Babysitting Ienzo
I am a KH writing machine all of a sudden, I have no idea where all this inspiration for it came from, but I guess it's good. Anyway, I've been doing annoying biology homework all day, wishing to play RE: Chain of Memories that I recently got finally, when I had this idea and decided to write it out. I wanted to include this timeline in my other story 'All We Need Is Love', but can't fit it in. I thought I'd do this one shot of it instead.
Considering if Zexion was 19 when he became a nobody I feel the ages would go this way. I'm basing them from looking at Nomura's concepts of the boys and not the way the game makes them appear (which seems to bump their ages up a few years). So, the ages I came up with in the timeline of this story are as follows…
Ienzo – 3, Xehanort – 12, Aeleus – 18, Dilan – 23, Braig – 25, Even – 28, Ansem – 36
Enjoy!
Even was not going to look up.
He kept his full attention focused on the task at hand, which was the mixing of two acidic chemicals and monitoring their reaction when mixed together in a beaker. It wasn't an experiment of the heart, like Ansem wanted them working on, but it was a spare time hobby. Not like it wasn't unusual in the least for the apprentices to stray away from their real work every now and then.
So, what did Even make in his spare science time? Currently, it was a chemical that was capable of burning flesh without causing it any severe damage. Was that useful to anything? No, probably not. Did Even care about that fact? No, he did not.
The small smack of a hand on the metal table tried to grab his attention once more, but Even was not going to look up. There was nothing that could make him. He remained locked on his work.
That didn't last long.
Even couldn't help snapping his head up when the tiny hand reached out to grab his loose coat's sleeve in a tight grip. Even slammed down the materials he was working with and glared at the brown headed toddler in front of him. The small boy, seated comfortably on the table, returned the look with an equally intimidating stare and defiance in his big blue eyes.
Even frowned at the response he received.
"Braig!" he bellowed.
A head of jet black hair and a pair of mischievous eyes appeared on the opposite end of the table behind the toddler.
"Yes?" the man responded with amusement.
Even's anger rose. Of course, he had been victim to some joke from the irresponsible Braig. It was always like this whenever the man had the unlucky chance to have his name pulled out of the jar for babysitting duty when Ansem was out of the castle.
Braig must have slept in that morning because usually he would rig the jar so his name was missing seconds before they drew. He didn't do it because he hated the boy, actually he seemed to adore the stoic toddler and was always trying to get him to laugh, but it was because he hated the responsibility of being stuck with it all day. The man wished he could still follow his normal agenda that included activities like skirt chasing, shooting range, and re watching vulgar comedy shows. But, after including Ienzo in his regular routines one time he had gotten a big scolding from both Aeleus and Ansem when Ienzo called them a very colorful word he had learned. Braig had not done so again.
"Braig." Even managed through clenched teeth, "May I ask why you think letting Ienzo have free range on the research tables is a wise idea?"
Braig let his head drop to his arm.
"Not my fault he's so damn curious about everything. He took his nap early, but I'm hoping to speed the next one up a bit since I have other things I want to do today. The reason I brought him down here is 'cause I wanted to find something to try dying his hair a cool color, just to see the look on Ansem's face when he got back, maybe a blue or grey…"
Even nodded every now and then to the rambling while going back to his work with the inquisitive Ienzo watching his every move.
"Read a book to him." Even suggested when Braig finally stopped talking, "That's what I usually do when I have him. It holds his interest for awhile."
"A book!" Braig exclaimed dramatically, "That'll put me to sleep before it does him!"
How Braig got an education was a mystery to all of them.
Braig ended his sentence with a loud sigh and lazily turned the little boy around. He started making faces at him, only receiving a questioning look at the behavior.
"Then go sit him in front of the TV or you can just go and throw him out the window! I don't care as long as you go do something that isn't here!"
"I've been trying to get him to talk," Braig ignored Even's outburst, "Aeleus claims he can have full conversations with him. I don't believe it…"
"Come on, 'zo!" Braig cooed to the toddler, "Say my name!"
The stern little face scrunched up.
"Broo."
"Ah!" Braig hollered, "He said it!"
"He said Broo." Even muttered without looking up, "I think he's combining Braig and 'boo' since you're always scaring him half to death."
"Yes, but Broo is me and that's all that matters. I am Broo." Braig continued with a haughty expression like he had accomplished something, "Sounds kind of like brew. How does the kid know that that's my favorite beverage? He's smart I tell you."
"A blind fool could figure out what you choose to drown yourself in…"
"Say his name, Ienzo." Braig turned the toddler around once more.
Ienzo threw his hands into his hair this time.
"Ewe!" he cried.
Braig burst out laughing.
"I love that! He grabs his hair every time like you do when you're mad!"
"I do not grab my hair when I am mad!" Even spat, "and I don't understand why he insists on calling me 'ewe', anyway."
"He says 'ewe' because that's what you're always saying to him." Braig taunted, "Since day one you've been like, 'Ew, he burped.', 'Ew, he's walking towards me.', 'Ew, is he wanting to touch me?' 'Ew, does he not know how to keep food in his mouth?'."
"I do not say all of that!" Even leaned over the table.
"'Ew, he touched my perfect self!'" Braig continued into Even's face, "'Ew, have we gotten him tested for rabies yet?', 'Ew, do I sound enough like a girl yet!'"
"You act like you're so perfect yourself!"
"I am perfect!"
Crash!
The two men slowly brought their heads down to see that in between them the toddler had knocked over the glass beaker and currently had his hands settled in the experiment. Ienzo moved his head back to look at them with a cocky smile from having distracted his care takers long enough to do what he had wanted. He let out a short laugh and smacked the liquid.
Even screeched and grabbed handfuls of his hair, scrambling to get out of the way of the splashing liquid. Braig scooped up the toddler.
"What was that stuff?" he cried.
"Ah! I was working on that all morning!"
"Even!" Braig barked, "What was it?"
A whimper brought Braig to hold the little one up to see what was wrong. He gasped. Oh no, Ienzo had that look. That look that meant he was about to unleash absolute terror on their ear drums. Braig hurried over to the sink and thrust the boy's hands under the faucet, quickly getting water on them.
"Ah! He's going to die!" Braig wailed, "You killed him!"
"Damn it all, that wasn't supposed to burn!"
"I think this means your dumb experiment failed! Again!"
"Shut up, you imbecile!" Even rushed over, "Are you stupid? Use soap!"
"He's gonna die!"
"You're going to be the one that dies when Ansem finds out!"
"I didn't make that stuff!"
"I wasn't the one babysitting!"
"I wasn't the one being stupid!"
Even paused.
"Yes! You were!"
Ienzo released a sharp wail for the two.
Ah, it was so quiet.
Dilan found it easy to appreciate the castle's spacious dining room when it was peaceful and empty for once. It was definitely a rare occurrence to have any meal without loud distractions and debates at the same time. He relinquished in the calm of the moment hoping for it to last.
Sadly, he was so surprised by the change in atmosphere that he had read the same paragraph from his paperwork three times now. He tossed the papers down and gave up trying, realizing that the peace wasn't helping him at all and was just making him wonder where his fellow apprentices were up to. Whatever they were doing it wasn't anything good that was certain.
He knew that Ansem had gone into town early that morning and had taken Aeleus along with him. Even hadn't been seen all day which could be a really good thing or a really bad thing, there was never guessing what Xehanort could be up to, and Braig had pulled babysitting duty. Well, that did explain quite a bit about their whereabouts and confirmed that the current castle dwellers were up to their own individual trouble, but luckily it left him and his lunch out of it for once.
Dilan returned to enjoying his meal with pleasure.
A small figure was dropped from over his head and set before his plate. Dilan glanced up to meet the sight of a troubled Ienzo breathing heavily and red in the face.
"Braig!" he bellowed.
Dilan heard the door leading into the kitchen slam.
"Damn it." He muttered.
So much for peace.
He studied the wide eyed Ienzo wondering what could be causing the toddler to be so distressed now. Being around Braig for long periods of times caused him to get the same way too, so hopefully it was that.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Ienzo didn't respond.
Dilan was never good with the kid. When his name was picked for babysitting duty he would just sit the toddler down next to his desk with an assortment of pens and paper while he worked. Ienzo would end up scribbling for a bit and then staring at him for long periods of time; completely unnerving the man. Instead of working he would find himself stuck in a staring contest for the remainder of the time. When his name was pulled he would proclaim to Ansem that he would not be getting his paperwork done on time that day.
The kid was all around strange indeed. Having been abandoned by his family and left to fend for himself in the streets just a few months ago it wasn't really that surprising he had the weird behavior. Ansem had taken him in thinking he was the reason the parents, who had been owners of Radiant Garden's hospital, had left in such a hurry. Apparently, they had been a very intelligent family, but Ansem hadn't taken to well to their ideas of how to illegally make there be more patients for their hospital. Radiant Garden was a peaceful land and rarely had any sick or injured, they hated that for their businesses sake and wished to change it. Ansem's immense fear of anything bringing darkness to his beloved city had run them off.
"What happened to your hands?" Dilan noticed they were tinted red and clenching at the air in front of him.
To answer Ienzo reached forward, grabbed a handful of Dilan's meal, and quickly shoved it into his mouth.
"I guess they're still working then." He mumbled as Ienzo grabbed more with his other hand.
He had been with Braig all day which meant he had probably not been fed.
"Here." He sighed, taking some of his smaller pieces of food with his knife and fork and placing them in front of Ienzo, "Eat these."
Dilan reached to the side of him and picked up a fork and spoon to hand to the boy, who took them in each hand. Dilan nodded.
"There you go. Now, eat nicely."
Ienzo hadn't moved. He remained focused on Dilan with that creepy look. It was such a calculating stare, like the boy was trying to figure out your entire life story just by looking into your eyes. Dilan made to call for Braig again, but Ienzo opened his hand to drop his spoon before he could.
"What are you doing?" he growled and leaned forward to pick it back up.
Just as he did the toddler latched on to one of his dread locks with a steel grip.
"Damn it!" Dilan exclaimed, "Not again, Ienzo!"
He snatched the boy's wrist trying to get him to release and was getting ready to shake him off.
"Don't hurt him, Dilan." A new voice approached, "You just have to be demanding to get him to listen."
Dilan turned the best he could to watch the young Xehanort make his way into the room. The younger boy headed towards the table with his lunch in hand and sat in a chair.
"Ienzo," Dilan tried roughly, "let go of my hair now!"
Ienzo pulled back on the lock, grabbing another in his other hand and giggling from the sound the man made.
"Ienzo drop Dilan's hair." Xehanort ordered.
Ienzo obeyed instantly, but looked back to the other boy with an angry pout on his mouth.
"Sadistic little twerp…" Dilan grumbled.
"Why did you seat him on the table?" Xehanort questioned.
"I didn't, Braig did. He practically threw him at me even though he has babysitting duty."
"Hm, it's not that hard to watch him," Xehanort mused, "When I have him I set him outside and let him wander around on his own, he enjoys that. Then, I'm able to go about my business and go looking for him after awhile for his nap. Even though, he did find himself at the bottom of the pool that last time… I'm still not sure how that happened..."
And that was why Xehanort's name has never appeared in the babysitting jar since.
"Come on, Ienzo." Dilan coaxed the little one, "Eat that food I gave you. Eat it nicely, like a normal person not an animal."
Ienzo narrowed his eyes. He grabbed the food and chucked the bits at the man's head, then proceeded to take more off of the plate for his mouth. Dilan groaned and made to grab the boy and teach him a lesson violently.
"Why is Ienzo on the table again, Dilan?" asked an older voice, entering from the main door.
Dilan clenched his fists.
"I didn't put him here, Ansem!" he roared to the blonde man, who was taking his seat at the head of the table.
"'Sem!" Ienzo called to the older man.
"Hello Ienzo." Ansem responded with a grin and wave, "You know Dilan, when I have the boy I just keep him heavily supplied with ice cream after ice cream and let him read through books, he likes that quite a bit. Although, he is starting to throw the ice cream back when I give them to him... I do hope it's just a phase."
"I'm not the one babysitting him, Braig…!"
"We wouldn't even have to worry about him anymore if we just hung him out the window." Even suggested as he came from the kitchen door and made his way to a chair.
"Ewe!" Ienzo cried, standing up and clenching at his hair.
"Shut up." Even spat, knocking the little one on to his back.
Ansem rolled his eyes.
"That's how you wanted to solve Xehanort's memory loss as well, Even."
"And I still stand by that idea." Even said and sent a glare to Xehanort across the table.
"Did you happen to see Braig in there?" Dilan almost roared at Even when the other took a seat beside him.
Even looked to the man with disgust.
"No, I didn't see him…" he responded, "But, I certainly could hear him in there up to… no good."
"Hey, is there something wrong with Ienzo's hands?" Ansem asked, observing the toddler as the boy himself gave his hands a confused study.
"Why do you ask that?" Even squeaked, "Hey, where's Braig at? Braig!"
"He's in there." A tall orange haired teen answered, pointing through the kitchen door he came through, "He's…uh… up to no good. You might want to wait a moment."
Ienzo perked up from the new person coming across the room and stood up on the table once more. He walked his way over to the other with a stern glare.
"Ael!" the toddler began, with a harsh tone and an accusing finger pointed to him, "You don't walk 'way when I talk. You left 'dis morning and went to town while I was talkin' to you and not come back. Broo and Ewe set fire on my han's! You don' do what I tell you never, never."
"I think I'm getting scolded." Aeleus laughed.
"What was that second to last part he said?" Xehanort asked hesitantly.
"I didn't hear him say anything at all." Even retorted.
Aeleus let Ienzo poke him in the chest a few times before he easily lifted the boy up by his foot and let him hanging upside down while he walked over to his seat. Ienzo giggled the whole way.
"Here." Aeleus said gently to the toddler, "Sit in the chair."
Aeleus placed Ienzo down right side up into the seat next to him. Immediately Ienzo sat down with perfect and polite posture, no trace of trouble on his face.
"That's the coolest trick I've ever seen." Dilan drawled sarcastically.
"Here, Ienzo." Aeleus moved the food and silverware that Ienzo had been using over in front of the boy, "Eat what Dilan gave you."
Ienzo did so and gave a great display of how well he was with using a fork. The toddler gave Dilan a cheeky smile while he chewed.
"What a brat…" he spat.
"How went things in town today, Ansem?" Xehanort was endlessly curious about anything and everything.
"Very well," Ansem answered, "Ever since I got rid of Ienzo's parents' plans we haven't had any other problems and peace has returned. It still hurts me about the darkness that took those people's hearts; I wish to never see such a change in people ever again. I do enjoy Radiant Garden as the light hearted land it is."
"As do I." Xehanort responded, "I do love Radiant Garden for taking such good care of me and being such a cheerful place."
Ansem smiled at the words.
"What happened to Ienzo's hands?" Aeleus muttered; he turned them over in his own hands while the toddler ate.
"Ask his babysitter!" Even blurted out nervously.
"Braig!" Ansem called.
"Yes." Braig's sing song voice rang in the room.
He appeared in the kitchen doorway, looking as if he had been having a 'good time' with more than half the serving girls.
"Did you have fun with Ienzo this morning, Braig?"
"Oh, yes." Braig made his way over to table, "Me and the tiny tyke get along so well, don't we 'zo!"
Ienzo gave the man a death glare with a serious set in his mouth. But, not for long. To the entire room's shock, he suddenly let out a giggle and held his arms up in the air towards Braig.
"Broo!" he cooed lovingly.
"Ienzo!" Braig cried with surprise, "You do love your Broo!"
Braig leaned over the table to pick Ienzo up in a hug. However Ienzo had other plans. Before the man could remove the boy from his chair Ienzo had thrust his hand forward and jabbed the older man in his right eye with the fork he still held.
"Gah!" Braig yelped.
"Well, I guess we know who was responsible for his hands now." Aeleus sneered, he pat Ienzo's head and hid a laugh from Braig dancing around in pain.
"Yeah, it was all Braig." Even stated, failing to hide the guilt in his voice.
Dilan shared a disbelieving glance to Even.
"You think the little brat will always be so sadistic?" Dilan spoke up.
"I think he'll out grow it." Xehanort added, "Hopefully."
"I'm going to get you back someday 'zo!" Braig hollered, "In the same eye too!"
"He has turned out to be quite the little schemer in the last few months, hasn't he?" Ansem laughed, "I can tell that he is certainly going to be a very smart young man soon enough in his years."
Ienzo smirked in agreement.
Zexion had long been convinced that when he was content and calm, an interruption would present itself to stir up his entire world again. So, being as comfortable as he was sitting in the kitchen, with a book, and finally having a quiet Demyx in the room, it was expected that the interruption would present itself in a very loud and annoying way.
"Zexion!"
It came in the form of a sudden black figure rushing into the kitchen and slamming into him. A pair of hands completely ruining his hair in a mere two seconds. Zexion tore his eyes from the words in the book he read and set a piercing glare on his attacker. Who turned out to be a smiling Xigbar.
"Good morning, number two." Zexion snarled at the older man. "Do I even need to ask why you felt the need to do that?"
"I've been remembering things of the past today." Xigbar answered thoughtfully, "And I wanted to see if our little 'zo was still in there!"
"Did you find him?" Zexion growled, releasing a breath to get his misplaced locks back into place.
"Yes!" He cheered.
"'Zo?" Demyx questioned from where he sat at the table eating.
"Ienzo. His somebody." Xaldin responded while still reading through a stack of papers, "Zexion, I'm going to point out that you do still find it more appropriate to eat your meals on the table tops."
Zexion's face reddened.
"I do not!"
"You're sitting on the counter right now!" Xigbar laughed.
Zexion frowned. He had indeed decided it easier to sit on the kitchen counter while he ate that morning, but he only did so when the whole organization wasn't there to watch and because it was easier to read with the book in his lap. Those were the only reasons! Those and the one standing in front of him.
"Who do I have to thank for ingraining that habit in me?" he snapped at the one eyed man.
"Not me," Xigbar huffed, "I was a great babysitter."
Demyx giggled.
"Xigbar babysat you?"
"I was three!" Zexion defended, "And not only you to ruin me, but I do remember Xaldin being quite the horrid care taker as well."
"I wasn't half as bad as Xemnas was."
"Xemnas!" Demyx yelled, "No way!"
"Way!" Xigbar exclaimed, "He was young too, younger then you Dem! Those days were great, weren't they 'zo?"
Zexion scoffed.
"No and stop calling me that. I about died everyday from all you morons and I try not to remember those times. I'm surprised I even lived to become…"
"Be quiet, Zexion." Xaldin interrupted.
Zexion hurled the closest thing near him, his empty cup, at Xaldin.
"See." Xaldin said, catching the cup before it made contact, "He's exactly the same."
Zexion snorted and crossed his arms.
"It doesn't matter," He retorted, "We are no longer those people anymore and you should be thinking of what's ahead to finding what we want and not from back when we lost it all."
Xigbar sighed and rubbed his head.
"I suppose you're right Zexion…" his shoulders dropped and expression fell, "I better go do my mission like I was asked and forget it all."
Xigbar turned to leave and tried to ruffle Zexion's hair again, but Zexion avoided the hand while stuffing more of his food in his mouth. Xigbar released a deflated breath at the door.
"Hey, Broo."
Xigbar almost hadn't heard the boy, with his head held down and mouth full, but he did and twisted around with an amused twinkle in his eye.
"Go return this to this to Vexen for me." Zexion tossed the older man the book in his lap, "and tell him I said 'here's your dumb book back, Ewe!'"
Zexion put his hands to his hair quickly with a serious expression and then instantly looked away, thrusting his hands into his lap. Xigbar chocked on a fierce laugh holding the door frame for support and continued the sound through the hallway when he left. Xaldin stifled one of his own.
"You two didn't see anything." Zexion threatened the kitchen occupants.
Demyx looked between the two with his mouth dropped and raised eyebrows.
"Ewe, Broo?... Wha?"
Zexion shook his head trying to rid of the smirk fighting to break free.
"Just don't ask."
Edited: March 12, 2009
Review if you enjoyed, thank you!