Fast Food Madness: The Epic Return V2

"Four months away really made you think, didn't it?" Kairi asked quietly, tilting her head to the side as she continued to gaze at the boy sitting beside her on the couch. Now that the four months was over, she realized she had a lot of thinking to do herself. But Sora seemed like he'd been pondering over things a lot, by the way he spoke.

 

Sora opened his eyes, looking at the wall in front of him as he adjusted the grip he had on his hands in front of him. "Four months changes a lot," he said, answering Kairi's question indirectly. He discovered a lot of things, about his past, about the worlds, and about life in general. He wouldn't call himself a pessimist, but he wasn't an optimist, either.

 

Kairi nodded in agreement, but noting that Sora couldn't see it, she expressed it verbally. "Yeah... It does." She wasn't sure what exactly he was referring to, but they both were unsure of what occurred in each other's lives while they were seperated. Well, Sora knew a majority of Kairi's, and not just from her; she was sure Namine and Roxas had told him stuff, but she didn't want to think directly about that.

 

Sora nodded wordlessly, still looking at the wall in front of him. He had lost himself in search of answers at Castle Oblivion, and he had never fully recovered from that. Even if that was a while ago compared to other things that had come up, that event still affected him greatly. Of course, he would never admit that to anyone.

 

Kairi looked down at her lap, fumbling with her fingernails at the silence. She wasn't sure what to say anymore. Yeah, she had some questions of her own, but she wasn't going to put herself somewhere she didn't really belong anymore; Sora's life. Plus, Kairi wasn't sure she wanted to know what happened while he was gone, or why Roxas came back before he did. That was a question that had been bothering her since Roxas returned, but she tried to ignore it.

 

Sora took the silence as an opportunity to change the topic, having a feeling that Kairi may have wanted him to say something about what he experienced in the last four months. But he couldn't do that; it wasn't something he talked about. "If it's alright with you, there's something I have to talk to you about," he said softly. "A message, really, that I have to relay." He was going to inform her about what Leon told him in Hollow Bastion, about how Kairi could return to her home world and live there instead of on Earth.

 

When Kairi's eyes found Sora, they were full of curiosity and wonder. "Okay," she replied softly, not sure of what exactly he had to tell her. A message? She wasn't used to hearing these. The last time she did, she had to watch Sora leave. She just hoped this one wasn't as bad as that.

 

Sora looked down at the ground, shifting his grasp on his hands. "Do you remember Leon?" he asked randomly, turning his head to look at Kairi briefly before he looked down at the floor. Before Sora defeated Xehanort's Heartless, Kairi had met Leon and his crew in Traverse Town. It would be easier for him to pass on the message when Kairi had an understanding of whose idea it was for her to return to her former home.

 

Kairi furrowed her eyebrows at the name. Leon? The name sounded familiar, and she concentrated on putting a face on it. The only time she had really interacted with other people that Sora knew was a few years ago, when both Sora and Riku had tried to rescue her. There was a lady with long brown hair, a girl a little older than her with darker hair, and a guy that had a scar on his face. Considering that was the only guy she could really remember, she assumed that was him. "...I think so," Kairi answered, eyes still on Sora. "Why?"

 

"He's the one who's having me deliver this message," Sora explained, turning his head so that he could look at Kairi. "Now that Hollow Bastion is no longer a headquarters for evil, he and his friends live there, since that's their home world." He felt it was necessary to say that, in case Kairi had forgotten or never known in the first place. It had been a short period of time when she was with them, so Sora didn't expect her to know too much about them. "That's where I last saw him, on the very day that I returned to New York City."

 

Hollow Bastion. Kairi remembered waking up there, and seeing Sora sacrifice himself for her. That was how she recognized the world, but she didn't think too much about the memory. "Okay," she said, subtly encouraging him to continue.

 

Sora turned his gaze forward, staring at the wall. "Leon believes that its in your best interested to return to Hollow Bastion and live there permanently. You would be protected by numerous people, not like on Earth, where it's soley on me to keep you safe from harm." He then turned his head, his eyes showing seriousness. "However, it's up to you. If you feel safe here, under my protection, then you're welcome to say here. But if you feel like you need more safety or a change of scenery, then you can live in your childhood hometown."

 

Kairi blinked, her eyes showing more wonder at Sora's words. She looked away after a minute, staring at the floor. Move to Hollow Bastion? The offer had come out of nowhere, and she was slightly taken off guard. If she did that, she would leave everything here behind, just as she had to do in Destiny Islands. Could she do that again?

 

Sora politely turned away, looking down at the ground when Kairi responded to him with silence. "Of course, it's a big decision," he continued, realizing that was probably why Kairi looked so surprised. "You're not expected to give an answer right away. It'll take a lot of thought, considering..." Dare he say it? He felt he needed to, to make things very clear for Kairi. "Considering that I'm responsible for the death of somebody you loved. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to be near me or have me watching out for you."

 

Kairi's eyes fell shut, the girl pressing her lips together. She wasn't sure how to respond to that, and honestly, she didn't want to jump back into those kind of thoughts when she just recovered from her tears. So, instead, Kairi concentrated on the conversation at hand. "How long do I have?" she asked softly, opening her eyes and finding Sora again.

 

Sora turned his head to look at Kairi when he felt her gaze on him. "As long as you need," he assured her gently. It was a life changing decision, and though Leon wanted an answer pretty quickly, Sora was going to be sure Kairi had all the time she needed to make this choice. And if Leon disagreed, then he would deal with Sora. The brunet didn't care about any consequences he would face as long as Kairi was safe and happy in the end.

 

"Alright," Kairi said softly, nodding. She was definitely going to have to think over this. She realized that the place she was being offered to stay was her original home, much like Destiny Islands was when she couldn't remember. But still, it was a big decision. She was glad she wasn't given a time limit to make her choice.

 

Sora nodded once, then turning his head to look out the window. Now that his "business" with Kairi was taken care of, he didn't feel it was necessary for him to stay with her any more. Judging by how she had pulled away from his embrace earlier, she didn't want him there, either. "You can call me when you have your decision," he said, turning his head toward her again.

 

Kairi kept her eyes on Sora, biting her lip once more. She nodded wordlessly, not having much to say. Now not only would she have to grieve over everything else, but she would also have to make a life-changing decision. Kairi knew this wasn't going to be easy, at all.

 

Sora held Kairi's gaze for a moment longer before he forced himself to speak again. "I should go," he said softly. Unless, of course, Kairi needed something else. If not, then he would leave her alone so that she could figure out what she wanted to do with her future.