AN: It has been a while has it not? I am making a personal vow that I will be sure to make these chapters much more longer, than before. Onwards then!


Lover's End Chapter 3: Gods save the sage


Kairi stood apart behind the peer with them, the other sage's in their red cloaks whispered feverishly and hurriedly, trying to make sense of all that was being said Roxas hardly took in any of it. Suddenly Sora elbowed him in his ribs, making him wince, but the reason why was because Kairi had been staring at him, knowing he probably missed a question, he raised his brow and allowed her to ask once more; "Roxas, you two didn't happen upon seeing a man with flaming red hair on your way here did you?" Roxas was about to shake his head no when he remembered, the man that had been there... In the square on the way to the church he had bumped into him.

"No..." He said in a daze, for reasons unknown to him, why did he not tell her he saw a man with red bright hair? Kairi smiled lightly, and then turned her gaze back to Sora, "At least that is a good thing, for perhaps if you did come across him, he would've killed you both... In hopes of not being discovered, that would've been terrible fate.

Thank the sun god Arashi you both are not harmed." Roxas rolled his eyes, he didn't need to thank any god's, they did not care whether one man killed another.

Sora looked troubled, "Kairi, how are you going to catch him if he's already left the church, and what did he do to end up in such a state of trouble to begin with?" Kairi pursed her red lips, her voice dropping noticeably, "Listen closely you aren't going to hear this again from me... That man, is a necromancer, a well known sorcerer whose taken vow's to destroy our way of life and the gods."

Roxas noticed her hands were tight in fists, and her eyes scanned worriedly about, making sure she was not discovered telling them this, Roxas knew this must be a close guarded secret for even Kairi to be so nervous. The thing about her cousin and Kairi was that they both used to be so close, playing together always and enjoying those summer days when no one cared if they were busy with chores or not, to have these care free fools so worried, Roxas knew that he might as well be a very lucky man, necromancy was notorious for being the most illegal thing in all of the islands, even the elves were known to put their own kind to death over it.

Roxas stood slowly, Sora eying him as well as a shocked Kairi, she stood quickly within a moment, "Listen you need to go...now!" She said the last part of her sentence urgently, and scuttled them along, she could not bare to get either of them caught Roxas would wager, this was more for their safety than her own. Once they all stood, Kairi wrangled Sora around by the arm and in turn Sora grasped onto his hand and squeezed, all the while they walked behind the pillars and columns trying not to be seen.

Roxas more than once bumped into the wall, wincing and cursing under his breath to which a fierce look was shot his way by Kairi; finally they made it back to the entrance and scuttled forth, Kairi not going with them but blowing a kiss to them both, again her gaze lingered on Sora, and Roxas felt sick. Sora blushed and walked ahead a bit and then turned and gave Roxas his sheepish face; to which Roxas could only laugh and reply, "Remember when you were both younger and you two vowed to marry one another, I still remember it quite well for you gave me the grand honor of being your best man."

Sora sputtered and slapped his arm, looking down cast and glaring to the dirt, finally once they walked a bit past the bustling market and into the welcoming shade of the forest border near their homes, Sora stopped and turned to Roxas and said in a low tone; "I don't want to marry her." Roxas was shocked, honestly this was the first time his cousin had ever voiced his disapproval of his betrothed, and Roxas had to grasp his arm harshly and say in a raspy whisper, "What?" Sora bit his lip and looked at him before he smiled, "Listen Roxas, you know I love Kairi... but she's more a sister to me than ever, remember that time we spent the summer on the beaches, and that horrible storm came and me and her were lost in the caves?"

Roxas did remember, and well; his aunt had been sick with worry and he himself wanted to go out and find his poor cousin; the storm raged for days, the water rising on the shores threatening to flood, some people even left their homes in case of such a thing. Riku had also been there, vaguely Roxas remember the older boy looking more pale by the hour and finally he snapped and left the house, Roxas nor anyone else knew where he went off too that day.

Sora was still staring at him and finally Roxas shook his head in a nod. "Riku found us you know?" Roxas paused, his mouth opening, he wanted to say something but in his mind, he thought as much; why else after Riku left would Sora and Kairi turn up only hours later. Sora blushed more and gripped onto Roxas's arm tighter than ever, "He, Roxas... Kairi was a mess in that cave she was crying and weeping I don't blame her it took all my courage to stay calm for her, the water had flooded the entrance of the cave, and we were deeper within trying to pass the time and calm our nerves by drawing on the rock face, Riku I don't know how he even got in there, but he did... He saved us and once Kairi was out, he came back for me... and he, we..." Sora trailed off, his gaze made Roxas realize what he meant, but also realize how dangerous this revelation was, to be in a homosexual relationship was not allowed in this part of King Adam's kingdom.

Roxas worried his lip between his teeth, moving a strand of hair behind his ear and looking Sora in the eye's. Blue on blue, it was almost uncanny how alike they looked, Roxas opened his mouth and spoke; "I wont tell anyone Sora, you know you can always trust me, but we must not speak of this again... You know what could happen to you, and Riku." Sora nodded and smiled softly, taking Roxas's hand within his own, finally a bit of Roxas was relieved he wasn't gripping onto his arm, "Thank you Roxas, for being so understanding." He couldn't keep his own answering smile off his face, "Anytime cousin."

They walked hurriedly back home, Sora went to his own hovel while Roxas went to his, of course his mother had made dinner and was waiting, the boys had not left the cool of the shade until evening was waning on them, it was too hot to stand about in the sun. "You always do this, you good for nothing lout!" Roxas had heard it all before and was quite used to it by this time, his father ignored his mother and coughed into his hand; both the blondes looked to him and his father motioned for them both to sit.

"Listen, something happened in the church today and I need to tell you both something vital, even though this is against the rules... A man, a very dangerous man escaped from the prisons toda-" "WHAT?!" His father was interrupted by the shrill of his mother, her hard eyes now looked very frightened, his father paused and place a hand on her's in what Roxas could guess was a comforting gesture, his parent's had never been very good at showing emotions, nor empathy. "As I was saying, he escaped and we don't know where he is but you both must not venture near the woods, that is where we are guessing him and his lot are about, I need you both to promise me, to keep this information to yourselves and to NOT go into the woods."

His mother nodded quickly and both of his parents finally rested their nervous gaze's on him, perhaps it was how much Roxas was not in shock but he swore he saw his father raise a brow and give him a crude look, after a moments pause Roxas himself nodded and said his obligatory, "Yes father." Dinner followed in much silence after that, Roxas once again on the thoughts of the strange Mr. Flynn, who he bumped into today, dare he ask his parents if they knew him? At the looks they shared every now and again, he decided it was best to not mention anything yet.

Roxas excused himself once he had his fill, he knew both his parents were waiting for him to leave, his mother looked fit to burst with worry; and her thoughts were just waiting to come out in a flurry, he did not envy his father.

In his bedroom, once he had climbed the squeaking staircase, and flopped onto his woolen covers Roxas let out a sigh, he moved his sullen gaze to the window by his bedding, and moved his tired heavy body to the windowsill. The night sky was alight with many twinkling stars, and the darkness gave cover to the things that went bump in the night, if he closed his eyes and listened very hard he could he the whisperings of his parent's below. He did just that, but he couldn't make out anything really that important, a "How could this happen!"

Here and there, he once again opened his eyes and scanned the woods right by his house, its not like he went into the forest every day; but to not go at all during the heat of summer? How annoying, Roxas was never a fan of anything in this town, but at least in the woods he was able to be cool, and calm and enjoy a swim in the river here and there, the beach... well Sora never wanted to go to the beach any more.

Roxas froze in his thinking and movements when he noticed a green light coming from in between the tree's, it didn't look natural and honestly it worried him, were the woods on fire?

Though what fire could be green? He thought of those eyes of Mr. Flynn. They were such a pretty green... Roxas felt himself blush, why would he be thinking that? And about another man's eyes? He was about to turn and lay back onto his bed when he caught a flash of red by the edge of the tree's and he froze... red... it looked like red hair.

The night was not a peaceful one for Roxas his mind was in a flurry, what had he seen last night? Was it really what he thought? He woke without prompt from his mother this seemed to shock her, one her way up the stairs like always she came barging in ready to holler at her lazy son to wake, but there he was bed made, dressed and just staring out the window, but then she seemed to regain herself and yelled at him for standing, she always found a reason and Roxas didn't mind so much today, he was too dazed to even noticed Sora run up to him and give him a greeting while he cleaned the yard of weeds, like his mother had nagged him too.

"Roxas?" Sora said for what seemed to be the hundredth time, Roxas heard him but he just couldn't stop wondering, and letting his eyes trail back to the woods, he wanted to know... Suddenly he was shoved and he hit the ground, his clothes dirtied by the hard warm earth ground. "What in the god's are you doing?" He gave a harsh growl at the end of his sentence and Sora just rolled his eyes and offered his hand to let his cousin up, "You weren't even acknowledging my existence, it seemed as though you had no brain or something, wanted to make sure no necromancer came by late in night and stole it."

Sora laughed but Roxas froze and gazed hard at him, almost as if frightened, Sora quickly stopped laughing and furrowed his brows, "Roxas?..." He asked in wonderment before realization came across him. "Did you seem something last night?" He asked wildly and loudly too add, in the normal Sora fashion much too loud, some people on the passing street froze to look over to them, Roxas slapped a hand over his cousins mouth and hissed out lowly, "Shut up you git!" Sora, took offense and bit the palm of his hand, much to Roxas's dismay he had to retract the hand, "Tell me what's gotten into you, what is going on?" Sora had a hand on his hip and Roxas looked around worried, his mother might have heard, happy his father was at the church.

Roxas, looked once more to the tree's lining the woods and went towards them, motioning for Sora to follow. He was done wondering with Sora here he had a new bout of courage, and he wanted to know if he saw something, or if he didn't. "Come with me, I need to see something for myself, don't be afraid baby cousin." Sora scoffed as Roxas said this, and shoved past him and said in a teasing tone, "As I recall cousin, I think I'm the older one here, I'll lead." Roxas almost laughed, he did crack a smile and say in a sarcastic tone, "Oh but cousin do you know the way?" Sora froze and blanched, not so sure of himself now, and grinned and moved an arm around Roxas's shoulders, "Tell you what, we'll both lead." Roxas smiled wider and nodded in agreement, they both stepped into the shadows of the tree's not noticing that Riku had been watching them from the window of the house.

After what seemed to be a half an hour Roxas was sure they reached where he saw the burning green fire, yet nothing was around, not even a fire pit. He sighed and ran a hand through his spiky hair, Sora gave a yawn and stretched and said in a bored tone, "Can we please go now?" Roxas glared over to him and said in a whisper, "Not yet, I haven't found what I'm looking for yet." Sora pouted and crossed his arms, walking once more behind Roxas and watching as he glanced about, his eyes darting from the tree tops to the dirt on the ground, "What pray tell, dear cousin of mine are you looking for?" "Sora if I knew would I be searching like this?" Roxas huffed out exasperated, Sora seem to not be happy with this answer because he then said, "Fine then Roxas, I'm done playing this little game, I'm going back and if you wish to spend all day in these dreary woods, go on ahead."

And with that his cousin turned and left, Roxas knew he should have gone with him, Sora had a lousy sense of direction. He needed to keep looking though, for what he was not sure, a sign though that's what he thought 'I need a sign that someone was here.' His mind was clouded with red, that's what he saw in his dreams when he slept, red swirling with green, making that face he had the chance to gaze at from down on the ground in the square. "Flynn... I swear I've never heard that name before..." He said aloud, and sighed; maybe Sora was right, and it was time to head back, and he surely could catch up to his empty minded cousin by now, right?

With his hands in his pants pockets he walked forth, his breathing coming out evenly as he once and a while kicked the litter from the trees on the ground that fell from the red woods. He kept walking, Roxas looked up finally after ten minutes of walking and thinking, he had not run into Sora, nor was he anywhere near where he would've known the path, had he really gotten himself lost? How was this possible? He had hiked these woods since he was a young child, him and Sora both really, it was one thing for Sora to get lost, but not Roxas he was the serious one, the one that no one had to worry about, well other than his mother. "Shit." He said in a heated tone, and glared about, he was lost, he didn't know where to go, and his father had told him not to go into the woods, he knew Sora would tell them where he was and tell them he was worried, and how he still hadn't come home.

"Lost little one?" A voice hissed out beside Roxas, and he whirled quickly, a tall man with yellow eyes and blue hair stared at him, he had a scar over his face in the shape of an 'X'. Roxas suddenly felt the urge to run, the look this man gave him with nothing but predatory. "No...just on a hike." Roxas replied nervously, he felt stupid for even saying this, he obviously was lost, no trails where anywhere near here. "A long way from home aren't we?" The man glanced around before a feral smile crossed his face, Roxas felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach, what was this man going to do? "Please..." Roxas felt himself breath out, and weakness shrouded him, but he knew not what to do, but plead.

The man laughed darkly and said in a mocking tone, "Please?" He grabbed Roxas's arm tightly, squeezing until Roxas felt his blood stop in its tracks, "I hear that word too much, you stupid humans think it'll make me pity you?" He sneered at Roxas and all at once he felt his mind race, did that mean this man was not human? Was he a monster from stories his mother used to tell him, when he still scared easy? "Let him go Saix." A voice said from behind the blue haired man, and with an intake of sharp breath Roxas saw the man with red hair again, he felt his heart pick up and a blush cross his face; and all at once Roxas was set into unrest, why was he reacting so? "You know Xemnas likes to kill them himself." He smirked at Roxas and turned away, walking off and Saix sighed and glanced once more to him, "Such a shame, he looked like a screamer."