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Roxas just sat there like he didn't hear a thing. He was completely unresponsive until a few moments later when he slowly turned his head to look over at the two. He nodded only slightly to recognize what the other blond had said. Axel frowned at the boy. He stood and helped Roxas stand. When he found that Roxas' legs were too shakey to support him, he lifted the poor being up into his arms and carried him through a portal to Demyx's room. He sat him down on the bed then sat beside him, setting a hand on his shoulder. "Rox?" he said softly, looking at Demyx worriedly when the blond didn't respond. "Dem, I don't know what to do..."

Axel nodded, looking at the smaller blond sadly. He ran his fingers through the blond locks before picking him up again. He brought him through another portal that opened to the top of the clock tower. As soon as Roxas' eyes set on the setting, he started freaking out. "NO! No get me away! No! G-Get me down!" he shrieked, thrashing around in Axel's arms. Tears poured down his face as he spazzed out. "Stop! Let me go! Get off! D-Don't go near the edge! Don't!" Axel, frozen in fear and worry, ended up dropping Roxas to the floor. The blond crawled and stumbled his way as far away from the edge as he could. He pulled his knees up and hid his face in them, sobbing loudly.

Roxas nodded slightly, not even loosening his grip on Demyx. He was nothing short of absolutely terrified. Axel saw this and began to rub his back soothingly. "You two go sit down. I'll be back with the ice cream," he told Demyx softly before heading off. As he walked down to the snack shop, he thought. Right then he felt like he and Demyx were a married couple and Roxas was their son that had just had a nightmare. Demyx was the mother willing to stay back adn hold the child until he was alright again while Axel was the father, going out to get anything the child, Roxas, needed in order to make him stop fearing that the nightmare was true. By the time his thoughts cleared out, he found himself with three sea-salt ice cream bars walking up to the other two. "Here ya go. One for each of us." He sat beside Roxas and handed it to him, the shakey blond taking it in his hand and licking it timidly. His poor body still trembling. Axel frowned as he began to eat his own, giving Demyx his. What had they done to him? He gazed over at Roxas who was staring off into space with wide eyes.

"Roxas," Vexen told him as they entered the first room. "The others had three tests, but I've decided to combine the first two for you." The monster materialized in front of Roxas. "You must defeat this monster. You have fifteen minutes when I say so. Defeating this creature will pass the first portion of the test for you and also the second. For once this monster is demolished," he paused, gesturing to his left where the clock tower stood tall. They were in front of the train station of Twilight Town. His hand raised upwards and Roxas' eyes followed it, widening once they reached the top. There Zexion stood on the edge of the tower, hands bound behind his back and a blindfold over his eyes. Three Dusks were behind him, twirling and dancing. "--it will be the Dusks' signal to throw Zexion over the edge. Zexion was found doing restricted research without I nor Xemnas' permission. And now he must be terminated so he does not leak any information. If he does not die from the fall, you will be ordered to dispose of him yours--" "Th-That's not fair!" Roxas cried. Vexen only gave him a dull, empty stare. "Pass or fail. Choose." Roxas' eyes welled with tears. It wasn't fair... It wasn't fair! He squeezed his eyes shut, Keyblades appearing in his fists.

He jumped forward.

The heartless fell.

And so did Zexion.

Axel glanced at him before looking down at Roxas. "Hey, Rox, how 'bout we go Struggle, huh?" he suggested with a smile and a nudge. Roxas looked up at him, blinked then nodded a little. Axel smiled wider and stood, leading the way to the arena. He grabbed two of the spare struggle bats and threw one to Roxas who caught it easily, throwing his popsicle stick aside. Axel got in battle stance, glancing over at Demyx, eyes shining, before looking back at Roxas. He smirked a little. "Come on, Rox. Show me what you got, so I can shoot it down with my awesometasticness," he said oh, so intelligently.

A small smile cracked on Roxas' face at Axel's ridiculous wording. He shook his head a little before leaping forward, swinging at Axel who easily dodged and sent Roxas the opposite way. "Aww, c'mon, Rox, that's not all you got. Hit me with your best shot," he taunted before hearing a slight growl of irritation from the blond who then jumped at him again, Axel countering with a block. "Ooh, that hurt, Rox. Lemme tell you. It hurt so bad I didn't feel a thing." "You're such an idiot..," Roxas mumbled as he swung at him again. "Oh, I'm sorry, Roxie-pie. I didn't hear that. Speak a little louder, please?" he teased, blocking again. Roxas huffed and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I said...you're such a..." His eyes snapped open and a grin spread across his face as he shot toward Axel. "******** idiot!" he screamed, slamming his bat into Axel's side. The redhead flew backwards, his back hitting the cement that the stage was sitting on. Axel coughed out his breath as the wind was knocked out of him. Roxas froze as soon as he heard Axel wheezing and noticed him on the ground flat on his back at Demyx's feet. "Oh, s**t... Axel, are you okay?" he called to him, dropping his bat and jumping down beside him, kneeling down and shaking one of his shoulders. Axel just grinned up at him as he regained a breathing pattern. "Good to...see you...smilin'..," he wheezed. Roxas could only roll his eyes and push him a little. "Get up... Demyx looks like he's about to pass out..," he said softly, helping Axel stand up again. Axel reached his hand back towards Demyx for the blond to hold it as Roxas helped him stand up.

Axel looked back at Demyx with questionable eyes before smiling softly and leaning down to kiss his forehead. "I'm fine, Dem, okay?" he said softly, giving him a reassuring smile. "Rox, let's get him back so he can lay down. I might lay down with him, but if not we can hang out, okay?" he told him with a smile. Roxas nodded to him, glancing at Demyx then opening a portal and making sure the other two got in safely. They were in Axel's room now. "Lay down with him to let your back rest," he told Axel quietly. "I'll...go find something to read." Axel looked at him for a moment then nodded. "Okay, Rox. Thanks. Come see me if you need to talk about anything, okay?" Roxas nodded with a small smile then left the room, heading back for the library where he planned on just curling up on any spare piece of furniture and distancing himself from everyone.

Axel helped Demyx to the bed then slid in with him, holding him close. "Sleep well, okay?" he said softly, kissing his nose and looking into his eyes.

"Probably in his room or the library. Sleep, Demyx. Before you really crash, okay?" He kissed his nose again then his lips gently before holding him close and closing his eyes, quickly drifting off.

Roxas heard someone crying as he moved to the back of the library. This caused him to slow his pace. He didn't want anyone to know where he was. He was curious, though. Not many people would have the gall to cry here... Only a few people... He peered around the corner of a bookshelf, eyes widening. "Z-Zexion?" he choked out, tears automatically flooding his cheeks. He stumbled a little as he rushed over to him, throwing his arms around him tightly and sobbing. "I th-thought y-you w-w-were..," he sobbed out, words trailing off as he cried.

Roxas just continued to sob into Zexion's shoulder, whole body shaking. "I th-thought you w-were g-g-gone... I th-thought...I..." His whole body was shaking horribly now, convulsing with every sob. "I l-love you," he sobbed, hugging him tighter.

Marluxia sat in his now-destroyed bedroom on his bed, staring off at nothing. His eyes were empty and dull. His beautiful flowers were all wilted around him, dead leaves falling off of them every few minutes. Earlier he had been so strong-looking. As soon as he had gotten to his bedroom, though, he just began destroying anything he could get his hands on.