Alexus's Point of View

After dinner the following day, I heard something I hadn't heard since I left my home world; music. I followed my ears down the hall to a room I hadn't been in before. I opened the door slowly and quietly to find Demyx sitting on a bed with a huge stringed instrument, plucking away at it. I knew I shouldn't be in anyone's room without their permission, but I was so mesmerized that I could only stare in awe. When he finished, he noticed me. I gasped in panic.

"Hello, again. Did you like the song?" He asked.

"Y-Yeah. I'm sorry. I didn't know this was your room. I heard the music, and I wanted to see where it was coming from," I apologized.

"Hey, that's okay. I like to think that no one can resist music if it's the right tune. You didn't do anything wrong," Demyx assured me.

"Would you… play me some more?" I requested nervously.

"Of course," Demyx smiled. He began to play another song, and I sat on the floor and listened. I applauded when he finished.

"I wish I could make music, too," I sighed.

Demyx thought for a minute. "Maybe you could. That is, if you had the right instrument. If you can get your hands on an instrument that I know how to play, and believe me, I know a lot of instruments, I could teach you. You would just have to convince your papa to have me take some days off so we can work on it."

"Really?" I gasped. Just then, I heard Papa calling my name. "That's him! I'm going to go ask!" I squealed excitedly.

I stepped outside of Demyx's room and called back, "I'm over here, Papa!"

Papa came to me. "There you are. I've been looking for you. It's time for bed. What were you doing?"

"I heard Demyx play music and followed the sound. He let me listen," I replied.

Papa frowned. "You shouldn't be wandering around without supervision. Come. I'll tuck you in tonight."

I began to follow Papa to my room but continued talking along the way. "Papa, I really liked the music that Demyx played."

"That's nice, Alexus," Papa said, seemingly not paying attention.

"He also said he knows how to play a lot of instruments," I added.

"Does he?" Papa muttered.

"He said if I had an instrument, he could teach me," I finally brought up.

Papa stopped and turned to me. "Is there something you're getting at, Alexus, or are you just prattling on?"

"I want to learn an instrument," I declared.

I thought for sure he would say yes, but all he said was a firm "No," before continuing to my room.

I ran to catch up with him before hopping onto my bed in hopes that my behaving by not fighting my bedtime would increase the chances of him changing his mind. "But why, Papa?"

"You are already busy enough learning how to protect yourself. Learning how to make sounds with a device that is not a weapon is useless. I don't want you wasting your time on such things," Papa answered.

"But Papa, Demyx-" I began.

"I believe Demyx is a bad influence on you. I want you to stay away from him from here on out," Papa commanded.

I threw myself backwards onto my bed in frustration before turning away from Papa. "You don't let me do anything."

"That's not true," Papa stated.

"I can't play with any Dusks, I can't listen to music, I can't even talk to Demyx, all I ever do is what you want me to do. Train, train, train, all day long," I argued.

"I'm aware that sometimes, I'm strict, but it's for your own good," Papa said.

"Was separating me from Mary Ann really for my own good, or do you just want to control everything I do?" I snapped.

"Who are you even talking about?" Papa demanded.

I sat back upright. "The Dusk, Papa, the Dusk!" My voice was gradually getting louder.

"Oh, Alexus, this again," Papa groaned, swiping the covers out from under me and placing them over me, making me lie down in the process.

"I don't just forget my friends," I spat.

"Enough! This conversation is over! No music and no Dusks! That is final!" Papa boomed before storming out of my room.

I tossed and turned in the softness of my sheets as I whimpered with hot tears streaming down my cheeks. I had never felt so angry, sad, and scared. Papa hadn't yelled at me like that since my first morning here when I fell asleep in the Grey Area and then had a fight with him.

All I could do was cry myself to sleep.

Aquatic Dragoness: Thank you for your support! I am still writing this. It took me a while as lately I've been more focused on editing my old chapters on my other stories. Hopefully the time between now and the next one will be less.