A/N: Okay so the story behind this…well, there isn't one. This is just some random creative write I did while listening to the song Cherish by Ai Otsuka. It's fantastic, be-tee-dub.
But yeah, it originally started out as just some random things I did, but then I thought back to KH and was like, "ZOMG! Kairi! How I hate you but oh how well you'll fit into this role!" And that's how this was worked around into a KH fan fiction. Nice, ne?
I tried doing something a bit different…I wanted to go for less descriptive details. More of the whole "show-don't-tell" thing. But I think I just ended up being blunt and boring. Lemme know what you think!
Disclaimer: CeG claims no ownership to either Kairi or Sora. Simple. Otherwise, I wouldn't be writing fan fiction, now would I?
Warnings: I know, it's awful but…it's SoKai…terrible CeG-- BAD! Smack yourself! But in all honesty…she's the only one who I could see fitting this role. I thought back to the ending of KHI…I couldn't help it! Sorry! This will be the only time this happens in my writing career! Promise!
Summary: A woman's desperate struggle to get over the man she lost to his one true passion: the sea. SoKai; chara-death; one-shot; AU
Cherish:
Tale of the Seaman's Widow
The sky was weeping again. It was the fifth day in a row, Kairi noticed with a slight frown on her face. The twenty-something year old woman, clad in matching pink galoshes and raincoat, was returning home from a trip to the grocery store with her sweetie pie Paopu-- a nearly grown ridgeback they bought about two years ago. Her maple leaf red hair was done up in its normal, simplistic way-- a simple bun with simple bangs, and a simple clip given to her by Sora.
Kairi swung her bags a bit, wondering what to make for dinner that night.
"How about chicken and dumplings? With a nice bowl of mixed veggies?" She glanced down at Paopu who looked pleased. Kairi gave a mournful smile. "Sora would've loved to have chicken and dumplings. It was his favorite."
Beside her, Paopu whined.
"Don't worry-- just a block more, and we'll be home, Paopu! I promise! I know you don't like being out in the rain…"
The woman in pink and her dog trudged up the next block and bolted straight for their townhouse-- just in time too, since the rain began to pour down even harder. Kairi fumbled with the key at first, but once she finally got in, she went straight to the kitchen and put everything away. Paopu followed her master's every move, sensing the growing sensation of sadness radiating from Kairi. Being man's best friend, Paopu couldn't help but be worried by nature.
"I'm fine Paopu," Kairi, now dressed in her pajamas stated, patting her dog on the head as she passed into the living room. "Just thinking about Sora a little is all."
Kairi let a little whimper slip from her mouth, her legs trembling at the memories flooding back to her. She hated it when this happened. Kairi led herself over to the couch, plopping down and sagging into the cushions. She hugged her knees, nestling her face against them. Paopu just stood beside her on the carpeted floor, watching her master cry those big tears of hers.
"Sora…" she blubbered pathetically. "Oh Sora…why you, Sora? Why you?"
Boyfriend of five years, Sora was the man of Kairi's dreams. He was tall, handsome, a hard worker, and was very good to her. He had worked as a seasonal fisherman for his dad's company, going to the coast every summer for weeks upon weeks, just fishing and having a grand old time. Kairi would even come up to visit him sometimes. Then, once summer was over, he'd come back down to live his regular life with his girlfriend. This was their routine every year for the past five years. This year, however, Sora never came back from his trip.
She was told he went overboard during a terrible storm that had hit them when they were pretty far off the coastline. Sora was apparently tying off a few loose sails when a wave slapped into the ship, knocking him off balance. The wave that followed raked the ship for anything shaken loose by the first wave. And Sora fell into that category.
They had told her they were sorry for her loss. They said that it was a terribly powerful storm to have brought down a man like Sora. Daily, they'd sent flowers and baskets full of smelted and smoked salmon to try to cheer her spirits. It didn't work though. Not one bit.
She just couldn't figure out why they-- his coworkers and fellow fishermen-- wouldn't have tied a rope around him while he fixed the sails. Or why no one bothered to look for him in the ocean, even after the storm! They all automatically assumed he was dead and because of that…well, now, for sure, he was. It made her stomach clench, her head spin. When she first opened the door that day to see the somber looks of Sora's murderers, standing there with their damned basket of fish and their damned bouquet of wild flowers, she wouldn't believe it. Couldn't fucking believe it.
Kairi wiped at her puffed eyes. With a sigh, she let a hand fall to Paopu's level, sniffling as the dog licked at her hand.
"I still can't believe he's gone, Pu. Its been over two weeks, and I still just can't get over it."
Paopu continued licking, as though etching out some type of Morse Code into Kairi's hand.
"I miss him a lot, Pu. I've been having these dreams every night about him. We're both standing on the pier that he left on-- I'm in my white sun dress; he's in his fishing uniform-- and we're just watching the sea curl into itself. It's raining in my dream, but for some reason, we aren't wet. And he just stands there, holding me in his arms and whispering in my ear that everything's going to be okay. That no matter what happens, he'll always be there for me. Paopu I--"
Kairi begins to cry again. She cries such heart wrenching cries that even Paopu can't help but moan herself. The duo sit in the living room, mourning until they fell asleep.
The next day, Kairi awakes with a startled motion, as though she had just come to a great revelation of some kind. Quickly she get's changed-- throwing on her white sundress and Egyptian styled sandals. She calls for Paopu to get up and heads straight for the door, putting on the dog's leash. Hurriedly, they storm out the door, heading for the coastline.
"I've figured it out, Paopu. I think I know what I have to do to make myself feel at ease with Sora's passing."
Paopu simply barked, trotting alongside her master excitedly.
It had taken a few hours, but once they finally reached the coastline, Kairi stopped. She stared out at the pier a little way's away from where she was. She debated with herself, calling herself crazy.
"I'm not crazy-- just because I'm going here to see my dead boyfriend to gain some closure doesn't make me crazy," she turned towards Paopu. "Right?"
Paopu barked. Kairi took this as a "No."
"Alright then, let's go get some closure, girl!"
As she approached the pier, her footsteps became less hurried, her breathing began to get heavy, and her mind started to go blank. She walked all the way to the end of the pier with Paopu following faithfully beside her. They sat down together on the end of the pier, looking out over the water. They simply sat and waited.
Minutes passed before Kairi began to cry. She knew Sora wasn't going to come to her as some strange apparition or anything. She was so stupid for coming out here! Nothing was to come of this trip-- nothing at all! So then why did she make an effort to come all the way to the pier?
"Paopu, I'm sorry we came all the way out here for--"
Kairi shivered. She glanced around maniacally. Her eyes trailed down to her dog resting beside her. A slight smile grew on her face. Even though she couldn't see him, Kairi could still feel Sora. His presence felt warm and welcoming. A nostalgic feeling swept across Kairi and for a mere split second, she could have sworn she saw Sora in his fisherman's uniform, sitting on the other side of Paopu, his eyes fixed on the sea. It was then that Kairi knew her dream was a message from Sora. A message she was glad she listened to.
"I'll be here every day, Sora. To see you. I promise. Just please, never leave me again."
Her eyes were trained on the sea, a rippling feeling overcoming her again. She could feel Sora's happiness at the promise. Kairi smiled a genuine, lovely smile.
"I know now that everything's going to be okay. And that no matter what, we'll always be here for each other."