. "We will never probably be friends. You want Roxas back, and I stand in your way. I want out of here, and you stand in my way."
"What did you just say?" Axel's green eyes glinted. Kanixa put a hand to her mouth, realizing what she'd just let slip. Out of the frying pan and into the fire…probably literally, she thought wryly.
"What, you think I like being here?" she asked, smiling bitterly. After all, the secret was out, she had nothing to lose. "To Xemnas and Saïx, I'm a tool to exploit. To the rest, I'm a novelty. And to you, I'm an obstacle to getting back your friend."
He didn't refute any of this. "What about Demyx?" was all that he said.
"Until recently, I would have said that he was genuinely a friend. But I think I've messed that up," she replied, deciding on answering honestly.
"How so, Kanixa?" he asked, putting an emphasis on her full name.
"I tested out your theory on him. He didn't appreciate it—but he volunteered. I wanted to try it on Saïx, but he wouldn't let me!" she added, frustrated.
Axel chuckled. "Saïx at the mercy of emotion—now that's something I would like to see." He looked over at her, mien turning serious again. "Did it work?" he added in an offhand tone.
Kanixa grinned at him smugly. "That would be telling," she responded, throwing back his words from earlier. He scowled, and her grin only grew wider. "Fine. I'll make you a deal, Axel. I tell you what you want to know, if you tell me something that I want to know."
"What's your question?"
She pondered for a moment. "What was Roxas like? What about him did you like?"
"That's two questions," he pointed out, face closing off.
"Then answer the second," she said.
He remained silent for a long moment, gazing off into space. If she didn't know that he was literally heartless, she would have sworn that his eyes held sadness. "No deal," he said finally.
She sighed, not having really expected him to open up. "I owe you from Twilight Town anyway."
"True. So, what'd you do to poor Demmy?"
"Seriously, Axel? 'Demmy'?" She raised an eyebrow. Axel raised his back. "It worked," she admitted.
Axel raised a hand to his chin. "Interesting," was all he said. "Very interesting."