"Roxas, what's wrong with you?" Kairi was more than a little frustrated with her doll.

Since the end of the play, things had changed. It seemed like the life had gone out of Roxas' dancing. It was still beautiful, still mechanically perfect but there was no spark there. Before, Roxas enjoyment of the dance had always shone through, making him an inspiration. Now there was nothing. That was difficult to deal with, but even worse in Kairi's opinion was the way Roxas was acting. If she didn't know better she'd have thought her toy was depressed.

"Nothing Mistress." Roxas tone was dull and Kairi would tell he wasn't reading the book he was holding, only staring at the pages. "I am fully functional."

"You could have fooled me!" Kairi sighed, standing and gripping Roxas' arm. "Come on, we're going to the gardens. Some fresh air will do you good." She vaguely remembered that sunshine and plenty of air helped depressed people. Roxas wasn't really a person but it couldn't hurt.

"Yes Mistress." Roxas followed obediently. What did it matter if he was one place or another? It was all equally meaningless. Although the bright sunshine and the beautiful gardens did make him feel a bit warmer, somehow. But that only made him want to go back indoors. He didn't want to be comforted.

"There, that's better." Kairi sat on a small bench and Roxas followed suit. He was dressed in his little toy soldier suit today and looked very pretty beside her. "Really Roxas, what's wrong? You can tell me." Roxas wavered for a moment but finally broke down. Kairi had been nothing but kind to him. If he couldn't tell her who could he tell?

"I have no partner Mistress. My partner has gone and I am alone." Roxas stared away blankly, not seeing the trees, flowers and warm sunlight. "I am a stupid doll." Axel's words were haunting him. Had the redhead rejected him because of the King or did he just not feel the same way? Was Axel not meant to be his partner after all? And did it matter? Either way he was alone.

"You are not! Who told you that?" Roxas refused to answer and after a moment Kairi sighed, gripping his shoulder. "You know, maybe we could see about buying a partner for you." Tau Li dolls were ruinously expensive though, even for a King. Roxas shook his head.

"No Mistress. You would have to send me back to them." The wizards would need to couple him with his new partner and that thought worried Roxas. He wasn't sure what it entailed. Kairi considered it for a moment.

"Well, if you don't shape up a bit we might have to." Roxas didn't react, looking away. Kairi waited a moment, then sighed and stood. "We'll talk about it some other time."

That talk never happened. Kairi's wedding was less than a year away now, and the King's Ministers began to prepare her for her upcoming nuptials. The King was no longer calling on Roxas to dance and Kairi gradually stopped summoning him just to be with him. The little doll sat in her rooms most of the time, not seeing any of the pink lace and soft, feminine decorations. He spent far more time than he needed to in the closet in his rest mode but no one seemed to notice.

Sometimes, at night, Roxas would wander the castle. Not for any real reason but because he couldn't stay in rest mode forever and sitting in Kairi's room was sometimes too much for even a toy to bear. So he wandered. And one night, in his wanderings, he happened to walk into his costume room.

Roxas stared at the costumes hanging in the wardrobe. There was a bit of dust on the dark wood but not too much. Reaching out he slowly touched the fine fabrics. Everything was here, all the special costumes he'd worn for dances and plays. Slowly sorting through the gowns Roxas touched pink and white lace and carefully pulled out the gown, looking at it for a long moment. It made him hurt in ways the little doll didn't understand but he found himself putting on the gown, pulling off the soldier costume he'd worn for weeks. Searching in the cupboards he found the brown wig and tiara, easing them on and looking in the mirror. If he pretended he could hear the music…

Roxas began to dance, delicate and graceful. His memory supplied his partner, the feel of warm hands and the sight of red hair and bright green eyes. In his mind he created beauty again, twirling and dancing to music only he could hear with a partner that existed only in his dreams. The final notes trailed off and Roxas suddenly collapsed to his knees, like a marionette with cut strings. He lowered his head sadly.

"Axel." Roxas was unaware of brown eyes watching him from behind the door.

Winter turned into spring, the seasons passing without acknowledgement. Roxas was vaguely aware of something happening, something that involved him but he didn't care. Kairi began to take notice of him again.

"Come on Roxas! It's beautiful outside. Change into a gown and put on the blonde wig." Kairi chivvied her doll along, revoltingly cheerful. Roxas sighed to himself but obediently changed into a light summer dress and a long blonde wig. It made him look like a lady in waiting. "It's easy to glum around in the winter but now its spring and you need some fresh air."

"Yes Mistress." Roxas said obediently, following Kairi into the gardens. It annoyed him how being in the gardens with their growing things really did lighten his mood. He couldn't be happy. Axel wasn't there.

"You know, Roxas, it's been a while since we talked." Of course, that was because her doll had started giving one word replies to everything. And the wedding had been consuming much of her time. "I'm going to be a married woman soon. The Prince arrived just yesterday you know."

"I did not know that Mistress." Despite himself Roxas found his curiosity rousing. "Is he nice?" Kairi smiled happily.

"He seems to be. His name is Sora. He's certainly as handsome as the pictures and he seems kind." To Kairi, those were the most important things. Anything else she could live with. "You should come meet him. Oh, and the carnival is going to be in town next week." Kairi said with artful innocence but Roxas didn't notice. He felt like his mind had suddenly seized.

"The carnival?" He echoed. "Which carnival, Mistress?"

"Mr. Pallister's Carnival of Wonders. The same one we saw about this time last year. I've already checked and they would love for you to dance again." She didn't mention that she'd plotted this with her father months ahead of time. He'd wanted to send Roxas back to Tau but she'd convinced him this was a better idea. "And that redhead is still working there. They won't be doing the Queen's Lament this year, of course, but I'm sure they could partner you with him for something else."

"Axel?" Roxas couldn't keep the yearning out of his voice. It was silly and he'd just be disappointed again when Axel left… but he couldn't care about that. He'd have his partner back, if only for a little while. "I – I would enjoy that Mistress." Glass blue eyes met brown and Roxas felt really engaged for the first time in months. Kairi smiled, patting his shoulder.

"Good! Let's go plan your costume. They're putting on Fairy Charms and I think you're going to be playing Miss Thistledown." That was a part that actually had some acting and a few short lines, but Roxas could act a bit. Then during the main fairy dance there would be a solo between Miss Thistledown and her fiancée, Mr. Singsalot. It was a rather silly play but beautiful. "I have the costumers making wings."

Roxas went willingly with Kairi and felt real pleasure again in costuming. The royal dressmakers knew his measurements by heart so it was all the pleasure of picking out fabrics and designing the gown. He couldn't be too spectacular since he wasn't the main character but Kairi had already consulted with the carnival master via magic messages, so she knew what kind of gowns the other fairies would be wearing. They were pretty assorted anyway to give the fairy dance a feel of something that could really have happened. They finally decided on a white and black gown made of light, gauzy fabric. It would be layered and would float beautifully as Roxas danced. The fairy wings would be a light blue, shining fabric on a wire frame.

Roxas was anxious as time passed, waiting for the carnival to arrive and the play to begin. He wasn't worried about his performance. His worries were solely about Axel. Would the redhead be happy to see him? Would he want to dance again? But surely he would or the carnival master would have refused to pair him with Roxas.

The carnival arrived and it felt a little surreal to Roxas, getting in the carriage again to go to the play. At least his costume was different than last time. In addition to the black and white costume, he was actually using his own hair rather than a wig. Kairi had thought the blonde spikes would be cute for a fairy.

"Your Majesty!" Mr. Pallister was there again to greet them with Axel beside him and Roxas felt a wave of déjà vu. Nothing had changed except the redhead's clothes. It was so strange. "Welcome back to the carnival. I believe you already know Axel?" He wasn't going to assume they remembered. The King nodded with a smile.

"Yes, I do from last year. Roxas was very impressed with you." Roxas vaguely wondered what the King meant. He hadn't mentioned Axel since the carnival left. But then, he had been rather obvious about his feelings while the carnival was there. Maybe that was it. "Please take good care of him." Axel nodded, looking at the little doll.

"Of course Your Majesty." Roxas couldn't separate all of his feelings as Axel took his hand, gently guiding him back to the warm up area. "Roxas… about last year. I'm sorry I called you stupid." Roxas tilted his head, looking into Axel's green eyes as the man stopped. "Have you been okay? I've heard you haven't been dancing." Axel gently touched the doll's face, marveling at how he almost felt like a real person. Roxas looked down for a moment then up again.

"I have… missed you." His tone expressed all the heartache he couldn't express with his face and Axel winced.

"You do know I'll have to leave again." Axel said softly. He couldn't help but pity the little doll. Roxas just nodded.

"I know. But what can I do? I am just a doll." The sadness in his voice was deep enough to drown in. "Axel, the future will be what it will be. For now, let's dance." Roxas wanted to focus on enjoying the moment with his partner, not worrying about what would happen afterwards. Axel seemed to understand and nodded, taking his hands.

They danced all week and every night was as beautiful as the last. Roxas felt himself losing his heart all over again as he finally had a partner again. Then came the final day of the carnival. The King stood as the cast took their final bows and spoke, his voice amplified by magic so the entire crowd could hear.

"Thank you for the amazing performance! Except for the third day, this has been a wonderful show." There was a ripple of laughter in the audience. Day three had involved a stuck trap door and an actor caught like a fly in amber half in and half out of it. "I have an announcement to make. As you all know, my daughter Kairi is being married soon, and she feels this is an auspicious time to put her childhood toys away." Roxas tilted his head as Axel tensed beside him. The King could only be referring to him but what were they doing? "Roxas has been very sad all winter missing the man who was his partner last year." That shocked Roxas. How had the King known? "So Princess Kairi has decided to make a gift of her Tau Li doll to the entire caravan and to Axel in particular. Please take him with you and show the world the beauty of his dancing." There was a wave of applause and cheers from the audience as Roxas turned, stunned, to look up into Axel's eyes. The redhead was surprised but delighted.

"Worth the wait, hey? You're going to come see the world with me!" Axel lifted the doll and spun him around much to the crowd's delight. "Have you ever traveled before?"

"Only to Tau." Roxas said breathlessly and Axel smiled. "This is so wonderful. Thank you Kairi!" He tried to call and waved to the Princess, who waved back with a smile.

She would be sad to see her doll go knew this would be the best for him. Finally after all the years he had made her happy, he could be happy in return.

~FIN~