Barkin' up the wrong tree

Ch.1 A series of unfortunate events

Sage: okay, this is my first Zemyx fanfic, and I'd like to start off by saying it's a collaboration work I'm doing with my friend; FallenLex. This fic is based off an rp we did, so we both wrote one half of this fic -literally-. We have enough written for about five chapters so far...if things go well with this one, the others will be put up. Of course, we always save the best for later on ;3

Disclaimer: we do not own Zexion or Demyx from KH2/Com.

Zexion groaned as his eyes opened. He raised his hand and rubbed the top of his head. When he looked at his surroundings he realized that he didn't recognize where he was. His eyes came across a small dog looking through a glass surface to meet his gaze. However, when the Cloaked Schemer peered around the glass, he didn't see anything on the other side. It took him just a moment to realize that the creature was rubbing its head at the same time and in the exact same way that he was. He swallowed hard as the bitter truth made itself known in his mind.

"I-I'm..." He stared at his own reflection in disbelief. This wasn't possible. Something like this couldn't happen. "A DOG?!"

The creature's silver ears caught the sound of someone's footsteps approaching him. The dog quickly turned his head.

"Someone's coming!" If it were a member of the Organization... A mature member of the Organization, like Saix or the Superior, maybe they could help him... If it were anyone else, he might have to run. He doubted he could fight in this tiny body.

------------------------------------------

"Number IX, go capture Sora."

"B-but.."

"That's an order, number IX."

A dark portal opened up in the cliffy, crystal filled area, a hooded figure stepping out. His identity was soon revealed as he removed his hood and let out a sigh. "I told them they were sending the wrong guy..." The blonde whined. He didn't like fighting. Not that he wasn't any good at it; he just preferred not to result to violence. Sea-green eyes scanned the area, finding it deserted. Looks like he'd have to sit and wait...

Or not.

After a few moments, Demyx got bored and began to walk around. There was a big computer and alot of controls all around. Their purpose; he hadn't a clue. Looking left and right, he approached the buttons, hesitantly wondering if he should test some of them...

Zexion looked around frantically, trying to find the source of the sound. When his eyes caught sight of a boy maybe a few years older than him with a blonde combination of a mohawk and a mullet for hair, he felt relieved. It wasn't exactly who he was hoping for, but at least he was better than Xigbar.

"Number IX!" He tried to shout as he walked towards the Melodious Nocturne, however what came out of his mouth sounded more across the lines of ..."BARK!"

The silver-furred creature yelped in shock, hearing the canine sound come from his throat. He mentally scolded himself. Of course he wouldn't be able to speak; he didn't have a human's vocal cords and his lips didn't curve in the same way.

The creature stared at his fellow Nobody, mentally pleading that the other could recognize the color of his fur... Or at least wouldn't leave him in this strange place.

Just as he was about to press one of the buttons, a loud bark echoed throughout the empty area, causing the blonde to jump. Startled, he stared at a large crystal in particular, wondering if the source of the sound came from beyond it. Demyx cautiously approached the large mass, silence in his ghost-like steps. Placing a hand on the crystal, he slowly peeked behind it, looking around. His eyes didn't catch sight of anything, which made him sigh in relief. But that sigh soon converted into a yell as his eyes dropped their gaze to the ground, spotting a small gray creature.

If he had a heart, he would have had an attack. Demyx blinked and gave the creature a second glance, now noting the pleading look in it's eyes. His fearful expression softened, the blonde now on one knee in front of the critter. "Hey there, little guy...didja get lost?" He reached out a gloved hand hesitantly, hoping he wouldn't get bitten in return. Demyx had heard that when approaching a creature, always let it take in your scent first. What puzzled him the most is how it got here..

Zexion sighed as his fellow Nobody addressed him as "little guy." That meant he wasn't recognized. Not that he could blame the older boy... He didn't even recognize himself at first. The dog watched Demyx in slight confusion as he saw he male extend his hand towards him. The silver-haired creature thought for a moment. He never had a pet... And now that he thought of it, his Other never had a pet either. What would a dog have done in this situation? The Cloaked Schemer rolled his eyes as he realized what the other male expected him to do. He might as well act like a dog. Zexion's canine head came closer to the Melodious Nocturne's hand and he smelled the other boy. Through his leather glove, the creature recognized the smell of... Grass and sugar? An odd combination, but he did what he was expected to do.

Zexion stared into Demyx's eyes. As long as the teen didn't expect him to lick his face, this might turn out well.

Number IX, please take me back to the castle... He thought hopefully. He knew it was against the rules to have a pet... Xemnas would probably kill him if he found him, but it was his only hope of turning back to normal at the moment. If he was left out here alone, he wasn't exactly how sure he would live. He doubted there was anything edible around, and it didn't look like there were many people who came to this area.

Demyx pet the small dog with a smile. He didn't know why he was so scared of this furry animal; it was rather cute. The dog looked helpless...no pets were allowed in the castle, but Demyx couldn't help but feel sorry for it. He picked it up, cradling it in his arms before pulling the hood back over his head and summoning a dark portal. If Xemnas asks, he'd just say that the keyblade wielder never showed up.

----

The portal re-opened in front of room number IX, in which the blonde stepped in. Phew. No one saw anything. He put the dog down on his bed, looking at it pensively with an elbow rested in one palm and his other hand on his chin. He had to give it a name...but what? "Hmm...what should I call you?" it's not like the dog could answer his question, but maybe a few positive or negative barks would lead him in the right direction. "How about..."--he tapped his chin for a moment--"..scruffie?"

Zexion rolled his eyes. Scruffie? Did he look scruffy? He certainly hoped not. The Cloaked Schemer decided that now would be a good time to try to give the blonde another idea as to who he was. He jumped off of the bed and walked to Demyx's side. The dog bit at the end of the older boy's coat and tugged a little bit.

Organization member... He desperately hoped that the Melodious Nocturne would understand what he was trying to tell him... The cloak was the Organization's uniform. Of course, that was very vague. He lifted his right paw and tapped the ground six times. ...Number VI. The dog felt his tail wag in his hope.

Do you understand? The silver-haired creature heard a whimper sound and it took a moment to register that it came from his own throat. He knew that the water elemental wasn't what one could call bright, but maybe he was just creative enough to understand.

Wait, creative? Was that a compliment? Zexion rolled his eyes again. He had to get out of this body... Dogs were too friendly.

The dog seemed to give him a slight eye-rolling look. Soon enough, he found the canine biting his coat. "Hey!" Demyx protested, tugging it back. "Bad dog! Don't chew on stuff!" His expression shifted from scolding to curious as the dog began to paw at the ground. What did that mean? Little did he pay attention to how many time his paw tapped. Oh no...did he want to be taken out? Demyx bit his lip. If he soiled any parts of the castle, it be embarrassing to cover it up. Then an idea hit him. He scooped up the dog again, summoning another portal.

----

This time, they were in Radiant Garden. This should be a good spot. Demyx put down his furry companion and crossed his arms before looking away at the sky, waiting. Even though it was a dog, animals need their privacy too, y'know.

Zexion couldn't help but roll his eyes again. Of course Demyx wouldn't understand. Maybe he would have paid more attention if he knew that the creature was the Cloaked Schemer, but he thought it was just an ordinary dog. Dogs didn't know how to count. The Melodious Nocturne just took the pawing as a sign that he needed to use the restroom, which he didn't. However, the illusion elemental took note of this result, knowing that he would probably have to relieve himself before he was out of this body.

Number IV shook his head, about to bark at the humanoid in a demand to take him back, but an idea popped into his head. His one last attempt to tell Demyx that he was Zexion. The small gray dog ran for a short distance and found a straight stick. He brought it back and set it in front of his companion, trying to make it sit in a perfect spot. He repeated the action several times until he had ZEXI laid out in sticks on the ground. After that point, he couldn't find any more sticks. The Cloaked Schemer glared at the sticks on the ground, deciding what he had to do. He rearranged the three sticks on the letter I, making it the letter Y. After finishing, he smiled inwardly at his clever idea and barked loudly, standing in front of his name.

If you don't get this, you really are an idiot. He thought, somewhat annoyed. Surely the Melodious Nocturne would be able to understand this.

As Demyx dazed off looking at the sky, he was brought to his attention when he heard loud barking. He glanced at the ground, noticing the arrangement of sticks. His face lit up with a smile. "Wow! You can spell!...you're a really smart dog." He was wagging his tail, but it seemed to stop after his response. "I guess you wanna be called Zexy. Okay then..from now on, your name is Zexy!"

He knelt next to him again, scratching behind his ear. Demyx had never owned a pet before; so he was unaware of the responsibilities that lied ahead for him. As much of a hassle it'd be, taking care of Zexy would be fun. All he had to do was make sure he wasn't discovered by anyone else.

Ugh, "I guess you wanna be called Zexy?" Demyx, you moron. What does "Zexy" sound like? The dog rolled his eyes. At least the Melodious Nocturne would call him by a name that he would answer to.

H-Hey! What're you- Hm... Actually that's quite comfortable. The dog yelped as he saw the hand come close to him, but his tail wagged the moment that the blonde began to scratch him behind his ear. The gray dog licked a small part of Demyx's wrist that was revealed when his arm extended past his sleeve. The moment his tongue licked the human arm, Zexion pulled it back inside his mouth.

That's vile. Lovely, I have instincts. How nice. The sarcastic thought entered his mind as he rolled his eyes. He turned his attention back to the bright blue eyes of the Melodious Nocturne.

Can we go home? The gray dog whined.

Demyx let out a small chuckle from the lick. "That tickles, Zexy!" He smiled again, picking up the dog and nuzzling his cheek against the soft fur. "Come on, let's go back." And so, another portal was brought up. To the room!

----

The blonde plopped down on the bed, the dog resting on his chest. He lay on his back and let out a sigh, deciphering on what to do now. Slipping off his gloves, Demyx scratched behind Zexy's ear again, now actually being able to feel the animal's fur beneath his fingers. Another smiled touched his lips as his eyelids grew heavy. Perhaps a small nap wouldn't be a bad idea...

Zexion sighed in relief when he mentioned going back to the room again, though it came out as more of a squeak from the dog's vocal cords. A faint blush snuck onto his cheeks below his fur as Demyx, for lack of a better word, nuzzled his cheek against the creature's gray hair.

That... Better be a normal dog-human relationship action. If he ever dares to do that to me while I'm in my normal body, he's going to learn that my book is good for more than just reading.

As the blonde dropped onto his bed with Zexion, now Zexy, on his chest, the Cloaked Schemer flinched. Due to his small size, that felt more like a roller coaster. When the water elemental's bare fingers scratched him behind the ear, he found it even more comfortable than it had been with the gloves. Albeit unintelligent, the dog had to admit that the older boy was... What could the proper word be? Loving? No, you have to have a heart to love... Perhaps it was... Kind. That could be the word, yes. He was kind...

Wait, was that another compliment? Zexion, snap out of it! The dog noticed that his... Owner.. was showing signs of weariness and he stood up, walking to the side of the Melodious Nocturne's head, his nose just an inch from the boy's ear.

Demyx stirred in his semi-consciousness, on the verge of both falling asleep, yet waking up. He felt the dog's breath on his ear which made him shake his head lightly, turning to face the dog directly. A cold, wet feeling touched his nose, as he bumped into Zexy's. Eyes still closed, he pulled his head back, edging away from the other's cold nose, blinking a few times before finally opening his eyes.

"What's the matter, boy?" He asked sleepily. Why he was tired was completely beyond him; he hadn't done much today, except go on a mission only to not even finish it.

Zexion felt another blush rise to his cheeks as his nose met with Demyx's and he thanked whatever holy apparition there was in whatever form of heaven existed that he was not a humanoid when that happened.

He immediately took back what he thought after his canine instincts caused him to lick Demyx's cheek. Why did these creatures have to be so affectionate?

But... As he was in a dog form, he decided that he might make the best of it and crawled a bit closer to the Melodious Nocturne to take in some of his... Owner's... Body heat. Just as he began to move, he heard someone knock at the door. Knowing better than to stick around at that point, he hopped onto the ground and hid under the water elemental's bed.

"Hey, little dude!" Ugh, it's Number II. And indeed it was. The Freeshooter was talking to the exhausted blonde through the door. "You seen Zexion? He's been gone for a long time without being on a mission or anything and the Superior's gettin' P-O'd, man."

Another smile touched his lips as he received a lick for an answer. The dog sure wasn't tired...maybe he wanted to play? Before he could fully register his thoughts, Zexy hopped off the mattress and his hid under the bed upon a knock being heard from the door. The blonde bolted upright, now fully awake. However, there was something interesting about Xigbar's question.

Come to think of it, he hadn't seen the schemer all day...where could he have gone? Last time the nocturne saw Zexion, he could've sworn he mentioned patrolling or something. Sea-green eyes rested on the door, pensively muttering a response.

"I saw him earlier today, but I haven't seen him recently...I don't know where he went. Didn't say.."

Demyx bit his lip. How is it that he didn't notice Zexion's absence? Perhaps his newly found pet kept him so entertained, he forgot about everything else around him. That didn't make him feel any less guilty. I hope he's alright..

Zexion listened intently to Xigbar as he asked where he was. The gray dog rolled his eyes. At least people were starting to notice he was gone... Though if Xigbar was the one searching for information, he could pretty much say for sure that he wasn't going to be discovered for a while.

After the Cloaked Schemer was sure that Number II had left, he crawled out from under the bed and jumped back on top of the blankets. Demyx looked...

Guilty? We don't have feelings, we can't feel guilty. What would he be feeling guilty about, anyway? The creature nudged his owner with his nose. Why am I concerning myself with this? It's just Dem-... Number IX.

The gray dog whimpered and pawed at the Melodious Nocturne's leg.

"Number IX, look at me and tell me who I look like. Think of my name. Anything familiar? He tried to say... Unfortunately, all that came out of his canine mouth was "Arf! Arf ruff! Bark!"

Sea-green eyes locked their gaze with the barking canine, giving him a pat on the head and managing a smile. He must have been able to read his expression...These animals were alot more intelligent than most people gave them credit for. It's true what they say; a dog is a man's best friend. "It's okay...I'm just..a little concerned." The blonde held a hand to his chest for a moment, pondering on his words.

"You're lucky...to have a heart. The superior says we don't have emotions, but I believe we do...at least, I think I do." He felt rather silly, talking to a dog; but although they didn't speak the same language, he was sure the creature might of understood some of it.

With a sigh, he stood and walked over to the corner of his room, where his Sitar leaned against the wall. "I wish Zexion would think the same thing.." He shrugged, letting out a carefree chuckle. "Nah. He'd probably say it's nonsense. Besides, what would he care if I was worried about him? I'd just annoy him.." Demyx was smiling and he spoke jokingly when he said this, but in truth, his words couldn't be filled with more hurt.

The nocturne picked up his Sitar, sitting back down on his bed before strumming it's strings. The tune was light and gentle.

Well its tough to have a crush
When the boy doesn't feel the same way you do
Well its tough to have a crush
When your best friend breaks the news

Perhaps youll find me feeling better
In a day or two
But its tough to have a crush on you

Well its tough to have a crush
Who ever knew such hullabaloo
Well its tough to have a crush
When it only leaves you blue

Perhaps they'll find you in the river
In a month or two
Well its tough...to crush on you

He sang it at low volume, not wanting anyone to hear (except for the dog), and leaned back against the backboard of his bed when he stopped.

The gray creature heard himself whine before he could stop himself. He felt... Or at least, he remembered this as... something akin to... Guilt? Sympathy? Not that he could actually feel, of course, be this is how he remembered it felt as a Somebody. The blonde's tone was layered with hurt. Did he really have that much of an effect on the other male? He snorted. Nobodies didn't have feelings. How many times would he have to remind himself of that? Maybe this dog body couldn't understand that.

Zexion felt heat rush to his cheeks as the Melodious Nocturne started to sing to him... About a crush... The dog shook his head. No, Nobodies didn't have feelings, particularly not feelings of love or attraction. It was presumptuous of the water elemental to think that he was different than any other member of the Organization.

Still, all the same, the Cloaked Schemer licked the bare hand on the strings of the sitar, and this time wasn't so hasty to pull away. Maybe he was lucky to be found by Number IX.

Demyx pet Zexy again, feeling a little better. If Zexion couldn't return his feelings, he'd at least have the dog around to talk to. Although he liked to believe the organization members were all his friends, he wouldn't trust them with secrets and personal things. He let out a sigh, a slight frown crossing his features. He was still curious as to where Zexion went...maybe he should go look for him? Even if the schemer would turn out to be unhappy to see him, he wanted to try.

"C'mon, Zexy...let's try finding him." Demyx picked up the dog, both disappearing within a dark portal. Next stop, Zexion's room.

----

Demyx couldn't help but feel unwelcome; after all, we has intruding...Zexion was very iffy when it came to his room; hardly anyone ever entered it other than himself. Everything was neat and in place, except for a few scattered reports on the bed here and there. On a nearby desk, the blonde noticed a book with the nobody symbol on it. That was the book Zexion normally fought with...he found himself biting his lip again, a bad habit he had developed when being consumed with worry. What if Zexion were to get himself and danger and didn't have this at hand?

Ungloved hands grasped the book, holding it out in front of the dog. "Here...maybe you can pick up his scent."

Zexion rolled his eyes again. 'Let's try finding him?' Oh, this is going to be fun. I'm going to find myself. The blush returned under his fur as the older boy picked him up and walked into a portal of darkness. When the other boy picked up his weapon and held it out in front of him, the dog shook his head.

Demyx, you moron, I am Zexion! He sighed, the sound coming from his canine throat as a rather embarrassing squeak. The gray dog stared at the book for a moment before an idea came to him. He swatted at the book, causing it to fall from the Melodious Nocturne's hand onto the ground. The weapon opened to a random page. The creature barked at the book and pages started floating around him like they did when he battled. Zexion's head cocked to the side.

Understand yet?! He thought in exasperation.

Demyx stared in amazement. "H-how'd you do that?!" The dog seemed to be gesturing something towards him, as if trying to explain something. He pondered for a moment, trying to put his thoughts together...

The coat...the pawing...the sticks...Zexion's absence...the book...

The blonde looked at the dog again, tentatively studying his features. Gray fur...slight bangs, covering one of his eyes a little...he got closer, noting their color; blue. Eyes wide, Demyx backed away. No...it couldn't be! How?! No..it had to be some kind of coincidence!

Hesitantly, the nocturne choked out his words. "..Zexion?..."

Sage: DUNDUNDUN! O: