Hey, everybody! Me again! Y'all must be getting pretty sick of me, so that's why this story will only be four chapters long…they're kinda long, though, just long enough to entertain you!
As promised, this is my Kingdom Hearts Christmas story; I'm putting myself on a deadline to get it done WAY before Christmas, because I've come up with an idea for a Cat Returns Christmas fic too, and I really wanna get started on that. Not to say this is a slipshod work, but it's much shorter than my other Kingdom Hearts stories, except the one-shots.
Obviously, this mostly centers around Christopher Robin and how he's been getting along without his precious "Miss Water." It also gives a bit of future plot exposition for a later story…WAY later. It'll be awesome.
So let's quit yapping and get to storytelling! To any of my American readers, have a happy Thanksgiving! (Though it's probably late)
"Chocolates! Come back, chocolates! I didn't mean what I said!"—Bubs, Homestar Runner, Strong Bad E-mails (the one called 'invisable')
Title: Christmas For Robin
Summary: After eight long years, Christopher Robin returns to his beloved friend Ame during the magical Christmas season.
Prologue: Piano Music
Eight years ago…
Christopher Robin was asleep in bed in his small cottage in the Hundred-Acre Wood. His kind friends from Radiant Garden had built it just for him. It had a living room with a fireplace (which he used only with adult supervision), a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a cozy bedroom with lots of books for reading and learning. And in this room, and in his bed, Christopher Robin was dreaming.
In his dream he was a handsome prince in search of a beautiful princess; he was walking along a dirt road, following a piano melody that was haunting, bittersweet, and mysteriously beautiful, leading him to his true love.
Suddenly a light flashed in his eyes and he raised his arm to shield them; he found himself immersed in a pillar of white light and the music became louder and more dramatic. A shape materialized in the middle of the blinding pillar—a small female shape with no details of any kind. It held its arms out.
"It's all right," said a voice, small and kind, "I'm coming to meet you very soon." At these words Christopher Robin felt a strong surge of such powerful emotion as to take his breath away; he had no idea who this person was, but the promise of such a meeting filled him with joy and ecstasy and tears began to fall down his face. He was still crying when he woke up.
He thought about that night as he lay on a hill by the river with his hands pillowing his sun-touched head and the cool, gentle breeze brushing his bangs. He was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with buttons and comfy blue pants. He had earplugs on and was listening to his ipod playing the same piano song from his dream. It was his own recording, since Aerith had been teaching him to play ever since the Committee had taken him in and once he got good enough, he played the dream song for her and they recorded it so he could hear it whenever he wanted and wherever he wanted that didn't have a piano.
It had been eight years since he'd had that dream, he remembered, but it was still as vivid in his mind as the night he'd awoken from it crying, happy, and exceedingly confused. Not even Master Merlin had been able to explain it to him; he finally had to tell the boy that "there are some things in life we must discover for ourselves."
Christopher Robin reached in his shirt and lifted a section of the shiny delicate gold chain he was wearing; the turquoise crest charm with its gold outline and green Japanese inscription winked in the sunlight.
"Perhaps you know the answer," he mused. A line of cold gray clouds rolled across the sun to flagship the coming winter. Christopher Robin chuckled to himself.
"Bloody strange weather," he smirked as he got up, "I'll never get used to it."
"Christopher Robin!" called Pooh Bear with Piglet and Tigger, "Are you ready for your surprise?" He smiled and knelt to touch his stuffed head.
"Of course I am," he said fondly, "silly old bear."
After the sweet farewell party thrown by his friends in the Hundred-Acre Wood, and many promises to return and visit, Christopher Robin locked the door to his little cottage, the place that had been his home for eight years. After placing his hand on the doorway one more time with a smile, he turned and walked down the hill on the dirt road he'd walked up and down for eight years.
He stopped on the white wooden bridge and looked over the upstream side, where the bushes were quickly losing their leaves. A long-ago memory replayed in front of him, one where he and she had found a half-drowned cat in a suit.
"He wants to see Howl-san," she said quickly as she stood, cradling the cat in her arms, "Grab his hat and his cane for me!"
He watched his memory run past him across the bridge, their faces surprised and urgent, even though he'd had no idea what was going on at the time; she had, though, and that was enough for him.
He stood in the middle of the bridge and watched another memory unfold, one of his fondest: His five-year-old self ran from where he was, back into her tender embrace before running back and disappearing into himself.
A trail of red and yellow and orange leaves skipped past his feet, swirled in a whirlwind, and continued their fairy dance along the road as if beckoning him to join them. He lifted the necklace again, holding it against the horizon. Her words came back to him.
"If you trust in your heart and remember how much we love you, it will lead you back to us."
His eyes lit up in excitement and he smiled brightly; with the same spirit as when he'd left her—nervous but happy, looking forward—he thrust himself into a run toward the exit of the book.
"Do you have everything you need, Robin?" Aerith asked when he popped into the cottage. He shouldered his backpack he'd dropped on entry.
"Yes, Ms. Aerith," he smiled, "Do I look all right for Madame Megami?" He'd put on a navy blue blazer (that sweater thing without the sleeves) over the white shirt with a Radiant Garden coat of arms on the heart.
"You look perfect," said Aerith affectionately with his chin in her hand. She sighed. "It's hard to believe you came to us as a lanky little five-year-old boy. Now you're such a fine young man!"
"Now he's a lanky little teenager," said Leon as he ruffled the boy's hair, "And a tall one at that." Christopher Robin chuckled; for Leon, that was a term of endearment.
"Thanks, Master Leon," he said, "I'll try and make you look good on the Islands."
"Just stay on your toes and I won't have to worry," Leon waved off and laid his hand on the boy's head. "You've got a good head on your shoulders; make sure you use it."
"Yes, sir," the boy nodded and held out his right hand, "And thank you. Thank you for being so patient with me over the years; my body is stronger because of you. I will always remember what you've taught me." Leon shook hands with him and nodded. They heard male sobbing and turned to see Cid crying with his back to them. Yuffie was rolling her eyes and patting his back.
"Come on, Cid," she sighed, "You knew this day was coming."
"But today?" he cried dramatically, "Why today? It's so close to Christmas!" Christopher Robin smiled sympathetically and went over to touch his shoulder.
"Uncle Cid," he said kindly, using his nickname for him, "Please don't cry. We all knew I'd be going back someday. I'm ready now, and that's because I had all of you looking after me." Cid turned his face to him. "Thank you." Cid hugged him tightly around the neck.
"You be a good boy," he sobbed, "and remember to always check your ISP/TP settings and delete your browsing cookies."
"I will," the boy smiled and turned to Yuffie—tall, gorgeous, in her late twenties.
"Goodbye, Ms. Ninja," said Christopher Robin. He went to throw a straight-lined punch and met her palm halfway; she curled it around his fist and they chuckled.
"See ya 'round, kiddo!" she chimed warmly, pulling him into a hug, "You've been a great sparring partner. Stay good, okay?"
"Yes!" he nodded, "I sure will miss you."
"Are you ready, Christopher Robin?" asked Merlin.
"Yes, Master Merlin," he nodded again.
"Lady Megami will be expecting us at the Postern," said the wizard, checking his watch, "Let's not keep her waiting."
"Right," he said and followed him to the front door with Aerith and Leon flanking him, and Yuffie and Cid behind. He paused in the doorway to take one last look at the cottage that had been his school, and the book to his home, still glowing as if in farewell. He smiled fondly yet sadly and closed the door. When they got to the top of the Borough, he paused to look at the house one more time.
"Goodbye, Radiant Garden," he said quietly, spanning his view over the city with the sun rising over the Great Maw and a chill breeze sweeping through. "Until we meet again." He continued to follow his companions—his teachers and guardians—up the path to the castle Postern.
Christopher Robin drew in a breath; standing there was a beautiful woman looking 55 at best in a silvery light blue dress suit that most old ladies wear in the business world with her platinum blonde hair pinned back in a perfect bun. What caught Christopher Robin were her eyes; only once before had he seen that pair of eyes.
"Lady Megami," he said breathlessly as he bowed before her like a knight to a queen, "It's an honor to meet you at last." He heard her chuckle.
"The honor is all mine, Christopher Robin," she smiled warmly, "You remember my husband, of course." He straightened up.
"Doctor Ansem!" he lit up. Ansem the Wise laughed heartily.
"My dear Christopher Robin!" he said as they hugged, "How you've grown!"
"It's wonderful to see you again, Doctor!" he chimed, "How is Miss Hart?"
"Ask her yourself," the old man replied and indicated a gorgeous 19-year-old woman almost as tall as Ansem wearing a white doctor's coat and half-moon glasses. Her long hair had gone back to white for the winter.
"Ms. Hart!" he smiled, then looked quizzical, "Why are you wearing glasses?" She laughed and removed them.
"They're not real," she smiled, "I just wear them because they look good on me—make me look more intellectual!"
"Interesting," he chuckled, "How is Ms. Susan?"
"Trying to cope with her fifties," Chrissy shook her head, "She's fine, but she's kinda bummed about middle age."
"Christopher Robin," Granda asked, "Are you ready to go?" He turned back to the Restoration Committee; except for Merlin, (who didn't like goodbyes) there was only one person he hadn't said goodbye to. He went to Aerith and embraced her lovingly.
"Don't forget me, Robin," she murmured, stroking his hair. He hugged tighter.
"I'd sooner forget my own name," he replied, "Thank you for loving me. (…) I love you, Ms. Aerith." He stood back and clasped his hands together; a light shone in them and he opened them to reveal a pure white daffodil, which he handed to her.
"My favorite," she smiled tenderly, "How did you know?"
"I've always known," he smiled back, "Goodbye…Yuffie, Cid, Leon, Merlin…and Aerith. I love you all dearly and could never repay you."
"Don't bother," said Yuffie with her head cocked and her hand on Aerith's shoulder, "Just get out there and live!"
"And send our best to the Islands," added Leon.
"Right," the boy nodded, adjusted his backpack, and stood by Granda, who held up her hand. Still watching them, he took it and let the light swath around them. When it died away, he found they were standing on a little island connected to the main island by a wooden bridge.
He turned around to take in the tropical greenery, the white sand, and the ocean—the big, beautiful blue ocean with the sun dancing on its broken surface, breaking in foamy waves on the shore. The wind introduced him to its salty sea smell and he noticed tow things he wouldn't have thought possible on a tropical island.
It was freezing cold and it was snowing!
"Why is it snowing?" he asked weirdly, holding out his hands to catch the thickly falling snowflakes.
"I decided to treat the islanders to a white Christmas this year," Granda smiled serenely with her hand out, "Is it not lovely?"
"Indeed," he nodded, wide-eyed, "Master Merlin did tell me some things about you, mum. Um…" He turned to her. "Do you mind if I call you Grandmum?"
"You may call me anything you like," she said kindly, brushing flakes off him, "Most everyone called me Granda, but certain members of my family call me different things." He looked right at her, his interest piqued.
"Grandmum," he asked, "Before we go to your house, may I…Could you tell me where she lives? Please, I want to see her."
"Of course," she nodded, "I understand." She took a pen out of her pocket and wrote an address on a small piece of paper. "Here's her address. Go up to the road and you'll meet a young woman with purple hair and green eyes with a dark red car, and possibly with children. She's my other granddaughter; her name is Talni. She knows what to do; she'll take you to the house."
"Thank you, Grandmum," he smiled with breathless excitement, "Thank you ever so much!"
"You'd better put a coat on," Granda warned, "It's exceedingly cold out here."
"Oh, right," he said, just now noticing the sharp bite of winter's breath, enhanced by the salt of the sea. He briefly closed his eyes and used the magic in his heart, honed by Master Merlin's teachings, to give himself a long black winter coat that hugged his form but kept him warm, a scarf with gold and dark red stripes, and mittens.
"Do I look all right?" he asked anxiously.
"You look wonderful, my dear," Granda giggled, "Don't be nervous. Go!"
"Yes!" he nodded with pink cheeks and ran off across the bridge to the main island, his heart pounding with anticipation, reminding him with every beat that he was alive today because of the girl he was about to see again.
He ran awkwardly up the dune to the road, where, sure enough, a beautiful woman was waiting for him, leaning on the dark red car. She had her rich purple hair in a bun with her stringy bangs swaying in her face across her almond-shaped, dark, glittering green eyes and was wearing one of those stylish ladies' winter jackets with the fat buttons down the front. It was red.
"How's it going, kid?" she smiled, "You must be Christopher Robin!"
"Yes, mum," he replied, "You must be Talni."
"No one but!" she winked and opened the passenger door for him, "Come on; let's talk in the nice warm car."
"Thank you very much," he nodded and got in the car. Talni gave him a beaming smile, a smile he recognized. She got in the driver's seat and pulled back onto the road.
"These are two of my kids," she pointed behind them, "That's my son Axel, Jr. We call him Jory. He's about your age."
"Pleased to meet you," Christopher Robin smiled and offered his hand. The redheaded green-eyed boy, the spitting image of his father Axel (except his hair texture, which was soft), accepted it.
"Hey, man," he nodded politely.
"And that's my daughter, Rinoa," said Talni, "We call her Rin."
She was a beautiful young girl of average height for her age (11) with her mother's eyes and hair in texture and length, but as enflamed with color as her brother's with a barely noticeable tint of purple. She wasn't smiling, but she still looked pleasant.
"You can call me Rin too if you want," she offered, "I've got a feeling you'll be around for a while."
"I hope so," Christopher Robin smiled back, "Thank you, Rin. You're the first island girl I've spoken to."
"Wow," said Talni, "So you've never left Radiant Garden?"
"My teachers took me on field trips," he answered, "but no, I've never lived anywhere else."
"That's all right," said Rin, "We've never left the Islands."
"Except for all those Christmas vacations we've spent in Twilight Town," said Jory, "Gran and Jii-chan own this old mansion there. We go there every Christmas. Christmas is especially beautiful in Twilight Town."
"Blimey," said a wide-eyed Christopher Robin, "It sounds wonderful! Who's Jii-chan?"
"Jory's nickname for Ansem," said Talni, "I've been teaching them all Japanese." He looked back at her.
"How many children do you have?" he asked.
"Four," she answered with a smile, "The other two are with their father. I'm sure you'll get to meet them after you've caught up." She slowed down in front of a house that simultaneously stood out and blended in with the rest of the neighborhood; it was a white, modern Japanese-styled two-story with a two-car garage and a flower garden.
"Is this it?" he asked in awe, "Truly?"
"You betcha," Talni nodded, "Good luck, kiddo. I hope you find what you're looking for."
"Thank you ever so much, Talni," he said fervently, "I've waited so long for this day!" He got out of the car, forgetting his backpack.
"We'll take your stuff back to Granda's place for you," she said, "Don't even worry about it!" He nodded mutely, closed the door, and watched them drive away, waiting until it disappeared to turn to the house. He walked across a two-feet long bridge over a dug-out creek that was frozen over and ran the length of the yard and under the driveway like a stone bridge. He smiled; trust her to live around as much water as possible.
He climbed up the shallow stone steps to the front porch and paused; he took a deep breath, released it in a cloudy puff, and rang the doorbell.
Author's Review:
Yes, I know—cliffy! Boo-yah!
The first official chapter starts out the way the last story ended, so DON'T GET CONFUSED, JUST KEEP READING. I'll get it updates as fast as I can, I promise!
Quick references: Robin and Yuffie are kind of like Shishou and Kyo from "Fruits Basket" (you can guess which is which). I thought it'd be cute!
Before you ask "why did Granda give him the address when Talni was going to drive him anyway," she did that for his own future reference.
The dream he had eight years ago is similar to the one the Mabudachi Trio had about Akito, again in "Fruits Basket," similar, but not quite.
The memories playing back are exact lines from H4H, in case anyone cares.
And the piano song? Aerith's Theme from Final Fantasy 7! 'Cause I'm cool like that!
I made Cid a crybaby because I thought it would be funny to do that, so sorry to all you hardcore Final Fantasy fans.
And I don't think I have to explain the daffodil thing, but in case you're NOT a Final Fantasy fan, those were the flowers Aerith grew in the game.
And yes: I NAMED AXEL'S DAUGHTER AFTER LEON'S GIRLFRIEND FROM FINAL FANTASY 8. Y'know, it's funny: I've never played any Final Fantasy game in my life, but I know so many of the stories, mostly because I have you wonderful fans of it to fill me in…and I watch videos on YouTube…and I read Wikipedia…(shy)
I purposely goofed up the age difference between Jory and Rin; in Hunt for the Hearts, Jory's five when Talni has Rin. Here, they're only two years apart. This was my original plan, but I forgot about it when I wrote H4H. So don't bother pointing it out, 'cause I already know. (George Lopez: I GOT THIS!)
I think that's it for the references; I'm gonna be super-busy tomorrow (it's Thanksgiving for us in America, to all you overseas readers), but I'm totally gonna get on the ball, too! I promise! I'm gonna finish handwriting this one and get on my Cat Returns Christmas fic as fast as I possibly can without making it a crappy story…I hope!
Happy Thanksgiving! =^.^= *mrow*