Soo sorry it took my so long to update T-T School and finals were to blame for my story's absence, but I hope this makes up for it ^^

This is ubber long, but I always go over than what I wanted at first, almost all the time, so I hope you like this chap anyway. By the way, the romance will come soon, just be patient because I got a plot ^.~ Everything will fall into place as the story progresses; can't rush a good story right? But their is something in here that you might like ^^

(Disclaimer: Look in first chapter)

A Long Day

Axel forgot what he was about to do concerning my little wish, but instead we found both of ourselves staring at the blue eyed pale boy who we encountered earlier. His right long black bang covering his right eye, only showing the other filled with what appeared to be scorn like we were the bird poop on the porch. My eyes were ample in unexpected surprise from his presence, then, his narrowed eyes turned to Kale on side of us, speaking in a stern, husky voice.

"Kale why are these people here?"

Axel huffed, directing my attention to him and back at the pale boy. "Hah, nice to meet you to chirpy," Axel mocked in sarcasm. "Hmm…" the pale boy said, eyeing Axel and then back at Kale, waiting for an answer. One would have figured that he didn't want Axel and me to come in the house. But what if we didn't want that in the first place?

'Hmph, so much for the hospitality…'

You could hear the sadness in Kale's voice from the pale boy's actions towards us as he gave a reply, wailing his arms in a pleading gesture. "Keesh don't be like that to my friends who just helped me out just now."

"Friends? You mean the ones who you knocked over in the street earlier?"

Kale grunted. "Geez, yeah and now there my friends," he paused, "and they need a place to sleep for the night," he said, sounding like his request wouldn't get a good outcome. Keesh's jaw clenched, his head tilting to the side on the doorpost as his expression turned into one of drowse. "Did you leave your brain in the trashcan again or are you just crazy?"

My brows went in spirals as my mouth dropped in a little gasp, astonished from this guy's churlish mannerism. I looked and even saw Axel's mouth partly opened, his brows pinched together. "That's so cheeky man," Axel remarked. Keesh didn't even blink his stare from Kale, totally ignoring Axel's comment. My body began to feel warmer in Axel's arms like his body temperature has risen, having me want to shift my legs uncomfortably, but couldn't. Keesh sighed, continuing his vague talk with Kale. "You know mom and dad wouldn't like this anyway…"

Axel groaned as he split the dead conversation. "Eh, I know when were not wanted, we don't need to stay here anyway."

"What!" both Kale and me cried, our heads turning to stare at an offended Axel. There was no way I was going to sleep in the wilderness when I could get a free bed's sleep at a house like this. I would've begged Axel not to give in to that cold-hearted creature, but Kale seemed rather desperate with his own begging streak towards Keesh, hunching his back over in pleas. "But-" Kale began, but was interrupted by a worried shout coming from inside the house.

"Kizuka, who's at the door?" a woman said as I heard paced footsteps forming creaks on the inside floor.

'Kizuka?'

"Is it Kale?" the woman asked. Keesh turned his body to the side while Kale peered inside of the gap of the door where Keesh stood. 'Kizuka must be Keesh's real name, and this is there mom?'

"Uh, there mom?" I mumbled aloud as I stared at the door, waiting for it to open all the way. "How'd you figure?" Axel mocked. Kizuka spoke again as he pulled the door open with his body still turned, talking to who must have been his mother. "Yeah, Kale's back," he turned back at us with his mother in our eye of view, "with some friends."

Standing in the doorway was a lightly tanned woman in a flowered up robe, auburn hair in thick curls, and hazel eyes that could've peered through you in desperation, blocking out the interior lighting of the house. She crossed her arms as if to be cold, smiling a greeting at us before speaking. "Ah, and who is this?"

Kale began before Kizuka could say anything, sounding a bit happier in tone, almost jumping as he stood in front of her. "Mom, this is Deonna and Axel. They both helped me out tonight."

"Oh?" She looked at us from Kale, beaming a genuine smile. "Nice to meat you Axel and Deonna," she said, slightly bowing her head. I hid the sleepiness in my voice as I smiled back with a "hi", while Axel did the same, only giving her a hint of his own weariness. "Ah, nice to meet you to ma'am."

'Wow that was so polite of him.'

"So," Keesh said, turning all our heads at him, almost forgetting he was there in a heartbeat. "How did they help you exactly Kale? What? Did they save you from a heartless by any chance?" he scoffed, crossing his arms as he leaned on the doorpost. My eyes widened as I surpassed a laugh, looking at Axel who had a smirk on his face with his eyes on me as well. 'Oh man, the irony!'

Kale faced Kizuka, fired in smugness as he placed his hands in fists on his hips. "For a matter of fact dark streak, they did save me from heartless!"

Kizuka's eyes popped from his squinting while their mom's eyebrows rose. "Huh?" they both said. Kizuka leaned off the doorpost, skepticism in his speech. "You know I wasn't serious right? Quite playing and tell us what really happened."

"Look at my face," Kale said, pointing at his visage, which showed a silly stupid expression with one eye smaller than the other, "do I look like I'm playing?" I shook as I surpassed a laugh. "Yeah, you heard him, he's dead serious," Axel said. Kale then turned to his mother who started to brag about our victorious win. "Oh mom you should've saw them! They both smashed them up with the most awesome weapons I've ever seen! Axel had one that went on fire and Deonna had a key like sword that defeated a heartless in just a few hits!"

"Oh really?" their mom said as her eyes went wide, covering her mouth in disbelief. "Oh, you saved my son from those creatures?"

"Yeah, you heard the boy," Axel responded. "Oh my gosh, you're not hurt dear are you?" she said, coming up to me. "Me? I'm just fine, just a little tired that's all," I reassured her. She then went back and opened the door for us to enter. "Please do come in, any friends of Kale is welcome here," she said, smiling. "Oh great," Axel said tiredly, "thank you miss." As Axel went inside, I looked at Kizuka who appeared upset, staring at the interior of the home with his arms crossed. My brows furrowed at him as we passed him. 'Such a mean guy…'

The brightness called upon the colored caramel wall and flower paintings that hung from them. There were two couches on the sides of the walls that made something like a right angle to each other, a visible kitchen opposite of us where you could see a door in the back, a staircase on the northern wall, and a rabbit cage next to a closet door on my right. Axel finally put me down when I asked him to a second time. I don't know but I think he liked holding me; sometimes it's hard to know what's on his mind, but he seems to care about my well being, either that or he just felt obligated. The mother told Kizuka to fix the couches for us to sleep on. Anyone could have seen he was unwilling to do so, but did it anyway with only a minimum of complaints.

Meanwhile, I went over to where the rabbit was by the wall; it was a medium sized black rabbit, sniffing up at me from inside the bared cage. For the rabbit, I smiled at its cuteness and stress reliving outward show it displayed as I knelt down to feel closer to it. Just then, it started licking its puny paws to wash its chubby cheeks and rub it ears clean. I could have squealed. "I thought you liked dogs," Axel said, standing on my side, hunched over to see the little fur ball. "For your information, I like all animals," I said. "Yeah, how about the last animals we fought?" I chuckled. "Yeah right, those were the scum to the planet."

I began to wonder what he thought of the rabbit; would he say it was cute or not? Grinning, I turned my head up at him, pointing at the rabbit that started to eat from its bowel. "Don'tcha think she's cute?"

His brows rose at me then at the rabbit, covering his mouth as he cleared his throat. "Well, uh, yeah I guess…" He then stood up straight while I stared back at the rabbit. "But how you know it's a girl?"

Obviously to know whether it was a girl or vice versa, I had to see under its private area. I intently watched it go from one side of the cage to the other, scooping in it multi-colored bedding. I finally found my answer as my brows sunk. "Eh, it's a boy…" He chuckled. "And how do you know that?" I looked back up at him, his arms crossing each other with that stupid smirk on his face. Showing I was not in the mood, I replied, "Axel, don't push it." He then started laughing as I shook my head, tittering a bit myself.

"Okay your beds are ready!" Kale shouted, causing both Axel and me to jump. I stood back up while Axel complained once more as he walked towards the sofa on the right wall, sitting on his couch as he groused. "Have you ever heard of the sentence, 'Silence is golden'?"

"Ha! All my life!" Kale responded. Every ear in this house could've heard this firecracker. I groaned, irritated by how loud he was. "Kale shut up!" Kizuka hollered from the kitchen. "You can't tell me to shut up!" Kale yelled back, going up to the corner of the empty doorpost that lead to the kitchen. I dragged my feet towards the sofa that was perpendicular to Axels couch, and crashed on top of the bed sheets and comfy pillows that was for my use. My feet kicked my shoes off before my body began to shake, then looking for my bag that sat below me on the polished woodened floor. I entirely forgot I packed a scarf in my bags pocket for my hair; don't want my hair to fall out or anything right? I took a red scarf from the bag and tied my hair up, trying to ignore the constant noise in the house by the two brothers arguing.

Axel had a pillow on top of his face as his body faced the ceiling, like the pillow would stop him from hearing the noise. The mother finally stopped them as she came from up the stairs, threatening that they should behave or else they won't get any apple or blueberry pie on the day of some kind of festival. She then came up to Axel and me, asking if we wanted anything, but it was too late for me, because I have just then fallen asleep.

My eyes fluttered open, yawning as I rubbed my eyes to get rid of the crust in my eyelids. Groggily I sat upright on my butt, peering down at the floor as I rubbed my eyes once more, just trying to wake up from my bittersweet sleep. It wasn't that the sofa wasn't comfortable; it sure was better than that stoned boulder back at the coliseum. Another weird dream disrupted my sleepy state last night. That stupid ugly man was there, taunting me, chasing me in a white endless hallway where there were thousands of doors to enter, but not to escape to. He was there in every single one with that sinister smile of his. My brows furrowed, turning towards the window on my right, the soft sunlight peering through the transparent curtain that draped the windowpane, the orange light streaking the floor in a heavenly setting. I shook my head, staring down at my feet as I saw my bag still in its restful place, but a metal silver ornament right beside it. My eyes squinted even more as I reached to pick it up. 'Huh…where this come from…' It felt a tad bit heavy in my palm; a metallic symbol of the outline of a diamond with a long chain dangling at the other end off my hand. My eyes were in a daze, almost forgetting about the dream I had. "This isn't mine is it?" I asked myself. I've never seen it before so I sure knew it wasn't mine, probably the family's wares.

My head swung up at the other couch, wondering what Axel thought of it. To my undoubtedly surprise, Axel's figure was absent to my sight, leaving me a bit wide eyed. "Hmmm where did he go now?" I said, groaning with a heavy sigh. With ornament in hand, I stood up on my two feet, my leg muscles in a slow waking up motion as I went by Axel's couch, setting my hand on its wide arm, wondering what I should now. Then, it finally struck me; the scent of pancakes stuck my nose like a lighting bolt coming from the kitchen. My lips smiled as my eyes closed, a familiar sensation I experienced from life's past. 'Mmm…just like old times with my family…'

Small footsteps coming from the stairs woke my eyes open, swallowing as I clenched the ornament in my hand.

"Whew…" a familiar voice said. My body softened when I saw it was Axel coming in view; his face looked in my direction, appearing happy and at ease with himself. I placed my hands on my hips, my eye squinting in thought. 'What was he doing up those stairs?'

"Oh, hey Deonna," he began as he made it to the last step, grinning at me, "how ya sleep?" He walked up to me before I could answer. "Uh, I slept okay…"

Axel seemed a bit different this morning; his skin glowed with a pleasing smell billowing his body while his cute smile complimented his relaxed face. He appeared, pristine in a sense. "Yeah everyone in this house knew you slept great, with all that snoring that you did," Axel teased, crossing his arms with a smirk. My head shook as I could feel my body become warm, my arms tensely resting at my sides. "I don't snore Axel."

"Hmm, and how do you know that when you can't even hear yourself?" he said with shoulders slumped towards me. Before I could retort, he shot his hands up in surrender. "I was just playing D, chill." My face softened as he gave me a reassured smile, scratching his head as he replied, "But I did hear and see you squirming in your sleep." My eyes grew open as he continued. "I had to shake you a few times to make you stop." My heart throbbed as I nodded, eyeing at the floor. "Oh, I don't remember you waking me up." I looked back up at him. "But anyway, why were you upstairs?"

He then gave me a goofy grin. "Well, this guy finally took a shower, feeling clean like a spruced up shoe," he said, pointing at himself with his thumb. I sputtered a laugh from his corny statement. "What?" he asked. I smiled once more as I gently hit his arm. "That sounded so silly Axel. You're just the man of clichés." He chuckled sheepishly as he looked away, a small blush on his cheeks. My body then turned towards the empty doorpost that led to the kitchen, wondering who was in there making breakfast.

"Mrs. Dean," Axel said, leaning on the edge of the post, "breakfasts ready?" I went alongside side him to see who was in the kitchen; Kizuka was at the stove flipping a brown pancake while the mother was preparing six plates at a well furnished table, a white table cloth clothing it. The kitchen was nice and clean, also with apple and fruit patterns on the pink walls in fluent decoration.

"Ah, yes breakfast is ready," she said, looking from the table at us, smiling genuinely.

'Mmm, I guess I should call her Mrs. Dean then.'

I smiled back. "Uhm Mrs. Dean?" I asked, catching her attention as I stepped inside, "you don't mind if I take a shower do you?" She was putting scrambled and flipped-over eggs on a few plates before I asked, but stopped as she looked up at me. "Of course you can sweetie, how 'bout after breakfast hmm?"

"Sure, I can do that." Kizuka peered back at me curiously, but turned back around without even saying one hello. My face tensed, my lip feeling dry. I wasn't going to stand for people not talking to me in their own home, especially Kizuka. He might've been evil but I didn't care. He should treat his guest accordingly. I tried not to fake a smile as I waved behind his back. "'Morning Kizuka." He didn't turn around but replied with a, "Hi…" I smirked as I went back to Axel at his side, feeling victorious. "Wow you made the loner speak," Axel whispered. I nudged him as he chuckled. "Shut up Axel."

We began to eat breakfast after Kale and 's husband came in from the back door, doing something in their backyard that ended them up in a dirty state. They cleaned themselves up before eating though, which was good to me because I wouldn't feel comfortable eating at a table where their faces were stained in dirt and shirts spotted with grass stains and all that junk. As I ate the cheesy salt-n-pepper eggs, lightly brown pancake and cool delicious applesauce on my flower patterned plate, I learned that this town was an urban harvesting city, where almost everyone had crops to plant, to harvest and to sell in town. Mrs. Dean says that the town can be very prosperous when there is nothing interfering in its food production. It came to my attention that there were heartless in the town, destroying the town crops for their own gain for a few months. They didn't know what caused the increase of the heartless population in town, but they figured that it had something to do with the plants in the ground, because that's where there normally at most of the time; corrupting the crops and taking the hearts of the harvesters. Planters are even afraid to go in their fields of crop because of this. Listening to her and Mr. Dean filled my heart with pity and sympathy for them and the city; it really sucks for them. And what made me feel very bad for them was that every year, they celebrated the harvest they reaped over the year and turn it into a festival of dances and fun at night time, just under a harvest moon. This festival took place tomorrow, and it seemed they wouldn't be able to do it because of the disaster the heartless put upon the town. But the only way they would be able to do it was if the heartless wouldn't mess up this day of remaining crops still present all over. It pretty much brought me to the realization that that was the reason why those crops in the beginning of town were so corrupted in holes and bruises. Even Axel seemed a bit disturbed from the story of the town, sitting beside me as he fiddled with his last remaining scrambled eggs. Then they hit us with the biggest question of all.

"So where you all from?" Mrs. Dean began with a smile, resting her head on her forehand while dangling a syrupy fork in the other, "never seen you two here before."

"Uh," I stammered, eyeing Axel with a turn to see his expression. "Uh, were…"

"Were from out of town," Axel took over, waving his hand, "'way' out of town."

"Oh really?" Mr. Dean asked as he gulped some water. "Yeah, we both just decided to drop in this area for a while," Axel resumed nonchalantly.

"So, you mean from a different world?" We all turned towards Kizuka who sat at the far end of the table, his eyes squinting as he waited for his answer. This is the first time he spoke at the table, which was to everyone's surprise when he finally uttered a word. I looked back at Axel, wondering what he was going to say as my leg began to bounce. 'Should we tell?'

Axel smirked at him. "Heh, how'd you figure?" Kale swallowed some applesauce before shouting in excitement, "You guys are from another world!" His brows were raised with a wide grin on his face like he just discovered a treasure map. "Y-Yeah we are," I said, wanting to be part of the conversation now. "You all know of the other worlds or something?"

"Yeah we do, as well as a few others in town," Mrs. Dean said, "but we try not to tell a lot of people, or else they'll get suspicious in wanting to go to the other worlds," Mr. Dean said, finishing her sentence. I nodded. "Oh…"

'Hmm, like what happened on Destiny islands in the past huh?'

"So why you guys here anyway?" Kizuka asked. "Were here looking for her sis, going to the different worlds 'till she's found," Axel answered for me. "Wow, so like, you guys are going to 'all' the worlds until you guys find her?" Kale asked in wonder. I gulped. "Uh…"

"We'll do what we can until she's found," Axel reassured them. "Oh my dear," Mrs. Dean sympathized, putting a hand on her chest, "I'm soo sorry to hear that." I grinned faintly, glancing at her with my brows curved. "It's okay, thank you. Her names Dawn and she almost looks like me, just that her hairs straight down at her shoulders. Have you seen anyone like that here?"

Mrs. Dean hummed, eyeing her husband to think with her. "Well, we can look around town and stuff if you want to," Kale suggested. We all looked at him. I couldn't hold my smile from anyone now. "Alright, let's do that afterwards Kale," I said. I then faced back at Mrs. Dean. "You don't mind if I shower now do you Mrs. Dean?" She waved her hand at me to go. "Oh sure dear, the bathroom upstairs is down a little hallway, and to your left."

"Great, thank you," I said, scooting from the table with my chair and walking towards the living room. I noticed Mrs. Dean took my plate and hers to place in the sink; I went and grabbed my backpack.

Mrs. Dean came out and told me to follow her upstairs. We went down the hallway up the staircase and into the little bathroom, where she got me a few things to wash up with. I almost forgot of the metallic ornament I had and asked her was it hers. She denied it was hers and told me to ask the others when I was done. I then took my shower; washing my hair, face and brushing my teeth in it to; it always felt good to feel clean when you're on an adventure, especially like mine, and then you smell like watermelon afterwards. When I got out to dry, I put on the body butter and fixed my hair differently this time; instead of setting my pony tail up, I put it down in the back, leaving the leave-in conditioner and some grease to keep it moisten, and used my fingers tips to curl my sides burns in little spirals. The only thing that was now dirty was my clothes, which I was unwilling to put on; a clean body and dirty clothes don't mix; the only thing that I had clean was the underwear I packed in my backpack.

When I went back downstairs, I found Axel on his couch, appearing sleep in the form of a nap; he was lying at the other end where I could see his face, his head on his hand like a cushion, even though he was resting on a pillow anyway. I giggled, walked past him to the other couch and put my bag on it, forcing my scarf in its pocket. "Axel?" I whispered, waiting for him to answer if he wasn't sleep, rubbing my neck from the drips of water rolling down my neck. 'Hmm, guess he really is sleeping this time.' I crept up to him, hunching on my knees and whispered again. "Axel?" He still didn't respond, just breathed softly in his sleep. I was in a daze, finding myself gazing upon his features as he rested like a little child.

His face was clear of any flaws and seemed soft when he was still of no movement at all; even though those purple marks on his cheeks made him look devious, you could see behind those that there was more to what meets the eye, a very caring guy. I started to feel a little warm, smiling to myself at him. I can see why Jian almost fell for him, but she always does that with guys who appears cute to begin with.

'Mmm, he is handsome…and cute to…does he… HOLD ON WAIT A MINUTE!' I straightened myself up feeling stiff, scratching my head as I shook it at the same time. 'Wait a second Deonna, wait a sec…what am I doing? Am I acting like a pervert over him now? I'm not even a pervert to begin with…' I glanced down at him then away at the wall. 'No, I don't like him…I don't! Cute yes, but still…I don't even know how old he is anyway… but why does that matter…'

I sighed, having one more look at him, then having my feet to walk me away to the kitchen, my whole body hot and hyped-up like I came out of a sauna.

As I wiped and rubbed my face from that nervous encounter with a sleeping Axel, I decided to go outside through the back door to see how it was outside, something to change my thoughts. I stood in the screen door, observing the backyard; Kizuka and Kale was on the back patio, watching there parents in the fields of their backyard, reaping the remaining plants they had to use for the celebration that could go sour. My eyes could see that their crops were a little messed up in the process of their plucking; the long green toppings of the vegetables signaling me that they were scattered in different places than the other, while the filled in potholes let anyone know there was altered terrain in the area.

I swallowed, pushing open the screen door while hearing the screech sound, making Kizuka and Kale turn heads at me; Kizuka was wearing the same turtleneck and dark blue jeans and Kale was wearing a blue jumpsuit.

"Hmm…" Kizuka moaned, eyeing me with his blue clear eye as he crossed his arms, while Kale just grinned at me, sitting on the dirty darkened porch playing checkers with oversized black and red checker pawns, whish seemed like he was playing all by himself.

'Whoa checkers? Haven't seen that game in ages…'

"Hey Deonna, wanna play checkers with me?" I smiled at him, kneeling across from him by the wide clothed checker board. "Sure, but I have to say I 'haven't played this game in a while," I reassured him. "Great, that means I'll be able to kick your butt!"

"Hmm, I'll take you up for the challenge," I said with an intense smirking. "You seem to be a worthy opponent," he said as we placed our checkers on our sides, "Keesh is too chicken to play-"

"Shut up Kale…" Kizuka grunted. Kale looked up at him then back down at the game. "Hmph!" We both played checkers for a while before Mr. Dean called Kale to help him in the fields, while Mrs. Dean went pass Kizuka and me into the house, fanning herself from the heat, which I honestly felt exasperating from her body. So now it was just Kizuka and me sitting on the porch, listening to the wind try to go through one of our ears and out the other, save the sun's light and heat trying to burn through the deck's roof over our heads, silently admiring the hard work of the Deans working on their gain in the fields. It felt good sitting on the porch in this warm relaxing setting, but it was hard to share it with a person who seemed emotionless. 'Ugh, I wish Axel would get up already…maybe I should wake him up now anyway…'

My head drifted towards the decorated potted flower pots of different colors, surrounded by crumbs of dirt on the far right side of the elongated patio. 'Hmm, lets see theses babies…' I got up off my butt and started towards the flowers, just until I heard Kizuka's voice call me. "So Deonna, you like this world?"

My feet halted as I turned, not as fast I would normally do though, staring at him with stiff brows. His arms were still crossed, waiting for me to reply. "U-Uh, yeah, I like this world…"

His black long sleeve turtleneck and long dark straight hair was making me feel hot. How could he wear that in this type of weather?

"Hmm…" he tilted his head to the side, his black bang trying to drape his left eye, "even better than your own?" My brows twisted at his weird, contradicting question. This supposed to be tranquil setting was turning into a hard, pointed rock to sit on. This time, my lips faked a grin as I replied, "well, both are very pretty to the eye, but seeing the sunset on the ocean can't really top this to my taste." He grunted, shifting his legs as he looked away towards crops. I heard him mumble something, which I asked to know what he said. He glanced at me then back. "Nothing important…'

"Hmmm," I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ornament to show it to him, "well, have you seen this before? Is it yours?" His head turned back to me then at my hand that held the silver jewel as I stepped closer to him. He shook his head no, turning back around. "No, never seen it in my life."

"You sure, I found it by the couch and I-"

"No," he interrupted in a monotonous voice, "I already said it wasn't mine." His tone got harsher. "So quite bugging me about it and bug Kale." He then looked at me, his brows slightly arched as he stepped past me into the house, the screen door screeching as it hardly closed by itself. My lips felt dry as I was left wide eyed.

"Oookay…"

'Geez someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed, is it always like this for this guy?' I huffed a sigh, turning my body around with my hands behind my back to see Kale running up to me.

"Man, I hope we'll be able to do it tomorrow…" He stopped on the second step up as he looked at me, breathing as he sweated down his face and neck like he was greased all over, a little dirty from the garden work out. My lips pursed as I held my arms across my chest. "I hope you guys are able to do it Kale, sorry about the heartless, but…"

'Maybe there's something I can do about it.'

His hazel eyes bulged like a puppy, begging for a treat. "Hmm but what?"

"Mmm, I don't know, but maybe…since Axel and I are here, maybe we could…"

"We could what?" My sentence paused from hearing that man's voice. "Hmmm?" His gloved hand rested on my head like days of old. My brows sunk as I muffled a groan. My head spun around to peer up at Axel with his brow raised, curiosity in his face of what I was about to say. My expression showed irritation as I replied, "I was just saying maybe you and me could help the town out with the heartless or something."

"Oh?"

"Yeah 'oh'," I turned back to Kale, "well I don't know about you. But I'm going to help this town out with or without your help Axel, you can nap the whole day while I just get stronger."

"Wow, you saying that just makes me want to fight alongside with you."

"Wait a minute, you mean you guys are going to get rid of the heartless for us?" Kale asked, his brows crooked in shock. Axel sighed before speaking, "Yeah might as well since it looks like she's already made up her mind, and who knows, she might need me to carry her again later." I narrowed my eyes at him with my body turned slightly, him giving me a goofy smirk. I rolled my eyes, turning away with a small grin. "Pervert…"

"Ah don't start with that again."

Kale ran pass us into the door, shouting from inside the kitchen. "I'll be right back! Goin' to wash up and come with ya!"

"What?" I muttered. 'Come with us? Is that a bad idea?'

A few minutes past by until Kale met with us in the front of the house. By this time I asked him was the ornament I found his; he denied as well. "It's not mine, just keep it Deonna." I nodded. "All right, thanks," I said putting it back in my pocket. Kale stepped down to the bottom step and turned to look at us, waving his arm in the air in a signal. "Come follow me guys! I know the first place to go!" With that, we followed him out of the housing district.

The grass appeared to leap from the ground, moving to and fro under the bright sunlight's radiance. It was a soft wind my damp hair and skin felt as we strolled farther and farther away from Kale's house, the mild breeze keeping me hyped in coolness. We passed the first house Axel and me saw yesterday on the beginning of the road, three people working on their plants of crop on the side of their house in long straw hats and jumpsuits avoiding the suns exposure. Kale was in front of us in the lead, his hands pressed behind his head as he hummed a tune while Axel was on my right. My head turned to Axel, asking him a question. "Axel? What will happen if you're in the sun for too long?"

He looked at me. "One word: Sunburn…" My expression pinched like I was hurt. "Ouch…that sucks…" He didn't reply, but I decided to carry on the conversation, looking away from him and ahead at the road. "Hmm, guess the sun loves you so much that it just want to give you a mark of its own…" I turned back to look at him with a grin, my hands behind my back as he stared at me with a blank expression like I was bore. "Are you trying to be funny, because if you are you failed." I grimaced, hitting his arm as he rubbed it afterwards with chuckles. "What? I just want this silence to end!"

"And it just did!" Kale exclaimed as he stopped, searching the now apparent tall corn crops on the left of us. My eyes blinked as he checked the area like a squirrel would do looking for nuts. I didn't realize it but he was actually quiet this whole way through until now. 'Hmmm, at least he can keep his mouth shut when there's people around him.' Kale pushed inside yelling, "Come on this way…" Kale directed, speed walking into the corn fields, where there was of little majority to pass through. Axel went before me behind Kale, the corn stalks almost hitting me whenever Axel moved one to the side, which irritated me greatly because now I was beginning to feel hot. Axel then spoke to me. "You ready for this?"

"Yeah…" We finally stopped in the middle of a big gap where no tall stalks stood next to each other, a big clearing where there was only dead yellowed pale grass. "Hmmm…this it?" I asked. Kale knelt down in the center of the clearing while Axel stood next to him; I went to the center with them, trying to see what they were observing. Just then, my heart felt weak, making me feel a bit nauseous in the stomach as I patted my belly.

"I-I think this is it guys," Kale said as I started to put my cloak on from my backpack. "Hmmm," Axel began as he knelt down next to him. "What is it? The grass?"

I almost agreed with him until my eyes saw a change of air around Axel and Kale, like streaks of a gaseous substance was mingling from out of the grass. My hand wiped my forehead, my breathing growing harder as my stomach churned. There backs were to me as they kept kneeling down until Axel pointed something out that I felt was plausible. "Hey, there is something here…wait," he then stood up straight, stomping his foot on the spot, moved to another area, repeating the same thing. "Hmmm…" he brought his hand to his chin as his eyes became small.

"What is it Axel?" Kale asked.

Axel went back to the center, removing some grass from the spot. "There's something here…I can feel it," Axel responded like he was a detective finding a clue. "Yeah Axel do you see that stuff coming out of the ground?" I said going up to him. He stood back up, his arms spread out in a position I've seen him do many times. "Stand back…"

His weapons appeared in flames in his hands as I walked backwards away from him. "Cool…" Kale gawked, running up to the side of me as Axel started tearing the ground in flamed sharp slashes. Kale and me continued to stare at Axel until he finished digging up his little discovery in the ground; purple-blistered bumps poking out of the dirt as he continued to dig it out further.

'What the heck is that?'

Kale spoke my thought in disbelief, though his tone was much louder than mine. "What the heck is that?"

I swallowed, keeping my eyes on the purple bumps that become a whole pie of it, the dirt and grass falling from its corners while some stayed in the cracks. 'Heartless?'

By then, Axel began to attack the purple thing with his weapons when he was able to see it in total view, but stopped in mid-strike, turning at us as he breathed heavily. "Ya'll come here, you need to know this," Axel commanded, his weapons vanishing in his hands. We followed through, standing next to him on his sides. The purple object pulsed like a heartbeat; its hues of purple echoing like a rainbow across its many giant blisters. "You guys take mental notes now because you see that?" Axel pointed, "that's a Shadow Glob, and it attracts different kinds of heartless to the world it's trying to be part of."

"Oh," Kale gaped. "Mmmm…that's different," I looked up at Axel, "so…could that be the reason why there's heartless in the city?" Kale brought his head from Axel's side to peer at me, his eyes in wonder, then at Axel, waiting for him to answer. Axel grinned at me, setting his hands on his hips. "Wow does someone deserve a prize," Axel praised. I grinned, as I looked away at the purple heartless, feeling myself blush in the cheeks. "But, there's something different about this glob," Axel continued, "likes its been mutated or something…"

"Can a heartless mutate?" I asked, looking up at him. He scratched his head in thought. "Maybe they can…but we can't leave this here," he glanced at me saying, "Deonna, finish it off…" Axel told me as he stepped back while Kale did the same. I looked back at them, then at the still heartless which appeared motionless in it devious tactics. My hand tingled, calling my own weapon to spare. My blade went at it, finishing what Axel started. It finally vanished after three strikes as its dark substance went into the air, releasing no heart.

"Alright good job," Axel began while Kale just cheered like a little boy winning a baseball ball tournament. I turned around with a smile about to send my blade away. "Wow! Wow! Deonna, can I see your weapon," Kale asked as he ran up to me, eyeing my Keyblade like a treat. "Uh…sure…"

I handed it to him; he grasped it, but acted like it was too heavy for him to carry in one hand. The blade was in the dirt while the handle was still in his hand, trying to lift it up in the air. "Heh, your so scrawny boy," I teased. "I'm not scrawny, that's just how I appear," he said, finally lifting it with both of his hands.

Suddenly, my ears heard noises close by our stance that I've familiar myself with. I looked from Kale to see Possessors and Scarlet Tangos around us. "Uh great," Axel said, his weapons coming into his hands while his brows furrowed, "Kale get out of here now!"

"Uh…" Kale stammered as he spun his head in all directions, afraid of what to do. I took my blade in sparkles from his hands, and hit a Possessor that was about to jump on Kale; it flew away in the air countering in with my strike. "Kale, beat it before they get you!" I yelled, striking a Scarlet Tango before it threw a fireball at me.

Kale was a Praying Mantis, still as stone until he finally ran out of the battle zone. That made our job a lot easier, killing the heartless was a piece of cake, and there wasn't that much of them. I could tell I've gotten stronger; all that training did pay off, making me more proud of what I can achieve in this town. When we were done, we searched for Kale out of the stalks and out near the road; he wasn't there. My breathing got heavier as I worried for Kale's sake. "Great, where'd he go now?" I asked Axel, staring at him as I saw his forehead oily in sweat. "We did tell him to hide," Axel answered, scratching his head with no clue in his mind.

We both then heard Kale's voice. "I'm here guys!" Kale popped out of the stalks on the other side of the road, running up to us, as he appeared to be out of breath. "Uh, I-I'm sorry for not moving w-when ya'll told me to," his head dropped with downcast eyes, "I was just…"

"It's alright, know harm done, you were just scared that's all," Axel said with understanding, having Kale look up in surprise. I put my hands behind my back, smiling at Axel's kindness and forgiveness towards Kale. Axel saw me staring at him, making him appear doubtful and embarrassed. "What? Stop staring at me!" My hand reached my mouth as I giggled. "You're freaking me out!" Axel said excitedly as he started to walk away, his face red all over. "Ha ha!" I laughed as Kale and me ran up to Axel.

Kale took us to another place where a plantation was on scene growing Pea plants and Cabbage. Kale told us there be heartless in this area, so we all searched for the main source; surprisingly I found it on the side of the big house that owned the crops. Wherever those boys were, I yelled for them so that they could hear that I found it, but just then, a few heartless came up behind me. They were those spiders heartless, about three of them this time. I took them out myself, but Axel jumped in to help out while Kale hid behind the corner, cheering for us quietly. After that, I destroyed the Shadow Glob.

We then went somewhere else, closer to the shops but not in the shopping district where the people were and found a few Heartless and Shadow Globs nesting in the shadows. We got rid of them, hardly breaking a sweat. Then we went this way and that way, here and there; I was starting to feel tired of this, but I did volunteer right? Axel's body even began to feel dragged, complaining about wanting to take a nap. People saw us taking out the heartless, cheering us in 'oohs' and 'awes' like we were from a circus. It did bother me that I was being watched by the people who started following us like stalkers. I didn't want the attention and so didn't Axel, who tried to figure out a way to get rid of the crowd. Kale, on the other hand embraced it, bragging about us being his friend and how cool we were.

As irritated as I was, I would've slapped him, but I couldn't even do that since I wasn't a violent person, so I just let Axel take care of Kale who threatened we would ditch him and leave him alone when the heartless came up; Axel was partly joking, but Kale took him serious and stopped encouraging the people to follow them and told them to go away, which hardly even worked. Kale took us to one more place, which was the entrance into and out of town, walking near the messed up crops I've seen before entering the city. Axel found the Shadow Glob that was buried in a pothole and destroyed it. That was all the places Kale took us to, which was a relief to both of us because we were tired. We went back to town while the little crowd of people still followed us, stalking us like lions and tigresses. There were people walking about, staring at the crowd and at us, wondering what we were all doing.

I turned to Axel who looked annoyed in the face, telling him what I was about to do as I ignored the crowed eyes. "Axel, I'm going to go into that store over there alright?" I said, pointing at a glass widow across the street from us that sold clothes where teenagers were coming in and out of. Axel stopped walking, making me stop with him, totally forgetting that Kale was walking further and further away from us up ahead. "Eh? You're going to shop?" Axel asked looking at me, hearing doubtfulness in his voice. "Do you got any munny?"

I grinned. "Yeah, all those heartless be dropping some neat stuff y'know?"

'And maybe somehow I could lose the people following me by going into the store…'

Axel turned his body at me as he crossed his arms, eyeing me up and down. My brows twisted, crossing my arms as well. "What?" Axel shook his head, smirking as he licked his dry lips. "Yeah, you definitely need more clothes because those are dirty, like you were bathing in mud." I groaned and gave him an evil eye.

'Yeah, I guess they're that bad, but I was hot in that cloak…'

Axel sighed, tiredness in his voice as he walked past me saying, "I'll come with you to, I doubt the store manager would allow stalkers in his store…" I grinned even more as I followed him, entering the little clothing store.

There were a few people in the shop searching the racks for different shirts and pants, going to the changing rooms, paying for their selected wear at the register, talking to others they just met or already knew. The atmosphere was better than being outside where the weird people were giving us owl eyes through the window view outside. Axel chuckled at them, amused by their persistence. "Pfft, freaks…"

"Oh really?" I began, flipping my hands through a few clothes. "I can almost recall you doing the same thing to me." I turned my head at him with a tilt to see his body tensed standing on the side of me, stiff at my statement before replying, "Shut up…"

"Hmph, you can't tell an adult to shut up," I giggled, giving my full attention back to the clothes. "Yeah? You're not even an adult yet missy."

"Oh, yes I am, I saw the calendar in the kitchen and it's my birthday today," I said, boasting without even realizing it. Axel didn't say anything after that, so I looked back at him to see his arms crossed, a nice sweet smile on his face. "Wow time flies, at first you were seventeen and now you're eighteen…"

"Ha ha!" I laughed, "you're beginning to sound like you raised me yourself."

"Heh, I practically am am I?" I rolled my eyes at him as my head shook, grinning as I walked away to another rack on my right.

"Well congrats, want me to get you anything?"

"Mmm, well…" I began, eyeing a white colored turtleneck, "I don't really care if you do or not…" I then looked at him then away when I saw how confused he was.

"Hmmm? Why don't you care?"

"Well, people should give presents through out the year, not just on birthdays or Christmas. Its like an obligation or something to me…like they have to even if they don't want to…" I swallowed, rubbing my neck as I watched two adult women go by. "Hmmm…that's an interesting view…" I avoided Axel's face, finding some really cute black cargo pants. Axel then said something that interested me. "Deonna wait right here, I'll be right back," Axel said, making me turn to see him walking out of the store.

'Huh? Where's he going now…oh wow, the people are following him…'

It was mostly the teenage or young adult women following him who made me feel a bit on edge. The guys were looking at me like dogs on a toy ball, which I grimaced at, bringing my eyes back on the girls and Axel. 'Stupid girls, got nothing better to do than to stalk a cute tall guy…' My eyes widened, slapping my forehead at my idiocy. 'Great there I go again about Axel…what's wrong with me…?'

I groaned, watching Axel exit out of my sight along with his stalker wannabe friends. I turned back to the rack, going to another one, beginning to feel infuriated as I clutched a red V-neck, wrinkling it up.

My mind couldn't hardly focus as I began to wonder what did Axel thought about those girls; they were pretty enough for him, but it's not always about looks, that I knew. 'Am I pretty to him though?'

My heart raced at the thought. 'Oh no…what does this mean?' I shook my head, rubbing my face. 'No no! Why do I care anyway! I don't like him at all! I don't! Hmph, besides, Axel doesn't even seem interested in them…'

Remembering how Axel reacted earlier to the crowd and the girls made me feel almost better, until I turned my head at the window and saw how the girls were all over him, trying to touch his hair and his cloak as he tried to get into the store while he was yelling at them to leave him alone. My heart stopped as my body went limp. 'Oh my gosh! Perverts!'

I ran up to the door to save him. I really had an urge to yell in the store, but that would've been soo embarrassing. Before I made it to the door, the store manager went to the entrance before me out of nowhere, calling off the stalking cult to exit the area around his store. Axel finally came in, exhausted and red all over in anger or in blush, while Kale came in behind him; we totally forgot all about Kale. Axel looked back at the window with his brows arched, annoyed with what just happened to him before I spoke. "Man, that looked really bad. What were they doing molesting you?" I asked in concern, partly joking at the same time.

Axel turned to me, his nostrils puffed as he breathed, his bows droopy in weariness. "I think they were," Kale said, making us all glance at him stupidly. 'What?" he asked crossing his arms. Axel rolled his eyes at him, finally looking at me. "There animals I tell yea, crazy psychos who have hormonal unbalances," Axel said rather calmly than expected.

"Yeah, that's what I call complicated," I mocked with a chuckled. Axel shook his head unamused, making me go silent as I rubbed my arm. 'Bad time huh?'

Axel continued, "And those guy who kept staring at you…" he shook his head once more, "their dogs, stay away from them."

"Heh, it's alright, I know how to take care of myself," I said with a smirk, crossing my arms, "I'm not stupid."

Axel's cool expression turned into a warm one, smiling at me as he brought his hand from behind his back, which I just took notice of right now. "Yeah, I know your not…" Out came a blue wide Popsicle from behind his back, and another in his other hand. "Hey is that…?" I pointed as Axel handed one to me. "Yeah, Sea-salt ice cream. Got it memorized?" I took it from his hand, licking the cold Popsicle for a tasty salty taste. "See, I can give you anything throughout the year, you just wait," Axel said, smirking with his mouth on the top of his Popsicle, winking at me. I grinned as I licked my lips from the ice cream, my eyes falling to the blue patterned carpet to avoid his gaze.

"Hey! I'm going to get one to!" Kale said, speeding out the door. Axel and me both shook our head, laughing afterwards since we were thinking the same action.

"Hey Axel, I'm going to get these…" I said, taking his hand, directing him to the rack I was before he left. When we made it to the clothes, I pulled out ones I liked the best; the white short sleeved turtleneck and the black cargo pants. I held them both in my one free hand for Axel to see while I licked on my ice cream with the other. "See? Whada'ya think?" I asked with a smack.

Axel sucked on his ice cream, leaving it in his mouth to take the clothes by the hangers for examination. His brows rose as he hummed. "Hmmm…thay lool nice," he muffled, still with the Popsicle in his mouth. I smiled as I grabbed them from his hand. "Good thanks." My head spun towards the changing rooms, wondering should I try them on before buying them. I turned back to Axel to see him gazing at me interestingly, licking his treat like he was waiting for me to say something else to him. "Uhm, I'm going to try these on Axel, so can you my hold bag?" His shoulders shrugged, tilting his head as he agreed. "Yeah, sure…" I gave it to him as I rushed towards the changing rooms on the eastward wall, still with the half-eaten Popsicle in mouth and clothes in hand.

My eye spotted a free one where a few chairs was opposite to it, but that was how all them were; I entered that one. It took me no time at all to change since I couldn't wait to see how they looked on me, even managing to keep the clothes unstained by my Popsicle with cautiousness. As soon as I had them on, I darted myself to the door mirror, finally finishing off my treat with a bite. My eyes resting on the other person in the streak-cleaned mirror, I beamed myself a smile, satisfied with what I had on to show in front of Axel…oh and Kale. A white short-sleeved turtle neck, complementing the black four-pocket Cargo pants with a design zipper above the hem on the left leg; I looked so cool…well that was just how I felt, which was a good thought to think about yourself anyway.

I turned to my side in profile, holding my stomach in to get a good view of my backside; I smiled even more, seeing how well it went with my shape from this view; my mother gave my sister and me 'back' and hips, saying how it made us or any body with a nice butt look good in the clothes, and I had to admit I had it alright.

My body then turned and twisted in different angles until I heard Axel from out of the stall. "Stop admiring yourself and get out here already!" Axel said not too loudly, just outside of my door for me to hear.

I groaned as I rubbed my hair back, touching my curly tips nervously. My hands reached for my other clothes that sat lumped on the bench to my left and opened the stall doorknob rather slowly, swallowing hard as my head poked out. Axel and Kale were sitting on the chairs, Kale eating his Sea-salt ice cream, boredom in their expressions until they saw my head out of the door. I grinned sheepishly when I saw Axel smiling at me, forcing myself to come out with my old clothes behind my back. Both of their eyes went big when I spun around, showing off my clothing to them in a boasting fashion. "So, what you guys think?" I asked, placing my hand on my hip with a stop, "do I look cool or what?"

Axel stood up off the chair, his eyes admiring my physique as I tried hiding how mortified I was by him. Axel grinned at me with his brow raised about to say something but Kale cut in, jumping up from his chair. "That's really nice on you Deonna, sorta different from the girls style here," Kale complimented, sucking on his Popsicle with a cheesy grin. "Yeah, I like your style D," Axel said smirking, patting my shoulder. I covered my mouth, giggling to myself with shyness. "Thanks guys…"

Behind Axel's chair, my eye spotted a rack that sold sunglasses, making me smile menacingly. "Hmmm?" Axel moaned as he looked behind him to see what I was staring at, but I already walked passed him towards the rack. A small black pair of sunglasses grew interest in me, having my hand reach for that dazzling pair of wear and put it over my eyes. Everything was darkened in my view as I turned back around, finding Axel and Kale behind me; Axel was staring at me with a smirk on his lips. I shot him a smug grin, posing with my arms crossed like I was all that, trying to look 'cool'.

"Don't hate 'cause I'm cool yo…" I joked, trying to keep my face in a stoic, cool expression.

Kale busted up laughing; almost dropping his half-eaten ice cream while Axel gaped at me with wide eyes, his mouth partly open in a smile. "Oh!" Axel's eyebrows rose in surprise as he crossed his arms at his chest, "so you must think you're cooler than me huh?"

"Heh…I know I am."

Author's note:

* You got designer shades,
just to hide your face and
you wear them around like
you're cooler than me.
and you never say hey,
or remember my name.
its probably cuz,
you think you're cooler than me*

I like that song soo much ^^

Just a thought, but I was wondering do you guys like the long chapters or not? If so than I'll feel more comfortable when I make a chapter that's longer than expected ^^

Review please 3