Kingdom Hearts II (Roxas, Axel) [Week 7, Prompt 8] Title: Faded Pictures Author:lanerose Warnings: AU, spoilers Word Count: 350 Author's Notes: I have wanted to write this AU for a really long time. Summary: Roxas is no coward.
"This town is his creation, right? Which means we don't have time for a Q & A, no matter what he did to your memories. You're coming with me, conscious or not." The red-haired man extended his hands, and red and silver rings with spikes appeared in his hands. Which would be really strange, Roxas thought, if a key-shaped sword didn't show up when I do that. The man – Axel, he had called himself, started to wave the weapons.
"You don't have to threaten me! Just tell me what's going on!" Roxas threw the keyblade aside in exasperation. "None of this makes any sense!"
"Number 13. Roxas. The Keyblade's chosen one." Axel smirked. "And my best friend. We've been searching for you ever since he kid-"
A strange sound cut Axel off. Roxas turned, and another man had appeared inside the Struggle arena. Red bandages covered his head. Roxas blinked.
"So it was you," Axel said. He threw both of his weapons at the defenseless man. They vanished back into thin air before they even reached their target. The newcomer glared at Axel, then turned to Roxas.
"Roxas! This man speaks nonsense." Whoever he was, he said it like he really wanted Roxas to believe it was the truth. The blond had never made a habit of trusting people who appeared from thin air, though – Axel, at least, had walked up to him.
"Don't let him deceive you!" Axel shouted. Roxas turned to him. Deep green eyes pleaded with him.
"Roxas!" called the man in red.
"Roxas!" the red-head shouted. "Come with me!"
The blond looked back and forth between them. His memories… Haynor, and Pence, and Olette – they were real, but there they were, frozen outside the ring like everyone else in town, while these two moved and spoke with him. Could they be…? If his memories had been tampered with – And wouldn't that explain how something like a picture, or the word picture, could be - ?
Axel stretched out hand to him. Roxas took a quick breath, and grabbed it.