Author's Note: w00t! Chapter two! I'd like to take a bit of time to thank my reviewers:
"Sora Otaku": ::throws confetti in the air:: Hooray! HoD's first review! Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the fic!
"evilgoddess1990": Thank you! I hope I don't disappoint you. I love you too! Yay love!
"Bluumberry": I'm not quite sure what you mean by "more information"...did you mean about Sora's destiny? His past? Oriel? (Her appearance seems somewhat random I assume...) Well, all of that will be taken care of in later chapters, so please don't worry about it too much! I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter by the way.
Okay...on to the good stuff...Chapter Two: Discovery
"Oomph!"
Sora woke abruptly as the air was forced out of his lungs. He coughed twice and clutched at his stomach, which was twisted in pain. He tried desperately to breathe, but found he was unable to for several minutes.
He sat up slowly, rubbing the side of his neck, which ached dully. Sora's brows knit together in puzzlement at this. That voice, no, that feeling...it had only been a dream, right?
His ponderations were interrupted by a low, rasping chuckle. Looking up he saw a twiggy man with a scruffy red beard and sunburned skin standing over him. Behind this man were several others, just as sorry looking as "Twiggy". Apparently, Sora had overlooked this motley crew while in shock from whatever it was that had woken him...
"Oomph!"
Once again, the air was forced out of Sora's lungs as he fell back against the wall. He now knew what had woken him - a swift kick to the stomach. He was still doubled over in pain as Twiggy and the others gathered around him, rotten teeth bared in wide, sinister smiles.
"Well look what we 'ave 'ere." Twiggy hissed. "A stowaway, eh?"
Sora was still trying to catch his breath when the man grabbed him by his spiky brown hair and jerked him to his feet.
"You know wat we do wit' stowaways?"
Sora didn't know. He didn't want to know. Oriel's crying maple eyes burned their image into his mind. If sailors could bring themselves to beat a young girl who had simply wandered onto their ship, what would happen to someone who had knowingly snuck onto it in hopes of catching a free ride?
Twiggy began to pull a small, rusted knife from his boot, but was stopped by one of his crew-mates.
"That ain't wat we do wit' 'em," he cooed, his eyes gleaming viciously, "We bring'em to the Cap'n...'e'll take care if 'im."
Twiggy's mouth stretched impossible wide as the same gleam entered his eyes. "Aye, the Cap'n'll take good care of 'im. He again grabbed Sora by the hair, this time at the nape of his neck. Sora winced in pain.
"Le's go," Twiggy hissed.
"You'll do nothing of the sort," a deep, crystalline voice called from the dimly lit stairwell, which led to the Mistress's deck. A passage opened among the pirates, each man scrambling to get out of the way as the voice's owner walked forward. He was a tall man, well built, and clad in a pair of tight, black riding pants and a crimson shirt with billowing sleeves. There were several belts slung about his waist, one of which held the sheath of a long sword. His stormy blue eyes were set in a well-sculpted face, which was framed by long brown hair.
"The captain is not to be bothered at the time being." He said coldly after reaching Twiggy, whose hand dropped quickly from its grasp on Sora's hair. Twiggy bent his head, lowering his eyes in shame.
"C-Commodore..."he murmured nervously, wringing his hands.
The Commodore's eyes went to Sora, who stiffened in fear under the tempestuous gaze. "I will bring him to the captain when the time is right. For now, lock him in the brig." He turned and strode confidently towards the stairs. He was strangely unphased by the harsh transition into full sunlight. He walked to the door of the captain's cabin and entered without knocking. Slipping in quickly, he allowed only a sliver of light to penetrate the darkness of the room.
There was a low, anguished growl from the darkest corner, where a shadowy figure was huddled. It spoke in a clear voice, though somewhat hazy with pain. "Go away."
"You've an unexpected guest."
"I don't care, Leon, just go!"
"This could all be behind you already, Riku, if only you'd..."
"Spare me. I don't need to hear this again."
"Let us not forget who is the cause of this suffering of yours, for I can remedy it as well."
"You gave me this curse and that is precisely why I won't let you remedy it."
"It can be a gift, Riku. Allow me to give you the antidote to its current poison and you will see that clearly."
There was silence from Riku's corner, aside from his shallow breaths.
Leon's eyes narrowed. He grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door wide open. Riku gasped sharply, his breathing becoming more shallow and desperate.
"I'll be back later, with the stowaway. You may decide what to do with him, as long as he stays out of my way." He stepped into the sunlight, stopping before closing the door. "My offer still stands, Riku."
Riku managed another low growl before the door clicked shut. Outside he could hear Leon ordering the crew to do one thing or another. Breathing had become easier now. Leon was always able to increase Riku's suffering just by entering the room. He imagined that this was due to the resentment he felt towards the older man...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sora's eyes slid closed as he sat in the silent cell. He yawned and stretched. Head dropping forward he allowed himself to sleep...
He was again surrounded by darkness. The voice began to speak again, but this time Sora could both hear and understand it, rather than feel its meanings. The voice was thin, but unwavering, and oddly pure.
"Hello again, Sora. You did not take long in returning here."
"Returning? Where?"
"Here, the Collective Unconscious."
"The what?"
"This is where all knowledge is stored. Knowledge of the past, even of the future. Many seek it. You are lucky enough to have found it, for few do. Fewer still achieve one other thing you have."
"What have I done?"
"You have spoken with your Destiny. I have been revealed to your subconscious before your physical embodiment has met me. And, you have seen the Angel of Destiny."
"But I still don't know what my destiny...what you are."
"All in good time Sora. You already know too much of me."
A pair of shining red eyes flashed in the darkness, startling Sora out of his slumber.
Looking around, he saw that it was dark, and moonlight was filtering through the portholes. The Commodore was standing outside of the cell. He unlocked and opened the door, watching silently as Sora stepped into a strand of moonlight, and led the boy to his meeting with the captain. Sora had to walk quickly to keep up with the man's long strides.
Stepping onto the deck of the Mistress Sora shivered under the cold weight of the night air. Leon motioned for him to stop, then continued to the cabin he had visited earlier. Sora waited patiently, though his eyes were flitting nervously about, for he was grateful of any delay in his punishment. His mind wandered off to dissect his recent dreams.
Destiny. Collective Unconscious. Angel. Blood-red eyes. Gibberish. He understood none of it...except that feeling. He'd felt it long ago. Perhaps he'd understand better if he could just remember the circumstances of it. Or maybe he shouldn't over-analyze such a silly thing as a dream.
"You must be the stowaway." The captain's clear, rich voice called from behind Sora, who turned slowly to face his retribution. But as his deep-sky orbs landed on the otherworldly creature before him, his breath caught in his throat. Serenity embraced him, soothing any fears he had previously harbored.
Long silver hair shining brilliantly under the gentle caress of the moon, the captain stood as a sentinel of all things beautiful. Sora stared shyly into the man's blue-green eyes, eyes that seemed to cut through Sora's very soul, allowing its contents to spill out. Under that unknowingly piercing gaze, Sora felt as if his clothes lay in a tattered heap at his feet.
Yet he remained calm. That feeling, the one from his dreams, the one from that vaguely remembered day long ago, had washed over him, swirling around him until he felt he was drowning in it.