A/N: Gah! Two freakin' months!!! Gomen nasai! I didn't mean to take so long to get this up! Since it's been so long, I wont waste your time with an author's note. On to the Story!!!

I'm adding a new element to this fic. Read on to find out.

Warnings for mentions of slight gore and abuse in this chapter.

--------------Chapter Seven-------------

Noah sighed as she sat by Shei's bed. It had been three days and he still hadn't woken up. She came by as often as she could, along with most of the others, but the ones who should have been there the most were sadly absent.

After the incident with Shei's father, his brother's had been staying home and doing everything possible to keep the enraged man away from the hospital.

Looking at her watch, Noah noticed that it was already rather late. I'll go home soon, but I'm just not ready to leave yet. I'm glad Kazu-chan let me in here.

"Noah, you need to rest." Her smoky green eyes rose to meet a pair that was almost exactly the same as her own. A weary smile graced her features as she shook her head. "Just a little longer, Tsuki. He'll wake up soon. I know it!"

The teen sitting across from her smiled sadly as Noah's attention drifted back to the boy lying motionless in the bed. Though it was hard to tell when he was sitting, the teen was quite tall. He had long silver hair, longer than Noah's, that fell to his ankles and was held back by a wrap of studded black leather. Several black earrings adorned his ears, the most prominent being in the shape of a crescent moon through his left earlobe, along with a spiked collar around his neck. He wore a tight fitting black tank top covered by a long sleeved mesh shirt. Black fingerless gloves covered both hands and were adorned with metal plates. Black leather pants covered his lower half, with two red stripes above the left knee and one below his right, with studded belts crossing his hips. The outfit was finished off with a pair of thick leather steel-toed boots. A black dragon was tattooed on his left bicep, with it's tail coiling around his arm several times before ending curled around a red eye.

Though his clothing made him look menacing, he radiated a sense of kindness that was comforting to any around him. Or it would have, if not for the fact that his entire body was transparent. This was Tsuki Takaminei, Noah's elder brother, who had died three years ago at the age of nineteen.

Nearly five years ago, not long after Noah had turned twelve, their parents had died in a horrible car accident. Without a known relative to take care of them, Tsuki, then seventeen, had to take care of himself and his sister all on his own. Needing to make ends meet, Tsuki was forced to drop out of high school in order to find a job that would support them. It worked, for a time. But what Noah didn't know was that Tsuki's health was failing. He did his best to hide it from her, often telling her that he was simply tired.

But then, one day, he had collapsed. He had just come home one evening from work, and had just stepped through the door when he fell. That was when the doctors discovered that a nasty illness had worked its way into his lungs. It was too late for them to do anything, and Noah was forced to watch as her older brother became weaker and weaker, until he eventually died.

It was only a few days later that their cousin Muraki arrived, telling her that he had just recently been released from a hospitalization of his own. The seemingly cold man took her in without a second thought, and she'd been living with him ever since.

What Muraki didn't know, however, was that she still saw Tsuki, and still talked to him.

"Noah, it won't do either of you any good if you wind up sick. Go home. Rest. I'll watch him."

As she reluctantly stood to leave, her shoulders shook as she held back sobs. "I can't lose him, Tsuki! I've already lost Mom and Dad. And you! I can't lose anyone else!"

Standing quickly, Tsuki wrapped transparent arms around his sister. "Don't worry, sis. He'll be fine." Noah buried her head into his chest, crying softly. "Don't leave me again, Tsuki. Please don't leave."

Neither noticed the pair of mismatched eyes that watched the scene from the doorway. Narrowing his eyes slightly, Muraki gave a small huff of disapproval, before turning and walking away.

--- ((And now, the moment you've all been waiting for!!!))

Another two days had passed, and Noah once again sat in the little room, now joined by Reno, Axel, and Marluxia. The three were talking quietly amongst themselves, about unimportant things.

…voices? Who…? Where…am I?

Axel made a rather rude remark about Cloud, which sent the others into peals of laughter. It was the first time any of them had laughed in days.

Is that…Noah? My brothers? Why does my head hurt so much, and why can't I open my eyes?

A small groan from the lone figure in the bed brought all conversation to a screeching halt. Suddenly, all eyes were on Shei.

Come on! Open!

Slowly, Shei's eyes opened. His eyes moved around the room sluggishly, blinking.

Noah's hands rose to her mouth as tears formed in her eyes. The brothers fought back tears of their own as they watched their brother awaken. Axel and Reno looked at each other, noticing that they each wore matching grins. Marluxia moved forward quickly and latched on to his youngest brother's neck. "Shei! I'm so glad you're alright!"

Still blinking slowly, Shei smiled tiredly. "Glad to be back, Marl." His voice was scratchy and hoarse from a few days of disuse. "Now, would you guys mind turning on the lights?"

The others exchanged alarmed glances. Noah spoke shakily, "Shei? The lights are already on."

---

Reno and the others stood back quietly as Dr. Muraki examined Shei's eyes. It was obvious that the boy was frightened. His hands trembled and he nervously bit his lip. When the doctor was finished, all eyes turned to him. "I'm afraid that this blindness might be permanent. I'm truly sorry."

Marluxia looked as if he were about to faint. "Shei…I-"

"It's okay, Marl. I'll deal with this…somehow. So, what exactly has been happening while I was out?"

Reno's expression turned dark. "Well, for starters, we found out about what's been happening to Marl and Demyx. Sai'x has been strutting his stuff around school, and the cops were waiting for your story before arresting him. Dad came around and tried to strangle you in your sleep, and we've had to keep him away. Other than that, thing's have been juuuuust peachy."

Shei winced at his brother's tone. "I take it you're pretty pissed at me for not telling you about Marl, huh?"

"Yeah. Maybe just a little. And the fact that you didn't mention the part about Sai'x threatening you! That guy is crazy!"

"You think I don't know that?! The guy knifed me in the gut for Christ's sake!"

Shei doubled over, gripping his abdomen while letting out a hiss of pain. Seeing this, Muraki spoke.

"It would be wise not to distress him any further. His wounds still need time to heal."

Noah glared at Reno, then smiled gently at Shei. "I'm sure you had a good reason for not telling anyone." Shei smiled at her in return. "Thanks, Noah."

---

After hearing Shei's retelling of the events, Genesis and Albel wasted no time in going after Sai'x. The problem was, it was as if the blue haired teen had disappeared. No one had seen him at school that day, and he hadn't been seen entering or leaving his home. The two detectives were currently crouched on either side of his front door, guns drawn. They had announced their presence and given him fair warning, but there was still no answer.

Looking Albel squarely in the eye, Genesis nodded. As one, they both rose and kicked the door down. "Sai'x, come out with your hands up!"

They were expecting a fight with a homicidal teen and possibly the rest of his gang. What they hadn't been expecting was the muffle voice that drifted up from the basement.

"If you guys are with Shinra, your money's comin'! If you're the cops, he ain't here!"

Moving quickly, Genesis opened the basement door and the two men proceeded down the stairs. What they saw left them momentarily shocked.

A young man, in his late teens to early twenties, sat on a worn out old mattress on the floor. He wore an old tank top and jeans that were ragged and full of holes. Haggard to the point where he looked years older, his messy blue hair was pulled back in a simple strip of cloth, with several strands framing his empty yellow eyes. What drew their attention, however, was the heavy manacle around his right ankle, chained to a metal ring in the floor. His body was covered with a variety of bruises and cuts, some deep and obviously painful. His left arm was badly broken and wrapped in a blood-soaked piece of his shirt, and Genesis was sure, by looking at the suspicious lump in the cloth, that the bone of the boy's wrist may be protruding from the skin.

The shock having worn off, Genesis quickly grabbed his radio. "We have a man chained up in the basement here and he's in pretty bad shape. Get an ambulance here right away."

Albel, meanwhile, still stood where he was. The blue eyed boy turned hollow eyes towards him and offered a smile.

"Sorry I didn't get up to let you guys in. I was a little tied up. The name…is…Kael…" The boy's eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped forward.

Albel turned and shouted, panicked, "Get that fucking ambulance here, now!"

That was when Genesis saw what had worried his partner. With the boy slumped over like this, it was easy to see the handle of the large knife embedded in his back.

-------------------End Chapter Seven---------------------

A/N: And my twisted little plot continues. But hey! Shei's awake! Blind, but awake! And just in time for a new character to worry about! XD

As always, read and review!!!