recolle | [closed-ish] if the clouds don't clear

[Dante doesn't even realize that Sora's joined them--he's too distracted by the conversation at hand, watching Mickey thinking through the old man's words. Where is this heading...]

Seven guardians of light? Well, for Keyblade wielders, there's me and Riku and Sora. And my three missing friends, that's six. Then the seventh would be... [He gasps, looking at the thrones surrounding them.] That means... the thirteen seekers of darkness...

Yes, little king. Perceptive. But Sora and another on your list belong to me now. And that puts you three guardians short. But worry not. All of the pieces are destined to appear. Your seven lights just like my thirteen darknesses, whose final clash will beget the prize I seek.

[There's not a lot about this that makes sense to Dante. Seven guardians of light? Thirteen seekers of darkness? But as the older man climbs to his feet on his throne, summoning up a giant Keyblade, there's a pang of panic in his heart. Whatever's going to happen next, it's going to be bad.]

But first, the thirteen darknesses shall be united. All the seats have been filled. And now the last vessel shall bear my heart like the rest!

[And for the first time, Dante notices the Sora sitting on one of the thrones--the same Sora he'd pleaded with not to chase the dreams.

The same Sora that Ansem had said was lost to the darkness.]

No!

Sora!

[And without even thinking about it, he's in motion, Keyblade flashing into his hand as he breaks into a run toward Sora's throne, horrified as it begins to rise.]

[It takes Sora several seconds to even realize what's happening, it's all happening so fast. Is that... himself on that chair? The old man is threatening to do something to him, pulling out a grotesque Keyblade that looked like it was made of wrought iron, twisted and embedded with what looked like an actual eyeball.

Dante and the mouse king surge forward as the chair begins to rise, but two of the cloaked figures appear and shove them both down to the ground painfully, and Sora can't help but wince empathetically at the noise. The other Sora's chair has almost reached the top before his limbs unlock enough to rush forward and summon his own Keyblade.]

Stop!

[He's scared, he really is, and the entire scene feels like it's crushing his heart in its grip, but he can't just stand by and do nothing. Does he stop the old man and save himself? Does he try to help the little king? Does he free Dante? The choice is clear; that's not the real Sora in danger, but that is the real Dante.

He scrambles forward, onto the raised platform, and goes for a swing at the guy holding Dante to the ground.]

[Dante tries to get to Sora, he really does, but it's downright painful when he's slammed to the floor by Ansem, head forced into the ground. All he can do is stare upwards in horror as whatever it is the old man had summoned up flies across the room toward Sora, still sitting motionless in his chair... but then he's hearing Sora's voice, even though the other one isn't moving, and the pressure holding him down retreats. Dante won't pass up the chance to roll out of the way, scrambling back up to his feet and catching sight of--]

Sora?

[Automatically he looks back up, just in time to see the shining star enter the other Sora's chest. Almost immediately, a wash of darkness flares around him, and Dante can feel his stomach give an anxious twist. The man in the chair is speaking again, saying something and commanding Sora to feel the power within him and let the darkness inside, but he can't pay attention to any of it with his blood pounding in his ears. Sora in the chair, Sora down in front of him, some sort of scheme fulfilled... what does he do? What choice are they supposed to make here?

But there's no time to make a choice. The darkness melts away from Sora, revealing a boy that looks entirely different with the amber eyes shining, and with a flash of darkness he's before the both of them, summoning up a Keyblade of his own.]

Too slow.

[And the both of them go flying.]

[Sora smacks the guy in the face with the Keyblade, successfully freeing Dante, managing to jump back again before a great chill runs its way up his spine. The darkness thickens, choking him, and he can only look on in horror as the other Sora is completely engulfed by it. Is this... real? Is that what happens to him, in that other life?

He doesn't have much time to think on it, because the other Sora is grinning down maniacally at them, eyes no longer blue, or even that shade of gray his own eyes currently are. They're a deep amber, glinting at them in a way that makes Sora's heart clench up again in fear.

The next moment, they're both flying back, and he gasps in pain as he's slammed back against one of the pillars. Sora crumples to the ground like a rag doll, and none of those classes at the fight club, none of the sparring, not even the fighting in August has prepared him for this. He uses the Keyblade, still clenched in one hand, like a crutch to try and sit himself up, and looks around to where he thinks Dante must have landed.

The other Sora laughs, and it's cold and heartless, and it hurts. The old man, pleased with his work, laughs as well, and praises him for giving in.]

[Dante is knocked right off the dais entirely, something that takes him further away but at the very least doesn't lead to cracking his head on one of the pillars around it. He tenses his muscles up to reorient himself with a grunt of effort, bringing his feet underneath him as he hits the ground, then sprints for the round again as he hears Sora and the old man laughing.]

Yes... you see? The thirteen darknesses have come together, just as intended! But it seems we are several lights short, and our time today is ended.

[The other hooded figures begin to disappear, darkness enveloping their forms and transporting them away. As Dante jumps back up to the dais, it's down to the four of them--him, Sora, Sora, and the old man (where has Mickey gone? Dante barely even notices he's missing, given everything else...).]

But worry not. All the pieces are destined to appear. [The old man points at this no-longer-Sora, an evil smirk crossing his lips.] Play with them if you like, but remember: we need all the pieces to be in place when the appointed hour comes.

Yeah, yeah. I got it.

[The old man disappears into the darkness too, leaving them with the other Sora.]

I may have to leave you two alive, but that doesn't mean I can't play with you a bit first.

[Sora whips his head back towards the other Sora when he speaks, eyes still wide as dinner plates. His heart is threatening to burst out of his chest with how hard it's beating, and his back stings from where it made contact with the pillar. He's gonna have bruises tomorrow, at the very least. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices with relief that at least Dante seems to be fine, as he's sprinting back towards the scene as fast as he can go.

The other Sora, eyes glinting madness, stalks toward Sora, Keyblade out but making no move to attack.]

Aww, you gonna cry or something? Geeze, I can't believe how weak I used to be.

[He stops a few feet from Sora, still grinning even as he taunts him, before he suddenly brings his Keyblade down towards his counterpart's head. Sora just barely manages to bring his own Keyblade up to block it in time, a loud clang resounding through the area at metal meeting metal.]

Sora!

[But Sora's blocking just in time, the clash of metal on metal ringing out through the room. Dante doesn't know why he's so relieved (well, okay, fine, he does; he may not like Sora but that doesn't mean he wants the other boy to die) but the block gives him time to sprint the rest of the way over, adding a third blade to the clash.

It's difficult, taking the opportunity to attack--there's a part of him that's instinctively flashing back to that memory he had of fighting Sora, of someone using his body as a vessel and using him to try and kill Sora. He doesn't pull his blow, but the moment of indecision might show on his face long enough for Sora to see.

His blow knocks the other Sora away from the real one. Dante spares him a glance, just to make sure he hadn't been hit, and then--]

Come on! You go right, I'll go left. Together we can take him!

[It's a good job Dante reentered the fray when he did, because Sora might not have managed a second save. Already off balance from before, Sora rolls to the side as soon as he's no longer blocking. As Dante sends the other Sora flying, he manages to scramble back to his feet and attempt to put himself back into a fighting position.

He saw that look on Dante's face, of course he did. What it means, though, is a bit of a mystery. Or maybe it isn't, he thinks, remembering what happened the last time he went out into the fog. But right now his possessed double is trying to kill them, so maybe this isn't the best time.

Sora nods at Dante's words, though, a little more determined now. After the last time they fought together, it's a lot easier to imagine them coming out on top.]

Right!

[Sora dashes off in the direction he's told, and he can feel the adrenaline pushing him forward. The other Sora is finding his bearings again, so they'll have to be quick.]

[Dante darts to the left, mirroring Sora's movements. With two of them, the other Sora can't focus, can't block, and Dante can see the instant he makes his choice: that Sora jumps, trying to bound up to one of the other thrones.]

I don't think so!

[He follows without hesitation, jumping and kicking off of the nearest pillar, jumping onto the wave of power and riding it up. There's a familiar pink/purple glow around his body as he moves, and by this point using his flowmotion is more fluid than not, an ability he's finally starting to master after months of hard work and practice. He kicks off one, two, three pillars, and he's above the other Sora, twisting into his path and arcing his Keyblade overhead. He brings it down hard, and the force of it sends the other falling back down to the platform where Sora will be able to reach him, a momentary heap of boy.]

Sora!

[Sora sees it coming before Dante calls his name, his instincts taking over and moving his body before he can properly think about it. He bolts forward before the other Sora can hit the ground and positions himself underneath him, bringing the Keyblade upwards into a swing at the last moment.

The hit connects with a sickening sound, the sound of bones breaking and air rushing out of lungs, and the other Sora goes flying at the strength of the attack. He knows it had to be done, that the fog memory, no matter how fake, was real enough to attack and hurt them. It could have killed them. But Sora never, ever wants to hear that sound again, and he can only watch in horror as his doppelganger smashes into the same pillar that he had earlier.

Vaguely, he wonders if the other boy will get back back up. For everyone's sake, but mostly his own, Sora hopes that he doesn't. Up until this point, he's only fought monsters, and they hadn't even presented a problem in his head about ending them. Fighting a person, even a pretend person, was much worse, and he doesn't know if he can keep doing this. He didn't sign up for this.]

[He doesn't. Dante's just as thankful as Sora that the other goes down so easily--he's got the memories of fighting Sora already, a battle he feels conflicted enough about. He doesn't need to battle another Sora, this time of his own will...! But the other Sora hits the ground and dissolves into a cloud of mist, little bits of shadow that wisp away into the night. A moment later and the room around them begins to fade away too, dropping both of them to the ground below and leaving the two of them standing, alone, in the middle of the sidewalk.

It's no use pretending that he isn't shaken by everything that's just happened. Was this real? Fake? How does he know? Dante takes a look at Sora.]

Are you okay?

[Sora barely registers that they're back on the sidewalk until Dante speaks, eyes still watching the spot where the other Sora vanished. He can still feel his heart beating wildly in his chest, still on full alert from the previous battle.

He takes a deep breath before answering.]

I... Y-yeah. I'm fine.

[He pauses for a long moment.]

You?

Edited 2017-11-04 23:34 (UTC)

[Oh, you know, he's fine. He just watched this other version of you get successfully turned into some evil monster hellbent on destroying him... no big deal. Dante runs a hand through his hair, giving himself a moment before responding.]

I'm all right.

I just hope what we just saw wasn't real.

[Even if everything else he's run into in the fog has been...]

[He doesn't respond to that. Either everything they just saw was fake, or... The other possibility is too awful to entertain. Sora doesn't want to think about how terribly his past life might have ended.

He shakes himself out of his stupor and tries to calm himself down. Letting his Keyblade dissipate out of his hand, he stoops down to snatch his backpack from where it had fallen off in the confusion.]

It's... it's too dangerous to stay out here.

[A pause. Dante is a jerk, sure, but Sora doesn't hate him. For some reason, he can't bring himself to full-out hate him. Either way, he definitely doesn't want the guy to get hurt or die.]

...My house is a couple of blocks down. D'you wanna come with? Or are you okay by yourself?

I'm fine.

[It's an instinctive response, one he would've given to anyone. But...]

I'll walk with you if you want, though. In case something else decides to pop up.

[Sora debates this in his head for a second, before nodding. He won't admit it, but he's scared. And he's too tired to deal with anything else that might come out of the fog by himself. He can handle walking two blocks with Dante.]

Yeah.

[And even though there's still a part of him that resents Sora, that wants to hold on to the resentment that had been so prevalent in so many of his memories... Dante can't deny the truth of his other memories, the ones that say that Sora's important, someone he needs to protect. Someone he cares about, almost as strongly as he cares about his close friends in this world.

And if that's the case, he can't just let Sora walk into another situation like that.]

All right, then let's go.

[closed-ish] if the clouds don't clear

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