Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Chapter One
Trouble in Paradise
Demyx Hasegawa, 18, a young musician who recently proved his worth with his last album, New Green Soul, is publishing yet again… with some hesitation.
"I'm not sure if this album will be as well received," he told us one day on the campus of Sector 6's Community College, where he is a student. "There's a lot less lyrics, a lot more composition. I wanted there to be a better base in classical music. I figured it was about time I confronted my roots."
Hasegawa was originally born in Japan, and immigrated to Radiant Gardena little under two years ago. Currently, he works in a small record store where he first met McKenzie Ortega, who signed him to her label after hearing him play sitar, an Indian instrument. He also teaches said instrument on the side, hoping he can spark popularity for the sitar, but would also be glad just to help new musicians stroke their creative side.
"It's a difficult instrument to learn, and takes a lot of time. Obviously, it's not for everyone. Even I'm not an expert yet."
Hasegawa's newest album, Nameless Shadow, is hitting stores on May 15th.
"Made it in the papers again, huh?" Axel said, slamming the newspaper down in front of me. The article had been circled in red pen, as if I couldn't see it already. He smiled, ruffled my hair. I stuck my tongue out at him.
"Axel. It's a filler. On the tenth page. No one's going to read it."
"Oh, please. Can't you just let me be proud of you? Considering, you know, you could have turned out to be a fuckup."
I smiled sarcastically at him, took another drag of hot chocolate. It was May, but still as cold as March. "Yeah, you're the one to talk."
He scowled at me and grabbed his coat. "Anyway, I've got to get to work. See you later."
The door shut behind him, leaving unexpected silence. I sighed, read the article over. I was semi-famous around here- people knew my name, but hardly ever really bugged me. It wasn't like sitar music was ever really sensational. I liked where I was, statistically.
One thing that really bugged me, though, was that while they mentioned where I worked and where I went to school, they didn't publicize that I was a member of the Restoration Committee. It would be nice, at least that little bit of publicity, even though everyone pretty much knew that it was us who dragged this town back into shape.
I looked around the small apartment I shared with Axel. There was plenty of room, actually. We were both paid well enough to afford it. For the first time in a while, I realized just how normal things had become, especially after what happened so long ago.
We used to be Nobodies, working for Organization XIII. I'd gone to different worlds, had control over a group of lesser Nobodies. I'd seen tragedies happen in worlds, sometimes oversaw those conflicts under orders. I'd redeemed myself, and yet, sometimes I still felt guilty.
But now we were humans. My pulse was evidence of that. I'd sorted out paperwork, established an identity, and started college, started work. I'd made friends, been accepted. I had a girlfriend. Yes, everything was just the way I wanted it to be.
Yet, there was such a nagging feeling, like something bad would happen, very soon. I'd learned to trust my intuition over these past two years, and it was usually never wrong.
I downed the rest of my drink, put the cup in the sink. I looked at the newspaper once again, grabbed my things, and shut the door behind me.
After all was said and done with Xemnas, life kind of settled into a routine.
School. Work. Teach sitar. Practice. Compose. Meet with Yuffie. Meet with the committee. Have dinner with Axel and Yuffie.
It didn't seem like there was enough hours in the day for my schedule. And it was true, I didn't have much time to just sit and stare. Or think, really.
I don't mind. It's an easy life, one I don't have any problems fitting into. I'm not bored of it.
(That nagging feeling was still eating at me. Crunch, crunch. It might as well have been chewing my ribs. I couldn't think about anything else.)
But… there's always one of those, isn't there? Something was going to happen. Damn. I needed to talk to Aerith. She was the only one who took me seriously when I felt that premonition.
All my finals this year were finished. Right now, I was just puttering around campus, meeting with other students for lessons. It wasn't just sitar I taught, but regular guitar and violin. There wasn't much interest for anything else, but I knew a whole lot of instruments if someone wanted to find me.
I sat under a tree, eating the remainder of my breakfast- an apple. It was cold and cloudy, a miserable day. Usually around this time of year, Radiant Garden was absolutely perfect. Warm, breezy, the allergens curbing off. Not many flowers had even bloomed this spring. It felt winterish. I shivered and huddled in my jacket.
"Demyx. You are Demyx, aren't you?"
I blinked and looked up. It wasn't the initial words that startled me- it was the tone of voice. The person sounded inexplicably older than he or she had to be. I looked up. It was just a boy. His hair was all shoved under a stocking cap. He had a familiar facial structure. Had I met him before? "Yes, I am. Do you need something?"
His slate gray eyes were pretty much emotionless. I watched them intently. There was no flicker, not so much as a blip of emotion, of thought. Even a human on their guard simply wouldn't be that blank…
That pure emptiness started to rouse something in me… I could almost remember… "Do I… know you?"
"You could say that," said the boy. He wore black, bundled for the cold winter weather. He stood, staring at me with that empty gaze.
"Do you need something?" I repeated.
He blinked. The situation felt increasingly awkward.
"I'm sorry, but I just can't remember you," I said. "Can you… refresh my memory?" I wasn't bad with faces, either. Just this one… it was as if my mind didn't want to remember.
All of a sudden, the boy smiled. He reached up with one hand, going to take off his cap.
Instinct took over. I leapt up. I may have just been overreacting, yet… I sensed the danger coming from this boy.
Violet hair fell over his face, covering his right eye.
Now I knew why he was so familiar.
The boy… he looked exactly like Zexion.
I blinked. Was this he? Was it an imposter? And if it was he… how was he alive?
"Now you recognize me," he said in that soft, level voice.
Zexion and I had never been best friends. That much was true. He was a genius, and I, the idiot who followed him around because I had no other friends. When he discovered my lack of education, he tutored me, brought me back to the right level. He was quiet, and he was Vexen's little servant… but he'd never done any evil that I'd seen. Then again, he had been the 'Cloaked Schemer…'
But Zexion never showed emotion. Not once had I seen him so much as smile.
So this was a fake. Simple.
"I'm glad I don't really know you," the boy continued, going to take a step forward. "But my likeness did… it's just too bad that I have to kill you."
I gasped and ducked just as soon as he went to attack. His fist slammed into the tree; apparently, the copy was unaccustomed to pain. He screamed. I grabbed him by the shoulders, but even when this replica was in pain, he was still strong. He grabbed my arm and flipped me. I landed on my back, getting all the wind knocked out of me.
All this happened within a few seconds.
"Shit," the copy swore, clutching his bleeding hand. "I've got to deal with you… in other ways."
"It doesn't have to be like this," I told him. "Who's ordering you? You don't have to listen to him!"
"Shut up!" The boy screamed.
Suddenly, the scent of darkness assailed me. I dodged a lone tendril, ending up on the ground.
What did I do? I could fight him, obviously. There were just so many unanswered questions, and not enough time to think… no wonder Sora used to just run into battle, Keyblade drawn…
I quickly rolled and jumped up, summoning my sitar. The Zexion copy laughed at me. "That's it? An instrument? What can you possibly do, play me to sleep?"
"Apparently you have none of Zexion's intelligence," I murmured, playing a chord. Water slapped him upside the face.
Yet that one tendril… he'd been waiting for something. The darkness struck me above my left eye.
All thought left my body. I suddenly couldn't comprehend anything but pain, even in that slightest touch. My body, my soul rejected it. It hurt so badly I couldn't even scream. I fell to my knees, blood pouring into my eye, staining everything red. I felt like I couldn't breathe. My worst memories- Myde's memories- came rushing through.
"How could you have ever been a Nobody," the replica asked, the question half a sneer and half curiosity, "When even the slightest touch of darkness leaves you like this?"
I was lying on the ground, motionless, still trying to comprehend the pain.
He laughed. "This should be easy then…"
Waves seized me. My powers felt numb- they refused to come. The darkness crushed in on me, and I couldn't even stop it.
My eyes went wide. I couldn't move- I was completely still. In my mind, I was screaming; death would be better than this. The darkness wasn't hurting my body yet- it was ripping at my heart, my soul. I could only hope that they wouldn't be permanently stained. The darkness greedily tugged at my body. I could feel it sucking the life out of me… And I was powerless to stop it.
"What the hell is going on?" Someone screamed. There was a metallic clang, and the hold on me was released. I dropped back into the real world, struggling for air, trying to make sense of physical pain that my body couldn't comprehend… "Demyx… Demyx, are you okay?"
It was Axel's voice. My eyes struggled to focus, but everything was grainy… kind of dark. One of my eyes was dyed red completely.
There was another clang… and distantly, I smelt smoke. I wondered if I was going to die. My breathing was uneven, my heartbeat uncertain. I heard screams… inhuman screams… the Zexion replica… no, the Heartless, I could see his true form now, a silhouette in the shape of the person I had once known. Those yellow eyes stared at me.
The copy was now simply gone, having gone back to its home.
Axel came over to me, slowly. There was a cut on his bicep, and it was bleeding heavily. "Demyx… can you hear me?"
I nodded, once.
He put an arm around me. "We're going to go to Aerith, okay? Can you stand?"
I couldn't respond. He put an arm around my waist and tried to help me up. I stumbled. Everything still surely hurt. I think I was crying. Blackness was closing in on me as my body struggled to heal.
I collapsed.
I drifted in and out over the next few hours. Never quite there, all I heard were bits and pieces of conversation-
"I don't understand why it poisoned him so thoroughly…"
"How are they… back? A copy of…?"
"I don't understand it myself. I couldn't think. It had Demyx."
"Will he be okay…?"
"Well, guys. You know what this means."
"We have to speak to Sora."
And in a lower voice, I heard Axel say, "It all happened so quickly, too. It's like he knew."
This was originally the prologue, before I wrote the other one, so that's why it's short. It's not the best, but I couldn't have really written it any other way. All in all, I'm neither pleased nor disappointed with this.
Oh, yeah, TheChel drew a fanart for me of Nocturne's Return! Actually, it's less of a fanart and more of a drawing of the outfit I designed for Luxord. Still, it's really cool. The link is under the description for Nocturne's Return: Revamped in my profile. :)
I've been pretty busy lately. I just started school, but already I've had several tests and have more lined up tomorrow. ...And I'm only a sophomore... I'm glad I have a surplus of updates already completed, so the next few chapters will be updated regularly (every Thursday).
As for reviews, I'm surprised I received so much! I know it won't be like that for the whole story, but it was still nice. :) Thank you to Draginninja, The Moon's Berserk, Leixym, Zexiontwo, DJ36521, pkmnfan11, TheChel, Willowfur, Mystical, littlev123, Kiexa, as well as anonymous reviewers Ms. Reasoning and Wolven24KH. And I can't forget Anna.
Ms. Reasoning, I actually have several questions about your review. Could I possibly be able to email you somehow...? Obviously I can't reply, so if I can contact you on a site or by email...
See you all next Thursday!