A/N: Hey! After playing Kingdom Hearts II and absolutely loving the characters, I decided I'd write a quick story out of the few ideas that were bouncing around in my head. I apologize if the timeline seems off - I wasn't exactly sure on some things, so I just went with whatever worked. I was planning on just keeping this as a oneshot in and of itself, but if enough people bug me I may be tempted to write more. P And just for the record: I absolutely love Axel!

Disclaimer: I don't own KH2 or any of it's characters... although it would be nice...

More than a Memory
by: Sienna Alexanderson

A cool breeze blew through the empty streets, chilling the red-haired Organization member. He shuddered and ran his gloved hands across his upper arms. "Why is it always so freakin' cold down here?" A smile spread across his face and he pulled his hands in front of him, palms facing one another. "Heh, guess I'll just have to heat things up a - huh?"

The small fireball that had begun to form between his palms faded as he noticed something from the corner of his eye.

Sitting on a large cement block was a dark blonde kid dressed in one of the black cloaks typical of the Organization.

Ah, so Xemnas had found another.

Casually he walked over towards the kid, noticing that his eyes were closed and he seemed to be thinking about…well, it had to be something important, since the kid hadn't even noticed him.

"Yo! You must be the new kid. Number thirteen, huh?"

The kid looked genuinely startled by the interruption. He gazed up at him with bright blue eyes and a quizzical expression. "Huh? Thirteen?"

"Yep. I'm number eight - Axel's the name… Try to remember it." He said with a grin, tapping a forefinger to his temple.

The boy looked blankly up at him for so long that Axel feared the kid had fallen asleep with his eyes open.

"…Wh-where am I…? …What is this place?"

Axel would've been relieved that the kid was finally speaking, except for the fact that he was now asking complicated questions. Questions that required even more complicated answers. Well, might as well go at this the simplest way possible. "This," and he emphasized it with a sweep of his gloved hand, "is the World that Never Was."

The boy's face shifted from thoughtful to bewildered. "The World that… wait, what?"

Axel sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Well, you see…" He found it tough to decide exactly what he wanted to say next. It was kind of hard to explain something you didn't fully understand yourself. Dropping his hand to his side and sporting a small frown, Axel decided to change tactics. "Huh. Xemnas didn't tell you anything?"

"…Xemnas?"

Dropping his head into his hands, Axel let out a large sigh. "Oh man. He really didn't tell you anything. Oh well, no matter…" Stepping forward, he grabbed onto one of the boy's arms, effectively pulling him up and dragging him behind him.

"Whoa! Hey! What are you doing!"

Axel looked over his shoulder with a grin. "Don't worry! The easiest way to explain is to show you around!" He didn't even bother to stop walking as he spoke, recklessly towing the blonde kid behind him through the perpetually dark streets.

"Great. But do you have to drag me? I can walk on my own, y'know!"

The kid almost fell on his face when Axel abruptly stopped, releasing his arm.

"Heh. Of course you can." Axel was facing him, arms crossed over his chest, and a cocky grin on his face. "By the way, kid, what's your name?"

The blonde boy snorted. "Not 'kid'."

Axel rolled his emerald eyes, "Well, yeah. Then what is it?"

"My name?" The boy took one great sweeping look at the dark buildings surrounding him before bringing his attention back to his 'guide'. "It's…"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"…Roxas?"

"…Huh?" Opening his blue eyes, he began to fuzzily focus on the black-clad image of his fiery-haired friend. "Oh. Axel? Sorry…" He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck - a natural mannerism of his.

Axel lifted his hands up in a gesture of nonchalance. "No prob. You just spaced for a bit."

Roxas shrugged. "Yeah, I was just thinking…"

"You think too much." Pulling out his pair of chakram, Axel twirled and tossed them at a nearby broken lamppost out of boredom. He flashed his best friend a grin. "Don't get me wrong - thinking's a great tool. But what happens if you think too much? You might end up like - dare I say it? - Vexen. What with all his science mumbo jumbo and stuff no one else understands."

The young blonde gave Axel a glare of resentment. "Hey!"

The eighth member jumped up as both chakram came flying back and caught them with expert ease. Landing gracefully back on the pavement, he turned his deep green gaze to Roxas. "I know, I know. I was just kidding, but it's just, you know…" He shook his head lightly, releasing his weapons as they disappeared. "Never mind."

Roxas watched curiously as Axel sat next to him on the large concrete block. "What is it?"

The smile on Axel's face didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's nothing. Wanna tell me what you were thinking about?"

"Uh…I…" He paused, finally settling with a noncommittal sound. He looked pensively down at his gloved hands.

"Hey hey! Don't quit on me now!" Axel said with a light voice. When no reply came, Axel glanced over at his silent friend. His features sank into solemn concern and he placed one gloved hand on Roxas' shoulder. "Roxas… I know something's bothering you. And… I know Xemnas says how we don't have hearts so we shouldn't care, but… ah… You can tell me if you want, y'know? I'll listen!" He stood as he spoke, gesturing wildly with his hands. He was trying his best to cheer his friend up, but he was never really good at this type of thing.

A little restless, the fire-wielder began to pace a little on the bare street. As a Nobody, he knew that he didn't possess a heart and as such he really shouldn't care. But over the time since Roxas joined the Organization, the two had become best friends. Axel was a few years Roxas' senior, but Roxas was the only one in of the Thirteen that Axel had actually come to get along with. And Axel, as far back as he could remember, was always the strictly loyal type to those he truly cared for. The Organization was one thing - he had hopes that maybe Xemnas did know what he was talking about, and that he could find a heart - but it was in no way the same as the reality of actually having a best friend. Yet recently Roxas had been more pensive than usual - not that he wasn't naturally always a little lost in his thoughts, but this was way more than normal. And Axel was beginning to get his suspicions.

"Hey Axel?"

"Huh…?" Roxas' voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned to address the boy and was surprised to see the two Keyblades resting on his lap. "Yeah?"

Roxas fiddled with the handles of the opposing Keyblades. "Do you… do you know why I have these 'Keyblades'?"

Axel looked questioningly at Roxas. "No… why?"

The Keyblade-wielder looked a little put out by his friend's answer, but continued anyway. "Not long ago, I met this silver-haired guy. He helped me when the Neoshadows attacked me. But afterwards… he asked me why I have the Keyblade. But I don't know! I was so angry that I didn't have an answer… so I fought him. I won, but…" He sharply looked up. "But I still don't know! I don't remember anything! Nothing…" his voice was laced with sorrow. "I want to know the truth about who I was - who I am."

"Roxas… I'm sorry…" Axel said, again going over to sit by his friend. Maybe it was time for him to have a chat with Xemnas. He was sure the leader would know about the Keyblades and why Roxas could wield them. Heck, Xemnas probably had some secret plan or something. But for now he'd just try and help Roxas remember as best as he could. "You still can't remember a thing?"

Roxas sighed and examined the Keyblades once again, then willing them to disappear. "Nah." He jumped up and walked over towards a side alley, picking up two long objects. Smiling, he turned and tossed one to his companion, who gracelessly caught it in his arms. "Hey Axel - let's race!"

Axel hoisted the object in his hands. "Skateboarding? Again? You know I suck at it!"

A grin spread across the younger boy's face as he dropped his to the ground, placing a foot on the black and white adorned board. "C'mon! Don't be a wuss!"

Throwing his similar red and black board down in front of him, Axel narrowed his eyes and grinned. "You're on!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Hey Axel?"

"Yeah?" Axel looked from the white walls of the castle towards his friend. "What's up?"

"Hmmm." Roxas stopped in the hall they were currently walking through. They were on their way to visit Xemnas, who had something important to tell them. "Tell me one of your memories… from when you were whole."

Axel stopped as well. "Another one? Haven't I bored you with them yet?"

Roxas shrugged as he spoke. "Please? It's better hearing your memories than thinking about not having my own."

"All right, sure." Axel replied, giving Roxas a shielded sympathetic glance. He lifted his forefinger and thumb, raising his hand in the air. "What do you want to hear about?"

Roxas, in an unusually good mood, tilted his head, and rested a hand on his chin. "How about…"

Axel wasn't sure if he liked the glint in Roxas' eyes.

"Did you have a girlfriend?"

The shocked expression on his face melted into a huge grin. He was glad that he still possessed his memories from the time before his heart was taken. Axel leaned against one of the tall walls. "Yeah… I remember her. She was quiet and a bit shy, but I had a way to get her to talk. Haha, we used to go out to the huge garden and just hang out. " He gazed idly into the air. "It was a week before her birthday when the Heartless attacked. I was planning on asking her to marry me then, but then my heart was stolen." He shrugged. "I remember little things - like her favorite flower and animal… but it's kind of hard to remember exactly what she looked like. I can't even remember her name. I guess that's what it's like being a Nobody." A small blissful smile crossed his lips. "I've often wondered what happened to my heart… it's be nice to think that it went to her and she still has it. I guess, though, that if we Nobodies do manage to get hearts, I'd still never be able to go back to her. It wouldn't be the same." Axel jumped forward when he realized that he had rambled on, looking down at the ground and placing a hand sheepishly on his neck. "Oh, sorry Roxas…"

Roxas grinned and averted his eyes. "No… it sounds… nice. To have such good memories."

Slightly embarrassed, Axel grinned and shrugged. "Yeah, they're nice. But… they're just memories."

"Mmmm. Maybe someday I can remember mine, too…"

Axel watched as Roxas turned to continue down the hall. Just recently Axel had confronted Xemnas himself, demanding to know the connection between Roxas and the Keyblades, and found out something that could change Roxas' life if he knew. Roxas was the Nobody of the Keyblade-wielder Sora, who was still alive. Which meant that Roxas, as a part of Sora, could become whole. But then Roxas…

"Hey Axel! You should tell me more on the rest of our way up!" Roxas called from a few steps ahead.

The red-haired young man looked up with a grin. "Sure. You asked for it."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Axel stepped out of the shadows as Roxas walked into the alley. "Roxas…"

The black-clad blonde stopped short. "Axel."

"You're not… you're not really planning on leaving, are you?" His tone became almost pleading. "You can't leave the Organization…"

Roxas stared blankly into the darkness of the alley, refusing to turn and face his friend. "I have to find the answer, even if it kills me. Besides…" His voice took on a cool tone. "…No one would miss me." Within seconds he was out of sight.

Axel's head drooped as he watched the only real friend he had - the only friend that wasn't a memory - go. "That's not true… I would."

Bending down, he picked up the discarded white and black board and ran his fingers over the swirled designs. "I would've helped you, if you had wanted me to…"

And it was then, standing under the endless moonlight with skateboard in hand, that Axel decided he'd do anything and everything - even if it meant giving up everything he had - to get his best friend back.