In case you want to know, this is not a Belle X Demyx story. I came up with this idea last year while talking with Storyoflaughter and Dragonriderjedi. I wrote it down but lost the notebook. I finally decided to try to write it again. I'm not sure when I'll post the next chapter, but I hope it will be soon. Oh, and I will be back soon with a new chapter for But the Way of the Ungodly Shall Perish! :) Soli Deo gloria! :D
Demyx shivered and took another shuddering step. Why, oh, why had he ever come to this world? Surely Saïx could have picked another person for a reconnaissance mission in this new world! The snow began piling up around Demyx's feet. He had to keep moving! Because his element was water, he was especially susceptible to extreme heat and frigid temperatures. The snowflakes, beautiful yet deadly, drifted by lazily. He sighed. If only he could be relaxing instead of trekking through this terrible cold. He pushed his tawny bangs out of his face. He had to get to a shelter soon! Otherwise, he might not live to see morning. Wait, am I technically living anyway? I am a Nobody, after all. No! We Nobodies do too have hearts. I . . . have a heart. He shook his head to dispel any depressing thoughts and carried on. He could no longer feel his toes. It was as though the water inside of him had begun to freeze. Apparently, the Beast's Castle could be a dangerous world in the winter.
Demyx leaned against a tree to regain his breath and balance. Unfortunately, the branch on which his hand had come to rest could not hold the weight. As it broke, he collapsed to the ground. A strangled cry of surprise broke through his frozen lips. He struggled into a seated position and gasped. I must've landed on a pointy rock or something, he mused, feeling pain on his right side. Using the tree as support, he managed to stand. He had taken two steps when he heard a sweet, feminine voice talking.
"Sir, are you all right?" When he did not respond, she continued. "It's freezing out here. Do you need any help?"
Demyx tilted his head to see a young woman a few feet behind him. He had not even noticed her approach. He made to speak, yet no words came out of his mouth. Finally, he mustered up his energy and nodded.
The lady's warm hazel eyes were filled with worry. She looked at the large, brown creature lying on the ground beside her. Blood seeped through the fur on his arm. "I need to get him inside. Can you follow me?" She tugged on his uninjured arm, trying to get him in her horse's saddle. She had to step around the bodies of slain wolves to do so.
Oh, Demyx thought numbly, she's got a horse, too. It seemed that his wits were leaving him. Although he willed his feet to move, they refused to do his bidding. He stumbled and fell. The last thing his foggy mind noticed was that the snow almost felt warm now, instead of the bitter cold it had been before.
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Demyx felt like he was floating. He felt no pain nor was aware of the passage of time. For all he knew, that Sphinx thing in Agrabah could have been built while he was in this void. Then again, it might have been mere seconds. When he seemed to drift to the top, he noticed a comfortable warmth. The sound of a crackling fire drew him out of his unconsciousness. He pried open his eyes and let them adjust to the light. Once everything stopped being fuzzy, he realized he was lying on a green couch. On his right sat a fireplace with a fire blazing. He was covered in a red blanket. He sat up and felt a tingling in his side, probably as a result of the rock on which he had fallen earlier. He saw that the lady from before was caring for the creature.
"Maybe you should learn to control your temper!" she snapped. From the look in her eyes, she regretted it instantly. She tucked a lock of her hair behind her left ear and stated softly, "Now, hold still. This might sting a little." She pressed the damp rag she held to his arm.
The Beast (or, at least, who Demyx assumed was the Beast) jerked away and yowled in pain when it touched him. He managed to stop that reflex the next time.
The brunette murmured, "By the way, thank you . . . for saving my life."
The Beast's light blue eyes grew wide in surprise. He looked at her and said as gently as he could, "You're welcome."
The two stared at each other until the clock caught Demyx's eyes and exclaimed, "He's awake! That young man is awake!"
Immediately, Demyx found himself surrounded by a handful of talking objects. The young lady walked over to him. The Beast merely looked in his direction. "Um . . . Hi." Demyx smiled nervously. Why were they all looking at him?
"Hello" the woman greeted cheerfully. "My name is Belle. What's yours?"
"M-my name?" Demyx knew he was in trouble. He had been told multiple times to never be seen by anyone from the worlds they visited. He was in deep trouble when he got back to the Castle that Never Was. He took a deep, shuddering breath. "My name is Demyx."
Belle smiled. "I should introduce you to the others. The candelabra is Lumiere. The teapot is Mrs. Potts. Cogsworth is the clock. We call the footrest 'the Ottoman.' Babette is the feather duster. The Beast in is the chair." Each object (and the scowling Beast) nodded in greeting when she said his name.
"Uh, nice to meet you. . . How did I get here?" Demyx's last recollection was him falling in the snow.
Belle motioned to the candelabra. "Lumiere fetched the hat rack to help me get you in here. I was worried for you. After we got you onto the couch, I built a small fire and began to let it grow. Then I took care of the beast." She furrowed her eyebrows. "Why were you out there in the cold?"
Oh, no. Here it comes! I don't want to lie! Demyx cleared his throat. "I was exploring. I'd never been here before."
"Well, you're probably hungry. Do you want anything to eat?"
Half an hour later, Demyx stretched out on the sofa, half a cup of previously-steaming tea in his hands. It seemed to melt the ice he had felt inside him earlier. The occupants of this castle had been most kind, offering food and tea to him. He had eaten until he was full and made sure to thank them. Belle and the Beast had asked him questions about himself. So far, they thought him to be of a large family. They were under the impression that he lived with a few cousins (Zexion, Xion, Axel, Roxas, and Larxene) and with his uncles (everyone else). His secret was safe.
The Beast had retired for the evening. He was rather exhausted after all that had happened. Mrs. Potts, after putting her child to bed, had joined Belle in making sure Demyx was all taken care of.
Mrs. Potts asked, "Would you like to stay the night, dear? I don't think the weather will let up any time soon."
He shook his head. "I'm going to have to get back soon. Besides," he yawned, "I'm . . . not tired, anyway."
Mrs. Potts shared a look with Belle. "At least finish your tea. Would you like some more?" Her voice was soothing.
Demyx found himself relaxing. "If you don't mind." He realized that, for some reason, he felt safe in this castle.
The teapot returned moments later. Demyx thanked her and sipped his drink. He listened to Belle tell what had happened to make the servants into household objects. Mrs. Potts would interject with a comment or two. Eventually, he found that his head had become heavy. He propped it up with his free hand. His eyes then started to droop. Within moments, the Nobody fell asleep, lulled by the warmth of the fire, the tea in his belly, and the soft talking of those around him.
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"The poor dear. He must've been awfully tired," Mrs. Potts noted.
Belle nodded. She took the mug of tea out of Demyx's hand and pulled the blanket over him. "We'll just let him rest."