Author Note: These are just short little stories I came up with while getting ready to roleplay as Lexaeus. They aren't in any particular order, so don't be too confused. The rating is just so I don't get in trouble later on. Oh, and Aeleus Lexaeus and Ienzo Zexion, just so you know.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the associated characters.
Loyalty
Aeleus had been working in the lab when the young Ienzo was introduced to him. Barely sparing him half a glance, the burly man had turned back to his workbench where his experiment waited. But Ienzo would not be ignored and soon, the small man was at his elbow, peering at the papers spread out across the table. "What are you working on?" he asked, his voice small and meek, as if afraid the larger man would hit him.
Aeleus frowned irritably, still not wanting to say anything, but that reticence of his was exactly what had gained him his reputation as a mean person. "I'm trying to determine what happens to the body after the heart is gone." He said, his tone a little harsh, even to his ears.
Ienzo said nothing for a moment, before a simple, "Oh," escaped his lips. Making another note on the papers, the man glanced back to his smaller companion, waiting for an explanation to his continued presence. Catching that glare, Ienzo swallowed before answering. "I was assigned to help you. Xehanort said he needs the solution as soon as possible, whatever that means." The last was said with a bit of a shrug.
The silent man frowned deeper. He'd known for awhile that Xehanort was likely to betray Ansem, but he'd hoped to have more time to decide where his own loyalties lay. If he completed this project, and discovered that the body did indeed continue after the heart was gone, nothing would hold Xehanort back from opening the door of darkness. As a scientist, he had no choice, he'd betray Ansem in the pursuit of knowledge. But what of his new companion? Should he warn him before it was too late? "What has Xehanort told you?" he asked, shifting slightly to face Ienzo.
The lilac-haired man seemingly knew what Aeleus was referring to and simply responded with, "Enough," before pulling one of the pieces of paper towards him. On it were recorded the three elements of life – body, soul, and heart – and a description of what each brought with it. The heart was simple enough, it was pure emotion and was the reason the "Heartless" were so difficult to predict. As creatures composed entirely of heart with nothing else, they were raw emotion at its finest. The body and soul were harder to define on the other hand and many notes littered the paper suggesting that the soul was equivalent to logical thoughts whereas the body was the container for all the pieces. Setting the paper down again, Ienzo looked to his large companion, arms crossing loosly over his chest. "Looks like your research is finished." He said, a hint of superiority in his voice.
Aeleus frowned, obviously annoyed at the newcomer, but the boy was right. He was finished and had simply been stalling. "Go tell Xehanort then." He said, waving a hand to the boy before moving off to his rooms. He'd have a little bit of time for a shower before Xehanort called for a meeting in the hidden areas beneath Ansem's labs. A wave of sorrow passed over him as he thought of betraying his older mentor, but nothing would stop him from pursuing this mystery – not even the weak bonds of loyalty.
Author Note #2: I'm accepting requests for further chapters, so feel free to put them in your reviews!