O.A.N.:

Happy New Year \(^o^)/!

I know I'm a week late, but today is the day I planned to post the new chapter.

This story has officially surpassed 1,000 views a couple of weeks ago. YAY \(^o^)/! *Sigh* I don't understand why only very few people review despite there being so many readers :( To me, this makes me think that the others who read this story so far were like: "Meh, this wasn't that bad, but it wasn't that good to deserve a comment either." I'm also suspecting that my poor author's notes (especially the ones at the beginning) are being ignored by most readers :(

Anyway, this will be the last time I bother you by mentioning this point. However, know that it makes me really happy to hear from readers; feedback is always essential in order to guide and improve any work. I'm not asking you to comment on each and every chapter (though I won't object if you do); a review once in a while would be nice (whether you have an account or not).

This request is addressed mainly to the readers who never review; there's no way for me to know what's in your heads unless you tell me (n_n). I know some of you might consider this whining and/or nagging; however, since I'm putting so much effort into this story, I believe it's only fair to receive some kind of encouragement from time to time.

.

Disclaimer:

Just like in the previous chapter, where FF7's characters were put in the spotlight, I invited Leon to take care of the disclaimer for this chapter. Leon, if you would please join me.

*Awkward silence*

Me: Leon…?

*More awkward silence*

Me: D-don't tell me he… *dramatic pause*… ditched me *cries rivers and wails*.

Axel: Stop crying! You sound like a freaking banshee!

Me: A-Axel *sniff*, what are you doing *sniff* here?

Axel: I was resting until your loud screeching disturbed my peace.

Me: I'll forgive you for the insults if you finish this part.

Axel: You don't sound insulted, though.

Me: Trust me, I am, but I'll use the situation to my advantage; I'm that desperate.

Axel: I'll do it if you leave me alone for a couple of chapters.

Me: Deal.

Axel: The girl owns absolutely nothing but the plot. Got it memorized?

Chapter 08: Faint Hope

"We're heading for Midgar to meet Rufus Shinra."

Roxas had to keep himself from groaning when he heard the name. Of all people, why did they have to meet him?

Rufus Shinra…

The man whom Roxas held in a position close to the Director's on the scale of detestation. While the Director was indisputably the proud holder of the title 'Royal Pain,' Rufus was a close second. The Nobodies were in a completely different category; to Roxas, they were anathema. And among the hateful creatures, Axel had succeeded in landing the exclusive title of 'Good-for-nothing Clown.'

Rufus Shinra was the vice-president of the Shinra Company, whose headquarters were located in Midgar. After the assassination of his father a few years ago, he became the company's president. The man was cold and cruel; he pretended to care about the realm's welfare when his only true concern was his own interests. Even though Rufus was the one funding Order VII, Roxas could plainly see that the dishonest man had another motive behind the noble cause he had claimed: contributing to the protection of the realm's inhabitants. However, the blond had no idea what it could be.

Being the main financier to Order VII, Rufus had the right to be up on its actions and was also involved in its activities. Sometimes, he even requested the protection of the Order when he and/or his employees traveled by land. It was during one of these missions that Roxas had met him for the first time.

Roxas's first encounter with Rufus Shinra was three years ago when he accompanied Leon to Midgar as Order VII's Ace. The mission that time was to escort the company's president to some city where he was supposed to have an important business meeting. The moment Rufus introduced himself, Roxas's hunch told him the man was corrupted. This first impression was further reinforced throughout the mission, and by the end of it, Rufus had earned himself the second highest place of honor in Roxas's detestation list. He still remembered the cursed meeting vividly; it was what had triggered his enmity.

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"Oooh… so Order VII's new Ace is a Keyblader? I thought they were extinct after the massacre," an amused voice mocked.

A fourteen-year-old Roxas had to keep his calm at the uncompassionate sneer on the face of the person sitting behind the desk in front of him. The man was leaning back in his luxurious, leather chair with his elbow on its armrest, and his head was supported by his fisted hand; his whole body was slightly tilted to the side he was leaning on. He was wearing a white business suit with a matching jacket over a black shirt, and he had apathetic blue eyes and slicked back blond hair with loose bangs that swept to the left.

"Sir Rufus," Leon started, trying his best to maintain a business-like attitude, "we came here to discuss your request for protection during your trip to Dark City Treno."

Rufus slowly looked away from Roxas to the brunet. "What's there to discuss? I'm entitled to Order VII's protection since I am its benefactor," he reminded arrogantly.

Roxas could tell that Leon was struggling to not lose his patience; the haughty man was acting as if Order VII's members were his personal bodyguards.

"While that may be true," the brunet spoke in an even tone, "there are a few points we need to agree on."

"And what might those points be?" the sitting man inquired in a mocking manner.

Leon was unfazed. "First, you need to understand that asking for fifty members to ensure your protection is overstepping the bounds. We can't dispatch that big number at once."

Rufus obviously didn't like what he was hearing if the glare he was shooting at the Right-hand man was anything to go by.

The brunet went on, "The Director sent five of our best members, including myself, as well as our Order's Ace. It's more than enough," he said sternly. "While the five members will be traveling in accompanying vehicles, only the Ace will board the same vehicle as you since he's appointed as your bodyguard."

"This is ridiculous!" Rufus glared at Roxas in contempt. "Are you telling me this… kid," he spat disdainfully, "is supposed to be enough?"

"I advise you not to underestimate him," Leon warned calmly. "Among all the Order's members, he's probably the best one despite his young age."

Rufus drummed his fingers on the armrest and remained silent for a few seconds as if considering his options. "Well… if he managed to survive the massacre, then I suppose he's worth something. In this world, only the strong lives; the Keyblade Wielders were nothing but a bunch of weaklings if all it took to wipe them out was a single attack," he said with a sneer.

Roxas clenched his hands until his knuckles turned white and his nails dug painfully into his palms. What gave this thoughtless ignorant the right to insult his kind? He wasn't there to witness the ruthless bloodbath. No matter how hard the Keybladers fought back, there was no escaping their doom. The fact that Roxas himself was still alive was a miracle.

Sensing the younger boy's anger, Leon placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly; he knew Rufus was provoking the blond with his inconsiderate words.

Even without words being exchanged, Roxas understood the brunet's silent message: just ignore Rufus and keep your calm. But it was easier said than done.

Rufus was lost in thought for a moment before speaking again, "Now that I think about it, how long has the Ace position remained vacant?"

Leon pondered for some time. "More than ten years, I reckon. Until a year ago, the Director didn't deem it worthwhile to hold a test for the Ace position."

Rufus leaned forward and rested both his elbows on the table, hiding the lower part of his face behind his laced fingers as he examined Roxas intently. As a person privy to some of Order VII's classified information, he knew that the test for becoming the Ace wasn't something to be taken lightly. Usually, the one who emerged victorious was incontestably the Order's number one member.

"Very well, then." The sitting man sighed as he lowered his hands and leaned back in his chair. "I will accept the terms against my better judgment, but be warned that if you fail in this mission, I will withdraw all sponsorship from the Order."

"That won't happen," Leon promised confidently.

Rufus looked Roxas up and down with scorn-filled eyes. "Don't disappoint me, tool."

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To this day, thinking back to that encounter made Roxas's blood boil. Needless to say that enduring the long journey trapped in the same space as the arrogant man had been sheer torture. The mission back then had been completed successfully; despite having been attacked a number of times on the way, the dispatched members had been able to handle the situation.

Roxas's reminiscence was cut short when he noticed the change of scenery; this meant that they were now halfway through their trip. During the whole time, the blond had been leaning on the armrest and staring out the window, lazily observing the passing landscape.

When their destination was finally in sight, Roxas sighed; it had been a while since he last visited the place.

Midgar was the capital city and power base of the Shinra Company. Compared to the other towns in the Realm of Light, Midgar was the most technologically advanced location. The city had a circular structure and was divided into two main parts: the top one, which was above the land; and the one underneath it on the ground. Roxas hated this fact about the city: it symbolized the difference between the rich and the poor. While the eight sectors composing the upper part were home to some of the richest and most powerful people in the Realm of Light, the lower part of the city was the large slum created by the unfortunate and downtrodden inhabitants. Roxas couldn't understand why the realm's king was turning a blind eye to this. But then again, maybe Shinra was really that influential.

When Leon's car came to a stop, all of the vehicle's passengers got off and started the walk toward the place of the meeting. Arriving to the front gate of the Shinra Building, the group was greeted by a bald tall man with tanned skin and sunglasses. He wore a blue business suit and a black tie: the standard Turks uniform.

The Turks were a similar version of Organization XIII, except their services were exclusive to the corporation. To sum it up, they were Shinra's dogs.

With his usual stern expression, the dark-skinned man spoke, "Sir Rufus is waiting for you in his office." He turned around and started walking inside.

Leon was the first to follow the man, and Roxas immediately did the same. Axel, on the other hand, didn't go in right away. Instead, he looked up at the tall tower-like building. It's been a while. He smirked and made his way inside.

With a few long strides, Axel was able to catch up to the small group walking ahead of him. The bald man guided them to a scenic elevator and once they boarded it, he pressed the button to the topmost floor: 70. The ascent took a few minutes during which everyone remained silent. Roxas busied himself by watching the view that the glass elevator offered. Seen from above, the city's circular structure was more visible and it was easy to understand why Midgar was described as a 'technological pizza.'

When the ding signaling they had reached the targeted floor sounded, the elevator's door opened, revealing a spacious room with a single large desk close to the glass wall at its end. Advancing into the area, the group stopped when they got close to the desk, where a blond young man in a white suit was looking out the picture window with his back facing them.

"Sir Rufus, Order VII's envoys have arrived," the man wearing sunglasses announced.

The blond standing by the window turned around with a welcoming smile as he scanned his visitors; it was the same phony smile Roxas remembered.

When Rufus's eyes caught sight of Axel, his smile fell briefly before he forced it back. However, the redhead noticed the fleeting change and smirked. I guess he still remembers me.

"That should be all, Rude. You can leave." Rufus gestured for the tall man to go as he made his way to sit on the chair behind his desk.

The tanned man silently gave a small nod in response and exited the room.

Sitting in an arrogant way, Rufus rested his cheek on his knuckles. "So… What brings you here?"

Leon calmly started his explanation. "We were sent by Order VII's Director to request more funds for an upcoming operation. As you know, we plan to construct portals in order to explore the Realm of Darkness, and the finishing touches require some expensive materials."

Rufus hummed in thought. "I see…" An unnerving silence settled before he spoke again, "Very well, I will prepare the money right away." He pressed a button on some device lying on the table in front of him.

A few seconds later, a woman in a revealing tight red dress walked in. She had blond hair tied up at the back with a red accessory and a long fringe on the left side of her face. She had thick layers of make-up, which, in Roxas's opinion, made her even uglier than she already was.

"Scarlet," Rufus addressed the woman, "accompany our guests to the Finance Department and provide them with the funding they request—within reason."

Nodding in respect, the woman motioned for the group to follow her. When they started leaving, Axel didn't miss the look on Rufus's face; it was the poker face of someone trying to hide something big. And Axel knew exactly what it was.

Rufus Shinra was a man hungry for power and money. This was the main reason he had schemed to overthrow his father some years back. However, in order for his plan to work, he needed an outsider help. The only solution he had was to ask for Organization XIII's assistance to assassinate his own father. The one who had executed the mission had been none other than Axel himself. Following that, Rufus had become one of the Organization's most loyal clients.

After being handed the amount of munny the Director had specified, the three envoys were escorted to their vehicle by the same tanned man belonging to the Turks. Sitting with the same seating arrangement as on the way to Midgar, Leon revved the engine and the group started the long trip back. Roxas couldn't be happier to be spared of the city's polluted air; the dark atmosphere surrounding Midgar kind of resembled the one in the Realm Between.

Little by little, the circular city became out of sight. Not that it was something regrettable to any of the vehicle's passengers.

Roxas was uninterestedly staring outside the window, his head supported with his palm. "Say, Leon, don't you think Rufus accepted our request too easily?" he asked without taking his eyes off the scenery.

Leon glanced at the blond in the passenger seat then back at the road. "I was thinking the same thing," he agreed solemnly. "But maybe it's because he, too, thinks that venturing into the Realm of Darkness may have the answers we're looking for," he hypothesized.

"I have a feeling he's plotting something," Roxas mumbled quietly.

In the back seat, Axel crossed his arms. Spadille is probably right; that Rufus guy is one underhanded rat. And Spadille being Spadille, I'm willing to bet his hunch is accurate like usual.

The rest of the trip was spent in relative silence except for the small talk Roxas and Leon exchanged from time to time while the redhead was left mostly ignored.

Upon returning to the headquarters, Axel immediately retreated to his room; he refused to stick around for the boring part of reporting to the Director. Thus, Roxas and Leon were left with the bothersome chore.

As usual, the Director was seated behind his desk, absorbed in a thick document.

"Sir Xehanort, we have secured the money as instructed." Leon placed a suitcase on the table.

"Well done." The Director paused briefly, eyeing the object resting on his desk. "Was Shinra unwilling to accept the request?"

Leon shook his head. "On the contrary, he was very cooperative."

"… I see." Xehanort laced his fingers, his hands resting in his lap. "Were you attacked during the trip?"

"No, sir," Leon answered shortly.

The Director hummed in dissatisfaction. "Then there was no need for the Ace to travel along." He glanced at Roxas, who was standing next to Leon without uttering a word. "But well, better safe than sorry," he added with a smirk. "You can both go," he instructed before his eyes fixed on the blond. "And, Roxas, don't forget to visit Pioneer Craft tomorrow as agreed."

"Yes, sir," the blond answered before making his exit, accompanied by the Right-hand man.

Once outside the Director's office, Leon glanced at the door in the opposite direction and an idea crossed his mind. "By the way, Roxas, I have some free time today." He smiled fondly at the shorter boy. "How about we go get Sora and drop by Gold Saucer later."

"Really?" The blond looked at the brunet and smiled brightly.

Leon chuckled; it wasn't very often that Roxas smiled like that. But when he did, it was such a heartwarming sight.

When both brothers first came to Order VII, they were extremely wary of everyone else. Sora, being the cheerful and friendly boy he was, managed to interact with the others after a short period of time. Roxas, on the other hand, was much more reserved; he made sure to keep his distance from everyone, which made him hard to approach. But even back then, despite how much Roxas tried to hide it, Leon was clearly able to see the kindness underneath his tough façade. But it was a kindness that the blond directed solely toward Sora.

As time went by, Roxas's attitude had eventually changed and he started acting more openly. Once he did, he became well-loved by many of Order VII's members. Leon was on top of that list. Even though the blond didn't possess the outgoing personality his younger brother had, there was something about him which seemed to attract people. Little by little, those around him were able to see fragments of his true self and they started befriending him. Roxas soon became one of the Order's most liked members. To Leon, he was a personal favorite of his.

"Let's meet after two hours," the brunet suggested with a smile.

"All right," Roxas nodded, still smiling; he really liked spending time with Leon.

Ever since he joined Order VII and as years passed, Roxas came to think of Leon as a father figure; the classy brunet was the role model he looked up to. Among the Order's members, Leon was the one he was closest to; he felt somehow connected to him. Maybe it was the fact that he saw his father's shadow in the older man; Leon surely reminded him of his father—especially physically. While both brothers had inherited their father's blue eyes—although with slightly different shades—Sora was the only one who had also gotten his brown hair; Roxas took after his mother as he had her golden blond hair.

Leon sure is nice, Roxas thought fondly as he left Sanctuary after parting with the brunet.

Even though getting close to others was against his own rules, Roxas still got attached to Leon. The reason he was determined to keep his distance from the people around him might seem foolish, but to him, it was the only thing he could think of to remain focused on what he was set on doing. He didn't want to lose sight of his purpose: protecting Sora at all costs. And for that, he didn't need any distractions.

Even if it meant ending up all alone.

Back in his room, Axel lay on his bed with his hands behind his head. It was dark and the only light offering a decent degree of visibility was the pale moonlight filtering through the window. He stared at the ceiling as his mind went through the recent events to sort them out like he usually did when trying to keep a good grasp of any given situation. From what he got so far, Organization XIII had formed an alliance with Order VII for the purpose of joining forces in fighting demons. When he first heard about this, Axel was surprised that the Order had accepted the Organization's proposal. After all, there was no reason for them to do so; it wasn't like Order VII was struggling with demons and needed Organization XIII's help. If anything, it was the other way around.

While the attacks on the Realm Between weren't as alarming as the ones affecting the Realm of Light, it was true that they had been becoming more and more troublesome. What made things worse was that the Nothingness Monarchy wasn't well-prepared to defend its citizens against this growing danger. At first, Organization XIII had volunteered to assume the responsibility of protecting the realm. However, it turned out that the Organization wasn't enough to cover the whole realm, especially that it only had thirteen members; they soon found themselves overwhelmed with the attacks. This had been the main cause which drove Organization XIII to seek the assistance of Order VII.

Before rushing into the alliance, the Superior had decided to see if Order VII was worthy of becoming their ally. Even though the Realm Between was really in need for help, the man was still picky. The evaluation test that the Order's Director had proposed was to send their Ace on a SS rank mission: the second highest difficulty level by Order VII's standards. Needless to say the boy had pulled through marvelously well. Thus, the alliance had been formed, and Axel had found himself caught in the middle of it. When the Superior had told him he was to leave with Order VII's Ace, he had simply followed the order without questioning; venturing into the unknown had always been one of Axel's favorite amusements.

It was only then that the redhead realized he had no idea when he would go back to the Realm Between. His current mission was radically different from the usual ones he often handled: as Organization XIII's Joker, it was his duty to carry out its hardest and dirtiest jobs. He didn't mind, though; it provided him with a decent amount of entertainment. On the other hand, his current mission was a boring change of pace and involved nothing but uninteresting tasks to perform: he had to put up with humans, Riku's taking part in the mission was definitely a great bummer, and the list went on and on. Now that he thought about it, there were a lot of negative aspects.

And then there was Roxas.

The boy was what made the whole experience bearable for Axel. He had never met anyone with a similar attitude, which was refreshing. There was never a dull moment with the kid.

When Axel first read the file about Order VII's Ace, he was curious to see what the Order's supposedly best element was capable of. But when he saw the fight in the Keyblade Graveyard, the boy far exceeded his expectations; the way he attacked, dodged, and reacted was simply splendid.

Seeing as the Order's Ace belonged to the human sub-race chosen by the Keyblade, his hostility toward Nobodies was a given—although Axel hadn't expected it to be that vehement. Nevertheless, it was still amusing to observe Roxas; at least, the redhead was able to perceive flashes of the boy's true self little by little. And in order for him to do so, Axel had a simple plan: catch the kid in his unguarded moments.

Stretching in his bed, Axel's thoughts wandered back to the events that had taken place earlier that day. Remembering Roxas's behavior around his brother and the scary brunet, he smirked in satisfaction. "Today was definitely an interesting one."

The following day, Roxas had to accompany Axel to Pioneer Craft like instructed by the Director. In all honesty, he felt like a babysitter to the Nobody, which added to his dislike of the annoying man.

As he dragged his feet in the direction of Sanctuary, after fetching his redheaded charge, Roxas didn't know which good deed had earned him the mercy of meeting his little brother on the way… or maybe God had taken pity on his tormented soul. Whatever it was, Roxas wasn't about to dwell on the matter and waste the opportunity so kindly bestowed upon him.

"Sora, I'm about to head to Pioneer Craft, wanna come with me and say hi to Cid?" the blond suggested as normally as possible, trying to hide his desperation.

The brunet nodded enthusiastically. "Sure."

That one word made Roxas's day.

And thus, Roxas, accompanied by Sora and Axel, headed to the technological laboratory of the research facility, located in the basement. Once there, the redhead gaped at the enormity of the area called Pioneer Craft; Order VII's headquarters didn't cease to amaze him. He kept walking closely beside Roxas, who was having a conversation with his brother.

"So, Rox, did you think about what I said the other day in the garden?" Sora tried—but failed—to hide his eagerness.

Roxas sighed. "Yeah…"

"And...?" Big blue eyes stared at him hopefully.

The blond hesitated. "I'm… not sure…"

"Please, Rox, at least give it a try." Sora looked at his brother with pleading eyes. "For me?"

Roxas remained silent before sighing, defeated. "I'll try—but don't get your hopes up, Sor," he gave in; although he felt somewhat in a bind, he couldn't help but give in to Sora's request despite his conviction that this was a vain effort. But still, seeing how important this seemed to be to his brother, he would try for his sake only.

The brunet beamed at his brother's answer.

Sora was aware that he was being willful—borderline pushy even. Nevertheless, he believed that without proper motivation, Roxas would never be able to free himself from the chains of hatred imprisoning him. Sora knew his brother well enough to know this. And he realized it was unfair of him to use Roxas's love for him to force him into something against his will. But the brunet had no other choice; he wanted to unshackle his brother more than anything. No matter how thin the chances for succeeding might be, Sora still clung to the tiny possibility of someday fulfilling this.

Such an undeterred

Faint Hope.

Regarding the loss of their parents, the brunet had mixed feelings: shock, confusion, and dismay. But sadness was the dominant emotion he felt. In Roxas's case, it was hatred. Sora had always known that the death of their parents didn't have the same impact on him as it did on Roxas. After all, the brunet had known of their death but hadn't seen it. Roxas had. And Sora figured that this was probably the main reason that was holding his brother back.

Entering Cid's workshop, the trio saw him standing while using his outstretched arms for support as he peered down on some blueprints spread on his messy desk. A few feet away, there was a platform with a tall arch.

This must be one of the portals the Director was talking about, Roxas mused.

When the platinum-blond old man in overalls noticed his visitors, his face broke into a smile and he straightened up. "Well, if it isn't Roxas and lil' Sora. What brings you here?"

"Hi, Cid," Roxas greeted. "The Director wants you to make an insignia for him." He tossed his head in Axel's direction.

Cid looked the redhead up and down. "What kind of symbol do I need to put on the cover?"

An idea flashed in Roxas's mind and his eyes gleamed with mischief. "Wellll… since he's my partner," he emphasized the word, "I'd like to give him a welcome gift by personally designing his insignia."

Axel's eye twitched in distrust. One second he's ready to skin me alive and now he's volunteering to do something for me? This kid is up to no good.

Sora snorted as a result for trying to muffle his laughter and Roxas elbowed him while still looking at Axel innocently. But his angelic act was belied by the devilish look on his face.

Green eyes narrowed. I have a bad feeling about this, but… how bad can it be to let him do it? This might even help me win him over, Axel reasoned. "Uh, sure," he said after consideration.

Roxas smiled victoriously and Axel's suspicions further increased as Sora snickered.

Why do I get the feeling I just sold my soul to the devil? the redhead thought uneasily.

It wouldn't be until two days later that Axel would get hit by the full impact of what he had gotten himself into.

The following couple of days had been uneventful as there had been surprisingly no attacks on either realm. As for Axel, the long-awaited day for receiving his insignia had finally come. He was told to visit the Right-hand man's office, where the item would be waiting for him.

Axel was far from thrilled at the idea of having to deal with the intimidating man. To his relief, the meeting was very short; the brunet merely gave him a small box, and Axel did his best to not bolt out of the office right away. Just before he left, however, he was almost startled when the Right-hand man addressed him. But the redhead didn't quite understand the meaning of the man's words. He turned around with a raised eyebrow, only to see the brunet smirking gloatingly. He waited a few seconds for an explanation, but the other man didn't elaborate. Taking the silence as his cue to leave, Axel exited the room.

Opening the box containing his watch-phone while walking through Sanctuary's first floor, Axel was excited to finally have one of the devices he found fascinating when he first saw the one Roxas had. The first thing he noticed was that the object was placed in such a way that the cover was facing down. He admired the visible black strap with a flame motif stretching along it: he had personally requested this design; it was very cool. He then proceeded to pulling the watch-phone out of the box to take a look at the cover.

However…

"What on earth is this thing?" Axel grimaced in disgust as his eyes fell on the symbol adorning the silver cover. He stopped in his track and stared at the cover for the longest time.

After a heated debate and a thorough examination of the engraving from all possible angles and directions, Axel concluded that the mysterious 'thing' was actually a very, very ugly clown on a stick horse… or was it a stick donkey? He honestly couldn't tell. The disfigured monstrosity was too hideous for words to describe.

And then he understood.

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"Letting Roxas participate wasn't a smart idea."

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He understood what the Right-hand man's incomprehensible words from earlier meant.

Panicking, Axel was eager to hide the disgraceful thing before anyone else saw it.

But fate decreed otherwise.

Just as the object was put back into its box, Sora walked into Sanctuary. Noticing the item in the redhead's hand, he hurried his way. "Oooh, did you get your insignia? Lemme have a look," he asked with a knowing smirk. Without waiting for an answer, he snatched the object from the man's hands and examined it before bursting into a hysterical fit of laughter. "Oh. My. God!" he managed to let out between harsh gasps. "Roxas really outdid himself!"

If possible, Axel's frown deepened; he didn't need any more people finding out about the abomination. He hastily wore the watch-phone and hid it as best he could, using the sleeve of his coat. When he was finished, he raised his head and noticed a girl about Roxas's age with platinum-blond hair draped over her right shoulder walking a little ahead, but he paid her no mind; he was itching to leave and put the whole ordeal behind him.

But Sora wasn't about to let the redhead off the hook. "Hey, Naminé! Guess what?" he called out with a huge grin.

The girl turned around and smiled when she saw the brunet. "What is it, Sora?" She slowly made her way toward the pair standing in the middle of Sanctuary's spacious hall.

Sora pointed at the annoyed redhead standing next to him. "Axel over here allowed Roxas to 'design' his rank insignia. Roxas of all people."

Naminé's blue eyes widened. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "He did not!"

The amused boy nodded fervently with a huge grin.

Naminé looked at the irritated redhead with disbelief. "Everyone knows that Roxas can't draw to save his life."

Sora grabbed Axel's left wrist and pushed the coat sleeve up slightly, thus revealing the watch-phone. "Here, here, take a look at this piece of art. It's priceless!" he urged, not bothering to stifle his laughter.

Naminé took a look at the insignia and tried her best to suppress her timid laughter. But she was failing miserably. "This is by far the most horrendous thing he drew to date."

"Yeah," Sora agreed while laughing before shaking his head. "And I thought the portrait he made of the Director the other day was the worst it could get. Boy, was I wrong!"

Naminé giggled at the memory. "Roxas is a hazard when it comes to drawing."

Sora held one hand up defensively. "In my brother's defense, he at least managed to convey his hatred for the Director properly."

The petite girl nodded. "He really did; I'll grant you that."

Despite how irritated Axel was at the whole exchange, he couldn't help but notice the fond way both teens were speaking of Roxas. This made him wonder what the blond was actually like minus his animosity toward Nobodies. He had witnessed the boy's true self a few times. But it still wasn't enough for him to form a conclusive opinion.

"It's not nice to criticize my masterpiece this harshly," came a fake offended voice.

Both Sora and Naminé jumped in surprise and looked at Roxas who was standing some feet away with his arms crossed.

"N-no, Rox, you got it wrong," Sora spoke hastily in an attempt to cover the truth. "We were praising your magnificent art. Oh, great and talented Master Roxas!"

Roxas, who had crossed the remaining distance to the trio, put a hand on his hip and tilted his head. "Sora, you know I never fall for your smartly-improvised cover-ups."

Sora shrugged. "It was worth a try."

Roxas turned to the petite girl. "Say, Naminé, as the expert artist who redesigned all of the rank symbols, how good do you consider my latest work?"

Naminé's expression turned serious. "Do you want an honest reply or a courteous one?"

"The first."

"It's an eyesore," she answered unhesitatingly.

Objective met. Roxas smiled, thoroughly satisfied. And I didn't even have to try hard. I guess having no artistic talent whatsoever came in handy.

"I feel sorry for you, Naminé." Sora shook his head sympathetically. "After all the time you spent trying to polish my brother's humble—if not nonexistent—skills, he's still no use at drawing."

The girl frowned playfully, releasing a fake sigh. "Well, I guess he's not cut for it."

"In case you two forgot, I'm standing right here." Roxas tapped the floor with his foot.

Naminé giggled. "You know we mean no harm."

"Oh no!" Sora exclaimed suddenly, causing all heads to turn in his direction. "I forgot I had kitchen duties today! I need to go!" And with that, he hastily said his goodbyes and was off into Seventh Heaven with a trail of dust in his wake.

Roxas shook his head in disbelief at his airheaded brother before looking at the petite girl in a white lace dress and white boots. "Naminé, are you heading out for a mission?"

Naminé shook her head. "No, I just came back from one."

Roxas smiled. "How did it go?"

"Luckily there weren't many injuries to heal; the demons we fought were low-rank ones." Naminé frowned slightly. "Lately, the attacks have become very vicious and we, Priests, aren't very numerous. Sometimes it's not enough to have only one healer on each mission."

Roxas frowned in understanding. "Yeah…"

Naminé looked at the blond boy with concern. "Not to mention that you don't even get to have a Priest with you on your missions. I still don't understand why the Director turned down my request to become your healer." She frowned with a light huff.

Roxas shrugged. "I'd say he's concerned about your safety, but knowing him, I'm sure it's the last thing on his mind," he joked with a small smile, and Naminé giggled behind her hand.

Axel was able to pick up something unusual in the way Roxas was speaking to the petite girl. There was something shining in the boy's eyes, but he couldn't put his finger on it. What's the story between him and this girl? he wondered, looking back and forth between the two teens.

"By the way, is Irvine still bothering you?" Roxas narrowed his eyes as he questioned the girl.

Naminé shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "No… He left me alone after you intervened the other day."

Roxas nodded, satisfied by the answer. "Good. Let me know if anything happens."

The girl smiled, holding her hands together delicately in front of her. "Thank you, Roxas."

Roxas smiled back and shook his head. "Don't mention it."

With a grateful smile, Naminé excused herself since she had to report to the Director as the mission's Priest. Thus, both Roxas and Axel were left behind, and a pregnant silence settled.

"It's been rather quiet lately. We didn't have a mission in days." The redhead stretched lazily.

Roxas looked at the taller man but didn't speak.

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It would be nice if things remained peaceful.

E.A.N.:

Sooooo, everyone, what do you think of the story so far? Interesting? Boring? So-so?

There are still a few chapters ahead before the plot really picks up (but even when it does, it will only be the tip of the iceberg). Nevertheless, this doesn't mean that what I've written so far is meaningless: introducing the characters and the world they live in is very important for the story. Besides, it's essential to give the characters time to grow and build their relationships. Just keep in mind that there isn't a single thing that is useless so far; I hate dragging chapters if it's not going to advance the plot.

Funny story, I came across the word anathema while writing the previous chapter and was like: "Man, I like this word; I have to use it somehow." But I couldn't find a way to do it, so I dropped the idea. Then, while writing this chapter, I was looking for a word to describe how much Roxas hated the Director and came across the word anathema again. This time, I was like: "This must be a stroke of destiny." However, I used the word for Nobodies because Roxas hates them more than the Director.

Concerning Axel's insignia, the clown not only reflects the nickname Roxas has for him, but it's also a reference to his position as the Joker.

On a side note, poor chapter 8 had its original title transferred to chapter 11. I slaved to find a good title to replace the previous one. But then, it came to me naturally. The only problem was finding the other word to describe the faint hope.

Anyway, to make up for Leon's absence in the disclaimer part, I invited Rinoa to cover this part.

Rinoa: I don't appear a lot in the story, do I? Why does Squall get all the scenes?

Me: Shhh, Rinoa, don't call him that.

Rinoa: Why not? It's his name.

Me: Not in the KH universe.

Rinoa: So what? I call him by his name all the time.

Me: It's because you're special. *Shivers* I still remember the time I called him Squall; the glare he gave me was murderous.

Rinoa: All right, enough about that. I came here to negotiate the possibility of getting more scenes.

Me: Well, to be honest, I wasn't going to include you in the story to begin with, so when I did, I didn't think of more than the scene in which you first appear.

Rinoa: I'll do this part if you include me more in the story.

Me: I can't promise you anything, but I'll try.

Rinoa: Works for me.

*Looks at readers* Please review to raise the spirits of the authoress so that maybe she'd give me a slightly bigger role in the future.