Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, OR Final Fantasy, OR the song lyrics…or a car. *hack* But that's beside the point.
A/N: Okay, here's the second chunk of Notes & Letters, where crap actually starts to happen. INLCUDING A BIG SEXY MUSICAL NUMBER! …okay, not really. :D
I finished this around 12:30, so it's probably not perfect. Proofreading? Pshffft. What's that?
Also, 1,083 views, baby! :DD I feel accomplished.
And thanks again to all of my readers/reviewers, especially the anons whom I can't thank individually.
Useless Fact of the Week That Already Got Posted This Week: Almonds are members of the peach family.
*I bold and italicized the lyrics so they could be easily discerned from the prose. ("Real Emotion" by Koda Kumi)
Bon à lire!
-Slay
A Day of Mercy
Chapter 9
Notes & Letters (Part II)
-o-o-o-
The Fantasy Dome was a spectacular thing.
Residing deep within the city, it took up an imposing amount of space with looming walls of tiered metal shafts and pillars, all polished and pared, industriously stylish with a huge sterling dome gyrating like a globe among the soaring bulwarks above. The massive, glimmering building was surrounded by golden plazas and shining fountains, all punctuating the presence of a winding, silvery moat, traversable by sprawling covered walkways, their awnings sharp and gleaming in the late morning sun.
Riku was only able to enjoy the breathtaking architecture for a moment, though, because the second they stepped onto the farthest plaza, they ran into a solid, teeming wall of people.
Riku didn't like solid, teeming walls of people.
"Okay, men," Axel addressed them with a militaristic edge. "Batten down the hatches and hold on tight—we're goin' in!" He then proceeded to take Roxas' hand, then Roxas grabbed Sora, and Sora in turn held out his own hand to Riku, who took it with a nervous gulp.
"Vive le Feu!" Axel emboldened—though Riku had no idea what that meant or what it had to do with anything—and hauled the four of them head-first into the tightly-knit crowd.
It was like wading through a pile of rocks.
People wouldn't move. They all just stood there, a bunch of loudmouthed, blank-faced lemmings bumping against each other with the structural integrity of seeping tar. Knocking shoulders, stepping on feet, tripping and fumbling—it was all completely unavoidable. It was all Riku could do to clutch Sora's hand for dear life, unable to see the back of the brunette's head half the time, guided only by the physical pull of his arm and the promise that this would be over soon.
"God, it smells like chicken broth!" He heard Roxas complain up ahead. "And I'm pretty sure no one here is having soup!"
"Ah, yes! Nothing like the smell of shameless body odor in the morning!" Axel declared, persisting through the mob of people.
"Guuuys, I think somebody just groped me…" Sora mewled unhappily.
"What?" Riku gave the guy obstructing his path a merciless shove, closing in on Sora like a midday shadow and staying there as best he could, warding off any other hands that got too curious as they wedged past.
"Don't lose heart, men!" Axel bellowed through the loud droning of the masses. "Remember why we're here!"
Roxas' voice carried over the din again, "Axel—you're tall. How much farther to the entrance?"
"We're almost there! Just. Keep. Moving!"
They must have been close, because the crowd had somehow congealed even more. The four had slowed to an undulating crawl, awkwardly shouldering their way past people who had no more space to move than they did.
Sure enough, they soon surfaced between the crowd and a long string of full-length turnstiles. They spastically yanked out their tickets and flung them in the faces of the vendors, desperate to get away from the suffocating throngs. Once they had their stubs back, they pushed one after the other through a single turnstile, and were greeted by the ambrosia of breathable air on the other side. The mass of people had thinned so dramatically, like the turnstile was a wish-granting magic portal. Apparently the majority of people outside didn't even have tickets, and were serving no other purpose than blocking the Fantasy Dome's every entrance.
"Well," Sora breathed, dropping Riku's hand and stretching in the newfound space. "Hayner shouldn't have any trouble selling that ticket."
"Let's just hope it doesn't turn into a feeding frenzy," Roxas tempered. "Now…where to?"
"I vote food court," Axel supplied, rolling his shoulder like he'd just stepped out of a strenuous workout. "It's almost noon and the show doesn't start 'til one. Plus, I'm starving."
"Yeah," Sora nodded, rubbing his stomach. "I didn't eat breakfast this morning."
"Sora!"Roxas rolled his eyes, exasperated. "How did you manage that? Mom cooked a full spread before she went to work!"
"I dunno!" The brunette pouted at his twin. "We were running late and it slipped my mind!"
"You're hopeless."
Not appreciating his brother's chastising, Sora turned to Riku instead. "What about you, Riku? You hungry?"
Riku gave something between a nod and a shrug, indicating that he really didn't care, so long as they didn't have to swim through any more unwashed crowds.
"That settles it! To the food court!" Axel continued acting as a sergeant of sorts, leading his small platoon first to the restrooms ("Sora, you're just gonna have to go again after lunch." "Shut up, Roxas. It's not good to hold it in!") and then to the manageable bustle of the food court, where they were able to eat in relative peace until one 'o' clock.
-o-o-o-
After lunch, they made their way to the heart of the venue—a great amphitheater of cascading black stands that were already stirring with people. Riku noticed a gaping, shadowy hole plunging down through the center of the venue. His eyes widened a bit. "That's not the Pit, is it?"
Maybe it wasn't really a concert—maybe it was actually a primeval mass sacrifice to a pride of hungry lions…
"Psh—no," Sora chuckled. "That's where the stage is gonna be."
Riku stared at him blankly, then at the giant hole in the ground. "Well where is it now?"
Sora patted his shoulder, giggling. "You're funny, Riku." He then walked forward with the other two, leaving Riku's question unanswered.
"Wait!" Riku yelped, partially afraid of being left behind and partially frustrated that Sora wasn't taking him seriously. "No, really," he persisted, catching up with them, "where is it?"
Sora continued snickering at him, and the four took a long, sloping hallway down to the lowest level, where they reemerged at the bottom of the amphitheater, face-to-face with two bouncers and a roped-off crowd. After flashing their ticket stubs, the group fed into the actual Pit, where fellow spectators were standing around, chattering about the upcoming show.
"Ugh, I just realized something," Roxas pouted as they came to stand by a wall separating the Pit from the would-be stage. "This thing is huge. How're we gonna find the others?"
"We can call and have everyone meet up here," Axel reasoned. "By entrance…A13."
Putting this plan into action, Axel proceeded to repeat the same instructions into his cell phone for fifteen minutes until everyone had arrived.
"Did you end up selling that ticket, Hayner?"
"Yup. Some guy overheard us at the train station and paid the full 1200 munny up front!"
"Wow. That's…kind of weird, actually."
"Yeah…Weren't you gonna discount it at all? It's not like you need the profit."
"I was, but he insisted."
"Who insists on paying over 1000 munny for a secondhand ticket?"
"I dunno! Creepy guys who eavesdrop at the train station, apparently!"
"Apparently."
"Hey, you guys hear that? I think the show's about to start!"
A great rumbling was rising up around them, sounding from somewhere deep beneath the venue, inspiring the entire place to go completely silent. The floodlights above began to shift, shrinking and zeroing in on the dark void at the center before winking out, leaving the venue pitch black for one, breathless second. A trail of spotlights flashed and came spiraling down from the abyss above, circling through the amphitheater like swirling sun beams. A roar of cheering shredded up from the silence and thundered down the stands—the gaping hole at the center swelled with ethereal light, brushing their faces with a clean, white glow.
Riku felt a tug on his arm, and looked down to find Sora's enthusiastic face beaming up at him. "Here it comes!"
The rumbling grew louder, heavier, rolling up from under their feet like an oncoming stampede.
"Look up there!" Small, winged platforms—gilded gliders ridden by people—came soaring out into the otherworldly light, trailing neon-blue streams behind them like comets. The scream of an electric guitar pierced the roar of the crowd, then another, until the twin keening filled the venue and riled up the stands to an earsplitting applause. Spotlights rained down into the central light, where a circular stage had risen, spinning and spinning until a woman appeared in a sinewy blast of glassy blue light. It was unlike any concert Riku had ever seen.
"There she is!" One of the girls squealed. "It's Yuna!"
"Oh my God, she's so amazing!"
What can I do for you?
What can I do for you?
What can I do for you?
I can't hear you!
A rippling, upbeat tempo flitted through the air as the woman produced a microphone and started twirling rhythmically on stage, her modish, ruffled outfit wheeling like petals as she moved.
What can I do for you?
What can I do for you?
What can I do for you?
More people materialized on the stage—an entourage of dancers, a leather-clad guitarist, a spunky female drummer. Together they conquered the stage in a symphony of light and motion, goading the already ecstatic crowds. Yuna's voice fell perfectly into the music, sweet and determined, clear as day echoing through the massive venue.
Far beyond the hazy borders of my heart
I can see a place that's something like this
Every now and then I don't know what to do
Still I know that I can never go back
"Isn't this awesome, Riku?" Sora hollered over the insanity of the Pit, bobbing excitedly with the song. Riku looked around; everyone he saw was jumping, dancing, throwing themselves around, shouting or mouthing the words, their heads nodding, their arms thrown up and flailing unabashedly. "It's…It's certainly something."
He looked back at Sora to find him doing the exact same thing—but there was something…else about him. Something about the way the boy was dancing entranced him.
But the things I've seen
In those hazy dreams
…The way his wrists tangled in the air…
Can't compare to what I'm seeing now
…The way his eyes were closed and his lips were curled…
Everything's so different
…The way he leaned and lurched in time with the stippling beat of the music…
That it brings me to my knees
Riku didn't realize he was staring until Sora opened his eyes and flashed that brilliant smile of his. "Dance with me!"
"What? No, no, no—I can't dance."
"Everybody can dance!" Sora grabbed his hands—his warm grip against Riku's icy skin as unyielding as ever—and started cavorting around him, forcing him to spin and shuffle his feet.
And though
I know
The world of Real Emotion has surrounded me
I won't give into it
Riku stumbled and resisted, but Sora didn't give up, bobbing his arms encouragingly and pulling them around in dizzy circles.
Now
I know
That forward is the only way my heart can go
"C'mon, Riku—work with me, here!"
I hear your voice calling out to me:
You'll never be alone.
"Dammit, Sora! I told you I can't dance!"
What can I do for you?
What can I do for you?
What can I do for you?
I can't hear you!
"Not with that attitude!"
What can I do for you?
"Sora, I feel stupid!"
What can I do for you?
"Don't feel stupid! Feel the music!"
What can I do for you?
Unable to free himself from Sora's insistent pulling, Riku let himself be guided in tight and jumping knots, feeling absolutely ridiculous until he surprised himself by falling into what could almost be called a rhythm with Sora. Suddenly the twirling wasn't so haphazard, the jumping was less awkward, and he found he sort of liked it.
I don't plan on looking back at my own life
I don't ever plan to rely on you
Even if by chance everything should go wrong
You come in one day
And try to save me
Before he knew it, he and Sora were a natural part of the rioting crowd, wheeling around each other, somehow forming synchronicity in every step, every wave, every idiotic smile that passed through the flashing lights of the stage.
If from time to time
It's an upward climb
All I know is that I must believe
Cause the truth I'm seeking
Always was inside of me
Just like that, his every worry was erased. The amulet, the suspicions, the letter—they all vanished every time he met Sora's eyes in the epileptic darkness, fizzling out until his happiness was impenetrable.
"That's it, Ri!"
Ri… No one had ever called him that before.
And when
I find
The world of Real Emotion has surrounded me
The many things that you taught me then
Will always be enough to get me through the pain
He liked it. He really liked it. He hoped Sora would make a habit of calling him that now. Just Sora, though—to hell with everyone else.
Because of you I am strong enough
To know I'm not alone
It was the strangest feeling. Something light and exciting tickled his throat, bubbling up and spilling through the stupid smile he couldn't wipe off of his face.
"Riku! You're laughing!" Sora yelped happily, jumping up and throwing his arms around Riku's neck in a tight hug. "I was starting to think you didn't know how to," he exclaimed, his voice clear and intimately close under the noise of the concert.
Having Sora in his arms and feeling the brunette's joy trickle past his ear spurred Riku's laughing even more. It felt strange and underused, and he supposed that if he could really hear himself he'd sound ridiculous guffawing like this, but it felt so amazing—it felt so right. "I know how," he corrected, reveling in the brush of Sora's hair against his neck, "I just never had a reason to."
Sora gave him an approving squeeze and Riku set him down, giddy aftershocks of laughter trembling in his chest as he grinned into those big, zaffre eyes he was no longer afraid to adore.
But then something odd caught his attention like a distracting flash of light. Expression falling, Riku glanced over Sora's head and was met with the brazen stare of a stranger several feet away. He may not have given the guy a second glance were he not standing there completely motionless, with a dire look on his face and a terrible glint in his eye. When their gazes locked, a devilish smile stretched across the man's face, and a terrifying vibe rattled Riku's nerves.
"Riku? Is everything okay?" Sora leaned close enough to avoid yelling, but Riku didn't really notice him until he started turning around, curious. Riku snagged the side of Sora's face to keep his eyes forward, pulling him back into a hug and murmuring down into his ear, "Everything's fine—I just…remembered something I have to do later. That's all."
Sora returned the embrace hesitantly, and after a moment he replied, his voice uncharacteristically serious, "Riku, if something's going on, you know you can tell me."
"I…" When he looked up again, the stranger was gone. Riku couldn't tell if he was relieved or worried. Could that possibly have been the person who sent…? No. It was just some creepy guy at a concert. Nothing strange about that. Still, he couldn't help but think…
"I wonder what yours will be?"
Riku jumped so suddenly that Sora yelped, his grip tightening in shock. He whirled around and was startled by a pair of feral green eyes leering at him from way too short a distance. The stranger nodded a veil of silvery hair out of his face. "I really do."
Riku tightened his hold protectively on Sora, who stood startled and confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"
The stranger shook his head, tusking. "That's no way to greet someone."
"Get lost."
Riku made to guide them away from this creep, but was held back by a firm hand on his shoulder. "You know," the other silverette crooned darkly, "as happy as I am to finally see you, I must say your manners are disgraceful. I hope you don't treat everyone like that—it would be so very embarrassing for our family if you did."
"Our…family?" Riku turned toward the stranger, keeping Sora safely behind him. "…Who are you?"
The stranger's smile deepened, but grew no warmer. "Just someone who's been dying to meet you."
"I don't…I don't understand."
"Oh don't worry," the stranger raised his hand emphatically, "You will." It seemed the man was about to make a significant gesture, but he was stopped by something tackling him violently to the ground.
"Axel!"
-o-o-o-
"I thought I smelled a rat."
He almost hadn't noticed in time—whatever trick Kadaj was planning had almost gone through. But luckily, Roxas had spotted the scene playing out and alerted Axel at the last moment, giving him a narrow window to act. Without even thinking about it, Axel had lunged for Kadaj and pinned him to the ground, glaring murderously down at him.
A pained expression flickered across Kadaj's face, but was soon replaced by his usual composure. "Why, Lea,I didn't know you liked this band."
"Cut the crap. How did you even get in here, you disgusting snake?"
"Your friend was kind enough to sell me his extra ticket back at the train station in Twilight Town," Kadaj recounted coolly. "I even paid the full value of the ticket—after all, you can't put a price on family, right?"
Axel's heart sank. Goddammit, Hayner…
A startled yell sounded over them. "Axel! What are you doing!?" Sora and Riku were staring dumbfounded at them, and Roxas had just appeared with a distraught look on his face. Axel motioned for Roxas to remove the other two from the scene, and he obeyed, shoving Sora and Riku through the crowd, ignoring their frantic protests.
"I don't understand what you're so upset about," Kadaj drawled. "I wasn't hurting anyone. I was just enjoying the show."
"Bullshit."
"You lied to me, Lea," Kadaj accused suddenly. "You played dumb when we asked about little brother—yet here I find you treating him like your own beloved sibling."
"You're no good for him," Axel snarled. "Leave him the hell alone."
"I think not." Kadaj curled his feet under Axel's stomach and kicked him off, flipping seamlessly to his feet with a new scowl on his face. He watched carefully as Axel got up, hand straying to the handle of a weapon concealed under his clothes.
"Why is it that you even care, Lea?" He pondered, his voice carrying unnaturally through the noise around them. Axel said nothing, and an epiphany caused Kadaj's brow to quirk. "Oh, I see…this is about Reno, isn't it?"
At that, Axel bristled visibly. "It isn't just Reno," he defended a little shakily, steeling himself against the gruesome memories that began to surface. "You run around doing whatever the hell you want, striking down everyone who gets in your way like a bunch of spoiled brats and I'm sick of it, Kadaj."
"Hm." Kadaj muffled a laugh in the back of his throat. He flexed his fingers on the weapon's handle, amused. "We've known each other for nearly five hundred years, and you're just now getting sick of it?" He ignored the dirty look Axel gave him and continued. "Honestly, Lea…" A sadistic glint lit in his eyes. "Stealing our brother away just to replace the one you lost? That's a little low for you, isn't it?"
"That's not what this is about and you know it," Axel growled, using all his wherewithal not to beat the living daylights out of this prick. The low simmer in the back of his throat flared. He ground his teeth to fight it down.
"Then what is this about, Lea? Why are you putting yourself on the line for him?"
Axel grimaced. He really wished Kadaj would stop calling him that. "Riku's a good guy," he defended. "He doesn't deserve to get tangled up with the likes of you."
"Is that so?" Kadaj flipped the same intrusion of hair out of his eyes and frowned. "Well I hate to break it to you, Lea…" He threw his hand back up in the hair, twirling his finger in a summoning motion. "But it isn't up to you!"
After he said that, the entire venue went pitch black—speakers all over the place faltered and cut out, and once they realized that it wasn't part of the show, all 30,000-some people in the audience began to panic, shrieking and milling into each other in poor attempts at escape. Axel was barely able to register any of this, though, because he was blinded immediately by the rending pain of two long blades ripping through his stomach.
"Know this, Lea." Kadaj's voice was hard and frigid in his ear, the blades twisted in his flesh, amplifying the pain until he was seeing white. "You won't be getting in our way again."
A/N: … I'm just gonna go write chapter 10 before you guys kill me. :D
Review for a chakram cookie~
Flame for a chakram to the face!
I'M SORRY AXEL I LOVE YOU!
-Slay