Prologue.
"C'mon, Roxas! I know you're faster than that!"
Roxas's breathing was ragged. He was beginning to see spots in his vision, but he didn't stop running. He had to catch up to Axel and Xion. He didn't want to be the weakest link. He had to catch up. He just had to.
And finally, he did. The three of them were now standing by the lake, laughing like idiots. When they finally caught their breaths, Axel stood up and walked to the end of the pier. Roxas watched his friend walk and then looked at Xion. Xion glanced over at Roxas the same moment. When their identical blue eyes locked, the ravenette grinned and grabbed Roxas's hand. "C'mon, Roxas!" She pulled the young blonde along.
Once at the end of the pier, Roxas sat down and Xion stood behind him. Axel had rid himself of his shoes and shirt and had decided to jump in.
"C'mon, guys! Join me!"
Roxas shook his head, "I'll stay dry, thank you."
Xion looked down at her twin, a small, warm smile placed on her thin lips. "You sure, Roxas? I think I wanna join him."
"Yeah, I'm sure."
Xion shrugged and tossed her shorts and shoes, jumping in with just her shirt. Considering they were all young, none of them were uncomfortable with their bodies, but Xion knew that it was still inappropriate to take her shirt off in front of boys.
Roxas watched his sister and best friend play in the water, laughing along with them even though he stayed out of the water.
The sun began setting and Xion and Axel were having a swimming race. Whoever could swim out to the buoy and back would win. Roxas's foot was the finish line.
"On your marks! Get set!" Roxas called out, watching them look at him expectantly. He caught both their eyes before closing his own and screaming, "GO!"
Both Xion and Axel sped off as fast they could. Roxas was laughing, screaming for his sister to swim faster. He was looking out at the buoy, and then for just a second, he glanced past it, to the other side of the lake. Roxas stopped laughing. On the other side was someone else. Someone staring at him, watching them. Roxas couldn't see him very well, considering the sun was setting behind him, but the second he noticed Roxas staring at him, the mysterious man turned and left.
Roxas was too busy staring at the man to react right when Axel reached his foot. Axel noticed his distraction and seized the moment. He pulled his best friend into the lake, laughing hard when Roxas finally resurfaced.
"HAHA! You look like a wet cat!" Axel cackled as the three of them walked out of the lake, Roxas's clothes sticking to him, making him shiver. Even Xion thought it was hilarious.
"You do look really funny, Roxas."
Roxas rolled his eyes and pulled his shirt off, sitting on the bank. "Yeah, well, as funny as it was, I'm really cold now."
Both Xion and Axel smiled and rolled their eyes. "Well, I'm gonna be right back. I'm gonna use the bushes." Xion smiled and pointed right behind the two of them. Axel sat down beside Roxas and moved his red hair from his face.
"You aren't mad at me, are you, Roxy?"
Roxas looked to Axel. His face was long and thin, even at eleven. His green eyes were bright and Roxas knew he couldn't be mad at his best friend, even though he was freezing now.
Roxas smiled a bit and shook his head. "No, I'm not."
"Good. Because it was so funny." Silence followed for a moment before Axel gave Roxas a noogie. "School starts in a week. Excited about the fourth grade?"
Roxas shrugged and looked out at the lake, the last bit of light fading behind the trees. "Kinda. Also really nervous. What about you? You're going into sixth."
Axel shrugged and leaned back. "Eh. I'm pretty excited. You know I like adventure."
Roxas chuckled. "Yeah…" Roxas smiled and then looked behind him. "It sure is taking Xion a long time to pee."
Axel snickered. "Maybe she's going number two."
Roxas playfully shoved the redhead. "Ew! You're nasty, Axel."
"Hey! It happens! Everyone poops, Roxy." Axel grinned.
Both of them began laughing. The laughing only stopped when a high-pitched scream erupted from behind them.
Roxas's eyes went wide. "XION!" He yelled, jumping to his feet. Axel was up just as fast and the two of them ran into the small bit of forest behind them.
"Xion!" Both of the boys called out as they searched together for Roxas's sister. Panic began to rise in them both. They heard a faint scream again and both boys took off running. Axel was shoeless and Roxas's were wet, but neither of them cared. It sounded like Xion was in trouble.
Roxas was tearing up. "Axel, what if—"
"Don't think about it. She's fine. She probably just…" He was panting, trying to think of something to calm roxas down. "She probably just saw a snake or something."
The slowed down when Axel saw movement up ahead. There was a figure there and he was leaning over something. Axel let out a roar and ran ahead. The man turned around sharply just as Axel body slammed him. He pushed the redhead off of him and fled. Axel was on the ground, panting, as Roxas walked forward. Something was on the ground right where the man had been.
"Roxas—"
"XION!" Roxas screamed and dropped to his knees right beside his sister. Her shirt was lifted up. Her panties were missing. Her neck was broken in an odd angle. She wasn't breathing.
Roxas was trembling, tears running down his face. He reached out and brushed the hair off of his sister's face. Axel was behind him in an instant. He screamed too, but instead of staying, he ran. Roxas knew it wasn't out of cowardliness. Axel was running to go get someone because the redhead knew what Roxas wasn't willing to admit. Xion was murdered.
Roxas sat there crying until adults showed up. People screamed and pulled Roxas away form his sister. He didn't want to go. That was his twin. His other half. He couldn't leave her. Not when she was hurt.
Roxas was shoved into the back of his mother's car. Axel was sitting there too, his eyes puffy and red from crying. The blonde moved into his friends arms and began crying.
He knew then that his life would never be the same.
Roxas didn't go back to school right away. About a month after Xion's death, Roxas was finally put back into school. He had holed himself inside and hadn't seen much of Axel.
With the murder of their daughter, Roxas' parents didn't last long together, either. It was October when Roxas's dad pulled him out of school and moved away. He never even got to say goodbye to Axel or any of his other friends. His mom cried when her soon-to-be ex-husband put Roxas in the back of the car. She had developed a terrible drinking problem and was a hazard to Roxas.
Roxas sat in the back seat of his father's car as he drove off to Twilight Town- his new home. He wished he weren't alone. He just wanted his sister back.