I do not own any of the characters of Kingdom Hearts. All rights go to Square Enix. I am merely a humble fanfiction writer.
It began with a sideshow.
The sky was dark, darker than most moist March nights should be. The moon was nowhere to be seen in the night sky, the only light being that of lanterns that had yet to put out inside open window sills. Crickets chirped in the nearby woods that clung to the town's outskirts. Not a soul was in sight, except for a young couple.
The pair, too poor to even afford the clothes on their backs, shuffled along a dirt road that led out into the forest. A cloth-wrapped bundle was held snugly in either pair of arms. The woman dared not glance down, for fear of the tears that already threatened to spill out of her red-brown eyes. Her husband gently adjusted the bundle in his arms to cradle it in the crook of his arm, reaching the other out to brush his wife's long black hair from her eyes. He drew her in and hold her close by the shoulder.
The gesture offered little comfort.
Ahead, the faint glow of a campfire could be seen breaking the piercing dark of the wooded trail. Their destination, their salvation, was just ahead. A pair of silhouettes began to casually approach them as they drew closer. Eyes like those of a wolf glowed with the back-lighting of the fire, staring at the couple expectantly. The man's grip tightened on his wife.
"I see you have come to a decision. Cloud. Tifa." The man's voice was worn with age, but it still managed to pierce the night like a lance. The young woman next to him remained silent. Tifa clutched the parcel to her bosom. Something felt off about the two before her. Yet, she couldn't help but feel that it was just her unwillingness to the situation twisting her thoughts.
Cloud swallowed thickly, holding the predatory eyes with a firm stare. "We have. Reluctantly." Blue eyes flicked down at the now squirming bundle in his arms. A smaller pair of those same eyes could be seen staring back up at him.
"As we discussed after the show, the boys will be taken the utmost care of. They will want for nothing, and you will receive your payment later tonight after my performers have settled in." A reassuring grin wrinkled the man's face further.
The woman stepped forward to Tifa, reaching out for the bundle in her arms. She instantly jerked backward, holding the child closer in a protective embrace. "Wait!" An annoyed sneer flashed across the blonde's face. "Let me at least say goodbye." Tifa's voice quivered, but she otherwise held firm. The man nodded, waving his hand as if to say "Get on with it".
Pulling a piece of the cloth aside, Tifa looked down upon the tiny sleeping face that peeked out from the folds. A smile lit up her face, tears falling freely now. She leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the child's forehead. "I love you, my little Vanitas. I always will." She whispered. Brushing the sparse, downy black hair into place with her palm she looked to the woman before her, and slowly held the child out to her.
The blonde retrieved the boy in a swift manner, carelessly gripping him in her inexperienced arms as she turned away to return whence she came. Tifa's eyes never left her back. A biting cold slowly crept up her warm arms.
Cloud had done the same, having to pry his son's hand from his finger before passing him to the older man. The baby merely cooed curiously, giggling when the man glanced his way. "Doubtless, you are both exhausted from this difficult decision. Go home. Rest. Your payment will be in your window by morning, just as we agreed."
"Thank you for your generosity, Xehanort. We know our boys are in good hands with you." Cloud held firm to his shaking spouse. He feared that he, too, would begin to break down if they lingered much longer. Nodding for a second time, Xehanort turned away from the pair and followed the path the woman had taken. Tifa and Cloud watched on until Xehanort disappeared behind the caravans. It was then that they began their long trek back, the shattered remains of once glowing parents.
The crickets stopped their night songs.
Xehanort bounced the brunette in his arms. Another wave of giggles broke out from the tiny bundle. He grinned, beckoning a fit, blue-haired man over with his finger. Without a single glance toward the man, he spoke. "Follow the couple to their home. When they fall asleep, kill them. Leave no trace behind." The man bowed at the waist, murmuring under his breath. "Yes, Master Xehanort."