#I'm just a stupid idiot with various ideas I'd like to talk with people to see how we can move the needle more in that direction | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

n3k0c0 · 6 years

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"Endlessly"

It was a normal day, like any other. The woods were alive with the birds chirping their song and the trees rustling in the gentle breeze. AJ sat in his garden out back, tending to his flowers and picking herbs for remedies. Ever since he had moved from his home and taken up the life of an apothecary he had lived a calm life, people occasionally coming to him for various remedies, serums, and things of the like. People called his gift for making such healing agents “a gift from the gods,” but he didn’t think so. He believed the gods looked down upon him, as his life before he left was truly the unluckiest one he could have lived. He learned to heal through hard work and dedication, and he wasn’t going to let it go to waste. He heard the back door to his house open, prompting him to look up. Standing on top of the steps that led to the garden was his dear friend, Roxas. He smiled softly and stood, quickly dusting off his apron before running over to Roxas. He stood a step below the boy as he waited for him to stop rummaging through his bag. Soon, Roxas pulled out a couple of small packages and handed them to AJ, who happily took them.

“Managed to find what you needed. It was a little hard,” Roxas said, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. AJ simply shook his head and smiled.

“Even if you found nothing I'd be grateful that you even took the time to look and go outside the town walls… You're the only one who does.”

“Well, as far as I know, no one else is good friends with an ex-prince who has worked night and day to get to where they are now.” Both boys shared a small laugh.

“How are Sora and Xion?”

“They're doing okay. Xion has started studying to be part of the the elite guard, and Sora's… Well, he's Sora.”

“Yeah, he is… And the elite guard! That's hard to get into with my father's stupid rules!”

“Well, she passed pretty much every test. She just has to go through physical in a couple of days, and she's been preparing like a madwoman.”

“Well, tell her I wish her luck. She's going to need it if my father will be supervising.”

“At least your sister, Ashlyn, will get the throne next. I'd hate to know what Amalthia would do if she ruled… Pray to the heavens that Ashlyn does step up soon.”

“I'm sure she will, given my father's condition when I left. He was sickly, but he tries to pass it off.”

“It's as if the gods want him gone, too…” Roxas said, winking. AJ giggled and led Roxas inside, where they unpacked the packages and set jars of liquid and jars of other materials in their proper places. Once that was done Roxas bid AJ farewell and made his way down the path back home. AJ made some quick remedies then made himself some tea. He went to the front porch, where he sat on one of the chairs and enjoyed his tea as he looked down the path. It was nice, peaceful…

“Well, fuck you, too, ass hats!” Well, the quiet didn't last long. AJ looked to the small path with tree cover that led to the nearby lake, where a voice had come from. It held such authority and held a certain sound that seemed similar to a raging fire. He set his cup down on the small table next to his chair and stood, quickly making his way to the path and running the rest of the way. He eventually made it to the lake, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He looked around some more until he found a boy laying with the lower half of his body submerged in water. AJ ran over and knelt next to the boy, who was clearly still somewhat conscious. He had pale skin, his hair dark and sticking up all over the place. He was covered in blood and cuts, some big and some small. His breathing was irregular, as well. It was as if he had just been in a battle. AJ said softly, pulling the boy's arm over his shoulders. The boy groaned in pain as he was lifted to his feet, but seemed to silence as they began to head home. Once AJ got the boy inside he brought him to his room, laying him on his bed. AJ quickly got his first aid kit and moved to treat the boy's wounds, but it seemed all that was left was the blood.

“Did he heal himself…?”

“Of course I did, idiot…” AJ let out a small yelp as he threw the closed bottle of antiseptic at the boy. There was a small 'thunk’ accompanied by the sloshing of liquid, followed by a groan. The boy quickly moved his hand and covered his eye, sitting up in bed. “What the hell was that for?!"

“I thought you were unconscious!”

“Why would I be unconscious?!”

“Do you not remember the bleeding cuts you had?”

“Those were nothing compared to what I get in the battlefield, but I'm thinking that I might get a black eye from that bottle.”

“Over dramatic much?”

“It's not every day you get a bottle thrown at your face by a mortal and actually have it hurt.”

“Quit talking like your some higher being.”

“I could kill you right where you stand with a flick of my wrist.”

“... You're a rogue wizard, aren't you?”

“What? No!” AJ rolled his eyes and picked up the first aid kit, setting everything that had spilled out back inside.

“That's what they all say..."

“I'm a god!”

“And I'm a minister of the temple.” Both looked at each other for some time before AJ stood and put the first aid kit away. “So, either one of us is lying, both of us are lying, or none of us are lying. Take your pick.”

“You are. Why the hell would a prince become minister, much less an apothecary?” The boy asked. AJ stared at the boy for a few moments. The boy rolled his eyes. “Trust me. The gods won't shut up about you. You're supposed to be their 'chosen prophet,’ and that's what they hoped you'd become after you left home.”

“Just who are you?"

“Vanitas, God of War.”

“... Now the resemblance between you and the statue at the temple makes sense.”

“What, you're not afraid?”

“Not really. After disrespecting someone like you I can expect death."

“... So, what happened to make you an apothecary?” Vanitas asked changing the subject. AJ still hardly believed it was the actual god, but maybe it was better to play along than risk death.

“Didn't want to life of a prince. I hated being treated like I was this important person when I was just a kid. The only people who treated me like an equal were my close friends, but even then they were practically forced to keep their distance. I told my mom that I wanted a normal life, and she told me that she'd grant me one as long as I wrote to her as often as I could. I promised, and I ran to this place. I fixed it up with help from my friends, and I made it my workplace and home. I like it this way better than I would if I took the throne.”

“And what did your father have to say about this?”

“Oh, he told me there was hell to pay. Tried forcing me back to the kingdom, but Sora, Xion, and Roxas saved me with their powers. I'm thankful for that every day I see them.”

“What kind of powers?”

“They were born with them, but Sora got his amplified when he started working as a priest in the temple of Ventus.”

“Uh huh… and what of Xion and Roxas?”

“Roxas runs around as a trader, and Xion's working to be part of the royal guard… Why would you care?”

“You seem to surround yourself with people who are more successful than you… Those who get to travel the world, work under the gods, or even fight for their kingdom… How come?” AJ could tell that Vanitas was trying to dig deep, find a weakness. He wouldn't be swayed so easily. He quickly looked away and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“What I do is enough for me. They're happy with their lives, and I'm happy with mine.”

“You seemed to perk up at the idea of being the chosen prophet… Is that what you wanted before this?”

“What? Being a prophet isn't what I wanted. Besides, I'd have to be a woman to be one. They have the best sight.”

“What's in your eyes says otherwise…”

“I don't have time for this. You're all better, so please leave.” With that, AJ left the room and went to the backyard, where he sat in front of his bed of crysthanamum flowers. He needed to calm down, to find his peace. If that really was a god, then he had to go. He wanted nothing to do with working for the gods. They weren't there for him, so why would he be there for them? If he's struck down then and there, so be it. He lived a full enough life to be happy. Nothing was going to change that.

“How do people wear this…?” AJ asked softly, re-adjusting his eye covering for nearly the hundredth time. He become a prophet, though admittedly against his will. Vanitas brought his brother, Ventus, God of the Moon, to talk things out. When that didn't work, Ventus brought Terra, God of Earth, and Aqua, Goddess of the Sea and Goddess of Love. Seeing that they weren't going to give up, he reluctantly gave in. He was grateful that they were at least polite, unlike Vanitas.

“Well… It could be worse,” a girl's voice said. AJ sighed and leaned back in his seat, the carriage providing little to no comfort.

“Easy for you to say, Xion… You didn't have four gods in your house, trying to convince you to be their spokesperson.”

“Fair enough, but look on the bright side… You get to be in town."

“Yeah, but I don't get to see it…”

“There is that… and it's not like you'll be allowed to really go anywhere once we get to the temple… Once you're done there, we're off to the next… Man, the gods have it out for you, don't they?"

“Don't know what I did to piss them off… Besides, my vision will be the worst compared to lower prophets.”

“It's actually said that the most caring have the best vision… Doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman.”

“I feel so much better…” AJ said, sarcasm evident in his tone. Xion laughed nervously before falling silent for quite some time.

“You know… Once this is over, we can go back home. We can be ourselves,” she said, a dreamy edge to her tone.

“I wish… The gods are making me leave once I've given the last message to the last temple. I'll only be allowed back down when they need me to give messages or I have a vision, and who knows when that'll be…” he sighed. “The only ones I know of who objected to this are Aqua, Terra, and Ventus… They were overruled by the rest of the gods.”

“So there is some good in them… Any way you can get out of this?”

“If I fall in love with a god… I'd have to swear my life to them and take a blood oath.”

“I'd say go for Aqua, but she and Terra…”

“Yeah…”

“What about Ventus? You could practically be King of the sun alongside him…”

“Tempting, but… he looks too much like Roxas. I'd feel weird.”

“Then the only one is…”

“The biggest prick of them all.”

“Vanitas can't be… Well, actually, no, he would be. He is the god of war, after all.” Both shared a quick giggle before they felt the carriage come to a stop. Soon the door opened and Xion stepped out, taking AJ’s hand and helping him down. He could see through the veil that covered his eyes, but it was still annoying to wear. At the base of the steps to the temple of Ventus was Sora, who wore a forlorn expression. His temple was the last on AJ’s journey. As Xion led AJ up the steps with Sora trailing behind them, a woman began walking down the stairs. She seemed to pick up her pace as she neared the group, finally stopping in front of AJ and grabbing hold of his hands.

“AJ, I have some news… It's kind of good, but it's caused an uproar amongst the gods.”

“Uh… Aqua…?” AJ asked softly, the hood of the woman's cloak obscuring her face. She quickly took off her hood, showing her blue hair and blue eyes. Xion and Sora quickly fell to one knee with their head down to pay their respects.

“It's Vanitas… He's willing to live on Earth in exchange for your freedom. He'll still be a god, but he said he was willing to give up his place in the heavens for your freedom from, well… this,” Aqua said, gesturing to his attire. AJ didn't know what to say. He'd started this nearly three months ago, and now Vanitas was trying to let him go free? “There is one condition… He has to make you fall in love with him in the span of three months.”

“That's a generous time allotted, but falling in love? I don't think war and love go hand in hand like that.”

“Well… He said something along the lines of fighting for you, but that could just be me. He's probably at your place by now. Once you're done here, head straight home, alright?”

“... Okay.” Aqua smiled and hugged AJ tightly before putting her hood back on then running down the rest of the steps. Xion and Sora rose to their feet and stared at AJ for some time before Xion spoke.

“I see that you have good relations with her…”

“... More or less."

AJ stepped up to his home, his veil folded neatly in hand. He quietly opened the door, hearing silence and seeing a dimly lit front room. He stepped in and closed the door behind him, making his way towards the back. It felt weird to be home after three months, but it was nice. He opened the door to the backyard, where he found Vanitas standing amongst the roses. He stepped into the grass and set his veil on the ground, then went to Vanitas’ side. He looked to the god’s face, which seemed complacent.

“Why?” That was all he asked. He wanted answers to why this god, this higher being, was sacrificing his place in the heavens for a mere human.

“I shouldn't have gotten you involved in this…” Vanitas said, his voice barely louder than a murmur. He looked to AJ, clear sadness and regret in his eyes. “If it weren't for me then you'd be with someone you actually love, you'd still have a normal life. I was sent down here for starting a fight with Ventus. Had I just let what happened pass over, then you'd live your life how you wanted and you'd be okay.”

“God of war, being sentimental… That's something I never thought I'd experience in person.”

“Hey, I'm not all blood lust and violence.”

“I know, I know… it's just not what I'm used to,” AJ said softly, looking back up to Vanitas, who rolled his eyes as he turned his attention back to the roses.

“Tell me about these… Why red, and why pick roses?”

“Roses are my favorite… and red always gave me a sense of comfort. The deeper the red, the better. Why do you ask?” Vanitas picked a rose, holding it in his hand before looking to AJ.

“Isn't it customary for lovers to make a bond with a rose?”

“... We've got three months to make this work, so hold your horses.”

“Are you sure that you don't feel anything?” AJ opened his mouth to object, but no words came. He simply looked to the roses as he brushed a few loose strands of hair behind his ear.

“I'm… not sure, actually… I don't know… I liked Xion for a time, but I never said anything. I was afraid that she'd reject me, or that I'd mess up somehow and she's leave forever… I didn't want that, so I stayed silent,” he said, hanging his head. “I've stayed silent for a lot of things that I probably shouldn't have…” AJ said, which made Vanitas confused. He leaned down slightly to get a good look at AJ’s face, only to see tears on a practically expressionless face. AJ realized that Vanitas saw this and quickly wiped away his tears, closing his eyes to do so. As soon as he moved his arm away from his face he felt a warm, rough hand on his cheek. He opened his eyes as his face was gently turned to face Vanitas, who wore a look close to guilt. “I was given everything I could ever want, but I wanted nothing of it… I wanted what normal kids had, like a house and not a castle, a toy that would last a lifetime and not something deemed too childish for me… I wanted what I felt cheated out of.”

“Well… It's about time that changed.”

AJ sat on the porch of his home, sipping on lavender-chamomile tea with honey. It was a cool autumn day, the leaves now orange and gold with small leaves of red. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, a small smile on his lips. He looked to the front door of his home, where Vanitas came out with a small box in hand. It was strange, seeing such a feared god now dressed in such normal clothing, but Vanitas had made that choice. He stayed for AJ’s freedom.

“Feeling okay?” Vanitas asked, sitting down next to AJ. He nodded slightly as he stared out to the giant path.

“Yeah… Just waiting for Roxas to come with the ginseng and kelp.” Vanitas smiled as he rolled his eyes. He handed AJ the small box he had been holding, prompting him to open it. AJ carefully untied the twine holding the box together then opened it, his eyes widening as he saw a blood red gem framed by silver on a thin, black cord in the box. He looked to Vanitas for a few moments before looking back to the box. “Vanitas, I…”

“Here.” Vanitas stood then kneeled in front of AJ, taking the necklace from the box and putting it around AJ’s neck. “There… Now I'm never far away. Before you ask, I had a bit of a talk with Terra. He said that red really stood out with your monochromatic appearance. I'll probably ask for a sapphire next time I see him… Blue may be a bit standard for you, but it works better.” AJ giggled softly as he held the gem in his hand. Vanitas gently pulled AJ’s hand away from it then held both of the boy's hands in his own, leaning up and pressing his lips to the boy's cheek. AJ blushed at the sudden action, still getting used to such affectionate gestures. They rest their foreheads against each other, smiles on their faces.

“So… We'll be together for a while, won't we?”

“I have a feeling we'll meet again and again as time passes…” Vanitas said. “Doesn't matter what time in the future, I'll know it's you… You'll be as eternal as the gods, even if you're only human.”

Sure enough, different AJ’s came and went, having spent their lives. The time Vanitas met the boy again was in our present time. The key factor to point him out? The gem. That beautiful, blood red gem that hung right over his heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@khoc-week

#kh #kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts oc

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averyscarlet-blog · 4 years

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Noise’s Story

Prisoned

Warning: Slightly R-18

Theme(s): Tragedy, Revenge, Injustice

Type: Original Story

Featured Original Character(s): Noise, Sound, Ayane, Rei, Percy, Xavier, Ulric

Other Character(s): Zephyr

Inspiration: N/A

Summary: The backstory of the boy who has chosen to lazily live his days in Avarus. One day, while taking one of his annual naps, he began to recall his past. Something he rarely does or allows himself to do. But after much thought, he allowed himself to relive his past by lulling himself back to sleep. It was about time he learns how to accept his past; how else is he gonna sleep in peace?

When I was a kid, the only sky I've ever known was the giant cage thar surrounded the city. We're all told that it's supposedly meant to protect us from the outside world, to make sure we're not exposed to the toxic air outside, but I knew better, and so did my best friend, Zephyr. We were the only ones that saw past the lies and felt the urge to venture the world beyond our prison. Surprisingly, my dad encouraged me to pursue my dream, and I think I understand why he was so eager to help whenever he can. He was a man trapped in a world of his own, filled with nothing but pleasure, a prison that he can never leave.

After gaining access to the library and learned the origins of my real name, it somehow suits me. I'm the son of a sinner, it makes sense I'd be named after someone like that. He wants me to do something he's too late in doing, breaking free from my prison. That's what I aimed to do, and after much talking, so did Zephyr. We listed various methods on our escape; the first being an underground tunnel. Only miners were allowed so one of us thought of working there then secretly steal one. We failed miserably after trying to pass off as teens. Our second idea was to climb over the wall, which was easy since no one ever guards it. But when we got to the top, we had completely forgotten about the cage and ended up wasting our time by trying to bash out way out.

We ended up getting arrested after making too much noise. After my second trip to the library, I learned of the existence of boats. No one could reach us if we sail away! Then I realized we couldn't build one because; 1) wood no longer exists and 2) the irrigation dam's opening is so small that I'm sure we'd get stuck. Then I found it, the solution that'd get us out. An airplane. We decided to worry about how we'd get through the cage later, this was the best plan we could ever come up with. So the next four years, we spent most of our days building, working tirelessly to gather the necessary materials and use whatever blueprints we could steal for assembling the necessary parts.

The only thing we did during our rest days was either talk about the outside world or sit in silence and relax. To my surprise, Zephyr told me that there were people out there waiting for him. I didn't believe him because that was impossible, we've known each other our whole lives. How could he know if there's any living thing outside if he's been stuck here like me? He would have told me if he knew a way out. Right?

I caugjt him writing several times, but I never asked who they were for. I just figured he was practicing how to write since his family wasn't given the same privaledges as mine. Learning is a blessing, hence why I taught him when I could. That was how our days went, then it happened. My dad got in too deep and ended up sleeping in a tub filled with his own blood. I ended up becoming trapped like him, trapped in my feelings of revenge. Zephyr tried to stop me but it was too late. I joined the Secret Police and used up another four years of my life, but instead of using them to free myself of this city, I wasted it on making sure I remain trapped. Zephyr never spoke to me again, and by the time I did arrest the people that killed my dad, I was too far deep to leave.

Like father, like son.

Then one day, word got out that someone was attempting to flee the city. My co-workers brushed it off as nothing as they knew it was impossible to get out. Even if they did, who knows what awaits outside the walls. All that talk about radiation from the old war and the toxic air still sounded like nonsense to me, but anyone would believe anything they hear as long as they remain living in fear. If that person does attempt to make his escape, I know he'll fail, and his failure will cement the already see rooted fear in everyone's hearts. And I was going to ignore it as well, till I heard the name of who was the fool that publicly declared his departure. He was always an idiot, but I didn't think he was stupid enough to let the whole city know he was making his grand escape.

I don't know what drove me to meet him after so long. I was ust aimlessly patrolling around the farther regions if the city and found myself at our old hang out. It was an abandoned construction site, a passion project dedicated to our beloved dictator's 66th wife till she died of unknown circumstances. When I was about to push aside the oldy moldy door curtain, I heard the familiar sound of a roaring engine from the upper floor. I ran in only to find myself tackled and pinned to the ground by Zephyr.

"Heh... About time you got here!" he cackled.

Struggling, I demanded, "Get off me!"

"Sorry! No can do!"

"Then tell me, why are you leaving the city now!?"

For the first time, the brilliant light I've seen in his pale blue eyes disappeared. He stared down at me with an unfamiliar cold gaze.

"I told you... I have people waiting for me outside," he spoke in a monotone voice. "I thought about it for a long time. I was supposed to join them 8 years ago, but then I met you."

He briefly gets off my back, grabs my shoulders then proceeds to flip me over. I hitch a breath when we finally made direct eye contact. When I first met him, he was a scrawny kid that didn't know when to stop smiling. Before we went out seperate ways, he had grown but still wore that stupid grin. Now, four years later, his smile remained but gave off a different vibe. It felt like he was trying to control his emotions, forcing himself to smile. He sits back on my abdomen before I could sit up, then pins my arms above my head when I tried to reach him. His sudden strength surprised me.

When I tried to fight back, he tightens his grip hard enough to potentially crack my wrist bones.

"All I've ever thought about was taking you to the outside world, but I couldn't because you're not like me." Zephyr bowed his head so his long bangs concealed his eyes. He tried to sound like his usual cheerful self, but it came off as forced as he spoke. "Zephyr's not even my real name... I only picked it because it's cool. That's all I wanted to be for you, but you always beat me to the punch. Even after you dropped our plans, abandoned me so you can join those stiffs..."

A tear drop falls on my cheek. I felt helpless as I watched my best friend began to cry. To my further surprised, he reaches for something on his eyes and removes... A contact lense. The blue that I was so familiar with was replaced with a spine chilling yellow color. It almost appeared as it they were glowing. He lightly punches my chest before I could think of a response.

His voice cracks as he yelled, "I still waited! I thought that once you got your revenge over with, you'd come back so I can take you out of here!"

I gasp when he lets go of my wrists and roughly grabs the jacket of my uniform, lifting me to bring out faces closer.

"But I'm done. I've waited long enough. I'm getting out of here," he said coldly. "You were my only reason for staying in this shit hole. Sound was right, I shouldn't have waited for someone that second guesses themselves."

'Sound...?' I thought.

Before I could as what he meant, Zephyr stands up and movea several steps back. Using the sleeve of his soot covered shirt, he wipes his tears away then stares back at me once more. This time his eyes blazed with determination.

"I'm glad you dropped by though." He bitterly smiles. Zephyr croaks, "Least I know you still thought of me to the end. I just needed to see your face to make sure I'm doing the right thing."

"Wait, Zephyr-"

Desperate for answers and fearing the meaning behind his words, I shot up on my feet and ran towards him. My heart was beating against my ears as the gap between up quickly began to disappear. But just as the tip of my finger was close to touching him, my entire went numb the second he vanished from my line of sight. I could hardly comprehend what just happened. He was there, standing and talking to me. There was no way that was a hallucination, the bruises on my wrists are proof enough that he was real. I don't know what brought me to do it, but my eyes automatically fall to the ground.

For a split second, I thought I saw some sort of ripple effect on the cement floor. I thought of reaching just to check if I was seeing things, but before I could, a small pebble was thrown at the side of my head. I automatically turn in the direction it came from and saw Zephyr, leaning against the doorway to the stairwell with his arms crossed like nothing happened. He turns his head and smirks, a familiar playful glint appearing in his eyes.

"So, what are you gonna do now, Mr. Policeman?"

Anger began to boil. Without an ounce of hesitation, I drew my gun and charged. A cunning smiling crosses his lips as he gravitated away from entryway , practically gliding into the stairwell as he disappeared from my line of sight. Ticked at his continual resistance, I replaced the rounds with one filled with rubber bullets and dashed after him. Punching the door to open it wider, my head snaps up and saw his hand sliding over the hand rail on the third floor. Tightening my grip around the shaft of the handle, I held my pistol up and ran after him. The building was about 15 floors up, so there's a slim chance I'd be able to reach him.

When I checked to see how far he's gotten, I saw that his pace had remained unchanged. Mine, however, was starting to decrease as the previous momentum I had earlier was being weighed down by Earth's gravity. His footsteps began to echo farther the higher we go. My chest was beginning to feel heavy, it felt like I was suffocating as my lungs began to greedily take in as much as air possible. Stopping, I attempted to shoot him while a part of him was within my line of sight. The problem was, when I attempted to aim, sweat was dripping passed my brow and entering my eyes, blurring my already hazy vision. I tried to control my breathing, but after climbing up 10 flights of stairs while wearing thick layers of clothing, I couldn't gain at least a few seconds to recover.

Realizing Zephyr was going to escape at the rate I was going, I discarded some articles of police uniform as I resume running. First I peeled off my white gloves by bitting them off that's prevented me from properly making any physical contact, then I shed off the black trench coat which felt heavy on my shoulders since I put it on. And lastly, yanked off my black tie and threw my hat off. With the weight lifted, I found myself moving at a faster pace, almost reaching the same floor as Zephyr before he abruptly turns and bashes he way through the door of the top floor. I follow after a minute later.

The top floor was just an unfinished area with no walls on all four corners, leaving only a poorly made ceiling and sever unfinished cement columns and beams. On the other side of the room was Zephyr, whose back was turned as he stared at aircraft in front of him. An aerobatic plane.

Stunned to see an actual one in person, I was going to step forward in awe only to do the opposite when Zephyr partially moves to face me.

"Beautiful, isn't it? I made it after the exact sketches you made when we were kids."

"Don't fuck with me! You know the moment you declared your escape attempt to the city you'd became the government's no. 1 on their most wanted list!"

When I raised my gun at him, for a split second, I saw a flicker of surprise in his eyes, which was briefly replaced with sadness then anger.

"So... We really are at the point of no return..." He mumbled, frowning as he closes his eyes and turns away.

Clicking my teeth, I recite the same words since I became an SP, "Zephyr Andrealphus! You are under arrest for conspiracy against the government and the moral it has instilled in the people! I want you to come with me and receive judgement from the aeolipyle gods!" I adjusted my grip and held my pistol with both hands. "If you're lucky, you'll have a chance to receive penance for your crimes."

"And what crimes am I paying for exactly? I just said I was leaving."

"I just told you." I glare at him. "You're under arrest for conspiracy. You know that leaving means death. They reason these rules exist is to prevent any idiot for inspiring others to make the same suicide attempt."

"Aren't you hearing yourself? You know that if these people remain trapped in this giant bird cage, they're as good as dead! You know that supplies are running out, the population is at the point of overflowing. I don't give a damn about these people, but if you think my departure becomes a catalyst of rebellion, then so be it! At least something good will come out of it."

My mouth forms a tight line as I steady my aim. "Back away from the aircraft Zephyr, I'm not repeating myself."

"You mentioned about the people's moral yet you don't realize just how brainwashed you people are," he scoffs, completely ignoring my warnings. "At least I was able to give someone like you a head start."

When he spun around, I barely caught sight of it as the blade of his dagger glistened in the afternoon sun's light. Unable to dodge, all I could do is jerk my head away as it flew past me. In the process, it painfully sliced through a portion of my outer ear. We stare at one another with mirrored shcoked looks before I drop my arm and clutch my ear. Shutting my eyes, I howl in pain as a sharp throbbing sensation radiates on around my ear. I felt some blood slip between my fingers, but I refuse to pull it away to check how much blood I'm losing. I've been inflicted with several forms of pain, but it's not a sensation you can every get used to.

"Shit! I didn't mean- You weren't supposed to-"

I no longer wanted to listen to his excuses. Filled with rage, I threw my arm up and began to fire. I'm not going to act like a civil police anymore, Zephyr lost the chance to end things peacefully when he took the initiative in attack. I fired several without an ounce of hesitation. Most of them ricocheted off the metal surface of the plane, but Zephyr remained unnerved even after one hits him on the shoulder. Seeing him reach for something from behind, I dove behind the closest column and waited for his next move.

I stuck my gun out and blindly shot several times. Pulling back, I waited until I heard the sound of clanging metal. Confused, I was about to take a peak until a dagger comes flying across my field of vision. It both knocked out the pistol from my hand and cut off some locks of my black hair. When I attempted to reach for it, another dagger curves and knocks it away.

"Sorry!" I could barely hear his voice as it was masked by the aircraft's roar engine. "But this is the last time you're gonna see Zephyr!" I got up to my feet and move around before a blast of wind strikes my body, forcing me to lift my arm to shield my face. From what I could make out, his wild red-orange hair danced with the wind as, behind his oversized goggles, his eyes purely focused on the sky ahead. "If by some miracle I do return, you'll have to call me Noise!"

Recalling my spare pistol, I took it out from my back pocket and aimed. At the last second, I realized that live rounds were still inside, but it was too late, my finger had already pulled the trigger. To my relief, his plane jolted back, causing it to miss. But it did hit something else, the engine. I didn't even have the chance to even call out his name as it was already running across the room. I helplessly reach out my arm as it began to lift off, moving completely out of my reach. Running towards the edge, I watch as it drops downwards then, by some miracle, began to raise itself above the city.

For a moment, I had almost forgotten about the bullet hole I made on the engine. I was in a daze. I wasn't upset anymore, I only felt a surge of pride as I watch the plane fly above the city. It was only when I saw a trail of smoke I began to panic.

"ZEPHYR!"

The plane slams against the walls of the cage and successfully bursts its way out. However, combined with the sudden brute trauma to the body and the possible damage I inflicted internally, I could only pray it for another miracle for him to make it.

But he didn't.

To my horror, and for whoever was watching from below, it exploded a minute after leaving a hole in the cage. I drop to my knees and watched as various parts of it began to fall. When I caught sight of his goggles, I dropped my gun, went on all fours and wailed in agony. I don't recall how long I had been there. The world simply disappeared, and so did my body. All I felt was remorse and shame. If it were raining today, I'm certain my tears would blend in.

From what I could recall, I was found by my subordinates, who escorted me out of the building and back to HQ. Everything was a blur, and by the time I could comprehend my surroundings, I was told by my superior I was given a temporary discharge from my duties for a week. Instead of receiving condolences, I was praised for my heroic actions, I had proven to the public why they should never attempt the same mistake as Zephyr. I wanted to shout, scream at them to take back the things they were saying about him. Then I realized something. Around a few hours ago, I viewed him the same way, a thoughtless idiot that was willing to risk his life to achieve his false form of freedom. I'm no better than them. I didn't approach him as his friend; I approached him as a cold hearted officer.

For the next few days, I drowned myself in sex, drugs, and any concocted alcoholic beverage I could get my hands on.

I wasted away just like my dad. At that point in my life, I don't even know if my dad would be proud or disappointed in me. Even after I was free to return to work, it was obvious even to them that I wasn't ready. I don't think I'll ever be. On the day I was sober, I climbed up the wall and visited the portion of the cage that still had a hole in it. No one has bothered fixing it up. The engineers feared that they lack the 'resources' and re-breathers to fix it up. I think that was just their excuse to remain as far from the cage as possible.

We were told radiation is still present on the outside, and the air is toxic because of that. The cage simply filters the air so we can breath. But standing in front of it, staring at the outside world for the first time, I knew that it was false. The only reason I'm even allowed out here is because of my badge, and that told me many things. The people I work with knew, if not, why else would an officer such as myself be given a pass at getting a closer look at the cage. Especially one, such as myself, without a re-breather.

"This world... The people that resides in it... Is just filled with lies..."

In contrast to the dull greyness which covers the city; the world outside was colorful and vibrant. I've heard of green grass, but I never knew they could come in a different color. Orange. Just starting at it reminded me of him, the one that deserved to see this. I'm not even sure how much of the outside world he saw before he died.

"You sure you should be wasting you life away life this?" A hallucination of my kid self appeared next to me. He gazes up at me curiously. "He risked everything to get to this point. He wanted you to live a free life."

"I doubt it..." I scoffed. "You heard the way he was talking. He hates us. He waited for someone willing to trapped themselves in their own feelings of revenge. He should have left. If he was more than capable before he met me, he should have done so. He'd be alive and outside, not dead and in ashes."

"Zephyr didn't want to leave without you," my younger self argued. "He said so himself! The only reason he decided to leave was because of what you said!"

Ticked off, I growled, "I only said that because it was true. I needed to do get my revenge, he was just going to get hurt if he hanged around me. He was free to do whatever the hell he wanted."

"You never told him he was a nuisance," my kid self pointed out with a sly grin.

"Yeah, I... Never did," I slowly said as the realization dawned on me.

"He always knew, that Zephyr, that you never meant to hurt him. He's used to your blunt honesty, but it's the way you said it that inflicted some pain. Though, he never hated you. He knew, just like your time with building the plane, you'll put all your effort in arresting and killing Dad's killers. You always dedicated your time and effort on one thing at a time."

"But... That was two years ago,. Why didn't he-"

Then it hit me.

"He wanted me to focus on something else," I said as the realization dawned on me. "He wanted me to put an effort into living. He just had to give me a head start."

I look to my side and found the hallucination had disappeared.

Rather, in its place were his goggles. Hesitant at first, I crouch and slowly reached for them. Tentatively picking it up, I lift it and stared straight at my reflection, or more specifically, my eyes. It's the first I've bother looking at myself on any reflective surface in a long time. Dark bags were under my eyes, my face deathly pale due to the lack of proper sunlight. My cheeks bones were even starting to show from not eating anything properly. My once saturated orange-red eyes now appeared red, almost void of emotion. For a split second, I thought I saw a reflection of Zephyr in my place, staring back at me with the same sad eyes.

"I'll live my life... That's the only effort I'll ever put into," I declare as I stood up, tightly clutching onto the goggles. "I'm never going to try too hard in doing anything ever again. Every time I do, someone suffers for it." I turn to completely face the opening.

"First my dad, who I could have protected if I hadn't put all my time and effort in making that plane. Then you, Zephyr, who I should have left with rather than putting an effort in finding my dad's killers as a policeman. Never again. The only thing I'll do is live, even if that means I have to be a lazy ass. I'll do whatever it takes to live on."

My life in this city no longer matters. If I want to live, I have to get out of here. That's what Zephyr wanted, and I'll do it. Taking several steps back, I glance over at the city one last time before shifting my attention to the world outside. With a deep breath through my nostrils, I huffed a breath as I made a dash for it. If I'm to die, then so be it. He died on the outside, so why not me?

I nearly tripped at the start due to my lack of leg training in a while, but I was able to gain and maintain the momentum. Once the ledge was near, I lift myself off the ground and made my leap of faith out of the cage. I was immediately blinded by the sun's light, so when my eyes readjusted, I found the grass quickly approaching me. Panicking, I raise my arms to protect my face and curled my legs to curl myself into a ball. The collision was painful upon impact, but the grassed see enough to act as a cushion. Gravity continued to pull my body as I found myself rolling away from my initial landing point. When I finally stopped rolling, I was on my back, my limbs sprawled on the ground and aching.

"Ow...." was all I could utter.

That was a definite leap of faith. A painful one, but luckily I survived that. Just as I was about to sit up, I heard some crunching sounds. Footsteps?

I recalled Zephyr's words, "I told you..." I tilt my head and found myself staring at a small group of people, teens not much older than I. "I have people waiting for me on the outside."

In the back was a girl with medium tanned skin and dark drown hair tied in a hight pony tail, wearing only a short t-shirt, Jean pants and leather boots. Beside her was a boy much taller than me, with pale skin and pale blue hair (also tied in a ponytail). He wore some sort of uniform, much lighter than my former police attire. Around his hips was a broadsword belt with a sword hanging from his hips.

Not too far in front of them was little boy. His hair, just as surprising as sword boy, was white but with some purple streaks. Most of his attire consists of purple and appeared a bit outlandish and, slightly, gothic. A little inappropriate for someone his age. On his arm was an arm warmer, covering most it. Wrapped around his arm was a long, silver chain. The next was some sort of dog. A really big dog, one that needs a hair cut. Standing next to it was a girl with... Animal ears and a tail?

I had to shake my head several times to comprehend what I was seeing. Concerned, she leans forwards with one hand on her knees and the other holding back her long dark brown hair. I could only confirm it was real when one tilt to the side, further expressing her emotions. They all, aside from the dog, had one thing in common. Yellow eyes.

'Are these the people Zephyr was talking about...?' I wondered as I stare at them.

I only tore my eyes away from them when a figure approaches and stands in front of me, providing me some shade from the sun. It was another boy, but unlike the others, I was unable to see his face as he wore a strange looking fox mask. Although I couldn't see his eyes, I could tell he was staring down at me. He wore a black short sleeved hoodie, a grey shirt with a weird red print on the chest, cargo pants, and combat boots. He just stares at me. This causes me to uncomfortably shift. As if realizing I sensed his eyes, he steps forward and extends a hand.

I refuse to take it and continued to apprehensively glare at him.

"Are you the new Noise?" the fox girl spoke up.

"If by some miracle I do return, you'll have to call me Noise!"

"We were told to meet him here. He didn't tell us what he looks like, but he said look for a part of him that almost blends well with the field."

I let out a small gasp. His hair. That's what he was referring to. So he was telling the truth, he isn't like me. That explains that thing he did when I ran towards him.

"So... Are you?" The fox girl tilts her head.

The only part of me that has a similar color to the grass are my eyes. I hesitated, but before I could answer, the boy with the fox mask mask something out from his bag and takes out a notebook and a pen. After writing a bit, he croached a free feet my head and held his notebook over my face.

'Do you want to see the world he wanted to show you?'

I held my breath. Did he know? Did he know that he's dead and that I'm not him? I never answered the his question, but a part of me wanted to say 'yes'. Noting my stunned silence, he turns the notebook back to him, turns the page and writes something else. When finished, he holds it up again

'Forget your old life and join me. I'll show you the things he wanted you to see.'

For second, I felt a strange feeling burning in my chest. It wasn't painful. It felt pleasant. Without thinking, I reached out to him. Somehow, I knew he was smiling behind his mask as he gently takes my hand and helps pull me to my feet. Because I used so much energy early, my legs gave out after taking my first step. The masked boy catches me in a heartbeat.

"Hehehe! Geez Sound, you're acting oddly charming today," the fox girl giggles.

My eyes widen at the familiar name.

"Sound...?" I weakly utter.

The little boy cocks a brow and questions, "Your pen pal, remember? He's been keeping an eye on you for years. Don't tell me this fox freak forgot to mention how he looks."

"No, I..." I trail off, unable to think of a proper excuse.

The boy with the blue hair interjects, "Xavier, enough. I'm certain he's tired after working tirelessly in making his escape. He's certainly not worse for wear."

The boy, Xavier, frowns and glares to the side, muttering what I can assume was an apology. Sound, while making sure I kept leaning against his body for support, writes in his notebook then holds it to the others. I can only guess he's mute since he hasn't said a word since we met. But why the mask? Rather than looking into it too much, I just gave up trying to understand him altogether. It already feels like I'm in a circus just being with them.

The others nod and enter what I think is a portal. I've only read them in fantasy stories, but I never thought I'd see one in reality. Especially one that appears like a door despite its crystal-like appearance. Slipping his arm down so his hand held mine, he backs away to provide me some space. I almost fell over, but the firm grip of his hand was enough to act as my support. I suddenly felt conscious of my appearance and turn my heard away, feeling a slight warmth in my cheeks. Tugging my hand, I felt myself being escorted by him as the others wait for us.

"So, what are your names?" I ask as we began to make our leave.

"My name's Ayane!" the fox girl chirps. "The kid is Xavier, the overly tanned girl is Rei, the girly boy is Perseus, the wolf here is Ulric, and the boy holding your hand is my twin, Sound!"

"I'm not overly tanned!"

"Ayane, if you address me in such a manner again, I will not hesitate but to deliver you a Knight's dishonorable form of execution." He looks my way and promptly adds, "You may call me 'Percy'. My real name tends to tie people's tongues if mentioned in conversation too often."

"You know that's not necessarily calming him down..." I jumped back when I heard the dog talk. How and WHY can it talk?

Sound secretly hands a note to me. I take it and it read:

'When we get to Avarus, you're allowed to change your appearance as much as you please. We can't exactly change your face without deforming it. It's just a suggestion you but... what would you like?'

I thought about it for a moment then touched my hair.

"It's nothing major but..."

(A/N: if anyone knows the name of the original artist for this, please tell me so I can credit them! Or at least remove in case I learn they do not want their art republished!)

#original story #long reads #origin story #long post #original writing #creative writing #original character #original fiction

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