Kristoff awkwardly shuffled through the door to the Wandering Oaken, carrying a full-grown man over his shoulders. But what else was he supposed to do? The strange, sickly man in the black coat had collapsed in front of them. They couldn't just leave him there to freeze. If you ask me, he's frozen enough… Besides that, Anna had made it clear that they had to wait until he'd woken up and gotten medicine, saying that they couldn't just leave the guy in the store. So Kristoff carried him inside and waited, seating the man in a chair.

Anna paid the store owner for a session in the sauna and began to look for medicine. Olaf followed behind her but was soon distracted by various objects. "Hey, are these snowshoes?" He held up a pair of tennis rackets. "Oh! I bet those are necklaces!" He picked up two dog collars and then dropped them in favor of staring at the fruit juices. "I should ask Axel when he wakes up if he likes lemon or orange best."

As she picked up various bottles and boxes, Anna mumbled to herself, "This says it's a cure for warts? Not really helpful at the moment. Ooh! This… is a salve to put on open wounds. Well, it's a good thing but not really what we need. What about this? It's a tea that helps… drowsiness? No, it causes drowsiness, but it helps reduce fever." She spun around. "I think we'll take this one!" After purchasing it, she returned to Kristoff.

"Call me crazy, but I don't think it's a great idea to put someone who is unconscious in a sauna." Kristoff waved a hand at the redhead who slumped in his seat. Axel's face was bright with fever. "Maybe you should get your money back?"

~\*/~

At last, Demyx had broken free of his restraints! Technically, Zexion had unlocked them earlier with the warning that Demyx should stay in the room a bit longer to rest before truly being discharged. Still, he was freeeeeeeee! And so Demyx stood, slowly, and creeped along until he was past the door.

His face felt flushed, but it had been like that since Agrabah. Maybe he had gotten sunburn? He did feel somewhat better after taking those impromptu naps. Maybe he should take another? He could feel his eyes close and lifted his head from against the wall. No, he needed freedom, not a nap… yet. But he could always take one later.

The sound of heels click-clacking against the tiles caught his attention. It was accompanied by a terrifying voice that spat, "I swear, he is dead meat!" He could imagine the owner of this voice fingering her knives.

Yipe! Larxene! Where to hide? Where to hide? Oh, wait! Demyx summoned a Corridor of Darkness and stepped through it. The moment he was all the way in the new world, he dispelled the Corridor, effectively hindering her from finding him.

~\*/~

Zexion set down his book and massaged his temples. For whatever reason, his head was pounding. He sniffed and continued his research. Then he sneezed.

~\*/~

Marluxia bent down to water his beloved roses. They were just now beginning to bloom fully. Within a few more days, his whole garden should be ablaze with color!

Technically, he knew Larxene wouldn't need his help, anyway. That meant he was free to spend just a moment with his flowers before heading off to complete another idiotic mission. When he and Larxene overtook the Organization, then he would be the ones giving the orders, and he could send Saïx wherever he pleased. But for the moment, all of that was behind him.

After cradling his fairest, blush-pink rose, the prize of his garden, Marluxia put the finishing touches on a row of ivy and stood. Suddenly, there were fifteen giant books, all twirling about the garden!

With a yelp, Marluxia jumped to protect his flowers. His arm swiped through the first book, which disappeared in a puff of smoke. Unfortunately, it was then that he tripped on water leaking from the ceiling—hadn't Xigbar finished cleaning his floor?—and then he was falling. He crashed into the rows of flowers, flattening at least seven of his carnations and three dahlias. But his beautiful rose, the one he had cross-bred generations of flowers for, was crushed.

Marluxia summoned his scythe. Someone was going to pay.

~\*/~

Axel opened heavy eyes. He blinked several times before he felt truly awake. His eyes roamed the room before settling on the person next to him.

Anna held out a cup of steaming tea. "Here you go! This should help."

He accepted the cup and took a tiny sip. Oh, that tastes good! His eyes widened in appreciation. He could feel the warmth of the tea slide from his throat to his stomach. He hummed in appreciation.

"It should help your fever go down. Sorry we couldn't find you a bed. Uh, but this chair was here, and Oaken let you borrow it while we made you the tea."

He blinked slowly. The warmth of the tea was comforting. He just wanted to stay there and… rest for a time. Roxas and Xion were probably still on their mission, anyway. Saïx didn't need him back so soon.

A hand on his shoulder jolted Axel out of a dead sleep. He jerked upright and looked into the face of Kristoff.

"Sorry to wake you. We gathered everything we'll need and even got a blanket for you. Would you still like to come with us?"

Axel nodded slowly. "Yknow, I'm feeling a lot better than before. And it's warmer in here than it was outside, anyway. I think I'm ready to continue."

As they left the building, Axel wrapped the blanket tighter around his thin frame and noted to himself that he was not, in fact, ready to continue.

~\*/~

"It cannot be possible… And yet I have seen it myself. Demyx appeared to be sick, according to all of my textbooks on the subject of the human body. And he described to me the symptoms he was feeling, symptoms which are clear signs of illness. But we are Nobodies. Can it be that we have the human property of becoming ill, even though we have lost our hearts and have mere shells of a human body?" Zexion consulted his notes.

At once, he felt a presence in the room. He glanced up to see Marluxia looming in the doorway, brandishing his scythe. "Marluxia, what can I help you with?"

Marluxia's eyes glinted in the light. "You can help me by surrendering your life!" He raised the scythe and swung it toward Zexion.

Vexen came through the door, rubbing his throat. "Zexion, I must see your notes o—Marluxia, what is the meaning of this?"

"He destroyed my precious plants! Now he must be destroyed!"

Zexion held up his hands in surrender. "I don't know what you're talking about! I've never once gone to your garden, nor have I ever held anything against your plants."

Rose petals seemed to rise and fall in the air. "Then why would you kill them?"

Zexion hastily explained once more that he had no idea what Marluxia was even talking about. In addition, Vexen promised to look into a re-growth serum for plants. When at last Marluxia seemed appeased, Zexion sank to his chair and began to rub his temples once more.

~\*/~

Demyx sighed happily. No one could get him here. At last, he was safe. He summoned his sitar and began to strum the strings, humming along.

"But the question is, are we safe from you?" A strange grin floated in the air beside him.

Demyx shrieked and fell off his oversized leaf. "Uh, hi?"

~\*/~

Roxas and Xion slipped back into the castle. Luxord RTC'd just moments after them. Despite the late hour, they saw Xaldin and Lexaeus just now leaving for their missions. But it was so late! What had happened?

"What seems to have gone on in our absence, I wonder?" Luxord fiddled with a card. "Well, that's tomorrow's problem, mates." With that, he left.

Saïx scowled, looking like he'd rather be anywhere than there.

Larxene paced back and forth, a throwing knife in her hand. Based on the crackles of electricity, she was incredibly upset.

Roxas grabbed Xion's hand and walked by slowly. No one seemed to be in a happy mood (even what passed as a good mood for a Nobody) and they didn't want to risk upsetting anyone, so they tiptoed past the room's residents.

When they walked by Vexen, they could hear him muttering, "I don't understand how it could be possible, and yet…" He rubbed his throat absently.

By the time Roxas and Xion had safely made it through the Grey Area, they had still seen no sign of Axel. Part of Roxas wanted to ask Saïx where he was, but the other part of him didn't want to risk making him upset. But we have to know where he is. So…

He let go of Xion's hand. "I'll be back. Saïx's the only one who can probably tell us. You go write your mission report. I'll join you soon."

Xion's eyes were wide with fear, but she nodded.

"See you." Roxas turned and walked toward Saïx.


Boom! Another chapter! :3

I started the next one, but I've got to study for a quiz and then do some research for a paper. :/ But the writing caaaaalls to me! Maybe if I do enough school stuff I can come back to it later today. Also, please pray that my voice comes back soon so I can go to work tomorrow, okay? I felt horrible having to call out...

Soli Deo gloria!

~LHDD