Confidence
"What are you in the mood for today?" Zack asked, fingers poised over the control panel in the training complex. A group consisting of the vice-chief, Goofy, Donald and Vanitas milled within the uniform walls. His student coldshouldered him. "I'll select one at random," Fair decided and light seeped into the room like fog.
A foothill town sprawled from the mist. Huts shot from the ground, smoking chimneys bearing the fragrant aroma of spices and baking bread. The carcass of a giant building broke the horizon and Zack smiled at the dilapidated view.
"My home," he proudly announced and swept his gloved hand across the virtual image.
Vanitas snorted, peeling his eyes off the vice chief. "You come from a tiny village?" he scoffed. "No wonder you're so weird. Is there anything out there?" The conical huts, capped with azure, domed roofs, smoked merrily. A cow grazed at a white picket fence, tail swishing to keep away flies. "Do you get cellphone service?" Vanitas grilled Zack. "It's utterly boring," he sneered, "I'd rather die than live in a place like this." He kicked a clump of grass.
"Then perish," Donald mumbled under his breath.
"Did you say anything duck?" Vanitas growled. "You'd look good after I strip your feathers and stuff you in an oven." He lifted his chin, a sardonic smile on his face.
Donald raised his staff; Goofy neatly stepped between the glowering duo. "Ahyuck, can we start training already?" he pleaded and immediately raised his shield to ward off an attack.
Tifa kicked off the ground and Vanitas ducked on instinct as her gloved fist swung at him. The vice-chief's devastating punch deflected off Goofy's shield and she staggered, using the momentum to whirl around and kick. The kick landed on Void Gear and the sheer force of it sent Vanitas flying back.
He skidded across the pebbly ground, grabbing a tuft of wild grass to stop himself from falling. The air above his head whistled threateningly and he swung his Keyblade and blasted a fira.
It missed Zack's cheek. The orange flames briefly lit his scar and the Buster sword cleaved earth. Vanitas scrambled to safety and swore when Lockhart descended on his position like a comet.
She cratered the ground and like soldiers honing on runaway targets, both the vice-chief and Zack cut through the dust screen and dashed after Vanitas; breaking away for a two pronged attack.
Changing course in midstride, Vanitas retreated horizontally, Void Gear's teeth tearing through the ground. A line of mines glowed behind him and he smirked when Zack followed, stopping at the edge of the mines.
Fair lifted his sword and a magnetic pull yanked Vanitas towards him.
The rookie stabbed the Keyblade in the ground, desperately fighting against the pull. He seized a moment to appreciate Tifa's toned arms as she lifted a giant boulder off the grass swept hillside and lobbed it at the row of mines, they detonation failed to startle the cow, who continued chewing contentedly.
Soil and grass pollen choked the air. Vanitas broke from the magnetic pull and peered through the grainy environment. He dodged a kick to his stomach, countered a series of punches which pushed him back, and bumped into Zack, standing right behind him.
His mentor tapped the middle of his chest. "If this were a real fight, you'd be dead right now," Fair declared as the dust settled. "You were supposed to work with your companions," he nodded to Donald Duck and Goofy who shrugged apologetically. "At this rate, you will never defeat us if you stubbornly fight on your own. The King lent his companions to you, the respectful thing to do is to work alongside with them." Zack fluffed his pupil's hair, dusting sand off ebony locks. "Come on, we're starting again."
Clenching his teeth and glowering at the anthropomorphic duck and dog Vanitas inhaled noisily.
"For this session we finished, you get a failed grade," Lockhart callously informed and tossed her long hair over her shoulder. "Zack, your record isn't looking so great," she teased and playfully punched his shoulder.
"Give me a break!" he moaned and rubbed his sore arm. "Are you ready?" he called as the complex repaired the damage. "Get together and formulate a strategy, I'm giving you five seconds." Fair counted down.
Che.
Gripping his weapon tightly, Vanitas put his head together with Goofy and Donald. "If it was one, I'd manage," he griped and rubbed his eyes. "You two keep the vice-chief busy," he commanded in a low tone. "I'll go against-"
"They will be working together," Donald quacked, "leave the strategy to me-"
"Shut it bird brain!" Vanitas growled, "what do you know? Let me-"
Goofy grabbed his companions' shoulders and wrenched them apart. Donald's staff lodged against Vanitas' pale throat and the tip of Void Gear smoked. "Stop!" Goofy interjected. "Since there is no way we will be able to defeat them by ourselves, we should focus on defense." The trio considered the eerily smirking forms of the top tier members. "Our best option is to attack only when there is an opening," the dog elaborated, "if we are scattered, they can pick us off one by one."
Acknowledging Goofy with a tilt of his head, Vanitas added, "You are on defense, me and Donald will attack." The duck hissed in agreement. "Although, we can't attack together, one of us needs to act as a vanguard."
"You do that." Donald fixed his beret. "I'll provide support."
The three sprang apart as a chunk of rock landed on their meeting place. Goofy threw his shield; it cut through the air in a blur of metal and slammed into Zack, who crumpled to the ground. Vanitas charged for the vice-chief and when she smiled, he abruptly turned, leering as her face paled and a blizzaga blew into her. Tifa paused to deal with the annoying lump of ice, and he pummeled Zack with Void Gear.
Clang!
Metal rang on metal. The keyblade's teeth snared the Buster sword and Vanitas struggled to disarm his mentor. Zack pressed his weight on his blade, his eyes flicked upwards and surprising him with a kick to the abdomen, Vanitas broke away, taking cover behind Goofy's shield as Tifa's punch rocked the earth and sent a shockwave rolling across the countryside.
The cow bellowed, its meal disturbed.
She rose and panted, her shirt plastered to her body. Diving out of cover, Vanitas flung Void Gear and Tifa crossed her arms to block it, grunting in pain.
Electricity crackled between Zack's glove and he stormed across the field, the sword in a one handed grip.
A twisting tornado of uprooted grass and fierce wind assaulted Lockhart and leaving her at Donald's mercy, Vanitas spun for Zack. The initial blow from the Buster sword glanced off Goofy's shield and Vanitas muttered silent gratitude for his intact arm.
Fair blasted a firaga, the ball of fire incinerated everything in its path, leaving a jagged smear on the ground. When Vanitas cut the flames apart, he blanched as his mentor loomed, using the fire as cover. The sword glimmered under the light of a noonday sun
Pulling Vanitas out of Zack's way, Donald flapped for safety, re-grouping with Goofy as Tifa prepared to demolish him. The woman's kick shattered the barrier constructed around them and the trio rushed to three different points.
Wine-red eyes flicking from one target to another, Tifa dashed for Donald and Zack resumed his hunt for Vanitas.
Void Gear buzzed in Vanitas' hands and Donald irritably waved a wing at him. "I buffed you," he shouted and quacked in alarm as Tifa landed a mere two paces left of him. "Remember the strategy, we group with Goofy when they gang up on us!" The words rode in the wind as the vice-chief pushed the flapping duck further and further away from Vanitas.
Jumping off a springboard of darkness, Vanitas launched at Zack, the corner of his lips lifting in a triumphant smirk. Fluid darkness crept around the latter's boots, chaining him into place; Vanitas choked as Zack's hand shot out and wrapped around his mouth.
Zack pounded Vanitas to the ground and pinned him in place.
Why is he so strong? Vanitas squirmed desperately; a few seconds ago he swore his mentor did not possess such physical strength.
The darkness pooling around Zack's legs sunk into the ground, whirling like mud, it rose like an uncertain wave and he stabbed it. The pool popped and Vanitas raised his Keyblade, tip poised at Zack's face.
The resulting dark cannon grazed Fair's cheek, leaving a raw, weeping wound behind. Despite the pain and tears swimming in his eyes, Zack did not relinquish his grip on Vanitas' throat.
His pupil scrabbled at his fingers and kicked. Zack let go. Vanitas swung up and Fair slogged him.
Their foreheads met with a sickening crunch. The rookie whimpered in pain and clutched his forehead while Zack grinned victoriously.
"You passed, barely," Zack intoned and sipped a potion, the luminous green drink swirled in a crystal bottle. "Your team work still has a lot of room for improvement," he lectured, a fluffy towel around his shoulders, hair beaded with droplets of water. The monitor in the library showed a slide from the training conducted earlier this morning. "Mulan will teach you what you need to know, in the meantime," the screen changed to statistics listed next to mug shots of Goofy, Vanitas and Donald, "I'll let you know your individual results.
"The one displaying the greatest aptitude for teamwork is Goofy," Zack relayed and the dog smiled widely. "Your defense stats are the highest in the KBWA, it's a shame Puppy can't work with you properly." Fair scowled and placed the empty potion bottle on the table.
A clock ticked in the library, Vanitas sniffed himself and wrinkled his nose. How come Zack was the only one allowed to take a shower?
"As for Donald, you need to stop compensating for Puppy's mistakes with your magic. Buffing him in the middle of training is unheard of." Donald obstinately focused on a row of magic tomes. "Are you listening to me? You need to compliment Vanitas, not compete with him," Zack said and collapsed in an arm chair. "This isn't a talent show."
Hushed whispers rose from shelves on the other side of the library. Candles flickered on silver candelabras, throwing capering shadows across the tiled floor and leather bound books.
"And Puppy..." Fair sighed and ran a hand through his damp hair. "The purpose of this training was to evaluate teamwork, not to flaunt personal strength. Keep your repulsive attitude to yourself because I'm getting sick of it." The crystal bottle shattered with a quiet pop and fragments littered the table, sparkling under the brass lamp. "I told you time and time again, the members of the KBWA are expected to work in teams. Yes, you may be an outstanding warrior, but sooner or later, you are paired with someone, or several someones, to provide aid, or guidance or whatever…and the way you treat others only pushes them away." Zack laced his arms behind his head, his irises softening. "You can be a prick, but be mindful of your thorns when you're among others."
A familiar woman with oriental features entered the library, a lacquered staff slung at her shoulder.
Dissolving his frown into a charming smile, Zack hooked a chair with his boot and drew it closer to him, patting the plush seat. The lady politely ignored him and read the statistics off the screen.
"Is this the group you wanted me to teach?" Mulan asked, long hair gathered into a messy braid. "Do I have anything to teach them?" she laughed. "He is the rookie Squall personally selected isn't he?" she smiled at Vanitas who turned away, self-conscious of his tattered shirt, the ugly bruise on his forehead and the smear of dirty blood across his collarbones.
"Individually they are outstanding soldiers but when working collectively they fall apart." Zack flipped his phone and scrolled through memos. "If you are busy I understand."
Mulan reviewed the training video. "I'm currently on a mission, I'll be free after this week," she said. "There is trouble in the Land of the Dragons…" she explained reluctantly.
"End of the week then," Fair confirmed and she dipped her head. "So this also means you will be free for the date-"
"No." Mulan interjected and in a graceful whirl of red and gold silk, disappeared through the door
9:00 a.m.
Police precinct
Detention Center
A pastel yellow scarf complimented Sora's charcoal grey suit and he perched on a metal chair opposite Pearl. He stayed up late last night, listening to his twin's snores and the soft, background chatter of the television as he paced in the kitchen, getting repeatedly soaked by the tangerine sea, and memorized the questionnaire he prepared. She smiled shakily at him and he recalled Maya's words on being confident in front of the defendant.
"Ms. Pearly, I have questions for you," he began and his eyes watered with the effort of maintaining eye contact.
She nodded eagerly, her stance relaxing.
"Why were you present at the crime scene?" he questioned, palms fisting his note. "And once you got there, why didn't you think of informing the police that a burglar occurred?"
Pearl thought before replying. "I wanted to visit Mystic Maya." She fidgeted with the edge of her kimono, her voice barely audibly through the speakers. "And I wanted to surprise Mr. Wright and everyone at the office. So I boarded a train from Kurain Village and arrived early. Since I didn't book a hotel, I went straight to the agency." Pearl let go of the kimono hem and clasped the magatama around her neck. "I saw the man jump out the window and a little later, Mr. Wright came in...I felt guilty..." she raised her face, "I don't know why..."
Sora quickly wrote the key points of her story. "You didn't think to call the police?" he pressed.
The defendant looked at her lap.
What now?
"Pearly doesn't know how to use a cellphone," Maya supplied and the blush staining Pearl's cheeks depend to a startling crimson. "I don't know what's to be ashamed of," the woman snorted, "I can't use one either and Nick uses a brick phone!" Maya exclaimed. "Phones aren't important." She removed a snack from her kimono belt. "I brought a present for you." Maya scowled helplessly at the glass screen sealing Pearl away from her. "How am I supposed to give this to you? Hey Mr. Guard..."
Phones are quite important, Sora groaned. And please don't involve the guard in your shenanigans.
"Can you give us a clue about the thief? Their height... stature... anything?" he mumbled when the guard finally took note of the frantically gesturing Maya. "Ms. Pearls?" Sora prompted when she watched the proceedings with a lighthearted grin.
"Oh..." She frowned thoughtfully, a map of delicate lines on her high forehead. "I think the burglar was a guy, he was wearing a bodysuit. He had a huge grudge against Mr. Wright," she informed.
A grudge?
"How did you know he had a grudge?" Sora asked and strangled the mike. "You didn't talk to the thief did you?"
The mauve bauble on Pearl's fringe swayed as she played with her hair. "No, I could sense it. His bad feelings." The guard gave up his arm waving match with Maya and returned to his station at the corridor leading to the prison cells while the Fey clan leader opted to munch on the snacks. "He wanted to harm Mr. Wright," Pearl's voice wavered, "I'm sure of it. But it's just a feeling," she sheepishly laced her fingers together. "I don't have proof of it. Inside the courtroom, proof is everything right?"
Sora nodded and regretted it when Pearl's shoulders sagged.
"It's... it's alright," the words came out in a rush, "you've provided a lot of valuable information; we know the victim had a motive, his huge grudge on Mr. Wright."
Now I have to prove it in court.
The visiting hour ended faster than anticipated and Sora bowed respectfully to Pearl. He irritably rubbed his eyes as the orange outlines of a different world floated around him.
Outside, under a cloudy sky pregnant with the promise of rain, a mountain peak dominated the horizon and wrapping the scarf over the lower part of his face, he followed Maya into a taxi. The cab stopped in front of the nauseatingly extravagant Gatewater Hotel and Sora eagerly tumbled out and joined Trucy on the pavement.
He shrunk when a familiar face exited the Hotel's gilded doors.
Kairi, donning a white apron and a chef's hat tilted on her head, waved genially and he returned her greeting with a strained grin. "You wanted a statement from the Hotel?" she asked.
Trucy nodded and sidestepped, exposing Sora. "Give us all the information you have, before the Detective finds out what we are up to," she conspiratorially whispered. "Sora's defending Pearl."
The pastry chef laughed. "I don't have much to say," she confessed truthfully. "Around seven o'clock, a luxury car with tinted windows stopped in the space between the hotel and offices." Kairi pointed to the wide stretch of street between the Multiplan and Gatewater Hotel. "I just arrived for work; and a lady stepped out of the passenger side," she explained. "She visited the hotel lobby and went in the Multiplan. Later I heard a theft occurred, I never saw her leaving." Kairi twirled a lock of bright red hair between her fingers. "The woman looked like she owned or belonged to a big company," she racked her brains, "and she carried a designer bag from Organization XIII. It was too small for burglary tools."
"Who would want to put burglary tools inside an expensive bag?" Trucy rhetorically questioned. "I use my magic panties for those sorts of situations." She pulled out a pair of printed panties and Sora glanced at her deplorably.
"You have a magic pair of panties?" Kairi giggled. "Oh right, you perform shows at the Wonder Bar, I should come watch."
The two women started an animated conversation over Trucy's performances and the nature of her magic panties.
According to Pearl, the perpetrator was a man.
Listening to Kairi, Sora suspected a woman with expensive taste.
Brow furrowed in concentration, he paced, from the front of the Gatewater Hotel and its bellboys with service smiles and back to the Multiplan, where a giant flatscreen displayed an endless loop of advertisements. He paused to view the adverts; showing the shopping centers situated at the bottom floors, to the rustic cafe offering slices of decadent cake; preluding the appearance of Trucy Wright, magician extraordinaire and the attorneys, one after the other. Apollo coolly leaned forward on the bench, grilling his witness; Athena smirked victoriously, widget recording statements and Mr. Wright...
No one slammed their hands on the bench as wonderfully as the ace attorney, Mr. Wright.
The string of adverts lost momentum afterwards and Sora briefly fantasized himself as Phoenix Wright. He flushed in embarrassment when a random stranger emerged from an alley next to the Multiplan. The flatscreen blared about an electronics repair shop situated on top of the law agency and he shuffled in the space between the two buildings.
Squeezing past the trash can at the mouth of the alley; Sora navigated the path, suit brushing against mildewed brick faces. Broken glass crunched under his shoes and a cloudy rectangle of sky peeked above his head. A heavy duty rope dangled from Mr. Wright's broken window and hidden in a tangle of shadows at a dead end, lay a misshapen, burlap bag. Sora kicked the bag and metal jingled. A glass cutter flopped at the opening.
"I found the burglary tools," he announced to the silence and snapped a photo.
Sifting through the crushed glass, he searched for oily fingerprints but the shards contained no such incriminating evidence. At the window in the office, the middle of the rope contained frayed fibers but it also had a weird, freshly off the shelf scent to it. The sack contained a crowbar, a pair of gloves, goggles, an industrial flashlight, a mountain climbing harness and a mass of bricks.
Recording each article, Sora escaped the alley.
Kairi and Trucy still conducted their immersive conversation, now accompanied by a flask of tea, cookies and a glowering Apollo holding a tray of cake.
Striding to the group, Sora held his phone out. "There is evidence in the alley," he said and dumping the tray in Trucy's hands, Apollo scrutinized the photos. "I want to investigate the office. We...I think I'll get more clues there," Sora stuttered when Kairi joined the senior attorney.
"You won't get a chance today," Justice nodded to the office, "Ema's on the warpath, Mr. Wright is giving statements and the police will probably ask you too." Sora paled. "It's nothing much, you need to establish an alibi so they can rule you out." Apollo crossed his arms. "In the meantime, you can review your evidence in the forensics lab. Athena is there," he added when Sora hesitated, tucking his chin. "...Should I come with you?"
Sora meekly nodded, eyes following a line of ants at the edge of the pavement.
Machines hummed in the otherwise silent laboratory. Rows of liquid, neatly labeled and stored in beakers, lined the wooden shelves. Placing the fragments of glass, brick and a glass cutter on the steel counters, Sora dragged the huge microscope closer to him while Apollo hunted for fingerprint dusting powder. Muted conversation filtered through the frosted glass doors, Ema passed in a blur of white, a transparent bag of snackoos lovingly crooked in her arm.
Selecting a triangle of broken glass, Sora coated the surface with a white powder and blew the excess residue, he frowned when no fingerprints emerged. He repeated the process with the glass cutter and one of the gloves, growing increasingly disappointed as no results emerged. Apollo clattered at the back of the laboratory and scraping the surface of the brick, Sora scooped a bit of the dust on a glass slide and put it under the microscope.
Giant grains of red crowded underneath his eye and Sora played with the magnification.
"Find anything?" Apollo inquired and sat on a stool.
"I don't know what I'm doing," Sora sheepishly replied. "I didn't find any fingerprints, the glove is new and the goggles in the bag was still in its protective casing." He sagged.
A knock sounded on the glass door.
"Probably here for you," Apollo stated when the outline of a policeman waited patiently behind the doors. "Go and get it over with," he encouraged. "It's a bunch of straightforward questions."
Glumly steeling himself for the confrontation, Sora exited the quiet sanctuary of the laboratory.
Mission accepted.
The monitor in the reception dinged in confirmation and Zack clasped Vanitas' shoulder comfortingly.
"You got rejected," he savagely reminded his mentor who simply laughed. "This is my solo mission right?" The board listed the assignment details. "You aren't gonna tag me like a baby sitter? I don't want a surprise visit from you during my mission." Vanitas scarcely believed his luck when Fair mentioned a solo mission to the desert kingdom of Agrabah. The KBWA branch situated there requested backup for a group of powerful heartless and unversed roaming the desert. "It says I have a mission partner," the rookie squinted at his teacher with suspicious, golden irises. "It's not you, is it?"
Feigning hurt, Zack raised his palms. "You wound me, is having me around so annoying? The ladies love me you know," he grinned suavely when an associate member passed. The girl blushed and adjusted her glasses nervously. "Oh yeah," Zack pumped his fist, "the annual squat competition is coming up," he beamed, "I should train for it, I've been the undefeated champion ever since I joined the KBWA," he proudly boasted.
"The what championships?" Vanitas incredulously inquired. "Sounds lame." He yawned. "Am I done? I need to take a shower."
Shaking his head, Zack dragged his unwilling student to the elevator and waited while the lift smoothly sunk underground. The doors slid apart to reveal the dim lighting from the hangar and portal room.
Stepping out, he gestured to the portals. "I need to show you how to use the dark corridors." The duo approached the circular dais speared with a column of fulgent light.
Dark corridors opened in the space sequestered by the rock formations. The air tore, whirled with glimpses of sunshine or the dark depths of an ocean; and collapsed. Each one to their own rhythm.
"There is a panel here." Zack piloted Vanitas' wayward attention to a metal podium inlaid with a screen. "You detail where you are going, this is very important," Fair stressed. "In cases of emergency retrieval, the KBWA needs to know where you went last." He descended and the platform lit with a splash of colors. "Once your co-ordinates are set, you usually wear a black coat and go through a corridor." Zack tilted his head, gloved hand on his chin. "I don't really know if these corridors have a specific destination, but you imagine where you need to go and it will take you there."
Vanitas remembered King Mickey ripping a dark corridor inside their home.
"You can open dark corridors anywhere, it is one of the travel methods... the easiest method, actually," Zack clarified. "The KBWA created a rule where members can't open them anywhere, you might scare the public or cause unwanted phenomenon like bringing in heartless. It's a rule we all follow strictly." He held his pupil's gaze. "Be careful not to break it. Creating a dark corridor is easy, however, maintaining it is another question and you need to be protected from its corrupting influence."
Scoffing, Vanitas strolled closer to the whirling eddies of smoky darkness. "The darkness doesn't scare me, I went through it the last time and nothing happened, I'll be fine," he obstinately insisted.
The ground underneath his boots vibrated slightly and Fair pointed to other aspects of the portal room.
Apparently, members only used the Gummi ship to visit Disney Castle, or venture to unknown worlds. The star shard Mickey used is an exclusive item belonging only to the King. Several members in the control room maintained the integrity of the dark corridors, using the log; they could mount rescue operations as soon as possible in the event a member became deserted in a hostile world.
"Your companions will accompany you," Zack unnecessarily suggested. The pillar of light in the control room tinted his eyes into azure flames. "And since this is your first solo mission, I assigned a mid-tier friend, I worry about you, you know." Fair placated with his annoying, easy go smile.
You don't have to, Vanitas inwardly seethed, resolutely staring at the constantly gaping maws of darkness. The portal room tapered into a dome and a hissing sea of static attended the opening and closing portals.
He marched up the stairs, stopping at the podium where his mentor already cued the destination. Agrabah, read the micro-planet, characterized by a giant magic lamp and a series of gleaming, golden domes.
05:25 p.m.
Wright and Co. Law offices
Lounge
The police finally let him go after a grueling session of fifteen minutes. Dazed on the couch, Sora sipped a cup of tea and slowly returned to the realm of reality as the scalding liquid warmed his stomach. Athena categorized evidence in the court records while Mr. Wright gravely worked on his laptop, briefly stopping to summon Trucy who explained the technological conundrums patiently.
Accepting the record and stuttering his gratitude, Sora gripped it and stood. He politely declined the offer of Mr. Wright walking him back home and after bidding a mumbled farewell, stumbled on the pavement.
He hailed a cab home.
Streetlights flared to life, bringing a mellow warmth after the waning sun. People bustled across the roads and Sora studied their smiles and frowns from behind the window. Some walked with a purposeful gait; others loitered at street corners, deliberating. Knots of people flocked to the food stands and the aroma of sizzling meat and noodles perfused the evening air.
A young blonde snagged his attention. The boy darted between the crowds, out of place in his strange clothing. He trailed a pale blue balloon and frequently stopped in the middle of nowhere to gaze wondrously at the surroundings. The taxi left the boy behind and Sora craned his neck, gazing at the obscurely familiar individual for as long as possible.
The door to the apartment opened to peaceful music seeping from the speakers.
His twin lay on the couch, strangling a plush toy between his thighs and decorating his Animal Crossing house with a garishly crimson curtain. He grinned when Sora entered, tossed the controller on the glass coffee table and retrieved a bunch of snacks from the kitchen.
"Gaming night," he gleefully proclaimed as Sora draped his scarf over the couch. "Today is the day I annihilate you!"
The fresh scar peeking from the collar of his pajamas did not go unnoticed.
A smirk materialized on Sora's face and he crashed on the couch. "Is this dinner?" he jerked his chin at the packets of chips and crackers crowding the coffee table. A bottle of soda sweated on the carpet, droplets of water trailed down the sides of cans. "Whoever wins gets the ice-cream," he announced and grabbed the controller, not bothering to change.
Mario Kart loaded on the flatscreen, Vanitas dropped on the sofa and glared at the television determinedly.
The clock ticked, shy of dawn.
A kart, tires squealing, whizzed across the checkered finishing line. The screen erupted in a dazzle of confetti colors and Sora threw his hands triumphantly in the air. His twin cursed and proceeded to sulk, pouting at the melting ice-cream longingly.
"How's work?" Vanitas probed and stuffed a handful of chips in his mouth, his pointed glances at the ice-cream went completely ignored.
"New case," Sora muttered through a mouthful. "Mr. Wright's files were stolen, the police interviewed me today."
Music poured from the speakers.
"I'm going to sleep," Sora said and passed the rest of the ice-cream to Vanitas who dug in like a water starved child. "Don't stay up too late," he yawned. "And make sure your wounds are bandaged correctly."
The door to his room closed with a clink of glass and the television's bright light reflected off discarded foil wrappers and empty drink cans.
Decay
Mid afternoon
Keyblade Graveyard.
The edges of his rusted cape waved in a dust choked breeze. Arid planes stretched as far as the eye could see. A punishing sun lodged overhead, baking, baking everything with its hot rays. Keyblades speared the ground, a forest of metal, of broken dreams and desperate pleas.
He stood in the middle, a short Keyblade held in reverse grip. Roxas tasted dirt. His cape whirled in the sporadic breezes. Armor clad his body; dust smudged, golden boots planted firmly on a cracking earth. He opened his hand, the metal plates chinked together. Slowly, he replaced the protective helmet on his head.
The visor rendered the world through a shade of darkness and Roxas ran. He held his Keyblade, Wayward Wind, in front of him and leapt off the edge.
He gasped awake, internally shrieking when Xemnas looked up from a book.
"Wha... what are you doing here?" he hurriedly asked and pulled the covers to his chest. Xion was nowhere to be seen.
The boss simply leaned forward, wiping a tear cascading down Roxas' cheek.
A/N: I'm not a fan of the Final Fantasy game styles so Crisis Core was refreshing. I knew Zack died, but seeing him like that, dragging Cloud to safety and executed in the middle of no-where was a punch to my gut.
Although, ever since I played Persona 3, I've become more open to the JRPG styles.
At CallofRanger13: With Sora's anxiety, it's bound to do a few circus flip flops before resolving
Please read and review, constructive criticism is always appreciated. Hope everyone is having a wonderful day, drinking hot chocolate and eating cake.