Hey everybody! Chapter Five is up! I'm not sure if there will be quite as many funnies in this chapter...considering that this chapter is the pivotal moment I think...full of misery and a serious turning point. Okay well, I really hope you enjoy it either way :) Remember to read and review y'all!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts and/or any of the characters, they belong to Square Enix and Disney.

Well, okay as you know Axel's thoughts are in italics and Larxene's are in bold italics.

Okay everyone...ENJOY:3

.::Picture To Burn::.

Chapter 5: Ashes...

Naminé heard the unmistakable sound of her door opening; she turned expectantly to her doorway. There was a small; yet, growing part of her that hoped it was the fiery man but it disappeared when her doe-like azure eyes lay on the black cloaked woman. The woman had a hard glare set in her eyes, one that felt like it could have sliced right through the witch's soul. Larxene wiped the cold stare from her eyes and flawlessly replaced it with a tender gaze, and a warm smile to boot. It felt disgusting to the Savage Nymph,

All this pleasantness better pay off…this is putting a serious cramp in my style, not to mention it's totally repulsive.

"You must be Naminé, it's a pleasure to finally meet you…I just wish our meeting could have been under better…circumstances." Larxene said in voice dripping with sugary syrup.

Yeah, like my fist meeting your pretty little face…

The Savage Nymph felt a sadistic smile pull temptingly at the corners of her mouth at the thought of smacking the little witch. However, she managed to resist the urge and kept a placid face. Naminé offered the woman a nervous smile, still not sure what to make of the intruder, her small voice ventured to speak,

"It's nice to meet you too…umm,"

"It's Larxene dear,"

"Larxene…but what do you mean by 'better circumstances'? What's wrong?"

The older woman sent the girl a fabricated look of sympathy before continuing to let the lies crawl through her teeth.

"Well you see, it has come to the Organization's attention that Number Eight or as you know him, Axel, has been playing with your affections. I'm afraid to be the bringer of bad news but the truth hurts…it is not acceptable. If anything would happen to you, we would be at a great disadvantage and we just can't let that happen…you are very important Naminé."

The young witch took a step back from the woman with visible mistrust and a wariness that was played up by her defensive position.

"What are you talking about…" Naminé said suspiciously.

Larxene could have grinned, it might not have been obvious but their was a troubled look brewing deep inside the girl's darkened blue gaze. The Savage Nymph took a few steps to the side, taking in a few pictures with little interest. The older woman sent the girl an empathetic look and walked over to the witch to lay a hand of support on her shoulder.

"I know you don't want to accept it…but you must. Maybe it would help to know that you aren't the only one who has fallen to his charm. I know quite well what he will do…he'll leave you broken and throw away everything that you gave, every little thing. He may mean a lot to you but trust me Naminé…you are nothing to him."

The little witch moved away angrily from Larxene and sent the woman a glare with all the rage she could muster. However, the doubt that swirled silently in the girl's blue gaze only fuelled the revenge that violently churned inside the woman. The young witch defied the accusations with the little trust she still had in Axel: the tiny piece that hadn't been eroded by the older woman's spiteful words. He wouldn't do something like that…would he?

"You're wrong, I know he cares…I just know it. He promised me!" she said defiantly, fists clenched by her sides.

You can fight it all you want…but I have you wrapped around my finger and you'll realize it. Man, she's more gullible than I ever could have hoped.

"Oh, but you don't. You don't know him at all. How long have you known him? A couple weeks give or take? That's a pretty delusional fantasy you've thought up there sweetie…people lie, he's no exception. You don't know him at all honey. But, I suppose it's only to be expected…you're stuck behind these prison walls…the only way you would ever see the true side was if you…broke the rules and you're too good."

Larxene could see with satisfaction the impact of her words…a big crater was forming where her trust had once been…it was purely beautiful to the older woman. The battle raged on behind the girl's azure eyes.

"It's up to you…this charade can end. He's hurting you; he's throwing away all your hope. But can you blame him…it's not his price to pay. It's yours."

Naminé's insides were in pieces, torn apart by every little word, every stab that left her trust in doubt. She had trusted him completely but she could feel that slipping away, crumbling around her in a cloud of debris. But, she held onto a small slice of that former shining trust; she wouldn't let it go just yet. Words couldn't easily sway the strongest part of her. She wouldn't let them. To Larxene's dismay, she sensed that remaining fragment of light that refused to die, too bright to smother with darkness.

She's stronger than I expected, I'll give her that…but I will snuff out that pathetic lump of uselessness. Looks like some creative thinking is in order…

The Savage Nymph turned to leave but stopped suddenly as an ingenious idea hit her, a filthy lie that would seal the deal with a beautiful ribbon. The older woman forced a poignant frown onto her lips and turned a compassionate gaze in the little witch's direction.

"You know…I wasn't going to tell you this, but you have a right to know. Maybe you'll reconsider your ill placed trust. I would have stopped him if I had known but now that I do, I won't let him hurt us both. Earlier today he…kissed me. He told me what we had was 'special' and I believed him. Don't make the same mistake Naminé."

The woman felt a rising pride as she managed to catch Naminé's eyes widen at the mention of 'special' in her little fictitious lie.

Looks like I hit a snagged a tender spot…things are really going my way aren't they…

With that lingering success still fresh in her mind, Larxene left the room after murmuring a deceiving but completely empty,

"I'm sorry Naminé"

The Savage Nymph couldn't contain the sneer from finally erupting onto her features as she closed the witch's door behind her. She dusted of her gloves with glee supplied by her easy victory. Larxene had a good feeling about the whole situation. The ball was in her court and now it was time to get herself up on the scoreboard…it would be over very soon. Now all she had to do was find Axel…Naminé would undoubtedly go looking for him and Larxene would be there to offer a warm welcome. It was time to set things in motion…it was almost sickeningly simple.

Now to find him before she does…

Naminé was pacing restlessly in her room; paper and pencils neglected with disinterest as other problems plagued her already infected mind.

Ugly welts of confusion had formed where the Savage Nymph's word had lashed mercilessly. The painful stinging was all she felt in the confines of her head. The possibility that the woman had simply been feeding her lie after lie was obviously not disregarded but…what if she hadn't been. This time Naminé couldn't just leave it alone; hope that it would fade away with the hours that passed her by, this had left a fatal wound that ebbed away her trust. The truth was the only thing that could hope to fix it. Maybe it would help, maybe it would just rip it further, leave a gaping cut that would only provide limitless pain. However, an answer was an answer and she just needed one, it would be enough...she hoped.

The young witch ceased her pacing and whispered quietly to herself, giving her a boost of strength, the confidence to leave the four walls that were the only thing she truly knew now.

"I have to know…"

With that, she headed confidently to her small door, the only remaining barrier in her path. Grabbing hold of the doorknob, she twisted slowly letting some of her conviction escape out the open door. She almost gave in and turned back to the comfort of her room but giving in was like surrendering to his will…if he was playing her then it would only satisfy him and she wouldn't let that happen. She didn't want him to have any more power over her, so she opened the door all the way and gingerly took a few small steps into the hall. She looked around nervously before closing the door gently behind her with a quiet click. The massive empty halls were unbelievably daunting but she continued with a little guesswork and an unbreakable will.

Larxene spotted his flaming red hair that contrasted vividly against the white walls of the surrounding hall. She saw he was indulging in a quick smoke with a look of bliss on his face, breathing in deeply from the rich cloud of smoke that formed from a sigh he had released. She watched him carefully before heading towards him, after witnessing him drop the butt to the floor and grind it roughly with the tip of his boot, leaving only an undistinguishable pile of residue.

"I've been looking everywhere for you" she said, touching his arm flirtatiously.

His gaze sharpened abruptly as his viridian eyes fell on her lingering gloved had that still rested on his arm, to his great displeasure.

"Any particular reason why?" he asked with a notable edge of irritation that she either chose to ignore or didn't notice.

"Do I need a reason to want to be with you?" she asked with a sweetness that she unfortunately used mercilessly with her 'boys'.

He could have gagged from the chokingly sugary sound of her voice; it was indescribably unpleasant, especially coming from her. Not to mention scary.

"Yeah, you do actually…" he said grudgingly, itching to leave her suffocating presence.

"Oh you're so silly sometimes!" she giggled in an uncomfortably high-pitched tone that grated dangerously on his nerves and he could've sworn his eye twitched.

What the hell am I still doing here?

He attempted a quick side step to her escape her body, which was too close for his particular comfort but her hand caught his sleeve swiftly in her vice-like grip.

"Wait, I really need to talk to you," she said earnestly.

He stopped trying to shake off her grip and shot her a look that demanded she get on with her 'pressing matter'. Larxene's mind was scrambling for something to say to pass the time but just then, she caught a glimpse of Naminé's little white dress out of the corner of her eye. The Savage Nymph could practically hear the little shouts of glee from deep within her chest.

She walked right into my trap…Hmph, I always knew she was stupid.

Larxene took advantage of the delightfully opportune moment and shoved her mouth aggressively onto Axel's. The fact that she caught him completely off guard added another trump card to her rapidly growing deck. Before he had time to collect his wits and shove the woman away, the fiery man felt her gloved hand slap him forcefully across the cheek. Next thing he knew, Larxene was putting on a grand show of yelling dramatically at him. He was getting seriously confused and awfully pissed off.

"How DARE you! You can't just have a piece of this whenever you want…I'm not your sex toy, perv!"

Axel could feel the anger rise steeply in his chest and possibly a hint of amusement,

Sex toy? Heh, that's definitely pushing it.

The woman was obviously a few nuts short of a bolt but this was honestly ridiculous and just plain annoying.

"What the hell are you screaming about?" he exclaimed angrily, fire glinting in his narrowed eyes.

She didn't respond but did peer over his shoulder, a suspicious glimmer of…could it be joy, shining in her eyes. He whirled around, momentarily forgetting about the Savage Nymph behind him. His eyes fell heavily on the uninvited guest and he could've sworn that, if he had one, his heart would have fallen straight into his stomach to dissolve in the swirling acid inside. His furious green gaze, that had been blazing angrily less than a minute ago, sobered instantly when it lay upon the young witch and her glossy eyes, tears brimming dangerously along her lash line. Those broken azure eyes hurt him more than any wound could have hoped to…they easily betrayed the words she couldn't finish and would never say. He could only manage to choke out a pathetic,

"Naminé…it's not what you thin-"

He never got to finish his sentence, he let the words fall from his tongue along with his helplessly outstretched arm, she quickly turned away and hurried back down the hall she had just come down. Time seemed to slow down a few notches below normal, extending the pain viciously as something broke deep inside himself. Furthering that pain, was the glimpse of her tears breaking free of their chains and leaving sparkling, but tragic stains on her long eyelashes and porcelain cheeks. But, Naminé's retreating figure brought a flash of intense rage directed at the woman that still stood foolishly behind him. His eyes darkened with malicious intent at the smug look that contorted her features horribly. It was wiped clean off when she saw the fulminating rage burning heatedly in his eyes.

"You know I always knew something was wrong with you, but now I know just how fucked up you are." he seethed, taking a menacing step towards her.

His hands erupted with livid flames; heat intensifying with each footfall, he was incredibly close now. The woman tried to get away but he caught her by one of her sleeves, almost exactly the way she had previously. Except his intent was of a different nature. Her sleeve disintegrated easily under the oppressive heat, turned to ash like a mere piece of paper. As he pulled her closer, he exerted more pressure on her thin wrist, the smell of burning skin reached his nose. A look of absolute pain was plastered on the woman's face but it wasn't enough for him…nowhere close. He leaned in close, her skin beading with sweat from the heat that emanated cruelly off of him. His breath scorched her ear,

"Here I was thinking you were clever, but you're more of an idiot than I thought. Everyone knows that if you play with fire...you'll get burned."

He wouldn't lie, the urge to swallow the woman in a skin melting torrent of flames was extremely tempting…but he wouldn't be able to enjoy it. Naminé was all alone and crying in the halls of this castle and he just couldn't waste anymore time…it wouldn't be worth it anyways. He shoved the woman away roughly and dimmed the incensed flames that traveled lithely along his body. He turned to leave, ignoring the crumpled body of the woman slumped against the wall. He shot her a lingering look of disgust before jogging towards the hallway that Naminé had disappeared down. Larxene struggled to lift her head but managed to see his receding form. She let out a ragged breath but laboriously managed to lift herself off the ground. A cruel smile formed on her lips, blistered from the intensity of his heat.

And I thought you knew me Axel. Oh well, you will soon enough…you could never truly hurt me, pain is my pleasure darling. It's a shame you didn't go all the way…

Axel turned quickly around another corner and spotted the memory witch walking slowly, arms wrapped protectively around her slender body. Relief rushed through his veins but he didn't fail to notice the anxiety that slivered uncomfortably beneath it, creating a sensation he wasn't too fond of. Nonetheless, he called out to her,

"Wait Naminé!"

She didn't stop or even slow at the sound of his voice.

That's not a good sign…

He increased his pace and easily caught up to her. Hesitantly, he reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder to stop her. She felt the warmth that spread into her skin but the touch wasn't the same anymore. The second it touched her veins, it was corrupted. Mutilated into the only thing she was familiar with now. His touch was cold and cruel. No longer did it offer safety and comfort, that was just an ignorant illusion in her mind.

"Naminé would you just listen to me!?"

She whirled around, his hand was ripped from her bare shoulder with a force and anger that took him by surprise. Their were still tears lingering along the edge of her darkened azure eyes, the depth of the darkness covering the extent of the damage she had endured. Her voice shook with a foreign anger that he didn't know she possessed and her eyes sharpened like knives.

"No, I'm done listening to you. It was stupid of me to think that you were different then them, that just maybe you…cared," she let out a soft laugh filled with a pungent bitterness that didn't seem right coming from her, "But you're not. You're exactly the same, and you definitely don't care about me."

"I'm nothing like them! How would you know if I cared anyways? You won't let me explain!" he said, voice rising slightly.

Everything was going downhill so quickly and there was nothing he could do. Axel could feel his temper rising and it definitely wasn't welcome, but he had always found that he only had limited control over it and he was very close to losing it. The flames were still fresh from earlier and he was teetering dangerously on the edge. The world just kept hurling shit right in his face, it was far from fair.

"Yeah, because I can imagine how that conversation would go…just a couple thousand more lies to stuff into my head, right? You have to keep me in line…keep the pawn in your hand, continue this sick game with me in the midd-"

The fiery man cut her off with a pillar of concentrated fire that blasted violently into the nearby wall, his eyes gleamed angrily in the light the fire was providing. The wick of his temper was officially lit. He leaned in closely and said with teeming anger that he didn't intend to apply, but his fury appropriated his judgment.

"Maybe if you would shut up for one freaking second, you would actually understand something for once!"

She watched his form blur as tears flooded back to her eyes, they seemed to be the only thing she could rely on now. They would always be there.

She couldn't see or feel it but that didn't mean something wasn't breaking. The pieces of all she had left were falling; slipping past her fingers, each fragment too small to catch. Reality had finally come full circle and she could no longer avoid what was right in front of her eyes. Acceptance was the only choice she had left; ignoring it had only proved to be painfully useless. Maybe he had stolen it; everything she had, it hadn't been her intention to give it all away. All her faith; placed in the hands of someone it meant next to nothing to, entrusted to him only to get thrown away…now it was gone. He was just as cruel, just as insensitive, it was stupid to believe that he might've saved her.

But it didn't matter now, she had nothing left to give.

Nothing worth saving.

She stepped away from him hastily, being near him only felt like poison now. Everything slowly seeped away and there was no antidote. Her life dripped away and he would never see it, not that he'd care to look…but maybe when she eventually faded he'd realize that it was his fault. He could have been different…could have cared.

He saw the tears and as they fell from her shattered eyes, the rage fell too. The only visible remnant was the black, twisted hole torn in the wall. But he missed a scar that he couldn't possibly see. Deep inside, she was blistered by his fury…blackened bruises marred the innocence that had shined so bright. All that remained was a dense rift of darkness, swallowing her little light, inch by inch. Sorrow sang silently behind her irises, shimmering weakly with perpetual tears.

He reached out a hand, attempting to fix what he had brought about. But the damage was done and he couldn't mend her wounds, she recoiled from his extended hand. He wanted to help, he couldn't see her that way.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean t-" he started with desperation leaking into his voice but she cut him off and she wouldn't meet his searching gaze.

"Just leave me alone…" she trailed off, eyes dimming with startling speed.

His sadness only deepened as she turned away from him and walked lifelessly towards her room, arms hanging limp at her sides. She had nothing left to protect anymore.

What have I done…wait, no! What the fuck has Larxene done! This is all her god damn fault.

Axel wanted all his rage to rise at the thought of the Savage Nymph, set him ablaze with searing hatred. But it didn't. His flames lay dormant inside his veins, licking at the surface of his skin faintly. He felt frozen, the fire that boiled inside reduced to meager embers. He couldn't pin all the blame on Larxene no matter how much he wanted to. She wasn't the only one to blame…he had played his part, unknowingly, but nonetheless he has been a participant. He just hoped that she would be okay…that she wouldn't be hurt anymore. But he couldn't help but worry that it might not be possible. The strong girl had been reduced to a fragile doll…there was probably nothing left to break.

Naminé entered her room lethargically and closed the door with what little strength she still had left. She slumped carelessly into a familiar chair, staring with empty eyes at the unfinished picture lying on her small table. It was almost funny how low the scales had tipped…her pictures had meant so much to her, just like he had. Now they meant nothing. She had never finished the picture but the red, black, and green colours only served as a constant reminder of him…of his betrayal.

"Maybe it's better I never finished you," she muttered drearily. "Or maybe I couldn't…pictures always show the true nature of things. I guess I couldn't handle what yours would show."

Her dull eyes spotted something that didn't belong with her things. Her fingers twitched slightly and she willed them to clasp around the small object. It was one of his lighters. She wanted to hurl it away, crush it, just get rid of it…but she didn't. She flicked it on slowly, the tiny flame reflected an eerie light that only brought the illusion of luminosity to her hollow eyes. She thought that the idea of burning one of her own pictures would be harder…perhaps hurt more. But it didn't, they weren't so special anymore…just lies and she couldn't cope with anymore of them. But she only chose the one that would sell her the biggest lie time and time again.

Her hand gently picked up the picture that lay guiltily in front of her. She let out a deep breath and ignited the corner of the liable drawing. It caught quickly and the flames licked hungrily at the half-colored page, feeding greedily and turning it to ebony ashes that speckled her white table harshly. She let the tip fall from her hand and watched it disappear to nothing before it even hit the table. Her eyes took in the remains of the picture and she whispered quietly to the dead air in the room,

"I guess you're just another picture to burn…"

Her eyes glazed over and she grasped for control of her mind, but everything was shutting down. She couldn't even try…she was too far gone. She had struck the match that had burned away the last human piece of herself. Now all that remained was a hollow shell and the last thought she had been able to seize, was that no one would care.

No one would save her.

Well that was chapter five! I really hoped you enjoyed it :) Anyways, the next chapter is going to take me a little while longer, because this weekend I'm visiting one of my friends at her cottage and I won't have my laptop...I hope it doesn't put a cramp in my writing, I'll be starting the monday I get back and hopefully I'll still get it done by the end of that week. Anyways...read an review everyone!

Until next time,

Love Always,

Schmelly Inc. :3