Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

A/n: By the way, you might want to read the previous chapters again or review it briefly to grasp this chapter fully.

By the way I changed this to Rated T just to be safe. :3 I get a feeling that with Axel here, I can't fully present him with K+

-

The Fallen Prince

"What's up with you, man? You've been in this apartment for days." Riku complained, staring down at the inert Roxas playing mindless videogames.

Sora walked through piles of bottles, cans, empty wrappers, and unfinished microwave dishes, trying not to make everything any messier. "Yeah, Roxas. You can't skip classes too much, you know. You're still in probation, remember?"

Roxas didn't pay them any heed as he continued to stare lifelessly at the screen, his fingers pressing the buttons of the controller with ease. He chewed on his pepperoni pizza from his mouth and continued to ignore his two friends.

Riku let out a sigh of frustration. "Look, we heard. Everybody did. About your little fight with Hayner. I'm sure the witch heard of it but she was taking no action, in fact, she isn't even going to school anymore!"

Now this caught Roxas attention. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"She's not in the Music Room anymore. The school board wants to take her back of course but she wouldn't budge as I've heard it." Sora explained, starting to pick up the garbage that piled up. Fortunately, this chocolate-haired kid looks out for his friends a lot more than they actually ask.

Roxas spaced out, looking troubled. The screen blinking the words GAMEOVER.

"Why do they want her back again?" He asked, heading to his kitchen and opening the refrigerator door.

"Don't you know? Her presence itself makes the school's average rise higher. She's so smart she didn't even have to actually study. The school could even pay her just to be there."

"Really now?" Roxas opened a can of root beer and plopped on his bean bag again, chugging down the contents as he readied himself for a new game.

"He's hopeless." Riku mumbled to Sora… but actually more to himself as they started to leave. "I mean he has a mansion for crying out loud, why the heck does he rent some hideous room like this?! Is he going insane or something?! I knew this would happen again. She's doing it again!" Sora looked back before they left and wondered if he was going to be okay. "See ya, Roxas."

-

"It's starting you know." Hayner informed his friends, poking his pudding with his spoon.

"Hm? What is?" Olette asked, stabbing on of the lettuce from her salad. Pence, however, knew exactly what he was talking about. He munched on his sandwich and looked away, not wanting to continue this conversation.

"She's doing it again."

With this, Olette frowned at him openly. "Didn't it even come to your sense that she might've just been sick?"

"You know it, too, Olette. Last year, this happened, too. She's been absent for long and then the next thing you know your whole life—"

"I'm over it, Hayner." Olette said harshly. "When are you going to be?" She left afterwards, taking her tray with her and sitting to a different table.

"I can't believe it."

"What?" Pence replied, seeing as he was the only one who could at this moment because their other companion had already left.

"How can she just forget how much she suffered?!" Hayner slammed his fist on the table and left, too.

Pence looked disappointed as he gulped down the last of his sandwich. With a sigh, he snatched the pudding cup Hayner left and started to eat it. But he knew there were some things that pudding cannot solve.

…

But Pence continued on anyway.

-

That afternoon, the same day

School Premises

"Look, look, the witch's back."

"What's up? I thought she was gone for good."

"Shh, not so loud!"

She took silent steps, looking at the marbled floor as she did. The only thing that she was carrying was a sketchbook, except this time it was a lot bigger than her original one. Maybe the pages just ran out.

"What happened to that new kid then? Is he still alive?"

"Knowing the witch, I'm guessing he'd wish he wasn't."

The witch stopped all of a sudden and slowly looked at the two people whispering. The two stiffened telling themselves how dead they were. But slowly, the witch walked again, her eyes fixed at the floor again.

The cold stares she felt against her back.

Their whispers that she would normally hear.

As Hayner deduced… Everything's happening again.

All over again.

-

"What?! What do you mean he's not there; he's not at school either!"

"I'm sorry, sir. We know nothing of young master's whereabouts at this moment."

"Look, babe, I've been awake for almost three days now just because I couldn't sleep knowing that he was going to welcome me by introducing me to his new girl friends and now you tell me he's just plain missing?! You don't wanna say that, lady. You definitely don't."

"Sir, I'll be forced to ask for security's help if you don't leave right this minute. Thank you and goodbye."

"Wha-What? Get back here, hello? Helllooo?" He pushed the gray button over and over again but it seemed like he was completely ignored. He glared at the small device and then looked around. "That damn kid." He mumbled and then saw the camera at the top right of the gate. He glowered and threw rocks at it.

He was chased away of course but it was worth it.

"Roxas, man…" He whined to himself. "Where are you?"

It was by chance that he witnessed two youngsters about to head to some CD store. He lit up and crossed the street to get to them, almost bouncing.

"Isn't that weird, Sora? I was blindfolded and wore some weird shady cloak and I was fighting Roxas and he whacked me with huge keys!"

"That is weird."

Catching their attention by placing his big hands over their shoulders, he grinned for he knew he hit the jackpot. "Heey theere, mind if I join you?"

The silver haired one looked at him, his brow rising. "Who are you?" He asked skeptically.

"The name's Axel," he introduced himself proudly. "Got it memorized?"

-

"My name is Namine."

Roxas chomped his potato chips, stuffing his face wit handfuls of it and at the same time pressing the buttons quickly.

"I like animals."

Without even realizing it he was already beating his opponent to a pulp, continuing to attack even if he had already won.

"But I'm a witch."

He glared at the TV as if it had done something seriously wrong and even throwing the controller at it. "You're damn screwed." He mumbled to it. The TV didn't know if he was talking to it or to himself. :D

"I… I'm a monster."

He climbed on the couch and stared lifelessly at the ceiling, his hands hanging at the edge of the seat. "Why… did you have to cry?" He asked, flinging his arms over his eyes.

He was about to fall into a deep slumber when…

"I'M HOME!!" A familiar voice rang from the door. Roxas recognized this voice of course… but somehow he didn't want to welcome him. At all.

"Whoa, this is worse than last time. Naminé, huh? I've got to meet this chic."

"What are you doing here, Axel?" Roxas asked, half groaning. He knew this was going to happen! He knew he was this persistent.

"Roxas? Roxas, it is you. So you do remember me! I'm so flattered!" He exclaimed and neared the motionless kid. "Yeah right." The said guy muttered and smacked him on the head.

"You're pathetic." Axel declared, sitting on the long sofa as well. "If I didn't find these two I wouldn't have located you."

Roxas looked over at the two young men responsible for this. Sora and Riku. Sora of course looked apologetic but Riku sure looked like he was annoyed.

"I heard about your little problem, too."

"I noticed," Roxas responded and headed for the kitchen again.

"Jeez, why're you acting like this? You're acting just like you were when Demyx accidentally saved his game over yours. Only… worse!" Axel complained. "I'm still not going to leave until you introduce me to girls, though. Uh-uh, no way, dude."

"I'm horrible." Roxas said this all of a sudden.

"Wha? Aw, don't be like that, Roxas, I was only kidding."

"No, really, I am." He insisted and continued to stand at the kitchen, leaning on the counter. "I didn't even console her when she was crying."

"She was crying?" The other three young men repeated.

"Why?" Sora asked.

"Probably because I sorta, kinda, somehow said I didn't want to be friends with her anymore… or something like that. I don't really know."

"Wait, how exactly did you become her friend again?" Riku asked, allowing himself to take a seat at the futon, completely ignoring Sora who was picking up Roxas's garbage again.

"I asked her when she came over to my house."

"She came over to your house?" Once again.

"Man, oh man, you got yourself into a tight situation." Axel cried out loud, snacking on the potato chips Roxas left behind. "But I gotta agree with you there. That is kind of stupid."

"I'm not sure Roxas needs that kind of support, Axel." Sora said, dropping the trash in one of the plastic bags.

"What? I'm telling the truth here!" The feisty man said, his mouth full of chips. "I mean if he was the one who asked her to be his buddy then you gotta admit how vile that is. What kind of friend would believe everybody else's crap but his buddy's?"

"Unless, of course, you only asked her out of sympathy." Axel continued, scanning a random CD he picked up from the side table.

There was silence (well except for Axel's rude crunching sounds).

"Whether it was out of sympathy or not," Sora's voice shattered the tranquility as he looked at Roxas who was now leaning on the door frame of the kitchen. "You should apologize, Roxas."

"A witch can get hurt, too, you know."

-

The Next Day

School Premises

Revival

"Oh, so he's not dead?"

"There seem to be nothing wrong with him."

"Was the witch no match for him?"

"Roxas, huh?"

-

Naminé drew. She drew on the giant sketchbook on her lap. She drew a flower.

An orchid to be exact. But this orchid was shaded dark.

This orchid was in a vase again.

This orchid was lonely.

But this orchid might be used to this.

She frowned.

She was lonely.

She was used to this.

But not everything seemed annoyingly unbearable.

She wanted to cry.

The witch wanted to cry.

But instead she continued to draw. She was too focused on her drawing she failed to notice the footsteps echoing through the hallway.

Slowly getting near.

And then…

Bang!

She turned swiftly to her right and immediately dropped her sketchbook at the sight. But she didn't cry. She just stared.

The witch stared and stared.

Because honestly, she didn't ever think that he might see him again, standing in this room.

The witch stared and stared.

But she didn't cry. She just stared.

And then there was silence.

Complete and utter silence.

"Could you play the piano for me?" Her voice sounded as if it echoed in Roxas's ears; this even made him jump a little bit.

"Huh?" He replied, obviously unable to comprehend the favor she've just asked. Quickly afterwards though, he recovered and walked towards the white grand piano without making any other sound.

At this moment, Roxas didn't even know what he should say. Or rather he didn't know what he would say first. There were so many things he'd like to ask.

Why did you cry?

He stared at the keys and wondered why it felt like this piano was challenging him. The pressure he suddenly felt for some unknown reason. Maybe he was afraid to make a mistake? Or maybe he was afraid that after he was done playing he didn't know what would happen next.

Can we continue being friends?

Nevertheless, he started playing. It was the same composition as before. The piece he played the first time and for what he thought was the last after practically admitting how he didn't want to be acquainted with the witch anymore.

Will you forgive me for not trusting you?

Perhaps it was Naminé's imagination? Or perhaps maybe it actually was. This song which felt so miserable and captivating sounded a lot more agonizing than the last time he played it.

Its song bounced at the walls of the abandoned Music room, not any other sound was heard but this particular tune.

Will you forgive me…

The wind howled as if it wanted to sing along with the sorrowful music. The white curtains touched Naminé's cheeks slightly. Her drawings flew and floated down gently back to the ground, flooding the other side of the room.

… If ever I tell you…

If the sound was so captivating. If it was so beautiful. Then why?

... Even after I've hurt you…

Why wasn't he satisfied? He stopped playing, his fingers still against the keys. He didn't know why but this infatuation he usually has felt like… it was lost. Or hiding… from him?

A voice. It was a soft whisper, he could barely hear it but it was certainly a voice.

To Roxas it even sounded like it was coming from a sweet young girl.

His eyes widened for a split second and he swiftly turned back. And saw a girl. Staring back at him. Her deep azure eyes hiding behind her pale blonde hair with porcelain skin that looked like she hasn't seen daylight since birth.

He saw the witch staring back at him.

… That I love you?

"What?" He asked her. Taking a step towards her.

She looked at the ground and then took a deep breath. Afterwards, she looked at him again and whispered. "Do you hate me?" Before he could answer, she continued to speak. "If so… Please leave this room." She quietly instructed.

He blinked innocently. "Then…" He replied. "If I leave… does that mean you don't want to see me anymore?"

She stared at him again.

And then she took the pencil that was lying on her sketchbook.

And then she stared at her sketchbook.

"No." She answered slowly. Her hand started to move against the piece of paper from her sketchbook. Once again, she was drawing something and would probably not respond to any of his actions for the rest of his stay here.

But instead… she resumed talking.

"I just don't want you to see me crying again."

Roxas felt a pang of guilt stabbed through his chest. Even if the witch didn't mean it to be ill-mannered for him his guilt was driving him to commit suicide or something.

"I don't want to either." He whispered unconsciously.

She continued to draw.

"I don't hate Naminé at all."

Her hand paused and slowly she looked at him from behind locks of her hair. He had that carefree grin of his again.

"In fact," he turned his back on her and stared at the piano. "I like Naminé."

And once again he grinned widely. "I like Naminé a lot!"

It seemed like there was no reaction from her and he started to hear the sound of her pencil lead scratching against paper.

Carefully he peeked. And saw she was focusing all her attention to her sketchbook again.

With this, he pouted at her in a childish way unconsciously. Then he walked towards the door. Yet, she didn't seem to care, still focusing her full concentration on the project she was drawing.

He was halfway to the door now when…

"I'm relieved."

That being said, Roxas grinned and left the Music room.

He was too happy…

He didn't even notice her beautiful smile as she drew.

-

"So… how'd it gooo?" Axel greeted, nudging his blonde friend and at the same time, raising his brows up and down. Roxas shrugged, "good." He replied simply, although that uncontrollable smile kept on sneaking up on his face every time.

Of course, his overly-supportive friends noticed this; they started to near him and ask him various question about finally being a man. He brushed the three idiots off of him and walked away.

After all, he still had a problem to take care of.

Hayner stood with Olette in the cafeteria, heading to their designated table. But as soon as the door opened…

"Hayner!! Hey, Hayner, over here!!" A guy with gravity-defying blonde hair waved his arms crazily, not actually giving much thought how stupid he looked. The brunette girl beside Hayner blinked in confusion, and smiled happily while slapping her friend not so lightly on the back.

Hayner was obliged to approach this insane kid before he started yelling again…

"HAAAAYYYNNEEEER—" He slapped his palm over Roxas's mouth and glowered at him openly. "All right already, sheesh, you're embarrassing."

-

"So? What do you want?" Hayner asked indifferently, scratching his forehead. For now, Roxas had led him to some place where there were no people… except for three grinning idiots behind that tree over there.

"To thank you." He said, grinning widely. This earned a huge question mark on Hayner's face, though. "And also to… apologize."

"Hayner's very kind. You didn't want me to get hurt." Roxas commented, smiling nonchalantly.

Hayner stared at him for a while and then cleared his throat. Covering his mouth and behind it was obviously muffled laughter. "This is so gay." He whispered.

Silence.

And then the two of them broke into laughter.

The three idiots behind the tree, started to worry. "This isn't developing to some kind of a relationship, is it?"

"And? Why do you want to apologize?" Hayner asked seriously after laughing so hard. Roxas, however, continued to smile.

"Because I'm still friends with Naminé after all."

Hayner frowned at him for a long time (this had no effect on Roxas's behalf though), but finally he sighed. "Whatever." He replied and afterwards grinned at him. "But when she ruins your life, I have the right to say I told you so."

-

The Witch Went Out of Her Lair

"Your methods of apologizing are weird, Roxas." Riku mentioned. "But surprisingly, they work."

"He handled it all in one Lunch break! It's like magic. Are you a Shaman? Or maybe… a ninja." This bothered Sora as he pondered about it for a while.

"By the way, where's Axel?"

"Oh. He got kicked out. He hasn't legally entered the school yet, you know." Riku replied and pushed the cafeteria door open. As soon as they did, they realized it was silent.

Too silent.

The three found out why when they saw a girl with deep azure eyes that were hiding behind her pale blonde hair and porcelain skin as if she hasn't seen daylight since birth.

She was in front of a girl in orange… bowing.

"I…" She whispered. "I'm sorry!" Her voice echoed. It sounded like she gathered a lot of courage to say that.

She walked away slowly, making her exit.

"C… Can we be friends again?" Olette asked, standing up from her seat.

Naminé stared.

She stared and she stared. And then she lit up.

"Okay." And then she smiled.

Roxas was satisfied. He liked Twilight High so far. But now it seemed like he had a bigger problem.

"She's so cute."

"I'm gonna introduce myself to her."

"Do you think I can get her number?"

-

Meanwhile

Some dark, shady office

The Witch's Cage

"She did it again," a tanned with long silver hair informed another man in red. His creepy gold eyes staring intently at the back of his boss.

"She easily brought hell to the surface."

"That witch… Always doing whatever she wants." A deep voice said. "She did this last year, too. With that… Olah girl."

"I believe it's Olette, sir."

"Whatever her confounded name is." He swung his wheelie chair to face his loyal servant. "How many times do I have to tell her that she should not mingle with lowlifes?! They could use her anytime. Trick her and finally lose everything! I saved her last time from committing a big mistake but I can't keep doing so every time."

"That girl, whom she had a small argument with, lost everything. Her father's job, their house, their business, stripped off their dignity. Like I said, everything!"

"Sir, you're obviously overreacting."

"I knew I shouldn't have given her business properties too early. But I did anyway, and now she has the nerve to oppose me! Despicable witch."

"Well… somebody helped her and her family afterwards and now she's as good as before but still…"

"Naminé… I will make sure you can never oppose me again. Then I'll dispose of these lowlifes you call friends." He flipped the red bandage wrapping his head over his shoulder.

"How would you do that?" The other man asked, curious as to what diabolical plan this man was planning again.

"I'm gonna send somebody…" He stood from his wheelie chair and then faced his servant who was wearing a dark shady cloak. "But first, how bout some sea salt ice cream?"

-

The Next Day

(Epilogue)

"Oh, Naminé!!!" Roxas called from the corridor and afterwards entered the abandoned Music Room without hesitation. To his surprise there was somebody else there than he expected.

Of course Naminé was drawing but there was a blonde girl with two antenna-like (or most likely they looked like horns) locks of hair sticking from the topmost of her temple. She had an insolent look on her face as she looked down on Naminé but as soon as she noticed Roxas's presence, she turned and smirked at him.

"Hello, you must be Roxas." She said in a way that almost disgusted the young teenager, swinging her hand as if she was showing off her expensive-looking bracelet. "My name is Larxene. I'm from Dusk High as well, I just transferred, you see."

"So, why are you here?" Roxas asked.

"Well, as I said I just transfer—"

"No, I mean… Why are you here. In this room." The blonde young woman noticed the hint of what seemed to be a glare from Roxas. As a response, she sneered at him openly.

The Larxene girl walked away, intentionally stepping on the scattered drawings with her high heels. "I have… close ties with Naminé and her family." She whispered and disappeared from the hallway.

He completely ignored the subject about the new girl and walked towards Naminé. "Hey, Naminé, what's up?" He greeted.

Her hand stopped midway from a curved line and then slowly she looked up to Roxas. She stared. "Hello, Roxas." She placed her sketchbook on her lap. "Do you need something?"

"Hey, who was that girl? She doesn't look too friendly."

She didn't answer him and once again started to draw.

"Never mind, I don't really care about her much. Anyway, Naminé, let's go out." Roxas invited with an enthusiastic smile. Naminé continued to draw. "This Saturday. I want to watch this movie. Oh and my friend from Dusk is coming along, too."

"…"

"Naminé?"

"…" She continued to draw.

Roxas pouted. "If you don't answer I'm gonna be mad at you."

"I'll go." She whispered… almost too quickly but she still continued to draw.

Roxas grinned. "Around noon at the town square, okay?"

She nodded slowly.

Roxas of course got curious as to what she was pouring all her attention to. He took a peek and saw that she was drawing yet another orchid. An orchid bathing in a ray of light.

"Naminé, do you like flowers?" He asked.

"Not really."

"Do you like drawing flowers?"

She stopped midway again and slowly looked at Roxas. Slowly her lips curved to a smile. "I mostly like to draw beautiful things." She whispered and afterwards continued on with sketching.

"Oh." He responded and then cupped his chin with his forefinger and thumb. "Then feel free to draw me then."

She looked at him again. She stared and she stared.

"I only draw beautiful things." She replied.

Somehow… that sounded very ill-mannered.

As they laughed… unfortunately they didn't notice somebody spying on them.

"Target confirmed." She whispered to a small device chipped into her bracelet. "Do anything to dispose of him."

"Gladly."

A smirk dances on the devil's face.

-

A/n: Hey, readers! I didn't like how this chapter turned out that much. So far, I think the best chapter I've written would be the first one. This totally sucked. But hey, I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter. :3

It'll be just like a date between the two… plus Axel. Wouldn't it be fun to see Axel wanting attention from his friend, Roxas, while Roxas gives his attention to Naminé? I'm so excited!! Yes, that was a brief sneak peek. :D

Review, please!

(Again, constructive criticism greatly appreciated)