I decided to give Marluxia his sight back. It's been long enough that he hasn't had any. Besides, something worse happens to him.

Potion Torture

Chapter 10

Marluxia had allowed himself to fall asleep again. Sleep could be boring, but it was better than listening to Demyx as he ranted. He was still sleeping - and quite deeply - when somone poked him in his shoulder.

He knew very well who that someone was.

When his shoulder was prodded again - harder, he frowned and attempted to sink back into the deep sleep. Before long, his shoulder was shaken urgently. "What?" he snapped, not bothering to open his eyes. "What the hell is so damned important?"

"Sight remedy," Demyx's voice replied.

Marluxia's eyes snapped open, unveiling the blurred world. "Well?" he asked.

"Eye drops," Demyx said, taking Marluxia's hand and pressing a small bottle into it. "Vexen said something about three drops-"

"Four!" Vexen's voice interjected.

"Right. Four drops in each eye should clear it up."

Marluxia snatched his hand away from Demyx and followed his - Vexen's instructions. In a few seconds, the blurs began to clear, starting from the edges and working their way inward. He sighed, and turned away from the overly hyper musician beside him. Standing, he pressed his hands into his back and cracked it, before moving to the door.

"Mar!" Demyx called, causing him to stop. "Where you going?"

"Kitchen," Marluxia responded. "And you're not following me."

Demyx grinned and nodded. "Sure thing, Mar!"

Marluxia stopped and looked at the boy, sitting crosslegged on Vexen's bed, and walked slowly out of his room. It's not that he wanted the boy after him, but it was surprising for him not to follow for protection, or whatever it was he wanted out of Marluxia. Wonder if Vexen's potion worked, he asked himself, before shaking his head. No... Vexen was still standing over his potions and working, so that wasn't it.

And that was when he spotted the limp form of Luxord, lying in the hall with no one around.

So that's it.

Marluxia nudged Luxord in his side, just to see what would happen. Luxord's body rolled over, but nothing else.

He doesn't want to follow me because Luxord's passed out...

Marluxia paused, then smirked. He squatted beside Luxord, picked him up, and slung him over one shoulder. He checked the hallway - both ways - just to make sure that no one was watching, and opened a portal to take him to his ruined garden. Larxene may have scorched the plants, but the pond in the corner she couldn't. He walked out of the portal, standing right in front of the pond.

He grinned.

Nothing like a dunk into freezing water to wake someone up. And there were still little flashes of lightening popping in the water.

Waving the question of how strong of lightening did Larxene use aside, Marluxia flung Luxord off of his shoulder and into the water. He leaned down beside the pond, watching as the little lightening bolts singed the Nobody in the water. Shortly, the gambler's eyes opened, and he reached up to the sides of the pond, pulling himself into a sitting position. Marluxia stretched a hand out to him and helped him to his feet. "I thought that would wake you," Marluxia said, still smirking.

"What do you want, Marluxia?" Luxord asked, moving out of the electric water.

"I can get you a chance to be alone with Demyx," Marluxia said, attracting Luxord's interest at once. Marluxia snorted, and then began to talk.

- - - - -

Vexen froze in front of his table and sighed, frustated.

"What is it now, Vexen?" Zexion asked. He was leaning back agains the wall, eyes closed, seemingly off in a light doze. His words were even beginning to slur. To Vexen, he sounded like Axel when he had had just a little bit too much to drink.

"I'm out of ingredients," Vexen grumbled.

"So, go to Twilight Town," Zexion muttered, his head dropping onto his chest. "They've got plenty..."

Vexen scowled, and pulled the near-sleeping member off the wall. "You're coming along," he snarled. "I can't carry everything I'm going to need."

Zexion groaned as Vexen shoved him into a portal, then followed.

Demyx, still sitting on the bed, sighed and looked at Vexen's potions littered all over his table. He grinned.

Boredom could have bad effects...

He jumped off of Vexen's bed and landed in front of the table. He rubbed his hands together, and eyed all the beakers filled with different colored liquids, trying to decide exactly which one to try out first. Spotting a near clear potion, he snickered and lifted it off the table. He stuck it in his pocket, along with four more, and then grabbed a handful. Carefully, he placed four of the six in his hands in his other cloak pocket, and then cautiously stuck the other two in his pants pockets. He sighed, realized that not another potion could fit anywhere on his outfit, and walked slowly out of the door.

He made his way down to the kitchen, where, surprisingly, he found three drinks sitting out on the counter. Grinning, Demyx pulled the two potions out of his pants pockets and emptied them in one glass. Three more out of one pocket went into the next, and four more into the last. Noticing that, even though the drinks were now full of potions, they didn't change color, Demyx shrugged and emptied the last of his potions into the last glass. His grin widened, and he snickered again. Hearing footsteps coming down the steps behind him, Demyx jumped for the nearest door and jumped inside, leaving the door open a crack so he could see who it was.

Marluxia, Luxord, and Xaldin. Marluxia wasn't wearing his cloak, and was smirking. He reached for a glass on the counter, picked up the last one, and downed it in one gulp. Shuddering at the taste, he threw it over his shoulder and it crashed into the wall beside the closet Demyx had dove into. Luxord and Xaldin took the last two, following Marluxia's example, minus the shudder.

"What was the shudder for?" Luxord asked, pulling a pack of cards out of his pocket.

Marluxia shrugged. "Nasty taste, that's all."

Xaldin snorted. "Tasted fine to me."

Marluxia sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Whatever," he said, an irritated edge to his voice. "Just remember what you're supposed to do."

"And you remember what you owe us for doing this shit," Xaldin countered.

Marluxia nodded, and they seperated.

In the closet, Demyx couldn't help but feel very confused. And also excited. He really wanted to know what the potions had done to them. Opening the closet slowly, Demyx slipped out of it and walked the way he had seen Marluxia go. Seeing as he had drank the one with the most potions, he wanted to see what happened to him first.

- - - - -

It had been a while since Marluxia had stood outside on his balcony. Tonight was windy, and looking down he was amused to find that he couldn't see past the third window on the side of the window. Perfect, he thought, smiling. He closed his eyes and turned, so that his back was facing the wind, and waited for the click that would mean the door to the balcony was opening.

- - - - -

Demyx pushed open the door to Marluxia's room and looked around the dark confines of it. At first, he saw nothing. Then he spotted the figure on the balcony outside. A pink-haired figure. "Mar," he said quietly, walking across the room and pushing the door open, letting it close behind him. "Mar- What are you doing?"

He had realized that Marluxia was standing on the very edge of the balcony railing, his eyes closed and smiling.

"Standing," Marluxia answered, not opening his eyes. "Why?"

Demyx blinked, confused. Marluxia was standing on the railing of his balcony... the very edge of the railing of his balcony. "You're not, like... going to jump... Are you?" he asked quietly.

Marluxia snorted, and then his eyes opened suddenly. One of his hands shot to his chest and he glared at nothing in particular. "The hell?' he muttered. As Demyx watched, horrified, Marluxia's knees buckled, and he fell off the balcony.

And right over the side.

"Mar!" Demyx ran across the balcony and leaned over the side. All he saw was Marluxia falling into what appeared to be eternal black oblivion. He heard the door slam open and didn't turn. He stared, stared down at the blackness where Marluxia had disappeared, and felt his non-existent heart sink.

That had to have been the effects of all those potions... What the hell have I done?

Gah. That was fun. Demyx got what he deserved for messing around with Vexen's potions.

Only I know what Marluxia, Xaldin, and Luxord were planning. Although, what happens when they find out happened to Marluxia, I have no idea.

I do know that Xemnas reappears in the next chapter. And since this one was totally about Demyx, the next one will also be mostly about Axel.