Read me! Read me! I know people never read author's notes. At least I never do.
Okay. Let me warn you- this is probably the weirdest AU fanfic that you've ever read. It's also about a school, but (put those tomatoes away!) it's NOT about High School. True, some of the characters are 15-17 here, but my protagonist is SEVEN. A wonderful age, in fact. And a cool-looking number.
By the way, English is not my native language, but I've tried my best. Enjoy!
Chapter One- Ex-Ienzo
-Mr. Xemnas, there he is. I've brought you the boy, Ienzo Critchlow.
-You're extremely late. We've expected his arrival over a half a year ago.
-There was an …accident during his transportation here, it slowed us down greatly. I apologize.
-I've been informed of that, but that problem could have been taken care of faster. Nevertheless, we shall deal with that later. How old is the boy now?
-Seven years and three and a half months old. Would he be the youngest here?
-No, Number XIII will only be turning seven soon. Very well, let the boy come forward.
A very small and pale boy was pushed out of the shadows towards a desk, where a silver-haired man sat under the light of a small table lamp. He raised his eyebrows as he eyed the boy.
-He looks pasty. Is he ill?
-Not at the moment,- answered a voice from the shadows.- But his health is very poor and he's prone to getting sick.
-Well, I doubt that it shall present a problem for us,- the man behind the desk turned his attention back to the boy.- Ienzo, from now on you shall live and study here. Do you understand?
The boy nodded. He didn't seem to be afraid, but looked like wanted to back away from the man, and the only thing stopping him was the intense dislike of whoever had brought him here and was now standing behind him.
-And your name is now Zexion, - the man told him.- Remember it well and forget your previous one. If you speak of it or about your life before coming here, you'll be severely punished. Now, boy, tell me your name.
-It's Zexion,- answered the boy. The man looked surprised.
-You should address me as "sir". Now, tell me your name again?
-Zexion…sir.
The man nodded and then lowered his head to speak into a small microphone standing on his desk.
-Saix, you may come in.
A door opened, and a silhouette of a teenage boy appeared in the doorway.
-Take Number VI to his room. He'll be living with Number XIII for now, whom you'll tell to show Number VI around.
Zexion looked around- the man who had brought him here was gone- yet Zex. Then he looked at the boy who was waiting silently for him at the doorway and at the silver-haired man who smiled unpleasantly.
-Go, Zexion, and remember to be a good boy.
Zexion nodded and hurried towards Saix.
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Saix was strange. He had blue hair, a shade lighter than Zexion's own, an X-shaped scar on his face and stitches on his chin which made him look like a member of some extremely violent gang- Zexion had seen a lot of those, because the man that had brought him here preferred to travel through the slums, probably in order to attract less attention. Grown men dragging little boys after them was not a weird sight there. Zexion had two "bodyguards" with lots of guns and traveled in luxury trains, but that was before what was so accurately described as an "accident".
Saix hardly spoke to or looked at Zexion as he walked the younger boy through many corridors with white walls and grey carpets, a few flights of stairs, more corridors and finally stopped next to a black door with a sign that read "X-01a(13)4".
-Remember your room number.- Saix said, still refusing to look at Zexion.- If you get lost here, which you most likely will, you can find your way back by looking at the signs on the walls. "X" marks the part of the building that you're in. "01" is the floor.
-But this isn't the first floor.- Zexion told him.- We're way above the ground, aren't we?
Saix glared at him.
-Who told you that floor 01 is the ground floor? I don't know what floor numbers mean around here, nobody does. And don't interrupt me. "A" marks your section, "13" is the corridor number, and 4 is your room number.
He pointed Zexion towards another black sign that hanged on a wall at the closer end of the corridor. It read "X-01a(13) 4-7".
-Understood? - Saix asked. Zexion nodded. The older boy turned around and left without saying anything. Zexion looked around for a little while and then pushed open the door.
It was a small room, with two beds, a long desk with two chairs and a window above it and grey carpeted floor. A small blond boy and a redhead a bit younger than Saix sat behind the desk surrounded by various textbooks and notepads. The younger boy was writing something down and the redhead was eating a banana. When Zexion walked in, they both looked up and started at him.
-Who are you, huh?- asked the older one.
-Oh, you must be my roommate!- the smaller boy exclaimed before Zexion could respond.- I'm Roxas, what's your name?
What was his name? Half an hour ago it was Ienzo- something nice, comforting, and familiar. Now it was…
-I'm Zexion,- he responded. The sound of the name was alien and unpleasant. Z-e-x-i-o-n… Six letters, one more that before. Now that the boy thought of it, all of the letters were the same, except for that bizarre X. X-Ienzo… That made sense.
-I'm Axel,- the redhead introduced himself,- Got it memorized? And I'm helping this kid here,- he pointed his banana at Roxas,- to do his homework.
-Oh, okay…-Zexion said and then found the banana pointed at him.
-Want a bite?- Axel asked. A-X-E-L… could have been Ael, Lea, Lae…or Eal. That sounded a lot like "Eel", Zexion thought. And those were gross.
-No thanks.- he told Axel.
-Whatever,- the boy took another bite and then pointed the banana at one of the beds.- That one should be yours.
-It is,- nodded Roxas. His name was harder- four letters. Roas, Asor, Raso…Sora?
-And the stuff there is for you to wear.- the blond kid continued.
Zexion, who was still standing in the doorway, closed the door and approached a bed. On the dark-grey sheets lay his new clothing- pants, shirts, jackets, socks and underwear- all either white, black or grey. The others boys wore similar things of the same color, so Zexion figured out that this was a sort of a uniform here.
-Who showed you the way?- Axel asked, playing around with the banana peel. Zexion got the impression that he was thinking up the best place to put it for somebody to slip on. - I was certain that I've heard Saix's voice…
-It was him…- Zexion sat down on the bed. He was extremely tired. They've traveled without a stop for the past few days, clearly making up for the time lost because of the "accident" seven months ago. But, according to Xemnas, Zexion should forget about all for that now. Or he'll be "punished". The boy didn't even want to imagine what kind of punishment that unpleasant man might have in store for him. But then again, nothing was said about thinking about the past…
-Oh, so Marluxia must have been released as well by now…Anyway, how did you like our Saixy?- the eels voice brought Zexion back to reality. Oh, great. Now he wouldn't be able to look at Axel without thinking about eels.
-He seemed very angry…
-Nah, he's not angry, he's just pissed off a little,- Axel explained.- Saix hates the fact that you're like twice as young as him, yet a number superior to him.
So this Saix was Number Seven…
-Don't worry, he'll get over it in a few days, it's nothing. But mind you, you don't want to be getting him angry for real. That won't be pretty at all.- Axel warned him.
Roxas looked up from his notebook.
-Yeah, he nearly killed Marluxia last time…
-And Marluxia isn't too easy to kill, so that's saying a lot. He's our Number XI.
-Do those numbers actually mean anything?-Zexion asked.
-Well, sort of. You do get a little authority over those below you; we sit at meals and in class according to our numbers, and it's printed on all of our stuff somewhere. I have no idea why we really need them or how we get them. You're arrived here last and yet you're Number VI, and Marluxia got here before Luxord and still got the number XI instead of X. I'm number VIII, by the way. And Roxy here is XIII, so you're our superior. Got any orders?
-Well…-Zexion shrugged.- Finish that homework?
-Yes, sir!- Axel and Roxas answered in unison.
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Roxas turned out to be a nice boy, who was very attached to Axel. The redhead was about twelve or thirteen years old, extremely talkative and hyper. While he helped Roxas with some spelling exercises he also continued to chat with Zexion, talking about all matter of things, but never once mentioning his real name or background nor asking Zexion any questions about his own. Whatever Xemnas threatened the boys with, it clearly worked well.
Once Roxas was done, he and Axel offered to show Zexion around the "Academy" as they've called it. After navigating through a complex maze of corridors they've reached an elevator. ("The elevator is in corridor 'X-01c(06) 00', got it memorized? The other ones are in sections "j", "o" and "y" and you don't what to be looking for those, you'll get lost and starve to death. Demyx nearly did once.")
While they were going up, Zexion took his time to study the control panel. It had buttons marked with numbers from "00" to "99" and "003"-"078", but most of those, Axel explained, required a six-digit password. There was also no display to show the numbers of the floors that they were passing, which was unlike any elevator that Zexion had seen before.
They arrived at "015" and they boys lead Zexion to a place that they've called a "library". It indeed turned out to be huge space full of bookshelves stuffed with heavy tomes. There were also a few armchairs, and one of them was occupied by a long-haired blonde teenager whose nose was buried in a large black book that bore no title. He looked up as the other three came in and tilted his head a little, studying Zexion.
-Oh, so this is the new one…Someone isn't going to be happy about this,-he said after a while and then turned his attention back to his book.
-This is Vexen, Number IV,- Roxas said after it became clear that Vexen himself isn't going to make any introductions.
The "classroom" was located on floor "43" (yet Zexion could swear that they were going down). There were twelve desks in the room, each one complete with a portable computer that proved to be unremovable from their place.
-They're our personal, but are stuck here now- it's a punishment for everyone for not putting a stop to that fight between Marluxia and Saix.- Roxas explained.
-And that's stupid,- Axel frowned,- 'Cause trying to get in between those two is a suicide. And Saix was extremely angry that time too. Only Lexaeus would risk his neck trying to restrain him, because he's like a walking mountain of muscle, and he wasn't there!
-What did this Marluxia do to provoke such a reaction?- Zexion asked.
-No idea.-Roxas sighed.- Saix was bossing him around and then Marluxia said something. I didn't hear what, but it made Saix punch Marluxia. Axel was there too, but he won't tell me what Marluxia said. Neither would Luxord, Vexen or Xigbar. And Demyx says that he didn't hear as well.
Zexion eyed Axel curiously.
-Why won't you repeat it?-he asked.- Was Saix pissed of simply because of Marluxia's filthy language that you don't want Roxas to hear?
-Hey, kid, you're acting too strange for a seven-ear-old, you know?- Axel frowned.- And forget it, that was pure suicide on Marluxia's part, and I'm not risking my personal safety by repeating what he said. Especially to two stupid grade-schoolers. Forgive me, Rox.- he told his friend.
Axel refused to continue this conversation farther, so Zexion dropped it out of his mind for now. Marluxia clearly pressed on some weak point, and Zexion was pretty sure that once he got to know both boys better he'd figure out just what exactly had been said. He wondered whether Saix would attack a weak and sickly-looking seven-year-old as well.
Next he was lead into the "meals room", located on "018". There they've meet another one of the students, a boy named Xigbar who seemed extremely old to Zexion- he was 17 years old. That meant that he might have been at this "Academy" even before Zexion was born. And to the boy, that seemed somehow scary.
It also made him wonder about when the others arrived here. Did they come here at the age of about seven, like him and Roxas, or were they all simply brought here whenever a man in a black suit suddenly arrived out of nowhere, saying that it was time for them to go?
Xigbar was having an evening snack that consisted out of a very large ham and salad sandwich, so his mouth was too full to talk and he simply nodded as he was introduced. Axel and Roxas showed Zexion the fridge and the drawer where he was supposed to get his plate and silverware and explained that there were three meals served during the day that were obligatory, but you could have a snack whenever you fancied, unless it was after bedtime, which was 11 P.M.
-Kid, NEVER be out of bed after 11 P.M.,- Axel warned Zexion. –Or you'll be in serious trouble.
-Look who's talking, you're "out of bed" all the time, dude!- Xigbar exclaimed, finishing up his sandwich.
-I'm different,- Axel told him.- They're young and stupid and will most likely be caught.
-You know, you're young too,- Xigbar pointed out.- Thirteen isn't that much…
Axel made a face.
-It's not me who's young, it's you that's old!
Then they've visited the "entertainment room" which seemed way to boring to Zexion to wear such a name. There were two tables, a couple of chairs, a sofa, darts board on the wall (it had a paper with a picture of a stick figure that greatly resembled Vexen pinned to it), a shelve full of something that was most likely "entertainment" and a few more books. Two boys were sitting there playing cards- a fourteen-year-old Luxord (who was winning) and a seventeen-year-old Xaldin (who was losing and was extremely pissed off by that fact).
-A new kid?- he asked when he had noticed Zexion.- Why did we have to get ANOTHER baby? Aren't two more than enough?- he complained.
-There is another one our age here?- Zexion asked Roxas quietly. The boy shook his head.
-Xaldin means Demyx. He's ten, but everyone says that he acts like he's four.
Axel was asked by Luxord to join them, so he told Roxas and Zexion to just go back on their own.
-Rox has a terrible sense of direction, but you two shouldn't get lost. Just make sure you won't enter room "X-01a(13)5" by accident.
-Yes, -Luxord laughed, - you shouldn't bother her.
-Number XII is scaaaaary- Roxas explained.
-She hates little kids, - Axel added. - And she seemed to have gotten a lot moodier lately. I wonder why…
Xaldin snorted but said nothing.
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An old woman was sitting on a bench under one of the only trees left in the neighborhood, enjoying her break time. There was even no grass under it- in modern cities nothing but humans could survive. And even those had trouble doing so.
She was looking up at the buildings towering above her, remembering the far-off days of her youth, when everything still was green, the birds sang, and the buildings didn't reach for the sky like the Babylon Tower…
-Excuse me, miss…- a voice brought her back to the modern reality. She looked around to see a tall man with a scar across his face standing next to her. Behind his back he carried a long black bag that most likely concealed a weapon. She sighed- such were the times that it was dangerous to be unarmed… And their neighborhood wasn't even a considered a bad one.
-Miss…- the man began again.
-Oh, sorry… How can I help you?
-I've wanted to ask about a boy that you should have in your custody. His last name is Critchlow.
-Oh, you must mean the little Ienzo!- the woman exclaimed happily.- Of course I remember him. But I must disappoint you- the boy left us almost two months ago.
-Damn it!- the man swore.- Who did he leave with?
-A very strange gentleman,- the woman replied.- The same one, I believe, that brought Ienzo here. It's a shame, really, that you won't get to see him- he was a wonderful child. Although a bit… strange.
-Strange? -the man's eyes widened.- What do you mean by that?
-You see…-the woman replied,- While other children his age would play, he'd sit there reading some book that he had borrowed from one of the adults. We thought at first that he was just really shy or trying to show off, but you know- he really did read them, he could tell us everything about them! And Ienzo was a very serious boy; he always acted as a much older child. If I didn't have the physical examination results, I would have said that he was just a physically underdeveloped teenager! I've never seen such a boy before…
But the man didn't really listen. He thanked the woman absentmindedly and walked away.
-We were late again, curse it all…Now they have their thirteen…- he muttered under his breath.- I should inform the others of this quickly. But I must speak with TO first.
The man frowned. It seemed as if he remembered something or somebody unpleasant.
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Okay, you know the drill- you've read it (or just scrolled through), now leave a review. You can flame me all you want. Or phrase me. Or build an altar and worship me. Just don't forget to bring me Aerith-shaped cookies as offerings.
You can probably guess who the man with the scar in the end was, right? There is no need to think about the identity of the man who had brought Ienzo to the "Academy" since I don't know myself yet. I think I want it to be somebody silver-haired... (Maybe Loz?)
I'm also planning to bring Namine into this, 'cause I've really liked her. And she's going to make an extremely adorable child…