[identity profile] reversedhymnal.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] kh_drabble
Challenge: [o82] crossroads
Title: (before) the final forward march
Author: [livejournal.com profile] reversedhymnal
Word Count: 500
Characters/Pairings: Sora
Summary: At the end.
Notes: Spoilers for the secret movie thing at the end of KHII. Also, this angst is courtesy of [livejournal.com profile] tabitha_dornoc’s brilliance. u.u POSTPOSTPOST-KHII. I mean like. Way long past, dude.


In a crossroad, there are four paths.

Sora pulls out the carton he hides in one of his many pockets, and taps a cigarette out. The long, white cylinder is strange against the dust and grime of the world he stands rooted in, and for a long moment, he doesn’t move, just stares down at it between fingers covered only in the tatters of gloves. They tremble, just a little, and with a twist to his mouth that is both bitter and aching and fond, he murmurs, “I blame this addiction on you, Cid. May you rest in peace, you old bastard.”

He lights it with a quick flick of his finger, a little magic that, by this point, won’t make even the slightest bit of difference. The first slow inhale is sweet, like oxygen in a world that’s closed in too tight and harsh. He exhales, and the smoke curls as if it would be a barrier before him; Sora waves it away before it finishes unfurling, and winces.

It may have been a protection. The world around him, which he’s been trying not to focus on, rips an already broken heart to shreds.

The first path is that of light. Then there is darkness, and then twilight.

“Or dawn.” Sora inhales again against the memory of the words; exhales. “They’re sort of the same thing, really.”

It’s hard to think of such things, though, standing in the midst of a graveyard. The broken and bare keyblades stand like sentinels to tragedy, and the dry desert wind makes a mockery of their lack of keychains. On his belt, his own collection – down to just a few, now - jingle and clank in solitary defiance.

It’s so much harder to contemplate without Riku there to get technical.

“Damn it,” Sora hisses, eyes squinting against the low, angry sun. There are ruins across the way, and a sense of inevitable fate about the place. He stands amidst the center of everything, and all he can think about is how much he misses what he has lost. Reaching down, he grips the Oathkeeper keychain, as though it can bring warmth back to him.

It’s all he has left though, a luckless charm; it’s a cold comfort.

And the final path?

The final pathThat is the path to the heart of all things. What do you will it to be?

The cigarette doesn’t last long. Sora didn’t really think it would, used to things that end, disappear; die on him. He exhales one last, slow breath, watches the smoke curl up, reaching for the angry sky and then-

Goodbye.

-getting swept away by the wind; obliterated.

Slowly, as though each move pains him, he flicks the butt away. Brings the hand up, over the wound that was once his heart. “Don’t worry,” he speaks softly, to ghosts and memories. “I’ll finish it. Like I promised.”

Then Sora straightens, broken and alone and determined, and takes a step forward, along his chosen path.

Date: 2006-11-08 12:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] arclights.livejournal.com
Shot.

Through the heart.

Ow. Ow. Holy cow, girl. I'm speechless and in love.

Date: 2006-11-08 02:20 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] arclights.livejournal.com
Oh hell yes. ♥

Honestly, though, that piece got me like I haven't felt in a long, long time. It's the subtle things, the off-hand details, the stuff that doesn't even register the first time you read it, that grip your gut and make it hurt the second time through.

Sora does break my heart, because you know that what we've seen isn't the end of it, and things are definitely going to get worse. Part of what gripped me, I guess, about Sora in KH2 is that somewhere in there he grew up while I wasn't looking, and for every little wonderful and brave thing he does, there are times when you can see him crack just a bit, and I remember that, jesus, he's still a baby.

And I can totally see your scenario happening, and all that sadness and death inbetween what we've seen so far and what this piece presents -- all the trauma that would make such a brilliant, buoyant boy so ... decimated -- wow. Wow.

Date: 2006-11-08 05:19 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] arclights.livejournal.com
Just so, and with such eloquence. I think I love you! I bet what you and I see in Sora is pretty similar to what you see for a lot of the Naruto kids, no? (That or I'm a tard and you just like the pretty pictures for icons, lol.)

I think it makes it that much harder to see Sora's progression for ourselves. I mean, when we started out he was just that: bright and innocent. And watching the change, as he does start to lose those parts is what makes it all the more painful. I have to admit, though, that I am far more interested in the changing Sora than how he started out, and I'm intensely curious about what he will be like when it's all over.

Aaaa, I should seriously get on to finishing my fic. It's kind of hard to concentrate between state election followings (ALSDKGJF Conrad Burns is a tool D<) and not being able to quite navigate the finish I want.

(Randomly, a carton is a box containing ten packs of cigarettes, at least in the US. Not nit-picking by any means, but it tripped me a little both times through. XD)

It's wonderful talking with you!

Date: 2006-11-13 04:46 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] arclights.livejournal.com
Haha! No worries. Unlike myself, people have lives. (I say this writing from a table at my waitressing job, an hour before I'm scheduled to work my hotel job. URGH.) It's a fine excuse, hon, you're not obligated to field my ramblings. I appreciate it, though. <3

The manga is wonderful, and Sakura is my homegirl for so many reasons, and I really fell in love with her all over again when she cut her hair (also disregarding how cute she is with it). The fandom likes to bash on her (maybe not so much now, I guess) for daring to be an emotion girl (ninja) and they seem to forget that under all that hardcore most of these kids are like twelve to fourteen. Which I think says a lot for the author, hee.

I'm looking forward to the next game. I'm intensely curious about how the 'secret movie' factors into the game, cos ... holy shee, what a divergence, no? Kairi is wonderful. I can't think of why people would dislike her (beyond general dislike for female characters, which I'm ashamed to say I once suffered from), but there is so much there to work with. I guess she kind of reminds me of Sakura -- she might not have the boy!angst, but she's physically the weakest link and probably prone to forgetting that HOSHI, she's a princess of heart and that makes her pretty awesome by default. She'd also do anything to help out her boys, and we know she's gonna probably save their asses on more than one occasion. Riku is also wonderful, with all his getting caught up between his guilt and his want to be with Sora and Kairi -- I like how he's turning out. I know he's the most obvious change, but I'm still not certain he changed the most, but I'm still out on that one. Still, though, Roxas won my heart in countless ways, and someday I will write something to do that boy in my head justice.

(S'okay. Blame it on being a non-smoker, assuming you are. XD)

Date: 2006-11-08 01:47 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thano.livejournal.com
owowowowowowow bleeding

And I so got the Old West vibes from Sora... Dear sweet, sweet... Um...

*dribbles* YeahI'llgomemethisnow

Date: 2006-11-08 04:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thano.livejournal.com
SQUEE sora in chaps~ "how d'you do, ma'am" ♥

Date: 2006-11-08 04:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thano.livejournal.com
pistol twirl+wink=mah poor darlin' american belle heart all a-flutter. and he's at your elbow whenever you really need him, with that lovely little look on his face and that twinkle in his eye and... ohooohhhh nosebleed. *_*

Date: 2006-11-12 11:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thano.livejournal.com
MINE IS AN EVIL LAUGH.


“Here I am, one of those awful wanderin’ cowboys them gentlefolk smile at all polite like but hurry on past, and I’m stealing the mayor’s pretty daughter.”

... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... aaaaaaaaaaaaaa-

*shot*

Sorry, that was my brain melting from the adorable of this all. I... I'm... *keels over*

NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE. I'M GONNA REWRITE KINGDOM HEARTS AS A DIME-NOVEL WESTERN. PLUNNIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEED. D=

Date: 2006-11-14 11:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thano.livejournal.com
LOOKITLOOKITLOOKIT WHAT YOU MADE ME DOOOOO.



Axel glared, pulling the dusted brim of his hat over his brow. "Now lookit what you gone done, Roxas."

Smirking back at his firey-tempered friend, Roxas reigned in his mustang and retorted, "Aw, you don't mean any a' that, and you know it." One, two, clop, and the straw-haired cowboy threw himself from the saddle and stood, back-to-back. With a whispered "gee-yup", the horse was away like a shot.

Drawing Oblivion and Oathkeeper from their holsters, he cocked the black gun and murmured, "'Sides, I never knew the time when the legendary Flurry ever stood down from a shootout."

"Did say I ever did?" Axel whispered back from the corner of his mouth, "This here, though; this here's called unnecessary bloodshed."

The wind whipped their clothing into a frenzy of canvas and cotton, swaying the signs in the tavern facades, tossing dust into already gritty eyes.

Roxas grinned. "Didn't never stop you. You gotten soft, partner?"

Suddenly, a man from the top of the tavern to the redhead's front clutched his throat, screamed, and fell through the balcony shade.

The other man fell to his knees and slumped over the crates in front of Roxas. The younger man narrowed his eyes and slid them left, where Axel's pistol was still smoking.

Axel bared his teeth in a ferocious grimace. "I reckon not."

Date: 2006-11-08 03:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] i-got-spunk.livejournal.com
POOR SORA. I want his end to be tragic (makes for a better story after all), but actually reading it makes me hurt. Well done!

Date: 2006-11-08 05:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lindskaba.livejournal.com
This makes me ache somewhere deep inside. A bit...hard for me to imagine, Sora this way, but in the AU sort of way, it's lovely. I love the bits about the crossroads and the paths...really inspired. Nice job :)

Date: 2006-11-08 05:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tabitha-dornoc.livejournal.com
awsdlkjaysdownaauykjg! ANGST! I love angst. I love you. I love every single damn word in this drabble.

You broke Sora! Broken and tragic and beautiful, but still going. Still walking and not-crying, and smoking his demons and bleeding from a heart that's turned stone ages ago. It hurts and it's brilliant and THIS IS HOW I LIKE MY KH FANFIC.

used to things that end, disappear; die on him, killed me swift and quick, and that's my heart somewhere on the floor.

And it's just so Sora. Sora who breathes and smiles and loves on his sleeve, making it so easy to have that taken away. And KEYBLADE GRAVEYARD. I'm just going to go whimper in some corner now. Gah.

Date: 2006-11-09 07:54 am (UTC)
unicorn: a unicorn skull. (Default)
From: [personal profile] unicorn
ARGH.

That is all. ♥

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