Tides of darkness
06:45 p.m.
Los Angeles
District courthouse
Police cars and the army joined the fray. Tanks in colors of camouflage drab green, rumbled down the streets, scattering panicked citizens and training their turrets to the sky. Shells exploded, bursting apart giant clumps of heartless. Ambulances carted the most hysterical patients away and more KBWA members poured in via screeching vehicles and teleportation points.
Flanked by Riku on his rear and Vanitas in front, Sora charged, clearing monsters along the way. Crystalized hearts lit the night in tints of magenta and he ducked when a pureblood heartless with razor sharp swords lunged for him, only to be pierced on several sides by Void Gear and Braveheart. Coils of fire snaked from the tip of Kingdom Key when he touched it to the ground and flared, consuming everything in its path.
A flock of golden bats and bookmasters assaulted the trio. A series of detonations wrecked the black and white cop cars lining the perimeter, blasting metal bodies in the air. Spears of sharp steel rained down, pitting the asphalt and the crowd surged in a desperate attempt to escape.
Positioning himself in the center of the ruined square and secure behind double strips of glowing mines, Sora directed Vanitas, "Go further to the front." He gestured to the barely intact pavement. "We need to spread out before launching our spells at the same time so it overlaps and has the most coverage. Nox," the Grey Knight stalked to the edge, neatly decapitating a durandal along the way, "you... you have a really wide range," Sora squeaked, compliment lost in the screams of monsters and agony. "Vanitas..." he deadpanned, "why are you so far away?"
His brother's suit changed to a garish yellow and crimson, a mellow radiance engulfed him, contrasting sharply with the glittering halo resting on raven peaks. "I'm in a drive form, it boosts my powers." Using dual Keyblades, he effortlessly struck down a pack of dragoons heading his way. "We'll all do different ultimate spells," Vanitas explained, sweat streaked rivulets down his face. A large gash opened on his back and despite the suit concealing it, it stung. "So we can target enemies with different affinities." His twin nodded. "Pass the message to Riku."
Hair plastered on his head, Sora shouted to Riku, tripping over his words before the silver haired man finally understood. A petite girl wielding a large shuriken, acted as a node between Sora and Nox. She shredded any heartless venturing near the King. On the opposite side, Cloud and the hazel haired pilot lady, kept the area till Vanitas free of nobodies.
Elsewhere, a teenage boy with ash grey hair materialized a hydrogen bomb, much to everyone's collective horror. The bomb exploded in the sky and shockwaves rippled outwards, forcing dark corridors to close and tearing through new monsters escaping the violently spinning portals.
Hands clasping Kingdom Key, Sora raised it outwards, in level with his chest. Tongues of orange flames wrapped around him. Vanitas followed suit, a fizzing ball of blinding electricity dancing across Two become One. Riku raised his Keyblade to the sky.
On the count of three, the commands unleashed.
Shielding her eyes from the bright pall of light, Maya, tired from channeling and her geta sandals lost on the battlefield, grabbed the nearest person to her and dashed. Blistering heat billowed across and her feet burned. She yanked the shocked adolescent along with her as he stumbled, constantly glancing back to witness the mayhem. The skin on Maya's upper arms grew a raw, angry red; her soles bled and she hurtled into the safety of a barrier.
Palms pressed against the translucent surface of the magic dome, Apollo jumped when Trucy joined him.
Outside, a heat haze and lashing fire distorted the scene. His eyeballs ached like the fluid in them evaporated. The ebony sky tinged tangerine and when he craned his neck upwards, a torrent of electricity spread like a net. Bolts of lightning struck the earth, honing on the things he could not see, he put his arm around Trucy's shoulder to stop her from shaking.
"Will they be alright?" she asked and tugged her tear stained glove. "I'm worried about all of them... oh," Trucy gasped, "is Riku... is he summoning a meteor?"
Wright uttered a disbelieved moan. The wispy, winter clouds parted to reveal a flaming hunk of rock.
Klavier lowered a pair of glasses, courtesy of a rabid fan, and stared, hand automatically reaching up to tug his fringe. "Ach... did I gain de zweite-anblick?" he muttered in his native tongue, shirt collar damp from sweat. "Forehead... can you sehen those black and colorful things in the sky? It has tendrils and axes and spiky schilde," he helpfully supplied.
"It's the stress eating your brain," Apollo supportively snapped. "Find a place to take a nap," he indicated backwards, "and check in with Athena or one of the nurses while you are at it."
The prosecutor did not move. "Herr Justice," his voice vibrated, "my bruder was working with these people in schwarz coats. This is his fault." Klavier agitatedly played with his pendant. "I did not want believe it but-"
An earthquake rocked the ground when the meteor hit. Shrapnel slammed against the barrier and bounced back, smoking. Screens of dust wafted into the air, blotting out everything and a spell of uneasy silence descended. More and more people crawled to the edge of the barrier, hearts beating in their throat, and waited for a positive shift in the battle.
"It's no one's fault," Phoenix shattered the silence. "Organization XIII does what they want and there is nothing we can do to change it but leave it to them." He smiled reassuringly to Klavier who lowered his gaze in shame. "Trucy darling," his daughter skipped over, "let's see if we can find Pearly and Aunt Maya in this place. Polly-"
Rotating his bangle, Apollo cut in, "I'll stay here."
Wiping sweat from his forehead, Sora hurled over a large pillar of surprisingly intact concrete and cursed when his shoe caught on the edge. The lava-like ground scorched his soles and he hobbled to Vanitas, swaying dangerously. Almost all of the heartless disappeared. Only the higher nobodies and their lesser subordinates remained, kept engaged by the High and Mid-tier members of the Association.
Helping his wobbly twin to the ground, Sora cast cure. "Are you hurt anywhere?" he fussed. "Donald, please check him over, I need to make sure Nox is okay too."
"How..." Vanitas wheezed, "are you not out of breath?" he moaned in relief when Donald cast curaga and Goofy offered him a potion. "I'm good," Vanitas evasively replied and patted his helmet to make sure it did not crack.
Discarding his tie, Sora irritably scrubbed a bloodstain his cheek. "You and Nox had to physically fight and cast magic, the only thing I did was stay safe in a little square of mines and spam advanced magic. I didn't have to move a muscle." An animalistic roar of anger pierced his ears and he flinched. "...Stay here Vanitas, I'll be back."
Dust settled after the tandem spells.
Half impressed by the sheer carnage only three Keyblade wielders managed to wreak, Xemnas dodged a Low-tier's attempt to attack him and bifurcated the unfortunate person. Could Leon not come? Rushing for the godly nuisance floating high above in the air, Xemnas raised his ethereal blades and Joshua inanely smirked.
Summoning a thick wall of sandstone to absorb the numerous laser blasts, Joshua teleported out of the way, fingers working furiously on his smart phone.
The wall, reduced to fragments, hung still before hammering downwards in a storm of hail. Grunting in annoyance, Xemnas retreated from the line of heavy fire and using gravity, pulled the honing missiles away from him. The asinine teenager vanished, presumably to deal with Xigbar whom he found great pleasure in torturing. Boots touching the ground, Xehanort unleashed graviga and the rest of the pebbles fell in a noisy shower.
"Superior."
He slowly twisted around, burnished gold eyes combing Saix. His subordinate's hair barely reached his nape, the familiar cross-scar marred his face. A golden lilt lit his eyes. Relieved to have Saix back, Xemnas surveyed the battlefield, satisfied at the mayhem. Despair and unhappiness bred weak heartless. These puny, pure blood heartless congregated to form stronger ones till they could destroy a micro-planet.
"It is time to leave." Xehanort opened a dark corridor. "You will approve of our new headquarters," he told Saix, "it is a labyrinth and needs to be explored thoroughly. You could make a map."
A flash of light in the periphery of his vision forced him to tense.
Lunatic, spiked and dangerous, appeared in Isa's hand and the veins in his temple engorged. A solitary cloud passed, revealing the full moon and he swung the weapon high in the air. "You are mistaken if you think I came to assist you," he snarled, a KBWA high-tier medallion gleaming proudly on his chest. "I came here to hack you into pieces," Isa hissed. "I am going to kill you!"
Bringing up his blades to guard, Xemnas flew backwards and smashed into a palisade fence. "They brainwashed you?" he bewilderedly questioned. Saix, turning against him? Unheard of. "The KBWA twisted you for their means," he stated and veered past Isa, descending on him like a rocket.
Isa screamed his vocal cords raw. The spiky projectiles on the claymore punched through Xemnas' torso and he grunted in pain, blood bubbling in his throat and pouring out of the dozen wounds. Cloaked with cyan energy, Isa chucked his blade and Xemnas parried.
He drew closer to the berserk and knocked him with a palm thrust.
Growling, Saix sprang back, the moon motif on his tunic jangling. A cleaving pain erupted on the back of Xemnas' cranium when Lunatic connected with bone. Jumping to safety, Isa expertly dodged several disarming strikes. He howled and with agility born from years of practice, spun, transferred his blade from one hand to the other and grinned triumphantly when he clobbered Xemnas, sending him crashing into a heap of rubble, the remains of the District court.
He bared his incisors, before shrieking like a cornered animal and slamming Lunatic on the ground. A shockwave tossed Xemnas to his feet and rushing to him, Isa hissed when the ethereal blades scored a cut on his cheek. He defiantly raised his Claymore while Xehanort cut his arm.
The sleeve fell away to a crescent moon tattoo on Saix's shoulder.
Kicking him in the abdomen and creating much needed space, Xehanort calculated and lashed. The searing edges of his blades burned cuts on Isa's chest.
Without pausing, Saix bashed Lunatic on the floor and blue fire accompanied the resulting tremor, incinerating the sorcerer nobodies advancing on him.
He picked his weapon and dislodged a chunk of asphalt. "I'll... kill... you..." The words seeped through gritted teeth. His eyes glowed, bestial. "For what you did to Lea... for what you did to me!"
Kill me? Cute, Xemnas snorted. "Where are the medicines Vexen developed to control your berserk state?" he demanded, calmly parrying the overwhelmingly brutal, yet simple strikes his subordinate dished. "You must rest before you tear yourself apart," he stressed and teleported behind Saix.
The enraged operative hooked his arm around Xehanort's throat and flung him, clubbing apart several dark firagas charging his way. Saix dove for Xemnas and cratered the ground when he landed. His hair stood on end. Grasping Lunatic with both hands, he hefted the blade over his head.
Another presence joined them and he focused his furious glower on the newcomer.
"Enough, Isa." Tifa, wicked knuckle dusters slipped on both hands, waited for him to calm down. "It's only me, she soothed. "There is no one here to hurt you." He whipped around, white foam and blood around his mouth, where he bit down on his lips.
Chuckling, Xemnas ripped a piece of fabric from his coat and wound it around his punctured torso, he did not plan on getting hurt. Amused by the KBWA's attempts to control Isa, he watched. As if his loyal servant will easily dislodge from the berserk state. Saix's grip on the Claymore's hilt intensified but the woman stood defenselessly before him.
"Kill her," Xehanort commanded. "The KBWA is using... you." Instead of slamming the business end of Lunatic on the woman; Saix' irises flickered, the gold melting into an icy blue. "Saix," Xemnas tersely called, his mind whirling, crashing. Shutting down. "You belong to me!"
A savage smile cut Lockhart's sweet expression. "He belongs to no one." She raised her fists in a fighting stance and Isa joined her, wiping his lips on a sleeve. "Are you surprised?" she teased. "You all thought Axel is the traitor. I trained him well didn't I?" She puffed her chest proudly and mortified, Isa mumbled evasively, skin flushing.
Lunging, Tifa pummeled her fist into Xemnas' chest and shattered the defensive barrier he hastily constructed.
Sneaking behind him, Saix whacked sideways and Xehanort ducked, Lunatic skimming the top of his head in a cold rush of air. Lockhart popped up unexpectedly and guarding, Xemnas teleported, fascinated when the vice-chief kept pace. Her kick lashed the side of his head and sent him careering.
Knees grazed on the ground, Xemnas stood and dispelled his shattered blades. Around him, a corridor of darkness opened and Tifa's wine-red eyes flickered to Xigbar, heavily wounded but alive. A second portal opened to reveal Xaldin, his lances broken and fluttering uselessly around him. The rest of Organization XIII gathered around their superior and Tifa dropped into a defending stance while Isa protectively flanked her.
"I achieved what I wanted to do," Xemnas announced emotionlessly. He backed into a wide portal opening behind him.
Fists clenched, Tifa taunted, "Are you running away?"
"Hardly," Xehanort sneered, a cruel smile lifting the corner of his mouth when Vanitas joined him.
12:50 p.m.
Los Angeles
Courthouse area
The superior opened a dark corridor, a fathomless churning of darkness which connected one world to another. One by one, the members of Organization XIII stalked in. Larxene blew an air-kiss before disappearing, tendrils of neon lightning pirouetting around her. Lexaeus and Zexion followed dignifiedly. Finally, Xaldin left and legs aching, Xigbar hobbled after him.
Breathless and half dragging Riku, Sora joined the chief, acutely aware of Isa's hand twitching around the Claymore. Opposite them, separated by a plain of debris, Vanitas loitered next to Xemnas, Void Gear nowhere to be seen.
Screams rent the air. Twilight thorns and large heartless phased from beneath the ground. Glowering at Xehanort, Tifa spun and hastened off, while Donald and Goofy arrived.
Stepping into the dark corridor, Xemnas vanished. The swirling vortex swallowed him.
Thick clouds obscured the starless sky. The orange glows of battle fire and streaks of lightning from the KBWA fighting forces illuminated the area around the district court. Hazy, golden domes kept the terrified civilians safe. They lumbered from place to place, praying for a silver of sleep.
"Vanitas, what are you doing?" Sora asked, his feet blistered. "Step away from there." He fought to keep his voice from pitching into hysteria.
A boot already inside the corridor and preventing it from snapping shut, Vanitas faced the darkness. "The KBWA doesn't need me," he scathed. "They didn't try rescuing me when I rotted in Castle Oblivion." Goofy's shield clanged to the ground. "They were too busy doing other things, even now," he glared at his once co-workers keeping a distance, "after I escaped, they won't make contact with me-"
"That's not true!" Before Sora could protest, Riku vehemently objected. "Vanitas, you are a vital part of the KBWA. Leon-"
"Shut up damn pansy!" Vanitas cursed. Nox jerked his head sideways, a shotlock blasted out of Void Gear and scraped his cheek. "If I hear another word out of you, you self-righteous prick, I'll blow a hole in your stomach!" Donald and Goofy shifted uncomfortably and Vanitas lowered his weapon. "I enjoyed working with you two," he sincerely said and dipped his head in polite acknowledgement. "Please take of Sora for me."
Void Gear's turquoise eyes swiveled to his brother before the Keyblade dematerialized. Vanitas entered the dark corridor and pretended not to notice the desperate shriek from his twin.
"Vanitas!" Sora hurled after him. "Where are you going? You can't leave me." Riku yanked the King backwards. "Leave me alone!" Sora growled and wrenched out the Grey Knight's grasp, his shirt tearing further. "Wait!"
Don't leave me.
In the dark corridor, Vanitas hesitated. If Sora managed to get in here, the poisoning will kill him. Still, he waited.
Fending Nox off with Kingdom Key, Sora ducked under Riku's arms and stormed to the rapidly closing corridor. Just a few more steps. His feet begged for relief but he carried on. Everything will be alright if we're together.
A claymore crashed in his path and Sora skidded to a halt. "Let me go," he growled to Isa, blocking his path. "I won't hesitate to maim you," he warned, Kingdom Key gleaming dully and emphasizing his point. "Please move, I'll bring Vanitas back. Please." Sora cut a wide swathe around the operative and heroically rushed towards the dark corridor. To his surprise, Donald and Goofy kept pace with him. "Don't try to stop me," he commanded. "I'll set you on fire."
He reached the dark corridor, the vertical whirlpool churned, closing.
And a vicious tug hurled him backwards.
No! Sora dug his heels into the ground. No! No, no no NO! His feet smeared on the pavement, glistening red. He fought against the magnega drawing him backwards. "Vanitas!" he yelled. "Don't go! Stop. Please!" he sobbed and crouched on all fours, the skin on his palms peeling off on concrete. "Let me go too!" he begged Isa, callously monitoring the dark corridor. "Nox... Nox," he stuttered, "you know Vanitas doesn't mean what he said, get him back."
The dark corridor snapped shut and Sora collapsed to the ground. He curled into a ball, chin dropping to his knees; knees pressed against his chest. He tasted salt.
But no amount of salty tears will plug the yawning chasm in his heart.
Thorns filled the cavity in his chest, Vanitas wondered if he had a heart. Last time he checked, nebulous darkness replaced his muscle and bone, veins and blood. His howling twin left Vanitas drained. Regret scorched a hole at the back of his throat and he moped, away from the other nobodies who would scoff at his emotions, and in the safety of his spartan room.
Charcoal-crimson blood stained his bed in gruesome patches and he left smears on alabaster surfaces. Unlocking his helmet, he irritably wiped a stubborn tear trailing down his cheek, what was he, a kid? He and Sora were adults, they should get used to living apart.
Living apart? He couldn't picture it.
For time immemorial, it has always been him and his brother. Through the accident which killed their parents, through the betrayal of their Grandfather who never bothered to send them a single, measly letter after he abruptly left; through the grueling days of middle school when Sora became the object of bullying; through Vanitas' military academy days when his brother would swab the wounds with stinging antiseptic and rant his head off.
Living apart? Vanitas retrieved his helmet from on the bed and limped through identical corridors. Yeah…
Locating the superior's office, the white door identical to the other, ivory doors studding the passage, Vanitas kicked it open with a loud bang. Valiantly striding in like he owned the place, he collapsed on a hard, stone chair and Xemnas raised a noncommittal eyebrow at him.
"Can you check my wounds?" Vanitas squeaked. "It hurts everywhere."
A scintilla of humanity flashed across the man's face, his expression identical to the bloke in the gilded painting the KBWA proudly displayed in their ancient library. Xemnas placed his stylus down and rose, a new coat rustling with his movements. His impassive mien stared at him back from the smooth surface of Clavius' helmet and a sharp pain throbbed in his temples when he attempted to peel back the suit to check on the injuries.
"Why did you come to me, boy?" he questioned. Vanitas became worryingly still, his pale hands blanched, almost bloodless. "There is an infirmary."
Hissing in pain when a finger roughly prodded the wound in his shoulder, Vanitas bunched his legs together. "I feel uneasy without Sora," he admitted, "and it's lonely in my room." Again, the almost emotion igniting in Xemnas' eyes. "So I thought I'll hang out with you."
"I do not know any cure spells," the superior gruffly voiced and hunted in his desk drawer for a couple of elixirs he secretly stashed for Vanitas, who often barged in his office either dripping blood, or slathered in some. A sudden thought occurred to him. "Did you bother Leonhart like this?"
The Black Saint grew on people, like an obstinate, colorful fungus. Potentially deadly and constantly draining the host.
Shaking an elixir bottle but not drinking it, Vanitas shrugged. "Yeah," he reluctantly answered. "I used to call him Pops too. He never exploded on me, unfortunately."
"Why did you leave the KBWA?"
The glass bottle shattered when Vanitas' squeezed it angrily. Buttercup golden liquid stained his hands and bloomed on his suit. "They don't need me," he spat. The aroma of amber and life wafted from the spilled liquid, a contrast to the bleak world outside. "And I'm going to make them regret it. Every minute of their miserable existence."
At his table, Xehanort resumed working. He missed the silence of his office before Clavius became a permanent, noisy feature. Petulantly seated on an office chair, tendrils of darkness worked on the Black Saint's injuries, repairing them and he scratched the newly knitted suit irritably.
Sibling
Late night
Prosecutor's office
Lately, he woke in the dead of the night, without preamble and always in his office, surrounded by the dim glow of blue screens and a notepad of scribbled song lyrics. Klavier grimaced at his messy desk, searched for an energy drink and crashed back on his makeshift bed, arms around his precious guitar.
He strummed the strings. Blue notes bled in the still air. He tried singing in his choked, croaky voice.
His brother dead. Murdered in the cell by Vanitas Clavius.
A small part of Klavier agreed when the timid Herr Fluffy declared, "My brother isn't the killer!" The attorney's irises shone with azure fire, so sure he was of his brother's innocence.
The song took a depressing turn and a plug lodged Klavier's throat. He persisted in singing, his fingers numb, a headache pounded the back of his skull.
The twins trusted each other so much. Their bond...
He stopped strumming and hugged the guitar, a gift from Lamiroir, tightly. Klavier squeezed his eyes shut, buried his face in the crook of his arm and cried. Sobs trembled his body.
Kristoph Gavin's involvement in murder wrung every drop of respect in Klavier's heart, replacing with begrudging disgust. However...
It didn't mean that he didn't love his brother.
A/N: The game didn't touch on Klavier's feelings after Kristoph was found as a murderer. In this story, Klavier suffers from depression and has grown to feelings of jealously when he sees sibling like bonds. His attention seeking persona is a cover-up of his miserable feelings.
Please read and review, help Klavier through his depression.