In the evening streets of Radiant Garden; many stores were starting to close and those that were rebuilding the lives they once had in the world were on their way back home. Many people were ending their day. For Sarah, however, her day was only half way over. Though she too, had a store to tend to, there was still work left to be done.
A sigh slipped from her lips as she locked the doors to her bookstore and glances at the watch on her left wrist. It was nearly 9pm. A slow smile formed over her features as she headed home. She knew that her husband was a busy scientist at the castle; especially now with all the repairs that had to be done and the comparison of notes between the remaining apprentices and those that were a part of the Restoration Committee.
Repairing the remains of Radiant Garden was a hell of a task but it was for a good cause. Being a book keeper in Twilight Town and hearing that there was a need for extra hands on deck; Sarah signed up to help out. She worked things out with her family and her the people in her home world..and things surprisingly went well. It sometimes paid to have a certain amount of authority to get things done.
Her own home world had been closed off from other worlds for nearly half a century. When she was told of her position of power, she was honestly nervous. But after getting a bit of advice from her father, she managed to have the nerve to put those old men in their place. Not only that - but they were willing to make up for being so disconnected to other worlds by first aiding Radiant Garden. That..was how she started working in Radiant Garden. She opened a book store that had various histories of several worlds and lore that has been passed on between worlds. There were also books that were 'How to...' for those who needed guidance for projects or household tasks.
A small smile formed over her lips when she thought back on how she first met her husband...
It was shortly after setting up shop. She received a letter from Leon saying that some of the scientists needed replacements for some of their books. He suggested that she take a trip there the next day so she could arrange what could be replaced. The task seemed simple enough. She prepared herself for a long busy day, wearing a pair of black dress pants and matching dress shirt with her long dark locks in a French braid. Of course, this showed off her tipped elven ears and the facial tattoos she had but she wasn't afraid to show what she was to strangers.
When she arrived at the castle early in the morning, she had a small hand bag over her right shoulder and looked through the dimly lit halls of the castle side entrance. She wasn't sure if she should knock or just enter...so she took a small step into the hall and noticed that there was a tall dark haired gentlemen fixing the lights in the hall while standing on a ladder.
She waited until he was finished before she walked closer to him. "Uh...e-excuse me, sir? Could you help me?"
The man looked down, raising a brow at her before getting down from the ladder. "What is it?"
She shifted a bit in place before answering. "I..am looking for one of the scientists that work here? I was informed by Leon that they needed book replacements."
He gave a nod, as if he knew she was coming. "Right..you must be Sarah. Leon mentioned that there was a book keeper in town. I'm surprised you came here yourself and didn't send an assistant to do the work for you."
Sarah scratched the right side of her cheek with a faint blush. "Ahah..I don't have an assistant. That would be my father who does..and his moogle is rather attached. It's just me."
With a shrug of his shoulder, he pointed over his shoulder to a hall that turned left to a doorway. "Go down that hall and turn left. The lead scientist, Even, isn't awake yet but his assistant, Ienzo, is. I'm sure he has a record of everything that they need."
She gave a light bow of her head before taking his directions. When she opened the door, she saw a study that had a few discarded books and a desk with several scattered papers. In front of the desk was a gentlemen with slate hair wearing a white lab coat. From where she was standing, he seemed engrossed in writing something. She walked further into the room, standing a few inches from him, tilting her head a bit.
"Ienzo I assume?"
Hearing his name called, he quickly looked up and blinked for a moment. "Oh, I apologize..I didn't hear you enter. I'm afraid I was busy with my notes. Can I assist you with something, miss?"
"I'm Sarah...and I hear you guys need new books for your lab?"
His eyes seemed to light up with excitement, giving her a nod. "Ah yes! I was actually just finishing the last of the list. Now..." he frowned a little at the paper in front of him. "...I'm not sure if you have any of these books in your collection, but if you do that would be great. Anything would be better than nothing. "
When she was handed the list of books that were needing to be replaced, her eyes went wide. Nearly 150 books listed."Geez..that is a lot of books.." she muttered.
Ienzo nods. "Well..it seems that when this world fell, nothing was left to be spared and everything of value was either stolen, ruined or destroyed. This room, for an example, was a complete mess when we came back." He gave a sigh. "We've been restoring the castle for a week and it still feels like there is no progress.."
Seeing him look sad made something in her chest tighten. She knew that the former guards and scientists were working on the restoration, as was Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, Merlin and Cid...but the castle was huge..and the place looked like it could use more than a small handful of hands working on things. Glancing down at her list, then back to him, she gave him a faint smile.
"I can help, if you'd like? I mean, other than with the books."
He gave her a look. "How exactly would you be able to help?"
She sets her list on the desk and taps her lips for a moment. "Well..I know a bit of magic. Plus I uh..can fly?"
He crossed his arms over his chest. "You can't be serious.."
Tilting her head at him, she gave a sigh. "I really didn't want to get holes in this shirt.." she muttered. Closing her eyes for a moment, her pink feathered wings form from her shoulder blades as the fabric on her shirt is torn. She takes a step back and demonstrate to Ienzo how she could fly and sits on the top of one of the bookshelves in the room. "See? I can fly."
Ienzo taps his lips in a thoughtful manor, watching her with mild interest. "Now that you mention it, we could use help getting to some of the higher levels of the castle that require repair. But I'll have to run it by Even first."
"Have to run what by me?" a blonde male in a lab coat inquires as he walks into the room. He looks to the side and gives a curious glance to Sarah. "What an interesting wing span you have there. Would you mind coming down so that I may have a better look?"
Sarah jumps down and turns her back to show them her wing span. She could hear shuffling behind her and the sound of a pen against a notepad...as well as a facepalming sigh from Ienzo. When Even stopped taking notes, she could hear Even speaking.
"Thank you for your patience. You can turn back around now."
Sarah turned around and reverted her wings. However, when she did, she could feel more of the fabric of her shirt in the back tear. She was silently thanking the Gods that she remembered to bring her hand bag so the strap could keep her shirt in place.
Even then looked to Ienzo, who was holding his forehead with his right hand. He looked so done with Even that his face kind of made Sarah laugh a bit. Even, on the other hand, seemed offended.
"What is that face for, Ienzo?"
"Nothing...nothing at all." he muttered with a sigh before looking up to Even. "As I was saying before, Sarah here is the book keeper of the shop that opened recently in town and is assisting us in replacing our lost books. She has also offered to help with restoring the castle. With her wings, she can reach high places most of us can't reach even with a ladder."
Even looked to Sarah with a thoughtful expression. "I don't see why not. She will need special instructions when assisting of course. However, if the girl is willing to help with restoring the castle and the labs, I have no qualms with it. So long as her original purpose is fulfilled first."
Sarah gave a nod. "Of course. Shouldn't take me too long to get the order of your books in."
"Wonderful. Do inform us when you have a due date of when the books will be arriving."
Giving a small smile, she nods once more. "Sure thing."
With that, Even leaves the room, heading towards the computer lab to check the surveillance system. When the two of them were alone, Sarah rubs the back of her neck as she looks to Ienzo. "Uh..you wouldn't happen to have a spare lab coat around, would you?"
Blinking at her for a few confused seconds, he paused. "What do you need a coat for?"
"When I used my wings, part of my shirt ripped. I..wasn't expecting to use my wings today..and my shirt is just barely staying on.."
A faint blush formed across his cheeks. "Dear darkness woman..If that was the case, why did you show your wings?"
She shrugged her shoulders lightly. "You wouldn't believe me unless I showed you."
He gave a sigh, knowing that it was the truth. It was partly his fault that her attire was in disrepair. Unbuttoning his lab coat, he slid it off his arms and carefully wrapped it over her shoulders. "Here..might be a little small on you but should be able to cover up where your shirt is torn.."
Sarah gave him a faint smile, holding the lab coat closed with one hand as she reached over to retrieve the list he handed her from before. "Thank you. I uh..should get going. I'll see you later."
Ienzo nods, stepping to the side to allow her to pass out of the room.
After that evening, she spent hours making sure that she had every book in stock and ready to ship to the castle. Those that she didn't, she had sent out a request to her father for a copy. Though she changed her clothes when she returned; she couldn't help but keep the lab coat that Ienzo allowed her to use, on. It was warm and smelled like him. She was pretty sure he used soap that didn't have any scents, she felt..warm and fuzzy wearing it. But she knew she had to return the coat.
The next day, she had his coat and a few papers in hand. She only made her way half way through the halls when she encountered Ienzo, nearly bumping into her.
"Goodness..! In a rush to get somewhere?" she asked with a light laugh.
Ienzo took a small step back, shaking his head. "No..I was just..ah..mildly irritated at a result from one of the surveys I took recently...but never mind that." He looks down to her arms, seeing the coat and the papers. "Did you need anything?" he inquired, not wanting to assume her purpose.
She first handed him the papers. "I have everything you asked for done. You should have books sent here within a week..and I wanted to give you your lab coat back. Thank you for letting me borrow it."
He gave her a small smile, taking the papers. "Thank you for placing the order in for the books. As for the coat..you can keep it. I have several back in my apartment and backups here at the lab."
Sarah was trying hard to hide her excitement but smiled as she pulled the coat close to her chest. "Really? I get to keep it?"
Ienzo laughed at her face, seeing her eyes widen with excitement,nodding. "Yes..you can keep it."
"Thank you!"
She hugged his coat as she felt a faint blush heat her cheeks. Sarah was so happy that she could keep the coat. When she looked to Ienzo again, however, she saw that his features looked troubled. Tilting her head, she found herself speaking without thinking.
"Is everything okay?"
He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts looking at the book order before he shook his head, gazing up at her. "Hm? No..not really. But I am sure they will be in time. Thank you for your assistance. I..should get back to work."
She watched as Ienzo turned on his heels and left to go through the hall that he came from. A frown formed over her lips as she was unable to help him in his state of distress. Giving a sigh, she left the castle and went back to her bookstore. She had a few customers through out the day and spent her quite hours dusting and cleaning various shelves. But when she was left alone with her thoughts, she couldn't help but wonder what had Ienzo so upset. Glancing at her clock, it was almost seven in the evening. Normally she would have the store opened until nine in the evening but it wouldn't hurt to have it close early.
After making sure everything was in order, she turned out the lights and locked the door before heading to the castle again. She headed towards the old entrance she used before and paused when she heard growling and the sound of battle inside. Her heart was racing - panicking as to what to do. She felt a tingling in her fingers as she swallowed a dry lump in her throat. Sarah was torn between running for her life and running inside to help.
"This has to be the dumbest idea I've ever had..." she muttered to herself as she ran inside the halls.
She paused a few steps in to see Aelueas and Dalin fighting a Heartless with grey faces and spider-like arms with the body of a human. She then saw Ienzo and Even fighting against a creature with a bird-like body and a head of a wolf. The creatures were growling and raging, wanting nothing more than to break free. She looked carefully to see that there were remains of black shackles on either of their ankles.
The guards seemed to be having no trouble with their Heartless, so she wasn't concerned with them. But as she ran closer towards Even and Ienzo, she saw that the creature was covered in ice and Ienzo had a red and gold lexicon in his hand while on one knee..panting.
"This thing..absorbs magic. Why did he create such a thing?!" Ienzo grumbled.
Even narrowed his eyes at the experiment in front of him, throwing a glare towards Ienzo behind him. "Less complaining, more fighting. You knew this wasn't going to be easy, Ienzo!"
Sarah's eyes went wide when she saw the creature move up, flapping it's wings to use his gusts of wind to cut through the ice that grounded him. Her own wings formed behind her back and her body moved on it's own. Flying behind the creature, she could see that there was a stitched seam along it's spine. She held a hand out over another, using her wings to keep her off the ground as she casted a Fira spell. The creature twitched and growled in pain. He finally stopped flapping his wings, but turned his head towards her.
Her heart started to race, feeling dark golden eyes on her as it began foaming at the mouth. The back of the creature was then shown to Even and Ienzo, who noticed the pink wings that were behind the creature.
"Are you crazy? Sarah, get out of there! You have no idea what this thing is capable of!" Even shouted.
She found herself frozen in fear for a moment until she heard Ienzo's voice after Even's.
"Don't just stand there, attack it! If you distract it, we can do the rest!"
Even glared at Ienzo. "Are you mad?! She doesn't stand a chance against that thing!"
Ienzo slowly pushed himself up from his knees as he brushed his pants off, readjusting his position as a slow smirk formed over his lips. "I wouldn't be so sure. She..is different."
Quickly shaking her head, Sarah held her hands out and casted a chain of Fira spells and Blizzara. While she casted, Ienzo commanded several of his pages from his Lexicon to surround the experiment while Even fell to one knee, feeling the loss of too much MP.
Once enough pages were down on the ground, Ienzo snapped his fingers as several dark orbs of magic fell from the sky and assaulted the creature repeatedly. The barrage of magical and physical damage done to the creature was enough that it slowly crumbled to the ground, twitching before the held lopped over and the wings covered it's head.
Sarah cringes, keeping herself a few feet above the ground. "Ew..what in the world was that thing?"
Ienzo kept his book open so that his pages fluttered back inside the Lexicon as he gave a deep breath. "That..was one of the experiments that..was locked in the basement. I believe it is safe to say that these creatures were not all too happy to be left alone for more than a decade." He looks to Sarah with a faint smile. "Thank you for your help..but what are you doing here?"
Even forced himself up, grumbling under his breath. "That's what I want to know. You have no authority to enter the castle grounds at night, young lady. You..had better explain yourself."
Ienzo shook his head at Even's state. "You are getting too old for field work.." he muttered.
Even looked over to his assistant with a knowing glare. "If I wasn't drained..."
Ienzo waved a dismissive hand at Even, knowing that he was merely giving an empty threat, and looked back to Sarah. "You were saying?"
Sarah bit her lower lip a little before she spoke. "Well..I..noticed that you were upset about something this morning and..I..felt bad that I wasn't able to help with that. So I came here to check on you to see if maybe your mood changed or if there was something I could do. You aren't mad at me, are you?"
Ienzo gave a sigh, shaking his head. "I'm not. The extra hand was certainly welcomed." He looked over to Even with a teasing grin. "What do you think, Even?"
The elder man crossed his arms with a sigh, "Well, she was able to grant you extra time to cast a proper spell, that's for sure."
Ienzo chuckled softly. "In other words, he wants to say thank you for helping us. I'm afraid Even is still finding it difficult to accept help from those who weren't originally working here at the castle."
At that point, Dilan and Aeleus had just finished their battle and were regrouping behind Sarah. They had heard a part of the conversation. Sarah looks behind her to see the two guards with their weapons in hand.
"Do you wish for me to show her the door?" Dilan inquired, looking between Ienzo and Even.
Even kept his back to Ienzo, who merely shook his head and went to Sarah's side. "That won't be necessary. I need to speak with her before she leaves."
They guards stood down from their defensive position before walking to the body of the creature on the ground.
"I assume you wish to dispose of this one as the others?" Aeleus asks, looking to Even.
Even rubbed his temples, giving a nod. "Yes. Burn it. I want no evidence of that horror remaining."
Sarah then felt a light tug on her arm from Ienzo as he ushered her out of the hall. She followed him to one of the empty rooms that had recently been restored. It only had a desk, two chairs and a bookcase with a handful of books. She watched as Ienzo closed the door behind him and take a seat behind the desk.
"Please..take a seat." he gestures to the chair in front of his desk.
Sarah looked at the chair and then her wings. Making a distorted face for a second, she turned the chair to the side so she could sit down without the back of it behind her. Once she was settled, Sarah looked up at Ienzo.
"You wanted to speak with me?"
She could see him leaning back in his chair, one arm crossed over his chest while he had a hand wrapped around his chin as he studied her as if she was a specimen he was examining. Before long, he gave her a nod. "Indeed. You..aren't from this world, are you?"
Sarah shook her head at his question. "No, not really. I'm from a world called Atlandtis."
He rose a brow at her. "Is that so? I haven't heard much about that world, I'm afraid. Are there others that practice the same magic that you do there?"
She rubbed the back of her head. "I..think so. Didn't exactly grow up there but I've been told that their magic is very different from other worlds. So I would think the answer is yes. But..I'm the only one of my kind there. Why, I'm not sure.."
He pondered on her words for a moment before nodding. Taking out a notepad he had in one of his drawers, he began to write a few things down before turning it around for her and pushed a pen in her direction. "During that battle, I sensed..something ancient and warm from you. It was almost empowering, to be honest. I've felt a similar magic before but..it was a little different."
At this point, Sarah tilted her head at Ienzo. "You have?"
He offered her a faint smile. Only a few people knew of his encounter with the Unverse when he was a child. Though he hadn't seen anymore of those creatures running around; he still pondered on whether or not they were still able to attack people..wherever they might be. After that encounter, he didn't feel comfortable speaking about the darkness he felt around the crawlers that appeared around him in the main garden square. There..was just something about this woman that made if feel easier to speak about troubling matters about the past.
"It was..many years ago. A very distant memory of my childhood. But..it was shortly after the loss of my parents. I was more than a little upset with them being gone and abandoning me to be with strangers. I had apparently attracted some sort of dark creature known as Unversed. A young man with a keyblade had stepped in to take care of them and at that moment, I sensed an aura of bright magic from him. I am unsure what has become of the young man now a days but I owe him my life..as I do to you." A light chuckle left his lips. "Though I would imagine that you are quite different from a keyblader. Similar, but not the same. Your aura is..acutely different, but in a good way. But..I'm afraid we know little about your abilities. So, if you would be so kind as to write down the things you know you can do, perhaps I can persuade Even to have you be more than a visitor here at the castle."
She gave him a nod, taking the pen and started to write the things she knew how to do. This included the various spells she knew and battle skills she was taught by her father and their family moogle, Franzle. When she was done, she pushed everything towards Ienzo and he wasted no time to eagerly read the list. His facial expressions amused Sarah. He seemed extremely impressed with her abilities, having been home taught in a short time period.
Sarah shifted nervously in her seat, "Is everything okay?"
Ienzo looked down from the page and gave her a smirk. "Oh yes. Everything is perfectly fine. I'm just attempting to contain my excitement on the expectation of Even's face when he realizes that I was right and he was wrong...again. "
She blinked a few times at Ienzo, feeling completely lost. "Right about what?"
Ienzo placed the notes on the table as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Yesterday, we had a debate of whether or not you could defend yourself. My hypotheses was that anyone who is surrounded by knowledge, especial old magic, knows how to use it or at the very least read it. He strongly disagreed and thought that being around old magic meant nothing unless you've had years of studying - which he thought you didn't seem old enough to have practiced. Tonight, you've disproved him twice. He will be a little unbearable to work with for a few days, but he'll get over it eventually." he uttered with a soft laugh.
Sarah laughed a little with him before she gazed at the clock on the wall and groaned. "Oh gods..is that really the time? I should really head home."
Ienzo gave a nod, pushing from his desk. "Not a problem. Would you like an escort home?"
Her cheeks grew a bit red. "W-what? Oh..no. I should be fine, but thank you. "
He took his notes from the table and opened the door for her. "Please, I insist. Consider it my way of thanking you for your assistance earlier."
She scratched the side of her cheek before giving a nod. "If you say so. Thank you." Sarah gets up from her seat.
Once she left the room, she waited for him in the hall as he walked beside her to the exit where Even was speaking with Dilan. Ienzo stopped them for a moment and cleared his throat, gaining the attention of both of the gentlemen. He had a smug grin as he held a hand out with the notes to Even.
"I believe you lost a bet, Even."
Narrowing his eyes, he took the paper from Ienzo and read over the page, looking between Sarah and the notes before giving a sigh. "Fine..you were right."
Ienzo crossed his arms over his chest. "Does this mean she is allowed to come if we require her assistance? You know we can't take care of everything on our own like we used to. Times have changed..."
Dilan gave Even a skeptical look, waiting with Ienzo for his reply. Reluctantly, Even gave a nod as he handed Ienzo back the notes. "Yes, she is allowed. As much as I am not too fond on the idea of others learning the secrets of the labs, considering the state of things..it was that secrecy that got us into this mess to begin with. But if she gets injured, she is your responsibility, Ienzo."
Giving a nod, he gave a smug grin to Even."Of course. I will take full responsibility of her actions while she is visiting the castle. Now, if you will excuse me..I have a young lady to escort home." With that, he turns to Sarah, waving a hand for her to follow him outside. She walked behind Ienzo. Sarah stole a glance from both Dilan and Even. Dilan seemed mildly amused as Even was rubbing his forehead, grumbling under his breath.
Once they were outside, she managed catch up to him and walks at his side with her wings tucked closed. They walked in silence for a moment before she looked to Ienzo. "If you don't mind me asking, why were you upset this morning?"
Ienzo paused in his steps just before they were to the rebuilt garden square. He turns to face her. "Well..considering what you just went through with us, I suppose you deserve an explanation." He crossed an arm over his chest while he explained the series of events the occurred. " This morning, before you arrived, I was doing an inventory of the rooms that were intact and which still required repair using the computer in the lab and the cameras that were in each room. The cameras that didn't turn on were obviously marked for repair. However..I found some disturbing news when I was doing so.."
Sarah could tell by his facial features that what he discovered was more than just disturbing. When he paused, she noticed that he was attempting to compose himself, as if he was trying to stop himself from visibly showing that he was upset.
"Ienzo..? What did you find?"
He looked up from staring at the ground as his eyes grew cold."Experiments that were in the basement of the castle. When I was a child..I..persuaded the sage Ansem the Wise to have a laboratory in the basement of the castle so that I could study and perform minor experiments. Neither of us thought anything negative of it at the time but..I was influenced by a gentlemen who became a part of the staff later on by the name of Xehanort..and..well, let's just say simple innocent experiments were turned and twisted into horrors made by nightmares. Various animals fused with darkness and magic..most turned into Heartless..others became mutated, like the creature you helped Even and I fight earlier. I had thought that when this world fell into darkness many years ago that those horrors would have disappeared. It seems, however, that those creatures were still in there. I..discovered ten signs of life. I was disturbed that ten creatures were still alive down there, living for more than a decade alone, bound in magical chains."
He rubbed his forehead. "We've been spending all day disposing of those creatures. Those..two were the last of the ten. Classified as the 'nearly perfect' subjects under Xehanort's reports." He lets out a sigh. "It has been quite a long day but I'm done those abominations are gone. Experiments like those should have never have been done in the first place. Playing creator with living creatures and the powers of darkness just ends up terrible. One cannot expect to provide positive results when experimenting with darkness. Anyways...we should get you home. It is getting rather late and Heartless have been rumored to be quite active at night."
Sarah frowned, nodding a bit. "Yeah..sorry to hear about the experiments."
He waved a hand at her. "Don't worry about it. The matter has been taken care of. This time tomorrow, the cells will be cleaned and the walls taken down so the space can be used for something much more fitting for the home of scholars; not for a madman obsessed with darkness and power."
As they started to walk back into town, Sarah changed the subject, telling him tid-bits of information about her home world; hoping it would make him feel less distracted by the bad news from earlier. The more she told him, the more he seemed to have nearly a thousand more questions for her that followed. He had spent most of his time after being completed in the remains of the castle or in the realm of darkness as his Nobody and Heartless were finding their way back to his original body. That didn't exactly leave much time for him to explore any new worlds that may have shown in the stars. When they arrived to her apartment, she invited him inside for tea so they could continue talking.
He accepted, deciding that a small break was indeed something that was best, especially considering the events of the day. She had him wait for her in the dinning room while she changed and retracted her wings; returning with a pink top and his lab coat as well as fluffy pink pajama bottoms with her hair. When she came out, Ienzo couldn't help but laugh a little.
"Why in the world are you wearing my lab coat with bed attire?"
Sarah pouted, pulling the coat closed a bit. "It's comfy..and.." she shakes her head. "Nevermind..you'll laugh at me."
He gave a sigh, smiling a little at her. "I'm sorry I laughed. I just..wasn't expecting you to wear it so often. Do you really like that thing?"
She gave him a slow nod. "It..makes me feel safe. Your..lab coats remind me of the cloaks my father and the Council he is a part of wears. Since my father isn't here to look after me anymore; I..kind of feel that I am protected with your coat." Sarah looks down, letting go of the coat sides as she goes to slowly remove it from her shoulders. "I'll take it off if it bugs you though.."
She soon felt Ienzo's hands on her shoulders as he gave a sigh, shaking his head. "Silly woman. You can wear the coat if it makes you feel better. I don't mind. "
Dark emerald hues met piercing blue one's as she gave him a skeptical look. "Are you sure?"
Giving a nod, he kissed her forehead. "I'm sure. I told you that you could keep it, didn't I?"
Sarah gave him a slow nod as a faint blush formed over her cheeks. "Y-yes.."
"I thought so. Don't worry about what I think. If my lab coat gives you a sense of comfort, wear it. Though I personally find it odd, as it is just a normal lab coat with no magical components of any sort..if you are comforted by it, then by all means..wear it."
Smiling a little, Sarah pulled the coat back over her shoulders. "Thank you.."
He gave her a nod before taking a step to the side so she could pass through. "Now..you mentioned something about tea?"
"Oh! Right.."
Sarah slid past him and gathered things together for the two of them. While they waited for the water, she took out a small pack of homemade ginger cookies she made, setting them on the counter while they talked. Sarah had to pause every so often, however, as the faces that Ienzo was making when he ate her cookies made her want to inquire if he wished to have a room alone with them. She knew she was good at baking but she had no idea that Ienzo enjoyed cookies that much.
"I take it you have a bit of a sweet tooth?" she teased.
He didn't even try to hide it as he took another cookie. "I'm afraid so.." he uttered sarcastically. "Your cookies are expected to have a short life should they remain in my sight. I have a weakness for sweets..mostly ice cream and cookies." He gave another sigh of delight as he ate another cookie, making Sarah giggle.
When the water finally boiled, she finished their cups and handed him his as she led him to her living room so they could talk more. As they sat down, Sarah stole a cookie from the plate that Ienzo brought out before he finished all of them. He had a guilty look on his face for a moment before she shook her head and told him that she didn't mind if he finished the cookies. The guy had been in one battle after another all day with gods know what. He deserved to have a couple cookies.
For the next two hours or so, she told him more about her world, or at least what she remembered of it. They then traded stories from how things were different from their childhoods to how things were now. It seemed that they both experienced a sense of sheltering but were expected to do a great length of powerful duties on their own with little to no instruction on how to do so.
Sarah soon glanced at the clock to see that they had been talking until nearly midnight. "Oh boy..I'm going to be tired in the morning."
Ienzo fished inside his pocket to see that Even left him a message two hours ago, inquiring where he was. He gave a roll of his eyes. The old man was likely having a search party looking for him since he didn't report back yet. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same...
"I should get going anyways. Even is likely to lecture my ear off..again. I enjoyed spending my time with you, however. You should come by the castle some time. Even has expressed that you are welcomed, so don't be afraid to use that privilege."
Sarah got up and walked Ienzo to the door, pausing for a moment to give him a quick hug. He froze in her arms, but slowly returned the embrace awkwardly. "See you later Ienzo..Night night."
Ienzo blinked for a moment, feeling her weight on him and panicked a little. "Uh..Sarah, please don't tell me that you are falling asleep on me. I don't think I can support your weight standing here.."
She groaned a little in his ear before she slowly slumped out of his arms, pouting. "Sorry..I guess I am just really tired. I'm going to head to bed. I'll see you tomorrow...maybe."
He nervously readjusted his coat and collar. "Of course. Sweet dreams Sarah."
After waiting till Ienzo was down the hall, she closed and locked the door. She carefully took their dishes to the kitchen, making a mental note to do them in the morning before turning off the lights and heading to bed; face planting herself into her pillows like a dead weight.
For the next couple of months, the two of them saw each other every so often. She would visit the castle when they required her assistance with a renovation or her knowledge of the magic she used and Ienzo would visit her bookstore during his breaks to inquire how her business was doing. Often times, however, she would close the store for an hour in the afternoon so her and Ienzo could take walks together around Radiant Garden.
A year later, while the two of them were walking towards the refurbished fountains, the Gullwing trio were spying on them and giggled as they made comments about the two of them together.
"How long do you think they have been dating?" Yuna asks, leering down with excited bio-colored eyes.
Paine gave a sigh, shrugging her shoulders. "Don't know, don't care..Shouldn't we be working?"
Rikku was leaning over beside her cousin and glanced over to the former Crimson Squad recorder. "Aww...you're no fun! I think they are adorable!" She giggled with a wide grin. "Most importantly, I think they might actually have something of value on them!"
Paine crossed her arms over her chest, sitting on the edge of the fountain. "I certainly hope we aren't wasting our time..again."
Little did they know, Ienzo had already detected the three of them and was smiling a bit as he prepared himself to have his Lexicon out when they showed themselves. Rikku was the first to show herself. She popped in front of Sarah with a toothy grin, waving excitedly. "Hiya! Name's Rikku. You wouldn't happen to have anything on ya' would you?" she asked as she batted her 'innocent' eyes at them.
Sarah shook her head. "Afraid not, sorry. I only carry things when I'm traveling..but not today."
Rikku pouted before looking to Ienzo. "How 'bout you?"
Ienzo summoned his Lexicon in his right hand, giving her a sly smirk. "Leon told me about you..and your little ban of what was it, treasure hunters? Thieves that had a contract with Maleficent. Even if the witch is no where to be seen, you still wish to go down the road of thievery? Might I suggest that you take on a safer profession before you find yourself in a troubling situation?"
Sweat dripped from Rikku's forehead as she gave a nervous laugh. "Yikes..! Sorry mister..We are just used to being treasure hunters. Old habits die hard, y'know?"
"I got it!" Yuna cried as she appeared beside her cousin with a small white box in her hand.
Ienzo's eyes narrowed. He got up and held his hand out. "Give it back..that doesn't belong to you."
Yuna pouted for a second before opening the box. It was an onyx and emerald engagement ring that was encrypted with Ienzo and Sarah's names. Rikku gasped as she looked over her cousin's shoulder before glancing to Ienzo. "Geez! How much munny did you spend on this thing?! Looks expensive!"
Yuna grinned. "Which means it's worth a ton for us!"
Paine appeared behind the other side of Yuna and gave a sigh, nudging her 'leader'. "C'mon guys..just give it back. It has their names on it. Won't be worth much to us if it has someone's name on it."
Yuna frowned. "Aww poo..you're no fun." She slowly closes the box and tosses it back to Ienzo, who caught it quickly before placing it back in his pocket and opened his Lexicon.
Paine's eyes went wide. "Nice job, you idiots! Piss off the wrong guy and look what you do! I'm out of here!"
"Eeep! Sorry!" Rikku quickly left, followed by Yuna.
Ienzo lets out a sigh before closing his book. He could hear Sarah's footsteps behind him and her hand lightly placed on his shoulder. "Is..everything okay? What was it they took?"
His shoulders went stiff for a second before he relaxed for a moment. He dismissed his book before taking Sarah's hands into his own. "Do..you remember me telling you that I was looking through old archives and boxes the other day?"
She gave a slow nod.
"Well you see...when I was going through those archives, I stumbled upon something that was..difficult to believe. My mother's old wedding ring. The band was in terrible condition but the stones were perfectly fine. So..I had a jeweler look at it and uh.." The man didn't seem like he was completely prepared for this moment; but it seemed like he had no choice but to do so now...
He held her hands a little tighter. "Never thought I would choke up about something I've been so passionate about, yet here I am..stuttering like a child in front of you. Forgive me. I wasn't completely prepared for this.."
Her cheeks started to grow bright pink as she felt her heart race. She gave him a nod, giving him the time he needed to prepare himself properly.
"Sarah..I..have found peace and enlightenment in your company within the past few months. I..honestly can't see myself living another day without seeing your smiling face. We have our differences; but it is that difference that makes us work well together." A small smile formed over his lips as he gets down on one knee and takes out the box, showing her the ring that the Gullwings almost stole. "Will..you do me the honor of being my bride, my wife..my life partner?"
A squeal of excitement left her lips as she nearly threw him off balance as she tackled him into a tight embrace. "Yes to all of the above!"
He laughed a bit, but hugged her in return. "Good to know! Okay..you can get off now.."
She slowly backed away, giving a nervous laugh. "Sorry..I got excited."
Ienzo smiled at her as he took the ring out and carefully slipped it onto her left hand before leaving a soft kiss on her knuckles. "I know. I expect nothing less from a free spirit like you, Sarah."
She gave him a wide grin as she saw him take out the matching pair to her engagement ring onto his own hand. Her smile died a little when she saw him frown a bit. "Did that belong to your father?"
Ienzo didn't speak, but he gave a nod. "It oddly enough fits perfectly without any adjustments. I just..wish they were here to meet you, to see the two of us happy."
Sarah kisses his forehead. "I'm sure they are..where ever they are.."
Ienzo rested his forehead against her's for a moment, taking comfort in the peace between them as he felt her intertwine their fingers together. Their moment together didn't last long as a sound of applause sounded from a distance.
To the side by a staircase that led to the castle, Even, Dilan, Aeleus, Yuffie, Leon and Aerith were clapping for them.
"You sure took your time, didn't ya?!" Yuffie teased with a grin.
"Awe...look at them! They are so cute together." Aerith sighed, leaning her head on her hands as they folded over her right shoulder.
Even gave a sigh, shaking his head. "Like father, like son I suppose. His father wasn't exactly one who had the courage to speak up right away when it came to Ienzo's mother. At least he didn't need to be shoved like someone I know.."he mused with a light laugh.
Dilan looked over to Even. "You're not going to give him any time off for the wedding, are you?"
The elder man crossed his arms in thought. "Well...I think we can survive without Ienzo for a week or two, if we must. He will just have a pile of paper work waiting for him when he returns." he mused with a small grin.
Aeleus shakes his head. "That's cold, even for you Even. Can't you cut the kid a break?"
Even sighed once more, crossing his arms. "If I must.."
Yuffie leans an arm on Even's shoulder with a grin. "Think of it this way, gramps, you won't need to but him or Sarah anything for their wedding or give them anything for their honey moon. Easiest gift ever."
Even glared at Yuffie, brushing her arm off of his shoulder before readjusting his lab coat. "Hmph...I'm not that old."
His comment earned a snicker from both Dilan and Aeleus, who just received a glare from Even, making them both laugh more. Giving a huff, Even turned on his heels and started to head back to the castle with a Dilan and Aeleus soon following afterwards, recovering from a laughing fit.
Ienzo helped Sarah off the ground as they made their way to the crowd waiting for them. Yuffie wrapped an arm around them both with a toothy grin. "Soo.~ When's the wedding? You know I love wedding parties!"
Leon gave a groan,face palming. "Yuffie..they literally just got engaged. I highly doubt they know of when their wedding is.."
Yuffie pouted, letting go of them both. "Hey..never hurts to ask.."
Aerith smiled at them. "Congratulations on your engagement. If you need help with your planning, I don't mind lending a hand."
Sarah rubbed the back of her head. "Thanks. I'll get back to you on that."
Ienzo gave a nod as well before looking around. "Did the others return back to the castle?"
Leon looked over to Ienzo, nodding. "Even seemed mildly annoyed, but he left with the others not that long ago."
"You should probably head back." Sarah muttered, looking to Ienzo.
"Might not be a terrible idea." He says, looking towards the castle before looking back to her. "I'll take you back to your shop, then I'll head back. They can wait a few minutes.." he says with a mischievous grin.
He looped an arm with her's and ushered her through the stairs and headed towards the main square where the bookstore was. Ienzo paused for a moment in front of her store, taking her left hand into his own. "I'll be back later tonight so we can start planning things."
The blush on her cheeks grew brighter as she gave him a nod. "Okay..I'll see you later tonight."
He wrapped his free hand carefully around her waist until rested on the small of her back before leaning forward to kiss her softly. She pressed her free hand on his chest, resting it over his heart. Sarah could feel that his heart was beating faster than her own as they shared an intimate moment together. Sure, it wasn't the first time they kissed..but they were soon to be husband and wife..and that meant a large step between the two of them. She could feel the butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she clinged onto his coat before he reluctantly let go of her, pulling back as a faint haze formed over his eyes. He gave her a bit of a grin.
"I'm almost tempted to ask you to come to my office.." he whispered against her lips.
Sarah gave him a soft laugh. "Tempting...but no. Even might not be happy with that."
"I know how to use locks.." he suggested until Sarah just gave him a knowing look, making Ienzo sigh. "You're right. We can pick up where we left off later. I'm sure you have quite a few people to contact..and I should be getting back."
Sarah kisses his cheek. "I'll talk with you later tonight."
He gave her a nod, kissing her forehead before slowly untangling their hands from one another and heads off to the castle. Sarah opened the shop back up with a grin plastered on her face. She made several phone calls and started writing even more letters to not only her friends and family in Twilight Town, but in her home world. Mentally, she was bracing herself for the barrage of replies from everyone.
A month later, the wedding went off without a hitch in Twilight Town; with Merlin marrying them and her father walking her down the aisle while it was taken place on Sunset Hill. The two of them spent their honey moon at her home world; where she showed him various places that had ancient magic and creatures that were endangered lived, like unicorns and certain types of dragons.
Back in the now, Sarah found herself at home; as they had returned from their honey moon two weeks before. They were smart enough to get a place together before the wedding so that they were prepared afterwards. She changed out of her current work clothes and changed into a sexy black and red lace corset with a matching skirt and heels. She then slipped on the old lab coat Ienzo gave her, hugging it close to her chest as she breathed in the collar. Even though she washed it multiple times, his scent still lingered on it.
She carefully buttoned up the coat and undid her braid, only having it in a single hair tie, so that her hair was a little wavy. Checking herself in the mirror one last time, Sarah then took a pair of the house keys and locked everything up again before heading out to visit Ienzo at work.
When she arrived at the castle, both Dilan and Aeleus were at the door. She gave them a small smile. "Is Ienzo busy?"
Dilan crossed his arms with a small knowing smile. "No, I think he is just in his office doing paper work."
She gave a nod. "Thank you."
As she passed by him, she heard a soft comment from Dilan, "Closing the blinds might not be a bad idea.."
She smiled a little over her shoulder before heading towards Ienzo's office. She knocked a few times until he replied. Once he did, Sarah opened the door and closed it behind her. When she saw that he didn't look up yet, she leaned over to lower and close his blinds before locking his office door. She then took a seat on the edge of his desk. "Happy birthday, hun. Are you going to be working late tonight?"
Ienzo gave a nod, letting out a tired sigh. "Even's idea of a birthday party is appalling. He handed me a filing cabinet's worth of paper work that needed to be dated and sorted in alphabetical order."
Sarah shook her head. "Did you even take a break today?"
"I'm afraid not..Been too busy with work."
She blinked. "So you've been working from seven in the morning until nine in the evening without a break?" Sarah reached over and placed a hand on top of his current page. "Ienzo..I think you deserve a break, especially on your birthday.."
He finally looked up and rubbed his eyes as he squinted at her for a moment. Removing his reading glasses, he sets them to the side, leaning back in his chair as he gave a light laugh. "I'm not seeing things, am I?"
Sarah gave a slow smile. "Depends on what you are seeing.."
He lowered his hands and looked at her with a tired expression, smiling a bit. "You're not wearing anything professional under that coat, are you?"
She slid off the side of the desk and made herself comfortable on Ienzo's lap. He had to push his chair back a little so she wouldn't knock off any work he had already finished. Once she was sitting with him, she kissed his forehead with a grin. "Unwrap your present.~"
"Gladly.."he whispered against her neck, leaving a soft kiss there as his hands rested on her hips. He slowly moved them to the buttons of the coat and parted the fabric to see that she was indeed wearing lingerie under the coat. He laughed a little more, smiling up at his wife. "You realize we shouldn't really be doing anything here, right?"
She batted her eyes at him, giving an innocent look. "Who me? No...I didn't know."
He gave her a stern look. "Sarah..."
She pouted, crossing her arms. "I know..but you've been here all evening and I know you have work to do, but on your birthday? Really...? Can't you enjoy yourself just a tiny bit?"
Ienzo looked over to see that the blinds were closed and the door was set to 'lock'. He contemplated his choices for what he should do.
Sarah noticed his look. "Besides...I think Dilan and Aeleus already know that I had plans for you, so if anyone goes looking for you; you're indisposed.."
He raised a brow at her. "Dilan knows? You didn't..." he trailed, watching her shake her head quickly at him.
"What? Nooo! I think he just noticed my change of attire. He's pretty observant."
"Well..if that's the case.." Ienzo moved his hands under the lab coat so that his fingers would trail over the fine lace material on her sides before moving down to grasp her rear and push her closer to him so he could reach her.
A soft giggling gasp leaves her lips as she leans into a soft passionate kiss with her beloved. She trailed her left hand feathered through his hair while the other lightly loosened his tie with practiced ease. Within seconds she had it undone and slipping from under his dress shirt.
She felt him break their kiss, panting softly. "You wouldn't..happen to have..one of your scrolls on you..would you?"
Sarah felt around in her pockets of her coat, pulling out a folded scroll that hadn't been used. It was one of her modified spells that allowed you to teleport between spaces two ways. This one allowed her to get from anywhere, to her and Ienzo's home. They just had to think of a room and they'd be there.
"Want me to use it?"
He gave her a nod as he placed his keys quickly into his pocket. She read the scroll and the two of them were then teleported into their bedroom. Finally home, Ienzo shrugged off his lab coat and tossed it by the night stand before taking his wife by her hips and rolled her over so he straddled her instead. Pulling her into another kiss, his hands wondered over her breasts and unbuttoned her corset while he felt her working her way to undo the million of buttons that laid over his own shirt.
Once both of their tops were discarded, it took little to no time for either of them to remove the rest of their clothing. They never once broke from their kiss, except for a second to remove an article of clothing. She grinned up at him when he held her hands above her head while his other hand held her hips.
Sarah could see that his piercing blue eyes grew a bit darker as he leaned into her, whispering softly into her ear. "Are you sure you're still not afraid of the dark, Sarah?"
She moaned softly into his ear, wiggling into him. "With you, no. I..have a light to see in the dark."
It was a word code that they made when they were on their honey moon. Both of them discovered that they had a bit of an adventurous side. When either of them were feeling like being rough, they would ask the other if they were afraid of the dark. Answering yes would mean that they couldn't handle being rough at the moment. However...answering no meant that it was a green light.
Ienzo smirked, holding her hands a little tighter as he kissed along her neck, making her moan more. Feeling around with his free hand, he found the pair of handcuffs Sarah normally used on him and broke away from her for a second to wrap them into the bed and her. Now that he had both of his hands free, Ienzo cupped both of her cheeks as he leaned in to kiss her again before his hands trailed down each of her curves; stopping just at her hips. He parted her legs a bit, allowing her to wrap around him while he took her. He wasn't exactly gentle about it, but Sarah didn't mind. She writhed against the handcuffs, panting against his lips when he attempted to distract her from the pain, but all it did was make her more aware of what he was doing.
When he finally finished, he leaned his forehead against her's, giving her a tired smile. She looked up at him, breathing heavily. "Feel any better?" she teased.
"I'll get back to you in ten.." he grumbled, earning a giggle from Sarah.
"Mind releasing me while you gather your brain cells?"
He gave her a pouty look. "For that, I might just leave you in there.."
"Aw..c'mon.."
"I don't know. I kind of like the idea of having my wife handcuffed to the bed." he muttered with a slow grin.
"You're so mean..."she pouted.
"I love you too.." he chuckled,kissing her nose as he unlocked the handcuffs.
Once she was free, she rolled them over and hugged him. "Sorry I couldn't do more for your birthday. Maybe next year we can go out or something?"
Ienzo closed his eyes, wrapping a lazy arm around her. "That would be nice..Maybe then Even won't dump so much paper work on my desk." he muttered with a groan.
Sarah kissed his neck softly. "You and me both. Why don't you get some sleep?"
Ienzo didn't need to be told twice. He was already half way there when Sarah came to visit him earlier. It was just a spark of luck that he had any energy to do anything cuddled close to Ienzo, pulling a blanket over him. For now, she would rest a bit at his side. In a few hours, she would make sure his morning was easier so he wouldn't have to worry much. Leaning up a bit, she kissed his forehead. "Happy birthday, my love. I promise next year will be better.." she whispered to him before drifting off to sleep with him.