"Roxas and Sora, it's time to get up. We have to go into down and do some shopping today."

His mother rapping on the door woke Roxas up that morning. Groaning heavily into his pillow, Roxas peeked up to see the time illuminated on the Stereo System and saw it was

Roxas groaned in protest again, adding a growl at the end and lied there with his face in buried in the pillow.

"What pathetic humans get up at this unnatural time of the morning?"

"Well not him for sure."

"This is murder all over again."

"Stop being so melodramatic Axel."

Finally having the initiative to get to his hands, Roxas got up yawned and then sat up in his bed. He was not a morning person; he was even crankier in the morning than any other time of the day.

Morning Roxas was not meant to be messed with.

Yawning again, loudly. Roxas looked to his Stereo to see the time now.

7:02

He groaned then stopped in his complaining all tiredness running away, his eyes widening in shock.

His book

It was shut and placed neatly where he had thrown it the previous night. He specifically remembered having the spine upwards but now it was closed. Cover up.

Weird.

Roxas got out of his bed, his feet touching warm wooden boards. He got up, fixed the elastic of his boxers, and wandered to his wardrobe. He wouldn't bother with a shower in the morning; he would just opt out having one later on that night.

He pulled open the doors and pulled out a pair of jeans and a Billabong shirt. He started to pull on his pants when he heard a shocked and loud yell erupt from Sora's room.

"God Damn it, I hate this place" he hollered.

Roxas heard Aerith come running from her room at the end of the Hall, opening the door to Sora's bedroom. "Sora, are you alright?"

Roxas chuckled when he heard Sora yell, "Mum, the water's brown! It's DISGUSTING." The Blonde slung his shirt on and left it open, striding to his bedroom door, he opened it to see Aerith standing in the doorframe of Sora's room.

Sora was standing there adamantly in his blue pyjama pants, arms gestured out to his bathroom and his towel thrown to the floor.

"I turned the handle on the shower and the water was brown and yuck" he complained and their Mother just laughed it off, much to Sora's rising anger.

"It's just old pipes being used again, its dirt, just let the water run for a little while before you get in."

As Aerith made her way down the stairs, Sora pulled a face at her back and grumbled "Just old pipes my ass, she wouldn't be laughing if it happened to her." He leant out the doorframe and shouted after Aerith, "I'm not having a shower then!"

He glared at Roxas across the hall at his laugh and pouted, "Don't laugh at me Roxas."

The blonde brother took no heed and chuckled to himself pulling on the shirt and buttoning it up.

"Hey the guys a bastard, I like him already."

"Great we just want another one of 'him'."

"Are you going to be his friend Axel? Saix said-"

"Shut up, I don't listen to that mongrel."

"Riku they're in there, I see the three."

"Alright Kairi, its ok they can't do anything."

"Axel likes him; I don't want to see the poor boy killed."

"I know, it's not pleasant is it?"

"I just hate them so much, I hate living a second life in fear."

Sora shivered as the air around him went cold. Goosebumps rose instantly down his arms and he grumbled, "Gods, to top it off, it immediately gets cold." He walked back into his room slamming the door, "I should have forced Roxas to have this room" he grouched to himself. He went to his clothes box in the corner of the room, "And now! Shopping, can it get any worse?"

Roxas grabbed his wallet and his phone and jammed them in his pocket as Sora came down the stairs. He mussed his hair and groaned miserably "I feel like shit. The dust is getting to my head."

As if in response, Sora sniffled, his voice sounding high. "I hear you bro. I'm gunna get a headache if my head stays clogged like this."

Aerith beamed from the kitchen "Oh brilliant, are we ready to go?"

Sora frowned and Roxas asked, "Why do we need to leave so early Mum?"

Aerith grabbed her handbag and looked to them and gushed, "Oh well, it takes half an hour to go around the whole hill and get into Twilight Town in the car."

Sora and Roxas looked to each other and Roxas said, "Why don't we walk through the forest? It will take ten minutes."

Aerith looked scared then and she said, "I don't like the forest, I would like the car better."

Her sons agreed with bewildered looks on their faces and she said adding, "And I thought it would be nice to get breakfast, I saw a nice little café downtown, it's so adorable." She went to the front doors, pulled them open, and walked down the stairs.

Roxas and Sora shrugged to each other and followed their mother, shutting the doors behind them.


Twilight Town was sleepy a sleepy town, there was little traffic when the family of three pulled into the main street later on that morning.

"Oh my" Aerith muttered as she saw all the pedestrians, "They must not use cars very often, they must walk everywhere."

She turned in the seat to look at Roxas, who simply shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe we should have walked then Mum?"

Aerith shook her head furiously and pulled into an empty car spot in front a small dainty café.

"Come on" Aerith beamed grabbing her bag and getting out of the car.

Her sons followed suit and they walked into the café hearing a little bell ring as they walked in.

Roxas caught sight of the time as they walked in, seven 'o' clock had been the time they had gotten up. Sora had taken his time and was around twenty past seven was when they walked out of the door. The initial half hour took an hour as Aerith got confused and got herself lost. So as Roxas looked up to see the clock he saw the time 8:20.

He looked back down and saw a cheery brunette girl behind the counter.

"Good Morning" she greeted, "How may I help you today?"

Roxas grimaced at her cheeriness, how could one person be happy at this time of morning? Even happy go lucky Sora was a grouch in the morning.

"Oh such a nice girl" Aerith smiled, Roxas rolled his eyes, his Mother and the Waitress had something in common. An idiot sense of a good mood.

He looked at the menu situated on the wall behind the Waitress and decided to get himself a bacon and egg roll.

He looked back to the girl and caught sight of her nametag, 'Olette.'

She smiled at him as he placed his order, then his mother and Sora's order. She took their orders and told them to sit down at a table.

As they took a seat, Aerith looked to her sons and said, "See! That nice young lady is working hard during the summer holidays, you two really need to perk up and start to do something with your lives."

Sora pouted, "Mum! We moved here like yesterday and as I do recall we did have lives. I had a girlfriend and Roxas was shy about coming out of closet. Remember? Or have you already forgotten?"

Roxas kicked his brother under the table, Sora would never let him live it down about him being a Bi-Sexual. Sora chuckled and Aerith shook her head, "Boys, we moved here so we can start again and be a proper family."

Sora sent a glance to Roxas and both of the Boys sighed, "Yes Mum" they chorused "You done it for the well-being of the family."

They sat in an awkward silence for about ten minutes before Sora perked up with a smile.

"Hey, foods here."

The Waitress, Olette gave them their dishes and she couldn't help but ask, "I couldn't help but overhear that you moved here?" Aerith nodded, "Oh yes we did, my husband and I" she gestured to her boys, "These are my two sons, we moved from Hollow Bastion."

Olette's eyes flickered to the brother and Sora held up his hand in greeting "Hi" he said, "I'm Sora." Roxas rolled his eyes and looked up at her briefly "Roxas." Aerith's scrutinizing gaze left them.

"The City?" she asked eagerly, Roxas poked his food and nodded, he pointed to Aerith, "She wanted to move to the country."

Aerith frowned at him and Olette sighed, "I would like to go to see Hollow Bastion but I like it here in Twilight Town, I grew up here." She smiled and said, "Oh well, I have work it was nice meeting you."

She fixed up her apron and scuttled off back behind the counter.

Aerith turned to her Boys, "You could have been more polite you two."

Sora flung out his arms, "I barely said anything! Besides, she was the one snooping around on our conversation."

Aerith looked back down to her croissant and Sora stuffed his face full of pancakes.

Roxas huffed out in annoyance, picked up his roll, and began to eat it.

His family was so dysfunctional it was hard to believe. He looked up to see Olette talking to another Waitress, gesturing to them giggling and going red.

Roxas groaned inwardly, not a doubt that the brunette bimbo would ask Sora for his number and they would hook up until Sora lost interest.

Going back to eating his breakfast Roxas was aware of other people looking at them as the café started to fill up.

He noticed that his Mother knew as well. She daintily finished her breakfast and a kind old lady sitting at the table beside them leant over and greeted Aerith.

"I haven't seen you and your boys before, where did you move from?"

Aerith went slightly pink and she said "Oh we moved from Hollow Bastion." The woman smiled and said, "What lovely part of the neighborhood did you move to?"

Aerith delighted at being conversed in conversation to said a little too quickly, "We bought that lovely old house up on Twilight Hill-" she was cut short by the lady pulling back looking concerned.

"You shouldn't move into that house dear."

She looked concerned and that caught the attention of Sora and Roxas.

Aerith stuttered a response but the lady cut in. "I have lived a good long life, but that house has ruined how I have lived" she leant back, "Dear that house is haunted, my Uncle bless his soul was murdered in that house by walking shadows."

She shook her head sadly, "Brutally murdered he was, it left my poor Aunt frazzled and she ended up taking her own life."

Aerith looked frightened now and now Roxas was growing uncertain, he knew that house had been weird.

The lady nods, "I'm warning you, it's a dangerous place to live, back in the day it used to be a Psychiatric Asylum and many people died up there, the last death were of two sisters, then they shut it down and made it into a residence, they say the troubled Spirits never left."

Sora dropped his fork; it clattered to his plate with a racket as he stared at the older woman. Roxas was put off his food and his stomach churned uncomfortably, "Mum?" he looked to his Mother who smiled lightly "Well that's a nice local legend isn't it? Thankyou for sharing it with us."

She grabbed her bag and stood up grabbing Roxas and Sora by an arm each, "Come on boys, we have a long day of shopping ahead of us." She pulled them to the door and walked outside.

"I told you" Sora instantly accused "Did you have a good look at the bedroom I have to live in? A fucking Psychiatric Asylum Mum! What was going through your mind when you decided to buy it?"

"Was she right about the place being haunted?" Roxas asked.

Aerith shook her head "It was nonsense honey, it's not true. They do it to scare new people away."

"But she was right about the Asylum but?" Sora countered, "There could be fucking ghosts in there. Spastic ones! Walking Shadows? I don't think she was lying."

Roxas began to feel uncomfortable as he recalled what had happed to him last night when the doors had slammed shut on him, The Shadow that had walked away down the hall and disappeared.

People in the street were beginning to stare at the scene between the three. Aerith turned on Sora. "I didn't know that it was a Mental Asylum Sora, at least be considerate of my thoughts. I was doing best for the Family."

"Oh so we can become food for the shadows huh?" Sora shouted "That's probably why its so cold at fucking night time! I have a ghost breathing down my neck!"

"Stop it!" Roxas cried "Stop talking about ghosts and walking shadows! Are you trying to purposely scare me now?"

Sora scoffed, "Oh is widdle Roxy bear scared of ghosts"? he snarked pulling a wicked grin.

Roxas frowned and spun around hitting Sora in the face, "Shutup Sora, shut the FUCK up"! Sora jumped back and Aerith gasped in shock, "Roxas"!?

"You know I hate stories of the Supernatural" he shouted exasperatedly "I hate Ghosts! Stop fucking with me!"

The Blonde wasn't ashamed and he shouted in the middle of the street, "all he has done since we got here is be a prick, fucking mess with me again Sora and I will beat the shit out of you."

Roxas had angry tears stinging his eyes, "You both know I hate stories about Ghosts and yet you still do it!" he looked to Aerith looking betrayed "You were supposed to stop it Mum, but you have done it all over again."

Before his mother could grab him Roxas turned heel and raced down the street, he didn't know where he was going, nor did he care.

Aerith turned to Sora irritably, "You know full well teasing him sends him over the edge, why, why do you do that?"

Sora gazed up at his mother and shrugged, "I guess I find it fun to rev him up Mum, but I didn't expect him to hit me and run away."

Aerith pinched the bridge of her nose, going red from all the attention the Street was giving her. "You know he hasn't been the same after you locked him in the photography black room at school."

Sora rubbed the lump on his cheek, "I didn't know he was going to be scarred about it Mum. I have said sorry a thousand times, you still won't let it go?"

"You played cruel pranks on him Sora!" Aerith sighed, "Now he thinks it's my fault" she raised her head "He won't come back now, so I have to get things without him."

Sora opened his mouth to protest and exclaim but Aerith put her hand up, "No more noise from you young man, I don't want a word out of you unless I ask you a question! You hear me?"

Sora rolled his eyes and Aerith snapped, "do I make myself clear?"

Sora sighed and nodded his head, so Mother and son minus one went down the street.


Roxas continually hit dead ends in Twilight Town, growing more and more frustrated when he couldn't find a way out.

Sora had frightened him and in turn, pissed him off.

He ran down the Tram Tracks until he paused at a large crack in the wall. He stopped blinking his eyes when he saw the lush green foliage outside of the wall.

He went forward one step and made the haste decision to walk out. He was pretty sure that this was the forest you could cross and make it to the house in record time.

If his Mother was not such a coward they could get everything done so much quicker.

Walking out into the dappled sunlight through the canopy of trees Roxas lowered his head and began to walk over the grass walking uphill to reach Twilight Hill.

After about ten minutes of walking uphill Roxas walked up the long luxurious driveway, up the front steps only to find that the door was locked.

"Ah no, Gods Dammit" Roxas shouted pounding his fists against the door, his Father must have gotten up after they had left and went on his own ventures.

So now, Roxas found himself very much locked out of the house.

Sighing in defeat Roxas walked back down the front step grumbling incoherently to himself before he froze at the noise that erupted out from behind him.

Unable to breathe properly Roxas craned his neck to see the elegant old-fashioned front door swing open without a noise.

That door had been locked.

Turning his upper body around Roxas saw that the door was open and he could see into the front entrance of the Mansion. His legs stiffened painfully and Roxas was able to feel the adrenaline start to pound through his veins. This was not normal.

What if that woman had been right about ghosts living in the house.

"Stop it Roxas, you are being absurd. There is no such thing as ghosts, pull your head in."

Roxas scolded himself and letting out a heavy sigh went back up the steps and went back into the house. He shut the door behind him making sure that it clicked back into its place and noticed that the hall was indeed very warm.

Roxas shook his head of any stupid ideas and walked from the entrance hall to the entrance of the kitchen where the temperature dropped dramatically. Roxas could see his breath snaking out from his mouth and felt more fear rise up in through him.

This house was not normal and now it had succeeded in terrifying the utter shit out of him. Forgetting his intentions Roxas turned on his heels and ran from the kitchen cascading up the stairs that caused a terrible racket.

"Do you think he is suspecting that this place is not of the natural?"

"Why do you speak so funny Zexion?"

"Hush Demyx, I was not directing my question to you, Axel?"

"Well getting up into the Town he would have definitely heard the shit that spirals down there."

"Oh my Gods, did you hear that? They think the boys have already heard about us?"

"Kairi, shush, I don't know if that is a good thing or not, especially with the brother Roxas."

"Naminé is right Kairi, but we shouldn't intercede directly with 'Them', we need to think of our safety as well."

Roxas slammed his door shut and raced to his bed throwing his face into his pillow. His nose scrunched painfully as he landed and he tried to ignore the sharp pain that followed after it.

What the hell was going on? He didn't know whether to believe what he had heard.

The house was old, needed some maintenance but some things he had just witnessed where not of old house parts. The door had definitely been locked, he had tried it.

It had opened as if someone had pulled it in from the inside.

The heating of the house couldn't abruptly change from the entrance hall to the kitchen. That couldn't be a fault in the heating was there?

Lifting his spinning head, Roxas felt his cheeks burning up as the heat increased in his room. Huffing he got to his feet; he went to the door and opened it letting a slight draft billow into the room. The curtains fluttered lightly and Roxas walked out onto the balcony and looked over the overgrown lawn.

He saw his Father's ride-on Mower and thought snidely that his dad actually had the initiative to get up and help with the housework, or the lawn work at least.

Taking in a few deep breaths Roxas tried to swallow the fear that had burst to life in his chest. It clogged his throat and he coughed at an imaginary obstruction in his throat.

Turning back into his room Roxas went to his bedside table and flicked on the docking station.

Music would calm his frazzled nerves, it always had.

Roxas paused and frowned picking up the remote and shutting the music off. Would this freaky shit cease to leave him alone?

"Why did you do that for Axel? That sounded like a good song."

"I'm only having some fun!"

"Yes, well if the others find out about these little charades you are putting on with this kid, we will all be in serious strife."

"Oh let it go Zexion you pessimist, it's my room, I can do whatever I want, this kid is invading 'my' space."

Roxas watched the curtains some more then clicked back on the music this time walking to his bookshelf and pulling out some empty exercise books and slamming them down on his desk.

He turned the music back on and the song blared to life.

"Wow what's this song?"

"It's very much like our predicament isn't it?"

"Shut up let me listen to this song."

"Hey it's like Xemnas and Saix isn't it guys?"

"Demyx Shut up! I'm trying to listen."

"Jeez sorry Axel"

"It describes us doesn't it?"

"Yay, he speaks."

"It's horrible to finally know that we are monsters."

"Hey, we aren't the monsters, its 'them'."

"We have our bad times, Axel but you can't keep defending what we are, this is our punishment."

"This is hardly punishment, we were killed by that fucking bastard living in up in that attic and he thinks everything will be fine and dandy until we are all destroyed."

"Sometimes I like what I am though guys."

"Demyx you are being just as foolhardy as Axel, we aren't 'good' we don't live in the 'light', this is our punishment, it was our certain doom that reduced us to this, this isn't a matter liking at what we are."

"Shut up Zexion, we are demons, that's what the others are."

"Don't tell him to shut up Axel, we aren't like the others, I know it, we aren't demons on the inside".

"Oh Demyx if only we were as optimistic about our fate as you were, but I'm afraid this isn't going to go well at all."


Tribute to: Take my Hand and Me Against the World: Both by Simple Plan