Title: The Garden
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I no own
Summary: His father had three months to buy him back from Master Riku. For now Sora was stuck in an enchanted palace with a cursed Beast. – RiSo
UNBETA'D. BEWARE OF ERRORS.
XII: BUT AT A PRICE
Everything was happening too fast. Their fairy fell, and the dragon was ready to attack their prince.
For Sora, it didn't feel as if he were completely there. He was aware of his surroundings, but not in control of his actions. He knew he was floating high above everyone else, watching the horrific scene which was about to unfold. But he wasn't sure how he was able to stay in the air or why he glowed such a bright color.
Despite it all he felt serene and safe. Warmth flooded his soul, and calmed his heart. There was a part of him that was okay with what was about to happen.
Maleficent reared back, fire forming in her mouth. Axel raced towards Riku, reaching out, but still too far.
Sora then smiled to himself as he noticed his shadow, Anti-Sora. The shadow wasn't alone, there were many. All gathered around the dark fairy, grabbing her clawed hands and feet, pulling her down into the marbled floor, causing her to stagger.
The teenager watched with a sleepy expression on his face as he noticed that the fire was still aimed perfectly at Riku's chest. It would kill both he and Naminé in an instant.
Anti-Sora's bright yellow eyes caught his own, an understanding passed between them. There was only one way to end all this.
With a nod of, he clasped his hands together and prayed for the strength that he needed to do what he had to do.
The bright white wings on his back expanded, nearly flooding the room in its light. "STOP!"
It was easier than he thought it would be. Time froze perfectly still.
"You're heart is powerful."
The raspy voice caused him to jump with shock, before he landed gently onto the ground. The shadow that he had named Anti-Sora stood apart from the rest of the scene before them, waiting patiently.
"Maleficent wanted to wield that power. She took you, not only because you can break the curse, but because you're so pure." He continued. A macabre smile appeared on his dark face. But it didn't frighten the teenager, because he knew it was the only smile the shadow had to offer.
Blue eyes stared at the dragon. She looked scarier up close.
"We are whatever is left of the souls the evil fairy has damned." The shadow continued, a clawed hand on the witches flank. "We've been waiting for you."
The teenager trembled at the thought. So many have been waiting for him to save them. The Master, his servants, the fairy, and now the damned. So many beings, it was overwhelming to wrap his head around.
The brunette let out a small sigh, sad eyes glancing at the creature before him, "What do I do?"
"Whatever you must."
He wasn't exactly sure how he managed to do it. He remembered apologizing to the frozen dragon, hot tears falling from his clear eyes. He was not a murderer. He had no right to take the life from another this way.
Still, Sora did what he had to do. Taking in a deep breath, he plunged his hands into the dragon's chest. He fell inside easily, searching for the large heart which was still pumping, despite how everything around him was frozen solid.
Anti-Sora watched, yellow eyes looking brighter than ever, palms out and waiting.
The teenager trembled as he yanked with all his might until what he was groping for came loose with a wet snap.
Her heart was still warm, surprisingly different from what he had expected. It was slicked with blood, and he stared at it in shock.
"Give it to me," The shadow's voice was soft, as if he were afraid that any loud noise would cause the other to turn tail and run. Maybe it would have.
Sora, on the other hand, could not breathe. This was a heart in his hands. It did not matter that it had once belonged to an evil fairy turned witch. It did not matter that doing something so incredibly drastic would put an end to all the pain and suffering that she had caused so many people.
When it came down to it, it was still a heart. It was an organ which kept someone alive and well. And here he was, holding it in his hands, as if killing her had been the easiest task in his life.
"Sora," Anti-Sora's voice was little more than a hiss, and it caused the other to snap out of his stupor.
With shaking arms, he handed the heart over, carefully avoiding looking down at his now blood stained fingers. The appendages would never be clean after this, no matter how many times he washed them.
The shadow sighed pleasantly, its mouth moving to form a wan smile, "Thank you." He pressed a pointed finger on the teenager's forehead, effectively causing the young man's world to become black.
Riku blinked, eyes focusing back on the young man who was seated beside him. Behind them the fountain continued to babble, above them the birds continued to sing, and the sun beamed warmly down upon them.
"You did the right thing." He heard himself say. The words poured out of his mouth and fell into the space between them.
"Did I?" The teenager next to him asked, tears misting over his expressive blue eyes. He ran his hands through his unruly hair and took in a deep breath, willing himself to calm down.
The prince carefully laid a hand on top of the younger man's knee, and in the gentlest voice whispered, "It's okay to cry."
That was all the encouragement that Sora needed.
"If the witch is dead, then…do you think our curse is broken?" Demyx asked Xigbar. The blond was seated comfortably at the large kitchen table, munching on an apple. He had a thoughtful expression on his face, something which was not seen often.
The chef grunted, his hands busy prepping the food which was to be their dinner for that night. "If that were the case, then wouldn't Riku be human again? The fact that he isn't just tells ya that, despite her bein' dead, her will still lives."
The blond frowned, taking another bite of his snack.
"An'," Xigbar continued, "The boy's still in that coma."
Blue eyes glared at the back of the dark haired man's head, "Yes. But that ones easy to solve."
"Don' even—"
"True loves kiss will break that spell!" He couldn't help himself, standing up and dancing around the table. He danced the way his water nymph great-grandmother taught him to, as fluid as liquid, and at a smooth pace. The thought of it excited him, because that's what was needed in order to free them all.
The older man signed, a tired look entering his single eye. "We can only hope it's that easy." He murmured to himself as he pealed potatoes.
Demyx yawned lazily. He slumped against the kitchen sinks counter space. "Ten years really isn't that long a time, compared to an entire lifespan."
It wasn't, not really. Ten years compared to an average span of eighty years was just a small part of someone's life. Still, the curse had taken its toll on all of them. One would think that remaining forever young would be a blessing. But only the vain felt that way.
The reality of it was that Xigbar missed most of his daughter's childhood, a decade was a long time to be away from family. His daughter had only been five when he was forced to take his leave. Some days he wondered how his wife was doing. He used to send letters to them, for both were aware of the situation. After a few years he stopped writing, only sending the occasional birthday or holiday card now. It was too painful to realize that everyone he knew was growing older without him.
"Ten years may not be that long," The older man sighed, "But it's enough time to have someone that you once knew so well change drastically."
"Well, looks as if I've walked into a depressing conversation." Marluxia's voice was clear and crisp as he stepped into the kitchen. "Demyx, aren't you supposed to be doing something other than harassing our dear chef?"
The blond have the man a dirty look, "I'm done with my chores for the day. Aren't you supposed to be tending to your flowers?"
"Was that supposed to be an insult?"
"Have you found what Selphie wanted yet?" Xigbar cut in, chopping the potatoes now. From the window behind him he could feel the sun beginning to set. "There's not much natural light out left."
The long haired young man sighed, "No."
Demyx glanced back and forth between the two of them, "What're you talking about?"
At his question Marluxia rolled his blue eyes, "Our dearest Selphie wanted to know if I grew certain herbs. Anything that she and Pence could make into a tonic or potion or whatever, in order to awaken our dear coma patient. I had thought that I did plant some of the ones that she listed, but the greenhouse is so large that it's difficult to search it all in one day. And I've grown so much in there that I forget where I've placed certain plants."
"Do you need help looking?" The blond of the trio asked.
The other shook his head, "No, thank you. Larxene is still out there as we speak. I've actually only came inside to retrieve some snacks for us, we may be a tad bit late for dinner. She's determined to find everything on Selphie's list by the end of tonight."
It was then that the chef of the household realized that he wasn't the only one who wanted this curse to be lifted. The power of hope was an amazing thing.
"Do you think things would have been different in another life?" His voice was quiet. The two of them were lying on the plush grass, staring up at the shaded canopy overhead.
Riku sighed, his fingers tangled with Sora's. His green eyes watched as the sun streamed small beams of light through the trees. "Everything would have been different in another life."
Neither of them were sure of how much time had passed in the outside world. They could have been asleep for years, but it didn't matter to either of them. Their palms were pressed firmly against each other, a warm dryness which kept them both grounded.
"But," The prince continued, "I'm sure we would have known each other. Certain things are just destined to happen to a person, no matter what life they're living."
The comment earned his hand a light squeeze.
They lied there in content, the quiet humming of birds and water running. It was peaceful here.
The scent of orange and mint caused both of them to sit up, separating their fingers from one another. And then another scent permeated the space around them, it was indescribable, but caused both to choke and gag.
"What is that?" The younger of the two asked.
"They're trying to—"
Blue eyes snapped open, his chest was heaving heavily.
"Finally! You've been asleep for two days!" Selphie's voice sounded relieved.
Pence put a hand on top of his racing pulse. "Calm down, it's only us." His voice was soothing. "How are you feeling?"
"Where's Riku?" Fell out of the teen's mouth before he had a chance to filter his thoughts.
"Kairi went to fetch him," Was Selphie's automatic response.
Before any of them managed to get in another word, the Master of the household burst into the room. His beast form looking more animalistic than usual. He made his way to Sora's bedside in the blink of an eye. Large, paw-like, hands grabbing the others gently.
They stared at each other, bright blue peering up into luminous green.
It took the beast a few false starts, before he managed to growl out, "You're father's here. He wants to take you back."
TBC
MLL: I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. I know I did. There's so much going on in my life right now that it's just…overwhelming sometimes. But you don't care haha.
Okay, so I've been working on this chapter since the beginning of December. I've honestly rewritten it about four times now and it's never come out the way I wanted it to! In my mind I had this HUGE and EPIC battle between dragon!Maleficent and angelic!Sora. And in the process of that fight Maleficent was supposed to her head chopped off.
However, as we can see here, it didn't turn out that way. I figured that a large battle like that just didn't work with this mellow going story. I wanted it to keep the melancholy tone that I've been working with, and I wanted it to be a bit more gruesome for Sora. I mean, taking something's heart out with your bare hands is a bit different from having your friends back you up in a physical fight.
Also…I'm terrible at action scenes. I know... it's quite scandalous.
Anyways, for those four people still reading this fic, please review. They do honestly mean a lot to me, and they remind me that I do have a reason to finish this pain in the ass fic. Flames are always welcome.
Don't forget to vote on the poll on my bio!
2 MORE CHAPTERS LEFT!
Revamp written: 1/12/12
Originally written: 1/6/12