CH2: Of Hatred and Sorrow
"It hurts so much…"
Trembles racked a shivering body stained with red. He raised his hands to his face, staring in disbelief at them with scared azure eyes. They too were stained with red. They were coated in his own blood.
At that thought, a noticeable shudder ran through his body.
Then, as he lifted his gaze, he saw that, to his relief, his friend was there too. "Kairi!" he cried out in jovial tones. "You're here!"
She turned to face him, but he was greeted with an unexpected sight.
Kairi's eyes held so much hatred. Hatred towards him.
"K-Kairi?"
She sneered at him, sapphire-blue eyes narrowing in a hateful glare.
"Oh? Is this the reason why you want me here? So you can watch my pain and laugh, then hope for me to writhe at your feet?" Her sneer widened. "Heh. And I trusted you too, Sora. I never should have. You're pathetic."
Poor Sora stared in shock at her.
"Kairi…" he whispered. "That's not it. I… I… that just… that isn't it…" He was at a total loss for words.
"Shut it!" she screamed, causing Sora to cringe. "I bet that all you want… all you want…" She paused, glare intensifying.
"All you want is to see us in pain!"
"No, that's not it! Kairi—"
"You probably just want to see us in pain and laugh!"
And with that and one last glare, Kairi turned her heel and was swept away into the shadows of the darkness, fading away.
Maybe to never come back.
Then Sora saw Riku.
With a pleading gaze, Sora turned to the older boy. But he held hatred and malice in his once calm, collected aqua orbs too.
"Riku…" whispered Sora, staring at the taller male with an expression holding a mixture of desperation and hope. But the little hope he held was soon shattered to fractured pieces.
"Sora," spat Riku, sneering at him, just as Kairi had done. His pupils dilated as he glowered at the younger boy.
Sora cringed.
He hated how Riku's eyes narrowed to slits in pure hate and disgust.
"You know what… I hate you!" the silver-haired male cried, fists clenching at his sides. Riku's knuckles seemed to turn pure white because of how hard he clenched them.
"No! Riku, please, tell me you don't mean that…" he said in return, his pleading stare meeting with his friend's. Supposed friend, that is.
"Heh," breathed Riku, leering derisively at the brunette. "Yeah, right." The word was said sarcastically, stressed so it would make an even greater point.
"Huh?" said Sora, blinking in befuddlement and confusion. "What?" He refused to believe what Riku was saying.
"Kairi was right," hissed Riku, letting his slim fingers curl even more tightly into a fist.
"No! I'm your best friend! We're all best friends! I would never do something like that to you guys!"
"LIES!"
The words were shouted in an anguished roar of hate, desperation, and confusion. So many emotions had been held in every single one of his words. Each one. Each and every one said. Sora opened his mouth to protest,, despite all the pain he felt, physical—and mental—and all the feelings and emotions in the dull atmosphere. The horrible feeling that seized at his heart worsened at every passing second.
"They aren't!" he cried.
This time, Sora glared at Riku, trying to understand why he and Kairi were acting this way. Why would they ever think of such things?
Riku merely intensified his glower, still staring with malice and hate at Sora. "Then explain to me why…" He paused to breathe, inhaling and then speaking.
"If that's the case, then why didn't you help us?"
Riku's voice was slowly gaining volume until he seemed almost hysterical. It seemed as though he were holding back sobs.
Sora opened his mouth to prove that wrong, but closed it again when he realized that it could have been right. It couldn't be… That's was insane…
…Impossible.
He shuddered at the thought, weaving through his latest memories to prove it wrong. He had to. He had to prove it wrong. Riku couldn't be right. He would never do such a thing… right? Sora swallowed, his thoughts swimming sickeningly through his mind like melted marshmallows—mushy and unappealing. There was absolutely no way Riku was right. Sora was right. He knew he'd never do such a thing. Never… never… never… right? And yet…
Something deep down inside of him murmured that Riku was right.
While he was wrong.
Sora shook his head in disbelief, forcing those thoughts out of his head. There was no way—no way…
NO WAY.
Sora closed his eyes shut tightly, his own fists clenching at his sides. Swallowing, the teenager bit his lip nervously.
"Are you done being lost in your own world, Sora?" came a prickling at his ears. The brunette opened his eyes and gazed into Riku's emerald-green ones.
And he literally exploded.
"Yes, I'm done! And I told you, Riku," he shouted, "I would never just desert you and Kairi like that! We're all best friends! Riku, why can't you and Kairi just believe me?"
"Because you're lying," Riku stated blandly. The intensity of his gaze did not waver, but only strengthened. He raised his voice. "You didn't even try to save us from those monsters!"
That did it.
The words clunked into Sora's mind, resonating derisively no matter how hard he tried to stifle them. Tears began to form in his eyes until he closed them to hold them back. But when he next opened his azure eyes, they streamed forward freely like two unstoppable cataracts.
Maybe he was just someone who couldn't be trusted. Maybe… maybe…
Maybe he was just useless after all.
Hesitantly, Sora raised his eyes and stared at Riku. He watched as his best friend slowly faded from view and into the darkness as well.
Sniffing, the fifteen-year old clung to himself, trembling.
He was completely useless after all.
Leon couldn't help but momentarily shoot a look of slight worry at the struggling boy he carried in his arms. The boy was most definitely unconscious, but he appeared to be having a nightmare. From the way he thrashed so wildly and from the way he was crying and muttering things, it was obvious. It even worried him. But what had surprised him most was that he was seeing a very familiar person.
Running beside him was Cloud, looking as stoic as ever, but yes, Leon could tell that he was worried too. After all, the state they had found Sora in…
At the mere thought, Leon mentally shuddered despite the fact he was usually very stoic as well.
The state they had found Sora in…
The poor brunette had so many wounds, and some were still bleeding, even at the very second. Bruises ran up the length of his arms, with deep gashes visible as well. Some minor, but still painful-looking slits were apparent on sections of his face and even his neck. His clothes were torn, hanging onto him in mere tatters.
Sora's lips curved into a frown as another wave of fresh, sad tears fell from his closed eyes.
The boy was clearly still suffering. It was so evident.
Leon continued through the town, running at top speed with Cloud by his side, fighting of Heartless that dared to approach them. The gray-eyed man spared another glance at Sora to check up on him.
Whatever the brunette was dreaming about was tormenting him way too much to be an ordinary one. As Leon recalled Sora's appearance of when they first found him, without a second glance, he could feel himself grimace at the pain Sora might have just endured.
The sight of the door leading into Merlin's house was a very soothing one. Leon hastened to get there as soon as he spotted it, and then sharply rapped on the door. A string of curses floated out from inside, followed by some shrieks, crashes, and more swearing. The two males waited impatiently for someone to open the door when a slightly muffled voice said cheerfully, "Just a sec!"
Leon's eyes narrowed in a stern glare before annoyance swept forward. With ease, he kicked the door down and stepped in, placing the frowning Sora on the only bed in the tiny house.
"You know, that's the tenth time you knocked the door down this week," began Yuffie grumpily. Immediately, Cid spun around from facing the computer and absolutely glowered at Leon and Cloud.
"You fuckin' bastards!" shouted the former air pilot, staring with a disgruntled look at the fallen door. "Now I need to fix the fuckin' door again!"
Leon and Cloud, who were very accustomed to Cid's constant swearing, did not do so much as blink or flinch.
Then suddenly, it was as though Yuffie and Cid noticed Sora.
"Oh my god! What happened—"
"Holy shit! When the fuck did he get here? How the hell did he end up like that?"
They both gawked at Sora as though he were an alien. Leon went on with explaining how he had found Sora.
But in his own world of dreams, Sora's mind was plagued with nightmares as he tossed and turned in the bed, clearly distressed.
And another tear fell from his closed eyes.
Author's Notes:
There I go again...
I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't particularly good. But I needed to put this one in, because it imporant... well, a little, but I still need it in here. And do not mind Cid's swearing. I heard that he curses a LOT in the Final Fantasy VII Advent Children movie. So, here, he shall curse too!
Anyway, Sora will recover. Don't maul me for that. This is a little bit of an angst story as well. I'm not that good of a writer, so don't blame me if the story doesn't turn out too good.
Feel free to review if desired. If there are any errors, whether they are spelling, grammer, plot—tell me.