Snipers armed with words
The sun rose opposite the tangerine pagoda dominating the western sky. Fortified with coffee, buttered toast and his ever present anxiety, Sora rubbed the dark circles forming under his eyes. His twin failed to return last night, he didn't send any messages and Sora spent a good part of his time wondering if he should call the KBWA.
The phone call in the boardroom replayed strongly in his mind and he decided against it.
For the rest of the night, he tossed and turned and waited to hear the telltale signs of someone coming home.
10:30 a.m.
District court
Courtroom no.5
The courtroom doors opened and he flattened the muffler, echoing confidence in front of Pearl. The defendant sat in the dock, hands clasped neatly over her lap and the anxious wrinkles on her forehead fading. Wright smiled indulgently and the nervous stew in Sora's stomach transformed into a few bold butterflies. The rest of the agency whispered encouraging words with the exception of Apollo, who squeezed Sora's shoulder tightly.
It hurt. A bit.
Taking his place behind the defense's bench with Maya next to him, Sora resolved not to look up until total silence. The judge entered with a sweep of midnight black robes and trailed a hushed silence. By the time he sat in the throne-like chair overseeing the entire courtroom, the stray whispers abated. Yesterday's clouds rushed back to cover the sky, a fork of lightning flashed past the windows.
"Court will convene for the trial of Pearl Fey," the Judge announced and banged his gavel.
"The prosecutor is ready your honor," a shrill voice wafted from the opposite bench.
The rival prosecutor glared tearfully at the attorney and gripped a conducting baton in gloved hands. Gaze wandering upwards, Sora paled at Miles Edgeworth seated in the viewing gallery.
What was he doing here?
Clearing his throat, Sora said, "The defense is ready your honor." Blood roared in his ears and he shoved Edgeworth out of his mind. The legendary prosecutor had no power here, at best; he could only offer counsel to the rookie prosecutor.
I'm fine! Sora mentally screamed and brushed his thumb across his lawyer's badge. The minute details whispering across his skin calmed him.
"Then, prosecutor Debeste, your opening statement please." An anticipatory silence followed the judge's words as all eyes turned to the benches below.
Whacking the conductor in his opposite palm, Sebastian supplied, "The defendant, Pearl Fey, is accused of thieving confidential files from the Wright and Co. Law agency." He smirked and suddenly, Sora's stomach roiled unpleasantly. "I don't understand why the victim agency would defend the thief." Sebastian raised his hands. "I call upon the detective to issue a summary of the events."
Detective Ema Skye took the stand and pouted angrily.
"Witness, state your name and profession," Sebastian proclaimed with a confidence the defense could only emulate.
The detective on the stand rooted in her pockets and threw a stale snackoo at him.
"Witness," Debeste unfalteringly repeated, "state your name and occupation."
Despite the prosecutor being younger than him, Sora felt incompetent. His bright blue eyes pulled like a magnet to Edgeworth, who crossed his legs with a smug smile.
"Ema Skye, homicide detective." She analyzed the witness stand with a microscope and to no one's surprise, pulled a bag of chocolate snackoos from the inside of her lab jacket and munched while Sebastian implored for a testimony. "The burglary happened early in the morning," she began. "A popular cafe situated underneath the offices heard the crash of breaking glass and immediately called the police. The defendant was arrested at the scene of the crime; Phoenix and Trucy Wright were present." She avoided Sora. "The defendant is strongly suspected of being an accomplice. She assisted the perpetrator from the inside, by breaking into the office." Ema finished and laconically continued munching her snacks, the force of her chewing dimmed when Edgeworth shifted.
Maya laid her palms flat on the bench. "You know what to do."
"Mr. Clavius, your cross examinations please. Do...err... speak up," the Judge reminded delicately.
Sora clutched his badge. "There are several contradictions," he read off a sheet. "First of all, Ms. Pearls couldn't have broken in the office; she possesses a key given to her by Mr. Wright. The defendant is a close confidant of the Agen-"
"Objection!" Sebastian bellowed. "The defendant could have broken in to create the illusion of outside interference." He crossed his arms. "Just because she has a key doesn't mean she will use it."
The thread of the argument unraveled in Sora's mind when the gallery twittered. Miles' presence weighed like a load of lead on his conscious.
"Mr. Clavius?" The Judge lightly banged his gavel. "The court is waiting," he prompted when the attorney paralyzed in place.
"...Secondly," Sora continued like Sebastian never interrupted, "the floor of Mr. Wright's office was strewn with files, if Pearl wanted to steal, she could have chosen a more indirect method which does not draw suspicion to her." Maya scowled at him and he faltered. "I-I didn't mean she stole, I just pointed out there were less conspicuous..."
He trailed off, mumbling in his muffler and pawing through the evidence to extract a photograph.
"Thirdly, we have another suspect right here." Sora presented the security camera image to the court where it displayed on large flatscreens. "The woman in the photo is Lucy Keats," he smirked when Sebastian blinked quickly, "a witness saw her enter the Multiplan. According to another account, Ms. Keats visited the cafe under the offices and left without meeting anyone. She loitered in the lobby and talked to the receptionist, almost as if she was creating an alibi."
He did not like the way the prosecutor drew taller.
"Allow me to call in a witness who will clear all doubts on Lucy Keats," Sebastian grandly declared as Ema left the stand with an audibly relieved sigh and Kairi assumed her place. "Please state your name and occupation."
Sora gaped at her and sought an explanation from Maya.
"It's a civic duty to help catch criminals," the spiritual medium stated, a hand on her magatama. "Don't worry about the person saying it, focus on the statements."
"Kairi Madeline." The witness politely smiled. "I am a pastry chef at the Gatewater Hotel."
"Now your testimony." Debeste tapped his conductor on the bench. "Tell us what you saw on the morning before the crime."
Smoothing her chef's apron self-consciously, Kairi offered, "I came to work around seven o'clock, roughly the time a luxury car stopped between the agency and hotel." She paused. "I saw Ms. Lucy entering the Multiplan, she had a designer purse and it's too small for burglary tools. I never saw her leaving," Kairi recalled.
The gallery twittered and the witness waited anxiously. Justice scrutinized Edgeworth, sitting roughly opposite, and rubbed his bangle. "You sense anything?" Phoenix asked and Apollo mumbled a negative. "The trial is probably leaning in his favor," Wright mused. "...I'm starting to feel sick."
"Don't worry Mr. Wright," Athena assured, Widget's hologram monitoring Sora's noise levels, "he'll pull through, eventually."
Seizing a blank page, the attorney frowned and placed it back, where another heap swallowed the paper whole. His mind whirred. The testimony Kairi gave contained the gist of whatever she told him yesterday. There is no contradiction in it. He requested help from Maya, the medium's index finger lightly touched the magatama around her neck and it glowed like a miniature sun.
"Was she there the entire time?" Maya asked slowly. "The pastry chef said she never saw Lucy leaving, isn't it possible..." she trailed off and Sora nervously waited for her to finish the thought.
"It seems the defense attorney is speechless," Sebastian affirmed. "This means the verdict-"
"Hold it!" Sora announced. "Ms...uh... Kairi, were you waiting for Lucy leave the Multiplan?" he pressed and her cheeks tinted to a shade matching her hair. "Is it possible you were doing something else? Working?" Sora questioned. "I have a statement from the owner of the cafe visited by Ms. Keats; according to Kitaki, Lucy entered the cafe early in the morning, had a coffee and left after quite some time." Sora's vicious grin deflated when Kairi's shoulders slumped. "There is nothing wrong with your testimony," he assured and she smiled gratefully at him.
The victorious simper on Sebastian's face raised Sora's anxieties. The prosecutor thanked Kairi as she left. "You have proven to the court, Mr. Clavius," he raised the baton, "that Lucy Keats could not have committed the burglar."
Ack! In his defense, he argued counterpoint to Pearl's innocence.
"Which means," Debeste added, "the burglar could be none either than Pearl Fey."
A tide of whispers drowned the thoughts in Sora's head as he desperately formulated an argument. The prosecutor led him into a trap and he fell for it, hook, line and sinker. Ignoring the maelstrom of conniving gazes and hushed words, he concentrated on his flow chart and reviewed the court evidence. The unknown fingerprint found on the grape juice bottle remained his only hope to cast doubt on the prosecutor's strong claims.
"This bottle..." he squeaked.
"Speak up!" Maya slammed her fist on the table. "Make yourself heard."
"This grape juice bottle!" Sora shouted, "Contains a fingerprint. It was found in the middle of the crime scene-"
"Therefore it could point to the thief," Sebastian drawled. "Whose fingerprint is it?" he grinned mockingly.
"I don't know," the defense replied and smirked. "But right now you said, it could belong to the thief, yes?"
Debeste paled and gripped his conductor, in the hubbub erupting under the courtroom ceiling, he glanced at Miles for support.
"Order in the court!" the Judge demanded. "Due to the drastic turn of events, we will break for half an hour, take the time to sort things out," he decreed. "Court is suspended.
In the courtroom lobby, Sora sat rigidly on the couch and sorted through the papers. Wright passed a cold energy drink to the timid attorney and smiled.
"Don't let Edgeworth bother you," he assured when said prosecutor crossed the vestibule and Sora visibly tensed. "Get Pearls on the stand," Phoenix advised, "the Judge needs to hear her story and it will bring new information to light which will help you in your case."
Sora nodded and mechanically drowned the drink; he checked his phone, no new messages.
"Remember to ask any questions which nag you, even if they seem trivial, it's always the small details which causes a turnabout in the case."
Muffled footsteps preceded the appearance of Apollo. "I'm going home," he rubbed the back of his head, "good luck with the trial," he addressed Sora, his smile forced. "I know you'll pull through." Avoiding Wright's gaze, he half bowed to his boss. "I'll be a prop for your magic show tomorrow," he fondly brushed Trucy's bangs.
He left and Trucy gazed after him, semi-consciously tugging her glove.
The city square bustled with chatter and whirls of bright colors. Attracting the attention of several passersby, Vanitas stalked to the nearest stall the moment he entered the gates and demanded water. The merchant did not understand and tried to sell him handfuls of aromatic spices. Mounds of turmeric powder heaped in a white sack, cinnamon sticks cracked under the weight of cloves and growing angrier, Vanitas shoved his water bottle in the turban clad man's face and mimed drinking water.
He received a pouch of black, wrinkly peppercorns.
A breathless man arrived the moment he raised his fist to punch the shopkeeper and Vanitas paused for the newcomer.
"Aladdin." The man brushed dust from a purple fez and introduced himself. "I'm supposed to take you to the KBWA." He gestured to an alley strung with scarves of colored silk. "This way," he said and took the lead."
Vanitas obstinately stood his ground. "Water," he rasped. "I'm dying of thirst." His butchered half jacket split in several places and smarting burns spread from his chest down to his bare abdomen and arms. "And clothes," he added after regarding Aladdin's loose trousers. "Or I'll strip naked in the middle of this square and traumatize everyone."
A woman decked in a jeweled veil and carrying a water pot, threw him a disgusted glance and scurried to safety.
"Please don't." Aladdin placated the crowd gathering around the foreigners. "We have plenty of water at the KBWA but you will have to wait for clothes." The sun shone blindingly from the sky and for days, clouds amassed on the horizon, only to be evaporated under punishing rays. "Agrabah is a desert, someone did inform you before you came?" he rhetorically asked.
Yuffie rocked on her heels. "He likes his leather," she shrugged. "This is the rookie everyone is falling over themselves for."
Lightheaded from the smells and sights in the plaza, Vanitas wandered, his chafed toes screaming for relief. Children gaped at him from the safety of their parent's backs and young ladies modestly lowered their gazes when he lurched past. His nose guided him to a food vendor and the jovial man, apron spattered with hot grease, offered him a scalding cup of spiced coffee and some weird flatbread stuffed with mincemeat and vegetables.
"I don't have Agrabah munny." Vanitas patted his pockets and despite the heat, sipped the coffee. The brew revived him.
"No problem," the vendor flashed a set of pearly teeth and vigorously stirred the mince cooking on the open air stove. "You're with KBWA, you saved us from monsters." He heaped another platter with more bread and mince and thrust it in Vanitas' protesting hands. "Eat, it's our thanks."
Returning with the paper plate, Vanitas graciously shared his food with Goofy while Aladdin guided them through twisting roads sprinkled liberally with stalls selling everything from fresh fruit, to ornate vases, to an obscure magic lamp purported to summon a genie. The Agrabah KBWA branch functioned from a grand, golden domed building. A verdant hedge separated it from tall, flat roofed apartments on both sides and a clear pool of water bubbled in a tiled fountain. Vanitas considered washing his feet, though, he didn't want to accidentally embarrass himself.
A lady with large doe eyes and a sheer headscarf stepped out from the shaded entrance of the KBWA and Vanitas dusted sand from his hair. The dirt landed on Donald below who quacked indignantly. Transfixed, he ignored the hissing duck and waited for her to notice him.
"This is Jasmine," Aladdin announced. "She is the princess of Agrabah," Jasmine dipped her head cordially, "and also functions as the leader of the KBWA here."
"Please come in." She swept a slender arm to the cool interior, the sandstone bricks softened by scented pot plants hanging from a latticed roof. "We appealed to various KBWA operatives to help vanquish the hordes of monsters roaming the desert," Jasmine explained and taking off her shoes, entered a room awash in the mellow glow of candlelight. "Leon from the Los Angeles branch told me he had a perfect candidate in mind." She placed a few papers on an ancient desk. "I would like you to summarize your experiences please, so we may better prepare if anything like this happens again."
Bounding forward in the room, Yuffie sat cross-legged on the Persian rug and began her report immediately, her normally playful expression tightening into intense focus. At the threshold, Vanitas agonized over taking off his boots. They were scuffed from to heat and sand. Not to mention his blistered toes would be a sight for sore eyes.
"Is there anything wrong?" Jasmine asked kindly when he hesitated. A pair of golden bangles flashed at her wrists.
"I'll do the report here." He slumped against the wall, the cool, earthen texture pressed comfortingly against his sunburned back. "Taking my shoes off is a hassle."
A boy arrived with pitcher of water flavored with slices of lemon and dutifully refilled Vanitas' glass each time it emptied. Compiling the report required a good part of the day and by the time he finished, Aladdin replaced Jasmine in organizing the information and a blaze of scarlet smeared the sky.
Stretching the cricks in his back, Vanitas rose from the floor and rubbed tired eyes; he handed his completed account to Aladdin and picked a stray thread on the soft cotton tunic he borrowed from the Association. Vanitas wondered if he looked good. The lack of reflecting surfaces inside this branch bothered him.
Aladdin punched the reports and bound them with a silver, satin ribbon. "Thank you for your hard work," he gratefully stated. "You are welcome to stay, the Sultan would like to meet both of you and convey his gratitude."
Beaming at the proposal, Yuffie pumped a fist to the air, her joy shining through the layers of grime caking her face. "Yes!"
"No," Vanitas interjected with a snarl. "I want to go home."
01:00 a.m.
District court
Courtroom no.5
Before the prosecutor could summon another witness, Sora called for attention and petrified in the onslaught of stares. Swallowing the lump threatening to choke him, he requested the judge to allow the defendant to take the witness stand. To his mild horror, the Judge conferred with Debeste and the prosecutor shared a glance with Miles Edgeworth.
After a harrowing amount of time, Sebastian nodded his consent and relieved, the attorney clutched his badge.
He made it. He gave Pearly a chance to relate her story. Maya beamed proudly at him.
"Please state your name and occupation," Sora pressed his shaking hands on the bench and smiled reassuringly to his client.
"Pearl Fey," she touched her magatama, "spiritual medium and branch head of the Fey clan." A few of the viewing gallery's front viewers leaned forward to catch a glimpse of another spiritual medium and she politely acknowledged Edgeworth who graced her with a fleeting smile.
"Now, your testimony," Debeste prompted before Sora could speak. The attorney half glared at the smug prosecutor.
Gathering her thoughts and firming her tremulous voice, Pearl began, "Mystic Maya came to the city a few months ago to help with a case. Since we don't have any new spiritual mediums to train in the village, I thought I would pay the agency a visit." Her voice cracked. "Mr. Wright gave me a key to the office, I…I arrived really early and because I didn't book a hotel, I went straight to the office and used the key to get inside." Pearl clasped the hem of her kimono. "I heard noises, I thought it might be Trucy or Mr. Wright, but when I went to check, the window in the office was broken and... and," her face crumpled and Sora mentally urged her to be strong, "a man jumped out of the window. He wore a bodysuit; he was the one who stole the files."
A heavy hush descended within the courtroom walls. The gallery debated silently and the rookie prosecutor raised a disbelieving eyebrow.
"When you entered, a man conveniently let you see him and jumped out of the window?" Sebastian prodded. "How did you know it was a man?" he questioned, whacking his conducting baton on the bench for emphasis, Pearl jumped. "It could very well be a woman. Do you know this mystery person? What motive could he have for committing a crime?" the prosecution smirked when Pearl trembled. "I believe you are creating a scapegoat for your-"
"Objection!" Sora slammed his hands. "As long as this fingerprint on the bottle exists, we cannot overrule the possibility of another suspect." The prosecutor glared, tiny tears gathering at the corner of his eyes. "We also found scratches on the archive door lock which houses the agency's case evidence and more confidential information," Sora brusquely continued before he ran out of steam, "If the defendant was the criminal then she would be well aware to check the library. A lot of files and books are misplaced, however, there is no evidence of tampering in the library and additionally, an art print from the reception was stolen."
Recovering from his tears, Sebastian ran a hand through his caramel brown hair. "Mr. Clavius, what does the art have to do with the case?"
Sora sweated. "Um...the victim... ah I mean perpetrator was trying to make us think he was interested in valuables."
"And what does this have to do with the case?" the prosecution pressed. "We know it's not true. Once again my question stands; what would a random person gain by stealing information from the Law offices?"
Bending over the bench, Sora thought as the judge dismissed Pearl from the stand. She said something about a grudge. Who could have a grudge against Mr. Wright?
Lots of people. Most of them simmering in prison.
While Debeste pontificated about motives and the credibility of the defendant's testimony, the attorney flipped through his case record and scowled thoughtfully at a series of newspaper clippings slipped into a sleeve. He did not recall seeing them before. The first article showed the headquarters of Bluecorp, an information gathering company.
Skimming through the articles, Sora pieced together a story.
"Your honor, the trial has dragged on long enough," Sebastian gestured grandly, "please give us a verdict."
"Mr. Clavius?" the Judge urged, "do you have anything to say?" The defense attorney failed to respond. "Then I shall-"
"Hold it!" Sora pointed and Maya cheered. "I present this article to the court." He flushed in exhilaration and the newspaper clipping flashed on the screen. "Prosecutor Debeste keeps on demanding a motive from our mystery thief," Sora tucked his chin in his scarf, "here you have it. Bluecorp is an information gathering company, which is a front for their real work, namely searching for blackmail material." He quickly noted the key information recorded in the articles. "After Mr. Wright found their previous CEO, Redd White, guilty of murder-"
At this, Sebastian uttered a barely heard shriek and bent his conductor.
"-The company nose-dived and is now on the verge of bankruptcy." Sora's irises glittered in savage triumph. "There is your motive Mr. Debeste, do you have anything to say?"
In the seats, Edgeworth tilted his head at the rookie prosecutor.
"Of course," Sebastian grinned assuredly. "I prepared a witness to refute your evidence's claims. Bear in mind she is an employee of Bluecorp."
Maybe I shouldn't tempt fate; Sora miserably pouted at his loafers.
A familiar woman stepped onto the witness stand, pristine in a pencil skirt and silk blouse, she stared straight ahead, her composure one of utmost calm.
"Lucy Keats," she replied to the prosecutor's question, "I am the secretary to Bluecorp's current CEO."
When the witness took the stand, Maya studied her, this was the person who could make or break the case. She jabbed the attorney in the ribs and implored him to pay attention when Lucy gave her testimony.
"Yesterday my boss asked me to investigate the surroundings of the Wright and Co. Law agency according to a set criterion," Lucy admitted. She brushed a speck of nonexistent dirt off her ruffled blouse. "I checked in with the Gatewater Hotel, and then entered the building itself." She tapped a finger on the stand and light reflected off cyan nail polish. "Oh yes, I drank coffee at the cafe under the agency and asked the owner some questions about Mr. Wright and his employees."
A black shadow seeped from under her heeled foot and formed into a creature with glowing, lamp yellow eyes. Sora's knees weakened and he rubbed his eyes disbelievingly. The heartless faltered across her legs and nauseous with fright, he clutched his scarf.
"Ms. Maya," he mumbled. "Am I the only one seeing that?" he pointed a hysterical finger at the lost shadow.
"Did you notice anything off about her testimony?"
The attorney regarded his co-counsel like she grew a second head. Who the heck cared about wayward testimony when there is a monster in the courtroom?
"More...more importantly," he insisted, "there is a...a heartless wrapping around her leg." His throat became dry. "How are you not seeing this?"
The judge banged the gavel. "We are waiting for your cross examination Mr. Clavius. Is everything alright? You are very pale."
The spirit medium leaned over the bench. "Don't you understand?" Maya asked. "The heartless came out because her testimony is false." Sora frowned in understanding. "If you see the heartless spawning near a person, you know there is darkness in their heart," she quickly whispered while the prosecutor waited impatiently. "Find the contradiction and present your evidence."
Despite her pep talk, Sora froze, piling the muffler in front of his face and shuffling backwards.
"Apollo has something like this," Maya smiled to appease the Judge and Sebastian. "Nick too." She desperately talked, willing the frozen attorney to take action. "He uses the magatama to find hidden truths a witness won't admit to. Sora please," she clapped her hands, "Pearly is depending on you."
Confidence.
Squaring his shoulders, Sora asked Lucy to repeat her testimony and another heartless joined the first one.
"You said you conferred with the owner? The witness nodded and the heartless frothed, limbs jerking erratically. "I have a testament from Plum Kitaki which states you only drank a coffee, remained silent to her questions and left after leaving a large tip." He waited for a reaction but she challengingly raised an immaculate eyebrow. "Ms. Keats, you are lying..." Sora considered his words, "no, you are covering up for the person who committed the crime." A violent protest rose from the prosecutor's bench. "The perpetrator is most likely your boss, the... the CEO of Bluecorp."
She scowled angrily and dug her nails in her palms. The heartless around her legs melted into smoke. "What are you insinuating?" her whisper cut like glass.
"Bluecorp has a reason to steal Mr. Wright's files-" Sora began.
"Hold it!" Sebastian urgently clutched his bent baton. "Your honor," he pleaded, "this line of questioning is unnecessary, the lawyer is needlessly badgering the witness!"
Sora's mouth fell open. Me? Badgering a witness?
"Objection!" Sora yelled in return, surprised at the volume of his voice. "I am allowed to cross-examine," he asserted, thumb brushing across his badge, "and I accuse Lucy Keats of conspiring with the executive officer of Bluecorp in the theft of the confidential files." In the gallery, Edgeworth pushed up his glasses when Debeste crumpled. "The defense requests for the CEO to be brought to the witness stand." A victorious simper found its way on Sora's face. "We can-"
"Hold it!" The court turned to Lucy, brushing lint off her blouse. "My boss is not going to be part of this charade," she calmly declared. "Mr. Lawyer," she turned to Sora, his forehead shining with sweat, "you insist the CEO is the thief, do you have evidence?"
At this, Sebastian recovered his composure. "Evidence Mr. Clavius," he repeated. "In the court of law, evidence is everything."
The grape juice bottle popped on screen. "I'm very sure this fingerprint does not belong to you Ms. Keats," Sora crushed a loose page in his fist; his head swam when she glared darkly at him. "You insist your boss is not the perpetrator and we will find out as soon as we check this fingerprint against him."
Appreciative whoops sounded from the gallery and Sora gathered his papers when the judge declared court to be suspended.
Relief weighed heavily on his shoulders and filing his arguments, he whisked out of court, coming to a dead halt behind Miles Edgeworth. The legendary prosecutor seemed to be in deep conversation with Maya and Mr. Wright; and trying not to attract his notice, Sora wedged in a corner, next to the pot plant. He waited till Edgeworth departed, with a slumped Sebastian in a tow before joining the knot of people in the center of the lobby.
"You need to investigate Bluecorp," Phoenix informed the second Sora edged into view. "Go there the first thing tomorrow." He smiled kindly when the young attorney sighed tiredly. "Don't give up now, you are doing great." Wright's phone beeped. "I have to be somewhere," he said. "Trucy, I'll be home late for dinner."
Trucy bid her father off with a cheerful wave. "Don't stay too long Daddy!" she called, "we are having hamburgers for dinner." She turned to Sora. "Are you going home now?" He muttered a reply. "Get some sleep, you have a big day ahead of you tomorrow."
Don't remind me.
They parted in front of the court house and Sora shuffled to the main street. He hesitated and looked back, at the silk cape clad girl swinging enthusiastically across the pavement with Athena and a sedate Maya laughing alongside her. Sora wondered about Apollo and his abrupt disappearance. He remembered the disappointment his senior exuded before leaving the courtroom.
Clouds amassed over the sky, the air held its breath.
The calm before a storm.
The swirling corridor of darkness ejected them back into a familiar portal room and unbalanced, Vanitas tumbled to the floor. Goofy crouched to help him and Donald flapped away, squawking. Disorientated by the harsh pillar of light and forest of rock columns, Vanitas touched an unfamiliar weight on his face. His fingers met cool glass.
An organic bodysuit covered half his body and he irritably pinched it. What is this? He wondered. It looked like layers of muscles without skin. A metal guard ran under the bottom of his chin and disintegrated as his fingers met it. Darkness melted in drops from his body and vanished when they reached the ground.
"It's still day here," Goofy said as another pair of members ascended to a higher dark corridor and vanished in the churning depths. "It will be a good idea to check in with Leon, he might be able to explain this." He lifted Vanitas' arm, wrapped in the crimson and ebony suit.
Don't tell me what to do.
Languidly getting to his feet, Vanitas shook Goofy off and teleported to the reception. He went outside and a light drizzle sprinkled water over his aching face. His phone vibrated as a myriad of messages surged in and he quickly composed replies before returning to the warm, air conditioned breeze of the lobby. Snagging a bottle of water, he ambled to Belle.
"Are you looking for Zack?" she greeted with a smile. "He is currently on a mission."
Cheeks coloring, Vanitas scowled. "Who'd want that old man?" he scathed, "I came to ask if Leon was in." Belle replied in affirmative, her knowing smile firm on her lips. "Stop grinning," he sputtered, his blush staining to red. "I'm done with my mission, I'm going to collect my payment," he aggressively added and peeled away from the desk, taking the mirrored elevator to Leon's office. The lift halted at the fifth floor and Vanitas glowered at the new occupant.
The Grey Knight ignored the daggers sent his way and focused on memorizing the timetable in his hands.
The blade edged silence between the two individuals in the elevator could shred metal. Vanitas eyeballed his former classmate, sporting a messy haircut, jeans and a pale yellow bomber jacket instead of the cloak of doom he normally donned. The drastic change in appearance bothered Vanitas but pride stood firmly in the way of curiosity and he would rather die than initiate a conversation with the silver haired freak.
The lift dinged to a stop on Basement floor 8 and Vanitas stepped off, half waiting for the Grey Knight to say something, Nox tucked a piece of paper in his pocket and without acknowledging Vanitas, he pressed a button and the elevator doors slid shut.
Alone, he reviewed his trainee and wondered what the Black Saint would say if he found out about the arrangement.
Trying to figure out Nox, Vanitas absentmindedly entered Leon's office and wilted into a chair without being invited, he admired the silk screen depicting Balamb Garden. The boss briefly stopped typing on a laptop to seal a piece of paper with a rune.
"You will not get paid unless you compile a report," Leon commented. "Your previous training mission report was written by Zack, this is your first solo mission, you are required to do your own work," Squall droned while the Black Saint toed a planter bordering Tifa's office.
The sounds of typing shattered the otherwise silent office and sheet lights, mimicking the tint of natural sunlight, furnished the room with the illusion of an aboveground office. "I thought high tech isn't allowed in the Association?" Vanitas changed the subjected and idly played with a paperweight on the expansive desk. Exhaustion nestled in his bones. "And what's with Nox?" he blurted, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.
"You two are not on speaking terms?" Leon questioned and closed the laptop. "Only technology created by the KBWA is allowed inside the KBWA," he explained. "And Nox recently finished a Special Assignment, he is required to cut his hair afterwards."
Masking his surprise and the bubble of jealousy stinging his chest, Vanitas spun the paperweight and it clattered to the floor. "I don't have anything to say to him." He left the glass orb lying on the ground and rose, the cotton tunic whispering painfully over his sunburns. "I'll hand in the report later," he said and Squall offhandedly nodded, searching the mugs crowding his desk for the last dregs of coffee. "Agrabah is really hot," Vanitas loitered in the room.
Several other chambers branched from Leon's office, a small glass booth held a miniature table and book cases.
Finding no coffee, Leon leaned back in his chair. "You didn't do research?" Clavius reluctantly shook his head. "You should, or you could be in real trouble if you end up in a world totally unfamiliar... but whatever, it's none of my business," the boss stated when Vanitas ignored him in favor of scrutinizing the pictures lining the vice-chief's office.
His skin burned like someone poured acid over raw wounds and Vanitas groaned on the couch. The door to the apartment opened and he braced himself for a shriek.
Of course, his brother never failed to disappoint.
"What... what..." Sora's satchel tumbled to the floor and opened, spilling files and papers. "Where were you?" he demanded. "How did you get those?" He pointed to the peeling sunburns and shrilled. Muttering, Sora disappeared into the bathroom and returned with the first aid kit. "Vanitas...is that blood on your sheets?"
The younger twin rolled over and suppressed a scream of pain, his burns leaked a sticky mixture of blood and water and he cursed himself for not getting a potion. "Yeah, I had an assignment in a dessert." Vanitas grunted and Sora gently pulled him upright, stuffing a bunch of pillows behind his back. "And I forgot to take medicine," he admitted.
Squatting at the foot of the bed, Sora liberally smeared salve over his brother's weeping wounds. The smell of antiseptic wafted in the air. Vanitas struggled with the cotton tunic sticking to his body and flopped like a ragdoll, he tried to minimize movement and the pain showing on his face, however, nothing escaped Sora when it came to him and he might as well ask his twin to for his favorite desert.
"I want cheesecake," Vanitas announced. "You can feed me," he offered.
Pulling the cotton tunic to expose the mess of burnt skin across Vanitas' torso, Sora wrinkled his nose and rolled up his sleeves. "One day I'm going to get a stroke," he dramatically sighed, "and it's going to be your fault.
Mother
Midnight
Bedroom
A crack in the curtains allowed a stray moonbeam to illuminate a stack of cards spattered across the carpet. Unable to sleep, Trucy lay on her covers and gazed at the ceiling, her fingers rubbing gentle circles on her right wrist.
She had a wonderful father. Daddy took care of her despite his own struggles. When she still believed in ghosts and nightmares ran rampant, Trucy would often smile through her tears and shakily approach her father. He dropped everything and held his arms out for her; and grateful, she sat in his lap, a shivering little ball as he stroked her hair and told her stories.
Apollo held a special place in her heart. He made her smile in a way no one else could. She drowned in the warmth of his soft brown eyes and although she thought it silly, she wondered if he looked at her the same way. He reminded her of a time when memory escaped her, of evenings with her magician father, swaddled in blankets with a...mother.
When The Siren of the Ballad sang, time stopped for Trucy. Lamiroir's melodious voice touched her soul and it ached for closure.
What happened to her mother? What happened to her absent father?
Guilty for having ungrateful thoughts, she wiped a tear and buried her face in the pillow to muffle her sobs.
A/N: Tensions grow between Apollo and Wright and does the game ever disclose Trucy's past? I know there are some stuff about Apollo, but I staunchly steer clear of any spoilers because I firmly believe I will play the games one day. I don't care if I'm an octogenarian, I WILL PLAY THEM!
Once again, read and review, constructive criticism, questions and theories are all welcome and appreciated.