Chapter 10 - Grey Graveyards

Mireille didn't bother to knock nor to call out. She knew Demyx'd heard her and awaited her entrance since she'd set foot on the lowest stop of the stair that lead to his floor. The upper salon was bathed in grey light, since it was a very rainy day today, the clouds clung dark and heavy to the sky. She was not surprised to find him already up at this early hour, early for him, it was a very dark day. Demyx sat on the piano bench and played a song she couldn't place right know.

He slid a little to the right to make her some space to sit down. "I'm worried about Zexion. He hasn't come back from his delivery and it's raining pretty badly now." She began, though the tune didn't change at all. Mireille waited a little, listening to the beautiful sound of music and rain.

"Will you tell me the truth about the boy?" The tune went slower, as if he's thinking hard. "He's a good child. And such a tough past. But... you know... it's not like you to show sudden signs of pity on a dirty little boy. Even if you've witnessed such a horrifying scenario, but..." She trailed off as she noticed that the melody changed to moll.

"Can you... remember when I told you about ... how it is not so easy to be... some of my kind?"

"The voices?" He nodded in response.

He nodded and his face seemed like in pain. "When I.... when I first met Zexion... I.... had a fit.... And as his blood was spilled the voices suddenly baked back.... I didn't know why, but it has to do something with his blood. So I took the boy from those cruel man and decided to make him mine, for I can get his blood whenever I am in need of it... I could not have been sure, but I made an excuse. Even if the blood wouldn't bring me the desired salvation I would show an act of humanness to take him from the street. I'm an awful creature, I know."

"And? Does he bring you salvation?"

"Hmh," he played along for a little while. "Yes, he does. Not only his blood. He's still full of fear, like a mirror to the human world. He shows me what I really am."

"Ah, Demyx, you shouldn't punish yourself like that. Don't you think that surviving through all those years is enough of a torture for you? You told me yourself how cruel it is to be the silent witness to all those times. "The music had stopped. "Please don't do this to yourself, you're such a good person. You deserve some peace, despite your crimes."

As he looked up to her from his folded arms his eyes shone in a very humanly way warm. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" She had to laugh out loud at this.

"Oh, Demyx! My, you should've told me when I actually was beautiful. Now I'm just a little grey haired old woman."

"Real beauty never comes from the outside-" but she cut him off.

"Will you go now and search for Zexion? The rain got harder, if that's even possible," her eyes sparkled in amusement. With a defeated sigh and a smile he stood up and threw his coat over his shoulders. "Go and ask Artur where he'd sent the boy. Perhaps he got lost on the way back."

"No," he shook his head, "I pretty much now where he is. Today it's been exactly a month."

The cemetery in the heart of the city remained always grey, even at a grey day like this it seemed just a little more greyer than the surrounding grey. But perhaps that's just the nature of graveyards. Like some memento mori of the modern times. Always there to remain you that your end will come. Just for Demyx the end would not come, at least not on a natural way, so he would just live his life the Romans had done. Those who'd invented the whole thing of memento mori in the first place. You will die so just live your goddam fucking life!

Zexion more felt than actually noticed the presence of the vampire. He knew he had entered the cemetery long before he heard the footsteps on the pebbles that covered the path. Today it's been a month since he was left alone in this world. Her grave was like he'd remembered it. Beautiful and dead. The flowers he'd lay down underneath her name was the first of his earned money he'd spend.

"Isn't it a it cold and wet for you to stay here that long?" He didn't get a response. The boy was obviously caught in his own sad thoughts.

"Have you lost the one that means the world to you?" Demyx had to laugh out at this. Never had a human dared to ask him such a thing, they all could figure out how it would go out. But Zexion was just a child? How could he know?

"Actually, yes, I have."

"Who?" His voice was tiny and low as if his mind was still far far away.

"Hmh, everybody. Everybody I once loved is dead. I saw them dying at a great age, because of disease, poison, on the battlefield. Give me a manner of death and I can name you the precious person who died it." Demyx hadn't planned to be so rough with his words, but like he'd said to Mireille the boy was like a mirror and you can't lie to a mirror.

"But you are a vampire. Humans can't mean the same to you. Have you lost your brother?"

Ah, he had for sure a marvellous mind. "You're right. Humans can't mean the same to me as some of my kind. I haven't lost my brother, but many others. Some decided on their own to leave this world and other were hunted down by humans."

"If you know the death so good, do you know-"

"No," Demyx cut him mid sentence. "I don't know what comes after. I always wondered myself. If I will go the same way as you."

"Do you never fear to be sent to hell?"

Demyx chuckled quietly. "Hm, well, if you don't believe in hell you can't fear it, do you?"

Zexion was quiet for a while and Demyx listened to the raindrops which pounded in a nice little melody on the stone of the tombs. He enjoyed the talk with the boy, when he wasn't caught in feelings of fear and hatred towards him he was kinda a decent interlocutor. He didn't evaluate him, he just wanted to know. A refreshing thought.

"So, you're no Christian."

"No, I'm not. I know the doctrine of your god and I've read the bible, but I do not believe in him. I was born in another religion which I still claim to be the mine. But I think that's just the thing with religions at all." His smile was gentle as he remembered his father how he'd tried to teach him the ways of their believe.

"Which religion-" but he was cut again by Demyx who now moved back to the entrance.

"Let's safe that for later. I've promised Mireille to search for you and to take you home. She'll scowl me anyway for letting you out in that rain for so long. She was really worried about you." Zexion turned around to face the vampire and at his last sentence his gaze turned to earth.

"I'm sorry, I haven't thought about that." Demyx chuckle was light and Zexion suddenly felt something heavy draped on his head.

"Here, take my coat. It's a little to big for you but still dry."

"But what about you?", though he already had his arms in the sleeves.

"Ah, don't worry about me. It's kinda unlikely for me to get a cold. And besides you won't argue with your Master?" The amusement sparkled in his eyes and they made their way home.

Of course Madam Mireille threw a tantrum for being so late and so wet and so cold. And she ushered Demyx in a hot bath in his own bathroom before she Zexion practically carried into the great tub in the second stores bathroom.

Yes, I know, I'm a horrible person. But, my dear readers, you now get my exact permission to KICK MY ASS if I'm not updating. I just need that from time to time ;)

I hope the chapter is in a decent stage, for not beta-reading it.

As always: comments, critiques and corrections are always welcome!