AN: I am so so so sorry this is late, I really meant to update sooner but college has been keeping me busy, and I am trying to write a book! So I've been extra busy, writing a book is hard (duh). Anyways enjoy chapter 4!

Roxas glanced around wildly as the woods encroached further onto them, the thicker the pines got the more he felt his heart drop in his chest, what was going to happen to him? Were they just going to slaughter him without cause?

The endless questions flitted in and out, causing him even more anxiety. He let out a whimper as the blue haired man, Saix was him name he though he heard... Gripped his arm even tighter than before, if Roxas was fortunate enough to live through this he was going to have a bruise in the morning. His blue eyes swept the scene, he had to stop the panic rising and think! He kept chanting to himself under his breath "It's okay, everything will be okay, you can do this..." The red haired man who was walking in front of them glanced back over to him, evidently he could hear him.

The red haired male just smirked towards Roxas, and once more he felt his face heat up and he just kept his eyes down cast, he couldn't let that man get to him, no matter how good looking he was... Roxas mentally froze, did he just think of another male as good looking? Saix said something to him, but it sounded like a mumble while Roxas sorted his thoughts, but the next moment a slap echoed around and his cheek instantly was on fire, he glanced up towards the menacing male and the man just leered and growled, "We're here you little shit, show respect before you die and kept your mouth shut.

Though if you wish to beg, that's fine too, I love it when they beg." His voice was cold as steele and Roxas believed everything that came out of it, he just gulped and nodded his head, the red haired man sighed and looked back at them once more, those green eyes lingering on Roxas; "Saix, leave the duckling alone." Roxas felt his temper flare, they kept treating him like he was some daft idiot, or someone who was scum; he didn't know these people!

"I AM NOT A DUCKLING!" He yelled out, and he hadn't noticed how silent the camp he been before hand, but once he spoke out everything and one seemed frozen still, the man called Saix reacted first, he just narrowed his eyes and tugged Roxas along, the red haired man stared and then his head went back and he gave out a great guffaw "He's right, not a duckling at all, he has claws! This one is a kitten..." He stopped for a moment and looked at Saix, motioning for him to move; Saix released Roxas's arm but quickly it was replaced with the other mans, Roxas kept his heart beat down, and just bit his lip; thinking harshly in his brain 'And I'm not a kitten either!'; "I heard that." The man said, Roxas glanced up, he knew he thought it... could this man read minds? "Axel don't play with the food and bring him to Xemnas already!" Roxas gulped, food? The shock must have shown on his face for the man named Axel bent his face close to his ear and whispered in a husky voice; "Don't worry kitten, he doesn't bite... hard." Roxas just shivered and kept his mouth shut, he was going to die; and be eaten by a bunch of mind reading maniacs; he knew it!

They stepped lightly, the ground covered in dirt and pines; the crunches of the foot falls echoed about the nearly empty camp, but once Roxas roamed his gaze more he noticed quite a few other people; they all wore robes of black, and some conversed with each other; others looked at him and smirked or looked indifferent.

They reached a huge tent, it was a deep red with light tan trimming, it looked as if a king or prince would have stayed there. Axel pulled open a flap and instantly Roxas felt his nose assaulted with a perfume type smell, different mixtures and bottles lay strewn around; a table with what seemed to be a mortar and pestle; a cauldron was laying on a desk in the far back and books; what seemed like millions of books were scattered about.

A man with long silver like hair was muttering and pouring over a very thick book; Roxas couldn't tell much about him from behind but he was tall and looked younger, his shoulder broad. His hair reached down his back and he seemed to have a deep voice; from the bits and pieces Roxas caught him saying... Axel looked down once more at Roxas and for once Roxas missed his know it all smile; that smirk he always wore was gone, and a serious frown now covered its tracks.

Axel coughed into his hand and said in a quiet tone, not at all matching his mischief looking demeanor. "Xemnas, we caught this boy wandering around in the woods; close to where the camp is, what should we do with him?" The man addressed, Xemnas, froze and turned, the sight of his face scared Roxas; he looked so stern and scary, worse than his mother! The yellow eyes, so unnatural pierced him and seemed to look into his mind and body, "Dispose of him, he looks useless but he can't go telling others our positions." Xemnas turned back to his book and Roxas felt his whole body go numb, he was going to be killed? Just like that? He could feel tears prickle at the edge of his eyes, he would not allow himself to cry! Squinting to hold them back he just looked up towards Axel, and to his surprise Axel wasn't getting ready to slit his throat, he was still staring at Xemnas, "Sir, wouldn't it be better if we just gave him a drought of memory loss and leave him on the edge of the town?" Xemnas froze, and turned once more glowering at Axel and myself, it made me look at the ground; these people... who were they?

"Why would I waste something that took time to make, and waste someone going back towards that piece of shit village, for his worthless pig skin?" Each word was ground out and said in such a harsh and unruly tone, Axel just smirked; and it scared me, wasn't he going to get hurt? Why was he trying to spare me? "Aren't we trying to prove to the world we aren't heartless? I saw him before his father is one of those sages, a high ranking one... If we kill him they'll be out here in droves." Xemnas crossed his arms, annoyance clear, he then said in a steely tone, "Boy does anyone know you went into the woods?" Roxas thought for a moment but then spoke up in a more hopeful voice than he meant, "Y-yes!"

He was surprised he made out the word, he was so scared and he knew his whole body was full of fear; Axel just smirked wider, Xemnas rubbed his brow and then let out a sigh. He whole moment Xemnas was quite, Axel moved his hand from his arm around his waist, the palm rested on his lower back and heat kept rising on Roxas's face, he glanced nervously upwards and Axel watched him with a glint in his eyes; it was so predatory. Xemnas finally responded after a moment, rubbing his temples and turning back to his book he waved a hand at them and said dismisivly; "Very well take him to Zexion and give him the drought, and Axel since you seem so taken with him; you take him back to the village edge, if you get caught we wont be coming for you." Axel just nodded and then guided me out of the tent back to the wooded area, everyone seemed to have vanished from earlier, like they all decided that nothing was worth seeing any more; guess they thought they weren't going to see a show of Roxas getting the ax.

"That was longer than expected, did you not have the heart to kill the little thing Axel, do I get the honor's?" A man with long dirty blonde hair stepped out and grinned, his eyes were cold as ice and they just stared hollow at Roxas's form, he licked his lips and the eyes moved about glancing at his every movement to the way Roxas glanced about nervously. Axel just smiled, and said in a forced tone that sounded quite falsely nice; "Not today Vexen, I am to take this little kitten to Zexion and give him a memory loss drought and take him back to his village." Vexen scoffed and just rolled his eyes, "Xemnas is getting too soft; fine then take your new toy to Zexion." As the man turned and left his hair waved a bit with the movement, an odd thought came over Roxas, if anyone was going to kill him he would have wanted Axel to do it. Instantly Roxas wanted to smack himself, he shouldn't want to die at all, by anyone's hands! "Come along kitten, we need to hurry and get you out of here; everyone is so blood thirsty." Axel still had his hand on Roxas's lower back guiding him to a smaller blue tent, Roxas spoke up though unknown courage going through him; "Do you mind not having you hand there, it's a bit inappropriate..."

His voice was small but he still felt proud at being able to speak up at all. Axel stopped and then leered towards him, Roxas felt regret surge through him, what would Axel do? Slap him like Saix did? Instead the red head just kept his jade eyes locked on his own baby blues and smiled, then Roxas felt it, the hand had slithered down to his rear, and a firm squeeze was felt; Roxas squeaked, he actually squeaked! Axel heard and let out another loud laugh, his laughs were actually quite nice sounding... Roxas shook his head and pulled away from the hand that still was feeling him up; "Stop it! Pervert, we're both men!" Axel stopped his laughing and just bent down to nip at the blondes ear, whispering afterwords; "That's what makes it all the more fun."

He then moved away and the hand now rested back on his back, Roxas didn't feel like going through the sexual harassment to say another word about it. Inside the tent where a boy with dark hair was sitting reading, another man stood there; messing with a strange instrument, music wasn't allowed in his village, it was wrong and the gods supposedly didn't feel it was something their subjects should do. One Axel had gone to ask the dark haired boy; Zexion, about the drought Roxas stood there staring at the boy with the blode hair in a strange style; and he kept staring, until the other boy looked up and smiled, and for once Roxas felt like everything was going to be okay... That smile was so warm and comforting.

"Demyx, don't stare too long you'll get attached again; I have to return him." The boy addressed shrugged and went back to plucking the strings, he plucked faster and more at a time; making such a wonderful sound, Roxas felt his eyes close and he smiled; the music felt so warm to him. He was snapped out of it when someone gripped his face, Axel was glaring towards Demyx and in turn Demyx looked sheepish, he then looked at Roxas his own blue eyes not as bright but still they felt like Roxas was looking at the sea; they were just so deep and calming, Demyx winked at him and turned to say something to Zexion. "Open." Was the one word command Axel gave him, and in his right hand was a vial with a strange orange liquid... Roxas felt scared all over again, Axel sighed and then said in a low tone; just for Roxas, "It's alright kitten you'll be home soon if you drink this, I promise." Roxas didn't know why he so easily trusted Axel, perhaps it was the fact he saved his life technically... So Roxas opened his mouth and let the red haired man pour the orange liquid in, Roxas sputterd and coughed, the drink tasted horrible; and in an instant wooziness took over and he fell, but he knew he could feel the warmth of arms catching him before he hit the floor.

It was cold, too cold, and goosebumps danced all over his skin, where was he? Roxas opened his eyes, blinking the sleep out of them, and he yawned his muscles aching as he stretched them; he was laying on a patch of grass in the back of his house, the woods and trees right by him.

Why was he here? "ROXAS THANK GOD!" The voice of his cousin rang around the night sky and Roxas bewildered looked around seeing Sora racing towards him and grabbing him in a hug; "I was so afraid I almost went to your parents, you were gone so long; I was so afraid!" Roxas just felt his brow crease, what in the world was Sora talking about? "What are you blathering on about dolt? Why am I outside anyways why would you worry?" Roxas sounded as confused as he felt, and Sora just stared at him and felt his forehead; "Do you have a fever? Remember you wanted to go into the woods, something about finding something or other... You didn't tell me what."

Roxas just felt even more perplexed; "I don't know what you're talking about..." Sora frowned and he gazed around taking Roxas's arm, which in turned caused the blonde to wince, "Ouch careful!" He yelped and Sora looked down his mouth fell open, "Roxas this bruise... it looks like a hand print..." Roxas looked down and Sora was quite right, all at once panic shocked his system, and he looked around wildly, what in the world happened to him? "Come on Roxas let me take you inside and we'll look at it closer." Sora tugged on him again but this time he pulled on his other arm, Roxas didn't object he stood and moved zombie like towards his lighted house, his mind in a daze of questions.

End Chapter 4.

Sorry again for the long wait and for posting this without editing it to make it easier to read (fixed it by now), anyways hopefully I will have the next part out soon! Please leave a review it helps me keep on track!