AN: Hopefully, this is a chance to redeem myself.

I really tried with this one.

Parings: AkuRoku with a side of SoRiku

Rating: M? If I keep going with this story. If it's good. I will.

Oh yeah, Disclaimer: Squeenix and Disney get to have all the fun.

Sekai

Namine // First Person

My name is Namine. My two brothers and I visited the graveyard today. We stood in a warm spring day, clad in black, talking silently to our departed parents.

Roxas and Sora are both eighteen now, while I'm still sixteen. I go to a boarding school where my parents left me, while my brothers enjoy their lives in some prestigious college. Sora is exactly thirteen minutes older than Roxas; a fact that he's never let us forget.

That is, when we used to be a little more expressive. Ever since exactly one year ago, my siblings and I have always coexisted regularly. Lately, however, things have been quite the opposite. And while that doesn't mean much for me, now at boarding school, Roxas and Sora have extremely turned away from their usual personalities. We Strife children used to be very close.

I suppose I can attest to the imbalance of my brothers' dispositions. Our parents left us with everything: money, land, and the family business to my brothers. We were also given a title in the tabloids. Our family has been no stranger to the news, and by extension, to the world. Anywhere the media has access, for that matter. If our family name has not already been known by the business world, our parents' murder would have done the job.

Perhaps this is the reason why my brothers have been so out of it. Even far far away in my boarding school, filled with children who have rich and/or famous parents, people have treated me differently. Attention from random strangers has definitely increased: the whispering, the staring, the whispering while staring, making it a clear indication of who they're talking about! This had all started since the loss of my parents and hasn't died down completely. I guess Roxas and Sora have had it worse.

Roxas and Sora haven't been strangers to the media. No, the outside world always loves to use rich people as their meat. Both my brothers have a criminal record. Roxas has gotten into trouble for things like underage drinking, drunk driving and anything related to his constant possession of alcohol. He's also been in a few fights on the street. Sora likes to experiment with drugs. He was once stopped for speeding and was found to be in possession of roofies, ecstasy, meth and other kinds of narcotics.

One explanation: Money can do nearly everything. They've been to court many times but never in jail. Dad always vouched for them. It makes me happy to see that my father had really fought to keep our family together. Now that he's dead, they've seen the light and stopped getting into trouble, or have just gotten better at keeping things under the radar. What are the odds it's the first one?

My father built many things in his lifetime. He started our family business about fifteen years ago. It's mainly a weaponry manufacturer along with its side dish of chemical engineering. We basically make and sell anything from knives, to guns to war tanks. It's very big internationally.

Sora, being the eldest, is becoming the director once he's twenty one. By then, he will hopefully have learned all he can about the company and studied the logistics and technique of running a business. He has some pull in the not-so-immediate matters of the corporation, but for now, he's under the tutelage of Riku Leonhart. Riku is the company's second in command who had gladly taken it upon himself to act as sort of an advisor. Sora is in good hands. I have high hopes for him.

Currently we own many establishments aside from the main feature. We own a few hotels around the globe, some casinos, a restaurant here and there, a couple of convenience stores and other individual places. Incoming money from here acts as an allowance for me and my brothers. Roxas and Sora get fifty percent of the hotels, casinos and such, while the rest goes to their college tuition and for the house. I get one hundred percent of restaurants and retail store profits since I don't live at home, my college fund is set aside and my school's already paid for. All the money coming from Strife Enterprises goes to the family savings.

Some might be thinking: 'my brothers weren't technically adults until three months ago. Money can do lots of things but not as openly as three kids, two of which have a criminal record, living by themselves without a legal parental guardian.' My mother's brother is kind of living with us. We don't exactly see him except on holidays and surprise inspections, but we get all his mail and he has a room somewhere in our mansion collecting dust. He really lives in a penthouse in one of the hotels our family owns. That particular hotel has a casino as its main attraction for which Luxord has wholeheartedly embraced. He's there almost all the time, working as a dealer or "otherwise."

Our lifestyles haven't exactly been docile, but we cope. We are pretty much set money-wise for the rest of our lives. All that my brothers and I have to do is grow up.

It is now Friday and I am living back at home for the weekend. Our attendants bring us dinner in the dining room, and we eat together like a family: Sora taking his place at the head of the rectangular slab, and Roxas and I facing each other from across the narrower side. We eat silently. Silence used to be awkward, but now I suppose we choose to ignore it. I can't help but think this is a feeble attempt to make things the way they used to be.

Before that life-altering day, being at the table was such a happy reunion. Not one meal had being eaten in silence. Even if someone had had a bad day, we would always escape that world and be with family. Roxas and I would be sitting beside each other in front of Sora, and mom and dad would take the heads of the table. I can only remember the myriad of conversation topics in my mind: My first day of school; the day Roxas got into a fight at school; the day Sora got his driver's permit; the day my brothers announced that Sora was gay and that Roxas was bi; the day they told me what being gay and bisexual was; the day my mother told her children that she was pregnant again. The memories coursed so on and so forth as I start on my garden salad and chicken kiev.

Sora looks tired. He greeted me earlier as he returned home from work. We talked for a bit in the living room, catching up. Sounds to me like he's doing lots at the office. He talked to me about how he had to review some résumés today and that he'd be interviewing a few people on Monday. It must be fun to be the head of something and have all that power. Sora also told me about Riku and how much he's learned over the past couple of months. Riku, the adopted son of a family friend. I hope he's treating my brother well. Sora spoke highly of him, so I'm not too worried.

I look across the table to see my brother Roxas. He's barely touched his food, yet of course the wine glass is being refilled. Oh Roxas. I hope he's healthy. Talking to him before he went off to school, he hasn't changed since we'd seen each other at Christmas. This afternoon, he looked terribly solemn. I hope it's because we went to visit our parents and not a usual thing. He's always been an introvert, but it used to be different with me or the family. I hope he's been happier.

After dinner, everyone went their separate way in the house. Sora went to bed and Roxas went into his study. I retired to the living room to draw a little before going to sleep. I've always loved drawing. I suppose you could say it's a way to express myself non-verbally. Before, it was my way of coping. Nowadays, it's more of a hobby and routine. I can draw many things whether infront of me or just clearly in my mind. Tonight I shall draw my brother, Roxas.

Roxas // Third Person

Roxas sat leisurely in a big, red chair in the den, drink at hand. Blue eyes; unfocused, unseeing, were nonetheless fixated on the fireplace in front of him. His countenance was bare, as the flames danced along the contours of his milky face. The blond lifted the thick glass to his lips and swallowed the rest of the liquor in it. As it burned its way down his chest, a firm knock on the door pulled the man out of his trance. He responded just as stalwartly. "Enter."

The door opened. Roxas languidly rose from his leather chair to face the man who entered. The cheerful fire of the room could not reach the full length of the room, though the gloom could not fully hide bright red hair. Roxas neared the man addressing him without eye contact. "You finally made it." Roxas stopped at a cart full of bottles. "Drink?"

"No thanks, sir." The man remained still in his black and white suit. "You called me here for business, am I right?" Roxas replenished his drink, and responded nonchalantly.

"Yes, it would appear that I have a small task that needs to be done," He took a small sip. "and I require your assistance." The blond turned to face his man.

"I am pleased to aid my lord in whatever he wishes, however, the value of my assistance varies. Will you be making this worth my while?" Roxas hid his mouth behind the rim of his glass. He gestured to the small end table behind the man.

Long fingers unclasped the briefcase. Sea-foam green eyes seemed to sparkle as it opened. Twenties bound together in hefty stacks, filled the felt-lined container. The red-head paused. Turning back at the young man, he spoke coolly. "My attention is all yours, master Strife." He stressed that last bit. The blond returned to the comfort of his leather chair.

"The job I want you to do is simple. There is a person. A very rich person. He is in control of a vast number of things. He's not fit to have such power. I want him taken care of." Roxas swished the ice in his glass, before taking a swig. "I want you to make him disappear off the face of the Earth no later than a year. Am I understood, Reno?"

The slim figure was standing with the briefcase at his feet and his hands resting on the red chair. "Yes sir. It won't take too long for this to be organized."

"I want you to be… creative in how you do it. Give the tabloids something to write about. There's more of that" His head cocked to the side where the briefcase lay. "if I happen to approve the manner in which this will be 'executed'." He smiled.

"Also," Roxas paused thoughtfully. He contemplated his motives with care, while staring into the fire. "Make him suffer." His tone was cold yet a little above a whisper. He wanted this done perfectly.

His voice reverted into dismissive once more. "I will send for you once in a while to check up on your progress."

"Who is the unlucky bastard?"

Roxas emptied his glass of the scotch. He rested his blond head to the side of his seat, gazing blankly into the flames before him. "My beloved brother, Sora."

AN: I REALLY hope this was better. Review with love. :]

Your Humble Servant
xDelfin