Chapter II: Worlds Meet
Demyx and Xaldin were in the palace garden watching the sea horses mating. Demyx noticed that a lot of them looked pregnant.
"Xaldin, why do the females carry the babies instead of laying the eggs?" Demyx asked.
Xaldin chuckled. "Demyx, those are the males that carry the young. The females lay the eggs inside the male's pouch."
"Oh . . . Can people do that?" Demyx was amazed.
Xaldin couldn't help but laugh. "Only the females can carry the child, Demyx. Males just make sure both the mother and child are taken care of." Demyx was quiet for a moment. For some reason, Xaldin couldn't read his expression. "Is anything wrong?"
Demyx couldn't find a single word to explain his feelings. In the past three years, he's noticed that he had been looking more at men than women. He wondered if there was a word for it. He never told anyone about it, not Sora, Roxas, or Xaldin. Xaldin, the only person he could always talk to about anything, he wasn't sure if he could about this. It really worried him that Xaldin wouldn't understand.
Just wanting to get it off his chest, Demyx took a deep breath. "Xaldin . . . What is it called when a male falls in love with another male?" Demyx looked down in embarrassment.
"Homosexuality. That male is considered a homosexual. Why?" Xaldin looked confused. Demyx swallowed hard. A blush grew on his face.
"Well . . . I think I might . . . I think I might be one." Demyx's face went red. Xaldin just stared. He was trying to contemplate what Demyx had just said.
"You feel a sexual attraction to men, Demyx?" He just nodded. "Well . . . Who'd have thought?" Xaldin smirked and crossed his arms.
"What? I. . . I thought you'd be mad about that." Demyx turned around with a really confused look on his face.
"Why would I be? Demyx, you are who you are. Nothing can change that. I promise." Demyx smiled and gave Xaldin a hug. That's when a pink haired merman came into the picture.
"You're Majesty, there's a problem with the royal guard. It needs your attention, sadly."
"Alright. Please be careful Demyx. Come along Marluxia." Xaldin and Marluxia swam off to go fix the problem, leaving Demyx alone, which is clearly not a good idea. But once they were gone, Demyx felt the strange feeling he was being watched. He looked to the surface only to find no one, but he did see that it was uneasy. Intrigued, he swam up to it to see what was going on, but the feeling of being watched never went away. As Demyx reached the surface, the creepy feeling was really sending chills down his spin, so he turned around to find bright orange eyes staring him in the face. Demyx let out a some-what scream and his heart started to race.
"Um . . . can I help you?" Demyx seemed a bit uneasy about this guy.
"Maybe. Have you happened to see a young female with blond hair and two antenna-like strands of hair swimming about?" The guy gave off an odd vibe, one that Demyx had never felt before. He could tell there was something different about this guy.
"No, I'm sorry I haven't." Demyx said, going a little bit backwards.
"Oh. Thank you anyway." The guy did a circle around Demyx, and studied him. Afterwards, he looked Demyx right in the face. "Your eyes . . . they are showing that you long for more than what you have here. . . So much more."
"What?" Demyx swam a bit more away from the guy. "I have everything I could ever want! I have a home, friends, and-"
"And what? A family? Prince Demyx, I know more than you think. I know you seek a male companion-"
"You just heard me tell Xaldin that."
"You didn't let me finish. You seek a male companion from the human world, am I right?" The guy smirked as Demyx's eyes widened. "But you don't want anyone to know because you're afraid what other will think of you. But I can help you with that."
Demyx looked very doubtful. "Oh yeah, how? More importantly, who are you?"
"My name is Xemnas. And, all you have to do is take my hand, and you'll see. All it'll cost is that you lose your way back." Xemnas offered out his hand. Demyx was very unsure. He couldn't figure out what this Xemnas guy meant when he said the Demyx would lose his way back. And what kind of gift was he talking about?
"This isn't a bullshit moment?" Demyx asked starting to reach out his hand.
"I promise you, you're Highness. This gift is what you need to complete your journey." With a deep breath, Demyx took Xemnas' hand and felt a shock run through his arm to his tail. He also saw something. It looked like, as he saw it, like a human who was tall, thin, and wobbling as he stood and tried to walk. Who was it?
Demyx pulled his hand away from Xemnas. "What the fuck was that?" Demyx asked looking at Xemnas with wide eyes.
"That was the gift. I should warn you, when you use the gift, the sun is your clock. Watch it well, and you will see, for when it sleeps, a merman you shall be. Keep them from water, or your tail will show. That's the gift, and now you know." Demyx smiled and Xemnas turned around.
"Awww. That was a cute rhyme, who wrote that?" Xemnas turned around and just stared.
"You'll find out." Xemnas bowed his head and swam away to continue his search. He left Demyx to think about what he meant, 'the sun is your clock'. When Demyx went to ask Xemnas a question, he was gone and Demyx couldn't tell where he went. He gave up and continued his swim to the surface. When he reached it, he was met with wave smacking against him. Rain was pouring on top of him and it was freezing. Demyx tried to resubmerge but got caught in a rip currant. It was strong, very strong and Demyx couldn't break free from it. The current swept him away and smacked him into something hard. The object was big and Demyx tried to reach for the top of it, but the current pulled him away from it.
Just as Demyx was about to give up his fight, a wave picked him up pushed him against the object, knocking the breath out of him. The wave then retreated, pulling him with it, and then he was lifted up and thrown on top of the object and was knocked out cold. . .
Xigbar, Axel, Luxord, and the rest of the crew all gasped and gawked in wonder. They were quite baffled at the fight in front of them. None of them had ever really seen a blond light skinned mermaid before.
"What could it mean captain?" One crew member asked.
"I don't know. Maybe the sea king's mad that this beauty is missing. That's why this storm is so bad." Luxord walked over to the blond with the chilling rain pouring on his back. "Xigbar, why don't you carry our newest guest back t to the chamber? His highness might be lonely. I think a female companion would be good for him." Luxord brushed the bangs out of the blond's face.
"Sure. Maybe he'll stop whining." When Xigbar walked over to pick the mermaid up, he got a surprise. "Holy shit!"
"What's wrong?" Luxord asked. "She's can't be that heavy."
"It's not that. It's just that she is a he!" Everyone's face dropped. Normally, mermaids would land on ships, never really mermen. "But who knows? Maybe he'll know what we're looking for." Xigbar grinned as he walked back into the sleeping hold with Demyx in his arms. When he came to the chamber where Zexion was being kept, he had to kick the door open to get it open and found Axel 'playing' with Zexion.
"Knocking could work." Axel said as he turned around but soon shut up when he saw what Xigbar was carrying. "What the fuck?" Axel asked under his breath.
"Just came aboard. No idea how, but he did." Xigbar said as he placed Demyx in the wooden tub that was in the chamber. He threw several buckets, tied to ropes out the window to get water.
"Wow." Axel got up and walked over to Demyx. "He's a different one, but he's a beauty. Too bad no one knows how they do it." Axel said running his hand over Demyx's tail. "And now I know why. Their tails are so slimy."
"Really?" Xigbar asked pulling the buckets up through the window. "Damn. Here, help me." Axel helped pull the buckets up and dumped them into the tub so Demyx wouldn't dry out. "Now, don't bother him with your whining, Zexion. We'll be back later." Zexion gulped and watched them left. He then looked over at Demyx. He sure hoped that he knew what he was in for.
Later that day, when the rain stopped, Zexion was struggling to untie his hands. Xigbar had left a bowl of apples on the chamber floor to torture him. "God dammit." Zexion couldn't do it. He was getting weaker and was getting tired. He gave up and decided to wait till someone came back. Tears started to run down his face. He was scared. He had never this far away from home and never stayed away this long. No one on this ship wanted to help him; they just used him for their personal game.
After a while, Demyx started to come to. He was very groggy and had a bad pain in his head. He rubbed his hand on his head and sat up. He opened his eyes and got a shook when he found out that he wasn't asleep in his clam. He was in a strange room, made out of something he had never seen before. He looked at the object he was sitting in and was fascinated with it. He ran his hand over the wood and wondered what it was and how it was made. Then Demyx noticed that something was amiss. He looked down at his waist and was scared out of his wits. Instead of his aqua blue-green tail, he had legs. IT scared him so badly, that he hit his head on the floor.
"Owww. . ." He whispered as he moved to where he was lying on the floor. Zexion just watched in disbelief. The last time Zexion saw Demyx, he had a tail, but now he had legs, and clearly didn't know how to use them. Demyx sat up the best he could and looked around the room. "Where the hell am I?"
"None other than hell." Demyx's head snapped over in Zexion's direction. Demyx's eyes widen in amazement. Zexion felt weird that this naked guy was just looking at him. "What are you looking at?" Zexion snapped.
"Oh, sorry. Rude to stare, but this is my first time seeing a human, that's all." Demyx saw a window above him and reached out to grab it. He pulled himself up to his feet and magically stood up by himself for the first time. "Wow." Slowly and wobbly, Demyx walked over to Zexion and sat down in front of him. "So what makes you think this is hell?"
Zexion's face dropped. "Oh, just the fact that these assholes here are keeping me against my will. They do nothing but use for their sexual pleasure and stress relief. . ."Zexion had tears running down his face. Demyx took his hand and placed on Zexion's cheek. He wiped Zexion's cheek with his thumb.
"Is it that bad?" Demyx had sorrow in his voice.
"Well in case you haven't noticed, these ropes are cutting in my wrist." Demyx looked up and found the ropes.
"Want me to untie them?" Zexion shook his head.
"No, I want to stay like this, of course I do." Zexion couldn't believe that Demyx was that . . . not so smart.
"Well all you had to do was say so." Demyx stood up, the best he could, and freed Zexion's hands, which were bloody.
"Well I thought you would have figured that out." Zexion said rubbing his wrist.
"Well, Sora always said I was lacking in brains. . . Which was never nice." Demyx said taking an apple from the bowl and handing it to Zexion. "Apple?"
"Yeah, thanks." Zexion took a bite to find that they were rotting, but he didn't care. They were the first things he had to eat in days. "So who are you?"
"I'm Demyx, Prince Demyx to be exact." Demyx said sitting up proudly. "You?"
"Zexion. Prince Zexion, from Sea-Side Castle." Zexion finished his apple and grabbed another one.
"Where's that?" Demyx asked taking an apple and throwing at the wall.
"France, and why did you do that?" Zexion asked pointing at the now dead apple.
"It was rotted. I hate rotted food. Yuk." Demyx said.
Zexion just shook his head. "Wow. You're clearly a spoiled brat."
"And you're not. I'm spoiled because I'm adopted and my father's only child. He feels the need to give me what I want." Demyx smiled.
"Well I'm an only child, too. An ever since my mother died, I'm the only blood family he has." Demyx's expression went from happy to sad and turned away from Zexion. "Did I say something wrong?" Zexion asked.
Demyx shook his head. "It's nothing. Both of my parents died years ago. . . And not in a pleasant way." Demyx really hated talking about it. Zexion lowered his head. His mother died of illness, but Demyx's didn't. And he didn't like to talk about it. Zexion put his hand Demyx's shoulder.
"Want to talk about it?" Zexion asked. Demyx just shook his head.
"It's too painful." Demyx whispered and wiped his eyes. "Anyway, where is this thing going?" Demyx asked in an attempt to change the subject.
"I'm not sure. But I think they want to make a bargain with my father." Zexion said lying back against the wall.
"Why? Do they need something?" Demyx asked leaning over him.
"I guess. They're looking for treasures of some sort. They thought I knew something, that's why I'm here." Zexion closed his eyes. "Hey Demyx, where are you from, anyway?"
"The City of Mermaidia. But most mermaidians call the city 'forgotten' because Atlantians that live there now have forgotten that the city exists. Ask many one about it and they'll say it doesn't exits. Yet their ancestors most likely came from there." Demyx smiled because he was proud that he was giving a history lesson. "So what about your kingdom? Is it by the water, ell it must be otherwise it wouldn't be called 'Sea Side'." Zexion just stared at him
"Yeah. We live by the sea. You could say that's how we make a living. It might be a bit offensive to you, but we mostly eat sea food." Demyx's face when blank.
"I'm not. Back home, we call the fish who get caught in nets 'netbites', because they aren't smart enough to get the idea that a net is bad and get out of the way. Sure we feel bad, but there's nothing we can do about it." Demyx shrugged then yawned. "I need my nap." Demyx laid down next to Zexion and closed his eyes. Zexion watched him as went to sleep.
"How can you sleep in a place like this?" He whispered as he ran his fingers past Demyx's bangs. He then decided that he was tired enough to give it a try. It he got any sleep at all, this was most likely his best chance and closed his eyes and found himself sound asleep. . .
Demyx felt something cold hit his face and he shot up. "What the fuck?"
"Woo language. I thought merpeople were polite." Axel grinned throwing a bucket behind him. "Then again, you don't look like one." Zexion sat up and froze. Out of everyone on this ship, Axel scared him the most because of his sexual ways. Axel loved it rough and never held back.
"Well believe me, I am." Demyx clenched his fist. "And I hate being woken up from my afternoon nap in a rude manner." Axel just chuckled.
"You are too cute. It's a shame that you washed up on this journey."
"Why's that? So you can rape him too?" Zexion spat out.
"It's not rape if he agrees to it. By the way, did he untie you? Last time I checked you were hanging from the ceiling by your wrist." Axel said putting his hand up on the beam that Zexion was ties to.
"Yes I tied him! Those ropes were cutting into him for pete sake!" Demyx yelled, which he never did.
"Oh, feisty are we? That's just asking for it. I'd watch it if I were you. That might be a turn on for someone." Axel grinned.
"Oh yeah-what's a turn on?" Demyx asked looking at Zexion, whose face was blank.
"You're kidding me, right?" Zexion asked blankly.
"Nope. So what is it?" Demyx asked with a smile.
"Put simply, it's when a man or woman gets really horney." Axel said.
"You would know." Zexion growled under his breath.
Axel just shrugged. "I can't help it. I like them small, and you fit the profile." Axel had an evil look in his eye.
"Ok Axel, I think that's enough for right now." Luxord said as he entered the room. "Wouldn't want our newest guest to get the wrong idea about us now, would we?" Luxord asked looking at him. And by his appearance, Demyx could tell what he was. Demyx knew a pirate when he saw one. Xaldin had planted that firmly in his mind.
Demyx crouched lower. "I already have a good idea about you. My kind don't really like your kind."
"Oh really? Now why would that be love?" Luxord said squatting to meet Demyx at eye level. "I thought merpeople were friendly towards humans." Luxord smiled lifting up Demyx's chin with his hand. "By the way, how do you have legs? I've never heard of that?" Demyx looked down. He wondered that to, then he remembered. Xemnas' gift. The gift was legs so he could walk amongst the humans on the sure. Then Demyx remembered the warning and looked out the window. The sun was getting ready to set. He knew he had just a few minutes till he was helpless. He had to get out of this place, and he was taking Zexion with him.
Demyx leaned back against the wall. "Zexion," He whispered. "We have one shot. I can get you home; I just need to do it now, or never."
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Zexion asked backing up against the wall. "These two are nearly impossible to escape from. I should know."
"Not if we have them on the ground." Demyx whispered and smirked at him. Zexion gulped and nodded. Slowly they both stood up.
"Well what this?" Luxord asked.
"A taste of your own medicine." Demyx said and Axel's and Luxord's faces had confused looks on them and that was Demyx's and Zexion's cue move. Demyx jumped onto his hands and, using both feet, kicked Luxord's legs out from under him then shot up and knocked Axel back into the wooden tub he woke up in earlier. Zexion stood there in amazement. But he soon grabbed Demyx's arm helping him up.
"Come on!" Zexion said as he grabbed Demyx and dragged him behind him. Demyx soon gained to concept of running. The two blotted out of the chamber and out onto the deck, but were blocked off by Xigbar.
"Hey there. What are you two up to?" He asked sarcastically. Demyx braced himself. Zexion just froze. Xigbar was fast. HE was the one who caught him. Demyx looked back at the sun and knew they were in trouble. The sun was about to set any minute now and times was running out. Then he noticed that they were close enough to the edge to jump. Demyx then heard footsteps behind him and found that Axel and Luxord were back on their feet and they were clearly mad.
"Surround them!" Luxord ordered. Demyx looked around and noticed that the pirates were closing in. This was the only shot.
"Zexion I'm so sorry about this!"
"What?" Demyx grabbed Zexion shirt and with all his strength, threw Zexion over the side of the ship. Everyone gasped and then Demyx jumped over the side dove into the cold water after Zexion. Once in the water, Demyx had his tail and looked for Zexion. When he found him, he learned that Zexion wasn't a very good swimmer and panicked. Demyx rushed over to him to get him to the surface. When they resurfaced, Zexion gasped for air and coughed up sea water.
Everyone on the ship watched in amazement. Luxord was speechless. No one had ever escaped from him and lived. Demyx and Zexion watched as the ship sailed past him. Demyx turned his attention to the sun; it just hit the water line. Zexion followed Demyx's gaze and wondered what it meant.
"Now do what to explain to me why you threw me overbroad?" Zexion asked as he clinged onto Demyx.
"Yeah, but first, I need to get you out of the water." As if on cue, a large piece of drift wood hit Demyx in the back. Demyx pulled Zexion on and pushed him east to the Gulf of Lion.