I apologize for the delay.

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Pandemonium Ensuses

Chapter 11

Let It Burn

(VexenMarluxia, hints of Akuroku, SaixAxel, Zemyx)

Vexen frowned. Larxene had pulled Marluxia out the door with her, Demyx, and Roxas, leaving him with nothing but Xemnas.

He sighed and studied the potions in front of him, along with the slab of cake sitting on the plate.

Larxene had mentioned something about being able to get close to his dear Marly if he completed the antidote. She must have thought Vexen was an idiot. He'd make the antidote. But he wouldn't drink it.

Nothing could make him tear himself away from Marluxia.

- - - - -

Three floors up, Luxord sighed, shaking his head as he walked calmly out of a room that was burning. Axel sat in the center of the flames, pouting and sulking. As Luxord waved one hand in front of his face to move the smoke away from him, he spotted Larxene standing at the end of the hallway. Directly behind her was a very frightened Roxas, who was hiding behind her, Marluxia, and Demyx.

"Luxord, is Axel in there?" Larxene called down, walking towards him.

Luxord nodded. "Yes. He's upset because I lied to him," he said, casting a look at the redheaded Nobody.

Larxene rolled her eyes and turned to stare pointedly at Demyx, who summoned his sitar happily. "Can't you put the fire out without that thing?" Larxene snarled.

Demyx snorted, ignored her, and started strumming on his sitar. Instantly, water drifted into Axel's flames, putting them out, and causing the pyro to scream as if his body was deteriorating. Everyone blinked, staring at Roxas for an answer.

"Err...Axel really hates water..." Roxas muttered, staring at the door with wide eyes.

Axel shot through the doorway, eyes closed and still screaming, and ran headfirst into the wall. He opened his eyes, muttered "Roxy" and collasped.

Silence commenced for a short while as Demyx let the sitar disappear.

Marluxia rolled his eyes and was about to say something when a portal opened beside Luxord. Saix stepped out, not bothering to talk to anyone. He walked to Axel, lifted him up and over one shoulder, and disappeared in silence.

Roxas let out a sigh of relief and started down the hallway in the direction they were going. "You still have that horrible picture in your mind, Demyx?" he asked. "I'm in the sudden need to see Namine', and fast."

Demyx nodded urgently and jogged after Roxas.

"What picture?" Marluxia asked.

"Oh, you know..." Demyx started, looking back at him. "Just Vexen and you..."

Marluxia blinked as what Demyx meant sunk in. "What the hell, Demyx?" he roared, walking after them so he could continue yelling at the musician.

Larxene sighed. "Want to join the troop of idiots?" she asked Luxord. "I'm trying not to lose track of any of them for the time being."

Luxord shrugged. "I'll take over watching them," he offered. "You should really try to track down the gay members."

Larxene nodded. "Good idea. I'll start with Zexion. It should be easy," she said. "Just look for a dark place to cry in." Rolling her eyes, she opened a portal. "As if this castle isn't full of those..."

As she disappeared, Luxord walked calmly after the others, mindlessly shuffling a deck of cards.

- - - - -

Down in one of the many basements of the castle, Zexion was sobbing softly to himself in a corner. Beside him, a Sniper Nobody repeatedly poked him in the shoulder with its gun. Zexion wiped his eyes with one hand and swatted at the Sniper before continuing to cry with his head in his arms.

The Sniper paused, then resumed poking him in some vague sort of interest.

Two portals opened suddenly beside him. One of them attracted the Sniper's attention as it contained Xigbar. The other, which contained Larxene, was no interest at all to it. "All right, that's enough," Xigbar said to the Sniper. "Leave the little Nobody to his tears."

The Sniper disappeared instantly.

Larxene nealt down beside Zexion. "Come on, Zexion," she said. "Let's go somewhere that actually has some light in it."

Zexion shook his head and shrank further into the shadows. "No one cares about me..." he moaned.

Larxene narrowed her eyes as Xigbar smirked. "Come on, Zexion," she repeated forcefully.

"Now, Zexion," Xigbar added. "How do you know if Demyx doesn't like if you never asked him?"

Zexion's sobbing ceased and he looked up at Xigbar. "...He was happy to know I was going to be hurt..." Zexion sniffed. "He hates me..."

"No," Larxene said, smiling dispite the growing want to just wrench Zexion out of the shadows. "You don't know that..." She reached slowly for Zexion's arm.

Zexion eyed her hand, sniffed as tears continued to cascade down his face, and then shook his head, shrinking back into the shadows until they enveloped him.

Larxene scowled. Xigbar leaned down and stuck his hand in the corner were Zexion had been sitting. His hand met the wall and he sighed. "Little fucker ran off," he said.

- - - - -

A few floors up, Zexion settled down in another corner to resume his crying.

To his dismay, an Assassin Nobody stood beside him and started hitting him.

Zexion shot one hand out, pushed the Assassin back, and watched as it self-destruction. "I wish I could self-destruct..." Zexion sobbed, turning to face the wall.

- - - - -

Namine' tried not to shudder. The thought of anyone picturing Vexen having sex with Marluxia was terrifying.

The look on Marluxia's face clearly protrayed her very thought. He looked as if he wanted to throw up.

Beside him, Roxas was fighting the urge to laugh. Demyx, standing in front of her, crossed his arms. "Well, Namine'?" he said.

Namine' sighed. She'd have to replace her own memories after this.

- - - - -

Saix watched as Axel, laid out on his bed, groaned and sat up slowly. He lifted one head to his head, groaned again, and finally opened his eyes. Axel blinked slowly, taking in the large window over the bed and the near blinding sight of the moon. He glanced at the end of the bed, recognized the huge sword sitting there, and realized just where he was.

"Hello, Axel," Saix said softly.

Axel jumped. "Wha-? S-Saix! Where's my Roxy?" he sputtered, staring wide-eyed at the berserker.

Saix only smiled.

Axel gulped. Saix is going to be naught again... he thought helplessly.

- - - - -

Vexen jumped and nearly dropped the half-full beaker in his hands.

He knew what he was doing was going to hurt. He knew that whatever Nobody was his test subject would be screaming and pulling at the restraints binding them to the table, such as Xemnas was doing now.

But he hadn't known that the Superior could scream so loudly.

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Coughcough.

Enjoy the picture of naked Xemnas screaming while lying on a table. I have no idea what happened to the cloak that was on him.