SAKIRA AMAI 2013 April

"You're always coming up with the most dangerous ideas possible, aren't you…?"

In response to Sora's smart remark, Kira turned in the co-pilot's seat and stuck out her tongue.

"Says the one who wanted to build a raft and sail into the great unknown as a teen," she shot back. Sora shrugged, a crooked smile appearing on his face.

"You're not denying my claim?"

"Because it's not entirely incorrect."

"'Entirely'? What do you mean by that?"

Kira didn't respond with words. Instead, she stood from her seat and leaned forward over the gummi ship's dashboard.

Sora had made a very valid point. Kira knew more than anyone that one of her biggest flaws was her lust for a rush. It had gotten her into enough trouble before, and it possibly might get them into trouble again.

But the prospect of exploring new worlds without being bothered by the Heartless tickled her fancy, and Sora hadn't shot the idea down either. And so here they were, flying aimlessly through the stars with no specific destination in mind. The idea of such freedom was a breath of fresh air.

Things back on the islands had become somewhat boring. With Nami still in pins and stiches, Kira felt that she had lost one of her most valuable companions. Communicating with her took a lot of effort, and while Kira didn't mind that, seeing her best friend in such a state brought back memories she would rather not have to think about. She already saw them every morning when looking at her face in the mirror-the pale scar down the center of her face was a constant reminder of what she had done.

"Kira, do you see that?" Dragged out of her thoughts by Sora's voice, Kira focused her vision forward again. "Is that a world?"

"…I can't tell, to be honest," she replied, tilting her head. "It just looks like a bunch of storm clouds or something. But…if they are just storm clouds, a world has to be in the center, right?"

"Are you hinting at the fact that you want to try flying through?"

"What's the worst that could happen?"

"Don't even ask that," Sora said flatly, grimacing.

Sorry, Kira thought, lowering her gaze a bit. I said that without speaking. I made him worry enough for a lifetime in just this past year…

"If you don't-"

"I think we can make it, though," Sora interrupted, eyeing the storm clouds suspiciously. "It's not THAT huge."

"So you're curious, too," Kira said with a giggle. Sora grinned broadly.

"Maybe."

"All right, then, let's try it!" Bouncing back into her seat, Kira grinned brightly at Sora. "Full speed ahead, captain!"

"Aye aye!"

Within seconds, their ship had plummeted into the outer layer of storm clouds. Kira watched in silence as Sora concentrated his energy on safely flying through the wind.

It's not so bad, actually, Kira realized, looking at the purple fluff and occasional bursts of dim light surrounding them. It's…kind of pretty.

Suddenly the ship lurched and shook violently, shocking both Sora and Kira back into their seats.

I shouldn't have thought that.

"Wh-what just happened?!" Kira gasped, looking at Sora quickly. His hands reached for the control pad.

"I think we were just shocked by lightning," he said quietly, his blue eyes wide. "There's some damage but I think-"

Again, another sharp lurch, this time sending the two forward into the dashboard.

"Weeeeee should turn around, methinks," Kira said with a nervous laugh. Before Sora could reply, the interior of the ship suddenly went dark. "We should definitely turn around."

"…As much as I would love to, the power is out."

"So that means?"

In the dim light, Kira could see Sora standing, gripping the back of his chair for support.

"The sensors showed that we've entered a world's atmosphere…so…"

"You don't mean…"

"Abandon ship."

"I was afraid you would say that…"

"Well, what else are we supposed to do!?" Sora shouted, grabbing Kira's hand and pulling her toward the door. Once again the ship lurched, knocking the two to their knees near the side door.

"Th-there's gotta be a better way to do this!" Kira insisted as Sora threw open the door. "Don't we have any parachutes or something!?"

"Still scared of the same ol' things?" Sora asked with a toothy smirk. But before Kira could answer him, he pulled her toward the door. "C'mon, let's go!"

"No!" Kira shrieked, but it was too late. In the blink of an eye, she and Sora were free-falling through the rain and wind. The last thing she felt before passing out was Sora's grip loosen from her own.

/Fast Forward\\

Ugh…I feel like I just got run over…

Slowly, Sora opened his eyes, finally coming to. Lifting his chin, he looked around; they had landed on a beach, and the shoreline was lined with ships. Huge boats, with large flags flapping in the breeze… He had never seen anything like it before. Would Kira know where they were?

"…Kira?" Sora murmured, pushing himself up. Looking around, there was no sign of the blonde. "Kira?! Kira!"

"What'er ya think yer doin' here, lad!?"

"Huh?"

Before Sora could properly react, he felt someone lift him to his feet by the collar of his shirt.

My clothes changed…that wardrobe changer still works after all this time?

"Thought ye could get away with a quick nap on the beach, eh?"

Someone pushed Sora forward, and the brunette quickly turned to see two large, burly men standing there. They were dressed in the same fashion as him, and both were smirking in obvious amusement.

"I…uh…" Sora scratched the back of his head, at a loss for words.

"It's all right, lad, we understand," the blonde-haired man said. "C'mon, get back to work before we all get in a lot of trouble."

"O-Okay…"

With the two men in the lead, Sora obediently followed, scanning the area for signs of Kira. The entire area was lined with a thick forest, which seemed to be where the men were leading him now. Maybe Kira would be somewhere in there?

If I could just get away from these guys-

"Here, make yourself useful and get back to yer job," the black-haired man said suddenly, tossing Sora something. Startled, he caught it clumsily, nearly dropping it on the ground. "Don't know how a runt like yourself got cast into our lot, but you must be good for somethin' if Ratcliffe let you aboard."

"R-Ratcliffe?" Sora repeated, looking down at the shovel in his hands.

"What, you lose your memory?" the blonde asked. "Stop being such a prissy lad and get to digging!"

Without any further explanation, the two men walked away, leaving Sora in the midst of his confusion. Looking around, the brunette noted the lot of men who were digging away, quite enthusiastically, at that.

"Well…if they want me to dig, I guess I will…" Sora whispered to himself. "Maybe Kira will find me first."

I wonder if Sora's all right…

Lowering her head, Kira stared at her reflection in the river. Suddenly a hand touched the top of her head gently. Looking up, she saw none other than the Indian princess herself.

"Don't worry, Kira," Pocahontas said, smiling. "It'll be all right."

Kira couldn't help but smile. Pocahontas had always been one of her favorite Disney characters; her kindness now only confirmed it. She had protected Kira and let her stay in village, despite obviously being a foreigner. But right now, the two were greeting the incoming warriors from the home tribe.

As the boats approached, women and children alike rushed to the shore, pushing past Kira and Pocahontas. Kira thought it was of sheer excitement, but to her surprise, she saw what looked like a wounded man being rowed ashore.

Is he dead? she wondered. What killed him, I wonder? Surely not Heartless.

Then it struck her.

The settlers…that's it. Sora must be with them. I'm sure of it. And if he is…we're both in danger here.

Grimacing to herself, Kira watched in silence as the warriors docked, carrying the wounded man to a hut nearby.

"C'mon, let's see what's happened!" Pocahontas urged Kira, and the blonde nodded.

Quietly, the two women stepped inside the medicine man's tent. It was already filled with worried women and other warriors. In the center of the room were the wounded man, and the old medicine man herself. Behind them was Pocahontas' father, Chief Powhatan, his aged face looking stern. Kira watched as the man suffered, despite the hard work of the medicine man.

"Well?" Powhatan urged him.

"This is beyond what medicine I know," the old man murmured. "His wounds are deep, but the suffering of our people will be deeper."

"What do you mean?" a woman from the crowd asked, sounding as if ready to cry.

In reply, the medicine man waved his hands, and clouds of smoke filled the room. Kira, Pocahontas, and the others watched in silence as his explanation unfolded. Though she had heard this story a thousand times before, Kira's sense of anxiety was heightened.

If these people attack the settlers, Sora…what will happen to him? she wondered, biting her bottom lip. I have to do something…but what?

"You know what, lad? I take back what I said earlier. You work pretty hard."

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Sora glanced over at the blonde man. They had been digging all day-for gold, apparently-with no results, but Sora didn't mind. It helped him keep his worry for Kira controlled.

She's always getting into trouble, he realized, pursing his lips. I don't know how to stop her.

"Whatcha thinkin' about? You seem troubled," the black-haired man said, slinging an arm around Sora's shoulders. The brunette staggered a bit, not expecting such camaraderie from complete strangers. This was definitely a different kind of world. "Got a lady back home?"

"…I guess you could say that," Sora admitted, sending the two men into a fit of laughter. "What's that laugh for? You don't believe me?!"

Before either man could reply, a loud shout turned their attention toward the camp where they had stopped for a break earlier. Someone seemed to be calling them in.

"Dinner already?" the blonde asked with a grin.

"If it were, why's he lookin' so sour?" the black-haired man replied, gesturing to the large, fancily-dressed man standing at the gate.

He must be Ratcliffe, Sora decided, nodding to himself as he followed the crowd to the base. Everyone had spoken of him as though he was an important figure, and this man certainly looked the part.

"Gentlemen! Look sharp!" Ratcliffe barked, and many of the men (including Sora) straightened up. "Those savages not only are hiding the gold from us, but now they have taken John Smith as their prisoner!"

Gasps and cries of disbelief rose from the crowd. Lost, Sora looked around, noting the disgust on the men's faces.

"So tonight, we shall take what's ours! Arms yourselves now, men, and prepare for battle!"

"Battle?" Sora murmured as the men around him rushed into the camp, dropping their tools in a pile. Being pushed along by the crowd, Sora found himself doing the same, exchanging his dirty shovel for a long rifle.

I don't even know how this works, he thought, furrowing his brow. And what do they mean by 'savages'?

Sora glanced at the sky, noting the blood-red color of the clouds. It was already sunset-did that mean they would go to battle at night?

I thought I got away from fights, Sora thought, gritting his teeth at the memories. And still no sign of Kira…dammit! Where is she?!

Interrupting him from his thoughts, a battle cry sounded from afar.

"What-?"

Suddenly, from the depths of the dark forest, a bright light came soaring across the sky. Sora realized quickly what it was: a flaming arrow, headed right for a pile of dynamite.

Though he was far enough away to not get hit by the explosion, Sora dove to the ground, partially knocked off-balance by the impact. That single arrow was just the start; soon more arrows-both lit and unlit-came raining down through the twilit sky.

"Open fire, men!" Ratcliffe shouted, waving his hand toward the forest. Upon that command, many of the men surrounding Sora began to fire their rifles. Before Sora could react, though, another explosion went off nearby, and again he dove to the ground in cover.

What in the worlds is going on? he thought, looking back toward the forest. The sound of gunfire rang loud through the air, between shouts and cries from both directions. What exactly are we fighting?!

As if to answer his thoughts, a few figures rushed out of the forest. They were dressed in rags, and their bodies were painted with earthy colors. And, most notably, they were human.

Are these really the 'savages'? Sora wondered, watching in curious silence as the painted men ran through the gunfire. How are they so different from the rest of us?

Yet another explosion shook the area, and likewise shook Sora out of his thoughts.

"I need to get out of here and find Kira," he murmured to himself, jumping to his feet. With a quick glance around the area, he noticed a large Cliffside not too far away. If I get to higher ground, I'll be able to find her quicker.

As fast and as carefully as he could manage, Sora sprinted toward the rock wall, gripping the fully-loaded rifle in his hands. The senseless violence continued around him, only making Sora's mood worse.

"I thought we fought to save people," Sora whispered to himself as he reached the wall. Securing the rifle in one hand, he began to climb. "Not to let people keep fighting."

Within moments, he reached a small cliff large enough to stand upon-and duck down on, if necessary. Peering out at the horizon, Sora scanned the battle scene that had erupted below him. Kira was nowhere in sight.

Kira's footsteps were pounding in time with her quickened heartbeat, and she silently prayed that nothing would jump out at her, or she would surely trip over herself. She had always been a fast runner, but she had never run like this in her life. Now that the fighting had begun, the level of danger they both were in had greatly escalated. Fighting the Heartless was one thing, but fighting humans was another.

We don't even have our keyblades anymore, Kira realized, her heartbeat and footsteps quickening even more. She continued to follow the sound of gunshots toward the shore until she finally reached a clearing. The crowd of men from both sides was incredible, and for a moment, Kira lost all hope of finding Sora in time.

Then an idea popped into her head, and a small grin crossed her face as she began to run again.

If I find high ground, I can get a good look around without getting shot, she thought, her narrow green eyes searching the surroundings for any climbable trees or cliff sides.

Only a moment later, Kira saw a rock wall just meters ahead of her. It seemed there was someone standing up on one of the cliffs, and it didn't take her but a second to recognize Sora.

"Sora!" she screamed above the noise, but he had his back to her.

He must be looking for me, she realized, running up to the wall. That's fine-I'll go to him!

But as she began to climb, she noticed a Native American warrior nearby disappear into the rock wall.

"Eh?" Kira gasped to herself, dropping back to the ground. Jogging over to where the man had disappeared, she discovered a path carved into the rock wall. Whether it was man-made or natural she couldn't be sure, but she had more important things to worry about.

Picking up the pace once again, Kira followed the path up through the cliff.

Frustrated, Sora looked back out to his right once again, squinting into the darkening surroundings. Kira had to be here. She couldn't have landed anywhere else. Unless…

"No," Sora whispered, gritting his teeth. She was all right. She had to be. If something had happened to her…there was no getting lucky twice. There was no Aqua to save them. If he had failed her again…

Suddenly Sora felt a presence behind him; whirling around, he turned just in time to see a 'savage' running at him with a tomahawk. Gasping, Sora lifted the rifle to block the strike just in time. Though he made a move to knock the man back, the savage was obviously stronger. Again the rifle and the tomahawk met, but this time the savage managed to push Sora off-balance and onto his back. From the shock of the impact of his body hitting the rock, Sora's grip on the rifle loosened, and it fell from his hands and off the side of the cliff.

Staring Sora down with enraged eyes, the savage once again lifted his arm to strike. Closing his eyes, Sora braced himself for the hit, but it never came.

"…?" Opening his eyes, he turned and looked up to see a familiar figure standing over him. Her hands were gripping the wrists of the savage, his tomahawk only millimeters from her own face. "Kira!?"

"Stop this!" Kira cried, addressing the Indian warrior. "He has done nothing!"

At first, there seemed to be no sign of resignation in the warrior's eyes, but after a moment, he slowly lowered his weapon, bringing Kira's arms down with it.

As soon as the man began to retreat, Kira released him and turned to Sora. Holding out her hand, she smiled a little; even still, Sora could see the fear behind her eyes. Aware that he must be making the same sort of face, Sora took her hand, and with her help, got to his feet again.

"Let's get out of here," he told her, and she nodded.

/Fast Forward\\

"I've had enough excitement for a lifetime," Sora sighed, putting the ship into auto-pilot mode as he stood.

"Or at least for the next year," Kira said with a grin. Sora looked down at her, obviously exasperated. His face only made her grin broaden. "Oh, come on. You don't really think you'll be able to get away with never going out and exploring a new world again, do you?"

"I can manage," Sora told her, pouting a bit. Kira pouted back.

"…I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Huh?"

"This whole thing was my idea." And as per usual, it backfired. I'm always the source of the problem, aren't I?

"No, c'mon, don't blame yourself for that. It's not like you knew it would hap-"

Sora's thought was cut short by the recollection of Kira's wide array of Disney-related knowledge. He fell silent accordingly, then sighed.

"Okay, but even if you DID know it would happen, you didn't know it would happen like that. Right?"

"…I guess you're right," Kira admitted, half-smiling.

"See? So don't be too hard on yourself." Sitting down again, Sora smiled brightly. "It's over now. That's all that matters. And now we know not to do it again."

"Yeah…"

Lowering her head, Kira sighed through her nose.

If only it were that simple… she thought, staring at her hands.