Pieces of You
Chapter Three: Coliseum (Part II)
The next day was the tournament, but Sora felt woefully underprepared. He hadn't slept as well as he would have hoped. Too many questions were pinging around in his head and the bed Demanarus offered was too big, too unfamiliar.
Laying in it by himself with nothing but the quiet. He had no choice but to pay attention to the pain in his chest. His heart beat a steady rhythm against his rib cage.
He hadn't been the only one sleep had missed. The next morning Axel had dark lines under his eyes as he stepped out into the training square. Kairi seemed to be the only one alert and well rested.
There would be two brackets. Kairi and Hercules in the first, while Sora and Axel were in the second. Sora frowned at the layout, realizing for the first time that two of his friends wouldn't be fighting in the finals. Either he would be facing Kairi or Hercules.
But first, he had to face Axel.
Around midday, the second bracket was led to the arena to begin their round. The roar of the crowd next door had been the only indication of what was happening with the first bracket. At one point he heard a constant chant of Hercules' name.
When the time came the second bracket competitors were led down the main tunnel. They passed the bathhouse where he had been taken the other day and led deeper. The light from outside dimmed until only the barest hint of it guided their way. Sora just followed the shadows in front of him, making sure to keep his body close to Axel.
The taller boy bumped his shoulder as they walked. An encouraging, "Good luck" whispered in the space between them.
"You too," Sora said just as they stepped out into the area.
Applause erupted from a thousand hands, making the ground underneath them tremble. Sora blinked at the sudden brightness of the sun, as he tried to take in the area. The same old arena sat in the middle of the new stadium. Seats were stacked three levels high and bursting with people. It was impossible to take in all the faces, but still, he searched.
There was no sign of Kairi or Hercules.
Axel was looking too, his lips pursed as he scanned the crowd.
And then the tournament began. Sora threw himself against his opponents. Grateful for the distraction battle always provided. He put everything else in the back of his mind. The failure of his test. His lack of sleep. The puzzling existence of Roxas. Riku. All it disappeared as he switched between magic and swordsmanship.
"You must start over," Master Yen Sid had told him after he failed the test, but this didn't feel like starting over. It felt like he was picking up right where he had left off.
His nerves tingled from the familiar use of magic. His palms were sweaty from clutching the keyblade so tightly. It all felt so right.
The only thing that felt off was how out of breath he was.
Out of shape, he reasoned. It had been a long time since he'd thrown himself so thoroughly into training. He cut down his enemies as quickly as possible and then caught his breath as he watched Axel do the same. Predictably, it was the two of them in the semi-finals
Axel looked completely at ease in the center of the arena, even though he had just finished a match. His body danced from side to side as he fell into an offensive position. "You ready Sora?"
Sora swallowed one last gulp of air. He wished there was a little more of a break between the matches and the semi-finales, but if Axel wasn't going to complain then neither would he. The weight of his keyblade fell against his palm and he crouched low. "Ready."
Axel grinned, summoning his own weapon. He lunged forward, quick as a cat and struck hard. Sora had fought Axel before but not truly since the red head had gotten his keyblade. The clash of steel against steel sent an aftershock into Sora's bones. There was a surprising amount of power in the other boy's swing.
Sora jumped back and summoned a wave of magic to put space between them.
A wall of fire dispersed it. Damn. Axel's fire magic was more advanced then Sora had thought, it was practically on par with his own abilities.
Gritting his teeth, Sora threw himself against his foe. Striking hard and fast. He focused on the number of hits landed and ignored the pain when Axel's blade fell against his own skin.
They were evenly matched, he couldn't help but think that he would have the advantage if he wasn't so tired. So out of shape.
Blood pounded between Sora's ears after the last onslaught of attacks. His muscles were growing heavier by the second. He wouldn't last much longer, it needed to end quickly.
Axel smiled at him as if he was thinking the same thing. If the red head was tired, there was no sign of it. His taller boy danced gracefully on the balls of his feet, ready to duck and weave in order to land another hit. He was strong, but not invincible.
Axel had weaknesses. His cockiness for one thing and... There. Sora saw the second of distraction as Axel glanced into the stands. Following his line of sight, Sora spotted Demanarus seated under a gilded tent and next to him stood Roxas.
Ah. Something tugged at Sora's attention every time he looked at the blond, as if he was under some spell, clearly Axel felt the same way. The difference was, Sora wouldn't let it stop him.
He tightened his grip on the keyblade and dashed forward. Axel's attention focused back on him, but it was a second too late. A loud crack filled the air, the blade in Sora's hand shook from the force but at least it was still in hand. Axel's blade, however, had fallen to the ground, its spike embedded in the arena's stone floor.
Sora whirled, pointing the tip of his keyblade at Axel's chest. He met a pair of startled green eyes and held the stare until Axel smiled. His slender shoulders dipped in surrender. "Alright alright, you win."
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Another feast was held in honor of the finalists. Hercules sat on one side of Demanarus while Sora sat on the other, looking stiff in a pale yellow Toga.
Axel and Kairi laughed as he awkwardly chatted with the people seated at the head table. Adult women were fawning over Hercules and cooing at Sora. It made a delightful sight. "Riku will be sorry he missed this," Kairi giggled.
It was a difficult scene to tear the eye away from even with a party roaring around them. The atmosphere from the night's festivities was markedly different than the first night. Axel noticed more people were drunk, their faces flushed red. Everyone was barely dressed, slaves and nobles alike wore silks that covered nothing of their bodies. Gold jewelry glittered off tan skin in places Axel had never known people could wear jewels. Wandering hands were set free along with people's inhibitions. It explained the women who seemed to hover over Sora like badgering harpies. A few strangers wiggled their brows at Kairi who kept close to Axel's side.
It felt like Demanarus had invited the entire city into his home. If this was a celebration before the finals, the party after the tournament was sure to be taken into the streets.
Axel grinned as he raised his glass to his lips and finished it off. The buzz from the alcohol warmed his skin and eased the pain of losing to Sora.
It was is own fault, letting his distractions get the better of him. But seeing Roxas in the stands, watching him with both worry and awe had been worth it.
"Another drink sir?"
"Yes, thanks." He plucked the goblet off a golden tray and brought it to his lips. His eyes lifted to see the servant and-
His throat leaped, the wine sputtered back up past his lips.
Roxas was standing in front of him. Wearing a sheer white tunic, that left nothing to the imagination. Like the other slaves, he wore knee high sandals that laced up the front. His skin had been dusted in a golden substance that matched his hair and made his eyes stand out like sapphires.
God... he looked...
A smug smile pulled at Roxas' lips as Axel stared. He leaned forward and took the empty goblet. The scent of mint clung to his body like perfume. "You fought really well today." Roxas whispered low enough that only Axel could hear, "I wanted to tell you that."
He pulled away but Axel's hand reached out and grabbed his wrist. "Wait, stay. I need to talk to you."
It was a desperate plea, but he was glad to see Roxas consider it. Longing mirrored on his face. "I shouldn't... I've been pushing my luck with the Master."
"But... I'm his guest." Axel offered a sheepish smile. "I made it to the semi-finals. Doesn't that mean anything?"
Roxas bit his bottom lip and looked around the room. Taking in the other slaves who were laughing with the guests. A spark of a plan caught fire in his eyes before he nodded. "You're right that should mean something." He leaned down, placed his tray on the table, and slipped his body into Axel's lap.
Axel's brain short-circuited at the contact. Kairi's eyes widened, she hid a gasp behind her hand. "I should...probably go save Sora from those women." She said before scurrying away.
Bless that girl. Axel always knew he liked her.
"Sorry," Roxas' breath tickled against Axel's neck. He wiggled, adjusting himself in the lap and getting comfortable. "But this is what we're expected to do. Either I hang out with you or some other stranger. But I'd prefer it was you."
Axel's fingers dug possessively into his hips. The idea of anyone else touching Roxas this way drove him insane. He brushed his cheek against the soft blond hair and closed his eyes feeling a wash of old memories overtake him.
"It's a good thing you lost today," Roxas said, a smile curling with the words.
"And why is that?"
"Because otherwise, you'd be sitting next to my master. I wouldn't be able to act so freely around you."
"Would you believe me if I said that was why I lost." Axel gave his most self-assured smile and watched Roxas burst into a fit of laughter. He followed suit, his arms wrapping around the small body tightly, surprised to notice that nothing had changed.
Roxas' body still fit perfectly against his. A memory played in the backdrop of the moment, the two of them seated on the edge of the clock tower, laughing and huddled close. Axel's arm sneaking around Roxas' waist for the first time, as the blonde curled close.
That had been at the beginning before either of them really knew that their friendship meant. Before everything went to complete shit.
Axel dipped his head close, his voice a steady whisper as he asked, "Yesterday you said you don't belong here...what did you mean?"
He felt the sudden tension that his question stirred, the shaky exhale that Roxas let out. "One year ago, my village was attacked and I was taken here to be a slave. Everything was so... different. I had to learn a new language, new customs, I still don't understand it all."
It was not what Axel expected to hear. Anger licked against his throat, making it dry as he tried to imagine it. The boy in his arms, hurt, alone, forced to be a slave. He had to tell himself that that wasn't Roxas; that life, those memories. But the truth was he didn't really know that. He didn't know what those memories meant.
One year ago...a lot had happened in the last year. Hell, Axel had only been a whole person for a few months.
The body pulled back so blue eyes could meet green, "You feel it too don't you. You're not from here either."
"No," breathed the taller boy.
Roxas gave a small smile, "It's more than that though. Today when I saw you use that strange blade...I felt like I knew you from somewhere."
"Keyblade," Axel corrected softly, "You used to have one too."
Amusement flickered across Roxas' face for a second, "I think I would have remembered that, if I had a sword like you I wouldn't be here serving fruit and wine." His body curled closer to Axel's own. Everyone was watching them, the other guests with clear jealousy in their eyes, the slaves with a look of longing.
"Please, tell me how you know me," Roxas sighed against Axel's skin.
The memories. Axel had plenty of memories for the both of them. There were some memories that were still fuzzy from the time he was a nobody and the time before that, but his memories of Roxas were always clear, like a compass pointing true north. The first time they shared sea salt ice cream, the moment when Roxas' face lit up at the sight of him, the first time they kissed under a sunset so red Axel thought they had set the world on fire.
He could have stayed for an eternity reliving all those moments and sharing them with this boy in his lap, but instead, Axel said, "Come with me," His fingers tightening on Roxas' waist.
Plump lips parted and for a second he thought a refusal would fall from those lips. But Roxas took a deep breath and nodded once, his body melting against Axel's own, submitting to the invisible connection between them. "Alright."
Axel had no idea where he was leading them, but outside seemed like the best place to go. He gripped Roxas' hand tightly in his own, afraid to let go as he led the way. Behind him, the blond muffled a snicker. "Do you know where you're going?"
"Just following my instincts," Axel answered throwing a grin back, "They've never let me down before." And they didn't know, the two of them stumbled out into what looked like a quiet garden. The laughter from the feast filled the night air, but it easily fell to the background.
Above them a thousand worlds shined as stars, lighting up the midnight rendezvous. Orchids and rose bushes gave the air a distinct scent. Now they were alone, the only eyes on them were the marble gaze of a few stone statues.
Roxas tilted his head as Axel let go of his hand. "What did you want to show-"
Axel pressed his lips against the question. A muffled exclamation tingled against his mouth but Roxas quickly leaned into the touch. Moaning and wrapping his arms against Axel's neck. He pushed closer, begging entrance for his tongue that Roxas complied to. Together they stumbled back against a wall where Axel pressed against the small body, feeling the heat for Roxas' skin through the sheer tunic he wore. Without the prying eyes of the other guests, he felt free to finally hold Roxas the way he wanted to, the way he'd been dying to, and it seemed he wasn't the only one.
Roxas' legs spread apart as he steadied himself against the wall. He held Axel close, fingers curled into the long red locks as if letting go would be the end of him.
It was Axel who eventually broke the kiss, the need for oxygen and a lingering question the only valid reasons for doing so. He opened his eyes and found Roxas staring at him, Axel managed a tentative smile back. "Remember me now?"
Roxas' hand reached up and cupped Axel's cheek. He looked as if he were about to faint, the only thing keeping him standing was the wall and Axel's own presence.
Hope flared in Axel's chest. It was working! Maybe all the kid needed was another push, another reminder to who he once was.
It was hard but Axel forced himself to step back. Roxas' face fell in distraught at the separation, but he watched in curiosity as the red haired man held out his hand and summoned his keyblade. The light from the magic illuminated the darkness. Roxas gasped, his small hand tentatively reaching out to touch the swirling spike of fire. "You didn't always fight with this."
"No, I didn't," Axel confirmed, gently pressing the handle against Roxas' palm. "Here, you take it."
For once the other boy didn't argue. He took the blade with both hands. Testing its weight with a serious expression. Suddenly a bright light burst from the edge of the blade. A startled gasp escaped Roxas as it dropped to the ground.
"Roxas!" Axel watched the small body sway. His hands reached out and steadied him, "Hey are you okay?"
"Axel?" Roxas' hand gripped his own desperately.
It was the first time the other boy had called him by his name. Axel tried not to think too much about that, he really did, but all thoughts seemed to jump out of him the second Roxas lifted his head. In the darkness, his eyes shined bright with recognition.
"I remembered something..."
"You did?" Axel's grip tightened.
"Good." A silky voice purred from behind them. The two tensed, turning to find they were no longer alone. A shadow stood among the statues, dressed in a unmistakable black cloak. The hood pulled high to conceal the identity of the new arrival.
Axel pushed Roxas behind him, his voice a dangerous growl. "Who are you?"
"Don't get too protective of that thing." The hooded figure cooed, "He's not the real Roxas, just a memory that was left here from one of his missions to this world." The figure tilted its head consideringly. Even though they couldn't see his face, the feel of his eyes taking them in sent a shiver down Axel's spine. "Or maybe it was when Ventus came here. You have his memories too, don't you?"
"Shut up!" Axel's keyblade snapped to his hand. Sparks and smoke sputtering from its tip. Seeing those clothes again put him on edge. He'd spent so much time with Yen Sid now that he had forgotten exactly why he was training. A name seared across his mind, red with warning, Xenahort.
"Do you remember?" The voice coaxed, "Tell me where your body is hidden and I'll help wake you up."
"What?" Axel stalled at the request. His body? He turned to Roxas, but the blond looked just as confused.
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
The cloak heaved an exhausted sigh. "Pity." A large keyblade appeared in the man's hand, it's body as black as night, it's edge dangerously sharp.
Axel quickly committed the details of the keyblade to memory. "Roxas, go inside."
"But-"
The shadows flickered with movement. Axel had enough time to push Roxas in the direction of the house before something slammed into him. A cutting pain sliced into his side, knocking the air out of his lungs. Damn, he forgot how much being whole could hurt.
His keyblade clattered to the ground as his body skidded across the hard dirt. He groaned and tried to sit up before pain blossomed across his ribcage. His hand fell against the wound, feeling a long gash that cut across his side. Blood started seeping out between his fingers.
Fuck.
Red gleamed against the tip of the enemy's keyblade proudly. "You're no keyblade warrior. Not yet. Let me get what I need and I'll be on my way."
"Don't touch him." Green eyes narrowed on the man in front of him before he realized his keyblade was out of reach. And someone else was bending down to pick it up. Axel stifled a groan, "Roxas..."
It was too late. His flame keyblade was clenched in Roxas' hands. The teen took a familiar stance as he faced the man in black. All Axel could see was the kid's back. Shoulders hunched in anger, sandaled feet planted in the ground. "I'm not running away."
Sora finally caught a break when dinner mercifully ended and the entertainment started. As the sound of a flute filled the hall, dancers invaded the floor. Men and women alike, dancing and swaying to the beat. Conversation died quickly as everyone watched, and Sora enjoyed the reprieve from the constant questions.
Kairi leaned against his side, eyes greedily drinking in the new sights and sounds. It was clear she was loving every minute of their adventure. As the music carried, he could hear her humming quietly along with the tune.
Times like this, he could almost forget why they had come to the Coliseum. He had wanted to show Kairi all the worlds when he first traveled, and now that was finally happening. If only Riku could have joined them.
His heart gave a painful shudder at the thought.
"Hey Sora," a kind voice brought him back into the moment as Hercules sat down next to him. The man had gotten bigger since the last time Sora saw him, he had a new air of confidence that hung over his body like armor. "How are you enjoying the show?"
"It's amazing!" Kairi remarked.
Sora laughed, "The food was good too."
"I hope it isn't too much," Hercules gave him a half smile, "I remember my first banquet, it was all very... overwhelming."
Sora winced, overwhelming was one word for it. During all his other trips to the Coliseum he had never been treated so kingly. He hadn't known how to react to the people cheering his name, wanting to talk to him, asking him about his strange blade.
Kairi was much better at that kind of stuff. She was a princess, after all, navigating the currents of conversation was a natural talent for her. And when she was nearby the other women weren't nearly as pushy.
"So, we haven't really gotten to talk." Hercules continued easily as they watched a dancer dip and sway to the sensual music. "What brings you back here?"
"Can't I just visit an old friend?" Sora asked with a wide grin.
Hercules' smile didn't reach his eyes. "I don't know. Every time you've come here it has always been when I needed a little extra help, but right now, everything is fine. So, I'm starting to think maybe you are the one who needs the help."
He swallowed, Kairi's presence a heavy reminder against his side. Her eyes still trained on the performance, her arm tightened around Sora's own, giving him a squeeze of encouragement. "Yeah, I think so."
The hero's brows knitted in concern as he studied Sora's face closely. "Anything I can do?"
His throat clenched against the question. It was the same one he had been asking himself for days now. What could he do? What could anyone do to help him?
And each time the answer was the same. Nothing.
Maybe there was nothing he could do but accept the presence of his friends and wait for the pain to stop. Wait for the overwhelming sense of failure to go away.
He hadn't told anyone that. Not Axel, not Kairi, and definitely not Riku.
Another sting of guilt plucked at his heart.
"Just being here is helping," Sora said, covering the lie with a bright smile.
Kairi shifted against him, her arm tightening in a not to subtle hug. Sora's arm wrapped around her when another stab of pain hit his chest, one stronger then the others. He winced, body tensing at the sensation.
"Sora?" Kairi asked in concern.
His breathing hitched on a gasp. The air around him suddenly hot. This wasn't his longing for Riku, this wasn't guilt, he realized quickly as another stab nearly caused him to double over. It was an attack.
"Roxas," The cloaked figure sang the name as he countered a series of swings, "What do you really remember?"
Roxas gritted his teeth, refusing to answer as he continued to slash at the figure. Not a single hit landed, the dark hood was playing with him. Axel struggled to his feet as he watched the fight if he summoned his keyblade back that would leave Roxas weaponless. All he could do was watch and wait for the opportunity to reinsert himself into the battle.
Meanwhile, their enemy didn't seem at all tired as he continued to taunt. "Just this morning you thought you were a slave. You had memories of this world..."
"Shut up," Roxas snarled, his body pausing for just a second to catch his breath. It was a mistake, the figure landed a firm kick to his stomach and sent him to the ground.
"And now this stranger sells you a fantasy and you think you know who you are." The man's word dipped in cruelty. He raised his black keyblade in the air, the metal shined like a guillotine. "The truth is you are nothing. If you don't remember where your body is you are of no use to me."
Axel launched forward, throwing his body in front of Roxas and grabbing his blade in time to block the attack. But the strength behind the black keyblade was unexpected, slowly its sharp tip edged closer and closer. It would have sliced into him, the blade poised to carve a scar across his face, but Roxas moved forward and wrapped his hand around the flame keyblade. The spiral edges cut into his hand, drawing blood as he helped push.
Axel's heart thumped at the sight, "Let go. It'll slice your fingers off."
A watery smile answered him, "Like you can handle him without me."
The words hit with a flash of a memory. Those same words, that same smile. It was so like the Roxas he knew. An ache throbbed his chest, with a low growl Axel mustered his strength as pushed against the enemy blade.
He watched the cloak jump back, the grip on the black keyblade tightening. Axel bared his teeth, "He's not going anywhere with you."
The figure laughed, "I don't need him to come with me. I need him to wake up."
Roxas' fell forward on the ground, panting hard as he clenched his teeth again the pain in his hand. Axel tried to look at the wound, but it was smothered against the grass, staining the garden red. When Roxas finally spoke, his voice was small, "Axel, he's not wrong."
"What do you mean? Of course, he is."
The blonde head shook, refusing to even look up. "No. I'm talking about my memories. I remember so much. There's you, but there are also others and my time here..." He shivered, "I grew up here. I remember things, my mother dying, days out in the desert, being sold, learning how to serve. I can't forget that, but there are holes. So many things I can't remember."
"You're you." Axel tried desperately, "We can figure out the rest later."
But something was off. He had felt it watching Roxas fight. There was his natural talent with the keyblade but it was clear this Roxas was wielding a weapon for the first time.
"I'm not whole. Not like you. I'm fractured." The head turned slightly as Roxas stared at Axel, eyes crinkling in despair. There was grief in those two words, as if they were said on a silent sob.
No, that couldn't be right. He just found Roxas, was holding him just a moment ago. There was blood on Roxas' hands. He was whole, like Axel.
Roxas raised his hand and the flame keyblade disappeared from Axel's grasp, appearing in the bloody hand. Slowly, he got to his feet. The other boy wouldn't look at him anymore, but his voice carried stronger. The sadness now gone, "You need to find me before he does."
"Roxas," Axel hissed in warning. He tried to pick himself up, to look as if he wasn't in pain. It was a struggle, but he needed to be there for Roxas.
"I know." There was a smile in Roxas' voice. "Tell Sora to be strong until then."
He realized what was about to happen a moment too late. Axel's scream of protest was drowned out by Roxas' warcry. The blond raised the red and gold keyblade and charged at the figure in black.
The dark hood shook in dismay. "I will still find you." There was no anger in the words. Only the vague lingering of a promise. He waited until Roxas was a step away, Axel's keyblade coming down in a wide swing before raising his weapon in a counter.
It was all so quick, Axel didn't even see the strike. Only saw Roxas stumble past the hooded figure, legs shaking like a new born colt. And then his body fell apart, dissolving in a stream of gold stardust.
The keyblade fell, not with a metallic ring, but with a deafening thud. Axel screamed, pushing his body past the pain in his side as he raced towards Roxas. By the time he arrived there was nothing left of the other teen.
And the cloaked figure was nowhere to be seen.
Sora's scream interrupted the joy of the party. Everything came to a quick and grinding halt as he doubled over the table. His hand clutching at his chest. The pain was suffocating, he couldn't get enough air into his lungs as he tried to breathe through the pain. As long as he was breathing he was alive.
"Sora!" Kairi's voice called out, her hand braced against his back. A light and reassuring touch, that anchored him in place.
"What's wrong with him? Was it poison?" Demanarus asked looking around the room wildly.
It was his heart. Like something was trying to burrow out of it. Small claws dug into the tender organ and squeezed and squeezed until darkness threatened the corner of Sora's eyes.
He couldn't remember the last time he had been in so much pain. "Make it stop." He begged. The people around him looked to one another, unsure how. Tears trailed down his cheek as he shook his head, "please."
"I'm here." Kairi's voice trembled slightly, but her body pressed against his in a firm hug. "I'm here."
Time passed in no hurry, but eventually, the pain subsided. Leaving nothing but a dull ache in his chest. Sora's fingers were trembling, even in a balled fist. He stared in fascination. They were cupped around his heart as if trying to catch it should the thing fall out of his chest.
"Sora!" his name called him back to the present. He and Kairi both looked up to see Axel stumble into the room. His face pale and clothes bloody. Roxas was nowhere in sight.
Nothing about the sight was right, but then again nothing about Sora felt right.
Axel's green eyes took in the scene before him with a quick analyzing look. His face shuttered into something unreadable. "We're leaving."
Author's Note: I'm still sobbing over the Final Battle Trailer for KH3, so I finally got busy making this chapter acceptable to post! I need more AkuRoku in my life. All grammar mistakes are my own, I apologize. But I hope you still enjoyed this chapter. I need something to take my mind off the fact that we still have a little over a month until the game comes out.
Please leave a review and let me know what you think will happen next?