Chapter III
-"I'm Blind!"-
Roxas awoke the next morning to see a pair of vivid green eyes staring back at him curiously. Gasping, he jumped back, causing the little boy in front of him to shriek.
"Axel…!" Roxas groaned, "What is it now?"
"I wanted to see if you were awake yet, Roxy," he replied innocently, putting his hands behind his back. He began swaying back and forth impatiently.
"I wanna play," he finally said, "Wanna play hide-and-seek?"
"Axel…" Roxas sighed, rolling over to glance at his clock. Narrowing his eyes, he turned back to the tiny red head.
"It's 4 o'clock in the morning," he said, "Go back to bed."
"No. Wanna play," Axel said firmly, the pout forming on his face again.
"Maybe in a few hours…" Roxas mumbled, "It's not even light out…"
"It's never light out here…!" Axel whined, "I'll never get to play! I wanna play now."
"But, I'm too tired right now," he explained, then suggested, "Maybe Xemnas is up. Go play with him, instead." The little boy sighed deeply.
"Okay… But I wanna play with you, later, Roxy," he said.
"Later…"
Roxas closed his eyes, and drifted back to sleep.
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The Key of Destiny was rudely awakened by a scream of absolute horror. He sat bolt upright, listening to cries of his small friend.
"I'm blind! I'm blind!" Axel screamed, running into the room.
"What's wrong?!" Roxas asked urgently, jumping out of his bed, and picking up the panicked pre-schooler.
"I'm blind!" he wailed again.
"What happened?" the blond said seriously.
"I went to see Xemnas and Demyx, like you said, Roxy, but- but- It was horrible!" he cried.
"What was?"
"When I went in there…" he took a deep breath, "...Demyx was changing Xemnas' diaper! And now I'm blind, Roxy!" It was all Roxas could do not to laugh as he picked up the little guy.
"Can't imagine how bad that must have been for you, Axel," he simply said, deciding to play along. The red head buried his face into his friend's shoulder. At that moment, Xion ran in, dressed in a pastel pink night gown, her feet bare. Roxas had to force himself not to laugh at her, too, particularly to see her hair poking in all directions at once.
"What happened?!" she exclaimed, panting.
"Axel just had…" he thought for a moment, then finished, "…a bad experience."
"Like what?"
"Like seeing Xemnas getting his diaper changed," Roxas replied with a snicker.
"Oh, poor baby!" she cooed, smoothing Axel's hair. Roxas rolled his eyes as Axel gazed at her pitifully.
"Whatever," the blond simply said, handing him to Xion, "Since I'm up, now, I'm gonna get breakfast."
"This early?" Xion wondered aloud.
"Yeah, why not?" he shrugged, exiting the room. She followed after.
"Well, then," she said, "You do that, and I'll take care of Axel, okay?"
"Sounds good to me…"
"Besides, his hair is looking a little messy," she noticed.
"Yeah, uh, you should look in a mirror yourself," he almost said, but stopped himself, closing his mouth.
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He rushed to the kitchen, and upon entry, he realized that Vexen was there, as well.
"Erm, morning, Vexen," he greeted the young scientist.
"Good morning, Rokthath," he replied, spitting as he spoke, "I wath having trouble thleeping. What about you?"
"Axel woke me up," Roxas explained.
"Ith that what that thcreaming wath?" he asked, and added, "I thought that thounded like Atthel."
"Yup," the other nodded. Vexen was much nicer as a child, he thought. "So… what are you eating?"
"Oh, thith?" Vexen pointed at the bowl, "Thith ith thereal. I like thereal."
"You do? I didn't know that."
"Yeth. But never put orange thoda in your thereal. It doethn't tathte very good," he advised, "Or at leatht, I don't fink tho…"
"…okay," Roxas replied slowly, "I'll… have to remember that."
"Bad ekthperienthe," Vexen explained, adding, "By the way, we might be able to turn back to normal thooner than I thought."
"Really?!" he asked excitedly.
"Well, maybe. The fing that I'm building to reverthe all thith ith working much fathter than I imagined."
"So… how long do you think it will be, now?"
"A couple of weekth, or more. 'More' ath in a few more dayth than that, that ith," he explained.
Roxas sighed with relief. "Good. I can't wait 'til-"
"Vexen!" someone shouted angrily from the doorway. It was Lexaeus.
"Uh-oh!" Vexen gasped, then said to Roxas, "I fink Letthaeuth ith mad at me for getting up- and leaving to get breakfatht- thith early. Without him knowing it." He ran a small hand through his hair nervously.
"I'll thee you later, I thuppothe," he added quickly, and after jumping down, ran off. Lexaeus caught him with one arm grumpily and slung the boy up onto one of his massive shoulders. With that, he simply left, Vexen squeaking with obvious fear.
Roxas rested his head thoughtfully on his fist. He wondered what Xion and Axel were doing. He hoped that Xion hadn't put his friend's red hair in bows. Probably not, he figured. Maybe if Larxene was still little… He smirked at the thought of Larxene's hair absolutely covered in pink bows.
He walked to the cabinets of the kitchen and opened them. As he did, he could hear wild giggling getting louder behind him. Roxas turned just in time to see Xemnas running, practically tripping, in, sliding across the white floor, laughing the entire time.
"Hurry up, Demmy!" Xemnas screeched impatiently as he began to slide uncontrollably across the floor. He fell, lightly bumping into a wall nearby, and climbed unsteadily to his feet. He simply giggled again.
"Fun, fun!" he shrieked, "Demmy! Demmy! Come on! Hungry!" Demyx walked in, appearing extremely tired.
"Oh, hi, Roxas," he said wearily, dragging his feet.
"Maybe you should get someone else to look after Xemnas for a while," Roxas suggested.
"No, no, I'm fine," he replied good naturedly, yawning, "It's just that he woke up a little too early, that's all…"
"Well, if you say so," Roxas shrugged, quickly gathering his meal, and eyeing Xemnas the whole time. Taking his food and drink, he hurried out, only saying, "Good luck."
Demyx watched the toddler dashing around, trying to reach anything, everything, that he could. He was left alone with a hyper, toddler Xemnas. Again.