rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Prism Hearts
rlm@0: Chapter 6
rlm@0: The Wanderer of Time
rlm@0: by Amazoness Duo
rlm@0: amazonessduo@hotmail.com
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi sat on the small bed in the room she had found herself in,
rlm@0: listening halfheartedly to the waves crashing outside the open
rlm@0: window. The large cloth drapes that hung in front of them to block
rlm@0: out the tropical sun swung lazily about in the breeze. It was
rlm@0: tranquil here, almost like the Destiny Islands. Her thoughts, on the
rlm@0: other hand, were anything but calm.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: So she could find Riku. If she could find the Door to the Light, she
rlm@0: could unlock it and save him. She and Sora were both looking for it,
rlm@0: so they might stumble upon each other along the way. But to unlock
rlm@0: the door, she had to seal off the Keyholes in the hearts of those who
rlm@0: were after her. It was a daunting task. Could she even do it? She had
rlm@0: barely sealed the Keyhole in Kefka’s heart before being controlled by
rlm@0: the Slave Crown. She shivered at the thought of having to do that
rlm@0: again. And again. Until all the Keyholes were sealed.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: But what choice did she have? Giving up would mean never seeing Riku
rlm@0: again. How could she give up on him? He would never have given up on
rlm@0: her. He tried till the very end to save her. Now it was her turn to
rlm@0: save him. She had to do her best to find him. No matter what the
rlm@0: challenges. Now if only she could find out where to go next.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi sighed, drawing her legs up underneath herself. It wasn’t just
rlm@0: one world she had to navigate, but many. All linked together by the
rlm@0: darkness. When Sora had sealed away the Heartless, the worlds had
rlm@0: been separated. It was the darkness that eroded the barriers between
rlm@0: the worlds. It seemed ironic that her chance to find her friends had
rlm@0: been granted by the return of the darkness. That the only way to
rlm@0: travel from world to world was to travel across the expanses of
rlm@0: shadow that each world gave off. Yet here she was, fighting against
rlm@0: the darkness yet using it to move about to do so. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: She paused in her thoughts for a moment. Was she really fighting
rlm@0: against the darkness? Yuffie was. She knew that. But what about
rlm@0: herself? All she wanted was to find Riku and Sora again. The rest was
rlm@0: all secondary to her.  She would save Riku even if she had to open
rlm@0: the Door to the Darkness. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Petting the kitten absentmindedly, she sighed. Some Keyblade
rlm@0: Mistress she made. But it was true. Her priority was to find her
rlm@0: friends, the boys who meant so much to her. That’s why she had
rlm@0: started this journey, after all, not to seal off the Heartless. She
rlm@0: could figure out what to do after she could throw herself into the
rlm@0: arms of the boys she loved. She winced at the thought. She couldn’t
rlm@0: even decide between them. Both of them were too important to her. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Frowning, Kairi scratched at the kitten’s chin. It looked back at
rlm@0: her with its strange green eyes. “At least you don’t care if I can’t
rlm@0: decide. What do you think I should do, Jessie?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The kitten looked back at the princess and meowed, it’s tail
rlm@0: swishing lightly back and forth. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi giggled and nodded. “Good idea. There’s nothing I can do yet.
rlm@0: So I’ll just keep looking for them for now. Everything else can wait.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The kitten stared at the girl for a moment. Meowing, it shook its
rlm@0: head. This was really getting frustrating. It meowed again,
rlm@0: insistently, but the princess’s thoughts were on other things at the
rlm@0: moment. She couldn’t understand anyway. Maybe Yuffie would, somehow.
rlm@0: There had to be some way to get across to these people. ‘Jessie’ lay
rlm@0: there for a moment, trying to think. Nothing was getting done this
rlm@0: way. It had to do something. Otherwise... The kitten shuddered. It
rlm@0: meowed louder, but that just got Kairi to pet further. Sighing
rlm@0: inwardly, the kitten stood up. Desperate times called for desperate
rlm@0: measures. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Owww!!” Kairi pulled back, holding her hand. Pain shot through one
rlm@0: of her fingers and for a moment she couldn’t tell what had happened.
rlm@0: It was just a sharp and immediate pain. The first thought that came
rlm@0: to mind was that she had pricked herself, that she would fall asleep
rlm@0: until her prince could come and awaken her with a kiss. She wouldn’t
rlm@0: be at all surprised with how strange things had been lately. But what
rlm@0: could she have pricked herself on?  Looking down at her hand, she saw
rlm@0: bright crimson welling up. It slowly began to clarify in her mind,
rlm@0: the mists lifting. She’d been bitten. “Jessie?” she said
rlm@0: questioningly, looking down at the odd kitten. It leapt off the bed,
rlm@0: scurrying out the door. What had gotten into her? With a mix of
rlm@0: anxiety and concern, Kairi chased after the kitten. “Jessie, wait!
rlm@0: You’ll get lost!” She had no idea what was out here or even where she
rlm@0: was. She didn’t want to lose her only constant companion. Even if it
rlm@0: had bitten her. Had something frightened Jessie? Or maybe... Maybe
rlm@0: she’d been trying to get her attention. But for what?
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Running through the small house, Kairi nearly ran into a woman in a
rlm@0: bandana. The woman caught her by the shoulders as she began to
rlm@0: stumble backwards. “Oh, you startled me. Are you all right? You must
rlm@0: have gotten the rest you needed. You’ve been sleeping for days.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi finally regained her balance. Recovering from her shock, a
rlm@0: hand over her heart, she nodded. “Yeah, I’m much better now. I just
rlm@0: woke up a little while ago.” ‘I think,’ she added to herself. ‘It’s
rlm@0: hard to tell where I am and when I’m awake anymore.’
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Good. When you and your friends washed up on shore, we were all
rlm@0: worried. Your friends woke up shortly, but you wouldn’t rise. You
rlm@0: needed someplace to stay, so I was glad to offer my son’s room.
rlm@0: You’ve been sleeping there ever since. I’ve been keeping an eye on
rlm@0: you. I didn’t know if you’d ever wake up. I’m glad that you did.”
rlm@0: Marge smiled softly, in her motherly way. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The look warmed Kairi’s heart, something about it very familiar.
rlm@0: ‘Mom,’ she thought, her heart starting to ache as dim memories
rlm@0: taunted her, flitting away as she tried to grasp them. ‘I miss you,
rlm@0: mom.’ Forcing herself back to the present before her memories, or
rlm@0: lack thereof, could drag her back down into despair, she smiled at
rlm@0: the woman. “Thank you for taking care of me, ma’am.” Her thanks were
rlm@0: heartfelt. It was so nice to know that someone had cared enough to
rlm@0: take care of her while she had been unconscious. “I’ll have to thank
rlm@0: your son, too, before I leave for letting me use his room.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Marge’s smile didn’t fade, but it did gain a sad quality to it. “My
rlm@0: son, Serge, died at sea ten years ago. That’s why I wanted to do all
rlm@0: I could for you. I couldn’t let another sweet young soul be taken by
rlm@0: the sea.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “I’m... I’m so sorry...” Kairi stammered, at a loss for words. After
rlm@0: this woman had helped her, had given her a place to stay, she felt
rlm@0: terrible at the helplessness that consumed her. She couldn’t repay
rlm@0: this woman in the least, had only been able to bring up an old wound.
rlm@0: Hadn’t Sora been able to help people as he travelled from world to
rlm@0: world? So far she seemed to cause trouble wherever she went. Like she
rlm@0: was some kind of cosmic jinx, a harbinger of horrible things to come.
rlm@0: Her arrival signified something terrible to come. At least it felt
rlm@0: like that.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The mother shook her head, dismissing Kairi’s apology. “It’s
rlm@0: nothing, dear. You didn’t know. And I’m sure he’d be happy to know
rlm@0: his room was getting some use. Perhaps his spirit is what pulled you
rlm@0: to shore.” She smiled at the thought. “Now run along before your
rlm@0: kitten gets into trouble. You wouldn’t want her picking a fight with
rlm@0: Poshul.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Yeah, you’re right,” Kairi said, snapping out of her bout of self-
rlm@0: pity. Giggling slightly, she nodded. “Can’t let her get too far
rlm@0: away.” She hurried to the door, turning to wave over her shoulder at
rlm@0: the doorway. “Thanks for everything, ma’am!” The woman smiled and
rlm@0: waved back as she dashed out the door. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ‘Mom was like that. Someone you could talk to. Someone who always
rlm@0: had a comforting thing to say. And her hands felt so nice when she’d
rlm@0: rub my back when I was crying, or when she’d wipe the tears from my
rlm@0: eyes. I fell asleep crying on her lap so often.’ Kairi shook her head
rlm@0: at the unbidden thoughts. They felt like her own, but they couldn’t
rlm@0: be real. She didn’t know her mother. She couldn’t remember anything
rlm@0: before showing up on the Destiny Islands. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ‘Just keep telling yourself that,’ she heard deep in her thoughts.
rlm@0: Her fists clenched as she walked through the small fishing village.
rlm@0: She couldn’t tell if it was good or not that she was getting these
rlm@0: thoughts of her mother. She certainly didn’t like the picture they
rlm@0: were painting of her. Some depressed, lonely, dependent girl. She
rlm@0: wasn’t like that at all. But at the same time, she had to admit that
rlm@0: she missed her mother terribly. At least Sora and Riku had parents on
rlm@0: the island. She had been an orphan, raised by the people living
rlm@0: there. But that wasn’t the same. The thought that she actually had a
rlm@0: mother, had known her, was both exciting and terrifying. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ‘What was your home like?’ Sora had asked.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ‘I don’t remember. I can’t remember anything before I got here,’ she
rlm@0: had answered.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ‘I want to go see it with you someday,’ he said.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: She had smiled at him. ‘I’d like that.’ 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: But now... She had wanted to find out who she was. She had wanted to
rlm@0: find out where her home was. But the closer she got to figuring that
rlm@0: out, the more she wondered if maybe she didn’t want the answers after
rlm@0: all. Maybe she had forgotten on purpose. She had been happy on the
rlm@0: Destiny Islands. Hadn't that been enough? But now, to regain that
rlm@0: happiness, to save her friends, she may have to open a Pandora’s Box
rlm@0: that could destroy that happiness forever. She didn’t know what she
rlm@0: was supposed to do.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Meow!” 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi blinked her eyes open quickly, spotting the insistent kitten.
rlm@0: It meowed at her again before scurrying off. “Wait! Jessie!” The
rlm@0: princess took off after the kitten. Whatever it was thinking, it sure
rlm@0: was insistent. At least the chase took her mind off of things.
rlm@0: Running out of the village, Kairi focussed on the kitten bounding
rlm@0: along in front of her.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “So how did you end up with that bossy little housewife?” Yuffie
rlm@0: asked, kicking some sand in front of herself. Relm was currently
rlm@0: hanging onto her, arms encircling the ninja’s waist. Yuffie had tried
rlm@0: valiantly to get Relm back, but it never lasted for more than a few
rlm@0: seconds. She’d finally gotten tired of fighting the artist off and
rlm@0: was currently just tolerating it. This didn’t mean she’d given up, of
rlm@0: course. Just that she didn’t feel like fighting at the moment. Yeah,
rlm@0: that was it.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Shut yer mouth.” Kid didn’t look amused. She was currently
rlm@0: searching the area for tiny lizards to make a necklace for the above
rlm@0: stated bossy housewife. It was more work than it should have been.
rlm@0: She was starting to think that it would be easier to just steal a
rlm@0: necklace. Or maybe Yuffie’s chatter was just scaring the Komodo
rlm@0: Dragons off. In either case, she needed to get another scale or two
rlm@0: to finish off that necklace or she’d be sleeping on the couch. Again.
rlm@0: Luckily, Leena's grandma had such bad eyesight that she actually
rlm@0: thought Kid was a boy. Not that Kid was happy with the idea, but
rlm@0: Leena said it was easier that way. And who was she to argue? 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Sighing, Kid shrugged. “It just kinda happened. I came back to my
rlm@0: homeworld ‘cause we’ve got a relic here called the Frozen Flame. I
rlm@0: came to El Nido looking for it. I figured if I could get my hands on
rlm@0: it, the Heartless wouldn’t be a problem anymore. Anyway, so I started
rlm@0: off lookin’ in Arni and I met up with Leena she wound up insistin’
rlm@0: that she go along. To keep me outta trouble. I argued, but that girl
rlm@0: has a way of getting her way. We looked all over for the blasted
rlm@0: thing, a few other people joining us along the way. Along with this
rlm@0: crazy harlequin. We finally tracked it down to the Sea of Eden where
rlm@0: it was locked away by Fate. We tried to bust in, but it wouldn’t
rlm@0: work. We were tryin’ to find another plan when we found out the
rlm@0: harlequin had gone missin’. Turned out she was working with the
rlm@0: Dragon Gods. She wound up summoning the six of them and they totaled
rlm@0: the place. We barely got outta there before it went up. Seems she was
rlm@0: usin’ us to distract Fate long enough for the Dragon Gods to get
rlm@0: together.” Kid sighed, lookin around in a hole for the smaller
rlm@0: dragons. “So no Frozen Flame after all. Otherwise we coulda stopped
rlm@0: the Heartless by now.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Yuffie laughed, shaking her head. “Don’t worry about the Heartless.
rlm@0: World saving should be left to the professionals. I’ll handle them. I
rlm@0: even have the Keyblade Mistress on my party, so we’re set.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “I know you’ll be able to stop them, Yuffie,” Relm added perkily,
rlm@0: her head snugly against Yuffie’s shoulder. “And I’ll follow wherever
rlm@0: you go.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kid grinned, raising an eyebrow. “You were sayin’ something about my
rlm@0: choice in girlfriends?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Oh, shut up.” Yuffie’s eyes narrowed. She was tempted to extricate
rlm@0: herself from the artist and wipe the smirk off of Kid’s face, but it
rlm@0: was much more trouble than it was worth.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Anyway, Leena and I kinda happened along the way. Can’t say when,
rlm@0: exactly. Except that we did spend a hell of a night at the Termina
rlm@0: inn.” The thief shook her head, dispersing pleasant memories. “It
rlm@0: just seemed before I knew it, she had me hooked. So now I’m stuck in
rlm@0: a tiny fishing village because she’s happiest there. I didn’t see
rlm@0: that comin’. Me in some little village on some island somewhere. But
rlm@0: it’s starting to be home. And it’s nice to finally have one.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Yuffie nodded thoughtfully. “I guess that makes sense. Yeah, I
rlm@0: didn’t imagine that either. I guess I never thought of you as
rlm@0: settling down. It’s gonna be hard to break the news to the rest of
rlm@0: the Radical Dreamers.” And it was strange for her to see the other
rlm@0: thief there, living such an ordinary life. But Kid seemed happier
rlm@0: than she’d ever seen her. Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. She shook
rlm@0: her head. Not too bad for Kid, maybe. But she wasn’t about to settle
rlm@0: down anytime soon. Nope, still too much to do. Nothing was going to
rlm@0: hold her down.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0:  “So how did you wind up with this cute little artist, Yuffie? I
rlm@0: thought you weren’t lookin’ for anybody,” Kid teased. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “I’m not with her...”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “I nursed her back to health and it was just Fate. We were meant to
rlm@0: be.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Yuffie and Relm both spoke at the same time, their sentences
rlm@0: tumbling together.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kid laughed, her hands on her hips. “Well, I’m sure glad I’m not the
rlm@0: only one ditching the Radical Dreamers for my girlfriend. It makes it
rlm@0: a hell of a lot easier that way.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “She’s not my girlfriend. She’s.. Oww!” Yuffie’s eyes went from
rlm@0: narrowed to widened in a split second. She looked down to an
rlm@0: innocently smiling Relm. Her stomach felt as if it had been pinched
rlm@0: rather harshly. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Oh, Kid, you’re embarrassing Yuffie!” Relm chided, still smiling.
rlm@0: If Yuffie wasn’t going to go along willingly, then she’d just have to
rlm@0: take matters into her own hands. Literally, if necessary. It was
rlm@0: Fate. It had to be. And she wasn’t going to let her ninja get away
rlm@0: just because she had a case of cold feet.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Alright, I’ll lay off for a bit, then.” Kid winked at the fuming
rlm@0: ninja. Something finally caught her eye, drawing away her attention
rlm@0: from the ‘lovebirds’. “Ah! There the little devil is.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi ran along the beach, staying away from the water. She had
rlm@0: enough water to last her a good long while. She had lost track of the
rlm@0: kitten, so she was relying on the little footprints in the sand. They
rlm@0: were leading further along the beach. She had to be around somewhere.
rlm@0: “There you are!” Kairi pulled to a stop near the tiny kitten,
rlm@0: catching her breath. “You shouldn’t have run away like that. You
rlm@0: don’t know if it’s safe here. You might have...” She trailed off,
rlm@0: that thought half finished. Kneeling in the sand, she looked down at
rlm@0: the kitten. It was hard at work pawing away some sand. Scrawled in
rlm@0: the sand, she could read ‘I’m Rik...’ from what the kitten had
rlm@0: already written. “Riku?” she asked, her heart caught in her chest.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The kitten’s ears perked up. It’s efforts to dig forgotten, it
rlm@0: turned around quickly, nodding excitedly. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “You’re Riku?” The ground underneath her seemed to drop away,
rlm@0: leaving her tumbling. “You’ve been here all this time? I... Riku!”
rlm@0: She lunged forward, holding onto the kitten as tightly as she could.
rlm@0: The surprised kittens claws pressed into her exposed flesh, but she
rlm@0: was too ecstatic to care about such trivial things. “I’ve been
rlm@0: looking for so long. I was scared I wouldn’t find you. But I wouldn’t
rlm@0: give up. I couldn’t. Not after all you did to save my heart.” A laugh
rlm@0: behind her made her whirl about, kitten still in her arms.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Izn’t zat adorable? You two make such a cute couple!” Sitting on a
rlm@0: rocky outcropping, a harlequin grinned at the scene before her. “But
rlm@0: it is improper for me to watch without an introduction from moi,
rlm@0: izn’t it? I am Harle.” Hopping down, she walked over to the princess,
rlm@0: bowing low. “And you, mon petit, are Kairi. It iz a pleasure to meet
rlm@0: you. You are prettier than ze oceans themselves.” Taking Kairi’s
rlm@0: hand, she kissed it, her hand lingering for a moment before pulling
rlm@0: away. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Who are you?” Kairi asked at last, completely confused by the
rlm@0: newcomer. But the voice did sound familiar... It finally clicked.
rlm@0: “You’re from my dream! Or was that a dream? You were there when I was
rlm@0: lying on the beach. And in bed. Both.” She shook her head. This was
rlm@0: getting even more confusing.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The harlequin laughed, nodding. “Exactement. I was watching over
rlm@0: you, yes. Someone has to. You aren’t doing such a good job of it
rlm@0: yourself. So I have appointed myself to keep an eye on Mademoiselle
rlm@0: Kairi.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi frowned, holding the kitten closer. The kitten watched the
rlm@0: harlequin cautiously. “Does everyone always have to talk in riddles?
rlm@0: I never get any straight answers.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “It iz much, much more fun speaking in riddles.” Harle laughed,
rlm@0: walking around the Keyblade Mistress. “Things are not as one
rlm@0: dimensional as you think. It is not about realitie and dreams. It iz
rlm@0: about your Fate. What iz real, what iz not, this does not matter.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Yes it does! If it’s not real, then why should I bother?!” Kairi
rlm@0: nearly screamed in frustration. If all of this was just some dream,
rlm@0: then why try at all? What good would it do if she would just wake up
rlm@0: sooner or later to find herself in that horrid room?
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The harlequin’s smile disappeared. She watched Kairi carefully for a
rlm@0: long moment. “Why do you live? Why do you die? Will you change ze
rlm@0: world? Or will you change yourself? These questions are more
rlm@0: important than ‘what is real or not’, no? What is realitie anyway but
rlm@0: what people tell you iz real. What you see, feel, hear, zat iz real.
rlm@0: You see, feel, and hear all zis. So it iz real. You see, feel, and
rlm@0: hear there. So zat iz real. It does not matter which iz more real. It
rlm@0: only matters how much you are willing to give, how much you are
rlm@0: willing to believe. What will you fight for, Kairi? Ziz realitie?
rlm@0: Your friends? Ze Light? Or Ze Darkness? Which will you have faith in?
rlm@0: Which will you side with in ze end?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi couldn’t answer. Her world felt like it was spinning. The
rlm@0: harlequin’s words tumbled through her head in a rush. She felt
rlm@0: compelled to make a decision, but she knew she had none yet. But it
rlm@0: was true. This was no less real than her ‘room’. And vice versa.
rlm@0: Which made it even more difficult to determine which was real. And,
rlm@0: like Harle had said, did it really matter? She couldn’t answer that.
rlm@0: Not yet. “I just want to get my friends back,” she answered after a
rlm@0: long pause.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “You are not ready yet to decide? It can wait for now. You should
rlm@0: think out your decision anyway, to make sure it’s what iz truly in
rlm@0: your heart. If you do not follow you’re heart, you are nothing more
rlm@0: than a lie.” Harle shrugged. Leaning forward, she scratched under the
rlm@0: kitten’s chin. “But if you want to return your friend to normal, you
rlm@0: only need ze Dragon’s Tear. It can bring back zeir normal form.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Pushing off her concerns for the moment, Kairi stepped forward. “It
rlm@0: can? Where is it?! I need it for Riku.” She had been happy just to
rlm@0: know he was close again. That he had been so close to her this whole
rlm@0: time, giving her strength. If he could actually be right next to her
rlm@0: again... She had to find it. She had to return Riku back to his old
rlm@0: self. And she would hug him so tightly and never ever let him go
rlm@0: again. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Ze thief has it. She stole it while we were in Viper Manor. It has
rlm@0: no value to her, though. She was merely searching for the Frozen
rlm@0: Flame. Perhaps she will let you use it, no?” The harlequin suggested.
rlm@0: “Though she can be quite nasty, so I wouldn’t trust her with it for
rlm@0: long.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “The thief?” Kairi asked, blinking. The only thief she knew of was
rlm@0: Yuffie. And she hadn’t seen Yuffie since she had awoken. Some noise
rlm@0: from behind caught her attention. She turned around just in time to
rlm@0: see three girls make their way onto the beach. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Kairi!” Yuffie called out, a note of relief in her voice. She had
rlm@0: started to worry that the Keyblade Mistress would never wake up.
rlm@0: Without her, there wasn’t much hope of stopping the Heartless. Of
rlm@0: course, she’d never let her worries show. She was the greatest ninja
rlm@0: ever, after all. It was bad form to let anyone know she was worried
rlm@0: about things.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “What the bloody hell is she doin’ here?” Kid, on the other hand,
rlm@0: didn’t like the scene before her at all. There was the princess, but
rlm@0: she was with Harle, a servant of the Dragon Gods. And the last she
rlm@0: had seen of Harle had been when the harlequin had destroyed their
rlm@0: only chance to retrieve the Frozen Flame. She unsheathed her knife.
rlm@0: “Get away from her, Kairi! She’s a bloody demon.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “So speaks ze dirty dog. I should have known I couldn’t expect a
rlm@0: warm reception from you. And I am not a demon.” Her eyes narrowed as
rlm@0: she strolled towards the thief, her hands on her hips.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Slave girl to the Dragon Gods, demon, I don’t see much of a
rlm@0: difference,” Kid shot back, still clutching her dagger. “You ain’t
rlm@0: getting rid of the Keyblade Mistress. You may have stopped us from
rlm@0: getting the Frozen Flame, but I ain’t about to let ya kill our last
rlm@0: hope.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Harle broke out into spiels of laughter. “You have got it all wrong.
rlm@0: I have come to give Mademoiselle Kairi my blessing. The blessing of
rlm@0: all the Dragon Gods. They have a vested interest in her journey,
rlm@0: after all.” Stepping back to Kairi, she leaned forward, kissing the
rlm@0: princess on both cheeks before letting her go. She giggled at the
rlm@0: startled look on Kairi’s face and the faint blush on her cheeks. “And
rlm@0: so cute, too! I will enjoy this job much more than my last.” Winking
rlm@0: at Kairi, she turned back to Kid. “And how dare you call me zis slave
rlm@0: girl! Bahamut is no one’s slave girl!”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Bahamut?” Yuffie asked, blinking. “What does the king of all
rlm@0: dragons have to do with this?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Another giggle before the harlequin curtsied greeted Yuffie’s
rlm@0: statement. “Because Bahamut is standing right before you. I am
rlm@0: Bahamut, ze Dragon God. It iz a pleazure to make your acquaintance.
rlm@0: At least one of you has some respect.” She gave Kid another dirty
rlm@0: look. “Zis iz merely my human form. I thought it would be easier to
rlm@0: travel around El Nido zis way. I am slightly more noticeable as a
rlm@0: dragon.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kid blinked in surprise. She suddenly had the thought that attacking
rlm@0: Harle would be a very affective form of suicide. She had thought the
rlm@0: jester was merely working for the Dragon Gods, not that she was the
rlm@0: head of them. “But.. why would you do all of this yourself? Why not
rlm@0: send someone else?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Harle shook her head, dismissing the thought. “If you want something
rlm@0: done, as they say, you must do it yourself. Besides, I could not let
rlm@0: you get a hold of the Frozen Flame. It is a splinter of Lavos, the
rlm@0: world devourer. It would only bring about more darkness, even if you
rlm@0: did use it to stop the Heartless. Ze universe has a delicate balance
rlm@0: that you humans are always so set on ruining.” She sighed, rolling
rlm@0: her eyes. “If it is not ze balance of man and nature, it iz zat
rlm@0: between light and dark. Will you never learn?” 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “I didn’t come here to get you preachin’ to me. You stopped us from
rlm@0: getting the Frozen Flame, isn’t that enough?” Kid was starting to get
rlm@0: irritated by all of this. As if it wasn’t bad that the harlequin had
rlm@0: ruined her chances to get a sacred relic, now she was back to taunt
rlm@0: her about things. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “On ze contrary, I am here to help.” Harle grinned at the look of
rlm@0: surprise on Kid’s face. “Sometimes you humans aren’t completely
rlm@0: worthless after all. And I have to admit I have a weakness for main
rlm@0: characters. They are just too sexzy.” She sighed, looking back to an
rlm@0: embarrassed Kairi. “And since that means Kairi, I will offer my
rlm@0: services to her.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Not that you’d take no for an answer, I’m guessing,” Yuffie said,
rlm@0: sighing. This was getting more and more complicated all the time. Why
rlm@0: wasn’t she happy about the Dragon God joining their party? Because
rlm@0: somehow she doubted that whatever they were after was the same thing.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Of course not! You catch on quickly. I’m getting to like you
rlm@0: already. Much better than ze other thief.” Harle smiled.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Relm squeezed her arms around Yuffie’s waist tighter, possessively.
rlm@0: “Yuffie’s already spoken for her.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Yuffie sweatdropped and was about to argue but stopped herself. Did
rlm@0: she really wanna be available around Harle? She decided to drop it
rlm@0: this time. Sighing in defeat, she could feel the younger artist still
rlm@0: pressed tightly against her side.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Laughing, Harle shook her head. “Don’t worry, she iz not my concern.
rlm@0: I’d much rather follow Mademoiselle Kairi. Perhaps I can change her
rlm@0: mind about finding those silly boys.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Looking up, Kairi turned to Kid. Harle’s words had reminded her of
rlm@0: something important. She hurried over, holding the kitten tightly to
rlm@0: her heart. “Kid, I need the Dragon’s Tear. It’s the only way I can
rlm@0: change Riku back to normal.” 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Rikku?” Yuffie asked curiously. “Change Rikku back? Back from what?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “The cat,” Kairi explained, holding the kitten up. It meowed, moving
rlm@0: slightly in her grasp. “It’s Riku. I just found out.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Yuffie stepped forward, looking at the kitten cautiously. She poked
rlm@0: and prodded it for a bit, taking a good look. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Aww... Give the poor kitten a break, Yuffie. She doesn’t need you
rlm@0: poking at her,” Relm protested. “I know Interceptor wouldn’t have
rlm@0: liked it. They’re just like people.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “This one is a person,” Yuffie said at last, not quite hearing Relm.
rlm@0: She gazed into the kitten’s eyes for a long moment, those green
rlm@0: swirls instantly recognizable. Suddenly it made a whole lot more
rlm@0: sense why the kitten hadn’t left her alone. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi nodded her agreement. “So we need the Dragon’s Tear to get rid
rlm@0: of this curse. Or whatever it is. I just want Riku back to normal.”
rlm@0: The thought that her quest could end there was so relieving. Well,
rlm@0: she would still have to find Sora, but with Riku helping her, she
rlm@0: knew they could find him sooner or later. And then everything would
rlm@0: be just fine again. She didn’t care about the Heartless. She just
rlm@0: wanted to be with her friends again. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “I don’t see why I ‘ave to give ya the Dragon’s Tear. I mean, it
rlm@0: doesn’t do anythin’ and I did steal it fair. Might even get a fair
rlm@0: price off of it on the mainland and buy a place for me an’ Leena,”
rlm@0: Kid was saying, not wanting to relinquish her precious treasure. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Oh, just give it to them, Kid. I don’t want to move into some place
rlm@0: you buy with dirty money anyway. I want you to get a real job,” a
rlm@0: redhead said, almost appearing out of nowhere. She walked over, her
rlm@0: hands on her hips, standing next to the thief. “I don’t care about
rlm@0: that anyway. I just want to know if you got the scales for my
rlm@0: necklace.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kid nodded quickly, holding up a bag. “Yep, got ‘em all here. An’
rlm@0: they’ll make a gorgeous necklace, Leena. You’ll look absolutely
rlm@0: darlin’ in them.” She smiled brightly, hoping she could still salvage
rlm@0: this situation. ‘Crap! She did say she’d meet me on the beach, didn’t
rlm@0: she? If I hadn’t been so sidetracked here by the damn clown...’
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Oh, Kid!” Leena hugged the thief tightly, her legs lifting into the
rlm@0: air as she did, nearly sending herself and Kid sprawling to the sand.
rlm@0: “I knew you’d get them for me.” Her feet finally landed back on the
rlm@0: sand, her arms around Kid’s shoulders. She kissed Kid softly on the
rlm@0: lips before stepping back, her hands still on Kid’s shoulders. She
rlm@0: smiled, pleased with her girlfriend. “Now give them the Dragon’s
rlm@0: Tear,” she reminded the blonde.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kid sighed inwardly and rifled through her satchel. There went all
rlm@0: the money she had been counting on the relic raking in. But if she
rlm@0: wanted Leena to stay in the good mood she was in, she might as well
rlm@0: hand it over. It wasn’t like she could say no to the bossy young
rlm@0: housewife-to-be anyway.On top of that, Yuffie was giving her a rather
rlm@0: intent stare. Apparently the ninja wanted her to hand it over as
rlm@0: well. “’Ere it is. Knock yourselves out.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Yuffie and Kairi both grabbed for it at the same time. Yuffie
rlm@0: finally took the thing after Kairi hesitated, setting it in the sand.
rlm@0: “Okay, now how does this thing work anyway?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi was busy petting the kitten, holding it close. “Poor Riku.
rlm@0: Don’t worry. We’ll have you back to normal in just a moment. I
rlm@0: promise.” She kissed the kitten’s forehead. Riku had done so much for
rlm@0: her. Now she could finally repay him. She’d lost her heart and he had
rlm@0: tried his hardest to save it. Now she could help him regain his body.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Just let the kitten gaze into ze Dragon’s Tear. I would say to take
rlm@0: it to Fort Dragonia, but zat is largely ceremonial. Gazing into it
rlm@0: should be enough. Ze Dragon’s Tear will help wash away your friend’s
rlm@0: new body, returning it to itz original form.  
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “We can have it back when yer done, right?” Kid asked curiously.
rlm@0: Leena sighed next to her, crossing her arms. “Not that it’s important
rlm@0: or anythin’.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “I don’t care what you do with it after Riku’s back.” Kairi finally
rlm@0: set the kitten down on the sand, stepping back. She wished there was
rlm@0: more she could do, but for now all she could do was watch. This was
rlm@0: like when Sora had been turned into a Heartless. She had helped him
rlm@0: find himself. She could only pray she could do the same for Riku. He
rlm@0: was a cute kitten, granted, but she wanted him back to his old self. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Whatever. Like Rikku hasn’t been stuck like this long enough. Not
rlm@0: that I can’t imagine who’s fault that could be,” Yuffie said
rlm@0: sarcastically. Kneeling, her hands on her knees, she stared at the
rlm@0: kitten with an eyebrow raised. The kitten looked back up at her
rlm@0: sheepishly. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The kitten turned on the sand, looking at the glowing blue crystal
rlm@0: before it. It had an inner light like a sun underneath the ocean, a
rlm@0: brilliant blue that seemed to sparkle. The kitten took another step
rlm@0: forward, staring into the Dragon’s Tear. The world almost seemed to
rlm@0: blur, as if it had been looking at it for too long. The kitten
rlm@0: blinked, but the world still felt distorted. The Dragon’s Tear was
rlm@0: glowing brighter now. Then it happened. It started staring right back
rlm@0: at the kitten. The kitten yelped in surprise, but it was too late. It
rlm@0: was already caught in the relic’s gaze. The world rippled as if a
rlm@0: rain drop had fallen upon a puddle, distorting and pulsing out away
rlm@0: from the kitten. And then it was over.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The catgirl lay there in the sand, slowly regaining consciousness.
rlm@0: She was naked except for the sandy blonde fur that covered her body.
rlm@0: She slowly got to her knees, her paws pushing against the sand. Her
rlm@0: head was still swimming from the reality altering abilities of the
rlm@0: Dragon’s Tear. “Owww...” she winced, rubbing at her temples. Being
rlm@0: reborn was an experience she never wanted to go through again. For a
rlm@0: third time? She didn’t want to think about it.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “What the hell did it do to Riku?!?” Kairi asked, very nearly ready
rlm@0: to faint. She had been expecting to see him returned to his cute,
rlm@0: silver haired self. What she saw was a cross between a human and a
rlm@0: cat. And a girl at that. If this was her Riku, something had gone
rlm@0: pretty freakishly wrong with the Dragon’s Tear.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Yeah, why is she still part cat? I thought you said that thing was
rlm@0: supposed to fix her,” Yuffie said angrily. Kneeling down, she helped
rlm@0: the catgirl back to her feet. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “I will answer both of your questions as best as I am able.” Harle
rlm@0: bowed low before continuing. “You see, Mademoiselle Kairi, zis iz
rlm@0: indeed Rikku. But not your Rikku. She is a member of ze Radical
rlm@0: Dreamers. Am I right?” She looked up, raising an eyebrow
rlm@0: questioningly at Yuffie and Kid.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Yeah, it’s Rikku, all right. I’d recognize those eyes anywhere. She
rlm@0: disappeared a while back when we showed up in Traverse Town. We
rlm@0: didn’t know what happened to her,” Yuffie explained, holding the
rlm@0: dazed catgirl even as Relm held sole possession of her other arm. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Yuffie!” Rikku shouted happily, coming back to her sense. She
rlm@0: grasped onto Yuffie from her other side, effectively squishing the
rlm@0: poor ninja between over-enthusiastic catgirl and love-starved artist.
rlm@0: “I was waiting for you to figure out it was me! What took you so
rlm@0: long?! I kept trying to get your attention, but you wouldn’t listen
rlm@0: to me!” the catgirl whined.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “I had other things on my mind. How was I supposed to know that the
rlm@0: goofy little cat was you?” Yuffie asked defensively. “Besides, we
rlm@0: found out it was you. That’s what matters. And you’re back to normal.
rlm@0: Kinda.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Yuffie! You didn’t tell me you already had a girlfriend...” Relm
rlm@0: was devastated. Yuffie was supposed to be her ninja, the girl she had
rlm@0: nursed back to health, who she would marry and spend the rest of her
rlm@0: life with. And now she found this other girl that Yuffie had known
rlm@0: longer who had absolutely no problem holding onto the ninja just as
rlm@0: unabashedly as she was. How could Yuffie do that to her? She'd looked
rlm@0: through all of Yuffie’s things when she had stripped her unconscious
rlm@0: form and placed some heavy blankets on her back at the cabin in
rlm@0: Narshe. She hadn’t seen anything indicating another woman in her
rlm@0: life. It was supposed to be Fate!
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “She’s not my girlfriend!” Yuffie said quickly. She would have
rlm@0: shaken her hands to emphasize the point, but her hands were currently
rlm@0: pinned to her sides by the two girls on either side of her. She
rlm@0: sighed inwardly. That was really beginning to sound like her catch
rlm@0: phrase. Fate had decided to play some cosmic prank on her. She could
rlm@0: just hear the Goddess of Fate laughing at this turn of events. “This
rlm@0: is Rikku. She’s my little sister.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Yeah, and big sisters are supposed to look out for their little
rlm@0: sisters and not let them get changed into cats!” Rikku stuck her
rlm@0: scratchy tongue out at the older thief, her tail moving about in
rlm@0: frustration. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Ohhhh...” Relm sighed in relief. “I’m sorry I doubted you, honey.”
rlm@0: Holding onto Yuffie’s arm tighter, the blonde artist leaned into
rlm@0: Yuffie’s side.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Don’t call me that!”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Meanwhile, Kairi was still watching Harle intently. “So that wasn’t
rlm@0: my Riku, after all?” The harlequin nodded. She sighed, closing her
rlm@0: eyes. So close and yet so far. Another false lead. Once again, Riku
rlm@0: had been snatched out of her grasp. When she found him, she’d chain
rlm@0: him up and throw away the key so he’d never get taken away again. She
rlm@0: nodded resolutely. She had to get him back. Soon. ‘I’ll always be
rlm@0: thinking of you, wherever you are,’ she thought, hoping it would
rlm@0: reach him.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “The reazon she did not turn back completely was because zis iz only
rlm@0: ze Tear of Hate. Ze Dragon’s Tear exists in two worlds. In one world,
rlm@0: it iz ze Tear of Hate. In ze other world, it iz ze Tear of Love. When
rlm@0: they are brought together, ze Dragon’s Tear is complete. Since it was
rlm@0: only ze Tear of Hate, it couldn’t completely restore her,” Harle
rlm@0: explained. She tried with all of her might not to smile. She found
rlm@0: this whole situation amusing. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “You mean I’m stuck like this?!” Rikku asked, mortified. She mewled
rlm@0: sadly and quickly stopped herself. She wasn’t a cat. She wasn’t. No
rlm@0: matter how much she looked like one. She sniffled, pawing at her
rlm@0: eyes. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “For ze time being. Unless you want to go look for ze Tear of Love.
rlm@0: But we don’t have ze time for that. We have to reach ze Door of Light
rlm@0: while we still have time.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Yuffie sighed, hugging Rikku with her free arm. “We’ll get you back
rlm@0: to normal when this is all over. I promise.” The catgirl looked up at
rlm@0: her, her swirling green eyes misty with tears. “Besides, this isn’t
rlm@0: so bad, is it? I mean, you make a cute catgirl, at least, right?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Rikku smiled slowly, looking up at the older ninja. “You really
rlm@0: think so, Yuffie?” Her tail was swishing through the air much more
rlm@0: happily now. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Where was Interceptor when she needed him? Her pet dog could keep
rlm@0: the catgirl a little away from her love. Relm just held tighter onto
rlm@0: her ninja girl. The last thing she needed at the moment was someone
rlm@0: else distracting Yuffie from their destiny together. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “How did you end up like that anyway, Rikku?” Yuffie asked, still
rlm@0: shocked that the kitten they’d been dragging around had been her
rlm@0: sister the whole time. Rikku mumbled something into her blouse.
rlm@0: “What? I couldn’t hear you.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Rikku bit her lip and pulled her face back from Yuffie’s blouse. She
rlm@0: didn’t want to say it again. She was too embarrassed. “... I wound up
rlm@0: stealing some things from some mage’s hotel room. But they got back
rlm@0: before I could get out of there. She was really mad and she cast a
rlm@0: spell on me. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor with
rlm@0: everything around me. She grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and
rlm@0: tossed me into the alley out back.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kid nodded thoughtfully. “So that’s where ya went. We went lookin’
rlm@0: all over for ya. Yuffie was startin’ to think ya got swallowed up by
rlm@0: the Heartless or somethin’.” 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Rikku’s eyes sparkled. “You were worried about me? Oh, Yuffie! I
rlm@0: knew you’d come looking for me!” She nearly pounced on the brunette.
rlm@0: At such close range, it almost sent all three girls sprawling. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kid laughed. “Don’t listen to Yuffie’s lessons on stealin’ things
rlm@0: anymore. You’ve seen what trouble that can get ya into. It obviously
rlm@0: wasn’t good enough to get away from that mage.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Will you stay out of this? My lessons are just fine, thanks. I’ll
rlm@0: teach my little sister the way I want to. You teach your kids, all
rlm@0: twenty of them, the way you want to,” Yuffie shot at the blonde.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “I ain’t havin’ twenty kids.” Kid crossed her arms.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Yeah, I was thinking more around six,” Leena said thoughtfully. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Six?!” Kid’s eyes widened. Leena had a wistful look on her face.
rlm@0: “I’m gonna be runnin’ a bloody orphanage just like Lucca.” She placed
rlm@0: her hands behind her head, looking up at the cobalt blue sky. Well,
rlm@0: that wouldn’t be so bad. She was sure Lucca would be happy about it.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “So.. I have to keep looking for him. Wherever he is.” Kairi nodded,
rlm@0: trying to work up her resolve. This time she had failed. But she’d
rlm@0: keep trying. Just like he did. And eventually, she would find him.
rlm@0: And it would be the real him. And she would hold onto him until the
rlm@0: sun fell from the heavens.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Just remember. Ze closer you get to ze light, ze greater your
rlm@0: shadow becomes. You are going to ze source of all light. Be very
rlm@0: careful, Mademoiselle Kairi, or you will be blinded. And your shadow
rlm@0: will be too much for you to handle,” Harle warned. She turned from
rlm@0: the group, looking out toward the ocean. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi took a step towards the harlequin. There was so much more she
rlm@0: wanted to know. And this girl, this Dragon God, seemed to have the
rlm@0: answers. Or some of them, at least. So intent was she on Harle, on
rlm@0: her still unformed questions, that it wasn’t until the water was past
rlm@0: her ankles that she took notice. Looking out to sea, she could see
rlm@0: the rough, turbulent waters. The dark, angry waves that were rushing
rlm@0: faster and faster towards them, reaching out like giant claws. She
rlm@0: thought she screamed, but it could have been merely the crash of the
rlm@0: waves. And then the sea snatched them away.