This is the final terribly old chapter, I believe. The rest should slowly get better and better…Let's see…-thinks- Yeah, this is pretty much the last one I'm gonna call a piece of s—t.
It's Lexaeus's turn! Did you know he has a secret passion? Well, you're about to find out what it is…:3
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts; this was purely fan-made and in no way should profit out of this.
However, I DO own Chance/Cenchax, and he cannot be used without my permission!
~##~
CHAPTER XXIX: Hero
Lexaeus had a secret passion. One that he kept hidden from the others. Only two people other than him knew about his true passion. One that set his soul on fire just to hear it mentioned. He could shock everyone by writing a 500 page novel on what it meant to him to be in the same room as his passion. It was embarrassing when he lost control of himself, but he couldn't help it. His soul was set on fire, and he had to do something about it to put the flames out, whenever IT came on.
If you haven't figured it out by now…
Lexaeus has a thing for music.
He loved nothing more than to take out his IPod and put it on Shuffle, listening to the array of genres pouring into his ears. He loved creating his own dance to it when he was alone in his room, where no one could see what he was doing. He loved singing the lyrics to himself, sometimes lip-syncing, sometimes gentle humming, and sometimes all-out screaming. He didn't need to feel to know that he had a weakness for music.
But, of course, the Silent Hero wouldn't be so silent if he told everyone about his passion.
Only Zexion and Cenchax knew. Zexion had never witnessed what music does to Lexaeus.
Cenchax had.
He was aimlessly walking down the corridor, on one of the many floors of the castle. He knew that most people were out on missions; the following people were in the castle:
Lexaeus and Cenchax.
Xemnas himself had declared that he would go on a patrol with Saix, and everyone else had their hands full doing one thing or another.
He wondered what Lexaeus was up to…
Lexaeus felt it crawling up his spine. The passion. The sensation. The undeniable urge to leap to his feet and dance…
But where was Cenchax? He knew, but it was still embarrassing…how Lexaeus lost himself in the music…
Maybe if he turned on the radio…
Of course, the first song that came on was one of his favorites…
" Just a small town girl…Livin' in a lonely world…She took the midnight train goin' anywhere…! "
Journey! Lexaeus couldn't resist it any longer.
He leapt to his feet on cue…
Cenchax, meanwhile, was aimlessly walking down the corridor, when he heard a dull 'Thud, followed by,
" Just a city boy!
Born and raised in south Detroit!
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere…!
DON'T STOP! BELIEVIN'!
HOLD ON TO THAT FEELIN'…! "
Lexaeus knew very well that he was singing out of the chorus, but he couldn't help it. He hadn't done this in such a long time! He was having such a good time in his own personal festivity; he didn't give Cenchax a second thought. His mind was concentrating on hitting each note with the right note, in the right octave and pitch, the correct word, the dead-on tempo, paying attention to the little details in the song; each rhythm, each note, each seemingly-unimportant section, seemed to be ten times louder than usual. Little things that Lexaeus hadn't noticed before came back to him, things that he only noticed when he truly concentrated.
Cenchax couldn't believe his ears. Lexaeus? SINGING? He had told Cenchax about his love of music, but…he sang with his heart…!
Cenchax listened, tapping his foot to the beat, smiling to himself, leaning on the wall near Lexaeus's door…
" A singer in a smoky room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on…
Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night…
Working hard to get my fill
Everyone wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice just one more time…
Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movies never ends
It goes on and on and on and on…
Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night…! "
Cenchax suddenly felt the urge to sing along.
At the same time, both the Psychic and the Hero sang at the top of their lungs,
" DON'T STOP! BELIEVIN'! "
Then, Lexaeus stopped in shock, and listened.
Cenchax kept singing,
" Hold on to that feeeelin'…! Streetlight people…Don't stop, believin'! "
Lexaeus ran and turned off the radio, blushing. Cenchax had heard him…Was he making fun of him…?
Cenchax was about to sing more, but the radio was turned off. He winced. Uh-oh…Shit…
Lexaeus sat on his bed, head in hands. Cenchax would probably tell Zexion, and the entire Organization would hear…He would be taunted for the rest of his non-existent life…
Cenchax knew what Lexaeus was thinking. He thought that Cenchax would make fun of him. But, no, Cenchax would never do that.
And, suddenly, he knew exactly what he and Lexy were going to do that day.
He let it be quiet for a little while. Let Lexaeus simmer down just a little bit, so he'd at least nod and shake his head. Besides, he had some things to do on the Internet…
~##~
An hour later, Lexaeus hadn't seen anything of Cenchax.
He was a little concerned. It was 9 o'clock. Even if he didn't want to (And he did not; what if something like that happened again and Cenchax started laughing?) he had to spend the entire day with Cenchax.
But how could one spend a day with one that they cannot see?
Let's see…He says he likes every genre…So…We have rock, pop, country, techno, rap, dance music, and alternative at that concert…Jazz, soul, and blues at that place…Symphony at that place…Gospel at that place…And finally, waltz, tango, and some other stuff at that place…Man, Lexy and I are booked today!
Lexaeus decided that there was nothing he could do to change what had happened. Maybe Cenchax will forget about it…
He began briskly marching towards Cenchax's room. The rest of the Organization was STILL out on their missions; Xemnas had only left Lexaeus and Cenchax home because they had to spend the day together.
He knocked on the door.
Cenchax opened it. He was wearing jeans and a bright purple shirt that said, 'I don't think I'm gay…Let me just text my boyfriend…' He wore normal sneakers, and his armbands, as always, clung onto his wrists.
"Hey, there, Lexy!"
"Listen…about earlier…"
"Why are you so embarrassed? Everyone has something they get embarrassed over! And, dude, you're a good singer! But, don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Lexaeus smiled. "On one condition," Cenchax added.
"And that would be…?"
"That you…DON'T STOP! BELIEIVING!" Cenchax shouted.
Lexaeus laughed. Cenchax somehow managed to sling his arm around the much-taller Nobody and, shaking his fist in the air, exclaim, "Hang on to that feeeeeeelin'…!"
Lexaeus laughed even harder, shoving Cenchax off of him. "So…any plans for today?" he asked, after his laughing fit was over.
"Oh, nothing special. Just some of this…" Cenchax muttered, making a failed attempt at looking bored, and handing Lexaeus a freshly-printed-out packet. Lexaeus looked at it. His eye widened.
"The 'Riot' Concert? 'Music that Could Make You Cry' seats? 'Radiant Garden's Best Classics'? 'Gods of Gospel'? AND the 'Tuesday-Night Tango' at the Ice Breeze Castle in Goldenwater?"
"Uh-huh!"
"But didn't this cost a fortune?"
Cenchax rolled his eyes. "I admitted it at Christmas; I AM A THIEF! Plus, I can pull a few strings now and then…You wouldn't BELIEVE how being nice to people can get you anything you want…"
"But…It hasn't even been an hour…"
"All of this is arranged by the same company! But, we're not going to get to the concerts just by standing here COME ON! Go get out of your Organization coat! Oh, and we'll be changing every time we leave some place."
"Why?"
"To fit in!"
~##~
The entire day, Lexaeus could do whatever the hell he wanted to, because Cenchax had suggested that he wear a wig so no one would recognize him.
The entire day, Lexaeus could sing his heart out, and no one would've been able to tell it was him, because, not only was he wearing a wig; they were also in areas where no one WOULD recognize them even if they DID think that his hair was a wig.
They had lunch at the concert, hardly able to eat through their screaming. At 'Music that Could Make You Cry', they had coffee and listened to blues, jazz, soul, and some poetry. At one time, while a song came on, Cenchax stiffened. He stood up, muttering to Lexaeus, "I'll be back in a moment…"
Lexaeus looked over at him, confused. "Why?"
"This song…Gives me…bad…memori…I gotta go…" Cenchax muttered, walking quickly.
The Silent Hero had begun to wonder why the Fearless Psychic was twitching all day, when certain songs came on. Seems like he gets emotional when he hears music, too…Just in a different way…
He listened to the song. "The Tracks of My Tears…" he murmured.
He had always wondered why the black-haired Nobody was so difficult to understand. Something had happened to him…He just wished that he'd tell him…But perhaps it was too painful to talk about again. Maybe when he told Roxas and Zexion, he decided that he didn't have the strength to tell it again…
Cenchax came after the next song started playing. His one visible eye looked slightly blood-shot, and Lexaeus could've sworn that his wristbands were bulging just slightly with new bandages, but, apart from that, Cenchax appeared perfectly fine. He sat down, completely calm, and listened to the songs being sang on stage. Lexaeus decided it was best to just ignore the fact that the younger Nobody had left and just watched the stage, mesmerized.
'Radiant Garden's Best Classics' bored the author to death, but it was interesting; that is, Lexaeus and Cenchax enjoyed it. However, the description will be skipped, unless the readers wish for a slow and boring death.
'Gods of Gospel' was incredible. Lexaeus and Cenchax found themselves leaping to their feet after almost every single performance, applauding the angelic and yet hellish voices that came out of the same mouths. Gospel was just a type of music that Lexaeus liked best.
Then came 'Tuesday Night Tango'.
Cenchax talked and talked for 15 minutes straight just to convince Lexaeus to wear a tuxedo. He also made the Silent Hero combed his 'hair' slightly (meaning his wig), put on a little cologne, and put a rose on his suit. Cenchax himself had conflicting feelings, then decided that he'd wear a white tuxedo with a black rose. He left his hair alone, but, when Lexaeus asked why, Cenchax tried to brush it.
The brush snapped in half.
Lexaeus then learned that Cenchax's hair was hell to tame, and that the only reason it was messy half the time was that Cenchax couldn't be bothered to put energy into BRUSHING HIS HAIR, which, if you think about it, is perfectly logical for a boy.
They arrived a few minutes later, Lexaeus still wearing a wig, while Cenchax didn't try to hide who he was. No one knew that the Organization had a new member, even though it's been a few months. It's just one of those seemingly-unimportant factors that are forgotten like yesterday's news.
Immediately, Cenchax met two girls; one for each of them. Cenchax really didn't want to dance with a girl; it wasn't that he was sexist or anything. No, he'd just prefer to dance with another boy. But, the Ice Breeze Castle's royal family was strictly Christian, and any gay man found within 100 feet of the ball was thrown out, and he honestly wanted to stay. Dammit…I knew I should've cross-dressed…
But then Lexaeus would've found out…
Lexaeus, meanwhile, was having a wonderful time. The girl that Cenchax had found for him was named Phebee, and though he knew the chances of them ever meeting again was next to impossible, he enjoyed the time they had together. She had sparkling blue eyes, and dark red hair, the color of a ruby red apple, freshly picked off the tree. She wore a long, simple blue dress, but it fit her perfectly. She had skin the color of not-quite-ripe peaches; not too pink, but not too white, either (Author's Note: I don't care what color peaches are before they ripen. I don't care. So, don't even bother to tell me.) She was about a half foot shorter than Lexaeus.
Phebee was a tomboy at heart. Her mother had made her come here to meet new people, and to find a boyfriend who wasn't just a boy who was a friend. Unfortunately, none of the guys here were her type. Well, apart from Lexaeus, but the Silent Hero could tell just by the tone of her voice that she only wanted a genuine friendship, and nothing more. After all, what was the point of getting into a relationship at all? They lived in totally different areas, and would probably never see each other again, and even if they did, it would only be for a minute or two, if they were lucky. And, finally, Lexaeus didn't have a heart, so he could never return Phebee's feelings. It was a lose-lose citation.
Phebee did most of the talking, while Lexaeus listened. Every once in a while, he'd glance over at Cenchax to see how he was doing.
He LOOKED like he was having fun.
He actually WAS having fun, all things considered.
But Lexaeus could tell that this wasn't his thing; dancing with girls, that was. He could DANCE; no, that wasn't the problem. The problem was he didn't want to lead ALL THE TIME. He preferred to dance with a guy, and switch parts; it was just something weird he liked to do. It wasn't like he had done it often; he had had no past love life, other than having his heart broken. He might've gone out with a bunch of gay friends, but it wasn't a date. Just a chance for them to be themselves.
So, all in all, Cenchax was having fun, but was wishing he could have more fun.
A slow dance came on. It was 'Far Away' by Nickelback. (Author's Note: Just when I was typing this part, I needed a slow song. I was listening to 'Far Away' on my IPod. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!) Both Lexaeus and Phebee and Cenchax and the girl he was with, whose name was June, swayed side to side, in sync with the music.
"OW! Darren, stop stepping on my feet!"
"Sorry! You know I'm klutzy at dancing!"
"But you're supposed to be helping ME!"
"I know! And, I'm telling you this AGAIN, you were better off picking Thatch! He's better at dancing!"
Cenchax's eyes widened. He recognized those voices. He knew them anywhere. He already could see the mental images of the two coming up.
He shouldn't look over. He couldn't. What if it was them? What if HE was with them? And, even if he wasn't there, they'd remind him…
June suddenly made them shift around, so that Cenchax and she went in a half circle.
And there they were.
His hair was still silky black and hanging over his right eye. He wore a dark blue tuxedo. He was still extremely tall, extremely skinny, and skitterish, looking down at his partner nervously.
She still was shorter than him. She still had dirty blonde hair, and bright green eyes. She wore a dark red dress. He looked up at the boy, smirking with a mixture of annoyance and amusement.
It was THEM.
A few months older than from the last time he had seen them, but it was THEM.
Rose…Darren…
"I told you over and over again that I can't dance!"
"Yes, you can! You just aren't trying!"
"I'm trying as hard as I can!"
"Look, how can I learn how to dance if my teacher isn't trying their hardest?"
Cenchax couldn't listen to them anymore. He could hear HIS voice interrupting them with something like, "This is shit. Can we leave now?" Tears welled up in his eyes. He looked away, trying to keep them from June, and trying to block the two former friends from his mind.
But, June noticed his head moving. She looked at him, and asked, "Are you okay…?"
"Y-yeah…I…I just need to…take a break…" He pulled away from her, not looking her in the eye.
"Oh…I'll go with you…"
"No…I need to be alone…!" Cenchax muttered, running off.
"Cenchax!" June shouted, holding her arm out. Then, she just followed him with her eyes, which were livid with distress.
While Cenchax was running, he didn't notice the fact that he bumped into Phebee. "Hey, watch i-!" she started, but then stopped, recognizing him as Lexaeus's friend.
Lexaeus looked over, preparing to ask for an apology. Then, his eyes widened as they saw Cenchax running off.
"That's Cenchax, right?" Phebee asked.
"Yeah…I gotta go see what's wrong…" Lexaeus muttered.
"I understand. See ya round!" Phebee added as Lexaeus walked off. Lexaeus looked back and nodded at her, smiling. Then, he bolted after the black-haired Nobody.
It wasn't hard to find Cenchax. Lexaeus lost sight of him twice, but both times, it was only when Cenchax was rounding a corner. Once Lexaeus had rounded the same corner, he spotted Cenchax again easily.
He didn't know where they were going, and he didn't think Cenchax cared. He just wanted to get away from…whatever was bugging him…
Lexaeus had to hand it to Cenchax; he was fast. Lexaeus had trouble keeping up, and Cenchax hardly looked like he was even trying to run. Finally, Cenchax rounded another corner, and the running feet stopped. Lexaeus skidded to a halt just before the corner, trying to catch his breath before facing the lower-ranked Nobody. He leaned on the wall for a few moments, gasping for breath. Finally, he took a deep breath, and straightened up. Then, he rounded the corner.
For the first time, Lexaeus took in what was around him. They were along the castle walls, which was a light gray, with a tint of a color that was almost transparent like ice. The party was a ways away, but Lexaeus could still hear the pounding of the music, and could make out what song was playing. It was dark outside; it was probably almost 11, if not later. The stars were the only light in the sky; the moon had yet to appear, if it were to appear at all. Lexaeus could hardly see; if it weren't for the dim castle lights, he wouldn't have been able to see five feet in front of his face.
But, thanks to the dim yet helpful lights, he could see. He could see the emerald grass stretching out beneath him. There were flowers surrounding the castle; baby blue flowers, possibly bluebells, but Lexaeus wasn't good with flowers, and could not tell them apart. And then, there was a dark gray stone bench, about a foot away from the wall; a break in the flowers so that one could sit there and rest, or possibly just talk with someone.
And that's where Cenchax was.
Lexaeus could tell that Cenchax knew he was there. It was just in the way that he muffled his sobs, and how he hid his face in his hands, away from Lexaeus. Cenchax didn't want Lexaeus to see him like this. It wasn't that it was embarrassing. No, he was perfectly comfortable crying now, since he was used to it. But, he didn't want to have to explain…didn't want to tell anyone else about the two he had just seen, and the third person he had imagined…
Lexaeus walked over and sat next to Cenchax. Cenchax didn't look up. Why should he? When you're crying, you usually want to be left alone. If you want to be comforted, you run to a friend. But Cenchax had run FROM a friend. That was usually a hint that one wanted to be left alone. But Lexaeus knew Cenchax. He knew that Cenchax loved nothing more than to have a friend to console in, even if he couldn't tell them why he was so desolate. Cenchax loved people. He had nothing against them. He had no reason to be against them. He liked being alone at times, sure, but he liked being with people just as much as he liked being alone.
"Cenchax…what's wrong?" Lexaeus asked.
For a moment, Cenchax didn't respond. He lifted his head out of his hands, and made an effort to stop crying, but he didn't respond. Lexaeus waited patiently. Finally, after one last tear dripped down his face, Cenchax muttered hoarsely, "I…saw someone…that I used to know at the…party…"
"Oh…" Lexaeus never saw anyone he used to have in his past; most likely because he had spent a good deal of his life with Ansem before he turned into a Nobody, and the time before that, the only one he had known was Zexion. Most of the others didn't have any parents or friends; they were swallowed by darkness. And even if their friends were okay, they wouldn't be able to recognize them. And the only people who might have parents were Saix, Demyx, and Roxas, but even that was dodgy, because Saix's parents didn't know he was alive, Demyx's parents didn't know he was alive, Roxas's parents were Sora's parents, and would have no memory of having a second child, and they all looked totally different from who they were before.
No one minded having no parents; some of them had sulked or, in Demyx's case, cried when they found that they could never visit their family again, but, apart from that, they had family in the Organization; brothers, sisters, annoying uncles, a catty aunt…
It then occurred to Lexaeus that he didn't know about Cenchax's parents…
But whenever that subject was brought up, Cenchax would stiffen and leave the room…
Lexaeus wished he knew more about the Nobody, but what could he do? He couldn't cause more pain to him. It was obvious that whatever had happened still burned him today with torment. How could he make it worse by asking to relive the story not a second time, but a THIRD time?
He just sat next to Cenchax, letting him cool down. At one point, Cenchax summoned his weapon for some reason, but, thought twice, and it disappeared again. Lexaeus couldn't understand why, but he decided just to let it slide. Whatever Cenchax had been thinking was probably private and best left alone.
Eventually, Cenchax sighed, and tried to lean back against the wall. The problem was, he underestimated the distance between him and the wall. In the end, he ended up just hitting his head against the wall as he fell, which caused his funny bone to hit the stone of the bench, which caused him to pull his arms into his chest, which made him finally slip through the gap and land on the ground with a dull 'Thud'. It happened so fast that Lexaeus had no time to react. But, once Cenchax had hit the ground, he leapt to his feet and pulled the stone bench away from the wall. He then ran to crouch next to Cenchax, who was clutching his head.
"Cenchax, are you alright?"
Cenchax managed a nod, moaning in pain. He removed his hand from his head. There wasn't any blood on it; a good sign. Lexaeus picked up Cenchax's arm delicately, observing the elbow. It was bruised, and a little scraped, but there wasn't much blood coming out of it. Still, it looked like it hurt.
"Come on, Cenchax. Let's get you home…" Lexaeus muttered.
Cenchax managed a nod again. Lexaeus helped him up, and then, slinging him on his back, gave the half-asleep Nobody a piggy-back ride. He walked through a portal which had appeared in front of him, and into The Castle That Never Was.
Lexaeus carried him all the way back to his room. Cenchax fell asleep on his back; the pain in his head must've made him tired. When they arrived at Cenchax's bedroom, Lexaeus proceeded to do his best to bandage Cenchax's arm. Cenchax woke up in the middle of it, still half asleep. Lexaeus then proceeded to search for where Cenchax had hit his head. He parted Cenchax's hair to take a good look at the wound. It was only bruised, no scar, no bleeding, no nothing. Lexaeus then proceeded to lay Cenchax in bed. He put him down gently, making sure he was comfortable before he left. Just as he was standing up, however, Cenchax wrapped his arms around the older Nobody and muttered, "Thanks, Lexy…You're the best…"
Lexaeus's eyes widened in surprise. Then, he smiled, and ruffled the Fearless Psychic's hair, careful to avoid the bruised area.
~##~
Music notes still don't show up...-grumbles-
Well, yeah. The only reason I call it overboard is cuz they managed to go to so many concerts in one day and Lexaeus wears a wig so he isn't recognized.
But, seriously…NO ONE knows about the 14th member? NO. ONE? XD
Yeah, not too fond of this one, but I think the ending is adorable, and shows how the other members try their hardest to help, even though there's little they can do.
Lexy is the best! –bops nose-
And Cenchax is STILL in pain, thanks to the people in his past. –licks Sonic the Hedgehog popsicle-
So, the next few chapters SHOULD slowly get better, and, hopefully, you'll be able to see the GINORMOUS difference between the first chapters and the last ones! ^^
~Cat's Eye
