Bushido
Disclaimer: Neither Auron, Sora, or Hades are mine. Kingdom Hearts isn't mine. The Underworld isn't even mine. A time machine could change Greek mythology to mine, but I wouldn't do that, so it isn't. Boo.
I don't think I have the bits taken from the game right, but oh well… I don't feel like looking it up, because this is just a quick little oneshot that I wrote when I was bored.
Bu·shi·do (noun) - the code of the samurai, stressing unquestioning loyalty and obedience and valuing honor above life.
(According to dictionary dot com)
Told in Auron's POV.
I hadn't planned on dying. It had just… happened. One day I was a guardian, and the next I was here, trapped in a swirling pit of souls. I don't know how long I was trapped down there. A new soul was rare – Hades had thrown me into the Underworld's deepest dungeon with the "baddest of the bad", and very few were ever given that 'honor.' I, however, had no choice in the matter, so my afterlife dragged on, my soul swirling around in an endless sea of chaos. I began to accept my punishment, deciding that it was a fitting end to my story.
That was when Hades called me out of the abyss.
I knew about his feud with Hercules (we all did), and I knew about his enslavement of the man called Cloud. What I didn't know was that Hades was using the Heartless.
My lip curled as Hades offered me his deal, but my gaze was focused on that oaf Pete. He was visibly uncomfortable, and I relished it, basked in his cowardice – no wonder he used the Heartless. The Heartless… I had no love for them, and I wouldn't associate with anyone who did. "This is my story. And you're not part of it."
Hades fumed. "I am the LORD of the DEAD!"
I laughed, my hand relishing the feel of my sword. "No wonder no one wants to die."
That was when the brunet boy and his companions entered. I saw the Keyblade, and I knew what it meant. Hades couldn't get his hands on it. I wasn't worried about Pete – he didn't look like he could swing a sword, much less control the Keyblade. When the curse began to play havoc with their bodies, I intervened, and then we ran.
The boy, duck, and dog knew what they were doing, but not in the Underworld. When we found a safe place, they introduced themselves – Sora, Donald, and Goofy. They were strange names for a strange trio, but it was a trio that admittedly had some skill in combat. The Underworld, however, was different. They needed a guardian, and I said as much. Sora didn't agree – he was cocky, as all boys his age are. He was so cheerful – it was like he didn't understand the darkness of this place, or the power of the weapon he wielded.
We were almost to relative safety when Cerberus caught up with us. I went to stall him, but that boy – that foolish, infuriating boy – had to be naïve yet again. He ran from safety to face the three-headed beast with me. I had given him a chance to run, to live, and he had thrown it away!
Cerberus fell at the tips of both our blades, and I disappeared. It was best to get him into the light, now that I knew how much he listened to his heart – anyone could trick him, and hanging around me would not lead to good things for him. Still, I watched him, hidden – I was his guardian, after all, though he was an unwilling (and unaware) charge.
I suppose I could say that I didn't like the kid. But, while he annoyed me with his innocence, I couldn't help but allow a smile to tug at the corners of my lips as I looked his way. Even the dark depths of the Underworld couldn't shade that light.