Totality
Authors Notes: Right…first off, some changes! I've decided to switch my writing around completely, and instead of writing in the third person…I will now be writing in the first. Simply put it's easier to do and my writing seems to flow better because of it. A lot of the trouble I've had up to now seems to at least link back to how I'm writing the story!
My apologies since this will change how the story reads, obviously, but what I mean is…it will probably seem like it's written in a completely different way. I hope it actually seems more personal as I can focus on integrating finer detail into the storyline. The plot WILL NOT change in anyway, the only difference you may notice is that, beneath my breaks in the story, you will see either 'Sora' or 'Roxas' written beneath it and it will be from their viewpoint as opposed to third person. There will likely be other viewpoints now I come to think of it, and there will still be third person written in in suitable places, but that will be the biggest change hence forth!
I will likely be re-writing the first three chapters to conform with this, which will likely mean they will change substantially as I hope to have each character specific 'chunk' written in a way that you know how they feel, how they deal with what challenges or situations they're faced with and for it to be personal to that specific character. This WON'T be an immediate change however, as I will only post the rewrites when all three are done, so as not to confuse any possible new readers! I might then recommend that if 'Totality' is in your favourites or follows list, then you should go back and re-read the changes once they are implemented. Sorry if that'll be a pain, but it's not a requirement as I won't be adding anything integral to how the story unfolds, just a few more added details and touch ups!
On a different note, I now have my second story well under way, check it out if you want! :)
Later peeps!
Disclaimer: Fair Use/Fair Dealing
I only claim fair use through using names and/or places and/or events for the enrichment of personal creativity, all ownership of characters, places and events belong to Square Enix, The Walt Disney Company and/or the creators of Kingdom Hearts.
Should this work of fiction increase others 'exposure' to the Kingdom Hearts games series, that is to say awareness is increased to a point that it creates a growth in business via profits/sales or anything similar, to Square Enix, The Walt Disney Company and/or the creators of Kingdom Hearts, then I claim no right to commercial gain from awareness created by this work of fiction.
This work of fiction is meant only for the personal enjoyment of others. This work of fiction is not a re-sale of the Kingdom Hearts series; it is a new plot/idea, with only use of characters and/or places and/or events from Kingdom Hearts being used, on a not for profit basis, to reflect another's artistic interpretation of the Kingdom Hearts series.
Thank you.
Totality
Chapter 4 – Ghosts and Loneliness
A Sora & Roxas fan fiction
oxOxo
Sora
I closed the office door behind me, thankful that I had at least managed to avert expulsion for myself and Roxas.
"Roxas I-"
I stopped short, having turned round expecting to find Roxas standing there. He wasn't. He was gone.
Right. Well I can't quite decide whether this is weird or creepy. He has literally vanished and I turned wildly, looking down each end of the corridor. I suppose expecting perhaps to just see the blonde turning a corner. Nothing.
I just sighed to myself, leaning back against the wall, to the left of the office door and simply allowed myself to slide down to the floor.
My mind was on sensory overload. Just who was he anyway? Cause' he was no amateur at fencing and he certainly wasn't an old face at the school.
In fact I wondered, I'd never seen him before at all. Now I spend a lot of time in town; up at the station, sunset plaza where the school is located, the sandlot – though I'd try and avoid that area because of Seifer. Bastard. But in none of these places have I ever seen a blonde boy … with absolutely captivating blue eyes.
Wow those eyes. I could get lost in them. They remind me of the ocean and those balmy summer afternoons that I'd spend on my childhood island, sitting on that little wooden jetty I'd built with Riku and Kairi. I'd sit there, often alone but I liked that sometimes – gives you pause to think on things and just gaze out to sea, quietly munching on sea-salt ice-cream, watching the sun set over the ocean. It was that blue colour of the midday ocean that reminded me of Roxas's eyes ... and the glimmer! Watching the sun set upon its surface … that was what personified the life in those eyes … that dancing vibrancy of life that I've just never seen before. I wonder what stories and secrets those eyes hold.
I smiled to myself, shaking my head slightly, tearing myself out of my daydream, remembering that … SHIT! I jumped up! I've got someplace to be before I lose the days light!
I began to run through the corridors, a few hastily given calls of 'sorry' as I narrowly avoided knocking down the few remaining teachers I came across, until at last I got to my locker. I laughed suddenly, thankful that it wasn't in the zone of destruction me and Roxas had created earlier.
I opened it up, pulling out my bag and trusty skateboard … before realising that I still had my fencing outfit on. Oh well no time to change. If I wanted to reach my destination before the sun sets I had to hurry!
Walking through the empty school halls, I still couldn't register how it had happened … how did we get so carried away? More importantly, why did I feel so ineffectually jelly legged around him? I was acting like a love struck school girl!
Reaching the entry hall, I passed through the glass doors into the open afternoon sunshine and dashed down the front steps. Pausing in my other thoughts, I smiled sadly to myself, remembering the envious way I would often look at other students meeting friends and girlfriends or boyfriends.
I felt slightly irate though as well. The only friends I had were Riku and Kairi. I just wished I could have more hours in the day to spend with them. When everything else feels hopeless and miserable, I always had them to cheer me on. My rock in a stormy sea. Dropping my skateboard to the ground and swinging my bag across my back, I jump on and push off toward the gates.
oxOxo
Roxas
Why? Why … why ... why … why … why? I mean FUCK … WHY?! I come here for one day. One day and I end up in full on creepy, stalker freak mode … that and my adrenal glands are exploding. Christ my blood feels like its burning, my irises are probably red and I can feel my fangs protruding.
I was just sat here, watching him. Sora had just dashed out of the front of the school, in a hurry wasn't he?
At least I could feel a strong, comforting late summer breeze from up here. It tussled through my hair … for a time providing some relief, so I just allowed myself to be carried by the salty air from the ocean nearby, for a time. I had enough sense however, to keep a firm grip on the railing across the edge of the roof. My, ah … 'other' sense were useless in my current state and highly disorientated by this fucking blood rush.
I let out a long sigh. This was pathetic. Fledglings experienced blood rushes … not ancients and certainly not one as old as me!? A blood rush occurs when a fledgling is about to take his first feed or when they find their mate. That couldn't be happening simply because … well it should be impossible!? I'm an ancient vampire, or for an ironically 'older interpretation, a Sentinel if I go back a very long way. It is simply because I'm so old. My body has evolved so extensively, and has for so long been so extensively dead, that to leap so far back to what a young vampire can feel is … for lack of a better word I'd pick, unusual.
But then, I knew of no other vampire as old as me. I have always suspected a few still existed that were as old as me … or at least close to it. Of course, with a small gasp of pain I might add, this was all the least of my concern.
My current situation wasn't particularly dangerous, nor did I pose a real threat to anyone. It's more like when an animal is preparing to attack or defend itself. It offers a 'display' of sorts to intimidate its opponent.
This was simply a genetic inheritance. An archaic act of a misuse of adrenaline. Right now I'm simply on 'display' to other vampires. I've marked my current quarry as my prey…no others. A great help since vampires aren't exactly blatant about what they are. That and the only other vampire round here was Axel, so this was more of a hindrance than anything. Thankfully I'd calm down later … I hope.
Sora has excited me though…and it was so laughable that it hurt. Oh this is driving me insane! All I can think about is how dry I am. It's been, what? Perhaps ten years since I've actually fed. No … I have a strong level of control. Again with the irony, I can almost feel my heart answering, had. All this by a boy … a boy?! By comparison, someone so young … yet so utterly sexy. Wait … no, I had to stop thinking that.
I looked down once again, watching as he straightened out his … uniform? No, he was still wearing his PE gear. Besides the point, I thought … I knew I couldn't get him out of my mind. I look at Sora and I can feel his heartbeat … sense his breath.
Sora was preparing to leave though. Wrenching myself from my thoughts for a moment, I observed as Sora jumped onto his skateboard and shot off down the road toward the beach in the distance.
I didn't even need time to contemplate before making my decision. I am interested in Sora, no doubt of that … perhaps … perhaps it couldn't hurt to follow him and learn a bit more about him. Nothing sinister just … watch. Isn't that what I've been doing all my long life? Watching the world? Watching the world and not giving a fuck, remaining uncaring about it. He was a ghost. A shadow. The world turned every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day … and he wasn't part of it. He was the one thing which remained … constant.
Well, until now. Sora had, unbeknownst to his innocent mind … made the world move. He was something new. It was like a clock had suddenly started ticking, albeit a thousand year old clock.
With that, I leapt deftly up onto the rail, balancing perfectly. I closed my eyes and stepped off over the edge. Dropping three stories, my blazer billowing around me. I landed neatly of course, righting myself as I stood up to full height. I opened my eyes and concentrated closely on Sora's blood scent.
It didn't take long, he wasn't far, but now I wouldn't lose it. Finding it, I closed my eyes once more and in seconds … vanished. One thing would remain the same though, I'm still a ghost.
oxOxo
"FUCK!"
Tifa shouted out in pain, furiously spouting every curse and piece of profanity under the sun as scolding hot coffee began to pour down her leg. "Stupid … stupid." She frantically scrubbed at the wet stain on her leg, cursing her negligence.
"I swear one of these days I'll be doing a recce and really fuck it up. Probably shoot my own fucking toe off"
She shook her head as she mumbled to herself. She looked back across the road she was parked on, directly opposite and a few cars down from the front gates.
Roxas was gone. What the hell? He was there a few moments ago, crouched on the school roof, she thought to herself.
He'd been there for around ten minutes, she assumed getting some air, when Sora had exited the school and skated off.
She was then watching Roxas for a few seconds before she attempted to pick up her cup of coffee and spilt it down her leg. Now she looks up and he's gone. Did he go back in school?
She decided she'd wait for a few minutes to see if he walked out, until she saw an M5 BMW tear past … with Roxas at the wheel.
"Shit!"
Tifa turned the ignition and pulled out. Keeping a good distance between herself and Roxas. This was difficult however as the little leafy road which lead up to the school was deserted and she'd prefer to keep a couple of cars between herself and Roxas.
Though, to be frank Roxas seemed to be following Sora. Whilst being slightly weird it wasn't really a first, and it seemed unlikely a school kid would consider they were being followed. Sitting back, eyes on the road, she just hoped this kid didn't watch too many spy films.
oxOxo
Roxas
It didn't take long. Like I said, I wouldn't lose him once I found him. In retrospect, Sora's trail was leading me only a short distance. I wasn't even in his view, I was several roads back. I didn't need to stay within a visual range. Keeping the engine idle, I parked up not far from the entrance to a … well … a graveyard.
Sora had walked into … a graveyard? What the fuck did Sora want to do … in a graveyard?
Odd behaviour from him? He is startlingly good swordsman, has few friends, I think is – if not interested at least intrigued – by me … and goes to graveyards after school.
To be truthful, being an odd individual myself, I didn't find any of this disturbing – quite the opposite, it just fuelled my curiosity.
I turned off the engine and looked to my right, through the graveyards rusted iron gates, and watched as Sora continued to walk down the gravel path through the dense trees which were littered around, like a patchwork forest. I opened the driver's side door and stepped out, feeling a cold chill run down my spine. I couldn't decide whether it was the graveyard or that funny feeling of being watched.
Maybe it was Sora? Though I doubt that Sora is really the type of guy to do something weird or sinister in graveyards … on summer afternoons. Reasoning decided now to pipe up and propose some logic. He was likely visiting a grave. But that didn't help in the slightest and just posed to create more questions and leave he had unanswered.
Of course chief among my questions now was, whose grave is he visiting? His parents? Remembering what Riku and Kairi had said to me earlier, I recalled that Sora too was an orphan.
With nothing else to go on, I crossed the threshold, beginning to follow Sora through the trees. Blood still coursing through my veins like magma.
oxOxo
Sora
It felt like I'd only been walking for a few seconds, but in fact I reasoned, I'd probably been walking for only a few minutes. Despite the fact that I was here, I always hated coming and the way my feet feel like lead blocks makes me think perhaps I'm trying to ward off the moment … like every time. Christ I feel … anxious. But then I always did and yet, I did this trip every year, on the twenty second of September.
I always walked alone, never anyone with me, not even nature accompanied me. Nothing but the wind in the branches of the trees. For summer, there wasn't even any bird song … no birds. But then why would there be … this is a graveyard?!
I continued walking until I reached a crossroad in the paths … this was the place. Leaving them altogether, I strolled off between two gravestones standing side by side on the northern axis of the crossroads and walked across the grass to a line of bushes, which I began to push through.
oxOxo
Despite being a graveyard, the scene before me was rather … picturesque. Having pushed through the dense shrubbery behind me, I emerged into a little clearing, sunlight shafting perfectly over one, solitary gravestone.
It was a good spot I suppose. Groundskeepers couldn't reach this far in to maintain it well, so the grass, whilst not growing much behind the ring of undergrowth, was soft and dry.
Hesitantly, I walked closer until I was stood just above the grave.
Here lie Tidus and Yuna Taylor. Beloved parents and devoted protectors. September 22nd, 1998.
Sora Hikaru Taylor. That was my full name. I always came here … to this one place. Every year for the past seven years, always alone, to just feel like I was still near them in some way. Still near my mum and dad.
I began to feel a tear fall down my cheek and as I brought my hand up, the palm upturned, I felt the tear ping against it.
I gave in, falling to my knees and allowed loneliness to envelop me, like an old friend.
Author's Notes: One or two last things to wrap up before I say goodnight peeps. I haven't had these Beta'd, people I've used in the past are pressed for time and I haven't the heart to keep asking! XD So no Beta reader, but I always go back and look through for obvious mistakes, though I may miss one or two things, so bear with me!
There should be another update, possibly within a few days. This is a short chapter to what I usually do, but the cut off seemed perfect for what I want to do next! ;)
See you VERY soon peeps!
The Prof!