Hey guys! I'd like to thank fluteprincess95 and Lunar Locket for their support~ You guys boosted my confidence in this story quite a bit. Sorry it took so long to update, I don't have access to a computer very often and these chapters actually take a pretty long time to write, edit, and finish.
Anywhore, ( Ty, if you're reading this I love ya~ This is my way of shouting out to you TTUTT ) I'll update as often as I can.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the songs or the band Rise Against quoted in this story.
Enjoy!
Red hair, Black clothing, it was all so... mysterious. Roxas wandered through the all black forest with a tint of remorse in his eyes; The last thing he remembered was passing out after Luxord's previous "anger management session", and now here the honey blonde haired boy was, wandering through a forest and chasing after some stranger with flaming hair. It was all so ludicrous. It seemed like nothing made sense in Roxas' life anymore.
After a few minutes of walking through the forest's dark corridors, Roxas began to ponder why he was even chasing this mysterious man in black. Something was tugging at the back of his mind, like it was controlling him. It was almost as if the boy couldn't stop walking.
"Hey kiddo~" A voice called out of nowhere, and Roxas' heart immediately began to race. Why was this man's voice so utterly familiar? Roxas could feel the stranger's breath on his neck, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Luxord always has been a bastard, hasn't he?" The sadness in the man's voice almost seemed genuine. But Roxas couldn't and wouldn't believe anyone could be sad for his wellbeing.
"... W-Who are you..?" Roxas hesitated, but finally spoke out towards the voice.
"Me? Haven't you gotten it memorized yet, kiddo? We've been through this a thousand times..." The voice responded in a flustered tone, "The names Axel. Get it memorized!" A mysterious figure appeared, clothed in black from head to toe. All Roxas could see where his glowing acid green eyes that sent a shudder crawling down his spine.
"Ax... el?"
"I see you're still a zombie." The robed figure shook his head and placed a hand on his rather feminine hips, "I'll come back when you remember FOR REAL."
"W-Wait!"
"See you in the next life, Roxas."
"WAIT!" Roxas screamed out, but instantly grasped his throat in pain. His throat was still sore from the previous night.
It was just a dream...
The blonde boy held a hand over his heaving chest, and slowly stood to his feet. Was he going delusional? That dream was way too detailed to be fake. But still; He was in the bathroom lying in the same exact spot he passed out in, so it couldn't have been real.
Reality slapped Roxas cruelly in the face, and the night before soon caught up with him. The blonde let out a painful groan. His body ached, his jaw refused to move anymore without causing him excruciating agony, and the boy's once cerulean blue eye, was painfully swelled shut and the color of a prune. Roxas had forgotten what the aftermath could be like.
"B-Bubby..? Are you okway..?" A whimper escaped the lips of a still shivering Adrian, and Roxas' heart sank. All the aching teen could do was blame himself; How could he have let this happen?! Adrian was probably scared out of mind and here Roxas was worrying about some stupid dream.
"I-I'm so sorry Adrian..." Roxas allowed a tear of guilt to slide down his cheek, and he hugged his little brother with all the strength he had left. That poor kid was gonna be scarred for life, and Roxas didn't anything about it. He could have left. Damn, Roxas could have even left the country with Adrian. But he was too much of a coward to do it. So many thoughts where coursing through the damaged teen's mind, that he couldn't even breathe.
"Bubby... It's okway. You protected mwe." Adrian smiled up at his big brother. It was almost as if he knew how much pain his brother was in because of everything that had happened. He was so innocent, and Roxas couldn't even feel the pain anymore. He would do anything to protect that kid.
Roxas sniffled, "Why don't we get you some breakfast and then I'll take you to school?" The blonde put on his best genuine smile.
"That sounds gweat!" Adrian giggled and held a thumbs up.
"Great!" Roxas grinned and held his brother's hand. The only thing that would make the blonde happy, was knowing that his brother was safe. Roxas was finally gonna do it; That night, he was finally gonna leave with Adrian. The blonde teen wasn't going to wait until Luxord began to attack Adrian too. He wouldn't allow it. Roxas was gonna Rise Against and make everything better. It's not like Luxord actually cared about them anyway. It wouldn't make a difference in the drunken man's mind whether they were at home or not.
"What do you want for breakfast Little Duck?"
"Hmmm... Orange Juice!"
"Orange Juice it is!"
Later that morning...
Roxas and Adrian headed out the door and up the road to the dreadful preschool both boys hated so much. Adrian had a really hard time making friends, something he inherited from Roxas. And preschoolers were ruthless.
"Bubby... Do I have to go bwack?" Adrian frowned up at Roxas.
"I know you don't wanna go, and I really don't want to take you back either..." Roxas paused with a frown, "But I promise that if you go here today, I'll take you somewhere really fun after school." Roxas gave the small child a smile.
"Weally?! Okway!" Adrian giggled and hugged Roxas tightly, "Bye bubby!" Adrian giggled and waved goodbye before running inside the building like his life depended on it.
"Be safe, and don't run, you'll fall!" Roxas waved back and let out a sigh, but still smiled. If Adrian was happy, he was happy, and vice versa. That's why Roxas always did his best to smile for the small boy. The blonde wanted to create an atmosphere that Adrian could be carefree in, and forget about what an asshole their dad was. But once Adrian ran behind those glass doors, smiles vanished, giggles faded, and now it was time for Roxas to face his other hell; Public High School.
. . .
After dropping Adrian off at "prehell", Roxas made his way up the road to "Highhell." The blonde teen rolled his cerulean orbs and shoved his hands in his pocket before walking up to the large glass doors. He winced at the thought of Seifer getting ahold of him; Roxas didn't need anymore pain to add to his already sore body.
I think I'll just go in through the back...
The boy turned on his heel, promptly made his way to the back of the school, and stealthily crawled in through the science class window; His first class. There was no way he was taking any chances, so it was his safest route. Though Professor Vexen was quite a man bitch to anyone else, he had made a deal with Roxas that he could climb in through the back window whenever he needed in exchange for Roxas to keep his mouth shut about the old pervert's secret; Vexen visited the strip club Roxas worked at.
Roxas froze up at the thought of his work; It made him feel so ashamed of himself. In fact, he even hated himself for it. But it's what he had to do to keep food on the table for Adrian.
"Morning Professor~" Roxas casually shook his thoughts of disgust away and sat down in his seat.
"Pipe down child, I'm busy you ungrateful- Oh hello Roxas." Vexen slightly looked up from the book he was reading. Professor Vexen was tall, slender, and had long icy white hair. Not to mention these cold ice blue eyes that could probably suck your soul out of it's body. Although, after Roxas talked with the dude a bit, he wasn't half bad.
"How's the wife and kid?" Roxas asked casually and opened his text book to page 28, as written on the board.
"They're fine I suppose. Aqua is as cheerful as ever. Although, Ienzo is going through another faze. I'm not quite sure how to react."
"Eh he'll be fine in a year." The blonde waved his hand in the air to signal that it was nothing and keep the old professor from stroking out. Truthfully, Roxas wished he had a dad that cared as much as Vexen, other than the strip club incident. Roxas had made him promise he would never step foot in a strip club again. Not that it was ever going to happen or anything, but, the blonde boy just admired how much care he put into his family. Family; the word was strange and foreign to Roxas, but it was beautiful.
The two conversed for a while until students began to walk in. Roxas nervously searched for Seifer the whole time, in fear that the thickheaded bastard would actually use his brain for once and come waltzing in through the door.
Thankfully, the idiot wasn't going to be thinking anytime soon.
x x x
After class, when Roxas was absolutely positive that Seifer wouldn't come waltzing in to give him an early death, Roxas waved goodbye to Professor Vexen and retreated out the back window. Now it was lunch; Roxas usually just hang out in the music room until the halls were completely empty.
He crawled through the vine ridden window and let out a sigh. No one ever used the music room since everyone was basically too busy ridiculing each other to enjoy the little pleasures of life. The bastards, he was glad he didn't have such a pea sized brain. Life had beaten him and Adrian down too many times for the two boys to ignore the little things; The little things were all they had.
Roxas let a small smile place itself onto his lips, "What am I doing, just sitting here..." He got up and grabbed a guitar and softly started to strum the chords to It Ends Tonight by The All American Rejects, then he began to sing.
"Your subtleties, they strangle me
I can't explain myself at all
And all the wants and all the needs
All I don't want to need at all
The walls start breathing, my mind's unweaving
Maybe it's best you leave me alone
A weight is lifted on this evening
I give the final blow
When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight, it ends tonight
A falling star, at least I fall alone
I can't explain what you can explain
You're finding things that you didn't know
I look at you with such disdain
The walls start breathing, my mind's unweaving
Maybe it's best you leave me alone
A weight is lifted on this evening
I give the final blow
When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight, it ends tonight
Just a little insight won't make this right
It's too late to fight, it ends tonight, it ends tonight
Now I'm on my own side
It's better than being on your side
It's my fault when you're blind
It's better that I see it through your eyes
All these thoughts locked inside
Now you're the first to know
When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight, it ends tonight
Just a little insight won't make this right
It's too late to fight, it ends tonight
It ends when darkness turns to light
It ends tonight, it ends tonight
Just a little insight won't make this right
It's too late to fight, it ends tonight, it ends tonight
Tonight, inside
When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight..."
Just as the blonde ended the song, someone violently swung open the door, letting it hit the wall with a loud Bang! Roxas' heart leaped into his throat and he clenched his eyes shut tight. He quickly put the guitar down, hoping and praying for god to give him a break for once, that this stranger would not be Seifer, that he wouldn't get his already damaged face get pummeled in.
"Oh! Sorry..." A voice apologized and nervously chuckled.
It doesn't sound like Seifer...
The frightened blonde boy opened his eyes to find a strange yet warm and bubbly boy with blonde, grass-like hair. The boy grinned and waved, "Hi! I'm Demyx! You couldn't be Roxas, could you..?"
Oh thank you god... But... How does this kid know my name..? I haven't been being stalked have I..? Oh god please, not another one of Seifer's lackeys...
"Um... How do you know my name?"
"Oops! Sorry, I'm from Paopu High! And we have our connections..." Demyx chuckled and wrapped an arm around Roxas' shoulder, "No need to be freaked!"
"Uh... Okaaay... But what do you want with me?"
That earned a giggle from blondie, "We want you at our school of course, silly!"
"Well I have classes to go to so if you'll excuse me-"
"Unacceptable mister! Now what did Xemnas say..? Oh, I know!" Demyx nodded in delight. Who is this kook..?
"We absolutely neeed you st our school, and we won't take no for an answer, so pleaaaase, pretty pleaaaase, come with me or I'll get scolded!"
"Not my problem bud-"
"Shhh!" Demyx held a finger to the bewildered boy's lips, "I'll have to get Lexy if you don't cooperate and he's not fun when he's angry!"
"Um... Bye..." Roxas furrowed his brows and tried to walk away, but as soon as he did, he felt himself being lifted up by some strange orange haired giant!
"WAGH PUT ME DOW- MMF!"
And everything was black after that...
x x x
"What're we gonna do with this kid?"
"I dunno... He's really strange looking isn't he?"
"Don't judge anyone by appearance, meanies!"
What..?
Roxas awoke, surrounded by a bunch of men in black robes. He recognized Demyx's voice, and soon, he realized what had happened. The blonde teen tried to kick and scream, but he was obviously bound down by something. Duck-tape, maybe..?
"Well look what we have here boys! The kid's up and at em." A slender man with a long grey ponytail and an eye patch chuckled and ripped the duck tape off Roxas' mouth.
"HEY ASSHOLES WHY THE HELL DID I GET KNOCKED OUT AND WHY AM I HERE RIGHT NOW?!" Roxas shouted, furiously.
Patchy the pirate's eye widened, "Ooh! This one's got spunk! I'm so impressed." He scoffed and then smirked.
"Hey, that's not very nice!" Demyx pouted and crossed his arms. Well, at least there was one familiar face in the room.
"GETTING A BIG ORANGE HAIRED DUDE TO KNOCK SOMEONE OUT ISN'T VERY NICE EITHER!"
"Touche`" A new voice laughed, but his face was covered by the dark hood that was attached to his jacket. It was strangely familiar to Roxas...
Roxas didn't like what was going on. He had friends who'd gotten kidnapped by strange cults and he never saw them again. He didn't want to die like this; He still had Adrian to take care of!
"Please, if you have any heart, you'll let me go! If I didn't have a little brother to take care of, I'd be fine with you sacrificing me to whatever thing you worship or whatever, but I do have a little brother to take care of and he can't be left alone with the asshole of a father we have because he does drugs and brings strange women home all the time and he's abusive so please, just please let me go. I have to make sure Adrian is taken care of!" Roxas cried out, allowing a few tears to pour down his face. He couldn't just let himself be sacrificed when he had his little brother to take care of. Roxas was all Adrian had.
"Sorry Roxy, we didn't mean to scare you that bad..." Demyx pouted and pat Roxas on the shoulder.
"Damn, that's rough...Even I feel bad because of my own asinineness " The man with the eye patch sighed and shook his head.
The hooded man finally pulled off his hood, "Sorry Roxas." He apologized and scratched the back of his neck. Roxas' eyes widened; That red hair... Those mesmerizing green eyes... "A-Axel!" It was him; Axel.
Hey guys! Sorry about the cut off ending, please don't hurt me, I love you. ~ I hope you liked this chapter! And like I've said before, I don't own the bands, songs, or the band Rise Against.
Thanks for reading!