50

By: Aviantei

Act I: 50 Minutes/Abandonment

Scene IX: "Alright, Your Honor, it goes a little something like this…"

Rhea waited for Axel to continue, but the redhead remained silent, almost staring into space. When he didn't speak after a few minutes, Rhea coughed, snagging the redhead from his thoughts.

"Sorry," Axel murmured, not quite up and running yet. Rhea could understand his distracted state, but it didn't help her much. Even though others couldn't hear their conversation, the presence of unfamiliar people in her peripheral set nervousness free on her stomach. Axel shook his head, as if to clear his mind. "I'd have thought you'd have tons of questions by now. Not gonna bite?"

Rhea started, pushing her dinner tray aside. Curiosity had overridden any attempts at critical thinking. While they had talked about school, Roxas had never said anything about exploring the castle before Rhea joined him. The period of time, however long it might have been, remained a complete mystery to her.

"I'm not the type to nitpick at every little thing, you know…"

"First off, bullshit," Axel said, jabbing a finger into the table. "Second off, none of that even makes you curious?" Was it just Rhea, or did he sound offended by the concept?

The girl brushed aside a lock of her hair, keeping it from her eyes. "Well, to start with, I already knew Roxas could see more than I could. It's how he could find the path to the castle," Rhea said. "He said I had an aura, too. Dark blue instead of black." The same color as the portals to the castle and the town with no name. "I matched the path because it's my home world. And, hey, I followed Roxas into Temperies. Jumping dimensions isn't exactly a new trick to me."

Axel frowned, crossing his arms. Rhea mimicked the motion. "Okay, fair enough," the redhead conceded. "I'm not really used to other people knowing how this stuff works. Force of habit, I guess?"

"Yes, because you're crawling with company, I'm sure." Rhea's dry tone kept the remark from being too insulting, or at least she hoped so. Trading words with Axel required the same verbal dexterity as talking to Zexion, but the former's buttons could be pressed a lot more. Rhea missed Roxas's simplicity and humoring her lame jokes. "But, yeah, I get the gist of it. Since you're not gonna tell me about the world you came from beforehand, I'll just skip that question and ask you to keep going."

Yes, she had noticed. Like she had told the Zexion, just because she lacked magic didn't mean she was stupid.

Axel sighed, his moment gone. Based on his "memorized" shtick, maybe he liked explaining things to people. "Maybe I'll tell you about where I'm from someday. If you do first." Ah, there was the catch. Rhea didn't mind the idea, but she would take the rain check nonetheless. "The first time, we stumbled through the portal on foot. Ended up in the hills with no idea where we were. We could see the town in the distance, and the castle, but prioritized getting a way back to Temperies first. Roxas found us a portal and we slipped back through, same as always."

"Temperies is orange, right?" Rhea mused. "Weird, considering how gloomy it is." Endless cloudy skies that dumped down their rain at the worst moments. Rhea had good memories from the past year at the school, but the weather had never been part of that.

"Hey, I don't pick the colors. I just trust Roxas's word on them." Rhea nodded. Axel pushed his own tray to the side, where Rhea's had been. Sir or Madam or the comfort algorithms must have taken care of it. "But, yeah, we didn't do much the first time. Didn't want to get lost in the dark."

Rhea snickered. "If you ever go there, you're always lost in the dark." She had meant it as a joke, but her words came out more serious than planned. In plenty of ways, there was a very sad truth to that statement.

The town with no name, despite its electric and magic illumination, was trapped in the dark, just like everyone who lived there. The torches in the castle didn't change that, either. The closest thing to light Rhea had ever found there had been Roxas.

"It's not like we knew that at the time," Axel defended, and Rhea let him take the point. It didn't matter anyways. "We needed a way to travel a lot faster than on foot, so we could make it back to Temperies safe. Of course, this was before we realized that the portals back were constant, while the ones there were random."

"Yet one of the many mysteries between the two," Rhea remarked. She knew the gist of it. "So I assume this is when you two managed to steal that car." Axel quirked an eyebrow. "What? There's no place to buy stuff like that at Temperies, and you wouldn't have a car in a place where there's nowhere to go. Roxas spends his free time outside the castle in the school, and you came from another world. Unless you're about to tell me that came from the Fifty Minute Room, too." Rhea imagined Dew's horrified expression at the thought of her fancy car being compared to Roxas's poorly maintained monster.

They didn't have cars in the town with no name, but Rhea didn't need preexisting knowledge to tell that thing was ancient.

Axel chuckled, traces of a grin reforming on his face. Like Roxas, he seemed less distant when he smiled. "Well, you can't really take too much out of this place without disrupting the payment." That made sense. They were bargaining time for time, after all. "And you're right in that Roxas didn't have the car before. But we didn't steal it."

Rhea used her best play interrogation tone. "I request evidence to the contrary."

"Alright, Your Honor, it goes a little something like this…"

Constantly under the cover of clouds, Temperies tended to be chilly at best. But that did nothing to prepare Axel as he stepped through the portal Roxas found wedged between the gym and weight room. Night air stuck to his skin, sending goosebumps up Axel's arms, even with his latent fire and jacket. Roxas fared worse and hugged his chest, short sleeves providing no protection.

If Axel had to guess a season, he would say mid-autumn or early spring. Not that he could check off of any plant life.

Grass stood underfoot, but he couldn't get a clear color visual in the moonlight. The stuff didn't crinkle, so maybe it was autumn here? Seasons varied among the worlds, and Axel hadn't even figured out what time of year it was supposed to be in Temperies.

His world beforehand didn't bother with seasons.

His home world couldn't experience them anymore.

Axel refocused on his surroundings before he did something stupid. From the vantage point, they appeared to be on a hill. Not that it was a hard target to hit. In the moonlight, shadows carved gaps in the earth, hills rolling out in every direction. In the distance, the lights glowed over the shadows, a sign of civilization.

"Whoa," Roxas said through chattering teeth. "Check that out."

His voice projected far enough away for Axel to tell the blonde was looking at something else. Sure enough, Axel turned, and a massive black tower carved across the sky. On top, the outline of a castle reflected against the moon.

Okay, got that memorized, no questions about it.

"Let's check it out!" Roxas ran straight forward, but Axel's long arms caught hold of the blonde's shirt.

"Hold up," Axel said, dragging Roxas back to his side. The blonde's feet dangled as he was lifted, then pressed back to the ground. "Don't just go running off into unfamiliar territory. You could get lost, and then we'd be in trouble." Once Axel felt convinced Roxas wouldn't run off again, the redhead released his capture. "First off, is the portal still there? Are we gonna be able to get back?"

Axel gestured to the space he kind of remembered stepping through, having no idea if he was even facing the right direction. Roxas had guided him into the portal the first time. Sobering a bit, the blonde squinted and looked across the hilltop.

"Yup, right there," he confirmed. "It's orange." The boy lifted his arm, staring at it with an expression not unlike a cat batting at a puddle of water. "And I am, too. Guess that means it heads back to Temperies." Since Temperies had been Roxas's point of origin, Axel relaxed. They weren't stranded. He could circumvent it if necessary, but avoiding it kept things smooth. Roxas smiled. "See, we're gonna be fine. What's the harm in exploring a bit?"

"The harm is," Axel said, the frown not yet faded from his lips, "that we have zero idea of what to expect in this place, plus it's dark." In his experience, there were plenty of creatures that could cause trouble in the dark. Even with his attributes, Axel didn't want to dive into the unknown when visibility was difficult, especially if he had to play bodyguard for a kid. Friendly or not, Roxas was scrawny, and had way too much innocence in his expression to understand combat. "It's a good point, Roxas, and you know it. Besides, where would we even go?"

Roxas pouted at the assessment, but it didn't get rid of his determination. "Uh, how about there?" He raised a finger, pointing right at the Castle of Intense Creepiness. "I'm willing to bet that there's something interesting up there."

"Always so eager."

"Come on, doesn't this look cool? Axel might've been to another world before, but it's not like I have! I wanna explore. Don't you?"

Sighing, Axel raked a hand through his thick hair. A part of him—a part that went way against his better judgement—could empathize. Even though he had seen many worlds since leaving his home, there was always a fresh lick of curiosity that came from discovering somewhere new. Having company that would share that enthusiasm for adventure made that prospect even more appealing. Axel drummed his fingers through the cool night air, ready to summon his chakrams at a moment's notice. He could take a few surprises if he had to…

Then he looked at Roxas again. Roxas, who only had baggy jeans and a fashionable vest to guard him. Roxas, who'd looked so in awe over seeing Axel summon his chakrams that there was no way he had a weapon stowed away in magic for use. Roxas, who, even though Axel didn't understand all the reasons why, was the main reason for the assignment in Temperies.

There's too many risks here. Sucks, but them's the breaks.

"Okay fine." Roxas grinned, looking at Axel with unrestrained enthusiasm. "We can explore this place. I have conditions for that, though." Axel swept his hand through the air, gesturing at Roxas's state. A somewhat disappointed look crossed the boy's face. "If we're gonna go anywhere into unfamiliar territory, you are gonna be equipped for it. There's no way I'm going around with you otherwise."

"Equipped?" Roxas asked with enough bewilderment to cover two people. "What kind of equipment? What do we even need?"

That was enough to confirm that Axel had his work more than cut out for him. "That little Temperies world that you're from doesn't have any immediate danger. No monsters, no conflict, and a handful of people." It was a peaceful place, if not a bit dull. "Not all worlds are so lucky. Now, I don't know a thing about this place, but I can tell you that that thing you wanna explore, seems like it's trouble." When he attempted a magic probe of the castle, it came back with a strange tingling, though it was hard to get an accurate read from so far away. Still, he knew to trust his instincts. "I'm not going anywhere near that thing until you've got a weapon, or at least some protective gear."

"Weapon?" All at once, Roxas's expression lit up in amazement, almost enough to cut through the all-enclosing darkness. "I get a weapon? What kind of weapon? Does that mean I'm gonna be able to fight?"

"Easy there." Axel held up his hands in a stop motion. While it halted the torrent of words spilling out of Roxas's mouth, his sunny expression didn't dim in the slightest. It was almost blinding, but Axel couldn't deny that the bubble of warmth that worked its way up from his chest and into a smile. "Look, I'd like nothing more than if you didn't have to fight. But while there's a chance you might, we're gonna make sure you don't get hurt because we weren't prepared. Got it?"

Roxas nodded so hard that his already upright hair flew in all directions. Axel couldn't help but wonder if the kid got the severity of the situation or not. "Got it! I super got it! So when we get prepared, we'll come back, right?"

Well, it's not like there's anything wrong with having that much enthusiasm… Axel let his smile grow a bit. It'd been some time since he'd felt so at peace with another person. Assuming we can get him up to shape, it'll be good to have backup, anyways.

He reached out a hand to tousle Roxas's already haphazard hair, then nudged the boy in the vague direction of the portal home. "Yup, we'll come back once we're ready. And we'll explore that castle up there as much as you want."

Roxas grinned, the flash of his teeth reflecting the moonlight.

Roxas's dormitory was sparse in his belongings: the bed, desk, and dresser that were generic enough to have been the school's took up most of the space, and there were hardly any personal artifacts beyond school supplies. He didn't even have any stray laundry lying about. It was the biggest blank slate of a room Axel had seen in years. Even the most emotionless of Axel's comrades had more decorations that Roxas.

Not that said owner of the dorm seemed bothered by it. He pushed open the door far enough that the automatic spring shut wouldn't shut Axel out, kicked off his shows by the entrance, and sat on the bed, gesturing for Axel to follow. "Come on. Sit wherever. You can't really give me a weapon with the door hanging open."

Axel didn't let it show, but discomfort at the sterility of the place made him hesitate to step inside. But Roxas's words were true enough, so he powered forward, following the precedent of shrugging off his boots before heading to the desk. Nothing but schoolwork littered the surface, and Axel sat down backwards in the chair. The door swung shut all on its own, the sound of it shutting echoing against the undecorated walls.

"Okay," Axel said, leaning over the back of the chair and ready to move the conversation on so he had something to distract him from the sheer plainness of the room. "You're not just gonna get a weapon until we have an idea of your skills. Have you ever fought before?"

"Nope." Roxas had the awareness to look abashed. Axel had expected as much, but he'd kind of hoped otherwise. Having never taught a newbie, it would be difficult to do so if the castle was a challenge. Roxas's face rebounded back to an optimistic grin, and he almost threw himself across the bed to face Axel head on. "But I can learn! I promise."

If it didn't seem so demeaning, Axel would've compared Roxas to a puppy, starved for attention. Given how abandoned the rest of Temperies seemed, maybe he was. "Look, I'm not doubting your learning capabilities or anything. I just needed to know." In some ways, not having to procure a specific weapon made it easier, since there wasn't a need to get it exactly right, but the near infinite possibilities of having a blank slate was a challenge all in its own. "Then do you have any preferences, then? I have my chakrams, but they're tricky for beginners. I memorized the basics in other weapons, though, so I should be able to give you self-defense basics." He tapped his fingers to his temple.

Roxas whispered something that sounded an awful lot like "so cool" before coming back to himself. "Oh, can I learn how to use a sword then?" He hopped off the bed, then started rummaging in the corner of a room. When he came up for air, stick of wood in the rough approximation of a bokuto was in hand. Roxas made a few clumsy swipes at the air, the stupidest grin on his face. "I think swords are cool! Don't they just look like a hero's weapon?"

Axel couldn't stop the roll of laughter that slopped out of his mouth. Roxas paused in his (shoddy) swordsmanship, blinking. Axel straightened himself up. "Sorry," he said, though there were still traces of a chuckle still in his voice. "I understand enough about swordsmanship that it could work, but…" He smirked just enough so his next words wouldn't be outright condescending. "You're gonna have a tough time being a hero with form like that. Got it memorized?"

Roxas looked to the bokuto in his hands, dismayed for a moment. Axel wondered just how fragile the kid's heart was and if he'd gone too far. He'd been in his work environment so long that bluntness had become his default, but not everyone responded well to such an attitude. Normal people didn't respond well. Axel opened his mouth to say something—whether it was to apologize or outright take his words back, he wasn't sure—but Roxas squared his shoulders, determination burning in his perfect blue eyes.

"I'll do it."

The sheer conviction in his voice struck Axel speechless for a moment. "Do it?"

"Yeah, I'll do it." Roxas tightened his grip on the bokuto and nailed down Axel with eye contact. "I'll learn what I gotta do. I'll learn how to use a sword properly, and I'll know how to defend myself. I'll memorize all of it!" Roxas stepped forward, almost pleading as he leaned down in Axel's face. "I wanna go back to that blue world and see what it's like. So please teach me!"

They were so close that Axel didn't even have room to breathe. He'd almost forgotten how. Amongst all the jaded cynicism, it was easy to forget that life and purity existed, that there were people with souls that burned bright, despite everything else around them.

Without doubt, Roxas was one of those people.

And Axel wanted to be a part of that.

"It's not gonna be easy." Axel stood, his height overcoming Roxas's with ease. The smaller boy stared up at him. "You don't know crap about this, so it'll be even more of a challenge. It'll probably take a couple weeks until you're ready to go to the castle." And while it was gonna be a pain in the ass to teach him, Axel wasn't going to give up without at least trying. "But what the hell. If you can keep up with me then I won't complain. I'm gonna put you though the ringer; that's what it takes to become a hero.

"And you do that," Axel continued, putting a hand to his chest in a pledge he hadn't planned to make, "and you and I can explore that castle as much as you want."

[Author's Notes]

Happy 2019 folks! Hope that you're all doing well and that this chapter finds you in good condition. We're poking a bit at Axel and Roxas's past here as I mess around with world building and such. Will we be answering some big questions soon? You'll need to keep reading to find out!

Thanks to Numinous Scribe for the follow since last chapter! I'd love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to reach out to me!

This chapter is part of my ten-year fanfiction anniversary special, which is still ongoing. I hope to have more regular updates on all my fics this year, so look forward to Act I, Scene X in the coming year!

-Avi

[01.02.2019]