Promise

Chapter I: Beginning

"Sora, no!"

She screamed in horror as she watched him plummet from the cliff, her visage clouded by whirlwinds of dust and sand. With a sickening crunch, the boy's body met the ochre-stained rocks. The boy's keyblade clattered from his twitching hands to her feet. The armoured figure atop the cliffs leapt down, and she found herself staring at an eerie masked face, before there was the dull thunk of a weapon hitting flesh.

And then she saw the soldier disappear, and then, darkness.

Kairi's eyes sprung open, and she blinked as droplets of cold rain stung her irises. People dressed in black surrounded her, holding black umbrellas. The ground was grassy, muddy and wet. The sky was grey and cloudy, as masses of thick clouds drifted aimlessly in mournful lament. Looking down, Kairi saw that she, too, was dressed in a black lace dress, with a dark shawl wrapped about her shoulders. Grief washed over the entire crowd. Kairi remembered everything in a flash - Sora was dead. He was no longer with her. The coffin lay before her now, carved from fine mahogany and crowned with a gold plate. It was about to be lowered into its final resting place.

Here lies Sora.

Keyblade Master and trusted friend.

He perished young,

but his brave deeds are forever remembered.

May he rest in peace.

The emotions were too overwhelming. Choking back a sob, Kairi felt the memories rushing back, and the tears flowed, unrestrained from her eyes. They streamed down her pale cheeks as she wept loudly in the silence. The others looked at her and shook their heads in sympathy. Bouquets of flowers adorned the edges of the grave. The iridescent blooms watched as the coffin was lowered in, and as the earth was pushed on top of it. The rain pattered incessantly upon the surface of the umbrellas, dripping onto the ground like tears from heaven. Tears for Sora.

Tears for Sora.

After the funeral, Kairi sat alone under the shade of a large oak, watching the tombstone as if it held her entire life within it. The sky was bleak and white, and the rain had been reduced to a mere drizzle. The damp bark scraped against her bare arms as she sobbed into her shawl, the cool air crying with her. The grass rustled as footsteps approached. A hand patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"Do you know that you could have gone too? We found you..."

Kairi looked up with tear-filled eyes, meeting the gentle emerald gaze of Riku. He was wearing a black suit which made him seem all the more serious. The dim light reflected off his silver hair as he sat down next to her. Kairi looked down, whispering incoherent words, unable to get over the loss. She knew that she could have died in the desert as well, killed by that...soldier. Her eyes glistened softly with liquid sorrow as he lifted his finger and wiped a tear away. It rested upon his fingertip, sparkling like a freshly fallen dewdrop. He held it up to her face.

"Look at this. It's like a diamond. It's a pity something so precious gets thrown away just like that. Keep it."

Kairi wiped the rest of her tears away with her arm and supressed a laugh. Riku never failed to flatter her, even though now was not the best time. Riku turned his head and looked sadly at the tombstone. Several ivory flowers leaned against it, snow against the stone. His heart was strong, because he suffered all these years in the darkness. But now, his best friend was gone. The least he could do was fulfill Sora's last wish. But he hadn't even told Kairi about it...the memories rushed into his mind in a powerful tide.

"Riku. Promise me you'll take care of her. That's the only thing I'm afraid of now."

Sora whispered from the ground where he lay. His breathing was harsh and ragged, and the blood continued to seep under Riku's feet. The stench of death and blood lingered in the air, and Riku tried his best to keep from shedding tears. He knew that Sora would not accept the fact that his friends could not live on when he was gone. Riku squeezed his best friend's hand reassuringly.

"Don't say that. We'll get you help."

"No, don't. It's too late to save me. But don't worry, I'll be all right. Just promise me that..."

Then Sora's eyes glazed over, and his breathing stopped. Pebbles clattered from the cliff above onto the body. Riku turned around and watched as attendants sent from Disney's Castle rushed forward to carry Kairi's unconscious body away. Riku bit back his tears, before turning back to face his friend. Brushing his hand over Sora's eyelids, he pushed them down. Sora could rest now. He released Sora's hand.

"All right, Sora. I promise."

The memory ended, and Riku realized that Kairi was staring at him with red, swollen eyes. She sniffed again as her petite frame was racked with fragile sobs. Almost all the black-clothed guests had left the grave. They were now merely tiny dots in the distance. The graveyard was in an uninhabited area of Radiant Garden, and the main town was just a short walk away. Looking back down at Kairi, Riku smiled kindly at her, a kind, yet solemn smile, before standing up and offering her a hand.

"Come on, I'll get you some dinner. You look like a zombie."

Kairi smiled through the tears and took his hand.

Take care of her.