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Entry tags:
Completion - Side Story to Burning Heart
Title: Completion
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Side story to Burning Heart. After his rebirth as a complete person, Even returns to Castle Oblivion, looking for a distraction. Instead of research notes, he finds the last surviving Vexen Replica and takes it in. How will the Replica adjust to life outside the lab? Can the damage caused by a difficult early life and months of isolation be undone?
Disclaimer: Not mine. I only wish I owned Kingdom Hearts. At least then I could fix some of the inconsistencies and spackle the worst of the plot holes.
He couldn't concentrate.
Even groaned and dropped the book that he had been trying to read to massage his temples. His hair slid through his fingers, and the sensation made the thought trail through his mind again.
Is this real?
"I am real." he whispered to himself "I am complete. I am whole. This is real."
If this is real, then why do I have the strongest sense of unreality?
"I am real!"
"Even?" The blond haired scientist looked up then, to see Ienzo standing just a few feet away and looking at him in concern. "Are you alright?"
He shook his head slightly. "No," he said after a long moment.
"The feeling again?"
"Yes." He dropped his hands to his lap and looked at his surrogate son. "I wish it would stop."
Ienzo looked at him in sympathy. "I know; it's difficult to bear, but it will fade in time."
"My mind knows that I am whole, that I have my heart again, but I still feel... incomplete, and I can't shake the sensation no matter what I try."
"You need something to keep you occupied, and no, I don't mean simply reading books and research notes. Aeleus and I have our work with Lea and Sora to help us focus, while Dilan has his work with the Restoration Committee. You have nothing, and that will only prolong the time it takes for the feeling to fade."
"What would you have me do? I am no help to the Restoration Committee, Sora and company want nothing to do with me after the events of Castle Oblivion, and I refuse to restart my old research after what happened last time. I have the infirmary to look after, but it barely sees anyone these days."
"Maybe you should go back to Castle Oblivion. We both know that Ansem destroyed Vexen's lab, but maybe something remains. You did have several topics that you were researching at the time; maybe one of them will catch your interest?"
Even shuddered; in truth, he had no desire to go back to the place where Vexen had spent the last days of his life before being brutally killed by Axel, but Ienzo did have a point. Maybe he would find something there that would hold his interest. Standing up from his chair with a sigh, he nodded at Ienzo and portaled out.
A few seconds later, he found himself standing in front of the familiar structure, and he shuddered in remembered terror -
No! Please don't! I don't want to -
Goodbye.
- before the memory, as well as the emotion that it invoked, faded. With another shudder, he summoned Frozen Pride and walked up the steps to the front doors. Once inside, his feet easily followed the familiar path to where Vexen's lab had once been, and he easily opened the heavy door that kept it closed off from the rest of the castle.
The inside of the large room was a surprise. Despite being empty for so long, it was clean and organized, though a heavy layer of dust covered everything. He did note that his research notes were gone, as was much of the lab equipment. There were scorch marks on the floor in places, as well as spots and splatters that looked like old blood stains. He was disheartened to see no sign of the Vexen Replicas, and the large room where they all had slept was deserted, though he noted that all of their blankets were still there, in the same places they had been the last time he had seen them. Had any of them survived and escaped, or had Ansem destroyed all of them as well?
Another failure!
I am... a failure?
Go! Go in the other room with the others! I don't want to look at you!
Even leaned heavily against the wall; Vexen had been so cruel to his creations. They had been so innocent, very much like children, naïve, curious, eager to please, but Vexen had treated them as little more than objects. Contrary to what others (Namely Marluxia and Larxene) had thought, he had never physically or sexually abused his Replicas, but he had never been kind to them either. They had to earn their keep by working in the lab, and sloppy work and mistakes were punished with blistering lectures and being locked in a dark, empty room for several hours. Even could remember their sad eyes and drawn faces; none of them ever smiled or laughed. They had looked at Vexen only when spoken to and kept their eyes on the floor otherwise. And unlike Vexen, they had hearts and could feel. They were hurt by Vexen's cruel words and long hours of being locked in small dark rooms. They had yearned desperately for their creator's approval and affection, even though there had never been a hope of receiving it.
Even wiped his eyes with one hand; he knew logically, that Vexen's actions were to be expected really. Without a heart, one could not feel empathy, love, guilt, or regret, but the memories of those sad green eyes pained him. He pushed himself away from the wall, and began to walk further back into the lab, towards Vexen's living quarters. Coming to Castle Oblivion had been a mistake.
He reached the door that led to the short hallway that led to Vexen's private rooms, and he walked down it, past the bathroom and the empty library (Ansem must have taken the books, he thought.) towards the bedroom. He pushed the door open, and to his surprised it moved silently, with no squeaking of the hinges. The room was exactly how he remembered it; the writing desk with its chair on one wall, a small bookcase with the few books of fiction that he enjoyed reading, the narrow bed, and a shivering form huddled under filthy blankets in the open closet.
What?
Holding Frozen Pride in front of him, he carefully approached the closet. He had no clue what was in there, and he had no desire to lose again the heart that he had regained only a few short months ago to some Heartless that was hiding under the blankets. He reached out with his free hand as frost formed on his fingers as he readied to attack at any moment, grasped the blanket, and yanked it away.
His eyes fell on a human form, wearing a ragged Organization coat that looked to be on the verge of disintegrating, with filthy and tangled blond hair. It was curled up on its side in the fetal position and shivering hard. Even wrinkled his nose; whoever it was apparently hadn't taken a bath in weeks if not longer, and that combined with the smell of sickness made for quite a putrid odor. With the loss of the blanket, it shifted, and the head slowly turned to look at him. One green eye, glazed with fever, looked up at him and blinked, and the arms moved away from the head and face. A pale face, with high cheekbones and a narrow pointed chin looked up at him, and though the cheeks were sunk in from hunger and the eyes were ringed with deep shadows, Even still felt a shock as he looked into his own face.
"Master?" the Vexen Replica said weakly as it dropped its gaze and huffed for air, and then it coughed deeply. Once the coughing subsided, it looked back up at him. "Do you have need of me? I'm sorry about the state of the lab; I will get up and clean it right away." It shakily sat up, and Even snapped out of his shock as it began to stand on legs that shook so hard that it was doubtful that it could walk. He dismissed Frozen Pride, sat down on the blanket covered floor, which smelled nearly as bad as the Replica itself did, and pulled it back down to sit beside him.
"Do not worry about the lab." he said quietly "You are ill." It leaned against him, and he was able to feel all of its ribs, as well as the heat of its fever, from under the coat. "Are you all alone?"
It nodded faintly. "After you left, that man came, and he destroyed everything. When the others tried to stop him, he killed them all. I hid instead, and he didn't find me. I was a coward, Master. I'm sorry; I should have protected the lab. Should I go into the little room?"
Even closed his eyes in pain at the thought of the damage that Vexen had done to the pitiful creature beside him. "No," he said after a moment "I'm not going to punish you for doing the right thing. If you had stayed, he would have killed you as well." He reached out carefully, so not to startle it, and put his arm around its shaking shoulders, while he used his other hand to gently rake its grimy hair back from its face "How long have you been ill?"
It coughed hard again, and Even gently rubbed its back until the coughing subsided. "I do not know, Master. I did not keep good data of my illness. Are you going to punish me?"
"No," Even stood up and carefully pulled it to its feet and held it close "I'm going to take you home." It looked at him in weary surprise for a moment before it laid its head against his chest.
"I don't feel good, Master." it mumbled "I'm sorry I'm such a failure."
Guilt stabbed at him. "You're not a failure, Vexen." he said gently as he opened the portal to the castle infirmary back at Radiant Garden "Everything will be alright." Half carrying the newly named Vexen through the portal, they stepped into the infirmary on the other side, and Even wasted no time in lying the sick Replica on the closest bed. He then walked to the desk and hit the buzzer that would send a signal to Ienzo to tell him his assistance was needed, and then he went to gather what he needed.
Ienzo entered the room at a run then, and he looked at Vexen lying on the bed before his eyes swung over to Even standing in front of the medicine cabinet, and then back to Vexen. The light dawned in his eyes as he realized what he was looking at, and he quickly joined Even at Vexen's beside. The two of them stripped off his filthy clothing, bathed him, washed his hair and combed it out, dressed him in hospital pajamas, dosed him with antibiotics, and gave him water and a weak broth to sip down.
"It is good, Master, may I have more?"
Even tried not to cringe at the title that the original Vexen had demanded the Replicas refer to him by. "You don't have to call me that, Vexen."
"But it is what -"
"I know, but I was a different person then. You don't have to call me that anymore."
Vexen looked at him, perplexed, and Even realized that he likely had no idea what he meant by "a different person". The Vexen Replicas had never been allowed outside the lower levels of the castle, and as a result they were all very naïve and innocent in regards to many things. Figures of speech being one of those things. "What do I call you then?"
"Whatever you wish. You may call me Even if you want. Now go to sleep; you must rest."
'"I'm still hungry."
"If you eat anymore, you will be sick. You can have more when you wake up."
"But I -"
"So one survived, it seems."
Even's looked up as Ansem's voice fell upon his ears to see the man walking through the infirmary towards them. Vexen cried out in fear, and before Even could blink, the Replica was on the floor, scrambling away from him. "Don't let him hurt me!"
Even got out of his chair and gently gathered Vexen to him. "It is alright. He's not going to hurt you, Vexen."
"Vexen?" Ansem said questioningly "I suppose it fits though." He walked up to them and lightly touched Vexen's hair. "I am not going to hurt you, Vexen. You have suffered enough. Behave and do as your father -" Even jerked in surprise. "- tells you, and you can stay. Do you understand?"
Vexen nodded faintly, and Ansem gently patted his head before he turned and walked out of the infirmary. Once the man had gone, Even helped Vexen get back into bed and tucked him under the blankets.
"Are you really my father?' Vexen asked sleepily as he relaxed into the clean sheets.
The original Vexen had used his own DNA and data to give the Replicas life, so in a sense... "Yes, I am." Even said as he gently smoothed Vexen's hair back from his face.
"But, but," Vexen looked at him in confusion and spoke in a tiny voice "You wanted to destroy me."
Even frowned: he remembered clearly that the original Vexen had destroyed Replicas that he deemed defective, but if he deemed that a Replica was to be destroyed, he did so immediately. So how did this one survive? He shook his head as Vexen fell asleep, and he reached out and gently tucked the blankets around him before he sat back in his chair to watch him.
Vexen had had no emotions, so he could not feel that awe that struck Even as he watched the Replica that he had brought into being sleep. Vexen was sleeping deeply, his breath rattling in his chest on every inhale, and a gentle press against his wrist revealed his pulse to be faster than normal, but that was expected with illness. But he was breathing, he had a beating heart. He was alive.
"Let's see; what number are you?" he said quietly as he gently brushed Vexen's hair away from the back of his neck. In faded ink was a tiny tattoo, done just after he had been born from the tank, of the number "47".
Ah yes, he remembered now.
Vexen cast a critical eye over the Replica that was floating lazily in the acceleration tank. As usual, it was an exact physical copy of him – at least it was supposed to be - yet only time would tell what kind of personality it would have. Hopefully, it wouldn't be a failure like the others.
"Is he ready, Master?" Vexen Replica No. 23 asked hesitantly, eyes on the floor, and Vexen spared it an irritated look at the disruption, but he answered the question anyway.
"Yes, it is ready." he turned to No. 44, who was standing nearby. "Drain the tank."
No. 44 nodded without looking up and began the process of draining the artificial amniotic fluid from the tank, and Vexen watched as the Replica slowly sank to the grated bottom as the fluid drained away. He then stepped forward, and with No. 23's assistance, opened the tank and pulled the Replica out.
Vexen frowned as they laid it on a nearby table; it was obvious to him that it had not reached the height it should have, leaving it a great deal shorter than him. He would need to look into it further late, a deficiency in height could mean it was deficient in other areas as well. Right now though, he only needed to worry about getting it to breathe on its own, and the other Replicas would take care of the rest.
He and No. 23 suctioned the fluid from the newborn Replica's mouth and nose, and a hard swat to its bottom made it cough, spit up the fluid in its lungs, and begin to cry. Once he was assured that the Replica was breathing and stable, he passed it off to No. 23.
"Clean it up, dress it, feed it," he ordered "and quiet it. I tire of its squalling."
No. 23 nodded hastily, and he quickly carried the wailing Replica out of the room, while Vexen retired to his office. He had little to do with the Replicas during their first few days. During that span of time, they were very much like infants in manner and actions, so he let the other Replicas care for them until they were out of it. Only then would he begin interacting with them regularly, to begin guiding them in the direction he wanted them to go.
No. 47 blinked his eyes open as he slowly began to wake up. His tired eyes took a while to focus, but when they finally did, he realized that he was not in his master's room in Castle Oblivion. The room he was in was very dark, but he could see other beds nearby, large windows, and a chair next to his bed. Master was sitting in that chair, sleeping. Why was Master doing that?
The Replica slowly sat up, and did his best to ignore the wave of dizziness that the action caused. He was confused. Master had found him, said that he wasn't a failure, and said he was going to take him home, whatever that meant. Now he was here, in this strange place, with Master and one of Master's friends, and the man that had killed the others. Why had Master brought him here? Was he going to destroy him, like he said he would?
No. 47 did not know, and thinking about it was giving him a headache.
A tickle in his chest was the only warning he got before his lungs sucked in air, and he coughed deeply. Something in his lungs tore loose with a painful tearing sensation, and he cried out as he coughed up a glob of phlegm onto the bed covers. To his right, he heard the chair creak, and then Master spoke to him.
"Are you alright, Vexen?"
Vexen? Master had called him that earlier, but why? Vexen was Master's name, so why was he calling him, No. 47, that?
"Vexen?" A hand gently grabbed him by the chin and raised his head to meet Master's eyes. "Are you alright? You can tell me, and I promise that I won't get angry."
No. 47 swallowed thickly and tried to ignore the burning pain in his chest. "It hurts, Master. It really hurts."
Master let go of his chin and moved out of his chair to sit on the bed. No. 47 shivered at the close contact, and Master put an arm around him and held up a glass of water. "Here, you must be thirsty."
No. 47 slowly sipped some of the water, and when he was done, Master took the glass away and set it aside. "You don't have to call me Master anymore, Vexen. I know that is what you were told to call me, but you don't have to do that anymore."
The Replica lowered his gaze to the blankets and said nothing. What was he supposed to say? Would Master be angry with him if he said the wrong thing?
Master pulled his close and began to rock him. "I understand that you are very confused right now. I was very cruel to you then, and words alone cannot express how sorry I am. Things are different now, Vexen. I cannot promise that I will never raise my voice to you again, but I swear that I will never lock you in a dark room all alone again. I will never threaten you again, and I will not allow anyone to harm you." The arms around him squeezed him a little before relaxing. "I will take care of you, Vexen. I promise you that you'll never be left alone again."
No. 47 laid his feverish head against Master's chest and closed his eyes. Master had never acted like this before; it was strange and very alien to him. Master gently kissed him on the top of his head and laid him down. He looked at Master's face as the blankets were pulled up to his chin and tucked around him, and before where there had been arrogance and superiority, there was now kindness and compassion. It reminded him of things; he had seen that before is similar green eyes. He turned his head to the side as he began to fall asleep. It reminded him of No. 23, the Replica that had cared for him after his birth.
"Goodnight, Vexen." Master said softly "I'm here with you."
No. 47 sighed quietly and went back to sleep.
He was warm.
The warmth was the first thing that occurred to Vexen Replica No. 47. He remembered being in a warm, wet place, and hearing voices, and feeling things touching him and taking him away from his dark, quiet place, but none of that mattered now. He was warn, and he could feel something soft against his skin, and he cooed in contentment as he was gently rocked.
"Don't go to sleep yet, 47." said a voice nearby "You need to be fed first." He felt himself being jostled then, and he began to cry, though his cries were abruptly silenced a moment later when something rubbery was put in his mouth. He made a face at the taste and tried to spit it out, but some instinct that he couldn't understand compelled him to suck on it, and he was reward when a stream of warm, sweet liquid was drawn into his mouth. He swallowed it and decided that he wanted more, so he suckled quietly until there was no more left. The rubbery thing was taken away then, and the voice spoke again.
"Now you may go to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow, hmmm? Master will want to see you to make sure that you're normal, and he is strict about that. Let's hope he doesn't find any flaws like he did on poor No. 46."
No. 47 felt himself being carried somewhere, and he was laid down on something. The warm things around him vanished, and he reached out blindly and grabbed a hold of a hand as it went to leave him.
He felt his hand being gently removed from the other and felt something rubbing the back of it before it was laid down on the soft thing that he was lying on.
"Go to sleep, 47. I'll be here when you wake up."
Even watched over Vexen closely for the next few days. The child did little more than sleep, though he drank the broth that was offered to him without complaint. Despite being told repeatedly not to, he kept calling Even "Master" and referred to himself as No. 47. That was no surprise; habits that had been wired in from birth could not be broken so easily.
Four days after bringing him home, Even walked Vexen out of the infirmary and down to their now shared quarters. Even though ten years had passed between the loss of their hearts and the return of those hearts, he, Ienzo, Dilan, and Aeleus had fallen back into old habits easily, and that included staying in the same rooms that they had occupied as apprentices. There were days when Even came out of his rooms in the morning and expected to hear Aeleus dragging a sleepy Braig out of bed or to see Xehanort standing in the hallway, waiting for the rest of them to get moving so they could go down to breakfast before starting the day's work in the labs.
Despite everything that had happened, the ghosts of the past clung tightly to every thought, and it was something that drove Even to distraction. Braig was gone, Xehanort was gone, and the both of them had death sentences on their heads. Ienzo was grown up, Aeleus was quieter, and Dilan was much more subdued and mistrusting. Even himself found himself less fascinated with the world around him, and he had no desire to walk the same path he had once gone down.
"Where are we going, Master?" Vexen asked quietly, and his voice broke Even from his thoughts.
"We're going to our rooms."
"Our rooms?" Even had to admit that he found Vexen's confusion a little endearing.
"Yes, our rooms. You'll be staying with me."
"But Master -"
"Ah, ah, what did I tell you to call me?"
"E... E... Even. But I... I don't..."
"Don't what?"
Vexen looked down at the floor, though he didn't stop walking. "I'm just a failed Replica. Shouldn't I stay in a closet instead?"
Even stopped and pulled Vexen close as guilt stabbed at his heart again. The Replicas had all slept in a storage room on the floor. They had only a few blankets to share and no pillows. The only time they slept in beds was during the few days after their birth. Once they were out of the infant state, to the floor they went.
"Vexen," he said gently "I know I told you that you were a failure, but it was a lie. You are here, alive, which means that you succeeded. Everything I told you, about you being a failure, how I should have destroyed you, all of it was a lie. You deserve so much more than a closet floor, and I will keep repeating myself until you believe it.." He gently tilted Vexen's head back until their eyes met. "Believe me when I say this, Vexen. You deserve better than what you had before." He let go of Vexen's chin and ran a hand down his hair as the child looked back down at the floor again. He hugged him gently and then began to walk him down the hall again. "Come. You're tired and need to sleep."
Vexen was silent the rest of the way to their rooms, and he allowed Even to shepherd him into the bedroom and lie him down on a second bed that had been moved into the room by the castle staff without a sound. Instead he only looked at the blankets and sheets and pillows in wonder before his illness pulled him into the blackness of slumber.
Even sat down on the bed beside him and gently stroked his hair with a sigh. It was shocking the damage just a handful of days could do, though fifteen months alone had not helped any. The original Vexen had made sure that the Replicas knew just how little they were worth to him, and the damage that resulted was plain in the sleeping person beside him. Even sighed again at the monumental task ahead of him, leaned down and kissed Vexen on the cheek, and then got out and walked out of the room.
Vexen watched in clinical silence as No. 23 carried No. 47 into the room and laid it down on the exam table. The day old Replica began to cry and fuss as it was undressed, and Vexen ignored its distress as he began to check it over. Right away he took note of the height deficiency that he had noticed the previous day; the Replica was a good foot and a half shorter than it should have been. No. 23 restrained it so he could take an accurate measurement, and it showed that No. 47 was 19. 325 inches shorter that it should have been.
He frowned as the Replica cried and wailed, and he sent an irritated glance at No. 23, who hastily gathered the crying failure into its arms and began to coo to it.
"It the proper height was not reached," Vexen stated "then odds are good that it is deficient in other areas as well." No. 23 held No. 47 closer, a gesture that made him sneer in false disgust.
"But Master, he's still so young."
"A failure is a failure. Prepare it for disposal."
The procedure for disposing of an unwanted Replica was simple. It would be sealed up inside a body bag to catch any waste, Vexen would fire darkness straight into the physical heart to kill it instantly, and then the body would be dissected to see if there was a physical reason for the failure. Only then would it be tossed into the incinerator to be disposed of.
Vexen turned around to make a note about the destruction of the Replica, and when he turned around No. 23 was still standing there, holding No. 47 protectively.
"Why are you still standing there?" he snapped "I told you to do something."
"Please, Master, give him more time. He is just a baby. Maybe there is nothing wrong with him."
"I will not have a failure in my lab! You have your orders No. 23!"
"We don't know for sure if he is a failure! He's only a day old; he needs time to start developing before we can decide if he is mentally deficient or not!"
Vexen narrowed his eyes as an echo of anger rose within his empty chest. "Fine," he hissed "I will grant it a reprieve. You have three days to show me that it is not a failure. If it does not perform to my satisfaction, then it will be the incinerator for both of you. Understood?"
No. 23 nodded hastily. "Yes, Master. Thank you, Master."
"Get out of my sight."
No. 23 quickly carried the still wailing No. 47 out of the room, and Vexen sighed and rubbed his temples as the question plagued him.
Why did his Replicas – copies of himself – have the capacity to feel and care when the original did not? Hmmmm, perhaps it would be a good thing to let No. 47 live, if only to observe how No. 23 acted towards it. No. 16 hadn't reacted with any care or concern when No. 46 had been disposed of. Reaching into a nearby cabinet, Vexen pulled out a new notebook and began to take notes of his observations. This would bear watching.
******
Six days after Master had brought him to this place, No. 47 felt better than he had in weeks. He no longer had a fever, it was much easier to breathe, and the constant gnawing of hunger was gone. He felt... good.
Physically at least. Mentally and emotionally was an entirely different matter. Master talked to him, brought him food and water, gave him medicine that made him feel better, allowed him to sleep in a bed instead of on the floor, and gave him hugs and kisses, something that only No. 23 had done before. He wasn't sure what to make of Master's behavior. What if it was all some kind of experiment, and when it was done, Master would go back to the way he used to be? What would happen to him then? Would Master throw him in the incinerator like had once threatened to do?
No. 47 curled up in the middle of the bed and wrapped his arms around his legs. The room was dark, and nearby, Master was sleeping in a larger bed. He didn't understand; why was Master being so nice?
"Vexen?" Master's voice spoke from nearby, and a few seconds later, he felt him sit down on the bed beside him. "Are you alright?"
He thought about lying; showing any weakness had invoked Master's anger before, but he just couldn't muster the energy to do so. He was tired and confused, and nothing made sense at all.
He shook his head and felt Master's arms come around him and pull him close. "What is wrong, child?"
No. 47 hesitated for a moment and realized that he wouldn't get any answers if he didn't ask any questions. He would simply have to deal with Master's anger when it came. "Why are you being so nice to me, Master? I don't understand."
Master's arms pulled him closer, and he sighed. "Things were different then, Vexen, and there were so many things that were never explained to you. Years ago, I lived here in this castle, and I was an apprentice under the castle's lord. We studied many things, including the mysteries of the heart, but we went too far. Our research into the heart caused myself and the other apprentices to lose our hearts and be reborn as Nobodies. We all changed our names, and I changed mine to Vexen. We spent many years trying to regain our hearts to no avail, and it was then that I began to experiment with Replicas. If I could give life a heart, then I should in theory be able to give myself and the others hearts as well.
"All of them, including you, were born with hearts. All of you could feel, while I could not. No. 23 cared for you very much, but I did not. It wasn't because I didn't want to care, it was because I couldn't. You need a heart to care for someone, and I did not have one. The last time I saw you before I found you and brought you here, I had been ordered to defeat the Keyblade wielder and bring him under Marluxia's control. Zexion, Lexaeus and I had other plans, but Axel betrayed us and destroyed me instead."
No. 47 looked up at him in confusion. Destroyed? But he was sitting right here beside him, holding him! How could that be possible?
Master smiled gently at him. "What none of us knew was that to regain a lost heart, the Heartless and the Nobody had to be destroyed. A year after I died, I was reborn here as a complete person, and I went back to using my real name – Even." Master gently took one of his hands and placed it on his chest over his beating heart. "I have my heart now, and I can feel and care. I can feel guilt for how badly I treated you and the others. I can feel relief that I found you alive and safe. I can worry about you, and feel concern because you are confused and upset. I am not the same person I was when you were born, Vexen, and I will never treat you that way again."
Mustering his nerve, No. 47 looked up at him. "Why do you call me Vexen?"
Master smiled at him again. "I brought you into this life, using my DNA, which, in a way, means that I am your father. Many parents name their children after themselves, but it would be too confusing I think if there were two Evens running around, so I decided to name you Vexen instead." He leaned over so their faces nearly touched. "You are so much more than a number, little one."
"Why, Master? I don't understand."
"Because you are alive, because you are here. Before, I couldn't..." Master hesitated and then took a deep breath. "I couldn't feel amazed that I had brought you and the others into being. I had created life, and life is precious. You are precious, and now I can feel for you what I couldn't before."
No. 47 blinked his eyes; he was still confused. Master's words seemed to only create more questions than they answered, but he didn't voice that thought. Instead he kept silent as Master laid him down and covered him with the blanket.
"I know that you are confused," Master said gently "but it will make sense in time." No. 47 only looked up at him as Master smiled and stood up. "Go back to sleep, Vexen. You need your rest." With that, Master went back to his own bed and laid down. He was asleep within seconds, but No. 47 laid awake most of the night, lost in thought.
No. 47 cried and turned his head away from the spoon as No. 23 tried to feed him. He didn't want it! Why was the other trying to put the metal thing in his mouth? He was hungry; he didn't want some strange metal thing that he had never seen before!
No. 23 sighed in exasperation. "No. 47, you are two days old. You don't need the bottle anymore. Now stop squalling and eat already." He held up the spoon again, but No. 47 reached up and batted it away. It clattered to the floor, and No. 23 picked it up and tossed it in the sink before fetching another. No. 47 cried louder when he saw the new spoon.
"I know that you're hungry, 47, but you're old enough to eat this way. Now stop fussing and open up." No. 47 turned his head away again, which resulted in another sigh from No. 23. "If you are not weaned on time, Master will destroy you, do you understand? I have only two more days to prove to him that you're not a failure, which means that you must be weaned. Do you understand me, No. 47?"
No. 47 looked at him, tears running down his reddened face, crying in frustration and hunger, and the older Replica sighed. "No, of course you don't understand. You're still a baby at this point." He put the bowl and spoon down and stood up from his chair. No. 47 watched him, his cries quieting, and when No. 23 walked back to him, bottle in hand, he smiled and reached for it eagerly.
No. 23 laughed quietly as he set the bottle aside and unbuckled the strap that kept him in his chair and picked him up. He then sat down in his own chair with No. 47 on his lap, who cried out and reached for the bottle sitting nearby.
"Hang on, I'm getting it."
No. 47 whimpered in frustration as he was settled on No. 23's lap, but his whimpering ceased a moment later when the bottle was offered to him. He happily grabbed a hold of it with both hands, stuck the nipple in his mouth and began to suckle.
No. 23 shook his head. "What am I going to do with you? All of that fussing for nothing."
No. 47 blinked. Nothing? He didn't think that it had all been for nothing. He had been hungry, end of story. He nestled close to No. 23 and quietly drank his milk, and once the bottle was empty, he allowed No. 23 to take it away and set it aside. A second later, the spoon was back, and he looked at it curiously. There was stuff in it, and it looked somewhat like his milk, but it wasn't quite the same.
"At least you're not fighting it this time." No. 23 said, and he gently nudged his mouth with it. "Open up."
No. 47 looked at him for a second, and then he looked at the spoon, and he obediently opened his mouth. No. 23 smiled gently at him. "That's a good boy. Let's try some more, shall we?"
Since he had already had a bottle, he did not take much from the bowl, but No. 23 smiled at him. That meant that he had done good, right? Once his stomach was full, he snuggled close to No. 23 again and rubbed his eyes sleepily.
"I think it's nap time for you, 47." No. 23 stood up, holding No. 47 in his arms. "Come on, let's get you to bed."
No. 47 was quiet as he was carried out of the small lab kitchen and into the room that contained his soft, warm bed. He cooed in contentment as he was laid down and the warm blankets were pulled over him. No. 23 leaned down and gently kissed him on the forehead.
"Enjoy it while you can, 47. You've only got this room for another day and a half. After that you'll be sleeping on the floor with me and the others."
No. 47 rubbed his eyes again and yawned, and he felt No. 23 patting the blanket around him. He smiled slightly as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Even hid a smile as he walked Vexen around the castle town and watched the child looking at everything in wonder. The child had never left the lower levels of Castle Oblivion, and so many things were new to him as a result. He wore sunglasses to protect his eyes against the harsh glare of sunlight, but the bright light didn't slow him down as he looked at everything he could.
The smell of freshly baked pastries wafted in on the breeze, and Even turned his head towards the delightful scent just as Vexen spotted the vendor that was selling them from a small cart. The child stared at the pastries in awe – he had never seen such a thing before, and food in large quantities had never been available to him before. With a smile, Even stepped up to the cart, bought one, and handed it to him.
Vexen held the baked treat in his hands and stared at it like he didn't know what to do with it.
"Eat it, little one." Even encouraged quietly, and Vexen looked at him. He nodded and smiled, and Vexen hesitantly lifted the pastry to his mouth and took a tiny bite. His eyes widened in wonder as he chewed and swallowed, and he sent Even a wide smile before he quickly ate the rest of it. Even then took a paper napkin from the stall and wiped off Vexen's sticky fingers before leading him away. He didn't miss the smile that Vexen gave the vendor as they walked away.
They walked all over the castle town, and Even kept a careful watch on Vexen and their surroundings. Vexen was still weak from his illness and months of going without regular meals, and he didn't want to overtire him. He also didn't want him to become overwhelmed and frightened by his new surroundings, so he made sure to steer him away from the busier parts of town and stick to the less traveled areas.
"Ma... E... Even?"
Even looked at Vexen, surprised yet pleased that he had mustered the courage to speak and address him by name. "What is it, little one?"
"I am... thirsty. May I have some water?"
"Of course you may. Let's find a public fountain so you can get a drink, and then I think we'll go back to the castle. I think you've had enough excitement for one day, hmm?"
Vexen smiled weakly, and the pair walked towards where Even knew a public drinking fountain to be, and once Vexen had taken a drink, they began to walk back towards the castle. Vexen walked close to Even, so he gently reached out and put an arm around his shoulders. "We'll be home soon, and I think you'll be ready for a nap by then." Vexen said nothing, but he did lean slightly into the embrace as they walked.
They walked up a winding residential street into the central square, and the sounds of laughter and voices made the both look up as they walked through the gates.
A boy, perhaps seven or so, was there, playing catch with his father. The resemblance between father and son was startling, and Vexen paused and watched them curiously. Even stopped walking as well, and he watched Vexen, curious as to what the child was doing.
Vexen just watched the father and son in silence for a moment before he turned to Even. "What are they doing?"
"They're playing a game with the ball. The goal is to catch it and throw it back to the other."
"But why are they doing it?"
"Because they enjoy it. Such games are common between parents and children."
"So they are...?"
"Father and son, yes."
"Like... like... us?"
Even smiled. "Yes, like us."
Vexen nodded, and he returned to Even's side, and the two of them resumed their walk to the castle.
That evening, as Vexen took a bath before bed, Even paid a visit to Ienzo.
"Do you have any of the storybooks that I read to you when you were small?"
Ienzo blinked at him in surprise for a moment, before he disappeared into his bedroom. Even heard a door opening and heard things shuffling around for a few minutes before Ienzo returned with an armful of children's books.
"Somehow," he said "they survived. I have no idea how they did, but here you are." He handed them over. "Are you going to read them to Vexen?"
Even nodded. "If I'm going to be a father to him, I had better start doing more than just making sure he's fed and healthy."
"I hope he enjoys them."
"I hope so too."
"Good luck."
Even smiled slightly as he looked down at the well worm books that had been Ienzo's favorites when he had been small. He then looked back at him. "Thank you. I'll get these back to you later."
Ienzo waved that away. "If he likes them, he can have them. At least then they'll get used again instead of collecting dust in a closet."
Even returned to his rooms just as Vexen was finishing up, and he helped him comb his hair and dress in his pajamas. They then went out to the living room, where Vexen spotted the books lying on a table by the couch. He examined them curiously, and Even wondered if he had ever learned to read as he made them hot cocoa to ward off the night's chill.
Once the cocoa was ready, he poured a cup for each of them, and coaxed Vexen into sitting down on the couch beside him. Vexen looked at his cocoa curiously for a moment before he took a tentative sip. His face lit up like it had when he had tasted the pastry earlier, and he slowly sipped at it as Vexen opened one of the books and began to read.
"Little brother took his little sister by the hand and said, 'Since our mother died we have had no happiness...'"
Vexen snuggled close, still sipping his cocoa, and Even loved the warmth that blossomed in his heart as he continued to read.
"They walked the whole day over meadows, fields, and stones..."
Vexen listened intently to the story and drank down his cocoa. Once the book was done, Even quietly closed it and set it aside. He then looked down at Vexen to see him sleeping, his empty mug held loosely in one hand. He took the mug away and set it down on the coffee table, stood up, and carefully gathered the sleeping child into his arms. Vexen shifted but did not wake, and Even carried him into the bedroom and tucked him into bed.
"So tell me your observations of No. 47." Vexen said to the Replica sitting on the other side of his desk.
Vexen Replica No. 8, the first successful Replica, and the one most like the original in personality, frowned in thought for a moment before speaking.
"He is developmentally delayed, Master."
"How did you arrive as such a conclusion?" Vexen agreed with his Replica, but he wanted to hear its reasoning anyway.
No. 8 frowned again. "He is three days old now, Master, yet he is not fully weaned, like he should be. I saw No. 23 giving him a bottle earlier, and he has not yet begun to speak or try to walk. I must admit that I am curious as to what caused such a defect."
"You said 'delayed'. Do you believe that it will catch up if given the chance?"
"I believe it could be possible, Master. No two people develop at the same rate, and he may simply need more time than the rest of us."
Vexen nodded silently. He would never admit it to anyone, but he relied heavily on No. 8 to keep the lab running smoothly. He would also never admit that, even without a heart, he cared for No. 8 nearly as much as Even had cared for Ienzo; he just prefered not to show it, though he suspected that the Replica knew. The previous seven Replicas had all suffered from severe deficiencies, forcing their destruction. No. 8 had succeeded where all the others before and after him had failed, and he was the only Replica that he had cared for himself during the infant stage. It was his personal care of him that likely caused his personality to be so much like his own, and at times he felt as though as if he was speaking to Even during conversations with him.
"What do you recommend?" he asked. Things were less formal between him and No. 8, though he referred to him as "Master" same as the others, and he could give him an honest answer without fear of reprisal.
"I recommend giving him more time, say a few more days. If he's not walking or talking by then, it will be safe to assume that he is a failure."
Vexen nodded. "Thank you, No. 8. I will take it into consideration. You are dismissed."
No. 8 nodded and walked out of the office, and Vexen remained at his desk for a moment, deep in thought. "No. 8!"
The Replica hadn't gotten far evidently, for he poked its head into the door. "Yes, Master?"
"What of No. 23?"
"What of him, Master?"
"It seems to care for No. 47, and it seemed upset when I said I planned to destroy it. Your observations?"
"I have observed the same, Master. Last night, I saw him rocking No. 47 to sleep and humming to him, though it's not the first time I've seen such behavior in the caretakers."
Vexen nodded in acknowledgment of the point. "I wonder if perhaps his coddling is partially responsible for the delay?"
"It could be, Master."
"But removing it from No. 23's care could upset it and delay it further as a result." He waved No. 8 away. "Go about your duties, No. 8. You've given me much to think about."
"Yes, Master." No. 8 nodded and walked away, and Even pulled out his notebook and made note of the conversation. So far things were inconclusive, though he admitted to himself that he wasn't sure where his observations were leading him.
One month after Even had brought him to Radiant Garden, No. 47 – no, no, no, that wasn't his name anymore – Vexen felt like a completely new person. That wasn't far from the truth actually, he thought as he leaned against Even and paid attention to the letters and words that he was pointing out to him in the storybook.
"What is that word?" Even asked, pointing to one word, and Vexen looked at it intently for a long moment. "Sound it out if you don't know."
"Buh, oh, ah, t... Boat!" He looked up at Even excitedly and felt warmth blossom in his heart at Even's proud smile.
"Very good! Now what is this word here?"
"Wa... t... Water!"
Even's arms came around him and hugged him. "You're learning so quickly! I'm so proud of you!"
Vexen giggled and snuggled into the embrace and Even asked: "Ready for more?" Vexen nodded eagerly and Even began pointing out more words and asking him to read them. Once the reading lesson was done with, it was time for his writing lesson, and his reward for completing that was to pick out a book to have read to him before his math lesson. He picked a small thin book titled "Mother Hulda" and snuggled close to Even's side as the latter began to read.
"Every day a poor girl had to sit by a well on the high road and spin until her fingers bled. Now it happened once that as the spindle was bloody, she dipped it into the well to wash it; but it slipped out of her hand and fell in."
Once his lessons were done for the day, the pair had lunch together before they went to the infirmary so Even could do some work. Even went off to one area of the room, where he and Ienzo began talking about things in quiet voices, while Vexen settled on a large mat behind the desk and entertained himself with some tinker toys that another one of Even's friends - Aeleus - had gotten him. He'd never had toys before, and he played happily for several minutes until a dreaded voice sounded in the room.
"Even?" spoke that man, and Vexen dropped the spool he was holding in one hand and began to shake.
"Master Ansem?" Even responded, but Vexen could barely hear him over the roaring in his ears.
No matter what happens, no matter what you see or hear, you stay here and don't make a sound. Do you understand?
Vexen whimpered in fear and wrapped his arms around himself and began to rock back and forth on the mat. He squeezed his eyes shut and wished that that man would go away as his voice fell upon his ears again.
"Go away," he whimpered quietly "Please just go away."
The conversation in the other part of the room stopped and then he saw a shadow move in front of him through his eyelids. "Vexen?" came Even's voice "What is wrong, child?"
"Please make him go away." Vexen whispered as he began to cry. "I don't like him."
Even pulled him close and held him. "Could you please leave, Master Ansem? You're frightening him."
"I would never hurt him, Even."
Even said nothing, and after a moment, Vexen heard footsteps walking out of the infirmary. "He's gone now, Vexen."
Vexen didn't open his eyes; instead he only nestled close to Even. "Can we go back to our rooms now, Even?"
"Yes, we can. Ienzo can finish up here. Let's go." Even pulled him to his feet and walked him out of the infirmary. He didn't open his eyes, and he kept himself glued to Even's side the entire way. Once they were in the living room and the door to the rest of the castle firmly shut behind them, Vexen curled up on the couch, still shaking. Even sat down beside him and pulled him onto his lap and held him close.
"I won't let anyone hurt you, Vexen. I will keep you safe."
"I don't like him."
"I know you don't, but you have to believe me when I say that he would never hurt you. He has changed since you saw him in Castle Oblivion, just like I have."
"I don't care about that! I don't like him!"
"Shhh, you don't need to yell. I know you don't like him, but he lives here too, so you're going to have to get used to him. He won't hurt you, Vexen. I promise that he won't."
Vexen finally opened his eyes then and looked up at Even. "I'm scared."
"I know, little one, but I will keep you safe. That is what fathers do; they protect their children."
Vexen curled closer to Even, sniffling. Even rocked him and stroked his hair and murmured soothingly to him, and he eventually calmed and fell asleep, cradled in his father's arms.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Side story to Burning Heart. After his rebirth as a complete person, Even returns to Castle Oblivion, looking for a distraction. Instead of research notes, he finds the last surviving Vexen Replica and takes it in. How will the Replica adjust to life outside the lab? Can the damage caused by a difficult early life and months of isolation be undone?
Disclaimer: Not mine. I only wish I owned Kingdom Hearts. At least then I could fix some of the inconsistencies and spackle the worst of the plot holes.
Completion
He couldn't concentrate.
Even groaned and dropped the book that he had been trying to read to massage his temples. His hair slid through his fingers, and the sensation made the thought trail through his mind again.
Is this real?
"I am real." he whispered to himself "I am complete. I am whole. This is real."
If this is real, then why do I have the strongest sense of unreality?
"I am real!"
"Even?" The blond haired scientist looked up then, to see Ienzo standing just a few feet away and looking at him in concern. "Are you alright?"
He shook his head slightly. "No," he said after a long moment.
"The feeling again?"
"Yes." He dropped his hands to his lap and looked at his surrogate son. "I wish it would stop."
Ienzo looked at him in sympathy. "I know; it's difficult to bear, but it will fade in time."
"My mind knows that I am whole, that I have my heart again, but I still feel... incomplete, and I can't shake the sensation no matter what I try."
"You need something to keep you occupied, and no, I don't mean simply reading books and research notes. Aeleus and I have our work with Lea and Sora to help us focus, while Dilan has his work with the Restoration Committee. You have nothing, and that will only prolong the time it takes for the feeling to fade."
"What would you have me do? I am no help to the Restoration Committee, Sora and company want nothing to do with me after the events of Castle Oblivion, and I refuse to restart my old research after what happened last time. I have the infirmary to look after, but it barely sees anyone these days."
"Maybe you should go back to Castle Oblivion. We both know that Ansem destroyed Vexen's lab, but maybe something remains. You did have several topics that you were researching at the time; maybe one of them will catch your interest?"
Even shuddered; in truth, he had no desire to go back to the place where Vexen had spent the last days of his life before being brutally killed by Axel, but Ienzo did have a point. Maybe he would find something there that would hold his interest. Standing up from his chair with a sigh, he nodded at Ienzo and portaled out.
A few seconds later, he found himself standing in front of the familiar structure, and he shuddered in remembered terror -
No! Please don't! I don't want to -
Goodbye.
- before the memory, as well as the emotion that it invoked, faded. With another shudder, he summoned Frozen Pride and walked up the steps to the front doors. Once inside, his feet easily followed the familiar path to where Vexen's lab had once been, and he easily opened the heavy door that kept it closed off from the rest of the castle.
The inside of the large room was a surprise. Despite being empty for so long, it was clean and organized, though a heavy layer of dust covered everything. He did note that his research notes were gone, as was much of the lab equipment. There were scorch marks on the floor in places, as well as spots and splatters that looked like old blood stains. He was disheartened to see no sign of the Vexen Replicas, and the large room where they all had slept was deserted, though he noted that all of their blankets were still there, in the same places they had been the last time he had seen them. Had any of them survived and escaped, or had Ansem destroyed all of them as well?
Another failure!
I am... a failure?
Go! Go in the other room with the others! I don't want to look at you!
Even leaned heavily against the wall; Vexen had been so cruel to his creations. They had been so innocent, very much like children, naïve, curious, eager to please, but Vexen had treated them as little more than objects. Contrary to what others (Namely Marluxia and Larxene) had thought, he had never physically or sexually abused his Replicas, but he had never been kind to them either. They had to earn their keep by working in the lab, and sloppy work and mistakes were punished with blistering lectures and being locked in a dark, empty room for several hours. Even could remember their sad eyes and drawn faces; none of them ever smiled or laughed. They had looked at Vexen only when spoken to and kept their eyes on the floor otherwise. And unlike Vexen, they had hearts and could feel. They were hurt by Vexen's cruel words and long hours of being locked in small dark rooms. They had yearned desperately for their creator's approval and affection, even though there had never been a hope of receiving it.
Even wiped his eyes with one hand; he knew logically, that Vexen's actions were to be expected really. Without a heart, one could not feel empathy, love, guilt, or regret, but the memories of those sad green eyes pained him. He pushed himself away from the wall, and began to walk further back into the lab, towards Vexen's living quarters. Coming to Castle Oblivion had been a mistake.
He reached the door that led to the short hallway that led to Vexen's private rooms, and he walked down it, past the bathroom and the empty library (Ansem must have taken the books, he thought.) towards the bedroom. He pushed the door open, and to his surprised it moved silently, with no squeaking of the hinges. The room was exactly how he remembered it; the writing desk with its chair on one wall, a small bookcase with the few books of fiction that he enjoyed reading, the narrow bed, and a shivering form huddled under filthy blankets in the open closet.
What?
Holding Frozen Pride in front of him, he carefully approached the closet. He had no clue what was in there, and he had no desire to lose again the heart that he had regained only a few short months ago to some Heartless that was hiding under the blankets. He reached out with his free hand as frost formed on his fingers as he readied to attack at any moment, grasped the blanket, and yanked it away.
His eyes fell on a human form, wearing a ragged Organization coat that looked to be on the verge of disintegrating, with filthy and tangled blond hair. It was curled up on its side in the fetal position and shivering hard. Even wrinkled his nose; whoever it was apparently hadn't taken a bath in weeks if not longer, and that combined with the smell of sickness made for quite a putrid odor. With the loss of the blanket, it shifted, and the head slowly turned to look at him. One green eye, glazed with fever, looked up at him and blinked, and the arms moved away from the head and face. A pale face, with high cheekbones and a narrow pointed chin looked up at him, and though the cheeks were sunk in from hunger and the eyes were ringed with deep shadows, Even still felt a shock as he looked into his own face.
"Master?" the Vexen Replica said weakly as it dropped its gaze and huffed for air, and then it coughed deeply. Once the coughing subsided, it looked back up at him. "Do you have need of me? I'm sorry about the state of the lab; I will get up and clean it right away." It shakily sat up, and Even snapped out of his shock as it began to stand on legs that shook so hard that it was doubtful that it could walk. He dismissed Frozen Pride, sat down on the blanket covered floor, which smelled nearly as bad as the Replica itself did, and pulled it back down to sit beside him.
"Do not worry about the lab." he said quietly "You are ill." It leaned against him, and he was able to feel all of its ribs, as well as the heat of its fever, from under the coat. "Are you all alone?"
It nodded faintly. "After you left, that man came, and he destroyed everything. When the others tried to stop him, he killed them all. I hid instead, and he didn't find me. I was a coward, Master. I'm sorry; I should have protected the lab. Should I go into the little room?"
Even closed his eyes in pain at the thought of the damage that Vexen had done to the pitiful creature beside him. "No," he said after a moment "I'm not going to punish you for doing the right thing. If you had stayed, he would have killed you as well." He reached out carefully, so not to startle it, and put his arm around its shaking shoulders, while he used his other hand to gently rake its grimy hair back from its face "How long have you been ill?"
It coughed hard again, and Even gently rubbed its back until the coughing subsided. "I do not know, Master. I did not keep good data of my illness. Are you going to punish me?"
"No," Even stood up and carefully pulled it to its feet and held it close "I'm going to take you home." It looked at him in weary surprise for a moment before it laid its head against his chest.
"I don't feel good, Master." it mumbled "I'm sorry I'm such a failure."
Guilt stabbed at him. "You're not a failure, Vexen." he said gently as he opened the portal to the castle infirmary back at Radiant Garden "Everything will be alright." Half carrying the newly named Vexen through the portal, they stepped into the infirmary on the other side, and Even wasted no time in lying the sick Replica on the closest bed. He then walked to the desk and hit the buzzer that would send a signal to Ienzo to tell him his assistance was needed, and then he went to gather what he needed.
Ienzo entered the room at a run then, and he looked at Vexen lying on the bed before his eyes swung over to Even standing in front of the medicine cabinet, and then back to Vexen. The light dawned in his eyes as he realized what he was looking at, and he quickly joined Even at Vexen's beside. The two of them stripped off his filthy clothing, bathed him, washed his hair and combed it out, dressed him in hospital pajamas, dosed him with antibiotics, and gave him water and a weak broth to sip down.
"It is good, Master, may I have more?"
Even tried not to cringe at the title that the original Vexen had demanded the Replicas refer to him by. "You don't have to call me that, Vexen."
"But it is what -"
"I know, but I was a different person then. You don't have to call me that anymore."
Vexen looked at him, perplexed, and Even realized that he likely had no idea what he meant by "a different person". The Vexen Replicas had never been allowed outside the lower levels of the castle, and as a result they were all very naïve and innocent in regards to many things. Figures of speech being one of those things. "What do I call you then?"
"Whatever you wish. You may call me Even if you want. Now go to sleep; you must rest."
'"I'm still hungry."
"If you eat anymore, you will be sick. You can have more when you wake up."
"But I -"
"So one survived, it seems."
Even's looked up as Ansem's voice fell upon his ears to see the man walking through the infirmary towards them. Vexen cried out in fear, and before Even could blink, the Replica was on the floor, scrambling away from him. "Don't let him hurt me!"
Even got out of his chair and gently gathered Vexen to him. "It is alright. He's not going to hurt you, Vexen."
"Vexen?" Ansem said questioningly "I suppose it fits though." He walked up to them and lightly touched Vexen's hair. "I am not going to hurt you, Vexen. You have suffered enough. Behave and do as your father -" Even jerked in surprise. "- tells you, and you can stay. Do you understand?"
Vexen nodded faintly, and Ansem gently patted his head before he turned and walked out of the infirmary. Once the man had gone, Even helped Vexen get back into bed and tucked him under the blankets.
"Are you really my father?' Vexen asked sleepily as he relaxed into the clean sheets.
The original Vexen had used his own DNA and data to give the Replicas life, so in a sense... "Yes, I am." Even said as he gently smoothed Vexen's hair back from his face.
"But, but," Vexen looked at him in confusion and spoke in a tiny voice "You wanted to destroy me."
Even frowned: he remembered clearly that the original Vexen had destroyed Replicas that he deemed defective, but if he deemed that a Replica was to be destroyed, he did so immediately. So how did this one survive? He shook his head as Vexen fell asleep, and he reached out and gently tucked the blankets around him before he sat back in his chair to watch him.
Vexen had had no emotions, so he could not feel that awe that struck Even as he watched the Replica that he had brought into being sleep. Vexen was sleeping deeply, his breath rattling in his chest on every inhale, and a gentle press against his wrist revealed his pulse to be faster than normal, but that was expected with illness. But he was breathing, he had a beating heart. He was alive.
"Let's see; what number are you?" he said quietly as he gently brushed Vexen's hair away from the back of his neck. In faded ink was a tiny tattoo, done just after he had been born from the tank, of the number "47".
Ah yes, he remembered now.
******
Vexen cast a critical eye over the Replica that was floating lazily in the acceleration tank. As usual, it was an exact physical copy of him – at least it was supposed to be - yet only time would tell what kind of personality it would have. Hopefully, it wouldn't be a failure like the others.
"Is he ready, Master?" Vexen Replica No. 23 asked hesitantly, eyes on the floor, and Vexen spared it an irritated look at the disruption, but he answered the question anyway.
"Yes, it is ready." he turned to No. 44, who was standing nearby. "Drain the tank."
No. 44 nodded without looking up and began the process of draining the artificial amniotic fluid from the tank, and Vexen watched as the Replica slowly sank to the grated bottom as the fluid drained away. He then stepped forward, and with No. 23's assistance, opened the tank and pulled the Replica out.
Vexen frowned as they laid it on a nearby table; it was obvious to him that it had not reached the height it should have, leaving it a great deal shorter than him. He would need to look into it further late, a deficiency in height could mean it was deficient in other areas as well. Right now though, he only needed to worry about getting it to breathe on its own, and the other Replicas would take care of the rest.
He and No. 23 suctioned the fluid from the newborn Replica's mouth and nose, and a hard swat to its bottom made it cough, spit up the fluid in its lungs, and begin to cry. Once he was assured that the Replica was breathing and stable, he passed it off to No. 23.
"Clean it up, dress it, feed it," he ordered "and quiet it. I tire of its squalling."
No. 23 nodded hastily, and he quickly carried the wailing Replica out of the room, while Vexen retired to his office. He had little to do with the Replicas during their first few days. During that span of time, they were very much like infants in manner and actions, so he let the other Replicas care for them until they were out of it. Only then would he begin interacting with them regularly, to begin guiding them in the direction he wanted them to go.
******
No. 47 blinked his eyes open as he slowly began to wake up. His tired eyes took a while to focus, but when they finally did, he realized that he was not in his master's room in Castle Oblivion. The room he was in was very dark, but he could see other beds nearby, large windows, and a chair next to his bed. Master was sitting in that chair, sleeping. Why was Master doing that?
The Replica slowly sat up, and did his best to ignore the wave of dizziness that the action caused. He was confused. Master had found him, said that he wasn't a failure, and said he was going to take him home, whatever that meant. Now he was here, in this strange place, with Master and one of Master's friends, and the man that had killed the others. Why had Master brought him here? Was he going to destroy him, like he said he would?
No. 47 did not know, and thinking about it was giving him a headache.
A tickle in his chest was the only warning he got before his lungs sucked in air, and he coughed deeply. Something in his lungs tore loose with a painful tearing sensation, and he cried out as he coughed up a glob of phlegm onto the bed covers. To his right, he heard the chair creak, and then Master spoke to him.
"Are you alright, Vexen?"
Vexen? Master had called him that earlier, but why? Vexen was Master's name, so why was he calling him, No. 47, that?
"Vexen?" A hand gently grabbed him by the chin and raised his head to meet Master's eyes. "Are you alright? You can tell me, and I promise that I won't get angry."
No. 47 swallowed thickly and tried to ignore the burning pain in his chest. "It hurts, Master. It really hurts."
Master let go of his chin and moved out of his chair to sit on the bed. No. 47 shivered at the close contact, and Master put an arm around him and held up a glass of water. "Here, you must be thirsty."
No. 47 slowly sipped some of the water, and when he was done, Master took the glass away and set it aside. "You don't have to call me Master anymore, Vexen. I know that is what you were told to call me, but you don't have to do that anymore."
The Replica lowered his gaze to the blankets and said nothing. What was he supposed to say? Would Master be angry with him if he said the wrong thing?
Master pulled his close and began to rock him. "I understand that you are very confused right now. I was very cruel to you then, and words alone cannot express how sorry I am. Things are different now, Vexen. I cannot promise that I will never raise my voice to you again, but I swear that I will never lock you in a dark room all alone again. I will never threaten you again, and I will not allow anyone to harm you." The arms around him squeezed him a little before relaxing. "I will take care of you, Vexen. I promise you that you'll never be left alone again."
No. 47 laid his feverish head against Master's chest and closed his eyes. Master had never acted like this before; it was strange and very alien to him. Master gently kissed him on the top of his head and laid him down. He looked at Master's face as the blankets were pulled up to his chin and tucked around him, and before where there had been arrogance and superiority, there was now kindness and compassion. It reminded him of things; he had seen that before is similar green eyes. He turned his head to the side as he began to fall asleep. It reminded him of No. 23, the Replica that had cared for him after his birth.
"Goodnight, Vexen." Master said softly "I'm here with you."
No. 47 sighed quietly and went back to sleep.
******
He was warm.
The warmth was the first thing that occurred to Vexen Replica No. 47. He remembered being in a warm, wet place, and hearing voices, and feeling things touching him and taking him away from his dark, quiet place, but none of that mattered now. He was warn, and he could feel something soft against his skin, and he cooed in contentment as he was gently rocked.
"Don't go to sleep yet, 47." said a voice nearby "You need to be fed first." He felt himself being jostled then, and he began to cry, though his cries were abruptly silenced a moment later when something rubbery was put in his mouth. He made a face at the taste and tried to spit it out, but some instinct that he couldn't understand compelled him to suck on it, and he was reward when a stream of warm, sweet liquid was drawn into his mouth. He swallowed it and decided that he wanted more, so he suckled quietly until there was no more left. The rubbery thing was taken away then, and the voice spoke again.
"Now you may go to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow, hmmm? Master will want to see you to make sure that you're normal, and he is strict about that. Let's hope he doesn't find any flaws like he did on poor No. 46."
No. 47 felt himself being carried somewhere, and he was laid down on something. The warm things around him vanished, and he reached out blindly and grabbed a hold of a hand as it went to leave him.
He felt his hand being gently removed from the other and felt something rubbing the back of it before it was laid down on the soft thing that he was lying on.
"Go to sleep, 47. I'll be here when you wake up."
******
Even watched over Vexen closely for the next few days. The child did little more than sleep, though he drank the broth that was offered to him without complaint. Despite being told repeatedly not to, he kept calling Even "Master" and referred to himself as No. 47. That was no surprise; habits that had been wired in from birth could not be broken so easily.
Four days after bringing him home, Even walked Vexen out of the infirmary and down to their now shared quarters. Even though ten years had passed between the loss of their hearts and the return of those hearts, he, Ienzo, Dilan, and Aeleus had fallen back into old habits easily, and that included staying in the same rooms that they had occupied as apprentices. There were days when Even came out of his rooms in the morning and expected to hear Aeleus dragging a sleepy Braig out of bed or to see Xehanort standing in the hallway, waiting for the rest of them to get moving so they could go down to breakfast before starting the day's work in the labs.
Despite everything that had happened, the ghosts of the past clung tightly to every thought, and it was something that drove Even to distraction. Braig was gone, Xehanort was gone, and the both of them had death sentences on their heads. Ienzo was grown up, Aeleus was quieter, and Dilan was much more subdued and mistrusting. Even himself found himself less fascinated with the world around him, and he had no desire to walk the same path he had once gone down.
"Where are we going, Master?" Vexen asked quietly, and his voice broke Even from his thoughts.
"We're going to our rooms."
"Our rooms?" Even had to admit that he found Vexen's confusion a little endearing.
"Yes, our rooms. You'll be staying with me."
"But Master -"
"Ah, ah, what did I tell you to call me?"
"E... E... Even. But I... I don't..."
"Don't what?"
Vexen looked down at the floor, though he didn't stop walking. "I'm just a failed Replica. Shouldn't I stay in a closet instead?"
Even stopped and pulled Vexen close as guilt stabbed at his heart again. The Replicas had all slept in a storage room on the floor. They had only a few blankets to share and no pillows. The only time they slept in beds was during the few days after their birth. Once they were out of the infant state, to the floor they went.
"Vexen," he said gently "I know I told you that you were a failure, but it was a lie. You are here, alive, which means that you succeeded. Everything I told you, about you being a failure, how I should have destroyed you, all of it was a lie. You deserve so much more than a closet floor, and I will keep repeating myself until you believe it.." He gently tilted Vexen's head back until their eyes met. "Believe me when I say this, Vexen. You deserve better than what you had before." He let go of Vexen's chin and ran a hand down his hair as the child looked back down at the floor again. He hugged him gently and then began to walk him down the hall again. "Come. You're tired and need to sleep."
Vexen was silent the rest of the way to their rooms, and he allowed Even to shepherd him into the bedroom and lie him down on a second bed that had been moved into the room by the castle staff without a sound. Instead he only looked at the blankets and sheets and pillows in wonder before his illness pulled him into the blackness of slumber.
Even sat down on the bed beside him and gently stroked his hair with a sigh. It was shocking the damage just a handful of days could do, though fifteen months alone had not helped any. The original Vexen had made sure that the Replicas knew just how little they were worth to him, and the damage that resulted was plain in the sleeping person beside him. Even sighed again at the monumental task ahead of him, leaned down and kissed Vexen on the cheek, and then got out and walked out of the room.
******
Vexen watched in clinical silence as No. 23 carried No. 47 into the room and laid it down on the exam table. The day old Replica began to cry and fuss as it was undressed, and Vexen ignored its distress as he began to check it over. Right away he took note of the height deficiency that he had noticed the previous day; the Replica was a good foot and a half shorter than it should have been. No. 23 restrained it so he could take an accurate measurement, and it showed that No. 47 was 19. 325 inches shorter that it should have been.
He frowned as the Replica cried and wailed, and he sent an irritated glance at No. 23, who hastily gathered the crying failure into its arms and began to coo to it.
"It the proper height was not reached," Vexen stated "then odds are good that it is deficient in other areas as well." No. 23 held No. 47 closer, a gesture that made him sneer in false disgust.
"But Master, he's still so young."
"A failure is a failure. Prepare it for disposal."
The procedure for disposing of an unwanted Replica was simple. It would be sealed up inside a body bag to catch any waste, Vexen would fire darkness straight into the physical heart to kill it instantly, and then the body would be dissected to see if there was a physical reason for the failure. Only then would it be tossed into the incinerator to be disposed of.
Vexen turned around to make a note about the destruction of the Replica, and when he turned around No. 23 was still standing there, holding No. 47 protectively.
"Why are you still standing there?" he snapped "I told you to do something."
"Please, Master, give him more time. He is just a baby. Maybe there is nothing wrong with him."
"I will not have a failure in my lab! You have your orders No. 23!"
"We don't know for sure if he is a failure! He's only a day old; he needs time to start developing before we can decide if he is mentally deficient or not!"
Vexen narrowed his eyes as an echo of anger rose within his empty chest. "Fine," he hissed "I will grant it a reprieve. You have three days to show me that it is not a failure. If it does not perform to my satisfaction, then it will be the incinerator for both of you. Understood?"
No. 23 nodded hastily. "Yes, Master. Thank you, Master."
"Get out of my sight."
No. 23 quickly carried the still wailing No. 47 out of the room, and Vexen sighed and rubbed his temples as the question plagued him.
Why did his Replicas – copies of himself – have the capacity to feel and care when the original did not? Hmmmm, perhaps it would be a good thing to let No. 47 live, if only to observe how No. 23 acted towards it. No. 16 hadn't reacted with any care or concern when No. 46 had been disposed of. Reaching into a nearby cabinet, Vexen pulled out a new notebook and began to take notes of his observations. This would bear watching.
******
Six days after Master had brought him to this place, No. 47 felt better than he had in weeks. He no longer had a fever, it was much easier to breathe, and the constant gnawing of hunger was gone. He felt... good.
Physically at least. Mentally and emotionally was an entirely different matter. Master talked to him, brought him food and water, gave him medicine that made him feel better, allowed him to sleep in a bed instead of on the floor, and gave him hugs and kisses, something that only No. 23 had done before. He wasn't sure what to make of Master's behavior. What if it was all some kind of experiment, and when it was done, Master would go back to the way he used to be? What would happen to him then? Would Master throw him in the incinerator like had once threatened to do?
No. 47 curled up in the middle of the bed and wrapped his arms around his legs. The room was dark, and nearby, Master was sleeping in a larger bed. He didn't understand; why was Master being so nice?
"Vexen?" Master's voice spoke from nearby, and a few seconds later, he felt him sit down on the bed beside him. "Are you alright?"
He thought about lying; showing any weakness had invoked Master's anger before, but he just couldn't muster the energy to do so. He was tired and confused, and nothing made sense at all.
He shook his head and felt Master's arms come around him and pull him close. "What is wrong, child?"
No. 47 hesitated for a moment and realized that he wouldn't get any answers if he didn't ask any questions. He would simply have to deal with Master's anger when it came. "Why are you being so nice to me, Master? I don't understand."
Master's arms pulled him closer, and he sighed. "Things were different then, Vexen, and there were so many things that were never explained to you. Years ago, I lived here in this castle, and I was an apprentice under the castle's lord. We studied many things, including the mysteries of the heart, but we went too far. Our research into the heart caused myself and the other apprentices to lose our hearts and be reborn as Nobodies. We all changed our names, and I changed mine to Vexen. We spent many years trying to regain our hearts to no avail, and it was then that I began to experiment with Replicas. If I could give life a heart, then I should in theory be able to give myself and the others hearts as well.
"All of them, including you, were born with hearts. All of you could feel, while I could not. No. 23 cared for you very much, but I did not. It wasn't because I didn't want to care, it was because I couldn't. You need a heart to care for someone, and I did not have one. The last time I saw you before I found you and brought you here, I had been ordered to defeat the Keyblade wielder and bring him under Marluxia's control. Zexion, Lexaeus and I had other plans, but Axel betrayed us and destroyed me instead."
No. 47 looked up at him in confusion. Destroyed? But he was sitting right here beside him, holding him! How could that be possible?
Master smiled gently at him. "What none of us knew was that to regain a lost heart, the Heartless and the Nobody had to be destroyed. A year after I died, I was reborn here as a complete person, and I went back to using my real name – Even." Master gently took one of his hands and placed it on his chest over his beating heart. "I have my heart now, and I can feel and care. I can feel guilt for how badly I treated you and the others. I can feel relief that I found you alive and safe. I can worry about you, and feel concern because you are confused and upset. I am not the same person I was when you were born, Vexen, and I will never treat you that way again."
Mustering his nerve, No. 47 looked up at him. "Why do you call me Vexen?"
Master smiled at him again. "I brought you into this life, using my DNA, which, in a way, means that I am your father. Many parents name their children after themselves, but it would be too confusing I think if there were two Evens running around, so I decided to name you Vexen instead." He leaned over so their faces nearly touched. "You are so much more than a number, little one."
"Why, Master? I don't understand."
"Because you are alive, because you are here. Before, I couldn't..." Master hesitated and then took a deep breath. "I couldn't feel amazed that I had brought you and the others into being. I had created life, and life is precious. You are precious, and now I can feel for you what I couldn't before."
No. 47 blinked his eyes; he was still confused. Master's words seemed to only create more questions than they answered, but he didn't voice that thought. Instead he kept silent as Master laid him down and covered him with the blanket.
"I know that you are confused," Master said gently "but it will make sense in time." No. 47 only looked up at him as Master smiled and stood up. "Go back to sleep, Vexen. You need your rest." With that, Master went back to his own bed and laid down. He was asleep within seconds, but No. 47 laid awake most of the night, lost in thought.
******
No. 47 cried and turned his head away from the spoon as No. 23 tried to feed him. He didn't want it! Why was the other trying to put the metal thing in his mouth? He was hungry; he didn't want some strange metal thing that he had never seen before!
No. 23 sighed in exasperation. "No. 47, you are two days old. You don't need the bottle anymore. Now stop squalling and eat already." He held up the spoon again, but No. 47 reached up and batted it away. It clattered to the floor, and No. 23 picked it up and tossed it in the sink before fetching another. No. 47 cried louder when he saw the new spoon.
"I know that you're hungry, 47, but you're old enough to eat this way. Now stop fussing and open up." No. 47 turned his head away again, which resulted in another sigh from No. 23. "If you are not weaned on time, Master will destroy you, do you understand? I have only two more days to prove to him that you're not a failure, which means that you must be weaned. Do you understand me, No. 47?"
No. 47 looked at him, tears running down his reddened face, crying in frustration and hunger, and the older Replica sighed. "No, of course you don't understand. You're still a baby at this point." He put the bowl and spoon down and stood up from his chair. No. 47 watched him, his cries quieting, and when No. 23 walked back to him, bottle in hand, he smiled and reached for it eagerly.
No. 23 laughed quietly as he set the bottle aside and unbuckled the strap that kept him in his chair and picked him up. He then sat down in his own chair with No. 47 on his lap, who cried out and reached for the bottle sitting nearby.
"Hang on, I'm getting it."
No. 47 whimpered in frustration as he was settled on No. 23's lap, but his whimpering ceased a moment later when the bottle was offered to him. He happily grabbed a hold of it with both hands, stuck the nipple in his mouth and began to suckle.
No. 23 shook his head. "What am I going to do with you? All of that fussing for nothing."
No. 47 blinked. Nothing? He didn't think that it had all been for nothing. He had been hungry, end of story. He nestled close to No. 23 and quietly drank his milk, and once the bottle was empty, he allowed No. 23 to take it away and set it aside. A second later, the spoon was back, and he looked at it curiously. There was stuff in it, and it looked somewhat like his milk, but it wasn't quite the same.
"At least you're not fighting it this time." No. 23 said, and he gently nudged his mouth with it. "Open up."
No. 47 looked at him for a second, and then he looked at the spoon, and he obediently opened his mouth. No. 23 smiled gently at him. "That's a good boy. Let's try some more, shall we?"
Since he had already had a bottle, he did not take much from the bowl, but No. 23 smiled at him. That meant that he had done good, right? Once his stomach was full, he snuggled close to No. 23 again and rubbed his eyes sleepily.
"I think it's nap time for you, 47." No. 23 stood up, holding No. 47 in his arms. "Come on, let's get you to bed."
No. 47 was quiet as he was carried out of the small lab kitchen and into the room that contained his soft, warm bed. He cooed in contentment as he was laid down and the warm blankets were pulled over him. No. 23 leaned down and gently kissed him on the forehead.
"Enjoy it while you can, 47. You've only got this room for another day and a half. After that you'll be sleeping on the floor with me and the others."
No. 47 rubbed his eyes again and yawned, and he felt No. 23 patting the blanket around him. He smiled slightly as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
******
Even hid a smile as he walked Vexen around the castle town and watched the child looking at everything in wonder. The child had never left the lower levels of Castle Oblivion, and so many things were new to him as a result. He wore sunglasses to protect his eyes against the harsh glare of sunlight, but the bright light didn't slow him down as he looked at everything he could.
The smell of freshly baked pastries wafted in on the breeze, and Even turned his head towards the delightful scent just as Vexen spotted the vendor that was selling them from a small cart. The child stared at the pastries in awe – he had never seen such a thing before, and food in large quantities had never been available to him before. With a smile, Even stepped up to the cart, bought one, and handed it to him.
Vexen held the baked treat in his hands and stared at it like he didn't know what to do with it.
"Eat it, little one." Even encouraged quietly, and Vexen looked at him. He nodded and smiled, and Vexen hesitantly lifted the pastry to his mouth and took a tiny bite. His eyes widened in wonder as he chewed and swallowed, and he sent Even a wide smile before he quickly ate the rest of it. Even then took a paper napkin from the stall and wiped off Vexen's sticky fingers before leading him away. He didn't miss the smile that Vexen gave the vendor as they walked away.
They walked all over the castle town, and Even kept a careful watch on Vexen and their surroundings. Vexen was still weak from his illness and months of going without regular meals, and he didn't want to overtire him. He also didn't want him to become overwhelmed and frightened by his new surroundings, so he made sure to steer him away from the busier parts of town and stick to the less traveled areas.
"Ma... E... Even?"
Even looked at Vexen, surprised yet pleased that he had mustered the courage to speak and address him by name. "What is it, little one?"
"I am... thirsty. May I have some water?"
"Of course you may. Let's find a public fountain so you can get a drink, and then I think we'll go back to the castle. I think you've had enough excitement for one day, hmm?"
Vexen smiled weakly, and the pair walked towards where Even knew a public drinking fountain to be, and once Vexen had taken a drink, they began to walk back towards the castle. Vexen walked close to Even, so he gently reached out and put an arm around his shoulders. "We'll be home soon, and I think you'll be ready for a nap by then." Vexen said nothing, but he did lean slightly into the embrace as they walked.
They walked up a winding residential street into the central square, and the sounds of laughter and voices made the both look up as they walked through the gates.
A boy, perhaps seven or so, was there, playing catch with his father. The resemblance between father and son was startling, and Vexen paused and watched them curiously. Even stopped walking as well, and he watched Vexen, curious as to what the child was doing.
Vexen just watched the father and son in silence for a moment before he turned to Even. "What are they doing?"
"They're playing a game with the ball. The goal is to catch it and throw it back to the other."
"But why are they doing it?"
"Because they enjoy it. Such games are common between parents and children."
"So they are...?"
"Father and son, yes."
"Like... like... us?"
Even smiled. "Yes, like us."
Vexen nodded, and he returned to Even's side, and the two of them resumed their walk to the castle.
That evening, as Vexen took a bath before bed, Even paid a visit to Ienzo.
"Do you have any of the storybooks that I read to you when you were small?"
Ienzo blinked at him in surprise for a moment, before he disappeared into his bedroom. Even heard a door opening and heard things shuffling around for a few minutes before Ienzo returned with an armful of children's books.
"Somehow," he said "they survived. I have no idea how they did, but here you are." He handed them over. "Are you going to read them to Vexen?"
Even nodded. "If I'm going to be a father to him, I had better start doing more than just making sure he's fed and healthy."
"I hope he enjoys them."
"I hope so too."
"Good luck."
Even smiled slightly as he looked down at the well worm books that had been Ienzo's favorites when he had been small. He then looked back at him. "Thank you. I'll get these back to you later."
Ienzo waved that away. "If he likes them, he can have them. At least then they'll get used again instead of collecting dust in a closet."
Even returned to his rooms just as Vexen was finishing up, and he helped him comb his hair and dress in his pajamas. They then went out to the living room, where Vexen spotted the books lying on a table by the couch. He examined them curiously, and Even wondered if he had ever learned to read as he made them hot cocoa to ward off the night's chill.
Once the cocoa was ready, he poured a cup for each of them, and coaxed Vexen into sitting down on the couch beside him. Vexen looked at his cocoa curiously for a moment before he took a tentative sip. His face lit up like it had when he had tasted the pastry earlier, and he slowly sipped at it as Vexen opened one of the books and began to read.
"Little brother took his little sister by the hand and said, 'Since our mother died we have had no happiness...'"
Vexen snuggled close, still sipping his cocoa, and Even loved the warmth that blossomed in his heart as he continued to read.
"They walked the whole day over meadows, fields, and stones..."
Vexen listened intently to the story and drank down his cocoa. Once the book was done, Even quietly closed it and set it aside. He then looked down at Vexen to see him sleeping, his empty mug held loosely in one hand. He took the mug away and set it down on the coffee table, stood up, and carefully gathered the sleeping child into his arms. Vexen shifted but did not wake, and Even carried him into the bedroom and tucked him into bed.
******
"So tell me your observations of No. 47." Vexen said to the Replica sitting on the other side of his desk.
Vexen Replica No. 8, the first successful Replica, and the one most like the original in personality, frowned in thought for a moment before speaking.
"He is developmentally delayed, Master."
"How did you arrive as such a conclusion?" Vexen agreed with his Replica, but he wanted to hear its reasoning anyway.
No. 8 frowned again. "He is three days old now, Master, yet he is not fully weaned, like he should be. I saw No. 23 giving him a bottle earlier, and he has not yet begun to speak or try to walk. I must admit that I am curious as to what caused such a defect."
"You said 'delayed'. Do you believe that it will catch up if given the chance?"
"I believe it could be possible, Master. No two people develop at the same rate, and he may simply need more time than the rest of us."
Vexen nodded silently. He would never admit it to anyone, but he relied heavily on No. 8 to keep the lab running smoothly. He would also never admit that, even without a heart, he cared for No. 8 nearly as much as Even had cared for Ienzo; he just prefered not to show it, though he suspected that the Replica knew. The previous seven Replicas had all suffered from severe deficiencies, forcing their destruction. No. 8 had succeeded where all the others before and after him had failed, and he was the only Replica that he had cared for himself during the infant stage. It was his personal care of him that likely caused his personality to be so much like his own, and at times he felt as though as if he was speaking to Even during conversations with him.
"What do you recommend?" he asked. Things were less formal between him and No. 8, though he referred to him as "Master" same as the others, and he could give him an honest answer without fear of reprisal.
"I recommend giving him more time, say a few more days. If he's not walking or talking by then, it will be safe to assume that he is a failure."
Vexen nodded. "Thank you, No. 8. I will take it into consideration. You are dismissed."
No. 8 nodded and walked out of the office, and Vexen remained at his desk for a moment, deep in thought. "No. 8!"
The Replica hadn't gotten far evidently, for he poked its head into the door. "Yes, Master?"
"What of No. 23?"
"What of him, Master?"
"It seems to care for No. 47, and it seemed upset when I said I planned to destroy it. Your observations?"
"I have observed the same, Master. Last night, I saw him rocking No. 47 to sleep and humming to him, though it's not the first time I've seen such behavior in the caretakers."
Vexen nodded in acknowledgment of the point. "I wonder if perhaps his coddling is partially responsible for the delay?"
"It could be, Master."
"But removing it from No. 23's care could upset it and delay it further as a result." He waved No. 8 away. "Go about your duties, No. 8. You've given me much to think about."
"Yes, Master." No. 8 nodded and walked away, and Even pulled out his notebook and made note of the conversation. So far things were inconclusive, though he admitted to himself that he wasn't sure where his observations were leading him.
******
One month after Even had brought him to Radiant Garden, No. 47 – no, no, no, that wasn't his name anymore – Vexen felt like a completely new person. That wasn't far from the truth actually, he thought as he leaned against Even and paid attention to the letters and words that he was pointing out to him in the storybook.
"What is that word?" Even asked, pointing to one word, and Vexen looked at it intently for a long moment. "Sound it out if you don't know."
"Buh, oh, ah, t... Boat!" He looked up at Even excitedly and felt warmth blossom in his heart at Even's proud smile.
"Very good! Now what is this word here?"
"Wa... t... Water!"
Even's arms came around him and hugged him. "You're learning so quickly! I'm so proud of you!"
Vexen giggled and snuggled into the embrace and Even asked: "Ready for more?" Vexen nodded eagerly and Even began pointing out more words and asking him to read them. Once the reading lesson was done with, it was time for his writing lesson, and his reward for completing that was to pick out a book to have read to him before his math lesson. He picked a small thin book titled "Mother Hulda" and snuggled close to Even's side as the latter began to read.
"Every day a poor girl had to sit by a well on the high road and spin until her fingers bled. Now it happened once that as the spindle was bloody, she dipped it into the well to wash it; but it slipped out of her hand and fell in."
Once his lessons were done for the day, the pair had lunch together before they went to the infirmary so Even could do some work. Even went off to one area of the room, where he and Ienzo began talking about things in quiet voices, while Vexen settled on a large mat behind the desk and entertained himself with some tinker toys that another one of Even's friends - Aeleus - had gotten him. He'd never had toys before, and he played happily for several minutes until a dreaded voice sounded in the room.
"Even?" spoke that man, and Vexen dropped the spool he was holding in one hand and began to shake.
"Master Ansem?" Even responded, but Vexen could barely hear him over the roaring in his ears.
No matter what happens, no matter what you see or hear, you stay here and don't make a sound. Do you understand?
Vexen whimpered in fear and wrapped his arms around himself and began to rock back and forth on the mat. He squeezed his eyes shut and wished that that man would go away as his voice fell upon his ears again.
"Go away," he whimpered quietly "Please just go away."
The conversation in the other part of the room stopped and then he saw a shadow move in front of him through his eyelids. "Vexen?" came Even's voice "What is wrong, child?"
"Please make him go away." Vexen whispered as he began to cry. "I don't like him."
Even pulled him close and held him. "Could you please leave, Master Ansem? You're frightening him."
"I would never hurt him, Even."
Even said nothing, and after a moment, Vexen heard footsteps walking out of the infirmary. "He's gone now, Vexen."
Vexen didn't open his eyes; instead he only nestled close to Even. "Can we go back to our rooms now, Even?"
"Yes, we can. Ienzo can finish up here. Let's go." Even pulled him to his feet and walked him out of the infirmary. He didn't open his eyes, and he kept himself glued to Even's side the entire way. Once they were in the living room and the door to the rest of the castle firmly shut behind them, Vexen curled up on the couch, still shaking. Even sat down beside him and pulled him onto his lap and held him close.
"I won't let anyone hurt you, Vexen. I will keep you safe."
"I don't like him."
"I know you don't, but you have to believe me when I say that he would never hurt you. He has changed since you saw him in Castle Oblivion, just like I have."
"I don't care about that! I don't like him!"
"Shhh, you don't need to yell. I know you don't like him, but he lives here too, so you're going to have to get used to him. He won't hurt you, Vexen. I promise that he won't."
Vexen finally opened his eyes then and looked up at Even. "I'm scared."
"I know, little one, but I will keep you safe. That is what fathers do; they protect their children."
Vexen curled closer to Even, sniffling. Even rocked him and stroked his hair and murmured soothingly to him, and he eventually calmed and fell asleep, cradled in his father's arms.