Disclaimer: I always try to come up with creative ways to do this, and I always fail. I don't know why I continue to try. So, I don't own it, I have no rights, blah-blah-blah.

Warning: Yaoi (rhymes with 'Owie'), and most likely language.

Chapter 12

Demyx woke rather abruptly at the feeling of the car making it's landing. He looked out the tinted window, surprised to see that he didn't recognize the landscape. It was a mountainous terrain, mixed with fluffy clouds. There was a large columned building up the path, looking very impressive. There were gold accents around the pure white of the building, and it looked like something out of a storybook.

"Where are we?" he breathed, his distress forgotten momentarily in face of such splendor.

"Mount Olympus," Sora answered. "Xemnas has decided to see to this issue himself."

Demyx felt a jolt rush through him. Zexion's brother. Surely, he would understand. He'd seen what had happened in the Underworld. Everyone had seen it.

Sora led him up the path and through the front doors. Many people were inside, all milling about. They pretended to look bored, but Demyx could see them watching in interest out of the corners of their eyes. They were waiting for a show, he was sure.

The inside of the building was just as extravagant as the outside, of course. The main hall was huge, done in the same white and gold color scheme. Tapestries lined the walls, depicting some of their more famous tales. Clouds breached even indoors, giving the place a mystical look. It certainly was breathtaking, yet at the same time, it seemed to Demyx that it was a bit much. He missed the simple charm of the Underworld already.

The entire room seemed to stop and stare as Sora bid him forward. Now that Demyx wasn't staring at the walls, he could see that Xemnas and a blonde female were sitting at the far end of the room in flashy gold thrones. The woman had her legs thrown over one of the arms of the chair, a look of pure boredom spread across her pretty face. Her acidic green eyes, however, were sweeping the room in a suspicious sort of matter.

As he got even closer, he could see his own father standing there, watching him come with narrowed blue eyes, the same color as Demyx's. He looked angrier then the blonde had ever seen him, but he also looked like the cat who got the canary. He was like a three year old who threw the world's biggest tantrum. The worst part was, Marluxia was getting exactly what he wanted. He was being appeased.

"Excellent." Marluxia stepped forward and grabbed Demyx around the upper arm. "Now that what is mine has been returned to me, things will calm down. You have my word."

"Hold for a moment, Marluxia," Xemnas spoke, sitting up in his throne. "We have things to discuss."

Marluxia stopped and slacked his grip, allowing Demyx to petulantly rip his arm away. Marluxia shot him a warning look, which Demyx chose to ignore. He took a few steps away from his father, relishing in the disobedience while he could. Xemnas' amber eyes had narrowed to a disdainful look as he regarded the god of harvest.

"Your behavior in these past weeks has been completely inexcusable, Marluxia. Not only have you taken rash actions against the mortals, affecting my realm and my brother's, but you have also forced my sister's hand on several issues. Thousands of mortals are dead because of your little temper tantrum. You meddled in affairs that were not yours to meddle in."

"He is my son!" Marluxia cried. "Everything about him is my business. He had no permission to leave the Grove!"

"He's five thousand four hundred and seventy-three years old, Marluxia. I think he's capable of making his own decisions. Also, I gave Zexion permission to come to the mortal realm and collect him. He was, however, under express orders to take Demyx away only if he wanted to go. I set a limitation that even Zexion was unaware of. If Demyx had had even the tiniest hesitation at leaving, he wouldn't have been able to. Yet, he spent the last few months happily in the Underworld."

"If you have a point, make it," Marluxia snapped impatiently. Demyx wondered what Marluxia would do to him when they got back to the Grove.

"Fine then. I have come to the conclusion that Demyx is not particularly safe under your care. Obviously there is an unhealthy attachment involved. From now on, Demyx will stay here on Olympus instead of locked away at the Grove with you."

"You can't…!"

"I most certainly can," Xemnas cut him off, eyes narrowed. "I can and I will. I think it will be better for everyone this way. But that is not all."

Marluxia rolled his eyes, crossing his arms petulantly over his chest.

Demyx wondered if he should be relieved that he would stay at Olympus. He certainly didn't want to be alone with Marluxia any time soon, but maybe Xemnas was having him stay there to keep an eye on him. Just a new sort of prison.

"Due to the irresponsible abuse of your powers," Xemnas declared. "I have decided that you will be stripped of them. Demyx will take up the mantle as the new god of harvest."

Both Demyx and Marluxia's jaws dropped. "What?!" they cried in unison.

"You can't do that!" Marluxia howled. "You can't! Demyx doesn't know the first thing about being a god…!" As Marluxia screamed and moaned, Demyx felt utter shock take over his body. He would be the new god of harvest. It was a lot of responsibility. He didn't know if he could handle it. He definitely couldn't do it on his own. Loath as he was to admit it, Marluxia was right. Demyx had no clue about how to be a god. Even as he thought about it, though, he felt the power flood through him and his body welcomed it as if it were a family member returned home from a long trip. He held up his hand, watching in astonishment as a flower grew from his palm. Marluxia seemed to see it too, and he shrieked in outrage.

"I'm sorry that I had to call you here, Demyx," Xemnas apologized. "You had to be in the same room as him in order for me to transfer the power. Are you ready to take up the mantle and use that power the way it's supposed to be used?"

"Um…I suppose," Demyx answered quietly. "Does this mean…that I'm not in any trouble for going with Zexion?"

"Of course not," Xemnas shook his head. "The blame all falls on Marluxia, I would say. Over-reactions abound." As if to prove it, Marluxia was snarling and screaming as he was escorted from the hall by several stiff-faced servants.

"So…does that mean I can go back? To Zexion, I mean?"

Xemnas shook his head, looking remorseful. "I'm sorry, but I can't keep bending the rules for you. If I were to send you back to the Underworld, Zexion's power would interrupt yours. There would be no harvest, only death. And you belong in the mortal realm. Nothing binds you to the Underworld."

Demyx froze at that, his mind flashing back to months before, when he'd first come to the Underworld. Something Zexion had told him.

"Food ties beings to the Underworld."

Suddenly the odd scene at Demyx's departure made sense. What a clever little sneak!

"But I am tied to the Underworld!" Demyx cried suddenly. "I ate while I was down there! I had a pomegranate!"

Xemnas' eyebrows rose into his hairline as he stared at the suddenly excited blonde. "I'm tied to both, then, aren't I?"

A small smirk spread over Xemnas' face, and he actually looked rather pleased. "Well, if that's the case, then I suppose you do have to travel back and forth. Both worlds will accept you, with no rules bent or broken. You appear to be the exception to the rule, young Demyx. I suppose that you can return to the Underworld."

Demyx had to forcibly stop himself from jumping in the air and cheering his happiness. Xemnas seemed to notice this as well, for his expression grew serious.

"There has to be a limit, Demyx. You have responsibilities now."

Demyx nodded seriously, biting his lip with his nerves. How much time would he be allowed with Zexion? "I think the only fair way to do it is half the year in the Underworld, half the year here," Xemnas said decidedly. "The harvest in those six months will be enough to prepare for the lack of in the other. It certainly seems reasonable to me. How about you?"

Demyx nodded eagerly, happy that he would have even that much. Earlier, he had thought he would never see Zexion again. Who was he to scoff at half of the year?

"I must ask that the first half is spent here," Xemnas included. "Marluxia has caused a lot of destruction. You have a lot of damage control to take care of." Demyx nodded seriously.

After agreeing, he thanked Xemnas and set off to find Sora. He found the brunet lounging on a cloud with Kairi. He waved hello to her before confronting the other god.

"Um…I was wondering if I could ask you a favor," he said.

Sora grinned and nodded. "Sure, ask away."

"Could you…tell Zexion exactly what just went on in there? About all of Xemnas' decisions? And…could you give him this for me?" Demyx held out the flower that he had made. Sora plucked the flower from Demyx's fingertips and stood up.

"No problem. Delivering messages is sort of my thing. Anything else?"

"Just…tell him that I love him and I can't wait to see him again."

Sora nodded once more, saluted, and shot off into the sky. Demyx watched him go, realizing that, for now, Sora was his only real connection to Zexion. The other god felt so far away and Demyx knew that he would miss him desperately every moment they were away from each other. But he had a job to do, and he would do it. He would see Zexion again.

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A/N: Yeah, guys, this is it. One more chapter…but it s really more like a epilogue…

Obviously, my version of the story isn't exactly like the original myth. If you want to read that, I'm sure that you can google it.

Larxene: Hera, wife of Zeus.