Flee or Fight?

Once, there existed a kingdom that possessed more pure, eerie beauty than any before it, or indeed any that were ever to follow. In this world, barren, rocky mountains coated thick in ice rose high, some said even higher than the ever-present mist that encircled them. No one knew, for long before a human would reach the peak they should die from lack of oxygen. The cities, they had been carved straight out of the white rock of the mountain by the very first humans who had came here. Why they had come, no one knew any longer. Perhaps they too had been fleeing some great threat. The people had lived happily there, flourishing for many a century. They were a proud and often cold people, but not unkind and extremely intelligent. But alas, it was not to be. For three months, the world of Lyflia had been under siege from Heartless. The shadows crept forwards slowly, eventually encasing the planet in darkness and blocking out all traces of light in both the sky above and in hearts of the people living there. The few humans who clung to their feeble existence had gathered in the last un-infested building, for the purpose of deciding their fate.

"They're outside now! Were right behind me!" a scrawny kid, blonde spiky hair in a mess and bright blue eyes wide in fear, panted, collapsing on the cold stone floor as soon as he made it inside the building.

"Quick! Bar the door!" an older teenager barked out orders and those standing near the entrance hastily complied. Not a moment too soon, as immediately after the slab of stone had been slotted in place did the Heartless begin bombarding the building, slamming their own formless bodies against the door and causing it to shudder dangerously, however the rock held firm.

"Roxas?" Another boy, practically identical to the first, albeit noticeably less skinny, walked up to the human doormat and offered him a helping hand. "Anyone else still out there?" he inquired urgently, dreading the answer. If it was no, it must mean that the entire rest of the first boy's group, had been... And if it was yes, it would undoubtedly already be too late, and they'd be forced endanger how many precious lives in a futile attempt to recover them? Anyone who fell behind would have to be left behind. It was the hard truth. Luck seemed to be with them, however, because Roxas, the boy who had been being chased by the Shadows, shook his head.

"I don't think so," he muttered. He accepted his twin's help and managed to return to a vertical position. "Ventus!" he exclaimed, realizing who it was. "You're alright!"

Ven nodded. "C'mon. There'll be time for that later," he hoped. "Everyone's waiting," Ventus added, looking towards the large, ornate door that lead into the next room, to which the previous occupants of this hall had already vacated in favor of.

"Right."

Inside, the domed ceiling was so high, it was almost indistinguishable from the straight, white walls. A small crowd huddled in the centre of the hall, looking scared, dirty, hungry and generally pitiful. They were aged from as young as four, to the oldest in late twenties, or early thirties. This was because as the Heartless began to swarm over the land, the adults, who had already lived the better part of their lives, simply gave up. Few had the will to fight, or anything left to fight for. They were content with their deaths. But the young one's, they had their whole lives ahead of them! Nothing to lose. So they banded together, ran or fought, with those who were weak dropping like flies, quickly weeded out. Now only the strongest remained, cornered here in the cathedral.

As the latecomers made their entrance, the hubbub subsided, and they looked around each other for someone to step forward and lead them. When it became apparent that no one else was going to, the young woman sighed and did so herself. At nineteen years old, she sported blue hair and blue eyes, neither particularly uncommon in this world, and no remarkable beauty either, although her elegance on the battlefield was undisputedly unparallel to any of the Lyflians present. Many looked up in surprise; they had not excepted Aqua to fancy the role, for although she was a person of responsibility, as well as a great fighter, and she had proved herself many a time, even leading her own group against the invasion, she was not what you would call a natural born commander.

"Listen up everyone!" she called, her voice echoing strangely off the walls. "What we need to do here is decide our next move."

There was plenty of muttering after that. What do we have to decide upon? was the majority's thought. There was doubt in everyone's eyes, even, to her dismay, her best friend and comrade Ven's, standing beside his twin Roxas near the back.

"What can we do?" one particularly pessimistic boy yelled up at her over the voices. Everyone quietened to hear her answer.

Aqua swallowed. She'd been anticipating this question. "Choose whether we flee... Or whether we fight."

If the gathering had been loud before, it was nothing to the roar of disorder that followed this statement. It was the question that had been debated from the moment the very first Heartless reaped it's first human life in Lyflia, and had completely divided the people. Did they run from the Shadows, travelling from one place to the next like nomads, until they were pursued no more, or did they stand strong and engage the enemy in battle, until only one side remained in Lyflia? Aqua's own group had originally been part of the warriors, but eventually all who had not resorted to running had been overrun. But it was no longer an issue of leaving their homes, districts or even cities. It was now a question of whether they could forsake their whole WORLD to go in search of a better one; something they weren't sure even existed. They had developed space travel, even a ship that could take them all, the INFI. But it had never before been used. The outside was so uncertain, and few Lyflians had any wish to attempt such a venture, that is, before the Heartless laid siege to their world. Space travel also opened up a huge array of problems... Like what would they eat? Who would pilot? Who would navigate? Even if they did discover a new planet, and one on which they could survive, what of any other inhabitants? What kind of welcome would they give aliens? But if they stayed... Aqua shuddered at the image of one by one, watching what little was left of her friends and family fall.

"ORDER!" she shouted. Gradually, yet again the voices dwindled and they turned to her for guidance. Aqua took a deep breath. The magnitude of the decision they were about to make hit her, and she swayed a little on the spot. This was it.

"Those in favour of taking the INFI to find a new world... Step to the left. Those who would stay and reclaim Lyflia... Step to the right."