(No you do not get another long AN because I only have so much funny in me, people-
okay wait I lied
EVANGELION TIME
Jesus freaking christmas I don't even know. I watched a few eps when I was a kid and was relatively unbothered because I was silly and naive. Now? Now my soul hurts.
And for any fellow survivors out there, please, don't watch episode 22. That is all.
(Actually no it's not because what the fuck is up with "instant drama just add rape" in anime because it pisses me off and I expected better from Gainax except not really because I'm cynical and understand that Japan is a messed up society. And the world as a whole is very fucked up on the subject of rape. So yeah.)
Anyways, Bitchkari is still a bitch. Good lord I just want to push him in front of an oncoming train. Jesus.
Poor Rei. Whichever Rei still exists right now. ^^;
Anyways, yeah I lied short AN. Sorry!
Don't own.
Dedicated to Shinij. WILL THIS MAKE YOU HAPPY NOW?)
Xigbar knew everyone was here to plan for his birthday. But frankly, all he wanted to do was lock himself in his room. He could hear the coachmen announcing the royals of every kingdom within a two-world radius, and he knew for a fact that every princess they could find was inside those coaches. He knew he'd have to go and greet them and all those other social niceties, but he didn't care.
He stood up, threw his gold-braided jacket on the floor, and yanked on a plain black shirt and pants. He was going stealth and heading down to the beach.
With a gentle push of the window and an opening of his door, he'd leapt down from the balcony and onto the sand. He could hear the waves rushing over the beach in a constant rhythm, and already, he felt at peace. He raced across the dunes and headed down the sand and onto one of the rocks. He climbed up to his familiar hiding place, a rock hidden from the castle's sights by two more massive boulders shielding it from prying eyes. Xigbar sighed in relief.
The beach was beautiful at night; the sand shone under the silvery moonlight, and every small shell and stone glinted and glimmered. The waves that broke upon the shore spilled over the sand and shone silver in unison, white flecks of foam staying and bubbling on the edges of the shore on occasion.
Xigbar watched the ocean move to and fro for what seemed like hours. Then he heard a small swish of water parting, like someone was swimming through it at a breakneck pace. He tensed; Xigbar was not a soft, pampered prince, and could hold his own even facing Xaldin and Lexaeus simultaneously. Someone was coming. He took out his small arrowhead knives he always kept hidden in a sleeve or discreet pocket, fingering the sharp, tempered steel as he watched the ocean.
All he saw was that same shimmering flash under the water he'd seen before. He sighed. Was that all? But he was still curious as to what it might be, so he kept watch.
It seemed to disappear for a minute, and Xigbar began to think he'd just been imagining things. Then he realized that a perfect, creamy pale conch shell with a milky rose center now lay on the beach. He might've chalked it up to the waves, except for one thing.
He heard music.
Sitar music, in fact.
Now, Xigbar could've called out to whoever was there. He wanted to, desperately. But part of him-that part of him that remembered every story and fairy tale he'd ever been told-knew that he needed to keep silent. So he did.
As the sitar continued to play, Xigbar tilted his head back and simply listened.
...
Demyx breached the surface, looking around at the surface. He smiled, tilting his head up to soak up the light of the moon. It was a beautiful night, and just the feeling of being so close to his beach made him happy. He dove back down under the water for a moment, before resurfacing in front of the rocks. He'd picked up a conch shell on the way to the surface, and he rode a wave up close to the shore, pushing the conch forward before going back out to sea with the wave.
After he'd made sure the conch was safely on the beach, he went right for his favorite rock. It gave him a clear view of the beach and the rocks both; plus, he could see the humans come and go, but they couldn't see him. After he'd climbed up on top of the rock, he took Peggy and situated her in his lap. "C'mon, Peggy," he murmured, "are you ready to play something happy?"
Her strings vibrated, a clear agreement as Demyx danced his fingers across the strings, plucking them gently as the music filled the air.
For a long time, he let the music occupy his thoughts, not knowing he was playing for a rapt audience. He let the moon shine down on him and the waves cover his tail, lapping eagerly at his fins as he continued to play.
The music wound an odd connection between them both; as Peggy played their song, Xigbar was trying desperately to restrain himself from reaching out to whoever was playing such beautiful music. The song was like nothing else he'd ever heard; it was something beautiful, alien, and oddly gentle. The notes darted across the scales like hummingbirds, creating a lilting, gentle tune that was, quite simply, the most divine and awesome thing Xigbar had ever heard, in the truest sense of the words he could muster.
Suddenly, both Demyx and Xigbar were jolted out of their thoughts as a yell reached their ears. "Xigbar! Everyone's here to greet you, so you better pull your head out of your ass and get ready!" Demyx clutched Peggy close, his heart thumping madly against his chest. Oh god, did they see him? Would they see him?
He knew he shouldn't look. But he had been taking care of this beach for the longest time, and he'd never even once glanced at the inhabitants of the castle above...
Demyx peeked over the edge. A man with fierce crimson spikes of hair was standing on the edge of the shore, talking to someone Demyx couldn't see. Then Demyx realized he'd been on the rocks...
His eyes widened. Someone had heard him. A human had heard him play.
He knew he had to leave. He did. But...just one more minute.
"Yeah, I know, Axel. Don't worry." Another voice reached his ears; it had to be the man who'd listened to him play. He continued to tremble, clutching Peggy like a lifeline.
"Aw, don't sound so glum, Xigbar!" Axel said cheerfully. "The party's tomorrow, and we're going out to the ocean, right?" Demyx inhaled sharply. They'd be out on the ocean. He could look then. He knew he had to now. Not right now, but he knew he had to find this man. He tried to see him, the man who had listened to him play, but by the time he worked up the courage, the two had already started to head up the dunes. Demyx sighed, taking Peggy and diving off the rocks and back into the ocean.
As he swam through the ocean, his mind was racing, the possibilities of what he could do tomorrow already taking over his thoughts. He wasn't stupid; he knew associating with humans was a foolish and futile endeavor. But he just wanted to look. Just once, he wanted to see the man who had listened to him play.
Xigbar, he corrected himself, his name was Xigbar. Demyx sighed. He knew he wouldn't be able to resist going to the party tomorrow. But he had to go home and act like everything was normal, at least for a little while.
As he approached the castle, he noticed that his parents' bedroom light was already off. Demyx sighed in relief. So they were asleep. Good. He darted inside the window and swam to his room. With a small sigh of relief, he placed Peggy on his bed and laid down beside her. It was going to be a peaceful night, even if he had to plan how to sneak away to the party tomorrow.
Then he heard a moan from down the hall, and Demyx suddenly realized with growing dread that he wasn't going to have a peaceful night after all.
...
Xigbar sighed, finally having been released from his greeting duties to slump on his bed, exhausted and confused. He couldn't get the sitar music out of his head; plus, the fact that he'd heard it out in the ocean didn't help. Who the hell played a sitar in the ocean?
He kicked off his shoes, wriggling out of his pants and ignoring his shirt, opting simply to roll himself up in a blanket and hit the pillows. He curled up, trying to recall the sitar tune. It hadn't sounded like any other music he'd ever heard before, that much was certain.
It had sounded...otherworldly. Something alien and unknown, but...there had been such joy in it. Xigbar smiled simply thinking about it. It was like the song itself had simply been happiness and peace set to music. It had been so beautiful it almost made him cry as he listened, and the fact that he might never hear it again ached at his soul.
He rolled over and stared at the ocean outside his window. No. No, he'd hear that music again. If he had to sit outside beside the ocean every night for the rest of his life, he'd hear that music.
With this vow settled in his mind and a newly kindled spark of determination lighting up his heart, Xigbar closed his eyes and fell asleep, peaceful and comforted by the rush of the waves upon the sand below.