Hey, here's the next part of Two of the Same (remember waaayyy back when? yeah, I'm still alive) I hope you like it!
Wow. Over a year in the making. Is everyone still with me? I'm sorry this update took so freakishly long...bad things happen
Anyway, I'm not going to blather much, as I have already made everyone wait so long for this chapter. Well, look on the bright side, this chapter is longer than all the others combined...so that's a plus...right? -…Right? …?
Chapter 1: Reflections part 3
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Close your eyes…
You'll see me here…
Waiting for you on the other side.
----
Sora didn't know how long he had been staring at the sun mural as he sat by the bank in the waterway. His butt muscles had been dead for some time now so he figured it must have been quite a while. The waterway was calm and quiet, but that didn't mean it helped him order his thoughts. Nothing seemed to fit together properly. All his thoughts centered on a circular thought pattern that got him nowhere.
The most important question had not been answered. Back at home, things were so simple. Sora would have gone to his mother for help whenever he had a decision that he couldn't make. She had always help him to organize the pros and cons of each option and decide from there. She had always guided Sora through the entire thing, showing him certain key factors that he would not have thought otherwise. It seemed she had a kind of mother's sixth sense; she understood him, she had all the answers, and they were always correct.
The choice seemed simple enough: follow his destiny, or follow his heart.
However, there were no clear pros and cons to weigh. This was not a choice that can be decided by tally marks and addition. Sora also had the feeling his mother would not have been able to help even if his mother were with him. He had to make his decision by himself but that did not stop him from wanting the comfort anyway.
"What should I do, mom?" Sora asked to the thin air in front of him, "I wish you were here. You always knew what to do."
No one answered. His mother wasn't here anymore. His home wasn't here now either, not after it disappeared into the darkness.
Wakka. Selphie. Tidus. They were all gone; swallowed up by the darkness.
He should be out sealing worlds, defeating the heartless, saving the universe with Kairi; but he isn't. He was sitting in a dank waterway in Traverse Town with no feeling in his behind and a whirlwind of thoughts that always seemed to end up nowhere. He didn't really want to think, but since he couldn't fall asleep, he had nothing to do but think. However, when he really thought about it, he found that he didn't really didn't want to be out there saving the world at all.
There was one place, above all others, that he wanted to be. He was certain of that one place and the knowledge both frightened him and made his heart heavy with regret.
"Kairi, I'm sorry." he whispered sadly, "You deserve better than this."
At one point in his life, Sora had asked Selphie for her opinion. She had a knowing expression on her face throughout the long and awkward conversation. Selphie asserted, quite firmly, that it was love that he feels towards Kairi. She had monologued for quite some time about the most wonderful feeling in the world, being in love. Sora had listened intently as Selphie explained everything he was suppose to feel. When the girl asked Sora to affirm her statements, and he had felt the need to reassure her, but he didn't feel right agreeing.
It wasn't that he didn't trust her—despite her dramatics, Selphie was very helpful when she wanted to be—it just seemed weird to say 'yes' when he wasn't sure of the answer. So, he changed the topic and asked her if she had felt that way towards anyone. She had answered in the affirmative, a dreamy expression floated across her face as her voice trailed off, long forgetting about her question.
Sora really had no reason to argue or deny the statements Selphie had made that day. Sora did care deeply for Kairi. She meant something indescribable to him and she always will. They shared a bond that could not be broken by anything.
He shook his head, trying to clear that thought away from his mind. It always led to a more important question, a question Sora didn't want to deal with just yet. Even so, Sora was not going to just abandon Kairi.
This looped him back to square one yet again. He still could not answer Riku's question.
Sora sighed. He wished his friends were by his side, like they used to be, ready to steer him in the right direction.
-----
Beyond the large, oak doors where Donald and Goofy stood anxiously waiting, Riku was enjoying himself immensely. He laid himself down on the lavish bed, body flush next to Sora's still one. The older teen had propped himself up on one elbow, head held in his half folded hand so that he'd be able to see Sora's face. He trailed his free down Sora's lax face, occasionally playing with a stray chocolate strand. The brunette's eyes were still closed in rest. His breaths were calm and even, his head resting squarely in the soft pillows. Sora had always been bad at lying.
Riku couldn't help but smirk.
"You can stop pretending now, Sora." Riku chuckled. "No one asleep would be this rigid."
Blue eyes fluttered open but immediately moved to the side, avoiding eye contact. Riku's heart clenched at the movement; he wanted to look Sora in the eyes. After all, Sora's most distinctive feature was his eyes.
Despite the fact that Sora was probably one of the most extroverted people Riku has ever met, the brunette had always been hard to read.
It wasn't that Sora held anything in, quite the opposite. Sora held nothing back; he would show everything. But it was the sheer amount of emotions that the brunette showed that made it hard to categorize and sort out his expressions. Everything was there, it was just a matter of sorting all of that out. Through the years of their friendship, Riku had slowly but surely learned how to read those brilliant blue eyes.
Riku moved his hand from Sora's soft hair and gently gripped the brunette's chin to turn the boy's head.
Having long ago learned that gentle prodding elicited much more response than manhandling, Riku kept a firm, but gentle hold on Sora's chin spoke in a gentle voice, "Sora, look at me."
Hearing the soft-toned command, Sora offered little resistance. He allowed Riku to slowly turn his head back. The brunette lowered his gaze to continue to avoid eye contact despite the firm hold on his chin. Sora was not going to make this easy for either of them. Riku was fully prepared, though. It wasn't the first time Sora refused to look him in the eye. They had arguments like this before. Both of them knew, very well, that if Sora looked into Riku's eyes the brunette was finished. Sora always had a soft spot for Riku's piercing gaze, and time certainly couldn't change that fact.
Riku sighed. If Sora wanted to play this game, then so be it.
"Sora, you're not looking at me." Riku asserted in a voice that was meant for stubborn and unreasonable toddlers who didn't want to eat their vegetables.
In return, Sora mumbled something unintelligible.
Riku just lifted a silver eyebrow, skeptic. He was a patient person when he wanted to be. Leaning closer to the younger teen, Riku held up a hand and cupped his ear. "What was that? I seemed to have missed what you'd just said."
Sora muttered in a more clear voice, "'m already looking at you."
"Having your head turned in my general direction does not constitute looking, Sora." Riku logically reasoned. His voice did not hold any mockery, but it might as well have been. He had deadpanned, displaying the obviousness of Sora's desperate attempts at avoiding eye contact.
"Yes it does." Sora protested. "I'm looking at you." –in your general direction. You never said I had to look you in the eyes.
Riku countered right back.
"You're staring at my lower half, Sora." Riku smirked. "Do you see something you like?"Sora's face matched his pants. Just leave it to Riku to twist the most innocent gesture into a sexual act. However, Sora was not about to be defeated so easily. They were rivals after all. The younger teen moved his gaze but fixed it on the crisscrossing black straps on Riku's yellow shirt and still managed to shirk his inevitable doom.
Riku had something to say to that too.
"No, staring at my gorgeous chest doesn't count either."
Riku was surprisingly calm for how childish his younger companion was acting, but that could also be attributed to the visible blush that turned up to a brighter shade of read after the comment.
Now wrung dry of excuses, the younger teen reluctantly raised his gaze again and their eyes met. Sora felt he would melt into the reflection of himself in the aquamarine orbs he looked into; his mind, a blank slate. The gaze he saw was heated, filled with an emotion that he didn't recognize.
Riku's eyes had always been intense. His gaze reflected his strong spirit and determined nature. The gaze Sora now saw was just as intense as before, but it was somehow different from the past. It was a look he would get after he won a sparring match against Sora. Particularly when he won one of the frequent tussles they had over Kairi.
Kairi! Sora's mind snapped back into working order.
It was only when Riku's expression quickly morphed to that of resentment that Sora realized he had said her name out loud.
"What about her?" Riku sneered in contempt..
"Kairi," Sora repeated, "Where is she?"
Riku chuckled a bit but he did not break eye contact. "Now you just sound like a broken record." He started moving his hand to fix a stay lock of brown hair, as if the mess known as Sora's hair could ever be tamed.
"No, Riku." Sora grabbed Riku's moving hand and sat up with a determined resolve showing clearly in his steady gaze, "Stop dodging the question! I will get an answer from you! " He brought himself to the same eye level as the older teen and continued in a voice that left no room for argument, "Why did you take Kairi away? What are you planning to do with her?"
Riku's eyes darkened as he answered, "I don't care about her."
Sora frowned. "You can't mean that."
"Yes, I mean it." Riku replied firmly, " I don't care about what happens to her."
"But she's our friend." Sora protested immediately. He didn't understand it. Riku had always cared about Kairi. When they were younger, the older teen had constantly vied for, and won, Kairi's attention. He couldn't possibly just stop caring about her.
"She's your friend." Riku corrected. " Not mine. Never mine."
"But-"
Riku wouldn't have any of it. "I heard her that day." He said gravely, pausing in hopes that Sora would understand. When Sora looked at him with expectant eyes, he sighed and continued. " The day before we left." He looked away in remembrance, "When she asked you to go with her."
Sora remembered. He had thought it was weird and out of the blue, but he hadn't thought much of it.
"You didn't realize it, and you still don't." Riku turned his piercing gaze back to Sora, "She wasn't joking."
Sora didn't prevent the surprise from showing. He didn't really know what to do with this new bit of information. Kairi had brushed aside the suggestion before Sora had a chance to protest and she never mentioned it again so he had assumed that she was just pulling his leg. Sora never realized she had been serious and he certainly didn't notice that Riku had been listening.
Chuckling at the bewildered look on Sora's face, Riku decided to fall back on his old teasing routine, "You can be so dense sometimes, Sora."
"And you can be a stubborn ass." Sora countered, an immediate reaction to years of bickering, "And you're still dodging the question."
Riku sighed. It looked like Sora wasn't going to let this go. It didn't mean Riku would give in so easily, "It's not as much a matter of 'what' as it is a matter of 'why'."
Sora stuck his lips out in a pout, "Fine then. Why are you doing this?" He crossed his arms in defiance.
The answer was still as vague as before. "Would you believe me if I told you that this is all for you?"
"Me?" Sora asked, incredulous. "I don't want this, Riku. I don't want any of this! I want-"
Riku moved his fingers over Sora's lips, stilling the words. Riku smiled at his best friend and looked over the brunette.
Sora had lost most of his puppy fat so he no longer sported the slightly pudgy belly he had from a few years back. Soft brown hair that stuck up chaotically in every direction framed a heart shaped face. His smooth, sun-kissed skin belied all of the hardships he has faced. He stared intently into at Riku with his intense, blue eyes that were clouded with confusion and betrayal. His lips were slightly chapped and unconsciously curled into a slight pout. It was almost too much.
"What do you want, Sora?"
"I want you back, Riku." Sora answered firmly, "I can see it. The darkness. It's is taking over you and-"
Sora had misinterpreted the question so Riku cut him off, "No, I phrased that badly." His eyes bore intently into Sora's as he firmly continued, "Who do you want, Sora?"
At Sora's bewildered expression, Riku clarified, "If you had to choose between Kairi and me, who would it be?"
You. Sora thought immediately. His throat seized and no sounds escaped. Sora was startled by the certainty of his mind. His physical state, however, didn't immediately agree. He was quite a sight; full blush on his cheeks, blue eyes wide with surprise, mouth hanging wide open. He didn't know if he was breathing properly because he started getting light headed. When he did manage to find his voice, the word that came out certainly reflected his confusion,
"Huh?"
"You heard me." Riku did not let his gaze waver. "Her or me?"
"But," Sora protested, "I can't chose between you two." The first thing he felt was confusion and he asked, "What kind of choice is that?"
"A very real one." Riku replied firmly.
Sora then felt his heart clench. He felt guilty because he had not thought of Kairi. It was a while before he spoke, "I...", Sora lowered his gaze, mumbled, "I don't know."
"Tch." Riku nearly spat, "Figures."
Sora looked up. Riku had turned his head to the side, clearly upset about the lack of an answer. Sora was suddenly compelled to take back what he had just said, to tell Riku that he was sure of his answer. He didn't want to see his best friend upset.
Sora frowned and averted his gaze again. He wanted so badly to comfort his friend, but he couldn't just forget about Kairi. He wasn't so sure of the answer anymore so he really couldn't tell Riku anything. Sora fixed his gaze onto a painting that hung on the opposite wall. For a moment, he was mesmerized by the moving shadows that made the colors fade in and out of darkness.
That's when he realized. The colors had moved. Colors were not suppose to move.
"Heartless!" Sora hissed. Instinctively, he called out to the keyblade.
Nothing happened. He called the keyblade again and was still met by silence.
"Wha-?" Sora looked down at his hands confusedly.
Riku noticed. Riku always noticed everything.
With an unreadable expression, Riku stretched his hand out to Sora. In a flash of light, the keyblade appeared in Riku's hand. "Looking for this?", he asked, his face still blank.
"My keyblade!" Sora gasped.
"No, Sora. This is my keyblade." Riku said as he tightened his grip on the blade, he continued in a grave voice, "I was suppose to be the keyblade master."
"H-how-?" Sora stuttered. It seemed he couldn't get his voice to work.
"I don't intend to give it up.", he said firmly. Sora made to protest.
"And." Riku interrupted before Sora could begin, "I don't intend to give you up either."
Sora lost all capacity for speech. He remembered his confrontation with Riku at the castle hall not long ago.
"You still don't understand, do you?"
Riku must have taken the keyblade from Sora then. The brunette had just been too distracted by the sudden pain consuming his body to notice right away.
"That keyblade is mine."
Riku was supposed to be the keyblade master. Not Sora. Too many emotions were flowing through him at once. Confusion. Hurt. Anger. Anxiety. Sorrow. Guilt. Sora tried to form words, but what was he supposed to say? He found himself speechless again. The boy's mind went into overdrive trying, but failing, to process the information it just received. Sora had been just a temporary replacement. His body trembled slightly from the strain.
"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten." Riku spoke softly as he gently pushed Sora back down onto the bed, "A promise is a promise."
Riku leaned down right next to Sora's ear, lips barely millimeters away from flesh.
"We'll go together." Riku whispered three words into Sora's ear that made the smaller boy close his eyes in sorrow, a lone tear escaped his control and leaked out from the side of his eye and slowly trailed down his cheek. The tear did not travel far as Riku gently wiped it away with a finger.
Sora kept his eyes closed even as he felt soft lips descend upon his own, stealing his breath away. Sora was beyond startled. His eyes snapped open and his vision was greeted with the silver fringe of Riku's bangs.
It was the last thing he had expected. Gloating, yes. Leaving him to rot, maybe. But kissing? That one sent Sora's already confused mind reeling over the edge.
The soft lips moved with slow and agonizing heat, coaxing Sora to participate. He felt as if the contact were searing his flesh, but he couldn't seem to pull away. A desperate urge rose up within Sora, one that told him to give in and kiss back. It was an ache he never felt before, sensual and tempting but he refused it. Sora lay still, whether afraid or unwilling to kiss back, he would never know. He closed his eyes again, unable to hold back his tears. Sora's heart clenched painfully in his chest again so wrenched his head to the side, breaking the kiss. He kept his head turned to the side, refusing to meet the other boy's gaze. If he looked into Riku's eyes, he would surely relent to those searing aquamarine gaze. The one he felt gazing intently at him right now.
Riku lightly caressed Sora's sun-kissed cheek. Sora didn't respond, he didn't even dare to breathe. After an agonizing moment, he heard Riku's disappointed sigh and felt the pressure of soft lips on his temple.
The lips trailed down the side of his face, leaving a path of tingling skin in its wake. Sora's eyes slipped close at the sensations. The brunette bit back a moan, tensing with the strain, but otherwise forced himself to stay still.
Riku moved his lips close to Sora's upturned ear and whispered in a low, husky voice, "I'll be back."
Sora kept his eyes closed and felt the shift in the bed as Riku moved away. Soft footsteps, muffled by the plush carpet moved away from the bed. Sora didn't open his eyes to watch Riku's retreating back. If he did, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself from begging Riku to stay.
Riku gracefully walked up to the room's exit and pushed open the heavy oak doors to reveal a very agitated Donald Duck and an ever-confused Goofy. Riku still held the keyblade in his hand and nodded once at the two and strode right past them without a word.
Confused beyond belief, Donald stuttered, "What?"
Goofy didn't fare any better, "Sora's keyblade!"
"No, Goofy. This," Riku held up the kingdom key, "is mine."
"Gwarsh, what do we do, Donald?" Goofy asked the wizard, "I don't want to leave Sora here alone."
"I don't like it any more than you do," Donald replied, he huffed and continued, "but, our orders are to follow the keyblade."
With grave expressions etched on their faces, Donald and Goofy gazed through the closing crack through the door at Sora's prone form on the bed. After the door automatically closed, they turned away and reluctantly trudged behind the silver haired boy.
As the retreating footsteps faded, Sora finally let out his breath and opened his eyes. He let the tears he held back moments ago spill freely down his cheeks.
-----
Sora had it wrong. Heck, everyone but Maleficent and Riku had it wrong. Riku was supposed to be the keyblade master. Not Sora. Never Sora.
"Too much to think about?" A gentle voice startled Sora out of his thoughts.
Sora snapped his head towards the voice, tensing his muscles, ready for attack. He was annoyed with himself for letting his guard slip so low but he relaxed when he saw it was Merlin. The old wizard was slowly walking towards Sora. The wizard stopped next to forlorn boy.
"Care to share your thoughts, my boy?" he asked softly.
"Not really…" came the melancholy reply.
"Sometimes," Merlin emphasized by tipping his hat, "Sharing some of that burden with someone else helps relieve some of the strain."
Sora sighed; Merlin wasn't going to give up on this one. Only problem, his story was long, complicated, and very personal. After a few moments of silence, Sora decided to ask one question that sums up his situation pretty well.
"What do you do when you have to make a choice that can't be made?"
"Well, that's easy. You make the right one."
Normally, Sora would've laughed at the wizard's bad attempt at a joke. He only looked sadly at the wizard and said, "I wish it was that easy."
"I said you needed to make the right one. I never said it would be an easy choice to make."
"Still, how can I choose between-?" Sora couldn't find his voice to continue.
"Ah, what you ought do and what you want to do, right?" Merlin asked, his keen mind catching on immediately. Sora nodded his affirmation. Merlin sighed and continued, "I'm afraid I do not have an answer to that."
Sora sighed. He didn't expect Merlin to have an answer, but that didn't make it any less disappointing.
"However," Merlin continued, "Even if I were the wisest of all existence, I could not tell you the answer that best suits you."
Sora lowered his head in resignation and at the small pebbles at his feet. After a silent moment, Merlin looked thoughtful. "You care for him," the wizard said suddenly, "More than you want to admit."
Sora's head shot up sharply, he gasped, "How-?"
Merlin smiled kindly, a bit of sadness floating across his expression, "I can see it in your eyes. The conflict there speaks volumes."
Sora lowered his gaze, his shoulders slumped in weariness. Merlin was right. The wizard placed a warm hand on Sora's slumped shoulders. "Come, we should continue this conversation inside." he suggested kindly.
"Besides," Merlin chuckled as gestured to himself, "the humidity here is not good for these old bones."
Sora smiled and nodded. He moved to get up, but his lower half was somewhat slower on the uptake. Sora figured it was the least he deserved after sitting there for so long. Merlin chuckled discretely. It took a while for Sora to get any feeling back into his lower half; and when he did, it wasn't pleasant. Sora was eventually able to stand without toppling over and followed Merlin up the stairs.
"Oh!" Merlin started, trying to strike up conversation again, "What's that in your hand?"
Sora looked down at his hands. He was clutching a small black keychain. He had been holding it the entire time, unconsciously unwilling to let it go. It was his only connection to Riku and Kairi.
"It's a gift." Sora answered, his expression forlorn again. "From…a friend." He did not elaborate further.
Merlin knew his boundaries so he let the subject drop. The wizard did not speak again, allowing a companionable silence between himself and Sora.
While following the old wizard, Sora's thoughts wandered back again. His grip on the dark keychain tightened.
-----
It was a long time before Sora could stop his tears and even longer waiting for them to dry. He didn't know how long he had spent just staring at the shadows on the ceiling, everything and nothing going through his head at once. He wanted to get up, find Riku, and demand explanation; but what was Riku suppose to explain? Why he was the true keyblade master? Why he pretended to want Kairi? The answers were clear enough, but Sora didn't want to admit it just yet.
Sora didn't know how long he stared at the ceiling, trying to decide what to do. The ceiling was dark, so he could've fallen asleep for all he knew. Either way, it made no difference. The next thing he knew, a voice cut into his blank mind.
"How long do you plan to lay there, boy?"
Startled, Sora shot up into a sitting position. His eyes had long ago adjusted to the darkness, but he still struggled to see the dark figure standing in the shadows before him. The dim light of the lamps silhouetted the tall figure.
"Who-?" Sora asked in a small voice as he unconsciously scooted backwards, trying to move away from the dark figure.
"I think that, by now, you'd know who I am." A new light source lit beside the figure, illuminating the pale face once hidden in the darkness.
"Maleficent." Sora gasped.
The dark witch stared at Sora, not speaking. The tension in the air hung thick, but Sora didn't know what to say. They were alone, so Maleficent didn't hide behind a calm mask and glared at Sora with unrestrained spite. This boy had been her only miscalculation. She had thought Riku wanted that girl, Kairi. If that fact had been true, Maleficent would have still held a card over Riku. However, now that Riku had revealed what he truly wanted, not only did Riku cut all strings she thought she had him tethered to, he had insulted her intelligence. Riku didn't have any reason to obey her anymore, and he made that fact very clear.
Maleficent was furious, but she was not about to let an arrogant teenager get the best of her. She had more subtle ways of revenge and she stood in front of it now. The small brunette that seemed to mean so much to Riku was the perfect target. Despite Riku's uncaring exterior, he would be crushed if his loved ones were hurt. Maleficent planned to take full advantage of that fact.
Sora had become uncomfortable under the intensely sharp gaze but remained still. He was too nervous to fidget.
"What are you worth?", Maleficent asked suddenly, her voice dripping with spite.
Sora was confused. He seemed to be confused very often in the short span of time he had been at the castle.
"What does-?"
Maleficent struck her staff onto the ground loudly, effectively silencing Sora.
"I'm asking the question here!" she nearly shouted, "What are you, when you're without that precious keyblade of yours?
"Nothing." she answered her own question, "You are nothing without the keyblade."
"N-no...I-" Sora stammered, looking down at his clenched fists. He couldn't find an rebuke. He didn't have a rebuke.
"You don't have anything to say to that, do you?," she continued, her voice full of mockery. "Of course you don't."
Maleficent lowered her voice to almost a whisper, "Because it's true."
Sora covered his ears with his hands, but they didn't seem to muffle out the witch's taunts. The voice wasn't Maleficent's anymore either. The words now seem to be coming from inside his head; his own voice was taunting him.
Worthless. Worthless. Worthless…"Pathetic." Maleficent spat, "You are absolutely pathetic."
Sora bolted from the bed. He couldn't take it anymore; maybe because, somewhere in his heart, he believed those words.
Behind him, still standing calmly in the room was Maleficent. Sora had bolted away too fast to see the triumphant smirk on her face.
Sora shot out of the room and ran down the halls, letting his legs take him in whatever direction they felt like taking him. He just needed to escape those biting words. However, the seeds of doubt were already sown. As he ran blindly down the halls, he couldn't help but wonder. What was he without the keyblade?
Suddenly, Sora crashed into something. Something solid and firm, but moving. Sora heard heavy breathing. Something that is decidedly not a wall. So it wasn't a heartless; heartless don't breathe. It moved back into the shadow and growled. So it was something alive and vicious.
Having fallen back a few feet from the collision, Sora continued backwards, scrambling to move away from whatever was in the shadows.
His back hit the wall. He could move no further.
Sora looked frantically left and right. Sora heard a louder growl and whipped his head towards the figure obscured by the shadows. He squinted his eyes, trying to see the creature more clearly, but the lighting was too dim. It reared up to its sizable full height and, in a voice cross between a carnal growl and human speech, roared, "Where's Belle!?"
"Wh-Who?" Sora stuttered.
Who was Belle? Sora hadn't met a "Belle" before.
Sora couldn't see more than the giant silhouette. He tried moving further back, but the wall, not surprisingly, didn't give.
With a speed faster than should be possible for a creature that size, the figure lunged forward. Two monstrous claws slammed on either side of Sora, nails scraping harshly against the wall, trapping the frightened in place.
"Where is she?", it roared again. Sora felt it's heaving breaths upon his face.
Sora squeezed his eyes shut, babbling rapidly, "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know-" As he continued, Sora felt more tears streak down his face, flowing down the same path that dried after the confrontation with Riku. He unconsciously curled into a ball, easily forgetting his surroundings as his mind went back to Maleficent's words. His voice dulled down "I don't know anything-"
The breathing against his face slowed. The creature spoke, "You're not a heartless."
Sora looked up, startled. "Huh?" He was shocked that he wasn't being brutally mutilated.
"You're not a heartless," the creature repeated and heaved back into an upright position, "Heartless don't cry." In a voice less feral and oddly human, it asked, "You don't know where Belle is?"
Sora shook his head vigorously.
The creature sighed, turned around slowly and started moving away, cape swishing slowly behind. "You can't help me so I must continue onwards. I must find her." It said as it slowly made its way down the hall and neared a dim light source. That was when Sora noticed the limp.
"Wait!" Sora called. His concern quickly overrode his fear and he pushed himself up from the floor. He ran up beside the creature and touched its arm gently, "You're hurt!"
Sora took the opportunity to assess the creature more closely. In the dim light, Sora could make out most of its features. The large bulk of his was full of strength and muscle. Dark fur, probably brown, covered most of his body, even its face. Malicious looking canines stood out among sharp teeth in a large mouth. Curled, black horns protruded out of its temples. One thing struck Sora, though. The eyes were human.
Those same eyes looked thoughtful as it spoke, "You do not recoil."
"Why would I recoil?" Sora asked, tilting his head to the side in questioning.
"Everyone else does." it whispered dejectedly, "I'm a hideous beast."
"No, you're not hideous!" Sora protested. He then realized he didn't know the creature's name, "...uh-"
"My name is Beast."
"Oh." Sora looked down. The name wasn't really helping his argument. He thought frantically for an answer to that. Sora wasn't all that successful. "Well," he started, drawling out the syllable to buy himself time, " you have… such…soft fur… so… you can… be…. cuddly…Yeah. Cuddly. That's always a plus, right?"
So maybe that wasn't the greatest thing to come out of Sora's mouth. Beast just stared at him Okay, scratch that. It was one of the worst things to ever come out of Sora's mouth. Then, suddenly, surprising both himself and Sora, Beast started to chuckle. It was more of a guttural sound that sounded more like a deep rumble than a chuckle, but Beast hadn't laughed in so long that his vocal cords were not used to producing the sound.
Sora blushed, "Sorry," he stammered, "that was really-, uh-"
"Stupid." Beast finished.
Sora looked up at the beast, surprised. When he saw the lightness in Beast's eyes, he laughed a bit in agreement, "Yeah, that was a bit stupid, wasn't it?"
The beast let out a loud sigh, all remaining tension gone. "I haven't felt so at ease in such a long time," beast mused. Then, his expression turned grim as he spoke in a sad voice, "Not since she was taken from me."
"Belle?" Sora inquired.
"Yes." Beast fell silent, making no move to elaborate.
"Tell me about her."
Beast looked at Sora, questionably. Sora's expression was genuinely eager and curious. After a moment, Beast turned to look down the darkened halls of the castle. His eyes lost focus as his mind wandered into his memories. "She is my light." Beast said. "She's intelligent, beautiful, kind, gentle, strong..." Beast's voice trailed off. He was silent for a moment before he continued, "She is everything good in my world." He took a deep breath as his eyes cleared, strong determination shone in his eyes again, "That is why I must find her, to make sure she is safe."
"I can imagine how it feels." Sora said softly. He fell silent as his mind went back to Riku and Kairi.
Beast's voice cut through Sora's silent musings. "So you have someone?"
Riku, his mind said immediately. "Yes." Sora answered. Then his mind then went to Kairi. He frowned, "No, wait." He sighed dejectedly. "I don't know." Sora's shoulder slumped down in defeat. He didn't really want to answer the question. He racked his mind for a way to change the subject. Riku had always been better at dodging questions.
"It's alright," the beast whispered. Sora looked up at his companion.
The beast continued, "It's alright not to have the answers right now. I was years older than you are now when my life was still a mess. I didn't think I'd ever find someone to love, and have that someone love me back. I didn't have any hope, until I met Belle…"
Sora then thought of something.
"Wait, you said that Belle was taken from you." Sora broke the silence, "And you've been searching for her."
Beast nodded in affirmation.
"So, you're not from this world?"
Beast nodded again.
"So how did you get here?"
"I followed my heart." Beast answered as if it were the most normal thing in the universe.
Sora was shocked. How was Beast able to travel without a gummi ship? He stared wide-eyed at Beast as he blurted, "You got here, just by following his heart? How was that possible?"
The Beast shook his head and answered, "I don't know. I just left my world and never turned back." his voice became resolute, "I'm here now and my heart tells me that she is here."
"How touching." a venomous voice spat behind them.
Both Sora and Beast spun around to find the source of the voice. It was Maleficent, her figure was rigid and tall as she stood framed by an eerie green glow in a dark backdrop. Her face was twisted in an angry scowl.
Her figure began to stalk closer to the duo. "You don't know when to give up, do you?"
Beast growled, crouching into a fighting stance, ready to defend his newfound friend.
"You have been a constant thorn to my side." The witch spat scathingly. "Well, no longer! I will not stand for it!"
Sora, scared now, started to back away. He didn't get far. He experienced deja vu as his backside hit a dead end. A corner, yet again. This time, his assailant was not so forgiving. Sora wasn't going to get off the hook for having a heart.
The witch's face twisted into a sadistic smile. She lowered her voice to a whisper, "I will get rid of you myself."
The words were hushed but both Sora and Beast still caught the words. Having no weapon to defend himself with, Sora tried pressing himself further into the wall with no avail.
"No!" Beast roared and charged at the witch. She turned to face him and nonchalantly lifted her staff, then tapping it lightly on t he marble floor.
Chains sprung from the ground and wrapped around Beasts body, effectively restraining him. He let out another monstrous roar as he thrashed around violently in his restraints. The chains rattled and clanked together, straining against the Beast's forceful struggles; but did not break, enforced by magic.
"Don't touch him!" Beast roared as he continued to struggle in his restraints.
Beast wasn't about to let the boy get hurt. Sora reminded Beast of his heart, Belle. Sora was the only one besides Belle who gave him a chance. She would've loved to meet the boy.
Satisfied at the restraints, Maleficent turned her attention back to Sora. She drifted towards Sora with practiced ease and lifted her staff slowly, deliberately. She grinned wickedly, ignoring the Beast's vicious struggles behind her.
Sora squeezed his eyes shut, turning his head to the side and bracing himself for the strike.
-----
"Well now, here we are." Merlin's voice interrupted his thoughts again. The wizard's house was still dimly lit; it was packed to the brim with books, but not in the cluttered way. It still gave a warm and cozy feeling, like home.
"Here's your cup of tea," Merlin said, ever the hospitable host.
"Thank you," Sora answered as he accepted the steaming cup. He brought the cup to his nose and inhaled the warm scent of the tea and immediately felt calm.
"Why don't we start from the beginning," the wizard suggested, "That's always a good place to start."
Sora took a deep breath and nodded. This is going to take a while.
-----
In the spur of the moment, Sora decided to cut it short.
"Blah, blah, things happened, blah, blah Maleficent tried to kill me, but Riku saved me so we confessed our undying love for each other and had wild monkey sex."
Merlin didn't look surprised. In fact, he seemed to have expected the whole thing. The wizard rolled his eyes and huffed, "Well, it's about time, my boy." He turned around and smiled pleasantly to the figure of a pissed-off looking Yuffie who climbed out of her hiding place behind the mountain of books in Merlin's room.
"I was right," Merlin said cheerfully and he held up his hand in expectance, "So pay up."
Yuffie could only groan in frustration as she forked over the money. She swears this is going to be the last time that she ever gambles on anything with the wizard.
But everyone knows she's just going to gamble with him again two days later.
END
So, uh. April Fools, a week late…
tbc
Angst much? I probably chased away more than half the readers with the broody Sora by now. Just think of this angst as a horribly long exaggeration of the little almost-giving-up three seconds that Sora actually did have in the game. Completely OOC, but I promise Sora will NOT be such a wuss for long! He's getting back to his cute and determined little self soon (hopefully...that is, if I ever get around to writing the darn thing. I have a whooping 39 words written for the next chapter. Yes, you read right. 39 words.)
Anywho, this has been an obnoxiously long setting of the stage. And it's still not over yet... I'm working out a couple of huinkiedinks in the next chapter. (translate: serious plot holes + writer's block baaaaaad.) I want to put characters in that may or may not fit the narrative and it's not working out so well. Until then, thanks for sticking with me and my inconsistencies!