Silhouettes

Chapter 11 - Separation and Acceptance

Roxas woke in cold sweat.

Consumed by panic, Roxas flailed his arms and legs. His legs were constricted by something long and Roxas let a panicked yell escape him.

"Roxas! It's alright." 

At the sudden voice, Roxas flung out his arms and jumped back, then whatever he was on gave way to nothingness and Roxas landed flat on his backside on the floor. 

The room blazed with a low, unnatural light and a bleary-eyed and panicked Roxas saw the familiar figures of Demyx and Zexion.

Demyx's eyes were large and worried and Zexion stood behind him, his face cold and expressionless.  

"Are you alright?" Demyx asked pushing back the golden snarls of hair that was glued to Roxas' forehead. His ocean eyes searched Roxas' and Zexion said in his monotonous voice, "Who did you dream about that got you so upset?"

Roxas threw himself at Demyx and clung to him tightly and he sputtered, "H-he saw me, X-X-." 

He couldn't get the name out, Zexion dropped the serious façade, and his real feelings of worry came over as he whispered urgently, "Did Xemnas see you in your dream?" 

Demyx held Roxas soothingly and the blonde stuttered out, "I-I saw how Axel died, then when he lost his heart, Xemnas picked up a young girl and he looked right at me." The fear intensified again and then he managed to whisper, "He said I was next."

Demyx's grip tightened around Roxas who began to feel a little more comforted before he said, "Has Axel come back yet?" 

He received negatives from both Silhouettes and he leant back into Demyx, "I want him to come back, so-so I can say-"

Roxas pushed Demyx back, "That young girl! She had a sister named Larxene? She-She was dragged-..." Roxas scratched his head in frustration before untangling his legs from the knot sheets and struggling up.  

"I ha-have to see Sora."

"Roxas no." Zexion implied "You remember what happened. The Spirits will attack you, you can't go into Sora's room without suffering repercussions." 

Demyx strode forward and held Roxas back "Come on Roxas, just go back to sleep, everything will be sorted out by morning." 

Demyx set Roxas back down onto his bed and fixed the blankets over him. When Roxas made the move to get up again and start an initial fight, Demyx put his hand over Roxas forehead for a moment and Roxas fell limp.

Roxas fell back into a troubled sleep and Demyx set him back down and tucked the blankets around him, "I don't know whether or not to be scared Zexion," he whispered looking at Zexion before averting his eyes back to a sleeping Roxas.

Zexion sighed and stood back up, he began to pace the room. "I cannot shake the feeling of foreboding Demyx; I think Axel may have made a mistake. With him trying to bond with Roxas, he is feeling the after effects of it. He is seeing parts of Axel's memories. He has bonded to a part of Axel that Xemnas has! Xemnas is manipulating him from afar."

Zexion sighed and pushed his long indigo fringe back, "Then, Axel has to protect Roxas from Xemnas and even the other Silhouettes."

Demyx frowned and pouted, "The others aren't that bad Zexion, why are you so convinced that we are all so evil?" 

Zexion glared down at Demyx perched on the bed and he said in a hard voice, "Look at us Demyx, we are nothing more than demons, cursed to live a second life."

Demyx got up from the bed, "We were given a second chance Zexion, maybe it's not what we wanted, but at least we aren't mental patients anymore suffering from those accursed sicknesses."