KH: Ficlet: Part 9

[size=1][center][justify]Sora stared blankly at the unfamiliar room, ignoring the pool of drool on the pillow beneath his head. He was still too groggy to work up a proper panic attack. On the other hand, it was starting to get old waking up in some strange place that he didn’t recognize. Something hot pressed against his cheek. Sora jumped up in surprise, quickly wiping his face clean with his hands. He lifted his head. “Ri-” The name caught in his throat when he saw the blond man standing before him. The man held out a mug of something hot with the steam still rising from it. Sora accepted the drink, trying not to let his disappointment show.

“Heartless.”

Sora gaped at the man, feeling like he had just been punched in the chest. “I know I was hoping you were someone else, but you don’t have to be so cold about it.”

The man’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “No, not you,” he said in a hurry. “I meant those creatures last night. They’re called Heartless.”

“Oh,” Sora mumbled. An uncomfortable silence fell over them. The man shifted awkwardly then took a seat at the tilted table. The room was quiet small, and dirty. Piles of dirty dishes sat unwashed in the sink that looked like it could use a good scrubbing as well. The drapes on the single window in the room were ripped and stained. Sora sipped at the drink, discovering it was coffee, as he took in his surroundings. His gaze halted as it landed on the black cloak thrown over the other chair at the table. “Oh!” He stared at the man. “You were the guy last night.”

The man scratched at his cheek, a light color rising to them. “Yeah,” he mumbled, not meeting Sora’s gaze.

Sora hesitated. “You’re not in league with the masked man, are you?”

His head shot up to stare at Sora with piercing blue eyes. “No!” the man shouted defensively. He rubbed at his forehead. “Maybe I should explain things from the beginning.” He sighed, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. “My name is Roxas. Last year, I received an invitation to attend True Heart Academy.”

Sora had a sinking feeling inside him. “That sounds eerily similar.”

“I doubt we are the first,” Roxas said grimly. “Not long after I arrived, I discovered I could summon a Keyblade.” The Keyblade suddenly appeared in his hands, proving his statement. “And I met the masked man.” He stared at Sora.

“Very eerie,” Sora mumbled, not liking how similar their experiences were.

“I feared that would be the case.” Roxas sighed. “Seems that old creeper thinks he can keep using the same method, hoping it’ll eventually work. You can’t trust headmaster Xehanort. He wants to use you. I don’t know what his intentions are, but he seems to be searching for something. He sent the Heartless after you, hoping that it would encourage you to seek him out for help understanding about the Heartless and the Keyblade.”

“What are the Heartless exactly?” Sora felt sick. When the Heartless appeared last night to attack that man, Sora thought he should take Xehanort up on that offer. He hung his head. He must be a fool for nearly falling for Xehanort’s plot.

“The Heartless are born from the darkness in people’s hearts,” Roxas explained. “They seek out other people’s hearts, turning them into Heartless as well. Xehanort and that masked man control them together. But when Xehanort found out I wasn’t the one he was looking for, he ordered the masked man to get rid of me. He almost succeeded. He left me for dead, but Axel and Namine found me and saved me.” He smiled warmly when he said their names.

[i]So he knows Axel[/i], Sora thought with a small smile. That put him more at ease about the man. “And you think that Xehanort suspects I might be the one he’s looking for?”

Roxas nodded. “And if you’re not the one, he’ll try to kill you off to then start searching for someone else that can wield the Keyblade.” He stared at Sora, seeming almost hesitant. “Whatever he’s up to can’t be good. With your help, maybe we can finally put a stop to him.”

“This is so over my head,” Sora mumbled, dropping his gaze. But could he sit back while Xehanort and the masked man used the Heartless to hurt other people? After last night, he doubted he could. The Keyblade had apparently chosen him for a reason. He didn’t really understand why, but he would put it to good use helping others. If Sora didn’t help Roxas, Xehanort would just find another pawn to use. Sora nodded. “I’ll help.”[/justify][/center][/size]