4.

Bloodlines

Later that night, still trying to reckon with the strange feeling Demyx had inflicted upon his magic, Ienzo went to Aeleus to tell him what he'd witnessed.

"A Heartless, here?" he asked. "You're sure of what you saw?"

"I killed it myself." Ienzo sighed. "Though-it did not reek of darkness, the way they usually do. Perhaps a newborn?"

He frowned. "Potentially. I'll-reach out to my contacts, and see if they know anything."

Ienzo nodded. Aeleus and Even had claimed the downstairs study as their own, jockeying for space in a strange show of dominance. "There's… something else worth mentioning."

"And that is?"

"The… boy I saved. He's part of one of the bloodlines."

"And he could not defend himself?"

Ienzo shrugged. "I was confused as well. I was going to wipe his memories-but he showed me this pendant, this rune. I wish I'd gotten a better look at it." He sighed. "He also gave me his phone number."

"Might be worth associating with him-if so just to learn something."

"Unless his is one of the bloodlines associated with Xehanort."

"It's… possible, I admit. But if the boy could not fell one Heartless, I doubt he could hurt you ."

Ienzo felt a rush of affection towards Aeleus. Unlike Even, who tried to protect him from everything, Aeleus had faith in Ienzo's abilities. Martially, he had trained him, and Ienzo's spells spoke for themselves. "I shall… keep an eye on it." He bit his lip, than forged forward. "When we spoke… I felt something in my magic. I'm not sure what , as it did not seem like any spell I've ever encountered, or read about."

Aeleus's eyes glinted. "That is… curious. Was it like a pull, a thrall, perhaps?"

"I don't think so… but it was… odd."

"What did the pendant look like?"

Ienzo described it, and Demyx, as much as he could.

Aeleus just seemed more confused, furrowing his brow. "None of the bloodlines have that resemblance. You said it looked halved?"

"Yes."

He knotted his hands. "I will ask about that too… but Ienzo. Please, as charming and normal as this boy might be… be careful."

"I… will."

This settled, Ienzo began classes.

It was strange, to take transport by himself, to have some modicum of independence. Even texted and called him constantly, worrying over him. But for the most part, Ienzo's first days at the university were… ordinary.

He found himself rather bored with his coursework. A lot of the general education classes were just that- general , and given the limited amount of courses afforded to him due to his late enrollment, not what he was particularly interested in. He found himself saddled with Intro to Psychology, City-State Culture and You, Music from the 43rd Century On, Women in Contemporary Literature, and Magic and the Law. Of this courseload, only psychology and literature were intriguing, though, he found, incredibly easy. Five page papers? One chapter readings? He aced assignments easily, found himself both grateful and frustrated that Even had been so demanding in his education. It gave him plenty of free time to study on his own.

His psychology professor actually stopped him one day after class. The lecture hall consisted of ninety students, and Ienzo was not the most colorful character there, literally speaking. "Ienzo, right?"

He adjusted his grip on his bag. "Yes, sir?"

"Forgive me-you're not in trouble for anything," the man said. He was older, a little wizened, with thick dark hair partially pulled up. "I'm just a little… I suppose, bemused would be the word. Clearly-you're already beyond the mark of anything you'll learn here. Your last paper was testament to that. I hadn't even read some of the sources you cited." He smiled. "Why haven't you tried to test out of these basic courses? I'd love to see you in one of my three or four hundred level modules, where you might actually be challenged ."

Ienzo hesitated, feeling something like pride and, at the same time, anger. It was Even's idea for him to go to school. Why hadn't he told him this was an option? "Simply because I did not know I could," he admitted. "Though that must be lack of foresight on my part."

"That, or an overworked advisor." His professor exhaled. "Let me speak with them. I'm happy to keep you in this class, but you'd be bored to tears."

"That would be… much appreciated."

Ienzo was still pondering over this dilemma, unsure of how to respond to Even's latest messages, a warm anger budding under his skin. Why would Even deliberately hold him back? He slid into his seat in his music class, prepared to simply disappear into the lecture hall and read for the class time. His professor chatted on about assignments (papers which were usually simply reactions to that week's listening assignment), but before she launched into the lecture, she decided to introduce the class's new TA. Ienzo felt him before she even said the name.

Demyx.

The boy must've felt him too; his eyes snapped towards Ienzo's, and he gave him a smile. Ienzo returned it hesitantly. Demyx sat at a desk besides the professor's podium before he was asked to handle attendance, which he did, carrying around a clipboard. When he got to Ienzo, he said in a low voice, "got to say, did not picture you as the music appreciation type."

"I'm not. Most other classes were full."

The grin got wider. "I do not want to be back where you were."

Ienzo scribbled down his name. "Nor do you seem to be the type to be a TA."

He shrugged. "I could use the free credits. Besides, Ariel is an awesome teacher. Say. You busy, after this? Couple of us were going to go get lunch in town."

An opportunity to learn more, Ienzo reminded himself, feeling his heart catch bizarrely. "I could eat."

"Good. Now I gotta get going. See you, Zo."

It took Ienzo a moment to realize this was a nickname, too long to form a witty retort. He'd had aliases before, of course.

He'd never had a nickname.

The warm prickling feeling in his magic increased, and for some reason, he sighed.

As class wound down, Ienzo felt himself getting anxious. Talking to Demyx was one thing, given how they'd met. But talking to others? Ienzo did not know how to socialize, what to talk about. What were people his age into, their music and TV shows and entertainment? What did they do for fun? What if one of them figured him out? Should he simply be very boring so he was not invited back?

Should he be himself?

(Who was that?)

"Zo! Ready?" Demyx had a messenger bag slung over one shoulder.

"Yes."

Demyx clapped his shoulder; the touch was startling. "Awesome. Come on. We're meeting people there."

"Oh, who?" How much did he have to mentally prepare?

"My friend Lea, his roommate Roxas, this girl Yuffie, oh, and one of my roommates, Riku. Just a few of us. And maybe Riku's boyfriend and girlfriend if they're free, I have no idea." He shrugged. "Depends if I run into anyone else."

"Collecting people," Ienzo remarked.

Demyx laughed a little. "Sort of."

Ienzo tried to swallow his nerves. Demyx chatted happily as they left campus, going down some of the older and narrower cobble streets of the city. Ivy spilled over everything, the warm and soft light soothing on Ienzo's eyes after the harsh fluorescents of the lecture hall. "Are you from here?" Ienzo asked. "This city."

"Nope," Demyx said cheerfully. "I'm from Destiny Islands."

An archipelago off of the west coast. "A long way traveled for school," Ienzo said carefully.

Demyx just shrugged.

"Demyx!" The voice was shrill. A small, dark haired woman had her hands on her hips. "I've been waiting for ever. I'm starving."

"I'm sure you didn't die," Demyx replied. "Everyone here?"

She sighed. "Nope. They wouldn't let me grab our normal table until I had more of a "party." I cannot believe , after how much we've invested in this place." She smiled slyly. "Who's your friend?"

"Ah-right. This is Ienzo-uh-"

"Avella," he provided the fake name helpfully. "I take it you're Yuffie?"

"The one, the only." She grasped his hand and shook it roughly. "And don't you forget it."

"...For some reason I don't see that happening."

Demyx smiled. He rested his hand on the small of Ienzo's back, simply meaning to usher him forward. The touch was sudden and disconcerting. He thought of that blue pendant, beneath Demyx's shirt, probably warm with skin-

They were granted a table this time, a corner booth in this small restaurant. All the furniture was mismatching, and Ienzo could see the cook working at the grill behind the bar. "Is that the whole kitchen?" He asked.

"Yep!" Yuffie said cheerfully. "So I hope you're not in a hurry."

Ienzo sighed. He was rather hungry. "I suppose lunch is now an afternoon, isn't it?"

She laughed. "Demyx, you didn't say he was this cute."

Demyx flushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Aw, come on," he said instead.

"Table of losers, anyone?" The lankiest person Ienzo had ever seen added.

"Ugh, who brought in the trash?" Yuffie asked, wrinkling her nose.

"That would be me," a blond boy said, rolling his eyes. "Demyx."

"Hey."

Four people was a lot to juggle, Ienzo realized. A waitress gave them some water. As Lea and the blond (Roxas?) regaled Demyx of some skateboarding incident, Yuffie leaned over. "You been here long?" She asked.

"To town? Is it that obvious?"

"You smell like a freshman, but you don't look like one. Dope hair, by the way. How'd you get it to tone down that color? I tried going gray once and it was a disaster." She grinned widely.

Ienzo sighed heavily. "I'm afraid it was all a bit of a mistake," he lied smoothly. "A friend of mine was a cosmetologist and needed a guinea pig. It was supposed to be blond-or so she said." He shrugged.

"Gotta stand out, right?" Lea said. "Where are you from, and how did you con your way to us?"

Meant to be a joke, but Ienzo found himself fighting to stay composed. "Demyx collected me at the library," he said vaguely.

"He was lost," Demyx lied, equally as smoothly.

"You can never leave well enough alone," a new voice added, and Ienzo's head snapped up. He felt the prickle of magic before he could really comprehend who he saw; a tall boy with silver hair. They held eye contact for a moment too long; Ienzo noticed Demyx's jaw clench the slightest. So he knew, too. What was going on? Had Ienzo been lured here? He realized he'd been seated in a corner. Should he excuse himself for the restroom, and leave? Or mine what he could from this exchange?

"This is Riku," Demyx said, taking a sip of water. "My roomie. Remember?"

Ienzo nodded. "Ienzo. Pleasure."

Riku dropped his things at the only available seat. "Nice to meet you."

Ienzo probed at the boy's energy. It felt… odd. Not quite normal. That hair-he couldn't not have magic. Equally, he felt Riku probing him , his teal eyes cautious and calculating. Riku knew something.

"So you're new to Twilight Town," Riku said, with a hint of skepticism. "Why here?"

Ienzo had to be careful. "I've heard good things about the marine biology program," he said. "That aside… my family thought it might be a good fit for us. The city, I mean."

"The darkness has been driving a lot of people out of their homes," Riku said. "It's… it's horrible."

"Indeed it is," Ienzo levelled. He didn't know what to read into that. "Are you from here, then?"

"He's from the islands, like me," Demyx volunteered. It was a casual enough remark, but Ienzo could grasp at the implications. They were magic users who had found one another.

"How fascinating," Ienzo remarked, consulting the menu. "I thought Destiny Islands had a rather small population."

"Oh, it does," Riku said, with an eyeroll. "Somehow we're the only two idiots who didn't know each other."

"That is quaint," Ienzo said. "Now. What is good here?"

He spent the rest of this lunch participating in inane conversations about nothing much. It took most of an hour for the food to arrive. Riku glanced at Ienzo now and again, curious, suspicious; the boy's magic could not penetrate him. Once the meal was over with-the check split awkwardly-they all left.

"Hey, Zo, wanna hang?" Demyx asked. "Or do you have any more classes?"

"I've got some time," he said. He had to know more about them.

Demyx smiled. "Awesome. Our place isn't too far from here."

Ienzo followed them, letting his magic wake up. Demyx brought him to an apartment building; Ienzo immediately sensed wards. They climbed two flights of stairs before Riku unlocked the door.

It certainly seemed like an apartment two young men lived in; the furniture was haphazard at best, and while it was clean, it was cluttered, and dull. Riku shut and locked the door, whispered a spell. Then, to Demyx, "what is going on. Is this a joke to you?"

"Hey! You told me to keep an eye out, and I did. So." He scowled.

Oh. So Demyx's friendly interest in him was a ruse; he shouldn't have been so disappointed. He braced his magic.

"I didn't think that the person you referred to would be-" He exhaled heavily, raking a hand through his hair.

"Care to explain?" Ienzo asked coolly.

Riku locked eyes with him. "What's your line?"

"What's yours?"

"Does it matter?" Demyx asked quickly.

"I mean, yeah, it does. If he's one of Xehanort's puppets -"

"I most assuredly am not," Ienzo said. "I take it you're not either."

Riku tried to frisk him again. "Who are you?"

"A person of no importance."

"Yeah, right. With the magic you're packing?"

"Guys. Guys. Let's settle down, okay?" Demyx asked. "Let's just talk."

Ienzo furrowed his brows. "Okay. Talk." He knew he had to be careful. "Were you looking for other magic users?" he asked Demyx.

He shrugged. "Not, like, consciously. But if it happens…"

"So you're a seeker, then." He shook his head.

"Not a… dark seeker," Demyx said. "That sounds way too tiring. I just… I dunno. If some kid pops up, gotta keep them safe, you know?"

"Not that you need it," Riku said. "You're the one that saved him, aren't you?"

Ienzo sighed. "Yes."

Riku sat on the lumpy, ancient couch. "Guess our friend was right," he said to Demyx.

The accused shrugged, his eyes on the ground.

"Right about what?"

"Things are changing here," Riku said. "You can feel it. Something's… not right. I'm not sure what you have to do with it."

"He says he's not with Xehanort. Shouldn't you trust that?" Demyx asked.

"People lie," Riku said simply.

"I'm not lying ," Ienzo spat, feeling his anxiety spike. He had to remind himself he was the strongest of all of them; not that he particularly wanted to fight. "For all I know, maybe you are."

Demyx rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Then prove it," Riku said. "Why shouldn't I report you right now?"

"Because-" How to prove his innocence without revealing his real identity? He took a breath. "Reporting me will just make the situation go from bad to worse."

"Why?"

"Lives could be on the line." He stuck his chin out defiantly. "I'm with the resistance. Report me and part of the network collapses." Not technically a lie. "I suspect you are as well."

"...We're independent," Riku said instead. "We're not with anyone. But…" Cautious now. "The resistance is still around?"

Had he just made an even bigger mistake? "...Yes."

"Thought all those guys were gone," Demyx said.

"Most of us are in hiding in some form or another."

"Huh," Riku said softly. "Who would've thought."

"Fighting Xehanort might be futile… but if we don't, we're complicit," Ienzo said.

"He's collecting them," Demyx said. "When he can find them. Bloodlines. Made easier by the government rounding us up."

"Like cattle," Riku added. "Easier for the Heartless to breed if nobody can kill them."

"But Twilight Town's been neutral," Ienzo said. "They wouldn't just hand over-"

"A few people in exchange for stopping the darkness causing complete collapse of everything? Dunno." Riku shrugged. "But right now here is the safest place to be. After the islands…" A sigh.

"I'd heard. I'm truly sorry. I… know how it feels."

Demyx worried at the pendant. "I try not to think about it too much. All you can do, you know?" He cleared his throat.

"This… resistance," Riku began cautiously. "Could you get me in touch?"

Ienzo kept his expression blank. "I could."

"I know you don't trust me. Why would you? I wouldn't trust me either." He held out his hand. "But I won't sell you out if you don't sell me out."

Ienzo took it. Riku was telling what he believed to be the truth. "Alright. Deal."

Ienzo left soon after; Even was bugging him incessantly. Your class ended three hours ago, why aren't you home? Ienzo scowled. Demyx followed him out. "Hey… Zo," he began.

"Yes?" he asked neutrally.

Demyx rubbed his arm. "I didn't… look, I didn't invite you along so Riku could interrogate you. Honestly. I wanted…" He trailed off. "I do want to get to know you. Really."

Why ? Ienzo nearly asked. He thought briefly of how it had felt when Demyx touched the small of his back.

He blushed. "Why don't we… get together, sometime? As-as friends," he backpedaled quickly. "Real friends, not…"

Ienzo smiled tiredly. This day had sapped his energy. "I might enjoy that-if you don't get killed by more Heartless, that is."

Demyx laughed a little. "So… I'll call you sometime?"

"Sure." There it was again, that warmth.

"And Ienzo?"

"Yes?"

"Get home safe, okay?"