Ikurx
By MathiaSweetSlaughterArkoniel
Rating: PG - 13
Warnings: Language, violence, romance
Pairings: Riku x Sora, Axel x Roxas
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and characters belong to Square Enix and Disney
Summary: After the defeat of Organization XIII, Sora and Riku find happiness in the simplicity of a normal life. A year later King Mickey sends a summons that the fight with the Organization isn't truly done yet. Light. Dark. As long as either exists the battle is never over.
Chapter 49
Rest. Relaxation. And recreation. All of the above were found in at the Inn at Costa De Sol on a warm tropical planet. A well needed vacation that Zax was persistent they all took, at least for a few days; a week at most. Donald and Goofy had been hard to persuade, they needed to find Sora. But they didn't have much of a choice since the ship was Cloud's to begin with. And one look at the Nobody and they realized they needed the pit stop.
They all got rooms in the villa near the beach; something that Demyx wordlessly appreciated. The first order of business was cleaning Ikurx up. Cloud took care of that (he didn't want Ikurx to drown in the tub with how weak he was), and Demyx was forbidden to be anywhere near two rooms worth while this took place. It was Ikurx's first bath, though he tried not to let that be known considering he was trying to keep everything hidden for the moment. But the way he kept staring at the water that trickled from his hands, amazed when the grime fell away from his skin, Cloud could easily tell otherwise. But he kept all questions to himself for another day; he wasn't about to pry at the moment.
Zax and Demyx had the dirty job of washing Ikurx's clothes. So in other words it was Zax 'supervising' while Demyx did the grunt work of washing, making sure he didn't do anything 'funny' with the clothes. Being a water Heartless Demyx didn't find it all that bad.
Ikurx was finished with his bath before his clothes were done. He borrowed one of Cloud's sleeveless turtleneck shirts that was much too big for him, it hung down like a short dress on him; he clipped his keychain on the collar for safe keeping. He also wore a pair of cheap shorts from the gift shop in the villa. It was far better clothing to run around in for the moment rather than sitting around in a bath robe while he waited.
The Nobody sat on the edge of Cloud's bed, hugging his legs loosely to his chest while Cloud ruffled his hair dry with a towel. Ikurx made quiet fussy noises under the towel. When Cloud lifted the towel up Ikurx's short pale hair went poofy. Ikurx shook his head, but it did little to help. Though, something more was on his mind at the moment. He rested his chin on his knees as he stared at his toes which he soon wiggled.
"... Mister Cloud," Ikurx spoke up quietly, "can I ask you something?"
A hand ran through Ikurx's hair to fix the mess that the towel had created, but stopped in an instant at the quiet tone that the teenager had used to speak up with. Cloud threw the towel he still held away to the far side of the bed as he settled himself more comfortably beside Ikurx. "Sure, ask me anything you need to." His hand started to move again, hoping to flatten the pale hair on top of Ikurx's head that the boy had only made worse by shaking. "What's on your mind?"
Ikurx went cross eyed as a pale lock of hair fell on his face. He blew up at the hair, lifting a hand to brush it aside but looked back down to his toes again. "Well, just a question I've been meaning to ask your opinion on." He fiddled with his toes, so used to wearing his boots; he'd never had a chance to really see his own toes. "Is it alright to lie to someone to make them happy?"
Cloud stopped what he was doing a second time because of Ikurx's words. Instead of keeping his hand on top of the other's head he dropped it down to rest on the bed as he looked at the teen with concerned eyes. "Lie to make someone happy?" Cloud shook his head a bit, but it wasn't in any form of response. Mostly in confusion. "Ikurx, why would you even ask such a thing in the first place?"
Ikurx glanced at Cloud. "Curious... I guess." He gave a small shrug of shoulders before he looked back down to his toes.
Cloud kept his eyes on Ikurx for a few seconds before he let out a long sigh and turned his gaze away. He found himself actually thinking over the question carefully and while he wanted to set a good example for the Nobody, he knew that he and Zax had already lied to a good few people to keep them in the dark, especially one person in particular. "Lying is never the right thing to do." He finally spoke up after a long while and kept his voice quiet. "But there are times when you just want to keep people you care about safe and it's the only thing you can do. Possibly the only thing you're able to do to keep them happy as well."
Ikurx gave a small nod, turning his gaze back to Cloud. He could see the experience in the man's eyes when he spoke. He trusted Cloud's word near unconditionally; how could he when the man had sought through worlds upon worlds just to find him. "Lying hurts people... yet sometimes it can make them happy too. If it makes people happy, is it really so bad? Couldn't it then be the right thing to do?"
Cloud gave a slow blink as each question continued to only make him think back to his own lies. He realized he had to answer and it was his own opinion on the matter that he soon spoke up with while he turned his eyes back on Ikurx. "Sometimes the right thing to do isn't always the best." He reached his hand back up to ruffle it through the boy's hair which only made it a complete mess again. "You just have to think about the situation in your own way, Ikurx. You have to be able to think about it carefully and come to the conclusion beforehand on if the outcome will be worth the lie."
Ikurx blinked at the new hair falling into his face from the ruffle. Brushing the hair from his eyes he nodded again, it made sense. It made a lot of sense. It was different than Demyx's answer. Demyx had said it was wrong, yet he couldn't help it being a Heartless, here Cloud was saying it was a useful tool when the time was right.
Ikurx studied Cloud's expression before he spoke quietly again. "Have you ever lied to Mister Zax?"
Cloud shook his head as soon as the question was asked. "No, never to Zax. I don't think there's ever been a time that I've told a lie to him. Sure, I may have kept a secret or two, but that doesn't count as lying." Cloud turned his attention ahead once more as his hand dropped down to his lap. "I have lied to other people I cared about though, but the lies were told to protect them from the truth."
"Never to Mister Zax?" Ikurx was a little startled to hear that. Everybody lied to everybody it had seemed, except Cloud now broke that assumption. Perhaps that too made sense. Zax meant everything to Cloud. There was no real need to lie to someone when they were that close to you. And somewhere in-between those thoughts Ikurx had to wonder if Riku had ever lied to Sora and vice versa. Then that moment in that abandoned building flitted through his mind and Ikurx pushed the memory far back for the moment. "Why never to Mister Zax?" He paused to rub his bare legs in thought. "Would you? I mean, if it meant his happiness?"
The question caught Cloud a little off guard. It was something he had never thought to wonder about. Of course since it was suddenly brought up he found himself actually taking the time to carefully consider it. He knew he'd do anything in his power to keep Zax safe and Zax would do just the same for him, especially after finally having their friendship back and more. It made the answer so much easier to think over. "I think that yeah, I probably would. I'd do anything to keep Zax happy, but I would hope that it never had to come down to me having to lie to him. It feels like such a last resort kind of thing to do."
Ikurx hugged his legs a little more as he rested his cheek on his knees giving Cloud a small smile. "You care for Mister Zax that much, enough to lie to him to keep him happy." But just as quickly his smile fell. "But what if he found out? What if that hurt him very badly? Is it worth lying?"
Cloud shook his head and he tried his best to keep his expression neutral, but the topic made it hard. "Lying will always hurt at least one person, Ikurx. Whether it's the person you lied to or yourself it can't really be helped, but it's the reasons why the lie is being told which makes all the difference. If it's for an honest and good reason then hurt is the last thing either person should worry about. As long as the motive is a good one then there's nothing to be ashamed of."
Ikurx's eyes widened some and he gave a small nod. "As long as the motive is good," he echoed the words. "Sounds kind of manipulative." He looked down at his toes again. "So... keeping a secret isn't like lying? But isn't that just a sneaky way of avoiding the truth and hurting someone just the same?"
"Of course not." Cloud finally got up from the bed to pick the towel up which he had discarded. "Sometimes secrets are kept between friends if one person doesn't want anyone else to know a certain situation that happened." He made his way into the bathroom that the small room had so he could hang the towel back up, but his voice still carried into the room. "Sometimes one person keeps their own secret from everyone if it's something they're ashamed of or if it's just something they'd rather not speak about. Something hurtful to them." Cloud came back out, flipping the light off in the bathroom, and leaned against the door way. "Understand?"
Ikurx nodded. He was keeping a secret right now from both Cloud and Zax; who he really was. It wasn't hurting anyone, and it was keeping them safe from getting mixed up in everything. Zax had been animate about letting him keep his information to himself. He knew that Ikurx would tell when the time was right. "What sort of secrets have you kept from Mister Zax?"
Cloud blinked his eyes, but soon found himself smiling a little. It was a forward question and he couldn't help being amused that it had come from Ikurx. "Well, mainly how I felt about him." As soon as the words left Cloud he was looking away nervously. It was strange to admit something to a teenager, but Ikurx had an effect on people that just made them want to talk. "But, that's not much of a secret between us anymore." He shook his head and started to make his way back to the bed, sitting down next to Ikurx. "I tend to keep my inner demons a secret from him as well, but he has a knack for seeing right through me. I haven't told him much about what I went through while he was away. I don't know if I intend to."
"No? How come?" Ikurx wasn't a stranger to Cloud's previous misery before Zax had come back. He could easily see the improvements made on Cloud by having Zax back. He was so much happier to say the least. Ikurx could only imagine what Cloud's life was like alone and guilty. "What happened? Was it really bad? I guess it must be if you don't want to admit it to Mister Zax."
Cloud only shook his head. "I'd rather not talk about it." He kept his gaze down to his hands which rested in his lap. "Just some things that I'm glad are behind me. Sorry, Ikurx." He turned his attention back on the boy and narrowed his eyes to study the other with a small amount of concern in his eyes. "Well, was that all? Are all your questions answered?"
"Yes, that's all." Ikurx lowered his feet down to the floor, his hands on his lap. He gave a small smile. "Thanks, Mister Cloud. It's helped very much." He tugged at the hem of his shorts, not used to wearing anything but pants. "All of your help, it- it means a lot. Everything you've done."
"Well, you've helped me and Zax more then I think you'll ever really know." A small smile came over Cloud's face after those words while he moved to stand up again. "We'd do anything to help you out, Ikurx. So, don't be afraid to come to us about anything that might be troubling you." He gestured towards the door of the room with a nod of his head. "Now, want to go see if your clothes are clean yet?"
Ikurx gave a wider smile and a nod. He pushed off the bed, staggering a bit on his feet. "And thank you for letting Demyx stay with us. I- I know it hurts because of... what happened with Mister Zax... but, it means a lot that you'd give him a chance." He took a few practice steps and found he was alright to walk on his own. He paused in his steps to glance at Cloud. "I hope Mister Zax isn't picking on him while he's alone." That had Ikurx's steps quickening.
"Don't worry. I'm sure they're both fine." Cloud watched as Ikurx started to hurry and it caused him to move quickly after the teen to make sure he didn't trip. The door was opened in an instant to let them both out and towards the room that Zax and Demyx were occupying at the moment to do the laundry. Thankfully the room wasn't too far away and it wasn't long before they were knocking once before they let themselves in without waiting for a response.
Just as Cloud had stated the room didn't really look to be in shambles, which meant that Zax and Demyx must have gotten along well enough. For the moment the Heartless was in the far back of the room and sitting in a chair near the clothes which were hung up on a small line. Little by little the water that was still soaked into the clothes was being dried out as he moved his fingers near each of the fabrics to call every bit of water out of them. The excess wetness stayed near him in small strands that turned into tiny obsidian bubbles and he didn't even seem to notice that there was sudden company in the room, too occupied with his task.
Hands slipped over top of Demyx's glowing eyes from behind. Ikurx tried to with hold his laughter as he tried to speak in a deeper voice than normal. "Guess who, Mister Demyx."
The sudden break in his concentration had the water already surrounding Demyx falling straight down to land on his own person and inside the chair he sat in. He didn't seem to notice it much though, and only focused on the block in his view as well as the voice. He couldn't help letting out a small nervous laugh after his bit of shock and decided to humour the one covering his eyes. "Hmm... I don't know. Gimmie a hint?"
Ikurx chewed his lip to stifle a giggle. "Hmm." He cleared his throat to talk in a deep voice again to mask his voice. "Well, you told me before to just call you 'Demyx' without the 'Mister'." He leaned over on tippy toes to peer down at Demyx's face, the long strands of his soft clean hair brushing against the Heartless' cheek. "And I think I'm the only person who calls you 'Mister Demyx'." Ikurx chuckled. "Dead give away."
"Okay, okay." Demyx lifted both his hands up to place them over Ikurx's own, drawing the other's down off of his eyes. As soon as his vision was free again he blinked glowing eyes before a small smile tugged at his lips. "Ikurx, hey, you're all clean." He couldn't help speaking the obvious words and was quick to lift a hand to run a few fingers along the strands of hair that hung down the sides of the teen's face.
"And so are my clothes." Ikurx gave a playful laugh as he loosely hugged his arms around the Heartless' neck. "Squeaky clean, like me." He gave Demyx an appreciative squeeze. "Thank you. Very much." He glanced at Zax who was standing watching with his arms crossed. "You too, Mister Zax." The man only gave him a dry nod.
Demyx gave another nervous laugh at Ikurx's sudden need to hug him. The look on Zax's face didn't really help him feel any better and only made him feel more nervous, especially with Cloud in the room as well. He was quick to remove Ikurx's arms, so he could move around. "Watch it or you'll get dirty again." It was his excuse to make the situation less tense as he waved a hand around to remove the fallen water from himself as well as the chair, moving it all back over to the sink that rested on the other side of the room.
Cloud watched the scene, just as unimpressed as Zax seemed to be. His eyes strayed to the moving water that Demyx controlled before he turned his gaze back to Ikurx while he laid a hand on Zax shoulder to get the other man to keep a cool head even though he knew he wasn't fairing much better himself. "Ikurx, did you want to get changed?"
"No, not yet." Ikurx grabbed up Demyx's arm and began to pull to encourage the Heartless to get up. "I want to go to the beach. Shorts are perfect for the beach." He stumbled over his own legs a moment but managed to catch himself before he pulled more on Demyx's arm. "C'mon, Mister Demyx, let's go to the beach now. It's almost just like your beach. You know you want to go to the beach."
Demyx stumbled as he was pulled up off the chair. "H-Hey, wait a minute!" The words were spoken in retaliation since he wasn't really ready to be pulled around in such a way. As soon as he found his footing he couldn't really help but be just as eager to Ikurx's words. He had been excited himself as soon as he saw how close they were staying near the beach. He instantly felt cooped up inside the inn and wanted out as fast as possible. "F-Fine, sure. Okay."
Ikurx actually grinned wide for the first time in a while. "Let's go- let's go- let's go then!" Demyx's words was enough for him to start pulling the Heartless out of the room, staggering on his quick steps but only laughing when he caught his footing. "Hurry up, Mister Demyx!"
Zax blinked as he watched the two go rushing out of the room. "Good to see the kid is feeling better." He raised his hands to crack one knuckle after another against his palm; though his disapproval for Ikurx's company was quite easy to see.
Cloud had been staring at the door watching the two leave until he heard the small cracking noise right beside him. He didn't even have to turn his head to know what was going on. The most he did was raise a brow as he kept his eyes on the door. "You know..." He started speaking in a bit of a teasing voice. "I'm quite surprised we didn't come in here to see that Heartless in more then one piece. I'm proud of you for behaving yourself." He finally looked away to focus all of his attention on Zax. "I wouldn't have."
Zax shot Cloud a crooked grin at that. "Guess we're lucky I'm the better man then." He leaned over and stole a quick kiss off Cloud's lips. "Now are you going to chase them down and make sure they play nice?" He began to crack his knuckles on his other hand against his other palm.
"It really couldn't hurt to supervise them from a distance." Cloud shrugged a shoulder after his words and lifted both his hands up to place them on top of Zax's own. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were about ready to snap." He stole a kiss of his own before he was pulling away to head for the door. "Don't worry, I'll watch over them. A water Heartless near the water. This'll be fun." The sarcasm was obvious in his voice as he made his way back out the room.
Outside Ikurx had dragged Demyx all the way to the waters edge. The Nobody was enthralled to be on another beach. He was amazed to see clear blue waves lapping at the sand instead of inky water like the Heartless' beach. It was new to feel the sand soft beneath his bare feet, rough between his toes. He buried his feet, wiggling his toes only to playfully kick at it.
There were a few people along the beach on large colourful towels, some under large beach umbrellas. Those who spotted the Heartless became wary and were quick to pick up their things and vacate the beach. Some didn't even bother getting their things and left the beach quickly. None wanted to be the next victim of the vicious creatures that no one was unfamiliar with.
Ikurx watched the people leave. His eyes closed as a cool breeze blew by rustling his hair and loose shirt. He turned towards Demyx with a small sad smile. "You know what I miss most about the beach..." Ikurx turned his head to look out on the ocean, the glittering reflection of the sun and sky. He ignored the pale hair that fluttered over his face and obscured his vision at times. "The sound."
Demyx couldn't help but stare at each person that left as well. He could feel their fear so clearly even if it wasn't shown on their faces. It took Ikurx's voice to snap him out of the trance that he had been pulled into and quickly looked back at the Nobody with a somber gaze himself. "Hmm, really?" He looked up to watch the waves crash around, finding it much safer then keeping an eye on the few remaining people around the beach. "You really liked that little beach that we brought you to before?"
"Not the sound of the water." Ikurx turned to look at Demyx. "But the music you played. It sounded most beautiful on the beach." He smiled a little shyly as his gaze fell on the water that crept up on the sand darkened and smoothed by water. "It was the first time I had heard music." He cautiously stepped up to the wet sand, stepping on the balls of his feet since it was so much colder. He made a soft sound as the cool water splashed across his feet on the sand he stood on.
Demyx hadn't expected such words. Of course he had gotten such a compliment from Ikurx before, but to hear it again and in such a way caused Demyx to be speechless for a little while as he stared at the Nobody with wide eyes. After a few seconds he got a hold of himself and looked away shyly back to the ocean and gave his own nervous smile as he tried to speak up. "Well, I'd play some more for you, but I'd only end up ruining the beach. It was safer back at my hide out." He glanced back at Ikurx. "I'm glad you enjoyed it so much, though."
Ikurx lightly kicked the water. "Don't worry about it. It'll be something I'll always remember. For as long as I exist... and longer." He slipped his arms behind himself, one hand lightly holding one wrist; it still felt so strange to not be wearing his arm warmers. He stepped a little further into the water, the clear cool water rushing past his shins. "A happy memory just for me, and me alone." Ikurx closed his eyes and listened to the soft sound of waves moving in and out like a constant soft breath. He could recall each soft note that nimble fingers created on strings, the soft breath of water keeping steady rhythm. So softly Ikurx hummed the tune he could remember hearing when he sat on the edge of the black ocean, when time felt at a stand still between so many complications.
It wasn't long before another voice was joining into Ikurx's small little song. Demyx had started to hum right along with the Nobody as he took small steps towards the other until he was right behind the teen. The Heartless' humming grew a bit louder since he was closer, especially when he bent down and slipped his arms around the Nobody's neck from behind to pull him close. The entire time Demyx kept his own eyes on the ocean while the song drifted out between the two of them. For some reason it put Demyx at ease and he wasn't half as nervous as usual.
Ikurx let his humming voice peter away; he couldn't remember much more of the melody. In the silence he let his hands run up to rest on Demyx's upper arms. It was a comfortable silence after, another of many he shared with the Heartless. Though unlike most silences, in this silence Ikurx's mind wasn't cluttered with thought or worry. He leaned his head back to look at the Heartless. Ikurx gave a small smile. "Hey," he spoke in soft playfulness as if he had just seen Demyx.
Demyx finally looked away from the water to look down at the sudden face that was only a few inches from his own. He gave a weak smile after Ikurx's playful greeting. "Hey, yourself." He was soon moving to stand up straight again, but kept his arms around the Nobody as best he could. "It's good to see that you're feeling better. You seem to be much calmer since we got here." He reached one hand up to run fingers through the clean hair. "See, I knew your friends would take care of you."
Ikurx smiled a little more, he rather liked it when Demyx toyed with his hair, and it made him feel something he just couldn't word. "Well, they had a little help from someone."
Demyx only shook his head at that. "I only did the laundry. That doesn't really count for very much." He twirled a strand of hair around a finger and watched as it fell back down without resistance to keep it in place. "Besides, I think that Zax fellow was trying to find any way possible to harm me with just his eyes. It sure felt like he was digging holes into my back with just his gaze." Demyx shrugged after his own words as if he were finally used to it.
Ikurx gave a quiet hum. "Kind of like Mister Cloud is trying to do over there behind us." He tried to keep his laughter in since it wasn't exactly nice to laugh at Demyx's miseries. He did appreciate everyone's tolerance, he really did. "They mean well, that's all. I'm sorry."
Demyx didn't need to be told that Cloud was behind them to know the man was there. He had known the human was following them from the moment they stepped outside onto the beach. In a way it annoyed him, but after all he had been put through because of their hatred for him he didn't really care what Cloud saw. For a split second his arms actually tightened around Ikurx before he spoke up again. "It's not your fault. Don't apologize. We've been over this."
Ikurx gave a small blink. "If I don't apologize, no one will." He leaned back against Demyx. The Heartless' embrace was cold, but not unpleasantly so. It was as cold as the water around his feet, a calming sort of cool. "Will you let me complete my promise? Today."
"T-Today?" Finally Demyx stuttered and the calm demeanor he tried to have fell away in an instant at just that one question. He pulled his arms away only to rest hands on Ikurx's shoulders so he could turn the teen around to face him. "Ikurx, why today? You're supposed to be relaxing and enjoying yourself. This is a vacation. The others, they'll just come after you if you do such a thing."
A warm hand rested on Demyx's chest, over his still heart. "Helping you... would finally put me at ease." He smiled a little as his eyes downcasted. "I would be able to relax once you're okay." His fingers curled weakly. "Please don't say no. I want to finally give you what you've been fighting so hard for from the start. Si- since... Since Axel." His hand curled completely into a weak fist on Demyx's chest.
Demyx was quick to place his hand right on top of Ikurx's own after those last stuttered words. Part of him wanted so badly to just take what Ikurx was willing to give him, but another part that was worried about the Nobody was the part that had him hesitating. Still, he couldn't deny Ikurx what would make him happy. "F-Fine, if that's what you want." He leaned down a little to quickly brush lips again the top of Ikurx's head before he spoke up again. "I'll protect you, so do what you have to do."
Ikurx threw his arms around Demyx's neck and hugged him tightly. He didn't know exactly why he did it, maybe it was to console the Heartless and show him that he believed in what he could do, or maybe it was to reassure himself that this was the right thing to do. Ikurx knew he wasn't entirely at full strength yet, he still staggered sometimes on weak legs, small waves of dizziness. But he had enough strength to help Demyx. And he knew that even if unconsciousness took him again, Demyx would take care of him. "Make sure everyone else gets out safe too, Mister Demyx," he very quietly whispered.
Demyx was quick to give a small nod to such words. He may not have liked how Zax and Cloud had been treating him as soon as they laid eyes on him, but he refused to leave them behind. The same went for Sora's two friends that Demyx had been trying his best to avoid this whole trip. They were important people to Ikurx and that meant Demyx had to help them out in any way possible as soon as the others came. "I'll do everything I can." He whispered back just as softly.
Slowly Ikurx let go, standing back down. "Then let's go somewhere else. Where Mister Cloud isn't staring." He leaned over to the side and gave a wave 'hi' to where he could feel Cloud's stare.
Demyx turned around and watched as Cloud seemed to jump from where he was hiding at just that small wave. It was obvious the man was a bit miffed at being caught, but had still given his own quick wave in return before he turned away from them. Demyx didn't pay much attention, deciding to look back at Ikurx so he could give the teen his full attention and a small smile. "Alright, sure. We can go further down the beach if you want. Maybe it will be a little less crowded." In the back of his mind Demyx knew everyone on the beach would run away. That would add to the privacy factor around them.
That was enough for Ikurx to snatch Demyx's hand and pull him further down the beach. He followed the water's edge, splashing through the water when it washed up to him on the wet sand. You wouldn't think they were going to light a beckon big enough to alert the most vicious of Heartless of the known worlds with just how light hearted Ikurx's actions were. Though from inside him no real feelings ever emitted from him for the Heartless to read the Nobody was still all smiles and soft laughs when his weakness caused his footing to be clumsy.
Ikurx turned around to face Demyx, walking backwards as he spoke up with new excitement. "What will be the first thing you do as a Somebody, Mister Demyx?"
Demyx had been watching Ikurx with a small smile on his face. It was good to see the teen just try to act as carefree as he could despite the danger he would be put in soon. The question caught him a little off guard though, but Demyx found it wasn't that hard to answer. "I want to see my reflection." After the words left him he realized how silly they probably sounded and that same nervous feeling suddenly resurfaced as he let out a small laugh. "I mean, ya know, since I haven't seen the real me in so long. It will be nice."
Ikurx tilted his head. "You'll look at yourself?" He gave a small laugh. "That's different. When Mister Zax first came back he gave Mister Cloud a big hug. Hmm- Zexion didn't do much of anything. Not that I can remember the moment all too well. Or what Roxas did. My memory blanks out for most of it. I just remember waking up and-... and things were, well, they're alright now." He clasped Demyx's hand in both of his to tug better. "Everyone's reaction is different when they come back, because all their reasons for coming back are different. But I guess that's expected."
"It is." Demyx confirmed easily with those two words. "Everyone is expected to react differently when they become Somebody. We've all been waiting for the moment for different reasons, just as you said, but we've still waited just as long. I can't say much for Zax since I don't know him very well, but he and Cloud seem close." That was putting it lightly. The two men were much more then that. It wasn't hard to tell by how strongly one's heart felt for the other while Demyx had been staying with them. "It doesn't shock me that his first reaction would be just that." Demyx gave a thoughtful hum for a few seconds before he continued speaking. "I want to see the real me, just to see that it's all real. That I finally have what I've been trying to accomplish for so long."
"You will. But you won't just see it. You'll feel it." Ikurx let a hand go to raise it to his own chest and tapped it on the left side. "Here. Even the cruelest of Somebodies have a warm heart. Inside." His hand grasped Demyx's hand again. "I've seen it. I've felt it, as they come back to fit the missing pieces for those around them." Ikurx gave a weak smile. "I'm sure it feels wonderful to have that soft beat in your chest, giving you life and love."
"I can't wait to feel it." Demyx whispered the words quietly after everything Ikurx said. He gripped the teen's hands tightly in his own, giving the Nobody a small smile. He only wished he could really let Ikurx know how much this all meant instead of just telling him with simple words. It didn't feel like very much. "Thanks, Ikurx..." He spoke the words anyway, hoping the boy could see the gratitude somewhere in his expression and beneath glowing eyes.
"You don't have to thank me, Mister Demyx." Ikurx's smile broadened. "It's what I was made to do. Like you were made to control water. It would be kind of silly and obscure to thank you for moving water around." He gave a small laugh. "But you're welcome. I'm glad to be able to finally help you."
Demyx gave a small nod to those last words. After a few more steps he finally slowed. The area of the beach around them was rather unoccupied and there weren't even any stands around that handed out food and such. It was as private as private could get. It was easy to tell Demyx was still nervous about what would be coming up after all was said and done, but he tried to mask it as best he could with a small smile to Ikurx, letting his hands finally fall away to rest at his sides. "You're really sure about this?" The question came out quickly. He couldn't help it, wanting to make sure Ikurx didn't make a mistake risking so much just for him.
Ikurx gave a firm nod. "I am." He unclipped his star charm from his shirt collar and in a burst of illumination the angelic keyblade was in his hand. The Nobody couldn't help but stare at the winged keyblade, like it was his first time seeing it. It had been a long while since he held it, back when he tried to bring Axel back and told Roxas to leave him behind, making him promise to take care of Demyx. So much more had happened between then and now. Ikurx wondered if all that personal experience had distorted his view on life, living and 'people'. It hadn't jaded him yet, simply made him a little more opinionated.
"Demyx..." It was one of the few times Ikurx ever said the Heartless' name without the 'Mister' prefix. "I've never questioned- why I can call this, or why this is mine. It just always felt as if that was the way it should be. And I never questioned it." He twirled the blade in hand. "I've questioned everyone else but myself." He gave a sad smile. "It just always seemed that everyone had the answers except me, so I never bothered." Ikurx raised a hand to rest it on Demyx's chest. "So... maybe I could ask you to answer a special question for me one day. Since I don't know the answer to it."
Demyx placed a hand right on top of Ikurx's own. "Anything, Ikurx." His eyes fell away from the Nobody to stare at the keyblade with interested eyes. He kept still though, and only seemed entranced by it for a few seconds since his eyes moved right back to Ikurx's face. "You can always ask me anything and I'll always try to answer you the best I can. Now. Later. Whenever." He gripped fingers beneath his own for a moment before he loosened his hold to continue speaking. "I'm here for you." He smiled weakly.
Ikurx's eyes fell down to the keyblade instead of physically gesturing to it. His voice was far quieter than a whisper. "What is its name?"
Demyx's attention turned to the keyblade once again as his expression became thoughtful. He wasn't exactly sure how to answer such a question. Of course his Nobody had been briefed about Keyblades and such in the past and as a Heartless he had to remember every little detail about how dangerous they could be as well. There were other bits of information that finally had him opening his mouth after so much silence. "I'm not sure, Ikurx. The name is usually chosen for the blade I believe. Although, if you're not sure of it then I suppose that means it's up to you to name it yourself." He finally looked back at Ikurx and gave another quick squeeze to the boy's hand before he dropped his own. "It just has to come to you."
Ikurx shook his head slowly. "That's not entirely what I meant." He could feel his cheeks grow warm, and something akin to embarrassment. He gave a small shy smile as he glanced up at Demyx. "Name it... for me?" He suddenly felt terribly aware of his hand on Demyx's chest and that he was nervously fiddling with the Heartless' shirt. He retracted his hand to his own chest, but there wasn't any charm there to fiddle with, so he idly tugged at the large collar of his shirt.
Demyx could feel his eyes widening over Ikurx's words. He hadn't expected to be told to name such a weapon ever in his lifetimes. It seemed a bit surreal and a little ironic in a way as well. Once again Demyx found himself staring at the blade that Ikurx held that could give hearts back to anyone that had lost them. He felt touched in a way he had never felt before and found himself smiling a little. Of course it left his mind in a complete blank as to what exactly to answer with. He didn't know when, but soon enough he felt his lips pressing close as could be against Ikurx's own, smiling the entire time against them as he tried his best not to give a small laugh.
When Demyx pulled back he looked right into Ikurx's eyes and nodded a bit before he finally spoke up. "I promise. I'll think up a very good name for it." He raised a hand up to run a finger down the Nobody's cheek, letting it fall back down after the action. "Alright?"
Ikurx gave a shy weak nod, the warmth spreading darker on his cheeks with that one happy kiss. It left his mind spinning in a pleasant way, and he felt a little dazed and uneasy on his feet. "A-alright." His smile was a little crooked. It was hard for him to think beyond that moment when all inside he felt flustered and now giddy. Ikurx took a small shaky breath and rested his hand back on Demyx's chest, over the still heart. His fingers smoothed over the fabric of what Demyx wore. "You... you don't remember much of your Somebody... Mostly just memories of your Nobody. Why?"
"Mmm, well, I suppose it's because all of those memories belonged to my Nobody. It's easier to remember my Nobody's life then anything that happened to my Somebody." Demyx shrugged a shoulder to the topic as he straightened back up and looked out at the ocean. He could feel Ikurx's hand still on his chest, but didn't pay as much mind to it. "It's just how things worked out for me when splitting into a Heartless. It doesn't bother me too much, though."
"The same Somebody, but not the same person." Ikurx let his eyes fall shut. "You both existed at the same time at one point... Did you share the same memories then?"
"Well, at one point we all existed in the same body." Demyx lifted a hand to tick off on his fingers. "Somebody. Heartless. Nobody." His hand dropped back down as he turned his eyes back on Ikurx. "We were all one person, so I suppose we did share the same memories, but, heh, that's just what made us a Somebody." The nervous laughter came again and he gave another quick shrug. "It can't really be helped, ya know, memories being lost."
Ikurx's eyes slowly drew open to look up at Demyx. "When your Nobody was alive, did you two share the same memories then? Or... was it when he-... when he died, that you remembered his memories too?"
"When he died." The answer was quick and there was no emotion to it, but Demyx couldn't help that. It wasn't really a memory he wanted to continue to think about, especially considering the reason his Nobody had died. He didn't want it to be brought up if it didn't need to be, and he had already explained it once. That was enough.
Ikurx's eyes down casted at that, at his hand on Demyx's chest. His own memories of when they laid in the dark in the spare room on the gummi ship clouded his mind's eye; how much he clung to the Heartless and how short Demyx's answers had been.
"... Close your eyes," Ikurx quietly instructed, "and... tell me where you were when you remembered his memories. What were you doing when it happened?" Ikurx let his own eyes fall shut again. "Why did you remember?"
Demyx swallowed hard at the quiet command, but did as told. His eyes shut slowly and before he knew it words were coming forth from his mouth in a near whisper. "There was nothing but darkness around me. I could feel it crawling all around me; twisting all over me." His voice broke for a second, but he managed to continue on. "I could see everything replaying that happened like some sick and twisted movie. It was taunting me and showing me how dead I really was. I didn't- couldn't handle that. It wasn't fair." His hands shook as he spoke. "That cruel darkness...it even showed me..." The words stopped before he even spoke them and he took a deep breath before going on. "I gave into it. I let it take over my being and gave into all of the hurtful memories and clutched onto my reason to live again."
"... Axel." Ikurx barely finished.
'...He made me feel... like I had a heart.'
"He... just wanted to see Roxas again. At least once." Ikurx's fingers tightened on Demyx's shirt. "... He never did."
'Oh- we do too have hearts. Don't be mad...'
"He inspired you to try. You wanted to prove you could be just as passionate about fighting for something as he was... But he never cared why. ...So when it was your turn to retrieve Roxas, you didn't care if it was alive or dead."
'You can't trick us!'
"... But it wasn't Roxas this time."
'Silence traitor.'
Water was spilt instead of blood while music wasn't enough to stave off the determination of the light. There were cries and doppelgangers fell, the water so much clearer then. The sitar fell with a choking gurgle of water and he clutched his head as his entirety, not a soul but his existence, was torn away into utter nothingness. He fell to his knees and screamed, and Sora watched with his companions without a flicker in hard expression as nobody died.
Ikurx jerked back with a choked gasp caught in his tight throat. His hand yanked back, tearing the physical link. His mind reeled with the realization, the disturbing truth that hurt far worse than any physical pain. Without a heart Ikurx had nothing to feel for the horror seen, so with nothing came nothing and all his energy drained from him. The keyblade fell from his hand, disappearing in a blush of light only to fall on the sand as the single keychain. Ikurx was next to join it, falling hard on his knees in the sand without so much as a small cry.
Demyx had been sent to retrieve Roxas, but instead he fought Sora. Sora killed Demyx. No one cried for him. No one cared.
Demyx's eyes had snapped open as soon as Ikurx had pulled his hand away. The link between them had brought back every painful memory of his Nobody's death, moment by moment, and through it all he could still hear Ikurx's own words in the back of his mind. It was that which made him realize that the cover was blown. He couldn't protect the Nobody from the truth any longer. His wide eyes stared at the crumpled form on the sand and despite what had just been seen he tried to reach a shaking hand out to touch the teen. "I-Ikurx?"
It was under the weight of that simple touch that the Nobody fell apart, falling onto the sand on his arms. His fingers dug into the smooth texture of sand, a desperate weak clawing. Ikurx stared with dull empty eyes at the sand. But he had no strength left to hold his head up so he crashed his forehead into the sand, shaking his head in denial, as if that would be enough to erase the past.
It hadn't been quick, it hadn't been painless; not that Ikurx could push those few words past his lips. His throat ached with the choking tightness and his eyes stung hot with tears that would never shed. Still, even if Ikurx was never meant to feel or cry that didn't stop the destroyed choked sob that wracked through his body.
Demyx flinched at hearing such a distraught sound come from Ikurx. He felt as if this was all his fault. He wanted so badly to keep those memories hidden away and safe from the Nobody, but it seemed as if it wasn't meant to be. "Ikurx... please..." He pleaded softly, hoping that it would help in some strange way. Slowly he moved to kneel down in front of the other, moving one hand to the Nobody's shoulder and the other to run through his hair.
Ikurx's grip tightened in the sand. It was pitiful that those hot tears wouldn't come and all he could do was mimic the pathetic sound while the Heartless was able to touch him with such worry. All of it was just too much to bear; his chest couldn't hold the ache and frustration. Ikurx ripped his hand free of the sound to pound an angry fist into the ground, again and again and again. His fist then stilled in the sand a tight trembling thing, and another dry tormented sob left him.
Demyx jumped a little and frowned at Ikurx's frustration. He pulled his hands back and fisted them tightly in his lap as his eyes fell to the teen's one hand that had pounded against the sand. It was such a sad sight to see. "Ikurx." He spoke the Nobody's name once again, but in a weaker tone. He knew he probably wouldn't get an answer. There was nothing he could do. He only seemed to be making the situation worse with each touch given and word spoken, but he couldn't help trying. "I'm sorry... I just thought it would hurt you to know what I did. What my mission was and why my Nobody died." His eyes fell halfway as they kept on Ikurx. "Sorry..."
On trembling arms Ikurx pushed himself up. Leaning heavily on one arm he wiped the sand off his face. His head hung heavily after that, hair hanging over his face and littered with sand. Still his glazed eyes stared at the sand. "...I ... I believed in Him." His voice was a broken mess, pushed through a tight throat. "... But even the Light is tainted too, I guess." His brows furrowed. "... He was my... my-..." No, Sora was Riku's everything, not his. Ikurx's eyes fell heavily shut half way.
Demyx kept silent for a long time after Ikurx's words. This was the exact reason he didn't want to say anything. Heart or not, Ikurx was still Riku's Nobody and would share a strong bond with the person that Demyx had tried to put away. This was just too much, but Demyx found that he couldn't keep secrets any longer. "Most of us... most of our Nobodies died fighting him. It's obvious that the ones who did failed..." And in an instant he found himself revealing to Ikurx what had never been cleared up on the ship what felt like long ago. "We fell at the hands of the Keyblade Master."
"S-Sora... the Keyblade Master." A single tear fell down Ikurx's cheek but it wasn't what he wanted, it wasn't worth the hundreds of unshed tears he was forced to keep inside. Slowly Ikurx raised his gaze to look at Demyx's face. "Donald... Goofy... Sora... Riku... The Organization. All of you wanted to kill each other." He slowly shook his head. "The reasons don't matter. All there is between each of you is death." Ikurx took in a hard breath. "Is the only point of my existence to bring you all back so you can kill each other again?!" His voice broke and he choked on emotion that wasn't there. "That's the real reason for the 'Fail Safe' isn't it?! To come back and try to kill the other person!" Ikurx's arms holding him trembled dangerously. "An endless loop of killing... I don't want any part in that."
Demyx's eyes fell even more at such words. He had never heard Ikurx sound so broken and angry before. His hands closed even tighter in his lap and soon nails were digging into his palms, but he ignored the pain. It didn't matter to him. He tried so hard to find something to say, especially after those last words. He never meant to upset Ikurx so badly, but he couldn't think of anything when the truth had been revealed finally. He couldn't go back and deny it. "Ikurx...I'm sorry." It was the only thing he had left.
Sorry just wasn't enough to quell the hurt and betrayal that racked through Ikurx's chest. All of what he'd just seen was in the past; the Heartless Demyx was just a twisted half with memories of his former Nobody. This Demyx's reasons were different than the other; still, they hadn't been for Ikurx to start. Had Axel given in, Demyx wouldn't be here like this. And some how that cheapened the sincerity. The truth always did. Ignorance had been bliss, but there was no getting that back again. Nothing seemed to be truly meant for him.
"... Cloud was wrong." Ikurx blindly searched for his keychain in the sand. "Keeping secrets hurts more than lies." He found the charm and grabbed it up clumsily in his hands. Moving quickly to avoid as much physical contact as possible, Ikurx pried open one of Demyx's hands only to place the keychain in it. "Here... It seems I'm as bad at keeping promises as my Someone. You keep this Promise." Ikurx closed Demyx's fingers over the star charm; the little star that was the embodiment of paopu promises.
The wind blew a cool gust as Ikurx stared at the keychain in Demyx's hand before he forced himself to stand. He kept his dull eyes on the sand as he moved slow and lifelessly like an empty doll.
Demyx stared down at the small keychain that was suddenly in his hands. This all felt so wrong. Everything felt so broken apart after they had just fixed so much. Had it been any other situation Demyx would have hurried after Ikurx, but instead, he found himself letting the Nobody go. He couldn't deal with hurting Ikurx anymore then he had already.
With a shaking hand, Demyx placed fingers onto the sand beneath him. In a matter of seconds blackness began to take over the area around him to form a portal to the darkness while his other hand held tight to the keychain with little more then a death grip. He needed to clear his head. He needed to be away from Ikurx while the Nobody was so upset with him. He couldn't do that while cooped up in the same area. He would stay away until he was needed. He had promised to protect Ikurx no matter what, but until then he would stay where he belonged.
