Built from ashes
Sleek, KBWA issued tablet in hand, Belle sat in the courtroom lobby. The Black Saint accompanied her, temperament uncharacteristically subdued as he neatened his tight jeans and jet black shirt. Smoothing the ruffles in her sunshine yellow skirt, she rose when the attorney arrived. Belle smiled courteously to the twins, quietly marveling at the change in Vanitas' mood when in the presence of his brother.
"I told you to stay in bed." Sora pulled Vanitas' crown necklace. "You look terrible."
The golden eyed twin hummed incoherently. "I would've come yesterday but..."
Yesterday seemed an eternity ago. Leon informed the Association members about the disappearance of Destiny Islands and Vanitas, in the dining hall and partnering with Yuffie to holler teasingly at Nox, froze when the announcement came in. His stomach dropped between his legs and stayed there. The spiced latte he obstinately shared with Riku suddenly lost its flavor.
Why did the vanishing of an obscure, sun and sea island affect him? He grew up on its semi-transparent, tangerine beaches. Sometimes he and Sora sat on the couch, listening to the gentle murmur of the foam tipped waves.
"I was holed in with KBWA business." Vanitas scratched the back of his head. "Goofy and Donald sent their greetings by the way."
In the periphery, Trucy attacked the vending machine with Apollo and dumped a variety of drinks in his arms. Their closeness bothered Vanitas and he swung an arm around Sora, debating whether he should ask his brother about their relationship.
"If you're wondering about Trucy and Apollo, I don't know." Sora accurately hit home and Vanitas blushed. "They're like… siblings?" Twin pairs of blue and golden irises drilled into Apollo's back. "I mean, look at them." Sora grinned when Trucy popped a can of lemonade and it bubbled over. Justice rescued the overflowing drink by hastily drinking it. "I'm not sure though. Besides," Sora turned to Belle, conversing with Maya, "why is the KBWA here?" the question seeped through gritted teeth.
Popping the seal on a can of cold coffee, Vanitas offered it to his twin. "An Organization XIII manager is testifying today. She is here to record his testimony and observe proceedings," he informed. "The High-tier members are on edge, it's like the world is collapsing on itself."
Which isn't far from the truth.
Glowering at the bailiff forcing them apart, Vanitas fussily tidied Sora's shirt. His brother sedately assumed a position behind the bench; while he irascibly followed Belle to the invisible edges of the courtroom.
The Judge banged his gavel for silence and both attorney and prosecutor shared their opening statements.
09:30 a.m.
District Court
Courtroom no 5
"Your honor," Edgeworth began, "during the previous trial, the defense raised the possibility of another perpetrator." An image of the long faced man beamed on the dual, courtroom monitors. "The detective tracked down this individual and he will testify in court." A nervous man climbed the stand, picking the threads in his prussian blue sweater. "Witness," Miles adjusted his glasses, "state your name and occupation."
The individual jumped and started knitting with the stray threads unraveling from his jumper.
"Witness..." Edgeworth growled, hand placed firmly on his gleaming bench, "your name and-"
"Flick Wyatt sir!" The witness squeaked. "I'm a... a... I do odd jobs." He finished knitting a doll sized shirt and picked the threads apart.
"He's more nervous than you are," Athena commented to Sora. "You don't have to worry."
Thanks for the encouragement.
Outside the courtroom, a drizzle drummed gently against the windows.
Crossing his arms, the prosecutor tilted his chin upwards. "Now, your testimony on the night of the crime," he prompted. "You may further elaborate on what happened the morning after."
"The night of the crime," Flick wrapped a woolen thread around his index finger, "was very windy. But before the wind started, I was sweeping the area around the park... it's what I do... sweeping... streets." His mouth turned downwards and the court waited patiently. "When the wind came and the windows shattered, I was at home..." Wyatt pulled his overgrown fringe over his eyes. "I woke up in the morning," Edgeworth impatiently tapped his finger against his elbow, "and went back to sweeping. There was a lot of glass and I joined the crowd, the police pushed me away from the entrance."
Shadows with drooping antenna and lamp yellow eyes pulsed around his legs. They hooked their claws around the witness' waist and dangled there for dear life. A quick glance at Vanitas revealed him lazily scanning the crowd and Sora frowned. Strange, Vanitas failed to perceive the heartless? Maya could.
Bang.
Bang.
Athena shoved him in his ribs.
"Mr. Clavius," the Judge sighed, "this is the second time I'm asking you to cross-examine the witness." He banged his gavel once more and curtly added, "Do speak up."
Twisting his cuff, Sora focused on a sheet of paper. "Sweeping streets isn't a dishonorable job to do." The witness smiled shakily. "Someone has to do it. Thank you for keeping the streets clean."
A low murmur of gratitude swept through the seating gallery. The Judge and prosecutor, appearing mildly uncomfortable, thanked Wyatt for his services.
"That being said, where do you live Mr. Wyatt?" the attorney asked and shoved his scarf downwards, through the entire testimony, the man did not meet anyone's eyes. "Somewhere close I presume?"
His co-worker finger snapped and enthusiastically slammed the bench. Sora grinned triumphantly when the witness faltered.
"I don't... I don't have a real home Mr. Attorney." Using both hands, Wyatt tugged his mouse brown hair viciously. "You're lucky to have a well-paying job and a roof over your head. I live on the streets."
"Hold it!" Miles interjected with a stern glare at the defense. "Your honor, this pointless questioning only agitates the witness." He smirked. "I am told Clavius himself does not operate well under heavy pressure, I would like to remind him to extend the same consideration towards the witness." Miles adjusted his glasses and they gleamed evilly.
You are not being considerate of me, you reaper!
Fumbling for the words evaporating in his mind, Sora clutched his badge. "Your honor, I only asked the witness to clarify..." he bumbled when the Judge shook his head.
"Objection sustained," the Judge twirled his beard, "I'm sorry Mr. Clavius, but it is true the witness is very nervous. I think someone should get him a chair."
Someone get me a chair!
Furiously sorting through his arguments and discarding the ones not needed, Sora pondered. He closed his eyes and drowned the low chatter in the courtroom, allowing his thoughts to spiral inwards. The witness' entire testimony was false. His entire... testimony.
"He's not nervous," Cykes softly stated when Sora's eyelids fluttered open. "When a witness' anxiety levels rise, their noise levels correspond but Widget is telling me a different story. His entire persona is a sham."
Standing straighter and lulled by the gentle patter of rain, Sora smiled. "Mr. Flick, you said you joined a large crowd gathered in front of the ruined building?" The witness nodded, this time knitting a dress with his stray threads. "And the police pushed you away?" the attorney pressed. "You never went close to the building?"
"Yes." Finishing the dress, Wyatt, pulled his sleeves over his hands. "They shoved me with those... those plastic shields." A measured pause. "I was in the middle of the crowd, sweeping-"
Take that! Sora presented a set of familiar fingerprints and the individual matching the prints. "These are your fingerprints Mr. Wyatt." The witness merely nodded. In contrast, Edgeworth broke down at his bench, demonic shadows under his eyes. "We found these inside the building, can you explain why?" Sora grinned sharply, sky blue eyes glittering viciously. "You testified that you never went near the building and I proved it a lie. I wonder what else you are hiding from the law."
"Pfft... hahaha!" Flick slicked his hair backwards revealing a pair of electric green irises. "You are good attorney, really good. I like you."
Well I don't.
"I'm not the murderer though." He leaned on the wooden stand and idly played with the dress he knitted moments ago. For a hobo wearing a threadbare jumper dyed a disgusting shade of blue, he was sure good looking. "I'm a thief, Mask DeMask is my hero." He smiled at Edgeworth, who expertly maintained his calm while the rest of the court descended into chaos at the turnabout. "I ain't no killer." Flick flashed a set of pearly whites at Athena who snubbed him in favor of snatching discreet glances at Xemnas.
"Whether you are a killer or not is up to the Judge to decide," Sora asserted, fist clenched. "Your credibility as a witness is shattered. You have very stable hands," the attorney unexpectedly added. An image of the autopsy report and Vexen's fatal stabs displayed on the monitor. "Can you tell us what weapon you used to kill the scientist?" Sora demanded. "A trained assassin-"
"Wait." Edgeworth's command shushed the court. "Clavius, where did you find the fingerprints?"
Mental faculties suffering a split second BSOD, Sora recovered and grabbed his badge. "…In the reception, on the giant television. The other I lifted from the eleventh floor… off a Level 5 laptop."
The prosecutor tapped his temple. "Ergo, Wyatt is not the perpetrator." Sora opened his mouth for a counterargument. "Do you have further evidence to support your claim?" The attorney closed his mouth. "In the court of law, evidence is everything. You make grand assertions, but if you are unable to supplant it with evidence, you are merely bluffing."
Belle wrestled Vanitas into his seat. The Black Saint heatedly spat threats, defending his brother. He plopped back down, gnarling darkly under his breath and stabbed the prosecutor with a golden glare.
"Assuming Mr. Wyatt is not the murderer, we do not have any other suspects." Sora swallowed. "I already established my client's alibi. The crime spanned roughly around midnight, while Xemnas was in a meeting. If you want further evidence, I suggest you haul the meeting members on the witness stand and question them." He gripped the bench, willing his hands to stop shaking. Merely standing in the chief prosecutor's presence taxed him.
Dismissed, Flick waltzed out of the courtroom. He smirked at the Judge and waved a swiped cellphone before vanishing.
"Did you see Daddy?" Trucy exclaimed and clutched Phoenix's arm. "He disappeared; I need to recruit him for my future troupe."
Distracted by his daughter and anxious at the pensive expression screwed on Miles' forehead, Wright frowned. "No Trucy, he is a thief he'll..."
"Steal your magic panties," Apollo arrived to the rescue and the boss shot him a grateful smile.
Perturbed by a messy haired individual scowling infuriatedly from the viewer's gallery, Edgeworth slammed his hand on the bench. "I shall call in another witness, who was present at the scene of the crime." Conflicted emotions ran rampant, the young man in question refused to divulge anything to the prosecutor and merely turned up at the police station, offering himself as a witness.
The attorney gaped in awe at the individual taking the stand. "Mr... Mr. Zexion," he chirped respectfully. "He's a famous novelist," he whispered excitedly to Athena who humored him with a warm smile. "I'm a huge fan."
Metal clip pinning his asymmetrical bangs on his head. Zexion coolly stated his name and occupation, much to Edgeworth's private relief. "Zexion Zoe," his steel grey irises rested heavily on Sora and a barely perceptible smirk lifted his lips. "I work as a novelist, contracted to Organization XIII." He politely dipped his head. "Greetings to the King," Zexion murmured.
Cold ice gripped Sora's nape and he blanked. The witness' attention clawed down his throat and he gulped, forcing himself back in court, back to the trial, back to defending Xemnas, accused for a crime he did not do.
"Your testimony please," the prosecutor implored.
The witness held a heavy book in a gloved palm. "First of all, I'm sure you are wondering about the wind." Miles nodded offhandedly while the attorney became rigid. "It was a wind generating mechanism our company was developing."
In the gallery, Belle typed rapidly on her tablet, a chestnut eyebrow arched in disbelief.
"The murderer took advantage of it." A sly smile flitted across Zexion's face. "Mr. Attorney, you have evidence which points to someone don't you? Please show it to the court."
Uncomfortable, Sora affirmed the statement and the monitors exhibited a smudged shoe print.
"It's a bit small, which means the perpetrator is younger than an adolescent." Using an elegant fountain pen, Zexion scribbled in his book. "Anything else Mr. Clavius?"
"Zoe," Miles cut in, "you are here to provide testimony, not to badger the attorney. Conduct yourself accordingly."
The witness ignored him. Frowning in concentration, he swiftly penned a paragraph while everyone waited. "Mr. Edgeworth," the scowl did not melt, "this trial is an inspiration for a new novel. I'm debating whether I should choose you or Mr. Clavius as the main character. Right now," Zexion tapped his pen between furrowed eyebrows, "you are leaning heavily in my favor."
At a loss for words, Edgeworth glowered as Zexion continued his cryptic statements.
"You have a smudged shoe print and scraps of luxurious cloth." The witness shut his hefty book when tattered pieces of cream cloth beamed on the monitors. "It comes from a cape belonging to a particular set of armor." A pair of designer spectacles covered Zexion's steel grey irises. "The Elemental-"
"Hold it!" Sora interjected, mind tossing and turning at the influx of information he did not prepare for. "Mr. Zoe, I require you to present your testimony and I cross-examine you afterwards." The situation spiraled bizarrely out of control. "Your testimony sounds like a game, this is... this is unacceptable."
The short man adjusted his glasses and Sora busily shuffled his documents.
"Do you know Ventus?"
The attorney locked into paralysis at the mention of the name. He nodded slowly, the Judge blinked confusedly.
Zexion's lips pulled into a skew grin. "The shoe print and scraps of cloth are evidence he left behind." Sora gulped, fingers gripping the papers so tightly, they crumpled. "Has no one ever told you the Wind Mage, Ventus, is a founder of the KBWA?" The witness smiled sarcastically while the court degraded into chaos. "Your subjects should not keep secrets from you, your majesty." Zexion dipped his head and in the ensuing tide pandemonium, teleported from the stand.
03:30 p.m.
Keyblade Wielder's Association
Basement Floor 1
The ambient lighting in the lounge did little to soften Sora's anxiety.
"You!" Poke. "Never told me Ventus was a founding member!" he seethed and repeatedly poked Vanitas' chest. "An Elemental. They call him the Wind Mage... Vani... God you are so useless sometimes." Sora dissolved into an incoherent mess and angrily breathed through his nose. "There is a picture of him in the library. I thought it was the Organization XIII delivery guy," he strangled himself with his scarf, "no wonder Ven seemed so familiar."
Sora paused in his incensed ranting to shoot his twin a furious glower.
"You run your mouth constantly berating Nox and mooning over the vice-chief but oh... I don't know... you can't spare half an hour to lecture me about the High-tier members and whoever the hell cooked up the genius idea of congregating a bunch of psychotic, murder-key warriors in one place. Isn't it right, Vani?"
For the love of your lawyer's badge, shut up.
A waterfall gurgled across the lounge wall and Sora passed his hand under the cool water. "Besides," he started again, "this doesn't make sense. Ven is a child... a kid, you expect me to believe he founded an Association over a hundred years old?" he barked a short laugh. "This is ridiculous," he whirled around and Vanitas fidgeted with the chain attached to his jeans, "but no! Let me prance off and contaminate myself with the KBWA's lunacy and as an added bonus, infect my brother as well. I didn't sign up for this crap!"
The raven haired twin remained quiet.
"Say something!" Sora exploded. "I hate it when things don't make sense!"
"What the hell do you want me to say?" Vanitas rose, few centimeters taller. Sora simply tilted his chin upwards, displaying a degree of wrath he last exhibited when Grandpa Yensid unceremoniously left them to fend for themselves. "I didn't think it was important... it certainly didn't matter till now did it?"
"So, me coincidentally meeting the KBWA head honcho bawling his eyes out in front of an ice-cream stand means absolutely nothing to you?" Sora scathed, his scarf loose. "From what I hear, the KBWA partially worships him! They didn't even know he was roaming the streets!" His voice echoed stridently. "What am I gonna do now? The last time I searched for him," he recalled how everyone in the streets never remembered the sunshine boy. "I'm finding it impossible to believe Ven is... is... older than I am."
He slowly sunk into a luxurious armchair and rubbed his throbbing temples.
None of this makes sense. Stupid Vanitas dragging me into his stupid mess!
"First of all calm down-"
"Don't expect me to calm down!" Sora flared. His scarf unraveled completely, exposing a thin, black ribbon tie in his collar.
"And what about me?" Vanitas' nails bit into his palms. "You think I like seeing things that aren't there? You have it for hardly for a year and it's making you crazy. I grew up with it! I went to the one place where they can explain and accept this phenomena, and I have to listen to your constant whining about it!" He grabbed Sora's necklace and quickly let go when Sora shrunk. "You know... I'd never hurt-"
"The receptionist," Sora muttered, his anger deflating like a punctured balloon.
Tablet in hand, Belle pretended she never heard the heated argument. "I pinpointed the location of the Wind Mage," she stated factually. "He currently resides on Olympus."
"He was right above us the entire time?" the twins chorused in unison and glanced at each other, peeved.
"Yes, we will initiate contact with him shortly. Clavius," she powered the tablet down and met Sora's bright blue eyes, "please gather evidence of the Wind Mage's innocence. It is impossible to believe he is capable of murder." The receptionist bowed and politely and excused herself.
Heh, as if Ven could actually kill someone. Sora scowled. Obviously Zexion lied; however…
No heartless.
The sudden embrace from Vanitas shattered his thoughts and Sora exhaled tiredly. "At least you don't bite my cheek off anymore." He patted his twin's head. "You used to do that a lot when we were kids, hitting me then covering me in your spit before biting me."
"You still angry with me?" Vanitas asked. He pressed a bottle of potion against his brother's face.
Drinking the dubious drink before Vanitas started pouting, Sora licked his lips. "This tastes surprisingly good," he scooted against the side of the armchair as his brother obstinately wedged himself in. "I wasn't angry with you, not really anyway, just frustrated because I'm not sure where my case is going." And I'm sorry you always have to suffer the brunt of my wrath. "Anyway, about Ven... he's a really cute child." Sora's eyes twinkled. "I bought him ice-cream and sat with him on a bench. We talked. He didn't give me an ulcer, surprisingly."
Listening to his brother gradually regain his calm, Vanitas sipped his own potion. A plan congealed from the fuzzy ideas floating in his mind.
"He is not really over a hundred years old is he?" Sora questioned for the umpteenth time. "Do you know anything about Ven?"
Ven.
Better late than never, Vanitas crossed his legs over Sora's. "There are three founding members. The Earth Titan, he's a handsome bloke with brown hair, really tall and broad shouldered," Vanitas elaborated. "The Sea Queen," he lazily twirled the luminous green liquid in the bottle, "she's damn fine." Sora sighed in defeat. "And the Wind Mage, who I guess is Ventus. Apparently, the Wind Mage is also a living memory keeper, he cycles through periods of hibernation and wakefulness," Vanitas droned the information he gleaned from meetings and his lessons with Zack. "He's ancient, but hardly grows past his pre-teen appearance. I'm told he currently resides with the Sea Queen... I'm jealous."
He grinned lecherously.
"Anyway, Ventus is over a hundred years old, he is also a Keyblade Wielder." Sora moaned, as if Ven wielding a Keyblade cost him personally. "Do you want to see him?" Vanitas abruptly suggested.
Forcibly shoving his overbearing twin off, Sora thought about it. "I can see him? He's not here."
"Che," Vanitas scoffed. "We'll meet him at Olympus." His golden eyes glittered expectantly. "I can take you there." He slithered off the armchair and tugged Sora to his feet. The bamboo stem lights overhead cast pools of amber light in the lounge. "Let's go before the KBWA decides to poke their noses in your business... heaven forbid." Vanitas grinned and marched Sora to the teleportation moogle.
The dim sounds of engineers working in the hanger subdued by the time they arrived to the far-flung, yet adjacent portal room. Awed by the alternate bands of light and shadow, Sora grimaced at the churning vortices of liquid darkness studded beneath the domed, stained glass. A forest of rock pillars screened the portals from view.
Unfortunately for Vanitas, Leon caught wind of his devious plan and teleported just when they arrived in Basement floor 9. He insisted the King be accompanied with an additional guard which Vanitas had no problem translating as the annoying interference of Riku. Personally, Vanitas did not mind the Grey Knight, but he will be damned to let anyone ruin Sora's initial experience of foraying into a new world.
"I'm here; Goofy and Donald are with me, what more do you want?" Vanitas aggressively punched in the destination on the panel while his brother slowly toured the portal, delighted by the brief glimpses of the worlds beyond.
A twisted dark woods here, a grand castle illuminated by golden light there. The dark corridors popped open, offering views of lush hedges and card soldiers and he turned his attention to a vista of sunlit, golden clouds drifting across the ancient roofs of a ruined pagoda.
"We cannot risk any threat to the King," Leon languidly countered. "He is given the highest priority, I will not make the same mistake of neglecting him again."
Destination fixed, Vanitas grabbed a black, ankle length coat from a nearby, metal locker. He did not need security from darkness, but it might be a different story with Sora; besides, his mentor stressed the importance of protection. "Anyone who dares to look at Sora the wrong way while I'm around will wake up with six feet of earth caressing their face." Vanitas forced his brother into a coat. "I don't care if it's the Elementals," he grinned at Squall, "I'll gut them if I need to."
"Mr. Leon, I think I'll be fine." Sora tucked the ends of his scarf in the coat. "It's Vanitas we're talking about, he won't listen and I'm not worried. He's very dependable." He beamed at Donald and Goofy descending on the circular dais and they both tipped their hats to him. "We're going to the orange mountain peak right?" Sora received a listless reply. "A different world," he whispered when a section of the floor lifted to a dark corridor.
Waves of darkness washed over the King; smothering him covetously from view.
Metaphysics
Late afternoon
Forensic Lab
She pensively chewed on a snackoo. An array of scientific equipment lay strewn over the steel countertops. The testimony from Organization XIII upset her.
Alas, nothing was more upsetting than this...
Ema lifted a scrap of cloth to the light, its chemical composition matched none of the known materials found on the planet. More upsettingly, when she tried matching the equations of the unknown elements, they did not make sense. The KBWA as a whole, made no sense. Ema was a firm believer in science, the talk of magic and metaphysics normally elicited a snort of disbelief from her. Everything, in due time, could be explained away by the laws of science.
Except for... this. The wind generating mechanism the witness testified about was a lie, there was no evidence of such a device. He further hinted the perpetrator as a Wind Mage. Someone who, in Ema's expert opinion, may have dominion over the wind and... and...
Frustrated, she rubbed her temples. Sora summoning a giant, golden hilted Key he referred to as the Kingdom Key, thoroughly shook the foundations of belief. Believing in something and suddenly finding out the laws were far from absolute, forced her to question everything she ever knew.
Leaning her head against the counter, Ema closed her eyes. She missed Lana. Her sister had a way for making the world a sensible place.
A/N: Okay, I checked. As per Kingdom Hearts tradition, Ventus has huge feet. But let's pretend he's got normal sized ones for the sake of this story.
Read and review people. Detective Skye is depending on you to help consolidate her beliefs (hah, I said it)