Hai thar!
Okay, first off, this takes place in Xanrivash's KH universe, like most of my other ones do. HOWEVER, this one doesn't go under the list of short stories. Explanation at the end
It was one of those rare days in The World That Never Was that Lexaeus, The Silent Hero of Organization XIII, didn't have a mission among one of the many worlds out there. Usually, he was sent on missions where his strength was required.
Not to say that Lexaeus was stupid or anything. He had originally been one of Ansem the Wise's apprentices as his Other Aeleus, part of the apprenticeship being a scientist. But he had also been a guard of the castle in Radiant Garden, something that had meant more to him than that of being a scientist. It had meant that there was someone who depended on him, especially after Ienzo was brought to the castle.
Shaking his head, Lex sighed. Here he was, sitting in his room, thinking about a time long ago passed, of the time of Aeleus. It wasn't something he normally did…but all this remembering brought back a memory of a certain person he had once met…
Aeleus was walking through the town square of Radiant Garden, wondering what he should do on his day off. Ansem had insisted that he trade guard shifts with Braig for the day, seeing as he hadn't taken a day off in over six months and had been working extra hard with Even on all sorts of projects.
He watched as children ran around the square, playing as their mothers or fathers watched them from bench seats or outdoor café seats. The larger man smiled. Radiant Garden was one of the worlds that was safe to let children run around the town square and not worry about their safety, beyond that of a skinned knee.
Aeleus suddenly heard his stomach growl…rather loudly at that. Suddenly remembering that he had only eaten a meager breakfast much earlier that morning, he looked away from the playing children and towards the area of a specific café. But…there was something odd about it.
The outside area of this particular one was completely devoid of any life when the outside of all the eateries were usually full on nice weather days. The only person that sat outside was an older male, who looked to be somewhere between fifty and sixty, dressed completely in black, reading a book while picking at his meal.
Aeleus wondered why this man was the only one outside with his meal. The man didn't seem like he was intimidating, but perhaps that was just to the guard; it wasn't everyday that a citizen would be wearing all black and Aeleus didn't see the man as intimidating, but then again, he was used to people being scared of himself merely for his size.
As he continued to inspect the man, he noticed a few things about him that he hadn't noticed before. One of them being that he had a collar around his neck like the Catholic priests did. Another was the golden cross that hung around the man's neck.
Now, while religion wasn't the biggest thing in Radiant Garden, since magic and science took up most of the space, there were still those who believed in religions of other places. The only reason Aeleus knew that the man was a Roman Catholic was because he had come from a world as a kid that the whole structure was based on. Unfortunately, he had been so young that he didn't really remember much about the religion and had immediately picked up on the teachings of magic and science, which had eventually led him to becoming an apprentice to Ansem the Wise.
Lexaeus shook his head again. It had been so long ago…why was this coming back now?
Sitting across from the older man after being invited over, Aeleus could now see why people thought he might think of the priest as intimidating, despite the air of gaiety that he had in his demeanor and aura. Said priest had a jagged scar on the right side of his face that went from his hairline, over his eye, and almost to his jaw. The color of his eye had changed, perhaps because of whatever or whomever had done the damage in the first place; his normal eye was a sapphire blue color while the damaged one was much paler in comparison.
"Wondering why people don't approach me often?" the priest asked, a little bit of humor in his voice. Aeleus slowly nodded, thinking he had an idea.
"The eye scares them. Some people believe that those with different colors of eyes are those who share their presence with demons. And considering that I'm a priest…well, that thought just doesn't help much. Coming from a different world probably does not help either."
Well, there was an answer that Aeleus did and did not expect.
"Do you ever wonder why people don't approach you often?" the priest asked.
Once again, something Aeleus wasn't expecting. "Well…not really," he said. "I always figured it was because of my size…I came here when I was young, so I don't remember if anyone did approach me or not in my home world…and most of my time here has been spent studying, so I don't see others that often. Or at least, I didn't until I became one of Ansem the Wise's apprentices."
Lexaeus couldn't remember what the priest had said about that (or the next few bits of conversation), but the next bit that he could remember was something he would never forget, in either his existences.
Aeleus suddenly realized something. "I don't believe I've caught your name."
"Father Alexander Stone," he answered. Rising from his seat, he reached for the heavy-looking gold cross around his neck and took it off. Placing it around Aeleus' neck, he smiled. "Something for you to remember our encounter Aeleus."
The other man looked shocked. "How did you know my name?"
Father Stone chuckled. "Not everything has to be communicated in words…and what words we do use, we make them meaningful." He just smiled when he saw the blank look on Aeleus' face. "You said you were one of Ansem the Wise's apprentices, and there's only one that fits your description."
The only other thing that Lexaeus could remember from that encounter was the priest waving goodbye as he went to help a child up from where she had fallen, crying over a skinned up arm. And then he realized something strange about that event…from that day onward, unless he felt the need to, Aeleus had been more on the quieter side than he had been before. The only people he ever felt the need to converse with were Dilan and Ienzo, once Ienzo gained the courage to start talking with other people once his father had died.
Reaching into his night table drawer, he pulled out the souvenir from that day; the heavy golden cross in which was entrusted to him. Inspecting it, he wondered why Aeleus had kept it. Had he really needed it? His Other had more belief in the science and magic that took place than that of the Roman Catholic faith, so why did he keep what the priest had given him?
Perhaps…it was because my Other was lonely, Lexaeus thought. Who did Aeleus have to turn to, besides that of the other apprentices? Or maybe…he believed the priest was meant to meet him? Isn't that what they call 'fate'?
It was something that was going to bother the Silent Hero for awhile. That he was sure of.
Lexaeus sat outside the rooms in which Eight, Nine, and Thirteen had all been treated in.
He couldn't get the images out of his head. After receiving word that the infamous trio had been in a car accident, he had gone to the scene to rescue Thirteen and Nine, the Silent Hero believing that he was prepared for whatever was there since Eight hadn't appeared to be in too bad of shape (at least, from the quick glance Lexaeus had managed to get).
But he was wrong.
Seeing the Key of Destiny was one thing, especially with two of his fingers missing, but the Melodious Nocturne…
After seeing so much blood, coming from that one body, sprayed all over the inside of the car on the driver's side, Lexaeus was amazed that Nine had managed to survive, despite the fact that he was currently in critical condition. Vexen, Zexion, and Fifteen had done what they could with the trio. Now all there was to do was play the waiting game, see who woke up first, if at all.
"Lexaeus? What are you still doing here?"
The Silent Hero looked up to see Zexion before him. "I'm worried."
Zexion sighed. "Get some rest," he suggested. "It will take some time for any kind of results to happen. You have been here since you brought them in. Your part is over."
Lexaeus stood from his seat. "…perhaps I should." With that, he created a portal back to his own room, going through before the thing finished forming.
When Five arrived in his quarters, he realized just how tired he was. But at the same time, he wasn't. Laying down on the bed, Lexaeus kicked off his boots and just let them fall to the ground next to the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, his thoughts began to wander.
In times such as these, who can one talk to? Is there someone who watches over Nobodies, the same as any normal being in other worlds? Lexaeus thought. If there is, do they ever make their presence known? How?
Rolling over onto his side, he caught a glimpse of something hanging out of the corner of his night table drawer. Reaching a hand out to open it and see what it was, he pulled said object out-
-and wondered if this was some answer to his question.
The chain of the golden cross given to him so many years ago had been sticking out of his drawer. Lexaeus brought the cross close to himself, thinking.
…perhaps no matter what one believes, there is someone out there somewhere that will listen and understand…is that why I kept this as my Other? Did Aeleus understand? Or did he keep this because he was lonely and he one day hoped there would be someone to understand his…my thoughts?
Perhaps…there was a sacred place in this world, or even around the castle, in which Lexaeus could go to. But where? Memory's Skyscraper was not a particularly good place, seeing as Heartless were always there, the Hall of Empty Melodies was Nine's dominion, the library Zexion's (and a bit too impersonal anyway), and so many other places of the castle that Lexaeus couldn't even name or felt that they were too impersonal.
Then it hit him. The Alter of Naught, the so-called sacred place in which the Superior often went to gaze upon the heart-shaped moon. But…what would happen if he was caught in Xemnas' sanctuary? Lexaeus doubted that he would be turned into a dusk, but he didn't know what the punishment would be either.
Sighing, he clutched the cross in one hand while opening a portal with the other…
…
Lexaeus got down to his knees, looking up at Kingdom Hearts and what there was of her. She was nowhere near complete, but the fact that there was this heart-shaped moon in the sky was a step closer to their goal of one day achieving their hearts again. It had taken over ten years so far; how much longer?
But that wasn't why he was here, to contemplate the completion like their Superior often did. No, it was much more personal than that.
He gazed up at the heart-shaped moon, the golden cross from the priest still clutched tightly in one hand…and for once in his life as a Nobody, started to talk with no other members around to listen.
"…I don't know who can be listening to me right now…whether it is the God of the Catholic faith I followed as a child, the heart-shaped moon that we Nobodies call Kingdom Hearts that holds our salvation at one day receiving our own hearts again, or even a third party that may be watching…" A prayer from a very long time ago suddenly popped into the Silent Hero's head, and though he couldn't remember it all, it seemed to fit the current situation that three of the Organization members now fell under.
"Whoever is listening to this creature that falls so low on the scale of life, please, listen to me…Eight, Nine, and Thirteen…no, Axel, Demyx, and Roxas, three of our members who treat each other with a bond unlike any of the other Organization members, have all fallen victim to a horrible misfortune." He paused, trying to remember all of said prayer and hoped that he had it right as he bowed his head and closed his eyes.
"Guardian Angel,
watch over those whose names you can read in my heart.
Guard over them with every care
and make their way easy and their labours fruitful.
Dry their tears if they weep;
sanctify their joys;
raise their courage if they weaken;
restore their hope if they lose heart,
their health if they be ill,
truth if they err,
repentance if they fail."
Looking back up at Kingdom Hearts, he felt that this was the only thing he could do.
After a few moments, he noticed that his vision was a little blurry. Rubbing his eyes, he noticed that what had been clouding his sight was…tears?
When Lexaeus realized that, he did something he hadn't done since the day he became a Nobody.
He cried.
A/N: A few things that I didn't mention but am now!
1) The first half of the story takes place shortly after Roxas joins the Organization. The divider line signifies that it takes place during "Aftermath", a story written by Xanrivash in which the infamous trio of Axel, Roxas, and Demyx get into a car wreck while on a mission. The Organization is also changed from XIII to XV because two OC's of the original author had joined
2) The priest is actually based off of Auron from FFX. Don't know the bad-ass? Go look him up!
3) An idea such as Lexaeus being Catholic before becoming an apprentice actually came from the AU oneshot of Xanrivash's called "The Prodigal Sons". Lexaeus was a Catholic priest in it who went by Father Stone. Actually, probably this whole story was derived from that oneshot
Anyway, I'm debating on whether or not to do stories that revolve around something with each of the members of the Organization, hence why this didn't go under my "KH Xanrivash Short Stories". Reviews would help me decide! :D