rlm@2: 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Prism Hearts
rlm@2: Chapter 7
rlm@2: Melodies of Life
rlm@2: by Amazoness Duo
rlm@2: amazonessduo@hotmail.com
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Why did you come with me?”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Hey, that’s Ipsen’s line.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Ipsen? Who’s that?”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Ipsen is a character from a play. But he’s a real life adventurer.
rlm@2: I think the play is based on his adventures. It kind of goes like
rlm@2: this: Ipsen and his good friend, Colin, worked at a tavern in Treno.
rlm@2: One day, Ipsen got a letter. The letter was so wet from rain that
rlm@2: most of the writing was illegible. The only part he could read said
rlm@2: “Come back home”. Nowadays, we have airships and stuff, but back
rlm@2: then, it was really hard to travel. He didn’t know why he had to go
rlm@2: back, but he had some time off, gathered his things, and set out on a
rlm@2: journey home. He walked a thousand leagues through the mist.
rlm@2: Sometimes he was attacked by vicious monsters, but he made it because
rlm@2: his friend, Colin, was by his side. And then, after much time on the
rlm@2: road, he had to ask Colin something. ‘Why did you come with me?’”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “And? What was Colin’s answer?”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Only because I wanted to go with you.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I am surrounded by darkness. It’s all around me, dark and thick and
rlm@2: cold. I can feel it reaching out to caress me, its knifelike touch
rlm@2: raking across my skin, trying to comfort me. It’s the only constant.
rlm@2: The endless darkness; a deep and ancient sea that stretches out into
rlm@2: eternity. It calls to me, echoing throughout me. It wants me here.
rlm@2: I... belong here. Amidst the darkness. My home for so long. The world
rlm@2: I had known for most of my life. One of darkness and pain. It’s
rlm@2: familiar, a feeling that resonates within me. Isn’t this how I’ve
rlm@2: always been? Before the Destiny Islands, before I managed to escape.
rlm@2: But now it’s found me again. And it will never let go. The darkness
rlm@2: has me in its grasp. I won’t be able to escape a second time. I am
rlm@2: home now.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: No...
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: No! I don’t belong here! I don’t belong to the darkness! I’m not
rlm@2: like that! 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I shake my head. It feels as if a spell has been broken. There’s
rlm@2: still the endless night, but there’s something else. It’s still
rlm@2: pulling on me, but I’m not letting myself get pulled helplessly
rlm@2: anymore. I can move again. I feel like I’m waking up from some
rlm@2: nightmare. I won’t let this drag me down. I have to get out of here,
rlm@2: away from the darkness. Away from all this. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ‘Running away again?’ a voice says, echoing all around me. I turn
rlm@2: around and around, searching for the voice, but I still can’t see
rlm@2: anything. It’s taunting me again, playing with my fears, trying to
rlm@2: break whatever confidence I manage to pull to myself. I ball my
rlm@2: fists, still searching. I won’t let it break me. Not now. I’ll find a
rlm@2: way out of here. Somehow. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I can still feel it reaching for me, the darkness reaching for
rlm@2: something inside of me. What scares me is that feeling of familiarity
rlm@2: that burns within me while I’m here. Like I’ve been here before. Like
rlm@2: I’ve felt this all before. But that can’t be; I’ve never been inside
rlm@2: of the darkness before. This place... Pieces begin to take shape. My
rlm@2: clothes are changing. They’re darker, more gothic. People begin to
rlm@2: surround me. Cold, dark. Heartless. These people are also familiar
rlm@2: somehow. Like I can almost remember them. How they never cared. How I
rlm@2: was always alone even when the halls were crowded. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ‘Welcome home, Kairi,’ the voice whispers in my ear again. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I stare in horror as more of the world starts to take shape before
rlm@2: me. It all feels so real, as if I can step out into it. A world
rlm@2: created entirely of darkness. A world built upon pain and suffering.
rlm@2: Where loneliness was my only constant companion. A world where the
rlm@2: bright crimson of blood was my only escape from the endless darkness
rlm@2: that had imprisoned me. Names begin to tease my mind, of people and
rlm@2: places that I can’t know, shouldn’t know. This isn’t my world. I’m
rlm@2: not from here. I can’t be. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I search frantically for an exit. Any exit. I don’t care what the
rlm@2: voice says. I want to get away from here. I need to get away before
rlm@2: it becomes any more real. Before it chains me to it again. I won’t
rlm@2: let it take me back. I won’t ever go back. I refuse. I turned my back
rlm@2: on that life when I slit my wrists, breaking my bonds. But like an
rlm@2: angry dragon deprived of its treasure, it’s hunting me, yearning to
rlm@2: drag me back in its clutches, crushed and bloody. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: My heart pounds in my chest, my body shaking. I’m gasping for
rlm@2: breath, an eerie chill sending frosty crystals flowing through me. I
rlm@2: shudder. I can’t let this happen. Desperation is stabbing into me, a
rlm@2: thousand needles, all incredibly intent. I have to get away. Now! 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ‘Kairi...’
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: No... Leave me alone. I don’t know you! 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ‘Kairi, dear...’
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Please, just go away! I clutch my head, crumbling to my knees. I
rlm@2: don’t belong here! Don’t you see that?! I never did fit in. I never
rlm@2: belonged. I couldn’t survive in the darkness. It was too much for me.
rlm@2: It left me broken. Why couldn’t you see that? I had to leave it. I
rlm@2: had to get away. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Kairi,” she says, her hand on my shoulder. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I scream. That world shatters around me, breaking like a dropped
rlm@2: china doll. I fall, plunging through a world of splintered glass. I
rlm@2: don’t know where I’m going or where I am. But I can’t help feeling
rlm@2: some faint relief to get away from that nightmare. Even if I’m only
rlm@2: trading it in for another. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I am surrounded by darkness. It’s all around me, dark and thick and
rlm@2: cold. I can feel it reaching out to caress me, it’s knifelike touch
rlm@2: raking across my skin, trying to comfort me. It’s the only constant.
rlm@2: The endless darkness, like a deep and ancient sea that stretches out
rlm@2: into eternity. It calls to me, echoing throughout me. It wants me
rlm@2: here. But I will not stay here. I’m getting out of here. I won’t let
rlm@2: the darkness consume me. I have too much I still need to do. Sora and
rlm@2: Riku need me. I won’t play the helpless princess this time. This
rlm@2: time, I’ll protect you. Both of you. I promise. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Even in the darkness, there is light. I just have to find it.
rlm@2: There... So far away, so faint it could almost be my imagination. But
rlm@2: it’s there. Because I believe it’s really there. I have faith that
rlm@2: the light is waiting for me. Because I know what the light in my life
rlm@2: is. Riku and Sora. They are my light. And I carry them with me
rlm@2: wherever I go. So no matter the darkness that surrounds me, there
rlm@2: will always be light in my heart. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I run to the light. And run. And run. It seems so far away. My
rlm@2: muscles ache and burn, the darkness clawing at me as I run, trying to
rlm@2: drag me back. But I won’t let anything keep me away from them. I’m
rlm@2: going to save them. No matter what it takes. The light... It’s so
rlm@2: beautiful. So warm. It caresses me as I finally reach it. And for
rlm@2: just a split second, he holds me. It’s all too brief, but I burn it
rlm@2: into my mind, etching every half-remembered feeling into my soul. One
rlm@2: day I’ll have that forever. It won’t be snatched away from me. I’ll
rlm@2: hold onto him until the sun falls from the sky and even longer. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: One day...
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Light... Bright and jarring. It cascades around me harshly, bathing
rlm@2: everything in its judgmental glow. As if accusing me. ‘You, girl from
rlm@2: the darkness, you are not welcome here,’ I can almost hear it say. My
rlm@2: eyes ache and shut instinctively tighter, trying to drown out the
rlm@2: brilliant glow that surrounds me. ‘Just go away...’ I beg. But it
rlm@2: ignores me, seeming to focus even more on me. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: We always cherish light. It is beautiful. It is right. It is good.
rlm@2: But we never stop to think that if anything were held to the light,
rlm@2: that it would wither and burn under its touch. Without a filter, the
rlm@2: light is too blinding, too strong. The blazing light and the cold
rlm@2: darkness are both ends of the extreme. One isn’t simply salvation
rlm@2: while the other is ruin. Both can destroy you. Both can protect you.
rlm@2: The darkness can be just as beautiful, can’t it?
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Perhaps there are more similarities than I’d ever realized...
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: But now, the light is making me ache and burn. I curl up, trying to
rlm@2: shut it out. I fall short in its harsh view. I am not of the light,
rlm@2: it tells me. I don’t belong here. It will wash me away in its light
rlm@2: until I’m nothing more than the hint of a shadow. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: This is wrong. Of course I’m from the light. I wanted to escape the
rlm@2: darkness, didn’t I? This should be welcome. This should be freedom.
rlm@2: So why am I so afraid of it? Why isn’t it welcoming me with open
rlm@2: arms? Why am I being turned away? What’s wrong with me? Tears start
rlm@2: to burn at my eyes as I shut them tighter. ‘Please,’ I call out.
rlm@2: ‘Help me...’ Isn’t the light supposed to save you? Isn’t it what
rlm@2: dreams and hope are built from.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ‘No...’ Comes its response, reverberating through me. ‘Nothing can
rlm@2: save you. You are too entangled by the darkness. You are darkness.’
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ‘No! Please, don’t send me away! I need help! I’m all alone...’
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: But the light ignores me. It doesn’t wish to have me so close
rlm@2: anymore, dirtying its gorgeous rays. So it simply casts me out.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I lie there for a long time, trying to make sense out of things. I
rlm@2: don’t care enough to open my eyes and find out where I am. That’s
rlm@2: secondary. I’ll figure it out later. I hope. It doesn’t matter where
rlm@2: I am, anyway. It’s not like I’ve had a well-designed plan through all
rlm@2: of this.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: The darkness longs for me. The light rejects me. I feel a cold chill
rlm@2: pass over my body at that thought. The light that can save me won’t
rlm@2: let me near. The darkness is even now creeping after me, trying to
rlm@2: plunge me back into its depths. It’s hunting for me. And I have
rlm@2: nowhere to run to. No sanctuary that can protect me.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I shudder on the cold floor. I’m all alone. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: No... ‘Remember what you said, Kairi? I’m always with you, too,’
rlm@2: Sora had said right before he had been dragged away from me to
rlm@2: someplace far off. Yes. I am not alone. I place a hand over my heart.
rlm@2: My boys are right there with me. No matter where they are. I’m not
rlm@2: alone. If the light turned its back on me, then I Don’t need it. All
rlm@2: I need are Riku and Sora. If I can’t believe in the light, then I’ll
rlm@2: believe in them. I will find them. I will save them. And they will be
rlm@2: my shelter from the storm that threatens to consume me. As long as I
rlm@2: have them, I’ll never let the darkness swallow me. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Ohhhh...” someone groans beside me. “I’m starting to think
rlm@2: travelling by Gummi Ship from world to world isn’t half bad. Sure, I
rlm@2: got motion sick from it. But I didn’t wake up wondering where the
rlm@2: hell I was.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “One of these days you’re going to wake up naked in a hotel room
rlm@2: thinking that and I’ll prove to you that it can be a good thing,”
rlm@2: another voice pipes in.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Relm, watch your hands,” the first voice warns. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Oops... Sorry,” comes the gleeful response. Relm doesn’t sound
rlm@2: sorry in the least. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Well, at least I know Yuffie and Relm are both still with me. I
rlm@2: don’t have to go on alone after all. I slowly open my eyes, the world
rlm@2: a blur around me. How long was I out this time? Where will I find
rlm@2: myself now? My head swims, still reeling from my sudden brushes with
rlm@2: both the light and the darkness. My heart wavers. I still don’t know
rlm@2: where I stand. Grandma used to tell me there was always light. But if
rlm@2: the light wouldn’t accept me... 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Now is not the time to be thinking about these things. First things
rlm@2: first. I need to find out where I am. Somehow. “Where are we?” I ask
rlm@2: after a moment, flipping some hair from my eyes. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Maybe you can ask them,” Relm suggests, pointing behind me. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: The concerned look in her eyes tells me I probably won’t want to ask
rlm@2: whoever it is. Yuffie just watches on with a ‘why does this sort of
rlm@2: thing always happen to me?’ look plastered on her face. I slowly
rlm@2: turn, hesitant to find out. Sure enough, I doubt these people are
rlm@2: interested in telling me directions to find my lost boys. There are
rlm@2: at least seven women in the hallway, all wearing armor and bearing
rlm@2: swords and shields. The one in the lead holds a rather hefty sword
rlm@2: and sports an eye patch, presumably a testament to the many battles
rlm@2: she had been through. I swallow nervously. “You wouldn’t happen to
rlm@2: know where I could find a silver haired boy, would you?” I try a
rlm@2: smile, but it’s lost on the soldiers. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Yep. I’m officially hating this by now. I lie on my cold, hard bunk
rlm@2: in the dungeon, my hands behind my head. If I had more materia, those
rlm@2: knights wouldn’t have stood a chance against me. Of course, Beatrix,
rlm@2: as I’d learned was her name after the fact (my jailer won’t shut up
rlm@2: about her), soundly trounced me while Kairi and Relm sat there
rlm@2: worthlessly and squealed like little girls when the knights grabbed
rlm@2: them. So one could say the odds weren’t exactly stacked in my favor. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I roll on my side and hit the wall with my fist. I’m supposed to be
rlm@2: a legendary hero. The greatest ninja that ever lived. Some hero I’m
rlm@2: turning out to be. I can’t even save Relm from a couple stupid
rlm@2: knights. And Kairi, I hastily add. Not like I have any vested
rlm@2: interest in Relm. Of course not. I laugh aloud. What a silly thought.
rlm@2: That little pervert isn’t getting to me. I mean, sure she’s awfully
rlm@2: sweet and she has this way of riling me up, and her eyes have this
rlm@2: way of taking over your soul... 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Whatever the case, it
rlm@2: doesn’t matter. I couldn’t come to her rescue even if I wanted to.
rlm@2: Which I don’t. I’m stuck in the dungeon, alone, weaponless. At this
rlm@2: rate, the universe will be swallowed by Heartless before I can ever
rlm@2: get Kairi to the Doorway to the Light. But at least I’m trying! Not
rlm@2: like Leon and Aerith. Both staying home to cuddle with their love
rlm@2: bunnies while I work my ass off trying to get the Keyblade Mistress
rlm@2: to fix everything. And I’m not out here just because I don’t have
rlm@2: someone! I wouldn’t be doing the exact some thing as them if I had
rlm@2: someone to wake up with and cling tightly to and... Of course not!
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “And she’s much, much more talented than Sir Steiner. Why, Lady
rlm@2: Beatrix was our pride and joy at the last tournament. The Knights of
rlm@2: Pluto didn’t even want to challenge her. It was really very funny.
rlm@2: They were all...” The guard drones on. She had explained earlier than
rlm@2: she doesn’t mind guard duty. I think I can see why. She takes a
rlm@2: sadistic pleasure in slowly killing the prisoners. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I pull my pillow around my head, trying to drown out her incessant
rlm@2: ranting about Lady Beatrix. I’m still pissed that Beatrix stopped me
rlm@2: in the hallway. I could’ve at least gotten through her and then been
rlm@2: taken down by the guards. Or they could’ve all ganged up on me or
rlm@2: something. It’s embarrassing that it only took Beatrix. Now Relm’s
rlm@2: images of me are probably shattered and I’ll never be her hero again.
rlm@2: Not that I care, mind you. Nope. Not in the least.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I wonder where they took Relm and Kairi. We were split up after our
rlm@2: clash in that hallway. Oddly enough, It seemed like they had been
rlm@2: expecting us. Everywhere else we had been, we always seemed to wind
rlm@2: up there by accident. But this time, they were ready. They seemed to
rlm@2: want Kairi for something. So she’ll be safe for a bit, at least. If
rlm@2: they need her, they can’t harm her. But what about Relm? She isn’t in
rlm@2: the dungeon. Where would they have taken her? I hope she’s all
rlm@2: right... I won’t forgive myself if she got hurt because of me.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: And where is Rikku? I remember the wave crashing around us. She was
rlm@2: holding onto one of my arms and Relm was holding onto the other. I
rlm@2: tried to hold onto both of them, but I was getting thrown about and I
rlm@2: couldn’t keep my grip. My heart skips a beat at the thought of her
rlm@2: being lost someplace in this infinity. But she has to be out there.
rlm@2: She probably just didn’t get stuck in the same place we did. Yeah.
rlm@2: That has to be it. I hope.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I watch Yuffie in her cell for a while. Oh, my poor girl. Her ego’s
rlm@2: wounded. I’m just thrilled she’d fight for me, win or lose. But she
rlm@2: doesn’t see it that way. She’s got to be the best. But usually she’s
rlm@2: better about turning things around and pretending she’s gotten away
rlm@2: with what she wanted to. Snatching semi-victories from the jaws of
rlm@2: defeat. But she still looks cute, even languishing on her prison bed.
rlm@2: The guard unlocks the door for me and I slip quietly into Yuffie’s
rlm@2: cell, not wanting to disturb her dark thoughts. Not yet, at least. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I wonder what you’re thinking, my beautiful ninja. Are any of your
rlm@2: thoughts about me? Is there any room in that guarded heart of yours
rlm@2: for me? I sure hope so. I’ll keep trying until I can find out for
rlm@2: sure. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Leaning forward, I nuzzle the crook of her neck, delighting at the
rlm@2: feel of her soft skin against my nose and lips. She flinches
rlm@2: instinctively, but it’s too late. There’s nowhere to escape for now.
rlm@2: She must really be out of it if I could catch her by surprise like
rlm@2: this. I nuzzle deeper as she curls up on the small bed, trying to
rlm@2: escape me but only succeeding in pressing against the wall. I giggle
rlm@2: as I slowly pull away, watching the mortified look on her face. Her
rlm@2: cheeks are a cherry red, her eyes as wide as twin moons. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Relm,” she gets out weakly. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Didja miss me?” I ask, grinning as I lean over her curled up form.
rlm@2: The great and mighty Yuffie, slayer of monsters and master thief. And
rlm@2: here she is cowering before me, with nowhere to hide. Weird how a
rlm@2: young artist from another world could do that to her. Not that I
rlm@2: mind. The irony makes it all taste even more delicious. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Slowly she manages to piece together her sarcastic, independent
rlm@2: exterior. Her eyes narrow and she places a hand on my forehead,
rlm@2: pushing me back so she can sit up. I try to push back, but she’s too
rlm@2: much stronger than me. I sigh and step back, crossing my arms. “Oh,
rlm@2: right. I hate having the use of my right arm. It’s much better when
rlm@2: you’re hanging off of it,” she replies sarcastically. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I pout. “Well, I was going to get you out, but if you don’t want
rlm@2: to...” I sigh, turning my back to her. It takes a second for that to
rlm@2: seep in for her. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Get me out? What are you talking about?”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I turn around to face her again, smiling brightly. Oh, I can’t stay
rlm@2: mad at her for long. Even if she can be selfish and arrogant and...
rlm@2: Ahem. Okay, maybe I can stay a little frustrated with her, but that’s
rlm@2: different. “I’m her majesty’s royal artist. One of the knights found
rlm@2: a picture I had and they decided the queen should see this ‘wee
rlm@2: girl’s’ abilities for herself. She made me do a portrait, which I had
rlm@2: to make up a lot for because she isn’t very easy to look at for long,
rlm@2: and she liked it so much that she decided to give me a job instead of
rlm@2: throwing me in here.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “You convinced them with a picture?” she asks, blinking. Then she
rlm@2: considers. “Well, you are really good. That fire you drew seemed real
rlm@2: enough. So I guess that makes sense.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I narrow my eyebrows. “They wouldn’t have found the picture at all
rlm@2: if they’d been keeping their hands to themselves. But then, in a
rlm@2: place with a band of female knights, you have to wonder.” I wait
rlm@2: anxiously for her jealous reply. She wouldn’t want anyone touching
rlm@2: me. Or harassing me. Or anything like that. Not when she can do all
rlm@2: of that herself. Right...?
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Yuffie grins. “Must be your kinda place then, huh?”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I can only stare at her. I’m trembling. How could she say that to
rlm@2: me? Does she really think of me like that? I only want her to know
rlm@2: how much I like her. I wouldn’t do that with anyone. I just want her
rlm@2: to know... I don’t know how else to do it. I’ve never been in love
rlm@2: before. This is all so new to me. I can’t even see her anymore. I
rlm@2: only see a haze as tears fill my vision. I yank the picture they’d
rlm@2: found on me, one I’d drawn the night I met Yuffie. I crumple it up in
rlm@2: my hands, tearing and ripping. I want to destroy something beautiful.
rlm@2: Something that meant so much to me. Unable to get out any words, I
rlm@2: make a muffled sob as I toss the pieces at her, turning and running
rlm@2: as fast as I can away from her. I don’t care where I go as long as
rlm@2: it’s away. Far, far away. I sob weakly as I force myself to run. When
rlm@2: you get hurt, when your heart bleeds, that’s what tears are. I hate
rlm@2: you, Yuffie. I hate you. Because obviously I’m nothing more than a
rlm@2: stupid little perverse kid to you. And I hate myself for not being
rlm@2: good enough, worthy enough of you. So I run. And I cry.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I blink, watching Relm burst into tears and run off. The prison door
rlm@2: slams shut behind her, the guard more watchful than I thought. Not
rlm@2: that I’d be able to escape right now even if she wasn’t paying
rlm@2: attention; my mind’s on other things. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: I kneel down, sifting my fingers through the ripped and crumpled
rlm@2: picture on the floor. How she could destroy something she’d spent so
rlm@2: much time creating is beyond me. Whatever I did, I must have hurt her
rlm@2: immeasurably to get that kind of reaction. To see her shred something
rlm@2: that she had given life to. Slowly the image begins to take shape
rlm@2: under my fingers, the angry rips and tears defiling the beautiful
rlm@2: image. Me. She had drawn me. A portrait that’s more gorgeous than I
rlm@2: could ever pray to truly be myself. That’s what the guards had seen,
rlm@2: what had prompted the queen to keep her out of the dungeon. It’s
rlm@2: lovely. Or it was. Before I disgraced it. Before I signed its death
rlm@2: sentence and left it to die in its creator’s usually gentle hands. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: She drew me. She wanted me to be the subject of her amazing talent.
rlm@2: She looked at me with those shining eyes, filled with love and
rlm@2: adoration. And all I could do was slap her in the face because I’m
rlm@2: too much of a bitch to accept it all gratefully. I didn’t realize how
rlm@2: much it would hurt her. I didn’t mean to...
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: What have I done? “Fuck...” I mutter, hunching over, my short hair
rlm@2: drooping as my head nearly touches the floor. Good one, Yuffie.
rlm@2: She’ll never let you save her now. Now it looks like you’re the one
rlm@2: who needs saving.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Kairi sighed. She looked out a large window, the only escape from
rlm@2: the room she was stuck in. But to escape this prison, she would need
rlm@2: angel’s wings. She slumped against the windowsill, watching the doves
rlm@2: come and go as they pleased. If only it was that easy for her. The
rlm@2: room was beautifully furnished. But it was still a cage to her. She
rlm@2: wanted to soar free. To escape all of this. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: The young princess fidgeted uneasily. She had been separated from
rlm@2: her friends and placed in these chambers. Two maids had ‘helped’ her
rlm@2: change into an elegant pale lavender dress and then left her there.
rlm@2: She wasn’t used to dresses. They were too confining. She liked to
rlm@2: have room to run and be free. ‘Mom always wanted me to wear dresses.
rlm@2: But they weren’t my style. I only wore the one’s she’d buy me a few
rlm@2: times and that was only to appease her,’ she thought. The memories
rlm@2: had come to her unbidden. But there was something else, as well.
rlm@2: Someone older, shaking his head in disgust. ‘The princess is a
rlm@2: tomboy,’ he had said. And then someone laughing. Her... father? But
rlm@2: she hadn’t had a father, had she? Not in that place where her room
rlm@2: existed. But somewhere else, she had been raised by her father
rlm@2: instead of her mother. ‘She takes after her father,’ he had said,
rlm@2: smiling. He had a warm smile. Everyone had loved him dearly. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Holding her head, Kairi tried to sort through the contradictory
rlm@2: memories. Was she a princess who had lost her memories? Or was she a
rlm@2: girl so desperate to escape her own life that she had drowned in
rlm@2: fantasy? It was like two separate lives were trying to piece
rlm@2: themselves together inside of her. It was taking its toll on the
rlm@2: brunette. She was starting to have a hard time telling which way was
rlm@2: up. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Why do you care so much about what’s ‘real’?” a voice asked.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Kairi whirled about. A young blonde girl stood before her. She had a
rlm@2: bandage over one of her eyes and she wore a hospital gown. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “What is Real, anyway?” another voice asked, coming from the bed.
rlm@2: The girl on the bed looked exactly the same as the other girl, though
rlm@2: she wasn’t wearing the bandage. “Is Real what everyone tells you is
rlm@2: real?”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Or is Real what you believe in your heart to be true?” the other
rlm@2: girl continued. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Who are you?” Kairi asked, looking back and forth between the two
rlm@2: young girls.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “She’s Maya,” the one with the bandage said, pointing to the girl on
rlm@2: the bed.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “And this is Aya,” the one on the bed said, hurrying up to her
rlm@2: sister’s side. Both girls giggled and bowed to Kairi.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “We’re Eve,” they said in unison.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Oh...” Kairi responded, not understanding in the slightest. She
rlm@2: shook her head, looking out the window. “I don’t know what’s real
rlm@2: anymore.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Is Real what everyone around you decides is real?” Maya asked, her
rlm@2: head tilted to the right.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Or is Real what you decide is real?” Aya asked, her head tilted to
rlm@2: the left. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “You both sound like Harle.” Kairi closed her eyes, trying to focus.
rlm@2: This was all confusing her more and more. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Eventually you’ll need to make a decision,” Maya explained.
rlm@2: “Whether you’ll accept reality or remake it altogether.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Whether you will live or die. Awaken or dream. Love or hate. After
rlm@2: all, these things are all two sides of the same coin. You cannot have
rlm@2: one without the other,” Aya adds, resting back to back with her
rlm@2: sister. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “But can’t you choose the light? Can’t you have one without the
rlm@2: other? Must it always be both? Love and hate, life and death, light
rlm@2: and dark?” Kairi asks, nearly pleading. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Maya shakes her head. “These things are all interconnected. They
rlm@2: aren’t all completely different notions. They’re all dependent on
rlm@2: each other. Each of these ‘opposites’ is entwined in a lover’s
rlm@2: embrace that you couldn’t hope to untangle. Without one, the other is
rlm@2: meaningless.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “After all,” Aya continues, “how can you really, truly love if you
rlm@2: don’t know what it’s like to be hated? For you to live, someone must
rlm@2: die. For you to awaken, you must have been dreaming.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Without darkness, there is no light,” the twins say in harmony. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Kairi opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She was speechless.
rlm@2: The twins’ words spun around her, leaving her dizzy. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Everyone’s waiting for your answer, Kairi,” Maya said softly.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Don’t disappoint everyone. The show’s just about to begin,” Aya
rlm@2: added. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: A knock at the door drove Kairi out of her stupor. She bolted
rlm@2: upright. “Coming!” she called. She turned back to the girls to ask
rlm@2: them something, but they were already gone. “Where did they go?” she
rlm@2: asked, blinking. The only way out of the room was the window. And
rlm@2: unless they grew wings, that wouldn’t be a very good choice. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “There you are. You must be another one of the girls that Kuja had
rlm@2: brought to the palace. I assure you, I’ll try my hardest to make sure
rlm@2: your stay is a pleasant one,” a woman with dark hair said as she
rlm@2: entered the room, followed by a much younger girl with purple hair
rlm@2: and a horn on her forehead. “I’m Princess Garnet Til Alexandros the
rlm@2: 17th. This is Eiko Carol. We wanted to check in on you. We’re
rlm@2: terribly sorry for the inconvenience.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “We thought it would be better if you saw us first instead of being
rlm@2: traumatized by Kuja inspecting you,” the younger girl explained. She
rlm@2: spat the name with disgust. Apparently she didn’t think very highly
rlm@2: of him.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Why am I here? What’s going on? I really need to get going. My
rlm@2: friends need me. I have to find them,” Kairi said. She wanted to make
rlm@2: them understand somehow. Her words couldn’t convey the urgency in her
rlm@2: heart. She couldn’t afford to get sidetracked. Not now. Not with Riku
rlm@2: and Sora so close.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “You’ll be able to leave as soon as Kuja has finished. In the
rlm@2: meantime, we’ll make you as comfortable as we can,” the princess
rlm@2: explained politely. She was genuinely apologetic, feeling personally
rlm@2: responsible for the delay in Kairi’s journey, whatever it may be.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “And when is that going to be?” Eiko asked irritably, raising her
rlm@2: arms. “He’s always so vague about it and he never answers me when I
rlm@2: ask him when I can go home.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Garnet smiled softly and gently cupped the younger girl’s cheek.
rlm@2: “Soon, Eiko. I promise. I’ll ask him again for you. I’ll get you
rlm@2: home.” She didn’t seem to notice the purple haired girl’s cheeks
rlm@2: burning underneath her fingers or the deep gaze that Eiko was giving
rlm@2: her. She leant forward, kissing near Eiko’s horn. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Princess Garnet, your mother wishes to see you,” a maid said from
rlm@2: the doorway.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Garnet nodded. “I’ll be right there.” She turned back to Kairi and
rlm@2: bowed. “Again, my apologies for keeping you here. If there’s anything
rlm@2: you need, please ask.” Turning, she left the room. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Eiko watched her leave. Sighing dreamily, she slowly came back to
rlm@2: earth. If only Garnet would pay attention to her! 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “What’s going on?” Kairi asked again, pleading with the younger
rlm@2: girl. She walked over, kneeling to look the purple haired girl in the
rlm@2: eyes. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Sighing, Eiko let her arms fall to her sides. “You’re being kept
rlm@2: here because of some guy named Kuja. He’s got the ear of the Queen,
rlm@2: so she’ll do whatever he says. Apparently the kingdom is in big
rlm@2: trouble unless he can find the ‘Prism Heart’, whatever that is. He
rlm@2: says it resides within a girl with a beautiful heart. They checked
rlm@2: Princess Garnet, but it wasn’t her. So he’s been scouring the world
rlm@2: for this girl. That’s how I wound up here. Some Alexandrian Knights
rlm@2: sought me out because I’m the last of the summoners. Kuja thought
rlm@2: that might mean it might be me. But they checked and I don’t have it
rlm@2: either. But they still won’t let me go home. None of the girls he’s
rlm@2: taken here have gone home yet.” She looked back at the door. “Not
rlm@2: that I want to go home yet, anyway. Not without Garnet. But she's too
rlm@2: worried about her mother to come with me.” The little girl crossed
rlm@2: her arms, frustrated. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Kairi closed her eyes. Great. So she was stuck here. A prisoner in a
rlm@2: gilded cage. What was she supposed to do now? Riku and Sora needed
rlm@2: her. She couldn’t be wasting time while a kingdom searched for some
rlm@2: mythical girl. “So.. You really like Princess Garnet, huh?” Kairi
rlm@2: asked after a moment.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Yep. You better keep your hands off of her. She’s mine,” Eiko
rlm@2: responded, her eyes narrowing.  
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “I.. What? No! Of course not!” That wasn’t exactly how Kairi had
rlm@2: meant her question. She could only stammer a response, taken off
rlm@2: guard. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Good! Now you know. Anyway, I better go find her. She always gets
rlm@2: depressed after she talks with her mother.” As if stating it aloud
rlm@2: helped her to remember, Eiko now looked very concerned. “Bye!” She
rlm@2: waved over her shoulder before scurrying out the door, the little
rlm@2: angel wings pinned to her dress bobbing as she ran.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Kairi rested her face in her hands. Something out there didn’t like
rlm@2: her. That had to be it. God, Fate, or Whatever seemed to have it in
rlm@2: for her. Which was definitely going to make things more difficult.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “You’re moving too quickly, Selphie. You just need to let yourself
rlm@2: move slowly, like the ocean waves,” Yuna explained. She demonstrated,
rlm@2: closing her eyes and moving beautifully on her toes. She and Selphie
rlm@2: were barefoot on the beach, the waves lapping around them. The spunky
rlm@2: brunette had come to Yuna requesting that she teach her how to dance.
rlm@2: It was too cute to turn away. Not that Yuna was ever good at turning
rlm@2: anyone away to begin with. Lulu chastised her about being too easy
rlm@2: for other people to manipulate, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted
rlm@2: to make people happy. She wanted to help if she could. And besides,
rlm@2: if Selphie wanted to dance with the girl she loved, it only seemed
rlm@2: right to teach her. It would be romantic to see Quistis and Selphie
rlm@2: dancing together under the moonlight. And Yuna could be a tiny part
rlm@2: of that because she had helped it come about. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Hmm... Okay. Like this?” Selphie asked, twirling about again. The
rlm@2: world spun around her as she twirled about, finally coming to a halt
rlm@2: as she nearly stumbled in the ankle deep water.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Giggling softly, Yuna covered her mouth. “I think...” she began
rlm@2: quietly. “I think that you have just a little too much energy,
rlm@2: Selphie.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “What’s wrong with having too much energy?” Selphie asked, pouting.
rlm@2: It had always served her well before. But now it was making this all
rlm@2: so difficult. She was having a hard time restricting her movements
rlm@2: into soft, flowing motions. She was too used to moving about. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s part of what Quistis likes
rlm@2: about you, I’m sure. But it does make it a little harder to dance
rlm@2: together if you’re always a step before her,” Yuna warned softly.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Selphie bit her lip, thinking it over. She finally smiled and nodded
rlm@2: eagerly. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Yuna! I wouldn’t be able to do
rlm@2: this without you. Quisty will be so surprised!” She giggled, hopping
rlm@2: from foot to foot.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Yuna giggled herself, energized by Selphie’s enthusiasm. She nodded.
rlm@2: “All right. I’ll do my best to make sure you’re ready in time for the
rlm@2: festival. Just watch me for a moment. You need to be able to move the
rlm@2: way you want to, the way your heart wants to. But if you go too
rlm@2: quickly, then it isn’t soft and romantic, and you don’t get to savor
rlm@2: it.” Closing her eyes, Yuna bowed to her practice partner before
rlm@2: beginning to dance, moving lithely in the shallow water. She moved
rlm@2: with a dancer’s grace, elegant and beautiful, almost seeming to walk
rlm@2: on the water itself as she skitted about. The long sleeves of her
rlm@2: half-kimono skimmed over the water as she twirled about, hopping here
rlm@2: and there. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Booyaka! Yuna, you’re really, really good! I wanna dance like that
rlm@2: with Quisty.” Selphie sighed happily, already imagining the two of
rlm@2: them moving with each other along the beach. She watched Yuna
rlm@2: intently. ‘I want to be able to do that!’ she thought eagerly,
rlm@2: clapping. Yuna twirled and danced along the water, a beautiful sprite
rlm@2: on the shore. And then she tripped and plunged face first in the
rlm@2: water. Selphie stopped mid-clap, sweatdropping.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Getting to her feet dizzily, the soaked girl didn’t look up to face
rlm@2: her student at first. How embarrassing! How was she supposed to teach
rlm@2: Selphie how to dance when she couldn’t even stay on her feet herself?
rlm@2: But her mind started to ignore that as her foot swished around in the
rlm@2: water, searching for what she had tripped on. She finally found
rlm@2: something soft and yielding under the water, deeper where she was now
rlm@2: that the tide was coming in. It must have dragged something with it.
rlm@2: Yuna pushed again. What was it? Something pushed back. “Ahhhhhh!!!”
rlm@2: Yuna screamed, flailing her arms as she fell back into the water. She
rlm@2: gazed in shock as a figure slowly rose from the water.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Spluttering, a drenched catgirl emerged from the tide. Her lungs
rlm@2: burned. How long had she been underwater? Where was she, anyway? This
rlm@2: didn’t look like El Nido. And why had that girl been kicking her?
rlm@2: That wasn’t very nice at all. And most importantly of all, where was
rlm@2: Yuffie? But before she could answer any of these questions, she had
rlm@2: other things to contend with. “Stay away from Yuna!” A brunette girl
rlm@2: yelled as she ran towards her. In her semi-conscious state, Rikku
rlm@2: could do little to defend herself, let alone to argue. She turned to
rlm@2: try and explain, but she could only cough up seawater. And before she
rlm@2: could do anything else, something was arcing through the air. It
rlm@2: connected with her head in a fireworks display of pain. Collapsing
rlm@2: back into unconsciousness, the cat girl slumped into the waves again.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “That was a pretty wimpy monster,” Selphie noted disappointedly,
rlm@2: holding her nunchuks at her sides as Rikku floated in front of her.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “She’s going to drown,” Yuna said worriedly. She pushed forward
rlm@2: against the water, dipping her arms under the catgirl, pulling her up
rlm@2: so she could breathe. Straining, she dragged Rikku to the shore,
rlm@2: slumping next to her on the wet sand. She breathed heavily,
rlm@2: exhausted. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Why are you saving that monster?” Selphie asked, blinking in
rlm@2: confusion.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “She wasn’t going to hurt me. She was too weak to. She just washed
rlm@2: up here. I don’t think she’s a Fiend. The poor girl looks too weak to
rlm@2: stand, let alone to do anything else. She needs my help,” Yuna
rlm@2: explained, slowly catching her breath as she lay next to the catgirl.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Oh..” Selphie nodded thoughtfully. She laughed nervously. “I think
rlm@2: I might have something important to do when she wakes up. If she
rlm@2: wasn’t going to hurt you, she might wanna hurt me if she remembers me
rlm@2: smacking her on the head.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Yuna smiled a bit. “Yeah, you can practice what I’ve taught you.
rlm@2: I’ll take her back to my house. I’ll try to help her recover there.”
rlm@2: She turned to the catgirl, watching her breath uneasily on the sand.
rlm@2: Strange things were happening on the Destiny Islands. Very strange
rlm@2: things. But whoever this weird girl was, maybe she could help her.
rlm@2: Somehow. She looked like she needed the help. Yuna brushed some of
rlm@2: the water from Rikku’s whiskers. Poor kitty. “I’ll help you,” she
rlm@2: promised quietly. Rikku’s breathing seemed to steady somewhat, her
rlm@2: cat ears perking up. “I promise.”