A/N: Here's the next chapter. Hope you creatures enjoy it. Again, Reviews are welcomed. Lets get those reviews out there, people!
Warnings: Um, you can decide if there needs to be any.
Chapter five
Original POv
When I'm finally able to breath without falling closer to the darkness surrounding me,
I open my eyes.
Immediately, my eyes feel sore, tired and wanting to shut again, but I will them to stay open to the blinding light.
I blink them like a trigger-happy photographer to clear the soreness and dim the light.
As the light fades to a dull throb, I get a decent look at my surroundings.
It takes a minute for me to realize that I'm in Vexen's lab in the basement of the castle,with it's white walls lined with glass beakers and test tubes with a variety of colored liquids, some glowing, some not; arranged on steel tables of different sizes and shapes, all lit with large, bright, fluorescent lights that show just what a mess his lab always is.
I'm lying on one of the steel tables on the left side of the room, behind a large, thick curtain designed to keep out all light; save for the dimmed light above me.
I hear noises on the other side of the curtain and I start to panic.
My worries soon settle as the curtain is drawn back slightly and Vexen slips in.
He seems to be startled when he sees I'm awake, but quickly recovers, because he walks over, checks my vitals and leaves without saying a word.
I'm left alone ten minutes when I hear footsteps coming into the lab.
A hush of murmurs and muted exclamations alerts me that it is several people.
I prepare to be questioned by the newcomers when the curtain is drawn back wider than before, revealing quite a few less people than I had thought.
The first I notice is Axel, looking a cross between a recently dumped teenage girl and a wet cat about to claw your face off.
Second is Larxene, who is noticeably trying to hide her emotions by acting tough and invulnerable; normal for her.
The third is Xemnas, looking slightly ragged but relieved at the sight of me alive.
The fourth and final person has their cloak on, hood covering their face, but intriguing me more to find out why there is a sense of familiarity about them.
After a few moments of silence, Xemnas breaks it with questions he has obviously been waiting patiently to voice.
"Demyx, how are you feeling?" and "What happened?" flowed out like bullets shot in quick succession.
I went to answer the first of the two questions and found that I couldn't speak with my sandpaper throat.
After a bit of struggling, I mange to feebly and quietly croak out "water", before my voice slips dormant once again.
The cloaked figure seems to cringe at my scratchy and unused voice while Vexen gets me water from a faucet hidden in the room.
I gratefully take the cup from him and swallow the water in one swift motion.
I take another try at the first question and find it much easier now to talk,
But my voice still sounds feeble as I say "I-I'm doing fine, Superior. A little beaten and tired but nothing rest won't help."
A small smile crosses my face to show that I'm just as I say I am.
"That is excellent, Demyx, but I'm now interested in how you got into your current condition. According to VIII, you were found badly beaten and tangled in your sheets Wednesday the 9th, but he says that he doesn't know what happened, even though he did say that you talked about the incident with him and XII, but only XII knows what exactly happened and she doesn't want to tell. So, I'm now forced to ask you while the memory is still fresh and I'm sorry if this discomforts you in anyway, but it is necessary."
For the first time, I actually feel like he really cares about any of us, but me in particular.
I retell my story for the second time, actually managing to get to the end.
But I couldn't help but notice that the whole time I was speaking, the figure's posture went from relaxed and calm to tense and possibly murderous.
After I finished, Xemnas nodded once to show he had heard and, turning to the mysterious figure, spoke one sentence.
"You know what to do."
The figure regained their calm composure, nodded, and headed up the stairs and out of the lab.
I stare longingly after the mysterious figure until the sound of a clearing throat turns my attention back to the remaining people.
The source of the noise was Xemnas, obviously wanting to say something before he left me to the mercies of Larxene and Axel.
"Since we are finished here, I'll leave you to rest. So will you, VIII and XII, but only after you have each asked one question of him and nothing that will tax him greatly.
He needs to be well rested for tomorrow."
He gave Axel and Larx a look of utter seriousness, gave me a slightly pitiful smile and graced Vexen with an "it will be done, correct?" smile before turning and leaving.
After the lab door had shut for the second time in ten minutes, Axel and Larxene exchanged a look before Axel spoke his question first.
"I have many questions to ask but those I'll save for when you don't look like death warmed over to the power of ten."
He gave a small chuckle before continuing.
"The main question that I want answered is how did you manage to survive? I saw you, for lack of a better word, die and then come away from it beaten and exhausted, but alive nonetheless."
He honestly had a puzzled expression on his face, like I was a medical miracle somehow.
I can assure you I'm not, but I answered his question anyway.
"I don't even know how I survived myself, Axel, but the only answer that I can make any sense of is that, somehow, Zexion kept me from joining him. I don't know how that would be possible but it's the best answer I have right now."
I cocked my head to one side to show that I was seriously puzzled.
He nodded, murmured a quick "'kay", summoned a portal, and left.
Larxene's question was short and sweet, like her good days.
"Demyx, mine isn't a question; more of a statement, a promise really.
It's this: When we find out who did this to you, you'd better have me on a mission or restrained or I will kill him the first chance I get. Oh, he also won't be a man after I'm done."
She gave me an evil smile, and then not waiting from a response, she left via the stairs, leaving me alone with Vexen.
"Now, get some rest IX. For now, you will rest here, but later I will have someone escort you to a secure room for the time being, clear?" he commanded.
I nodded before lying back down and trying to sleep.
This time I had more luck with my dreams.
They were memories of more pleasant days: our dates, the first kiss, the first night we spent together, you whacking me over the head with Grimm's Fairy Tales because I asked a stupid question, and then you called me a book abuser.
I smiled as I drifted and dreamed.
I woke around dinnertime, effectively getting at least 5 hours of sleep.
It wasn't much but it's a start.
Since I couldn't keep anything down, (we tried 2 oz. of milk and 2 waffles when I woke up hungry while I was supposed to be sleeping and that wasn't pretty at all) and we still didn't know who had attacked and raped me, Xemnas and Vexen had decided that until it was safe that I was to remain in the lab or the secure room and eat my meals there.
When Vexen came back from eating, he brought with him everyone's hopes that I'd get better and a small plate of food containing 6-10 crackers, two slices of bread and a small Dixie© cup of ginger ale, quite possibly the only non-alcoholic drink that Luxord has.
Vexen set the plate next to me on the table, went over to his main working table and bent over whatever his current obsession was.
While I gingerly ate the crackers then the bread, I wanted to know what was so special about tomorrow that Xemnas wanted me well rested for.
I decided to ask Vexen when he took a break for a few minutes from his project.
"Hey Vexen?" I paused for second so he could respond
"Yes IX, what is it?" he sounded a little wary of my question.
"Um, what's going on tomorrow? Xemnas mentioned it but didn't say what it is."
I was nervous and scared of what his answer would be.
"Oh, that. It's just a meeting to discuss recent matters and other things. Nothing to worry about"
He sounded generally relieved about my question.
That made me more curious as to why he was concerned about the question I was going to ask but I held my tongue, for once.
Instead I ate what was remaining of my "dinner", swallowed all of the ginger ale in one gulp, threw my trash in the garbage, and sat back down waiting for more instructions.
After staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours, Vexen finally announced that I would be leaving the lab to move to the secure room.
Moments after he said I was leaving, the mysterious figure, Mystery I'm calling him for now, appeared, lead me from the lab and into the hall.
Mystery turned right, toward the residential wing.
With me following like a lost puppy, he gestured a turning motion with his left hand.
This went on for a while, him waving his hand in the direction to turn and me following like a mean, old man behind a grim reaper in a graveyard.2
He finally stopped at an unmarked door back in the deepest part of the castle.
As he opened the door, I noticed that the gloves he was wearing had two thin, vertical cuts across the back of each hand.
There was only one person I knew who had gloves like that but he's dead.
I think.
But I'm not so sure anymore.
When the door swung open, he motioned me inside and looked around a little before shutting the door and leaving.
Every moment I spent with him gave me that déjà vu feeling, but I didn't know why.
Brushing that from my thoughts, I noticed that whoever had brought my things from my room had tried to make this alien room feel more comfortable.
Everything looked the same, but felt different.
Even though the floor was partially covered in clothes, some of my "posters" were up and blinds, except for a small light orange sliver of light, covered the window, it wasn't my room.
My room was where my best memories were, but now it's also the home of my torture and suffering.
I guess I'll just have to make this my new safe haven.
Sighing, I took two steps and sat on the bed.
I fell back, trying to relax.
I sat up again and, after checking the clock and seeing it was 10:00, decided to try to sleep even though I'd slept through most of the day.
My dreams were once again peaceful.
2= any who have seen the various versions of A Christmas Carol will recognize this little reference. It's also one of my favorite scenes in any of the versions, except the Disney version. That one just sucked. I mean, Pluto for Christmas Future!?!? That dog's anything but scary!
Anyway, two reviews=new chapter. I'm working on Six and it is going well. That's all for tonight. I clock out at 3:18 am. Peace!
