Author/s: Skitts und Lamatikah –two fingered salute-

Summary: They were never a perfect family, but they always tried. Even if trying wasn't good enough… AkuRoku .:SoKai Rikux?:.

Disclaimer: If I said I owned Kingdom Hearts, would you really believe me? But, if I said I owned Kingdom of Hearts… that would be something else… -shufty eyes- Does anyone, anyone at all, know what I'm talking about?

Full Circle

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--Prologue—

x-Family Reunion-x

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Family reunions were always messy affairs. Yes, messy affairs indeed which usually ended with several drunk guys in their thirties who still thought they could break dance… even though they couldn't, a food fight, and a whole load of ambulances arriving… But there was always one thing that happened, which no one could laugh at or poke fun at in any way. It included two families, three kids, four adults and a whole load of crying/shouting. Method?

Family Reunion.

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"Smile for the camera, Roxie!" screamed a voice several inches from his ear. A smell of highly expensive perfume accompanied these words, swarming around in his nose like a beehive.

In family reunions it was common practise for all the ladies to bathe in rosewater before the grand ceremony (yes, these family relationships were so important they were frequently referred to as grand ceremonies, like knighthood but possibly more important). And after bathing in cheap rosewater they fell into vats of expensive perfume that wasted about a whole months' worth of salary and squeezed into their best formal party-wear, even if their best outfit was from their wedding which was several years ago. With hair piled on their heads like spaceships and smelling strongly of decaying roses all the women in their 'lovely' outfits were the bells of the ball. Or just things to snigger and point at a little bit, like outbreaks of the plague.

Not that the plague was a laughing matter of course – it was probably rather serious when it actually happened.

Roxas allowed himself to be yanked into view of the camera held by Auntie Maleficent who was deemed thoroughly too ugly to be in any family pictures as she would ruin them. Of course, they never told her that she couldn't be in the pictures because her favourite hat (a set of antler horns) was blocking half of Jafar's head. They told her she was simply the best photographer there and that, even though she tried to pluck her eyebrows herself, they looked very … interesting…

The boy giggled as aunt Maleficent's horns bobbed around, lips pursed as she attempted to set the camera 'to the right setting'. So, really, she wasn't good at photography either – which explained why all the photos in the family album looked orange and slightly sinister.

"But, wait!" cried one of Roxas' many, many uncles, simply known as 'The Mayor'. He probably had a name like Olette or something, but they forgot it. If anybody addressed him as anything other than 'the Mayor' or occasionally 'the Mayor of Halloween Town' his head spookily seemed to spin around and change colour. Roxas had never pondered how weird his family members were before, and just took in his stride…

The Mayor was small, very small. Unlike Jack who was tall, very tall. To make up for being small (very small) the Mayor wore a hat that was tall (very tall).

"We can't take the family photo unless all the family members are here!" A murmur of agreement whispered throughout the room, as the families began to disperse once more and wait for the missing arrivals.

Roxas always loved family reunions because he could see all his odd family members, and talk to them, and hear their funny voices. But his favourite aunt and uncle weren't here yet… He wandered round, wondering when they'd arrive. Flashes followed him as people took pictures anyway. He smiled at every single one flash as he loved the light so much. It was bright, but it didn't hurt his eyes, not one bit.

A sudden blast of cold wind smacked him in the face as the doors flew open. Roxas shielded his poor, cold face from the wind. One of his more odd looking uncle/cousin/second cousin/third cousin/whatever moved in front of the door and closed it with a dramatic 'BANG'.

"And thus, the draught was sorted, simply and effectively." He informed the millions. Not that there were really millions… that would be silly. More like, 'the thousands'.

As Oogie Boogie swaggered off to continue his pretty exciting game of roulette with Jack, the doors flew open yet again, pinning him in a rather humorous way against the wall. Due to the laws of our good friend Physics, he should have been at most the weight of a leaf.

"Oogie!" cried a small, shrieking voice as he ran up to the very shocked relative. The kid obviously liked 'Oogie', maybe because the guy gave the kid bugs for all his Christmases and Birthdays… Mainly because of that, yeah.

"Sora! Get back here, now!" Sora retreated carefully back to his parents as Oogie regained all 'swagger-like-ness', and swaggered back off to Jack.

"Yay! Now we can do the pictures!" cried a little voice in the corner, the embodiment of cutsiness-ness and innocence. Roxas was a sweet kid, everybody knew that, what with his little button nose and blue eyes. He was the one Maleficent liked to go up to and the one who got his cheeks pinched the most. Maleficent didn't even mind if he pulled her horns and claimed they were 'silly', although her horns were a very touchy subject. She loved those antlers. Gaston had given them to her. Mostly because she was too blind to realise the label said 'made in Taiwan, 100 plastic'.

Who'd really want plastic antlers anyway?

Well, giant inflatable Santas were odd too, but people still bought those… Well, that was Maleficent's next Christmas present sorted out. A hat with a giant inflatable Santa perched on it, large enough to crush her.

Roxas ran over to the front of said woman's 'camera area' and stood at the front where he had been before. Except now… Sora seemed to have decided to plonk his backside in his place. Roxas gulped, but he wasn't going to let this ruin his reunion. Even though, Roxas being five, he spelt it 'ruinun'.

He thought for a moment and then realised that it would 'be silly to sit there because it would look better if Sora sat there, so I can sit next to Sora!'

His logic worked. According to Roxas.

The blond sat down beside his cousin.

"Hello, Sora."

Sora looked up, and smiled, "Hello Roxie!" Sora was lovable too, he was too hyper for his own good, and liked human warmth. This meant lots of cuddles. Sora was really more like a big duvet that shrouded everyone in a very happy, and very 'Care-bear' like blanket of love. Corny as it may sound. It was very true. Just as true as how his hair defied all laws of gravity when it stood up from his scalp. Once again we link back to our good friend Physics, who all though our good friend, was obviously not Sora's, with the way the boy's hair was like that.

"You good?" Sora nodded, a little sheepishly. He turned away. "Sora?" Sora bit his lip, and scratched the back of his head. "Sora…?"

Sora's head flipped round to face Roxas, as he shifted it about a bit. "Can you keep a secret, Roxie?" Roxas nodded slowly. Sora began again, "My daddy says that … that I shouldn't talk to you or Marly…" Roxas's eyes widened, "I'm sorry Roxie…"

"Was it my fault, Sora? Because of that time I told you to put your head down the toilet? I'msorrysorrysorry, I won't do it again! I promiiiise!" Sora shrugged and hugged his cousin.

"I don't fink so…" Roxas pondered. What on earth could ever make his favourite Uncle not want him to talk to Sora…?

Roxas thought the man was great! He had killed lots of wild animals, so he was definitely a good man… But, what could Roxas have done to make him not like him?

Suddenly there was a flash.

'Look at me… I look so stupid. See, I was so confused. And Sora was really upset. I know, hard to believe, he was my only cousin… It seems so long ago now… Like it was a different world or something…'

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All families try to be perfect – it doesn't matter if Uncle Oogie Boogie has a gambling disorder or if Aunt Ursula had an odd laugh. No, let me rephrase that: a very odd laugh.

They were trying to work out all their problems and smiled and were kind and polite. They didn't comment on Maleficent's plastic antlers or her excessive amount of scary makeup which once sent Sora running from the room screaming and in hysterics about 'some evil witch lady come to smuggle my heart away under the cover of darkness. With her husband, PETE!'

They were trying very hard to be a perfect family.

But Sora's parents… They were a completely different kettle of fish.

Sora's parents believed they were above everybody else because they weren't trying to be perfect – they were perfect. The dream family, like the sickening ones on TV that resolve all their problems with a church, a bible and a load of love. Sora always ate his greens and went to bed on time and behaved very well with other children and didn't pull the little girls' hair. He got along well with his friends (Who happened to all be boys). He didn't have pink hair and didn't wear his mother's stiletto heels and he didn't pull at Aunt Maleficent's horns.

Even though Belle was tied down to a load of freaks through her sister, Meg, her husband, Gaston, had a nice respectable family. His family members didn't run around claiming to be 'the Mayor of Halloween Town' and didn't wear ludicrous hats. It was Gaston's family they chose to visit the most of, although Belle did worry about the little hellions Meg was raising. She had to keep going back, just to check her sister's head hadn't exploded from all the stress.

Belle knew Meg was wishing she had a perfect family like her. But, Belle's greatest wish was to rub it in her face; Meg had always been the one the boys liked, with her good looks, and flawless figure. Even though she knew her sister had had a hard love life, the woman was with some hunk now so what did it matter if she trampled her spirits a bit? Not much, right?

It made Belle feel good. It's alright. As long as neither Sora nor Gaston were harmed, then everything would be okay.

"Meg…" said Belle in her most formal voice, walking towards the table at the back where all the snacks were laid out. It was obvious Jack and Sally had done all the preparing of the meals – everything was covered in mounds of black gunge and the family reunion cake was shaped like a coffin, with dripping red writing. Belle smiled kindly and mumbled: 'Lovely', shuddering as she said it to prove she thought it was the exact opposite of 'lovely'. What wouldn't she give to be with Gaston's family? Her Sora would be getting bad ideas from that little Roxas child too…

Meg turned round, her face glowing, as she stood next to her husband who had just told some hilarious joke. "Oh Belle! How long has it been? I missed you, how are you?" Belle smiled. Small talk was all her sister was and had ever been made of. "And little Sora?" Belle could see the smile fade from Meg's face as Belle's did too.

"Well, Meg, I'm afraid little Sora has been having a few nightmares, from the last time little Sora met up with Roxas. Under-the-bed-monsters?"

Meg winced. "Well… it was really because of The Mayor's present… he gave Roxas that book… you know…"

Belle frowned, "Oh, don't start blaming relatives, you know who's fault that was. And onto other matters, you might want to have a word with Roxas about toilets. They are not for sticking Sora's head into. Even if it is a 'cool' thing to do. Sora had a cold, and it was made worse with that little incident."

Meg looked down, "Well… Well, I'm sorry about that… but… you know… boys will be boys, you kn-"

"Well, I don't think that Marluxia boy falls into that column anymore. Do you?"

"What are you trying to say about my son, Belle?" shrieked Meg.

Belle smirked, she could really get Meg with the whole Marluxia business. Meg was really affected by it, seeing that the kid was a bastard child, from some hazy night as a sixteen year old girl getting drunk for the first time. "I'm trying to say Meg," Belle replied in a knowing voice, stressing each consonant in Meg's name, "That your son, is not of the normal type of 'son', shall we say?"

Meg flipped. "I love my son, even if you don't love him, and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"I'm sorry Meg, I just thought you might need reawakening to the real world… Oh yes, and what about Roxas: how many friends does he have? Oh yes, one, and who is that friend of his? A girl. And according to Sora, Roxas thinks that all the boys in his class are 'stupid and just play with action men all the time'."

Meg blinked. She grabbed her drink and threw it over Belle.

"Herc, get Roxie, we're going. I can't- I won't- I don't know what to say…" She muttered as she walked past her sister. Some sister…

They tried to perfect – they tried so damned hard to be perfect.

Belle didn't try because she already was 'perfect'. She didn't feel the need to get along with the little people, she didn't want to 'fit in'. She always wanted to stand out, to be better.

The family was held together with glue. If one person stopped trying everything would come unstuck.

Meg knew that the one person who stopped trying could easily be Belle, because she never really started in the first place.

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A/N: Heh. The actual story is not when Roxas and Sora are five and Marluxia being fifteen (because that is how old he is… in this prologue)… Anyways, we were wondering, if you wanted to pair anyone with Marluxia…? Yaoi pairings are preferable… as it would fit with the plot… Heh heh… So, you can say, whoever the hell you want, as long as it fits… …

So like, not anyone from the summary… or Rikku or Naminé, and anyway, they wouldn't make it yaoi... But, like, not Riku either… because we have him all planned out… -maniacal laughter-

Anyways, three for an update! YAYness!! (reviews that is…)