I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!! Mwah ha ha! Man. I've been sooooo busy. And I'm still gonna be busy! I've got finals in two weeks! NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Ah well. i warn you, this one is sad. I almost cried when I wrote it. Anyway.

Disclaimer: The usual. I don't own nothing.


The moment the word 'scars' left Axel's mouth, Roxas stiffened like a rock. Heck, if he got any stiffer he would crack and break.

Axel hadn't noticed Roxas' reaction and walked past the blonde. When he didn't hear an answer, or even a second pair of footsteps, he turned around to check on the smaller blonde. No one was there.

Roxas had freaked.

He asked. He saw.

Roxas did the first instinctive thing that came to mind.

Get away. Get far away.

He soundlessly dashed into the nearest classroom. Thankfully it was an empty science room. Roxas ignored the red head calling his name and dashed to the cabinets in the back of the room. Roxas opened the cabinet and crawled in, closing the door behind him. It was a good thing he was small enough.

Axel opened the door to the room seconds after the cabinet door stilled. "Roxas? You in here?" Axel lingered a moment before closing the door and continuing his search for the little blonde.

Roxas heard the door close. He didn't crawl out of the cabinet. Roxas heard Axel calling his name. He didn't crawl out of the cabinet. Roxas heard Axel's voice and footsteps get farther and farther away until he could no longer hear the red head at all. He still didn't crawl out of the cabinet.

He just sat there with his knees drawn up to his chest. And he kept thinking over and over about things. Why did he freak? Why didn't he keep his cool like Sora said? Now Axel would definitely ask. Whatshouldhedo? Whatshouldhedo? Whatshouldhedo?

Roxas continued to sit there until the end of the class period. Before anyone that was in science period next could get into the classroom, the twin law prevailed. Sora opened the cabinet and pulled his brother out, being careful not to hurt him. Then he guided the unresponsive blonde through the halls to the library. Sora ignored the people whispering and asking questions and headed toward the reception desk. The slate haired boy Sora was seeking was not behind the desk. Sora decided to wait with Roxas for him behind the desk.

Sora on the floor hugging his twin close. Roxas had completely shut down. He just stared blankly into nothing. Sora rubbed his twin's shoulders' soothingly and whispered comforting words to the blonde. Tears silently slid down the brunette's cheeks. Hurry up Zexion.

It was halfway through second period when the slate haired boy finally showed. Zexion was carrying a stack of books to the desk to be registered. He dropped the pile onto the floor the moment he saw the twins behind his desk. He all but flew to them.

"What happened?" Zexion asked kneeling to their eye level.

Sora sniffed and rubbed his eyes. "I-I d-don't *sniff* Know! He-he went to c-class, or was g-going *sniff* And he was f-fine, b-but then he w-wasn't and I d-don't know why. I-I j-just found him like this *his*"

"Shhhh-shhhh-shhhhhh-shhhhhhhhhhhh." Zexion shushed. He gathered the twins in his arms and gently rocked them. "Don't worry. Everything will be alright."

The library was quiet aside from Sora's occasional sniffles.

Zexion suddenly stood and faced the bystanders intrigued by the sad scene.

"Everybody out."

"What?!" They all cried outraged. "Why?!"

"It's closed."

"You can't do that!" Someone shouted. "It's a public library!"

"Actually, it's private. Now get put vultures, or I might just call your parents and tell them the reason you all are failing is because you're making out behind the bookcases."

Wow. The library emptied fast.

Zexion carefully lifted Roxas off the floor and placed him on the library desk.

"Roxas?" The blonde's hand twitch, but that was the only indication Zexion got that showed the boy had heard him. "Sora have you asked him what's wrong?"

Sora sniffed and shook his head. "No." He stood next to his brother. "I was too afraid that he wouldn't answer me."

"Nonsense. You're probably the only person he would answer in this state. Ask him now. I'm going to call Cloud. Roxas can't stay at school like this."

Zexion picked up the phone on the library desk while Sora took Roxas' hands in his own. "Roxas?"

Roxas' hand twitched in response.

"Roxas it's Sora." Another twitch.

"What happened Roxas? Tell me what's wrong."

"…………………………"

"Roxas, please."

"………..he………"

"Roxas?"

"He…………….asked……………."

"Who asked?"

"……………Axel…………..He saw…………….He asked……………….He hates me…."

"Oh Roxas." Tears had begun to slide down the blonde's cheeks while he spoke. Sora pulled his twin into a warm embrace. He didn't need to ask anymore to know what Roxas meant.

And neither did Zexion. His grip on the phone tightened when he heard Axel's name. Someone would die tonight.

Cloud picked up after two rings. "Cloud Strife here."

"Cloud."

"Zexion? Is that you? Are you allowed to call during school?"

"Roxas shut down."

Cloud's voice turned serious. "When?"

"Looks like about an hour ago."

"Why?"

"Axel asked about his scars."

"I'll be there in two minutes."

Zexion hung up the phone. "Cloud plans on teleporting."

Sora sniffed and nodded. A minute and a half later Cloud soundlessly appeared in front of the library desk. No puff of smoke or anything. Just one second the space was empty and the next Cloud was there. Cloud rushed to his brothers. He knelt down in front of Roxas and looked him in the eyes. The tears had stopped flowing, but his eyes were still blank and unseeing.

"Has he said anything?" Cloud asked.

"Sora got him to say what's wrong, but that's it." Zexion answered. Sora moved closer to his twin and nodded in agreement.

Cloud nodded. "You were right to call me. Sora, go get Roxas' stuff. I'm going to take him to see Lulu. She has the best remedies."

Sora nodded once more and left. Cloud placed his hands on Roxas' shoulders. "Roxas, I know you can hear me somewhere in there and I need you to listen."*twitch* "I'm going to have Sora tell those three…..about us, and about Them." Tears begun sliding down Roxas cheeks again. "I'm sorry Roxas, but if you really care about what they think that much, and about what might happen to them, then we have to tell them." Cloud scooped Roxas up in his arms and hugged him tight. "I'm really sorry Roxas. I promise I won't let anything happen."

Sora returned with Roxas' pack. "I told the teachers that Roxas was leaving."

"Thanks." Cloud carefully shouldered the backpack. "and Sora, I need you to tell them…..Riku, Demyx, and Axel, about what happened, to us…..and about the Organization."

Sora paled. "E-Everything?"

"Not everything, just enough so that they get the idea."

Sora reluctantly nodded. "Okay. Bye Roxas. Bye Cloud."

Cloud nodded and vanished, just as the next period bell rang.

Sora was quiet. It wasn't going to be easy to explain what Roxas went through.

Zexion, on the other hand, was furious. The only thing going through his mind was: Axel was so dead.

Zexion spun on his heel and stormed out of the library, ignoring Sora calling for him. He strode the halls, scanning for that mop of cocky red hair. After searching three different halls, he found it, walking out of the science lab.

Axel spotted the slate haired boy and waved. "Hiya, Zexy!" He didn't have any idea what Zexion was planning. Not until it happened anyway. Zexion socked Axel in the face.

Axel stumbled back into the wall shocked. Demyx and Riku were by his side.

Sora had finally caught up to the librarian. "Zexion!"

"What the hell was that for?!" Axel yelled. His shock had dissolved into rage.

"What did I tell you?" Zexion shot coolly.

"What?" Riku asked. He didn't exactly like watching someone punch his best friend, even if he might have deserved it.

"The other day in the library. What did I tell you?"

Axel growled. "Not to use dictionaries to look up random words to keep me from getting bored?! How the hell-"

"About Roxas. What did I tell you about Roxas?"

Axel blinked stupidly and angrily. "What the hell does that have to do with-" Axel froze midsentence.

About Roxas.

Roxas was acting strange this morning.

Roxas went missing in the hall.

Roxas went missing after Axel asked about the scars.

Axel did something wrong.

Way to go Axel.

"Where's Roxas?" Axel asked quickly.

Zexion crossed his arms and glowered at the red head. "NOW you get it."

Axel ignored the slate haired boy's condescending glare. He took two steps, grabbed Zexion's collar and brought him up to his tattooed face. "Where. Is. Roxas."

Demyx and Riku were tugging on the red head. "Axel let him go!"

Zexion was the one to get Axel to let go. He gave the red head another sock in the face, and a knee in the stomach to boot. Axel dropped Zexion, fell to his knees and grabbed his stomach with one hand and his face with the other. Then Zexion leaned over and snatched Axel by the ear and forced him back into a standing position. "Oh dear, you don't look well Axel, you ought to see the nurse." Zexion then proceeded to guide Axel by the ear through the crowd that had gathered to watch and down the hall with Sora, Demyx, and Riku close behind.

When they arrived at the infirmary, Aerith was reorganizing her cabinets. She turned to the door when it opened. "Hello. What seems to be-Zexion! What are you doing?!" Zexion pulled Axel past Aerith and into the back room where the beds were.

"We need privacy." The slate haired boy said briskly as he pushed Axel onto a bed. He returned to the door when Sora, Riku, and Demyx were in the room. "Please make sure we are not disturbed."

When Zexion tried to close the door, Aerith held it open. "I cannot allow you to do that unless you give me a good reason."

Zexion scowled. Why was everyone being so difficult? He leaned forward and whispered something in her ear. Whatever he said changed her mind. The nurse's face softened and she nodded. "I understand." She turned around. "You won't be disturbed." And she closed the door.

Riku and Demyx were by now nearly as pissed as Axel. "Would you just tell us what the hell is going on?!" Demyx demanded.

"That's what we're doing." Sora said "Here" He had fetched some ice packs for packs for Axel. Sora held them out for Axel, who blinked stupidly at them.

"What?" Sora sighed and shoved the packs in his hands.

"That's what we're doing. We're telling you everything."

This time all three of them blinked stupidly. "Oh. Okay."

Sora took a seat next to Zexion on the bed opposite the newcomers. The chocolate brunette sighed heavily. Where to begin?

"Be sure not interrupt us." Zexion said. "Sora might not be able to start again if you do."

Sora nodded his agreement. There was an awkward silence, until Sora sighed again.

Then he began.

"We were born in GreenKreek. You probably haven't heard of it. It's a tiny little town halfway across the continent. It's the kind of town that wouldn't show up on a large map. Perfect for raising a family, but also perfect for a secret hideout. I'll get back to that in a minute.

"Cloud was born first, and our parents love him, until they learned he could do magic. They became apathetic towards that part of him. They loved that he was a child prodigy but they hated his magic, so they just ignored his magical talent.

Then Roxas and I came along. They had hoped, really really hoped that we were normal. Needless to say, we weren't. In fact, we were just about as far from normal as you can get. We were and are the first twins in magical history to be born drawn to different magics. I was born to Glamour, and Roxas……………Roxas was born to Necromancy.

Being drawn to Necromancy, as you should know, is just about as rare as you can get. And people, humans and wizards, hate it. Our parents hated it more. They hated Roxas, more than anything. Roxas was born and empathy, he always knew what they were thinking. How they felt about him. I'll never truly know how it feels to feel your own parents hate for you, and neither will Cloud, but we did everything we could to help. We would make up excuses and such to get Roxas out of the same room, or even the same house as our parents.

"But being the only Necromancer in the area attracted a lot of attention from a certain group." Sora paused and swallowed. This was a painful topic full of painful memories. It was difficult to think of, much less speak of. Zexion took over.

"They call themselves Silent Whispers. I'm sure you've heard of them. They go around and manipulate wizards. Then, before the victims realize what's happening, they drain them and leave them to die. If the victims are lucky, the council finds them and replenishes their life energy."

Sora nodded and continued. "They sat their eyes on Roxas and approached our parents. Our parents sold Roxas to them. Literally. Every day they would drop Roxas at the group's hideout instead of school and every night when they picked him up, they would receive a check for 500 dollars."

"the group had the first intentions of draining Roxas, but when they discovered how young he was and how well he learned, they decided to use him instead. Forced him to join them. They trained him to be evil. They taught him to fight, and not with just magic. He learned to use various different weapons and styles of martial arts. He was treated mercilessly by the other members. Except for two. You've met them already. Luxord. And Zexion."

Riku shot off the bed to exclaim his shock but Zexion held up a hand. "He said not to interrupt." Riku frowned, but sat down again anyway.

"Thanks Z. It went on like that for years. When we were eight…….they…….they sent Roxas on his first mission, to drain and kill a powerful sorcerer and his family. They snuck in pretending that Roxas was a friend of one of their kids. Roxas was actually becoming friends with the boy when Silent Whispers made their move. They killed the kids first, right in front of Roxas. Then the servants. Then the wife. And lastly there was the husband. The held him, and they wanted Roxas to drain and kill him. Roxas wouldn't do it, he couldn't. And after that, everything that could go wrong did."One of the servants had lived and called the police. Using the sirens as a distraction, the man they were trying to drain blasted his captors away. Then he took Roxas hostage and tried to make it outside with him. He never even made it to the stairs. They gave up on draining the man and killed him on the spot. They took Roxas and hightailed it outta there.

"Things didn't let up from there. He…..Their leader……he wanted to punish Roxas………Show him his place……He wanted to show Roxas that he was nothing but a tool that had no right to exist, much less decide to not follow orders. He……well…..you saw the scars. The boss did most of those. Especially the big one. To make sure everyone knew Roxas shouldn't exist, so he marked him with an X.

"Roxas did the only thing he could do. He got out of there. He just ran away. He was injured though, and had no idea where he was going, plus it was storming that night. He collapsed on the side of a highway. That's where Leon found him. He took Roxas to a hospital and called us when Roxas woke up and told him who he was. Roxas had broken ribs, a leg fracture , and gashes that would leave scars all over. Roxas left on a Monday morning, but Cloud and I didn't get to see him again when he was admitted to the hospital two weeks later.

"It was then, in the hospital, Cloud, Roxas, and I vowed to always stay together and look out for each other. two years later Cloud turned eighteen and took custody of us with Leon.

"After that moved as far away from GreenKreek as we could at the time. Cloud and Leon adopted Namine, and we settled down for a normal life. Cloud even started moving up the ranks in the magic system. But that didn't stop the Whispers.

"They kept doing everything they could to get Roxas back. They burnt towns, destroyed businesses and possessed hundreds of people, just to get to my brother. I've lost count of how many times we've had to move. We finally got to the point where the Council was going to take Roxas away from us and put him under max security. Thankfully, Zexion and Luxord stepped forward.

"They hated what Silent Whispers had done to Roxas, so they offered to help protect him from them. And it's been working. They haven't guessed that they've been fed false information, so we've been able to live a fairly normal lifestyle.

"What happened to Roxas today was....He's scared. Everyone that he has tried to make close friends with him were either possessed or later tried to sell him. He's afraid you'll try to sell him. We all are. We normally wouldn't be telling anyone this. Not even Hayner, Pence, and Olette know. But....I guess.....we trust you....to help us."

Sora fell silent after that. The tears he had held back before ran freely down his cheeks now. He buried his face in his hands. "I-I......y-you have to help us. P-please! I-I can't l-lose Roxas! I-I-I-" The brunette was silenced by a warm embrace. Riku had moved next to Sora when he started crying. The silverette was hugging the crying boy and running his hand through his chocolate locks soothingly and whispered comforting words in his ear.

"Shhhh. It's okay. Everything's going to be fine Sora. Calm down."

Sora sobbed into Riku's shoulder. Zexion watched silently before examining the other two's reactions. Axel was shocked, thoroughly shocked. He was gazing blankly at the floor going over what he was just told in his head. Demyx had started crying too.

"H-how?" The Mohawk teen stuttered out. "H-how could anyone, ANYONE, do that?!"

"I don't try to fathom what goes through the minds of villains." Zexion said dryly.

B-but....I just don't understand!" Demyx cried angrily, fisting his hands in his hair.

"Roxas." Axel started. "Roxas thought we would sell him to these Whisper freaks?"

Sora pulled away from Riku and nodded while sniffing. "It's become a phobia for him. Every person he's told about this had tried to sell him. Or sometimes they were killed by them."

Axel paled more than he already had from the story.

"Part of him didn't want to be hurt by you, and part of him didn't want you to be hurt."

"But you already blew that." Zexion said flatly.

"We didn't know!" Riku protested.

"Then I guess it was wrong of me to assume that you would have been smart enough to figure it out."

"That's not fair!" Demyx cried.

"What about Roxas?" Axel interrupted. "Where is he?"

Zexion glared at the red head with both eyes. "Sora brought him to me after you talked to him. He completely shut himself off from anyone other than Sora or Cloud. Cloud took him to see Lulu, his mentor and the only person around with the best remedies that can bring him out of it."

"What about Sora and Cloud?" Demyx asked. "Can't they bring him out of it."

"Not quick enough to talk to anyone but us." Sora sniffed.

Axel stared at the ground deep in thought. The he stood abruptly. "May I see him?"

Everyone stared shocked at him. "Axel?!"

"I want to see him. I…." Axel turned his gaze back to the floor. "I want to help."

Zexion growled and stood up also. "Haven't you already done enough damage?"

"No Z." Everyone turned to Sora. He smiled at Axel. "We need him to help. We'll be fine."

Zexion looked back and forth between Axel and Sora. Finally he sighed. "Fine. But-!" He spun on Axel and pointed at him. "If you hurt Roxas in anyway, I will hurt you in the worst way. I still don't trust you." Zexion turned and was walking through the door when Axel responded.

"I could say the same thing Whisper boy!"

Zexion visibly bristled. Then left, slamming the door as he did. Demyx glared at Axel. "What?"

"Why the hell are you such a dick?"

"Hey! He's a member of them!"

"And he's been helping them!"

"But he could be a spy!"

"Don't you think he would've handed Roxas over by now if he was?!"

Axel couldn't think of a good retort. Demyx made a fair point. "Rrgh!" He growled running a frustrated hand through his hair. "Fine. I'll go apologize."

"No." Demyx said. "You go help Roxas. I'll stay here with Zexion. You can apologize later when he's cooled down."

Axel nodded. "Yeah…..better than my plan."


Sora, Riku, and Axel stood outside Lulu's shack in the graveyard. Riku and Axel were totally creeped out.

"This……is where Roxas learns Necromancy?" Axel asked.

"Yes."

"Well, it fits." Riku commented.

Sora walked up to the door and opened without knocking. "Cloud! Lulu!"

Axel and Riku glanced at each other before following Sora in.

Cloud, Lulu, and Leon were sitting at a plain old dining table in the middle in the room. "Sora?" Cloud questioned. When he saw Axel and Riku his face was expressionless. "You told them?"

Sora nodded. "They've come to make thing right."

Cloud nodded. Then he jerked his towards a door behind him. "He's in there. All you have to do is go talk to him. And Axel."

Axel straightened at his name. "Yes sir?"

Cloud stood and walked over to the red head. Cloud placed his hands on his shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. "If you do any more damage than you have already have done I'll skin you alive and drop you into the sea with concrete shoes."

Axel gulped. He was sweating like a dog. How the hell can Cloud say that with such a straight face?! "Yes sir."

Cloud examined him for a moment, then nodded and stepped aside.

Axel glanced at Riku before he walked through the door.

The room only had a faint glow coming from outside. There were piles of books everywhere. Against the far wall was a bed with a gray comforter. Tucked neatly into the bed was Roxas.

Axel did nothing at first. He just stared at the blond boy. He wasn't sleeping. He couldn't be. At least, Axel didn't think that Roxas could sleep with his eyes open. Roxas was gazing unseeingly at the ceiling.

After a minute. Axel moved the pile of books on a chair to the floor and pulled the chair up next to the bed. Axel sat in it and sighed. "Hey Roxas……It….It's me." Axel scratched the back of his neck. This was kind if awkward. "Look…..uh…..Sora told us about….Your guys' past. And….uh…..I've never heard of Silent Whispers……and uhhh…Aw hell, I don't give a crap about them Roxas. All I know is that you're a kid that needs help…And I wanna help....and" Axel looked up at Roxas. There were three words in his head that he wanted to say. Just three words. But he wasn't ready to say them. Not yet.

Axel reached out and took Roxas hand, clasping it in both of his. "Roxas. I…I really like….As a friend…And I don't want to lose you. I'm not going to sell you out. And I'm not dying anytime soon either. So please…just…wake up."

Roxas made no movement. Axel sighed and pressed his forehead to Roxas' hand held in his. "God. I'm such an idiot."

There was an odd movement against his forehead. Must be sweat running down it. Then there was a rustling of blankets moving. Blankets moving?

Axel slowly lifted his head up. There was Roxas sitting up in bed and smiling at Axel. "I don't think you're an idiot."


The end. Forever. Naw I'm just Kidding. AWWWWWWWW!!!!! That is so sad and quite and I just wanna hit myself for writing it. Anyway. Hoped you liked it!