Saving Kairi

Yayz this is a day for epic updates!

I loved it ~ but I hated how Sora read her diary (why do guys always do that in stories?)

And I reallllly want them to become friends again I can't stand it T_T

Keep it up pal ;)

 

Chapter 19: Expect the Unexpected

Kairi​

A cold breeze blew across the sands of Destiny Islands. Even though it was summer, the night air must have been below 60 degrees. The beach was completely deserted, except for one person. As if challenging the weather, they sat defiantly by the shoreline, apparently not caring if they caught a cold. That person was Kairi.

Kairi sat huddled on the beach for a long time, staring off into the starry sky. The memories were taunting her. She couldn’t forget about her mother, father, or Xehanort. No matter how hard she tried to shake off the memories, they kept coming back with a vengeance. “Stop.†She muttered into the cold night air. The haunting continued. “Stop!†She said louder as she clutched her head, her world spinning. They didn’t end. If they didn’t let up soon, Kairi was certain that she would lose her mind.

“Do you want the memories to discontinue?†A deep voice came out of nowhere. Kairi jumped to her feet and looked around. She didn’t see anything. Had she lost her mind already?

“Well, do you?†Kairi turned around and saw a figure clothed in a black coat behind her. The cloak had a zipper down the middle with it open at the bottom, revealing boots. His face was concealed by a hood.

“Who are you?†The girl took a step backward, only to find herself backed up against a tall rock. She felt a rush of panic run through her body.

“My name is of no importance.†The figure stood still. “I can terminate the memories. That is, if you want me to.†He outstretched a hand.

Something about the situation seemed very familiar to Kairi. What was it? Why did the man in the black coat seem so familiar, yet so unknown? As hard as she tried to remember, she couldn’t recall anything. “What’s the catch?â€

“Catch? Why does there have to be a catch? All you have to do is trust me. That’s all.†Kairi got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. For some reason, she felt that she shouldn’t trust the mysterious man.

“No.†Kairi said, shaking her head. “I don’t trust you. I have the feeling that you’re not my friend. Am I right?â€

“You are correct.†The man chuckled as he withdrew his hand. “If you don’t trust, then I’ll just have to eliminate you.†Two red light sabers suddenly appeared out of nowhere in his hands. He roared as he brought them both down on Kairi. The girl quickly jumped out of the way, barely dodging the sudden attack. But she wasn’t away from danger yet. The mysterious man retaliated and swung his sabers into her right side. She gasped in pain as she fell to the ground. She helplessly looked up to the man.

“Why are you doing this?†She wheezed as she grabbed her throbbing side, trying to sit up, only to fall flat on her back.

“You do not yet know your destiny. I must keep you from learning the truth.†He brought down his weapons on her. She shut her eyes tightly, prepared for the end.

Cling!

Kairi opened her eyes and saw that the light sabers rest a few inches above her chest, halted by another weapon. It looked like what the others had called a “keybladeâ€. The terrified girl looked to her right. Sora?! Sora had come to save her! Kairi momentarily forgot her anger towards him, feeling extremely fortunate that he had come to her rescue. Her heart leapt inside her chest as she held her breath. Sora grunted as he pushed up on the light sabers and freed Kairi. “Run!†He yelled as he leapt at the man. Kairi nodded and ran away. She was trembling so much that she tripped over her own feet when she was only 10 feet away. She crawled away, holding onto her injured side. She leaned herself against a rock and had a clear view of the battle. Black and white vines soared through the air while Sora gracefully avoided them all while hitting the man several times with his keyblade. He made it look so easy! Kairi gasped as she saw Sora fall. But he landed on his feet, just in time to defend himself from a significant blow. Sora is such a good fighter. He can survive anything, Kairi thought as Sora jumped backwards and swung at his foe again. She had spoken to early. The man withdrew his light sabers and put his arms out in front of him. A dark ball of energy appeared around his hands as an even large one trapped Sora. Kairi watched in horror as his body was lifted into the air, trembling with pain. He couldn’t escape.

“Sora!†Kairi cried as she forced herself to rise to her feet. What can I do? The girl looked around and saw a rock lying on the ground. It wouldn’t help her. “Stop!†She screamed desperately as she ran into the battle scene. Leaping up off the ground, she kicked the man in the face, knocking him back a few steps. When she landed, she looked right to Sora. The circle entrapping him disappeared. He fell to the ground. Kairi knelt beside his unconscious body and looked back to the man, anger burning in her eyes. Who would want to kill her?

The hood had fallen back from the force of Kairi’s attack. The man looked her in the eye. She gasped. Those eyes! Those yellow, emotionless eyes! “Xehanort.†Kairi whispered as she instinctively leaned back away from him, horrified. How was he there? Namine had told her that Sora had destroyed him! How could this possibly be happening?

“That is what I used to be called. Now, I am Xemnas. And you, princess, are in big trouble.†Xemnas called back his weapons as he slowly began walking towards them.

“Sora? Wake up!†Kairi shook him. The nobody was getting closer. “Please!†She pleaded, near tears. Xemnas now stood right in front of them.

“Now, this will all finally end with the final Princess of Heart dying.†He swung his sabers at Kairi. She raised up her arms in self defense and looked away.

Bang!

Kairi cracked open her eyes when she realized that she didn’t feel any pain. Had she died? No. Her jaw dropped when she saw what had stopped the attack. A barrier had appeared in front of her and Sora. Xemnas growled as he swung at them again. Kairi stared at him, eyes wide as the weapons bounced off the shield again. She gasped when she saw that her hands were glowing with white light. She had made the shield? But how?

“You are a Princess of Heart, Kairi.†Xemnas withdrew his light sabers. “You will find that this has its advantages and disadvantages. You get magical powers by birth. However, many people try to take advantage of the princesses.†He smirked evilly. “As I did, many years ago. Do you remember, princess?â€

“You killed my mother and father. You sent me away from everything that I ever loved and cared about. You used me.†Kairi rose to her feet, feeling more confident with each word she spoke. “You’ll pay for that.†She raised up her fists and got into a battle stance, fortunate that she had taken karate lessons for a little while a few years ago. She prayed that she would remember what her teacher had taught her.

“You would do well to remember that I am far more powerful than you are, little girl. Yes, you have power. But you forget that you don’t know how to control them.†Kairi pondered what he said. Xemnas was right. “I will kill you the same way that I killed your mother long ago.â€

Kairi lost her courage and began to run away, knowing that Xemnas would be close behind her. At least he wouldn’t go after Sora again. She had saved his life. But who would save her now? Dare she turn around to see how close Xemnas was? While continuing her run, she looked over her shoulder. The man was gone? That didn’t make any sense! Kairi turned back around and saw that Xemnas had appeared in front of her. While she tried to halt her running, he reached out and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her slowly into the air. “Doesn’t this bring back memories?†Xemnas asked evilly, knowing what was going through the girl’s head. “Like mother like daughter.â€

Kairi raised her arms and tugged at the man’s grip, trying to stop the strangling. She couldn’t. She was going to die. “No.†She coughed out. She wasn’t going to give up that easily. She felt a warm glow in her heart. She smirked as the light completely enveloped her and Xemnas.

“No! Not...light!†Xemnas cried out, dropping Kairi to the ground. The girl gasped for breath, relieved to be free. She looked back up to Xemnas, who was being torn apart by the light. It appeared as if he was trying to escape, but the powers of light stopped him. He finally broke away from the light and disappeared in a puff of black smoke, looking somewhat confused and strangely satisfied at the same time.

Is he gone forever? Kairi wondered as she slowly forced herself to her feet, feeling extreme pain in her side. She looked around and saw that he had indeed disappeared from her sight. She gasped when a memory returned to her. Sora! He was still lying unconscious on the beach. The girl grabbed her side as she hobbled over to Sora. By the time she was at his side, he was starting to sit up, groggily rubbing his head. Kairi collapsed at his side, looking at his face.

“What happened?†Sora asked as he positioned himself in an upright position. He didn’t look injured, only confused. His eyes bolted open when he realized what happened. “Xemnas!†He jumped to his feet, keyblade in hand. “Where is he?†The boy looked around wildly.

“He’s gone.†Kairi tapped him on his side, unable to reach his shoulder. “I don’t know where he went.â€

“Why is he even back in the first place?†Sora mumbled as he sat back down on the beach. He looked over to Kairi and saw that she was avoiding eye contact. “What’s wrong, Kairi?â€

“You should know, Sora.†She said coldly, surprised he hadn’t caught on yet. “It was Xemnas. Formerly known as Xehanort. The man who murdered my parents. Ring a bell?â€

Sora looked her in the eye, sadness evident in his own. “I’m sorry; I didn’t think of it that way.â€

“I know.†The girl said quietly, looking down into her lap. The world began to spin, but she succeeded in hiding it from Sora.

“Are you alright?†He asked sincerely.

“He hurt me kind of badly.†She said, thinking that she sounded pretty pathetic and helpless as tears flooded her eyes. She looked away, trying to hide the surge of emotion. She felt Sora’s gentle hand lift hers off of her side wound and move it aside. She gasped softly as the cold air hit her wound, a tear making its way down her cheek. She quickly brushed it away with her other hand.

“You’re bleeding.†Sora said tenderly as he looked at her blood soaked shirt. Kairi turned around and saw him digging in his pockets. The boy sighed. “Of course, now of all times I don’t have a potion. Oh, no wait, yes I do.†He took a small bottle out of his pocket and offered it to Kairi. It was only half full. “Drink the rest of it, and you should only feel a little bit of pain.

Kairi grabbed the bottle and quickly drank it all. The pain immediately dissolved, leaving her feeling almost as good as new. “Thanks.†She leaned back against the rock, looking out to sea. The moon light reflected off the water and created a serene feeling. She and Sora sat in silence. Kairi didn’t know what to do next. She still felt mad at Sora for reading her journal, but, he had just saved her life. And it was so obvious how much he cared for her. Could she forgive him?

No, not yet. But soon.

“I’m sorry.†He said, knowing exactly what they were both thinking about.

Kairi nodded. “I know. And I accept your apology, but I’m just not ready to forgive you yet. Or trust you.†She put it pretty bluntly. Maybe too much. She turned to look at Sora, who was staring at her with sorrow evident in his eyes. But he didn’t look surprised.

“It’s alright. I wouldn’t expect anything less. After all, you don’t really know me, do you?†He meant it as a joke, but it didn’t come out as one. They both looked away and faced the ocean. They sat in silence for a while. The only sound that could be heard was the soft sound of waves crashing against shore. Rather than breaking the awkward tension, the normally soothing noises only added to discomfort of Kairi. She wanted to get up and leave, but for some reason, she wouldn’t let herself leave him. Why was that? Suddenly it hit her. She knew exactly why she couldn’t leave him.

She was still afraid.

“Why do you think he came back?†Kairi asked softly, breaking the silence.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sora shrug. “I have no idea how or why he’s returned. But he’s back now.†Sora suddenly turned to Kairi. “And he’s after you for some reason. Do you have any idea why?â€

Kairi looked down. “He said something about me being a ‘Princess of Heart.’ And me not knowing my destiny yet.†She looked back up, endless questions in her eye. “Do you know my destiny, Sora?

The boy shook his head. “Each person has to figure out their own destiny. At least, that’s what I believe.â€

“Oh.†Kairi turned away. Her eyes filled with tears. She had no idea why she felt so sad. So abandoned. So lonely. She abruptly rose to her feet, not wanting Sora to see her crying. “I’m going home. Goodnight.†She walked away, not waiting for an answer.

“Would you like me to walk you home?†Sora’s voice called from behind her. She shook her head and continued walking. As she walked, she kept her head down, trying to hide her tears. Kairi jumped when she felt a raindrop on her shoulder. She looked to the sky and heard thunder rumble in the distance. Another drop of rain landed on her forehead. And on her arm. She closed her eyes as the rain began to pour down from the sky. Blanketed by the thick rain, her tears were barely visible. The tears broke through their dam and ran down her face, blending in with the falling rain. She began to sing softly, so nobody could hear her sorrowful song except for her.

The lights go out all around me
One last candle to keep out the night
And then the darkness surrounds me
I know I’m alive but I feel like I’ve died

Her voice was so gentle and quiet, almost as if she wasn’t sure what she was singing. But she knew the song by heart. It was her theme song during the hard times in her life. She continued singing.

And all that’s left is to accept that it’s over
My dreams ran like sand through the fists that I’ve made
I try to keep warm
But I just grow colder
I feel like I’m slipping away

She broke down into quiet sobbing again, her eyes shut to keep the rain out of her vision. She was startled when she felt arms wrap around her and hold her tightly. She opened her eyes a crack and saw that Namine was the one who held her in an embrace. She wasn’t alone. Not anymore. After standing in the downpour for who knows how long, Namine gently led Kairi insie and delicately tucked her other into her bed, where she quickly fell into deep sleep.
*****

The song that I used in the end is called “Beauty from Painâ€. It’s by Superchick. I love that song.

Whoa, I can’t believe I’m almost at chapter 20! And no end in sight yet, at least not for you guys. I still have a few things I want to do before I end this fanfic. I start school in a few days. So hopefully after things settle down with that, I’ll have time to write again. Look for the next update in 2, 3 weeks. Sorry it has to take that long, but I have to life my life and not be on the computer all the time.

 

Aww.. that was so emotional.. awesome stuff...

I didn't really get the whole "Xemnas" thing.. it seemed kind of pointless.. but.. whatever floats your boat lol.

I wish you could've given Sora some more rope - i wanted him to comfort Kairi more, I hate characters that are too angsty (sp?)

I wanna love story! Lol.

Good work keep it up xD

 

Sora was probably the one hurting the most, despite all these Kairi craziness. After all, Kairi doesn't remember... But Sora did.

 

True, but the fanfic is called "Saving Kairi", so she's the main character =)

Don't worry, I have my reasons for randomly putting Xemnas in there. And as for Sora and Kairi...I know you're a fangirl of the pairing. I promise not to disapoint =).

I already started on chatper 20, but that doesn't mean that it'll be up anytime soon. But, since I did get such a good headstart, it'll probably only be a 2 week wait max.

....yeah.

 

Chapter 20: True Love

Kairi​

“Kairi.†A gentle voice murmured in her sleepy ears. She was half aware of a hand lightly pushing her hair off her face. What a great feeling, knowing that somewhere cared about her. She desperately wanted to melt away, back into dreamless sleep, where reality didn’t haunt her. Kairi took in a deep, wobbly, breath, trying to relax so she could go back to sleep.

But, because she did want to go back to sleep, sleep eluded her grasp. Out of curiosity, she peeked open her eyes to see who the voice came from. There, on the edge of her bed, sat Selphie, concern etched across her face. When Selphie saw that her friend was awake, she offered a small, comforting smile. “Hey, sleepyhead. How are you feeling today?â€

“Not good.†She gurgled. Her head throbbed, her stomach churned, and she felt a sense of hopelessness deep inside.

Selphie put a hand to Kairi’s forehead. She quickly took it away. “You’re burning up, Kairi.†Her voice sounded so caring and sweet. Her eyes shone with sympathy. It almost made Kairi cry. Except for the fact that she had used up all her tears the night before. She felt so numb; all that she wanted to do was sleep. But she didn’t want to worry Selphie, the one friend she had left. At least, the only one she really knew. Kairi must have looked dazed, because Selphie leaned over and gave her a sisterly kiss on the forehead, showing her love. “You’re like a sister to me, Kairi. I don’t want to see anything happen to you.†She had tears of worry in her eyes. Kairi stared at her, feeling a small surge of emotion through her lack of feeling.

The redhead sat up in her bed, looking her best friend in the eye. She felt fear rush through her body. What was she so afraid of? Death? Pain? No. The future. Kairi longed for security, for someone to tell her that everything would somehow be alright. But would she even believe them if they told her that? She had seen so many things that she couldn’t ever forget. How could she ever go back to believing in good after she saw how powerful darkness was?

As if on cue, Selphie scoot over towards Kairi and wrapped her tightly in her arms. Kairi felt herself stiffen in her friend’s arms. She didn’t return her embrace. She just sat still and stared off into space, a memory taking over her body.

There, in a hidden cave, sat two young children. Kairi had on a white, sleeveless top while Sora had on a plain white shirt. They knelt on the ground right beside each other, facing the wall. The two had chalk in their hands as they drew on the plain cave wall. After a few minutes of hard work, the friends backed away at the same time, revealing what they were drawing. There, in front of Kairi, was a picture of Sora. And Sora had drawn a picture of Kairi. Kairi’s picture didn’t turn out too bad, but Sora’s didn’t look too much like Kairi. Both faces were looking at each other, smiling widely.

Young Kairi turned to look at young Sora and began to giggle with joy. Soon, Sora joined in. Pretty soon, both of them were rolling around on the ground, laughing at each other’s drawings. As they stood up to leave, Kairi felt herself blush when he smiled at her. What was that feeling that she had felt? Love?

Kairi blinked and the memory disappeared. Those drawings...were they still there?

******

Kairi walked along the seashore, the sun high in the sky. She shivered as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself. The air was cool that day, and the strong winds weren’t helping her warm up. The beach was completely deserted, which was just fine with Kairi. She wanted to be alone. It had taken a while for her to convince Selphie that she wanted to be alone, and now that she was alone, she was going to enjoy it. Even if she really did want someone close beside her, supporting her and loving her, she knew that Selphie would never understand exactly how she was feeling. Nobody could ever understand.

Selphie still didn’t know about her parents. The only person that did know was Sora, and he wasn’t even supposed to know. Kairi couldn’t bring herself to talk about it, even if Selphie was her best friend. But, wasn’t Sora her best friend before? And what about Riku? Didn’t they used to be really close? Where had he been the past few days anyway? Was he avoiding her? Kairi got into her boat and began to paddle. But not before she saw that Riku’s boat wasn’t tied to the deck. He must have gone out to the island too. Maybe she would see him there. Perhaps she would even talk to him about what was going on with her. Maybe he would understand why she felt so sad. Maybe. Maybe...

Maybe she would tell him that she loved him. And maybe he would say it back. Then he would look her in the eye as he pulled her closer, romantically and passionately kissing her. And she would kiss him back. Tears of joy would run down her face, and she would feel complete again. She would make him promise to never leave her again, and he would agree. They would hang out together all the time, holding hands and making kissy faces at each other for fun. Then one day, they would get married and live happily ever after.

At least, that’s what she desperately wanted.

As her boat floated up to the deck, the girl quickly hopped off and tied it securely with some rope. Riku’s boat was tied right next to hers. However, Kairi immediately remembered the real reason she came to the island: the cave. She walked up the deck and up towards the secret spot. She couldn’t say what compelled her to crawl in; she just knew that what she was looking for was inside. The teen stood as soon as the ceiling was high enough, wiping the dirt off of her light pink sweatpants.

Looking around, Kairi saw a few pictures on the cave walls. She tried to decipher what they were, but they were child’s scribbles. They probably were meant to be a specific person or place, but there was no possible way to tell. The girl shook her head, looking around for the picture from her memory. And there it was. She walked towards the pictures, which looked different than she remembered. There, in between the pictures, she saw two hands going opposite directions of each other. In each hand was a papou fruit. It looked as if they were feeding each other the fruit. It looks like Selphie wasn’t lying; we really did like each other.

A howling wind blew outside. Kairi looked up as the skylight roof darkened over as the sun was covered. Kairi shivered, even though she was protected from the outside breeze. She felt so cold inside her heart. She heard rain begin to pitter patter on the cave top, some entering through the hole. She sneezed loudly, the noise echoing through the cave.

“Kairi?â€

Kairi jumped at the voice. She looked around and saw that the voice had come from the entrance hole. She walked closer to it and saw that Riku was walking towards her. He was wearing his usual outfit, even though it was so cold outside. “Riku? What are you doing here?†The rain began to pour harder on the dark cave top. The sound of the drops of water reverberated through the small area.

“I came out to the island to relax, but then the weather got worse. So I was just about to leave when I saw that your boat was still there. I wanted to make sure that you were alright.†Riku looked sincere enough, but why should she trust him? Sora had betrayed her; what was stopping him from doing the same?

She shook her head, quickly changing her mind. This was Riku she was thinking about! The boy that she loved. “So...are you alright?†Riku asked again, breaking through her thoughts. Kairi looked him in the eye. Was she alright? She felt sick to her stomach; her head was pounding with pain, and, of course, she wasn’t too good emotionally.

“I’ve been better.†She put it simply. Kairi couldn’t think of anything else to say. She had so much running through her head...did she want to talk to Riku about it? It would probably help. But she was afraid. Afraid that if she started talking then she would start crying again. She was afraid of what would happen if she spilled her secrets.

Riku walked up behind her and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Do you want to talk about it?†There was nothing demanding in his voice, only care and love. She couldn’t say yes fast enough. Before she even knew what was happening, she spilled everything she felt. How alone she felt. How betrayed she felt when Sora read her journal. Everything. By the end of it all, she did indeed have tears streaming down her face. It was funny, she didn’t feel any better. But that was probably because the situation seemed so hopeless that nothing could have made her feel better.

Riku was silent after she had finished talking. He looked incredibly sad. He was staring right at Kairi; it was as if he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Kairi turned away, feeling exposed and vulnerable. Riku walked up behind her and gently turned her around towards him. He gingerly lift up her chin so he could look directly into her eyes. No doubt he saw hopelessness and loneliness. He wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his shoulder.

And cry she did. For a while, all that she did was stand there and cry into his shoulder, her body trembling with each sob. By the time she was done, the sun shone through the whole in the roof and lit the cave. When she pulled away, the girl didn’t bother wiping away the tears that had stained her face. It wouldn’t have done any good anyway; anybody could see that she had been crying. The tears that fell didn’t even touch the pain that she felt deep inside. Riku rubbed her back. Kairi liked it. She turned around to face Riku, to see what he looked like.

The boy looked very lost. That could have been expected. After all, how do you comfort somebody who has lost everything? It was an impossible task. And he knew it too. He didn’t understand her pain. He knew that it was bad, but he couldn’t possibly know the pain of losing it all to someone evil. Kairi only wanted to hear one simple thing: “It’ll be alright.†She needed to hear it. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be able to go on.

“I want to show you something.†Riku said softly, motioning for her to follow. He walked towards the cave entrance and crawled out. Kairi followed without hesitation. After crawling out, she saw that Riku was standing by the entrance, offering her his hand to help her out. She took it and stood up. He pointed up at the sky. “Do you see that?â€

Kairi put her hand above her eyes to block the sunlight. There, running from the islet into the sky, was a beautiful rainbow. All of the colors shone brilliantly. Red, orange, blue...everything. “I don’t get it though. What does the rainbow have to do with anything?â€

Riku looked her in the eye and gently put his hands on her shoulders, forcing Kairi to look at him. “Even though it rained so hard earlier and was so dark before, the sun is out now and the sky is more beautiful now than ever before.†He looked at the rainbow, Kairi keeping her eyes locked on Riku. “Life is the same way. Yeah, there’s pain. There’s sorrow. There’s sadness. But in the end, everything is always alright again. It may take a while, but someday, life will be pleasant again.†He looked back to Kairi. “Do you understand, Kairi?â€

Kairi’s mind was working, opening up to what Riku had said. Maybe he was right. Maybe there had to be night to see day. A storm to see a rainbow. Maybe everything did happen for a reason. “I think I’m beginning to understand.†A small sliver of hope found its way to her cold heart. “Tell me more, please.â€

Riku nodded before continuing. “Right now, everything may seem bleak and hopeless, but it will be alright. There’s a time to grieve and a time to live. Life goes on, and you have to--we all have to find a way to go on with it. Whether we want to just dig a whole and lie there forever or just die, we have to keep moving. Live your life. You owe to those who paid the price for you to have that privilege.â€

Kairi looked at him longingly, her eyes begging him for more. But he had nothing more to say. The redhead sighed and leaned into him, hugging him tightly. “I love you.†She said softly into his chest.

“And I love you too.†Riku replied, returning her embrace. “You’re like a sister to me, Kairi.†Kairi froze. A sister? Is that how he felt about her? She had so desperately wanted him to love her like she loved him before. She did love him, didn’t she?

Reality suddenly hit Kairi. Yes, she loved Riku, but it was like puppy love. He had been kind and compassionate to her in her time of need, and she loved him for it. Maybe she had been wrong all along. She didn’t love him romantically. He truly was like her big brother. She nuzzled in closer and gripped him tighter, enjoying his love. Maybe her family wasn’t alive. But Riku had loved her like the brother she never had. Tears trickled down her face. Maybe happiness wasn’t too complicated. Maybe it came from stringing together the little things.

Maybe all that mattered was that you made the small bits of happiness count for more than the bad. Always see the glass as being half full and not half empty. Being happy all the time is impossible; she realized that. But if she could try to trick herself into being happy, then she would eventually be happy on her own.

Maybe you just get through those bad times. You survive; you get stronger, and continue living your life. Maybe that’s all you can really ask for.

“Let’s go home, Kairi.â€

*****
The end of Chapter 20, hope you enjoyed. This chapter was pretty deep, huh? I think that it was my best one yet. Thoughts? Opinions? Haters? Oh well, leave comments, people!

And also, me and OWS are not doing a fanfic together anymore. It’s my fault. My life is just completely crazy and I can’t do another fanfic for a long time. Sorry everyone.

And as for the nickname, you could just call me KairiGirl or something like that. Or you could come up with something spiffier xD.

 

Be prepared for a freakishly long post lolz.

Omg should have been Sora! I mean, Sora should have been there when she was waking up! I know it wouldn't make sense to the story, but.. *sigh*

Ha! That is soo true! Sora was a shocking artist when he was younger, the drawing of Kairi looks nothing like her lmao.

YAY KairiXRiku!!! Omg you deprived me of it *cries* I want them together! Atleast for one kiss! Even if they realise it is a mistake afterwards! And then you made Riku think of her as a sister...

That was a kiss-moment. C'mon, it was screaming at me to happen. The whole tilt-the-chin-up thing. Lol. I wanted Riku to comfort the poor crying girl, like Tidus did for Yuna. *cheers*

OMG this is beautifully written, the emotions are so deeply felt, you are excellent at portraying(sp?) how a character feels. The rainbow bit was..stunning. Damn I really wanted a KairiXRiku moment!

Lol I love these updates more and more each time.

Hope this post aint too long ;)

Don't worry about the fic, gal. *Hugs* It's not your fault at all.

 

Chapter 21: The Journey

Kairi​

Kairi walked by Riku’s side as they approached their separate boats. They were both silent. But it was alright. They had said everything that needed to have been said. Words didn’t need to break the peaceful silence. One thing did still bother Kairi: Her parents. She wasn’t depressed anymore, but she did want to do something. Something that would allow her to leave them in the past forever. The question was...what could she possibly do? She was about to get into her boat when she stopped herself and spoke.

“Wait. Riku, can I ask you something?†Kairi asked abruptly, surprised that she had spoken herself.

“Sure, what is it, Kairi?†Riku turned away from his boat to look at his friend.

“Can I borrow the gummi ship?â€

Riku looked shocked at her sudden question. He took a moment to take in what she said before answering with a question of his own. “Why do you want to borrow it?â€

“There’s something I need to do.†At that moment, Kairi knew that she needed to face her past and put it behind her. Now. Somehow. Before she fell back into despair. Before she forgot what Riku had taught her.

“You know how to fly the ship?â€

“I think so,†she lied.

“When will you be back?â€

“Soon.â€

He paused. His eyes shone with concern, but he didn’t dare ask her why she wanted to go on her journey. Instead, he told her what she wanted to hear. “Then go. Do what you need to do.â€

******
On the gummi ship, Kairi sat in the driver’s seat. Namine sat to her right in a passenger seat. “What’s going on Kairi? Where are we going?â€

“Radiant Garden.†Kairi turned a switch and the engine roared to life. Namine stared at her other, confused. Kairi was never this secretive. What was going on with her friend? “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?â€

“With the ship? Not really. But it doesn’t matter. It can’t be that hard to drive this thing. It looks pretty familiar, so maybe I did it before. Are you buckled? It’s time to take off.â€

Namine strapped herself in and saw Kairi doing the same. The red head looked over at her other one last time before pushing a big green button. The ship roared with noise and warped into a dark portal. In front of them was Radiant Garden. Kairi looked down at the computer screen and touched a button on the touch screen. Their surrounding changed yet again as the ship parked itself in an empty part of the world. The red head teen quickly unbuckled and rose from her seat, not bothering to tell Namine to follow. The girl walked out of the ship and looked to her east.

There. There it was. Off in the distance, a huge tower of rubble stood out against the sky. It was different than she had remembered, but at the same time, it was what she had expected. The castle. The same castle that had been there when she was 8 and with her mother. The same castle where she had been taken by Xehanort. The same place where her mother was killed. She had to see it for herself. Then, she knew, that she could move on.

Without thinking, the princess began walking off into the distance toward the castle.

“Kairi! Wait!†Namine ran up beside her and grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop in her tracks and pay attention. “What is going on with you? Why are you being so secretive?â€

“This is my journey, Namine.†Kairi said simply, her voice unreadable. “I need to go in and see this place for myself. Then I can go on.â€

“It’s probably dangerous in there!†Namine cried, her tone shaky. “What if something happens to us?â€

“You mean ‘what if something happens to me.’ I’m going alone, Namine. I’m sorry, but this is something I need to do alone.†Kairi ripped her arm away and continued walking.

“What am I supposed to do, just stand by and wait for you to get hurt?†Namine yelled after Kairi. That made Kairi stop, but she didn’t turn around.

“If I’m not back by sunset, then go into town and get help. But whatever you do, don’t follow me. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.†Her voice was much gentler, which made Namine feel a little bit better. But she was still worried. The nobody watched helplessly in silence as Kairi disappeared into the distance.

Kairi took a deep breath as she continued onward. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the castle. Her heart rate increased as she got closer to the dreaded, apparently abandoned fortress. What if Namine was right, what if it was dangerous? If she was killed....

No, she refused to see that possibility. What could possibly happen at an old, forsaken castle?

Namine​

Namine walked around the ship, pacing. What had gotten into Kairi? Why had she insisted that she went alone? Why wouldn’t she want her best friend by her side when she let go of her parents’ deaths?

Or maybe, that’s why she did want to be alone. This didn’t involve Namine at all. They were Kairi’s parents. Namine didn’t really have parents, since she was born a nobody.

The nobody looked around and saw a suitcase on one of the seats. She opened it and saw that Kairi had packed enough clothes for a week. Or more. How long was she planning on staying? She had told Riku that she would be back home soon. Had that been a lie?

Riku. Namine closed her eyes and thought back. Kairi had told him that she loved him. The blonde had been shocked, to say the least, but she was happy when Riku had told her that he loved the redhead as a sister. Namine could tell that Kairi was actually happy with his answer, which warmed Namine’s heart. Riku really was a good guy, she realized. Whether he actually did love Kairi or not, he let her down gently. He knew that Sora liked her, and he would never betray his best friend.

And Sora...he seemed decent too. Yes, he had read Kairi’s diary. But he had also come to her rescue when Xemnas attacked.

Namine took in a deep, sudden breath. What if Xemnas attacked Kairi again? She was all alone now; it was the perfect time to strike! She should follow her friend, she knew. But Kairi had forbidden her from coming. The blonde took a seat and put her hands to her head, deep in thought.

After a while, the nobody finally reached a decision. She had no choice but to wait at the ship for Kairi’s return. No matter how dreadful the suspense, Kairi’s anger at being followed would be ten times worse than the suspense.

Kairi​

The teen walked through the halls of the castle, avoiding spider webs and rubble as she looked around. The place was falling apart. It looked as if nobody had been inside for two or three years. But Kairi didn’t come to see what condition the building was in. She needed to see that room. The room.

Kairi looked up and saw light pour through the broken ceiling. The light was fading quickly though. Pretty soon, it would be too dark for Kairi to explore the castle. And Namine was probably stressing already that Kairi wasn’t back. “I wish I had a light,†the girl muttered as she walked through a darker hallway. As if on cue, her right hand began to glow with a bright white light. She smiled. Having power wasn’t so bad.

A sudden rumbling started up behind Kairi. She turned around and saw that the roof was collapsing. She began to run, trying to avoid the falling debris and the stuff that was already lying on the ground. Her heart rate increased rapidly, sweat running down her face. How much longer could she avoid the collapsing roof? But what was that ahead? Light. She ran faster, trying to get into the open area. She leapt to avoid the rubble and landed safely in the open area. Panting, she rose to her feet and turned back the direction she came from. The hall was completely blocked. There was no way she could get back out that way. She was trapped. Kairi growled in frustration. Bad stuff like this ALWAYS happened to her. Most of the time, someone was there to save her, but not this time. Namine wasn’t even there to help.

The frustrated redhead looked down and saw that her right hand was still glowing white. She took a deep breath. She might as well try and figure out how her powers worked now, since there was no other way out. Calmly, she raised her hand and was shocked to see that the rubble began to tremble. Kairi quickly withdrew her hand. The movement stopped. Amazed, she tried again. The girl moved her hand in a graceful, circular motion. One loose piece of rubble moved in the same manner.

Suddenly, Kairi had an idea. She turned around and shot her hand up towards the roof. The big piece of debris shot upward and crashed into the roof, bringing down a ton of rocks towards Kairi. Panicking, she raised her hands in front of herself to block the falling roof. A moment before the inevitable impact, a shield surrounded Kairi, protecting her from the danger. As soon as the collapse ended, she put her hands back to her side, astonished.

At first, she was amazed at her own power. Then she was shocked when she discovered where she was. Since the roof was no longer there, light poured into the room, showing her location. She was in that place. The entrance hall. The same room that she was in when Xehanort killed her mother. There, in front of her, were the remains of a fountain. And along its sides, there were two sets of stairs. Slowly, she walked up towards the center of the room. There. That was the exact spot where she had seem her mother fade away. Kairi grabbed her head as her world began to spin. She took in breaths quickly, hyperventilating. Her world blackened as she fell to her knees, fighting to stay conscious.

She had been wrong. She couldn’t handle it. She just couldn’t. Her breathing was very erratic. She felt like she wanted to sleep forever and never wake up again. It didn’t seem too hard. Unconsciousness would bring great relief. But her body instinctively kept her conscious. Kairi felt sweat drip down into her eyes. What was going on with her? Why were her emotions suddenly so strong? She had been so strong before...so determined. And now...here she was, lying on the ground, gasping for breath. Who was this weak, defenseless girl?

Kairi screamed, her voice echoing through the forsaken castle. Whether it was out of frustration, anger, or sadness, she didn’t know, but she had screamed anyway. And it felt good. She screamed again, defiantly rising to her feet. She swung her hand at where the old library door used to be and dully noticed a bright white light crash against the rubble that had been blocking the door. An explosive noise erupted from that side of the room.

Panting, the girl turned around and saw that the wall had collapsed, opening a path. The wall was completely obliterated. Had she done that? No way. There was no way that she could have the power to cause that destruction...or did she? She shook her head, chasing away the thoughts. She pushed her hair back out of her face and ran towards the library.

Walking through, she was surprised to see that the library wasn’t in bad shape. A few book shelves were knocked down, but most of them were still intact. She walked through, eyeing the spine of books as she walked. One of them caught her attention. It had no name, but it looked almost magical. Kairi stopped and hesitantly pulled out the book. Gently, she wiped away the dust, revealing a bright pink cover. It sparkled with a mysterious glow. She opened the book and began to read.

The door will be locked
Friends shall go separate ways.
A new evil will rise from nonexistence
Only to be defeated by those with strong hearts.

Troubles will continue
The worlds will still need a savior
Darkness will be stronger than ever
But tamed by one special princess

The princess will lose her way,
Only to discover that she has great power.
She will go through many trials.
Nobody will be able to comprehend her pain.

But still, she will find her way again.
Hope will fill her heart.
The light will never disappear completely.
Although hidden in the darkness,
Light still exists.

Kairi quickly slammed the book shut and put it back in the shelf. Wasn’t she...wasn’t she a princess? The second half of the poem, it was about her, wasn’t it? Did she dare to open the book again to find out more?

Before she could stop herself, she reached out and opened the book again, this time to a different page. She began to read, taking in each and every word.

Ones born of the heart and darkness,
devoid of hearts,
ravage all worlds and bring desolation.

Seize all hearts and consummate the great heart.
All hearts to be one,
one heart to encompass all.

Realize the destiny:
The realm of Kingdom Hearts.
The great darkness sealed within the great heart.

Progeny of darkness,
come back to the eternal darkness.
For the heart of light shall unseal the path.

Seven hearts, one keyhole,
one key to seal the door.
The door to darkness tied by two keys

The door of darkness to seal the light.
None shall pass but shadows,
returning to the darkness.

Ones born of the heart and darkness,
hunger for every heart
until the dark door opens.

Kairi stared at the page, confused. What did that mean, anyway? The only thing that she could surmise was that the “Seven hearts†must be the seven princesses. Guessing by the poem, the seven princesses worked with the keyblade master to seal the keyhole. But what was it about the door to darkness?†Two keys� Did somebody else have a keyblade?

The princess shut the book and began to walk away with it still in hand. I’ll keep this, she decided. Since it obviously has something to do with me. As she stepped over the rubbles of the library, she looked to the sky. It was bright with a colorful sunset. Sunset!? How had it gotten so late? Namine was probably heading into town right now to get help. Kairi didn’t want anybody knowing that she was here, that would be too weird! She hardly knew anybody in town; she didn’t want to burden them with worrying about her. Maybe she could make it back before dark if she hurried.

Running through the dark passages, the girl ran as fast as she could while trying to trip the debris. When she made her way back to the entrance room, she remembered something important: Her path was blocked by rubble. How was she supposed to get out now? It took her only a second to figure out a way, which was using her powers. Earlier, she had destroyed the roof. Apparently she had telekinesis. Of course, she didn’t dare to knock down anything else, since the whole castle might collapse on her.

But, what if she escaped through the now open roof? She looked around and saw an old desk-like object in the corner. Stretching out her right arm, her hand began to glow with power. The desk moved closer. When it reached her feet, she jumped on top of it, placing the book down beside her feet. Kairi took one last look up before slowly raising her arms. The desk began floating in the air, towards the sky. She took a deep breath in and tried not to look down, since she was afraid of heights. As soon as she made it into the sky, the girl let out a sigh of relief. She put her arms at her side and was shocked when the big piece of wood moved in the right direction.

Faintly, Kairi could see the ship in the distance. She wished that she didn’t need to face Namine, but she knew that it was unavoidable. The red head would never admit it to anyone, but she still felt dazed from her journey. She needed to take it in before she ever told anyone. What happened in there would be her little secret.

As she neared the ship, Kairi decided that she would land before Namine saw her. There were some small cliffs to her right; if she put down the desk there and walked the rest of the way, then Namine would have no clue about why she had been riding a desk. Or how, for that matter. Namine didn’t need to know about how the roof collapsed or anything dangerous. Kairi landed, picked up the book, and began to walk back.

Kairi was so deep in thought that she barely noticed that she was right by the ship. At the door, she hesitated, hoping and praying that Namine was still there. Before she could open the door, it shot open, Namine just about running her over. She had just enough time to slip the book inside her little bag so Namine wouldn’t see it.

“Kairi! You’re back! Get inside, you must be cold.†Kairi followed her other inside. “What took you so long? I was just about to head into town to get help! What happened back there? Are you alright? Why are you so dirty and dusty? Was there danger back there?†Namine continued her rant without letting Kairi answer. “Are you even listening to me?â€

“I was, but then I started tuning you out since you weren’t letting me answer anything anyway.†Kairi chuckled softly.

“This is serious!†Namine snapped. “What took you so long? What happened back there?â€

“Nothing much.â€

Namine searched Kairi’s eyes, knowing that it was a lie. “So you’re not going to tell me? I’m your best friend, aren’t I?â€

“If you were, then you’d understand that this is something has to deal with me. Not you.†Kairi replied harshly. “Now look, maybe someday I’ll tell you. But right now, I just want to be alone.â€

“You’re never alone! I’m always with you whether you like it or not.â€

“Well I don’t like it. Not now. All that I want is to be alone right now!†Kairi’s voice rose to a screech.

Namine suddenly raised a hand to slap Kairi. The sound of impact echoed throughout the ship. “How can you say that? I’m only trying to be there for you!†Kairi’s face registered the hit with anger and disappointment.

“I don’t need your sympathy.†Kairi walked away towards the back of the ship and locked herself in one of the bedrooms, crying herself to sleep.

******
That’s Chapter 21. I realize that it may not have been my best, but it still turned out pretty well. And it was a little longer than usual. Let me know what you all think, ok? I’m so happy that I got this done in such a short amount of time, considering how busy I am with school and other stuff now.

And also, that second long thingy that Kairi reads is from the end of KH in the End Of The World. It's in a spot you can only visit one time. In case you were wondering. I wrote the first one.

Oh, and thank you SO much for all the feedback guys. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. Seriously. Ya’ll rock.

 

that was realy great.
that second poem was familier but i didn't know what but it was from the End Of The World.

anyway you should do more poems they are great.

 

cool story ^_^

wow what a cool story. how did you come up with that? i can never think of a story that cool. kairi is one of my sisters favorite Characters in kingdom hearts. COOL STORY!!!!!!!!!^_^

 

Well, Im kind of not reading much fanfiction at the moment, but I somehow got magically drawn to this thread again lol.

Ooh Kairi and Namine getting all catty at the end? I thought they'd start some kind of b*tchfight. That would have been hilarious but terribly OOC.

It was good, it was slightly shorter than previous chapters and so I found it easier to read.

Good work *reps*

(:

 

Man...I don't really know what to say, I'm really impressed. This story is turning out really well. It's pretty different from any fan fics I've read so far, definately in a good way. I did think the whole telekinesis thing was a little odd, but it does seem to fit in well with the story. Can't wait for the next update.

 

Chapter 22: Journey Pt. 2

Kairi​

When Kairi awoke the next morning, her body felt ten times its normal weight. A tiny stream of light poured into the room through the bottom of the door. Where was she, anyway? This wasn’t her room. At that moment, she remembered. She was in the gummi ship. Locked in one of two of the available bedrooms. Why? Because of Namine. She never knew when to shut up, did she? Kairi had thought that if anyone would understand her situation, Namine would. She had been terribly wrong.

But then again, Kairi had said some pretty nasty things last night too. The girl reached over and turned on the light on the lamp stand. Light filled the room. She rose and picked up her notebook and pen. She began writing without thought.

June 30th

I came to Radiant Garden so I could put my horrible past behind me. I was so strong and determined when I came, but I was wrong. I couldn’t do it. I don’t know why, I just couldn’t. That’s the only thing that matters to me right now. I don’t care about my destiny, my amnesia, or anything. I just want to be able to move on. But...I guess I can’t really until I get my memory back, can I?

She paused, then continued writing.

No, I refuse to believe that. I will put it behind me. Somehow. Someway. I’ll figure it out.

Kairi slammed the diary shut and hid it in the pillow case. She quickly took it back out and ripped out a new page. Words flowed onto the page. When she was finished, she placed the note on her pillow, unlocked the door, and silently crawled out her window.

Namine​

Namine got out of bed early that day, since she hadn’t been able to get much sleep last night. What Kairi had said bothered her so much. She didn’t like having Namine as her nobody? Looking back, Namine felt guilty for the events that had occurred last night. It was her fault, and she knew it too. Kairi may have been overly sensitive, but it was Namine’s fault for starting it all. She had to make it up to Kairi somehow.

While pondering on what to do, Namine thought that she heard a noise come from the back of the ship. The nobody walked back to Kairi’s room and softly knocked on the door. “Kairi? Is everything alright?” There was no answer. “Kairi?” Namine asked again as she slowly cracked open the door. It was empty! Where was Kairi?! A cold breeze poured into the room through the open window. A piece of paper fluttered to the ground, right at Namine’s feet. The blonde picked it up and began to read.

Namine,

Remember how close we felt back on the islands? We didn’t need anybody else, which was good, since we only really trust each other. What I said last night...I didn’t lie about anything. I was being completely honest. Maybe a little bit too honest. I do love you, Namine, I really do. I was just frustrated. I still am. And I really just need to be alone for a little while.

By the time you find this note, I’ll be long gone. I’m going on a journey to try and figure out what’s going on inside me.

I hope that you’ll come to forgive me someday. When I come back, I hope that I’ll be a different person. I hope that I can put it behind me. I don’t know when I’ll come back, but I will return when I feel ready.

Love,
Kairi

Tears flooded Namine’s eyes. She shut her eyes as the tears gently slid down her cheeks. She nodded to herself, understanding. She gingerly folded the note back up and left it on the bed. The nobody finally understood how Kairi felt. Her other had been right the whole time; this was Kairi’s journey, and it was hers to make alone.

Namine had twisted the situation so that it was about her and Kairi’s relationship. That was wrong to do, she now realized. She should have been more sensitive and less selfish. Was it too late? Was Kairi gone forever?

No, deep down, Namine knew that she would see Kairi again soon. Maybe while she was gone, Namine could do her own soul searching. The girl walked through the ship to her own bedroom and laid down on the bed, deep in thought. Eventually, she fell asleep, exhausted.

Kairi​

Kairi ran through the vast openness of Radiant Garden, wind blowing through her thin red hair. The sound of her shoes hitting the ground echoed so loudly she was surprised nobody came to see what the noise was. But she couldn’t slow down or do anything to reduce the noise. She had to get away before anyone saw her. Although she was probably already a safe distance away, she wanted to be sure. The teen slid around a corner and leaned herself back against the wall, panting with exhaustion. Was she safe? She surveyed the scene, looking for any sign of people. Yes. She was safely away from everything.

The girl moved forward after she had caught her breath. She must have been running at full throttle for over 10 minutes. She wondered how far away she had gotten from town. Kairi began walking up a hill that rose to her right. The area was exactly like it was back towards the area where the gummi ship was parked. Everything was some shade of purple. Except for the cliffs, which had a tint of blue in them.

A light green began to cover the ground where Kairi was heading. As she ascended up the hill, she saw that it was grass. How could grass grow in a place like this? It wasn’t only grass, there were apple trees too! And beautiful, purple flowers. The meadow was huge! How was it that nobody was here? The sound of a river flowing slowly filled Kairi’s ears. This place was paradise! It was so peaceful...so serene. She felt like she could dance it filled her with such happiness. The girl let out a small laugh, only showing a small amount her happiness. She ran up and started dancing among the trees, a cool breeze refreshing her body and soul.

Even in the middle of Radiant Garden, which wasn’t so radiant, this beautiful meadow existed. A good place inside a bad one. Kairi didn’t know why, but this impacted her deeply. She plopped down into the soft grass and lie on her back, staring at the clear blue sky. For that moment, everything was alright.

Namine​

Namine woke up to find herself in a black area, surrounded by nothingness. She rose to her feet, the grogginess quickly fading away. Where was she? How did she get here? Why was she here?

“Hello?” The blonde’s voice echoed through the emptiness. When there was no response, she felt her heart drop. How was she going to get out of here? Where was here? “Huh?” Namine gasped when a bright white light suddenly appeared. It was coming closer to her. She stood still, trapped by fear. The figure stopped in front of her, the white light slowly dispel. She saw herself. She stared herself in the eye, seeing wisdom in the other her. The nobody jumped back at the sight, shocked. “Who... are you?”

“I’m your memories.” A soft voice responded. “I am here to offer them back to you.” The girl suddenly vanished. Namine frantically looked around for her. Where did she go? How is this happening?

“I’m back here.” the voice beckoned to her. Namine turned around, startled. There she was. The girl slowly ran her arm across the room, speaking as a few screens appeared around them. “Around you, you’ll be able to see your memories from your life before. Watch them. When you awaken, you will be yourself.”

“So, this is a dream.” Namine realized, relieved at the discovery.

“Take all the time you need.” The girl told Namine before vanishing. The blonde lowered herself to the ground and stared at the first screen, memories quickly rushing back to her. Mainly of Castle Oblivion, where she had been forced to obey the Organization. And changing Sora’s memories. But what she remembered most was his kindness. And just like that, the memories were back. And this time, she knew they were here to stay.

*******

Some time later, when the memories were done, tears streamed down Namine’s pale cheeks. How could she have done that to Sora? And yet, he had forgiven her. Why? How could he have had it in him to forgive her? He really was the best guy ever, wasn’t he?

No, he wasn’t meant for her. Her boy was Roxas. Her heart fluttered at the thought of him. She had made mistakes with their relationship, but he didn’t seem to mind her imperfections. He loved her anyway. Now she had to see him! She had to tell him that she got her memory back. She should just take the ship and go, run into his arms, and tell him that she loved him.

Namine would have done that, if she was the only one who was here. Kairi was still away, rediscovering herself. Namine desperately hoped that Kairi had gotten her memories back at the same time as Namine. If she had, then all their problems would be solved! They could go home and both be happy with their boys. But still, she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Although she desperately hoped she was wrong, Namine felt like she was the only one to get her memories back. But it did say something: Kairi would get hers back soon. She just knew it.

Kairi​

Kairi didn’t know how long she had laid there in the comfortable grass, but it didn’t matter. Her heart was finally filled with peace again, if only for that little while. She wanted to savor it while she could. She was taking advantage of this moment of happiness and serenity. Eventually, as the sun was setting, the red head rose to her feet, stretching out her stiff limbs. A faint breeze blew across the land, refreshing her. Pink flower petals blew in towards her, gently sailing through the air.

Where had the pink flowers come from? The only flowers around here were purple. Kairi looked in the direction of the breeze and saw more petals floating at her. She began walking in the direction, blinking whenever they touched her pale skin.

A few minutes later, she stood in the middle of a field, covered with pink flowers. It went on for what looked like miles and miles. A faint breeze blew across the area. Then, it began in spin around her body, rising a little bit above her head. They were close enough for Kairi to reach out and touch. She found this strange, but she didn’t move.

Kairi... A voice in the breeze said softly. Oddly enough, Kairi was not alarmed at the voice either. The gentle female voice wasn’t terrifying at all...in fact, it was comforting.

Do you recognize me?

It was at this moment that Kairi recognized the voice. Saria’s. Her mother was calling out to her. “Mom?” Kairi asked softly, surprised at the small tremor she heard in her voice.

I love you so much, Kairi.

Kairi felt the tears flood into her eyes. She wanted to say something back; something to let her mom know that she loved her too. But the words wouldn’t come.

I’ll never leave you. No matter what. I’ve always been with you, and I always will be.

Kairi couldn’t hold back her tears anymore; she felt the droplets slide down her face. It was a relief to not have to be strong anymore. But then again, maybe being strong didn’t mean that you never cry; maybe being strong meant that you were brave enough to let go of your pride and show vulnerability. The girl reached out and put a petal safely in her fist, promising herself that she would treasure it forever. The wind suddenly stopped, the petals falling to the ground around her. All was silent.

Why did you ever doubt that?

Guilt filled Kairi’s heart. How could she have ever doubted? Her mother was obviously always with her, wasn’t she? “I’m so sorry.” A choked up Kairi whispered.

For what?

“For doubting...for forgetting about you. For being so selfish and....” the words poured out before she realized what she was saying “....and I’m sorry for letting you die.” Everything was silent for a while, then the voice returned, softer than ever.

Child, that was never your fault. Xehanort was the one who killed me, not you. That’s the truth.

Kairi began to sob, knowing that her mother was right. Even if she wanted to speak, there was no way that she could have spoken through her tears. So she just kept crying.

Don’t ever forget, Kairi. I love you.

The teenager finally found her voice. “I love you too!” She screamed, her voice sure and full of emotion. “I love you so much, mom.” Kairi continued to sob, her body shaking uncontrollably. But she wasn’t crying out of sadness. In fact, she didn’t know why she was crying. She just was. “I won’t ever forget! I won’t!”

I’ll stay with you forever,Saria promised.

The breeze began pick up again, blowing the petals up towards the sun. Kairi watched them disappear into the sunlight until she couldn’t look anymore. A lone flower petal stayed with her, entrapped in her fist. Without thinking, she began walking away, a different person than she was a day ago. She had found new strength, thanks to her mother. The girl knew the truth: she was ready to continue on in life, memory loss or not. It didn’t matter anymore to her. Her past would no longer hold her back. And she knew that she wouldn’t forget about anything that had happened to her; she just wouldn’t.

It was time to go home, back to Namine and her other friends. It was time for her to move on and try living her life. It was time to go where she belonged, where she was loved. Home. Destiny Islands.

Kairi continued walking, in a daze. But it was alright; her shock wasn’t caused by anything horrific. Her mother...her dead mother...had just communicated with her. She didn’t find it strange that she did, but it still shocked her into silence.

When she reached the ship, she saw Namine standing in the doorway, staring at her. She stared back, pain no longer in her clear blue eyes. At the same time, both girls charged towards each other and hugged tightly, not unlike two long lost sisters. Eventually, they walked inside the ship. Neither spoke the whole time, silence was communication itself. Kairi didn’t know why, but she sensed joy emanating from her other. She couldn’t bring herself to break the silence though. Besides, surely she would hear about it later. With the press of a button, the girls were home, stronger and braver than ever.

********
I’ve been dreaming of writing that flower-petal thing for weeks now, I don’t know why. Hope this chapter wasn’t too disappointing. I feel like it was good but not great. Let me know what you think, and keep leaving messages! Thanks for all the comments, guys. I really appreciate it =).

 

you call this good it's great.
i don't know why but i saw that flower-petal part in my head look good.

 

*crying eyes out*

I'm never talking to you again! You made me cry! T_T


...


Only kiddin'. It did bring tears to my eyes though.. O.O
Very good. Nice use of emotions in this chapter xD
Good stuff, gal.

 

Chapter 23: That Sinking Feeling

Kairi​

Kairi and Namine sat in the ship for a few moments, staring at their home from a distance. Kairi didn’t know why she was hesitating; she wasn’t afraid. Not of the things that she used to be, anyway. Maybe she just wanted everything normal right away. Her memories back, her friends by her side. That would be great, she thought.

“Kairi, I have to tell you something.†Namine blurted, making Kairi jump. Before Kairi could say anything, Namine kept going. “When you were gone, I fell asleep and had this really weird dream...and then, when I woke up, I had my memories back. Everything.†Kairi stared at her other, her mouth agape. She had known that something was different about Namine, but she wasn’t expecting this. “You didn’t get yours back, did you Kairi?†The red head shook her head. “I thought so.â€

“Why?†Kairi finally spoke. This time, it was Namine’s turn to be silent. The blond only shrugged. For a little while, they sat there and stared at each other. Then Kairi abruptly looked down and pushed the button, landing the ship on the island. This is it. This is home. Kairi felt perfectly comfortable with that statement; she may have been from Radiant Garden, but she knew now, even without many memories of this place, that this was her real home.

The two girls walked out the ship, side by side. Hand in hand, they walked down the beach. Neither girl could specifically say why they were holding hands, they just wanted to. They weren’t afraid...much. Maybe they wanted support. Or maybe, they just wanted to feel each other near.

“Kairi! Namine!†A male voice yelled from afar. The two girls stopped and looked around, trying to find out where the voice came from. They looked up towards the littlest island, where their favorite papou tree sat. Sora was running across the bridge and suddenly jumped off, landing right behind them with a soft thud. “You’re back!†He said happily, basically jumping off the ground with excitement. Kairi couldn’t help but giggle at how this 17 year old could look so young and childish in his excitement.

“Yeah, we’re back.†Kairi said a little softer, offering a small smile. She was happy to see him, but at the same time, she didn’t really know him that well. At least not now. But hopefully that would change soon.

While Kairi was thinking, a bright light momentarily blinded her. When she opened her eyes back up, she saw that Roxas was standing next to Sora, staring at Namine. His eyes were wide and full of awe. He hadn’t actually seen Namine for a while, and he could probably tell that something was different.

“Namine...you...look different.†Roxas said slowly, confirming Kairi’s suspicions. The redhead looked over to her other and saw her smile confidently. She hadn’t seen this side of Namine in a while, and it filled her with joy to see her so poised.

Namine reached out and took Roxas by the arm. “Let’s go talk somewhere.†She began to pull him away, towards the dock. Roxas only nodded and trailed behind her. Kairi smirked at the look on his face; he looked like a lost puppy dog; confused, but hopeful. It was so cute! She watched them walk away, and then turned to Sora. He looked lost and pretty confused too. Kairi chuckled softly at his awkwardness. She flipped her hair and began walking towards the door that led to the papou tree. She was aware that Sora was trailing close behind. She smiled and continued walking.

Sora​

Sora walked quickly to catch up to Kairi, and when he did, he stayed behind her. Kairi....he couldn’t help but realize how much he had missed her. Of course he’d felt horrible without her around for the past 2 days, but he missed the real her even more. Without memories of him, she was a stranger. He knew her, but she didn’t know him. What a strange, awkward feeling.

He also remembered back to two days ago, when Riku had told him that Kairi took the gummi ship. He had been standing by the rafts on the island, about to look around for Kairi or Riku. He couldn’t remember the exact details of why he was looking for them; Riku’s news quickly distracted him.

“You WHAT?!!?†Sora yelled at Riku, who didn’t even flinch at the shouting.

“I lent Kairi the gummi ship.†He replied calmly. “She said she needed to do something, so I let her borrow it.â€

Sora began pacing, trying to stay calm. He failed. “How could you have done that? She doesn’t even know why to fly the gummi ship. She and Namine are probably dead right now in a burning gummi ship!†He stopped his rant and took in a deep breath. More calmly, he asked another question. “What did she want the ship for anyway?â€

“I don’t know.†Riku looked flustered, as if trying to hide his worry. Sora knew him too well. That expression on his face...it meant he was annoyed with Sora, worried, and frustrated with the circumstances. He had seen that face quite a bit in the last few weeks. He signed and turned away.

“So what do we do now?â€

“Wait.â€

“ ‘Wait?’ That’s all you have to say?â€

“Yup.â€

Sora smirked at the memory. He had been so frustrated with Riku at the time, he wanted to slug him. Fortunately for him (and Riku), he had kept his temper under control. He had simply walked away and paced the entire island for about an hour. Then he went home and paced some more. That’s what he had been doing secretly for the past two days. Well, at least it had been a secret to everyone except himself and Roxas.

And that thought brought him back to reality. Namine had taken Roxas somewhere to talk, and he desperately wanted to know what was going on. Namine had seemed different, but he couldn’t put his finger on what was so special. Maybe he could ask Kairi about it. He ran a little bit to get a fast start so he could jump onto the tree. He landed with ease and took a seat. Kairi walked around the tree and leaned against the trunk and lifted herself onto the tree, never taking her sight off the sea. He followed her gaze and looked out at the ocean, deciding not to ruin the peaceful silence. He’d let her be the one to break the silence. And so they sat in silence.

Namine​

When the two nobodies had arrived at the boats, Namine sat down on the boards and let her legs hang of the edge of the dock. Roxas plopped down beside her, not nearly as graceful as his friend. For a while, all they did was sit there. Namine heard birds flying in the distance, the waves crashing against the shoreline. It was another beautiful day on Destiny Islands, which happened quite often... at least, that’s what she had noticed living there the past two years. It brought her such great joy, being able to remember everything.

“I got my memory back.†Namine finally spoke, making Roxas quickly turn his gaze to her eyes. He saw laughter dancing in her crystal blue eyes. A smile began forming on his lips, causing one to likewise form on Namine’s. The boy began to laugh, softly at first, then growing louder. Namine joined in, her giggling blending perfectly with his laughter. Pretty soon, they were both laughing hysterically, tears rolling down their cheeks. Namine laid on her back and grabbed her stomach, it hurt too badly from all the laughter. But she kept laughing anyway. Roxas followed her lead and leaned back too, his laughter ringing in her ears.

What felt like ages later, the two teens sat back up and wiped away their tears. They stared at each other. Roxas wore a silly grin. Namine smiled happily. “When did this happen?†Roxas asked after they had settled down.

Namine decided to start from the beginning, so Roxas wouldn’t be confused. “Me and Kairi went to Radiant Garden. While she went on her own little journey, I had this weird dream...and then, when I woke up, I had my memories back.†Namine explained as she flipped her hair and got it away from her face.

“Does that mean that...?†Roxas trailed off, seeing Namine shake her head sadly. “I see.†So, Kairi hadn’t gotten her memories back yet.

“But it’ll happen soon.†Namine put in, trying to lighten the mood. “I just know it.†Roxas faked a smile and turned his gaze back to the ocean. His blue eyes glowed in the sunlight, his blonde hair blowing a tiny bit. He looked absolutely gorgeous. Namine turned away and stared out at the ocean, watching the current pull the water in and out. It was a never ending cycle, she knew. But that fact didn’t take away from its natural beauty.

“I’ve really missed you, Namine.†Roxas said softly, slowly looking at the nobody. His eyes showed genuine gladness. “Not just the past few days, but ever since this whole thing began with Kairi. I’ve missed having you around because...I...uh....†Roxas began to mumble incoherently. Namine smiled at his shyness.

“I know.†Namine grabbed his hand and held it in hers. She looked down as she forced the words out. “I love you too.†The girl kept her eyes locked on their hands. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Roxas was staring at her.

“Namine....†Roxas’s voice was unreadable. Namine looked up slowly, not locking eyes with Roxas. The boy leaned closer and locked his lips with hers, kissing her passionately. Namine’s eyes widened, shocked by the affection he showed. She felt herself melt away at his gentle, loving touch. She relaxed and wrapped her arm around him, kissing him back. The girl closed her eyes and felt a single tear stream down her cheek.

Eventually, Roxas pulled away, holding Namine by her shoulders. He saw that she was crying and brought one hand forward, gently wiping away a tear. Namine smiled as she stared deep into his eyes. She pulled herself towards him and hugged him tightly, wanting to stay in the safety of his arms forever.

*******
The two nobodies stayed like that for a long while; then they laid side-by-side on their backs, staring at the clear blue sky. Namine took in a deep breath before sitting upright. “Roxas?†She asked softly, looking at her boyfriend.

“Hmmm?†Roxas sat up and looked at the blonde girl. His eyes locked with hers.

“Thank you.â€

Roxas looked at her, confused. “Why are you thanking me?â€

“Roxas, you’re the sweetest boy I have ever met. Our first encounters weren’t exactly good. I made so many mistakes. But you accepted me anyway.â€

“What did you do?†Roxas was still clueless for some reason. I guess I’ll have to spell it out for him, Namine thought.

“I told you that you weren’t meant to exist. Back in Twilight Town soon after we had met.†The girl felt tears fill her eyes. “I shouldn’t have done that...it was so inconsiderate. You should have hated me, but you didn’t. You tried to save me from DiZ and Ansem. You accepted me despite all my flaws.â€

Roxas pulled her close and hugged again, letting her head rest on his chin. “Namine, I love everything about you. I love how beautiful you are; I love how honest you are; I love how you’re not afraid to be bold. Even with your flaws, you’re perfect in my eyes. I will always love you no matter what.†He promised. And Namine knew that he would never make a promise he wouldn’t break. She began to cry in joy.

And at that moment, Namine felt complete and pure happiness. That moment was absolutely perfect. She got loose from his grip and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She sat on his right again and looked out to sea, completely relaxed.

Kairi​

“You look different, Kairi.†Sora stated, his voice breaking through the silence. “But you said that you didn’t get your memories back. What changed?â€

“I am different.†Kairi responded, not taking her eyes away from the ocean. A few minutes ago, she had enlightened Sora by telling what had happened to Namine at Radiant Garden. He had asked her about it first, which wasn’t surprising. She brought her attention back to the conversation at hand. “I’ve grown up.†They were silent for a little while. Kairi didn’t feel a need to talk, so she let it stay quiet.

“What happened?†Sora asked curiously, looking over at his friend. Kairi began to explain about her experiences at Radiant Garden, leaving out the danger and the discovery of how strong her powers were getting. She basically told him how she had got over the death of her parents. He didn’t need to know all the details; they weren’t important. She left out the part about the book too, which had mysteriously disappeared. She had asked Namine about it, but she had no idea what Kairi was talking about. Kairi knew that she was telling the truth; Namine was a horrible lair. But somehow, she knew that the book had fulfilled its purpose, and she no longer needed it. After she had finished explaining, Sora was pretty much speechless. “Wow.â€

“Hmm?†Kairi turned towards him and looked into his eyes.

“It sounds like you went through a lot.†He said softly. His blue eyes showed sadness. And unmistakable regret. “And I didn’t exactly help by reading your diary, did I?â€

The diary? Kairi had completely forgotten about that. It seemed like that happened ages ago; not a week ago (or however many days it was; she had lost track of the days.) Compared to everything else that had happened, it seemed so minor and unimportant. “Don’t worry about it.†The redhead replied quietly, “It’s not a big deal now.â€

Sora’s eyes lit up with relief. Kairi smiled and turned back to the ocean. Judging by the position of the sun, it was about 5:30 PM. She couldn’t tell for sure though, it was just a guess. Pretty soon, she would head home to get herself unpacked and go to bed. But for now, she felt like sitting and admiring the beautiful scenery of her home. The way that the sun reflected off the ocean, it was just so beautiful. It reminded her of...

The girl grabbed her head as she began to feel dizzy. I think I’ll go home now...Kairi thought to herself as she jumped off the tree. She began walking, feeling herself stumble as she walked forward. Her heart began to beat faster, sweat coming through her skin. Her legs felt like jell-o. She didn’t know what wa happening. She felt panic spread through her body.

“Kairi?!†A panicked voice came from behind her. She turned around and saw Sora, only her vision was swirling and making him barely recognizable. Her feet kept taking her backwards. The girl slipped and fell head first into the water, sinking into the depths of the ocean, consciousness slowly fading away.

*******
....

Good cliffhanger, huh? I know that this one came early; isn’t that a pleasant surprise! Well, that’s Chapter 23. Hopefully 24 will be up soon. Please leave comments.

 

Awwwww! That was so cute with Roxas and Namine! :D And the cliff hanger... *shivers* Drowning is my worse fear... anyways, I can't wait to see if Sora is going to save her or not. Great chapter! :)

 

Very nice, I'm glad she didn't let himi know about the specifics of what happened at the castle. I just hope she isn't having a relapse of that disease...

 

truly a wonderful work of talent combined with great writing schemes and a freakin awesome plot! :rockdover:

 

Roxas and Namine were epic! Loved it! :D