AN: Oh my moogles and ice cream, and update!!!!!!

It has been six months since my last update for this story. I reread the entire story, and i think i can write it better, so i am doing a rewrite. But while we wait on that, i thought i'd give you another chapter. So here it is...

Once Upon a Midnight Dream

Chapter 7

When we arrived in Zexion's bedroom he threw me onto his bed, effectively making my head hit the wall. Thank the higher powers that I have big hair to soften the blow. "What the hell!?" I exclaimed.

"Where were you?!" He shouted.

"Where was I when?" I had no idea what he was talking about. He obviously knew where I was, or he wouldn't have come to the school looking for me.

"When Roxas was sleeping and attacked by hundreds of heartless. He could have been killed!"

My heart sunk. Roxas had been in trouble. I couldn't believe I had messed up this bad. "But I didn't know he was sleeping." I was so interested in seeing him in the real world that I'd forgotten to keep an eye on the dream world. I clutched uselessly at my chest as it continued to ache in pain. I must be dying, nothing else could hurt this bad.

"That's why we don't go into the real world. That's why we stay in dreams. We feel their presence immediately in dreams, and can get to them right away. In the real world we have no knowledge of where they may be or what they're doing. What's wrong with you?" Zexion finished his lecture, while I clutched harder at the agonizing pain in my chest and curled into a ball on his bed.

"I don't know. I just wanted to know him in his world. I didn't even think about him being able to fall asleep in school. What if he had died? Xemnas would have killed me and I'd deserve it. I'm such an ass." I mumbled into the bed. I would have to stop going to school now. Not that it matters anymore, Roxas won't talk to me. Shit! My chest, what god would create such a pain?!

"I didn't mean what's wrong with you because you weren't' there," Zexion sat next to me and wrapped his arm around me. "I meant why does it look like you're in excruciating pain?"

"Oh, um…yeah, I think I'm dying."

"We're immortal."

"Well, I can't imagine a pain worse than this, so I assume its death." Zexion looked at me carefully from where I was desperately clutching my chest to the water forming in my eyes again. He placed one of his hands over the hand that was clutching my chest.

"What happened? I shrugged and gave him an 'I don't have a clue what you're talking about' look. "From what I've gathered from all the reading I've done, I would assume what you are feeling is an emotion generally known as heartache: A result of loosing someone close to you. So what happened, Axel?"

"Roxas and I aren't friends anymore. His mom told him not to talk to me and he's obeying her. Could that be it?"

"I'd say there's a very good chance of that. You've really fallen hard for him Axel."

"I've never cared about any of my other assignments. Why do I care so much about him, I hardly know him?"

"I don't know; emotions are something I don't understand. I've never used them before, and I honestly can't say I understand why anyone can feel so much for one person. But you seem to love, maybe, Roxas. Based on your past behavior I would have to say you care about him at least a little, because normally your charges don't live more than a week. And I could say you're just worried about yourself, and the consequences of failing yet again. But that doesn't matter. Xemnas always threatens to kill you if you fail, but he never does. Honestly, I think he secretly likes your rebellious nature because it gives him a challenge and someone to yell at. But that's off topic. I can't help you with the why of it, but I can say this. Even though he won't' talk to you in school, you can still see him in his dreams. You still have to protect him. So he isn't completely lost to you."

"I'm not going back to school, there's no reason to. And I still plan on stalking him in his dreams, but Zexy, it's not the same. Zexy, in dreams everything is diluted. It's like, Roxas is there, but I can only see him as he sees himself, and I can't touch his skin and feel the softness of it, not like I can in real life. I can't pay attention to him, and him alone; I always have to look out for heartless. Dreams are just shades; it's not the same as the real thing. And now I'll never be able to see him the way I love to see him, the way he truly is, because I'm not going back."

"But you love the real world." Zexion said.

"It won't be the same without Roxas, added to that I almost let him get killed because I wasn't searching for his dreams because I was giving a speech. Sure I'll miss Demyx…"

"Who is Demyx?" Zexion interrupted.

"The adorable blond you were eye raping. Don't look at me like that! I saw you staring!"

"I wouldn't do something so indecent; I was just studying your friend."

"Friend, singular, as in he was the only one at the table with me?" I asked, the pain in my chest receding for a moment as I laughed.

"Yeah." Zexion stated matter-of-factly.

"Zexy, there were two other guys at the table with us, who you seem to have completely overlooked." I cracked up while Zexion glared at me.

"If there were other people at the table I would've noticed, Axel." Zexion said indignantly.

"Not if you're too busy undressing Demyx."

"Axel, does that sound like something I would do?"

"No. That's what makes it so fucking funny. Just in case you care, and I'm sure you don't, he has my approval. Demyx is good people."

Zexion smacked me in my newly bruised head. "No, I don't care, because I'm not looking to do anything with him because I wasn't eye raping him!"

"You're getting very defensive Zexy-poo." I smirked.

"Ugh, get out of my room!" Zexion yelled. "I was trying to help you feel better, but you have to be a child!" Zexion raised his voice as he grabbed my wrist and attempted to force me out of his room.

"Wait Zexy," I used a hand, strategically placed on the door frame to keep him from pushing me out. "I'll behave; just don't make me leave, please." I begged. I wasn't ready to leave. I could still feel the ache in my chest and for some reason talking to Zexion seemed to help it.

"Fine! As long as you are quiet and pay attention to Roxas. The heartless drained him quite a bit before I got to him. That means he'll be feeling drowsy. So watch him!" He pointed a finger in my face.

"Is he okay?"

"He'll be fine."

"Thanks to you."

"Thanks to me."

oOo

After school, where I had spent most of the day sleeping in the nurse's office, I returned home. My mother assumed I'd ignored her and proceeded to beat me, even though her assumption was wrong, and I had ignored Axel just like she wanted me to. The next day Axel was missing and the day after that, and the day after that. It was now over a week later and Axel was still missing. He'd only been in my life a few days, but it still felt like part of me was missing. It was like a piece of me had been taken away and now there was a hole that I could not fill until Axel came back. I just felt kind of empty without him.

Lae never failed to appear in all my dreams though, even during small naps. He was always there. And it was nice, I like seeing him, but it also hurt because he reminded me so much of Axel. "Lae?" I asked. We were sitting on the clock tower, with sea salt ice cream in our hands, again. Lae was still wearing his new outfit with his hair tied back, shoving the rest of the ice cream into his mouth.

"Hmm." He said, unable to form words with his full mouth.

"What do you think happened to Axel?"

"Um…" Lae looked up in thought. "Didn't you stop talking to him?"

"Yeah, but not because I don't like him." Does he think it's my fault Axel's gone? If he thinks it, then I think it. Axel left because of me.

"Does he know you still like him?" Lae asked and then his eyes widened like he just realized what he'd implied. "I mean, I don't think it has anything to do with you. His dad probably forced him to move or something." He recovered.

"Hmm…maybe. Lae, when did I tell you Axel lived with his father?" I knew I'd never told him anything about Axel's life. For the most part we'd spent most of my dreams up here on the clock tower, eating ice cream, and talking about me. Occasionally one of those small black things, which Lae had called heartless, showed up but he quickly scared them away. But I was very sure that I definitely didn't tell him about my mom or Axel's father. I wouldn't deny that I told Lae about my dream Axel and what we had done before the heartless showed up. But that was the last time I'd brought Axel up because afterwards Lae began to act strange. So I have no idea how Lae would know that Axel lived with his father, although, Lae said nothing about adoptive father. Maybe I was just overreacting.

"Roxy, Roxy, Roxy," Lae placed an arm around my shoulder and pulled me close, casing moths to fill my stomach, in a way I though only Axel could accomplish. "How many times must I tell you, I am you? What you know, I know."

I was about to accept his answer when I remembered a small detail. "Then why do you always ask me what I want to do. Shouldn't you know? If you really are me, you would know?" Once again I had Lae looking skyward in thought.

"Well…you want many things. I need confirmation on which of those things you want most." Lae said, seemingly satisfied with his answer. Sorry Lae.

"But if you're me, you should know, without question, all of my wants and which wants are most important to me." Then an idea came to me. I had been questioning whether Lae was a part of me or not for a while. It seems like a ridiculous thought, but it just seemed too much of a coincidence to see two men I had made up in my dreams, while I was awake, and to also have my dreams affect me while I was awake. Something weird is going on, and I'm going to prove it. If Lae is me, he'll know the answer. "What is my greatest want, Lae?"

"Um…Axel to be happy." Lae answered. Damnit! But I told him that once before, haven't I! He may just have a very good memory.

"What is my aunt's name?" I asked confidently. Lae, who had been watching the sun rise, turned to look at me. He had no idea. I could tell. The truth was written all over his face. He turned away for a moment, sighed, turned back, and smirked.

"The sun's up." He continued to smirk. "It's time to wake up Roxas." As soon as the words were said I was lying awake in bed. It happened just like when the blue haired man had done it. Lae and the blue haired man had both said 'time to wake up' and I just woke up. Added to that, Lae didn't answer me.

I smiled as I sat up in bed. I was definitely right. Something weird is going on, and I wanted to get to the bottom of it. I was going to figure this out one way or another. I have to talk to Demyx.

oOo

Shit, shit, shit, shit. The word ran through my head repeatedly as my feet pounded against the floors of Castle Oblivion. When I arrived at Zexion's room I shoved the door open, and found it completely empty. "Damnit!"

"Axel." A cruel voice sounded behind me. I slowly turned around to see the only father I'd ever known. We were about the same height so his intense eyes easily glared directly into mine. He looked angry, as usual, and I had no idea what I'd done. I've been watching Roxy twenty four seven, just like the obedient little dream guardian I'm not.

"Xemnas." I said with distaste. Then his fist painfully met the side of my face, and I corrected myself "Sir." I didn't have time to challenge him as I normally would.

"I was coming here to compliment you on your good behavior. But now you've angered me. I am always 'Sir' to you. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir." I drawled. "Sir?"

"What Axel?"

"May I continue what I was doing?"

"Slamming open doors?" Xemnas raised his pale brows.

"I need to talk to Zexion."

"Fine." Xemnas shrugged me off before walking away, no doubt to yell at the other dream guardians. Seriously the man wasn't happy unless he was yelling.

As soon as Xemnas disappeared down the hall, I began running towards the kitchen in the hopes of finding my blue haired friend. "Zexy!" I called as I turned the corner into the room.

"No, do I look like a man to you?" Larxene growled at me while piercing me with her green eyes.

"You're a girl?!" I commented and ducked as a knife was thrown at my head landing in the wall behind me.

"Hey now, I won't have you treating my girlfriend like that." Marluxia walked away from the stove he was cooking at and up to Larxene. He then wrapped an arm around her and gave me a smug look.

I quickly threw both of my hands over my mouth in faux shock. "Oh my God!" I let my hands fall, "You're a lesbian Marly? I never knew!"

"Let's kill him." Larxene said as her kunai knives appeared in her hands. Marluxia nodded, bringing his scythe to his own hands.

"Yeah, I've never liked him." He agreed as they advanced upon me. Honestly, how could Zexy and I be the only ones who knew we had emotions? I mean, those two girlies are dating, and apparently they weren't ready have everyone know, and now they want to kill me. That's a fair bit of emotion right there.

"What's going on here?" I heard a lovely voice behind me.

"Zexy! Did you know Larxene and Marluxia are lesbians?"

"They both have to be women to be lesbians Axel." Zexion explained as the other two fumed a mere feet away from me.

"Oh yeah, I know, but get this, Larxene is apparently a woman. Isn't that somethin'?"

"Oh, huh? Really? Well then," Zexion clapped his hands together as a smile crossed his face, "Castle Oblivion has its first lesbian couple. We should celebrate." I love my best friend. Only Zexion would play along with me. Larxene let out a fierce growl before the two attacked and Zexion yelled, "Run!"

Sure we could easily defeat these angry lesbians, but Xemnas would be pissed. So we ran, allowing them to take the blame even though I had been the one who started it. As all four pairs of feet pounded through the halls of Oblivion I spoke to Zexion. "Zexy," I looked behind making sure we were still relatively safe. "I really need to talk to you."

"While the lesbians are chasing us with weapons?" He asked as we turned a corner and ran right into Xemanas and his pet, Saíx. They both looked like they were ready to kill me, but Zexion quickly went into action. "Superior!" He said dramatically while continuing to sound void of emotion. It was quite a talent. He then grabbed my wrist and dragged me behind the two furious men who seemed to want me dead. "Superior, the lesbians are chasing us with their weapons drawn. Axel and I, we've done nothing to deserve this behavior."

"Lesbians?" Saíx asked.

"Their weapons are out?! Marluxia! Larxene! Do I need to remind you of the rules I have set forth in this castle?!" Xemnas yelled before turning the corner where I can only assume he would release his wrath upon the first lesbian couple in Castle Oblivion. Saíx gave us one more icy glare before following his 'master'. He tended to be quite the obedient one. I think that's why Xemnas likes him so much. He could get anything he wanted from that adorable little puppy. Did I say adorable, I meant terrifying beast. Honestly, he doesn't scare me much. I always won when we fought as kids, but on to more important things.

"So, you, me, talkie, now." I demanded before dragging Zexion back to his room.

AN: Like I said, I will never give up on a story. All of them will get finished. So, it's been a six month wait, but I finally gave you a new chapter and attempted some humor.

Apparently this chapter, up to the part where Xemnas appears, has been in my notebook for the entire six months, sorry about that. I had no idea it was there. And I kind of forgot what direction I was going in for this story, so it now has a newish one, but I still like it.

It will be undergoing some rewriting but I will also be uploading new chapters hopefully. I think I'm uploading for four stories now, and I'm writing about 7 or 8. Oh, and school is starting again.

Anyway, thanks for all reviews, favs, and alerts. And for all of those who have remained patient while waiting for this chapter, and those who have not given up on this story.

Final note: Axel and Zexion are both aware that Larxene is a girl and that Marluxia is a boy, they were just having fun. (just to make things clear).

Thanks again for reviews, favs, and alerts, I appreciate them.