Kingdom Hearts and all publicly recognizable characters belong to thier owners. I own Christie and Kia, while Melissa belongs to RenaGengichi (And yes, I do have her permission to use her.) That is all.
Heart's Note: ....okay. Ground rules. If anyone, and I do mean anyone posts a review that only says "please update soon", or something along those lines, I will hold back the release of a chapter by one day. Meaning I won't write this story that day, AT ALL, if I get a review that says that. Substance over speed, people.
At the small Destiny Island clinic, there was only one doctor and two nurses. It was here that Riku, Sora, and Kairi had taken the girl they'd found on the beach. The larger hospital on the mainland may have been more suited for treating her if something was seriously wrong, but the ferry wasn't running at this early hour. As it was, Kairi had had to start banging on the door to get the doctor to open up. Dr. Evans had come from the mainland over fifteen years ago, and he'd been there when Kairi had arrived during the meteor shower seven years ago. So, when he'd opened the door and seen the trio of teens with a fourth one unconcious in Riku's arms, all he'd done was sigh and let them into the dark clinic. After having Riku lay the girl down on the bed in the exam room, he'd shooed them out to wait. About fifteen minutes later, he came out and had to step back to avoid getting knocked to the ground by Sora.
"Is she okay? Can we see her?" The good doctor blinked, then smiled a little. Sora Isumaru. The only child of Aoi and Takeshi Isumaru. A bundle of energy if there ever was one, and it showed even at this early hour. He was bouncing on the heels of his feet even as Dr. Evans lead him back to the waiting room where Riku and Kairi were waiting more patiently. Taking a seat across from the trio, the doctor sighed.
"Well, the good news is that she'll be just fine with some rest. In fact, the only thing wrong with her is some cuts and bruises. Other than that, she's in perfect health." Sora sighed in relief, and Riku's shoulders relaxed the slightest amount. He'd been worried about this strange new girl, and hearing Dr. Evans say she was alright took that worry off his shoulders. But the doctor wasn't finished, and he moved some grey-tinted black hair from his equally grey eyes.
"The bad news is, I have no idea where she came from. As you know, this is one of the smaller islands, and I don't recognize her. That means she's not from here, and she's too pale to be even from the mainland. All we can do is wait for her to wake up, and then I can ask her some questions. But we'll have to take it slow, so she isn't frightened." Kairi suddenly stiffened, looking with wide eyes over the doctor's shoulder.
"Uh, Doctor? I think she's already awake."
I'd woken to a voice speaking closeby. It sounded like an older man, but I couldn't be sure. My vision was blurry as I opened my eyes, and I blinked several times to clear it. When I finally took a good look around, I knew I was far from home. I'd been to the hospital in my hometown once before, and this room, while similiar to that, looked too different to be the same hospital. Slowly, I managed to sit up and take better stock of my surroundings. I was in a clinic of some kind, and the clothes I'd worn to bed had been replaced by a hospital gown. I wrapped my arms around myself as I stood up, the tile cold under my feet. I took a step forward and nearly fell, but managed to hold my ground. Okay, shaky. Why? I forced that question aside and took another step, this one not as shaky, and the one after it even less. By the time I'd reached the door to the room I was in, I could stand up straight and easy as if I'd been awake for hours. Slowly, I eased open the door and walked outside. It was definitely a clinic, but judging by the lack of light, it was closed. Just where was I?
"Uh, Doctor? I think she's awake." I turned to face the female voice that had suddenly spoken up, and saw four people sitting nearby. Three teens, and the older man that had to have spoken earlier. It was then I knew exactly where I was. Destiny Islands, Kingdom Hearts. As if Sora's spiky hair would have told me otherwise. The older man sighed, and slowly stood up.
"Awake, are you? That was quicker then I expected." His voice was kind, and so was his face as he walked over to me. Sora was right behind him, and so were the two other teens I knew to be Riku and Kairi. I looked up at the older man, the one Kairi had called Doctor, and swallowed hard to get rid of the lump in my throat.
"Where..am I?" Before he answered, he gently led me back into the room and helped me back on the bed. Sora, Riku and Kairi stayed at the door as he did this, watching as he pulled up a stool and sat down close to the bed.
"You're in the clinic, on Destiny Island. Do you know where that is?" I shook my head. While it was true I did know what Destiny Islands was, I didn't know exactly where I was. The doctor sighed, then smiled again.
"I'm the doctor here. My name is Jacob Evans. What's yours, dear?" I bit the inside of my lip. How much could I tell them? If I said too much, I risked sending everything out of balance. As it was, I did have to say something.
"Christie." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Riku jolt slightly, but Dr. Evans had my attention before I could look at him better.
"Alright, Christie. Where are you from? Do you have family?" I shook my head, and the smile fell off his face. He probably hadn't been expecting that. He looked over at Kairi.
"Kairi, call your father. We'll need to check the logs, to be sure. But..." He turned back to me, and I suddenly felt uneasy.
"You can stay here for now, Christie. I'll see about getting you some clothes." He stood up and walked to the door, and I swallowed hard as he shooed the three teens away from my vision, and shut the door, leaving me alone in that cold room.
Barely an hour later, I was sitting on the end of that same bed, telling the mayor of this small town what I could. The mayor was an older man, but it didn't show on his tanned face. The only sign of age was his greying hair, but his eyes were full of energy.
"You don't remember what happened to you before waking in the clinic?" I nodded, and he sighed. He leaned back in his chair, hands laced in his lap.
"I see...well, that shouldn't be a problem. I've contacted authorities on the mainland and sent them your photograph. If anyone recognizes you, we'll have you home in a few days. Until then, you can stay with my family. Kairi's around your age, I think. It would do her good to have a female friend instead of just those two rascals." He said this with such warmth in his voice, and I knew that he felt no ill will towards Sora and Riku. The love for his daughter made me smile, and he took that as a good sign. He stood, then helped me from the bed. I was in clothes that had been borrowed from Kairi, but as wierd as it felt to be in a skirt after goodness knew how long I'd worn jeans and shorts, anything was better then that paper thin hospital gown. Kairi and the boys were waiting outside the room as the mayor and I left, and he gently pushed me towards them.
"Kairi, take her home and wait for me. I'll be there soon." She nodded and took my hand, pulling me towards the entrance of the clinic as the mayor stayed behind to talk with Dr. Evans. I felt relief as we left the building, and my feet crunched on sand as we walked. Kairi laced her hands behind her back and smiled at me.
"Papa told you you'd be staying with us for a while, right?" She continued as I nodded, looking down the road ahead of us.
"Don't worry. We'll make this place feel like home to you, you'll see." I smiled a little, looking down at my feet. I couldn't say this place already felt like home, now could I? Before I could answer Kairi, Sora bounced up to stand beside me.
"So, how old are you?" I blinked at the question, and this hesitation gave Riku time to sprint up and grab Sora in a noogie.
"Sora, you dunce! You know better then to ask a lady her age!" I hid my hand behind my mouth as I laughed, and I shook my head.
"It's alright, really. I'm fourteen." Sora's face suddenly fell, and he seemed to pout.
"Aww, man...she's older then me." Kairi giggled, and Riku rolled his eyes as he fell into step beside Sora. We walked in comfortable silence for a while, before Riku slammed the heel of his hand into his forehead.
"Dammit...we completely forgot to introduce ourselves!" Kairi had reached past me to smack Riku on the arm for the curse, before she jolted. In the rush of me waking, then getting the mayor, they had forgotten to introduce themselves. Sora chuckled nerviously, a sheepish smile on his face.
"I'm Sora. That's Kairi, and this giant here is Riku." Riku turned to protest, and ended up with Sora tackling him to the ground. Kairi stopped and put her hands on her hips, trying to stop the boys as they rolled in the sand. I stopped a couple steps away, and had to swallow hard as I watched the three of them. I knew how things would go. I knew they'd go through pain and suffering that no one deserved. It was then that I made the decision to try and change things for the better, as much as I could. I would try to save them, even if it meant my life as payment. I managed to clear my eyes of any moisture as Riku won the little "scuffle", and towered over Sora, breathing hard. He smirked, then stood and offered his friend a hand. Kairi sighed, shaking her head before she started off down the road again. We'd come pretty far from the clinic, and Kairi had led us to a two story house near what looked to be a plaza. She smiled, turning to me.
"Well, home sweet home. For now, anyways." I nodded, looking up at the house. For a moment, I was reminded of my grandfather's home, where I'd spent most of my childhood years. The houses looked nothing alike, but they had the same feeling of safety and security. I knew, just looking at that house, that nothing short of the Heartless would harm me. I smiled up at it, and Kairi took that as a good sign. She grabbed my hand again and headed towards the front door, where a woman with dark hair and warm green eyes was waiting.
"Kairi, your father called. He already explained to me." She nodded, and the woman turned to me.
"Hello there, Christie. I'm Erika, Kairi's mother. Welcome home." I swallowed hard for what felt like the millionth time, trying to keep from crying. Luckily, Erika turned away to look at the boys.
"Sora, Riku! Your families called. You're wanted back home." Sora blinked, then took off running. He waved over his shoulder as he went, calling out a goodbye as he ran back up the hill. Riku, on the other hand, took a slower approach.
"I'll see you two later. Take care of her, Kairi." He turned to leave, and Kairi pouted at his back, hands on her hips.
"Of course I will, you dork!" He just laughed, heading further towards town. Erika sighed, a warm smile on her face, as she turned back to me. She gave me a cursory glance up and down, then frowned and put a hand on her chin. Kairi jolted as she saw the expression on her mothers face.
"Mom, what's that look for?" Erika didn't answer for a second, before she turned and walked into the house. We almost followed her in, before she came out with a purse under her arm. Kairi blinked, watching as her mother locked up the house then headed down the steps.
"Come along girls. I know a few stores that are open at this hour." I looked between Kairi and Erika, then shook my head as I understood what was going on.
"Oh, no. You don't have to do that. I'm fine with hand-me-downs, really." Erika didn't seem to hear me, and Kairi just grabbed me by the hand.
"Trust me. When she gets like this, don't even bother trying to convince her otherwise." All I could do was follow after the two ladies in a stupor. I still don't think I could have done anything to stop them, even now. But maybe that's a good thing.
About an hour later, I was getting more then a little tired of trying on clothes. First on Erika's list had been underwear, and that had went swimmingly. Then came a school uniform for when summer ended in two weeks, and no amount of Kairi's griping could convince her mother not to get her a new one, also. I watched this with a smile, and Kairi paid me back for that by sticking a frilly pink blouse in my hands. Obviously, I'd returned it and refused anything frilly or pink after that. Erika had understood and went with other colors; mostly dark colors. Another hour passed before we were done, and I was grateful to be able to give Kairi back her clothes. I'd exchanged her skirt for a pair of kneelength jean shorts, and her twin tanktops for a thick purple sleeveless top. I was reminded of the SOLDIER uniforms when I saw it, and neither Kairi nor Erika could convince me otherwise about it. Erika had chosen the rest of my clothes quickly when she saw that outfit, and I left the shop with just two bags of clothes. Sturdy jeans for the chillier months, a couple extra pairs of shorts, another sleeveless top, half a dozen t-shirts, and a plain black sleepshirt that Kairi promised to help me decorate with some fabric paint. It was almost noon when we left the store, so we stopped for some food at a little street cafe. I let Kairi order for me, and my thoughts drifted. If Sora was younger then me, that meant he was thirteen years old. That would mean I had some time before the events of the games started, and I could still influence things. If I could change it so the trio wouldn't be split up; maybe they'd stand a chance. Otherwise, it would be as if I'd never been brought here at all. I was jolted from my thoughts when a bowl of soup was placed in front of me. A salad was placed in front of Erika, and a second soup in front of Kairi. They were talking to one another without a care in the world, and I turned down to my food, feeling like a third wheel for a moment before I heard a voice behind me.
"Well, if it isn't the new girl on the islands." Kairi got this awful look on her face as I turned in my seat to look behind me. Another girl around my age was standing there, arms crossed over her chest. She flicked some blonde hair from her face, and the look on her face made my heart sink into my stomach.
"I see Kairi here has already taken you under her wing, but maybe you should come with me. I'll treat you soo much better." I blinked, staring at her like she was crazy as Kairi actually started to growl a little.
"Melissa, go away. Christie doesn't need your brand of treatment." Melissa rolled her eyes at Kairi, then reached for my shoulder. I shied away from her and she shrugged.
"Well, fine. Be that way." With that, she stomped off towards the beach in her clicking high-heels, and part of me wondered why I hadn't heard her come up behind me while the rest of me was fully freaked out as I turned back to Kairi and Erika.
"Who was that!" Erika sighed, rubbing Kairi's arm to calm her daughter down.
"Melissa Avery. She and her family moved here from the mainland about two years ago, and she apparently thinks that means she's the "Princess of The Islands". Kairi made a huffing noise, and I had to resist the urge to bury my face in my arms. Erika, sensing that Kairi and I needed a break, stood up and took the shopping bags.
"You two go to the play Island for a bit. I'll take these home." Kairi nodded, still a little angry, and I stood to follow her. She all but stomped towards the shoreline and the boats parked at the docks, but she waited for me to get into one before she jumped in and started to row. The constant motion worked her out of her anger, and she was calm as we arrived at the Play Island. Two other boats were already there, and the sound of wood clacking on wood made me look up to see Sora and Riku fighting on the beach with thier toy swords. Kairi sighed as we climbed onto the dock, but I just watched. The fighting styles they were using weren't much different then the ones they used in the games, actually. Sora's was just a bit clunkier and not as smooth yet, while Riku's lacked some of his finesse. But, of course, he was still beating Sora into the sand. In one quick motion, he'd knocked Sora's toy sword from his hand and put his wooden blade to Sora's neck.
"Yield?" Sora puffed out his cheeks, but nodded. Riku smirked, letting Sora get his sword as Kairi and I came off the docks. Kairi put her hands on her hips and huffed at the boys.
"When are you two going to stop doing that? One of these days, you could get hurt!" Riku just sighed as if he'd heard this dozens of times before, and Sora bent over at the waist. I was hard pressed to try not to laugh, but I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped me at the look on Sora's face when he finally stood upright again. Sora and Kairi didn't even look in my direction, but Riku whirled as if I'd struck him. Our eyes met for barely a second before he turned away, but I never forgot that feeling I had when he looked at me that day. It was a feeling of safety, security, and belonging. A feeling of peace and kindness, along with compassion and trust.
It was a feeling of love.
A couple more of DI madness, then we get to the beginning of KH1~
...and what the crap happened to my linebreaks, FFN?