Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom hearts or any related content. I just own the plot of this story.
A/n: This story is turning out to be kind of long. It's getting a little harder to write, and I'm working on fixing that. I even proofread this chapter so you won't have to suffer through bad writing skills. No nightmare this chapter, time for plot development!
To the reviewers:
Chrisheller: I know, I'm sorry it's sloppy. I tend to type super fast and can't catch my mistakes, I'm trying to get better about it. I get so upset when I find a dumb grammar mistake or something, it's kind of silly. I loved your review, you are right on track! I'm so happy you caught that!
Blood Pixie: Don't worry, you're right on track too! I'm actually proud that the horror scenes make you feel a little sick, that's pretty much what I was aiming for. Thank you for the compliment, I'm really happy to know that you like my story!
Chaotic Rei: Thank you, and yes, I felt that the moment needed to be ruined somehow… It killed me to do that 'cuz Olette kind of scares me, but the scene felt too perfect otherwise. And yes, Riku is supposed to be head over heals for our favorite defective ninja.
I'm sorry if I missed anyone, thank you all so much! If anyone wants some art, you should let me know. I love drawing too, and I've been so obsessed with writing I haven't gotten a chance.
Chapter Seven
The sky had turned a brilliant shade of orange and long, pink tendrils of color trailed out through the sparse clouds. The horizon glowed spectacularly in the distance as the color crept up into the sky. Yuffie sighed happily as she watched the sun rise over Twilight Town. She glanced over at Riku and smirked at the tinge of orange that his hair had taken on. Hearing her muffled giggle he glanced at her suspiciously and the sunlight glinted off his eyes. Her gaze softened and she leaned against him, kissing the side of his neck lightly. His eyes were so beautiful, she wasn't sure if she should be watching them or the sky.
"We should go soon." He said softly to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She nodded and got to her feet, and they began the long walk back to the train station.
xxxxxxx
Yuffie watched sadly from the gummi ship as the town fell away below them. She missed the town already, but she was eager to see the next world. She turned to watch Riku as he picked up the extra baggage they had obtained from Twilight Town. Shoving some of her shopping bags unceremoniously into the closet, he noticed her watching him.
"You don't want to try and catch some sleep?" He asked dumbly, knowing her answer already. She shook her head and brought her knees up to her chin.
He moved across the cabin and offered her his hand. She accepted it and he lead her into the back room across from the kitchen. It was more or less a small bedroom, with two bunk-beds tucked into either wall. Yuffie quickly scrambled onto her bed and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. Riku took a seat on the bed beside her and leaned against the wall.
"Do you remember what happened when your nightmares started?" Riku blurted, feeling guilty for making her think about it.
"I'm not sure, I just remember waking up after having this really horrible nightmare and thinking it was the worst experience of my life. I think Tifa was there, too." She paused to think about it and Riku leaned forward as her voice grew softer.
"We were on a mission somewhere, I can't really remember though." She scooted closer to him, as if he could protect her. Riku was more than willing to oblige, and wrapped his arms around her as she crawled into his lap.
Yuffie fell silent as he hugged her gently. He thought about what she had told him, it all seemed a bit suspicious. Maybe if he got a chance, he would ask Leon about it. He needed to work faster, though, he knew that much. He wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out before she truly did go insane.
xxxxxxx
"Tifa." She jumped as the harsh male voice boomed in her ear.
"Leon! What the hell!" She spun around angrily and glared daggers at him. "What do you want?" Her heart beat loudly in her ears and she tried to calm down. He almost smirked to himself at the realization that he had scared her, but kept his serious expression as he explained.
"Seifer and his idiotic friends escaped. Cloud is following them right now, we think they're headed back towards the Great Maw." He gestured out the door and Tifa scrambled from her seat. She followed Leon out the door and up the stairs to the Bailey.
Reaching the Maw in record time, she slowed down her jog until she met Cloud standing on the top of the cliff. He looked back at her and offered to take her hand. He lead her forward to a heavy metal stake planted in the hard stone floor. She released his hand and approached the cliff's sharp edge. The wind howled unmercifully through her hair as she gazed down at the dark depths. A thick rope lead off the edge of the cliff and taking a deep breath, she swung herself down and grasped the rope tightly. She looked up at the two men above her, grim faced as they watched her shimmy down the rope several feet. When there was enough room, Cloud climbed down onto the rope after her and slowly lowered himself down.
Tifa leapt the last ten feet to the rock floor and breathed a sigh of relief. She moved forward cautiously as Cloud and Leon landed behind her. As she darted forward, she felt Cloud's hand fall heavily on her shoulder. He pulled her back and moved in front of her, making sure she stayed close behind him. The three moved quickly towards the mesa in the middle of the crater. Upon reaching the sharp ledge of the mesa, Cloud helped Tifa step up and climb over the edge, then jumped up after her. Leon followed close behind and the three of them crept into the ruins.
Loud voices could be heard echoing around them as they weaved through the remains of the city. Cloud lead the way, following the voices until they found their way into a large, somewhat destroyed room. They hid behind a pile of debris as they scanned the room. Seifer and his friends kneeled off to the side, watching a pacing woman intently.
Tifa nearly gasped when she set eyes on the woman, and held her breath nervously. The woman was tall, with blood red hair and vicious golden gloves. Her outfit was very odd, with the shoulders and back stained red, and a long, furry blood red train trailing down to the ground from her hips. She carried a very unusual double-ended weapon, and swung it threateningly as she spoke to the three teenagers. Her long high-heeled boots thudded hollowly as she walked back and forth in front of them.
"I cannot believe how pathetic you are!" She growled angrily at the three youths. She stopped in front of them and swung her weapon dangerously. Moving forward threateningly, she grabbed the front of Seifer's shirt and hoisted him up off the ground.
"Especially you." She cooed in his face. He cringed slightly, but she had turned her attention towards Cloud, Leon, and Tifa.
Tifa held her breath, this woman seemed eerily familiar, but she couldn't place where she might have seen her before. As if hearing her thoughts, the woman turned and dropped Seifer, letting him scamper back to his friends. Leon's eyes widened as the red woman drew closer towards them, a small red heartless symbol now visible on her chest.
"Vell, vell, if it isn't Tifa Lockhart. Just the girl I vanted to see." Tifa gasped in fear as the woman walked forward.
Cloud leapt forward when Tifa fell, grabbing her before she hit the ground. He glared darkly at the woman as she laughed viciously. Throwing Tifa's now unconscious form over his shoulder, he turned and sprinted back down the hall. Leon hesitated before following them. If Cloud thought it was wise to retreat, he should listen.
xxxxxxx
"What's happening to her?" Leon called out to Cloud, struggling to keep Tifa from hurting herself.
She let out yet another ear shattering scream and thrashed wildly. Her eyes were blank and it was obvious she couldn't see them. Bucking wildly under the weight of the two men, Cloud nearly toppled off of her. Aerith whimpered worriedly in the corner as she flipped through a thick book, trying to find something to calm her down.
Tifa threw her head back violently and slammed it into a pillow. Leon lurched forward and grabbed her head in his hands, trying to stop her from doing anymore damage. Cloud grunted in pain as her foot broke loose of his hold and collided with his shoulder.
"Do you think this has anything to do with what happened to Yuffie?" Cloud asked Aerith. She nodded fearfully and ran over to help as Tifa let out another shriek and nearly threw the two men off of her.
"I couldn't find anything that wouldn't hurt her, we're just going to have to ride it out!" She called to them as Tifa's screams filled the room. She gazed down at her friend in worry and stroked the hair out of her face.
xxxxxxx
"Come on, we're almost there! What are you going to wear?" Yuffie bounced across the cabin and clung to Riku's back, nearly knocking him over. He stumbled to the side and finished checking the gummi ship's console, then carried her back into the bedroom.
"Well what are you going to wear?" he asked suspiciously, watching her leap across the room and throw open the dresser drawer. She began yanking different articles of clothing out and tossing them aside until she found what she was looking for.
"We're supposed to look weird and spooky, right? My old Wutai ninja costume will work perfectly!" She held up a severely ripped tan cloak and almost comical hat with ears and a face. Riku couldn't help but laugh.
"That's cute, you really wore that on your ninja missions?" He poked it in one of its eyes and Yuffie glared darkly at him.
"It's traditional to make your own disguise, I worked really hard on this." She mumbled, more to herself than to him. He patted her on the back.
"No, it really is kind of cool, it'll work great." He walked over to the closet and threw it open.
"What are you gonna wear?" Yuffie asked as she slipped the cloak on and pulled the hat down over her face. She watched as Riku pulled his old Organization coat out of the closet and put it on. He pulled his hair back and flipped the hood up, hiding most of his face from view.
"There, how's that?" He asked, turning to look at her.
Yuffie burst out laughing. "That is so cheesy, Riku! At least mine is original!" He stared at her blankly as she rolled on the floor.
"….I have to go land the ship." He muttered, stepping over her as he walked out of the room.
"Aww, Riku, I like it, it looks good on you!" She called after him. He waved a hand in the air behind him and she pouted at his rude gesture. "Okay, I'm sorry!" She sprang up and chased after him. She tripped in the aisle and fell forward as the ship jerked sharply. Her stomach flipped dangerously and she pushed herself up from the floor.
"We're here." Riku said as he offered her a hand up. She slapped it away playfully and nearly dove out of the gummi ship. She stood just outside the door, surveying their new surroundings.
"Brr, it's cold!" She wrapped her arms around herself and stared up at the clear night sky. Riku wrapped an arm around her shivering form and hugged her tightly.
"Do you know where else you want to go next? We can't be gone too much longer, I only got a few days off from work." He said quietly in her ear. She shuddered at how close he was in the cold, the heat from his breath rolling down her neck. He noticed her shudder and grinned to himself.
"I'm not sure, I'd really like to go see Destiny Islands though. But you don't have to take me there if you don't want to." She said, trying to wiggle away from him.
"I'll take you there if you want to see it, it's not a big deal." Riku said, watching his breath cloud up around him in interest.
"How 'bout we go for a walk then find some food for once?" He asked, letting his breath fall heavily on her jaw line.
She nodded and all but leapt from his side, staring at him as he stepped forward. She knew exactly what he was getting at, and wasn't sure she was ready for any more drastic changes in her life. He reached forward and took her hand, leading her out into the pumpkin patch before them. He thought he heard a faint beeping from the gummi ship, but Yuffie chose that moment to try and throw a pumpkin at him.
He cried out and dodged it just in time, watching it smash into the side of the gummi ship. "You know, I bet somebody owns this field, and I bet they're gonna be mad when they find out some ninja punk has been harassing their pumpkins." She threw another one and it hit him in the chest, thumping painfully against his ribcage.
He took a few steps back, but managed to catch it. She laughed quietly before ducking behind a gate and running into the cemetery. Riku charged after her, dropping the pumpkin unceremoniously on the ground. Headstones stood in long rows down the packed cemetery, and he walked along cautiously as he searched for the energetic ninja.
Something rustled softly to his left and he spun around, creeping in the direction of the noise. He caught a glimpse of her costume's ear as she darted around behind another tall headstone. Riku doubled back, tossing a rock down the path he had just taken to draw her attention away. The overly paranoid ninja leaned back, trying to spot him as he crept around behind her.
Riku moved slowly, there she was. Yuffie was crouched behind a thick tombstone, watching the path he had just been on. He darted up behind her until he was only fifteen feet away, then he saw something that made his heart skip a beat and his blood run cold.
A pale shadow of a creature leaned over her, long, lanky arms extended out above her head, ready to grab her at any moment. Blood dripped down onto the ground behind her as it leaned closer, long sharp fangs gleaming in the moonlight. Riku's eyes widened in absolute horror.
"Yuffie!" He yelled, running forward. She jumped up and stared at him in sudden fear.
"What! What is it!" She threw herself against the headstone and glanced around her in terror. Riku stopped, the creature had vanished.
"Oh my god." He breathed, holding a hand to his head. Yuffie's eyes shot over to him as he stood there staring at her in horror. He began to shake in the realization of what had just happened and moved forward. He grabbed Yuffie and pulled her into a protective hug.
"It's nothing, I just thought I saw something. I guess it was just my shadow." He mumbled, lowering his black hood. She looked up at him fearfully, but decided she probably didn't want to know anyway.
End of Chapter Seven