A/N: All of their "code names" are Disney characters.
Chapter Two: Life on the Run
"Cloud I need new shoes!" Sora whined as he walked. The teen looked down at his brother and noticed the soul of his shoe was falling off. It made a slapping sound as he walked.
"We'll get you new ones when we're done here."
"Hey! If Sora gets new shoes, I want some too!" Roxas exclaimed
"You don't need them right now. We'll get you a new pair when you grow out of those."
Roxas pouted, glaring at Cloud mutinously. Sora stuck his tongue out at his twin smugly. Cloud sighed and glanced behind him, making sure Harry was still there. The smallest of the three boys was trudging close to their heels silently, clutching his backpack.
The group reached their destination. A large sign announcing the campground stood before them. The road was clear of traffic and Cloud hurried the boys into the ditch, kneeling in front of them.
"Alright runts, we're here to shower and get some food. If we get separated, where do we meet?"
"Right here at the sign," Sora recited.
"And if we get caught we don't tell anyone our real names," Roxas added.
"We just cry and pretend we're lost and then run away when no one's looking," Harry's small voice joined in.
Cloud nodded in approval. "And what are your names?"
"I'm Mickey!" Sora squeaked happily.
"I'm Ben!" Roxas announced.
"I'm Cody," Harry said, much less enthusiastically than the other two.
"Good, and I'm Danny, okay?"
"We know Cloud!" Sora insisted. "Can we go now? I'm hungry!"
"You're always hungry, Sora!" Roxas teased, poking his stomach. "You're going to be so fat when you grow up!"
"Not if we never leave and get me some food!" Sora yelled.
Cloud rolled his eyes and stood, making sure there weren't any cars coming. The coast was clear, so he shooed his brothers deeper into the woods. The group of four didn't have to go far before they came to high fence. The fence surrounded the entire campground, preventing people from sneaking in without paying. One at time, Cloud lifted the small boys to the top and they climbed over, waiting on the other side. He then followed himself, landing gracefully with a loud thump.
"Let's go."
Roxas and Sora latched onto his hands tightly. Harry followed behind the three, staying as close as he could.
The campground was full with people. Kids were running or riding their bikes everywhere. This particular site was more modern than other places. It had a small shop near the center that sold cheap candy and the essential food needed for camping. Unlike other places they had been to, this campground strongly discouraged showering in the lake where people swam. The place had built public showers that were free for use to any camper. Cloud pointed at them.
"Shower first, then we'll find some food."
Sora groaned loudly in protest but Cloud just tugged him along. They didn't have to wait long before one of the showers opened up. Cloud ordered the boys to take their shoes off and grabbed three pairs of dollar flip flops from Harry's bag. The boys slipped them on and removed their shirts, shoving them into the backpack.
"Rules," Cloud ordered.
"Don't take off the flip flops, scrub behind our ears, and don't use a lot of shampoo," Roxas listed.
"If we finish before you, we are to stay right here and not talk to anyone or go anywhere," Sora added, bouncing on his heels. "Can we go in now?"
"Watch out for each other," Cloud ordered. He handed Roxas a blue washcloth, Sora the shampoo, and Harry a bar of soap. "No fooling around and make sure you hang your shorts on the door so they stay dry."
The boys ran off into the open shower room, slamming the heavy door shut behind them. Cloud didn't have to wait long before another room opened and stepped inside. The water was cold, but Cloud was expecting it. It had been at least a two weeks since they had been able to shower and it felt refreshing to get clean. He stood under the cold spray, enjoying the feeling of the dirt and grease being rinsed from his body.
The small family had been on the road for nearly seven months now. Cloud was too afraid to stop anywhere permanently. Things had been very hard at first. The twins had rebelled against his choice to leave home and didn't understand who Harry was and why he was traveling with them. Every night for the first month, Cloud had sat the three boys down and made them repeat over and over that Harry was their brother and had always been their brother and always would be from now on. Eventually, the young boys stopped asking questions and just accepted their new fate.
Cloud squeezed some shampoo into his hand, noticing it was a lot less than he used to use. He needed to save as much as he could. They were tight on money and couldn't afford many luxuries. In the beginning, small things like showering or eating had been easier. He would rent out cheap hotel rooms (with the money his parents had left in their now empty bank accounts) that had a microwave and feed all of them dollar meals. However, motels required you to register and provide ID and ever since Cloud had been labeled a kidnapper, he could no longer do so.
Cloud scrubbed furiously at his skin, still angry at the thought that he was technically a criminal now. One of the motels they were staying at had called the police to arrest him and the boys had barely escaped. It was then Cloud found out that he was wanted for the kidnapping of his younger brothers. After that, Cloud was careful to never go anywhere that required identification and the family had started living out of the car.
Cloud finished his shower and shut the water off, drying himself with a fluffy white towel he had stolen from a hotel long ago. He slipped on his last clean pair of shorts and shirt and left the shower room. His brothers weren't finished yet, so Cloud sat down on bench and waited for them. It was moments like this that Cloud reflected on what his life had become.
One day he had been going to school, just another teenager. His biggest concern was keeping his grades up so he wouldn't get kicked off the soccer team. He was junior and had his eye on becoming the team captain during his senior year. That life felt like a dream now. Now he spent his days driving around, planning where they were going to sleep and how they would eat. He had thought many times of just giving up and turning himself into the police but the fear of jail and what would happen to his brothers kept him trudging on.
The little boys had been surprisingly good and adapted well to homeless life. Sora and Roxas treated the whole thing as a game and Harry, Cloud suspected, was just glad to be with someone who didn't mistreat him. Cloud had asked Harry about where he came from and how he knew Cloud's mother but the little boy had broken into tears and never told him anything. Eventually, Cloud stopped asking.
The shower opened and the three six year-olds came out, looking refreshed and happy. They were laughing and Cloud smiled at them. Despite their harsh life the kids still found a way to laugh. Sora and Roxas had been slow to accept Harry but once they realized he was nice and wasn't going anywhere, they had opened up and let him into their circle. Sora ran up to Cloud and held out their dirty clothes with a smile. Showering always made the group of four feel better.
Cloud lead them behind the showering area, where no one else was around. "Okay, time to get some food." He paused as Sora cheered loudly. "You know what to do?"
The boys nodded quickly.
"Good. I'm going to the little store we saw on the way in. I'll wait there, okay?"
"Okay!"
The little boys dashed off happily. Cloud watched as they ran up to a group of kids and asked if they could play. The kids said yes easily and Cloud made his way to the small store to wait. They had gone to enough campgrounds to have a system in place. The boys would make friends with kids and when the kids went back to their campsite for anything, the twins and Harry would steal whatever food they saw. Cloud told them to aim for things that didn't need to be kept cold or required cooking so they often ended up with the ingredients to make smores, cookies, crackers, or other junk. After they were done, they came back to Cloud and he would go to the store and buy whatever else they needed with their precious little money.
Cloud arrived at the small store and leaned against the building by the window, where the cashier was sure to see him. The second part of the plan was to loiter around the building, making the workers eye him suspiciously. After his brothers returned with their spoils, Cloud would go into the shop and look around. By the time he entered, the workers would watch him like a hawk, thinking he was going to shoplift. While the workers were busy watching him, Sora, Roxas, and Harry would take whatever they needed and leave, with no one being the wiser.
An hour or so past before the twins and Harry came running up the road. Harry was stumbling slightly behind the other two, weighed down by his backpack, now full of stolen goods. Cloud gestured them behind the building and knelt down.
"What'd you get?"
"Look Cloud! New shoes!" Sora exclaimed. He pulled a pair of tennis shoes from the backpack and held them out proudly. "Now we can save our money for food and stuff!"
Cloud took the shoes and looked them over. They were the right size and had a child's name written on them. He spat on them and scrubbed at the marker, smearing it so the name was illegible. "Okay, don't put them on until we're out of here. I don't want anyone noticing."
"Okay!"
Cloud pulled out the rest of the stuff. There were graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate, just as he expected. They had also grabbed some strawberries that had been squished and some apples and peanut butter.
"Good grab with the peanut butter," Cloud muttered. "That's expensive."
"I did that!" Harry declared proudly.
Cloud pulled out a bag of bologna and frowned. "I've told you before, no cold stuff."
Roxas looked sad. "I wanted a bologna sandwich. I haven't had one since mommy left."
Cloud frowned and put the lunch meat back, rubbing Roxas' head. "Okay. I'll go get some bread and milk from inside. Who's staying outside with the backpack?"
"I will," Harry offered.
"Okay, stay by the door where I can see you. Sora, I want you to get some cheese and Roxas, get some mustard."
"Can we have candy?" Sora asked. Harry and Roxas looked up at him hopefully.
"One piece!" Cloud ordered. "Harry, tell Sora what you want and he'll get it for you."
The boys quickly agreed on a treat and Cloud sent Roxas and Sora inside the store first. He waited with Harry for a minute before going inside himself. Just as he predicted, as soon as he walked in the store, the two employees working stared at him. They followed Cloud with their eyes, making sure he was in one of their sights at all times.
Cloud casually walked over to the bread and grabbed the cheapest loaf off the shelf. He spotted Roxas shoving a tube of mustard into his pants. Roxas ran over to Sora, who was searching the candy, hiding slightly behind some older kids. Cloud grabbed a half gallon of milk and smiled at the worker watching him. He walked up to the front and set his purchases on the counter just as his little brothers dashed outside unnoticed.
"Hello," he greeted the cashier kindly and the girl nodded, ringing him up.
"Three fifty," she told him.
Cloud carefully pulled the money from his pocket and handed it over before grabbing his bag. Before she could hand him the change, a shout from outside drew everyone's attention. Screams met their ears and Cloud snatched his change, shoving it into his pockets before dashing out the door. In the middle of the road, a skinny, filthy man had grabbed Harry's arm. His face was sunken in and his blue eyes were crazed. Black hair hung in unclean clumps around his face. Roxas and Sora were punching and kicking him, shouting to let go.
Cloud ran forward and without a second thought, punched the man square in the jaw. The would-be kidnapper fell to the ground, looking shocked. Cloud grabbed Harry into his arms and Roxas and Sora huddled behind him.
"Get the fuck away from my brother!" Cloud shouted. Other adults nearby had come running at the commotion and Cloud pointed at the man, raising his voice to a shout. "This man just tried to kidnap my brother!"
"No, no please!" the man held out a weak hand. "Please no, I just... Harry..."
Harry hid his face in Cloud's shoulder and he backed away.
"The park rangers are on their way now!" the woman who had rang Cloud up in the store yelled.
The man looked at her horrified. He swung back to Cloud, who was clutching his family protectively. With a hard swallow, the man stood on shaky legs.
"Don't let him get away!" someone in the crowd shouted. A couple of men jumped to grab the bum but before they could he turned on his heel and vanished. The crowd gasped in shock.
"He was a wizard!"
"A wizard just tried to kidnap a little boy!"
"Filthy wizards!"
Cloud didn't stick around to see what would happen next. He grabbed Sora's hand and ran for it. Roxas latched onto Sora, running as quickly as he could to keep up. They ignored the concerned shouts behind them and plunged into the wooded area. Cloud didn't let the boys slow down until they had reached the fence. He quickly shoved his brothers up and over before jumping over himself. Once they were out of sight of the fence, Cloud finally let them stop. The twins collapsed on the ground, breathing hard.
"Are you alright?" Cloud demanded, looking Harry over for any injuries.
Harry sniffed and nodded and Cloud hugged him tightly. "What happened?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't know. I was standing outside waiting for you and he just... he just came up to me. He grabbed my arm and started pulling me."
Harry broke down into tears and Cloud rubbed his back soothingly.
"We saw him trying to take Harry and started hitting him," Sora explained. "We told him to let go of our brother."
"Good! Very good boys. I'm very proud of you. You shouted for help and protected your family. You did a great job!"
Roxas and Sora beamed with pride. They wrapped their arms around a still crying Harry, comforting him.
"He... he..." Harry's small voice trailed off as he hiccupped.
"What is, Harry?"
Harry looked up at Cloud with scared eyes and whispered, "He called me Harry Potter."
Cloud stared at the boy in shock. No one knew Harry's real name except Cloud; not even the twins.
"Don't worry, you're not Harry Potter. You're Harry Strife and part of this family. Everything's going to be just fine. We've got some food now so let's get back to the car and get out of here." He forced a smile for the small kids.
Cloud picked up the trembling child and carried him the rest of the way to the car.
Cloud looked over his shoulder at his car. He could see his brothers' heads bouncing around in the backseat. His once yellow car was now painted a dark blue. It had cost Cloud a lot of the money he had taken from his parent's bank account but it needed to be done. He had to change license plates and the color to better hide from the police.
Cloud turned back to the busy street, telling himself that the boys were fine; he was only going to be gone for a few minutes. He quickly ran across the busy road and stopped in front of a large shop. The sign above read Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in curvy handwriting. A very large figure of a red haired man with a mouse sitting on his head smiled down from the roof. Cloud found the figure to be slightly creepy and instead focused on the door. It was covered with blue curtains, preventing him from seeing inside.
Cloud pushed the door open and stepped inside. He had to let his eyes adjust to the dim light. The store was larger inside than the outside had suggested. It was filled with shelves of strange products such as love potions or treats that made you turn into an animal briefly. What looked like human ears hung on the wall with strings attached to them. Cloud looked away from the display. He had had little interactions with wizards, having never met one and being a normal, but judging from the store, they were a strange group of people.
Cloud was startled when a man placed a hand on his shoulder and loudly asked if he could help him find something. The boy looked about the same age as he was with red hair and freckles. He wore a brown suit that fit him nicely but was worn around the collar.
Cloud stared at him a moment before shaking his head. "I need something to dye hair."
The boy grinned. "A hair dying prank, is it? Well we've got just the thing. Follow me!"
Cloud followed him past shelves full of potions. Near the front of the store the man stopped and gestured to a large shelf. "One of our more popular pranks," he explained. "What color are you looking for? Blue, green, pink? Or perhaps a rainbow of colors? My personal favorite."
"Um, no, just... blonde."
The salesmen looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Kind of standard but we've got that. Let it never be said that Weasley's Wizard Wheezes doesn't have anything and everything you could want." He grabbed a potion from the shelf and held it out to Cloud. "This will do it. Guaranteed to dye any head of hair blonde. Just put one drop on the top of the head, two drops if the person has longer hair, and wallah! Instant blonde."
"How long does it last?"
"One drop will last ya twelve hours, give or take. It washes out faster if you get it wet."
"Thank you," Cloud looked around. "Do you have anything to change eye color?"
"Behind the counter."
Cloud turned to the counter and was surprised when the salesperson vanished. Shrugging, he made his way to the front. He waited a moment but no one was around. A bell was sitting on the wood with a sign that said "ring for service." Cloud tapped it and jumped back with a yelp of surprise. The bell turned into a rat and ran off the edge, escaping into the cracks in the floor.
"You rang?"
Cloud jumped again as another redhead appeared, smilingly widely. He looked identical to the first one that had helped him but Cloud sensed something was different. He had learned to tell the slight differences in twins when his brothers were born.
"I need something to change eye color."
"Didn't you just tell me that?" the boy asked, his eyes sparkling.
"No, I asked your brother but he vanished."
The boy stopped in surprise. "You can tell the difference?"
"My brothers are twi... triplets. I've learned to look for the small things."
The boy grinned and grabbed a tray of fake eyeballs, setting them on the shelf. "What color, my good sir?"
Cloud tried to hide his squeamishness as he studied the disembodied eyes closely and pointed at an eye with the same shade of blue as his. The teen stared at him with the same suspicious face as his brother. "You're a fake blonde and blue eyes or something?"
"Yes," Cloud snapped. "I don't like people to know."
"Hey, here at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes we respect the customer's privacy. We're having a special sale, save ten percent on a month's supply."
"I'll take it." Cloud set the dye down and handed over the money. He couldn't help but cringe at the price. Normal hair dye would have been cheaper but he didn't have the materials or space to dye Harry's hair. This would have to do.
"The contacts will last twelve hours before dissolving, no need to take them out, they'll vanish on their own. They don't correct eyesight and don't use them with contacts, it'll make the eye very irritated."
"Thank you."
"Of course! Make sure you come again for all you're pranking needs! We're constantly expanding and adding new products to our shelves."
Cloud nodded and left the store, blinking at the sudden light. He had been in a few wizard stores before but that one was the strangest by far. Cloud hurried across the street to the car. The boys were still in the back seat, playing a word search Cloud had gotten them. He knocked on the door and they happily unlocked the vehicle.
"Did you get what you needed, big brother?" Sora asked.
Cloud climbed into the driver's seat and turned. "Yeah, Harry get up here."
Harry climbed into the front and looked at Cloud curiously. The teen pulled out the bottle of hair dye and uncorked it. He filled up the dropper provided. Carefully, Cloud let a tiny drop fall onto Harry's head. They watched, fascinated, as Harry's hair slowly began to lighten. The black gave way to a dirty blonde color. It was halfway between Sora's brunette and Roxas' darker blonde.
"Cool!" Sora and Roxas exclaimed. Harry looked at them curiously.
"Here," Cloud held out two contact lenses. Harry slipped his glasses off and didn't move as Cloud carefully slid the lenses into each eye. When he was done, Harry blinked rapidly and put his glasses back on. Roxas and Sora were grinning widely, bouncing in excitement. Cloud pulled down the mirror and let Harry look at himself.
Harry touched his face in wonder. His hair was dirty blonde now and his eyes matched the other three perfectly. Even his eyebrows had lightened to match his new hair color. He turned to Cloud, his eyes gathering with tears.
"I look like you."
Cloud nodded. "That was the goal. If anyone ever asks you guys aren't just brothers, you're triplets, okay?"
Sora and Roxas cheered happily and Harry grinned so wide his cheeks hurt. He launched himself into Cloud's arm, crying happily. Cloud smiled and hugged him back. No one would ever recognize Harry as Harry Potter and try to take him away again.
"Okay, Sora name the capital city of... New York."
"That's easy! Albany."
"Very good," Cloud congratulated. "Roxas... what is ten plus twenty-one?"
Roxas thought for a second before answering, "Thirty-one!"
"Correct! Okay Harry, what do plants need to grow?"
"Water and sun!"
"Right. Bonus question for all of you! What is it called when plants turn sun into food?"
"Photographs!" Sora yelled.
Harry and Roxas laughed. "No stupid, it's photo-sin-thee-sis."
"You were very close, though, Sora," Cloud soothed the pouting boy.
The family was driving down a highway, not paying much attention to where they were or where they were going. They had been on the road for almost a year now. The boys had turned seven while they traveled and Cloud was now seventeen. They had all grown accustom to life on the road, constantly driving nowhere, stealing what the needed to get buy, Cloud finding odd jobs that only lasted a day or two and paid cash with no questions asked.
During their long drives, Cloud had taken to teaching his brothers anything and everything he could remember from his school days. He had stolen writing and math booklets from libraries and taught them reading, writing, math, and science. He wasn't sure if they were doing well for their age but was pleased that they at least knew something.
"Hey Cloud?" Sora asked, flipping through his science book. "Will you tell us about the war?"
Cloud glanced at the curious faces in the back. "Well, it was a terrible war that happened almost a hundred years ago. Do you guys know what Wielders and Guardians are?"
The boys shook their heads.
"Okay, well..." Cloud paused, gathering his thoughts. "Let's start at the beginning. You guys know what a wizard is; it's a person who can perform magic. There are also people called fighters. Fighters are people who can summon weapons from thin air. They can use magic too, but it's very limited."
"Wasn't daddy a fighter?"
"Yeah, he was," Cloud confirmed. "He never fought though, there wasn't any reason for him to."
"Was mommy?" Sora asked.
"No, mom was a normal. That means she didn't have any magic or the ability to summon weapons. She was just a normal person."
"What are you?" Harry asked.
"Me? I'm a norm, like mom. I've never been able to summon a weapon."
"What are we?"
"A pain in the butt. Now do you want to hear the story or keep interrupting me?"
The boys fell quiet and Cloud continued.
"Now really powerful fighters can grow up to become Wielders. That means they're masters of summoning weapons. And really powerful wizards can become Guardians, which means they've mastered magic.
"Well a hundred years ago, a few fighters became jealous of the strength the wizards had. The fighters were very full of themselves and often bragged about how they were better than everyone else. At the same time, wizards decided they wanted more power for themselves and so they started using evil magic. This magic summoned terrible creatures called Heartless. The Heartless are nasty creatures with no hearts or souls who went around killing everyone and everything.
"At first, the wizards thought they could control the Heartless but soon, the creatures they summoned became too powerful. They turned on the wizards and killed them and then overran the world. The fighters and norms joined forces to fight the evil but it was a long, hard war.
"After years of fighting, it looked like the Heartless were going to win but, when all hope was lost, two people came forward to fight. They were called Lord of the Wielders and Lord of the Guardians. The two joined their powers together and managed to seal the place where the Heartless were coming from. After the sealing the door, the two Lords lead the wizards and fighters in a battle to wipe out all Heartless still in our world. They eventually succeeded and the war ended, bringing about peace."
"What happened to the Lords?" Roxas asked.
"No one knows. Once the final Heartless was killed, the two Lords ordered that all people, wizard, fighters, and norms, live together in peace. They disappeared after that, and were never seen again."
"They ordered us to live together?" Sora asked thoughtfully. "But we don't. The wizards live in mountains and castles."
"Yeah, and fighters live in their own cities!"
"The point is that we all know about each other," Cloud explained. "A hundred years ago, no one knew about each other. Norms had no idea that magic existed in the world. They found out when the war started."
"How could they not know?" Roxas asked. "Magic is everywhere!"
"It is now, but back then wizards hid themselves away. So did fighters. Nowadays, we may all live separately, but we know about each other."
"I want to be a fighter when I grow up!" Sora declared, making slashing gestures with his hand.
"No way! I want to be a wizard!" Roxas pretended to make his pencil float. "They can do such awesome stuff."
"I don't want to be anything," Harry muttered quietly. "I just want to be a norm."
The twins looked at him in shock. "That's so boring!" Sora cried.
"Yeah, that's the worst of them all."
Cloud scowled playfully at the boys. "Are you saying I'm boring? I am a norm, you know."
Roxas and Sora blushed and hurriedly assured Cloud they didn't think he was boring at all. Cloud shook his head and turned the car to get off at an exit.
"Harry, put your disguise on, we're going to stop and eat."
Harry did as he was told happily. He wished they had enough potion and contacts so that he could wear them all the time. The two things were hard to come by though, so Harry only changed his hair and eyes when the group planned on going out in public. In private, he always looked like himself. He hated it. When he looked like his brothers he felt like he belonged with them; he felt at home.
Cloud pulled up to a small restaurant. It was a Mexican place and decorated with bright colors. He turned around to the kids, looking serious. "Okay—"
"Behave yourselves," Roxas interrupted, imitating Cloud's voice. "Don't draw any attention to us and be good."
Sora giggled and also imitated his brother. "We don't want anyone staring at us or thinking we're bad."
"We need to keep our heads down, eat, and leave. Got it, runts?" Harry finished the speech and the boys burst out laughing.
Cloud rolled his eyes at his brothers and climbed out of the car. The boys did the same, running ahead into the restaurant. They stood patiently, waiting for Cloud. The waitress waiting to seat them practically squealed in delight at the cute children and handsome adult. She seated them and brought over coloring books and crayons for the boys. Cloud ordered waters for them all and looked over the menus while the boys drew. Normally they couldn't afford restaurants but the last job Cloud had worked had been in construction. The manager had paid him ten dollars an hour under the table for forty hours, providing them with a nice chunk of cash.
The dinner went smoothly and everyone enjoyed their meals. When they were done, Roxas and Harry whined that they needed to use the bathroom. Cloud took them to the back of the restaurant and ordered Sora not to move from the table. After everyone finished their business, Cloud made them wash their hands and then went back to the table.
Cloud frowned as he arrived, looking around. Sora wasn't sitting there anymore. His coat was still on the chair and Cloud knelt on the ground to look under the table. The little seven-year-old wasn't anywhere to be seen.
"Sora?" Cloud called. Some of the patrons looked up but Cloud ignored them. He hurried back to the bathroom, thinking that Sora might have followed them. "Sora!" He wasn't there either and Cloud began to panic. A waitress came up to him but Cloud pushed past her. "Sora! Sora get out here now!"
Frantic, Cloud grabbed Sora's coat and ran outside. He looked in the car but it was empty. "Sora!" Cloud yelled. Behind him, Roxas and Harry were clutching hands, scared. "It's alright, I'll find him," he assured the two absently. He ran around the side of the building, calling for his brother. He wasn't there and Cloud ran back to the front.
"SORA!" Cloud shouted.
"Cloud!"
Cloud whipped around at the tiny voice. Sora was standing by the door of the convenience store next to the restaurant. He was standing next to tall brunette man with dark eyes and a scar cut across his face. The man had a hand on Sora's shoulder and was scowling.
"Sora!" Cloud hurried forward, relief making his legs tremble weakly. Sora ran to him and Cloud grabbed his arms, kneeling down. "What were you thinking? I told you stay at the table!"
"I'm sorry!"
Cloud's grip on his brother tightened. "What do I always tell you! Keep your head down and don't leave my side! Do you know what could have happened to you!"
"Cloud that hurts!" Sora cried. The teen let go of his brother as if he had been burned. Sora was crying and rubbed the spots on his arms that Cloud had clutched tightly.
"I'm sorry, Sora," Cloud muttered. He pulled him close and patted his head. "You just scared me."
"He was taking candy from my store," the brunette spoke up, watching the scene.
"I wanted to get us dessert," Sora muttered. The other two boys joined them, taking their brother's hand.
"Dessert?" Cloud laughed, slightly crazed. His brother had scared the hell out of him for a couple pieces of candy?
"You might want to pay the woman," the brunette pointed at the waitress standing in the door, looking furious.
"Right," Cloud suddenly felt lightheaded and shook his head. He quickly fished out some money and held it out the waitress. She angrily snatched the cash and swept back inside. Cloud looked at his hand and sighed sadly. He got the feeling she wasn't coming back with any change.
A throat cleared behind him and Cloud and turned, seeing the brunette man standing there, looking annoyed. Cloud shook his head again to try and clear it. He hurried over to him. "What do I owe you for the candy?"
"Three fifty."
Cloud looked at his quickly shrinking pile of money. He held out a ten. "I don't have change..."
The brunette stared at him a minute before taking the money. "I'll get you change."
The family followed him into the store and Cloud rubbed his chest. His heart was still beating like crazy from his scare. The triplets were standing next to him quietly.
"Here's your change."
Cloud reached for the money but stopped as his sight began to blur. For a moment it looked like there were two hands holding money for him and Cloud couldn't manage to grab it.
"Hey, you okay?"
Cloud didn't answer as he fell to his knees. He heard his brothers shout in fear but didn't have the strength to comfort them as he passed out.
A/N: So I'm trying to construct a new world that blends both fandoms in a new way. Fighters are keyblade masters, while wizards are wizards, and norms are like muggles. I decided to call them Fighters instead of keyblade masters because in KH, not everyone is a keyblade master. A lot of them just have cool weapons.
Please let me know if you like or not or if its confusing and hard to follow. Obviously in future chapters I'm going to delve more deeply into it, this was just an introduction.
If I didn't mention this before, I don't think there is going to be any pairings. So let me know what you think. :)