"Uh, Axel?"
"Yeah, Rox?"
Roxas looked down at his mission files, still walking. "Do you know why I'm always paired with Luxord?"
"What, on missions? You're not always paired with him..." Axel shrugged. "Sometimes, you're lucky enough to come with me."
"I meant, whenever we're going to Wonderland. Didn't you notice?"
"Too afraid to ask Saïx?"
"Am not!"
Axel grinned and took a turn down another hallway, Roxas following close behind. They were both heading for the rooms. Axel was going to sleep some more before finally taking on his mission, and Roxas was going to get Luxord, who hadn't showed up at the Grey Area yet. It wasn't like him, not that Roxas claimed to know him that well.
"Well, I guess I can tell you why, though it's obvious..." Axel shrugged, and stopped walking. How to explain this simply? He put a hand on his hip and tapped his temple. "But you better get it memorized."
Roxas nodded.
"You see, I was often on missions with the guy too, before your time," Axel started.
"In Wonderland?" Roxas asked.
"Yeah, Wonderland too. The fact is that Luxord's powers are pretty fit for a world like Wonderland, you know? The cards and all? He, himself, fits perfectly there."
"I see..."
"Good."
"... But you and Demyx always call Xigbar an old pirate-man, and I don't really think he gets sent to Port Royal that often."
There was a twitch around Axel's eye, he was sure of it. It's a good thing Xigbar wasn't with them right now. "Yeah, but that's only for kicks! Just because we call him a pirate, doesn't mean that he is. Got it memorized?"
Roxas nodded, perplexed. For kicks? That meant that he was kidding, right?
"And we're never going to tell Xigbar that I called him that. Ever."
"Right..." He wasn't sure if his question had really been answered.
"Anyway..." Axel took a deep breath and started walking again. They had reached the hallway with their rooms. "It's not just because of his powers. You see, Wonderland has this crazy, messed up logic too..."
"Tell me about it," Roxas sighed. "It's a mystery how they keep it all together!"
"Exactly! But the Gambler's able to understand that logic, like it was a piece of cake..." He shrugged again."
"So... Luxord's often with me there... because he's specially suited for the mission?"
"Yep."
"Why didn't you just say so from the start?"
Axel felt the corner of his mouth twitch in slight annoyance as he sighed "Never mind..." They reached the door to Axel's room. "But it does make people wonder sometimes, you know..."
Roxas lifted an eyebrow. "About what?"
"If the guy's batshit crazy." Axel said simply and opened the door to his room, stepping inside. "I'll see you later." He closed the door, leaving a dumbfounded Roxas in the hallway.
The young Nobody merely blinked a few times before moving on to the door with the X. He was just about to knock, when he heard Luxord's muffled voice behind the door.
"So that's it? We're all just going to...?" He heard Luxord trail off. He sounded... what was it called? Upset? Who was he talking to?
Roxas hesitated a bit, but ended up knocking on the door. A few seconds went by, and Roxas was about to think that Luxord hadn't heard it until he heard Luxord's voice once again. "Enter..."
That was weird. Luxord would normally open the door himself, right? Once again Roxas found himself hesitating before he opened the door and stepped in. Luxord was standing at the window, looking out at the Dark City. There was no one else in the room, Roxas noticed. The older Nobody turned around and looked at Roxas.
"Ah, Roxas. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"A mission." Roxas answered, still wondering who Luxord could have been talking to. Was he really crazy? "We're going to Wonderland."
Luxord nodded. "I'll be ready in a few minutes..."
Roxas wiped some sweat off his brow as another Heartless charged towards him from the air. He just jumped right at it and finished it with a mighty blow from his Keyblade. When he landed again, he looked up in time to see the released heart fly away.
He was just about to charge at the last Heartless, when a card hit it and it disappeared.
"Thanks..." he panted.
"Not a problem," Luxord responded with a small smirk "You know, if you get tired of attacking directly, you could use some more magic," he shrugged.
Roxas nodded. "I just forget to think about it sometimes, I guess. I have to fight a lot on most missions, because I have the Keyblade..."
This time, Luxord nodded. "I would dare say that people are grateful of all the hard work you're doing, Roxas."
"It - "
"Doesn't seem like it, I know. We're Nobodies, Roxas, presumably incapable of feeling anything at all. We yearn to regain what we lost, isn't that why you keep fighting too?"
Roxas thought hard. Truth was, he really didn't remember what it was he lost. He had no complete memory of his life as a Somebody.
"... Wielding the Keyblade brings me closer to the answer. I decided that's what I would fight for."
"The answer? About your past?" Luxord sounded unimpressed. "You're not helping us? You, Roxas, merely fight to receive an answer whilst everyone else wish for hearts?"
"Wha – no! I'm still trying to help everyone! But... I would also like to know where I'm from, you know."
Luxord looked the younger Nobody directly in the eyes. "... I understand that."
"Once we have hearts, me and Axel can hang out every day, without having to work all the time! And with that as my dream and goal, we'll all get our hearts back in no time!" Roxas smiled and summoned his Keyblade to emphasize. He looked at Luxord, who didn't answer but merely smiled sadly.
There was an awkward silence.
"... You know, Roxas..." Luxord started out gently, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Some people... might not make it."
"What do you mean?" Roxas looked at him, confused.
Luxord merely sighed and shook his head, then looked him in the eyes. "What if we won't get our hearts from Xemnas, Roxas?"
"Sure we will!" Roxas exclaimed happily and pointed his Keyblade at the sky. "It's a promise! By this Keyblade, I swear you'll all get your hearts back!"
Luxord couldn't help a chuckle as he shook his head again, as Roxas kept promising different things. "If only more people had that spirit of yours..." He mumbled.
" - and even you, Luxord."
"Hm?"
"You'll get your heart back too, right?"
Luxord grinned slightly. "I might, yes..."
Roxas smiled up at him, before he suddenly frowned and started searching his pockets for something. "Oh yeah... I've been meaning to give this to you." He retrieved something from his pocket and held it out towards Luxord. It was a small die, made in solid gold. The numbers were Roman numerals instead of dots.
Luxord's eyes widened slightly. "Where did you get that?" He asked quietly.
"I found it on a mission to the Coliseum. Thought you might want it, with your gambling and all," he shrugged. "Here, take it."
Luxord took it and turned it over in his hand. He didn't care that it seemed off to find Roman numerals in a world with a Greek society. He was... glad that Roxas could be so thoughtful. He smiled slightly at the boy.
"Thank you, Roxas. It's a very nice gift." He closed his fingers gently around the die and put it in in his left chest pocket. "We should get back to the Castle."
"Yeah!" Roxas nodded, glad that he seemed to have cheered Luxord up at least a little. "Remember that promise, though! I'll work hard for it."
"You already do, Roxas." Luxord said, tensing a bit at his words.
"I can't wait for when we all get our hearts back."
"How could you... Roxas?"
D: ! OMG sad twist! Can anyone guess what Roxas' one little line is from? :o Oh, and I just wanna thank all of you reviewers! There aren't many of you, but you're darn faithful and I'm very happy about your support, so just keep up the R&R ;D