"Alright I have a few missions for us. Since this is Sora's first real mission, I'm going to be putting him with both Roxas and Ven." Terra says, standing in front of the boys who are all sitting at a table.
"Yes!" Ven cheers and Roxas smiles.
"Yay!" Sora beams. He was hoping he would go on a mission with the twins. Sora has been excited for this ever since he woke up yesterday with his wounds completely healed. He's ready to try again. To prove himself once more. He'll do his best.
"So Axel, and Riku. You have a mission in universe 234. Your client is the inn keeper. You'll have to talk to him but it seems he wants you guys to get rid of some fairies that have been causing trouble."
"Ugh I hate fairies. I'm going to set all of them on fire." Axel groans as Aqua hands the file to Riku.
"It's expected that this will take you a couple of days." Aqua looks over at Sora who is trembling. She smiles. "Sora, Roxas, and Ven. You have a mission in universe 78. Your client is a woman named Fiona. She lives on the edge of the village. It's a underdeveloped world so be careful of that. Her child has been missing for a couple of days now. She wants you to find her child and bring her back. It shouldn't take you too long if it's just a case of a child wondering off." Aqua hands Ven the file.
"Oh wow we get to help someone find their kid!" Sora is brimming with enthusiasm. This is the kind of stuff he wants to do. He's ready to be a hero just like his brothers.
"When you all are ready, head out. I wish you all luck in your missions. If help is needed, we'll be here." Terra looks at all the boys. They nod their heads.
"Let's gather some supplies first." Roxas gets up and walks into the other room. Ven grabs Sora's hand and leads him.
The room Ven leads him to is filled with weapons and gadgets. There's also snack foods and water bottles.
"You never know how long you're going to be out so I always pack a lot." Roxas explains as he takes a book bag that was resting against the wall and starts to fill it with water bottles and gondola bars. He also packs a first aid kit, a compass, and rope. When Sora walks over to grab another bag to fill up, Ven shakes his head
"We only take one bag because we don't want everyone to be slowed down. We work with what we have."
"Okay." Sora takes note of what Roxas's packs mentally.
"Alright lets go. Sora, why don't you do the honors?" Ven smiles at him. Sora takes out his crystal and frowns.
"...Um how do I get it to work."
"Just say where you want to go and squeeze it."
"Universe 78." Sora squeezes it. He gasps when a pink portal is made next to them, he can feel it pull on them, their hair blowing towards it.
"Good job!" Ven praises. Roxas grabs Sora's other hand. "Okay ready to jump? One, two, three!"
They all jump together. Sora would have laughed with joy if the feeling of plummeting didn't freak him out so much. Sora's a bit embarrassed when he screams, shutting his eyes tightly. He can hear Ven saying something to him but he can't hear him over his own weakness.
Once Sora's feet touch the ground gently, he calms down.
"It's always hard in the beginning. Falling is a scary feeling." Ven says. It makes Sora feel a bit better. His brothers aren't laughing at him. "After awhile it will start being fun!"
"I hope so." Sora mumbles, waiting for his stomach to settle. He takes this chance to look around at where they are. They're on a dirt road with homes to the right and left. They look to be made of old wood and they all appear unstable. They're quite a few women staring at them, wearing long dresses and dark veils covering their face. They're whispering, glancing at them.
This place is so...quiet.
"Where are all the people at?" Sora looks around, it's in the middle of the day and he doesn't see any children playing or anything of that nature. When he looks at a house he sees a pair of eyes staring at him. When they meet gazes, the person retreats deeper into the house.
"I doubt they knew we were coming." Roxas's eyes narrow. "Something else must be going on around here that the client didn't say."
"Yeah...Come on Sora. We should find the client." Ven starts to walk, keeping a hold of Sora's hand. He picks up the pace as they walk near those women.
"Devil." One of them hisses.
"Go back to hell!" Another yells. Sora flinches, staring at them with wide eyes.
"Just keep moving Sora. They're crazy old ladies." Ven reassures as he keeps a firm grip, walking just a bit more faster.
"...They aren't friendly here." Sora comments. He can feel a bunch of eyes on him but they're all hiding in their houses.
"That's an understatement." Roxas mumbles.
The three boys keep traveling down the village till they come across the last house at the end. Ven lets go of his hand to knock on the door. It takes a while but the door slowly creaks open. One blue, trembling eye looking out at them through the crack.
"W-Who are you?"
"We're the Occisor you hired." Ven does a half bow.
"Come in! Come in!" Her breathing catches and she throws open the door. The three boys walk in. Sora can't help to frown at the state the house is in. There's trash everywhere and papers on the walls that have something written in a language Sora doesn't know. This home is creepy somehow...and the lady looks like she hasn't eaten in days. Her cheeks are sunken in, her blue eyes glossy and her hair doesn't look like it's been brushed.
"Please...Please you must find my daughter!"
"When was the last time you saw her?" Roxas questions. The twins don't seem affected by the house or the state this woman is in.
"...Just two days. She was outside playing in the garden. I was watching her and then I turned my back to clean the kitchen table and when I looked back she was gone! I searched all day for her in the forest! We had a search party but...we just couldn't find her."
"Is there something we should know about? All the people in the village were hiding away like they're scared of something."
"...I told them I would be hiring you. I will be shamed for doing such a thing but I had to call for your help. I can't lose my baby! They hide because they do not want any part of my sin."
"So you think your child is in the forest?" Ven questions. Sora wants to ask why these people would think calling Occisor to help her find her child is a sin. That's what any good mother would do right? Call for help to find their missing kid? What's wrong with the people in this village?
"That's the only place I can think she would wonder off to."
"Do you have something that we can get a scent off of her?"
"Yes of course." She picks up a brush that was laying on the only clean surface of this house. She holds it towards them like she's presenting a holy sword.
" Thank you." Ven takes it before holding it out to Sora. "I wanna see you find her Sora."
"Really?" Sora's eyes brighten. He moves in close and sniffs the brush as much as he can, getting the girl's scent into his mind. She smells like some kind of flower.
"We'll bring this along just in case we need it." Ven informs the mother.
"Of course. Take what you need young Occisors! Save my baby Sara!"
"Alright Sora you lead the way." Ven smiles at Sora. The young boy feels his chest tighten. Those blue eyes show Sora that Ven believes in him. He's trusting him with this task. He won't let his brothers down.
"Kay!" Sora runs out into the backyard into the garden. He starts to sniff the air. It takes a while but he picks up her scent, ever so faintly. He starts to follow it, getting low to the ground to make sure he's getting the right smell. "It looks like she did go into the forest..." Sora mumbles, standing up from the ground.
"Then lets go in. I hope we're not too late. It has been a couple of days." Roxas looks at the drawing the mother gave to them of her little girl. "She said her daughter has black hair and blue eyes. She doesn't look like she could have gotten too far in the forest...just be prepared Sora. We may find her dead."
"Or we may not." Ven says quickly when Sora frowns deeply. "We can only do our best right?"
"Yeah..." Sora is filled with resolve. The quicker he finds her, the more chances of her survival.
Sora sniffs at each branch on the ground and at every tree. His heart lifts when one tree smells like her so he turns towards the direction he smelled it and keeps walking.
Roxas and Ven stay quiet. It's better that way. If they were talking, Sora couldn't concentrate on the smells. He's not that good yet.
The trail leads to an opening in the forest. He sniffs each tree at least three times. He frowns. He doesn't smell anything else. He gets on his hands and knees, sniffing as much as he can.
He perks when he smells her scent...in one area of mud. His heart races. "...Her scent is here."
"...Do you want me to dig?" Ven crouches down next to him. Those blue eyes looking at him seriously.
Roxas gets on his other side, his expression solemn. They must be thinking the same thing. That if they dig, they'll find her body. They want to save Sora from that but...Sora wants to go through with this.
"It's okay. I'll do it." Sora swallows before he digs his hands into the mud. He starts to jab his fingers into the mud, throwing globs of it to the side. The slimy mud sinks into his nails. Sora feels something and grabs it. When he pulls it out it looks like a string of mud. He cleans it off the best he can and realizes it's a blue ribbon.
"That was on the girl." Roxas shows him the drawing. Sure enough, the drawing has the girl with a ribbon in her hair.
Sora places the ribbon to the side before sniffling the mud again. He still smells her. He digs deeper, wincing when he hits something hard. "There's something here.." Ven starts to dig with him, revealing a wooden door.
They all exchange a look.
Roxas opens the door and holds it open. It looks like it leads to a pit. "Sara are you there?" Sora calls for the girl.
There's no response.
"This doesn't seem right."Ven mumbles. He jumps down into the pit, looking around quickly. He looks up and nods his head. "It's safe to come down."
Sora jumps down, landing easily. Sora blinks when what he thought was a pit is actually a path to some where else. He can still smell her scent. "How did she know about this place?"
"That's what I want to know." Ven's eyebrows furrow.
"Everyone stay on guard. I have a bad feeling." Roxas lands next to Sora, the book bag on his back bouncing.
"You thinking this is a trap?" Ven's eyes narrow.
"It's possible. Those villages could have been in on this."
"You really think they would do that?" Sora frowns. He has to admit he does feel uneasy...the little girl shouldn't have gone down here. She must have been led by someone.
"Yes. We are hated by many." Roxas mumbles. "It looks like the path gets narrower till only one person can go fit at a time."
"Sora get behind me, Roxas cover the rear." Ven yells commands as he jumps in front of Sora and leads the way into the narrow path. Sora grabs onto the hilts of his swords, getting himself ready. He should be prepared for anything.
The path ends and leads out to a large home. It's wooden with green vines growing over it 't look like it's been used in years.
"Sora stay close to me." Ven whispers as they walk closer to the home.
"I'm okay Ven-" Sora starts to say.
"More children! You wondered here by yourself? How lovely!" Their heads snap over to the side. There's a woman standing a few feet away. She has two finger nails pressed against her red lower lip, her blacken eyes watching them closely. She's so beautiful, it's almost like she's a doll. With long curly blonde hair...
"Witch." Ven and Roxas growl at the same time. Ven keeps an arm in front of Sora when he started walking towards her. "This just got a lot more dangerous. This mission went up from a C ranked mission to an S rank. Sora, I want you to go back from where we came with Roxas. I'll take care of her."
"Ven you shouldn't fight a witch alone." Roxas starts to protest.
"Oh my, so you're Occisor children." They all tense when another voice talks behind them. Roxas throws off the book bag before turning around to face the new woman that just showed up. Her tongue flicks like a snake. She looks just like the first witch...like twins.
"Wonderful! You will give us much power and youth!" The first witch crackles.
"Damn." This is the first time Sora has heard Ven curse. "Sora you need to run. This is too dangerous." Ven draws his sword, pointing towards the first witch. Roxas does the same, pointing his sword at the second on. They're back to back.
"I won't leave you guys! I want to help!" Sora draws his two swords.
"No. You need to go. Trust me Sora." Sora's eyes widen when a wind stars to pick up. He has to force himself to stay in place as sphere of wind surround both Ven and Roxas. The twins are floating!
"Whoa-" Sora can't even gawk at them for long before a large gust of wind blows him back a few feet.
"Go Sora!" Roxas snaps, his expression fierce.
"I-" Sora frowns deeply. His body is telling him to fight but with how Roxas is looking a him, he wants to obey his brother.
"Don't leave my child!" The first witch flies towards Sora, laughing high pitched. She reaches out to him with her claw like hands.
"Leave him alone!" Ven growls, his eyes turning white. He makes a slashing motion with his hand. A blade of wind flings towards the witch. She jumps back but it's able to cut her arm, drawing black blood. Ven is quick and flies towards the witch, swinging his sword with skills that he didn't' use against Sora.
Sora just stands there, watching in awe as Ven fights this witch. The two of them going back and forth with attacks and blocking. Sora glances over at Roxas and sees he's also in a heated battle with other witch.
Sora wants to help but...it's become an airborne battle for both Roxas and Ven. He can't reach them. He has no powers.
Sora wonders if he should listen to his brothers and leave. As he is right now, he will just get in the way and worry his brothers if they try to attack. It makes him feel worthless.
"You are."
Sora's eyes widen, gripping his head when a sharp pain went through him. His vision turns white around him and he has to breathe quickly to stop himself from passing out. What...What was that?-
Sora feels it then. His stomach tightens and he feels the bile in his throat. He feels fear. Helplessness. It's coming from inside of the home. There's someone who is really scared...so scared they can barely breathe. Their ribs are wracked from sobbing.
Someone needs help. Sora feels his body running towards the house before he can even think. He hears Ven yell something at him but he doesn't stop. He kicks the door down and hurries in. He winces when the feeling of fear becomes stronger.
"Is anyone in here?!" Sora yells. Sora feels it then, the quiver of hope.
"Y-Yes! Help me! P-Please!" A weak voice yells. If Sora wasn't an Occisor, he isn't sure he would have heard it. It was hoarse, surely from a parched mouth. Sora runs towards the voice, running down some stairs.
It leads to a basement that has a bunch of cages.
"Please help, they're going to eat me!" The pitiful voice cries. Sora runs over to a cage on the right. His heart slows when he recognizes the girl from the drawing. "Sara..."
"How do you know me?" The little girl questions, her eyes big and filled with terror.
"Your mom sent me. She's worried sick." Sora smiles as he breaks the lock on her cage with his bare hands. He opens the cage, holding his arms up. "Now come on. Lets go back to her."
"Mommy..." The little girl's eyes water as she lets Sora grab a hold of her and place her down.
"Lets go okay?" Sora grabs her hand.
"It looks like I got two for the price of one." Sora freezes. He gets in front of the little girl who started to scream in horror when she sees another witch...that looks the same as the other ones.
"You're not going to be eating this girl. We're leaving." Sora gets in a stance, pointing his swords at this witch.
"Are you an Occisor?" The witch tilts her head before her lips curl. "Perfect." She snaps her fingers. A large caldron appears with a fire under it...the water already boiling. "I'll make you into my famous Occisor Soup!" She crackles.
"Just try it!" Sora growls. He takes off towards her, his swords ready. She smirks, holding her hands out. Sora is lifted off the ground and thrown against the wall. "Man..." Sora's eyes widen when he hears the girl screaming.
She's floating in the air, going towards the boiling hot water.
"Stop it!" Sora snarls, running up to the witch and swinging. She jumps back, the girl still floating. Sora grinds his teeth before he runs over to the caldron and kicks it, shattering it to pieces, the water going all over the floor. It sizzles.
"Foolish boy." The witch keeps the girl in the air as she just snaps another one into existence. "Stay still and let it happen." she points a finger at Sora. He gnashes his teeth as he feels the pressure keeping him in place.
He feels something shift in him when the girl keeps screaming. He can feel her fear. He roars, forcing himself against the witch's power, walking towards her. He pushes off his feet and slices with his sword...getting her hand.
The witch screams in agony, the girl being let go by her power and falling on her butt.
"Run!" Sora shouts. The little girl runs as fast as she can without having to be told twice.
"You'll pay for this!" The witch's face starts to turn black. Before Sora can move, she has him by the neck, lifting him up. "I'll rip out your heart!" She pulls her hand back like she's about to strike, her nails are turning longer and sharper before his very eyes. The point so fine and sharp it's a point.
"Did I say you could die yet?" A dark voice rips through his head.
Sora screams in agony when he feels something wiggling inside of him. The witch is thrown back by what looked like a black force field that came out of Sora's body. Sora holds his stomach, falling to his knees.
"What is this?" The witch jumps back from a whip of black coming out of the force field, trying to attack her.
Meanwhile, Sora is in hell. It feels like his organs are melting. It feels like the worms...oh god the worms are back...
"Yes...Yes...Keep screaming. I love it."That voice laughs in his head and it's like Sora can see Vanitas sneering at him. "I'll take care of this witch for you...but it will cost you-"
"No! I don't want this!" Sora's eyes snap open when he feels the worms crawling towards his heart. "I refuse!" Sora screams, shaking his head violently.
"I've lost my patience Occisor child!" The witch hisses. She sends a blast of energy at the force field, shattering it. She grabs Sora's arm, dragging him towards the boiling water. The black energy starts to come back, wrapping itself around the witch and Sora...Sora can feel it coiling around his heart.
"NOOO!" Sora shrieks.
There's a bright light. The witch howls just as the darkness fades away...Sora can no longer feel the pain and the coiling around his heart.
"What have you done?!" The witch screeches, looking at her hands that have been burnt, smoke coming off of them.
Sora, filled with adrenaline, jumps and swings his sword. The young boy pants as he watches the line form in the witch's neck before her head falls off and rolls to the side. Green blood squirts from her decapitated area before her body goes limp and falls to the ground.
Sora just stands there, panting, his heart beating so fast it hurts. He just moved. When he saw the opening he just swung...he just cut her head off.
But Sora knows...this was a monster. He killed her to save himself and to save any other children she would have eaten.
Sora averts his gaze from her corpse as he puts his swords away. He checks the other cages but they have no other children in them. As Sora walks up the stairs, his mind starts to catch up with his body.
….What happened back there? What was that light?...And that darkness...Sora knows it was Vanitas. He was trying to do something to him...he felt the worms again. It felt like he was trying to consume his heart.
"...Vanitas are you there?" Sora asks. There's no response. He was sure he heard his voice. Sora puts a hand over his chest, his eyes getting half lidded. The pain is no longer there...like it never happened.
"Sora!" He hears Ven call him desperately. Sora snaps out of his thoughts and runs quickly out of the house, almost running into Ven. "Sora! I told you to run you idiot!" Sora's eyes widen when he sees the tears at the corner of his brother's eyes.
Ven grabs Sora and pulls him in a hug, his shoulders shaking in his sobbing.
"Ven you're hurt." Sora gets out, aware of the rips in Ven's shirt...he's covered in cuts and bruises. Sora looks over at Roxas. The little girl is hiding behind him. Roxas is staring at him, he's in the same state as Ven...except he has a deep wound in his shoulder that's bleeding badly. Roxas looks like he's about to pass out but Sora can see the relief in those blue eyes when he looks over Sora.
"Sora I'm mad at you! I'm mad!" Ven sobs, his voice cracking at 'mad'. He hugs him even tighter. "I heard you scream and I thought you were dead! I told you to go back! I told you..." Ven pounds his back. It kind of hurts but soon he's just gripping onto him.
"I'm sorry Ven...I couldn't. I felt Sara's fear and I couldn't leave her...I'm sorry Ven." Sora keeps apologizing. "You can go off on me later, we need to get you guys back home." Sora says softly.
Sora can't help to notice that the witches are both in pieces. Roxas and Ven completely destroyed them.
"...Right." Ven sniffles, pulling away from Sora to wipe at his red eyes.
They all travel back to the village, Roxas holding the girl in his arms. The trip is silent. Sora looks down at his feet, feeling ashamed.
Ven knocks on the woman's door. When she opens it and sees her daughter, she breaks down in tears. "Baby!"
"Mommy!" The little girl runs to her mom, her mother embraces her.
"Our pay?" Roxas holds out his hand, his tone even.
"Yes of course." She hands Roxas a bag. He counts the gold coins before he looks at her. "This isn't enough."
"What? But we agreed on-"
"The price has gone up. You failed to tell us that witches where involved. It's obvious that's why all the villagers have been hiding. They're afraid of the witches. You knew there was witches." Roxas's voice is dark.
"I-I didn't have enough to pay for an S ranked Occisor!" Her voice gets shaky. "Please you must understand! You were able to do it! Isn't it okay-"
"We almost died! For pay that's not worth it! You owe us more." Roxas snarls.
"Whoa Roxas..." Sora frowns, looking at his brother in shock.
"You will send your earnings to us in till you pay off your debt." Roxas continues. "If not, we'll come back. And you don't want that."
"H-Hey Roxas-" Sora puts his hands up, frowning deeply when he sees how the woman's face gets pale.
"Sora. Be quiet." Roxas gives him a sharp look. Sora closes his mouth.
"I'll pay, i'll pay...please spare us." The woman begs.
"We will be collecting from you every month." Roxas stares her down before he turns and starts to march out. "Lets go."
"Mommy how are we going to eat?" Sora can hear the girl ask.
"The others will help us...hush now. The Occisors are monsters. I just needed them to get you back...I won't lose you to them either." She whispers.
Sora stops, wanting to say something but Ven grabs his hand and starts to pull him along. She...She just called them monsters. They just saved her daughter from witches!...Though Roxas was very mean. Sora thinks he was a bit unreasonable. It's obvious the woman doesn't have much money. Did Roxas have to do that? Sora is sure the amount that she gave was enough...Sora would have done it for free!
It's so tense between them that Sora keeps his mouth shut. He thinks it's for the best. Roxas's is in a mood that Sora has never seen before.
"Bring us home." Roxas squeezes his crystal. The pink portal opens up. Roxas grabs Sora's hand tightly, it hurts.
They're all sucked into the portal. Sora closes his eyes as they do spins as they travel up. Sora thinks it's much better traveling home then traveling to other places. It's not a plummet. It's like they're flying.
The portal leads them into the basement of their home.
"Yo Roxas you back- Why do I smell blood?" Axel's voice yells from upstairs. He sounded happy till he said the last part. He's in front of them in seconds. "Roxas! What the hell!"
"Axel..." Roxas's eyes become unfocused. Axel catches Roxas just as he collapses. Those green eyes flash before he looks over at Sora, taking in the state their in. "What happened? It was a c ranked mission! Terra! Aqua!" Axel yells.
It doesn't take long before they're both in the room, Riku right behind them.
"What has happened?" Terra examines the scene.
"Come! Lets get them to the infirmary." Aqua holds Ven and Terra grabs Sora. Axel carries Roxas, the blonde is out for the carry them up the stairs and into the infirmary. They place them all in beds.
Aqua gets to work getting her tools ready to start cleaning and dressing their wounds.
"What happened?" Axel asks again.
"...There was two witches. That's why the child was missing. The woman failed to tell us that witches were involved." Ven breathes out.
"Why didn't you call for back up?" Riku growls, glancing at Sora.
"I tried but the witches had thought ahead. We couldn't get a signal to make a portal or to call for help." Ven takes off his shirt so Aqua can get to his wounds.
"Two witches..." Terra growls. "That mission was more than S ranked-"
"There was three." Sora mumbles. Ven's gaze is on him. "...I chopped her head off."
"...I would have never given you that mission if I had known. You all could have died..." Terra snarls, his eyes flashing towards white. "Did you confront this woman? Did she pay for the mission she really sent you on?"
"She didn't have the money. Roxas threatened her and told her she would be paying us back for the mission." Ven mumbles.
"You should have killed her." Axel growls, holding Roxas's hand. His face is red with his rage. "Fuck the money, she knew what she was doing. She was trying to kill you-"
"Axel, calm down." Terra gives him a look. Axel closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "I do agree that you should have ended her life. But since you told her she can pay her debt, we won't kill her. If she doesn't pay the debt, you know what to do."
"W-wait we're really not going to kill her if she doesn't pay right? She's just a poor woman." Sora blurts out, looking at Terra in shock.
"...Sora you don't understand how the world works yet. You're a new Occisor. Most people hate us. They consider us freaks. We have to be tough or they'll walk all over us. We would be instinct." Terra walks over towards Sora. "Because of her, you could have died. Your brothers could have died. Doesn't that make you furious?"
"I...But we didn't die." Sora sinks into himself when Terra gets closer.
"And thank God for that." Aqua finishes with Ven, smiling gently at Sora as she takes off his shirt. She looks Sora over before she sighs. "It looks like you weren't hurt too badly."
"Check him better Aqua. Sora was screaming really badly...I thought someone was killing him." Ven says softly. Aqua makes Sora take off his shirt so she can examine him better.
"I don't see anything...just some bruises. Are you okay Sora?"
Sora nods his head.
"Hurry and look at Roxas." Axel urges. Aqua goes over to tend to Roxas, Axel taking Roxas's shirt off for him.
"I will have to evaluate the missions much better. I can't let something like this happen again." Terra mumbles harshly to himself before he marches out of the room.
Sora rubs his arm, his stomach twisting...Something about this doesn't feel okay to him. Killing people? That's not what heroes do...They help people...Sora might not know how the world works but he knows that much.
Sora watches Aqua take the pouch of money Roxas had on him after she's finished wrapping him up. She leaves the room, telling them all that they should sleep and heal.
"Sora." Sora blinks, looking up from his feet to look at Riku. His expression softens. "Get some sleep. You may be damaged internally." Riku glances towards Axel who is sitting next to Roxas on the bed, still holding his hand. Riku closes his mouth and decides to leave Axel alone. He leaves the room.
Sora lays down in bed, looking up at the ceiling. He turns his head when he feels Ven staring at him. The other boy is laying on his side, staring at him with those big blue eyes. Sora frowns when Ven's expression is sour.
"...Are you mad?" Sora asks even though he already knows the answer.
"Yes." Ven keeps a straight face. It doesn't take Ven long after staring at Sora's frowning, upset face that he loosens up "Sora you know I can't stay mad at a face like that...I can't stay mad at you." Ven forces himself up so he can get in Sora's bed. He cuddles up next to him, getting under the covers. " I was just..." Ven averts his gaze. "...Really worried."
"I know. I know you want me to be safe but I can protect myself Ven. I want to be able to fight with you guys! That's why I was so happy to go on missions with you! I want to fight by your side...not hide behind you. I'm not weak like I was before."
"I understand that. I could just sense that what we were dealing with was bad and...The next mission i'll be better. We will fight together." Ven gives him a firm look. "When it comes to you I get anxious."
"There's no need for that Ven. I killed a witch by myself didn't I?"
"I suppose..." Ven thinks for a moment. "How did you kill that witch? The reason I was so upset is because I thought you had ran into an enemy and the worse happened. How were you able to cut the witch's head off without any powers?"
"Well..." Sora stops. He hadn't said anything to anyone about what happened with him and Vanitas 10 years ago. He hasn't told them about the worms. Should Sora tell Ven about everything? Sora thought that Vanitas was just doing something strange to him back then but...Vanitas wasn't around him this time.
"Sora? What's wrong?" Ven's concern breaks Sora out of his thoughts.
"I..." Sora pauses. Would Ven be mad at him that he didn't say anything? Ven is already kind of upset with him. When ever Sora thinks of telling Ven about Vanitas, he feels ill with this feeling of impending doom. "...There was a light."
"A light?" Ven raises his eyebrow.
"Yeah. The witch grabbed me...she was about to kill me. There was a light that came out of nowhere. It burned the witch's arms. When she was fussing about her wounds my body just moved...I sliced her head off." Sora says quietly. The light bothered him too and that's how he really defeated the witch.
"A light?" Ven's eyebrows furrow. "I don't know of anything except salt that causes witches to burn. Hey Axel, have you heard of such a thing?"
"No." Axel's voice is gruff. Those green eyes don't leave Roxas's sleeping face. He takes a deep breath. "A light coming out of no where? Are you sure you're not making that up?"
"I'm not. If it didn't happen I would have been dead." Sora shakes his head.
"...We should talk to Terra about it...once we get up." Ven yawns. His eyes are slipping shut. Sora is sure he's exhausted.
"Yeah. Go to sleep Ven." Sora rubs Ven's head, stroking his hair just like Ven always does for him. His blonde locks are soft, despite how spiky his hair looks at times. It doesn't take much of Sora playing with his hair before Ven is out.
Sora closes his eyes soon after. He prays he doesn't have any dreams about the worms or of the witch's headless corpse.
"Why are you afraid of the dark, Sora?" The mother asks her child from the door way of his room. A young five year old grips his blankets. "You've got to learn to sleep by yourself now. You're a big boy."
"I know that! I'm not scared of the dark it's just...It feels kind of lonely in the dark by myself." Sora mumbles. " I can't see anything and then my dresser looks like a monster in the dark...Can't I just sleep with the light on?"
His mother is quiet for a moment before she sighs, coming into the room to sit next to him on the bed. "You know, Darkness isn't so bad. You say you're lonely but you know we're in the other room. If the room was full of light, it doesn't change the matter that you're alone. Your body uses darkness to know when it's time to go to bed. Then light helps you know to get up. They work together to help you."
"I know but..." Sora protests, trying to think of something to say.
"Darkness is only scary if you make it scary."
"But...monsters always hide in the dark."
"The monsters that hide are afraid just like you. The monsters you should be scared of are the ones you can see in the light."
Sora tilts his head, adsorbing what his mother just said. His eyebrows furrow. "There's monsters in the light?"
"If there are monsters, they could be in the light just like in the darkness. But remember, the dark isn't what's bad. If the darkness hides the monsters, it also hides you from them."
"So...the darkness is protecting me from monsters?"
"Well, there's no such things as monsters but it does help you sleep. The darkness is your friend."
Sora thinks for a moment before he nods his head. "Okay...i think I'm ready to turn off the lights and go to sleep mommy."
"That's my brave little boy." She smiles, kissing his forehead before walking towards the door. She turns off the light. The little boy stiffens before he relaxes. He lets the darkness engulf him. His mother leaves him...
Sora doesn't feel lonely. He has a new understanding of darkness. "Protect me from monsters please darkness." Sora mumbles as he dozes off.
Sora's eyes open slowly. His heart is beating fast, not because that memory scared him but because seeing his mom made his heart jump. He still misses her. The fact he's still having dreams about her tells Sora that even after all these years he still is holding dear her words and what she taught him.
Sora tries to untangle himself from Ven who's arm is over his chest and his leg hooked with his own.
He appears to be sound asleep. Sora wonders how many days it's been? He feels completely better. Ven looks completely healed too-
Ven gives Sora a little fright when his eyes suddenly pop open. Those big blue eyes is all he can see, with his own surprised expression in his pupils.
"Mm, Sora you're awake?" Ven yawns, rubbing his head against Sora's shoulder.
"Yeah...How long do you think we've been asleep?"
"Riku just came in a minute to check up on us. He said it's been two days."
"Oh so you were awake before me? I thought you were asleep."
"Nah I just didn't want to get up. You're so comfortable Sora. So soft." Ven pokes his stomach.
"Hey! I'm getting muscle now." Sora pouts, pushing Ven off of him. The other boy protests by groaning but Sora's able to get him off. "...Two days huh? You were hurt a lot worse than me but it only took you two days to heal. I feel like if it was me, it would take a lot longer."
"Remember i've been an Occisor for like 100 years Sora." Ven sits up in bed, stretching his arms able his head.
"Yeah you and Roxas are amazing-" Roxas! Sora turns his head, going to offer a smile and a good morning to his brother.
He feels his heart sink when Roxas is still laying so still. Axel is still by his side. Those green eyes have never looked so troubled.
"Roxas was damaged more than me. I think he should be asleep for another day." Ven whispers.
"Hey Axel, how you holding up?" Sora needs to say something to him. He knows Roxas means the world to Axel. He must be worried sick.
"I'm fine. He's just taking a bit longer than usual." Axel moves his gaze from Roxas to Sora. "It looks like you two are doing well. Guess those witches couldn't keep you down for too long." He gives them a smirk but it doesn't have the power it use to have. It just seems tired.
"Nope, and not Roxas either. He'll be up in no time!" Sora reassures confidently. He can't stand seeing Axel so down...and he's starting to feel him too. The weakness, the worry, the longing...It all makes him feel ill. He either feels like puking or passing out...That's how Axel is right now. He's just fighting through it to stay by Roxas's side...
Roxas really does mean the world to him.
"Yeah. Roxas is strong. He wouldn't go down so easily." Axel grins, it's much stronger now. The feelings Sora is sensing die down. He doesn't feel them anymore but Sora is sure Axel is still worried.
"Sora lets get something to eat. Axel you want anything?"
"Nah i'm alright for right now."
Ven stands up from the bed, holding his hand out for Sora to take. Sora lets Ven help him out of bed and he's glad he did. He's a bit wobbly on his feet for a minute and then he steadies.
"Axel always gets bent out of shape when Roxas has to sleep to heal. I bet you after Roxas wakes up Axel will demand that he goes on missions with him. I understand though. It's been a very long time since my brother had to sleep more than two days." Ven says, his eyes casting down. He leads the way out of the infirmary, towards the kitchen.
"Are you worried about Roxas?" Sora asks. He doesn't know how Ven is feeling right now. He didn't give Roxas much of a glance.
"No. He isn't hurt too badly. He just needs time to heal." Ven thinks for a moment. "I don't know if it's because we're twins or what but...i just know when he's hurt. When it's bad. There was this one time..." Ven trails off. "He was close to dying and I thought I was dying too."
"So you felt his feelings?!" Sora shouts, not able to help it. Maybe Occisor do sense other Occisor feelings-
"Not really his feelings. It was like...um...like I could sense death. It made me really anxious. I couldn't really live while Roxas was like that. It was like I was holding my breath, waiting for him to be okay."
"Oh...How did Roxas get hurt so badly?"
"It was one of our earlier missions. Me and Roxas got separated and...Roxas ran into a vampire. He messed Roxas up badly before I could show up for back up." Ven locks eyes with Sora. "Vampires are dangerous. They're very clever and they will use your kindness against you."
Sora nods, taking that into account. He already knew that vampires where bad news. All those scary stories taught him that much.
"I bet if Axel saw the state Roxas was in when that happened...he would have a heart attack on the spot. At least with how he is now. When it happened, Terra didn't let Axel know about Roxas being damaged. Axel was still human and he didn't get along with Roxas. If Axel were to see Roxas so close to death now...I feel like he would die."
"I bet he would. Axel loves Roxas."
"You can say that again. Sometimes I think he loves him too much." Ven says as they walk into the kitchen together.
"I was about to bring you guys some food." Riku turns away from the stove, holding two plates of food. There's already two plates of food on the table. All have chicken filets and french fries.
"You made this for us?" Sora's eyes get wide, he can feel his mouth water.
"Yeah. Aqua and Terra are out on a mission so I have cooking duties. Eat up. You need your strength." Riku walks over to Sora, handing him a plate. His fingers brush against Sora's hands, those green eyes lingering on Sora's blue before he pulls away.
"Thanks!"
"Ven here's yours." He hands it to Ven with a jerk. "Sora could you take this plate to Axel. He'll say he's not hungry but he'll eat it. Hey Ven, stay and help me clean this up."
"...Okay." Ven says slowly.
"I'll bring this to Axel then!" Sora runs off. He really wants to eat. Though he supposes he should help Riku clean up too...After he finishes eating. Ven was just unlucky.
Ven waits till he hears Sora's feet going up the stairs before he gives Riku a flat look. "So...What's on your mind? I know you didn't keep me here to just get me to help out. You could have handled the dishes yourself."
"Don't you think you're a bit old to still be sleeping in the same bed as Sora? When I left yesterday you two were in separate beds. Since you were in Sora's bed, I can only imagine you're the one who climbed yourself in."
"I'm not too old to sleep with Sora. Why do I have to be a certain age to sleep with Sora? He's my brother and my best friend. I should be able to sleep with him all I want."
"It's weird. You don't know this Ven because you were never human." Riku's tone is sharp. "Nor did you ever go to a human school but it's strange for two boys to sleep together. I never wanted to sleep in the same bed as my friends and I didn't know anyone who slept in the same bed with another boy at age ten."
"Well I doubt you had any friends Riku to sleep with." Ven retorts with a bit of bite. His shoulders are stiff. "I was human okay? I just don't remember being human. Maybe I didn't go to one of your human schools but if they teach you that it's weird to sleep with your love ones then i'm glad I didn't go."
Riku's aqua eyes get darker, his jaw clenching. "I did have friends Ven." He bites back. "The point i'm trying to get across is that you need to stop wiggling your way into Sora's bed."
"I won't." Ven says quickly. "If Sora says that he doesn't want me to, then I won't. But Sora hasn't said anything about it. If he's okay with it, then i'll keep doing it. Because I like sleeping with him. You're no the boss of me Riku."
"He probably doesn't want to say anything to you since you're his 'best friend'."
"Sora wouldn't lie to me! I would be able to tell if he's uncomfortable! Riku you're just jealous! You probably want to sleep with Sora."
"I don't-"
"Don't lie! Everyone would want to sleep with him! He's super soft and you get the best sleep!"
"..Super soft?" Riku questions.
Ven nods. "Really Soft."
"...I think your intentions are bad. Calling another boy soft...You're older than all of us. You're 100 years old. It's like an old man crawling into bed with a child."
"I'm 10 years old mentally and physically. You know how it works Riku. I'm not some perverted old man. I just like being close to him. I love him and I love sleeping so blah!" Ven sticks out his tongue. "Have fun sleeping alone ya jerk Riku. I'll be sleeping with Sora." He makes another face at him before he grabs his plate and runs off quickly.
Riku grips his fist, his hand shaking slightly. His eyes widen when he looks in the mirror and sees that his eyes are tinged white. He takes a deep breath and lets it out.
Riku calms down.
"Riku is a pretty good cook." Axel muses as he finishes his plate. Just like Riku said, he didn't turn down the food after he got a whiff of it.
"Yeah! I didn't know he could cook." Sora dips a fry in ketchup. He rocks back on forth on the bed he's sitting on Indian style.
"We all can cook in a sense. Aqua gave us some basic lessons. Apparently my cooking isn't 'good.'" Axel grunts.
"I want to learn to cook!"
"I'm surprised Aqua hasn't taught you yet. It's been awhile. I guess things have been kind of hectic. I don't think she taught us till awhile either. You're still getting use to missions and such."
"Yeah...I can't wait to go on another one."
"You just got your ass handed to you and you can't wait to go out on another one?" Axel raises his eyebrow.
"I didn't get my...butt handed to me." Sora mumbles. "But yes I do want to go on another one! I want to help more people and prove my strength!"
"Help people?" Axel chuckles.
"What?"
Axel just shakes his head, waving his hand. "It's cute you think like that."
"I's not cute." Sora flushes. "It's heroic."
"Heroic huh? I use to think like that. After living awhile you find that life isn't like the children stories we were told. I don't believe in heroes."
"How can you not believe in heroes Axel?! You are a hero! You help people and defeat monsters!"
"Yeah for money. I wouldn't do it if I wasn't getting paid."
"Really you wouldn't?" Sora frowns.
"Got to make a living somehow. Heroes don't get paid to do things. Heroes just save people because they can." Axel thinks for a moment, glancing at Roxas. "...I guess by that definition, Roxas is a hero." There's a smile on Axel's face that almost seems private. "Because he saved me."
"How did he save you?" Sora asks. Axel blinks.
"Forget you heard that." He rubs the back of his head.
There's an awkward silence that fills the room. "Um...How did you and Roxas get so close Axel? I've been wondering that for awhile now."
"That's..." Axel closes his mouth. "It just happened."
"Ven said that you guys didn't like each other at first."
"Yeah truth be told he pissed me off at the beginning. He never wanted to talk to no body and when ever I would say something to him, he'd just ignore me. I had enough of that at home and I wasn't going to take it from some kid I just met..." Axel trails off before he shakes his head. "I was hot headed back then and I started a lot of fights with him. I guess it is kind of crazy we've gotten like this. It was after we got into a physical fight that..."
"That?" Sora looks at him with big, eager eyes.
"..That's all you get."
"Oh come on! I want to know!"
"Nope." Axel smirks. "It's between me and Roxas."
"Will you tell me sometime?"
"Hmm...i'll think about it."
"Axel!"
"What you guys talking about?" Ven walks into the room. He moves to sit next to Sora on the bed, laying his head on his shoulder immediately. Sora blinks, Ven came straight for him. He seems a bit stiff too.
"About how Axel and Roxas became friends. He won't tell me though."
"Nope."
"Aw come on. I want to know too." Ven says.
"Nope."
"Lame." Ven grunts.
"Yeah really lame." Sora nods.
"You're just mad I won't say-" Axel starts to tease.
Ven's eyes widen before he breathes out slowly. "He's about to wake up."
"Huh?" Sora look at him.
"Roxas?" Sora turns his head back to see Axel leaning over Roxas, his green eyes wide. Roxas is moving. He groans before he opens his eyes.
"Axel..." Roxas says softly, those blue eyes out of focused.
"Hey." Axel gives him grin. It looks really happy. "Finally waking up are you?"
"How long was I out?" Roxas mumbles.
"Two days." When Roxas sits up, Axel gives him a hug.
"You were starting to worry me." Axel mumbles lowly.
"I'm sorry. It was a tough fight." Roxas melts into his hold, returning the hug. They move a part.
"I'll go get you some food from Riku." Axel stands up and walks out quickly.
"Geez..." Roxas rubs his temple.
"Hey Roxas." Sora tries.
Roxas slowly looks over at him. "Sora..." His expression loosens up. "It looks like you're alright."
"I'm fine." Sora smiles. "I'm glad you're up Roxas."
"Me too. I thought you weren't going to wake up till tomorrow." Ven says.
"It looks like I got lucky." Roxas glances at Sora. "What did Terra say after we came back from the mission?"
"He had wanted to kill that lady but he said since you told that woman she could pay her debt that we won't. They wanted blood."
"Yeah I just didn't want..." Roxas gives a quick look at Sora and Ven nods. He understands.
"Yeah I think you did the right choice." Ven reassures.
"Killing her would have been too cruel! I was so surprised when Terra said that..." Sora frowns, thinking about that.
"He was just mad. He cares a lot about us." Ven explains.
"I know but..." It's still wrong. That's what Sora feels in his heart.
"Here you go Roxas." Axel comes back into the room with a plate of food. He hands it to Roxas and he starts to chow down.
"Did you already eat your food Ven?" Sora looks at Ven.
"Yeah I ate it on the way up here." Ven shows him his empty plate he had carried up here.
"Where are Terra and Aqua?" Roxas questions.
"On a mission. There's some strange activity going on in universe 989. They think that a group of vampires have bound together. Half of the population has been killed in two days."
"What?!" Sora, Roxas, and Ven shout.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah. I wasn't going to bother you guys with it since you just woke up but I wanted you guys to be prepared. Terra and Aqua probably won't be back for a few days." Axel locks eyes with Roxas. "They're calling all Occisor over the age of 2,000 years old to report to universe 989. They were told to eliminate all vampires."
"Man...Those vampires have gone too far this time." Ven frowns when he sees his Brother involuntarily shiver.
"Don't worry Roxas. They'll take care of them. The counsel won't stand for it." Axel puts his hands on Roxas's shoulders.
"They should have been more aggressive from the start. All Vampires need to die." Roxas snarls, gripping his fist.
Sora can feel Roxas's anger brurn him. He also feels his fear. It gives him chills. Sora can understand Roxas better, now that he knows that he was close to death because of a Vampire. Of course he would feel this way.
"They'll become more aggressive now. They've killed too many."
"I hope Terra and Aqua are going to be okay." Sora rubs his arm.
"They'll be fine. They're stronger than any of us!" Ven reassures, bumping shoulders with him. "Hey lets talk about something not so stressing yeah?"
"Wanna play a game?" Axel offers.
Roxas nods his head. "Let's do something-"
"I got to water my flowers!" Sora suddenly shouts, getting out bed, tripping over himself. He just remembered his yellow roses. He's sure no one has been watering them since he's been out if all this stuff with Vampires have been going on.
"Oh shit he scared me." Axel puts a hand on his chest. Roxas chuckles at both Sora and Axel.
"Wait for me Sora!" Ven runs after him.
Sora makes it outside and to the garden with his watering can. He touches the soil of his roses and pauses. The soil is damp.
"It looks like someone has already watered them." Sora looks over at Ven when he catches up.
"Huh...It must have been Riku." Ven huffs when he sees Sora's eyes light up. "Let's go play games with Axel and Roxas." Ven grabs Sora's hand and starts to lead him back up into the infirmary.
"Let's see if Riku wants to play." Sora smiles.
"I bet he won't." Ven mumbles.
When they find Riku, he says he wants to play. Ven is quiet.
"You getting tired Sora?" Ven asks when Sora yawns. He's squinting at the cards he's holding in his hands.
"Just a tiny bit. You would think I would be wide awake after spending two days sleeping." Sora sighs, rubbing his eyes.
"When you're healing it's different from just normal sleep. You're still going to be tired. It usually takes the days for healing and then another night of rest to fully recover." Riku explains as he places another pairing of cards down. "Axel do you have a five of hearts?"
"Yeah." Axel narrows his eyes at him as he hands him the card. Riku puts yet another pairing down. He's down to two cards now.
"You want to stop to sleep Sora? I'm pretty much done with this game anyway." Roxas glares at the many cards in his hand.
"I think I'll get some rest...I can barely keep my eyes open." Sora mumbles as he puts his cards down.
"I'll join you in a minute Sora. I think I can win this game." Ven smirks as he puts down another pairing of cards. He has three left.
"Okay." Sora yawns. He leaves the living room and starts heading up to their room. It will be nice sleeping in his own bed. Not that the infirmary beds are bad or anything. It's just best to sleep where you're use to sleeping.
Riku watches Sora go silently before he places his cards down. "I quit." He stands up and walks out of the room.
"What the hell! You can't just quit! I was about to beat you!" Axel growls.
"Don't worry about him Axel. You still have me to worry about." Ven's blue eyes gleam. "Do you have a two of spades?"
"...Shit." Axel's eyes widen as he slowly hands him the card. "Don't tell me-"
Ven places all his cards down.
"Nooo!" Axel groans just as Ven cheers.
"I don't care at this point." Roxas grumbles, throwing his cards down.
"I want a rematch!"
"No! You've won enough games!"
"I think i'm just going to go to sleep too." Roxas gets up. Axel grabs his leg.
"Aw come on Roxy. One more game-"
"No you get way too competitive over these stupid card games."
"You're just saying that because you always lose." Ven teases. He yelps when Roxas just throws all his cards at him. "H-Hey!"
"That's why you lost to me in 'Sorry'!"Roxas shouts.
"Yeah like once."
"Alright maybe we all need to go to bed. You two are about to fight over a game." Axel snorts.
"You were about to fight Riku when he beat you at connect four." Roxas and Ven point out at the same time.
"Riku is a cocky bastard." Axel grumbles. "he thinks he's the beast at connect four..."
Sora can't help to laugh. He can hear his brothers' conversations all the way up in his room. They're so loud. They all can be competitive when it comes to games. They've played so many and each one, someone would get angry or overly happy.
Sora blinks when he hears someone's foot steps. He turns his body towards the doorway, curling his legs up. Sinking more into the bed he hopped in.
"Hi Riku." Sora smiles when he sees his brother. "Are you tired too?"
"It's been a long day." Riku takes a couple of steps forward. "I didn't feel like playing anymore. I probably would have won and then I would have to deal with Axel begging me for a rematch."
"He's doing that to Ven right now." Sora giggles. Sora's laughter dies when Riku moves over to his bed and climbs in. It's the shock of it that stops his laughter.
Riku gets comfortable, turning his body to face Sora, those aqua eyes staring into Sora's big blue orbs intensely.
"...It's strange isn't it? Having another boy in your bed makes you uncomfortable doesn't it?" Riku says, he's so close that Sora can feel his breath on his face. These beds are small after all.
"I'm not uncomfortable. Just surprised. You've never gotten in bed with me before." Sora's expression slowly relaxes and he smiles at Riku. "If it's you Riku, it's fine."
"H-Huh?" Riku stiffens when Sora lays his head against Riku's just like he does with Ven.
"I don't mind it if you want to sleep with me. It's funner that way." Sora gets himself comfortable with Riku in his bed. Sora is sure he'll be able to fall asleep easily. Riku is really warm.
"How in the world is it funner to sleep with another boy? You're suppose to find this strange." Riku averts his gaze.
"You'll see if you spend the night with me. I don't have nightmares either when I sleep with others. It's just nicer." Sora grabs Riku's hand and interlaces their fingers...Ven usually does this to him just when they're about to go to sleep.
Sora wonders if it's because of his super hearing that he can hear Riku's heart beat so well. It's beating fast. Riku can't seem to relax.
"It's okay." Sora uses his other hand to rub Riku's hair. This trick always gets people to sleep. Riku stiffens up more...then loosens up. His eyes become half lidded like he's trying to keep himself awake.
"You are soft..." Riku mumbles, he seems to be not all with it.
"I resent that." Sora pouts but he's slowly feeling like he may fall asleep as well-
Riku jumps out of the bed just as Sora hears foot steps running up here. Soon enough another body is in bed with Sora but it's Ven this time. He cuddles up next to him, and nuzzles their heads together.
"Good night Sora." He hears Ven say.
Sora falls asleep wondering why Riku left.
Thank you for the support! Till next time.