Zexion awoke a few hours later (He wasn't sure when he passed out, but knew he did somehow), and noticed none of his friends were around.
"G-Guys? Where are you…?" The scared teenager asked, holding the book he took with him against his lap, looking around the strange place, trying to find his friends. "If this is some joke, stop it! It isn't funny!" He shouted, now starting to panic more.
"I'm afraid they aren't here, young one." A mysterious voice said from somewhere inside the location he was at. Zexion jumped up, slightly startled, looking around. "Oh, there's no need to worry young one. I've been taking good care of you." The person speaking came out from where they were, revealing itself to Zexion.
Zexion was now shaking in fear at the sight of the person, and curled up in the corner of the couch, stuttering, "M-M-M-Marluxia…! Th-he Grac-c-c-"
"The Graceful Reaper, yes; such a dreaded name I happened to come by in my time of life." Marluxia said, cutting off what Zexion was saying, walking over to him, sitting on the couch next to him. Marluxia looked over at Zexion and said "Now, let me see those wounds of yours." He slid himself over to him and rested a hand on Zexion's shoulder.
Zexion flinched and looked at him, curiously asking "What wounds…? I don't remember getting any…-" he started to say again, but was cut off by Marluxia's statement.
"Any group of people who try to walk into this forest, into the deepest part, trying to approach my cabin; of one of them, one will get stabbed by the Thornless Rose. It leaves no visible wound, yet is very deadly. One stab of it, within 24 hours, can kill a person. No normal medical treatment can cure them." Marluxia said that last part in a solemn voice, looking aside, and then continuing, "It was how my youngest sister, Lumaria, died…"
Zexion then looked over at Marluxia, tilting his head, asking, "Lumaria? Isn't that the name of the person who founded this town over 500 years ago?" Marluxia nodded. "Wait, doesn't that mean you're over…"
"My appearance is that of a person in their 30's, however, my real age is lost to the winds of time." Marluxia said in a slight depressed tone. " At first I tried to burn every wretched flower and thorn that this forest could produce, but to no avail, they all grew back instantly. Eventually, I gave up that task, and I devoted my time after Lumaria's death to researching the ways to cure this deadly disease. Unfortunately, through my studies, I produced a way to live forever. Now I'm stuck with this wretched curse; however, I make the best of it and cure those who are foolish enough to enter the forest."
Zexion looked down and sighed softly, replying "Such a sad story…" Marluxia sighed as well, looking aside again, facing the wall. It was quiet for a few minutes, not even the sound of the ticking of the antique clock could be heard. Yes, words could not be spoken at the moment.
Zexion then finally looked back up at Marluxia and asked "I am curious, though. What is this 'Mark of the Reaper' that I keep hearing about?" Marluxia kept his head tilted away, pondering how to reply.
"Well, that term is used to describe the mark that shows up after being healed from the curse of the Thornless Rose. However, there's a slight problem with the cure." Marluxia then turned back to Zexion and continued, "It makes the person unable to die."
Zexion's eyes widened from the response. The words echoed throughout his head 'It makes the person unable to die.' Zexion looked down at his side, a location where he expected the invisible marking to be. There was no visible pain, no visible scar – How could he trust Marluxia; what he said, his story, this Thornless Rose, any of it. It just didn't seem possible.
"C-Completely unable to d-d-die?" Zexion hesitantly asked. There was no way to describe the fear Zexion had at the moment – it took all the courage he had to ask that, and then some more.
Marluxia placed his hand to his chin and stroked his, sighing. "Unfortunately, it does mean unable to die – by any means available. I should know, I've tried countless times to end my life so I could join my sister in the next life." Marluxia pulled a picture from his pockets, and gazed down at it. Zexion looked over at it and was astounded by what he saw – a younger version of Marluxia standing beside the founder of the town, his sister, Lumaria. Marluxia ran a finger down across the side of the picture where Lumaria was and sighed heavily.
Zexion started to believe his story now and nodded to himself; he had come to a decision on what he was going to do. "Alright." Zexion said. Marluxia jumped back to reality and looked at Zexion, blinking. "Please, Marluxia. Give me the cure. I've made up my mind, and also..." Marluxia sat there, waiting for him to finish the sentence. Zexion looked away at from Marluxia, straight at the ground "I plan on, er, staying with you... so you aren't alone anymore..." He kept his face hidden from sight, but turned back a few seconds later and looked at Marluxia, who's frown from earlier had turned into a smile.
Marluxia placed a hand on Zexion's shoulder, and said in a soft voice "You don't have to do this, you know. I've lived by myself for nearly 500 years. I can manage by myself."
Zexion shook his head and placed a hand on Marluxia's leg, saying "I'd rather spend an eternity with someone who's going through the same thing I'm going through, then to have us both spend it alone and suffering." Marluxia tried to hold back his tears, as Zexion rested his head against the Pink haired man's chest. Marluxia rubbed the purple-haired teen's head, as they both began to smile.
Zexion, before he fell asleep, said in a whisper, barely loud enough for Marluxia to hear "Cure me on my sleep, please..." Marluxia started stroking his the teen's hair, nodding. Zexion fell asleep moments later. Marluxia made his scythe appear, as a light shone from the tip onto Zexion's side, making the mark from the Thornless Rose appear there. Marluxia scraped the tip of the scythe across the mark. When Marluxia was finished the curse dissipated into the air, and in it's place were two scythes crossing over each other, overlapping a black rose.
***
Zexion woke up around 3 am, and began looking around. He sat up on the couch and noticed the blanket wrapped around him. The lights were all off, and it sounded dead quiet. Zexion stood up, wobbling a bit. He looked down at his side and noticed the mark Marluxia had left him. He trailed his fingertips across it, as it stung a little bit. The purple-haired teen walked himself over to Marluxia's room, and stood at the doorway, gazing over at the pink-haired adult across the room, who was standing by the sliding glass door to the backyard of the house. Zexion walked into the room and stood beside Marluxia; what he saw outside the door was amazing: a large garden of flowers of all variety. Daisies, Tulips, Sunflowers, Roses, even exotic ones that Zexion didn't even know the names to. Marluxia looked over at Zexion and rubbed his head, smiling. Zexion rubbed against his hand, yawning again.
Zexion, who was still staring out at the garden of flowers, then said in an amazed, yet tired, tone, "It's so beautiful..."
Marluxia then bent down and whispered into Zexion's, "Not as much as you are..." Within an instant, Zexion's face turned a bright shade of red, as he dug his head into Marluxia's side. Marluxia smiled and then flung himself onto the bed, where he then pulled Zexion down with him; Zexion then smiled shortly after. The covers were soon pulled over them both by Marluxia, with some help from Zexion. Anything that happened after that is, well, you get the idea.