Kingdom Hearts:
The Truth Behind Xehanort
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Summary: Riku, Sora, and Kairi have finally returned to Destiny Islands after their two and a half year-long adventure across the universe. Things have finally settled down and everything has seemingly returned to the normal, boring way it was before. But when a letter from the King sets off a mysterious chain of events, can Riku save the one thing dearer to him than his friends? And better yet--what is this secret King Mickey has uncovered by going through the files on Ansem's computer...? "XEHANORT HAD A WHAT?!" "A fiancée, Riku. Xehanort had a fiancée." Pairings: Xehanort/OC; Suggested/Friendships: Any and All! (ie, Axel/RoxasSuggested, Zexion/LexaeusSuggested, Riku/SoraSuggested, Sora/KairiSuggested, Riku/Kairi/SoraSuggested, Zexion/DemyxSuggested, Xigbar/XaldinSuggested, etc.)
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Warnings: Major spoilers mixed in, bad language, hinted shonen-ai, possible/suggested (graphic?) character death, gruesome and multiple fight scenes, graphic torture, and possible (attempted?) (graphic?) suicide. Warnings are subject to change as story proceeds.
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Notes: 7-2-08 I don't own KH, FF(insert number here), any sort of anime/manga titles, or Disney, so anything related to them is not mine. I do, however, own my OCs, this storyline, and so on. Please excuse any problems with anyone's characters, as for about three of them, I truthfully have little to no experience and am going only on what I believe would be appropriate. And if you have any suggestions for anything, feel free to tell me! I enjoy flames, too--just not the perverted kind. X3
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LUCRECIA'S JOURNAL, ENTRY FOUR:
PROMISE
((MKL: aka "and you thought luke skywalker had it bad!, part two"))
"The Darkness...
"It consumes all.
"It is ultimate power.
"Ultimate corruption.
"And yet there always seems to be a glimmer of Light.
"Stupid mortals, thinking they can ever return.
"They should realize...
"No matter how much they run...
"No matter how well they hide...
"No matter how hard they try...
"No matter how they resist...
"When they turn to the Dark...
"...they will always...
"...Return..."
--
"...and yet...somehow...
"...despite knowing all of that...
"My doubt remains."
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Lucrecia made no attempt at conversation as Saïx silently led her though the halls of her grandfather's old labs. The corridors that they had passed through to go into the lab seemed even more sinister with the lack of three cheery teens and the addition of a single black-cloaked figure that made absolutely no noise as he walked down the halls. Lucrecia could not help but shudder as a voice in her mind asked whether he even breathed before mentally repremanding herself.
This was Sïa. Her old friend Sïa, the one who Xeha had said he would entrust with his life--and apparently did. She would not think that way about him.
"Are we getting close?" Lucrecia asked, voice echoing down the empty hallways as she attempted to break the silence. Saïx glanced over his shoulder and nodded.
"Just down this hallway," he said quietly, gesturing towards the hall that Lucrecia distantly realized led the way to the only bedroom next to the labs. She briefly wondered why he was there before deciding that it had something to do with his injuries and returning to the conversation.
"How..." She paused and swallowed, gazing intently at the back of Saïx's head. "How bad is he?"
Saïx hesitated only a moment. "...your son and his friend did quite a number on him, but he will survive."
Lucrecia could not help but smile despite the grave situation. That was what she had always loved about Sïa--he was always willing to tell the truth, no matter what the reprocutions.
"Thank you," she said suddenly. Saïx paused in front of a doorway and turned to face her, brow furrowed as she smiled at him.
"For what?" he asked softly. Lucrecia hesitated for only a moment before smiling gently and reaching out to take one of his hands, realizing it was smooth and uncalloused despite the fact that he was a battle-hardened warrior.
"For taking care of him."
Saïx's gaze slowly drifted to the side. "I...I had help."
"But still," she said, continuing to smile, "you took care of him, help or not. So thanks."
A moment of silence.
"He's in here," Saïx said quietly, pulling his hand from her grasp and taking a step back, bowing his head a fraction. Lucrecia's smile slowly fell and she turned towards the door, hesitating only a moment before gripping the handle tightly and carefully opening the door, stepping in and leaving it open behind her.
The room was simple, all white, with wooden cabinates and marble counters along the wall on her right. There was a single window high up on the wall before her, and machines beeped quietly nearby, but none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered to Lucrecia was the queen sized bed shoved into the back-left corner--more specifically, the man laying in it.
Lucrecia froze as she stared at the sleeping, bandaged man whose chest hardly moved, eyes closed and a default, apathetic expression on his face. Lucrecia took a single step forward, tears once more welling up in her eyes, but she forced them away and instead walked over to the bed. She choaked back a sob when she saw the way that his chest was completely wrapped in white bandages, the blankets falling around his waist and covering his legs doing nothing to hide his well-muscled, bare, bandage-wrapped arms. He even had a large strip of cloth covering the whole of his right cheek, three thin trails of blood leaking through, although they were partially hidden by his shoulder-length, silver hair.
Lucrecia's hands went to her mouth as she continued to stare at the sleeping form, which twitched a bit as his head turned towards her as if uncontiously sensing that she was there. Somehow, she got the feeling that he did.
"Xeha..." she mumbled, quickly rushing to his side. The tears finally fell again even as she willed them to stop, thin trails of salty wetness slowly falling down her cheeks from the corners of her eyes. She reached out and gripped Xemnas' calloused hand tightly in her own, shaking her head. "Oh Xeha. I...oh Shiva, Xeha, why? Why did you do this to yourself?"
She reached out with her free right hand and gently ran her fingers down his unwounded cheek, choaking back another sob as she rested her hand against the slightly warm skin. He still looked so young...according to her timeline, he was only thirty-seven when the events took place. Mentally he would be nearly fourty-six years old, but he would forever be thirty-seven physically. She closed her eyes a few moments and listened to the steady beep of machinery next to her, distantly aware that it must have been specifically designed to moniter the lungs instead of the Heart. The apprentances had always been so resourceful...
"...Lucr...ecia...?" a familiar, slightly raspy voice asked quietly next to her. Lucrecia's eyes snapped open and she gasped despite herself, blinking rapidly. Familiar reddish-gold eyes stared back at her--a bit duller than they had once been, and a bit more red than gold, but they were still as wonderful as she remembered.
"Xehanort," was all she could say in response.
Silence.
Suddenly it hit and Lucrecia let the tears fall again, eyes widening as she leaned foreward a fraction. "Xehanort!"
"Lucrecia," Xemnas mumbled, sounding a bit out of it. Judging by the way that he seemed to only half-see her, his beautiful eyes slightly glazed over, he must have been deeply medicated. He raised a shaky arm and cupped the hand on his cheek with his own, larger one, gazing distantly at her. "Lucrecia...you're...here."
"Of course," she quickly told him, a watery smile appearing on her face as she squeezed his left hand re-assuringly. "I came to see you, Xehanort. You...never returned for me."
Xemnas looked like he only heard about half of that, but somehow got the gist of it. "It wasn't...safe yet."
Lucrecia shook her head rapidly, a wry laugh falling from her thick, naturally-red lips. "You act as though I would care." She leaned forward and gently captured his lips with her own, putting as much feeling into the action as she could to make up for the fact that, judging by what she had heard, he was unable to. He responded accordingly to her advance, but it seemed...almost automatic. Like it was more instinct than feeling--which it truthfully was. She pulled back slowly, holding his lower lip between her teeth for a few moments before reluctantly letting go. She nearly laughed again at the needy look on his face, like he wanted more, but had no way to communicate that. "I would travel the universe for you, destroy a thousand worlds to see your face for even an instant. Xehanort...I love you. I always have. I always will."
Xemnas' expression fell and he looked like he wanted to jump off a cliff. "I wish...I could say...the same," he managed to admit, voice slightly husky.
"You don't have to," Lucrecia assured him quietly. "I know that you would, if you could. And that's more than enough."
Xemnas seemed satisfied before he noticed something and lifted the hand that had cupped hers, gently wiping at a tear that fell down her face. He seemed confused as he stared at the small drop of water that rested on the tip of his thumb. He glanced up at her sluggishly.
"You were...crying," he noticed rather stupidly. Lucrecia smiled and nodded a bit, squeezing his hand again as she gently ran her own thumb along Xemnas' cheekbone.
"I was," she admitted softly. "I...was just so happy to see you."
Xemnas stared blankly at her for a few moments before returning his gaze to the tear, frowning a bit. "I...remember that...emotion. J-joy. It was...one of my...favorites."
Lucrecia's smile widened a fraction as her eyes threatened to mist over again, although she managed to hold back her tears this time. "I would think so. You always had to tell a joke or play a prank if the situation became too serious or sad. Remember," she gave a quiet laugh at the memory, "remember when my kitten died? You brought me a bunch of roses, and then when I went to sniff them, you sprayed water in my face using the small hose you hid inside."
Something about her expression caused Xemnas to smile weakly in return. "I d-do," he whispered. "It was two days...before you found out y...you were pregnant...with Ienzo."
Lucrecia nodded silently and pulled the hand from his face to hold his free one, causing the tear ballancing on top of it to spill over.
"And then, eight and a half months later, we had our first child," she mumbled quietly. Xemnas' smile widened a fraction, eyelids drooping a fraction before he quickly forced them to open more.
"And...Riku?" he asked quietly. Lucrecia nearly choaked, although she smiled again.
"He's here, with me. He and his friends are going to sleep."
"...is it...late?"
"At least eleven at night," she mumbled quietly. Xemnas suddenly frowned at her, looking almost disapproving.
"You should b...be asleep, too..." he responded. Lucrecia chuckled quietly.
"I'm not leaving you again, love."
Xemnas stared into her eyes. His voice seemed to get quieter. "I met a Ri...a Riku a l-little while...ago. He was...strong."
Lucrecia's smile fell a fraction, not escaping Xemnas' notice. He blinked at her blearily.
"He seemed like...like he w-was really...nice," he finally said, voice seeming to fade as he went on. He cleared his throat and when he resumed speaking, it was back to being as strong as when the sentance started. "He had some...friends with him." He gave his slight smile again. "He...reminded me of...you. I wonder if...if our s-son is that strong."
Lucrecia hesitated only a moment before her smile widened again and she nodded. "I hope so, too," she agreed softly. She noticed that Xemnas was now struggling to keep his eyes open even a fraction and she chuckled quietly, tilting her head. "You need to sleep. You're still recovering from your injuries."
"But...this..." Xemnas suddenly seemed helpless, eyes widening a fraction in his shadowed horror. "It will end...when I w-wake...up. You'll be...gone..." His voice dropped until Lucrecia could barely hear it. "Just like...all those times b...before..."
Lucrecia stared blankly at him for a few moments before she suddenly chuckled quietly and leaned forward, his hot breath and hers mingling together as their eyes locked, level with each other. "I promise I will be here when you wake up."
He gave an almost-whimper, fighting a losing battle to stay contious. "You...promise...?"
"Promise," she mumbled, leaning forward and gently kissing him again. She relished in the familiar taste of mint and what could only be described as Darkness as she carefully nipped at his lip, knowing full-well he did not have enough energy to fight back. When his lips finally went slack and his breathing evened, Lucrecia pulled back with a soft smile. "I promise, Xemnas. I won't leave you tonight...and like I said before...I'll follow you to the ends of the universe."
Saïx heard from outside and smiled to himself, walking off to go find a blanket. He knew as well as everyone else in the whole of Radient Garden that when Lucrecia made a promise, she kept it.
When he returned, blanket in hand, she was out like a light, head resting on Xemnas' chest and still clutching both of his hands. Saïx paused in the doorway, staring in surprise at the obviously-uncomfortable position, then smiled again and walked over. He carefully lifted her up so that she was laying next to Xemnas on the bed, moving slowly so as not to wake her, and left her head and hands alone. Lucrecia uncontiously curled up closer to Xemnas, who in return opened a bleary eye just long enough to see Saïx fixing a blanket over them. He carefully pulled his right hand from Lucrecia's grasp and instead clutched her close, closing his eye and falling asleep again before Saïx could realize he was awake in the first place.
On his way out, Saïx paused in the doorway, the fine hairs on the back of his neck standing up and he let out a low growl. He sensed a powerful Heartless nearby, one with a familiar, yet unfamiliar scent, but when he turned around to look into the room, it abruptly disappeared. Saïx watched the sleeping couple for a few, tense moments before cursing his own nerves and leaving, muttering to himself about "stupid over-protectiveness" as he made his way to his own room.
He was unaware that Xehanort's Heartless was nearby, smirking at the two sleeping on the bed as a low chuckle escaped its lips. Perhaps it would have to wait for a little time before it could put its plan into action...but it was patient, and it would not spring its trap until it was ready.
No matter how long that took...
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When Xemnas awoke fully, he was aware of three things. One: His amazingly-accurate internal clock told him that it was nearly nine in the morning. Two: He was in intense pain, although it was quickly dulling even as he thought so. And three:
There was something warm and comfortably familiar resting on his chest.
He pried open his eyes, blinking a few times in the harsh sunlight, and wearily scanned the room he was in before he did anything else as his warrior instincts told him. Xemnas reluctantly relaxed a fraction when he realized that he was in one of the labs in the Corridors outside of Ansem the Wise's study, vaguely aware of why he was and thankful that the others had put him there. A familiar scent suddenly invaded his senses as well as a gentle thump from nearby that he recognized as a Heartbeat and his eyes widened as he craned his neck, staring in shock at the familiar form sleeping in his arms.
It was none other than his wonderful, beautiful Lucrecia.
Xemnas stared blankly at her for a few moments as he processed this, the slightly hazy events of the night before flooding his mind. The hole in his chest throbbed gently as it suddenly occured to him that they were real. Not another of his wishful dreams--this was real.
He nearly fell over at the thought, and probably would have, had he not already been laying down on a bed.
He quickly turned his attention to studying the features of his Lucrecia, who was sleeping soundly. She was almost exactly as he remembered, but somehow, it was better because this was REAL!
Her skin, unnaturally pale despite her many years on Destiny Islands, seemed to glow with radience, the slight flush on her high cheekbones only accenting that ethereal illusion. Her lips, full, lush, and more familiar to Xemnas than his own were slightly parted as if begging him to take them in his own, and her eyes, though closed, were undoubtedly as beautiful as he remembered--slanted storms of purple and blue that clashed against each other in a hypnotic way. She had aged, to be sure, and the crow's feet in the corners of her eyes and the slight creases in her forehead showed that, but she had aged gracefully, losing none of her natural beauty.
Unable to hold back anymore, Xemnas carefully brushed the long black hair, seemingly blue in the soft light filtering into the room, from her face and leaned forward, gently catching her lips in his own. He nearly died when he tasted the familiar mix of chocolate and what could only be described as Light, careful not to do anything more than nip on her lower lip before he slowly pulled back, gazing at his Lucrecia as a fierce protectiveness overcame him.
She was there. She was his. And he was not planning on letting her go any time soon.
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As if in response to the silent pleas in the back of Xemnas' mind, purple-blue orbs flickered open, blinking lazily in the light of the room as Lucrecia slowly awoke. She glanced around in confusion for a few moments before remembering where she was. Her eyes widened in surprise and she practically jumped into a sitting position, trying to pull her hands to her face as she slowly started to blush. She was unable to do so when her hands were held fast and she blinked slowly in confusion before lifting her gaze to meet familiar reddish-gold orbs that were much clearer than they had been that night.
"Good morning," Xemnas mumbled, smiling a bit at her. She nearly melted right there as she smiled back.
"Good morning," she responded quietly, voice hardly more than a whisper.
The two stared at each other in silence for a few moments.
"Lucrecia," Xemnas half-whispered, looking at her almost pleadingly. "You came back."
"Of course," she chuckled. She continued to smile at him, whispering herself despite the fact that she knew there was no need. For some odd reason, she got the feeling that, should she speak too loudly, the peace of the morning would be shattered. "Don't you remember what I said last night?"
Xemnas stared at her for a few moments. "...bits and pieces."
Lucrecia again chuckled and nodded. "I could understand that. You seemed heavily-medicated."
"I remember...speaking of Riku and Ienzo," he said in a soft voice. Lucrecia paused at that, smile faultering.
"A little of both," she admitted. "Mostly of Riku."
"Is he safe?"
Lucrecia smiled and nodded at him. "Perfectly so. Actually, he's here. Well, in another room, but still..."
Xemnas froze at that and stared at her. "You took him with?" he asked, sounding almost haunted. Lucrecia arched an eyebrow and nodded slowly.
"Of course," she said quietly. "We recieved a letter from King Mickey saying that he needed us to come. He said that I needed to come with--that it was about 'Xeha and the others'."
The younger of the two flinched a bit as Lucrecia gave him a pointed look. "Don't you dare start," she warned him. She smiled again. "Didn't you know I already forgave you?"
"You have no idea what we did," he responded, eyes closing slowly. He blinked them open in surprise when she caught his lips in her own, although he quickly melted into it. She pulled back all too soon and he gazed at her helplessly, wishing that she would have continued. She merely smiled.
"I think I have a pretty good idea. I got all of the information from Sora."
Xemnas stared blankly at her for a moment before it clicked and his eyes widened a fraction. "The Keyblade Weilder?!"
"And his friend Riku," she added, staring pointedly at him. She paused a moment before elaborating. "Your son Riku."
Her lover looked about ready to die at that. "Then...our...your...my...my son?" he asked meekly. Lucrecia smiled and nodded.
"He's just as strong as you hoped, both physically and mentally."
"Then I nearly...I almost..." Xemnas looked ready to puke. "Oh Naught. I nearly...killed...our son...?"
"But you didn't," Lucrecia said quietly. "And that's all that matters."
"Does he...?" he asked, voice hardly more than a whisper.
"No." Lucrecia sighed and her eyes flickered until they were half-lidded. "But he is aware Zexion is his brother now."
Xemnas stayed silent for a few moments. "...I...appologize."
Lucrecia blinked in confusion, giving him a weird look. "For what?" she asked rather stupidly. Xemnas' gaze drifted to the side.
"If I hadn't wanted to find out more about the Heart," he said quietly. "If...Xehanort hadn't...then Ienzo would still..."
"If you're about to say 'be alive', stop right there." Taken-aback by the stern tone of voice, Xemnas blinked in confusion and stared at Lucrecia, who was gazing at him with a seriousness that seemed foreign, yet familiar at the same time. "He is alive, Xemnas. He lives on in Zexion, whether he knows it or not."
"You..." Xemnas seemed unable to find words for a few moments, and when he finally spoke, his voice was even quieter than a whisper. "You know my new name?"
"Of course," Lucrecia said with a soft smile. "I pried the information from everyone else. And let me tell you, it was not easy to do. I had to wait nearly a month to get Riku to tell me anything beyond, 'I left on an adventure, sorry about worrying you to death, do we have any cookies?'!"
A few moments passed before Xemnas cracked a wry smile and chuckled quietly. Lucrecia paused a moment before she smiled at him in return. "I like it better when you smile, you know," she said softly.
"Et tu," he responded quietly. He paused a moment and his gaze flickered towards the closed door before he returned it to her, a mischievious smirk gracing his face. "Why don't we stay here for another hour?"
Lucrecia stared at him a few moments before smirking in return and nodding, laying down at his side and shifting so that she would not upset his injuries. Dissatisfied, Xemnas moved her head so that it rested directly over where his Heart should have been, wrapping his right arm around her while his left hand tightened a bit on hers. She sighed in contentment and smiled again, cuddling closer and closing her eyes as she focused on his wonderful, musky scent and the gentle rise and fall of his chest. She was unperterbed by the absence of a Heartbeat and merely gave another long, content sigh.
She was fine here. She was protected. She was at home. And as long as Xemnas was close, she would always feel that way.
Always...