view old/stories/prismhearts.txt @ 4:69f0191c9016 moonlitnights tip

added error.log and access.log
author Robert McIntyre <rlm@mit.edu>
date Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:42:35 -0400
parents fc00894c1d4a
children
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1 Author’s note: This is a story I wrote after finishing Squaresoft’s
2 beautiful game, Kingdom Hearts. This may or may not become a series,
3 so please, please tell me what you think. ^-^ This is only a one shot
4 right now, but if I get a positive enough response or if I just feel
5 crazy enough to actually write a series about this, I just might do
6 it. This is shortly after the end of the game. So you might not want
7 to read if you don’t like spoilers. ^^;;
10 Prism Hearts
11 by Amazoness Duo
12 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
16 ‘Thinking of you, wherever you are.
18 We pray for our sorrows to end,
19 And hope that our hearts will blend.
20 Now I will step forward to realize this wish.
22 And who knows:
23 Starting a new journey may not be so hard.
24 Or maybe it has already begun.
26 There are many worlds,
27 But they share the same sky;
28 One sky, one destiny.’
31 Sitting on the end of a small pier, Kairi looked off into the
32 sunset. The beautiful colors that descended to the earth looked like
33 a painter’s most vivid dream. The sea reflected them, shifting
34 recklessly as if it was jealous of the attention the sky was
35 garnering for itself. But it wasn’t the sky that Kairi was interested
36 in. She was trying to look past it, for something brighter than even
37 the most beautiful sunset. She had done this often recently, so much
38 so that the others on the island had finally stopped questioning her
39 about it. They may think she was crazy or just daydreaming, but she
40 was busy searching. All she needed was the tiniest hint. And the
41 skies would stare back, teasing her with half-glimpses and images in
42 the cotton candy clouds. But she would not let that deter her. She
43 would keep searching forever if she had to.
45 “I’ll be waiting for you. If you come here, you’ll find me. I
46 promise,” she whispered, her voice carried off by the wind to
47 destinations unknown. “Even if your ears can’t hear me, I know your
48 heart can.” Her hand rested on her chest, feeling the beat of her own
49 heart. When she closed her eyes, she could almost feel their rhythm,
50 all beating in unison. It didn’t matter how far apart they were.
51 Their hearts would always be one.
53 When she blinked her eyes open, he was there. Just as if he had
54 never left. His silver hair moved about in the light breeze. His eyes
55 were shining and determined. He was reaching out for her, just as he
56 always did. He was always reaching out for her, as if he could pull
57 her along with him, to some place far away. Her hand left her chest,
58 reaching out slowly for him. But before she could take his hand, he
59 was gone. With a weak sigh, her hand fell into her lap. So close, yet
60 always so far. It was like he was perpetually just out of reach. If
61 she could just reach a little further, they could be together again.
62 She knew Riku was far away, but she swore she could feel him
63 sometimes, as if he were right behind her. That’s why she kept
64 looking. Because she knew eventually they would be together again.
66 A laugh reached her ears from the beach. It was laced with memories
67 and feelings. “Sora!” She whirled about on the pier, her back aching
68 from twisting so suddenly. Her hands lay on the deck as she gazed for
69 the source of the boy’s laughter. Her heart sank when she saw that it
70 was only Tidus, laughing at something Wakka had done. Shoulders
71 slumped, the young girl turned back to the empty sea. The vast
72 expanses that surrounded her encaged her as surely as any prison.
74 It was ironic that this had all began as an attempt to escape with
75 her best friends from this island, to taste the freedom and the
76 excitement of other worlds, to see all the beauty they had to offer.
77 And now she was trapped on that same island, her friends somewhere
78 far off. They were now distant stars to her, lost somewhere in the
79 heavens. She would sit up at night, peering into the moonlit sky,
80 striving for any glimpse of the two boys that held her heart up.
81 Sometimes she would mistake a falling star for one of them, hoping
82 they were returning to her. But her hopes were always dashed when she
83 didn’t find them running to her on their beach.
85 Her memories were still clouded, distant things that seemed to come
86 from another lifetime. She knew that she was a princess, but of where
87 she wasn’t certain. But those memories didn’t matter to her. The
88 memories that she cherished, that she held onto with all the strength
89 in her heart were of her days with Riku and Sora on the island, of
90 all of their moments together. Those were things she would never
91 allow herself to forget, no matter how painful they could be or how
92 lonely they might make her feel. They were her treasures, her little
93 gems that she would sneak looks at whenever she could.
95 The pier creaked behind Kairi, but she didn’t turn around
96 immediately. For the first few days she had turned at every sound,
97 every whisper that came her way, hoping that she would see the two
98 boys again. But now she wouldn’t let herself be distracted about such
99 things. She was trying to focus past all of the surface noise and
100 images, to see where the two were out there.
102 “Kairi?” A voice asked tentatively. Selphie waited for a moment, not
103 quite expecting an answer. With how out of it Kairi had been lately,
104 she wouldn’t be at all surprised. But she could understand. Love did
105 that sort of thing to you. Especially when your love was very far
106 away.
108 Kairi slowly turned, her legs still slowly kicking away from the
109 deck. She spotted Selphie waiting behind her. With Selphie was a
110 blonde girl with glasses and a long pink dress. The blonde girl
111 looked about a year or so older than Selphie. She could vaguely
112 recall seeing her before on the main island of the Destiny Islands
113 when she had been visiting with Sora and his parents. “Oh, hi,
114 Selphie,” Kairi said, a little sheepishly. She placed a hand behind
115 her head. “I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”
117 Selphie giggled, her hands behind her back. “Yeah, but you’re always
118 like that lately. Thinking about someone special?” She grinned wider.
119 Selphie loved romance. And watching it unfold on the Destiny Islands
120 was her favorite past time. And she’d been wondering for quite some
121 time what would become of the love triangle between Kairi, Riku, and
122 Sora.
124 Kairi sighed, looking back at the ocean waves beneath her feet.
125 “Something like that.”
127 “Oh, this is Quisty. You probably haven’t seen her much. She spends
128 too much of her time studying. I practically had to drag her out
129 here,” Selphie stated with mock exasperation. She perked up
130 immediately, dropping the façade. “But it’s nice and romantic at
131 sunset on the beach and she needed a break from all those books.”
133 Quistis sweatdropped, not quite sure what to say. She had indeed
134 been studying when Selphie had taken it upon herself to get her to
135 relax and had dragged her off to the island. Of course, she knew
136 Selphie too well to believe her pretenses about relaxing. Selphie
137 wanted a moonlit stroll on the beach or to sit and watch the sunset
138 together or something. And how could she have possibly said no to
139 that?
141 Kairi giggled softly, looking at the two. It sounded like this
142 ‘Quisty’ was the exact opposite of Selphie. Studious and mature, the
143 slightly older girl didn’t seem anything like the spunky and childish
144 brunette. But her smile slipped slightly as she saw them holding
145 hands. She missed Riku and Sora. She wanted to watch the sunset with
146 them again. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, smiling warmly
147 at the two other girls. “That sounds like fun. The sunset’s gorgeous
148 tonight. It’s perfect to watch with someone.”
150 Selphie bit her lip, watching Kairi for a moment. “You really miss
151 them, don’t you? I’m sure they’ll come back soon. They must miss you
152 a lot, too. They’re probably both on their way right now. You’ll see
153 them before you know it.” She smiled brightly. There was always hope.
154 No matter how dark things were, there was always some light tucked
155 away in the shadows.
157 Staring back at the pink and orange sky, Kairi nodded, smiling
158 softly herself. “I know. I can feel them. They’ll come back to me.
159 Someday. Besides, Sora promised me that he’d bring my lucky charm
160 back. And Riku risked everything to get my heart back. I know he
161 wouldn’t give up on me no matter what.”
163 Tilting her head to the side, Selphie tried to see what Kairi was
164 looking at. It was almost like she was looking through the sunset to
165 something behind it. Finally giving up, Selphie looked at Kairi
166 again. “Remember what I said about Paopu fruits? How they intertwine
167 your destiny forever with someone when you share it? I can get you
168 one if you want. Then you can share it with one of them when they get
169 back.” She squeezed Quistis’s hand, feeling a giddy thrill run
170 through her. “I finally found someone to share one with. It’s
171 wonderfully romantic. You should really try it.” She could tell
172 Quistis was blushing, but that just made her want to melt against the
173 taller girl.
175 “I will,” Kairi promised. She leant back on her hands, staring
176 straight up at the sky. “But I’d have to share it with both of them.
177 So the three of us will never be apart again. So we’ll always be
178 together.” Her blue eyes closed as she imagined them all sitting
179 together, sharing the star shaped fruit.
181 Selphie sweatdropped, looking down at the lost princess. “But which
182 of them do you love? Which one do you want to be with forever?”
184 Blinking, Kairi slowly focused on the sky above. That thought
185 puzzled her. It seemed so simple, yet the answer eluded her. It felt
186 like a trick question. She rolled it over in her mind. But she
187 couldn’t imagine one without the other. It felt wrong, incomplete.
188 “Both of them,” she said at last, her voice barely above a whisper.
189 "I love both of them. I want to be with them forever.” And she was
190 satisfied with that answer. It was what her heart desired, what she
191 wanted more than anything else. That was why they were all still
192 together, why their hearts were all one, even if they were far apart.
194 ~~~~~~~~~~
196 “Everything has been restored. Our world’s back to normal,” Aerith
197 said, relief filling her soul. For so long they had been cast out
198 into the universe, their home world a mere shell of it’s former self,
199 consumed by the Heartless. Now all of those hopes and dreams that had
200 grown inside of them were realized, brought back as if they had never
201 been gone at all. But what cost had been paid to return their home to
202 them?
204 “Do you think they’re all right?” Yuffie asked after a moment’s
205 pause. She had been thinking the same thing. They had bound together
206 in order to stop the Heartless, but in the end they could only pray
207 the Keyblade Master could stop the outpouring of darkness. She felt
208 as if she should have been there herself. This was her home, after
209 all. She should have been fighting for it. No one else should have to
210 sacrifice themselves for her happiness.
212 Leon shrugged, his arms crossed. “Who knows? I don’t suppose we’ll
213 ever find out. The worlds are separated again so we can’t know what’s
214 become of them.” Though he couldn’t voice it, he felt the same way
215 Yuffie did. He had spent so long mourning the loss of his home world,
216 blaming himself for not being able to save it. He had even changed
217 his name to distance himself from the pain. He had been willing to do
218 anything to fix his mistake. And a boy had done that for him. He had
219 to hope the Keyblade Master was all right somewhere out there.
221 “Hey, guess who I found wandering outside? Looks like he got lost.
222 Aerith, you seem to have a thing for lost puppies. Maybe you can
223 handle him.” Cid grinned as the brunette turned her attention his
224 way. He motioned behind him at a cloaked figure.
226 “Cloud!” Aerith called out happily, hurrying to the blond man. Now
227 her home felt complete again. Now she truly felt like she was home.
228 Her eyes sparkled with diamond tears of joy.
230 “Aerith...” Cloud could only stare for a long moment. He felt so
231 exhausted after his long and lonely journey. He wanted nothing more
232 than to collapse at Aerith’s feet. Or better yet, in her arms. But he
233 could only stare, his heart thawing now that he had finally found
234 what he had spent so long searching for. “I never stopped looking for
235 you.”
237 Aerith smiled brightly, taking the cloaked man’s hand. “I know,
238 Cloud. I knew you’d find me one day. I’ve always had faith in you.
239 That’s why I was never worried. Because I knew one day I’d see you
240 again. I was just worried you wouldn’t have the same hope. You can be
241 so dark sometimes.”
243 Cloud’s emerald eyes shone as he held Aerith’s hand tightly,
244 reveling at just the simple fact of being able to hold it again. “It
245 was hard sometimes. But I knew I had to keep looking. I couldn’t
246 afford to give up. I knew you didn’t die with the planet. And I would
247 do anything to see you again.”
249 Leon watched on, his arms still crossed. This was reminding him too
250 much of something he would prefer to forget. He hadn’t been able to
251 save her. He had given up hope of ever seeing her again. But this
252 man, this Cloud had kept searching even when it had been more than
253 likely that Aerith had died along with almost everyone else on Hollow
254 Bastion. He felt a cold wind blow across his soul at the thought. He
255 had been such a naïve child, believing he could protect the woman he
256 loved from something like the Heartless. He had been unsuccessful.
257 That was part of why he had changed his name. If he was someone else,
258 he wouldn’t have to think about losing her. Because Squall had lost
259 Rinoa, not Leon.
261 Sitting on the table in the library, Yuffie watched with mild
262 interest at Cloud and Aerith’s reunion. They really were back home.
263 With all of their friends. It was slowly sinking in. The world’s
264 greatest ninja was back home with all of her family and friends. No
265 more wandering and fighting.
267 Leon sighed, turning his back on the goings on. He wasn’t a part of
268 any of this. He felt awkward, like an outsider. But he had always
269 felt that way. He wasn’t good with people. Until she came along... He
270 banished the thought, walking away from his teammates. He walked
271 deeper into the library. He just wanted to be alone right now.
273 “Aren’t you even going to say hello?”
275 Leon froze. All of his cold mental reserve shattered like brittle
276 glass. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. It couldn’t be... He
277 slowly turned to face the voice, his heart still frozen in midbeat.
278 His eyes fell upon a girl in blue leaning against a bookshelf. He
279 felt dizzy and lost all over again, as if the floor had been yanked
280 out from under him.
282 Rinoa smiled at him, brushing back some dark hair as she advanced on
283 Leon. “You look different. But it doesn’t seem like you’ve changed at
284 all otherwise.”
286 “...”
288 Rinoa giggled, finally reaching the moody gunblade expert. “I love
289 you, too, Squall,” she replied. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders
290 as she stood up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss.
292 Leon slowly found himself regaining control as she kissed him, as if
293 his soul was reawakening because of her. He closed his eyes tightly,
294 holding onto Rinoa. All that he had thought he had gotten rid of had
295 only been hidden away. Forgotten, but not entirely gone. And she was
296 the key to unlocking it all.
298 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
300 Sora collapsed onto his back, staring up at the cerulean skies above
301 him. He yawned, stretching out on the soft grass. His entire body was
302 sore. It felt like they had been travelling forever. He just wanted
303 to lie down for a moment. But lying there, his weariness tore at him.
304 He didn’t want to get back up. He just wanted to lie there.
306 ‘Sora, you lazy bum,’ he could hear Kairi say.
308 ‘I know you’re stronger than that, Sora,’ Riku’s voice called out in
309 his mind.
311 Nodding resolutely, he struggled back into a sitting position. There
312 was still too much work to do. He couldn’t go slacking off now. He
313 couldn’t let down Kairi and Riku.
315 “We’re never going to find that door,” Donald said exasperatedly,
316 slumping next to Sora. His legs ached. He was a lot shorter than
317 Goofy and Sora, so he had to work harder to keep up. On top of that,
318 he had to get back to Daisy soon. Or she’d kill him. He gulped at the
319 thought, resting against his staff.
321 “We’ve gotta find the door. We will find it. It’s the only way we
322 can find Riku and your king.” Sora looked up at the clouds, seeing
323 his friends in them, calling to him. That managed to reenergize his
324 spirits. They were out there. And they would be together again one
325 day. If there was one thing his journey had taught him, it was to
326 believe in the power of one’s heart. And there was a red thread
327 connecting his heart to Riku and Kairi’s. As long as he believed that
328 they would be together, they eventually would. He just had to keep
329 believing.
331 “Hey, Sora,” Goofy began. “You finally got that friend of yours,
332 Kairi, back, right? So why aren’t you trying to find a way back to
333 your island?”
335 “Because I’m not going back without Riku. I have to find him. We’re
336 going back to Kairi together. I can’t leave him. And I can’t leave
337 you guys to find your king alone. We’re in this together,” Sora
338 explained. He could see Riku and Kairi smiling at him in the clouds.
339 “And even if I can’t be with Kairi right now, I’ll always be with
340 her. The same with Riku. But I want us to all be together again. So
341 I’m going to make sure it happens. No matter how long it takes.”
343 “Gawrsh. Poor Kairi has to wait all this time while we’re off
344 lookin’ for that door.” Goofy shook his head sadly.
346 Donald glared at Goofy, crossing his arms. “Poor Kairi? I wouldn’t
347 mind trading places with her. Let her find that stupid door.”
349 Sora laughed. “But you’ll keep looking with us anyway, right,
350 Donald? Remember, only smiles on this trip.”
352 The duck looked over to protest but found himself staring at the
353 oddly grinning faces of both Goofy and Sora. Sighing, the mage gave
354 up. “All right, all right! Only smiles.”
356 Sora stretched as he finally stood up. “Good. Then lets get going.
357 We have to go find Riku and the king. We can’t waste any time.
358 They’re probably waiting for us right now.” With renewed enthusiasm,
359 he began walking again. He had no idea where the door to the light
360 would be, but it hardly mattered. He’d keep looking until he found
361 Riku.
363 Donald sighed and slowly got to his feet. “Hey! Wait up!”
365 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
367 Walking along the beach, Kairi was lost in thought. The island felt
368 so empty without Sora and Riku by her side. She found herself closing
369 her eyes more and more and wishing that they would be there when she
370 opened them. But they never were. So she wandered the island,
371 visiting all of the places that were important to her two best
372 friends, that held special memories for her. It was all she could
373 think to do. It wasn’t as good as having them there with her, but it
374 let her relive those moments they had together. Even if she did wind
375 up crying because of it quite a bit. She felt so alone without the
376 two of them. “Come back to me,” she whispered.
378 Something in the air caught her eye, drawing her gaze to the
379 heavens. Something was plummeting through the sky, falling like some
380 shooting star. It took her a moment to realize it was human shaped
381 and plunging towards the waves nearby. It finally crashed into the
382 aquamarine ocean, sending water splashing everywhere. Kairi ran to
383 the water, swimming as quickly as she could towards the figure. Her
384 mind raced with thoughts, all jumbling upon each other in their
385 confusion. Riku? Sora? Were they hurt? Was it them? How had they
386 fallen from the sky? Could she really drag them all the way back to
387 the beach?
389 Searching under the gently rolling waves, Kairi finally spotted a
390 prone figure in the water. She pushed forward, grabbing hold as
391 tightly as she could. Pulling herself up, she gasped greedily for
392 air, holding the figure close as she made her way back to land. Her
393 heart was playing a staccato beat inside of her chest as she
394 struggled wet and weak along the sand. She finally collapsed with the
395 fallen person, her curiosity and anxiety nearly maddening. Rolling on
396 her side while she tried to catch her breath, she found herself
397 staring back into blue eyes.
399 Sitting up as quickly as she was able, Kairi found herself staring
400 at herself lying on the sand. “What?” The sight gave her no relief.
401 It only served to raise more questions, confusing her further. This
402 didn’t feel like a dream. But how? This didn’t make any sense. She
403 could only stare at herself for a long moment, waiting to see if the
404 other her would do anything. Where had it come from? Why was it her?
405 What was going on?
407 It took Kairi a bit before she noticed a difference in the other
408 her. There was something strange sticking out of her chest. Still on
409 her knees, she slowly reached toward the strange object. Her hand
410 jerked back when she saw the chest rise and fall. She finally worked
411 up the courage to reach out again, taking hold of what she now
412 realized was a handle. But for what? The girl that looked so much
413 like her didn’t seem to be stabbed or anything. But the handle still
414 seemed to lead to something.
416 “It will be okay, Kairi. I’ll always be with you. There’s nothing to
417 be afraid of. You just have to reach out and take my hand.”
419 Kairi looked up in shock at the familiar voice. She could see Riku
420 looking down at her, holding his hand out for her. “Riku... I...” She
421 reached forward, trying to take his hand, to pull him close. But his
422 hand was gone before she could grab hold of it. “Riku...” She looked
423 back down at herself, her other hand still on the protruding handle.
425 “Find them,” her other self whispered. “They need you. They can’t do
426 it alone.”
428 Kairi slowly found herself nodding. “We should be together. We need
429 each other.” She couldn’t just wait on her island forever. ‘This
430 time, I’ll protect both of you,’ she thought to herself. The her on
431 the sand smiled. Taking a firmer grip on the handle, Kairi pulled it
432 out of the other version of herself. In a storm of sparkles, the
433 other her was gone, and Kairi was holding a large key.
435 “Open the door,” a voice whispered in her head. Who was it? She
436 couldn’t quite tell. Looking up, she could see a lone door standing
437 on the beach, apparently leading to nowhere. It had a large keyhole
438 on it. It almost seemed to beckon her. Kairi slowly stood up. If she
439 stayed here, her friends might be in danger. She knew they could
440 handle anything if they were all together again. Sora and Riku were
441 both lost out there. Maybe she could find them. She would find them.
442 Wherever they were.
444 Stepping forward, the young princess used the large, unwieldy key to
445 unlock the door awaiting her. As the door slowly opened, she knew
446 there would be no turning back. This was it. But her choice was
447 simple. She had to find them. Anything could have happened to them
448 out there, lost on any one of countless worlds. Without a glance
449 back, Kairi plunged through the door.