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date Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:53:12 -0500
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1 Prism Hearts
2 Chapter 13
3 Final Distance
4 by Amazoness Duo
5 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
6
7
8
9 Stars were falling. It was as if the universe itself were crying.
10 They plumetted one after the other, falling from their perches in the
11 sky. They never grew in size, tiny droplets of stars falling around
12 her, winking out of existence when they touched the ground, their
13 magic disappearing when they no longer soared in the heavens. And
14 still they fell, creating a light drizzle of stars, beautiful
15 luminescent teardrops.
16
17 And this is where we find our heroine, in the
18 midst of raining stars, lying unconscious and curled up on the
19 shadowed ground. Quiet footsteps echo nearby, moving with a silent
20 purpose through this darkened land. Sparkling dew of dying stars
21 bathe Kairi as she struggles to remember, to hold off whatever is
22 trying to end her sojourn. Something that is very close indeed.
23
24 Weary eyes slowly blinked themselves open. The fact that she wasn't
25 alone
26 in a room on her bed comforted her, but only for a moment. Her
27 fingers scrabbled along the cold ground, finally managing to push
28 herself up to her knees. A tiny star, smaller than a snowflake,
29 landed upon her nose. It was warm to the touch, fading slowly.
30 Glancing around her, she could see thousands of other stars falling,
31 raining about her. It was beautiful. They were the only light in this
32 endless night. Cupping her hands, she reached out, watching as
33 several stars landed in her hands. They helped warm her cold hands,
34 their light casting shadows around her as they slowly began fading.
35
36 Holding the stars to her chest, Kairi began to see what else was
37 around her. Just where was she? This place held no familiarity to
38 her, nothing that she had ever seen before. Everywhere else, she knew
39 from someplace. 'From Squaresoft games and Disney movies,' a part of
40 her kindly added before she could force it away. But this place... An
41 involuntary shudder passed through her. She had never seen this place
42 before, had never been there. And once again, she was all alone.
43 There were no friends to stand by her, no one to catch her when she
44 stumbled.
45
46 Getting to her feet, Kairi brushed some of the glistening
47 dew from the stars off of her clothes. All around her were objects of
48 varying shapes and sizes, some not much more than stones with
49 etchings in them and others large and intricate statues. Kairi
50 clenched her fists, her fingernails digging into her palms. Fear
51 wasn't going to get the better of her. She had to push forward. 'Or
52 you could give up. It's almost over, you know. This can't end the way
53 you want it to, Kairi. Come back home. Give up on these dreams.'
54 Shaking her chestnut hair, Kairi held her head. “Leave me alone.” Her
55 voice sounded so quiet, nothing more than a whisper. Her fingernails
56 scratched against her temples, almost wishing she could claw the
57 voice out of her head.
58
59 Making her way to the nearest of the objects,
60 Kairi strained her eyes to make out the etched words under the
61 statue. It seemed to be a beautiful mermaid, it's arms outstretched
62 to the skies above. The falling stars made it look like it was
63 crying. Kairi felt sorry for it, reaching up to brush the glowing
64 tears away. “You don't like it here, either, do you?” she asked
65 quietly. More stars fell, finally illuminating the placard beneath.
66 Bending down, the princess brushed some hair out of her eyes to read
67 it.
68
69 'Here lie the dreams of Kathryn. From the gentle sea of her soul
70 they rose, but the storm that ravaged her heart sank them. May they
71 forever roam tranquil seas as they wait for her to return to them.'
72
73 “What's that supposed to mean?” Kairi ran her fingers over the cool
74 stone and etched words. A grave? But why? Not for this Kathryn, but
75 for her dreams? Standing up, curiosity gnawing at her, the princess
76 moved to the next one.
77
78 A graceful unicorn stood atop the next marker. It almost looked real
79 in the half lit darkness that draped over the entire area. A sigh
80 escaped Kairi's lips. If only it was real. She could climb on it and
81 go far, far away from this cold, lonely place.
82
83 'When a child grows,
84 her dreams change and some come and go. Chiyomi's dreams as a child
85 have been replaced by a new dream. May those that filled her nights
86 long ago never lose their magic where they are now.'
87
88 The next was of two women entwined, holding each other amidst the
89 falling stars. It read:
90
91 'Megumi used to dream of the future she would
92 spend with her love. But this dream died when she found out she
93 wouldn't live long enough to see it fulfilled. Soon, she will be
94 joining them.'
95
96 “What is this place?” Kairi stepped away from the
97 statues. This place wasn't a far away kingdom or a city at the edge
98 of forever. This was...
99
100 “The Graveyard of Lost Dreams,” a voice said
101 behind the princess.
102
103 Whirling around, her heart pounding in her chest
104 like a runaway train, Kairi got a look at who had snuck up on her.
105 She was a little smaller than Kairi herself, with short, messy dark
106 hair. She wore a long sleeved white blouse and shorts. Her dark eyes
107 seemed incredibly sad, deep, dark pools that went on for an eternity.
108 Kairi had to pull her gaze away from those eyes, afraid she'd never
109 see the bottom of them. “Who are you?” she asked, taking a step back.
110 She nearly started again when she stepped into another statue. There
111 was something... strange about this girl.
112
113 “I'm... the caretaker of
114 this place,” the girl stated simply. “And you... You are the dreamer
115 of dreams.” Stepping past Kairi, she set some pink carnations down in
116 front of the mermaid statue.
117
118 “Do you all speak in riddles?” Kairi asked, exasperated. Straight
119 out, simple truth seemed to be something that no one other than
120 herself enjoyed. Everything had to lead in circles. It was like she
121 was lost in Wonderland.
122
123 “Sometimes it's the best way to explain
124 things. Especially if you aren't ready to understand them.” The girl
125 turned back to Kairi, stars twinkling around her. A star landed in
126 her hand. Without seeming to notice, the dark haired girl closed her
127 hand, snuffing out the star.
128
129 “What's your name?” Maybe she had heard
130 of this girl before. Or she'd at least have a name to attach to her.
131 It was better than just meeting some creepy girl in the middle of a
132 graveyard. Harle, Aya, and Maya all had names even if they wouldn't
133 tell her much else.
134
135 “I have no name. I've gone by many, but none are
136 my real name. I simply... am.” Walking past, she continued on a
137 meandering path through the graveyard. “But what use are names? Yours
138 isn't even your own.”
139
140 “What's that supposed to mean?” Kairi hurried to
141 follow the girl. She was the only one in this place and whoever she
142 was, she seemed to have some answers. Even if she wasn't exactly
143 being forthcoming.
144
145 “You know exactly what I mean. Kairi is the name you took on in the
146 Destiny Islands. It is neither the name of the Princess of Hollow
147 Bastion or a lonely girl who is bleeding to death in her room even as
148 we speak. Your name is Hikari,” the girl explained in her soft, calm
149 voice. “But if you can pretend Kairi is someone else, you can be
150 neither of those things, right?”
151
152 Kairi shook her head quickly, denying
153 the girl's words. “No, it's not like that. I am Kairi. Those other
154 lives...” Trailing off, she shook her head again. “I don't know. But
155 I am Kairi.”
156
157 “Then if we're pretending right now, you can call me
158 Sophie.” The dark haired girl bowed her head. “It's nice to escape
159 who you are. To lose yourself in someone else. To be everything
160 you're not. Pretty, popular, strongwilled. It's so much better than
161 reality sometimes.”
162
163 For some reason, Sophie's words cut to the bone. “I am this way,”
164 she said angrily. Fear and uncertainty began to surface inside of
165 herself. 'Are you? Or is this all to get away from everything? To be
166 all you wanted to be?' Her heart pounded again and she suddenly felt
167 sick. No. This wasn't all make believe. She wasn't some lonely little
168 pathetic girl who'd slit her wrists rather than deal with her life.
169 That was the lie. She wasn't the lie. That life was. It had to be the
170 lie.
171
172 Ignoring Kairi's inner turmoil, Sophie continued, trimming some
173 of the flowers near one of the statues. “This place is a graveyard
174 for all the dreams that die. When someone gives up on their dreams,
175 when someone forgets them, when life crushes them, they die. This is
176 where their broken, battered bodies go. Where other dreams can mourn
177 their passing. But it's a lonely place. Few come out here, to this
178 place at the edge of eternity. To this place at the edge of sanity.
179 I'm sure the souls of all these dreams are happy that you would come
180 to visit them.”
181
182 “But... Why? Why have this? Dreams don't die... They
183 just...”
184
185 “Go far away? That is dying. The ceasing of life. Dreams are
186 born inside of people. And they die inside of people. They need a
187 graveyard just as much as people do. You're thinking too much of what
188 is 'real'. Reality is nothing more than a filter. Dreams live just as
189 surely as you do. Or did. You all go back to the same place when you
190 die,” Sophie explained. “Riku is already being called there, but I
191 can't reach him yet. He wants to see you very badly. But you're
192 dying, too. Right now. Time flows differently here. It's been so long
193 here, but it's only been a short time since you cut yourself over
194 there. But that's simply your body. If you decide to remain a dream,
195 it won't matter if it dies. But once it does, you can never go back.
196 The clock is ticking, Hikari. You're running out of time.”
197
198 Speechless, Kairi could only watch the pale girl. Running out of
199 time? Before, it had just been wherever her journey took her on her
200 search for Riku and Sora. But now... she was... dying? No, that
201 life... But even though she wanted to say it was a lie, she couldn't.
202 Not completely. She couldn't entirely deny it anymore. A droplet
203 spattered against her cheek, running down her chin. Still warm, but
204 wet now. Not like the stars that had been falling. Wiping at it,
205 Kairi brought her fingers up to her eyes. Crimson streaked them. It
206 was raining blood. Searching around frantically, Kairi could see the
207 bloody raindrops falling about the statues in the graveyard. She
208 looked back at the girl, realization dawning on her. “You... You're
209 Death, aren't you?”
210
211 A small, sad smile crossed Sophie's lips. “People
212 seem to think Death is a monster, something hideous that needs to be
213 feared. But I'm only doing my job.” She turned towards Kairi. “I know
214 what it's like to forget who you are, to leave your life behind, to
215 hate what you are. But no matter how far you run, you can never
216 escape it. It always manages to find you.”
217
218 “But...” Kairi began, tears
219 forming in her eyes. “I don't want to give this up... I don't want it
220 to go away.. I don't want this dream to die...” For a moment, just a
221 moment, she could accept that she was Hikari. For a moment, she could
222 almost remember everything.
223
224 “Then you have to fight for it. You have
225 to deny the other world. If you give it up, then you'll still be here
226 when your body dies over there. I won't be taking you with it.”
227 Sophie stopped in front of several tombstones, the warm rain
228 bloodying her. “But 'reality' won't give up so easily. Sometimes
229 sacrifices are needed.”
230
231 Rubbing at her eyes to force the tears away,
232 Kairi glanced at the statues next to Sophie. “Riku!” She recognized
233 the statue instantly. Hurrying to it, she read the inscription aloud.
234 "Plunging into darkness, Riku wanted to save his dreamer. Lost in the
235 night, but never swallowed by it, his spirit shines on.” The tears
236 that threatened returned, dripping down her already bloody cheeks.
237 “Riku...” He was dead now. His soul was still waiting for her. “Oh,
238 Riku... I'm so sorry...” He only wanted to save her. And he had made
239 the ultimate sacrifice for it.
240
241 “I won't come for him until you've
242 unlocked the Door and seen him. He's determined to stay until then.
243 I'll give you that long. Then I'll take him to the other side,”
244 Sophie promised.
245
246 Kairi wanted to argue, wanted to beg the incarnation
247 of death to let Riku stay, but she knew it would be pointless. The
248 dark haired girl wasn't one to break the rules. “It's my fault. He
249 never would have lost his body to Ansem if it weren't for me.”
250
251 “He
252 only wanted to save you. If you live, isn't that what he wanted?
253 Doesn't that make his sacrifice worthwhile?” Sophie asked, tilting
254 her head to the side.
255
256 “But...” It was true, wasn't it? “But I don't
257 want to lose him. I need him.” And that was just as true.
258
259 Her gaze slowly turned to the statue next to Riku's. “Tidus?! But...
260 No! What's going on?” The princess whirled to the dark haired girl.
261 “What's happening to the Destiny Islands? He shouldn't be here. He
262 should be fine. I saw him before I left. This... this is all
263 wrong!”
264
265 “The Destiny Islands are dying. They're the center of your
266 dreams. And now that it's falling apart, it's caving in on itself.
267 The rest of them will die as well if you can't save it. The dream is
268 becoming a nightmare. The dream will soon be here in the Graveyard of
269 Lost Dreams if things don't change.”
270
271 “It's... dying?” It felt like the ground was crumbling beneath
272 Kairi's feet. The stakes were much higher than she'd realized. She
273 had to save Riku, had to find Sora, had to save the Destiny Islands
274 all before she died. They were dying just like she was. It was all
275 too much. “What about Hollow Bastion? If I'm it's princess, why isn't
276 it dying just like the Destiny Islands?”
277
278 “Because you aren't the only
279 dreamer. There is another dreamer on Hollow Bastion who is managing
280 to keep it from falling apart. Maybe she can help you.” Sophie turned
281 to leave. “But remember, time is short. You brought the Heartless
282 here by leaving the door to the real world open. Only you can close
283 that door.”
284
285 “Sophie... Thank you.”
286
287 Sophie didn't turn around. “I'll be seeing
288 you soon.” And with that, the graveyard shattered into a million
289 pieces.
290
291
292 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
293
294 Yuna sat in silence as the sounds of
295 music and dancing and subdued laughter permeated the air around her.
296 It was the night of the Destiny Islands Festival, but she really
297 couldn't work up the will to celebrate. And she was angry with
298 herself over that. It didn't matter if she felt like celebrating or
299 not. The pain inside of her was inconsequential. Everyone was scared.
300 They needed hope and she certainly wasn't helping anyone by sitting
301 near a tree with her legs to her chest trying not to cry. But she
302 couldn't help it. She felt on the verge of falling apart. The
303 islands, their home, it was all falling apart in front of them. Some
304 hideous nightmare had come to life. The same creature that had killed
305 her father. And now it was coming for her, for the Destiny Islands.
306
307 Everyone was still in shock over the loss of Tidus. Wakka had asked
308 if they'd all disappear at this rate. Riku, Sora, Kairi, and now
309 Tidus. No one knew what would happen next. Their world was falling
310 apart at the seams. Selphie had insisted they still have the
311 festival, despite everything else. She had said this was exactly what
312 they needed the festival for, as something to keep them going,
313 something to push back the madness that seemed to surround them.
314 There had been some argument about it, but it had finally been agreed
315 to have the festival anyway. After all, if they didn't have it
316 because of the way things had been lately, they would be doing
317 exactly what the adults had done.
318
319 And so here they were at last, dancing and singing and playing under
320 the starlight. But no matter how much Yuna told herself to go and
321 join them, for their sake if not her own, the green and blue eyed
322 girl couldn't get herself to move. Fear and indecision and pain froze
323 her in place, leaving her a lightly shivering statue.
324
325 “It's a
326 beautiful night tonight, isn't it?” A voice asked from behind Yuna.
327
328 At
329 first, the brunette tried to collect herself, to push back the tears
330 she knew would be present in her voice, but her surprise quickly took
331 that away. “Elder Seymour?” Her shock broke the spell on her
332 paralysis, allowing her to turn and see the older man. None of the
333 adults had known of their plans to have their own festival. So what
334 was one of the most respected elders doing here? For a moment, she
335 thought he was here to end the festival, to send them all home, but
336 his eyes told another story. His being here had nothing to do with
337 the festival. He was here to see her. Swallowing involuntarily, Yuna
338 continued to stare heavenward. Did he know? When explaining the
339 monster and what happened to Tidus, she hadn't told the council of
340 elders that she'd seen the creature before in her dreams, that she
341 knew it's name was Sin. But had Elder Seymour somehow seen through
342 her?
343
344 “So strange that we would have such a beautiful night on the
345 edge of such tragedy. Life certainly can be ironic, can't it, Yuna?
346 Almost as if that beauty grows out of tragedy. It's all a cycle. Life
347 leads to death. To escape death, new life is born only to be snuffed
348 out. And why? Why this needless cycle? Why this continuous march
349 towards death? We live simply so that we can die? Nothing ever
350 escapes death. No matter how much we struggle. It continues
351 menacingly forward.” Kneeling down, he glanced over at Yuna, to see
352 if she understood. The younger girl looked down, her pretty face
353 hidden by her hair. ”I know you feel bad about Tidus. But there was
354 nothing you can do. His suffering is over now. We who remain here are
355 the ones who are afraid, who are hurting and suffering. He is free.”
356 Tilting her chin up to see him, he smiled softly. “He is truly free
357 in a way you or I can never know in this world. Not afraid. Not
358 always worried. Never having to cry.”
359
360 Looking back into Seymour's
361 eyes, Yuna found herself nodding. His words spun around in her head,
362 leaving her dizzy. Free.... How she longed to be free. Not bound in
363 chains by her own fears and indecision. Not having to hide her
364 feelings for the sake of others all the time. Not scared of whatever
365 was inside of her. Not paralyzed by indecision over everything. All
366 of these things that plagued her life. The depression that would set
367 in even as she would smile till it ached so no one around her would
368 know. But... Would that freedom only come in death?
369
370 As if reading her
371 mind, Seymour continued. “Life is tragedy, Yuna. Pain hunts the
372 living. Sorrow fills our souls. And yet we continue to fight death,
373 even though we cannot possibly win. We only prolong suffering. This
374 world, this universe is awash with the tears of all who live. And all
375 we can do is sit and wait for the cycle to begin again, just as it
376 always has.”
377
378 “But... That's not fair...” Yuna shook her head, hugging
379 her legs tighter. “Why does everyone have to keep hurting? Why can't
380 things ever be happy?”
381
382 “Because the painfilled cycle of life and
383 death, their endless battle, continues on. As long as it does, we
384 will keep struggling through the loss and fear and suffering.”
385 Pausing for a moment, he stared deep into Yuna's mixed eyes. “But if
386 we could find a way to break this cycle, to destroy the wheel we keep
387 spinning on...”
388
389 Yuna swallowed nervously. She wanted to look away, but
390 his gaze was magnetic, keeping her from turning. His gaze seemed to
391 go to the deepest depths of her soul, uncovering all the things she
392 hid from the world. It was as if he was speaking directly to her. But
393 how could she possibly destroy the cycle of life and death? That was
394 far beyond a simple girl like herself. But if she could... wouldn't
395 it be worth it? To be free? To end all pain and suffering?
396
397 “Death is a salvation to those who die, but a curse to those who
398 continue living on. We continue on this path, waiting to be swallowed
399 up even as we see those we love fall around us. You're right, Yuna.
400 It's hardly fair. This cycle is one of madness and despair.” Leaning
401 forward, he placed a hand on Yuna's shoulder. “But I think we can
402 break the cycle. I think we can finally end this once and for all.
403 Even when you save someone, they will eventually suffer more pain and
404 death. But we could save everyone.”
405
406 Her heart pounding, Yuna felt anxious and hopeful. She certainly
407 couldn't break the cycle of life and death, but maybe Elder Seymour
408 could. And if he needed her help, wouldn't it be worth it? “How?” she
409 breathed.
410
411 Smiling, Seymour shook his head. “Not now, Yuna. But soon. Very,
412 very soon. Now you enjoy the festival. I'll talk to you soon. Enjoy
413 yourself. Soon there will be nothing more to haunt your soul.” With
414 that, the elder stood up and walked back through the shadows. None of
415 the others seemed to have noticed he was here. He must have docked
416 his small boat elsewhere.
417
418 Shaking her head, thoughts spun chaotically through Yuna's head. If
419 Seymour was right, then no one else would have to get hurt. They
420 wouldn't be stuck watching their friends and loved ones disappear.
421 They could save everyone from the pain inherent in life. She could be
422 free. Finally free.
423
424 “Yunie, are you okay?” Rikku asked. The catgirl
425 looked down at her worriedly. Yuna hadn't said much to her since...
426 that thing had shown up. When the brunette would say something, she
427 would smile and pretend everything was fine. Which obviously it
428 wasn't. It scared Rikku to see Yuna like this. She wanted to help
429 her, to protect her, but she didn't know how. To her surprise, Yuna
430 looked up at her and smiled. Not the brittle, fake smile she had been
431 using, but a bright, hopeful smile. Rikku was even more surprised by
432 how good it made her feel to see Yuna smile like that. Her tail
433 swished at the sight.
434
435 “I'm fine. I think... I think things are going to be just fine.” And
436 Yuna felt it, too. If Elder Seymour was right, she would do anything
437 to break the cycle. Then it wouldn't matter that Tidus died or that
438 Kairi and the others were missing or that the island was falling
439 apart. They'd all be far away from this.
440
441 Seeing Yuna hopeful again had a warming affect on Rikku's soul. The
442 catgirl felt invigorated, as if she were feeding off of the
443 brightness she saw in Yuna. It took her a moment before she realized
444 she was purring. Finally managing to stop herself, she saw Yuna
445 giggle softly into her hand. Still energized by Yuna's uplifted
446 spirits, Rikku reached down, taking Yuna's hand into her paw. “Yunie,
447 do you wanna dance?” she asked eagerly.
448
449 Despite the sudden flush that
450 arose on her cheeks, Yuna nodded. “I'd love to, Rikku.” She felt the
451 catgirl pull her to her feel. Almost stumbling forward into Rikku's
452 arms, she felt the other girl's paws on her hips. Blushing, she
453 looked up into swirly green eyes. All of her worries and fears had
454 evaporated for the time being. Right now, she was just under a
455 starlit sky with a girl that brought up lots of warm, confusing
456 feelings inside her heart. She'd usually be a bit more embarrassed
457 about dancing with someone, but right now she felt free. She knew
458 that she liked her, didn't she? So why not dance with her? The
459 knowledge that everything could be saved soon made her feel like
460 dancing anyway.
461
462 Sweatdropping, Rikku's whiskers twitched. “I don't exactly know
463 where to start. Most of the dancing I've done have been in plays with
464 the rest of the Radical Dreamers. It's usually pretty planned out.”
465
466 Laughing softly, Yuna position her arms on Rikku. Slowly, she began
467 to move witht he other girl. “It's not about planning. It's just
468 about moving. Dancing is fluid. If you plan too much, then it loses
469 that. It needs to be alive.”
470
471 The two danced to the rhythm of the music, sandaled feet and paws
472 swishing over the sand as the water lapped the beach near them. They
473 moved past other couples dancing on the beach, all to the music
474 Irvine and several others had been forced to play courtesy of
475 Selphie. The beach was beautiful, decorated with everything they
476 could find for the festival. Magical lights hung in the trees,
477 blazing with beautiful colors.
478
479 Yuna smiled as she saw Wakka over near the pier, eating as much as
480 he could from the food they had all brought over. Lulu was stamping
481 her foot impatiently, waiting for him to dance with her. Yes, things
482 were going to be just fine. She wouldn't let down the people she
483 cared for. Her eyes went back to Rikku's beautiful green swirls. They
484 were like a whirlpool, pulling her in. Absolutely beautiful.
485
486 The slightly shorter catgirl caught on quickly, dancing wonderfully
487 against her, the two shifting about underneath the multicolored
488 lights. 'She must be a very good actress to catch onto things so
489 quickly,' Yuna thought absently. Dancing was something that she
490 always loved to do, now more than ever. It was the one thing that
491 truly made her feel free. Losing herself to motion and emotion.
492 Letting everything simply flow around her. And here, dancing with
493 Rikku, she could feel it even stronger. It felt like everything was
494 coursing around them, as if they were in the middle of a stream. The
495 whole feeling was much stronger than when she danced alone. She could
496 imagine that she could see the glow of their hearts and feelings
497 mingling as they danced. It was perfect. Resting her head on Rikku's
498 furry shoulder, she moved gently with the pretty catgirl.
499
500 Holding onto Yuna, Rikku hoped Yuna couldn't feel her thundering
501 heartbeat. But then, did it matter? She held the brunette closer,
502 unable to keep from purring. Her paws rubbed up and down Yuna's back.
503 What would she do when Yuffie finally found her? She missed her big
504 sister, but she didn't want to leave Yuna. Being part of the Radical
505 Dreamers had meant everything to her, but now it didn't mean nearly
506 as much as being near the brunette. Maybe she'd finally found her
507 treasure, the one she'd been looking for. Let the others find riches
508 and fame. The girl in her arms was all she wanted.
509
510 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
511
512 Sitting on the beach itself, another couple listened to the music
513 surrounding them. It was a bit more distant from where they sat, but
514 it suited them just fine. Sandals lay piled near them, their feet
515 dipping in the water as small waves brushed up the beach. Selphie's
516 head rested on Quistis's lap, looking out at the starlit ocean.
517 Quistis's lithe fingers moved through her brunette hair, taking the
518 time to play across her ears or her lips now and then.
519
520 “You finally got to have your festival. It took a lot of work, but
521 you did it. Good job, Selphie.” Quistis brushed Selphie's hair past
522 her ears, gazing down at the other girl. “Did it work out the way you
523 wanted it to?”
524
525 Pausing for a moment, Selphie thought. A laughter from
526 further up on the beach settled it for her. Nodding, the girl in the
527 yellow dress smiled faintly. “Yep. People are relaxing and having
528 fun. That's what I wanted.”
529
530 Quistis nodded, her blonde hair shifting
531 in the wind. “Then I'm glad it worked out. This might be our last
532 chance to relax, so it's good that you could help give that to
533 everyone.”
534
535 Silence surrounded the two for several long moments. The music
536 seemed so dreadfully far away. Selphie shifted, looking up at
537 Quistis. “What happens next, Quisty?” she asked, her voice tinged
538 with concern. She had been so busy planning on this that she had
539 phased everything else out. Now that it was over, there was only the
540 reality of their world crumbling out from under them.
541
542 The blonde didn't answer at first, simply looking down at Selphie.
543 Her fingers traced along Selphie's cheeks softly. “We do what we can.
544 We try to find out what's doing this to the islands. And we fight to
545 protect them. This is our home. We can't let it die.”
546
547 Selphie bit her
548 lip, still looking up. Her big, green eyes were slightly wet, tear
549 stained. “And what if we can't find out? What if we can't stop
550 it?”
551
552 Smiling softly, and feeling just as worried, Quistis wiped the
553 tears away from Selphie's eyes. “Whatever happens, Selphie, I'll be
554 here with you. We'll see it through together, no matter what.”
555
556 Leaning
557 up, Selphie kissed the other girl. Slowly, at first, but with more
558 and more of her strength. She needed to know she was there, needed to
559 be with her. And this might be their last chance before everything
560 fell apart.
561
562 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
563
564 The huge, almost labrynthine library did little to ease Yuffie's
565 thoughts. She was home at last, back on Hollow Bastion. The book in
566 front her remained open on the same page it had since she'd opened it
567 over an hour ago. Her thoughts were too fragmented to try to figure
568 anything out right now. Besides, Aerith was better at that sort of
569 thing than she was anyway. She'd welcomed the distraction when Leon
570 had entered the library to see her.
571
572 “So she's really the Keyblade Mistress?” Leon was saying.
573
574 Nodding,
575 Yuffie finally shut the book. “Seems like it. Which doesn't make any
576 sense. She was one of the seven princesses. Maybe it has something to
577 do with her being Ansem's daughter. Besides, the other two Keyblade
578 Masters are currently out of the picture, so I guess she was
579 necessary. Though her Keyblade seems a little different. Maybe her
580 mission is a little different from theirs.”
581
582 “Could be.” Leon crossed his arms, thinking. “Sora closed the
583 Doorway to the Darkness. So what we're dealing with is only the
584 remaining Heartless and their current growing numbers. If she's
585 supposed to open the Doorway to the Light, then maybe that will
586 finish this. Sora started it and she's supposed to finish it. With
587 the Doorway to the Darkness closed and the Doorway to the Light
588 opened, that should be the end of the Heartless.”
589
590 “But for some reason, the Doorway to the Light is locked by a
591 different Keyholes. So we need to unlock the last of those before we
592 can open the Doorway. Assuming we can find it.” Yuffie shook her
593 head. “Which we will. She's got me working with her, so she's already
594 better off than that Sora guy was. Hey, Leo...” She paused,
595 correcting herself. “ Squall, where is Aerith? I thought she'd be
596 here? Or have you both been running around with your lovers while
597 I've been getting all the work done.”
598
599 Squall's eyes narrowed.
600 “Aerith's checking on Princess Hikari. She's still unconscious. You
601 and the other girl woke up a lot quicker than she has. Whatever's
602 been happening has put a big strain on the princess.” In response to
603 the rest of Yuffie's question, he added, “We've been trying to
604 protect Hollow Bastion and to figure out exactly what's going on.
605 Running around wouldn't do us any good if we don't know what we're
606 doing. And I don't want to leave Hollow Bastion to get consumed by
607 Darkness again.”
608
609 “It won't,” Yuffie assured him. “We were caught by surprise last
610 time. No one knew what King Ansem was up to. This time we can go out
611 and stop it before it gets that far.” She grinned. “The Heartless
612 aren't going to stop the multiverse's best ninja. Just leave it to
613 me.”
614
615 Squall didn't look impressed. The ninja girl simply stuck her
616 tongue out at him.
617
618 “Yuffie?” Yuffie froze, turning to spot the speaker.
619 Relm stood there, blond hair peaking out from beneath her bandana.
620 She looked back to Squall for an opportunity to escape, but the older
621 man was already leaving to let them be alone. 'Crap!' The ninja
622 didn't know what to do about Relm since their last meeting. She
623 hadn't been able to deal with her jealousy at all. Avoiding Relm had
624 been her plan of action, but being in the same room made that
625 incredibly difficult to pull off.
626
627 Relm pulled up a chair next to her.
628 The painter stared at Yuffie as the ninja flipped through pages in
629 the overly large book in front of her. It was almost comical how
630 nervous she was. “Thanks for saving me, Yuffie.”
631
632 Yuffie closed her
633 eyes, letting out a breath. She relaxed a bit at those words. If that
634 was all, then maybe it wasn't so bad. They could ingore the rest of
635 it. Like whatever feelings were pumping through her. Yeah, that
636 worked for her. She smiled her best cocky grin and turned to the
637 other girl. “Hey, don't worry about it. If you died, I wouldn't have
638 anyone to draw my exploits.” The way Relm was looking at her gave a
639 serious blow to her nonchalance. Relm stared into her eyes knowingly.
640 It was starting to freak her out.
641
642 “I made her up, Yuffie. She was just
643 a painting I made. I wanted to make you jealous. I wanted to know if
644 you felt anything for me. If you liked me the way I like you. The way
645 I love you.” Relm tried to keep eye contact as Yuffie shifted around
646 uncomfortable. Relm took her hand, kissing at her fingers. “I love
647 you, Yuffie. I saw it. That's why you came back, isn't it?”
648
649 Yuffie
650 tried weakly to pull her hand away. Part of her reminded herself that
651 if she was such a good ninja, she could get her hand back in an
652 instant. So the only conclusion was that she didn't want it back.
653 That didn't make her feel anymore secure at the moment. “It's my
654 fault your stuck in this mess. I couldn't let him kill you,” Yuffie
655 said unconvincingly.
656
657 “Then why had you been following me to know I
658 was in there?” Relm asked, arching a thin, blonde eyebrow. Standing
659 up, she held Yuffie's hand to her heart, pressed against the black
660 cloth of her top. Her heart pounded against Yuffie's palm.
661
662 “I... I...” Words were starting to fail Yuffie. Her mind was racing
663 in two different directions at once. One for a decent explanation and
664 the other right towards Relm. She swallowed, trying to focus. Focus
665 refused to come. “I... I was worried about you. And Kairi.” She added
666 the last hastily.
667
668 Pressing Yuffie's hand closer to her breast, Relm
669 straddled Yuffie's lap, gazing directly into the ninja's eyes.
670 Yuffie's short shorts rustled against Relm's puffy pants. The younger
671 girl gazed into Yuffie's eyes, her nose brushing across the
672 brunette's. “I love you, Yuffie,” Relm whispered. Her lips brushed
673 against Yuffie's. She kissed Yuffie lightly again and again. The
674 ninja sat there tensely as she wrapped her arms around her, pulling
675 tightly against her. Licking Yuffie's lips, she felt the ninja
676 shudder in her arms deliciously. Yep, Yuffie was much, much nicer
677 when she had nowhere to turn. She suppressed the grin as she cuddled
678 closer on the chair, kissing more. Her hands ran up Yuffie's sides,
679 slipping under her short green top. Yuffie tried to sit up as Relm's
680 hands pressed against her soft skin, but the painter made it
681 impossible to get up.
682
683 Yuffie was stunned. Not entirely by Relm's behaviour, because this
684 wasn't the first time she'd done anything like that, but by her own
685 lack of response. She should have pushed her away by now. Have told
686 her to leave her alone. Have done -something-. So finally, she did do
687 something. She started kissing Relm back.
688
689 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
690
691 Kairi could vaguely feel a wet washcloth rubbing away the sweat from
692 her face. She'd been slipping fitfully. She felt so strange. Was she
693 sick? The bed shifted as someone sat next to her, brushing back her
694 hair as they used the washcloth. 'Mom?' Kairi's distorted mind called
695 out. It had to be. This was all just a nightmare. She was sick in
696 bed. Her mother had probably stayed home from work to be with her.
697 For a moment, she was homesick. She missed her mother. The only
698 person who actually cared for her. But it was okay. She was there
699 now. It was all right. Her mother would take care of her. But... It
700 didn't smell like her mother. It was still nice, comforting, but not
701 the same as her mother. She smelled like flowers. Kairi strained to
702 open her eyes, already worried about where she'd end up now.
703
704 “Please
705 don't strain too much, Princess Hikari,” a gentle voice said.
706 Accepting that Kairi wouldn't end her struggling, she helped pull the
707 princess into a half sitting position.
708
709 The world blurred and turned
710 on end in front of Kairi. She would have fallen back to the bed if
711 not for the woman's hand on her shoulder. Slowly, things began to
712 clarify. “Princess Hikari? Then...” She looked over, seeing Aerith on
713 her bedside. “This is Hollow Bastion, isn't it?” She shook her head,
714 trying to clear away the last of the dizziness. “Did I bring myself
715 here? Or did that girl send me?”
716
717 “You came here because you had to.
718 Does it matter how?” Aerith smiled, setting the washcloth to the side.
719
720 “I guess not...” Kairi ran her fingers through her slightly damp
721 bangs. She looked up at the chestnut haired woman. “Is Hollow Bastion
722 okay? Is it still holding together?”
723
724 Aerith nodded, though her smile
725 disappeared. “For now. Though if the Heartless get much stronger, I
726 don't know how long it will stay that way for any planet.”
727
728 Kairi
729 sighed, nodding. “At least it's not falling apart like the Destiny
730 Islands.” Looking up, Kairi's mind began spinning. “I have to find
731 the other...” she choked back the word 'dreamer'. She didn't want to
732 admit that any of this was simply a dream. It was too real for that.
733
734 “You won't have to look too far. I had a feeling you would want to
735 talk to me.” The older woman brushed her hair back over her
736 shoulders, smiling softly.
737
738 “You're... like me?” Kairi asked, still
739 not wanting to call it dreaming. Aerith nodded. “So I'm not the only
740 one.” This was both a relief and a curse. If she wasn't the only one,
741 at least she wasn't alone in all this. But it meant it couldn't just
742 be something crazy a few people were telling her to throw her off
743 track.
744
745 Aerith nodded. “All of the seven Princesses were. Girls from another
746 world who escaped here, forgetting the lives they once led. They were
747 all like you, Hikari. I was like you. Fantasy helped sustain us. It
748 helped us get through life. Until finally we decided our dreams were
749 more worthwhile than our lives and we joined them. The rest of us
750 turned our back on our pasts, forgetting. But you couldn't entirely
751 forget. You clung to one thing. And that left the doorway open.
752 That's how the Heartless began to appear here.”
753
754 “My mother...” Kairi
755 said softly, holding her hands to her heart. That memory that had
756 grown foggy, but never entirely forgotten. She'd held onto it even
757 when it was only a shadow. And while she held onto it, the doorway to
758 another world was left open, one she had been supposed to forget. “So
759 Aya was...”
760
761 Nodding again, Aerith watched the younger girl. “That's
762 why you're the Keyblade Mistress, Hikari. Only you can close that
763 door because it's your door that's been left open. The rest of us
764 don't remember our other lives. I don't know who I was before this,
765 why I came here. I only know that I did. And I know of the others who
766 did, too. I don't regret giving all that up. I feel like this is
767 where I belong. With my friends. With Cloud. On this world.”
768
769 Licking
770 her suddenly dry lips, Kairi nodded. “That's what I want, too. I want
771 to go back to the Destiny Islands. I want to be with Riku and Sora
772 and my friends.”
773
774 “But part of you also wants part of the other world,
775 doesn't it? You're torn. That's why that doorway is open. And only
776 you can close it. But will you step back through before you do? You
777 have to decide soon. Which side will you be on when it shuts?” Taking
778 Kairi's hand, Aerith sighed. “I'm sorry it has to be so difficult.
779 Usually it isn't a problem. You're simply here. But something's still
780 holding you back.”
781
782 “You don't remember anything? Anything at all?” Kairi looked up at
783 the taller woman. She had all sorts of snippits of her other life.
784 Mostly cold and dark, but she could also feel homesick over the warm
785 memories of her mother. And she was getting more and more memories
786 back of being the princess of Hollow Bastion. Both seemed integral.
787 Both felt like necessary parts of who she was.
788
789 Shaking her head,
790 Aerith's hair swished behind her. “I don't remember any of it. I came
791 here to be with my prince. To live the life I never could in the
792 other world. Just like you.” Smiling, she suppressed a giggle.
793 “Though it looks like you have two princes.”
794
795 Blushing, Kairi looked
796 down at the sheets in front of her. “I need to find them. I need to
797 be with them again.” Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. “I
798 need to close that door to the other world before it's too
799 late.”
800
801 “Thank you, Hikari. I'll help however I can. All of us are
802 willing to grant our strength to make sure these worlds don't fall
803 apart,” Aerith promised.
804
805 “All of us? The other princesses?” Kairi
806 asked, curious.
807
808 “All of us. We'll try to hold everything together long
809 enough for you to close the door once and for all.”
810
811 A small smile
812 spread across Kairi's lips. “Then... Take care of Hollow Bastion for
813 me. I remember growing up here. I don't want anything bad to happen
814 to it. I'll do my best to protect all the worlds. I'll stop it. I
815 promise.”
816
817