The Innocents
First there were the Heartless and Nobodies. Then there were the Innocents.
Prologue
The subtle light leaking through the glass roof of the greenhouse reflected off a tall man with long, white hair as he picked up a watering can and started to quench the thirst of the blossoms alongside a woman. She was petite and appeared younger than she actually was; the alertness and wisdom in her gray eyes were what revealed her true age.
"I've never tried to grow daisies and tulips," the man murmured as he delicately fingered the petals of a nearby flower.
The woman standing a few yards away from the man was silent. Her lips were pursed and formed a thin line, and her eyes were dark and hard. She didn't want him next to her. In fact, she didn't want him even near her flowers.
Not satisfied, but not surprised, by the silent response, the man decreased the gap between him and the woman.
"Are you upset? No offense, but lifeless, colorful objects bore me. What's the point of growing something that won't respond?"
He plucked a petal and crushed it between his fingers.
"No reaction at all," he mused as he scattered the pieces across the floor.
He waited for his words to sink in, then glanced at his wife.
The woman let a sigh escape her thin lips and placed the watering can back down, but didn't meet the man's eyes.
"Ansem, what you're doing is very wrong. First the Heartless, then the Nobodies, and now this? You just can't."
"And why can't I? I have the kids, the proper equipment, and it's quite a lovely day today, too."
"This is no time for joking around."
Ansem placed the watering can down and firmly held the thin shoulders of the woman before him.
"It's not going to harm them. Trust me."
"It's not about them! It's about you and this world and nature itself. Does "I grow humans at home" sound right to you?"
The woman paused and looked into her husband's eyes.
"Please, before they wake up…get rid of them."
Ansem raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't want me to harm them," he said accusingly.
She placed her hands on Ansem's chest and pushed him away.
"Consider me a stranger if you're going to do this. I don't care anymore."
She stormed off, deliberately kicking the watering can before disappearing through the door. Her twisted expression obviously showed that she was trying to keep herself from crying.
Ansem stood where he was for a while, alone in the greenhouse. After delicately stroking the petal of a rose, he bent down and picked up the watering can.
He smiled.
It was his turn to water his own plants.
Ansem fondly walked by the glass bulbs that were aligned parallel to the cold walls of his underground study. There were twenty in all, but only two were occupied.
He stopped between the two activated water prisons and observed the kids (Ansem's pet name for his experiments). The one on the left was a male, and the one on the right was a female. Their naked bodies glowed pasty blue in his dark room. They were just infants a few months ago. In a few more, they would be in their adolescent years. As of now, they were almost reaching puberty.
The kids' originals were disposed of nearly a year ago, so he would have to bring in fresh DNA if the two in front of him failed. But, of course, that wasn't going to happen.
His wife simply didn't understand how beautiful growing a human was. His kids would grow up to be pure, untouched. They wouldn't be exposed to the corrupt worlds. They'll know nothing, have no desires. This was the first step towards creating a perfect world.
Humming a song he didn't know the lyrics to, Ansem grabbed the newspaper and coffee from his desk and fell back onto his sofa.
He felt great. The kids were growing just fine, he got rid of his wife, the weather (as mentioned before) was nice, and his coffee was delicious.
"I'm gonna be a daddy," he sang in place of the unknown lyrics to the song he was humming.