![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stellawind) wrote2009-08-01 01:53 pm
(no subject)
Co-written with the ever-lovely
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
urplesquirrel . Posted on LJ by me due to her RL obligations. Expect spotty updates until about 8/15.Title: Nobody Fades
Spoilers: All the way through KH2.
Characters/Pairing: Sora, Roxas. Will be Sora/Riku/Kairi, with others later on.
Summary: When you’ve saved the worlds (twice!), what’s left to do? Well, if you’re Sora, then you decide to give your Nobody a separate body.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
"Macavity!" yowled several of the cats, a cacophony rising as Riku stared at the spot Old Deuteronomy had been sitting only moments ago.
"He was right there," Sora said, chagrined.
"Macavity," hissed Munkustrap. "Don't bother to look, he's not here, but his paws are in this."
Other cats crouched at the edges, half hiding in tires, fur standing on end, hissing.
"Who is he?" asked Kairi. "We heard that he was controlling the Heartless, but who is he?"
"The mastermind. The only one who could do this. We have to find Old Deuteronomy."
"How?" asked Riku. "Do you know how to find Macavity?"
"If he doesn't want to be found, he can't be found," said Munkustrap. "How could this happen? He's never been so daring as to attack the Ball itself before!"
"He couldn't have vanished completely," said Sora, firmly. "We'll find him."
Riku was still not used to how serious Sora could be these days. He was standing firm, expression calm, with the Keyblade summoned and at his side. Sometimes it was hard to reconcile this version of Sora with the silly kid he'd grown up with on the islands.
"He'll be back," Munkustrap said darkly. "He loves to taunt us if he can, but this... this is too much." He bared his teeth. "You kill his shadow-cats, but you will leave Macavity to me!"
"We can take care of the Heartless, no problem," Sora said. "What does Maca--"
A happy cry had gone up.
Edging away from the brighter patches of light, but still emerging from the shadows, were two Heartless. The movements made by them still had that awkward, bobbing quickness, but their pace was slow; between them, they led Old Deuteronomy.
Riku watched them through narrowed eyes, feeling Sora shift uneasily beside him. Kairi had gone still.
"Not him," she breathed.
Sora sprang, his Keyblade glinting in the faint light. Riku followed without thinking, Way to the Dawn instinctively summoned, Kairi was beside him, her ears flat against her head. Together, they made short work of the Heartless, as other cats leaped, attacking the impostor.
More and more Heartless came, rising out of the shadows, some of them not even cat-like, but the short, squat shadows that were simple to fight, but in great numbers overwhelming. Time blurred, his world narrowing to nothing but the fight, until behind him, Riku heard hissing and thumps. Chancing a glance back, he saw Munkustrap and another cat fighting. Macavity, he guessed and then forgot, as he saw a Heartless leap at Kairi's unprotected back.
Then there was a bright flash of light, the smell of smoke, and the street-lamps guttered and died, leaving only the moon. The Heartless moved almost as one, stepping back and then retreating, scurrying into shadows, disappearing. Riku had the sinking feeling that Macavity had used them as a distraction and --despite Munkustrap's fervor-- had escaped.
A single light came on, and one of the kittens shined it around, surveying the damage. Munkustrap was hurt, but was limping to his feet with the help of a female cat Riku didn't know.
"We've got to find Old Deuteronomy," one of the cats said mournfully. The cry was taken up by the other cats and repeated until it became a chant.
"You ought to ask magical Mr. Mistoffelees," said Tugger, perched up on an old rocking chair. "If he can't find Old Deuteronomy, there's nothing to find."
"Well, that's fine," Sora called up to Rum Tum Tugger. "But how do we find Mistoffelees?"
Tugger grinned broadly. "He's found us, kitten!"
A little black cat with a white chest and face leaped down (although from where Riku couldn't quite tell). "Presto."
The street lamps flickered back on as Tugger's grin grew. He stalked behind Mistoffelees, who danced with paws barely touching the concrete, lightly stepping where Old Deuteronomy had been, small magic already flying from his claws.
"Is there anything?" asked Sora.
Mistoffelees looked at him, nose aloof, but something almost like amusement twinkled in his eyes. He leaped to the top of a car, where Cassandra sat, a piece of cloth appearing out of thin air.
"What's he going to do?" Kairi asked.
"Don't ask me," Riku replied. "I haven't seen this kind of magic before."
Mistoffelees turned around, and pointed to Cassandra. The usually calm cat seemed incredibly excited and a bit flustered to have been picked. She came forward and he tossed the cloth over her.
There was a hush, only the rustling of the fabric making any sound. Mistoffelees rubbed his paws together and waved them over the cloth, magic settling on it like glitter. He paused, and Riku got the distinct impression he was turning this into a performance. It was working, too. Every cat was holding their breath.
With a flourish, Mistoffelees pulled the rippling fabric away, snapping it with on crisp motion.
And where the fabric had been, Old Deuteronomy stood.
Rum Tum Tugger was the first to move again. With an oddly soft look that should have been out of place on his face, he rubbed his cheek against Old Deuteronomy, almost purring. Old Deuteronomy looked at Mistoffelees, who needed no further urging to pounce and greet Old Deuteronomy by smoothing down his ruffled fur. Mistoffelees almost disappeared underneath the mob of cats that followed, rushing to welcome the old cat.
Riku caught sight of Mistoffelees, as he sneaked away from the pile. Riku trotted over, followed by Kairi and Sora. "Can we talk for a moment?"
Mistoffelees shrugged.
"We wanted to ask if you knew anything about Nobodies or who's started to summon the Heartless again," Sora said.
Ears pricked in interest, Mistoffelees made a clear motion for them to continue with one of his paws.
Kairi's whiskers twitched. "You were a lot more talkative as Quaxo."
Riku blinked, and began to see the similarities in color and shape.
"Shh, I'm in my stage persona right now. I'd rather not have half the Jellicles looking and finding me when they only think they need me."
Oh. That made sense. People were people, even if those people happened to be cats.
"But do tell me about the Heartless," the little tom said, tilting his head to the side. "Nasty things. Who would try to summon them on purpose?"
"That's what we're hoping to figure out," Riku said. "But I don't think Macavity is summoning them. I think he's just using the ones that pass through your world."
Mistoffelees nodded. "He would. And no, if anyone here were summoning them, I'd know. And put a stop to it."
Sora sighed. "Oh well. I guess we'll have to try at the next world. But, while we're here..."
Mistoffelees ears pricked. "Yes?"
"You know how Kairi and I are two cats?" Sora said. "Do you know anything about how we could really be two cats?"
Mistoffelees looked at them and then sighed. "I'm afraid not. Conjuring and illusions are one thing, but I don't have the first idea on how to separate you. Although... There was one time when I went to another world, and there were some witches there. They might be able to help you." He paused to lick at his fur. "I do think that they knew entirely too much."
"Mickey wouldn't mind us asking some other magicians, as long as we ask about the Heartless too," Riku said slowly. That was true. He wouldn't mind, and visiting a few more worlds might find them the answer before they had to go anywhere... unpleasant.
"Where is it?" asked Sora excited.
"It's not so easy to say. I went as Jellciles can, but I don't think that would work so well for you."
Riku looked to the sky, and saw stars. He waved at them with a paw. "Do you know which star it was?"
"Oh yes, the one to the left of the moon, right where that cloud ends."
Sora whooped.
"Thank you," said Kairi, only touch more sedately.
Sora paused suddenly, ears pricking. "We're going to try anyway," he said after a moment.
Riku gave him a look.
"Oh, Roxas again," Sora explained.
"Right." He was really starting to get a little bit sick of that. Getting snippets of Sora's conversations with Roxas was frustrating. He found it annoying in an irrational way that Sora was talking with someone right next to him and he couldn't hear what they were talking about. He resisted the urge to sigh.
Somewhere, a cat was singing. Mistoffelees perked up. "Ah! It'll be dawn soon. Old Deuteronomy will make the Choice in just a few minutes." He brushed past them. "Come. We'll be able to hear."
They joined the cats near Old Deuteronomy. Mistoffelees sat next to Cassandra (and when had she returned, exactly?) and Riku sat a bit out of the way with Sora and Kairi. Old Deuteronomy looked over the assembled cats, and then beyond them. Riku followed his gaze and saw the tattered cat from before, Grizabella.
Again, the cats stared at her. The white kitten came quite close to touching her, but was pulled away by an older cat. Tugger approached her and swept her a mocking bow, but she didn't falter as she continued her slow approach.
The fatalistic misery in Grizabella's steps reminded Riku of brief, thoroughly unexpected moment of despair when Sora had seen him only as Xehanort's Heartless. He'd known that he was unrecognizable, and hadn't even wanted to be recognized as Riku, but it had hurt, still.
He watched the other cats pull away from her, and found himself stepping forward.
And then she began to sing, her song carrying clearly across the Ball. Cats stopped, listening. The melody was haunting, rising and falling. She called for the next dawn to come, and Riku thought of his own Keyblade, Way to the Dawn, and all that encompassed within him.
He and the purely white kitten both moved at the same moment towards her, and then kitten paused, and he continued on.
The song continued, and she told them of her loss, of what she used to be, and her dream of a new life. Her fragile hopes, her emptiness at each new morning, and her longing for someone to reach out to her. As the song ended, she turned away.
Riku reached out. There was a moment where nothing happened, and then Grizabella turned back to him, shock and joy written on her face.
"I understand," he said softly, and pushed her toward the white kitten, who nuzzled her in welcome.
The Jellicles converged on her. Some were still hesitant, but they weren't shying away from her anymore. As each cat greeted her, Grizabella's face grew more and more awestruck, as if she simply couldn't believe this was happening.
"That was a good thing you did," Kairi said, learning up against him, purring.
"You say that like you wouldn't have done the same thing," Riku replied.
"I would've, but you got there first."
Sora had ducked away from the cats, and rested his head on Riku's shoulder, purring as well.
Riku knew that he was grinning like an idiot now, but didn't care. For moment, he wished that he was in his own body again. He wanted to put his arms around both of them, and squeeze them both tightly, to thank them for all the faith they'd had in him over the years.
The look on her face melted into incredulous relief and joy, as he led her towards the edge of the ball, towards the moon. The cats begun to chant, and Riku made out the words "to the Heaviside Layer," and knew without a doubt that the Choice had been made.
"It almost doesn't seem right," Kairi whispered into his ear. "She just got accepted back, and now she has to go?"
"She's being reborn," Riku murmured back. "I don't think that means she's not coming back."
Kairi leaned against him again. She looked like she wanted to say something to him, but settled for grooming his fur.
Riku didn't acknowledge what was left unsaid. He would have missed them desperately if that had happened to him too.
After that, the Ball lost momentum, becoming slower and slow, cats breaking away, to skitter home. By the time the sun rose, there were only a handful of milling cats, looking almost normal in the daylight. Silently, they retraced their steps of the night.
"Where's the gummi ship?" asked Kairi as they came to where they had landed, but without the ship in sight.
"Oh," said Sora. "You just have to get a certain--"
Bright light seared Riku's eyes. Sora's silhouette burned into his mind. He found himself tottering for a moment, and then balanced firmly on two legs again.
"--knack for it," Sora finished.
Riku blinked, flexing his hands, watching the play of muscles. He'd never thought it would feel weird to have hands.
"Next world?" Kairi said with barely contained excitement.
"It's waiting," grinned Sora.
17083
(Anonymous) 2011-10-28 02:17 pm (UTC)(link)Odzywki
(Anonymous) 2011-11-02 06:12 am (UTC)(link)[url=http://www.nauka-jezyka-angielskiego.com.pl/nauka-jezyka-angielskiego-metoda-callana/]Jezyk angielski[/url]
hello all
(Anonymous) 2011-12-17 06:50 pm (UTC)(link)