Chapter One: Falling in Love is a Tragedy
There's nothing more heartbreaking than falling in love. I started out as the quiet kid, honestly, I'm never really sure what to say when I'm around people. I kinda just… do as a I do I guess. I don't really think about it, or anything really, I'm just nervous. But you know. Drawing someone's interest is always inevitable. They see you, they think, "hey, wow, that person's kinda cute, I wanna talk to them," and so the greatest modern tragedy beings. Soon, you become friends. Then you become more than friends. Later on down the road, one of you winds up with their heart shattered to where they feel heartless, full of an empty void that no one can fill. I'm Roxas Hikari. This is my Tragedy.
I'm a Sophomore in High School, the big one six, sixteen years old. I'm not going to feed you some garbage about it being hell. Then again, my High School experience isn't exactly normal. I go to school at Destiny High, a lucrative school on the center of Destiny Islands. That's right, THE Destiny Islands, the penultimate vacation resort for those who live in the lap of luxury, the number one spot in the world for filming reality TV, RomComs, and the biggest venue for musicians everywhere. The Everest of the entertainment business. As a result, everyone here is a bit of a character. Want to go to school with bright, blue hair, wearing a suit of armor? Totally fine. Really, anything goes around here. Are you the sporty type? This is the place for you. Destiny Islands has something for everyone.
And, regretfully, someone for everyone. More on that later.
Anyway, I'm a musician. A bit of a cliche, I know, but I'm having a guitar in my hands is where I find comfort. I skateboard as well, I'm decent at Blitz, although I prefer struggle- I just try to be involved where I can. My brother, Sora, is the same, except everyone loves him. His smile is contagious, and when he enters the room he's the center of attention, and he's totally comfortable with it. I just wish he didn't feel the need to drag me along with him. Which, sadly, is exactly what happened today, the day that would mark the catalyst of me becoming heartless. It's funny. You wake up on a day that changes your life, and it's just like any other; the sun is shining, there's a couple clouds overhead, and you can faintly hear birds outside chirping.
Anyway. This is my tragedy.
*(HEARTACHEHEARTBREAKFORHEARTSAKE)*
The air vibrating jolts me from sleep seconds before Sora bursts through the door into my room. Just a few more hours… please…
"Good morning Roxas! It's a beautiful day! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, let's go out and play!" Why? Why me? Who's puppy did I kick in a past life?
"Go… away…" I groan out, a dull ache lancing through my skull. When you first wake up, you typically have about two minutes to go back to sleep before your body starts itself for the day.
"No can do, oh brother of mine! I promised mom to take you out today, and out we shall go! Besides, Riku is already here," comes Sora's instant, jovial response. I grunt in annoyance. Once Sora makes up his mind, it doesn't matter how obnoxious he has to be- he's gonna do it no matter what. Oh sweet comfort known as bed, I shall return to your embrace as swiftly as possible!
"Fine, you win. Lemme get dressed."
"I do? I mean of course I do!" Sora practically bounces out of the room. That guy… has way too much energy. I honestly question how we're related. I walk into the bathroom, and start brushing my teeth, briefly looking at myself in the mirror, examining my hair to see if it needs adjusted. Where my hair is blonde and almost wavey, Sora's is naturally has spikes jutting out in every direction. Where he has an olive skin tone, I'm almost pale in comparison. Honestly, if I didn't know better, I'd say our mom had an affair. Except we're twins. Yeah. I don't understand how either, fuck genetics. After sufficiently setting my hair, I tugged on a pair of loose fitting Khaki shorts, and a white T-shirt with a black crown emblazoned on the front.
Damn I look good.
Feeling confident in my looks, I go down stairs to meet Sora. We're fairly wealthy, but not from leisure. Our mom and dad are constantly working and taking trips around the world to conduct business, and as a result we're often home alone. Honestly, both Sora and I pretty much take care of ourselves.
"Took you long enough, princess. You lose your glass slipper?" A familiar voice asked. Riku, the handsomest pretty boy on the island. Girls at our school can't get enough of him. He's tall, with long, silver hair, a muscled frame, and a pair of blue eyes that matched the surrounding ocean. A total teenage heartthrob. Which makes sense, seeing as he's a lead role in the islands famous tv show, "Finding Destiny". It's a reality show that set at our school, and is immensely successful with a huge audience back on the continent. I can hardly stand the guy. With a snort, I ignore him.
"Where are you dragging me this time?"
"The beach man! Where else!" my brother grins wide, "Who knows! Maybe you'll finally get a girl~," he winks. I snort. It wasn't so much that I couldn't get a girlfriend, I just really was too shy. I'd "dated" before, if you could call it that, I mean, having your parents drop you off somewhere and then pick you up an hour and a half later. I never understood that whole gag, if I'm honest. I shuffle into a pair of loose skating shoes, and follow the pair out the door.
"I think you should worry more about getting Kairi to give you the time of day before you worry about me, yeah?" I shoot back.
"Hey now, Roxas, no need to bring her up. This is all part of my plan-"
"Ah yes, the good old 'I'm too nervous to actually approach you and tell you how I feel, so I'm going to crack jokes and blush every time you touch me'. Totally is gonna work. Sora, she's had feelings for you for years. Quit dragging your feet," I laugh.
"Whatever. You've got girls literally asking YOU to go out with them, when have you ever asked a girl out," Sora whines. He's right, though. That's how it had always been, I was way too shy to ever actually approach a girl. Hell, getting a girl's number makes me nervous. But, I digress.
"Don't lie to him Roxas, Kairi is totally into me. How couldn't she be," RIku interrupts, and begins flexing his arms.
Douche.
"Fuck off, Riku. You've already got a thing going with Xion."
"And you'd have a thing with Kairi if you'd pull your head out of the sand."
"What do you mean pull my head out of the sand!?" seconds later, a dull thud resounds as Sora falls face first. Riku laughs and starts jogging down towards the beach, and Sora clambers up and chases after him, sputtering and spitting sand. I chuckle, and lean against the pier, and stare out at the ocean. I reach into my pocket and pull out a cigarette, and take a smooth drag. I'd recently picked up smoking. Not my proudest habit, but hey, you've gotta do what you have to do. Riku and Sora had always been like this. Since before kindergarten, they'd been inseparable, more like brothers than Sora and I. I don't mind. I'm comfortable just watching, knowing that Sora's happy. Life is a lot simpler if you play the bystander, I've always thought. Besides, I've got the same thing going with Axel.
Anyway, the ocean, right? Now, this is going to seem so cliche, but bear with me. There's nothing like the sea, especially here at the Islands. It's endless, a symbol of eternity. I look out, and it stretches to infinity. The constant crashing of the waves down on the sand below. The sun bearing down from over head, causing the beautiful blue reflection of the waves. It's beauty. Endless, constant, and eternal. From the cool breezing, to the rushing waves, everything about it is comforting, and reminds you just how small you are and how little everything matters.
"Mind if I bum a hit off you?" A voice interrupts my musings. She's…
Gorgeous.
She's blue. That's the first thing I noticed. Specifically, she has the most shocking blue hair and eyes. Her eyes. They're the same color blue as the ocean. Eyes that are Eternity.
"Uh… hello?" Shit. You look like a freak Roxas.
"Yeah, sorry, it's been a hell of a morning," I try to laugh it off, and I slide another cigarette out of the pack, and hand it to her. She slips it between her velvet lips, before turning to my again.
"Think you could light me up?" I fumble into my pocket, and pull out my lighter. She leans in, and her scent washes over me. Blueberries. Everything about her… With a quick flick, a light her cigarette, and her presence glides away. She takes a slow drag, and softly exhales.
"Thanks. Those two yours?" She gestures towards Riku and Sora, who are currently splashing each other and kicking sand. I groan.
"Yeah, they're mine," I sigh. Those two would never grow up.
"It must be nice, having a friend like that. Someone you never have to pretend with," she remarks. I nod, a slight smile creeping its way onto my face.
"Roxas, right?" I look up, somewhat startled.
"We go to school together. I'm in your chemistry class. Sorry, am I being weird?" I laugh.
"No, you're fine. Crazy, I would've thought I'd remember seeing you," I look at her sideways and grin. Her face is soft, somewhat angular, and smooth. She's wearing a dark blue tank top, and pair of tight fitting black shorts, exposing her rather flattering figure.
"I'm kinda new, it's my first year here. I sit in the back, don't really talk all that much, y'know?" I wish she did. Her voice is music to my ears. Oh god. What are these feelings?
"Yeah, that makes sense. How are you liking the islands?"
"They're… and experience. It's odd. Everyone's constantly in the spotlight. That's why you kinda stand out, you're always keeping to yourself. Dark, handsome, and mysterious. You're a real triple threat to us girls, aren't you?" She says slyly.
I break out coughing. Is she flirting with me? She laughs, and my heart races. She is sin, and I am a sinner.
"Listen, I've gotta run, I'm supposed to be working. Tell you what," She reaches her hand between the valley of her breasts, and a pen materializes into existence. She grabs my hand, and begins writing on my palm.
"Shoot me a text some time. We can hang out, study for Chemistry or something. Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky," she winks, and my stomach clenches. This girl… She turns around, and beings walking back up the stairs of the pier.
"Hey, wait. What's your name?" I ask dumbly. What. A. Idiot. She snorts, and looks over her shoulder.
"Aqua. Text me, dickhead," she waves over her shoulder.
Aqua. Water. So fitting, for someone so much like the ocean. She's just… so beautiful. Breathtaking. I stand, flabbergasted.
What the hell just happened.
"Roxas~~~" FUCK. "Who was that~?" Of course Sora would notice. He may be dumb as hell, but the guy is way too observant.
"Aqua. Just met her," I reply curtly.
"What'd she write on your hand, skater boy?" Riku asked, his hand darts out, catching my wrist.
"This is…" Riku begins, slightly shocked.
"YOU GOT HER NUMBER? YOU JUST MET!" My brother exclaims. I jerk my arm back roughly and give Riku an agitated glare.
"Not all of us are too chicken shit to hit on a girl, Sora," Totally going to ignore the truth of me not actually asking for her number, nor actually hitting on her. What Sora doesn't know hasn't ever hurt him.
"Fuck off! Look, I'm just taking my time, y'know, waiting for the perfect, special moment-" Yeah, what a load of shit. But at least it'll get him off my case if I let him keep talking. Riku joins in and pokes fun at Sora, flustering him further. Those two have an odd dynamic, I swear. Aqua. What are these feelings you've sparked…?
"Anyway, speaking of Kairi, she texted me just a bit ago. Her and her friends are out my Paopu beach, and since we're at the beach already, I figured we'd go meet with them there!"
"That's okay, you guys go on ahead, I'm gonna see what Axel-"
"Axel's there with Larxene. Come on~ Roxas, what else are you gonna do today?" Sleep. Play guitar. Do things I want to. I hate you so much, oh brother of mine. With a long suffering sigh, I relent.
"Fine."
"You should be more grateful. Quit acting like its a chore to spend time with friends. Be happy. Someday soon, we're all gonna go on a journey and find a world that's ours out there for the taking. And we might not be together anymore. Enjoy the times we have, that way when it's over, it doesn't feel like such a far off dream," Riku cuts in.
"I don't really consider you a friend. You're more of an arrogant douchebag I tolerate because Sora likes you."
"Alright you two, no need to be so hostile, there's enough of me to go around for the both of you," Sora jokes, and both Riku's and my face crinkle in disgust. Whatever. Pretentious prick. Xion's way too good for him.
"Hey we're here. Lemme call Kairi," Sora says, and reaches into his pocket. He has Kairi on speed dial…? "Hey Kai-, yeah we're here-, u-uh yeah, we're up by the ice cream shack," At this, I perk up. Ice Cream? Oh yes. Yes indeed.
Living on the Island has given me a bit of an addiction to a cold treat. The best cold treat.
Sea Salt Ice Cream. Salty, but surprisingly sweet. The sharp contrast of flavor, the slight blue tinge of the popsicle, the cool, refreshing taste; all work together to create a divine snack that's a tribute from the goddess of the sea herself. Axel introduced it to me. It was actually how we met, crazily enough. I smile fondly in remembrance. We sit at a picnic table adorned with an umbrella overhead that blocked the harsh rays of the sun while we waited for Kairi to show up. I briefly excuse myself to partake in my mostly harmless addiction. I hand over my munny for the treat. It's blue, light blue, almost the same shade of her eyes…
Aqua. I wonder when I'll see you again.
I shake my head to clear my thoughts. My hand involuntarily comes up, and runs through my hair, resting just above my neck on the back of my head. Man, this is all so unlike me…
"Roxas~, Roxy, the Rox. Of course I'd find you here." A grin splits across my face like lightning.
"Get real. It's your fault, anyway, Axel!" Have I introduced him yet? Axel, my best friend, my constant companion, and most importantly, my brother in all but blood. Speaking of blood, that's the color of his hair. Blood red. I guess crazy hair is a quirk of us islanders. His hair is spiky like mine and Sora's, but longer, and swept back in a stylized way that's oddly fitting. Two blue, teardrops tattoos rest just below his green eyes, and his tall, lanky figure causes him to stand out in a crowd. As per the status quo, he, too, is remarkably handsome, like most guys here on the island. I guess it's a money thing; money attracts beauty, and beauty attracts money. That probably explains why Destiny Islands is one of the leading economic strongholds in the world, complete with its own private military.
"Awe, you let me have that much sway over you? I'm flattered," He says, a goofy grin adorning his face. He drops his arm over my shoulders, and leads me back to the group, who'd arrived while I was standing in line for my taste of divinity.
"May I present, his royal eminence, the prince of us nobodies, Roxas!" False cheers erupt from the assembled group who were all sitting around at the collection of picnic tables. We sit at a table apart from the rest of the group. The waves crashed on the sand a few meters away, the sand is warm beneath our feet. Laughter and idle chatter fill the area, and I take in everyone. Sora, Kairi, Riku, Xion, Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus. And me and Axel. It was strange, seeing Xion, and acquainting her with a different group other than my own.
"Crazy, huh? Once upon a time, it was us and her. Our little Xion's become her own little lady without us," Axel says softly, looking at me knowingly. Damn him. He always could tell exactly what I was feeling.
"Jeez, you really like to talk my ear off. What's up with you, Roxas?" Axel pokes me roughly in the side. With a scowl, I smack his hand away.
" It's just bullshit. We're her friends, and look at her. She's practically ignoring us and throwing herself at him, and he doesn't even appreciate it! We're the ones who've always been-"
"I'm gonna cut you off right there, Roxy. We're all best friends. So, anything you say to me, you should also say to her, and if you say anymore, I'm gonna feel obligated to tell her. I don't keep secrets from either of you. Just listen to me for a second," he says when I try to interrupt. "She's in love, Roxas. She's chasing after a dream to complete her heart. Isn't that what we're all trying to do? Cut her some slack. Until Riku breaks her heart, as her friends, we should be encouraging her to find happiness. And if Riku does hurt our little girl…" Axel grins menacingly, and I feel myself mirroring him. We both break out laughing, and my smile softens.
"Since when did you start sounding actually smart?"
"Probably around the same time I realized that I, too, found someone I think is going to complete my own heart," my redhead companion responds, lightly shoving me with one arm. I laugh again.
"Get real. Larxene probably has you conditioned well, finally," I flick my wrist, and make a whooshing noise in an attempt to mimic the crack of a whip. "Where is Larxene, anyway?" Axel chuckles, but says nothing to refute my claim.
"Club Oblivion, she works there full-time, now." Club Oblivion is actually one of the hottest spots on the Island for tourisms, and is renowned for hosting massive raves nightly. I, and twelve others work their fairly regularly, Axel included. The pay is amazing, and we're all fairly tightly-knit. "I was actually thinking of heading there tonight. I'd be honored if the checkered king accompanied me?" Axel asks mockingly. There's nothing wrong with wearing checkered clothing. Fuck off.
"Maybe. Going with the Flurry of Dancing Flames sounds a little too flashy for me," I shoot back, making him scoff.
"Those nicknames are so dumb. I have no idea who let Demyx make them stick." My head nods. Demyx, one of Oblivion's three DJ's. He's one of the quirkier of the group.
"At least he only uses the one for you. Between "Our Prince," "The Key of Destiny," and "The Oath of Light," I'm having a bit of an identity crisis," I joke. Axel snorts.
"You gonna play tonight? It's been a while." Yeah it has. Why not. It's been a while since I was last on stage.
"Sure. Text Xigbar for me, tell him to add me to the lineup."
"Alright alright alright, fight fight fight. You go, Roxy, give 'em a hell of a night."
"What? You're playing with me. Text Demyx he's playing bass for me tonight as well," Axel's face drops, and he lets out a resigned sigh. I snicker. Axel, Xion, and I all played in a band together, once upon a time. We performed exclusively at Oblivion, and were a pretty huge name. Then school picked up and started beating all of our asses and we took a bit of a hiatus.
"Betcha Xion's pissed when she finds out and you didn't ask her," Axel smartly states.
"Probably. I'll deal with it when we cross that bridge. I wouldn't want to get in the way of her trying to complete her heart, now would I?" I retort sarcastically.
"Hey now, don't use my words against me, I was just giving you my honest thoughts you little shit." I roll my eyes, and give flip him the bird.
"Whatever. I'm gonna head back to my house and get ready for tonight. Later,'' I stand and say, and wave to Sora, letting him know I was leaving.
"Alright, Roxy. I'll see you tonight. And don't let this whole business with Xion eat you up, yeah? We're all still best friends. Got it memorized? Cause if you do, I'm not buying you any ice cream after the show." Damn him for knowing the key to my heart. I roll my eyes.
If only things were simple, and friends didn't grow apart.
Palm trees and street lights styled to look like totem poles line the sides of the street next to the sidewalk and catch my eye as I'm walking back to my house. A beautiful blue and gold bird darts from the top of one of the streetlights as I approach, bringing me back to the blue menace that had taken root in my thoughts since this morning. I look down to my hand, where she'd written her number, and an idea took root. I reach into my pocket, and whip out my phone. Quickly, I dial in the number. My thumbs furiously enter in a text.
Hey, it's Roxas. I know it's pretty sudden, but I'm going to Club Oblivion tonight. If you're free, you should come! I hear there's gonna be a surprise show! -Sent 3:03 p.m
Nervously, I keep walking, holding my phone in my hand and keeping an eye on the screen. Minutes that stretch on for hours pass by, and my heart pounds roughly in my chest. Suddenly, my screen lights up and my phone vibrates, notifying me of a text.
Wow, four hours later and you're already trying to take me out, you sure move fast, huh, pretty boy. Sure, y the hell not. I get off at 6, I'll meet u there at 9? -Read 3:21 p.m
A blush burns across my face, and my lips turn slightly upward in bemusement.
Yeah, Sounds amazing. Text me when you get there, finding me shouldn't be too hard -Sent 3:22 p.m
My lungs fill with air and I am exhilarated. My knees feel like they're shaking, as I open the door to my house and quickly head up to my room. I grab my guitar, faithfully named Oathkeeper, and check its tuning, and strum a few chords. Still tuned. I'm not too worried about sound equipment, they have plenty at Oblivion, most of it being mine anyway. The next step? Physical presentation. This is actually just as important as having actual talent here on the Island. Beauty is like water here; you need it to survive. That means you've got to have the best threads, the best accessories, the cleanest look- you've gotta look your best, especially when you get on stage. That's why most stage performers have a theme. Mine? Checkers. Black and white, exact contrast and equilibrium. Total balance. You might think that's bland and simplistic, and yeah, it kind of is. But, simplicity in itself is beautiful. It's straightforward, easy to understand, and the message doesn't get lost in all the extra bullshit. Which is also the same style of my music. So, it fits. Plus, I look damn good in a black tank top, checkered belt, and white jeans. Years of participating and being a finalist in Struggle has left my body well-toned, and honestly, if you've got it, you might as well flaunt it. So I do.
With a mild grunt of exertion, I slide the strap of my guitar on and rest the guitar on my back. I grab my keys, and head on down to the garage. My father serving as a top tier member of SOLDIER, and my mother's corporate savvy has left us fairly wealthy, and as you can imagine, it shows. I slide my guitar down into the passenger seat of my 918 spyder, on which the light of the garage overhead reflects off of the onyx and silver paint. I lean back into the seat, and a small breath leaves my chest as I turn the keys and the engine purrs to life. Once the door to my garage lifts all the way up, my foot stomps on the gas pedal and I wheel out, and adrenaline rushes through my body, making me lightheaded in the best you aren't going fast, you're not really living. The landscape blurs as I fly through the suburbs and onto the interstate leading downtown. I look down at the speedometer and smirk. One-twenty? Weak. I press the pedal further down and weave in and out of traffic. Really, who gives a teenager access to a luxury car and expects him to drive reasonably?
In what feels like seconds, I arrive at Club Oblivion. Lexaeus sees my car and waves me into premium parking, to one of the thirteen spots reserved for members with shares in the club. The doors lift, and I slide out of my car, waving Lexaeus over.
"Gimme a hand here, big guy." He regards me with a bemused look when I hand him my guitar, and give him a lazy grin. He shakes his head, and gestures at me to follow him. See, this is why I like Lexaeus. It's all straightforward with him.
"Zexion is annoyed. He thought he'd be on tonight," Lexaeus says quietly, his voice not much more than a deep rumble.
"Yeah, sorry about that, this is all kinda spur in the moment. Blame Axel," I sheepishly remark. I follow him closely, feeling nostalgia as I walk through the rear entrance of the club. Club Oblivion really stands out. Mostly because it's a castle. Literally. Even more astounding is it's surreal style, with walls and designs that seem to be flipped in orientation, and a startling combination of gold, white, and turquoise characterizing the exterior design. The interior is white-washed, with intricate, geometric designs, floating glass stairs leading to upper levels, and carved marble columns giving structural support. A large bar, manned by Luxord, Larxene, and often Axel stretches across the side of the main atrium-style central room. Thirteen thrones sit in the back in a semi-circle, divided from the rest of the room with a light blue rope suspended by various pedestals with the club symbol carved into the front. In the center of the collection of thrones is the dj booth on a raised stage platform, where Demyx is controlling the music playing in the club. This club represents our dream, one that we'd worked on for the passed four years, and finally completed after Xemnas had came into a fair bit of money from his elderly grandfather who passed away. Being in it always made me happy, and honestly, proud to have been a part of something that means so much to so many different people. We'd all run odd jobs, doing whatever we could to scrounge up cash, dedicating hours after hours into finding a great venue, getting conceptual designs, finding people who were interested in donating; this is each of our greatest passion. I missed being here.
"You're on in an hour, Roxas," Zexion seemingly materializes behind me. His long blue hair covers one of his eyes, and his face is tucked in front of a notebook filled with numbers that he's constantly writing. Zexion doubles as both an accountant and a DJ. Honestly, he's a decent guy. Doesn't talk much, though. Which just makes me like him more, if i'm totally honest.
"Yeah. Alright." I nod. I've missed this feeling.
A/N: Something a little new. Not what I typically write. But, you know, this one is gonna be therapy for me. Expect an update soon. Heads up. This one is 100% original, and from the heart. I don't really care if you like it. It's raw, it's painful, and I'm going to write it. And it's gonna get rough, you're probably going to be crying right there with me because believe me, when I have to write some of the parts I'm going to, I'm going to be sobbing too. I hope you like it, and to those who can relate? I hope this helps.