Well, here's another one. I kind of like starting some chapters of with some letter of some kind, just to show the times and circumstances a little better. I dunno, do you guys think it works? Any other ideas, or how to improve it maybe? Please and thanx. Your support keeps me going :)

Hey, Dem.

Haven't heard from you in a while. Any luck finding that job in Hollow Bastion? I heard the economy's been pretty rough there too.

Listen, if you're still looking for some fast cash, I've got a deal I want to talk to you about. And don't put this down until you hear me out! It's gonna sound bad, I know, but trust me, this is our best chance.

I saw that old notice yesterday. The one about the prince who's still out there looking for his brother. It's still up and in effect. I got to thinking about that, and this awesome idea just popped into my head. There are a ton of blondes in this area. I figure one of them has to look enough like Cloud that he could pass for Roxas. If we could find a boy and dress him up, teach him what to say, we could get more money than we've ever dreamed of! There's enough for the both of us to be happy and set for the rest of our days. It's better than any job out there.

So what do you say? Are you interested? Please send me back a letter and tell me what you think. I'm living in the old Twilight Town mansion, so you can also look me up there. Yes, I'm a pathetic waste of space. Yes, I don't have a job right now. Life sucks in this new, monarch-free town. Hope things on your end are a bit better than they are on mine.

Signed, Axel

Date unknown. Follow-up letter never recovered. Estimated date early October, 1927

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Axel sauntered over to the boy, trying to play it casual as he hinted the idea.

"Well, as it turns out, Demyx and I are going to Destiny Islands ourselves."

Rox's eyes widened slightly, and Axel could see the hope brimming in them. "Really?"

"Yep. And it just so happens," he started, reaching behind him into his pants pockets and pulling out the tickets, moving to then wave them in the blonde boy's face, "that we have one or two extra tickets."

Demyx looked at his partner curiously. "But Axel, why don't you just tell him about the -"

The redhead slapped a hand over his mouth, giving Rox an encouraging smile. "Ignore him. Anyway, as I was saying, I do have these tickets here-"

"Great," the boy said excitedly. He looked like he was about to make a grab for them. "So, can I-"

"Well, you see," Axel said smoothly, pulling them out of his reach at just the last second and holding them teasingly high over his head, "I'd love to help out, but these are actually for Roxas."

"Roxas? As in the prince who disappeared and was never seen again?" Zexion asked incredulously. Rox looked from him to Axel, a little bewildered. "You've found him?"

"We're going to reunite the prince with his brother, who now lives in Destiny Islands. So, as much as I'd like to help," the redhead said, looking down at the blonde slyly, "I'm afraid we don't have any to spare."

Zexion raised his skeptical eyebrow. "Why do you have an extra two tickets if you only need one? Can't you give him that?"

"No," the redhead replied quickly. "Sorry. Can't. Love to, but can't."

Rox looked a bit forlorn at this point. What was the point of telling him about the tickets if he couldn't have them anyway?

Sighing heavily, the blonde turned slowly away from everyone, ready to leave down the hall.

"Well, thank you anyway...I guess. I suppose I'd better go back and-"

"Wait, wait! Hold on a second!" Axel dashed forward and stopped him. Gently taking the blonde's face in his hands, much to the boy's surprise, Axel made a point of looking over the details again, still giving him that sly, almost knowing smile.

"We haven't actually found Roxas yet..." When Rox and Zexion stared at him blankly, the latter looking far less amused, he added to the former, "You could be him, you know."

Rox blinked. "Me?" He pushed the redhead back and away shaking his head. "No, no. I couldn't be him. It wouldn't make any sense."

Axel frowned. "And why not? Have you looked at yourself recently? Look here!" Grabbing his face again, a lot less gently this time, he pushed the blonde up against the wall where the portrait hung. Wiping a bit more dust off of it, Axel added, "Take a look. He's the short blonde kid with the spiky hair, like yours."

Rox huffed, frowning deeply as he pushed the man away again. But he obeyed silently, studying the portrait intently for several minutes. It was full of elegant people, all dressed up and all sitting in small, wooden chairs in a large, red room, their expressions rather solemn. He thought he recognized one or two of them, but it must have been his imagination. Or perhaps he had seen them in a newspaper somewhere. That was more than likely...

There were only two exceptions that were actually smiling; two young boys on the right side of the group that looked like they were cracking up about something. One boy had soft, brown hair, and the other was...

Rox blinked at the blonde boy in the painting. He couldn't deny that he did look a bit like him; in fact, the resemblance was uncanny...But it couldn't be. The boy shook his head, trying to banish the thought. Him, a prince? The notion was laughable. He was an orphan; he slept on damp floors, ate moldy bread and cheese, was even beaten occasionally by the mistress, and these men wanted him to believe he was royalty? Ridiculous! Not even in his wildest dreams could he wish for something like that.

Still...He couldn't deny that he felt something when he looked at the portrait...

Here was a family. A very big one, or at least it had been, but it was obviously a family. Rox didn't want to admit he was getting his hopes up thinking about it, but he felt a tiny flutter of hope thinking that maybe, just maybe, it was his family. He looked over more of the people in the painting and found a taller boy with hair similar to his. The one who had survived out of all of them; he remembered reading about it somewhere or other.

His name is Cloud, I think.

Cloud. It made him sad; that such nice-looking people, many of them young, were killed in such a terrible way. And he had survived, and was still the only known survivor. That young man was probably much older and sadder now, still holding on to the hope that his brother was out there somewhere. Even when the rest of the world had forgotten and moved on, he was trying to find his family too...

"Hey, kid?"

Rox blinked, realizing that he'd begun to tear up. He quickly rubbed his eyes, making sure they were completely clear before looking back at the curious redhead and sympathetic blonde beside him. Zexion didn't look like he cared one way or another what he did, and Sora just appeared to be chasing his tail down around his legs, oblivious to his new master's inner turmoil. Rox sighed, relenting.

"I suppose...it's possible. I don't remember it, but I..."

Axel stepped up to him, as he flicked a lock of golden hair sticking out atop Rox's head. "You've got Cloud's hair."

"And Aerith's eyes!" Demyx added helpfully.

"Yeah! They're as piercing and blue as any Strife's eyes! No doubt about it!"

Rox looked between them strangely. There was something a bit suspicious about how they pushed him to do this. But even if he did think it was possible, if they were wrong...did he really want to cling to such a vague hope? Or face the disappointment it would bring?

The boy shook his head. "I think you're both crazy."

The redhead sighed loudly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Look, kid, I know this is a lot to think about, but you said it yourself. You don't remember what happened to you, and no one knows what happened to him. Why not take the chance? What's the worst it could do?"

Rox thought about it, and he could see a number of bad outcomes from going with them. A bit of that was just personal paranoia, but still...

Axel continued. "Either way, it'll get you to Destiny Islands."

Well, that just about settled it for him. He could think about possibly being royalty when the time came, but for now, this was a free ticket to Destiny Islands. It was his best hope. If these guys were simply playing him, he'd just use them back and ditch them when he reached the islands. Nodding to himself, Rox ran a finger over the bracelet on his wrist.

Here goes...

"Alright," he said, smiling a little. He bent down and picked Sora up in his arms, scratching the little dogs head fondly. "We'll go."

"Yay!" Rox soon found himself in a crushing hug. The older blonde boy squeezed him tightly, holding him so close to his chest that he almost couldn't breathe. Sora yelped and growled at the unwanted pressure, but all he could do was squirm in Rox's arms, as the smaller blonde gasped for air.

"Don't kill him, Demyx," Axel said casually, his attention turning to the dark-haired man still leaning against the wall. "And what about you?"

Demyx let go of his prey, both of who coughed and choked for a moment, and he looked at the other boy curiously. Zexion shook his head and smiled slightly.

"I'm following this kid for the long haul." And that was true. Partially. He knew the kid's ticket out of here would be his ticket out of here. He could make a fresh start in Destiny Islands, maybe find a job and-

"Yay!" Demyx charged forward, ready to envelope him in a crushing hug as well. The dark-haired boy stepped back slightly, firmly stopping him with a hand. "No, not me."

The blonde looked a little down at that, but he quickly cheered up. They'd have plenty of time to get to know each other on the trip. With that, Demyx smiled a big, goofy smile, making Zexion blink and frown at him.

"What's this idiot smiling about?"

"He does that. A lot." Axel threw in unhelpfully. He didn't look too happy about bringing a dog along with them. He turned to Rox, grimacing at the afore-mentioned animal.

"Any chance we can ditch the dog?"

Rox frowned. "No. Why? What's the problem?"

"I'm kind of allergic..."

The blonde shook his head defiantly. "Tough. We couldn't keep pets at the orphanage. This dog is mine, and I'm keeping him." Rox even gave him a little pout, his eyes challenging him to argue. Axel looked at a loss for what to do. He hadn't even known this kid long, and he could already tell he'd have trouble resisting. The look was cute on him, but still so enfuriating.

Finally, he sighed. "Fine."

This was going to be a long, long trip...

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Meanwhile, not too far away in the forest, a young man was slipping silently through the snow, heading toward the old, frozen lake. The man had long silvery hair; it had grown several inches longer in his time in hiding. He had grown fairly tall as well, with wiry muscles lining his arms and upper torso. His piercing, icy eyes were much more determined and cold now, where they had once been soft and curious as a boy. They gazed purposely forward as he quickly made his way to the edge of the water, stopping just before the plunge.

He couldn't believe it, but there it had been, practically smacking him across the face with its mocking. His master wouldn't like this at all...

"Lord Ansem," he called out, looking down at the frozen, glassy surface. In a mere moment, an image of the man appeared there, as if reflected in a mirror before him. Equally cold eyes gazed back at him, his expression tired and irritable.

"What is it? Why must you bother me now?"

Riku rolled his eyes, feeling no sympathy.

"Oh, please. If you haven't moved on on your own by now, then you never will. Besides, I have a feeling I know what keeps you tethered here." According to the spell his master had cast, his soul was to be given up in exchange for the murder of the Strife family. It would forever belong to the dark forces of Hell, but still, the man had cast the spell. For Ansem, the misery and humiliation he had suffered at that family's hands more than warranted his actions and their consequences, and an eternity of servitude to the Devil himself didn't seem to worry him in the least. But even after most of the Strifes lay dead and buried, his soul was not taken. Nor did he simply find rest...

The old blonde looked a bit more curious, but his expression remained hard. "Oh? And what would a boy know that a master of magic would not?"

"True enough. But I dwell among the living. I have seen things you cannot." It would take a bit more time to remove Ansem from the ice. He had been working on it all these years, having to do something while he awaited the taking of his soul, and now he was very close to escaping. But he still relied upon Riku for information about the times. They were ever-changing, after all...

"Then tell me, wise one," the man sneered. "What could be so important that you had to interrupt my work?"

Riku chuckled darkly. "It's your spell, Master. Fine work. Another one seems to have slipped through your net."

Ansem's eyes widened. "No. It can't be...Which one?"

Somehow, Riku had a feeling he already knew the answer to that.

"Roxas."