Chapter 4: Discharged
A whole week had gone by before Even could make a decision on how to continue treating her; he wanted to be thorough. After the tenth day, he decided against any invasive procedures since he still didn't know what specifically was causing the arrhythmia. He continued giving her the medicine that was keeping her condition stable. "It's not a cure, so you'll have to keep taking it for the rest of your life," he told her. "I'm sorry I can't do more."
"You've done enough. You probably saved my life," she said appreciatively.
"If you have any more fainting spells, please let one of us know. You've had us all very worried."
"I'm sorry for troubling you."
"It was no trouble at all. You're in perfect health otherwise so of course we're concerned."
"If it happens again...then what?"
"Drastic measures."
Drastic measures that could just as likely kill her as cure her; Even didn't want to take the risk unless he absolutely had to. He watched as one of Kagemiya's aunts came to collect her; outwardly, she showed no tenderness toward her niece and did not support her while walking home. Kagemiya looked back at him over her shoulder briefly before they were gone. He was suddenly reminded of how he had treated Ienzo when he was growing up. "Good Lord, what have I done?" he whispered to himself and went back inside to find Ienzo. "I may have made a mistake," he told him.
"What? With Kage-san?" Ienzo asked worriedly, having no context for this statement.
"No, with you. I wasn't as warm with you as I could have been like the others were. I'm sorry."
Ienzo was stunned. "Okay. What brought this on?" Even explained about Kagemiya's departure, and Ienzo realized too how she could relate to him so well. Then he remembered what she'd told him back when they were in Castle Oblivion.
Ienzo waited a couple of days before going to see Kagemiya. The boy who answered the door had to have been her brother Mako, but apart from their eyes, the siblings looked almost nothing alike. "Nee-san, the boy from the castle is here to see you."
Kagemiya was sitting in a chair reading but stood up when Ienzo came in. "Hi, Ienzo. How are you?"
"You don't have to get up. More importantly, how are you?"
"I'm still getting my energy and strength back, but you can tell Even I'm taking the medicine as directed and that I'm doing fine."
"I will, but that isn't why I came over. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Kagemiya smiled. "No, but I could use a friend."
"Do you want to go for a walk, or would it tire you out too much?"
"I could go for some fresh air, and my legs keep twitching. Not too far, though. Mako-chan, I'm going out."
"Come back safe," Mako called out.
Ienzo didn't think he could support her if she collapsed again, but he didn't want to acknowledge it aloud; he wanted to take care of his friend. "So this is where you grew up," he said as they walked around the neighborhood.
"Yeah. What do you think?"
"It's...quaint."
"That's what Dilan said too back when he used to walk me home at night."
"You must have a lot of memories of this place."
"Well I have lived here my whole life and still do."
"Right. I guess I'd gotten used to having you around when we were Nobodies."
"I know what you mean."
"What will you do now?"
"I guess I'll go back to school."
"Don't work too hard, Sa-chan," said a familiar voice.
"Myde," Kagemiya exclaimed as he had appeared out of nowhere. Ienzo looked just as surprised but not at all pleased.
"Glad to see you're up and about."
"It wouldn't do to stay in bed all the time. I need to be able to walk, you know."
"Why didn't you go see her sooner?" Ienzo asked accusingly.
Myde was taken aback by this. "I wanted to, but I knew her aunts would just shoo me away again like they did when I first found out."
"Then what about when she was still in the castle?"
"To be honest, people are afraid to go anywhere near your place because of what happened. No offense or anything, but..."
"We're doing the best we can to reverse the damage we did because of Xehanort."
They were starting to make Kagemiya nervous, but before she could ask them to stop fighting, they fell silent. "Let's go back," she said, walking back in the direction of her house. The two of them followed behind her just out of earshot.
"What are her aunts really like?" Ienzo whispered. "Are they all similar to Even?"
"Huh? Well..." Myde thought for a moment. "When you put it that way, one of them was super bossy. I think she's the oldest."
"That must be the one who came to pick her up that day."
"The second one was really uptight, the type who's concerned about appearances. The third one was crying hysterically. I think she's her godmother."
"What's a godmother?"
"That's someone who your parents designate to take care of you if they're not around anymore. Would that make Ansem your godfather?"
"I don't know..."
"Sorry."
"How long have you known Kage-san?"
"On and off since elementary school. Lea and Isa too."
"Would you say you two are close?"
"Sort of. Why do you ask?"
Ienzo couldn't bring himself to ask. She was his friend, but there was so much about her he didn't know. Maybe it wasn't even his place to ask.
"Oh, we're not like that, if that's what you were thinking," Myde whispered, thinking Ienzo was jealous (which he was, but not in that way). "Aren't you too young for her though?"
"That's not what I meant."
"Hey, are you two literally talking about me behind my back?" Kagemiya asked, suspicious. She hadn't heard the whole conversation, but she did hear Ienzo say her name.
"He wants to ask you something," Myde volunteered.
"No, forget it," Ienzo denied.
"What is it?" Kagemiya asked. "You can ask me anything."
Ienzo tried to think of an appropriate question. "The aunt who came to pick you up...do you like her?"
This caught Kagemiya off-guard. "She's fine, I guess. Why?"
"After you left with her, Even apologized for the way he'd treated me, all because he saw how the two of you walked away."
Kagemiya became more confused. Was Even like her aunt? "Well, she did help raise me, and Even helped raise you. They're both strict, I suppose. It's too late for us now, though."
"Huh?"
"They brought us up, so we tend to act like them whether we want to or not. What do you think of that?" Ienzo made a face like he didn't like it at all.
"It's true," Myde put in, causing Ienzo to glare at him.
"I'm sure he's always liked you, Ienzo. You're important to him." When he told me that story about Ienzo as a baby, his expression did seem to soften.
When did this start being about me? Ienzo just nodded.
When they reached Kagemiya's house, she said, "I think I'll go lie down now, but one of my aunts will be bringing some food over if the two of you want to stay for dinner."
Depends on the aunt, Myde thought, reluctant to answer.
"I'd better go," Ienzo declined, not looking her in the eye.
"You all must be busy. I hope my stay didn't set you back too much in your real work."
"Don't worry about things like that. Just take care of yourself." As he turned to leave, he almost bumped into a red-haired woman carrying Tupperware containers. "Pardon me."
"What's the rush? Aren't you staying?" the woman asked genially.
"That's the godmother," Myde whispered to him. Out loud he said, "Yeah, the two of us came over to visit."
"Is it really okay, Ienzo?" Kagemiya asked.
Well, I didn't say when I'd be back, Ienzo thought. "Yeah, it's fine."
"Ienzo? I've heard a lot about you," Kagemiya's godmother said, realizing who he was.
Ienzo became even more nervous. Kagemiya's family had obviously been attacked by the Heartless as well. Did they know it was his fault? Did they blame him and the others? What had they talked about on the first night back? "I'm sorry!" he burst out.
The woman looked puzzled. "For what?" she asked. "All I meant was that Sayuri used to talk about you all the time when she babysat you."
"Oh..." Either she really didn't know or she was being incredibly kind by not talking about it.
The five of them sat down to dinner. Ienzo remained quiet, still somewhat plagued by guilt. If Mako held any ill-will toward him he didn't seem to express it. Myde seemed at ease talking to this oba-san, which meant that she was fine on her own; it was the other two aunts who hadn't wanted Kage-san to have visitors.
"By the way, is your father coming home soon?" Ienzo asked Kagemiya.
"As soon as he can. Any day now," she replied.
"That's good."
"He and my husband are land surveyors," her godmother explained. "They're gone for most of the year."
"Interesting. What do you do?"
"I'm a teacher."
"Oh?" Ienzo seemed to appreciate this.
The rest of the evening went off without a hitch. "Thanks for the food, ma'am," Ienzo said as he got up to leave.
"Thank you for looking after my niece."
"I didn't really do much of anything..."
"I'm sure you did. Sayuri told us that all of you at the castle had taken care of her."
Ienzo ran into Lea when he returned home. "You're out kinda late," Lea commented.
"I was visiting Kage-san."
"They let you?"
"Yeah. The aunt who stopped by today was the nice one, according to Myde."
"Oh yeah, I like her. Is she coming back here to see you?"
"I don't know. She says she's going to finish school."
"That's right. It's been a while. I wouldn't worry, though. After everything that's happened, she's not going to forget about you."
Ienzo remembered the pinkie-swear, their promise to remain friends even though he didn't need her to look after him anymore. "You're right. We are friends, after all."
He went back to visit her again the next chance he got. When he arrived at the house, her two girlfriends were just leaving. It was another reminder to him that she had a different life that he wasn't part of. Without prying too deeply, he wanted to talk more about what they had in common, even if it wasn't a happy subject. "Back at Castle Oblivion, you said that your brother doesn't remember your mother. Do you tell him stories about what you remember?" he asked.
"Not much to remember," she replied glumly. "We mostly look at old photos together."
"I don't have too many of those myself. Sometimes when I find myself really missing my parents, I'll ask one of the others to tell me about their memories of them. They always tell me how much they loved me."
"That's really nice."
"What about you? Have you ever asked your aunts?"
"No, just the photos. Why are you asking about that?"
He took it as a warning to back off. "You almost died. I didn't want to be the one telling your brother stories about you to remember you by. He must already dislike me anyway."
"He knows where he stands. The two of you may be the same age, but you're my friend and he's my brother. Although...you have called me 'nee-san' a couple times already."
Ienzo had to own up to it. "Well, the others at the castle are like uncles and brothers to me. You're like the sister I never had. Even when we were Nobodies, I thought that..."
"Back then I still had this instinct to look after you, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't projecting my bond with my brother onto you too. Senpai called me out on it once. Isa-kun and Lea-kun didn't seem to like it either."
"I thought it was me they didn't like."
"That may be true too, but it's not like everyone outside the castle hates you. You really don't trust anyone beyond the six of you, do you?"
"It's complicated. You know, based on what we had done. But you're right. I've led a sheltered life. When you first arrived I thought you were kind of a spaz, cutting your finger like I had by complete happenstance."
"I was nervous."
"Don't get me wrong. I liked you, but I couldn't tell you everything. I didn't want you to hate me."
"I was pretty mad when you finally did tell me, but I could never hate you or any of the others. I wasn't there, so I can't fully understand what you did or why, but I've been around you long enough that it's okay. I've gotten to know you, and based on your personalities, I never thought you were bad people."
"I've had to question that a few times myself."
"Good people have flaws and they make mistakes. You're no different."
"We knew what we were doing was wrong but went ahead with it anyway. My guilty conscience used to give me nightmares, even as a Nobody. What would my parents think? What would they have done in my place?"
"You have no way of knowing that."
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Kagemiya Sayuri part 3
Chapter 3: Steps
Kagemiya awoke early the next morning, aware of where she was this time. She looked over and saw Ienzo asleep in a chair next to her. She sat up as there was a light tap on the door. Aeleus walked in and gave her a flower. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Any better?"
"Thank you, Aeleus. I'm still tired."
"Are you...afraid?" he asked hesitantly. She nodded and her eyes welled up with tears. He hugged her as she began to cry. "It's going to be all right. Even will take care of this."
Ienzo woke up. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" he asked, panic rising in his voice as he stood up to join them.
"I'm okay," she said, trying to stop crying for his sake. "Thanks for worrying about me. That couldn't have been very comfortable."
"I fall asleep sitting in chairs all the time," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. Kagemiya leaned over and hugged him too.
"Don't even think about getting up," Even warned her as he walked into the room to change her IVs. "You're in no condition to move."
"When can I...?"
"When I say you can, when I'm done running tests." He drew a vial of her blood, which tired her out even more. Aeleus casually looked away. Ienzo stared at Even, knowing that he was helping her even though what he was doing was still keeping her physically weak. She spent a good amount of that day asleep too.
Every day that she was in there, Aeleus brought her a flower. Even was starting to get annoyed because they were cluttering up his work space. After a few days, he allowed her off the table, but she nearly fell when she tried to stand up; he caught her before she hit the floor and eased her back onto the table. "I'm afraid your leg muscles have atrophied from being immobilized for too long. You'll have to re-learn how to walk." He noticed she was on the verge of crying. "Please don't cry," he added, patting her hand.
"I just feel so helpless," she whimpered.
It reminded Even of when Ienzo first learned how to walk, so he related the story to her. "When Ienzo was a toddler and tried to walk for the first time, he stumbled and fell. I don't know whether he was crying because he'd scared himself and gotten hurt or if he had actually been ashamed of his failure. Then, when no one was looking, he got out of his child seat and tried again. He still stumbled but caught himself on my leg."
***James and Even had been in the research room when Marian had come in with Ienzo to teach him how to walk. The toddler had made it halfway between his mother and father before he'd lost his balance and fell. James had picked up the crying child and tried to console him. "It's okay. You did your best." Even had looked on awkwardly. "There, there. No more crying. Papa's got you."
Eventually Ienzo had calmed down. Marian had given him a bottle and put him in his child seat to rest. Instead, when no one was looking, Ienzo had gotten up and started walking again. They hadn't noticed until he'd stumbled and grabbed onto Even's leg. "Did...did you just walk from over there?" Even had asked in disbelief, picking him up. "Well done."
***He'd looked so happy when I praised him. I haven't given him much positive reinforcement since then, have I?
Ienzo walked in on their conversation. "Are you telling her embarrassing stories about me?" he asked incredulously. "What I was like as a baby is still none of her business!"
So it did bother him when I told Ventus about his parents. "Miss Kagemiya fell off the table. She can't walk yet," Even explained to him. "I was only trying to cheer her up."
Ienzo forgot his embarrassment over his concern for her. "Kage-san, are you okay?"
"I'll be all right...eventually."
Dilan helped her by leading her forward while holding her hands, but she was breathing heavily by the time they made it to the door. He carried her back so she could rest and brought her something to eat (up until then she'd been getting medicine and sustenance through the IVs in her arms). "Thank you. I humbly accept."
When Lea returned to keep them updated, Braig told him what had happened to Kagemiya, and he tried to go see her. Even was in the middle of taking her vitals when he let himself in; Braig watched from around the corner. "I heard about what happened. How are you doing, Yuri?" he asked.
"I've asked you not to call me that," she responded, though she sounded less annoyed than usual when telling him off; she was exhausted from trying to walk on her own and stumbling around like a baby deer.
Even spoke up in her defense to get rid of him. "The patient requires more rest. She is in no condition to see anyone for the time being."
Lea backed off, thinking that Even, Ienzo, and Kagemiya were likely still mad at him for what he had done to them as Nobodies. Ienzo followed him out. "Why do you keep calling her that if she doesn't like it?" Ienzo asked. At least when she was Mikage she eventually got the hang of their new names; Lea seemed to be doing it on purpose.
"Because it means 'lily,'" he said in response. "Why does she let you call her Kage-san?"
"Maybe she likes 'shadow' better than 'lily.' What do Isa and the others call her?"
"Isa calls her Kagemiya-san. Relena-senpai called her Sayuri. Myde calls her Sa-chan."
"Well, none of them have shown up yet."
"They probably won't." There was an awkward pause as the two stared each other down. "I'm really sorry, okay?" Lea said at last, not being able to take the silence. "What I did to you guys was really rotten."
"I've already forgiven you. I'm sure they have as well. With Kage-san's illness it's just been a little tense around here."
Kagemiya awoke early the next morning, aware of where she was this time. She looked over and saw Ienzo asleep in a chair next to her. She sat up as there was a light tap on the door. Aeleus walked in and gave her a flower. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Any better?"
"Thank you, Aeleus. I'm still tired."
"Are you...afraid?" he asked hesitantly. She nodded and her eyes welled up with tears. He hugged her as she began to cry. "It's going to be all right. Even will take care of this."
Ienzo woke up. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" he asked, panic rising in his voice as he stood up to join them.
"I'm okay," she said, trying to stop crying for his sake. "Thanks for worrying about me. That couldn't have been very comfortable."
"I fall asleep sitting in chairs all the time," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. Kagemiya leaned over and hugged him too.
"Don't even think about getting up," Even warned her as he walked into the room to change her IVs. "You're in no condition to move."
"When can I...?"
"When I say you can, when I'm done running tests." He drew a vial of her blood, which tired her out even more. Aeleus casually looked away. Ienzo stared at Even, knowing that he was helping her even though what he was doing was still keeping her physically weak. She spent a good amount of that day asleep too.
Every day that she was in there, Aeleus brought her a flower. Even was starting to get annoyed because they were cluttering up his work space. After a few days, he allowed her off the table, but she nearly fell when she tried to stand up; he caught her before she hit the floor and eased her back onto the table. "I'm afraid your leg muscles have atrophied from being immobilized for too long. You'll have to re-learn how to walk." He noticed she was on the verge of crying. "Please don't cry," he added, patting her hand.
"I just feel so helpless," she whimpered.
It reminded Even of when Ienzo first learned how to walk, so he related the story to her. "When Ienzo was a toddler and tried to walk for the first time, he stumbled and fell. I don't know whether he was crying because he'd scared himself and gotten hurt or if he had actually been ashamed of his failure. Then, when no one was looking, he got out of his child seat and tried again. He still stumbled but caught himself on my leg."
***James and Even had been in the research room when Marian had come in with Ienzo to teach him how to walk. The toddler had made it halfway between his mother and father before he'd lost his balance and fell. James had picked up the crying child and tried to console him. "It's okay. You did your best." Even had looked on awkwardly. "There, there. No more crying. Papa's got you."
Eventually Ienzo had calmed down. Marian had given him a bottle and put him in his child seat to rest. Instead, when no one was looking, Ienzo had gotten up and started walking again. They hadn't noticed until he'd stumbled and grabbed onto Even's leg. "Did...did you just walk from over there?" Even had asked in disbelief, picking him up. "Well done."
***He'd looked so happy when I praised him. I haven't given him much positive reinforcement since then, have I?
Ienzo walked in on their conversation. "Are you telling her embarrassing stories about me?" he asked incredulously. "What I was like as a baby is still none of her business!"
So it did bother him when I told Ventus about his parents. "Miss Kagemiya fell off the table. She can't walk yet," Even explained to him. "I was only trying to cheer her up."
Ienzo forgot his embarrassment over his concern for her. "Kage-san, are you okay?"
"I'll be all right...eventually."
Dilan helped her by leading her forward while holding her hands, but she was breathing heavily by the time they made it to the door. He carried her back so she could rest and brought her something to eat (up until then she'd been getting medicine and sustenance through the IVs in her arms). "Thank you. I humbly accept."
When Lea returned to keep them updated, Braig told him what had happened to Kagemiya, and he tried to go see her. Even was in the middle of taking her vitals when he let himself in; Braig watched from around the corner. "I heard about what happened. How are you doing, Yuri?" he asked.
"I've asked you not to call me that," she responded, though she sounded less annoyed than usual when telling him off; she was exhausted from trying to walk on her own and stumbling around like a baby deer.
Even spoke up in her defense to get rid of him. "The patient requires more rest. She is in no condition to see anyone for the time being."
Lea backed off, thinking that Even, Ienzo, and Kagemiya were likely still mad at him for what he had done to them as Nobodies. Ienzo followed him out. "Why do you keep calling her that if she doesn't like it?" Ienzo asked. At least when she was Mikage she eventually got the hang of their new names; Lea seemed to be doing it on purpose.
"Because it means 'lily,'" he said in response. "Why does she let you call her Kage-san?"
"Maybe she likes 'shadow' better than 'lily.' What do Isa and the others call her?"
"Isa calls her Kagemiya-san. Relena-senpai called her Sayuri. Myde calls her Sa-chan."
"Well, none of them have shown up yet."
"They probably won't." There was an awkward pause as the two stared each other down. "I'm really sorry, okay?" Lea said at last, not being able to take the silence. "What I did to you guys was really rotten."
"I've already forgiven you. I'm sure they have as well. With Kage-san's illness it's just been a little tense around here."
Kagemiya Sayuri part 2
Chapter 2: Critical Condition
PRESENT DAY
Ienzo and Kagemiya were returning from running an errand when suddenly she put her hand to her chest again. This time it brought her to her knees. "Kage-san?" She was really scaring him this time.
"Can't...breathe..." She collapsed on the street in front of him.
"Kage-san!" Ienzo couldn't lose someone else. He knelt down beside her and flipped her over. Her face was flushed and her eyelids were fluttering rapidly. "Help! Someone help!"
Braig was the closest. "What happened?" he asked when he saw them on the ground.
"I don't know. She said she couldn't breathe and then she collapsed."
Braig wasted no time in picking her up. "We need to take her to Even right away." The two of them ran back to the castle.
She was awake by the time they got her to where Even and Ansem were. "What ails you?" Ansem asked.
"My heart..." she responded before passing out again.
Even instructed Braig to put her down on his examination table so he could attach monitors to her chest and wrists. Ansem stayed out in the hallway with Ienzo to console him. "It will be all right. She's in the best hands," he assured him.
"I told her years ago to get this thing checked out," Ienzo whispered. "It was nothing back then."
"Tell me what you mean."
"It was only once, but she said she felt her heart skip a beat. Since it didn't happen again, she didn't tell anyone else about it. Back when we were cleaning up, it looked like it was happening again but she was able to get her breath."
"I'm trying to stabilize her, but I can't seem to find the cause of all this," Even reported, stepping out into the hallway with Braig to join them.
"What's happening to her?" Ienzo asked.
"Her heart is beating so rapidly that it can't pump any blood. That's why she keeps losing consciousness. However, I haven't found any abnormalities within her system, so I have no idea why it's doing this."
Kagemiya screamed from the other room as she regained consciousness once more, having no memory of how she'd gotten there; she'd never been inside the laboratory before either, let alone on the examination table. "Where am I?!" She only started to calm down when they all ran to her side.
"You're safe, here with us," Ansem said soothingly.
"Try to relax," Ienzo advised, sounding anything but relaxed himself.
"You're going to have to be here a while," Even informed her. "Your condition is...quite difficult to discern."
"Am I dying?" she asked, terrified.
"No. No one is dying."
"All right. I trust you." She closed her eyes again.
"Did she just fall asleep?" Braig asked when no violent convulsions followed.
"Yes. She is quite exhausted," Even answered, gingerly touching her forehead and fixing her hair. Remembering the kindness she had shown to Dilan and him, he returned the favor by making sure she was comfortable too, putting a blanket over her and a pillow under her head.
Ansem made sure to contact her family so they wouldn't worry too much. That night, Ienzo wanted to stay in the room with her in case she woke up and was frightened again; he was scared too. "Kage-nee-san..." he whispered to himself. Had this condition become worse on its own, or did her heart being stolen and then returning to normal do something to speed up the process? He didn't even know what had happened to her after he pushed her away from Replica Riku; they hadn't discussed it because the situation was moot. It wasn't any use getting mad at Lea, who was off with the other Keyblade masters. The monitor showed that her heartbeat was still too quick, but the medicine Even had started her on was slowly bringing it back down. "Please be okay."
PRESENT DAY
Ienzo and Kagemiya were returning from running an errand when suddenly she put her hand to her chest again. This time it brought her to her knees. "Kage-san?" She was really scaring him this time.
"Can't...breathe..." She collapsed on the street in front of him.
"Kage-san!" Ienzo couldn't lose someone else. He knelt down beside her and flipped her over. Her face was flushed and her eyelids were fluttering rapidly. "Help! Someone help!"
Braig was the closest. "What happened?" he asked when he saw them on the ground.
"I don't know. She said she couldn't breathe and then she collapsed."
Braig wasted no time in picking her up. "We need to take her to Even right away." The two of them ran back to the castle.
She was awake by the time they got her to where Even and Ansem were. "What ails you?" Ansem asked.
"My heart..." she responded before passing out again.
Even instructed Braig to put her down on his examination table so he could attach monitors to her chest and wrists. Ansem stayed out in the hallway with Ienzo to console him. "It will be all right. She's in the best hands," he assured him.
"I told her years ago to get this thing checked out," Ienzo whispered. "It was nothing back then."
"Tell me what you mean."
"It was only once, but she said she felt her heart skip a beat. Since it didn't happen again, she didn't tell anyone else about it. Back when we were cleaning up, it looked like it was happening again but she was able to get her breath."
"I'm trying to stabilize her, but I can't seem to find the cause of all this," Even reported, stepping out into the hallway with Braig to join them.
"What's happening to her?" Ienzo asked.
"Her heart is beating so rapidly that it can't pump any blood. That's why she keeps losing consciousness. However, I haven't found any abnormalities within her system, so I have no idea why it's doing this."
Kagemiya screamed from the other room as she regained consciousness once more, having no memory of how she'd gotten there; she'd never been inside the laboratory before either, let alone on the examination table. "Where am I?!" She only started to calm down when they all ran to her side.
"You're safe, here with us," Ansem said soothingly.
"Try to relax," Ienzo advised, sounding anything but relaxed himself.
"You're going to have to be here a while," Even informed her. "Your condition is...quite difficult to discern."
"Am I dying?" she asked, terrified.
"No. No one is dying."
"All right. I trust you." She closed her eyes again.
"Did she just fall asleep?" Braig asked when no violent convulsions followed.
"Yes. She is quite exhausted," Even answered, gingerly touching her forehead and fixing her hair. Remembering the kindness she had shown to Dilan and him, he returned the favor by making sure she was comfortable too, putting a blanket over her and a pillow under her head.
Ansem made sure to contact her family so they wouldn't worry too much. That night, Ienzo wanted to stay in the room with her in case she woke up and was frightened again; he was scared too. "Kage-nee-san..." he whispered to himself. Had this condition become worse on its own, or did her heart being stolen and then returning to normal do something to speed up the process? He didn't even know what had happened to her after he pushed her away from Replica Riku; they hadn't discussed it because the situation was moot. It wasn't any use getting mad at Lea, who was off with the other Keyblade masters. The monitor showed that her heartbeat was still too quick, but the medicine Even had started her on was slowly bringing it back down. "Please be okay."
Kagemiya Sayuri part 1
(I don't think I've posted this before, so bear with me. I'm just using it to cope with a lot of things and this is only half of it.)
Chapter 1: Symptoms
13 YEARS AGO
Kagemiya was studying in the library with Ienzo when she suddenly had a strange feeling. "Oh..." She touched her chest.
"What's wrong?" Ienzo asked, concerned.
"My heart...fluttered for a second. Like it missed a beat or something."
"Do you want me to go get Even?"
"No, that's okay. Maybe if it happens again, but...it's fine now."
Ienzo went back to his reading but he still looked worried.
2 YEARS AGO
Kagemiya had returned from making sure Dilan and Even were comfortable and helped Aeleus and Ienzo clean up. She let out a few errant coughs here and there. "Are you all right?" Aeleus asked.
"Yeah, I just needed to catch my breath."
"You can take a break if you need to," Ienzo said. He had all but forgotten about the time before, but he remembered when she coughed again and he saw her hold her hand to her chest. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Go lie down. We can handle this ourselves," Aeleus suggested, putting an end to it.
Kagemiya went into the library and lay down on a bench to rest. Later, when she didn't return, they assumed she had gone home. While searching for a book, Even found her still curled up on the bench, fast asleep. Unsure of what he should do, he retrieved his book and asked the two what she was doing there. "Why is Miss Kagemiya sleeping in the library?"
"She was helping us clean up, but then she started not feeling well," Ienzo explained. "She said she was fine, but..."
"Perhaps she was still unstable like Dilan and myself. By the way, did you bring those linens down for us?"
"No. That was her," Aeleus replied a bit sheepishly.
"Oh?" Even was intrigued by this. Such a good girl, he thought, remembering her standing up for him against Marluxia in Castle Oblivion.
Ienzo went into the library to check on Kagemiya. He found her still sleeping and decided to check her pulse, which was normal. Maybe Even was right and she was merely adjusting. He took off his lab coat and covered her up with it.
Dilan quietly entered the room. "Even just told me what happened," he whispered. "I thought I'd come thank her but I see you haven't woken her up yet."
"No, let her sleep for as long as she needs to."
Coincidentally, she woke up on her own at that moment. "Oh, hello, you two," she said groggily.
"Good evening, miss. I wanted to thank you for tending to Even and myself earlier," Dilan said politely.
"It's already evening? I haven't been home yet!" Kagemiya panicked. She tossed Ienzo his coat. "You're welcome, Dilan! Thanks, Ienzo!" she quickly replied before dashing out. "I'll come back and help later!"
"She just ran off?" Even asked when the four of them re-grouped.
"Like a bat out of hell," Dilan replied.
"She said she would come back," Ienzo added.
"Still, to have run straight here after reconstituting instead of her own home..." Aeleus pointed out. "Hey, are you sure it's safe for her to have gone off on her own after dark?"
"There was no stopping her," Dilan answered.
"It's unlikely that anyone would cause trouble this soon after reconstituting. I'm sure she's fine," Even said. "Why don't you call her house to make sure?"
Ienzo looked through Ansem's desk drawers until he found the list of emergency contacts. He dialed her number, and it rang a few times, but he was relieved when she finally picked up. "Kagemiya residence."
"Kage-san! Thank goodness it's you."
"Ienzo-kun? Is something the matter?"
"No, we were just worried about you. But you made it home all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry for taking off on you like that."
"It's okay. How's your family doing?"
"Everyone's fine, I think...except my father's still not home yet."
Ienzo gulped. "Do you know which world he was on?"
"I'm not sure."
"Don't worry. I'm sure he's okay wherever he is. He might even be in Traverse Town."
"You think so?"
He'd better be. "Yeah. I'm sure you'll hear from him soon."
"You too, Ienzo-kun. I'm sure Ansem will find his way back to you."
The last place we'd sensed him was Castle Oblivion. Who knows what could have happened to him since then? "If he even wants to come back."
"Don't say that. Of course he does!"
"I should let you get back to your family."
"All right, but call me if you need help with anything."
"I will. Goodbye." Ienzo hung up and thought about what Aeleus had said. She hasn't seen her family in years, and yet she came to check on us first. Given the circumstances under which we parted I suppose that makes sense, but... He couldn't shake the feeling of guilt. She'd been a prisoner of the Organization, a human Nobody like the rest of them, but her family and friends were lesser Nobodies she wouldn't have recognized even if she had run into them.
Before that, though, why did she choose to look after him, to spend time with him, instead of her own brother? It's true that their aunts checked on them, and their grandmother probably had taken care of them before she died, so I guess she wasn't always needed at home, he thought. Or maybe he just wasn't as lonely as I was. They couldn't have had just aunts, but uncles and cousins as well. And friends. Ienzo hadn't had any of that, only Ansem and the others. It wasn't nothing, but their duties kept them busy all the same.
Chapter 1: Symptoms
13 YEARS AGO
Kagemiya was studying in the library with Ienzo when she suddenly had a strange feeling. "Oh..." She touched her chest.
"What's wrong?" Ienzo asked, concerned.
"My heart...fluttered for a second. Like it missed a beat or something."
"Do you want me to go get Even?"
"No, that's okay. Maybe if it happens again, but...it's fine now."
Ienzo went back to his reading but he still looked worried.
2 YEARS AGO
Kagemiya had returned from making sure Dilan and Even were comfortable and helped Aeleus and Ienzo clean up. She let out a few errant coughs here and there. "Are you all right?" Aeleus asked.
"Yeah, I just needed to catch my breath."
"You can take a break if you need to," Ienzo said. He had all but forgotten about the time before, but he remembered when she coughed again and he saw her hold her hand to her chest. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Go lie down. We can handle this ourselves," Aeleus suggested, putting an end to it.
Kagemiya went into the library and lay down on a bench to rest. Later, when she didn't return, they assumed she had gone home. While searching for a book, Even found her still curled up on the bench, fast asleep. Unsure of what he should do, he retrieved his book and asked the two what she was doing there. "Why is Miss Kagemiya sleeping in the library?"
"She was helping us clean up, but then she started not feeling well," Ienzo explained. "She said she was fine, but..."
"Perhaps she was still unstable like Dilan and myself. By the way, did you bring those linens down for us?"
"No. That was her," Aeleus replied a bit sheepishly.
"Oh?" Even was intrigued by this. Such a good girl, he thought, remembering her standing up for him against Marluxia in Castle Oblivion.
Ienzo went into the library to check on Kagemiya. He found her still sleeping and decided to check her pulse, which was normal. Maybe Even was right and she was merely adjusting. He took off his lab coat and covered her up with it.
Dilan quietly entered the room. "Even just told me what happened," he whispered. "I thought I'd come thank her but I see you haven't woken her up yet."
"No, let her sleep for as long as she needs to."
Coincidentally, she woke up on her own at that moment. "Oh, hello, you two," she said groggily.
"Good evening, miss. I wanted to thank you for tending to Even and myself earlier," Dilan said politely.
"It's already evening? I haven't been home yet!" Kagemiya panicked. She tossed Ienzo his coat. "You're welcome, Dilan! Thanks, Ienzo!" she quickly replied before dashing out. "I'll come back and help later!"
"She just ran off?" Even asked when the four of them re-grouped.
"Like a bat out of hell," Dilan replied.
"She said she would come back," Ienzo added.
"Still, to have run straight here after reconstituting instead of her own home..." Aeleus pointed out. "Hey, are you sure it's safe for her to have gone off on her own after dark?"
"There was no stopping her," Dilan answered.
"It's unlikely that anyone would cause trouble this soon after reconstituting. I'm sure she's fine," Even said. "Why don't you call her house to make sure?"
Ienzo looked through Ansem's desk drawers until he found the list of emergency contacts. He dialed her number, and it rang a few times, but he was relieved when she finally picked up. "Kagemiya residence."
"Kage-san! Thank goodness it's you."
"Ienzo-kun? Is something the matter?"
"No, we were just worried about you. But you made it home all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry for taking off on you like that."
"It's okay. How's your family doing?"
"Everyone's fine, I think...except my father's still not home yet."
Ienzo gulped. "Do you know which world he was on?"
"I'm not sure."
"Don't worry. I'm sure he's okay wherever he is. He might even be in Traverse Town."
"You think so?"
He'd better be. "Yeah. I'm sure you'll hear from him soon."
"You too, Ienzo-kun. I'm sure Ansem will find his way back to you."
The last place we'd sensed him was Castle Oblivion. Who knows what could have happened to him since then? "If he even wants to come back."
"Don't say that. Of course he does!"
"I should let you get back to your family."
"All right, but call me if you need help with anything."
"I will. Goodbye." Ienzo hung up and thought about what Aeleus had said. She hasn't seen her family in years, and yet she came to check on us first. Given the circumstances under which we parted I suppose that makes sense, but... He couldn't shake the feeling of guilt. She'd been a prisoner of the Organization, a human Nobody like the rest of them, but her family and friends were lesser Nobodies she wouldn't have recognized even if she had run into them.
Before that, though, why did she choose to look after him, to spend time with him, instead of her own brother? It's true that their aunts checked on them, and their grandmother probably had taken care of them before she died, so I guess she wasn't always needed at home, he thought. Or maybe he just wasn't as lonely as I was. They couldn't have had just aunts, but uncles and cousins as well. And friends. Ienzo hadn't had any of that, only Ansem and the others. It wasn't nothing, but their duties kept them busy all the same.
Mikage: A Nobody's Story part 11
Chapter 12: Revival
ONE YEAR LATER
Lea awoke in the secret room of the castle in Radiant Garden. He saw the Door to Darkness on the far wall across from him, and on the floor before it lay the prone bodies of Aeleus, Dilan, Even, and Ienzo. They were still wearing their apprentice uniforms, and slowly they began to regain consciousness. Lea found a reflective surface and saw himself - still in the black coat of Organization XIII but missing the tattoos beneath his eyes. He was fully human again. He remembered his friendship with Roxas and Xion, but they were gone - alive within Sora, whom as a Nobody he'd died trying to save. Neither Isa, Xehanort, nor Braig were in the room with them, so he began to wander the halls in search of them.
Aeleus was the first of the remaining four to get up, stumbling around a bit before regaining his balance. To his right, Ienzo stirred, lifting his head and trying to prop himself up on his elbows. Instinctively, Aeleus knelt down to get himself more grounded as he tried to help Ienzo up. "Aeleus-nii..." Ienzo muttered as he became oriented to his surroundings.
"I've got you." Aeleus gripped him in a tight bear-hug, and Ienzo squeezed him back. It was as much of an embrace as it was the two trying to steady themselves. The other two remained asleep, so they went upstairs to look around. They found Ansem's office in disarray and began to clean up. Ienzo sorted papers and Aeleus put books back on shelves.
Kagemiya woke up out in the street where she had fallen amidst other citizens of Radiant Garden. As soon as she was able to steady herself, she made a mad dash for the castle. Finding no one on the outside guarding it, she went inside and wandered around until she heard noises coming from the office. When she peeked in, she was overjoyed to see the two of them. "Thank goodness!" she cried, hugging first Ienzo then Aeleus.
"Where's my hug?" Lea asked, appearing in the doorway.
Kagemiya just glared at him, resisting the urge to punch him. "Where are the others?" she asked instead.
"Dilan and Even are still downstairs resting," Aeleus informed her. "We don't know where anyone else is."
"I haven't been able to find them either," Lea added, concerned. He decided to continue the search.
Kagemiya turned to leave as well. "Where are you going?" Ienzo asked.
"Don't worry, I'll help you clean up. I just want to check on Even and Dilan for a minute." She located the linen closet and took out a couple of sheets and pillows. Not wanting them to be cold or uncomfortable, she brought them to the two downstairs. Then she went back upstairs to the supply closet to help Aeleus and Ienzo clean.
Chapter 13: Consequences
Days later, they waited for Ansem to return but were afraid of facing the consequences. "It takes courage to own up to your mistakes," Kagemiya said, as if speaking from experience. She'd never done anything this bad to disobey anyone though.
"What is courage, really?" Ienzo muttered. They'd said to have courage after my parents died, but instead I just went numb. It wasn't bravery that let me stare down those Unversed before. I felt nothing. But what I still fear the most is being alone, losing the connections I have with everyone. They're not related to me by blood; they didn't have to love me. Why they still choose to is somewhat of a mystery to me. But I'm grateful for it. I deserve whatever punishment Ansem decides to give...but if he were to stop loving me...even though I have my heart back, that emptiness would return. I don't want it to.
"It isn't the absence of fear, rather the perseverance despite it," Dilan replied.
"I am prepared to accept the consequences of my actions," Aeleus sighed.
"As am I," Even agreed sadly.
When Ansem arrived, the five of them knelt down. "Miss Kagemiya, please leave," he said.
"Yes, sir," she said, getting up and hurrying from the room. She waited out in the hallway as Ansem spoke sternly to his apprentices, and then it got quiet.
When he opened the door again, he was surprised to see her standing there. "You're still here?"
"Oh. You meant leave the castle. I thought you meant...never mind. Goodbye."
"Wait," he said, stopping her from leaving. "I have something to say to you too."
"Yes?"
"You had nothing to do with any of this, and yet you continued to stay by their side even after I'd warned you not to get involved. Might I ask why?"
"They've become my friends. I couldn't abandon them to their fate, though it was inevitable. I knew I didn't belong with them, but a part of me still I felt like I did. Was that wrong?"
"I do not know. What made you think you could trust them?"
"Aeleus is exceptionally good-natured. Dilan is forthright. Even may be overzealous, but he is always helping others. Despite everything, Ienzo really is a sweet boy. Braig...isn't here, but I know he wants to be. He cares about all of you."
"That will do."
"They were lost without you, though. It was like the light went out."
"I would like you to continue help us. We could use a friend like you in the troubled times ahead."
"Thank you, sir."
The apprentices had been listening and had heard what she'd said about them. It made them wonder how she could think so highly of them, knowing what they'd done. Even felt even worse; the only reason he ever helped anyone was to make himself feel important and better than everyone, and here she was helping them simply because they needed someone to be there. She wasn't blind to their faults, but she'd decided to look past them.
"Run along home now." Ansem turned back to his apprentices as Kagemiya bowed and left. "Well?"
"She complimented us. Why do I still feel terrible?" Ienzo asked.
"Perhaps because we don't deserve it," Even replied morosely.
***
Braig had come back into the fold after returning to normal. He went into the washroom, untied his hair (which had turned completely black again since he was no longer possessed by Xehanort) and took a shower. He got redressed and looked at himself in the mirror with his hair still down and decided he needed to cut it. However, he wasn't sure if he could do it properly by himself, and he didn't want to ask one of the guys to do it, so he asked Kagemiya. "Hey Kage-chan, come here a sec," he beckoned from the doorway.
"Sure. What's up?" She put away the medical kit from assisting in treating Dilan and Aeleus' injuries.
"Can you cut my hair for me? Just to the length it was before all this happened."
"Okay." She brushed it out for him first before cutting it, and he felt a lot better afterward.
"Thank you. I feel so much lighter."
"No problem. I'm glad you're all right."
"You and me both."
ONE YEAR LATER
Lea awoke in the secret room of the castle in Radiant Garden. He saw the Door to Darkness on the far wall across from him, and on the floor before it lay the prone bodies of Aeleus, Dilan, Even, and Ienzo. They were still wearing their apprentice uniforms, and slowly they began to regain consciousness. Lea found a reflective surface and saw himself - still in the black coat of Organization XIII but missing the tattoos beneath his eyes. He was fully human again. He remembered his friendship with Roxas and Xion, but they were gone - alive within Sora, whom as a Nobody he'd died trying to save. Neither Isa, Xehanort, nor Braig were in the room with them, so he began to wander the halls in search of them.
Aeleus was the first of the remaining four to get up, stumbling around a bit before regaining his balance. To his right, Ienzo stirred, lifting his head and trying to prop himself up on his elbows. Instinctively, Aeleus knelt down to get himself more grounded as he tried to help Ienzo up. "Aeleus-nii..." Ienzo muttered as he became oriented to his surroundings.
"I've got you." Aeleus gripped him in a tight bear-hug, and Ienzo squeezed him back. It was as much of an embrace as it was the two trying to steady themselves. The other two remained asleep, so they went upstairs to look around. They found Ansem's office in disarray and began to clean up. Ienzo sorted papers and Aeleus put books back on shelves.
Kagemiya woke up out in the street where she had fallen amidst other citizens of Radiant Garden. As soon as she was able to steady herself, she made a mad dash for the castle. Finding no one on the outside guarding it, she went inside and wandered around until she heard noises coming from the office. When she peeked in, she was overjoyed to see the two of them. "Thank goodness!" she cried, hugging first Ienzo then Aeleus.
"Where's my hug?" Lea asked, appearing in the doorway.
Kagemiya just glared at him, resisting the urge to punch him. "Where are the others?" she asked instead.
"Dilan and Even are still downstairs resting," Aeleus informed her. "We don't know where anyone else is."
"I haven't been able to find them either," Lea added, concerned. He decided to continue the search.
Kagemiya turned to leave as well. "Where are you going?" Ienzo asked.
"Don't worry, I'll help you clean up. I just want to check on Even and Dilan for a minute." She located the linen closet and took out a couple of sheets and pillows. Not wanting them to be cold or uncomfortable, she brought them to the two downstairs. Then she went back upstairs to the supply closet to help Aeleus and Ienzo clean.
Chapter 13: Consequences
Days later, they waited for Ansem to return but were afraid of facing the consequences. "It takes courage to own up to your mistakes," Kagemiya said, as if speaking from experience. She'd never done anything this bad to disobey anyone though.
"What is courage, really?" Ienzo muttered. They'd said to have courage after my parents died, but instead I just went numb. It wasn't bravery that let me stare down those Unversed before. I felt nothing. But what I still fear the most is being alone, losing the connections I have with everyone. They're not related to me by blood; they didn't have to love me. Why they still choose to is somewhat of a mystery to me. But I'm grateful for it. I deserve whatever punishment Ansem decides to give...but if he were to stop loving me...even though I have my heart back, that emptiness would return. I don't want it to.
"It isn't the absence of fear, rather the perseverance despite it," Dilan replied.
"I am prepared to accept the consequences of my actions," Aeleus sighed.
"As am I," Even agreed sadly.
When Ansem arrived, the five of them knelt down. "Miss Kagemiya, please leave," he said.
"Yes, sir," she said, getting up and hurrying from the room. She waited out in the hallway as Ansem spoke sternly to his apprentices, and then it got quiet.
When he opened the door again, he was surprised to see her standing there. "You're still here?"
"Oh. You meant leave the castle. I thought you meant...never mind. Goodbye."
"Wait," he said, stopping her from leaving. "I have something to say to you too."
"Yes?"
"You had nothing to do with any of this, and yet you continued to stay by their side even after I'd warned you not to get involved. Might I ask why?"
"They've become my friends. I couldn't abandon them to their fate, though it was inevitable. I knew I didn't belong with them, but a part of me still I felt like I did. Was that wrong?"
"I do not know. What made you think you could trust them?"
"Aeleus is exceptionally good-natured. Dilan is forthright. Even may be overzealous, but he is always helping others. Despite everything, Ienzo really is a sweet boy. Braig...isn't here, but I know he wants to be. He cares about all of you."
"That will do."
"They were lost without you, though. It was like the light went out."
"I would like you to continue help us. We could use a friend like you in the troubled times ahead."
"Thank you, sir."
The apprentices had been listening and had heard what she'd said about them. It made them wonder how she could think so highly of them, knowing what they'd done. Even felt even worse; the only reason he ever helped anyone was to make himself feel important and better than everyone, and here she was helping them simply because they needed someone to be there. She wasn't blind to their faults, but she'd decided to look past them.
"Run along home now." Ansem turned back to his apprentices as Kagemiya bowed and left. "Well?"
"She complimented us. Why do I still feel terrible?" Ienzo asked.
"Perhaps because we don't deserve it," Even replied morosely.
***
Braig had come back into the fold after returning to normal. He went into the washroom, untied his hair (which had turned completely black again since he was no longer possessed by Xehanort) and took a shower. He got redressed and looked at himself in the mirror with his hair still down and decided he needed to cut it. However, he wasn't sure if he could do it properly by himself, and he didn't want to ask one of the guys to do it, so he asked Kagemiya. "Hey Kage-chan, come here a sec," he beckoned from the doorway.
"Sure. What's up?" She put away the medical kit from assisting in treating Dilan and Aeleus' injuries.
"Can you cut my hair for me? Just to the length it was before all this happened."
"Okay." She brushed it out for him first before cutting it, and he felt a lot better afterward.
"Thank you. I feel so much lighter."
"No problem. I'm glad you're all right."
"You and me both."
Mikage: A Nobody's Story part 10
Chapter 11: Destruction
Vexen had been spending an inordinate amount of time with the team upstairs. "It just doesn't make any sense," Zexion complained. "He and the others don't get along, so why is he up there all the time doing favors for them?"
"Ever since the hero of light and the hero of darkness showed up in the castle, he's been working more with Marluxia's group than with us," Lexaeus added bitterly.
"They're a distraction from our true mission."
Mikage had been told that they were looking for a specific room, and that was all. They hadn't minded having her tag along to help with that, but they still hadn't found it. "Do you want me to go upstairs and get him?" she offered.
"Normally I wouldn't bother him unless it was urgent, but this has gone on long enough."
Mikage opened a portal and went upstairs to find Vexen. "Vexen-san, they need you downstairs..." Her voice trailed off as she noticed what she'd walked in on. Vexen had been arguing with Marluxia, and Marluxia was holding the blade of his scythe against Vexen's neck. "Hey, what are you doing?" she exclaimed, moving in front of Vexen and underneath the blade.
"Yuri, no..." Axel said under his breath.
"Insolent girl. I am the master of this castle, not him," Marluxia growled, putting the blade against her throat instead.
"So what? He's still one of the Organization's founding members and the oldest one here. You should have some respect for him."
"Vexen, respectable? Ha!" Larxene scoffed.
Vexen grabbed Mikage's shoulders and moved her aside. "That will do, Miss Mikage. Tell them I will return after dealing with Sora."
Not long after, Zexion sensed Vexen's death at the hands of Axel and reported it to his two remaining companions. "What do we do now?" he asked, slightly unnerved.
"He'd want us to carry on for him, wouldn't he?" Mikage suggested. She hadn't told them about Marluxia threatening him, but it wouldn't have made Vexen's murder any less of a shock. Lea-kun...Why?
"Sora's the problem," Lexaeus put in. "Soon he'll be Marluxia's puppet."
“In that case, should we destroy Sora before he falls into Marluxia’s hands?” Zexion suggested drastically.
Lexaeus' eyes widened in surprise. "Destroy Sora? No. That won’t be necessary. If Marluxia is to gain the light that is Sora, then we will take the darkness.”
“…You mean, Riku?” Zexion said. Lexaeus nodded, then disappeared.
Mikage stepped up next to Zexion. "Hey, what's the matter? You're losing your focus."
Zexion's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? My focus is always on our goal."
"Right now, Sora is the goal, if I'm not mistaken. Did you really want to destroy him?"
Zexion shook his head ruefully. "That may have been a bit premature on my part. Vexen made a grave miscalculation, and it cost him."
"Vexen-san wasn't one of the strongest fighters, so it's not surprising that he lost to Sora. If Axel was out of line, wouldn't you want him destroyed instead?" Marluxia must have told him to do it, but still...
"I don't like that one Organization member killed another, but I'm not about to suggest it should happen again."
"But getting rid of Sora is okay? Are you blaming him or were you just being spiteful?"
Zexion was tired of talking in circles. "If you have a point, then make it already."
"The only reason for you to have wanted Sora destroyed is vengeance. Admit it. It was for Vexen-san, wasn't it."
"You're wrong. I respected Vexen, but I hated him. I've always hated him."
Mikage looked sad. "Zexion-kun, you can't mean that."
"Oh yes I can. You know how he acted. He never liked me either. He hated having to look after me."
"I'm sure that's not true. You're only remembering the bad times. He loved you the only way he knew how. He'd had a strict upbringing by his father, but deep down he still knew compassion. I could see it in his eyes, the same way I see the affect he's had on you in yours. Isn't there one good memory of you two together?"
Zexion wasn't about to answer that line of questioning; instead, he kept his mouth shut so he wouldn't say anything else incriminating. He did remember vaguely when Even had gently but firmly tucked him in at night, and he supposed trying to keep him cooped up in the castle had been his way of protecting him. He stared at the floor in silence, waiting for Lexaeus to come back.
Unfortunately, he never did. Zexion gasped as he sensed Riku annihilate Lexaeus. "No...They can't both be gone...What's happening?" That old sinking feeling was returning. Not again...not again...not again! he thought miserably. All he wanted to do was curl up in a ball and hide in the corner, but he had a job to complete, with or without them. He wound up his courage and put on a brave face. "I must avenge them."
"Zexion-kun, you don't have to do this," Mikage said, trying to talk him out of it.
"Yes I do," he said emphatically, disappearing before she could stop him.
Zexion confronted Riku, taunting him before projecting an illusion of the night Destiny Island was destroyed. “You really should have known that this was going to happen,” he admonished. "You threw your friends away. You destroyed your own home!”
In that instant, darkness wrapped around them and rain began to beat down on Riku. Thunder echoed in the sky and then the world began to disintegrate. “The island where you were born crumbled away, and many hearts vanished into the darkness. It was your fault!”
Yes...If I hadn’t been so easily tempted...if I hadn’t believed his words... Both of them thought this. Deep down, Zexion knew he was just as guilty as Riku, led astray as they both were by Xehanort. It was my fault, my fault, my fault! I threw away my relationship with Ansem and helped destroy our home. I wish Xehanort had never come to Radiant Garden...
“The one who got sick of the small-island lifestyle, thoughtlessly opened the door to darkness and destroyed the islands was you! You were tempted by the darkness. And now, you are a complete resident of the darkness.” As am I. We're the same, Riku. I'd ask you to join me in darkness, but you killed my best friend, so you may say hello to him for me in oblivion instead.
But Zexion hadn't counted on interference from Namine. She pulled Riku out of the darkness by telling him it was okay, that he was in control of himself. This gave Riku the confidence he needed to overcome the illusions and beat Zexion.
Zexion survived and returned to the basement on the verge of tears. Mikage ran over to him as he tried to lean against the wall for support. "Zexion-kun, you're hurt!"
"I'm fine," he lied, trying to recover his strength. "Leave me alone!" The thoughts in his head were too much for him to bear without a heart to give his would-be tears release. He had failed to avenge Lexaeus, and Riku had really gotten to him instead of the other way around. Unlike him, Riku wasn't giving in to the darkness this time. Worse yet, Zexion had lost the people who mattered most to him again, and there still wasn't anything he could do about it. "It's not fair!" he yelled, hitting the wall repeatedly with his fist. "It just shouldn't be possible! Why?!"
"Zexion..." Mikage had never seen him like this before, and for a Nobody that was saying something. He'd lost his parents, Ansem, Vexen, and Lexaeus, and now he'd been defeated in an important fight. She read the thoughts swirling around in his mind: he was a failure, and he knew how the Organization punished failure; Xigbar and Xaldin wouldn't let that happen to him, would they? Even if he didn't have a heart, something inside him broke. He pulled his arm back to hit the wall again, but she caught it, stopping him. He looked back at her with an anguished expression on his face. "It's okay. I'm here."
"Kage-nee..." Zexion unclenched his fist and relaxed his arm, letting her hold his hand.
As Mikage tried to console him, Axel showed up with Replica Riku. Zexion got scared when he saw the replica and clung to Mikage for a moment. He seemed to calm down when he realized it wasn't the real Riku and that he was on their side. "Of course," he said, breathing a sigh of relief and letting go of Mikage. "We can send the replica to fight Riku."
"You'll need some more energy to secure a win. Why not take Zexion's?" Axel said to the replica.
"What are you saying? That's not funny, Axel." Zexion was getting nervous and scared again as he realized that Axel was being serious.
Mikage moved in front of Zexion as a shield. "What has this kid ever done to you?"
"This kid, as you call him, was one of the ones who did this to us. I thought you would have figured that out since you were so close with those living in the castle."
"Yes, I realize that now. I had no idea what was going on before I left."
"You liar. You had to have known something."
"If I had known, I would have gotten out of there and taken him with me."
"Doesn't matter now. The two of you know too much. Take her out first."
"No!" Zexion shouted, pushing her out of the way. Replica Riku strangled him and took his energy as Mikage watched in horror.
"Why are you doing this? I thought we were all on the same side!" Mikage shouted.
"Sorry, Yuri," he said coldly, preparing to snap his fingers.
"Don't-!" Instead of having the replica steal her life force, Axel just set her on fire like he had previously done to Vexen.
***
Having faked his death at the hands of Sora, Axel waited a while before returning to the main castle. "The traitors have been dealt with," he reported to Saix. "Marluxia and Larxene were the ones plotting against the Superior, just like you suspected."
"Namine has gone missing, has she not?" Saix asked without acknowledging Axel's words.
"I don't know how she managed to escape. One minute she was there and then the next...gone." Axel dared not look his friend in the face while telling such a lie, having been the one who'd let her leave in the first place.
"And Kagemiya?"
"She chose destruction, trying to protect that whiny little brat Zexion. I got rid of him for you, and Vexen too. The heroes took care of the rest."
"I'd rounded up all the people I wanted gone, and now they are out of my way."
"Whoa, that doesn't include me, does it?"
"What does it matter? You came back, didn't you?" Saix gave him a look that told him not to question it, and then turned and left.
"Hey, you're welcome!" Axel shouted sarcastically to the empty air.
Vexen had been spending an inordinate amount of time with the team upstairs. "It just doesn't make any sense," Zexion complained. "He and the others don't get along, so why is he up there all the time doing favors for them?"
"Ever since the hero of light and the hero of darkness showed up in the castle, he's been working more with Marluxia's group than with us," Lexaeus added bitterly.
"They're a distraction from our true mission."
Mikage had been told that they were looking for a specific room, and that was all. They hadn't minded having her tag along to help with that, but they still hadn't found it. "Do you want me to go upstairs and get him?" she offered.
"Normally I wouldn't bother him unless it was urgent, but this has gone on long enough."
Mikage opened a portal and went upstairs to find Vexen. "Vexen-san, they need you downstairs..." Her voice trailed off as she noticed what she'd walked in on. Vexen had been arguing with Marluxia, and Marluxia was holding the blade of his scythe against Vexen's neck. "Hey, what are you doing?" she exclaimed, moving in front of Vexen and underneath the blade.
"Yuri, no..." Axel said under his breath.
"Insolent girl. I am the master of this castle, not him," Marluxia growled, putting the blade against her throat instead.
"So what? He's still one of the Organization's founding members and the oldest one here. You should have some respect for him."
"Vexen, respectable? Ha!" Larxene scoffed.
Vexen grabbed Mikage's shoulders and moved her aside. "That will do, Miss Mikage. Tell them I will return after dealing with Sora."
Not long after, Zexion sensed Vexen's death at the hands of Axel and reported it to his two remaining companions. "What do we do now?" he asked, slightly unnerved.
"He'd want us to carry on for him, wouldn't he?" Mikage suggested. She hadn't told them about Marluxia threatening him, but it wouldn't have made Vexen's murder any less of a shock. Lea-kun...Why?
"Sora's the problem," Lexaeus put in. "Soon he'll be Marluxia's puppet."
“In that case, should we destroy Sora before he falls into Marluxia’s hands?” Zexion suggested drastically.
Lexaeus' eyes widened in surprise. "Destroy Sora? No. That won’t be necessary. If Marluxia is to gain the light that is Sora, then we will take the darkness.”
“…You mean, Riku?” Zexion said. Lexaeus nodded, then disappeared.
Mikage stepped up next to Zexion. "Hey, what's the matter? You're losing your focus."
Zexion's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? My focus is always on our goal."
"Right now, Sora is the goal, if I'm not mistaken. Did you really want to destroy him?"
Zexion shook his head ruefully. "That may have been a bit premature on my part. Vexen made a grave miscalculation, and it cost him."
"Vexen-san wasn't one of the strongest fighters, so it's not surprising that he lost to Sora. If Axel was out of line, wouldn't you want him destroyed instead?" Marluxia must have told him to do it, but still...
"I don't like that one Organization member killed another, but I'm not about to suggest it should happen again."
"But getting rid of Sora is okay? Are you blaming him or were you just being spiteful?"
Zexion was tired of talking in circles. "If you have a point, then make it already."
"The only reason for you to have wanted Sora destroyed is vengeance. Admit it. It was for Vexen-san, wasn't it."
"You're wrong. I respected Vexen, but I hated him. I've always hated him."
Mikage looked sad. "Zexion-kun, you can't mean that."
"Oh yes I can. You know how he acted. He never liked me either. He hated having to look after me."
"I'm sure that's not true. You're only remembering the bad times. He loved you the only way he knew how. He'd had a strict upbringing by his father, but deep down he still knew compassion. I could see it in his eyes, the same way I see the affect he's had on you in yours. Isn't there one good memory of you two together?"
Zexion wasn't about to answer that line of questioning; instead, he kept his mouth shut so he wouldn't say anything else incriminating. He did remember vaguely when Even had gently but firmly tucked him in at night, and he supposed trying to keep him cooped up in the castle had been his way of protecting him. He stared at the floor in silence, waiting for Lexaeus to come back.
Unfortunately, he never did. Zexion gasped as he sensed Riku annihilate Lexaeus. "No...They can't both be gone...What's happening?" That old sinking feeling was returning. Not again...not again...not again! he thought miserably. All he wanted to do was curl up in a ball and hide in the corner, but he had a job to complete, with or without them. He wound up his courage and put on a brave face. "I must avenge them."
"Zexion-kun, you don't have to do this," Mikage said, trying to talk him out of it.
"Yes I do," he said emphatically, disappearing before she could stop him.
Zexion confronted Riku, taunting him before projecting an illusion of the night Destiny Island was destroyed. “You really should have known that this was going to happen,” he admonished. "You threw your friends away. You destroyed your own home!”
In that instant, darkness wrapped around them and rain began to beat down on Riku. Thunder echoed in the sky and then the world began to disintegrate. “The island where you were born crumbled away, and many hearts vanished into the darkness. It was your fault!”
Yes...If I hadn’t been so easily tempted...if I hadn’t believed his words... Both of them thought this. Deep down, Zexion knew he was just as guilty as Riku, led astray as they both were by Xehanort. It was my fault, my fault, my fault! I threw away my relationship with Ansem and helped destroy our home. I wish Xehanort had never come to Radiant Garden...
“The one who got sick of the small-island lifestyle, thoughtlessly opened the door to darkness and destroyed the islands was you! You were tempted by the darkness. And now, you are a complete resident of the darkness.” As am I. We're the same, Riku. I'd ask you to join me in darkness, but you killed my best friend, so you may say hello to him for me in oblivion instead.
But Zexion hadn't counted on interference from Namine. She pulled Riku out of the darkness by telling him it was okay, that he was in control of himself. This gave Riku the confidence he needed to overcome the illusions and beat Zexion.
Zexion survived and returned to the basement on the verge of tears. Mikage ran over to him as he tried to lean against the wall for support. "Zexion-kun, you're hurt!"
"I'm fine," he lied, trying to recover his strength. "Leave me alone!" The thoughts in his head were too much for him to bear without a heart to give his would-be tears release. He had failed to avenge Lexaeus, and Riku had really gotten to him instead of the other way around. Unlike him, Riku wasn't giving in to the darkness this time. Worse yet, Zexion had lost the people who mattered most to him again, and there still wasn't anything he could do about it. "It's not fair!" he yelled, hitting the wall repeatedly with his fist. "It just shouldn't be possible! Why?!"
"Zexion..." Mikage had never seen him like this before, and for a Nobody that was saying something. He'd lost his parents, Ansem, Vexen, and Lexaeus, and now he'd been defeated in an important fight. She read the thoughts swirling around in his mind: he was a failure, and he knew how the Organization punished failure; Xigbar and Xaldin wouldn't let that happen to him, would they? Even if he didn't have a heart, something inside him broke. He pulled his arm back to hit the wall again, but she caught it, stopping him. He looked back at her with an anguished expression on his face. "It's okay. I'm here."
"Kage-nee..." Zexion unclenched his fist and relaxed his arm, letting her hold his hand.
As Mikage tried to console him, Axel showed up with Replica Riku. Zexion got scared when he saw the replica and clung to Mikage for a moment. He seemed to calm down when he realized it wasn't the real Riku and that he was on their side. "Of course," he said, breathing a sigh of relief and letting go of Mikage. "We can send the replica to fight Riku."
"You'll need some more energy to secure a win. Why not take Zexion's?" Axel said to the replica.
"What are you saying? That's not funny, Axel." Zexion was getting nervous and scared again as he realized that Axel was being serious.
Mikage moved in front of Zexion as a shield. "What has this kid ever done to you?"
"This kid, as you call him, was one of the ones who did this to us. I thought you would have figured that out since you were so close with those living in the castle."
"Yes, I realize that now. I had no idea what was going on before I left."
"You liar. You had to have known something."
"If I had known, I would have gotten out of there and taken him with me."
"Doesn't matter now. The two of you know too much. Take her out first."
"No!" Zexion shouted, pushing her out of the way. Replica Riku strangled him and took his energy as Mikage watched in horror.
"Why are you doing this? I thought we were all on the same side!" Mikage shouted.
"Sorry, Yuri," he said coldly, preparing to snap his fingers.
"Don't-!" Instead of having the replica steal her life force, Axel just set her on fire like he had previously done to Vexen.
***
Having faked his death at the hands of Sora, Axel waited a while before returning to the main castle. "The traitors have been dealt with," he reported to Saix. "Marluxia and Larxene were the ones plotting against the Superior, just like you suspected."
"Namine has gone missing, has she not?" Saix asked without acknowledging Axel's words.
"I don't know how she managed to escape. One minute she was there and then the next...gone." Axel dared not look his friend in the face while telling such a lie, having been the one who'd let her leave in the first place.
"And Kagemiya?"
"She chose destruction, trying to protect that whiny little brat Zexion. I got rid of him for you, and Vexen too. The heroes took care of the rest."
"I'd rounded up all the people I wanted gone, and now they are out of my way."
"Whoa, that doesn't include me, does it?"
"What does it matter? You came back, didn't you?" Saix gave him a look that told him not to question it, and then turned and left.
"Hey, you're welcome!" Axel shouted sarcastically to the empty air.
Mikage: A Nobody's Story part 9
Chapter 10: Haunted
On their third night there, DiZ paid a visit to Mikage. "I thought I told you not to use your power to help the Organization," he reprimanded her.
"I haven't become one of them," she explained. "I'm just as much a prisoner as Namine."
"Not so much as Namine. What they will force her to do with her power is far worse. What do you plan to do while you're here? You seem to have traded your notebook for a broom."
"Xehanort decided not to turn me into a Dusk if I cleaned for them. It was actually Ienzo and Braig who convinced him." This was met with silence. "They're all still capable of kindness, you know. I think their use of the darkness is just an excuse to act out."
"They never needed an excuse."
DiZ disappeared just as Zexion entered the room. "Kage-san, who were you talking to?" he asked suspiciously.
"No one," she lied. "I found an interloper but he's gone now."
"I could've sworn I sensed...Never mind." He let the matter drop, not wanting to deal with the possibility of their former master having followed them there. He turned and walked away.
"Zexion-kun..."
He stopped, not used to hearing that honorific attached to his name. "What did you call me?"
"Was that not correct?"
He gave her a wan smile before walking away again. While he was glad to have been promoted from -chan to -kun in her eyes, he still told Lexaeus his suspicions. "I detected a familiar scent. When I went to investigate, I heard Kage-san talking to someone. I didn't hear it all, but..." His voice became quieter, not wanting to finish his sentence. "I thought it sounded like...Master Ansem."
Lexaeus looked concerned. "You're sure?"
Zexion nodded. "Positive."
"It's late. You should go to bed."
"I'm not that tired. Why are you treating me like a child?"
"Because you are a child." There was an awkward silence between them. "Sorry."
"It's okay. I know you're just looking out for me. You always do."
Early the next morning, Lexaeus confronted Mikage about the intruder. "Who were you talking to? Who was in the castle last night?"
"I can't tell you."
"You have to, or else I'll-
"You'll what? You wouldn't hurt me. You'd never hurt anyone...at least not before all this started."
"No, I wouldn't. But after what Zexion told me last night, I couldn't go to sleep so..." He paused. "I've never seen him so rattled, at least not since we became Nobodies... since we don't have hearts." He remembered Ienzo dejectedly wandering the castle by himself after his parents had died; he'd done the same when they arrived at the Castle of the In-between, but that was just because all Nobodies started out in kind of a daze.
Mikage relented. "He was strange, all covered up except for one golden eye," she replied, hoping he'd take the hint. She didn't want to come right out and say it since she didn't know what Ansem was capable of doing. "Angry, too. So much anger. He found me before Xaldin brought me in. He told me not to help you, but I defied him."
Lexaeus seemed to get it. "If...if something happens, and I'm not here to do anything about it, you have to promise you'll protect Zexion for me."
"Of course I will. I'll do whatever I can."
"The last thing I want is for that boy to be all alone again." "Don't worry. Big brother will play with you," I'd said, and lifted him up onto my shoulders. "Do you like being up high?" He'd at least smiled, even though he still didn't speak. It had taken both of us to get him to do that.
"I'll do my best to keep him out of trouble."
"You do that."
On their third night there, DiZ paid a visit to Mikage. "I thought I told you not to use your power to help the Organization," he reprimanded her.
"I haven't become one of them," she explained. "I'm just as much a prisoner as Namine."
"Not so much as Namine. What they will force her to do with her power is far worse. What do you plan to do while you're here? You seem to have traded your notebook for a broom."
"Xehanort decided not to turn me into a Dusk if I cleaned for them. It was actually Ienzo and Braig who convinced him." This was met with silence. "They're all still capable of kindness, you know. I think their use of the darkness is just an excuse to act out."
"They never needed an excuse."
DiZ disappeared just as Zexion entered the room. "Kage-san, who were you talking to?" he asked suspiciously.
"No one," she lied. "I found an interloper but he's gone now."
"I could've sworn I sensed...Never mind." He let the matter drop, not wanting to deal with the possibility of their former master having followed them there. He turned and walked away.
"Zexion-kun..."
He stopped, not used to hearing that honorific attached to his name. "What did you call me?"
"Was that not correct?"
He gave her a wan smile before walking away again. While he was glad to have been promoted from -chan to -kun in her eyes, he still told Lexaeus his suspicions. "I detected a familiar scent. When I went to investigate, I heard Kage-san talking to someone. I didn't hear it all, but..." His voice became quieter, not wanting to finish his sentence. "I thought it sounded like...Master Ansem."
Lexaeus looked concerned. "You're sure?"
Zexion nodded. "Positive."
"It's late. You should go to bed."
"I'm not that tired. Why are you treating me like a child?"
"Because you are a child." There was an awkward silence between them. "Sorry."
"It's okay. I know you're just looking out for me. You always do."
Early the next morning, Lexaeus confronted Mikage about the intruder. "Who were you talking to? Who was in the castle last night?"
"I can't tell you."
"You have to, or else I'll-
"You'll what? You wouldn't hurt me. You'd never hurt anyone...at least not before all this started."
"No, I wouldn't. But after what Zexion told me last night, I couldn't go to sleep so..." He paused. "I've never seen him so rattled, at least not since we became Nobodies... since we don't have hearts." He remembered Ienzo dejectedly wandering the castle by himself after his parents had died; he'd done the same when they arrived at the Castle of the In-between, but that was just because all Nobodies started out in kind of a daze.
Mikage relented. "He was strange, all covered up except for one golden eye," she replied, hoping he'd take the hint. She didn't want to come right out and say it since she didn't know what Ansem was capable of doing. "Angry, too. So much anger. He found me before Xaldin brought me in. He told me not to help you, but I defied him."
Lexaeus seemed to get it. "If...if something happens, and I'm not here to do anything about it, you have to promise you'll protect Zexion for me."
"Of course I will. I'll do whatever I can."
"The last thing I want is for that boy to be all alone again." "Don't worry. Big brother will play with you," I'd said, and lifted him up onto my shoulders. "Do you like being up high?" He'd at least smiled, even though he still didn't speak. It had taken both of us to get him to do that.
"I'll do my best to keep him out of trouble."
"You do that."
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