Wazzup Icee lovers? I'm here to post my second KK fanfic. I know what you're thinking: the new kingdom keepers thing has been done before. Well, in mine, I don't completely cut out the original Kingdom Keepers. They'll show up, don't worry. And now, without further ado, here's chapter 1!

October 14

It was a chilly morning that day. Not due to the weather, or the air conditioning. No; in the Marquee household, the cold was emitting from a fifteen-year-old boy in the attic. Oliver Marquee was always avoided, left to himself, ever since the letter. The family thought their problems were solved, their debt paid. But Oliver refused to accept, to help his family. His mother pleaded with him, his father tried knocking some sense into him, and his older brother tried to force him into it. But he wouldn't sign the letter.

Five years ago, he might have. He was young, ignorant, wanting more than anything to audition. To be a DHI meant going to college, moving to a better neighborhood, having fun! Oliver auditioned, did the best he could, but a ten-year-old can only do so much. He waited for the letter for months. It never came. The new DHIs were released, and the cold hard truth came crashing down around him. Things weren't going to get better unless he did something. So he made a plan to leave and make some money. Maybe then he could help his family.

The letter had come a week ago, and Oliver quit trying to stay calm or positive. He waited for that letter for a long time, but he was only angry he had received it. There he was, planning, almost old enough to leave, and Disney shows up, ruining everything. The letter said he had "specific talents to lead a team of new DHIs". That made enough sense, but then the letter said his DHI wouldn't be shown in the parks. And if that weren't enough, Disney had the nerve to send his brother the exact same letter. His said that he had "above average athletic abilities". After reading the letter, a heated argument broke out between him and the rest of the family, which only stopped when Oliver's younger sister, Amelia, entered the kitchen.

Oliver stayed in his small attic room that he now had all to himself; his brother had moved out the day the letter came, and now slept in Amelia's room until it was time to go to Hollywood Studios. Oliver didn't understand how he could be a leader if he couldn't even agree with his family. His mind was changed about the letter when Amelia suddenly fell sick, and couldn't be taken to the hospital without insurance. So that morning, his mother bore down on him.

"Olly?" She stood on the ladder, holding up the trap door to come inside. Oliver didn't answer her. "Oliver, please." He turned his back on the door. "Oliver Liam Marquee, you listen to me." Oliver turned back to face his mother, and grunted to show he was listening. His mother sighed. "Amelia isn't getting better," she said flatly, "and we can't help her without any money. Olly- "

"No. I said I won't do it." His mother's eyebrows creased with anger.

"This isn't about you anymore. You know that." Oliver shook his head in denial. "Don't you want Amelia to get better?" Oliver looked away, ashamed and confused, but still determined to not give in. His mother raised her voice to a frightening tone. "I can't believe you! I really can't! All I've ever done is try to make you all happy, and all we ever get is punishment! Well, forget it! NO! I won't let this family suffer because of you! Stop moping around about the damn AUDITION! Your letter came, and just in time too, no less! The decision is yours, Oliver, but you have to make your choice! NOW! Before your sister pays the price!" With that, she stormed down the ladder, slamming the trap door behind her. Oliver stared at his wall for a long time after that, before reluctantly heading down to the kitchen. He picked up an old pen and his letter, and neatly signed his name on the line.

About that time his mother came in, saw what he was doing, and hugged him. Her muffled sobs brought tears to Oliver's eyes, and he realized what a kid he'd been about the whole thing.

"I'm sorry, Mom." After a few seconds, his father's booming voice came from outside the front door. It was a Friday- he would be drunk.

"ANITA! Open this door, WOMAN!" His mother quickly released him and rushed to the door. Oliver's father stormed in, swaying slightly as he entered the kitchen. He looked around, his eyes landing on the letter, then on Oliver. "Well, well. Prince Olly has graced us with his presence, has he?" Oliver stood up.

"I was just leaving." He picked up the letter and made his way to the door. His father jerked his shoulder back before he could leave.

"Now, you listen here, boy. I ain't gonna take anymore of this damned attitude you got. You either cut it out, or I'll cut you." He took out his pocket knife and grazed Oliver's cheek so that beads of blood appeared.

"Julius! That's enough!" His mother spoke with a voice of command. His father dropped him and put away his pocket knife. "Go mail your letter, Oliver. Then go tell Amelia and Everett the good news." Oliver did as he was told, first putting his letter in the mailbox, then rushing to Amelia's room to tell his siblings the good news. Amelia was dozing on her bed, while Everett sat in a chair next to her.

"Hey." This was the first time he had really spoken to his brother since the letters had arrived. How could they have a conversation? Oliver cleared his throat. "So, uh, I signed the letter. We can send Amy to the hospital now." There was a long period of awkward silence, filled only by the sounds of their father's snores from the upstairs bedroom. Everett spoke roughly.

"We might not have enough time. She might die before we get there, you know that?" Oliver walked further into the room.

"She won't! She has a chance to live now." Everett stood up.

"A chance?! Thanks for that! I feel soo much better now!" Oliver was getting aggravated. He signed the letter, that was supposed to be a good thing.

"What's your problem?!"

"My problem?! MY PROBLEM?! My problem is her problem! Amy wouldn't be this bad if you would just GROW UP!"

"I need to grow up?! What makes you better than me?! You're SIXTEEN! Only a year older than me!"

"At least I don't make my family suffer by being a kid!"

"At least I can think for myself without help from mommy!" Everett ran at Oliver and shoved him to the ground. Oliver punched him square in the nose and pushed him away, and was about to rush Everett until he heard:

"Olly?" He whipped his head around to see Amelia sitting up in her bed, looking terrified of her brothers. "What are you doing here?" The eight-year-old's voice was meek and hoarse, and Amelia coughed thoroughly after speaking.

"I wanted to tell you that you're going to a hospital, to get better. I signed my letter." The fear on her face turned to instant joy.

"Oh, Olly! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She began to crawl out of bed, but Everett made a sharp noise that made her shrink back. "What is it, Rett?" Everett looked down.

"Nothing. I just think we should all get some sleep, is all." He turned to Oliver. "Goodnight." Oliver scowled.

"Night." He walked out of the room and up to his, rethinking all that happened that day.

A week later, Oliver, Everett, and their mother were driving up to Hollywood Studios. They lived just south of Orlando, so they had about an hour's drive. When they got there, they found the parking lot to be half full, despite it being two hours before the park opened. They found a large group of people waiting for a guide to lead them to the warehouses. Disney's warehouses were big and metal and full of equipment, and it took three of them to hold all of the people that came for the screenings.

Oliver and Everett were on the same team, and they met the other three there. There was a short boy who knew just about everything about anything, a fairlie with the power to read emotions and a colored streak of hair that showed her own, and a girl who was able to plan and strategize like no other. Oliver wanted to get to know them each individually, so he started with the "planning" girl. Currently she was playing with her long brown hair; her eyes matched it perfectly.

"Hi. I'm Oliver." She seemed startled by his sudden interruption of her thoughts.

"I'm Margo." He reached out his hand and she shook it slowly. He ran his free through his own messy brown hair, then fixed his glasses. "Your eyes are very dark green, but your brother's are hazel. That's interesting." Oliver wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.

"I, uh, why is it interesting?" She raised an eyebrow like it was obvious.

"Siblings almost always have the same eye color- especially if they were born close together. Just a thought."

"Oh," he muttered. He decided to move on to the boy. He had blond hair and bright blue eyes, and had quite a bit of muscle on him. "Hi. I'm Oliver." The boy looked him up and down before answering.

"Reubin. Charmed." He looked back at his laptop and began typing again. He was annoyed when Oliver started talking again.

"So, you're pretty smart?" Reubin scoffed.

"Pretty smart? My IQ is 197, so yeah, I'm pretty smart." Oliver decided that should probably be the end of the conversation. He walked over to the fairlie and decided to talk to her. There was the orange streak in the ringlets of her gray hair, and she had bright green eyes. He tapped her on the shoulder and the streak turned bright yellow, then pale pink when she saw him.

"Hello." She spoke shyly, but confidently. "I'm Quinn. And you are?"

"Oliver, the team captain, if you will." He gave a small bow. She laughed. When he looked back up the hair streak was golden. Happiness, he thought. Oliver and Quinn talked until their team mentor came up and told them to be asleep by nine o' clock. This confused them, but they all just nodded and headed home with their parents.

That night, Oliver and Everett thought about trying to get to sleep before nine, in case it took a while to get to sleep. Oliver didn't know why he had to get to sleep at nine, but what harm could it do? So he got ready for bed, went up to his room, and drifted off into sleep.

Sooooo? Did you like it? Did you not? Let me know by following, favoriting, and reviewing!

Peace Out! ~Icee~