Author's Quickie: With the demise of Project: Trinity for the time being, I decided to crank out another fanfic series (I dislike one-shots very much; not enough words to go around). My first attempt at a serious/humorous fic. Something tells me this will turn out to be a flop. Oh well.

This is dedicated to WildRinoa, as promised. I tried as much as possible to include what you

specified, but... Crud, it was hard! You'll notice some deviations here and there--such as Tidus being his regular age, not the KH 10-year old--but hey, this is an AU, after all. Bear with me, here.

Disclaimer: Aw, shut up and go on. :F

A Week in Devil's Paradise

Chapter One: Welcome to Destiny Islands

"Welcome to Destiny Islands," she read off the large printed banner, which was rather hard to do since the wind was whipping it vociferously back and forth on the bamboo poles. The name sounded like something off a CD cover. Sighing, Aerith picked up her luggage, which consisted merely of a shoulder bag of sorts, and her sandals. She wasn't planning on staying long.

Destiny Islands, the new resort for those wanting to escape from hectic work, broken hearts, the familiar hum drum of life. "You want it, we got it," the airline clerk had told her back in the city. Well, she had wanted a one-way trip to the damn Bahamas, not Destiny Islands. Destiny Islands. What a heck of a name, she thought as she walked down the ramp, faintly irritated that the airline company had managed to screw up her reservations.

"Oh well," she sighed to herself, rubbing her sore shoulder, "at least it's got water." And plenty of it. The island was so very well secluded, travelers had needed to board a short boat ride after the airplane flight in order to reach it. As the pearly white sand sifted through her tennis shoes and she could feel the grains rubbing against her toes, she slid her sunglasses down from where they had been perched upon the top of her head. Good god, the sun was ferocious around here.

Instantly everything was enveloped in a faint purple tint as the sunglasses perched on the bridge of her nose, and, that done, she looked around for her tour guide, squinting at the printed name on the ticket. "...Ka..ri?" she said aloud, trying to shake the glare away from her eyes.

"Close enough," a voice answered, sounding way too cheerful in 98 degree weather, and in lazy mid-afternoon, too. "It's Kairi." Aerith looked up and saw a young girl beaming at her, the blood red hair the first thing she noticed. Stepping back a step, Aerith shook the image out of her head--no more blood--and tried a shaky smile of her own. It must have worked, since the girl grinned even more. "Hi," she said, sticking out her hand, "I'm Kairi, and I'm your personal tour guide while you're here."

Aerith blinked, her brain rapidly processing the fact that her tour guide was even younger than she was. Like 7 years younger. "You're...my tour guide," she said at last, her grip on the shoulder bag tightening.

"Yep!" Kairi giggled, another smile working its way up her lips. She had very white teeth, Aerith noted. "I'll show you around the island, make sure you're comfortable. Come on, let me take you to your room so you can settle down." The girl turned around and nearly skipped her way off the wooden dock, the banner flapping overhead as she passed underneath it. Wearily Aerith shuffled after her, her eyes warily tracing the outline of the island.

It had sun, water, and sand. But she wondered whether Destiny Islands would have more than just beautiful scenery, and something coiling inside of her told her she didn't want to find out.

* * *

"Well, here we are!" Kairi said brightly as she led the way into the guest room, throwing open the bamboo door for added flair. It was a good room. Clean white sheets were laid on top of the simple but comfortable bed, exotic flowers tucked into small vases here and there, and even a reproduction print of Van Gogh Sunflowers, framed above the modest sized desk. Bright sunlight filtered through the partly open balcony doors to the left, and the walls were made of glossy new bamboo trees.

Aerith inhaled deeply, loving the salty spray of the ocean breeze that flowed in through the doors and windows. "It's nice," Aerith marveled as she examined the wicket furniture. "It all looks so natural, as if you're really outside."

Kairi's head bobbed back and forth as she nodded enthusiastically. "That's the idea!" she chirped. "We figure that if people want to escape from their lives, Destiny Islands should offer a peaceful, tropical feel to it that most can't find anywhere else."

Yeah, you and every other island resort, Aerith thought skeptically. The girl was a little too naive to understand today's world. Everything's been done before. "You grew up here?" Aerith asked, making a quick assumption.

"Yep! Destiny Islands is a great place to live. Maybe you'll get to see that before you go," Kairi answered readily. "Anyway, I'll let you get some time to rest, relax, and settle in. If you need anything, use the phone, or else flag me or some of my friends down. They know as much about the island as I do, and more. Dinner will be served around six. See you then." With a wave, Kairi disappeared around the corner, leaving Aerith to pray it would be like any normal vacation.

She needed to rest her frazzled nerves. Sighing, Aerith sat down on the bed, startled when she sank in. Surprised, she patted the mattress and her hand hit plastic. She yanked off the bed sheet and saw a rectangular blue lake underneath. Holy crap. It's a water bed.

Her hands slipped the bed sheet back on and she flopped down on it, staring up at the bamboo ceiling. A fan rotated around noiselessly in the middle, sending cool breezes washing over her exhausted body.

A vision of Kairi's blood red hair popped into her mind's eye again, and Aerith cringed visibly, burying her head into the pillow to muffle out any sounds, most prominently to muffle her own whimpers. She breathed in, the scent of fabric softener filling her nostrils, and the meditation therapy training kicked in once more. Shaking, she reached over and tugged out a T-shirt from her hamper, putting it on over her solid black tank top.

Black and white were her favorite colors now. So calm, so pure, so...sterile.

She trembled as she walked over to the door, sandals clasped in one hand. A walk. She needed to relax, needed to wipe out the past. A vacation. She had came here for a vacation, she reminded herself. Don't think. Thinking always brought problems.

Quietly she walked down the hall, which was in reality nothing more than a canopied walkway, made of wood and decorated with lush plants and flowers. Flicking a broad leaf out of her way as she walked, Aerith heard a very distinct voice:

"I wonder where the cafe is...?" the person mumbled, unaware that Aerith was standing right in front of the door. The collision was unexpected, and they both let out an Oof! as they hit the ground. "Sorry! Are you okay?" the man apologized, reaching over to give her a hand.

Aerith smiled weakly and nodded, standing awkwardly to her own feet. "Sorry about that."

"No problem." The man smiled, running a hand through his beach blonde hair that suspiciously looked dyed. "It's my fault, anyway...I shouldn't have been so clumsy. I'm a little lost." He laughed graciously at his own mistakes, his cheerful attitude contagious.

"Me too," she confessed, smiling sheepishly. "It doesn't look like it from the boat, but Destiny Islands are pretty big."

"Oh, so you're a fellow vacationer!" the man interjected, his grin widening. He had a very nice smile, Aerith noticed, that and his well-toned, very tanned body. He was the kind of guy who looked as if he was a born surfer. "At least I made one friend today, even if I had to crash into her!" he joked, extending his hand. "My name's Tidus. What's your name?"

"Aerith," she responded after a moment's hesitation, taking his hand gingerly to shake it.

"Nice to meet you, Aerith." Tidus inclined his head, a grin on his face. He glanced at the sandals in her hand, asking, "Are you going out for a walk?" When she nodded, he said, "Good idea! The ocean's so beautiful out there; I might even join you after I find something to eat, if it's all right with you, of course."

"Sure. The more, the merrier." Aerith tried cracking a smile again, and Tidus grinned in reply and waved as he headed for the buildings to the right. Letting out a breath she hadn't know she was holding, she headed for the beach, the sands glistening with the color of pearls. Don't think.

As she descended down the stairs, her sandals now slipped on and thumping loudly against the wood, her eyes glanced around for other vacationers. Luckily, there wasn't any; she assumed most were still packing away their things and getting settled in. She had the whole stretch of beach to herself, for the time being.

Her sandaled feet hit the sand, and on a sudden reckless impulse, she ran the rest of the way to the water, the crisp air making her dizzy with giddiness. Free! She was free at last, in this wide open space surrounded on four sides by nothing but water...

The sand shifted in a rounded slope and unexpectedly her weight gave in. She tumbled down the rounded slope shrieking in half-delight, half-fear, the sand hot and gritty against her skin. The next moment, she found herself face-to-face with a very annoyed looking guy with brown hair.

She blinked. Another one? She thought the beach was empty; the rounded sand hill must have shaded him from view atop the stairs.

"Will you get off?" the man said in an icy voice, lying beneath her, emotionless.

"Sorry," she apologized breathlessly, scrambling to a sitting position a few steps away. As the flush worked its way up her face she swept the grains of sand off her clothes, anything to keep busy and not look at the guy. She wanted very much to die right now.

"You should be," he said spitefully, raking the sand out of his hair roughly with his hand. Aerith stared, completely put-out by his callous behavior. What a jerk!

"Well, I am," she answered stiffly, bending down to gather her sandals. As soon as she had put them back on, she ran towards the main house, shaken.

* * *

It was quite the contrast, Aerith thought as she ran down the path, between Tidus and the guy she had recently...err...fallen upon. One was happily cheerful, optimistic, and the other...a real jerk, she couldn't help but think again, her fists clenching. It was as if he thought she wanted to collapse and roll down the sand and find herself on top of a complete stranger.

Her face burned with the memory, and with big, mortified strides she hurried back to her room. "Aghhh!" she cried, sliding back as she came in contact with a very solid obstacle. She sat, frustrated, on the floor, looking up askance at the thing she had ran into (again). Discouraged, she slapped her hands on the warm granite, her palm stinging from the blow. "Not again!" she exploded violently, letting out a defeated sigh. What was with her and colliding with people? She wanted to be alone, damn it.

The man raised a blonde eyebrow, but merely murmured, "Sorry," in a quiet voice.
In a bout of self-consciousness, Aerith smiled faintly. "No, no, it's my fault. It seems I'm running into everyone around here." She laughed at herself, to show she was only half-serious. Pulling herself up, she smoothed out her skirt and told herself to think of it all as a joke. Someone up there was obviously very humorous. As if she hadn't enough drama in her life. "Just so you don't feel left out, you're the third guy I've 'bumped into' today." She sighed, dropping her head humbly. "I think the sunstroke's getting to me."

The man cracked a wry smile that seemed out of place with his intense blue eyes. "It's only been an hour since the boat left."

"Seems a lot longer," she said truthfully. With a brilliant smile that she somehow managed to fake, Aerith waved and left him standing in the hall, staring after her with a unreadable look. Just as she had disappeared from view, his cell phone rang and he fished it out of his pocket, his eyes sill lingering.

"Yeah. Cloud speaking," he said into the phone, turning to away to face the broad view of the lapping waves. He leaned on the banister, idly flicking the leaves away. "Don't worry," he said curtly, "I'll get the job done." With a press of a button he cut the connection and stuck his hands in his pockets, staring thoughtfully at her door.

* * *

[Endings Notes: Yes, it gets crazier (and darker) as time goes on. Can you guess how? Hint: There's a reason Cloud and Leon are there, and it's not for vacation purposes. This chapter was a little cliched, but take pity! I'm brain dead already.]