Hey everyone, this is a giftfic for feralfairy since I told her I'd write her one as thanks for reviewing 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' so much =) yeah, it may be two months late, but whatever, it could have been worse.

And~ I kept this completely slash free!! Just for her ^_^ cause that was her preference.

Anyways, thankx for reading and I hope to get a review from one or two of you. Hey, maybe if you review enough of my stuff the next giftfic will be for you ^_-

Prompt: Axel and Demyx assess their relationship, one burning brightly and the other cool as the sea / 'first time we met' scenario


"You will be his mentor," the silver haired Superior commanded, looking straight at the cloaked schemer. The boy in question glanced briefly up from his book to look over the newest recruit. The blonde kid looked rather weak and useless in his professional opinion, practically still a child. Not that he wasn't still near childhood as well, but it was different in his case. This blonde boy looking nervously around didn't seem like he would last on his own very long. He was skinny and all angles, almost uncomfortable in his own skin. And his hair…Zexion didn't even want to think about what had spurred what looked like the unwanted love child of a mullet and a mohawk.

He made a slight face of annoyance and turned once more to his collection of stories by Melville; who pontificated more often than not and expanded a two page description into sixty pages, very much like his own Superior did.

"I'd prefer not to," the blue haired boy replied finally, smirking as if laughing at his own private joke.

"I see," Xemnas answered, seeming to deliberate between immediate punishment for defiance or letting it go. It would seem that he chose the latter as he turned moments later to stare at the residential pyro.

"You then, number VIII, will guide our newest member. Do not abuse this privilege," he threatened before dismissing the remaining numbers of their small organization.

Axel turned to smirk wickedly at the practically shaking blonde, "Hey kid, you got a name? Mine's Axel, A-X-E-L, got it memorized?"

The blonde boy nodded fervently, "Demyx! Is my name…I think that's what he told me anyways…" he trailed off, seeming to be deep in thought about the subject.

"Well kid," the red head drawled, twirling his newly summoned chakrams with ease, "take's a lot to survive here, and I don't think you've got it."

Demyx stared at him with obvious confusion and slight fear, unsure why this person he'd never met was being so mean to him already. He clutched the strangely shaped blue instrument in front of him tightly, almost like a shield…but from the looks of him, it was more of a security blanket.

"Let's go for a test run, hmm? If you live then I'll leave you alone, otherwise…" his malicious grin stretched until it was down right villainous, as he twisted around swiftly to sling one of the elaborately sharp wheels at the terrified musician with frightening speed.

Demyx gave a very unmanly squeal and clumsily jumped out of the way of the burning weapon. Axel merely laughed and threw the other one, letting strings of molten fire lash out at the tripping nobody.

A misshapen flame and both chakrams caught Demyx by surprise and he was only given enough time to flinch and grip his 'weapon' tightly, dreading the impending impact. But it would seem that his weight shifted off balance just in the nick of time, saving his body from any sort of injury. His instrument on the other hand, did not fair as well.

Everything from the middle of the neck up had been cleanly blown off. The blonde's cyan eyes widened in horror. It didn't matter that the missing section quickly reformed, looking every bit the brand new item it had been upon number nine's creation; what matter was that some one had the audacity to break his one true love. Nothing was more important to the musician.

Something changed in Demyx's expression, something that made Axel stop to watch him curiously. The blonde looked up, no longer petrified; rather, harboring something close to 'supremely pissed off'. Axel was quite surprised that this newbie could have such drastic mood swings (so to speak, seeing as how they didn't have emotions to begin with).

Demyx's figure trembled as he frantically plucked a few of the strings, weaving together some complex melody that he alone could comprehend. Snapping his head up he regarded Axel with eyes brighter than the pyro remembered.

"DON'T TOUCH MY SITAR!" Demyx screamed, striking a particular chord murderously, causing it to rise considerably in volume as it seemed to shriek in tandem with its owner. Water bubbles shimmered to life around the enraged nobody, the ground shaking as similar streams rose into existence and circled him recklessly

It would be an utter lie to say that Axel was only a little unprepared for such a situation. He could only watch the blonde with twisted fascination, unable to do a thing as the liquid ribbons crashed into the ground violently, traveling at break neck speed to rise up beside him and smash him with overwhelming force into the opposite wall.

Demyx seemed to calm down with the attack, breath evening as the anger ebbed out of him, leaving him the insecure and shy nobody from before.

Axel picked himself off the ground, grinning manically as he wiped some blood from his split lip. This was the sort of thing he existed for; feeling truly alive only when the adrenaline would shoot through his veins.

"Well, well," the red head laughed hoarsely, " what an interesting change of events."

Demyx looked absolutely terrified once more as the other boy started to glow harshly, pillars of fire exploding all around him, creating almost a wall of menacing destruction. He started rushing for the wide-eyed boy, who in turn anxiously picked at the strings on his sitar once more. But it wasn't quite the same; he wasn't quite as confident without the wrath pumping through his veins. With out it he couldn't create under such pressure.

For a second time Demyx was sure he was going to die, and for the second time he was mysteriously spared by the whim of fate. Instead of the expected pain, something was thrown around his neck tightly, a weight pressing down on him in a way that wasn't exactly crushing.

Opening his eyes the hydrophilic wondered why the red head had stopped trying to kill him, not that he minded all that much. Instead Axel had him in a friendly headlock, beaming like an idiot, as if all was forgiven and forgotten, as if they'd been friends forever. And so Demyx smiled back with poorly concealed hesitation and uneasiness, hoping that if he played along this clearly insane man might spare his life.

Axel ignored the squirms of protests from the other, merely messing up the already untidy hair. It's not like he was actually going to kill the other boy, only instill him with some healthy fear. Show him how things were done and such; initiation and all that jazz. Deciding that he liked this Demyx kid very much, Axel was suddenly struck with an intriguing thought.

How ever opposite they were, he the brightly burning flame of passion and Demyx as laidback as the gently rolling waves, they were actually quite similar. Each snapping within a moment's hesitation, set of by even something as soft as the beating of a butterfly's wings. It didn't matter how calm and cool Demyx was, he could just as quickly turn as temperamental as the sea he controlled. Axel was the same way; seeming friendly yet unpredictable in his mannerism, no one sure when he would flare up and consume in a deadly storm.

They were polar opposites, yet identical. As time passed it was a miracle that they could even stand being around each other, whether with their conflicting personalities or in equally aggressive and competitive moods. Regardless, they wouldn't have it any other way.