Simple Movements
Chapter 10
-Selfishness-
"...this tiny light"
His skin prickled at the icy sensation and realization that the Sora he was looking at was the very one he had met one chilly afternoon. Licking his lips, Riku formed the words, but they were having a difficult time trying to escape. He clenched the dinner table as he got up to face the brunet.
"It's you."
Sora sneered. "Of course it's me. What the hell are you doing here?"
Riku didn't know why he felt so elated by the coldness in Sora's words. If it was anyone else they'd be put off by Sora's attitude, but he had to contain his desire to smile.
"You got your memories back, didn't you?"
The raised brow only seemed to arch higher. "I don't have a clue what you're talking about. What about my memories?"
That desire to smile seemed to fade away when Riku further realized Sora remembered nothing of the time they had spent together over the last couple weeks. If Sora had indeed remembered who he was, it was at the cost of the memories that they had created together. The intimate talks on his bed, the whispering of words as they fell asleep, had they all disappeared? Riku shook his head slightly knowing that he couldn't have it both ways. This was what he wanted. He wanted Sora to be himself again. The darkened expression, the frigid cold laced into his words, that was the Sora he had been hoping to see again.
"You never answered my question, what are you doing here?"
Riku was brought back into the reality around him, the warm stove fire, the scent of Godmother's burning cigarette, it was almost soothing.
"It doesn't matter anymore," Riku said tucking his hands into his pockets. "You're you again."
Sora was finding his tolerance waning and with empty replies, it was searing his insides. "You don't belong here. Get the hell out."
Riku peered through the veil of his silver hair. "I know I don't, but I couldn't stand doing nothing about it. I wanted to help you, but like I said, it doesn't matter anymore."
Pocahontas was dragging her nails across the wooden surface of the dinner table, her mouth pursed and eyes digging themselves into Sora. She was sitting there, watching a completely different person than the Sora she had met in the doctor's infirmary. It was difficult seeing her best friend being talked to in such a manner and it was taking everything she had not to snap back. Why else were they in the outskirts? Why would they put themselves into danger by going into a place they knew nothing about? It was for Sora's sake, and his demeanor was insulting to the effort they had made for him. She looked at Riku, saw the lifeless orb at the base of his neck and realized she couldn't stay quiet.
"Do you have any idea what Riku has done for you?"
The brunet craned his head, veering his eyes at the ebony haired stranger. "Who the hell are you?"
Pocahontas swiftly left her seat and had a finger pointing dangerously at Sora. "You would be dead if it weren't for him!"
Her words echoed in the small space. Riku immediately grabbed Pocahontas by the shoulder, but his hand was forced off when she made it her point to walk closer to Sora.
"You made a stupid decision that would have killed you if it weren't for Riku stepping in to save your pathetic life."
"Pocahontas, stop!"
"No!" She yelled back at the silver haired man behind her, "How can you stand there as if everything's okay? Why are we even here? Did you forget about what we've just gone through?"
She didn't give him a chance to reply as she turned her attention back to the spiky haired man. "Riku was completely selfless. He did so much for you. He made sure you opened your eyes again."
A flowing thread of sparkling silver dust wafted between Pocahontas and Sora, his vision obscured by the shadows at the open doorstep. They heard Godmother taking in a breath.
"That's quite enough."
Everything grew quiet. Godmother pointed her thin white wand at the pair and motioned for them to sit. When Pocahontas and Sora made no sign of moving, she flicked her wand and forcibly lifted them off their feet.
"It might not be much, but this is my house. And in my house the orders are absolute. SIT."
Two chairs shifted back as Godmother brought them down, sitting them with a forcible thud. Pocahontas couldn't help but stare at the elderly woman and felt the anger within her dissipating. She ran a hand through her long dark hair and sighed. Riku returned to the table by his own will and sat next to the dark skinned woman, bringing an arm behind her and giving her shoulder a soft squeeze. It was his cue that an apology for her outburst wasn't needed. Opposite of them, with a lifeless expression on his face, sat a cowering Sora. Godmother took a hold of his plate and scooped in a large helping of the fish she had prepared.
"Now, everyone will eat, and not another word until dinner is done. Understood?"
They all nodded. Lilo let out a laugh as she handed Godmother her empty plate asking for seconds. It was made known that the young girl didn't give a flying rat's ass about what was going on and was only interested in shoveling more food into her mouth.
"More!"
And so they ate. Clinking forks, uneasy glances from both sides of the table, it was one of the most awkward experiences for those in attendance. Riku looked up every so often to catch Sora looking at him before the pair would throw their eyes elsewhere. When the plates were cleaned to Godmother's standards, the elderly woman placed a large kettle on the stove and with a slight cough, brought their attention to her.
"My dears, I'm sure all of you have a lot of questions," she began directing it towards Riku and Pocahontas.
Riku watched the ends of his hair falling over his knees. "I have no idea what's going on anymore. Knowing anything at this point is all I can ask."
She stood near the stove, her arms crossed. "The fact that a Wish Enforcer was after you clearly states The Council is serious."
"But why?" Riku asked feeling like it was the millionth time he'd uttered that phrase. "I haven't done anything wrong."
"Of course you haven't," Godmother replied with caring eyes, "you did something incredibly selfless."
Godmother lifted Sora's head with the tip of her wand, his face devoid of an expression and blue gaze amidst a sea of nothingness. She tightened her grip. "But unfortunately, your selfless act brought unwanted attention."
Sora swatted the wand away and cocked his head to the side. Riku followed up on Godmother's knowledge of what he had done for Sora. It was apparent that she knew much more than he thought.
"How do you know about my wish?"
She reached for the pack of cigarettes on a nearby counter, taking one and lighting it with a sparkling wave of her wand. "It's my duty to know about everything that happens on this island. It's what was expected of a former Council member."
Riku couldn't contain his surprise and it was made apparent by the size of his eyes. He backed away slightly, bumping into an equally shocked Pocahontas. She held up a hand, settling the pair down. "There is nothing for you to worry about dears, I don't mean you any harm."
"You're a Council member?" Sora blurted out, his voice ringing out after a long stretch of silence. "All this time, you've lied to me?"
She smiled at the thin brunet, "It's not so simple, Sora."
"How isn't it? How long have you known me?"
"Dear, you need to calm down."
Sora was gritting his teeth. "So that whole story you told me about being duped by your daughter, none of that was true?"
Godmother wasn't getting through to him, but that something she was expecting. "The Cinderella I've told you about does exist…just not in the manner you have come to know."
He turned to Riku, the growing anger visibly showing. "And this wish, what's that supposed to mean?"
"You would be dead if it weren't for him!"
It crawled up his stomach, reaching his throat upon recalling Pocahontas' words. "Did you…"
One look at Riku's seafoam green eyes told him his answer. He gripped his head, a painful sensation rendering him into a fit of internal screams. Sora shot up from his chair, nearly knocking over a frantic looking Lilo as he ran for the door. Riku felt his lungs constricting and followed Sora's actions.
"Riku, let him go," Pocahontas expressed taking Riku's wrist. "He's not going to listen to anything we say."
He was battling both sides of his brain. Riku wanted to run after him, yet his feet were still firmly planted where they were. He looked over at Lilo, the young girl holding her rag doll tightly as she watched the doorway. Riku bent down at her level and offered Lilo a smile.
"Are you okay?"
She held Scrump up to her face, hiding her chin in the matted yellow yarn that made the doll's hair. "Uh-huh."
"What's going on?" He heard Pocahontas from behind. "Godmother, just what is all this about?"
The kettle on the stove began to whistle, signaling the water was ready for tea. Asking Lilo to fetch a few cups, Godmother placed an aromatic combination of herbs into the bubbling water. A warm, toasty smell rose into the air and seeped into their tired bodies. Godmother looked over the cups Lilo brought in as the tea steeped.
"I'm a former member of The Council. Destiny Islands and the nations to the south were part of my jurisdiction. As the authority over the wishing system that is placed on our world, it was my duty to oversee everything that happened in our section of this planet. As Council members, we were restricted to the domain that is known as headquarters by society. It was through our words that others, Scripture Readers for example, carried out our will. We lived and ruled through the eyes of others."
The brew reached a dark, chocolate color as she poured the liquid into their respective cups.
"There is a popular rumor stating that those that belong to The Council are immortal. To put that rumor to rest, the answer is both yes and no." Godmother handed a cup to everyone in the room. "Council members were born mortal, but attained immortality."
Lilo puffed her cheeks up and blew over the tea, her legs kicking rhythmically over her chair. Godmother reached for a bottle hiding behind the stove and uncorked it with her mouth before pouring in a trickling of an amber colored liquid into her cup.
"Just a touch of brandy," she chuckled before continuing. "Everyone is born with a wish to be granted upon reaching their 18th birthday. However, in rare instances there are those born with multiple wishes. And in even rarer occasions, children are born without any at all. Those children are referred to as Blank Points. A child born without a wish must seem like a cruel thing, being different than everyone else, singled out and ridiculed by those around them. But these people often thought to have nothing at all, actually have the most desirable and precious gift. They are the sole recipients blessed with immortality."
Godmother allowed a moment for the revelation to seep in as she took a sip of her spiked tea, the two friends in a similar state of disbelief.
"A Blank Point is given the opportunity to wish for immortality at any point in their mortal life. Because of their rarity, only 10 have existed throughout our world history. And most of them took the offer that was presented to them, myself included. In other words, the members that make up the ruling core group of The Council are all Blank Points. And like myself, Sora is a former member of that group."
She could have been speaking in a foreign language as Riku and Pocahontas were both unable to comprehend the magnitude of what was being said to them.
"You're joking," he whispered.
"My dear, I may be a foul mouthed old woman that smokes too much, but I am not any kind of liar. This is the truth, whether you want to believe it or not."
"But if you're part of The Council, then what in the world are you doing here in the outskirts?"
She held up her cup of tea. "Like I said, we're no longer part of their group. That is something not in my place to tell you."
"Because of Sora," Riku said feeling the blood circulating throughout his body at alarming speeds. "Why isn't he aware of any of this?"
Godmother finished her tea before walking over to one of the dilapidated cabinets near the kitchen entrance. She fished around and pulled out a small box. Godmother lifted the top to reveal the contents. In the dimly lit light, a generous offering of Maleficent Needles glittered from within.
"Because I'm obligated to make him forget."
She removed the wires from the base of her neck, the veil surrounding her face wafting slightly as she stood up from her kneeling seat beneath the gargantuan rotating orb. Her white robes flowed elegantly with her as she walked from the large white room, finding a network of hallways and with a clear destination in mind, made her way. The air was cool, clean, and had the faintest scent of mint. She giggled to herself, knowing full well one of her Council companions was fond of sweets and was more than likely eating something that left the refreshing smell behind. The young girl worked her way from hall to hall, reaching an elevator and the doors immediately opening as if anticipating her presence. It carried her for a few moments before a delicate 'ping' signaled the arrival to the correct floor. A pair of men stood at the very end of the single hallway in front of a jarring black door. As she approached, the men bowed.
"Lady of the Veil," they said distinctly, "may your guiding light enrich our lives."
She touched their foreheads with a small finger, smiling at each. "At ease my children."
"Yes, our Ladyship."
The young girl stood in front of the black door, a series of ripples quaking through the metallic material that the door was made of. "Unseal it."
"Yes, our Ladyship."
One of the men extended his hand, the other taking it into his before kneeling. "By the authority invested in us, we ask the guardian Anima to unseal the pathway."
A screeching wail escaped from the door before it disappeared, revealing a darkened interior. The guards hesitated for a moment, but were assured with a peeking smile from underneath the veil that she was fine.
"No need for alarm, my children."
Her footsteps echoed loudly inside the chamber, blackness being all that could be seen. She walked for a long stretch of time, her surroundings unchanging and a pinprick of light in the distance guiding her to it.
"It's been a long, long time."
She stopped beneath the sliver of cascading light, its meek brilliance touching the matted hair of a man. There wasn't a sound to match her reply and so she continued.
"Are these chains painful?" she asked touching the black links that held him against an invisible wall. It was if the man before her was suspended in the very air. She ran a hand along the chains, feeling the cold metal and the slight wetness that coated them from the man's perspiration.
"Should I tighten them up a little for you?"
His lack of a reply only intensified the sarcasm in her voice. "We can't be having this, oh, no, no,no. You see, when I ask a question, it is only polite for an answer to be given. Or is an animal incapable of speech?"
He spat at her, a thick wad soaking into the material of her veil. She grinned, giggling at first before becoming a hearty laugh.
"You are too easy," she expressed with a hint of boredom to her voice. She touched the man's naked chest, her hands tiny compared to the broadness of his body. "But after so long, he's finally been found."
The life in the man's eyes seemed to ignite. His chains rattled as he attempted to move. She couldn't help herself, the girl was giggling uncontrollably.
"Look at you! Where did all this vigor suddenly come from? Were you under the misguided impression that he would never be found? Because of some stupid, but oh so wonderful boy your beloved Sora has been found."
She removed her hand and turned her back to him.
"You, the founding member of The Council, falling in love with a Blank Point that refused to wish for immortality."
He followed her movements before all he could see was the swarming darkness around him.
"So you took it upon yourself to break every one of our laws and forcibly activate his wish against his will. You gave him eternal life when it wasn't what he wanted. You forced him into being a Council member he himself did not want to be."
The man bit into his lip, producing a droplet of blood. It fell from his mouth, staining the ground below him. A single blue flower bloomed in its place, opening up to the sliver of light that fell from above.
"We will bring Sora back by any means necessary and your punishment will be unending. He is innocent, yet he will suffer because of your selfishness. I can see it now. The two of you here within this darkness bound by unbreakable chains and only inches away from one another. Can you imagine an eternity where you are so close to the one you love, but unable to touch him? The disgust in his eyes knowing that no matter where he looks it will always be you in front of him."
She knelt before the blue flower that sprouted from the ground and plucked it into her hand. The young girl removed her veil, bringing her nose up to the delicate petals. With a long, deep inhale, she let out an equally long sigh.
"It'll be beautiful, don't you agree…Zack Fair?"
-0-
A/N: Very sorry for the delay, and thank you to those still following.