Hey there, and thanks for choosing to read my fic! This is my second for the Kingdom Hearts series (can it be called a series if it is a game? I believe so but still...), both of which are AkuRoku, so if you like my style I suggest you look into my other story! I'm used to writing things from more of a "spazzy and cute" perspective, but I'll just see how it goes with everyone. Note: italicized words are either thoughts, flashbacks, or conversation that most people can't hear... just keep that in mind. NOW PREPARE YOURSELVES, AND EMBARK!

P.S. I rated it M for all the heavy shit, mostly just to be safe. Also do the quotes at the beginning look different? That's because I changed them! My plot is unfolding in my mind as I write, so I edited to make it all fit better. Inconsistancy is BAD.

"I left my family knowing the consequences. I made my choice, and I haven't regretted it once."

"Why would you do something like that? Wouldn't it just make you more miserable?"

"Life made me miserable. More miserable than I deserved. But I'm not someone to sit and do nothing. I got a new one."

The Beginning:

BUZZ. What the hell is that noise? BUZZ, BUZZ. Can't it tell I'm trying to sleep? BUZZ, BUUUZZZZ, BUU- thunk. Of all the…

Roxas reluctantly opened his eyes and peered over the edge of his bed to find his cell phone on the floor. Oh. The blond gingerly lifted the slim, silver device into his hand and flipped it open.

THREE MISSED CALLS: KAIRI

Shit. I completely forgot about that! 'That' being his date with Kairi that day. Roxas snatched up his alarm clock from the small table next to his bed, and slammed it down in frustration after he'd read it.

2:48 pm.

In a rush he threw himself off his bed, nearly tripping on his sheets, and dove into the closet. Shortly after, articles of clothing were flying by his head. There went a rejected t-shirt, there a pair of jeans he wore last time, etc…

Once fully clothed, he sprinted out his door and skidded around a corner into the bathroom, cutting off his twin, Sora, drawing an irritated, "Hey!" from his brown-haired replica.

He muttered a hurried apology as he slammed the door and went to work fixing his hair, and brushing his teeth.

Roxas cursed quietly, toothbrush in mouth, and dug his phone out of his pocket, dialing numbers the second it was open.

"Roxas? Where are you? I've been waiting for almost an hour! Are you okay?"

"Sowy Kaiwi mah arlahm dehdn goa awf!"

"… Roxas, are you eating something?"

He swished and spat into the sink, ripping the door open and waving apologetically to Sora, who just laughed as he entered the bathroom himself.

"Brushing my teeth, actually. Sorry, Kai, I'll be there in five minutes! Really, I'm soooo sorry! I'll beg forgiveness when I get there, but you can wait five more minutes, right??"

He could almost hear her smiling on the other end as he gathered his wallet and munnie, dropping them into his pockets. "Sure, Roxas. I'll see you in five." They both hung up, and Roxas ran down half the stairs before giving up and jumping down the other half.

"Where the hell do you think you're going so fast?" Roxas nearly fell over as his momentum competed with the friction on his sneakers, and turned to face his father.

"I'm meeting Kairi, and I'm really late. Can I go now? Pleeeeeeease?"

"Let the kid go where he wants, Cloud. I'll keep you busy today." Roxas shuddered. Gross. No matter how much he liked that his widower father had moved on, hearing the new-ish boyfriend come on to him was still disgusting.

"LEAVING. NOW. BYE!" The blonde heard his father and Leon laughing as he ran out the front door. He sure hoped Sora had plans for that day, because staying home wasn't a healthy idea.

Meanwhile: Somewhere in France

"Hey, Marluxia"

"Hmm?"

"We've been reassigned. Check it out."

"Reassigned? How can you guys be reassigned? Does that mean I'm free? Is my contract fulfilled?"

The man with the pink hair accepted the document from his companion. With their boss, reassignments happened often. Either he lost interest in his contractor, or they had disobeyed him. This one had gotten too boring, poor thing.

"Well, you could say that," he replied, snapping his fingers. A large, pink scythe was summoned as he did this, making the girl's brown eyes grow wide with surprise.

"Marluxia, Larxene? What's happening? I get to go home now, right? My contract's been fulfilled, right?"

So beautiful, and so full of hope. It was almost too bad that nobody made a contract with Xemnas and fulfilled it. They were all killed before that could ever happen.

"Do you mind if I do it?" asked Larxene. Marluxia sighed, flippantly twisting a piece of hair around his finger.

"I suppose so, if only because you recruited her", the pink-haired man smiled lazily at her. Larxene gave him a contrastingly sharp curve of her lips in return. Meanwhile, Belle stamped her foot with impatience. She was tired of not knowing what this conversation was about.

Larxene flicked her gaze to the girl, warningly; she calmed instantly, waiting for her to explain because one of them always did. "Do you remember, Belle, when we found you?"

She stiffened noticeably, and her skin paled a bit, but other than that Belle stood her ground. She nodded.

Marluxia smirked, "I remember the day we met. You were begging god to help your father, the poor old man, when he was dying from illness. Then we came to you, blessing him with health in exchange for your precious soul. In the end, you retained your youth long enough to see him die of natural causes, and you haven't aged a day since, have you?"

By this time, Larxene was standing close enough so that their clothing touched. Belle flinched as she began to toss one of her throwing knives in her hand, giggling wickedly as if in the background.

Continuing, Larxene pulled away from the smaller woman in order to study her expression, "How long has it been now, Marluxia?"

"178 years," he replied, his voice ringing deep in Belle's ears.

"So long, and you only fell in love, what was it, twice?" Belle looked away, closing her eyes as if not seeing her two demons would make the memory fade. "I had thought you were a smart girl, and the first time was understandable, but a second? Tsk, tsk. You should have learned your lesson. Now I know, though, that you're just some crazy inventor's daughter; nothing... promising."

"Daddy's girl," drawled Marluxia.

"That's right. And what was your punishment for those two, stupid mistakes?"

Her lip quivered. She couldn't say it. She felt hot tears run down her cheeks, and made no move to wipe them off. Her eyes were still shut.

Larxene clicked her tongue angrily, and turned to Belle, walking until their faces were almost touching, "SAY IT, YOU STUPID WHORE!"

It was as if the violent tango they had been dancing paused. Larxene and Marluxia waited, and Belle continued to weep silently.

"Tell us about Gaston first. That should be refreshing," prompted Marluxia.

"…I-I thought he was a selfish, pompous pig for coming on to me the way he did. You know that, you used to tease me for being loved by someone I hated so much…"

"But then you gradually fell for those broad shoulders and that manly jaw, and you told him everything. About your father, about us… about your REAL age," Larxene continued for her.

Finally, Belle opened her eyes, tears still streaming over her pretty cheeks. Marluxia sat patiently, only his eyes revealing his inner desire for this conversation to be much shorter.

They had never really been friends. Maybe companions, but certainly not wanted ones. Larxene had always been this cruel, and Marluxia always this apathetic; but no amount of time could make her memories less painful.

"What do you want from me?" whispered Belle.

Larxene gritted her teeth, and began to move forward when Marluxia grabbed her arm.

"Marly, what are you doing?"

"I think she gets the point. We don't need to force the story of her affair with Beast out of her too, since we all know what happened," Marluxia turned eyes as cold as ice, a mirror of his heart, to Belle, "we were the ones who told her that the punishment for falling in love under contract is having to kill them yourself."

Belle's body shuddered and she fell to her knees sobbing. Larxene responded promptly, moving forward the moment Marluxia loosened his grip.

"I was hoping to have a bit more fun with you before you go, but Marly's right. You've had enough," Larxene bent over Belle, summoning one of her infamous throwing knives with the snap of her fingers, "If you just say the words, it can all be over now. You can forget all of that pain. Just tell me you want to leave this world, and your wish will be granted."

Belle stopped sobbing. Her beautiful brown hair fell in front of her face, covering up her expression. She remained completely still for nearly a minute before answering, "Do it."

A wild grin tore itself open on Larxene's face as she raised her knife and struck. No one was there to hear Belle's last cry, and no one would find her body in the ally they had been in. What was once Belle became the ashes she would have been had she lived and died naturally, and took flight with the wind; but her soul would never stop wandering the world, wailing for her losses.

"So, who's our next victim?" asked Larxene, unfazed by the murder. Marluxia glanced down at the old piece of parchment before replying, "His name is Roxas."

Page Break

"Kairi!"

The redhead looked up from her lap and grinned. Roxas ran up to her as she stood up, and wrapped his arms around her.

"You must think I'm the worst boyfriend ever, YOU"VE BEEN WAITING ALMOST TWO HOURS FOR ME!"

Kairi giggled, trying to get Roxas to set her down, "Not really. Any girl who can get a boy to greet her with a hug like that must have something going for her."

Roxas just laughed in response and let their starry-eyed 17-year-old love carry them where it would.

"So where is this bowling alley you wanted to take me to?" asked Kairi once they were walking.

Roxas cast a glance her way before replying, "It's just outside of town. Sora and I used to go there with our mom and dad when we were younger."

At the sound of his brother's name Kairi made an odd expression, but Roxas took no notice.

"Anyway, I think that you should forget your stupid diet for today and let me order you some extra greasy pizza, a root beer float, and three orders of chili fries. What do you say?" He rolled his eyes down to her, a careless grin on his face.

Kairi giggled again, "You know, the whole point of this diet is so that I look good to the person I care most about."

Roxas chuckled, "And he thinks that you are the thinnest, prettiest, bluest-eyed, most smoking' hot girlfriend that would make any guy jealous."

Kairi looked down and smiled sadly, "Well, not any guy."

"What was that, Kai?"

The light in Roxas' life looked up at him and gave him a smile, "Nothing."

… "So anyway, Hayner seems to think that he can juggle, like, five girls at the same time without it biting him in the ass. I told him he was an idiot who was going to run out of girls to date, but that didn't seem to make him…"

"Roxas, how much further is it to this place?" interrupted Kairi.

"Oh, not far. See that street up ahead? It's just across there."

"Well, its taken us long enough to get here. Wait, the signal is flashing! Come on, if we run we can still catch it!"

"No, I don't think so Kairi, I… Wait, Kairi! Kairi, wait up!" Roxas ran to catch up with the small redhead, only slightly irritated at being forced to run.

He was only a few steps away from the street when he noticed that the walking signal was solid red, and had been for a few seconds.

The world slowed down around him as he saw Kairi running in the middle of the crosswalk, and the eight-wheeler that was headed towards her like a dart to a bull's-eye.

He could feel his lungs expand as air filled them without even thinking to breath, and he skidded to a halt on the corner as he shouted, "KAIRI! WATCH OUT!"

Stupid Roxas. Ignorant, moronic, predictable Roxas. Distracted by her name, Kairi stopped, and turned to look at Roxas with a quizzical expression on her face; right up until she was hit by the semi.

Someone screamed, and he wasn't sure, but Roxas thought it might've been himself. He couldn't move. Not when the traffic stopped. Not when people got out of their cars to run over and help. Not when the lady next to him asked him for a cell phone so she could call an ambulance. He was stuck.

In broken, awkward movements, Roxas forced one foot before the other. He had to see. He had to know. She could be okay, right? People survived these things all the time, right? Miracles existed, didn't they?!

He could feel the rhythm of his shoes hitting the pavement as he ran forward, now actively wedging himself through the crowd to get to the front. She'll be fine. She has to be okay. I know she'll be all right!

One, lonely tear made its way down Roxas' face. What lay on the ground in front of him was not Kairi. This thing couldn't replace the cheerful, beautiful girl that he loved more than he could ever express with words.

The body that Roxas' brain refused to believe was his girlfriend was maimed and lay in a tangled mess of limbs and gore. Her arms and legs were stacked in unnaturally bent positions, and her hair was matted to the side of her head with blood. He was glad he couldn't see her face because it would have just been too much. This was too much.

There were brown, red, and greenish liquids oozing from what was once her waste where a tire had apparently run her over. Or four, considering it was a semi. Shapeless pieces of gore decorated her clothes, and most of the street around her.

Roxas couldn't take it. This wasn't real. This wasn't happening.

A man in an ambulance uniform walked up to it. 'It' being the thing that lay on the ground, because Roxas' brain refused to recognize it as human. The blonde hadn't noticed, but the crowd had backed up significantly to give the professionals room, leaving him as the only onlooker nearby.

"Excuse me, do you know this girl?"

Roxas didn't answer. A second technician stood next to him, trying to get him to identify the girl or leave, neither of which was happening.

His blue eyes were focused on the first man in uniform, who had knelt down beside it. He reached his hand up towards the head, and Roxas had enough time to think, 'Stop! Anything but that!' before Kairi's head was rolled over toward him, and lifeless, blue eyes stared up at him. Eyes that had once been familiar, but due to the foggy haze brought on by death there was none of that spark inside him that happens when you recognize a friendly face.

Roxas turned and vomited in the street. The medic that had been questioning him was now trying to help him sit up, or one of the other useless things that people try to do when you're puking, most of which don't help in the least. He wiped the bile off his face with his sleeve, but stayed on all fours, not sure his legs would hold him if he stood up.

God? Anyone? If you're out there, hear me! Listen to me! FIX THIS! Couldn't it happen to me instead? God, if you can really do anything you want to, you can make this right! PLEASE!

"Well, now, that can be arranged."

Roxas' eyes bolted up to see two figures dressed in long black coats standing in front of him. One, the man who had spoken, had shoulder length pink hair, and one of most stoic faces he had other seen. The other, seemingly the man's companion, was a thin, but tall woman with chin' length blond hair, slicked back to her liking and neatly tucked behind her ears. Of course, Roxas didn't notice all of these things at first, seeing as he was going through shock.

"How? How can you fix this?"

"Well for one thing, we aren't human. Or at least, not anymore. We used to be; a long, long, time ago. But enough about us," the pink haired man looked past Roxas to Kairi's body.

"Was she your girlfriend?" asked the woman.

"IS. She IS my girlfriend!"

The woman gave him an evil grin, "Well, she looks pretty dead to me. Thus, she is your previous girlfriend. As in WAS."

Roxas stared at the two strangers. Why wasn't anybody saying anything? Couldn't anybody hear the awful things they were saying? Roxas looked around him, but no one seemed to notice anything except for the medic next to him, who was now looking at Roxas as if he'd sprouted a second head.

"They can't hear us you know. Or see us for that matter. Just you, love."

Roxas crawled toward the woman, and replied through clenched teeth, "You said you would help. You said you could do something."

The man and woman shared a look that almost seemed practiced before turning back to him.

"Well of course we can, or else we wouldn't have said so", Roxas gave the man a confused look.

"Listen kid, we can fix all of this. We can make it back to how it was before, but we don't do it for free."

Roxas' eyes widened, "Anything. I'll give you whatever you want. My parents have money; I can get it if you want that." Later, Roxas would wonder what had possessed him to believe that two strangers could bring back his dead girlfriend, let alone why people who had that kind of power would have any need for money. He never found a definite answer, but the feeling they had given him at the time told him that though they certainly weren't good people, they weren't lying to him.

The woman laughed at his response, "Money. We're immortals that only you can see and you think we'd want money?"

"What we want is your soul. Just sign a paper, and you'll enter a contract with our superior, us being your mediators, and as long as you do what we ask you can keep living like you normally would. Almost," explained the man.

"Of course there are lots of perks, such as eternal youth and all that jazz, but the rules can wait until after you sign it."

"Okay. Do it. Where do I sign? I'll do whatever you want, just save Kairi."

An identical grin blossomed on the two strangers. The man snapped his fingers, and an old, tattered-looking piece of parchment appeared in front of him. The woman held out a rusty knife following her own snap.

Roxas looked up, confused.

"You sign in blood. Use the knife."

Roxas looked back to the parchment and, sure enough, he could see hundreds of names scrawled out on the seemingly endless piece of paper. He took the knife gingerly, and sliced open his palm, hissing at the sting from the wound. He raised the now bloodstained blade to an unmarked space on the paper and scribbled out a signature in his red ink.

Another snap and both disappeared. Roxas looked up to the strangers expectantly.

"Well, since we are going to be getting to know each other quite well, my name is Marluxia, and this is my partner Larxene," said the man as he gestured to himself and the woman.

"I don't care! Fix this already! Why hasn't anything happened?"

The woman, Larxene, smirked, but neither said anything. And then Roxas heard it. People from the crowd around them were gasping and shouting out surprised exclamations. Slowly, he turned to see the two medics raising a very alive-looking, though brutally injured, Kairi onto a gurney.

He felt his own gasp escape him to join the many others, and tears were streaming down his face as he tried to get up and wobble over to her, but something he hadn't seen before caught his eye and stopped him. Standing right next to his girlfriend, and holding her hand as the medics got her into the ambulance, was not Roxas. It was Sora.

He looked from his twin, to the girl he had just sold his soul to save, and felt his heart shatter as she looked up at him with a look of such peace, and love, and all the other mushy feelings that Roxas now saw were never really for him.

He had just learned, and one look was all he needed to know, that just because you pour your heart into a relationship, doesn't mean the other person does the same.

Sora and Kairi had been in elementary school classes together, so they had been friends much longer than Roxas had known Kairi. It made sense, really, that it was his brother she had been after, but settled with him as a second choice. The person that she had really been trying to make jealous was Roxas' own twin. Thousands of pieces were finally being pulled into a picture after just that one look. It hurt.

The thought occurred to him sometime later that it was actually the cloaked strangers who planted these ideas into his mind. Not that it mattered. He would visit them once later in his life, though they would never know it, and they seemed happy enough without him.

It certainly wasn't easy to think about, but Roxas wished the best for Kairi and Sora. One more glance back to his girlfriend had told him all he needed to know about just how much his brother meant to her, and how little Roxas had probably ever meant to her. In order to seal up the wound inside him, Roxas filled it with rage. A box that never should have been opened inside of him was, and so many hateful things filled his mind that they blinded him for a bit.

So, in order to dispel all of the rage, he ran. His life-long hometown, Twilight Town, became static scenery as he kept his feet moving, and his blood pumping, until he tore into his house, up to his room, and scribbled out the last thing his family would ever hear from him.

Dear Dad,

I hope you and Leon live happily together. I've always approved, and still do.

Dear Sora,

I hope you and Kairi can grow old together and live the happily ever after I thought

I had sold my soul for.

Don't look for me.

I love you all, and though it would be a lie to say I'm not hurt and insanely angry,

I honestly wish the best for you.

Know that I'll always think about you and love you,

Roxas

He folded the note up and went to place it in Sora's room, on his desk, and then went back for any munnie he could find, an extra change of clothes, and the picture he kept on his bedside table of him, his mom, Sora, his Dad, and Leon back when he was 'just a friend'. He had to smile despite himself and the desperate situation he was in.

Now, Roxas knew that under ordinary circumstances, running away just because your girlfriend doesn't love you is overreacting and selfish. But it wasn't just that. Hypothetically Sora could turn out gay for his best friend Riku, and Kairi would learn this and come home ten years later to find Roxas a perfectly preserved 17-year-old. It wasn't that he wanted to leave his family and friends behind, but he'd just sold his soul to who-knows-what. From what he understood, he was now to be under utter control according these people's bidding for all eternity. At some point he would've had to cut off his relationships, so what difference did it make if he just did it now?

So as Roxas left his cell phone behind, and put everything he'd need into a backpack, he left his house with no regrets. But that box inside him had still been opened, and little did he know it, but that last step out of his house was the first step he took on a life-long road of hell, and there was no getting off until he died.

OH SHIT! ROXAAAAAAAAAAAAS, IM SOORRRYYYYY!! *crying* FORGIVE MEH! translation: review please. Yes, this is AkuRoku. More updates to come, so don't think this is it... I would hate myself if it was.