To Absent Friends; Chapter 4 Travels and Homecomings
Disclaimer: Jeannie owns nothing, not Kingdom Hearts, not Final Fantasy, not even the comp she types this stuff on. Suing her is a useful as eating soup with chopsticks.
Warnings: violence and a bit of het. What can't a slash story not have the entire male population gay?
Kadaj began climbing up the long and twisting road that lead from the center of the Northern Crater. With each agonizing step of the difficult climb, he bitterly cursed the youth 'Mother' sent them to retrieve. He didn't understand why she would even need that pathetic boy's power when her own was so strong.
"Kadaj!" Yazoo called out from behind him. He turned around to see his brother help Loz with his burden. "We need to rest." The middle brother said harshly.
"We can rest when we get him to the Heretic." Kadaj shot back angrily he just wanted to be done with this unpleasant task.
"Loz is near exhaustion," Yazoo reasoned, concern for his brother evident in his voice. "If we don't rest soon, he might start fading into the life stream again." He added sternly. Kadaj glared at Yazoo and then Loz.
"Mother will not be pleased with frivolous delays." Kadaj replied harshly stomping over to Loz and taking the sheet wrapped bundle from him. Inwardly he winced at how heavy the boy was but tried to show no sign of it. Loz pouted and was about to cry when Yazoo put his hand comfortingly on his brother's shoulder.
"A few hours shouldn't do any harm." Yazoo argued leading Loz to a nearby cave out of the wind. To his dismay, Loz's right hand was starting to dissolve into life stream.
Kadaj, not wanting to be alone, reluctantly followed his brothers into the cave and set Riku down against the wall furthest from the cave opening. For a moment, his resolve wavered and he was about to apologize when he saw Loz lean his head against Yazoo who wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulders. Loz closed his eyes and fell asleep while Yazoo sat there about to drift off himself.
Kadaj regarded them sadly as he stepped out of the cave in search of anything that could be used for kindling.
I'm not a coward, but there is no way to win my fight here. I still have the burses from the last time something like this happened, as do the cowards who tried to gang up on me. Lately I find myself thinking about going away and starting over somewhere else, somewhere where people won't recognize me. Sometimes I can even feel the darkness seeping back into my heart.
I can't won't go into town alone anymore. Every time I go there things get worse and I am sick of the dirty looks and the way the talk about me. Mom is still trying but the school won't let me enroll. Apparently they have lost my records again, including the test I've taken for the third time. I know that this isn't an accident, despite what they think I am not that stupid.
The letter he'd managed to piece together horrified Sora. As hard as it was to believe, things hadn't settled down for Riku as easily as Sora had hoped. In fact, it seemed just the opposite. Returning home seemed to have destroyed what little peace Riku had made with himself on their journey.
Still, while they gave no clues as to who had burned down Riku's house; the letters did help Sora understand what his friend was going through on the island. And in his mind, Sora prayed that Riku was all right.
Riku thought for a moment that he heard someone calling his name, but quickly decided it wasn't real as he struggled to wake up. Already he could feel his limbs stirring, obeying his commands but still his eyes refused to open.
Riku could tell that he way laying on the ground somewhere and that it was cold. The roaring of the wind made Riku certain that he was outside. He could hear two people breathing not that far away but Riku decided that to take the risk and continue to try and escape.
With a jolt, Riku's eyes finally snapped open and his arms and legs fully obeyed his commands. He was able to wiggle free of the sheet and took in his surroundings. He was in a cave; the two men from his house were asleep in the corner. The larger Silver-haired man, Loz, cradled the other to his chest and both seemed to be sleeping deeply to Riku's relief.
Taking care not to alert the others to his presence, Riku grabbed the sheet he'd been wrapped in and crept out of the cave. Bitterly cold winds bit at Riku's exposed skin and he wished that he'd worn more than a thin tank top and a pair of boxer shorts as the sheet offered little protection. Still Riku was determined to get away and ran along the path leading upwards and hopefully to safety, unaware of the catlike jade eyes watching him from above.
King Mickey was sitting at the communications center of Disney Castle looking at the logs worriedly. There had been several hostile communications since he'd sent Donald and Goofy to respond to an urgent S.O.S. in Traverse Town. Unfortunately, the latest broadcasts had tried to take over the computers and Mickey had been forced to cut communications to the outside.
Still, the mouse king was worried about his friends. He honestly didn't know what he would do if Donald or Goofy were hurt or even killed because of his orders. So reluctantly, Mickey reached for the button to open communications to the outside.
"They'll try again if you do that now." A voice called out from behind him. Mickey turned around and leveled his gaze on the tall, regal man behind him.
"I know that but at the same time I can't afford to leave Donald and Goofy alone like this." Mickey argued stubbornly reaching for the controls.
"Unfortunately, old friend, opening the channels now could very well endanger the safety of this castle and all who live in it." Ansem the Wise said coldly. "Just give me a little longer, I will secure the systems so that we may contact your friends, and even Sora should the need arise." Ansem continued assuringly. "I know that your worried about Donald and Goofy, I am too, but there is nothing we can do for them at the moment"
"Alright," Mickey said in a resigned tone, " But you will let me know as soon as you are finished." Ansem nodded and returned to his computer.
Although it was quiet within Seventh Heaven, peaceful was not a word that could accurately describe the bar this night. Tifa stood by the doorway long after her unexpected guests had departed, a million questions in her head.
Vincent leaned against the wall, silently cursing those incompetent Turks for what they had unknowingly done.
"Did you know about this Vincent?" Tifa asked suddenly, her voice tense with many kept in check emotions. She crossed the room purposely and stood right before Vincent expectantly. Vincent grabbed her hand and interlaced their fingers.
"No," Vincent replied tonelessly, "After all this time, I know better than to do such a thing." Vincent then tensed for a moment as he heard something moving upstairs.
"Vincent?" Tifa asked as his eyes narrowed. She watched the silent gunman turned his gaze towards the stairs. It was times at this that Tifa envied Vincent's enhanced senses.
"Wait here, I don't think it's all that serious." Vincent said before releasing her hand and creeping up the stairs.
In the living quarters above the Seventh Heaven, a small figure crept from shadow to shadow trying not to be seen. Sensitive ears picked up the sounds of the sleeping children as he crept past their doors. Finally Cait Sith reached the last door and quietly crept inside.
Cait Sith crouched in the corner of the office, trying hard not to bee seen. On the desk, Cait had found Vincent's PHS charging and figured that he was still around, now the problem was getting to him before Tifa or the kids found him. Suddenly the door opened and Vincent strode in his eyes finding Cait immediately in the shadows.
"If it's about Kadaj, Reeve, she already knows. The Turks paid her a visit earlier." Vincent replied sharply. The robot jumped in the air in surprise, leading Vincent to guess that Cait Sith was in mimic mode as the ex-Turk continued to glare at him.
"I was just trying to save her some grief." Reeve said thorough his puppet, his body language defensive. From beyond the door, Vincent could make out Tifa's footfalls. No doubt that she was checking on the children
"But by treating her like she can't even take care of herself, you are hurting Tifa more. She hates being helpless." Vincent countered in a low voice while crossing his arms before his chest. Cait deflated a bit as Vincent rounded on his teammate.
"Don't you remember our last battle with Sephiroth, you were there. You saw what he did to everyone, especially her." Vincent growled remembering that fight. Sephiroth had played with the whole groups minds and hearts after returning to the land of the living once more.
"That's why I was trying to keep this a secret." Reeve hissed back angrily remembering his own experiences. "You were still out when the battle was over, you didn't see the aftermath." Cait Sith's hands flew up to his mouth as soon as those last words had fallen out. The last thing he wanted was to toss about blame. "I apologies, I didn't mean…" Cait began but Vincent shook his head.
"All of us have things we would have done after that incident." Vincent replied coldly. "Unfortunately, fate decreed otherwise, something we all understood."
"Vincent is everything alright?" Tifa called from the hallway. Cait Sith remained frozen, looking as pleadingly at Vincent as his animatronic body was able.
"I was just talking to Reeve. Is there anything you want me to tell him for you?" A smug grin formed on Vincent's lips as Cait Sith waited in tense silence. Tifa walked into the room and flicked on the light. There was a brief flicker of surprise as she noticed Cait Sith standing on the desk, but other than that Tifa showed no emotion
"Come visit us sometime or give us a call, we miss hearing from you." She said with a warm smile before turning to leave. "Please don't stay up too late Vincent." Tifa asked before turning off the light
Cloud grunted in pain as the flat of Murasame struck his thigh. As the blond staggered back swinging his own sword towards the silver-haired menace. Sephiroth smirked and floated backwards.
"You can't defeat me," Sephiroth sneered while looking down at the injured Cloud. "Because know already that with my end so goes all of your reason for existing. It'd be flattering if you weren't so pathetic." Sephiroth added smugly knocking the sword from Cloud's hands. Cloud braced to the fatal blow.
"And to think you wanted to make me a memory." Cloud looked up to see Sephiroth towering over him. "I've seen your memories Cloud, many times. You cling to them, to the point of having no future or present. Despite all that you cannot live in the past, you memories can no longer save you, not even her." And with that, Sephiroth rose into the heavens to leave Cloud to his scattered thoughts.
Before his quarry could get even ten feet from the cave, Kadaj leapt down upon the fleeing youth, sending them both sprawling onto the narrow and rocky passage of the northern crater. Before the smaller boy had a chance to get up Kadaj straddled his thighs and sat heavily on his captive's legs.
Icy winds tore at their exposed skin as the boy beneath Kadaj struggled for freedom but Kadaj would have none of that. He twisted his fingers into the other's long hair and pulled his head back painfully.
A stifled cry came from the boy as he tried to lash out against his captor but Kadaj grabbed the offending hand and gave it a crushing squeeze. The resulting cry brought a measure of satisfaction to Kadaj. He then pounded the prisoner's head into the ground a few times.
"Mother wishes to meet you, child." Kadaj sneered into Riku's ear before releasing his hair. "You are being rude, running away so that we have to waste time looking for you to bring you to Mother." Kadaj stood up and unsheathed his sword. With one fluid motion he kicked Riku's shoulder to flip him over.
"I think your rudeness need to be taught a lesson." Kadaj smirked as he brought the blade down on the stunned youth.
TBC;
Yeah I know I'm evil. Please point out any mistakes; I'd love to hear them.
I know some of you are going but isn't DiZ/Ansem the wise dead? Well we never really saw what happened to him so in my universe the machine backlash sent him to Radiant Garden where he hid and contacted Mickey, possibly through Merlin.