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author	rlm
date	Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:53:12 -0500
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-:dbe144217c71
+:fc00894c1d4a
+Prism Hearts
+Chapter 13
+Final Distance
+by Amazoness Duo
+amazonessduo@hotmail.com
+Stars were falling. It was as if the universe itself were crying.
+They plumetted one after the other, falling from their perches in the
+sky. They never grew in size, tiny droplets of stars falling around
+her, winking out of existence when they touched the ground, their
+magic disappearing when they no longer soared in the heavens. And
+still they fell, creating a light drizzle of stars, beautiful
+luminescent teardrops.
+And this is where we find our heroine, in the
+midst of raining stars, lying unconscious and curled up on the
+shadowed ground. Quiet footsteps echo nearby, moving with a silent
+purpose through this darkened land. Sparkling dew of dying stars
+bathe Kairi as she struggles to remember, to hold off whatever is
+trying to end her sojourn. Something that is very close indeed.
+Weary eyes slowly blinked themselves open. The fact that she wasn't
+alone
+in a room on her bed comforted her, but only for a moment. Her
+fingers scrabbled along the cold ground, finally managing to push
+herself up to her knees. A tiny star, smaller than a snowflake,
+landed upon her nose. It was warm to the touch, fading slowly.
+Glancing around her, she could see thousands of other stars falling,
+raining about her. It was beautiful. They were the only light in this
+endless night. Cupping her hands, she reached out, watching as
+several stars landed in her hands. They helped warm her cold hands,
+their light casting shadows around her as they slowly began fading.
+Holding the stars to her chest, Kairi began to see what else was
+around her. Just where was she? This place held no familiarity to
+her, nothing that she had ever seen before. Everywhere else, she knew
+from someplace. 'From Squaresoft games and Disney movies,' a part of
+her kindly added before she could force it away. But this place... An
+involuntary shudder passed through her. She had never seen this place
+before, had never been there. And once again, she was all alone.
+There were no friends to stand by her, no one to catch her when she
+stumbled.
+Getting to her feet, Kairi brushed some of the glistening
+dew from the stars off of her clothes. All around her were objects of
+varying shapes and sizes, some not much more than stones with
+etchings in them and others large and intricate statues. Kairi
+clenched her fists, her fingernails digging into her palms. Fear
+wasn't going to get the better of her. She had to push forward. 'Or
+you could give up. It's almost over, you know. This can't end the way
+you want it to, Kairi. Come back home. Give up on these dreams.'
+Shaking her chestnut hair, Kairi held her head. “Leave me alone.” Her
+voice sounded so quiet, nothing more than a whisper. Her fingernails
+scratched against her temples, almost wishing she could claw the
+voice out of her head.
+Making her way to the nearest of the objects,
+Kairi strained her eyes to make out the etched words under the
+statue. It seemed to be a beautiful mermaid, it's arms outstretched
+to the skies above. The falling stars made it look like it was
+crying. Kairi felt sorry for it, reaching up to brush the glowing
+tears away. “You don't like it here, either, do you?” she asked
+quietly. More stars fell, finally illuminating the placard beneath.
+Bending down, the princess brushed some hair out of her eyes to read
+it.
+'Here lie the dreams of Kathryn. From the gentle sea of her soul
+they rose, but the storm that ravaged her heart sank them. May they
+forever roam tranquil seas as they wait for her to return to them.'
+“What's that supposed to mean?” Kairi ran her fingers over the cool
+stone and etched words. A grave? But why? Not for this Kathryn, but
+for her dreams? Standing up, curiosity gnawing at her, the princess
+moved to the next one.
+A graceful unicorn stood atop the next marker. It almost looked real
+in the half lit darkness that draped over the entire area. A sigh
+escaped Kairi's lips. If only it was real. She could climb on it and
+go far, far away from this cold, lonely place.
+'When a child grows,
+her dreams change and some come and go. Chiyomi's dreams as a child
+have been replaced by a new dream. May those that filled her nights
+long ago never lose their magic where they are now.'
+The next was of two women entwined, holding each other amidst the
+falling stars. It read:
+'Megumi used to dream of the future she would
+spend with her love. But this dream died when she found out she
+wouldn't live long enough to see it fulfilled. Soon, she will be
+joining them.'
+“What is this place?” Kairi stepped away from the
+statues. This place wasn't a far away kingdom or a city at the edge
+of forever. This was...
+“The Graveyard of Lost Dreams,” a voice said
+behind the princess.
+Whirling around, her heart pounding in her chest
+like a runaway train, Kairi got a look at who had snuck up on her.
+She was a little smaller than Kairi herself, with short, messy dark
+hair. She wore a long sleeved white blouse and shorts. Her dark eyes
+seemed incredibly sad, deep, dark pools that went on for an eternity.
+Kairi had to pull her gaze away from those eyes, afraid she'd never
+see the bottom of them. “Who are you?” she asked, taking a step back.
+She nearly started again when she stepped into another statue. There
+was something... strange about this girl.
+“I'm... the caretaker of
+this place,” the girl stated simply. “And you... You are the dreamer
+of dreams.” Stepping past Kairi, she set some pink carnations down in
+front of the mermaid statue.
+“Do you all speak in riddles?” Kairi asked, exasperated. Straight
+out, simple truth seemed to be something that no one other than
+herself enjoyed. Everything had to lead in circles. It was like she
+was lost in Wonderland.
+“Sometimes it's the best way to explain
+things. Especially if you aren't ready to understand them.” The girl
+turned back to Kairi, stars twinkling around her. A star landed in
+her hand. Without seeming to notice, the dark haired girl closed her
+hand, snuffing out the star.
+“What's your name?” Maybe she had heard
+of this girl before. Or she'd at least have a name to attach to her.
+It was better than just meeting some creepy girl in the middle of a
+graveyard. Harle, Aya, and Maya all had names even if they wouldn't
+tell her much else.
+“I have no name. I've gone by many, but none are
+my real name. I simply... am.” Walking past, she continued on a
+meandering path through the graveyard. “But what use are names? Yours
+isn't even your own.”
+“What's that supposed to mean?” Kairi hurried to
+follow the girl. She was the only one in this place and whoever she
+was, she seemed to have some answers. Even if she wasn't exactly
+being forthcoming.
+“You know exactly what I mean. Kairi is the name you took on in the
+Destiny Islands. It is neither the name of the Princess of Hollow
+Bastion or a lonely girl who is bleeding to death in her room even as
+we speak. Your name is Hikari,” the girl explained in her soft, calm
+voice. “But if you can pretend Kairi is someone else, you can be
+neither of those things, right?”
+Kairi shook her head quickly, denying
+the girl's words. “No, it's not like that. I am Kairi. Those other
+lives...” Trailing off, she shook her head again. “I don't know. But
+I am Kairi.”
+“Then if we're pretending right now, you can call me
+Sophie.” The dark haired girl bowed her head. “It's nice to escape
+who you are. To lose yourself in someone else. To be everything
+you're not. Pretty, popular, strongwilled. It's so much better than
+reality sometimes.”
+For some reason, Sophie's words cut to the bone. “I am this way,”
+she said angrily. Fear and uncertainty began to surface inside of
+herself. 'Are you? Or is this all to get away from everything? To be
+all you wanted to be?' Her heart pounded again and she suddenly felt
+sick. No. This wasn't all make believe. She wasn't some lonely little
+pathetic girl who'd slit her wrists rather than deal with her life.
+That was the lie. She wasn't the lie. That life was. It had to be the
+lie.
+Ignoring Kairi's inner turmoil, Sophie continued, trimming some
+of the flowers near one of the statues. “This place is a graveyard
+for all the dreams that die. When someone gives up on their dreams,
+when someone forgets them, when life crushes them, they die. This is
+where their broken, battered bodies go. Where other dreams can mourn
+their passing. But it's a lonely place. Few come out here, to this
+place at the edge of eternity. To this place at the edge of sanity.
+I'm sure the souls of all these dreams are happy that you would come
+to visit them.”
+“But... Why? Why have this? Dreams don't die... They
+just...”
+“Go far away? That is dying. The ceasing of life. Dreams are
+born inside of people. And they die inside of people. They need a
+graveyard just as much as people do. You're thinking too much of what
+is 'real'. Reality is nothing more than a filter. Dreams live just as
+surely as you do. Or did. You all go back to the same place when you
+die,” Sophie explained. “Riku is already being called there, but I
+can't reach him yet. He wants to see you very badly. But you're
+dying, too. Right now. Time flows differently here. It's been so long
+here, but it's only been a short time since you cut yourself over
+there. But that's simply your body. If you decide to remain a dream,
+it won't matter if it dies. But once it does, you can never go back.
+The clock is ticking, Hikari. You're running out of time.”
+Speechless, Kairi could only watch the pale girl. Running out of
+time? Before, it had just been wherever her journey took her on her
+search for Riku and Sora. But now... she was... dying? No, that
+life... But even though she wanted to say it was a lie, she couldn't.
+Not completely. She couldn't entirely deny it anymore. A droplet
+spattered against her cheek, running down her chin. Still warm, but
+wet now. Not like the stars that had been falling. Wiping at it,
+Kairi brought her fingers up to her eyes. Crimson streaked them. It
+was raining blood. Searching around frantically, Kairi could see the
+bloody raindrops falling about the statues in the graveyard. She
+looked back at the girl, realization dawning on her. “You... You're
+Death, aren't you?”
+A small, sad smile crossed Sophie's lips. “People
+seem to think Death is a monster, something hideous that needs to be
+feared. But I'm only doing my job.” She turned towards Kairi. “I know
+what it's like to forget who you are, to leave your life behind, to
+hate what you are. But no matter how far you run, you can never
+escape it. It always manages to find you.”
+“But...” Kairi began, tears
+forming in her eyes. “I don't want to give this up... I don't want it
+to go away.. I don't want this dream to die...” For a moment, just a
+moment, she could accept that she was Hikari. For a moment, she could
+almost remember everything.
+“Then you have to fight for it. You have
+to deny the other world. If you give it up, then you'll still be here
+when your body dies over there. I won't be taking you with it.”
+Sophie stopped in front of several tombstones, the warm rain
+bloodying her. “But 'reality' won't give up so easily. Sometimes
+sacrifices are needed.”
+Rubbing at her eyes to force the tears away,
+Kairi glanced at the statues next to Sophie. “Riku!” She recognized
+the statue instantly. Hurrying to it, she read the inscription aloud.
+"Plunging into darkness, Riku wanted to save his dreamer. Lost in the
+night, but never swallowed by it, his spirit shines on.” The tears
+that threatened returned, dripping down her already bloody cheeks.
+“Riku...” He was dead now. His soul was still waiting for her. “Oh,
+Riku... I'm so sorry...” He only wanted to save her. And he had made
+the ultimate sacrifice for it.
+“I won't come for him until you've
+unlocked the Door and seen him. He's determined to stay until then.
+I'll give you that long. Then I'll take him to the other side,”
+Sophie promised.
+Kairi wanted to argue, wanted to beg the incarnation
+of death to let Riku stay, but she knew it would be pointless. The
+dark haired girl wasn't one to break the rules. “It's my fault. He
+never would have lost his body to Ansem if it weren't for me.”
+“He
+only wanted to save you. If you live, isn't that what he wanted?
+Doesn't that make his sacrifice worthwhile?” Sophie asked, tilting
+her head to the side.
+“But...” It was true, wasn't it? “But I don't
+want to lose him. I need him.” And that was just as true.
+Her gaze slowly turned to the statue next to Riku's. “Tidus?! But...
+No! What's going on?” The princess whirled to the dark haired girl.
+“What's happening to the Destiny Islands? He shouldn't be here. He
+should be fine. I saw him before I left. This... this is all
+wrong!”
+“The Destiny Islands are dying. They're the center of your
+dreams. And now that it's falling apart, it's caving in on itself.
+The rest of them will die as well if you can't save it. The dream is
+becoming a nightmare. The dream will soon be here in the Graveyard of
+Lost Dreams if things don't change.”
+“It's... dying?” It felt like the ground was crumbling beneath
+Kairi's feet. The stakes were much higher than she'd realized. She
+had to save Riku, had to find Sora, had to save the Destiny Islands
+all before she died. They were dying just like she was. It was all
+too much. “What about Hollow Bastion? If I'm it's princess, why isn't
+it dying just like the Destiny Islands?”
+“Because you aren't the only
+dreamer. There is another dreamer on Hollow Bastion who is managing
+to keep it from falling apart. Maybe she can help you.” Sophie turned
+to leave. “But remember, time is short. You brought the Heartless
+here by leaving the door to the real world open. Only you can close
+that door.”
+“Sophie... Thank you.”
+Sophie didn't turn around. “I'll be seeing
+you soon.” And with that, the graveyard shattered into a million
+pieces.
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+Yuna sat in silence as the sounds of
+music and dancing and subdued laughter permeated the air around her.
+It was the night of the Destiny Islands Festival, but she really
+couldn't work up the will to celebrate. And she was angry with
+herself over that. It didn't matter if she felt like celebrating or
+not. The pain inside of her was inconsequential. Everyone was scared.
+They needed hope and she certainly wasn't helping anyone by sitting
+near a tree with her legs to her chest trying not to cry. But she
+couldn't help it. She felt on the verge of falling apart. The
+islands, their home, it was all falling apart in front of them. Some
+hideous nightmare had come to life. The same creature that had killed
+her father. And now it was coming for her, for the Destiny Islands.
+Everyone was still in shock over the loss of Tidus. Wakka had asked
+if they'd all disappear at this rate. Riku, Sora, Kairi, and now
+Tidus. No one knew what would happen next. Their world was falling
+apart at the seams. Selphie had insisted they still have the
+festival, despite everything else. She had said this was exactly what
+they needed the festival for, as something to keep them going,
+something to push back the madness that seemed to surround them.
+There had been some argument about it, but it had finally been agreed
+to have the festival anyway. After all, if they didn't have it
+because of the way things had been lately, they would be doing
+exactly what the adults had done.
+And so here they were at last, dancing and singing and playing under
+the starlight. But no matter how much Yuna told herself to go and
+join them, for their sake if not her own, the green and blue eyed
+girl couldn't get herself to move. Fear and indecision and pain froze
+her in place, leaving her a lightly shivering statue.
+“It's a
+beautiful night tonight, isn't it?” A voice asked from behind Yuna.
+At
+first, the brunette tried to collect herself, to push back the tears
+she knew would be present in her voice, but her surprise quickly took
+that away. “Elder Seymour?” Her shock broke the spell on her
+paralysis, allowing her to turn and see the older man. None of the
+adults had known of their plans to have their own festival. So what
+was one of the most respected elders doing here? For a moment, she
+thought he was here to end the festival, to send them all home, but
+his eyes told another story. His being here had nothing to do with
+the festival. He was here to see her. Swallowing involuntarily, Yuna
+continued to stare heavenward. Did he know? When explaining the
+monster and what happened to Tidus, she hadn't told the council of
+elders that she'd seen the creature before in her dreams, that she
+knew it's name was Sin. But had Elder Seymour somehow seen through
+her?
+“So strange that we would have such a beautiful night on the
+edge of such tragedy. Life certainly can be ironic, can't it, Yuna?
+Almost as if that beauty grows out of tragedy. It's all a cycle. Life
+leads to death. To escape death, new life is born only to be snuffed
+out. And why? Why this needless cycle? Why this continuous march
+towards death? We live simply so that we can die? Nothing ever
+escapes death. No matter how much we struggle. It continues
+menacingly forward.” Kneeling down, he glanced over at Yuna, to see
+if she understood. The younger girl looked down, her pretty face
+hidden by her hair. ”I know you feel bad about Tidus. But there was
+nothing you can do. His suffering is over now. We who remain here are
+the ones who are afraid, who are hurting and suffering. He is free.”
+Tilting her chin up to see him, he smiled softly. “He is truly free
+in a way you or I can never know in this world. Not afraid. Not
+always worried. Never having to cry.”
+Looking back into Seymour's
+eyes, Yuna found herself nodding. His words spun around in her head,
+leaving her dizzy. Free.... How she longed to be free. Not bound in
+chains by her own fears and indecision. Not having to hide her
+feelings for the sake of others all the time. Not scared of whatever
+was inside of her. Not paralyzed by indecision over everything. All
+of these things that plagued her life. The depression that would set
+in even as she would smile till it ached so no one around her would
+know. But... Would that freedom only come in death?
+As if reading her
+mind, Seymour continued. “Life is tragedy, Yuna. Pain hunts the
+living. Sorrow fills our souls. And yet we continue to fight death,
+even though we cannot possibly win. We only prolong suffering. This
+world, this universe is awash with the tears of all who live. And all
+we can do is sit and wait for the cycle to begin again, just as it
+always has.”
+“But... That's not fair...” Yuna shook her head, hugging
+her legs tighter. “Why does everyone have to keep hurting? Why can't
+things ever be happy?”
+“Because the painfilled cycle of life and
+death, their endless battle, continues on. As long as it does, we
+will keep struggling through the loss and fear and suffering.”
+Pausing for a moment, he stared deep into Yuna's mixed eyes. “But if
+we could find a way to break this cycle, to destroy the wheel we keep
+spinning on...”
+Yuna swallowed nervously. She wanted to look away, but
+his gaze was magnetic, keeping her from turning. His gaze seemed to
+go to the deepest depths of her soul, uncovering all the things she
+hid from the world. It was as if he was speaking directly to her. But
+how could she possibly destroy the cycle of life and death? That was
+far beyond a simple girl like herself. But if she could... wouldn't
+it be worth it? To be free? To end all pain and suffering?
+“Death is a salvation to those who die, but a curse to those who
+continue living on. We continue on this path, waiting to be swallowed
+up even as we see those we love fall around us. You're right, Yuna.
+It's hardly fair. This cycle is one of madness and despair.” Leaning
+forward, he placed a hand on Yuna's shoulder. “But I think we can
+break the cycle. I think we can finally end this once and for all.
+Even when you save someone, they will eventually suffer more pain and
+death. But we could save everyone.”
+Her heart pounding, Yuna felt anxious and hopeful. She certainly
+couldn't break the cycle of life and death, but maybe Elder Seymour
+could. And if he needed her help, wouldn't it be worth it? “How?” she
+breathed.
+Smiling, Seymour shook his head. “Not now, Yuna. But soon. Very,
+very soon. Now you enjoy the festival. I'll talk to you soon. Enjoy
+yourself. Soon there will be nothing more to haunt your soul.” With
+that, the elder stood up and walked back through the shadows. None of
+the others seemed to have noticed he was here. He must have docked
+his small boat elsewhere.
+Shaking her head, thoughts spun chaotically through Yuna's head. If
+Seymour was right, then no one else would have to get hurt. They
+wouldn't be stuck watching their friends and loved ones disappear.
+They could save everyone from the pain inherent in life. She could be
+free. Finally free.
+“Yunie, are you okay?” Rikku asked. The catgirl
+looked down at her worriedly. Yuna hadn't said much to her since...
+that thing had shown up. When the brunette would say something, she
+would smile and pretend everything was fine. Which obviously it
+wasn't. It scared Rikku to see Yuna like this. She wanted to help
+her, to protect her, but she didn't know how. To her surprise, Yuna
+looked up at her and smiled. Not the brittle, fake smile she had been
+using, but a bright, hopeful smile. Rikku was even more surprised by
+how good it made her feel to see Yuna smile like that. Her tail
+swished at the sight.
+“I'm fine. I think... I think things are going to be just fine.” And
+Yuna felt it, too. If Elder Seymour was right, she would do anything
+to break the cycle. Then it wouldn't matter that Tidus died or that
+Kairi and the others were missing or that the island was falling
+apart. They'd all be far away from this.
+Seeing Yuna hopeful again had a warming affect on Rikku's soul. The
+catgirl felt invigorated, as if she were feeding off of the
+brightness she saw in Yuna. It took her a moment before she realized
+she was purring. Finally managing to stop herself, she saw Yuna
+giggle softly into her hand. Still energized by Yuna's uplifted
+spirits, Rikku reached down, taking Yuna's hand into her paw. “Yunie,
+do you wanna dance?” she asked eagerly.
+Despite the sudden flush that
+arose on her cheeks, Yuna nodded. “I'd love to, Rikku.” She felt the
+catgirl pull her to her feel. Almost stumbling forward into Rikku's
+arms, she felt the other girl's paws on her hips. Blushing, she
+looked up into swirly green eyes. All of her worries and fears had
+evaporated for the time being. Right now, she was just under a
+starlit sky with a girl that brought up lots of warm, confusing
+feelings inside her heart. She'd usually be a bit more embarrassed
+about dancing with someone, but right now she felt free. She knew
+that she liked her, didn't she? So why not dance with her? The
+knowledge that everything could be saved soon made her feel like
+dancing anyway.
+Sweatdropping, Rikku's whiskers twitched. “I don't exactly know
+where to start. Most of the dancing I've done have been in plays with
+the rest of the Radical Dreamers. It's usually pretty planned out.”
+Laughing softly, Yuna position her arms on Rikku. Slowly, she began
+to move witht he other girl. “It's not about planning. It's just
+about moving. Dancing is fluid. If you plan too much, then it loses
+that. It needs to be alive.”
+The two danced to the rhythm of the music, sandaled feet and paws
+swishing over the sand as the water lapped the beach near them. They
+moved past other couples dancing on the beach, all to the music
+Irvine and several others had been forced to play courtesy of
+Selphie. The beach was beautiful, decorated with everything they
+could find for the festival. Magical lights hung in the trees,
+blazing with beautiful colors.
+Yuna smiled as she saw Wakka over near the pier, eating as much as
+he could from the food they had all brought over. Lulu was stamping
+her foot impatiently, waiting for him to dance with her. Yes, things
+were going to be just fine. She wouldn't let down the people she
+cared for. Her eyes went back to Rikku's beautiful green swirls. They
+were like a whirlpool, pulling her in. Absolutely beautiful.
+The slightly shorter catgirl caught on quickly, dancing wonderfully
+against her, the two shifting about underneath the multicolored
+lights. 'She must be a very good actress to catch onto things so
+quickly,' Yuna thought absently. Dancing was something that she
+always loved to do, now more than ever. It was the one thing that
+truly made her feel free. Losing herself to motion and emotion.
+Letting everything simply flow around her. And here, dancing with
+Rikku, she could feel it even stronger. It felt like everything was
+coursing around them, as if they were in the middle of a stream. The
+whole feeling was much stronger than when she danced alone. She could
+imagine that she could see the glow of their hearts and feelings
+mingling as they danced. It was perfect. Resting her head on Rikku's
+furry shoulder, she moved gently with the pretty catgirl.
+Holding onto Yuna, Rikku hoped Yuna couldn't feel her thundering
+heartbeat. But then, did it matter? She held the brunette closer,
+unable to keep from purring. Her paws rubbed up and down Yuna's back.
+What would she do when Yuffie finally found her? She missed her big
+sister, but she didn't want to leave Yuna. Being part of the Radical
+Dreamers had meant everything to her, but now it didn't mean nearly
+as much as being near the brunette. Maybe she'd finally found her
+treasure, the one she'd been looking for. Let the others find riches
+and fame. The girl in her arms was all she wanted.
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+Sitting on the beach itself, another couple listened to the music
+surrounding them. It was a bit more distant from where they sat, but
+it suited them just fine. Sandals lay piled near them, their feet
+dipping in the water as small waves brushed up the beach. Selphie's
+head rested on Quistis's lap, looking out at the starlit ocean.
+Quistis's lithe fingers moved through her brunette hair, taking the
+time to play across her ears or her lips now and then.
+“You finally got to have your festival. It took a lot of work, but
+you did it. Good job, Selphie.” Quistis brushed Selphie's hair past
+her ears, gazing down at the other girl. “Did it work out the way you
+wanted it to?”
+Pausing for a moment, Selphie thought. A laughter from
+further up on the beach settled it for her. Nodding, the girl in the
+yellow dress smiled faintly. “Yep. People are relaxing and having
+fun. That's what I wanted.”
+Quistis nodded, her blonde hair shifting
+in the wind. “Then I'm glad it worked out. This might be our last
+chance to relax, so it's good that you could help give that to
+everyone.”
+Silence surrounded the two for several long moments. The music
+seemed so dreadfully far away. Selphie shifted, looking up at
+Quistis. “What happens next, Quisty?” she asked, her voice tinged
+with concern. She had been so busy planning on this that she had
+phased everything else out. Now that it was over, there was only the
+reality of their world crumbling out from under them.
+The blonde didn't answer at first, simply looking down at Selphie.
+Her fingers traced along Selphie's cheeks softly. “We do what we can.
+We try to find out what's doing this to the islands. And we fight to
+protect them. This is our home. We can't let it die.”
+Selphie bit her
+lip, still looking up. Her big, green eyes were slightly wet, tear
+stained. “And what if we can't find out? What if we can't stop
+it?”
+Smiling softly, and feeling just as worried, Quistis wiped the
+tears away from Selphie's eyes. “Whatever happens, Selphie, I'll be
+here with you. We'll see it through together, no matter what.”
+Leaning
+up, Selphie kissed the other girl. Slowly, at first, but with more
+and more of her strength. She needed to know she was there, needed to
+be with her. And this might be their last chance before everything
+fell apart.
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+The huge, almost labrynthine library did little to ease Yuffie's
+thoughts. She was home at last, back on Hollow Bastion. The book in
+front her remained open on the same page it had since she'd opened it
+over an hour ago. Her thoughts were too fragmented to try to figure
+anything out right now. Besides, Aerith was better at that sort of
+thing than she was anyway. She'd welcomed the distraction when Leon
+had entered the library to see her.
+“So she's really the Keyblade Mistress?” Leon was saying.
+Nodding,
+Yuffie finally shut the book. “Seems like it. Which doesn't make any
+sense. She was one of the seven princesses. Maybe it has something to
+do with her being Ansem's daughter. Besides, the other two Keyblade
+Masters are currently out of the picture, so I guess she was
+necessary. Though her Keyblade seems a little different. Maybe her
+mission is a little different from theirs.”
+“Could be.” Leon crossed his arms, thinking. “Sora closed the
+Doorway to the Darkness. So what we're dealing with is only the
+remaining Heartless and their current growing numbers. If she's
+supposed to open the Doorway to the Light, then maybe that will
+finish this. Sora started it and she's supposed to finish it. With
+the Doorway to the Darkness closed and the Doorway to the Light
+opened, that should be the end of the Heartless.”
+“But for some reason, the Doorway to the Light is locked by a
+different Keyholes. So we need to unlock the last of those before we
+can open the Doorway. Assuming we can find it.” Yuffie shook her
+head. “Which we will. She's got me working with her, so she's already
+better off than that Sora guy was. Hey, Leo...” She paused,
+correcting herself. “ Squall, where is Aerith? I thought she'd be
+here? Or have you both been running around with your lovers while
+I've been getting all the work done.”
+Squall's eyes narrowed.
+“Aerith's checking on Princess Hikari. She's still unconscious. You
+and the other girl woke up a lot quicker than she has. Whatever's
+been happening has put a big strain on the princess.” In response to
+the rest of Yuffie's question, he added, “We've been trying to
+protect Hollow Bastion and to figure out exactly what's going on.
+Running around wouldn't do us any good if we don't know what we're
+doing. And I don't want to leave Hollow Bastion to get consumed by
+Darkness again.”
+“It won't,” Yuffie assured him. “We were caught by surprise last
+time. No one knew what King Ansem was up to. This time we can go out
+and stop it before it gets that far.” She grinned. “The Heartless
+aren't going to stop the multiverse's best ninja. Just leave it to
+me.”
+Squall didn't look impressed. The ninja girl simply stuck her
+tongue out at him.
+“Yuffie?” Yuffie froze, turning to spot the speaker.
+Relm stood there, blond hair peaking out from beneath her bandana.
+She looked back to Squall for an opportunity to escape, but the older
+man was already leaving to let them be alone. 'Crap!' The ninja
+didn't know what to do about Relm since their last meeting. She
+hadn't been able to deal with her jealousy at all. Avoiding Relm had
+been her plan of action, but being in the same room made that
+incredibly difficult to pull off.
+Relm pulled up a chair next to her.
+The painter stared at Yuffie as the ninja flipped through pages in
+the overly large book in front of her. It was almost comical how
+nervous she was. “Thanks for saving me, Yuffie.”
+Yuffie closed her
+eyes, letting out a breath. She relaxed a bit at those words. If that
+was all, then maybe it wasn't so bad. They could ingore the rest of
+it. Like whatever feelings were pumping through her. Yeah, that
+worked for her. She smiled her best cocky grin and turned to the
+other girl. “Hey, don't worry about it. If you died, I wouldn't have
+anyone to draw my exploits.” The way Relm was looking at her gave a
+serious blow to her nonchalance. Relm stared into her eyes knowingly.
+It was starting to freak her out.
+“I made her up, Yuffie. She was just
+a painting I made. I wanted to make you jealous. I wanted to know if
+you felt anything for me. If you liked me the way I like you. The way
+I love you.” Relm tried to keep eye contact as Yuffie shifted around
+uncomfortable. Relm took her hand, kissing at her fingers. “I love
+you, Yuffie. I saw it. That's why you came back, isn't it?”
+Yuffie
+tried weakly to pull her hand away. Part of her reminded herself that
+if she was such a good ninja, she could get her hand back in an
+instant. So the only conclusion was that she didn't want it back.
+That didn't make her feel anymore secure at the moment. “It's my
+fault your stuck in this mess. I couldn't let him kill you,” Yuffie
+said unconvincingly.
+“Then why had you been following me to know I
+was in there?” Relm asked, arching a thin, blonde eyebrow. Standing
+up, she held Yuffie's hand to her heart, pressed against the black
+cloth of her top. Her heart pounded against Yuffie's palm.
+“I... I...” Words were starting to fail Yuffie. Her mind was racing
+in two different directions at once. One for a decent explanation and
+the other right towards Relm. She swallowed, trying to focus. Focus
+refused to come. “I... I was worried about you. And Kairi.” She added
+the last hastily.
+Pressing Yuffie's hand closer to her breast, Relm
+straddled Yuffie's lap, gazing directly into the ninja's eyes.
+Yuffie's short shorts rustled against Relm's puffy pants. The younger
+girl gazed into Yuffie's eyes, her nose brushing across the
+brunette's. “I love you, Yuffie,” Relm whispered. Her lips brushed
+against Yuffie's. She kissed Yuffie lightly again and again. The
+ninja sat there tensely as she wrapped her arms around her, pulling
+tightly against her. Licking Yuffie's lips, she felt the ninja
+shudder in her arms deliciously. Yep, Yuffie was much, much nicer
+when she had nowhere to turn. She suppressed the grin as she cuddled
+closer on the chair, kissing more. Her hands ran up Yuffie's sides,
+slipping under her short green top. Yuffie tried to sit up as Relm's
+hands pressed against her soft skin, but the painter made it
+impossible to get up.
+Yuffie was stunned. Not entirely by Relm's behaviour, because this
+wasn't the first time she'd done anything like that, but by her own
+lack of response. She should have pushed her away by now. Have told
+her to leave her alone. Have done -something-. So finally, she did do
+something. She started kissing Relm back.
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+Kairi could vaguely feel a wet washcloth rubbing away the sweat from
+her face. She'd been slipping fitfully. She felt so strange. Was she
+sick? The bed shifted as someone sat next to her, brushing back her
+hair as they used the washcloth. 'Mom?' Kairi's distorted mind called
+out. It had to be. This was all just a nightmare. She was sick in
+bed. Her mother had probably stayed home from work to be with her.
+For a moment, she was homesick. She missed her mother. The only
+person who actually cared for her. But it was okay. She was there
+now. It was all right. Her mother would take care of her. But... It
+didn't smell like her mother. It was still nice, comforting, but not
+the same as her mother. She smelled like flowers. Kairi strained to
+open her eyes, already worried about where she'd end up now.
+“Please
+don't strain too much, Princess Hikari,” a gentle voice said.
+Accepting that Kairi wouldn't end her struggling, she helped pull the
+princess into a half sitting position.
+The world blurred and turned
+on end in front of Kairi. She would have fallen back to the bed if
+not for the woman's hand on her shoulder. Slowly, things began to
+clarify. “Princess Hikari? Then...” She looked over, seeing Aerith on
+her bedside. “This is Hollow Bastion, isn't it?” She shook her head,
+trying to clear away the last of the dizziness. “Did I bring myself
+here? Or did that girl send me?”
+“You came here because you had to.
+Does it matter how?” Aerith smiled, setting the washcloth to the side.
+“I guess not...” Kairi ran her fingers through her slightly damp
+bangs. She looked up at the chestnut haired woman. “Is Hollow Bastion
+okay? Is it still holding together?”
+Aerith nodded, though her smile
+disappeared. “For now. Though if the Heartless get much stronger, I
+don't know how long it will stay that way for any planet.”
+Kairi
+sighed, nodding. “At least it's not falling apart like the Destiny
+Islands.” Looking up, Kairi's mind began spinning. “I have to find
+the other...” she choked back the word 'dreamer'. She didn't want to
+admit that any of this was simply a dream. It was too real for that.
+“You won't have to look too far. I had a feeling you would want to
+talk to me.” The older woman brushed her hair back over her
+shoulders, smiling softly.
+“You're... like me?” Kairi asked, still
+not wanting to call it dreaming. Aerith nodded. “So I'm not the only
+one.” This was both a relief and a curse. If she wasn't the only one,
+at least she wasn't alone in all this. But it meant it couldn't just
+be something crazy a few people were telling her to throw her off
+track.
+Aerith nodded. “All of the seven Princesses were. Girls from another
+world who escaped here, forgetting the lives they once led. They were
+all like you, Hikari. I was like you. Fantasy helped sustain us. It
+helped us get through life. Until finally we decided our dreams were
+more worthwhile than our lives and we joined them. The rest of us
+turned our back on our pasts, forgetting. But you couldn't entirely
+forget. You clung to one thing. And that left the doorway open.
+That's how the Heartless began to appear here.”
+“My mother...” Kairi
+said softly, holding her hands to her heart. That memory that had
+grown foggy, but never entirely forgotten. She'd held onto it even
+when it was only a shadow. And while she held onto it, the doorway to
+another world was left open, one she had been supposed to forget. “So
+Aya was...”
+Nodding again, Aerith watched the younger girl. “That's
+why you're the Keyblade Mistress, Hikari. Only you can close that
+door because it's your door that's been left open. The rest of us
+don't remember our other lives. I don't know who I was before this,
+why I came here. I only know that I did. And I know of the others who
+did, too. I don't regret giving all that up. I feel like this is
+where I belong. With my friends. With Cloud. On this world.”
+Licking
+her suddenly dry lips, Kairi nodded. “That's what I want, too. I want
+to go back to the Destiny Islands. I want to be with Riku and Sora
+and my friends.”
+“But part of you also wants part of the other world,
+doesn't it? You're torn. That's why that doorway is open. And only
+you can close it. But will you step back through before you do? You
+have to decide soon. Which side will you be on when it shuts?” Taking
+Kairi's hand, Aerith sighed. “I'm sorry it has to be so difficult.
+Usually it isn't a problem. You're simply here. But something's still
+holding you back.”
+“You don't remember anything? Anything at all?” Kairi looked up at
+the taller woman. She had all sorts of snippits of her other life.
+Mostly cold and dark, but she could also feel homesick over the warm
+memories of her mother. And she was getting more and more memories
+back of being the princess of Hollow Bastion. Both seemed integral.
+Both felt like necessary parts of who she was.
+Shaking her head,
+Aerith's hair swished behind her. “I don't remember any of it. I came
+here to be with my prince. To live the life I never could in the
+other world. Just like you.” Smiling, she suppressed a giggle.
+“Though it looks like you have two princes.”
+Blushing, Kairi looked
+down at the sheets in front of her. “I need to find them. I need to
+be with them again.” Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. “I
+need to close that door to the other world before it's too
+late.”
+“Thank you, Hikari. I'll help however I can. All of us are
+willing to grant our strength to make sure these worlds don't fall
+apart,” Aerith promised.
+“All of us? The other princesses?” Kairi
+asked, curious.
+“All of us. We'll try to hold everything together long
+enough for you to close the door once and for all.”
+A small smile
+spread across Kairi's lips. “Then... Take care of Hollow Bastion for
+me. I remember growing up here. I don't want anything bad to happen
+to it. I'll do my best to protect all the worlds. I'll stop it. I
+promise.”

Mercurial > moonlitnights

comparison old/stories/prismhearts-13.txt @ 2:fc00894c1d4a moonlitnights