Burning For You: Akuroku (Axel x Roxas)

Ten- Ocean of Time

Axel's POV

It seems as if days of emptiness drag by when the waves cascaded over my once fiery body. Now I am but a damp crisp of my former self as I lay in emptiness with no sense of time nor place. Just deep blue and black. I just seem to keep floating and falling. Not dying-nor living; just...there. My eye are wide, ears confused at startling silence. My finger and toes have become numb and my face cold. The lack of heat is large here but I don't freeze, only numb. Just enough frostyness to nip me in the nose- and extinguish my everglowing flames.

Pools of waves waft over me carelessly as I am submerged in the dark abyss. Finally, I fall deeper. So deep and fast I become unconscious due to severe vertigo.

When I awake I'm no longer in water, but in a puddle of it on the hatd ground. A tall, blonder version of roxas towers over me.

"You're awake." He says blatantly.

"Evidently.." I roll my eyes at the obvious and get up. I'm waterlogged and dripping wet. No use in even dusting off my cloak.

"Come to visit the organization again, have you ax?" He asks me smugly.

"Who are you?"

"Someone you don't want to mess with." He smirks wickedly and runs a hand through his light blonde hair.

I scowl at him firmly, " I fear no one. If anything, you should fear me." my hands don't burst in flames, but only smoke weakly and extinguish again. He chuckles at me.

"You? Hah! You look like a wet dog. What are you gonna do, lick me to death?!" He bursts out laughing and walks away with confidence in his step. I take my surroundings in carefully and know I'm in the underworld. Hades. Maybe he knows where Roxas is. I sigh and head into Hades' main room. I see no sign of him until I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around swiftly, flicking water droplets around me. Hades cringes as he gets splashed.

"Axel..." He sneers, "What a pleasant surprise."

I roll my eyes, "Yes, obviously. Now I need you to tell me something. Where is Roxas? I know you know, Hades." I squint at him, impatient.

"Woah, kiddo! Slow your roll! Don't you want to know how you even got here?!" He laughs at me.

"I was in water, I fell, I woke up here. Simple as that." I shrug.

"Yes, yes, but do you realize how long you were in the water?" He smirks.

"A few days." I keep a straight face.

He laughs coldly, "No. You've been in the ocean of time for 2 years. Happy 2 past birthdays, Ax!"

"What?! How? It feels like only a few days! This isn't possible." I can't believe what I hear.

"Suit yourself. Believe what you'd like but it has been 2 years. Oh, and Roxas? He's joined us. That's right, he's a member now." Hades explains in a nonchalant manner.

"He's too young and inexperienced!" I yell at him.

"We got Demyx here, and he's pretty young. I don't see why Roxas is a problem." He argues.

"But why, Hades? Why did you have to recruit him?!" I question.

"He came on his own. He had nobody to turn to, so I had Ventus persuade him on the island. He accepted awfully quick, actually. Barely any hesitation at all, in fact." He shrugs and paces slowly around the room. I take all this news in and think about it. Why would Roxas want to join them so easily? They have to be lying. But... He can't even join Organization 13! He have to be a nobody. And that kid is too passionate of a fighter to be a nobody. He can't join the organization, He should be on Destiny Islands-protecting it from the heartless and training to be stronger. Hades is lying and I know it.

"Hades, mind telling me where Roxas is? I need to speak with him." I asks hastily.

"He's with Larxene and Xemnas. They went to the Olympus Colosseum." He shrugs and I start to run out the door and cavern of the underworld but his words stop me, "Oh but, Roxas has changed. Remember that when speaking to him. He speaks of you alot. You should, feel almost special." And with those words of warning, I run off to find Roxas.