//Chapter 2//
It began to rain.
People were already holed up in their homes when the rain began, or they were hard at work, too far from the unknown man to feel the raw emotions that infected the people around him. The man was now at the top of the Central Building skyscraper, looking down at a man wearing a similar raincoat.
This new person had the same aura as the first, but did not wear a blindfold as far as a person could tell. He walked in the middle of the street as the first had, not fast and not slow, but with a purpose in mind. He was annoyed at the rain however. He hated that the world was so anguished at his existence, that the sky sent its liquid missiles to drive him away. It never worked. He paused for a moment, and from what a person could see, he had long, light brown hair that covered his eyes and pale skin.
Suddenly, dark forms appear from the ground. The figure slides into his battle stance and pulls out two large weapons. Each were shaped like fantastically made keys, but were made to be swords.
A third man in a red coat watched them, unseen and unknown. His short black hair had streaks of grey and his sunglasses were constantly spattered with rain. For some odd reason, his left arm was cradled in his coat, while his right hand was near his hip, with his fingers running over the hilt of his sword. He silently watched, apparently unaffected by the hate, fear, and regret that radiated from the second man.
The second man suddenly whipped his two KeyBlades together so that they apparently locked together, then lowered them slightly, concentrating his energies. The first man looked up at the cloudy sky and took off his blindfold and spread his arms. The clouds dispersed and blue stars fell from the sky. At the same time this happened, a Heart symbol appeared around the second man, forcing the shadow creatures back. He looked up to the first man and muttered,
'Where's Sora?' The first man looked down from the skyscraper, as if he heard, but did not answer. Instead, he walked backwards, away from the edge of the building and back inside, but apparently disappeared as he descended the stairs. The second man stared up at the sky for a moment, allowing himself to feel free from the oppressing rain, then disappeared as well.
The shadow creatures did not follow either man. They shuffled amongst themselves and they seemed to talk to one another, but their language was incomprehensible. The man in red quietly walked away as the Shadow creatures dispersed, breaking their way into homes and terrifying the people inside.
Sora awoke to Gertrude's yelling. His body jerked awake, then relaxed when her voice wasn't directed to him. He was drifting off to sleep again, then he heard a man say his name. The voice was deep and he didn't recognize it. Sora got up just in time to have something thrust into his stomach. Sora looked at the man, utterly confused, then at the object he was now holding.
It was a giant golden key, the design much more simple than the ones the unknown man held earlier. Sora looked up at the man, terrified and even more confused. Now the man thrust clothes at Sora.
"Get dressed. It's time to go." The man said. Gertrude shrieked and tried to hit the man with her ladle, but the man grabbed her wrist with his left hand, the one cradled in his coat, and pushed her back. Undaunted, she dove at him again and the man was forced to dodge her. Sora looked at the man, then at the Key, then at the man again.
"How did you find this? How did you find me?" he asked, scared. "Who are you?"
"There is not enough time to answer that. Get dressed. We need to move."
"Yeh aint takin this lad from me home! He belongs here, where he's cared for!" she screeched, gasping for air.
"I'm not leaving until you tell me who you are and why I need to leave." Sora said, trembling. The man sighed and shook his head.
"Very well. I am Auron. Ex-guardian of Sumnoner Lord Braska and High Sumnoner Yuna, My reasons for coming here are to keep you safe and train you until you are strong enough to face the Heartless again." He said. Sora took a step back, but Gertrude guffawed.
"Sumnoner? Heartles? What do ye take us for man? Fools? Leave you miscreant!" she yelled, brandishing her soup ladle again. Sora stared at Auron.
"The Heartless are gone. I sealed them myself at least five years ago." He said hoarsely. Gertrude stared at Sora, confused. "I have the scars to prove it." He said, letting his eyes fall to the floor. Gertrude looked at Sora with wide eyes, remembering the first night he spent in her home.
Gertrude had Sora living under her roof for about two weeks before he got into his first fight in Twilight City. He had fended off a gang from Gertrude but his reward was a broken nose and his shirt being sliced with many different knives. Gertrude dragged Sora into her home and locked the door tight. At that time, she was able to afford a tin tub and a bar of soap. She filled the tub and ordered Sora to wash himself. Sora sheepishly obeyed, afraid to make the woman mad at him again. He turned away and pulled off his vest and shirt. He stiffened as he heard Gertrude gasp behind him, then closed his eyes as she laid a hand on a long scar that ran across his back.
She had seen his scars, his old scars from fighting the Heartless. He had only fought them for a year, but each scar had memories to it. The scar Gertrude was touching was given to him from Riku, when he met his former friend at Hollow Bastion.
That scar ached, but Sora lied and said that he had fallen. All of the scars were from falls. Gertrude scoffed, but said nothing. If the boy wanted to lie about these scars, then he had the right to. He had earned that right that night.
"Leave him be mistah. He's done more than any man should whose thrice his age." Gertrude snapped, wrapping an arm around Sora and moving him away from Auron. Auron stared at Sora with his good eye, frowning.
"Believe me Madam, if there were someone else to take the job, I would spare him. But there isn't. I'm sorry." His eye moved to Sora's face. Sora was staring down at the clothes in his arms.
"These are new." He said, staring at the black clothing.
"Suits your new attitude, I believe." Auron retorted. "Change quickly, and then we must leave. It's not safe here...for you." He added quickly, looking at Gertrude. She was watching his face closely. Sora nodded and left to change while Gertrude began to bombard Auron with endless questions. He seemed relieved when Sora came back a few moments later. Sora looked up when Gertrude gasped.
He was dressed in the same outfit as he wore as a pre-teenager, but the color scheme was no longer red, white and blue with large yellow shoes, it was now black, red and yellow with large black shoes. Gertrude's eyes widened in fear, finally allowing herself to realize that they were completely serious, that Sora was really leaving. Sora, seemingly reading her mind, hugged the woman tightly and smiled as she hugged him back.
"I'd never leave you willingly Gertrude. You've been my mother for five years. I'm still in debt to you." He said quietly, so Auron wouldn't hear. He heard anyways, and shifted his weight from one foot to the other behind Gertrude impatiently. Sora ignored him and closed his eyes again.
"Meh, as soon as you leave this city, the past five years will be wiped from your mind. And they should be. No one deserves to suffer all ye've been through." She hugged him fiercly, then held him at arm's length to look him over. "Ye've grown into a fine man Sora. Good luck be with ye." She said. Sora looked down at her and smiled.
"I'll leave---but just to protect you and the others." Sora said, thumbing his chest with a fist. Gertrude smiled and shook her head with a short laugh.
Auron snapped around, drawing his blade and suddenly, there was a dull flash of blue light.
"They're here." He said, looking at the doorway. The door was blown off and there were Heartless outside, launching energy beams at the building. Sora gripped his KeyBlade and shoved Gertrude behind him. Nodding at Auron he ran out of the building, but a yellow light filled his vision...
...there was a scream behind him...
Kairi opened her eyes and sat up in bed. The cries of the seagulls had woken her up. The position of the sun told her that she had overslept--- again. There was a movement under the covers beside her as Riku sat up and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled as he said 'good morning' and felt at ease when he rested his head on her shoulder. She watched the sun climb higher before there was a knock at the door, signaling the two to get dressed and ready for the day.
It began to rain.
People were already holed up in their homes when the rain began, or they were hard at work, too far from the unknown man to feel the raw emotions that infected the people around him. The man was now at the top of the Central Building skyscraper, looking down at a man wearing a similar raincoat.
This new person had the same aura as the first, but did not wear a blindfold as far as a person could tell. He walked in the middle of the street as the first had, not fast and not slow, but with a purpose in mind. He was annoyed at the rain however. He hated that the world was so anguished at his existence, that the sky sent its liquid missiles to drive him away. It never worked. He paused for a moment, and from what a person could see, he had long, light brown hair that covered his eyes and pale skin.
Suddenly, dark forms appear from the ground. The figure slides into his battle stance and pulls out two large weapons. Each were shaped like fantastically made keys, but were made to be swords.
A third man in a red coat watched them, unseen and unknown. His short black hair had streaks of grey and his sunglasses were constantly spattered with rain. For some odd reason, his left arm was cradled in his coat, while his right hand was near his hip, with his fingers running over the hilt of his sword. He silently watched, apparently unaffected by the hate, fear, and regret that radiated from the second man.
The second man suddenly whipped his two KeyBlades together so that they apparently locked together, then lowered them slightly, concentrating his energies. The first man looked up at the cloudy sky and took off his blindfold and spread his arms. The clouds dispersed and blue stars fell from the sky. At the same time this happened, a Heart symbol appeared around the second man, forcing the shadow creatures back. He looked up to the first man and muttered,
'Where's Sora?' The first man looked down from the skyscraper, as if he heard, but did not answer. Instead, he walked backwards, away from the edge of the building and back inside, but apparently disappeared as he descended the stairs. The second man stared up at the sky for a moment, allowing himself to feel free from the oppressing rain, then disappeared as well.
The shadow creatures did not follow either man. They shuffled amongst themselves and they seemed to talk to one another, but their language was incomprehensible. The man in red quietly walked away as the Shadow creatures dispersed, breaking their way into homes and terrifying the people inside.
Sora awoke to Gertrude's yelling. His body jerked awake, then relaxed when her voice wasn't directed to him. He was drifting off to sleep again, then he heard a man say his name. The voice was deep and he didn't recognize it. Sora got up just in time to have something thrust into his stomach. Sora looked at the man, utterly confused, then at the object he was now holding.
It was a giant golden key, the design much more simple than the ones the unknown man held earlier. Sora looked up at the man, terrified and even more confused. Now the man thrust clothes at Sora.
"Get dressed. It's time to go." The man said. Gertrude shrieked and tried to hit the man with her ladle, but the man grabbed her wrist with his left hand, the one cradled in his coat, and pushed her back. Undaunted, she dove at him again and the man was forced to dodge her. Sora looked at the man, then at the Key, then at the man again.
"How did you find this? How did you find me?" he asked, scared. "Who are you?"
"There is not enough time to answer that. Get dressed. We need to move."
"Yeh aint takin this lad from me home! He belongs here, where he's cared for!" she screeched, gasping for air.
"I'm not leaving until you tell me who you are and why I need to leave." Sora said, trembling. The man sighed and shook his head.
"Very well. I am Auron. Ex-guardian of Sumnoner Lord Braska and High Sumnoner Yuna, My reasons for coming here are to keep you safe and train you until you are strong enough to face the Heartless again." He said. Sora took a step back, but Gertrude guffawed.
"Sumnoner? Heartles? What do ye take us for man? Fools? Leave you miscreant!" she yelled, brandishing her soup ladle again. Sora stared at Auron.
"The Heartless are gone. I sealed them myself at least five years ago." He said hoarsely. Gertrude stared at Sora, confused. "I have the scars to prove it." He said, letting his eyes fall to the floor. Gertrude looked at Sora with wide eyes, remembering the first night he spent in her home.
Gertrude had Sora living under her roof for about two weeks before he got into his first fight in Twilight City. He had fended off a gang from Gertrude but his reward was a broken nose and his shirt being sliced with many different knives. Gertrude dragged Sora into her home and locked the door tight. At that time, she was able to afford a tin tub and a bar of soap. She filled the tub and ordered Sora to wash himself. Sora sheepishly obeyed, afraid to make the woman mad at him again. He turned away and pulled off his vest and shirt. He stiffened as he heard Gertrude gasp behind him, then closed his eyes as she laid a hand on a long scar that ran across his back.
She had seen his scars, his old scars from fighting the Heartless. He had only fought them for a year, but each scar had memories to it. The scar Gertrude was touching was given to him from Riku, when he met his former friend at Hollow Bastion.
That scar ached, but Sora lied and said that he had fallen. All of the scars were from falls. Gertrude scoffed, but said nothing. If the boy wanted to lie about these scars, then he had the right to. He had earned that right that night.
"Leave him be mistah. He's done more than any man should whose thrice his age." Gertrude snapped, wrapping an arm around Sora and moving him away from Auron. Auron stared at Sora with his good eye, frowning.
"Believe me Madam, if there were someone else to take the job, I would spare him. But there isn't. I'm sorry." His eye moved to Sora's face. Sora was staring down at the clothes in his arms.
"These are new." He said, staring at the black clothing.
"Suits your new attitude, I believe." Auron retorted. "Change quickly, and then we must leave. It's not safe here...for you." He added quickly, looking at Gertrude. She was watching his face closely. Sora nodded and left to change while Gertrude began to bombard Auron with endless questions. He seemed relieved when Sora came back a few moments later. Sora looked up when Gertrude gasped.
He was dressed in the same outfit as he wore as a pre-teenager, but the color scheme was no longer red, white and blue with large yellow shoes, it was now black, red and yellow with large black shoes. Gertrude's eyes widened in fear, finally allowing herself to realize that they were completely serious, that Sora was really leaving. Sora, seemingly reading her mind, hugged the woman tightly and smiled as she hugged him back.
"I'd never leave you willingly Gertrude. You've been my mother for five years. I'm still in debt to you." He said quietly, so Auron wouldn't hear. He heard anyways, and shifted his weight from one foot to the other behind Gertrude impatiently. Sora ignored him and closed his eyes again.
"Meh, as soon as you leave this city, the past five years will be wiped from your mind. And they should be. No one deserves to suffer all ye've been through." She hugged him fiercly, then held him at arm's length to look him over. "Ye've grown into a fine man Sora. Good luck be with ye." She said. Sora looked down at her and smiled.
"I'll leave---but just to protect you and the others." Sora said, thumbing his chest with a fist. Gertrude smiled and shook her head with a short laugh.
Auron snapped around, drawing his blade and suddenly, there was a dull flash of blue light.
"They're here." He said, looking at the doorway. The door was blown off and there were Heartless outside, launching energy beams at the building. Sora gripped his KeyBlade and shoved Gertrude behind him. Nodding at Auron he ran out of the building, but a yellow light filled his vision...
...there was a scream behind him...
Kairi opened her eyes and sat up in bed. The cries of the seagulls had woken her up. The position of the sun told her that she had overslept--- again. There was a movement under the covers beside her as Riku sat up and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled as he said 'good morning' and felt at ease when he rested his head on her shoulder. She watched the sun climb higher before there was a knock at the door, signaling the two to get dressed and ready for the day.