Hello, hello, hello. Here's something different; Zexion and Naminè. This is one of the odd pairings, but I love it! I love Axel and Naminè more, but what the heck? Now, I am going to rate each chapter so you'll be prepared for anything. Got it memorized? Good. Secondly, you might recognize the 'last page of her sketchbook' idea. No. It is not the last page of her sketchbook. Yes, a spoiler: Later on she finds out that two pages were stuck together. I have seen so many stories about the last page of her sketchbook, but I wanted to do something different. Nyuk, nyuk. And that isn't even scarcely important with the story.
I'm not going to update that much. Let's see how this works out… There should be 20 chapters, hm…maybe. And all of the chapters will be around 2,500 words each. Good, short-ish, meh...easy-read, for sure. Tah-tah! First few chapters are cheesy. You've been warned: maybe some OOC here and there...and slight AU, but sticking to the main point of Chain of Memories.
Pairings: Zexion/Namine, Onesided: Marluxia/Namine.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. All rights to Square Eenix and Disney.
Rating of chapter: T.
Warning: May be a little OOC? I guess?
T e L L - M e - A - S t oR y
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Chapter One: The Princess and the Frog
The white room was empty, all except for a table in the center, a bed off to the side and two chairs. But the room was not completely vacant of people. In fact, a small girl with a short white dress was preoccupied with her sketchbook as she sat in one of the chairs. The light shone through the window and caused highlights to create a halo on the girl's golden hair while her blue eyes brightened.
Naminè bit the eraser of her pencil as she bored her forget-me-not eyes into the blank page of her sketchbook. It was her last sheet of paper, and she wanted to use it wisely. She had no idea what to draw as she sat in silence, with no one there watching her, talking to her, or demanding her what to draw next. She had the freedom now to draw whatever she liked. And she would cherish that time while it lasted. The only problem was that she had no clue what to sketch. Maybe a horse? A dog? A happy person? Nah, too boring…she wanted to draw something different.
Perhaps something more beautiful, like a cathedral. But then again, she did not really know what a cathedral looked like, exactly. She drew Castle Oblivion, the place she was kept in, many times. It wasn't the typical fairy tale castle. Every room was white. White here, white there, white everywhere. It gave her a migraine. The members of the Organization XIII really contrasted against the pure color. They bore robes of black leather, and they did frighten her sometimes. Well, a few members.
Two members in particular scared her excessively. Larxene for one. Larxene would tease her about the simplest things. Sometimes she would hit her for no reason whatsoever. Or sometimes Naminè would ask a simple question and the answer was a slap across her cheek. The blonde Nobody with jade eyes was wicked and cruel. However, it was not Larxene who frightened her the most.
Marluxia. The Graceful Assassin was a different story. Well…how to put this? Let's just say that Naminè feared for her purity around him. One time it almost got too far…until Axel came in asking where his tooth brush was. Who brushed their teeth at 3 o' clock in the morning? She thanked him with her eyes, and he just shrugged while Marluxia left, slightly infuriated with the disturbance.
Ah, Axel. He and Demyx were the only Nobodies who seemed to actually care about her safety. Why Axel seemed to want to protect her from Marluxia was beyond Naminè. His scarlet hair identified his fiery temper, which wasn't a surprise. He was the Wielder of Flame. Of course he would have a short temper. He teased the blonde artist, but not in a vicious way like Larxene.
Demyx was rather different. He had a silly attitude, and unfortunately, he was not very bright. He was a wonderful musician and sometimes practiced in front of the small girl. On the first day of her arrival there, he immediately grew fond of her kindness. Though sometimes he did act like a brat. Also, he was a bit of a perv, in Naminè's opinion. He preferred to skim through magazines stolen from Axel or Luxord, who was the Gambler of Fate. He was the one who watched her most of the time at the castle, besides Axel, Larxene and Marluxia.
Naminè fluttered her long silky lashes as she held the pencil to the paper, prepared to draw the switch movements of lines that would create the image that she would create with her mind first. The problem was that she did not have any images in her mind. She chewed on her bottom lip, concentrating hard on the large piece of paper. Once she was completed with this picture, she would have to have another sketchbook, and that would mean that Marluxia would have to get it for her.
Marluxia was the one in charge of her, her drawings, her powers to manipulate other people's memories. If she didn't do what she was told to do, she would be locked in the castle forever, never to be free again. Of course she feared him for that fact. But also the fact that she was basically his prey didn't really help her bravery, either.
The sound of the door opening made her jump. She mentally prayed that it wasn't Marluxia or the Savage Nymph. According to the certain time, it should be either Axel or Demyx's turn to watch her. Luckily, it was neither of the two feared Nobodies who entered the room.
Demyx…if there was anyone goofier than him, the teen girl didn't know who. Though she appreciated his personality and spunk and didn't really mind his clumsiness. He smirked as he shoved his gloved hands deep into his pockets as the blackish,blue mist of the portal vanished into the still air.
"Hey Nami, how's the drawing coming along?" he inquired curiously as he made his way to the white chair where the girl was seated. Glimpsing over her bare shoulder, he let a tiny trace of a frown appear.
"What are you drawing?" Really, he was absolutely clueless…couldn't he see that her page was blank? Blank! Meaning, nothing! But Naminè wouldn't let her restlessness show.
"I don't know…" she whispered, feeling immediately down while she lightly touched the paper with her finger.
"How about a puppy?" Demyx suggested brightly. Keeping in a scoff, Naminè shook her head.
"I already drew that."
"Oh. Well, how about a nice, happy picture?" He made the sentence too cheerful.
"I want to draw something different," Naminè emphasized the last word as she bent over, clutching the sketch pad against her chest. Demyx responded by scratching his chin as he gazed up at the white ceiling. His appearance lived up as he came up with an idea.
"I know! How about you draw me with my sitar?"
Naminè sighed. Without a word she flipped through old pages of her sketch book until she reached a certain page. Turning over a certain page, she turned the sketch book towards the dirty blonde Melodious Nocturne. He frowned again.
"Oh…" he stated simply as he stared at the picture of him standing with his sitar in his grip.
"I guess you already drew that, huh?" he grinned, trying to cheer up the little witch. She nodded solemnly.
"I know! I can tell you a story and you can draw a picture for it," Demyx dragged a lonely white chair to a place in front of the girl and sat in it lazily. He tapped his chin with his index finger. Demyx was known for telling her fairy tales and old folk tales. Her favorite story that he told her was Beauty and the Beast, for it was about true love. Though he was the only one who told her stories, his explanation greatly lacked detail.
Demyx beamed when a thought crossed his mind.
"I got just the one. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful peasant girl who worked at a castle. One day, a prince saw her and-"
"You already told me that one," Naminè shyly insisted. He started, confused.
"Did I? I don't remember…okay, what was it called, then?" he challenged, leaning farther back into the chair and raising his chin up haughtily.
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarves," she dully responded.
"Oh, right…" Demyx admitted the defeat and brainstormed for another story.
"I got another one!" he exclaimed excitedly, and Naminè wondered if there was any point to this. The reason he told her stories was possibly to entertain himself. True, he often enjoyed his own storytelling. If he was not telling her a story, he was sulking in boredom.
"Yes?" But she wouldn't let him know that she was aware of that fact.
"Once upon a time-"
"Why do they always start with 'once upon a time'? Why not something more interesting?" whined the fourteen year old girl. Surprised by her outburst, Demyx blinked a few times.
"I don't know…I guess the authors didn't have much of an imagination…" Demyx thought on that for a bit before he continued.
"Anywho, once upon a time, there was a king and a queen, and they had a baby girl-"
"Sleeping Beauty," Naminè said blandly with bored eyes. Demyx paused and shook his head.
"How do you know that story? I know I didn't tell you that one…"
"Marluxia did," the words came out painfully.
"He did?" Demyx looked startled, surprised, and shocked. Indeed, it was a shock for the Graceful Assassin to tell the prisoner a story. In fact, it was hardly possible. Though recently the pink haired man had tried spending more time with Naminè.
"Why?" Demyx dared to ask as he shot her a questioning expression. She shifted uncomfortably, biting her lip as she did so.
"I don't know, really…" Her mind went back to that day. It was the time before Axel barged around the castle asking for his tooth brush. Marluxia had her cornered; there was no way to escape. Even if she did, she would be punished further. He sure did pick an interesting time to tell her a romantic tale as he held her in his lap and stroked her hair. The whole situation was awkward, really, and Naminè forced herself to forget. She was truly thankful when Axel interrupted the leader of Castle Oblivion. True, it was a shame that Marluxia was practically second in command of the Organization.
"Hm, oh well, I can't think of any more stories," Demyx broke the girl out of her painful thoughts as he stood up, walking back and forth across the room.
"Can you make up one?" she asked softly, not wanting him to leave. Marluxia might return while she was alone. Whenever there was another member there, it was safer. Especially with Demyx. Demyx was stubborn and would pitch a fit if Marluxia demanded for him to leave them alone. It was rather obvious that the Melodious Nocturne really enjoyed the girl's company.
"Eh…er…" Demyx scratched his head and winced, trying hard to think of a story. His face broke into a crooked smile.
"I know! Have I told you the story of the Princess and the Frog?"
"No…" Naminè arched a blonde eyebrow, curious as to what kind of story it would be. It sounded suspicious. Who put the words 'princess' and 'frog' in the same sentence? Gleefully, Demyx sauntered over to the chair and plopped into it, getting himself ready for a tale.
"Great! Oh why did they give me this job?" Demyx mumbled to himself before he went on, which gave the girl a pang of guilt. Maybe she was wrong about him enjoying her company.
"One day, a princess was walking in the forest and spotted a tiny green tree frog on a papou tree. She picked him up, and thought he was so cute! So she kissed him, and he turned into an ugly man who captured her and made her his sex slave." Naminè blinked, wondering what horrible fantasies this man in front of her was thinking up.
"Um…what?" she stammered nervously. Casually, Demyx waved his hand.
"No worries! Before he could rape her, this peasant boy came along and saved her, cutting the dude's head off!" Demyx finished as he leaned back in his chair.
No more asking him to make up any stories…She thought to herself as she fidgeted nervously. It was his shortest story that he ever told her. Truthfully, she did not like it at all. Who went around, telling little girls about princesses nearly getting raped? Especially to a girl who was possibly in danger of that horrible term. It made Naminè sick to her stomach.
"Um, that's nice, I guess…" she murmured as she avoided his bright blue eyes. He sighed dramatically and the corners of his mouth turned down.
"I know, I suck at stories…"
"No, you don't. They're very…interesting." Demyx smiled at this, taking the compliment lightly. It was just like the girl to make him feel pleased with himself. She was nice, sure, but she was a little witch who had the power to mess with people's memories. Marluxia informed him that she was not to be trusted, but he couldn't help but grow fond of her. Her personality was very likeable; she just was not talkative, even to him, and he was the one who watched her most of the time.
"So…do you know when Sora is coming?" Demyx quickly changed the subject before he could go on admiring the hostage. Curiously, Naminè tilted her graceful head to the side.
"Mm, no, not really…whatever Marluxia tells me to draw next must be his memory…the last picture I drew of Sora was of him with his two companions in a field," she explained generously.
"Ah…interesting…" If only he could actually talk about something worth talking about. She was bored, and even though he tried his best to come up with a conversation, he would merely ask a question that she would simply answer. End of that. Then another question…and another, and another. So, Naminè decided to ask next.
"Who's going to watch me next?"
"I think…Marluxia," Demyx cringed a little bit as he said it. She froze in response.
"No! Wait, actually it's Axel's turn now," he gave her a reassuring smile as she breathed out gently, relieved that he was mistaken. She did despise his absent mind, for sometimes he forgot who would be watching her, and if he mentioned Marluxia, she would be falsely alarmed.
"Are you leaving now?" Naminè stared at him with pleading eyes. Axel was funny and cheerful, but she actually enjoyed the sitar player's company more, maybe because he sat down and told her stories, and didn't call her mean names. Though Axel only called her those little pet names just for fun, but she still did not like it.
"Nah, though in a bit. I'm hungry, and I think there's only one doughnut left in the pantry in the kitchen… When that's gone, Axel has to cook, and I'm not too keen on eating charcoal," Demyx shot her another smile while she giggled at his joke. True, Axel was not the best cook in the Organization. The one who cooked her meals was Roxas, but she never really met him before. All she knew about him was that he was Sora's Nobody. She was Kairi's Nobody. It was very interesting how Sora and Kairi loved each other and Roxas and Naminè did not. Love was a strong word.
"Seriously, you should taste his ravioli. I swear that the sauce is ash," Demyx continued complaining about Axel's ill hobby and pretended to be appalled by the remark. The artist giggled at the sight of his face.
"Eh, but it's not the pyro's fault. I mean, heck, he's the wielder of flame! Mess with him, and you'll get yourself screwed." Naminè ceased her tittering and swallowed hard. It took Demyx a moment or two to realize how wrong his statement sounded.
"Oh! I, er, um…never mind, sorry, Nami…" Demyx mumbled while he stood up and paced over to the opposite wall. Silence followed, but the witch didn't mind. She went back to staring blankly into her sketchbook, going back to wondering what to draw next.
"So…you gonna draw a scene from the story?" his sudden question made her jump.
"Um, not really…" to be honest, the story he told her was absolutely vulgar and horrible to her ears. It wasn't really his fault. The sitar player always said things that he didn't mean. Though Naminè could agree with the story a bit. She felt like the princess captured by the ugly man who prowled on her innocence. But who would be her hero?
Would Marluxia get what he wanted? Would he force it from her?
Will no one be there to stop him?
(A/N): I actually liked it…though I made Demyx a pervert. Sorry about that; I love the dude to death.
Review if you liked it! Flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment.