Chapter One
Strange
He didn't want to wake up. But he did.
He didn't want to look at himself in the mirror. But he did.
He didn't want to go to school. But he did.
And here he was.
He walked past the flagpole without a care in the world. He stood pretty tall, around five feet and seven inches, and had a nice, lean body. He was tanned and had sun burnt brown hair growing in unruly spikes all over his head. His eyes, they were blue, a piercing, intimidating, soul-searching blue. He was wearing a black dress shirt over a dark blue shirt and black shorts, and was fully loaded with belts crisscrossing everywhere. He didn't exactly have the happiest look on his face and his eyes were throwing daggers at just about everyone who was staring at him.
He stepped in his class sitting at the desk watching as the other students walked in. this was the big day. He smiled at his instructor who was also his guardian. He just shook his head starring at the table now was not the time to reminisce, not now not ever. Sora sat back not starring at any thing in general waiting for the news and the Shoulin teams to be set up.
"What are you doing here Sensune; this is for those who have passed the Genin test the first stage of a Shoulin Ninja. So what I'd like to know is why you are here?"
Sora looked up seeing the stupid smirk on the fools face. "What do you want Dante?"
"That's simple, for you to leave and never come back. Key master pff, as if." Dante said pushing back his long black hair. His green eyes scanned the area before he continued his ranting. "Why don't you just drop-."
Dante was cut of as Sora's hand shot out catching his collar and slamming his face against the desk. "Hold your tongue you retch."
"You know what I think, I think he's worthless."
"Selphie, that was mean," Yuna countered.
"But it's the truth. Look."
The three girls that were talking looked up to see Sora holding down Dante.
"How immature." Kairi said then spotted the guy next to Sora. "Riku!" she squealed. "Talk to you guys at lunch." she walked off towards the desk and stood in front of Sora. "Move you childish creatons."
Sora's gaze shifted towards Kairi who froze when his cerulean eyes locked on hers. 'There so beautiful.' Kairi's eyes enlarged at what she said. She watched Sora push Dante away from him then sit down.
"Thank you." she walked past him and sat by Riku with a smile intent to knock him away she just received a cool smile in return. 'Good enough.'
"Okay class, your teams have been selected." Leon said as the rest of the ninja school's student piled in. "Let's read them off. Team 1-."
As if it were planned Sora and Riku booth sat back against their chair. And Kairi just gazed lovingly at Riku.
"Team Seven, Riku Rakamashi, Kairi Kamaru, and..." Kairi was just jumping inside when she heard that she was with Riku not Sora. She was afraid, bye some cruel fate that she was put with "... Sora Sensune."
Flashes of her and him in seventh grade past through her mind. They had been the best of friend... her and Sora. But, then everything went wrong with a simple question.
Probably the hardest thing a girl has to go through while growing up is learning how to say 'no' to a boy. It could be a friend or a guy you really like, but know it would never work with. It's a very tense moment when a guy asks you to do something. Your mind is screaming at you to say 'yes' and go with the flow, but that little, nagging, motherly voice in the far regions of your mind whispers 'no', and you always seem to listen to it—no matter what. Seeing the hurt look on their faces is no laughing matter, either. The look in their eyes will haunt you to the day you lie six feet in dirt. Sure, you may try to erase your mind, start over new every day and act as if nothing happened at all, but every time you see that boy, your heart will pang a little for him. Why do we do the crazy things we do? Good question. Kairi didn't even know. And she didn't think she'd ever find out.
That was what happened between her and Sora. He had asked her out, but she was in love with Riku. "Who would ever have chosen Sora over Riku, you made the right choice." Selphie had told her after the incident. It made her feel even more like shit. When she went to school the next day she waited for Sora like she always did, but he never came. She found out later that he left with out a trace. And now he showed up when they start tenth grade and are able to join the ninja school. 'He doesn't even say one word to me.' she thought to herself as she watched Sora like the team selection didn't even faze him.
"Your teacher's will be selected after lunch. Now go to lunch and be back by one o'clock." and at that everyone got up and left quickly except the three.
"Riku I'm glade we are on a team together." Kairi said smiling at him.
"That's strange." Riku said in his calm voice.
"What is?"
"That there are two sword wielders in our group." Sora answered still starring at the front of the room with his stoic expression. "A ninja group usually has a magic caster, a healer, and a swordsman."
"Maybe it's because Riku is so great at booth magic and the sword." Kairi said with a smile.
"Maybe," Sora said and with that left the class room. With Kairi starring after him and Riku right behind him.
'He's changed, Sora.' Kairi thought to herself.
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"Wow here we go again." Selphie said.
"What do you mean?" Yuna asked politely.
"Well, every lunch hour someone has to prove that there the greatest ninja..."
"...and almost every time they pick Riku to fight." Kairi finished for her.
"Yeah, exactly. But lately they've been going after Sora I wonder why?" Selphie continued.
"What do you mean? Sora Sensune." Kairi asked a little worried but she didn't know why.
"Yeah look." she said as she pointed. They both followed the direction of her pointing finger.
Vexen tossed his trash to the trashcan next to the so called outcast student ninja. Whether it was by accident or on purpose they didn't know but the trash ball hit Sora on the head. The boy quickly looked up, scowled, and chucked the trash ball back at the guy. The whole school suddenly became silent as the insulted blond guy turned on Sora.
"How dare you throw something at me, Outcast!"
Sora ignored him completely, still immersed in his music as he turned away. He didn't realize that what he had just done was taboo.
"Oh, is he really in for it," Wakka murmured as him and his girlfriend came up behind the three girls. The others had noticed the silence.
"Let's see what Vexen's going to do with this kind of challenge," Lulu remarked.
Vexen smiled as he realized that Sora wasn't going to respond to him. "You going to ignore me then I'll make you answer." with that Vexen swung at Sora's head but realized at the last minute Sora wasn't their. He heard a gasp and froze with fist in mid-air. He looked over his shoulder to see Sora with his eyes closed and his head bobbing to the music coming from his headphones.
"Why you!" Vexen lifted up his leg to do a round house but missed with his leg going over Sora's head as Sora crouched to dodge the kick still bobbing his head to the music blasting from the head phones. And then he saw it. Sora's eye popped open in an instant, and he pushed off the ground sending his fist into Vexen's jaw. And Vexen flying over the bench he was sitting in.
"And he always ends up winning."
Kairi got up as the crowd began to disperse. She slowly walked up to Sora and for some unknown reason to him she began to yell at him under her breath.
"What has gotten into you!"
Sora's cerulean eyes shifted from the unconscious Vexen to the yelling Kairi. "What do you want?" he said in a stoic manner that sent chills down Kairi's spine.
"You to explain yourself." Kairi said now not even knowing what she was saying. "Where were you all this time?"
"What do you care?" Sora said pulling his headphones back over his ears.
Kairi held a hand to her head while staring with utter shock at the teen ignoring her completely. The world seemed to be blurring, spinning as the heat from the sun got to her- "S-Sora..."
"What?" Sora said turning back to her, and taking off his headphones agitatedly.
Kairi fainted.
"Oh fuck no, don't pull that shit on me Kamaru. I am not going to take you to the nurse's office, okay? Now stop playing around and get up."
"Hey, have fun carrying her to the nurse's office. Motherfucker!" a group of juniors snickered as they walked past him towards the gate. The bell rang.
"Fuck yourself," the teenager snarled back but was presented with a serious dilemma. No one was offering to help him and he was not about to get caught walking around the campus carrying Kamaru.
"I hate this fucking world."
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"Ugh…"
Blinking, her eyes drew the world into focus, turning fireworks into light bulbs. "Oh no…don't tell me I'm in the nurse's office…"
She sat up, the thin cotton blanket pooling at her waist. She was on the cot in the nurse's office, amidst the chairs and counters full of swabs and bandages and Aspirin and bottles of rubbing alcohol. The walls were mostly bare, except for the poster of letters and numbers that decreased in size as you moved down the poster and a diagram of the human body and where the mana flowed inside it. Or a teenager's body to the very least. Her backpack was leaning against a chair and dozing on the chair next to it was none other than Sora Sensune himself, plugged out of the world with his CD player.
Oh no, no way in hell…
She stared at him, wondering if he actually carried her to the nurse's office. Here at The Destiny Ninja Academy no one quite cared if someone fainted or got a puncture wound. If someone committed suicide or homicide or got caught with pot, which was something quite different…
"He could've just left me here and gone on to find out who our instructor is. Could've spared some embarrassment…"
Did anyone see him carrying her to the office? Oh she hoped not.
She didn't make a sound, didn't attempt to move. She feared that if she woke him up, they'd get into another fight and the nurse, Mrs. Odisse, would throw them out with plenty of shouting. That would be seriously embarrassing, considering the close proximity to the rest of the offices in the main building. But she had nothing to do, nothing until the nurse herself walked in to check up on her.
So Kairi simply sat there, watching Sora. Or rather, study him. Her violet eyes first stared at his wild, spiky hair, wondering just what it was that made his hair stick up like that. It didn't look like gel, for one thing, so what could it be?
Why do I even care…?
But his face, it looked so completely different from the one she had grown used to in the past seven hours. The angry light was no longer there, only an unsettling peace and a strange vulnerability. Like her Sora in the past. Maybe the anger he had was only a façade, something to hide his inner weaknesses.
Or maybe he really just hates the world but he was born with the look of innocence on his stupid face. I hate him!
Still though, he did have such a nice face for such an angry person – Kairi Kamaru, where the heck is your mind going?
And, she had to admit with some reluctance, he had a nice body. Of course, that's not easy to see since all he wears is black and blue –
"Oh, you're awake…" he groaned, opening his eyes and looking right at her. " What are you staring at?"
"N-nothing. What are you complaining about?" she snapped back, the peaceful mood of the room quite shattered.
"Don't want to suffer second homeroom but looks like there's enough for that," Sora spoke with no emotion, pointing at the clock. "If you were out just a little longer, I'd have ended up stuck in here until school ended. That stupid nurse won't let me leave. Thinks you're my responsibility."
"That's what you get for bringing me in, Sensune. But tell me, just how did you get me in here-"
"Please, I don't want to think about it. You talk to much espescailly about Riku and if you don't stop my mana will manifest to my brain and I might seriously lose some brain cells-"
"You actually listened to Leon?"
"When he's the only friend you've got, you're bound to learn something. Learn something completely worthless while forgetting something entirely important. It's suffering."
"Then why hang out with him?"
"I just told you, Kamaru. Don't you listen? I'm not afraid to clean out your ears for you-"
"If you come near me, I will personally make sure you'll never have kids-"
"You'd die trying."
"You know, you're really graphic for a Goth, Sensune-"
"I'm not a fucking Goth. Don't you know about those kids who just hate the world and life-?"
"Oh? What did the world ever to do you-?"
"I don't want to go there, Kamaru, so don't start with the 'why does the world hate you' philosophy bullshit now-"
"Excuse me for being so philosophical. Can't I ask? Or is it taboo to be curious around you-"
"I don't have time for this!" and with that Sora got to his feet. "You're up now so I can leave. Oh and our follow instructor is a guy name Cloud Strife we meet him tomorrow with our first mission."
Kairi scowled at him as his stoic expression returned to his face as he walked out the door.
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"Going somewhere?"
Jolted out of her thoughts as she was standing by her locker at the end of the day, Kairi couldn't collect herself in time to see Seifer. A student that was whole heartily obsessed with her.
"WH-what?"
"I said, were you going somewhere?" the blonde-haired teenager smirked. Most girls would've melted on the spot. Kairi glared at him.
"Leave me the hell alone, Seifer. It's none of your business."
"Oh, it isn't, love?"
"Stop calling me that!" Kairi snapped backing away quickly as Seifer stepped forward.
"I saw what Sora did," Seifer said abruptly. "I'm sorry."
Kairi blinked stupidly at him. "I-I'm sorry?"
"I said I'm sorry for what Sora did. I should've stopped him before he made you faint like that and then have to carry you to the nurse. I wanted to kill him when he touched you."
Something funny's going on here…Kairi decided suspiciously, and then scrambled backwards into the side of the locker, trying to get as far away from Seifer as possible.
"Why, don't you accept my apology?" Seifer asked slowly as, with three steps, he closed the gap between each other. "Aren't you going to say anything?"
"What games are you playing, Seifer?" Kairi hissed, trying to make her small as possible. Her eyes watched with sudden fear as his arm rested against the locker next to her.
"Games? I don't play any games." The other arm moved slightly and fingers traced the side of her face. She shuddered, tendrils of cold and panic spreading. "I play reality…"
He leaned in, and then avoided Kairi's defensive kick. "Smooth move, Kairi, but everyone knows you'll do that. Nice try."
Seifer shifted slightly, stepping over the offensive right foot so now he was standing much closer and in between her feet. That was not a good thing.
"Seifer…don't." Her voice came out a mere whisper, trembling as he eyed her lips.
"Just a little taste…" She could see the lust in the jade blue eyes as he closed in for the kill.
"Seducing women left and right eh? What a way to build a reputation."
Hovering over her lips, Seifer grimaced, and then backed off. "Shut the fuck up and scram, you bastard!"
" Hey, I see it as a duty to stop sexual assault when I see it," Tidus said calmly as he stood several feet behind Seifer, acting with precision of a guardian angel sent down from above to save Kairi from certain demise. 'Course, you didn't have to look like one to be one. "So I suggest you back off."
"Hey, I do as I like, fish," Seifer spat. "Just fuck off or would you like my buddies to beat the fucking shit out of you? You know, they'd be quite glad to do that, and especially out on the outdoor stage. Or would you like for me to get the group to mug you? In fact, they're not afraid to kill-"
"No, don't kill him!" Kairi gasped. "Don't you dare-"
"What's this, Kairi's coming to the defense of the school genius?" Seifer looked mighty interested…and furious. "Well, well, well, that's an interesting bit of news-"
"Stop assuming, you clod," Kairi hissed. "It'll be a wonder if you survive the real world once high school is over. You have so little common sense in you; I bet it's at a negative level-"
Seifer jerked her head to face him, and then drove his mouth onto hers. His were terribly close to hers, nearly causing her to gag, but it sure as hell did cause her to freak. Seifer was much too fast for her, however, and grabbed her wrists before she could get a good shot at his face. Then again, someone got there first.
A fist came flying out of nowhere and connected with the side of Seifer's head. He pulled back; turning on the offender, then was practically thrown off his feet. Sliding on the worn concrete floor, he came to a screeching, and embarrassing, stop.
"Who the fuck-"
"As much as I hate to say this, I must agree with Tidus on this," Sora said coldly as he advanced on Seifer, looking every bit the righteous god he was behaving as. "You're pushing the law, you fucking bastard, and I suggest you don't push it too far. Sexual assault isn't fun and games, as I recall."
"What do you know, you son of a bitch?" Seifer snapped, jumping back onto his feet and holding his fists out. "Come on, try me, I dare you."
"I'd try but not here. I don't fight at school."
"What's this, the want to be ninja socks me in the head but refuses to fight? You fluke, you coward, what the fuck did you punch me for in the first place? You should've ignored the whole thing-"
"I'd love to but you were breaking a very serious rule. Now I suggest that you scram. I'm not afraid to show you just how much-"
"You wuss, you'd kick my ass to send me running but you won't fucking fight when I dare you to!"
Sora eyed him for a few seconds. Then he delivered his verdict. "You are one fucking sorry piece of flesh. I am so sad your mother bore you in the first place-"
"Leave my mother out of this!" Seifer hissed.
"Very well."
Sora turned around, fully intent on ignoring Seifer, but whirled back, when he heard him running full speed at him, with kick that sent Seifer flying before he could lay a finger on the brunet teenager.
"Own, fucking shit! You fucking bastard, I'm going to fucking get you, you son of a bitch, you man whore, you…" Seifer picked himself up painfully from the steel trash bin he crashed into and stumbled away down the hall, exiting the far door and the building. The few students who dared to walk into the building after word spread of a commotion within stared after him. As was with mostly everyone at the ninja academy, they steered clear of Tidus and Sora, both who had turned to Kairi. The red-haired teenager had slumped to the floor, curled up in a fetal position and shaking madly.
"Kairi?" Tidus reached out and touched her on the arm. She jerked away. "Kairi, it's okay. It's alright. He's gone now. C'mon, Kairi. Best get you out of this hall."
"If you feel like puking, the girl's restroom's down the hall," Sora muttered, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black jeans and looking away. He still felt his blood boiling but couldn't understand why. He knew better than to fight the teenager but Seifer had broken a law and must pay the price. He had merely walked into the building to go to homeroom but started seeing red as soon as he saw Seifer forcing himself on that Kamaru girl.
Kairi looked up, her eyes dry but they looked horrified.
"I…I…don't…I don't know…what to…say," she stammered, her voice shaking. She almost fainted as she fell to her knees.
Then she felt the comforting warmth rise off of her. Fear set in, fear that haunted her since the younger days when she had to deal with her parents like this; she grabbed onto the living shield and pulled it back down. Burying her face into clothing, she cried, "Don't leave me, and please don't leave me!"
"I won't…come on; we have to get out of here…"
Arms wrapped around her tightly and pulled her to her feet.
First bell was ringing, signaling everyone to go to homeroom. People were finally walking into W building, eyeing Tidus – and Sora, who joined him – oddly and wondering why the two boys were standing outside the girl's bathroom.
"What the fuck are you looking at?" Sora snapped at a group of girls from the cheerleading squad who were eyeballing them weirdly.
Then she was out again,
"Damn she faints a lot."
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Slowly she sat up again, someone's black jacket sliding down to settle at her waist. Blinking unsteadily, she looked around, suddenly realizing where she was.
Sensune's house! But how did I get here?
She was on the three-sitter couch in the living room. And she could see Sora sprawled all over the loveseat couch, so out of it he looked dead. Once again, she could only stare; not only did he look so vulnerable, there were creases of worry and weariness on his face. Did he carry her back to the house?
No, no, no, not again…
She swore at herself, furious and embarrassed that she kept fainting or going unconscious whenever he's around. He was like a curse; thanks to him, she was turning into a real embarrassment, a real piece of humiliation. Never in a million years…
But as she watched him, studied his face, she felt something stir in her stomach, something just not right. Closing her eyes, she turned away and opened them to find a neatly folded pile of clothes on the coffee table, with a note on top. She reached out and pulled the note to her. And smiled before she went to take a shower.
He stood up, cracked his back in several places, and immediately felt better. Nothing's as great as five cracks in the back at six o'clock in the morning…
He hobbled to the kitchen and splashed some cold water in his face. The world jolted into focus and he blinked some, before wiping his face on the dishtowel.
Why didn't I take the other couch…?
Feeling a bit bothered, he dug into the small fridge, looking for something to eat.
Yes, I wonder why.
He scowled. Stupid conscience. Not again!
You didn't take the other couch because of that song. Remember that song? The music is in your mind but not the lyrics. And you know that she'll give you the lyrics. That's why you fell asleep watching her-
"Okay, that's enough," he snapped. "Shut the fuck up right now and leave me alone. It's morning; I don't need someone else to start yelling at me-"
Me? I'm not yelling. I'm just reminding you of what I do. You want to know why you didn't take the other couch; I'll tell you the answer. You were watching her sleep because you want that same peace. She has what you don't have. But…you also have what she doesn't have.
"Oh, so now you're going all extraterrestrial and omnipotent, huh, you great fucking lump of nothing," he muttered pouring out two glasses of milk. He took a swig from one glass and added, "How the hell would you know that? You live in my fucking brain and my brain only!"
You, Sora Sensune, seem to have forgotten what he told you. If you watch, you learn. And if you learn, you discern. Then you understand what's going on. Bet you forgot, huh-
"Shut up."
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" Oh look, the bringer of news has come," Lulu said calmly as Rikku a spirited young girl who loved to gossip came sprinting towards them, her golden braids flying and her yellow knapsack bouncing on her back.
"Guys, guys, guys!" Rikku practically screamed once she somehow came to a stop in front of them. "Oh my god, you guys won't believe it!"
"Uh…nice goggles, Rikku," Selphie commented.
"Aw, gee, thanks," Rikku said, touching the spectacles clinging to her head. "Mom went out and bought some for me! Moms, they understand you completely! But that's not the point. Did you hear what happened to Seifer the second ranked ninja in school!"
Her grinning face was met with blank stares.
"Well…I know he's got a black eye or something…" Wakka said slowly.
"And hobbled along like a granny," Lulu added placidly, petting her zombie teddy bear. Tidus looked at the bear, and then inched away as far as possible from Lulu's reach.
"Yes, I know that!" Rikku waved them off. She seemed ready to jump out of her skin and run around literally naked. "The whole school's abuzz and you guys didn't get the whole story?"
"Uh…no, Rikku, would you mind explaining to us?" Selphie asked.
"And calm down; you're getting hyperactive again," Yuna added, placing a calming hand on her friend's shoulder. That didn't quite work.
"That kid Sora beat the shit out of Seifer!" Rikku shrilled. "I mean, he really kicked the shit out of him, after socking him in the face. Seifer didn't get a finger on the guy; he got knocked clean off his ass and into a metal trash bin-"
"Wait, wait, and wait, WHAT!" Riku shouted, finally getting sense of her excited rambling. "Sora Sensune did WHAT!"
"He kicked Seifer's ass?" Wakka demanded. "Whoa, that's so out of there!"
"How'd that happen?" Lulu demanded.
Naminé's eyes were wide. "A fight? There was a fight? Oh no…oh no, oh no, oh no…"
"Did a teacher catch them?" Riku asked, reality kicking in.
"Well, no. but, I also didn't get all the information either. With all of us going with our instructors today." Rikku stated smiling at her two partners Tidus and Yuna.
"Who is your instructor Tidus?" Riku asked.
"Auron." Tidus said
"Huh," Yuna gasped and gapped at Tidus. "That's sir Auron, Tidus."
"I've known him my whole life. He tells me to call him Auron."
"Well, I'll catch you guys later."
"Who's your instructor Riku?" Tidus asked.
"A guy named Cloud Strife."
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"Cloud Strife, isn't he the one that hasn't passed anyone passed the first stage. He always fails them." Leon asked Cid cautiously.
"That's exactly why I think he would be perfect for their group." Cid said with a smile.
"Their group or him?"
"Both."
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"Riku, I am so glad I found you."
Riku turned to see Kairi running towards him. He raised an eyebrow at the girl.
"You probably heard a lot of rumors around about me and Sora. I just wanted to tell you that none of them are true in anyway shape or form. Come on why I would do anything like that with an idiot like-."
"Because you don't understand him."
Kairi froze starring at him confused. "What do you mean?"
"You don't know why he left in seventh grade do you?" Riku watched her in the corner of his eyes as his gaze was watching out for Sora to come. He didn't want him catching him telling her his secret.
"No, why?"
"Because," Riku gave her his full gaze. "He found out that his parents weren't really his. That they were lying to him. He found out from a letter that was unanimous. He went with Leon for three years to find out the meaning of the letter."
"How do you know this?"
"Because I told him before I left." they both turned to see Sora standing a couple feet from them with his hands in his pocket, eyes closed, and head tilted towards the sky. His spiked tresses blew in the wind as he waited. "What I'd like to know is why he is telling the whole world?" his eyes opened and the brightest Kairi had ever seen them they turned on her. "And why you are asking about it?"
"I-I..."
"I am your Instructor Cloud Strife, lets begin." they turned to see a blonde with a stoic expression that out matched Sora's or Rica's.
A/N:
Final Thought from Kairi:
Three Stoic guys, does god hate me?
Blanket disclaimer for this fanfic (will apply to this and all other chapters in Sora): I do not claim any rights to Kingdom Hearts I or II or the characters associated with the game/manga. Those rights belong to Rumiko Disney and Square Enix. I do offer my thanks to them for creating such vivid characters for me to terrorize.
War Slayer