#mod stranger

There were still villains and still dangers throughout the universe, Sora and Riku were then tasked to take up arms and continue the work to protect them. Just as Keyblade Wielders were tasked with doing. Sora and you were tasked with this world this mission, and here you were assisting with the protection of the denizens of this world. You’ve already escorted so many of them to safety and you couldn’t bear to think there was one out there that you didn’t see or couldn’t save. You turned the corner and came face to face with a squad of Soldiers, their purple armor jingling and eyes on their leader. Listening to the wordless orders of their commander. 

The one clearly in charge of this attack was an Invisible that was named Orcus, an intimidating and dangerous Heartless. This horned creature of pure darkness and exuding power, with a strong sharp jaw and a mouth full of sharp fangs, a crown of crimson horns and the Heartless signature golden glare. With a pair of charcoal wings on its back that helped it hover across the ash laiden floor. A blade of sharpened iron and with a shade of red along the cheek of the steel. Whether it was hammered into the metal or stained with the blood of the innocent, it is unknown. 

The Heartless turned towards you, those golden eyes drilling into your soul as it approached you with a seething hatred lingering in its stare. The Heartless zoomed ahead, so much faster than you think something this big should move, sword held firmly in hand. By the time your hand could begin to get a solid grip, Orcus was in striking distance. 

“Y/N!” Sora shouted as he raced to your side and placed himself between your body and the blade of this powerhouse of a Heartless to protect you from its incoming wrath. You could only watch as he matched the swings of the Orcus with his own defending blows. Meeting strike for strike until the Heartless jabs him across the bridge of his nose with the hilt, stunning the young man long enough for it a wide hard strike to drive into Sora. From his to its opposite shoulder, nearly cleaving the young Keyblade Wielder in half. Your heart stops, your pulse drops, with a faint and immediate chill coursing through your whole body. Your lungs feel their breath dragged out, leaving you light headed and confused for a moment. Sora fought, Sora was winning, Sora was struck, and now Sora fell. A series of events that seemed almost impossible, but you knew it to be true. 

Watching him fall from the strike of the crimson hued blade was nauseating, chilling you down to the bone. Watching the frenzied slash spray a torrent of red up against the turbulent blackened skies and paint the street in a bloody splash. The sound of his skull knocking against the ground was a hollowed out echoing bang that makes your stomach flip and your eyes immediately hazy and wet. 

They hurt him, they might have just killed him, and for that? For that they will pay. A rumbling deep within your heart and soul roars to the surface, your passion for him only rivaled by the passion for his safety and wellbeing. He would be avenged. 

Your hair stands on end, your gentle gaze being quickly replaced with a rapidly bleeding in wrathful golden glare. Your skin morphed from its typical shade to a shade of pitch that matched a starless night. Your hands flexing out into extended fingers that grew out sharp-as-dagger claws. Your roars of depthless misery and unbridled rage rattling nearby windows in their frames. The Orcus huffed in bewilderment, its crimson crown cocked curiously toward this new development. They let the weight of their blade carry their arm and they moved to strike. You dodge with a backstep that makes you jump off your feet and miss the incoming swing.

The Orcus gives chase, wide horizontal chops aiming to bisect you across your hips. Your mind is now a roaring mess of smoke and fire, images flashing behind your eyes of your sullen sulk to Sora’s childhood home, to have to carry the weight of the responsibility to explain to his mother that her son fell trying to save you. 

You charge forward when the Heartless overextended their swing and you strike without delay, slamming your shoulders into the Orcus’ wide frame, arms hooking into knees and following through with tackling them hard onto the stones. Once the creature landed, you follow up with driving your claws hard into their chest. Puncturing deep to ensure that they felt every bit of pain they inflicted on Sora. Then you got to clawing. 

Each scratch and tear with your claws brings to mind the weight of the spades in one’s own hands when they prepare the earth to receive the most compassionate and loving person you’ve ever met. Your savage screams echoing through the streets as you finish your slashing and let the back of your fist crash against the Orcus’ cheek. This blow ended up disorienting the creature just long enough for you to take up the creature’s own blade and drive it into its scored chest without hesitation. Sending this Heartless back into the dark and letting it combust into dark matter beneath your power and rage. Your heaving and heavy growls of passion and adrenaline are immediately chased by the image of a single cold tombstone, morning dew wet grass, and the apathetic feeling of a morning sun rising overhead. You tremble and you feel your body begin to seize and surge with sorrow. You have to take him home, you wouldn’t dare leave him here, which means you have to see what damage was done to your boy. That’s when you hear the sound of ringing bells and a flash of ember all over your shoulder. 

“Y/N, Y/N,” Sora’s tender broken voice was enough to bring you back to your senses just enough to make you straighten your back, even out your current heavy animal like panting, and make you turn your attention back to him. He is upright, barely, and shuffling over to you as quickly as his body would let him. “It’s ok… you can stop. The fight is over…” 

His bloodshot blue meeting your burning golden glare. He shuffles forward with a grimace and a dragging of his right foot behind him. The Cure he used had staunch the bleeding, but left him with a wicked wound that would leave a scar. The sight of the broken limping body of the one you love the most is enough to drag your hyper vigilant and hyper aggressive mind out of its dreadfully dark corner and back into the light. Your claws reach up with a little hesitance as you cradle the tanned baby cheeks of Sora with a tenderness that any extra pressure could cause him to shatter in your grasp. Your body shudders as you watch him lean into your grasp and press his cheek against your palm. Unafraid of you. 

“Sora…” Your single word came out into a guttural and monstrous, more of a bark than a real word. Your claws begin to sink back into your typical nails as your skin illuminates back into its typical shade and tone. Your golden eyes shift back to your normal eye color, the heat of fresh tears streaming down your cheeks as you feel his hands shakily reach up to cup your own face. You feel your jaw clench as his palms make contact, your breathing stifles as you feel how gently he handles you. As if he could break you. “Sora?”

“You’re hurt, Y/N.” He mewls with a whine in his voice, his rough thumbs combing over your cheek to wipe away your tears. His soft blue eyes glisten as he lets out a soft cough and keeps rolling his digit over your face. His eyes seemingly drawing your somber expression over and over again, a look of self-disappointment in his eyes. That lingering fear in his eyes, you could tell what he was thinking. He blamed himself for your pain. For your damage. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry you got hurt. I should’ve- I should’ve-”

“Sora,” You simply whisper, catching his attention just before he starts to spiral. You kiss him softly on the nose, letting your hands slide along his jaw to meet and interlock against the base of his neck. Getting lost in the hazel spikes of his hair. Keeping him close to you. Keeping him safe.

“Let’s go. We need to get you somewhere safe.” Sora responded with a tender tone. You almost want to laugh, the Keyblade wielder who should be dead from such a devastating attack is only concerned about you and your safety. You had buried him several times over in your head already, and to feel his unsteady breath against your chin shocked your system with every wheeze and hum that slipped out of him. Your foreheads meet and you're just thankful for those blue eyes that still held the beauty of the picture perfect sea and the endless lovely sky. All you can do is nod with a grateful smile and let him focus on saving you. 

This world is left in a shade of ever present twilight, the evening sun just shy of disappearing beyond the boundless horizon and painting the world pitch and purple but never succeeding. You’re aware of your surroundings and your true heritage. You’re a villain, you’re a monster. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be funny. Especially when it comes to today.

You made a home for yourself in the less than visited district, home for a few folks and often left deserted throughout the day. Which meant you could be there and your true self, without needing to hide. The trains come and go but they carry no one. Which is all the same to you. You enjoyed people watching, not people interacting. 

That is until today. 

When a trio of humans marched out of the train cart and into the station proper. One of the boys with brown hair in a headband and jersey was bright eyed and excited, the girl with brown hair and emerald eyes seemingly just as thrilled, and the less than enthused blonde haired boy simply rolled his eyes as he followed behind. You had hid up on the awning, peering down with your golden eyes. 

“Pence, are we really going to try this? Our school project is due in a week and we wasted enough time.” The less than enthused one mentioned as the one named Pence turned around and shook a finger. You squint your eyes and wondered what exactly they were doing. 

“It’s going to be interesting to see which one of these things is true! The Seven Wonders of Twilight Town! Hayner, you promised me and Olette that you would make up for us not going to the beach.” Pence stated, Olette nodding in turn and turning up the seemingly disgruntled boy. Hayner let out a huff and crossed his arms over one another. Pence showed his friend the list of said Seven Wonders and their signs, which you were able to easily read off with a quick glance over. 

“You did promise, Hayner.” Olette said with a teasing tone, punctuated with a warm smile and a little laugh. Hayner simply groaned and shuffled along anyways. “That’s the spirit! What’s first?”

“The Spooky Steps.” Pence said with a grin as he glanced down at the stairwell leading from the platform to the district proper. “We are told that these steps are different numbers going up and down. Rai swears by it.” 

“Rai can’t count.” Hayner said with a shrug and a smirk. You were curious about the whole display. Tapping your claws together in thought as you joined in watching the one named Pence race up and down the stairs. Counting aloud every step not once, not twice, but thrice! Pence was out of breath, but you appreciated the enthusiasm and the effort. “Well?”

“It’s the same.” Olette said with a disappointed sigh as she joined Pence on the landing. Giving him a few pats on the back for assurance. “You’re ok, buddy.” 

“Onward!” Pence said with a weak grin and a flushed face. Leading the crew forward. You were bored, and who knows? This could be fun.

The second wonder was much more interesting than the first. You just needed to procure an extra step to sell it. Soon enough, you were perched up on the building edge with a red kick ball in your claws. 

“The Friend From Beyond the Wall, which is foretold to have balls be thrown out of the wall without any cause or reason.” Pence noted with a quick glance to his notepad and to the end of the alley. Hayner’s hands retracted into his pockets, his voided stare focused on the opposite end of the alley. The orange bricked wall was still and undisturbed. “There should be-”

“A ball. Not being thrown.” Hayner said with a nod, glancing over at Pence. The two of them were distracted and that is when you could make your move. You dropped the ball and immediately chased after it with a silent drop. Your ink colored heels hitting the floor without a sound being made and you catch the ball without a single issue. You note the distance and judge the breeze, and with a pivot, you spike the ball and drill it into Hayner’s face. 

The boy is rocked by the shot and is taken to the floor. The rebounding pinging sound of the ball from hitting Hayner smack dab in the cheek. Pence turned to see nothing, as you sunk into the floor and slunk away. Pence glanced at the down friend, the empty alley and back again. Wordless he took out the notepad, checked off the Wonder as a success, and muttered the words, ‘very, very real.’ As he did so. You raced off to the next possible wonder. This was going to be fun. The trio marched off to the next one. 

“The Moans From the Tunnel.” Olette said with a raised brow and a rubbing of her chin. Staring to the dark and dank tunnel entrance. “I wonder what is making those noises?” 

“If rumors are true,” Hayner said with a snide tone and playful wiggle to his stance. He rubbed his sore cheek and hissed from the pain. He pursed lips and puckered them up with a few teasing kisses. “Then that would be Seifer and his new girlfriend sucking face down there.”

“You’re gross.” Olette murmured with an eye roll. She nudged her chin to the entrance of the underground tunnels, and sighed. “Anyways, I’m not hearing anything-”

You were lucky you had found that frog from a nearby pond, which started croaking loudly as soon as you used your claw to tickle its tummy. The croaking echoed and was loud enough to carry. You couldn’t see them, but you heard Pence clapping and Olette jumping up and down. You gave the frog a little pat on the head and left them near the water way. You would return the frog home as soon as the kids head home too. 

Next wonder was going to need a little finesse, and a big mirror.  

The Doppelgänger was easy enough, even if you weren’t a fan of getting wet. You had stolen a mirror from one of the apartments in the district and with a little bit of a tweaking, you were able to place the mirror at just the right angle to reflect the face on the other side of the waterfall. The look on their faces was delightful when they saw their reflections, and you were so excited to get the next one going. 

Granted the next one was, ‘Animated Bag’ and tying yourself off into a potato sack was already difficult when your hands were just claws but then there was tying it off from the inside. You finally got it off and had to figure out how to move around. It was less than impressive, with this bag flopping about and growling when Olette got too close to try and inspect what the bag really was. But it was satisfactory enough for them to check it off the list. 

The Ghost Train Mystery was the last one, which was so nerve racking to no end. It was so disheartening to see after such a series of rather low effort but still exciting Wonders of the district that could be seen and enjoyed. This was completely out of your claws, and it was awful. To watch these three kids sit with bored and disappointed looks on their faces as they waited for the train that would never come.

You couldn’t let this go lying down, with the kids so disappointed and so irritated. You traced your claws over your smooth head and thought of how to help. What could you do? Well, what could you do? You could sink into the floor. That’s when you get the best idea. You do as any other Shadow Heartless would do and sink into the floor. As a blot of darkness against the dirt, you rave over to the trio of youngsters and slip underneath the sneakers of the kids. Olette’s eyes turn to the ground and notice the dark spot.

“What’s this?” She asked with a raised brow and a yelp of surprise from Hayner. Pence, however, was elated and over the moon. 

“This is huge! An undiscovered wonder! It’s ours! We got to name this one!” Pence said as you, the blot of pitch, shifted and moved along his heels. Your joy was boundless and your dark heart warmed by the laughter of these children. Pence saw Olette and Hayner scratching their heads and pondering what they should call this new wonder. Pence snapped his fingers, focused on your shifting form and smiling from ear to ear. He took out his notepad, and with a few chicken scratched words, couldn’t stop laughing. “I can’t believe it! We have ‘The Second Shadow’ here and it’s ours to claim!”

You didn’t expect to be made into a wonder, but given how your other kin have been treated throughout all the other worlds and have been killed in droves, maybe becoming a wonder isn’t too bad.

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Your eyes focus upon the straw dummy in the distance, your hands flexing and popping with anticipation as you prepare to show off your skill. Terra and Riku both had some pretty impressive displays of power and finesse. Both of them having been familiar and well versed in the ways of combat. Your right hand focused on the center mass of the dummy, fingers flexing and curling thoughtfully as you pondered what to do. Blizzard and Fire would be extremely effective, but Terra and Riku both showed off their skills with those elements already. Which meant that you could still show off your proficiency with Thunder. 

With the sparks of electricity tickling your fingers as the ricochet off of your digits as you prepare for the attack. With your right arm swinging in the motion of a javelin, you catch a single spark of pure thunder, in its jagged and sharp shape resting in the palm of your hand. The power surging through your arms and causing your heart to start hammering in your chest. Your eyes flicking from its typical shade to bright and shimmering gold. Mimicking the power that you held in your hand. 

With a targeted and precise strike, you send the bolt of power singing through the air, the winds whistling from the unparalleled and pure power. Once the bolt makes contact, a dozen of pointed bolts of lightning slamming into the dummy with the force that would bring Zeus himself down onto his knees. The sound of the thunder clapping and ringing the ears of those a mile within the struck dummy. 

A following flashing of incandescent light and of glamorous gold dazzling and deafening the audience with its display of complete and undeniable strength in the arts of sorcery and magic. 

A few moments of silence followed, with the crowd trying to orient themselves and find their bearings. It was the rousing cry of the mouse monarch that broke the quiet world first. 

“Hot dog!” King Mickey Mouse shouted with a hoot and a holler! The clapping echoing through the air before being swiftly followed by the almost deafening sound of whistles and screams of wild impressed cheers. Roxas and Ventus’ yells of enthusiasm and roars of applause. Lea and Isa were dumbstruck, having never seen such control and poise before. Terra and Riku were flabbergasted to say the least, Terra’s face sinking into the palms of his hands and Riku scratching the back of his head and wondering what exactly happened. 

However, wounded pride was aside and they too began to join the crowd in a congratulatory hurrah. Terra with a two finger whistle that echoed for miles and Riku with subdued but still very impressed subtle clap.

“What can I say, Aqua,” You mutter with a slight bounce to your step, a cocky smile breaking across your face as your eyes feast upon the bright burning sight of your target. The straw bag was crispy and charring from the heat of the devastating lightning bolt. Holding its form just long enough to look as bewildered as the rest of the crowd before it crumbled into smoke and dust. “I thought this meant to be hard…”

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