Ienzo

Summary: Ienzo's story, from when he was a child to when Radiant Garden was taken by the Heartless. A story of betrayal, friendship, love, adventure and tragedy. Eventual Ienzo x Lumaria (MaruZeku!) And others.

Er…yeah, I know this isn't the story I had planned…this was actually a different idea I wasn't going to write properly, but I decided it had a better plot than the first one Any of you who are waiting for 'Poison', I might mold the plot and turn it into a sequel of this, or I might leave it and write it alongside this story.

Disclaimer: Square Enix owns Kingdom Hearts, along with Disney.

Notes: sometimes people will call Ienzo 'Ien'. This is pronounced 'Yen'. Lumaria is pronounced Lu – Maria (like the girls name) …that's just how I like to say it :)

Flames leapt high into the air, and machine guns crackled with fire as a stately manor house was overwrought with armour clad mercenaries . People screamed and ran, and many were gunned down as they fled. The house servants were hiding, they knew it was the end, the feud that had split the Heart and Diamond families had finally come to a close.

About half a mile south, a little girl with messy black hair ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She was only eight years old. She carried a bundle of something in her arm, and was struggling with it, as her other hand held the smaller hand of a toddler behind her. The little boy was crying and complaining, but the girl paid him no heed as they joined the throng of people running from the estate. Workers, factory staff and administration officials were all there. Hardly anyone saw the children. They were bundled roughly from side to side and the little boy let out another scream. The girl shouted as loud as she could as soon as their escape route came into sight; their father's helicopter.

Which was about to take off. "Mister Kennick! Mister Kennick!"

The man named Kennick turned, him and his wife already in the helicopter. "Miss Heart!" He exclaimed, aghast. Jolie, his wife, also the children's nursemaid, let out a cry. "Lerryn! Ienzo! Oh goodness, Lukas…" She practically fell over her husband to get out, running to the children, taking baby Lukas off the little girl, who still held tightly to her little brothers hand. Ienzo began to howl as he was dragged towards the helicopter. People were trying to get onto it, but Kennick was holding them off. "Get out of the way! The children! Let them on, they're the last of the family!" Either no-one heard him, or no-one cared, because they just crushed closer.

Ienzo's hand slipped from Lerryn's grip. They both screamed, but quickly lost sight of each other. The four-year old was buffeted from side to side, and someone knocked him over.

"Ien! IEN! Ienzo!"

"Ienzo!" The boy woke with a start. His room-mate, a six year old named Marty, was shaking him. "You was screaming…" The little brown haired boy had tears in his eyes and was biting his lip. The seven-year old stared at him.

"Again?"

Marty nodded. "Go back to bed, Marty." Ienzo said, almost haughtily. He watched the younger boy disappear under the covers, then he swung his legs out of bed. Pulling on a too-big sweater the small boy made his way out of their room. Marty squeaked. "You can't go out. S'not allowed, Ien, you'll get in trouble."

Ienzo didn't dignify the statement with an answer as he closed the door behind him. Walking down the long corridor, he thought about the dream his nuisance of a room-mate had woken him up from.

Lerryn. His sister…and a baby, but he couldn't remember the baby's name. It had been said in the dream, but as always, the details were slipping away along with his sleepiness. He remembered with a shudder letting go of Lerryn's hand and being pushed over, but the details were fuzzy, like his memory was already letting go of the images. Ienzo pushed open the bathroom door and locked it behind him, moving to the big mirror on the far wall. He pulled himself onto the counter top and looked at his reflection. Messy, shoulder length black hair that was always in disarray, large, bright blue eyes almost hidden by the dark bangs, clothes that were either too big or too small for him, courtesy of the orphanage he was currently living in. His benefactor, (whatever that meant) a man named Ansem, had supplied him with nice clothes, but of course, they'd all been pinched fairly quickly. There were almost thirty boys and girls here, and Ienzo was one of the younger ones.

He sighed and turned his back on his reflection, choosing to sit against the mirror instead. He pulled a black pen out of the sweater pocket and gazed at it interestedly. He doodled on the back of his hand, trying desperately to remember more of his dream, and with it his past, which was still as blurry as ever. He only really remembered being here, even though people like Marty had said he'd only been here a couple of years. That left, by Ienzo's calculations, at least a year between being separated from his family and arriving here. A year which was all fuzzy memories and half remembered feelings.

A swift knocking startled him. "Ienzo!" A hard voice called. "Ienzo unlock this door, I know you're in there!" The boy rolled his eyes. "Thanks Marty." He growled, sliding off the counter quietly. He realised there was absolutely no way to escape, they knew it was him.

"Ienzo, unlock this door right now!"

"Alright! Alright, I'm coming." Frowning, the black haired boy flicked the bolt across and opened the door, looking up at the young, well-built woman before him. "Sorry, Ness." He muttered without preamble. The blonde had her arms folded, but she let them drop as she sighed exasperatedly. "Ien, that's the third time this week. Marty said you'd been gone over an hour. You don't get enough sleep for a healthy seven year old as it is, without all these midnight wandering, which, I might add, are against the rules." She spoke as though he were older, for which Ienzo was grateful. Too many idiots here treated him like a child. He was far more mature than any seven year old he'd ever been in contact with; they were all snotty, whiny brats. Something he hoped he'd never be.

"I know." He murmured, turning away. "I had a bad dream. It's not like I can crawl into bed with mummy, is it?" He spoke with a touch of spite, and Ness shook her head. "No. It isn't. But everyone else here is in the same boat, even me."

Ienzo looked back up at her, startled. "Really?"

"I started working here at eighteen, but I've lived here since I was eleven. I know what it's like, I lost my parents in a car crash, and for three years I dreamed about it constantly. It drove me insane, but it gets better, even if it never really goes away. Life has to go on, right?" She knelt down to his level and he folded his arms. Ienzo knew he looked petulant, but Ness chose to disregard it and pulled him into a hug. "You're lucky it was me on patrol tonight. Anyone else and you would have been spanked for leaving your bedroom."

"You're too kind." Ienzo muttered with a hint of sarcasm, and she held him at arms length. "You, mister, are a cheeky sod."

"And you said a swear. I should report you."

"I don't know why I bother, sometimes, Ien." She laughed, picking him up. He squirmed, not liking it. "Put me down"

"Nope." She threw him over her shoulder with ease, and Ienzo cursed his spindly frame. He beat at her back, but against his better judgement, was beginning to giggle. Ness was funny, and a lot nicer than some of the other care-workers. "Besides, mister, you're going to see Master Ansem tomorrow…" She paused and glanced at her watch. "…make that today, it's almost two." Ienzo suddenly propped himself up onto his elbows, still flung over the thickset girl's shoulder. "Master Ansem?"

"Yep, and you're gonna be falling asleep on him, and after all he's done for you!" She teased. He grinned.

She dumped him on one of the sofas in the reception room. "Since you're awake, you want a hot chocolate? I fancy a cuppa."

Ienzo nodded enthusiastically. This was great, caught out of bed, and instead of getting a whack and being sent to bed, he was getting hot chocolate, and probably, because Ness was Ness, a chocolate biscuit. Sure enough, she shoved the tin at him. "You wan' one?" She said with her mouth full.

"Please." Ienzo whispered politely, smiling at her.

They sat together, Ness bent over her coffee, elbows on her knees, and Ienzo sat cross legged on the sofa opposite her. Presently he began to feel tired again, the warm hot chocolate and the quiet hum of the fridge lulling him back to sleep.

He woke in his own bed, and made a mental note to say thank you to Ness when he next saw her. Marty was sat up in bed, and Ienzo glared at him. "Did you tell on me last night?"

"Nessie came and asked me. I said you been gone for ages. Did you get in trouble, I told you!"

As he put on a grey wool jumper and black cargo trousers that had rips in the knees from overuse, Ienzo wanted so badly to tell him that no, he hadn't got into trouble, he'd had chocolate and biscuits, but he'd get Ness in trouble if Marty complained, so he kept his mouth shut, glaring at the smaller boy. "Did not."

"Betcha did. You're always in trouble."

"Maybe that's because I actually have a brain, and can use it, which is more than I can say for you." Ienzo spat, flicking his hair out of his eyes before he left the younger boy, who clearly hadn't understood the insult. His wit was wasted here.

Grumbling all the way down the hall, he almost crashed into an older girl who was just coming out of his room. "Watch where your going, shorty!" The obnoxious red-head growled.

"You watch where you're going, bitch."

"Um, Ienzo said a bad word!" One of the little kids screamed, and the girl turned around to him. Before she could say or do anything, a voice spoke from behind her.

"And I wonder who taught him that. Wouldn't have anything to do with you now, would it Braig?"

Ienzo knew that voice. He darted past the girl ad came face to face with two boys he recognised instantly. The one on the left, the one who'd spoken, had long blond hair that hung to just above his waist, and grey eyes with silver-rimed glasses, the other, taller one, had short scruffy brown hair, brown eyes and several scars. They were thirteen and sixteen, respectively.

"Even! Braig!" The boys grinned at him as he flung himself into the arms of the taller one, who spun him round and drew him into a hug. "Long time no see, kid." Braig laughed, and Even nodded. "We asked to come and pick you up today, even though Dilan was supposed to do it. Have you done all the work Master Ansem set you?"

Ienzo nodded. "Most of it anyway." He added guiltily. He went up to his room to collect his things while the two boys waited in the reception room. Braig and Even were two of Ansem's five apprentices. Dilan and Aeleus were the other two Ienzo knew well, they were fourteen and seventeen. Then there was Xehanort, Ansem's protégé, who hadn't spoken with Ienzo much, as he was 'far too busy' to deal with a seven year old child. He was a little older, but Ienzo didn't know his exact age.

Ienzo knew little of why Master Ansem took such an interest in him; he'd been told that Ansem had found him and placed him in care near to his school to keep an eye on him. He funded Ienzo's study, which for the time being was tutoring from himself or his apprentices, something the child liked a lot. Ienzo was taught science, mathematics and geography, with the odd bit of history or social studies thrown in, depending on his teacher.

After retrieving his work, Braig and Even took him out of the double doors of the orphanage and out onto the bright street. The sun lit up everything with the golden glow of morning, and the three boys wandered slowly towards Ansem's manor house, which held his academy and supported his apprentices and the hundred or so other pupils who attended his school for the gifted and talented. They passed through the gates, which opened automatically for them, courtesy of Dilan, a dark haired boy whose turn it was to give Ienzo a lesson today, along with Even. He looked rather tired. "Yo, Dil, up late this morning?" Braig teased. The younger boy rolled his eyes. "First of all 'yo' is not a proper greeting, and secondly, I was working all night, thanks to your little accident."

"Accident?" Voiced Ienzo with a grin.

"Hello Ien. Yes, accident. He only blew up one of our joint experiments because he got drunk and set fire to himself…" Ienzo laughed and looked up at Braig, who did indeed have a couple of new scars and a burn on his forehead.

"Aw, bitching thing, its wasn't my fault. It was volatile anyway."

"I told you Ien gets his bad language from you, Braig." Even put in, taking Ienzo's hand and leading him up the drive towards the manor itself. "When you've quite finished your ridiculous banter, Ienzo and myself will be waiting in lab room four, Dilan."

"Nah, I'm coming!" The fourteen year old growled, leaving Braig to snigger away in the background.

"This is fantastic, Ienzo." Even grinned, going through some of the exercises Ansem had told Ienzo to do from his last visit

"What can you tell me about matter?" Dilan put in, in the middle of quizzing the boy on some elements of physics. Ienzo bit his lip and thought about the work he'd been doing. After a moment, he said "matter… is the substance of which physical objects are made of…is it anything that has mass and takes up space?"

"Yep, that'll do. Don't forget that 'matter' is one of those terms that has a very loose definition, and as such is difficult to describe. Give me the three main states of matter."

"Solid, liquid and gas." Ienzo answered without hesitation.

"And give me one of their properties that changes for each state?"

Ienzo frowned. "Um…the atoms of a solid are closely packed together, whilst liquids are farther apart and gases are even more infrequent. The atoms I mean."

"What's another, more appropriate term to use there instead of 'atoms'?" Dilan asked. "I don't know…" Ienzo answered, desperately trying to think of the term.

"Molecules." Even said from behind him. "Use the term 'molecules'."

"I thought they were the same thing as atoms?" Ienzo asked, confused.

"They are, pretty much." Dilan grinned. "'Molecules' is widely seen as a more correct term."

The door opened, and another voice joined the conversation, laughing lightly. "He's only seven, boys, I don't think he needs to know the semantics of physics just yet." Ansem stood in the doorway, Cloaked in a teachers robe, which was white with red trim. He'd clearly just come from a lesson. Ienzo and Dilan jumped off the tables and Even stood up. "Master Ansem." The oldest of the three nodded respectfully.

"Dilan, Even, you may go." The apprentices gave Ienzo a thumbs up and left. Master Ansem sat down on the desk. "How are you getting on, young master Heart?"

"Fine thank you. I took some new books out of the library yesterday." Ansem smiled. "Good. I'm glad you like to read. I have something quite important to tell you, Ienzo." The boy said nothing, but looked up at him inquisitively. The blond man continued. "You turn eight years old in a week, right?"

Ienzo thought for a moment. "So I do." He grinned.

"At eight, children of your intelligence are invited to join my school. I'd like you to consider it, as I know you've had little to no experience of proper education."

Ienzo grinned widely. "Yeah! I'll join your school!"

"You know of my intention to take you on as my sixth apprentice, but you have to be twelve for that, so perhaps some time at our school would get you more used to life here?"

"Yes please!" The boy crowed excitedly, swinging his legs. Wait until he told Ness…she'd be really thrilled!

"Wonderful. Now, show me the test paper I gave you at the end of your last visit…"

Reviews are welcome! What did you think?

Next chapter, Lumaria makes his first appearance, along with one or two other familiar faces, and Ienzo attends school.

Thanks for reading!

Shadow

xxx