Two figures were strolling down the beach of a lush island. The smaller
figure stooped down to pick something up.
"Hey look! A thalassa shell!" the smaller one exclaimed.
"Please Sora, don't tell me you believe that stuff," groaned the larger figure.
"Of course I do! That's like not believing in paopu fruit!" The smaller boy, Sora, examined the shell carefully, to make sure it was authentic.
"Thalassa shells are just a bunch of wistful childhood dreams, only silly imaginings."
"Oh Riku, stop thinking logically for a minute! Don't you ever just want to have fun?" Riku, the taller boy figure, didn't reply.
"I remember, just slightly, the story of the shell. Just slightly, something about good luck, or love, or something," Sora sighed and looked at his shell again, rubbing his thumb against the smoothness of the shell.
"Don't get all excited over it, Sora. It's an old wive's tale, I'm sure. Nothing true." Sora looked up at Riku, with a sort of disappointment in his eyes.
"Whatever you say, Riku, whatever you say," he gazed on along down the beach's coast. A g irl about the same age as the two was running towards them.
"Kairi! Over here!" Sora yelled and grinned from ear to ear.
"Hey Sora! Riku!" Kairi smiled at them both. "Mind if I join you?" Riku was just about to open his mouth when Sora quickly shot out an answer.
"Sure!" Sora smiled. The three walked down the beach in silence for a while.
"I found a thalassa shell," Sora tried to start a conversation with Kairi
"Do you remember the story behind the thalassa shell?" Kairi asked. Sora thought for a while.
"Uhh, ya, I think so. Only bits and pieces though, I can't remember everything." Sora's logic that had grown over the years had pushed back his memories of tales of magic and wishes and splendor, causing him to forget a classic childhood story. "I think it was about a sailor... who had to go to sea."
".and he had to leave his g irlfriend back at home.." Riku added. Sora and Kairi gave him inquisitive looks.
"You remember?" Sora was puzzled. Wasn't this Riku? Grown-up, mature Riku?
"Like you, only bits and pieces."
"Oh! Yes! That's right! And the sailor's g irlfriend gave him the shell, for good luck!" Kairi jumped in. "She said that if he was in a tough spot, to rub his fingers against the shell and think of a good memory! Ever since then, if you find a thalassa shell, give it to someone you love. Then whenever they are homesick, they rub the thalassa shell, and it is supposed to comfort them!" Kairi smiled.
"That's right!" Memories of picking up thalassa shells on the beach as a child rushed into Sora's mind. He smiled softly at Kairi when she finished.
"Hmm, well, I still don't believe in that," Riku puffed. "Anyways, I'm going to go. I'll catch you to later."
Sora and Kairi stopped as they watched Riku slowly walk into the distance. Sora reached into his pocket to feel his smooth treasure. He slowly took it out and studied it in the palm of his hand.
"Hey, Kairi," Sora said shyly. "Umm. do you want my thalassa shell?" Kairi blushed.
"Sure!" Kairi giggled. Sora cupped his hand and put it over Kairi's, causing the shell to drop into her hand. Their hands touched for only a few seconds, but they quickly took them away, blushed, and giggled nervously.
"Oops!" Kairi dropped her shell into the sand. Sora bent over to pick it up, and placed the shell into Kairi's hand. This time, they did not let go, only looked at each other, and smiled. The two walked down the beach together, hand in hand, both thankful for the thalassa shell.
"Hey look! A thalassa shell!" the smaller one exclaimed.
"Please Sora, don't tell me you believe that stuff," groaned the larger figure.
"Of course I do! That's like not believing in paopu fruit!" The smaller boy, Sora, examined the shell carefully, to make sure it was authentic.
"Thalassa shells are just a bunch of wistful childhood dreams, only silly imaginings."
"Oh Riku, stop thinking logically for a minute! Don't you ever just want to have fun?" Riku, the taller boy figure, didn't reply.
"I remember, just slightly, the story of the shell. Just slightly, something about good luck, or love, or something," Sora sighed and looked at his shell again, rubbing his thumb against the smoothness of the shell.
"Don't get all excited over it, Sora. It's an old wive's tale, I'm sure. Nothing true." Sora looked up at Riku, with a sort of disappointment in his eyes.
"Whatever you say, Riku, whatever you say," he gazed on along down the beach's coast. A g irl about the same age as the two was running towards them.
"Kairi! Over here!" Sora yelled and grinned from ear to ear.
"Hey Sora! Riku!" Kairi smiled at them both. "Mind if I join you?" Riku was just about to open his mouth when Sora quickly shot out an answer.
"Sure!" Sora smiled. The three walked down the beach in silence for a while.
"I found a thalassa shell," Sora tried to start a conversation with Kairi
"Do you remember the story behind the thalassa shell?" Kairi asked. Sora thought for a while.
"Uhh, ya, I think so. Only bits and pieces though, I can't remember everything." Sora's logic that had grown over the years had pushed back his memories of tales of magic and wishes and splendor, causing him to forget a classic childhood story. "I think it was about a sailor... who had to go to sea."
".and he had to leave his g irlfriend back at home.." Riku added. Sora and Kairi gave him inquisitive looks.
"You remember?" Sora was puzzled. Wasn't this Riku? Grown-up, mature Riku?
"Like you, only bits and pieces."
"Oh! Yes! That's right! And the sailor's g irlfriend gave him the shell, for good luck!" Kairi jumped in. "She said that if he was in a tough spot, to rub his fingers against the shell and think of a good memory! Ever since then, if you find a thalassa shell, give it to someone you love. Then whenever they are homesick, they rub the thalassa shell, and it is supposed to comfort them!" Kairi smiled.
"That's right!" Memories of picking up thalassa shells on the beach as a child rushed into Sora's mind. He smiled softly at Kairi when she finished.
"Hmm, well, I still don't believe in that," Riku puffed. "Anyways, I'm going to go. I'll catch you to later."
Sora and Kairi stopped as they watched Riku slowly walk into the distance. Sora reached into his pocket to feel his smooth treasure. He slowly took it out and studied it in the palm of his hand.
"Hey, Kairi," Sora said shyly. "Umm. do you want my thalassa shell?" Kairi blushed.
"Sure!" Kairi giggled. Sora cupped his hand and put it over Kairi's, causing the shell to drop into her hand. Their hands touched for only a few seconds, but they quickly took them away, blushed, and giggled nervously.
"Oops!" Kairi dropped her shell into the sand. Sora bent over to pick it up, and placed the shell into Kairi's hand. This time, they did not let go, only looked at each other, and smiled. The two walked down the beach together, hand in hand, both thankful for the thalassa shell.