New fic for the series of Twelve Hours, Twelve Views. Again. At this rate I'm probably going to reach three hundred at the end of the month… And as I have said many, many times… I DON'T OWN KINGDOM HEARTS! Maybe one day when I'm rich and famous but not now… SOON MY FRIENDS SOON!

Fourth Hour-Losing Laughter

"Please tell me that's a banana…" Zexion looked at the card in disgust. He was in a fortune telling booth with half the organization crammed in as well. Okay so maybe it was just Demyx, Marluxia and Axel but…

It was a small fortune telling booth. And it was a very hot day. And they were all wearing their trademark uniforms.

The fortuneteller looked rather young—probably nineteen—had honey brown green streaked hair that went past her shoulders. The thing that made her such an enigma was the grey blindfold that was over her eyes. How'd she read the cards? And around her was the faint scent of something.

Right now they were telling Demyx's fortune and the fortuneteller was about to confirm Zexion's worst suspicions. "Nope. That's a little something called a sword. Yes I know the illustrations suck…" Her blindfolded eyes were directed at Demyx now. "It symbolizes one of your favorite hobbies. In other words… Talking." She fanned her hand in front of her face, her chestnut curls tumbling down her neck. "Now if you have nothing else to do get out."

"WAIT! We all got a reading except Zexion! Zexion go get your fortune told!" Marluxia was hyper from the strawberry smoothie he had got from a nearby vender.

"I really don't want my fort—" Zexion started edging away uneasily. He didn't like all the hocus pocus stuff. He preferred the down-to-earth way, the way that you were sure that would happen. Whatever may be may be. Que sera sera. This witchery was all a bluff and didn't really come true.

"Oh don't be silly. You're getting your fortune told… Or else…" Axel pushed Zexion into the seat with a dangerous glint in his green eyes.

He's probably still pissed about how the fortuneteller told him that if he were gay he better be faithful…

"So one more reading?" She waved her thin arm that was shrouded in mahogany red silk and started shuffling the cards as if she didn't need an answer. When she got none she handed the deck to Zexion. "Shuffle."

After he handed the deck back to her and she started dealing out his fortune. "Wait a minute. You're dealing the cards in a different position…"

She glanced up. "I thought that you might want a different sort of fortune. They all had the karma spread to tell them about themselves. They seem rather lost and like they needed guiding. You on the other hand… You seem to need to know not about you but about the people around you. The prediction spread tells about what to expect in the future, what to expect now and what you see, regret but can still fix." She pointed to the first three cards

"These three cards talk about the past." She flipped the first card. "The page of cups… It can refer to a person or a situation. In this case it refers to a person. Namely you. You were a young helper who thought too much. You were sensitive and considerate and had a very strong sense of loyalty. But this was what everyone saw on the outside. No one was really that close to you were they? You were always coming and going. Not from places but in mind."

Axel snickered. "Zexion and the word 'loyalty' don't go."

"I remind you. I talk past tense." She flipped the second card which showed a regal woman on a throne of silver while holding up a sword. "The queen of swords. But then you met someone. You met a highly respected woman who had been emotionally scarred and was extremely self-reliant. She unlike others gave you some distance but stilled showed some consideration towards you."

It was so long ago…

XxXxX

"Ienzo get the mail will you?" Ansem waved his assistant away while scribbling reports down at the same time. "Oh and tell Xehanort that I'd like to talk to him."

Ienzo nodded once and walked out of the room. As he walked down the cold and dark corridors he past his colleague, Xehanort. "Ansem would like to talk to you. In his study…" He said the last three words with more force then needed. He walked on.

When he reached the surface and walked to the place where the mail was left he breathed in deeply. Even though it was he who suggested the underground lab there were times where he missed the sunlight and fresh air. Who knew when the next time it would be when he saw the sun again?

Suddenly he remembered that he had lit a candle very close to a gas tank. Who cared why it was lit the thing that mattered right now was that it was lit! He started to run back when a whispery voice whistled through the gloom.

"I hate to impose but… do you know who Ansem is? I was supposed to meet him around here but I can't see a building anywhere…" A willowy girl around sixteen emerged from the shadows of the dusty landscape. Her waist length sun streaked brown hair whipped around her as she approached. Her dark blue eyes looked rather sheepish as she scratched her head.

"Oh? Follow me." Ienzo started to walk to the passageway that led below. "What's your name?"

"Hmm? Cynara." She snapped back to reality as they started to walk down the stairs. Ienzo noticed that there was the faded fragrance of roses wafting around her. As they traveled through the murky hallways she looked around uneasily like a caged animal. As they entered Ansem's office they heard the remains of his and Xehanort's conversation.

"Think of all the possibilities! Stop being so pig headed and open your eyes! Look around you in this world!" Xehanort slammed his hand against the desk his anger making his body shake.

"Yes there are possibilities and there are many of them but I cannot let you meddle with innocent lives Xehanort! My answer is no and it will stay no!" Ansem looked as if he just wanted to shake Xehanort until his brains started to rattle. "I'm telling you no because—Ienzo! How long have you been standing there? And did you bring the mail?"

"I heard enough and I brought more then the mail." He threw the bundle onto Ansem's desk and turned away to extinguish the candle.

"Ienzo… I think you should stay for a minute." Ansem looked warily at the girl. "You two meet Cynara. She'll be working with us for a while. She has a rather vast amount of knowledge on heartless. But she is emotionally disoriented because she saw her entire family killed by her brother and then saw him shoot himself in the jaw. So please don't bother her."

Somewhere in the lab something exploded. That was Ienzo took his leave.

XxXxX

"When you saw her in her time of need you tried to help her. But she had such a complex personality that she pushed you away and ran away." Zexion shivered. It seemed as if the fortuneteller could see through not only the blindfold but him as well…

XxXxX

"I'm telling you! That formula won't work! It'll kill the person you apply it on! I don't care what you do with it as long as you don't utilize it anyone Xehanort!" Cynara's indigo eyes flashed in anger as she tried to tell her colleague about the danger he was holding in that needle.

"Well we won't know until we try now will we?" Xehanort smiled wickedly at her.

"You're—you're—you're DEPRAVED! YOU'RE DEPRAVED, SICK AND CORRUPTED IN THE HEAD!" She raised her hand to slap him when an older one caught it.

She looked up into the golden gaze of Ansem and replied it with one of dignity and immovable will. "Cynara I will not have any fighting in this lab and I don't know what you were discussing but I don't think you can say that anyone here is corrupted in the head nonetheless resort to violence at that."

Her eyes flared in fury and glared at him for a moment more and then they heard her footsteps echoed in the passage as they saw her hair lash around the corner.

"I'll go after her…" Ienzo started to walk in the direction she had taken. As he reached the room where he was sure she was in he heard the faint tinkle of chimes and saw an ebony carved door. He knocked against the door and called out softly. "It's me…Cynara… Please let me in…" When the door creaked open slightly and he could see one of her large azure eyes.

"What do you want? Are you here to tell me how Xehanort is my better? You think I don't know it? Are you here to take his side?" She spat it out like a cat with a rotten mouse in its mouth.

"No… Cyra… Please just hear me out." He called her by her nickname trying to get her to open up.

"What's there to hear? I was wrong. He was right. It's always that conclusion in the end isn't it? God! It doesn't matter anymore okay! I don't care anymore!"

"But Cyra… I care…" Ienzo tried desperately to get her to open the door. The door swung open and he saw that she was just glaring at him.

She glowered at him and her voice was shaking as if she were about to break down in tears. "You say you care. But do you really? Do you really? You say it now but then on later? Will you mean it? Will you even remember this? My brother said the exact same thing. He said he cared… and then he… and then he handed me a knife and… he told me… he told me to cut myself… And I trusted him… I loved him… And he threw it all away, trampled it in the dirt." The tears started flowing out of her azure eyes as she her frail form started shaking. "So don't say something you won't mean… You'll lose your laughter that way…" The door closed in Ienzo's face quietly leaving behind the aroma of roses.

XxXxX

"But you gained her trust little by little until one day she saw something she wasn't supposed to see." The voice was sharp as each word rang through the silent air.

XxXxX

"Ienzo… Ienzo… Ienzooo!" Cynara called out into the infinite darkness. "I GOT YOU YOUR REPORT SO YOU BETTER OPEN UP!" She knocked again. "YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M BREAKING DOWN THE DOOR!" Clutching the papers in her hands she gave the door a full roundhouse kick making splinters fly. "Now Ienzo—Oh my god." She stared out in horror at the scene before her.

In front of her was a young girl around seven years old who was twitching madly with a needle sticking out of her neck. A very familiar needle. Standing beside her was Xehanort taking down notes.

Ienzo walked in wiping his hands dry with a towel. "Cy—Cynara… It's not what you think it is!"

She looked at the little girl and at Ienzo and started shaking her head. "I—I don't believe it. She's seven years old. SEVEN YEARS OLD YOU BASTARDS! A LITTLE GIRL! How could you? You—You—YOU MONSTER!" She threw the now crumpled papers at him and fled.

XxXxX

"The five of cups" Zexion opened his eyes to find that the woman had turned over the third card. "This card symbolizes that your relationship had broken-- you still saw her but the laughter, the friendship was gone. Even though you tried multiple times she would not forgive you for what you had done. You regretted your decisions but could not do anything to help it. Slowly you came to distrust her, thinking that she knew too much and you would get caught for your act. But she didn't did she? The result though—you never saw her again… You never laughed again."

XxXxX

Laughter rang out through the bleak room. "Cynara! I'm sure you can tell me if there's anything wrong in this lab!" Ansem was in a jolly mood.

A lazy cerulean eye flickered open. "Well there as been something that has been getting on my nerves…" Ienzo and Xehanort tensed up.

"Yes? Yes?"

"The fact that you drink too much and too soon at that. I'm leaving." She stood up.

"Oh don't be like that Cy—"

"I mean it this time. I'm leaving this lab. I can't deal with all this anymore okay? I'm leaving."

XxXxX

"These cards represent the present. The first one is what led from the past to cause this situation; the second represents your current situation and the third what you should do about this situation." There was a faint tremor in her voice as she revealed the next card. When she saw what it was she let out a small sigh. "Death. Rarely does this mean actual death but something major changed you to lead you to your current position. Did you perhaps have an encounter with a heartless or have a near-death experience?" Demyx and Axel exchanged a look before trying to hold the laughter in. She had no idea how close she was. "Whatever happened both physically and mentally changed you by a large margin. Death represents change. This change revealed to you a power that you did not have or did not notice before."

XxXxX

"So she's finally gone…" Ienzo murmured sadly to himself as he watched the setting sun gradually disappear. Cynara had left already without a backward glance. He started to walk back when something jumped at him. When he finally realized what it was he smiled. "A heartless. How fitting. Have you come to take my heart? There's really no point—it's already broken." And he didn't even try to pull away as his heart was stolen.

I just want to see her face one more time…

XxXxX

"The three of swords." The next card exposed a heart being stabbed by three swords. " Your entire attitude changed. You became a manipulator by heart and by nature. Right now you should watch which waters you tread. There is someone amongst your group who is already deceiving you, ready to betray you any minute. But if you act quickly perhaps you can avoid this treachery. It also means that what you think is gone forever perhaps isn't…"

She put her hand on the third card. "The Hermit. Look for a light to guide you. It may be hard to find in all the fake lights but look for the brightest light. The rest will do you no good. Follow that light and you will end up in a good position."

Zexion looked at her oddly. Who was she really? How was she reading the cards? Marluxia excused himself to get another smoothie looking quite pale. Perhaps he needed to go to the bathroom.

"This set of cards represents the future. What you should do about your problem that had not arisen yet." She waved her hand over the last three cards. "The… The Moon…" She looked fearfully at him. "Not a good card…Not everything you saw was true. Nothing in the moonlight is true. It was a mirage. Your beliefs were wrong. Not only are people deceiving you but you are deceiving yourself as well. Listen to your gut—it's normally right."

Zexion looked at the remaining two cards. "The eight of swords. Something's holding you back from what you should be doing. You're trapped in an awkward position that you shouldn't even be in. You're thoughts are becoming the prison that you fear so much. You snap each time every time you think of her. She is still alive and is close by whoever she is but she extremely hurt by not only you but by others. If you are to approach her do so cautiously or she will think that you're… you're using her." The fortuneteller's voice broke off.

"Hmm…" Zexion looked at the girl and back at the cards.

"Judgment. Try to reforge your lost relationship. The attitude you have now, try to alter it—but not all of it. You are being judged by someone or perhaps maybe even yourself. Be careful of what you see and say. It may cost you. Change the way you look at things. Look at them with a different perspective and maybe you'll notice things that you never even thought you'd pay attention to in the first place." With one swoop of her arm she gathered up the cards. "There your fortune's read. Now get out."

Zexion looked at the blindfolded young woman with a look of new respect. "Thank you. That meant… much to me."

Her next words stopped his heart. "Don't say something you won't mean… You'll lose your laughter that way…" Each word cut through the warm air.

Suddenly everything was so clear. He realized that it was the delicate scent of roses that floated off the fortuneteller. "Cy…Cyra?"

The fortuneteller smiled sadly and slipped the blindfold off to reveal a pair of navy blue eyes. "How long has it been since that thing took your heart?"

"What do you me—You saw?"

"Yes I was. In the distance I saw. You didn't even raise a finger against it. And the sad thing is—You joined the one who sent it after you. That sick and twisted psycho…" The smile was still there—sad yet understanding—but her eyes were cold and dead. "He even made you change your name because he couldn't even bear to remember his flaws. But ironically he changed his name to remember the dearly departed Ansem the oh so very great. More drunk than great isn't that right Ienzo? Oh no. I forgot it's Zexion now isn't it?" She spat at him. She then turned her cold glare at the other three. "All of you are fools! Fools I tell you! You forgot about those who cared about you! You squashed them! Why? Because they were beneath you weren't they? Because you were ashamed of them right? Because you thought you were protecting them like that!"

"I don't think you should to talk to us like we're scared of you—" Demyx disagreed with the furious woman.

"Scared? Scared? Oh no! Nobodies aren't scared are they? But that's where you're wrong! The only reason why you're here is because of your will to live! It was because you clung on to life so needily! It was because you were scared to die!" She turned to look at Axel. "Èla! No… Axel. You're sister hated the fact that she had to lie to everyone about your death that she had many suicide attempts. You knew she was mentally unstable but you left her all the same. Why? To protect her? Oh I'm sorry. The gypsies were attacked by a mob of heartless a few days after you 'died' and she thinks you caused it. She's ready to rip your intestines out when she sees you." Her gaze shifted to Marluxia. " Arlumia—Marluxia… Freak. Freak. FREAK! Were those not some of the first words he said to you when he met you? Well guess what? He's DEAD! And who killed him? YOU AND YOUR LITTLE ORGANIZATION!" Her head twisted so she faced Demyx. "Myde. I'd say you're a loser but hey! At least you're a loser with a dream. And you had no help. You were shunned. You were weak. And let me point this out to you. YOU STILL ARE!" When her eyes finally rested upon Zexion the look on her face was not one of anger but more one of disgust. "And you… I don't even need to say anything for you. You know your crimes. And you know what? I don't think you give a damn! You are immoral, corrupt and evil. Now get out!"

With no other words needed they ran out.

XxXxX

"What was her problem?" Demyx chewed on a piece of gum as they walked through the fair grounds. "Axel. Whose your sister?"

Axel pulled on a pained expression. "You said you wouldn't bring that up!"

"Yeah but Axel… I didn't know you had a sister." Marluxia was yet again drinking another smoothie.

"You two wouldn't know her. She was that little spitfire that hung around when we found you right? The one with the red tipped black hair and gold eyes and threatened us to some extent?" Zexion looked quite smug. "Oh damn… I forgot something I'll meet you three outside." He swore.

The truth was he hadn't really forgotten anything. He had to talk to Cynara to clear things up.

As he walked through the door a pair of slitted blue eyes looked back in response. "What do you want? To come and manipulate me further?"

Zexion looked at her with concern. "I'm sorry. I know you won't care but I think it would be better for both of us if I told you that and truly meant it. I admit it. What I did was truly horrific and sick but I can't turn back time. Neither can you."

"How can you be sorry? I thought nobodies couldn't feel anything."

"How could I? My heart was stolen." He raised a hand when she was about to protest. "It was stolen by you." His face was dangerously close to hers.

"That still gives you no excuse. You still have a heart."

"What do you mean? Mine was stole—"

"You've had my heart ever since you said you cared…" Zexion's eyes widened slightly and then pulled her up for a slow and tender kiss. She blinked several times. "Is this some kind of trick?" Her eyes narrowed at him.

"Why would this be a deception?" Zexion looked at her with a hurt expression.

"Don't you have people to get back to?"

" Hmm… You're right." Zexion's lips brushed hers again. He looked at her reluctantly with a childish do-I-have-to look on his face.

She laughed. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll see me again one day. Now go!" She gently pushed him away. "Go away you little freak! You're friends are waiting!" She laughed again.

" I love you." His eyes laughed as he strode out the door.

He smiled as he heard her voice drift out of the booth.

"Go. Go and find your laughter."

I know that parts of this were confusing. Like the part where Cynara was talking about Axel's, Demyx's and Marluxia's pasts. Read First, Second and Third Hour. You'll get it then. AND THE ENDING WAS SO…SO…SO… CLICHÉ! ARRGH! THE ROMANCE…IT BURNS! Next:

The gentle chiming of the bell rings five times as footsteps echo around the tiled corner signaling that the Fifth Hour has come… Broken Mirror.