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1
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2
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3 Prism Hearts
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4 Chapter 7
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5 Melodies of Life
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6 by Amazoness Duo
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7 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
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8
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9
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10 “Why did you come with me?”
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11
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12 “Hey, that’s Ipsen’s line.”
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13
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14 “Ipsen? Who’s that?”
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15
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16 “Ipsen is a character from a play. But he’s a real life adventurer.
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17 I think the play is based on his adventures. It kind of goes like
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18 this: Ipsen and his good friend, Colin, worked at a tavern in Treno.
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19 One day, Ipsen got a letter. The letter was so wet from rain that
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20 most of the writing was illegible. The only part he could read said
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21 “Come back home”. Nowadays, we have airships and stuff, but back
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22 then, it was really hard to travel. He didn’t know why he had to go
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23 back, but he had some time off, gathered his things, and set out on a
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24 journey home. He walked a thousand leagues through the mist.
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25 Sometimes he was attacked by vicious monsters, but he made it because
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26 his friend, Colin, was by his side. And then, after much time on the
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27 road, he had to ask Colin something. ‘Why did you come with me?’”
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28
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29 “And? What was Colin’s answer?”
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30
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31 “Only because I wanted to go with you.”
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32
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33 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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34
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35 I am surrounded by darkness. It’s all around me, dark and thick and
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36 cold. I can feel it reaching out to caress me, its knifelike touch
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37 raking across my skin, trying to comfort me. It’s the only constant.
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38 The endless darkness; a deep and ancient sea that stretches out into
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39 eternity. It calls to me, echoing throughout me. It wants me here.
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40 I... belong here. Amidst the darkness. My home for so long. The world
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41 I had known for most of my life. One of darkness and pain. It’s
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42 familiar, a feeling that resonates within me. Isn’t this how I’ve
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43 always been? Before the Destiny Islands, before I managed to escape.
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44 But now it’s found me again. And it will never let go. The darkness
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45 has me in its grasp. I won’t be able to escape a second time. I am
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46 home now.
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47
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48 No...
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49
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50 No! I don’t belong here! I don’t belong to the darkness! I’m not
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51 like that!
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52
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53 I shake my head. It feels as if a spell has been broken. There’s
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54 still the endless night, but there’s something else. It’s still
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55 pulling on me, but I’m not letting myself get pulled helplessly
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56 anymore. I can move again. I feel like I’m waking up from some
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57 nightmare. I won’t let this drag me down. I have to get out of here,
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58 away from the darkness. Away from all this.
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59
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60 ‘Running away again?’ a voice says, echoing all around me. I turn
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61 around and around, searching for the voice, but I still can’t see
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62 anything. It’s taunting me again, playing with my fears, trying to
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63 break whatever confidence I manage to pull to myself. I ball my
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64 fists, still searching. I won’t let it break me. Not now. I’ll find a
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65 way out of here. Somehow.
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66
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67 I can still feel it reaching for me, the darkness reaching for
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68 something inside of me. What scares me is that feeling of familiarity
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69 that burns within me while I’m here. Like I’ve been here before. Like
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70 I’ve felt this all before. But that can’t be; I’ve never been inside
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71 of the darkness before. This place... Pieces begin to take shape. My
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72 clothes are changing. They’re darker, more gothic. People begin to
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73 surround me. Cold, dark. Heartless. These people are also familiar
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74 somehow. Like I can almost remember them. How they never cared. How I
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75 was always alone even when the halls were crowded.
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76
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77 ‘Welcome home, Kairi,’ the voice whispers in my ear again.
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78
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79 I stare in horror as more of the world starts to take shape before
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80 me. It all feels so real, as if I can step out into it. A world
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81 created entirely of darkness. A world built upon pain and suffering.
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82 Where loneliness was my only constant companion. A world where the
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83 bright crimson of blood was my only escape from the endless darkness
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84 that had imprisoned me. Names begin to tease my mind, of people and
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85 places that I can’t know, shouldn’t know. This isn’t my world. I’m
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86 not from here. I can’t be.
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87
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88 I search frantically for an exit. Any exit. I don’t care what the
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89 voice says. I want to get away from here. I need to get away before
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90 it becomes any more real. Before it chains me to it again. I won’t
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91 let it take me back. I won’t ever go back. I refuse. I turned my back
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92 on that life when I slit my wrists, breaking my bonds. But like an
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93 angry dragon deprived of its treasure, it’s hunting me, yearning to
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94 drag me back in its clutches, crushed and bloody.
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95
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96 My heart pounds in my chest, my body shaking. I’m gasping for
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97 breath, an eerie chill sending frosty crystals flowing through me. I
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98 shudder. I can’t let this happen. Desperation is stabbing into me, a
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99 thousand needles, all incredibly intent. I have to get away. Now!
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100
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101 ‘Kairi...’
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102
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103 No... Leave me alone. I don’t know you!
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104
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105 ‘Kairi, dear...’
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106
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107 Please, just go away! I clutch my head, crumbling to my knees. I
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108 don’t belong here! Don’t you see that?! I never did fit in. I never
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109 belonged. I couldn’t survive in the darkness. It was too much for me.
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110 It left me broken. Why couldn’t you see that? I had to leave it. I
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111 had to get away.
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112
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113 “Kairi,” she says, her hand on my shoulder.
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114
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115 I scream. That world shatters around me, breaking like a dropped
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116 china doll. I fall, plunging through a world of splintered glass. I
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117 don’t know where I’m going or where I am. But I can’t help feeling
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118 some faint relief to get away from that nightmare. Even if I’m only
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119 trading it in for another.
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120
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121 I am surrounded by darkness. It’s all around me, dark and thick and
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122 cold. I can feel it reaching out to caress me, it’s knifelike touch
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123 raking across my skin, trying to comfort me. It’s the only constant.
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124 The endless darkness, like a deep and ancient sea that stretches out
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125 into eternity. It calls to me, echoing throughout me. It wants me
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126 here. But I will not stay here. I’m getting out of here. I won’t let
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127 the darkness consume me. I have too much I still need to do. Sora and
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128 Riku need me. I won’t play the helpless princess this time. This
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129 time, I’ll protect you. Both of you. I promise.
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130
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131 Even in the darkness, there is light. I just have to find it.
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132 There... So far away, so faint it could almost be my imagination. But
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133 it’s there. Because I believe it’s really there. I have faith that
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134 the light is waiting for me. Because I know what the light in my life
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135 is. Riku and Sora. They are my light. And I carry them with me
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136 wherever I go. So no matter the darkness that surrounds me, there
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137 will always be light in my heart.
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138
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139 I run to the light. And run. And run. It seems so far away. My
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140 muscles ache and burn, the darkness clawing at me as I run, trying to
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141 drag me back. But I won’t let anything keep me away from them. I’m
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142 going to save them. No matter what it takes. The light... It’s so
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143 beautiful. So warm. It caresses me as I finally reach it. And for
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144 just a split second, he holds me. It’s all too brief, but I burn it
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145 into my mind, etching every half-remembered feeling into my soul. One
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146 day I’ll have that forever. It won’t be snatched away from me. I’ll
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147 hold onto him until the sun falls from the sky and even longer.
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148
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149 One day...
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150
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151 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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152
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153
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154 Light... Bright and jarring. It cascades around me harshly, bathing
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155 everything in its judgmental glow. As if accusing me. ‘You, girl from
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156 the darkness, you are not welcome here,’ I can almost hear it say. My
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157 eyes ache and shut instinctively tighter, trying to drown out the
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158 brilliant glow that surrounds me. ‘Just go away...’ I beg. But it
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159 ignores me, seeming to focus even more on me.
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160
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161 We always cherish light. It is beautiful. It is right. It is good.
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162 But we never stop to think that if anything were held to the light,
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163 that it would wither and burn under its touch. Without a filter, the
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164 light is too blinding, too strong. The blazing light and the cold
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165 darkness are both ends of the extreme. One isn’t simply salvation
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166 while the other is ruin. Both can destroy you. Both can protect you.
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167 The darkness can be just as beautiful, can’t it?
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168
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169 Perhaps there are more similarities than I’d ever realized...
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170
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171 But now, the light is making me ache and burn. I curl up, trying to
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172 shut it out. I fall short in its harsh view. I am not of the light,
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173 it tells me. I don’t belong here. It will wash me away in its light
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174 until I’m nothing more than the hint of a shadow.
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175
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176 This is wrong. Of course I’m from the light. I wanted to escape the
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177 darkness, didn’t I? This should be welcome. This should be freedom.
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178 So why am I so afraid of it? Why isn’t it welcoming me with open
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179 arms? Why am I being turned away? What’s wrong with me? Tears start
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180 to burn at my eyes as I shut them tighter. ‘Please,’ I call out.
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181 ‘Help me...’ Isn’t the light supposed to save you? Isn’t it what
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182 dreams and hope are built from.
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183
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184 ‘No...’ Comes its response, reverberating through me. ‘Nothing can
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185 save you. You are too entangled by the darkness. You are darkness.’
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186
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187 ‘No! Please, don’t send me away! I need help! I’m all alone...’
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188
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189 But the light ignores me. It doesn’t wish to have me so close
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190 anymore, dirtying its gorgeous rays. So it simply casts me out.
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191
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192 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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193
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194 I lie there for a long time, trying to make sense out of things. I
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195 don’t care enough to open my eyes and find out where I am. That’s
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196 secondary. I’ll figure it out later. I hope. It doesn’t matter where
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197 I am, anyway. It’s not like I’ve had a well-designed plan through all
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198 of this.
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199
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200 The darkness longs for me. The light rejects me. I feel a cold chill
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201 pass over my body at that thought. The light that can save me won’t
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202 let me near. The darkness is even now creeping after me, trying to
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203 plunge me back into its depths. It’s hunting for me. And I have
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204 nowhere to run to. No sanctuary that can protect me.
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205
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206 I shudder on the cold floor. I’m all alone.
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207
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208 No... ‘Remember what you said, Kairi? I’m always with you, too,’
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209 Sora had said right before he had been dragged away from me to
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210 someplace far off. Yes. I am not alone. I place a hand over my heart.
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211 My boys are right there with me. No matter where they are. I’m not
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212 alone. If the light turned its back on me, then I Don’t need it. All
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213 I need are Riku and Sora. If I can’t believe in the light, then I’ll
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214 believe in them. I will find them. I will save them. And they will be
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215 my shelter from the storm that threatens to consume me. As long as I
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216 have them, I’ll never let the darkness swallow me.
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217
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218 “Ohhhh...” someone groans beside me. “I’m starting to think
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219 travelling by Gummi Ship from world to world isn’t half bad. Sure, I
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220 got motion sick from it. But I didn’t wake up wondering where the
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221 hell I was.”
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222
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223 “One of these days you’re going to wake up naked in a hotel room
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224 thinking that and I’ll prove to you that it can be a good thing,”
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225 another voice pipes in.
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226
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227 “Relm, watch your hands,” the first voice warns.
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228
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229 “Oops... Sorry,” comes the gleeful response. Relm doesn’t sound
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230 sorry in the least.
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231
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232 Well, at least I know Yuffie and Relm are both still with me. I
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233 don’t have to go on alone after all. I slowly open my eyes, the world
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234 a blur around me. How long was I out this time? Where will I find
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235 myself now? My head swims, still reeling from my sudden brushes with
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236 both the light and the darkness. My heart wavers. I still don’t know
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237 where I stand. Grandma used to tell me there was always light. But if
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238 the light wouldn’t accept me...
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239
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240 Now is not the time to be thinking about these things. First things
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241 first. I need to find out where I am. Somehow. “Where are we?” I ask
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242 after a moment, flipping some hair from my eyes.
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243
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244 “Maybe you can ask them,” Relm suggests, pointing behind me.
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245
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246 The concerned look in her eyes tells me I probably won’t want to ask
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247 whoever it is. Yuffie just watches on with a ‘why does this sort of
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248 thing always happen to me?’ look plastered on her face. I slowly
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249 turn, hesitant to find out. Sure enough, I doubt these people are
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250 interested in telling me directions to find my lost boys. There are
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251 at least seven women in the hallway, all wearing armor and bearing
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252 swords and shields. The one in the lead holds a rather hefty sword
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253 and sports an eye patch, presumably a testament to the many battles
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254 she had been through. I swallow nervously. “You wouldn’t happen to
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255 know where I could find a silver haired boy, would you?” I try a
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256 smile, but it’s lost on the soldiers.
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257
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258 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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259
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rlm@0
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260 Yep. I’m officially hating this by now. I lie on my cold, hard bunk
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261 in the dungeon, my hands behind my head. If I had more materia, those
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262 knights wouldn’t have stood a chance against me. Of course, Beatrix,
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263 as I’d learned was her name after the fact (my jailer won’t shut up
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264 about her), soundly trounced me while Kairi and Relm sat there
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265 worthlessly and squealed like little girls when the knights grabbed
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266 them. So one could say the odds weren’t exactly stacked in my favor.
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267
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268 I roll on my side and hit the wall with my fist. I’m supposed to be
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269 a legendary hero. The greatest ninja that ever lived. Some hero I’m
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270 turning out to be. I can’t even save Relm from a couple stupid
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271 knights. And Kairi, I hastily add. Not like I have any vested
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rlm@0
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272 interest in Relm. Of course not. I laugh aloud. What a silly thought.
|
|
rlm@0
|
273 That little pervert isn’t getting to me. I mean, sure she’s awfully
|
|
rlm@0
|
274 sweet and she has this way of riling me up, and her eyes have this
|
|
rlm@0
|
275 way of taking over your soul...
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rlm@0
|
276
|
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rlm@0
|
277 I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Whatever the case, it
|
|
rlm@0
|
278 doesn’t matter. I couldn’t come to her rescue even if I wanted to.
|
|
rlm@0
|
279 Which I don’t. I’m stuck in the dungeon, alone, weaponless. At this
|
|
rlm@0
|
280 rate, the universe will be swallowed by Heartless before I can ever
|
|
rlm@0
|
281 get Kairi to the Doorway to the Light. But at least I’m trying! Not
|
|
rlm@0
|
282 like Leon and Aerith. Both staying home to cuddle with their love
|
|
rlm@0
|
283 bunnies while I work my ass off trying to get the Keyblade Mistress
|
|
rlm@0
|
284 to fix everything. And I’m not out here just because I don’t have
|
|
rlm@0
|
285 someone! I wouldn’t be doing the exact some thing as them if I had
|
|
rlm@0
|
286 someone to wake up with and cling tightly to and... Of course not!
|
|
rlm@0
|
287
|
|
rlm@0
|
288 “And she’s much, much more talented than Sir Steiner. Why, Lady
|
|
rlm@0
|
289 Beatrix was our pride and joy at the last tournament. The Knights of
|
|
rlm@0
|
290 Pluto didn’t even want to challenge her. It was really very funny.
|
|
rlm@0
|
291 They were all...” The guard drones on. She had explained earlier than
|
|
rlm@0
|
292 she doesn’t mind guard duty. I think I can see why. She takes a
|
|
rlm@0
|
293 sadistic pleasure in slowly killing the prisoners.
|
|
rlm@0
|
294
|
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rlm@0
|
295 I pull my pillow around my head, trying to drown out her incessant
|
|
rlm@0
|
296 ranting about Lady Beatrix. I’m still pissed that Beatrix stopped me
|
|
rlm@0
|
297 in the hallway. I could’ve at least gotten through her and then been
|
|
rlm@0
|
298 taken down by the guards. Or they could’ve all ganged up on me or
|
|
rlm@0
|
299 something. It’s embarrassing that it only took Beatrix. Now Relm’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
300 images of me are probably shattered and I’ll never be her hero again.
|
|
rlm@0
|
301 Not that I care, mind you. Nope. Not in the least.
|
|
rlm@0
|
302
|
|
rlm@0
|
303 I wonder where they took Relm and Kairi. We were split up after our
|
|
rlm@0
|
304 clash in that hallway. Oddly enough, It seemed like they had been
|
|
rlm@0
|
305 expecting us. Everywhere else we had been, we always seemed to wind
|
|
rlm@0
|
306 up there by accident. But this time, they were ready. They seemed to
|
|
rlm@0
|
307 want Kairi for something. So she’ll be safe for a bit, at least. If
|
|
rlm@0
|
308 they need her, they can’t harm her. But what about Relm? She isn’t in
|
|
rlm@0
|
309 the dungeon. Where would they have taken her? I hope she’s all
|
|
rlm@0
|
310 right... I won’t forgive myself if she got hurt because of me.
|
|
rlm@0
|
311
|
|
rlm@0
|
312 And where is Rikku? I remember the wave crashing around us. She was
|
|
rlm@0
|
313 holding onto one of my arms and Relm was holding onto the other. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
314 tried to hold onto both of them, but I was getting thrown about and I
|
|
rlm@0
|
315 couldn’t keep my grip. My heart skips a beat at the thought of her
|
|
rlm@0
|
316 being lost someplace in this infinity. But she has to be out there.
|
|
rlm@0
|
317 She probably just didn’t get stuck in the same place we did. Yeah.
|
|
rlm@0
|
318 That has to be it. I hope.
|
|
rlm@0
|
319
|
|
rlm@0
|
320 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
rlm@0
|
321
|
|
rlm@0
|
322 I watch Yuffie in her cell for a while. Oh, my poor girl. Her ego’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
323 wounded. I’m just thrilled she’d fight for me, win or lose. But she
|
|
rlm@0
|
324 doesn’t see it that way. She’s got to be the best. But usually she’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
325 better about turning things around and pretending she’s gotten away
|
|
rlm@0
|
326 with what she wanted to. Snatching semi-victories from the jaws of
|
|
rlm@0
|
327 defeat. But she still looks cute, even languishing on her prison bed.
|
|
rlm@0
|
328 The guard unlocks the door for me and I slip quietly into Yuffie’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
329 cell, not wanting to disturb her dark thoughts. Not yet, at least.
|
|
rlm@0
|
330
|
|
rlm@0
|
331 I wonder what you’re thinking, my beautiful ninja. Are any of your
|
|
rlm@0
|
332 thoughts about me? Is there any room in that guarded heart of yours
|
|
rlm@0
|
333 for me? I sure hope so. I’ll keep trying until I can find out for
|
|
rlm@0
|
334 sure.
|
|
rlm@0
|
335
|
|
rlm@0
|
336 Leaning forward, I nuzzle the crook of her neck, delighting at the
|
|
rlm@0
|
337 feel of her soft skin against my nose and lips. She flinches
|
|
rlm@0
|
338 instinctively, but it’s too late. There’s nowhere to escape for now.
|
|
rlm@0
|
339 She must really be out of it if I could catch her by surprise like
|
|
rlm@0
|
340 this. I nuzzle deeper as she curls up on the small bed, trying to
|
|
rlm@0
|
341 escape me but only succeeding in pressing against the wall. I giggle
|
|
rlm@0
|
342 as I slowly pull away, watching the mortified look on her face. Her
|
|
rlm@0
|
343 cheeks are a cherry red, her eyes as wide as twin moons.
|
|
rlm@0
|
344
|
|
rlm@0
|
345 “Relm,” she gets out weakly.
|
|
rlm@0
|
346
|
|
rlm@0
|
347 “Didja miss me?” I ask, grinning as I lean over her curled up form.
|
|
rlm@0
|
348 The great and mighty Yuffie, slayer of monsters and master thief. And
|
|
rlm@0
|
349 here she is cowering before me, with nowhere to hide. Weird how a
|
|
rlm@0
|
350 young artist from another world could do that to her. Not that I
|
|
rlm@0
|
351 mind. The irony makes it all taste even more delicious.
|
|
rlm@0
|
352
|
|
rlm@0
|
353 Slowly she manages to piece together her sarcastic, independent
|
|
rlm@0
|
354 exterior. Her eyes narrow and she places a hand on my forehead,
|
|
rlm@0
|
355 pushing me back so she can sit up. I try to push back, but she’s too
|
|
rlm@0
|
356 much stronger than me. I sigh and step back, crossing my arms. “Oh,
|
|
rlm@0
|
357 right. I hate having the use of my right arm. It’s much better when
|
|
rlm@0
|
358 you’re hanging off of it,” she replies sarcastically.
|
|
rlm@0
|
359
|
|
rlm@0
|
360 I pout. “Well, I was going to get you out, but if you don’t want
|
|
rlm@0
|
361 to...” I sigh, turning my back to her. It takes a second for that to
|
|
rlm@0
|
362 seep in for her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
363
|
|
rlm@0
|
364 “Get me out? What are you talking about?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
365
|
|
rlm@0
|
366 I turn around to face her again, smiling brightly. Oh, I can’t stay
|
|
rlm@0
|
367 mad at her for long. Even if she can be selfish and arrogant and...
|
|
rlm@0
|
368 Ahem. Okay, maybe I can stay a little frustrated with her, but that’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
369 different. “I’m her majesty’s royal artist. One of the knights found
|
|
rlm@0
|
370 a picture I had and they decided the queen should see this ‘wee
|
|
rlm@0
|
371 girl’s’ abilities for herself. She made me do a portrait, which I had
|
|
rlm@0
|
372 to make up a lot for because she isn’t very easy to look at for long,
|
|
rlm@0
|
373 and she liked it so much that she decided to give me a job instead of
|
|
rlm@0
|
374 throwing me in here.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
375
|
|
rlm@0
|
376 “You convinced them with a picture?” she asks, blinking. Then she
|
|
rlm@0
|
377 considers. “Well, you are really good. That fire you drew seemed real
|
|
rlm@0
|
378 enough. So I guess that makes sense.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
379
|
|
rlm@0
|
380 I narrow my eyebrows. “They wouldn’t have found the picture at all
|
|
rlm@0
|
381 if they’d been keeping their hands to themselves. But then, in a
|
|
rlm@0
|
382 place with a band of female knights, you have to wonder.” I wait
|
|
rlm@0
|
383 anxiously for her jealous reply. She wouldn’t want anyone touching
|
|
rlm@0
|
384 me. Or harassing me. Or anything like that. Not when she can do all
|
|
rlm@0
|
385 of that herself. Right...?
|
|
rlm@0
|
386
|
|
rlm@0
|
387 Yuffie grins. “Must be your kinda place then, huh?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
388
|
|
rlm@0
|
389 I can only stare at her. I’m trembling. How could she say that to
|
|
rlm@0
|
390 me? Does she really think of me like that? I only want her to know
|
|
rlm@0
|
391 how much I like her. I wouldn’t do that with anyone. I just want her
|
|
rlm@0
|
392 to know... I don’t know how else to do it. I’ve never been in love
|
|
rlm@0
|
393 before. This is all so new to me. I can’t even see her anymore. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
394 only see a haze as tears fill my vision. I yank the picture they’d
|
|
rlm@0
|
395 found on me, one I’d drawn the night I met Yuffie. I crumple it up in
|
|
rlm@0
|
396 my hands, tearing and ripping. I want to destroy something beautiful.
|
|
rlm@0
|
397 Something that meant so much to me. Unable to get out any words, I
|
|
rlm@0
|
398 make a muffled sob as I toss the pieces at her, turning and running
|
|
rlm@0
|
399 as fast as I can away from her. I don’t care where I go as long as
|
|
rlm@0
|
400 it’s away. Far, far away. I sob weakly as I force myself to run. When
|
|
rlm@0
|
401 you get hurt, when your heart bleeds, that’s what tears are. I hate
|
|
rlm@0
|
402 you, Yuffie. I hate you. Because obviously I’m nothing more than a
|
|
rlm@0
|
403 stupid little perverse kid to you. And I hate myself for not being
|
|
rlm@0
|
404 good enough, worthy enough of you. So I run. And I cry.
|
|
rlm@0
|
405
|
|
rlm@0
|
406 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
rlm@0
|
407
|
|
rlm@0
|
408 I blink, watching Relm burst into tears and run off. The prison door
|
|
rlm@0
|
409 slams shut behind her, the guard more watchful than I thought. Not
|
|
rlm@0
|
410 that I’d be able to escape right now even if she wasn’t paying
|
|
rlm@0
|
411 attention; my mind’s on other things.
|
|
rlm@0
|
412
|
|
rlm@0
|
413 I kneel down, sifting my fingers through the ripped and crumpled
|
|
rlm@0
|
414 picture on the floor. How she could destroy something she’d spent so
|
|
rlm@0
|
415 much time creating is beyond me. Whatever I did, I must have hurt her
|
|
rlm@0
|
416 immeasurably to get that kind of reaction. To see her shred something
|
|
rlm@0
|
417 that she had given life to. Slowly the image begins to take shape
|
|
rlm@0
|
418 under my fingers, the angry rips and tears defiling the beautiful
|
|
rlm@0
|
419 image. Me. She had drawn me. A portrait that’s more gorgeous than I
|
|
rlm@0
|
420 could ever pray to truly be myself. That’s what the guards had seen,
|
|
rlm@0
|
421 what had prompted the queen to keep her out of the dungeon. It’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
422 lovely. Or it was. Before I disgraced it. Before I signed its death
|
|
rlm@0
|
423 sentence and left it to die in its creator’s usually gentle hands.
|
|
rlm@0
|
424
|
|
rlm@0
|
425 She drew me. She wanted me to be the subject of her amazing talent.
|
|
rlm@0
|
426 She looked at me with those shining eyes, filled with love and
|
|
rlm@0
|
427 adoration. And all I could do was slap her in the face because I’m
|
|
rlm@0
|
428 too much of a bitch to accept it all gratefully. I didn’t realize how
|
|
rlm@0
|
429 much it would hurt her. I didn’t mean to...
|
|
rlm@0
|
430
|
|
rlm@0
|
431 What have I done? “Fuck...” I mutter, hunching over, my short hair
|
|
rlm@0
|
432 drooping as my head nearly touches the floor. Good one, Yuffie.
|
|
rlm@0
|
433 She’ll never let you save her now. Now it looks like you’re the one
|
|
rlm@0
|
434 who needs saving.
|
|
rlm@0
|
435
|
|
rlm@0
|
436 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
rlm@0
|
437
|
|
rlm@0
|
438 Kairi sighed. She looked out a large window, the only escape from
|
|
rlm@0
|
439 the room she was stuck in. But to escape this prison, she would need
|
|
rlm@0
|
440 angel’s wings. She slumped against the windowsill, watching the doves
|
|
rlm@0
|
441 come and go as they pleased. If only it was that easy for her. The
|
|
rlm@0
|
442 room was beautifully furnished. But it was still a cage to her. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
443 wanted to soar free. To escape all of this.
|
|
rlm@0
|
444
|
|
rlm@0
|
445 The young princess fidgeted uneasily. She had been separated from
|
|
rlm@0
|
446 her friends and placed in these chambers. Two maids had ‘helped’ her
|
|
rlm@0
|
447 change into an elegant pale lavender dress and then left her there.
|
|
rlm@0
|
448 She wasn’t used to dresses. They were too confining. She liked to
|
|
rlm@0
|
449 have room to run and be free. ‘Mom always wanted me to wear dresses.
|
|
rlm@0
|
450 But they weren’t my style. I only wore the one’s she’d buy me a few
|
|
rlm@0
|
451 times and that was only to appease her,’ she thought. The memories
|
|
rlm@0
|
452 had come to her unbidden. But there was something else, as well.
|
|
rlm@0
|
453 Someone older, shaking his head in disgust. ‘The princess is a
|
|
rlm@0
|
454 tomboy,’ he had said. And then someone laughing. Her... father? But
|
|
rlm@0
|
455 she hadn’t had a father, had she? Not in that place where her room
|
|
rlm@0
|
456 existed. But somewhere else, she had been raised by her father
|
|
rlm@0
|
457 instead of her mother. ‘She takes after her father,’ he had said,
|
|
rlm@0
|
458 smiling. He had a warm smile. Everyone had loved him dearly.
|
|
rlm@0
|
459
|
|
rlm@0
|
460 Holding her head, Kairi tried to sort through the contradictory
|
|
rlm@0
|
461 memories. Was she a princess who had lost her memories? Or was she a
|
|
rlm@0
|
462 girl so desperate to escape her own life that she had drowned in
|
|
rlm@0
|
463 fantasy? It was like two separate lives were trying to piece
|
|
rlm@0
|
464 themselves together inside of her. It was taking its toll on the
|
|
rlm@0
|
465 brunette. She was starting to have a hard time telling which way was
|
|
rlm@0
|
466 up.
|
|
rlm@0
|
467
|
|
rlm@0
|
468 “Why do you care so much about what’s ‘real’?” a voice asked.
|
|
rlm@0
|
469
|
|
rlm@0
|
470 Kairi whirled about. A young blonde girl stood before her. She had a
|
|
rlm@0
|
471 bandage over one of her eyes and she wore a hospital gown.
|
|
rlm@0
|
472
|
|
rlm@0
|
473 “What is Real, anyway?” another voice asked, coming from the bed.
|
|
rlm@0
|
474 The girl on the bed looked exactly the same as the other girl, though
|
|
rlm@0
|
475 she wasn’t wearing the bandage. “Is Real what everyone tells you is
|
|
rlm@0
|
476 real?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
477
|
|
rlm@0
|
478 “Or is Real what you believe in your heart to be true?” the other
|
|
rlm@0
|
479 girl continued.
|
|
rlm@0
|
480
|
|
rlm@0
|
481 “Who are you?” Kairi asked, looking back and forth between the two
|
|
rlm@0
|
482 young girls.
|
|
rlm@0
|
483
|
|
rlm@0
|
484 “She’s Maya,” the one with the bandage said, pointing to the girl on
|
|
rlm@0
|
485 the bed.
|
|
rlm@0
|
486
|
|
rlm@0
|
487 “And this is Aya,” the one on the bed said, hurrying up to her
|
|
rlm@0
|
488 sister’s side. Both girls giggled and bowed to Kairi.
|
|
rlm@0
|
489
|
|
rlm@0
|
490 “We’re Eve,” they said in unison.
|
|
rlm@0
|
491
|
|
rlm@0
|
492 “Oh...” Kairi responded, not understanding in the slightest. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
493 shook her head, looking out the window. “I don’t know what’s real
|
|
rlm@0
|
494 anymore.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
495
|
|
rlm@0
|
496 “Is Real what everyone around you decides is real?” Maya asked, her
|
|
rlm@0
|
497 head tilted to the right.
|
|
rlm@0
|
498
|
|
rlm@0
|
499 “Or is Real what you decide is real?” Aya asked, her head tilted to
|
|
rlm@0
|
500 the left.
|
|
rlm@0
|
501
|
|
rlm@0
|
502 “You both sound like Harle.” Kairi closed her eyes, trying to focus.
|
|
rlm@0
|
503 This was all confusing her more and more.
|
|
rlm@0
|
504
|
|
rlm@0
|
505 “Eventually you’ll need to make a decision,” Maya explained.
|
|
rlm@0
|
506 “Whether you’ll accept reality or remake it altogether.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
507
|
|
rlm@0
|
508 “Whether you will live or die. Awaken or dream. Love or hate. After
|
|
rlm@0
|
509 all, these things are all two sides of the same coin. You cannot have
|
|
rlm@0
|
510 one without the other,” Aya adds, resting back to back with her
|
|
rlm@0
|
511 sister.
|
|
rlm@0
|
512
|
|
rlm@0
|
513 “But can’t you choose the light? Can’t you have one without the
|
|
rlm@0
|
514 other? Must it always be both? Love and hate, life and death, light
|
|
rlm@0
|
515 and dark?” Kairi asks, nearly pleading.
|
|
rlm@0
|
516
|
|
rlm@0
|
517 Maya shakes her head. “These things are all interconnected. They
|
|
rlm@0
|
518 aren’t all completely different notions. They’re all dependent on
|
|
rlm@0
|
519 each other. Each of these ‘opposites’ is entwined in a lover’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
520 embrace that you couldn’t hope to untangle. Without one, the other is
|
|
rlm@0
|
521 meaningless.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
522
|
|
rlm@0
|
523 “After all,” Aya continues, “how can you really, truly love if you
|
|
rlm@0
|
524 don’t know what it’s like to be hated? For you to live, someone must
|
|
rlm@0
|
525 die. For you to awaken, you must have been dreaming.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
526
|
|
rlm@0
|
527 “Without darkness, there is no light,” the twins say in harmony.
|
|
rlm@0
|
528
|
|
rlm@0
|
529 Kairi opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She was speechless.
|
|
rlm@0
|
530 The twins’ words spun around her, leaving her dizzy.
|
|
rlm@0
|
531
|
|
rlm@0
|
532 “Everyone’s waiting for your answer, Kairi,” Maya said softly.
|
|
rlm@0
|
533
|
|
rlm@0
|
534 “Don’t disappoint everyone. The show’s just about to begin,” Aya
|
|
rlm@0
|
535 added.
|
|
rlm@0
|
536
|
|
rlm@0
|
537 A knock at the door drove Kairi out of her stupor. She bolted
|
|
rlm@0
|
538 upright. “Coming!” she called. She turned back to the girls to ask
|
|
rlm@0
|
539 them something, but they were already gone. “Where did they go?” she
|
|
rlm@0
|
540 asked, blinking. The only way out of the room was the window. And
|
|
rlm@0
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541 unless they grew wings, that wouldn’t be a very good choice.
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rlm@0
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542
|
|
rlm@0
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543 “There you are. You must be another one of the girls that Kuja had
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rlm@0
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544 brought to the palace. I assure you, I’ll try my hardest to make sure
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|
rlm@0
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545 your stay is a pleasant one,” a woman with dark hair said as she
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rlm@0
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546 entered the room, followed by a much younger girl with purple hair
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|
rlm@0
|
547 and a horn on her forehead. “I’m Princess Garnet Til Alexandros the
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|
rlm@0
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548 17th. This is Eiko Carol. We wanted to check in on you. We’re
|
|
rlm@0
|
549 terribly sorry for the inconvenience.”
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|
rlm@0
|
550
|
|
rlm@0
|
551 “We thought it would be better if you saw us first instead of being
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|
rlm@0
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552 traumatized by Kuja inspecting you,” the younger girl explained. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
553 spat the name with disgust. Apparently she didn’t think very highly
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|
rlm@0
|
554 of him.
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|
rlm@0
|
555
|
|
rlm@0
|
556 “Why am I here? What’s going on? I really need to get going. My
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rlm@0
|
557 friends need me. I have to find them,” Kairi said. She wanted to make
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|
rlm@0
|
558 them understand somehow. Her words couldn’t convey the urgency in her
|
|
rlm@0
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559 heart. She couldn’t afford to get sidetracked. Not now. Not with Riku
|
|
rlm@0
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560 and Sora so close.
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|
rlm@0
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561
|
|
rlm@0
|
562 “You’ll be able to leave as soon as Kuja has finished. In the
|
|
rlm@0
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563 meantime, we’ll make you as comfortable as we can,” the princess
|
|
rlm@0
|
564 explained politely. She was genuinely apologetic, feeling personally
|
|
rlm@0
|
565 responsible for the delay in Kairi’s journey, whatever it may be.
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|
rlm@0
|
566
|
|
rlm@0
|
567 “And when is that going to be?” Eiko asked irritably, raising her
|
|
rlm@0
|
568 arms. “He’s always so vague about it and he never answers me when I
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|
rlm@0
|
569 ask him when I can go home.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
570
|
|
rlm@0
|
571 Garnet smiled softly and gently cupped the younger girl’s cheek.
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rlm@0
|
572 “Soon, Eiko. I promise. I’ll ask him again for you. I’ll get you
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rlm@0
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573 home.” She didn’t seem to notice the purple haired girl’s cheeks
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|
rlm@0
|
574 burning underneath her fingers or the deep gaze that Eiko was giving
|
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rlm@0
|
575 her. She leant forward, kissing near Eiko’s horn.
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|
rlm@0
|
576
|
|
rlm@0
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577 “Princess Garnet, your mother wishes to see you,” a maid said from
|
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rlm@0
|
578 the doorway.
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|
rlm@0
|
579
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|
rlm@0
|
580 Garnet nodded. “I’ll be right there.” She turned back to Kairi and
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|
rlm@0
|
581 bowed. “Again, my apologies for keeping you here. If there’s anything
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|
rlm@0
|
582 you need, please ask.” Turning, she left the room.
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rlm@0
|
583
|
|
rlm@0
|
584 Eiko watched her leave. Sighing dreamily, she slowly came back to
|
|
rlm@0
|
585 earth. If only Garnet would pay attention to her!
|
|
rlm@0
|
586
|
|
rlm@0
|
587 “What’s going on?” Kairi asked again, pleading with the younger
|
|
rlm@0
|
588 girl. She walked over, kneeling to look the purple haired girl in the
|
|
rlm@0
|
589 eyes.
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|
rlm@0
|
590
|
|
rlm@0
|
591 Sighing, Eiko let her arms fall to her sides. “You’re being kept
|
|
rlm@0
|
592 here because of some guy named Kuja. He’s got the ear of the Queen,
|
|
rlm@0
|
593 so she’ll do whatever he says. Apparently the kingdom is in big
|
|
rlm@0
|
594 trouble unless he can find the ‘Prism Heart’, whatever that is. He
|
|
rlm@0
|
595 says it resides within a girl with a beautiful heart. They checked
|
|
rlm@0
|
596 Princess Garnet, but it wasn’t her. So he’s been scouring the world
|
|
rlm@0
|
597 for this girl. That’s how I wound up here. Some Alexandrian Knights
|
|
rlm@0
|
598 sought me out because I’m the last of the summoners. Kuja thought
|
|
rlm@0
|
599 that might mean it might be me. But they checked and I don’t have it
|
|
rlm@0
|
600 either. But they still won’t let me go home. None of the girls he’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
601 taken here have gone home yet.” She looked back at the door. “Not
|
|
rlm@0
|
602 that I want to go home yet, anyway. Not without Garnet. But she's too
|
|
rlm@0
|
603 worried about her mother to come with me.” The little girl crossed
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|
rlm@0
|
604 her arms, frustrated.
|
|
rlm@0
|
605
|
|
rlm@0
|
606 Kairi closed her eyes. Great. So she was stuck here. A prisoner in a
|
|
rlm@0
|
607 gilded cage. What was she supposed to do now? Riku and Sora needed
|
|
rlm@0
|
608 her. She couldn’t be wasting time while a kingdom searched for some
|
|
rlm@0
|
609 mythical girl. “So.. You really like Princess Garnet, huh?” Kairi
|
|
rlm@0
|
610 asked after a moment.
|
|
rlm@0
|
611
|
|
rlm@0
|
612 “Yep. You better keep your hands off of her. She’s mine,” Eiko
|
|
rlm@0
|
613 responded, her eyes narrowing.
|
|
rlm@0
|
614
|
|
rlm@0
|
615 “I.. What? No! Of course not!” That wasn’t exactly how Kairi had
|
|
rlm@0
|
616 meant her question. She could only stammer a response, taken off
|
|
rlm@0
|
617 guard.
|
|
rlm@0
|
618
|
|
rlm@0
|
619 “Good! Now you know. Anyway, I better go find her. She always gets
|
|
rlm@0
|
620 depressed after she talks with her mother.” As if stating it aloud
|
|
rlm@0
|
621 helped her to remember, Eiko now looked very concerned. “Bye!” She
|
|
rlm@0
|
622 waved over her shoulder before scurrying out the door, the little
|
|
rlm@0
|
623 angel wings pinned to her dress bobbing as she ran.
|
|
rlm@0
|
624
|
|
rlm@0
|
625 Kairi rested her face in her hands. Something out there didn’t like
|
|
rlm@0
|
626 her. That had to be it. God, Fate, or Whatever seemed to have it in
|
|
rlm@0
|
627 for her. Which was definitely going to make things more difficult.
|
|
rlm@0
|
628
|
|
rlm@0
|
629 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
rlm@0
|
630
|
|
rlm@0
|
631 “You’re moving too quickly, Selphie. You just need to let yourself
|
|
rlm@0
|
632 move slowly, like the ocean waves,” Yuna explained. She demonstrated,
|
|
rlm@0
|
633 closing her eyes and moving beautifully on her toes. She and Selphie
|
|
rlm@0
|
634 were barefoot on the beach, the waves lapping around them. The spunky
|
|
rlm@0
|
635 brunette had come to Yuna requesting that she teach her how to dance.
|
|
rlm@0
|
636 It was too cute to turn away. Not that Yuna was ever good at turning
|
|
rlm@0
|
637 anyone away to begin with. Lulu chastised her about being too easy
|
|
rlm@0
|
638 for other people to manipulate, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted
|
|
rlm@0
|
639 to make people happy. She wanted to help if she could. And besides,
|
|
rlm@0
|
640 if Selphie wanted to dance with the girl she loved, it only seemed
|
|
rlm@0
|
641 right to teach her. It would be romantic to see Quistis and Selphie
|
|
rlm@0
|
642 dancing together under the moonlight. And Yuna could be a tiny part
|
|
rlm@0
|
643 of that because she had helped it come about.
|
|
rlm@0
|
644
|
|
rlm@0
|
645 “Hmm... Okay. Like this?” Selphie asked, twirling about again. The
|
|
rlm@0
|
646 world spun around her as she twirled about, finally coming to a halt
|
|
rlm@0
|
647 as she nearly stumbled in the ankle deep water.
|
|
rlm@0
|
648
|
|
rlm@0
|
649 Giggling softly, Yuna covered her mouth. “I think...” she began
|
|
rlm@0
|
650 quietly. “I think that you have just a little too much energy,
|
|
rlm@0
|
651 Selphie.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
652
|
|
rlm@0
|
653 “What’s wrong with having too much energy?” Selphie asked, pouting.
|
|
rlm@0
|
654 It had always served her well before. But now it was making this all
|
|
rlm@0
|
655 so difficult. She was having a hard time restricting her movements
|
|
rlm@0
|
656 into soft, flowing motions. She was too used to moving about.
|
|
rlm@0
|
657
|
|
rlm@0
|
658 “There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s part of what Quistis likes
|
|
rlm@0
|
659 about you, I’m sure. But it does make it a little harder to dance
|
|
rlm@0
|
660 together if you’re always a step before her,” Yuna warned softly.
|
|
rlm@0
|
661
|
|
rlm@0
|
662 Selphie bit her lip, thinking it over. She finally smiled and nodded
|
|
rlm@0
|
663 eagerly. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Yuna! I wouldn’t be able to do
|
|
rlm@0
|
664 this without you. Quisty will be so surprised!” She giggled, hopping
|
|
rlm@0
|
665 from foot to foot.
|
|
rlm@0
|
666
|
|
rlm@0
|
667 Yuna giggled herself, energized by Selphie’s enthusiasm. She nodded.
|
|
rlm@0
|
668 “All right. I’ll do my best to make sure you’re ready in time for the
|
|
rlm@0
|
669 festival. Just watch me for a moment. You need to be able to move the
|
|
rlm@0
|
670 way you want to, the way your heart wants to. But if you go too
|
|
rlm@0
|
671 quickly, then it isn’t soft and romantic, and you don’t get to savor
|
|
rlm@0
|
672 it.” Closing her eyes, Yuna bowed to her practice partner before
|
|
rlm@0
|
673 beginning to dance, moving lithely in the shallow water. She moved
|
|
rlm@0
|
674 with a dancer’s grace, elegant and beautiful, almost seeming to walk
|
|
rlm@0
|
675 on the water itself as she skitted about. The long sleeves of her
|
|
rlm@0
|
676 half-kimono skimmed over the water as she twirled about, hopping here
|
|
rlm@0
|
677 and there.
|
|
rlm@0
|
678
|
|
rlm@0
|
679 “Booyaka! Yuna, you’re really, really good! I wanna dance like that
|
|
rlm@0
|
680 with Quisty.” Selphie sighed happily, already imagining the two of
|
|
rlm@0
|
681 them moving with each other along the beach. She watched Yuna
|
|
rlm@0
|
682 intently. ‘I want to be able to do that!’ she thought eagerly,
|
|
rlm@0
|
683 clapping. Yuna twirled and danced along the water, a beautiful sprite
|
|
rlm@0
|
684 on the shore. And then she tripped and plunged face first in the
|
|
rlm@0
|
685 water. Selphie stopped mid-clap, sweatdropping.
|
|
rlm@0
|
686
|
|
rlm@0
|
687 Getting to her feet dizzily, the soaked girl didn’t look up to face
|
|
rlm@0
|
688 her student at first. How embarrassing! How was she supposed to teach
|
|
rlm@0
|
689 Selphie how to dance when she couldn’t even stay on her feet herself?
|
|
rlm@0
|
690 But her mind started to ignore that as her foot swished around in the
|
|
rlm@0
|
691 water, searching for what she had tripped on. She finally found
|
|
rlm@0
|
692 something soft and yielding under the water, deeper where she was now
|
|
rlm@0
|
693 that the tide was coming in. It must have dragged something with it.
|
|
rlm@0
|
694 Yuna pushed again. What was it? Something pushed back. “Ahhhhhh!!!”
|
|
rlm@0
|
695 Yuna screamed, flailing her arms as she fell back into the water. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
696 gazed in shock as a figure slowly rose from the water.
|
|
rlm@0
|
697
|
|
rlm@0
|
698 Spluttering, a drenched catgirl emerged from the tide. Her lungs
|
|
rlm@0
|
699 burned. How long had she been underwater? Where was she, anyway? This
|
|
rlm@0
|
700 didn’t look like El Nido. And why had that girl been kicking her?
|
|
rlm@0
|
701 That wasn’t very nice at all. And most importantly of all, where was
|
|
rlm@0
|
702 Yuffie? But before she could answer any of these questions, she had
|
|
rlm@0
|
703 other things to contend with. “Stay away from Yuna!” A brunette girl
|
|
rlm@0
|
704 yelled as she ran towards her. In her semi-conscious state, Rikku
|
|
rlm@0
|
705 could do little to defend herself, let alone to argue. She turned to
|
|
rlm@0
|
706 try and explain, but she could only cough up seawater. And before she
|
|
rlm@0
|
707 could do anything else, something was arcing through the air. It
|
|
rlm@0
|
708 connected with her head in a fireworks display of pain. Collapsing
|
|
rlm@0
|
709 back into unconsciousness, the cat girl slumped into the waves again.
|
|
rlm@0
|
710
|
|
rlm@0
|
711 “That was a pretty wimpy monster,” Selphie noted disappointedly,
|
|
rlm@0
|
712 holding her nunchuks at her sides as Rikku floated in front of her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
713
|
|
rlm@0
|
714 “She’s going to drown,” Yuna said worriedly. She pushed forward
|
|
rlm@0
|
715 against the water, dipping her arms under the catgirl, pulling her up
|
|
rlm@0
|
716 so she could breathe. Straining, she dragged Rikku to the shore,
|
|
rlm@0
|
717 slumping next to her on the wet sand. She breathed heavily,
|
|
rlm@0
|
718 exhausted.
|
|
rlm@0
|
719
|
|
rlm@0
|
720 “Why are you saving that monster?” Selphie asked, blinking in
|
|
rlm@0
|
721 confusion.
|
|
rlm@0
|
722
|
|
rlm@0
|
723 “She wasn’t going to hurt me. She was too weak to. She just washed
|
|
rlm@0
|
724 up here. I don’t think she’s a Fiend. The poor girl looks too weak to
|
|
rlm@0
|
725 stand, let alone to do anything else. She needs my help,” Yuna
|
|
rlm@0
|
726 explained, slowly catching her breath as she lay next to the catgirl.
|
|
rlm@0
|
727
|
|
rlm@0
|
728 “Oh..” Selphie nodded thoughtfully. She laughed nervously. “I think
|
|
rlm@0
|
729 I might have something important to do when she wakes up. If she
|
|
rlm@0
|
730 wasn’t going to hurt you, she might wanna hurt me if she remembers me
|
|
rlm@0
|
731 smacking her on the head.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
732
|
|
rlm@0
|
733 Yuna smiled a bit. “Yeah, you can practice what I’ve taught you.
|
|
rlm@0
|
734 I’ll take her back to my house. I’ll try to help her recover there.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
735 She turned to the catgirl, watching her breath uneasily on the sand.
|
|
rlm@0
|
736 Strange things were happening on the Destiny Islands. Very strange
|
|
rlm@0
|
737 things. But whoever this weird girl was, maybe she could help her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
738 Somehow. She looked like she needed the help. Yuna brushed some of
|
|
rlm@0
|
739 the water from Rikku’s whiskers. Poor kitty. “I’ll help you,” she
|
|
rlm@0
|
740 promised quietly. Rikku’s breathing seemed to steady somewhat, her
|
|
rlm@0
|
741 cat ears perking up. “I promise.”
|
