Authors Note: Ta dah! The sequel to Twisted Sister is born! Updates of this story may be less frequent, since school, and the glory of standardized tests approach. Ah, senior year… But I digress. This story is definitely Akuroku, but there will be other pairings. They are secrets, though. :) Oh, and contrary to my previous statement, Lime is likely in this story. I gotta get over that at some point… Oh, so I'll use – at the top and bottom of a flashback to separate it from the rest of the story.

Disclaimer: I own darling Aimi and the plot of this story. The rest belongs to other people. Not me.

Warnings: Swearing, boy love. Well, not yet really, but… for the whole story.

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"My friends are my power."

Roxas's PoV

When all this began, it was mid-June. Axel and I had been dating for three months, and school had let out for the summer. We were taking a well-deserved vacation in Twilight Town. You see; it came up one day at lunch that none of us had ever left Hollow Bastion. So, during the last week of school, Demyx brought a map, and spread it out on the lunch table (we thought there was no point in keeping our friends separate. It would cause more problems than it solved. They get along okay, too.). On that particular day, because they knew we were planning a trip, Aimi, Naminé, their friend Kairi (I'll explain how Kairi comes into this later) and Sora (who is also friends with Kairi), as well as Reno and Cloud (who refused to be left behind while their siblings went on a trip), were with us that day. Naminé pointed out Twilight Town on the map, and so that's why we came. On the particular day that it (again, you'll understand later) happened, Hayner, Demyx and Sora were checking out music stores, Zexion and Naminé were doing the same with bookstores, and Aimi, Kairi, Olette, Pence, Reno and Cloud were going to Sunset Hill (Reno and Cloud as "escorts"). What were Axel and I doing? Sorry to get your hopes up, but it's appropriate for all ages. We were eating sea salt ice cream on top of the clock tower, watching the sunset. The only problem was that something was bothering me.

"Axel?"

He was instantly attentive, his ice cream forgotten. Sometimes I wonder who's really in control here.

"Something wrong, Rox?"

"It's just that, we've known each other for nine months, but we don't really know that much about each other, ya know?"

His eyebrows shot up. He must've been thinking about it too.

"Do you have a better way in mind for us to get to know each other?"

I nodded. What would the point be in bringing up the problem if I had no solution in mind?

"We know the stuff on the outside; likes, dislikes, etc. But we know nothing about who the other was before we met. We know nothing about the reasons why the other is who they are today. Naminé says that knowing the reasons why can make you appreciate something that you couldn't before that. My idea is that we relate a period of our lives to each other on each date, taking turns talking and listening."

Axel looked a little uncomfortable. Well, I was asking him to bare his soul.

"Wouldn't you find that boring, though?"

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I thought it would be boring. But if you're afraid that I'll laugh at your misfortune…"

"No! No. I know you wouldn't do that. But, uh, since you suggested it, how about you start?"

I stuck out my tongue, and fell into my narrative. It was close to six years ago that things changed for us...

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"Cloud! Roxas! Naminé!"

Our mother called us into the living, looking anxious.

"Your father and I have an announcement to make. We have been reassigned to Atlantica for work. On Monday, we will be moving there."

Naminé's eyes were wide and scared.

"Just… you?"

Our mother nodded.

"We thought it would be wrong to uproot you three from the only city and friends that you've ever known. So, you'll be moving in with your aunt and uncle Hikari."

Naminé, Cloud and I all spoke at the same time.

"And cousin Sora?"

Again she nodded.

"Everyone agrees that it's for the best. Especially since Sora's best friend moved to the Destiny Islands."

Sora and Riku were neighbors and best friends since Sora's birth. Last year, Riku's family moved away. Sora cried for days. That's when Naminé introduced Sora to her best friend Kairi. He's been a lot better since then. Kairi seems to have that effect on people (it was only a matter of course that Nami introduced her to Aimi, and they became friends). Anyway, none of us really minded living with Sora. Naminé and I were close to him, and Cloud wanted to protect him. The only bad part of the arrangement was the indefinite separation from our parents.

It was a Friday afternoon when they told us, and we were moved in with the Hikari's on Sunday. Cloud and Sora shared a room, while Naminé and I each got our own. I could have shared with Sora, but Cloud said that I would appreciate having my own room later on. We didn't see our parents again until Christmas.

Anyway, after we had parted with our parents, I went to meet Hayner, Pence and Olette. I had promised to hang out with them after we were settled in, since moving had caused me to cancel our Saturday plans. Hayner, Pence, Olette and I met in preschool. I think it was Seifer who brought us together. He was picking on Pence, and the rest of us all went to his defense. We've been together ever since. It was similar experience for Kairi and Naminé. A common cause brought them together, and they just connected from there.

So, once I had the chance to explain the situation to them, Hayner was angry with my parent's boss, Olette was sympathetic, and Pence was just glad that we weren't leaving Hollow Bastion. Me? I don't know how I felt. I was just numb. I think I was just overwhelmed. I couldn't yell or cry like Cloud and Naminé respectively. Sometimes, I just sat and stared at the wall. I felt empty and alone, when I could even feel at all. Then one day, Sora tapped me on the shoulder while I was staring at the wall.

"Roxas, let's play the new Mega Crash Brothers."

I nodded, already feeling less numb.

"Sure Sora, if you'll let me be Chain."

He grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure! Let's go!"

I don't know what was different that day. I just felt better. I let Sora have the last piece of pizza at dinner that night.

-

"Wow Rox. Do you still see your parents?"

"They still visit on holidays. It's not that bad, though. I just have to remember that they could have taken us to Atlantica, and away from everything that we knew."

I felt good telling Axel this. I hadn't really talked about it that way before. Before I knew it, the last bit of emptiness faded away. Axel grinned and ruffled my hair.

"That's definitely a good thing. If they'd taken you away, we wouldn't have met! I don't like to think of life without my Roxy."

I grinned back at him.

"You don't have to think about that. We should probably get back to the hotel now."

Axel glanced at his watch, yelped and jumped up.

"We're late! The sun set an hour ago! We gotta haul ass!"

I smiled as Axel I fled the clock tower. I wondered, what would I learn about Axel?

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AN: Yay! I really like this chapter. :) Do you? Please review! Oh, and who is Chain, you ask? What is a chain made up of? Bad joke, I know. Next chapter is Axel!