5Author's Notes: It's been a while since I've posted a new story here! I had a few sitting on my computers for years and I wanted to release them before the new game comes out!
This covers three different sides of the story: "The Other Side of the Fence", "The Runaways", and "Sibling Rivalry" telling about certain characters in each part so if you don't read one of the three stories, it doesn't affect reading the others. Hope you'll like it!
Prologue
~The Other Side Of The Fence~
Vanitas
~The Boy in the Darkness~
His back slouched against his chair as his eyes closed. His fingers intertwined, pressed behind his head. School had constantly bored him, but ultimately, he knew that was just how life went. Like everyone else there, he was expected to graduate from school and find a good university so that he could find a job afterwards, but that wasn't the way he saw it. Did it really matter? There were times that he questioned why he was there. He was doing better and making more money than any person who had a regular job. As long as he kept doing as he was told, he made money and he would be fine.
Leaving his thoughts, his eyes shifted over to the front of the class. He noticed the blue haired girl laughed with two other friends that were sitting nearby her. This had become a constant routine. From afar, he would watch her. The only one who had peaked his interest if even slightly. He would notice her, but in return she didn't notice him.
What was the point? The thought had crossed his mind several times that it was starting to become his mantra. He had come to accept that this was how things were. She was ahead of him while he was the one behind in the distance, unseen.
After the last bell rung, signaling for school to be done, he walked along the floor above near the railed edge. Down below, he spotted the blue haired girl again. Another laugh crossed her lips. For as long as he had known her, he could tell the difference. There was the laugh she had with her friends and then there was the laugh she had whenever she was around a certain someone that he interpreted as girlish and flirty. He leaned against the railing as he watched her talking with the tall, brunette haired man. An automatic frown came on. Over time it seemed like the two were spending more and more time together. As much as he didn't like the idea, it couldn't be help it. Terra and her had come from two similar worlds unlike the two of them. Snapping himself out of the show he was watching, he stood up straight and kept walking.
After returning home, he changed out of his uniform and headed out as he did most of his afternoons. He closed and locked the door behind him. Once he turned his head, his golden colored eyes had locked onto a set of blue ones from the yard across. His lips tightened. From time to time this would happened. The two of them would end up running into each other. It couldn't be helped since they lived next door. Concern was written on her face as usual when she saw him, but it wasn't out of fear of him. Vanitas suspected that she was suspicious of his activities. There were times she had gathered up the courage to ask him, but he would always bypass her and never answer. This time however was like the others. Before she had the chance to say a word, he placed on his dark helmet, climbed onto his bike, and rode off out of sight. He never looked back to see her and the look in her eyes of worry.
Further into a darker part of town, Vanitas had parked his bike nearby an abandoned warehouse. Inside, there was a few guys were sitting around talking amongst each other. Vanitas looked around the room and spotted a man on his phone, talking. He took off his helmet and placed it on the table. As soon as the conversation was over, the older man turned to him. As soon as he saw Vanitas he smirked. "Ah! Just in time." Vanitas nodded toward him. The older man placed his hands behind his back. "The organization came through. The shipment is ready to go." He nodded toward the boys sitting in the corner. "Take them with you and give them a cut at the end of night. You might need the extra hands. Xigbar! Demyx!"
The boys headed over toward them. They glanced at the leader of their group and then looked over at Vanitas. The chilling, piercing stare he gave them was enough to make Demyx jump in fear and Xigbar smirked. Vanitas cursed under his breath low enough for just him to hear before he turned his attention back to man whose eyes matched his own. As much as he wanted to argue against it, he knew better than to especially with him. "Yes sir."
The answer pleased the caramel colored man. "Get going then."
Vanitas turned his head toward the boys in anger. "Grab the stuff! Let's go!" his voice boomed throughout the empty warehouse.
Xigbar smirked toward him. "Just because you're in charge, doesn't mean you get to boss us around. Got it?"
Demyx rushed to grab what they had to deliver. Vanitas turned and started heading out. "One more thing Vanitas," the older man said as he followed behind him.
Vanitas looked back serious. "Yes?"
A chuckle came out of the older man. "What happened to good old days? You used to call me by another name. I think that a lot better."
Vanitas's eyes traveled toward the ground, thinking. When he looked back, all he saw was darkness. He figured his mind wasn't ready go back to that place again. The place that was only filled with pain. An automatic reply slipped from his lips. "Yes master."
Another smirk slipped out of Xehanort's lips. He stepped in beside Vanitas. "Do what you have to do. If anyone wants to deflect or you think they'll be a danger to our little operation, you know what to do."
Those words Vanitas knew all too well. "Yes master," another automatic reply came out. He walked away as Xehanort stopped. Vanitas had obeyed everything that he had commanded him, but part of him knew Vanitas had still felt some resistant toward him. He couldn't figure out what it was, but it was the last thing he knew that would break Vanitas completely.
As the night progressed, Vanitas could see this was going to be a long one. Things hadn't gone smoothly like he had hope, but it wasn't a surprise either. This had happened several times before. Before they could get the money for their delivery, a few more unexpected guys had popped up surrounding him and his group. It was more of a nuisance than an inconvenience. When Vanitas had refused to leave without the money, the opposing group had moved in closer. One sneaked in behind Vanitas. Nervous but willing, he slammed a board behind his back, causing Vanitas to step forward. The guys surrounding him waited to see his reaction. Nearby Xigbar leaned against the wall with his gun in hand as Demyx watched worried. Xigbar let out a big smirk. "They have no idea what they've gotten themselves into with that kid." He couldn't wait for the show to begin.
There was a moment of silence before they heard something unexpected. They looked down toward a bent over Vanitas with his hands on his stomach as a dark, twisted laugh came from him. Behind his helmet, they could only imagine his face. He stood up straight. "You think that's enough to hurt me?"
The boys took a step back as fear and unease flowed through them. "It's true what they say…" one of them whispered.
"He's not human…"
Vanitas walked toward them. A few of them took off running, but the rest stayed behind to fight. A punch flew toward him, but Vanitas caught it with his hand and pressed his fingers down into his fist. The boy kneeled down as he cried out a little in pain. Uneasy, the other boys ran toward him. Taking notice, Vanitas jumped into action. His knee raised up hitting the kneeling boy's chin. He rolled against the ground covering his mouth with his hand. Moving with precision, he punched the other boy in front of him and elbowed the one behind. He swung his fist around and knocked the fourth down. Xigbar was impressed as Demyx stared in amazement. Vanitas was able to take down a whole group by himself. Vanitas kneeled down and grabbed onto the shirt of the first boy on the ground. "Now. The money?"
"Screw off!"
Vanitas punched the boy straight in the face causing blood to leak from his mouth and nose. "I could keep going with this." With a few more punches, the boy finally gave in. He reached into his pocket and tossed the money up. Right away, Vanitas caught it in his hand. "Pathetic." Vanitas left him with a finally kick to the stomach which made him cough more. He tossed the money toward Demyx who fumbled until he caught it. "Let's go."
Xigbar smirked as he watched Vanitas walk pass him. "Don't you want to count it first?" he egged him.
"Already did," Vanitas replied. As they walked away, a whispering voice caused Vanitas to stop. Xigbar and Demyx took notice and looked over surprised.
"You won't…get away with this…" Vanitas turned toward the boy more, listening to the threat. "You can't hide in that helmet forever… We'll find…and kill you for this…" The words caused Vanitas to burst out into laughter. His laughter had sent fear into almost everyone around. They had no idea what was going through his head nor did they understand why he was laughing hysterically. The words that the boy had left Vanitas with didn't scare him. At this point in his life, he didn't care. He didn't care if he had lived or died just like he felt the world didn't care if he did or didn't. With everything he had been through, he started to embrace his breaking mentality.
Aqua
~The Perfect Girl Next Door~
With breath leaving her body, she took her final bow of the night toward her Jujutsu partner. She could always count on class to give her a steady workout. "That was great Aqua!" Aqua looked over to see a blonde, spiked haired boy heading toward her.
She let out a tired smile. "You too Ven. You're getting a lot of better."
Nervously he rubbed his head. "Thanks to you."
As they continued to smile toward each other, a thought kept running through her mind. Many times she wanted to ask, but she didn't want to get Ventus involved with her curiosities. Tonight was different. She felt that it had gone on long enough. "Ven…?"
Ventus opened his eyes surprised. "Yeah?" As she looked away, she wasn't sure how to ask what she wanted to know, but she couldn't help picturing the look on his face every time that they had run into each other. "Aqua?" Aqua blinked as she was brought back to reality and turned her attention toward Ventus. "What is it?" he asked curiously.
Aqua breathed out. "I was just wondering how things were…at home…?"
Ventus gave her a confused look as he stood in front of her. "What do you mean?"
Aqua looked off to the side. That wasn't the best way to ask what she wanted to know so she tried to think of a better way. "I mean…" Her eyes met with his again. "I've noticed that your brother leaves during the afternoon and just takes off. I thought maybe he would be by to pick you up, but he never seems to stop by."
Ventus let out a sigh as he sat down and placed on his sneakers. "I don't know what he's doing either." Aqua sighed internally. Already she wasn't getting anywhere as to what Vanitas was up to and it didn't seem like Ventus wanted to talk about his brother much. "Why do you ask?" Ventus's voice broke her away from her thoughts.
Aqua kneeled down toward him. "I was just wondering if he was working or something. I saw he had gotten that bike and he leaves right afterschool."
Ventus shrugged as he tied his laces. "I don't know. He won't tell either me or my mom." Aqua looked surprised as Ventus told her, "All he does is come in whenever he wants and whenever mom questions it, he gives her money to help with the house or stuff. I guess it's so she would stop asking."
"Hmm…" Aqua couldn't figure out what was going on with him. This information had only made her more suspicious.
"What are you two talking about?" a voice said over them. When they both looked up, they saw Terra smiling down at them.
Before Ventus could answer, Aqua stood up and smiled toward him. "Nothing! Just getting ready to head out!"
For a second, Ventus wanted to question why she had changed the subject or brought up his brother, but then decided to let it go. Terra looked between the two of them. "Did either one of you want a ride home?"
Aqua shook her head as she smiled. "No thanks. I'm just going to walk home with Ven since we're both nearby."
"Fine then. I'll see you at school tomorrow."
Aqua nodded toward him as Ventus smiled. "See you tomorrow," they both replied.
When Aqua looked over, she noticed Ventus staring toward the ground somewhat sad. She wasn't sure why, but she knew how to cheer him up. She held out her hand toward him. "Let's go." A small smile appeared on his lips before he grabbed her hand and stood up. After getting dressed, they had left the building and headed back home.
A sigh of relief escaped from her lips as she entered back home. Her day was finally over. No more dealing with her busy schedule. After taking a warm shower, she plopped down on her bed. Most of the time she had missed just staying in her bed, but it wasn't possible anymore. As soon as school ended, she was off to practice after practice. Sometimes she wished it would end, but sticking to her schedule was expected of her ever since she was younger. She flipped onto her stomach as she grabbed onto her pillow and closed her eyes. Overall things had worked out well for her. She had a family and friends that loved and cared for her, she was doing well in school, and had a schedule that kept her busy so that she could get into a good university. It seemed like her life was on track and her future was planned. She was grateful for everything that her parents had done for her, but sometimes she wished that they didn't expect so much out of her. She buried her face into her pillow tired.
Everything around her was covered in silence until she heard the rev of an engine. She sat up and looked outside of her window. She watched as Vanitas had pulled up on his bike next door. His helmet had covered over his face. He headed toward the door as Aqua watched from above. Then Vanitas had lifted his head. Once he saw her, he stopped in place. He took off his helmet and looked up. The two stared at each other, neither being the first to say anything. Before he could walk away, Aqua lifted her hand uneasy and waved slightly toward him. Vanitas gave one last look before he walked inside. No matter how many times she tried to figure it out, she couldn't understand what had changed. When they were younger, he would speak to her often. Now it was just eye contact. She turned onto her side and looked toward her desk. On it, she noticed a handmade bracelet that was given to her on her seventh birthday. At times, she wondered if it was time to get rid of it, but it held special meaning to her. She closed her eyes as she snuggled her head against her pillow. As she had fallen into sleep, she thought about that day she had found the bracelet in the mailbox. To this day, she still didn't know the mystery person that had given it to her.
The next morning, Aqua had gotten ready for school. In the kitchen, she was greeted by her parents sitting at the table. "Good morning Aqua," her father spoke as he tilted his paper down.
A gentle smile went across her mother's lips. "Good morning Aqua."
Aqua nodded toward them. "Good morning." She walked over to the counter. She grabbed a piece of toast from the toaster and held onto the edge by her teeth.
Her mother took noticed. "Aqua... That's not the way we eat our breakfast."
She let out a nervous smile. "Sorry mother."
"I noticed that you're running a little late this morning so Terra offered to take you to school."
Aqua kept a smile on the outside, but inside she frowned, upset. She couldn't stand the times when her mother insisted on calling Terra. She knew that it was just an opportunity for the two of them to get closer. Since they had come from similar families, her mother had highly approved of Terra and had hopes that the two of them would connect. Silently Aqua let out a sigh. It was already too late to stop him. As she walked passed them, they left her with parting words.
Outside, she stood waiting for Terra to show. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed someone coming out of the other side. Vanitas stretched his arms up as he closed his eyes tight. His back ached slightly from last night's events. He looked over to notice the same pair of blue eyes staring back at him. As much as one wanted to say something to the other, the silence struggle had started again. Part of him wanted to ask why she was standing alone but kept to himself. He climbed on his bike and looked over at her once more. The stare between them had made them both uneasy. She grabbed onto the strap of her bag tightly. His eyes traveled back and forth until he finally sighed and rolled his eyes, giving in. "Do-?"
"Aqua!" They looked over to see Terra pull up. She smiled toward him. Vanitas rolled his eyes again before he took off. Again, she had look over. Lately it seemed like she was always watching him leave.
Terra
~The Perfect Gentleman~
There was silence between Aqua and him throughout the trip to school. He could tell there was something on her mind since she had gotten in with him. As much as he wanted to ask, he had kept it to himself. The two of them had known each other since they were children, introduced by their parents. He was aware that their parents had wanted them to be compatible. At times he wanted to ask what she thought about what their parents were up to, but there never seemed to be a good time to bring it up. Either way, things hadn't progressed between them. Still, he wasn't in a rush since he wasn't sure how she felt, but he knew they were still good friends. They had a lot in common. Both of them were athletic, doing well in school, and looked up to by others. Whenever he was around her friends, they would always welcome him. Sometimes he would overhear teases about Aqua and him. Still there was no mention of how things were between them from her.
After school had ended for the day, he had caught up with her. The thought had been on his mind often enough, but today was the day he wanted to ask. "Aqua?"
She turned back curious. He caught up with her as her eyes followed. "Yes?"
"There was something I wanted to ask."
Suddenly another voice had caught her attention. "Aqua! Terra!" A smile had come on her face as Terra looked over surprised. Ventus had caught up with them. "Ready to go?" Aqua nodded.
The two of them headed out first. She looked over toward Terra as she smiled. "Are you coming?"
Terra let out a small smile. What he wanted to ask, he could clear up another time.
Ventus
~The hopeless boy in love~
He had admired her for as long as he could remember. They had been neighbors for the longest time. As kids, he would come over whenever she was outside to play with his brother Vanitas. Those days together were fun. Whenever she laughed, he had felt strange and couldn't pinpoint why. All he knew was that he had liked to hear her laugh more often. Whenever she had looked at him, he was in awe. It had been that way for a long time. Eventually he had realized that he had fallen for her. As they had gotten older, their time had seemed limited. She had become busy with things that she had done afterschool. It also didn't help that she was in a one grade above him. Seeing less of her over time had made him sad. Eventually, he had discovered another way of spending time with her. Shortly after, they had joined the same class to learn how to fight. Almost every night they had spent time together. At times she would help him with his techniques and walk home with him afterwards. It seemed that they were still the best of friends, but deep down he had wanted to be more. Sometimes during class, he would sit by as he watched Aqua interact with Terra. He had felt left out. A bitter smile had crossed his lips as he looked down. When Aqua had interacted with him, there were times where she would touch his shoulder or rub his hair. It had made him feel special, but then he had seen the way that she would speak with Terra. It made him realize that she had treated him more like a little brother rather than something more. Still something inside of him hadn't given up. She was still free. There was still a chance. Aqua looked over at him smiling gently. In return he had smiled at her back.
~The Runaways~
Xion
~The Alone and Broken~
Over time she had learned to smile more since the incident months ago. Things for her were finally normal. She was at peace. There were lapses in her memory as to what had happened to her. At times she wanted to remember, but at other times, she thought it was better to leave the past forgotten.
"Xion!"
Surprised, she felt someone grab onto her arm. She looked over to see a dark red-haired girl grin toward her. Xion relaxed as she instantly recognized the familiar face. "Kairi." The times she saw her, she was grateful. If it wasn't for Kairi, she wouldn't have been a part of a new family. The two of them had gotten along really well. Kairi had always treated her like a sister, but now in writing they were. If it wasn't for her, she wouldn't have felt as if she had a normal life again. Now she had a warm bed to return to at the mayor's house with her new mother and father. There were very few memories from her past, but part of that didn't matter anymore. She liked her new life now with her friends.
As they walked, another figure came toward them. Both of them had smiled. Kairi nodded toward Xion as she smiled and waved toward the silver haired teenage walking toward them. He smiled toward Kairi before he turned his attention to Xion. The two had started walking together.
Roxas
~The One Who Never Was~
From the floor above, the blonde, spiked haired boy walked beside his three friends. Hayner and Pence were going on about a beach story they had shared together. A part of him was listening until he looked over the edge of the railing. The slight smile had disappeared from his face. Below, he spotted the raven-haired girl walking and smiling. Every time he had spotted her, all he felt was guilt and sadness in the pit of his stomach. More than anything he wanted to speak to her again, but he held back ever since the day they had met again after what happened to her. The time he had ran into her inside of the hall, he could still remember it clearly.
The moment that they had saw each other again, he had called out to her. "Xion!" He grabbed onto her shoulders as she stared at him surprised. "Xion! You're all right!" There was moment of silence between them. His eyes searched her. A feeling of unease came over him. She seemed lost.
Then she had seemed to relax. "Oh!" He breathed out in relief. He was glad that she was okay. The first words he heard from her had made his heart dropped in his chest. "Um…? You're-you're Sora's brother right?" His eyes widened and lifted up toward her. He had searched her face, hoping that it was some kind of joke, but the innocent smile on her face had told her otherwise. "Kairi told me that he had a brother. You must be him."
He stared with his mouth open in shock. "You…Xion it's me! Roxas!"
Nervously she rubbed her head. "I'm sorry… I don't…really remember you…" His eyes shook. It couldn't be. Xion looked uneasy. "I…don't remember much since my accident." She walked passed him, feeling bad. It seemed to have hit him hard. "Maybe I'll see you around…"
Until this day, he still didn't understand how she could have forgotten him, but it also seemed that she thought what happened to her was an accident. Regardless, he had to find a way to make amends. The past had continued haunted him. He couldn't forgive himself for not being there to save her.
"Roxas! Roxas!" Roxas snapped out of his thoughts to feel Pence shaking his shoulder. His friends had looked at him concerned. "You're doing it again," Pence pointed out.
Since they had become his friends some months ago, they had been worried about him. There were times he would zone out while he was deep in thought. When they asked about it, he didn't want to talk about it. Roxas gave them a bittersweet smile. "Oh…! Sorry…" He placed his hand in his pocket and walked. Hayner, Pence, and Olette had followed behind. Roxas took one last glance toward the floor below him toward her again. Another feeling had dwelled in his stomach which made him frown. It seemed that every time that he saw her, she always had the same person walking with her. A few thoughts came to mind about why he was a little upset when he saw Riku walk with Xion, but he couldn't pin the feeling exactly.
Riku
~A Chosen Second~
"How are you feeling today?"
He smiled toward Xion who had smiled back. "You ask that every day. I'm fine."
"You sure?"
She nodded. A relieved smile appeared. The two had become inseparable over the last several months. At first, he had only heard about her through Kairi. Every day she had visited Xion in the hospital. The first time he had offered to go with her was the first time he had officially met Xion. It wasn't the best of first meetings, but he could understand that. She had been through something traumatic. The bruises and cuts on her were noticeable, but he had done his best to be comforting. Xion was silence toward him at first, mainly talking to Kairi since the two had known each other longer, but over time, they began talking. Afterwards, there were times he had visited her alone at the hospital. He was still uncertain about how she had ended there. The little bit she had told him just seemed to fade in the back of her mind. Now whenever he had asked if she had remembered something, she would always tell him that she hadn't. From then on, he decided not to press her on it anymore and to move on. He had made it his mission to watch over to make sure that she didn't get hurt again. Over time, the two had become good friends. They had spoken every day mainly through school. He had grown to care about her.
"Riku?"
"Hm?" He snapped out of his thoughts and turned his attention to her.
Curious she had tilted her head. "What are you thinking about?"
He smiled a little. "Just thinking about…how we met."
It surprised her that it was on his mind, but she pushed it aside. She tried not to remember the reason she was in the hospital. "What's important is that we know each other now." He nodded in agreement.
~Sibling Rivalry~
Kairi
~A princess of heart~
With school getting out, she didn't want to miss her chance. The thought of what was to come had always made her happy. These times never got old. School responsibilities had always kept them busy, but they had always made time for each other. She made her way toward the field. She noticed all of the teams outside getting ready for practice, but she didn't see the one who she looking for. The thought was disappointing. What if he had already left or it was too late? She let out a sigh. Maybe she had spent a minute too long, but it was important to check on Xion. Now that she was spending time with Riku, it seemed like she didn't need to watch after her as much, not that she needed it, but she had to make sure. Family and friends were important to her, but there was someone else who was important to her as well. As soon as she turned around, she felt herself bump into something hard. She closed her eyes tight. For a second it felt as if someone had placed their arms around her. As much as she wanted to jump, the touch felt familiar.
"Whoa! Hey…!" Her eyes lifted to see the playful dorky grin. "Take it easy Kairi! You don't have to knock me down."
Kairi let out a slight smirk as she pushed him lightly against his chest. "You were trying to scare me again weren't you?"
"Did it work?"
The two grinned as they lean in closer. "You're not funny..." Accepting his embrace, she leaned her head against his chest with her eyes closed. In his arms, she had felt relax and warm. It had taken them a long time to get to where they were, but she was happy nonetheless. As much as she wanted to stay with him, she resisted the urge and lifted from him. "I'll meet you later after you're done with practice."
"You don't have to wait that long."
She smiled toward him. "I don't mind. We'll catch up with each other." Her hand slipped out of his.
He sent her off with one of his sweet smiles. "Then I'll see you later…Kairi."
Watching him smile had always made her do the same. "You too…Sora."
Namine
~The Creator of Fantasy~
Her pencil had stopped against her paper. She turned her attention from her easel toward the window of the art room. Below her she could see the field and all of the players getting ready for practice, but there was one thing she knew was happening at that moment. Her eyes traveled toward the side to spot two familiar faces smiling toward each other. The way they were close to each other had made her uneasy. As much as she tried to not let the feelings come to the surface, she couldn't help it. The smile on his face had made her sad. Secretly she had wished that smile he made was for her. She had always been the one on the outside looking in. She had cared for him for as long as she could remember. Maybe as long as her step sister Kairi, except she had been the lucky one. Most of the time she had thrown herself into her art. It had helped some, but no matter what, she couldn't take her mind off of Sora. She watched as the two separate and their lips move. It was hard to take her eyes away from the scene, but it was something she had seen often. Finally she had turned her attention back to her drawing. Art couldn't reject her.
Sora
~The Devoted and Optimistic Dreamer~
It took a few more seconds before they could take their eyes away from each other. As she walked away, he stood watching. Sometimes he had wondered why it had taken so long for things to take off between them, but either way they were both happy. He had cared about her for as long as he could remember. Now they had become inseparable. The smile increased. He always remembered the lucky charm that he had carried with him. He could still remember the day that she had given it to him. "Sora!" a voice had called out to him. When he looked over, he saw one of his teammates waved and kicked the soccer ball toward him. He smiled. He didn't want to keep Kairi waiting for much longer.
Thanks for reading!
