"Let's sneak off campus."
The twins looked at Sora in confusion for a brief moment before looking at each other. It had been two days after the initial shock of finding out that Sora was hallucinating the exact person who was going to cause mass murder and destruction on the Academy. The problem? Said vampire seemed to not be affected by that information anymore. He was still himself, but there were times one of them, or one of the others, witnessed behaviors that were out of character for the brunette. Yet, none of them dared confront him. Despite their quick bonds, they had only known each other for shy of a month.
"I don't think that's a good idea. We'd get our heads chewed off." Ventus, who had just finished his ice cream, glanced down at the stick in his hand and sighed as he saw no letters.
"I wouldn't mind going somewhere, but maybe not sneaking out. We could always request a pass from the Headmaster into one of the towns nearby. We haven't been to Traverse Town in years, Ven," Roxas piped up as he threw his popsicle stick at his brother which earned him a glare from the older blonde.
"What are the other towns?" questioned the brunette, the last one to finish his ice cream.
"Radiant Garden and...and Twilight Town."
If Sora had noticed the hesitation in Roxas' voice, he hadn't paid it any mind. Instead, a smirk appeared on his face. He had heard of all the towns in his classes, as well as numerous other places that required special traveling. But Twilight Town was the one that had always held his interest. The evenings were filled with the most beautiful sunsets and the trams were the way to go in order to relax and learn about the town.
"I heard Twilight Town has the best bistro. I think we should go there," stated Sora decidedly, lifting his stick into the air. Three sets of eyes stared at the glaring black letters that spelled WINNER. "Plus, that's the only place you can redeem this, right? I think it's a sign."
The brunette hopped to his feet and began down the hill from their usual spot across from the waterfall. The twins followed him in silence as he made his way through the now familiar halls of the building toward the Headmaster's office. However, before Sora could start up the stairs, he heard a throat clearing and looked behind him. Roxas and Ventus had stopped a few feet away.
"I think I'm gonna go check on Axel. Maybe he would like to come along or something, you know? Good luck." Without another moment of hesitation, the younger twin left his brother and hurried down the hall back toward the west wing of the dorms. Ventus glanced at Sora briefly before dropping his eyes to the ground, then swinging them back up toward the ceiling.
"I, uh... I'm going to go pack, in case we get approved to go. I'm not really one who likes to be waited on," Ventus said slowly before taking off in the same direction as Roxas. Sora had quirked an eyebrow as the pair disappeared with their reasons, but he didn't linger on thinking about it.
The brunette sprinted up the stairs and beelined it straight for Xehanort's office, only knocking twice before swinging the door open. Inside stood Riku and the Headmaster, both clearly annoyed at Sora's brisk entrance. He swung his blue irises over the shifter, actually looking at him from head to toe, as a familiar feeling flickered in his chest. He managed a light smile at the silverette before focusing his attention on the old man.
"Master Xehanort, I want to officially request a pass to go off campus with some friends. Definitely to Twilight Town, maybe Traverse Town? For two-no, like a week?"
"No." Sora screwed up his face at the quick answer, but recovered quickly.
"How about two days? Classes haven't started up and it's getting stuffy around here. We may be old enough to live our own lives, but we're still young!" he exclaimed, attempting to make his point.
"Did you forget the dangers we've so recently discovered, Sora?"
"Huh? No, of course not. But what are we supposed to do?" he asked as he sifted through his mind and memories briefly over the past few days. "I may see him sometimes, but that doesn't mean we hold conversations like we're best friends. And I haven't had a hallucination in two days, anyway. I think we need some fresh air, is all. Something is sure to come up."
"It isn't a bad idea..." Riku looked toward Sora, searching his face as if he was trying to pick apart the vampire's thoughts. What he said wasn't a lie, it probably would be better if the Headmaster allowed students a choice to leave the campus. As long as they had their problematic powers under some sort of control. "If it still isn't ideal, you could always send an Elder to watch over us."
"Us?" Riku shrugged as the vampire questioned him, but kept silent as the Headmaster spoke.
"No, I can't spare any Elders to go on some outside excursion. I need them here in case something happens" Silence filled the room as the Headmaster sunk into his thoughts. "I suppose you have both have made progress in your troubles, from the looks and sounds of it. Sora, what friends were going with you?"
"Roxas, Ventus and Axel," he answered in a matter-of-fact tone. He peeked at the silverette to his side before he stuck a thumb toward him. "Him, too. He's made it obvious he needs out."
A scowl reached Sora from the shifter, but he only responded with yet another smirk. Despite being a vampire, and much older in terms of living than a regular human, he had still yet to see the world as it was. As the days had gone by at the Academy, he had time to reflect at how sheltered he probably was compared to any else that attended. He intended on changing that.
"Very well. Take these. I will give your party three days to enjoy yourselves."
"What do you think this will get me, anyway?" Sora asked Riku as they walked down the hall, looking at the winning popsicle stick he held in his hand. They were on their way to collect the other three and flash them the fancy candy apple colored pass that granted them access off campus, as well as the oddly shaped card the Headmaster had given them as a way to travel.
"Who knows. It's rare to get one, so there haven't been many rumors circulating about a prize."
As Sora contemplated the ideas of a prize, a force nearly knocked him to the ground. He glared at the person as they muttered an apology during their hasty retreat. Riku had to grab his arm and pull the brunette out of the way as another pair blazed a path by them with quickened footsteps and their heads down. Sora had briefly caught a red tinted face from one of them. With confusion etched into his own face, the petite brunette looked toward Riku as they stepped into the west wing and turned toward the right.
A loud noise reverberated from one of the doors, echoing down the hall from where ever it had came from. Sora's first initial thought was that someone was throwing things, possibly destroying their room. As the pair ventured down the hall, other noises began to float into the quiet halls until it was unmistakable. They stopped a few feet from 8A as the muffled moans came from behind the door, causing heat to rise into both of their faces. Sora felt an assortment of looks cross his face at the sounds being made, suddenly oblivious to the fact that he should have been embarrassed.
"Axel! Nng-f-fuck, harder! Right...there!"
Sora's eyebrows shot up as he shared a look with Riku. Right then, a certain blonde appeared between both of them and started dragging the two down the hallway and away from the door. Still a bit in shock, the brunette stumbled on his feet until his mind slowly pulled itself out of the gutter and back into working order. He took his arm from Ventus as Sora stopped at the entrance to the west wing, glancing back down the hall. Now the quick retreats from the few people earlier had made sense.
"I'm not going to ask why you two were just standing their and listening to my brother have sex with his boyfriend, but I'm not a fan of it," said Ventus flatly, a hand covering his face as he continued to hear faint noises down the hall.
"I mean, does it matter if we're at the door or down the hall? They're kind of-"
"It doesn't matter! Give them some time. Then we'll come back."
"So you can finish packing, right?" asked Sora slyly as he slid the bright red card from his pants pocket. "We got approved for three days. Let's live a little. Hopefully with the equivalence of Axel and your brother, or better."
His last comment earned him a fierce punch in the shoulder from the blonde. Riku, who had been silent during the whole exchange, glanced back down the now silent hall, contemplating a few of the thoughts swimming through his head. As the shorter pair continued their banter, the shifter shoved his hands in his back pockets before making his way back to the door of 8A. Axel answered the door, a towel wrapped around his waist and a smug smirk on his face when he noticed it was the shifter.
"Hey, wolf, come to join the party?" the redhead asked with a waggle of his eyebrows.
"Hardly." Riku entered the room, avoiding contact with the half naked dragon as he did. He glanced around for a seat, but thought better of it. "This 'party' is being moved to a three day trip. Get your shit packed, we're leaving soon."
"Oh! Roxy did say something about Sora going to the Headmaster. Does it have to be Twilight Town, though?"
"It isn't my plan. You'd have to take it up with Sora," replied Riku with a shrug of his shoulder. Roxas stepped out of the bathroom as he slipped a gray shirt over his head. He eyed the shifter as he ran his hands through his dampened hair, a question clear on his face. "I'm not sure what's been going on with him, but we're gonna have to play along if we want to figure it out. Something doesn't seem right."
"Just the other day he had gone to Elder Vincent. They normally practice his self defense and combat, so when he came around later for dinner, we didn't really think much of it. But Axel did remember seeing some blood on his mouth when he first got there. We're not sure if he bit Vincent or if he got his ass kicked. Either way, he seemed perfectly content," supplied Roxas, sitting on the bed with a leg propped up.
"Not only that, but he was eating regular food. We all know vampires don't really have to eat like we do, it's mostly for show," mused Axel.
"He could just be reminiscing about being human. He wasn't always a vampire. With what we found out with the Headmaster a couple of days ago, I wouldn't be surprised if his mind is lapsing back into those days. He could just be in a rebellious state," countered Riku, absently scratching at a spot behind his ear. "I have something else to ask you guys. But this stays between us."
Moments later, the door to Axel's room burst open as Ventus and Sora entered the room. Ventus had a bag over his shoulder while Sora curiously looked at the three, all huddled together on the bed. Each of them looked as if they had been caught by their mothers eating chocolate when it was way past their bedtime.
"Are we ready to go, or do you guys still need some bonding time?" asked Sora, flipping the travel card between his fingers.
Axel leapt from his bed and finished throwing random clothing into a bag before hefting it onto his shoulder. Looking toward the others, everyone seemed to be in agreement. Sora lifted the card, waiting for something to happen. However, it was only them standing awkwardly in a ring and absolutely nothing fancy to show for. Riku sighed as he rolled his eyes and stepped forward, snatching the card from his fingers and holding it up to the door of the room.
Bright light seeped through the lines around the door before engulfing it in a dark mist. A second passed before the mist receded, revealing a white door in place of the smooth wooden one that had been there before. He tossed the card back to Sora before opening the door and stepping through. The others followed the shifter, appearing in an alleyway on the other side. The sky was filled with a bright expanse of orange and yellows decorated with puffs of white clouds, a clear sign of a setting sun.
"Let's hit the bistro!" exclaimed Sora, starting off down the hill and completely unaware of where exactly he was heading. Riku clapped a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"We have to find a place to stay first. A hotel, maybe," he said, hoping the brunette would catch on. But it didn't seem to work as the vampire shrugged off his hand and kept walking, waving a hand in the air.
"Let's just ask the locals what places we can crash at. I mean, we are visitors, after all."
They continued down the path, their eyes glancing over the sign that indicated they were heading toward a place called the Sandlot. As they entered the open area, Sora's eyes widened in surprise. Stalls were lined everywhere, the crowd bustling and busy. But just over the heads of the people, he caught sight of a sign for the infamous sea salt ice cream they all knew and loved.
The brunette shoved his way through the crowd until he came out on the other side of the Sandlot, racing up to the secondary window of the shop. Despite her bored expression and lack of caring, Sora slapped the popsicle stick down on the counter as he grinned devilishly at the young woman behind it.
"I'm a winner," he stated, on the verge of puffing out his chest in victory. The woman rolled her eyes over toward the shorter brunette as she slowly chewed her gum.
"Congratulations. You've won an exclusive one day reservation, with no expiration date, of the famous local bistro, solely for you and whomever you choose to invite, as well as a chance to stay at the generously donated Lindblum Mansion. Your reservation to the bistro must be given with a minimum of a thirty-six hour notice, but your stay at the mansion can be redeemed at any time," she stated in a monotonous tone. "Can I help you further?"
The brunette had wracked his brain at the mention of the mansion, but nothing was coming up. But it was perfect, nonetheless, as they were looking for a place to stay. It would work until the next day. After agreeing to the terms and conditions of the exchange, she handed him a set of keys. Walking back toward the crowd, Sora glanced up to find the others, only to dodge gracefully to the side to avoid running straight into a taller, blonde haired man. He glared up at him as blue eyes set upon him.
"Watch where you're going, old man," he snapped, uncaring that the stranger wasn't at fault.
The man regarded him coolly, his face on the verge of a smile, but as he glanced behind Sora, his eyes narrowed. The brunette followed his gaze, landing on the group of four coming up behind him. Roxas and Ventus had gone pale, eyes wide with shock as their feet paused on the concrete.
"What are you doing here?" asked the man.
The possibility of kindness had been completely erased from his face as he shot the question at the twins. Neither of them answered, and it only took a short moment for Sora to realize what was happening. Axel moved quickly, stepping in front of Roxas to block the blonde's view of the man as he returned the icy look.
Sora remembered the story they had told, of how their father had turned them away after Ventus had sent their mother into a coma. But it was for the better; the woman had plotted to murder them all. Yet he had turned his back coldly to his children for the decision. This set a blaze in the brunette's chest as he stepped toward the man, throwing his hand out and shoving the taller man in the chest.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" he bit out, grabbing the man's attention. "No where does it say you have a right to decide who gets to be here or not."
"I sent them to the Academy for a reason. They don't belong here."
"And you do?"
"Sora, stop it. It isn't worth it," Ventus cut in, taking a step forward. But Sora lifted a hand, shaking his head.
"No, you're wrong. This has to happen. It's the part of life that makes us feel human. It's a good reminder that we aren't completely monsters," he rebutted, refusing to break eye contact with their father. "Quite honestly, you should be grateful you continue to live the life you have. If it wasn't for Ventus, you would all be six feet under. Making that sort of decision at his age, I can't help but give him a round of applause."
"We could have gotten help for her," the older man said. The others stood in silence, waiting for Sora's reply. Other locals had stopped or turned their attention at the altercation, but neither Sora or the twins' father seemed phased.
"What, you mean like the so-called help you got for your kids, shipping them off to a place filled with strange people, because you couldn't look at them the same? You're a pathetic waste of space," Sora said between gritted teeth. He stepped closer, tapping a finger on the man's chest, as he lowered his voice so low someone had to be standing next to them to hear. "I can't wait until you find yourself in the depths of hell where you belong. Because I will be there, waiting, to make every day of your afterlife memorable."
The twins' father paled considerably before taking a step back. The hesitation that had struck the dream walker wasn't just because of the words the brunette had spoken, but because a golden hue had bled into the blue irises that stared at him coldly while the brown locks were tinged with a faint black. As quickly as the changes had occurred, they disappeared. Sora watched as he continued to take slow steps back until he simply turned and left.
The crowd began to disperse as Sora spun around and faced the others with a grin plastered on his face.
"Well, now that that's taken care of, let's go eat," he said, clapping his hands together. Axel shook his head at the brunette's words, gently placing a hand on Roxas' head and bringing him closer to his side.
"I'll swing by and see if I can get some take out from there. We should find a place to get some rest," he said firmly, raising an eyebrow at Sora as he motioned his head toward Roxas and Ventus.
"Oh! Um, well, this might be weird now. But apparently your old man had donated your home. It's basically rented out now. It was part of the prize." Sora held up the keys he had been given, managing a sheepish look as he saw the faces fall on the twins' faces. "Hey, I know there aren't good memories there. But we can make better ones. You guys have us now."
"I'm not part of this posse," Riku stated, crossing his arms.
"The hell you aren't," muttered the dragon right before Sora burst out with "You have the second you started sitting with us in the dining hall."
Ventus and Roxas glanced at each other, sharing a small smirk as they started on their way to their old house. Despite being in the middle of bickering, the other three followed behind. It took nearly an hour to reach the mansion through the forest after trudging their way through the crowds in town, with Axel breaking off of the group at the bistro to order their food.
It was later in the night when Ventus slipped into the hallway. After eating dinner and settling in their own rooms, he had grown restless. The blonde quietly closed the door behind him as he kept his eyes trained on the hallway behind him. The blonde couldn't sleep, but that didn't mean he had to be careless enough to wake the others. He traversed the silent hall, stopping briefly at the second door before the stairs. He was glad that his brother had Axel. His personality could be about as fiery as his dragon breath, but the guy was actually rather doting behind closed doors, or so he heard.
Ventus continued his way toward the library on the other side of the stairs, climbing his way up the ladder near the corner of the room and opened the hatch to the attic. His father had insisted they never had one, but curiosity had always gotten the best of him when he explored the mansion and he had stumbled upon it one day while playing. It was an oddly large home for a family of four, but he had only seen it as an adventure back then.
As he closed the hatch and turned, he took in the sight of the attic. Cobwebs and dust filled the empty space, save for a few toys he had left during his imaginative excursions. He had hoped to bring Roxas up here one day, but once their powers manifested, they had barely had time to play. A small sight escaped his mouth as he made his way over to the window tucked into alcove facing the back of the property, the window making a tiny squeak as he pushed it open and slipped outside onto the roof.
Once he climbed his way to the top, he hesitated as his eyes spotted another figure laying down and staring up at the sky.
"Sora?" A slight wave of the brunette's hand was the only response Ventus received. Moving closer, he sat next to the vampire and steadied himself against the tide of emotions that filled his chest. "I just want to say...thanks. For earlier. I was hoping we didn't run into him while we were here. Honestly, I wish he would have just left town altogether."
"Haven't seen the sky like this in a long time," was Sora's response. He glanced at the blonde, noting the confused look on his face. But he only offered a smirk, crossing one leg over the other and placing his hands behind his head. "Don't worry about that guy. He didn't seem to believe anything I said, anyway. He just wanted to make excuses to defend his actions. What I said wasn't a lie, though. I've seen enough avarice and egotistical assholes to know he was only thinking of himself."
"But-"
"You, though. You were thinking of your family. Can't say that for a lot of others out there. People panic when put in a situation that involves life or death. It's the basic fight or flight. In the end, they choose what's best for themselves, not anyone else. Your soul may be black from the countless nightmares you've whisked away from people, but your heart is a beacon of light."
Ventus' breath caught in his throat at Sora's words as he studied the vampire. His mind was working hard, processing the last few days and their current conversation until something clicked, like puzzle pieces finally coming together to form it's intended picture.
"You're not Sora."
A chuckle came from the brunette as he looked toward Ventus, the smirk still playing on his lips. The cerulean hue bled from his eyes to be replaced with bright gold and the brown locks deepened into black. It happened in the blink of an eye, but it was one blink the nightmare walker hadn't taken. The sight caused him to scuffle away a couple of feet on his hands and feet. This was the demon the others had spoken about, the one that Sora had been seeing for years. Was he seeing him now, too? Ventus opened his mouth to say as much, but the ebon haired doppelganger put a finger to his own lips.
"It was you. You're the one that told my father off." The blonde hated that his voice shook, but he wasn't going to back down and keep quiet so easily. He supposed that if the demon wanted him dead, he would have done so by now. "Who are you?"
"Of course it was me. Sora is all bark and no bite. He might have said something, but he wouldn't have gotten within five feet of the man," he responded, sitting up. "It's obvious you and your friends know about me, I got that much, since you aren't running for the hills. But what he's told you, which wasn't my name, is beyond me. He's got that part of his mind locked up tight. Just call me Vanitas."
"You're using him," was Ventus' next swift statement.
"Well, duh." Vanitas stood, pretending to brush something off of the black button down he wore. The demon's demeanor was too nonchalant for the blonde's liking, but he couldn't seem to to convince himself to leave and get the others. Perhaps it was the fact that he hadn't attacked or, maybe, the statement Vanitas had made about his character earlier. Several things piqued his interest in the demon despite the danger that revolved around him in the future. "How else would I be walking and talking? Don't worry, we had a long, long chat a few days ago. Like long lost brothers. I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth when I have the chance to live more freely."
"Sora's been tortured for years over seeing you. His own parents think he's crazy. Why can't you just...I don't know, get out of him?" Gilded eyes flashed in amusement as Vanitas took a few steps to close the distance between them. Ventus scrambled to his feet. Before he could take more than three steps back, the demon had closed his fingers around the blonde's chin in a light yet firm grip.
"Is that an invitation, Ven?"
Ventus threw his arm up against the demon's, knocking his grip loose enough to pull back and put distance between them once again. Another deep voiced chuckle came from Vanitas from the lack of response to his question, spurring Ven's anger.
"He should be free to choose. I'll find a way to get you out of him," he bit out.
"Don't you see? He did choose. I wouldn't be here, otherwise." Vanitas' smug tone spurred the blonde even more, but the look on the demon's face when he turned his face to the sky made Ventus hesitate. The look of defeat and resignation melted into a brief soft smile. "Looks like my time today is almost up. Sora needs his beauty sleep, after all."
"W-wait." Ventus reached out a hand as if to stop him from leaving, but the demon hadn't moved an inch. "Why him?"
"That's a secret," was the only response Vanitas offered as he gave Ven a toothy grin before heading to the edge of the roof on the backside of the mansion. Without hesitation, he stepped off the ledge. Ventus gasped and reacted quickly, scrambling to where he disappeared. But as he looked over the ledge, he barely caught sight of Vanitas slipping through an open window.
Of course... It isn't like jumping from here would hurt him, anyway... he thought with a sigh. A sudden weariness pressed on the nightmare walker as his body gave way to sit. His mind reeled with the encounter, weighing his mind with a debate. If Sora had wanted them to know, he'd had the opportunity to tell them. But the looming danger of Namine's vision still hung in the air. So did he search out the others and tell them what he discovered? Or could he keep a secret?
