Prism Hearts

 Chapter 7

 Melodies of Life

 by Amazoness Duo

 amazonessduo@hotmail.com

 

 

 “Why did you come with me?”

 

 “Hey, that’s Ipsen’s line.”

 

 “Ipsen? Who’s that?”

 

 “Ipsen is a character from a play. But he’s a real life adventurer.

 I think the play is based on his adventures. It kind of goes like

 this: Ipsen and his good friend, Colin, worked at a tavern in Treno.

 One day, Ipsen got a letter. The letter was so wet from rain that

 most of the writing was illegible. The only part he could read said

 “Come back home”. Nowadays, we have airships and stuff, but back

 then, it was really hard to travel. He didn’t know why he had to go

 back, but he had some time off, gathered his things, and set out on a

 journey home. He walked a thousand leagues through the mist.

 Sometimes he was attacked by vicious monsters, but he made it because

 his friend, Colin, was by his side. And then, after much time on the

 road, he had to ask Colin something. ‘Why did you come with me?’”

 

 “And? What was Colin’s answer?”

 

 “Only because I wanted to go with you.”

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

 I am surrounded by darkness. It’s all around me, dark and thick and

 cold. I can feel it reaching out to caress me, its knifelike touch

 raking across my skin, trying to comfort me. It’s the only constant.

 The endless darkness; a deep and ancient sea that stretches out into

 eternity. It calls to me, echoing throughout me. It wants me here.

 I... belong here. Amidst the darkness. My home for so long. The world

 I had known for most of my life. One of darkness and pain. It’s

 familiar, a feeling that resonates within me. Isn’t this how I’ve

 always been? Before the Destiny Islands, before I managed to escape.

 But now it’s found me again. And it will never let go. The darkness

 has me in its grasp. I won’t be able to escape a second time. I am

 home now.

 

 No...

 

 No! I don’t belong here! I don’t belong to the darkness! I’m not

 like that! 

 

 I shake my head. It feels as if a spell has been broken. There’s

 still the endless night, but there’s something else. It’s still

 pulling on me, but I’m not letting myself get pulled helplessly

 anymore. I can move again. I feel like I’m waking up from some

 nightmare. I won’t let this drag me down. I have to get out of here,

 away from the darkness. Away from all this. 

 

 ‘Running away again?’ a voice says, echoing all around me. I turn

 around and around, searching for the voice, but I still can’t see

 anything. It’s taunting me again, playing with my fears, trying to

 break whatever confidence I manage to pull to myself. I ball my

 fists, still searching. I won’t let it break me. Not now. I’ll find a

 way out of here. Somehow. 

 

 I can still feel it reaching for me, the darkness reaching for

 something inside of me. What scares me is that feeling of familiarity

 that burns within me while I’m here. Like I’ve been here before. Like

 I’ve felt this all before. But that can’t be; I’ve never been inside

 of the darkness before. This place... Pieces begin to take shape. My

 clothes are changing. They’re darker, more gothic. People begin to

 surround me. Cold, dark. Heartless. These people are also familiar

 somehow. Like I can almost remember them. How they never cared. How I

 was always alone even when the halls were crowded. 

 

 ‘Welcome home, Kairi,’ the voice whispers in my ear again. 

 

 I stare in horror as more of the world starts to take shape before

 me. It all feels so real, as if I can step out into it. A world

 created entirely of darkness. A world built upon pain and suffering.

 Where loneliness was my only constant companion. A world where the

 bright crimson of blood was my only escape from the endless darkness

 that had imprisoned me. Names begin to tease my mind, of people and

 places that I can’t know, shouldn’t know. This isn’t my world. I’m

 not from here. I can’t be. 

 

 I search frantically for an exit. Any exit. I don’t care what the

 voice says. I want to get away from here. I need to get away before

 it becomes any more real. Before it chains me to it again. I won’t

 let it take me back. I won’t ever go back. I refuse. I turned my back

 on that life when I slit my wrists, breaking my bonds. But like an

 angry dragon deprived of its treasure, it’s hunting me, yearning to

 drag me back in its clutches, crushed and bloody. 

 

 My heart pounds in my chest, my body shaking. I’m gasping for

 breath, an eerie chill sending frosty crystals flowing through me. I

 shudder. I can’t let this happen. Desperation is stabbing into me, a

 thousand needles, all incredibly intent. I have to get away. Now! 

 

 ‘Kairi...’

 

 No... Leave me alone. I don’t know you! 

 

 ‘Kairi, dear...’

 

 Please, just go away! I clutch my head, crumbling to my knees. I

 don’t belong here! Don’t you see that?! I never did fit in. I never

 belonged. I couldn’t survive in the darkness. It was too much for me.

 It left me broken. Why couldn’t you see that? I had to leave it. I

 had to get away. 

 

 “Kairi,” she says, her hand on my shoulder. 

 

 I scream. That world shatters around me, breaking like a dropped

 china doll. I fall, plunging through a world of splintered glass. I

 don’t know where I’m going or where I am. But I can’t help feeling

 some faint relief to get away from that nightmare. Even if I’m only

 trading it in for another. 

 

 I am surrounded by darkness. It’s all around me, dark and thick and

 cold. I can feel it reaching out to caress me, it’s knifelike touch

 raking across my skin, trying to comfort me. It’s the only constant.

 The endless darkness, like a deep and ancient sea that stretches out

 into eternity. It calls to me, echoing throughout me. It wants me

 here. But I will not stay here. I’m getting out of here. I won’t let

 the darkness consume me. I have too much I still need to do. Sora and

 Riku need me. I won’t play the helpless princess this time. This

 time, I’ll protect you. Both of you. I promise. 

 

 Even in the darkness, there is light. I just have to find it.

 There... So far away, so faint it could almost be my imagination. But

 it’s there. Because I believe it’s really there. I have faith that

 the light is waiting for me. Because I know what the light in my life

 is. Riku and Sora. They are my light. And I carry them with me

 wherever I go. So no matter the darkness that surrounds me, there

 will always be light in my heart. 

 

 I run to the light. And run. And run. It seems so far away. My

 muscles ache and burn, the darkness clawing at me as I run, trying to

 drag me back. But I won’t let anything keep me away from them. I’m

 going to save them. No matter what it takes. The light... It’s so

 beautiful. So warm. It caresses me as I finally reach it. And for

 just a split second, he holds me. It’s all too brief, but I burn it

 into my mind, etching every half-remembered feeling into my soul. One

 day I’ll have that forever. It won’t be snatched away from me. I’ll

 hold onto him until the sun falls from the sky and even longer. 

 

 One day...

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

 

 Light... Bright and jarring. It cascades around me harshly, bathing

 everything in its judgmental glow. As if accusing me. ‘You, girl from

 the darkness, you are not welcome here,’ I can almost hear it say. My

 eyes ache and shut instinctively tighter, trying to drown out the

 brilliant glow that surrounds me. ‘Just go away...’ I beg. But it

 ignores me, seeming to focus even more on me. 

 

 We always cherish light. It is beautiful. It is right. It is good.

 But we never stop to think that if anything were held to the light,

 that it would wither and burn under its touch. Without a filter, the

 light is too blinding, too strong. The blazing light and the cold

 darkness are both ends of the extreme. One isn’t simply salvation

 while the other is ruin. Both can destroy you. Both can protect you.

 The darkness can be just as beautiful, can’t it?

 

 Perhaps there are more similarities than I’d ever realized...

 

 But now, the light is making me ache and burn. I curl up, trying to

 shut it out. I fall short in its harsh view. I am not of the light,

 it tells me. I don’t belong here. It will wash me away in its light

 until I’m nothing more than the hint of a shadow. 

 

 This is wrong. Of course I’m from the light. I wanted to escape the

 darkness, didn’t I? This should be welcome. This should be freedom.

 So why am I so afraid of it? Why isn’t it welcoming me with open

 arms? Why am I being turned away? What’s wrong with me? Tears start

 to burn at my eyes as I shut them tighter. ‘Please,’ I call out.

 ‘Help me...’ Isn’t the light supposed to save you? Isn’t it what

 dreams and hope are built from.

 

 ‘No...’ Comes its response, reverberating through me. ‘Nothing can

 save you. You are too entangled by the darkness. You are darkness.’

 

 ‘No! Please, don’t send me away! I need help! I’m all alone...’

 

 But the light ignores me. It doesn’t wish to have me so close

 anymore, dirtying its gorgeous rays. So it simply casts me out.

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

 I lie there for a long time, trying to make sense out of things. I

 don’t care enough to open my eyes and find out where I am. That’s

 secondary. I’ll figure it out later. I hope. It doesn’t matter where

 I am, anyway. It’s not like I’ve had a well-designed plan through all

 of this.

 

 The darkness longs for me. The light rejects me. I feel a cold chill

 pass over my body at that thought. The light that can save me won’t

 let me near. The darkness is even now creeping after me, trying to

 plunge me back into its depths. It’s hunting for me. And I have

 nowhere to run to. No sanctuary that can protect me.

 

 I shudder on the cold floor. I’m all alone. 

 

 No... ‘Remember what you said, Kairi? I’m always with you, too,’

 Sora had said right before he had been dragged away from me to

 someplace far off. Yes. I am not alone. I place a hand over my heart.

 My boys are right there with me. No matter where they are. I’m not

 alone. If the light turned its back on me, then I Don’t need it. All

 I need are Riku and Sora. If I can’t believe in the light, then I’ll

 believe in them. I will find them. I will save them. And they will be

 my shelter from the storm that threatens to consume me. As long as I

 have them, I’ll never let the darkness swallow me. 

 

 “Ohhhh...” someone groans beside me. “I’m starting to think

 travelling by Gummi Ship from world to world isn’t half bad. Sure, I

 got motion sick from it. But I didn’t wake up wondering where the

 hell I was.”

 

 “One of these days you’re going to wake up naked in a hotel room

 thinking that and I’ll prove to you that it can be a good thing,”

 another voice pipes in.

 

 “Relm, watch your hands,” the first voice warns. 

 

 “Oops... Sorry,” comes the gleeful response. Relm doesn’t sound

 sorry in the least. 

 

 Well, at least I know Yuffie and Relm are both still with me. I

 don’t have to go on alone after all. I slowly open my eyes, the world

 a blur around me. How long was I out this time? Where will I find

 myself now? My head swims, still reeling from my sudden brushes with

 both the light and the darkness. My heart wavers. I still don’t know

 where I stand. Grandma used to tell me there was always light. But if

 the light wouldn’t accept me... 

 

 Now is not the time to be thinking about these things. First things

 first. I need to find out where I am. Somehow. “Where are we?” I ask

 after a moment, flipping some hair from my eyes. 

 

 “Maybe you can ask them,” Relm suggests, pointing behind me. 

 

 The concerned look in her eyes tells me I probably won’t want to ask

 whoever it is. Yuffie just watches on with a ‘why does this sort of

 thing always happen to me?’ look plastered on her face. I slowly

 turn, hesitant to find out. Sure enough, I doubt these people are

 interested in telling me directions to find my lost boys. There are

 at least seven women in the hallway, all wearing armor and bearing

 swords and shields. The one in the lead holds a rather hefty sword

 and sports an eye patch, presumably a testament to the many battles

 she had been through. I swallow nervously. “You wouldn’t happen to

 know where I could find a silver haired boy, would you?” I try a

 smile, but it’s lost on the soldiers. 

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

 Yep. I’m officially hating this by now. I lie on my cold, hard bunk

 in the dungeon, my hands behind my head. If I had more materia, those

 knights wouldn’t have stood a chance against me. Of course, Beatrix,

 as I’d learned was her name after the fact (my jailer won’t shut up

 about her), soundly trounced me while Kairi and Relm sat there

 worthlessly and squealed like little girls when the knights grabbed

 them. So one could say the odds weren’t exactly stacked in my favor. 

 

 I roll on my side and hit the wall with my fist. I’m supposed to be

 a legendary hero. The greatest ninja that ever lived. Some hero I’m

 turning out to be. I can’t even save Relm from a couple stupid

 knights. And Kairi, I hastily add. Not like I have any vested

 interest in Relm. Of course not. I laugh aloud. What a silly thought.

 That little pervert isn’t getting to me. I mean, sure she’s awfully

 sweet and she has this way of riling me up, and her eyes have this

 way of taking over your soul... 

 

 I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Whatever the case, it

 doesn’t matter. I couldn’t come to her rescue even if I wanted to.

 Which I don’t. I’m stuck in the dungeon, alone, weaponless. At this

 rate, the universe will be swallowed by Heartless before I can ever

 get Kairi to the Doorway to the Light. But at least I’m trying! Not

 like Leon and Aerith. Both staying home to cuddle with their love

 bunnies while I work my ass off trying to get the Keyblade Mistress

 to fix everything. And I’m not out here just because I don’t have

 someone! I wouldn’t be doing the exact some thing as them if I had

 someone to wake up with and cling tightly to and... Of course not!

 

 “And she’s much, much more talented than Sir Steiner. Why, Lady

 Beatrix was our pride and joy at the last tournament. The Knights of

 Pluto didn’t even want to challenge her. It was really very funny.

 They were all...” The guard drones on. She had explained earlier than

 she doesn’t mind guard duty. I think I can see why. She takes a

 sadistic pleasure in slowly killing the prisoners. 

 

 I pull my pillow around my head, trying to drown out her incessant

 ranting about Lady Beatrix. I’m still pissed that Beatrix stopped me

 in the hallway. I could’ve at least gotten through her and then been

 taken down by the guards. Or they could’ve all ganged up on me or

 something. It’s embarrassing that it only took Beatrix. Now Relm’s

 images of me are probably shattered and I’ll never be her hero again.

 Not that I care, mind you. Nope. Not in the least.

 

 I wonder where they took Relm and Kairi. We were split up after our

 clash in that hallway. Oddly enough, It seemed like they had been

 expecting us. Everywhere else we had been, we always seemed to wind

 up there by accident. But this time, they were ready. They seemed to

 want Kairi for something. So she’ll be safe for a bit, at least. If

 they need her, they can’t harm her. But what about Relm? She isn’t in

 the dungeon. Where would they have taken her? I hope she’s all

 right... I won’t forgive myself if she got hurt because of me.

 

 And where is Rikku? I remember the wave crashing around us. She was

 holding onto one of my arms and Relm was holding onto the other. I

 tried to hold onto both of them, but I was getting thrown about and I

 couldn’t keep my grip. My heart skips a beat at the thought of her

 being lost someplace in this infinity. But she has to be out there.

 She probably just didn’t get stuck in the same place we did. Yeah.

 That has to be it. I hope.

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

 I watch Yuffie in her cell for a while. Oh, my poor girl. Her ego’s

 wounded. I’m just thrilled she’d fight for me, win or lose. But she

 doesn’t see it that way. She’s got to be the best. But usually she’s

 better about turning things around and pretending she’s gotten away

 with what she wanted to. Snatching semi-victories from the jaws of

 defeat. But she still looks cute, even languishing on her prison bed.

 The guard unlocks the door for me and I slip quietly into Yuffie’s

 cell, not wanting to disturb her dark thoughts. Not yet, at least. 

 

 I wonder what you’re thinking, my beautiful ninja. Are any of your

 thoughts about me? Is there any room in that guarded heart of yours

 for me? I sure hope so. I’ll keep trying until I can find out for

 sure. 

 

 Leaning forward, I nuzzle the crook of her neck, delighting at the

 feel of her soft skin against my nose and lips. She flinches

 instinctively, but it’s too late. There’s nowhere to escape for now.

 She must really be out of it if I could catch her by surprise like

 this. I nuzzle deeper as she curls up on the small bed, trying to

 escape me but only succeeding in pressing against the wall. I giggle

 as I slowly pull away, watching the mortified look on her face. Her

 cheeks are a cherry red, her eyes as wide as twin moons. 

 

 “Relm,” she gets out weakly. 

 

 “Didja miss me?” I ask, grinning as I lean over her curled up form.

 The great and mighty Yuffie, slayer of monsters and master thief. And

 here she is cowering before me, with nowhere to hide. Weird how a

 young artist from another world could do that to her. Not that I

 mind. The irony makes it all taste even more delicious. 

 

 Slowly she manages to piece together her sarcastic, independent

 exterior. Her eyes narrow and she places a hand on my forehead,

 pushing me back so she can sit up. I try to push back, but she’s too

 much stronger than me. I sigh and step back, crossing my arms. “Oh,

 right. I hate having the use of my right arm. It’s much better when

 you’re hanging off of it,” she replies sarcastically. 

 

 I pout. “Well, I was going to get you out, but if you don’t want

 to...” I sigh, turning my back to her. It takes a second for that to

 seep in for her. 

 

 “Get me out? What are you talking about?”

 

 I turn around to face her again, smiling brightly. Oh, I can’t stay

 mad at her for long. Even if she can be selfish and arrogant and...

 Ahem. Okay, maybe I can stay a little frustrated with her, but that’s

 different. “I’m her majesty’s royal artist. One of the knights found

 a picture I had and they decided the queen should see this ‘wee

 girl’s’ abilities for herself. She made me do a portrait, which I had

 to make up a lot for because she isn’t very easy to look at for long,

 and she liked it so much that she decided to give me a job instead of

 throwing me in here.”

 

 “You convinced them with a picture?” she asks, blinking. Then she

 considers. “Well, you are really good. That fire you drew seemed real

 enough. So I guess that makes sense.”

 

 I narrow my eyebrows. “They wouldn’t have found the picture at all

 if they’d been keeping their hands to themselves. But then, in a

 place with a band of female knights, you have to wonder.” I wait

 anxiously for her jealous reply. She wouldn’t want anyone touching

 me. Or harassing me. Or anything like that. Not when she can do all

 of that herself. Right...?

 

 Yuffie grins. “Must be your kinda place then, huh?”

 

 I can only stare at her. I’m trembling. How could she say that to

 me? Does she really think of me like that? I only want her to know

 how much I like her. I wouldn’t do that with anyone. I just want her

 to know... I don’t know how else to do it. I’ve never been in love

 before. This is all so new to me. I can’t even see her anymore. I

 only see a haze as tears fill my vision. I yank the picture they’d

 found on me, one I’d drawn the night I met Yuffie. I crumple it up in

 my hands, tearing and ripping. I want to destroy something beautiful.

 Something that meant so much to me. Unable to get out any words, I

 make a muffled sob as I toss the pieces at her, turning and running

 as fast as I can away from her. I don’t care where I go as long as

 it’s away. Far, far away. I sob weakly as I force myself to run. When

 you get hurt, when your heart bleeds, that’s what tears are. I hate

 you, Yuffie. I hate you. Because obviously I’m nothing more than a

 stupid little perverse kid to you. And I hate myself for not being

 good enough, worthy enough of you. So I run. And I cry.

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

 I blink, watching Relm burst into tears and run off. The prison door

 slams shut behind her, the guard more watchful than I thought. Not

 that I’d be able to escape right now even if she wasn’t paying

 attention; my mind’s on other things. 

 

 I kneel down, sifting my fingers through the ripped and crumpled

 picture on the floor. How she could destroy something she’d spent so

 much time creating is beyond me. Whatever I did, I must have hurt her

 immeasurably to get that kind of reaction. To see her shred something

 that she had given life to. Slowly the image begins to take shape

 under my fingers, the angry rips and tears defiling the beautiful

 image. Me. She had drawn me. A portrait that’s more gorgeous than I

 could ever pray to truly be myself. That’s what the guards had seen,

 what had prompted the queen to keep her out of the dungeon. It’s

 lovely. Or it was. Before I disgraced it. Before I signed its death

 sentence and left it to die in its creator’s usually gentle hands. 

 

 She drew me. She wanted me to be the subject of her amazing talent.

 She looked at me with those shining eyes, filled with love and

 adoration. And all I could do was slap her in the face because I’m

 too much of a bitch to accept it all gratefully. I didn’t realize how

 much it would hurt her. I didn’t mean to...

 

 What have I done? “Fuck...” I mutter, hunching over, my short hair

 drooping as my head nearly touches the floor. Good one, Yuffie.

 She’ll never let you save her now. Now it looks like you’re the one

 who needs saving.

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

 Kairi sighed. She looked out a large window, the only escape from

 the room she was stuck in. But to escape this prison, she would need

 angel’s wings. She slumped against the windowsill, watching the doves

 come and go as they pleased. If only it was that easy for her. The

 room was beautifully furnished. But it was still a cage to her. She

 wanted to soar free. To escape all of this. 

 

 The young princess fidgeted uneasily. She had been separated from

 her friends and placed in these chambers. Two maids had ‘helped’ her

 change into an elegant pale lavender dress and then left her there.

 She wasn’t used to dresses. They were too confining. She liked to

 have room to run and be free. ‘Mom always wanted me to wear dresses.

 But they weren’t my style. I only wore the one’s she’d buy me a few

 times and that was only to appease her,’ she thought. The memories

 had come to her unbidden. But there was something else, as well.

 Someone older, shaking his head in disgust. ‘The princess is a

 tomboy,’ he had said. And then someone laughing. Her... father? But

 she hadn’t had a father, had she? Not in that place where her room

 existed. But somewhere else, she had been raised by her father

 instead of her mother. ‘She takes after her father,’ he had said,

 smiling. He had a warm smile. Everyone had loved him dearly. 

 

 Holding her head, Kairi tried to sort through the contradictory

 memories. Was she a princess who had lost her memories? Or was she a

 girl so desperate to escape her own life that she had drowned in

 fantasy? It was like two separate lives were trying to piece

 themselves together inside of her. It was taking its toll on the

 brunette. She was starting to have a hard time telling which way was

 up. 

 

 “Why do you care so much about what’s ‘real’?” a voice asked.

 

 Kairi whirled about. A young blonde girl stood before her. She had a

 bandage over one of her eyes and she wore a hospital gown. 

 

 “What is Real, anyway?” another voice asked, coming from the bed.

 The girl on the bed looked exactly the same as the other girl, though

 she wasn’t wearing the bandage. “Is Real what everyone tells you is

 real?”

 

 “Or is Real what you believe in your heart to be true?” the other

 girl continued. 

 

 “Who are you?” Kairi asked, looking back and forth between the two

 young girls.

 

 “She’s Maya,” the one with the bandage said, pointing to the girl on

 the bed.

 

 “And this is Aya,” the one on the bed said, hurrying up to her

 sister’s side. Both girls giggled and bowed to Kairi.

 

 “We’re Eve,” they said in unison.

 

 “Oh...” Kairi responded, not understanding in the slightest. She

 shook her head, looking out the window. “I don’t know what’s real

 anymore.”

 

 “Is Real what everyone around you decides is real?” Maya asked, her

 head tilted to the right.

 

 “Or is Real what you decide is real?” Aya asked, her head tilted to

 the left. 

 

 “You both sound like Harle.” Kairi closed her eyes, trying to focus.

 This was all confusing her more and more. 

 

 “Eventually you’ll need to make a decision,” Maya explained.

 “Whether you’ll accept reality or remake it altogether.”

 

 “Whether you will live or die. Awaken or dream. Love or hate. After

 all, these things are all two sides of the same coin. You cannot have

 one without the other,” Aya adds, resting back to back with her

 sister. 

 

 “But can’t you choose the light? Can’t you have one without the

 other? Must it always be both? Love and hate, life and death, light

 and dark?” Kairi asks, nearly pleading. 

 

 Maya shakes her head. “These things are all interconnected. They

 aren’t all completely different notions. They’re all dependent on

 each other. Each of these ‘opposites’ is entwined in a lover’s

 embrace that you couldn’t hope to untangle. Without one, the other is

 meaningless.”

 

 “After all,” Aya continues, “how can you really, truly love if you

 don’t know what it’s like to be hated? For you to live, someone must

 die. For you to awaken, you must have been dreaming.”

 

 “Without darkness, there is no light,” the twins say in harmony. 

 

 Kairi opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She was speechless.

 The twins’ words spun around her, leaving her dizzy. 

 

 “Everyone’s waiting for your answer, Kairi,” Maya said softly.

 

 “Don’t disappoint everyone. The show’s just about to begin,” Aya

 added. 

 

 A knock at the door drove Kairi out of her stupor. She bolted

 upright. “Coming!” she called. She turned back to the girls to ask

 them something, but they were already gone. “Where did they go?” she

 asked, blinking. The only way out of the room was the window. And

 unless they grew wings, that wouldn’t be a very good choice. 

 

 “There you are. You must be another one of the girls that Kuja had

 brought to the palace. I assure you, I’ll try my hardest to make sure

 your stay is a pleasant one,” a woman with dark hair said as she

 entered the room, followed by a much younger girl with purple hair

 and a horn on her forehead. “I’m Princess Garnet Til Alexandros the

 17th. This is Eiko Carol. We wanted to check in on you. We’re

 terribly sorry for the inconvenience.”

 

 “We thought it would be better if you saw us first instead of being

 traumatized by Kuja inspecting you,” the younger girl explained. She

 spat the name with disgust. Apparently she didn’t think very highly

 of him.

 

 “Why am I here? What’s going on? I really need to get going. My

 friends need me. I have to find them,” Kairi said. She wanted to make

 them understand somehow. Her words couldn’t convey the urgency in her

 heart. She couldn’t afford to get sidetracked. Not now. Not with Riku

 and Sora so close.

 

 “You’ll be able to leave as soon as Kuja has finished. In the

 meantime, we’ll make you as comfortable as we can,” the princess

 explained politely. She was genuinely apologetic, feeling personally

 responsible for the delay in Kairi’s journey, whatever it may be.

 

 “And when is that going to be?” Eiko asked irritably, raising her

 arms. “He’s always so vague about it and he never answers me when I

 ask him when I can go home.”

 

 Garnet smiled softly and gently cupped the younger girl’s cheek.

 “Soon, Eiko. I promise. I’ll ask him again for you. I’ll get you

 home.” She didn’t seem to notice the purple haired girl’s cheeks

 burning underneath her fingers or the deep gaze that Eiko was giving

 her. She leant forward, kissing near Eiko’s horn. 

 

 “Princess Garnet, your mother wishes to see you,” a maid said from

 the doorway.

 

 Garnet nodded. “I’ll be right there.” She turned back to Kairi and

 bowed. “Again, my apologies for keeping you here. If there’s anything

 you need, please ask.” Turning, she left the room. 

 

 Eiko watched her leave. Sighing dreamily, she slowly came back to

 earth. If only Garnet would pay attention to her! 

 

 “What’s going on?” Kairi asked again, pleading with the younger

 girl. She walked over, kneeling to look the purple haired girl in the

 eyes. 

 

 Sighing, Eiko let her arms fall to her sides. “You’re being kept

 here because of some guy named Kuja. He’s got the ear of the Queen,

 so she’ll do whatever he says. Apparently the kingdom is in big

 trouble unless he can find the ‘Prism Heart’, whatever that is. He

 says it resides within a girl with a beautiful heart. They checked

 Princess Garnet, but it wasn’t her. So he’s been scouring the world

 for this girl. That’s how I wound up here. Some Alexandrian Knights

 sought me out because I’m the last of the summoners. Kuja thought

 that might mean it might be me. But they checked and I don’t have it

 either. But they still won’t let me go home. None of the girls he’s

 taken here have gone home yet.” She looked back at the door. “Not

 that I want to go home yet, anyway. Not without Garnet. But she's too

 worried about her mother to come with me.” The little girl crossed

 her arms, frustrated. 

 

 Kairi closed her eyes. Great. So she was stuck here. A prisoner in a

 gilded cage. What was she supposed to do now? Riku and Sora needed

 her. She couldn’t be wasting time while a kingdom searched for some

 mythical girl. “So.. You really like Princess Garnet, huh?” Kairi

 asked after a moment.

 

 “Yep. You better keep your hands off of her. She’s mine,” Eiko

 responded, her eyes narrowing.  

 

 “I.. What? No! Of course not!” That wasn’t exactly how Kairi had

 meant her question. She could only stammer a response, taken off

 guard. 

 

 “Good! Now you know. Anyway, I better go find her. She always gets

 depressed after she talks with her mother.” As if stating it aloud

 helped her to remember, Eiko now looked very concerned. “Bye!” She

 waved over her shoulder before scurrying out the door, the little

 angel wings pinned to her dress bobbing as she ran.

 

 Kairi rested her face in her hands. Something out there didn’t like

 her. That had to be it. God, Fate, or Whatever seemed to have it in

 for her. Which was definitely going to make things more difficult.

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

 “You’re moving too quickly, Selphie. You just need to let yourself

 move slowly, like the ocean waves,” Yuna explained. She demonstrated,

 closing her eyes and moving beautifully on her toes. She and Selphie

 were barefoot on the beach, the waves lapping around them. The spunky

 brunette had come to Yuna requesting that she teach her how to dance.

 It was too cute to turn away. Not that Yuna was ever good at turning

 anyone away to begin with. Lulu chastised her about being too easy

 for other people to manipulate, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted

 to make people happy. She wanted to help if she could. And besides,

 if Selphie wanted to dance with the girl she loved, it only seemed

 right to teach her. It would be romantic to see Quistis and Selphie

 dancing together under the moonlight. And Yuna could be a tiny part

 of that because she had helped it come about. 

 

 “Hmm... Okay. Like this?” Selphie asked, twirling about again. The

 world spun around her as she twirled about, finally coming to a halt

 as she nearly stumbled in the ankle deep water.

 

 Giggling softly, Yuna covered her mouth. “I think...” she began

 quietly. “I think that you have just a little too much energy,

 Selphie.”

 

 “What’s wrong with having too much energy?” Selphie asked, pouting.

 It had always served her well before. But now it was making this all

 so difficult. She was having a hard time restricting her movements

 into soft, flowing motions. She was too used to moving about. 

 

 “There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s part of what Quistis likes

 about you, I’m sure. But it does make it a little harder to dance

 together if you’re always a step before her,” Yuna warned softly.

 

 Selphie bit her lip, thinking it over. She finally smiled and nodded

 eagerly. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Yuna! I wouldn’t be able to do

 this without you. Quisty will be so surprised!” She giggled, hopping

 from foot to foot.

 

 Yuna giggled herself, energized by Selphie’s enthusiasm. She nodded.

 “All right. I’ll do my best to make sure you’re ready in time for the

 festival. Just watch me for a moment. You need to be able to move the

 way you want to, the way your heart wants to. But if you go too

 quickly, then it isn’t soft and romantic, and you don’t get to savor

 it.” Closing her eyes, Yuna bowed to her practice partner before

 beginning to dance, moving lithely in the shallow water. She moved

 with a dancer’s grace, elegant and beautiful, almost seeming to walk

 on the water itself as she skitted about. The long sleeves of her

 half-kimono skimmed over the water as she twirled about, hopping here

 and there. 

 

 “Booyaka! Yuna, you’re really, really good! I wanna dance like that

 with Quisty.” Selphie sighed happily, already imagining the two of

 them moving with each other along the beach. She watched Yuna

 intently. ‘I want to be able to do that!’ she thought eagerly,

 clapping. Yuna twirled and danced along the water, a beautiful sprite

 on the shore. And then she tripped and plunged face first in the

 water. Selphie stopped mid-clap, sweatdropping.

 

 Getting to her feet dizzily, the soaked girl didn’t look up to face

 her student at first. How embarrassing! How was she supposed to teach

 Selphie how to dance when she couldn’t even stay on her feet herself?

 But her mind started to ignore that as her foot swished around in the

 water, searching for what she had tripped on. She finally found

 something soft and yielding under the water, deeper where she was now

 that the tide was coming in. It must have dragged something with it.

 Yuna pushed again. What was it? Something pushed back. “Ahhhhhh!!!”

 Yuna screamed, flailing her arms as she fell back into the water. She

 gazed in shock as a figure slowly rose from the water.

 

 Spluttering, a drenched catgirl emerged from the tide. Her lungs

 burned. How long had she been underwater? Where was she, anyway? This

 didn’t look like El Nido. And why had that girl been kicking her?

 That wasn’t very nice at all. And most importantly of all, where was

 Yuffie? But before she could answer any of these questions, she had

 other things to contend with. “Stay away from Yuna!” A brunette girl

 yelled as she ran towards her. In her semi-conscious state, Rikku

 could do little to defend herself, let alone to argue. She turned to

 try and explain, but she could only cough up seawater. And before she

 could do anything else, something was arcing through the air. It

 connected with her head in a fireworks display of pain. Collapsing

 back into unconsciousness, the cat girl slumped into the waves again.

 

 “That was a pretty wimpy monster,” Selphie noted disappointedly,

 holding her nunchuks at her sides as Rikku floated in front of her.

 

 “She’s going to drown,” Yuna said worriedly. She pushed forward

 against the water, dipping her arms under the catgirl, pulling her up

 so she could breathe. Straining, she dragged Rikku to the shore,

 slumping next to her on the wet sand. She breathed heavily,

 exhausted. 

 

 “Why are you saving that monster?” Selphie asked, blinking in

 confusion.

 

 “She wasn’t going to hurt me. She was too weak to. She just washed

 up here. I don’t think she’s a Fiend. The poor girl looks too weak to

 stand, let alone to do anything else. She needs my help,” Yuna

 explained, slowly catching her breath as she lay next to the catgirl.

 

 “Oh..” Selphie nodded thoughtfully. She laughed nervously. “I think

 I might have something important to do when she wakes up. If she

 wasn’t going to hurt you, she might wanna hurt me if she remembers me

 smacking her on the head.”

 

 Yuna smiled a bit. “Yeah, you can practice what I’ve taught you.

 I’ll take her back to my house. I’ll try to help her recover there.”

 She turned to the catgirl, watching her breath uneasily on the sand.

 Strange things were happening on the Destiny Islands. Very strange

 things. But whoever this weird girl was, maybe she could help her.

 Somehow. She looked like she needed the help. Yuna brushed some of

 the water from Rikku’s whiskers. Poor kitty. “I’ll help you,” she

 promised quietly. Rikku’s breathing seemed to steady somewhat, her

 cat ears perking up. “I promise.”