October 1740

Roxas leaned against a cold brick wall of some shoe store and was oblivious to the town's residents as they passed by selling whatever goods they had or were trying to buy. He was practically dressed in rags and he'd lost a good deal of weight when he'd never had that much weight to start off with. A shadow covered his view as he stared at the floor at nothing and looked up at some tall man eyeing him with a lustful look.

"Say babe, how about you come over to my place where I'll treat you nice?" He leaned in closer to Roxas and twirled a lock of his hair around his finger. A large ring bearing the crest of a lion with a sword in its mouth adorned his finger and Roxas's only thought was that man was looking for some cheap fuck behind his wife's back. This was so common with the noble men. They never married out of love, but for status and money and so they looked for women on the streets to get their sick pleasure from. The gentleman was already kissing up his neck when Roxas snapped out of his trance and pushed him away.

"Get the hell away from me!" He started to run but the gentleman caught his wrist and pulled him back towards him pressing him against his chest when he gripped on his waist with his free hand.

"Where are you going? I didn't even catch your name! Don't worry; I'll be gentle with you." he said in a seductive tone near his ear. Roxas struggled in the man's clutches as he bit at his neck and then gasped when the man bunched his torn dress from behind and raised it up so the cool air hit his bare legs.

"Aller en enfer!" He shoved his knee between the man's legs and the man let go doubling over in pain so that Roxas ran into the crowd of people getting many dirty looks from those he bumped into. He made it to the center of town where the water fountain was at and sat on its edge catching his breath again. The giggling noble ladies that passed by him made disgusted faces and turned their noses away murmuring to each other what an eye sore he was . Roxas didn't care about any of that right now and just stared at the gray sky hoping to catch a glimpse of the sun or any sign of hope that he still had a reason to keep living.

Living on the streets pick pocketing people wasn't something he wasn't proud of but it was a lot better than selling his body. Zexion had told him to go to him for help but he refused and even Riku offered help but there's no way he'd take Riku's offer. Two weeks had passed and he still hadn't let his emotions out for what had happened that day. He'd had enough of the endless misfortune he'd endured and he finally snapped.

"Emmenez-moi avec vous! Je ne sais pas ou' j'appartiens plus!" he cried, warm tears rolling down his cheeks and past his jaw so they dripped on his dirty dress. His hands gripped on the material and he let out a choked sob .

Maybe things could have turned out different if he had gotten there sooner or if he'd refused to get Eraqus's stupid drink. There could have been a thousand "if's" but they wouldn't change what had already passed.

Roxas rocked on his boots back and forth as he sat crouched on the grass where the orphanages once used to play. The fire had been put out by the quick response of some of the town's people and only small steams of smoke came out from the burned ruins. One by one, the burned bodies of his friends were found and taken to a doctor on the scene whom checked to see if they were still alive. To each one he shook his head and the men that carried the small bodies laid them with the row of deceased children. They were covered with sheets so that their deformed bodies wouldn't be seen by the public eye but Roxas had already seen them. Each one burned into his mind and set a heavier weight on his heart.

"We found a live one!" someone screamed from the ruins and everyone ran over to help and Roxas quickly got to his feet. He had to push some of the bystanders to reach the men that carried the small body on the wooden stretcher and his breath caught in his chest when he realized it was Charlene they carried.

"Charlene! Move it damn it!" he said shaking the hands off of him when some of the men tried to pull him away. Charlene could barely open her eyes as she turned her face towards him slowly.

"Roxas? Is that you?" Her voice was so frail and Roxas felt the tears weld up in the corners of his eyes but didn't shed a single one as he gently got one of her hands between his.

"Yes! It's me Charlene! You gave me quite the scare!" His voice came out raw from the restrained sobs he actually wanted to let out and forced a smile for her as she looked at him.

"M-my who-ole body hurts…"She tried to sit up but one of the men gently pressed on her shoulder so that she looked back at him as they set her down on the grass where the doctor could examine her. Women who acted as his nurses at the moment came to her side and cut into her burnt dress with scissors and only peeled off what wasn't stuck on her skin. They quickly set up a tent so that she could have privacy and Roxas moved a bit as they pat her burns with wet towels. Most of her skin was an angry reddish-yellow color and other parts were black with blisters and Roxas coughed a considerable amount as more of her body was exposed. She smelled of rotten flesh and smoke and it seemed like her skin could peel off if you pulled on it.

"You have to step outside now. You can come back in after we're done here." One of the nurses told him when she looked at him thoroughly and the others put the burned and bloody clothes in a tray and dipped clean towels in bowls of water. The doctor wrapped a clean gauze bandage on her leg and gave him a look so he reliantly let go of her hand and started to go out but Charlene wailed.

"Roxas don't go! Don't leave me alone!" Charlene held out a hand to him then noticed how badly burned it was and started to wail even louder. Someone told him to get out and when he didn't budge, some guy from outside the tent dragged him away.

"La'chez-moi connard!" The guy let go and Roxas shrugged away going back to where he had been sitting a few moments ago and paced around. Minutes went by and nobody came out of the tent so Roxas started to get anxious but then turned his attention to the new body that was pulled out of the ruins. It wasn't one of the children but one of the adults and Roxas could care less about the person since they never really paid them any attention. He did glare when he saw that it was Eraqus and went to stand where the tent was put around him. Most of his hair had burned and only small patches remained on his tan head. Roxas knelt by him so that Eraqus squinted his small grey eyes at him and Roxas stared backed coldly.

"You don't deserve to live. You should have died in there like the cockroach that you are." he said in a low voice so that only Eraqus could hear him. Eraqus looked at him confused then slowly recognized him.

"Roxas? What happened? The house suddenly caught on fire." He groaned as nurses pulled on his clothes and gave a nasty remark to one of them. "Where the hell where you at you good for nothing? Thanks to you everything went to waste! Everyone's death is your fault!"

"Don't blame this on me! You're always getting drunk and mistreating us! And the adults that worked there deserved to die too because they never turned you in nor stepped in when you would hit the kids!" His voice had risen so that the nurses gave him a harsh look.

"I hated the lot of you! Good thing all of them died so I don't have to put up with them anymore!" Eraqus said before going into a violent cough. Roxas backed away to let the nurses work on Eraqus as he shook and gave out wheezed pants. When the commotion stopped, the nurses still surrounded him giving each other quick and stern commands but Roxas guessed what had happened. They got quite and Roxas didn't feel anything as they spread a sheet over Eraqus's body once he came into view again.

"J'espe're que vous bru'lerez en enfer aussi. Mon a'me ne jamais trouver la paix."

"Are you one of the orphans?" Roxas turned around and faced a woman that had been with Charlene a few minutes ago. He nodded and passed her heading to Charlene's tent.

"Are they done with her? Does she need me?" He looked back at the lady when she didn't follow and she shook her head clasping her hands over her chest.

"The child didn't make it. The burns were too serious and she was too young. I'm sorry."

Roxas was soaked wet since it had started pouring down hard and still sat there even after Zexion came and sheltered him from the rain with an umbrella.

Zexion watched Roxas with a disheartened heart look on his face for a while till Roxas finally stood up and followed him back to the book store without being told a word. When they made it inside Roxas stood by the entrance letting the water trickle on the wooden floor and Zexion quickly discarded his umbrella and went upstairs then back downstairs to wrap him in a towel.

"You look horrible Roxas! When was the last time you ate a decent meal? Come on; let's get you in the tub before you get sick." He led Roxas upstairs where he lived and sat Roxas on a chair as he got a large bucket filled with water from the rain and set it above the fire he had going on in the fireplace. He went back to Roxas since Roxas wasn't doing anything to dry himself and ruffled his hair with the towel then kneeled in front of him to take off his boots.

Roxas flinched when he felt his dress pulled up and kicked Zexion so that Zexion let out a small cry and fell back on his elbows. They stared at each other and Roxas looked away moving a hand over his face.

"De'sole'. I've had it rough and I'm still shaken up." Zexion sat up and pat his knee showing he wasn't mad at him. Roxas let him take off his boots again and then got up and let the towel fall to his feet as he reached behind himself and untied the ribbon around his neck. Zexion put his boots by the fire to dry and Roxas untied the ribbon behind his waist and took the apron off so that Zexion took it from him and put it to hang by the fire too. Zexion helped him unbutton the dress from behind and pulled the sleeves down so that Roxas shivering shoulders were exposed. Roxas was wearing a simple white corset underneath though he didn't have too since he didn't have breasts and Roxas blushed as Zexion stared. "Uh, I got used to wearing it…" Roxas undid the many strings on it by himself now that he was embarrassed and Zexion went to go check if the water was ready.

"You should have come with me the first day I asked you to stay with here." Zexion said seeing how Roxas rib cage showed and then turned around when Roxas covered himself up with his arms now that he was bare. "You're not a girl Roxas. Geez, you always nag me not to treat you like one and when I do you go female on me."

"I'm cold! Is it ready yet?" he said getting the towel and wrapping it around his naked body and felt better without the wet clothes. Zexion poured the hot water in the tub and Roxas watched the steam come out and pointed at it. "It's too hot!"

"First it's cold and now it's hot? Make up your mind won't you?" Zexion said smiling but got another bucket with rain water and dumped it in the tub so it wasn't that hot anymore. "Better?" Roxas dipped a few fingers in the water and then nodded. "I'll just wait over here then while you bathe." He collected the pile of clothes and squeezed the water out of them outside the balcony and Roxas got in the tub sighing when the water cloaked his skin. The tub wasn't that big so his knees poked out of the water as he rested his arms over the tube's edge.

"Where you planning on dying out there? Just because the only way of life you ever knew ended doesn't mean it's over. Didn't you say you wanted to get out of this filthy town?" Zexion meet Roxas's stare and Roxas looked down at the water frowning. "Well now's your chance. You can leave the South and go to the North." Roxas stayed quiet for a long time thinking about it then looked back at Zexion with a serious face.

"Zexion." Zexion looked at Roxas from where he was standing by the balcony and Roxas smiled at him.

"Merci pour tout Zexion. Vous e'tes un grand ami." Zexion looked surprised for a moment at the sudden smile but then smiled back.

"Hurry up and finish your bath before the water gets cold."

In his estate, Riku raised his glass to the other noblemen in his home as they celebrated the completed plans for the building of their fur company. As the president of the company, Riku thanked everyone that would soon support him in his work in one way or the other, and left his guests to go to the parlor.

"Sir, would you like to retire to your room to change into a more comfortable outfit?" One of his butlers said bowing slightly when he stepped out of the dining room. He waved his hand at the butler signaling to him it wasn't necessary and down the long hallway. When he entered the parlor he smiled at Vivi that stood by the large window looking outside as it poured against the window.

"Vivi what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be enjoying yourself at the party?" His smile broke out into a grin as he added, "After all, you helped us find our new location." Vivi twitched but did not turn, only lowered his face so that his hat hid his face in the window's reflection. "With the orphanage out of the way we have a new location to build our company and Roxas will come to me for help. He can't hide in the streets any longer; it's me or death." He loosened the white cravat around his neck and removed his light blue coat so that he was left in his white shirt with ruffles at the ends of his sleeves. Today, he had one of the maids braid his hair and tied at the end with a ribbon that matched his coat and he played with the tip of it as he walked over to Vivi. "We've killed to birds with one stone. If I can't have Roxas then no one can."

"What about Zexion? Roxas could go to him." Vivi said in his small voice and looked back at Riku when he put a hand on his shoulder.

"Zexion doesn't have a lot of money to support them both and Roxas is too stubborn to accept his help. No, he'll come to me." The black mage did a sad sigh and Riku squeezed his shoulder a bit. "Hey, remember who took you in when you lost your family in the war. If it wasn't for me, you would have been dead long ago or in the same situation as Roxas."

"Yes I know. I'm happy you took me in." Riku pat his shoulders and then sat behind his desk looking at the blue prints of the company that was going to be built. Vivi took his yellow eyes off him and walked out regretting he had used his magic to do Riku's wishes.

The next morning water dripped from the book store's sign as well as everything else in town as Roxas came out in a new dress. He would have worn some of Zexion's clothes but they were too big for him and besides, he was already used to wearing dresses. Zexion had gone early in the morning to buy him the new dress since his previous one was too ruined even when Roxas tried to sew it with some other pieces of cloth.

"I swear I'll pay you back for this. One day I'll repay you back for all the kindness you've shown me." Roxas said swaying his dress from side to side admiring it. It was short sleeved and ruffled at the ends and plenty more ruffles were at the bottom of his dress too. It was a deep red color, white from the ruffles and a large white ribbon was tied around his waist facing a side instead of being in the front of his waist. There was a smaller white ribbon on the front of his chest too but that one was part of the dress. Zexion cleared his throat at him as Roxas kept smiling at the dress and he stopped blushing. "So I'm going to the North then through the forest. When I get to the next town I'll write you a letter and have it sent to you. I'll keep doing that till I'm there."

"Alright but be careful. With you looking like that you could be-" Zexion said handing him a small bag of money and Roxas glared and cut in.

"Hey! I can take care of myself! I would knock the daylights out of the person who tries! And I don't want your money! You already did a lot for me." He pushed the hand offering the money away gently but Zexion pushed it back in his hand.

"As a parting gift then." Roxas stared then slowly broke into a grin.

"Well, if it's a gift, I can't deny it then." Roxas smiled and put the bag away in his pocket and gave Zexion a quick hug before heading to the street and waving back at him. "I'll be okay!" Zexion waved back at him and Roxas left.

He bought flowers from a flower girl and went to the cemetery to say goodbye to his friends laying a flower on each of their graves. He didn't even bother finding Eraqus's tombstone or the adult's. After he had paid his respects he went to the edge of town and found an old man that was about to leave to the next town so he asked for a ride in the back of his hay filled cart. Once they were on their way Roxas laid back on the hay watching the grey sky, which wasn't that much fun, so he ate some bread he had bought before departing.

It was already dark as they passed through the woods and Roxas sat still watching the woods for any pair of eyes watching them. He'd hoped they'd have passed through before night fell but that was out of the question now.

"Ll se sent toujours comme regarder quelqu'un. C'est juste votre imagination joue des tours a' vous yeux." The man said looking back at Roxas chuckling. Roxas half smiled back but he still felt uneasy. They must have been deep in the forest by now and Roxas couldn't see anything except from what the lantern the old man had hit shone on and what little light the moon provided when it came out. Roxas almost screamed when the cart stopped and the man laughed at his nervousness. "Juste aller pisser." Roxas nodded his head and the man went into the forest behind some trees. The horse that pulled the cart poked at the ground and perked up one of its ear's up when it heard something in the forest. Roxas strained to hear for anything and heard some animal shriek in the forest and a loud roar followed soon after it. The horse panicked and reared up on its back feet neighing and Roxas fell back in the hay when the horse took off. The man screamed at them coming back out of the forest and Roxas screamed back for help.

"Stupid horse! You're going to get us lost or killed!" Roxas said sitting up and moving closer to the horse trying to catch the reins while said stupid horse was still running making it almost impossible. He was somehow able to get them but it didn't matter anymore because the horse was attacked by some huge animal so that the cart was knocked to a side and Roxas tumbled out into the woods.

The few beams of moonlight that actually made it past the trees showed the horse twitching on the ground as the bear or whatever it was, crouched by it with its teeth around the horses neck till Roxas heard a sick snap and the horse stopped moving. Roxas stopped breathing where he laid on the ground on his stomach and watched with wide eyes as the creature noticed him and snarled at him so that it's fangs glinted in the light covered in crimson.

"Oh mon Dieu…."

It stepped closer to him just as the moonlight washed over them and Roxas saw that it wasn't a bear, but a monster and it looked ready to kill him too.

Aller en enfer/Go to hell

Emmenez-moi avec vous! Je ne sais pas ou' j'appartiens plus/Take me with you! I don't know where I belong anymore

La'chez-moi connard/Let go of me you asshole

J'espe're que vous bru'lerez en enfer aussi. Mon a'me ne jamais trouver la paix/Hope you burn in hell too. May your soul never find peace.

De'sole'/Sorry

Merci pour tout Zexion. Vous e'tes un grand ami/Thank you for everything Zexion. You're a great friend.

Ll se sent toujours comme regarder quelqu'un. C'est juste votre imagination joue des tours a' vous yeux/It's always feels like someone's watching. It's just your imagination playing tricks on your eyes.

Juste aller pisser/Just going to take a piss

Oh mon Dieu/Oh dear God (or Oh My God. Which ever you want.)