annotate old/stories/prismhearts-11.txt @ 4:69f0191c9016 moonlitnights tip

added error.log and access.log
author Robert McIntyre <rlm@mit.edu>
date Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:42:35 -0400
parents fc00894c1d4a
children
rev   line source
rlm@2 1 Prism Hearts
rlm@2 2 Chapter 11
rlm@2 3 Love is the Gift
rlm@2 4 by Amazoness Duo
rlm@2 5 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
rlm@2 6
rlm@2 7
rlm@2 8
rlm@2 9 "She just left?" Relm asked anxiously. "She didn't say anything?"
rlm@2 10 The painter paced the expansive room, chewing on her lower lip. That
rlm@2 11 wasn't how things were supposed to happen. Yuffie was supposed to
rlm@2 12 come in and confront her with another girl. To get jealous and demand
rlm@2 13 to know what was going on. Granted, they weren't dating so it wasn't
rlm@2 14 like Yuffie had a right to demand what she was doing with anyone, but
rlm@2 15 she'd hoped Yuffie was too headstrong to care about that tiny fact.
rlm@2 16 Eiko had helped make sure Yuffie could escape the dungeon so that
rlm@2 17 she'd eventually stumble on her with Celeste, a very realistic
rlm@2 18 painting that Relm had made. If Yuffie didn't want anything to do
rlm@2 19 with her when she was available, maybe if Yuffie thought she'd lost
rlm@2 20 the chance, the ninja would do something. Now it seemed that plan had
rlm@2 21 all but fallen apart.
rlm@2 22
rlm@2 23 "Well..." Eiko sat on Relm's bed, looking down at her hands. Yuffie
rlm@2 24 hadn't really said much. The ninja girl had looked hurt and confused,
rlm@2 25 but that wasn't what Relm had been looking for. Eiko had tried to
rlm@2 26 convince Yuffie to go back in to talk to Relm, but Yuffie had
rlm@2 27 disappeared. "Not much," she finally decided on saying.
rlm@2 28
rlm@2 29 "This was a stupid idea. I need to go find Yuffie. I need to talk to
rlm@2 30 her."
rlm@2 31
rlm@2 32 "And say what?" Eiko asked, looking over at the girl in the
rlm@2 33 bandanna. " 'Thanks for treating me like crap. I'm sorry for making
rlm@2 34 you sad. Can I hang on your arm again?' " She only had what she'd
rlm@2 35 heard from Relm to guess what had happened with Yuffie, but from what
rlm@2 36 she'd heard of how they last parted ways, there wasn't a big reason
rlm@2 37 to feel guilty over any of this.
rlm@2 38
rlm@2 39 Pausing, Relm considered this. With a sigh, she nodded. "I guess
rlm@2 40 you're right. I don't know what I could say to her right now that
rlm@2 41 could make her understand. I've tried to get it through to her, but
rlm@2 42 it's like she's just not listening." The painter crossed her arms,
rlm@2 43 pouting. Looking up, she tried to stare up into the heaven's. "Mom,
rlm@2 44 was it this hard with dad? Are all ninjas this difficult? Or am I
rlm@2 45 just lucky?"
rlm@2 46
rlm@2 47 Before the heavens could answer Relm's question, the door burst
rlm@2 48 open. Or, rather, it would have burst open if it was anyone other
rlm@2 49 than the prim and proper princess of Alexandria, Garnet. But even for
rlm@2 50 her, it whipped open rather swiftly. "Have either of you seen Kairi?
rlm@2 51 I wanted to talk to her about something before she saw my mother, but
rlm@2 52 I can't find her."
rlm@2 53
rlm@2 54 Eiko could tell that Garnet was more worried than she was letting
rlm@2 55 on. The princess looked terribly distracted. A cold chill passed
rlm@2 56 through Eiko as she slid off the bed. "Garnet, what's wrong?" She
rlm@2 57 hurried to the princess's side. Despite being a rather regal
rlm@2 58 princess, Garnet could be very impulsive at times. Having the
rlm@2 59 princess run off into trouble without her didn't sound good to Eiko
rlm@2 60 at all.
rlm@2 61
rlm@2 62 "Kairi...?" Relm spoke the name as if speaking it for the first
rlm@2 63 time. Her eyes widen as realization slowly sinks in. Everything had
rlm@2 64 been happening so fast. She had been too wrapped up in her own
rlm@2 65 problems to be thinking clearly. Kairi. The girl who was the key to
rlm@2 66 all this. The girl that Celes had sacrificed herself for. If anything
rlm@2 67 happened to Kairi, Celes' sacrifice would be in vain "We have to find
rlm@2 68 her. Now. She could be in trouble." Whatever her concerns about
rlm@2 69 Yuffie, they would have to be put on hold until after Kairi was safe
rlm@2 70 and sound. 'Some protector you're turning out to be. I'm sorry,
rlm@2 71 Celes.'
rlm@2 72
rlm@2 73 Garnet nodded, turning back to the hallway. "I can't find Kuja
rlm@2 74 either," she said, in a whisper that betrayed her fear.
rlm@2 75
rlm@2 76 Though Relm didn't understand the significance of Kuja's
rlm@2 77 disappearance, it hit Eiko loud and clear. The gravity of the
rlm@2 78 situation weighed heavily on her small frame. The girls that Kuja
rlm@2 79 took to his personal workshop never came back. No one knew what
rlm@2 80 happened to them. Eiko had almost been taken their herself. Garnet
rlm@2 81 had personally ordered the guards to let her go and had been trying
rlm@2 82 to keep her from Kuja ever since. If they didn't get to Kairi soon,
rlm@2 83 there wouldn't be anything left to save. And if Relm was right about
rlm@2 84 Kairi being the Keyblade Mistress and needing to unleash the light,
rlm@2 85 then they would all follow shortly afterwards.
rlm@2 86
rlm@2 87 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
rlm@2 88
rlm@2 89 "No! Not over there! How can we see the moonlight falling over the
rlm@2 90 water with all those decorations in the way?" Selphie stood on the
rlm@2 91 dock, directing the hapless boys under her command to finish up the
rlm@2 92 decorations. The festival was going to be that night and she wanted,
rlm@2 93 no, needed it to be perfect. What with all of the strange things
rlm@2 94 happening on the Destiny Islands, they all needed a way to relax, to
rlm@2 95 forget it all. And she had practiced her dancing every day with Yuna
rlm@2 96 so that she and Quistis could dance on the beach under the moonlight
rlm@2 97 with the waves lapping at their feet. She wanted that perfect moment
rlm@2 98 with the cute blonde girl she was so in love with. It was that
rlm@2 99 thought that she fixated on, that pushed her forward to make the
rlm@2 100 festival a success. If the adults were too scared to have a festival
rlm@2 101 this year, let them stay inside and sulk. She knew that would never
rlm@2 102 help. Now, more than ever, they needed a chance to have fun, to laugh
rlm@2 103 and twirl under the stars. They all needed this and Selphie was going
rlm@2 104 to do her best to make sure they had their festival. "Put that over
rlm@2 105 by the waterfall. It'll look great there."
rlm@2 106
rlm@2 107 A soft chuckle behind Selphie shook the brunette from her
rlm@2 108 singleminded devotion to the task at hand. "Those poor boys." Quistis
rlm@2 109 wrapped her arms around Selphie from behind, rubbing the smaller
rlm@2 110 girl's stomach. "I had no idea you could be so bossy, Selphie."
rlm@2 111
rlm@2 112 "Hmph..." Selphie mock pouted as she rested against Quistis. "You're
rlm@2 113 mean, Quisty. I'm not being bossy. I'm just... taking charge of the
rlm@2 114 situation. Someone needs to if we're gonna be ready in time for the
rlm@2 115 festival."
rlm@2 116
rlm@2 117 "Oh, don't pout." Quistis pulled Selphie closer, nuzzling the
rlm@2 118 smaller girl's ear. "You're cute when you're bossy. And it's sweet
rlm@2 119 that you'd work so hard to get the festival ready." The blonde smiled
rlm@2 120 wryly. "Or that you'd make the boys work so hard for the festival."
rlm@2 121
rlm@2 122 Wriggling in Quistis's grasp, Selphie turned to face the other girl,
rlm@2 123 looking up into her glasses and smiling brightly. Her hands rested on
rlm@2 124 Quistis's shoulders as her green eyes stared up into crystal blue.
rlm@2 125 The brunette giggled, smiling brightly. "Like I said, someone has
rlm@2 126 to." Standing on her tip toes, the smaller girl's lips brushed across
rlm@2 127 the blonde's, a small kiss that still managed to spark an electric
rlm@2 128 haze across her heart. Still smiling, she pulled Quistis's glasses
rlm@2 129 off and slipped them on herself, looking up at the blonde girl. The
rlm@2 130 brunette gave her best scholarly look as she pushed the glasses up
rlm@2 131 the way she'd seen Quistis adjust them a thousand times before. "And
rlm@2 132 I've even been studying for it. Yuna's been teaching me how to dance."
rlm@2 133
rlm@2 134 Placing a finger on Selphie's nose, Quistis couldn't help but smile
rlm@2 135 at the bundle of energy that was her girlfriend. Many people on the
rlm@2 136 Destiny Islands admired Quistis. Even many of the adults listened to
rlm@2 137 her ideas. But the one she admired was the childish girl in her arms.
rlm@2 138 The blonde wanted to try and fix everything, worrying incessently
rlm@2 139 over things she couldn't hope to change, working late into the night
rlm@2 140 over small details that eluded her. She got depressed easily,
rlm@2 141 withdrawing further into her studies in an attempt to drown out her
rlm@2 142 concerns. But Selphie always managed to grab her by the arm and drag
rlm@2 143 her away from all of that, leaving her worries as well as her books
rlm@2 144 in a cluttered pile on the floor.
rlm@2 145
rlm@2 146 It wasn't that Selphie didn't get depressed. Even the energetic
rlm@2 147 brunette had been hit by the loss of her friends and the coming storm
rlm@2 148 that threatened their island paradise. But Selphie always bounced
rlm@2 149 back. No matter what happened, she would see it through, finally
rlm@2 150 breaking away from what troubled her with the same exuberance she did
rlm@2 151 everything else. And it was this that Quistis admired her for.
rlm@2 152
rlm@2 153 The blonde traced her fingers over Selphie's cheekbones, standing
rlm@2 154 close to the smaller girl on the pier. A wild gust of wind brushed
rlm@2 155 past them, the smell promising rain that would not be long in coming.
rlm@2 156 'In a way, the entire universe is a giant puzzle. One piece doesn't
rlm@2 157 make sense without another. To unravel its mystery, you need to have
rlm@2 158 the whole. People are the same way. One person alone doesn't make
rlm@2 159 sense. You need that other piece to truly understand. That other half
rlm@2 160 that balances you out. My Selphie...' Selphie's cheeks began to warm
rlm@2 161 under her touch, turning a delicate pink beneath her fingertips. The
rlm@2 162 sight of Selphie looking up at her, blushing faintly with the
rlm@2 163 blonde's glasses perched on her nose, made Quistis's heart spin
rlm@2 164 dizzily. There had been a time when she had wanted to travel just as
rlm@2 165 much as Riku had. But eventually she had come to realize that
rlm@2 166 sometimes you can find everything you're looking for right at home.
rlm@2 167 Maybe in another lifetime, she had searched through worlds to find
rlm@2 168 this girl that she held so close. But in this one, she had been right
rlm@2 169 next door all this time. Laughing softly, Quistis pulled up the hat
rlm@2 170 that hung at Selphie's back. "You took Irvine's hat again?" She set
rlm@2 171 it snugly on the brunette's head, resting her fingers under Selphie's
rlm@2 172 chin so she could get a good look at her in the hat.
rlm@2 173
rlm@2 174 Pouting again, Selphie met Quistis's warm gaze. "I didn't take it. I
rlm@2 175 borrowed it. He's busy helping Tidus and Wakka put up the decorations
rlm@2 176 anyway. Besides, I look cuter in his cowboy hat than he does anyway."
rlm@2 177
rlm@2 178 The smile Quisits had been wearing broke into a grin. "You can say
rlm@2 179 that again." Leaning forward, she gave Selphie another kiss, not near
rlm@2 180 as short at the one Selphie had given her. The two stood upon a world
rlm@2 181 in its death throes, preparing for a mad party in an attempt to stave
rlm@2 182 off the horrors that awaited them, but that was only one aspect of
rlm@2 183 things. At that moment, they were simply lovers basking in the simple
rlm@2 184 things, the power that lay in a single kiss. Mirrors upon mirrors
rlm@2 185 upon mirrors. At any one second, at any given perspective, reality is
rlm@2 186 a thousand different things and reality is nothing at all. In the
rlm@2 187 end, reality is simply a suggestion. And rather than let her natural
rlm@2 188 inclination to worry turn Quistis's world into a waiting game with
rlm@2 189 the Angel of Death, she let her world become a taste of heaven, a
rlm@2 190 taste that lingered on Selphie's lips.
rlm@2 191
rlm@2 192 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
rlm@2 193
rlm@2 194 "Thank God Quistis showed up." Tidus fell back onto the sand,
rlm@2 195 staring up at the cloud filled sky. The clouds that he used to
rlm@2 196 imagine as all sorts of fun things now merely looked dark and
rlm@2 197 malavelont, misshapen boogeymen waiting for their chance to become
rlm@2 198 real. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and ignored the
rlm@2 199 strangely waiting storm clouds.
rlm@2 200
rlm@2 201 "Ya. I thought we'd never get a break. Selphie can be as bad as
rlm@2 202 Lulu." Wakka rested against a tree, stretching.
rlm@2 203
rlm@2 204 "Hmph..." Irvine crossed his arms, still watching the girls kissing
rlm@2 205 on the pier. "I gave her my hat and what do I get? Nothin'." He
rlm@2 206 sighed, brushing back his ponytail. "Some festival this is gonna be."
rlm@2 207
rlm@2 208 Tidus nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, if it's a festival, there'll
rlm@2 209 probably be dancing and stuff." He let that sink in for a moment
rlm@2 210 before looking at the other two boys curiously. "Who are you gonna
rlm@2 211 ask to dance with you?"
rlm@2 212
rlm@2 213 Wakka shrugged. "I don't know. Dancin's not really my thing, ya
rlm@2 214 know? Though if Lu asks, I'll probably dance with her."
rlm@2 215
rlm@2 216 Irvine sat up, shaking his head. "Girls aren't like that, Wakka.
rlm@2 217 They want you to go up to them all smooth-like." He grinned,
rlm@2 218 pretending to be doing just as he said. He gave Wakka his most
rlm@2 219 winning smile, winking. He took the other boy's hand, holding it
rlm@2 220 warmly. "Hey there, good looking. How 'bout we show 'em how dancin's
rlm@2 221 really done?"
rlm@2 222
rlm@2 223 Wakka blinked in confusion, staring at Irvine for a long moment. He
rlm@2 224 finally pulled his hand away from the cowboy, wondering just how
rlm@2 225 steeped in fantasy Irvine was at the moment. "Umm... I don't know
rlm@2 226 whether other girls go for that or not, but not Lu. She's way too
rlm@2 227 bossy to care for that sorta thing. She pretty much gets what she
rlm@2 228 wants."
rlm@2 229
rlm@2 230 "Yeah, and it's not like your approach worked on Selphie," Tidus
rlm@2 231 added helpfully. He didn't notice Irvine wincing. "She just laughed
rlm@2 232 and said that was sweet and that she was going with Quistis." He
rlm@2 233 rested his head back on his hands, ignoring the clouds again. "I
rlm@2 234 think I'd probably ask Yuna. She's a great dancer. And she's really
rlm@2 235 pretty."
rlm@2 236
rlm@2 237 Irvine shook his head. "Well, yeah, I guess. But she's so shy and
rlm@2 238 quiet. And she's been spending all of her time with that weird
rlm@2 239 catgirl lately. Speaking of which..." The cowboy grinned widely.
rlm@2 240 "Maybe the catgirl doesn't have a date yet."
rlm@2 241
rlm@2 242 "But she's a cat..." Wakka pointed out.
rlm@2 243
rlm@2 244 "And what a cat," Irvine said, whistling.
rlm@2 245
rlm@2 246 "But she's still a cat." Wakka blinked again. What wasn't Irvine
rlm@2 247 getting? That was just.... weird....
rlm@2 248
rlm@2 249 Tidus laughed, watching the other two boys. "You just wanna ask her
rlm@2 250 because she reminds you of Selphie. They're both hyper and bubbly."
rlm@2 251
rlm@2 252 "And what if that's part of it? At least the catgirl isn't already
rlm@2 253 chained at the hip to some other girl on the island." Crossing his
rlm@2 254 arms, Irvine frowned.
rlm@2 255
rlm@2 256 Yawning tiredly, Tidus pushed himself to his feet. "Well, you can
rlm@2 257 ask her in a bit. I'm gonna go find Yuna and see if she wants to
rlm@2 258 dance with me at the festival."
rlm@2 259
rlm@2 260 Wakka nodded, not getting up. "You go ahead and do that. I'm just
rlm@2 261 gonna wait and see if Lu winds up asking me."
rlm@2 262
rlm@2 263 Grinning, Tidus waved. "Good luck, you two!" He bolted off across
rlm@2 264 the beach before Selphie could regain her composure and get them back
rlm@2 265 to work.
rlm@2 266
rlm@2 267 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
rlm@2 268
rlm@2 269
rlm@2 270 "So what's the festival like?" Rikku asked curiously as she walked
rlm@2 271 side by side with Yuna across the beach. The water lapped right up
rlm@2 272 near their feet. They were both walking barefoot, Rikku's paws
rlm@2 273 leaving strange marks in the sand. She knew that a lot of the rest of
rlm@2 274 the Islands' children were on the other side of that particular
rlm@2 275 island preparing for the festival, but Yuna had preferred more peace
rlm@2 276 and quiet. That didn't particularly bother the catgirl. She usually
rlm@2 277 got along well with people, but she'd rather be with Yuna anyway. She
rlm@2 278 knew Yuna better than the rest of them, even if she could tell there
rlm@2 279 was a lot that the quiet girl wasn't saying. Still, it had been a
rlm@2 280 small victory that Yuna had confided in her earlier. It made her
rlm@2 281 feel... special. She was happy to be the one that Yuna would tell her
rlm@2 282 worries to. It was nice to be close to -someone-. She was on an
rlm@2 283 island chain somewhere far, far away from anywhere she'd ever been,
rlm@2 284 seperated from her big sister and the rest of the Radical Dreamers by
rlm@2 285 countless worlds. It was taking all she had to be optimistic about
rlm@2 286 things. But it seemed easier with Yuna. In a way, it felt like the
rlm@2 287 other girl needed her. And that let her push her concerns to the
rlm@2 288 side. She hadn't been able to help Kairi much, trapped as a cat for
rlm@2 289 most of that time. But now she could finally talk again. Maybe she
rlm@2 290 could actually help.
rlm@2 291
rlm@2 292 "Well... It's just something we have every year or so. All of the
rlm@2 293 Islanders gather together and celebrate late into the night. There
rlm@2 294 are feasts and dancing and singing and...." Yuna smiled, twirling
rlm@2 295 lithely on one foot. The wind tugged at her kimono as she did. "It's
rlm@2 296 wonderful. Some people tell stories and you get to play all sorts of
rlm@2 297 games. Sometimes father would...." For one bittersweet moment, Yuna
rlm@2 298 couldn't tell if the memory of her father made her feel warm and
rlm@2 299 happy inside or if the emptiness that his absence at this festival
rlm@2 300 and every festival she would ever go to in the future created inside
rlm@2 301 of her would drag her down into a sea of tears. All she could do was
rlm@2 302 try to freeze the thought exactly as it was, pushing it back deep
rlm@2 303 inside of herself and continuing. "But this year, the adults are too
rlm@2 304 worried about everything. The storms that are approaching, the weird
rlm@2 305 holes that have been appearing on some of the islands, the
rlm@2 306 disappearance of Kairi, Riku, and Sora, everything. Because of all
rlm@2 307 that, they cancelled the festival. Selphie thinks that's a mistake,
rlm@2 308 so she's organized our own festival."
rlm@2 309
rlm@2 310 Rikku nodded excitedly. "That sounds like fun! I can't wait till
rlm@2 311 tonight, then." The catgirl watched the other girl for a moment,
rlm@2 312 trying to pick up on that shadow that covered Yuna when she spoke of
rlm@2 313 her father. Whatever it had been, it seemed to be gone now.
rlm@2 314 Nevertheless, Rikku wanted to be careful not to let it get any worse.
rlm@2 315 She knew that Yuna had lost her father some time ago, but she didn't
rlm@2 316 know much beyond that. And Yuna seemed to try to ignore the topic, so
rlm@2 317 it was difficult to find out anything else. But even then, Rikku
rlm@2 318 wanted to protect the blue- and green-eyed girl. She might be younger
rlm@2 319 than Yuna, but that didn't mean she couldn't protect her. After all,
rlm@2 320 Yuna had saved her life. And besides, the quiet girl seemed like she
rlm@2 321 could use a guardian. And who better than thief extraordinaire,
rlm@2 322 Rikku? Grinning inwardly, the catgirl pictured herself in some of her
rlm@2 323 older sister's self-serving poses. Yep. She could help. Any trouble
rlm@2 324 she saw coming, she'd send it yelping off in pain.
rlm@2 325
rlm@2 326 "Are you okay, Rikku?" Yuna asked at last, watching her friend's
rlm@2 327 goofy expression.
rlm@2 328
rlm@2 329 Laughing nervously, Rikku shook her head. "I'm fine. I was just
rlm@2 330 thinking. It's been a long time since I've been to a festival. The
rlm@2 331 last time I went was with the rest of the Radical Dreamers. My
rlm@2 332 friends," she added helpfully. "It was at East Heaven Kindom. It was
rlm@2 333 really, really nice. All sorts of food you could ever even dream
rlm@2 334 about. One of the princesses there, Mint, kinda reminded me of big
rlm@2 335 sis. We were there to steal this Relic, an ancient magical book, and
rlm@2 336 she showed up to steal it, too. It seemed she'd been kicked out of
rlm@2 337 the kingdom. So she and Yuffie were both bragging about how they'd
rlm@2 338 kick the other one's ass until they finally ended up wrestling on the
rlm@2 339 floor. It was so funny! Zidane and I were just laughing and Kid was
rlm@2 340 all pissed off about it." She grinned at the memory, her cat ears
rlm@2 341 twitching subconsciously in the wind. "We all got thrown in the
rlm@2 342 dungeon after that, because we were all just standing there while
rlm@2 343 Mint and Yuffie were rolling around on the floor, trying to take the
rlm@2 344 book from the other."
rlm@2 345
rlm@2 346 Yuna giggled into her hand, watching the catgirl. She certainly was
rlm@2 347 interesting. She'd never met anyone like her. Rikku was part of a
rlm@2 348 mysterious band of theives/performers who travelled the worlds in
rlm@2 349 search of various treasure. Yet she wasn't scary or menacing in the
rlm@2 350 least. She was just... silly. And spirited. It was interesting
rlm@2 351 hearing her stories as they sat up late at night in her usually empty
rlm@2 352 home. Yuna shook her head, her hair fluttering in the breeze. She
rlm@2 353 tried to stifle her giggle. "But that's awful that you all ended up
rlm@2 354 in the dungeon."
rlm@2 355
rlm@2 356 Shaking her head, Rikku just smiled again. "No, it wasn't that bad.
rlm@2 357 We didn't stay in that long. Mint knew the guards, some guys named
rlm@2 358 Biggs and Wedge that I swear I've met in half a dozen other places,
rlm@2 359 and they let us all out." Laughing again, she placed her hands behind
rlm@2 360 her head. "Mint and Yuffie kept bitching at each other until Kid and
rlm@2 361 I finally had to drag Yuffie off so we could catch our ship out of
rlm@2 362 there. I guess if you travel enough, eventually you'll meet someone
rlm@2 363 like you."
rlm@2 364
rlm@2 365 "I don't think so. I think you might find someone who seems a bit
rlm@2 366 like you, or who acts similarly. But we're all different somehow. If
rlm@2 367 I looked over a thousand different worlds, I'd never meet someone
rlm@2 368 quite like you," Yuna explained, watching the catgirl.
rlm@2 369
rlm@2 370 Blushing faintly, Rikku was glad that her fur made it impossible to
rlm@2 371 tell. She smiled ecstatically, her embarrassment growing as she heard
rlm@2 372 a steady purr resonating within her. She tried to stifle the purr,
rlm@2 373 but it refused to die down. She was glad that Yuna would think that
rlm@2 374 about her. Even worse, her tail was swishing about happily behind
rlm@2 375 her. Before she could get it under control, it thumped against Yuna's
rlm@2 376 rear, making the other girl take a quick step forward in surprise.
rlm@2 377 Rikku could only stare forward, mortified. Stupid Dragon's Tear and
rlm@2 378 it's half-done job. Stupid half-cat body. Her heart thundered in her
rlm@2 379 chest, feeling to Rikku as if it should be just as audible as her
rlm@2 380 purr by now. Surprisingly, Yuna simply turned, walking backwards
rlm@2 381 slowly so she could look at Rikku. The young summoner was still
rlm@2 382 smiling. A wave of relief crashed down over the catgirl's head, cold
rlm@2 383 and refreshing. Maybe she hadn't totally screwed that up after all.
rlm@2 384 "Thanks, Yunie," she said at last, smiling wide enough to show her
rlm@2 385 fangs. "I don't think I'd ever find anyone like you, either."
rlm@2 386
rlm@2 387 "I'd argue, but then I'd be contradicting myself." Yuna giggled.
rlm@2 388
rlm@2 389 "And I can't let you do that," Rikku agreed, purring happily.
rlm@2 390 Without warning and with only the barest of thoughts, Rikku took one
rlm@2 391 of Yuna's hands in one of her soft paws. It felt like there were a
rlm@2 392 thousand different things that she wanted to say at once, but the
rlm@2 393 words eluded her. Just a cacophony of emotions and feelings surged
rlm@2 394 through her. But being here with Yuna... She had to say -something-.
rlm@2 395 Anything would do. She hoped. Squeezing the brunette's hand in her
rlm@2 396 own, swirly green eyes gazed into Yuna's blue and green eyes, hoping
rlm@2 397 to get across whatever her words failed to through her eyes. "Yunie,
rlm@2 398 I won't let anything bad happen to you. Whatever's happened to you
rlm@2 399 before now... I won't let it ever happen again. I'll... I'll protect
rlm@2 400 you. From everything. I promise." It was and wasn't what she wanted
rlm@2 401 to say at the same time. Whatever the case, she knew it was the
rlm@2 402 truth. She wanted to protect this fragile flower, wherever the winds
rlm@2 403 may carry her. She wanted to be there by Yuna's side, there to help
rlm@2 404 her through everything. Yuna needed her, right? And she wanted that
rlm@2 405 so badly. To be needed. To help. To be able to make things better.
rlm@2 406 She'd always been Yuffie's little sister. She loved her sister
rlm@2 407 dearly, but she'd never been able to protect Yuffie, only managing to
rlm@2 408 help a bit here and there. Yuffie was too sure of herself to allow
rlm@2 409 anyone else to do things for her. But with Yuna... She wanted to make
rlm@2 410 sure nothing bad ever had to happen to her again. She wanted to fight
rlm@2 411 off Fate itself to make sure she could always have a smile. A real
rlm@2 412 smile.
rlm@2 413
rlm@2 414 "I..." Yuna blushed, her eyes locked onto those swirly emeralds,
rlm@2 415 almost drowning in them as they pulled her in. "I want that, too..."
rlm@2 416 she whispered at last, furiously embarrassed that she'd admit that.
rlm@2 417 But she did. Sometimes she could get so tired of being strong for
rlm@2 418 everyone. She wanted to be able to collapse sometimes, to have
rlm@2 419 someone to catch her when she stumbled. She trusted this catgirl,
rlm@2 420 this thief from another world, this bouncy young girl with an
rlm@2 421 indomitable spirit. Rikku was sweet and devoted and warm and... For a
rlm@2 422 moment, Yuna couldn't tell which way was up. Her world seemed to have
rlm@2 423 turned upside down. Her heart was dizzy, lost in conflicting
rlm@2 424 thoughts. What she wanted to do and say clashed with what she thought
rlm@2 425 she should do and say. Her mind and heart struggled on the
rlm@2 426 battlefield of her soul for what felt like a short eternity. And
rlm@2 427 finally, it ceased to matter what the outcome was going to be. Soft
rlm@2 428 lips pressed against hers, paws holding tightly enough onto her
rlm@2 429 shoulders that she could feel the claws digging through the fabric of
rlm@2 430 her dress. Whiskers tickled her upper lip, and Rikku's soft, furry
rlm@2 431 form pressed against her. Yuna slowly melted into the kiss. For this
rlm@2 432 moment, she didn't need to know what to say or what to do. There was
rlm@2 433 only this moment. Of soft, neko kisses and the wonderful fragrance of
rlm@2 434 the rain encircling them.
rlm@2 435
rlm@2 436 By now, trying to stop her purring would be almost impossible.
rlm@2 437 Rikku's chest and throat vibrated with the happy purr that seemed to
rlm@2 438 come from the very depths of her soul. She couldn't explain why she
rlm@2 439 had kissed the quiet, sometimes sad girl, but she also couldn't
rlm@2 440 explain why not. It just seemed right. It was what she'd wanted to
rlm@2 441 do. It was what her words had wanted to express but couldn't. It was
rlm@2 442 the manifestation of the emotions and feelings that burst through her
rlm@2 443 like a fireworks display. And now it seemed perfectly right. Yuna's
rlm@2 444 soft lips opened and closed against her own lips as the taller girl's
rlm@2 445 hands went to her furry waist, pulling her closer. Thoughts were lost
rlm@2 446 to Rikku as she kissed deeper, her scratchy tongue pushing between
rlm@2 447 Yuna's lips as her claws nearly dug into the brunette's shoulders.
rlm@2 448
rlm@2 449 So this was a kiss... A beautiful moment in time wrapped up in silk
rlm@2 450 and offered up on the wings of angels. It was a precious gift that
rlm@2 451 could topple kingdoms and move mountains, a gift that when combined
rlm@2 452 with the dewdrops of love could become a force that could move the
rlm@2 453 very stars in the sky. And now it was in Yuna's hands. So delicate,
rlm@2 454 so fragile, yet so strong and powerful that it left her breathless
rlm@2 455 and shaking. So enraptured by Rikku's kiss was Yuna, her mind so far
rlm@2 456 away from the world around her, that she didn't see the waves moving
rlm@2 457 as something large pushed through the water towards the Destiny
rlm@2 458 Islands.
rlm@2 459
rlm@2 460