This is What happens when I'm listening to songs and come across 'tale as old as time' from Beauty and the Beast while reading AkuRoku... and eating loads of candy.

Enjoy!

The day was breezy and sweet scents drifted around in the Tyrayous Market. People of every age swarmed joyfully around from store to store. I sat on the fountain in the middle of the square, a thick book in my hand. So caught up in it, I didn't notice Seifer walking my way.

"Hello, Roxas. What do you have there?" He swiftly pulled the book out of my hands.

"Ah! Give that back, Seifer." The town's 'protector' ignored me though, and tossed the book over his shoulders. Honestly, I don't know how he could be called a protector. All he does is torture the smaller bit of citizans because he's sooo tall. Ugh. "No!" I turned to him. "Why did you do that?! This book is borrowed."

He shrugged, then took up a leering, 'I'm so awesome and you're not' grin. "So, Rox. Want to go to tonight's celebration with me? I promise you'll have fun- Hey!"

"No, thank you, Seifer." I told him as I walked away, book clutched to my chest. He sat grumbling at how I always refused to go with him every , we used to be best friends when we were both still small. Then, he started to get extreme growth spurts, and the rest is history. He's been trying to get me to go out with him for so long, it's to pathetic to think about. Seriously, can't the guy take a hint?!

I made my familiar way to the local bookstore. "Hello, Roxas!" Called a soothingly deep voice, and I turned to face my friend Pence's dad, the Bookkeeper of Twilight Town.

"Hey, Mr. Hinata!" How's buisness?" I walked in the warm store, smelling the familiar scent of old paper and ink.

"Ah, Roxas, you know, not many find books as enthralling as you and I do." I laughed at this. It was very true. Many people believed thinking, and reading as wastes of time that could be used for work.

Soon, I found myself out of town. I sighed, then sat out in one of the wide fields on the outskirts of the bustling town. As I watched the clouds billow across the sky, A sense of being watched came over me. "God, when will I find somewhere I can just be me?" I whispered.

I stood, then turned to the North, Where the eyes watching me were. Ever since I was little, I could sense when and where I was being watched from.

Nothing could be seen except for the Dark Forest. A place where wolves and who knows what else lurked. I shuddered; it suddenly had become cold.

It was late in Autumn, but not that late, so it was odd to feel so chilled. Even though the feeling had disappeared, I still stood facing the old, gloomy forest. A memory of many years ago swept through my mind.

The sweet smell of dark pines, the shadows playing, always just out of reach. I had gone into that same stretch of wood, in my innocent childhood. How I'd loved to explore then. I'd found it lighter than most thought it was, but after a while, I saw something up ahead I'd never heard of before.

I walked up to the huge gate in front of what looked like a castle. Still believing in faerie tales, I'd called out "Is a princess up there? Call down, please!" And, though no one answered, I vaguely remember seeing something in one window of the West side of the Castle. A flash of red, dissapearing as soon as my eyes focused on the widow I'd looked at.

After that, I'd gone home, to find I'd been gone the entire day and sunset was iminent. "Roxas Strife!" My father had scolded me. "Young man, you should know better than to go off into the…" He picked up a piece of pine straw. "The Dark Forest!"

I laughed at the memory. Such trouble I'd been then. Now, being sixteen, I saw how foolish I'd been. I was suddenly aware that it was beginning to reach darkness. A noise drew my attention and I gasped, for, up ahead, I saw my father.

Banging against the inside window of a black carriage.

He was being carried away into a shodowy opening. Away from me. "No!" I cried, racing to the horse I'd left to graze, jumping up on it's back and taking off without thinking. I could hear Father calling out.

"Let him go!" I cried up to the driver I couldn't see.

I followed the incredibly fast carriage into the very same forest I'd explored to long ago. "Wait! Stop!" I called again. Why did the path we were racing on feel so... familiar?

I saw it be fore I realized it.

The huge Iron Gates closed just before I reached them. I yanked stomper, my horse, to a stop and looked up to see the very same towers and windows as I had so long ago. "What… what is this?!" I called out. A flash of red came from a tower window and was gone before I looked.

I got off Stomper, and slapped him to send him home before turning to the great gate. "Alright, then." I told myself. "We'll just do it your way, then." And with that, I began to climb the tall gate.

It wasn't long before I was on the other side and opening the dark, old wooden door ahead. I hesitated for just the slightest moment, then walked in, my blue eyes scanning the shadows for anything. Some stairs led up high, and I followed. Soon there was a split in them, though.

God, I thought, What do I do now?

Something made me turn left. I don't know what it was, but I followed. A candelabra was lit in an alcove in the wall, which I grabbed as I went.

There was a door up ahead, and stairs on the opposite side. I took the stairs.

Oddly, I felt like I was being watched as I went. But, when I looked, none could be found. The only thing other than me that was present was the candleabra. Odd.

The stairs became narrower just as I reached the top. I could hear my father crying. He'd never cried before that I knew of.

I burst in then. "Father!" I cried out when I saw him.

"R-Roxas?! No! Y-you have to get out of here Now!" My father, thestill young Cloud Strife, pushed me back from the cell he was in.

"What do you mean? I'm not just going to leave you-" I was cut off by clapping behind me.

I whirled only to face shadows. Out Spoke a gravelly voice, "You, boy. What do you do here? This is not a place for children."

I glared at that, then spat, "I'm not a child. And this is my Father. Please," I glanced back at Father, "Let him go."

"I cannot do that, boy. He is my prisoner, for he came to my castle and was going to tell all. He cannot leave." Whoever he was turned away. Footsteps began to fade away.

"Wait!" I heard him stop. "I-if I take his place… would you agree?"

"No! Don't-" Father started.

"Silence!" The voice roared. I flinched slightly. "I might agree, but what of your father? He would tell of me and my castle."

"I promise he won't tell."

"...Very well, boy." I heard him turn away once more and start to leave.. "Wait. Before I agree, come into the light." There was still a bit from outside.

Heavy footsteps sounded, and when he stepped into the light, I gasped. The one standing before me was not a man, but a wolf like creature on it's hind legs. "Do you wish to leave your father now, boy?" He asked mockingly.

I straightened up, standing as tall as I could, and shook my head. "No. Please continue." And he released my father.

Father made to race to me, but was grabbed by the creature and dragged away, the door closing behind them.

I couldn't stand not at least seeing Father go, and raced to the window. I saw the creature toss my father back in the carriage and it take off. Then I collapsed to the floor, tears in my eyes.

The door creaked open, and a clawed hand pulled me up. "W-what are you doing?"

"Taking you to your room." The Beast answered.

I wouldn't stay in the dungeon tower? I sure as hell wasn't going to argue that point.

He took me down the long stairs and up the ones to the right side of the castle. The room he pushed me in was large, empty, and dark. As he closed the door, He asked me, "What's your name?"

"Roxas Strife." I told him, who nodded. "Well, Roxas, You are to join me for dinner."

Just then the sun set, and everything changed. The room and hall became immediately lit. The room was a light blue color. But, what changed the most was the creature in front of me.

Instead of the Wolf-like creature I'd seen earlier, before me stood a tall man, about twenty-two by his looks. He had dark, spikey red hair tied back with a black ribbon. His eyes were Emerald green, startlingly bright and intelligent, with tear-like marks underneath.

He was wearing black form-fitting pants, and a loose black silk shirt. His lean frame was muscular in all the right places, and any girl who saw him would probably be bowing down to him. All in all, a VERY tempting package.

He scowled out the window before telling me, "I will see you when you are ready." Then closed the double doors.

"Well, That was quite a surprise for you, wasn't it, sir?" I spun around to find the source of the voice, to find a boy of about ten on the other side of the room stretching.

"Where did you come from? No, never mind." I turned and stuck my tongue out at the door childishly. "I won't be joining him for dinner." I told the boy.

"The master will be very displeased, sir, if you don't. Lord knows what he'll do to me." The little boy's eyes glistened.

I sighed. "Will he hurt you?" The boy shook his head.

"No, but I won't get my supper, sir." So I let him dress me in black pants like his master's and a sapphire blue silk shirt. Black boots were added, too.

I looked at myself in the mirror. My Blonde hair was spiked in a swirl, and the shirt made my eyes seem darker than before.

"You look quite dashing, sir. My name is Vivi, by the way." He turned to close the dresser doors.

"Thanks, Vivi. I'm Roxas."

"So I heard. Well, you'll have to go as soon as the escort gets-" Vivi was interrupted by a knock on the door. "There she is now, Sir." And he went to open the door. A maid stood there, and curtsied to me.

"Dinner." I walked up to her. She was a wild-looking silver-haired girl. "Come." She called to me as she walked. I followed slowly.

The room she led me to was a long dining hall. Two places were set up across from each other. The Red-haired man was at one, and I was sat in the opposite one.

I kept my eyes averted from him, but I could feel myself being looked over. When the man cleared his throat, I looked to him. "My name is Axel. A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" The last bit was said with a point to his temple.

I nodded, then looked away from Axel. The food appeared then. First came a light salad, then Roast duck and vegetables. Puddings and cakes followed. I ate silently and very little.

"Come, now." Axel said after a while, "No need to waste good food. Eat." I ignored him, though.

After the end of the meal I stood and he did, too. I watched him as he came around the table to me, and made a sweeping motion with his hand towards the few others, who were all staff.

Then, I was alone with Axel. The master of this odd place. He pulled me toward him, and led me to another room, a ball room it looked like. "What do you think?" Axel asked as he led me to the doors on the other side of the huge place.

I shrugged. "It's –" We'd reached the doors, and he'd opened them to show a lightly lit rose garden. In the center, a pink-haired man tended the red rose bush, the only one visible.

"Wow… I… It's beautiful." A fountain could be heard nearby. I didn't notice the pink-haired man leave.

"So. Roxas." I felt Axel's hand pull my chin up. "Have you ever been kissed by a man?"

I didn't get a chance to answer the question, for Axel's lips closed over mine. I felt his other arm snake around my waist, pulling me close, and also make me unable to push away. A quick zing went down my spine.

I could feel every angle of his lean body as Axel brushed his lips over mine in a stomach-tingling way. He nibbled at my bottom lip, making me want to open them. Axel slipped his tongue in my mouth, causing me to shiver.

The hand holding my chin left, only to cup the back of my head. My arms, of their own will, wound around his neck.

No, I thought, I'd never been kissed by a man… until now.