"I give myself very good advice!

But a very seldom follow it..

That explains the trouble that I'm always in.."

[Flashback continues, but I'll save you the annoyance of reading in italics through the whole chapter.]

A nasally voice giggled, heels clacking on the floor as a body swayed into the room. "Why is the room so dark? When we're married, all this red has to go! There needs to be pink!" The voice called, coming closer and closer to the bed. The curtains were torn back quickly.

A pause.

"GUARDS! MY HUSBAND IS BEING ASSAULTED!"The high-pitched voice shrieked. Zexion's eyes were wide and shaking with un-shed tears. "M-Married?.." his voice cracked.

Lea stares up at the face of Kairi, his mouth gaped open. Before he can say a word, Kairi stepped aside and several guards black and red coloured crowded into the room. As he's flung aside, hands shoot out for the frail form that had been beside him. He hit the ground, head slamming into the floor as cries and screams echoed in his ears. Lea jumped to his feet, face red with anger and eyes seeing red. "GUARDS! STOP!"

The men glanced at one another, confused at which of the two to listen to. Kairi immediately picked up the baton of control and skipped over to Lea. "Hurry and take that filth away! He's done something to my Lea-bear!" Her hand shot out to lie upon Lea's bicep, but he slapped it away, hurrying after the guards that are already leaving the room with a small wince at the nickname.

Zexion didn't strain, following the guards willingly. He was violently weak from the state he was in, barely able to walk, but he was more weak as tears poured down his cheeks as his barely fixed heart broke once more, shattering even farther. Was there anything left? He questioned, as pain twisted in his chest, constricting his throat and making it harder to breathe..

W-Was his w-whole life a l-lie?..

Lea's long strides are slowed by the girl grabbing at his arm. "No! Stop! Leave Zexion alone!" He tried to shove Kairi away, but it only made her hold on tighter. "I'LL HAVE YOUR HEADS FOR THIS! DO YOU HEAR ME?" He screamed, like a child throwing a tantrum, his vision red as fire lit his veins.

""Be Patient," is very good advice..

But the waiting makes me curious!"

Zexion sat, curled up in the dank, cold cell that they had thrown him in roughly and slammed the bars shut. Tears kept streaking down his cheeks, as he starred, unmoving at the wall across his bars as the ring lay shattered on the floor, resembling the feelings that pushed sluggishly through his veins.

"And I'd love the change.."

The guards had declined him at the door to the cells below. With that in mind, he had stomped straight to the throne room, knowing the person that had issued the order to keep him out, had been his own blood. Lea shoved the heavy, jeweled doors open, glaring at the beautiful form on the throne. Red hair falls in waves around her, the crown atop her head glittering with the light of the sun streaking in through the, still broken, window. "Mother! Why did you let her arrest him! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Zexion could hear the shouts echoing throughout the corridors, deep down in the dungeon. But, once more, he was dead to the world. ..He wanted to be dead all together. Blood.. blood.. red.

"Who dear? The doll that was clinging to your arm like a leech?" She waved a hand. "You have a wedding to focus on dear. With Kairi! Oh isn't she beautiful?" His mother gushed. "It took me forever to find someone as perfect as her! But I did!" Kairi giggled nasally behind Lea, bouncing on her heels, her too-short dress riding too high, and revealing too much.

"Never in a million years would I agree to marry that slut! I want to marry Zexion, not her and you can't stop me! I'll kill you if I have to!" He marched closer to the Queen, Kairi reaching out to grab a hold of his wrist. Lea flung her fingers away, slapping her across the face. "There's not a damn thing either of you can do. I've made up my mind." His glare lowered down to his Mother's conniving, blue eyes.

His Mother's eyes narrowed menacingly. "How. Dare. You! I find you the perfect girl, and you slap her in the face? Don't you want me to be happy when I descend the throne?" She stood quickly, gracefully, marching over to Axel. The effect soon diminished, as Ariel stood at a measly 5'1.

"Do you not want me to have the perfect grandchildren? The perfect heir to the throne? Why would you throw away this beautiful women," She waved a hand at Kairi, who was checking her nails. "For that stupid, ignorant HUMAN? He isn't from Wonderland, Axel! If you don't recall!" She smacked him across the face in her rage. "How dare you! How DARE you! I forbid it! I forbid you to marry him!" She was screeching, her face turning red. "If you do, you will be exiled! Do you hear me? Exiled!"

Lea glared at the wall, head still turned to the side from the stinging smack. He wanted to scream, to break things and light them on fire. He wanted to strangle the last breath out of the two women that had him backed into a corner. Lea would more than be willing to let the throne slip through his fingers, but if he did that, he would doom both him, and Zexion, to this monster's wrath.

He bit his lip, bowing his head, "You were the one that killed his parents." he said, more in a state knowing, than needing an answer from the conniving woman.

The woman's eyes narrowed, an sneering hissing past her lips. "How dare you." Her voice was cold and flat, a finality to it. "Leave. Go now, before I kill you myself." She turned, marching back to her throne.

Not wanting to look at her, he pivoted on his heel and headed to the door. There was nothing he could do if he wanted to save Zexion for the fate that 'Queen' had set for him. Striding down the hallways, he let his feet take him to the cells, those same to guards still blocked his way further.

"Should something strange begin.."

Zexion blinked, sitting up slowly as he heard shouting. 'What the?..' Two dull thuds, and a figure, shadowed by the moonlight appeared in front of his cell. His heart clenched. He'd know that figure anywhere.

Lea smirked, wiping his hands on his pants. Leaning against the bars, he twirls the small ring of iron keys around on his finger. "Long time no see Zexion." He purred.

Zexion glared, curling up even tighter and staying silent. He was not in the mood for Lea's cocky, self righteous attitude. His heart clenched violently as tears dripped past his eyes, his head resting on his knees.

Lea dropped to his knees, resting his forehead against the chilling bars. His grip on the bars turned his knuckles white, "I'll get you out of here Zexion." He slipped the key into the lock at the bottom of the cell door, standing as he continues to unlock them, the cell being one of many for highly offending criminals.

Zexion didn't murmur, he didn't move, he stayed curled up, pressed against the corner of the wall. As the last lock on the door was freed, Zexion didn't move to embrace Lea, or cheer for his freedom, he stayed.. curled up and silent.

Lea knelt down, confused by Zexion's disregard of reaction. Reaching out, he cupped his chin, fingers curling and grazing Zexion's jaw. "Zexion? You've gotta say something. Tell me you want to run away with me? I won't just carry you out of here...and we don't have the time to mess around, more guys are probably coming because of the guard change. Z...Zexion?"

Zexion didn't move, his head kept hung. "D-Don't touch me!" His voice was muffled, his knees pressed against his face. "Go away."

Confused and baffled, Lea stood, staring down at the one he loved in confusion. The keys dropped from his fingers, hitting the ground with a loud thud. Heavy footfalls pounded through the hallways, racing to get to that very cell. "You don't mean it."

Zexion lifted his head, his eyes cold and glaring, the affect dampened by the tears trekking slowly down his cheeks. "Go. Away. Don't fucking touch me. I want nothing to do with you." The ring lay shattered on the ground, like the pieces of Zexion's heart. "Go back to your stupid Princess." He spat and laid down, rolling over and facing the wall.

Lea's mouth stays gaped open, eyes wide and chest constricting inside. He pivoted on his heel, striding over the threshold. The cell door slammed shut, his head tilted back to glare at the huddled form, even though he felt more sorrow than anger. "Don't you ever say I never cared. You can stay in your damned cell and rot for all I care!" He strode past the armed guards, who were clearly confused, but accepted it nonetheless.

Zexion let a small sob slip past his lips, his arms wrapping around himself as he huddled under the blankets. Lea didn't see it, but Zexion was shaking violently, tears pouring down his cheeks as his eyes stayed fixed on the wall. His heart constricted in his chest, his breath leaving his lungs as he sobbed violently. What had he just done..

"Well, I went along my merry way.."

He wanted to break something, hurt someone, and scream at the sky. But he did nothing, simply walked back to the throne room, grudgingly accepting his fate; to live unhappy, hate the world, and never be with Zexion. Lea let the two servants open the doors and he heaved a deep sigh just at the sight of the two women in the room. He had no plan.

"Oh Lea!" his mother clapped, "I knew you would come to your senses! Now, now! We must commence with the planning of the wedding!" Kairi squealed, instantly latching onto Lea's arm, and bouncing. "Oh Lea-poo-bear! I can't wait! I want pink! Oh! My dress, and the flowers! Oh I can't wait!~! I want everything to be perfect!"

"And I never stopped to reason.."

Zexion sobbed, curling up tighter. Barely a half an hour after Lea and left, the guards had come. The guards had just left an Order sent from the Queen.. He was to be executed for treason against a member of the Royal family. Zexion felt as if he couldn't breathe, his lungs taking in no air as he clutched the parchment in his fist. It was signed by the Queen herself.. a-and h-his Lea..

"I should have known there'd be a price to pay."

Lea merely stood there, not reacting or saying a word. It didn't matter anymore, nothing mattered. Their words floated around him, not making an impact at all. Lea only nodded to everything they said, no fight left in his bones. He was a shell of a person, no cocky attitude, fiery personality, or witty comebacks...he might as well be dead.

The night slowly faded, Kairi curling up against Lea's side in his bedroom, the purple pillow Zexion use to use thrown out, replaced with a frilly pink.. thing. "It's supposed to make sure I don't have bed head!" Her high-pitched voice replied.

As Kairi soon fell asleep, the sun slowly, ever so slowly rising in the sky, birds chirping and the sound of merry Wonderlandians dancing to the news of their Prince's engagement.

Sleep had evaded Lea all night long, his mind blank, save for memories of Zexion. All through the night as Kairi's light snores filled the air, she'd touch his side and it felt like ice piercing his skin; not like the warmth Zexion always held. As Lea slipped out from her clutches, steady, urgent knocks pounded on the door, not alarming him as it always had. Striding over, he opened it, raising an eyebrow at the head guard.

"Sir, the execution is about to begin. Your presence is required." Was all the guard said as he turned on heel and marched away, hands behind his back. "Baby?.." Kairi mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her eyes, adjusting the top of her frilly pink chiffon nightgown.

"Some day, some day.."

Lea couldn't scream, couldn't say a word, couldn't even breathe. He hadn't signed a damn thing that had involved an execution, so why was there one scheduled, no one was in the cells. His eyes widened when his thoughts finally cought up to him. 'Except for Zexion.'

Lea yanked his body toward the side, grabbing a deep maroon trench coat. The chill of the morning air cuts right through his shirtless torso and sweat pants. The cloak flutters behind him as he rounds the corners and ducks through the right rooms. He knew if he took the normal way, he'd end up on the balcony with his Mother. No. He wanted to be right on the ground.

Light peaks through the door ahead of him and he pushed himself to go faster. Voices fall silent outside the corridor, and fear made him throw the door open. Loose stones dug into the bottoms of his bare feet, nothing compared to the ache of his heart if he lost Zexion.

Zexion was pushed down onto his knees, his head hung as tears trickled from his eyes. 'Lea.. Lea.. why did Lea sign the paper.. did he hate me that much after last night?..'

Zexion pressed his head against the block, wincing as the executioner moved his hair, to be able to get at his neck.

His heart broke even further as he lifted his eyes and looked around. Lea.. Lea.. His mind couldn't get off those bright, breathtaking green eyes, and the fire red hair he would comb his fingers through.

Lea..

"Any last words?" The executioner spoke gruffly. "Lea.. please.. d-don't hate me.."

The soft spoken words had reached Lea's ears. All he had to do was make it up the steps to the platform and halt everything. But he didn't think that brute would stop for him, no, he'd have to do more than just stand there tapping his foot.

Lea's feet smacked against the stones, the crowd's eyes slowly locking onto his sprinting form. Just as he reached the top, the large ax is raised, ready to drop at any second.

"I give myself very good advice.

But I very seldom follow it.

Will I ever learn to do the things I should?..

Will I ever learn, learn to do the things I should?"

~8~6~8~6~8~

And just because we love you guys, we gave you two extra paragraphs from where we wanted to end it.. but cut the chapter like.. a thousand words short.. and least that is two in one night!

Now, it is 2:54 am, and I have digitgrade stilts to finish tomorrow! It's AMLF, and I am -out-. Literally.. no, really. I am out. And wow.. one quick note.. our characters scream a lot.. and are very exaggerated.. obviously.

.-AMLF, PyroAhlex.

Please review?