Challenge Post - 216
Challenge: [216] Once Upon a Time
Title: Only This and Nothing More
Wordcount: 503
Notes: Anybody recognize The Raven in my title there? XD Features Axel and Saїx and things remembered (and also features Roxas and Xion). Mild spoilers for 358/2 Days, I suppose. And maybe eensy weensy ones for Birth by Sleep.
Once upon a time, there were two boys who used to joke and tease and laugh. Once upon a time, these two boys used to eat ice cream and watch the sun set together. Once upon a time, one of these boys used to take everything entirely too seriously whilst the other one didn’t take anything seriously enough (sometimes, it’s still kind of like that, to be fair-but he’s not as clueless as he leads some of them to believe; he is deadly, and that is why he is here).
Once upon a time, the older of these two boys taught the other about responsibility; once upon a time, the younger of the two taught the other about letting responsibility take a vacation.
Once upon a time, two souls touched and sang together in an imperfect harmony that was just perfect for them.
Then the darkness came and changed everything.
They aren’t kids anymore-aren’t even true beings, as such.
Two boys (Nobodies) and a girl (puppet) now joke and tease and laugh like it’s real even though it isn’t. Two Nobodies and a puppet eat ice cream and watch the sun set together. The younger two have questions that the older one never directly answers, but he makes them smile and they make him smile (brilliant and nearly-blinding, better than sunset and sunrise combined, maybe realer than it was when they were real).
They try to teach him about responsibility, perhaps, but old habits (and old personalities) die hard, because he obviously tries to be just as carefree as he ever was, with them.
It’s only when they aren’t around that he is different: quiet and contemplative and moody. More like the rest of them.
Things that were are no longer. There are no souls to touch, and now their perfect imperfect harmony is like a thousand nails scraping down a chalkboard.
Those kids (the light) who shouldn’t even exist (one more than the other) have changed everything.
The memories are getting fuzzy now, but Saїx hasn’t forgotten-hasn’t forgotten what was, though Axel seems quite content to banish those memories from his mind. The past belongs in the past, and all that.
“Lea?”
He still answers to that name, though with a decent amount of hesitation.
“Isa.” It’s a greeting and an acknowledgement.
“You remember ‘the good old days’, as you would call them?”
This earns him a sort-of half smile-nothing like the one he shows Roxas or Xion, and nothing like the one he would have given when they were more than empty vessels wrapped in skin. “Yeah, I remember. Once upon a time, huh?”
“Do you ever miss it?” He doesn’t know why he bothers asking, because neither of them is capable of missing anything.
Axel shrugs and laughs it off. “Miss it? No way.”
Saїx’s lips quirk and he closes his eyes. “Neither do I.”
The sun is setting, but it doesn’t feel the same.
‘Once upon a time’ is clearly only that, and nothing more.
Title: Only This and Nothing More
Wordcount: 503
Notes: Anybody recognize The Raven in my title there? XD Features Axel and Saїx and things remembered (and also features Roxas and Xion). Mild spoilers for 358/2 Days, I suppose. And maybe eensy weensy ones for Birth by Sleep.
Once upon a time, there were two boys who used to joke and tease and laugh. Once upon a time, these two boys used to eat ice cream and watch the sun set together. Once upon a time, one of these boys used to take everything entirely too seriously whilst the other one didn’t take anything seriously enough (sometimes, it’s still kind of like that, to be fair-but he’s not as clueless as he leads some of them to believe; he is deadly, and that is why he is here).
Once upon a time, the older of these two boys taught the other about responsibility; once upon a time, the younger of the two taught the other about letting responsibility take a vacation.
Once upon a time, two souls touched and sang together in an imperfect harmony that was just perfect for them.
Then the darkness came and changed everything.
They aren’t kids anymore-aren’t even true beings, as such.
Two boys (Nobodies) and a girl (puppet) now joke and tease and laugh like it’s real even though it isn’t. Two Nobodies and a puppet eat ice cream and watch the sun set together. The younger two have questions that the older one never directly answers, but he makes them smile and they make him smile (brilliant and nearly-blinding, better than sunset and sunrise combined, maybe realer than it was when they were real).
They try to teach him about responsibility, perhaps, but old habits (and old personalities) die hard, because he obviously tries to be just as carefree as he ever was, with them.
It’s only when they aren’t around that he is different: quiet and contemplative and moody. More like the rest of them.
Things that were are no longer. There are no souls to touch, and now their perfect imperfect harmony is like a thousand nails scraping down a chalkboard.
Those kids (the light) who shouldn’t even exist (one more than the other) have changed everything.
The memories are getting fuzzy now, but Saїx hasn’t forgotten-hasn’t forgotten what was, though Axel seems quite content to banish those memories from his mind. The past belongs in the past, and all that.
“Lea?”
He still answers to that name, though with a decent amount of hesitation.
“Isa.” It’s a greeting and an acknowledgement.
“You remember ‘the good old days’, as you would call them?”
This earns him a sort-of half smile-nothing like the one he shows Roxas or Xion, and nothing like the one he would have given when they were more than empty vessels wrapped in skin. “Yeah, I remember. Once upon a time, huh?”
“Do you ever miss it?” He doesn’t know why he bothers asking, because neither of them is capable of missing anything.
Axel shrugs and laughs it off. “Miss it? No way.”
Saїx’s lips quirk and he closes his eyes. “Neither do I.”
The sun is setting, but it doesn’t feel the same.
‘Once upon a time’ is clearly only that, and nothing more.