Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square Enix and Disney.

This chapter includes: AkuRoku; Cleon; small, angry, hairy men and bad casting. You've been warned.

Chapter One: 'X' In The Sky

Once upon a time there was a King and a Queen. They wished, more than anything, for an heir to the throne but sadly their sexuality made it impossible. The couple sat on the windowsill overlooking the courtyard one sunny Spring afternoon. The Queen sighed sadly.

"What's wrong, Leon?" The King asked, holding his husband's hands in his.

"I wish that I could give you an heir, Cloud. If only I - "

King Cloud placed his finger to Leon's lips. "Don't make wishes lightly," he reminded, "you never know which ones will come true."

Leon nodded and Cloud removed his finger. "You're right," Leon went back to looking out the window. After a few moments of silence Leon looked back at the King. "I wish," he paused and gave a pointed look to Cloud to make sure he'd be allowed to continue, "that your son have eyes like the clear sky and hair like sunbeams. Just like you."

"My son?" Cloud asked. "Don't you mean our son?"

"It can't be both of ours and for it to be an heir it would have to be yours. We'd, of course, raise it like ours though."

"Of course," the couple embraced, "we should look for a surrogate as soon as possible."

So they Royal Family called far and wide over Radiant Garden for a woman with genes recessive enough to carry a likeness to the King. They searched for many weeks until, finally, a tall, red-haired, green-eyed woman approached the castle. The woman, Aerith, bore the King's child before going on a homophobic rampage, committing the murder-suicide of Leon and herself.

The boy's eyes were blue like the clearest sky and his hair was as golden as sunbeams. Cloud named him after the sky but added an 'x' since the sun is like a mark in the perfect blue. The result was 'Roxas'.

Cloud mourned for five years before hiring a nanny to replace the mother-figure in his son's life.

The nanny, Sephiroth, was extremely patient with the rebellious Prince. He was always able to, eventually, coax the boy to sleep or a bath or whatever the situation was.

Sephiroth, however, grew tired of Roxas over the years. He was afraid of the King's wrath so never complained out loud of the Prince's antics. Although he was a renowned caregiver Sephiroth had growing troubles with Roxas. By the time Roxas reached his sixteenth birthday, Sephiroth had decided to get rid of the Prince once and for all.

While the boy was out in the forest Sephiroth called his finest woodsman into his chambers.

"Demyx," he said, "go out into the woods and kill Prince Roxas. You are to tell no one of my orders and I want the boy's heart as proof."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Demyx was loyal to the King and was uncomfortable with ever being charged with working for Sephiroth.

"Do as I say; now go," Sephiroth watched as Demyx scurried out before removing a cloth hanging from the wall to reveal a large, obsidian mirror. "Luxord, Luxord, on the wall; heed now, my anxious call; who's the most irritating of them all?"

Slowly a face became clear in the dark mirror. The face's beard twitched as it woke up. A hand slapped up on the other side of the mirror, sticking a card on it. The Joker remained when the hand came away and Luxord yawned. "You," he answered, "Joker, for waking me up."

Sephiroth raised his eyebrows and stared at the mirror, trying to intimidate Luxord.

It, apparently, didn't work since Luxord shrugged and the card disappeared. "Your true nuisance," he continued, "is the Prince."

Sephiroth waved his hand over the glass and it went dark again.

Roxas was walking down the path when he heard a rustle in the trees behind him. He'd been picking blackberries and his face and hands were stained, which caused Demyx to startle when Roxas faced him.

"Demyx?" Roxas put another berry into his mouth. "What's up?"

"Sephiroth," he panted, "he wants...me to...kill you," Demyx hunched over with his hands on his knees.

Roxas' eyes widened. "What?"

"Yeah. He never did like you but I guess he's finally snapped."

"So wha-what should I do?"

"Run," Demyx urged. "Run as fast as you can. I'll do my best to trick him but just get out of here," Roxas, shocked, didn't move. "Go!"

The boy turned on his heel and ran. The forest nicked his face and arms, his lungs burned and he felt his feet would give out under him but still Roxas ran.

Eventually he tripped on a root and fell on his face but instead of landing in dirt he landed on soft grass. Roxas looked up to see a clearing and on the opposite edge of the clearing stood a small cottage. The Prince stumbled over to the door and knocked frantically.

"Let me in," he shouted, "please; my nanny is going to kill me," but no one answered the door. Looking in through the windows Roxas realized that no one was home. Trying the door, he found that it was unlocked so he went inside. They shouldn't mind, he thought, since I'm the Prince.

Inside there were seven small beds all lined up in a row. Roxas, being small himself, only took up two when he laid down on them. If only this place were cleaner, he thought, then I might be able to sleep. Ironically, this was the last thing he remembered thinking before falling asleep.

Roxas woke up by being beaned on the head. Startled, he sat up and covered his eyes to shield them from the sun that was streaming through the trees. He noticed that the sun was setting.

"Hey!" Roxas looked down to see seven small men standing around the beds that the Prince was occupying.

"Do you all live here?" Roxas asked.

"Yes," one of them said. He had long, black hair and looked particularly angry. "Who are you?"

"I'm Prince Roxas," the boy replied.

A periwinkle-haired dwarf looked surprised and bowed a little. "Your Highness," he said quietly.

"We're glad that you've taken to our cottage," a silver-haired man, who looked like the leader, said, "but what causes you to require our house for the day?"

The men - with the exception of the periwinkle-haired one - still looked pretty upset so Roxas decided to talk quickly. "My nanny, Sephiroth, is trying to kill me! I ran through the forest this morning until I found this cottage. No one was home so I made my way in; I had to hide somewhere."

"I see," the 'leader' said. "Well you are welcome to use our home to shelter yourself for the time being. My name is Xemnas. These are my co-workers: Xigbar," an older gentleman smiled and winked his eye not covered by an eye patch, "Xaldin," the black-haired one grumbled, "Vexen," this one studied him calculatingly, making Roxas uncomfortable, "Lexaeus," he seemed to be falling asleep on his feet, "Zexion," the periwinkle-haired man smiled slightly, "and Saix," his yellow eyes met Roxas' blue ones and a shiver crept up his spine. "We've got a spare cot in the other room, if you'd like to use it."

"That would be lovely, thank you," Roxas said and got off the bed he was still occupying. "You know," he continued, thinking out loud, "this place could really use a clean," looking around Roxas saw dishes piled high in the sink, cobwebs in the corners and dust on the mantle.

Vexen's eyes narrowed. "Yes, well, we're at work from dawn until dusk then we're so tired that we go straight to sleep. We have neither the time nor the energy to keep our house clean. We don't spend a lot of time in it, either, so why bother keeping it tidy?"

"Yeah; I suppose you're right," Roxas said. "Other than that, it's a nice place."

"Thank you," Xemnas said. "Now, if you wouldn't mind; we'd like to go to sleep."

Roxas nodded and went over to the living room. When he sat down on the couch a wall of dust billowed up around the Prince. Ew, he thought, a sour look on his face, this place really needs a tidy but I think I'm going to be the only one able to do it.

In the corner was a small bed which Roxas sat on. The springs squeaked under his weight and the Prince winced, hoping that he hadn't awoken the men sound asleep on the other side of the cottage. Trying his best to be quiet, Roxas made his way under the covers and, despite his stress, fell asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Demyx passed through the Palace gates as the sun blazed high noon. He held in his hands a box covered in red velvet and gold lining. Inside it was a heart.

Demyx counted it as a blessing that a Shadow had crossed his path when he cut down the heavy bushes to get back to the Castle. The young hunter had managed to capture the thing's heart before it disappeared. He only hoped that it would fool Sephiroth.

The blond knocked on the older man's door and tried to still his quivering knees.

"Come in," he heard from within.

Demyx opened the door slowly and stepped into Sephiroth's quarters, closing the door behind him. The frightening man had yet to turn around so Demyx was left standing awkwardly for a few moments.

When Sephiroth finally turned to face him Demyx almost let out a sigh of relief.

"Your trophy, m'lord," he said, holding out the box. Sephiroth reached out a bony hand and snatched the box from Demyx's hands. He flinched and held his breath while the silver-haired man opened the box.

Sephiroth smiled, causing Demyx to shiver, watching the glow of the heart hit the man's face. The reflection only seemed to fuel the crazed look in Sephiroth's eyes.

"Leave me," the man whispered and Demyx gladly obliged.

Sephiroth placed the heart on his worktable. Smiling, he once again pulled away the cloth over the mirror. Sephiroth looked at his reflection and stared at his silver hair reflected int he dark mirror. When he was done admiring himself Sephiroth spoke confidently: "Luxord, Luxord, on the wall; heed now, my anxious call; who's the most irritating of them all?" Sephiroth expected that the answer would be Hayner or some other child he had been forced to take care of before.

The mirror showed a picture of Roxas sleeping on a small cot in a house he didn't recognize.

"Still Roxas," Luxord said. "Though I don't think it's his fault: you never really disciplined him."

Sephiroth threw the cloth over the mirror. "Shut up," he hissed. It was true; Sephiroth had, for the most part, let the Prince do as he pleased growing up. And all because of my fear of the King, Sephiroth punched a wall to accent his thought. I should be King. I'd be a much better ruler than Cloud ever was! But first to deal with a pest... "DEMYX!"

Cloud marched through the Castle hallways, following Demyx.

"I swear, your Majesty; Sephiroth ordered me to kill your son! Please don't make me continue serving him. I consider Prince Roxas a friend!"

Cloud trusted Sephiroth, sure, but he also trusted Demyx. The blond wasn't known to lie and the King knew that he and Roxas were close.

"Demyx," the man stopped and faced the King, "come here," the blond stood in front of the King and looked him straight in the eyes. "You are henceforth working strictly under me and have no further obligation to follow Sephiroth's orders."

"Oh; thank you, sire! I knew you'd believe me!" Demyx bowed low.

"I can't do anything about the alleged murder attempt. We simply have no proof. If Roxas is missing, however, I can hold him responsible." Demyx nodded in understanding and the man continued down the hall.

When they arrived, Cloud didn't bother knocking, just opened the door, allowing Demyx to follow behind him.

"Demyx," Sephiroth said, "I've been calling you for awhile, now."

"Demyx isn't under your command, anymore, Sephiroth," the King said. He looked around. "Where's Roxas?"

"Roxas?" Sephiroth's facade seemed strong but Cloud saw his eyes panicking. "He's out in the woods, picking berries, like usual this time of year."

"Are you sure? I haven't seen him since breakfast and now the sun is nearly set. Roxas may be absent-minded but he would never miss lunch."

Sephiroth squirmed under the pressure. "I'm not sure where he's gotten off to, sire," the man's hair swished from side to side as he shook his head. "There's never been a problem with Roxas going into the woods before so I never thought about it when he told me he was going out."

"I see," Cloud murmured. "I'm going to have to keep you locked in your quarters. You're in charge of Roxas and it's, therefore, your fault that he's gone missing."

"I understand completely, your Majesty," Sephiroth said. "I only hope that the young Prince comes home soon."

Yeah, you'd better, Cloud thought as he left with Demyx close behind him.

"Post two guards outside of this room and one within," Cloud said to a guard patrolling the halls, "no one is to enter or exit this room without written permission from me."

"Yes, sir," the man bowed over his left arm, bending it in front of him before marching off to gather other guards.

"Demyx; guard Sephiroth's room until the guards get here."

Demyx nodded and bowed in the same fashion the man had. The bow was used by people working directly under the King and Cloud had a feeling that Demyx was glad to use it again.

Roxas woke with a start. He was sure he'd had a nightmare but he couldn't remember what about. Sitting up, the boy blinked his eyes open and took in his surroundings. Seeing no signs of the small men who'd offered him their hospitality, Roxas got off of his cot and wandered into the kitchen area. On the dining room table sat a note in neat, legible handwriting. Roxas sighed in relief that at least one of the men (miners, he deduced from the pick-axes he'd seen the night before) was literate.

Your Highness,

Sorry to leave you asleep but we assumed that you needed your rest after the events of yesterday. The seven of us had to go to work in the mines (the only place that will hire dwarves). We hope you find our home to your liking (you're right; it is quite dirty) and we'll be home around sunset. If you decide to leave, please tell us so we don't have to worry about you.

Sincerely,

Zexion

Roxas remembered Zexion. He'd quite liked him. A bit of a kiss-ass, though...

Putting his thoughts (and dignity) behind him, Roxas opened a closet to find cleaning supplies. Seeing a broom, the Prince grabbed that, since he knew how to use it best. It only took a few minutes to collect all of the dust on the floor into a pile. Proud of himself, Roxas leaned the broom on the wall and looked under the sink to find supplies to wash dishes. Having seen this done often (he hung out in the kitchens as a child), Roxas piled the dishes beside the sink and filled it with soapy water.

It took about an hour for the blond to scrub the grease and dust off of all the ceramic plates and cups. Looking in the cupboards to put everything away, Roxas noticed that they were empty save a few cobwebs.

After cleaning the cupboard and putting the dishes away Roxas noticed that there were crumbs and dust on the floor.

Exasperated, he slumped into a chair and put his head in his hands. "I'll never get this done," he mumbled. "I just wasn't made for working."

"That's for sure."

Roxas jumped up, knocking the chair over and turning to face the voice behind him. He saw a shrivelled old man outside the window. His white hair fell in tufts to his shoulders and his piercing grey eyes stared through the window at the young Prince.

"Who're you?" Roxas asked warily.

"Just a poor old man," he replied. "I earn my money helping pretty things like yourself. You look like you've been working hard. Would you like me to do your hair?"

Roxas smiled and let the man in.

The man pulled a chair out for Roxas and allowed the boy to sit down. Roxas smiled, glad to have a luxury again. He hadn't realized just how much he relied on the Castle's comforts until they'd been taken from him.

The odd man pulled a comb from his sleeve and ran it through the Prince's hair. Roxas relaxed and closed his eyes. When he did, though, he felt the comb dig into his scalp very painfully. So painfully, in fact, that it stayed in his head even when the old man let go.

Roxas' eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the floor. The last thing he heard was a shuffle of feet and the door close behind the old man.

On the way home from work, the dwarves whistled merrily. They were interrupted, however, by Xemnas.

"I hope the Prince hasn't gotten into any trouble while we've been away," he said.

"I'm sure he's at least got some common sense. Enough to stay alive for a day," Zexion replied.

"I don't know," Xaldin said, "he seemed like a spoiled brat to me."

"I'm sure he's not always like that," the shortest said, "he'd just had a rough day."

"You sound like you're in love with him, Zexion," Xigbar joked.

"No; I'm not! I just think that we've got to be more respectful towards our future King," the periwinkle-haired man said seriously, though a faint blush graced his cheeks.

"What has Royalty ever done for us?" Saix asked. "All our lives we've begged and scrounged for our jobs. And why? Because we're a little shorter and harrier than most? That's uncivil! We've complained to whomever will listen but still nothing gets done about it! I say we throw him out for even being related to the King!"

"Now, Saix, the child doesn't know any better," Xemnas intervened. "If we stay on Roxas' good side, perhaps we can appeal to him once the whole ordeal is over." Saix nodded reluctantly.

Vexen, who'd stayed quiet until then, spoke up. "Let's make sure that the Prince hasn't gone and gotten himself killed before we decide anything, shall we?

They all nodded and continued home in silence.

Sephiroth rushed out of the cottage, letting his magical disguise disappear once he reached the forest. Smiling, the man continued back to the Castle quietly.

Once he reached the outside, he easily scaled the ivy vines up to his chambers. Seeing that the guard was still out cold, Sephiroth entered through a window, shutting it behind him.

From his desk Sephiroth retrieved a Potion. He went over to the unconscious guard on the floor and poured the green liquid into the man's mouth. Spluttering, the man sat up, holding his head.

"What happened?" He asked.

"You slipped on a wet spot and hit your head on the floor," Sephiroth feigned concern, "I'm sorry; I must have forgotten to dry the water I spilled earlier." Accidentally-on-purpose, that is! "What's your name?" Sephiroth asked, helping the man up.

"Terra," he replied.

"Well, Terra, are you still capable of guarding me, or do you need to go lie down?"

"I...I...I think I should be relieved. I'll call someone to retrieve the King to allow me to go. I feel so disgraced."

"Don't, it happens to everyone."

Terra smiled. "Thanks."

No, Sephiroth thought, thank you.

Xemnas glared at Zexion, who was looking worriedly at the body of the Prince on the floor.

"'He won't get killed,' you said, 'he's got enough common sense,' you said. Look at this! What am I going to do now? Never mind begging the King for a better job; we'll be too busy begging for our heads!"

"I'm sorry, Superior, I truly thought he'd be alright! How could I have known that this would happen?" Zexion knelt beside the Prince's head. Brushing his fingers through Roxas' hair, he noticed a piece of plastic embedded in the blond's scalp. "Guys," he called, "I found the problem."

Vexen joined the youngest by Roxas' side. "What is it?" He asked. Zexion showed Vexen the unidentified object. He blinked, surprised. "It's a comb," he said. "Poisoned, by the looks of it."

"Is...is he dead?" Zexion asked.

"No. In fact; he'll be fine once I pull it out," Vexen studied the entry wound, angling the 'weapon' so that it would cause minimal damage on the way out. Once he figured he'd got it, the man pulled and the comb came free easily. Now that the wound was open, though, blood began to gush from it. "Get me a cloth," Vexen said calmly.

Xigbar found cloths in the drawer where they belonged, for once, and handed it to the blond man. Vexen sat Roxas up and applied pressure through the cloth to the wound to slow the bleeding.

"Good work, Vexen," Xemnas said, inspecting the cupboards, now filled and clean.

Vexen nodded and looked back to the boy in his arms, who was stirring. Blinking his eyes open, Roxas looked at Vexen.

"Hello. Good to see you're okay," he said. Xaldin muttered something but everyone ignored him.

"What happened?" Roxas asked.

"We came home and you were passed out on the floor. We found this," Vexen held up the blood-encrusted comb," in your head. Fill us in, please?"

"Well, when I woke up, I decided to tidy up. I was at it forever until a kind old man offered to brush my hair. He started but then I felt a sharp pain in my head - I guess he stuck me with that - and passed I out."

"Seeing as a powerful man is out to kill you, don't you think that inviting a complete stranger inside was, in retrospect, a terrible idea?" Lexaeus said. Roxas' eyes widened; he'd never heard the man say anything.

"I - I guess," the Prince said.

"There's a shower in the bathroom," Xemnas said. "Why don't you clean the blood out of your hair?"

"Okay," Roxas got up and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

"Good lord," Xaldin said.

Everyone rolled their eyes and got ready for bed, hoping that the next day would be a bit less...eventful.

The next morning, Roxas woke up to an empty house again. Rubbing his eyes, the boy recalled the events of the previous day. He was embarrassed and frustrated. What kind of future King can't even protect himself from an old man? He thought angrily. Whatever. I don't know why that Lexaeus guy was telling me what to do anyways. I can talk to anyone I want!

With that mindset, Roxas pulled on his clothes - still not washed from two days ago - and looked around for breakfast. All he could find left was a box of cereal. When he opened it, though, a large spider crawled out of it. Roxas startled and jumped back. No breakfast for me, then, he thought, his stomach grumbling to accent his thought. Damn.

Laying on the couch, Roxas closed his eyes, planning on sleeping his worries away. Just as he was falling asleep, though, a knock on the windowsill snapped the Prince out of his slumber. Sitting up quickly, the boy blinked his eyes open.

"Who is it?"

"Hello? My name is...is Yuffie. P-please come to the w-window."

Roxas groaned but got up and went over to the window. The voice - a young girl's - was crying and Roxas never liked to see girls cry so he automatically went to find out what he could do to help.

"What's wrong?" Roxas asked.

The girl had short black hair and wore short-shorts and a fluffy parka.

"My name is Y-Yuffie," she repeated, "and i c-can't get a j-job," Roxas' brows furrowed in concern. Yuffie couldn't stop sobbing. Her shakes threatened to spill the basket of apples she was holding. Taking a deep breath she found herself able to continue. "So I have to," another breath, "to sell these a-apples for mun-ny," she raised the basket to emphasize her words.

"Come in," Roxas said, going to open the door for her. "Come sit on the couch. Warm up." Roxas wrapped his arm around Yuffie's shoulder and sat her on the sofa beside him.

"Thank you so much," Yuffie said, trying to calm down. "I haven't been selling well lately and my sister," a sob threatened to shake the cottage, "isn't d-doing so well."

"Well I'll gladly buy an apple from you," Roxas said. "Just give me a moment; I'll get my munny."

"Oh, really? Thank you so much," a wide grin spread across her face although tears streamed down it.

"It's nothing," Roxas said, grabbing his wallet from under his pillow. "Here," he handed her forty munny.

"Oh! No; they're only fifteen each," Yuffie pushed the colourful balls back towards the blond.

"Please," Roxas forced the munny into her hands, "take it. Help your sister." Yuffie nodded, tears runner faster down her cheeks.

"Thank you," she said, handing Roxas an apple. It looked juicier than the rest and looked really delicious.

The Prince's stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten breakfast. Roxas looked at the apple, turning it over in his hands for a second before taking a big, indulgent bite. He bit it in half but it tasted so good that he swallowed one half hastily, smiling as he felt it go down his throat...until it got stuck in his windpipe.

Roxas' eyes widened as he choked, his airway constricting around the fruit blocking it. As he flailed, the other piece went down his trachea, getting stuck beside the other piece. A hot liquid trailed down into his stomach and Roxas felt it burn his insides.

"I'm so sorry," Yuffie sobbed. "Your Highness, Sephiroth put me up to it. He - he as my sister, Tifa. Please forgive me. The poison will make you pass out so you won't die in pain," the girl ran out the door after saying "sorry" one more time.

Suddenly, the fire in Roxas' stomach chilled before everything went black yet again.

"Let her go!" Yuffie yelled at the silver-haired man. "I did what you asked: I killed him," she trailed off.

After Sephiroth had found that Roxas was still alive, he'd taken his new guard - a woman by the name of Tifa Lockheart - hostage and blackmailed her younger sister into removing the Prince from his heritage once and for all.

"Yes, yes," he said, motioning to an empty corner of the room. Tifa appeared there and her bound hands freed themselves. Yuffie ran to her older sister.

"Let's get out of here," Tifa whispered.

Yuffie nodded and pulled a smoke bomb from her pocket. Taking one last look at Sephiroth, she threw it to the ground, allowing the women to escape safely.

The sun was setting as the dwarves arrived home again. They all filed in after Xemnas.

"Prince, we're home," the leader called. It didn't take long for him to notice the body of Roxas lying on the floor once again. "Bloody hell," he said, shaking his head.

Xaldin saw it soon after. "What the crap?" He exclaimed.

"Indeed," Vexen said.

"Oh no," Zexion said, coming in last.

Everyone was silent for a moment until Saix thought to say something. "Is he actually dead this time?"

"That's a good question. I'll check," Vexen went to check Roxas for breathing - none. Next he checked for a pulse. He thought he had one for a second but it turned out to simply be a false hope. "Yes," he finally said.

"I see," Saix - while usually cold and uncaring - looked down if not in sadness then at least in respect.

"I suppose that we should hold a funeral for him," Xemnas said. "A small gathering of some kind, at least." Everyone nodded in agreement.

So the seven men decided to skip work the next day to hold a small ceremony for the fallen Prince, as stupid as he may be. Somehow they were able to find enough glass to construct a solid glass coffin for the blond overnight and left the body outside in it so it wouldn't stink up their house.

The next morning they were all dressing in black and preparing to say a few words when the sound of a horse caught Saix's attention. Going outside, he saw a young man with fiery red hair riding a white stallion. Seeing Saix, the man rode up to him.

"Where am I?" He asked sheepishly.

"You're in Kingdom Hearts," Saix replied. "Who are you?"

"I am Axel: Prince of Neverwas. I was out for a ride but my mind wandered and I have found myself lost. Could you help me?" The Prince seemed quite humble about his situation. Saix found himself thinking that perhaps Roxas could have learned something from this 'Axel'.

"I'd be glad to help you, Your Highness, but at a later time. The seven of us are attending a funeral this morning."

"I see. I'm sorry for your loss," the redhead said, inclining his head in respect. "Would you mind if I joined?"

"And I," said a voice from the side of the clearing.

The two turned to see a man with long, silver hair approaching. "I've always had a personal connection with this forest and feel so upset when someone associates death with it."

"Very well," Saix said before going to inform the others of their guests.

The seven miners led Axel and the stranger out to the back where their fallen friend lay. Axel remained looking down in respect as the dwarves said their respects.

The silver-haired one - Xemnas, he'd said his name was - went first. "Although we did not know him for very long, the loss is still great. Our nation will surely suffer because of it."

Xigbar, the oldest, went next. "He was kind of stupid but I'll miss the little bugger none-the-less."

Xaldin didn't go but Vexen - the mean-looking, blond one - did. "I feel honoured to have saved his life two days ago and am truly disheartened at being unable to save him yesterday."

Axel found it strange that no one had said the deceaseds name but even stranger was that they all talked about the nation suffering because this boy was dead. Their reactions were strange, but Axel couldn't figure out a logical explanation for their words and actions.

The silent one who hadn't offered his name didn't want to say anything but Zexion, the youngest, sure did.

"Prince Roxas deserved better!" He cried. His companions all rolled their eyes, smacked their foreheads or did a combination of the two.

Saix, the one Axel had met first, spoke. "We only wish the King to forgive us for our negligence," he said it as if he was just trying to cover his ass.

Axel, upon hearing the other Prince's name, looked upon the boy for the first time. Roxas' blond hair fell across one of his eyes, making him look like he'd simply turned in his sleep. This boy was the most beautiful creature Axel had ever seen. He felt himself walking towards the coffin, then lifting the lid, then leaning down to kiss the blond within.

Why am I kissing a corpse? Axel thought. This is really weird.

Even weirder, though, were the strained muscles Axel's tongue felt at the back of Roxas' throat. He realized that something must be stuck in the boy's throat.

Breaking from the 'kiss', Axel saw everyone around him giving a disturbed look. He ignored it, however, and sat the boy up, holding his torso upright. Axel took aim and landed a punch in Roxas' solar plexus, eliciting a cough and a gag from the supposedly dead body.

Coughing, Roxas succeeded in dislodging the piece of apple stuck in his esophagus, but he had to roll over, falling onto the ground, and expel his stomach's contents to remove the other from his trachea. The punch didn't do much to help his stomach's condition, either.

Axel knealt by the boy, pulling his hair back until he was done retching. Wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, Roxas looked up at his saviour. The older Prince found himself looking into the deepest, bluest eyes he'd ever seen and smiled.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Roxas replied. Looking around, he seemed to notice the dwarves but his eyes fixed on the stranger. "Sephiroth!"

They all turned to watch the silver-haired man flee towards the cliffs to the East

"That's Sephiroth?" Xemnas asked.

Roxas didn't bother replying, he took off after the man.

Roxas stumbled every few metres, his feet waking up. I guess being dead makes coordination difficult, Roxas thought, still running as fast as possible, trying to catch the man who'd 'killed' him twice.

Hearing footsteps come up beside him, Roxas turned his head to see the handsome boy who'd saved him, who flashed a smile.

"The dwarves filled me in on Sephiroth," he said.

Roxas nodded. "Who are you?"

"Axel," the redhead replied, "Prince of Neverwas."

"I'm Roxas, Prince of Kingdom Hearts," the blond said. "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine, got it memorized?" Axel said, winking.

They continued running, seeing Sephiroth round a corner to go up the mountain trail. Axel and Roxas were, however, hot on his tail, gaining ground quickly. They came around a corner to see Sephiroth turning to face them, the cliff drop straight down behind him.

"You brat," Sephiroth snarled, "you never give up, do you?"

"Yeah, well, you kind of brought that upon yourself, don't you think?" Roxas stepped forward.

Sephiroth scoffed. "This is exactly why I hate you. Nothing is ever your fault, is it? Everything is about you but when anything goes wrong, you're the first to point fingers." Roxas blinked, taken aback at Sephiroth's sudden outburst. The man had never complained or reprimanded Roxas before. Sephiroth laughed cruelly and pulled a short sword from his robes.

Roxas was pushed back by Axel, who pulled out a sword of his own.

"You're unarmed, right?" The older boy asked rhetorically. "I'll protect you, got it memorized?" he winked again before turning back to Sephiroth, falling into a fighting stance.

Roxas smiled, surprised at his ally's chivalry. Sephiroth's words got him thinking, though. Am I really that bad? He didn't have much time to think, though, as the boy's old caretaker chose to make the first move.

Sephiroth launched off of the balls of his feet, his speed surprising both teens, but Axel's sword swept in an arc, slapping the older man's aside before going in for a stab. Sephiroth jumped to the side, dodging the blow and going in for a stab of his own which Axel parried with his blade. The clang of metal rang in the air, light reflecting off the weapons as the showdown increased in intensity. The fighters circled each other, getting closer and closer to the cliff's edge with each assault.

Roxas clenched his teeth, finding himself rooting for Axel. Sure, he didn't want Sephiroth to win, but there was something else. The blond felt a tingling warmth in the pit of his stomach as he watched the redhead parry and block for his life. A gleam of sweat shimmered on his brow and Roxas' brow furrowed anxiously.

Suddenly, Axel stepped back on a rock and he went down, sword flying out of his hand, sticking in the ground, out of reach. Sephiroth's eyes glinted as he brought his sword down, intent on piercing Axel's heart.

Desperately, Roxas sprang forward, angling so he led with his shoulder. The boy hit Sephiroth with his full body, pushing him over the edge. The man's frightened cries echoed throughout the cliffs until he was out of earshot. Roxas couldn't rejoice, however, his feet slipping, the rock crumbling under his weight until the blond fell, plummeting to his doom as well. He tried to grab for the rock but hit flesh instead, a strong hand gripping his. When he found his balance, Axel pulled Roxas back up.

He had overestimated the boy's weight, though, and ended up heaping Roxas on top of him. Their faces were centimetres apart, both breathing heavily. Swallowing, Roxas stared into Axel's eyes.

Teal, he thought, how...beautiful.

Roxas let his body react for him and leaned forward, closing the gap. That heat in his stomach welled up again and Roxas was able to recognize it finally: love.

When they parted, Axel looked, confused, at the younger boy until he smiled - crooked but, Roxas found, perfect.

"I told you I'd protect you, didn't I?" Axel said, stealing another kiss on the side of Roxas' lips. Roxas held the older boy to him tightly, smiling more than he'd ever done. When the breeze chilled their sweat, causing the two to shiver, they parted, got up and made their way down the mountain, hand in hand.

When they reached the clearing with the dwarves, they were bombarded with questions.

"What happened?"

"Where's Sephiroth?"

"Ohmigod are you okay?"

"Guys, guys, calm down," Roxas said, smiling. "Sephiroth is gone. We did did it. We won!" Everyone ran up to the pair, smiling triumphantly. "Thank you for everything. You know; Sephiroth was right: I've been pretty self-centred for my whole life. I'm sorry for anything I've done that's selfish. I'll work on that from now on. Is there anything I can do to repay you for your hospitality and kindness?"

The men looked at each other before Xemnas cleared his throat. "We were hoping that, maybe, the laws pertaining to a dwarf's career options could be lessened."

Roxas' eyes glazed over for a few seconds as he worked out what had just been said. "Of course!" He said finally. "Is there anywhere in particular that you'd like to work?"

Xemnas smiled. "Thank you, Your Highness."

"Roxas, please."

"Roxas, of course," the man thought for a moment as if contemplating whether or not to tell the Prince. "We've all expressed interest in working at the Castle for various reasons."

"I'd love having you all around in the Castle!"

"Even me?" Axel asked, wrapping his arms around Roxas' stomach from behind, resting his head on Roxas' shoulder.

"Especially you," Roxas smiled, leaning into Axel's embrace slightly. "First, though, we should probably go see my father."

Cloud sat on his throne, head in his hands. His son was gone and now Sephiroth was missing, too! Tifa had been discharged from the infirmary, along with Terra. They'd gotten along very well, it seemed. Yuffie had been given a week off for mental health reasons. The older sister had been offered a vacation, too, but had politely declined, saying that her duty to her country still needed doing. Who was Cloud to argue with her?

The door opening at the other end of the hall didn't faze the King. He figured that his staff could judge an emergency accordingly. Footsteps came up to the throne and still Cloud didn't look up.

"Hey Dad."

That stirred the Ice King. His head snapped up to look at the boy in front of him. The identical hair and eyes of the Royal Family stared at each other for a few eternal seconds before Cloud jumped up, capturing his son in a death-grip. Roxas returned it, surprising Cloud with his strength.

"I'm so glad you're okay," the King said.

"I am, Dad. I promise," the boy's voice was steady, as usual.

When Cloud pulled away, he noticed eight figures standing in front of the door. "Who are your friends?"

Roxas beckoned the figures over. There were seven dwarves of varying ages and statures and one person that the King recognized.

"Prince Axel," the boy looked surprised. "We met, once, when you were small. Your father took you to visit when we signed a peace treaty. Roxas hadn't been born yet."

"How did you recognize me after so long?" Axel asked.

"Your hair, of course. I couldn't mistake that for anyone," Cloud laughed.

"That's for sure," Roxas said, laughing too. "But I have something to request," the Prince's demeanor suddenly became serious. "My friends would like to work in the Castle, but the dwarven career laws restrict their options."

Cloud turned to the dwarves. "Where would you like to work?" He asked.

"I'm Xemnas and I'd like to work in administration."

"Xigbar. Butler."

"Xaldin. Some sort of organizer. I'm very meticulous."

"Vexen. I'm extremely interested in medicine and surely qualified."

"It's true," Roxas piped up, "he saved my life."

Cloud stood up and shook the man's hand. "Thank you," he said.

"My pleasure," Vexen replied.

"Lexaeus. Bodyguard."

"Hi! I"m Zexion! I'd like to work close to Roxas, if that's okay!" The man - who couldn't be out of his twenties yet - smiled eagerly.

"Saix. Administrative as well."

"I think I can fit you all into your proffered areas. Xemnas and Saix; you can be my scribes. My old one just went on maternity leave. Xigbar; how would you like to oversee all kitchen duty?"

"I'd love to," Xigbar smiled.

"Xaldin, you can organize all of the social gatherings we host in the Castle. Vexen, you can work under Dr. Rude in the infirmary. We'll see how much you know and how much you learn. Lexaeus, you can be Roxas' personal bodyguard. After the events of the past week I've realized that Roxas will need to be protected. Zexion," Cloud turned to the youngest dwarf, "you can be Roxas' new caretaker. He's old enough that it isn't a lot of 'nannying' but more of a Secretary. Make sure he's at press conferences and such on time. Understand?"

"Oh, yes sir!" Zexion smiled, bowing

"Axel, what are you here for?"

"Well, Your Majesty, I'm here," the redhead took a deep breath, "to ask for your son's hand in marriage."

Roxas gasped, tears welling in his eyes.

"Do you want this, Roxas?" Cloud asked his son. The boy nodded. "Then yes, Axel. I would be honoured to allow you into our family."

"Thank you, sir," Axel bowed before turning to his fiance. "Hear that, Roxas?" Roxas nodded before hugging Axel fierecly. "I love you, Roxas."

"I love you, too, Axel," the blond replied.

Smiling, Axel leaned down and pressed his lips to Roxas' in a sweet kiss.

Cloud knew then that everyone would live happily ever after.

They did.

Thanks for reading this beast of a chapter. Every one will be about this long, hopefully, so I hope none of you get swamped or anything. I know I sure would! xP I'm glad I got this up, finally, seeing as I've been writing it since, like, July or something. Thank you to Celestial-moon-fire for beta-ing this story! You've been very helpful. You got a lot of things that I missed! Even just going over the story, checking both to see the differences, I found things that we both missed!

The second chapter is typed and currently in CMF's capable hands! The third…well…let's just say I haven't even started it yet (what? it's the truth!).

Also, stay tuned for a Legends of Zelda story coming up. It's an OC story so, while I'm sorry to those who hate that kind of thing, I hope someone will be willing to read it. I'm quite proud of it and am re-writing it for the millionth time, it feels. I've weeded the Mary-Sue out of her to the best of my ability. So, here's to you, me, CMF and life in general. See you next chapter!