Day 23
Wakeless Dream
"For every soul that is lost on the battlefield, a Heaven or Hell is waiting for them. The choice is made by me whether you are a follower or the Light of a servant of the Darkness. Different people vary on the many places they can be sent, but for Keyblade wielders, they are sent somewhere special. It doesn't matter if the wielder of the Keyblade is innocent or evil, smart or dumb, young or old, they all end up in the same place. . . The Keyblade Realm. . . This place can be either a Heaven or a Hell, but it all depends on what you choose; your opinion can waver. Keyblades are scattered everywhere and you have one simple task if you choose to follow it through. Find your Keyblade and you will be given another turn at life. . . A second chance. . ."
The world was spinning. Colors of every kind were mixed together, creating a pictureless blur. The only thing that he could feel was pain.
Sora sat up and gasped for breath. He choked at first and then finally was able to gather a breath full of fresh air to fill his lungs. He blinked and then glanced around.
Dark gray clouds covered the sky. A foggy mist was engulfing the area. There was no sign of Light anywhere. There wasn't any hint that the sun was lingering somewhere in the sky. Sora slowly got to his hands and knees. He looked left and then right. Nobody was in sight.
Standing up on his wobbly legs, Sora eyed the area once again. The ground was completely bare as was as far as he could see in the distance. Stretching his sore limbs, Sora thought about everything that happened.
Where am I? Am I still alive. . ? If I am, then where the hell have I been taken? Where is everyone? Sora advanced for a bit before he paused again. You know. . . This is probably all just a dream. Yeah. . . That's what this is. It's a dream. But what kind of a dream is this? It doesn't matter. I guess I'm venture on until I wake up. . .
Sora continued forward, glancing left and right. He kept hearing a strange noise that sounded like footsteps. He looked around. "Hello?" He heard his own voice echo across the empty air. "Is somebody there. . ?"
The footsteps grew louder and faster. Sora spun around in each direction until he saw a man running at him, a weapon in his hand. He instinctively summoned his Keyblade but before he could use it to fight back, the man shoved him forcefully to the ground and then began to struggle with him.
Sora was shaken by the sudden attack so wasn't very prepared to fight back. The Keyblade that he was holding flew out of his hand and then scampered across the ground. His attacker flipped him over and then slammed his foot down onto Sora's back so he couldn't get back up onto his feet. "H-Hey!" Sora stammered. "What the big~"
He fell silent when someone else spoke. "Is that one of them?"
Sora looked up to see a tall woman walking towards him. Her long hair fell just above her ankles and with each move she made red and orange danced through her brown locks. Her straight bangs just fell above her eyes. Her dark brown eyes were narrow and a cold smile rested on her dark red lips that were almost black. She wore a dark red v-neck; the sleeves just skimmed off of her shoulders, and a short mid-thigh. A slit adored each side. Her black boots were very high and came up at a point to guard her knees.
The man holding him down spoke. "No Kira. That one isn't either of ours."
Sora blinked. The man who was holding him down sounded familiar. When he looked up to get a glimpse at his attacker, he realized why. At first, Sora hoped that maybe the silvery blonde hair and height of the man was just a ruse, but when he saw the man's violet eyes, he knew right away who it was.
Joshua Capri.
The one who had killed his mother and his aunt.
And once he gave it more thought, he remembered something else. That was Kiari's father.
What was he doing here?
Sora's eyes skimmed over to the woman who was pacing around him. He knew that he had never seen her before, but just from her looks he could tell that she was somehow familiar. Joshua called her Kira. . . Kira. . .
Kira. . .
Sora's eyes widened. Sota said that. . . Wait a second. . . That's Kiari's mom. . . They're supposed to be dead. . . Kira died in the war a long time ago. . . And Uncle Bardroy killed Joshua. . . What are they doing here? What is this place?
"If that Keyblade isn't ours then we have no use for that boy. Release him and send him on his way," Kira ordered. Joshua obeyed and then moved his foot away from Sora's back so he could stand. He extended his hand for Sora to take.
Wait a minute. . . Sora thought. They don't know who I am. . . I may just get away from them yet. . . Just play it safe Sora. . . You can do this. . . He took Joshua's hand and then let the man pull him to his feet.
Next, Joshua picked the Keyblade that Sora had dropped and then handed it to him. Sora paused when he went to take the weapon. He finally spoke to them out loud. "This isn't my Keyblade."
Joshua paused for a moment. "You don't know about this place do you? About the Keyblades?"
Sora raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? What about them?"
"Everyone here has the power to wield a Keyblade. Even so, the one that you possess when you wake up here isn't your own. You have to work to find it. And when you do, you get a second chance at life," Joshua explained. "That's why we attacked you. We just wanted to see if~"
"Joshua, skip the formalities," Kira hissed, grabbing his arm and beginning to drag him off. "Leave the brat to figure it out for himself. If the child was dumb enough to get himself killed, then I doubt he'll be able to find his Keyblade for himself. Leave him be." She began to pull him away.
Sora blinked a few times. A second chance. . ? Everyone here has the power to wield a Keyblade? Wait, does that mean that Sanji, Savannah, Sam, and Lee could be here? What about Mom and Dad?
Sora's pulse began to race. What about Riku?
Praying that his thoughts were correct, Sora went to walk in the opposite direction of Joshua and Kira. If they were here, there were others. He would just have to search. He didn't care how long it would take. He had to find his family and Riku. He had to make sure that they were there, and even if they weren't, he had nothing else better to do.
Just as he began walking, Kira's voice stopped him. "Wait a minute."
Sora froze. He turned back around and faced the man and woman. Kira was narrowing her eyes at him. "Do I know you?"
Sora shook his head. "No. . . I don't think so. . ."
"You look familiar. . ." She began to walk towards him. When she within a few feet of him, she smirked. "Wait. . . I think I know now." She slowly began to advance towards him again. "Perhaps you've heard of a woman named Sarah?"
Sora took a step backward when she took a step forward. He repeated the motion until he backed up against a large rock. He looked left and right, but before he could run, Kira placed a hand on his chest and pinned him there. She smiled. "What about a man named Sota? Sota Davidson, by any chance?" Kira stared deeply into his eyes. "Well?"
For some strange reason, Sora found himself nodding. He didn't know if his fear had reached it's limit or she was somehow making him answer. Either way, he didn't like the feeling he got when he was around her.
"Oh, so you do know them? Well. . . Sarah, I'm not too concerned about. . . But as for Sota," she licked her lips, "Do you think you can tell me where he is?"
Sora shook his head. "I-I don't know. . ."
"I think you do." Kira's charming smile turned into a disappointed frown. "But either way, it doesn't matter. You're coming with us. I'm sure that Sota will come running now that we have his son. Joshua, restrain him and bring him along. Now."
He seemed reluctant, but Joshua stepped forward, grabbed Sora by the arms, and then started to drag him along too. Sora struggled a bit but his fighting ceased when Kira gave him a few slaps to the face with her hand.
Even though he was being taken against his will, Sora knew one thing for sure. If Joshua and Kira Capri were looking for his father, then that meant that they thought he was here, wherever they were. And if he was there, so was the rest of his family. His mother and his siblings were there.
And so was Riku.
"Where do you think we are?" the blonde asked.
"I'm not sure. . ." Ryan answered. "This place doesn't look familiar at all. . . I have no idea where we even could be."
"You know. . ." Sanji paused. "You. . . You were dead. . . You died. . ."
Ryan stopped also. "I know. . . That's what I was thinking too. . . Do you think that we're in the afterlife or something like that? If we are, then that means that you. . ." His voice trailed off.
"Your brothers were in trouble," Sanji told him. "You saved me, so the least that I could do for you was to look after your younger brothers. I can tell how much they mean to you."
Ryan smiled thankfully. "You don't know how glad I am to hear that you protected them. If anything would have happened to them. . . I would have never forgiven myself. . ." He looked up towards the sky. "I hope they're all right. . ."
"Don't worry so much. They had to have learned something from you." Sanji put a hand on Ryan's shoulder and then smiled reassuringly. "They're fine. I'm sure. They aren't that stupid."
The two grinned and then started laughing. "Yeah. . . They. . . They aren't the smartest, but you've got to love them," Ryan admitted. A moment or two passed before Ryan did something that Sanji would have never imagined.
He hugged him. "Thank you. . . Thank you for saving them. Showing that you're willing to give your life for them even though you don't know them shows that you have a good heart and I respect that."
Sanji felt the heat come to his cheeks almost immediately. He shakily pulled away from Ryan and then smiled. He shrunk back, trying to hide the blush that was on his cheeks. "It was nothing. . . I was just helping out some friends. . ."
Ryan smile back at him, and as if realizing what he had just done, Sanji saw the redness starting to appear on his face as well. Ryan turned away from him, his voice cracking. "Uh. . . Well, maybe we can just walk around. . . Who knows, we could run into someone who knows where we are. What do you say?"
Sanji managed a nod. "Okay." He found himself falling into step next to the Thompson and then they both paused when they heard someone shout,
"Yo man! You's get your ass over 'ere now!" Out of nowhere, a very broad and tall man came charging out of the fog. He was probably four sizes larger than Sanji, but only twice the size of Ryan. Whatever the case, he was still one of the biggest brutes that the two had ever seen besides Flexis.
The man lunged and then shoved Sanji to the ground. The breath was knocked out of him as he hit the ground with a hard thud. He started throwing powerful punches at Sanji's face and torso. Instinctively, Sanji cried out and then curled up in a ball, placing his hands over his head to protect himself.
"Hey!" Ryan grabbed onto the back of the man's shirt and pulled him away from the skinny blonde. "Leave him alone!" He gave the man a punch to the gut but it didn't seem to do any good. Ryan was shoved away and then the man went back to beating on Sanji.
Sanji attempted to fight back but every time he tried to make a move, the man would disable him. He gripped Sanji's shoulders and then slammed him off of the ground a few times just before he locked a large hand around Sanji's windpipe. He held him off of his feet in the air and then started to shout out profanities. "You bastard, I'll teach you to~"
His voice was cut off by a woman who shouted, "Darren! Put him down! That's not him."
"You sure, yo?" The man frowned and then reluctantly lowered Sanji onto his feet and released the grip he had on the boy's neck. Sanji gasped for air once he got a chance and Ryan patted his back to help him breathe.
"You all right?" Ryan asked.
Sanji nodded. "I think so. . . But, as for who the hell this is, I have no idea."
The woman who had yelled finally approached the large man. It was amazing how she had stopped him with just a simple yell; she was a lot shorter than him and even more petite than Sanji. Her blinked her aquamarine eyes at the man beside her and said once again in a gentle tone, "That's not him Darren."
"And 'ow the 'ell do you know dat? He could have changed 'is looks," the man known as Darren muttered.
"That's not him. Trust me." The woman turned from Darren and then looked at Sanji and Ryan. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "My husband, he can be. . . Misled at some times. I hope that you forgive him. My name's Runea. I'm sorry for the trouble we've caused."
"It's fine ma'am," Ryan replied, sending a glare towards Darren. "I'm sure that you didn't mean it."
Runea nodded. "It was nice to meet you." She took her husband by the arm and then started to guide him away. "I told you that that wasn't Sota."
"Sure as 'ell looked like 'im, yo. But still, he's 'ere somewhere."
Sanji froze. His heart began to beat wildly in his chest. Just the mention of his father's name was enough to cause his composure to fall apart.
Ryan glanced at Sanji and then raised an eyebrow. He put his hands on Sanji's shoulder and forced him to look at him. "Are you all right? You seem tense."
"N-No. . ." Sanji stepped away from him. "I'm fine. . . Let's just get moving before some other jerk attacks us." Sanji began to walk off without even waiting for Ryan to catch up.
The woman sighed and leaned against a large rock. She put her hand up to her face and brushed away some of her curly blonde strands of hair. She bit her lip, not wanting to remember how long she had been stuck in the dark place known as the Keyblade Realm.
She longed to see her husband and daughter. It had been almost ten years, and she couldn't take one more minute of being alone. She wanted more than anything to see them again. The woman was just about to move on again when someone behind her spoke.
"Miranda?"
Her heart lurched to the side. As she turned around, she hoped that it wasn't who she thought it was. Her hope melted when her sky blue eyes locked onto green ones.
"Sota?" She spun around and looked him over. He looked exactly the same as he had all those years ago when she had last seen him.
A smirk was already plastered on his face. "You look as beautiful as ever." He advanced towards her. "It doesn't look like you've aged a day. . . And that makes me happy." His smile grew wider as he eyed her up and down. "You know. . ." Miranda went to back away but her back pressed against the rock behind and Sota pinned her down before she could move. "There's no one around. I can finally have my fun with you. . ."
"Sota. . ." Miranda put a hand on his chest and tried to push him away but he didn't budge. He was intent on getting what he wanted. "Please. . . Sota. . ."
He pushed his forehead to hers and their lips were only an inch away. "Come on. . . What Bardroy doesn't know won't kill him. . ." Sota breathed and then forced his mouth onto hers. He placed his hands on her shoulders and then made his way down her body.
Miranda finally jerked her mouth away from his and then used the last of her breath to scream. She prayed that someone would come running to rescue her, but she knew that her luck was limited.
"Come on Miranda!" Sota pouted playfully. "You know I won't hurt you. . . Not unless you struggle, that is."
"You bastard, get off of me! Help!"
"Shh!" Sota snapped, grabbing a fistful of Miranda's hair and jerking her head to the side to silence her. "Shut up!" His frown turned into a smirk. "We don't want to attract any attention, do we?" He pushed his lips firmly against hers, this time more violently.
Even though Miranda protested and struggled as much as she could, Sota refused to release her from his grip. The only time he pulled away was when someone came up behind him, spun him him around, and then planted a fist into his jaw. Before Sota could fall to the ground, the random stranger grabbed him by the shirt and then pinned him against the rock.
Miranda quickly stepped back from the two men. She wiped some of the tears that had found themselves in the corners of her eyes away and then gasped. She blinked rapidly and her mouth fell open at the sight of her husband. "B-Bardroy?!"
Sota glanced up at his brother. "Damn Bardroy, you look really intimidating right now. Have you always been this tall?"
"Skip the reunion," Bardroy hissed. "I always knew you were an asshole Sota, but this just crosses the line. I can see that you haven't abandoned that lust that you have towards my wife. . ." He shook his head. "You're sick you know that?"
"I'd prefer the word 'demanding.' There's nothing wrong with wanting to have a little fun everyone once in awhile. And who else better than my sexy sister-in-law?"
"Screw you Sota!" Miranda shouted.
"Anytime, Miranda. Anyti~" Sota's words were cut off by Bardroy's fist. Sota gave him a shove away and then summoned his Keyblade.
"Do you really want to fight me Bardroy?" he asked. "We can't die here."
"I guess that's a plus," Bardroy said, calling forth his Keyblade also. "At least you won't die when I take you down."
"I was going to say the same thing." The two brothers clashed and then began to fight relentlessly. It didn't take Bardroy very long to disarm his older brother and knock him onto the ground.
Sota looked up at Bardroy. "You've gotten better."
"I've always been better than you." Bardroy pointed his Keyblade at Sota and then shook his head, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "You're blood doesn't even deserve to stain my blade." He let his Keyblade disappear and then he turned his attention to Miranda.
She immediately threw herself into his arms and embraced him tightly. "I know that this isn't really a good place to be meeting again, but I've really missed you. . ."
"I know. . . I've missed you too. . ." Bardroy hugged her back and then pushed his lips to her. Sota snorted in disgust when it turned passionate.
Bardroy pulled away and then turned his attention back to his brother. "You know, instead of wandering around aimlessly, shouldn't you be looking for Sarah?"
Sota froze for a moment, as if the idea had just struck him. "Sarah. . . I guess that she would be here. . . Wouldn't she?" He held his one hand in front of his face, eying the Mark of Darkness that rested on his palm. "Where do you think she is?"
Bardroy shrugged. "How the hell am I supposed to know? Go look for her."
"I helped you find your wife. Now you can help me," Sota told him. "Please?
"You didn't help me find my wife. You tried to. . ." Bardroy sighed. "You know what. . . Never mind. . . Fine, but just because she's my sister-in-law. . ."
"I appreciate it."
The three were about to walk off when out of nowhere, a large man with jet black hair charged into the scene. If Bardroy hadn't grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the way quick enough, the man would have taken Miranda out. It seemed that Sota was his main target because he plowed him down onto the ground and then started to continuously punch him in the face.
It didn't take long for Bardroy to realize who the stranger was. "Darren?! What are you doing?!"
"I's gonna kill dis bastard yo!" Darren screamed. "'e killed Runea! I's kill 'im for that!"
"Another fight, huh?" The brunette sighed and then cracked her neck. "Well, I may as well go and join in. . . Who knows? Maybe this will be my lucky day. Maybe one of them will have my Keyblade. . ." The woman stretched her arms out and then paused. She recognized the voices that were speaking. And they were close by.
Darren.
Runea.
Bardroy.
Sota.
Her blue eyes skimmed the area and she estimated where she thought the group was. When she figured it out, she quickly ran in that direction, praying that it was her friends.
"You know that you can't kill me here, Darren! I'm sorry for what I did, but it wasn't my fault!" Sota screamed at his old friend.
"I can damn well try to kill ya! You's deserves to die!" Darren yelled. He finally managed to wrap his fingers around Sota's neck and held him in the air. The blonde kicked his legs and struggled against the brute's grip, but nothing he did made a difference.
"Darren, please. . . I already said that I'm sorry. . . Let me go. . . Plea~" Sota's voice was cut off when Darren squeezed his windpipe even harder and cut off his air supply completely.
"Darren! Please! Stop!" Runea shouted once again. Bardroy was trying to calm him down also but it wasn't working quite well at all.
"Why do you think that woman screamed earlier? I wonder what was happening. . ?"
"Don't worry about it, Savannah," her younger sister told her. "We don't need to get involved."
"I know. . . I just hope that we don't run into any trouble soon."
"Nothing will happen. As long as we keep moving, we should be all right. We just have to find someone who can tell us what's going on," Sam said.
"Wait a minute. . . There's some people walking towards us. . ." Savannah gasped and happily raced ahead of her sister. "Sanji! Ryan!"
The two men came to a standstill. While Savannah threw herself into Ryan's arms, Sam hugged Sanji. "Thank god that you're okay!" Savannah cried. "I thought you and Sanji were both goners!"
"We were actually. . ." Ryan pulled away from her and then continued to speak. "Sanji and I think that this may be where we go after death."
"Really?" Sam looked around the area, amazed. "Then that means that we all. . . We're all dead, huh?"
Savannah nodded. "I suppose so."
"Did anyone see Sora?" Sanji asked.
"Lee?" Savannah shook her head. "No, I didn't."
"Not that bastard. I meant the other one," Sanji grumbled.
"I didn't see him either. . ."
"Lee would be here, but if Sora's still out there then he wouldn't be here," Sam pointed out.
Savannah shrugged. "I guess he was still alive before I died. I wonder if he got away or not. . ."
"We'll have to search around a bit if we're set on figuring it out. We can stick together from now on," Sanji said.
Savannah smiled and then took Ryan's hand. "Shall we go then?"
Sanji had to hold back his cuss. "Yeah, okay."
The boy with the long silver hair fell to his knees when his brother approached him. "Eric. . . What are you doing here? You're supposed to be. . ."
"I know that you're probably confused. . ." The older but shorter boy held out his hand. "But, if you come with me, then I can explain everything to you." He smiled kindly. "What do you say, Riku?" The seventeen-year-old sitting on the ground took the extended hand and stood up. Riku smiled. "Sure. You are my big brother, after all. Right Eric?"
"Sota!" the woman screamed, running towards the group of five. "Darren! What are you doing? Put him down!"
The brute turned his attention to the brunette who had taken a grip on his arm. "Yo Sarah? What's you doin' 'ere?"
"Why are you choking my husband!?" Sarah retorted.
"Dis bastard deserves to be killed yo! 'e killed Runea!" he replied in an angry tone.
"Just put him down! We'll discuss everything when you stop acting like a monster!" Sarah yelled. "Act civilized for once!"
Darren grumbled something and then let Sota drop to the ground. The blonde rubbed his red throat and gasped for breath. He slowly got to his feet and then looked over at his wife. Before he could even smile at her, she gave him a firm slap across the face that made him stagger back and bump into Bardroy. Putting his hand on his cheek, he muttered, "I should have expected that. A simple 'hello' would have sufficed."
"Hello." Sarah's tone was full of sarcasm.
Sota frowned and rubbed his cheek again. But then, something happened that surprised him even more than the slap. Sarah stepped over to him, kissed him sweetly, and then hugged him. "As much of an idiot that you can be. . . I still really missed you. I hope that we never have to part for that long again."
Sota wrapped his arms around his wife and gave her a tight hug back. "I'm sorry for everything that I put you through. I couldn't protect you. . . But I'm glad that you're here now. You couldn't possibly understand how much I needed you over the pass few years."
"And I to you." Sarah pulled away from him and then her smiling face turned into a serious one. "How are the kids? Where are they?"
When Sota didn't answer, he expression turned into a grave one. "Sota? Tell me. . . They're okay, right?"
"Define okay. . ." Bardroy and Miranda grumbled in unison.
Sarah turned to her brother and sister-in-law. "What do you mean?"
"Care to explain the details Sota?" Bardroy folded his arms. "I'm afraid that I don't know all of them for myself."
"I don't know what you're talking about. . ." Sota's gaze was coming out a pair of narrowed green eyes.
"Don't play dumb with us, Sota," Bardroy continued. "I already know that you dumped Sanji and Savannah off in an orphanage. Which, might I add, was actually a science lab full of lunatic scientists."
Sarah's expression was full of horror and disbelief. Before she could even react, she paused to hear what Miranda had to add. "Lee ran away too. You never did go and look for him, did you?"
"I don't know how, but somehow, Lee's still alive. And he was with Joshua last time I saw him," Bardroy added.
Sarah gasped. "Sota! What did you do!?"
"Oh come on Sarah! That's not so bad," Sota told her. "Don't get mad at me, please."
"Oh it's too late for that!" Sarah boomed. "You're lucky I don't strangle you!"
Sota flinched at her words.
"I can't believe that you got rid of Sanji and Savannah! At an orphanage!No, correction, at a freaky science lab! How could you do that to them!? And Lee ran away! What did you possibly do to Lee to make him run off!? Answer me!? When did all of this happen!?"
Bardroy thought for a moment. "About twelve years ago. Just after you died."
Sarah looked over at her husband and exploded again. "How could this happen!? I always knew that something like this would happen! But how!?"
"I told you that you shouldn't have left. . ." Sota lowered his head. "I messed up, all right? But don't worry, I have Sora getting everyone together. There's nothing to worry about."
"Why could you just have gotten them together yourself? Can't you do anything right?"
"I'm sorry all right. . . I vowed to kill Joshua and I got sidetracked. . ." Sota sighed. "I know that I shouldn't have given into vengeance, but I just couldn't control myself. . ."
"Did you get your revenge?" Sarah asked, her voice growing more softer. She knew how hard it was to let go of revenge and that was one thing that she couldn't yell at her husband for. That was the whole reason she ended up at the world known as the Keyblade Realm.
"No. . . I didn't. . . And that pisses me off. . ." Sota clenched his fists.
"There's no need for you to get your revenge," Bardroy cut in. "I already took Joshua down."
Sota looked up at his brother. "You did? When?"
"Just a few days ago. He killed Miranda, and for that I made him pay."
"I told you that I was the one who was going to kill Joshua!" Sota yelled. "How could you take that chance away from me!?"
Bardroy folded his arms. "You went and got yourself killed. I was just finishing what Joshua started. He deserved to die. He was vulnerable and I took that chance. If anything you should be congratulating me for taking down such a strong opponent."
"Oh yeah? Why should I be happy when you took my destiny?! I was supposed to kill him, not you!"
"Stop it!" Miranda shouted, causing the two of them to fall silent. "The truth is that Joshua's dead and that's that. If we're all here then chances are that he's here too. We'll just have to hope we don't run into him, and if we do, then Sota, you can have your chance then."
"But he can't die here!" Sota protested.
"That's a problem you'll have to figure out for yourself," Miranda told him. "No one here is going to help you obtain your petty revenge since he's already dead. Might as well give it up."
"No." Sota shook his head. "I'll never give up my hatred toward Joshua. He deserves to be hated by everyone. He deserves to be~"
"That's enough." Everyone was shocked to see that the words had some from the petite blonde. Runea sighed and continued. "We're not accomplishing anything by fighting. Right now, we should be trying to figure out why we're here and everything else that needs to answered."
The six adults looked at each other and then Bardroy finally spoke. "Runea's right. If we're planning on getting anything figured out, we have to work together. What do you say? It'll be just like old times."
Sarah nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry. . . It's just that so much has happened. . . I never thought that I would see you guys again. . ."
Runea was already wiping tears from her eyes. She quickly stepped over to her friend and wrapped her arms around her. "I missed you Sarah. I never even knew that you died. . ."
"I missed you too. . . I never knew that you died either."
Darren's eyes slid over to Sota's green ones. "Runea wouldn't be dead if it wasn't for you, yo."
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"This bastard killed Runea. I've only said it 'bout a 'undred times already," Darren grumbled. "Can I's kill 'im now?"
"You killed Runea?" Sarah turned to Sota, question filling her eyes. "But how? Why?"
"It wasn't him," Bardroy told her. Out of all the crimes Sota was guilty for, Runea's death was not one of them. "Kira possessed him and forced him to kill her."
"Yo man, is dat true?" Darren asked, wide-eyed.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Sota yelled at his best friend. "But you're so damn stubborn Darren that you wouldn't even listen to me!"
"Yo man. It ain't my fault yo. Jus' mad, that's all."
"You always get mad, you know that?" Sarah huffed. "That's a relief, though," she sighed afterward. She looked up at Sota and smiled. "I knew that my Sota would never do anything cruel like that."
"Continuing with the theme of what's going on," Sota began, ignoring Sarah's comment, "does everyone know why we're here?"
"Hold that thought." Bardroy silenced all of them. "Someone's coming."
"I could have swore that I heard Uncle Bardroy talking just a second ago. . . If this is the afterlife then I guess he would be here because he was killed by Lamont. . ." Savannah said.
"Let's just keep moving. . . We're bound to run into some~" Sanji froze whenever he heard voices coming from just in front of them. Indeed, he could recognize his uncle's among them, but one of them stuck out. His pulse quickened and his body grew rigid.
"He's with some other people. . ." Sam told the group.
"Wait. . . That's. . ." Savannah smiled and shouted, "Dad!" Sam's curiosity got the better of her and she followed her older sister.
Sanji stood frozen. He couldn't even find the strength to move.
His father was there.
He swallowed and then took a small step back. He paused when he bumped into Ryan. The Thompson boy blinked. He could sense the change in Sanji's attitude. "Are you okay?"
Sanji slowly shook his head. "I can't be here right now. . . He'll see me. . ."
Ryan raised an eyebrow. He could infer that the blonde was talking about his father but he wondered why his composure had changed into one full of worry and fright. "It's just your Dad. . ."
Sanji's eyes darted toward Ryan as he said, "You don't understand. . . He can't see me. I don't want to be stuck with him again." He clutched his one arm and then pulled away from Ryan when he put a hand on his shoulder. "Just stay away from me!" And with that, he ran off.
"Wait!" The larger boy chased after him until he finally was able to outrun him. He took Sanji by the shoulder and forced him to look at him. "What are you doing? Your sisters are back there. . . And apparently, so is your father."
Just the mention of the last word, Ryan could feel Sanji start to tremble in his grip. "What's wrong? You should be happy to see your family again."
Sanji turned away from him and went to walk off. "You could never understand. You don't know what I've been through. You don't know~" At the last moment, Sanji tripped. He grabbed onto Ryan to prevent himself from falling but since he was caught off guard, both the Thompson and Davidson fell to the ground. The only thing Sanji succeeded in doing was pulling Ryan down so he was lying on top of him.
Ryan used his hands to prop himself up so he was just hovering over Sanji. The skinny blonde was looking up at him, his eyes wide. The two found each other smiling at each other. "Sorry," Ryan apologized. "I should have been paying more attention. We wouldn't have fell if. . ." He fell silent. Whatever feeling he was getting in his heart was one that he had never experienced before. A warm sensation was coming over him and he couldn't understand why.
He smiled again at Sanji before he awkwardly started to get up. He got onto his feet and then extended his hand for Sanji to take. Taking Ryan's hand and getting back onto his feet, Sanji turned away from him. He was trying to hide his blush.
"So. . . Um. . ." Ryan had to turn his attention away from the blonde for a moment so he could will his blush to disappear. Once he was sure that it was gone, he looked back at Sanji. "M-Maybe we should head back to where your sisters are. It's only a matter of time before they realize that we're gone."
Sanji's eyes slid towards the ground. He shook his head slightly and gripped his arm. "No. . . I can't. . ."
"Why not?"
"I don't want to. . ."
"I can tell that you have something against your father. You cower and tremble even if I just mention him. I'm usually not one to pry, but what happened between you two? I'm curious about it."
Sanji looked up at Ryan who had his arms folded. "It doesn't concern you," he told him. "And besides, nothing happened anyway."
Ryan frowned. "Yeah right. I can tell by how you act that there's something messed up with your rela~" He silenced himself and at that moment, both him and Sanji turned to the boy who was staring at them.
His brown hair was billowing in the eerie breeze that always seemed to blow and he blinked his blue eyes at the two. The look on his face was one of confusion and wonder, but then his eyes narrowed and then he frowned familiarly. He took a step towards them and then pulled his foot back, as if wondering where he should go.
Sanji blinked a few times. A guilt was rising in his heart. "Lee. . ." he breathed. "Where are you go~"
Lee shook his head and then ran off in the other direction. Just as he disappeared into the fog, Ryan shouted, "Lee! Wait!" The Thompson ran after him.
"Ryan!" Sanji looked in the direction of where Savannah and Sam were and then turned back to where Ryan had run off to. He shook his head and then raced after Ryan and his deceased brother, wondering all the while about why they were there.
"Savannah?!" Sota was just as surprised as everyone else to see that his daughter had come out of nowhere and forced him into a tight embrace. He wasn't quite sure that if the stranger was his daughter or not; being that it had been twelve years since he had parted ways wither, but when he saw her deep emerald green eyes, he knew that it was her. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing! I've missed you Dad!" She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. Sota blinked a few times and then wrapped his arms around his daughter. He was surprised to see her even taller than him now.
Bardroy was about to ask her something when Sarah almost plowed him down. "Savannah?" The brunette turned towards the woman who had said her name. Her silky brown hair was pulled into a ponytail that was hanging over her right shoulder. Her stunning blue eyes blinked rapidly. Savannah cocked her head and then realized how much the woman reminded her of herself. She raised an eyebrow and then questioned, "Mom?"
Sarah had tears in her eyes. "Savannah. . ." She quickly stepped over to her daughter and pulled her into a hug. A tear rolled down her cheek as she said, "I've longed for the day where I could see you again. It's been so long. . . You've grown up to be a beautiful young woman. . ."
"Savannah?" When everyone turned to see Sam, they paused.
"Sam?" Bardroy began. "You're here too. . ?"
"Samantha. . ?" Sarah's eyes became even more wet with tears. "Sam!" She pulled the blonde into her hug and squeezed her two girls tightly. "Oh my girls. . . I've longed for the day for us to meet again. . ."
It didn't take Sam long to realize that the woman who was hugging her was her mother. She accepted the hug willingly and happily squeezed her mother back.
Sarah finally released them and then smiled. "I finally met my girls, now where are my boys?" She looked around, hoping to see one of her sons. "Where's Sanji?"
"Oh right," Savannah remembered. "He's over that way." She pointed out into the fog where they once were.
"Why didn't he come over here?" Sarah asked, looking in that direction.
Savannah furrowed her brow. "I don't know. . ."
"You ran off so suddenly that they probably didn't even process what was going on," Sam told her. "You could have warned them."
"Sorry. . ." Savannah apologized. "I saw Dad and just forgot about everything else." The brunette looked over at her father and smiled.
"'They'?" Sota questioned. "Is someone else with you?"
Savannah nodded. "Yeah. His name's Ryan. He's so handsome. . . I love it when I'm around him. . ." She sighed dreamily.
Sarah smiled while Sota frowned. "Well sweetheart, you can introduce me to him when we meet him. I'm sure he's as charming as you say."
Sota cracked his knuckles and flexed his fingers. "I'll be the judge of that. . ." he muttered under his breath. "Wait a minute. . . Isn't Ryan one of them Thompson boys?"
Savannah nodded.
"What of it?" Sam asked.
"Those bastards were the ones who killed me." Sota folded his arms. "I'll be damned if my daughter is hanging around a killer."
"Don't worry Dad," Savannah told him. "I already solved the problem with that. Kiari was forcing them to do that, and he only obeyed so he could protect his brothers."
"Well, I still don't like it. I'm not believing that."
"Oh Sota, don't be stupid." Sarah waved her hand around. "I'm an excellent judge of character and I'll decide if he's innocent or not."
Sota rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."
"Let's go," Savannah said, pointing to where Ryan and Sanji supposedly were. She grabbed her mother and father's hand and then dragged them off. The rest of the group looked at each other, shrugged, and then followed.
"Lee!"
Sora's head snapped up. The voice calling out for someone was familiar. It almost sounded like Sanji. . .
No, it was Sanji.
Although the voice was distant, he knew that if he called out for help that it was most likely that he'd be heard. "Sanji! Help!"
When Kira whipped around, her long hair followed. "Joshua, silence him!" Joshua seemed reluctant at first but be placed one of his hands over Sora's mouth.
Sora narrowed his eyes at Kiari's father and then dug his teeth into the flesh of Joshua's hand. The violet-eyed grunted and pulled his hand away. "Sanji! Sanji! Help! I'm over here!" He yelled as loudly as he could, hoping that he would get an answer.
Kira muttered a few curses and then stepped over to the sixteen-year-old in her high-heeled boots. She grabbed a fistful of Sora's spiky hair and jerked his head upward. "Shut up you little brat! I won't hesitate to break your neck!" She kneed him in the gut and then kicked him in the side a few times once he'd crumpled to the ground.
"You know," Joshua began, "Sota won't like it if you beat up his son. What makes you so sure that he'll accept you after he figures that out?"
Kira paused for a moment. "Sota likes to torture people just as much as I do. Quit trying to protect the boy. Because if I find out that's what you're trying to do, then I'll hurt you instead."
"It's not like you don't anyway, bitch."
"Joshua!"
Sora was getting onto his hands and knees when he saw Kira give her husband a hard slap across the face. She shoved him away from her and then the two of them began to shout profanities at each other.
The spiky-haired boy sent a glare at Kira and then she looked over at him. She smiled and said mockingly, "You almost look intimidating when you frown like that."
Sora frowned. "Piss off." He was just as surprised as she was at what he had said. Anger made you say a lot of regrettable things at random.
Kira smiled, but this wasn't a pleasant smile. This was one full of hatred and power. She ignored Joshua when he said, "Kira, wait. . . Remember what I said~"
"I don't give a shit about what you said." She looked over at him. "When have I?" Her narrow eyes slid back over to Sora. "This boy needs to be taught a lesson. He obviously doesn't fear me as much as he should and that's a big mistake." Her fingers slid to her side where she pulled off her whip. She uncoiled the spiraled leather and then stretched a part of it in her hands. Sora was almost positive that he had heard Joshua gasp from behind her. "Maybe this will teach you a lesson."
Just as Kira held up the whip and Sora braced himself by crossing his arms across his face, the voice called out again. "Lee! Where are you!"
Kira sighed, frustrated. "Damn that voice. It's annoying me." She wound up the whip and then turned back to her husband. "Joshua, restrain this boy while I go take care of it. He'd better be here when I come back or you can call yourself dead."
"We're already dead, dear," Joshua replied, his voice heavy with sarcasm.
"I'll find a way." Kira marched off.
"Lee!" Sanji shouted once again. He joined in on the search for his younger brother.
Ryan sighed sadly. "Where'd he go. . ?"
"I'm not sure. . ." he shrugged.
"Excuse me?"
Sanji and Ryan turned around. A woman was walking over to him. Her extremely long hair blew behind her in the wind. Both boys couldn't dismiss the fact that she was beautiful beyond belief. "Why all the shouting?" she asked.
"Did we disturb you?" Ryan asked. "If we did, then sorry ma'am."
"No," the woman answered, shaking her head. "I was just curious."
"I'm looking for my brother," Sanji told her. "He's almost as tall as you and has brown hair and blue eyes. Have you seen him?"
Kira thought for a moment and then shook her head. "No. I haven't."
"Oh, okay. Sorry to bother you," Sanji apologized, taking Ryan's arm and then starting to drag him off. "Well, good-bye."
Kira narrowed her eyes and thought for a minute. The guy in front of her had a striking resemblance to her Sota. "Hold up for a minute."
The woman's words made Sanji and Ryan pause. They turned towards her. "Yeah?"
When Kira caught sight of Sanji's emerald green eyes, she knew exactly who she was looking at. "Hey. . ." She smiled and then started to step towards him. "You're kind of familiar. . . Do I know you?"
Her dark brown eyes skimmed him over and then locked onto his. She stepped past Ryan and ignored his words, only focusing on Sanji. "You remind me of a man I know. His name is Sota. . ." When she saw the change in Sanji's expression, she knew that his similar appearance wasn't just a coincidence. He knew Sota in some way.
"Hey, miss. . ." Ryan frowned darkly when he saw her corner Sanji. "Ma'am. . ." He stomped over to her and took her gently but firmly by the shoulder and turned her towards him. "If you have anything to ask, you can ask me."
Kira narrowed her eyes. "I'm not talking to you." She looked away from him but Ryan didn't take no for an answer. When he went to spin her around, she gave him an elbow to the ribs and knocked him to the ground.
Ryan clutched the spot where she had hit him, knowing that it was going to bruise badly. The wind was knocked out of him and he was having trouble regaining it. For a woman, he had to admit, she was strong. He regretted misjudging her.
Kira turned back to Sanji. Now that the other boy was out of the way, she could have her way with the blonde. "As I was saying. . ." She pinned him down and stared at him, a smirk on her face. She blinked and then said softly, "If you help me, I can help you. . . Tell me, where's Sota?"
He opened his mouth to speak but then promptly closed it. "I don't know. . ."
Kira tilted her head. "You don't?" She ran a hand down Sanji's cheek and then brushed some of the bangs out of his face. "If you're who I think you are then I know that you know where he is. . . Tell me. Please Sanji?"
Sora was trying to get to his feet when he felt Joshua's arms lock around him chest and then then help him up. He placed the boy on his feet and then, before Sora could even question, said that sounded more like an order, "Get the hell out of here. Run as fast as your legs will carry you."
The sixteen-year-old didn't hesitate. Within seconds, he was looking over his shoulder, watching as Joshua's form disappeared into the fog. As he ran, he wondered, Why did Joshua help me? He seems to be a lot more merciful and nicer than Kira. . . Do you think. . ? I wonder if. . . maybe he's actually. . . Actually a good guy. . ? Sora shook his head and then focused on the path he was headed. I have to get out of here. I have to get away from those two. Sanji. . . I know I heard him and someone else. Where did they go? Whatever the case, I have to find them. . .
Sora ran and ran until he found himself charging into a group of people. He yelped in surprise and then was sent to the ground when he accidentally ran into someone who was almost three times bigger than him in length and width.
"Yo! Some crazy kid jus' ran into me!" the man shouted to his companions as if they were miles away from him. "Who da 'ell are you?!"
"No shit Darren. We're right here," another man groaned. "Keep your voice down to a damn minimum. We don't need you attracting any unwanted attention. Can't you pretend like your normal for once?"
"Shut the 'ell up Bardroy!" Darren snapped. "You's got no say!"
"Actually, I have just as much say as you."
"I'll slug ya, yo."
Sora took a large breath of fresh air so he could breathe; running into the man in front of him had knocked the breath out of him. He looked up at the man towering over him. He was almost positive that he had never seen the man before, but something about him was sticking out. Then he realized that he was looking at Riku's father. The picture that he had seen at Bardroy's house proved that it was him.
It was only when someone said Sora's name did he notice all of the other people standing around him. He blinked rapidly when he saw his sisters, uncle, and father. "Dad. . ? Uncle Bardroy. . ? Savannah and Sam. . ? What are you doing here. . ? I thought you you were all. . ." His voice trailed off when his father finished for him.
"Dead? Well, we actually are, but we'll be explaining that soon." Sota extended his hand and Sora took it. "You all right?" Sora nodded. Before Sota could say more, Sora stepped closer to him and gave him a tight hug. "I'm sorry Dad. . . I tried. . . I tried to get everyone together but I just couldn't do it. I couldn't defeat Kiari either. . . I'm too weak. . ." Sora's eyes fell downward towards the ground.
"Sora, pull yourself together. As far as I'm concerned, you got farther than I did in twelve years." Sota used his finger to lift Sora's chin. "Cheer up."
Sora smiled slightly. "I tried. . ."
"Sora. . ?"
The sixteen-year-old turned to the voice who had said his name. He blinked at his mother who was staring at him with her big blue eyes. Tears were moistening them. She opened her arms and Sora jumped into them willingly. "Sora. . ." Sarah bit her lip, tears falling down her cheeks. "I've missed you so much. . . I'm sorry for not being there for you. . . My little Sora. . ." She embraced him tightly and then finally pulled away.
Sora smiled at her and quickly wiped some tears away from his eyes. "Mom. . . Don't cry. . . It's okay. . . We're together now. . ." Before he knew it, he was hugging her again. "Why'd you have to go?"
"I'm sorry. . . But like you said, we're together now and everything's going to be all right."
Runea was standing off to the side with her husband, Bardroy, and Miranda. Savannah and Sam were standing over by their father. Runea brushed tears away from her face. "Oh gosh. . ." she cried. "This. . . This is heartbreaking but so happy at the same time. . . I'm so happy for Sarah and her children." She buried her face into her hands and started to cry. "I can't wait to see our children again. . ." she continued, looking up at Darren. "Riku and Eric are out there somewhere. . . Out in the real world. . . We're going to have to track them down whenever we get back. . ."
"Ya got that right, yo," Darren nodded. For once, he was agreeing with someone. "I wonder what they've been up to yo."
Miranda was wiping a tear away from her eye. "I'm glad that those children got to finally meet their mother. I don't trust them with Sota at all." She sighed and then a sudden realization came over her. She turned to Bardroy quickly, her eyes widening. "What about Emily?" She took her husband by the shoulders and gave him a slight shake. "How is she? Where is she? Is she all right?"
Bardroy was silent for a few moments. "That. . . I'm not too sure about. . ."
Miranda's heart sank deeply. "What do you mean. . ?" The worst possible outcomes were starting to fill her mind.
"I was killed before I saw what happened. . . I don't know what's happened to her." Bardroy clenched his fists. "If I wouldn't have been caught off guard then maybe I could have gotten her to a safer place. Those bastards aren't merciful. . ." His voice trailed off when he saw that his wife was trembling. She was fighting back tears.
"You don't think. . ? But Bardroy. . ."
Bardroy cursed himself for what he said knowing that he had definitely scared his wife. "You know what. . . I'm sure she's fine." He pulled Miranda into his arms and stroked her hair. "She's smart, just like the both of us. She knows what she's doing." He smiled and then continued, "She's like a mirror image of you, you know?"
Miranda smiled back at him. "It has been ten years. . . But if recall correctly, she did have your eyes."
"She does. She's always wanted to meet you, and now that we have a second chance, she finally can."
"I'd like that."
"Where did you come from?" Savannah asked Sora. "Sanji and I didn't know if you were here or not. . . So I guess this kind of answers our question."
"What even is this place?" Sora questioned.
"We'll explain that it just a moment." Sarah looked around. "Where's Sanji and Lee?"
Sora blinked and then remembered. "I heard Sanji calling out Lee's name around here somewhere." Then he recalled the Capri's. "Oh yeah! Mom, Dad, Kira and Joshua Capri are over that way!" He pointed to where he had come from. "They had me with them and were dragging me along with them. Kira said that she was looking for you, Dad."
Bardroy rolled his eyes. "That damn slut just needs to keep her hands to herself." He turned to Sota who was once again staring hungrily at Miranda and then hissed, "And you for that matter!"
Sora blinked. "Aunt Miranda?"
Miranda quickly leaned over to Bardroy and whispered, "Which one is that?"
"The one Sota referred to as the decoy," Bardroy answered back quietly. "His name's just Sora."
"Okay." She turned to Sora. "Hi there. Yeah. . . I guess I'm your aunt too."
Sora smiled at her and then whispered to his father, "She's really pretty Dad."
Sota sighed. "Tell me about it."
"Sanji's over there?" Sarah eyes lit up. "Come on everybody, let's keep going!"
Kira ran her hand along Sanji's cheek gently. She smiled and asked again, "Where's Sota?"
"I don't know. . . I really don't. . ." Sanji couldn't' think of anything else to say. He honestly didn't know nor did he care about where his father was. He was the last person he wanted to see.
Kira's gentle expression turned into one with narrowed eyes and a frown. "Well?"
Sora pointed ahead and shouted, "Over there!"
Kira turned around and muttered a curse, seeing that Joshua had failed and let the boy escape. She summoned a Keyblade and then watched as the rather large group appeared from out of the fog.
Sanji attention was turned away from Kira and onto the group also. Ryan was getting onto his feet. He quickly took Sanji by the hand and then dragged him away from Kira. "You all right?" he asked, sighing afterward. He knew that was probably the fifth time he had asked within the last few hours but he just couldn't think of anything better to say.
Sanji was just about to nod when he caught a glimpse of the group and froze. Aside from seeing Darren and Runea; the two who had attacked he and Ryan earlier, three of his siblings, his uncle and aunt, and his father, there was another woman in the group that made his heart completely stop beating for some time. He stared at her, wondering if she was a figment of his imagination or not.
Ryan followed his gaze and saw that he was staring at a woman who had smooth brown hair and bright blue eyes. She looked an awful lot like Sora and Lee. Looking from the woman to him, Ryan wondered, Is that Sanji's mother. . ?
The adults of the group were the first ones to act. They all summoned their weapons and were immediately ready to face Kira who was staring at only one of them. "Sota," she smiled. "It's been too long." She took a step towards them and they all pointed their weapons at her.
"Don't come any closer," Sarah threatened. She had her eyes locked on Kira, a hatred filling them.
Kira frowned. "I have nothing to say to you Sarah, other than you're a witch." She smiled as she looked over at Sota. "I've missed you. . ." She motioned for him to come over to her with her finger.
No one moved at first, but then Sota took a small step forward. Realizing that Kira was trying to lead him into another trance, Bardroy put a hand on Sota's shoulder and then spun him around roughly. "Hey, snap out of it!"
Sota blinked and then shook his head. "Damn it. . . Not again," he muttered.
"Isn't there any way for you to fight it?" his brother asked.
Sota shook his head. He eyed the Mark of Darkness on his palm and then sighed, "I have too much Darkness in my heart to resist."
Sarah touched Sota's arm. She looked at him and smiled, "Don't worry. If anything happens and she possesses you, I'll do everything in my power to try to and get you back. You can believe in me."
Sota smiled at her. "I know you would."
Kira was frowning. She sighed and then brushed some of her bangs out of her face. "Why do you always have to interfere. I hate all of you so much. Well, all of you except my precious Sota." She smiled at him.
"Yo man! That fine yo 'cause we's already 'ate ya! You's jus' a B-I-T-C-H! A bitch yo! And a 'ore yo! You's a slut man!" Darren insulted her.
Bardroy and Miranda turned away for a moment and snickered. Just Darren's voice made them explode into giggles.
"And you's a hoe! And an ugly one at that! Man, you's so ugly dat even your mother probably 'ates ya! And ya father~"
Bardroy silenced him. "Darren," he took a deep breath and tried to stop his grin from turning into a laugh, "that's quite enough. I think we get the gist of it."
Sarah joined in, "Yeah, I think that you should stop now. That was pretty. . . Pretty funny, but still, it would be better if you didn't make her even more pissed then she already is."
Kira huffed, "Well, if you're finished making an ass of yourself Darren, then how about you suck my dick."
Sora was blinking rapidly; he had never heard so much cursing in one conversation. He watched in amazement as his mother let out a string of curses. Even Riku didn't swear that much, not even when he was mad. All the while, Sora thought, Wow. . . My mom's awesome!
"Enough of this foolishness," Kira spat. "We're wasting precious time. Joshua, get over here now." Slowly, the form of Joshua Capri appeared from in the fog. He stopped right next to Kira. "You let the boy escape," she told him, pointing to Sora who was standing safely behind the six adults. "How much of a dumbass can you be?"
"A big one," he answered bluntly. "He didn't hold any significance to us at all either way. Who cares if he got away or not?"
"I care." Kira narrowed her eyes at him. "I was going to use him to lure Sota here, but since a dumbass like you had to go and ruin that. . ."
"He brought you to Sota either way," Joshua sighed.
Her gaze slid over to Sota's group. "You know why we're here, don't you?"
"We do." Bardroy took a step forward. "I'm sure that you know as well."
"As much as I despise talking to you, yes, we do know why we're here." Kira turned from Bardroy to Joshua. "Summon your Keyblade."
Joshua raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Just do it." She sent him an icy glare.
"Yes sweetheart," he obeyed, once again filling his voice with sarcasm. He held out his hand and then summoned his Keyblade.
Everyone was silent except for Sota who shouted out, "Hey! That's mine!"
Joshua blinked and then eyed the key in his hand. "I guess you're right." He frowned at the weapon.
"Give it back!" Sota yelled.
Joshua's eyes trailed upon the Keyblade that Sota was holding. "I'm not giving yours back until you give me mine."
"What are you talking about, this isn't~" Sota started at the suddenly familiar blade. He could remember when it had torn through Sarah's body, killing her. He gritted his teeth at the blade and then looked up at Joshua who was sending him a glare back. "Why the hell did I get stuck with your Keyblade?" He dropped it to the ground and then stamped on it. He pointed his finger at Joshua. "If we weren't here right now, I'd beat your sorry ass back to the Hell you came from! You killed Sarah!"
Joshua frowned "You think I'm the bad guy? Look who's talking." He shook his head. "You all need to open your eyes and see who the real bad guy is around here. It's not me."
Sarah narrowed her eyes and then asked her husband, "Sota, what's he talking about?"
"Nothing. He's just trying to trick us again. That's all he can do. Deceive people."
Joshua shook his head. "Here." He gave Sota's Keyblade a toss over to the group and Sota quickly snatched his up. "I don't need to be holding a Keyblade like yours," Joshua muttered. "It only shames the innocent."
Sora was looking around, confusion being the only thing he knew at that moment. Why are all of our Keyblades different? Could what Joshua said be the truth? If we find our real Keyblades does that mean that we can go back to the real world? He focused back on Joshua Capri who was holding his arm out in front of him, a stance that Sora knew all to well.
The Keyblade that was underneath Sota's foot disappeared suddenly, causing the blonde to lose his balance and almost fall to the ground. He would have if Bardroy hadn't have grabbed a fistful of his brother's shirt and keep him standing on his own two feet.
Joshua grinned and started to laugh. "Sota, Sota, Sota. . ." He shook his head, still smiling. "Some things never change do they? You're still as stupid as I remember. Well. . ." His eyes slid over to Darren. "At least not as stupid as him though."
The brute took a step forward. "Yo man! What'd you say!?"
"Darren." Runea placed a hand on his arm. "Don't." He frowned but then calmed himself and stayed where he was.
Joshua eyed the Keyblade in his hand, twirled it around, and then smiled. "Well, that was pretty easy."
Sota sent Joshua a glare but then looked down at his Keyblade. He smiled, thankful that he had gotten it back so quickly. Sarah looked over at him and then narrowed her eyes back at Kira. "So, apparently, even after all of this time, you still haven't located your Keyblade?"
"I can see that you haven't found yours either."
Sora was still wondering about all the information on the Keyblades and what had to be done in order to gain a second chance at life. When he looked over at his sisters, they looked just as lost as he did. Sanji and Ryan too. He knew that he'd have to question his parents about it once they were through with arguing with the Capri's.
"Your group still has a lot of searching to do," Kira commented, "being that there are a bunch of you. I never liked to bother myself friends. All they do is get in the way. All a woman needs is a good man who she can rely on. I was hoping that Sota could join up with me. . ." She sent Sota a small pout and he shook his head.
"No thanks," he declined in a hiss.
Kira titled her head. "Oh well, maybe next time." She smiled at him and he frowned back.
Sora was pretty sure he saw Joshua roll his eyes.
The long-haired woman turned to her husband. "Joshua, we're done here. Let's move on." Kira started off and Joshua reluctantly followed. She paused for a moment and then hissed, "And if you even dare leaving me here alone, you'll receive hell when we meet again."
"Oh Kira, I wouldn't dream of leaving," he said mockingly.
This time, she didn't even retort. The two continued on their way until they disappeared through the fog.
Ryan would have chased off after Joshua if Kira wasn't with him. His heart ached with pain to see him leave, but then he turned himself back to Sanji. If anyone could get his father off of his mind, it would be him.
Sanji's heart fluttered in his chest when Ryan took his hand. "We should join up with the group."
The blonde was about to protest but when Ryan smiled reassuringly at him, he relaxed. "Come on."
"Sanji!" Sora ran over to him and hugged his brother tightly. "There you are! I'm so glad that you're all right! I was worried that Kira may have hurt you!"
Sanji was surprised to see Sora so worried about him. He accepted the hug and gave one in return. "I'm okay. Don't worry."
Sora pulled away, smiling. "That's good."
Savannah was next. "What happened to you? You were with Sam and I but then you and Ryan just disappeared."
"Sorry," Ryan apologized. "We ran into trouble. . ." It was as good a story as any.
"Just don't run off again," Savannah told him. She wrapped her arms around Ryan's perfect shaped torso and then gave him a squeeze. Resting her head on his sternum, she ran her hands up his fit arms and breathed, "I was worried that you'd left me. . ."
Ryan blushed slightly and slowly pulled away. He liked Savannah, but not in the way that she did him. She was beautiful; he couldn't deny that, but she wasn't his type and he could tell. He had his eyes set on someone else.
"Yo man, ain't you's dat boy we's saw earlier?" Darren asked.
"It is, Darren," Runea told him. She stood on the tip of her toes and whispered to him, "I think that's Sota and Sarah's son, Sanji."
"You's mean that baby dat Sarah wouldn't let me 'old when it was born yo?"
His petite wife nodded.
Darren looked over at him and smirked. "Well I'll be. 'e's grown."
After talking to his younger sister, Sanji froze. His eyes fell upon the woman he was staring at before. Her blue eyes blinked at him. He saw the tears fill them when she cried, "Sanji!" She was next to him in an instant, hugging him tightly. "Sanji. . . I missed you so much. . ."
Tears were falling down Sanji's cheeks. He felt his knees weaken as he fell into his mothers arms, sobbing. "Where did you go? You just disappeared. . . You were there. . . But then you were gone. . ." He buried his face into her neck. "You left me all alone. . ."
"I'm sorry. . ." she apologized. "Things got complicated. . . If I could have I would have been there with you. . . It's not fair that I left. I promise that I'll be there from now on."
Sanji bit his lip. "And you'll protect me. . ?"
Sarah nodded. "I will. I am your mother after all."
"You're not just my Mom. . ." Sanji closed his eyes and breathed in his mother's scent. "You're my angel." It had been so long since he had been safe in her arms that he never wanted to let go.
Runea was wiping tears away from her eyes. "Oh. . . I'm so happy. . . Why does this have to be so heartbreaking. . ." She buried her face into her hands and started to sob. Darren patted her on the shoulder.
"It okay Runea," he told her. "You's don' need to cry, yo."
"I know. . ." Runea wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. "It's just. . . I keep thinking. . . And I just can't wait to see Eric and Riku. I've missed them so much. . . And they were so young. . . How am I supposed to explain to them what happened?"
"Riku?" Bardroy turned to Runea. "Oh yeah, I remember him. You know, Sora knows him. He should be here, right?"
Runea blinked. "What. . ?"
"I heard Sora saying something about him once. Something about Kiari killing. . . him. . ." Bardroy fell silent when he saw new tears surfacing in Runea's eyes.
"W-What do you mean. . ? He's. . . He's. . ." Runea started to sob. "My Riku's. . . Dead!?"
"O-Oh. . . I guess you wouldn't know. . ." Bardroy stammered. "I'm. . . I'm sorry. . ."
"Yo man!" Darren grabbed Bardroy by the scruff of the shirt and lifted him off of his feet. "What'd you say? Where da 'ell is Riku!?"
"Darren!" Miranda gasped. "Put him down now!"
Darren muttered a few curses and then dropped the blonde back onto his feet. In a somewhat calmer tone, he asked, "What 'appened to Riku?"
Bardroy shrugged. "Ask Sora." He motioned to the spiky-haired boy.
Sora's heart sunk when Riku's father approached him. From a distance he was big enough, but when he was only a few feet away, you could have mistaken him for a giant. He frowned. "What 'appened to Riku, yo?"
Sora lowered his head. "Riku. . . I. . ." He lowered his head. "I'm the reason he's dead. I killed him."
Runea started to cry harder. Sarah had to walk over and comfort her.
"Why?" Darren held up his fist, but Sota grabbed it before he could do anything. "Why'd ya kill 'im?"
"It was an accident. I didn't trust him when I should have. That's what happened."
"You little bastard," Darren cursed. "I's teach ya to~"
"Darren!" Runea wiped more tears away from her eyes. "It's not his fault. He said that it was an accident."
"And you's believe 'im?"
"I do. He's Sarah's son. I can trust him." She managed a small smile. "And. . . Even if he is dead, then he should be here, right?"
Sora smiled. "That's right! We can find him." He paused for a minute and then asked, "But, then again, where is here? I never really got a straight answer. Do you mind filling us in?"
Sarah sighed. "Well, that's kind of tough, but I'm pretty sure that I've figured this place out. After all, I have been here for twelve years so I should at least know something, right?"
"I've been here for quite sometime," Runea nodded.
"Me too. I've gathered some info," Miranda said.
"Then enlighten us," Sota said. "I'm still a little curious about this place. Tell us what you know."
"Well, it's true that we're dead," Sarah began. "Our beings are trapped inside this. . . This world, if you will. We're in the Keyblade Realm. It's the other side of life and death. We've already passed on with life, but now we're in the world of death. It may seem okay and all at first, but once you're here for awhile, you start to long for the other life. You find yourself lonely and lost, unsure of what you're doing. The Keyblade Realm is almost like a place where time freezes. I'm still the same age when I died. Your father and I are now about twelve years apart from each other when we're supposed to be the same age. It may not seem that big of a deal, but when years, even decades pass, it starts to eat away at you until you just want to die either way. This place can be either your Heaven or Hell, whichever you choose."
"But, why are we here?" Sanji asked. He was standing next to Ryan, making sure his distance was far enough away from his father. "Is there a specific purpose?"
"We can gain a second chance at life. Our Keyblades are scattered around to different people," Miranda replied.
"But wait." Sanji tilted his head. "I can't wield a Keyblade. How come I'm here?"
It was silent until Sora gasped happily. "Maybe you can wield a Keyblade too! Try it!"
"But I can't. I've already tried a couple times before. . . It never works. . ." Sanji lowered his head, a disappointed frown on his face.
He felt strong hands fall onto his shoulders. When he looked behind himself and into Ryan's smiling face, he almost gasped. Ryan gave his shoulder's a friendly squeeze. "I know that you'll get it. You're strong. Try again."
Sanji knew that his cheeks were turning red, so he quickly looked away and nodded, "Okay."
Ryan took Sanji's arm. The blonde was about to pull away, but when he felt how soft and gentle the touch was, he let it go. It had been so long since his body was handled so carefully. "Here," Ryan's voice was full of kindness, "I'll help you." He guided Sanji's arm until it was sticking straight out. "First," he began, "you hold out your hand. To summon your Keyblade, you have to have a bond with the weapon. You must call it forth each time. It won't come unless you focus all of your mind on it coming to you. You are its master." Sanji could feel Ryan's breath on his neck. "Just concentrate."
Sanji nodded. He closed his eyes, the only thing mattering to him that he was with Ryan, almost, just almost, wrapped in his strong arms. He flexed his fingers when he started to feel a strange feeling coming over him. A power was building up in his body and it was just waiting to be released. When he heard a "swoosh" noise, he opened his eyes to see a magical weapon resting in his hand.
Ryan leaned his head over Sanji's shoulder. "You did it!" he smiled and then, as if he had realized how close he was to Sanji, blushed, and then pulled away slowly. "I-I hope I helped you. . ." His gaze fell to the ground, his cheeks turning redder.
Sanji quickly smiled at him. His heart was beating quickly and he knew that it was because of Ryan's closeness. Where Ryan had touched him was still tingling. "Thanks Ryan. I would have never been able to summon it unless you hadn't have helped me."
Ryan smiled at him again; this time, a shy smile. "You're welcome. . ." His voice trailed off as if he were afraid to say anymore.
"Well, not that we've all figured out that we can summon a Keyblade. . ." Bardroy glanced back over at his wife, "I'm not quite sure if I've got this right and I'm positive that I'm not the only one with this question, but what's the significance of wielding a Keyblade here? Why are they so important?"
"If we find them and reclaim our own, we can gain another chance at life and be revived," Miranda explained.
"Really? We can be revived?" Sam asked. "Is that even possible?"
"Well, if we find our Keyblade then we will, I guess. It could all be a hoax, but. . . Wait." Sarah turned to her husband. "Sota, you have your original Keyblade back. Why don't try it?"
"I heard that if you hold your Keyblade up and think about where you want to be, then it will send you there. It's just a rumor, but it's as good as any information we have," Miranda said.
"Try it Sota. If it does work then we'll all know that it's not just a fantasy. We'll be able to live again!" Runea smiled widely. "I've been here for so long. . . I can't wait to get back the real world."
Sota shook his head. "No."
"What?" almost everyone asked in unison.
"Why not?" Sarah urged.
"If it does work then I'll be sent back to the real world. What if something happens here and you won't be able to return? I'd rather be stuck here with you than be all alone by myself," Sota replied. "I don't want something like that to happen." He caressed Sarah's cheek. "I don't want to lose you again. . ."
She sighed. "Aren't you being sweet?" She smiled and then kissed him. "But okay, I can understand why you would want to stay here with us. We'll just have to gather all of our Keyblades and then try it out. Besides, there are still some people we have to find. Does everyone else agree?"
No one made any protest. Sora stepped ahead. "Sora Lee's out there somewhere. He was killed just like us. . ."
"I saw him." Sanji spoke up. "Ryan and I were chasing after him before, but then we were held up by Kira and Joshua."
"Do you know where he was running off to?" Savannah asked.
Ryan answered, "No. I'm afraid not. He ran off without a word."
Bardroy and Miranda sighed. "He's a stubborn as a damn mule, just like his mother."
"Hey." Sarah crossed her arms. "I'm not that stubborn."
"Yes you are." Sota nodded. "You are, believe me."
Sarah frowned. "Okay, maybe just a bit. . . But still, we have to find Lee! I refuse to leave this place without my son!"
Sanji rolled his eyes. "May as well just leave him here. No one would miss him anyway. . ."
"I would." Ryan's voice.
Sanji turned to him. "Why? You don't know him like I do."
"Yeah, I think I do. He's like one. . . No, I consider him my brother," Ryan stated. "He's been with me ever since I was taken in after my parents. . . Well. . . You get the idea."
Sanji raised an eyebrow at Ryan's hesitance. He noticed the flicker of sadness that had been in Ryan's expression when he spoke those words, but he decided not to question it. Although he was incredibly curious, they had more important things to worry about at that moment. They had to search and gather their scattered Keyblades.
"You know. . . I just thought of something." Miranda turned to her friends and family members. "Why don't we check each others Keyblades to make sure that none of us have pairs?"
"Good idea," Sarah nodded. Everyone held out their hand and summoned their Keyblades. Almost immediately, Darren gasped.
"Yo! Dat mine!" He pointed at the Keyblade in Sam's hand. "Give it back yo!" He quickly yanked the weapon out of her hand and then exchanged the one he held with hers.
Sam rubbed her arm that felt as if it had been pulled from its socket. She sighed but then smiled. "At least I have mine back too. Lucky me."
Darren held up to his face and kissed the metal. "I missed ya yo. . . I's never let ya go 'gain. . . I promise yo."
"If I didn't know any better I'd say that he treats that piece of metal better than he does his own friends and family," Miranda muttered to Bardroy, the two of them laughing afterward.
Ryan examined each one carefully, making sure not to miss any inch of detail. When he fell upon the one that Sanji's aunt was wielding, he couldn't help but to gasp happily. "Excuse me ma'am." Ryan interrupted their laughter. "I think that that Keyblade is mine."
Miranda blinked. "Really?" She handed it to him and then took the one out of his hands. "You know. . ." She eyed the one she took from him. "This. . . This is mine! Yes!"
Bardroy smiled at his wife. "Well, that was pretty easy. Now, we just have to find mine and then we'll be able to go back together. This is great!"
Ryan looked down at his blade and smiled thankfully. "Don't worry. . ." he murmured, "Zack, Taylor, I'm coming home. . . I promise that I'll bring Lee and Dad with me. . . Please, be safe." He eyed his blade. "I wonder if it really works. . . Can we get a second change at life?"
"I believe it." Sanji smiled. "You'll be home to your brothers in no time."
"Do you really think so?"
Sanji nodded. "Who says that it can't happen?"
After everyone checked each others Keyblades and saw that there were no more matches, the group decided that it would be best for everyone to split up.
"So, who's going with who?" Sora asked.
"Well. . . It really all depends. Who wants to go with who?" Sarah asked.
"I wanna go with Dad!" Sora volunteered.
"I wanna go with Mom!" Savannah shouted next.
The brunette sighed. "I guess there's no helping it." Sarah eyed her two daughters. "I'll take the girls, and Sota, you can take the boys."
"Okay." Sota turned to Bardroy, Darren, and their wives. "You four can go together."
"That's fine with me." Bardroy smirked and then put his arms around both Runea and Miranda' shoulders. "Shall we then, ladies?" Both of them giggled and then took his hand, Runea on the right, Miranda on the left.
"Yo! Bardroy! The 'ell's you doin'?" Darren cursed, crossing his large biceps. "Stealin' my wife 'gain, are ya?" He cracked his knuckles. "You's gonna learn da 'ard way."
Bardroy rolled his eyes. "I'm already a dead man. Good luck trying to kill me here. And, if you haven't noticed, I already have my wife here with me. I'm just being hospitable to Runea and showing her around. It's what friends do."
"'ospital? Who da hell said anythin' 'bout a 'ospital?" Darren frowned. "Tryin' to trick me 'gain. I see 'ow it is yo."
Miranda and Runea burst out laughing and even Bardroy couldn't help but to grin. "I said hospitable you dumbass. It means friendly or kind. Lord, never thought you'd get stupider. I thought that you being with Runea could have helped that brain of yours."
"Yo man, wha'd ya say? I's very smart yo."
"Have you learned how to read yet?"
"Shut the 'ell up yo!"
This time, Bardroy laughed, walking off with the two woman. Darren frowned and followed the three.
"Oh Ryan, you can come with us if you'd like," Savannah offered.
Ryan looked over his shoulder at Savannah. "Oh. . . Well. . ." He took a deep breath and then said, "I'm sorry, but I already told Sanji that I was going with his group."
Savannah looked shocked. "O-Oh. . ." Her friendly smile turned into a confused, disappointed look. "Okay. . ." She turned around and then silently walked off with her mother and sister.
Seeing how sad he had made her, Ryan wanted to call her back and apologize again, but he already knew that it was too late. He slowly turned back to Sanji, "Are we heading off?"
Sanji nodded, never looking away from what his gaze was focused on. Ever since the groups had been decided he was silent. His eyes were staring directly into his father's narrowed ones. Sanji was the first to look way.
"Come on!" Sora urged, grabbing his father's hand, trying to get them to go. Sota finally gave in and started along.
"Sanji, come on," he said in a stern voice when the twenty-one year old didn't move. "Now."
Sanji nodded. "Yeah. . . Okay, Dad." It took most of Sanji's strength to just move forward after that. Ryan trailed right next to him, his wonders growing even more full of curiosity.
Sora led them along, smiling. He knew that once he found his Keyblade and they were all together, they could go back to the real world and foil Kiari's plans.
Just thinking about Riku made Sora's heartbeat quicken. It had been so long since the two had talked, since they had seen each other. He knew that his silver-haired friend was out there somewhere and he had to find him. Even though he had a second channe at life if he found his missing Keyblade, he knew that without Riku, the opportunity would be meaningless.
His life wasn't worth living if he couldn't be with his friend.