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“This market is absolutely brimming with life, surely here we will find the answers we seek.” That was what Ansem the Wise had told him and the rest of their traveling party as they arrived in the little town of Villeneuve.
Standing ever vigilant under a nearby tree, Dilan and Aeleus watched from a far as Ansem and two of his apprentices, Ienzo and that new-guy Xehanort, engaged in casual conversation with the locals about various topics while browsing wares and making random purchases. They were blending in, as it were, as Ansem was determined to speak with the people of the town in order to observe them and their behaviors in a world where he was not known.
From what Dilan could understand, Ansem was trying to uncover the mysteries surrounding the light and darkness within people’s hearts, and how best he should proceed with some sort of new experiment between him and Xehanort. Dilan otherwise kept his nose out of it, it wasn’t his business nor his job to get involved in the happenings of Ansem. His job was merely to protect him and learn from him when it was needed, nothing more.
What truly fascinated him, though, was the very idea of traveling to worlds beyond Radiant Garden. He had heard the rumors and legends of every star in the night sky being it’s own world, but he hadn’t honestly believed them. Not until Xehanort came into their lives and had shown Ansem how to travel between worlds with some sort of mysterious magic. Now they frequently visited other worlds, and in a matter of weeks Dilan had seen and experienced so many different people, architectures, creatures, time periods, language…
It was culture shock, to be sure. Even now, in this tiny town, the people were dressed, spoke and behaved far more different than those in Radiant Garden.
Dilan crossed his arms, his gaze only temporarily leaving Ansem and his two pupils to watch the strangers of the world pass him by. He noted several housewives were out shopping with their children and some shopkeepers going about sampling other wares or inviting people to their stalls… But. As far as he could see, there weren’t any guards or law enforcement here. Which was a little unsettling for him.
“What would happen to these people if they were raided by bandits or monsters?” He questioned aloud.
“They would die.” Aeleus answered bluntly.
Dilan slowly glanced to his right to look up at the usually silent giant, then leveled his gaze back out at the townsfolk that rushed and wandered about the open market. So he also noted the lack of proper law enforcement.
“I hope the Master finishes his studies soon, then,” Dilan murmured. “I do not want to be caught in the middle of a dangerous affair, especially with Ienzo present.”
“Agreed.” Aeleus responded.
And then, as if on queue, the sound of a single gunshot rang out, startling Dilan and Aeleus both. Instinctively, Dilan unfolded his arms and readied his hand; prepared to summon forth his lance as his eyes darted around the area rapidly while Aeleus charged for Ansem and his apprentices.
In seconds, Dilan located the source of the gunshot: A tall, broad and muscular man sporting a red shirt and holding a rifle in his hands. A shorter and plumper man was a short distance away from him, fetching a recently slain goose from the ground. Dilan narrowed his eyes, then glanced around at the civilians passing by; they didn’t seem at all panicked or bothered, like this was a common occurrence. He settled his gaze back to Ansem, and found that none of their group had been hurt, and that Aeleus was high on guard in front of them all. Dilan relaxed slowly, the atmosphere of the town suggested no immediate threat was in the area, so perhaps hunting geese in a public space truly was normal here.
He was certainly finding more and more reasons to dislike this world.
A few minutes passed and, with reassurances from Ansem, Aeleus returned to his post under the tree with Dilan, and once more the two men stood guard. Dilan was on higher alert now for sure, and kept his gaze trained on the gun-wielding man in red. He was loud and boisterous, even with the distance between them he could still make out the gist of his conversations with the stout, submissive individual that followed him around like a lost puppy. From what Dilan could gather, the gunman was preparing to court a woman.
“--the most beautiful girl in town!” He heard him shout at who Dilan assumed was his lackey. “That makes her the best! And don’t I deserve the best? ”
Dilan frowned, and casually shifted his attention away to focus on the people in town once more. He kept tabs on the gunman’s location of course, but otherwise wanted nothing more to do with listening in on the conversation. As far as he was concerned, he wasn’t an immediate threat, just some moron trying to prove some kind of masculine point by shooting a weapon off in the middle of town. As long as he left Ansem and their party alone, he could be loud and obnoxious all he wanted.
His gaze had the landed on a new sight. A lithe woman in a simple blue dress. There was nothing particularly odd about her choice of wear, no, what had actually caught Dilan’s attention first was the fact she was walking and reading at the same time. His eyebrow raised slightly in impressed curiosity as he watched the preoccupied woman weave her way through the busy streets as though she had done it a million times before. Each step and movement she made was instinctive, and she avoided being shoved, hit and run over by the market crowd. Not once did she lift her gaze up of the book.
“Well that one is impressive.” He said as he nudged an elbow into Aeleus to get his attention.
The silent giant gave a nod of approval, and Dilan resumed watching her intently. He wondered if at any point she’d slip up and run into a cart or something, or if she was truly so skilled in read-walking that she'd make it to her destination without getting involved in a single accident.
And that was when the gunman stepped up to her. Ah, that must be the woman he spoke of earlier, Dilan thought.
Not at all interested in the development of new and awkward romance, Dilan went to search for entertainment else where, until he saw, out of the corner of his eye, the gunman snatch the woman’s book straight from her hands, surprising her and forcing her to stop and talk to him. Dilan’s gaze snapped right back toward the two, his eyes narrowing in growing irritation at the sight of such a disrespectful act. He watched as the gunman flipped through the pages of her book, and the woman motioned to have her book returned to her. He waited to see if the gunman would return the book and apologize, instead, the man had tossed the book over his shoulder as she reached for it and the book crashed into a puddle of thick, goopy mud. The woman stumbled for it in worry, and the gunman stepped between her and her possession.
The whole scene made Dilan’s blood boil.
Without even thinking further on the matter, Dilan left his post beneath the tree and marched toward the gunman and the woman who was still trying to reach for her book.
“The whole town’s talking about it,” Dilan heard the gunman explain as he approached. “It’s not right for a woman to read. Soon she starts getting ideas and… Thinking! ”
“Gaston you are positively primeval.” The woman answered as she stood, finally holding her muddy book in her hands.
“Why thank you Belle--!”
“What is going on here?” Dilan demanded as he arrived.
Both Gaston and Belle looked Dilan, confused and startled by his sudden appearance.
“I was just informing Belle here that the townsfolk are starting to whisper unsavory things about her.” Gaston answered in a matter-of-fact tone.
“By tossing her book into the mud?”
“When did I do that?” Gaston asked, appearing genuinely confused suddenly. Had he truly not noticed?
“Just a moment ago!” Dilan snapped, his frustration with the individual growing deeper.
“It’s alright,” Came Belle as she wiped the book down with her apron. “The cover kept the pages safe, so none of them were ruined.”
Dilan looked toward Belle as she spoke and she returned his gaze with a half-hearted smile. He jerked back slightly, eyes widening to the sight of such a soft expression. There was… A soothing warmth there in that smile. Small, but very much alive, like the tiny flame to a candle. It awoke a new and unfamiliar sensation in his chest and it caused him to lock up entirely.
“Thank you though for your concern, but the book is fine.” She added.
Dilan didn’t have a chance to respond when Gaston swept in between them. He wrapped one of his large, muscular arms around Belle's shoulders and began pulling her away from the scene, once more without asking. Dilan merely stood there, staring where she had previously been, trying to remember how to form proper sentences.
“Well that is fantastic news,” He said unenthusiastically as he led her back toward the center of town. “So, whaddya say you and me take a walk over to the tavern and have a look at my hunting trophies?”
“Halt a moment!” Dilan managed to sputter out after shaking off the bizarre stun.
Gaston did halt to look back at him questioningly, and that gave Belle enough leeway to duck out from under his arm. The sight of her backing away safely brought Dilan a sense of immense relief, and he relaxed a little.
“This man has something to discuss with you, so, maybe some other time.” She said. “Besides, I have to go home and help my father--”
“Father?!” Barked out the chubby man who had been watching from the sidelines quietly. “That crazy ol’ loon, he needs all the help he can get!”
The small man began laughing, and for some reason, so did Gaston. This whole exchange was infuriating to witness, and seeing Belle’s face light up with anger did not help the storm brewing inside Dilan any less.
“Don’t talk about my father that way!” Belle snapped. “He isn’t crazy, he’s a genius! ”
A sudden distant, and somewhat contained, explosion in a home far outside of town erupted, catching Belle and Dilan’s attention. They both watched as a cloud of black smoke lifted up from the home and without warning, Belle bolted off toward the cottage, and the laughter of Gaston and his lackey worsened.
Dilan stood where he was, watching as Belle got further and further from his sight, the shock from the sudden explosion slowly being replaced by a boiling rage as the laughter of the two individuals got louder and more obnoxious. He turned to face the two men, his hands balling into tight fists as he approached him with hard footfalls. Gaston’s laughing fit was cut short as Dilan got uncomfortably close to his face, glaring down at him. The stout man had also stopped laughing, and swallowed loud and hard at the sudden tension in the air.
“First you fire off a weapon in the middle of a populated area, and then you treat that innocent woman as though she were your property.” Dilan hissed. “Have you no respect? ”
Gaston’s look of surprise by the stranger in his personal space was replaced by a confident smirk. “Don’t you know who I am?”
“No.” Dilan answered as he reached a hand out to his side, his fingertips tingling with the sensation of magic. “And I don’t care to learn. You are under arr--”
A large hand clamped down on Dilan’s shoulder, stopping him.
“Let it go.” Came the familiar voice of Aeleus.
Dilan’s jaw clenched tightly, his fingers twitching in frustration, before he backed down. Gaston’s smirk turned to a full, taunting grin. He adjusted his shirt, cracked his neck, and turned away from the scene; his chest puffed out with pride and victory.
“Come LeFou,” Gaston announced as he walked away like an overstuffed peacock. “We have a wedding to plan.”
And with that, the gunman was gone.
“Why did you stop me?” Dilan snapped as he turned to glare hard at Aeleus.
“Not our world,” He answered. “Not our problem.”
There was a momentary silence between them before Dilan yanked his shoulder free. He turned and stormed back to the tree, angry about the whole event and bitter by the fact that Aeleus was right. It was not their world, it was not their problem. Ansem had ordered Dilan and the others not to involve themselves in otherworldly affairs, as it could disrupt the delicate balance of life and personal growth. So as much it angered him to watch such injustices take place, he had to remember that he could not step in to take care of it.
He was a knight of Radiant Garden. Nothing more.
A few hours had passed since then. Dilan followed behind Ansem and his students as they made their way through town, headed toward some shop or other. He wasn’t sure exactly where they were going or what they were doing anymore, he hadn’t paying much attention to anything after his encounter with Belle and Gaston. It was distracting him, to say the least. Aeleus had to occasionally pat his back to get him moving, as he'd occasionally stop to stare off distantly while his thoughts overwhelmed him.
“Focus.” Aeleus would say.
Dilan was trying. But anytime things would get quiet or they were stationary for a second too long, he’d start to remember the events of earlier and get wrapped up in his own head. He couldn’t shake the images of how Gaston had carelessly shot a rifle in the middle of a public area and how he had treated Belle…
… If… He had to be honest with himself, at this point it was very much less about shooting a goose out of the sky and more about Belle.
The way she had looked at him with that half-hearted smile, it was burned into his memories and wouldn’t go away for anything. The book is okay, she said. But the book wasn’t his concern. She had just been treated like an object in public, her possession tossed around like it didn’t matter, like her feelings didn’t matter. And that was what bothered him. His job was to protect the people of Radiant Garden, to help them; it was a trait that was engraved into the very core of his being. And seeing someone as warm as her being treated so poorly…
His stride came to a slow halt again, his expression shifting to a frown. He turned to look back down the street, toward the direction he had seen her run off last. He wondered if her father was alright, if she was alright…
“Dilan?” Came Aeleus.
“... I need to check something out.” Dilan said suddenly as he turned to look at Aeleus. “Can you handle things with the Master for a bit?”
Aeleus stared at him, an eyebrow raising curiously. But after a moment, he nodded.
“Be quick.”
Dilan gave a return nod before turning and heading back toward the market in a jog.
Her home was a quaint little cottage at the far edge of town, with free-roaming barn animals scattered about the front lawn. Dilan took care to avoid nearly stepping on any of the wandering chickens as he climbed the short staircase to the front door, giving a side glance to the goat that was watching him curiously while grinding up a large chunk of grass in its teeth.
He knocked four times with his knuckles and stepped back from the door respectfully, waiting, and ignoring the chicken pecking around at his feet. He heard a few locks click, and his posture straightened as the door opened, revealing Belle on the other side, looking a bit surprised that he was even there.
“Well hello again,” Belle said.
“Good afternoon.” Dilan answered. “Apologies if I was interrupting anything, but… I wanted to make sure everything was alright.”
Belle stared at him a moment, her surprise giving way to confusion. He leaned forward a bit.
“... Your house exploded?” He reminded.
“Oh!” Belle exclaimed. “I completely forgot about that!”
Forgot? “But it happened this morning…” Dilan pointed out.
“Well my father came out unscathed, so that eased my worries a lot.” Belle explained. “And then he managed to fix his invention, and then we got wrapped up in other things and… Kind’ve forgot that half the house exploded.”
A short laugh escaped Dilan unexpectedly. He had not expected such an explanation, especially after his earlier thought processes where his then-anxious mind had led him to all kinds of awful scenarios. He noticed, too, that Belle's lips were curling into a full smile after his laugh, and that strange warm tingling in his chest gradually returned. He tensed a little, and felt a soft heat rush to his cheeks.
“Thank you,” She said. “For checking on my father and I, it was very kind of you.”
“I was just doing my duty.” Dilan answered calmly, the corners of his mouth twitching up to a smile, betraying his already faltering professional posture.
“Well, allow me repay you for coming all the way out there with a cup of tea.” She stepped further back into her home, opening the door wider. “I just put the kettle on, if you would like some, mister--?”
The tingling sensation in his chest was instantaneously replaced by a sudden urge to walk without hesitation, as though some unseen force was pulling him to enter her home. He didn’t resist it, both because he didn’t know how and because he didn’t want to resist. It would be rude, right? He thought.
He walked inside, dipping his head in respect and thanks as he passed Belle. “Dilan.” He answered.
“Mr. Dilan,” She repeated as she shut the door behind him. “I’m Belle.”
“A pleasure.”
She scooted around Dilan and crossed the room with a few graceful strides, and she disappeared into a connecting room. Dilan stood in the entrance way to her home for a moment, glancing around at the small space that was filled with furniture, bizarre inventions and books. It was a cozy space, not too unlike Ansem’s study back at the castle…
Eventually Belle returned to the living room and placed a pair of teacups onto the table that was settled on the other side of the room. Dilan walked over, watching as she quickly picked an open book off the table and tucked it onto a nearby shelf that was already half full with books. His lips twitched to a smile again.
“... You like to read?” Dilan asked.
Belle looked back at him, and he noticed a flash of nervousness in her expression before she returned to the other room, which he could now see was the kitchen. “Yes, I enjoy reading a lot.”
“Are all the books in this home yours?”
“No, some belong to my father.” She answered from the other room.
“Ah,” Dilan scanned the room again, believing he had missed her father during his initial look through. “Is he home?”
“No, he just left on a trip, he’ll be gone for a few weeks.”
“Trip?”
“He’s going to a faire in the next town over,” Belle explained as she rustled about in the kitchen. “He’ll be displaying his latest invention there.”
“I see.” Dilan said as he took a seat at the small table. He noted there were only two chairs, and decide it was probably best not to ask about her mother. “Are you an inventor yourself?”
“No, though I do help him from time to time.” She said.
The home was quiet for a moment before Belle returned to the main room again, this time she was carefully carrying a tea kettle in her hands.
“So where are you from?” She asked as she set the kettle on the table. She caught Dilan’s eyebrow raising in question and she smiled. “This town is very small, so everyone here knows each other.”
Dilan thought a moment how best to proceed with his answer. He didn’t want to lie to her per say, but telling her the truth would result in breaking his master’s laws for world travel.
“I’m from… A city far from here.” He said, deciding that vague was probably the best and safest route.
“Oh?” Belle began pouring tea into the two cups. “So you’re from Paris, then?”
“Yes.” He lied.
He was not familiar with this world, but Paris sounded like a city so he went with it. And if she was lying to catch his own bluff, she certainly wasn’t showing it, but she didn’t come across as the type of person capable of lying. Then again, he too could come across as someone truthful while lying straight to their face. Conversation was his specialty, after all.
“Have you ever been there?” He asked.
“I was born there, but we moved to the countryside when I was very young.” She answered as she placed one of the full cups of tea in front of him. “So I don’t remember much about my time there.”
“Thank you.” He said upon receiving his cup. “And that is a shame, I think you would like where I am from.”
Belle slowly took a seat on the opposite end of the table. “How so?”
“It’s a city filled with color; large flowerbeds and impressive fountains as tall as buildings.” He lifted his teacup off its saucer. “And lots of places to purchase and read books.” He said before taking a sip of tea, watching her expression light up in fascination in amusement.
“Really?”
“Oh yes,” He answered. “I can think of at least three libraries off the top of my head.”
“Three? ” She gasped, eyes growing wide in wonder. “Do a lot of people read in Paris?”
“They do.” Dilan said, a smile forming on his lips. “Several of my friends, and even my mentor, read books regularly on science and invention.”
Belle’s eyes were wide and shimmering in the dim light of the room, she looked very excited for a moment before her expression faltered a bit, and she gave him a cautioned glance.
“Do you--…? Do you Read?” She asked.
“I do.” He answered, her face lit up again. “Mostly historical or books for study. What about you? What kind of books do you read?”
There it was again, that caution, replacing the wonderful look joy on her face with uncertainty. “I’ve… Read some historical books here and there,” She said. “But I’m more interested in literature that explores the possibilities of magic and--”
“Fairy tales, then?” Dilan interrupted.
Dilan noticed the color on Belle’s face shift a darker pink, and she lowered her gaze down toward her teacup and pursed her lips. He could tell she wasn’t ashamed of her love for books, no, rather she was afraid to discuss them with other people. Recalling the conversation they had with Gaston earlier, he wasn’t surprised she tried to keep her love of literature to herself, with how badly they had treated her. Which then brought up another question...
Exactly how much did she keep to herself? Did she have anyone to talk to, aside from her father? Throughout their whole conversation, she kept putting up barriers when it came to her hobbies and interests, like she had trouble talking about them, like she was concerned he’d think less of her for being happy. He frowned… The thought of her sitting in this home, holed up by herself with no one to talk to… It made his chest feel heavy. He didn’t like it.
“... I’ve never read any fairy tale novels before.” He said, suddenly, catching her attention again. “Are they any good?”
Already, he could see the subtle changes in her expression. Her caution was slowly melting away again. And he had every intention to keep it that way.
“Are they any good--you’ve never read a single fairy tale?” She asked. He shook his head “What about Romeo and Juliet? Sleeping Beauty? ”
When Dilan shook his head again, Belle sat forward in her seat, now seemingly invested in the topic. She began listing off different books she knew of, and Dilan recognized none of them. It didn’t deter her though, in fact it only seemed to encourage her. Like the opening of floodgates, Dilan watched and quietly listened as she listed off various fairy tales, and gradually, that list shifted into full explanations about the plots, characters and overall themes of the books she listed. Dilan ensured to engage with her as best he could despite having no knowledge on the subject, and he listened to her retell the stories she loved so dearly with great attentiveness and a growing interest.
Her love for stories brought a genuine smile to his face, and filled him with that unusual warmth and calm he had come to greatly adore in the short time he had known her.
It was strange, too… The way she lit up when she spoke about the things that made her happy… He had seen genuine happiness before, in the people of Radiant Garden, and it was nothing like this. There was a unique glow to her, and it filled the room with a light and warmth unlike anything he had ever experienced. And he… He liked it. The way it felt to see her happy, and knowing he caused that happiness… He wanted to protect it. That light…
He wanted to protect her.
It wasn’t long after they finished their tea that they found themselves both sitting on the floor by the unlit fireplace, the interior of the house was lit up by candles and the orange-pink glow of sunset that peeked in through the open windows. Belle had fetched the book she had put away earlier, as by the end of their tea she was very much determined to read at least one fairy tale to him. And he wasn’t about to say no to the offer, not when she seemed so delighted to have someone to talk to in the first place.
And so he listened. The story was filled with far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells and a prince in disguise. And she was enthralled by it, the smile on her face never fading. Dilan watched her expressions, with one elbow propped up by his knee, his head resting against his palm. It was nice to hear a story told from someone who enjoyed telling it. And it was nice… To relax for once, to enjoy good company like Belle…
His gaze softened as he watched and listened to her read. Her voice was soothing and gentle, her doe like eyes glimmering with excitement, her form was framed by the glow of the sun…
“... Her brunette locks framed her round face in gentle curls,” Belle read aloud, looking absolutely delighted by the romantic scene they had just reached. “Her porcelain skin was smoother and softer than any silk. Her pearly pink lips full and supple--”
Dilan’s smile gradually faded as he felt the pull in his chest again, urging him to move closer, though he remained where he sat. As much as it angered him to admit it, Gaston was right . Belle was beautiful. Probably one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Not just outwardly, but inwardly as well. Her heart was filled with dreams and passions, she was kind and soft, even while facing prejudice and unwanted advances from her neighbors. His gaze softened, and the warmth in his chest grew. He felt his own heart beating in a way that was new and unfamiliar to him.
He wanted to get to know her more, he wanted to ask her so many questions, he wanted for her to have all she wanted and more. He wanted her to be so unbelievably happy and to never know loneliness, he wanted for her to never feel unwanted or out of place. He wanted to see all sides of her, to know her concerns, to know her dislikes… And he wanted her to know him too.
He noticed Belle glance at him out of the corner of her eye, sending his heart up into his throat. He could feel a slight heat in his cheeks as she stopped reading to look at him with concern.
“Have I bored you?” She asked.
Dilan blinked a couple of times, his blush fading. “Hm? What? No, no of course not.”
“You looked… Like you weren’t all there for a moment.”
He sat back a bit, straightening out his back and legs. “I was genuinely enjoying the story, though perhaps my posture was not the best.”
Belle giggled faintly. “That’s true. Posture is important.”
Dilan looked back to her, smiling. “Please, though, continue. I--”
THUD THUD THUD.
Both Dilan and Belle jerked back to look toward the front door in surprise, then looked to each other before getting up. Dilan followed behind Belle as she approached the door and, using a strange mechanical device that was more than likely installed by her father, peered through before looking to Dilan in confusion. She then opened the front door to reveal, standing there, the giant himself: Aeleus.
“Aeleus…!” Dilan exclaimed in surprise.
“I said to be quick, Dilan.” Aeleus said. “It has been hours.”
Dilan peered passed Aeleus, and saw that the sky was turning pink. Sunset.
“I--... Lost track of time--”
“It is time to go.”
Dilan froze in place, his eyes widening. Like a hard smack to the face, reality had set back in. This… This was not his world. He got so absorbed in the conversation and stories that he forgot he didn’t actually belong here.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to keep you!” Belle exclaimed with a gasp.
Despite the sudden unbearable weight that replaced the warmth in his chest, Dilan looked to Belle and smiled softly.
“No need to apologize, I simply lost track of the time.” He reassured.
Belle smiled worriedly. “Well, perhaps if you’re in town again, we could have another cup of tea?”
Was that allowed? “I would like that.” He answered with a weakened voice.
There was a momentary pause as they stared at each other without saying anything. Dilan wanted to say more, rather, he wanted to ask permission to stay longer, perhaps find an unused cottage in town to stay near by, so he could visit and keep her company, at least until her father returned. But…
She stepped closer.
“Perhaps I could also convince my father to visit Paris sometime,” She said, a look of hopefulness on her face. “I would very much like to see the libraries you spoke of, and I’m sure my father would adore meeting your mentor, if he enjoys reading about science, they could become good friends.”
His heart sank, and his small smile softened further with a growing sorrow that he was unable to keep contained. The very idea of her visiting Paris to see him...
“That… Would be wonderful.”
That lie hurt.
They stared at each other for another moment longer, and he could see the warm smile on her face fading a little. He wondered if she was thinking the same things as he was, that she hoped he would stay for a little while longer... But he couldn't bring himself to ask. He refused to put her in such a situation, asking if he could stay when she barely knew him.
“It was nice meeting you, Belle.” Dilan said, softly.
“It was nice to meet you too, Dilan.” She answered. “And thank you.”
Aeleus turned from the door and began walking down the stairs. Dilan and Belle looked over to him, before looking back to each other. Dilan felt that pull in his chest to be close to her again, but, he resisted. Instead, he silently held his hand out to her. Belle looked to his hand curiously for a moment, then slowly, she reached out placed her hand in his and looked up at him.
He raised their hands and gently planted his lips against her knuckles softly, his eyes locked with hers. He lingered a moment, watching her expression grow further with sorrow, before he released her hand.
Without a word, he turned and walked out of the room with Belle quietly staring at the floor, her hands folding against her chest.
A sharp, stinging pain shot through his heart the moment he was through the threshhold and had shut the door behind him. He winced, and forced himself to move forward and away from the house. As he crossed the yard to catch up to Aeleus who waited for him by the road, he refused to look back in fear he would be tempted to run back to her. To embrace that warmth and light, to stay in this world that was not his own…
“Not our world, Dilan.” Aeleus said, catching Dilan’s attention. “Remember that.”
He frowned and shifted his gaze away.
The two made their way back to town.
“She is alone! The people in that town treat her like a freak! She has no one to talk to!”
“It is not our world.” Reminded Ansem as he glanced up from the papers he shuffled through on his desk. “No matter how dire the situation may be, we cannot get involved. It is not our place.”
“What would it matter to them?” Dilan snapped. “If we bought Belle and her father here, no one would miss them--!”
“Enough, Dilan.”
Dilan expression and body tensed, and he slammed his palms flat and hard against the desk, startling Ansem slightly by the sudden outburst of rage.
“What is the point to traveling to other worlds if we aren’t going to help people?! ” Dilan shouted, his gloved fingers digging into the wood of the desk. “She is suffering, Ansem! And we have the power to do something about it, and yet you say we should just sit back and watch her succumb to darkness?!”
Ansem frowned at him. “If that is how things must evolve on her world, then that is how they must be.” He placed one of the research papers in his hands down into a growing stack. “You cannot allow your feelings cloud your judgement. We do not yet know what implications or dangers we can create by altering lives on other worlds. In much the way you do not involve yourself in the life of animals, we cannot involve ourselves in the lives of people not yet aware of otherworldly travel.”
“But it’s just one girl and her father!”
“And we do not know how that one girl affects her world.”
“Ansem--!”
“I said enough.” Ansem repeated, this time in a louder, more stern, tone. “We are not to have this discussion a second time. Her world and our world can never mix, that is the way things are and shall be.” He shifted his attention back to the papers scattered about his desk. “You are dismissed.”
Dilan leaned back off the table, his hands balling to fists and his teeth clenching tightly. He turned and left the room.
After that conversation, Ansem had since forbid anymore travel to outside worlds, deeming it too dangerous.
Gradually the days turned to weeks, and weeks to months…
He had always heard stories about how painful heartbreak was… But he was under the belief that, as long as you were determined to ignore it, the pain would go away.
It never did.
He assumed it was not as bad as others had it. His was a… Fleeting crush, his peers called it. Nothing more. He had known her for a handful of hours, not his entire lifetime. She was a stranger. And yet, his work still suffered, his mind was still distracted and elsewhere. She had left an impression on him that he couldn't shake. Every time his gaze landed on a book or a library, he thought of her. He thought of her and her light, her kindness, and how she now lived alone again, suffering under the weight of those who did not appreciate or care for her.
He wanted to be there for her, to help her, to take her away from it all. He wanted to see her and her father happy in a place that understood them. But because of Ansem, that was no longer an option. He couldn’t use the magic that Xehanort could, he couldn’t create portals to other worlds. So now he would be forced to live with the knowledge that she would be alone, unwanted and disliked by the people in her village, and he could not even visit her, lest he risk setting forth a series of events that could very well lead to her world’s destruction.
At least, that was what Ansem believed.
Dilan thought it was a load of nonsense.
And the more time passed, the angrier he got. It angered him that he knew she suffered alone, it angered him that Ansem refused to let him go back to help her, and told him that it was in their best interest to avoid world travel. It angered him he could fix this, he could make it right, and yet he was forced to obey the words of his king.
He was stuck, he couldn’t do anything, not to help himself, to help Belle… And Ansem didn’t care. He was too wrapped up in Xehanort’s issues to notice his pleas to save a single girl from her own darkness and protect her warm, unique light.
"I can't make myself forget her," Dilan admitted. "I've tried, but it's like something is pulling me back toward her. Like there is something that has to be done about her troubles, but..." He grimaced. "There isn't anything I can do... And it hurts to know that her light might be snuffed out from existence..." He gripped the guard railing he held on to. "All because the Master deems it part of some ridiculous circle of life."
“The heart is such a funny thing…” Even said to him after listening to him explain his troubles of the heart. “But… There might be a way to, at the very least, ease your pain and help you move on from this predicament.”
Dilan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and Even smiled.
“Though I am not sure Master Ansem would approve...” Even added. “Such experimentations could prove dangerous.”
Ansem never approved of anything…
Dilan turned to him fully. “I’m listening.”
He appeared through a portal of darkness on one of the many spire rooftops to a looming and elaborately dark castle decorated in horrifying gargoyles and creatures to ward off visitors of any kind. It was night, and it was cold. A light snowfall fell from the clouded heavens, turning the long dead castle grounds to a beautiful pearly white.
He had wanted to come to this world for reconnaissance, and was granted permission to visit this world. But if he had to be honest, he had no idea why he specifically wanted to come to this world above all others on the list he was given. He would have called it a feeling, but it wasn’t that. How could it be? He had no heart.
Perhaps, then, it was… A forgotten memory…?
Xaldin leaped from tower to tower with the greatest of ease, and slowly he began descending the castle’s exterior. He was about midway down the castle walls when he saw light peering out from one of the large windows. Curiously, he made his way over toward it and carefully peeked inside.
And there, inside, sitting beside a warm lit fire: A horrible, giant monstrosity of fangs, horns, claws and thick fur. And beside him, a small, petite woman. Brunette hair framed her face in gentle curls, her porcelain skin smooth and soft, her doe-like eyes glimmering in the light as she read from an open book. The beast beside her listened intently, expression soft and delighted.
Her pearly pink lips were curved into a smile of genuine happiness and… Love.
Love.
Xaldin felt his stomach twist, and his hands balled into fists that trembled. His jaw clenched. All of these displays were instinctive. In reality, he didn’t feel much in the way of emotion. But there was something about this sight, the familiarity of this scene and the way she was smiling with that creature that just… Disgusted him.
He turned from the window and prepared to leap to another spire, but stopped just short of a leap. He turned to look back at the two snuggled and safe together within the warm den. The beast that was next to her looked large and powerful, and he was sure that, with the right motivation, the creature could be a powerful asset to the Organization and help further their goals.
… That, and…
… The idea of ripping out his heart just sounded…
A little too good.
Author notes:
Thanks for reading this silly lil oneshot! As mentioned in the tags I got inspired by a piece of art I saw on tumblr several months ago by an artist on pixiv. You can check out the artwork here, and their proper account is linked in the description. :D