Not a very long chapter. Sorry 'bout that. But I'm going to try to update every week or everyother week, so hopefully that'll make up for this chapter sucking somewhat xD
Beta'd by Shadow
Cloud shifted uncomfortably as he walked through the dark woods, the moon as his only source of light. During the entire journey, he felt eyes boring into his skin, but there wasn't a soul in sight. There was no breeze to rustle the leaves or birds chirping. Everything was silent.
All the stories his grandfather told him ran through his head. Cloud tried hard to keep his nerves from sending him screaming through the trees. He wouldn't want anyone to see him like that.
Off in the distance, a wolf howled. Cloud pulled out a hunting knife hidden in his boot in an instant. If the beast came after him, Cloud needed to be ready. But the sound died as quickly as it had come, calming the blond's nerves.
He needed to find Roxas so they could leave. And soon.
~X~x~X~x~
Roxas paced the room as Kairi watched him from the bed. It kept him from thinking of Axel and from feeling embarrassed. When he had first gone into the underground home, he couldn't find the little girl so he followed her scent. He had sniffed her out. Like a dog.
"Roxy?" A small hand grabbed his shirt causing him to stop in his tracks. "What's wrong? Is it Big Brother?" Her big blue eyes filled with tears. "I-is something wrong with him? I'm a big girl; I can handle the truth," The little girl pleaded.
The blond gave the girl a worried look. "Don't worry, Kairi. Everything is going to be okay." Roxas's eyes dropped from Kairi's face and towards her feet. "Everything's going to be alright," He whispered more for himself than for the young child.
Kairi jumped off the bed and hugged the scared boy. "I don't know what's going on Roxy, but I'll always be here for you and Big Brother." As Roxas wrapped his arms around her shoulders, he had to remind himself that she was still just a child.
Both pairs of blue eyes weld up with tears as Roxas pulled Kairi into a tighter hug and whispered comforting words. They stayed that way until Kairi's arms fell away. She had fallen asleep.
Roxas picked up the girl and placed her under the covers of the bed. Once he was sure Kairi wasn't going to wake up, he bolted for the door and made his way back to the surface as fast as his short legs could take him.
Only faint figures marked where Fran and Axel were in the clearing. The wolf had either calmed down or passed out from the pain.
The little, tame green Heartless floated above Roxas's head and jingled before it flew back over to its owner, jingling again as if telling Roxas to follow it. The blond approached the Viera and his mate.
Axel was asleep with his head rested on Fran's lap. Axel was still in his wolf form which hindered Roxas from seeing the extent of the man's injuries but since he didn't seem to be in pain it reassured Roxas that he was fine.
Fran noticed Roxas coming as she let her gaze leave her patient to the young boy. "He's lost a lot of blood but the lacerations weren't deep enough to need stiches. His back left leg is fractured so he can't go hunting and must restrict his movements. But other than that he seems fine."
Roxas opened his mouth to reply but a loud screech stopped him. Blue eyes darted in the direction of the sound and in the faint light Roxas could just make out a monkey-like creature jumping from tree to tree.
"Heartless. We need to go back inside." Roxas was having a hard time getting his voice out but Fran understood.
"They can't come here," The woman said as she pulled Roxas to sit next to her and pointed to the rows of flowers at the border of the clearing. "See those flowers?" They were the same ones Roxas was admiring when he first came to the burrow. "They have magic properties that keep the Heartless away," Fran explained.
Roxas looked over at the flowers and then towards the Heartless that now looked angry and hungry. "So we're safe here?"
"Yes."
"But how does it work? I mean, they're just flowers. Couldn't the Heartless just jump over them or something?" Roxas scrunched up his face in confusion. It was ridiculous. But then again so was everything else in his life now.
Fran sighed and moved her hand from Axel's fur to brush Roxas's blond bangs out of his eyes. "Magic cannot be explained. Some of it can be. Like how you became what you now are. But other things, they just are and you have to take it for what it is."
"I don't-" Roxas was interrupted when Axel growled in his sleep before opening his jade eyes and letting out a fierce snarl. "Axel!" Roxas yelped.
The redhead tried to get up but stumbled under his weight and lay back down. "What happened?" He whined.
"You were attacked by a Heartless and got pretty beat up," Roxas said as he reached out and rubbed a spot behind Axel's ear. "How are you feeling?"
"Like shit. Where's Kairi?" Axel's voice was weak, looked like he was about to go back into his dreamland but the wolf was stubborn and refused his body what it needed. He needed his mate.
"She's in her room." Roxas turned his attention towards the Viera who only heard grunts from the wolf. "Can you go and check on her for me? And if she's up, tell her Axel's fine and to stop worrying." Fran nodded and did as she was bid, giving the mated pair their privacy.
Once the Viera was gone, Roxas let out a low sigh that caught Axel's attention. "Something wrong?" Axel asked as he placed his head in his mate's lap.
"I was just so scared. I feel kind of stupid and lame for it now."
"But…"
"But, you were just so out of your mind. I mean, you snapped at me, Axel! You tried to bite me," Roxas finished with a weak voice.
Axel whined and rubbed the blond's side with his face in an attempt to comfort the boy. "And I'm very sorry for that, love. But let's see how you handle being blind with pain and in a panic." The red wolf let out a weak chuckle. "I'm sorry I've worried you so much."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." Axel nudged Roxas to lie down. "Now it's sleepy time. We have to go back to the den in the morning."
"But you've hurt your leg. Shouldn't we stay for another day?" Roxas asked as he curled himself around Axel, being mindful not to touch any wounds.
"I'll be fine. It's not too far of a journey." Axel yawned and pressed his wet nose into Roxas's neck making the boy shiver. "Besides, I'd rather have you than Fran fretting over me."
Roxas let out a forced laugh at the redhead's crappy flirting attempts. "Whatever."
~x~X~x~X~
Okay. I know I've seen that tree before. Cloud thought to himself as he wandered the woods. The oldest blond found himself walking in circles. The night seemed to be never ending and the quick glimpses of shadows following him made Cloud wish he never stepped foot into the forest.
The blade Cloud had hidden in his boot never found its way back into his boot. Instead, he kept it in his hand in case he needed to defend himself or hunt.
Cloud made a rash decision on which route to next take, hoping his baby brother was somewhere along the path.
"You shouldn't be here," A low voice said behind Cloud.
The blond almost screamed as he turned with his knife at the ready.
Blue eyes widened at the man standing there. He was an inch or so taller than Cloud. His hair was short with random strands framing his face and his stormy grey eyes. He was clad in dark clothes that helped him blend in with the night.
"I'm looking for someone, my brother. Maybe you've seen him? He's looks a lot like me but a hell of lot shorter. Goes by the name Roxas." The blade stayed raised.
The man shook his head. "Never heard of him. It's rare for humans to wander in here and for good reasons too. Go home."
The man went to turn and go back to where he had come from but Cloud grabbed his arm and held him in place. "If you haven't seen him then can you help me find him? You seem to know your way around. Please."
The man paused before turning to Cloud. "Squall."
"What?" Cloud was confused and freaked out by this person. Maybe he was insane and that's why he was talking about humans like he wasn't one. The blond was starting to regret asking this man anything.
"My name is Squall. And I guess I'll help you. The faster we find your brother, the sooner the two of you will be out of here. Come on, my tree isn't far from here." Squall pulled his arm from Cloud's grasp and continued walking with the blond not too far behind. "You got a name, human?" He threw over his shoulder at the blond.
"Cloud."