So I owe you all an apology

So I owe you all an apology. Somewhere between school, the musical (which is finally over), senior stress, and a job hunt I've lost my mind and free time. I graduate next Saturday and it's finally sinking in that this is my last year of high school so that's caused a pretty bad bout of depression, writers block, and a stress cold. I'm starting to feel a bit healthier though and I took a day off yesterday to finish and proof this chapter, which is LONG overdue. I hope you enjoy it even though I felt bad about something that happens in it…You'll know it when you read it. Anyways I won't ramble anymore because I'm really tired and for the first time in a while have actually been able to sleep at a decent hour. I'm off and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 10

Sinful Emotions

"Where are you going?"

Axel froze when he heard the sleep laden question from the bed he just crept out of and where Roxas still lie. Since he'd become a virtue he was a bit more aware of himself and his surroundings, sometimes to the point where it annoyed Axel, "Out."

Roxas was curious though as to where, "Can I come?"

"You did just a few hours ago," Axel said but Roxas wasn't amused by his sexual reference. The lack of embarrassment or humor in Roxas' expression only ruffled Axel's feathers a bit though, "Yeah sure, get dressed."

Roxas got out of bed and pulled on the clothes which were sloppily discarded on the floor, glancing at the clock as he reached for his shoes. It was barely three in the morning and he wondered what Axel was trying to do sneaking out at this hour. The club had just closed and the sins were probably just starting to settle into bed, their routine quite second nature to Roxas by now. He'd lived here almost a month and a half and though the sins still overlooked him, he felt less and less alienated every day and a couple even talked to him. Demyx was social and, though quiet, Zexion could be as well. Xigbar and Luxord still didn't acknowledge him more than necessary, but neither one of them seemed entirely like someone Roxas wanted to know anyway. Riku however still made Roxas feel beyond uncomfortable and he knew something was going on.

As of this morning though Riku still didn't know about the secret Roxas and Axel had and the virtues hadn't shown their faces in a week or so, "So where are we going?"

"Japan," Axel said and though Roxas first assumed he was joking it quickly became clear he meant what he said, and as they boarded the airship Roxas knew they really were going there now. Something seemed a bit strange though and Axel eyed him oddly, "Have you flown before?"

Roxas was pale and stiff as he shook his head, "Never." He'd never even left the island so a trip like this was certainly momentous for him, "Why are we going to Japan? Is there a priority mission there?"

"Nope," was all Axel said as he started up the ship, setting it to auto pilot since he was incapable of actually piloting the airship. The only ones who could maneuver the ship were Luxord and Xigbar, though Demyx was trying to learn. As the doors shut and the floor started to vibrate Roxas knew this was probably a bad idea. Through the large windows out the front he could see the ground below them open up and he felt his knees weakening. Axel on the contrary seemed very composed and comfortable even as the ship plummeted straight down into the darkness. Roxas collapsed to his knees, supporting himself with his hands and feeling his gut rising up as the ship fell.

The last remnants of light left the ship quickly and in the darkness Roxas feared what would happen to them. Shouldn't the ship have some light or noise to signal it was working? The vibrating floor was the only reassurance that there was any power in the vessel and Roxas doubted that was enough, "Axel!" he shirked, hanging his head uneasily. Like a blanket though Axel swooped down on him as soon as the cry left his mouth, covering him with his body and holding onto his right hand as they fell faster and faster. Suddenly the ship thrust forward and they sped ahead.

"We'll be going straight for a few minutes, when we reach the island's edge we come out on the cove and go up pretty quick," Axel informed him as he stood up and wandered across the spacey cockpit comfortably.

Roxas tried to get up as well but found the flight movement still difficult to cope with, so instead he just sat back down and watched Axel check a few of the flight details, "I'm going to take a guess here that a normal flight isn't anything like this."

"Normal flights are boring with small portions of food and liquor," Axel said disinterestedly, "Xigbar and you dad built this thing. No airship faster than this."

Roxas was learning more and more about the family he didn't know every day, "So could he see things like Sora does or did he have a different specialty?"

"He was a polymorph," Axel told him, "He could contort any living creature into any shape, inside or out."

"And mum? What was she?" Roxas asked curiously.

Axel fumbled through one of the cabinets and retrieved a bag of coffee grounds before explaining, "I never really knew Sibyl all that well. She was a virtue after all so hanging out and stuff didn't ever happen. I think she was a copycat though. Whatever attack was thrown at her she could parry without a seconds thought. Coffee?"

"Yes please," Roxas said, though very awake after the take off. Suddenly the ship tilted and he slid towards the back of the cockpit unlike Axel who was able to stand firm and startup the coffee maker. When Roxas slid into the wall he just stayed there as they tilted further up to the point he was almost lying down, "I wonder how they met…"

"Not like we'll ever know," Axel said, not finding himself remotely interested in the thought, "Atticus is long gone and Sibyl is too finally." He was glad Roxas didn't ask what happened to the former Envy, a traitor they were responsible for eliminating. Roxas asked something though that had been crossing his mind lately.

"Would the same thing happen to us?"

And Axel told him the same thing he continued to tell himself, "There is no 'us' so I don't see why it would."

"But if they find out they'll know you knew," Roxas pointed out, continuing to worry for both of their sake since Axel didn't seem to care, "Aren't you worried?"

"Look nothing's happened yet so why think about the what ifs?" Axel snapped unintentionally, "As long as you don't slip up nobody will find out." Roxas nodded and looked out the windows ahead as they soared up through the clouds and slowly leveled back off. Axel brought him over a mug of coffee as it finished and handed him the hot drink, "Cream and four sugars."

Roxas took it with a pleased grin, "You remembered."

"You remind me every time I mess up," Axel grumbled before going to make his own cup. The lights came on in the cockpit and Roxas squinted his eyes to block out their bright shine. They must've been out of sight by now so it was safe to turn them on, though he was impressed at how easily Axel found his way around in the dark. "You may as well go get some sleep, it'll be hours before we get there," Axel said from the other side of the room, "There's a conference room with a few couches in the back."

"I'll wait up with you," Roxas said, having nothing better to do and wanting to make sure nothing went wrong on the flight.

Axel, as if reading his mind, said, "Don't worry; this ship is the most reliable vessel in the sky, on land, or in the sea."

"Do the virtues have a garage with all sorts of stuff like this too?" Roxas wondered, remembering how residential their base was and not seeing how they could house an airship or anything like that below the building.

Axel merely laughed, "They've got connections with every major sea and air liner so they don't need to have their own personal effects like us. They just call in and get immediate service. Pretty nifty and they save a ton on gas."

Roxas was silent for a while as Axel finished making his drink and wandered up to one of the chairs by the window. Roxas didn't bother trying to go join him since he was quite certain he'd quickly fall with the airships foreign movements, "So you never told me earlier. Why exactly are we going to Japan?"

Axel didn't answer right away, staring ahead as if trying to decide whether or not he wanted to tell him, "…It's sort of a traditional thing."

"What sort of tradition?" Roxas asked, wondering if it was a holiday of some sort he was unfamiliar with. But if it were a holiday why did Axel seem so reluctant to share information?

"It's nothing big. Just have to pay a visit," Axel told him, waving his hand in a way as if to brush aside the topic, "Stop asking about things that don't concern you."

Roxas would find out soon enough. In only a matter of hours they were approaching a set of islands in plain view that he recognized from text books, "So this is Japan?" He was finally getting used to the airship's movements and was able to stand, but as she lights shut off and the ship descended quickly he fell to the floor and slid backwards. Axel could still stand fine despite the drastic angle of descent and he stopped Roxas from sliding straight into a wall, "Yup," was all he said. Roxas looked ahead as they dove straight for the sea and he grabbed onto one of Axel's legs in alarm. They were going to go under! The ship broke the water's surface though noiselessly and continued to descend before leveling off and continuing on toward the island.

The lights were still off and the sea was dark, making Roxas uneasy about their surroundings. The hot breath on his neck though he felt as Axel knelt down behind him sent a shiver down his spine. Though he was still sore from earlier he knew Axel didn't care, and quite frankly neither did he.

"Once in the air and once in the sea, what I wonder will become of me," Axel recited the old rhyme, a hand already sliding up Roxas' shirt and over his chest.

Roxas didn't protest, in fact he smiled and rolled his head to the side so Axel could have better access to his throat, "That's a morbid military rhyme from the 1800's. How'd you know it?" he inhaled sharply as Axel bit into his shoulder, trying to remain composed though since it frustrated him so much, "Hm?"

Axel released his bite and pulled Roxas back into his lap possessively, "You pick up a lot after 140 years of life."

"Just so you-" Roxas had to hesitate his speech when he felt the edge of a warm tongue along the outer edge of his ear, "…know, that rhyme had a much different meaning than the one you imply." He didn't care, nor did he have the will to continue pointless chitchat, giving in without any further protest, "I still hate you," no he didn't.

Axel knew he didn't but that was what Roxas always said when he gave up, "No you don't." When the lights finally came back on Roxas was lying comfortably on top of him, wearing his shirt and nothing else, though the shirt was long enough in all aspects that it served almost as a nightgown. They both grunted and complained in some form as the light pried them out of sleep, both thoroughly exhausted and not having gotten much sleep before the flight. The ship tilted upwards and Roxas clung to Axel as they both slid back toward the rear of the cockpit. Axel used the momentum to help sit up and pulled Roxas up with him right before they hit the wall.

The minor collision woke Roxas and he rubbed sleep from his eyes, not minding the fact he was pinned with a leg still on either side of Axel, "Stupid light…" He stopped complaining though when a half asleep kiss woke them both up a bit more. When it broke he smiled and rested his head against his shoulder with a content sigh. Axel got up though and broke Roxas' comfortable moment as he zipped and buttoned his pants up and wandered over to the monitor in the corner.

With a disappointed sigh Roxas leaned back against the wall again and stared out the window ahead. They were leveling off and he saw they were going through a tunnel, long since out of the water apparently. A light came on way at the end of the tunnel and Roxas wondered where they were going to land. It quickly became obvious as the garage came into plain view around them that this was the Japan project base; the Wrath base.

"Stay here," Axel instructed as the ship stopped and landed, everything slowly powering down and the doors opening so he could leave. Roxas watched him go out the doors and he followed him with his eyes out the windows ahead as he started up a flight of stairs. Slowly it dawned on him that this was where Axel had been created, or rather where he'd been reconstructed. Over a century ago this place had been alive with scientists and madmen who were working to create a personification of Wrath, the sin they'd been assigned. Like the Envy base, this one was very unwelcoming but not entirely threatening either. The garage was white and well lit, a little dusty and in need of a broom and monitors on the wall displayed current data that the sins back in America were receiving right now. Why did Axel want to come to a place where there could only be bad memories?

Though he'd been told to stay in the ship Roxas wanted to know. He pulled on his pants and ignored his aching body, forcing himself to hurry out of the ship and for the stairs.

He found upstairs to be nothing more than a large white room with the same equipment he'd seen in the lab back in the night club, but with an operating table in the center or the room and a mess of blood around it. Axel was standing next to it and Roxas quietly came over when it became clear he wasn't going to get yelled at for breaking Axel's instructions, "What happened here?" he asked, looking at the dried blood on the table, a little cart with operating instruments also filthy with age and blood.

Axel still said nothing and Roxas saw that his eyes were shut and his head was bowed, but what was his posture of respect for? Roxas waited silently for an answer, his eyes wandering around the room. It wasn't nearly as well kept as the American base and it looked as though it had been decades since it had been visited.

"One hundred and nineteen years ago I was strapped down right here and turned into this," Axel finally heaved out with a sigh, opening his eyes and picking up one of the scalpels which had a patch of dull silver still visible around the handle, "Cut open wide awake and turned into this…"

Roxas understood now and it made sense, his expression falling from curiosity to despair. They were in the Wrath base after all so it was obvious this was where it happened. He looked at Axel as he stared in a transfixed manner at the still sharp utensil, "That's why you wanted to come back?" He did the math in his head; Axel mentioned he'd been alive for 140 years and if he was lying here on this table 119 years ago he was only 21 when it happened and hadn't aged visibly since then.

"Kind of an anniversary with an old lover. You don't celebrate it but you can't keep from remembering," Axel said vaguely as he brought the scalpel to his wrist. Before Roxas could stop him he slit deep and quick across his wrist, a large amount of blood seeping through the fresh cut.

"Axel!" Roxas quickly said as he clasped both hands around his wrist and tried to prevent blood loss. Axel pulled his wrist free though and refused to let Roxas interfere, "What did you do that for?" Roxas demanded, not finding this amusing at all.

Axel smirked though and put the scalpel back onto the cart of utensils, "It's tradition. One hundred and nineteen cuts later and I'm still breathing." Roxas didn't say anything and Axel sighed before pushing his sleeves back down and staring at the table for a moment longer. He couldn't even begin to imagine what was going through Axel's head and heart just by being here. This was essentially his tombstone, where he'd left his life unwillingly behind though a series of experiments which jeopardized his physical and mental stability, "Don't think I'm morbid or anything, we all do this every year when our times roll around."

"It's unhealthy dwelling on the bad events in life," Roxas insisted, not agreeing with their method of acknowledging the day.

Axel laughed though much to Roxas' surprise, "When you live as long as me you learn it's unhealthy to forget…I don't expect you to understand."

"I think I do," Roxas said, taking him by surprise, "I may not know what you went through, and I certainly can't imagine your suffering…but I know how it feels to have to leave an old life behind and be forced into a new one."

Axel didn't know what to say. Roxas had indeed, against his will, been forced into this life. Even if it wasn't of the same magnitude as his own, Axel knew all of the opportunities and connections Roxas once had were gone just like his own and it wasn't until now that he realized it, "Roxas…" he was interrupted when his cell phone rang but he didn't answer it right away, instead staring at Roxas with an intent look.

"You may want to answer that," Roxas said, knowing the only calls Axel ever got were from the sins and usually were important.

Axel pulled out his phone and flipped it open, bringing it to his ear, "Yeah."

"Axel!" it was Demyx and he sounded frantic. Apparently Roxas could overhear the noise as well with gunfire and ruckus in the background, "It's the Virtues! They're-" he was cut off and trailed into a cry of pain.

"Demyx?!" Axel shouted, already hurrying back towards the stairs with Roxas at his heels. His stomach sank when he heard someone pick up the phone and heard a voice that didn't belong to Demyx.

"Better hurry back Axel."

The phone went dead and Axel swore loudly, "Damn you Seifer! Roxas hurry up!" No matter how quickly they went it didn't matter. The base was practically on the other side of the world and there was no way the Virtues would still be there by the time they got back. Roxas wondered if Axel had realized that yet and also wondered why he seemed so intent on helping people he never spared a kind word. The relationship the Sins had was too elaborate for him to figure out and he knew Axel would simply tell him he didn't care about the others and that there was no bond between them.

"How does it feel?" Zexion asked as he finished tying off the bandages around Demyx's chest carefully since he wasn't sure if the pain killer had taken effect yet.

"It hurts but I'll live," Demyx said with a smile, putting a hand over his heart to make sure it was indeed still beating. He'd taken the most damage second only to the base itself. The bar was a mess of alcohol, glass, bullets, and shattered wood much like the rest of the room mixed with blood from both sides.

From his seat on the stairs Demyx looked around at the others, wondering what would have happened if they lost. Six virtues attacked and only five sins were present, and up until a sixth sin showed up it looked as though they risked losing. It was a completely unexpected attack and while one similar happened decades ago the virtues had remained on their own grounds since then. They had picked the best day, for the virtues at least, to attack since two of their strongest were away.

Both Demyx and Zexion heard two sets of feet hurrying upstairs and Zexion looked over and saw Axel and Roxas through the open doorway, "They're back."

Even though Zexion's voice was soft everyone in the room heard it and looked to their seventh that froze in the doorway instantly under their gazes. Some were disinterested, some were hurt, all mad, "Hey," was all Axel said. Nobody said anything and they all just returned to their work. Roxas found it odd that none of them, especially Riku, said anything. Just by looking around he could tell it had been a vicious fight and they were all wounded to some extent, so why didn't they curse or blame Axel like they usually would?

The cleanup carried long into the evening, the conversations minimal and no more than a few words before silence again. Since they wouldn't be able to open the club tonight due to its current ruin they simply put up a sign 'Closed for renovations,' and spent the remainder of the evening resting and trying to recover. Roxas volunteered to mop the floors, finally glass free, and Sora decided to help since he was curious about where he'd been all day anyway. His wounds were relatively minimal compared to the others, only a deep cut on his cheek and a couple of treated gashes on his side, "I'm fine," Sora assured him, laughing at the concerned looks he kept getting, "They're really not that bad."

Roxas wanted to believe him but the fact his brother was hurt didn't bode well with him, "I wish I could've been there to help you," he said with a sigh, dunking the mop's head into the bucket and starting to clean up.

Sora followed suit but shook his head, "You would've gotten in the way. They're our matches so even we have trouble."

"Matches?" Roxas was a bit confused and looked across the room at him inquisitively.

"For every sin, there is a virtue that counter's it," Sora explained, "Lust is countered by chastity, gluttony by temperance, greed by charity, sloth by diligence, wrath by kindness, envy by patience, and pride by humility."

Roxas never knew that but it made since seeing as there were seven virtues and seven sins, "So you could only be killed by whoever patience is?"

"In theory any of them can kill any of us and visa versa, but we generally try to match up with our rival," Sora said before coming back over to the bucket and soaking the mop again, "Also, in a fight, we're generally very evenly matched if it's the same number or sins against the same number of virtues. Missing even one though can pretty much determine the final outcome though…That's what happened today."

"Care to elaborate?" Roxas asked. Now that all of the sins had gone off to do whatever they had to do he figured he'd be able to get some answers from the one he could trust most, "What exactly happened?"

Sora sighed and rested his chin on the end of the mop handle, seeming to think about it for a second, "…Well, I don't see why I shouldn't tell you," he finally said with a shrug before going back to cleaning, "Earlier this afternoon we were planning for an upcoming event we were asked by an investor to host here."

"What sort of event?" Roxas was curious, wondering if maybe there was a party coming up.

Sora shook his head, making it clear he couldn't say, "Anyways, I don't know how but the virtues came up through the garage and cut the power before ambushing us." Most of the light in the night club came from artificial sources and the only windows were upstairs in the bedrooms, so without power Roxas imagined it would be nearly impossible to see at all. "Fortunately we have backup generators downstairs but they're only able to restore full power to the lab and the rest of the club only gets 25 percent power back. In that light we were able to fight but we were outnumbered. There were six of them and only five of us."

Roxas noticed something though that didn't add up. Axel was gone but who was the other absent sin that afternoon, "Five? Shouldn't there have been six?"

"Riku left this morning for London," Sora explained vaguely, "And Axel was in Yokohama."

"I know, I was there," Roxas said, somewhat proud of that bit of information but still wondering why Riku left, "Why was Riku in London?"

"Same reason Axel was in Yokohama," Sora said vaguely. It made sense and Roxas put another piece of the two sins' past together. Sora didn't say anything for a few minutes, ceasing his work and drumming his fingers on the mop as if contemplating whether or not he should say what was on his mind, "…Why did you go?"

"I asked him if I could," Roxas said, noticing his brother's tone and taunting, "I'm sensing a little Envy."

Sora laughed only a bit but clearly was bothered, "How strange…" He wouldn't tell Roxas exactly how unusual what Axel had done was, instead sneering and saying, "You're just like his purse you know. He takes you everywhere and you hold anything he shoves into you."

Roxas' face turned red as Sora laughed with glee. He couldn't believe how rude, and surprisingly true, the insult was and he swung his mop at his brother's head. The soaking wet strands struck the back of his head with a soft and wet thud. Sora staggered and looked back in surprise, water dripping down his back and reeking of the citrus scented cleaner. He retaliated by thrusting his own mop and though Roxas tried to back away Sora jabbed him in the stomach, soaking the white shirt thoroughly.

Both wet and silent they held their mops and after a few seconds of silence a war was declared, both soaking the mops and swinging at the other. Sora, who'd had much more experience fighting, easily maintained the upper hand but he held back so his brother stood a chance. Minutes flew by as the two ran and slid around the, now soaking wet and soapy, floor. As he tried to turn and retaliate Roxas slipped backwards and landed flat on his back with a wet thud. Sora slid around behind his brother and held the mop head right above his throat as if it were a sharp weapon.

"I give," Roxas said with an exhausted sigh. They were both out of breath and there wasn't an inch on them that was dry but Sora grinned and dropped the mop head right in his brother's face. Roxas swatted the mop away and wiped soapy water out of his eyes as he sat up with a smile. He had no idea that was the last time he and his brother would be able to laugh like that and carry on happily with each other.

Through the back of the soaked white shirt, right on Roxas' right shoulder blade was a roman numeral. Sora couldn't speak. He couldn't move. All he could do was stare. Roxas, with the soap out of his eyes looked back at his brother with a happy smile; they'd made, and were, a mess but it had been so much fun he didn't care. When Sora didn't return the smile though Roxas knew something was wrong and saw his transfixed stare on his back. All color vanished from his face and Roxas quickly got to his feet, taking several steps back and dropping the mop. Sora continued to stare at him, confused and unable to speak but he took a step back from his brother uneasily. And like that the brothers' silently disowned each other.

Without a word, a plea, or a sorrowful glance, Roxas took off quickly and hurried up the stairs. Sora didn't chase after him, he just stood there soaking wet and he heard the door slam as Roxas hid himself in his sanctuary with Axel. Only seconds later the door leading downstairs opened and Riku and Demyx came in, Demyx immediately slipping and taking a tumble back down the stairs. Neither their entrance nor the thuds as Demyx tumbled broke Sora's trance and it was far too easy to tell that something was wrong. Shutting the door to close out the thuds of Demyx's descent Riku crossed the slippery floor and Sora finally looked away from where Roxas had run off, "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Axel asked as Roxas slammed to door and rushed across the room to where he was going through some papers on top of the dresser. Roxas nearly tackled him as he lunged and clung onto him tightly, "Axel! He knows! Sora! He saw!" he spoke quickly and unclearly, voice and body both shaking uneasily.

Axel understood and just stared at him for a long moment, listening to the shivering and crying boy clinging to him. Sora knew what he was, and though he was his brother Axel knew just as well as Roxas that that wouldn't be enough to keep the secret. It could be moments, minutes, or hours before the others found out, a day or two if they were lucky. Sooner or later the sins would come after him and Axel had no idea what to do, "Calm down," he said, putting down the papers and trying to think of something.

"He knows! Axel!" Roxas repeated, literally in fear for his life, "Axel please you have to help me! Please!" Axel said nothing as Roxas dropped to his knees, feeling sick and unable to keep himself on his feet. He stared down at the blonde, soaking wet mess at his feet. The Roman numeral was visible through the wet shirt and Axel still didn't know what to do. If he was killed there would be one less virtue to worry about, and it was their duty as sins to take out their rivals. Roxas was Kindness. Axel was Wrath. It was his duty to eliminate him. What loss would it be? The answer to that was simple, "Roxas," Axel said as he got down on his knees and lifted his face up, "I won't let anything happen to you." He was a loss Axel refused to lose. The beautiful blue eyes locked with his and Axel immediately had to look away.

As he started to get up though Roxas grabbed onto his wrist, and Axel looked back, "Do you promise?"

Axel didn't speak up right away, realizing how serious of a matter this was. He was going against the sins and their duty, all to protect an enemy. Roxas wasn't an enemy though. He posed no threat to any of them and meant no ill in anything he did so why should they try to kill him or even consider him an enemy? It was all because of that number on his back, "I promise," and Axel refused to let them hurt him just because of a number. He knew what he had to do though, "We need to get you away from here. Tonight."

Roxas knew that he was right, "What about you?"

"I've got to stay here with the others," Axel explained, "Just like you've got to go to the virtues."

Roxas' expression fell but he knew Axel was right again. That was the only place he would be safe for sure, "I understand…but that would make us…"

"I don't consider you my enemy at all Roxas and will never hurt you," Axel said, surprising them both but quickly adding, "What about you?"

"I'd never hurt you!" Roxas quickly insisted, "But when will I see you again?"

Axel didn't answer and Roxas understood. There was no telling when they'd see each other again or on what terms. All they could think about right now was getting Roxas away from danger. Without another word Axel leaned down and put his hands on the side of Roxas' face, pulling him into a brief kiss. When he started to let go though Roxas held onto him and pulled him back into the kiss, not ready to let him go. Axel understood and indulged in the kiss for a moment longer until Roxas drew back, "I hate you so much…" he mumbled with a clear note of sadness.

Axel smiled a bit and kissed his forehead, Roxas' citrus scent starting to make him a bit dizzy, "I don't care…I wonder sometimes though why you hate me."

What Roxas said next was something Axel would never forget, "I hate you for making me care about you."

I rewrote that ending a few times but I'm proud of the way it turned out. I apologize if there were grammatical errors in this chapter but the fact of the matter is I was and still am rather medicated and not entirely focused on anything, especially my spelling abilities. I got about half of the next chapter written yesterday and will get to the rest as my mood, heath, and schedule allows. Oh, and the party I felt bad about writing (in case you didn't guess) was the way Sora reacted to Roxas' virtueness. So what's going to happen when (and if) the others figure it out? Is Sora really going to tell Riku and betray his brother? I know but you're going to have to wait another week or so to find out!

Thank you guys SOOOO much for being patient and continuing to read. Without you I would be nothing and more thanks to everyone who takes the time to review! Hearing what you think about my stories helps more than I can ever express (though I'd be sure to give out massive hugs if I ever met one of you, Mandak excluded ofcourse since she gets them) and I love you all for it them! Until then I wish you all the best in all the world.

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter