Summary: In a world destroyed by the Heartless, Sora enlists in the military to fight the every growing enemy. Between the mental and physical battles, Sora struggles to survive. As secrets are unearthed, Sora realizes he's in serious trouble. RikuXSora AxelXRoxas M for later chapters.
Author's Note: Yay for backstory? Thank you for all that has sent me PMs, reviews, and followed/favorited this :D A pretty graphic scene incoming.
Chapter Four
Sora sighed as he stared at his notes. History had been a class he struggled with despite it being rather interesting. It was a class they were forced to take every year they trained.
Kairi grinned at him as she handed him her notes. They were much more organized than Sora's scribbles. He looked down and began reading her notes.
'The Heartless were first spotted over a hundred years ago according to records found in the Old World. Their power quickly grew, outmatching normal humans. Select people were able to wield a Keyblade, the only weapon that can destroy a Heartless. It was only fifty years ago that the Heartless ravaged everything, leaving nothing in their path, but darkness. One man was able to find the solution in unlocking the power of the Keyblade. He shared it with others allowing the Keyblade Corps to come to life. Throughout the years, we were able to learn about Forms that had been lost for many years. There's four Forms in all, but most can only use two. Valor Form allows one power to grow if they focus their energy into it. Even rarer, some are able to wield two Keyblades in this Form. Wisdom allows those to move with better speed, hovering through the air. Those that specialize in magic use this Form the most since the energy is put towards the wielder's casting. Master Form is a combination of both Valor and Wisdom, but the wielder must direct twice as much energy to accomplish this Form. Anyone that can use this Form is also able to wield two Keyblades. Those who can use Master Form can usually only hold it for a few minutes. There are very few people able to use Final Form. While it is much like the Master Form, the wielder uses the energy to telepathically uses the Keyblades. This Form is generally used only in extreme situations. There have been reports of soldiers dying from overusing their energy in this state.'
Sora scrolled to the end of the notes, not remembering learning this in class earlier.
'One last Form has been recorded, but only once. Darkness consumed this person, causing him to gain extreme speed and power. With no control over himself, he killed everyone around him and later killed himself. Nothing else is known and no one has been able to activate it to this day.'
"Sora, shouldn't you be copying my notes so I can study them too?" Kairi asked as she planted a kiss on Sora's cheek.
Sora laughed and replied, "But your notes are so much better than mine, Kairi. Oh, but you're missing the notes on the Nobodies and Unversed."
Kairi rolled her eyes as she handed Sora more pieces of paper.
"Here. You're lucky they don't focus on them too much since they're extinct."
Sora nodded and skimmed quickly over the notes. He always wanted to know as much as possible.
'The Unversed are an ancient creature, living before even the Heartless. Not much is known about them since their origins are so old. They work similar to Heartless and Nobodies, but had fewer known species. With the help of a leader, they were able to destroy most of the Keyblade Wielders at the time. However, they were locked away and exterminated due to the sacrifice of one Wielder.'
He realized that no pictures of Unversed were ever recorded. Sora wondered what they looked like before moving onto Kairi's paragraph about Nobodies.
'Nobodies were the opposite of Heartless. Most moved much faster and were very fluid in their attacks. We are unsure of why they went extinct. We do know they had one person controlling them and when he died, they disappeared. He kept a small journal of the many Nobodies he controlled. Pictures can be found in the classroom textbook. Common Nobodies include Dusks, Dancers, Snipers, and Samurai.'
A frown formed on Sora's face. The classroom was locked for the day, blocking him from looking at the pictures. Books had become hard to get, so no one had complete access to all the information when needed. Without any other way to look anything up, Sora stood and left the room. On his way out, he noticed an old book titled 'Nobodies' that was covered in dust. No one had touched the book in ages. The brunet looked around and saw no one in the room. He quickly took the book and hid it under his uniform jacket before heading back to his room for the day.
xXxXx
The sleeping quarters had never seemed so big to Sora. The silence made it hard for him to relax until Riku walked in the room. The two had just reported to their General about their mission and still had no idea of what happened to the other squad.
Riku stopped in front of Sora, dirt and dried blood caked on his skin. Sora looked no different.
"Why didn't you finish the mission?" Sora dared to ask. It had been on his mind since the General questioned them.
The Major sighed and knew he was referring to the command with Olette. "I thought it was still possible with two of us. We could have found out more about the Nobodies and offered more answers. However, after you going crazy, I couldn't carry you and look for clues with the expectation to survive."
Sora nodded and stared at his boots. Riku offered a hand to Sora. The Corporal just blinked at his leader.
"Sora, my bedroom is more comfortable than this. Why don't you go rest in my bed for now. It's been a long time since you've slept in a bed."
The brunet grit his teeth and took a step back towards the door.
"Our entire squad is dead and you want me to sleep?" Sora grabbed a book from his storage box and tucked it under his arm. "They all have to be eliminated, Major. I'll be studying my ass off until every last one of them is dead!" he yelled as he stormed out the door.
Sora felt the heat in his face as he threw himself on a bench and began to read.
Why now? Why did Isa come back, but called himself Saix? And then right after Nobodies appeared? This book has to have at least one fucking answer.
He turned the page and froze as he looked at his hand. Olette's blood still covered his skin. Sora looked up and noticed Kairi standing a few feet away with shock on her face.
"Sora?" she said, unsure if this was the same boy she had dated not long ago.
I haven't even cleaned up...I can't even imagine how much blood I have on me.
"Yeah," he muttered as he shut the delicate book. Sora was suddenly aware of how tired he was and felt a small pang of regret for not taking Riku's offer.
"What happened? Oh my God! You weren't part of the crew that left were you?"
"Yeah," he managed, unable to look at Kairi. Sora stood and walked pass her without another word. Others began to stop and stare at him and didn't know why until he got back.
He stood by the running shower, staring at a mirror. Dark rings circled his eyes. His spiky hair was more of a mess, matted with blood. His face were covered in stains from dirt and blood. He wasn't even sure if he was looking at himself. Sora looked much older from the stress and the battles. He wondered if Riku had gone through the same transformation as he let the warm water wash away the muck. After getting his skin back to the normal color, Sora stepped out with a towel around his waist and cursed himself. He had forgotten to grab his casual clothes from the wooden trunk.
Sora walked out of the small bathroom, he went towards his trunk. When reaching for his clothes, he observed the scratches and scars that already covered his arms. Sora's arms were much more toned than they had been weeks before. He didn't feel any stronger. The soldier actually felt weaker.
"Are you going to put on clothes or try to seduce me?" Riku said as he leaned in the doorway with a smirk on his face. Sora turned and saw the same rings around Riku's eyes.
Were they always there? How many battle scars does he have?
Sora brushed away the thought as he realized he still hadn't retrieved his clothes. Riku walked over and opened the trunk for him with a small smile.
"You look like shit."
Sora raised an eyebrow as he grabbed a set of clothes. "Yeah? Have you seen yourself?" he retorted.
Riku laughed and observed Sora's body. It amazed him at how fit Sora had gotten in such little time. Almost no ounce of fat remained since it had been replaced by muscle. Sora noticed Riku looking at him and blushed.
"Is that offer still open?" Sora asked, closing the trunk.
"Sleeping in my bed? Yeah, if you want it, you can have it. I never minded sleeping on the ground."
"I think we can fit two people on there," he said, instantly wishing he would have reworded it. "I mean, you could use some rest too. We've gone through a lot and if we're going to be needed in the future, we need our sleep."
Riku smirked. The panic in Sora's voice enticed him. He got uncomfortable close to his subordinate with a raised eyebrow. "You don't want to sleep with me? Think I'm not good with guys?" he teased.
Sora choked on air as he gasped. More panic flew into his words. "No-I mean-You...I wouldn't know. I just thought that since...It's your bed and I don't hog space. I mean-"
"Sora, chill. I was just playing around," Riku said, giving the flustered male space. He stood and walked to his room, but stopped at the doorway. "I'll be waiting for you." He turned and saw the blood rush to Sora's face, coloring his cheeks for the first time in a while.
Glad to see you haven't turned into a monster, yet.
xXxXx
Roxas stared at his reflection from the Keyblade. He frowned at himself and made the Keyblade disappear.
"I know you're there," he said as he turned towards the tall door.
Axel slowly opened the door with a large smile.
"Your hearing is pretty good. I just got done reporting everything to Xemnas," he said while sitting on the bed next to the blond.
"What did he say about that boy?" asked Roxas. It had been bugging him since the moment he saw the soldier. He knew Xemnas had to know something.
"Sorry, Rox. He had no idea why you resemble him. He didn't even offer an explanation for Saix."
Roxas stood up and walked to the tiny window across the room. "And you believe that?" he asked with grit teeth.
Axel laughed and followed Roxas. He patted him on the back then tilted Roxas' head with his hand. Axel loved those blue eyes.
It's a shame they always look so lost.
"I never said I believed it, Rox. He didn't give me any information on where you or Saix came from. If it makes you feel any better, I've been here for years and I still don't know where I came from or how I even got here. Why don't we go for a walk?"
Roxas rolled his eyes and snapped his chin away from the red-head's hand. He felt frustrated, an emotion he often experienced.
"Fine," he stated, walking out of his room. Axel trailed, then led Roxas outside of the large building. Once outside, Axel looked down at his friend with a sigh.
"Now that we are away from unwanted eavesdroppers, I'm going to tell you where you came from," he whispered. He knew Xemnas had been listening from the small mics hidden in the room.
Roxas smirked and realized that Axel had been keeping secrets after all.
xXxXx
Xemnas wandered around a large bare room until Axel walked in, lowering his hood.
"You wanted to see me?"
Xemnas smiled with a nod. Axel had proven to be quite useful. He always did as he was told and did a good job on top of that.
"Axel, what do you think is wrong with this hideout?"
The younger Nobody looked around with a shrug. "I'm not really sure."
Xemnas chuckled. "There's just four of us here. You, Demyx, Xigbar, and myself. We need more people if we plan on defeating all of the Keyblade Corps. Sure they're not as strong as we are, but their numbers are making this difficult. I need you to find someone capable of producing a Nobody for the Organization. You know how to find them right?"
Axel nodded. "Their aura is silver."
"Correct. When you take the person out, a new Nobody should be waiting when you get back."
Axel left immediately. It only took two hours to find a squad.
"Looks like I'm in luck! Doesn't look like they're that experienced," he whispered to himself eyeballing the silver glow from the soldier.
xXxXx
"So, you have to kill them to make us? Then why was that guy alive? And Saix?"
"Honestly, I don't know how he's alive, because it's obvious he died since you're standing right here. I didn't get a good look at the entire squad I sent the Nobodies on, but I'm guessing Saix was the blue-haired soldier. I didn't see the glow though, so I'm not sure why he's here."
Roxas kept his eyes on the ground as his mind couldn't keep up with the thoughts.
"Why am I the only one with the Keyblades?"
Axel shrugged and ruffled the shorter male's spiky hair. "I have no idea, but my guess is that it has something to do with the fact that kid is very much alive."
A sigh slipped pass Roxas' lips. He hated the amount of information he didn't know. Just as he began to grasp something, something else popped up to confuse him. Axel stopped walking and jabbed a finger in the blond's shoulder blade. "Don't let this get to you too much. Xemnas will know something is up if he doesn't already. Besides, we just have to trust him. He took us in, gave us a home and a reason to live. With your Keyblades, I'll put money on you being his right hand man soon. He'll probably tell you most of what you want to know by then. Got it memorized?"
"Maybe I don't want to rise in the Organization. I'm not...unhappy of where I stand now. Besides, I wouldn't get to be around you."
The words caused a tug in Axel's chest-something he hadn't ever felt. His face flushed and he quickly looked away in case Roxas suspected something.
"I have to admit, Rox, it's been a bit more fun running around with you. However, don't let me hold you back from doing better," he replied and began to head back to the big castle.
Roxas smiled when Axel turned around. He loved his nickname Axel had made for him. It made him feel unique. Walking in his friend's shadow, he followed him back never letting his smile leave his face.
xXxXx
Riku groaned as he yanked the sheet towards him for the third time. Sora had fell asleep instantly, hogging the bed and the covers. The major managed to slide Sora to his side of the bed without waking him. With room allowing him to stretch, he closed his eyes and followed Sora into dreamland.
Death. Everywhere.
Riku looked around him and realized he was surrounded by his previous squads. All had a pained expression on their face. Dilan stared at him with a hole on his forehead. Blood dripped down his face and onto the ground. Riku followed the trail and realized he was ankle deep in the blood of his comrades.
"I'm sorry," he whispered while Isa reached for him with his blood-soaked hand.
"You let us die. You ran to Sora while I got my body ravaged by Nobodies. You wanted me dead."
"No, I...I didn't. I thought you would be okay. I didn't see the others."
Olette turned to him, body nearly in half from Saix's attack.
"If only you had been the leader I thought you were. You didn't even see an enemy right in front of us. You can't even do what you taught us to do," she rasped.
A hand reached out and grabbed Riku's leg in the rising blood. He looked down and saw the four cadets from his previous squad.
"You ran while we were sacrificed to the Heartless. You only care about yourself. How can you call yourself a captain?" said the one male grabbing his leg. Their faces were hardly recognizable through the mauling from the Heartless.
"I didn't. You were already dead before I left. I couldn't take them all on."
A girl scoffed as blood oozed from her mouth. Riku recognized her from the first squad he led.
"How could they let a monster like you become a leader? You froze as we all fought. You never taught us shit!"
Riku opened his mouth as the panic became overwhelming. The blood rose to his waist and each person he had known verbally attacked the major. A hand touched his shoulder and he turned to see his mother staring at him. He only knew it was her from the pictures he had always kept.
"You killed me, Riku. If you would have had the courage to grab the doctor, I would still be there."
Riku's eyes shot open. Sweat fell from every pore on his body. The sheets were soaked where Riku had been. Cursing himself as he sat up, he put fingers on the bridge of his nose and squeezed. No matter how often he dreamed of the deaths that surrounded him, his nerves were shot. The major slid out of the bed and walked to his desk, opening the large drawer. He pulled out a small bottle of whiskey and took a shot to calm his nerves. He hadn't had a dream with his mother in it for a while.
You killed her, Riku. It's a shame that fear conquered whatever you felt for your mother. Did you even love her? She needed you more than ever and you watched her slowly die.
Riku walked to the bathroom and shut the door. He ran cold water in the sink and washed the sticky sweat from his face.
You watched her slip away after being sick for days; too scared to leave the house all because I would beat you to a bloody pulp. I suppose it's okay though. She knew I hit you, yet did nothing. I guess she didn't love you either.
The scene of his mother's last days played through his head like a movie. Bruises covered his small body as a result of leaving the house. Xehanort always threatened him to not tell anyone unless he wanted to be killed in the worst way possible. While he hadn't said anything, Riku just went out to grab cough syrup for his mother. His father happened to be walking down the same path at the same time. A shiver went up Riku as he remembered the amount of punches and kicks that had been given to him that night. He cowered in the corner and refused to leave unless he had to eat or use the bathroom.
Grabbing a small dry towel from a pile, he wiped his face and stared at himself in the mirror. He looked much older than 23. Years of stress was finally catching up to him.
You are never going to find a family, Riku. You're broken now.
A knock went across the bathroom door, snapping Riku back to reality. He opened the door to see Sora standing in front of him.
"Just making sure you're still okay," Sora muttered through his sleepiness. He looked up at Riku's face and frowned. The anxiety just emitting from the major. "Did you even sleep?"
Riku gave an uneasy chuckle, realizing Sora had still been in his bedroom.
"It's really hot in here today and I can't sleep when it's like this."
Sora nodded and said, "Yeah, your side of the bed is soaked. Thought you might have went in the shower and laid down right after. Anyway, I have some things I'd like to get done today if you'll allow me."
"You're dismissed," Riku stated in a ragged voice. He watched Sora leave then sat at his desk. "I should go for a walk today. Fresh air might do me some good," he muttered.
Sora groaned as he headed to the doctor's office. This was the third time in the last two days where the pain in his side has flared. He winced as he tried to walk without holding it. "I've got to go see Dr. Leon. Sora slowly made his way to the doctor's office. "Hi, Leon. I know I don't have an appointment, but I don't know when I'll be shipped out again."
The doctor smiled at him and gestured to the empty chair in front of his desk. "What can I help you with today, Sora?"
Sora shifted uneasily in his seat. Doctors always made him feel uncomfortable, though he never knew why. "I know my side looks like it's already healed, but every once in a while I feel a sharp pain. It wakes me up a lot and I'm just worried that if it shows up on the battlefield...well, I don't think it would end well for me."
Leon nodded as stood from his chair. "Let's take you in for a scan first and go from there. I'm still trying to figure out how that healed so fast."
The two walked down the hallway up a flight of stairs into a large room filled with equipment. Leon stopped in front of the largest machine and told Sora to get in a gown. After changing, Sora went and laid down on the machine Leon still stood in front of. Loud humming noises echoed around him. Leon could see Sora feeling very uncomfortable.
"It's okay, Sora. Just a few more minutes," he said through his microphone. Sora was perfectly still as he held his breath for most of the scans. As the humming stopped, Sora exhaled and got from the bed. Leon gave him a thumbs up before waving Sora to meet him in the small room. He grabbed a print and examined it in front of the soldier.
"It doesn't look like anything is wrong in there. Actually, it almost looks like there was never a gash there. I'll take some blood samples from you, though the results are going to be a while if that's okay."
Sora sighed and shook his head. "No thanks. Like I said earlier, I'm not even sure when I'll be back. Is there anything you can give me though in case it flares up again?"
Leon went to a large medicine cabinet and grabbed a small bottle filled with tiny white pills. He handed it to Sora after writing the instructions on the blank label. "Take ONLY one when it flares up. It might not give you immediate relief, but it will kick in eventually. Unfortunately, it may make you a little drowsy, but I think you'll be able to handle it."
Sora shoved the bottle in his jacket pocket and shook the doctor's hand.
"Thanks. I'll be sure to see you if anything else happens," he reassured the doctor as he head for the exit.
"Just be careful. I know they put you in the highest risk line and not a lot of people make it past mission two."
Sora stopped without looking back. "I know, Doc," he said as he left the building.
End Note: Sorry this chapter was a bit shorter with little Axel and Roxas. However, the next one should make up for it! As always, I'd love to read what you thought on the story. :D