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Looky here, another one-shot from moi!
Since it's halloween and everything, I thought I'd post this. It's a little weird, and spooky in places.
It's also quite long, but even if you don't get around to reading it all, please leave a comment! I hate it when people look and leave, lol.
Not entirely sure if I like this, but I'm posting it anyway. Enjoy!
Tormenting sunshine blazed down upon the scorched beach. Stinging, salty waves crashed heavily over worn, bony feet, still on the harsh sands. Sorrowful blue eyes gazed longingly towards the cruel horizon, filling with tears as hot, dry air grated against fragile skin, contorting glossy hair. Desperate hands reached out to the merciless, cold blue sky, pleading for answers. The callous sky refused to reward this begging, letting the suffering continue for another day. Sharp palm leaves swung dangerously above, their razor-sharp edges gleaming precariously in the blinding sunlight. Even this idyllic island paradise seemed cruel and punishing these days. Without her.
It was hard to comprehend what had all happened. It was even harder to accept that she wouldn’t be coming back, no matter how much he wanted her to. Not now, not ever. She was gone.
Sora breathed another weighty sigh as another foamy wave enveloped his feet. Resting his heavy head on bent knees, his arms wrapped around himself, he curled into a protective ball as he sat on the lonely beach. A blast of hot air ruffled his cinnamon hair, but it did not matter to him. He’d been sitting there awhile now, his feet were soaked, as were his clothes, but that did not matter to him either. When he thought about it, nothing really mattered at all anymore.
Now that she was gone, it seemed there was nothing else for him. Not even Riku had been able to brighten his spirits. That was far too much for one person to handle alone. Tidus, Wakka and Selphie stopped coming to the islands a while ago, after they found their way home after the storm, so they were no use to him. Sora seemed to spend all his time on the beach now, for some reason. He left home at sunrise, stayed on the island until after sunset, then returned home. It was a daily cycle for him now, ever since that night.
He looked up to the swirling, ominous white clouds, watched them slither and contort their way across the cold sky. The spray of the salty ocean stung his face, and his azure eyes wandered to the waves, endlessly tumbling along to the shoreline. Blinking heavily, he eyed the horizon carelessly, losing his focus. The sea and sky blurred into one big, bluish haze before his eyes, a mist casting shadows over his vision. Lost in his solitary thoughts, he forgot about all that surrounded him.
Closing his eyes, he thought of her again. His memories were all he had now. Memories of those big, blue, crystal eyes, staring back at him, her silky crimson hair gently waving in the light island breeze. Then, a cute, bright smile upon her perfect face. To him, she was the most beautiful girl in all the worlds. His thoughts always stayed with her, no matter what he was doing. He remembered the day he’d come back to the islands, before setting off to find Riku and King Mickey.
It was a day he’d never forget. They spent the whole day together on the islands, then spent the night happily sleeping in each other’s arms, safely together in the secret place. He hadn’t gone in there since he’d come back, but he was not sure if Riku had or not. It seemed impossible for him to go without her there. They shared a Paopu fruit, in the hope it would lead Sora back to her quickly. At this point, Sora opened his eyes again, bitterly casting them to the Paopu tree, swaying in the hot breeze.
“They’ll remain a part of each other’s lives forever, no matter what…” he repeated heavily, an unfamiliar tone of anger and sorrow in his broken voice. He lowered his voice to a whisper, as if sharing secrets with the endless skies. “If that was true, she’d be here right now.” Slamming a clenched fist into the wet sand, he sighed again, closing his eyes and burying his head in his scarred arms.
Soft footsteps approached him across hot sand. Squatting at Sora’s side, Riku put a warm, friendly hand on his shoulder. Sora jumped at first, but calmed down once he saw it was Riku. He sat down beside his friend, joined him in looking out over the ocean. There was a solemn silence for a few moments, but this silver-haired companion broke it.
“Hey,” he whispered, slightly unsure of what he should say. “How are you?” His voice was broken too, but not to the same extent as Sora’s. Sora’s words were mumbled and stuttered, tumbling uncontrollably from his frown. He blinked, not bothering to face Riku, or even look at him. His blue eyes examined the ever-changing waves for a minute, before he almost inaudibly replied.
“Fine,” he lied quietly. He paused for a while, before continuing. “You?” Riku silently heaved his shoulders, tilting his head to the floor.
“It’s tough,” he whispered honestly, folding his arms tightly over his chest, trying to stop the consistent pain in his heart. He hoped Sora would follow suit, voicing his feelings for once. He‘d bottled everything up, spending all his time alone. It just wasn‘t healthy for a boy of sixteen. After a long silence, Riku continued, as it seemed Sora would not respond. “I just want her to come home. I wish I could tell her how much I miss her.” Sora nodded once, not averting his longing gaze from the ocean. Riku tilted his head, looking Sora in the face. He was shocked at what he saw. “Sora, have you had any sleep?” Giving a weak, yet familiar cheeky smirk, he playfully tried to lighten his spirits. Sora needed it. “You look like a zombie.” Sora narrowed his eyes as he turned to look at Riku.
His bright blue eyes were not as they usually were. They were strangely dull, just like his sullen, pale face. Dark patches circled his unfamiliar eyes, and his brown hair was a complete mess. Cuts and bruises marred his usually youthful good looks. Trails of tortured tears traced down his thin cheeks, staining his face with their sorrowful legacy. His eyes were glassy with new tears, quite obviously not amused with Riku’s attempt to cheer him up. He saw no reason to be laughing at a time like this, took great offence to Riku’s words.
“Kairi…” he stuttered quietly, feeling a lump in his throat, stopping. His heart ached with lament. Taking a deep breath, tears rolling down his cheeks, he continued. He narrowed his eyes in disapproval, glaring back at what he thought was a careless, so-called friend. “Kairi is dead, Riku. I don’t see anything to be laughing at.” Riku sighed, shaking his head, not sure of how to respond, if he should respond at all. He sheepishly looked at his feet, scratching his neck. The crashing waves filled the empty silence.
“Sora… I was just, I mean…” Riku stuttered quickly and quietly, trying to explain what he’d meant. He heaved a sigh, before looking back up at Sora. “I just don’t think Kairi would want this.” Wiping the dribbled teardrops from his face, Sora looked Riku in the eyes.
“What do you mean?” he breathed, his longing eyes almost demanding a response. Riku shrugged.
“I don’t think Kairi would…” he started slowly, but the rest of his sentence quickly escaped his lips. “I just don’t think she would want us moping around because of her.” Sora narrowed his dull eyes, as if disappointed with Riku. Then he wrinkled his nose, as if confused, before gazing out towards the horizon.
“Then how should we be acting?” he said, his tone harsh. Riku dismissed his rude, sarcastic remark, knowing that this wound to Sora’s heart was still fresh, still causing him agony with each lonely second that passed.
“I don’t know,” he replied in a hushed voice, “but not like this.” He looked to Sora again, slowly reaching out to touch his shoulder. “You know, it wouldn’t hurt Kairi if you tried to lift your spirits a little.” Sora gave a leaden sigh, frustrated, ruffling his hair. He then wrapped his arms around himself, protecting himself.
“So I’m supposed to be happy?” he whispered. He closed his eyes, hiding in his folded arms. “I-I’m sorry, Riku, but I… I just can’t do that.”
Riku scratched his neck again, trying not to let out a frustrated sigh. He, too, felt the pain Sora felt. But, he was coping well with managing his grief, quite the opposite of Sora. It wasn’t like he didn’t miss Kairi, or wish her death hadn’t shattered their lives, but he was dealing with his pain as well as he could. Which was a lot better than his stubborn best friend. However, Riku knew that Sora had taken her death especially hard. Not because he loved her - although this was one of his main reasons - but because he felt responsible. He felt like he’d caused Kairi’s death. Sora had only talked of his feelings once, and this was all he could say. Riku closed his eyes at this thought, remembering Sora’s pained speech and wailing cries.
“I should have protected her, I should have done something to stop them, Riku!” the voice howled mournfully in his mind. “She’s gone, Riku, and it’s all my fault…” The shouting was quickly joined by hazy images of Sora in the Gummi Ship, his arms lovingly curled around her forever still body, his face etched with deep cuts of pain.
He and Sora had carried her into a bedroom, carefully placing her down on the bed. Riku took her tiny hand, holding it tightly in his own, warm hand, stroking her skin as he watched Sora at her other side. Suddenly, he stepped forward, holding his gloved hand over his mouth. At that point, he burst into uncontrollable floods of tears, almost throwing himself over her body, wrapping his strong arms around her.
“Why couldn’t I save you?” he whispered into her deaf ears, sobbing, begging for answers. “I’m sorry, Kai. I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you…” He felt Riku touch his shoulder, silently telling him they should leave. Sora looked back up at him, his very eyes screaming that he just couldn’t tear himself from her side yet.
He gently kissed her forehead one last time, caressing her soft skin with light fingers. His teardrops fell onto her cool face, diamond tears down her velvet skin.
“I love you, Kairi,” he whispered, unaware that Riku could hear his heartfelt words. “I always will.” He clutched the thalassa shell in his pocket, carefully pulling it out and playing with it a moment. Gently lifting her head, feeling her silk hair slipping between his fingers, he tied the little lucky charm around her neck, giving a weak smile. “I promised I’d give it back.”
Breathing a sigh, trying to control his emotions, Riku left the room, unable to take this anymore.
Riku’s eyes were glassy at the mere thought of this, his stomach knotting inside him. Looking out to the salty deep, he tried to blink back tears before Sora could see him like this. Wiping tears from his eyes, he glanced at Sora, whose eyes stayed fixed on the blue horizon.
“Sora,” Riku whispered, his turquoise eyes finding Sora’s youthful, tearstained face, “there was nothing anyone could do about it. None of us could have stopped it from happening. Those guys were intent on getting us all, not just Kairi.” Sora glared at him.
“Of course I could have done something,” he whispered, covering his face with his large, gloved hands. “If I had done something to stop them, she’d be here. But I let her down, and now there’s nothing I can do.” Riku suppressed a sorrowful sigh, wrapping a comforting arm around Sora’s bony shoulders. “I should never have taken her with us on the Gummi Ship. I shouldn’t have let her land with me. I should have protected her.” Riku held Sora tightly, but Sora did not reciprocate. He just sat still, his tears, the horizon, and the sky fading to one, into an unfortunately familiar, terrified shade of electric blue.
“Come on, Sora!” she cried out, grabbing his side as he summoned the Keyblade. “You can do this!” He quickly glanced down at her, seeing the sheer fear in her bright blue eyes as she looked up at him. The lightning cracked the deep, dark sky, and the thunder rolled overhead as the icy rain pierced through cold air. Feeling more heartened with her encouragement, Sora cast his eyes forward to the Gummi Ship, ready for battle. He sliced through Shadow Heartless with ease, as she clung to his side, her eyes tightly shut. With one arm wielding the Keyblade, and the other wrapped around her body, he ran forward, ready for anything, or so he thought.
A sudden burst of energy sent them hurtling to the cold, stony ground. Sora drew her close to his chest, letting himself hit the ground first to protect her. The pain in his back throbbed, but he managed to pull himself up off the floor quickly. He felt her warm touch on his hand, grasped her hand in his own. Three familiar figures, stood before them, all wearing identical, grey robes. One stepped forward, giving a wicked smile.
“And you thought you’d get away with it?” he smiled, folding his arms, grinning at the other robed figures. He then narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Sora. “Forget it.” Sora held the Keyblade tightly, in anticipation of the battle, stepped back. He looked down at her, her eyes wide with fear. He lowered his voice quickly.
“If there’s a chance to get to the ship, just go,” he whispered, a tone of urgency in his voice. “Just get out of here as soon as you can, I’ll try to keep these guys busy.” She breathed heavily, shaking her head.
“B-but Sora, what about you?” she asked quickly, terrified for him. “What if - ”
Her words were cut short by an attack. One leapt at Sora, throwing a swirling, contorting ball of darkness at him. Sora threw himself at Kairi, keeping her out of the way of the oncoming attacks. Sora then slashed at this attacker, barraging him with consecutive strikes of the Keyblade, almost beating him into submission. He just had to stop the man from attacking, it was the only way to ensure her safety. It was hard to fight them all off while keeping her safe. Thankfully, the figure fell to the ground, injured, breathing heavily. Two left. Now was her chance.
“Go!” Sora shouted, before whirling around to counter the attack of another figure. She turned to run to the ship, hoping he’d be alright alone.
Sora continued the duel, but all of a sudden, the last figure jumped into battle. Fighting two at the same time while keeping an eye on Kairi, making her way to the ship, was just too difficult for him, and a sudden lapse in concentration sent him crashing to the ground.These horrible memories taunted him, but he was brought back by Riku’s words of encouragement.
“You did protect her,” Riku whispered, trying to comfort him. “King Mickey and I had already boarded the ship, and there were just too many of them for you to handle alone. I think we both know you did absolutely everything you could.”
Sora stayed quiet, unable to think of a response to Riku’s words. He knew Riku was right, yet could not take comfort in his words, could not find a way to ease his guilty conscience. He still hurt inside. The hot, uncomfortable presence in the back of his head lingered. His heart still ached relentlessly, longing for his lost love, yearning to see her just one last time. Sadly, all he had were these thoughts, that heartbreaking scream bursting forth with those painful, yet unfortunately vivid memories.
“Sora!” she cried out, running back towards him.
Sprawled out on the ground, Keyblade out of his reach, Sora heard footsteps thundering towards him. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the figure’s finishing move. But then, nothing. Opening his eyes again, he looked on in horror.
Kairi was hovering above the floor, arms spread, as if chained to some invisible wall. She struggled to get away, fear ablaze in her eyes as she began to realise she wouldn’t be getting away. Both figures faced her, arms forward, eyes closed in concentration. The ground below her seemed as murky water, congealing in its own darkness as she floated above. It began to form a circle. A rumbling noise filled the air as it began to creep upwards, drowning her cries for him.
Sora felt his heart ripping in two as a sudden, huge beam of dark light shot from the circle below her. She was engulfed in the darkness. His eyes overflowed with mournful tears as the beam slowly faded, leaving Kairi’s still body suspended in mid-air. The figures let her drop to the floor. Sora struggled to his feet, threw himself forward to catch her. Her body was cool, motionless, like a helpless rag doll in his arms. As he gazed down upon her face, it soon became evident that she was gone. Looking up to see the figures’ satisfied smirks, he couldn’t bear to continue battle. He wasn’t strong enough to face it. With her lifeless body cradled in his shaking arms, he got up off the floor and ran towards the ship, as fast as he could possibly move.
Sora opened his eyes, trying to block it all out, desperate to escape these haunting thoughts. It was something he’d never forget, no matter how much he wanted to. He thought of these moments more often than he would have liked to, going over in it in his mind, beating himself up about it. Seeing her floating before him like that, crying out for help, he always thought he could have done something - but had been paralysed with fear. Riku tried to dissuade him from thinking this, but it didn’t stop him.
He ruffled his spiky hair, trying to distract himself from these memories, began to think of how she used to be. Giving a small, forced smile, he thought of her, stood on the beach with a beaming smile upon her perfect face. He would give anything to hold her again, hear her forever cheerful voice, run his fingers through her silky red hair. To see her deep blue eyes smiling back at him just once would be worth everything to him. He closed his eyes, his memories seeping through into his consciousness.
Memories of their childhood on the islands. Memories of playing on the beach, memories of sitting in the Secret Place. Memories of growing up together, under Riku’s watchful, loving eyes. They would be friends forever, no matter what happened. Perhaps that was how he should remember her. Just as she always was then. Smiling and joking, her girlish charm forever present.
Sora wiped the mixed tears that blurred his vision, began to fish around in his pocket.
All he had with him was a photograph, taken on the day he returned to the islands. Kairi had complained that she had no pictures of just herself and Sora, asked if she could take one to keep with her. Obliging, Sora had taken three - one for himself, one for Kairi, and one for Riku, to give once they’d found him. In this happy picture, Sora and Kairi were stood on the beach, their faces beaming, arms lovingly curled around each other. A crystal tear dropped onto Kairi’s face.
“She never knew how much she meant to me,” Sora whispered, almost inaudibly, muffled by the crash of another wave on the shoreline. “She never knew how much I loved her. I wasted all those chances to let her know.” He closed his eyes, breathing slowly. “I wish I had told her sooner.” Riku suddenly smiled, closing his eyes, shaking his head.
“You didn’t have to tell her, Sora,” he replied, with a smile, “she knew.” Sora opened his teary eyes, glanced up at him with an expression of scepticism.
“You… really think so?” he questioned, his heart hoping for reassurance. Riku nodded once, confident.
“Sora,” he smiled, “I don’t think so. I know so.” Sora looked up at Riku, childlike, desperate for these comforting words. His nose was wrinkled, and his face scrunched.
“How do you know that?” he whispered, looking Riku in the eyes. Riku smiled again, standing up.
“She told me,” he replied, putting one hand on Sora’s shoulder. “Trust me. I‘ll see you later.” Riku headed off down the beach, towards the docks, his footprints being washed away by the lapping waves. Soon, he was out of sight, and Sora was alone again, as if Riku had never been there at all.
But there was one difference. Sora was feeling much better now, feeling heartened by his friend‘s words. Yet, it was rather odd of Riku, saying Kairi told him she knew Sora’s feelings. How could she have told him? Sora had been around them both since they had been reunited, and knew for a fact that Kairi would not have had the chance to confess this to Riku without him knowing. The more he thought about it, the more curious he became. He stood up, deciding to catch up with his friend, to find out how he knew this.
Running along the beach, sand thrown up at his legs, he tried to get to the docks before Riku left. Unfortunately, he was too late. He stood watching Riku’s boat bobbing along on sweeping waves, as he sailed off towards the mainland. Sora groaned, stood on the edge of the wooden dock. He scratched his head, glanced at his own boat bobbing on the waters below. Then he turned to look at the island.
It wasn’t long before his thoughts turned to Kairi again. He remembered times they’d spent together on the islands, times spent happily in each other’s company. Then, an idea.
The razor leaves waved at the edge of the beach, enticing him over. He slowly paced towards them, taking slow steps, and deep breaths. He stood there, peering into the entrance.
The Secret Place. A place filled with happy memories, echoes of childhood laughter, an atmosphere of safety and joy. The single place he felt truly safe - his sanctuary. He had not been there since the night he’d spent sleeping blissfully in her arms, and on his return, just could not bear to face this place alone - not without her. He feared it would be too painful, being reminded of all the wondrous times they’d spent together.
But now, he was feeling differently about it. To be honest, Sora could no longer see a downside to going in. It might coax more happy memories from the back of his mind, long forgotten in his state of despondency. Perhaps it would make him feel better. As he gazed down the dark, small tunnel, he felt almost attracted to it. It seemed inviting at this moment, enticing him to enter. He took a deep breath, making his final decision.
“Now or never,” he whispered, getting down onto his hands and knees. It was a lot smaller than when he was a child.
Sora dusted himself down as he got back up onto his feet, stood in the stone hollow, surrounded by sketchy images of times long forgotten. He trailed his fingers over cool stone, as he remembered all the drawings on the walls. Sunlight streamed through cracks in rock, dancing amongst the tangled roots overhead. It lit one particular spot with its golden warmth, suddenly attracting his attention.
Taking a step back, feeling a cold chill run down his spine, Sora’s eyes were fixed on that same spot on the wall. His hair stood on end. It was the tiny image of himself and Kairi sharing a Paopu fruit. But, etched beneath their drawing were… words.
And, at first, he thought that, perhaps, Riku had done it, trying to cheer him up. But… no. It was far too neat to be his writing. Plus, it looked just like hers. He got down onto the floor before it, staring at it with a doubtful gaze.
“I love you too, Sora. I always will.”
Breathing heavily, part of him wanted to get back to the mainland, ask Riku if he had done it. Before he could think of this further, he felt a sudden, warm touch around his waist. Jumping up in shock, he quickly whirled around to see what it was.
But, strangely, there was no-one there. He felt terror surge through his entire body, unsure of just what was going on. Feeling his legs shaking below him, he got back down onto the floor, sat before the drawing, just as before. As he sat down on the cold stone ground, he felt something dig into his thigh. Thinking it was just a stone, he fumbled around with his hands, picking it up. A sudden shiver ran down his spine as he grasped it in clammy fingers. His eyes widened in disbelief as he gazed upon it, cupped in his gloved hands.
Kairi’s thalassa shell charm.
“But… that’s impossible…” he thought to himself. “I gave it to you, you were wearing it when you were…”
Droplets of sweat formed on his brow. His racked his mind for an explanation, but nothing could justify this. Kairi’s charm was the only one of its kind, she had made it herself, sat on the beach. There was no other like it, this couldn’t be a different one. It hadn’t been there only seconds ago. Worse still, Sora had tied it around her neck on the Gummi Ship - Kairi had been buried wearing the very same charm. Giving a nervous laugh, trying to dismiss his fears, Sora forced a smile, standing back up with the shell in his hands.
“I’m not sure what you’re trying to do,” he spoke aloud with a small, forced laugh, his voice echoing off the stone walls, “but it’s not funny.”
And at first, he was not sure he’d heard it. Perhaps it was an island bird chattering, or the song of the ocean, playing tricks with his mind. But, there it was again.
A warm giggle, from right behind him. Taking deep breaths, Sora turned around.
He rubbed his eyes, tried to tell himself a second time that it was his mind playing tricks, but he was wrong. He heard the giggle again, saw movement from the form in the shaft of bright sunlight.
“Who’s there!” he shouted, afraid. He hoped it was just Riku, no matter how far-fetched that seemed. He summoned the Keyblade out of sheer fear, wanted to be ready for whatever might befall him. He wasn’t sure just what was going on.
The Keyblade dropped to the floor with a metallic clatter. Sora fell to his knees, his blue eyes wide, streaming with tears. His entire body shook, he was not sure if it was through fear, or a strange sort of joy. The thalassa shell held tightly in one hand, he raised it up with a single, shivering arm, offering it up. He then lowered his empty hands to his sides, dismissing the Keyblade. His heartbeat raced as he gazed forward, unsure if he was dreaming. He had to be dreaming, there was no other explanation for it.
And, if it was a dream, then it was a wonderful, magical dream. But it didn’t matter now. As he embraced her one last time, her warm skin against his own, her blue eyes smiling upon him, it didn’t matter. They were together, if only for a few moments. And when he thought about it, nothing else mattered at all anymore.
Comments and criticism would be great, if possible.
Since it's halloween and everything, I thought I'd post this. It's a little weird, and spooky in places.
It's also quite long, but even if you don't get around to reading it all, please leave a comment! I hate it when people look and leave, lol.
Not entirely sure if I like this, but I'm posting it anyway. Enjoy!
Tormenting sunshine blazed down upon the scorched beach. Stinging, salty waves crashed heavily over worn, bony feet, still on the harsh sands. Sorrowful blue eyes gazed longingly towards the cruel horizon, filling with tears as hot, dry air grated against fragile skin, contorting glossy hair. Desperate hands reached out to the merciless, cold blue sky, pleading for answers. The callous sky refused to reward this begging, letting the suffering continue for another day. Sharp palm leaves swung dangerously above, their razor-sharp edges gleaming precariously in the blinding sunlight. Even this idyllic island paradise seemed cruel and punishing these days. Without her.
It was hard to comprehend what had all happened. It was even harder to accept that she wouldn’t be coming back, no matter how much he wanted her to. Not now, not ever. She was gone.
Sora breathed another weighty sigh as another foamy wave enveloped his feet. Resting his heavy head on bent knees, his arms wrapped around himself, he curled into a protective ball as he sat on the lonely beach. A blast of hot air ruffled his cinnamon hair, but it did not matter to him. He’d been sitting there awhile now, his feet were soaked, as were his clothes, but that did not matter to him either. When he thought about it, nothing really mattered at all anymore.
Now that she was gone, it seemed there was nothing else for him. Not even Riku had been able to brighten his spirits. That was far too much for one person to handle alone. Tidus, Wakka and Selphie stopped coming to the islands a while ago, after they found their way home after the storm, so they were no use to him. Sora seemed to spend all his time on the beach now, for some reason. He left home at sunrise, stayed on the island until after sunset, then returned home. It was a daily cycle for him now, ever since that night.
He looked up to the swirling, ominous white clouds, watched them slither and contort their way across the cold sky. The spray of the salty ocean stung his face, and his azure eyes wandered to the waves, endlessly tumbling along to the shoreline. Blinking heavily, he eyed the horizon carelessly, losing his focus. The sea and sky blurred into one big, bluish haze before his eyes, a mist casting shadows over his vision. Lost in his solitary thoughts, he forgot about all that surrounded him.
Closing his eyes, he thought of her again. His memories were all he had now. Memories of those big, blue, crystal eyes, staring back at him, her silky crimson hair gently waving in the light island breeze. Then, a cute, bright smile upon her perfect face. To him, she was the most beautiful girl in all the worlds. His thoughts always stayed with her, no matter what he was doing. He remembered the day he’d come back to the islands, before setting off to find Riku and King Mickey.
It was a day he’d never forget. They spent the whole day together on the islands, then spent the night happily sleeping in each other’s arms, safely together in the secret place. He hadn’t gone in there since he’d come back, but he was not sure if Riku had or not. It seemed impossible for him to go without her there. They shared a Paopu fruit, in the hope it would lead Sora back to her quickly. At this point, Sora opened his eyes again, bitterly casting them to the Paopu tree, swaying in the hot breeze.
“They’ll remain a part of each other’s lives forever, no matter what…” he repeated heavily, an unfamiliar tone of anger and sorrow in his broken voice. He lowered his voice to a whisper, as if sharing secrets with the endless skies. “If that was true, she’d be here right now.” Slamming a clenched fist into the wet sand, he sighed again, closing his eyes and burying his head in his scarred arms.
Soft footsteps approached him across hot sand. Squatting at Sora’s side, Riku put a warm, friendly hand on his shoulder. Sora jumped at first, but calmed down once he saw it was Riku. He sat down beside his friend, joined him in looking out over the ocean. There was a solemn silence for a few moments, but this silver-haired companion broke it.
“Hey,” he whispered, slightly unsure of what he should say. “How are you?” His voice was broken too, but not to the same extent as Sora’s. Sora’s words were mumbled and stuttered, tumbling uncontrollably from his frown. He blinked, not bothering to face Riku, or even look at him. His blue eyes examined the ever-changing waves for a minute, before he almost inaudibly replied.
“Fine,” he lied quietly. He paused for a while, before continuing. “You?” Riku silently heaved his shoulders, tilting his head to the floor.
“It’s tough,” he whispered honestly, folding his arms tightly over his chest, trying to stop the consistent pain in his heart. He hoped Sora would follow suit, voicing his feelings for once. He‘d bottled everything up, spending all his time alone. It just wasn‘t healthy for a boy of sixteen. After a long silence, Riku continued, as it seemed Sora would not respond. “I just want her to come home. I wish I could tell her how much I miss her.” Sora nodded once, not averting his longing gaze from the ocean. Riku tilted his head, looking Sora in the face. He was shocked at what he saw. “Sora, have you had any sleep?” Giving a weak, yet familiar cheeky smirk, he playfully tried to lighten his spirits. Sora needed it. “You look like a zombie.” Sora narrowed his eyes as he turned to look at Riku.
His bright blue eyes were not as they usually were. They were strangely dull, just like his sullen, pale face. Dark patches circled his unfamiliar eyes, and his brown hair was a complete mess. Cuts and bruises marred his usually youthful good looks. Trails of tortured tears traced down his thin cheeks, staining his face with their sorrowful legacy. His eyes were glassy with new tears, quite obviously not amused with Riku’s attempt to cheer him up. He saw no reason to be laughing at a time like this, took great offence to Riku’s words.
“Kairi…” he stuttered quietly, feeling a lump in his throat, stopping. His heart ached with lament. Taking a deep breath, tears rolling down his cheeks, he continued. He narrowed his eyes in disapproval, glaring back at what he thought was a careless, so-called friend. “Kairi is dead, Riku. I don’t see anything to be laughing at.” Riku sighed, shaking his head, not sure of how to respond, if he should respond at all. He sheepishly looked at his feet, scratching his neck. The crashing waves filled the empty silence.
“Sora… I was just, I mean…” Riku stuttered quickly and quietly, trying to explain what he’d meant. He heaved a sigh, before looking back up at Sora. “I just don’t think Kairi would want this.” Wiping the dribbled teardrops from his face, Sora looked Riku in the eyes.
“What do you mean?” he breathed, his longing eyes almost demanding a response. Riku shrugged.
“I don’t think Kairi would…” he started slowly, but the rest of his sentence quickly escaped his lips. “I just don’t think she would want us moping around because of her.” Sora narrowed his dull eyes, as if disappointed with Riku. Then he wrinkled his nose, as if confused, before gazing out towards the horizon.
“Then how should we be acting?” he said, his tone harsh. Riku dismissed his rude, sarcastic remark, knowing that this wound to Sora’s heart was still fresh, still causing him agony with each lonely second that passed.
“I don’t know,” he replied in a hushed voice, “but not like this.” He looked to Sora again, slowly reaching out to touch his shoulder. “You know, it wouldn’t hurt Kairi if you tried to lift your spirits a little.” Sora gave a leaden sigh, frustrated, ruffling his hair. He then wrapped his arms around himself, protecting himself.
“So I’m supposed to be happy?” he whispered. He closed his eyes, hiding in his folded arms. “I-I’m sorry, Riku, but I… I just can’t do that.”
Riku scratched his neck again, trying not to let out a frustrated sigh. He, too, felt the pain Sora felt. But, he was coping well with managing his grief, quite the opposite of Sora. It wasn’t like he didn’t miss Kairi, or wish her death hadn’t shattered their lives, but he was dealing with his pain as well as he could. Which was a lot better than his stubborn best friend. However, Riku knew that Sora had taken her death especially hard. Not because he loved her - although this was one of his main reasons - but because he felt responsible. He felt like he’d caused Kairi’s death. Sora had only talked of his feelings once, and this was all he could say. Riku closed his eyes at this thought, remembering Sora’s pained speech and wailing cries.
“I should have protected her, I should have done something to stop them, Riku!” the voice howled mournfully in his mind. “She’s gone, Riku, and it’s all my fault…” The shouting was quickly joined by hazy images of Sora in the Gummi Ship, his arms lovingly curled around her forever still body, his face etched with deep cuts of pain.
He and Sora had carried her into a bedroom, carefully placing her down on the bed. Riku took her tiny hand, holding it tightly in his own, warm hand, stroking her skin as he watched Sora at her other side. Suddenly, he stepped forward, holding his gloved hand over his mouth. At that point, he burst into uncontrollable floods of tears, almost throwing himself over her body, wrapping his strong arms around her.
“Why couldn’t I save you?” he whispered into her deaf ears, sobbing, begging for answers. “I’m sorry, Kai. I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you…” He felt Riku touch his shoulder, silently telling him they should leave. Sora looked back up at him, his very eyes screaming that he just couldn’t tear himself from her side yet.
He gently kissed her forehead one last time, caressing her soft skin with light fingers. His teardrops fell onto her cool face, diamond tears down her velvet skin.
“I love you, Kairi,” he whispered, unaware that Riku could hear his heartfelt words. “I always will.” He clutched the thalassa shell in his pocket, carefully pulling it out and playing with it a moment. Gently lifting her head, feeling her silk hair slipping between his fingers, he tied the little lucky charm around her neck, giving a weak smile. “I promised I’d give it back.”
Breathing a sigh, trying to control his emotions, Riku left the room, unable to take this anymore.
Riku’s eyes were glassy at the mere thought of this, his stomach knotting inside him. Looking out to the salty deep, he tried to blink back tears before Sora could see him like this. Wiping tears from his eyes, he glanced at Sora, whose eyes stayed fixed on the blue horizon.
“Sora,” Riku whispered, his turquoise eyes finding Sora’s youthful, tearstained face, “there was nothing anyone could do about it. None of us could have stopped it from happening. Those guys were intent on getting us all, not just Kairi.” Sora glared at him.
“Of course I could have done something,” he whispered, covering his face with his large, gloved hands. “If I had done something to stop them, she’d be here. But I let her down, and now there’s nothing I can do.” Riku suppressed a sorrowful sigh, wrapping a comforting arm around Sora’s bony shoulders. “I should never have taken her with us on the Gummi Ship. I shouldn’t have let her land with me. I should have protected her.” Riku held Sora tightly, but Sora did not reciprocate. He just sat still, his tears, the horizon, and the sky fading to one, into an unfortunately familiar, terrified shade of electric blue.
“Come on, Sora!” she cried out, grabbing his side as he summoned the Keyblade. “You can do this!” He quickly glanced down at her, seeing the sheer fear in her bright blue eyes as she looked up at him. The lightning cracked the deep, dark sky, and the thunder rolled overhead as the icy rain pierced through cold air. Feeling more heartened with her encouragement, Sora cast his eyes forward to the Gummi Ship, ready for battle. He sliced through Shadow Heartless with ease, as she clung to his side, her eyes tightly shut. With one arm wielding the Keyblade, and the other wrapped around her body, he ran forward, ready for anything, or so he thought.
A sudden burst of energy sent them hurtling to the cold, stony ground. Sora drew her close to his chest, letting himself hit the ground first to protect her. The pain in his back throbbed, but he managed to pull himself up off the floor quickly. He felt her warm touch on his hand, grasped her hand in his own. Three familiar figures, stood before them, all wearing identical, grey robes. One stepped forward, giving a wicked smile.
“And you thought you’d get away with it?” he smiled, folding his arms, grinning at the other robed figures. He then narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Sora. “Forget it.” Sora held the Keyblade tightly, in anticipation of the battle, stepped back. He looked down at her, her eyes wide with fear. He lowered his voice quickly.
“If there’s a chance to get to the ship, just go,” he whispered, a tone of urgency in his voice. “Just get out of here as soon as you can, I’ll try to keep these guys busy.” She breathed heavily, shaking her head.
“B-but Sora, what about you?” she asked quickly, terrified for him. “What if - ”
Her words were cut short by an attack. One leapt at Sora, throwing a swirling, contorting ball of darkness at him. Sora threw himself at Kairi, keeping her out of the way of the oncoming attacks. Sora then slashed at this attacker, barraging him with consecutive strikes of the Keyblade, almost beating him into submission. He just had to stop the man from attacking, it was the only way to ensure her safety. It was hard to fight them all off while keeping her safe. Thankfully, the figure fell to the ground, injured, breathing heavily. Two left. Now was her chance.
“Go!” Sora shouted, before whirling around to counter the attack of another figure. She turned to run to the ship, hoping he’d be alright alone.
Sora continued the duel, but all of a sudden, the last figure jumped into battle. Fighting two at the same time while keeping an eye on Kairi, making her way to the ship, was just too difficult for him, and a sudden lapse in concentration sent him crashing to the ground.These horrible memories taunted him, but he was brought back by Riku’s words of encouragement.
“You did protect her,” Riku whispered, trying to comfort him. “King Mickey and I had already boarded the ship, and there were just too many of them for you to handle alone. I think we both know you did absolutely everything you could.”
Sora stayed quiet, unable to think of a response to Riku’s words. He knew Riku was right, yet could not take comfort in his words, could not find a way to ease his guilty conscience. He still hurt inside. The hot, uncomfortable presence in the back of his head lingered. His heart still ached relentlessly, longing for his lost love, yearning to see her just one last time. Sadly, all he had were these thoughts, that heartbreaking scream bursting forth with those painful, yet unfortunately vivid memories.
“Sora!” she cried out, running back towards him.
Sprawled out on the ground, Keyblade out of his reach, Sora heard footsteps thundering towards him. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the figure’s finishing move. But then, nothing. Opening his eyes again, he looked on in horror.
Kairi was hovering above the floor, arms spread, as if chained to some invisible wall. She struggled to get away, fear ablaze in her eyes as she began to realise she wouldn’t be getting away. Both figures faced her, arms forward, eyes closed in concentration. The ground below her seemed as murky water, congealing in its own darkness as she floated above. It began to form a circle. A rumbling noise filled the air as it began to creep upwards, drowning her cries for him.
Sora felt his heart ripping in two as a sudden, huge beam of dark light shot from the circle below her. She was engulfed in the darkness. His eyes overflowed with mournful tears as the beam slowly faded, leaving Kairi’s still body suspended in mid-air. The figures let her drop to the floor. Sora struggled to his feet, threw himself forward to catch her. Her body was cool, motionless, like a helpless rag doll in his arms. As he gazed down upon her face, it soon became evident that she was gone. Looking up to see the figures’ satisfied smirks, he couldn’t bear to continue battle. He wasn’t strong enough to face it. With her lifeless body cradled in his shaking arms, he got up off the floor and ran towards the ship, as fast as he could possibly move.
Sora opened his eyes, trying to block it all out, desperate to escape these haunting thoughts. It was something he’d never forget, no matter how much he wanted to. He thought of these moments more often than he would have liked to, going over in it in his mind, beating himself up about it. Seeing her floating before him like that, crying out for help, he always thought he could have done something - but had been paralysed with fear. Riku tried to dissuade him from thinking this, but it didn’t stop him.
He ruffled his spiky hair, trying to distract himself from these memories, began to think of how she used to be. Giving a small, forced smile, he thought of her, stood on the beach with a beaming smile upon her perfect face. He would give anything to hold her again, hear her forever cheerful voice, run his fingers through her silky red hair. To see her deep blue eyes smiling back at him just once would be worth everything to him. He closed his eyes, his memories seeping through into his consciousness.
Memories of their childhood on the islands. Memories of playing on the beach, memories of sitting in the Secret Place. Memories of growing up together, under Riku’s watchful, loving eyes. They would be friends forever, no matter what happened. Perhaps that was how he should remember her. Just as she always was then. Smiling and joking, her girlish charm forever present.
Sora wiped the mixed tears that blurred his vision, began to fish around in his pocket.
All he had with him was a photograph, taken on the day he returned to the islands. Kairi had complained that she had no pictures of just herself and Sora, asked if she could take one to keep with her. Obliging, Sora had taken three - one for himself, one for Kairi, and one for Riku, to give once they’d found him. In this happy picture, Sora and Kairi were stood on the beach, their faces beaming, arms lovingly curled around each other. A crystal tear dropped onto Kairi’s face.
“She never knew how much she meant to me,” Sora whispered, almost inaudibly, muffled by the crash of another wave on the shoreline. “She never knew how much I loved her. I wasted all those chances to let her know.” He closed his eyes, breathing slowly. “I wish I had told her sooner.” Riku suddenly smiled, closing his eyes, shaking his head.
“You didn’t have to tell her, Sora,” he replied, with a smile, “she knew.” Sora opened his teary eyes, glanced up at him with an expression of scepticism.
“You… really think so?” he questioned, his heart hoping for reassurance. Riku nodded once, confident.
“Sora,” he smiled, “I don’t think so. I know so.” Sora looked up at Riku, childlike, desperate for these comforting words. His nose was wrinkled, and his face scrunched.
“How do you know that?” he whispered, looking Riku in the eyes. Riku smiled again, standing up.
“She told me,” he replied, putting one hand on Sora’s shoulder. “Trust me. I‘ll see you later.” Riku headed off down the beach, towards the docks, his footprints being washed away by the lapping waves. Soon, he was out of sight, and Sora was alone again, as if Riku had never been there at all.
But there was one difference. Sora was feeling much better now, feeling heartened by his friend‘s words. Yet, it was rather odd of Riku, saying Kairi told him she knew Sora’s feelings. How could she have told him? Sora had been around them both since they had been reunited, and knew for a fact that Kairi would not have had the chance to confess this to Riku without him knowing. The more he thought about it, the more curious he became. He stood up, deciding to catch up with his friend, to find out how he knew this.
Running along the beach, sand thrown up at his legs, he tried to get to the docks before Riku left. Unfortunately, he was too late. He stood watching Riku’s boat bobbing along on sweeping waves, as he sailed off towards the mainland. Sora groaned, stood on the edge of the wooden dock. He scratched his head, glanced at his own boat bobbing on the waters below. Then he turned to look at the island.
It wasn’t long before his thoughts turned to Kairi again. He remembered times they’d spent together on the islands, times spent happily in each other’s company. Then, an idea.
The razor leaves waved at the edge of the beach, enticing him over. He slowly paced towards them, taking slow steps, and deep breaths. He stood there, peering into the entrance.
The Secret Place. A place filled with happy memories, echoes of childhood laughter, an atmosphere of safety and joy. The single place he felt truly safe - his sanctuary. He had not been there since the night he’d spent sleeping blissfully in her arms, and on his return, just could not bear to face this place alone - not without her. He feared it would be too painful, being reminded of all the wondrous times they’d spent together.
But now, he was feeling differently about it. To be honest, Sora could no longer see a downside to going in. It might coax more happy memories from the back of his mind, long forgotten in his state of despondency. Perhaps it would make him feel better. As he gazed down the dark, small tunnel, he felt almost attracted to it. It seemed inviting at this moment, enticing him to enter. He took a deep breath, making his final decision.
“Now or never,” he whispered, getting down onto his hands and knees. It was a lot smaller than when he was a child.
Sora dusted himself down as he got back up onto his feet, stood in the stone hollow, surrounded by sketchy images of times long forgotten. He trailed his fingers over cool stone, as he remembered all the drawings on the walls. Sunlight streamed through cracks in rock, dancing amongst the tangled roots overhead. It lit one particular spot with its golden warmth, suddenly attracting his attention.
Taking a step back, feeling a cold chill run down his spine, Sora’s eyes were fixed on that same spot on the wall. His hair stood on end. It was the tiny image of himself and Kairi sharing a Paopu fruit. But, etched beneath their drawing were… words.
And, at first, he thought that, perhaps, Riku had done it, trying to cheer him up. But… no. It was far too neat to be his writing. Plus, it looked just like hers. He got down onto the floor before it, staring at it with a doubtful gaze.
“I love you too, Sora. I always will.”
Breathing heavily, part of him wanted to get back to the mainland, ask Riku if he had done it. Before he could think of this further, he felt a sudden, warm touch around his waist. Jumping up in shock, he quickly whirled around to see what it was.
But, strangely, there was no-one there. He felt terror surge through his entire body, unsure of just what was going on. Feeling his legs shaking below him, he got back down onto the floor, sat before the drawing, just as before. As he sat down on the cold stone ground, he felt something dig into his thigh. Thinking it was just a stone, he fumbled around with his hands, picking it up. A sudden shiver ran down his spine as he grasped it in clammy fingers. His eyes widened in disbelief as he gazed upon it, cupped in his gloved hands.
Kairi’s thalassa shell charm.
“But… that’s impossible…” he thought to himself. “I gave it to you, you were wearing it when you were…”
Droplets of sweat formed on his brow. His racked his mind for an explanation, but nothing could justify this. Kairi’s charm was the only one of its kind, she had made it herself, sat on the beach. There was no other like it, this couldn’t be a different one. It hadn’t been there only seconds ago. Worse still, Sora had tied it around her neck on the Gummi Ship - Kairi had been buried wearing the very same charm. Giving a nervous laugh, trying to dismiss his fears, Sora forced a smile, standing back up with the shell in his hands.
“I’m not sure what you’re trying to do,” he spoke aloud with a small, forced laugh, his voice echoing off the stone walls, “but it’s not funny.”
And at first, he was not sure he’d heard it. Perhaps it was an island bird chattering, or the song of the ocean, playing tricks with his mind. But, there it was again.
A warm giggle, from right behind him. Taking deep breaths, Sora turned around.
He rubbed his eyes, tried to tell himself a second time that it was his mind playing tricks, but he was wrong. He heard the giggle again, saw movement from the form in the shaft of bright sunlight.
“Who’s there!” he shouted, afraid. He hoped it was just Riku, no matter how far-fetched that seemed. He summoned the Keyblade out of sheer fear, wanted to be ready for whatever might befall him. He wasn’t sure just what was going on.
The Keyblade dropped to the floor with a metallic clatter. Sora fell to his knees, his blue eyes wide, streaming with tears. His entire body shook, he was not sure if it was through fear, or a strange sort of joy. The thalassa shell held tightly in one hand, he raised it up with a single, shivering arm, offering it up. He then lowered his empty hands to his sides, dismissing the Keyblade. His heartbeat raced as he gazed forward, unsure if he was dreaming. He had to be dreaming, there was no other explanation for it.
And, if it was a dream, then it was a wonderful, magical dream. But it didn’t matter now. As he embraced her one last time, her warm skin against his own, her blue eyes smiling upon him, it didn’t matter. They were together, if only for a few moments. And when he thought about it, nothing else mattered at all anymore.
Comments and criticism would be great, if possible.
