Chapter Nine!
It's a bit short, but my brain completely crapped out halfway through and I lost some ideas I failed to write down. XD Apparently my brain works like a dysfunctional computer.
I just want to say that I love Zexion as a subject to write about. He's so damn interesting. It may seem like I'm not characterizing him right in this chapter, but remember that he's a master of deception. That's why I adore him. Also, abusing Saix is still amusing for me. I'm not sure when that will stop.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.
Dismissing his claymore and settling down in the closest chair, Saix breathed a quiet sigh. He soon regretted doing so, as a fine cloud of dust erupted around him the second he hit the cushion on the seat. This castle was indeed in good shape, but had not been cleaned in years. He was increasingly sick of sneezing from the airborne dust he kicked up with each step. After a full day of exterminating Heartless, the berserker had to admit that he was rather tired. His muscles were beginning to ache from the repeated task of chasing down and killing the little black beasts. Yet he felt as if something still lurked despite all his work. Perhaps some of the smarter ones were hiding.
Letting his eyes gaze around the room, the Luna Diviner observed every detail; more appropriately the lack thereof. Much like the castle they called home, this one was very minimal in terms of furniture and wall coverings. The walls and floors, behind a thick layer of dust, were pearl-white and looked as if they were made of marble. Saix was lucky to find a chair, but only after several minutes of searching. Still, as assured, the place was perfect if it were to be cleaned up a little.
"Taking a break?"
Zexion's voice derailed Saix's train of thought, and caught him by surprise a little. He calmly looked to the smaller Nobody standing in the doorway and nodded. "I've cleared all the Heartless out. Of all twenty-five floors." The second part of his statement was lined with the slightest tint of annoyance. Personally, he thought that many floors was a bit much, even for a castle. Zexion smiled a tiny bit and tilted his head.
"I'm sure you'd rather spend a day hunting Heartless than training new members."
Saix gave a somewhat empty laugh. "It is a lot less tedious and repetitive." In fact, he was sure that he would have been thrilled about the new mission if he possessed a heart. "Have you finished your inspection of the castle?" As capable as VI was, it seemed like a rather large task for one Nobody.
"Just about. The lowest two floors are still need a final check. After that, we can head back." Zexion then paused for a moment before glancing back the way he came and looking a little unsettled. "Are you sure you destroyed all of them?" He asked Saix tensing his shoulders as if suppressing a light shudder. "I've been getting the feeling all day that I'm being watched. It won't go away."
The berserker got to his feet again and listened carefully. He understood the feeling that his companion spoke of. Nothing tickled his senses aside from dust, but something was definitely there with them. "It's been bothering me as well, but I'm positive that I cleared out anything I saw that moved." It irked him quite a bit, but at least he knew it was not just him who felt it.
"Well, I will complete the assessment and leave this to you." Zexion said as he shrugged it off. Without another word he was gone, exiting with a ghost-like grace. With an agitated mutter Saix went in his own direction in search of the strange presence.
Without making a sound he stalked the halls of the castle, every sense sharp and ready. At times the presence felt distant, at others it was close, as if what he was hunting lay just around the next corner. For a fraction of a second he wondered if he could be chasing something more supernatural than himself. A spirit? No, of course not. That's just ridiculous. Ghouls and the like were akin to the childish idea of vampires or the boogeyman; nothing but empty stories.
Then, as Saix was ready to give up and declare both himself and Zexion to be simply mad, he finally heard a sound. It was the tapping of light feet across the endless tile floor. He spun around, having heard it behind him. A shadow slipped around the corner, too small to even be the other Nobody he knew to be in the castle. VII bolted after it, throwing subtlety to the wind. As he reached the intersection of hallways, he watched his prey duck into a room. How strange... It was evading him far too much to be a Heartless.
The Luna Diviner reached the half closed door and stepped through it. Nothing but stark white walls and floors greeted him. This was getting old pretty quickly. Silently, he stepped further into the room and let his eyes search everything within vision. The large room was thick with dust like the others, and hung in an eerie silence. However, Saix soon sensed movement behind him and acted accordingly. Two towering berserker Nobodies instantly formed out of thin air and blocked the doorway. A scared yelp informed him that his target was trapped. When he turned, he was quite surprised by what he saw.
A young girl stood between him and his lesser Nobodies, at a complete loss of what to do or where to go. She had golden blonde hair and wore a simple white dress. For being in a place such as this, she appeared very innocent and frightened. She looked up to Saix and stepped back, apparently more scared of him than she was of the less humanoid Nobodies.
What in the world was a child doing in this castle? Saix stepped over to her, closing the gap and making the young female tense. She could have easily been a Nobody, unaware of her lack of real emotion. If so, she might know information about this castle. "What's your name?" he asked. His tone was probably not as gentle as it could have been. He could not help it if he felt no sympathy for her, could he?. The girl flinched as if he had threatened to strike her, but said nothing. Saix knelt down to be eye level with her, but his own eyes held nothing but annoyance. He repeated the question with even less softness. Her tiny breaths quickened in what could have been panic, and she stepped back further towards the stock-still Nobodies blocking her from freedom. With a glare he reached out and took a hold of her shoulder. Suddenly, Saix felt a very sharp pain in his nose that had him seeing stars for a couple of seconds.
He cursed and grabbed out at the girl who had slipped away while he was stunned. All he could smell soon after was blood, as it now dripped from his throbbing nose. The girl retreated to the back of the room, rubbing her knuckles and looking very shocked at herself.
"You little wench." He snarled getting to his feet. Before he knew it he was crossing the room and summoning his claymore. Nobody or not, she had just sealed her own fate. Just as his mind began to cloud over and succumb to rage, Saix suddenly halted when he heard a rich chuckle. Out of a Dark Corridor to his right emerged Zexion, who was failing to hide an amused smile.
"Number VII, she is but a child." He said, gesturing for him to put down his weapon. "We may not have hearts, but sometimes it doesn't hurt to remember what it is like to have one." He then stepped towards the girl, who shrank down once she found herself cornered. "Hello, there." He smiled at her with a sweetness Saix had not believed was possible, and held a hand out to her. It was all obviously a charade, but it was one he played well.
"Leave me alone." The girl finally spoke, her voice soft but shaky with fear. Zexion did not move from his spot. He seemed to leave her room to run if she so wished, even though she had nowhere to go but elsewhere in the room and closer to the larger, armed Nobody that had terrorized her.
"We're not going to hurt you," Zexion assured her, his voice quiet and gentle as if he was trying to beckon a scared creature out of hiding. "My friend here simply has a nasty temper." They both looked at Saix, who dismissed his weapon irritably before going back to nursing his bloody nose. That seemed to put the female at ease a little bit. Zexion looked back to her. "Now, where did you come from?"
She hesitated, but eventually answered him. "I... I don't know. I woke up here a while ago, but I don't remember anything before that. Just bits and pieces." Her little body shivered. "There's no-one else here but me." The girl was obviously unsure and confused, and the two men exchanged looks. It was very likely that she was a Nobody.
"Well, we know a person who might be able to help you." Zexion then said, one hand still out to her. "Will you come with us?"
A long pause followed that question as the girl seemed to weigh her options and attempt to decide if she could trust them. Perhaps eventually figuring she would rather take a risk than spend another minute alone, she reached out and took Zexion's hand. He smiled to her again and stood. "What's your name?" he certainly asked this a lot more kindly than Saix had. That was perhaps why he got an answer so easily.
"Namine."
