Author's Note: So who all thought I'd killed Axel? Did I worry anyone? Heheh... sorry. Anyway, in response to flightfoot's question, I'm not sure if it's the same as it was with Ven when he fell off that cliff... Ven had on armor, and so did Aqua when she caught him. So yeah. The two instances are different in my head at least.

And now it's Riku's turn to get injured... if he ever feels like getting injured anytime soon.


"Don't call me kiddo!"
"Huh, I expected him to grumble more."

xx

"The traitor has returned," Xaldin mused, looking over at his comrade. "Can we attack?"

Xigbar fired of a shot into the air. "S'pose so," he said with a shrug.

"All the rest will be collateral damage," Xaldin said with a smirk.

Meanwhile, Axel had brushed off and joined in the slight celebration of the destruction of the day's Unversed. He was also the first to hear the sound of a dark corridor appearing behind them. He turned around, already knowing who was there.

"What took you so long to show back up?" Xigbar asked.

"No comment on my swan dive, eh?" Axel taunted.

"Six out of ten," Xaldin said.

Axel shrugged. "Not bad, I s'pose."

"What do you want?" Sora asked.

"I'd like a cup of tea, actually," Xigbar said. "But I'm not going to get that until I at least attempt to kill the traitor. Superior's orders and all."

"You know, I can get you a cup of tea," Aerith said calmly.

"This is the part where someone suggests that we all just be friends," Cid muttered.

"That'll never work," Yuffie snorted.

"Look, I'd love to have a nice brawl with the two of you," Axel said. "But that's not entirely fair—just me against the two of you."

"Pick a partner then," Xaldin said. "But you take responsibility for his or her death."

Axel frowned. "Sora, then."

"You had to go and pick one that we have orders not to kill, didn't you?" Xigbar scoffed.

"Collateral damage," Xaldin said through gritted teeth.

"Why are you so eager to have me dead, anyway?" Axel asked.

"Traitors must be disposed of," Xaldin said simply, raising a barrier around himself, Xigbar, Axel and Sora.

"Hmph," Axel muttered. "The irony."

"How is that ironic?" Sora asked.

"I used to be the one to dispose of the traitors," Axel said. "Regardless of whether I wanted to or not."

"Roxas says that you didn't dispose of him, though," Sora said.

"He legitimately beat me in that battle," Axel said. "And then I ran for it."

"And we've had the death order for him ever since," Xigbar said. "Now let's get this thing over with. I might still take a rain-check on the tea."

"Like she'd give it to you if you kill Sora or Axel," Yuffie muttered.

"I hate being on the other side of a barrier," Kairi said. "Why do you suppose Axel chose Sora, anyway?"

It's because of Roxas, Namine chimed in.

"I'm with you on getting this over with, I have other plans I need to attend to," Axel said, responding to Xigbar's earlier comment.

"Yeah, me too," Sora agreed.

"Well, then at least we're all in agreement on making this quick," Xaldin said, throwing a lance in Sora's direction.

Sora dodgerolled out of the way. The lance disappeared in swirling darkness. Axel threw a chakram at both Xigbar and Xaldin, lighting them on fire mid-flight. Xigbar retaliated with shooting a barrage of laser bullets at both Axel and Sora—both of whom tried to make sure they weren't next to each other. Not that it helped all that much, since Xigbar had two guns, but they could at least make it more difficult for him. Sora came up behind Xaldin and bashed his arm, screwing up Xaldin's aim and making him throw the lance into the air. Xaldin then spun around with the other five lances, sending Sora flying.

"That's right, never attack Xaldin head-on…" Sora muttered, picking himself up.

"Sora!" he heard Kairi shout.

He turned for a brief second to see her hold up Oathkeeper. He grinned and summoned it to him. He tossed both Keyblades up in the air and caught them with opposite hands, so that Oathkeeper was in his right and Oblivion was with his left. He worked Oblivion into a spin and made his way over to Xigbar. Xigbar only laughed and warped up so that he was standing on the ceiling.

"Heads up!" he called, sticking his hands through two individual dark corridors.

"Nuts," Sora muttered, holding out both Keyblades to block the impending laser bullets.

"Missed me!" Axel taunted, throwing a chakram through a dark corridor to hit Xigbar in the face.

"Ah, reload!" Xigbar called.

Xaldin took that opportunity to throw his lances in six different directions.

One grazed Sora on the shoulder, a second bounced off the spinning Oblivion and was rendered useless. The third one got stuck in one of Axel's chakrams. He looked at it, raised an eyebrow, then lit both the chakram and the lance on fire. Unfortunately, the fourth one landed in his foot.

"Ouch!" he shouted, pulling the lance out as it dissolved into darkness. "It's a good thing these boots repair themselves…"

Sora blocked the fifth lance and ended up chucking the sixth one back at Xigbar.

"Oi, no fair," Xigbar said, aiming his guns at Sora, who threw up both Keyblades to block the bullets. They were sent off flying in several directions, many of them hitting Xigbar and Xaldin. Some came Axel's direction, but were absorbed by his chakrams.

Xaldin once again summoned his lances to him. In a gust of wind, he came up behind Sora and drove a lance straight through him.

Sora let out a gasp of pain and collapsed to his knees. He used his Keyblades for support, refusing to completely faint. The lance disappeared, leaving a growing bloodstain.

"He can't be collateral damage if the traitor isn't eliminated!" Xigbar shouted, warping to the other side of the battle area. He unloaded both of his guns on Axel.

Axel threw up his chakrams as shields. Xaldin rushed over to the other side of Axel, prepared to drive a lance or two through him. Axel winced and moved one of his arms to the other side, pulling up a wall of fire while he was at it. The wall of fire completely prevented Xaldin from reaching him. However, Xaldin still had the ability to drive a lance or two through the flames. If he sent them quick enough, they wouldn't be burnt up.

"Reload," Xigbar shouted, firing off one last super-charged laser bullet before he reloaded. The bullet wasn't stopped by Axel's chakram and nearly hit Axel in the face. Axel wrinkled his nose at the close encounter.

Come on, Sora, get up… Roxas pleaded.

It… hurts…

I know it does. You think I can't feel it too? But we've gotta end this!

Sora struggled to stand.

"Light!" he shouted. Everyone could hear Roxas' voice alongside his.

Six pillars of light burst out of his body in different directions. Xaldin and Xigbar were both stunned from the blows.

"Aw, nuts," Axel said, darting to the side.

"Hey look, it's the kiddo!" Xigbar grunted, appearing back down on the ground.

"Don't call me kiddo!" Roxas shouted. And it was clearly Roxas who was shouting.

He leapt up and knocked Xigbar down to the ground, pelting him with huge pillars of light. Sora/Roxas flew back, standing unsteadily on two feet.

"I think this battle is best fought at another time," Xaldin said, backing into a dark corridor. Xigbar followed him shortly after.

Sora/Roxas collapsed.

As soon as Xigbar and Xaldin had both disappeared, the barrier went down. Kairi and Aerith rushed over to Sora.

"Curaga!" Kairi shouted, kneeling down next to Sora.

Aerith set her staff down and knelt down beside him as well. She whispered under her breath what sounded something like a prayer. A blue light formed around Sora, it settled down to where his wounds were—the majority of the light focused where the lance had gone through.

Sora coughed and his eyes flew open.

"Thank you…" he mumbled.

Kairi did her best to hug him.

"Come on, we'd better get him inside," Leon said.

"I'll help," Riku said.

Together, Riku and Leon hoisted Sora up and carried him inside.

"His cloak is ruined," Yuffie said. "There's no mending that."

"That's the second one he's gone through," Axel said, throwing up a Cure for himself. "I knew there was a reason I had him grab three."

"Both of you fought well," Kairi said. "Even with Sora's massive injury."

Axel shrugged. "I have a high sense of self-preservation. Got it memorized?"

Kairi snorted. "One would think otherwise with you jumping off a cliff like that."

Axel laughed. "And I got a six out of ten on my swan dive, I'm cool with that." After a little pause, he added, "You're taking this well."

"Hmm?" Kairi asked.

"Sora getting himself half-killed."

"Oh, well, overreacting isn't very becoming."

Axel laughed. "You sounded like Namine there."

Kairi's lips drew into a thin line. "Yeah, I know. She's the one who told me that."

"She would."

xx

A few hours later found Hollow Bastion a very quiet place. Outside of the Restoration Committee, the people who were still there started cleaning up their homes and town. Others started making their escape plans.

Yuffie and Leon wandered about, surveying the damage, trying to figure the best way to go about repairing things when there was a ninety-nine percent chance that Xehanort was just going to send another wave the next day.

Cid was in the kitchen, making his get-well soup for when Sora woke up. Riku and Axel sat at the table playing a game of cards, having nothing better to do at that moment. Aerith was in the room with Sora and Kairi. Sora was sleeping, Kairi was drawing. Aerith was cross-stitching a flower pattern onto a quilt. She said it was to keep her hands busy.

"Who is that?" Kairi muttered with a frown, looking down at the picture she had just drawn. The four of them were sitting on the Clocktower in Twilight Town. However, smack dab in the middle of them was a boy of about eleven with dark hair and steel blue eyes. All five of them were eating ice cream.

I honestly don't know, Namine said. I just know that we'll meet him in Twilight Town.

When?

Soon.

"Kairi…?" Sora coughed.

Kairi put her sketchbook and pencils down rather quickly.

"Yes?" she responded.

"I would like some water…" he said.

"I'll go get it," Aerith said, setting down her cross-stitch.

"Oh, I would've…" Kairi began.

"Nonsense," Aerith said, already to the door. "I don't mind."

"I'm glad you're okay," Kairi whispered when Aerith had closed the door.

Sora grinned stupidly. "Axel's okay, right?"

Kairi nodded.

"Good," Sora said, shifting so he was sitting up. "I'm gonna have to change, aren't I?"

"Yeah."

"Right. I'll do that when we get back to the Gummi Ship, since that's where my stuff is."

"I could go get it if you want me to…" Kairi said.

Sora shook his head. "No, I'd prefer it you stayed here."

Kairi flushed.

"Besides, we'll have to get going here pretty soon."

"You're being ridiculous," Kairi cautioned. "You're still recovering."

"I'm fine," Sora assured her. "Granted, this may be the worst battle injury I have ever sustained, but I'm fine now. Thanks to you and Aerith."

"Sora, I still don't think it's a good idea for you…"

Sora rolled his eyes. "Fine, we can stay a bit longer."

Kairi breathed a sigh of relief.

"But only until I get Cid to install the Navi-G."

Kairi frowned. "May I make a small request then?"

"Yeah, sure, what is it?"

"Can we stop in at Twilight Town?" she asked, grabbing her sketchbook and showing him the picture she had drawn.

"Sure," Sora said with a shrug. "It's probably important."

Kairi nodded, satisfied that the next place they went would at least be mostly free of enemies—unless a Xehanort Replica showed up—worlds forbid!

Aerith came back with some water, followed by Cid with his soup.

"Just the person I wanted to talk to," Sora said roughly, looking at Cid.

Cid raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? What for?"

Sora dug in his pocket and pulled out the Navi-G.

"Can you install this please?"

Cid took it and agreed to install it. He quickly left the room after that.

"Huh," Sora muttered. "I expected him to grumble more."

"He's being nice," Aerith said.

"And I'll take it," Sora said, leaning back, resting his head back on his hands.

"You still have soup," Aerith prodded.

"Oh, right," Sora replied, sitting back up and starting on the soup.