Simple Movements

Chapter 8

-Nullified-

"...I don't regret it..."

Sora didn't realize he had fallen asleep in the hallway with his back to the wall. Unlike before, it wasn't a splitting headache that roused him from the comforting slumber. He lifted his head off his knees, adjusted his vision and perked his ears. The house was quiet. Sora grunted slightly as he got up from his sitting position and craned his neck, the action immediately reminding him of the glowing orb. Everything came rushing back at that moment and the uncertainty behind the imbedded object brought an ill feeling to his stomach.

Shaking his head furiously, Sora ventured down the hall and up the stairs. He came to Riku's door, but didn't sense a presence beyond it. Remembering that Riku had left his cell phone with him, Sora went back to his room and found the discarded phone underneath the bed. He unlocked it, noticed the numerous missed calls from Riku's mother, but not a single one from Pocahontas' cell. Sora nibbled on his bottom lip.

"Are they still in the outskirts?"

He was mumbling to himself, unsure of his next step. Sora had no idea who the uniformed men were that came looking for him, what the orb at the base of his neck meant, nor the mysterious voice that spoke to him with a sense of alarm. He was confused, and not knowing anything was becoming very frustrating. Bringing a hand to his forehead, Sora applied some pressure to calm the beginnings of another dull ache.

"I can't sit around…"

Sora rummaged through a small dresser and brought out a light jacket, pulled it on, and returned to the first floor.

"I should take my pill."

In the kitchen Sora found his orange vial and followed his daily routine of taking his medication. He noticed a hand written note stuck to the refrigerator and Sora slipped it off.

"We didn't want to wake you up, make sure to take your medicine. We'll be out for part of the day on some errands, stay put until Riku gets home."

He read over the few lines of script before placing it back on the fridge. Downing his pill with a gulp of water from the faucet, Sora pulled on the collar of his blue and white jacket and was out the door.

"I'm sorry, but I need to figure some things out."

Sora had no idea where to go. He walked north, turning here and there a few times and the scenery never becoming any more familiar. The streets were busy with people wandering in multiple directions, cars were zipping by, and billboards were screaming for passing citizens advertising the latest electronic or vacation destination. He walked across street upon street of shops, stopping every once in a while to see the displays highlighted behind shiny clear windows. It was in these instances that Sora noticed the Replicas. They manned the shop counters, helped customers with their questions, all the while offering an expression meant to convey their feelings. But they were artificial. Yes, the Replicas were laughing, smiling, but there wasn't any warmth behind them. The eyes that looked back at Sora weren't connected to anything. There was nothing but emptiness there.

"So empty…"

He continued until he came to the center walls rising into the clouds. There were heavy iron gates in front of him, gargantuan by all means, and the message they conveyed quite clear. These walls meant to keep those in, in, and those out, out. Sora studied the black, almost crystalline material that made up these walls. They were pristine, slick, and unblemished. Sora stood beneath these barriers, noticed his reflection and reached for the doppelganger on the other side. His fingertips met with the surface, the reflection mimicking his actions perfectly.

"What are you doing?"

His hand retracted suddenly. Sora looked over his shoulder to see a man dressed in a form fitting suit. Sora didn't reply right away, prompting the man to repeat himself.

"What are you doing? It's not a good idea to hang around here if you're not from within the walls."

Sora stuck his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "I'm just checking things out."

The man leaned back on his heels. "What district do you live in?"

He shrugged, back still to the stranger. "I don't know."

There was a small chuckle. "You don't know? How can you not know where you live?"

"I lost my memories," Sora replied finally turning to the man, "I don't know anything about myself or where I'm from. Happy now?"

His demeanor softened. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be insensitive. Will you tell me your name?"

"Sora."

"Sora…well then, you can call me Zexion."

The man held at least ten years over him, or so Sora figured. He eyed him for a few moments, the jagged, spiky hair and blue gaze on par with his. Sora didn't feel any immediate concern with the older man and nodded in acknowledgment of his name.

"Arlight…Zexion."

The silver haired man smiled. "Do you want to go inside?"

Sora arched a brow. "Go inside?"

"The walls of course, that's where I was headed. I live within them. Why don't you come with me? Maybe something will jog your mind."

"That's okay…I don't need to go. I have nothing to do with them. Riku told me only the rich live behind the walls."

Zexion placed a hand at his waist. "Well I won't pressure you, but in case you change your mind…"

He walked up to Sora, the difference in their heights becoming more relevant to Sora. Zexion hesitated for a moment as he brought up a hand and reached behind Sora's head.

"The gates will only open for those that live within them, but if I invite you in then they'll open for you too."

Zexion delicately touched the orb at the base of Sora's neck, a finger running over the circumference of it. The deep blue flickered for a moment, a warm sensation immediately running throughout Sora's body. He let out a small sigh.

"It feels warm…"

"That's a good sign."

"Why?"

Zexion pulled away, his lips curled into a smile. "It's a precaution we take. If you had felt a cold sensation that would mean you harbored ill intent. My invitation to you would have been instantly nullified by the laws that govern the inner district."

Sora tugged on the collar of his jacket, the fabric nestling against his orb. "Then why did you care what I was doing standing out here? Without an invitation I couldn't go in even if I tried."

"Good point," Zexion replied. "I guess you're right. For that matter, anyone could wish their way into the inner district. But you're forgetting something, Sora."

"What would that be?"

"You only get one wish. Nobody in their right mind would waste it."

Sora knew little about the wishing system that ruled the world. But the orb on his neck was proof he was part of it. How it came to be, he had no idea. If he recalled his past memories, would his former self know why? Sora could only make transparent assumptions. He shook his head.

"But you're an interesting guy, Sora."

He looked up. "How so?"

"I have never seen an orb glowing blue. They're always green."

"I didn't know that…there's a lot I don't know."

"You weren't kidding when you said you lost all your memories."

The summery breeze of Destiny Islands wept past them carrying the scents of the ocean. Sora found the shadows growing at his feet, the sun telling him late afternoon was coming.

"You could always wish for your memories to return."

But losing his memories was his intention all along. Sora had taken Maleficent's Needle by his own will in order to forget about something. The fact that he couldn't remember doing so was the very proof showing it was a success. He knew nothing about himself, the world, the apparent wish that he now had. Riku had promised to help him. Even if Sora was afraid of remembering his past, he had agreed to accept the hand that was extended to him. But was he absolutely sure it was what he himself wanted?

"You sure you don't want to come with me? Maybe have dinner or something?"

Audible words weren't needed for Sora's rumbling stomach to convey an answer. Zexion let out a laugh and waved for Sora to follow him.

"Come on, it's on me."

Sora took an awkward few steps behind him as he attempted to rid the growing blush that crept over his face. The massive gates that led into the inner district loomed overhead, Zexion branding his hand upright with the palm towards him.

"By my spoken words, the gates shall open."

He felt the earth moving beneath his feet, the sudden tremors forcing Sora to lock his legs in place. The gates swung inward, a bright light emanating from within their depths. Zexion found Sora in his awkward pose and extended a hand.

"It's okay."

Sora wasn't prepared for what he saw. An endless span of palace size houses, lush green flora, and towering skyscrapers gleaming in the late afternoon sun. It was an image of perfection, not a single stroke deviating from a beautifully painted picture. Just looking at it was enough to take Sora's breath away. This was something on a completely different level than anything he had ever seen. Zexion placed a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back to earth.

"My car's waiting."

They were whisked into a luxury car and barreling down the highways of the inner district, a Replica at the wheel. Sora sat in the back with Zexion, his hands placed on his knees as they nervously shook. Zexion was looking out of the veiled window, talking aimlessly and pointing out different locations to the younger brunette.

"The inner district houses the head of government, so most of the skyscrapers you see belong to them."

Sora didn't speak and simply listened on to Zexion's rambling, the car eventually reaching a brightly lit street lined with expensive boutiques and restaurants beckoning for customers. They came to a stop at Zexion's request, the Replica immediately getting out of the car and opening the door for the pair to exit.

"I'll call when we're ready."

The Replica bowed its head at them and bid Zexion a robotic goodbye. The older man led Sora into the restaurant, another set of Replicas motioning for them to follow after into a private section. They were seated, a menu placed in front of them and bubbling mineral water being poured into crystal glasses.

"This is one of my favorite places, I hope you like it."

Sora picked up his menu and glanced at the items, but failed to see any prices. He may have lost his memories, but even he knew things cost money. He arched his brow a few times trying to figure out why, but Zexion's chuckling told him the older man realized why he was confused.

"You're wondering why there aren't any prices, right?"

"Yeah, why is that?"

Zexion took a sip from his water as a Replica came by. He held up two fingers and the Replica bowed, leaving them once more.

"Everyone that lives in the inner district is rich. They have either wished for wealth or belong to a family that has. Money has never been an issue, so the businesses here have taken that into account. So they don't offer prices seeing that everyone here can already afford anything."

The Replica returned with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. It popped the cork effortlessly and poured the light amber colored liquid into their respective glass. Zexion picked his up and winked at Sora when he failed to do the same.

"You don't have to drink it, but it doesn't look the same if both people don't have a glass of champagne at the table."

Sora looked at the glistening table wear, his finger touching the tips of a spoon. "Why are you doing this?"

Zexion took a long gulp from his glass. "Why am I doing what?"

"Being this kind to me. You don't know me, why would you invite me here?"

The silver haired man ran a hand through his hair, blue eyes staring at the younger man opposite of him.

"I wanted to. That's the only reason I can give you."

Sora leaned his head against the back of his throne-like chair. "Since I woke up, everyone's been wanting to help me. People have gone out of their way for me and I don't understand why. Even someone like you, I don't get it."

"Would you mind telling me how you lost your memories?"

He shrugged, realizing that telling his story to a stranger wouldn't hurt any which way. "I took a drug that ended up putting me into a coma. I did it because I wanted to forget about something and I risked my life doing it. I'm not supposed to be awake according to what the doctors that attended to me have said. They said it was a miracle."

Zexion placed an elbow on the table and rested his chin on his palm. "So you can't recall a thing?"

Sora shook his head. "Sometimes my body reacts to certain things. I'll say or understand something and not be able to know why I did. Riku tells me my body has memories of its own. Maybe there's a part of my former self locked away somewhere."

"You seem to be fond of this Riku guy," Zexion expressed lacing his fingers together. "Your face softens the moment you say his name."

Sora veered his attention to the napkin on his lap. "He's been nothing but kind to me. His parents are the doctors that have helped me so much. They've given me a home, and Riku watches out for me. Even when he goes to school, he always calls and checks in with me. He tells me to take my medicine and he always answers any question I ask him."

"When I mentioned your wishing orb glowing blue, you were surprised. Has he not talked to you about the wishing system?"

"No," Sora replied, "he's never mentioned it. I didn't even know about it until mine appeared this morning."

Zexion's brows seemed to jump off his face. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but the words wouldn't escape. Sora coughed slightly and reached for his glass of water, downing a good third of it.

"I see," Zexion finally said cocking his head to the side. "How unusual…"

Dinner came and went, and the skies were sparkling with stars by the time they left the restaurant. Sora stood beneath the darkened heavens, stomach full and his eyes growing tired. Zexion had offered him a ride back to the second district, but Sora politely refused and opted to walk.

"Thank you for everything today," he said to the older man, "I learned a lot from you."

Zexion shook his hands at him. "I should be thanking you for coming along. I enjoyed your company, thank you. Are you sure I can't drive you home?"

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me."

Sora turned on his heel and began walking along the brightly lit sidewalk until he became a speck in the distance. Zexion followed his movements, watched him taking a few last steps before disappearing into the city. His car appeared around the corner and Zexion got in. He let his head hang back, the leather of the seat cool against his skin. The Replica looked through the rearview mirror, a smirk on its face.

"What a day," he said.

Zexion reached into his blazer jacket and removed a small, black book. He let it drop unto his lap, the pages skittering open to a random spot. The sight of Zexion vanished, in his place the icy blue eyed Eric now sitting.

"You can drop the disguise, Philip, we're done here."

The Replica's face distorted for a moment before the soft brown haired man appeared. He glanced over his shoulder to his partner. "Looks like your hunch was right, Eric."

Eric traced his finger over the pages of his black book, writing seeping into the white pages with the passing of his touch.

"The disturbance in the wishing flow wasn't caused because of Riku's wish. It fluctuated because of the person it was used on. There's no doubt about it now, Sora is the cause."

Philip undid the collar of his shirt. "I tried to do some research while you were having your little dinner with him, but there wasn't a single piece of information about him. Not in the governments' records, nor in any of ours. It's like the kid doesn't exist.

"He doesn't," Eric replied, "and maybe that's why The Council was so alarmed. We need to return to head office."

Nothing out of the ordinary ever happened in the inner district of the capital island of Destiny Islands. So imagine the chaotic turmoil that followed when the car carrying Scripture Readers Prince Eric and Prince Philip burst into flame one bright and starry filled night. The sounds of sirens filled the air, thick black smoke rose in billowing columns towards the sky. Sora bent down to pick up the tattered black book at the edges of his feet. The car wreckage blazed in front of him, the fires burning bright red and winds blowing the darkened soot across his face. He leafed through the book, the pages torn and embers eating away at the corners. Sora looked it over before tossing it back into the burning car.

"So warm…"

The collected members of The Council opened their eyes. A massive green orb hovered above them, rotating ever so slowly and wire upon wire jutting from its surface and connecting to the base of the members' necks. A long sigh escaped the smallest of the group of three, a young girl bathed in white robes and a veil obscuring her face.

"They're dead."

"It's as we feared," a second voice boomed, "there's no doubt about it."

"We've finally found him," a third voice made his presence known. "We've found you, former fourth member of The Council...Sora."

-0-