![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Yay overtime? There are probably typos, which I'll fix when I get home.
(Er, if I remember.)
Courtship Rites
OR
Thirteen Ways to Die Trying
Kingdom Hearts CoM/II -- Axel-->Roxas
~5560 words
++++++
i.
Technically Demyx gets the credit for finding the new kid -- one of the Dancers, flitting through Twilight Town after the Door's been closed, is the one that finds the boy, lying curled on his side under the spreading branches of old trees. (Axel finds this out later, because he steals the report Demyx submits from Xemnas' desk and reads it himself.) In the middle of a meeting, as the Superior is ranting about blah-blah-blah Kingdom Hearts will soon be theirs, Demyx gets an odd look on his face and lifts his hand.
"Sorry," he says. "I'll be right back."
Before anyone can respond, the Superior or Saix or hell, Axel himself, he opens a portal and is gone, leaving a vacuum in his wake. Demyx isn't the sort who'll throw a wrench into things just to see how sparks fly; he likes the steady direction he gets from the higher-ups, so the fact that he has broken during a meeting leaves a certain amount of surprised silence.
And then more, when a few minutes later the gateway reopens and Demyx half-limps back into the room, supporting a human-shaped weight with the help of a Dancer. This gets dropped unceremoniously at the Superior's feet, and the Dancer sweeps a low bow to the whole company before she flits away.
"Um," says Demyx. "He's the same as us."
Not *one of us*, because there have been other Nobodies strong enough to retain a semblance of their original appearance, those who had refused alliance with the Organization and faded back into darkness. Everyone moves in a restless single-minded shift forward, to get a better look.
He's barely more than a kid, this new Nobody, sandy-haired and in the awkward coltish stage of growth, with a face that's still soft with baby fat. Naked as they all were when found, breathing so slowly it was nearly invisible, he's not terribly impressive. Axel gives him two months before something or someone eats him right up, with no stain left behind.
Xemnas looks at the unconscious boy at his feet with the same sort of mournful consideration he reserves for particularly troublesome things: an invasion of Heartless in one of the worlds they have staked out, Maleficent during her life, being told that they're out of his preferred tea. He looks at Demyx too, with that same drooping expression. "He is certainly Nobody," he says. "It is good you brought him here."
Demyx says nothing. He's got a better poker face than most give him credit for, and he looks back without flinching.
"Number Eight," says Xemnas.
Axel tilts his head. "Yeah, boss."
"There are free rooms in the Hall of Forgotten Heroes," he says. "Please escort our guest there, until such time that he can consider an invitation to the Organization with the due thought it requires."
"Hey," he said with deceptive mildness. "Why me?"
"Because I was very fond of that tapestry in my office," Xemnas says, without skipping a beat. A line creases between his brows, just a little. "It is quite missed."
Axel meets his eyes, sees something else, and nods. Marluxia is looking at the kid with interest that's hungry and digging. He's already bartered custody of the witch, and knowing who she originally belonged to, they can't afford to let any newly-discovered Nobodies pass without careful vetting, first.
Casually, he shrugs off his coat and drops it over the kid, who twitches in his dreams, but doesn't otherwise respond. "I suppose," he drawls. "I'll do it just this once."
Xemnas folds his hands into his sleeves and watches, unspeaking, as Axel hoists one of the kid's arms over his own shoulders, and the two of them stagger off in drunken tandem.
They're about halfway there when the kid comes awake with a gasp like he's been holding his breath for hours -- days -- years -- and then with surprising strength he tears himself from Axel's grasp, tripping over the too-long hem of the coat. His arms flail and grasp at the air, but somehow he manages to keep his balance; Axel's a little impressed. His eyes are huge and bright blue -- the most vivid thing that's probably ever been in this nonexistent world, except maybe the witch's crayons. His mouth opens and closes, round and gasping and then his back hits the wall.
Axel strides forward, unconcerned. "Hey," he says. "You done yet?"
"Nngh," says the kid. "Nn, nnngh--"
"Oh, come on," Axel says, and stops with his arms crossed. "You're not stupid, are you?"
The kid spits out his next breath, like he's trying to say a name, but the name gets garbled and he half-lunges, one arm thrust forward. It mimics the motions of someone with a blade, and Axel's eyes narrow. It's not unusual for fighters to become Nobodies, but even if the rest of him is clumsy, that one movement is pure odd grace.
"C'mon," Axel says, and he summons a chakram and just enough fire to look showy. "I'm not going to hurt you unless you hit me first."
Blue eyes cast from one side to the other. One of the boy's arms snap out, with a sharp flick of his wrist, and Axel sees--
Light shimmers (actual light, in a world that doesn't even have a moon to reflect the missing sun), and it forms in the shape of a large, surprisingly wicked-looking black key. The teeth look sharp enough to count as blades on their own, and something about it seems to calm the kid; his hand stops shaking and his back straightens, so that when he looks at Axel now, there's some measure of sanity in his eyes.
"Wh ..." His voice is cracked, a bit reedy. "Where am I?"
"More like where you're *not*," Axel says dryly, but he doesn't release his chakram, and nor does the kid lower the key from its defensive position. "Welcome to the World That Never Was."
The kid narrows his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asks. His voice is stronger now.
"Exactly what it sounds like." Axel sets a hand on his hip. "You could be a little more grateful. We saved your life."
Obviously, the kid's not buying it; he doesn't relax and he still frowns at Axel. "Did you?"
"Sure we did," Axel drawls. "Show a little more gratitude."
Eventually the kid relaxes. Only a little, his hand still white-knuckled on the key's hilt, but he looks less ready to try and run Axel through with that blade at the first wrong move. He looks down one stretching dark hallway, down the other, and then back at Axel. "... thanks," he says doubtfully.
"Aw, c'mon, the decor's not so bad," Axel says. "You get used to it real fast."
"..." says the kid.
"Hey." Axel holds up his free hand, rolling his eyes upward for effect. "It's a roof over your head, and they'll feed you when you get hungry. Out *there*," he jerks a thumb over his shoulder, vaguely towards the way they'd come, "you'd be lucky if the Heartless don't eat you first."
"Heart ... less?" For a moment something clicks in those big blue eyes, and Axel sees his hand begin to shake again, like he's barely restraining himself. "What."
Axel stares at him. "You do not know nothing," he says, with some disbelief. "You -- where did Demyx pick you up, anyway?"
"Huh?" The kid stares back. For a moment he almost looks like he'll be snide, and then he shakes his head. "I ... don't know."
"You don't know." Axel stares. "You don't *know*? How can you not know? You--"
"If I don't know, I don't know," the kid snaps, and the key in his hand lifts, pointing at Axel. A sudden cold thrill goes through him -- his body could be damaged just as easily as any human's, but instinct warns him there's something more about this key, and a lot of niggling half-suspicions are starting to make sense.
"... Okay," he says, and in a show of peace lets his chakram fade. He holds up both palms up, even turns his head a little to look sidelong at the kid. "Okay, okay, you don't know. That's cool. Just means you'll have to commit your own name to memory with the rest of us."
"Name?" The kid doesn't look appeased, still glowering. "What are you going on about?"
"You can't just go around being 'hey you' all the time," Axel says reasonably. "Don't worry, the Superior'll give you a decent one."
"I can pick my own name," the kid says. "Whoever this 'Superior' is, what makes you think I'd want to meet him?"
"Nothing at all," Axel says, still holding his hands up. "But he might be able to help you."
"... Help me?"
"Sure you could pick your own name," says Axel. "But wouldn't it be better to find out what it actually was?"
The kid frowns. "You're saying this guy knows it?"
"I'm saying he might be able to find it out," Axel says. "Isn't it better to accept a placeholder for now, and get the real thing later, right? He's got--" he draws a brief circle in the air with one finger, "lots of resources."
For a moment he's afraid he's overdone it -- he's got no sense of the kid's personality yet, other than a sketchy impression based on five minutes of interaction. Some people need to be pushed, some need to be pulled, and one man's carrot is another's stick.
He doesn't hold his breath, but it's a very tense thirty seconds as he waits.
And finally the kid shrugs and opens his hand; the key tilts, then disappears before it can fall free. "Fine," he says.
Axel lets out his breath so slowly that there's no way it could be mistaken for a sigh, or anything similar, and he smiles. "Great," he says. "Let's get you to your room."
ii.
Xemnas names the kid "Roxas," which is hardly subtle -- it's not like they don't have access to outside worlds, or the gossip that runs through the veins of existence, and, well. The current Keyblade Master's made a pretty big splash, even as far as wielders of the Keyblade go.
But Roxas doesn't know -- Roxas can't remember, except that he can instinctually summon two Keyblades and use them with a sort of careless deadly ease. Even Xaldin will stop to watch the kid doing katas, and the flowing unstopping grace of him.
Once on a whim, Axel directs a few Assassins at the kid while he stands with the Keyblades crossed before him, eyes closed. Roxas doesn't know much about the specific classes of Nobodies yet -- he still occasionally gets Snipers and Assassins mixed up, which is just fine, really.
Axel stands with his shoulders to the wall and watches his liegemen sink into the ground and slither towards Roxas, the sharp metal edges of their armor gleaming even in the nonlight of the World That Never Was.
Like a cobra one rears up, blades at ready, and Roxas *moves*.
He pivots on his heel and drops into a crouch at the same time, bringing up the black Keyblade to clash with one Assassin, and he kicks back to catch the other in the face, spinning light enough to make any Dancer envious. The white Keyblade snicks across the chest of the second Assassin, the kicked one, and it flies backwards, hitting the ground and the metal plates make an awful screeching noise against the marble.
Axel straightens off the wall.
The first Assassin falls back, and she and Roxas circle each other, light-footed as cats. Roxas' expression hasn't changed much -- it's still calm, still hard-eyed, like a smile would crack his face in half.
Someone's foot slides, and then Roxas and the Assassin are leaping towards each other, blades meeting and clashing and blurring till Axel can hardly see either way, but he knows that somewhere his own loses, because Roxas gets in under her guard and she's tumbling back as well, hitting the ground and rolling till she hits a wall and falls still, except for a twitch here and there.
Roxas turns and looks straight at him. And since he's caught, there's nothing to do but applaud, and Axel claps slowly as he comes forward.
"Not bad, not baaaad," he says. "I'm impressed."
Roxas' brows draw together, and Axel keeps coming forward till suddenly the black Keyblade is at his throat; he can feel its point dig in just enough to draw a little blood.
"... ow," he says mildly.
Unimpressed, Roxas scowls. "Don't do that again."
"Do what?" Axel keeps his expression blank.
Against his throat the pressure increases, till he has to step back or risk black spots in his vision. "Hey, a little more careful with that--"
"I *said*," Roxas repeats, his voice a low angry buzz, "don't do that *again*."
He doesn't whirl off, doesn't stomp away dramatically; he just stays there, holding his Keyblade to Axel's throat, staring.
So finally Axel nods slowly, and he holds up both hands to indicate he's unarmed. "Sure," he says. "Won't."
And then Roxas steps back and lets go, not quite believing -- but willing to drop it, because he hasn't quite learned not to take Axel's words at face value yet. "Good," he says, and *now* he walks away, turns on his heel and leaves his back wide open; if Axel wanted to make a point, he could probably get a slice in before even Roxas could react.
He thinks about it really hard, too. Really, *really* hard, and ... then Roxas opens a portal and takes the whole situation out of Axel's hands.
A bit irritated with himself, Axel looks at his own hands, then at his two Nobodies, who're slowly picking themselves up from where they fell. They stumble towards him and they kneel, heads bowed. It is no shame to be beaten by any member of the Organization, so they simply wait for their next command.
Axel shrugs and waves a hand in dismissal. "Get yourselves cleaned up," he says. "We're heading out in a few hours, and I don't want any stragglers."
They salute him, and then sink through the floor and are gone.
Axel lingers a while longer, scuffing the scratch marks on the floor with the toe of his boot, waiting till the ache in his throat fades before leaving as well.
iii.
"He's a positive *demon* when you unleash him on the Heartless," Larxene says, eyes gleaming. She drew the short straw today, and so she's accompanied Roxas on his little assignment -- and she complained at first, though she's smiling now, her lips bowed together. "You hardly have to do a thing, and he's already taken care of all of them."
"You just like watching things get smacked around," Axel drawls. "Careful, Larxene, I think he's too young for you."
"Like he's old enough for you?" she scoffs. "Didn't know you liked *little boys*, Axel."
"At least little boys don't screech like wet cats when you pull their pigtails," Axel says. "Or leave frogs in their beds."
"I'd hardly call a pack of Neo-Shadows a *frog*," Larxene shoots back. "If I wanted that, I'd invite you."
Axel blows her a kiss. "But apparently, as my taste runs to little boys, and you -- despite all appearances --" and here he looks her up and down thoroughly -- "are not a little boy, it seems we're at a standstill."
She snorts, unphased. "My," she says. "You *are* losing your edge. That was hardly any bite at all, Axel."
"I've matured to a higher plane of existence," he agrees.
"You?" Roxas says behind him, so unexpectedly out of nowhere, and both Axel and Larxene jump. "You've got to be kidding."
He walks past them, as though unaware of how they stare after him, and disappears into the library.
Larxene shakes off the spell first. She looks at Axel, and then her eyes narrow. "You *are* interested," she says. "And you say I'm the pervert."
"You are," Axel responds, though distracted; he's still trying to figure out how Roxas managed to sneak up on him.
Larxene waits, like she's expecting more, then gives up after a few minutes with a small snort of disgust. Axel can hardly blame her; usually he can give a lot better for a lot longer, but hell -- he's the head of the *Assassins*, people *don't* sneak up on him. It's more the other way around; that's his *job*.
But.
He heads for the library and looks inside, but Roxas is already gone.
iv.
"I think I'll make you my new pet project," Axel says.
Roxas doesn't look up from his book. "What."
"What makes the great Roxas tick?" Axel pokes a finger into Roxas' temple; it gets no response other than a faint rock. "What goes through that complicated little brain, especially when Xemnas says 'jump; and you've already hit the perfect height while the rest of us as asking 'how high'?"
"Go away," says Roxas.
"Nah, that's no fun." Axel drapes himself across the back of Roxas' chair. "What're you reading? Tell me it's not one of Larxene's recommendations."
"Marluxia's," says Roxas. "Some philosopher on the concepts of 'nothing.'"
"Deep," says Axel. "Not much fun though. Fight me."
"... Pardon?" Roxas finally looks up, a small crease in his brow.
"Fight me." Axel gestures outwards, lazily, with one arm. "Just 'cause we're not real doesn't mean we don't get bored."
"I don't want to fight you," says Roxas.
"Really? Not at all?" Axel peers at him. "You don't even want to hit me?"
"... Should I?"
"Most of them do," Axel says, peering at him. "'Cept for Xigbar, but really, he's the only one that's got a decent sense of humor."
"But I don't want to fight you," Roxas says again. "There's no point."
"..." Axel stares at him, then says, "It'd be fun."
"It'd be pointless," Roxas says, and considers. "More than anything we usually do."
Axel stares at him. "You're the one reading philosophy," he says eventually. "Make up a reason."
Roxas blinks. "Maybe later," he says, and goes back to reading. "Ask me in a few days."
"That's a no?" Axel looks down at him.
"It's 'ask me in a few days,'" says Roxas, and turns the page.
v.
He asks a few days later.
Roxas doesn't say *yes*, but he puts his book aside and summons both Keyblades, and his lips twist in something that isn't -- quite -- a smile.
vi.
"Here," says Roxas, and dumps something into Axel's lap. It's a box, and something inside smells funny.
"Gee, thanks, Roxas," Axel says, staring down at it without touching it. "I'm flattered. Such a heartwarming gesture, from one who has none."
Roxas just rolls his eyes, but he doesn't immediately wander off, hovering to the side of Axel's chair. Axel prods the box gingerly with a fingertip; when nothing pops out and tries to eat his hand, he opens it.
"... dead things," he says. "I'm beyond words."
"They sent us to the World of Dawn," says Roxas. "That's where you're from, isn't it?"
"For what it's worth," Axel says. "That place fell to darkness a long time ago." He waves dismissively. "Lost its Princess, lost its heart, spawned its witch. It's an old story." He lifts the box and sniffs it gingerly; it's a pungent meaty smell that's actually more familiar than he thought at first, and he frowns. "... wait ..."
"*Now* will you shut up about those fishcakes?" Roxas says.
"Sure," Axel says blankly. "What the hell, Roxas."
"Good," Roxas says, as though he didn't hear the question. "Now stop coming into my room to harass me."
And finally he walks away, and Axel has enough of his wits left to lift his head and watch, and he wonders at just how strange the real Keyblade Master had to have been, to create a Nobody like that.
vii.
"It's too dangerous," Saix says, before Axel can even open his mouth.
"Hm?" Axel stares hard at his back. "What's too dangerous?"
"We cannot risk the Key of Destiny," Saix says -- he's the only one, other than Xemnas, who can say their titles with a straight face. Axel in particular thinks his own is hilarious.
"Can't really let him just sit here, though, can we? What's the point of a weapon if you let it go to waste?" Axel leans a shoulder against the wall, watching Saix watch the sky. Up there, past the twirling spires and exaggerated architecture, that's where Xemnas is going to hang the moon, once a little witch waves her wand and makes it come true.
"He will not be wasted." Saix does not turn, preternaturally still. "His time will come."
"When the traitors are uprooted and must be dealt with?" Axel snorts. "You're not going to get anything out of him that way."
"You sound certain." Finally Saix moves, a slide of his fingers across the hilt of his claymore. In anyone else it might be an idle movement, but they all have their cues, and Saix's is that he has almost none. "Are you so close to the Key now, O Flurry of Dancing Flames?"
"We're fabulous," Axel drawls. "We have tea parties every day at three sharp. At least if we can find a proper clock to let us know."
Saix's knuckles tighten. "That sort of attitude is hardly respectful of the boy's potential either."
"Is it? Gee, that's just too bad." Axel pretends to examine his nails and keeps an eye on the line of Saix's shoulders. "But oh, see, there's this whole little detail -- it's my job to get to know the new kids, see how they tick. Your job is to wander around after the Superior and be his yes-man ..." He trails off, flicks each finger off his thumb and kicking off tiny sparks as he does. "Unless he's playing hard to get, at which point you howl outside his door like an abandoned dog."
Saix pivots to stare at him -- not angry enough yet to attack, though his nostrils flare with the effort of his breathing, and his eyes glow yellow. "*You*--"
"If you don't want to use Roxas, someone else is going to," Axel says.
With obvious effort Saix reigns back his temper, though he still half-snarls when he speaks. "Is he loyal?"
"For now." Axel looks up, eyes narrow, studying the shadows on the walls. "Mostly, he's loyal to the idea that he'll find out who he is, as long as he follows us long enough."
Number Six's lips go white as they press together in disapproval. What he says is, "See that he won't turn."
"Wasn't my idea to leave him here to rot," Axel says sweetly. "Not my problem if he decides to go rogue."
"But he will not."
"Not my decision." Axel spreads his hands and looks regretful, or the best facsimile thereof he can manage. He has, he thinks, about ten minutes before Saix's temper finally snaps. "One thing I've learned is to never argue with the guy holding the pointy stick."
This is, of course, ignoring the claymore in Saix's hand, but while he's fast, Roxas is faster.
"Number Eight," Saix says flatly, drawing upon all the authority that the Superior's favor grants him, "you will keep an eye on Number Thirteen, and should he show any signs of rebellion, you *will* take care of him."
"Will I?" Axel tilts his head, looking at a point up and to the right of Saix's shoulder. "What if he's got the better offer?"
"*You*--"
And then Axel looks back at him, meets his eyes for the first time. Saix's anger chokes back -- not appeased, not abated, but *reigned in*, because that's how Saix is controlled, by others and by himself: through force, and a violent jerk back.
"Relax," he says. "I've got an Assassin tailing him at all times."
"Even off-world?" Saix bites each word out.
"Most especially off-world," says Axel. "We don't want Xemnas' sacrificial lamb getting lost, now, do we?"
Saix stares at him, long and hard and cold, and Berserkers are too large to get *anywhere* without being noticed, but there are still Dusks, which hold allegiance to all members of the Organization -- but some more than others. There's a box of fishcakes slowly molding in his room somewhere, and the deep scuffmarks of an Assassin's blades and armor along a marble floor.
And the problem with that is that it's impossible to discredit Saix in Xemnas' eyes; the rest have a half-dozen openings that could be exploited, but Saix is absolute, and if he decides to say anything -- anything at all -- about Roxas, they'll lock the kid up in a room like they already do with their pet witch. They'll take him away, and Axel will lose his chance to figure out just what'll make that deadpan face crack.
Even Xemnas has snapped at him a few times, but Roxas is still the unknown, and Axel *hates* not knowing, probably more than anything else.
"... Fine," Saix says, his tone brittle, and he turns sharply away. Three Berserkers materialize on either side of the chamber, summoned in silence to their lord, and Axel ducks out before things get messy.
viii.
He takes Roxas with him on his next assignment. He's not supposed to, and Roxas points out he's not allowed to leave -- but Axel doesn't take the invitation back, and Roxas follows him through the dark gateway and into a new world. It almost reminds Axel of his old home, gothic architecture hemmed in by wild undergrowth and heavy forests. It's all very fresh and alive, and a little damp under their boots.
They're looking for the king of this tiny world -- there's been a lot of Heartless activity here lately, and while the king himself would hardly account for much, there are rumors his children might be of sterner stuff than their father.
About halfway there, the Keyblades materialize suddenly in Roxas' hands, though there has been no rustle or stir in the forest. Axel almost questions, and then they're surrounded -- low-level Shadows, the whole of them, but dozens -- possibly hundreds -- rustling and chittering and whispering from the darkness. There are more wide glowing yellow eyes than can be easily estimated, and they're all staring straight at Roxas.
"Man," Axel says. "Maybe they're right, and we can't take you anywhere."
The corner of Roxas' mouth goes up.
And Axel has seen Roxas almost smile many, many times -- usually when violence is involved -- but he thinks that this is the first time he's seen the real thing.
Roxas moves.
One moment he stands rock-still at Axel's side, Keyblades at rest, and the next he's running headlong into the wall of Heartless, unafraid as tiny clawed hands snatch at his coat, his boots, his arms, even the Keyblades themselves -- trying to trip him up, trying to pull him down into their darkness. He is surrounded but not overwhelmed, wading his way through and leaving a shower of sparks in his wake. At one point, he sets a foot onto a Shadow's face and uses it to kickstart a jump that flips him up, Keyblades still spinning.
It's something Axel can't define, but it makes his throat hurt to watch, like there's a shout caught in there that he can't get out.
Roxas spins and cuts through a patch of Heartless, then turns and looks at Axel. He doesn't say anything, but he holds Axel's gaze expectantly, for a moment perfectly still. The rest of the world moves and flows, and Roxas lets it, unconcerned. A Shadow drops onto him and is skewered neatly through.
And like a dog called by its master's voice, Axel summons his chakrams and flings himself into the mass as well, because hell, they might be outnumbered, but that's never stopped them before.
ix.
In the library, near the back -- where only Xemnas and Vexen normally go -- there is a large heavy leatherbound book whose title has long ago been rubbed away. The pages are yellow and tattered at the edges, and they make soft crackling sounds when turned. There is no author credited, and as the text continues the ink gets progressively newer, until on the last few pages it gleams wetly in the dim light. It is the one book that Xemnas brought with him after leaving Radiant Garden, stolen from his mentor's libraries, and many times if he cannot be found anywhere else in the Castle, he is here with this book.
Axel reads the whole thing closely, cover to cover, but he can only look at the last image -- a boy and a dog and a duck against the dark tides of all the worlds -- for barely more than a few seconds before he closes the book and sets it aside.
x.
"So there's this Castle," Axel says. "Out there, floating in the middle of nowhere."
"I thought this was 'nowhere,'" Roxas says. He's polishing the black Keyblade, meticulously rubbing an old rag over its gleaming edges.
"*More* nowhere than here," Axel says. "If you can believe it."
"... Not especially."
"Marluxia's strong-armed his way into being named steward of that castle," Axel says, and tips his head back. "Apparently Vexen was interested in moving and setting up his labs there, as a full-time research center, but he got overturned."
"Marluxia has a lot of influence with the Superior," Roxas notes.
"Doesn't he, though," says Axel. "Be a pain if he thought it meant more than it does."
Roxas leans back, turning the Keyblade. In the lamplight, it looks like the forward lunge of a Neo-Shadow, sharpened to deadly edges and it sort of amazes Axel, now, how threatening a key looks to him now. "Mm," says Roxas. "That would be unfortunate."
"Wouldn't it!" Axel leans back, both his elbows on the bed. "The Superior doesn't care what we do, as long as it's not detrimental to his plans. *That* one--" He waves vaguely, in what may or may not be Marluxia's general direction, "would insist on taking a personal interest in everything." He tips his head back. "Stifling, don't you think?"
"Mm." Roxas lets the Keyblade vanish and starts putting his supplies away. "Better make sure that doesn't happen, then."
Axel twists and looks at him. Roxas is apparently unconcerned, like this whole unreal world is just a placemarker for him, so that he has somewhere to sit and somewhere to put oil-stained rags. Axel has the thought: he could set this entire room on fire, and even as the whole thing burns to ashes, Roxas would not respond.
"Better not," he says.
xi.
Life at Castle Oblivion is actually more entertaining than he originally gave it credit for. Marluxia is a madman and Larxene only slightly more sane, and the others prefer to sulk together in their own parts of the Castle. Axel goes between the two of them easily, and he knows neither side cares for him much, but none of them have even considered trying to avoid him.
It's just too easy, really. That part's a little disappointing, because he has to do is push a button here and tweak a grudge there, but otherwise, the whole place is already rigged to fall. He doesn't think he'll be there longer than a few months at most, but he hopes it lasts till Sora gets the whole way through the Castle.
Axel's been wanting to meet this kid for a while now.
xii.
Sora kind of disappoints him. The kid wears his heart on his sleeve, talks loudly without thinking, and occasionally has to be coached by the dog or the duck both. Only his willingness to fight and the way he holds his Keyblade when he faces Axel are even a little familiar. The literature has always said that Nobodies share the same eyes with their Other, but Axel looks into that scowling face, too young still for such fierceness, and to him, at least, they look completely different.
It's too easy to bait him as well; a few sly words and a change in tone, and Sora's fuming like he'd like nothing better than to hit Axel till he stops moving. And that's not an unusual reaction from anyone he knows, but at least Roxas was subtle about it. It was more the way his brows drew together and twitched, or how he'd simply get up and walk away in the middle of a conversation -- the yelling and the waving of weapons was too much of what he was used to, and there was no fun in *that*.
Fighting Sora isn't at all like fighting Roxas, either; Roxas is silent focused concentration, using gravity and momentum to supplement his strength when he can -- Sora lashes blindly, hacks wildly, and yells a lot as he does.
The whole thing leaves Axel with a bad aftertaste. There's nothing of Roxas in Sora -- maybe in a dozen years the kid will grow into that certain silence, but likely not even then. Sora doesn't yet know about Roxas, but Roxas is going to be aware of Sora soon; Castle Oblivion is falling down, the witch has been spirited away, and he's still got a report to make.
Axel scuffs some of the broken pieces of building under one boot, uses his heel to grind one of the smaller pieces to powder.
xiii.
so it comes to this: where even the lowest of the lowly peons have risen up against their former lord, and he knows they will gladly rip him apart for his betrayal
but he's not ready for that, he's not gonna die like a dog in the dirt, pulled down by their fish-cold bone-white hands
he'll go out with a bang
and he can't really say
that he's terribly sorry
--end--
(Er, if I remember.)
Courtship Rites
OR
Thirteen Ways to Die Trying
Kingdom Hearts CoM/II -- Axel-->Roxas
~5560 words
++++++
i.
Technically Demyx gets the credit for finding the new kid -- one of the Dancers, flitting through Twilight Town after the Door's been closed, is the one that finds the boy, lying curled on his side under the spreading branches of old trees. (Axel finds this out later, because he steals the report Demyx submits from Xemnas' desk and reads it himself.) In the middle of a meeting, as the Superior is ranting about blah-blah-blah Kingdom Hearts will soon be theirs, Demyx gets an odd look on his face and lifts his hand.
"Sorry," he says. "I'll be right back."
Before anyone can respond, the Superior or Saix or hell, Axel himself, he opens a portal and is gone, leaving a vacuum in his wake. Demyx isn't the sort who'll throw a wrench into things just to see how sparks fly; he likes the steady direction he gets from the higher-ups, so the fact that he has broken during a meeting leaves a certain amount of surprised silence.
And then more, when a few minutes later the gateway reopens and Demyx half-limps back into the room, supporting a human-shaped weight with the help of a Dancer. This gets dropped unceremoniously at the Superior's feet, and the Dancer sweeps a low bow to the whole company before she flits away.
"Um," says Demyx. "He's the same as us."
Not *one of us*, because there have been other Nobodies strong enough to retain a semblance of their original appearance, those who had refused alliance with the Organization and faded back into darkness. Everyone moves in a restless single-minded shift forward, to get a better look.
He's barely more than a kid, this new Nobody, sandy-haired and in the awkward coltish stage of growth, with a face that's still soft with baby fat. Naked as they all were when found, breathing so slowly it was nearly invisible, he's not terribly impressive. Axel gives him two months before something or someone eats him right up, with no stain left behind.
Xemnas looks at the unconscious boy at his feet with the same sort of mournful consideration he reserves for particularly troublesome things: an invasion of Heartless in one of the worlds they have staked out, Maleficent during her life, being told that they're out of his preferred tea. He looks at Demyx too, with that same drooping expression. "He is certainly Nobody," he says. "It is good you brought him here."
Demyx says nothing. He's got a better poker face than most give him credit for, and he looks back without flinching.
"Number Eight," says Xemnas.
Axel tilts his head. "Yeah, boss."
"There are free rooms in the Hall of Forgotten Heroes," he says. "Please escort our guest there, until such time that he can consider an invitation to the Organization with the due thought it requires."
"Hey," he said with deceptive mildness. "Why me?"
"Because I was very fond of that tapestry in my office," Xemnas says, without skipping a beat. A line creases between his brows, just a little. "It is quite missed."
Axel meets his eyes, sees something else, and nods. Marluxia is looking at the kid with interest that's hungry and digging. He's already bartered custody of the witch, and knowing who she originally belonged to, they can't afford to let any newly-discovered Nobodies pass without careful vetting, first.
Casually, he shrugs off his coat and drops it over the kid, who twitches in his dreams, but doesn't otherwise respond. "I suppose," he drawls. "I'll do it just this once."
Xemnas folds his hands into his sleeves and watches, unspeaking, as Axel hoists one of the kid's arms over his own shoulders, and the two of them stagger off in drunken tandem.
They're about halfway there when the kid comes awake with a gasp like he's been holding his breath for hours -- days -- years -- and then with surprising strength he tears himself from Axel's grasp, tripping over the too-long hem of the coat. His arms flail and grasp at the air, but somehow he manages to keep his balance; Axel's a little impressed. His eyes are huge and bright blue -- the most vivid thing that's probably ever been in this nonexistent world, except maybe the witch's crayons. His mouth opens and closes, round and gasping and then his back hits the wall.
Axel strides forward, unconcerned. "Hey," he says. "You done yet?"
"Nngh," says the kid. "Nn, nnngh--"
"Oh, come on," Axel says, and stops with his arms crossed. "You're not stupid, are you?"
The kid spits out his next breath, like he's trying to say a name, but the name gets garbled and he half-lunges, one arm thrust forward. It mimics the motions of someone with a blade, and Axel's eyes narrow. It's not unusual for fighters to become Nobodies, but even if the rest of him is clumsy, that one movement is pure odd grace.
"C'mon," Axel says, and he summons a chakram and just enough fire to look showy. "I'm not going to hurt you unless you hit me first."
Blue eyes cast from one side to the other. One of the boy's arms snap out, with a sharp flick of his wrist, and Axel sees--
Light shimmers (actual light, in a world that doesn't even have a moon to reflect the missing sun), and it forms in the shape of a large, surprisingly wicked-looking black key. The teeth look sharp enough to count as blades on their own, and something about it seems to calm the kid; his hand stops shaking and his back straightens, so that when he looks at Axel now, there's some measure of sanity in his eyes.
"Wh ..." His voice is cracked, a bit reedy. "Where am I?"
"More like where you're *not*," Axel says dryly, but he doesn't release his chakram, and nor does the kid lower the key from its defensive position. "Welcome to the World That Never Was."
The kid narrows his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asks. His voice is stronger now.
"Exactly what it sounds like." Axel sets a hand on his hip. "You could be a little more grateful. We saved your life."
Obviously, the kid's not buying it; he doesn't relax and he still frowns at Axel. "Did you?"
"Sure we did," Axel drawls. "Show a little more gratitude."
Eventually the kid relaxes. Only a little, his hand still white-knuckled on the key's hilt, but he looks less ready to try and run Axel through with that blade at the first wrong move. He looks down one stretching dark hallway, down the other, and then back at Axel. "... thanks," he says doubtfully.
"Aw, c'mon, the decor's not so bad," Axel says. "You get used to it real fast."
"..." says the kid.
"Hey." Axel holds up his free hand, rolling his eyes upward for effect. "It's a roof over your head, and they'll feed you when you get hungry. Out *there*," he jerks a thumb over his shoulder, vaguely towards the way they'd come, "you'd be lucky if the Heartless don't eat you first."
"Heart ... less?" For a moment something clicks in those big blue eyes, and Axel sees his hand begin to shake again, like he's barely restraining himself. "What."
Axel stares at him. "You do not know nothing," he says, with some disbelief. "You -- where did Demyx pick you up, anyway?"
"Huh?" The kid stares back. For a moment he almost looks like he'll be snide, and then he shakes his head. "I ... don't know."
"You don't know." Axel stares. "You don't *know*? How can you not know? You--"
"If I don't know, I don't know," the kid snaps, and the key in his hand lifts, pointing at Axel. A sudden cold thrill goes through him -- his body could be damaged just as easily as any human's, but instinct warns him there's something more about this key, and a lot of niggling half-suspicions are starting to make sense.
"... Okay," he says, and in a show of peace lets his chakram fade. He holds up both palms up, even turns his head a little to look sidelong at the kid. "Okay, okay, you don't know. That's cool. Just means you'll have to commit your own name to memory with the rest of us."
"Name?" The kid doesn't look appeased, still glowering. "What are you going on about?"
"You can't just go around being 'hey you' all the time," Axel says reasonably. "Don't worry, the Superior'll give you a decent one."
"I can pick my own name," the kid says. "Whoever this 'Superior' is, what makes you think I'd want to meet him?"
"Nothing at all," Axel says, still holding his hands up. "But he might be able to help you."
"... Help me?"
"Sure you could pick your own name," says Axel. "But wouldn't it be better to find out what it actually was?"
The kid frowns. "You're saying this guy knows it?"
"I'm saying he might be able to find it out," Axel says. "Isn't it better to accept a placeholder for now, and get the real thing later, right? He's got--" he draws a brief circle in the air with one finger, "lots of resources."
For a moment he's afraid he's overdone it -- he's got no sense of the kid's personality yet, other than a sketchy impression based on five minutes of interaction. Some people need to be pushed, some need to be pulled, and one man's carrot is another's stick.
He doesn't hold his breath, but it's a very tense thirty seconds as he waits.
And finally the kid shrugs and opens his hand; the key tilts, then disappears before it can fall free. "Fine," he says.
Axel lets out his breath so slowly that there's no way it could be mistaken for a sigh, or anything similar, and he smiles. "Great," he says. "Let's get you to your room."
ii.
Xemnas names the kid "Roxas," which is hardly subtle -- it's not like they don't have access to outside worlds, or the gossip that runs through the veins of existence, and, well. The current Keyblade Master's made a pretty big splash, even as far as wielders of the Keyblade go.
But Roxas doesn't know -- Roxas can't remember, except that he can instinctually summon two Keyblades and use them with a sort of careless deadly ease. Even Xaldin will stop to watch the kid doing katas, and the flowing unstopping grace of him.
Once on a whim, Axel directs a few Assassins at the kid while he stands with the Keyblades crossed before him, eyes closed. Roxas doesn't know much about the specific classes of Nobodies yet -- he still occasionally gets Snipers and Assassins mixed up, which is just fine, really.
Axel stands with his shoulders to the wall and watches his liegemen sink into the ground and slither towards Roxas, the sharp metal edges of their armor gleaming even in the nonlight of the World That Never Was.
Like a cobra one rears up, blades at ready, and Roxas *moves*.
He pivots on his heel and drops into a crouch at the same time, bringing up the black Keyblade to clash with one Assassin, and he kicks back to catch the other in the face, spinning light enough to make any Dancer envious. The white Keyblade snicks across the chest of the second Assassin, the kicked one, and it flies backwards, hitting the ground and the metal plates make an awful screeching noise against the marble.
Axel straightens off the wall.
The first Assassin falls back, and she and Roxas circle each other, light-footed as cats. Roxas' expression hasn't changed much -- it's still calm, still hard-eyed, like a smile would crack his face in half.
Someone's foot slides, and then Roxas and the Assassin are leaping towards each other, blades meeting and clashing and blurring till Axel can hardly see either way, but he knows that somewhere his own loses, because Roxas gets in under her guard and she's tumbling back as well, hitting the ground and rolling till she hits a wall and falls still, except for a twitch here and there.
Roxas turns and looks straight at him. And since he's caught, there's nothing to do but applaud, and Axel claps slowly as he comes forward.
"Not bad, not baaaad," he says. "I'm impressed."
Roxas' brows draw together, and Axel keeps coming forward till suddenly the black Keyblade is at his throat; he can feel its point dig in just enough to draw a little blood.
"... ow," he says mildly.
Unimpressed, Roxas scowls. "Don't do that again."
"Do what?" Axel keeps his expression blank.
Against his throat the pressure increases, till he has to step back or risk black spots in his vision. "Hey, a little more careful with that--"
"I *said*," Roxas repeats, his voice a low angry buzz, "don't do that *again*."
He doesn't whirl off, doesn't stomp away dramatically; he just stays there, holding his Keyblade to Axel's throat, staring.
So finally Axel nods slowly, and he holds up both hands to indicate he's unarmed. "Sure," he says. "Won't."
And then Roxas steps back and lets go, not quite believing -- but willing to drop it, because he hasn't quite learned not to take Axel's words at face value yet. "Good," he says, and *now* he walks away, turns on his heel and leaves his back wide open; if Axel wanted to make a point, he could probably get a slice in before even Roxas could react.
He thinks about it really hard, too. Really, *really* hard, and ... then Roxas opens a portal and takes the whole situation out of Axel's hands.
A bit irritated with himself, Axel looks at his own hands, then at his two Nobodies, who're slowly picking themselves up from where they fell. They stumble towards him and they kneel, heads bowed. It is no shame to be beaten by any member of the Organization, so they simply wait for their next command.
Axel shrugs and waves a hand in dismissal. "Get yourselves cleaned up," he says. "We're heading out in a few hours, and I don't want any stragglers."
They salute him, and then sink through the floor and are gone.
Axel lingers a while longer, scuffing the scratch marks on the floor with the toe of his boot, waiting till the ache in his throat fades before leaving as well.
iii.
"He's a positive *demon* when you unleash him on the Heartless," Larxene says, eyes gleaming. She drew the short straw today, and so she's accompanied Roxas on his little assignment -- and she complained at first, though she's smiling now, her lips bowed together. "You hardly have to do a thing, and he's already taken care of all of them."
"You just like watching things get smacked around," Axel drawls. "Careful, Larxene, I think he's too young for you."
"Like he's old enough for you?" she scoffs. "Didn't know you liked *little boys*, Axel."
"At least little boys don't screech like wet cats when you pull their pigtails," Axel says. "Or leave frogs in their beds."
"I'd hardly call a pack of Neo-Shadows a *frog*," Larxene shoots back. "If I wanted that, I'd invite you."
Axel blows her a kiss. "But apparently, as my taste runs to little boys, and you -- despite all appearances --" and here he looks her up and down thoroughly -- "are not a little boy, it seems we're at a standstill."
She snorts, unphased. "My," she says. "You *are* losing your edge. That was hardly any bite at all, Axel."
"I've matured to a higher plane of existence," he agrees.
"You?" Roxas says behind him, so unexpectedly out of nowhere, and both Axel and Larxene jump. "You've got to be kidding."
He walks past them, as though unaware of how they stare after him, and disappears into the library.
Larxene shakes off the spell first. She looks at Axel, and then her eyes narrow. "You *are* interested," she says. "And you say I'm the pervert."
"You are," Axel responds, though distracted; he's still trying to figure out how Roxas managed to sneak up on him.
Larxene waits, like she's expecting more, then gives up after a few minutes with a small snort of disgust. Axel can hardly blame her; usually he can give a lot better for a lot longer, but hell -- he's the head of the *Assassins*, people *don't* sneak up on him. It's more the other way around; that's his *job*.
But.
He heads for the library and looks inside, but Roxas is already gone.
iv.
"I think I'll make you my new pet project," Axel says.
Roxas doesn't look up from his book. "What."
"What makes the great Roxas tick?" Axel pokes a finger into Roxas' temple; it gets no response other than a faint rock. "What goes through that complicated little brain, especially when Xemnas says 'jump; and you've already hit the perfect height while the rest of us as asking 'how high'?"
"Go away," says Roxas.
"Nah, that's no fun." Axel drapes himself across the back of Roxas' chair. "What're you reading? Tell me it's not one of Larxene's recommendations."
"Marluxia's," says Roxas. "Some philosopher on the concepts of 'nothing.'"
"Deep," says Axel. "Not much fun though. Fight me."
"... Pardon?" Roxas finally looks up, a small crease in his brow.
"Fight me." Axel gestures outwards, lazily, with one arm. "Just 'cause we're not real doesn't mean we don't get bored."
"I don't want to fight you," says Roxas.
"Really? Not at all?" Axel peers at him. "You don't even want to hit me?"
"... Should I?"
"Most of them do," Axel says, peering at him. "'Cept for Xigbar, but really, he's the only one that's got a decent sense of humor."
"But I don't want to fight you," Roxas says again. "There's no point."
"..." Axel stares at him, then says, "It'd be fun."
"It'd be pointless," Roxas says, and considers. "More than anything we usually do."
Axel stares at him. "You're the one reading philosophy," he says eventually. "Make up a reason."
Roxas blinks. "Maybe later," he says, and goes back to reading. "Ask me in a few days."
"That's a no?" Axel looks down at him.
"It's 'ask me in a few days,'" says Roxas, and turns the page.
v.
He asks a few days later.
Roxas doesn't say *yes*, but he puts his book aside and summons both Keyblades, and his lips twist in something that isn't -- quite -- a smile.
vi.
"Here," says Roxas, and dumps something into Axel's lap. It's a box, and something inside smells funny.
"Gee, thanks, Roxas," Axel says, staring down at it without touching it. "I'm flattered. Such a heartwarming gesture, from one who has none."
Roxas just rolls his eyes, but he doesn't immediately wander off, hovering to the side of Axel's chair. Axel prods the box gingerly with a fingertip; when nothing pops out and tries to eat his hand, he opens it.
"... dead things," he says. "I'm beyond words."
"They sent us to the World of Dawn," says Roxas. "That's where you're from, isn't it?"
"For what it's worth," Axel says. "That place fell to darkness a long time ago." He waves dismissively. "Lost its Princess, lost its heart, spawned its witch. It's an old story." He lifts the box and sniffs it gingerly; it's a pungent meaty smell that's actually more familiar than he thought at first, and he frowns. "... wait ..."
"*Now* will you shut up about those fishcakes?" Roxas says.
"Sure," Axel says blankly. "What the hell, Roxas."
"Good," Roxas says, as though he didn't hear the question. "Now stop coming into my room to harass me."
And finally he walks away, and Axel has enough of his wits left to lift his head and watch, and he wonders at just how strange the real Keyblade Master had to have been, to create a Nobody like that.
vii.
"It's too dangerous," Saix says, before Axel can even open his mouth.
"Hm?" Axel stares hard at his back. "What's too dangerous?"
"We cannot risk the Key of Destiny," Saix says -- he's the only one, other than Xemnas, who can say their titles with a straight face. Axel in particular thinks his own is hilarious.
"Can't really let him just sit here, though, can we? What's the point of a weapon if you let it go to waste?" Axel leans a shoulder against the wall, watching Saix watch the sky. Up there, past the twirling spires and exaggerated architecture, that's where Xemnas is going to hang the moon, once a little witch waves her wand and makes it come true.
"He will not be wasted." Saix does not turn, preternaturally still. "His time will come."
"When the traitors are uprooted and must be dealt with?" Axel snorts. "You're not going to get anything out of him that way."
"You sound certain." Finally Saix moves, a slide of his fingers across the hilt of his claymore. In anyone else it might be an idle movement, but they all have their cues, and Saix's is that he has almost none. "Are you so close to the Key now, O Flurry of Dancing Flames?"
"We're fabulous," Axel drawls. "We have tea parties every day at three sharp. At least if we can find a proper clock to let us know."
Saix's knuckles tighten. "That sort of attitude is hardly respectful of the boy's potential either."
"Is it? Gee, that's just too bad." Axel pretends to examine his nails and keeps an eye on the line of Saix's shoulders. "But oh, see, there's this whole little detail -- it's my job to get to know the new kids, see how they tick. Your job is to wander around after the Superior and be his yes-man ..." He trails off, flicks each finger off his thumb and kicking off tiny sparks as he does. "Unless he's playing hard to get, at which point you howl outside his door like an abandoned dog."
Saix pivots to stare at him -- not angry enough yet to attack, though his nostrils flare with the effort of his breathing, and his eyes glow yellow. "*You*--"
"If you don't want to use Roxas, someone else is going to," Axel says.
With obvious effort Saix reigns back his temper, though he still half-snarls when he speaks. "Is he loyal?"
"For now." Axel looks up, eyes narrow, studying the shadows on the walls. "Mostly, he's loyal to the idea that he'll find out who he is, as long as he follows us long enough."
Number Six's lips go white as they press together in disapproval. What he says is, "See that he won't turn."
"Wasn't my idea to leave him here to rot," Axel says sweetly. "Not my problem if he decides to go rogue."
"But he will not."
"Not my decision." Axel spreads his hands and looks regretful, or the best facsimile thereof he can manage. He has, he thinks, about ten minutes before Saix's temper finally snaps. "One thing I've learned is to never argue with the guy holding the pointy stick."
This is, of course, ignoring the claymore in Saix's hand, but while he's fast, Roxas is faster.
"Number Eight," Saix says flatly, drawing upon all the authority that the Superior's favor grants him, "you will keep an eye on Number Thirteen, and should he show any signs of rebellion, you *will* take care of him."
"Will I?" Axel tilts his head, looking at a point up and to the right of Saix's shoulder. "What if he's got the better offer?"
"*You*--"
And then Axel looks back at him, meets his eyes for the first time. Saix's anger chokes back -- not appeased, not abated, but *reigned in*, because that's how Saix is controlled, by others and by himself: through force, and a violent jerk back.
"Relax," he says. "I've got an Assassin tailing him at all times."
"Even off-world?" Saix bites each word out.
"Most especially off-world," says Axel. "We don't want Xemnas' sacrificial lamb getting lost, now, do we?"
Saix stares at him, long and hard and cold, and Berserkers are too large to get *anywhere* without being noticed, but there are still Dusks, which hold allegiance to all members of the Organization -- but some more than others. There's a box of fishcakes slowly molding in his room somewhere, and the deep scuffmarks of an Assassin's blades and armor along a marble floor.
And the problem with that is that it's impossible to discredit Saix in Xemnas' eyes; the rest have a half-dozen openings that could be exploited, but Saix is absolute, and if he decides to say anything -- anything at all -- about Roxas, they'll lock the kid up in a room like they already do with their pet witch. They'll take him away, and Axel will lose his chance to figure out just what'll make that deadpan face crack.
Even Xemnas has snapped at him a few times, but Roxas is still the unknown, and Axel *hates* not knowing, probably more than anything else.
"... Fine," Saix says, his tone brittle, and he turns sharply away. Three Berserkers materialize on either side of the chamber, summoned in silence to their lord, and Axel ducks out before things get messy.
viii.
He takes Roxas with him on his next assignment. He's not supposed to, and Roxas points out he's not allowed to leave -- but Axel doesn't take the invitation back, and Roxas follows him through the dark gateway and into a new world. It almost reminds Axel of his old home, gothic architecture hemmed in by wild undergrowth and heavy forests. It's all very fresh and alive, and a little damp under their boots.
They're looking for the king of this tiny world -- there's been a lot of Heartless activity here lately, and while the king himself would hardly account for much, there are rumors his children might be of sterner stuff than their father.
About halfway there, the Keyblades materialize suddenly in Roxas' hands, though there has been no rustle or stir in the forest. Axel almost questions, and then they're surrounded -- low-level Shadows, the whole of them, but dozens -- possibly hundreds -- rustling and chittering and whispering from the darkness. There are more wide glowing yellow eyes than can be easily estimated, and they're all staring straight at Roxas.
"Man," Axel says. "Maybe they're right, and we can't take you anywhere."
The corner of Roxas' mouth goes up.
And Axel has seen Roxas almost smile many, many times -- usually when violence is involved -- but he thinks that this is the first time he's seen the real thing.
Roxas moves.
One moment he stands rock-still at Axel's side, Keyblades at rest, and the next he's running headlong into the wall of Heartless, unafraid as tiny clawed hands snatch at his coat, his boots, his arms, even the Keyblades themselves -- trying to trip him up, trying to pull him down into their darkness. He is surrounded but not overwhelmed, wading his way through and leaving a shower of sparks in his wake. At one point, he sets a foot onto a Shadow's face and uses it to kickstart a jump that flips him up, Keyblades still spinning.
It's something Axel can't define, but it makes his throat hurt to watch, like there's a shout caught in there that he can't get out.
Roxas spins and cuts through a patch of Heartless, then turns and looks at Axel. He doesn't say anything, but he holds Axel's gaze expectantly, for a moment perfectly still. The rest of the world moves and flows, and Roxas lets it, unconcerned. A Shadow drops onto him and is skewered neatly through.
And like a dog called by its master's voice, Axel summons his chakrams and flings himself into the mass as well, because hell, they might be outnumbered, but that's never stopped them before.
ix.
In the library, near the back -- where only Xemnas and Vexen normally go -- there is a large heavy leatherbound book whose title has long ago been rubbed away. The pages are yellow and tattered at the edges, and they make soft crackling sounds when turned. There is no author credited, and as the text continues the ink gets progressively newer, until on the last few pages it gleams wetly in the dim light. It is the one book that Xemnas brought with him after leaving Radiant Garden, stolen from his mentor's libraries, and many times if he cannot be found anywhere else in the Castle, he is here with this book.
Axel reads the whole thing closely, cover to cover, but he can only look at the last image -- a boy and a dog and a duck against the dark tides of all the worlds -- for barely more than a few seconds before he closes the book and sets it aside.
x.
"So there's this Castle," Axel says. "Out there, floating in the middle of nowhere."
"I thought this was 'nowhere,'" Roxas says. He's polishing the black Keyblade, meticulously rubbing an old rag over its gleaming edges.
"*More* nowhere than here," Axel says. "If you can believe it."
"... Not especially."
"Marluxia's strong-armed his way into being named steward of that castle," Axel says, and tips his head back. "Apparently Vexen was interested in moving and setting up his labs there, as a full-time research center, but he got overturned."
"Marluxia has a lot of influence with the Superior," Roxas notes.
"Doesn't he, though," says Axel. "Be a pain if he thought it meant more than it does."
Roxas leans back, turning the Keyblade. In the lamplight, it looks like the forward lunge of a Neo-Shadow, sharpened to deadly edges and it sort of amazes Axel, now, how threatening a key looks to him now. "Mm," says Roxas. "That would be unfortunate."
"Wouldn't it!" Axel leans back, both his elbows on the bed. "The Superior doesn't care what we do, as long as it's not detrimental to his plans. *That* one--" He waves vaguely, in what may or may not be Marluxia's general direction, "would insist on taking a personal interest in everything." He tips his head back. "Stifling, don't you think?"
"Mm." Roxas lets the Keyblade vanish and starts putting his supplies away. "Better make sure that doesn't happen, then."
Axel twists and looks at him. Roxas is apparently unconcerned, like this whole unreal world is just a placemarker for him, so that he has somewhere to sit and somewhere to put oil-stained rags. Axel has the thought: he could set this entire room on fire, and even as the whole thing burns to ashes, Roxas would not respond.
"Better not," he says.
xi.
Life at Castle Oblivion is actually more entertaining than he originally gave it credit for. Marluxia is a madman and Larxene only slightly more sane, and the others prefer to sulk together in their own parts of the Castle. Axel goes between the two of them easily, and he knows neither side cares for him much, but none of them have even considered trying to avoid him.
It's just too easy, really. That part's a little disappointing, because he has to do is push a button here and tweak a grudge there, but otherwise, the whole place is already rigged to fall. He doesn't think he'll be there longer than a few months at most, but he hopes it lasts till Sora gets the whole way through the Castle.
Axel's been wanting to meet this kid for a while now.
xii.
Sora kind of disappoints him. The kid wears his heart on his sleeve, talks loudly without thinking, and occasionally has to be coached by the dog or the duck both. Only his willingness to fight and the way he holds his Keyblade when he faces Axel are even a little familiar. The literature has always said that Nobodies share the same eyes with their Other, but Axel looks into that scowling face, too young still for such fierceness, and to him, at least, they look completely different.
It's too easy to bait him as well; a few sly words and a change in tone, and Sora's fuming like he'd like nothing better than to hit Axel till he stops moving. And that's not an unusual reaction from anyone he knows, but at least Roxas was subtle about it. It was more the way his brows drew together and twitched, or how he'd simply get up and walk away in the middle of a conversation -- the yelling and the waving of weapons was too much of what he was used to, and there was no fun in *that*.
Fighting Sora isn't at all like fighting Roxas, either; Roxas is silent focused concentration, using gravity and momentum to supplement his strength when he can -- Sora lashes blindly, hacks wildly, and yells a lot as he does.
The whole thing leaves Axel with a bad aftertaste. There's nothing of Roxas in Sora -- maybe in a dozen years the kid will grow into that certain silence, but likely not even then. Sora doesn't yet know about Roxas, but Roxas is going to be aware of Sora soon; Castle Oblivion is falling down, the witch has been spirited away, and he's still got a report to make.
Axel scuffs some of the broken pieces of building under one boot, uses his heel to grind one of the smaller pieces to powder.
xiii.
so it comes to this: where even the lowest of the lowly peons have risen up against their former lord, and he knows they will gladly rip him apart for his betrayal
but he's not ready for that, he's not gonna die like a dog in the dirt, pulled down by their fish-cold bone-white hands
he'll go out with a bang
and he can't really say
that he's terribly sorry
--end--
Tags:
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
♥
From:
no subject
This is so many billion kinds of yes. I am just saying. SO many billion kinds of yes. Yes to Axel's desires and to how unvoiced they are, to the reactions, the desire to prod and know, the comparison between ihm and Saix...
lovely.
From:
no subject
Axel's just more likely to make fun of the sound of his master's voice, even as he's doing what he inferred he's been asked to do.
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
[uses the best answer to your icon she has]
From:
no subject
... Is Axel/Riku/Roxas/Sora an OT3 or an OT4?
From:
no subject
BUT, there's also Kairi, and Namine, which makes it OT6.
--it's probably really crowded in that household, s'all I'm sayin'.
From:
no subject
Christ, why can't Axel just be Riku's Nobody and make everything SIMPLE.
...
There's something to be said when an OT6 is 'simple'.
From:
no subject
It WOULD be easier, though, so I mean. ECONOMY OF SPACE AND ALL.
maybe I'm going to hell. XD
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
Destiny Island =/= Japan, but CONSERVATION OF SPACE IS A GOOD PRACTICE. :< I'm sure they approve of it.
From:
no subject
(Really, because otherwise we're running at OT7, possibly OT8 minimum, including Riku's Nobody and Axel's... uh... Somebody?)
From:
no subject
(Oh god. To paraphrase Jaws, we're gonna need a bigger bed.)
From:
no subject
Though I'd like there to be a Reno, because you know then there might be a Vincent.
(AHAHAA. Oh man. KHII Shipping: We're Gonna Need a Bigger Bed.)
From:
no subject
(♪ Show me the way to go ho-oooooo-oooome~~~~~~~~~~)
From:
no subject
The whole thing was so playful and light and you could almost see Axel's eyes narrow a little, calculating things out...that need to work things through to the end. Oh, lovely.
From:
no subject
I suppose I got tired of all the ANGSTY SERIOUS DOOM OMG ROXAS! pre-game fics I've seen about Axel, because he strikes me as the sort of guy who laughs as you fall over his tripwire
and are messily decapitated. XDBut even those sorts can be serious too, so!
Thank you for reading♥
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
Thank you♥
From:
no subject
^_^ ♥
From:
no subject
*ICOHERENCY*
You, darling, are absolutely amazing, and I love you for it, ♥
From:
no subject
Eheh, I'm just glad you liked the fic♥♥
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
I'm so behind on D.Gray-man right now, but Khanda never fails to make me laugh.Thank youuuuuuu~~~~♥♥♥ I'm glad you enjoyed this! :3
From: (Anonymous)
no subject
Very nice, though -- the story drew me in, bit by bit, and.. How do I put this? You have a way of making the characters seem truly real, adding a line here or there that just makes it all flow together, and reading this and knowing what happens in the future just made it so bittersweet.
From:
no subject
But! Though I dunno if you shall see this, O annonymous, I went back in and added xi. :)
♥ Thanks for catching me on that. I'm glad that, regardless of my inability to count, you enjoyed the fic♥
From:
no subject
Awesome fic. And I never get tired of the Org refering to Namine as "the witch", and Roxas being such a great and serious fighter and rather unlike Sora.
From:
no subject
Thank you, I'm glad you liked this~ :3
From:
no subject
Too tired to come up with thoughtful commentary, but an awesome story.
And yay for Demyx at the beginning :)
From:
no subject
Am very glad you liked it~ :D
Demyx needs to have more wacky misadventures. But for now, he'll have to settle for taking credit for discovering the Key of Destiny.
From:
no subject
That said, this was some good writing. XD I like this take on how they met and got to be as close as they are in the game. Their personality differences make it especially fun.
p.s. Have you seen the "Axel's Hips Don't Lie" video on YouTube? It's funny and neat-o.
From:
no subject
If Axel and Roxas were a comedy duo, Roxas would completely be the "straight" deadpan one. XD I'm glad that this backstory worked~♥
And YES I HAVE SEEN THAT VIDEO. XD Then I watched the original video and the thought of Axel bellydancing like Shakira does in the real thing blew my tiny lizard brain. XD