Disclaimer: Like many other authors, I too wish that I could own these delightful characters. But, the giant moguls known as Square-Enix and Disney refuses to give them to me, so I am only borrowing them for my sick and twisted amusement.
A/N: After wrapping up "Ironic
Circumstances" I came to realize that things couldn't simply be
"happily ever after". So, after a lot of thought and careful
planning, I bring you the first chapter to the continuation of this
project. Set seven months after our heroes return to the rural
islands of the nation. Enjoy everyone, I hope I don't disappoint
any of you. And if you haven't read the first installment, then you are in for a confusing ride.
Shattered Reverie
Chapter 1
Sleepless Morning
Darkness seemed to seep from every corner of the room, enveloping everything in a very nerve wracking black. He could hear a multitude of voices whispering, taunting him, making every little step he took difficult as he walked along this dark and lifeless room. Blue eyes, brighter than any sky, were like a beacon in the shrouded atmosphere, warding off all the shadows that were creeping up on him. But Sora could only take in so much before the voices would grow louder; their shouts making him quiver as they continued harassing him and making him feel like he was worth absolutely nothing.
"How could you?"
"Don't you even care?"
"He doesn't care about anyone but himself."
"To think he would choose that boy instead of his precious mother."
"You let her die!"
"Stupid boy, did you think that you would make it on your own?"
Sora fell to the floor, hands cupping his ears in an attempt to stop the voices. Tears freely fell down his cheeks, each one leaving a salty trail as he struggled against the inhumane taunts. He could feel something, a physical presence watching him from behind. It was the most uncomfortable feeling, yet, he felt he needed to turn and see what it was. With the voices still shouting, and the room growing darker; Sora slowly turned his head to the side. Those bright blue eyes suddenly lost their light as they fell on a woman with shoulder length hair, her face hidden behind those brunet locks. Sora's mouth grew dry at the sight, his breathing becoming more erratic the moment he realized what it was he was seeing.
"…Bea…Beatrix?"
The word escaped his quivering lips, causing the woman to look up ever so slowly. If Sora could shout, he would, but his ability to speak was gone. With her face a deathly white, and a pair of eyes darker than any fathomless pit, Beatrix reached out for the brunet cowering in front of her.
"How could you let me die?"
She threw her arms forward, blood trickling down her arms from wounds resting on her palms. Sora tried to move, but it was like tiny hands were holding him down, forcing him to watch as she neared him.
"You drove me into doing this, my baby."
Sora shook his head, shutting his eyes closed in order to avoid the bloody sight.
"No! I didn't do anything, it's not my fault!"
Then, everything went silent as a pair of hands clutched his shoulders. The voices were gone, the tiny hands gripping him to the floor had vanished, but he knew that Beatrix was still there. He opened his eyes, but regretted it a moment later. With her slit wrists oozing blood all over Sora's clothes, Beatrix leaned in and whispered something in Sora's ear.
"I love you."
And then there was a scream.
X
He held onto the thrashing figure, cradling him against his chest as the brunet fought off whatever was going on inside his mind. Riku, with his long silver hair, could do nothing but wait for Sora to wake from the nightmare. It was a horrible feeling not being able to do something to calm him, but Riku refused to loosen his grip on the shorter boy, his entire body soaked in sweat.
"Come on Sora, fight it, you can do it, I'm here for you."
Riku brought his forehead against Sora's, willing every positive feeling and memory into his significant other. Slowly, the boy cradled in Riku's arms began to quiet down, his movements becoming sluggish as whatever nightmare he was having was coming to an end. Letting out a sigh, Riku ran a few fingers along Sora's face. He smiled inwardly, knowing that Sora had beaten whatever was haunting his sleep, that is, for the moment. This wasn't the first time he had seen Sora suffer this way.
"It's okay Sora, it's okay. It's over now, I'm here."
Sora slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurry in the darkened room. He knew that Riku was at his side, his powerful arms holding him. It took a few more seconds before he could grasp everything around him and used Riku's position to help himself up. Sora leaned back against the frame of the bed, his wet and heavy hair drooping over his face. Riku watched his movements, his hands at the ready in case Sora decided to drop off again.
"You okay?"
Sora heard Riku's words and moved his head to the side. Tired eyes looked at him, his lips turning into a weak smile. It was a good enough answer for the silver haired youth as he pulled Sora close, leaving a kiss against his sweaty forehead. Sora allowed the taller teen to hold him. It didn't matter what he dreamt, as long as Riku was there to chase the shadows away.
"It was the same one," Sora said, his face burying further against Riku.
The silver haired teen knew exactly what he was referring to. He felt an unexplainable anger, knowing very well that the person haunting Sora's dreams was none other than his stepmother, Beatrix. Yet, she was dead, and she was still causing Sora harm. Riku hit the comforter around him with a closed fist, his teeth clenching at the thought.
"It's been over 7 months now, why can't you just leave him alone?" Riku thought, his hand soothing Sora's back.
"What time is it?"
Riku glanced at the alarm clock set on Sora's desk, the digital numbers reading a bit past 3 in the morning. "It's early, let's go back to bed."
Sora let out a tired sigh as he extracted himself from Riku, his hands removing the suffocating comforter around him. "I need to take a shower, I feel like shit."
The silver haired teen watched as Sora got out of bed, the moonlight penetrating through the windows making Sora shine from the thin sheen of sweat covering his body. He gave Riku another comforting glance before disappearing into the hallways. With the door open, he noticed a slightly chubby feline walk in, his meows loud against the silence of the room.
"Hey Figaro, you worried about Sora too?"
The black and white cat stopped short of the bed and jumped with a swift thrust of his legs. Figaro crawled across the bed, his whiskers tickling the tips of Riku's fingers. He began purring the moment Riku placed a hand on his head, the sounds resonating up the silver haired teen's arm. He sat there for a few minutes with Figaro's purring and the faint sounds of the running shower filling the silence. The walls of the room were decorated in black-framed photographs, each consisting of a pleasant memory he had shared with Sora. Everything from sharing an ice cream cone, to a romantic looking photograph of him and Sora sharing dinner at one of the piers. He didn't know how long he had been staring at the walls when he heard the footsteps of his significant other approaching the room. Clad in a mauve colored towel, Sora entered to see Riku with Figaro in his arms.
"Spoiled cat," Sora teased, making his way to the dresser off to one of the corners. In several swift motions, the towel was on the floor and Sora was dressed in a pair of clean boxer-briefs. He tossed his head, ridding his hair of any excess water as he walked back to bed. Riku smiled at him, knowing that the shower was what he needed.
"Come on, let's go back to bed, we have to be up in a few hours for school."
He could detect a scowl on Sora's face despite the darkness, and he couldn't help but grin. "You didn't do your report for Ms. Aurora's class, did you?"
The brunet plopped himself next to Riku and brought a hand over Figaro's head. He let it rest there, which was very much appreciated on the black and white feline's part. "It's not just that, I just…don't feel like going today."
Riku's expression faltered. "That's what you've been saying for the past couple weeks. Sora, you've missed a lot of classes, I'm worried about you."
The usual cheery tone in Sora's voice was not there when he responded. "You don't have to worry about me, I'm fine. I'm still doing all the work, I just don't feel like being around everyone today."
The silver haired youth could almost laugh. "Sora, you were thrashing around not to long ago, you were covered in sweat. How can I not worry about you? You know that."
Sora placed his head against the frame once more, his eyes looking up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, I know you're worried. It hasn't been easy, these last couple months." He began drawing circles against his thigh. "I thought after coming back to the rural islands and going back to school that things would get better. But…it hasn't."
Riku watched Sora, the way he dug a finger against his skin. "It just takes time Sora, there's nothing more we can do than to move on and forget about everything that happened last year. Remember that I'm here, that all our friends are here for you. You're not alone."
Sora moved his head to the side, landing against Riku's shoulder. The taller teen breathed in the delicate scent of vanilla, Sora's favorite shampoo. "You smell good."
Sora brought a hand across Riku's face and pulled him towards his own. For a second, Riku hesitated kissing Sora, but the hot breath touching his lips was too much to ignore. Closing his eyes, the taller teen accepted the affectionate kiss. They remained like that for several minutes, their hands traveling all over each other's bodies. Figaro looked at them with disapproving eyes, realizing that they weren't going to be paying him any more attention. With a flick of his tail, the feline was back on the glossy floor and scampering into the darkened halls.
X
Riku let out a yawn, the act catching the teacher's attention and therefore putting the spotlight directly on him.
"Riku, is my lecture really that boring?"
Snapping awake, Riku looked to the front of the class and noticed Mr. Vayne's steady glare. Wiping at the corner of his mouth, the teen replied courteously.
"Not at all Mr. Vayne, the sun just got in my eyes. I'm sorry."
All around him he could hear the snickering of fellow classmates, but they soon died down as the teacher continued with his lesson. Riku let out a sigh as he stretched his arms, the tips of his fingers falling over the edge of his desk.
"Up all night again?"
Riku looked over his shoulder, the face of a pretty girl with strange looking blonde hair showing off her smile. He rolled his eyes at his fellow senior classmate Larxene, knowing that she was only being a pain.
"Oh come on, you've told me about it before, how you and Sora can go at it for hours."
A blush crept its way across Riku's cheeks before turning to Larxene and offering her a venomous look. "Shut up!"
The blonde girl pressed her back against her seat, a malicious grin touching her lips. "You're so easy to piss off, I love it."
Riku didn't understand how Kairi could be friends with such a girl, yet it was solely her fault that Larxene had found a spot amongst their group of friends. She wasn't a terrible person, but she sure was annoying. Riku would never refer to Kairi as annoying following Larxene's antics. Everyone else didn't mind her, which was perfectly fine by him. The ringing of the bell broke his reverie and urged him to pack his things away.
"Alright class, read the next chapter and take note on how you think the new arrival will play a key part in the novel. I expect at least two paragraphs by tomorrow."
With a groan, the class dispersed, leaving Riku and Larxene at the end of the line leading into the hallways. People were bustling about, glad that the lunch hour had arrived.
"You gonna join Kairi and the gang for lunch?" Larxene asked as she carefully added a layer of lipgloss to her already pink lips.
Riku knew the answer already. "Not today, I'm having lunch with Sora. He hasn't been feeling to well and doesn't want to deal with everyone."
The blonde smacked her lips, the sound cracking through the air. "Sounds like someone had a fight."
"Oh shut up! You don't know what the hell you're talking about!"
Larxene blinked furiously. "Gee, I'm sorry Riku, I was just playing around."
The silver haired teen didn't seem pleased with the apology. "Leave me alone, tell Kairi I'm not going to meet up with her after school."
With that said Riku walked off, leaving Larxene a bit perplexed as to why he suddenly exploded like that. "Psh, someone's pissy."
Turning her back to him, the blonde disappeared into the crowds, her odd antennae-like strips of hair bobbing along as she walked.
X
"What do you mean he's not going to meet up with me?"
Kairi held a furious look on her face following Larxene's little tidbit of information. She was sitting in the usual spot, underneath one of the massive palm trees in the academy courtyard. Everyone made sure to steer clear of the area, knowing what Kairi was capable of if her wishes weren't met. Selphie Tilmitt was not far off, sitting with her back to the tree and her boyfriend, Hayner at her side. They were busily talking when Kairi's words broke their attention and the two found themselves looking up at the pair of Larxene and Kairi.
"Something wrong Kairi?" Selphie asked, getting to her feet and dusting away at her blue and white plaid skirt.
With her long hair back to its original auburn color, Kairi turned around to face her best friend. "Riku's gone off with Sora. Again."
Selphie looked over to Hayner, the two knowing very well that their friends had been spending less time with them in the past couple weeks. The petite brunet offered her condolences to Kairi, but it seemed that not even her kind words were capable of quenching Kairi's anger.
"What's the big deal? So Riku and Sora want some alone time, don't get all hysterical."
"That's exactly the point," Kairi quickly threw in, "That "alone time" has been going on for weeks now. If you guys call yourselves friends, then you would notice that something's wrong with Sora and it's taking its toll on Riku."
The blonde senior didn't dare reply, knowing that what Kairi was saying had a lot of truth to it. In the short time they had allowed her to join their group, Larxene grew to care for the two boys, even though she would never let them know it. To everyone else, she would appear to be a cold and at time, heartless person, but she knew herself well and wasn't like that in the slightest. Perhaps she was just a little jealous of her friends, not because of who they were with, but because they had someone that cared for them. Larxene's expression saddened momentarily before Kairi quickly chorused back in with her loud voice.
"You have English class with him, did Riku say anything?"
The blonde girl shook her head. "Not a thing. He looked tired though, like he'd gotten little sleep."
Kairi bit her bottom lip, replaying the senior's words in her head. "He has been looking pretty tired, Sora too. Hey Selphie."
The short brunet looked up, her hand clasped in Hayner's hand. "Yeah?"
"You live right across from him, have you noticed anything when Riku comes home?"
Selphie felt the eyes of everyone staring at her, yet she no longer felt intimidation in their looks. "Not really…he's been coming home pretty late. Sometimes he doesn't even come home."
"Same here, I've noticed him coming home late whenever I'm over at Selphie's house," Hayner added."
Kairi brought a finger to her chin. "Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that he's probably at Sora's whenever he doesn't come home. Now the only question is, what's going on with Sora that's making Riku act like this?"
"Maybe you should talk with his mom," Selphie said.
Kairi nodded, realizing that it was the best idea they could come up with. "I'll do just that. Maybe Yunalesca knows something. Who better knows Riku than her?"
X
Sora took the cup being handed to him and took a quick sip, allowing the tart flavor to wash the inside of his mouth. He stood at the pier, his eyes cast against the ocean. Riku stood at his side, his hair flowing gently with the passing breeze.
"You sure you don't want something to eat?"
The brunet shook his head, "No, I'm fine with this."
Riku didn't argue, instead he sipped from his own cup as he too gazed at the waves. Birds flew overhead in intricate patterns, their bright and colorful feathers adding to their performance. He watched them go by, wishing that he too could fly like that and escape some of the less than tolerable moments.
"How was English? Was Larxene being a pain again?" Sora asked, taking another sip of his drink.
Riku smiled, "Yeah, but I deserved it. Mr. Vayne caught me yawning."
Sora let his head droop. "It's because of me that you're tired."
The taller of the two quickly shook his head. "No, no, it's not your fault Sora. I'm fine, really."
"I'm not blind Riku, I can see it with my own eyes."
He turned and stared into Riku's face, the slightly darker skin underneath his eyes a clear sign of it. "I'm sorry Riku, I wish I could make these…thoughts disappear, but I just can't do it. And I feel worse knowing that you're suffering because of me."
Sora's hand began shaking, the drink contained within his clenched fingers spewing some of the soda inside of it. Riku brought an arm around the brunet and gave him a comforting squeeze. "Stop thinking like that, I'm not blaming you for any of this. Understand that Sora, don't let it get to you."
"How can I not?" Sora sharply spat out. "Not only is she haunting me, but it's taking it out on you as well, I can't help but feel like shit."
Not bothering to look up at Riku, Sora began walking off. Riku made to follow but stopped short when Sora looked at him with those pained eyes.
"Don't follow me, I need to be alone. I need to be away from you otherwise I'll just make it worse for you."
"But you're not Sora, you're not. Try to understand that YOU are NOT making me miserable. It's all in your mind Sora, it's all in your mind. Don't let her taunts get to you."
It didn't matter if he said it or not, there was no way it would penetrate Sora's unbalanced mind. He watched as Sora disappeared into town, leaving him to stand at the pier on his own. Feeling a surfacing anger in his throat, Riku chucked his cup over the metal railing and into the waves below. Gripping the same rail, Riku could only curse at the memory of Beatrix, the one responsible for Sora's continued anguish.
"Leave us alone, leave him alone! Don't you understand that you're making him suffer?"
It had been over seven months, seven long months following their return from the capital, Holly City. Seven months of new memories, encounters, friends, classes, yet not one was capable of defeating the ghosts of their past. Riku could still hear the words uttered by Judge Braska, declaring Beatrix guilty and sentencing her to an eternal period of confinement. When he found out that she committed suicide within the prison walls, he thought things were truly over. But Riku was so very wrong, on so many different levels. Not long after starting the new school year, Sora began suffering horrible dreams, each one leaving the brunet weak and vulnerable. When they became a regular occurrence Riku felt he had no choice but to stay with him, sleep in the same bed and try to keep the shadows away. At one point he suggested talking to Cid, Sora's godfather, but the brunet was quick to let him know that talking with the blonde haired pilot was out of the question. It had been months now, and the shadows were still lurking. Every morning was like the one he had witnessed earlier that day. Riku didn't know how much longer he would be able to keep going, he was indeed, human after all. Running a hand through his long silver hair, Riku began walking towards his car, the white vehicle gleaming under the bright Destiny Island sun. Taking a look at the clock on the dashboard, Riku figured class would be starting any second. Not liking the idea of returning to the academy without Sora, Riku forced himself to drive and try to put a little faith in Sora's well being.
X
He didn't care where he was walking to all he knew was that he needed to be alone for a while. Sora appreciated Riku with every particle of his being, knowing that he was simply trying to help. But there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, telling him that he needed to stop depending on the strength of others. Sora knew he was capable of being strong, he had proved that to himself the previous summer. But never did he think that she would still be hurting him, with an agony worse than physical pain. Sora took in a shaky breath, his eyes falling on the concrete sidewalk. All around him were his fellow Destiny Island citizens, each one with a happy smile on their face. He wished that he could share in whatever happiness they had, for he desperately needed it. It was at that point that he noticed a fluttering flower petal, landing right in front of his feet. Sora studied the petal, noticing the distinct pink color.
"It's pretty."
A shadow appeared in front of him, its owner staring at Sora with a pair of blue-purple eyes. The brunet slowly lifted his head, his gaze falling on the sight of a very handsome looking man. He was definitely taller than he was, and older to say the least. If he had to place an age on the man, he would have to be at least 21. Sora could feel those eyes staring at him intently, almost looking into his very soul. He quickly turned his gaze away, finding something else to concentrate his attention on.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare."
Sora didn't understand why his chest felt so heavy and hot, but he didn't like the way he was feeling. This kind of reaction only happened whenever he was around Riku, so it was a bit unnerving to know that it was happening when the silver haired teen was nowhere to be seen.
"Not at all, it's quite alright."
Sora carefully brought his gaze towards the handsome man, his choppy brown hair sliding a bit past his shoulders. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn that there was a pink tint in his hair.
"I, I'd better get going," Sora said as he walked past the taller man, his shoulder managing to brush against him. He sucked in a sharp breath of air, praying to the Faiths to take him as he was. Ye the Faiths weren't feeling charitable when the man placed a hand on Sora's shoulder.
"It's okay, it's not your fault."
Sora's eyes shot wide as he quickly turned. "What did you say?"
The twenty-something year old man looked at him with surprise, but smiled warmly as he brought a hand to rest at his waist. "I'm sorry, I was the one not looking where I was going. I'm at fault for getting in your way."
The brunet let out a relieved sigh, offering the man a weak smile. "Oh…okay."
"Marluxia."
Sora could only blink. "Excuse me?"
The man ran a hand through his hair, "My name's Marluxia, I thought it'd be rude not to introduce myself."
He held out a hand and Sora slowly brought his out. Marluxia reached out and closed the gap, cupping Sora's hand in his gently, yet firmly. The brunet felt his mouth run dry, but he felt it was his responsibility to respond. "I'm Sora, Sora Loire."
Marluxia released his hand and took a couple steps back, "Nice name, I'll make sure to remember it. I'll see you around."
"Marluxia…" Sora thought to himself. He shook his head, picking up his pace as he walked. Sora brought a hand over his heart, the beating pounding away at his chest. He found himself smiling for a brief moment, enjoying how all his worries seemed to disappear the moment he laid eyes on the tall brunet.
"I'm definitely not in my right mind."
tbc
A/N: And that concludes the first chapter to the continuation of "Ironic Circumstances". Let me know if you hated it, loved it, wished I stopped where I did, anything.
Also, Marluxia's eye color is never really visible in any scenes with him, so I really had to improvise on that part.
References:
Vayne: character found in Final Fantasy XII(12). He is also one smexy bitch.