Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own any of the characters that are brought up in this fan fiction they are under the strict ownership of Disney and Square Enix. Everything of this story is purely fan written.
Author's Note: Well folks, this is the end of "Tides" for those of you who've taken time to read this or even read and review, thank you, you've made this story worth keeping going on, there were times I thought of scrapping it, but for some reason, this one just seemed to keep calling back to me to just work on and finish. So, I bring you this.
Chapter 12: Is This The End?
Hell is eternal, when we fall from grace, falter away or make our decision on where we stand in Religion, and falter down the way of temptation, darkness, and evil, when we finally see the end of our lives. Hell is where we are allotted to live our lives out at for eternity; it had been something Roxas had grown up in forever and it was what he had entered when he came home, drenched, cold, feeling as if nothing else could hurt him. That all became meaningless as he found himself in a war words, turmoil, screams of anger, broken glass and broken people again as the front door remained broken off its hinges as Roxas ran into the night.
Aerith watched the boy disappear into the night, "I don't know what my brother ever saw in you…I hope you and that man at your side go to Hell," her calm demeanor remained through her words as she headed out the door into the night and for home.
"Don't listen to her, she's just mad because she's never gotten as much action as you," the man at the supposedly reform woman's side wrapped his arms around her waist, "Come on, let's go celebrate up in your room."
On any other occasion, she would've happily given in, but this time, "…Not this time, there is someone I need to go see, and then someone I need to find," she brushed him off as she headed to her room, "You know the way out, use it."
"Whatever, I don't need you…I can get any woman," the man was less then pleased to be put out by a woman, "…Go find your self salvation, its not like I need you."
Self salvation is that what it's called when a parent finally decides that their own self deserving needs in life are no longer important and the simple, fragile lives of their children are what matters? How long does it take for a parent to come out of their own self serving selves to finally act like parents? Not long enough, but in a case such as this, "Do you think you're ready to start taking responsibility?" pen scratching against a notepad stopped momentarily as the eyes of a bleach blonde looked up at the individual before him, "Are you?"
"…Isn't it a little late in the game to be making up with him? After being gone these past three months and graduation in two weeks?" emerald eyes gazed up at the man's as red hair shifted at his every move, "Because as I've seen it…you aren't in any real position to be giving make up advice after the little scuffle I saw you have with your Receptionist last week."
The man cleared his throat as he closed his notepad, "Alright then, I think its time you were gone," he seemed to rush about getting him out of the office, "But do something for me."
"And what's that, Doc?" the man stood in the doorway watching the man trying to gather his thoughts, "Besides leave your office."
"…Go find him, you have a couple of weeks to make it better," his smile was genuine as he saw the Receptionist trying to avoid him, but yet he couldn't, "Who knows…he probably could use a friend like you right now."
It took a moment for it to process, but as he distantly heard the Doctor calling for the next patient, and saw the sight before him of the woman who had made Roxas' life a living Hell walk past him, "…I'll try that, Doc…See you later."
"So, how has home life been for you?" the Doctor's voice called out as he ushered the next patient in.
"Its getting there…but my son seems still resentful about something, I don't know if it's me…or something else," a hand brushed away a strand of jet black hair from her face as her soft teal eyes looked up at the Therapist, "…I found some notes in his room with a name on them."
Diaries, journals, personal notes written to either a significant other or between friends, they are something meant to be kept private and out of the prying eyes of our parents, but for this, "…I want my son to be happy again, and I don't know how to do that."
"Give him time, I'm sure on his own…it'll fix itself," he knew the name all too well, "Its not like the world is going to end, Rinoa."
"If only I had that kind of advice 18 years ago, and had the help I have now to not have made the mistakes I've made," a soft knock came on the door.
"Then where would I be able to find someone like you ever again?" Leon stood in the doorway with Cloud watching the small reunion, "It's good to see you again, Rinoa."
Reunions are meant to be happy endings to something that had broken apart those close to us in order to reunite all of those things; they are filled with tears of joy, laughter, joyful rejoicing that we are together once again. A chance to remember past memories and create new ones, but when those past memories are a mix of a past that was filled with unknown love from someone as close as a parent, to finding it in someone else, only to push them away because of something silly.
"You sure know how to screw relationships, Axel," a voice his ears hadn't heard in months came back to him as the sight of a Teacher he thought he had forgotten standing beside a sight he didn't think he'd be grateful to see again, "…You go away for six months and no phone call? Some friend you turned out to be."
Axel turned around as he meant to chew him out, but he was right, "So what's the charge for such sarcasm or am I just lucky today?"
"Believe what you want to believe, but…there is someone who I know could use you right now."
"Demyx," Zexion called out as he tapped his watch, "Class."
Demyx rolled his eyes as he waved Axel off as he headed back towards the way of the Teacher, "Remember what I said Axel…there is someone that could use you right now, don't let him go away before Graduation because you know how it is, after school is over…that's when most relationships fail."
"Come on Roxas, this is the last video project I'll get to make before we Graduate, so, come on, don't you have a few words for the people?" the video camera moved about the blonde as he sat watching a sight before him, oblivious to the slightly chubby faced teen with the camera in his hands, "Roxas?"
What was it that made him so oblivious to the world around him, how had he come to know these people around him; a slightly short tempered blonde with a stubborn streak as long as three football fields, a short haired brunette who seemed to want to make sure that those around her succeeded, and a guy who had an interest in the Film and Video Club. Why were they brought together like they had?
"Yo, Roxas, Earth to Roxas from the Planet Twilight High, you are being summoned back to Earth," there came a slight rap to the distance eyed blonde as his hand reached out, jerked the blonde's hand and arm up behind his back as he seethed into his ear.
"I'll answer you, when I'm good and ready to, alright?" the cerulean blue eyed blonde's jaw was set tight as he could feel the boy's breath hitching in every inch of his being as he lightly seethed through his own teeth, "Got it?"
The blonde lightly nodded as he felt the other blonde release him as the trio watched the boy leave, a trash can was left tipped over in his wake of raging anger. Lately, no one could tell why he was angry as he was; there had been several dips, bobs, weaves, twists, and turns in the rollercoaster of the boy's life. A redhead had entered his life at the start of it all, just when his life couldn't handle anymore passengers, he had ridden the horrendous ride out with him, but when it go too scary, what does most people do?
"…That bastard…enters my life as quickly as the wind and leaves as quickly as a bee sting…I hate him…I hate that miserable son of a bitch, I hope you're happy. You've gone and left me alone when I need you, thanks a lot you jackass," his words were mumbled, angrily seething as he picked up a trash can and chucked it a row of Lockers, "YOU SON OF A BITCH! AXEL YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!? I LOVED YOU! I LOVED YOU, YOU MISERABLE, UNGRATEFUL, SON OF A BITCH!"
The Quad fell into a hush as the boy fell to his knees, shoulders shaking, sobs softly leaving his body's core as he pounded both fists into the walkway, the sickening crunch of flesh, blood, and muscle, colliding with that cemented floor was sickening to the ears. Campus faculty was notified as Campus Security was called out.
"Come on kid, let's go," the guard attempted to help him up, but at this point, no one could save him from the Hell he had begun to spiral into.
"…Piss off," his words seethed from his clenched teeth as he elbowed the man away from him as he headed for the school's entrance.
Silence turned to shocked awed faces and words softly uttered between combined lunch groups as they watched him leave, the Guard proceeded to follow him to stop him, but a pair of eyes watching from the Front Office gave a sense of security. Moments were slipping by, this time, things were going to be different, a pair of soft hazel eyes with a pair of soft grey one's watched the blonde taking his walk of anger to the front of the school.
"…Leon, we can't let him leave like this, do something…please," Rinoa softly clung to the man, but she tried to respect the man's choice of lovers, "I don't want him hurt anymore."
Leon's soft eyes watched it all unveiling, but the sight of something red crossed Cloud's line vision as he gave a soft grunt to Leon as he nudged his head towards the image walking up to the campus, "Here comes salvation now," Cloud watched the figure walking up.
The gates of the school closed quietly behind the blonde as they seemed to close like a death march behind him as he fell to his knees once more holding his faintly bloody hands. His eyes and gaze turned to the skies, the face's opening of which words came from opened, for a few moments, there wasn't any words just faint gasps until, something uttered forward.
"AXEL!" his cry went out into the dawning skies above him as his face became stained with soft tears as their tracks created their way down his soft, pale cheeks.
Axel stopped in his tracks as he saw the pained sight before him, he felt he would fall to his knees in tears over the boy's crying form, "…Roxas," his voice felt choked up with tears as he called out to him.
Roxas was never one to believe in ghosts, but the voice he heard wasn't a ghost, it was an omen telling him to turn around and answer the voice; he was like a child lost in a crowded store, people rushing around him at the speed of light. Stopping his voice from being heard above the roar of the crowd, but something, some fleeting thing in him called to him and said, 'Stand up…go to the voice and answer his quaking call.'
Standing up, his knees quaked as did his voice as he looked towards the figure, "A-Axel…" his tears were still flowing as he started towards him as Axel started working his way slowly and then their paces picked up as they found themselves sobbing in one another's arms,"…I thought you were leaving forever."
"…My parents realized that I wasn't happy with them, they tried everything…they even sent me to some ward or facility for emotionally depressed teens, I've been so doped up on antidepressants I couldn't even call you," his hands brushed through the boy's face and hair as he kissed him so hard that he felt he would make their lips just numb from the contact, "…I made a bad choice in li---"
Roxas pushed him into the floor as he crushed him hard as he tasted their salty tears mixing with each kiss, "…No more talking, you're ruining the moment like you always do."
They entire school was an uproar of cheers as they all watched the happiness unfolding again, and it was just as loud as the Valedictorian of the school ascended the stairs to address the Graduating Class, "Well guys, its been a wild four years, but we've made it. When we are born, we are born innocent, pure, unspoiled, meant to live our lives to the fullest as the way God intend us to do. When I was a child, I would ask God, why, why am I in a life that has nothing to offer me?"
A soft rumble of voices of questioning about the speech seemed to elaborate from the crowd as the students graduating waited for the crowd to shut up, "HEY!" Demyx called out from the Graduating Class, "A little respect, please."
"…I always thought life was always going to be filled with that empty feeling that was until someone came into my life and fixed that question, gave me an answer and a reason to still live," Roxas paused as he felt he would become tearful as he gazed out into the faces of his classmates, until he found Axel, "…The man responsible for helping me through that is sitting in this Graduating Class today. I'm going to close with saying…when we're born, we are born with one simple wish; grow up and become happy. So, Class of 2008, my wish for this Class and the classes after us, is this: Grow up and become happy. Thank you."
The crowds roar of applause was almost a matched pitch to that of the Graduating Class as Leon ascended to the stage, "It is with my great Honor to not only give you the Graduating Class of 2008, but as well, make my final announcement, as this class moves on to other part of their lives, I am, as of this day, resigning from the position as this School's Principal. As well as our Business Ethics Teacher; he shall be leaving us to pursue a more promising career. Once again, congratulations Class of 2008, you've earned it."
When life begins, we don't expect much from it, we only know that at some point in our lives we are either going to float or sink after we are thrown into the ocean of life, the only way we can survive is by relying on the kindness…of strangers. As cliché and as farfetched a line it may be from such a play as 'A Streetcar Named Desire', it works for such a moment as all that has come across the lives.
"…So, Axel, any plans for the future?" Roxas wrapped his arms around the man's waist as the students stood up to traditionally throw their graduation cap's to kick off Graduation, "Or are you just going to wait and see what fate throws your way?"
"Hmm, well…one plan is to always have you still in my life…and not let you go, ever again," eyes were locked as the moment seemed to slow down around them, "…If you'll always have me."
Fate is fickle and strange, but people have a way of answering questions regarding fate; Roxas' hands cupped around Axel's face as he pulled him down to him, "…You never have to ask," the moment their lips touched, the roar of the students war hooping over the fact that school was officially out, but for Axel and Roxas; it was a roar of joy that life could truly begin.
When I first started life 18 years ago, I never thought it would all come out like this, Mom has changed in a way that I have never seen her look like before; she's actually a parent, for once. Principal, I mean ex-Principal, or is it…Dad, has been coming around more often and let's just say, his "wife" is quite an interesting person. It seems that my, in a way, "Fairy Godmother's" wish to grow up and be happy…really came true, and she was there to see it come true and see it at work. I guess…that's just how life…is meant…to be.
The End of Tides…This Time…There Is No Roll Out