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     1.2 +++ b/old/stories/prismhearts-08.txt	Fri Feb 19 20:53:12 2010 -0500
     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,609 @@
     1.4 +Prism Hearts 
     1.5 +Chapter 8
     1.6 +One Winged Angel
     1.7 +by Amazoness Duo
     1.8 +amazonessduo@hotmail.com
     1.9 +
    1.10 +I’ll be here...
    1.11 +I’ll be waiting... here…
    1.12 +Why?
    1.13 +For what?
    1.14 +I’ll be waiting... for you...
    1.15 +If you come here...
    1.16 +You’ll find me...
    1.17 +I promise.
    1.18 +
    1.19 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
    1.20 +
    1.21 +The hills stretched on for an eternity. Or so it seemed, at least.
    1.22 +Sora’s legs ached. It felt as if he had been marching on endlessly
    1.23 +for his entire life. The one thing that kept him going was the image
    1.24 +of Kairi and Riku, reaching out to him. He had to find Riku. He
    1.25 +couldn’t go back home to Kairi alone. They would see her again
    1.26 +together. He was sure of it. All he had to do was find that Doorway
    1.27 +to the Light and free Riku. That idiot. If he hadn’t sacrificed
    1.28 +himself to stop the Heartless, he wouldn’t be stuck behind that
    1.29 +doorway now. But if it hadn’t been for Riku’s sacrifice, the
    1.30 +Heartless would’ve consumed everything. Sora just couldn’t leave him
    1.31 +there. Riku was his best friend. It wasn’t right to go on without
    1.32 +him. He, Kairi, and Riku completed a puzzle. They needed each other.
    1.33 +All three of them were essential parts to that. If he went back to
    1.34 +Kairi alone, something would be missing. 
    1.35 +
    1.36 +Donald and Goofy followed close behind. Goofy was rather optimistic
    1.37 +about things, sure that over every hill would be the Doorway they
    1.38 +sought. Donald was his normal, highly irritable self. Sora sighed as
    1.39 +the duck grumbled about something for the thousandth time that day.
    1.40 +Still, even with Donald’s bitching, he wouldn’t want to do this on
    1.41 +his own. They were his friends. He wanted them by his side. 
    1.42 +
    1.43 +“Can we even open the door?” Donald asked at last. “It took your
    1.44 +Keyblade and King Mickey’s to close the Doorway to the Darkness. But
    1.45 +if King Mickey is stuck on the other side of it...” 
    1.46 +
    1.47 +Sora shook his head. “We’ll find a way. Remember what King Mickey
    1.48 +said. There will always be a door to the light.” He sighed.
    1.49 +
    1.50 +Donald narrowed his eyes. “We have to find it first.”
    1.51 +
    1.52 +Sighing, Sora nodded. He didn’t even know where to begin. And they
    1.53 +had been searching for so long... Just what were they looking for
    1.54 +anyway? Where would the Doorway to all of Light itself be? It didn’t
    1.55 +seem like it would just be lying around in some corner. If only...
    1.56 +But Sora’s thoughts were cut short. He glimpsed something on the next
    1.57 +hill. Someone, waiting. Silver hair fluttering in the wind. 
    1.58 +
    1.59 +“Riku?” His eyes widened. But Riku was trapped behind the Doorway.
    1.60 +How could he be here? But the how of things barely mattered. Sora
    1.61 +broke into a run. “Riku!” He ran as quickly as he could, exhilarated
    1.62 +to see his best friend once more. They would be going home to Kairi
    1.63 +together after all.
    1.64 +
    1.65 +“What is it?” Goofy asked as he and Donald struggled to keep up with
    1.66 +the Keyblade Master.
    1.67 +
    1.68 +Donald shrugged. “He finally cracked,” came his reply.
    1.69 +
    1.70 +“Riku!” Sora yelled, laughing. It was just like the older boy to do
    1.71 +this. He always managed to pull off the impossible, pulling ahead of
    1.72 +Sora and the others. It made sense that somehow he had found a way
    1.73 +out. If anyone could, it was Riku. His journey was finally nearing
    1.74 +its end. They could finally go home. Heaven. It would be just like
    1.75 +heaven. 
    1.76 +
    1.77 +But as he neared the silver haired figure, he began to slow. The
    1.78 +figure was taller, with longer hair. He was wearing all black. A
    1.79 +single, dark wing was behind his right shoulder. “You’re not Riku...” 
    1.80 +
    1.81 +The man watched him curiously for a long moment before replying.
    1.82 +“One who knows nothing can understand nothing.”
    1.83 +
    1.84 +“Ansem?!” Sora took a step back, caught off guard. This man didn’t
    1.85 +look like Ansem, the man who had been used by the Heartless to open
    1.86 +the Doorway to the Darkness, but Sora had heard those same words from
    1.87 +Ansem before their battle.
    1.88 +
    1.89 +“Oh? So you have met his majesty after all. It’s been so long since
    1.90 +anyone has seen him that I thought it may have merely been a rumor,”
    1.91 +the man said conversationally, standing tall against the wind that
    1.92 +buffeted the hilltop. 
    1.93 +
    1.94 +“Ansem’s... He’s dead,” Sora said reluctantly. He knew that Ansem
    1.95 +had once been a respected and loved king. Most people didn’t know of
    1.96 +his fall from grace, his consumption by the Heartless. He didn’t want
    1.97 +to hurt anyone who cared for their king with the details. 
    1.98 +
    1.99 +The man nodded as if this were expected. “Her highness felt it. She
   1.100 +knew he was dead. That’s why she knew she had to act.” He stepped
   1.101 +closer, eyeing Sora, inspecting him. “You’re Sora? You’re the boy the
   1.102 +princess sent me to find?”
   1.103 +
   1.104 +The princess? What was going on? Sora nodded slowly. “I’m Sora. Who
   1.105 +are you?” He had an uneasy feeling about all of this. This man had
   1.106 +known what had happened to Ansem. Even Leon and Aerith hadn’t known
   1.107 +for sure what had happened to him. And who was this princess?
   1.108 +
   1.109 +“Sephiroth, SOLDIER 1st Class,” the man explained, his eyes glowing
   1.110 +a brilliant green. “Princess Hikari’s personal bodyguard. I’ve been
   1.111 +protecting the princess since she was but a tiny child. King Ansem
   1.112 +personally assigned me to watch over his daughter.”
   1.113 +
   1.114 +Well... That certainly didn’t explain anything. Sora simply blinked.
   1.115 +Was this a good thing or a bad thing? Ansem had been consumed by the
   1.116 +Heartless, but Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith had all been from that
   1.117 +planet, too, and they’d been heroes. So was he a friend or an enemy?
   1.118 +And who was this Princess Hikari? Sora hadn’t known Ansem had even
   1.119 +had a daughter.
   1.120 +
   1.121 +“So you’re her nanny?” Donald asked, not liking being ignored in all
   1.122 +of this. He crossed his arms, waiting at Sora’s right.
   1.123 +
   1.124 +Sephiroth’s eyes narrowed. “I like to think of it as something a bit
   1.125 +more than that. I would do anything for her highness. I would die for
   1.126 +her.”
   1.127 +
   1.128 +‘This guy does remind me a lot of Riku, after all. Riku would’ve
   1.129 +done anything for Kairi, too. Even surround himself with darkness,’
   1.130 +Sora thought to himself. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
   1.131 +“That’s great and all. But we’re a little too busy to be making
   1.132 +visits right now. Maybe after we find Riku. Tell her we said thanks!” 
   1.133 +
   1.134 +“And that we appreciate the offer!” Goofy added, grinning. “We’d
   1.135 +love to go later.”
   1.136 +
   1.137 +Donald simply rolled his eyes. All three turned to continue their
   1.138 +search. 
   1.139 +
   1.140 +Sephiroth gripped the hilt of his sword, his single wing unfurling.
   1.141 +“If that’s the case, then I’m afraid I’m going to have to do this by
   1.142 +force. You will see her highness. She demands it.”
   1.143 +
   1.144 +“We’ve got more important things to worry about right now that some
   1.145 +bratty princess,” Sora retorted. “If that’s how you want to play,
   1.146 +fine. Don’t blame me for your headache when you wake up on the
   1.147 +grass.” He willed the Keyblade into his hand, getting into a fighting
   1.148 +position. Donald and Goofy readied themselves at his sides. 
   1.149 +
   1.150 +The silver haired SOLDIER grinned. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” With
   1.151 +that, he lunged forward, his impossibly long sword arcing through the
   1.152 +air. 
   1.153 +
   1.154 +Sora blocked the blow with his Keyblade, but he felt the power of
   1.155 +the strike reverberating through his entire body. Two legendary
   1.156 +weapons, the dreaded Masamune and the fated Keyblade, clashed again
   1.157 +and again. Sora swiped forward, trying to catch the princess’s
   1.158 +bodyguard, but he leapt into the air, his wing somehow keeping him
   1.159 +aloft for a moment before he descended with a flurry of blows that
   1.160 +sent Sora reeling. He tried desperately to ward them off, but they
   1.161 +came one after the other, wearing him down. He quickly summoned his
   1.162 +magic, casting a barrier of wind to protect him from the deadly
   1.163 +blade. 
   1.164 +
   1.165 +“Fire!” Donald shouted, launching a ball of fire at the SOLDIER. But
   1.166 +Sephiroth was fast. The flame missed its target, dissipating into the
   1.167 +distance. Before Donald could prepare another spell, Sephiroth swept
   1.168 +past him. The mage’s staff fell to the floor seconds before its owner
   1.169 +collapsed next to it. 
   1.170 +
   1.171 +“Donald!” Sora cried. Enraged by his friend’s injury, Sora leapt at
   1.172 +his attacker, intent on ending this now. He didn’t care who this man
   1.173 +was. He had stopped Ansem. He wouldn’t let some princess’s bodyguard
   1.174 +hurt his friends.  “Ars Arcanum!” Using the attack he had learned,
   1.175 +Sora launched into a series of quick jabs at the silver haired man.
   1.176 +To his shock, Sephiroth dodged and parried every blow. 
   1.177 +
   1.178 +Sephiroth laughed as he saw the surprise on the younger boy’s face.
   1.179 +“Been taking some lessons from Cloud, have you? Now it’s my turn.”
   1.180 +With blinding speed, he was nearly against Sora. With a flick of his
   1.181 +wrist, he sent the Keyblade hurtling through the air, finally
   1.182 +clattering to the grass much too far away for Sora to reach in time.
   1.183 +“What was that about me waking up on the grass?” the SOLDIER asked,
   1.184 +pulling up the Masamune. 
   1.185 +
   1.186 +Sora could only stare at the older man. How had this happened? In
   1.187 +all of his battles, he had never lost this badly. Even when Leon had
   1.188 +attacked him in Traverse Town and when he’d fought Cloud at the
   1.189 +Coliseum. He hadn’t won either battle, but it had taken him longer to
   1.190 +lose, at any rate. But somehow he had always won when it mattered.
   1.191 +He’d stopped Ansem. How could one of Ansem’s soldiers defeat him?
   1.192 +
   1.193 +“Sora!” Goofy rushed headlong at the SOLDIER 1st Class, trying to
   1.194 +force him away from the younger boy. Sephiroth managed to sidestep
   1.195 +past Goofy’s charge. Before Goofy could turn around to guard with his
   1.196 +shield, Sephiroth cast a spell, sending small comets pelting into the
   1.197 +knight. Goofy collapsed onto the grass.
   1.198 +
   1.199 +“Goofy! How could you?” Sora growled, his fists clenched. Impotent
   1.200 +rage burnt within him. This man had decimated his party when their
   1.201 +battle was finally supposed to be over. How could he snatch their
   1.202 +hard won victories away from them? 
   1.203 +
   1.204 +Sephiroth turned, his long silver hair sweeping about in the wind.
   1.205 +“That was some nice practice. I’ve been cooped up for far too long.
   1.206 +But I’m ending this now. I mustn’t keep Princess Hikari waiting.”
   1.207 +Raising a hand in the air, he summoned all of the magic at his
   1.208 +disposal, the sky turning black with his power. “Sin Harvest!”
   1.209 +
   1.210 +The world was torn apart around Sora. And everything became dark as
   1.211 +he lost his grasp on consciousness, spiraling into the abyss.
   1.212 +
   1.213 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.214 +
   1.215 +
   1.216 +“Are you feeling any better?” Yuna asked softly, sitting on the edge
   1.217 +of her bed. Her blankets were wrapped around the still damp catgirl
   1.218 +Selphie had helped her carry in from the beach. The catgirl had just
   1.219 +recently regained consciousness. She’d been half-drowned when Yuna
   1.220 +had found her on the beach.
   1.221 +
   1.222 +Rikku nodded weakly, her head still swimming. “Yeah, I’m better.
   1.223 +Nothing can keep me down for long.” She smiled, her fangs showing. A
   1.224 +small giggle flowed from her. “I’m starting to sound like Yuffie. Kid
   1.225 +would be horrified.”
   1.226 +
   1.227 +Returning the smile, Yuna watched the catgirl in her bed. She had no
   1.228 +idea what Rikku was talking about, but if she was feeling better,
   1.229 +that was the important thing. She was so curious about this girl who
   1.230 +had washed up. Yuna had spent her entire life on the Destiny Islands;
   1.231 +the only outsider she had ever met was Kairi, and Kairi hadn’t
   1.232 +remembered anything from the outside. This girl was so different,
   1.233 +even her body was not completely human. Yuna wanted to know
   1.234 +everything, curious in the way little girls would be over what
   1.235 +happened next in a fairy tale. Everything about her seemed magical. 
   1.236 +Little mysteries surround the strange girl.  Where had she come from?
   1.237 +What was she?  Who was she?  “Are you a Ronso?” Yuna asked after a
   1.238 +moment’s thought. 
   1.239 +
   1.240 +“A whatso?” she asked in return, blinking her big, jade, spiral eyes. 
   1.241 +
   1.242 +“A Ronso. They’re catlike people. I think they have horns. My father
   1.243 +met them a long time ago,” Yuna explained. Though if she had to
   1.244 +clarify, the girl probably wasn’t one.
   1.245 +
   1.246 +The catgirl shook her head, her dusty blonde braids swishing past
   1.247 +her bare shoulders. “Nope. Never heard of them. I’m Rikku Kisaragi!
   1.248 +Member of the acting troupe, Radical Dreamers, and a mysterious
   1.249 +thief! Though I’m not so good at the mysterious thief part.” The
   1.250 +catgirl groused, sitting up, her paws on her ankles. The blanket fell
   1.251 +about her lap, leaving only her fur to cover herself. She quickly
   1.252 +pulled the blanket back up, self-conscious regardless of her fur. “I
   1.253 +kinda angered a white mage because I didn’t get out of her hotel
   1.254 +before she got back. She wasn’t very happy with me, so she changed me
   1.255 +into a kitten. She wouldn’t even listen to my side of the story! Just
   1.256 +‘Bam! You’re a cat!’”
   1.257 +
   1.258 +“What was your side of the story?” Yuna inquired, tilting her head
   1.259 +to the side.
   1.260 +
   1.261 +“Umm... well...” Rikku laughed nervously, scratching the back of her
   1.262 +head. “I might have had a good reason if she’d bothered to ask. I
   1.263 +didn’t have a good reason, though, but how was she supposed to know
   1.264 +that? She could’ve at least given me a chance to apologize. Do you
   1.265 +know how horrifying it is to find yourself in a puddle of clothes on
   1.266 +all fours with an angry white mage towering over you?” She shook her
   1.267 +head, her ears twitching. She still had nightmares about that. 
   1.268 +
   1.269 +“Oh, I’m sorry. That must have been terrible,” Yuna said
   1.270 +apologetically. She reached forward hesitantly, squeezing one of
   1.271 +Rikku’s paws reassuringly. 
   1.272 +
   1.273 +Rikku smiled brightly. This shy, quiet girl was so sweet. Much
   1.274 +better than the crazy, nunchuku wielding one. She rubbed her head,
   1.275 +wincing at the thought. But at least this one seemed worried about
   1.276 +her. But that look in her eyes, one blue and one green, was so sad,
   1.277 +as if she truly empathized with Rikku’s predicament. “But I’m all
   1.278 +right now. My sister used the Dragon Tear of Hate on me and it at
   1.279 +least made me halfway human. I heard if we can get the Dragon Tear of
   1.280 +Love, I can change myself back the rest of the way. So it’s not too
   1.281 +bad. And Yuffie said I make a cute catgirl, so maybe it’s not too
   1.282 +completely evil,” Rikku shrugged.
   1.283 +
   1.284 +With a soft smile, the brunette nodded. “She was right. You do make
   1.285 +a very cute catgirl.  So you shouldn’t be worried about it if you
   1.286 +have to stay that way. But I hope you can find the Dragon Tear of
   1.287 +Love soon, then. Just don’t feel too bad in the meantime.” She shook
   1.288 +her head quickly. She shouldn’t be saying things like that. That
   1.289 +wasn’t what Rikku would want to hear, certainly. “If I can help at
   1.290 +all, please let me know.”
   1.291 +
   1.292 +But Rikku wasn’t listening to the last bit. She was still playing
   1.293 +Yuna’s earlier words over in her head. “You think this is okay?” she
   1.294 +asked, still surprised. She hadn’t thought about it that way. She’d
   1.295 +been thinking about it as a curse, as something horrible she had to
   1.296 +endure until she could get rid of it. It hadn’t once crossed her mind
   1.297 +about staying this way. This strange, not-quite-human way. Her body
   1.298 +was different now, but as the other girl had pointed out, was that
   1.299 +really a bad thing?
   1.300 +
   1.301 +“I’m sorry,” Yuna apologized, bowing her head low. She hadn’t meant
   1.302 +to upset the catgirl. She’d just stated her opinion. She needed to be
   1.303 +more careful about that. She didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.
   1.304 +Especially this new girl. She wanted to get to know her. To be
   1.305 +friends. There was something about her….  But they’d never be friends
   1.306 +if she said stupid things like that. How would she like it if she was
   1.307 +stuck in a cursed body? Warm paws took her hands, the pads near the
   1.308 +thumbs and fingers pressed against her skin. She lifted her face
   1.309 +slightly until she was looking into the catgirl’s spiral eyes again.
   1.310 +Rikku was smiling happily. Yuna’s cheeks flushed lightly, but she
   1.311 +returned the smile. So the catgirl wasn’t upset with her after all.
   1.312 +
   1.313 +“Don’t be sorry. I’m really glad you’d think so. Maybe I’ve been
   1.314 +going about this the wrong way. Maybe... maybe it’s not so bad,”
   1.315 +Rikku ventured. She giggled, baring her fangs again. “As long as you
   1.316 +don’t call me Kitty, that is.”
   1.317 +
   1.318 +Yuna nodded swiftly, her chestnut hair swishing about her face.
   1.319 +“Whatever you want... Rikku…” This girl was so vibrant, so full of
   1.320 +life. Watching her had a way of lifting up Yuna’s spirits. 
   1.321 +
   1.322 +Rikku brought her hands to her chest to keep a hold of the blanket.
   1.323 +“And you’re Yunie, right? I thought I heard the other girl say your
   1.324 +name while you were dragging me along the beach.” Though she’d only
   1.325 +been semi-conscious for that. They’d dragged her quite a ways. No
   1.326 +wonder her body ached.
   1.327 +
   1.328 +“Umm... Yuna, actually...” The brunette corrected quietly, tucking
   1.329 +some hair behind one of her ears. 
   1.330 +
   1.331 +“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Yunie!” Rikku said
   1.332 +enthusiastically. “It’s so nice to have someone to talk to after all
   1.333 +of this time meowing at people.” Both girls giggled.
   1.334 +
   1.335 +“I’m glad. It was nice to meet you, too, Rikku.” Yuna smiled
   1.336 +genuinely, her hands on her lap. “I think the Islands needed some new
   1.337 +life to them. Someone to brighten things up.”
   1.338 +
   1.339 +Rikku nodded determinedly. “I’ll try my hardest! I don’t know how
   1.340 +long I’m stuck here anyway. So I might as well try to keep things
   1.341 +interesting while I can.”
   1.342 +
   1.343 +“That’s one way of putting it. You’ve definitely made things more
   1.344 +interesting. For me, at least,” Yuna admitted, tucking her legs up
   1.345 +underneath herself. She knew the other girl wasn’t really a catgirl
   1.346 +or anything of the sort, but she still couldn’t help but feel as if
   1.347 +she’d brought a stray cat home. Something that was all her own, that
   1.348 +she would take care of and love and nurture. Like her very own pet.
   1.349 +She tried to push the thought away, but it was lodged stubbornly in
   1.350 +her brain. She sighed. She’d eventually get over it. When Rikku wound
   1.351 +up leaving. That thought was far too depressing; people had been
   1.352 +leaving all her life, and she still wasn’t capable of dealing with
   1.353 +it. She still cried herself to sleep over her father’s death, years
   1.354 +ago. That’s why she had tried not to think about Kairi leaving or
   1.355 +Riku and Sora’s disappearances. She couldn’t handle goodbyes. And
   1.356 +just thinking about not have the catgirl around frightened her more
   1.357 +than she could explain away.
   1.358 +
   1.359 +“Oh, would it be all right if I asked for some clothes?” Rikku
   1.360 +voiced sheepishly. “I’ve been running around without anything for way
   1.361 +too long now. I feel like a nudist. My clothes are probably still on
   1.362 +the floor of that damn hotel room.” She sighed. “Oh well. They were
   1.363 +just hand me downs of Yuffie’s, anyway.”
   1.364 +
   1.365 +Blinking, Yuna tried to comprehend what Rikku had said. Why would
   1.366 +the catgirl need clothes? Cats didn’t wear clothes. They had fur.
   1.367 +Ohhhhh... She shook her head. Of course she’d want clothes. She
   1.368 +wasn’t used to being a catgirl. Fur or not, she was used to wearing
   1.369 +something. “Yes, I’ll get you something. You’re a little younger than
   1.370 +me, but you should be able to fit into one of my outfits.”
   1.371 +
   1.372 +“Thanks, Yunie!” Rikku grinned and pounced catlike on the
   1.373 +unsuspecting brunette, hugging her in gratitude. “That would help a
   1.374 +lot!”
   1.375 +
   1.376 +“You.. You’re welcome..” Yuna responded, blushing faintly again. She
   1.377 +swallowed, embarrassed. She slowly began to rub Rikku’s back using
   1.378 +the arm that wasn’t pinned to her side. The catgirl’s fur felt
   1.379 +wonderfully soft to her touch, her fingers gliding over it. She
   1.380 +rubbed a bit more, enjoying the feel of the fur underneath her
   1.381 +fingers and the growing thrum in her ears. It took her a moment to
   1.382 +realize that Rikku was purring loudly against her. Her eyes widened
   1.383 +in surprise, her flush darkening, but she couldn't get herself to
   1.384 +stop.  The catgirl was so cute and enthusiastic, Yuna couldn’t help
   1.385 +but pet her, as if she had found a larger-than-life kitten.
   1.386 +
   1.387 +Rikku was so glad Yuna couldn’t see her face as she hugged the other
   1.388 +girl. She was so embarrassed. She knew she wasn’t a cat. She was a
   1.389 +normal, human girl. But her body didn’t seem to agree with her. She
   1.390 +couldn’t stop herself from purring as Yuna’s gentle fingers slid up
   1.391 +and down her back. Her body betrayed her, her chest thrumming with
   1.392 +her purring. ‘Will you make up your mind? Am I a cat or not? I’m
   1.393 +not!’ Rikku thought in frustration. But her body still wasn’t
   1.394 +listening. Her tail swished happily from side to side. She sighed,
   1.395 +giving in. It did feel nice, to have someone to hug after she’d been
   1.396 +unable to do much of anything as a whole cat. She rested her head on
   1.397 +Yuna’s shoulder, closing her emerald eyes and purring louder. ‘Well,
   1.398 +maybe just this once...’
   1.399 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
   1.400 +
   1.401 +“Okay, I’m going to use my... Shiva card. Yes, that should do
   1.402 +nicely.” Quistis smiled as she placed they detailed card down on the
   1.403 +floor of her room, right beside one of a strange flying serpent. 
   1.404 +
   1.405 +A blond boy sighed, rolling his eyes. “If it didn’t take you ten
   1.406 +minutes to decide each turn, then we would be able to play a lot more
   1.407 +of this, Quistis,” he chided, slapping down a card with a cactuar on
   1.408 +it. 
   1.409 +
   1.410 +“You’re just too impatient, Seifer,” Quistis countered, gazing at
   1.411 +her cards again. “Hmm...” She let her fingers browse across the
   1.412 +cards, trying to select the perfect one. She wasn’t playing just this
   1.413 +turn, but where the next turn might lead. 
   1.414 +
   1.415 +Selphie watched the two playing Triple Triad on the floor of
   1.416 +Quistis’s room. They were upside down, as if they were sitting on the
   1.417 +roof, gravity in reverse. The cards were set down on the roof before
   1.418 +the brunette. At least, that’s how it appeared to Selphie. She was
   1.419 +slumped on Quistis’s bed, her sandals left somewhere near the door,
   1.420 +her head hanging off the edge of the bed so that everything was
   1.421 +upside down for her. Her legs were wrapped around Quistis’s pillow.
   1.422 +She’d much rather they be wrapped around her blonde girlfriend, but
   1.423 +Quistis was caught up in that boring card game. Here she was lying on
   1.424 +her girlfriend’s bed, innocent and vulnerable, and all Quistis could
   1.425 +think about was what card went next. Selphie pouted. She should be on
   1.426 +the bed with her, kissing her. Anything but playing cards. 
   1.427 +
   1.428 +“There!” Quistis smiled as she set down the next card. Unless Seifer
   1.429 +had some unexpected cards or a rather healthy dose of luck on his
   1.430 +side, she was pretty much guaranteed victory. And to the contrary of
   1.431 +Selphie’s thinking, Quistis was having a very difficult time ignoring
   1.432 +the fact that Selphie was lying so cutely on her bed. And that she
   1.433 +would love to take the place of that pillow, to let her hands travel
   1.434 +across Selphie’s stomach, exploring her skin and the cloth of her
   1.435 +dress, kissing her everywhere she could... Quistis blinked quickly,
   1.436 +trying to force out the images. She adjusted her glasses, hoping she
   1.437 +didn’t look as flustered as she felt. It was so difficult being the
   1.438 +mature, responsible one sometimes. She sighed inwardly. Yes, Selphie
   1.439 +would need a good spanking after Seifer was gone. If he ever left.
   1.440 +He’d been there for well over an hour now. Seifer was her friend, but
   1.441 +he either couldn’t take a hint or he enjoyed making her suffer.
   1.442 +
   1.443 +“I’m kind of envious of Riku, Sora, and Kairi,” Seifer said at last,
   1.444 +placing down a chocobo card from his hand. “They finally did realize
   1.445 +their beautiful dream of escaping these islands, of going to explore
   1.446 +other worlds. Think of the possibilities. The excitement. I’m sure
   1.447 +it’s more interesting than a card game.”
   1.448 +
   1.449 +“Don’t say that!” Selphie admonished from the bed, rolling onto her
   1.450 +stomach. “Who knows where they are? What’s wrong with staying here?”
   1.451 +
   1.452 +Seifer grinned at Selphie’s outbust, looking up at the girl on
   1.453 +Quistis’s bed. “I’m surprised you wouldn’t want to go yourself,
   1.454 +Selphie. The Destiny Islands barely seem to hold in all that energy
   1.455 +you have. It’s amazing you haven’t gotten bored yet.”
   1.456 +
   1.457 +“But they could be lost anywhere! They could be scared and miserable
   1.458 +and so far away from home.” A chill passed through Selphie at the
   1.459 +thought. “Yeah, it would be fun to travel, but I don’t see what’s
   1.460 +wrong with staying home, either. It’s fun here. All my friends are
   1.461 +here. My Quisty’s here. I’m perfectly happy at home.” 
   1.462 +
   1.463 +Pushing her glasses up, Quistis nodded. “I agree with Selphie.
   1.464 +Leaving would only make sense if you weren’t satisfied with where you
   1.465 +are. If there’s something missing in your life. And my life feels
   1.466 +complete here.” She looked back over her shoulder, smiling at
   1.467 +Selphie. Yes, there wasn’t anything she needed. The cute brunette
   1.468 +returned her smile, her legs kicking up behind her.
   1.469 +
   1.470 +Seifer laughed in response. “Of course you’d agree with Selphie. It
   1.471 +isn’t wise to disagree with one’s girlfriend. Especially one as hyper
   1.472 +as her.” The blond boy sat back, his hands supporting him as he
   1.473 +stared up at the roof. “Me, I understand why they’d want to leave.
   1.474 +This place can feel like a prison sometimes. Water everywhere,
   1.475 +flowing endlessly around us. This place is a paradise, but it’s
   1.476 +sheltered. I think you need the good with the bad. It’s a gilded
   1.477 +cage. You can’t experience everything if you’re cooped up here. You
   1.478 +can treat a prisoner like a king, give him everything he could ever
   1.479 +want. But if all he wants is freedom, he’s still a prisoner. Life can
   1.480 +be as plush as you could want. But if you can’t realize your
   1.481 +beautiful dreams, I still say something’s missing.”
   1.482 +
   1.483 +Quistis sighed. Not this again. The last thing she needed was for
   1.484 +Seifer to get strange ideas in Selphie’s head. Thankfully, Selphie
   1.485 +hadn’t liked Riku and Sora’s idea to leave the island in the first
   1.486 +place. “And what’s your beautiful dream, Seifer?”
   1.487 +
   1.488 +A grin passed across his face as Seifer turned his gaze to Quistis.
   1.489 +“To be the Sorceress’s Knight, of course. To protect my sorceress
   1.490 +with my life. To grant her every whim. To give her my all.”
   1.491 +
   1.492 +Resting her chin in her hands, Selphie raised a curious eyebrow.
   1.493 +“Why can’t you do that here? No dragons to slay?” Her bare feet
   1.494 +continued kicking in the air behind her in a slow rhythm. 
   1.495 +
   1.496 +“Hah.” The blond boy waved off the notion. “It’s nothing like that.
   1.497 +You’re thinking of it too literally. Maybe I wouldn’t mind so much if
   1.498 +I could find my sorceress. Then I could be her knight here on the
   1.499 +Destiny Islands. But you never know what’s waiting for you out there.
   1.500 +All those worlds, each with new sights and experiences around every
   1.501 +corner. Must be exciting, wherever they are.”
   1.502 +
   1.503 +Selphie blinked thoughtfully. “I wonder what my beautiful dream is...”
   1.504 +
   1.505 +Quistis turned, her legs still tucked demurely underneath her.
   1.506 +“Don’t worry about it, Selphie. You have plenty of beautiful dreams.
   1.507 +And you have the energy to make them all come true, I’m certain.”
   1.508 +
   1.509 +The brunette smiled brightly, her previous concerns forgotten.
   1.510 +“Thanks, Quisty! You’re right! I won’t give up on any of my beautiful
   1.511 +dreams!” she said excitedly.
   1.512 +
   1.513 +“But you don’t know what they are yet...” Seifer replied,
   1.514 +sweatdropping. 
   1.515 +
   1.516 +Quisits turned an icy glare on her friend. “Shush, you.”
   1.517 +
   1.518 +“Right...” Seifer shook his head. “I’m just saying that wherever
   1.519 +they are, they’re probably doing more than playing cards.”
   1.520 +
   1.521 +
   1.522 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.523 +
   1.524 +“Unnhhh...” Sora moaned, rolling onto his side. His entire body
   1.525 +ached, every fiber of his being calling out as fire burned through
   1.526 +him. His muscles didn’t want to respond at first and he found himself
   1.527 +cringing as he tried to move. What had happened? He could barely
   1.528 +think through the haze of pain that was erecting a palace in his
   1.529 +head. The clatter and noise of their hard work droned out all
   1.530 +conscious thought. But Sora was nothing if not persistent. He forced
   1.531 +himself to his knees only to regret the decision. The world seemed to
   1.532 +curve around him, taunting him. 
   1.533 +
   1.534 +‘What happened?’ he managed to think at last. Dim, vague images came
   1.535 +to him, feelings that should go with them but he couldn’t be sure of.
   1.536 +Anger, shock, sadness, defeat. A man... Riku? No.. Not Riku. Though
   1.537 +it had felt like it. 
   1.538 +
   1.539 +“Owwww...” He clutched his head, trying to force the pain and its
   1.540 +workers out of it. Suddenly, his head shot up. He winced at the pain
   1.541 +it caused, but ignored it. “Donald? Goofy?” His eyes darted about
   1.542 +insistently, but his companions where nowhere to be seen. That’s when
   1.543 +it first struck him. He certainly wasn’t in the grassy fields he had
   1.544 +previously been. Where was this? How had he ended up here? Where were
   1.545 +his friends?
   1.546 +
   1.547 +The lone boy slowly managed to get to his feet after a prolonged
   1.548 +struggle that seemed to play out over an eternity. His body cried in
   1.549 +protest, but he refused to listen to it. Riku’s words spurred him
   1.550 +forward. ‘Giving up already, Sora? I thought you were stronger than
   1.551 +that.’ Riku had faith in him. His rival always pulled out more from
   1.552 +him than Sora even knew he had. So he’d push through this. What would
   1.553 +Riku say if he saw him lying helplessly on the floor? With those
   1.554 +thoughts spinning through his abused head, the brown haired boy tried
   1.555 +to gauge his surroundings. 
   1.556 +
   1.557 +The young Keyblade Master found himself in the middle of a palace
   1.558 +courtyard. Or was it the middle of a school? The place looked like a
   1.559 +bizarre amalgamation of the two. Statues of students heading to
   1.560 +classes that would never happen littered the otherwise empty
   1.561 +courtyard, frozen forever in place. Palace maids and busy dignitaries
   1.562 +shared space with the students, looking busy even in their state of
   1.563 +rest. Lockers were covered in beautiful purple flowers and vines. A
   1.564 +large fountain stood at the center. It looked like a statue should in
   1.565 +the midst of it, but it was curiously missing. Strange for a place
   1.566 +filled with so many statues. But as Sora looked closer, they looked
   1.567 +less like shadows and more and more like a lifeless photograph. As if
   1.568 +that sparkle of life had just been extinguished in one horrifying
   1.569 +second. He shuddered and tried to ignore the creepy feeling. 
   1.570 +
   1.571 +Staggering past several of the statues, Sora began to make his way
   1.572 +forward (or at least in the direction he hoped was forward). Where
   1.573 +was this place? Halfway between here and there, it felt like some
   1.574 +freakish riddle. As he entered the large hallway that the courtyard
   1.575 +led to, it didn’t get any better. There were large, beautiful
   1.576 +paintings along one wall. To his other side, there was no wall. Just
   1.577 +a large abyss, leading off into darkness. In his weakened state, he
   1.578 +tried not to look to that side. He felt too dizzy staring off into
   1.579 +it. He instead turned his attention back to the paintings. He could
   1.580 +recognize some of the people in them. Wasn’t that Alice? And in that
   1.581 +other one, wasn’t that Aladdin and Jasmine? And the Beast in another.
   1.582 +That looked like Aerith and some of her friends in the one down the
   1.583 +hall, didn’t it? Wasn’t that Selphie and Quistis and some others?
   1.584 +What were they doing with Squall in that painting? He shook his head.
   1.585 +“Weird..” he muttered. His voice sounded tiny, weak in this place. It
   1.586 +made him feel acutely alone. 
   1.587 +
   1.588 +Continuing down the seemingly endless hallway, Sora continued
   1.589 +glancing at paintings. There was Cinderella, one of the seven
   1.590 +princesses. And Tidus, Yuna, Wakka, and some others he didn’t
   1.591 +recognize. Why were these paintings here? Why were they of people he
   1.592 +knew? What significance did they have to this twisted palace? Looking
   1.593 +back from a painting, the brown haired boy found some doors before
   1.594 +him that previously hadn’t been there. A mixture of relief and
   1.595 +apprehension poured throughout him. At least he was getting
   1.596 +somewhere. But whoever had brought him here had obviously intended
   1.597 +that. But why? What did they want? Well, he’d never find out if he
   1.598 +didn’t push forward. ‘I’m not about to give up, Riku,’ he thought
   1.599 +determinedly. Stepping forward, he pushed open the large doors. 
   1.600 +
   1.601 +“Sora!”
   1.602 +
   1.603 +Sora could only blink dumbly for a long moment. “Kairi!?” The
   1.604 +princess’s face lit up brightly as she ran to him, nearly toppling
   1.605 +him over as she leapt into his arms, hugging him fiercely. 
   1.606 +
   1.607 +Kairi held onto him tightly, almost painfully. “I won’t ever let you
   1.608 +disappear again, Sora. I won’t let anyone take you away from me. I
   1.609 +promise.” She buried her head against his shoulder, almost afraid
   1.610 +that a stray wind would carry him off. No, he was finally there. And
   1.611 +Princess Hikari would do everything she could to make sure he stayed
   1.612 +that way.