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     1.4 +
     1.5 +
     1.6 +Author’s Notes: I’d like to thank Laine for her help in writing
     1.7 +this. ^-^ And I’d like to thank my brother, Cloud, for a lot of the
     1.8 +ideas that show up in Prism Hearts. Without his Kingdom Hearts RPG,
     1.9 +Kairi’s travels through Prism Hearts would be completely different.
    1.10 +
    1.11 +Prism Hearts
    1.12 +Chapter 5
    1.13 +Time’s Scar
    1.14 +by Amazoness Duo
    1.15 +amazonessduo@hotmail.com
    1.16 +
    1.17 +
    1.18 +‘What was the start of all this?
    1.19 +When did the cogs of Fate begin to turn?
    1.20 +
    1.21 +Perhaps it is impossible to grasp that answer now,
    1.22 +From deep within the flow of time...
    1.23 +
    1.24 +But, for a certainty, back then,
    1.25 +We loved so many, yet hated so much.
    1.26 +We hurt others and were hurt ourselves.
    1.27 +
    1.28 +Yet even then, we ran like the wind,
    1.29 +Whilst our laughter echoed,
    1.30 +Under cerulean skies.’
    1.31 +
    1.32 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
    1.33 +
    1.34 +Kairi struggled through a fitful sleep. Something felt terribly
    1.35 +wrong, but she couldn’t make out what. But that feeling that things
    1.36 +weren’t right pervaded her sleeping form as she tossed and turned.
    1.37 +She tried to push through the thick fog that clouded her mind, to
    1.38 +force herself to wake up. The harder she tried, the more confused she
    1.39 +became. She could feel herself in bed, the blankets wrapped around
    1.40 +her. But she could also feel herself somewhere else, waves lapping
    1.41 +somewhere nearby. She rolled onto her side. The bed shifted under
    1.42 +her. Her hands opened and closed slowly, damp sand pressing against
    1.43 +them. It felt like she was in two places at once. Water slowly rose
    1.44 +and fell against Kairi’s hand. It must be the waves she had heard.
    1.45 +Was she back home? But which home? The Destiny Islands or the room
    1.46 +she so often found herself in? Or both?
    1.47 +
    1.48 +Footsteps slowly approached her, but Kairi couldn’t tell if it was
    1.49 +from the beach or the room. Her eyes struggled to open, but they felt
    1.50 +so heavy. Her whole body felt weak and exhausted. She just wanted to
    1.51 +sleep, even though she felt that someone was watching her. 
    1.52 +
    1.53 +The footsteps grew closer, finally stopping next to her. ‘Get up!’
    1.54 +she told herself. Now wasn’t the time to be lying there. She needed
    1.55 +to see whoever it was. But despite her concerns, she just couldn’t
    1.56 +work up the will to get up, let alone to open her eyes. 
    1.57 +
    1.58 +The footsteps finally stopped abruptly next to her. The person or
    1.59 +creature that had made them seemed to be studying her for a long
    1.60 +moment. She strained to get up, but the most she could manage was to
    1.61 +clench her fists, one in cool water and the other in bed sheets.
    1.62 +
    1.63 +The person watching her tsked, looking down at her. “Zere will be
    1.64 +great enemity between you and ze worlds. Tis not speculation. Tis
    1.65 +histoire. You are ze key to opening it all up or shattering it all
    1.66 +completely. Which will you decide?” the voice finally said in a
    1.67 +feminine French accent. A soft sigh escaped the girl above Kairi
    1.68 +before she turned to leave. “But first you must decide where you are,
    1.69 +no?”
    1.70 +
    1.71 +Kairi wanted to respond, to ask the person what she meant, but all
    1.72 +she could get out was a weak, sleepy grumble. What did she mean that
    1.73 +she could destroy everything? She was only one of the seven
    1.74 +princesses. And the doorway the princesses could open was already
    1.75 +sealed, so her importance was over. Now she was only a girl searching
    1.76 +for her friends. She tried one last time to get to her feet, pushing
    1.77 +off from the bed. 
    1.78 +
    1.79 +And she was up. She blinked wearily, a hand going to her eyes to
    1.80 +shield them from the sunset that greeted her. It stretched out lazily
    1.81 +along the horizon before her, beautiful swirls of pink and orange
    1.82 +marking the sky above. The sun glinted from both above and below, as
    1.83 +if it were in two places at once. It took her a moment to understand
    1.84 +why. It was reflecting off of the water she had been feeling later.
    1.85 +But she was not on a beach somewhere. She was in the middle of a vast
    1.86 +ocean, no land in sight. Her feet were resting on the water. The
    1.87 +water shifted under her, almost throwing her off balance. It still
    1.88 +felt like water, but she was somehow walking on it, the liquid
    1.89 +holding her up. She shot her gaze about quickly, trying to spot the
    1.90 +girl who had been speaking earlier, but she was all alone on the
    1.91 +ocean. 
    1.92 +
    1.93 +“Why don’t things ever make sense!?” She called out in anger and
    1.94 +frustration. 
    1.95 +
    1.96 +‘Because it’s not real,’ a voice whispered in her ear.
    1.97 +
    1.98 +Kairi jerked around, trying to spot the voice. She sighed when she
    1.99 +realized it was the one that always seemed to appear in her head.
   1.100 +“Why won’t you leave me alone? If you aren’t going to help me find
   1.101 +Riku and Sora then you could at least stop bothering me all the time.”
   1.102 +
   1.103 +‘Maybe you’re looking in the wrong places. I know where Riku and
   1.104 +Sora are,’ the voice taunted.
   1.105 +
   1.106 +“Where? Where are they? I need to find them!” Kairi said
   1.107 +desperately. This trip had already been so long and grueling. She
   1.108 +longed to see her friends again, to laugh and cry with the two of
   1.109 +them by her side. She just wanted it to be over. 
   1.110 +
   1.111 +‘Going to give up already? Riku wouldn’t give up so easily. He’d
   1.112 +keep going until he found you. No matter how far. And Sora never
   1.113 +returned to the island because he’s still looking for Riku. So they
   1.114 +can both come back to you on the island. Only you won’t be there.
   1.115 +Because you gave up in the middle of nowhe.’
   1.116 +
   1.117 +“I’m not giving up! I won’t give up until I see them again! No
   1.118 +matter how long it takes!” Kairi cried out, her fists clenched
   1.119 +angrily as she scanned the horizon for any sign of the voice. “I… I
   1.120 +love them! Nothing will keep me away from them! No matter how many
   1.121 +worlds I have to travel across!”
   1.122 +
   1.123 +A chuckle filled Kairi’s mind. Slow at first, but increasing in
   1.124 +volume. It seemed to come from deep within herself. It took Kairi by
   1.125 +surprise when she found herself to be chuckling as well. She stopped
   1.126 +immediately, disturbed by the source of that eerie feeling. ‘Very
   1.127 +well, Princess. Keep up your search. But remember, the door is
   1.128 +waiting for you as soon as you’re willing to accept reality. Come
   1.129 +back to me. I’m waiting.’
   1.130 +
   1.131 +Trying to ignore the voice, the brunette kept travelling forward,
   1.132 +trying to focus on getting away, far away from the voice at the
   1.133 +‘reality’ that it claimed to be from. The voice, the feelings, they
   1.134 +all seemed to swirl about inside of her. Like a thought she couldn’t
   1.135 +get rid of, neither willfully thought up or willingly kept. She
   1.136 +hugged herself, trying to force away the confusion. She had to
   1.137 +concentrate. 
   1.138 +
   1.139 +Onward and onward she traveled, the only sight the shifting water
   1.140 +beneath her feet. The sunset was slowly disappearing, the sky
   1.141 +becoming a deep purple. Stars began to hint at their existence in the
   1.142 +skies above. And still she was no closer to finding out where she was
   1.143 +or where she was going. Kairi sighed, collapsing. Hunched over, her
   1.144 +hands rested on her thighs as she tried to think. This wasn’t getting
   1.145 +her anywhere. There had to be some way to... 
   1.146 +
   1.147 +She blinked. That reflection in the water, it wasn’t her own. She
   1.148 +stood up again, looking down below her. The reflection in the water
   1.149 +was someone else as if she were standing on someone’s feet. With a
   1.150 +flash of recognition, her eyes went wide. “Riku!” she called out.
   1.151 +“Riku!!” She blinked back tears. He couldn’t hear her. “Riku!!!” He
   1.152 +blinked beneath her, starting to look around. It looked like he had
   1.153 +faintly heard something. A surge of hope welled up within Kairi, her
   1.154 +hands held tightly to her chest. “Riku! I’m right here!” He kept
   1.155 +scanning around, looking about him. “Look up! Please look up, Riku!”
   1.156 +she pleaded. If he saw her, then maybe they could find a way to be
   1.157 +together again. She wouldn’t be on this quest alone. 
   1.158 +
   1.159 +She needed him, needed someone to help her forget the cold reality
   1.160 +that kept being forced upon her. She needed to get to him. Kneeling
   1.161 +down, she tried to claw at the water, trying to reach him. “Riku!”
   1.162 +Her fingers broke through the water, hands plunging into the waves
   1.163 +beneath. And suddenly, so did she. As if the ground had been dropped
   1.164 +out from under her, the princess dropped into the depths. As water
   1.165 +surrounded her, she could see him up above, on the surface. But she
   1.166 +couldn’t swim up to him. It felt like her body was a lead weight. No
   1.167 +matter how hard she struggled, she kept sinking lower into inky
   1.168 +darkness. He grew further and further away, disappearing as the
   1.169 +darkness overcame her. She reached out, remembering his words from so
   1.170 +long ago. ‘Take my hand, Kairi. Take my hand and everything will be
   1.171 +all right.’ Her arm ached against the water as she struggled to reach
   1.172 +him, plunging ever deeper. She could see him, reaching for her. But
   1.173 +even that dissipated into nothingness as she sank.
   1.174 +
   1.175 +And she landed heavily onto something soft. For a moment, she could
   1.176 +only lie there. “Riku...” she said mournfully. So close... If only
   1.177 +she could have reached out faster, then maybe... 
   1.178 +
   1.179 +“Told you that you were looking in the wrong places,” the voice
   1.180 +chided from the other side of the door. 
   1.181 +
   1.182 +Kairi sat up immediately, her eyes wide. Not here. Anywhere but
   1.183 +here. Sure enough, she could see her room once again, pictures of the
   1.184 +Destiny Islands, Riku and Sora on the walls. Figurines from a dozen
   1.185 +Squaresoft games littered her desk. Dolls she had made lay all over
   1.186 +her bed. This was the last place she wanted to be. She couldn’t deal
   1.187 +with it at the moment. “No...” She sighed, picking up the Riku and
   1.188 +Sora dolls and hugging them as tightly as she could. 
   1.189 +
   1.190 +“I already knew you didn’t like it here, Kairi. Why else would you
   1.191 +spend all of your time escaping into fantasy? Playing games and
   1.192 +watching fairy tales and pretending you were this pretty girl on an
   1.193 +island where you two best friends were boys who were in love with
   1.194 +you. Oh, and your whole suicide stunt. I think you’ve made it
   1.195 +blatantly obvious you don’t like it here, Kairi. I think everyone
   1.196 +knows that but you. Because you’re so obsessed with your fantasy
   1.197 +world that you can’t step back for a second and remember the sad
   1.198 +lonely girl you really are,” the voice said, sounding frustrated.
   1.199 +
   1.200 +“This can’t be real,” Kairi whispered, getting off the bed. She
   1.201 +slowly walked to the locked door to her bedroom, squeezing the dolls
   1.202 +in her arms. They were the boys she loved, yet here they were only
   1.203 +fluff and cloth. 
   1.204 +
   1.205 +“It is, Kairi. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can open
   1.206 +the door and step out into reality. Reality is darkness. But it’s
   1.207 +also Truth. So the Truth is darkness.”
   1.208 +
   1.209 +Kairi shook her head, kneeling in front of the door. “No, it can’t
   1.210 +be like that. Even in the darkness, there will always be light.
   1.211 +Grandma told me that. Back.. Back at the palace. I can remember
   1.212 +that.” A smile of satisfaction lit up her face. She could remember
   1.213 +bits and pieces of her life back at the palace as a princess. That
   1.214 +gave her some hope. She didn’t just have memories from this place. 
   1.215 +
   1.216 +“That’s only because we can dream. Dreams are the light. But hopes
   1.217 +and dreams are lies. Only there to delude ourselves with visions of
   1.218 +what we wish would happen,” the voice argued. 
   1.219 +
   1.220 +“It’s not like that. It’s not,” Kairi replied softly, resting her
   1.221 +head against the door. “It can’t be. I have to find Riku and Sora. I
   1.222 +need to be with them again. And we’ll travel to all sorts of
   1.223 +beautiful places.”
   1.224 +
   1.225 +“I know you’re lonely. I know you miss them,” the voice whispered,
   1.226 +pressing it’s own head against the door. “I just wish you could
   1.227 +accept things, Kairi. You’re so far away because of this. And no
   1.228 +matter how hard I try, I can’t get you back. Because you keep running
   1.229 +away. Come home, Kairi. Please,” the voice pleaded. 
   1.230 +
   1.231 +Fingers slid under the door, lying there. The princess slowly
   1.232 +reached out, taking them. They curled over her own, trying to hold
   1.233 +onto her. They felt warm and soft against her hand. And it felt so
   1.234 +nice to be near someone in this creepy room. Even if it was some
   1.235 +faceless person behind a door. But she felt like she could almost
   1.236 +remember who it was. Almost...
   1.237 +
   1.238 +The hand held onto her tighter, starting to squeeze her hand
   1.239 +painfully as it gripped her own. Kairi felt a pit of anxiety in her
   1.240 +stomach. She tried to pull away, but the grip was too tight. “Hey...
   1.241 +Let go. That hurts.” She yanked back, but still with no results.
   1.242 +“Oww...” A shattering sound got her attention, her heart pounding.
   1.243 +Her window had burst. She could see water gushing in as if the house
   1.244 +were underwater. She tried harder to pull her hand away to no avail.
   1.245 +Water was quickly filling the room. It was already up to her thighs
   1.246 +and she couldn’t stand up to get away from it because of the hand.
   1.247 +“Let go!” she cried. She was cut short by the rising water. She was
   1.248 +quickly submerged in her bedroom. Books and figurines floated past
   1.249 +her in the churning waters. She was going to drown. That thought
   1.250 +horrified her. She was going to drown in that lonely, evil room. 
   1.251 +
   1.252 +The hand holding hers tightened further and yanked her forward. The
   1.253 +door was no longer there. Neither was the rest of her room. She moved
   1.254 +swiftly through the water, finally breaking above the surface of the
   1.255 +water. Her lungs burned painfully, her body weak. Her knees gave out,
   1.256 +her body slumping back into the water. But arms were quickly around
   1.257 +her, pulling her out of the water. “It will be all right, Kairi. I
   1.258 +have you.” She looked up weakly to see the cloaked boy she had met
   1.259 +some time ago. Her head collapsing against his chest, she passed out.
   1.260 +
   1.261 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.262 +
   1.263 +Sephiroth watched a small floating image before him. There were
   1.264 +several keyholes in front of a larger keyhole. One of the keyholes
   1.265 +had lit up. “Kefka,” the soldier murmured to himself. That was one
   1.266 +down. There were only so many left. It was only a matter of time.
   1.267 +Kefka hadn’t understood that he was serious when he had said that
   1.268 +Kairi was the key to all of this. She was the important thing, not
   1.269 +her keyblade or her friends. But now was not the time to act. All he
   1.270 +could do was sit and watch and wait.
   1.271 +
   1.272 +“So she’s opened one of the Keyholes already? She may be more
   1.273 +trouble than we had thought,” a woman said, crossing her arms. 
   1.274 +
   1.275 +“One little girl is not going to be a problem. Kefka was a fool. As
   1.276 +long as she can’t get close enough to use her Keyblade, she isn’t a
   1.277 +problem. I’d simply wipe her out with an Eidolon, but I’ve been
   1.278 +forbidden from doing so,” the bishounen said, pouting. 
   1.279 +
   1.280 +“Destroying her would only be problematic. Why kill that which we
   1.281 +can use? She is the key to obtaining all of our goals, after all.
   1.282 +With her, we can unleash the Heartless entirely. And then we can do
   1.283 +what we will in our own worlds. I already have such plans for mine,”
   1.284 +a soft voice said, slowly smiling. “We never would have been able to
   1.285 +accomplish our goals before, but we have banded together to make our
   1.286 +dreams come true. Let’s not forget what is important. Realizing our
   1.287 +dreams, no matter how we must go about it.”
   1.288 +
   1.289 +“Yes. Kefka forgot about that. But his dream was one of madness. He
   1.290 +couldn’t fight off the Princess. She was too strong for his madness
   1.291 +shrouded heart. Just be careful none of you make the same mistake,”
   1.292 +Sephiroth said. Closing his hand, he dispersed the image. “I have
   1.293 +work to do. I’ll leave the rest up to you for now. Don’t make the
   1.294 +same mistakes Kefka did. And remember, I want her alive.” Turning, he
   1.295 +exited the dark room.
   1.296 +
   1.297 +The pretty boy grinned. “I guess that means it’s my turn. I better
   1.298 +hurry home to make sure everything’s going according to plan.” With
   1.299 +that, the white haired boy disappeared in a flash of light. 
   1.300 +
   1.301 +~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1.302 +
   1.303 +Kairi awake with a start, glancing around a dimly lit room. The
   1.304 +kitten that she had rescued was rubbing it’s head into her chin,
   1.305 +purring softly. She smiled softly at it, scratching its chin. It
   1.306 +looked up at her with its odd green eyes, questioningly. The ocean
   1.307 +was gently washing up on shore somewhere not far from where she was.
   1.308 +She sat up slowly, looking about the room. This didn’t seem familiar.
   1.309 +At least it wasn’t her bedroom. She sighed in relief. 
   1.310 +
   1.311 +“You’re up,” a voice said.
   1.312 +
   1.313 +Swallowing, the princess tried to pinpoint the voice. She finally
   1.314 +found it on the bed rather than in her head. Another good sign. It
   1.315 +was the silver haired cloaked boy. He was sitting on the edge of the
   1.316 +bed, watching her. Well, as best as one can watch someone while
   1.317 +wearing a blindfold. She reached out slowly for it, but he moved
   1.318 +away. “Why do you wear that?” she inquired, watching him as he stood
   1.319 +up.
   1.320 +
   1.321 +“To blind myself from the darkness. So I won’t see it anymore. I’ve
   1.322 +already looked too deeply into it. This way I can keep from staring
   1.323 +at it again. If you look too deeply into the darkness, it stares back
   1.324 +at you,” He explained. 
   1.325 +
   1.326 +Kairi nodded simply. She didn’t exactly understand, but that seemed
   1.327 +to be the best explanation she could get. “Who are you?” she asked at
   1.328 +last.
   1.329 +
   1.330 +“A friend,” was his only reply.
   1.331 +
   1.332 +Sighing, the brunette slowly got to her bare feet. Looking around,
   1.333 +she finally spotted her shoes. She stared at them for a long moment,
   1.334 +thinking. “You saved me. What you said about their being light even
   1.335 +in the darkest heart. If it weren’t for you...” She shuddered at the
   1.336 +thought of being possessed by the Slave Crown. What horrible things
   1.337 +would Kefka be making her do?
   1.338 +
   1.339 +The boy said nothing for a long moment. He undid the blinds, letting
   1.340 +them raise up and let light into the room. It was small and messy, a
   1.341 +room in some small village. The ocean rolled nearby. “You’re looking
   1.342 +for your friends, aren’t you?”
   1.343 +
   1.344 +Nodding emphatically, Kairi stood up. “With all my heart. I have to
   1.345 +find them. They need me. I know it.”
   1.346 +
   1.347 +“One of them is searching for the other. You’ll find him by
   1.348 +searching for the one he is looking for. Your paths will eventually
   1.349 +cross if you seek the same thing,” he said, turning back to Kairi.
   1.350 +
   1.351 +“Riku...” Kairi nodded. “If I look for Riku, I’ll run into Sora.”
   1.352 +That made sense. Then they could find Riku together. And they could
   1.353 +all be together again. She smiled. That sounded so perfect. She
   1.354 +looked down at the kitten. Having hopped off the bed, it was now
   1.355 +rubbing against her ankles, meowing. It almost sounded like it was
   1.356 +trying to say something. She reached down, picking it up. Petting the
   1.357 +kitten, she looked up thoughtfully at the cloaked boy. “But where do
   1.358 +I look for Riku?”
   1.359 +
   1.360 +“You can’t reach him yet. He was locked away when Sora locked the
   1.361 +Doorway to the Darkness.”
   1.362 +
   1.363 +Kairi’s shoulders slumped. “But.. There has to be some way to reach
   1.364 +him, right? He can’t be locked away forever.” Her heart skipped a
   1.365 +beat. All that Sora had done to save everyone couldn’t have doomed
   1.366 +Riku. It didn’t seem fair that Riku would have to suffer so that
   1.367 +everyone else would be safe. Damn it, she wanted to Riku to be there,
   1.368 +to smile at her. He couldn’t be lost forever. 
   1.369 +
   1.370 +“There is always a Doorway to the Light. That is the door he is
   1.371 +behind now that the darkness is banished. If you can unlock the
   1.372 +Doorway to the Light, you can reach him,” the boy explained.
   1.373 +
   1.374 +“Great! Now where’s the Doorway to the Light? If I can find that, I
   1.375 +can meet up with Sora and we can open it up and see Riku again.” She
   1.376 +felt almost giddy again. She finally had some inkling of what was
   1.377 +going on, of how to find her friends. She was anxious to be underway. 
   1.378 +
   1.379 +“It isn’t that simple,” the silver haired boy warned. “The Doorway
   1.380 +to the Light has several locks on it. These locks are Keyholes that
   1.381 +reside within the hearts of several people. You must unlock all of
   1.382 +them in order to unlock the Doorway to the Light.” He watched her
   1.383 +disappointment for a moment before continuing. “You have already
   1.384 +unlocked one of the Keyholes. The Keyhole of Madness lay within
   1.385 +Kefka’s heart. You must unlock the rest before the Doorway to the
   1.386 +Light will open.”
   1.387 +
   1.388 +Kairi nodded thoughtfully. It had been hard enough to unlock Kefka’s
   1.389 +heart. But if that was the only way to save Riku, she had to do it.
   1.390 +He would do no less for her. “Whatever it takes,” she said at last. 
   1.391 +
   1.392 +“Good. I was hoping you would say that. He needs you. You’re the
   1.393 +only one who can save him. Go and find the Keyholes. Unlock them.
   1.394 +Then you will find the Doorway. Behind it lies your friend. And the
   1.395 +Light. It is the only way to stop the Heartless. When the Doorway to
   1.396 +the Darkness was closed, they were cut off. They are limited in
   1.397 +numbers now. By opening up the light, you can vanquish them forever.”
   1.398 +
   1.399 +“No more Heartless,” the princess repeated. ‘And no more of that
   1.400 +messed up reality. That’s tied into the Heartless, that voice said.
   1.401 +So if I can stop the Heartless, I won’t ever have to go back. We can
   1.402 +go back to our islands,’ she thought to herself. 
   1.403 +
   1.404 +“You’re the only one who can open the door, Kairi.” The boy turned
   1.405 +from her, heading out the door. His work here was done. For now.
   1.406 +
   1.407 +Kairi could only watch him go. He seemed so familiar. But she didn’t
   1.408 +know what to say. “Thank you,” she said as he reached the doorway. He
   1.409 +paused for a moment but said nothing before disappearing through the
   1.410 +doorway. Kairi sighed, clutching a hand to her heart. She knew what
   1.411 +she had to do. Even if it did feel a little overwhelming. But she’d
   1.412 +already unlocked one of the Keyholes. What were a few more?
   1.413 +
   1.414 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.415 +
   1.416 +‘Dear Diary,
   1.417 +Hi again! Well, we’re working on the Island Festival after all. The
   1.418 +adults cancelled it because of all the weird stuff going on lately,
   1.419 +so we’re gonna throw one ourselves. I’ve been so busy making
   1.420 +decorations for it that my hands hurt! But as long as we can have our
   1.421 +festival, it doesn’t matter. Besides, Quisty has been rubbing my
   1.422 +hands when I complain about it. *blush* So I’m happy about that. I
   1.423 +was complaining about it earlier while she was studying on the beach.
   1.424 +At least I got her out of the house, even if she insisted on bringing
   1.425 +her book with her. And she just nodded, looking at me with those
   1.426 +pretty blue eyes of hers looking at me through her cute glasses and
   1.427 +then she reached out and took my hands, rubbing them. And it felt a
   1.428 +lot better because of that. We talked a bit while she did that, even
   1.429 +though my mind was elsewhere. I hope it wasn’t too obvious.
   1.430 +
   1.431 +That hole’s still there on the island. It’s looking bigger now. It’s
   1.432 +really spooky. There’s just nothing there. Wakka said someone should
   1.433 +take a look. Then he asked Tidus to go do it. Tidus shook his head,
   1.434 +saying he wasn’t gonna do it and that Wakka should because Wakka’s
   1.435 +older. I’m starting to wonder if Kairi fell down that hole. I sure
   1.436 +hope not. I’d hate to think she was swallowed up by that big scary
   1.437 +nothingness. It almost made me want to go in to look for her, but I
   1.438 +just stood closer to Quisty as we all stared at it. We finally left,
   1.439 +trying to think of something to play to get our minds off of it. But
   1.440 +I don’t think the hole’s gonna go away. And what happens if it keeps
   1.441 +getting bigger? We can’t ignore it forever. 
   1.442 +
   1.443 +But that’s what we have the festival for! To forget about things
   1.444 +now. We’ll deal with things later on. Right now we have that to worry
   1.445 +about. I’m in charge of the Destiny Island Festival Committee! It was
   1.446 +Quisty’s idea to give it an official sounding name. So we put it all
   1.447 +together and since it was my idea, I get to be in charge. We’ve been
   1.448 +drawing up plans of all the stuff we wanna do for it. The boys
   1.449 +weren’t too thrilled about the whole dance on the beach under the
   1.450 +stars, but I told them that we’re doing it anyway. I’m dancing with
   1.451 +Quisty at the festival whether they like it or not! Tidus is just too
   1.452 +shy to ask Yuna to dance with him. If he doesn’t ask soon, Lulu’s
   1.453 +going to and he’s gonna lose his chance. Seems like everyone like’s
   1.454 +Yuna. I can kinda understand. She’s a bit like Quisty. They’re both
   1.455 +really thoughtful and quiet sometimes and get depressed over little
   1.456 +things because they’re worried about disappointing everyone. If only
   1.457 +they’d realize we love them anyway! They don’t have to be perfect.
   1.458 +But I’d be better off telling Quisty that than my diary. I’ll
   1.459 +remember to do that later when she’s being quiet again. 
   1.460 +
   1.461 +Tidus and Wakka are putting up some decorations right now. I can
   1.462 +hear them hammering away. It’s hard to think. But I’m still exhausted
   1.463 +from running around all day collecting stuff for the decorations, so
   1.464 +that’s probably part of the reason. Lulu’s using her magic to light
   1.465 +some fires so we can see. It’s not too late, but some really dark
   1.466 +clouds have rolled in and it’s hard to see. Yuna’s giving moral
   1.467 +support and carrying some of the decorations from place to place. Now
   1.468 +that I think about it, I’ll probably ask her to teach me how to dance
   1.469 +before the festival. I know Quisty’s a great dancer because she’s a
   1.470 +scholar-type and she learned that sorta thing for some reason. Yuna’s
   1.471 +a great dancer, too. Sometimes she’ll dance out in the waves and it’s
   1.472 +really, really good. I wanna be good, too, when I dance with Quisty
   1.473 +during the festival, but I can’t ask her because then it won’t be a
   1.474 +special when we do. So I’ll get Yuna to teach me. I’m so excited! I
   1.475 +can just imagine twirling about with Quisty under the stars! If these
   1.476 +dark clouds ever go away. Grrr... Go away! I want my starry nights!
   1.477 +
   1.478 +The seas have been getting angrier, too. It’s like they’re restless.
   1.479 +I was collecting shells on the beach for the decorations and the
   1.480 +waves just pulled back for a moment. Then this big, dark wave came
   1.481 +crashing into me. I was so surprised that I let go of everything I’d
   1.482 +collected. I tumbled around until I was completely dizzy and then the
   1.483 +water rolled right back out. When I finally got back to my feet, I
   1.484 +realized one of my sandals was missing. The wave stole it! Anyway, I
   1.485 +ran off after that, deciding to look a little further inland on the
   1.486 +island for things to make decorations. I don’t like how angry the
   1.487 +ocean looks. It’s not that beautiful aquamarine it used to be. It’s
   1.488 +all jagged and very dark. I hope it’s not a bad sign. 
   1.489 +
   1.490 +Oh, good! There’s Yuna. I’m gonna go ask her to teach me how to
   1.491 +dance. We don’t have much time until the festival, so I’m gonna try
   1.492 +my hardest for it! Booyaka!
   1.493 +
   1.494 +Selphie Tilmitt’
   1.495 +
   1.496 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.497 +
   1.498 +Relm sat on the edge of the dock, idly swinging her legs above the
   1.499 +quiet waves that rolled up to graze the shore as Yuffie paced
   1.500 +restlessly out of the corner of her eye.  The ninja’s light footfalls
   1.501 +on the worn wooden planks were steady and rhythmic, lulling her into
   1.502 +a sense of peace that seemed so at odds to everything that had
   1.503 +happened.  They had appeared in Arni out of nowhere, two days ago,
   1.504 +lying just out of the clutching grasp of the sea.  The fishermen had
   1.505 +taken them in, thinking them victims of a rough sea.
   1.506 +
   1.507 +But how could that have been?  They had been in Kefka’s prison, and
   1.508 +then they were here.  The only way it could dubiously be explained
   1.509 +was Kairi’s Keyblade, but the princess was still asleep.  
   1.510 +
   1.511 +“When did they say she was going to wake up?” Yuffie demanded for
   1.512 +the umpteenth time, scowling.
   1.513 +
   1.514 +“They didn’t say, but they’re pretty sure she’ll be fine.”  The
   1.515 +artist turned slightly to watch the water rise and fall as if it were
   1.516 +breathing, orange-gold sunlight edging the waves.  ‘I’d love to paint
   1.517 +this…but all my paints are back in Narshe.  Assuming Narshe stills
   1.518 +exists.’  She closed her eyes for a moment, marking the loss that
   1.519 +still seemed fuzzy and undefined.  Had all that really happened? 
   1.520 +Celes…and Kefka…and Interceptor?  Or was everything, even her being
   1.521 +here, just a dream?
   1.522 +
   1.523 +With a sigh, Yuffie sat down besides her, leaning back until the
   1.524 +ninja lay flat against the boards.  “Well, at least we’re safe for
   1.525 +now.”
   1.526 +
   1.527 +“Are we really?”  Relm asked in a soft voice, remembering that her
   1.528 +grandfather had presumed the same thing.
   1.529 +
   1.530 +“Huh?”  Yuffie raised her head, surprised at Relm’s dampened
   1.531 +spirits.  She’d thought that the other girl would have been perky and
   1.532 +optimistic till the sun fell out of the sky. It just goes to show you
   1.533 +how different people can be from what the seem.
   1.534 +
   1.535 +She reached out and patted Relm’s shoulder, a bit awkwardly, but
   1.536 +sincere nonetheless.  “Hey, it’s ok.  No one would dare to cross the
   1.537 +world’s greatest ninja, after all!  So you’re safe here with me.” 
   1.538 +She grinned her trademark grin, hoping to rouse a bit of cheer.
   1.539 +
   1.540 +Flushing, Relm smiled a little. “Thanks, Yuffie.” Lying back on the
   1.541 +planks, she rested her head on Yuffie’s bare stomach, curled beneath
   1.542 +the large sun in the sky above. She closed her eyes but they
   1.543 +fluttered open instantly, visions of Celes and Interceptor and the
   1.544 +burning buildings of Narshe invading her thoughts. Better to watch
   1.545 +the sea, she decided. With Yuffie. Yes, she could believe that things
   1.546 +would be all right as long as she had this ninja girl to protect her.
   1.547 +She scooted closer. Yuffie smelled so nice and felt so warm. She took
   1.548 +solace in those little things. They calmed her, soothing her spirits.
   1.549 +Yes, she’d be fine. ‘I’ll be all right, Interceptor. You just rest,
   1.550 +my friend. I know I’ll be safe. Yuffie can protect me for now.’
   1.551 +
   1.552 +Yuffie lay there awkwardly, staring up at the brilliant blue sky.
   1.553 +She could feel Relm’s eyelashes tickling her stomach as they blinked.
   1.554 +This wasn’t quite the reaction she’d been expecting when she’d
   1.555 +attempted to raise the artist’s spirits. The back of the blonde
   1.556 +girl’s bandana swished in the wind, moving across her ribs. But then,
   1.557 +what could she do? Push her away? The girl had just lost her
   1.558 +surrogate family and her best friend. Even if it was just a dog. So
   1.559 +it made sense that she was feeling a bit clingy. It wasn’t like it
   1.560 +was that hard to suffer through. Though part of her wanted to explain
   1.561 +that she wasn’t something to cling onto. She was a ninja and a thief,
   1.562 +not something cute and cuddly to grapple onto. But she decided to let
   1.563 +it pass this once. The younger girl needed some comforting and it
   1.564 +looked like she’d have to try her best. Hesitantly, Yuffie reached
   1.565 +down, placing a hand on Relm’s head. ‘Now what?’ she thought.
   1.566 +Sighing, she let her hand drop. Maybe she wasn’t the best for this
   1.567 +anyway. After all, she’d spent her whole life looking out for
   1.568 +herself. She wasn’t used to trying to perk someone else up. 
   1.569 +
   1.570 +Relm looked up when she felt Yuffie’s hand pull away. Giggling
   1.571 +softly, she reached up, pulling her bandana away. Medium length
   1.572 +blonde hair fell about Yuffie’s stomach. Relm rested her head back on
   1.573 +the ninja’s stomach, looking up the small slope of Yuffie’s chest to
   1.574 +the short haired ninja, waiting.
   1.575 +
   1.576 +Yuffie smiled nervously at the artist, looking at those deeply
   1.577 +intent blue eyes. It seemed fairly obvious why she had gotten rid of
   1.578 +the bandana. ‘I’m not good at this stuff! I’m not used to dealing
   1.579 +with kids! Well, except my little sister, but she’s not around right
   1.580 +now.’ Reaching down, Yuffie’s fingers brushed through Relm’s soft,
   1.581 +blonde hair. The artist smiled happily, still looking up at her.
   1.582 +Yuffie relaxed a bit as she kept stroking the younger girl’s hair.
   1.583 +‘At least she seems to be feeling a little better. So I guess it’s
   1.584 +worth it. But she better not be expecting this all the time.’ And it
   1.585 +really wasn’t so bad, feeling the silken hair under her fingers, the
   1.586 +other girl's warm breath against her stomach. There was something odd
   1.587 +in those eyes, though. And Yuffie wasn’t a stranger to weird eyes.
   1.588 +Her little sister had strange, spiral eyes. And Cloud had shining
   1.589 +green eyes. But there was something more subtle about these. They
   1.590 +were normal eyes, she decided at last. It was the look  she was
   1.591 +getting that was strange. So direct and intense and... something. She
   1.592 +felt a little embarrassed having that warm gaze directed at her.
   1.593 +‘Great. She’s probably gonna think of me as a mother figure or
   1.594 +something. And I am not a mother figure.’
   1.595 +
   1.596 +Relm, on the other hand, was thinking anything but motherly thoughts
   1.597 +about Yuffie. “Yuffie? Do you have a boyfriend?” she asked at last.
   1.598 +It seemed quiet, the sound of seagulls and the waves all a part of
   1.599 +the background.
   1.600 +
   1.601 +Shaking her head, Yuffie looked back up at the clouds thoughtfully.
   1.602 +“No, I’m too busy. Not that I really want one anyway. I see all these
   1.603 +couples around me like Cloud and Aerith, Rinoa and Squall, and I just
   1.604 +can’t see myself like that. Nothing against Aerith or Rinoa. I just
   1.605 +can’t see myself like that with some boyfriend.”
   1.606 +
   1.607 +Relm smiled, pleased with Yuffie’s response. “Good.”
   1.608 +
   1.609 +“Good? Why good?” Yuffie asked, blinking, looking back down at the
   1.610 +artist. That was an odd line of questioning. And she didn’t see why
   1.611 +that would be a good answer anyway. She just didn’t care about
   1.612 +finding a boyfriend right now. There were too many other things to
   1.613 +worry about. It wasn’t anywhere on her list of priorities. 
   1.614 +
   1.615 +“No reason,” Relm said, smiling secretively, tracing images on
   1.616 +Yuffie’s stomach with her finger. The warm skin felt like a wonderful
   1.617 +background for her. She could imagine her brushes running over it,
   1.618 +drawing the images in bright colors on Yuffie’s skin. “You should
   1.619 +really let me paint you sometime,” she said absentmindedly.
   1.620 +
   1.621 +“I’m not really sure I’d be a good model for a portrait,” Yuffie
   1.622 +replied, sweatdropping. 
   1.623 +
   1.624 +Relm giggled. “I was thinking about something else, but a portrait
   1.625 +would be nice, too. And you’d be a great model. Ninjas can be patient
   1.626 +and sit and wait for hours to ambush someone. So just use that deep
   1.627 +well of patience and it’ll be done quickly.”
   1.628 +
   1.629 +Yuffie frowned. She was a great ninja, after all. She couldn’t argue
   1.630 +with that. She sighed in defeat. “Yeah, I guess you can. Sometime.
   1.631 +Maybe.” She could imagine Aerith having a picture painted of her.
   1.632 +That girl could be patient. But she just couldn’t see herself sitting
   1.633 +there, being sketched. But if it made the girl feel better, then she
   1.634 +guessed she could suffer through it. And it might make for a good
   1.635 +picture. Relm was obviously very good with art. It might be
   1.636 +interesting, she thought grudgingly.
   1.637 +
   1.638 +“Great!” Relm squealed happily. It was nice to have other things to
   1.639 +think about. And right now she was happy just to be thinking about
   1.640 +Yuffie. And feeling her so close. She shifted a bit, resting her head
   1.641 +now on Yuffie’s chest. The ninja almost sat up, but Relm didn’t move.
   1.642 +Yuffie sighed and stayed where she was. The artist could feel the
   1.643 +small green top under her cheek, and the soft skin underneath. And
   1.644 +beneath all that, the gentle thump of Yuffie’s heart. It was the
   1.645 +heart of her princess, the ninja she had long awaited. She smiled at
   1.646 +the thought. “It must have been Fate,” she said softly.
   1.647 +
   1.648 +“What must have been Fate?” Yuffie asked, watching the quirky
   1.649 +artist. She sure was acting strangely. But then, all artists were a
   1.650 +little strange, weren’t they? At least, Zidane had said so. But who
   1.651 +was he to talk? Yuffie tried to look up again, but her eyes kept
   1.652 +being drawn back to the head on her chest, to Relm’s bright blue
   1.653 +eyes. Her keen intuition was telling her to be on guard, but logic
   1.654 +told her there was nothing to fear from the younger girl. But still,
   1.655 +she couldn’t quell her growing unease.
   1.656 +
   1.657 +“Meeting you. Finding myself lost somewhere far away with you. The
   1.658 +two of us sitting under the endless sky right now. It must have been
   1.659 +Fate. I don’t think this is all an accident. We were destined to
   1.660 +meet. I was destined to rescue you from a frosty death. We were
   1.661 +destined to travel together. Destined to fall madly and passionately
   1.662 +in love,” Relm said, her eyes sparkling. Yes, it was all Fate, a
   1.663 +guiding hand that had led her to this beautiful moment. Her budding
   1.664 +romance with her very own ninja. Just like her mother.
   1.665 +
   1.666 +“Destined to.. What?!” Yuffie blinked, her mind whirling at the
   1.667 +artists words. That had certainly not been what she had been
   1.668 +expecting. Possibly a surrogate mother figure, but a lover? Where was
   1.669 +Relm coming up with all of this stuff? She tried to get up, but Relm
   1.670 +pinned her. She was stronger than the artist, but Relm had caught her
   1.671 +by surprise and Yuffie’s head was still spinning. The blonde had
   1.672 +straddled her, looking down into her eyes. Yuffie could easily push
   1.673 +the girl off, but she found herself paralyzed underneath the blonde
   1.674 +artist. 
   1.675 +
   1.676 +“Destined to fall in love and spend forever together. Don’t you
   1.677 +believe in Fate?” Relm asked curiously, looking down at the older
   1.678 +ninja girl. “I guess I’ll just have to prove it to you.” She
   1.679 +whispered. Leaning down, she could see Yuffie’s wild eyes as she got
   1.680 +closer. Her own heart pounded feverishly, a delicious thrill cycling
   1.681 +through her blood. Had this been what it was like for her mother
   1.682 +while falling in love with her father? It was definitely dizzying. 
   1.683 +
   1.684 +Yuffie felt Relm’s lips press against her own, soft delicate petals
   1.685 +that seemed to melt against her own, flowing into them. She could
   1.686 +only sit there, aghast at what was happening. This little artist girl
   1.687 +had just professed her love for her. And here they were on some other
   1.688 +planet. And she was pinned underneath her, being kissed. Not just
   1.689 +some stage kiss, but a true, warm kiss. ‘Stop her!’ part of Yuffie
   1.690 +cried out. ‘She can’t do that to you!’ But Yuffie’s body refused to
   1.691 +cooperate. She could only lie there, subject to Relm’s will. That
   1.692 +thought sent a shudder through Yuffie. No one could control her but
   1.693 +herself. So she needed to get up and prove it. But Relm kept kissing
   1.694 +her. And for some reason, Yuffie couldn’t get herself to push the
   1.695 +young artist away. Her hands had reached Relm’s stomach, but she
   1.696 +couldn’t call upon the strength to force her off.
   1.697 +
   1.698 +“Now what the bloody ‘ell is this?” a bemused voice asked. 
   1.699 +
   1.700 +Yuffie shoved the artist off, standing up and whirling about. She
   1.701 +winced as she heard the splash behind her. Relm was not going to be
   1.702 +happy about that. Wait. Why did she care if Relm liked it or not?
   1.703 +Relm deserved to get dunked for trying to kiss her. Well, not exactly
   1.704 +trying. Damn technicalities. Yuffie tried to cover her embarrassment
   1.705 +with anger, glaring at the intruder. “Kid?! What are you doing here?”
   1.706 +
   1.707 +The blonde thief laughed, her hands on her hips. “Didn’t know ya had
   1.708 +it in ya, Yuffie.” She winked, sending an angry flush across Yuffie’s
   1.709 +cheeks. “And here I always thought you’d be the one on top.”
   1.710 +
   1.711 +Relm yanked herself back up onto the dock, soaking wet and
   1.712 +grumbling. “What was that for?! You could’ve asked me to stop!” She
   1.713 +hugged herself, shivering in the light breeze. Her hair hung wetly
   1.714 +across her face. She tried to blow some wet hair from in front of
   1.715 +her, but it stubbornly refused to move.
   1.716 +
   1.717 +“Wouldja have stopped?” Kid asked, still grinning. She had been glad
   1.718 +to see her fellow Radical Dreamer, but she found the situation she
   1.719 +found Yuffie in the be endlessly amusing. 
   1.720 +
   1.721 +Relm crossed her arms, frowning. “No. But she could’ve tried, at
   1.722 +least, before throwing me into the water.”
   1.723 +
   1.724 +“I didn’t through you, I just... Wait,” Yuffie shook her head,
   1.725 +trying to clear her thoughts. “Like this is my fault. You were the
   1.726 +one who started... Just don’t do that!”
   1.727 +
   1.728 +“I can’t make any promises,” Relm said stubbornly. 
   1.729 +
   1.730 +“Kid! There you are!” A voice said behind them. 
   1.731 +
   1.732 +Kid had a caught look on her face, but it melted away as she turned
   1.733 +around, masking it. “And if it isn’t the light o’ my life right now!
   1.734 +How ya doin’ Leena?”
   1.735 +
   1.736 +“I thought you were supposed to be getting my Komodo scale necklace
   1.737 +right now. If you’re still around here, there might not be any when
   1.738 +you get there. And then I’ll be the only girl in the village without
   1.739 +one. You don’t want that to happen, do you?” Leena asked. She seemed
   1.740 +to be taking this incredibly seriously. And why wouldn’t she? It was
   1.741 +a big deal in a world filled with fishing and the everyday facets of
   1.742 +life. This was something important, a gift that all boyfriends got
   1.743 +their loving girlfriends. And Kid was her boyfriend. Or something
   1.744 +like that. So Kid was going to get her one. Whether she liked it or
   1.745 +not.
   1.746 +
   1.747 +“Just about on my way, darling,” Kid said, trying to appease the
   1.748 +redhead. “Just getting some help from a friend of mine. Isn’t that
   1.749 +right, Yuffie?”
   1.750 +
   1.751 +“Who’s the one on top with you two?” Yuffie asked dryly, raising an
   1.752 +eyebrow. 
   1.753 +
   1.754 +Kid gave her a dirty look before grinning back at Leena. “Well, off
   1.755 +we go. We’ll be back with your necklace before you know it, love.”
   1.756 +She kissed Leena’s cheek as she walked by, dragging Yuffie behind her.
   1.757 +
   1.758 +Leena sighed reluctantly. “All right. I’ll be waiting, Kid. Come
   1.759 +back, soon! I’ll be done babysitting by then!” She waved at the
   1.760 +departing thieves.
   1.761 +
   1.762 +“Wait! I’m coming, too!” Relm said angrily. She wasn’t about to let
   1.763 +Yuffie leave her behind. She had to teach the ninja a thing or two
   1.764 +about Fate. Yuffie was hers, most definitely. She just didn’t know it
   1.765 +yet.
   1.766 + 
   1.767 \ No newline at end of file