Author's Note: Forgive me if this moves a little quickly, or if Zexion seems OOC. I sometimes wonder if he should be more standoffish and reluctant, but that's not really the way I'd imagine him to be. He's not emo. Anyway, I have nothing else to say.
R &R, Enjoy,
V. Plum.
---
Chapter 2 – 10th of November
"You cheating bastard!"
"I agree, four straight flushes in one game is definitely cheating, Luxord."
"Sorry, but I won, fair and square, love."
"Ugh, don't call me that. It's disturbing."
"Hah! Alright, ready for your… punishment?"
"Bring it on."
"I dare you to…"
---
Zexion walked down a hallway, a rather heavy book tucked under his arm. His mind was reeling over seeing IX again. He didn't even know what to do, would he wait for IX to come to him? Should he go look for him? He had to do something; he wasn't someone who went back on their word. He didn't even know why he was thinking about this so much. Could he consider IX as a friend, now? Not really… when did the experiment end, anyway?
Zexion gasped as he tripped on a step. He shook the thoughts from his head and sighed. He tried pointedly not thinking about the experiment and Demyx, but in the end, that just made him think about it. Out of the peripheral of his eyes, he saw a moogle floating around the corner. He walked pass it a couple steps and then back tracked, furrowing his brows. Most moogles just stared into empty space until you gave them a shard or something.
But that moogle was definitely watching him.
Zexion looked around, and realized he was in the hallway just outside The Hallway of Empty Melodies… Zexion licked his lips slightly, and then whispered very softly;
"Are you… Benjamin?"
The moogle was silent, and Zexion's eye twitched. Hadn't Demyx said that the moogle here was—
Are you… psychic? Kupo.
Zexion jumped slightly.
Wait a second, wait a SECOND, kupo! You! You're Zexion! I knew you looked familiar, kupo!
"Uhm, yes…?" Zexion whispered. He sort of felt like an idiot talking to a moogle, so he made sure the coast was clear before he said something to Benjamin.
Oh my Yevon, no way! Dem was talking about you last night. He woke me up at 11PM at night, can you believe it? I whacked him for waking me up so late at night! Oh, and Linaly said that you were with him last night, too, kupo!
This moogle was insanely talkative. It was no wonder he was friends with IX, he had a similar personality as well, which was sort of weird. Zexion regretted saying anything to the moogle, because he didn't have the heart to tell the moogle to stop talking to him… Benjamin swayed from side to side from what Zexion guessed was excitement, though his face was expressionless.
So, kupo? Did you want to ask me something? Where Demyx is, maybe?
Benjamin floated over to Zexion shoulder and nudged him twice, as if he was implying something.
"Uh, no, what are you trying to say?"
You don't…? KUPO! Oh no, oh no! I'm so sorry, Demmy!
The moogle held its palms up to the roof, looking up as though he was praying. Zexion wondered how it could see through the heavy hood of its coat.
"What is it?"
Gyeh? I can't say, kupo.
"Tell me."
No!
"Come on, just tell me." Zexion huffed, his curiosity piquing.
I said I wouldn't, kupo. If you don't have anything to say to me, than please go away.
Zexion's eye twitched at the sudden cold air of the moogle.
"Why can't you just—"
"Zexion…?"
Zexion spun around quickly, taking in a sharp breath and trying to hide the moogle behind him.
"Were you just talking to that moogle…?!" Xigbar's nose was scrunched, his visible eye was twitching. Zexion sighed, wearily. There was no way he could talk himself out of this. Benjamin stood perfectly still, as though Zexion had been the one doing all the talking, but Zexion could hear the moogle laughing. Zexion's face felt hot.
"Yes. I was," Zexion said bluntly, "Good day, II." Zexion turned promptly, and began to walk away briskly.
"Wait, wait, little dude!" Xigbar ran up to Zexion, "I was looking for you. Uh… A dusk gave this to me. And I think it wanted me to give this to you."
"A dusk…?" Zexion looked down at the little piece of paper Xigbar was holding.
"Err, yeah. I asked it where it got it from, but it said another dusk got it from another dusk who got it from a moogle who got it from a heartless who got it from a dusk who got it from a nobody. And the first dusk was sworn to secrecy. And that dusk that got it from another dusk who got it from a moogle who got it from a heartless who got it from a dusk who got it from a nobody gave it to the dusk that gave it to me. So…" Xigbar trailed off sheepishly as Zexion took the paper from Xigbar. He raised a brow at Xigbar's ridiculous rambling. He had a feeling that he knew what the piece of paper was…
"… Alright. Thanks," Zexion paused and added, "And don't you dare tell anyone that I was talking to a moogle, or… you'll find yourself with a severe, severe case of Irritable Bowel Syndrome for the next six months. Got it?" He threw his signature glare at Xigbar just to make sure he knew that he meant business. Xigbar's visible eye twitched and he nodded vigorously, before teleporting away.
Zexion snorted proudly, then looked down at the paper. It was folded in half, with 'Give This To VI' on the front of it. He opened it up and found a familiar scrawl inside.
This experiment ends when;
One can feel emotions just as strongly as the subject can.
One remembers a minimum of thirty emotions; fifteen positive, fifteen negative.
One forfeits.
One remembers love.
Oh ho ho!
"You!" Zexion exclaimed, suddenly noticing the fact that Benjamin had snuck over and was now reading over his shoulder, with his little paws mussing up Zexion's hair, "Get you're hands out of my hair! I hate you!" There was a gasp, and then Benjamin backed away with his big red nose down. Zexion walked away, not feeling guilty at all.
You're a prick, kupo!
Zexion's eyes narrowed, but he ignored Benjamin and turned out of the hallway.
---
Zexion sighed, trooping up long staircase. It looked to be around 10:30PM, but he couldn't be sure, because he couldn't see Kingdom Hearts. It was getting late, and he was getting sick of wandering around aimlessly when he could have spent his time reading. Someone had to be messing with his head, because he'd received two notes from the same person about the same thing. But he couldn't figure out who it was, or why they were doing it. The experiment seemed practically harmless; the only motive Zexion could see for making him do this was… to waste his time.
"OH GOD! WATCH OUT, ZEXY!"
Zexion looked up with wide eyes. Down the staircase came a massive slinky made entirely out of water. Its diameter had to be about a metre or so, and if it was fully stretched out it could be as long as a hallway. Zexion stood in horror as the slinky made its way down the staircase at an alarming pace. He was frozen from shock.
The slinky drew closer and closer, and when it reached Zexion, he ducked, his arms over his head for protection. The slinky landed perfectly on step he was standing on, hanging over the edge of the step a little and wobbling, with a loud sloshing noise. It didn't lose its shape though. For a second, Zexion found himself surrounded by a massive spiral of water, before the slinky bent and continued its way down the staircase. A familiar blonde ran down the stairs, grabbing onto Zexion's shoulders with wide concerned eyes.
"ARE YOU OKAY?!" Demyx huffed from running, "Why aren't you wet?!"
"… It… just missed me…" Zexion said breathlessly.
"Oh, thank God." Demyx sighed, letting go of Zexion's shoulders and wiping his forehead with relief. Suddenly, Zexion felt extremely pissed.
"What the HELL were you doing, making a slinky that big?! Forget that, what the HELL possessed you to even decide to make a slinky out of water?!"
"Uhm, well, at first, I was just bored, so I made little slinkies and raced them down the staircase, but then that got boring too, so I decided to make a massive one and see how long I could control it before it collapsed. I didn't think anyone would come up the stairs, so I made it really, really big. And then, you know, momentum and stuff, and I lost control, so…"
"I still don't understand why you do such trivial things with your water abilities, instead of training or doing something more productive."
"Pshh, productive things are boring," Demyx chuckled, "Anyway, I was waiting for you, where were you?"
"… Well, we didn't exactly pick a spot to meet up."
"Oh yeah…" Demyx laughed, "So, what d'you want to do?" Zexion shrugged, so Demyx continued, "Can you play an instrument?"
"Yes."
"Really? What instrument?"
"… The piano and the violin."
"Wow, that's so cool. I've never seen you play before though." Demyx exclaimed.
"I don't play them."
"Wha…?"
"Because I don't have a piano or violin."
"Well, yeah, but..." Demyx trailed off thoughtfully.
"I must have played them as a somebody."
"Huh," Demyx laughed, "I guess that makes sense. I feel like making a snowman." Zexion's eye twitched. Sometimes Demyx's spontaneous personality left him speechless.
"…There's no snow here, if you haven't realized by now."
"I know. But you know somewhere that does have snow? Christmas Town!" Demyx grinned.
"… Are you serious?"
"Well, yeah. Though we probably shouldn't go because it's right next to Halloween Town, and actually, I'm really scared of that kind of stuff. Once, Axel dared me to go to Halloween Town, so I had to go, and when I got there it was all creepy and stuff. But it wasn't that bad because it was sort of quiet and stuff. And I was walking through the graveyard, and this crazy white hankerchief ghost thing with a red nose appeared and started chasing me!" Demyx paused, but Zexion was still speechless, so he kept going, "And so, I ran away 'cause it was the weirdest thing ever, it was floating and flying and stuff. So I ran into the Town Square place, and there was a guillotine in the middle and everything! Creepiest thing ever, and then I got ambushed by these heartless that were like jack in the boxes, and at first I thought they weren't so scary, but then one of them opened, and it was like a zombie with knives, and it was slashing and stuff at me!" Demyx made slashing movements with two karate chops at Zexion.
"Uhh… Demyx…"
"And then I tried to run away again, but I tripped and fell, and the jack in the boxes were coming closer, and I was freaking the hell out because it was the scariest thing ever, and then I looked up and I realized that I was right underneath the guillotine! So I scrambled out from under the guillotine, and just as I got away, the guillotine came down super fast and snagged my coat and made the massive gapping hole in my coat. And then I screamed, and tried to get up, but my sleeve was caught on this little sharp bit of wood sticking out of the side of the guillotine. And the jack in the boxes were coming closer and closer!"
"Demyx…" Zexion tried to cut in, because the blonde was starting to speak even faster and faster, until it seemed like he was hyperventilating just from telling a story.
"And then one of them opened, and I screamed and it was this soldier thing with a gun, and it was shooting it and stuff, but it kept missing me, which is good, I guess. Then I finally got free from the spiky thing, and I got this brilliant idea to summon a portal and just leave the world altogether, but I decided to run away first because I was scared that the jack in the box would follow me through the portal, so I ran back to the graveyard, and I summoned a portal, and I came back here! And that's the end! But it was the scariest thing ever! It was like being in a horror movie, that place is all decorated with all this creepy stuff and yeah." Demyx took in a deep, deep breath and heaved a great big sigh. He stared at Zexion, expecting some sort of reply. Zexion couldn't think of anything to say, it seemed to be quite a scary situation to be in but… if it were him, he would have just summoned a portal the moment he saw… the 'handkerchief ghost', but he doubted that that would've scared him anyway.
"Uhm… yeah, that sounds really scary." Zexion agreed anyway, "So maybe we shouldn't go to Christmas Town."
"No, no, we can go!" Demyx reassured, though he was still sort of huffing, and his eyes were still wide and scared, as if he was reliving the memory.
"But I heard Christmas Town gets lots of visits from Jack Skellington…"
"JACK SKELLINGTON?!"
"… err…" Zexion backed away slightly, he would have laughed if Demyx had been joking around, but the look on his face was so serious, it was starting to scare him too, "How about we… just get something to eat again."
"Thatsoundslikeawaybetteridea, letsgo." Demyx nodded vigorously. Zexion summoned a portal and ushered Demyx into it with a sigh. It was just like he'd guessed; spending time with Demyx was more tiring than running a 50km marathon.
---
The kitchen was empty when they got there. The only thing that could be heard was the soft ticking of a clock. Zexion sighed, heading the the fridge and pouring out two glasses of milk as Demyx sat down. He stuck one glass into a microwave, heating it for 45 seconds, and then sat down opposite Demyx with his own cold milk.
"Why're you heating up mine?" Demyx trailed off, gesturing at the microwave a little.
"Because you need it." Zexion said bluntly. It was obvious that Demyx needed soothing after his hysterics... but Zexion wasn't exactly the kind of person that rubbed people's backs and knew what to say off the top of his head, so...
"Wha...?"
"Warm milk is soothing." He replied, just as bluntly as before. Demyx's mouth dropped open slightly and he blushed. Zexion looked away to the microwave, a little embarrassed. Why was Demyx blushing? It was just a glass of milk for crying out loud, it was an old fashioned, stupid remedy. He watched the numbers count down for seven, and then stood up to get it.
"Here, just drink it." Zexion grumbled, giving it to Demyx, fighting down a bit of a blush too.
"Thanks..." Demyx mumbled before taking a small sip. Zexion took a large gulp from his. The two of them sat in silence for a while before Demyx finally perked up, his glass already less than half full.
"... I just got a brilliant idea!" He grinned, chugging the rest of his milk, "Have you ever been exploring?" He put his cut down. Zexion finished his glass off too.
"Where?"
"In the castle, of course!" Demyx rolled his eyes, as though everyone did that, "'Cause, in case you haven't noticed, I'm nocturnal... So exploring is all I really ever do. I bet I could tell you what's in every room in this castle."
"Oh, no... I haven't." Zexion couldn't possibly imagine how knowing everything in every room in a boring castle such as this one could possibly be helpful. He couldn't imagine how anything that Demyx did was productive. He had no idea how Demyx even got into Organization 13.
"Oh, then you probably don't know that we have a piano on the second highest floor," Demyx pointed up in the general direct direction, "It's pretty old, but I tune it every now and then. I'm not very good at piano, and I don't really remember what it sounds like when someone who can play it plays it... you know? So can you play for me?" Demyx pleaded, putting on a stupid, unbecoming face with big eyes that didn't help his persuasive skills at all.
… Okay, it helped a little.
"... Fine."
"Great! Follow me." Demyx stood, leaving the kitchen at a power walk from his excitement. Zexion sighed and followed.
"But I'm warning you, I've only played once as a nobody." Zexion said to Demyx's back.
"Not a problem." Demyx smiled.
"And I don't know how good I was as a somebody."
"Better than me, probably." Demyx chirped, still unfazed. The two of them walked up two flights of staircases.
"Why do you walk everywhere?" Zexion asked curiously. Demyx laughed.
"Because portals are unnatural, and if you don't get some exercise, you'll get fat." That was the stupidest reason Zexion had ever heard, but he didn't say anything. Demyx opened a door that Zexion had always assumed was a broom closet, and ushered him in. Demyx turned on the light and shut the door.
Up against a wall in the corner, between a stack of boxes of god knows what, and a shelf with jars of dull grey and green liquids, was a white piano. Demyx hadn't been lying when he'd said it was old. The finish was worn, and when Zexion lifted the lid, the ebony keys had been worn a little, and the keys had turned a little off white, much like the rest of the piano.
"Are you sure this is in tune?"
"It's last check up was a month ago, it should be fine," Demyx reassured, sitting down an old couch much like the ones in other more inhabited rooms, "Play something."
Zexion was about to protest, but he decided it was useless. The blonde was pretty stubborn when he wanted something. He took a seat on the matching stool, running his fingers on the keyboard.
"What do you want me to play?"
"Do you remember anything?"
"... No."
"Then, just mess around, it'll come back to you," Demyx said knowingly, "That's like I forgot how to play my sitar, but it came back to me just like that. You just have to remind your fingers." In theory, he sounded right, but Zexion was still a little doubtful. He looked down at the keys, frowning in concentration. He definitely recognized one key as the middle C, so he placed his right hand's thumb on it and played it. He played C, D, E, F and G with all five fingers a little awkwardly, his hands were a little flat, but when he tried to curl them, it didn't feel right.
He played a couple scales after that. He could feel the music flowing back into him slowly. He remembered one particular song... but not it's name. He played it slowly, then faster and faster, gaining confidence rapidly, both his hands flew over the keys easily, at one point, he even remembered how to use the pedals, and soon he was able to play even with his eyes shut.
The song was soft like a lullaby at first, but it built up into the middle part, becoming more lively and complex, before dying back down into its dream like tempo, and finishing with a perfect chord.
"Hm. Not too shabby."
"'Not too shabby'?! That was awesome, Zexion! I wish I could play like you! That was so beautiful!" Demyx gushed, grinning widely. Zexion blushed a little, but shook his head.
"No. It wasn't meant to be played that fast."
"That's okay. I play my songs really fast all the time, 'cause it makes me feel like I'm totally shredding." Demyx laughed. Zexion scrunched his nose. What was 'shredding'?
"What's it called?"
"Don't know," Zexion sighed, "But it's not one of the harder ones."
"You can play stuff even more elaborate than that? That's so cool..." Demyx said jealously, "You must have been a pianist or something."
"No, I was a violinist," Zexion corrected, surprising even himself, "I mean, not a violinist as a career, just... better at violin than piano."
"Really? Do you remember your somebody life...?"
"No, I don't," Zexion scrunched his nose in confusion, "I don't know how I knew that..."
"Huh. That's weird. Well, if only we had a violin, right?" Demyx chuckled wistfully, "You must have loved it..."
"What?"
"Well, because when you played that, it had so much emotion, so it was like the piano was part of you, and the song was alive somehow. But if that's not even your 'dominant instrument', then... man, I wish we had a violin," Demyx looked out the window longingly, "I wonder if any other worlds would have one? Beast's Castle, maybe? You could play in the ballroom..."
Zexion's eyes widened all of a sudden. Playing violin... in a ballroom... why...?
"Nngh..." Zexion groaned, pushing the heel of his palm into his temple. A horrible pain throbbed through his head, making the room spin. Somehow, outside the ringing of his ears, he could hear Demyx saying his name over and over. His vision turned white and he felt his body collapsing...
The ballroom was beautiful. Its walls were white, with gold linings and decorations in them. Some areas were tastefully draped in large curtains that were a shade slightly lighter than royal blue, with white tassels and decorations. To one end, there was a marble dance floor, where swaying bodies glided over it effortlessly. On the other end, there was a stage. And on that stage stood Ienzo.
He stood with three other people, and in his hands was a jet black violin that contrasted starkly with the white suit he had on. And he was playing the violin at a rather slow pace for the dancers to waltz to. Slowly the other three in the quartet of violinists dropped out, leaving Ienzo with a solo. His music was beautiful, and the acoustics of the room was great, his song filled the entire room, stunning every person in it.
When he finished, the audience clapped loudly, and the violinists bowed politely before stepping to the back of the stage, forming a perfect line. A old man with blonde hair stood on the stage with a warm smile. He wore his usual red robes, despite the formal occasion.
"I thank you all for attending this fundraiser ball. And I thank you, Ienzo," The old man turned to him, smiling gratefully, "For his spectacular violin playing, I'm sure I was not the only one that was impressed with your expertise." Ienzo bowed again, though his face was still composed and expressionless. The audience clapped again and then the old man began his speech.
"For years, our group of genius scientists have been researching hard into the workings of the heart, and the..."
-x-
Ienzo gasped, feeling thee wind blown out of him from the kick to his gut. A mysterious figure with a black coat and a hood that covered his face stood over him menacingly. The stranger held his violin in his hands as if it were a weapon.
"How dare you. How dare you impress Ansem. I am the greatest scientist on this team, and no one will get in the way of my plans."
"Y-you..." Ienzo gasped, coughing up blood. The figure laughed, holding up the matching bow of his violin.
"How ironic would it be, to have a violinist, beaten to death by his own violin?"
"N-no. That violin... is worth..." Ienzo winced and glared up at the figure, "If you damage it... I will kill you." But the man just laughed again.
"You?! Kill me?!" There was a kick to his head that left it ringing and throbbing. He could feel the blood soaking in his hair.
"You can't kill me, look at you! You're a weakling!" The man sneered, "You're weak! But you're smart. And I need you. What I don't need is you taking the limelight, and what you don't need is this stupid violin and those stupid emotions." The man tucked the violin under his arm, then held out the bow as if to snap it clean in half.
"NO!"
"No?"
"P-Please... I'll do anything, just don't--"
"Anything? How about this, then. If you help me with my plans, and join my Organization, then I won't damage your violin. How's that?"
"Deal! Just give it back!"
"Who said anything about giving it back?"
"You sly, disgusting--"
"Ah, ah. Is that any way to talk to your Superior? Once you join my Organization for one month, then you'll get it back. You'll have to wait until Ansem's downfall first, though. The Organiation can't begin until Ansem's downfall. So, I guess you've got some waiting to do."
"You...! Give it back!" Ienzo struggled to get up again, but his muscles were aching and the man just killed him down again.
"Stop it, I'm being generous... VI," The man smirked widely, "I'll even tell you wherre I'll keep it in the castle."
"What castle?!"
---
"Zexion, wake up! Please, please wake up!"
Zexion groaned, opening his eyes and found that he was lying on a couch, not on the ground outside the ballroom... Demyx hovered over him with a quivering lip and worried eyes with wet lashes. Something in Zexion stirred at the sight of Demyx crying... could it be jealousy? It took a lot of emotion to cry...
"Thank God you... I couldn't tell if you'd died or something because we don't have heartbeats or pulses, so I was freaking out so bad!"
"When nobodies die, we fade into nothingness. If I were dead, I wouldn't have a corpse." Zexion said rather frankly.
"Well, sorry for not knowing, but one moment we were talking about violins and the next--"
"The violin!" Zexion gasped, sitting up suddenly, dizzy from such a violent movement. Ignoring his dizzy spell, he stood up from the couch and left the room without another word.
---
Gawrsh, Wonder what'll happen next? Not even I know... Ahyuck Hyuck.
