Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. Also, I do not own Ansem the Wise. Which is totally unrelated to the character in this chapter. Any resemblance is purely coincidental, yadda-yadda, ok?

Warnings: This fiction contains and is not limited to boy/boy moments, the use and abuse of stereotypes, hints at original pairings, very despicable people, emo-Riku, lustful teenagers, underage drinking, a mix of the last two points, questionable situations, morally ambiguous choices and a few, occasional and really shy attempts at humor.

Chapter 26: Unbound

Sora entered the little room on the most isolated side of the school. As soon as he had stepped inside, a deep voice welcomed him.

"Ah, you must be Sora. Please, come in."

The man welcoming him was middle-aged, wearing a periwinkle labcoat while sporting a short mustache and goatee. Sora thought that he looked more like a mad scientist than a school psychologist. Sora would've very well preferred to be somewhere else at that moment. Everywhere else, in fact. Principal Xemnas, though, had decided otherwise, and as much as he hurt him to admit it, he had to obey if he didn't want to find himself with an expulsion note in his hands.

"I'll be honest: I'm here exclusively because the principal forced me to." Sora specified immediately, as to avoid any misunderstanding. "So don't expect me to get all buddy-buddy with you just because you're supposed to 'help me'."

The old man simply smiled. A kind smile, but Sora didn't like it at all. He silently took place in the chair in front of the wooden desk.

"So..." the boy spoke again when he realized that the strange guy was not going to talk. "There's something that we have to discuss, or..."

"Not necessarily." he answered calmly. "There is something you want to discuss?"

'Ah, he really thinks that he can catch me off-guard with this kind of tricks. Cute.' "Not really, sir."

"Very well, then."

And then an uncomfortable silence fell upon them once more. Sora was starting to feel uneasy, but the old man didn't seem perturbed in the slightest. It took a whole two minutes of silence for the brunet to talk again.

"Listen, do you really want to keep me here for a whole hour without saying anything?"

"I believe you are the one who said that there was nothing to discuss."

"Forgive me for not wanting to be here."

"Don't worry: you're forgiven."

Another long minute of silence ensued. Sora was really starting to lose his patience.

"Do you really think that by keeping me here without saying a word will make me want to discuss with you?"

"Are you really interested in what I think?"

"Could you please stop answering my questions with other questions?"

"Yes, I could."

And then silence fell upon the two of them again. This time, though, it was the counsellor who break it.

"I'll be frank: I do not approve of principal Xemnas' methods." That piqued Sora's interest. "I believe people should come here if they feel like it: if they are forced to, there's no meaning at all."

"Well, if you think this way, why not letting me go?" Sora said smirking, not really hoping to have a chance to get off there that easily.

The old man touched his goatee, his yellow eyes wandering away for a moment. He then looked at the small boy in front of him and talked again. "You're right. You're free to go."

Sora couldn't believe those words: he was really giving him the permission to skip the seance? He didn't lose time and stood up, walking quickly towards the door before he could change his mind. He had already his hand on the doorknob when he suddenly stopped.

He turned his head to look at the counsellor: he wasn't even looking at him getting away, he had resumed reading some paper on his desk. Just, what the hell was wrong with that guy?

"I know what you're thinking." the old man said without lifting his eyes from his papers. Knowing that he would've probably regretted it later, Sora reluctantly came back and took once more the chair in front of the wooden desk.

"You're worried that if you leave, I'll report you to the principal for refusing to take the sessions, isn't that right?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"At the same time, you're pretty sure that you would gain nothing by staying here and you do not want to lose a whole hour of your life, am I correct?"

"Uh... kinda, yet..."

The blond man finally looked at the brunet, his piercing orange eyes scrutinizing the boy in front of him.

"Well, then, what if I told you that you could gain something from these sessions? Wouldn't that be worth coming here?"

Sora wondered if that guy could really offer something useful to him. "Not to doubt about what you're saying, but..."

"...but!" the old man interrupted him. The flow of the discussion had changed radically and Sora was feeling disoriented. "You're wondering if all of this is an elaborate trick to get some information out of you, isn't that right? My... you're a suspicious guy."

The brunet didn't answer. He was feeling like that strange guy could see through him with his piercing gaze.

"Don't worry." he added a moment later. "If you're willing to cooperate, I can guarantee you can get some benefits too from these sessions."

"'Benefits?'"

"The principal was kind enough to let me get a copy of your old school records. I think it's pretty safe to say that you're not a stickler for rules."

"Can't deny that."

The old man slowly put his elbows on the desk and crossed the tips of his fingers. "How about this then: information is the most valuable thing in the world. I can provide you with insights about pretty much everything in this school. As long as that doesn't directly go against my deontological ethics, of course."

"Of course." Sora grinned inside his head. It looked like the man wasn't a stickler for rules either. "But..."

"...but what's in it for me?" he interrupted the boy once more. "You're right: people are egoistic creatures, whatever they do, they do it for their own self-interest. It's only natural to assume that I would gain something from this cooperation."

Sora was stunned. The intuition and the directness of that man were both impressive, he had to admit it. Yet, he still wasn't sure that he could trust him just like that. "So, what's in it for you?"

"There's no need for you to know this." he elusively answered. "For now, you can feel free to ask me whatever you want. Does that suit you?"

That was indeed a good deal, if it was true. Sora immediately thought that there was a quick way to see if that man was as reliable as he said. "Alright, I have a question for you. If you can answer me, I guess we can say we have a deal."

The old man slightly nodded with his hand.

"What does principal Xemnas know about me? About what happened last year? What's in those records he received?"

"A fair question. I think it would be best for you to read it yourself, don't you think?"

As he said that, he passed a pile of paper to the small boy in front of him.

"Just like that?" Sora asked incredulous. "You're giving it to me?"

"That's everything the principal gave me about you. I think it's only right that you have a copy of it, am I right? Of course, in the case someone should discover those papers, I'll deny being the one who gave it to you..."

Sora took the dossier from the table and started rushing through it quickly. Nothing that he didn't already know, of course, but it looked like his old principal transmitted absolutely everything about him. He wasn't sure if he had to feel flattered or worried that old Lexaeus had been so scrupulous about him...

And then his eyes fell on a precise line at the end of the third page. It was the title of a small paragraph and it read: 'The Leon incident'. How did his old principal know the details about that?

Despite not fully grasping the utility of the information he had just obtained, Sora got the distinct feeling that he had put his hands on something relevant.

The old man took an old pocket watch out of his pocket and looked at it. "Well, I guess we can call it a day." Sora observed the old man slowly getting up and walking past him, towards the entrance door. "I believe that you can still make it to today's Struggle session, am I right?"

Sora checked the time: he was right. He stood up to leave, but not before that strange man had the occasion to tell him something else. "If you feel like coming again, just take an appointment, alright? And don't worry about the principal: I'll tell him you'll come even if you don't."

Sora thanked him, more sincerely than he could've imagined at the beginning of the session and sprinted through the office. Just before disappearing, though, he turned back to ask one simple question.

"Ansem Wise." the man answered without giving Sora the time to speak.

End Notes: Set up, I know, nothing big this chapter either. BUT, next one will be good, I promise ;).

Preview: Struggle time! With Riku. And Seifer. And violence. Lotta violence! Yes! ...ahem, violence is bad, don't try this at home, kids.

Next Chapter: Rough Souls