Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is the property of Square Enix and Disney.
What One Loses
Chapter One : I Think Not
For as long as he can remember, he has considered life a gamble. Everything has its benefits and disadvantages; there are chances and risks to be taken everywhere. A person cannot go through life without having at least once thrown himself into danger because every decision made has its consequences. No matter what, something will happen.
It is simply a matter of knowing the rules.
So when he makes the decision to do as ordered, when he appears in between the Keyblade master and his companions, he has already realized the two possible outcomes of the battle that is about to take place. He knows what might happen in the end; one will benefit him whilst the other might not.
Either way, it's a gamble, but if there is anything he truly knows about himself it is that he is a gambler through and through.
When he gets rid of the boy's friends, he is doing two things. One is removing the extra enemies and reducing the numbers to allow a one on one battle. He is bringing down the handicaps to make for a fair battle. The second, however, is putting himself, perhaps, at the risk of the Keyblade's wrath. A glance towards the face in front of him confirms it. Determination has replaced whatever hesitation that might have been there before and there is no room left to spare for mercy.
When he releases the spell, turning his opponent into a dice, he is giving himself the advantage. In that form, attacks cannot be carried out, so his enemy is therefore utterly vulnerable. However, there is a limit as to how long the spell will hold before its effects wear off. Once the limit has been reached, the odds will be even again.
When he forms cards in the air and sends them toward the now human once more boy, he is going on the offence while at the same time, keeping the risks of getting hit fairly low. The cards should hold the Keyblade wielder's attention for, at the very least, a little while. The flaw there, though, is that the cards can be flipped easily; his opponent need only push the cards aside and come straight for him.
When he offers a little challenge, he is putting himself completely in the hands of fate. If the boy wins the game, his position will be worsened slightly, if not greatly, and the delicate balance that is the fight taking place between them at the moment will be destroyed. If he chooses to not accept the challenge, the risks will be left untouched, unaltered, and the time spell's convenient side effects will take place; his enemy will be attacked, but only if he is standing directly in the spell's range.
It's interesting, the way the Keyblade wielder is fighting; he has adapted so easily to the game that watching him respond to the little contest laid in between the two of them seems almost natural. It's like he is fighting against someone close to being on par with him, someone who understands that a fight doesn't always have to be about all-out violence, nor did it have to be completely up to skill.
Sometimes, all that is needed for a battle is intelligence, the want for victory, and understanding what's important.
"Do you know the rules?"
When he casts a spell on himself, combining his presence with the properties of a card at the same time, it is another bet. By manipulating time in such a manner, he is giving his enemy a lot of room to attack. Now it is he who is vulnerable, open to any form of damage whenever the boy makes the right choice.
When he throws a hand of cards forwards onto the floor, scattering them as they multiplied and their size increased, he is giving himself the full opportunity to attack. Now, he is free to unleash a chain of combos and the Keyblade wielder will have no chance to counter. His opponent will only evade, because there is no other move to make.
When he calls the Other of his former ally over, he is increasing all the dangers involved. The cards that surround the both of them act as a cage, preventing any move other than answering his challenge. If he wins, the game will be tilted greatly in his favor. If his enemy wins, one more blow will end it all. Either way, the battle will be decided.
At this moment, as the Keyblade wielder struggles with the cards at hand, he feels a surge of tight energy under his skin. The stakes have been raised higher than before and it is the final moment. The highest point of uncertainty has been reached and now it is all up to fate. The thought fills his entire empty self with a rush of anticipation, of an excitement that would only be barely contained if he weren't a Nobody.
That is the feeling he has always treasured most, since before his heart was lost in an unexpected and unwilling gamble.
Suddenly, the brown-haired boy gives him a confident grin, cocky and arrogant. The cards fly into his free hand in one fluid movement, almost like it has always belonged there, in that palm. Almost like the boy has know his game all along.
He is pushed back and instantly he knows what the outcome of the battle will be. His end has been decided for him and the person to seal his fate is already closing in for the finishing blow. The Keyblade is swung hard and it cuts through the miserable excuse for a shield easily; it slices the cards like it was made of nothing but empty air. He falls to the ground, accepting his fate, because he knows that his opponent knows what matters most in a battle, in life.
It is simply a matter of knowing the rules.
And just like that, he has lost a gamble.
End of 1st chapter
This is something I thought of during my exams and I don't know if it worked or not, but here it is. Your thoughts will be very much appreciated. Thanks for reading this!