Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Just the plotline and things.

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Going to be a bit slower in updating, now that school's back and all. But I'll still be around and thinking and writing.

And lots of thanks to reviewers.


Running With Scissors

-Chapter Two-

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'School' didn't start for a few days. He'd moved in a bit early, it seemed.

Friday was a blistering hot, hot day. The sun was like a damn furnace, causing waves of heat to echo off the ground and everything else in the way. Cars especially. They were like bubbles of hot air waiting to be set on fire, Riku thought. As if there'd be a chain of explosions hopping from car to car.

A pause.

He had no idea what he was thinking about anymore.

-

There were a lot of people exploring campus, actually. So it looked like he wasn't the only one who came early.

The grounds were pretty extensive, even for a boarding school. It was its own little realm, almost. There were homely-looking cafes and shops nestled into chinks and corners of buildings.

Mentally, Riku promised himself he would stop at that marker store on his way back. Really, a whole place dedicated to markers! Color!

…Gah, heat. His mind was frying, he was sure of it.

He tossed his head, flicking his hair over his shoulder to get it out of his eyes. It brought him some relief – and thoughts about cutting off his irritating locks that he immediately regretted – but he still wished he had enough sense to tie it up before going out.

He distantly heard a whistle coming from somewhere behind him.

"Odd people these days." He muttered. He walked past a shop with the doors wide open, sighing as the air-condition hit his face.

Along with enough fruity incense to make him choke.

"Hey!"

A girl wearing a summer's white dress was casting a cooling spell. A group of children surrounded her, laughing gaily. Icicle shavings floated around them.

The next place was almost all green. A gardener's paradise, Riku thought. There were small orange blooms resting around the door's archway. A customer was in there, too, avidly talking to what looked like the owner. The shopper was holding a plain, white umbrella – Riku guessed it was used for the sun. She had brown hair and seemed to like the color pink.

"Wait up!"

Some people were really annoying, he thought, glancing at the next shop – a ceramic place – walking by rather swiftly.

"Hey, hey you – Riku right? Riku!"

He blinked. Oh. OH. That voice was calling him. He turned around, spying the spry brunette from yesterday, dragging an equally disheveled redhead after him.

"…You. You're…Sora, right?" Riku asked, by way of greeting.

"Yeah, haa…" Sora was breathing rather harshly, having wanted to catch up with Riku. He flashed a grin. "You remembered my name!"

He seemed to remember something a split second later. "Oh, right! This is Kairi. She's a really good friend of mine."

Riku studied her. She seemed nice, eyes bold, her jelly sandals lightly toeing the ground while she covered her mouth with her hand, catching her breath. She looked up as she was introduced and smiled unreservedly.

"It's nice to meet you! Sora told me about how you two met yesterday."

"Ah. Nice to meet you too." A smirk as Riku glanced down at their entwined hands. "You two look good together."

"Wha…? Oh – oh, no! No. We're not –"

"- known each other since we were kids -"

"- like a sister -"

"- completely platonic -"

"…" They really did get along well, Riku noted.

-

Squall wasn't a very happy camper.

First there'd been that rainstorm earlier that week, which had caused him to have to visit a specified cleaner to get the marks off his leather jacket.

Then Yuffie called, something about that person who used to go to school with them. Squall remembered that he himself had thought his name was silly. The guy was named after the weather, or nature, or something of the sort.

Right. That guy was transferring Cenni, as well.

And, of course, he'd completely forgotten about that program he had signed up for a few months ago. The summary had said "Dedicating one selves to making the stay of future family pleasant." It had NEVER said anything about playing taxi for the school board.

He'd gone to pick up the new kid – for a second he had thought it was going to be Zell. Squall wouldn't, couldn't sit in the car with him that long. Especially with their past history together.

He was about to pull about, already shifting into reverse, when that silver-haired kid stumbled out the door. He was rubbing his shoulder, Squall remembered.

Was silver hair even possible? The kid didn't look old or anything…

Well, apparently, this was the one he was 'escorting'. The teen just got into the car without inquiring anything.

…Trusting kid.

Zell and he traded glances, and he was next to sure he saw a flash of recognization before he abruptly pulled away from the curb.

Fuck.

Squall knew he was going to get a phone call, soon.

-

The Head of Cognoscenti wasn't pleased.

A few of his special-hired teachers refused to take on more than one, perhaps two students. Their excuse? One was looking for an apprentice. "Why in the world should I teach someone if I can't devote all my time to that single person?"

…At least, that's what the nicest of them said. The tallest with those piercing green eyes had condescendingly stated something with loose complex words that the Head was sure he couldn't even attempt to repeat.

He glared at the papers on his desk, amber eyes severe. As if he could blame the documents for everything. If only looks could kill…

He should have contracted them sooner. If he had the patience and not hired those bumbling fools that had written those agreements, there would have been no problems presently.

But…hindsight.

The specialists would be arriving soon. He should go set things up for their arrival.

Along with drawing up his own kind of covenant.

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The kid was interesting.

He wasn't clingy, or the talkative type, Squall noticed. The teen hadn't even looked up, choosing to rather stare at the overlaying scenery going by.

Squall studied him through the looking glass. Besides the obvious, yet still eye-catching silver strands, the teen had striking eyes that Squall couldn't classify into either blue or green. He had a lithe figure, covered in stylish clothes that suggesting he was someone who looked in the mirror before he left the house.

Let's see…two more turns before they reached school grounds. He suddenly realized he didn't know where to drop the newcomer off.

"Hey."

The adolescent didn't look up, but he did shift slightly, causing Squall to believe he was listening. Maybe he was the silent type?

"Do you know what dorm you're in?"

The kid started, wide eyes blinking in surprise. His eyes met his own in the rearview mirror. "Sorry, could you repeat it again?"

He had manners, at least. "I asked whether you had your dorm assigned to you yet."

"No, I… I thought I was supposed to get a room when I got there?" Ah, that was how most newcomers did it. Squall himself had gotten his choice of rooms by interrogating an aid through his cell phone. As a result, his was nicely in the center of campus.

He explained it to the teenager, who, for some odd reason Squall couldn't comprehend, looked guilty.

He was surprised when the kid murmured a thank you.

After all, how many well-mannered youths were left in this day and age?

He watched him get out of the car, nodding at him as he entered the building. His hair gleamed as it hit the sunlight outside.

…The hair didn't look dyed.

Crap, his phone…! Squall pulled into a parking slot and nudged his phone out of his pocket. The caller ID read Dincht.

God damn it.

-

"So why'd you decide to go here?" Kairi asked, curious as Sora browsed the video game store. Riku and Kairi simply didn't have enough interest in them as Sora apparently did.

"My father looked into it and booked me a spot here." Riku said offhandedly. "Probably just wanted me out of their hair for a while."

A sudden yelp caused them to look in the brunette's direction, where he was holding a shining cartridge, avidly reading the back.

"Oh, but that's horrible." Kairi said softly, giving him a sympathetic look. "But don't worry about it. We'll make sure you fit in just fine here." She held up her hands in a victory sign, smiling. "Promise!"

Riku looked at her, surprise evident in his expression.

Back home, no, everywhere he'd ever been, it'd been hard to get people to open up to one another. Hell, Riku hadn't even talked his best friend, Zell, until a few months after they'd known each other.

"Hey guys! Look what I just bought!" Sora grinned and held up his new gaming contraption. It was circular, with plugs for various wires, and was bright red in color. "It just came out two days ago! Now I can brag to everything that I got it first." Sora crowed.

Kairi giggled at Sora while Riku smirked and shook his head.

"Want to take Riku to the affinity warehouse?" Sora asked, tucking away the apparatus into his bag.

"Affinity warehouse? What's that?" Riku asked, slowly. Anything with 'warehouse' in it didn't sound too trustworthy to him.

"Oh, don't worry! It's where you can find out what your kinship is. For example, Kairi here's a magic user." Sora explained.

"While Sora's a blade user, although he can play summoner pretty well, too." Kairi continued. "The group who works there basically scans your overall essence, y'know, magic strength and all that, and gives you a sheet that helps you determine classes."

"Oh." His head spun as he tried to take in all the information. "Okay…so basically, I go there, get tested somehow, and I use that to pick courses." Enthusiastic nods. "Okay then. Show me the way there?"

Sora immediately led them towards another section of the campus, proclaiming loudly how blade-users had the most advantages in battle and training. "Especially since we get breaks if, god forbid, we ever get hurt."

"Magic users have to rest pretty often, too. If you exhaust too much of your essence, you'd really be in danger." Kairi added.

Walking en route for the warehouse, the group was suddenly distracted by a car wheeling right front of them. It sped away as quickly as it came.

"Whoa…shit, that could've hit us." A person Riku didn't recognize muttered.

"The Head's always doing crazy things like that. He never does hit anyone, though." Sora nattered off.

The car swerved around the corner, headed for the heart of campus.

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-End Chapter Two-


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Still trying to connect the dots in terms of the plotline. I have a lot of long-term things planned out, but it's getting there that's bugging me…

Drop a comment, or if you have any ideas.

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