Second chapter! Let's go! I'm trying to upload as many chapter as i can before dear hurricane maria comes
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.
Thank you for reading!
KINGDOM HEARTS
Dual Rupture
II
The goodness about Destiny Highschool is the diversity of students that attends it. Sora loves it; he enjoys meeting new people and making new friends, although he spends most of his time with Riku and Kairi. The allure of a new year is exciting for him.
He eagerly waits for the bus with his backpack tightly strapped around his shoulders. The school's uniform feels right and comfortable against his skin; he wore a white short-sleeved shirt with a neatly tied blue necktie (by his mother, of course. Sora is too clumsy to tie it himself) and matching blue plaid slacks, adorned with a clearer shade of blue stripes, and lastly his favorite pair of yellow shoes that his mother shined for him.
-"You're early."
Sora's head snaps at the voice and his face beams when he sees his friend Riku casually sauntering towards him, hands tucked in each pocket, -"Riku!"- Sora launches himself against the older boy, clinging his arms around his shoulders and laughing merrily, -"You're here!"
For Sora, no sight is better than the one of his best friend Riku.
-"Whoa, hey! Easy!"- Hugs were never his forte, but Riku responds to it nevertheless; he smiles and tries to return the embrace, blushing a little, -"Someone's eager to start the year."
-"Yeah! Aren't you?"- Sora asks once he parts from him.
A shrug was his only response.
-"Hey, where's Kairi?"
-"She said she'll be a little late. Girl stuff,"- Probably regarding makeup and her hair, he guesses, -"Did you check your phone?"
-"My pho…?"- Sora suddenly gasps, patting his pockets for said item, -"My phone!"- And rushes inside his house again to search for his cellphone.
Riku sighs and places a hand on his forehead, -"Oh, Sora."- He smiles and chuckles, thinking that maybe he is looking forward for this year in school.
The one who was not eager to start the year… is Vanitas.
Burrowed and basking in the warmth and comfort of the sheets of his bed, Vanitas grumbles and clutches the soft fabric when he hears another loud knock on his door.
But this time, it wasn't Xehanort who deprived him of his most needed sleep.
-"Hey, kiddo! Wakey, wakey!"- The obnoxious, sing-song, hippie-surfer voice that speaks really makes Vanitas' morning a hundred times worse, -"Time for schoooool!"
Summoning a Red Hot Chili so early in the morning would make the situation worse; he opted to snuffle his anger instead of causing another upheaval, -"Shut up, geez! I'm coming!"
-"Ohhh, did I pissed the little boy out?"
Vanitas tenses his jaw. He can picture the fake startled look on his face while bringing his hands up in defense and it vexes him off more. Biting his tongue and shutting his eyes close, Vanitas counts to ten and tries to calm himself.
-"Just ignore him, Vanitas."-He tells himself and proceeds to stand up.
With a muffled grunt, he walks to his poor excuse of a bathroom with his damaged leg; limp. He hisses whenever he places one foot on the floor and nearly falls when he reaches the sink.
Oh boy, he thinks, hanging his light head low to stare at the water dripping from the basin, the old geezer sure did a number on me yesterday.
Maybe he shouldn't have mocked him about his breath. Maybe. It was worth it, without a doubt, but now that he can barely stand and every joint in his body aches, he thinks that maybe he shouldn't have done it. Whatever the case, it's too late to take it back -and he'd be damned if he does, anyways. He will not fall on his knees to beg at the old sicko, no matter how bad he hurts.
After washing his teeth and rearranging his hair as far as his motivation took him, he dresses himself with the new school attire (excluding the pants. He hates that color. Instead, he decides to wear one of his ripped black ones) and throws over himself his black leather jacket. He slips his feet into his worn-out sneakers before he steps out of his room to meet the man that had unjustly woken from his most needed sleep with incessant loud knocks.
-"Xigbar."- The name rolls out of his tongue like a spoiled candy.
-"Vanitas."- Xigbar replies with a toothy, malicious grimace.
The boy side-steps to walk past the taller man, but this one stops him, stepping before him to block his path.
-"Outta my way, one-eyed weirdo."
-"Oh, the name-calling game. I love it. My favorite. Lemme have a go,"- Xigbar hooks one finger on his chin in thought, -"How about… one-legged brat?"
Vanitas scoffs, -"Lame."
-"Aw, don't be like that, Van,"- Vanitas glowers and visibly cringes. He hates that shortened version of his name and Xigbar knows, -"So, how's that leg?"
Vanitas brushes the question and feigns grit, -"Fine. Now move."
-"Excited for school, aren't we?"
-"Just chipper."- Flat, uninterested reply was all Vanitas could muster.
-"C'mon, you gotta look forward to it,"- Xigbar persists and begins to wave his arms in wide gestures of fake wonder, -"New people to meet, new friends to make and… familiar faces to see, y'know?"
Vanitas feels an abrupt plunge of his self-control. He ignores what the other said, -"I said move."
-"I don't think that's polite of you, now,"- Finger wagging annoys the hell out of the younger of the two, -"Y'know, you should be grateful. Old coot gives you everything you need and yet you repay him with a nasty attitude. That won't do, not at all. Gotta respect the elder, am I right?"
Vanitas doesn't miss a beat, -"Like I care."
-"You need serious fixin', kiddo,"- Xigbar tch-s and crosses his skinny arms, -"And I'm more than happy to volunteer."
Fourteen year old Vanitas just has enough, -"I'm not the one in the wrong place. I think it's you that needs fixing, Braig, out of my way."
Just like Vanitas despises being called Van, Xigbar loathes being addressed as Braig. Golden eyes flash red and Vanitas was suddenly pinned against the wall with the Arrowgun, summoned from thin air, aimed at his head.
Despite his obvious irk, Xigbar smirks cockily, but speaks without his usual nonchalant tone, -"I might be the chilliest and tolerant guy in this family, but hoo boy, I won't tolerate that one. Specially not from you."
-"Oh, yeah? Then you better start dealing with it, Braig."- Argues like those end up doing more bad than good for Vanitas, but he won't allow the Freeshooter go over him like that.
Starting with a kick between his oppressor's legs, Vanitas is freed when Xigbar bawls and loses his grip on him to clutch and caress the sore spot.
Vanitas laughs, but before he escapes, Xigbar manages to compose himself enough to fumble the air and reach for the laughing boy's spiked hair. Finding the soft strands, he yanks, and Vanitas is pulled away from the staircase. And his freedom.
The boy bellows and grips Xigbar's hold on him, -"What is it with you weirdos and my hair?!"- He begins to pull the opposite way, but when the pain proves to be too unbearable, he allows Xigbar to heave him his way and slams himself against him, toppling the ailing man to the ground in a straddling position.
-"You're gonna pay for waking me so early!"
-"You can try, kid!"
Succeeding to sock the scarred face of the one bellow him, Vanitas knuckles begin to redden, but he doesn't stop. Inadvertently, but beneficially, he summons a Hot Chili and a Flood that attack too in accordance to his wishes. The Flood whips its claws at Xigbar's face while the Chili bounces over his head.
-"Urgh, that's it!"- Frustrated, Xigbar slaps the Unversed away, locks his legs around Vanitas' waist and rolls. While wrestling, the skirmish duo obliviously move to the staircase's zenith until they drop and roll down with a series of hits against the steps' sharp edges.
Vanitas cries when a heavy pressure downs on his broken leg. They land at the end of the stair in a messy heap of grunts and curses. Kicking himself free of his opponent's weight, with his other -working- leg, Vanitas winces when he grips his knee with both hands and rubs.
-"My leg…"- He complains unevenly and throws himself back. From the new perspective, he can see the others, including Master Xehanort, staring at him with disappointing, judging looks.
This is hell.
-"What is all the hustle?"- One of them demands.
Xigbar regains his footing and totters towards the others with a hurtful charade. Which was unnecessary; Xehanort sees everything.
-"He attacked first, Master!"- He yells, pointing at the incapacitated Vanitas on the floor, -"I swear!"
Xehanort's grins, hands behind his back and eyes narrowing the boy, expectantly, -"Of course he did."- Vanitas recognizes that look. It is the look he always wears when an event happens under his plan.
Like a fist to his guts, the aroma of freshly made breakfast smacks his face and Vanitas' stomach grumbles again. Painfully.
An intense hunger suddenly overwhelms him and Yellow Mustards and Sea Salts were born from his body. Amongst those, a Wild Bruiser appears too, but none of them were a match for the ones watching him.
Laughing darkly, they eliminate his creations and the Unversed seep back into him with a doubled pang of hunger and physical pain. More escape. No control.
No, no, no. It's too damn early for this…!
It wasn't until the fourth round that Vanitas suppresses the emotion. Without food in his mouth.
-"Weak,"- A low, near soothing voice speaks, and Vanitas looks up under sweat-sodden strands of black hair to see Saix approaching his aching body. He gives Vanitas a harsh shove with his boot, -"Inability to control feckless emotions such as that is a sign of weakness."
Vanitas laughs bitterly as he struggles to stand, -"Easy for you to say, moon man."
-"Emotions of the heart are like gnats to the darkness."- Ansem adds.
-"Whatever."
-"You must control them in order to grow stronger."- Xemnas' echoing voice was impossible to ignore.
-"Yeah, yeah."
-"You lack motivation."- Terranort states.
-"Don't need you to know that."
-"Maybe this will work?"- Slowly lowering a cheese-and-ham stuffed meatball into his mouth, Xigbar teases him with mischief in his eyes and quick arches of his brow. He finally drops it in and licks his lips while patting his belly, -"Mmm. Tasty."
Vanitas looks away and tries to shut up his grumbling stomach; his "family" just watch and laugh while they eat and hassle him with the food.
He can fight all he wants, but it will get him nowhere.
Oh, he is so happy. Everyone was together. The family of thirteen, golden-eyed members finally gathers and they are known as the Norts.
What a time to be alive.
Angered, hungry, irritated, Vanitas sneaks into the wide kitchen while the Norts prattle away their morning after the incident.
There is no food left save for a few sorry slices of buttered bread. He's really craving those meatballs, but he takes what he can get and sneaks out without getting caught.
Maybe he is looking forward for school; for a different reason than attending class and meeting new people.
To be somewhere else than home.
I feel horrible for writing this ;-; I'm sorry Vanitas!