Date Posted: Monday, October 20th, 2008
Warnings: I suppose some slight boy-fluff.
Chapter Seven
Heaven
Axel opened his eyes wearily, holding a hand to shield his eyes as they adjusted to the sudden light. Below he could hear the train running on its rickety tracks as it made its way through the town below. He could feel the soft vibrations that emitted from the Clock Tower’s swinging pendulum. Oh yes, he knew exactly where he was.
What he didn’t know though, was how he was where he was. The last thing her remembered was helping Sora and his friends in Betwixt and Between. He remembered fading into the darkness, telling Sora how much he had wanted to see Roxas one last time…
Roxas.
Axel looked down shocked to see him - to see Roxas - sitting down along the Clock Tower edge, his knees to his chest, his eyes closed tightly. Axel’s own eyes widened at the sight of his friend - the friend he was sure he would never get to see again. Where were they? How was this even possible?
Axel had faded away - he knew that. But, if that were the case, then… where was he know? Where was Roxas? Were their consciousness meeting - what was left of them anyways? Was this the next life? Axel shook his head, this had to have been a dream; it just had to.
He looked down toward his feet, finding a small, square, white box. Immediately he knew just what it was. He knew that if he were to open the lid, he would find two blue ice cream bars staring back at him - just like how it used to be.
Axel turned to look back at the red and orange sky in front of him, his mind relaying thoughts from that day - the day they first met.
"Do you know why the sun looks red as it sinks below the horizon? It's because among the countless colors comprising light, red travels the greatest distance."
“You’re just trying to show off, Axel!”
Axel closed his eyes, letting the memories invoke him like they so often had.
“I’ll be the one in charge of training you,” Axel smirked, “I’ve made it here.”
Axel opened his eyes, looking to his side. Was it his fault this was the way things turned out? Could things have worked out differently in the end, or was this all the workings of inevitable fate?
“I’m your friend, which is why I’m telling you…”
Axel’s eyes shot over to the boy sitting down on the Clock Tower’s edge. His eyes had slowly opened, adjusting to the surroundings just like Axel had before him. “Finally woken up?” Axel said, looking away from the boy, back to the red-orange sky in front of them.
“Axel,” the boy said, looking up at the red-head.
The red-head titled his head slightly, not keeping his eyes off of the sun that was beginning to set in the distance. He didn’t dare to look at the boy, not yet. Was it too hard to look at him, knowing that after so long, this could be the last time he ever saw his best friend? He wasn’t sure, all he knew was that there was something that was keeping his eyes focused straight on the horizon.
“Nope,” Axel said with a small sigh hidden within his voice, “Maybe you’re going to sleep.” He titled his head the other way, though the change was hardly noticeable, even to himself. “Soon, I won’t even be able to talk to your consciousness like this.”
Roxas looked away from Axel, down at the Twilight Town below his feet, where everything seemed still and calm with the exception of the train that was making its rounds. He imagined that he saw Hayner, Pence, Olette down below, being happy. But when he blinked, there was nothing there. “I…,” Roxas began, letting his shoulders fall, “I’m going back to how I was.” He continued to stare down, almost feeling like he was betraying Axel by wanting to be whole again.
“I’ve thought about it a lot,” Axel said as he lowered himself down. He put his feet over the edge of the Clock Tower, sitting down beside the friend that he had missed so much - that he knew he would continue to miss. “Naminé said the same thing.” He still wouldn’t look at him, not wanting to face the facts. But he knew - he knew that he would have to do it - and if not now, then when would he ever be able to? “Roxas…,” the red head said, his eyes focusing on the ground for one last second before turning to the blond - to his best friend, “you have a heart, don’t you?” He turned away from him again. “While Naminé and I… we don’t really have hearts, do we?”
Roxas turned away from the redhead’s stare, knowing that whatever he was going to say would most likely disappoint him - and he was tired of having done that to him, so many times before. “I… I don’t know either,” he lied.
“I guess not...,” Axel said turning to look back at the horizon. His arm lay upon his bent knee as he let out an exasperated sigh. Nothing was ever easy when you’re nothing.
“But,” Roxas began, noticing the effects of his last comment on the red head, “the heart’s not something that you can see. I’ve started wondering whether it’s something you can’t feel either… If so, then… Nah, never mind.” How he wanted to tell Axel that maybe - just maybe - he also had a heart. But even he knew that wasn’t the case. How could he continue to lie to Axel, after everything?
“Hmm?” Axel said, turning to look at the boy in interest. “What were you getting at?” Axel knew what Roxas was trying to say, but he wanted to hear it from the boy’s lips. It had to come from him, or else it meant virtually nothing.
“I’m sure Sora’ll find the answer,” Roxas said, “because he’s me.” Roxas could only hope that Axel didn’t see the true meaning behind this - that he, Roxas, knew the answer.
“Yep, that’s true,” Axel said turning away. He knew what it meant, like before, but he knew bringing it up wouldn’t do anything for the two of them. And so, he reached over to the small box on his right, and opened it up. He looked down at the sky blue ice cream pops that stared back at him - knowing that this would probably be the last time that he would ever have one with him.
He presented the Sea Salt Ice Cream to Roxas, who jumped a little in surprised before taking it in his gloved hand. He stared down at the ice cream, memories filling him over - just like they had Axel previously.
“This really takes me back,” Axel said, as if reading Roxas’ mind. “D’you remember? We first met the day you got your new name. And then we watched the sunset from up here.”
Roxas swallowed the piece of ice cream that he had bitten off. “Yeah,” he said, biting off another piece of sky blue. “This is where I came from. Everyone… Hayner, Pence, Olette. I hope they’re okay.”
Axel looked down at the sound of their names. The people that Roxas had became attached to in that lie of a world. The people that Roxas was so willing to leave him for. It wasn’t his fault though, Axel knew that. “You should go and see them again,” he said, thinking it was the best thing to say, “looking for your answer.”
“Yeah… So… I have to go,” Roxas said, not looking at the red-head. “Sora’s waiting for me.”
Axel turned away, letting his head tilt in a disheartened fashion. “Yeah,” he said, not wanting to admit that this was it - that this would be the actual end. “I guess he is…” He bit off a large chunk of the ice cream, keeping his face free from Roxas’ eyes. “Whoa, this ice cream is really salty!” he said, his voice quivering as he said it. Truth be told, the ice cream was no saltier than usual.
A light began to emit around Roxas. The boy, his golden hair swaying slightly in the wind as he turned to look at his red-haired friend, smiled. “See you, Axel.”
A light surrounded Axel as well, as he looked at the boy in a state of dejection. “See ya, partner,” he said, not trying to fake a smile. He watched as his friend disappeared from view - knowing that this was it - that
this was the end, and a single tear fell from his face.
The End
