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"Speech"
'Thoughts'
Writing/Singing
"Foreign Language/Flashback"
-Scene Shift-
Chapter 16: Inn at the Crossroads
Traveling south along the King's Road from the Neck is pretty, but tiresome.
To the west flows the Green Fork River; deep, wide and uncrossable for hundreds of miles south of the Twins. And to the east the mountains of the Vale rise up the impenetrable but for the occasional donkey and horse track heading off towards promised passes through the mountainous terrain. Very few paths branch off of the main road and there are fewer travelers than you might expect for the continent's main arterial road.
But eventually the King's Road does start to pass through settlements once more in the Riverlands as the Greek Fork merges with the Blue and Red Fork Rivers for the Trident River.
Nearby the Trident River, where Lord Harroway's Town is rooted, resides a place equally steeped with history as many other places in Westeros but is less celebrated: the Inn at the Crossroads.
As the name implies, it stands at a crossroads. North of the King's Road takes you to the North and eventually both Winterfell and the Wall. South takes you to King's Landing. Go east from here and the high road takes you to the Eyrie and the Vale. Westwards along the river road leads to Riverrun and later on Casterly Rock.
It's hard to say how long the inn has stood here but this structure dates back to the reign of King Jaehaerys Targaryen, first of his name. Previous names of this place were the Two Crowns, the Bellringer Inn, the Creaking Dragon, the River Inn and several other names; due to most exchanges of new owners throughout the years.
Eventually it just stuck with the simpler name of the Crossroads Inn.
It's a three-story building, surrounded by a low white wall. A thatched stables building lies separate to the main in as does a bell tower. The inn itself is undistinguished as buildings go other than a few white stone turrets and the curiosity that part of it with the rooms on the south side is built on pilings.
Apparently when it was built, the Trident River passed underneath and guests in those rooms could lean out and fish for their supper if they so wished. The Trident has, of course, changed its course through the countryside since then and what is left is a patch of soggy weed ridden ground underneath the inn.
Inside of the structure is a warm place for all travelers alike, despite its limited capacity. The air is heavy with smoke from the roaring fire. The smells of roasting meats and baked goods wafts from the kitchen, mingling with that of ale and wine and to be frank if it has been raining damp leather from the cloaks of passing travelers.
The wonder of this place is that it is a stopping off point for everyone. Lords and ladies, kings and queens, knights and squires stay here while on their travels as the merchants and traders. Local farmers gather here in the evenings and soldiers from all corners of Westeros drink, talk and gamble here.
The politics of the Seven Kingdoms is sadly not forgotten here, yet this place is as close to neutral ground for any living being. A kind of place anyone can get behind, where an unspoken truce is formed from many Houses in not wanting to harm the land. A place where mingling, chatting and sharing bread goes alongside the fresh bottles of ale and a minstrel is playing their songs.
After so many nights on the road alone or with few others, this can be considered hospitality and community at it's finest.
This is what Sansa had somewhat felt when they arrived here late on the previous day. The trek from the Twins had indeed been a long one, but felt much more after what was revealed at the Frey toll bridge.
Slowly eating her breakfast inside of the inn, Sansa sat alone with her direwolf Lady sitting underneath the table.
Presently, the young Lady Stark had her hair brushed out for a nice sheen to bounce off the bright sun shining outside. She wore a nice blue dress as she wanted to look her best. And wore a pleasant expression to show others she was in a good mood.
But in reality, it was merely a facade. For in fact, she was quite the opposite.
For days now, she wanted to be by herself. To heal from her grief. Not from death, but from a loss of something she yearned for.
No longer feeling like eating anymore, she gave her direwolf the rest of her meal. Lady looked at her human companion and licked her hand with those worrying eyes staring right back at her.
"Things will be alright, Lady." She muttered. "At least I hope they will."
Sansa kept sitting there in silence, waiting for her direwolf to finish eating before going out.
From what Septa Mordane informed her earlier, her father went out for another hunt with the king this morning. Supposedly some aurochs as they are some present on these lands. And sometime after the time of their return, they would be packing up and heading out again on the road after the feast from the king's kill.
There was this feeling Sansa had in her belly which wanted her father's return sooner than later and it won't go away. She didn't know why, but she wanted to quell it along with the other she presently had.
Sansa felt Lady's tongue gracing her hand again. Looking down, the Stark girl saw her direwolf was finished eating. Placing the plate back onto the table, they went out of the inn and went to find Arya.
Stepping out into the warm summer air, Sansa eyed the fraction of the caravan she's been traveling with for nearly a month now. She often wondered how the inn could try to accommodate the 400+ amount of people here, but remembered only less than a third can be presently helped.
Her sight and hearing caught onto the hustle and bustle of the workers breaking down some of the tents and pavilions ahead of time for when the King and his Hand returned from the hunt. During all this commotion and noise, she had lost track of Roxas and Arya with the former possibly out on a patrol and the latter doing who knows what.
It has been a rather strange and surreal past few weeks as Sansa had traversed more of the Seven Kingdoms then she would have ever thought in a short amount of time. It was a wondrous and enlightening time. A true joy as she had always wanted to see the Seven Kingdoms.
And yet…
There are times, brief moments where she finds herself staring back North towards home, towards Winterfell. It was strange to her as she had never been homesick before but those small longing feelings had only grown as time went on.
Her father had caught her the other day in one of her longing gazes with him giving her a kind and understanding smile as he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. He promised her Winterfell will always be there standing and waiting for her return as it has for every wolf of the past and present.
The happy smile she held was all she needed to show her father with him slightly ruffling her hair making her mess up his in turn with a laugh.
Smiling slightly at the recent memory, Sansa trudged on through the camp set up around the Crossroads Inn with Lady staying loyally by her side. The oldest Stark daughter felt slightly bored, wondering what she could do at this moment.
Perhaps Roxas was nearby and she could spend some time with her crush. Myrcella was with her mother at the moment, the queen wishing to spend some personal time with her daughter. Roxas all the while had spent only a few moments with her as he had been apparently spending time talking with this new Cloud individual that strikingly looked so much like an older version of Roxas in a manner of speaking. Far more serious, brooding and battle-hardened with just a lighter shade of blonde hair.
Speaking of which.
Cloud was walking alongside the young Keyblade wielder who reminded him so much of Sora. After their departure from the Twins, Cloud and Roxas had spent much of their time taking out Heartless together whilst Roxas filled the older swordsman in on what has been transpiring since his abrupt vanishing act with Sephiroth back in the Radiant Garden.
"So you're one of those Nobodies Leon and Sora spoke of back when Sora came back around." Cloud surmised.
"Yeah, Sora's." Roxas stated, making Cloud hum in thought.
"You're a hell of a lot smarter than that bonehead." Cloud said in amusement, thinking of his younger friend, glad to hear he was doing well despite what he had endured recently. "So you know all this cause you saw everything from within Sora."
"More or less." Roxas confirmed. "He is me after all. I just exist as a part of him."
Cloud regarded the teen momentarily, finding his words odd in a manner of speaking.
"You kinda remind me of him but at the same time… not so much if at all to be honest." Cloud admitted.
"Really?" Roxas looked up at him in surprise. "How so?"
"Well like I said before, you're a lot smarter than him first of all." Cloud said casually making the young Nobody smile bashfully at the praise.
"Though I could tell you do have a bit of a temper."
And like that, the feeling was gone.
Cloud 'hmphed' with an amused smirk at Roxas hanging his head slightly. "Relax kid. I hate it when people bullshit with me too."
Roxas glanced back up, blinking at the swordsman.
"I like that old Stark fellow." Cloud noted. "Doesn't beat around the bush really."
"Oh Ned? Yeah he doesn't like it when people talk to him without being open." Roxas said.
"Though what's this I'm hearing about you being the son of another Keyblade wielder who was once here?"
"Yeah, that's a bit of a weird one to explain." Roxas said with a cringe face. "I mean… I'm a Nobody. I was literally born from Sora's shell that wasn't consumed by the Darkness. How can I have a father?"
"Whoever it was must have looked exactly like you." Cloud noted.
"Probably. That's what Robert and Ned told me." Roxas remarked. "And whoever else knew the guy."
"Makes ya wonder who it was."
"You have no idea."
"Ah Roxas."
Both blondes turned behind them to see Jory Cassel, Captain of the Guard for House Stark.
"Ser Cloud." Jory nodded to the older of the two with Cloud waving him down.
"Not a Knight." He said plainly.
"Like our young friend then?" Jory said in amusement, scenario familiar to Cassel. "Roxas, I've been holding training for House Starks guards and one of the newer lads brought up the topic of combatting the Heartless. I was lucky to have spotted you so quickly. Would you care to take some time and give out instructions for this session?"
"Er…" Roxas looked between Jory and Cloud with the latter nodding at him.
"Go on ahead, kid." Cloud said. "I'll keep watch if anything comes up."
Roxas gave an appreciative expression for Cloud with Jory doing the same before the two walked off, leaving the swordsman to his own devices.
Cloud kept on walking, keeping mostly to himself and ignoring the stares many who had paused to gauge at him. Most had stared at the gigantic fusion sword on his back that to them, he carried with ease. And they weren't wrong of course. His giant sword was a part of him, a literal extension of his will and body.
This world was strange in a manner of speaking. And in that manner it feels like everyone here is extremely judgemental and wary of what they don't know nor understand. They seem to like or at the very least appreciate Roxas being here in fending off the Heartless. But he didn't miss some of those darker looks being sent at the kid by a select few individuals. They at times muttered something about the Seven, whatever that meant.
Since he's stuck here, for now, he might as well try to look up what he's getting himself into in this World.
And as luck would have it…
"Oh."
Cloud glanced over to his side to see one of those Stark girls that were in the travelling company. This one was Sansa if he were to believe. And right beside her was the ever growing pet wolf of hers. Direwolf, was it?
"Greetings to your ser-"
"Not a Knight." Cloud cut her off. "You could just call me Cloud."
Blinking at the slightly rude interruption, Sansa simply nodded at the request.
"I believe we have not been properly introduced. I am Sansa Stark." She said politely, bowing forward. "This is my Direwolf Lady."
Said Direwolf gazed up at Cloud with a rather surprising degree of intelligent curiosity. Perhaps there was more to these wolves then they appear.
"What can I do for ya, kid?" Cloud asked.
Sansa didn't know what to say at the start before some bits of curiosity took over. "How do you know Roxas?"
Cloud raised an eyebrow before giving the little cover story he came up with. After all, who would believe him and Roxas came from another World; except for Lord Stark.
"He and I go back." Cloud shrugged. "Fought the Heartless and met many times along our own journeys."
"Go back?" Sansa was confused by the phrase. "As in, you two have known each other in the past?"
Cloud nodded. "Good kid. Good fighter too."
Sansa stared at the taller blond, finding his lack of words leaving much to be desired.
"Where does Roxas come from, if I might ask?" Sansa said, feeling a bit guilty in asking as her crush never truly elaborated on the matter when she had asked.
Cloud gave her an odd look when he himself scrunched up his face in thought.
"That's… something I have no real knowledge of."
Which was true. Neither he or his fellow members of the Restoration Committee knew where Roxas and the Organization XIII members took up residence at. Though things have no doubt changed since he was last at Radiant Garden before his departure.
He should probably ask Roxas more when he's given the chance.
Sansa nodded, despite feeling unsatisfied with the lack of solid answers.
"I must ask, how is it that you are able to carry a sword such as that one upon your back with such ease?" Sansa inquired, eyes catching a glint of the metal which had the sun shining down on it.
"Training, for starters." Cloud said with a shrug. "That little girl with the other wolf asked similar questions during the trip over here
"Little girl?" Sansa had an easy idea as to who it was. "Do you know, perhaps, where my sister went off to? I need to speak with her."
Cloud blinked before giving a description. "Yay high, brown hair in a braid, grey furred direwolf and a bundle of coiled energy?"
Sansa nodded on the rough description.
"She went over to the river not far from here."
"Thank you se- Cloud." Sansa said graciously. "By chance, do you know where Roxas had gone off to?"
Cloud thumbed off in the direction behind him. "Your boyfriend went off to help out with some guards training on how to deal with the Heartless."
"Boyfriend?"
"Are you… in a relationship with him? Romantically, I mean."
Sansa's face suddenly matched her hair before she started stammering. "N-No I-I am not in a relationship with him." She then turned around and scampered off. "Good day."
Cloud had both brows raised before chuckling to himself. "What a weird place I ended up in."
The young Lady Stark used this time of searching for her younger sister to calm her emotions and be sure her cheeks didn't show any redness. She'd rather Roxas not see her in this state.
Sansa eventually found Arya on the banks of the Trident, trying to hold Nymeria still while she brushed dried mud from her fur. It was a little hard to tell if her sister's direwolf was enjoying the process or not.
Yet a small bit of evidence showed it wasn't as Arya ended up coming across a thick clump that was rather stubborn to let go from the matted grey fur.
Coming in closer, the elder Stark girl saw Arya was wearing the same riding leathers she had worn for a few days in a row now.
"I'm not hurting you, Nymeria. Please hold still for me." Arya soon took note of her elder sibling. "What is it?"
"You will need to change out of those, Arya." Sansa gently said. "We're traveling in the Queen's wheelhouse with Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen today. We both need to look presentable."
"Later." Arya quickly said, keeping up with her brushing on the direwolf fur. "I plan on going to the Ford upstream to look for rubies with Mycah."
Sansa briefly remembered her sister interacting with a boy her age yesterday and slowly developing a small friendship. If she were correct, Mycah was the butcher's boy as both have been traveling with them as part of King Robert's retinue. Barely a teenager and slept in the meat wagon with it's smell caked on him no matter how often he cleaned himself.
Sansa then took note of what Arya just said. "Rubies? What rubies?"
"Rhaegar's rubies. This is where King Robert killed him and won the crown."
When traveling some distance away from the infamous Inn, one will meet the Ruby Ford, which wasn't always called as such; in fact it was quite recent at the end of the Battle of the Trident.
When prince Rhaegar Targaryen's jeweled chest plate was caved in by Robert Baratheon's warhammer for the killing blow, the rubies flew, spread all over and flowed through the river's water for hundreds of miles. And when the decisive battle was over, people went to search for the rubies. Even to this day as most claimed they found them in the area.
A murmur's tale, no doubt, but still inspires many innocent for nearly twenty years.
Yet there was some part of it which Sansa thought was romantic, in a sense. Couples would wander through the Ford in searching for the rubies for most of the day. There would seem to be no such luck. But when the sun was dying and twilight burned in the sky, they say they already found the rubies as it bled through the scenery for all to savor.
For the briefest of moments, Sansa fantasized with her and Roxas taking such an occasion.
"Besides," Arya began, "the wheelhouse doesn't even have windows. Can't see a bloody thing."
"They are absent for our protection, Arya." Sansa argued. "What if one was opened and a stray shot came through and hit someone."
Arya didn't bother responding to that.
"I'd prefer riding on horseback or in the cart over the wheelhouse and carriage anyday." Muttered the young She-wolf. "You should come riding with us, Sansa. The view will be much better than those stinking wheelhouses and carriages. Roxas wouldn't mind if you tagged along."
Sansa was silent, possibly considering the offer.
With the betrothal official, Sansa will want any opportunity to be close to him before it becomes much harder for any alone time together.
She fondly remembered some of the days back at Winterfell when she was able to be close. It was enjoyable by merely being beside him on most instances.
Sansa had an excuse one time as she wanted to go riding with him alone. He accepted and they spent a good number of hours riding on horseback as he kept watch for any Heartless that may come at any moment.
Now it should be noted the elder Stark girl detested riding on horseback. All it does is get one soiled, dusty and sore.
Yet Sansa wanted to change for the better and gain his attention little by little. And of course, part of this was horseback riding.
She didn't outright say she didn't enjoy most of it as him being with her made it all worth the struggle.
Arya kept on brushing Nymeria's coat. "You should come with us more. Last week, Mycah and I found this haunted watchtower and the day prior we chased a herd of wild horses. Heh~ you should've seen them run when they spotted Nymeria."
This clearly got her sister's attention. "You're not supposed to leave the column. Father said so."
Arya shrugged. "I didn't go far and I don't always go off, either. Nymeria was with me and Roxas kept a close eye on us. Same with Cloud since he came along. Sometimes it's nice just to ride along with the wagons and talk to people."
The elder Stark girl felt her direwolf brush against her leg, prompting her to kneel down to better scratch Lady's ears.
"Is there a better reason as to why you won't ride with us?"
"I don't like the queen." Arya said casually.
Sansa momentarily sucked in a breath and held it in, shocked that her sister would say such a thing.
Arya didn't notice, but prattled on heedlessly. "She wouldn't let me bring Nymeria the last time I had to ride with them."
"A royal wheelhouse, much less a carriage, is no place for them." Sansa argued. "Prince Tommen is nervous around Lady and Nymeria, you know that."
She would've added in the royal princess. But Myrcella quickly opened up to Lady sometime into the trip back into the capital. Her younger brother didn't have that much luck at all. And Joffrey, her betrothed, merely tolerated the direwolves much like his mother.
"I know, but the queen won't make exceptions." Arya counter argued, roughly pulling the brush on Nymeria's grey coat.
The act caused the direwolf to roughly get out of her human companion's range and bound off elsewhere.
"Nymeria! Come back!" Arya shouted, rushing after her direwolf.
Seeing Arya run off in a semi-merry chase, Sansa couldn't help but smile a little.
"Don't wander off too far, Arya." Sansa called out to her little sister who managed to wave back at her all the while falling into a pit of mud eliciting a silent chuckle out the red-head.
Turning back around, Sansa went back into the commotion of the royal caravan encampment with Lady trotting alongside her.
Nearing back to the King's caravan at the Crossroads Inn, Sansa and Lady weaved through the activity around her. She looked over and saw several of Cersei's handmaidens by the wheelhouse giggling as they looked over yonder. Curious on what they were spying on, the Stark girl followed their line of sight.
She wished she didn't.
There was Roxas now with Myrcella by his side and the Queen at a respectable distance behind the two. The figure of her affection gave a bright beaming smile towards Myrcella with the princess blushing profusely at the gesture, appearing to barely let out a response of some kind at whatever it was they were discussing.
The young Lady Stark was feeling… off as she gazed at the scene.
Sansa had fallen for the Keybearer, wishing for the two of them to wed and become husband and wife. Yet it was not meant to be with the news which spread like wildfire. Roxas is betrothed to Princess Myrcella, her future good-sister once she marries Joffrey.
She seemed accepting and happy for her friend, yet her heart ached.
She felt a whole mess of emotions. Angry, maybe. Sad, no doubt. Jealous, absolutely.
These just didn't feel right for her at all. The young Lady of Winterfell didn't want to feel this way. She didn't want her heart to hurt this way. And the thought of Myrcella and Roxas being betrothed made her stomach churn.
Why does it hurt so much?
"Why?" She muttered, biting back a sob. Sansa could cry in private, but not in the open.
Wanting to get away from the scene and not bump into them, Sansa almost ran into someone else.
"Pardon me, ser." Sansa said politely and quickly. Yet when glancing at him, she froze in her spot. A terror quickly overwhelmed her as she felt nothing like this before… except for the Heartless encounters.
He was a gaunt, grim man with his face hollowed at the cheeks as his eyes bore deep into her. He was not an old man, only a few wisps of hair remaining on his head, yet he felt old. His armor was iron-grey chainmail with brown leathers on top as it spoke of age and hard use. And on his back was strapped a two handed greatsword, too long to be worn at his side.
The man didn't say anything to her, merely staring… creepily.
Sansa almost jumped out of her skin when a strong hand clasped her shoulder. Turning around, she saw it was the Hound.
"Do I frighten you much, girl?" Asked Clegane. Not getting a response, he looked over and softly snorted. "Or is it him there making you shake? He frightens me too. Look at that face."
Sansa whirled back around and went to apologize to the silent man. "I'm sorry if I offended you, ser."
The gaunt man didn't say anything, merely walking past her. As he did, Lady growled at the silent man.
Curious, she looked back at the Hound. "Why won't he speak to me?"
"He hasn't been very talkative these days… or for that fact the past twenty years."
"How so?"
"Since the Mad King had his tongue ripped out with hot pincers."
Sansa felt like gagging a little while feeling a bit of phantom pain in her mouth. She could never imagine how that must've felt.
"He speaks damn well with his sword though." Sansa turned around and saw Prince Joffrey walking up to her. "He is Ser Ilyn Payne, the King's Justice and royal executioner."
"...I'll be sure to remember that."
Joffrey adopted a worried, concerned look on his visage. "What is it, sweet lady?" Not hearing a response, he glanced over to Sandor Clegane. "Does the Hound frighten you?" He then spoke a command. "Away with you, dog. You're scaring my lady."
Sandor merely nodded and turned away, scoffing as he walked off.
"Sorry about that, my lady." Joffrey apologized. "I don't like seeing you upset."
"It's alright, my prince."
The crown prince smiled softly before gazing at the sky above. "It's a really beautiful day with the sun shining so brightly. Would you care to ride with me?"
Sansa thought things over for the briefest of moments.
She was betrothed to the person before her and hadn't had much time in interacting with him, sadly. Sansa at least needed to give him a shot. She needed to at least see if he was a good man for her… since Roxas is no longer available. And her mother did say it takes time for love to blossom.
Bringing her hand up to her mother's pendant hiding in her dress, she briefly touched it before smiling a little. "I would like that."
Joffrey nodded before seeing the direwolf beside his betrothed. Biting back a snarl, the crown prince stated the obvious. "Your direwolf, though, will need to stay behind."
This caught Sansa off guard a little. "Why?"
"Your wolf is liable to frighten the horses."
Sansa glanced at Lady and knew that would not be true in the slightest. If this was Nymeria, then that would be understandable. But not her Lady.
The kennel master once told her that an animal takes after it's master. As Nymeria was more wild and energetic, like Arya, Lady was more shy… and yearning… much like herself.
Sansa let out an exasperated sigh as she wondered how a pair of sisters can be so different with such a small age gap.
"I suppose I could tie Lady up back at my tent."
Joffrey nodded as he soon touched her sleeve before escorting her back to her tent.
All the while, she should be happy about this bit of interaction but didn't feel as such. Perhaps her mind was still thinking back of Roxas and Myrcella in such a position and kept imagining her in the princess' place.
What she needed to do now was focus on the present. She had a duty to her House and she will see it through it.
Once securing Lady back at the Stark tent, the pair went off riding east along the north bank of the Trident with no company other than the horses and Joffrey's sword tied by his side, Lion's Tooth.
For hours, the day was pretty decent for Sansa. The air was warm and heavy with the scent of flowers with the woods holding a gentle beauty.
Joffrey had rode with such reckless abandon that she was hard-pressed to keep up. He wasn't like Roxas, who took time with her as they rode in sessions passed.
At some point, they dismounted as the crown prince wanted to give her a bit of an adventure. She complied as they explored the thickened woods, the riverbank and tracked a shadowcat to it's cave-like lair.
Joffrey had gone in and slew the creature before coming out with a smile that seemed to unsettle her as he wiped his blade clean of the stained blood. She fought back the horrid feeling as they went off, but swore she heard faint mewlings in the cave.
When they grew hungry, Joffrey found a small holdfast by it's smoke. Coming to it, he told the occupants to fetch them some food and wine as they were the crown prince and the future queen of Westeros.
They dined on fresh trout caught from the nearby river, but Sansa didn't want to eat all that much. She didn't want to be rude as they suddenly barged on the family and saw they didn't have much to offer.
As for the wine, Sansa only had a small cup's worth. And Joffrey urged her to have more, stating his betrothed should drink as much as she wants.
Yet it seemed he was pressuring her to have more than she desired, which was very little.
Her father only allowed her to have one cup and during feats and special occasions. And it was neither of those occasions and she wanted to honor her father's wishes.
Joffrey drank a lot, almost a pitcher's worth; saying he was quite parched from their travels so far. Sansa figured he took a bit after his father, the king, on such a trait with how much the Stark girl saw him guzzle down.
Leaving, Sansa gave the family of the small holdfast several gold dragons for their troubles and apologized on their sudden arrival.
They kept on riding for a while now and Sansa was starting to get tired.
"Shouldn't we be heading back?"
"Soon." Answered the prince, face flushed from all the wine he drank earlier. "The battleground is right up ahead, where the river bends. That was where my father killed Rhaegar Targaryen, you know. He smashed in his chest, right through the armor."
Joffrey smiled fondly as he swung an imaginary warhammer just like how King Robert told him time and time again.
"Then my uncle Jamie killed old Aerys by… what's that sound?"
It took a moment for Sansa to pick up on what's being heard, floating through the woods. It was a kind of wood clattering.
Fearing it was either brigands or the Heartless, Sansa urged her betrothed. "We should go back, Joffrey."
"I want to see what it is." Was all he said, turning his horse towards the source and went after it.
Sansa had no choice but to follow. All she can do now was wish it wasn't her fears at all. If they were, then she hoped Roxas would be there to protect her.
'Wait, why am I thinking that?' She thought. 'I should be hoping for Joffrey to, not Roxas.'
She couldn't dwell more into her thoughts as they ended up coming to a clearing which faced the riverbank, the Red Ford if she was correct by some estimates.
There she saw Arya was playing with Mycah as they battled each other with wooden sticks.
"I'll get you!" Mycah laughed out, chasing after Arya.
"No you won't!" Arya said with glee.
"Arya!" Sansa spoke out, gaining her sister's attention. "What are you doing here?"
The young She-wolf turned to her sister, only to get smacked by Mycah's wooden stick.
"Ow!"
"I'm sorry, Arya." Apologized the butcher's boy.
Arya rubbed her hand a little. "It's alright." She turned back towards Sansa, who dismounted and walked beside the prince, and properly responded. "I was playing. Don't you remember me telling you that earlier?"
With how much the day had passed, that bit of information actually slipped her mind.
Joffrey looked over at the boy who struck his future good-sister with a narrowed glance. "Who are you boy?"
"He's Mycah, the butcher's boy." Sansa said.
"He's my friend." Arya said to the prince.
Sansa spoke next. "Shouldn't you run back to your father. He'll no doubt need your help with the feast later."
Mycah nodded and was about to head off when the crown prince spoke. "And what were you doing to her?"
"I-I was just playing, m'lord." Said the butcher's boy. "Arya asked me to and I said yes."
"I'm your prince, not your lord." Joffrey started to sneer. "The butcher's boy wants to become a knight, I see." He drew out Lion's Tooth from it's sheath. "Lets see how good you are."
Mycah froze in fear with the Stark sisters widening their eyes on what the prince was doing. Looking back, Sansa realized the wine he drank back at the holdfast was finally getting to him and not thinking rationally.
"Come on, pick up your sword." Joffrey ordered, coming up close and poking the butcher's boy with the tip of Lion's Tooth on his cheek. "Or do you only fight little girls?"
"I-It's just a s-stick, m'prince."
"And you're not a knight."
Blood soon crawled out from the cut, making Arya to yell at the prince.
"Leave him alone!"
"Joffrey, you need to stop." Sansa urged. "You're not thinking straight."
"Silence." Joffrey hissed out, startling Sansa with the level of venom in his tone. "This boy wishes to be a knight then let us see where his mettle lay."
That was when Arya struck.
Her stick hit Joffrey right in the back with the Prince letting out a yelp of pain before rearing onto the younger Stark girl and began swinging at her rapidly in an attempt at payback.
With Joffrey's attention aimed at the Stark girl, this gave Mycah the opportunity to flee and seek shelter back at the caravan.
"Arya!" Sansa cried out, horrified for her sister's safety as she only had a stick whilst Joffrey carried a steel sword.
In his blind and crazy swings, Arya did her best to avoid the wild hits. She was glad all the training she had from Roxas was paying off as she effortlessly avoided each blow.
Unfortunately, the ground was rather uneven with her stepping upon a soft patch of grass that made her stumble over and fall to the ground.
"I'll gut you, you little cunt!" Joffrey snapped with Lion's Tooth pointed at Arya in utter anger.
And like that, the trio were surrounded by Heartless that popped up out of the ground or appeared in their conventional warping manner.
The majority of them were these black round figures with yellow flower tops with leafy-bladed arms of similar color. And the one different from out of the bunch was a larger one. It had a cotton-looking material on its head and has two leaf arm looking limbs. It has some orange fluff under its face with a few leaves on its bottom.
Joffrey let out a startled cry, dropping his sword as the Heartless surrounded him and the girls.
Sansa let out a yell for aid whilst Arya scrambled to her feet, stick in hand that she had used and stood up right and backed up to her sister.
Arya wished she had Needle with her right now, but her wooden "sword" will have to do.
She had tried with her other hand, snapping her wrist a few times in a vain attempt at calling forth her newest weapon yet all she got were glimmers and wisps of light and sparks. Grunting in frustration, she spotted Joffrey's sword yet it was now too far out of reach with the Heartless beginning to close in on them.
God's she felt stupid right about now in leaving such an important tool locked in her trunk but here she was.
Just when these Puffballs and Chief Puff Heartless were about to pounce, a series of metallic swipes filled the air.
And landing before them was Roxas with his signature Keyblades drawn out.
"Stay behind me." Roxas said to the Stark girls with both letting out relieved breaths.
Arya grinned excitedly now at the prospect of watching her mentor in action whilst Sansa felt herself swooning internally at once again being rescued by Roxas in such a gallant manner.
Roxas narrowed his eyes, jumping up to hover momentarily in the air and threw his Keyblades out. They spun rapidly around the trio, taking out several Heartless to give them some room to move before flying back into Roxas's hands.
In the middle of the confusion, the crown prince spotted a way out and took advantage of the opportunity.
He didn't care if he left the Stark girls behind or not. The Keyblader will take care of these monstrosities.
When Joffrey was fleeing towards the horses, one of them already ran off by the sudden arrival of the Heartless. He didn't care for that one, only for the other he was able to snatch.
Before he could get on, however, a blur of grey crashed into him and made him fall to the ground. The prince then yelled as he felt a searing pain on his right arm. Looking at his assailant, he saw it was Arya's direwolf chewing down into his limb.
He wailed and cried and did all he could to get the mangy beast off him. Even punching and slapping were the attempts.
What felt like forever, the beast let go of him and ran off.
Joffrey didn't bother looking as to where it went as he went back to the horse… which soon went off without him. No doubt spooked from the direwolf's abrupt arrival.
Seeing as he can't go back to the riverbank, all the prince could do was run and hopefully find a horse to get him back to safety at the Crossroads Inn.
Roxas all the while slashed through several Puffballs and moved forward to make a pathway for himself and the girls. Nymeria was running about to cause distractions for the Heartless though she didn't have the same kind of experience Ghost and Grey Wind held.
Not yet at least.
All the direwolf could do was help protect her human and her sister as much as possible.
Roxas had to throw up Reflect spells on several occasions as the Puffballs kept jumping upon them.
This was more of a tedious fight as the Heartless kept trying to get an attack on the girls forcing Roxas to constantly run around them to keep them from getting struck down.
Arya perhaps could take two, maybe three hits max from a Heartless though with Sansa all he feared it would take is one. One good clean hit and she would be done for.
Thankfully, Roxas was able to dispatch the Heartless rather quickly after several more minutes of fighting. Looking back to the girls, he saw Arya beaming with awe and reverence with an excited grin as it seemed difficult to contain her excitement after witnessing such a display from Roxas.
Sansa appeared to be in a daze of sorts as she gazed at Roxas with a light blush dusting her cheeks, something Arya took note of and rolled her eyes at her older sister. With a shove from her elbow, Sansa glanced down at Arya who had raised an expectant brow with Sansa's face turning crimson. In retaliation, Sansa promptly flicked Arya's upper shirt over her face.
"Come on you two." Roxas gained their attention. "Let's head back and be quick. There's still a lot of Heartless that will probably get in our way. I gotta get you two back to your father."
With a nod, Arya ran up to walk by Roxas's side with Nymeria right with her yet Sansa stood on her spot with a forlorn expression.
Were the God's torturing her now? Spending time with someone she knew she could not have. It must be the Gods.
-Dusk-
It had taken the small group quite some time to get back to the Crossroads Inn in one piece. Could've been able to get there sooner if they had horses and lack of Heartless appearances.
But alas, not everything can go their way.
They had wondered what had become of the prince. They did see him run off at some point but didn't know of his current state.
Despite him threatening her sister, Sansa hoped he was alright. Death by Heartless was not a way to go. Arya thought the opposite for what he planned on doing to her and Mycah. And Roxas was a little bit of both from what he learned prior to his arrival at the Red Ford.
The sun had set when they were able to get back to the encampment. But instead of joyful reunions, they were quickly detained and brought forth to the King's tent by Lannister men as Nymeria scampered off to safety.
They were confused as to why this was happening. But they would learn quite soon.
Surrounded by both Baratheon and Lannister soldiers, moreso on the latter, Roxas and the Stark sisters stood in front of the seated King Robert and Queen Cersei with Joffrey holding his arm in a sling -for some reason- and his Kingsguard uncle standing behind him. And of course Ser Barristan stood not far from his king's seated form.
Both sisters of Winterfell were quite nervous about what was happening. Sansa held onto Roxas' hand for support while Arya merely clung to his arm. The greater Nobody didn't mind the actions as they were very uneased at the present moment.
Eventually they heard the sounds of shoving coming from behind them. Looking back, the three saw Ned shoving any man in his way.
"Arya! Sansa!" Cried out their father.
The two girls broke their hold on Roxas, rushing towards him and holding on to dear life. And the Lord of Winterfell mirrored the same action.
"Shush now." Ned softly said. "It's alright. Are you two hurt?"
Arya and Sansa shook their heads at this.
Ned looked over to Roxas and gave him a thankful nod, knowing full well he did his duty in keeping them safe.
Yet his bit of relief soon died before looking towards his old friend with a disgruntled snarl. "What is the meaning of this? Why weren't my daughters brought to me at once?"
Instead of Robert speaking, it was the queen who answered. "How dare you speak to your king in that manner?"
"Quiet woman." Robert snapped at his wife. He turned back to Ned with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Ned. I never meant to frighten them."
"Not a great way of making it so." Roxas muttered out.
"And I agree, boy. But we need to get this business done quickly."
Ned's voice then had an icy tone to it. "And what business is that?"
"Your girl and that butcher's boy attacked my son." Cersei answered. "That animal of hers tried to tear his arm off."
This did solve one question as they looked over to the crown prince, who merely glared at Arya in particular.
"That can't be true." Arya said in her direwolf's defense.
"Joffrey told us what happened." Cersei continued. "How you and the butcher's boy beat him with clubs and set your wolf on him before the Heartless appeared. He was able to make it out alive."
"That's not what happened!" Arya and Sansa said at once.
"Yes it is!" Joffrey snapped. "You two attacked me and that beast assaulted me!"
"Oh really?" Roxas stepped forward with his eyes narrowed, glaring at the prince making him flinch. "From what I was told, it was you who attacked first. Being drunk while you were at it."
Like the sisters, Roxas didn't know if Nymeria assaulting Joffrey was true or false. But he did see some blood along the mouth of the direwolf.
"That is not true!" Joffrey shrieked.
"Where were you then?" Roxas challenged. "When I got to Sansa and Arya, Heartless surrounded them both. And the first chance you got, you ran. Not very brave or princely of you."
This earned a sharp look from Joffrey's parents, making him flinch.
"He's lying!" Joffrey shouted, voice raising an octave.
"No he's not!" Arya yelled back, glaring fiercely at the Prince. "You threatened my friend, then attacked me when I defended him and then took the only horse left and fled without even looking back."
"You're the liar!"
"No you are!"
"ENOUGH!" Robert bellowed, silencing all within the room. Joffrey cowered back yet Arya's intense glare remained firmly upon the prince. "He tells me one thing, she tells me another, and Roxas' statement can only go so far as he wasn't there when it happened. Seven hells, what am I to make of this?"
"Would Roxas ever lie to you, Robert?" Ned brought up with Robert's expression softening. "Would Ven?"
At the mention of their old friend, Robert's shoulders sagged with him cursing under his breath.
"No, neither wouldn't. But I have to take everything accountable." Robert then looked over to Sansa. "You, however, barely spoke at all. You were there when it happened. Would you kindly tell it all and tell it true? It's a great crime to lie to a king."
Sansa found herself freezing up as all the attention was turned onto her with her gripping her father tightly for support.
Her gaze went from Cersei's, King Robert, her Father, her sister, the Prince and then at last to Roxas.
Without even realizing it, she began recounting everything that had transpired up to this point making sure to leave out no details.
"Joffrey took me for a ride with our horses when we eventually saw my sister playing with Mycah. Joffrey then pulled out his sword and threatened to hurt Mycah but my sister defended him when the Prince attempted to hurt my sister with his own sword. Nymeria was only defending Arya and then the Heartless came and Joffrey ran. I knew not on what Nymeria did to the prince prior to her arrival, so forgive me on not giving you a clear answer for that."
It was the abridged truth, she knew, but the truth nonetheless. The truth that cemented Joffrey's punishment to come under his father who was now glowering at him.
"I'll be dealing with you later." Robert stated, making Joffrey shake a little in his spot.
Cersei went on the defense for her son. "Husband-"
"You know the consequences of what happens of harming a lord's child in such a manner."
Cersei paused a little before actually speaking. "I wasn't going to speak out of turn on that." This earned a surprised look from both Jamie and Joffrey, not that she needed to see to know it. "I'm asking about her wolf." Cersei brought up, not willing to just drop the matter. "What shall be done about it."
"What about the wolf?" Robert asked in aggravation.
"It hurt your son." Cersei stated.
"Only after Joffrey tried to hurt Arya." Roxas cut in. "I may have come a bit late, but I did hear the Prince say something about gutting Arya with a sword pointed at her stomach."
"Robert." Ned now held a grave countenance considering him disregarding the Kings title. "Whatever it is you suggest to be done upon my daughters' direwolves may as well be an attack and affront on my House."
"The matter is settled." Robert said with finality. "No harm shall be done on them."
"Wait."
"For fuck's sake, what is it now?" Robert grumbled, rounding on his son who was sneering at Roxas.
"I demand your Keyblade."
This earned surprised looks from many inside of the king's tent.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me." Joffrey reminded the Keybearer. "I want your Keyblade. Either of them will do as you have two. If I have one, then everything will be settled and forgiven."
"Are you daft?" Robert said, recalling the time when Ventus told him of his Keyblade. "You can't just ask for a Keyblade, boy. If you really think he'll just hand it over to you-"
A flash of light appeared in Roxas' grasp to reveal Winter's Howl. Sure the appearance of this particular Keyblade was surprising to everyone present as they were used to seeing Oathkeeper and Oblivion.
Yet this one was interesting, moreso for the Starks.
Before anything else can be processed properly, Roxas held out the Keyblade. "Here ya go."
…..
…..
…..
"HUH?!" Many in the tent gasped out in shock.
Joffrey was quick in his recovery, while still a bit dumbfounded on how easily this was in acquiring such a powerful, legendary weapon.
"Finally." Joffrey muttered under his breath as he was handed Winter's Howl. "I'll be sure to put this to good use in the times to come."
Joffrey admired the blade in all of it's intricacies, despite some bit of displeasure of seeing the Stark emblem being present, until it up and vanished from his hand.
"What the? Where'd it go?!"
Winter's Howl returned to Roxas, the flash of light that many were becoming familiar with.
The Keyblade's chosen smirked as he briefly waved his Stark-themed weapon. "Oh, I forgot to mention this. Ya see~ you can't just ask for a Keyblade, if you let your father finish." Roxas stated. "It has to choose you and it can't be wielded by no one else other than whom it was meant to be wielded by."
Keyblade flashing out of Roxas's hand, the sandy golden blond-haired teen gave a rather shit eating grin at Joffrey. "And they are rather picky."
Robert soon snorted before releasing a hearty chuckle. Moreso when seeing Joffrey's surprised, embarrassed expression. "Oh~ I remember when that happened to me. Kept grabbing Ven's Keyblade over and over and it kept going back to him."
Ned himself held a humored grin. "I recall that, yes. Never told you that until it became boring."
"BAH~" Robert waved off. "He still laughed every chance he had. Cocky tyke."
Letting out a yawn, Robert began barking at everyone to piss off and get to bed already as it was late enough as it is.
Joffrey didn't bother hiding his scowl on how much this peeved him. He will no doubt want payback for what happened this day and he'll have it one way or another.
Seeing everyone head off to bed for the ride in the morning, Joffrey knew he can't harm the Stark girls anytime soon.
But he remembered something, which soon had his scowl form a small hint of a grin.
It didn't take long for him to get his little act of revenge to commence.
-Later-
Sandor Clegane was to say the least, a complicated man with a rather horrible upbringing. That upbringing being his older brother, Gregor Clegane also known as the Mountain being the man responsible for said horrible childhood. The older brother that scarred his face and murdered his father and sister in cold blood. The same Mountain that had raped, killed and slaughtered innocents in droves not because he was ordered to do so but because he needed to do so.
Sick fucking bastard to the core.
So Sandor decided to dedicate himself to living up to his house banners sigils. Be a dog. A rabid dog to the Lannisters. It's why he came under service to that little shit who would be king one day.
Life wasn't all that complicated. The boy would just point and tell him when and where to inflict death and despair and he'd do it.
It's what most people do except he did it with a more… truer nature then most. He did it because it's just human nature to be bloody vicious animals. So many other lords would try everything to lie and sugar coat this but he knew better. He knew the truth. It's why he was doing what his prince had asked him to do earlier.
The horse galloped along the road with a panicked yell followed by hurried running. His target, the butcher's boy, was within sight. His large sword out and ready to cut the boy down.
"No please!" Mycah begged, running as fast as he could.
Yet the scarred fighter didn't slow his horse's speed in the slightest.
Drawing closer to his target, Sandor soon brought his sword down and expected to hear the sound of meat being cut-
*CLANG*
-except all he was met was metal against metal.
Sandor saw the large, layered sword holding off against his own before gazing at the spikey blond man wielding such a weapon.
"Back off."
Sandor blinked, gritting his teeth as he pressed down further upon his blade that was held back rather casually by the blond swordsman.
"So, this is how knights and swordsmen conduct themselves in this land?"
The Hound felt himself get shoved back with his horse backing away, rearing up onto its hind legs yet Clegane managed to reign it in.
"This doesn't concern you, Strife."
"It does if you plan on harming an innocent kid."
"That boy insulted the prince." Hells, Clegane could barely believe his own words with Cloud clearly catching on to this. Yet that didn't matter to him.
"I don't care if there was an insult or not." Cloud pushed the offending blade away with his Fusion sword, glaring at the Hound with the ferocity of a wolf. "You're not killing a kid on my watch."
Sandor opened his mouth to give out a scathing remark only to be silenced as he was met by the tip of Clouds sword being held up right to his face.
"Please, try it." Cloud challenged with a menacing glare. "I dare you."
The Hound tried his damndest to put on a brave front but the gigantic sword in his face being held by the man who appears to be just as strong as that other smaller blond Key shit put a damper in his moods to be honest.
"Don't have time for this shit." Sandor growled. "Boy ain't worth the damn trouble."
Despite Sandor backing down, Cloud remained on guard before quickly sheathing his long weapon on the unique holster on his back. "Smart move."
The Hound moved his horse, pulling the reins to move elsewhere. "Hope saving the little shit was worth it. If anything, you only spared him a quick end."
Clegane soon departed, which Cloud was soon met with the butcher's boy.
"Thank you for saving my life, ser."
"I'm no knight." Cloud waved his hand, gazing down at the butcher's boy. "Now come on, let's get you back to your dad. Though I should tell ya to stay low for a while until things blow over. And stay away, far away, from both the Hound and the prince."
"T-That was the Hound?" Mycah shakily said. "Man's supposed to be a beast!"
"I've faced tougher beasts than him."
Mycah nodded and scampered back to his father, who will no doubt tell him on what just transpired.
Cloud walked off, finding Roxas outside the Stark family's own tent with a rather disgruntled and angered frown.
"What's your problem?" Cloud asked, approaching the young Keyblade Wielder.
"Nothing." Roxas said, crossing his arms. "Just that prince. He nearly hurt Arya and is a jackass of the highest degree."
Cloud was certainly surprised by Roxas's crass words though he smirked, thinking of Sora being unable to say such things casually.
Either Roxas represented a bit more of Sora's darker side or this was just something developed overtime since he was born
"You still sure you can't send me back home?" Cloud asked. "Not liking this place more as time rolls on."
This was something the swordsman asked a while back as he wanted to return back to Radiant Garden.
And as much as Roxas wanted to, there was a problem.
"I wish I could, Cloud, but I don't know if you'll safely travel through the Corridor and come out in one piece." Roxas reminded him. "And I don't have another Organization coat lying around for you to use for better protection. Even then, mine doesn't exactly fit you."
Cloud released a sigh for the upteenth time this day.
What Roxas said can be true. Going through the Realm of Darkness, without the right means of protection, can be very hazardous for any venturers. He does have the skills to fend off it's residents, but not the right set of garments.
He was only able to get from World to World before was through a Gummi ship and… other circumstances. One such was from his clashes against Sephiroth as they ended up elsewhere.
Cloud could possibly have a better chance in going through the Corridor of Darkness then most, due to his own personal darkness and hints of buried light. Hell, even have an understanding of the former. But he wouldn't know how long his journey back home will be if he used this option.
For now, he just had to sit and wait.
Cloud then noticed the former Organization member was walking off with the still present annoyed expression from earlier.
"And where are you going?"
"I need some time by myself." Roxas stated. "Can you keep an eye out on the Starks and everything here?"
"Sure but where exactly are you going?" Cloud questioned, eyeing the Nobody.
"Just… some place where I could clear my head."
Roxas walked off leaving Cloud in thought, glancing to the Stark tent walking over to a wooden bench and taking a seat.
"Hmmm, long day." Cloud said, his Fusion sword resting beside him whilst crossing his arms and closing his eyes to rest.
If the Nobody won't be back by morning, he'll be sure to keep his promise and watch over the Starks until his return. Kid needed to blow off some steam and be by himself for a while.
Roxas was walking through the camp until leaving the area entirely and entering one of the neighboring woods.
With destination in mind, Roxas made a flick of his wrist and the Corridor of Darkness appeared before him. Walking through the corridor vanished a moment later as the blackened wisps dissipated into thin air.
-Twilight Town; Insert Kingdom Hearts 2: Lazy Afternoons-
Standing here once more…
It was strange that he felt his lip quiver slightly as he looked off into the distance of the brilliant setting sun in the center of Twilight Towns Tram station plaza.
Behind him, the clock tower. The tower where true and false friends sat upon gazing at the sunset day after day, ice cream in hand and nothing but laughter.
Wiping a stray tear that escaped, Roxas let out a shaky sigh as he turned and ran at full speed towards the one place that had the best Sea-Salt Ice Cream in Town.
Then again, it was the only place where he could get such a treat from any other World he'd been to in his life.
Running down familiar streets and locals, the grin growing on his face couldn't get any wider.
Oh how he missed this World so much.
It didn't take that much longer for him to arrive at the town plaza with the area bustling with activity.
Looking over in the plaza, he spotted some sort of cafe. It appeared new, given the banners hanging about and the line running out the door.
"Le Grand Bistro." Roxas sounded out. "Could check it out later if it weren't so busy."
Putting that aside, the former Organization member made his way towards the place where he can purchase his desired treat.
Nearing the place, he was about to make his advancement when he saw three particular faces. Faces which made him freeze in his spot.
"Come on Hayner, you cheated!"
"Nah-ah, Pence, you know the rules. You snooze, you lose."
"Hayner, how is that exactly fair? You ran ahead of us."
"Yeah, but I don't see you complaining about free Ice Cream, Olette."
Roxas backed away and immediately drew his hood over his head.
Despite him never meeting the real versions of the three before him, he was still awkward in reuniting with his friends so soon.
He knew through Sora's memories Hayner, Pence and Olette wanted to find him as a means of finding closure. And if possible, want to become friends with the Nobody.
As much as Roxas wanted to do such a thing, he wasn't in the mood given what happened earlier.
So for now, he kept his distance and avoided them.
He had walked past many individuals before reaching his destination.
"Two Sea-Salt Ice Creams please." Roxas said politely with a slightly excited tint to his tone.
The lady behind the counter gave him a pleasant smile, holding out two wrapped Sea-salt bars on sticks with Roxas paying for them.
Taking them with a gracious smile, Roxas walked through a crowd passing around several tables when he inadvertently found himself tripping over someone's leg.
"Oh~ I do apologize young man, I hope I did not mean to have my legs sticking out like that."
Roxas stood up and turned to see a rather… strange individual.
He was dressed in a casual sort of business suit, primarily black though his blazer had a hoodie attached. From what he can see from the inside of the blazer, there was this silver flannel pattern which matched the rolled up sleeves. The man's pants had some stitches and tears along the lengths, but seemed designed that way. The man's shoes had a checkered design to them. And to top off his appearance was a black bucket hat, which the rims were long enough to hide and overshadow the top portion of his face.
"That's alright." Roxas said, patting the small pebbles off of his coat.
The strange man regarded Roxas with a curious look.
"You don't seem to be around from here." The Man said with an intrigued tone.
Roxas looked at the man, feeling slightly wary suddenly.
"Uh…"
"Oh! Sorry, sorry." The man waved down a bit dramatically. "It's rather rude of me to tell you such a comment when I myself am not from around here."
"You're not?" Roxas titled his head. "Who are you then?"
"You can call me… M."
"M? Like the letter 'M'?"
"Yeah. I'm fine with that." Spoke the introduced M. "Don't like giving out my real name at all."
"...If you say so. I'm Roxas."
"Roxas eh? A pleasure to meet you then."
"Right. You too."
"So Roxas, if I may kindly ask, what's a young man such as yourself doing on this beautiful evening?" M asked cheerfully.
Roxas wordlessly held up two ice-cream bars in their plastic wrappings.
"I love that flavor." M said with an excited clap.
Roxas had his lip twitch upward at the rather eccentric man before him.
"Far be it from me then, my young friend from keeping you from such an other-worldly treat." M waved him off. "Go, go. I am committing a grave crime here in my book of ethics."
As Roxas nodded, walking off towards the clock tower, M leaned back into his chair and took a sip of his steaming cup of tea.
"So he is the one?"
M barely turned his head to the man who had just seated himself at his table with his own cup of tea.
"Pretty much." M simply said. "You could've talked to him you know."
"I know, but I didn't want to cause any further disturbances."
"If you say so."
The new arrival was a young man with silvery white hair in a frazzled lanky style. Formally dressed in a white Victorian, steampunk attire with a black and grey striped shirt lay underneath the styled jacket. His black tie hung loosely around his neck as he made a brief adjustment to his monocle with his leather gloves. And hanging by his waist by a chain was a pocket watch.
M would consider him his friend, his buddy, but the monocled man considered the other a mere acquaintance.
"So what can I do for you, my good sir?"
The monocled man sipped more of his tea. "I am surprised you didn't want to chat with him more."
"Now isn't really the time." M chuckled out. "That will come later for an opportune pep talk."
"Prior to your War or for the Other?"
"Either and or both."
The monocled man grunted softly, finding the vague aloofness slightly irritating. Then again, M is nothing but enigmatic.
"What? If I went to do deep discussions now all of a sudden, he'd become too cautious of me and avoid me whenever I show back up."
"Keep telling yourself that." Another sip of tea was then made. "Then again, you are right."
"You know I wish I wasn't always. It gets dull when things go the way one would perceive it to be. I'd like some more unpredictability in my life."
"I bet you would."
"I would."
"Are you a child?"
"Why, do I sound like one?"
"You clearly do. I often wonder if your mind hasn't matured or not."
M sniffled a little. "Hurtful."
"Yet whatever actions you make live for the sake of others."
"Debatable."
"But you wish for your tale to slowly fade throughout eternity." A soft groan was soon released. "Only to spring up when it seems… convenient."
"That is true."
The tea drinker partook more of his flavored beverage. "Why him?"
M looked to the silver-haired monocled man. "What do you mean, Aeon?"
"You know exactly what I mean. Why someone like him? Someone who was not meant to be?"
"Isn't it obvious? He interests me. He's such a truly special case made from such unique circumstances one would call it a miracle all things considered."
"Even artificially made life is subject to the laws of time."
"I wouldn't say artificial, Aeon. Roxas is uniquely made."
Aeon hummed in thought, gazing over to where the clock tower was, thoughts drifting to the young Nobody M had just encountered.
Both men kept their gaze at the Keybearer for some time now, hardly chatting with each other. Just watching Roxas contemplate on his life since appearing in Westeros, eating his Sea-Salt ice cream along the way.
When he was done, Roxas got up from his secluded spot and opened a Corridor of Darkness.
To an untrained eye, it was an ordinary passage for Roxas to traverse through. With it's all purple and black wispy-like flames.
Yet to a trained eye, there were some hints of color added into the mix. From a few bits of bright purple and green blended into the dark corridor.
And Roxas was not the wiser on what just occurred.
"Have you done it?"
Aeon only nodded. "He's well on his way to his new destination."
"And will he make it back to them Westerosi?"
The silver-haired man held up his pocket watch with a hum.
"He will, if he survives the horrors."
M merely smiled. "Oh I surely know he will, but I'm more towards when."
"That is up to time itself." Aeon was stern now. "Unlike that fool Xehanort, there is still a law to time that can't be so blatantly ignored."
"He will face what is coming to him." M said assuredly. "After all, my student is amongst his thirteen. We have little to worry about."
"Don't know if I should be really worried about that or not."
"You could or you could not."
"That does absolutely nothing in assuaging my concerns."
"Oh what will then? I already allowed you to snatch him up to your World, what more do you want?"
Aeon could only huff silently, giving M a deadpanned stare.
With his pot of tea finished, Aeon stood up from the table and placed the amount of money he owed with quite the nice tip to the nearby waitress. Pulling out his pocket watch, he pressed the top button as a Corridor of Light formed around him. It swallowed him whole and disappeared soon after.
M shook his head as a Corridor of Darkness formed behind him.
"Some people are just no fun sometimes, yeesh."
Entering it, he disappeared from Twilight Town with no other trace.
-End Chapter-
AN:
Another episode of GoT has finally ended and damn it's gonna be a long road for this story.
So things are obviously shifted differently from book/show canon. Sansa wasn't annoying and betraying Arya as she wanted to impress Cersei for her loyalty. And we don't lose two direwolves as a result.
Of course things will further change throughout that series. Small ripples and all that.
And if you guys haven't figured it out, Roxas is going elsewhere for the time being. Not returning to Westeros for a while.
FMW: Wouldn't be a KH story without travelling to other worlds after all. And yeah, things are changing up. With the smallest of moments that would eventually spiral into course altering moments all together. And this is just the start of it all.
Jeb: And with what World will come up next will take some significance in filling some questionable plot holes made in this story with the odd time length. Like with events of Birth by Sleep, it took place about 12-ish years prior to KH3 events, yet in this story it seemed to be much longer than that.
FMW: So messing around with time and all will be tricky but we'll try to keep things in focus and will address said plothole and points when the time comes.
Jeb: Until then, please bare with us on this.
Anyways, be sure to review this story guys! Would like the criticisms. Please and thank you!
R&R