(I am so freaking sorry this wasn't updated! If it helps, OGC ate my soul. And I literally just kept procrastinating. So no long AN I'm afraid; I'm getting this published ASAP. Longer one next time!
Don't own.
Dedicated to my schedule. I need to get better at consistency.)
The ball within the castle tonight was already promising to be a grand affair. The king and queen had planned it for almost an entire year, making sure everything was perfect. It was rumored that there was going to be announcement of one of the children's engagements that night, and thus, the whole kingdom was abuzz with the news.
Demyx could hear his sisters preparing in their room. He sighed. He didn't want his sisters to get married, and he sincerely hoped that the engagement was to be Marluxia's. They were still too young and sweet to get married. Besides, he didn't want to be the last one left without a lover. He winced, opening his dresser and sorting through his collections of stones, glass shards, and assorted accessories he'd fashioned out of what was within the gardens. He decided on a simple necklace of green and blue sea glass shards, a ring of coral, and a ring for his tail made of mother-of-pearl. Peggy rippled her strings with indignation, and Demyx laughed, grinning indulgently at his sitar.
"I hear you, Peggy. You'll get to dress up too; one sec..." He muttered, rummaging through his collection again. He finally found a string of shimmering pearls that each shone with a different color when it caught the light. He grinned, threading it gently between her strings. He observed her for a moment before putting a few strands of emerald seaweed in between them as well. He laughed with delight, picking her up. "Good enough?" He asked. Her strings hummed happily. Demyx smiled. "Great! Come on, let's go bother Namine and Kairi." He said, taking the sheet music off of his bed as he darted out of his room and into theirs.
Kairi had already put pearls in her hair, pale rose colored beads that bobbed and swayed in time with her wavering hair. She was putting an albalone shell necklace on when she heard Demyx come in. Namine jumped, startled out of trying to convince her new pet, a small crimson crab, to attach itself to a strand of her hair. Kairi sighed, smiling at her brother. "Dem, don't scare us like that." She said, flicking his nose. "So what's up, big bro?" She asked. Demyx shrugged.
"Nothing, Kai. I'm just done getting ready. Do you guys need help with anything? Marluxia's being all secretive and bitchy, and I don't want to court death tonight." He drawled, as Kairi and Namine giggled. Namine shook her head, holding her crab steady so he could situate himself comfortably in her hair.
"Oh, no. I think we're ready too, don't you, Kairi?" She asked her twin. The other girl nodded, smiling mischieviously.
"Most certainly! Come on, let's go bother mom and dad!" She said, darting out of her room. Demyx rolled his eyes, but didn't complain as he followed them down the hallway and into the ballroom.
The whole room glittered with the beauty of an entire wall made up of only the brightest sea glass, vibrant flowers growing in between the spaces. Brightly colored fish swum lazily throughout the whole room, their scales illuminated by the shimmering coral chandelier. Thin strands of seaweed that shimmered in all the shades of green that the merfolk could name were draped throughout the branches of the chandelier, floating gently as currents stirred them.
Oyster shells were layered upon the ceiling, their dusky shine adding some mystery to the room. Demyx swum up to stroke their ribbed edges, smiling as he traced the unique twirls and layers of each oyster. He noticed small pearls within the spaces between the oysters that simply added to the shine, and he stroked their glistening surfaces in wonder, eyes lighting up as he tried to look at everything in the room.
The ballroom floor was made of all sorts of stones in all colors, shapes, and sizes. They were worn flat and fit neatly into the floor; however, Marluxia had managed to coax some plants into spilling out from in between the cracks. Demyx swum back down to see his parents standing at the threshold of the ballroom.
Sephiroth wore nothing more than a silver diadem, inlaid with a single black pearl. Cloud wore the reverse-a gold diadem with a single white pearl. The two seemed to complement each other beautifully. They needed no other adornment than each other; their love shone brighter than any jewel, stone, or shell they could wear.
Sephiroth smiled at his children, surveying the entire ballroom as Cloud sighed. "Marluxia's gone?" He asked. Sephiroth nodded.
"Dear, you know he's-" Sephiroth was cut off by Cloud elbowing him in the ribs and glaring at him pointedly. Sephiroth winced. "Yes, right. Anyways. Are you three ready? Kairi, Namine, you have your songs?" The twins held up their music. Sephiroth nodded. "Good, good. Demyx?"
"And Peggy, dad." Demyx reminded him as his sitar chimed an agreement. Sephiroth resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"Yes. And Peggy." He muttered. "Are you ready?" He asked. Demyx nodded. Sephiroth sighed in relief. "Lovely. We'll announce you and your sisters when the ball starts, have no fear. Now off with you, all right?" He said. The three nodded, darting out of the room and heading out into the garden.
Demyx blinked, skidding to a stop as he observed the garden. Nothing seemed out of place; all the flowers grew as normal, the ocean had not changed in the slightest...yet Demyx felt like something was wrong. He listened for a moment, and then heard it. His brother was crying.
He bolted right towards the sound of his brother weeping, fear racing through his heart as he stopped at the gate to his brother's garden. He realized that not only was Marluxia keening, Vexen was murmuring sweet nothings that he could barely hear over the sound of his brother's sobs. Demyx paused, beckoning Namine and Kairi to hide with him.
"Hon, it could be worse." Vexen murmured, quiet enough that the three siblings had to strain to hear. Marluxia shook his head feverently.
"How, Vexen! What else could they do, lock me in my room and announce my marriage for me?" He snapped. Vexen winced, and Marluxia shook his head, immediately backpedaling as he cradled Vexen closer. "Oh, no...sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you." He murmured. Vexen nodded, stroking his hair gently.
"I know that, fool." He murmured, smirking as Marluxia stuck his tongue out at him. Vexen laughed quietly. "Marluxia, listen. You can't exactly blame your parents for this one. You know what Larxene's like." He reminded him. Marluxia shook his head vehemently.
"She's my best friend! Hell, she's my only friend! She's the only one besides you and my siblings who doesn't treat me like a spoiled prince! I don't care if it's a typical complaint, I'm going to bitch about it anyway! I'm so damn sick of everyone faking affection for me!" He sighed. "At least I know you really love me, even if you're a pain in the ass." He teased. Vexen tugged his hair gently.
"Hush, darling." He grinned. "Besides...Larxene's tough. I doubt this will hurt her." He reminded his lover. Marluxia nodded.
"I know it won't bother her...but it really hurts me. I want her to see me ask for your hand...call it stupid and soppy, but..." He trailed off. Vexen shook his head.
"No. No, it's not stupid and soppy. Marluxia, I don't blame you at all. In fact, I wish...there was some way we could bring her here." He murmured. Marluxia raised an eyebrow.
"There's one way we could do this. It would be cliche, it would be foolish, and it would probably bring mom and dad's wrath on us both. Plus, we'd miss Demyx, Kairi, and Namine all performing...but..." He grinned. "We could totally ditch the party." Vexen rolled his eyes.
"As much as I hate to say it, you're right...except that wouldn't be fair on your siblings. They love you, Marluxia." He reminded him.
"Oh, totally! That's why we'll come with you!" Too late, Kairi realized they weren't supposed to know that they'd been listening. She clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. Namine simply put her head in her hands.
Marluxia sighed. "No. No, I don't want to drag you all into this. It...it's a stupid idea." He murmured. "But...oh, I wanted her here so bad..."
"Dude, I know. That's why I'm crashing the party." Larxene announced, swimming into the garden like she owned the place. Vexen's eye twitched, and he glared at them all, temper finally running threadbare.
"Must our private moments be interrupted on a constant basis? I mean, really!" He snapped. The others shrugged. Marluxia simply burst out laughing, hugging Larxene close to him.
"Oh, you're so awesome." He murmured. Larxene grinned, kissing his forehead.
"Well, what else would you have me do? Miss out on both the best party ever-which my best friend is getting married at, mind you-and the fine piece of tail that is your sister?" She purred, sneaking a devilish glance in Namine's direction. Marluxia rolled his eyes as Namine flared red, wringing her hands and giggling with nervous shyness.
"Now now, Larx. You can flirt later. We're going to be announced in soon-hell, what are we going to do..." He chewed his lip thoughtfully. "Oh! I know! There's that balcony, right? Sneak up there. Don't worry, no one should be up there. It's foolproof!" He said cheerfully. Vexen rolled his eyes.
"Famous last words, my love." He muttered. Marluxia simply glared at him. Vexen smirked in return, giving him a gentle kiss before they all heard the sound of trumpets. They split up; Vexen and Marluxia to the foyer to be announced as a couple, Larxene to hide in the balcony, and Demyx, Kairi, and Namine to enter the ballroom with their parents.
Cloud greeted them with a gentle smile as the three swam up to stand beside them. "You three go first, okay?" He whispered. They nodded, tense and eager to step inside. Sephiroth betrayed no emotion, but they saw his pale skin had gotten even lighter, and he was clutching Cloud's hand for comfort. Names of all the dignitaries were called off, one by one. Then, finally...
"The great Sea King, Sephiroth; the Sea Queen, Cloud; and the heirs to the throne; Prince Demyx and the Princesses Kairi and Namine!" The voice resounded through the room as the family stepped forward, descending the steps and watching the twilight ocean shining through the stained glass wall.
Demyx waited eagerly for the last announcement. In fact, it seemed as if the whole kingdom was holding its' breath. Then he heard the soft swish of water that meant someone was approaching.
"The Princes Marluxia and Vexen." The courier said in a hushed tone.
There was complete silence as the both of them descended to the ballroom floor, hand in hand. The whole world seemed to stop as the two faced each other.
"Marluxia." Vexen spoke first, tucking a strand of his lover's hair behind his ear. "You are my everything." He whispered. Marluxia was smiling, trying to hide his joy, but completely failing.
"Vexen." He murmured. "You are my star." He pulled him slightly closer. "I...I ask for your hand in marriage, Vexen. Will you have me? Will you take me and keep me by your side for all your days?" He asked. Vexen simply watched him for a moment.
Then he pulled Marluxia into a gentle kiss. It only lasted an instant, but seemed like a small forever. Then they pulled apart, and Vexen smiled.
"Yes." He murmured. "Yes, Marluxia. I'll marry you."
Silence continued to keep its' hold on all of them.
Then there was a loud, obnoxious, beautifully obscene wolf-whistle from the balcony.
They all saw Larxene sitting atop the balcony railing, waving cheerfully at the newly engaged couple. She simply regarded them all with a haughty glance before the sea-witch rose her arms and set the whole room aglow with a shimmering rainbow light.
As Marluxia and Vexen burst out laughing, the entire castle rose up and cheered.
The rest of the dance was a joyous affair. The whole world seemed to be rejoicing at the news of their engagement, and the lovers themselves were lit up like stars, animated and blissful.
However, Demyx sat on his own. As his sisters sang for the dancers, he strummed Peggy's song and let his thoughts wander and his hands dance across his sitar; they knew these strings, this song-he didn't need to think about the notes, he just needed to focus on the music. Had to focus on the music. Couldn't think about anything else.
But Peggy knew him better than anyone else. No matter how hard he tried, there was a mournful tune that reverbrated through every song he played, no matter how joyous the song should've been. It didn't seem like anyone else noticed, but he knew it was there and he loathed it. He should be happy; Marluxia thought the world of Vexen, and Vexen reciprocated his love with all that he had in him. But he wasn't happy, and part of him knew why.
He sighed. He'd meant it when he'd told his parents the ocean held nothing new for him anymore. He knew it better than anyone else. There was no story he'd not heard, no creature he hadn't befriended, and no more music to be found. He had to find a way out.
But there was only one way out, and that was the human world. Demyx sighed. His one connection to another life...
Would his parents notice if he left? He winced. He didn't want to make Marluxia think he didn't care, or that he wasn't happy for them. But he knew that there was just one place he wanted to be right now.
He took Peggy, darted silently through the water, out of the ballroom, and up past the castle and towards the surface. He was going back up to the human world.