Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I'm not making any money off of this story, etc. We know the drill. :)
Chapter Two
Am I a sinner?
Am I a freak?
Long grass is crushed beneath the heels of my boots as I step forward, through the forest. A bright dandelion is flattened without care, and peeks out at me for a little bit, until I move my foot and it lifts up slightly. The stem is forever crippled, and it will never be straight again. Morning dew wets my cloak as the leaves brush over my arms and legs while I wander by, until they give way to a small meadow.
It's a cute little space, y'know? Bright green grass, daisies and stuff everywhere, making it all nice and colorful. I stop when I'm a few feet in, and tilt my head back. I gaze at the orange and violet skies above, for a brief period, and soak in the atmosphere. The air is kinda chilly, but I know that it's going to get real hot today.
Real fucking hot.
I snap my head back down again, and my eyes land on a small cottage on the other side of the field. It's pretty damn quaint, with light blue shutters and yellow curtains, and a stone wall. I smirk. The stone wall is going to be real convenient. Keep the day's work confined to one space, and all that.
I stroll casually toward the little home, but I stop again when I'm halfway there. A baby is crying inside, really wailing. Kid wants some attention, and isn't showing any signs of stopping. The other two residents don't seem to be awake. Maybe they're just really tired, and don't know that their little sunshine is in such a state of distress. Or maybe they are awake. Maybe they just don't give a damn. Either way, it doesn't really matter. Nothing matters anymore.
Close my eyes... take a deep breath... and with a snap of my fingers...
Flames, bright and hot, burst forth, shattering the windows and licking up the sides of the small home. For a while, I can't hear too much. The crackling and popping of wood, the baby crying, and the birds shrieking and flapping about, escaping the heat. I begin to wonder if the parents aren't even in there. But then I hear it.
A scream, long and loud and positively horrified.
It's pretty damn loud, making me cringe and cover my ears.
"Geez, lady," I mumble in irritation. "Calm the fuck down."
Easy to say when I'm not the one trapped in an inferno.
Still... it's a good house. Good wood. It keeps burning for another few hours, and even I'm beginning to get bored by the time it finally has been reduced to ruins of ash and charred architecture. Once the last flames are out, I meander over and start to sift through the rubble.
It takes a little while, and my hands are dark by the time I find them, but I discovered three bodies curled up, shriveled and blackened. Apparently, Mommy and Daddy wanted to keep the family together even in death. I sigh, and one by one, place two fingers on their bodies, bowing my head and murmuring,
"Vobis, tribuo nex immortalis."
Not really a blessing, but the work of a nobody. A guarantee for them to enter into their afterlife with perfect records. They slowly, softly, begin to turn into dust, which then sinks down into the ashes. But that is not their end. No, they have each left one thing behind them, and it is those things that I seek.
My fingers brush away some more ash, until I find them. Two little stones, both a pale, pearly silver in color. Not bad, I can't help but grin. These were worth some. And the third... pure white. Excellent. As much as I prefer to avoid using infants and children for this, they were always worth quite a bit. They never have enough time to let their hearts be tainted. They never leave behind black stones...
I rub off the last bits of dirt on the pebbles, and slip them into a cloth bag hanging around my waist. They tap against the others. and I pull the strings shut so that nothing falls out.
I've accomplished my goal of the week.
Thirty dead, all pretty damn near white, and not a single stirring of the enemy.
Not too shabby.
I stared out the window through heavy, half-lidded eyes.
People were milling around, bustling about, laughing and chattering and shouting to each other as they carried boxes and armfuls of what looked like colorful trash. They were getting tangled up in ribbons and garlands, strings and drapes, and all sorts of decorations. Their children ran through the streets, giggling and shrieking as they stumbled in their pretty white dresses and baggy green shirts, rosy cheeks flushed with the excitement of youth. Hopping over the refreshed greenery, jumping in the mud... They all glowed in the morning sunlight, like cheerful, golden imps.
Oh, everyone was bright-eyed and fresh-faced so soon after the sun had risen, dancing through the stretching shadows and flickering in the light. They were all those lucky little assholes who could sleep.
They didn't have freaky dads like mine.
They didn't have to stay up through the entire night, trying to figure out exactly what he did that required some freaky-ass sword.
They didn't have to fret over how the hell anybody could lift a blade like that (because I knew I couldn't. I figured that out as soon as Mom had gone to bed.).
I did, though.
I couldn't get to sleep at all, the previous night. So many thoughts had been swirling through my mind, keeping me awake as the moon arched across the skies above, and my eyes had hardly been shut for an hour before Mom was up and about, pulling me out of bed, throwing clothes at me.
I had dressed, unquestioningly, in everything she gave me. I couldn't really think straight, and was puzzled by the traveling wardrobe, but I still didn't ask. She'd tell me in due time. But when I had plodded downstairs, smelling the heavenly aroma of fresh bacon, she didn't explain anything. She just pushed a plate of food in my hands and led me into town, disregarding the quickly-emptied plate on a tree stump, saying she'd get it on her way home and we needed to hurry up if I wanted a bed to sleep in.
This was all very uncharacteristic of her, so I started waking up pretty quickly. My normally patient mother was in quite the rush, and... well...
She was carrying the sword with her. It was well-wrapped, so it wasn't cutting into her or anything, but I began to feel a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach. Whatever she was doing, it wasn't going to be fun for me. I was pretty sure about that. And really, it didn't take a genius to figure it out. Mom wanted me to bring the weapon to my dad, and this little outing was surely preparation. So I wasn't very surprised when we showed up at the blacksmith's house, asking to borrow his horse for the day.
That's how I came to be sitting in front of the window, staring out in boredom as my mother tried to work something out with him. Apparently, his horses were both preoccupied with festival preparations, and he really just didn't think he could spare one. Secretive as this whole thing was, the brunette couldn't quite explain to him why she needed a horse so badly, and had to resort to bribery.
"We'll pay you. Half of what Cloud brings home, we'll give to you, alright?"
"How much is that?"
"Well... it varies. But it's always enough to rent three horses at least, so you will be plenty compensated for the day."
An obnoxious sigh had me rolling my eyes. "I don't know, Tifa. Sure, it covers renting costs, but think of how much less will get done for the festival. Get what I mean?"
I turned around, curiosity aroused by a sudden silence. Mom's glove was out. Oh shit. And she was putting it on.
Oh, he was screwed.
I had only every seen her use the glove one other time, when she had caught a thief in our house who had hoped to take advantage of the absence of any men (being 9 at the time, Sora and I didn't count). She had a mean right swing. Her strength, though not often employed, was an asset at any time, especially times like this. People here knew about it. Rumors circulated. They might have been exaggerated, but they served her well. The blacksmith paled and held up his hands.
"Alright, alright! I dunno what your problem is, but you can have the damn horse. Go on, take Cinna. She's the brown one, and she's real strong, a good runner. Just bring her back in good condition!"
Mom smiled sweetly. "Oh, thank you so much, Jon. I promise we'll take great care of her!" She gestured for me to follow as she left the house, pausing briefly to chirp, "Have a lovely day!"
The door slammed shut behind us, and I sat down next to where Mom laid the sword as she went looking for Cinna. I pinched my hands a few times, trying to wake myself up a little bit better. The brightness of the day was working pretty well already, though the warmth threatened to counteract any light, and so I kind of lolled around, half-aware of the world around me until I was snapped back to reality, to find that my mother had already saddled the horse, and secured the sword to its side. I mentally praised the beast for carrying a burden like that.
I pushed myself onto my feet, letting some more energy flow into me from the movement, and swung myself onto the large horse with the help of my mom. I got a good grip on the reins, and Mom began to explain.
"I'm sure you've already figured it out, but you've got to find your father. He's probably in Midgar already, but he might have stopped by Twilight Town, so do check there. If he is in Midgar, try to be quick. We don't have the spare money to let you spend a night there, and it's hard to travel there and back again in one day. So just hurry, alright?"
"Mom," I sighed. "Why won't you just tell me what's up? Why does Dad need the sword?"
"I've already told you. He needs to chop wood."
"I think he's an assassin. Or maybe, maybe he's still part of that rebellion."
"Dilly dally shilly shally. You're wasting daylight, Roxas."
With that, she smacked the horse and set it off, and I decided that it wasn't worth the effort to argue, instead letting the beast trot toward the road to Twilight Town. A little past that town, the road met up with the main route to Midgar, which I usually took whenever I went over.
Getting more comfortable in the saddle, I wondered if I'd have time to hang out with my friends a little bit. The three of them lived in Twilight Town, so I could see them if I wanted to, but it wasn't as often as I'd like, and it was nice to be able to take some time to visit every once in a while. Besides, Pence's dad made this awesome treat that he called "sea salt ice cream", and no one knew how he managed to keep it frozen, but he did, and it was delicious. It was amazing. Nearly nobody even realized that it existed, and I kind of liked it that way. More for my friends and I.
Cinna snorted, and I realized we'd gotten out of the main area in town. If I wanted any time to hang out, I'd need to hurry up. I dug my heels in, flicked the reins, and she burst into a gallop.
A petite figure strolled down the wide road, picnic basket in hand, wearing a simple white summer dress, and matching sandals. Her light blonde hair was soft and straight, falling a bit past her shoulders. Wide blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and a small smile rested on her lips. There was a certain fragility about her, an unspoken sweetness. She reached up with her free hand and tucked some of her hair behind one ear.
She walked alone, down that road, with the rustling trees forming a canopy above her so that the light that filtered down was a subtle shade of green. It was nice and cool in the shade, and she absentmindedly hummed a song she'd picked up during her travels. The notes were generally high, only dipping into a lower range once in a while, and had an almost nostalgic, airy rhythm to them. Occasionally, she'd skip a little to the beat in her head, swinging her arms, spinning once or twice.
She was enjoying the peace and quiet. Those that she associated with most often were usually either violent, loud, or both. Out in the countryside, during a rare moment of solitude, she felt like she could relax a bit more, as though there was nothing to fear. Perhaps there wasn't. Perhaps she was prepared to deal with the dangers of the road. It all depended on whether or not Xaldin was in a good mood, she supposed.
She did realize, though, that the odds were against her. As a girl, traveling alone and seemingly helpless, carrying a basket that could very well have some good food in it, she was a decent target. Not as noticeable as a duchess or someone, but when food got scarce, anybody carrying it was fair game for the bandits and thieves.
This in mind, she really wasn't surprised when four figures melted out from the surrounding woods and circled her. A tiny spark of fear ignited in her heart, but she took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. She had to trust her friends to keep her safe. They would. They had to. Faith, however, could be difficult to hold onto when she was grabbed from behind... when breath tainted with rotting teeth blew across her face.
"Well hey there, pretty. Got anything good for us?"
Of course she did. She had blueberry pie, and fresh salads, and apples. "Please, it's all in the basket. Everything I have is in the basket."
So they'd leave her alone. They could raid the supplies if they wanted.
"I wasn't really talkin' about that basket, babe."
But she'd be alright. Why would these people hurt her? They could have her food if they wanted. Anything, really, if it would ensure her safe arrival to Midgar. Her sandals scuffled in the dirt briefly, and she stumbled when they pulled her off the road, unable to resist trying to get away even when she knew that she could never overpower these people.
She'd be fine.
Perfectly fine.
Nothing was wrong.
And if only she could believe that, this entire ordeal wouldn't be so terrifying
Taller buildings greeted me as I turned the corner of the road, and Twilight Town was suddenly spread out before me. I liked that it was a happy medium between a little village and a real city. It wasn't too shocking to get used to (because Midgar sometimes did that, when I waited too long between visits), but it was a refreshing break from everybody knowing everybody else.
Cinna was a little worn out from the run, but true to his word, the blacksmith had lent me a fine horse. She was in great shape, and was very fast. Gentle, too. All in all, I decided I liked her, and that I'd get the money sometime to buy her off of him, if he'd sell her. But the blacksmith wasn't stupid, despite what he liked to lead people to believe, and he'd probably never give her up for any price I could offer.
I'd just have to appreciate her while I could. We slowed down to a trot as we approached the town, and the dirt turned to cobblestone that made a louder clopping sound each time her hooves hit it. Most of the people here were somewhat familiar with me, as often as I came, though few really knew who I was. But they were pretty friendly, and a few of them smiled or waved. I appreciated the gesture, but didn't have time for pleasantries unless it was with my friends, naturally.
So I rode onwards, seeking out a more familiar face. Not many friends of my dad lived here, but there were two or three, and they tended to spend time out and about. I was more likely to find them on the streets than at their homes, basically, so that's where I decided to roam for a little while. If nobody showed up by the time the sun hit its first quarter in the sky, though, I was moving on. It wasn't like Dad to stop by for very long here, and I was probably already wasting my time wandering around.
Better safe than sorry, though. On the off chance that he did stay here, possibly waiting for his sword, I'd hate to have left for Midgar. It was impossible to find anybody in that place.
Concern suddenly hit me. How was I going to find him, anyway? I never tagged along on these trips, and he never talked about them with me. He could be anywhere. Dismay dropped my mood, and I began to pray that he'd stayed in Twilight Town. But I couldn't find any of his friends, or him, and hope slowly began to desert me. I didn't even get to see my own buddies. Apparently, the Struggle tournament was today, so they were all in another part of the town, which I really couldn't justify going to because no adults ever bothered with it, so it just wasn't a productive action.
Sighing, I turned Cinna around and brought her around in the direction of the road to Midgar. As she passed a fountain, though, a familiar man stepped out of one of the shops. With brown hair and a scar between his eyes, Leon stretched and caught the sunlight. He had known Dad. He had known Dad! Relieved, I waved and called out to him. He seemed a little surprised, but as he walked over, his eyes landed on the wrapped up sword dangling from the horse's side. Comprehension cleared the confusion from his face, and he nodded at me in acknowledgment.
"Have you seen Dad?" I couldn't stop from leaning away a little bit. Leon was nice enough, but there was something slightly off about him that made it a little harder to get comfortable.
"Yeah. He stayed the night at my place, and left a few hours ago."
I cursed under my breath, and ran a hand through my hair. "Alright. Thanks." The shortness was a bit rude, but I didn't really care. Where would Dad be in the city? The slums? The richer neighborhoods? He could've been on the streets or in the buildings, and there was no way to find out but to look everywhere, which didn't sound like the most desirable option.
Leon tilted his head briefly, then spoke up. "Hold on just a minute. I've got some business in Midgar myself, and I know some of Cloud's haunts. I'll help you find him."
Gratitude.
Lots and lots of gratitude.
"Okay," I replied, hopping down from the horse. "So should I just wait for you here, then?" Leon shook his head in response.
"Meet me at the road."
I hummed in consent, and began to lead Cinna out of the town square. She shook her mane every so often, and tossed her head, trying to get the flies to leave her alone. Of course, she failed. Flies will never be deterred. They are surprisingly focused on annoying the hell out of every unfortunate creature that catches their interest, and horses are quite often the victims. Humans had to be thankful for their flexibility, as we could easily swat the little pests away. Horses were just helpless.
As we walked, I would sometimes help her out by waving my hand around the flies and trying to get them to go away, but the efforts were in vain. It's the thought that counts?
Cinna and I huffed at the same time, stared at each other, and kept walking. The buildings were getting smaller, the roads a little less taken care of, and just beyond the bend was the road Leon and I were taking. There was a small apple orchard on the side of it, and a short wooden step-ladder had been left beneath one of the trees, with a barrel full of the fruit.
It was there that the horse and I stopped, and I perched on the ladder to avoid the muddy ground. The road itself was very dry, and I could only guess that there was some kind of logic to it. I wasn't real sure about the details, but the roads were very rarely muddy, except while it was raining. As soon as water stopped coming, they dried right up again.
As I mused over the roads, and how exciting they were, of course, Leon had been making great time. It only felt like a few minutes before he came riding up on his own horse. The beast was huge, and dark as night. On its side, another sword had been hooked.
I stared at it, even as Leon headed straight down the road, hardly pausing for me to get on my own horse.
I needed to find Reno and get him to talk to me. Although Yuffie was talkative, too, Reno was my best bet. He was at Seventh Heaven (which was just under new management, in light of Mom's absence) more often than not, and didn't really care whether or not my parents wanted me to know anything.
With that in mind, I pulled myself onto Cinna and she galloped forward, trying to catch up with Leon.
So the day went. Leon was always a bit ahead, pushing the pace enough to challenge Cinna, but never getting out of sight. There must've been a good reason for him to get to Midgar, because he really wasn't wasting any time. It was no wonder he owned a horse like that, too. Nothing else would've been able to put up with this, if this was less of a rush and more of a normal pace for him. At least it was good exercise.
Even with the fast pace, though, the sun had almost hit the middle of the sky by the time Leon pulled the reins and let us both come to a stop. I looked around at our surroundings, noticing a clearing maybe twenty or thirty yards ahead, and had to admit that although I was glad to have the chance to rest a bit, I wasn't sure why he'd chosen this spot.
Nevertheless, he swung himself off the horse, boots crushing the soft grass beneath, and I followed suit. He didn't tell me what he was doing, and I decided not to ask, as he took a few steps forward, knelt down, and ran his fingers over a small rut near where the road became grass. He was frowning, and gazed toward the tree line. I followed his stare, and realized why we had stopped.
An overturned picnic basket rested by the trees, surrounded by apples and lettuce and other foods. A notebook and pencil had fallen part of the way out of it. Concern flashed through me. If Leon was suspicious of this, he had good reason to be. Somebody was in trouble, and he wasn't going to turn a blind eye to it.
He straightened up, the glint in his eyes a little intimidating already, and pulled his sword from the sheath hanging off of his horse. I followed silently as he crept into the deeper shade, and laughter suddenly burst out from a small distance further in the woods.
"S-stop it!" A feminine voice cried out, sounding panicked.
"What's in here, kid? Marbles or somethin'? Ya got better stuff than that, dontcha? Maybe they're jewels?"
"No! You can't touch those, please-"
"Shut her up, Garr."
There were sounds suggesting some sort of scuffle, and then a slap and a tearing noise.
"Oh!"
"Fucking hell, you bitch!"
"G-"
"Damn it!" There was another slap and the girl started crying.
Leon and I had been closer and closer to them, and when one of the guys came into view, the brunet crouched down, pulling me with him. Using the cover of the underbrush to his advantage, he gestured for me to stay where I was while he slunk right up to the edge of the small group. He'd gotten right behind the girl, it seemed, right as a tall blond jerked her up to her feet.
Quick as lightning, Leon jumped up, yanking her out of his grip and pulling her behind him. With surprise on his side, he had enough time to kick the bandit away from him and survey what we were up against. I wasn't sure what he saw, but he didn't look afraid, and that was probably a good thing.
"What the fuck?" One of them spat.
"Roxas, take the girl and go," Leon called over his shoulder, nudging the little blonde in my direction. She hesitated, glancing at me and back at the adult.
"I need my bag-" she began to protest.
"You need to leave," he shot back, getting into a defensive stance while ignoring the curses and shouts of the other men.
"But-"
"Go!" A dagger flew at his head, and he ducked just in time. I got to my feet and grabbed the girl's wrist, not tugging her away just yet.
"This is four against one!" I stated incredulously. He was already engaged in fighting three of them and blocking the fourth from coming after us.
"They're common thugs. I'll be along, just wait at the gate!"
I really wanted to hit my head against something. The curiosity would never cease, because Leon, normal, quiet Leon, apparently was a kick-ass fighter, if his moves and multitasking were anything to go by. Trusting in his ability to get rid of the guys (and wondering if everybody associated with my parents was as strange as those I'd met already), I pulled the softly protesting girl back the way we'd come.
"I need that bag, you don't understand!" She fretted, hurrying along by my side. I shook my head.
"Your life is more important. We can come back for it once Leon gets rid of them all."
She didn't seem happy with my statement, but she at least wasn't trying to turn around. When we came to her basket, she tugged a little. I let go of her wrist, figuring that there was no harm in her picking up things that weren't in the middle of that gang of creeps. She seemed to realize that we were no longer in such a hurry, and took the time to brush off the apples before salvaging them. The rest of the food just wasn't in good condition, so she tucked in her notebook and pencil and stood up again, basket in hand.
"Thank you," she quietly said, tucking her hair behind one ear and smiling shyly. I grinned back at her, unable to help but think that she was really pretty, even while still shaken up.
"No problem. Leon's the one fighting, anyway."
She let me help her up onto Cinna, and got settled as comfortably as she could, with her legs gathered on one side and her basket resting in her lap. I hopped up in front of her, grabbing the reins as she wrapped an arm around my waist for security.
I cast an unsure glance at Leon's horse, but figured that he probably had it trained well enough to wait for him. With a flick of the reins, Cinna cantered down the road again, snorting every so often.
I couldn't stop myself from looking back a few times. Whatever the brunet said, four against one was definitely not a fair fight.
I really hoped he'd catch up soon.
A/N: So from now on, chapter are going to be around 5000 words. For you guys, this means that it's gonna take more chapters to get to actual Axel-Roxas interactions. I severely underestimate length, apparently, and I had to cut chapter two in half. So we'll see how this works out. :)
I think the main concern that I realized during this chapter is getting the personalities down right. I mean, being written from Roxas' point of view, perception becomes an issue too, which is why I'm especially struggling to keep Cloud and Tifa in character (I've started on chapter three, and Cloud shows up, so that's why he is included). Everybody has different sides, presents them at different times, and since this is an AU, I can't always refer to the games and movie. And as a teenager, Roxas tends to see his mother as... well, a mother. He doesn't really notice that she's got another role, even when presented with that information. Same with his father, though not to the same degree, especially after finding his sword.
So anyway, if it gets too bad, please warn me. :)
And by the way! "Vobis, tribuo nex immortalis" is a rough Latin translation of "To you, I grant the immortality of death." If I screwed it up, feel free to correct it! I did mess with it after some site translated, because I know a little bit of Latin, and there used to be the word for 'I' in there. And I don't think it was actually supposed to be there (the o in tribuo means I, so it was kinda redundant), but I could be wrong. And the word order might be funky. Never did understand that... :/ Anyway!
From this point on, I'm aiming to update once a week. There are three days I might do it, depending on how fast I write. It should be on a Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday. Just... so you know the plan. :)
Reviews are very much loved! Hint... hint... ;D
Shadowrain5: Thank you so much! :D I kind of squealed when I saw your review. Loudly. It scared the hell out of my dog, haha. And I'm glad the chapter was a good length! I was trying to keep it around there when I wrote this, but... the original second chapter was turning out to be closer to 10,000. Not... quite what was expected. :/ Eh, at least it worked out alright for splitting up. But again, thank you! XD
EpicSonic: Thank you! I'm glad this seems good, and I will definitely be continuing! :D