15
Lexaeus
Zexion and I were headed home from the cafe. I hoped he was back to normal, he had tried to hook me up with the waitress again for the first time in weeks. I thought everything was getting settled with him again, every now and then he wandered off in his own thoughts, but one can't expect a reversal overnight, although that was how fast it took him to change in the first place.
"Lex, you never listen to me, you have the bod' of iron, make use of it! Chicks dig the iron body."
I raised an eyebrow at him from the corner of my eye, "And you are such the expert in this area?"
"Well, how else do you explain I haven't had a girl in so long? I mean c'mon, look at me, cute, funny, brilliant, the only thing I'm missing is twenty-inch biceps," he retorted me playfully.
I guess he is back to normal.
"Have you made up your mind?" I turned around. There was a woman standing there. She looked pale, old somehow, she carried some kind of scepter with a green gem set into the top. And I could swear she had horns growing out of her forehead. Her robe was black and purple. She was smiling, but I saw it as anything but friendly.
"Who the hell are you?" I asked. I normally try and treat strangers kindly, but this woman...something really pissed me off.
She continued to ignore me, "Well? You must have come to a decision by now," she said. It was here I figured she was talking to Zexion. I looked over and his fun personality had left him. He was the day dreamer again.
"I told you before, I don't want darkness in my heart," he said. I had definitely missed something.
"Ah, but you already have it within," argued the woman, "all you need now is to learn how to use it."
Zexion was getting angry, that usually didn't happen with him. His eyes narrowed on the old woman, "I told you I don't want it!"
This didn't discourage her in the least, "And who are you trying to convince? Me? Or you?"
That was it, she had hit a fuse. Zex was gonna lose it soon. I decided to try my question again, "Hey, don't ignore me, I asked you what your name was."
Finally, she looked at me and smiled coldly, "I am the one, the one who can help your dear friend. But you may call me Maleficient."
Zexion wasn't losing his steam. I never really saw him upset like this. It kinda scared me. He stepped forward, almost menacingly, "I told you, I don't need your darkness, I'll find other worlds on my own. Now leave me."
The old woman looked back at him, her smile widened, that only made me more uncomfortable, "But you haven't even tried it. Silly boy, how can you reject what you do not yet understand? Here," she waved her hand in front of him. Zexion's entire body suddenly covered with a slime-green glow.
"What are you..." he began, staring at his hands, his entire body, as if he'd never see it again.
"All I have done is temper your heart," she answered as the glow began to die down. "Now you can tap into your darkness at will. The more you use it, the stronger it will become. But a word of advice: don't steep yourself in it, or the Heartless will consume you. Consider it a gift" And without saying anything else, she vanished into this blackish-blue vortex.
Zex collapsed onto his knees beside me. I kneeled down and grabbed his shoulders, "Zex, you alright?"
His reply was faint, far away, but very present and understanding, "Yes, I'm fine."
But somehow, I didn't really believe he was. I figured to wait for the morning, let him suck it all in. When he did, I'd ask him about it, this darkness and Heartless and whatever-ness was going on.