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1 Prism Hearts
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2 Chapter 2
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3 Prelude
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4 by Amazoness Duo
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5 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
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6
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7
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8 It was raining. That was the first thing that Kairi noticed. Cold
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9 raindrops had plastered her clothes to her body, making her shiver.
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10 Hugging her cold body tightly, she slowly sat up. Where was she? It
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11 rained often enough on the Destiny Islands, but it was always a warm,
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12 gentle rain. Nothing like the freezing, harsh storm that fell down
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13 around her.
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14
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15 Slowly getting to her feet, Kairi began to stumble out of the alley
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16 she found herself in. Huge buildings rose up around her, impervious
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17 to the unending rain. Where was she? This wasn’t anything like home.
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18 It looked like some impersonal big city. It was late and the streets
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19 were empty, leaving her all alone. “Hello?” she asked meekly. There
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20 was no reply but the howl of the wind.
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21
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22 Shaking her head, Kairi got her wet bangs out of her eyes. The
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23 buildings around her had an almost menacing look, as if they would
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24 reach out and grab for her themselves. Whether that was because of
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25 the darkness and the storm or if they were always like that, she
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26 couldn’t tell. She shivered again, trying to ignore it. “Riku? Sora?”
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27 she called out again, louder this time.
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28
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29 Wet, cold, and alone, the brunette began to venture out into this
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30 new world she found herself in. There had to be someone who could
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31 tell her where she was. Or at least some place for her to get out of
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32 the pouring rain. Every little sound had her looking over her
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33 shoulder, glancing around. She didn’t like this place. She missed her
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34 island home already. But she had to keep looking. Riku and Sora were
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35 out there somewhere. Maybe someone here would know where they were.
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36
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37 Clank.
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38
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39 Kairi whipped around quickly. It seemed to come from an alleyway
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40 nearby. She could feel her whole body shaking. She didn’t know if she
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41 was more frightened or excited by the sound. It was something in the
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42 darkness. It could be anything. On the other hand, it was the first
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43 sound that could be human contact she had since showing up in this
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44 weird city. So despite her worries, she ventured forward. Perhaps
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45 whoever it was could tell her where she was. Or where to get dry, at
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46 any rate.
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47
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48 The entrance to the alleyway opened up like the maw of some huge
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49 monster ready to swallow her up. But she had to find out who it was.
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50 Otherwise she’d still be all alone out here. Steeling herself, the
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51 young princess ran into the alley.
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52
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53 It was dark and wet in the alley, but the huge walls managed to
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54 prevent some of the downpour from getting in. It was a small respite
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55 from the storm. She sighed, holding herself tightly to try and keep
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56 in some semblance of warmth. “Hello?” she called out, trying to keep
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57 her nervousness from showing through. She heard another rattle and
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58 paused. Maybe she should go back. She glanced to the entrance again.
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59 No, she resolved. She couldn’t do that. If she gave up on this tiny
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60 thing, then how would she ever find her friends? Stepping closer, she
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61 raised her voice. “Hello?”
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62
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63 Something tiny peeked out of a small box that it had been hiding in.
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64 “Meow,” it answered, looking up at her.
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65
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66 “Awww! How cute!” Kairi kneeled down, picking up the little kitten.
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67 It must have been making the noise as it struggled to find a way to
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68 escape the rain. It was gray with little black patches on its fur. It
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69 had the strangest green eyes that Kairi had ever seen. She couldn’t
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70 remember if she’d ever owned a kitten or not, but she knew that it
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71 was adorable. “Are you lost, too?” she asked. The kitten mewed in
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72 response, seeming to agree. Kairi smiled brightly, nuzzling the
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73 kitten’s nose. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you. I may not be able to
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74 help my friends yet, but I’ll do my best to help you, at least.” This
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75 seemed to please the kitten, as it began to meow happily.
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76
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77 “That still doesn’t help us figure out where we are, though, does
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78 it?” Kairi looked around the alley. It was minor protection, but she
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79 couldn’t imagine spending the night in it. It was too creepy. There
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80 had to be some place that was open, someone who would tell them where
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81 they were. She held the wet kitten to her chest, running back out
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82 into the rain. She tried to hunch over as she ran to protect the
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83 kitten from the relentless pour. The little kitten curled up in a
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84 ball against her, closing its eyes tightly.
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85
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86 Stopping in the middle of the street, the brunette started searching
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87 for her next target. Anything that looked open and inviting. There
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88 had to be somewhere she could go to escape the storm. She couldn’t
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89 just be lost out here. But at least she wasn’t alone anymore. She had
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90 this kitten at any rate. And she held onto it like a life preserver
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91 on a wild and reckless sea, her only friend at the moment. Because it
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92 needed her.
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93
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94 Something bright caught her eye, drawing her attention away from the
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95 ground level. Up on top of one of the buildings. On the building was
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96 a large screen, presumably for public announcements or advertisements
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97 or something. On that large screen was Kairi. She could only stare
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98 for a long moment, frozen in place. The image kept cycling, herself
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99 standing on the beach, static filtering across the screen. She would
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100 smile and walk forward and then it would skip back to the beginning,
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101 starting all over. “What?” She couldn’t tell if she’d actually spoken
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102 the word or just thought it. Why would she be showing on some sort of
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103 huge monitor? How could anyone know she was here? She glanced around
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104 worriedly. This was all wrong. This place wasn’t right at all.
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105
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106 The shadows seemed to move around her, swarming. It looked like they
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107 were surrounding her. She took a few steps backwards, but found that
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108 they were behind her as well. Slowly, creatures began to rise from
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109 the shadows, watching her. The Heartless! Her eyes widened as she saw
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110 them all around her. There was no escape. Her search for Riku and
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111 Sora was over before it had begun. She had failed the both of them.
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112 Footsteps behind her barely registered in her mind. Hadn’t the
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113 Heartless been stopped with Sora had locked the final door? They
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114 shouldn’t be here. But there they were, staring at her hungrily. The
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115 kitten poked its head out, hissing at the shadowy intruders. The
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116 continued to advance on her, ignoring the kitten’s warnings.
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117
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118 The footsteps were finally right next to the young princess,
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119 managing to capture her attention at last. She couldn’t stop the
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120 feeling that it was something just as bad or worse than the living
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121 shadows that were almost upon her. She could barely make him out in
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122 the darkness. He was wearing a dark jacket with a hood that obscured
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123 his face. He seemed to be wearing a blindfold as well, yet he seemed
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124 to know exactly where the Heartless were. He didn’t turn to Kairi,
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125 but instead kept a blind watch over the shadows.
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126
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127 “You can use the Keyblade, Kairi,” he said at last, seemingly
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128 unworried about the advancing Heartless.
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129
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130 Kairi shook her head quickly, still holding onto the kitten. “No, I
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131 can’t! I can’t fight! I’m not like Riku and Sora!” She would do
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132 anything she could to have her friends back, to protect them. But she
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133 wasn’t a fighter like they were. She just didn’t have that kind of
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134 skill.
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135
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136 “You have to, Kairi. You’re the only one who can stop the spreading
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137 darkness. If you don’t, it will envelop everything,” he said
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138 urgently. He finally turned to her. “Kairi, you are the light within
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139 the darkness. No one else can reach its heart.”
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140
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141 “But...” Kairi stammered, unsure. How could she be important to all
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142 of this? She was only one of the seven princesses needed to open the
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143 final keyhole. And that was already sealed. So why was she the only
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144 one who could stop it?
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145
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146 “The Keyblade you wield is different from Sora’s. It’s the same as
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147 the one Riku had. It can unlock people’s hearts. Remember, Kairi,
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148 within every heart is a light that will never fade away. Even in the
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149 darkest heart. You need to unlock that light,” he continued. The
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150 cloaked figure turned away at last, the Heartless nearly upon them.
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151 Reaching into his large jacket, he pulled out two blades that looked
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152 like long, curved wings. “Run.”
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153
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154 “I.. But who..” She began. But the Heartless were already leaping
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155 forward towards them.
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156
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157 “Run!” he called out, hurrying into the fray.
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158
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159 So Kairi ran. The rain fell heavily around her, as if it were trying
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160 to stop her itself. She could hear the boy fighting with the
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161 Heartless behind her, but she couldn’t look back. She just had to run
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162 as far as she could, to try to get away from all of this. She wanted
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163 to find her friends again. She didn’t know how she could save
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164 everything. That didn’t make sense to her. Her priority was still
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165 simple. To find Riku and Sora. Wherever they were. After that she
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166 would figure out whatever this thing about stopping the heart of
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167 darkness was. Besides, if she had Riku and Sora with her, she knew
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168 she could handle it. But right now, she was still all alone.
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169
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170 Suddenly, Kairi’s feet were no longer touching the floor. The world
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171 spun around her as she fell in the air. For a moment, she thought
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172 that maybe the world was shifting around her, that she was going
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173 someplace else. But the wet street greeted her eagerly as she fell
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174 back to the earth. She lay there for a long moment, disoriented. But
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175 by the time she had regained her senses, it was too late. A rather
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176 large Heartless was upon her. She felt it grab her hand, yanking her
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177 off her feet. It looked at her with unseeing eyes, slowly reaching
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178 out. Her heart pounded in her chest. Was this how it was all going to
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179 end? Hunted down by the Heartless before she could ever find her
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180 friends? A lot of good she had done them. They would get back to the
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181 Destiny Islands one day and she wouldn’t be there waiting for them.
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182 And they’d never know what had happened to her. She shuddered at the
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183 thought.
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184
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185 ‘This isn’t real. None of it is. Just open your eyes. You’re safe
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186 and sound back home. This is only a dream,’ a voice said deep inside
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187 of Kairi.
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188
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189 ‘This doesn’t feel like a dream,’ Kairi thought frantically as the
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190 Heartless continued reaching out for her. In desparation, she closed
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191 her eyes. "Go away. Please go away,” she whispered, her eyes shut
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192 tightly. She gasped, her eyes opening as she felt it’s cold hand
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193 reach into her chest, hunting for her heart. And it was gone. All of
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194 it. The Heartless, the city, the rain. It was all gone.
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195
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196 Kairi bolted upright in the bed she found herself lying on. She was
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197 in a slightly cluttered room. All across the bed were small little
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198 plush dolls. Each looked like they were made with love and care,
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199 attention spent on minor details. Around the room were drawing upon
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200 drawing, some taped to the walls, some pinned to them, and other
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201 lying almost to the point of overflowing on the desk in the corner.
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202
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203 “Where am I?” Kairi asked to no one in particular, glancing about
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204 the strange room.
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205
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206 “You’re home,” a girl replied, startling the brunette. The voice
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207 came from behind the door in the room, as if the person was leaning
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208 against it. “See? It was all just a bad dream. You could have woken
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209 up from it whenever you wanted to. But it doesn’t matter. You’re home
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210 now.”
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211
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212 “I’m home?” the princess asked, looking about the room. Her eyes
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213 settled on a small picture frame that lie near the bed on a stand
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214 with the lamp. It was a picture of herself. She didn’t look
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215 particularly happy in the picture, her blue eyes distant. She was
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216 wearing all dark clothes, a hand against her cheek. She shook her
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217 head quickly. That couldn’t be her. She looked so sad in the picture,
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218 so alone.
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219
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220 “Where are the Destiny Islands? Why am I here?” she demanded,
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221 staring at the door.
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222
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223 “The Destiny Islands are in your head. You made them up. You’re here
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224 because you finally opened your eyes. You’ve stopped daydreaming.
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225 This is real life, Kairi. Or as close as you’ll allow yourself to get
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226 to it,” the voice answered.
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227
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228 Kairi paled at the thought. She shook her head violently. “No!
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229 They’re not in my head. They’re real. I’ve spent the past few years
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230 living there with Riku and Sora.”
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231
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232 The girl on the other side of the door laughed. “Oh, you mean the ‘I
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233 woke up on the Islands without any memory and met my wonderful
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234 friends’ thing? Why do you think you had no memory? Because you
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235 didn’t want to remember. It wasn’t amnesia, Kairi. It was you
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236 choosing to forget. And did you ever notice how everything was
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237 absolutely perfect on the Destiny Islands? You had your two cute
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238 friends who happened to compete at everything. Especially you. Wow,
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239 sounds a little like a girl’s romantic daydream, doesn’t it?”
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240
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241 “No, it’s not like that,” Kairi said. She wasn’t liking where this
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242 was going at all. This room, it felt so familiar. The voice on the
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243 other side sounded like she had heard it somewhere before. It all
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244 felt like pieces to some puzzle. If she only allowed them to fit
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245 together, it would all make sense. But she couldn’t allow this to
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246 make sense. That would be acknowledging that everything that had
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247 happened with Sora and Riku wasn’t real. And she couldn’t do that.
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248
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249 “Take a look around your room, Kairi. You were absolutely obsessed
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250 about this Island you made up. About a place where you had friends.
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251 Where there were people who liked you. Where you weren’t so lonely.
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252 It’s all you’ve been thinking about for years now. You came up with
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253 everything about it. The people who lived there, what it all looked
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254 like, how they all acted. It was the most important thing in your
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255 life. Because it let you escape the pain. So eventually you escaped
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256 to it altogether, pretending that it was real,” the voice explained.
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257
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258 Kairi began to look around the room. True enough, the pictures were
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259 all of the Destiny Islands. They were all in her art style. She could
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260 see Riku and Sora, Selphie and the others, all in her pictures. There
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261 was even a picture of them all building a raft together. One of the
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262 pictures was of Riku, with several different drawings of him, all
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263 slightly different as if she had been trying to figure out just
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264 exactly how he should look. Another picture was an entire overview of
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265 what the Islands looked like, with little notes in her handwriting
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266 saying who lived where and what certain things were. It looked like
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267 she had created the islands in her drawings. But she had lived there.
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268 She had been there with Riku and Sora. It wasn’t just a dream. It
|
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rlm@0
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269 couldn’t have been. She hadn’t made it all up. She hadn’t.
|
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rlm@0
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270
|
|
rlm@0
|
271 The brunette hugged the kitten tighter to her chest for comfort. But
|
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rlm@0
|
272 the feeling was different. It was soft and plush. Looking down, she
|
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rlm@0
|
273 saw it was one of the dolls. But not just a normal doll. It was a
|
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rlm@0
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274 doll of Sora. She held it up, her mouth opening, but nothing coming
|
|
rlm@0
|
275 out. She turned around, glancing at other dolls. There was Riku. And
|
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rlm@0
|
276 over there in the small yellow dress was Yuffie. And Quistis. And
|
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rlm@0
|
277 Tidus. And Wakka. And many, many more. She had dolls of all of them,
|
|
rlm@0
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278 spread all about her bed. She grabbed for them, holding as many as
|
|
rlm@0
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279 she could in her arms. These people, these important people in her
|
|
rlm@0
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280 heart, they were all dolls lying across her bed.
|
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rlm@0
|
281
|
|
rlm@0
|
282 “You made those dolls in your spare time. And you had a lot of it.
|
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rlm@0
|
283 You spent almost all your time in your room. Mom got so scared that
|
|
rlm@0
|
284 something was wrong with you. You’d always disappear back here,
|
|
rlm@0
|
285 making your dolls of the characters you wanted to meet, or drawing
|
|
rlm@0
|
286 those pictures of the Islands you made up. Always lost in your own
|
|
rlm@0
|
287 fantasies, always trying to escape the real world.”
|
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rlm@0
|
288
|
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rlm@0
|
289 Kairi was confused. What if this was right? What if she really had
|
|
rlm@0
|
290 just been dreaming it all, making it all up? Maybe she really was
|
|
rlm@0
|
291 just a lonely, lost little girl. But there was still a glimmer of
|
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rlm@0
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292 hope. She held onto it tightly, trying to keep from doubting her
|
|
rlm@0
|
293 friends’ existence. “But we traveled beyond the Destiny Islands. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
294 was with Sora in his heart while he sealed the Keyholes in all the
|
|
rlm@0
|
295 different worlds.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
296
|
|
rlm@0
|
297 “You mean those Disney worlds? The ones you’ve watched over and over
|
|
rlm@0
|
298 and over again? Of course you’d pretend to visit those places, too.
|
|
rlm@0
|
299 You have every Disney video ever made. When you aren’t making up
|
|
rlm@0
|
300 things for your islands, you’re watching those videos. Because they
|
|
rlm@0
|
301 always end with happily ever after, with the prince Saving the
|
|
rlm@0
|
302 princess. They’re just another way you escape,” The voice responded.
|
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rlm@0
|
303
|
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rlm@0
|
304 The brunette’s shoulders slumped, her last shred of hope crushed
|
|
rlm@0
|
305 into stardust. She could remember them now. She could remember late
|
|
rlm@0
|
306 at night, watching the movies over and over again, crying herself to
|
|
rlm@0
|
307 sleep as the credits rolled, asking herself why she couldn’t be
|
|
rlm@0
|
308 Cinderella, why she couldn’t have her happily ever after. She could
|
|
rlm@0
|
309 remember sitting alone in her room, drawing the islands the way she
|
|
rlm@0
|
310 wanted them to be. Making the dolls of all the friends she would meet
|
|
rlm@0
|
311 along the way. Playing those games over and over again, all set in a
|
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rlm@0
|
312 far off fantasy world that she could never hope to be. Selphie was
|
|
rlm@0
|
313 from one of them, wasn’t she? And so was Tidus and Wakka. And
|
|
rlm@0
|
314 Quistis. Even the heroes that Sora had met, Cloud, Squall, Aerith,
|
|
rlm@0
|
315 and Yuffie. They were all from the games she had played. Was it all
|
|
rlm@0
|
316 nothing more than her imagination, her own personal paradise she
|
|
rlm@0
|
317 would escape to? Even the worlds she had visited outside of her
|
|
rlm@0
|
318 island had come from these things. Was none of it real?
|
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rlm@0
|
319
|
|
rlm@0
|
320 Standing up, the princess (was that even real?) headed for the door.
|
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rlm@0
|
321 She needed to know the truth. She needed to understand what was going
|
|
rlm@0
|
322 on. Her heart felt bruised and battered, knocked around inside of
|
|
rlm@0
|
323 her. Sora and Riku had to be real. They had to! She couldn’t admit to
|
|
rlm@0
|
324 herself that it was all a lie, all part of some escapist fantasy. She
|
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rlm@0
|
325 paused before the door. She knew the other girl was out there, still
|
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rlm@0
|
326 leaning against the door, waiting for her. She had the answers. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
327 knew what was going on. But did she even want to hear them? But deep
|
|
rlm@0
|
328 down, she had to know. Reaching out slowly, she felt her hand clasp
|
|
rlm@0
|
329 around the cold doorknob. Her hand gripped it tightly, though she was
|
|
rlm@0
|
330 almost afraid that it would burn her or yank out of her grasp. She
|
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rlm@0
|
331 swallowed, trying to pool her resolve. She closed her eyes tightly.
|
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rlm@0
|
332 Whatever lay beyond that door would forever change her life. The
|
|
rlm@0
|
333 doorknob slowly turned beneath her fingers...
|
|
rlm@0
|
334
|
|
rlm@0
|
335 And caught. The door was locked. It wouldn’t open. She tried again,
|
|
rlm@0
|
336 with the same failure. It refused to open for her. “Why won’t it
|
|
rlm@0
|
337 open?” she asked in frustration, trying one last time.
|
|
rlm@0
|
338
|
|
rlm@0
|
339 “Because you don’t want it to. You can’t accept it. The door to the
|
|
rlm@0
|
340 real world won’t open until you’re willing to accept reality. It
|
|
rlm@0
|
341 won’t open until you’re ready. And you aren’t ready yet,” the voice
|
|
rlm@0
|
342 said softly. “You’re still trapped between fantasy and reality. This
|
|
rlm@0
|
343 is your real bedroom, but it’s still in a dream. You can’t leave the
|
|
rlm@0
|
344 dream until you’re ready for what’s out here. The real world can be
|
|
rlm@0
|
345 cold and lonely, Kairi. Trust me. I know. It cultivates darkness. It
|
|
rlm@0
|
346 spreads like wildfire through people’s hearts. Everyone is lonely.
|
|
rlm@0
|
347 Everyone suffers. No one can blame you for wanting to escape it all.
|
|
rlm@0
|
348 No one can blame you for what you did.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
349
|
|
rlm@0
|
350 Kairi’s wrists began to burn painfully at the other girl’s words.
|
|
rlm@0
|
351 She looked down only to find blood seeping through the wristbands she
|
|
rlm@0
|
352 wore. She looked up again, panicking. She was bleeding. Her wrists
|
|
rlm@0
|
353 had been slashed. “Help me!” she cried, slumping against the door.
|
|
rlm@0
|
354 “Please help me...” Tears spilt down her cheeks as she slid down the
|
|
rlm@0
|
355 door to her knees.
|
|
rlm@0
|
356
|
|
rlm@0
|
357 “No one can help you, Kairi. You’re the one who slit your wrists.
|
|
rlm@0
|
358 You’re the one who couldn’t stand to live in this world anymore.
|
|
rlm@0
|
359 You’re the one who gave it up for your fantasies. But now reality is
|
|
rlm@0
|
360 seeping into your fantasies. That is the Heartless. The cold,
|
|
rlm@0
|
361 heartless reality that doesn’t care either way for you. And you can’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
362 stop reality from finding a way in.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
363
|
|
rlm@0
|
364 Kairi sobbed, curling up into a ball on the floor. She was feeling
|
|
rlm@0
|
365 so weak and dizzy as the blood seeped from her body. She could dimly
|
|
rlm@0
|
366 remember the cold feel of sharp metal against her flesh, the
|
|
rlm@0
|
367 determined thought that she would finally be free of her loneliness
|
|
rlm@0
|
368 and pain. She could remember trying to kill herself. And now it all
|
|
rlm@0
|
369 felt as if it was catching up to her. “Riku.. Sora..” she called out
|
|
rlm@0
|
370 weakly, her vision dimming. She was dying, she realized. Everything
|
|
rlm@0
|
371 was fading away. Perhaps she really hadn’t been on her island after
|
|
rlm@0
|
372 all. She had merely imagined it all in those seconds after she had
|
|
rlm@0
|
373 cut her wrists open. All those years had only been frantic seconds.
|
|
rlm@0
|
374 Whereas other people saw their lives flashing before their eyes,
|
|
rlm@0
|
375 Kairi only wanted to see her fantasies, nothing from her real life
|
|
rlm@0
|
376 deigning itself worthy to show up before the end. And now cold
|
|
rlm@0
|
377 reality was taking over in those last precious seconds of life. It
|
|
rlm@0
|
378 chilled her soul. She was so scared. All alone, bleeding to death on
|
|
rlm@0
|
379 the carpet. And the boys she relied on the most weren’t even real.
|
|
rlm@0
|
380
|
|
rlm@0
|
381 “How will mom feel when she finds you dead in your room? How am I
|
|
rlm@0
|
382 supposed to feel? Damn it, Kairi! Why did you have to do that?” the
|
|
rlm@0
|
383 voice on the other side of the door asked, sounding both angry and
|
|
rlm@0
|
384 close to tears. “You have such a strong spirit. Why couldn’t you just
|
|
rlm@0
|
385 hold out a little longer?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
386
|
|
rlm@0
|
387 But it was too late. Kairi was too numb to even speak. She simply
|
|
rlm@0
|
388 lay there. She could see someone’s feet on the other end of the door,
|
|
rlm@0
|
389 but even that was fading fast. ‘I’m sorry,’ she tried to say. But
|
|
rlm@0
|
390 nothing came out. And everything turned to black.
|
|
rlm@0
|
391
|
|
rlm@0
|
392 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
rlm@0
|
393
|
|
rlm@0
|
394 ‘Dear diary,
|
|
rlm@0
|
395 It’s me, Selphie, again. But you probably already knew that. I’m
|
|
rlm@0
|
396 writing this on the pier. Yeah, I know Kairi’s usually sitting here,
|
|
rlm@0
|
397 worrying about Riku and Sora, but she’s gone now. No one knows where.
|
|
rlm@0
|
398 She disappeared not too long ago. We’ve been looking all over for
|
|
rlm@0
|
399 her, on all the Destiny Islands, but no one knows where she’s gone
|
|
rlm@0
|
400 off to. It’s like she up and vanished. Or maybe she grew wings and
|
|
rlm@0
|
401 flew off somewhere. No one really knows. Wherever she is, I hope
|
|
rlm@0
|
402 she’s happy. Maybe she’s even found Sora and Riku by now! Booyaka!
|
|
rlm@0
|
403 (No one’s using that yet! Quisty just looks embarrassed when I tell
|
|
rlm@0
|
404 her we should be spreading that word.)
|
|
rlm@0
|
405
|
|
rlm@0
|
406 I’m trying to be hopeful about the whole thing, but everything’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
407 been weird since Kairi left. The seas all rough and angry now. And
|
|
rlm@0
|
408 the skies are growing darker. It’s like a big storm is approaching.
|
|
rlm@0
|
409 But it feels a lot worse than that, like something else is coming. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
410 can’t get it off my mind. The ocean doesn’t look friendly anymore.
|
|
rlm@0
|
411 The skies don’t look beautiful and free. It’s all like some dark and
|
|
rlm@0
|
412 twisted version of itself. I don’t like it at all.
|
|
rlm@0
|
413
|
|
rlm@0
|
414 Oh, Quisty and I shared a Paopu fruit!! It was just as romantic as I
|
|
rlm@0
|
415 imagined it would be! We sat there on the island and watched the
|
|
rlm@0
|
416 sunset together. I finally managed to work up the courage to open the
|
|
rlm@0
|
417 fruit. Quistis blushed in that cute, mature way she always has and
|
|
rlm@0
|
418 took the piece I offered her. Then she took a piece and fed it to me!
|
|
rlm@0
|
419 I could’ve died right then. It was sooooo sweet! And not just the
|
|
rlm@0
|
420 fruit. Having her feed it to me like that was so romantic. I spent
|
|
rlm@0
|
421 the rest of the night with my head on her shoulder, holding onto her
|
|
rlm@0
|
422 with everything I had. My mom was so mad when I got home! She said
|
|
rlm@0
|
423 she was worried when I didn’t get home last night. I’ve got loads of
|
|
rlm@0
|
424 extra chores, but I don’t care. It was worth it to spend the night
|
|
rlm@0
|
425 with my Quisty. I guess our hearts are forever intertwined now,
|
|
rlm@0
|
426 right? Great! Wherever I go, I know it’ll be with her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
427
|
|
rlm@0
|
428 Still, I can’t help worrying about Kairi. And what’s happening to
|
|
rlm@0
|
429 the Destiny Islands. I know that Quisty will help me through it,
|
|
rlm@0
|
430 whatever it is, but I still don’t like whatever’s happening. I wonder
|
|
rlm@0
|
431 if...’
|
|
rlm@0
|
432
|
|
rlm@0
|
433 A hand rested on Selphie’s bare shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly,
|
|
rlm@0
|
434 shaking Selphie from her diary based thoughts. Selphie looked up and
|
|
rlm@0
|
435 smiled at the blonde girl standing beside her. She had been sitting
|
|
rlm@0
|
436 at the dock for a while, taking up Kairi’s usual position. She hadn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
437 even noticed that Quistis had come to the island. But she was
|
|
rlm@0
|
438 suddenly very glad the slightly older girl had. All of this looking
|
|
rlm@0
|
439 at the ocean and thinking about Kairi was starting to worry her. And
|
|
rlm@0
|
440 she was usually the happy, upbeat one. At least when Quistis was
|
|
rlm@0
|
441 around she could concentrate on trying to lift the blonde girl’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
442 spirits instead. She placed her hand over Quistis’s, still looking
|
|
rlm@0
|
443 out to sea.
|
|
rlm@0
|
444
|
|
rlm@0
|
445 “I realized something must be wrong when you didn’t show up to come
|
|
rlm@0
|
446 drag me from my studies today. I don’t think you’ve ever been late to
|
|
rlm@0
|
447 distract me yet,” Quistis explained. She smiled faintly as she sat
|
|
rlm@0
|
448 down next to the other girl on the edge of the pier.
|
|
rlm@0
|
449
|
|
rlm@0
|
450 “It’s that time already?” Selphie asked, blinking. “Darn!” She stood
|
|
rlm@0
|
451 up quickly, as if to go back and get Quistis. But of course, Quistis
|
|
rlm@0
|
452 was already there. She shook her head, holding her diary to her
|
|
rlm@0
|
453 chest. “I completely forgot the time. I meant to go get you before
|
|
rlm@0
|
454 you got lost in all those books. But then I thought I’d sit down for
|
|
rlm@0
|
455 a minute. Then I thought I’d get some of my diary done. And then...
|
|
rlm@0
|
456 Well, I guess you know what happened then because you’re here.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
457
|
|
rlm@0
|
458 The blonde girl giggled, pushing her glasses back up her nose. “Yes,
|
|
rlm@0
|
459 I am, Selphie. I was just worried about you. When you didn’t show up,
|
|
rlm@0
|
460 I thought maybe something had gone wrong. Kairi disappeared, so I
|
|
rlm@0
|
461 thought maybe you’d been next. I’m just glad it wasn’t anything.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
462 With the strange weather and the other girl’s disappearance, Quistis
|
|
rlm@0
|
463 had been extremely worried for the past day. She couldn’t tell if
|
|
rlm@0
|
464 that was the extent of things or if they would spread. And the
|
|
rlm@0
|
465 thought of one day finding Selphie missing was horrifying. So when
|
|
rlm@0
|
466 Selphie hadn’t been there, she had panicked and headed out to the
|
|
rlm@0
|
467 smallest of the islands where Selphie and her friends liked to play
|
|
rlm@0
|
468 as quickly as she could. She was relieved to find her spunky
|
|
rlm@0
|
469 girlfriend alive and well. And still planning on interrupting her
|
|
rlm@0
|
470 studies as always. Maybe things hadn’t changed that much after all.
|
|
rlm@0
|
471
|
|
rlm@0
|
472 Selphie sat down again. After just a moment’s hesitation, she rested
|
|
rlm@0
|
473 her head on Quistis’s shoulder, sighing happily and hugging her
|
|
rlm@0
|
474 diary. “Nope, I’m still here. You can’t get rid of me that easily.
|
|
rlm@0
|
475 I’ll always be following you around. Forever.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
476
|
|
rlm@0
|
477 Quistis smiled warmly, letting her fingers sift through Selphie’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
478 brunette hair. Selphie always managed to make her forget all about
|
|
rlm@0
|
479 her worries. “I love you, Selphie,” she whispered softly, still
|
|
rlm@0
|
480 playing with the younger girl’s hair.
|
|
rlm@0
|
481
|
|
rlm@0
|
482 Blushing faintly, Selphie turned to look up at Quistis. Green eyes
|
|
rlm@0
|
483 met the blonde’s blue eyes. “I love you, too, Quisty,” she said, her
|
|
rlm@0
|
484 eyes sparkling brightly. She closed her eyes as Quistis leaned in,
|
|
rlm@0
|
485 kissing her. Sighing happily, she melted against the older girl.
|
|
rlm@0
|
486 There would be time to worry later on. Much later on.
|
|
rlm@0
|
487
|
|
rlm@0
|
488 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
rlm@0
|
489
|
|
rlm@0
|
490 Kairi awoke to find herself in yet another alleyway. But at least it
|
|
rlm@0
|
491 wasn’t raining this time. The kitten was licking at her face, trying
|
|
rlm@0
|
492 to wake her up. She slowly got to her feet, her head still swimming.
|
|
rlm@0
|
493 Where was she now? It didn’t look like the big, menacing city she had
|
|
rlm@0
|
494 been in before. She picked up the kitten and stepped out of the
|
|
rlm@0
|
495 alley, rubbing her head. She tried to block out the memories of being
|
|
rlm@0
|
496 in her room, of the voice behind the door. Of course this was all
|
|
rlm@0
|
497 real. This had always been real. It was the way of things. But still,
|
|
rlm@0
|
498 she couldn’t help but have a tiny doubt inside of herself. Maybe the
|
|
rlm@0
|
499 voice had been telling the truth. Maybe..
|
|
rlm@0
|
500
|
|
rlm@0
|
501 But she couldn’t allow that. She couldn’t let any of it not be real.
|
|
rlm@0
|
502 It was all too important to her. Riku, Sora, their islands, their
|
|
rlm@0
|
503 friends. She wouldn’t let it all be some delusion. She would fight
|
|
rlm@0
|
504 for them, fight to protect them all.
|
|
rlm@0
|
505
|
|
rlm@0
|
506 Slowly, Kairi looked down to her wrists. Her wristbands looked fine,
|
|
rlm@0
|
507 bloodless. But she couldn’t help but wonder. She reached out one
|
|
rlm@0
|
508 hand, pulling one of them back inch by inch. She had always worn
|
|
rlm@0
|
509 them, never questioning them. But now she wondered why. Maybe it was
|
|
rlm@0
|
510 because they were covering something. As it inched up, she stared in
|
|
rlm@0
|
511 shock. A long scar ran along her wrist, right where she would have
|
|
rlm@0
|
512 cut. She yanked the cloth down quickly, covering the scar. Shaking
|
|
rlm@0
|
513 now, she tried desperately to ignore it. It wasn’t there. It was just
|
|
rlm@0
|
514 her overactive imagination. She needed to focus on something else.
|
|
rlm@0
|
515 Like where she was. That was the important thing at the moment.
|
|
rlm@0
|
516
|
|
rlm@0
|
517 Looking up and down the street, she couldn’t see anyone. It was
|
|
rlm@0
|
518 still late and no one seemed to be about. But there was a place with
|
|
rlm@0
|
519 a light on. It still seemed to be open. She sighed in relief, heading
|
|
rlm@0
|
520 for it. The place seemed to be named Fate. She paused before the
|
|
rlm@0
|
521 door, reading it again. An interesting name, at any rate. With all
|
|
rlm@0
|
522 the weird places she had ended up, she was curious as to whether that
|
|
rlm@0
|
523 was simply a name or this place’s true purpose. Whatever the case,
|
|
rlm@0
|
524 she entered into the building, holding the kitten in one arm.
|
|
rlm@0
|
525
|
|
rlm@0
|
526 Inside, she could see that it was a bar, or a club or something of
|
|
rlm@0
|
527 the sort. It had interesting music playing and there was even a car
|
|
rlm@0
|
528 inside for patrons to sit in. It didn’t seem to be very busy at the
|
|
rlm@0
|
529 moment, though. A large, frightening looking man with metallic horns
|
|
rlm@0
|
530 on his head and a leather jacket was leaning against the wall.
|
|
rlm@0
|
531 Another man with tattoos all over his body was leaning back in a
|
|
rlm@0
|
532 chair. Sitting at a table, a man with spiky hair was frowning while a
|
|
rlm@0
|
533 girl in a big yellow raincoat was talking to him cheerfully. At the
|
|
rlm@0
|
534 bar sat a blonde man with a red and blue jacket. And behind the bar,
|
|
rlm@0
|
535 cleaning out glasses, was the bar hostess, a woman with very long,
|
|
rlm@0
|
536 dark hair.
|
|
rlm@0
|
537
|
|
rlm@0
|
538 “Oh, Sion! You look so cute with puppy ears? Doesn’t he, Kou? Like a
|
|
rlm@0
|
539 great, big puppy dog!” Dominique squealed happily. She was forcing
|
|
rlm@0
|
540 fake puppy ears onto Sion’s head. The spiky haired man simply sighed,
|
|
rlm@0
|
541 offering up no resistance.
|
|
rlm@0
|
542
|
|
rlm@0
|
543 Kou laughed, watching in wry amusement. “Sure does, Dominique. I bet
|
|
rlm@0
|
544 he’d make an even better bouncer wearing those things all the time.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
545
|
|
rlm@0
|
546 “You really think so?” Dominique asked thoughtfully. She grinned,
|
|
rlm@0
|
547 nodding. “I think you should always wear them, Sion!”
|
|
rlm@0
|
548
|
|
rlm@0
|
549 The woman behind the bar smiled, waving Kairi over. “Hello, little
|
|
rlm@0
|
550 girl. Can I help you? My name’s Tifa. I own this bar. We don’t really
|
|
rlm@0
|
551 get a lot of young girls showing up. Well, besides Dominique.” She
|
|
rlm@0
|
552 looked over at the blonde girl accosting her bouncer and sighed,
|
|
rlm@0
|
553 shaking her head. “Anyway, what can I do for you?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
554
|
|
rlm@0
|
555 Kairi hugged the kitten, heading over to the bar. This woman seemed
|
|
rlm@0
|
556 nice. And after all the Heartless earlier and being alone except for
|
|
rlm@0
|
557 the spooky voice behind her door, she felt glad to be around people
|
|
rlm@0
|
558 again. “I was hoping you could tell me where I am.” She looked down
|
|
rlm@0
|
559 as soon as she asked the question. She realized how idiotic it
|
|
rlm@0
|
560 sounded. How could she not know where she was? But still, she had to
|
|
rlm@0
|
561 know.
|
|
rlm@0
|
562
|
|
rlm@0
|
563 “You’re in Traverse Town,” Tifa said simply, setting a cup full of
|
|
rlm@0
|
564 milk down. She winked at the younger girl. “I have to have some non-
|
|
rlm@0
|
565 alchoholic beverages around with how often Dominique’s here.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
566
|
|
rlm@0
|
567 Smiling gratefully, Kairi took a long sip of the cold milk. It felt
|
|
rlm@0
|
568 comforting somehow. And it was so nice to finally know where she was.
|
|
rlm@0
|
569 She had spent some time in Traverse Town back when Sora had been
|
|
rlm@0
|
570 patching things up at the End of the World. Now she didn’t feel quite
|
|
rlm@0
|
571 so lost anymore. And maybe Sora would even end up checking back
|
|
rlm@0
|
572 there. Things didn’t feel as hopeless as they had.
|
|
rlm@0
|
573
|
|
rlm@0
|
574 “Tifa.. Why don’t we have any hotdogs left? I’m so hungry!” The
|
|
rlm@0
|
575 blond man in the red and blue jacket asked, holding his stomach.
|
|
rlm@0
|
576
|
|
rlm@0
|
577 Tifa sighed, wiping up the counter. “Because you ate them all, Zell.
|
|
rlm@0
|
578 I’m not going to make anymore if you always wind up eating them
|
|
rlm@0
|
579 before I can sell any.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
580
|
|
rlm@0
|
581 “But.. But Tifa!” Zell argued futilely. The barmaid just refused to
|
|
rlm@0
|
582 acknowledge him, still going about her work.
|
|
rlm@0
|
583
|
|
rlm@0
|
584 Kairi looked around at the group in the bar and then back to Tifa.
|
|
rlm@0
|
585 “Aren’t these an awful lot of bouncers for one bar?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
586
|
|
rlm@0
|
587 Tifa shrugged, pausing in her work. “Not really. With the Heartless
|
|
rlm@0
|
588 around, it’s just not safe these days. So by keeping so many bouncers
|
|
rlm@0
|
589 around, people can relax when they’re at Fate. They can come here and
|
|
rlm@0
|
590 forget their worries. And people like to have a place to escape from
|
|
rlm@0
|
591 everything, you know?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
592
|
|
rlm@0
|
593 Kairi shuddered at the word escape. It reminded her too much of the
|
|
rlm@0
|
594 voices accusations that all of this was only an escape for her, not
|
|
rlm@0
|
595 real.
|
|
rlm@0
|
596
|
|
rlm@0
|
597 “You should see Tifa fight! It’s not like she needs us bouncers
|
|
rlm@0
|
598 anyway. But she can’t be serving drinks and fighting the Heartless at
|
|
rlm@0
|
599 the same time. That’s the only reason she needs us,” Kou stated,
|
|
rlm@0
|
600 grinning.
|
|
rlm@0
|
601
|
|
rlm@0
|
602 Tifa laughed, holding her arm out behind the bar. “Everyone at the
|
|
rlm@0
|
603 bar Fate can make your stay a safe experience. So if you ever need
|
|
rlm@0
|
604 help, little girl, just head back here. We’ll be more than happy to
|
|
rlm@0
|
605 help you.” She smiled sweetly.
|
|
rlm@0
|
606
|
|
rlm@0
|
607 “My name’s Kairi,” Kairi said. She nodded. “And thank you. Thank you
|
|
rlm@0
|
608 very much! You’ve already helped a lot!”
|
|
rlm@0
|
609
|
|
rlm@0
|
610 Tifa grinned. “Anytime. It’s what we’re here for. So why is a cute
|
|
rlm@0
|
611 little girl like you all alone in a place like Traverse Town? Let me
|
|
rlm@0
|
612 guess, lost your world, huh? It seems like everyone who escapes from
|
|
rlm@0
|
613 that ends up here.” Sighing, she shook her head. It was always such a
|
|
rlm@0
|
614 shame to see people end up there all alone, losing their families and
|
|
rlm@0
|
615 friends. That’s why she had started Fate, as a place where people
|
|
rlm@0
|
616 could forget their pain.
|
|
rlm@0
|
617
|
|
rlm@0
|
618 “Actually, I’m looking for my friends. My world’s still there. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
619 think. I’m trying to find Riku and Sora. They’re lost out there
|
|
rlm@0
|
620 somewhere and I have to find them,” Kairi explained. She was almost
|
|
rlm@0
|
621 hopeful that they had some news, that perhaps some word had reached
|
|
rlm@0
|
622 this bar.
|
|
rlm@0
|
623
|
|
rlm@0
|
624 Tifa shook her head. “I don’t think I’ve heard of either of them.
|
|
rlm@0
|
625 I’ll be sure to keep listening for anyone who brings up their names,
|
|
rlm@0
|
626 though. Lots of people from all over come in through here. Just keep
|
|
rlm@0
|
627 checking in and I’m sure we’ll get some information sooner or later,”
|
|
rlm@0
|
628 she promised.
|
|
rlm@0
|
629
|
|
rlm@0
|
630 “So the Heartless are back? And people are travelling to different
|
|
rlm@0
|
631 worlds again? I thought that no one could travel because the barriers
|
|
rlm@0
|
632 between the worlds were restored when the final keyhole was locked,”
|
|
rlm@0
|
633 Kairi asked, confused. It didn’t make sense that the Heartless were
|
|
rlm@0
|
634 back. Hadn’t Sora solved all that?
|
|
rlm@0
|
635
|
|
rlm@0
|
636 “Well, the barriers seemed to be in place for a while. The worlds
|
|
rlm@0
|
637 had been restored and everything seemed to be in place. But before
|
|
rlm@0
|
638 the barriers had even fully set in, they disappeared. And then the
|
|
rlm@0
|
639 Heartless began to appear again. They’ve already overrun a number of
|
|
rlm@0
|
640 worlds, swallowing them. People are using Traverse Town as a refuge.
|
|
rlm@0
|
641 So we’re doing our best to help the people here,” Tifa explained,
|
|
rlm@0
|
642 resting her hands on the counter.
|
|
rlm@0
|
643
|
|
rlm@0
|
644 “Oh,” Kairi said simply, letting it all sink in. “Something must
|
|
rlm@0
|
645 have gone wrong,” she reasoned. “Riku and Sora must not have been
|
|
rlm@0
|
646 able to stop it after all. So it’s still out there.” That thought
|
|
rlm@0
|
647 frightened her. Now she really needed to find Sora and Riku. If they
|
|
rlm@0
|
648 hadn’t succeeded after all, then they might be in danger. Finishing
|
|
rlm@0
|
649 her milk, she stood up. “Thank you!” She called out, waving as she
|
|
rlm@0
|
650 headed for the door.
|
|
rlm@0
|
651
|
|
rlm@0
|
652 “Don’t mention it! Be strong, Kairi!” Tifa called after her, waving
|
|
rlm@0
|
653 back.
|
|
rlm@0
|
654
|
|
rlm@0
|
655 Kairi nodded, smiling as she exited the bar. With her newfound gem
|
|
rlm@0
|
656 of hope, she stepped out into the street. Now where to begin her
|
|
rlm@0
|
657 search? Someone had to have some idea of where her friends were, or
|
|
rlm@0
|
658 at least where to begin. She began walking along Dog Street, the
|
|
rlm@0
|
659 street that Fate was on, lost in her own thoughts.
|
|
rlm@0
|
660
|
|
rlm@0
|
661 Before she got too far, a hand snaked out and clamped over her
|
|
rlm@0
|
662 mouth. Another hand grabbed her wrist, yanking her into another
|
|
rlm@0
|
663 alleyway. Kairi was really beginning to hate alleyways. A small
|
|
rlm@0
|
664 dagger pushed against her throat, cutting off any thoughts of
|
|
rlm@0
|
665 struggling in her mind. “So what about this one? Anythin’ valuable?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
666 a strange accent said behind her. Kairi froze, her heart pounding in
|
|
rlm@0
|
667 her chest. She was being mugged. She just seemed to keep finding
|
|
rlm@0
|
668 herself in trouble. Were they just going to rob her? She had nothing
|
|
rlm@0
|
669 of worth. Would they kill her when they were done? An icy chill ran
|
|
rlm@0
|
670 through her heart.
|
|
rlm@0
|
671
|
|
rlm@0
|
672 “She’s sure cute, at any rate,” A blond man said, grinning. He had a
|
|
rlm@0
|
673 long tail moving behind him.
|
|
rlm@0
|
674
|
|
rlm@0
|
675 “And young. Get your mind out of the gutter, Zidane. We’ve got a
|
|
rlm@0
|
676 show to do in twenty minutes,” a girl stated.
|
|
rlm@0
|
677
|
|
rlm@0
|
678 “Zidane’s just stating the obvious,” another man said in Zidane’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
679 defense.
|
|
rlm@0
|
680
|
|
rlm@0
|
681 “Oye. Can we just see if she’s got anything worth takin’ and leave?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
682 the accent said in her ear again.
|
|
rlm@0
|
683
|
|
rlm@0
|
684 “Any materia?” the girl’s voice asked hopefully. She stepped forward
|
|
rlm@0
|
685 in the dim light of the alleyway, ready to search Kairi. The girl
|
|
rlm@0
|
686 blinked in surprise. “Wait, I know her. Kairi? Is that you?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
687
|
|
rlm@0
|
688 “Yuffie?” Kairi asked hopefully, still not moving an inch. She had
|
|
rlm@0
|
689 only met Yuffie for a brief time after Sora had saved her from Hollow
|
|
rlm@0
|
690 Bastion. Yuffie, Leon, and Aerith had taken care of her while she
|
|
rlm@0
|
691 waited for Sora to return. The ninja girl was arrogant and sarcastic,
|
|
rlm@0
|
692 but she liked her anyway. And any familiar face was good at the
|
|
rlm@0
|
693 moment.
|
|
rlm@0
|
694
|
|
rlm@0
|
695 “Let her go, Kid. She’s a friend of mine,” Yuffie explained. The
|
|
rlm@0
|
696 knife and hand pulled away from Kairi, letting her free. “Are you
|
|
rlm@0
|
697 okay, Kairi? Long time no see. Sorry about the rough treatment. We’re
|
|
rlm@0
|
698 the Radical Dreamers. Me, Kid, Zidane, and Locke. We had another
|
|
rlm@0
|
699 member, but she’s been missing for a while. We don’t know what
|
|
rlm@0
|
700 happened to her. Hopefully nothing bad. Anyway, we’re a group of
|
|
rlm@0
|
701 thieves. Well, thieves/performers. We’re in high demand in all sorts
|
|
rlm@0
|
702 of different worlds.” The ninja smiled proudly. “We just happen to
|
|
rlm@0
|
703 make some extra profits by robbing everyone blind, too. It’s a
|
|
rlm@0
|
704 living.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
705
|
|
rlm@0
|
706 Kairi blinked, rubbing her neck. “So you gave up being part of a
|
|
rlm@0
|
707 group of heroes to join a group of thieves?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
708
|
|
rlm@0
|
709 “I’m not a thief. I’m a professional treasure hunter,” Locke added
|
|
rlm@0
|
710 helpfully.
|
|
rlm@0
|
711
|
|
rlm@0
|
712 “Thieves/performers,” Yuffie corrected, ignoring the man in the
|
|
rlm@0
|
713 bandana.
|
|
rlm@0
|
714 “And yes. But not just because I felt like ditching Aerith and Leon.
|
|
rlm@0
|
715 They’re both with their lovers right now, so I felt kind of out of
|
|
rlm@0
|
716 place. On top of that, I noticed that something was wrong when the
|
|
rlm@0
|
717 worlds started connecting again. So I figured I’d go check it out
|
|
rlm@0
|
718 while Leon and Aerith are playing doctor with Rinoa and Cloud. I just
|
|
rlm@0
|
719 happened to hook up with my old friends the Radical Dreamers while I
|
|
rlm@0
|
720 was at it.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
721
|
|
rlm@0
|
722 Zidane sighed, looking over his shoulder. “Well, if this whole thing
|
|
rlm@0
|
723 was a bust, we really need to get going. The show’s gonna start soon.
|
|
rlm@0
|
724 Good luck with your friend, Yuffie. Maybe you can give us a more
|
|
rlm@0
|
725 proper introduction next time.” The catboy grinned, winking at Kairi.
|
|
rlm@0
|
726 Taking her hand, he placed a kiss on it before turning to leave with
|
|
rlm@0
|
727 Locke.
|
|
rlm@0
|
728
|
|
rlm@0
|
729 Kairi blushed faintly at the attention. Yuffie just gave an
|
|
rlm@0
|
730 exasperated sigh, as if this wasn’t anything new. “Just ignore him,”
|
|
rlm@0
|
731 the ninja said as the two boys left.
|
|
rlm@0
|
732
|
|
rlm@0
|
733 The princess nodded thoughtfully. “I’m glad someone else noticed
|
|
rlm@0
|
734 things have been weird lately. I’m looking for Sora and Riku. They
|
|
rlm@0
|
735 never came back after sealing the final Keyhole. I have to find
|
|
rlm@0
|
736 them.” Meanwhile, Kairi’s kitten had scurried over to Yuffie’s feet,
|
|
rlm@0
|
737 rubbing against her stocking and meowing like crazy. Kairi giggled.
|
|
rlm@0
|
738 “I guess she really likes you, Yuffie.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
739
|
|
rlm@0
|
740 Yuffie tried to shoo the cat away with her foot, but the kitten
|
|
rlm@0
|
741 ignored it, pawing at her leg and looking up at her. “Yeah, I guess
|
|
rlm@0
|
742 so. Though I’ve never been much of a cat person.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
743
|
|
rlm@0
|
744 “I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do with the Keyblade. Maybe
|
|
rlm@0
|
745 I can give it to Riku or Sora when I find them,” Kairi said, sighing.
|
|
rlm@0
|
746
|
|
rlm@0
|
747 That caught Yuffie’s attention. “The Keyblade? You have the
|
|
rlm@0
|
748 Keyblade?” Kairi nodded. The ninja looked at her for a moment,
|
|
rlm@0
|
749 weighing her options. “All right, how about this. I’ll let you come
|
|
rlm@0
|
750 with me. I need to find out what’s going on anyway, so you might as
|
|
rlm@0
|
751 well follow me. And I’m sure we’ll run into your friends along the
|
|
rlm@0
|
752 way.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
753
|
|
rlm@0
|
754 “Are you sure you wouldn’t be following me around, Yuffie?” Kairi
|
|
rlm@0
|
755 asked with a giggle.
|
|
rlm@0
|
756
|
|
rlm@0
|
757 “Why would the great ninja Yuffie ever have to follow someone?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
758 Yuffie asked incredulously. “Anyway, how does that sound?” She held
|
|
rlm@0
|
759 her hand out, watching the younger girl.
|
|
rlm@0
|
760
|
|
rlm@0
|
761 “Sounds great,” Kairi said eagerly, taking Yuffie’s hand with both
|
|
rlm@0
|
762 of hers. She felt ecstatic to know she wasn’t on her own anymore.
|
|
rlm@0
|
763 Yuffie was a ninja. She knew how to handle these things. She could
|
|
rlm@0
|
764 help her find Riku and Sora. Things were starting to look up.
|
|
rlm@0
|
765
|
|
rlm@0
|
766 “Great!” Yuffie grinned. She didn’t need Leon or Aerith after all.
|
|
rlm@0
|
767 And this time she could help the Keyblade Master.. err.. Mistress to
|
|
rlm@0
|
768 stop the Heartless once and for all. “Now would you mind getting your
|
|
rlm@0
|
769 kitten away from me?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
770
|
|
rlm@0
|
771 “Oh, sure.” Kairi knelt down, picking up the kitten, embarrassed.
|
|
rlm@0
|
772 The kitten struggled to keep it’s claws in Yuffie’s stockings, but
|
|
rlm@0
|
773 she finally managed to get it free after a short struggle. The kitten
|
|
rlm@0
|
774 meowed again and again, struggling to get free of Kairi. “I’m sorry,
|
|
rlm@0
|
775 she’s usually not like this. I don’t know what’s gotten into her.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
776
|
|
rlm@0
|
777 “Must be star struck. Not everyday you get to meet the Radical
|
|
rlm@0
|
778 Dreamers,” Kid said, winking.
|
|
rlm@0
|
779
|
|
rlm@0
|
780 “Speaking of which, we need to hurry if we’re going to get there
|
|
rlm@0
|
781 before the curtain rises. And we’re still out a cast member.” Yuffie
|
|
rlm@0
|
782 crossed her arms, looking at Kairi for a moment. “Would you mind
|
|
rlm@0
|
783 filling in? We’ve already booked today, so we need to get this out of
|
|
rlm@0
|
784 the way, but after that we’ll start looking for your friends.” ‘And
|
|
rlm@0
|
785 treasure,’ she mentally added. With all the worlds they’d be going
|
|
rlm@0
|
786 to, she’d probably amass a fortune before finally stopping the
|
|
rlm@0
|
787 Heartless. Ahhh.. Fame and money. What could be better?
|
|
rlm@0
|
788
|
|
rlm@0
|
789 Kairi thought it over for a moment. It was the least she could do
|
|
rlm@0
|
790 after Yuffie had agreed to help her. And she had played similar games
|
|
rlm@0
|
791 with Sora and Riku back on the island. Sure this was a little bigger
|
|
rlm@0
|
792 than playing pretend, but it was essentially the same thing, right?
|
|
rlm@0
|
793 She nodded. “Okay, I’ll help.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
794
|
|
rlm@0
|
795 “Good. Let’s hurry and get you in a costume before the play starts.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
796 Yuffie grabbed her hand and pulled her along.
|
|
rlm@0
|
797
|
|
rlm@0
|
798 Kairi stumbled afterwards, still holding her feisty kitten. She sure
|
|
rlm@0
|
799 hoped this wasn’t a mistake.
|
|
rlm@0
|
800
|
|
rlm@0
|
801
|
|
rlm@0
|
802
|
|
rlm@0
|
803
|
