Uh, I have a headache, and I'm ti-red, and I don't wanna…*continues 5-year-old-complaint rant*
…BUT I will, because I have a stack of books (MOSTLY MANGA) waiting for me, if I just read at least one chapter of a story and finish a novel! :D
…X_x Ibuprofen. NOW. *drinks soda instead*
ANYWAYS, this was supposed to be up YESTERDAY, but thanks to a streak of brilliance and lack of time, it's up TODAY. Hurrah, you get to listen to me complain about how tired I am…
BUT this chapter ISN'T actually a piece of crap! It's just…Um…O_o Dunno quite what to call it, but it's not like the other chapters I've posted! ^^
…So…Tired…Enjoy…Chapter…
Oh, and BTW, I typed the chapter a while ago, so the author's note at the beginning is out-dated…
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! AND I OWN ANTTONIEO.
~##~
CHAPTER XXXV: Assassin
(Author's Note: Okay, I don't know if I mentioned this or not, but I need to make something a bit clear. I REALLY just wanna finish 'I'll Never Be Enough' and not edit it, or as little editing as possible, so half of it is going to be old and out-of-date. Cenchax will seem like he changes a lot, but that's because I've edited his character a lot since I first started typing his story. So, if he changes a lot, or if my writing style is drastically different, that's why. It's a good thing, but it makes everything a bit difficult.)
Marluxia woke up at 6 that morning. He looked around his room, still bleary-eyed. Nothing in particular had woke him up. He had simply woken up on his own accord. He rubbed his eyes, yawning loudly. He sat up under his covered, tossing his well-cared-for flamingo hair out of his face and behind his broad shoulders. He then looked around for some indication of what he had to do today.
"Let's see…It's the 22nd of January, so…" He thought about what had happened in the past few days. Let's see…He had tended to his garden, went on several missions, had forgotten about an hour of one day mysteriously after Cenchax had invited him to a fashion show, cleaned up all his flowers after Axel and Cenchax's pranks, collected some precious stones for the Organization's profit…
Forgotten an hour and pranks…
Cenchax was spending a day with each member…And since yesterday he spent the day with Luxord…
"Today, he spends a day with moi!" Marluxia exclaimed, excited. He wondered what HIS day would have in store…After hearing everyone else rant on and on about everyone's supposedly amazing days with the newer Nobody, he could only imagine…
He didn't know whether to wake Cenchax or not. It was a widely-known fact that his sleeping patterns were irregular, but that made it all the more important that, when he could finally sleep soundly for a night, that he took advantage of it.
So, Marluxia waited a bit. He pulled on some casual clothing—He wore a black shirt with a pink guitar on it. Over that, he wore a yellow sweatshirt with an orange flower on it. He wore a dark brown pair of pants, black Nikes, and a dark green belt—and decided to get some breakfast. He passed on some casual greetings to some of the other members, ate, and went back to his room. He sat down and twiddled this thumbs for a time, side-tracking in thoughts. Then, he stood up, and walked around the Castle to see if anything had changed. As usual, nothing had. He went back to his room. He sat on his bed. He stood up moments later to visit his garden; make sure they would be all set for today. After feeding Anttonieo, watering his flowers, and fertilizing a few droopy ones, he looked down at his watch.
"7:15…" he murmured. He looked up at his man-eating flower. "Do you think it's too early to wake Cenchax?"
Anttonieo let out a confused sound and shrugged. Marluxia gazed at him for a moment longer. With a sigh, he murmured, "Well, I'm bored…It can't hurt to see if he's awake, can it…?
Anttonieo nodded, letting out an encouraging growl. Marluxia smiled. He lifted his hand and held the plant's giant muzzle in his hand. Nuzzling it with his nose, Marluxia whispered, "You be a good boy, today, my vicious, precious flower, okay?"
Anttonieo let out a bark of happiness and nibbled on Marluxia's fingers in fondness. Marluxia chuckled. Then, he walked back into the Castle, down the hallways, and went on a search for Cenchax's room. He found it several minutes later. He put his ear to the door, listening for any sounds of snoring. Or did Cenchax not snore?
Since no sound came from the room, Marluxia cracked the door open. In it, Cenchax was lying on his bed, sleeping soundly. His mouth was open, and his breathing quiet. He had fallen asleep in his Organization coat; late that night, he had decided to go out on his own for a bit; walk around a world or two, then come back with a few hearts. Marluxia smiled. He didn't seem to be having a bad dream; the most he did was roll over once, onto his side.
He's still sleeping…Might as well let him sleep…
He closed the door quietly, and decided to go find Zexion and see if he couldn't get his hands on a copy of a gardening book from the library.
However, an hour later, he had just selected a book and was opening it to the 46th of 278 pages, when a familiar face poked its head into the library.
"Marly?" he called quietly, remembering to be quiet in a library. Though Zexion wasn't there, he seemed to always know who was being too loud in the library, and was quite a strict librarian. He wasn't there at the moment, but still…
Marluxia smiled and waved his hand. "Present," he replied.
Cenchax looked at him, eyes brightening. "Oh, THERE you are! I've been looking for you for about a half-hour!" He trotted over briskly. No longer was he in his Organization coat; he now wore a long, light-green coat, brought together in the front by a series of straps, the buckle on one side and the clasp on the other. It reached down to a bit below his knees. It had sleeves that reached about the middle of his triceps, cuffing there, held back by black buttons. It was collared, and he had turned the collar up. Underneath it, he wore a dark green, short-sleeved shirt, and light green pants. He wore some black boots underneath it. He still wore his armbands, but they didn't hurt the outfit too much. Besides, it was probably best to wear them than not to. He hid the tattoo around his neck with a black ribbon. He also wore a pair of sunglasses.
For once, his outfit looked well-planned and fashionable. What's with the sudden burst of fashion awareness…?
Cenchax gave a disapproving sweep of Marluxia, observing the older Nobody's quickly-thought-of outfit, clucking his tongue in disapproval. "Marluxia, I really expected more of you, dude! I mean, we can't go to the city in THOSE clothes! 'Specially where we're going!"
"Where are we going exactly…?"
"We're going to Dosipalar, dude, to watch a FASHION SHOW."
Marluxia almost screamed in shock and excitement. Dosipalar? That was the number 1 fashion capital THROUGHOUT the universes! Out of the top 10 fashion designers, 4 of them were from the town, which was small, but with a huge reputation. The beautiful fabrics, the stunning designs, the shows…
Then, he reminded himself of the incident the other day.
"Wait…You mean, a REAL fashion show, or are you and Vexen experimenting on me again…?" he asked hesitantly, afraid of what the answer would be.
Cenchax snorted in amusement. "Thanks for giving me credit, Marly. But that was a one-time thing! Look, if we were SERIOUSLY gonna go, wouldn't I have a few of these?" he added, waving around two tickets. Marluxia snatched one of them. It said, 'Dosipalar Bi-Annual Trend; The Show Where Stars Are Born'
"What…The…Hell, no way, THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!" Marluxia insisted, his voice turning high-pitched with disbelieving glee. He pointed his finger at the tickets, prodding them several times, eyes on Cenchax. "There are IMPOSSIBLE to get! It costs HUNDREDS of dollars…! Don't tell me you didn't buy these!"
Cenchax paused. Then, he sighed. "Alright…I didn't buy them…"
"Then HOW?"
"Well, I looked up the show, and there was this idiot online who had got them from his aunt, but he didn't wanna go. The dude was selling them for 50 bucks apiece. He put them up for only two days on EBay, and everyone was so busy listening to radio auctions for them and buying them online, that no one else bid."
"YOUR. KIDDING."
"I know! The dude was an idiot! He could've sold them for a million bucks if he found the right person!"
"No. I mean, these are REAL? We're REALLY going…?"
Cenchax snickered. "Before I give you the OFFICIAL answer, I think we should leave the library…" He strode out, Marluxia hard on his heels. He then turned around. He paused, trying not to laugh. Then, with a straight face, he muttered, "I was lying. We're not going today…"
Marluxia wilted, shoulders slouching. He knew it. Way too good to be true…
"We're going today in a LIMO!" Cenchax exclaimed, before Marluxia could start crying.
Marluxia was glad that Cenchax had dragged him out of the library. Because the Graceful Assassin simply screamed in sheer joy, which, had they been in the library, would've resulted in them both being killed.
Thus unable to see the show.
~##~
They arrived. But, not before Marluxia could put on his proper clothing. He wore a long, maroon coat, similar to the one Cenchax was wearing, but it had buttons, not straps. He wore it open all the way. It reached about his knees. Underneath it, he wore a pearl-white collared shirt, with blue stripes and an elegant sakura blossom design on it, in pinkish-red. He wore dark grey skinny jeans; though they looked more black than gray. He also wore black boots over them, that were sleek and shiny, with slight platforms. He wore a black Hanna Hat, and sunglasses as well. Then, he touched the outfit off with a dark rose scarf. (Author's Note: I'm not very fashion aware, so if the outfits have no sense of fashion at all, I apologize…I'm trying…!)
They did ride in a limo. Cenchax had to get them to the store via portal, but nonetheless, they were sitting in the back of a white classic limo, Marluxia drinking a small glass of rose wine, while Cenchax drank some light-colored Kool-Aid that looked similar to the rose wine. However, to avoid getting glasses mixed up, Marluxia's drink was in a wine glass with sharper edges, while Cenchax's was smooth. Even if they weren't looking when they picked them up, they'd tell whose was whose.
"Nous ariving à notre destination," the driver said, rolling down the window. (Author's Note: I used an online translator for these, so if you speak French, and the words seem REALLY off, I'm sorry! This is probably going to be the hardest chapter for me…!)
"Ah…Merci de nous informer. Svp, la ligne juste dehors affrontent," Marluxia replied fluently.
"What did you tell him?" Cenchax asked.
"I told him to drop us off out front with the rest of the important people…" Marluxia replied, sounding smug.
"But, wouldn't it be a better idea if we went with the normal parking…? I mean, I know we're in a limo, dude, but that doesn't exactly give us the right to—"
"Cenchax. If we're gonna do this, we're gonna go ALL OUT."
Before reaching their destination, Cenchax was sure to pay the man. Then, they arrived at, not the red carpet, but the violet carpet.
"Well, we're just seen some of the greatest people go down the carpet, but who could be coming in THIS limo…?" the announcer exclaimed.
Cenchax was a bit nervous about this, but, Marluxia had a daring smile on his face. Cenchax sucked in a breath. "You sure the alcohol isn't affecting your decision?"
"Cenchax, I didn't even drink a glass. I'm clean. Trust me," Marluxia murmured. And indeed he was. He had never been thinking more clearly in his life.
The driver got out and opened the door.
"And, stepping onto the carpet is…? Huh? I don't think I've ever seen these people before…!"
Though cheers greeted the two, they was confusion in it, too. One reporter ran up to Marluxia and asked in an excited tone, "Hey, you, you're new around here! Who do YOU represent?"
Marluxia was about to use the, 'Oh, sorry, we used the wrong entrances, didn't we' excuse, but Cenchax had other plans. As Marluxia had said, they were going all out.
"We are a new business, called…Bigomeau Notation," he 'explained', winking at Marluxia. "We're not a very well-known business, but I'd like to believe me and my associate here are quite skilled at designing clothing. We decided to come to observe what our competitors are working with, and, hopefully, gain a few tips for our new styles."
"But, why on Earth did you come through the front?" a female reporter asked.
"We want to make our business well-known. We won't get any attention if we just go through the back like the rest of them!"
This was greeted by a small chorus of laughter. They were questioned no more; some fashion designer had just set his feet on the carpet. The media immediately turned their attention to him, forgetting about the two other 'fashion designers'.
"Cenchax…" Marluxia muttered.
"I know…"
"That was brilliant…"
"I know…"
"You do realize that you're, like, my new best friend?"
"I know, I know…"
They arrived at their seats; they weren't right next to the runway, but they were close enough to be able to see the finer details in the clothing as the women and men strutted by. But, no one was showing off any styles yet. The ones on the runway were newbies, out for a practice run. You could pick them apart; although some looked clearly better than others, they all shared the same air; the air of the inexperienced. Several models stumbled on the runway, or awkwardly tried to find the right pose. Others didn't go far enough, others almost walked right off. You could hear criticism coming from behind stage as their manager would advise them on how to walk properly up and down an aisle.
"When does it start?" Cenchax muttered, twitching impatiently.
The lights dimmed at that moment. The only vivid lights in the room were currently illumination the stage. A man with a microphone walked on. Everyone began to cheer.
"I think it starts now…" Marluxia muttered back. Cenchax replied with a snort of amusement.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to welcome you to Dosipalar's Bi-Annual Trend!" He paused for a moment to let the people settle down. "Alright, we're about to see some of the top fashion models of today, but before we do, we have a little announcement to make. This year, we've decided to take a rookie onto the stage! So, someone in the audience will be chosen to be taken back-stage, to design their own outfits to go out on the runway!"
More cheers erupted, and hopeful murmurs filled the crowd. Marluxia stared at the man in disbelief. Then, his head whipped over to Cenchax, almost causing his hat and sunglasses to fall in a flurry of pink. "I didn't know they were doing this!"
Cenchax raised his hands in defense. "Hey, don't look at me, dude! Neither did I!"
Marluxia looked back up at the stage, a look of longing on his face. "Oh, I wish they'd pick me! I have a whole bunch of designs just WAITING to be created!" He sighed, almost as though he were defeated. "But there are so many people here…The odds are against me.
Cenchax didn't reply at first. A thoughtful look crossed his face. Then, he smiled, eyes half-closed, a coltish look on his face. "Oh, you'll be picked."
"Cenchax, there's a thousand eligible people here. I don't think they'll pick me."
"No, they'll pick you…" Cenchax said no more. He just watched the models walk up and down the runway. Marluxia had so many questions on his mind, but realized that Cenchax would refuse to answer them. He simply contented himself with the thought that, whatever Cenchax was doing, since he could actually USE his brain (Unlike some of the more incompetent members of the Organization) that the plan would at least have SOME sense behind it. He then, like Cenchax, turned his attention to the models walking up and down the aisle, showing off one fashion or another.
Walk. Walk. Walk. Walk. Needless to say, there was an awful lot of walking. If it wasn't for the gorgeous outfits they were wearing, the entire show would've quickly become tedious. But, thanks to the addition of multi-colored cloth, there was actually point to the unnecessary exercise. Blues, purples, greens, reds, yellows, periwinkle, beige, white, gray, turquoise, heliotrope, all marching up and down the runway. Skirts, suits, shirts, pants, hats, scarves, sweaters, undershirts, all of them shouting out the personal design of the company they came from.
For quite a while, this dragged on. Not that neither the Fearless Psychic nor the Graceful Assassin weren't having fun. No, they enjoyed watching the models; Cenchax because he was slowly learning what was fashionable and what was not, and Marluxia because he was critiquing each, and making possible changes to his own designs.
Then, the final model walked off the stage. Everyone sat taller in their seat to see the next model coming through. Surprisingly, none did. Instead, the announcer from before came up on-stage. Just now, Marluxia noticed his appearance; he wasn't really paying attention before. The man had cropped black hair, a small stubble of a beard on his chin, and deep green eyes, not dark though; just deep. He wore a beige suit with a rich red undershirt, plus a small pair of wired glasses on his face.
"And, now, ladies and gentlemen, we're gonna look through the audience to find the lucky rookie!"
Marluxia stood up on his toes, wagging his hand high through the air like a giant tail. "OH, I hope he picks me!" he exclaimed, jumping up and down.
Cenchax just smirked in his chair. Glancing to his side, he muttered in an amused tone, "He'd better…"
The man up on stage squinted, using his hand as a visor to find the lucky participant. He took his time; two minutes passed, and the people were still cheering. Finally, he saw who he wanted.
"You there, in the black fur coat and with the bright red hair!" he exclaimed.
"OHMYGOSH I WON!" the woman exclaimed. She began shrieking in joy, her girlfriends cheering her on. Marluxia slumped in disappointment. "AW! But her fur coat clashes with her boots…! She CAN'T design for peasants…!" he complained.
Cenchax didn't respond. He stared intently at the man up front. You should've picked Marly…! I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice…!
His eyes and the man up front's eyes locked, and the other man couldn't pull away. After a few moments of intent staring, Cenchax's eyes glowed. The man's eyes glowed, too, but no one noticed. Cenchax sighed, leaning back in his chair. He wiped the sweat from his brow. Wow…Can't just do that when I want to…But it was worth it…
Slowly, with jerky movements, the man raised the mike to his lips. "Wait! I have made a mistake!" he exclaimed. Marluxia stared up at him, confused. The woman's screaming stopped. He looked…different somehow. His eyes were glazed slightly, and he was slightly slouched. His movements weren't normal; they looked too forced to be human…"I'm terribly sorry, ma'am, but I didn't mean to pick you…"
The lady stared, mouth agape. Then, she shrugged. "I knew I shouldn't have worn these boots…!" she exclaimed, as though the pair of boots on her feet had separated her from winning the contest.
"I simply forgot about a young man we met earlier today on the red carpet with an interesting entrance…" The man looked around more. Then, he pointed his finger. "YOU THERE. With the maroon coat and sunglasses!"
His finger was pointing right at the Graceful Assassin. His eyes widened.
"Oh my gosh…SERIOUSLY?" Marluxia shouted. Cenchax smiled at him.
"Told you you'd get picked!"
Marluxia narrowed his eyes at Cenchax, smirking. "You set this up somehow, didn't you…? You did something, didn't you…?"
"I haven't talked to anyone at the show other than those reporters, and I haven't left my seat…" His words were the truth.
Marluxia sent him an accusing look. He couldn't tell what Cenchax had done, but the 16-year-old Nobody didn't just look tired for no apparent reason. He had done something. But Marluxia also knew that the boy wouldn't tell him what he had done. So, he just looked up, to make sure that there weren't any more mistakes.
"Well, come on up!" the man beckoned; he looked a bit confused all of a sudden, and his eyes were no longer glazed. But, his smile covered up anything he was hiding. Marluxia jumped again, letting out a mewl of excitement. Cenchax stood up, smiling. Marluxia gave him a hug. "I WAS PICKED!" the rose-haired man exclaimed.
"I noticed, dude!" Cenchax exclaimed. He followed Marluxia down the aisle and up on the stage.
"Hey, wait…Can he come to?" one of the security guards asked the black-haired man.
He was about to open his mouth to say 'No' when he saw Cenchax sending him a threatening smile. He gulped. For some reason, he knew that something would happen if he didn't let the teen with crazy hair up with the winner…
"He goes…!" he squeaked. Cenchax smiled.
"Thought so…" he murmured to himself as he turned and followed Marluxia down the doors.
~##~
"STACY'S MOM, HAS GOT IT GOING ON! SHE'S ALL I WANT, AND I'VE WAITED SO LONG!" they chanted on the limo ride home. A clink of glasses, and a sip of either wine or Red Mountain Dew.
"Dude, your designs are FRICKEN AMAZING!" Cenchax complimented for about the 15 time that hour.
"Aw, don't make me blush…!" Marluxia purred, striking a catty pose.
"No, did you hear them? We're gonna be on the news! Bigomeau Notation is gonna be a real company! YOU COULD HAVE A FASHION COMPANY!"
"We COULD if we existed…!" Marluxia pointed out, a downcast look on his face.
Cenchax couldn't cheer Marluxia up from that. Despite all the attention his designs had got, despite all that they had done, the hard work, and getting Cenchax's hand out of a sewing machine at one point, they had denied any offers other companies made to buy their designs or start a partnership. They had known from the start that their company was a one-day thing, and would probably never rise again. Their positions in the Organization had to remain a secret, and being fashion designers would NOT be conspicuous. And, even if they started a line of clothing from home, what was the point if they couldn't claim them as their own? Sooner or later, a company would steal the designs and start mass producing, claiming that the company who made them had obviously not claimed the line-up, and therefore, it was free for all uses.
Cenchax put his arm around the pink-haired man. "Aw, don't be like that! Come on! It was fun while it lasted! And, who knows, if and when we get our hearts back, we could start the company up again, and make designs for real this time!"
Marluxia brightened a little. "True…Kingdom Hearts is coming on pretty fast…"
"Of course, I wouldn't mind not getting my heart back…" Cenchax added. He leaned back, arms behind his head. He closed his eyes, smiling contently. "Maybe when you all get hearts, I'll just stay a Nobody."
Marluxia stared at him. "What? Why? Think of how much you're missing out on! I mean, none of us can feel! We can't EXIST. We're not meant to EXIST! If we got our hearts back, we could return to our old lives, and meet all of our old friends, and everything!"
Cenchax stared at him, a light of sadness in his eyes. "I thought that your family and friends were killed when the Heartless took your world…"
Confused, Marluxia countered with, "Mine were…But your world wasn't destroyed. You just…died. Don't you want to go back to your old life…?"
Cenchax hesitated before answering. He frowned. Leaning forward, hands cupped together, he looked down at the floor. "Actually…Not really…It's true that none of us can truly feel…" Tears lined his eyes as he looked back up at Marluxia. "But, maybe I'd rather live my life without truly feeling…" His eyes closed again, and he looked back down at the floor of the limo. "Behind an unfeeling wall, you get less hurt…"
Marluxia stared at Cenchax. He had almost forgotten about Cenchax's hard past that had yet to be explained. He could never understand what could've happened to drive Cenchax to this. What could've happened to make Cenchax like this…?
"Sides, I always liked the thought of non-existence…" Cenchax chuckled darkly. "I'm sorry; I'm spilling my problems out on you…" He raised his glass again. "Now, weren't we celebrating, dude?" The old light was back in his eyes, but the lining of tears had yet to completely disappear.
Marluxia didn't raise his glass. "Cenchax, you can talk to me about these things…Why do you hide what happened?"
Cenchax hesitated. Then, he murmured, "The more people that know…The more people find out. Trust me; my problems won't be resolved by talking about them…You don't think I've tried? Sides…There's someone in particular who I can't let know…If word got out to that person…I don't know what I'd do…" Cenchax looked down at his shoes. "Can we change the subject?"
Marluxia was about to protest, but took a moment to think over it. If Cenchax's problems were so bad that he didn't feel like he could talk about them, maybe it was best to leave them in the dark for now. Maybe, someday, Cenchax would explain what had happened. Why he'd leave a room to avoid certain conversations. Why he'd suddenly try to run off a cliff when a memory took over his emotions. Why he slit his wrists.
But, in a limo right after a fashion show was certainly not the right time to talk about it.
"Okay…Um…Do you remember that girl with the really big red and green dress?" Marluxia asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah?"
"When she first went up there, I honestly thought she was dressed as a watermelon!"
Cenchax laughed, the life returning to his eyes. "Seriously? I mean, I knew it wasn't a flattering design, but REALLY?"
"I honestly felt like asking if she was supposed to be at the farmer's market!"
Laughter filled the limo for the rest of the ride. Marluxia completely forgot about Cenchax's troubled life.
Unfortunately, everyone else was slowly beginning to forget, as well…
~##~
I think I seriously almost fell asleep at my computer while posting this…
YAY IT'S OVER, I'm still tired….
…Yeah…*thinks* So this has a slight spoiler in it, for SOMETHING, but that won't be coming until, like, years…So, don't let it bother you too much. If you can't find it, you're just like the rest of the world…Someday, MAYBE you'll understand…Then again, maybe not, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM SAYING I'm too tired…I should sleep…But I hate it…X_X
Yeah, this is a fail chapter, on the fashion and French…Sorry to all fashion-conscious and French-speaking people out there…! I really tried, and that's a LOT for me to say…
HOWEVER, the last bit of the chapter shows how Cenchax feels being a Nobody; it actually makes him rather happy! He also reveals why he keep his secrets a secret, and, at the very end, I reveal something dark and deep…*DUN DUN. DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN.*
Yeah, I need to come out of the clouds now…What?
Ug, I'm sorry you have to put up with me, I'm just tired for no reason…Mowing the lawn in skinny jeans and a black t-shirt on a hot day just drains me…Cuz, I'm just stupid like that…
ANTTONIEO IS MINE.
Just to make it perfectly clear...
I won't make you put up with me anymore, goodbye…*dies*
~Cat's Eye