a/n: finally, the killing starts...
that sounded kinda sadistic. oops? but enjoy!
a-far-off-memory
Axel landed on the hardwood floor with a groan. Not far from him was a slightly hysterical Demyx with an unconscious Zexion in his arms. There was a cut at the smaller teen's hairline that was oozing blood, a small trail of the dark red liquid making its way down his face.
Shaking his wrists to lessen the jolting pain from landing on his hands, Axel crawled over to the other two and began looking at Zexion's wound. "He must have hit his head when he ended up here," he mused, reaching under his sweater and ripping a piece of his shirt off. He pressed the scrap to Zexion's head, uncaring of the blood that he got on his fingers.
"What if he doesn't wake up?" Demyx asked, teal eyes full of tears. His lower lip quivered. "I don't know what I'd do without him..."
Sighing, Axel looked up to meet his eyes. "Dem, don't be ridiculous. He's just knocked out—probably has a concussion or something. He'll be fine, he always ends up injuring himself in some way."
"But he's so pale..."
Axel let out a snort. "Demyx, he's always pale. Now stop freaking out, because we have bigger problems—like finding out what the hell pushed us through that thing."
"I believe I am a who, not a what," a smooth, rich voice said from behind them. Axel turned his body so fast that he neaely tipped over, barely managing to keep his balance as he took in the sight of the man behind them.
He was very tall and muscular, with a long mane of light silver hair and piercing golden eyes. His skin held a deep tan, and his voice was smooth like the slithering movements of a snake. His expression was one of indifference, as if he couldn't be bothered to show any sort of emotion.
Demyx immediately squeaked, clutching Zexion's limp form more tightly. Axel, however, hardened his features, aiming his best glare at the newcomer. "Who the fuck are you?" he demanded, crossing his arms in an attempt to look intimidating—a hard thing to do while sitting on the floor.
"How very rude, using that foul language!" the man chided, shaking his head in disdain. "Someone must teach you some manners."
"Forgive me for not wanting to be polite to the crazy fucker who pushed us through a portal," he muttered, standing up. Even at his full height, the silver-haired man towered over him.
The man sighed, shaking his head. "I can sense you'll be trouble...no matter, your death will be all the more satisfying in the end."
Axel's blood went cold at those words. His death? Like hell he was going to die without at least saying goodbye to Roxas!
"If you must know, my name is Xemnas," the man told him, crossing his thick arms over his muscular chest.
"Well, Xemnas,"—he spat the name—"mind telling us what the fuck is going on?"
Xemnas quirked an eyebrow. "Perhaps if you ask nicely."
"Like hell I'm gonna—"
"Please," Demyx said softly, cutting Axel off mid-tirade. "Please, just tell us why this is happening."
Axel turned back and glared, while Xemnas chuckled deeply. "You were all foolish to come here. It's been many years since my brothers and I have had visitors—never so many at once! And so we thought we'd design a game...a survival game. You see, right now, three of your friends are looking for you—the other four are in a similar situation to you right now. You seven are the...prey. Fair game. If the appointed three find you and you all make it to the foyer before sunrise, you're free to go. However, you must keep yourselves alive until you're found. Simple enough, right?" He smirked, golden eyes burning with malicious glee.
It took Axel all of three seconds to lunge, intent on strangling the man before them. However, a hand caught him by the throat in midair, causing his body to jerk forward painfully and his airway to become restricted.
Xemnas laughed, shaking his head. "Foolish boy, you truly think you can hurt me? I'm dead. I cannot be harmed...however, you can."
Axel struggled, trying to free himself. "Demyx, go," he managed to choke out, gasping for air he couldn't get.
He vaguely heard the sound of Demyx leaving with Zexion, and he felt relief that they'd at least gotten away.
"No matter where they go, they won't be safe until they are with your three friends...they're the only ones with immunity. Don't you worry, your pretty little boyfriend is one of them. Your best friend and the blonde girl as well," Xemnas told him, smirk widening. "Too bad you won't have the chance to say goodbye."
Axel chose that moment to strike out with his foot. It connected hard with the silver-haired man's shin, causing him to drop the redhead and clutch his leg. Gasping loudly, Axel forced himself to his feet and bolted for the door.
He made it maybe three steps before he was grabbed by the spikes of his hair. A yell escaped him as he was tugged violently backwards, his hair protesting as some of its strands were ripped out.
"You should learn when to stop," Xemnas growled in his ear. Before he could do anything about it, he was sailing through the air and into a wall. He felt and heard cracks, unsure if it was the wall or his body or both. Pain lanced through his back and midsection, and he gasped in pain before going limp, succumbing to blackness.
Sora held fast to Kairi's hand as they followed Ven and Vanitas into the darkness of the basement. As they got lower, the temperature dropped more and more to the point where Kairi was shivering in her thin summer dress.
Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Sora set his flashlight down and peeled off his sweater, holding it out to the redhead. She took it meekly with a quiet thanks, slipping it on her shoulders and zipping it up to her neck.
"It's so dark down here," Vanitas groused, shining his flashlight around. "I can barely see anything!"
Ven sighed. "Do you really think that anyone came down here? Maybe we should check the rest of the house first..."
Sora shrugged. "I guess...I can't really see any of them coming down here." He moved back toward the stairs, climbing toward the weak light coming in through the door.
When he was only a few steps away, a cold chill went through him. In a sudden gust of wind, the door slammed shut before him, startling him so much that he lost his balance and fell backwards down the stairs.
"Sora!" the other three chorused, rushing over to where he'd landed at the bottom of the stairs.
A groan escaped the brunet as he laid there, unwilling to move. His body ached everywhere, mostly in his back and head. "Ow..."
Vanitas knelt down and propped him up, flashlights illuminating his worried golden eyes as they raked over his little brother. "Are you okay? Where does it hurt?"
Sora took a deep breath, forcing himself to ignore the pain. "It doesn't matter, I'll be okay."
"Sora..." Kairi said softly, leaning down. She reached out to touch his temple, causing him to wince in unexpected pain. "You're bleeding."
"I'm fine." He waved her off, lifting a hand to his temple and feeling the slickness of blood there. "We just need to find a way out. That door closed on its own..."
"Sora, we need to make sure you'll be okay first," Ven murmured, laying a hand on his shoulder.
"Guys, I'm fine," the brunet said forcefully.
The flashlights flickered. A squeak of fear left Kairi when they spluttered and died completely, leaving the four of them in complete darkness.
"No one panic," Vanitas told them, voice calm. "Just hold on to each other and stay calm, alright?" As he said it, he slipped his hand into Ven's, squeezing tight. He also tightened his grip on Sora.
Kairi immediately took hold of both Ven and Sora. Her body was shaking, her hands clammy as panic clawed at her insides. She'd never exactly been a fan of the dark, and being in a creepy house made things so much worse. Especially considering that the door had slammed shut on its own and the flashlights had mysteriously died...
"Welcome to my humble home, children."
Heads whipped around in surprise, searching for the source of the voice. It was a chilling voice, one laced with promises of malice.
Slowly, the room was filled with dim light. Standing before them was a dark-skinned man with long silver hair and dark golden eyes. He wore a smirk on his face as he appraised the group of huddling teens, regarding them as a lion might examine its prey.
"Who are you?" Ven asked, leaning further into Vanitas. He was scared, terrified actually, but his face betrayed none of it.
"I am Ansem," the man replied, smirk widening. "I live here, along with my two younger brothers."
"This house has been deserted for ages," Vanitas barked out, gold eyes harsh. "Don't lie to us."
Ansem threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, you are foolish. My brothers and I have lived here for almost a century and a half. This house may be devoid of the living, but it is not deserted."
Vanitas instantly clammed up at that, eyes gone wide. Sora, however, pushed himself up so that he sat straighter, ignoring the pain in his back. "Well what do three dead people want with us? We didn't do anything."
Ansem shrugged. "You didn't have to do anything. You simply entered our house, and now you're all in a very sticky situation."
"Why?" Ven inquired, leaning slightly closer.
"Because it's dreadfully dull around here and we needed some entertainment." A yell echoed from upstairs somewhere, causing him to smile cruelly. "Ah, it seems that Xemnas is already entertaining himself. I can't be outdone by my little brother, can I?"
"Don't come near us," Vanitas growled, tightening his hold om both Ven and Sora.
"Oh, I won't be. But he will." As he said it, a black mass erupted from Ansem's back. It shaped itself into a humanoid creature with a silver and blue X across its body, and it's face instantly struck fear into the hearts of the teens.
Seemingly sensing that Sora was injured, the black creature lunged for him, grabbing him by the neck and ripping him from Vanitas and Kairi's grips. He struggled as much as he could as he was lifted into the air, his windpipe being crushed by the strong grip.
"No! Let him go!" Kairi yelled, bolting up.
Ansem smirked. "Ah, so the frightened little girl breaks her silence. Afraid I'll kill your love?"
Kairi blushed, violet eyes sparking with anger. "Sora isn't my love! He's my best friend!"
The silver-haired man scoffed. "You are more transparent than you think, girl." He snapped his fingers, causing the creature to release Sora. He fell to the floor with a gasp, clutching his damaged throat. "But you know that he'll never reciprocate, don't you? He has a boyfriend. He'll never be attracted to you, ever. So you've settled for 'best friend'. How utterly pathetic."
A single tear rolled down Kairi's cheek. "I'd rather be his best friend than nothing at all!" she exclaimed , her voice a mix of anger and hurt.
"Kairi..." Sora rasped out, blue eyes soft as he looked up at her.
The redhead took a deep breath. "It's true, okay? I've liked you since we were kids. But I know you have Riku, and I'm so happy for the both of you. I just...I wish I was the one who made you happy sometimes..."
Sora's eyes turned sad. "I'm sorry I can't love you like that," he told her, voice scratchy. "But I do love you. I mean it when I say that you're my best friend, Kai."
A sad smile turned up her lips as more tears fell. "I know. And I'm grateful to be that much."
"How very touching." Ansem's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Sorry to cut this short, but I really must be going." He snapped his fingers again, and then everything seemed to happen in slow motion.
They all saw the black creature go for Kairi. Sora tried to stand but found himself too weak to do so—Ven and Vanitas were just too far. And so they were powerless to do anything but witness as the creature grabbed Kairi and twisted her neck in one smooth motion. A loud crack was heard, and then she fell limply to the floor, violet eyes unseeing.
It took all of two seconds before Sora screamed. "No! Kairi!" he yelled, blue eyes filling with tears. Vanitas' eyes were wide, while Ven buried his face in the black-haired teen's chest.
"So long for now, children. Do take care not to meet the same fate as poor Kairi," Ansem taunted before he disappeared, as well as the creature.
With renewed strength, Sora crawled over to where his red-haired best friend laid, pulling her onto his knees and wiping the tears from her cheeks. He could barely see through his tears as he touched two fingers to her pulse point, a loud wail escaping him when he felt nothing.
"Is she...?" Vanitas questioned, not wanting to say the word.
"She...she's gone!" Sora cried, burying his face in her hair. "She's gone, she's gone..." he mumbled, rocking back and forth and hugging her body to him. "I'm so sorry Kairi, I'm sorry..."
Ven lifted his head from Vanitas' chest, tears in his crystalline eyes. "What are we going to tell Naminé?" he whispered, sniffling.
The golden-eyes teen wrapped his arms around the blond and kissed his head. "I don't know, Ven. I just don't know." He pulled away, motioning for Ven to move with him to Sora's side.
The brunet was shaking hard, mumbling into berry-colored locks. Gently, afraid of spooking him, Vanitas laid a hand on his brother's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Sor, we need to keep moving. It's not safe to stay."
Slowly, Sora sat up, fixing him with an incredulous stare. "You expect me to just leave her here?!" he shrieked.
Ven sighed. "Sora...she's gone. There's nothing else we can do now."
"She wouldn't want us to stop," Vanitas added, eyes soft.
"But...but I promised I'd never leave her..." he said weakly, shoulders sagging.
"Sor, she'd understand," his brother told him gently. "She wouldn't want you to die too." Slowly, he began pulling Sora into his arms, while Ven gently laid Kairi on the floor.
The brunet clutched his brother tight, crying into his chest. Vanitas simply hugged him, rubbing his back in a soothing circular motion. Ven laid a hand on Sora's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze as he wiped tears of his own from his cheeks. Vanitas then grabbed him, pulling him into the hug, and the three just sat there for a few minutes, letting themselves feel the sorrow.
"We should get going," Ven whispered, pulling away from the embrace.
Vanitas nodded, wiping away the few tears he'd let escape. He ran a hand through Sora's soft spikes, smiling sadly. "Come on, Sor. We gotta say goodbye."
Sobbing, Sora let go of Vanitas, leaning down to press his lips to Kairi's forehead. "I love you, Kairi...I'm so sorry for this," he sniffled, wiping away his tears before they could land on her face. He brushed her hair back, looking down upon her with despair before beginning to stand. He winced when his back twinged, stumbling and nearly falling. Both Vanitas and Ven reached out to steady him, concern in their eyes.
"You alright? You must be in pain," Ven murmured, looking him over.
"I just wanna get out of here," replied the brunet, voice cracking.
Vanitas wrapped an arm around his younger brother, holding him close. "Okay. Let's get out of this hell-hole."
They headed towards the door. Sora spared a final glance back at Kairi's lifeless body before turning forward and telling himself that he'd make her killer pay.
a/n: so, kairi kicked the bucket...but what about axel?
lol i don't even feel bad about killing kairi, as some of you may know she's my least favorite character (along with xion) even though i made them both cutie patooties in parenting xD
next chapter will come tomorrow! don't forget to leave a review!
afom out~