002: XIGBAR, the FREESHOOTER
Dancing in the Shadows
When they first heard the news, it was a shock to everyone in the community.
Many people refused to believe it. Others felt pity and sadness beyond belief. It was a tragedy for the theater and a tragedy for the family.
Jess was happier than she'd ever been in her entire life.
Jess Domino was part of the richest family in all of Radiant Garden's higher side. It was a small family, but they owned, and were proud to own, the only dance studio in town. As far back as anyone could remember (even before Ansem the Wise's fall) the Domino family had all been dancers. Even after Radiant Garden fell under, the Dominos would dance the corners of Traverse Town and bring joy to peoples faces.
Jess hated it.
She hated the moves and the songs and everything her family had ever drilled into her head.
Which was why, when the doctors told her she'd lost the use of her legs, she was happier than ever before.
Of course, she immediately became a failure in her family's eyes.
They bought her a wheelchair. They let her sit at home, fed her, took care of her, but they ignored her. So, Jess had free reign to do whatever she wanted for the rest of her life, confined in her wheelchair. More like, her wheelchair had freed her.
Jess had what she'd always wanted; freedom.
But somehow, freedom felt very empty.
Which brings us to where we are right now. With Jess, in her wheelchair, overlooking a cliff, ready to jump. Or well … roll.
But, even suicide seemed empty. Jess sighed and let her head roll back.
What was she supposed to do?
Suddenly, the answer stood right in front of her. Of course, she didn't know that. All she saw was a big, black portal thing.
It was just standing in front of her, moving and shimmering darkly. Jess just stared at it. Rolling off the cliff was just stupid. So why not give the weird dark portal thing a try?
Jess came through the portal and immediately her wheelchair got stuck on something. She tried to push it forward, but it wouldn't budge. Frowning, she continued to try.
Jess frowned when she heard a groan. Looking down, she gasped.
She was rolling across a man. A man with an eye patch and a scar; weird.
"Oh, I am so sorry!" Jess gasped, looking to see if she could somehow get off him. Rolling her eyes, she simply pushed herself out of her wheelchair and turned back to the man.
Just as she did, the black portal thing went away.
"Well, really", she complained. Shaking her head, Jess looked down at the man.
He wasn't bleeding, but his aura radiated pain and injury. Jess's own face contorted in pity and pain when she felt the rolling aura of agony. It was then she was very glad Rikku, Yuna, and Paine had taught her all sorts of magic healing, amongst other things.
Concentrating, Jess consciousness fought the waves of pain and the girl made to activate a white magic spell. Lowering her now glowing hands to the man's cheeks, Jess whimpered as she took some of the painful aura and began healing him.
During that time as Jess sat there, half awake, letting her magic work, her thoughts drifted.
Who is this man? Where am I?
The magic worked soon enough, and with a sigh, the girl lowered her hands to his shoulders and slumped forward onto his chest. Jess wasn't in the least embarrassed about it either; he was a handsome man, but she had saved his life, so he owed her in the least. So, during his rest, she'd enjoy his masculine chest.
As her eyes drifted into sleep, shadows began forming around the two. Shadows with dark red eyes and black forms, but as these forms attempted to move in on Jess and the mystery man, white creatures leapt up from the darkness. Surrounding the sleeping two, these white "Nobodies" protected the ones with heart beats…
The shadows slinked back to the darkness.
Groaning, Xigbar fidgeted. His eyes burned and his mind was being attacked by a hammer. There was a weight on his chest as well.
Opening his eye, Xigbar blinked in surprise when he sat up and saw a girl. There was a girl, leaning on his chest! Her aura reeked of magic; since his pain had dimmed greatly, Xigbar smirked and realized the girl had helped him. She was very pretty, in his eyes. Er, eye.
Auburn highlights glistened in her dark hair, and her skin was very pale in comparison. She had the slim, but fit body of a dancer.
Xigbar raised his gloved hand to her cheek, but then backed down. Rolling his eye, the man removed his glove. It had been so long since he'd felt a woman's skin, so he decided to indulge.
With the glove gone, Xigbar let his rough hand caress the woman's cheek. She moaned sleepily and slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes were very black, darker than black. They way the glowed and shone was beautiful.
"Hey there, pretty lady", Xigbar grinned. Something inside him glowed. Wait a minute.
He had a heart beat! What the hell!
Xigbar moved his still gloved hand to his neck to take his pulse. It was there; he had a heart! Somehow, he had a heart! A wide grin came over his face.
The girl sat up on his chest, both of her hands holding her over him. Xigbar's grin became half grin/half smirk. The girl noticed, but it didn't faze her.
"Who are you?" Her British accent was light, but pretty, and her tone of voice was very serious. Xigbar shrugged.
"Ladies first." He grinned. He just could not stop grinning! The girl smirked challengingly.
"Well, fine." She rolled her eyes. "Jess Domino"
Xigbar lightly bowed his head. "Xigbar"
Jess looked him over quizzically. "Just… Xigbar?"
"My full title is Number Two, Xigbar, the Freeshooter!"
Jess's eyes became wide. They weren't wide from fear, but rather, fascination. "You're part of that organization, aren't you? You are! And second in command, too?"
Xigbar bowed again, with a smirk. "At your service."
Her eyes seemed to become wide like she was planning something, and slowly her smile became a smirk of evil. Xigbar was sure it was of evil. He'd seen it way to many times to mistake it. Larxene had it permanently fixated on her face.
Jess looked up to him.
"Can I stay with you?" She asked. "I don't have anywhere I want to go, nothing to do, I just need to get away from my family."
Xigbar snorted. "Family problems huh? It always is."
It was then he saw the wheelchair. Glancing back, Xigbar met her eyes. "Yours?" He muttered. The girl nodded with a sigh.
"The nerves in my legs gave out. Long story." She pushed herself off Xigbar's chest, or tried to. "One I don't ever want to tell."
As she tried to adjust her body and get off of Xigbar, the man took her around the waist.
"Don't worry, pretty lady, I've got ya." Jess glared.
"I have a name."
Laughing heartily, Xigbar gave the girl's butt a playful squeeze. "I know, pretty lady!" Jess's eyes went wide and she kneed him in the stomach. It didn't hurt him, but it made him laugh.
"Well, really!"
Once Xigbar set her in her chair, she angrily adjusted herself and then glared up at the man. When he moved to get behind and pushed, she smacked his leg. "I can handle myself, you know!" Xiggy shrugged smugly and stepped aside, and motioned for her to "handle herself".
Once more glaring challengingly, the girl rolled forward as Xigbar summoned up a portal. She rolled through and Xigbar smirked.
"This is gonna be fun!"
When Jess rolled through the portal, she wasn't sure what to expect. A big white castle and a dark creepy city didn't surprise her. What surprised her was the fact there was a rather tall blonde girl sitting on the steps of a tall Skyscraper. (The Memory's Skyscraper)
Xigbar seemed just as surprised when he came.
"What's with the broad?" He asked. Jess turned back to smack him, but he moved out of range. Shaking her head, Jess rolled towards the girl.
"Hello?" She asked, looking the girl over. Shyly, the blonde looked up at the newcomers. At seeing Xigbar she grinned.
"You came!" She laughed. "The Superior said it wouldn't be long!"
Xigbar smirked. "So, he's alive too, huh?" The blonde nodded.
"But so far, you and he are the only ones." The girl looked to Jess. "Hi, I'm Lily, nice to meet you." Lily shyly looked the wheelchair over, in a pitying sort of way.
"Don't pity me for this." Jess smirked. "Pity me because I saved him." Lily laughed when Jess referred to number two.
Lily smiled and turned towards the castle. "Come on, I'm sure Xemnas wants to see you!"
The three traveled into the castle, Xigbar giving Lily and Jess a sort of tour, naming everything. He explained his own abilities when they came to the Hall of Empty Melodies, and Jess made the joke that Xigbar was spacey, or in other words, stoned.
Except, of course, Jess actually believed it. The man had to be stoned.
Once Xigbar and Xemnas met again, the former practically leapt on the latter, in an attempt to be weird and funny. Jess rolled her eyes, but Lily found it quite amusing to see her lover (Lily blushed furiously) being tackled.
"Hey there big man!" Xigbar cheered, as Xemnas leered at him.
The two who had been friends, then become nothing, were now together as friends again. It made Lily's heart smile.
Jess just wanted to go to sleep.
"Hey, Lily?" The girl looked down to Jess. "Where can I stay?"
Lily didn't seem at all surprised that Jess was staying. Pointing down the hall to the left, Lily told Jess she could sleep in Number Four's old room; it was the safest, and the cleanest.
Without giving anyone a passing glance, Jess turned her wheelchair and rolled down the hallway, her eyes trailing the ground.
Lily watched her go.
"Is she all right?" Lily implored, looking to the two. Xemnas looked to his subordinate.
"Who knows?" Xigbar shrugged. "I just met her. What about you Superior, who's this nice young lady?" Lily flushed and took hold of Xemnas' hand.
"Oh", Xemnas smirked. "Just a friend."
Jess couldn't believe what she was doing.
She had gone from living a life of nothing to committing suicide to living with criminals! What was she thinking!
"It's apparent I wasn't thinking", She sighed.
Number Four's room was simple. Just a bed and a dresser. Jess couldn't help but wonder if she was resting in the room of a dead man. Just in case she was, Jess preformed prayer at the doorway, and then entered the room.
Just when Jess went to get on the bed, a knock came from the door. "Door's open."
Lily entered the room.
"Hey, I just wanted to officially welcome you. If you want, there's dinner down the hall. Whenever you're ready." Jess shrugged emotionlessly.
"I just want to sleep." Lily nodded in understanding.
"Good night."
"Night."
…
"One, two, three, and one two three, turn and step, kick and turn…"
"Ahh!"
The room was a ballet studio, with children barely seven years old following the teachings of a tall woman with dark hark and black eyes. One of the children missed a step and tried to redo it, but tripped into another child.
The teacher came up and pulled the child up painfully, and smacked the child, glaring furiously at her.
"Jessica!" The child pulled away from the teacher's hand with an angry groan, but the teacher pulled her back and smacked her again.
"Jessica, I will not have this! Back to the bar, redo the exercise, now!" The teacher violently pushed the child to the bar. Sniffling and wiping her eyes, the child responded.
"Yes, mama."
Suddenly, the door to the studio burst open. The child looked up.
Xigbar was standing in the doorway! "Xigbar?" The child was now Jess, all grown up, and she was standing! Xigbar eyed the people in the room, and then summoned his guns.
"Eat this, bitch." The teacher was shot and disappeared. Jess watched as the room changed into a fancy bedroom in the castle. Gasping for breath, Jess looked up at Xigbar as he approached her.
"Xigbar?"
The Freeshooter was only an inch away from Jess, their noses touching. His grin was wide and amused, but also soft and genuine. Jess found her voice was gone, even as she moved her lips and nothing came out. Xigbar lifted his left hand to touch her cheek, as his right took gentle but firm hold of her thigh. The girl gasped at the sudden touch, and flushed.
Xigbar moved forward a little, so that the two were almost touching lips.
"I feel… very warm…" Xigbar murmured, his hot breath hitting Jess's cheek as he moved in and lowered his lips to the area where her neck and head connected, just below the ear.
Jess was never one to back down without a fight. The girl moved her shaking hand slowly up his arm past his shoulder, to his neck, and lightly massaged the area. Her hand moved to his ear, coaxing him toward her.
"I feel…"
Xigbar let his tongue slide across her chin lightly, slowly, teasingly. When he reached her lips, lightly, his own touched them innocently. Jess opened her eyes and moved forward, lightly touching his lips. They were soft, supple, rough, and warm. His scent was rough and wet like the forest in summer just after a hard rainstorm. It was wonderful, his scent.
Gently, he lowered her onto the bed behind them.
"I want to feel you forever."
Her eyes snapped open as beads of sweat flowed down her face. There was only one thought on Jessica Domino's mind.
"Why the bloody hell did I wake up?!"
For two weeks it was like that. Every night, similar dreams occurred, never going very far. During the day, Xigbar would torment the girl since he mostly had nothing to do. Most often he and the Superior would be locked away in their study, studying and asking how they had received hearts.
As Jess sat on Naught's Altar, obsessively watching the beautiful, ruined Kingdom Hearts, she contemplated her relationship with number two.
Below her, far below, Xigbar and Xemnas contemplated their existence.
"Maybe Kingdom Hearts worked." Xemnas muttered hopelessly. "I'm beginning to believe it doesn't matter."
"Oh, but it does. We need to know if the others are alive. If Vexen and the others killed at Oblivion are alive, I doubt it was Kingdom Hearts."
Jess glared at the fallen moon.
"Whenever he's around me, he just messes around, flirts, acts stupid. But maybe that's just who he is. I never really minded it." Sighing, the girl rubbed her temples.
Xigbar rubbed his temples. "It might've just been some sort of fluke… something we overlooked."
Xemnas nodded. "More than likely, that is the case. But what?"
Both men sat silently. The room was quiet, the colors silent white, objects bland and speechless. It was too quiet. The others need to come back, Xigbar thought.
"What if… the girls?" Xemnas muttered. Xigbar sat up to attention.
"We both awoke to be in the care of two women. What if they are the key?" Xigbar grinned, contemplating it.
"They complete us. Is that it? They complete us?" Xemnas laughed.
"Perhaps."
Xigbar grinned and looked out the window. With a devious look in his eye, he stood and without a word left the room.
Xigbar found Jess on the altar, staring at the moon. He strode up to her, and sat down beside the wheelchair. Both were silent, for a moment.
"So, did you figure out the heart thing?" Jess muttered, not truly sounding like it was what she wanted to talk about. Xigbar shrugged. His yellow eye reflected the stars as he gazed up at them, and stretched, leaning back with his hands behind his head.
Jess looked at him, then at her wheelchair. Sliding it back, she slid herself out of it and sat on the edge, and then scooted back, so she could lean back like Xigbar was. Her own hands behind her head, she sighed and studied the sky.
Only two seconds later, many loud sounds broke the silence. The pair's eyes went wide as they both sat up and looked back to watch as the wheelchair disappeared down the steps, banging, and breaking all the way.
Xigbar glanced at Jess. She didn't seem to really care. She was very indifferent about everything. With a proud grin, he realized it was different around him. Jess always had some problem with him, some sarcastic retort or angry look, or sometimes even a playful flirt.
"There goes my ride." Jess joked, lying back down.
"You can ride me!" Xigbar joked back, his voice husky and low. Jess elbowed him, and with laughter, he lied down.
Both sat in peace with the beautiful sky above them, with the moon and stars glittering, and the magnificent castle about them standing tall and strong, and the poor wheelchair behind them, squeaking and screaming with every step down the stairway.
"So, how'd you get that hunk a junk?" Xigbar muttered.
"Well, my mom called a manufacturer…"
Xigbar rolled his eyes, and Jess sensed his disgust. But he didn't press it. Sighing, the girl fidgeted with her hands.
"I was a dancer."
Xigbar did not make a sound. Jess took that as a sign to continue.
"My family for generations and generations have all been dancers. I always hated dancing. But what else could I be? I had no other talents. I had to follow in my family's horrid footsteps."
"But, there was an accident. During one of our performances, I had a solo move. But it went all wrong. My sister moved too far towards me, and Jennifer had split her water bottle earlier… I fell. Off the stage and into the hard concrete orchestra pit, on my back. Luckily, I didn't break it, but the doctors said something went wrong with my nerves and something, and now, I can't walk."
"It thrilled me, to think I'd never have to dance again. But, with the wheelchair, I lost all freedoms. Everything I had loved flew out the window along with dancing. Life lost its color. So did it. It was just nothing. I was just… nothing. Ironic huh?" She chuckled pathetically. "I am nothing, and now here I am, with someone who is nothing."
Xigbar didn't respond. Jess was glad. She didn't want him too.
Slowly, Xigbar raised his hand to Jess's cheek. At first, she thought he was just being weird again, but when he placed his wrist against her cheek, she felt it.
Ba-dum
Jess was shocked. Pushing herself up, she looked to Xigbar.
"That what I think it is?" She asked. Xigbar nodded.
"Funny thing bout it is…" The man leaned towards Jess. His voice was deep and husky. "… when I get closer to you, it gets faster…" Heart pounding in her chest, Jess lifted her small hand and put it on Xigbar's chest in an attempt to keep him from getting closer. It didn't work.
Gently Xigbar took light hold of her wrist and leaned forward, her back against the altar, with him leaning over her.
"Actually, its gets stronger when I'm around you, pretty lady." Jess frowned at the name. "When I'm not, it fades. So I think maybe, you and I should probably stay together for the rest of our lives."
Jess gagged. Had he just asked her to marry him in such an INDIFFERENT MANNER??! But still, the proposition brought heat to her face.
"I remember you", Xigbar muttered quietly. Jess stopped gagging long enough to look at her.
"When I was still at Garden, I saw you. Sometimes me and Dilan would sneak off to watch the girls at dance. You were there. And I remember Lily; she told me that she'd visited the Garden once, and I remember seeing her bump into Xehanort and shyly rush off afterwards."
"Your point?" Xigbar laughed at the angry look on Jess's face. She was so feisty!
"I think those little meetings connected us. That's why we're still here. You girls saved our hearts with those little meetings; (we were destined to be together! Dripping with sarcasm). Of course, maybe it was less destiny and more I thought you were hot." Jess rolled her eyes.
"So you think 'love' is saving the nobodies?" Jess gagged again. "How corny."
"How cynical!" Xigbar mocked. "You are so cynical! I would say its cause you're a Brit, but I know a Brit who's the kindest guy you'll ever meet, long as you don't challenge him to poker or somethin'. Maybe it's Brit women. They're so cynical!"
"Shut up!" Jess tried to fight Xigbar off, but he held her wrists tight. She kept fighting him, and somehow the two ended up laughing. Xigbar rolled off her as they laughed.
"I am not cynical."
"Sour."
"Not."
"Are too."
Huffing, Jess turned away from him. Xigbar looked back to her with a smile. Her breasts rose and fell and her wild hair was strewn around her, her tragic beauty seemed to be at its epitome.
"Hey", Xigbar called, reaching his arm out to touch hers. His voice was actually soft and sweet! "Let's dance."
Jess's eyes went wide.
"What?"
Leaping up, number two stood and walked to the center of the platform. Extending his hand to Jess, who was sitting up and looking back at him glaring, he repeated himself.
"Is this some kind of cruel joke?" Jess muttered angrily. Xigbar shrugged as if to say "women".
"So cynical! A pretty lady shouldn't be so cynical!" With that, Xigbar stretched his hand out, palm up, and gestured, as if to say, get up. As soon as he did, darkness began forming around Jess.
Eyes wide, Jess watched as the darkness supported her, lifting her to her feet. When she stood, it wrapped around her legs and allowed her to move as she awkwardly walked over to Xigbar's outstretched hand. With a joyous smirk, she placed her hand in his, and he took gentle hold of her little waist.
"Let's dance" Jess whispered.
"Let's!"
And so the two danced, hand in hand, and soon enough Jess let her head rest on Xigbar's muscular chest. Beaming with pride, Xigbar let his hand slide a little too low on Jess's back. She told him to fix it of course. She told him with her fist.
After their charming little dance, Xigbar looked at the remains of the girl's wheelchair.
"Well, let's fix that, shall we?" Xigbar asked, looking down to Jess, who was leaning on him. Jess nodded.
Xigbar stretched his hand out and summoned the pieces to the top of the stair, and promptly put them back together. But they were a little… different.
The wheelchair had big wheels the size of tires and the rims spun. Flames were on the side, with a boom box in the back. In summary, it was "pimped out".
"No", Jess mumbled tiredly.
"Aw, come on, look at this!" Xigbar pushed a button on a remote that had appeared in his hand. The wheelchair began to go up and down like a car with hydraulics. Jess shook her head in frustration.
"No",
With a sigh, Xigbar put the wheelchair back to normal. Jess sat down and the darkness disappeared.
"Say, uh, how'd you get up here?" Xigbar asked. Jess rolled her eyes.
"Well, really, did you think I rolled up here?" A black portal appeared in front of Jess. Xigbar shrugged as if to say "I dunno…"
The two disappeared through the portal.
"Wait a minute…" Jess murmured. "This isn't my room."
Xigbar stepped out with a wide grin.
"No", He told her. "It's mine."
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Hello thar readers!
Writing Xigbar is SO HARD! I don't think this is as good as the XemnasOC I did, but I did enjoy it. Xiggy's one of my favorites! I hope everyone liked this.
I've been in a romantic mood, so you can expect the XaldinOC to be out soon. Thanks for reading!
SULHADAHNE