rlm@0: Prism Hearts 
rlm@0: Chapter 3
rlm@0: Radical Dreamers
rlm@0: by Amazoness Duo
rlm@0: amazonessduo@hotmail.com
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: A bundle of clothes got tossed at Kairi shortly after she entered
rlm@0: the dressing room of the band of part time entertainers and full time
rlm@0: thieves, the Radical Dreamers. She stumbled back as the rather large
rlm@0: dress threw her off balance. She held it out, watching it unfurl
rlm@0: before her. The dress was made of enough cloth to make six of the
rlm@0: outfits Kairi was wearing. She looked at it with a bit of
rlm@0: trepidation. “I’m supposed to wear this?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Of course! You’re playing the princess. You have to look regal and
rlm@0: courtly,” Yuffie explained, opening a chest to get a few more props. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Glancing back at the dress skeptically, Kairi shook her head. “Isn’t
rlm@0: it a little... big?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Yuffie looked back over her shoulder. “No. You’re just not used to
rlm@0: wearing anything like that. You get used to it. If you’re gonna be
rlm@0: playing a princess, you have to look the part. Trust me. I’ve had to
rlm@0: play the princess now and then myself.” It looked like her words
rlm@0: helped soothe some of Kairi’s concern, though truth be told, she
rlm@0: hated playing the part of the princess. She preferred the prince’s
rlm@0: outfit to that nightmarish gown any day. Sure, it looked pretty
rlm@0: enough, but Yuffie was used to actually being able to move her limbs.
rlm@0: She and Zidane had been set to flip for who was going to be the
rlm@0: princess in the day’s play if Kairi hadn’t shown up, so she was more
rlm@0: than a little grateful at the younger girl’s arrival. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “But I don’t know any of my lines!” Kairi said nervously, watching
rlm@0: Yuffie pull out some prop swords. She suddenly realized the big
rlm@0: difference between playing pretend and doing a play. You didn’t have
rlm@0: to know what you were doing when you were playing pretend. She felt
rlm@0: nervous, butterflies swirling about in her stomach as she held onto
rlm@0: the large dress.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “What lines? We’re doing ‘Sleeping Beauty’. You lie there for most
rlm@0: of the play. You’re lucky we’re not doing ‘I Want to be Your Canary’.
rlm@0: The princess in that has most of the best lines,” Yuffie explained,
rlm@0: taking a few experimental swipes with the blade. She’d give that one
rlm@0: to Locke. She preferred a shorter sword herself. Even if it wasn’t
rlm@0: her weapon of choice, it did have a nice stage presence. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Sleeping Beauty?” Kairi repeated, blinking.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Yep. Everyone needs a story that ends with a ‘and they lived
rlm@0: happily ever after’ now and then. Especially with how things have
rlm@0: been lately. Which is exactly why we aren’t doing ‘I Want to be Your
rlm@0: Canary’. The ending isn’t the happiest, if you know what I mean.” The
rlm@0: brunette ninja glanced back over her shoulder at the recently dubbed
rlm@0: Keyblade Mistress. “Why? You don’t like ‘Sleeping Beauty’?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi shook her head quickly. “No, I love it! It’s one of my
rlm@0: favorites!” She could vaguely remember lying on her bed in her room,
rlm@0: resting on her stomach with her chin in her hands, the lights off and
rlm@0: a video playing. She could remember reciting the lines as the prince
rlm@0: said them, as he made his way to Sleeping Beauty. Could remember her
rlm@0: eyes tearing up, thinking ‘I want my happily ever after’. But that
rlm@0: couldn’t be real. Sleeping Beauty was Princess Aurora. And she had
rlm@0: met her at Hollow Bastion. She was one of the seven Princesses. So
rlm@0: she couldn’t be some movie she had seen. Kairi tried to dismiss the
rlm@0: thought. It wasn’t true. This was all real. That other place, that
rlm@0: home was only an illusion. It had to be.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “You better get changed. We don’t have much time. The people are
rlm@0: probably already taking their seats.” Yuffie stood up, holding the
rlm@0: pile of swords and belts. “As long as you don’t open your eyes when
rlm@0: your supposed to be sleeping, you’ll do fine.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi didn’t feel much better even with the ninja’s ‘helpful’
rlm@0: advice. She turned to ask where to change, but Yuffie had already
rlm@0: left. ‘Just think of it as another part of finding Riku and Sora. The
rlm@0: sooner you get this over with, the sooner you can get back to finding
rlm@0: them.’ Sighing, she began to take off her clothes, setting them on
rlm@0: the chest Yuffie had retrieved some props from just a short time
rlm@0: before. Setting her skirt down, she looked back at the dress. Just
rlm@0: how was she supposed to get that thing on, anyway? It still looked
rlm@0: too big for her. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Before Kairi could figure it out, the door swung open again. “Are
rlm@0: you coming or not?” 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi dropped to her knees, covering herself as best she could, clad
rlm@0: only in her undergarments. Her cheeks burned as Yuffie simply blinked
rlm@0: at her for a moment. “Yuffie!” she cried. The ninja finally looked
rlm@0: away, busying herself with something she apparently saw on the roof.
rlm@0: She felt like she was going to die. This had never happened before on
rlm@0: her island. The boys were always polite enough to knock first. She
rlm@0: wanted to grab her clothes, get dressed, and leave. But she knew she
rlm@0: couldn’t do that. She still had a play to do.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “You were supposed to follow me, Kairi,” Yuffie said, still staring
rlm@0: up at the roof. “But.. umm.. If you wanna change in here, that’s
rlm@0: fine.” She closed the door swiftly. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Her head slumping in embarrassment, Kairi sighed. So that’s why
rlm@0: Yuffie had left. She was supposed to go with her. This probably
rlm@0: wasn’t the dressing room after all. But she was so worked up about
rlm@0: everything that she hadn’t been paying attention. Grabbing the dress,
rlm@0: she tried to get dressed as quickly as she could. When she was
rlm@0: finally finished, she felt a little awkward. It was a little too big
rlm@0: for her after all, but it didn’t seem too noticeable. But she still
rlm@0: wasn’t used to such an extravagant outfit. She turned, trying to get
rlm@0: used to the way it swished about her as she moved.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “You look like a real princess, Kairi,” a voice said warmly from
rlm@0: somewhere behind her. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The brunette whirled about, her eyes wide as she came face to face
rlm@0: with Riku. He was grinning, a hand on one hip. “Riku!” She was
rlm@0: breathless. It had been so long since she had seen him. Tears burnt
rlm@0: at her eyes. She had waited to see him again for so long. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “But then, you really are a princess, so it shouldn’t be any big
rlm@0: surprise,” the silver haired boy reasoned. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi ran to him, nearly stumbling in the large dress. But she
rlm@0: didn’t care. She just wanted to be near him again. To know that she
rlm@0: wasn’t alone anymore. To know that he was really there. To hold on
rlm@0: and forget all about other worlds and what was real or not. She could
rlm@0: see him so close, smiling at her. Her arms tried desperately to hold
rlm@0: onto him, but she passed straight through, stumbling to her hands and
rlm@0: knees behind him. Her heart plummeted as she sat there, lacking the
rlm@0: strength to even get back up. She hit the floor angrily with her
rlm@0: fist, her vision blurring with tears. “Every time I see you...” she
rlm@0: began weakly, “you aren’t really there. Riku... Please don’t leave
rlm@0: me.” But there was no answer. He was gone, as suddenly as the wind.
rlm@0: She closed her eyes tightly, her small body shaking with bitter sobs.
rlm@0: He was always right there. But he was always a universe away. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: A knock at the door punched through Kairi’s shroud of depression.
rlm@0: “We’ve gotta hurry, princess! You’re on in less than a minute!”
rlm@0: Yuffie called out.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Slowly getting to her feet, Kairi sniffled, her body still shaking
rlm@0: lightly. She wiped at her eyes with the sleeves of the gown.
rlm@0: “Coming!” she called out, hoping Yuffie didn’t hear the tremble in
rlm@0: her voice. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, trying to stifle
rlm@0: the tears that were still unshed. “I’ll find you Riku. Wherever you
rlm@0: are,” she whispered. Holding onto some semblance of being fine, Kairi
rlm@0: hurried out the door. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Yuffie waited, leaning against the wall. She smiled when Kairi
rlm@0: exited. “See? You do make a good princess.” She stretched, the sword
rlm@0: in her belt hitting the wall. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi blinked in surprise, unable to keep from staring at the ninja
rlm@0: girl. “You’re the prince?” 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Yep.” Yuffie turned around, holding onto the cuffs of the prince’s
rlm@0: jacket. “What do you think? We take turns with a lot of the parts. It
rlm@0: helps keep us all on our toes. Though I have to admit, I much prefer
rlm@0: being the prince to the princess. No offense. It’s just not my
rlm@0: style.” 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “I.. uhh.. it’s different,” Kairi said, smiling nervously. This
rlm@0: hadn’t been what she had expected. She thought maybe the catboy would
rlm@0: be the prince. His outfit looked regal enough. Or maybe the man with
rlm@0: the bandana. But she certainly hadn’t been expecting Yuffie. But with
rlm@0: how upside down things had been, she should have seen it coming.
rlm@0: “Curiouser and curiouser,” she said to no one in particular. When
rlm@0: Yuffie looked at her oddly, she just laughed. “Nothing. Let’s go.”
rlm@0: She held out her arm to Ninja Prince Yuffie, who obligingly took it
rlm@0: and led her off to the stage. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “So she has the Keyblade. I don’t see how that affects anything. The
rlm@0: other was unable to lock away the Heartless even with his Keyblade. I
rlm@0: doubt she will be any more successful,” an effeminate man said,
rlm@0: brushing his hair back over his shoulder.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “It is a cycle. One we must break. There will always be those
rlm@0: searching for ways to stop the darkness. But it is an inevitable
rlm@0: cycle of loss and suffering. When will they learn to simply succumb
rlm@0: to it? One cannot triumph over darkness. One can only start the cycle
rlm@0: over again. But if darkness reigns, then the cycle can end. Only then
rlm@0: can their be piece,” an oddly tranquil voice added. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Because they refuse to see the futility of their efforts. Despite
rlm@0: what is taken from them, they continue to march onward, believing
rlm@0: that what they do is ‘right’. Perhaps if they truly understood what
rlm@0: they stand to lose, they would not be so willing. That boy, Riku, he
rlm@0: understood. He was willing to side with darkness to get back what he
rlm@0: had lost, the heart of that girl. Sometimes extreme measures must be
rlm@0: taken. Who is worthy of deeming what is ‘good’ and ‘evil’. Such a
rlm@0: fine line exists. It is merely how far you are willing to go. That
rlm@0: boy showed that he was willing to go further than his friend for the
rlm@0: girl. Even to the heart of darkness. Perhaps we can use that,” a
rlm@0: woman mused.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “What can one little girl possibly hope to achieve? I’ll end her
rlm@0: little nightmare now and send her to a place of eternal nothingness,
rlm@0: a shrine she can spend eternity enjoying. Oh, I’ll be the most
rlm@0: wonderful court artisan she has ever seen, making for her a palace of
rlm@0: emptiness.” The man punctuated his statement with a maddening laugh.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: At last, a silver haired man spoke. “No. Not yet. She has further
rlm@0: she must go. She may yet prove her usefulness to us. Her importance
rlm@0: goes far past being one of the seven princesses. She is the final
rlm@0: piece to this puzzle. She is the key to it all.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “But, Sephiroth, don’t you think it much wiser to get rid of her
rlm@0: before she can cause any trouble?” the woman asked.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “No. She is at the heart of all of this. She isn’t our enemy. She is
rlm@0: more important to our success than any of you know.” With that,
rlm@0: Sephiroth turned away from the others. He had business to attend to. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ‘Dear diary,
rlm@0: I’m starting to get worried. Tidus and Wakka found a hole today on
rlm@0: the island. Not just some deep hole in the ground or anything. An
rlm@0: endless hole. Like it leads to nowhere. Like someone took some
rlm@0: scissors and cut out that part of our island. Wakka dropped his beach
rlm@0: ball down in there and we all waited around for a sound of it hitting
rlm@0: anything at all, but nothing happened. It was like it was just gone.
rlm@0: It’s scary. I shudder just thinking about it, and I’m under a nice
rlm@0: heavy blanket right now. Weird, huh? I usually hate blankets because
rlm@0: they’re too stuffy. But it’s been so cold and windy and rainy outside
rlm@0: that mom brought them out again. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The only good thing I can see from all of this is that cold and
rlm@0: rainy is perfect snuggling weather. So I need to head over to
rlm@0: Quisty’s house soon. Maybe we can snuggle up under her covers and
rlm@0: just forget that there’s any scary hole or that Kairi’s missing or
rlm@0: that the weathers getting worse. That’s easy to do in Quisty’s arms
rlm@0: anyway. It feels so warm and safe when I’m with her, like I know
rlm@0: everything’s all right. Even her worrying doesn’t seem to matter. It
rlm@0: just makes me wanna try harder to take away all her worries. It’s
rlm@0: almost like a game. To try to make her smile when something’s on her
rlm@0: mind.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: I didn’t realize how good a study Quisty really was. She can quote
rlm@0: me before I even say anything, like she knows what I’m gonna say
rlm@0: before I say it. I thought it was so cool when she did that! It lets
rlm@0: me know that she’s paying more attention to me than to those silly
rlm@0: books of hers. She said it’s because she knows me really well, so she
rlm@0: knows what I’m thinking a lot of the time. It’s nice to know someone
rlm@0: does because sometimes I don’t even know what I’m thinking about.
rlm@0: There are so many things to think about! It’s hard to sort them all
rlm@0: out sometimes. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Oh, on a really sad note, I think they’re gonna cancel the Destiny
rlm@0: Islands Festival! Please say it isn’t so! I always love the festival.
rlm@0: And Quisty and I were gonna dance under the stars, too! I had the
rlm@0: dress I was gonna wear all picked out and everything. But the adults
rlm@0: are all saying that the weather’s bad and that too much has been
rlm@0: going on lately so we shouldn’t have one. But that’s exactly why we
rlm@0: should have one! To cheer everyone up! That way everyone can have
rlm@0: something to enjoy, to let them relax. Well, if they adults aren’t
rlm@0: gonna throw the Island Festival, then maybe we can throw one
rlm@0: ourselves. Yeah, I’m sure Tidus and Wakka would help. If I can drag
rlm@0: them from that underwater ballgame they made up. And maybe Quisty
rlm@0: will help, too. We can make our own little festival! We’ll still
rlm@0: dance under the stars, Quisty! It’s my promise to you! Booyaka!
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Love,
rlm@0: Selphie Tilmitt’
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Surprisingly, Kairi found herself able to quote nearly all of her
rlm@0: lines, seeing the scenes unfold before her as she did. Even the
rlm@0: Radical Dreamers seemed impressed, not having expected much from
rlm@0: their stand in. She was a little shocked, but overall proud of
rlm@0: herself, glad to actually contribute to the play rather than just
rlm@0: being another prop. And so she was slightly disappointed when it
rlm@0: finally came time for her to fall into her endless sleep. But even
rlm@0: lying there, she could follow along with the rest of the play, her
rlm@0: mind supplying the lines even as the other performers were saying
rlm@0: them. Kid actually did a good job of getting rid of her accent when
rlm@0: she was performing, giving Kairi trouble following exactly who was
rlm@0: saying what at times. Nonetheless, the play had overall been a fun
rlm@0: experience so far. She almost wished she could go along with the
rlm@0: Radical Dreamers. The thought of performing with them, travelling to
rlm@0: all sorts of different worlds, seeing so many new things, it was all
rlm@0: very appealing to her. But she couldn’t let that tempt her. She had
rlm@0: to find Riku and Sora. Then she would tell them all about her short
rlm@0: stint on stage.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Despite feeling rather good natured about things, Kairi found
rlm@0: herself getting more and more nervous as the play began to near its
rlm@0: end. She knew far too well what happened at the end of Sleeping
rlm@0: Beauty. This would be her first kiss, even if it was just a stage
rlm@0: kiss. And the thought of it being with Yuffie had her worried. She
rlm@0: still didn’t even know who she wanted her first kiss to be with, Riku
rlm@0: or Sora. But it didn’t look like she’d have to worry about that for
rlm@0: much longer. She almost wanted to rush off the stage, but she lay
rlm@0: there paralyzed, almost as if she really was under some spell. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Yuffie did make a good prince, at the very least. So if she let
rlm@0: herself pretend this really was Sleeping Beauty, that she really was
rlm@0: the princess, then it wasn’t too bad. It was only when she remembered
rlm@0: that she was Kairi that she got all nervous about it. She was nearly
rlm@0: counting down the lines as it neared the play’s climax. Locke was
rlm@0: playing Maleficent, which helped the stand in actress disassociate it
rlm@0: with the Maleficent who had used her along with the other seven
rlm@0: princesses to open the final keyhole. If just the thought of the
rlm@0: sorceress didn’t make her want to shudder, the thought of Locke
rlm@0: playing her would almost be funny. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: And then it was time. Her hands held on her chest squeezed
rlm@0: themselves tighter. She could hear Yuffie’s final exclamation as her
rlm@0: ‘prince’ got ready for their kiss. She could feel the butterflies
rlm@0: returning with a vengeance, tickling the inside of her stomach as she
rlm@0: lay there, eyes shut tightly. What should she do? She couldn’t ruin
rlm@0: the whole play, right? And it was just a stage kiss. But.. but...
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The ninja’s lips pressed warmly against her own delicate lips, both
rlm@0: soft and firm at the same time. The young princess blushed furiously
rlm@0: as she felt herself get pulled into a sitting position, Yuffie’s arms
rlm@0: around her. The crowd burst into applause. When Yuffie finally pulled
rlm@0: away, Kairi could only sit and stare, stunned. Wow... Kissing wasn’t
rlm@0: such a bad thing after all. She was already having thoughts of trying
rlm@0: it again with Sora or Riku when she finally found them. She blushed
rlm@0: when she looked up at Yuffie, the other girl looking down at her with
rlm@0: all the princely concern in the world. She really was a good actress.
rlm@0: Kairi had almost forgotten that it was just a play. She smiled up at
rlm@0: the ninja, trying her best to look love struck by her prince. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The rest of the play was a blur for Kairi, her mind on other things.
rlm@0: There wasn’t much to say during the play’s closing segments anyway,
rlm@0: so it didn’t matter too much that she was daydreaming throughout it.
rlm@0: She finally found herself backstage, though this time she remembered
rlm@0: to get to the dressing room before changing. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Her kitten was still waiting for her, having wandered about
rlm@0: backstage for a while. It seemed to know the layout rather well. “I
rlm@0: guess you have a good sense of direction, don’t you, kitty?” Kairi
rlm@0: laid the dress down, glad to be back in her own clothes again.
rlm@0: Kneeling down, she  scratched behind the kitten’s ears. “I really
rlm@0: need to come up with a name for you. Hmm... Boco sounds better for
rlm@0: Chocobos. And Mog for Moogles. What are good cat names? You don’t
rlm@0: look like a Duchess. But you do have a lot of energy. And you are
rlm@0: kinda bouncy. So how about Tigger?” The kitten lowered its head. It
rlm@0: didn’t seem to like the idea. “Shadow? But that’s not really a girl
rlm@0: cat’s name.” Her face lit up. “Jessie! I’ll name you Jessie.” The
rlm@0: kitten seemed a little surprised by the name, but didn’t otherwise
rlm@0: complain. “Good.” Kairi hugged the kitten. “Jessie it is.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “You did a good job there,” Kid said, reverting back to her accent
rlm@0: now that she was out of costume. “Didn’t really think you had it in
rlm@0: you. If you ever need a place to stay, we’d be glad to have ya.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Really?” Kairi grinned. “Thanks! It was a lot of fun. I’d love to
rlm@0: again sometime. If I didn’t have something really important to do
rlm@0: right now, I’d love to go.” It would be great to have Riku and Sora
rlm@0: in the audience, to run into the crowd after the play and see what
rlm@0: they thought. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kid shrugged. “Hey, I understand. Sometimes there’s just somethin’
rlm@0: you’ve gotta do. Ya can’t let anythin’ stop ya. You’ve gotta be
rlm@0: single minded about that sorta thing if you’re ever gonna get what
rlm@0: you’re lookin’ for.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Trying to steal away my princess? Back off, Kid.” Yuffie laughed,
rlm@0: entering the room, clothed in her short green top, khaki shorts,
rlm@0: white stockings, and yellow scarf. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Ya can’t stop a master thief from getting what she’s got her eyes
rlm@0: set on,” Kid replied, grinning. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi blushed furiously at their comments. She usually didn’t mind
rlm@0: being the center of attention, but this was just a little strange for
rlm@0: her. She tried to ignore it, focusing on Jessie instead. The kitten
rlm@0: was once again struggling to get out of her arms, most likely to get
rlm@0: over to Yuffie. But she held on tightly, not wanting to have to pull
rlm@0: the kitten away again. Jessie began to meow again, still wrestling
rlm@0: with her.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Well, if you two are leavin’, I should probably be headin’ off
rlm@0: myself. I’ve got some things I need to take care of back home.
rlm@0: ‘Sides, the Radical Dreamers aren’t much if we’re missin’ two of our
rlm@0: mates. Kind of hard to put on a play with only three people,” Kid
rlm@0: said, her hands behind her head. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “When this is all over, we’ll have to all meet up again somewhere.
rlm@0: We can’t have this be our last performance.” Yuffie smiled faintly.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “I’m not callin’ it quits yet. When we’re all done, we’ll get back
rlm@0: together for a huge reunion performance. Everyone’ll wanna come to
rlm@0: that. We ain’t done yet,” Kid replied, grinning. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “You got it!” Yuffie nodded eagerly. “Good luck out there, Kid.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “You, too, Yuffie. See ya around, princess.” The thief winked at
rlm@0: Kairi as she headed out the door, bringing another faint blush to her
rlm@0: cheeks. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Yuffie sighed, leaning against the wall. “So where to next?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi looked up suddenly, feeling a tinge of panic. “I thought you
rlm@0: knew. You were one of the heroes searching for the Keyblade, after
rlm@0: all. You do know, right?” she asked hopefully, eyeing Yuffie. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Of course I do,” Yuffie said nonchalantly. “I’m just trying to
rlm@0: decide which would be the best place. Besides, that was usually
rlm@0: Aerith’s place in things. She was the one who figured everything out.
rlm@0: But don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out.” She smiled
rlm@0: reassuringly. Kairi didn’t seem to have complete faith in her. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: A scream from somewhere outside caught their attention. Both girls
rlm@0: turned. Something sounded like it was coming down the hallway. Fast.
rlm@0: Yuffie ran to the door, peering out. Her eyes went wide and she
rlm@0: slammed the door shut, locking it. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “What is it?” Kairi asked, immediately regretting the question as
rlm@0: soon as it was out. Her heart pounded in her chest as something heavy
rlm@0: hit the door. She held the kitten closer, though she didn’t know if
rlm@0: it was to comfort Jessie or herself. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Heartless. And lots of them. There’s no way we can fight our way
rlm@0: through all of those.” Yuffie refused to let herself panic. She
rlm@0: wasn’t the panicking type. But there certainly didn’t seem to be any
rlm@0: other options. They were locked in there until the Heartless finally
rlm@0: broke in. She glanced around, but there weren’t any ways out.
rlm@0: Sighing, she pulled out some shurikens. She couldn’t stop them all,
rlm@0: but it didn’t mean she was going to give up. “Get behind me. I’ll
rlm@0: stop as many of them as I can. Run when you get the chance,” she
rlm@0: commanded.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi shook her head. No. It wasn’t going to end like that. There
rlm@0: was so much more she needed to do. She couldn't get caught by the
rlm@0: Heartless now. She had already lost her heart once. Back then it had
rlm@0: gone into Sora. Now it didn’t have anyplace to go. It would simply be
rlm@0: consumed. And then she would never find Sora and Riku. But there
rlm@0: didn’t seem to be anywhere for them to go. And the Heartless would be
rlm@0: in at any minute. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ‘Just believe they aren’t there. They can’t hurt you if they aren’t
rlm@0: there. If you’re safe and sound back home, then the Heartless can’t
rlm@0: get to you,’ a voice whispered in her head.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi bit her lip. She didn’t ever want to go back there. Being
rlm@0: there was so confusing. It scared her, made her question just what
rlm@0: was real. And she couldn’t afford to falter in her beliefs. Not now.
rlm@0: But there was no other choice, was there? The pounding on the door
rlm@0: grew more insistent. Yuffie got into a fighting position. ‘She’s
rlm@0: going to sacrifice herself for you. And then they’re going to get you
rlm@0: anyway. Damn it! Make you your mind already!’ Kairi closed her eyes
rlm@0: tightly. No matter how much she didn’t want to do this, it was their
rlm@0: only chance. “I’m not here. I’m back home. In bed. The Heartless
rlm@0: aren’t here. I’m back home.” The pounding on the door stopped.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: When she opened her eyes again, they were gone. She was no longer
rlm@0: backstage. She was sitting on her bed again, surrounded by her dolls
rlm@0: and pictures. A doll of Yuffie was lying on her lap. Kairi sighed
rlm@0: shakily, holding onto the doll. What happened to everyone else when
rlm@0: she was here? Did she just disappear from where she was? Did
rlm@0: everything else still exist when she was here? Did she even want to
rlm@0: know?  
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Getting off the bed, Kairi walked to the door, pausing before it.
rlm@0: Biting her lip, she slowly reached out for the doorknob, taking a
rlm@0: hold of it. Was the person still there? Would the door open? She had
rlm@0: to find out what was going on. This was all getting far too
rlm@0: confusing. She turned the doorknob slowly. Nothing. It was still
rlm@0: locked for her. Sighing, her hand fell away from the door. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Walking around the slightly cluttered room, Kairi kept hugging the
rlm@0: Yuffie doll. It might not be much, but right now it was the only
rlm@0: company she had. And somehow she felt better holding onto her dolls.
rlm@0: They had always been such a comfort for her, these people she had
rlm@0: crafted out of fabric and wishes. She closed her eyes, forcing that
rlm@0: thought away. No, they were real. She hadn’t just made dolls of
rlm@0: people in her imagination. These were all real people somewhere far
rlm@0: away. They were all still out there, waiting for her. But she
rlm@0: couldn’t get back to them if she was stuck in her room. She had to
rlm@0: find a way out. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: She looked out the window, but it was too dark to see anything
rlm@0: outside. It had to be late, wherever she was. Resting her head
rlm@0: against the cool glass, the princess tried to collect herself. This
rlm@0: place had to be a dream. It couldn’t be real. But why did she keep
rlm@0: coming back here? And why was it so familiar. Her eyes closed as she
rlm@0: strained to remember. A birthday party. She could remember a birthday
rlm@0: party. A recent one. She remembered sitting at the front of the
rlm@0: table, the cake being placed out in front of her. She had just turned
rlm@0: fourteen. She’d gotten a cute sweater for it. And a few Disney DVDs
rlm@0: she had been wanting for the longest time. But who had been there?
rlm@0: She tried harder to remember, trying to see the rest of the table.
rlm@0: She had been there, of course. And... An older woman she could barely
rlm@0: make out. She was smiling so warmly, watching as she blew out the
rlm@0: candles, her hands clasped together as if in prayer. Her mother. It
rlm@0: had to be her mother. Her heart ached at the thought that she
rlm@0: couldn’t even remember her mother except for this small glimpse. What
rlm@0: kind of woman was she like? Did she make her mother proud? What kind
rlm@0: of relationship did they have? Judging from the smile, her mother had
rlm@0: been happy, at least during her birthday. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Who else had been there? She could see a shadow sitting next to her,
rlm@0: watching her opening her presents. The shadow flickered in her mind
rlm@0: as she tried harder to remember who it had been. But no matter how
rlm@0: hard she tried, it refused to clarify. Giving up on the shadow for
rlm@0: the moment, she began to focus on who else had been there. Slowly,
rlm@0: she saw the rest of the table, expecting to see Riku and Sora sitting
rlm@0: there, watching her. But it wasn’t so. The table was empty. Her eyes
rlm@0: opened wide. “No one... No one was there?” she asked quietly. But her
rlm@0: birthday parties on the Destiny Islands were always so much fun!
rlm@0: Everyone came and there were presents and cake and games and... It
rlm@0: didn’t make sense. Surely she had friends to invite, games to play.
rlm@0: She was pretty and popular and everyone liked her. So why the hell
rlm@0: would she spend her birthday alone except for her mother and some
rlm@0: shadow of a person she couldn’t remember?
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Her eyes teared up, memories of endless loneliness filling her,
rlm@0: sapping at her heart. The hopelessness and despair felt like
rlm@0: crystalline shards buried within her heart. “But mama, no one will
rlm@0: come. No one likes me. Why would anyone want to come to my party?”
rlm@0: she heard herself saying. Opening her eyes, she saw another room
rlm@0: outside of the window, her mother’s room. There she was, crying on
rlm@0: her mother’s lap. Hateful, lost, bitter tears. And her mother looked
rlm@0: heartbroken as she tried to wipe away her hot tears. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi backed away from the window as if it was something alive and
rlm@0: dangerous, staring. “It’s not like that. It isn’t like that at all,”
rlm@0: she said desperately, her voice barely above a whisper. “I do have
rlm@0: friends. I’m not all alone.” 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Then where are they now, Kairi? You made up all of your friends.
rlm@0: Except for mom. She’s your best friend. She’s your only friend. How
rlm@0: could you just leave her by killing yourself?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Looking up, Kairi could see the shadow of someone on the other side
rlm@0: of the door. The voice was back, whoever it was that happened to be
rlm@0: behind it. “I didn’t,” she argued, her voice shaky. Her wrists were
rlm@0: burning again, fire tearing them apart. But she refused to look at
rlm@0: them. Maybe if she ignored it, it would go away.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The voice on the other side of the door laughed. “That’s your answer
rlm@0: for everything, isn’t it, Kairi? To ignore it, to pretend. Whenever
rlm@0: you can’t handle something, you just run away. It’s too much for poor
rlm@0: Kairi to handle, so she’ll just run as far as she can and never look
rlm@0: back. That’s why you can’t open the door. Because you can’t face
rlm@0: reality. You couldn’t handle life so you just turned your back on it.
rlm@0: You embraced your fantasies, ignoring everything that might hurt you.
rlm@0: Isn’t that the way it’s always been?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Leave me alone!!!” Kairi screamed, her whole body trembling. Tears
rlm@0: stung her eyes, turning her vision into a liquid nightmare. She could
rlm@0: feel her tears dripping down her chin, falling to the floor below.
rlm@0: She couldn’t stop from crying, the voice finally getting to her. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “I told you that you couldn’t handle it, Kairi. I don’t think you’re
rlm@0: ready to open the door yet. Why don’t you run away back to your
rlm@0: fantasies. They’re safe and cozy, aren’t they? Oh, wait. No, reality
rlm@0: is beginning to intrude on them, isn’t it? The heartlessness of the
rlm@0: real world is starting to take its toll, to intrude on your little
rlm@0: wonderland. Go ahead and run away to your dreams, Kairi. Because
rlm@0: pretty soon, there will be nowhere left to run. And you’ll have to
rlm@0: open the door. Because when the Heartless consume all of your
rlm@0: fantasies, real life will be the only place left to turn.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi slumped to her knees, sobbing painfully, hugging herself. She
rlm@0: didn’t always run away. She was trying to find Riku and Sora. She
rlm@0: would never give up on them. She wouldn’t run away, no matter how
rlm@0: tough things got. But her voice escaped her, having disappeared in
rlm@0: her haze of tears. She wanted to prove the voice wrong, that she
rlm@0: would never give up. But her tattered heart couldn’t help but wonder
rlm@0: if the voice was right. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Lost in a storm of tears, Kairi didn’t see the room grow distant. It
rlm@0: stretched further and further into the background until it had faded
rlm@0: away altogether. Lost in a typhoon of dark thoughts, the princess
rlm@0: didn’t feel herself slowly drifting away to somewhere else. Anywhere
rlm@0: else. Just as long as she was far away from that room. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: