Sorry this is so late. Just to tell you. This is in no particular order. And this story was really hard to write out because you don't really get to find out much about Lexaeus' character and all you know is that he was one of Ansem's assistants. Which made it really hard. Oh well. Can't say I didn't use my imagination.
Sixth Hour – Ghost TigerLexaeus P.O.V.
As I walk through the halls of the basement I've always thought as the refuge to my unwanted fate I think to myself a long thought out question.
It's something that has bothered me ever since I was a small child. And I really need to know. I mean not even the Superior knows the answer.
And he knows everything…
So I ponder over my question that absolutely no one has an answer to. What's my question? Well…
Are there really such things as ghosts?
I mean it's a widely explored question. People talk about it on forums. It's all over the Internet. It's amazing how there are so many different opinions, so many different conclusions. People with hearts have a very odd way of thinking. Just yesterday I was watching a movies about talking rats that cooked. Pfft. Anyways back on track, this topic is so diverse and has been so explored from so many different aspects for so long but there's no answer…
And the subject's famous. It's on freaking T.V. Television I tell you! TELEVISION!
And there's still no freaking answer…
Oh you're asking why I'm so touchy about this subject? Why? Why I'm so freaking touchy about this damn subject?
Because I saw a ghost with my very own eyes. These very two eyes saw a ghost.
I couldn't believe it.
And then it came back…
XxXxX
"Xehanort. Go make lunch." Ansem's strong voice could be heard, filling through the facility hallways.
"Braig. Make Lunch." Xehanort's reply was expected as this happened everyday.
"Dilan." Braig's response was a reflex as usual.
"Even. Lunch." Dilan didn't look like the cooking type and he wasn't going to try his hand at it.
"Why are we playing telephone tag?" Even shook his long mane of blond hair out of his eyes.
"JUST MAKE LUNCH!"
"No. Aeleus. You do it." There was a pause and then an awkward silence when-
"Well? Aren't you going to end up telling me to do it?" Ienzo looked up from reports, deadpan.
"No." Whistling the larger man stood up and headed for the kitchen.
An awkward silence filled the room once more until Dilan looked up.
"Isn't this the fourth time this week that he's gone willingly?"
Braig was staring at the doorway. "Is it just me or was he just whistling?"
"Why are you complaining? At least he can make decent enough food. And we get lunch." Ienzo didn't look up.
They all shut up.
XxXxX
Still whistling Aeleus brought out the now roasted chicken from the oven. The faint yet tantalizing smell of garlic bread wafted from the toaster. On the small stove was a pot of bubbling fish soup.
Then he heard it, a small scratching noise from behind. Quickly turning around was probably one of his biggest mistakes in the evening. He hit the rapidly heating pot of soup off of the stove. And the scalding water hit him right on the…
Well let's just say it's going to be quite painful when Aeleus needs to sit down. Really painful.
But for some odd reason he was smiling in the midst of wincing in scorching pain. A faint chuckle of laughter came from the window.
Hello Aeleus…
Aeleus saw the cat in the faint light being emitted by the curtains. A pale grey coat with slightly darker grey stripes rippled of healthy muscles as the feline leapt from the windowsill to the marble counter. He had named her Ghost due to her silver pelt. She was somewhat of a conscience but no one else saw her.
Perhaps she was an imaginary friend that Aeleus still had to discover as 'imaginary'.
But it didn't matter.
Just as long as he had a friend that was all that mattered.
XxXxX
"… Add another three grams of opium to the drink…"
"…Mix in some black thorn into it…"
"…Make it boil for two more minutes…"
"…Curdle the snake venom for sixteen minutes…"
"…Inject subject B with five doses of mixture F every ten minutes…"
"…Stir four times counter-clockwise by the hour…"
The days past at the same rate and the six were busier than ever. Ansem had suddenly left on business leaving them with newfound freedom.
Braig suddenly stretched up and started to laugh. The others paused to look at him. "If somebody was listening to us right now and they had no idea about what we were talking about we'd probably sound like a bunch of witches." He laughed again.
"How long have we been working?" Ienzo started chewing on the pen that he had just been using.
"Two days straight." Even was still scribbling down formulas to the point where the pen was on the verge of breaking.
"Wow."
They all sat there in silence for a while.
"I'm hungry."
They all burst out laughing except for Xehanort who was regarding them rather coldly.
XxXxX
Once again Aeleus had stepped up to the task of making food.
Everybody had changed so much. Everyone was so tense.
Braig still made them laugh but the work was taking its toll on him. He was always yawning and he burst into sudden manic fits of laughter. Aeleus had heard him discussing with Dilan about the nightmares of becoming a heartless.
Dilan had always been ready to give his opinion about anything but now he was quiet and moody. He had started to become dark and unopened and no one could tell what he was thinking these days.
Even's short temper was becoming shorter as his patience grew weak. He would sometimes disappear for days at a time and when he came back he would often be found yelling at himself about his failures.
Ienzo was always running around, doing various experiments, never talking. He had always been like this but the others felt a dark aura, a dark wall growing between them and him.
And Xehanort… Xehanort was the worst. He was always watching, always judging. When someone did something wrong he was always there to notice. He was always there to see you fall. Always.
All of this Ghost had heard and commented about.
She always gave him the same warning though.
Don't trust Xehanort…
But little did Aeleus know that all that he had told her she was already watching.
XxXxX
When I found out the truth I felt… angry… betrayed… but most of all I felt… broken…
XxXxX
Creating rottweiler sandwiches was probably the weirdest thing the Aeleus made so far.
First came the bread and then came the pickles and then the ketchup and then the… Well you get the point.
Making his way back to the others he was suddenly stopped Xehanort.
"Aeleus! I was looking for you." While Aeleus felt like it was nice to be needed he didn't like the look in Xehanort's eyes.
"Sandwich?"
"No it's… okay…" Aeleus saw Xehanort's lip curl up in distaste. "Here… This way." Suddenly turning left Aeleus finally realized where Xehanort was leading him. One of the old storage rooms where they used to keep the heartless.
"Why were you looking for me?"
"Oh… Just for a… test…" Xehanort unlocked the door with a large brass ring of jangling keys.
XxXxX
Don't trust Xehanort…
How could I be so careless?
Now I know it was wrong to believe what he had said was true. Xehanort was a deceiver, a trickster. He tricked me.
But when he planned on stealing my heart I was supposed to become a heartless. But somehow… I became a nobody.
But my heart wasn't strong so…
So why…?
XxXxX
Aeleus just sat there. He thought about what had just happened. And he laughed.
"Well now I'm done for…"
Xehanort had locked the door leaving him alone in a storage room full of heartless.
His parting words were. "I am no longer Xehanort… I am now Xemnas. And I must see if you are strong enough to serve me…"
He's crazy.
"…I'm a fool…" Aeleus muttered under his breath and stared right at the nearing shadow heartless.
Well they'll never get to eat my cooking again…
He handed the platter to one of the heartless. "Sandwich?"
It cocked it's head in confusion, as did the others.
"Look these sandwiches taste much better then my heart…" Aeleus trailed off. What the hell was he doing? Talking to a heartless? It was almost laughable.
And then one of the bolder heartless took one. After a few minutes of chewing it seemed to give a silent signal and the rest swarmed over the platter, ambushing the sandwiches. That was when Aeleus heard the laughter again.
"Ghost?"
Didn't I tell you not to trust Xehanort? No use crying over it though…
"Well maybe you could help?"
I'm sorry Aeleus… But what can I do? I am not of the material world. I cannot open the lock. I cannot call for help… I'm sorry…Aeleus… I'm sorry… All I can do is stay with you… Stay and watch.
"Like you said, no use crying over it. And it'll be nice to have a friend."
By now the heartless had already finished the sandwiches and they were still hungry.
… It was over in minutes.
And Ghost watched it all. And then for a moment Aeleus no longer saw a cat beside him but a tiger but it quickly morphed into a… a dusk?
And then he was gone.
Ghost P.O.V.
I couldn't do anything to defeat the heartless. Why?
Because I am a nobody. The unknown nobody. The guardian nobody.
But because I am a nobody… I cannot harm the heartless. I cannot do a thing.
I guess I could tell you what happened after Aeleus fell unconscious.
To put it simply… he was supposed to become a heartless but I turned him into a nobody.
I guess I… I pitied him.
But I am not gone. I'm still around…
After all… I guard the realm that never was.
I was part of the Organization at one point but then…
Let us not talk of bitter things.
I guess I could tell you my name but…
Ja –
Oh look… Here comes Lexaeus…
XxXxX
"I never found out how I became a nobody." Lexaeus looked into the shadows.
"Isn't it obvious? A heartless too you're heart and you had an empty husk with some of your spirit. The end." He turned to find Xemnas walking behind him.
"Yes…that's right."
"Come now. You'll be late for the meeting."
Lexaeus turned to follow when suddenly he thought he had heard something in the shadows.
Don't trust him… Never trust Xehanort…
Shaking his head he walked away.
Ghost P.O.V.
I have only one word to say.
Fool.
XXxxXXxxXX
FINALLY FINISHED!!! The above story about the guardian/Ghost is continued in another fic of mine called 'Ghost in a Garbage Can'. I'll add a bit more in the ongoing chapters. Oh and I'm posting up a picture of a heartless eating a sandwich on my website… LOL. Next:
The wind brushes the figure's hood back as frail hands wring together worriedly. Something has undoubtedly gone wrong as the seventh gong chimes. The footsteps echo as they pace around the room one-way to another. It is now certain… Something has gone wrong as the Seventh Hour comes: Blood Moon