Genre: Friendship, Comfort
Ships?: Hinted Aeleus/Aerith and Lexaeus/Nakoma
→Familyships?: Aeleus/Aerith + Sora, Sabor and cubs
→Friendships?: Lexaeus&Sabor, Lexaeus&Nakoma
Characters: Lexaeus, Sabor
→Mentions: Aerith, Nakoma, Zexion, Jane Porter, Marluxia, Sora
→Cameo: Dream from The Sandman
Rating: PG
Spoilers: If you're unfamiliar with the mad babblings on After the Moon Fell on Gaia concerning Kill the Hero, than yes.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Sandman, or any related characters. This was written out of enjoyment of the series, and no profit is being made.
Music: Stronger
Notes: Yay, more Kill the Hero! I can't help it, Sabor and Lexaeus as a friendship is so much love and that roleplay inspires so many plunnies.
Deep Dreams
"You are troubled."
The jungle sun beats warm rays through gaps of leaves and branches. Drowsily, Lexaeus raises a hand to his head and realizes a few things then. It feels as though he has just woken up from a minute's nap and instead of waking on a comfortable mattress as he remembers, he lies on stone. As his mind clears, the roar of a waterfall fills his ears. Sitting up, he glances at the woman who crouches besides him. Despite having never met her in either his life before or his life now, Lexaeus feels a familiarity with her.
Wiping mist from his face, Lexaeus just heaves a breath. "I am," he admits, watching water slam down into the river below. Ah, he knows where he is now. This is near the keyhole of Deep Jungle. Is there some reason for this? "There are people who are depending on me, but I do not know if I can help them. Perhaps I do not believe I can."
The woman only tilts her head at this, her golden eyes questioning. While she thinks on his dilemma, he inspects her further. Rich brown skin is stretched over her lean muscles, something earned from patience and many hunts. It's not a mindless guess; her scars are just as numerous as the dozens of black tattoos scattered over her body, including one in the middle of her forehead and a round, curving one on her left cheek. The only scrap of clothing she has on her is a crude kind of loincloth, or perhaps, at best, a long skirt. The leopard pattern on it matches her won markings, and the golden fur is just like the short cropped hair on her head. While her breasts may hang out, looking full despite how flat-chested she seems she should be, it does not feel lewd. In fact, her entire aura speaks of nature, peace, and a predator at rest and home.
"Why can you not?" she asks suddenly, long sharp nails (claws) trailing on her skin as she grasps her knees. "You are strong and wise. Should an enemy come, you could make them leave, either by force or words. What makes you hesitate?"
"Many things." Staring into the waters, Lexaeus can almost see the faces of those connected to him. There is Zexion, his friend for ages now and losing himself to his own element, Kingdom Hearts strengthening its instability. Aerith, with her companions, waits in Porter's camp for a way to escape and help the rest of her friends. As she was Aeleus' lover, neither of them are sure what to do about one another. On Jamestown, Marluxia rules, and Lexaeus wonders over the fate of a shaman woman named Nakoma who taught him who to listen to the heart of a world.
Deep within space, somewhere, a boy who may be his son is on the run from the entire Organization because of the weapon he wields and the loyalty he inspires.
"The rest of the Organization would not want me to help them," he finishes at last. The would rather kill most of the people I think about, I believe, especially the woman I once loved and a boy I may have helped bring into the world."
Yawning and revealing sharp white teeth, the woman raises an eyebrow. "Packs of your kind always bring trouble," she states simply, "even to themselves. Look inside yourself to see whether a pack or a family is more important."
"There is nothing there," Lexaeus replies, hand automatically going over the empty hollow of his chest. "Besides, they would want me dead then as well."
"Not the first time." Her shoulders roll in an odd kind of subtle grace. "Nature itself conspires to extinguish life yet at the same time makes it flourish. Every step is a courtship with the Final Mother, for she is unpredictable. Now." The woman shifts, moving so that she straddles Lexaeus' lap and stares into his eyes. "Do not lie to yourself. There is enough within you. There is blood of some sort, a mind, and your soul. There is loyalty, friendship, strength, gentleness, and much more." Pressing their foreheads together, she smiles and narrows secretive eyes. "You are far from empty, friend, and it is a fool who tells you so. Different from that as you are, I know you shall make a good choice." She closes her eyes, and he does likewise.
"And what is a good choice?"
"You know that already." That said, she kisses his forehead, talking again before her lips even leave his skin. "Whatever it is, I shall follow you. There is a blood debt to be paid, after all."
Lexaeus finds himself smiling. "Thank you for your support, Sabor." As she stands up, she offers him a hand, which he takes. "How did you turn yourself into a human?"
"So that's what you call yourselves," she muses as she heaves him to his feet. "But no matter. I never changed, friend. This is a false form for this realm only, and shall disappear when we leave. I requested a favor from the lord of this place, and as my luck held strong and his mood generous, he obliged me." This said, she looks across the river, and Lexaeus follows her gaze. He sees... something. At one point, it looks like a massive cat, larger than even Sabor normally is. It's completey white, with eyes that shine like stars. At the same time, however, Lexaeus feels like he's looking at a man, pale as a Dusk and with eyes like the night sky, far-off worlds, darkness, and all. Then he's gone, and Lexaeus has to shake his head in confusion.
Sabor just smiles with too-sharp teeth and laughs softly. "Do not trouble yourself, friend. He, if dreams can be restricted, is one we all now well, although we sometimes do not remember. Now then, leave. Wake." She leans on the tips of her toes and draws a feline tongue, rough and harsh, up one of his cheeks; a feline gesture with a different meaning than the human view. "I wish you better dreams for the future."
The feeling of losing oneself is a strange sensation unique to the realm of Dreaming, and Lexaeus does not fight it. He only smiles at Sabor, and wakes up with the expression still on his mouth. The tree house is still dark, with the jungle sounding its own unique nighttime song outside. Squeezed onto the bed besides him is a familiar leopard, eyes closed serenely as her cubs cluster where they can. Gently, as not to disturb the feline family, Lexaeus moves out of the bed. On bare feet, he silently walks out to the large wooden balcony outside. Here in Deep Jungle, there is no pollution to choke away the night sky in all its glory. Looking into it reminds Lexaeus of looking into the dream river; he's reminded of his duties and loyalties, split between two different factions. A good choice...
For all his 'power', in the end, he is still a man, and this choice is heavy on his shoulders.
