RIPMYHEARTOUT: CHAPTER ONE - THIRTEEN

Roxas could remember his thirteenth birthday with utmost clarity. It was the day everything changed. The day the hearless won the war, the day Radiant Garden became Hollow Bastion. It was the day everyone's parents picked them up early from school after hearing the horrific reports on the news. It was the day he realized just what the heartless were.

It was also the last day he saw his sister alive.

. . . .

Roxas woke up with a start, immediately realizing what day it was. He tiptoed across the room, opening his door and sneaking over to the room next door. Naminé was already awake, eyes following him in the dark. She leaned over to her bedside table and Roxas heard the click of the lamp turning on. "Couldn't sleep either, huh?" Naminé whispered to him. He nodded, sitting down on the bed next to her. She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder, twining their hands together. They would be thirteen years old at 5:17 AM. Twelve minutes left.

The two of them sat there as the minutes slowly ticked by and they officially became another year older. Naminé squeezed her brother's hand and got up off the bed, retrieving a wrapped box off of her desk.

"Happy birthday, Roxas."

He smiled. "I assume you already found your present then?"

She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "You never were any good at hiding things, hun." She picked up her own present (which had been in Roxas' closet) and sat down beside her twin.

"To us." She covered his hand with hers, scooting closer to him.

Roxas smiled, a soft smile that showed in his eyes.

"To us."

. . . . .

Naminé climbed into the car after Roxas, an uneasy feeling in the back of her mind that was mirrored on her brother's face. Once again, she took his hand, and managed to calm him down with that look of hers. However, she still felt as though something bad was coming. Their mother hd come to pick tehm up early from school, as many other parents had done after it had been announced that the war was over. The Heartless had won, and no one knew what was going to happen next.

Except for her.

"Roxas?" He glanced over at her and she continued. 'I have…a bad feeling. Something's gonna happen, but I can't tell what." She had a nervous look in her eyes, and Roxas could tell her focus was slipping. As the car pulled into the driveway and came to a stop, he took her arm and helped her out of the car, making sure to grab both of their bookbags. "Calm down Nam. A lot of stuff is going down right now, I'm sure that's what it is. We'll be fine, okay?" Even as he said them, Roxas couldn't actually say he believed the words. Even so, he tried to avoid panicking, for Naminé's sake. "I don't know Roxas," she whispered. "Something's coming. I can feel it." She was shaking now. When had she started shaking? Roxas handed their bags to his mom and picked her up. He carried her through the doorway and on to the couch in the living room, from where he could see that soup was already on the stove for her.

"Nam, calm down. You're still shaking." He was getting more and more nervous. Naminé stared at him for a long time, their eyes locking. It was then that Roxas realized exactly how terrified his sister was.

Naminé's eyes grew wide, and her breathing was shallow and erratic. "Roxas…"she choked out, "that's not me anymore. That's…the house, oh god that's the house."

His eyes darted around the room, trying to find anything that could have possibly been the cause. He sat down next to Naminé, and held her hands tight. He knew that if something was indeed headed for their house, there would be no way for them to stop it. Especially if it was what his sister thought it was.

"Mom?" Roxas called out. "Mom? Are you there?" There was no answer.

He could feel the shudder that racked Naminé's entire body even before he heard her crying. "Roxas, baby she's gone. Mom's gone! She's dead." She grabbed his shoulders and looked at him, tears running down her face. "How do you know that? You don't know that!" He was screaming, screaming but no sound was coming out. Still, he knew she could understand every word.

What the hell was going on here?

"Naminé. Tell me what is going on. How do you know Mom-" but she cut him off.

"Roxas. It's too late sweetie. They're here."

"Who?"

"I love you."

"WHO'S HERE?!"

The hand over his mouth was his only answer.

. . . . .

"This lovely lady…was your mother, I take it?"

Roxas watched the man cross the room after tossing their mother to the floor. He wiped his hands off and crouched down in front of his sister. Roxas tried to reach her, but the hands formerly covering his mouth were now holding his arms behind his back. They were too strong, so instead he began yelling.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

The man turned around and faced him. He was beautiful. Pink, feathered her, cheeks sucken in, eyes darkened the the point of obscurity. Roxas could tell that they were blue.

"Saïx, you moron. Keep him quiet or I'll wring your neck." The man spoke so quietly, Roxas could barely hear him, but every word was so pronounced and deliberate that it sent chills down his spine. He tried to scream, but again, no sound escaped his throat.

"Thank you. Now, if you don't mind…" the man glared pointedly at Roxas, "can we continue?"

He stood up straight, his gaze now fixed on the blonde girl.

"Was she your mother?" Naminé nodded, fear evident in her eyes.

The man smirked. "She was beautiful, just as you are." He knelt down in front of her. "You know I was coming, did you not?" Another nod. "I though so. My name is Marluxia, head of the Heartless…and new ruler of Radiant Garden."

She paled visibly. He placed a delicate hand under her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

"Are you curious as to why I've come?" He continued, not waiting for her response. "Well, not only are you beautiful…you may be quite useful to me as well. How old are you?"

"Thirteen." He looked disappointed at her answer, yet quickly shook it off. One of the men behind Roxas whispered, "She's not the right age." Another voice replied, "Never stopped him before." At this, Roxas started to panic again, thrashing in the strong grip that kept him in place.

He looked over in Roxas' direction, and asked the man who was holding him, "Shall we go?"

"Yes, sir." He heard his sister scream, and he reached out to her. Their eyes locked again; hers, tearful, and his filled with horror.

Roxas felt a sharp pain in his neck, and then everything went black.

. . . . .

AN: Sorry this is so short, It'll get longer soon ^^