Have Some Drabbles
The first time it happens, Isa is convinced that Lea is playing a prank on him.
He eyes the figure coolly, unimpressed. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”
Silence. The figure does nothing, only standing, only watching him.
Isa sighs. “Look-“
I’ve come to warn you.
The words falter in his mouth and Isa stops, uncertain. “What?”
Be careful, Isa. Don’t fall to the Darkness.
The figure blurs suddenly and colours as bright as the sun dance in his eyes. Isa’s ears are ringing, his mind is screaming in a thousand different voices, all at once. There is fire, flames as tall as the castle itself rise up all around him and-
Isa gasps. He is on the floor, his whole body shaking, his heart racing.
The room is empty.
The next day, he confronts Lea. “Yesterday wasn’t funny.”
“Tell me about it,” is his instant reply as Lea shoves his hands into his pockets. “Did she really have to get so upset about it? I mean, it was only a lizard.”
Isa blinks. Something in his chest turns deathly cold. “What are you talking about?”
“Science class.” When he registers the blank look on Isa’s face, Lea’s green eyes turn sharp, narrowing. “What are you talking about?”
He hesitates. As if on cue, the bell rings and the halls fill with people rushing to leave. As casually as he can, Isa turns away. “Nothing.”
“Hey!” Lea begins but Isa is already running, heart as cold and heavy as stone.
---
On that day, everything will be gone.
Isa doesn’t look up. Keeping his gaze determinedly fixed on his book, he asks, “What happens?”
The ghost doesn’t answer immediately. It paces his room, restless, as Isa continues pretending to read, waiting patiently. Finally, the not-so-there footsteps stop and the voice floats towards him. Darkness will come. Our home will fall to the Shadows.
Isa wrinkles his nose. “I don’t understand.”
The Darkness will come! It will come! Isa shivers as the ghost creeps closer, screaming in his face and sending goosebumps up and down his spine as it continues, voice escalating in panic. It will pour out of the castle and into the town and people will-
--die. Everywhere he looks, houses are on fire, flames licking the sky a fiery shade of orange. The streets are filled with screams as Shadows peel themselves of the walls, joining the sweeping Darkness as it relentlessly devours everything in its path. The air is thick with smoke, heavy with death.
Isa looks around, searching. Where? Where could he be?
The shadows grab at his legs and he cries out. They are trying to drag him down, into the Darkness and his chest burns, like a flame has been lit in the center of his heart. He struggles, trying to fend them off, trying to break free so he can find-
--Lea!”
Isa squeezes his eyes shut and concentrates on breathing. His ears are ringing again, his body is still burning but he shakes his head, trying to focus.
He raises his head to face his friend - his friend who’s body is years older than he is now, who’s green eyes have turned grey in the hands of Death.
“Tell me what to do.”
The ghost of Lea shakes his head, already fading. Beware the King’s students. Beware those obsessed with power.
“Wait!” Isa says, desperation thickening his voice as he reaches out in a futile attempt to stop his friend from disappearing. “Tell me how to save you!”
But he’s too late. Lea is already gone.
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Title: Following You
Word Count: 598
Characters: Lea
Notes: Spoilers for BBS, if you haven't seen the trailer.
“You act as if this is my fault. Remember it was you who followed me.” Saix says, walking away.
He sighs. “What choice did I have?”
---
Lea trips over his feet and only barely avoids falling face first. Coughing, he squints in the darkness, calling after the hazy figure of his friend. “Isa, wait up!”
The reply is quiet, coming from up ahead. “Hurry up, slowpoke.”
Cursing, he stands hurriedly and rushes vaguely in the direction of the voice. Leaves brush past him and branches grab at his clothes; the moon is hidden behind a curtain of clouds and the night is dark. All he has to rely on is instinct.
After what seems like an eternity, he steps into a pond and nearly walks into Isa. With a cry of surprise, he swerves around the boy, trips over a tree root - that, or an enormous crocodile - and walks straight into a tree instead.
There is an awkward silence as Isa resolutely attempts to hold in his laughter - and fails - and Lea indignantly tries to stand up - and fails as well.
Finally, Isa helps him up. “Idiot.”
“Hey, not all of us have superhuman eyes that can see in the dark,” he retorts easily, not missing a beat. “And you still haven’t told me where we’re going yet.”
“Patience.” Even in the dark, he can see Isa’s smile. “Just follow me. And try not to walk into another tree this time.”
Lea grins. “No promises.”
---
“This is the seventh time this month,” the guard says as he drags them out by their collar, nearly choking them. “Even if you kids have nothing better to do, try to remember that other people have work.”
Lea struggles to breathe. “Sure…you do.”
The guard tosses them out perhaps a little harder than he has to; Lea lands on his head. The world swims out of focus and he only faintly hears the words, “And stay out!” before the palace door slams shut. Sitting up, he waits until the colours settle before addressing his partner-in-crime. “Hmph. Someone’s crankier than usual.”
“Yeah,” Isa says, rubbing his ankle. “I wonder what’s up.”
“We probably interrupted their coffee break.” He waves a hand dismissively. “So. What’s next? Another trapdoor? Climbing the roofs? Bribing the cook again?”
No answer. When he looks at his friend, Isa is staring at the closed wooden doors, yellow eyes blank, unseeing.
A shiver runs down his spine. “Isa?”
“The key…”
“What?”
He shakes his head. “Nothing. Come on. Let’s get some food. I’m starving.”
---
“Isa, wait!”
His friend doesn’t turn. “This is it. This is what they’ve been trying to tell me about.”
“Who? Who have you been talking to?”
“Them,” Isa answers, still not turning. “The past. The future. Anyone. Everyone. This is what they’ve been waiting for.”
Despite the blazing flames nearby, he shivers. “Look. The ships are right around the corner. Let’s just go, okay?
“No. This is the only way.”
“Don’t be an idiot. We can still make it. Come on!”
Isa turns then, meeting his gaze steadily. “No, we won’t.” And with that, he moves forwards and disappears into the curling tendrils of darkness.
““No, wait!” Desperately, Lea reaches out but is too late; Isa is already gone.
Now he is alone, every heartbeat as loud as thunder as he backs away from the clawing darkness. Behind him, the lights of the evacuation ships shine bright, guiding survivors to safety. In front of him, there is only darkness.
The choice is clear.
Heart hammering in his chest, Lea steps forward-
-and follows.
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Title: At the Heart of Darkness
Word Count: 585
Characters: Ansem
Notes: No spoilers. For kh_drabble , prompt: the rules.
When the first wave of darkness sweeps through his castle, Ansem heads straight for the laboratories. His mind is racing with unspoken suspicions; there is only one person to find, only one person capable of stepping over the boundaries he had so painstakingly laid down two years ago.
His heart beats loud in his chest; the sound attracts the Heartless and slowly, the corridor fills. Ansem does not slow, forcing them back with magicks as he runs past. His legs carry him deeper underground and with every step, the darkness thickens, as does his fear.
The laboratories itself are lost in swirling darkness, pulsing with a dark energy so thick that it suffocates him. Taking a deep breath, Ansem calls upon the strongest spell he knows and unleashes it, watching as fire clears a path for him.
Someone stands in the center of the darkness.
Fury burns hot in his chest, lacing his words with an anger he has never felt before. “Xehanort!” He marches towards the figure, stalking through the darkness even as the Heartless race forward, hungry. Power comes to life in his hands and he readies the spell, preparing to release it. “Xehanort!”
His student turns and smiles.
And Ansem stops. The spell dies, extinguished as fast as the blinding fury that had only seconds ago raced through his veins.
He is wrong.
---
Xehanort blinks once and stares, disbelieving. “What?”
Ansem doesn’t look up. “This project has become too dangerous, has taken too many lives. I cannot allow it to proceed any further.”
“But we’ve come so far.” Xehanort asks. “We’ve made so much progress. We have discovered all manners of things we did not know before. How can you stop now?”
“Xehanort. Please try to understand. Yesterday’s experiment was a disaster.”
“Because we got the calculations wrong! Even Ienzo admits it,” Xehanort replies, gesturing wildly at the silent boy, desperation creeping into his words, “and he hardly ever gets anything wrong. Next time--
“There will be no next time!” The words come out harsh and Xehanort falls silent. Ansem stands and addresses his six apprentices. “Forgive me, but this is my final decision.” Here, he pauses, looking them each in the eye, meeting Xehanort’s gaze last. “Swear, upon my name, that you will stop this.”
At first, silence stretches on, hanging heavily in the air and Ansem worries that it might not be enough, that it might not satisfy them.
Then Braig clears his throat and raises his hand to his heart. “Upon your name, Lord Ansem the Wise, my King, I swear to discontinue this project. Your words are my law. Your decisions, my limits.” He bows. “Long live the King.”
After that, one by one, they repeat the solemn vow and when the ritual is complete, Ansem exhales loudly, relieved. “Thank you. You’re dismissed.”
They file out of his office wordlessly and Ansem watches them go. When Braig turns around to pull the doors close, he glances up and for the briefest moment, Ansem sees something burning in his eye, something that sends shivers down his spine. He starts to speak, warning bells ringing in his mind but chooses, at the last minute, not to.
And then, the door swings shuts.
---
That was two years ago.
Now, he cannot move; shock has frozen his body, rooting him to the spot as the figure approaches him. He struggles to speak and even then, only one word comes. “You…”
“That’s right,” Braig says, still smiling, yellow eye shining. “Me.”
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Title: Of the Past
Word Count: 599
Characters: Namine
Notes: BBS spoilers. For kh_drabble , prompt: the past.
“Tell me who I was.”
Namine dares a glance up; the Superior’s gaze is steady, betraying nothing. She breathes. “I don’t understand.”
For a moment, there is silence. Then, “I want you to read my memories.”
What she finds is not what she expects. His mind is much vaster, much older than he seems to be. Everywhere she turns, there is darkness lurking. She follows the chains back through time and eventually, they lead her to the missing pieces. She traces circles around them, trying to see why they’ve been cut off from the rest. Finally, she takes a step forward.
There is a flash of light, so bright and so sudden amidst such darkness that it blinds her and she staggers backwards, unbalanced. Something cold strikes her shoulder, pushing her away. In that instant, she hears the clank of metal, the sharp sting of a blade and she sees-
-a graveyard. A thousand dead keys abandoned under one sky. The lands echo with stories of the past. Kingdom Hearts. A masked boy. An old man. A girl. Someone else…Roxas?
No.
He watches the memory unfold, his eyes sad, angry, resigned.
Ven.
A whirlwind of colours as lost memories rush forward, screaming for a way out. A body possessed. A heart invaded. The scene blurs as voices crowd her mind.
Well, I’m voting for you.
Travelling without your armour again?
The three of us will always be together.
There’s a reason no one mentions the war anymore.
You shouldn’t put yourself so close to the darkness.
Are you out of your mind!?
I want one of those Keyblades for myself.
Accept the darkness. Embrace it, Master Ter--
Namine gasps as everything vanishes, pulled away so suddenly that it sucks the breath out of her. She blinks, trying to clear her head as she stands, squinting into the darkness. “Who are you?”
He doesn’t answer immediately, studying her from his post by the pulsing mass of memories. Finally, “These are mine.”
“Not all of them.”
“No,” he agrees, wearing a small, bitter smile. “But he took what mattered most to me. I’m only returning the favour.”
Namine hesitates. “He wants it back. His past, I mean.”
He responds by holding out his hand. A Keyblade materializes, a miniscule light in the darkness. The bundle of memories behind him trembles and for the briefest instant, Namine sees another Keyblade, a darkness bound by chains of light.
His words are soft, a wistful whisper. “So do I.”
---
Namine watches silently as Xemnas studies it. “Is that it?”
“It was all I could find.”The lie comes easily; she does not have to fight to keep the truth from her face. “I’m sorry.”
Xemnas places the drawing on the table. He is neither disappointed nor angry, merely puzzled. “A sunset? What could it mean?” he says, already rising as he turns the questions over and over in his mind, searching for a solution.
After the door closes, Namine picks it up. She fingers the edges of the sun and it warms her fingers; the evening sky is cool, the crashing waves soothing.
Carefully, she peels off the memory. The paper flutters to her feet as she walks over to the open window, clutching the sunset tightly. Outside, the city lights blink at her, a mute witness.
In one swift movement, she thrusts her arms out into the air and lets go. The memory spreads swiftly, eagerly stretching wide before slowly beginning to fade. She watches.
When Namine closes the windows, all that’s left is the taste of salt on her tongue.
He eyes the figure coolly, unimpressed. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”
Silence. The figure does nothing, only standing, only watching him.
Isa sighs. “Look-“
I’ve come to warn you.
The words falter in his mouth and Isa stops, uncertain. “What?”
Be careful, Isa. Don’t fall to the Darkness.
The figure blurs suddenly and colours as bright as the sun dance in his eyes. Isa’s ears are ringing, his mind is screaming in a thousand different voices, all at once. There is fire, flames as tall as the castle itself rise up all around him and-
Isa gasps. He is on the floor, his whole body shaking, his heart racing.
The room is empty.
The next day, he confronts Lea. “Yesterday wasn’t funny.”
“Tell me about it,” is his instant reply as Lea shoves his hands into his pockets. “Did she really have to get so upset about it? I mean, it was only a lizard.”
Isa blinks. Something in his chest turns deathly cold. “What are you talking about?”
“Science class.” When he registers the blank look on Isa’s face, Lea’s green eyes turn sharp, narrowing. “What are you talking about?”
He hesitates. As if on cue, the bell rings and the halls fill with people rushing to leave. As casually as he can, Isa turns away. “Nothing.”
“Hey!” Lea begins but Isa is already running, heart as cold and heavy as stone.
---
On that day, everything will be gone.
Isa doesn’t look up. Keeping his gaze determinedly fixed on his book, he asks, “What happens?”
The ghost doesn’t answer immediately. It paces his room, restless, as Isa continues pretending to read, waiting patiently. Finally, the not-so-there footsteps stop and the voice floats towards him. Darkness will come. Our home will fall to the Shadows.
Isa wrinkles his nose. “I don’t understand.”
The Darkness will come! It will come! Isa shivers as the ghost creeps closer, screaming in his face and sending goosebumps up and down his spine as it continues, voice escalating in panic. It will pour out of the castle and into the town and people will-
--die. Everywhere he looks, houses are on fire, flames licking the sky a fiery shade of orange. The streets are filled with screams as Shadows peel themselves of the walls, joining the sweeping Darkness as it relentlessly devours everything in its path. The air is thick with smoke, heavy with death.
Isa looks around, searching. Where? Where could he be?
The shadows grab at his legs and he cries out. They are trying to drag him down, into the Darkness and his chest burns, like a flame has been lit in the center of his heart. He struggles, trying to fend them off, trying to break free so he can find-
--Lea!”
Isa squeezes his eyes shut and concentrates on breathing. His ears are ringing again, his body is still burning but he shakes his head, trying to focus.
He raises his head to face his friend - his friend who’s body is years older than he is now, who’s green eyes have turned grey in the hands of Death.
“Tell me what to do.”
The ghost of Lea shakes his head, already fading. Beware the King’s students. Beware those obsessed with power.
“Wait!” Isa says, desperation thickening his voice as he reaches out in a futile attempt to stop his friend from disappearing. “Tell me how to save you!”
But he’s too late. Lea is already gone.
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Title: Following You
Word Count: 598
Characters: Lea
Notes: Spoilers for BBS, if you haven't seen the trailer.
“You act as if this is my fault. Remember it was you who followed me.” Saix says, walking away.
He sighs. “What choice did I have?”
---
Lea trips over his feet and only barely avoids falling face first. Coughing, he squints in the darkness, calling after the hazy figure of his friend. “Isa, wait up!”
The reply is quiet, coming from up ahead. “Hurry up, slowpoke.”
Cursing, he stands hurriedly and rushes vaguely in the direction of the voice. Leaves brush past him and branches grab at his clothes; the moon is hidden behind a curtain of clouds and the night is dark. All he has to rely on is instinct.
After what seems like an eternity, he steps into a pond and nearly walks into Isa. With a cry of surprise, he swerves around the boy, trips over a tree root - that, or an enormous crocodile - and walks straight into a tree instead.
There is an awkward silence as Isa resolutely attempts to hold in his laughter - and fails - and Lea indignantly tries to stand up - and fails as well.
Finally, Isa helps him up. “Idiot.”
“Hey, not all of us have superhuman eyes that can see in the dark,” he retorts easily, not missing a beat. “And you still haven’t told me where we’re going yet.”
“Patience.” Even in the dark, he can see Isa’s smile. “Just follow me. And try not to walk into another tree this time.”
Lea grins. “No promises.”
---
“This is the seventh time this month,” the guard says as he drags them out by their collar, nearly choking them. “Even if you kids have nothing better to do, try to remember that other people have work.”
Lea struggles to breathe. “Sure…you do.”
The guard tosses them out perhaps a little harder than he has to; Lea lands on his head. The world swims out of focus and he only faintly hears the words, “And stay out!” before the palace door slams shut. Sitting up, he waits until the colours settle before addressing his partner-in-crime. “Hmph. Someone’s crankier than usual.”
“Yeah,” Isa says, rubbing his ankle. “I wonder what’s up.”
“We probably interrupted their coffee break.” He waves a hand dismissively. “So. What’s next? Another trapdoor? Climbing the roofs? Bribing the cook again?”
No answer. When he looks at his friend, Isa is staring at the closed wooden doors, yellow eyes blank, unseeing.
A shiver runs down his spine. “Isa?”
“The key…”
“What?”
He shakes his head. “Nothing. Come on. Let’s get some food. I’m starving.”
---
“Isa, wait!”
His friend doesn’t turn. “This is it. This is what they’ve been trying to tell me about.”
“Who? Who have you been talking to?”
“Them,” Isa answers, still not turning. “The past. The future. Anyone. Everyone. This is what they’ve been waiting for.”
Despite the blazing flames nearby, he shivers. “Look. The ships are right around the corner. Let’s just go, okay?
“No. This is the only way.”
“Don’t be an idiot. We can still make it. Come on!”
Isa turns then, meeting his gaze steadily. “No, we won’t.” And with that, he moves forwards and disappears into the curling tendrils of darkness.
““No, wait!” Desperately, Lea reaches out but is too late; Isa is already gone.
Now he is alone, every heartbeat as loud as thunder as he backs away from the clawing darkness. Behind him, the lights of the evacuation ships shine bright, guiding survivors to safety. In front of him, there is only darkness.
The choice is clear.
Heart hammering in his chest, Lea steps forward-
-and follows.
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Title: At the Heart of Darkness
Word Count: 585
Characters: Ansem
Notes: No spoilers. For kh_drabble , prompt: the rules.
When the first wave of darkness sweeps through his castle, Ansem heads straight for the laboratories. His mind is racing with unspoken suspicions; there is only one person to find, only one person capable of stepping over the boundaries he had so painstakingly laid down two years ago.
His heart beats loud in his chest; the sound attracts the Heartless and slowly, the corridor fills. Ansem does not slow, forcing them back with magicks as he runs past. His legs carry him deeper underground and with every step, the darkness thickens, as does his fear.
The laboratories itself are lost in swirling darkness, pulsing with a dark energy so thick that it suffocates him. Taking a deep breath, Ansem calls upon the strongest spell he knows and unleashes it, watching as fire clears a path for him.
Someone stands in the center of the darkness.
Fury burns hot in his chest, lacing his words with an anger he has never felt before. “Xehanort!” He marches towards the figure, stalking through the darkness even as the Heartless race forward, hungry. Power comes to life in his hands and he readies the spell, preparing to release it. “Xehanort!”
His student turns and smiles.
And Ansem stops. The spell dies, extinguished as fast as the blinding fury that had only seconds ago raced through his veins.
He is wrong.
---
Xehanort blinks once and stares, disbelieving. “What?”
Ansem doesn’t look up. “This project has become too dangerous, has taken too many lives. I cannot allow it to proceed any further.”
“But we’ve come so far.” Xehanort asks. “We’ve made so much progress. We have discovered all manners of things we did not know before. How can you stop now?”
“Xehanort. Please try to understand. Yesterday’s experiment was a disaster.”
“Because we got the calculations wrong! Even Ienzo admits it,” Xehanort replies, gesturing wildly at the silent boy, desperation creeping into his words, “and he hardly ever gets anything wrong. Next time--
“There will be no next time!” The words come out harsh and Xehanort falls silent. Ansem stands and addresses his six apprentices. “Forgive me, but this is my final decision.” Here, he pauses, looking them each in the eye, meeting Xehanort’s gaze last. “Swear, upon my name, that you will stop this.”
At first, silence stretches on, hanging heavily in the air and Ansem worries that it might not be enough, that it might not satisfy them.
Then Braig clears his throat and raises his hand to his heart. “Upon your name, Lord Ansem the Wise, my King, I swear to discontinue this project. Your words are my law. Your decisions, my limits.” He bows. “Long live the King.”
After that, one by one, they repeat the solemn vow and when the ritual is complete, Ansem exhales loudly, relieved. “Thank you. You’re dismissed.”
They file out of his office wordlessly and Ansem watches them go. When Braig turns around to pull the doors close, he glances up and for the briefest moment, Ansem sees something burning in his eye, something that sends shivers down his spine. He starts to speak, warning bells ringing in his mind but chooses, at the last minute, not to.
And then, the door swings shuts.
---
That was two years ago.
Now, he cannot move; shock has frozen his body, rooting him to the spot as the figure approaches him. He struggles to speak and even then, only one word comes. “You…”
“That’s right,” Braig says, still smiling, yellow eye shining. “Me.”
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Title: Of the Past
Word Count: 599
Characters: Namine
Notes: BBS spoilers. For kh_drabble , prompt: the past.
“Tell me who I was.”
Namine dares a glance up; the Superior’s gaze is steady, betraying nothing. She breathes. “I don’t understand.”
For a moment, there is silence. Then, “I want you to read my memories.”
What she finds is not what she expects. His mind is much vaster, much older than he seems to be. Everywhere she turns, there is darkness lurking. She follows the chains back through time and eventually, they lead her to the missing pieces. She traces circles around them, trying to see why they’ve been cut off from the rest. Finally, she takes a step forward.
There is a flash of light, so bright and so sudden amidst such darkness that it blinds her and she staggers backwards, unbalanced. Something cold strikes her shoulder, pushing her away. In that instant, she hears the clank of metal, the sharp sting of a blade and she sees-
-a graveyard. A thousand dead keys abandoned under one sky. The lands echo with stories of the past. Kingdom Hearts. A masked boy. An old man. A girl. Someone else…Roxas?
No.
He watches the memory unfold, his eyes sad, angry, resigned.
Ven.
A whirlwind of colours as lost memories rush forward, screaming for a way out. A body possessed. A heart invaded. The scene blurs as voices crowd her mind.
Well, I’m voting for you.
Travelling without your armour again?
The three of us will always be together.
There’s a reason no one mentions the war anymore.
You shouldn’t put yourself so close to the darkness.
Are you out of your mind!?
I want one of those Keyblades for myself.
Accept the darkness. Embrace it, Master Ter--
Namine gasps as everything vanishes, pulled away so suddenly that it sucks the breath out of her. She blinks, trying to clear her head as she stands, squinting into the darkness. “Who are you?”
He doesn’t answer immediately, studying her from his post by the pulsing mass of memories. Finally, “These are mine.”
“Not all of them.”
“No,” he agrees, wearing a small, bitter smile. “But he took what mattered most to me. I’m only returning the favour.”
Namine hesitates. “He wants it back. His past, I mean.”
He responds by holding out his hand. A Keyblade materializes, a miniscule light in the darkness. The bundle of memories behind him trembles and for the briefest instant, Namine sees another Keyblade, a darkness bound by chains of light.
His words are soft, a wistful whisper. “So do I.”
---
Namine watches silently as Xemnas studies it. “Is that it?”
“It was all I could find.”The lie comes easily; she does not have to fight to keep the truth from her face. “I’m sorry.”
Xemnas places the drawing on the table. He is neither disappointed nor angry, merely puzzled. “A sunset? What could it mean?” he says, already rising as he turns the questions over and over in his mind, searching for a solution.
After the door closes, Namine picks it up. She fingers the edges of the sun and it warms her fingers; the evening sky is cool, the crashing waves soothing.
Carefully, she peels off the memory. The paper flutters to her feet as she walks over to the open window, clutching the sunset tightly. Outside, the city lights blink at her, a mute witness.
In one swift movement, she thrusts her arms out into the air and lets go. The memory spreads swiftly, eagerly stretching wide before slowly beginning to fade. She watches.
When Namine closes the windows, all that’s left is the taste of salt on her tongue.