Chapter Text
For as long as Larissa could remember, vampires have roamed the earth. Their fangs sharp, their eyes bloodshot… and their regime of terror seemingly undying. Creatures of the night who roamed from dusk till dawn, shedding blood and killing others for their own gain… Like many towns and cities, Hollow Bastion was among one of many where the vampires haunt, ready to feed on humans as if they were simply lambs for the slaughtering.
Today was just like any other day, really. She woke up, got dressed, did her hair. Just because vampires were around doesn’t mean she could sit idle and cower in fear. Still had to make a living somehow… and at least during the day, the creatures didn’t dare to show up and cause trouble.
Larissa worked with her adoptive father Raguel at a small but humble cosmetic and accessory shop. He had the business long before taking her in, saying that he had honed the craft from his own mother and wanted to pass it down to her. The man was always brimming with smiles, his soft purple eyes looking down upon everyone with such a warm and gentle look whenever they entered the shop… perhaps that’s why he was so good at selling things. His charm WAS the selling point…
At least with munny coming in, it was one less thing for Larissa to worry about. The two were getting by just fine in a world where the night was a curse set upon the land. Those hours the windows had to be sealed tight, the doors locked and a weapon always close by to defend yourself in case the vampires ever decided to attack. Nighttime was one of the things she feared most, the uncertainty of it all… the fact that in one night, your loved ones could be gone or even worse… you never wake back up.
Things WERE looking up for a bit, a youthful and energetic teenager by the name of Sora summoned the legendary weapon known as the Keyblade. The fabled key is a weapon of legends, saying that only few are chosen to wield it. Anyone who became a wielder of the keyblade automatically became a vampire hunter— it was the only weapon that can kill vampires after all. He was from Destiny Islands, a far off tiny paradise that Larissa had only read about in books she borrowed from the library. It’d fallen into darkness years ago, and Sora must have been displaced ever since. To think that this child was now chosen by such a weapon was surreal. But one night, he disappeared without a trace. No clues, no signs of struggle— nothing.
Larissa did miss his presence. To her, he was like a sun shining bright during such a dark time, a gentle warm reminder that things could turn around. He used to pop into the shop, talking with Raguel and her, buying a few new accessory rings, telling his tales of Keyblade training and his run-ins with actual vampires!… but now that was gone. She hoped he was secretly okay and not actually dead— he was so young and deserved to live a fulfilling life! How cruel to rip it from such a selfless kid. Was that really his fate?…
There was nothing she could do about it. She had no magic (not a single ounce of it in her body, what a shame really), she had no combat experience. Just a young adult whose job was to design accessories. And so she stood sitting by the counter of the shop, sketching down ideas for new products as her father dusted off some displays.
“… Raguel, do you think Sora’s okay?…” her face rose from her book, looking at Raguel from afar. The man stopped, a soft sigh escaping his mouth. He placed down his duster and walked over to the counter, leaning against the side with his arms crossed.
“Sora is the light this world needs,” Raguel spoke. He didn’t turn to Larissa, his eyes focused as he thought. A hand went over his heart, “I like to think he is. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking. He’s a good kid, and I think he has the power to change the world— Oh, welcome back!”
His voice suddenly perked up upon seeing a customer walk in, dropping the conversation. It was Yuffie, of course. She came by every so often, she seemed to like the accessory rings here so much that she… constantly breaks them. Guess that’s what happens when you ARE a part of the town’s defense team. Even without a proper vampire hunter, the town needed to fend off all the monsters SOMEHOW in order to keep the population safe. It was a ruthless job, especially hearing some stories told by Yuffie and even Sora in previous shop visits. Not only the vampires were a concern to public safety but also the ruthless heartless, creatures who appear from the darkness to attack.
“Hello! Hope I’m not bothering you two this morning!” Yuffie’s cheerful demeanor shined through her voice, the door closing with a soft thud. The self declared ‘ninja’ skipped over and jumped on the counter, sitting down, “Soooooo— I want a custom design this time!”
“Wonderful! You know the procedure— I’ll need a firsthand munny deposit for the design process.”
“Yeah yeah, I got it— lemme get the good stuff…”
As the ninja looked through her bag, the shop’s door opened again, this time a girl with a long braid popping in.
“Yuffie, you aren’t taking too long, right? The defense team needs you back soon.”
“I know Aerith! Just lemme get this done first… so sorry you two, but your rings have the best defense in town! It’s worth every munny!”
Raguel chuckled, Yuffie’s enthusiasm brought a smile to his face, “I’m glad you think so!”
Larissa watched as Aerith walked into the shop, browsing through the shelves. The braided beauty made her way to Larissa, noticing the rose accessory in her hair. “Why, this rose clip is beautiful!”
“Huh— m-me?!—” she froze. Larissa had never been good with social interaction, even after becoming an adult and helping out with the business. Raguel had been trying to help her with opening up more, wanting her to bloom into a beautiful flower, but the process is proving to be a long one.
“Yes, it’s quite lovely. Such a gorgeous shade of red, did it come from here?…” Aerith extended her hand a bit, which Larissa quickly interpreted as wanting to see it. With a quick swipe of her hand, she removed the rose from her hair and let Aerith hold it for a bit. Her fingertips gently traced along the lines of the petals, a gentle look on her face.
“It’s a beautiful piece of art. Such wonderful craftsmanship.”
“Oh, you flatter me,” Raguel’s gushing caused his cheeks to grow red. He did take pride in his work after all. “Larissa is my little rose after all! Though if you ever want something similar, I have plenty of similar products!”
Aerith chuckled softly like a little bird chirping, placing the rose back in Larissa’s hand, “I’ll think about it then. Come on Yuffie.”
“Got it, bye you two!! I’ll be back soon to pick it up!!” With a quick wave, the two ladies left the shop, the bell of the door chiming softly. Raguel happily counted the deposit munny that was handed to him, mumbling the numbers under his breath. Gathering the payment and tidying it away, he went behind the counter and started to get to work.
Larissa slowly scooted over to Raguel, sitting beside him. She looked down to the counter as he worked. The way his pen glided across the paper with such clean, smooth strokes mesmerized her since she was a child. The sun’s rays shined through the windows, their soft hue creating the feeling of a gentle hug around the two of them… it was a small moment where she could relax and watch her father hone his craft. He seemed to take notice of her closeness and wrapped an arm around her, his hand gently caressing her soft locks of hair.
“You know, you could add some feedback as I work. I’m sure Yuffie will appreciate your touches,” he softly spoke as he continued to sketch.
“I know,” a sigh left her lips, “But who knows if that’d help in terms of combat. My designs tend to be for just cosmetic looks.”
“Figured I’d ask you just in case.”
As the morning shifted into the afternoon, Larissa set out of the shop and around Hollow Bastion. With some munny on her, she figured that she might as well get something to eat and maybe browse the afternoon market. The middle of the day was the best time to be out, with the sun shining the brightest— no vampire would DARE show themselves. Wonderful.
The afternoon market was, of course, brimming with townsfolk. She made a note to stay around the edges and not get too close to the center, all the people would certainly cause her to get nervous. The outer stalls had a variety of items from baked goods to fresh produce— she should probably pick some up, Raguel would greatly appreciate that. As she searched through and picked out the ingredients she wanted, she noticed the often empty space in the circle of stalls. Usually it stood empty, but every once in a while, Naminé, a witch from another world apparently, would set up a stall and sell potions and simple spells. Those who could use magic adored her spells, and many gathered just to buy some potions— whenever it’d be to heal or to regenerate energy— Naminé was a face to look forward to in these struggling times.
Larissa really only had use for the healing potions but luckily Raguel and her had quite a stock from previous times, so her lack of presence wasn’t the biggest of deals. She did wish that the witch brought some more pigments during her visits to sell as well. Naminé was also a painter, her white dress and cape stained by the colors of her works. She never sold said works, but Larissa wished to at least be able to see them one day. The pigments Raguel often bought for accessory and cosmetic making so Naminé was quite familiar with her father and herself as customers.
With her not here though, she placed those thoughts aside and continued on with her day. She once again saw Yuffie with some other members of the defense team: Leon, Cid, Tifa… a few others she didn’t know the names for, but she wasn’t gonna ask unless they came by the shop. Her eyes trailed down to some children running by, happily playing games during the sun’s daytime regime. Children often loved to pretend to be vampire hunters, specifically the ones of legend. She remembered the stories well, of course, she was a child at one point too.
Around a century ago, there were once three Keyblade wielders: Terra, Aqua and Ventus. The three of them were vampire hunters who trained hard everyday together and took down the most powerful vampire of them all, Xehanort. Such a feat wasn’t paid without a price, and so the three of them paid with their own lives. For decades, their tale has been passed down from generation to generation. Everyone who told the tale seemed to have a slightly different variation, but that was the case with any legend. Larissa had heard of many throughout her life, but her favorite interpretation was that their spirits watched over the future Keyblade wielders. Surely, the three of them were watching over Sora and keeping him safe… right?…
As she walked by, the voices of the kids filled the air. They held toy weapons high up, declaring which Keyblade wielder they were as they playfully attacked the child (who definitely didn’t choose their role) pretending to be a vampire. A weak laugh came out of her mouth as she looked away. Those hunters’ sacrifice should have made life easier for everyone, but yet here future society was— still fending off the vampires every night. Sometimes, she wondered if everyone got the legend wrong… but such negative thinking isn’t what Raguel would want to hear.
Larissa made her way back to the shop once the sun started to set, walking through the store and heading through the back door. She relaxed her posture a bit as she was finally in the living quarters of the building. Some candles were freshly lit on a small table, their soft warm glow lighting up the room. Raguel stood at the doorway, the lighting of those candles making his white hair appear more golden in hue. He smiled down at his daughter, happy to see her safe arrival back home.
“Welcome back,” he watched as she walked towards him, handing him the bag. He started to rummage through the contents as he continued to speak, “Was Naminé here today? We are running low on certain pigments.”
“No, she wasn’t there. She’ll probably be here next week. I just got some more produce I remembered we were low on.” She took off her glasses, rubbing her eyes a bit. Raguel took note of the gesture and chuckled softly, a toothy grin growing on his face. She’d always done that ever since she was a child.
“Well, relax for a bit. I’ll have supper done soon and then we can rest for the night.” His voice was a bit breathy, but it was always comforting to Larissa. He could see a bit of fatigue just based on her actions, after all, he was her father.
She simply nodded and sat down on one of the two chairs in the space, her body sinking slightly into the cushion. The flickering of the fire created a soft sound that was almost like a rhythm, luring Larissa into a small nap. She really should have been doing something productive like helping Raguel with meal prep or maybe even calculating the amount of profit they made today, but those thoughts quickly faded from her consciousness. For a fleeting moment she thought back to those legends once again, her mind conjuring up images of what she thought those keyblade wielders looked like… she’d like to think they were good friends, perhaps they trained together… maybe even were like family in their own unique way.
Images of them sparring with each other, going out and protecting everyone and even the simple act of watching the stars together filled her dream. In the end, when they were alive, they were people too. They deserved to be remembered for what they did and what sacrifice they had to take, but they also deserved to be remembered as human too— as people just like all of them. They probably had their own wants, their own dreams and desires but had to give it all up for the greater good of the world… and the fact that no one now seemed to acknowledge that part always left an empty feeling in her since growing up.
Eventually Raguel woke her up, the wonderful smell of a simple soup dancing in the air. The two ate their meal, Raguel talking about the shop while she was out, and Larissa nodding and commenting every now and then. Soon, the sun slowly slipped away from the sky, night’s curse officially beginning. The two made sure every lock was sealed before hugging and retiring to their own beds. Larissa stood lying down, her eyes making their way up at the ceiling. Tomorrow would be more or less the same. A sigh escaped her lips. Maybe tomorrow would be the day Sora finally came back and the town regained that glimmer of hope once more. Before she knew it, her surroundings slowly vanished to her own fatigue.
A bright, shining light awakened Larissa in the middle of the night. She groaned, her hands covering her face before it slowly vanished, the room returning dark once more. Such a light she knew only a magic user could summon. No candle shined so brightly, so white and vibrant that it could outshine the very sun. Only one person she knew could perform such a spell… and it was Sora. He was alive. This was the sign!
Without even thinking about the fact that it was still night or that she should have gotten Raguel to awaken from his own slumber, she rose from her bed in a hurry. In her mind, she had made a list of things she needed: glasses, cloak, shoes, blade, lantern. The first item was easy, she simply grabbed them from her bedside. Going down the small hall outside her room, she quickly wrapped a cloak around her neck, making sure the fabric covered over her head and body. The excess fabric flowed behind her as she went into the kitchen to grab a knife of sorts, placing it in the cloak’s pocket before heading towards the back door, quickly putting on her shoes. Grabbing a nearby lantern, her finger gently opened up the container and placed a fresh new candle inside. She lit it up before closing the lantern, grabbing it by its handle before heading out into the night.
She ran through the small alleys and right into the forested areas outside town, the sound of leaves crunching under her feet. The moonlight shone through the trees, small peeks of light filtering through the layers. She continued where she remembered the bright light coming from, thoughts running through her head. If Sora was here, wouldn’t he be fighting something?— maybe she should have grabbed Raguel, but it was too late for that! She was already in the forest and going back after coming so far felt like such a waste. All the thoughts filling her head distracted her from the visible signs of struggle around her— the trees having slashes in their trunks, broken branches hanging from the trees and scattered amongst the ground, tracks of some sort of creature littering the soil.
Her thoughts froze immediately upon arriving at a clearing. Her heart in her chest felt like it had stopped upon seeing what her vision was showing. On the ground stood two figures, both who looked around Sora’s age passed out. One was a boy with messy blonde hair, the other a girl with short black hair. Both of them held identical Keyblades— they must have been vampire hunters!… Larissa had never seen them before but the Keyblade was all the proof she needed. Her body tumbled down to the ground, her knees hitting the dirt as she placed her lamp to the side.
“Hey! Hey, wake up!!” She shook the blonde one first, wiping some dirt away from his face. When she noticed that he was breathing even with the lack of response, she moved onto the girl to shake her as well. No response, but both of them were still breathing, thank goodness. A loud exhale left her in a small cloud of air, her hand going to her forehead. They had injuries and she was the only one here. If she stood out any longer, a vampire would definitely find them and do something to these poor kids. Damn it, she really should have gotten Raguel awake!!…
Yeah, she was gonna drag them. SUCH a brilliant idea but it was all she really could do. Better than leaving them out as livestock for monsters. That was the last thing she wanted to do. She quickly shook her body, trying to prepare herself as she grabbed both of their arms and pulled them up from the ground. For goodness sake, they were heavy— it definitely didn’t help that she was basically around their size— Larissa wasn’t the tallest young adult, in fact many still mistook her as a teen herself, but she couldn’t let that stop her now. These teens needed help, and damn it all she was going to do it!
Larissa groaned under her breath as she pulled herself forward, the arms of the two unconscious bodies around her neck as she held both of them beside her. She wasn’t moving fast at all, but she had to get them at least in the town walls… the forest wasn’t safe. She apologized softly every time a branch accidentally scratched their face or if she dropped one of them to the ground as a mistake due to the sheer weight of both of them. This was so embarrassing, she really hoped no one was watching.
Occasionally, she’d look up at the night sky. If it wasn’t for the vampires, she could appreciate such a vast beautiful sky such as the one above her more often. The stars twinkled with such a soft, gentle radiance over the deep dark blue purple void of a sky. The moon was big and full, a perfect circle looming amongst the stars in harmony. Even in darkness, there were still glimmers of light to guide the way.
Somehow she made it back home with the two of them. She thought to herself how she had no idea how she managed to do such a thing as she walked through the halls, bringing them to her room and placing them down on her bed. Her hand quickly grabbed a candle to light, placing it on the table beside her bed. The light provided a better look at the two teens. They seemed to be wearing matching outfits, Larissa’s eyes drawn to the χ brooch of sorts around their necktie. It was very fancy for vampire hunters. Usually their uniform consisted of elements suited better for disguise or convenience, like Sora’s own shoulder and knee pads. She shook it off since they were obviously from out of town, never seeing them before tonight after all.
Her mind started to tell her things she should do, such as getting a damp rag to clean off any dirt and grime. She went out of the room to go do so, returning with some fabric pieces and a bowl of water. She gently watched the water ripple as she placed a small rag under its clear surface, pulling it up gently to drain out any excess before gently washing away anything on their exposed skin. Any cuts that she found she made sure to be as gentle as possible, all while making sure it was clean so no infections could occur. When she finished up, she sighed as she felt the consequences of her own actions weighing down on her body. Man, she was so drained… but now they were on her bed… It’s fine, she still had a blanket and pillow… the floor would make do just for the rest of tonight.
Tomorrow was a new day after all.