Cloak of Darkness, Crown of Shadow
The darkness danced. The darkness danced, and Ienzo stared, utterly fascinated. It writhed about, thrashing wildly, growing ever nearer to the slate-haired boy. Slowly, he reached out a hand as if to stroke the seething mass. As if it were a tentacle, a bit of the darkness started to coil around his arm. However, the boy jerked away just before the form could touch him. Something vibrated angrily in the boy's ear, but he merely laughed. He wasn't brainless enough to actually enter the Door to Darkness; he was only playing…and yet…
It still seemed tempting. As all of the apprentices had witnessed, the Door only led to inhuman and disturbing things. They had absolutely no desire to see what lie beyond; interested solely in their studies of the human heart. But Ienzo, somehow, was different. He had come to the conclusion that the others had not felt the tug towards the murky portal, that the others had not heard the murmured whispers or the fading voices telling of the glory and power that was to come from the door. Sometimes, Ienzo wondered if he had simply lost his mind. Maybe he was hallucinating it all. But on nights such as this, when crept down to the lab and debated whether to enter the sinister depths, the notion that he was dreaming seemed completely preposterous. Truly, he had never experienced anything that felt more…real.
Yes. It had to be true. He could sense it; the power offered by the darkness was genuine. Often he wondered if he'd already inherited some of it. As if he'd bargained with it already, now he only needed to step inside the Door to Darkness to have his dreams realized.
And what "horrible dreams they were for such a young child", so he was constantly told. Master Ansem had said innumerable times that he must forgive people, that he shouldn't brood so much over the past. But how could he not? Before he had come to the castle, he'd never experienced anything but hatred. When he was young, it was light teasing. Just a few names, calling him a nerd, saying he was boring. Although in his opinion, they were the ones who were boring. All they did was squawk meaningless prattle, like brainless birds that didn't have an original thought in their heads. But when the mocking stopped, Ienzo missed the rants of annoying, mindless children. Yes, he much favored that over the torment he'd receive later on.
Maybe he was an easy target. Ienzo never really looked up from his books. Whenever he was bullied, he always had an idea of to get back at them. Ienzo had extremely elaborate schemes that he could easily enact if he was brave enough. However, Ienzo never had that bravery. He took every punch they threw at him, quite literally, as his black eyes and bruises would show. But that was behind him now, right? He should forgive them, right? Master Ansem had been so kind to him, and he asked that Ienzo forgive the people who mistreated him. But…this power. Resonating from a source no one could determine, it showed him visions of fantastical air. Yes, power. Vengeance. Retribution. A little justice. Master of his own dominion of shadows, he could finally put his plans into effect, and they would all suffer. It was only fair. Was justice truly such a bad thing? Perhaps he should just enter the Door ri-
"I-Ienzo?" Called a familiar, shocked voice.
Ienzo isn't the same.
Aeleus looked up from his manga, puzzled. Why did that thought suddenly enter his mind? Perplexed, the large apprentice of Ansem returned to his manga, only to find the thought still buzzing around his head.
It was true, he realized. The boy had been quiet lately, quieter than the norm. Naturally, the boy WAS often quiet, but only because his nose was always buried in a book. Whenever Ienzo had nothing to read, the boy was almost unbearably chatty, complaining he was being ignored if you stopped the conversation for only a moment. However, lately Ienzo had been roaming the castle with a glazed look in his eye. Something seemed…simply…OFF about the child. He never wanted to talk to anyone, besides Braig and Xehanort.
Xehanort. The name sent a sudden chill to him. The neophyte had never said or done anything malicious to Aeleus, but the man was still somehow…disconcerting. Especially his eyes. They were unlike anything Aeleus had ever seen, eerie yellow eyes that were so like the "heartless" creatures they had only recently discovered in the lab.
And yet Ienzo seemed to trust him. In a vague way, the small child and the white-haired young man seemed to be friends, as well as Braig. They were hiding something, Aeleus was sure of it, although he had no evidence. The only proof he possessed of any conspiracy was the meaningful smirks and glances they gave each other, the messages they'd mouth to each other when they believed no one was looking, and, once, some strange notebook Ienzo gave to Xehanort. Still, he couldn't prove that the trio had malevolent intentions. Perhaps he should tell Even and Dilan…no, they'd think he was just being paranoid.
Aeleus stood up with finality, closing his manga. He was going to investigate this. Trying not to wake the other inhabitants of the castle, Aeleus silently crept down to the new laboratory. When he reached the dim lab, he was surprised to find another apprentice already there. He sat on the floor, staring mesmerized at the Door to Darkness as if he were possessed.
"I-Ienzo!" The tall man hissed so as not to disturb anyone. "What are you doing down here?" He couldn't believe the small boy was dogged enough to remain in the lab at…Aeleus glanced up at the clock…four in the morning! While the boy looked like he was entranced, he perked up at the sound of his voice and looked up at him immediately, albeit with a strange look.
"…Hello, Aeleus." Ienzo murmured. He sounded almost…guilty. Just what had he been doing down here?
"Ienzo, why are you still awake? It's nearly four in the morning!" He repeated, feeling…foolish for some reason. Ienzo's analytical gaze did nothing to ease this.
"…Sorry. I was just about to go to bed, Aeleus." Ienzo said, never ceasing his strange stare as he spoke. After a few impossibly long moments, he broke his gaze and turned around, headed for the stairs. Aeleus stood in the doorway, watching him intently as he left. His mind was buzzing with all sorts of questions to ask the child in the morning. It was not only Ienzo that had been acting so strangely. Braig also seemed part of whatever was transpiring in the castle. Who would be next to fall to the enticement of the darkness?. Even, Dilan…perhaps even himself?
"Aeleus," the boy called with a quiet but harsh tone.
The man jumped, coming back to reality with a jolt. He glanced up to find Ienzo watching him from the top of the stairs.
"I believe you can trust me to find my room on my own, Aeleus. You don't have to watch me like a criminal." He said monotonously. His voice was laced with the slightest hint of fatigue.
"O-Of course." Aeleus said timidly. As he turned him away, he found himself wanted to add 'sir' to the end of the sentence. Sir. It seemed ridiculous to address such a young boy as sir, yet in a way it made sense. The boy seemed to border on inhumanity lately. A bleak aura surrounded him, as if he had gained control of the dark forces they themselves had been studying. Sinister clouds to seem congregate around him, as if he wore a cloak made of the darkness itself, crowned in shadows. The same was happening to Braig, and Xehanort…though Xehanort had always seemed to command such power.
Just before he began ascending the stairs, Aeleus took one last glance at the frothing door. As he looked on, the darkness began to form a shape that reminded him of the stalwart mountains outside of Radiant Garden. For just a moment, he felt a pull towards the portal, and saw a vision of having dominion over the Earth itself. Aeleus blinked. Shaking his head, he made his way up the stairs, never more eager to return to his manga.