A/N-New stuff! Please read and enjoy! (And tell me about those pesky spelling errors!)

Two Years Later

Axel shivered as he stepped out of the dark portal. He didn't know how Zexion could stand it because it felt like he was being dipped in liquid nitrogen while being crushed in a steel box. Axel shivered again as the sun began to warm his skin.

"Damn portals," he cursed under his breath. He looked around and grunted softly. He had ended up in a back alley of the First District. 'You couldn't get me any closer, could you?' Axel sighed and lowered the visor on his helmet. "Time to spook the locals."

Axel stepped out of the alley and started casually walking through Town. The air around him grew quiet as people stopped to stare in fear. Axel tilted his head down and kept walking. He really didn't want to have to deal with anyone else. As he pushed open the doors to the area outside the Districts, he could hear the sound of people following him. Axel didn't care and kept walking. He made his way through the refugee area, impressed by the progress it had made over the years.

"Now where is he?" he muttered.

"Halt!" Axel stopped walking and casually looked over his shoulder. At least a dozen people were following him, weapons brandished. "You're not welcome here!" one of the men shouted.

"As if I already didn't know that!" Axel shot back. He waved lazily and continued on his way. The people were stunned that he completely blew them off.

Axel felt a wicked smile pulling at the corners of his lips. He was enjoying seeing the people squirm. A shadow passed over his head and he glanced at the sky. A figure landed on the ground in front of him, wing outstretched.

"You are not welcome here," Sephiroth commented in his monotonous voice. Axel sighed.

"I'm not repeating myself because I could honestly care less. Move it, cyborg." Sephiroth drew his sword.

"I think not." Axel unclipped his chakrams from his waist.

"Your fault." Axel's chakrams lit on fire and embers sparked up from the ground around him. Sephiroth vanished and flashed before the Knight. Axel blocked the katana with ease. He threw his open chakram at his opponent. Sephiroth vanished and appeared behind Axel. Axel ducked under the katana and blocked three more with the chakram in his hand. He held out his free hand. The chakram cast aside burst into flames and dissolved. Then it appeared in a flurry of fire in Axel's hand.

Sephiroth swung his katana up to knock Axel into the air but the Knight sprung off the back of the blade, leaping higher. The silver haired man tried again and again but Axel would only harmlessly spring off the back of his katana. Axel threw both chakrams and hit Sephiroth square in the gut. He used the air currents of the hot ground to float gently down while Sephiroth slammed into the pavement.

Axel summoned his chakrams back to his hands as Sephiroth stood. He felt his arms slam together above his head, wrists bound. His chakrams tangled together. Axel hissed as Sephiroth stalked closer. He could hear cheers from the citizens, cheering for Axel's death. Sephiroth stopped in front of Axel and placed a finger on his forehead.

"Sin Harvest."

There was silence.

Then Axel grinned maliciously.

"Are you done fucking around with me?" he asked. Sephiroth's face contorted into confusion. Then he and Axel were engulfed in a column of fire. Sephiroth warped away, his clothes and wing singed. Axel laughed manically.

"What the Hell is he?" someone gasped.

"He didn't react to Sin Harvest. Does that mean he's immune?" another asked.

"Or without sin?"

"That's impossible! He's a Knight!"

The fire around Axel died and he ripped free of his magic bonds. Axel stalked towards the stunned cyborg. He sneered and pointed a chakram at Sephiroth's throat.

"I'm only going to ask once. I'm looking for a kid named Roxas. Seen him?" Sephiroth glared at the Knight.

"So he was part of the King's schemes," Sephiroth hissed.

"King? No, this is for my own plans. Now, where is he? Or do I need to start burning down the Town before I get some answers?" Sephiroth knew he was in a tight predicament.

"He's not here."

"Oh?" Axel jabbed a spike of his chakram into Sephiroth's throat. "Don't bother lying. I know he's still here." Sephiroth growled.

"He moved out of the refugee area. You'll find him by the Rise. If you so much as hurt him or his family…"

"Yes, yes, I'll perish. Let's just see you try." Axel kicked Sephiroth to the ground and walked on.

As he reached the edge of the refugee area, he loosened his grip on his chakrams. His shoulders relaxed and he took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Easy, Axel. It only hurts the first time," he said to himself. He shook his head to try and clear it, brief flashes of memories still popping in his brain.

Axel arrived at a field of wild grasses and flowers. He could see a two story house in the distance. Then he frowned.

Axel dove to the side as a beam of light crashed into the earth where he stood. He raised his chakrams in the nick of time as a pair of swords crashed into them. The attacker was dressed in black armor accented with white, pale yellow, and dark red. They wore a helmet similar to Axel's in which their face was only covered on the upper half. A dark sneer was on their face.

Axel smirked.

"Think you're strong enough to beat me?" he taunted.

"I'm stronger than you think!" the other man barked. Axel's smirk turned into a grin.

"Prove it!" Axel shoved the man back and launched his chakrams at him. The armored man blocked them with ease, sending the chakrams flying in different directions. Axel cartwheeled to the side as three beams of light were sent flying at him. Then he rolled as a ball of light soared past his head. Axel summoned his chakrams and created a circle of fire around them.

The attacker growled.

He leapt at Axel and hounded him with a flurry of blows. Axel felt his feet dig just a bit deeper into the earth with each attack. He shoved the attacker away and threw a chakram. It sailed past the armored man and curved in the air, catching the attacker off guard. They were sent stumbling forward, their shoulder bruised.

Axel caught his chakram as it came flying back to him. The other man hissed defiantly. He collected his magical energy until his body glowed. Then he leapt into the air. Spheres of light rained down on the battlefield. Axel dodged around them. He was taken off guard as he was concentrated on dodging and the attacker send a wave of light beams at him.

Axel was knocked off his feet and was sent rolling through his field of fire. The flames died, leaving the earth dead and charred. Axel staggered to his feet and was greeted to a beam of light to the face. His neck whipped violently and his helmet cracked, sliding from his head. Axel had to blink several times to get his vision to readjust. His body braced itself for an oncoming onslaught but there was only silence.

He blinked and stared at his opponent. Then the attacker removed his helmet. His golden blonde hair snapped upwards as the man shook his head. Bright blue eyes stared back at him.

"Axel," Roxas stated. The red head nodded. He reached down and picked up his cracked helmet and tucked it under his arm. Roxas frowned. He sheathed his swords and pounded his fist into his shoulder. His armor dissipated into nothing, leaving the blonde in white cargo pants, a black tank top, black fingerless gloves, and a black choker around his neck.

"Nice to see you can cover your ass in a fight," Axel commented.

"Cut the crap, Axel. What do you want?" Roxas snapped. Axel sighed and ran a hand through his tied back hair.

"I'm here to call in a favor."

"I'm not interested."

"Don't fuck with me, Roxas. I saved your ass and the least you can do is listen." Roxas scowled and crossed his arms.

"Fine. Talk and then get out." Axel matched the blonde's scowl.

"You remember Zexion, right?"

"He did research for Hollow Bastion."

"Bingo. They're holding him against his will for disobeying orders. Zexion wasn't supposed to leave the castle but he created these dark portals to travel around so he could see his brother. The Queen found out and they're holding his little brother hostage to keep Zexion in line."

"And what are you implying I do?"

"You're going to do nothing. Dem's going to bust the kid out. He's just going to need some backup."

"Hold on." Roxas rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "You're telling me Demyx is going to betray the King by freeing some guys little brother? What's the point?"

"Have you seen the way they treat Zexion? It's practically criminal. Zexion just wants to get back at the royal family but he can't touch them with his brother in the picture. Once Demyx gets Ienzo to safety, Zexion can finally do as he pleases."

"And where are we supposed to take him exactly? Where ever we go, the Kings troops are sure to follow."

"Very true. Since I'm "not part of the plan", I'll probably have to chase after him too."

"Then why go through all of this trouble? Why now? I'm finally living a happy life here."

"Oh really? Get a girlfriend then?" Axel pressed. Roxas fumed.

"It's none of your business!"

"Ooh, so he has. Sleep with her yet?"

"Shut the Hell up!" Axel chuckled.

"Easy, Roxas. I'm just curious."

"Well, it's none of your business." Axel rolled his eyes.

"Fine then. Will you at least give me an answer to my proposition?"

"No."

"Douche."

"My answer is no, you asshole. Now leave me alone."

"So you don't care about anyone besides those in your tiny little world? Come on, Roxas. This is a kid's life at stake."

"I don't see you jumping up to help," Roxas argued.

"Because I'm not stupid. You have no connection to the King so you breaking in wouldn't raise a whole lot of suspicion."

"In case you forgot, they're going to kill me the second I step foot on Hollow Bastion."

"Don't worry about that. Zexion can get you inside. Also, you have different armor. If you don't use your swords, they may not even recognize you."

"I find that hard to believe." Axel shrugged.

"Heck, they might even think you're from Disney Town. How'd you get their technology anyway?"

"Trade secret."

"Oh real-ly?" Axel clipped his chakrams to his waist and put his hands on his hips, leaning forward slightly. "Care to trade said trade secret?"

"No."

"Hmph. Fine then. Last time I offer you a chance to learn how Hollow Bastion uses their weapons for transport."

"I'm perfectly contempt with walking."

"Walking on those short little legs?" Roxas growled. "Easy there." Roxas ran a hand through his hair.

"Alright, if I accept what do I get out of it?"

"You repay my debt and Demyx gets to owe you one."

"I don't want any favors from Demyx."

"Hey, don't take his help lightly. Demyx may not like fighting and he may be the weakest Knight, but get him pissed enough and he can deal some serious damage," Axel argued. Roxas mulled over the situation a bit more.

"Does Demyx know where we're going to bring Zexion's brother too?"

"Probably. I'd take a stab and say it's somewhere with a lot of water, like Atlantica or Destiny Islands."

"Oh-ho, will he ever get the warm welcome showing up in Destiny Islands," Roxas ranted. "They HATE the crown, almost as much as Twilight Town did if not more. The second Demyx shows up they'll think he's attacking Zexion's brother while I was the one trying to free him."

"I wouldn't doubt it, but Demyx is a smooth talker. And remember, he's not from Hollow Bastion so they may give him the benefit of the doubt."

"I don't think so."

"You did with me."

'Shit, he's right.' Roxas cursed in his head. 'Damn him! What the Hell should I do? I don't want to put Xion or Naminé in danger. But then I'm just another cold, heartless bastard if I don't do anything.'

Roxas sighed and gave it some more thought. Axel stared up at the sky, waiting for a reply. He wasn't in a rush so he allowed Roxas the time to think.His own thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Axel turned and held up his arm as a Keyblade crashed into his armor.

"Stay away!" Naminé cried. Axel leered down at her, his jaw tight. Naminé looked up and her strength drained. She backed away, her Keyblade disappearing into a pool of light. "Lea?" she asked quietly in a shaky voice. Axel's face twitched.

Roxas stared at the pair, jolted from his thoughts. He looked from Axel to Naminé and back. "Lea?" he asked. Axel snarled.

"Lea died a long time ago," he barked. Roxas recalled Naminé's story of her friend who had disappeared and suddenly it all made sense.

"You're from Radiant Garden, aren't you?" he pressed coldly, lowering his arms to his sides. Axel's jaw clenched tighter.

"No," he snapped.

"Lea, please! Tell me what's going on! We all thought you were dead!" Naminé shouted, tears in her eyes.

"I was dead. You couldn't begin to understand. And it's Axel now. Got it memorized?!" Axel growled, tapping his temple with his finger. Naminé flinched.

"Leave her alone!" Roxas ordered. Axel whirled around and glared daggers at Roxas.

"Fuck you," the red head muttered under his breath. He wandered off through the grass, his eyes livid. Naminé's hands went to her mouth as tears trickled down her face.

"Do you have any idea what you put me through?!" she screamed. Axel stopped walking. "Do you have any idea what you did to Kairi?! After you left she was dead inside! She left Traverse Town, Axel and she never comes back! Every time she does, she's just falls into a slump, an empty shell. What happened to looking out for us?" Naminé was on the verge of sobbing. Roxas went over to her and wrapped his arms around her frail body. He stroked her hair, trying to soothe her.

Axel finally started walking again. Roxas watched as he went and sat on the edge of the cliff, one elbow resting on a propped knee.

"Please don't h-hate him," Naminé hiccupped. "He-he wasn't always like that."

"Shh, it's okay Naminé. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Naminé shook her head.

"You have to understand it's not Le-Axel's fault." Naminé walked over to the house with Roxas close behind. Her art easel was sitting outside and she sat on the stool in front of it. Her thoughts were always clearer while she was drawing. Naminé picked up some charcoal and started sketching.

"This goes way back, back before the war and the destruction of Radiant Garden. A-Axel was known as Lea back then. He was always super cheerful and liked to watch out for the other kids. He used to babysit Kairi and I. Axel got involved with his brother's friend, Isa, and her brother."

"The Queen?" Roxas asked, leaning against the side of the house. Naminé nodded.

"Yes. She was married to the King about a year before our world was destroyed. I never knew her personally but she was a bit cold from what I hear. He brother was the same but Axel liked hanging out with him. As you know, it was the Festival of Radiance the day our world died. Axel was supposed to meet Kairi and I there but he never showed up. His older brother, Reno, found us and we tried to find him. When we asked him about it later, he said he overslept. I can't imagine why since the Festival is one of the biggest events of the year.

"Anyway, the soldiers came and Reno scooped up Kairi and I in his arms. Then he took us to the nearest transport. Right before we got there, he was shot in the back." Naminé paused in her sketching to wipe away a stray tear. "L-Axel doesn't want to blame us, but we were the reason his brother was killed. Inside, he was tortured by the fact he couldn't hate us the way he wanted. We met up with him when we arrived here in Traverse Town. That's when it all changed.

"Kairi was already depressed from losing Radiant Garden and I was terrified of even the shadows. Axel was there to get us through our pain but I could tell he wasn't the same. He didn't smile, he continually stared into the distance, and…his heart was broken in so many ways I couldn't begin to figure out what happened. The last two years he was with us, he started getting into trouble. It's like he stopped caring about the world. Sephiroth finally decided to snap him out of it and he used Sin Harvest." Naminé clutched her chest painfully. "His screams were agonizing. I read his heart when it happened and I didn't want to believe it." Naminé looked over to Roxas.

"He blames himself for what happened to Radiant Garden," Roxas guessed. Naminé shook her head.

"It's worse. He is to blame for Radiant Garden." Roxas felt floored.

"Wait…what? How is that possible?"

"Remember when Xion told you about Kingdom hearts?"

"Yeah. It was broken into Shards and put into hearts of people." Naminé nodded and let Roxas's words sink in. Roxas's face paled. "You're serious, aren't you?" Naminé returned to her drawing.

"Axel's heart contains a Shard of Eternal Radiance," she confirmed. "I suppose he's only partly to blame for the fall of Radiant Garden since technically there were seven with Shards, but he was probably one of the few who knew. He knew if he had turned himself in, Radiant Garden would have been saved. But instead, he fled. Can you imagine, Roxas, going through the sins of your past knowing you're partly responsible for the death of thousands? For the death of your world?" Roxas turned his gaze to the ground. He couldn't imagine what it would be like.

"He's not a bad person. He's just tortured. I'm sure you can relate with him about as well as I can, but I'm sure if you ask he'll tell you his side of the story. I never told me, or Kairi whom which he adored like a sister, about what happened that day."

"Why do you think he'll tell me if he never told you?" Roxas asked. Naminé paused and edited some of her lines.

"I'm not sure, but even being with him for that short amount of time I could tell he has a connection with you. It's almost protective, which seems really silly."

"He was the one who brought me back to life." Naminé giggled lightly.

"So he did. Go on; I'll join you in a bit. I'd like to finish this if you don't mind." Roxas nodded and headed over to where Axel was sitting. He sat heavily next to the trouble Knight. Axel's eyes remained on the horizon.

"Nam told me about you or who you were," Roxas started.

"Hmph. Not exactly a great story."

"You can't blame yourself for something that happened in the past."

"You weren't there."

"Then enlighten me." Axel sighed and ran a hand through his hair, lowering his eyes to the ground far below him.

"Do you know about Kingdom Hearts?"

"Xion told me."

"Good. Then the story will make sense. Isa was the one who told Xemnas about it. He grew greedy and went after it, scouring the worlds for it. I knew I was a Shard since I was six when I went to the Festival that year. It frightened me at first, but then it was comforting. It was like knowing that no matter how bad things got, it would always be alright in the end. See where that got me…

"Being a part of Kingdom Hearts is weird at times, though. Every now and then I'll get weird dreams where they almost seem real. The morning of the Festival, when I was just ten, I was having one of those dreams. I overslept because Kingdom Hearts was trying to tell me something. I was confused. When I woke, we were under attack. My parents took me to a transport but we were separated halfway. I heard they were looking for Kingdom Hearts and I thought if I could hand myself over, they would stop. So I tried and tried but everyone kept pushing me to the G. Ships. They forced me to leave against my will when I tried to stay behind."

"My friend forced me to leave too," Roxas interrupted, recalling the feeling of watching Seifer and Olette shove him onto the crowded G. Ship. Axel nodded thoughtfully.

"But you didn't have to live with knowing you could have saved your world. I did."

"So then why did you become a Knight?" Roxas glanced at the red head curiously.

"It's strange how that happened. Saïx showed up one day and offered me a position to train. I called him a traitor and nearly killed him for even offering me such a choice. Yet not two days later I found myself at the castle gates in Hollow Bastion. I guess I wanted to have a purpose again. I didn't tell anyone where I went because I wanted them to think I died because, honestly, I sort of did. I wasn't the same anymore. Lea truly was dead. Now I'm just Axel, the jackass Knight from Traverse Town."

There was a stretch of silence between them. The wind blew softly and tussled their hair, making the grass shift against each other in a soft rustle.

"How sure are you that we can get Zexion's brother out safely?" Roxas spoke up. Axel glanced at his companion.

"About eighty percent sure you won't get completely fucked in the face."

"And the twenty percent?" Axel chuckled softly.

"You get royally fucked in the face." Roxas smirked.

"You realize you're going to be ordered to kill me."

"Of course."

"And you're okay with that?" Axel shrugged.

"It happens. So are you going to do it?"

"On one condition."

"Shoot."

"You show me your Keyblade." Axel turned to Roxas a blinked.

"What?"

"You heard me." Axel sighed again.

"Would it be weird to tell you I have more than one?"

"I don't know. I don't have a Keyblade."

"Lucky you," Axel murmured under his breath. He unclipped his chakrams from his waist and held them side by side. The chakrams lit on fire and the fire merged together. When the fire died, the chakrams were one entity. "Bond of Flame," Axel stated. "In case you were curious."

"Appropriately named," Roxas noted.

"Thanks. I made this one. It's nothing more than a tool."

"So you can't unlock your heart with it?"

"Nope. It's not created from my heart so it has no connection to it."

"How'd you make it then?" Axel winked.

"Trade secret," he teased. Roxas stuck out his tongue at the red head, causing the older man to laugh. Axel unfused his chakrams and placed them on top of each other. He closed his eyes and they fused together. Fire sprang from the end and crystalized, immortalizing the orange and ruby flames.

"So this is your real Keyblade?" Roxas asked. Axel opened his eyes and turned to Roxas.

"You got it."

"What, no name?"

"Nope. I never wanted to name it."

"What about…Fireheart?" Axel burst out laughing.

"Seriously? Fireheart? That's the lamest name ever!"

"Ember's Rage."

"You might as well call it the Flamin' Pyromaniac with the names you're giving it." Roxas scowled.

"Heart of Flame." Axel mulled it over while chewing on his lip ring.

"Eh, it's not terrible. I suppose it kind of goes with Bond of Flame. I'll think about it."

"You do that." Axel shoved Roxas with his shoulder.

"Be nice." Roxas chuckled. Axel smirked and looked off at the horizon.

"You want to hold it?"

"What?" Axel scoffed.

"Oh, come on. You know you want to! You've seen Nam's Keyblade and I bet you're just oozing with jealousy." Roxas chewed on his bottom lip.

"I guess they are kind of cool." Axel chuckled and held out the Keyblade to Roxas. The blonde gently clasped his hand over Axel's. He felt his heart surge with foreign feelings. Love. Betrayal. Pain. Suffering.

Hope.

Roxas felt himself get choked up. He couldn't help it. The tears just came pouring down his face.

"Hey, you okay?" Axel asked gently. Roxas nodded furiously. "Here." Axel slid his hand out from the handle and let Roxas hold the Keyblade alone. The emotions faded but the feelings lingered a bit. Roxas felt like his heart will being filled to the brim with light. "Told you they were cool."

"It feels so powerful," Roxas admitted, giving the Keyblade a light swing.

"That's because my heart's connected to Kingdom Hearts. Other Keyblades don't feel like that." Axel took his Keyblade from Roxas and changed it back to Bond of Flame. Then he handed it back. Roxas took it and noticed there was indeed a difference. The Keyblade felt heavier and almost lifeless compared to the other.

"There really is a difference." Roxas handed the Keyblade back and Axel separated his chakrams before attaching them to his hips.

"If you're nice, I'll teach you how to summon one someday."

"Sure. I'll be waiting." Axel smiled. He stood and offered a hand to Roxas. The blonde accepted and was pulled to his feet. They walked over to Naminé, who was just finishing up her drawing.

"Hey," Axel greeted softly.

"Hey," she returned. "It's good to see you again."

"Yeah." Axel stepped over and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I'm sorry about you and your sister," he murmured. Naminé smiled lightly.

"It's okay. You just had us worried." Axel nodded and averted his gaze. He turned back to Roxas.

"Three days and Zexion will send a portal. Demyx will come and get you. Best of luck."

"You too," Roxas replied. Axel smirked.

"What, do you think I'll honestly get caught? I'm Axel, remember?"

"As I recall, said Axel was caught with me in his room." Axel waved the thought away with his hand. He smiled at Naminé before stepping out into the field. He pulled out his chakrams and they spun around in a flurry of fire before morphing with a loud crack. It looked like a spiked motorcycle. Axel slipped into the reclined seat and clipped his helmet to his head. Then he gave the pair a wave before shooting off into the sky.

Naminé turned back to her drawing with a smile while Roxas continued to watch the sky. The drawing was once she started awhile ago of her, Kairi, and Xion. She later added Roxas with his arms wrapped around Xion's shoulder, equally as happy. Now she added another person. Axel was in the back with his arms wrapped around everyone wearing his goofy grin she missed so much.

Naminé looked over the picture with a heavy heart. 'Now only if you would come home.'

A/N-Wrote this at work waiting for the HPLC to run. Lol. (Just did Pandora for this, all copyrights to original owners)