(A/N: Okay, so this was the first little drabble I wrote on my Ienzo account, so again, I thought you guys might like it. Let me know what you guys think?)
Genius
A child genius; that's what they called him. Everyone from his parents to random strangers that knew of him. They thought he was special, someone they could use, that could better their little town of flowers and fountains. Ienzo hadn't minded. This was the only life he knew, and he wanted to make his parents proud. He would spend days upon days up in his room, reading and studying whatever he could get his hands on. He was home schooled of course, so he never really saw any other children or time to play.
He learned at a very young age how to discipline himself, and to take care of himself – though he still used the assistance and comfort of his parents whenever given the chance. Despite how he was, he was still a child, longing to make his parents happy and accepting of him. Though he knew in the back of his mind that it wouldn't take knowing all these things for them to be proud; they just wanted him to be happy after all.
But his mind was a curious one, he couldn't stop it even if he wanted to. Once he got his hands on science books, he made up his mind that he would try the experiments in them, small things admittedly but they were still experiments. Every day he would start or finish a project, letting his time be consumed by the art.
His parents grew weary of the way that he would almost obsess over his work like a workaholic. They tried to take his experiments away after they realized how late he was beginning to stay up with them. They wanted him to study, yes. To become some sort of scholar, but they knew that if they were to allow him to stay up and develop such sleeping habits they might lose him to child care or the like. Ienzo threw a fit of course, just like how any child would if their favourite toy was taken away from them. But of course he wouldn't start to openly show his displeasure, for he was not one to use his words, finding most of them ill and empty.
Of course he would still do his experiments and studying, but never when they were home. He didn't want to worry them, but he needed to feed the hunger that was growing inside of him. The experiments were like the friends he never got to have. He would look out his window and see the children play, especially the boy with hair as red and flames and a boy with hair as blue as the night sky. Sure, he wanted to go out and befriend someone, maybe develop some social skills, but he saw no need. No one would want to befriend someone like him… A small boy deprived of a basic childhood due to his intelligence.
Then the day came when he would never see his parents smiling faces, pushing him to do his best, or his mother to hold him in the night when things got too lonely for the 8 year old to handle. Or even his father with his empty promises of going to take him out for ice cream, or to play a game with him. They had been murdered in cold blood, and Ienzo had no idea why. Through all of his brain power he thought of nothing that could explain it. All he could remember clearly from the event – for he was hidden in the closet (how had he not been found?) was a pair of golden eyes and slightly tanned skin. Information he would surely block out, in time.
His parents gone.
His home, gone.
His books, gone.
His science, gone.
His life was gone.
Then of course, it was no surprise when he was taken in by the 'ruler' of his world; Ansem the Wise. Ienzo became an apprentice, and he knew it was solely because of the repeating reason: his intellect. The man told him that he wanted Ienzo to have a childhood, free of such terrors that he had witnessed. He fulfilled the promises that Ienzo's own father never kept, having his other apprentices care for him when he hadn't the time.
Even, that was the main one's name. The one that had been assigned to look after him, and show him what it was like to live in the castle, and soon after he found himself involved in Even's own experiments. It was a new experience, getting to work with someone else on a project. But he was not about to turn the man away. He found that he enjoyed getting to work with someone else, even if Even spent the time just speaking of the science. Not that Ienzo minded of course. Though he never said a word, his voice dying with his parents.
But again, Even didn't seem to mind. Despite knowing that Ienzo was just an assignment to the elder, he couldn't help growing attached to him, and one of the castle guards who would always take him out for ice cream when he was not on duty, or play a game of chess or something of that nature. Ienzo found he enjoyed this life, but he still missed his parents terribly. None of the apprentices were particularly cuddly or parent like. But both Even, and the other, Aeleus, would allow him to hug them or at least hold their hand from time to time if he needed such comfort.
Slowly, he began to become a grown man stuck in a child's body, his childhood as gone and dead as his parents. The only time he would let himself notice this was in his times of insecurity, of doubt. He wanted a childhood. But even he, the genius who was supposed to know all, could not possibly figure out how to get one.