The crossed paths

Attack! The beginning of the Black War

Shadows. That was all they could see.

Sora and Tsubasa had moved away from the battlefield, carrying Tiger and Dra on their backs. The moment they saw the monsters coming out from the portal, they knew that this wasn't their battle. Or at least, not for Tsubasa. Sora could go back and fight bravely, like he always did. But not Tsubasa. He had to stay and protect Dragon and Tiger, no matter what happened. He was willing to give his life and his pride on the battlefield just to protect the two of them.

When Sora and him arrived to a hill, at a reasonable distance from the battle, he told the keyblade-wielder his plan.

-Sora, you go back and help the others to win territory and keep those monsters on the line. I will stay here and protect these two until they wake up, and even after that.

-Wait, Otori, are you serious? We need you in the battle. You don't need to stay here and look after them, they are going to be okay. They won't die of loneliness, you know.

-Why hasn't anybody thought that they are just teenagers?! They don't deserve all of this! -he said angrily, pointing towards the bloodbath (or better said, shadowbath). -We brought them here almost against their own will, we brought them here with lies and  dark secrets, and as I see it, that's enough. I will stay, I will take care of them, I will tell them all the lies and all the truths. You know I was against this plan from the very beginning, but now I can't stand this anymore. I'm going to do what is correct.

-Tsubasa... please don't do it. Atsuya already told them the story of Licht and Tenebris, and you know they still can't trust Ichigo and the rest of the Elite completely. Not like before. Don't break the small hope that they still have.

-If I do that, then they will feel that we really betrayed them. You know it's not true. As long as I know, Atsuya, Fubuki and I promised to do our best and take care of them the best way we could. I'm going to make honour to that promise. Now go. Go and fight the shadows, Sora. In all case, that is your specialty. Fighting the heartless and the shadows is close to the same, isn't it?

Sora kept his look of disapproval, but he couldn't do anything to move the eagle master's will. He knew pretty clearly that Tsubasa did that promise with his own soul. And he would never break it. Of course he didn't understand why Tsubasa was so worried about those two humans; he was sure that one of them, Julia, was already dead, and Tiger was close to her. Dragon was just agonizing longer than the other two. Sora had lost faith in the humans a long time ago, when a couple of two boys that arrived to help, and became his own students, died in battle under the hand of a Vasto Lorde created by Chikara himself. His heart broke apart, like when Riku and Kairi "left" him, but this time it made him stronger. He didn't cry anymore for the humans from that day onwards. He didn't give his opinion when the Elite found more humans and talked about bringing them here. He just shrugged and ignored the fact that more people was about to die.

-Well, there is nothing else I can do for you. Good bye, Eagle master.

-Good bye, Keyblade wielder.

When Tsubasa was sure that Sora couldn't see him anymore, he got closer to the teenagers and embraced both of them in a warm, soft hug, trying to comfort them. Tiger tensed a bit, and opened his eyes, with a mixture of fear and surprise.

-Tiger! Are you alright? Don't move, please, you are still weak.

-Tsubasa...? What happened? Where am I? Where are Atsuya and the others?!

-Calm down, everything is going to be fine. Rest.

-Dude, I feel so... weak. Where is Masamune? I can't feel him. And my tail? Where is it?!