Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warning: I don't think it's that bad, but there are some parts of Namine's past that may make you uncomfortable, including mentions of incest (rumors, but still), sex, pedophilia, and violence/death (though if violence/death makes you uncomfortable, you probably shouldn't read AtGF, because it's going to get into that). Again, it isn't anything graphic by any means, but if you don't want to read about it, I can write a little summary in the A/N that will let you know what you need to, while minimizing mentions of that stuff.

Three months passed by, as Ventus and I enjoyed the warm, hazy summer days, when time seemed to drift by in a lackadaisical beauty. Life consisted of nothing but golden sunshine, azure skies, and endless grassy fields and forests. Fantasy was reality during summer, and foolishly we believed that we had found a lasting paradise. We didn't understand the concept of growing up, of receiving responsibility. What maturity we had collected over those three months never grew enough to spread into the rest of our lives. We knew how to get me food, how to keep me temporarily safe. We didn't consider what would happen when summer faded and our paradise darkened.

Of course, it was not long before the inevitable failure of our dreams came to fruition. Everything fell apart around us, and all we could do in the end was... let go.

My family, my tiny family, had never been welcome in the village. Mom and Dad weren't married when they arrived. My mother had been a noble woman, daughter of a duchess, and my father was a lowly servant from their household. In a whirlwind romance, portrayed all too often in penny novels and bodice-rippers, they fell in love and ran away from their lives, forsaking all honor and propriety. They were so young, heads full of fantasies and dreams, just like mine.

When they came to the village and the residents found out about their scandal, they were shunned. Scorned. Abandoned by what little society resided in the tiny town of Branis. It only grew worse after my mother was impregnated, and reality settled in with the escaped youth. Reality was dreary.

After the death of my mother, the villagers hissed and cackled, whispered in poorly-hushed tones that she was a harlot, a whore, a slut, and oh, she so deserved to die. My father turned to gambling and 'corrupting' the sweet village girls. He was labeled something of a vagabond, a playboy, a scoundrel. He was made a father at the young age of 17, and he never did live long enough to become too old to tempt the girls to his bed.

I knew of those tendencies, but he could never be more than a loving father in my eyes. The villagers, sick as they were, didn't see him that way, and took him to be the wrong kind of 'loving' father. Lies were flying about how he used me as a replacement for my mother. They were disgusted by their own gossip, called him a pedophile and a pervert, spreading all sorts of rumors behind his back, staring at him as he walked by, tutting and chittering endlessly.

The worst part of it wasn't that they believed these accusations. Dad and I knew the truth, and I knew he'd never doing anything like that to me. No, the worst part was that while they believed, no one ever tried to help me. Whether I actually needed it or not, they never tried to help.

I thought that was the worst kind of sin.

Due to all of this, we avoided the villagers as often as possible. So when he died, they didn't know. It took so long for them to find out. Once they did, it was awful, because once again, no one tried to help me.

When Ventus' mother found out that he and I had been talking, she was horrified. For one day, she didn't do anything. She was trying to get over the trauma of discovering that her innocent little boy had been consorting with the dirty spawn of a whore and a perverted freak. No, it simply wasn't possible. Not her son. Never her son. But the truth was the truth, and within a week, Ventus and his family were gone from the village forever, no matter how hard he and I had tried to fight it.

After that, autumn came all too quickly. My gardens withered, my food was gone. And I was alone.

I was all alone.

Fear made me break down, and I refused to leave my own house for the longest time. I was afraid to accept what had happened, and I was getting hungry. And then he came.

Cillan Lagston came knocking at my door with a basket of food in one hand and a golden ring in the other.

Axel paused outside the house, surveying it quickly. It was nice and neat, with a well-tended garden and dry wood everywhere. If he had to guess, he'd say this place would burn all bright and fast, probably making a lot of smoke and cracking a lot. There wasn't a stone wall, though, so the fire certainly wouldn't stay contained to the one area, which was a definite downside. He didn't like the flames spreading too much, because then people reallystarted getting upset, and they'd cause some big fuss because that's just how humans were, and he didn't want to deal with it all.

He might set them on fire, too. Then they'd all just get even more upset, and it was just much more trouble than it was really worth. He'd express his affinity for fire in other, less risky ways.

Yes, indeed, he hummed to himself, grinning in response to his blond companion's arched brow as the boy waited for him to enter through the open door. Poor kid had no idea what kind of monster he was inviting into his home. No idea what would become of him, once Axel was done. Green eyes sparkled as he hopped up the two stone stairs that led to the door, and he slipped inside.

As nice as the outside was, the inside wasn't as decorated as he'd expected. The couch and chairs looked soft and comfortable, the fireplace was clean, and the floors were pretty well-swept. There were a few paintings hung on the walls, but overall, extra frills were rather sparse.

"Roxas, is that you?" Called a feminine voice from the kitchen.

"Yeah, Mom. I've got a guest with me, too," the shorter male called back. He gestured for the redhead to sit down.

Axel sank into one of the chairs, fingers tapping on the velvet arms and eyes trained on the boy who was facing away from him, having a conversation with his mother, who was apparently a bit too preoccupied to come out and greet him. Ideas and speculation swirled around in his head, and he had to force his expression into something less sinister when Roxas turned around again with a tight smile.

"Namine is gathering herbs in the woods right now, but she should be back any minute now." He hesitated, then. "Would... you like something to drink?"

Axel frowned a bit, not enjoying the wait, and shook his head. "Nah."

An awkward silence fell over the both of them, and Roxas cleared his throat, obviously torn between escaping the tense situation and being a good host by sitting down with the traveler. Axel, however, seemed entirely comfortable, still absorbed in his plans for Roxas. Should he gain trust first, or begin planting seeds of doubt early on? Should he concentrate on lies, or gluttony, or should he go a more sensual route?

So many options, so much time, he happily mused, casting an appreciative glance in the boy's direction. He wouldn't mind going for the kid's body and tainting the white soul that way, certainly. Maybe then he wouldn't be giving Axel cause to hate his guts. Axel wouldn't have to remember death and screaming, blood and terrifying emptiness, every time he looked at those bright blue eyes. His darkening mood put a damper on the plan.

Well, he never had been all that fond of taking advantage of people like that anyway. For all the sins he committed, he did have a code of morals. And besides that, it just wasn't as enjoyable...

A relieved sigh caught his attention, and he snapped his eyes up as Roxas stared out the window. The blond teenager pulled open the door.

"Namine!" He greeted with a large, friendly smile. Nearly too friendly, Axel almost growled. "There's someone here to see you!"

A familiar blonde girl strolled into the house, a polite smile already on her face to greet her visitor, but upon the sight of the smirking redhead, she froze. Axel tried not to laugh at the nervousness she displayed.

Namine had always been very cautious around him. She saw him as unpredictable, something of a wild card, and a man who could not be trusted. He liked to pretend that this hurt his feelings, but they both knew that he found her wariness amusing, and that she was right anyway. He couldn'tbe trusted. He'd do what he wanted to do, and that usually didn't mesh well with other people's desires.

Nevertheless, his eyes glinted as he nodded to her.

"Namine, we've gotta talk. In private."

Roxas frowned, picking up on the vibes and growing concerned for his friend, and he put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Nam, if this guy is bad, you don't need to worry here. We can protect you. You don't have to go with him." Namine forced a reassuring smile on her face.

"It's fine, Roxas. I know he wouldn't hurt me. I'm just surprised to see him, that's all." She swept back into the front yard, followed closely by Axel, and made sure that no one was around to hear them before turning back to the waiting immortal. "What do you need?"

"Gettin' awfully close to Roxy, don't you think?" Axel drawled lowly. Namine blushed a bit.

"It's part of my job. He needs to trust me."

"That ain't the only thing he's feeling toward you. Little heartbreaker, aren't ya?" Namine grimaced at the redhead's words.

"I can't help that he's got a crush. It just kind of happened. But that's really not important right now. What are you here for?"

Axel snorted. "I think it's damn important. If you start letting your feelings get in the way of your mission, it's my business, got it? Don't get attached to him. Mortals are so temporary, anyway."

Namine cast her eyes off to the side. "I'm not getting attached. Please, why are you here?"

Axel paused for a few seconds, then decided to let up on her, just a bit. "Boss wants you back at the city. He's got some kind of task for you that he wants to explain in person. Don't worry about saying bye to the little mortal family, though. As soon as you've been informed, you're coming right back here, apparently."

Namine hummed thoughtfully. "Axel... you'll have to stay, then, until I return. I'm sure that's why I didn't receive a normal summons."

The redhead tensed. He'd been having a nice time considering all the ways he could corrupt Roxas, but the knowledge that he was expected to watch the kid anyway put a less pleasant spin on the entire situation. He almost seemed to wilt in the light of the setting sun, but made a lazy, 'yeah, yeah' noise and wandered back to the house with Namine trailing behind him. She seemed a bit regretful that she'd put him in a bad mood, but there wasn't anything she could do about it.

When they entered the living room, both were smiling as though they weren't bothered at all, and were met with the sight of Roxas fidgeting away on the couch. The blond boy jerked his eyes up to make sure Namine was alright, and she giggled at his concern.

"Relax, Roxas. He's a good guy. He came with news about my hometown, and I have to return there for a little bit. It shouldn't be very long, but I'll have to leave tomorrow morning. Lea's going to stay behind for a little while," Namine informed, subtly making sure that Lea was the name being used. At the lack of reaction from Roxas, she guessed that she had chosen correctly. The mortal frowned a bit, glancing at Axel.

Smoothly, the redhead lied. "I'm actually a journalist for my local paper, and I've been working on a piece about small towns and what gives them their charm, all that. It seems like Destiny would be a good place to include."

He had created an excellent cover, he decided with a smirk, as Roxas' eyes lit up in interest, all guards falling immediately. "You're a journalist? Really? Where else have you been?"

"Here and there. Mostly the other side of the island, but I've been to some other countries."

"Which one do you like most?"

"Hm... I guess Agrabah."

"Where's that?"

Axel arched a brow at Roxas' genuine fascination and questions, but he figured he may as well placate the boy. "It's far west from here, and to the south. Agrabah is entirely desert, and it's always burning hot during the day and cooler at night. You can look in all directions once you're out of the cities and towns, and you see nothing but golden sand dunes. They're all very into the supernatural, too. That whole genie-in-a-lamp thing is real big over there."

"And the people? What are they like?"

"Nice, I guess? I mean, half the street vendors will say anything to get your money, so you have to be careful what you buy, and there are a few thieves running around each city, but most of them are pretty decent," Axel shrugged, cutting Roxas off before the blond could ask another question, by stretching out and stating, "Anyway, I gotta go set up camp. I'll see ya later, Roxy."

"Roxy?" The teenager repeated incredulously.

"Yup."

"No."

"Bye, kid." Axel strolled carelessly out the door, shutting it behind him before facing the darkening road. His horse was safely tucked away at the blacksmith's stables, so all he had to worry about was himself. He would probably be fine, but he'd appreciate having a shelter of some sort, though he didn't want to stay with Roxas. It would be hard enough getting to sleep knowing that he was within a mile of one of those key-wielding murderers, let alone trying to sleep in the same house.

So he ventured down the road, heading back into town in hopes of finding a decent place to sleep. He'd seen a beach, with lots of rocks and all that, so maybe there was a cave nearby. After a few minutes, he caught sight of the cliffs, and he headed straight for them. They were interestingly shaped, making large formations all the way to their base, with narrow paths winding through the stone every so often. It was along here that Axel crept, searching for an entrance. And finally, he found one. After a quick burst of flame to get ride of any snakes or other creatures inside, he hopped in and set to work on lighting it up. If there was one thing he enjoyed about immortality and his fiery abilities, it was that no matter where he was, he could always light a fire. Even if there was nothing to burn, the fire would keep going until he told it to stop.

Very convenient, he hummed to himself, shedding his cloak as the chamber warmed up quickly. He bunched it up and used it as a pillow, turning on his side with his back to the flickering light before remembering to set up a ward over the cave entrance, just in case.

That done, he slumped down again and closed his eyes, one hand curled over his chest, where his heart was supposed to be.

It just...

It felt so empty.

The sun was setting over Holska, and Xion had perched on the fence around Widow Sterning's property, who had graciously allowed her to take refuge in her neat little cottage. The lady was a kind woman of advanced age, with hawk-like features and an air of formality. She seemed to have a soft-spot for orphans, however, as Xion had claimed to be when she discovered the strange relationship between immortals and mortals in this time period. It seemed as though the immortals didn't even exist, and the Creator had become multiple beings. But she didn't understand. He'd never had a reason to do so, and if he did, where did the immortals go?

In this time, 200 years after she'd gone to sleep, apparently, no one knew of immortals, save for the many gods that were said to exist. These were the only creatures immune to old age, she was told, but she just knew that something was very wrong with the situation. There was something major she was still missing. Some kind of key to solving the mystery, and she suspected that the answers would be with a fellow immortal.

Problem was, how was she supposed to find another? They weren't open about it, if they were still on Earth, so she'd have to go by instinct. Even that had been a failure as of late, she mourned.

Her instincts just weren't working right.

Nothing was.

She still felt empty, and she couldn't imagine what had happened to warrant all this worry.

What fate had met with her friends, her peers? Were they alive or dead? What kind of catastrophe could have wiped them off the face of the planet, or even sent them into hiding? How bad could it be?

"Xion? Supper is ready now!" Widow Sterning called sharply, striding out of her house and casting a disapproving glance at the hunched-over girl. The 'younger' smiled back at her and hopped off the fence, following the hostess inside while puzzling over where she could find another immortal, if there even was another.

All through dinner, a nice meal of rabbit and apples, she was immersed deep in thought. The widow had clearly noticed this distraction, but chose not to say anything and let the girl contemplate. Once Xion could settle her mind again, she'd be grateful for this courteous gesture. Until then, however, she tried her hardest to remember where she could find her kin.

It was only once she was tucked away on the living room floor, wrapped in soft blankets to stave off the cold night air, that she remembered. Miscassia. Oh, of course!

Miscassia was an old immortal city with a life that never even began to fade away. Carved into a mountainside in the northern regions, it was made entirely of stone and was sure to be the one place by which immortals might still linger. She couldn't imagine any other city so beloved by her people. Her eyes finally slipped shut, a content smile curled on her lips, as she began planning out her next journey in her mind.

She was going to figure things out, and may the Creator help whoever was foolish enough to get in her way.

Another dagger stabbed into the tree, deeper than the others. Larxene was glaring venomously at the vegetation, gritting her teeth and clenching her fist as she hurled her last knife with such force and recklessness that it completely missed the tree and went flying off the mountainside. It would take days to try to find that again, and she knew it.

Her mood darkened further, and she growled as she stalked up to the tree, yanking her weapons out of its trunk. A soft 'tsk'ing came from her left and she tensed up, shooting a withering stare at the man nearby. He had a careless smirk on his face as he absentmindedly tugged at a few locks of his pink hair.

"Such violence, Larxene. What's got you all twisted up today?"

"Fuck off, pansy. I don't need your shit right now."

"Ouch. You've wounded me," he whined, the sarcastic tone missing from his voice. Larxene rolled her eyes, giving him another dirty look, and he sobered up. "Seriously, though. I haven't seen you this upset since... well, since the last... the last disaster." She snorted, throwing the last dagger to the ground.

"I'm so fucking sick of it! I hate being here! I hate having to wait for Kingdom Hearts to open again! How long are we supposed to put up with this? It's been centuries, and how much progress have we even made? How are we supposed to keep mindlessly collecting heart after heart, never knowing when to stop, when we can finally move on? I feel empty, Marluxia! I feel like there's a part of my soul missing, and I don't want to deal with it anymore! But I've already reached my heart-limit this month, so I have to sit back and hope everyone else is doing their fucking jobs! Fuck!" She screeched, lifting her leg and kicking the tree with all her strength. Already riddled with holes and scars, it groaned before tipping over, taking down a younger tree as it crashed to the ground.

Marluxia was quiet for a moment. "No one else likes it either, though. I'm sure they all do their best, too." Larxene scoffed, emanating angry vibes. The man cast a glance around, making sure no one was around before sidling up to the blonde and leaning in to put his lips by her ear. "I know what happened last time, but I think you're right. How many more hearts do we need? We must be close now, right? So... I think, maybe, we should try it again."

Larxene's eyes widened. "You mean..."

"Their population is bigger anyway. Lots of hearts, ripe for the taking," he murmured quietly. Her own whispers were tense, but hopeful.

"But the Key-wielders, Marluxia. There's at least one potential Key-wielder on our own island."

"So what? We can fight them, now. We know how. Let's try it, Larxene. I think it'll work this time."

The two were silent for a little while, drawing away until they could meet gazes, and then it happened.

Larxene's lips curled into a wicked smirk.

A/N: Not much to say this time, really. Um... as far as Roxas liking Namine, don't worry. I said it's Akuroku, and it is. I just always figured that if Axel wasn't there, Roxas would probably go for Namine. But yeah. You'll see how it goes. :) With Axel and Roxas, though, I'm trying to write them well, but it's a bit difficult, just because I want them to be kind of... naturally drawn to each other, but at the same time, Roxas knows there's something off about Axel, which gets in the way, and Axel was pretty much traumatized by the key-wielders, so like it said in the story, he sees in Roxas all of the past horrors from the slaughter. :/ Makes it hard for romance, so if you notice it getting too bad, tell me. I'm trying to ease them into comfort with each other...

Also, due to the two new reviews, I had to write an extra 600 when I wasn't planning on writing. And do you know what that turned into? Well, it went to nearly 1500 words. See what I mean? More gets done. The reason this particular chapter didn't come out early is due to the evil AP testing all this week. Sorry guys, but I've got priorities. On the bright side, the tests are all over, so if you review, the next chapter actually will come out more quickly. :D

Anyway, have a great day, hope you enjoyed, all that. :)

The nameless entity who reviewed! I thank you very much for the feedback! :D And as promised, I did the extra 300 words on May 2. And then some. Because it actually did get me inspired all of a sudden! Congratulations. You get an honorary cookie of wonder. It tastes like awesome. :)

Shadowrain5: Oh, no need to apologize, haha. I wasn't expecting another review from you, but I'm definitely delighted to get it! And I'm so glad you like it! Your kind words are very much appreciated! :) And Sephiroth? I don't know why he hasn't shown up yet, actually. He completely slipped my mind. :O But I think I found a way to fit him in, though it'll probably seem a little odd until I can fit in his story.
Anyway, I hope your computer problems are resolved soon! They can be so frustrating. XP