EDITED 6/25/2010
Author's Comments: Thank you for reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, its characters, or its story lines (as noted with an *). I own Imani and Aden.
His arms are crossed almost in a bored fashion but his visible eye and his smirk scream mischief.
"Something funny, Zexion?" I ask warily, wondering if he's planning to throw me into another Heartless battle. I don't think I've ever seen him so openly entertained before.
"'Scrunchie Marchie'?"
I groan, slapping my forehead. "Not you, too."
"You brought it on yourself," he shrugs.
"I was thirsty and I didn't know the tea was going to make me as loopy as the Mad Hatter and the March Hare."
"I'm intrigued to discover what it was about the tea that prevented Maxiin from overtaking your actions," Zexion brings a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "You didn't come here when you fainted, either."
A smile creeps onto my face as I remember asking for several batches of the tea before leaving. "I wouldn't mind drinking more if it'd help your curiosity."
"A kind offer, but I'll decline. It'd be wise if you saved the tea for when you truly need it, should such an instance occur."
I nod slowly, averting my gaze from him. "Did you find Demyx?"
His sigh gives enough of an answer. "It's become rather quiet without him around. He would mostly likely have caused a riot when you played his sitar and kept hiccupping."
"Do you think he's alright?"
"He's the most cowardly member of the organization, but he can take care of himself when he has to. He should be fine."
Guilt drips at the back of my head and a faint stickiness wells up in my stomach. I don't know what I'd do if my idea didn't work and he's actually suffering by himself, trying so hard to become a Somebody. It'd be all my fault if something happened bad happened to him.
"I'll have you know that I believe your strategy for giving us our hearts is utterly ridiculous."
I blink, focusing on Zexion again with an arched eyebrow. "Oh really? I suppose you have a better strategy in mind?"
"I do not," he admits with another sigh, "which is the only reason I've started trying to remember."
"Really?" A spark of interest goes off in my head. "Have you remembered anything?"
"I assume the reason I'm still here is because I've failed to remember anything noteworthy."
"Can you feel anything?"
He narrows his eye. "I'm not quite sure what you're asking."
"Uh...Do you find yourself caring about things that haven't bothered you before? Have you been acting differently?"
"Like Axel, you mean?"
I ball my hand into a fist against the flinch threatening to erupt throughout my body. "S-Sure. Like Axel."
"I have yet to notice any significant differences. I shall keep trying for your sake, Maxiin."
"Imani."
He blinks. "Excuse me?"
"You can't call me 'Maxiin' anymore," I tell him. "Calling me by my Somebody name might be that extra push you need. Demyx called me 'Imani' the last time I saw him."
"I don't see what calling you a different name will do. You are Maxiin."
"Words have power. The way one chooses to use them greatly determines his ability to cause change." His wrinkled face creases even more around piercing golden eyes. "One must always be careful with words—they influence others."
"I'm not too sure about that anymore," I murmur, my brow furrowing and the wheels turning in my head.
"You said yourself before that you are both Imani and Maxiin," Zexion points out.
"I said that, but now the voice in my head is 'Maxiin'...and I'm wondering if I made a mistake. I feel like I shouldn't have consented to calling it 'Maxiin' so easily."
"You think that by calling the voice by your name, you're empowering it and embodying it in a way."
"Yeah...I keep remembering Ansem saying that words influence change. Could my choice of words towards the voice determine how much power it holds over me?"
"A logical assumption."
Lexicon.
Both Zexion and I perk up to the voice. "Pardon?" Zexion tilts his head slightly as my heart skips several beats with each word the voice says.
Lexicon. Give it to me.
Instead of abiding to the command, he leans forward, peering closely at me. "Peculiar," he seems to mouth.
"What's peculiar?" I ask.
"You obviously are not the one speaking," he muses, "but your lips move whenever the voice talks."
My eyes widen. "My lips are—"
I'll say it one more time, the voice—my voice?—cuts me off. Give me the Lexicon.
"For what purpose?" Zexion demands quietly, staring at me without fear.
My purpose does not concern you.
"I cannot give you my Lexicon if you refuse to answer my inquiry properly."
Then I'll take over this foolish girl's body and force it from you. Painfully.
I shudder. It can control me in my dreams, too?
"I simply asked you a question, Maxiin," Zexion reasons. "I don't see why you'd choose to go so far as controlling your host's body in order to attain my Lexicon. I will ask once more: For what purpose?"
This fool and I need a face-to-face talk.
"About what?"
It is none of your concern. My face almost twitches into a glare. I answered your question. Now give the Lexicon to me.
"I did not guarantee that I would hand it over if you did answer my question."
A dark chuckle rumbles in my chest. You leave me no choice.
A jolt ripples down my spine and my heart halts.
Attac—
"I have a proposition."
My muscles freeze and I breathe a sigh of relief. A proposition?
"I will allow you to borrow my Lexicon," Zexion offers, "but only if I am the one holding it during your conversation."
So you can end the conversation whenever you want? Or perhaps you want to spy on us and report back your findings to Xemnas?
"If the issue you need to discuss with Imani is of the utmost importance, then I suggest to accept my offer." His eye narrows. "I would think that if you exhaust your host body too much, you will be unable to carry out your will."
My eyes widen. I'd never thought about that...and it seems the voice hadn't either from the way it doesn't respond immediately.
The discovery doesn't seem to faze it very much, though. Touché, Cloaked Schemer. You have yourself a deal.
With a flick of his wrist, he brings out his thick tome and flips it open to a random page. "If you attempt anything unnecessary, I will cut you off," he warns, stepping towards me.
The same goes for you. I cross my arms with my cheeks lifting in a forced smirk. Literally.
Once he stops a few feet away, my face relaxes and my heart begins beating again as several pages rip themselves from the spine of the book and fly up into the air, alighting upon its edges and folding to form a paper-thin faceless human figure. Text tattoos the entire body as it crinkles and flutters with each move it makes.
I shoot a wary glance at Zexion before asking, "What do we have to talk about?"
I will be doing the talking, the figure sneers, placing its hands on its hips. Consider this a warning: defy me any more and there will be consequences.
"That's all you had to tell her?" Zexion asks uninterestedly.
It whips its head over its shoulder to glare at him. No. My warning includes a demonstration.
The ground begins to shake and rumble beneath us as a sucking vortex noise drowns out the silence. A huge distortion in the darkness morphs and spazzes until two yellow globes arise, soaring higher and higher.
"A Heartless?" Zexion exclaims.
The voice laughs. A good friend of mine. He has a knack for finding things that seem to have disappeared mysteriously.
"Help!"
I peer upwards, vaguely making out a mass of light-colored hair flailing around. What is that?
"Imani! Help!" Light blue, panicked eyes.
I do a double-take. "D-Demyx?"
"Hel—" His face contorts in pain and he lets out a groan.
"Let him go!" I tear my eyes from Demyx to glare at the figure. "He doesn't have anything to do with this!"
He is your friend, is he not? it calmly answers. Of course he has something to do with this.
"I told you not to do anything unnecessary," Zexion growls, his fingers moving to slam the book shut.
"Wait!" I quickly cry to him. "If you make her leave, we'll have to fight the Heartless and Demyx will suffer more!"
The figure hums thoughtfully. So you do know how to think before acting.
Sweat breaks out on my skin and my heart pounds in my chest. "Please let him go! I won't go against you!"
Empty words, it snarls, Just like all the other promises you've made.
Demyx's shouts tear through the darkness.
"Let him go!"
Defy me any more and you will suffer. Do I make myself clear?
A loud crack erupts and Demyx's yelling abruptly stops. My heart sinks to my sticky stomach and I clap my hands to my mouth. Goosebumps cover my sweaty skin and I shiver uncontrollably.
From the corner of my eye the figure explodes and the pages unfold and smooth out before resting in Zexion's book once more. As soon as they came the Heartless and Demyx sink back into the darkness. "Imani..." Zexion murmurs.
I sink to my knees, staring at the space Demyx once hovered in. What do I do, Aden?
Author's Afterthought: Thank you for reading! Please review!