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1 Prism Hearts
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rlm@2
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2 Chapter 4
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3 PlanitB Remix
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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 Where had all the Heartless gone? That was the first thing that
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9 entered Yuffie’s mind when she first regained consciousness. The dark
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10 shadows were nowhere to be seen. She at first thought that they had
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11 been swallowed by light. All around her was an endless flow of white.
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12 Nothing like the black shadows that had been trying to bust down the
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13 door to reach her. Not that there was a door anymore either, though.
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14 The endless expanse of white stretched out all around her. It took a
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15 moment for her to realize it was snow. “Snow?” The ninja blinked. It
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16 didn’t snow in Traverse Town. At least not that she knew of. And
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17 definitely not enough to blanket it like this. Which meant... “Where
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18 the hell am I?”
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19
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20 The ninja/thief took a moment to run things over in her head. On the
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21 upside of things, at least she wasn’t about to get her heart devoured
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22 by Heartless. On the downside, she was lost out in some snowy
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23 wilderness in an outfit that certainly wasn’t made for it. Shivering,
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24 she for once wished she’d worn something a tad more conservative. The
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25 only warmth she received was from her scarf, but that was more for
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26 show than anything else. She would need to find a town and fast or
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27 she’d freeze to death. What a way for the great Yuffie to die, cold
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28 and alone in some arctic wasteland. She shuddered, holding herself to
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29 try to retain some body heat.
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30
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31 How had she ended up there in the first place? Shouldn’t the
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32 Heartless have broken in and grabbed her? Not that she wasn’t
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33 grateful, but she would like to know what threw her to some far off
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34 world. The girl. It had to be her. She was the Keyblade Mistress. So
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35 she had links to other worlds. She must have sent them here to
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36 escape. It was nice, but Yuffie would definitely have to ask her to
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37 choose a warmer place the next time they needed to run. But whatever
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38 the case, it seemed that Kairi was much more powerful than Sora had
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39 been as the Keyblade Master. He could lock worlds, but Kairi seemed
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40 to be able to traverse between them without the need of a Gummi Ship.
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41 Pretty impressive. Maybe it had been a good idea to let her tag along
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42 after all. Speaking of which...
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43
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44 “Kairi?” Yuffie turned around, looking for the younger girl. But no
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45 one was near her. She thought that Kairi might have walked off, but
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46 there were no footprints, either. “Kairi?!” She looked around,
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47 searching for any sign of the princess. She had to be around
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48 somewhere, right? But she wouldn’t last long alone in that cold.
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49 Yuffie had to find her quickly. But where? “C’mon, think,” she
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50 berated herself. “She’s gotta be around here somewhere. She can’t be
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51 far off.” Finally, taking a wild guess, the ninja stumbled off into
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52 the falling snow.
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53
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54 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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55
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56 She had been walking for what felt like hours. Her body felt like a
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57 solid chunk of ice. It hurt to move, to breathe, to think. Her body
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58 felt numb. Walking was becoming extremely difficult. She nearly lost
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59 her balance a number of times, but thankfully regained it. She knew
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60 that if she fell in the snow, she would never get up again. “Kairi!”
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61 she yelled, but her cries barely made it to her own ears. ‘I never
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62 should have gotten her involved. She’s just a little girl. She’s
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63 going to get killed because of me. You should have gone back for Leon
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64 and Aerith instead of thinking you could do it all on your own with
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65 one girl and the Keyblade,’ she thought darkly. She blinked. ‘That
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66 doesn’t sound like me. This cold must be getting to me. I’ll find her
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67 and I’ll drag her off to some town. We’ll get nice and toasty there
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68 and then I can get back to becoming the richest, most famous ninja
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69 ever.’ She laughed weakly, trying to hold onto some glimmer of hope.
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70 ‘Just please, please let me find her before it’s too late.’
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71
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72 The snow seemed to roll on for an eternity before her, disappearing
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73 into the distance. Her weakening legs kept pushing her forward,
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74 though she was stumbling more and more often as the cold sapped her
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75 strength. She tried to keep thinking, but even that was becoming a
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76 chore. She just wanted to collapse, to lie down for a minute. But
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77 that would be a death sentence.
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78
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79 She had stopped wiping the snow away from her clothes. She just
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80 didn’t have the strength anymore. It was almost too much to just keep
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81 going. She wobbled, nearly dropping. ‘Just a bit further,’ she kept
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82 telling herself. ‘And she’ll be right there, right next to the
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83 entrance of some big town.’ Her vision blurred, her eyes having
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84 trouble focusing. But she couldn’t give up yet. There was still too
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85 much she had to do, too much to find, too much to have. There was too
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86 much to experience in life. And it would all be gone if she failed.
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87 If she didn’t find the girl, the Heartless would sweep across all the
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88 remaining worlds. And you couldn’t very well steal from anyone if
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89 there wasn’t anyone to steal from.
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90
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91 “You’re probably eating this up, Leon,” Yuffie said, her voice
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92 carried off by the wind. “Couldn’t do it on your own, Yuffie, you’d
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93 say. It was hopeless. But I’m not done yet. You just watch me. I’m
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94 gonna find that girl and I’m gonna drag her to some stupid town. And
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95 they’ll have a nice big fire and lots of food and big fur coats...”
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96 She trailed off, her thoughts becoming less and less coherent.
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97 “Actually, Leon’d probably just say ‘...’ or something. But that’s
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98 what he’d mean. The big depressing guy.” She moved a foot forward,
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99 struggling to move another step forward. “I really wish he and Aerith
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100 were here right now.” Another step. “But then they’d probably get mad
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101 at me for stealing anything. And then I’d... Tell them I was only...
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102 borrowing it..” Her foot refused to move, sending her collapsing face
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103 first into the snow. Her aching muscles didn’t feel like cooperating
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104 as she lay there, her whole body to exhausted. She would be blanketed
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105 by the snow and no one would ever find her.
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106
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107 “Meow!”
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108
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109 Yuffie lay there, her whole body feeling ice cold. She hoped this
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110 dying thing was quick. She was too weary to last all that long.
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111 ‘There better be a lot of shiny things in the Lifestream,’ she
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112 thought angrily. ‘If I’m gonna die, I might as well have something to
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113 occupy my time after I’m dead.’
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114
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115 “Meow!!”
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116
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117 It was closer now, right in front of her. The ninja struggled to
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118 open her eyes. She stared hazily at the kitten that had been with
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119 Kairi. It was nuzzling her nose, trying to keep her conscious. “Go
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120 away,” she said weakly, her eyes narrowing. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”
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121
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122 The kitten licked her cheek, pawing at her. “Meow!” it cried
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123 anxiously. Yuffie refused to move. After a moments pause, it swiped
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124 at her, sinking it’s claws into the ninja girl. It looked at her
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125 apologetically as she swore. Droplets of blood dripped down her cheek
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126 into the snow.
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127
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128 “You stupid little...” Yuffie glared at the kitten. But the sharp
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129 pain was something. It gave her a focus besides the overwhelming
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130 numbness. The kitten hopped off, heading over a hill. Yuffie weakly
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131 got back to her knees. It was trying to get her to follow it. “This
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132 better just be a little further!” She was cold and tired and
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133 exhausted. But the kitten was beckoning her. She stumbled up the
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134 slope, almost sliding back down. It took everything she had to make
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135 it to the top. Gazing down, she saw the kitten. It was sitting beside
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136 Kairi, the princess half covered in snow. It looked at her with
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137 desperate green eyes, pleading for help. “You found her... I take it
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138 back. I’ll help. Just give me a minute...” Taking a step forward,
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139 Yuffie’s legs finally gave up. Stumbling down the hill, end over end,
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140 she came to a rest next to Kairi. Her vision spun around her, her
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141 thoughts breaking apart. The last thing she could see was the kitten
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142 before the darkness devoured the white world around her.
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143
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144 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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145
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146
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147 Yuffie slowly came to some time later, her entire body aching.
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148 Everything in her mind felt blurry, far off. She was having trouble
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149 thinking clearly. She moaned weakly, rolling onto her side. It was
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150 with some surprise that she found a heavy blanket over herself. She
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151 blinked weary eyes, trying to force them into submission. Everything
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152 was still a blur, but it wasn’t a cold, white blur anymore. So she
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153 wasn’t lost out in the snow anymore. That was a good thing. She
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154 hoped.
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155
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156 “So you’re finally awake, huh?” a voice said from somewhere in front
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157 of Yuffie.
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158
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159 Struggling to find the speaker, Yuffie finally managed to spot a
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160 furry creature watching her from the other side of the room. The
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161 furry creature looked a little shorter than herself, but that didn’t
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162 make it any less ferocious, she decided. ‘It’s gonna eat us. It took
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163 us here out of the cold so it could have a nice warm snack,’ she
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164 thought in her delirious state of mind. The dizzy ninja forced
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165 herself to her feet. Upon standing, she found it to have been a bad
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166 idea all the way around. The world spun around her like a top spun by
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167 a careless child. The ground seemed to lurch underneath her. Her
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168 still weak muscles gave out and she fell forward. The furry monster
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169 caught her, sinking under the ninja’s weight, holding onto her.
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170
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171 “You need to rest! I don’t know how long you were out there, but you
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172 were both half frozen when we found you,” the voice stated, laying
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173 Yuffie back down gently and pulling the blanket back up around her.
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174
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175 Yuffie moaned again, her head swimming. “Both of us? Kairi’s here?”
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176 Yuffie tried to spot the princess, but her head ached with the
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177 effort.
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178
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179 The creature nodded. “If Kairi is the other girl who was collapsed
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180 in the snow, then yeah. Oh, and a kitten. It was curled up on you,
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181 trying to keep you warm. It was hard to drag you all back here.” The
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182 monster reached back, grabbing around the fur that shrouded its.
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183 Yuffie wondered what horrible visage the monster was hiding beneath
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184 it. Slowly pulling the fur back, it fell to the monsters back.
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185 Shaking its head, the ‘monster’ smiled cutely. It was a girl a little
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186 younger than Yuffie, probably fifteen or so. The fur was just a big
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187 coat that she was wearing which the ninja had mistaken for something
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188 else in her deluded state. Her hair was held up in a red and gold
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189 embroidered bandana, blonde wisps poking out here and there.
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190
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191 “You’re not a monster?” Yuffie asked dumbly.
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192
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193 The girl giggled, shaking her head. “Not since last I checked. Which
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194 could have been a while. No, I’m just a simple artist. My name’s Relm
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195 Arrowny. And this is Interceptor.” She motioned towards what Yuffie
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196 had thought was some monster skin rug. It got up, nuzzling Relm’s
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197 side. “I couldn’t have gotten you all here without him.”
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198
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199 Yuffie slowly sat up, waving the girl off when she tried to come
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200 over and make her lie down again. “Yuffie Kisaragi. I’m the greatest
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201 female ninja ever,” she stated decisively.
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202
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203 “A ninja?” The blonde girl clapped her hands together delightedly.
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204 “That’s great! My father was a ninja. He left Interceptor to protect
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205 me when he died. I was just a little girl at the time, so
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206 Interceptor’s been with me while I grew up. But I’ve always loved
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207 ninjas because of that. I was hoping I’d meet one someday.” She
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208 looked over at the dog, still smiling brightly. “Isn’t that great,
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209 Interceptor?”
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210
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211 The dog barked it’s agreement, fixing Yuffie with a steely gaze, as
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212 if to beware her of hurting his charge. Yuffie gazed back, dismissing
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213 the dog’s warning. She smiled herself, glad that the girl recognized
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214 someone of her obvious talents. “Well, it takes a lot of talent and a
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215 lot of will. Only a small handful can truly make it as a ninja. Your
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216 father must have been quite a man.” Yuffie stretched back, letting
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217 her muscles relax. She was slowly warming up. Her mind felt like it
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218 was starting to thaw, to let herself think clearly again. “Though I’m
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219 used to it running in the family. My dad was a ninja. And so was my
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220 mom. But you’re an artist?”
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221
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222 Relm shrugged, petting Interceptor absentmindedly. “I guess it’s not
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223 really my thing. Besides, I love art too much to give up on it. I
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224 probably wouldn’t make a very good ninja anyway.” Her eyes lit up
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225 again, watching Yuffie intently. “But I’ve always hoped one day a
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226 dashing ninja would show up in my life.”
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227
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228 Yuffie laughed nervously. “That’s great. I’m glad to help.” She was
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229 a little unnerved by the way the other girl was looking at her. The
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230 blanket slowly slipped down her shoulder, letting the warmth of the
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231 fire melt into the skin. She blinked as she slowly looked down. That
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232 felt a little different than the way one’s clothes would heat up when
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233 next to a fire. Sure enough, something was missing from the picture
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234 she saw. She yanked the blanket closed tightly, her cheeks darkening.
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235 “Where are my clothes?” she demanded.
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236
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237 “Drying. You were out in the snow for who knows how long. It was
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238 soaked through. I can’t have you catching pneumonia after rescuing
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239 you, you know,” Relm explained. “Don’t worry, Interceptor didn’t
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240 look. I had him start on supper.”
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241
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242 Yuffie blinked. How the hell did a dog make dinner? She would ask,
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243 but something else caught her eye. She had been attracted by the
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244 light of the fire only to find that there was no fire. In the center
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245 of the room was a painting of a fire up on an easel. It flickered and
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246 glowed just like the real thing. Even stranger, it was giving off the
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247 same heat of a real fire, warming the small room. Yuffie only stared
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248 for a long moment before her eyes finally ached from gazing into the
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249 flame.
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250
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251 “If you stare into the flame for too long, it stares back into you.
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252 Be careful,” Relm warned.
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253
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254 “How did you...?” Yuffie began, shaking her head.
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255
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256 The artist grinned, walking over and shifting the painting to warm
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257 the two rescued girls more. “Do you like it? I painted it. I told you
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258 that my talent seems to lie more with art. I try to bring things to
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259 life in my paintings.”
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260
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261 “That’s an understatement.” Yuffie watched the girl, still holding
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262 the blanket close. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.” The
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263 girl blushed under her praise. She looked around, trying to spot
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264 Kairi. “Kairi?”
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265
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rlm@2
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266 “I’m here. I’ve just been thinking,” Kairi’s voice came from behind
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rlm@2
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267 Yuffie.
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rlm@2
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268
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rlm@2
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269 The ninja turned, spotting Kairi lying on the floor, curled up in a
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rlm@2
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270 blanket. She was holding onto the kitten. The kitten still seemed to
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rlm@2
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271 be asleep. It had been exhausted, lasting a little longer than the
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rlm@2
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272 two girls. Yuffie sighed in relief. “You’re all right.”
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rlm@2
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273
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rlm@2
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274 Kairi didn’t answer. She certainly didn’t feel all right. Her mind
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rlm@2
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275 was still on that room she kept returning to and the voice behind the
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rlm@2
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276 door. She was set adrift in a sea of confusion, everything seeming to
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rlm@2
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277 conflict with everything else. She just wanted to make it go away.
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rlm@2
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278
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rlm@2
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279 The kitten’s ears perked up at Yuffie’s voice. The kitten blinked
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rlm@2
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280 it’s green eyes open, watching the ninja. It stood up to hurry to the
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rlm@2
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281 ninja. Looking up, it saw the distant look in Kairi’s eyes. The
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rlm@2
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282 kitten meowed, nuzzling the downtrodden girl, but it didn’t seem to
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rlm@2
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283 help. Curling up against Kairi, the kitten tried it’s best to help,
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rlm@2
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284 licking her cheek.
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rlm@2
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285
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rlm@2
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286 Kairi smiled softly, scratching under the kitten’s chin. “Thanks,
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rlm@2
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287 Jessie. I needed that.”
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rlm@2
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288
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rlm@2
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289 “I’m going to go try and get some potions from the shop. You could
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rlm@2
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290 probably both use it. So just try to rest up while I’m gone.” Relm
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rlm@2
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291 pulled the hood back over her head. “Don’t wear yourselves out. I’ll
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rlm@2
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292 be right back.” She waved at the two before disappearing out the door.
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rlm@2
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293
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rlm@2
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294 “Weird girl,” Yuffie thought out loud.
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rlm@2
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295
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rlm@2
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296 “Oh, don’t say that,” Kairi admonished the ninja. “She saved us
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rlm@2
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297 both. If it weren’t for her, we’d both be frozen solid by now.”
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rlm@2
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298
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rlm@2
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299 “I never said it was a bad thing that she’s weird.” Yuffie shrugged,
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rlm@2
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300 placing her hands behind her head as she stared up at the roof.
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rlm@2
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301
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rlm@2
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302 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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rlm@2
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303
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rlm@2
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304 “Isn’t this great, Interceptor? It’s just like when mom met dad!”
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rlm@2
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305 Relm giggled, hopping giddily down to the snowy street from the
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rlm@2
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306 partially raised curb. “He was injured when mom found him and she
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rlm@2
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307 nursed him back to health, falling in love with the mysterious ninja
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rlm@2
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308 while he healed. It must be Fate! I came across an injured ninja and
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rlm@2
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309 now I’m nursing her back to health.”
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rlm@2
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310
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rlm@2
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311 The dog followed along faithfully, not quite sure what he thought
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rlm@2
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312 about the situation. But nevertheless, he thought it best not to rain
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rlm@2
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313 on his charge’s parade. He simply barked agreement.
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rlm@2
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314
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rlm@2
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315 Relm hurried across the snowy street. “And she’s so cute, too! And
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rlm@2
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316 did you hear what she said? The greatest female ninja ever. How
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rlm@2
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317 cool!” She sighed dreamily, titling her head to the side. “Do you
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rlm@2
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318 believe in love at first sight, Interceptor?”
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rlm@2
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319
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rlm@2
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320 The dog barked noncommittally, following the perky artist. What
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rlm@2
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321 would his old master think about all this? Monsters and thieves the
|
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rlm@2
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322 dog could protect Relm from. But love? This was uncharted territory
|
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rlm@2
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323 for the faithful guardian.
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rlm@2
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324
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rlm@2
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325 “Now I just need to nurse her back to health and we’ll fall in love
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rlm@2
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326 and live happily ever after. Just like mom and dad. But without the
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rlm@2
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327 whole mutually dying part.” Relm looked over when Interceptor barked.
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rlm@2
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328 “What about her friend? Well, she’ll have to find her own ninja. This
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rlm@2
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329 one’s mine.” She crossed her arms, turning the corner to the shop.
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rlm@2
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330 And froze dead in her tracks. Down the street, something was heading
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rlm@2
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331 into town. Three somethings, to be exact. The lurched forward like
|
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rlm@2
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332 huge, lumbering beasts. A person sat atop each one. Two were imperial
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rlm@2
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333 soldiers and the other was a green haired woman in a red dress.
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rlm@2
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334 “Imperial soldiers!” Bolting back around the corner, Relm and
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rlm@2
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335 Interceptor raced back to the house as the first gunshots were fired
|
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rlm@2
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336 by the town’s guards. Visions of a town in flames returned unbidden
|
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rlm@2
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337 to the young artist. ‘Relm, run!!’ her grandfather had commanded her
|
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rlm@2
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338 before turning to meet the Imperial onslaught. Crystal tears fell as
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rlm@2
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339 she ran. She couldn’t let that happen again.
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rlm@2
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340
|
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rlm@2
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341 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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rlm@2
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342
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rlm@2
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343 Yuffie sighed, pulling her small green top back on. It seemed like
|
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rlm@2
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344 it had dried quite some time ago. Sitting on a small stool that Relm
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rlm@2
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345 used for painting, she pulled her stockings back on. “I still can’t
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rlm@2
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346 believe she can draw that well. My drawings look like stick figures.”
|
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rlm@2
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347
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rlm@2
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348 Kairi giggled, her back to Yuffie as she pulled on her own clothes.
|
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rlm@2
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349 “You’re a ninja, right? So why do you care if you can’t draw?”
|
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rlm@2
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350 Pulling on her white blouse over her black one, she turned to Yuffie.
|
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rlm@2
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351 “And it doesn’t matter if you can’t draw. It’s what you draw. And
|
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rlm@2
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352 what it means to you. I think even stick figures can be beautiful if
|
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rlm@2
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353 your hearts behind it.” Her eyes were distant, her mind elsewhere.
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rlm@2
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354 She remembered the secret place on their island, just a small cave
|
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rlm@2
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355 hidden away on it. But inside, she, Riku, and Sora had drawn so many
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rlm@2
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356 pictures. One she hadn’t seen until Sora had disappeared was one of
|
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rlm@2
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357 her sharing a Paopu fruit with him. It hadn’t been the best drawing,
|
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rlm@2
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358 but it was gorgeous to her because of what it meant.
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rlm@2
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359
|
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rlm@2
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360 The ninja shook her head, unconvinced. “Stick figures aren’t my idea
|
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rlm@2
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361 of ‘beautiful’. Those,” she said, indicating the stacks of paintings
|
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rlm@2
|
362 in the corner, “are beautiful.”
|
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rlm@2
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363
|
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rlm@2
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364 “Just try drawing again sometime, Yuffie. If it’s something
|
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rlm@2
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365 important to you, then it will be gorgeous no matter how badly you
|
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rlm@2
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366 draw,” Kairi prompted, smiling. It would be nice to see what was
|
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rlm@2
|
367 important to the ninja.
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rlm@2
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368
|
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rlm@2
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369 Yuffie tilted her head to the side thoughtfully, imagining what
|
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rlm@2
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370 she’d draw. She could see it in her mind, a stick figure of herself
|
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rlm@2
|
371 surrounded by treasure and materia. She shook her head, dismissing
|
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rlm@2
|
372 the thought. “I think I’ll leave the drawing up to Relm and stick
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rlm@2
|
373 with what I’m good at.”
|
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rlm@2
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374
|
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rlm@2
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375 “And what would that be?” Kairi asked curiously, buckling her belt.
|
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rlm@2
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376
|
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rlm@2
|
377 “Too much,” Yuffie said, grinning. The two laughed, relaxed for the
|
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rlm@2
|
378 first time since they had seen the Heartless show up back in Traverse
|
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rlm@2
|
379 Town. But that all fell away to the distant sounds of gunshots. And
|
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rlm@2
|
380 something louder, more explosive. Yuffie glanced to the door. “What
|
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rlm@2
|
381 was that?”
|
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rlm@2
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382
|
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rlm@2
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383 Kairi picked up the kitten, walking towards the door. She nearly
|
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rlm@2
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384 fell backwards when the door whipped open in front of her.
|
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rlm@2
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385
|
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rlm@2
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386 “Imperial soldiers! They’re riding Magitek Armor! We need to get out
|
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rlm@2
|
387 of here!” Relm said, panting. Her face was pale, frightened. Memories
|
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rlm@2
|
388 of another Imperial raid were still branded on her soul. The thought
|
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rlm@2
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389 of another one almost paralyzed her.
|
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rlm@2
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390
|
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rlm@2
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391 Yuffie picked up her overly large shuriken, standing up. “Imperial
|
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rlm@2
|
392 soldiers?”
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rlm@2
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393
|
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rlm@2
|
394 Kairi bit her lip. She was the Keyblade Mistress. She probably
|
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rlm@2
|
395 wasn’t supposed to interfere, but she couldn’t help but think that
|
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rlm@2
|
396 there had to be something she could do to help on this world. She
|
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rlm@2
|
397 couldn’t just ignore it. What good was stopping the Heartless if
|
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rlm@2
|
398 people were getting hurt by other people anyway? She looked up at the
|
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rlm@2
|
399 ninja and the painter. “Maybe we can stop them. Sora helped a lot of
|
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rlm@2
|
400 people with the Keyblade. Maybe I can, too. I can’t fight like him,
|
|
rlm@2
|
401 but there has to be some way we can help. You saved us, Relm. We
|
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rlm@2
|
402 can’t let them tear apart your city.”
|
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rlm@2
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403
|
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rlm@2
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404 Relm shook her head swiftly. “No time. We’ve gotta run. They’ll burn
|
|
rlm@2
|
405 this place to the ground. There’s nothing we can do about it.” The
|
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rlm@2
|
406 artist was nearly shaking. Her knees felt weak. ‘Relm!’ she heard her
|
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rlm@2
|
407 grandfather call out in her mind, seeing him amidst the flames. She
|
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rlm@2
|
408 was having trouble distinguishing between the past and the present.
|
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rlm@2
|
409 All she knew was the fear of being a little girl and having her only
|
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rlm@2
|
410 family taken away, her town gutted by flame. She barely felt Yuffie’s
|
|
rlm@2
|
411 hands on her shoulders, the ninja’s eyes gazing into her own. But
|
|
rlm@2
|
412 they gave her something in the present to anchor on to. She slowly
|
|
rlm@2
|
413 pulled herself back to the here and now.
|
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rlm@2
|
414
|
|
rlm@2
|
415 “Relm, we need your help. If you don’t think we can stop them, then
|
|
rlm@2
|
416 let’s just get the hell out of here. We can’t do anything if we’re
|
|
rlm@2
|
417 all dead. We’ll figure something out when we’re far away from here,”
|
|
rlm@2
|
418 Yuffie promised, squeezing the younger girl’s shoulders. Relm nodded
|
|
rlm@2
|
419 slowly. “Good. Then let’s get out of here as fast as we can.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
420
|
|
rlm@2
|
421 “But Yuffie..!” Kairi complained, holding her Keyblade. It didn’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
422 seem fair that this girl had found them and yet they could do nothing
|
|
rlm@2
|
423 for her in return. “We have to try, don’t we?”
|
|
rlm@2
|
424
|
|
rlm@2
|
425 “Sometimes you’ve got to live and come back with a little more
|
|
rlm@2
|
426 firepower, princess,” Yuffie explained. “Come on.” She opened the
|
|
rlm@2
|
427 door, dashing out into the lightly falling snow, dragging Relm behind
|
|
rlm@2
|
428 her.
|
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rlm@2
|
429
|
|
rlm@2
|
430 Kairi followed, still holding the kitten. She didn’t feel good about
|
|
rlm@2
|
431 this choice, but if she didn’t have Yuffie’s help then she didn’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
432 know what good she could do on her own.
|
|
rlm@2
|
433
|
|
rlm@2
|
434 “This way!” Relm tugged on Yuffie’s hand, pulling her towards a back
|
|
rlm@2
|
435 alley. The snow crunched underneath their feet as they ran towards
|
|
rlm@2
|
436 it. Relm didn’t want to leave Narche behind. It had been a good
|
|
rlm@2
|
437 refuge. And it had been a beautiful place to paint, the snow making
|
|
rlm@2
|
438 for wonderful paintings. But she had seen what the Imperial Army
|
|
rlm@2
|
439 could do. Staying was suicide. They neared the alley, hand in hand.
|
|
rlm@2
|
440 “There are mines all around here. We’ll disappear into one of them
|
|
rlm@2
|
441 and find another way out away from town,” Relm explained. But before
|
|
rlm@2
|
442 they could reach the alley, something bright streaked in front of
|
|
rlm@2
|
443 Relm, slamming into the ground in front of them. The shock wave sent
|
|
rlm@2
|
444 her flying back. She hit into the snow hard, Yuffie landing on her
|
|
rlm@2
|
445 feet next to her. “Magic...” she said warily.
|
|
rlm@2
|
446
|
|
rlm@2
|
447 Yuffie turned to face the looming metal monsters heading towards
|
|
rlm@2
|
448 them. “I guess we’ll have to fight them after all. We’ll get to do
|
|
rlm@2
|
449 you good deed, Kairi,” Yuffie cast a quick glance to Kairi before
|
|
rlm@2
|
450 pulling up her shuriken. She didn’t like the look of the strange
|
|
rlm@2
|
451 machines or their riders, but there was nowhere for them to run. And
|
|
rlm@2
|
452 with her party consisted of a girl with a key who couldn’t fight and
|
|
rlm@2
|
453 a painter. Things weren’t particularly looking up.
|
|
rlm@2
|
454
|
|
rlm@2
|
455 The three metal giants finally came to a stop in front of the three
|
|
rlm@2
|
456 girls and their pets, dwarfing them. One of the men on other side of
|
|
rlm@2
|
457 the green haired woman spoke up. “By Imperial decree, give us the Key
|
|
rlm@2
|
458 bearer. She will return with us.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
459
|
|
rlm@2
|
460 “Or we’ll wipe out the town. She’s coming with us either way, so...”
|
|
rlm@2
|
461 the other man said, shrugging.
|
|
rlm@2
|
462
|
|
rlm@2
|
463 The first man leant over, whispering to his friend. But with the
|
|
rlm@2
|
464 distance between them, he had to whisper loud enough for the girls to
|
|
rlm@2
|
465 hear him. “That sounds pretty spooky, Biggs. I’d sure agree to those
|
|
rlm@2
|
466 highly reasonable demands if someone told me that.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
467
|
|
rlm@2
|
468 “Oh, definitely. I’d probably thank them for the offer in the first
|
|
rlm@2
|
469 place. I mean, that or losing the whole town.” Biggs pretended to
|
|
rlm@2
|
470 weigh the issue in his hands. “No contest, you know, Wedge.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
471
|
|
rlm@2
|
472 “Don’t I know it! And with this powerful lady with us, too. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
473 wiped out 30 Magitek soldiers in under three minutes. Just think what
|
|
rlm@2
|
474 that kind of firepower could do to a town. I sure am glad she has a
|
|
rlm@2
|
475 Slave Crown on her head, keeping all conscious thought from her so
|
|
rlm@2
|
476 that she’s on our side,” Wedge said, nodding.
|
|
rlm@2
|
477
|
|
rlm@2
|
478 “Excuse me? Are you two possibly done?!” Yuffie shouted, exasperated.
|
|
rlm@2
|
479
|
|
rlm@2
|
480 Biggs shrugged. “Hey, it was all for your benefit. Just trying to
|
|
rlm@2
|
481 give you a grasp on the situation. I’m sorry for being helpful.” He
|
|
rlm@2
|
482 crossed his arms.
|
|
rlm@2
|
483
|
|
rlm@2
|
484 “Yeah, if you wanted us to just take the girl, you could’ve said as
|
|
rlm@2
|
485 much. It just means more work I’ve got to do.” Wedge sighed. “Well,
|
|
rlm@2
|
486 more work she has to do, at any rate.” He looked over at the green
|
|
rlm@2
|
487 haired woman. “Okay, go ahead and kill them,” he said casually.
|
|
rlm@2
|
488
|
|
rlm@2
|
489 “What?!” Yuffie stepped back, pulling up her large shuriken.
|
|
rlm@2
|
490
|
|
rlm@2
|
491 The green haired woman grabbed the controls, her Magitek Armor
|
|
rlm@2
|
492 moving forward, charging up for its attack. Under the mind control of
|
|
rlm@2
|
493 her Slave Crown, she could do nothing but follow orders. Even if it
|
|
rlm@2
|
494 meant killing innocents. Energy lit up the front of her armor, it
|
|
rlm@2
|
495 gathering to wipe out the ninja that dare confront her.
|
|
rlm@2
|
496
|
|
rlm@2
|
497 “Wait! I’ll give myself up! Just don’t hurt them!” Kairi cried out,
|
|
rlm@2
|
498 waving her arms in the air. She couldn’t let them get hurt. It was
|
|
rlm@2
|
499 her fault that these people were even here. If they hurt anyone, she
|
|
rlm@2
|
500 wouldn’t be able to forgive herself. She had to give herself up. Even
|
|
rlm@2
|
501 if it meant the end of her quest. ‘I’m sorry, Riku, Sora. But I can’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
502 let anyone get hurt because of me.’ She stepped forward. But the
|
|
rlm@2
|
503 woman took no notice, still intent on Yuffie. “No!!” Kairi screamed
|
|
rlm@2
|
504 as the magical blast shot out towards the ninja. Kairi felt it zip
|
|
rlm@2
|
505 past, its energy enough to send her sprawling to the floor.
|
|
rlm@2
|
506
|
|
rlm@2
|
507 Yuffie’s eyes widened as the bolt shot towards her, far too large to
|
|
rlm@2
|
508 dodge. She could only stare at the bluish white magic as it headed
|
|
rlm@2
|
509 towards her. Was this the end? After all she had been through, to get
|
|
rlm@2
|
510 killed by some magical mechanical beast? She refused to believe that.
|
|
rlm@2
|
511 She couldn’t die now.
|
|
rlm@2
|
512
|
|
rlm@2
|
513 Relm tried to get to Yuffie, to push her out of the way, but she
|
|
rlm@2
|
514 couldn’t reach her in time. She had hurt her ankle in the fall and
|
|
rlm@2
|
515 pain jolted through her when she tried to get to her feet. She could
|
|
rlm@2
|
516 only watch in horror. She had saved the ninja girl only to watch her
|
|
rlm@2
|
517 die at the hands of the Imperial Army. Must they take everything from
|
|
rlm@2
|
518 her? Her heart stopped in her chest.
|
|
rlm@2
|
519
|
|
rlm@2
|
520 The magic pulled up right before hitting Yuffie, plowing into
|
|
rlm@2
|
521 something else. The three girls looked to see a woman dressed in
|
|
rlm@2
|
522 yellow, a cape billowing behind her, a sword upraised. The magic
|
|
rlm@2
|
523 swirled around the blade before disappearing.
|
|
rlm@2
|
524
|
|
rlm@2
|
525 The ninja nearly collapsed in relief, her heart pounding heavily in
|
|
rlm@2
|
526 her chest. That one had been just a little too close. She watched the
|
|
rlm@2
|
527 older woman hurry past her, her sword held in front of her. “Need any
|
|
rlm@2
|
528 help?” she asked, watching the huge machines awaiting the woman. It
|
|
rlm@2
|
529 didn’t look like a very fair fight.
|
|
rlm@2
|
530
|
|
rlm@2
|
531 “Get Relm out of here. And the girl with the Key. You can’t let
|
|
rlm@2
|
532 Kefka get his hands on it. If he does, he’ll destroy everything,” the
|
|
rlm@2
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533 blonde woman stated without looking back.
|
|
rlm@2
|
534
|
|
rlm@2
|
535 “Celes!” Relm called out. “Don’t!” She saw Strago standing before
|
|
rlm@2
|
536 her again, urging her to run before heading off to face his own death
|
|
rlm@2
|
537 at the hands of the Imperial soldiers. Celes had been lost herself, a
|
|
rlm@2
|
538 former Magitek Knight who had been imprisoned. A thief had helped her
|
|
rlm@2
|
539 escape and she had been wandering ever since. She had found the young
|
|
rlm@2
|
540 and lost Relm and taken her to the mining city of Narche. They had
|
|
rlm@2
|
541 thought themselves safe from the Empire there, but apparently that
|
|
rlm@2
|
542 peace wasn’t to last. And now Relm was faced with the same situation
|
|
rlm@2
|
543 she had years ago when her grandfather had died. “Come with us,
|
|
rlm@2
|
544 Celes!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
545
|
|
rlm@2
|
546 The blonde woman shook her head, raising her sword again. “I can’t,
|
|
rlm@2
|
547 Relm. I have to stop them. Run. Somewhere far away. Somewhere where
|
|
rlm@2
|
548 there is no Empire. Where you can be free. Paint a picture of that
|
|
rlm@2
|
549 beautiful place for me, Relm. I’ll look over your shoulder while you
|
|
rlm@2
|
550 paint it, I promise.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
551
|
|
rlm@2
|
552 “But..!!” Relm began. Interceptor bit at her coat, dragging her
|
|
rlm@2
|
553 back. “Celes!” she called out again, she could barely get herself to
|
|
rlm@2
|
554 move. Tears brimmed at her eyes. She couldn’t leave behind someone
|
|
rlm@2
|
555 again. “I’ll help you!” she pleaded, trying to reach Celes.
|
|
rlm@2
|
556 Interceptor pulled harder, dragging her back in the snow. Yuffie
|
|
rlm@2
|
557 finally grabbed a hold of her, yanking her along. “Celes!!”
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|
rlm@2
|
558
|
|
rlm@2
|
559 Kairi followed, but her heart was low in her chest. ‘You always run
|
|
rlm@2
|
560 away, Kairi,’ she could practically hear the voice taunting. And it
|
|
rlm@2
|
561 was true. How often did she run away, unable to fight her own
|
|
rlm@2
|
562 battles? How often did she run away from her problems? And now she
|
|
rlm@2
|
563 was again. Because a woman was willing to sacrifice herself to cover
|
|
rlm@2
|
564 their retreat. And so she ran, escaping her problems once more. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
565 felt so weak. How could Sora and Riku count on her to find them if
|
|
rlm@2
|
566 she was always running away?
|
|
rlm@2
|
567
|
|
rlm@2
|
568 Celes watched the three mechanical beasts before her. She was
|
|
rlm@2
|
569 horribly outgunned. But such was life. Sometimes it wasn’t about
|
|
rlm@2
|
570 winning or losing a battle. It was about a battle worth fighting. And
|
|
rlm@2
|
571 to protect Relm and her world, this battle was certainly worth
|
|
rlm@2
|
572 fighting. Even if the outcome was predetermined. She would gladly
|
|
rlm@2
|
573 give her life for it. Snow fell around her. “It’s so beautiful.” She
|
|
rlm@2
|
574 whispered. Light started pouring forth from the Magitek Armors before
|
|
rlm@2
|
575 her. Running forward, she lifted her blade.
|
|
rlm@2
|
576
|
|
rlm@2
|
577 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
rlm@2
|
578
|
|
rlm@2
|
579 Yuffie had to drag a struggling Relm down the snowy street, trying
|
|
rlm@2
|
580 desperately to keep a hold on her. If Relm ran off, she would end up
|
|
rlm@2
|
581 right in the middle of a battle they couldn’t possibly win. They
|
|
rlm@2
|
582 needed to get as far away as they could. Thankfully, Interceptor
|
|
rlm@2
|
583 seemed to be leading the way. She and Kairi followed the dog, running
|
|
rlm@2
|
584 as quickly as they could in the snow.
|
|
rlm@2
|
585
|
|
rlm@2
|
586 “Yuffie,” Kairi said, pulling to a stop. Yuffie looked at her
|
|
rlm@2
|
587 quizzically, stopping herself. Relm struggled, but Yuffie kept her
|
|
rlm@2
|
588 restrained. “We have to go back. We can’t let her fight them alone.
|
|
rlm@2
|
589 They’ll destroy the city.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
590
|
|
rlm@2
|
591 “There’s nothing we can do, Kairi. I don’t have a death wish. If we
|
|
rlm@2
|
592 go get back there, the city’s still going to get destroyed. The only
|
|
rlm@2
|
593 difference is that we’ll be lying there dead, too. You said it
|
|
rlm@2
|
594 yourself, you can’t fight. What could we possibly hope to do against
|
|
rlm@2
|
595 those monsters?” Yuffie argued, still holding onto the distraught
|
|
rlm@2
|
596 painter.
|
|
rlm@2
|
597
|
|
rlm@2
|
598 Kairi looked back towards where they had come from, hearing the
|
|
rlm@2
|
599 sounds of magic and machines. Her shoulders slumped, her head slowly
|
|
rlm@2
|
600 nodding. “You’re right.” ‘You always run, Kairi,’ repeated in her
|
|
rlm@2
|
601 mind over and over again. And she was doing it all over again. Maybe
|
|
rlm@2
|
602 the voice had been right after all.
|
|
rlm@2
|
603
|
|
rlm@2
|
604 “If it helps any, I certainly don’t intend to let you go anywhere.
|
|
rlm@2
|
605 And I would have burned the town even if you’d surrendered yourself,”
|
|
rlm@2
|
606 a voice said behind them. The three girls turned to see a man in a
|
|
rlm@2
|
607 strange, elaborate outfit. He had red markings on his face. He smiled
|
|
rlm@2
|
608 slowly. “It looks like I’ve finally found the Keyblade Mistress.
|
|
rlm@2
|
609 You’ll be coming with me.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
610
|
|
rlm@2
|
611 “The hell she is!” Yuffie let go of Relm, flinging a shuriken at the
|
|
rlm@2
|
612 man. It whipped through the air before hitting into a protective
|
|
rlm@2
|
613 barrier in front of him. It bounced off, falling harmlessly to the
|
|
rlm@2
|
614 floor.
|
|
rlm@2
|
615
|
|
rlm@2
|
616 “You’ve got what you wanted! Call off the attack!” Relm demanded,
|
|
rlm@2
|
617 hope still lingering that it wasn’t too late to save Celes.
|
|
rlm@2
|
618
|
|
rlm@2
|
619 The man laughed maniacally, shaking his head. “Decimate the town.
|
|
rlm@2
|
620 Kill all the townsfolk,” he ordered. “Especially the Magitek Knight.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
621
|
|
rlm@2
|
622 “You bastard!” Relm cried out, tears and rage mixing inside of her
|
|
rlm@2
|
623 as she saw the troops hurrying off to fulfil his order. The man
|
|
rlm@2
|
624 simply laughed as the tears dripped down her cheeks.
|
|
rlm@2
|
625
|
|
rlm@2
|
626 Interceptor could only watch Relm’s anguish for so long. Growling
|
|
rlm@2
|
627 angrily, he leapt at the man, intent on ripping his throat out.
|
|
rlm@2
|
628 Anyone who could cause such grief for his young mistress deserved a
|
|
rlm@2
|
629 harsh death. But it was not to be so. With a wave of his hand, a
|
|
rlm@2
|
630 block of ice appeared, slamming into Interceptor. The dog whimpered,
|
|
rlm@2
|
631 slumping in the snow.
|
|
rlm@2
|
632
|
|
rlm@2
|
633 “Interceptor!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
634
|
|
rlm@2
|
635 Yuffie lunged forward, gripping her large shuriken. She couldn’t let
|
|
rlm@2
|
636 him take Kairi. Kairi was their only chance to save everyone from the
|
|
rlm@2
|
637 Heartless. And it was Yuffie’s job to make sure that Kairi made it
|
|
rlm@2
|
638 through all this. She swept her shuriken at the man’s head, but it
|
|
rlm@2
|
639 merely rebounded off of his barrier, knocking her hand back.
|
|
rlm@2
|
640
|
|
rlm@2
|
641 Slowly raising his hand, the man grinned. “Leave them all alone!
|
|
rlm@2
|
642 I’ll go with you!” Kairi yelled. But he ignored her. Concentrating,
|
|
rlm@2
|
643 he called down lightning, striking all three girls. After a bright
|
|
rlm@2
|
644 flash of light, they all lay barely breathing in the snow. “Take them
|
|
rlm@2
|
645 back to the palace,” he told one of his troops. “I have plans for the
|
|
rlm@2
|
646 Keyblade Mistress.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
647
|
|
rlm@2
|
648 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
rlm@2
|
649
|
|
rlm@2
|
650 Kairi slowly came to, her world filled with pain. She moaned, her
|
|
rlm@2
|
651 head buzzing shrilly. She tried to glance around, to see where she
|
|
rlm@2
|
652 was, but some hair fell in front of her eyes. She reached forward to
|
|
rlm@2
|
653 push it away, but something tugged at her hand, jingling as it did.
|
|
rlm@2
|
654 Looking down quickly, she could see her that her wrists were chained
|
|
rlm@2
|
655 to the wall. Even that exertion sent new pain spiraling throughout
|
|
rlm@2
|
656 her body. Her head slumped forward, feeling defeated. How could she
|
|
rlm@2
|
657 ever hope to find Sora and Riku now? All she had managed to do was
|
|
rlm@2
|
658 get a town destroyed and get herself kidnapped by someone wanting the
|
|
rlm@2
|
659 Keyblade. She sniffled, trying to blink back tears. What good had she
|
|
rlm@2
|
660 done? Sora had helped so many people when he had been searching for
|
|
rlm@2
|
661 her. All she managed to do was hurt everyone she came across. Now
|
|
rlm@2
|
662 she’d never see Riku or Sora again. That thought brought a chilling
|
|
rlm@2
|
663 emptiness inside of her. She needed them. She didn’t know what to do
|
|
rlm@2
|
664 without them. Those two boys meant everything to her. They were why
|
|
rlm@2
|
665 she had ventured out in the first place. But she had failed them.
|
|
rlm@2
|
666 Tears dripped down her chin, falling to her bare legs below. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
667 couldn’t even wipe her tears away, her hands not reaching far enough
|
|
rlm@2
|
668 because of the chains.
|
|
rlm@2
|
669
|
|
rlm@2
|
670 “Don’t cry, Kairi,” someone said in the cell. “And don’t give up. It
|
|
rlm@2
|
671 doesn’t suit you. Where’s that strong, unbreakable will of yours? You
|
|
rlm@2
|
672 can’t lose it now.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
673
|
|
rlm@2
|
674 That voice... Kairi looked up, her hair falling away from her eyes.
|
|
rlm@2
|
675 Her tear stained eyes met Riku’s aquamarine orbs. “Riku! Is.. Is that
|
|
rlm@2
|
676 you?”
|
|
rlm@2
|
677
|
|
rlm@2
|
678 Riku knelt in front of her, smiling faintly. With his gloved hands,
|
|
rlm@2
|
679 he began to wipe her tears away. “Kairi, as long as you don’t give
|
|
rlm@2
|
680 up, it won’t ever be over. You can conquer anything. Your heart is
|
|
rlm@2
|
681 stronger than mine and Sora’s.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
682
|
|
rlm@2
|
683 Resting her cheek against his gloved hand, Kairi gazed at Riku. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
684 was afraid he would disappear if she looked away. His touch helped
|
|
rlm@2
|
685 reassure her, her battered soul clinging to it. “But I can’t do it
|
|
rlm@2
|
686 alone. I need the two of you, Riku. I’m not strong enough on my own.
|
|
rlm@2
|
687 You and Sora... You complete me. I’m lost without you.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
688
|
|
rlm@2
|
689 Riku smiled, stroking her cheek gently. “You’ll always have us with
|
|
rlm@2
|
690 you, Kairi. Remember that. No matter how far apart we are, our hearts
|
|
rlm@2
|
691 will always be together.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
692
|
|
rlm@2
|
693 “But I need you, Riku.” She whispered, tears brimming at her eyes
|
|
rlm@2
|
694 again. “I miss you both so much. And I’m so scared. I don’t know
|
|
rlm@2
|
695 what’s real anymore. I don’t understand. I just want to be with you
|
|
rlm@2
|
696 and Sora on the Destiny Islands again.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
697
|
|
rlm@2
|
698 “Kairi,” Riku said softly, looking into her eyes. “I want that, too.
|
|
rlm@2
|
699 But you’re the only one who can make it a reality.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
700
|
|
rlm@2
|
701 Kairi nodded, sniffling. “I’ll do whatever I can, Riku. I’ll find
|
|
rlm@2
|
702 both of you, wherever you are. We’ll all be together again. Forever.
|
|
rlm@2
|
703 Because..” She blinked back more tears, watching him. He slowly began
|
|
rlm@2
|
704 to fade away, the wind blowing away what sparkles of his beautiful
|
|
rlm@2
|
705 eyes remained. “Because.. I love you..” she whispered, closing her
|
|
rlm@2
|
706 eyes tightly as a fresh wave of tears hit her. She cried quietly,
|
|
rlm@2
|
707 chained to the wall in some dungeon. But even feeling lost and
|
|
rlm@2
|
708 desolate, there was some light in the darkness. She knew that she had
|
|
rlm@2
|
709 to find her friends. That she wouldn’t allow herself to stop until
|
|
rlm@2
|
710 they were back together. Even if it took an eternity across countless
|
|
rlm@2
|
711 worlds. Yes, she was captured. But that seemed insignificant. It
|
|
rlm@2
|
712 couldn’t stop her from being with Riku and Sora again. Riku was gone
|
|
rlm@2
|
713 again. But he was out there, somewhere. And as long as she had that
|
|
rlm@2
|
714 hope, she could keep going. No matter what happened, there was always
|
|
rlm@2
|
715 hope.
|
|
rlm@2
|
716
|
|
rlm@2
|
717 “Kairi, we’ll get out of this,” Yuffie spoke up. She had only been
|
|
rlm@2
|
718 awake a short time, but she could see that Kairi had been crying
|
|
rlm@2
|
719 pretty heavily. Thought she didn’t know how they would, she couldn’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
720 just let the princess cry so helplessly. From the look of things,
|
|
rlm@2
|
721 Relm was completely out of it. Her eyes were open, but she didn’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
722 seem to see anything, as if she were someplace else. Yuffie didn’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
723 know whether that was a good or bad thing.
|
|
rlm@2
|
724
|
|
rlm@2
|
725 “I know,” Kairi replied. She slowly looked up, her eyes sparkling
|
|
rlm@2
|
726 with unshed tears. She was smiling softly. “Because we have to.
|
|
rlm@2
|
727 Because they’re waiting for me.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
728
|
|
rlm@2
|
729 “I’m afraid they’ll have to wait for quite some time. I don’t plan
|
|
rlm@2
|
730 on giving you up until I’ve squeezed every ounce of usefulness out of
|
|
rlm@2
|
731 you.” The door slid open, the man from before returning. Yuffie
|
|
rlm@2
|
732 glared at him hatefully, but it only amused him. He bowed. “Allow me
|
|
rlm@2
|
733 to introduce myself. I am Kefka.” Standing up, he walked over to
|
|
rlm@2
|
734 Kairi. He cupped her chin, forcing her head one way and then the
|
|
rlm@2
|
735 other as if inspecting her. “Not quite what I expected. But I don’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
736 think Sephiroth was wrong about you. Of course, I was supposed to
|
|
rlm@2
|
737 bring you to him. But I have other ideas.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
738
|
|
rlm@2
|
739 Kairi yanked her head away, hitting it against the hard wall behind
|
|
rlm@2
|
740 her. A small flare of pain ignited in her head, forcing her eyes
|
|
rlm@2
|
741 closed. “What do you want from me?” she asked angrily.
|
|
rlm@2
|
742
|
|
rlm@2
|
743 “You’re the Keyblade Mistress. Only you can wield that Keyblade. So
|
|
rlm@2
|
744 you’re integral to keeping the multiverse together. Or,” he smiled,
|
|
rlm@2
|
745 “tearing it apart. I prefer the latter.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
746
|
|
rlm@2
|
747 “Why would I help you? I’d never let the Heartless destroy all of
|
|
rlm@2
|
748 the beautiful worlds out there.” Kairi stared up at him, wishing she
|
|
rlm@2
|
749 could sound more intimidating than she felt.
|
|
rlm@2
|
750
|
|
rlm@2
|
751 “You won’t have a choice. I’ll use you and the Keyblade to find a
|
|
rlm@2
|
752 way to tear everything apart. To create and everlasting monument to
|
|
rlm@2
|
753 oblivion. A shrine that everyone and no one will be a part of,” Kefka
|
|
rlm@2
|
754 explained. He clapped his hands, the green haired woman entering. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
755 held a small crown in her hands, the same as the one on her own head.
|
|
rlm@2
|
756 “This is Terra. She’s the most powerful magic user I’ve ever found.
|
|
rlm@2
|
757 She didn’t feel like helping me either, even though her magic is most
|
|
rlm@2
|
758 beneficial. So I’ve given her a Slave Crown. And all of her magical
|
|
rlm@2
|
759 potential is at my disposal. I’ll simply do the same with you. I
|
|
rlm@2
|
760 don’t care about Sephiroth’s plan. He’ll become a part of the
|
|
rlm@2
|
761 nothingness I will create. And you will help me to achieve that. My
|
|
rlm@2
|
762 willing servant, the Keyblade Mistress.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
763
|
|
rlm@2
|
764 Kairi shook her head, struggling with the chains. Her heart raced
|
|
rlm@2
|
765 inside of her. She’d seen what Terra was capable of under the
|
|
rlm@2
|
766 influence of the Slave Crown. That would put her in a world without
|
|
rlm@2
|
767 hope, a puppet to be used by this madman. She couldn’t let that
|
|
rlm@2
|
768 happen. But she was powerless to stop it.
|
|
rlm@2
|
769
|
|
rlm@2
|
770 Kefka grinned, turning to look at Relm. “I’m sure you can appreciate
|
|
rlm@2
|
771 that. You’re an artist. Think of it as the greatest work of art.
|
|
rlm@2
|
772 Absolutely nothing. There’s always something. And it only manages to
|
|
rlm@2
|
773 clutter things up. There’s too much out there. So I will wipe the
|
|
rlm@2
|
774 board clean. And that will be my masterpiece. I’m sure you’ll
|
|
rlm@2
|
775 appreciate it. Celes is probably waiting for it right now. Terra did
|
|
rlm@2
|
776 an excellent job of killing your friend. So don’t worry. You’ll see
|
|
rlm@2
|
777 her again soon.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
778
|
|
rlm@2
|
779 That finally broke through to Relm. She struggled viciously against
|
|
rlm@2
|
780 her bonds, trying to get to her feet. Her eyes were stained red from
|
|
rlm@2
|
781 all of her crying. “You monster! How could you do that to her! I’ll
|
|
rlm@2
|
782 never forgive you!” Before it had only been a guess. Now it was fact.
|
|
rlm@2
|
783 Celes was dead. The woman who had taken care of her was dead now. And
|
|
rlm@2
|
784 she had been completely helpless to stop it. She was always helpless
|
|
rlm@2
|
785 to do anything, the people around her always dying. She couldn’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
786 stand it anymore. She was tired of always being the survivor, always
|
|
rlm@2
|
787 left alone.
|
|
rlm@2
|
788
|
|
rlm@2
|
789 Kefka laughed, turning his attention back to Kairi. “You’ll make an
|
|
rlm@2
|
790 excellent puppet. You should be thanking me. You no longer have to
|
|
rlm@2
|
791 suffer as the Keyblade Mistress. I’ll make your decisions for you. It
|
|
rlm@2
|
792 will be so much easier. I’m sure Terra loves it.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
793
|
|
rlm@2
|
794 Terra walked forward, raising the Slave Crown. Kairi struggled
|
|
rlm@2
|
795 pointlessly. She felt hopeless, trapped. There was no escape. Soon
|
|
rlm@2
|
796 she would be the cause of even more suffering and anguish throughout
|
|
rlm@2
|
797 countless worlds.
|
|
rlm@2
|
798
|
|
rlm@2
|
799 ‘See? There is always suffering. There is always darkness. It is a
|
|
rlm@2
|
800 matter of life. Even in your fantasies you can’t escape it. Just
|
|
rlm@2
|
801 close your eyes and realize this isn’t real. None of it is. And
|
|
rlm@2
|
802 you’ll be safe. He can’t do anything to you if you’re back in your
|
|
rlm@2
|
803 room,’ the voice whispered in Kairi’s thoughts.
|
|
rlm@2
|
804
|
|
rlm@2
|
805 ‘No! I won’t run away again. I’ve already ran too much. I won’t let
|
|
rlm@2
|
806 it happen again. I’m not running away this time,’ Kairi thought
|
|
rlm@2
|
807 determinedly, shifting in her chains. A cold pit in her stomach
|
|
rlm@2
|
808 formed as she wondered what it would be like to wear that thing.
|
|
rlm@2
|
809 Would she know what was going on? Or would everything just fade away?
|
|
rlm@2
|
810
|
|
rlm@2
|
811 ‘Don’t be so ignorant, Kairi. What good are your fantasies if you’re
|
|
rlm@2
|
812 enslaved in them? He’ll only use you to fulfil some insane scheme of
|
|
rlm@2
|
813 his. Come back to me, here. You’ll be safe,’ the voice tempted.
|
|
rlm@2
|
814
|
|
rlm@2
|
815 ‘I’m not going! I can’t run anymore. I’m going to save Riku and
|
|
rlm@2
|
816 Sora. I’ll protect them. Somehow. I won’t let it end now,’ she
|
|
rlm@2
|
817 thought back frantically, the crown touching her hair. Her heart
|
|
rlm@2
|
818 skipped a beat as she kept struggling, the gesture seeming ever more
|
|
rlm@2
|
819 futile. She leant back as far as she could, trying to keep the crown
|
|
rlm@2
|
820 away.
|
|
rlm@2
|
821
|
|
rlm@2
|
822 The voice sighed, as if it was dealing with a young and stubborn
|
|
rlm@2
|
823 child. ‘Fine. Then imagine that your chains are unlocked, that they
|
|
rlm@2
|
824 aren’t holding you. Believe that they’re open.’
|
|
rlm@2
|
825
|
|
rlm@2
|
826 Kairi closed her eyes, thinking frantically. She imagined the chains
|
|
rlm@2
|
827 looser, imagined the locks opening on them. ‘They’re open, they’re
|
|
rlm@2
|
828 open, they’re..”
|
|
rlm@2
|
829 She felt them slide open, clattering to the floor. It caught her by
|
|
rlm@2
|
830 surprise. She hadn’t expected it to work. The crown was pushing back
|
|
rlm@2
|
831 her hair, about to fall in place. Kairi pushed as hard against the
|
|
rlm@2
|
832 wall with her feet as she could, moving away from Terra and the
|
|
rlm@2
|
833 crown. The crown fell to the floor instead of falling into place on
|
|
rlm@2
|
834 her head. ‘Thank you!’ she called out joyously to the voice in her
|
|
rlm@2
|
835 head.
|
|
rlm@2
|
836
|
|
rlm@2
|
837 ‘If you’re that thankful, come back home and open the door,’ the
|
|
rlm@2
|
838 voice pleaded. It sounded sad, desperate, lonely. ‘I need you, Kairi.’
|
|
rlm@2
|
839
|
|
rlm@2
|
840 ‘I.. I can’t..’ She was taken aback by the hopelessness in the
|
|
rlm@2
|
841 voice. It was so deep. She hadn’t quite understood. Just who was it
|
|
rlm@2
|
842 behind that door? And why did it want her to open the door so badly?
|
|
rlm@2
|
843 But she couldn’t think about that now. The woman had already turned,
|
|
rlm@2
|
844 and Kefka didn’t look pleased. She got to her feet, but he backed her
|
|
rlm@2
|
845 into a corner.
|
|
rlm@2
|
846
|
|
rlm@2
|
847 “I don’t know how you did that, but that just means we’ll have to do
|
|
rlm@2
|
848 this the hard way. I will get that Keyblade. And you will use it for
|
|
rlm@2
|
849 me.” The woman handed him the Slave Crown. Reaching out, he grabbed a
|
|
rlm@2
|
850 hold of Kairi’s blouse, yanking her forward. She fell, her feet
|
|
rlm@2
|
851 pulled out from under her, but he held her tightly with one hand,
|
|
rlm@2
|
852 pulling up the crown with the other. “We’ll wipe away this universe,
|
|
rlm@2
|
853 you and I. Whether you want to or not.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
854
|
|
rlm@2
|
855 Kairi kicked at him, but it didn’t do any good. He was too strong,
|
|
rlm@2
|
856 too powerful for her. And her friends were still locked up. She had
|
|
rlm@2
|
857 gotten out of her bonds, but that didn’t help her situation at all.
|
|
rlm@2
|
858 She tried to pull away, but it was no good. She ached, hanging from
|
|
rlm@2
|
859 his arm, her body straining to get away. He barely seemed to notice.
|
|
rlm@2
|
860 ‘Please help me..’ she called again. But this time the voice was
|
|
rlm@2
|
861 silent. There was nothing she could do.
|
|
rlm@2
|
862
|
|
rlm@2
|
863 “Remember, Kairi, within every heart is a light that will never fade
|
|
rlm@2
|
864 away. Even in the darkest heart. You need to unlock that light,” she
|
|
rlm@2
|
865 could remember someone saying. It had been the cloaked figure she had
|
|
rlm@2
|
866 met after she first entered the door. He had been trying to convince
|
|
rlm@2
|
867 her to use the Keyblade.
|
|
rlm@2
|
868
|
|
rlm@2
|
869 “Within every heart..” Kairi whispered, “there is light.” The Slave
|
|
rlm@2
|
870 Crown inches above her head, the young princess shoved the Keyblade
|
|
rlm@2
|
871 into Kefka’s chest. She felt it push into him, not into his body but
|
|
rlm@2
|
872 into his heart. Kefka froze, his eyes wide, stunned. She felt the key
|
|
rlm@2
|
873 fit in, as if slipping into a lock. Kefka’s eyes burned in rage as he
|
|
rlm@2
|
874 struggled to bring the crown onto her head. Kairi quickly turned the
|
|
rlm@2
|
875 key, hearing it unlock something inside of him. Light began to bathe
|
|
rlm@2
|
876 the Keyblade, spilling out of Kefka, illuminating the dark room. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
877 was swallowed by the light.
|
|
rlm@2
|
878
|
|
rlm@2
|
879 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
rlm@2
|
880
|
|
rlm@2
|
881 She could feel herself floating. She didn’t know which way was up
|
|
rlm@2
|
882 and which was down. She simply floated along in a sea of light. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
883 could see it wash over the darkness, dispersing it. Fear was far away
|
|
rlm@2
|
884 from her. She simply felt the warmth of the light. It surrounded her,
|
|
rlm@2
|
885 soothing her lonely soul.
|
|
rlm@2
|
886
|
|
rlm@2
|
887 “You have unlocked the light in the heart of Madness,” she heard
|
|
rlm@2
|
888 someone say, the voice resonating around her, within her.
|
|
rlm@2
|
889
|
|
rlm@2
|
890 “I was the first Magitek Knight. The experiment. I became the
|
|
rlm@2
|
891 strongest. But I lost my mind in the process. Was it a fair trade? It
|
|
rlm@2
|
892 drove me insane. My world became madness. My only goal was to
|
|
rlm@2
|
893 eliminate everything, to create a monument to oblivion. It was the
|
|
rlm@2
|
894 only way to quell the madness. To take revenge for my lost sanity. It
|
|
rlm@2
|
895 was the only refuge I could find. And I wrapped myself up in it,
|
|
rlm@2
|
896 ready to face the world, to bring it to a crumbling nothingness. But
|
|
rlm@2
|
897 now.. I see things clearly. The world is not colored by the madness
|
|
rlm@2
|
898 anymore. I am free.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
899
|
|
rlm@2
|
900 Sights bombarded her as she heard Kefka speak. The first Magitek
|
|
rlm@2
|
901 Knight experiment that left him warped and twisted. His descent into
|
|
rlm@2
|
902 madness. His search for blissful oblivion. She watched it all through
|
|
rlm@2
|
903 his eyes, feeling the tinge of madness that had once spread across
|
|
rlm@2
|
904 his heart. And then the light accepted her again, embracing her.
|
|
rlm@2
|
905
|
|
rlm@2
|
906 And she was swept along in the light, lost in the stream.
|
|
rlm@2
|
907
|
|
rlm@2
|
908
|
