* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.
=13=
Before you had a chance to open your eyes, your body had already risen into an upright position upon the bed you had been sleeping on. Something had disturbed you and forced you to awaken, but you had no clue what force was behind such a thing- you finally brought your hand to your eye, your palm rubbing gently against it in order to help wake yourself up entirely. It didn't take long before you were out of bed, and you made yourself look somewhat presentable before opening the door into the adjoining laboratory. The air itself felt heavy, and there was a horrible feeling hanging over the room that you walked into- it was certainly something you had never experienced before, but you instinctively knew that something was very wrong. You saw the door that led into the laboratory was opened slightly, and through it, you saw what looked like Lexaeus and Zexion convening in the room that was outside.
Each footstep your shoes made across the tiled floor was louder than they normally were- or were they? Had they always been that loud? The light coming from the computer monitor seemed to be a bit dimmer than normal as well- or had it always been like that? You forced yourself to stop questioning these trivial things as you made your way over to the entryway, your gloved hand gently pushing open the door so you could walk through the opening and into the large room. You noticed Lexaeus glance at you over his shoulder, his look a bit more stern than it usually was.
"Lexaeus?"
You came to a halt beside the man that towered over you, your (color) eyes staring up at him in slight confusion. The Stalwart and Schemer were unusually quiet, and that said something since Lexaeus rarely spoke to begin with. You saw the ginger bring his arms across his chest, and heard a deep sigh leave his lips before he finally parted them to speak- he was stopped by Zexion.
"Vexen was struck down by Axel… something that I find deplorable."
You felt your entire body tense up upon hearing the words that Zexion spoke. It had been three days since Vexen went off to encounter Sora, and you hadn't seen him since he had left. But, knowing now that he had been murdered, by the hand of a fellow Organization member no less, was something that confused every aspect of your being. When you had met Axel, he had been a man who seemed kind enough for a Nobody- certainly not someone you expected to slaughter another Organization member of his own volition. You heard Lexaeus begin speaking about Sora, but his words were eventually turned into nothing more than blurred garble to your ears. You were still attempting to come to grips with the fact that Vexen was gone- though he had a habit of being incredibly egotistical and rude, he was still one of the members that you considered a good friend, just like Lexaeus.
You were finally drawn out of your trance and managed to hear Lexaeus finish speaking about what he thought should be done about Larxene and Marluxia, which was simply wait and see what developed. You glanced over at Zexion, whom was hiding his face a bit more than he typically did. He cleared his throat, then turned towards the laboratory before he finally spoke.
"Excuse me."
You watched as the Schemer strode off towards the laboratory, and then vanished behind the door. You heard a heavy sigh come from beside you, and your attention turned to the Stalwart, who was now gazing at the door that Zexion had just gone behind.
"I can only begin to imagine how this is affecting him. I would normally check on him, but I believe that you are what he needs right now, (Name). As his friend, I ask that you go to him in my place."
You gave the man a nod, and then made your way back into the laboratory- you now understood why everything had felt odd ever since you awoke, and you were rather unsettled by it. You noticed that Zexion was no longer in the laboratory, so you figured that he had entered the room he had been using to rest within during your stay in the castle. You walked to the door, which was currently shut, and very gently opened it before taking a few steps into the darkened room. Zexion was seated upon the bed in the center of the room, his back facing the entryway- he gave you no acknowledgment upon you entering the room, and you sighed quietly as you shut the door behind you. You made your way over to the bed, slowly taking a seat beside him- the only sound within the room was the sheets upon the bed rustling slightly as you sat upon them, and once you were situated, there was another moment of deafening silence that swept throughout the room.
In all honesty, you weren't sure what to say to Zexion at this time. You didn't know what he wanted to hear, or what he needed to hear at this point. What were you to say to him about such a dark topic?
"You know… in my previous life, *Vexen raised me- he was my father when I had none. I'm certain you know this already, but his name was Even. My name was Ienzo, and he took care of me when I was orphaned. The memories that I shared with him are the most vivid ones that won't stop replaying within my mind…"
You turned your attention to him, only to see something that, in all honesty, made what little of the heart you had sink to the soles of your shoes. The left side of Zexion's face was glistening with tears as they rolled steadily down his cheek, each one dripping onto his black cloak to leave several darker spots that were noticeable even through the dark material. You could see that he was giving a rather pained smile, almost as if he was attempting to smile at the good memories he could remember of Vexen- but, in the process, it was only making him worse.
"H-he was a wonderful man back then. He taught me to voice my thoughts, and not sit in silence. He was my inspiration, and he was how I found my passion for science and k-knowledge."
Each word he spoke caused another rush of tears to run down his cheeks, and he wasn't even bothering to wipe them away. You could see his gloved fingers clutching the sheets within them, his hands trembling as he did so. You reached down, prying his left hand away from the sheets and gripping it tightly within your own- this caused him to close his eyes, his head drooping and several deep sobs finally leaving his throat. You sighed deeply, still gripping his hand as you wrapped your free arm around his body to the best of your ability. You knew that he was in desperate need of comfort, and you would do whatever you could in order to provide it for him. At this point, your own vision was beginning to blur with tears that were welling in your eyes, but you refused to allow them any further action for Zexion's sake.
The process of regaining a heart was a double-edged sword: it brought joy and pleasure, but with it came pain and grief.
=13=
What felt like hours passed within the small room, and Zexion had eventually given in to his need for physical comfort and wrapped his arms around your body. You stayed like this for as long as he needed, and honestly, you were in need of it too. Losing Vexen was something that neither of you wanted to happen, but you knew that you couldn't sit around and wait for something else to happen. However, you also knew that pushing Zexion too early was wrong- he was grieving, and you needed to be there for him. You softly ran your fingers through the Schemer's hair, and you heard him give a quiet sigh before he finally moved himself out of your embrace. He cleared his throat, then ran his arm across his eyes to rid them of any tears that happened to remain there.
"I apologize for such behavior, (Name). I know that Vexen would not want us to sit here and grieve over him like this."
"Don't apologize, Zexion… you needed that. However, this shows that something must be done about the trio upstairs. I believe this goes to show exactly what side Axel is on, and I think that Lexaeus is wrong about us sitting here and waiting to see what unfolds."
You rose to your feet, and Zexion situated himself upon the other side of the bed so that he was facing the door that led into the laboratory- he wasn't quite ready to leave yet, but that was to be expected. He knew that you were right- Axel's actions were nothing short of heinous and abhorrent, and he was most certainly not to be trusted. However, Lexaeus was also correct to a certain extent- if they were to act upon the trio themselves, they would be stooping to their level, and that was something that Zexion didn't dare wish to do.
"As much as I agree with you, and wish to avenge Vexen, I'm afraid I must agree with Lexaeus on this plan. Engaging the team on the upper floors would begin a war within the Organization, and bring us to the level that they have fallen to. I'm certain the warrior of light will bring them to swift and well-deserved ends soon enough. However, Lexaeus had the idea of using Riku to counter Marluxia's hold on Sora, and I believe such an idea just might turn out successful."
You gave a small nod of your head, and then sighed quietly. That meant that Lexaeus would most likely go off and search for the warrior of darkness, if he hadn't left already. However, using Sora's best friend as a counter-measure to Marluxia was something that did show rather good signs of success if planned out properly and executed well. You were about to respond to Zexion's words, but were interrupted by a single knock upon the door. Both you and Zexion turned your attention to the doorway, and saw that Lexaeus now stood within it.
"Zexion- I came to tell you am going off to find Riku."
Zexion inhaled deeply, and you knew exactly what was on his mind. He had already lost one partner, and now he risked losing someone he held just as closely to him as Vexen. The ginger walked into the dark room, kneeling down before the Schemer and placing a hand on his shoulder. His look was sincere, yet softer than you had ever seen him be before.
"You must not brood over me, Zexion. Should something happen, I ask that you do not allow it to overtake you. As your friend, I ask that you take care of yourself."
You watched as the Schemer gave small nod, and the Stalwart gave his shoulder a gentle pat before he rose to his feet once again. He then turned his attention to you, extending his hand in your direction.
"It has been my pleasure to make your acquaintance, (Name). I couldn't ask for my friend to have a better partner- both in arms and personally."
You couldn't help the frown that was currently plastered upon your lips as you took the man's hand. It felt as though you were sending him away to his death, especially since he was speaking as though it would be the last time he saw both you and Zexion. You knew that Lexaeus was considered one of the strongest members of Organization XIII, but there was still this horrible feeling that he wouldn't come back once he stepped foot outside of the laboratory.
"Lexaeus… let me come with-"
"Absolutely not."
You sighed heavily at the immediate response you got from the man, but reluctantly nodded your head before giving his hand a firm squeeze. There was nothing more to be said or done about the matter, and it wasn't long before Lexaeus retracted his hand and gave a slight bow at his waist. Without saying another word, the ginger turned around, walked out of the room, and eventually vanished after leaving the laboratory. You heard rustling coming from beside you, and you turned your attention to the man who had finally risen off the side of the bed and onto his feet.
"(Name)… thank you for what you did for me. I'm recovering now- I know that Vexen would want me to continue on with our mission, and finish what he left behind. So, that's exactly what I'm going to do."
He moved in front of you, leaning down and placing a tender kiss upon the top of your head. It brought a tiny smile to your lips, but you knew that he was still hurting. Even as you watched him return to the lab and begin working on the things that Vexen left behind, you could tell that he was doing his best to maintain his composure. You didn't blame him one bit, nor feel as though he was weak for showing his emotions so openly- if Vexen truly had been Zexion's father figure as he had said earlier, it was only right for him to be affected so negatively by his death. You slowly made your way to Zexion's side, giving him a reassuring smile as you did so.
"We'll finish what Vexen left behind, Zexion. You and I."
=13=
"Whoa… no way. You're kiddin', right?"
"Geez… it's only been two weeks and someone already kicked the bucket? Who was it?"
"I cannot say. For now, we must remain hopeful that the rest of the mission at Castle Oblivion goes well, and that no other lives are lost."
Overhearing the conversation between a few of the older members was beginning to make Luxord ill. He attempted to focus more on the cards he was currently flicking back and forth between his hands, a sigh leaving his lips as he gazed upon each one. *How could they sit back and talk so nonchalantly about a member of the Organization being killed? Were they not valued as anything more than pawns to be disposed of at any given time? Though the Gambler often played things off as nothing more than a game, he still believed that any members who lost their lives to the game of life should be mourned- even if they lacked the hearts to truly do so. He turned his attention to the newer boy, Roxas, who was currently sitting in front of him within the gathering room.
"Roxas, what do you think of such a horrible fate befalling a fellow member? It seems the dice were not in their favor this time."
Luxord's question caught the boy off-guard, but it dragged him out of his thoughts for a moment as he attempted to form an answer to the question the Gambler had offered.
"I mean… I'm not sure what I'm supposed to think."
"Your friend was sent to Castle Oblivion, yes? The red-haired lad… Axel, I believe his name was?"
"Yes."
Luxord flipped a card quickly between the knuckles on his right hand, then tossed it onto the table that sat between him and Roxas. Upon it was the number seven- he then tossed yet another card onto the table, this time the number reading six. He himself stared at the numbers that now lay upon the table, several more thoughts now clouding his normally clear mind.
"I wonder how many more are to be lost whilst within that castle. Roxas, how well acquainted were you with the members that were sent to Castle Oblivion? Aside from the Axel lad, of course."
"They weren't people I talked to all the time. The girl was nice though- not Larxene, but the other girl."
"Ah, you mean (Name)."
Roxas gave a nod of his head. The only thing he really remembered about her was that she had been rather nice to him during his first days in the Organization. They hadn't talked much at all, but she always tried to be kind to him whenever they happened to pass one another in the hall, or whenever they met within the gathering room. After all, it had only been a few days after they met the first time before she had been sent off to Castle Oblivion with Axel and the others. Luxord was going to reply to the blonde boy, but stopped as Saïx made his way over beside them.
"And what might the two of you be talking about over here?"
"Ah, Saïx. We were simply speaking about the tragedy that took place at Castle Oblivion, was all. Nothing more, I assure you."
Unfeeling, yellow eyes stared at the two blondes- Roxas shifted slightly as he attempted to avoid the piercing gaze, but there was no escaping from it. Eventually, the Diviner cleared his throat and looked off towards an unknown part of the room as he began to speak.
"Yes- the loss is surely a horrible event for the Organization. As I stated earlier, we can only hope that the rest of the mission goes on without another casualty. Now, don't the two of you have missions to be doing?"
Luxord brought his hand across the table, the two cards that he had previously placed upon it vanishing from sight. Once Saïx had left the gathering area, he brought himself to his feet, extending his hand for Roxas to take.
"Come along, Roxas. There is much work for us pawns to complete."
=13=
Author's Note (1): If you have not played Birth by Sleep, it was revealed that Ienzo was orphaned as a young child. There are many people that seem to believe Ansem the Wise was the one to take care of him primarily, however, I don't see it this way. I believe that Vexen was the primary caregiver of Ienzo, since there is one cutscene within Birth by Sleep that shows Vexen looking for the boy upon not finding him within the castle. The breakdown that Zexion suffers was not meant to be overexaggerated or cliché, or to show weakness- it was meant to show just how broad the spectrum of emotions he and (Name) are experiencing as their hearts continue to return. While the heart can provide plenty of happiness and joy, there is also the darker side of the heart, which houses grief, pain, and misery.
Author's Note (2): Luxord's reaction to hearing the members talk about the death at Castle Oblivion stems both from a personal head canon about his past, and a line that he stated within 358 ½ Days: "No game is complete without pawns." My personal head canon, until more is revealed about his past of course, is that he was taken in by an illegal gambling group when he was young- this group was the only family he ever knew, and as such, they were all very loyal to one another. Hearing the members of Organization XIII speak of a fellow member's death as though it didn't matter simply doesn't sit right within his mind, since he was raised to always be loyal to those whom you were closely associated with.