Xharas took a deep breath after stepping out of Xigbar's portal. The darkness that had surrounded her felt as if it was ripping her apart from the inside out. She held onto her knees tightly while trying to catch her breath.
Xigbar shook his head with a smile."Come on, little dude. There's a lot that I've got to show ya' and we don't have all day."
She looked up to him and slowly stood up straight. He led her up a high stair case and into a small hall way. Once they reached the top he looked back to her and waved a hand over to her.
"Let's take a look at the top floor, shall we?"
She just gave him a blank stare and followed him slowly. Everywhere, she could see doors with roman numbers on them. Passing each room gave her some sort of bad feeling, like she shouldn't be there. She looked around her, to make sure no one was following. Xigbar's voice snapped her out of her paranoia as he said, "This is the dorm hall. We'll be coming back here later."
He looked behind him to look at Xharas and saw that she looked worried about something. He shook his head shrugging off her reaction to the hall. Continuing down the hallway, they passed rooms with clear windows spoke, "This is the lab. I don't see you coming into here any time soon but if you do, I'll be the first to know."
She tilted her head to the side in confusion, not understanding why she would have to go into a lab for anything. Xigbar caught the hint and crossed his arms to explain, "I'm not quite sure why you'd go in there either but when I do know I'll tell you, ok?"
She gave him a slight nod and they continued down the white hallway. They went by a few more empty rooms and a library with double doors. Stopping by the library doors, Xigbar turned to her, "This is the library here. You're welcomed to come in here whenever you want to but, you have to be escorted around the castle until you get the hang of the place. So just whoever your escort is ask them to take you here, if you want. Trust me, it took me a few days to know where EVERY room was and still stay sane."
Xharas gave him a small smile and followed him as he opened one of the double doors for her. She became mesmerized by the amount of bookshelves that had books pilling over each other. With over twelve rows of four shelves on each side of the room, she had an urge to go by one and take out a book but decided against it. Following Xigbar into a reading area with chairs and tables, she saw the same guy with dark bluish-gray hair sitting at table reading. Xigbar gave her an evil grin. He slowly crept up behind him and clapped really loudly above his head. The guy quickly dropped his book shocked and turned around angrily snapped at the man, "What the hell, Xigbar?! That was completely uncalled for! Ugh! Now you've made me lose my place in my book, Damnit."
Xigbar laughed loudly, holding his sides tightly, gasped out, "Dude! You should've seen your face! It looked so damn funny!"
Zexion gave him a dirty look as Xharas stood to the side shyly not knowing really what to do or say considering the only time she had met him was when she was trying to kill herself. After Xigbar recovered from his laughing fit, he turned to Xharas, pointing to Zexion with a smile on his face, "This little shrimp here is Zexion. He's a bit of a bookworm and one of the dullest members of the Organization."
Zexion gave him another dirty look for the comment and replied, "Being a bookworm is not always a bad thing, you know and I'm not boring…I just don't like talking to ignorant people like you."
Xigbar shook his head sadly, "Dude, that was low."
Xharas giggled a little at the two's playful sniping of one another and both gentlemen looked over to her and saw her covering her mouth with one hand while giggling. Xigbar rose an eyebrow at her and crossed his arms asked, "Do you find something funny, kid?"
She shook her head with a slight grin and looked around the room saw a black portal appear to her right and someone with dark blue hair and a scar in the from of an 'X' between his eyes. He glanced over to her and then looked over to Xigbar said, "Ah, Xigbar. Just the person I was looking for. The Superior wants to see you, now. It'll be quick."
Xigbar nodded."Sure thing, Saix." looking over to Zexion asked, "Could you keep an eye on her until I get back?"
Zexion shrugged his shoulders, replied, "Sure."
Xigbar walked up to her and patted her shoulder, "Don't have fun without me, ok?"
He made a portal appear in front of him and left with Saix following behind him. Xharas looked to the ground nervously, unsure what she should do. Zexion turned around in his chair and saw her looking into the carpet. He pulls a chair out next to him and turned back to her, "Hey, did you want to sit down or stand around all day?"
She quickly looked up to him and walked by his table. She sat in the chair and looked down sadly. Zexion stared at her for a minute and shook his head. Deciding not to say anything to her, he picked up his book and looked for the place where he had been before he was rudely interrupted. Xharas glances up at Zexion and noticed what book he was reading. She smiled to herself. It was one of her favorite Shakespeare plays, MacBeth.
"That's a really good story. Have you read it already?" she asked softly.
Zexion looked up from his book and folded the page he was on with a sigh not wanting to lose where he was a second time, "Yes, I've read it already."
She gave him a nodded continuing, "I usually don't like Shakespeare but that one is rather interesting because of the different changes that MacBeth went through." She shook her head sadly continuing, "It's a shame how much someone will do just to gain power. It does more damage than good and innocent people are always caught in the cross fire."
He nodded in agreement, replying, "True, but sometimes that power could be used to help others than to harm them. It all depends who has it and what they do with it."
She looked down and thought to herself before replying back, "I guess you're right. Like they say, 'keep your friends close but your enemies' closer.' "
Zexion crossed his arms and smiled "You have no idea how true that statement is, Xharas. You've been brought into a place where there is inner conflict within our own ranks. Sadly, you must pick and chose who you trust most."
She nodded and gave him a small smile. "Ok. Thanks." Then she looked back down sadly.
Zexion took this as a chance to talk to her a little and leaned on the table one hand supporting his face as he asked, "Hey, I was wondering…why did you jump out of that window earlier?"
She looked up to him and shrugged her shoulders" I couldn't live with the fact that my parents are gone, I guess. I'm still afraid to keep on living alone, without someone to love you and comfort you when everything seems to go all wrong."
Zexion placed a hand over Xharas' comforted in his own way, "You're welcomed to come in here anytime. I'm usually in here if I'm not out on a mission."
It was an indirect invitation to talk to him but she accepted it nonetheless. She gave him a slight smile as a deep blush formed over her pale cheeks.
A black portal appeared next to the table and Xigbar appeared from it."Hello little dudes. I didn't miss anything, did I?"
Zexion sat up and shook his head. "No. We just talked."
Xigbar crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side with a smirk on his face drawled, "Oh really? I think I did miss something here."
Zexion just shook his head rolling his eyes unnoticed and went back to his book as Xharas looked to the side embarrassed. Xigbar looked at the scene and shook his head having a good idea of what might have happened but decided to comment another time considering how closed off they were said, "Riiight. Well, in case you were wondering why I was called…"
"Which we don't," Zexion interjected as he flipped a page, Xigbar glared at Zexion and Xharas giggled a little looking at Zexion as he winked at her. Another blush crept on her cheeks as she looked at him wondering what this feeling was that came about her with this male.
"Well anyways, before I was rudely interrupted…" glaring at Zexion continued, "The Superior has placed you, Zexion, and me in charge of escorting the newbie until she got the hang of the place. Lexaeus and Saix are going to be her guards to her room."
She tilted her head in confusion" Why do I-I need someone to guard my room?"
Zexion looked over to her his eyes peering over from his book explained" Do you remember what I told you?" She nodded her head 'yes', he continued, "Yeah, that's why. We don't want to take any chances."
Feeling a bit embarrassed for not remembering as a light pink overtook her cheeks murmured softly, "Oh…ok."
He went back to his book said, "Well that's fine, Xigbar. Who got the first shift?"
Smirking wondering if he would get a reaction from the grey-haired man said airily, "You do."
He shrugged his shoulders" Ok. Now, can you leave me alone now? I'm rather busy right now."
"Heh, yeah. Let's go, little dude. The emo wants some 'alone time' with his book." he said with air quotes as Zexion looked again over the book eyes narrowed, "You know, I am still here Xigbar. Do you mind leaving before I throw my book at you?"
Xigbar held his hands out defensively "Hey there, no need to get violent here, shrimp."
Zexion quickly closed his book and tossed it with the book spine hitting Xigbar's face who shouted loudly, "OW! That hurt!"
Zexion crossed his arms with his eyes closed "That wouldn't happen of you kept your rude comments to yourself. Now go away." he said calmly.
"FINE! Be that way, brat. I'll see you outside kid." Xigbar said rubbing the side of his face from almost being impaled by the book, walking out the library cursing under his breath.
After Xigbar left the room, Xharas got up and picked up Zexion' book, placed it on the table in front of Zexion and gave him a small smile shyly saying, "See you later, Zexion. It was nice to meet you. Oh and um…"
Zexion opened his eyes and looked at her waiting for her to finish speaking, "Yes, Xharas? What was it that you were going to say?"
She blushed again and looked down shyly, muttered, "Um…thank you for saving me, earlier."
He nodded with a slight smirk on his lips, "You're welcome, Xharas."
She smiled again and left the room to find Xigbar hoping that he hadn't stormed away too far so that she couldn't find him. Zexion watched her leave and went back to his book with a smirk still on his face as he thought, 'Looks like things are going to get more interesting than I thought.'
Xharas walked out into the hallway and met up with Xigbar who luckily hadn't stormed away in a huff like she had feared not wanting to find out what would happen if she had tried to find her way back to her room. Muttering slightly he took her back to her room, which was by two rooms that had the numbers XIII and XI, laying on her bed with a flop hoped to have good dreams and possibly an explanation of whom or what she was.
A/N: The play that Zexion was reading is really good. I highly recommend it. It's SO much better than Romeo and Juliet. (Which I am really tired of doing in school. Yuck! Romeo is SO emo at the end.)
