A/N: So there's not much to this so far. IT'S LONG. IT'S GOT MORE THAN ONE CHAPTER. AND IT'S WORDED WEIRD. At least the first chapter is. But seriously, if you like this, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review. It motivates me to WRITE. Which means if you LIKE this, and you REVIEW, I will UPDATE SOONER.
Sorry for the CAPS, I'm just trying to get a point across.
Disclaimer: I don't own any fairs. Nor do I own any characters you may come across in this. Seriously. I don't. Oh, and Axel's performance? Totally didn't write. I got stuck there, so I asked tmcullen over at deviantart(dot)com to write it. XD Can you tell? Probably. She's so much better at it than meeeeee.
Dedication: To my betas, and the people I worship. Always them.
I feel so out of place.
Children were screaming and laughing and yelling and giggling as they ran past the strange teenager. He turned and slowly made his way between the loud vendors and cheap games and noisy rides, half-noticing that the temperature was dropping. Glancing up at the evening sky, he mindlessly fiddled with a keychain hanging from his messenger bag, wondering why West Virginia summers could be so agonizingly hot during the day, yet almost frigid at night. His gaze moved from the cloud-less sky to the ferris wheel that seemed as if it could touch the oranges and pinks and yellows. Deciding that it wouldn't be a bad idea, he got in line for the ride. Maybe, if he tried, he could touch the sky, too. The very thought brought the barest trace of a smile to his face. A group of chattering teenagers came up behind him, babbling about the show that was going on that evening. He had only read about it, once, a few years ago, but from what he was hearing from the teens, it hadn't changed much. Trying not to appear obvious, he quietly listened in on the conversation.
"Oh my God, did you see the leader last year?!"
"Oh I know! He was SO hot!"
"Puh-LEASE. The fire dude was WAY hotter!! No pun intended!"
"That was SO lame! Anyway, I heard they got a new act!"
"What?! No way!! They only hire the best of the best!!!"
"That means he HAS to be good if they'd take him!"
"Who's saying it's a guy?"
"I read it was in the paper!"
"You read the paper?"
"Not the point!!"
"Yes, the point it, I bet he was paired off with the fire dude!"
"Why, what's he do?"
"Manipulate water!"
"Then that would only make sense."
"But, oh my God, that would be SO COOL!!"
"Oh, and what about that psychic?!"
"I heard he was fired!"
"WHAT?! No WAY! Why?!"
"I don't kno-"
"And the twins!!"
"The boys or the girls?"
"They're both amazing!!"
"Next in line!!"
It's beautiful up here...
Fields and roads and towns – there was nothing he couldn't see from his position atop the ferris wheel. He was a bit scared of heights, he had to admit, but the beauty of the scenery before him diminished that fear. Far off in the distance, he was able to spot police cars rushing into the city. Quickly averting his gaze, he looked down at the people milling around below him. They all seemed so carefree, while here he was, contemplating where to spend the night. He couldn't go home – there was absolutely no way he was going back there. But that still didn't answer the question. He sifted through his bag, scrounging together what little munny he had. Not nearly enough for a hotel room. He figured it was enough for some food – cheap food, that is, probably from the concession stand. Maybe enough to purchase that book he wanted.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when the rough voice of the ride's handler addressed him.
"Hey, kid, get off. There are people waiting."
He nodded and gathered the possessions he'd pulled from his bag, hastily stuffing them back in, ignoring the giggles of the girls that got on after him. Pushing through the crowds, he made his way towards the aforementioned concession stand, intent on purchasing food to calm his growling stomach. But he quickly became side-tracked when he spotted flames shooting into the air from the corner of his eye. Alarmed, he jogged up to the edge of the gathering crowd, standing on tip-toe to see a man with a shock of red hair, and small – almost unnoticeable – tattoos, controlling the fire. He watched in awe as the flames formed shapes and intricate designs before disappearing.
"'Ey! If you all liked that, then come to the show later tonight!! It's completely free, and we love to wow the audience with our a-maz-ing feats!"
The man's clear voice echoed over the fairgrounds, over the loud clapping, over the squeals of delight as he shot a group of girls a devilish look before vanishing in a burst of fire. Pursing his lips, he stared at where the strange man had been before slowly making his way back to the concession stand, getting in line.
When he'd gotten his lousy cheeseburger and Dr. Pepper and had hoisted himself up onto the low wall separating the main fair from where the truck pull would later be taking place, he observed everyone that passed him by, admiring how happy they all seemed.
Two young adults went by, both carrying baskets of flowers. The female's long, brunette hair was tied up in a high ponytail, her emerald eyes shining brightly as she offered a daisy or a tulip to someone. Silver bracelets gleamed in what little light the setting sun gave off, her pink sundress matching her partner's layered, shoulder-length hair. He handed out roses of various colours, a gentle smile on his androgynous face. After selling a few flowers, they moved on, out of his line of site.
A hyperactive girl bounced by, her short black hair held back by a green bandanna. She stopped and swiveled around on the ball of her foot, facing her companion, hands laced behind her back. Her high-pitched voice whined about how the brunette girl needed to make more money so that they could purchase more food, but the other simply shook her head, laughing. The black-haired girl whined some more, pulling her friend towards the very ride he had recently disembarked.
The pyro from earlier passed by next, a girl hanging off either arm. They were telling him how amazing they were and how he should like them, but he simply laughed it off. His laughter was just as wonderful as his voice was. The girls giggled with him and dragged him out of sight.
So many different people. They all had something to be joyful about. In the distance, he spotted a girl working her horse over some of the jumps in the corral, her trainer barking out commands. To the right, various people worked on the monstrous trucks for the truck pull. To the left, more rides and amusements for people to enjoy. Which they obviously were, judging by the screams of laughter.
"Attention!! Your attention please! Thank you. The show will begin in five minutes!! Five minutes, you hear that everyone?! FIVE MINUTES!!"
The unfamiliar voice caught his attention. He took the last few bites of the crummy cheeseburger and threw the plate away in the nearest trash can before nearly running across the fairgrounds to reach the stage.
It was absolutely amazing.
A man stepped forward. His silver hair shone in the false lighting, aquamarine eyes dancing over the crowd. His voice was strong, his words eloquent. He was, in two words, absolutely gorgeous. The crowd eagerly ate up everything he said.
"Ladies and gentlemen, young and old! Tonight, we will amaze you with feats never before performed! We have yet to disappoint, and tonight shall be no different! Now! Without further ado, I present to you one of our two sets of twins, the wonderful Kairi and her always sweet sister,Naminé!"
He bowed deeply and simply vanished in a small cloud of smoke, two girls standing where he had once it had cleared, their hands linked. Their face, their eyes, their figure, it was all exactly the same. The only thing setting them apart from one another was their hair. Naminé had blonde hair, while Kairi's was the colour of a raspberry. They giggled and smiled at the audience, their movements in perfect synchronization. Like their actions, they spoke as one.
"Could we please have a volunteer?"
Almost every hand shot up at once. They both pointed to an over-excited blonde girl. She squealed with joy and bounded onstage, stopping in front of the waiting girls. They both reached out and took one of her hands, closing their eyes. The blonde girl bounced up and down up and down on her heels, biting her lip, waiting anxiously. Naminé was the first to speak.
"The memory you are most fond of is one from when you were eight years of age. You met a young man by the name of Tidus, and you introduced him to your cousin, Yuna. And you're oh-so-proud of yourself now because they are happily married, and Yuna is expecting a child later this year."
The girl gasped with delight, then nodded. Kairi spoke up next.
"The memory you despise most is one from when you were fourteen years of age. You were walking home when you saw Yuna being shoved into an alley by some strangers. You tried to get to her as fast as you could. And you got there just in time. A second later, and they would have done the unthinkable. And although you loathe this memory with all your being, you still are proud of yourself for being able to rescue your cousin."
There was a moment of silence before the girl nodded again.
"Yes. Those are both true."
The twins smiled gently, knowingly, almost, at her, speaking simultaneously once more.
"Fear not, for your future is bright. Although you will go through many rough times, you will also experience so many good ones. Remember the name Gippal, for your fates are intertwined."
The girl squealed once more before bowing a thank you, and leaping offstage. They called up another volunteer and the process was repeated several more times before the girls bowed to the cheering crowd, and walked off opposite ends of the stage.
The crowd screamed in ecstasy as a ring of fire suddenly circled the stage area. The pyro tried not to smirk as he appeared in the middle of it and struck a dramatic pose; he could tell most of the yells were coming from teenaged and college-aged girls, including the mini fan club from earlier. He raised a thin eyebrow as he spotted the man seven rows back who had joined in with the girls' cheers, but the redhead was certain he was only a fellow pyrophile and thought nothing more of it.
"Name's Axel," he called out. "And this is gonna be the best part of the show. Commit it-" he jerked his hand and one of his chakrams appeared in his left hand in a flash of fire- "to memory." The other one appeared in his right and he gave them a quick twirl before tossing them into the air. They left a trail of fire in the air, making an intricate pattern that dominated the sky.
In the audience a certain person noted that the design looked an awful lot like two keyblades if you squinted at it long enough, and the thought made him squirm in his seat next to the pyrophile.
With a twirl Axel jumped up in the air and grabbed the chakrams. Another line of fire blazed out from under his feet as they slammed back into the ground, slowly spreading to meet the original circle. The circle morphed, and the crowd was awed by how the flame had turned into the shape of a chakram.
Axel jumped in the air again, pushed up by a sudden sprout of fire almost like lava from a volcano. "Folks, I'm really just getting warmed up, but I've got to make way for my fellow performers." He winked at the girls who seemed like they were about to cry. "All the actors are in place, and they have one hell of a show for you as well!" With that he left in one last blinding burst of flames.
One after another, they came out, amazing the crowd with each and every feat they performed. There were one-eyed sharp-shooters, animal taming blondes, twin magicians, and British illusionists, each one bringing unique and amazing acts to the show, eliciting random cheers from the spectators. But, one teenager stayed silent, clapping softly when he should clap, a light laugh escaping his lips when he was supposed to laugh, the thinnest trace of a smile appearing on his face when the performer told a particularly funny joke or did something completely astounding. He hadn't completely and truly involved himself, though, until one boy came out on stage. It was obvious he was new to this – he had no spectacular entrance, unlike the others. He just walked onstage and waved to the audience, a goofy smiled plastered to his completely boyish features, a strange instrument slung over his shoulder.
"Uhm... Hi! My name's Demyx!"
The introduction was short, but to the point. He pulled the odd instrument off his shoulder and held it, like one would a guitar. Smiling and waving to a group of girls in the front row, he began playing.
It was beautiful. Completely unlike anything I'd ever heard.
He could only watch in silenced awe, jaw slightly slack, as the blonde boy named Demyx made water dance. It materialized out of thin air, seemingly, and snaked it's way into the crowd, taunting and teasing the audience as they watched its seductive dance. The beauty of the water was matched only by the enchanting and positively haunting melody coming from the boy's instrument. The notes formed a perfect harmony, completely ensnaring any poor soul that happened to be within hearing distance, trapping them.
What had seemed like mere seconds was really twenty minutes, and all-to-soon, the song came to a conclusion. The water evaporated, but not before snaking around the bodies of several onlookers in what seemed like a good-bye hug. Several moments of intense silence passed. Demyx fidgeted nervously, offering a kind smile.
"Well, I ho--"
The rest of his sentence was drowned out in the roaring of the audience. None of the previous acts had received this sort of applause, and the blonde boy could only bow appreciatively before hurrying offstage.
The performance by the blonde musician – Demyx – had completely captivated me, and I found myself hard-pressed to forget it.
The silent teenager found himself desperately wanting to find the musician; he wanted to learn about him – his favorite bands, favorite foods, favorites memories, favorite colours, clothes, TV shows, books, anything and everything. He especially desired to know how the blonde produced that music. It had stirred something in his memories – he wasn't sure what, but it was something. Something that pushed him forward, despite his weary state, forced him to walk back and forth back and forth across the fairground, searching for that blonde boy. Somewhere in the background, the roaring of an over-exerted truck could be heard. The truck pull had started. It was deafening; he hastily got as far from the noise as he could, quite possibly ultimately distancing himself from the one he searched for. He gradually realized he was shivering and stepped to the side to put his bag down for a moment and untie the black jacket from around his waist. Shrugging into it, he zipped it up halfway before a peculiar scent caught his attention. It was odd - it smelled like the ocean. And, if one is geographically inclined, they know that West Virginia is not next to an ocean.
"Oh! Ma'am, I'm so sorry!"
The thing that pulled his attention away from the smell of the ocean was that oh-so-familiar voice – the one he'd been longing to hear, who's owner was the one he was searching so fervently for.
"No, no, that's quite okay! No one was harmed."
"Please, let me help you pick those up, ma'am!"
"It's quite alright, Demyx – that was your name right?"
"Yes, m'name's Demyx, ma'am."
"Well then, Demyx, there's really no need to help me. It's only a few stuffed animals."
"But ma-"
"If anything, I should be thanking you. I'd never seen my children so enraptured in something that wasn't mindless cartoons or senseless video games."
"I still don't feel ri-"
"Shush. Now, go along. I can handle this."
"Are you sure, ma'am?"
"Positive. Now, shoo!"
"Uhm, thank you, I guess. And I'm glad you enjoyed the show!"
"I'll be back next year, so you better still be in it, young man!"
Demyx waved good-bye to her as he turned to walk away, quickly becoming distracted by a pair of violet-grey eyes that were staring intensely at him. He smiled at the silent teenager, approaching him.
"Hey! I saw you in the crowd during the show!"
The teen blinked a couple times, the words playing through his head several times before registering. He nodded in response, pursing his lips, nervously fiddling with the hem of his jacket. The blonde laughed, but the teen couldn't quite decipher just what he was laughing at.
"So, did you enjoy it?"
The teen nodded once more. Demyx smiled warmly at him.
"I'm glad! So. I'm sure you know by now my name's Demyx. What's yours?"
"... Zexion."
So! That's it for chapter one! I had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you have fun reading it. Tell me what you think, I love hearing from you guys!!