'Thus am I mine own prison. Everything
Around me free and sunny and at ease:
Or if in shadow, in a shade of trees
Which the sun kisses, where the gay birds sing
And where all winds make various murmuring;
Where bees are found, with honey for the bees;
Where sounds are music, and where silences
Are music of an unlike fashioning.
Then gaze I at the merrymaking crew,
And smile a moment and a moment sigh
Thinking: Why can I not rejoice with you?
But soon I put the foolish fancy by:
I am not what I have nor what I do;
But what I was I am, I am even I.'
The bazaar was bustling with Arabian merchants, selling fruits with aromas stronger than the ones at the supermarket, but with more reasonable prices. Sora held an umbrella over himself and Cinderella as they made their way through the various food stalls, picking what was necessary for home.
Cinderella hummed quietly under her breath. Sora was too occupied about his little 'date' with Naminé then to notice the beckoning of merchants and negotiations of their customers. He smiled dreamily as the celestial image of the strange school girl formed in his mind. They had ice-cream in the rain, enjoying their moment when a stubborn business man collided into him. He felt guilty more for Naminé because she paid for his ice-cream cone.
Afterwards, they walked in the park until Sora's feet were aching from the cold so they sat at a bench, Sora allowing Naminé to sit on his jacket in order to prevent the water from spoiling her white dress. Through the time they conversed, Sora acknowledged a pang of loneliness that Namine tried so hard to suppress. He realised now that he talked alot about his own life and hardly gave her the chance to mention anything about hers.
He also forgot to ask her about Tifa Lockhart, the woman who claimed to be her mother yet shared no genetic traits with her. He wanted to know much about Naminé, how she met Roxas, why they broke up, what was on between Roxas and Axel but those questions lingered on his tongue, refusing to spill out.
Roxas...
The very thought of the blond caused butterflies to form in his stomach and he chewed the insides of his cheek in discomfort. In two days time, he'd have to face Roxas after detention and possibly have to defend himself from the latter. The blond was a thug as was his two cronies, Axel and Demyx and worst of all, Cinderella had no knowledge of their threat. Sora hid the text message from her because he reckoned that she'd impetuously confront the boys themselves.
"Sora? Are you listening?"
Cinderella's mellifluous voice snapped him out of his reverie. He glanced at her and blinked, confused. Cinderella giggled at his furrowed eyebrows and crinkled nose.
"Would you like me to buy passion fruit? I know you're fond of them," she smiled, pointing at the hard, round fruits that were sprawled on one of the stalls.
Sora juggled with two before flinching at the cold glare that he received from the dark merchant opposite him.
"You better not lose those," he growled, curling his twisted beard with long, nimble fingers.
The merchant then gazed at Cinderella, his eyes widening with pompous interest. Sora grimaced; brotherly instincts festered inside him, telling him to take Cindy away from the pervert's stall. His sister was oblivious to the lascivious stares and skimmed her hand through the passion fruits.
"And what a beautiful woman to come before me on this rainy day! My name is Jafar," the merchant said, bowing deeply, his red turban falling over to reveal his bald head.
Cinderella and Sora glanced at each other. Sora restrained a giggle while his sister raised a brow. The merchant gasped in infuriation, his long fingers fumbling over his bald head.
Cinderella stooped down and picked Jafar's turban before handing it to him.
"Here you go, sir," she said, giving him a kind smile.
The merchant was so taken in by her that he gave a whole box of passion fruits for free. Sora ran his hand over the back of his head, bemused at how his sister captivated the weak hearts of men without even being aware of it. He winked at Jafar, whispering 'tough luck' before following Cinderella to the next stall.
Her kindness brought sunshine into his life, no matter how hard it rained or how fiercely the wind blew, Cinderella was the hope that kept him going. Sometimes, he didn't know what it was that related him to her. How was he related to an angel who put others' needs before her.
"Cindy? May I ask you a question?"
"You may."
"What made you believe that I'm your brother?"
There was a short pause before Cinderella spoke.
"The letter that your mother wrote...It was clear that it was intended to be delivered to where I was before I became a princess unlike all the other false claims that aroused after I got married. That was why, Sora. However, it was your eyes that reflected our ties."
Sora's lips crept into a smile.
Instantly, Cinderella was pushed over. She shrieked as a rogue pulled her purse and pushed past through the crowd. Sora cursed his late reaction and followed the mane of ebony spikes that swayed harshly in the wind.
"Come back here, you thief!" Sora cried, pacing his feet to run faster. The distance between him and the rogue shortened.
The thief looked back at him, amethyst eyes glinting with psychotic glee.
"Finders, keepers, freak!" he laughed mirthlessly.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cinderella lifted herself off from the muddy floor with the help of Jafar. She spewed some dirt out of her mouth, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Quietly, she wiped her bemired attire before realising that her brother was nowhere in sight.
"Oh no! Sora!" she cried, a hand covering her mouth.
"Do not worry, princess. I have let the local policewoman know about the thief. He steals from this bazaar regularly," Jafar explained, his fingers playing with the curl of his beard, "And he was never caught."
Cinderella sobbed before kneeling down and proceeding to pick up all the fruits that had fallen from her basket. They were covered in wet soil, bugs squirming around them.
"I've paid for these," she whispered more to herself then Jafar.
Unfortunately, merchants didn't have refund bargains.
"Sorry, was it your purse that was stolen?" a flash of light blue hair and blue eyes rekindled the hope inside her as she shook hands with the policewoman that had appeared by her side. There was something fierce and devoted about the way the woman stood, posture straight and tall.
"My name is Officer Aqua. If you may, could you please point out where the thug went?" the policewoman asked.
Cinderella pointed a shaky finger to where the rogue had run off to. Aqua nodded and promised her that she would help.
"Officer, my brother..."
"Don't worry. Justice will prevail in the end. Your brother did the right thing to go after him."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sora felt the muscles in his legs scream for some rest. His chest constricted painfully and he gasped for breath, eyes blurry from the strenuous running he had been doing. He didn't want the thief to get away so he ignored his lethargy and sped faster.
The mane of black spikes became closer until Sora was only a shoulder's length away from the hooligan. He grabbed the boy around the neck and tackled him to the ground. Then he turned the boy over before yelping in shock.
The boy had similar facial features as his own apart from his black unruly hair and amethyst eyes.
"H-how?" Sora panted, sweat dribbling down his face.
The thief grimaced and blinked in confusion.
"Did you have plastic surgery to look like me?" he asked Sora.
The brunet shook his head before snatching Cinderella's purse away from the thief.
"Hey! I stole that with hard work!" the thief declared, attempting to push Sora over but the brunet took advantage of the murky soil and dug the other boy's body deeper to immobilise him temporarily,
He could not help but wonder what it was that intrigued him about this raven haired boy. He felt something spark between them, some kind of connection that their hearts whispered to each other. It was the same connection he felt when he first met Cinderella. It was as if their souls were tied, screaming something inaudible to his ears yet he was trying his best to listen. The snub nose to the large eyes and boyish face; the thief would have been mistaken for his brother.
"Vanitas, I've finally found you! You're under arrest!"
Sora glanced over his shoulder as a tall woman with unusual blue hair approached. She was glaring at the aforementioned thief who was struggling to get up off the ground. The woman turned to Sora and advised him to return to his sister.
"My name is Officer Aqua and I've got everything under control. I thank you for capturing this hooligan. He was causing a lot of trouble in this bazaar for the last couple of weeks but now, his tribulations will cease from today onwards," she continued.
The boy, Vanitas, groaned before blinking his eyes open and taking a glance at officer Aqua. His mouth curved into a grin that sent a shiver down Sora's spine and his eyes twinkled mischievously. Vanitas threw his head back and laughed dryly. His voice echoed around the market, causing a crowd to flinch and whisper among themselves. The laugh was taunting, like a witch cackling after committing a horrendous deed.
Sora shoved his hands into his pockets. He sensed Officer Aqua tense in her spot before she pulled Vanitas' arm and tied his hands together with a chain. Vanitas continued to laugh, fresh tears spilling from his eyes. Then his cackles died down to triplets and he gulped down the air.
"Why were you laughing?" Aqua demanded; her voice low and authoritative.
"I just can't believe that I was caught by another boy rather then you. And you call yourself a policewoman," Vanitas chuckled darkly.
Aqua's fist shook by her side and her jaw muscles clenched in fury. Sora took a step backwards. Vanitas' laugh had already curdled his blood but the boy was creating a bridge of danger between him and the policewoman.
"I better head back before my sister gets worried," he suggested.
Aqua nodded at him and thanked him once more. Vanitas gave him a feral grin, his unusual eyes glazed with strife.
"I hope we meet again, my number one fan. You have to tell me who your plastic surgeon is!"
"Shut up!" Sora cried, his heart rummaging against his chest. He dug his heel into the ground and ran off to find Cinderella.
'Therefore myself is that one only thing
I hold to use or waste, to keep or give;
My sole possession every day I live,
And still mine own despite Time's winnowing.
Ever mine own, while moons and seasons bring
From crudeness ripeness mellow and sanitive;
Ever mine own, till Death shall ply his sieve;
And still mine own, when saints break grave and sing.
And this myself as king unto my King
I give, to Him Who gave Himself for me;
Who gives Himself to me, and bids me sing
A sweet new song of His redeemed set free;
he bids me sing: O death, where is thy sting?
And sing: O grave, where is thy victory?'
~The Thread of Life by Christina Rossetti.