Happy 4th of July, peoples! and if you don't live in the States, eh... ignore and bear with me.

and votes say there will be some Zemyx/Dexion, so you all can look forward tothat. but with Zexion... bear with me, i haven't played Chain of Memories, so he's probably kinda OOC

oh! and to clear up some things... Maleficent is the queen of the Heartless and Kairi is the queen of Organization XIII. sorry if i made it all confusing for you guys! >

BlueFlamesRedTears91: its ok, its not like critique is required. and you shall have your plushie! here -hands you plushie- isn't it just adorable:) and how do you say "please" in Japanese? O.o? i wanna take Japanese, but my school is stupid and only teaches Spanish... T-T anyways, hope you like this chapter :)

sonic and shadows girl: sorry, but Kairi can't be killed... yet... and sorry about the confusion of the queens! hope that's all cleared up now

xcloudx: thank you! hope you enjoy this chappie :)

Koneko-Aishiru: glad you like the plushies :) and about Riku sneaking in to see Sora... we'll see... i'm not exactly sure how i'm gonna work that out yet (scary, the author doesn't even know) but i'll figure it out soon -.-;

Astrazocity: yep, you get your plushie :) and here's the next chapter to go with it

ClOuDoChAnInWoNdErLaNd: well... the plot is kinda hidden right now, but there are some foreshadowing things if you wanna try to figure some of it out.

Yu Mutou: yep, Kairi's the queen. and someone saw it coming! woo-hoo! hehe.. sorry, little Author Moment there -.-; anyways, i'm glad you liked the AkuRoku, cuz i've never written that pair before and... -whines- they're hard! but ohwell, gottamake the best of it for you guys

ArosxIrukxOxarsxLeax:OO... i'm more worried about you hyperventilating and dying than Riku. and the plushies are no problem but... don'tscare the KH characters away, i kinda need them. anyways, here's the next chapter for you :)

HeavenlyAnimeAngel-Amaterasu: sorry, Kairi can't be killed yet (she's needed in the plot, as unfortunate as it is) and about Sora being a king then... i'll explain that eventually in the story, so bear with me until then :)

DivineHearts: of course you can have a plushie :) hope you like this chapter

AngelicOrgueil:thanks for the review and your vote! hope you enjoy the Zemyx/Dexion :)

TomiSama04: yeah, sorryabout the queen confusion, hope its all cleared up now. and congrats onyour test results (mathsucks and should die... sorry, i just hate that subject. its just so logical its confusing --; does that even make sense?)

angel-yuripa: i never thought of it that way, Leon and Axel having to bow down to a lil teenage brat.XD neversaw it that way,but now that i have, you're right. it is pretty funny :) and thanksfor your comment/compliment on the AkuRoku scene, cuz those two are so hard for me to write for some unknown reason... anyways, hope you like the chappie

Darkness-Heart: thank you! i'm glad some people didn't think the Akuroku scene was all that bad (eases my author conscience)here's the next chappie :)

wing-sama: thanks! here's that update you wanted :)


Now, the youth group needed to eat breakfast and get dressed and all that morning stuff by about eight in the morning. To do this, they needed to get up around six thirty. Luckily, they had a very reliable alarm clock. However, this alarm clock differed from most seeing as it wasn't an actual clock. Rather, it was the internal clock of a very hyperactive girl that had gotten up at five to take a shower before getting everyone else up.

Quietly, (having already woken Olette up) she tiptoed into the boys' room. Planting her feet firmly in the middle of the room, surrounded by peacefully snoozing occupants, she took a deep breath.

"SO RI-ISE! AND SHI-INE! AND GIVE GOOOOD THE GLORY! GLORY! RI-ISE! AND SHI-INE! AND GIVE GOOOOD THE GLORY! GLORY! RISE AND SHINE AND!" she paused to clap. "GIVE GOOOOD THE GLORY! GLORY! CHILDREEEEEN OF THE LOOOORD!" Selphie sang obnoxiously loud and off-key.

"SELPHIE! SHUT UP!" Hayner yelled, covering his head with his pillow.

Selphie shook her head. "Nuh-uh! If you don't get up in five seconds, I'll start the second verse!"

Roxas merely rolled off his bed although, since he was still in his sleeping bag, hit the floor with a loud whump! Then, acting as if nothing had happened, he crawled in a caterpillar fashion to the bathroom.

Riku, not being a terrible waker-upper, sat up, rubbed his eyes, and got ready for the day.

Pence got up zombie-like, and as he walked past Selphie to the bathroom he said tiredly, "Proverbs 27:14."

"Huh?" she asked, clearly confused, but Pence had already left the room.

"He meant in the bible, ya!" Wakka, who was slowly rising, called from his bed.

"Oh! Um . . . well, I dunno where mine is, I'll just ask Pence at breakfast," Selphie reasoned. "Hay-ner!" Selphie shouted, skipping over to his bed. "Wakey wakey! It's morning! The sun is shining! The birds are singing! The–"

"Then tell the stupid birds to shut the hell up," Hayner said, finding sanctuary in the bottom of his sleeping bag.

"Tsk tsk, Hayner, those birds didn't do anything to you!"

"They woke me up, that's a good a crime as any," he replied grumpily.

"No, silly, that was me!" Selphie giggled. "C'mon Hayner! Everyone else is up!"

A firm "No" was the response.

A mischievous grin stretched itself on Selphie's face. "Olette!" she called. "C'mere!"

"What is it?" Olette asked from the door, yawning. Selphie mouthed something and gestured at the sleeping bag. Olette nodded her head in understanding and walked over to Selphie. With Olette at one end and Selphie at the other, both girls grabbed the sleeping bag.

"One . . . two . . . three!" Selphie said. On "three" the two lifted the sleeping bag (with Hayner still inside) and proceeded towards the girls' bathroom. Muffled protests could be heard through the fluffy sleeping bag as it was dropped on a hard floor.

"Hey! What the–" Hayner started, but was cut off as the closed end of the sleeping bag was lifted and Hayner toppled out. Hayner wearily checked out his surroundings. He was in a shower with Selphie blocking the exit and Olette's hand on the nozzle. Hayner's brown eyes widened. "You guys! Don–"

"Too late!" Selphie squealed as a jet of cold water rushed at him.

"Ahh! Cold! COLD!" Hayner screeched, jumping up and attempting to run out of the shower, but Selphie refused to move. "Sel-phie! I'm cold, wet, and hungry! Move!" he yelled.

Selphie didn't answer–at least, not verbally. Instead, out from behind her back she brought out a little box. A little pink box with lots of glitter and stickers on it. And Hayner was pretty sure there was a small mirror inside it.

The blonde's bloodcurdling scream could be heard for miles (in fact, it took Auron's alarm clock's place of waking the older man and, to the leader's delight, his charges).

-

Sora was bored. He'd been taken to his room by Saix–the suck-up. Seriously, the guy would do anything his higher-ups told him to. It was like he had no free will of his own–like a zombie. Then again, zombies didn't exist.

Sora sighed and rolled over on his bed. There was nothing to do! He simply refused to touch the books in his closet, the guard wouldn't have a conversation with him, and there was no way in hell he was going to start cleaning . . .

But, that was what he was facing. Read those stupid books or clean–not that there was all that much to clean.

"Let me in," he heard a stern voice say outside the door.

"I-I'm afraid I c-can't do that," the guard stuttered.

"Why not?"

"A-anyone who w-wishes to v-visit r-requires permission," the guard explained, stumbling.

"Since when do I need permission to see my fucking brother!"

Ah. It was Leon. That explained the guard's fear. Still, it kinda stung that he hadn't been that afraid of Sora.

". . . R-right, just don't take too long," the guard pleaded.

"Whatever," Leon said, pushing past the guard as the door swung open and shutting it behind him.

"Hey Leon," Sora greeted casually.

"Sora, what were you thinking?" Leon asked, exasperated and raising a hand to massage his temples.

"What was I thinking about what?" Sora said curiously.

"What were you thinking when you went to a religious place?" Leon inquired, sitting himself in a chair.

"I . . . don't know," Sora answered quietly.

"What do you mean 'you don't know?'"

"I mean, there are a few reasons, but only I would understand them."

"Try me."

Sora sighed, "Fine, I went because–and this is gonna sound stupid–because of a guy."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "A human guy?"

Sora, biting his lower lip, nodded.

"I see . . . and?"

"And what?"

"There's gotta be more to it than that, Sora," Leon reasoned.

". . . . ."

"Sora . . . ?" Leon asked, a seed of worry and surprise beginning to sprout.

"Leon . . . I don't think there was . . ."

Remember that seed Leon mentioned? Yeah, it was blooming like a dandelion in early summer.

"I . . . see . . ."

"Hey, Leon?"

"Yeah?"

"When you bite a human, what does it mean when only one drop stings like hell buttakes your hunger away?"

Leon smiled grimly. "Sora, that's what happens when a vampire and a human fall in love."

"WHAT! But . . . but . . . I've only known him for a few days! There's no way I'm in love! Lust or . . . or strong like or something but not love!" Sora sputtered.

"Sora . . ."

"This . . . no! It isn't–can't be! No! There's just no way!" Sora cried, getting teary-eyed.

Leon, feeling compelled to give some sort of emotional support, pulled Sora into an embrace. The younger brunet pounded his fists into his brother's chest, but they were weak and had no real strength behind them. Sora collapsed, giving all his effort into weeping.

"Sora . . . is it really that bad? To fall in love with a human?" Leon asked gently.

"Le-on . . . you kn-know . . . h-how I-I fee-l . . . a-b-bout falling-ng in l-love with anyone," Sora sobbed.

Leon grimaced. He knew alright. Boy, did he know.

Knock knock knock.

"Excuse me, Leon, but it's the changing of the guard now. And you won't want to stay in there much longer," a voice called from beyond the door.

"Why the hell not?" Leon snapped as Sora's sobs gradually came to a halt.

"Leon!" a different voice cried enthusiastically. Leon stiffened. That was Demyx. "Leon! Sora! Me and Zexion are the guards now, but don't worry! I'll entertain you!"

"He brought his sitar with him, so you might wanna get out while you have the chance," Zexion advised.

Leon mentally agreed and, after making sure Sora would be ok, departed rather hastily. Sora, meanwhile, flopped back onto his bed, praying the guards wouldn't be too loud.

-

"Zexion, Zexion . . . you know, it's not often people have a 'Z' in their name," Demyx noted.

"Really?" Zexion mumbled sarcastically.

Demyx, however, took no note of the sarcasm and said, "Yeah! It's so cool! And . . . come to think of it, 'X' isn't a popular letter either in names."

"Except for those of us with freaks for mothers who named their kids the first gibberish that came out of the baby's mouth," Zexion muttered.

Demyx looked at him questioningly. "Is that how you got your name, Zexion? My mom saw mine on a commercial–I think it was for deodorant . . ."

Zexion stared at him in wonder. That was how Demyx got his name? No wonder the kid was so messed up. Patting his head he said, "I feel for you Demyx, I really do."

Demyx's eyes lit up. "You feel what for me?"

Zexion took a step back. "Er . . . you know what I meant . . ."

"No I didn't. Tell me, Zexy! Tell me!"

"What did you just call me?" Zexion asked incredulously.

"Huh? Oh, I called you Zexy–doesn't it fit? Sexy Zexy!" Demyx replied joyfully.

"Don't call me that!"

"But it rhymes so well–I know! I'll make a song out of it!" Demyx announced.

"No!"

"Aw, c'mon! I'll work really hard on it! Then we can perform it together!"

"I said no!"

"But Zexy!"

"Don't call me that!"

"Why not? It suits you so well!"

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!" Sora screamed.

Demyx pouted and Zexion rolled his eyes.

"We're so sorry that we, who didn't commit any crime whatsoever, were intruding upon your dreams with fluffy squirrels and pink rainbows," Zexion drawled sarcastically.

A few seconds later, a little piece of paper slipped underneath the door. Zexion picked it up and examined it. After a moment, he scowled.

"What is it? What is it?" Demyx asked. Zexion handed him the paper. Drawn on the paper in pen was a little stick figure. The stick figure's arm was held out from the rest of his body. And the hand connected to the arm was giving a very rude gesture.

Demyx blinked in confusion. "Now Sora, was this meant for me or Zexy?" he asked innocently.

"WHO DO YOU THINK? NOW SHUT! UP!" Sora yelled.

The musician covered his ears. "Geez, you don't have to be so loud. It was just a question."

-

Olette was helping Wakka with breakfast in the kitchen, so she missed the drama in the dining room that morning (if it really could be called "drama").

Selphie was smiling widely at the breakfast table that morning. Hayner's face was bright red (although if it was natural or from the overdone make-up, no one could tell) and if looks could kill . . . Well, he still wouldn't get very far. Selphie had nearly hidden all expression with the amount of foundation applied, and guys can't look very intimidating when their hair is chock-full of little pink bows. Riku and Roxas (having already gotten their laugh at Hayner's expense) were glancing nervously at the two while Pence zoned out. Pence took a while to fully wake up.

"Alrighty, ya! We got pancakes, eggs, and bacon special thanks of yours truly," Wakka announced, winking.

"Wakka, we know it was Olette that made most of it, so don't even try to take most of the credit," Riku said. Olette, following Wakka with plates of food, blushed at Riku's (true) comment.

"Well . . . she did need me for those adult supervision rules, ya," Wakka pointed out.

"I'm surprised you count," Roxas commented.

"What do you mean, ya?"

"You went over the car's capacity of people," Riku started.

". . . You nearly crashed the car when you made the turn . . ." Roxas continued.

". . . and then–"

"Alright! Alright! I got it, ya! So I'm not the most responsible adult, at least I'm fun," Wakka said brightly.

Riku and Roxas nearly choked, but kept their mouths shut.

Maybe if you count "fun" as "nearly dying" . . . Riku thought.

Olette made a little "ahem." Once everyone was looking at her, she said, "What did you guys want to drink?" Making a mental note of everyone's varied answers, she nodded and headed back into the kitchen. A few minutes later she returned with a tray of everyone's ordered beverages.

"Wow, Olette, you'd make a great waitress," Riku complimented.

"No kidding, I'm impressed," Roxas echoed.

Olette just blushed and said, "We can eat now."

"Wait! Grace," Wakka said. After saying a little prayer for the day to go well and stuff, they all dug in.

"Hey, Pence?" Selphie said after swallowing a particularly large mouthful of pancake.

"Yeah?" he said, a little more awake than he had been before.

"What did you mean by Proverbs 27:14?" she asked.

"Proverbs 27:14," Pence repeated, taking a sip of his coffee. "'Whoever blesses their neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing.'" he quoted before taking another sip of his coffee.

"Oooh . . ." Selphie said. "Wait, does that mean you thought I was cursing you!"

"Selphie, it was really early, what'd you expect?" Pence said nervously.

"But PE-ENCE! I WASN'T TRYING TO CURSE YOU, I SWEAR! I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING DEALING WITH POISON APPLES OR TURNING YOU INTO A PIG–HONEST!" Selphie proclaimed.

"I believe you, Selphie, but you know . . . I just don't think clearly in the early morning," Pence said, trying to laugh it off.

"Aw . . . Pence! Now I feel bad!" Selphie wailed. "I really wasn't trying to curse you!"

"It's ok, Selphie! Calm down, already!" Pence insisted.

"Um . . . hey, what'd you guys do to Hayner, ya?" Wakka asked.

Hayner was eating as if in a trance, and everyone couldn't help but feel that Selphie had something to do with it. Scratch that. They knew Selphie had something to do with it.

"Oh, that was me and Olette!" Selphie cried happily.

"Olette?" Wakka asked, shocked that the quiet girl could be so demonic.

Olette merely shook her head and pointed at Selphie.

"Hayner, man? If you're still alive in there, I'm sorry, ya, really sorry," Wakka said solemnly.

"Hey, where's Sora?" Selphie asked.

"Yeah, I haven't seen him all morning," Olette echoed.

"Oh, Sora had to go home last night–family emergency," Riku covered, surprising himself how easily the lie came out.

Wakka frowned. "Why didn't he wake me up and let me know, ya?"

Riku shrugged. "It's not as if you had him sign those release forms anyway."

"Oh yeah . . . I forgot about those. Eh, maybe it's for the best then, ya?"

"So . . . what are we doin' today, Wakka?" Roxas asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, we're gonna go hikin' today," Wakka said, grinning. "And I was thinkin' we might go down to the beach this evenin' before we leave, sound good?" he suggested.

Selphie squealed. "I haven't been the beach in forever! Can we go, Wakka? Can we? Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleeeeeease?"

"We'll see, ya," Wakka replied.

During Selphie's squabbling with Wakka on what they were doing today, Roxas and Riku both found their minds wandering.

Riku's was wondering if Sora was ok. Yeah, Sora had told him not to worry, but if there's one thing you don't tell somebody who hasn't any idea of what's happening–it's not to worry. It just makes them worry more. Like reverse psychology or something.

Roxas, however, was anticipating the night Axel would show him fireworks. He assumed it wouldn't be in Twilight Town, but he didn't mind traveling. That would just make it all the more exciting, for the blonde didn't get many chances to travel out of town. He'd just have to check with his brother. Roxas winced. How was Cloud going to take this? And how was Roxas going to tell him? It'd be a tricky matter, that was certain. Roxas knew Cloud was a pretty cool brother, but sometimes he could get super protective and not let the youth do anything.

Both of their thoughts were interrupted though as Hayner stood up and walked back to the boys' room. Everyone burst out laughing. Why were they laughing, you ask?

Sticking out of Hayner's pajama pants (he still hadn't changed) quite visibly was a black-outlined electric lime green thong.

"Hayner! We're in a church place, ya! Have some decency!" Wakka called.

Hayner, confused as to what they were referring to, looked over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of what they were pointing and laughing at.

"Shit!" he cried, running back to the boys' room.

"And watch your language!" Wakka yelled after him.

When Hayner came back, they were still chuckling.

"So Hayner," Roxas said, a grin pulling at his lips. "Boxers or briefs, or thongs?"

Hayner just smacked him as his face painted itself red from embarrassment; the rest of the group just caught laughing fits all over again.

-

"Leave! Get out! Right now! It's the end of you-u and me!"

"Demyx, shut up," Zexion commanded, but the dirty blonde ignored him and continued to belt out Jojo's "Leave (Get Out)".

"It's too late/And I can't wait/for you to be go-one!"

Zexion winced. Not only was he not a fan of Jojo, Demyx was singing terribly off-key.

"Demyx! If you're gonna sing, couldn't you at least sing well?" Zexion asked.

Demyx stopped singing and pouted. "Well, then why don't you sing if you're so good, Mr. Smarty-Pants."

"Fine," Zexion snapped. "What song?"

"Um . . . hmm . . ." Demyx noised, raising his hand to his chin to–help?–his thinking process. A few seconds later he suggested a song. Zexion complied since he did know the song.

"On a Monday I am waiting, Tuesday I am fading and by Wednesday I can't sleep/ Then the phone rings I hear you and the darkness is a clear view/ 'Cause you've come to rescue me," Zexion sang in his strong tenor voice.

Demyx was surprised–for a few reasons. First off, he wasn't even aware that Zexion knew the song "Pieces of Me" by Ashlee Simpson. Secondly, Zexion was really good. Was he a singer as a human or something? Because the way he sang–confidently, surely, strongly, and smoothly. The words flowed from his lips like water from a fountain. And then there was the way he looked. Zexion's silver hair was still in his face, but his eyes . . . they were so intense.

Demyx's breath hitched in his throat as those extreme eyes stared right into his, and it suddenly felt as if Zexion was staring into the pit of his soul.

"Yo, Demyx, Zexion, can I see Sora?" someone asked.

Zexion quit singing abruptly, his face flushed.

Demyx turned around to see Axel standing there, pretending to be oblivious as ever.

"Do you have permission?" Zexion asked smoothly. If he was embarrassed about being caught singing in the hall, he didn't let it show.

"I'm his best friend. I don't think I should need permission," Axel countered.

"See, there's your problem. You're thinking," Zexion said.

"Ooooh burn," Demyx whispered.

"Demyx, shut up," Axel and Zexion said in unison. Demyx "hmph"'ed and sat down on the floor, sulking.

"Anyway, you let Leon in," Axel pointed out.

"I didn't," Zexion corrected. "That was the other two guards–they're spineless, I tell you."

"So . . . you think the other two guards would let me in, too?" Axel asked hopefully.

"If you threaten them right," Zexion answered.

Axel accepted this and said, "Alright, thanks, I'll come back later. See ya!"

Demyx, however, looked surprised that Zexion had let Axel off with that information.

"You're just gonna let him go like that?"

Zexion ran a hand through his hair. "At least he's out of my hair."

"You sure 'bout that, Zexy?"

"Yes, and didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?"


ok, before people ask, i don't know why Hayner was wearing a thong either. it was just an image in my mind that i couldn't get rid of and it made me laugh so i put it in here. (Hayner's just so much fun to be mean to, even though i love him...)

and i hope i did Zexion ok. i've never characterized him before, so i'm hoping it turns out ok

and about Pence's bible reference, that really is from the bible (i'd know cuz one night i was bored and flipped it open to that)

hehe... i loved writing their wake-up habits:) that was fun for me

so! i suppose you're all wondering what i'm gonna give you beautiful reviewers this time. this time it will be (dun dun dunnn!) a plushie of Hayner with his thong sticking out! XD kidding... you have choice of that or a plushie of Zexion singing to Demyx :) i'll let you guys choose which you want