(GRAND FANFARE, CONFETTI, BALLOONS FLYING, FANCY CAR DRIVEN BY A HOT GUY…)
I'M BACK, FANS OF KINGDOM HEARTS! That's right! After making y'all wait so long, here now is the promised next epic in my Kingdom Hearts fan fiction!!!!! (cheers and applause) Get ready for reunions, new acquaintances, shocking reappearances, romance, friendship, and yes, some unfortunate and mysterious deaths!
This story takes place five years after "I Hate Teenage Drama." Riku and Ame are now 21 years old, so the rest are now 20 and they've all been a happy Keyblade family…so far! (duh-duh-DUH) So buckle up and get comfy!
By the way, this chapter's mostly cutesy stuff, but for you Riku/Ame fans, it will be a delightful surprise! ;) So let's get to it!
"I never wish to be parted from you from this moment on."—Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice
The Hunt For The Hearts
Official Summary: The Princesses of Heart are being picked off one by one, forcing their hearts to find new vessels! As King Mickey leads an investigation of the murders, Sora and co. are enlisted to seek out the new Princesses and guard them against their killer. But who is it?
Chapter One: Innocence
"Riku," Ame giggled, "What is this? When are we gonna get there?"
"Right now." He removed her blindfold and she saw they were on the beach under a gorgeous full moon, where a dance floor had been built! At the back of it stood Kairi at a microphone with Riku's guitar strapped on. Next to her on the left (our left) was Naminé sitting at a baby grand piano. On the right was Yuna in a frilly blue outfit. Tidus, Sora, and Roxas stood nearby with smiles on their faces by a table with party food on it and a cake with five candles.
"Five years ago today, I asked you to go steady with me," said Riku affectionately with his arm around her, "and you said yes. Happy anniversary, my rain goddess."
Ame's blush was soft pink on her cheeks and her eyes wavered. She threw her arms around his neck.
"Happy anniversary," she said back, "warrior of my heart!"
Together they blew out the candles on their cake and ate with their friends.
"Now for the best part!" Naminé chirped, "The girls and I will now sing for you!" They hurried to the instruments and microphones; while the three other boys hung out by the table, Naminé started up a slow but steady piano intro. Kairi sang and Ame danced with Riku, feeling as peacefully blissful as the song suggested.
Waking up, I see that everything is okay
The first time in my life, and now it's so great
Slowing down, I look around and I am so amazed
I think about the little things that make life great
I wouldn't change a thing about it
Ame agreed wholeheartedly with the song as she and Riku held each other closely; she wouldn't change anything, either. The love she shared with Riku was perfect and complete.
"This is the best feeling," Ame sang along to that one line. Riku grinned at her and swept her around to the music.
This innocence is brilliant
I hope that it will stay
This moment is perfect
Please don't go away
I need you now
And I'll hold onto it
Don't you let it pass you by
Kairi strummed in on the guitar and Naminé and Yuna chimed in as her back-up. Ame leaned on Riku's shoulder with her eyes closed.
I found a place so safe, not a single tear
The first time in my life, and now it's so clear
Feel calm, I belong, I'm so happy here
It's so strong and now I let myself be sincere
I wouldn't change a thing about it
This is the best feeling
Riku and Ame each remembered everything they'd had to go through to get to this point, individually and together.
Ame had grown up in frozen snow lands and made many friends in the Water Tribe, but the boys always teased her, especially when she hit her teens. By the time she'd moved to the islands, she'd been completely withdrawn from boys; then she met Riku on a rain-drenched beach and his warmth melted her frozen heart. She'd never known a love like this before.
(Repeat chorus)
We all know what Riku had to go through; like any teenager, he'd made his share of mistakes, albeit on a more magical level. He'd been forgiven, accepted back home, and when he realized what he was missing, there she was…the rain that quenched his dry and lonely heart.
His rain.
His Ame.
Kairi and the girls got really into the song now.
It's a state of bliss
You think you're dreaming
It's the happiness inside that you're feeling
It's so beautiful, it makes you want to cry
Riku twirled around with her; her long white pleated skirt flew out as he lifted her off her feet in the turns. Her hair circled around their heads; it made her laugh at how sweeping their movements were, and at how accurate to her feelings the song was.
It's a state of bliss
You think you're dreaming
It's the happiness inside that you're feeling
It's so beautiful, it makes you wanna…cry-y
Kairi bent over like a rock star and belted out.
It's so beautiful, it makes you wanna cry!
The three gorgeous singing voices put Ame on Cloud 9 as she and Riku danced together. She floated while they repeated the chorus; the beauty of the moment as a whole overwhelmed her, and she nearly did cry.
They slowed down when the song drew to its close and kissed when it ended.
"Ame," said Riku softly as he held her face, "I want to talk to you. Can you walk with me?"
"Sure." She nodded. He wrapped his arm around her, told everyone they'd be back, and herded her away to his favorite spot: The bent-over paopu tree he always sat on.
"Oh, Riku, look!" she breathed when they sat down, "I've never seen the sky so clear before!"
The full moon was bright as a lamp and the stars covered every inch of the sky like dust blown over and strewn about. The shimmering light reflected in the ocean, doubling its majestic spectacle. It was one of the most breathtaking sights they'd ever seen.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" she finally asked.
"Well, I…I'm not sure how to start," he confessed, "I brought you to this spot because this was always my favorite place with Sora and Kairi. We used to come here all the time, and we still do. For the longest time, when I was younger, Sora and Kairi were all that mattered to me. They're my family and I wouldn't know what to do without them…I love them. (Ame smiled; she loved it when he talked like that.)
"But…even they couldn't fill the one place in my heart that only true love could. It took me a long time to realize that." He looked at her with soft eyes and slipped his arm around her neck.
"That was when I found the most beautiful girl ever born dancing and singing in the rain on a wet beach," he smiled, "Your song flew through my soul and touched my heart in every place that mattered. You fill me and complete me; you accept me with all my strengths and weaknesses, all my assets and faults. Your rain has given me life, and I want to share that life with you."
She blinked in surprise and blushed his favorite blush, a red brush stroke across her cheeks and nose. He grinned, hopped off the tree, and stood in front of her. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small black velvet necklace box. He was smiling brightly.
"I wanted to do this right for you," he said, "to show you how much I understand your heritage."
He opened the box and Ame drew a slow gasp with wide eyes: In the silk lay a light blue choker with a circular wooden blue charm on it that had wave-like swirls carved in it, covered with a million tiny diamond studs!
Covering her mouth with one hand, she reached out with trembling fingers to touch the delicate necklace; she was near tears.
"It's gorgeous!" she exhaled as she held it lightly on her fingers, "It looks just like my ancestor Katara's necklace!"
"That's because it is," Riku smiled. She looked at him with a shocked pink blush.
"It is?" she exclaimed, "How do you know?"
"Well, like I said," he explained as he sat back next to her, "I wanted to do it right for you, so I asked Granda and she gave it to me with her blessing and told me to take it to Kip's Jeweler's. Of course, he knew why I was there already, so I handed over the necklace and let him dust it over with those diamonds. I don't think I need to tell you he's a master of his craft."
"No," she agreed. She'd been working for Kip the Jeweler for 5 years now; since he was such a master, she called him "sensei." She smiled.
"So you got my grandmother and my boss in on this," she said, "You sneaky devil."
"Yeah, that's me," he smiled, "I just wanted to do this the way you're familiar with…(He took her hand.) The way your parents did."
She smiled and blushed as tears of peaceful happiness ran down her face. Riku held her face in his hands and touched foreheads with her.
"I love you, Ame," he murmured lovingly, "You're a part of my soul and I don't want to live without you anymore. I want to be in your family and I want you to be in mine. I want to make a family with you and grow old and die with you. Ame…Will you marry me?"
Her eyes softened on him with all the love a woman could have for a man; she leaned in and kissed him, placing the necklace in his hands, her hair curtaining their faces.
"Only if you put it on me," she whispered. She moved back and pulled her foot-and-a-half long hair out of the way and Riku reached behind her to latch the choker around her throat. The diamond-studded charm dangled against the hollow in the bottom of her throat.
"How do I look?" she asked. The sea breeze gently flew through her hair, making it drift like a lazy kite and the diamonds reflected the moon and starlight and shone on her hair and sparkled in her eyes. She was breathtaking.
Riku grabbed her playfully, pulled her into his lap, stuffed a hand in her hair, and kissed her deeply and passionately, conveying the depth of his love with every second of that kiss. He finally pulled back to let her breathe; her cheeks were pink and her eyes were out of focus.
"Good answer," she said, once again amazed at his kissing capabilities.
"Come on!" he said excitedly as he scooped her up and stood, "Let's go show everyone!"
He carried her back to the makeshift dance floor, where their friends were waiting. The girls were the first to freak out over Ame's Water Tribe engagement necklace; the boys whopped Riku on the back and gave him good-natured punches.
"Well, well!" said a familiar female voice, "My little onee-chan is all grown up!"
"Talni!" Ame brightened and hugged her former Nobody, "You made it!" They twirled around in their hug.
"Of course!" piped Talni, "I wasn't gonna miss your big night!"
"That's right!" agreed Axel as he plucked Ame off her feet by her waist (she stopped growing at 16) and tossed her in the air, catching her in a hug.
"Axel!" she cried out, her voice lopsided with falling, "I'm not five years old!"
"I know," he smiled devilishly, "'cause then I'd be a pedophile for doing this."
And right in front of everyone, Axel laid one on her! He did that now and then. Talni never minded because of how deep her relationship with Axel was. It was like the days when the parents used to kiss their children on the lips. Talni didn't mind, but it always freaked Ame out…which was partly why Axel did it at all. Ame knew he didn't mean it the way it was usually meant; he was just particularly fond of her.
"I'll let it slide this time, Axel," she said, "but once we're married, that's it. No more, you hear me?"
"Agreed," he shrugged and put her down to rub her head, "I'm just happy for you is all. Besides, it's good luck to kiss the bride!"
"My bride," Riku spoke up with a smirk, his arms slung over Ame's shoulders from behind and his chin on her head. The first time Axel kissed Ame, Riku punched him dead in the face; he was lucky he wasn't hitting him this time.
"Have no fear, my good man!" he said lightly, "I'll lay off your lady! I've got my own most beautiful woman! Congratulations on your engagement, you two." Talni hugged Ame tightly from the side.
"You know what Granda's going to do now, right?" she smiled, "She's gonna throw a big gala in your honor and invite everyone you've ever known, probably some important city officials…"
"Which we'll worry about later!" Sora chimed in, "Tonight let's just celebrate!"
"Onee-chan, is that…?" Talni asked softly as she touched Ame's necklace.
"Yeah," Ame nodded, "It's Katara's." Talni whistled low and looked at Riku.
"Good job, kid," she said, amazed, "Hey, Axel; let's head home. Baby's kicking and Jory's got school tomorrow. Isn't that right, son?"
A small, shaggy red-haired five-year-old boy with Axel's eye color and cheek marks appeared from between his parents' legs. He was a little shy and didn't talk much, but he had a soft spot for Ame, Naminé and Roxas, since they'd rescued him from kidnapping when he was three years old. They were the ones that had found and guarded him while the others defeated the kidnappers, so of course that left an impression on him. He smiled.
"Omedeto, Ame-oba-chan," he congratulated, calling her Aunt Ame in Japanese. Ame beamed and leaned over to him.
"Arigato, oi-kun," she called him by her special nickname for him (which was just "nephew" in Japanese, but hey—no one his age speaks that).
"Say good night to everyone, Jory," his mother smiled warmly as she took his hand.
"Oyasumi," he said. Axel then scooped up his son and planted him on his shoulders.
"Later, kids!" he waved as they walked away, "See you at the gala! Sweetheart, why don't you let me drive?"
"The child is five years old, and I still can't imagine Axel being a father!" Sora scratched his head.
"Of two," Ame added. Talni was five months pregnant with their second child.
"Ahem," Kairi spoke up, "How about showing us the bling again, Ame?" So Ame showed the girls her diamond-studded family heirloom and partied with her friends and fiancé.
This night was so perfect; how could it possibly get any better?
"Her breath will still…" She gasped desperately for air as the poison coursed through her veins like a snake.
"…her blood congeal…"
Her vision blurred, her limbs trembled, and her strength began to fail her. What kind of apple was this?
For one terrifying second, she saw the face of the hooded stranger—not the old peddler woman, but someone else she'd never met.
Then she blacked out, breathed her last breath, and collapsed on the ground, the apple rolling away from her lifeless hand.
The hooded stranger knelt to one knee and touched her wrist; there was no pulse.
Snow White was dead.
Author's Review:
That's right, readers: I JUST KILLED SNOW WHITE! That's the whole point of the story! Or didn't you read the summary?
Yay for Riku and Ame! And way to go Axel and Talni!
I want reviews, please; I can't live without 'em! I really hope you liked this chapter, 'cause this is JUST THE BEGINNING.
