A/N: Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! 8D I hope you guys are all having a wonderful day eating food, watching blitzball, and celebrating the historical event of the adventurers finding new worlds and keeping Chief Xemnas from getting ahold of the key and taking over the world.
...
Why are you looking at me like that? Don't tell me you've never been told the story of the first thanksgiving! Well, it's a good thing you stopped by then, because Cid'll set you straight =)
(P.S. I apologize in advance if this 'historical reinactment' is utterly insane; NaNoWriMo had been an absolute nightmare and my brain is fried. But I wouldn't have it any other way ^_^)
"Thanks Aerith, dinner was great!" Sora bounced in the doorway leading from the dining area to the living room.
She smiled back, "Why thank you Sora, I'm glad you liked it."
Thanksgiving was always a big affair, what with their company being made up of bottomless pits disguised as boys coupled with Aerith's cooking. If it also had presents then it would even be bigger than Christmas. Every year they all gathered at Cid's house, since it was the largest, and spent the entire day eating, hanging out, and maybe watching the blitzball game on T.V.
"For the love of Kingdom Hearts, someone make him stop jumping around," Riku whined from his place on the couch, "Just watching him makes me want to throw up."
"Riku is right," Leon grumbled and firmly placed a hand on Sora's head, keeping him grounded.
Sora stuck his tongue out at his best friend, "Well then maybe you shouldn't eat so much then."
"You ate more than me!"
"What else can I do to help clean up?" Namine asked quietly, already clearing platters and bowls from the table.
"Oh don't worry about it dear, Yuffie and I've got it."
"What? Ah man..." said ninja was apparently not aware of this arrangement and pouted at the news. Namine giggled and left to join the rest of her friends. Sora had joined Riku on the couch, and Roxas was on the floor and leaning against his twin's knees. Cloud and Leon both had their own chairs, and Kairi was currently trying to squeeze her way between the two boys on the couch. They used the opportunity to taunt her about being fat and not eating so much: she did not like that. Namine chose to sit on the ground and lean against Riku's side of the couch, which was honestly the only place left.
Cid was, of course, sitting in his favorite armchair. It was a dark blue and made of a corduroy type fabric, all tattered and worn from years of use. He surveyed the group with a fake scowl, trying to hide his fondness for them all with his annoyance at their rambunctiousness.
"Alright, I'm going to tell you the story of the first Thanksgiving so you little shits are actually thankful and know what this holiday is really all about." he growled, fixing them each with a piercing stare, as if daring anyone to disagree.
"Oh no," Sora complained dramatically, "It's time for another one of Cid's older-than-all-of-you-put-together stories. Kill me now." Sora's head quickly became acquainted with Cid's goggles, which were unfortunately made of real metal.
"Shut yer goddamn trap! And you!" he pointed to Cloud and Leon angrily, who had been in the process of trying to quietly leave, "Where the hell do ya think you two are going?"
"I'm not a child." was Leon's only answer, punctuated by a heavy frown and the crossing of his arms.
Cloud went on to explain a little more, "Ansem told us this story back in second grade, same with every other teacher in grade school."
"Sit yer asses back down," Cid ordered, "I don't know what bullshit yer teachers told you, but I doubt they told you how it really happened. And now that everyone is old enough, it's time you all heard the truth."
"Uh...and you're the only one who knows the truth because…?" Roxas wondered.
Cid grinned proudly, jamming a toothpick in his mouth, "My Great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great Grandpa Cid was on the Highwind."
"Don't you mean the Mayflower?" Riku asked.
"Did I stutter?" Cid barked back, "No! I said the Highwind and I meant it goddamn it! Who's telling this story?"
"You?" Kairi asked hesitantly.
"Damn straight. Now, as I was sayin': he was on that ship, and when they got to the new world they saw things they knew they could never let anyone hear about, which is why they composed a fake story and vowed never to speak of the experience again."
"But you know it," Roxas pointed out. Cloud and Leon did sit down then, curiosities piqued just a bit.
"My Great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great Grandpa Cid left a secret journal that has been passed down fer generations. Now all of ya need to shut the hell up and listen! Yer lucky enough to hear such secrets!"
"Now, it was the year 1621…."
Once upon a time, in the year 1621 there was a city called Traverse Town. They were a quaint people, but one day their Mayor Ansem-the-not-so-wise-anymore found immense power and went corrupt. He used his new powers of darkness to blot out the light of the world forever, casting it into the depths of eternal night. He ruled the people by fear alone, terrorizing every last munny out of them, causing most to fall into poverty. But one night a very courageous and handsome captain decided things couldn't stay as they were.
"Alright boys," Cid said, pushing last minute provisions and maps into a bag, "tonight's the night! Squall, get the Highwind fired up. Cloud, go round up the others. It's time we left this oppression far behind."
"Wait just a minute," Riku interrupted, "Squall and Cloud? Are you kidding me? I really doubt that your ancestor's deck hands were their ancestors." He said, pointing to the two warriors, who looked incredulous at the information as well.
"Shut up brat, I'm telling the story exactly how it was written down! Now don't interrupt me again or I'll string ya up by yer toes!"
Cloud did as his captain instructed and called those closest to them: his little brothers Sora and Roxas, Leon's foster brother Riku, their best friends Aerith and Yuffie, and Kairi whom they couldn't bear to leave behind to Ansem's wicked ways. The nine of them secretly boarded the Highwind in the dead of the lock down period, and took off in their gummiboat.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Roxas stopped him, "it's no coincidence that the people in your story all have the same names as us!"
"You made up a story and were heartless enough to leave Namine out of it?" Kairi shrieked in outrage, gripping the pale girl's shoulder consolingly.
"No! For the last time I am not makin' this shit up!"
They sailed for days, which slipped into weeks. On the twenty first day they had finally broken through Traverse Town's border and stared in amazement at the bright sun that shone down on them warmly. The sky was blue and filled with puffy clouds, the water below them sparkling in the light.
"How long do you think it'll be until we reach a new world?" Sora asked his twin, but the other just shook his head wordlessly, also staring out over the water from their position in the crow's nest.
"Wanna throw pebbles down on Captain Cid?"
"Sure," Roxas replied lazily and they started aiming.
The days seemed to drag on longer and longer, coming no closer to land as far as they could tell and their supplies dwindling each passing day. But one day, when they were all losing hope and also sexually frustrated to the point of turning on each other, land came within sight!"
"I really don't see what that last part had to do with anything…"
"Trust me: it was important at the time," Cid growled, glaring at Leon, "Ya'll should just be glad I'm paraphrasing here."
The sky over the world looming closer was dark like their last home, but the land itself seemed to be illuminated to the point of something close to daylight by means they couldn't comprehend. They circled the coast until they found a suitable landing area next to a really big rock, which they named Heartmouth Rock.
"We've finally made it," their fearless leader said, sticking a flag into a lump of dirt, "here we shall make our new home, where we are free to govern ourselves and believe whatever we wish."
"That's cool and all," Riku spoke up, "but where exactly are we going to sleep?"
And so they went about clearing an area at the edge of the jungle and building houses, while the women planted the crops for the fall. Riku and the twins were sent out each day to explore the island as well as gather food and hunt the local wildlife. The twins kinda sucked, but Riku did alright.
"Hey!" Sora cried, "I find that offensive."
It was during these trips into the jungle that the trio started noticing odd things. The started to feel like they were being watched and heard strange noises out in the denser underbrush. They stayed closer to the half-built village, deciding not to venture out too far anymore. They'd never expected any other people to live out there, in a world seeming so uninhabited, but the thought that people might live near them while they stayed unaware worried them.
But soon nature turned against them and they forgot all about the mysteries of the jungle as they focused on trying to stay alive. Despite Aerith's natural gift to grow things, most of their crops failed and they were left with little for the coming winter. The easiness of summer gave way to fall's warning as the winds grew colder and the waters stormier, rain pelting down on them more often than not.
"This sucks!" Kairi shivered, "We should've stayed back in Traverse Town!"
"No," Cid shook his head, "I feel it is better to work hard for the things we receive and if we die, well then we die as a free people."
"Yeah no, I'd rather be warm and miserable at home instead of cold, sick, miserable, and about to die." she countered.
"What I want to know is why the Cid way back then had great English, and this Cid speaks as if he's got something perpetually lodged in his mouth."
"They probably have better English back in Traverse Town, and being 'free and self-commanded' caused his speech to suffer." Roxas explained to his brother, who made an 'oh' expression. Cid just glared, waiting for them to shut up before he continued.
But despite their leader's wishful thinking, things started going downhill. Their supplies were almost all gone again, what they saved from the crops was meager, and one by one they stared falling ill. It was during one particularly rainy day that they heard loud rummaging from the jungle. The rain stopped as a group of strange looking natives appeared from the tree line. They were all very fit and healthy looking, wearing hardly anything, and covered in tribal designs of all colors. Although they noticed that each person's designs were one color, and no one else had the same color.
Leon mentally counted eleven in all. He coughed hoarsely into an arm, but moved with Cloud to stand protectively in front of the girls.
"Do not fear! We come in friendliness!" one of the natives said. He had luxurious silver hair and seemed to be the chief.
Another stepped forward, this one with strange blue hair and had an 'X' cut between his eyes; Leon instantly felt a kinship with this one, "We've been watching you all, and have noticed your struggling. We've come to help." He motioned to a few others behind him to step forward and lend a hand.
There was a man with fluffy pink hair and delicate hands; he moved to Aerith and led her back to their garden plot. He showed her the best methods for growing certain vegetables, and even made the ones already planted grow with magic as his hands glowed pink!
One of the bigger members, with rippling muscles and short brown hair, approached Squall and Cloud to help fortify their houses. He was strong and also silent like the two warriors, and so they soon looked up to him as their mentor.
Two men in long black hair, one in a ponytail and the other in dreadlocks, went out to gather a feast of animals and birds, especially what they referred to as some sort of sacred turkey for a fall sacrifice to the gods (which was consequently why they were having such bad luck). There were also a few younger natives, who quickly made friend with Riku and the twins; although one had flaming red hair and an equally flaming-pedo personality. He tried to impress the twins with little fire tricks, and even though Sora totally fell for it and agreed to come see the other's room, Roxas was skeptical.
"You guys wear funny clothes, you should probably take them off." the flaming-pedo Axel suggested.
Their handsome captain Cid stood with the Native Chief as they watched their two 'families' coexist. And there began a passionate love affair.
"What the hell is that nonsense?" Cid shouted at Yuffie, who stood giggling in the doorway.
"What? Your story could use a bit more action in my option."
"Don't interject your own creepy fantasies into my historical tale!" he shouted at her and she simply cackled in delight as she went back into the kitchen to help Aerith.
"It did make it more interesting…" Riku muttered under his breath. Cid roared in outrage and stood to cuff him sharply on the head.
"No more interrupting! The next person who interrupts gets to work in the garage with me for two weeks!"
They all stayed quiet after that.
Their handsome captain Cid stood with the Native Chief as they watched their two 'families' coexist; one of the natives using magic as well to heal the adventurers' illnesses.
"You should come join our fall feast." The Chief suggested, "We'll have more than enough food, and it will please the gods to see you paying the proper respect. You won't survive the winter without their support."
"Thank you, we will." Cid accepted politely, agreeing merely for the food as he did not believe in any such deities.
And so the adventurers collected their things and followed the Natives through the dense jungle.
"How can you guys use magic?" Riku asked, "Is it something to do with those markings you guys all have."
"Sort of," the one named Demyx said, "These designs only help us channel our power. We are children of the gods, so our power is innate and a gift from them."
"That is so cool!" Sora shouted, and Roxas swatted Axel's wandering hand away from his twin's backside.
Roxas' eye twitched in anger, but kept quiet for fear of having to work with Cid.
"But you know," Demyx continued, "We were destined to have one more in our village, a thirteenth descendent. Legend tells us of the twelve children of the gods, a witch that'll come to us after being cast off by her own people, and a man with no past who was abandoned by the world and will be adopted by the Father of Time and Tricks."
"We've all come together just as the prophets foretold, but we cannot find the missing descendent of light," the only girl, Larxene, finished.
Riku pondered this story, but Roxas was too busy fending off Axel's advances on himself and his brother to really think about it.
Soon they came upon the village of the Natives and were overwhelmed by both the sophistication of it and also the thirteen large temples that formed a ring around its perimeter. The glyphs glowed on all but one of the temples, signifying that their children had been claimed. It was also quite sunny in this village, and the adventurers appreciated the warmth soaking into their aching bones and drying off their soaked clothes.
A man wearing a mix of tattered pirate clothes and the Natives' choice of close to nothing, and a small pale girl in a white cloth dress were in the middle of the tiny village setting a rounded wooden table. They both turned at their approach and smiled warmly.
"Welcome!" the small girl greeted, "I'm glad to see you all still alive and well."
The adventurers offered their paltry supply of food while the Natives filled the table to bursting with their bounty from the gods' blessings. They'd never had such a grand feast and enjoyed it immensely. After the great meal, as the older members sat around discussing important things, the younger ones gave their new friends a tour of the temples.
"We can't let you guys go in, for only the respective child can safely enter, but the outsides are pretty neat too," Demyx offered.
Things went okay until they came around the last temple, the one unclaimed. As soon as they came close it started to glow brightly, glyphs appearing in sparks of white light, and matching ones drawing themselves on Roxas' body. Surprised, the others backed away from him as he started to glow , even his eyes whited out completely.
"Surely I knew you would come to us Child of the Light Goddess!" their chief Xemnas shouted in joy, and all the natives raised their hands to the sky in thanks. "Now we are finally complete and can fulfill our purpose for existence!"
The other members' smiles turned feral, the adventurers fearing what was to come next. Roxas and Sora both looked terrified; Roxas at what was happening and Sora at the thought of losing his beloved twin.
"And what exactly is your purpose?" Cid asked warily.
"To take over the province of Kingdom Hearts in the east and the Kingdom Castle that lies at its center! From there we shall take over the world and rule as we were meant to, with the gods' legacy urging us on!"
"Oh, uh…" Cid was worried now, unsure how to save his family and also the world. But then he caught sight of Roxas, who was still glowing, and got an idea. Running over he snatched the boy and threw him over his shoulder.
"They can't have you, for you are the key! We'll take you far away from them and save the planet!" Cid shouted to him as he rushed back through the forest to their gummiboat. Roxas nodded, also scared by what could happen.
The Natives snarled at the turn of events and raced after them, strange weapons in their hand and using their magic as they charged on, thrilled by the hunt. Squall, Cloud, and Riku occasionally turned to set up barricades and fight off the members, trying to buy Cid time. The girls ran on ahead to get the boat ready.
Soon they made it to the Highwind and got it pushed off to sea just in time, as the Natives burst through the edge of the jungle moments behind them, yelling in outrage at the retreating adventurers.
"Mark my words!" the Chief shouted from the beach, "A day shall come where we will have the boy again, and then there will be nothing to stop us from taking over as we were meant to!"
Demyx, the boy covered in suddenly glowing blue glyphs and his eyes also completely overtaken by the color, held out his hands. The sea rose at his beckoning and slammed against the Highwind violently, trying to capsize it. But the Highwind was made by Cid himself, so it held together until they were far enough away to be out of the water controller's range.
"We must never let anyone hear of this island," Cid ordered, "it is up to us to keep this place a secret so none of what they have foretold will come to pass. This island will be as if it never existed: the world that never was."
The rest of them nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly, Roxas and Sora still shaking from fright and holding onto each other. And so they sailed on, after a time coming upon a world called Hollow Bastion where there was a kind and fair king and his friendly subjects. They settled there and adopted it as their home, never again speaking of the horrors they had witnessed.
They were all silent for a while, unsure whether they believed Cid or not.
"That was…interesting, to say in the least," Roxas said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, and you know it wasn't half bad." Riku agreed.
"Roxas!" Sora wailed, "Why didn't you tell me you were the descendent of a Light Goddess!"
"I'm not really, you moron. It was just a stupid story," the blonde assured.
"No it ain't! It's the truth!" Cid shouted, and stood to go to his garage, mumbling under his breath, "Ungrateful brats."
"There's no way that's how it happened," Kairi nodded to herself, but the two warriors were starting to doubt themselves, thinking back on how Principle Xemnas always glared at them for no reason, and other things they'd never been able to explain.
Aerith and Yuffie finally came out to join them, and Namine turned to the pretty girl in pink, "Aerith, Cid just made all that up right?"
"I'm not sure, but Cid's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandpa did leave a journal, although Cid's never let us look at it before. He says it's too old and fragile. It's that leather burgundy one on that shelf," Aerith pointed to one of the tall bookshelves, and Sora and Roxas immediately jumped up to yank it down. They frantically flipped through pages, heads bent over the book together. They stopped flipping, adopting surprised expressions.
"Guys…" Sora called shakily, "You might want to come look at this."
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Happy Thanksgiving feralfairy!
If you guys end up leaving reviews, add a little message about what your favorite activity or food is about today =)
