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1 Prism Hearts
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2 Chapter 3
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3 Radical Dreamers
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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 A bundle of clothes got tossed at Kairi shortly after she entered
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9 the dressing room of the band of part time entertainers and full time
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10 thieves, the Radical Dreamers. She stumbled back as the rather large
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11 dress threw her off balance. She held it out, watching it unfurl
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12 before her. The dress was made of enough cloth to make six of the
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13 outfits Kairi was wearing. She looked at it with a bit of
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14 trepidation. “I’m supposed to wear this?”
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15
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16 “Of course! You’re playing the princess. You have to look regal and
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17 courtly,” Yuffie explained, opening a chest to get a few more props.
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18
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19 Glancing back at the dress skeptically, Kairi shook her head. “Isn’t
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20 it a little... big?”
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21
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22 Yuffie looked back over her shoulder. “No. You’re just not used to
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23 wearing anything like that. You get used to it. If you’re gonna be
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24 playing a princess, you have to look the part. Trust me. I’ve had to
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25 play the princess now and then myself.” It looked like her words
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26 helped soothe some of Kairi’s concern, though truth be told, she
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27 hated playing the part of the princess. She preferred the prince’s
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28 outfit to that nightmarish gown any day. Sure, it looked pretty
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29 enough, but Yuffie was used to actually being able to move her limbs.
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30 She and Zidane had been set to flip for who was going to be the
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31 princess in the day’s play if Kairi hadn’t shown up, so she was more
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32 than a little grateful at the younger girl’s arrival.
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33
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34 “But I don’t know any of my lines!” Kairi said nervously, watching
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35 Yuffie pull out some prop swords. She suddenly realized the big
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36 difference between playing pretend and doing a play. You didn’t have
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37 to know what you were doing when you were playing pretend. She felt
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38 nervous, butterflies swirling about in her stomach as she held onto
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39 the large dress.
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40
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41 “What lines? We’re doing ‘Sleeping Beauty’. You lie there for most
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42 of the play. You’re lucky we’re not doing ‘I Want to be Your Canary’.
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43 The princess in that has most of the best lines,” Yuffie explained,
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44 taking a few experimental swipes with the blade. She’d give that one
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45 to Locke. She preferred a shorter sword herself. Even if it wasn’t
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46 her weapon of choice, it did have a nice stage presence.
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47
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48 “Sleeping Beauty?” Kairi repeated, blinking.
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49
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50 “Yep. Everyone needs a story that ends with a ‘and they lived
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51 happily ever after’ now and then. Especially with how things have
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52 been lately. Which is exactly why we aren’t doing ‘I Want to be Your
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53 Canary’. The ending isn’t the happiest, if you know what I mean.” The
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54 brunette ninja glanced back over her shoulder at the recently dubbed
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55 Keyblade Mistress. “Why? You don’t like ‘Sleeping Beauty’?”
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56
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57 Kairi shook her head quickly. “No, I love it! It’s one of my
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58 favorites!” She could vaguely remember lying on her bed in her room,
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59 resting on her stomach with her chin in her hands, the lights off and
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60 a video playing. She could remember reciting the lines as the prince
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61 said them, as he made his way to Sleeping Beauty. Could remember her
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62 eyes tearing up, thinking ‘I want my happily ever after’. But that
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63 couldn’t be real. Sleeping Beauty was Princess Aurora. And she had
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64 met her at Hollow Bastion. She was one of the seven Princesses. So
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65 she couldn’t be some movie she had seen. Kairi tried to dismiss the
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66 thought. It wasn’t true. This was all real. That other place, that
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67 home was only an illusion. It had to be.
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68
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69 “You better get changed. We don’t have much time. The people are
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70 probably already taking their seats.” Yuffie stood up, holding the
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71 pile of swords and belts. “As long as you don’t open your eyes when
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72 your supposed to be sleeping, you’ll do fine.”
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73
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74 Kairi didn’t feel much better even with the ninja’s ‘helpful’
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75 advice. She turned to ask where to change, but Yuffie had already
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76 left. ‘Just think of it as another part of finding Riku and Sora. The
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77 sooner you get this over with, the sooner you can get back to finding
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78 them.’ Sighing, she began to take off her clothes, setting them on
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79 the chest Yuffie had retrieved some props from just a short time
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80 before. Setting her skirt down, she looked back at the dress. Just
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81 how was she supposed to get that thing on, anyway? It still looked
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82 too big for her.
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83
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84 Before Kairi could figure it out, the door swung open again. “Are
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85 you coming or not?”
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86
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87 Kairi dropped to her knees, covering herself as best she could, clad
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88 only in her undergarments. Her cheeks burned as Yuffie simply blinked
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89 at her for a moment. “Yuffie!” she cried. The ninja finally looked
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90 away, busying herself with something she apparently saw on the roof.
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91 She felt like she was going to die. This had never happened before on
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92 her island. The boys were always polite enough to knock first. She
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93 wanted to grab her clothes, get dressed, and leave. But she knew she
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94 couldn’t do that. She still had a play to do.
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95
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96 “You were supposed to follow me, Kairi,” Yuffie said, still staring
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97 up at the roof. “But.. umm.. If you wanna change in here, that’s
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98 fine.” She closed the door swiftly.
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99
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100 Her head slumping in embarrassment, Kairi sighed. So that’s why
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101 Yuffie had left. She was supposed to go with her. This probably
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102 wasn’t the dressing room after all. But she was so worked up about
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103 everything that she hadn’t been paying attention. Grabbing the dress,
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104 she tried to get dressed as quickly as she could. When she was
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105 finally finished, she felt a little awkward. It was a little too big
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106 for her after all, but it didn’t seem too noticeable. But she still
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107 wasn’t used to such an extravagant outfit. She turned, trying to get
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108 used to the way it swished about her as she moved.
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109
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110 “You look like a real princess, Kairi,” a voice said warmly from
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111 somewhere behind her.
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112
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113 The brunette whirled about, her eyes wide as she came face to face
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114 with Riku. He was grinning, a hand on one hip. “Riku!” She was
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115 breathless. It had been so long since she had seen him. Tears burnt
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116 at her eyes. She had waited to see him again for so long.
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117
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118 “But then, you really are a princess, so it shouldn’t be any big
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119 surprise,” the silver haired boy reasoned.
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120
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121 Kairi ran to him, nearly stumbling in the large dress. But she
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122 didn’t care. She just wanted to be near him again. To know that she
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123 wasn’t alone anymore. To know that he was really there. To hold on
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124 and forget all about other worlds and what was real or not. She could
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125 see him so close, smiling at her. Her arms tried desperately to hold
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126 onto him, but she passed straight through, stumbling to her hands and
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127 knees behind him. Her heart plummeted as she sat there, lacking the
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128 strength to even get back up. She hit the floor angrily with her
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129 fist, her vision blurring with tears. “Every time I see you...” she
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130 began weakly, “you aren’t really there. Riku... Please don’t leave
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131 me.” But there was no answer. He was gone, as suddenly as the wind.
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132 She closed her eyes tightly, her small body shaking with bitter sobs.
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133 He was always right there. But he was always a universe away.
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134
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135 A knock at the door punched through Kairi’s shroud of depression.
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136 “We’ve gotta hurry, princess! You’re on in less than a minute!”
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137 Yuffie called out.
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138
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139 Slowly getting to her feet, Kairi sniffled, her body still shaking
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140 lightly. She wiped at her eyes with the sleeves of the gown.
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141 “Coming!” she called out, hoping Yuffie didn’t hear the tremble in
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142 her voice. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, trying to stifle
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143 the tears that were still unshed. “I’ll find you Riku. Wherever you
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144 are,” she whispered. Holding onto some semblance of being fine, Kairi
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145 hurried out the door.
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146
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147 Yuffie waited, leaning against the wall. She smiled when Kairi
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148 exited. “See? You do make a good princess.” She stretched, the sword
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149 in her belt hitting the wall.
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150
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151 Kairi blinked in surprise, unable to keep from staring at the ninja
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152 girl. “You’re the prince?”
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153
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154 “Yep.” Yuffie turned around, holding onto the cuffs of the prince’s
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155 jacket. “What do you think? We take turns with a lot of the parts. It
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156 helps keep us all on our toes. Though I have to admit, I much prefer
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157 being the prince to the princess. No offense. It’s just not my
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158 style.”
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159
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160 “I.. uhh.. it’s different,” Kairi said, smiling nervously. This
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161 hadn’t been what she had expected. She thought maybe the catboy would
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162 be the prince. His outfit looked regal enough. Or maybe the man with
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163 the bandana. But she certainly hadn’t been expecting Yuffie. But with
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164 how upside down things had been, she should have seen it coming.
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165 “Curiouser and curiouser,” she said to no one in particular. When
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166 Yuffie looked at her oddly, she just laughed. “Nothing. Let’s go.”
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167 She held out her arm to Ninja Prince Yuffie, who obligingly took it
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168 and led her off to the stage.
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169
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170 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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171
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172 “So she has the Keyblade. I don’t see how that affects anything. The
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173 other was unable to lock away the Heartless even with his Keyblade. I
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174 doubt she will be any more successful,” an effeminate man said,
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175 brushing his hair back over his shoulder.
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176
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177 “It is a cycle. One we must break. There will always be those
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178 searching for ways to stop the darkness. But it is an inevitable
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179 cycle of loss and suffering. When will they learn to simply succumb
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180 to it? One cannot triumph over darkness. One can only start the cycle
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181 over again. But if darkness reigns, then the cycle can end. Only then
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182 can their be piece,” an oddly tranquil voice added.
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183
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184 “Because they refuse to see the futility of their efforts. Despite
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185 what is taken from them, they continue to march onward, believing
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186 that what they do is ‘right’. Perhaps if they truly understood what
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187 they stand to lose, they would not be so willing. That boy, Riku, he
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188 understood. He was willing to side with darkness to get back what he
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189 had lost, the heart of that girl. Sometimes extreme measures must be
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190 taken. Who is worthy of deeming what is ‘good’ and ‘evil’. Such a
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191 fine line exists. It is merely how far you are willing to go. That
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192 boy showed that he was willing to go further than his friend for the
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193 girl. Even to the heart of darkness. Perhaps we can use that,” a
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194 woman mused.
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195
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196 “What can one little girl possibly hope to achieve? I’ll end her
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197 little nightmare now and send her to a place of eternal nothingness,
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198 a shrine she can spend eternity enjoying. Oh, I’ll be the most
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199 wonderful court artisan she has ever seen, making for her a palace of
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200 emptiness.” The man punctuated his statement with a maddening laugh.
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201
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202 At last, a silver haired man spoke. “No. Not yet. She has further
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203 she must go. She may yet prove her usefulness to us. Her importance
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204 goes far past being one of the seven princesses. She is the final
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205 piece to this puzzle. She is the key to it all.”
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206
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207 “But, Sephiroth, don’t you think it much wiser to get rid of her
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208 before she can cause any trouble?” the woman asked.
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209
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210 “No. She is at the heart of all of this. She isn’t our enemy. She is
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211 more important to our success than any of you know.” With that,
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212 Sephiroth turned away from the others. He had business to attend to.
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213
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214 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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215
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216 ‘Dear diary,
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217 I’m starting to get worried. Tidus and Wakka found a hole today on
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218 the island. Not just some deep hole in the ground or anything. An
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219 endless hole. Like it leads to nowhere. Like someone took some
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220 scissors and cut out that part of our island. Wakka dropped his beach
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221 ball down in there and we all waited around for a sound of it hitting
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222 anything at all, but nothing happened. It was like it was just gone.
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223 It’s scary. I shudder just thinking about it, and I’m under a nice
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224 heavy blanket right now. Weird, huh? I usually hate blankets because
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225 they’re too stuffy. But it’s been so cold and windy and rainy outside
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226 that mom brought them out again.
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227
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228 The only good thing I can see from all of this is that cold and
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229 rainy is perfect snuggling weather. So I need to head over to
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230 Quisty’s house soon. Maybe we can snuggle up under her covers and
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231 just forget that there’s any scary hole or that Kairi’s missing or
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232 that the weathers getting worse. That’s easy to do in Quisty’s arms
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233 anyway. It feels so warm and safe when I’m with her, like I know
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234 everything’s all right. Even her worrying doesn’t seem to matter. It
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235 just makes me wanna try harder to take away all her worries. It’s
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236 almost like a game. To try to make her smile when something’s on her
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237 mind.
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238
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239 I didn’t realize how good a study Quisty really was. She can quote
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240 me before I even say anything, like she knows what I’m gonna say
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241 before I say it. I thought it was so cool when she did that! It lets
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242 me know that she’s paying more attention to me than to those silly
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243 books of hers. She said it’s because she knows me really well, so she
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244 knows what I’m thinking a lot of the time. It’s nice to know someone
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245 does because sometimes I don’t even know what I’m thinking about.
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246 There are so many things to think about! It’s hard to sort them all
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247 out sometimes.
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248
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249 Oh, on a really sad note, I think they’re gonna cancel the Destiny
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250 Islands Festival! Please say it isn’t so! I always love the festival.
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251 And Quisty and I were gonna dance under the stars, too! I had the
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252 dress I was gonna wear all picked out and everything. But the adults
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253 are all saying that the weather’s bad and that too much has been
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254 going on lately so we shouldn’t have one. But that’s exactly why we
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255 should have one! To cheer everyone up! That way everyone can have
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256 something to enjoy, to let them relax. Well, if they adults aren’t
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257 gonna throw the Island Festival, then maybe we can throw one
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258 ourselves. Yeah, I’m sure Tidus and Wakka would help. If I can drag
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259 them from that underwater ballgame they made up. And maybe Quisty
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260 will help, too. We can make our own little festival! We’ll still
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261 dance under the stars, Quisty! It’s my promise to you! Booyaka!
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262
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263 Love,
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264 Selphie Tilmitt’
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265
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266 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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267
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268 Surprisingly, Kairi found herself able to quote nearly all of her
|
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rlm@0
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269 lines, seeing the scenes unfold before her as she did. Even the
|
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rlm@0
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270 Radical Dreamers seemed impressed, not having expected much from
|
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rlm@0
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271 their stand in. She was a little shocked, but overall proud of
|
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rlm@0
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272 herself, glad to actually contribute to the play rather than just
|
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rlm@0
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273 being another prop. And so she was slightly disappointed when it
|
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rlm@0
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274 finally came time for her to fall into her endless sleep. But even
|
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rlm@0
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275 lying there, she could follow along with the rest of the play, her
|
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rlm@0
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276 mind supplying the lines even as the other performers were saying
|
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rlm@0
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277 them. Kid actually did a good job of getting rid of her accent when
|
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rlm@0
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278 she was performing, giving Kairi trouble following exactly who was
|
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rlm@0
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279 saying what at times. Nonetheless, the play had overall been a fun
|
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rlm@0
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280 experience so far. She almost wished she could go along with the
|
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rlm@0
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281 Radical Dreamers. The thought of performing with them, travelling to
|
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rlm@0
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282 all sorts of different worlds, seeing so many new things, it was all
|
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rlm@0
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283 very appealing to her. But she couldn’t let that tempt her. She had
|
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rlm@0
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284 to find Riku and Sora. Then she would tell them all about her short
|
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rlm@0
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285 stint on stage.
|
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rlm@0
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286
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rlm@0
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287 Despite feeling rather good natured about things, Kairi found
|
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rlm@0
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288 herself getting more and more nervous as the play began to near its
|
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rlm@0
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289 end. She knew far too well what happened at the end of Sleeping
|
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rlm@0
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290 Beauty. This would be her first kiss, even if it was just a stage
|
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rlm@0
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291 kiss. And the thought of it being with Yuffie had her worried. She
|
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rlm@0
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292 still didn’t even know who she wanted her first kiss to be with, Riku
|
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rlm@0
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293 or Sora. But it didn’t look like she’d have to worry about that for
|
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rlm@0
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294 much longer. She almost wanted to rush off the stage, but she lay
|
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rlm@0
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295 there paralyzed, almost as if she really was under some spell.
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rlm@0
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296
|
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rlm@0
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297 Yuffie did make a good prince, at the very least. So if she let
|
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rlm@0
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298 herself pretend this really was Sleeping Beauty, that she really was
|
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rlm@0
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299 the princess, then it wasn’t too bad. It was only when she remembered
|
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rlm@0
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300 that she was Kairi that she got all nervous about it. She was nearly
|
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rlm@0
|
301 counting down the lines as it neared the play’s climax. Locke was
|
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rlm@0
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302 playing Maleficent, which helped the stand in actress disassociate it
|
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rlm@0
|
303 with the Maleficent who had used her along with the other seven
|
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rlm@0
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304 princesses to open the final keyhole. If just the thought of the
|
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rlm@0
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305 sorceress didn’t make her want to shudder, the thought of Locke
|
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rlm@0
|
306 playing her would almost be funny.
|
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rlm@0
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307
|
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rlm@0
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308 And then it was time. Her hands held on her chest squeezed
|
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rlm@0
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309 themselves tighter. She could hear Yuffie’s final exclamation as her
|
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rlm@0
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310 ‘prince’ got ready for their kiss. She could feel the butterflies
|
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rlm@0
|
311 returning with a vengeance, tickling the inside of her stomach as she
|
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rlm@0
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312 lay there, eyes shut tightly. What should she do? She couldn’t ruin
|
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rlm@0
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313 the whole play, right? And it was just a stage kiss. But.. but...
|
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rlm@0
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314
|
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rlm@0
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315 The ninja’s lips pressed warmly against her own delicate lips, both
|
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rlm@0
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316 soft and firm at the same time. The young princess blushed furiously
|
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rlm@0
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317 as she felt herself get pulled into a sitting position, Yuffie’s arms
|
|
rlm@0
|
318 around her. The crowd burst into applause. When Yuffie finally pulled
|
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rlm@0
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319 away, Kairi could only sit and stare, stunned. Wow... Kissing wasn’t
|
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rlm@0
|
320 such a bad thing after all. She was already having thoughts of trying
|
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rlm@0
|
321 it again with Sora or Riku when she finally found them. She blushed
|
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rlm@0
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322 when she looked up at Yuffie, the other girl looking down at her with
|
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rlm@0
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323 all the princely concern in the world. She really was a good actress.
|
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rlm@0
|
324 Kairi had almost forgotten that it was just a play. She smiled up at
|
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rlm@0
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325 the ninja, trying her best to look love struck by her prince.
|
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rlm@0
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326
|
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rlm@0
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327 The rest of the play was a blur for Kairi, her mind on other things.
|
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rlm@0
|
328 There wasn’t much to say during the play’s closing segments anyway,
|
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rlm@0
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329 so it didn’t matter too much that she was daydreaming throughout it.
|
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rlm@0
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330 She finally found herself backstage, though this time she remembered
|
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rlm@0
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331 to get to the dressing room before changing.
|
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rlm@0
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332
|
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rlm@0
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333 Her kitten was still waiting for her, having wandered about
|
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rlm@0
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334 backstage for a while. It seemed to know the layout rather well. “I
|
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rlm@0
|
335 guess you have a good sense of direction, don’t you, kitty?” Kairi
|
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rlm@0
|
336 laid the dress down, glad to be back in her own clothes again.
|
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rlm@0
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337 Kneeling down, she scratched behind the kitten’s ears. “I really
|
|
rlm@0
|
338 need to come up with a name for you. Hmm... Boco sounds better for
|
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rlm@0
|
339 Chocobos. And Mog for Moogles. What are good cat names? You don’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
340 look like a Duchess. But you do have a lot of energy. And you are
|
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rlm@0
|
341 kinda bouncy. So how about Tigger?” The kitten lowered its head. It
|
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rlm@0
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342 didn’t seem to like the idea. “Shadow? But that’s not really a girl
|
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rlm@0
|
343 cat’s name.” Her face lit up. “Jessie! I’ll name you Jessie.” The
|
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rlm@0
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344 kitten seemed a little surprised by the name, but didn’t otherwise
|
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rlm@0
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345 complain. “Good.” Kairi hugged the kitten. “Jessie it is.”
|
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rlm@0
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346
|
|
rlm@0
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347 “You did a good job there,” Kid said, reverting back to her accent
|
|
rlm@0
|
348 now that she was out of costume. “Didn’t really think you had it in
|
|
rlm@0
|
349 you. If you ever need a place to stay, we’d be glad to have ya.”
|
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rlm@0
|
350
|
|
rlm@0
|
351 “Really?” Kairi grinned. “Thanks! It was a lot of fun. I’d love to
|
|
rlm@0
|
352 again sometime. If I didn’t have something really important to do
|
|
rlm@0
|
353 right now, I’d love to go.” It would be great to have Riku and Sora
|
|
rlm@0
|
354 in the audience, to run into the crowd after the play and see what
|
|
rlm@0
|
355 they thought.
|
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rlm@0
|
356
|
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rlm@0
|
357 Kid shrugged. “Hey, I understand. Sometimes there’s just somethin’
|
|
rlm@0
|
358 you’ve gotta do. Ya can’t let anythin’ stop ya. You’ve gotta be
|
|
rlm@0
|
359 single minded about that sorta thing if you’re ever gonna get what
|
|
rlm@0
|
360 you’re lookin’ for.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
361
|
|
rlm@0
|
362 “Trying to steal away my princess? Back off, Kid.” Yuffie laughed,
|
|
rlm@0
|
363 entering the room, clothed in her short green top, khaki shorts,
|
|
rlm@0
|
364 white stockings, and yellow scarf.
|
|
rlm@0
|
365
|
|
rlm@0
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366 “Ya can’t stop a master thief from getting what she’s got her eyes
|
|
rlm@0
|
367 set on,” Kid replied, grinning.
|
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rlm@0
|
368
|
|
rlm@0
|
369 Kairi blushed furiously at their comments. She usually didn’t mind
|
|
rlm@0
|
370 being the center of attention, but this was just a little strange for
|
|
rlm@0
|
371 her. She tried to ignore it, focusing on Jessie instead. The kitten
|
|
rlm@0
|
372 was once again struggling to get out of her arms, most likely to get
|
|
rlm@0
|
373 over to Yuffie. But she held on tightly, not wanting to have to pull
|
|
rlm@0
|
374 the kitten away again. Jessie began to meow again, still wrestling
|
|
rlm@0
|
375 with her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
376
|
|
rlm@0
|
377 “Well, if you two are leavin’, I should probably be headin’ off
|
|
rlm@0
|
378 myself. I’ve got some things I need to take care of back home.
|
|
rlm@0
|
379 ‘Sides, the Radical Dreamers aren’t much if we’re missin’ two of our
|
|
rlm@0
|
380 mates. Kind of hard to put on a play with only three people,” Kid
|
|
rlm@0
|
381 said, her hands behind her head.
|
|
rlm@0
|
382
|
|
rlm@0
|
383 “When this is all over, we’ll have to all meet up again somewhere.
|
|
rlm@0
|
384 We can’t have this be our last performance.” Yuffie smiled faintly.
|
|
rlm@0
|
385
|
|
rlm@0
|
386 “I’m not callin’ it quits yet. When we’re all done, we’ll get back
|
|
rlm@0
|
387 together for a huge reunion performance. Everyone’ll wanna come to
|
|
rlm@0
|
388 that. We ain’t done yet,” Kid replied, grinning.
|
|
rlm@0
|
389
|
|
rlm@0
|
390 “You got it!” Yuffie nodded eagerly. “Good luck out there, Kid.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
391
|
|
rlm@0
|
392 “You, too, Yuffie. See ya around, princess.” The thief winked at
|
|
rlm@0
|
393 Kairi as she headed out the door, bringing another faint blush to her
|
|
rlm@0
|
394 cheeks.
|
|
rlm@0
|
395
|
|
rlm@0
|
396 Yuffie sighed, leaning against the wall. “So where to next?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
397
|
|
rlm@0
|
398 Kairi looked up suddenly, feeling a tinge of panic. “I thought you
|
|
rlm@0
|
399 knew. You were one of the heroes searching for the Keyblade, after
|
|
rlm@0
|
400 all. You do know, right?” she asked hopefully, eyeing Yuffie.
|
|
rlm@0
|
401
|
|
rlm@0
|
402 “Of course I do,” Yuffie said nonchalantly. “I’m just trying to
|
|
rlm@0
|
403 decide which would be the best place. Besides, that was usually
|
|
rlm@0
|
404 Aerith’s place in things. She was the one who figured everything out.
|
|
rlm@0
|
405 But don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out.” She smiled
|
|
rlm@0
|
406 reassuringly. Kairi didn’t seem to have complete faith in her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
407
|
|
rlm@0
|
408 A scream from somewhere outside caught their attention. Both girls
|
|
rlm@0
|
409 turned. Something sounded like it was coming down the hallway. Fast.
|
|
rlm@0
|
410 Yuffie ran to the door, peering out. Her eyes went wide and she
|
|
rlm@0
|
411 slammed the door shut, locking it.
|
|
rlm@0
|
412
|
|
rlm@0
|
413 “What is it?” Kairi asked, immediately regretting the question as
|
|
rlm@0
|
414 soon as it was out. Her heart pounded in her chest as something heavy
|
|
rlm@0
|
415 hit the door. She held the kitten closer, though she didn’t know if
|
|
rlm@0
|
416 it was to comfort Jessie or herself.
|
|
rlm@0
|
417
|
|
rlm@0
|
418 “Heartless. And lots of them. There’s no way we can fight our way
|
|
rlm@0
|
419 through all of those.” Yuffie refused to let herself panic. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
420 wasn’t the panicking type. But there certainly didn’t seem to be any
|
|
rlm@0
|
421 other options. They were locked in there until the Heartless finally
|
|
rlm@0
|
422 broke in. She glanced around, but there weren’t any ways out.
|
|
rlm@0
|
423 Sighing, she pulled out some shurikens. She couldn’t stop them all,
|
|
rlm@0
|
424 but it didn’t mean she was going to give up. “Get behind me. I’ll
|
|
rlm@0
|
425 stop as many of them as I can. Run when you get the chance,” she
|
|
rlm@0
|
426 commanded.
|
|
rlm@0
|
427
|
|
rlm@0
|
428 Kairi shook her head. No. It wasn’t going to end like that. There
|
|
rlm@0
|
429 was so much more she needed to do. She couldn't get caught by the
|
|
rlm@0
|
430 Heartless now. She had already lost her heart once. Back then it had
|
|
rlm@0
|
431 gone into Sora. Now it didn’t have anyplace to go. It would simply be
|
|
rlm@0
|
432 consumed. And then she would never find Sora and Riku. But there
|
|
rlm@0
|
433 didn’t seem to be anywhere for them to go. And the Heartless would be
|
|
rlm@0
|
434 in at any minute.
|
|
rlm@0
|
435
|
|
rlm@0
|
436 ‘Just believe they aren’t there. They can’t hurt you if they aren’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
437 there. If you’re safe and sound back home, then the Heartless can’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
438 get to you,’ a voice whispered in her head.
|
|
rlm@0
|
439
|
|
rlm@0
|
440 Kairi bit her lip. She didn’t ever want to go back there. Being
|
|
rlm@0
|
441 there was so confusing. It scared her, made her question just what
|
|
rlm@0
|
442 was real. And she couldn’t afford to falter in her beliefs. Not now.
|
|
rlm@0
|
443 But there was no other choice, was there? The pounding on the door
|
|
rlm@0
|
444 grew more insistent. Yuffie got into a fighting position. ‘She’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
445 going to sacrifice herself for you. And then they’re going to get you
|
|
rlm@0
|
446 anyway. Damn it! Make you your mind already!’ Kairi closed her eyes
|
|
rlm@0
|
447 tightly. No matter how much she didn’t want to do this, it was their
|
|
rlm@0
|
448 only chance. “I’m not here. I’m back home. In bed. The Heartless
|
|
rlm@0
|
449 aren’t here. I’m back home.” The pounding on the door stopped.
|
|
rlm@0
|
450
|
|
rlm@0
|
451 When she opened her eyes again, they were gone. She was no longer
|
|
rlm@0
|
452 backstage. She was sitting on her bed again, surrounded by her dolls
|
|
rlm@0
|
453 and pictures. A doll of Yuffie was lying on her lap. Kairi sighed
|
|
rlm@0
|
454 shakily, holding onto the doll. What happened to everyone else when
|
|
rlm@0
|
455 she was here? Did she just disappear from where she was? Did
|
|
rlm@0
|
456 everything else still exist when she was here? Did she even want to
|
|
rlm@0
|
457 know?
|
|
rlm@0
|
458
|
|
rlm@0
|
459 Getting off the bed, Kairi walked to the door, pausing before it.
|
|
rlm@0
|
460 Biting her lip, she slowly reached out for the doorknob, taking a
|
|
rlm@0
|
461 hold of it. Was the person still there? Would the door open? She had
|
|
rlm@0
|
462 to find out what was going on. This was all getting far too
|
|
rlm@0
|
463 confusing. She turned the doorknob slowly. Nothing. It was still
|
|
rlm@0
|
464 locked for her. Sighing, her hand fell away from the door.
|
|
rlm@0
|
465
|
|
rlm@0
|
466 Walking around the slightly cluttered room, Kairi kept hugging the
|
|
rlm@0
|
467 Yuffie doll. It might not be much, but right now it was the only
|
|
rlm@0
|
468 company she had. And somehow she felt better holding onto her dolls.
|
|
rlm@0
|
469 They had always been such a comfort for her, these people she had
|
|
rlm@0
|
470 crafted out of fabric and wishes. She closed her eyes, forcing that
|
|
rlm@0
|
471 thought away. No, they were real. She hadn’t just made dolls of
|
|
rlm@0
|
472 people in her imagination. These were all real people somewhere far
|
|
rlm@0
|
473 away. They were all still out there, waiting for her. But she
|
|
rlm@0
|
474 couldn’t get back to them if she was stuck in her room. She had to
|
|
rlm@0
|
475 find a way out.
|
|
rlm@0
|
476
|
|
rlm@0
|
477 She looked out the window, but it was too dark to see anything
|
|
rlm@0
|
478 outside. It had to be late, wherever she was. Resting her head
|
|
rlm@0
|
479 against the cool glass, the princess tried to collect herself. This
|
|
rlm@0
|
480 place had to be a dream. It couldn’t be real. But why did she keep
|
|
rlm@0
|
481 coming back here? And why was it so familiar. Her eyes closed as she
|
|
rlm@0
|
482 strained to remember. A birthday party. She could remember a birthday
|
|
rlm@0
|
483 party. A recent one. She remembered sitting at the front of the
|
|
rlm@0
|
484 table, the cake being placed out in front of her. She had just turned
|
|
rlm@0
|
485 fourteen. She’d gotten a cute sweater for it. And a few Disney DVDs
|
|
rlm@0
|
486 she had been wanting for the longest time. But who had been there?
|
|
rlm@0
|
487 She tried harder to remember, trying to see the rest of the table.
|
|
rlm@0
|
488 She had been there, of course. And... An older woman she could barely
|
|
rlm@0
|
489 make out. She was smiling so warmly, watching as she blew out the
|
|
rlm@0
|
490 candles, her hands clasped together as if in prayer. Her mother. It
|
|
rlm@0
|
491 had to be her mother. Her heart ached at the thought that she
|
|
rlm@0
|
492 couldn’t even remember her mother except for this small glimpse. What
|
|
rlm@0
|
493 kind of woman was she like? Did she make her mother proud? What kind
|
|
rlm@0
|
494 of relationship did they have? Judging from the smile, her mother had
|
|
rlm@0
|
495 been happy, at least during her birthday.
|
|
rlm@0
|
496
|
|
rlm@0
|
497 Who else had been there? She could see a shadow sitting next to her,
|
|
rlm@0
|
498 watching her opening her presents. The shadow flickered in her mind
|
|
rlm@0
|
499 as she tried harder to remember who it had been. But no matter how
|
|
rlm@0
|
500 hard she tried, it refused to clarify. Giving up on the shadow for
|
|
rlm@0
|
501 the moment, she began to focus on who else had been there. Slowly,
|
|
rlm@0
|
502 she saw the rest of the table, expecting to see Riku and Sora sitting
|
|
rlm@0
|
503 there, watching her. But it wasn’t so. The table was empty. Her eyes
|
|
rlm@0
|
504 opened wide. “No one... No one was there?” she asked quietly. But her
|
|
rlm@0
|
505 birthday parties on the Destiny Islands were always so much fun!
|
|
rlm@0
|
506 Everyone came and there were presents and cake and games and... It
|
|
rlm@0
|
507 didn’t make sense. Surely she had friends to invite, games to play.
|
|
rlm@0
|
508 She was pretty and popular and everyone liked her. So why the hell
|
|
rlm@0
|
509 would she spend her birthday alone except for her mother and some
|
|
rlm@0
|
510 shadow of a person she couldn’t remember?
|
|
rlm@0
|
511
|
|
rlm@0
|
512 Her eyes teared up, memories of endless loneliness filling her,
|
|
rlm@0
|
513 sapping at her heart. The hopelessness and despair felt like
|
|
rlm@0
|
514 crystalline shards buried within her heart. “But mama, no one will
|
|
rlm@0
|
515 come. No one likes me. Why would anyone want to come to my party?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
516 she heard herself saying. Opening her eyes, she saw another room
|
|
rlm@0
|
517 outside of the window, her mother’s room. There she was, crying on
|
|
rlm@0
|
518 her mother’s lap. Hateful, lost, bitter tears. And her mother looked
|
|
rlm@0
|
519 heartbroken as she tried to wipe away her hot tears.
|
|
rlm@0
|
520
|
|
rlm@0
|
521 Kairi backed away from the window as if it was something alive and
|
|
rlm@0
|
522 dangerous, staring. “It’s not like that. It isn’t like that at all,”
|
|
rlm@0
|
523 she said desperately, her voice barely above a whisper. “I do have
|
|
rlm@0
|
524 friends. I’m not all alone.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
525
|
|
rlm@0
|
526 “Then where are they now, Kairi? You made up all of your friends.
|
|
rlm@0
|
527 Except for mom. She’s your best friend. She’s your only friend. How
|
|
rlm@0
|
528 could you just leave her by killing yourself?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
529
|
|
rlm@0
|
530 Looking up, Kairi could see the shadow of someone on the other side
|
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rlm@0
|
531 of the door. The voice was back, whoever it was that happened to be
|
|
rlm@0
|
532 behind it. “I didn’t,” she argued, her voice shaky. Her wrists were
|
|
rlm@0
|
533 burning again, fire tearing them apart. But she refused to look at
|
|
rlm@0
|
534 them. Maybe if she ignored it, it would go away.
|
|
rlm@0
|
535
|
|
rlm@0
|
536 The voice on the other side of the door laughed. “That’s your answer
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|
rlm@0
|
537 for everything, isn’t it, Kairi? To ignore it, to pretend. Whenever
|
|
rlm@0
|
538 you can’t handle something, you just run away. It’s too much for poor
|
|
rlm@0
|
539 Kairi to handle, so she’ll just run as far as she can and never look
|
|
rlm@0
|
540 back. That’s why you can’t open the door. Because you can’t face
|
|
rlm@0
|
541 reality. You couldn’t handle life so you just turned your back on it.
|
|
rlm@0
|
542 You embraced your fantasies, ignoring everything that might hurt you.
|
|
rlm@0
|
543 Isn’t that the way it’s always been?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
544
|
|
rlm@0
|
545 “Leave me alone!!!” Kairi screamed, her whole body trembling. Tears
|
|
rlm@0
|
546 stung her eyes, turning her vision into a liquid nightmare. She could
|
|
rlm@0
|
547 feel her tears dripping down her chin, falling to the floor below.
|
|
rlm@0
|
548 She couldn’t stop from crying, the voice finally getting to her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
549
|
|
rlm@0
|
550 “I told you that you couldn’t handle it, Kairi. I don’t think you’re
|
|
rlm@0
|
551 ready to open the door yet. Why don’t you run away back to your
|
|
rlm@0
|
552 fantasies. They’re safe and cozy, aren’t they? Oh, wait. No, reality
|
|
rlm@0
|
553 is beginning to intrude on them, isn’t it? The heartlessness of the
|
|
rlm@0
|
554 real world is starting to take its toll, to intrude on your little
|
|
rlm@0
|
555 wonderland. Go ahead and run away to your dreams, Kairi. Because
|
|
rlm@0
|
556 pretty soon, there will be nowhere left to run. And you’ll have to
|
|
rlm@0
|
557 open the door. Because when the Heartless consume all of your
|
|
rlm@0
|
558 fantasies, real life will be the only place left to turn.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
559
|
|
rlm@0
|
560 Kairi slumped to her knees, sobbing painfully, hugging herself. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
561 didn’t always run away. She was trying to find Riku and Sora. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
562 would never give up on them. She wouldn’t run away, no matter how
|
|
rlm@0
|
563 tough things got. But her voice escaped her, having disappeared in
|
|
rlm@0
|
564 her haze of tears. She wanted to prove the voice wrong, that she
|
|
rlm@0
|
565 would never give up. But her tattered heart couldn’t help but wonder
|
|
rlm@0
|
566 if the voice was right.
|
|
rlm@0
|
567
|
|
rlm@0
|
568 Lost in a storm of tears, Kairi didn’t see the room grow distant. It
|
|
rlm@0
|
569 stretched further and further into the background until it had faded
|
|
rlm@0
|
570 away altogether. Lost in a typhoon of dark thoughts, the princess
|
|
rlm@0
|
571 didn’t feel herself slowly drifting away to somewhere else. Anywhere
|
|
rlm@0
|
572 else. Just as long as she was far away from that room.
|
|
rlm@0
|
573
|
|
rlm@0
|
574 |
