Day 21
The Spilling of Blood
The next morning, the sun hadn't even risen yet when Emily approached her father. He was outside, resting on the porch. "Daddy, can I go out in the woods and play?"
"This early? Did you even eat any breakfast?"
Emily's gaze slid to the left. "I'm not hungry," she lied. "But please, can I?"
Bardroy was about to say yes when he glanced up at the sky. It was strangely dark. He knew what storm clouds looked like, but that wasn't the case. He didn't know why, but ever since he woke up that morning, he had been getting an odd feeling in his gut. And whatever that feeling was, he didn't like it.
"You know. . ." he began, standing up. "I actually want you to stay home today." Bardroy could see the disappointment on his daughter's face. "It's supposed to storm sometime and just to be safe, I want you to stay here. Okay?"
"But Daddy. . ." Emily frowned and then sighed. "Okay. . ." She wandered back into the house and then slumped down on the couch.
Bardroy took another look back up at the sky. The clouds reminded him more of the Darkness that liked take over hearts. As he walked back into his house, he still couldn't help to think that something strange was going on.
I wonder where Sora and the others are. . . It's been about a day. I thought they'd be back by now. I hope nothing happened. . . Feeling the need to, Bardroy wandered over to the window and then gazed out at his front yard. He hoped to see his nephews and nieces returning to the house, but instead, he caught sight of another boy.
He was probably thirteen years old, standing just outside in front of the house. His ebony hair curved up a bit just above his shoulders, just as his sinister smile did with his cheeks.
What he was seeing was so out of place that he looked away for a few moments and then looked back. The boy was very much real. And now he was beginning to walk towards the cabin.
If was just himself, he wouldn't have been worrying that much, but when the thought came back to him that Emily was in the house, his heart sank deeply. He looked over his shoulder at Emily who was still slumped down on the couch. She must have saw the troubled look in his eyes because he bored expression changed instantly to one of growing fear. "Daddy. . ? What's the matter?"
He quickly made his way over to her. "We have to get out of the house." He scooped her up into his arms and then headed towards the basement stairwell. As he made his way down, his daughter was now panicking.
"What's wrong? Why do we have to leave?"
Bardroy didn't answer, just advanced to the bottom floor of his house. He sat Emily down on her feet and then walked over to the small basement window. He peered out of it for just a moment to see the ebony-haired boy just approaching the front door. He could hear a slight knocking sound that was soon replaced with a noise that sounded like the front door busting off the hinges.
Emily stared up the staircase in horror. "Daddy, what's going~" He quickly placed a hand over her mouth to silence her. He could hear voices upstairs, and by the sound of it, there were three people. Two boys and one girl. Just from one of the voices of one of the boys, he could recognize the group as some of the pawns that worked for Kiari.
"Where do you suppose they are?"
"Does it matter? Mistress Kiari wants them eliminated, and that is our task. The Dark Lord senses that they are here somewhere. Search the house. Kill the man on sight, and the daughter too."
Bardroy spun his daughter around so she was facing him. Her fear-filled eyes were enough of a hint to show that she was terrified. Bardroy put a finger to his lips to signal her to be quiet. He took her hand and then guided her along the floor. He knew the house inside out so he knew exactly where the floor boards creaked and where they didn't.
They entered the second half of the basement where there was a door that led outside. Stepping away from his daughter for just a moment, Bardroy peered outside. There was no one else out there, thankfully. Taking his daughter by the hand, he cautiously opened the door and then went out into his yard.
Quietly closing the door behind him, Bardroy pulled Emily along with him and then stood up straight against the house, trying his best to be unseen when he heard footsteps advancing onto the porch.
"Do you think they ran off?"
"No. They must be around here somewhere. I can feel their presence; they are close. Search the perimeter."
Bardroy tapped Emily's shoulder and then pointed towards the forest. She nodded and then the two of them slowly started making their way towards the trees. The got to the border of the woods and then placed themselves behind a large tree.
"Daddy, who are those people, and what are they doing at our house?" Emily asked.
"They're probably looking for Sora. . ." Bardroy answered in a whisper. He knew that that it was likely that Kiari wanted his nephews and nieces dead, but from what he had heard in the house, it sounded as though she wanted himself and Emily dead also. The last thing he wanted to do was scare Emily even more so he decided to leave that part out when he told her the rest. "Kiari wants Sora. . . She probably figured that he came back here."
"But where is Sora?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. . ." From where he was standing, Bardroy could see the strange visitors wandering around his household. He spotted the larger boy, Flexis, wandering around the yard and then saw the purple-haired girl, Viola, searching around the border of the forest just opposite of them. But where was the other one?
"Going somewhere, are you?"
The next thing that happened was more of a quick blur. When Bardroy spun around, standing just between him and Emily was the same ebony-haired boy, except this time there was a hatchet in his hand. The boy swung the weapon around in an arc. Bardroy was able to avoid the attack with little effort, but as for Emily, he was able to grab her just as the sharp object almost made contact with her neck.
Emily let out a cry as she was roughly tugged from side to side. The boy in front of her was swinging his ax so dangerously fast that she wondered if he was going to end up hurting himself. The two of them were forced out of the shadows of the forest trees and back into the open clearing.
While dodging the swipes by the threat in front of him, Bardroy caught sight of Flexis charging at him from out of the corner of his eye. At the last second, he swerved away from him, Emily in his arms. Again, for as big as Flexis was, he sure was fast. He retaliated quick enough to inflict a hit that sent Bardroy into the air.
Emily screamed; she hadn't been hurt by the strike, but she knew very well just by the impact that her father's have to have been in some serious pain. Landing onto his back and then doing a couple tumbles across the ground, Bardroy slid to a stop. He groaned and got back up, desperately looking around for Emily. She was only a few feet away from her. He scampered over to her and then pulled her onto her feet.
"Are you all right?"
Emily nodded. "I'm fine. . . But what about you?" She gasped. "You're bleeding!" There was a gash above Bardroy's one eye and blood was rolling down his forehead.
"I'll be fine. It's just a scratch." Bardroy held out his hand a let his Keyblade materialize. He flexed his fingers around the handle. "I want you to stand back. As long as you stay out of the way, then you should be safer."
"But you can't possibly take them by yourself!" Emily gasped. "Please Daddy! What if you~"
"I'll be fine." Bardroy sent his daughter a smile. "I'm strong, remember?"
"I know. . . But, please. . . Please be safe. . ."
Bardroy soft eyes narrowed into a glare when they skimmed away from his daughter and back to the three threats. Viola was to the left, Flexis was to his right, and the boy was standing in front of him.
"You are Bardroy Davidson, I presume?" Not only his looks, but even his voice was intimidating. "And this is your daughter?" He motioned his head towards Emily.
Bardroy didn't answer but just continued to send them his icy glare.
"We have come to kill you, but first, we have some questions that must need answered." He pointed at him and then ordered, "Seize him!"
Amiamon sat, staring into space. It was early, but he hoped that Emily would arrive soon. It's what he looked forward to the most that day, if anything at all. Everything was perfectly normal until he got a chill, something that didn't occur often. Not unless something bad was happening. . .
He stood up, pacing around the area. He thought that his mind may have been playing tricks on him, but when the feeling was growing stronger, he chose not to ignore it. Ever since he had discovered that he could shape-shift, he had been gifted with something that was almost like a sixth sense. The animal instincts that he had grown use to were a cause of that, and because of them, he had usually been able to avoid danger and other obstacles.
Sniffing the air, he realized that there was a familiar, unwanted, scent drifting around. A look of horror appeared on Amiamon's face. That smell belongs to Lamont. . . What's he doing here? Taking a few steps in the direction where the dark scent was coming from, Amiamon fully opened his ears. He could hear some distant shouts and the sound of metal clashing together along with a bunch of crashing. He also heard a scream.
His eyes widened. "Emily. . ." Amiamon quickly shifted into a cheetah and then raced in the direction of the ten-year-old's house.
Bardroy swung his weapon up in a vertical arc, creating a shield of ice that blocked the large fire attack that was heading towards him. Viola swung her staff around, shooting out random elements of magic whenever she could.
Bardroy counterattacked all of her spells with their opposites as he dodged attacks from Flexis at the same time. There came a few moments where their attacks came too suddenly and he was forced to teleport a few feet away for his own safety. When Flexis charged at him, he jumped high into the air and came down with a strong vertical slash, but it had no effect on Flexis who seemed to be unaffected by every attack that was launched at him.
Suddenly, Lamont stepped forward. "If you two cannot even capture one man, then I should just put an end to you right now. Get out of my way. I can handle the rest, seeing clearly that you two are not capable of such a task."
Viola and Flexis quickly stepped off to the side and let Lamont walk past them, his deadly ax in hand. He stepped forward with such calmness that it made the atmosphere around them feel even more uncomfortable.
Bardroy carefully charged at him first, making sure to watch all of Lamont's movements closely. Lamont easily dodged all of Bardroy's attacks. At one moment, when Bardroy swung his weapon around, the thirteen-year-old stopped the blade with the palm of his hand. He swiftly drove the hatchet into Bardroy's shoulder, deep enough that it dug into his scapula.
Emily screamed when she saw her father get wounded. He staggered backward, attempting to pull the weapon out of his body, when Flexis came charging in out of nowhere and knocked him to the ground. Before he could even try to get onto his feet, Flexis pinned him down. Lamont paced over to him and then bent over.
He was still smiling. He placed his hand on the handle of his hatchet and then forcefully yanked it out of Bardroy's shoulder. Lamont lowered the bloody weapon and then began, "Unless you want this weapon stuck in your daughter's skull, then I suggest that you answer our questions." He sighed and then continued. "We know that Sora has been here before. When is he coming back?"
Bardroy shook his head. "I don't know."
"Is that so? Maybe this will reassure you. . ." Lamont's gaze slid over towards Emily. He hadn't even taken one step towards the little girl when Bardroy started speaking again. "I don't know where is Sora and the others are. They were supposed to be heading back here but they haven't come by yet. I swear to god, if I knew they were here, so would you."
Lamont stood still for a moment, debating whether or not what Bardroy said was true. Finally, his smile turned into a frown. "I can tell that you are not lying. . . But either way, my orders were to kill you and the girl. I think I will kill her first just because it would be amusing to watch your face as she is hopelessly killed."
The look on Bardroy's face was one of rage. "You sick bastard! If you even lay a finger on her, I swear to god that I'll kill you! I mean it!"
Lamont paused once again. A small smirk was forming on his lips. "Kill me? Do you really think you could? I cannot die." He chuckled for a moment before continuing to walk ahead. Each time Lamont stepped towards her, Emily took a fearful step back.
Bardroy quickly pulled his legs back suddenly and then kicked Flexis in the face. Before Viola could intervene, he summoned his Keyblade and pointed it at her. "Stop!" he commanded, the purple-haired girl halting instantly. He charged at Lamont after that. He slashed at the boy horizontally and then, without a trace, Lamont disappeared.
Emily gasped and then looked around the area. She was surprised just as much as her father was. When she looked over at Bardroy, that's when she saw it.
Lamont was just a couple yards behind him. His smile was crazed. He held up the weapon he was carrying and then threw it with force.
Emily saw the hatchet long before she could scream. "Daddy! Behin~"
She was too late.
Bardroy stumbled a step forward and then paused. And expression of shock and confusion was on his face. He blinked twice and then slowly lifted his one hand, as if he were going to rub his head, but he before he could, he collapsed to the ground face-first. The amount of blood that pooled around him on the ground grew bigger and bigger.
Emily's widened eyes quickly flooded with tears. When she saw the hatchet sticking out of the back of her father's head, she began to sob in horror. She fell to the ground in terror, her whole body trembling. Her father's eyes were still open, but they were empty. Lifeless.
"Emily!"
The ten-year-old's head looked over her shoulder at Amiamon who was suddenly there. "Come on!" he was shouting. "Come on!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. The last thing she saw before Amiamon carried her off into the woods was Lamont pulling the hatchet out of the back of her father's head and then heading their way.
"Ryan, where are we?"
"I'm not sure. . . But it's better than the Kavern."
"But where are we going to go? Where are we going to live?"
Ryan sighed and came to a stop. He stood in front of his two brothers and said, "Listen. . . I know that it's going to be odd being on our own and all, but we'll make it. Don't worry. We're all together and that's what matters."
Taylor lowered. "But what about Lee and Amiamon. . ?"
Zack whimpered. "What about Dad. . ?"
Ryan bit his lip. "I. . . I know that we've lost a lot, but we still can't lose hope. Dad and Lee and even Amiamon wouldn't want us to be wasting our time mourning. We need to move on." He knew that it was hard enough for him to let his father and brothers go, but he knew that it had to have been even harder for Zack and Taylor. He wrapped his arms around his two brothers and embraced them tightly. "I'm sorry. . . But I promise you that everything will be all right." He stood up again and waited for his brothers to wipe the tears from their eyes before continuing. "This just looks like an ordinary forest. . . Maybe we could find a cave or something to stay in for the time being."
"A cave?" Zack and Taylor blinked.
"We don't have anywhere else to go, now do we? A cave is just as good a place as any to stay."
"Or," Taylor began, "we could just go to that cabin we passed earlier."
"Wait." Ryan stopped them. "You saw a cabin? Why didn't you say anything!?"
"I didn't want to interrupt you," Taylor told him. "You were in the middle of a conversation."
"You idiot!" Zack yelled.
"You would interrupt me any other time!" Ryan shouted.
"But you were having a moment. . ."
"You're going to have a moment if you don't show me where that cabin is!" Ryan threatened.
"Okay! Okay! Just calm down. I'll take you to the house." The three of them spun around and started heading in the direction in which they came. Once they walked for a few minutes, Ryan made them stop.
"Wait. Did you hear that?"
"What?" Zack asked.
Ryan narrowed his eyes. "It sounded like someone was screaming. . . A girl."
The two younger Thompson brothers listened for a moment and then nodded. They had heard it too. "Think we should go check it out?" Taylor asked, summoning his weapon.
"I think we should. Whoever's screaming could be in real trouble." Zack put his hand on the hilt of his sword. "And when a damsel is in distress, it's my job to save them."
Taylor sighed. "You'll never get a girlfriend."
"Who asked you?"
"I was just stating the truth."
"Shut up!"
"That's enough," Ryan snapped in a harsh tone. "We'll just advance towards where it's coming from very slowly. . . and quietly." His Keyblade was gripped tightly by his side as he took the lead next to Taylor and headed towards where his brother claimed the cabin was.
Amiamon was still running full speed by the time he was about a mile away from the cabin. Emily was still safely secure in his arms. He refused to let Lamont get to her. He was too late for her father, but he would never let Lamont touch her.
Never.
There was another odd smell in the air so Amiamon quickly slid to a stop. He lowered Emily to her feet so he could regain some of the used up strength in his arms. Tears were still sliding down her cheeks, but not as much as they once were. She wiped her reddened eyes, trying to stop the tears. Her breathing was still irregular, coming out in occasional sobs.
"Ryan. . . Zack. . . and Taylor too. . ." Amiamon mumbled, sniffing the air. "What are they doing here. . ? Dumbasses must have followed me here. . . That just makes things more complicated." He turned back to Emily who had erupted into a fit of sobs again. He didn't know what he could possibly do to calm her down, so he did the first thing he thought of.
He knelt down and hugged her tightly. "It's okay. . . Shh. . . Everything will be all right. . ." Emily hugged him back and sniffled.
"Amiamon. . . Thank you. . ."
"I'm sorry that I couldn't help your. . ." His voice trailed off and he cursed himself for almost mentioning what was the cause of her tears.
"It's not your fault. . ." She pulled away from him and wiped some more tears from her eyes. "You could have never known they were coming. . ."
"If I had been more observant about it then I could have."
"You're too hard on yourself. . . You're not to blame. . . so stop acting like you're the one who killed him. . ." Emily told him softly.
Amiamon lowered his head and then sighed sadly. He took Emily's hand in his own and said gently, "Let's get of here. . . We can wait out the enemies and then head back to your house. They came for Sora, so I doubt they'll stay long. I promise that I'll protect you, do you understand me?"
Emily nodded and squeezed his hand. "Thank you. . ."
With silence, the three siblings continued forward. Every so often, Sora would look over his shoulder, hoping to see Sam or Sora Lee trailing behind them, but he knew that it wasn't possible. Kiari had taken both of them away so quickly that it was still hard to process that they were gone for good.
Savannah was glancing around also, searching for either her younger sister or her twin brother. She hated the gloomy depression that had settled over the group, but she didn't know what she could possibly say to brighten the mood. So she just decided to keep her thoughts to herself and continue along.
Sanji was lost. His heart was lingering on the edge of either falling into anger or despair. Finally, he had finally found people he could trust. Sam was his little sister. . . And he had let her die. His heart was aching with pure agony. He desperately tried to rid himself of the nightmarish thoughts, but nothing seemed to work. He had struck down his younger brother and let his little sister die at the hands of evil. A dark, sad frown was placed upon Sanji's face at that moment. Nothing ever worked out for him in the end. Nothing at all.
He often wondered where Ryan and his group were. Did they escape? He tried to dismiss the thoughts of them, but for some reason, they kept wandering back to his mind. Ryan kept wandering back to his mind.
The silence continued on and on until Savannah was the first one to break it. "How do you suppose Uncle Bardroy will react to the news. . ?"
Sora's eyes slid over to his sister. He shrugged. "I don't know. . . He'll probably be shocked. . ." He sighed sadly. "I guess that all we can do now is wait. . . I'm not sure what to do anymore. . ." Sora trudged along. Sanji was still silent. He hadn't said a word to them after he had met up with them. Not one single word.
Sora knew that something was probably nagging at his brain and the loss of Lee and Sam was just making it worse for him. He wanted to say something, but he was afraid that Sanji would lash out again.
They were close to their uncle's now, but for some reason, Sora was getting that odd feeling like something bad happened. He prayed that the was wrong, but just from the look that had appeared on Sanji's face, he could tell that his brother was getting that same feeling. "Hey. . . Sanji?"
The look that Sanji sent him back showed that he understood. "Yeah, I feel it too. Stay behind me. . . Oh shit. . ."
Sora looked ahead and could see the door to their uncle's house was hanging open as if it had been busted from the hinges. Savannah gasped. "Oh no. . ."
The three of them charged towards the house. They entered the house cautiously. When the coast seemed clear, Sanji called out, "Uncle Bardroy! Emily! Are you here?" They checked the first floor quickly and then Savannah examined the basement. She came back up the stairs and shook her head.
"Maybe they're upstai~" Sanji cut Sora off when he slapped a hand over his younger brother's mouth. They could hear the creaking of the floorboards, which meant that someone was up there stepping on them.
"Someone's upstairs. . ." Sanji whispered. He put his fingers to his lips and then pointed to the staircase. He went first, Sora behind him, and Savannah bringing up the back. They weren't even up that stairs yet when somebody shouted,
"Wait! Wait! Don't attack us!"
At the top of the stairs was Zack and Taylor, waving their arms madly. Sanji was about to lunge at them, but from the look on their faces, they were more frightened than guilty.
Sora blinked and stepped ahead of his older brother. "You two? What are you doing here?"
"We were just passing by when we came across this house. . . We didn't know who it belonged to," Zack explained. "We swear!"
Sora looked around. "Where's the other one? Where's Ryan?"
"He went to check the perimeter. He insisted that we stay here. . . No one was home when we came by so he just told us to stay here while he checked things out," Taylor said.
"Well, we're here now, so get out," Sanji told him. "You have no right to be here." He grabbed the two boys by the wrists and then dragged them down the stairs. Savannah stopped him before he could reach the front door.
"Wait," she began. "That doesn't help us at all. Before you throw these two out, why don't we question them?"
"But we don't know anything," Taylor began, but Zack silenced him.
Sanji stepped forward. "Okay then. How did you find this place?"
"We just were trying to find somewhere to stay when we came across this house. We thought that maybe it was abandoned. . ." Zack answered.
"Abandoned?" Sanji questioned. "It wouldn't be in this good of order if it was left to rot."
"Ryan said that too. . ." Zack frowned. "But still, we didn't know that this was your house."
"We don't live here," Savannah stated. "Our uncle and his daughter live here. Do you know where they've gone?"
The two Thompson brothers shook their heads. "Like we said, no one was here when we arrived."
Sanji shook his head. "This is ridiculous. Where do you think they went?"
Sora shrugged. "They could have just went for a stroll. . ."
"Then explain the door."
Zack stated, "The door was like that when we got here."
Savannah's face filled with worry. "Do you think they were captured?"
"They couldn't have been. . ." Sanji bit his lip and thought for a moment. "But then. . . What else could have happened to them?"
Zack and Taylor noticed the worry in the three people's voices as they spoke with each other. Reassuringly, Taylor said, "Maybe Ryan found something out. You could always ask him about it when he gets back."
"That's what we'll have to do," Sanji told them. "I doubt they have anything to do with what's happening. They had left the Kavern long before Sam or Lee. . ."
"That's what you said before," Sora cut in. "So, it must be true. I guess that. . . Well, I guess that you could be our allies." Even though the three brothers had been the ones who had murdered their father, Sora realized that holding grudges would get no one anywhere. The only way to move on was to let some things so and form alliances. Sora smiled at the two boys. "I'm sorry for treating you guys so cruelly before. You and your brother may not be the easiest people to trust, but still, I think that we can work together if it means finding our uncle and cousin."
Zack took a step forward. "We'll help you as much as we can. I promise that we aren't holding any secrets from you."
Zack held out his hand and Sora took it, shaking it firmly. "For now, we're allies."
The ebony-haired boy smiled. "Let's get moving. We can probably find Ryan around here somewhere. If we call out to him, he's bound to come running."
Sora and his now group of five stepped out of the cabin, only to freeze in place at the sight they saw in front of them.
Lamont and all of the other pawns that worked for Kiari were standing just outside of the house. Other than them standing there just in front of them, two things stuck out.
A hatchet was gripped in Lamont's hand, blood and even small pieces of flesh still stuck on the blade.
And they had Ryan.
Zack and Taylor stared at the group in front of them in horror. "Ryan!" they cried. They went to rush towards him, but Sanji quickly grabbed them both by the back of their shirts and forced them back.
Ryan looked up at his brothers. Various patches of blood soaked through his shirt, but none of his injuries seemed fatal. "Zack! Taylor! Run! Don't try to fight them! You'll~"
"Silence!" Lamont ordered. Flexis smacked Ryan across the face with his large fist and forced him to fall silent. Licking some of the blood off the blade of the ax, Lamont stepped forward.
Sora and everyone else immediately readied their weapons. Lamont continued towards them, his familiar smile still on his face. "Come now, why continue this unnecessary game? If you surrender yourselves now, then it will be easier for all of us. You will not have to waste the energy struggling to stay alive and we will not have to waste our precious time."
"We'll never surrender ourselves!" Sora yelled. "If you want us, come and get us!"
Lamont shrugged. "I love bloodshed, so it does not matter to me. I relished killing your uncle. I wonder how fun it will be with you."
Sora, Savannah, and Sanji all froze for a moment. The blonde reacted first. "You bastards. . ." The anger that he was trying to control was quickly unleashed, and Sanji was charging after them.
"Sanji! Wait!" Sora called, but he knew that he wasn't going to get through to him. He was entering a stage of madness. Fire blocked off the view that he had of his enemies and he knew that the battle had started.
Ryan bit his lip. The last thing that he had wanted was Zack and Taylor to be caught up in the middle of a bloodbath. He had spotted the group that worked for Kiari, but before he could get away from them, they captured him.
Other than Flexis who was the one restraining him, there were four of them: Crystalina, Viola, Amalia, and definitely the worst; Lamont. The other three were strong, but their power didn't compare to Lamont's. Sometimes he thought that the thirteen-year-old boy wasn't human. . . Glancing around Ryan saw that the four pawns had gone and engaged in battle. His eyes wildly skimmed the area looking for his brothers. Fire was burning the trees and the grass on the ground, so smoke was beginning to cloud the area. He looked up at the Flexis who was hardly paying any attention to his task. Ryan formed a plan in his head to get away from the brute, but before he could put his plan into action, Sanji came out of nowhere, kicking Flexis firmly in the head.
The large boy pulled away quickly, putting one of his oversized hands on his head and rubbing it. Sanji wondered what the boy's secret was; even the top of his head felt as if it were made of rock.
Ryan pulled away from Flexis as soon he was released from his grip. "Come on!" Sanji shouted to him and the two of them ran into the protection of the trees. The smoke had gotten worse and Ryan could barely breathe. Sanji took his by the arm and then lead him through the dark puffs of smoke until they were far enough away. Ryan gasped for a breath of fresh air. He shook his head and then looked up at Sanji, a small smile forming on his lips.
"Thanks," he told him.
Sanji shrugged. "Don't thank me. . . I wasn't even trying to save you. I. . ." He clutched the fabric of his clothing just above his heart. "I. . . I have a Darkness inside of me that likes to take over me. . . It gets out of control once in awhile when I'm angry. . . I wouldn't have charged at Flexis if it weren't for that. . ."
Ryan blinked and then went on, "It doesn't matter. You helped me, and for that I'm grateful. I owe you one."
"No. . . You don't. . ." Sanji went to walk away but Ryan put his hand on the blonde's shoulder. He blinked his blue eyes.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. "I can already tell that I'm not as strong as you, so I couldn't have possibly pulled away from Flexis as easily as you did. I don't care if you don't except my thanks, but still, you helped me and I appreciate it."
Sanji's heart skipped a beat. Ryan's touch was so gentle compared to all the others who had laid their hands on him. He was used to being treated roughly, but Ryan's soft touch made him freeze. His felt his heartbeat quicken, and he couldn't understand why. Again, he clutched his heart. "The Darkness in my heart never leaves. . . I've tried to let it go. . . But whatever I do, it keeps coming back. . . I have. . ." Sanji's hand slid over towards his one arm and he squeezed it tightly instead. "I have too many dark memories. . ."
Ryan's face seemed to soften. "I understand. . . I have memories that I'd rather forget about too. Darkness lingers in every heart, but you need Light to smother that Darkness out. My brothers are my brightest Lights. They help me through a lot."
"I try not to embrace the Light. . ." Sanji's gaze slipped to the ground. "The last time I trusted the Light, it betrayed me. . . It wasn't there when I needed it most. . . After that, everything was dark. . . I had nothing to believe in."
Ryan pulled his hand away from Sanji's shoulder and stood up straight, a sudden look of curiosity appearing on his face. "I'm not one to pry. . . But maybe if you talk about your past, then you'll feel better."
Sanji's face seemed to go pale. His whole body stiffened within seconds. "I-I can't." His green eyes darted around the area, as if he were being watched. Ryan looked around the area, but no one was in sight and he was positive that no one was spying on them. "I-I can't tell you," Sanji stammered. "I can't tell you. . . He told me not to. . ." Sanji bit his lip, remembering the treacherous threats that he had been told. He knew well what would happen if he ever revealed anything about what had happened to him. When he thought about the warnings and threats, his whole being trembled in fear.
Ryan saw the change in his expression. "Hey. . ." He placed his hand back onto Sanji's shoulder. "Are you all right?" The blonde's composure had gone from one full of attitude to one full of fear and terror. Ryan furrowed his brow. Just the thought of his past makes him cringe in fright. . . I wonder what happened to him?
Sanji managed a shaky smile and stepped out of Ryan's reach. "I'm sorry. . . I'd rather not talk about. . ." If it were even possible, Sanji's face grew even whiter.
Ryan quickly responded, "No, I'm sorry. . . I shouldn't have brought it up. . . Forget I said anything. . ."
"You shouldn't have to apologize. You're not the one to blame. . ." Sanji's eyes were cast towards the ground, but this time, they were full of complete guilt. "I am. . ."
The oldest Thompson boy blinked. He was about to speak but Sanji cut him off. "We'd better get moving if we plan to get out of here."
"But~"
"Let's go." Sanji slowly started off, Ryan following behind him. Another thought shortly crossed his mind.
"Hey, I didn't see your younger sister with the group you were in. Where was. . ." Ryan's voice trailed off and his eyes widened in shock. "No. . . They didn't~"
Sanji glanced at him. "Who would have known that someone like Sam would have a heart pure enough to open up Kingdom Hearts? We had no idea. . . And apparently, neither did she. Lamont stole her heart and in the process, killed her." Then, clenching his fists and narrowing his eyes, he cursed, "That damn Lamont. . . When I get my hands on that bastard I'll~"
"You can't expect to fight him yourself. . . He's a monster when it comes to combat," Ryan told him. "He'll kill you!"
"I'm a monster too, you know. I don't care if he kills me or not," Sanji said. "It may be for the best. . ."
Ryan went to speak again, but Sanji avoided every comment or question that was said. When they got closer to the battlefield, Ryan stopped him. "If you're fighting Lamont, then let me help you."
"No."
"Why not?" Ryan folded his arms. Sanji couldn't help but to notice how much his muscles were packed in his arms, let alone his entire torso.
"There's no point for you to try and help me. I don't want to drag someone like you down with me. You have something to continue living for. I don't."
"That's not true," Ryan protested. "What about your family? Think about Sora and Savannah. They'll be heartbroken if they lose you."
"Yeah right." Sanji shook his head. "No one needs me. I could disappear into thin air and I bet that no one would notice."
"I would."
The oldest Davidson boy blinked. "Why?"
"You're the first friend I've ever had. . ." Ryan sighed. "I've never had a chance to make real friends being where I've lived."
Sanji couldn't find words to say. Friend? The word was basically new for him.
Ryan continued, "So that's why I'm saying that you just can't throw your life away for nothing. I've seen the way that Sora looks at you. He believes in you. He looks up to you. Trust me, I get that look from my brothers all the time. If something happened to me, it would shatter their hearts. Sora and Savannah wouldn't know what to do if you were killed."
Sanji sighed. "Zack and Taylor are your brothers, so why would you put your own life on the line for me and risk not protecting them?"
"If Lamont is taken down then I won't have to worry as much about my brothers being hurt," Ryan replied smartly. "And, you'd have a better chance at winning if I joined you. Two heads are better than one."
Sanji sighed deeply, defeated. If Ryan hadn't backed away at this point, then he never would. "Fine, I'll let you help me. But, you'd better not die."
"Aye, aye," Ryan smiled.
Sanji smiled back at him as the two of them prepared themselves as they headed off to where they figured Lamont was fighting. This time, the smile wasn't forced.
Lamont was tossing weapons of all sorts left and right. Twice had a spear and a hatchet almost found its way into Sora's head. He tried to swing his weapon around and attempt to injure some of the enemies around him, but he was having no luck. Savannah was having her own problems; two of the girls had her cornered and she was thankfully able to dodge their attacks. Zack and Taylor were defending themselves from Crystalina. Flexis was wandering around, attacking whoever he saw.
Sora glanced over at Lamont and saw Ryan and Sanji charging towards him. The Thompson boy came from the left and the Davidson came from the right. Lamont simply shook his head and put up his hand to halt Ryan's blade. Sanji lifted his leg up high, ready for a powerful kick, but it did no good, for Lamont had easily stopped his foot too. Giving Ryan a quick shove backward, Lamont gripped Sanji's ankle and then lifted him off of his feet. He flung him over his head and then sent him smashing down into the earth.
Sanji spit blood out his mouth and gasped for the breath that had been knocked out of him. Ryan was the next to strike, but fail miserably. The two tried and tried, but their hope of overpowering Lamont was starting to dissolve.
Savannah avoided an attack by Amalia's sword and glanced over to see her brother get knocked back onto the ground violently by a club that Lamont had seemed to have pull of out nowhere. The same ended up happening to Ryan, except it sent him into the air before he landed on the ground. "Sanji! Ryan!" she screamed. When the two of them didn't get back up, Savannah's heart lurched with pain and guilt.
Her brother had always been the one to protect her before. He always had made sure that she was protected or content before himself, and she never could do anything in return for him. She hated watching everyone else fight while she stood on the side lines. No, this time she was going to fight.
Lamont had sent Sanji and Ryan to the ground many times, but this time, it looked as if he were done with then. "You two are pathetic," the demonic boy jeered. "I have had enough fun with you. It is time for you to die." Out of the large book he easily balanced in his left arm, he pulled out a large longsword and held it up high. Even though the sword was a lot taller and definitely heavier than himself, he lifted it without any trouble at all. A disturbing evil look was in his eyes as he stated, "Now, thou shall become sacrifices for the Dark Lord!" He went to swing the sword downward and just by the size of the blade anyone could tell that it would be able to cut through a body without delay.
"Stop!" Suddenly, Savannah found herself lunging forward with a weapon that had suddenly appeared in her hand without warning. It blocked the sword that was going to chop Ryan and Sanji in half and then was swung at Lamont who quickly took a step back. For once, Lamont actually looked surprised. He eyed the weapon that was in Savannah's hand and grumbled,
"Ugh. . . Another Keyblade. The damn radiance that lingers on those things is starting to infuriate me."
Sanji and Ryan both scrambled onto their feet and were baffled by the sight of what was in Savannah's hand. "You can wield a Keyblade?" her older brother asked. "Since when?"
"I'm not sure," Savannah shrugged. "It just sort of came. . ."
"Sanji! Savannah!" Sora called, running over to them. "Are you two all right?" When he saw his older sister holding a new Keyblade, he gasped happily. "You can weild a Keyblade too!?"
"Looks like it. . . But the only problem is that I don't really know how to fight. . ."
"You'll learn," Sora told her cheerfully. "Just listen to your heart. It's almost like the Keyblade listens to you when you're confused or lost."
Savannah smiled. "Okay. I'll have to try." Her attention turned back to Ryan who was eying her weapon. She blushed as his eyes locked onto hers. She knew that this was her chance. She stepped closer to Ryan and then wrapped her arms around his muscly torso. "I'm glad you're safe," she told him, pressing her body firmly against his and squeezing him tightly.
Seeing his sister hugging Ryan like that made a pang of jealously hit Sanji's heart, but he couldn't understand why. He didn't know if he envied his sister hugging Ryan, or Ryan hugging her. He wanted to make a rude comment, but he forced himself to just snort angrily to himself instead. It wasn't Savannah's fault that Ryan was handsome.
The two finally pulled away. Sora sent a glare to Lamont who was surprisingly glaring back at them; just from how Lamont had been since he'd first saw him, he fully expected him to be smiling. "This is taking too bloody long. You," Lamont pointed to the rest of his group, "I suggest that you start fighting more fiercely or else some of you will not be returning to the Kavern. I will make sure of that."
His threat seemed to get the other four moving. As they were charging at them, Sanji told Sora, "Ryan and I are working on taking down Lamont. If you can keep the others at bay with Savannah and those two other idiots," he motioned his head towards Zack and Taylor who were just about to enter battle once again, "then maybe can gain an advantage."
Sora nodded. "Okay. I'll try. Just be careful." His brother nodded at him and then went back to trying to overpower Lamont. But still, as confident as they were, a thought was still lingering at the back of Sora's mind. Please. . . Please let us get through this safe. . . If anyone else dies. . . No, I can't be thinking that way! We're all gonna survive this! We have to! I promise that I won't let any more of my family or comrades die!
Lamont ran at Sanji and Ryan first, this time, holding two longswords in his hands. The boy slashed at them swiftly, and the two of them were forced to dodge endlessly, only getting a few seconds to strike each time.
But finally, Sanji did a handstand and kicked one of the weapons out of Lamont's hands. "Ryan, now!"
Ryan quickly made his move. He thrust his Keyblade back and then plunged it through Lamont's body. The black-haired boy stopped dead in his tracks. A shocked expression came upon his face as blood trickled down his chin. But, almost as fast as his expression of shock had come, it was replaced by his usual smile.
Sanji and Ryan froze when he spoke. They couldn't understand how he was still able to form words let alone breathe easily and move. "Well done. I have to admit that I am impressed. Most cannot injure me so easily. I do give you credit, but unfortunately for you, you need to inflict a lot more damage before you can hurt me." Lamont put his hand on Ryan's blade and yanked it out of himself.
Ryan released his Keyblade, his mouth hanging open. How could Lamont still possibly be alive? There was no way that Lamont was human. He had to be something else. . .
Sanji was thinking the same thing. The menacing pawn that worked for Kiari was of another race. He was nowhere near being human.
Tossing Ryan's bloody Keyblade aside, Lamont bent over and picked up his dropped longsword. As quickly as he had smiled, his blade was being aimed at Sanji.
Blood was soaking Sanji's shirt before he even knew what was going on. He blinked and then eyed Ryan who was in front of him, a sword protruding out of his back. The blood that was seeping through Sanji's clothes belonged to Ryan. He had taken the hit. He had protected him.
Before Ryan could hit the ground, Sanji quickly caught him and retreated back a few feet. He slowly knelt on the ground, Ryan's head resting on his knee. Sanji couldn't find anything to say. No words would form on his lips. He was completely silent.
Zack had come to an immediate pause and was staring in horror just across from where they were. Taylor stepped over to him. "What's wrong Za. . ." His voice trailed off and his eyes widened immensely. "No. . ." They called out to their older brother and raced over to where his blood was mixing with the grass.
"Ryan!" they cried. "No! This can't be happening!"
He was still alive, but just hardly. His eyes were glazing over and he
was staring up at Sanji who was silently staring down at him. His gaze slid over to his brothers who were crying hysterically. "Ryan! You can't die! You can't!" Taylor screamed.
"Get up! You have to! You can't do this Ryan! You can't leave us too!" Zack wailed. "I won't let you die! Please! Please!" The two boys hugged their brother firmly and refused to let go over his bloody body.
Sanji took in shaky breath. He ran a hand down Ryan's cheek, spreading the blood that was already splashed onto his face. His body was growing paler and his heavy breathing was growing more shallow. Ryan weakly lifted his one arm and took Sanji's hand from his cheek. He whimpered in pain for a moment and then said quietly, "S-sorry. . . I. . . didn't. . . w-want. . . to watch. . . you. . . die. . ." His hand dropped from Sanji's and then his head tilted to the side. He took one more shallow breath and then his eyes closed. He was dead.
"Ryan no!" Zack and Taylor cried. "No!"
Time seemed to stop ticking. Tears were falling down Sanji's cheeks as well. The pain he was feeling in his heart was the worst yet. He couldn't understand why Ryan had given his life up for him so willingly. How could he?
Sora looked over and saw what had happened. No. . . Damn it. . . This can't be happening. . . Ryan. . .
Lamont was smirking to himself. He held out his two weapons, one of them still blanketed in Ryan's blood. "One down, five more to go. I think I shall start with you two because you are the weakest of the bunch." He pointed his weapon at Zack and Taylor whose eyes widened. Their tears were still spilling down their cheeks in buckets.
Sanji made sure to lie Ryan's head gently onto the ground, but before he could, his body began to glow. A bright Light shone and then his body disappeared. Several shimmering sparkles floating in the air where his body had once been, but then when they died away, he was gone. Zack and Taylor gasped. "What? Where'd he go. . ? Where'd Ryan go!?"
Sanji shook his head when Zack and Taylor looked at him. He honestly didn't know. His guess was that Ryan was sent to paradise. If there was a paradise, that was.
When he saw Lamont advancing towards the two remaining Thompson brothers, Sanji quickly grabbed a fistful of their clothing and dragged them off. "You two need to get out of here now! Lamont will kill you if you don't!"
"But what about Ryan! We can't just~"
Sanji cut Taylor off. "He's dead! The last thing he would've wanted were you two to be dragged down with him! There's nothing you two can do. . . Just get out here while you still have the chance. . ."
"But. . ." Zack looked at Taylor and they both shook their heads. "We don't have anywhere else to go. . ."
Sanji felt a jolt of guilt rush into his system. He could see that by the look in their eyes that they were right. They were lost; abandoned. They didn't have a family to return to. Ryan was all they had and now he was gone too. They were homeless.
He was about to speak to Ryan's brothers when a blur of movement caught him off guard. Without warning, Lamont was suddenly behind the two brothers in front of him. He was already swinging his blade. Before he could process what he was doing, Sanji grabbed Zack and Taylor by the collar of their shirts and then yanked them out of the way. The longsword swung around and the tip just reached his neck, cutting a slice.
Sanji stumbled backward into a tree and then slid down to the ground, clutching the slice on his throat.
"Sanji!" Sora and Savannah were finally able to make their way over to him. When Sora saw the amount of blood that was starting to cover Sanji's clothes, his face went white. He had never seen so much blood at once. He glanced over at Savannah who was struggling not to cry.
Sanji's throat had been sliced. A deep cut dug into the side of his neck and the whole way around the front.
Sora took deep breaths. "Savannah. . ?" he asked slowly.
Her one had was cupped over her mouth. "His. . . his jugular has been sliced in half. . ." she answered slowly.
"Jugular. . ." Sora knew that it was the main artery in the neck and that if it was sliced, then survival was almost impossible. "Sanji. . . Can you speak?"
The blonde glanced at him with his dull green eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but when he did, torrents of blood spilled out.
Sora managed a wavering smile. "Don't worry," he tried to say reassuringly. "We'll all be fine. You're gonna be just fine. . ." Just saying the words were making his heart ache in agony. He knew that it was a lie, but he wanted it to be true. With all his heart, he wished for it to be true. But he knew that it wasn't to be.
Sora turned his head away from everyone, hoping that they didn't see the tears in his eyes. He didn't want to cry, but lately, his emotions were getting the best of them. He couldn't control his pain.
"S-Sora. . ." Sanji's voice was faint, but Sora still could hear him. "It's okay. . . You-You can cry. . ." He gave his younger brother a shaky thumbs up.
Sora smiled back at him, tears falling down his cheeks. Savannah burst into tears and wrapped her arms around her brother who was just barely clinging onto life. Sora joined in on the hug too. "I'm sorry. . ." he sobbed. "I'm sorry. . ."
Sanji would have tried to embrace them back, but all of the strength had been erased from his body. He couldn't even move his fingers.
Sora pulled away and wiped tears from his eyes when his brother's body grew cold. Sanji was dead. All he had left was Savannah. And Lamont was stepping towards them again.
We can't fight this guy. . . He killed Sanji. . . He killed Ryan. . . We can't win. . . Sora glanced at Savannah who was looking at him.
"What do we do?" she asked.
The spiky-haired boy bit his lip. "I. . . I don't know. . ." he admitted. As much as he detested it, he knew that they had to run. If they didn't, they'd die. But, he also knew that if they ran, it was likely that they were going to get caught. But they had to do something.
Zack and Taylor were there too. That made another problem. What were they planning on doing, Sora wondered. He whispered to them, "Listen, on three, we're all going to get up and run, okay? You two run in the opposite direction."
Zack and Taylor nodded. Sora quietly counted and then on three, Sora jumped onto his feet and grabbed Savannah's arm. He pulled her to the left and then they began to race through the forest.
Lamont wasn't to be fooled though. "Flexis," he began, but the oaf already knew what he had to do. He took a step forward and then vanished.
Sora and Savannah gasped and slid to a stop when the brute appeared in front of them. "Look out!" Sora shouted when he saw Flexis's fist heading towards them, but it was too late. Flexis's fist hit Savannah directly in the chest and his elbow slammed into Sora's torso, sending both of them flying. Sora landed with a thud on the ground and groaned in pain. He knew that his body would most likely be badly bruised later on. He shook his head and then looked over at Savannah who was struggling to get onto her hands and knees. Sora stood up and went to run over to help her up, but right when he got onto his feet, a sword went through her body.
His eyes went wide and Sora staggered. "No!" The sword belonged to Amalia, one of the girls who was attacking them before. Lamont was standing just to the side, smiling. "Very well done. Now, we can forget about those Thompson boys for now. They will not cause any threat. Right now, our main priority is Sora. Kiari will be pleased once we retrieve him and take him to her."
With all of his heart, Sora hoped that Savannah was still alive. But, when his eyes locked onto her body, she wasn't moving at all. Her chest wasn't moving up and down which indicated that she wasn't breathing.
Sora's heart almost shattered instantly. "No. . ." He clenched his fists. "This can't be happening. . ." His Keyblade appeared in his hand as anger took over his heart. He ran at Lamont, ready to strike. He whipped his Keyblade around but Lamont just dodged. Realizing that trying to take down Lamont was a waste of time, he moved on to the others. He slashed violently at the girl who had killed his sister and then swung once at Viola who was attempting to help Amalia. When Crystalina slashed at him horizontally, Sora ducked and sword only missed him by what was probably only an inch.
At the last moment, Flexis wrapped his arms around Sora's body and then shoved him to the ground and pinned him down. Lamont let one of his longswords linger over Sora's body. "If you try to escape, then you may find this blade stabbed through your body."
"You won't kill me," Sora hissed, knowing to well that Kiari wanted him. "Kiari will kill you if you do."
"Smart boy," Lamont laughed. "But still, we have you. There's no way you can escape. We killed all of your friends. You have nothing left to return to."
Sora's bold face turned into one full of sadness. If anything, Lamont was right. Nothing else mattered. Everything that he held dear was gone. His friends, his family, his one and only love. . . There was only one more thing that was left for Sora to do.
Surrender.
But, after everything he'd been through. After all of his struggling and all of his fighting, he couldn't just give up. There had to be another option. He stared at the brute that was holding him down and at the sword that was lingering over his body.
He caught his own reflection off of the sword and then somehow came up with an idea. His heart protested against it, but what he thought of was the only way to get away. It was the only way to free himself from Kiari's clutches. If she got her hands on him, the world would be in even worse ruin.
Taking a deep breath, Sora readied himself. He knew exactly what he had to do.
He detested his choice, but it was the only way left. His anger doubled towards the Darkness and his heart ached in agony, but there was only one path left for him.
Sora summoned his Keyblade quickly in his opposite hand to catch Flexis off guard and then smacked the brute on the side of the head. It may not have been that effective, but it caught him off guard long enough for Sora to free himself. He grabbed onto the blade of the longsword lingering just above his stomach, not caring about his now sliced fingers. With a hard, downward thrust, Sora let the blade stab through his body.
He cried out even though he had prepared himself for the pain. He gave the weapon another push, stabbing himself even deeper.
The look on Lamont's face was one full of panic. "What the hell are you doing?!" he demanded to know.
Sora smirked, blood rolling down his chin. "I know that Kiari used my sister's heart to reveal Kingdom Hearts to her. . . But she needs my Keyblade to open it. That's another whole reason why she wants me, isn't it?"
The look on Lamont's face proved that he was right.
"Well. . . If I die, then there's no way that she can get into Kingdom Hearts. She can't fill it with Darkness. . . Not if I'm dead. . ." Sora smiled in victory up at Lamont who was gritting his teeth.
"You bloody damn fool!" the thirteen-year-old yelled. "You cannot be serious! What is the point of dying now!? You could have~" The next thing Lamont said was a blur; Sora's hearing was beginning to fail him now. He caught another part what he was saying though: "Viola! Get over here an heal him! The Mistress will~" After that was complete silence.
He knew that even if one of the pawns could heal his wounds, it was far too late. He was going to die. They would have to face the truth. No one could stop his sacrifice now. His vision was now just a blurry mess of colors, so Sora just decided to close his eyes.
He knew that his choice wasn't the best one, but it did guarantee that the worlds would be safer. With him dead, Kingdom Hearts couldn't be opened, but Kiari would still be alive, causing ruin to land upon the worlds.
Sanji. . . Savannah. . . Sam. . . I'm glad I met you. . . I know I let you down, but I'm still happy that I got to meet my real family. . . Even you too Sora Lee. . . At least I got to know about who I really was. . . That's a plus. . .
Riku. . . I hope I see you real soon. . .
I hope I get to see everyone. . .
With the last of his remaining strength, Sora smiled. He took one last breath before his heart finally stopped and his soul moved on. All he felt was as if his body was moving in a fast motion, but after that, it was nothing but Darkness. . .
To Be Continued. . .
