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     1.2 +++ b/stories/prismhearts-13.txt	Fri Feb 19 06:24:59 2010 -0500
     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,817 @@
     1.4 +Prism Hearts
     1.5 +Chapter 13
     1.6 +Final Distance
     1.7 +by Amazoness Duo
     1.8 +amazonessduo@hotmail.com
     1.9 +
    1.10 +
    1.11 +
    1.12 +Stars were falling. It was as if the universe itself were crying.
    1.13 +They plumetted one after the other, falling from their perches in the
    1.14 +sky. They never grew in size, tiny droplets of stars falling around
    1.15 +her, winking out of existence when they touched the ground, their
    1.16 +magic disappearing when they no longer soared in the heavens. And
    1.17 +still they fell, creating a light drizzle of stars, beautiful
    1.18 +luminescent teardrops. 
    1.19 +
    1.20 +And this is where we find our heroine, in the
    1.21 +midst of raining stars, lying unconscious and curled up on the
    1.22 +shadowed ground. Quiet footsteps echo nearby, moving with a silent
    1.23 +purpose through this darkened land. Sparkling dew of dying stars
    1.24 +bathe Kairi as she struggles to remember, to hold off whatever is
    1.25 +trying to end her sojourn. Something that is very close indeed. 
    1.26 +
    1.27 +Weary eyes slowly blinked themselves open. The fact that she wasn't
    1.28 +alone
    1.29 +in a room on her bed comforted her, but only for a moment. Her
    1.30 +fingers scrabbled along the cold ground, finally managing to push
    1.31 +herself up to her knees. A tiny star, smaller than a snowflake,
    1.32 +landed upon her nose. It was warm to the touch, fading slowly.
    1.33 +Glancing around her, she could see thousands of other stars falling,
    1.34 +raining about her. It was beautiful. They were the only light in this
    1.35 +endless night. Cupping her hands, she reached out, watching as
    1.36 +several stars landed in her hands. They helped warm her cold hands,
    1.37 +their light casting shadows around her as they slowly began fading.
    1.38 +
    1.39 +Holding the stars to her chest, Kairi began to see what else was
    1.40 +around her. Just where was she? This place held no familiarity to
    1.41 +her, nothing that she had ever seen before. Everywhere else, she knew
    1.42 +from someplace. 'From Squaresoft games and Disney movies,' a part of
    1.43 +her kindly added before she could force it away. But this place... An
    1.44 +involuntary shudder passed through her. She had never seen this place
    1.45 +before, had never been there. And once again, she was all alone.
    1.46 +There were no friends to stand by her, no one to catch her when she
    1.47 +stumbled. 
    1.48 +
    1.49 +Getting to her feet, Kairi brushed some of the glistening
    1.50 +dew from the stars off of her clothes. All around her were objects of
    1.51 +varying shapes and sizes, some not much more than stones with
    1.52 +etchings in them and others large and intricate statues. Kairi
    1.53 +clenched her fists, her fingernails digging into her palms. Fear
    1.54 +wasn't going to get the better of her. She had to push forward. 'Or
    1.55 +you could give up. It's almost over, you know. This can't end the way
    1.56 +you want it to, Kairi. Come back home. Give up on these dreams.'
    1.57 +Shaking her chestnut hair, Kairi held her head. “Leave me alone.” Her
    1.58 +voice sounded so quiet, nothing more than a whisper. Her fingernails
    1.59 +scratched against her temples, almost wishing she could claw the
    1.60 +voice out of her head. 
    1.61 +
    1.62 +Making her way to the nearest of the objects,
    1.63 +Kairi strained her eyes to make out the etched words under the
    1.64 +statue. It seemed to be a beautiful mermaid, it's arms outstretched
    1.65 +to the skies above. The falling stars made it look like it was
    1.66 +crying. Kairi felt sorry for it, reaching up to brush the glowing
    1.67 +tears away. “You don't like it here, either, do you?” she asked
    1.68 +quietly. More stars fell, finally illuminating the placard beneath.
    1.69 +Bending down, the princess brushed some hair out of her eyes to read
    1.70 +it.
    1.71 +
    1.72 +'Here lie the dreams of Kathryn. From the gentle sea of her soul
    1.73 +they rose, but the storm that ravaged her heart sank them. May they
    1.74 +forever roam tranquil seas as they wait for her to return to them.'
    1.75 +
    1.76 +“What's that supposed to mean?” Kairi ran her fingers over the cool
    1.77 +stone and etched words. A grave? But why? Not for this Kathryn, but
    1.78 +for her dreams? Standing up, curiosity gnawing at her, the princess
    1.79 +moved to the next one.
    1.80 +
    1.81 +A graceful unicorn stood atop the next marker. It almost looked real
    1.82 +in the half lit darkness that draped over the entire area. A sigh
    1.83 +escaped Kairi's lips. If only it was real. She could climb on it and
    1.84 +go far, far away from this cold, lonely place. 
    1.85 +
    1.86 +'When a child grows,
    1.87 +her dreams change and some come and go. Chiyomi's dreams as a child
    1.88 +have been replaced by a new dream. May those that filled her nights
    1.89 +long ago never lose their magic where they are now.'
    1.90 +
    1.91 +The next was of two women entwined, holding each other amidst the
    1.92 +falling stars. It read:
    1.93 +
    1.94 +'Megumi used to dream of the future she would
    1.95 +spend with her love. But this dream died when she found out she
    1.96 +wouldn't live long enough to see it fulfilled. Soon, she will be
    1.97 +joining them.'
    1.98 +
    1.99 +“What is this place?” Kairi stepped away from the
   1.100 +statues. This place wasn't a far away kingdom or a city at the edge
   1.101 +of forever. This was...
   1.102 +
   1.103 +“The Graveyard of Lost Dreams,” a voice said
   1.104 +behind the princess.
   1.105 +
   1.106 +Whirling around, her heart pounding in her chest
   1.107 +like a runaway train, Kairi got a look at who had snuck up on her.
   1.108 +She was a little smaller than Kairi herself, with short, messy dark
   1.109 +hair. She wore a long sleeved white blouse and shorts. Her dark eyes
   1.110 +seemed incredibly sad, deep, dark pools that went on for an eternity.
   1.111 +Kairi had to pull her gaze away from those eyes, afraid she'd never
   1.112 +see the bottom of them. “Who are you?” she asked, taking a step back.
   1.113 +She nearly started again when she stepped into another statue. There
   1.114 +was something... strange about this girl.
   1.115 +
   1.116 +“I'm... the caretaker of
   1.117 +this place,” the girl stated simply. “And you... You are the dreamer
   1.118 +of dreams.” Stepping past Kairi, she set some pink carnations down in
   1.119 +front of the mermaid statue.
   1.120 +
   1.121 +“Do you all speak in riddles?” Kairi asked, exasperated. Straight
   1.122 +out, simple truth seemed to be something that no one other than
   1.123 +herself enjoyed. Everything had to lead in circles. It was like she
   1.124 +was lost in Wonderland. 
   1.125 +
   1.126 +“Sometimes it's the best way to explain
   1.127 +things. Especially if you aren't ready to understand them.” The girl
   1.128 +turned back to Kairi, stars twinkling around her. A star landed in
   1.129 +her hand. Without seeming to notice, the dark haired girl closed her
   1.130 +hand, snuffing out the star. 
   1.131 +
   1.132 +“What's your name?” Maybe she had heard
   1.133 +of this girl before. Or she'd at least have a name to attach to her.
   1.134 +It was better than just meeting some creepy girl in the middle of a
   1.135 +graveyard. Harle, Aya, and Maya all had names even if they wouldn't
   1.136 +tell her much else.
   1.137 +
   1.138 +“I have no name. I've gone by many, but none are
   1.139 +my real name. I simply... am.” Walking past, she continued on a
   1.140 +meandering path through the graveyard. “But what use are names? Yours
   1.141 +isn't even your own.”
   1.142 +
   1.143 +“What's that supposed to mean?” Kairi hurried to
   1.144 +follow the girl. She was the only one in this place and whoever she
   1.145 +was, she seemed to have some answers. Even if she wasn't exactly
   1.146 +being forthcoming.
   1.147 +
   1.148 +“You know exactly what I mean. Kairi is the name you took on in the
   1.149 +Destiny Islands. It is neither the name of the Princess of Hollow
   1.150 +Bastion or a lonely girl who is bleeding to death in her room even as
   1.151 +we speak. Your name is Hikari,” the girl explained in her soft, calm
   1.152 +voice. “But if you can pretend Kairi is someone else, you can be
   1.153 +neither of those things, right?”
   1.154 +
   1.155 +Kairi shook her head quickly, denying
   1.156 +the girl's words. “No, it's not like that. I am Kairi. Those other
   1.157 +lives...” Trailing off, she shook her head again. “I don't know. But
   1.158 +I am Kairi.”
   1.159 +
   1.160 +“Then if we're pretending right now, you can call me
   1.161 +Sophie.” The dark haired girl bowed her head. “It's nice to escape
   1.162 +who you are. To lose yourself in someone else. To be everything
   1.163 +you're not. Pretty, popular, strongwilled. It's so much better than
   1.164 +reality sometimes.”
   1.165 +
   1.166 +For some reason, Sophie's words cut to the bone. “I am this way,”
   1.167 +she said angrily. Fear and uncertainty began to surface inside of
   1.168 +herself. 'Are you? Or is this all to get away from everything? To be
   1.169 +all you wanted to be?' Her heart pounded again and she suddenly felt
   1.170 +sick. No. This wasn't all make believe. She wasn't some lonely little
   1.171 +pathetic girl who'd slit her wrists rather than deal with her life.
   1.172 +That was the lie. She wasn't the lie. That life was. It had to be the
   1.173 +lie. 
   1.174 +
   1.175 +Ignoring Kairi's inner turmoil, Sophie continued, trimming some
   1.176 +of the flowers near one of the statues. “This place is a graveyard
   1.177 +for all the dreams that die. When someone gives up on their dreams,
   1.178 +when someone forgets them, when life crushes them, they die. This is
   1.179 +where their broken, battered bodies go. Where other dreams can mourn
   1.180 +their passing. But it's a lonely place. Few come out here, to this
   1.181 +place at the edge of eternity. To this place at the edge of sanity.
   1.182 +I'm sure the souls of all these dreams are happy that you would come
   1.183 +to visit them.”
   1.184 +
   1.185 +“But... Why? Why have this? Dreams don't die... They
   1.186 +just...”
   1.187 +
   1.188 +“Go far away? That is dying. The ceasing of life. Dreams are
   1.189 +born inside of people. And they die inside of people. They need a
   1.190 +graveyard just as much as people do. You're thinking too much of what
   1.191 +is 'real'. Reality is nothing more than a filter. Dreams live just as
   1.192 +surely as you do. Or did. You all go back to the same place when you
   1.193 +die,” Sophie explained. “Riku is already being called there, but I
   1.194 +can't reach him yet. He wants to see you very badly. But you're
   1.195 +dying, too. Right now. Time flows differently here. It's been so long
   1.196 +here, but it's only been a short time since you cut yourself over
   1.197 +there. But that's simply your body. If you decide to remain a dream,
   1.198 +it won't matter if it dies. But once it does, you can never go back.
   1.199 +The clock is ticking, Hikari. You're running out of time.”
   1.200 +
   1.201 +Speechless, Kairi could only watch the pale girl. Running out of
   1.202 +time? Before, it had just been wherever her journey took her on her
   1.203 +search for Riku and Sora. But now... she was... dying? No, that
   1.204 +life... But even though she wanted to say it was a lie, she couldn't.
   1.205 +Not completely. She couldn't entirely deny it anymore. A droplet
   1.206 +spattered against her cheek, running down her chin. Still warm, but
   1.207 +wet now. Not like the stars that had been falling. Wiping at it,
   1.208 +Kairi brought her fingers up to her eyes. Crimson streaked them. It
   1.209 +was raining blood. Searching around frantically, Kairi could see the
   1.210 +bloody raindrops falling about the statues in the graveyard. She
   1.211 +looked back at the girl, realization dawning on her. “You... You're
   1.212 +Death, aren't you?”
   1.213 +
   1.214 +A small, sad smile crossed Sophie's lips. “People
   1.215 +seem to think Death is a monster, something hideous that needs to be
   1.216 +feared. But I'm only doing my job.” She turned towards Kairi. “I know
   1.217 +what it's like to forget who you are, to leave your life behind, to
   1.218 +hate what you are. But no matter how far you run, you can never
   1.219 +escape it. It always manages to find you.”
   1.220 +
   1.221 +“But...” Kairi began, tears
   1.222 +forming in her eyes. “I don't want to give this up... I don't want it
   1.223 +to go away.. I don't want this dream to die...” For a moment, just a
   1.224 +moment, she could accept that she was Hikari. For a moment, she could
   1.225 +almost remember everything.  
   1.226 +
   1.227 +“Then you have to fight for it. You have
   1.228 +to deny the other world. If you give it up, then you'll still be here
   1.229 +when your body dies over there. I won't be taking you with it.”
   1.230 +Sophie stopped in front of several tombstones, the warm rain
   1.231 +bloodying her. “But 'reality' won't give up so easily. Sometimes
   1.232 +sacrifices are needed.”
   1.233 +
   1.234 +Rubbing at her eyes to force the tears away,
   1.235 +Kairi glanced at the statues next to Sophie. “Riku!” She recognized
   1.236 +the statue instantly. Hurrying to it, she read the inscription aloud.
   1.237 +"Plunging into darkness, Riku wanted to save his dreamer. Lost in the
   1.238 +night, but never swallowed by it, his spirit shines on.” The tears
   1.239 +that threatened returned, dripping down her already bloody cheeks.
   1.240 +“Riku...” He was dead now. His soul was still waiting for her. “Oh,
   1.241 +Riku... I'm so sorry...” He only wanted to save her. And he had made
   1.242 +the ultimate sacrifice for it.
   1.243 +
   1.244 +“I won't come for him until you've
   1.245 +unlocked the Door and seen him. He's determined to stay until then.
   1.246 +I'll give you that long. Then I'll take him to the other side,”
   1.247 +Sophie promised.
   1.248 +
   1.249 +Kairi wanted to argue, wanted to beg the incarnation
   1.250 +of death to let Riku stay, but she knew it would be pointless. The
   1.251 +dark haired girl wasn't one to break the rules. “It's my fault. He
   1.252 +never would have lost his body to Ansem if it weren't for me.”
   1.253 +
   1.254 +“He
   1.255 +only wanted to save you. If you live, isn't that what he wanted?
   1.256 +Doesn't that make his sacrifice worthwhile?” Sophie asked, tilting
   1.257 +her head to the side.
   1.258 +
   1.259 +“But...” It was true, wasn't it? “But I don't
   1.260 +want to lose him. I need him.” And that was just as true.
   1.261 +
   1.262 +Her gaze slowly turned to the statue next to Riku's. “Tidus?! But...
   1.263 +No! What's going on?” The princess whirled to the dark haired girl.
   1.264 +“What's happening to the Destiny Islands? He shouldn't be here. He
   1.265 +should be fine. I saw him before I left. This... this is all
   1.266 +wrong!”
   1.267 +
   1.268 +“The Destiny Islands are dying. They're the center of your
   1.269 +dreams. And now that it's falling apart, it's caving in on itself.
   1.270 +The rest of them will die as well if you can't save it. The dream is
   1.271 +becoming a nightmare. The dream will soon be here in the Graveyard of
   1.272 +Lost Dreams if things don't change.”
   1.273 +
   1.274 +“It's... dying?” It felt like the ground was crumbling beneath
   1.275 +Kairi's feet. The stakes were much higher than she'd realized. She
   1.276 +had to save Riku, had to find Sora, had to save the Destiny Islands
   1.277 +all before she died. They were dying just like she was. It was all
   1.278 +too much. “What about Hollow Bastion? If I'm it's princess, why isn't
   1.279 +it dying just like the Destiny Islands?”
   1.280 +
   1.281 +“Because you aren't the only
   1.282 +dreamer. There is another dreamer on Hollow Bastion who is managing
   1.283 +to keep it from falling apart. Maybe she can help you.” Sophie turned
   1.284 +to leave. “But remember, time is short. You brought the Heartless
   1.285 +here by leaving the door to the real world open. Only you can close
   1.286 +that door.”
   1.287 +
   1.288 +“Sophie... Thank you.” 
   1.289 +
   1.290 +Sophie didn't turn around. “I'll be seeing
   1.291 +you soon.” And with that, the graveyard shattered into a million
   1.292 +pieces.
   1.293 +
   1.294 +
   1.295 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1.296 +
   1.297 +Yuna sat in silence as the sounds of
   1.298 +music and dancing and subdued laughter permeated the air around her.
   1.299 +It was the night of the Destiny Islands Festival, but she really
   1.300 +couldn't work up the will to celebrate. And she was angry with
   1.301 +herself over that. It didn't matter if she felt like celebrating or
   1.302 +not. The pain inside of her was inconsequential. Everyone was scared.
   1.303 +They needed hope and she certainly wasn't helping anyone by sitting
   1.304 +near a tree with her legs to her chest trying not to cry. But she
   1.305 +couldn't help it. She felt on the verge of falling apart. The
   1.306 +islands, their home, it was all falling apart in front of them. Some
   1.307 +hideous nightmare had come to life. The same creature that had killed
   1.308 +her father. And now it was coming for her, for the Destiny Islands.
   1.309 +
   1.310 +Everyone was still in shock over the loss of Tidus. Wakka had asked
   1.311 +if they'd all disappear at this rate. Riku, Sora, Kairi, and now
   1.312 +Tidus. No one knew what would happen next. Their world was falling
   1.313 +apart at the seams. Selphie had insisted they still have the
   1.314 +festival, despite everything else. She had said this was exactly what
   1.315 +they needed the festival for, as something to keep them going,
   1.316 +something to push back the madness that seemed to surround them.
   1.317 +There had been some argument about it, but it had finally been agreed
   1.318 +to have the festival anyway. After all, if they didn't have it
   1.319 +because of the way things had been lately, they would be doing
   1.320 +exactly what the adults had done.
   1.321 +
   1.322 +And so here they were at last, dancing and singing and playing under
   1.323 +the starlight. But no matter how much Yuna told herself to go and
   1.324 +join them, for their sake if not her own, the green and blue eyed
   1.325 +girl couldn't get herself to move. Fear and indecision and pain froze
   1.326 +her in place, leaving her a lightly shivering statue.
   1.327 +
   1.328 +“It's a
   1.329 +beautiful night tonight, isn't it?” A voice asked from behind Yuna.
   1.330 +
   1.331 +At
   1.332 +first, the brunette tried to collect herself, to push back the tears
   1.333 +she knew would be present in her voice, but her surprise quickly took
   1.334 +that away. “Elder Seymour?” Her shock broke the spell on her
   1.335 +paralysis, allowing her to turn and see the older man. None of the
   1.336 +adults had known of their plans to have their own festival. So what
   1.337 +was one of the most respected elders doing here? For a moment, she
   1.338 +thought he was here to end the festival, to send them all home, but
   1.339 +his eyes told another story. His being here had nothing to do with
   1.340 +the festival. He was here to see her. Swallowing involuntarily, Yuna
   1.341 +continued to stare heavenward. Did he know? When explaining the
   1.342 +monster and what happened to Tidus, she hadn't told the council of
   1.343 +elders that she'd seen the creature before in her dreams, that she
   1.344 +knew it's name was Sin. But had Elder Seymour somehow seen through
   1.345 +her? 
   1.346 +
   1.347 +“So strange that we would have such a beautiful night on the
   1.348 +edge of such tragedy. Life certainly can be ironic, can't it, Yuna?
   1.349 +Almost as if that beauty grows out of tragedy. It's all a cycle. Life
   1.350 +leads to death. To escape death, new life is born only to be snuffed
   1.351 +out. And why? Why this needless cycle? Why this continuous march
   1.352 +towards death? We live simply so that we can die? Nothing ever
   1.353 +escapes death. No matter how much we struggle. It continues
   1.354 +menacingly forward.” Kneeling down, he glanced over at Yuna, to see
   1.355 +if she understood. The younger girl looked down, her pretty face
   1.356 +hidden by her hair. ”I know you feel bad about Tidus. But there was
   1.357 +nothing you can do. His suffering is over now. We who remain here are
   1.358 +the ones who are afraid, who are hurting and suffering. He is free.”
   1.359 +Tilting her chin up to see him, he smiled softly. “He is truly free
   1.360 +in a way you or I can never know in this world. Not afraid. Not
   1.361 +always worried. Never having to cry.”
   1.362 +
   1.363 +Looking back into Seymour's
   1.364 +eyes, Yuna found herself nodding. His words spun around in her head,
   1.365 +leaving her dizzy. Free.... How she longed to be free. Not bound in
   1.366 +chains by her own fears and indecision. Not having to hide her
   1.367 +feelings for the sake of others all the time. Not scared of whatever
   1.368 +was inside of her. Not paralyzed by indecision over everything. All
   1.369 +of these things that plagued her life. The depression that would set
   1.370 +in even as she would smile till it ached so no one around her would
   1.371 +know. But... Would that freedom only come in death?
   1.372 +
   1.373 +As if reading her
   1.374 +mind, Seymour continued. “Life is tragedy, Yuna. Pain hunts the
   1.375 +living. Sorrow fills our souls. And yet we continue to fight death,
   1.376 +even though we cannot possibly win. We only prolong suffering. This
   1.377 +world, this universe is awash with the tears of all who live. And all
   1.378 +we can do is sit and wait for the cycle to begin again, just as it
   1.379 +always has.”
   1.380 +
   1.381 +“But... That's not fair...” Yuna shook her head, hugging
   1.382 +her legs tighter. “Why does everyone have to keep hurting? Why can't
   1.383 +things ever be happy?”
   1.384 +
   1.385 +“Because the painfilled cycle of life and
   1.386 +death, their endless battle, continues on. As long as it does, we
   1.387 +will keep struggling through the loss and fear and suffering.”
   1.388 +Pausing for a moment, he stared deep into Yuna's mixed eyes. “But if
   1.389 +we could find a way to break this cycle, to destroy the wheel we keep
   1.390 +spinning on...”
   1.391 +
   1.392 +Yuna swallowed nervously. She wanted to look away, but
   1.393 +his gaze was magnetic, keeping her from turning. His gaze seemed to
   1.394 +go to the deepest depths of her soul, uncovering all the things she
   1.395 +hid from the world. It was as if he was speaking directly to her. But
   1.396 +how could she possibly destroy the cycle of life and death? That was
   1.397 +far beyond a simple girl like herself. But if she could... wouldn't
   1.398 +it be worth it? To be free? To end all pain and suffering?
   1.399 +
   1.400 +“Death is a salvation to those who die, but a curse to those who
   1.401 +continue living on. We continue on this path, waiting to be swallowed
   1.402 +up even as we see those we love fall around us. You're right, Yuna.
   1.403 +It's hardly fair. This cycle is one of madness and despair.” Leaning
   1.404 +forward, he placed a hand on Yuna's shoulder. “But I think we can
   1.405 +break the cycle. I think we can finally end this once and for all.
   1.406 +Even when you save someone, they will eventually suffer more pain and
   1.407 +death. But we could save everyone.”
   1.408 +
   1.409 +Her heart pounding, Yuna felt anxious and hopeful. She certainly
   1.410 +couldn't break the cycle of life and death, but maybe Elder Seymour
   1.411 +could. And if he needed her help, wouldn't it be worth it? “How?” she
   1.412 +breathed.
   1.413 +
   1.414 +Smiling, Seymour shook his head. “Not now, Yuna. But soon. Very,
   1.415 +very soon. Now you enjoy the festival. I'll talk to you soon. Enjoy
   1.416 +yourself. Soon there will be nothing more to haunt your soul.” With
   1.417 +that, the elder stood up and walked back through the shadows. None of
   1.418 +the others seemed to have noticed he was here. He must have docked
   1.419 +his small boat elsewhere.
   1.420 +
   1.421 +Shaking her head, thoughts spun chaotically through Yuna's head. If
   1.422 +Seymour was right, then no one else would have to get hurt. They
   1.423 +wouldn't be stuck watching their friends and loved ones disappear.
   1.424 +They could save everyone from the pain inherent in life. She could be
   1.425 +free. Finally free. 
   1.426 +
   1.427 +“Yunie, are you okay?” Rikku asked. The catgirl
   1.428 +looked down at her worriedly. Yuna hadn't said much to her since...
   1.429 +that thing had shown up. When the brunette would say something, she
   1.430 +would smile and pretend everything was fine. Which obviously it
   1.431 +wasn't. It scared Rikku to see Yuna like this. She wanted to help
   1.432 +her, to protect her, but she didn't know how. To her surprise, Yuna
   1.433 +looked up at her and smiled. Not the brittle, fake smile she had been
   1.434 +using, but a bright, hopeful smile. Rikku was even more surprised by
   1.435 +how good it made her feel to see Yuna smile like that. Her tail
   1.436 +swished at the sight.
   1.437 +
   1.438 +“I'm fine. I think... I think things are going to be just fine.” And
   1.439 +Yuna felt it, too. If Elder Seymour was right, she would do anything
   1.440 +to break the cycle. Then it wouldn't matter that Tidus died or that
   1.441 +Kairi and the others were missing or that the island was falling
   1.442 +apart. They'd all be far away from this.
   1.443 +
   1.444 +Seeing Yuna hopeful again had a warming affect on Rikku's soul. The
   1.445 +catgirl felt invigorated, as if she were feeding off of the
   1.446 +brightness she saw in Yuna. It took her a moment before she realized
   1.447 +she was purring. Finally managing to stop herself, she saw Yuna
   1.448 +giggle softly into her hand. Still energized by Yuna's uplifted
   1.449 +spirits, Rikku reached down, taking Yuna's hand into her paw. “Yunie,
   1.450 +do you wanna dance?” she asked eagerly.
   1.451 +
   1.452 +Despite the sudden flush that
   1.453 +arose on her cheeks, Yuna nodded. “I'd love to, Rikku.” She felt the
   1.454 +catgirl pull her to her feel. Almost stumbling forward into Rikku's
   1.455 +arms, she felt the other girl's paws on her hips. Blushing, she
   1.456 +looked up into swirly green eyes. All of her worries and fears had
   1.457 +evaporated for the time being. Right now, she was just under a
   1.458 +starlit sky with a girl that brought up lots of warm, confusing
   1.459 +feelings inside her heart. She'd usually be a bit more embarrassed
   1.460 +about dancing with someone, but right now she felt free. She knew
   1.461 +that she liked her, didn't she? So why not dance with her? The
   1.462 +knowledge that everything could be saved soon made her feel like
   1.463 +dancing anyway.
   1.464 +
   1.465 +Sweatdropping, Rikku's whiskers twitched. “I don't exactly know
   1.466 +where to start. Most of the dancing I've done have been in plays with
   1.467 +the rest of the Radical Dreamers. It's usually pretty planned out.”
   1.468 +
   1.469 +Laughing softly, Yuna position her arms on Rikku. Slowly, she began
   1.470 +to move witht he other girl. “It's not about planning. It's just
   1.471 +about moving. Dancing is fluid. If you plan too much, then it loses
   1.472 +that. It needs to be alive.”
   1.473 +
   1.474 +The two danced to the rhythm of the music, sandaled feet and paws
   1.475 +swishing over the sand as the water lapped the beach near them. They
   1.476 +moved past other couples dancing on the beach, all to the music
   1.477 +Irvine and several others had been forced to play courtesy of
   1.478 +Selphie. The beach was beautiful, decorated with everything they
   1.479 +could find for the festival. Magical lights hung in the trees,
   1.480 +blazing with beautiful colors.
   1.481 +
   1.482 +Yuna smiled as she saw Wakka over near the pier, eating as much as
   1.483 +he could from the food they had all brought over. Lulu was stamping
   1.484 +her foot impatiently, waiting for him to dance with her. Yes, things
   1.485 +were going to be just fine. She wouldn't let down the people she
   1.486 +cared for. Her eyes went back to Rikku's beautiful green swirls. They
   1.487 +were like a whirlpool, pulling her in. Absolutely beautiful.
   1.488 +
   1.489 +The slightly shorter catgirl caught on quickly, dancing wonderfully
   1.490 +against her, the two shifting about underneath the multicolored
   1.491 +lights. 'She must be a very good actress to catch onto things so
   1.492 +quickly,' Yuna thought absently. Dancing was something that she
   1.493 +always loved to do, now more than ever. It was the one thing that
   1.494 +truly made her feel free. Losing herself to motion and emotion.
   1.495 +Letting everything simply flow around her. And here, dancing with
   1.496 +Rikku, she could feel it even stronger. It felt like everything was
   1.497 +coursing around them, as if they were in the middle of a stream. The
   1.498 +whole feeling was much stronger than when she danced alone. She could
   1.499 +imagine that she could see the glow of their hearts and feelings
   1.500 +mingling as they danced. It was perfect. Resting her head on Rikku's
   1.501 +furry shoulder, she moved gently with the pretty catgirl.
   1.502 +
   1.503 +Holding onto Yuna, Rikku hoped Yuna couldn't feel her thundering
   1.504 +heartbeat. But then, did it matter? She held the brunette closer,
   1.505 +unable to keep from purring. Her paws rubbed up and down Yuna's back.
   1.506 +What would she do when Yuffie finally found her? She missed her big
   1.507 +sister, but she didn't want to leave Yuna. Being part of the Radical
   1.508 +Dreamers had meant everything to her, but now it didn't mean nearly
   1.509 +as much as being near the brunette. Maybe she'd finally found her
   1.510 +treasure, the one she'd been looking for. Let the others find riches
   1.511 +and fame. The girl in her arms was all she wanted.
   1.512 +
   1.513 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1.514 +
   1.515 +Sitting on the beach itself, another couple listened to the music
   1.516 +surrounding them. It was a bit more distant from where they sat, but
   1.517 +it suited them just fine. Sandals lay piled near them, their feet
   1.518 +dipping in the water as small waves brushed up the beach. Selphie's
   1.519 +head rested on Quistis's lap, looking out at the starlit ocean.
   1.520 +Quistis's lithe fingers moved through her brunette hair, taking the
   1.521 +time to play across her ears or her lips now and then.
   1.522 +
   1.523 +“You finally got to have your festival. It took a lot of work, but
   1.524 +you did it. Good job, Selphie.” Quistis brushed Selphie's hair past
   1.525 +her ears, gazing down at the other girl. “Did it work out the way you
   1.526 +wanted it to?”
   1.527 +
   1.528 +Pausing for a moment, Selphie thought. A laughter from
   1.529 +further up on the beach settled it for her. Nodding, the girl in the
   1.530 +yellow dress smiled faintly. “Yep. People are relaxing and having
   1.531 +fun. That's what I wanted.” 
   1.532 +
   1.533 +Quistis nodded, her blonde hair shifting
   1.534 +in the wind. “Then I'm glad it worked out. This might be our last
   1.535 +chance to relax, so it's good that you could help give that to
   1.536 +everyone.”
   1.537 +
   1.538 +Silence surrounded the two for several long moments. The music
   1.539 +seemed so dreadfully far away. Selphie shifted, looking up at
   1.540 +Quistis. “What happens next, Quisty?” she asked, her voice tinged
   1.541 +with concern. She had been so busy planning on this that she had
   1.542 +phased everything else out. Now that it was over, there was only the
   1.543 +reality of their world crumbling out from under them.
   1.544 +
   1.545 +The blonde didn't answer at first, simply looking down at Selphie.
   1.546 +Her fingers traced along Selphie's cheeks softly. “We do what we can.
   1.547 +We try to find out what's doing this to the islands. And we fight to
   1.548 +protect them. This is our home. We can't let it die.”
   1.549 +
   1.550 +Selphie bit her
   1.551 +lip, still looking up. Her big, green eyes were slightly wet, tear
   1.552 +stained. “And what if we can't find out? What if we can't stop
   1.553 +it?”
   1.554 +
   1.555 +Smiling softly, and feeling just as worried, Quistis wiped the
   1.556 +tears away from Selphie's eyes. “Whatever happens, Selphie, I'll be
   1.557 +here with you. We'll see it through together, no matter what.”
   1.558 +
   1.559 +Leaning
   1.560 +up, Selphie kissed the other girl. Slowly, at first, but with more
   1.561 +and more of her strength. She needed to know she was there, needed to
   1.562 +be with her. And this might be their last chance before everything
   1.563 +fell apart.
   1.564 +
   1.565 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1.566 +
   1.567 +The huge, almost labrynthine library did little to ease Yuffie's
   1.568 +thoughts. She was home at last, back on Hollow Bastion. The book in
   1.569 +front her remained open on the same page it had since she'd opened it
   1.570 +over an hour ago. Her thoughts were too fragmented to try to figure
   1.571 +anything out right now. Besides, Aerith was better at that sort of
   1.572 +thing than she was anyway. She'd welcomed the distraction when Leon
   1.573 +had entered the library to see her.
   1.574 +
   1.575 +“So she's really the Keyblade Mistress?” Leon was saying. 
   1.576 +
   1.577 +Nodding,
   1.578 +Yuffie finally shut the book. “Seems like it. Which doesn't make any
   1.579 +sense. She was one of the seven princesses. Maybe it has something to
   1.580 +do with her being Ansem's daughter. Besides, the other two Keyblade
   1.581 +Masters are currently out of the picture, so I guess she was
   1.582 +necessary. Though her Keyblade seems a little different. Maybe her
   1.583 +mission is a little different from theirs.”
   1.584 +
   1.585 +“Could be.” Leon crossed his arms, thinking. “Sora closed the
   1.586 +Doorway to the Darkness. So what we're dealing with is only the
   1.587 +remaining Heartless and their current growing numbers. If she's
   1.588 +supposed to open the Doorway to the Light, then maybe that will
   1.589 +finish this. Sora started it and she's supposed to finish it. With
   1.590 +the Doorway to the Darkness closed and the Doorway to the Light
   1.591 +opened, that should be the end of the Heartless.”
   1.592 +
   1.593 +“But for some reason, the Doorway to the Light is locked by a
   1.594 +different Keyholes. So we need to unlock the last of those before we
   1.595 +can open the Doorway. Assuming we can find it.” Yuffie shook her
   1.596 +head. “Which we will. She's got me working with her, so she's already
   1.597 +better off than that Sora guy was. Hey, Leo...” She paused,
   1.598 +correcting herself. “ Squall, where is Aerith? I thought she'd be
   1.599 +here? Or have you both been running around with your lovers while
   1.600 +I've been getting all the work done.” 
   1.601 +
   1.602 +Squall's eyes narrowed.
   1.603 +“Aerith's checking on Princess Hikari. She's still unconscious. You
   1.604 +and the other girl woke up a lot quicker than she has. Whatever's
   1.605 +been happening has put a big strain on the princess.” In response to
   1.606 +the rest of Yuffie's question, he added, “We've been trying to
   1.607 +protect Hollow Bastion and to figure out exactly what's going on.
   1.608 +Running around wouldn't do us any good if we don't know what we're
   1.609 +doing. And I don't want to leave Hollow Bastion to get consumed by
   1.610 +Darkness again.”
   1.611 +
   1.612 +“It won't,” Yuffie assured him. “We were caught by surprise last
   1.613 +time. No one knew what King Ansem was up to. This time we can go out
   1.614 +and stop it before it gets that far.” She grinned. “The Heartless
   1.615 +aren't going to stop the multiverse's best ninja. Just leave it to
   1.616 +me.”
   1.617 +
   1.618 +Squall didn't look impressed. The ninja girl simply stuck her
   1.619 +tongue out at him.
   1.620 +
   1.621 +“Yuffie?” Yuffie froze, turning to spot the speaker.
   1.622 +Relm stood there, blond hair peaking out from beneath her bandana.
   1.623 +She looked back to Squall for an opportunity to escape, but the older
   1.624 +man was already leaving to let them be alone. 'Crap!' The ninja
   1.625 +didn't know what to do about Relm since their last meeting. She
   1.626 +hadn't been able to deal with her jealousy at all. Avoiding Relm had
   1.627 +been her plan of action, but being in the same room made that
   1.628 +incredibly difficult to pull off.
   1.629 +
   1.630 +Relm pulled up a chair next to her.
   1.631 +The painter stared at Yuffie as the ninja flipped through pages in
   1.632 +the overly large book in front of her. It was almost comical how
   1.633 +nervous she was. “Thanks for saving me, Yuffie.” 
   1.634 +
   1.635 +Yuffie closed her
   1.636 +eyes, letting out a breath. She relaxed a bit at those words. If that
   1.637 +was all, then maybe it wasn't so bad. They could ingore the rest of
   1.638 +it. Like whatever feelings were pumping through her. Yeah, that
   1.639 +worked for her. She smiled her best cocky grin and turned to the
   1.640 +other girl. “Hey, don't worry about it. If you died, I wouldn't have
   1.641 +anyone to draw my exploits.” The way Relm was looking at her gave a
   1.642 +serious blow to her nonchalance. Relm stared into her eyes knowingly.
   1.643 +It was starting to freak her out.
   1.644 +
   1.645 +“I made her up, Yuffie. She was just
   1.646 +a painting I made. I wanted to make you jealous. I wanted to know if
   1.647 +you felt anything for me. If you liked me the way I like you. The way
   1.648 +I love you.” Relm tried to keep eye contact as Yuffie shifted around
   1.649 +uncomfortable. Relm took her hand, kissing at her fingers. “I love
   1.650 +you, Yuffie. I saw it. That's why you came back, isn't it?”
   1.651 +
   1.652 +Yuffie
   1.653 +tried weakly to pull her hand away. Part of her reminded herself that
   1.654 +if she was such a good ninja, she could get her hand back in an
   1.655 +instant. So the only conclusion was that she didn't want it back.
   1.656 +That didn't make her feel anymore secure at the moment. “It's my
   1.657 +fault your stuck in this mess. I couldn't let him kill you,” Yuffie
   1.658 +said unconvincingly. 
   1.659 +
   1.660 +“Then why had you been following me to know I
   1.661 +was in there?” Relm asked, arching a thin, blonde eyebrow. Standing
   1.662 +up, she held Yuffie's hand to her heart, pressed against the black
   1.663 +cloth of her top. Her heart pounded against Yuffie's palm.
   1.664 +
   1.665 +“I... I...” Words were starting to fail Yuffie. Her mind was racing
   1.666 +in two different directions at once. One for a decent explanation and
   1.667 +the other right towards Relm. She swallowed, trying to focus. Focus
   1.668 +refused to come. “I... I was worried about you. And Kairi.” She added
   1.669 +the last hastily. 
   1.670 +
   1.671 +Pressing Yuffie's hand closer to her breast, Relm
   1.672 +straddled Yuffie's lap, gazing directly into the ninja's eyes.
   1.673 +Yuffie's short shorts rustled against Relm's puffy pants. The younger
   1.674 +girl gazed into Yuffie's eyes, her nose brushing across the
   1.675 +brunette's. “I love you, Yuffie,” Relm whispered. Her lips brushed
   1.676 +against Yuffie's. She kissed Yuffie lightly again and again. The
   1.677 +ninja sat there tensely as she wrapped her arms around her, pulling
   1.678 +tightly against her. Licking Yuffie's lips, she felt the ninja
   1.679 +shudder in her arms deliciously. Yep, Yuffie was much, much nicer
   1.680 +when she had nowhere to turn. She suppressed the grin as she cuddled
   1.681 +closer on the chair, kissing more. Her hands ran up Yuffie's sides,
   1.682 +slipping under her short green top. Yuffie tried to sit up as Relm's
   1.683 +hands pressed against her soft skin, but the painter made it
   1.684 +impossible to get up.
   1.685 +
   1.686 +Yuffie was stunned. Not entirely by Relm's behaviour, because this
   1.687 +wasn't the first time she'd done anything like that, but by her own
   1.688 +lack of response. She should have pushed her away by now. Have told
   1.689 +her to leave her alone. Have done -something-. So finally, she did do
   1.690 +something. She started kissing Relm back.
   1.691 +
   1.692 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1.693 +
   1.694 +Kairi could vaguely feel a wet washcloth rubbing away the sweat from
   1.695 +her face. She'd been slipping fitfully. She felt so strange. Was she
   1.696 +sick? The bed shifted as someone sat next to her, brushing back her
   1.697 +hair as they used the washcloth. 'Mom?' Kairi's distorted mind called
   1.698 +out. It had to be. This was all just a nightmare. She was sick in
   1.699 +bed. Her mother had probably stayed home from work to be with her.
   1.700 +For a moment, she was homesick. She missed her mother. The only
   1.701 +person who actually cared for her. But it was okay. She was there
   1.702 +now. It was all right. Her mother would take care of her. But... It
   1.703 +didn't smell like her mother. It was still nice, comforting, but not
   1.704 +the same as her mother. She smelled like flowers. Kairi strained to
   1.705 +open her eyes, already worried about where she'd end up now.
   1.706 +
   1.707 +“Please
   1.708 +don't strain too much, Princess Hikari,” a gentle voice said.
   1.709 +Accepting that Kairi wouldn't end her struggling, she helped pull the
   1.710 +princess into a half sitting position. 
   1.711 +
   1.712 +The world blurred and turned
   1.713 +on end in front of Kairi. She would have fallen back to the bed if
   1.714 +not for the woman's hand on her shoulder. Slowly, things began to
   1.715 +clarify. “Princess Hikari? Then...” She looked over, seeing Aerith on
   1.716 +her bedside. “This is Hollow Bastion, isn't it?” She shook her head,
   1.717 +trying to clear away the last of the dizziness. “Did I bring myself
   1.718 +here? Or did that girl send me?”
   1.719 +
   1.720 +“You came here because you had to.
   1.721 +Does it matter how?” Aerith smiled, setting the washcloth to the side.
   1.722 +
   1.723 +“I guess not...” Kairi ran her fingers through her slightly damp
   1.724 +bangs. She looked up at the chestnut haired woman. “Is Hollow Bastion
   1.725 +okay? Is it still holding together?”
   1.726 +
   1.727 +Aerith nodded, though her smile
   1.728 +disappeared. “For now. Though if the Heartless get much stronger, I
   1.729 +don't know how long it will stay that way for any planet.”
   1.730 +
   1.731 +Kairi
   1.732 +sighed, nodding. “At least it's not falling apart like the Destiny
   1.733 +Islands.” Looking up, Kairi's mind began spinning. “I have to find
   1.734 +the other...” she choked back the word 'dreamer'. She didn't want to
   1.735 +admit that any of this was simply a dream. It was too real for that.
   1.736 +
   1.737 +“You won't have to look too far. I had a feeling you would want to
   1.738 +talk to me.” The older woman brushed her hair back over her
   1.739 +shoulders, smiling softly. 
   1.740 +
   1.741 +“You're... like me?” Kairi asked, still
   1.742 +not wanting to call it dreaming. Aerith nodded. “So I'm not the only
   1.743 +one.” This was both a relief and a curse. If she wasn't the only one,
   1.744 +at least she wasn't alone in all this. But it meant it couldn't just
   1.745 +be something crazy a few people were telling her to throw her off
   1.746 +track.
   1.747 +
   1.748 +Aerith nodded. “All of the seven Princesses were. Girls from another
   1.749 +world who escaped here, forgetting the lives they once led. They were
   1.750 +all like you, Hikari. I was like you. Fantasy helped sustain us. It
   1.751 +helped us get through life. Until finally we decided our dreams were
   1.752 +more worthwhile than our lives and we joined them. The rest of us
   1.753 +turned our back on our pasts, forgetting. But you couldn't entirely
   1.754 +forget. You clung to one thing. And that left the doorway open.
   1.755 +That's how the Heartless began to appear here.”
   1.756 +
   1.757 +“My mother...” Kairi
   1.758 +said softly, holding her hands to her heart. That memory that had
   1.759 +grown foggy, but never entirely forgotten. She'd held onto it even
   1.760 +when it was only a shadow. And while she held onto it, the doorway to
   1.761 +another world was left open, one she had been supposed to forget. “So
   1.762 +Aya was...”
   1.763 +
   1.764 +Nodding again, Aerith watched the younger girl. “That's
   1.765 +why you're the Keyblade Mistress, Hikari. Only you can close that
   1.766 +door because it's your door that's been left open. The rest of us
   1.767 +don't remember our other lives. I don't know who I was before this,
   1.768 +why I came here. I only know that I did. And I know of the others who
   1.769 +did, too. I don't regret giving all that up. I feel like this is
   1.770 +where I belong. With my friends. With Cloud. On this world.”
   1.771 +
   1.772 +Licking
   1.773 +her suddenly dry lips, Kairi nodded. “That's what I want, too. I want
   1.774 +to go back to the Destiny Islands. I want to be with Riku and Sora
   1.775 +and my friends.”
   1.776 +
   1.777 +“But part of you also wants part of the other world,
   1.778 +doesn't it? You're torn. That's why that doorway is open. And only
   1.779 +you can close it. But will you step back through before you do? You
   1.780 +have to decide soon. Which side will you be on when it shuts?” Taking
   1.781 +Kairi's hand, Aerith sighed. “I'm sorry it has to be so difficult.
   1.782 +Usually it isn't a problem. You're simply here. But something's still
   1.783 +holding you back.”
   1.784 +
   1.785 +“You don't remember anything? Anything at all?” Kairi looked up at
   1.786 +the taller woman. She had all sorts of snippits of her other life.
   1.787 +Mostly cold and dark, but she could also feel homesick over the warm
   1.788 +memories of her mother. And she was getting more and more memories
   1.789 +back of being the princess of Hollow Bastion. Both seemed integral.
   1.790 +Both felt like necessary parts of who she was.
   1.791 +
   1.792 +Shaking her head,
   1.793 +Aerith's hair swished behind her. “I don't remember any of it. I came
   1.794 +here to be with my prince. To live the life I never could in the
   1.795 +other world. Just like you.” Smiling, she suppressed a giggle.
   1.796 +“Though it looks like you have two princes.”
   1.797 +
   1.798 +Blushing, Kairi looked
   1.799 +down at the sheets in front of her. “I need to find them. I need to
   1.800 +be with them again.” Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. “I
   1.801 +need to close that door to the other world before it's too
   1.802 +late.”
   1.803 +
   1.804 +“Thank you, Hikari. I'll help however I can. All of us are
   1.805 +willing to grant our strength to make sure these worlds don't fall
   1.806 +apart,” Aerith promised.
   1.807 +
   1.808 +“All of us? The other princesses?” Kairi
   1.809 +asked, curious.
   1.810 +
   1.811 +“All of us. We'll try to hold everything together long
   1.812 +enough for you to close the door once and for all.”
   1.813 +
   1.814 +A small smile
   1.815 +spread across Kairi's lips. “Then... Take care of Hollow Bastion for
   1.816 +me. I remember growing up here. I don't want anything bad to happen
   1.817 +to it. I'll do my best to protect all the worlds. I'll stop it. I
   1.818 +promise.”
   1.819 +
   1.820 +