Chapter Seven!
Two chapters in one weekend? D I'm on a roll.
This one took a completely different direction than I expected. I don't think it's as good as if could have been, but I was eager to get it done. Just because I adore Marluxia so much,�I thought I'd make him (especially his rebirth) a big part of the story. Not many people take him seriously, I think. Yeah, he's a perfect character when it comes to crack (as his appearance just screams 'blatant homosexual'), but remember that he is the badass villian of CoM. If you watch the cutscenes of the re-done Japanese version for PS2, he's a really serious and dangerous Nobody. I'm guilty of almost cracking him up in this fanfiction, but I decided to change that for his first chapter. Still, I'm not above sillying things up later on. Like I said, he's very crackable. /rant
Marly's�home world�in this story�is a tribute-of-sorts to CheshireCatWoman, who is writing a great fanfic on his past. We're in total agreement on where he came from. X3 Plus, she's awesome and really sweet.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.
Screams and other sounds of chaos filled the cool evening air, as bewildered and frightened citizens rushed in a mad frenzy with no real destination in mind. They searched for safety, scrambling over each other to get away from the unknown force causing all the horror. Heartless lunged at anyone that came within reach, latching on and dragging down their prey like the effective predators they were. The agonising shrieks of those pulled under the mass of dark forms were shrill yet brief. The Heartless would then scatter, with an additional number to their pack. There was hardly any blood spilled in this type of massacre, but the setting sun cast rays of orange and pink that made the pathways and lawns seem as if they were awash with it.
A calm spectator of the entire scene, Saix witnessed countless people fall victim to the waves of Heartless. He and Xigbar stood on the balcony of a large, expansive castle, treated to a wonderful view of the undoing of so many happy lives. The Luna Diviner knew how familiar this was; the last shreds of his memories reminded him that he was once one of those unfortunate souls, fighting for his life and others. Yet there was no guilt, no sting deep within. He simply stood there, leaning against the gold balcony railing, as strangely-shaped beings battled the Heartless in a hopeless effort. Their bodies reminded him of playing cards, each with a number and suit. Other citizens seemed more humanoid, yet most of what was seen in this world failed to make sense.
Even before the Heartless arrived, the two Nobodies had been audience to a strange sport played in these very royal gardens. It was a game Saix could not recognise, but it was played by using oddly shaped birds to hit balled-up rodents around the course. One of the players must have been the queen of this strange world; at the slightest inclination that she may be losing, she lost her temper, had a violent fit of rage, then her rival was dragged away for beheading. Xigbar, of course, found this hilarious. "'Guess we know what time of the month it is." He had commented slyly while lightly nudging Saix in the ribs with his elbow.
But now, the madness was more widespread. The queen herself was surrounded by card guards who were trying to fend off any Heartless trying to attack her. Over them, she shouted orders with that bellowing, obnoxious voice that made Saix wish that the Heartless would just hurry up and take the insolent wench to the ground. Still something about this concerned him. The Heartless were winning easily, and their numbers were growing at a rapid pace.
"Should we not be worried about the Heartless?" He asked calmly, looking to Xigbar. The second in command shook his head. Even though the hood covered his head and face, it was obvious he was grinning.
"More Heartless means more Nobodies. And more Heartless also means more hearts to be harvested for Kingdom hearts." The Freeshooter chuckled. "Besides, we do our part to thin the herd." With a flick of the wrist and a gleam of purple light, one of Xigbar's guns was summoned into hand. With quick and expert aim, he fired a single round and decimated a Heartless before it knew its fate. It was a good distance away, running across the vast lawn with a group of others. A glowing heart burst from the fading blackness and flitted into the air before disappearing. Another addition to Kingdom Hearts. The ones standing around it turned their attention to the cause of their comrade's downfall, and changed their course. Although Heartless probably were not smart enough to climb that high, this reaction was what II wanted.
"Just as I taught you, kid." Xigbar then said, leaning the large gun back to rest it on his shoulder. "Summon some Nobodies and let them do their work. With some luck, you won't even need to whip out your weapon."
Straightening up, Saix nodded and took a second to focus. It was actually a challenge with all the chaos taking place and distracting his senses. He raised a hand, and on the cobblestone pathway between the castle and the approaching Heartless, three bulky white and silver shapes rose from a pool of blackness. They had massive hands and feet, and wielded silver weapons similar to his own. As if following his unspoken will, the Nobodies met the Heartless head-on and cleaved through them easily with their claymores. Before a moment could pass, the threat against them was gone, and three lesser Nobodies stood at attention, facing the chaos ahead and standing guard.
"Not bad, VII." The superior of the two laughed. "Not bad at all." Saix smiled to himself and dismissed his Nobodies with no trouble. They faded back into a burst of darkness and disappeared from view. It amazed even him, what a quick learner he had become. He could never remember being one to seek or crave power, but the more he realised he had, the more thrilled he became.
"And now, we get to the fun part." The tone that carried Xigbar's words was almost wicked. "Keep an eye out." He did not have to explain what he meant; Saix knew that now was the time to scout for a new member. They would watch and wait for some poor, strong-willed person to be overthrown and split into a Heartless and Nobody. With any luck, they would find someone strong enough to join the Organization. Still, they remained on the balcony, out of the way but with a perfect vantage point. The two watched, but all they could see were hopeless citizens, bumbling card guards, and a shouting queen. Frankly, Saix felt that not one of these people would make even a suitable Lesser Nobody. With a sigh, he looked to Xigbar.
"Nothing but fools and easy prey for the Heartless." He commented sourly. "This is no place to find someone to join our ranks." However, Xigbar chuckled and wagged a finger at the Luna Diviner, before pointing down to a cluster of rose-laden trees. Amongst them was a young man desperately fending off Heartless, using a small scythe. That tool, coupled with his dirty and well worn attire, suggested that he was a farmer or gardener of some sort. He did not look like he stood a chance, but he was fighting with what seemed like every ounce of his strength and was not going down without a fight; true signs of a strong will and heart.
"That looks familiar." Xigbar noted, his shoulders shaking a little with a knowing laugh. "Let's hope he's not dumb enough to think he can come after us."
Something told Saix that he should be offended by such a statement, but the reason was just as clouded as most of his memories. He ignored it, and they resumed watching. The young man fought on, slashing at any shadowy creature that lunged his way. He looked almost peasant-like, but his thin frame hid an outstanding amount of strength. Saix could hardly believe that he missed him; the gardener's bright red hair, illuminated by the nearly-set sun, was a stark beacon against the mass of green foliage and black creatures. He was horrified by what was happening, but unyielding in battle. Once a clearing had been made, he made a run for it. With swift legs fuelled by terror, he headed straight for the castle doors. It was not a long way to sprint, but somehow VII knew that it felt like a mile to him.
"Oh no he doesn't." Xigbar stated with an almost predatory tone. He brought his gun back down and fired a shot. The glowing bullet stuck into the ground at the man's feet. Coming to a stop with a shocking feline grace, the redhead looked up at the two cloaked ones in the balcony above and gritted his teeth angrily. Another bullet inches from his feet made him jump back a little, scythe still in hand. "Think I can make him dance?" Xigbar asked as he took aim a third time.
"Quit playing games." Saix growled, continuing to watch the trapped man. "He's where we want him to be."
Ignoring a comment claiming that he had no sense of humour, VII stared down at the unfortunate gardener. The Heartless rushed him from behind while he was distracted with staring at Xigbar's deadly gun. He fought. Oh, how he fought. It took a long time, but he was dragged down like the others. The scythe clattered to the ground, and he screamed in agony and fearful rage. The Freeshooter dismissed his firearm and summoned a portal before the blood-chilling cry had even ended.
"C'mon kid. He's ours now."
It was all so familiar. The darkness, the cold, the choked cries for help. This time, Saix was the one holding the role as the 'saviour'. Their target had become exactly what they had expected; a neophyte worthy of the black robes. Naked, shivering and in a great deal of pain, the newborn Nobody was found in the void between existence and lack thereof. Xigbar and Saix hauled him up wordlessly and pulled him through into his new home. His light weight may have made him easy to hold up, if it were not for the fact that he put up a fight. It seemed that fear shadowed pain at the moment.
The newborn demanded to know where he was and who they were. Still without uttering a sound, they two brought him through and into the lab. The member that VII had seen sleeping there earlier was gone. He was set down on the metal table, and Saix was given another dose of déj� vu as the neophyte lay on the table in a paralyzed confusion, and he was still long enough for Xigbar to throw a small blanket over him. Other than a bit of blood trickling down the side of his face he did not appear hurt, but was still weak. His bright red hair was now a stunning shade of pink, which Xigbar found amusing.
"Dude looks like a lady." He quipped under his breath so only Saix could hear, before snickering to himself. VII just shook his head. The two went to leave the lab, but the ex-gardener was not going to make it easy.
"Stop." He yelled loud enough so that it hurt Saix's sensitive ears. He turned, his face still cloaked by his hood. "Who the hell are you? What did you do to me?" The young Nobody may have been weakened by recent events, but he was sitting up and glaring daggers at them. How weak had Saix been when he was brought in? Temporarily blinded and suffering from blood loss, he had certainly given his rescuers a lot less trouble.
Drawn in by the commotion, Vexen entered through the doorway and crossed his arms. His sharp green eyes looked from the upset neophyte on the table to Saix and Xigbar. "You were going to just leave him unattended and wait until I noticed him?"
"Pretty much, yeah." Xigbar replied with a shrug, which did not amuse the scientist one bit. With a scowl and frustrated sigh towards II, the blonde moved over to the newborn and looked him over once. The pink-haired one shifted away distrustfully.
"Don't touch me." He hissed in a manner that even Saix found to be vicious. Vexen told him to calm down and reached out a hand to inspect the cut on the other man's head, but he received no compliance. Instead, the angry Nobody lashed out at him, missing his face by millimetres.
Saix and Xigbar had him down before a second could pass. Still, he thrashed and screamed demands to be taken home. Despite all he had been through, he still had a lot of strength. He did not tire for a long time, and even when he did he cursed them. He cursed them all to places they had never heard of. Vexen cleaned the wound as best as he could, surprisingly quiet and without a sharp retort to give in return.
It was a battle the whole way through. Even getting him dressed was a struggle; obviously he was not easily embarrassed about being exposed. Every second of the way he gave resistance, but luckily for them his strength had been mostly worn out over this time. Still, he had a rage that made Saix wonder just who the true berserker was.
When it was done, the neophyte stood there weakly, leaning on the table for support. He continued to glare at the ones who had put him through such torture. He was winded, as were they. His lighthearted attitude seemingly forgotten for the moment, Xigbar formed a portal while growling a sourly spoken command."Let's go."
The fight finally worn out of him, the newborn sighed and bowed his head with what he did not know was the illusion of misery. Saix snarled a second, less gentle order for him to follow Xigbar, and for once there was compliance. He shuffled on tired legs after the Freeshooter. They left without further issue, leaving IV and VII in the lab. The Chilly Academic muttered something under his breath, and Saix turned to him.
"Are you alright?" Not that there was any concern there, but he thought it polite to ask. Vexen thumbed at his left wrist for a moment with a wince before pulling something out from under the skin. It was a sharp black thorn, bloody and fierce looking.
"He is going to be trouble." The scientist sneered, tossing the thorn into the nearby trash bin and putting a clean cloth to the small bleeding wound in his wrist. "He has his power already, and more strength of will than I find comfortable."
Saix was silent as he created a portal to take himself into his chambers. He was exhausted, and wanting nothing but rest. "A threat to everyone else is a powerful ally to Xemnas." That was, after all, why he was still living. Vexen simply muttered something else, apparently done with the conversation. Eager to put this long day to an end, VII retired to his chambers and slept, blanketed by the rays of moonlight flooding in through his massive window. For a rare occurrence he was lucky to have no feelings. If he did, the knowledge of the terrible moral crime he had just committed would have haunted him out of the possibility of sleep.
