Red Karat Ring

Chapter 7

Rainstorm

Riku sat undisturbed on the rickety outdoor patio of a small coffee shop ran out of someone's home. The sound of pencil to paper was the only thing that filled his ears. Even the seagulls that flew overhead and a typical scene for Destiny Islands were surprisingly quiet.

It was from this little spot on an island a good three hours away from Oathkeeper that Riku found himself surrounded by hundreds of paopu tree groves. Riku had rented a car from the capital and began driving aimlessly, eventually coming to a series of islands that acted as farmland. As he passed the connecting bridges he could see geometrical patterns sectioning off different crops from one another and creating a very colorful mural. A lone little house on the side of the road with a faded red roof was the only sign of any other inhabitants and Riku decided to stop.

The small table supporting his glass of iced coffee was missing a chunk out of one of the legs. Every time his knee bumped against it the table would awkwardly tremble. There was a charming aspect to it that made Riku smile. With his sketchbook readily available to him, as he never went anywhere without his tools, Riku enjoyed the natural scenery and had begun to draw.

Being an architect didn't at all mean that he had to stick to something industrial looking. In reality, everything that existed in the world was inspired by the very shapes found in nature. Riku's sketchbook displayed the curvature of the paopu trees, palms really, that created beautiful arches. In fact, Riku could almost guarantee the curves in the trunk of the trees were what inspired the shape of the bridge arches that connected each and every island.

"My, that's a beautiful drawing."

She was close to his age, perhaps a few years younger. Dark brown hair adorned a pair of green eyes with a touch of rose to her cheeks. The woman sported a pair of yellow capris and a bright orange shirt all tucked behind an apron. "I hope you don't mind me being nosy."

"Not at all," Riku replied to the owner of the house and shop, "This area is beautiful, I couldn't help feeling inspired by it."

"I'm happy to hear that. We don't get many people around here. It's all farmland, not much else happens around this cluster of islands."

She stood at the entrance to the house, a dish towel in her hands. Riku's heart skipped a beat. It was a very reminiscent scene of Vanille doing the same pose the day of Rue's birthday party. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Doesn't it get boring for you?"

The woman smiled and shook her head. "My family's been in the farming business for generations. I was born here, I don't know anything else. Plus, I don't think I'd want it any different."

"I guess that makes sense," he said placing his sketchbook down on the table, "I'm pretty much a city person and feel the same. There's something about all the commotion and people that I like."

"Are you from the capital?" She asked.

"No, I'm visiting from overseas. I live in The Land of Departure."

"Oh wow! That's pretty far. What brings you all the way here?"

His eyes remained latched onto the paopu trees in the drawing. "I'm not exactly sure."

His answer puzzled her slightly. She moved closer and with a hand, motioned at the empty seat next to him. "Oh of course, this is your home after all."

"And a bad host at that," she laughed, "where are my manners? My name's Olette."

She raised her hand in his direction to which he clasped gently and shook it. "Riku fal'Cie, it's nice to meet you."

"Likewise Riku. So, excuse me for being blunt, but I'm not sure I understood what you just said. Are you having a hard time navigating the islands or something?"

Riku played with the pencil in his other hand, twirling it between each finger. Was each interaction with every person he met going to turn into this exact same situation? Nobody knew who he was. There was no need for him to share his reasons. But it was sure becoming a hindrance having to distort his story and in a manner that settled well with him. Not that his scenario was at all well. He breathed deeply and looked to the yellow star-shaped fruits hanging from the arching grove trees. "I'm trying to find someone."

Olette looked over at his hands and noticed his ring. Connecting two and two together, she understood what he meant. "Oh, I see! You're looking for your destined partner."

Her words were kind and held absolutely no intent to be malicious, yet they jabbed at his insides with an icy prickliness. Riku nodded and attempted a smile. "Yeah...my destined partner."

She rested an elbow on the table, to which it toppled slightly. "Sorry, I've been meaning to get a new table, but as we don't get many customers I haven't bothered."

"I don't mind," he said grabbing his drink and taking a sip. Olette winked in thanks before continuing her thoughts. "That's pretty amazing. I mean, it's not unheard of for destined partners to be far away from each other, but when I think about myself, it's hard to get around it."

"I take it yours was close by?" He asked.

The brunette woman pointed to a spot way out in the fields. He followed her movement, but failed to see what she was trying to seek out. Olette then retracted her hand. "My husband Hayner and I run the lands around here. He and I have know each other since we were kids since both our families are farmers. Then one day, our rings completed pretty close in time to one another and we found out we were partners. It was amazing to know that the person who was my best friend growing up, was someone I would learn to love for a deeper reason."

Olette's story was almost point for point the same as Riku's. He blinked a few times as he absorbed the information. "That's wonderful, I'm happy for you."

His expression held a sadness incapable of being missed. Olette reached out and gently nudged his hand with a finger. "Don't look so glum, you'll get there. Look how far you've had to come. I'm sure it'll work out."

There were two conflicting sides within Riku. A part of him wanted nothing more than to get into his car, drive back to Oathkeeper and fly home. He wanted to be back with his family, his wife and son that meant everything to him.

Then there was the other part that held a firm grip around his heart. Someone ahead of Riku was waiting for him to grab them by the shoulder and turn them around to face him. Remembering Mint's words that rang clearly through his head, this matter wasn't just about him anymore.

"Hey, I know this probably isn't my place to say, but maybe I can help you."

Riku's face shot up from his thoughts. "Help me how?"

"Well, maybe there's a clue in your map I could find. That is, if you feel okay sharing it. I'm a perfect stranger really, so I understand if you don't want to."

She needed to stop being so nice. That earlier part of him was screaming that he didn't want to find anything out. But Riku closed his eyes for a moment and reached into the briefcase at the floor of the table. The piece of paper sectioned off into quarters rustled in his hand as he held it out for her. "There's not much there."

With a careful and steady hand, Olette parted the paper and settled it neatly in her lap. She studied it for a long while, turning it around a few times. Olette played with the tufts of long hair that fell down her face as she pursed her lips. "Hmm, well, I can see why you're in Destiny Islands now."

"Is it that obvious?" Riku expressed feeling a tinge of embarrassment. "I didn't realize that it was a star made of thalassa shells until my so-"

Riku abruptly stopped. "Sorry, until someone else pointed it out to me."

"They were right, these are definitely thalassa shells that are only found in Destiny Islands. The Sorceress that did your reading was pretty literal with her interpretation."

"Not that it's really helping. My map pointed me here, but I'm not anywhere close to finding my partner."

Olette looked at Riku's map for a minute or so longer before folding it back up and handing it to Riku. "It's a beautiful drawing though. I felt like I could reach into the paper and pick it right out." She then fixated her gaze on Riku and watched him with curious eyes. "I wish I could tell you I understood something more in it, but I didn't."

"It's okay, thank you for wanting to help. I guess I'm meant to figure this out on my own."

"You will, I know it."

Riku finished his coffee over the next hour or so before taking his leave. From his car seat he could see Olette standing out at the front of her home waving as he turned the engine on. He returned the gesture before driving off and disappearing down the road.

"We had a customer?"

Olette's husband came walking from across one of the fields, his clothes caked with dirt and grime. Hayner walked up to her and wiped at the sweat on his forehead. She nestled close to him. "Yeah, a really nice guy from The Land of Departure. I talked with him for a while."

"Yeah? That's cool. Well, I'm gonna head in and take a shower."

He kissed her cheek and walked inside. Olette watched the tiny dot that was Riku's car off in the distance and let out a sigh. "No Olette, you're reading too much into it. He would think you're insane if you told him that his map was an emblem of the royal family."

The three hour drive back to Oathkeeper brought the early afternoon with it. He returned the car he rented and made his way back to the hotel. After walking into the spacious lobby and towards the elevators, he noticed that a receptionist behind the front desk was motioning for his attention.

"Hello sir, sorry to bother you, but there's something here for you."

Riku raised a quizzical eye to the receptionist as she turned her back to retrieve something. She held out a bright yellow envelope to him which Riku reluctantly took. "Thank you..."

He turned it over and saw pink loopy writing spelling out his name. The face of a recently met blonde immediately came to mind. Using a finger, he swiftly lifted the sealed flap of the envelope and brought out a card.

Sora's bed was currently playing host and safe haven for his sisters who were all in different stages of distress. Naturally, Selphie and Penelo were both latched onto Sora and refusing to let go as he lay settled against the frame of the bed. Lulu cradled Wendy and Belle between herself and Sora, creating a set of human walls. With the twins nestled in both arms, Sora let out a breath. "What's going on girls? Lulu?"

The eldest sister tucked at one of her braids. "Remember that I had been having a strange dream?"

Sora thought back to the morning where they had pancakes and nodded at her. "Right, you wanted to tell me about it, but never got the chance. Don't tell me this was the same dream you all had."

Lulu shook her head. "No big brother, the dream I had for a while was something warm and nice. But what I didn't know was that everyone else was having it too."

The rest of the girls nodded. Sora felt the physical nodding of the twins' chins on his shoulders. "What happened in the dream?"

Taking turns, they all explained the shared dream they had had. The waterless beach, the strange moon carved into a star, him dressed in white, every detail was so vividly engrained into each of them the story was seamless. Sora listened with quiet attention as Wendy, the natural story teller of the group, finished it off.

"...and I reached out to you holding the star before I woke up."

The only difference was that in every interpretation of the dream, it was always the one having it that reached out to Sora. Lulu, Wendy, Belle, Selphie, and Penelo were all desperately trying to hand him the star shaped moon.

"What could it mean big brother?" Belle asked from her balled up form. "We've never ever had something like this happen. Do you think it has something to do with our Sorceress powers?"

Sora was the last person capable of understanding. He squeezed the twins closer to him and nuzzled his nose against their cheeks. "I'm sorry Belle, but I don't have a clue."

"But it was about you big brother," Wendy continued, "there must be a reason why we all dreamed about you."

He had never heard of situation anything like what his sisters had shared. They were Sorceresses and held powers that were still a mystery to the majority of the world if not to their own selves as well. Perhaps Belle was right. Maybe it was a sign of their powers simply growing stronger. Yet at the center of it, there he was. Sora couldn't begin to figure out its meaning. "And what about just a bit ago? That was something completely different."

Everyone's expression darkened. Lulu clutched herself and showed visible trembling. Sora felt Selphie and Penelo shifting uncomfortably against his chest. "I know this is hard, but can you remember anything at all?"

They all looked to one another, a look that didn't require words to tell each other exactly what was on their minds. Lulu placed her hands at the side of Wendy and Belle. "I'm sorry big brother, but none of us do. All we remember is being cold."

He didn't want to push them any further. Seeing them so shaken up was bothering him to his very core. The last thing he wanted was for them to be in any pain. "Why don't you all stay in my room tonight? We'll have a sleep over."

It was like night and day. They leaped up into a sitting position and threw themselves into Sora nearly toppling him over. "He-hey! Careful!"

He felt his phone vibrating from his pocket and managed to squeeze himself out of the pile on the bed before standing up. Sora glanced at the screen to see "Private" flashing across it. He turned to his sisters and held up a finger to indicate he'd be right back. Sora walked across the expansive room towards a window and slid the talk button on the screen. "Hello?"

"Took you long enough to pick up."

Sora's brows veered diagonally. "Didn't think I'd be hearing from you again."

The laugh that followed was too sickeningly sweet for his liking. It could only belong to one person. "Believe me sugar, I didn't think I'd be making this call myself."

"What do you want Charlotte?"

"Uh uh, that's Miss Lottie to you."

"I'm not one of your students."

She let out a dejected sigh. "Oh dear me, I can feel that dreaded look on your face through the phone. I swear, if only you were more like...well, let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Sora was growing more frustrated by the second. "Either you tell me what you want, or I'm hanging up."

The line grew quiet for a second. "Jimminy cricket you're a feisty one. Very well sugar, I'll keep this short and sweet. I'm having a small get together this evening and would love it if you came."

He scoffed. "You're joking, right?"

"That's rude of you Sora dear, I'm kindly extending an invitation to you and this is the response I get?"

"What did you expect? Let's be honest here Charlotte, you never liked me and I sure never liked you."

"Couldn't have said it better myself sugar," Charlotte shot back with an airy sigh, "having you constantly around in the corner watching your sisters. You made my job harder with all them ugly faces and negative emotions oozing out of ya. Don't think for a second I was immune to that."

Sora leaned against the wall and looked out from the high story window. "We can go back and forth on this, but I'm needed here Charlotte. So, you'll have to excuse me if I don't take your invitation."

He was about to silence the call when her next words rendered him unable to breathe. "A shame sugar. Here I was, out of the kindness of my little heart thinking about your well being. I guess having a chance to meet your destined partner means nothing to you."

It was like he was standing in a winter wasteland. Every fiber in his being was frozen, crystallized into dangerous jagged glass. Sora's skin lost its warm radiance and paled to a shade on par to the color of his walls. It took Sora's brain an entire minute before it found his mouth. "Bullshit."

A gasp. "My, my, is a member of the royal family capable of such a naughty word? Shame, shame on you sugar."

"You're treading on dangerous ground here, Charlotte La Bouff," he spoke with a dark intensity in his voice, "I will not tolerate this foolishness."

"Hahaha! Oh how funny! Where was all this "oomph!" earlier Sora dear. Now you're getting all serious and majestic on me. Correct me if I'm wrong but you sound like you could be a king."

Sora was biting his lip hard enough to taste the metallic flavor of blood. He wiped at his mouth, dragging red across the inside of his hand.

"This is beyond insulting and I will not stand by it. If you dare to contact me again I will see to it personally that you never set a foot in Destiny Islands again."

"Oh my! The tame kitty bares it fangs! Meow! Oh sugar, you're rocking my world here. But anyways, my invitation stands. If you have even the tiniest, most itty bitty desire to come, by all means I'll welcome ya with open arms. See you tonight!"

The line went dead. The beeping from the ended call became a repetitive buzz that barely pierced through Sora's consciousness. His mouth tasted like copper and was dry as a bone. The strength in his hands had dissipated and forced him to drop the phone. It smashed into the floor with a hollow thud and skidded away from him.

It was like a jolt of electricity that passed through the girls. They felt Sora's overwhelming negative emotions swirling out of him. His aura was practically manifesting itself physically, like a darkened cloak threatening to cut him off from their view. They threw themselves off the bed and ran towards him.

"Big brother!"

Warm arms encircled him. Sora broke from his frozen state to see the human wreath embracing him. They had tears welling up in their eyes as they desperately searched his face for a sign that he was okay. Sora shuddered a shaky breath and gulped loudly. "I'm okay, really, I'm okay."

His words couldn't deny what they had just felt. Something had upset him to a point none of them had ever seen him in. Sora rubbed a hand against his face before plastering on a smile. "Alright, why don't you get your things for tonight ready? I'll start cleaning up here while you do that, okay?"

They didn't want to leave him, but with his insisting on it, the girls ventured towards the stairs and left for the lower floors. It was here, alone in his room, that Sora struggled with something he could never let his sisters see.

"Get it together," he said wiping at his eyes, "you can't let them see you like this."

Sora was fighting desperately with the tears that were running down his cheeks. And at the moment, Sora was losing.

When Riku left The Land of Departure his excuse was that he would be attending meetings regarding his work. So it was no surprise that Riku would appropriately take a suit or two with him to appear professional. What was surprising, however, was that he would actually end up using them.

He was dressed up in a form fitting gray suit with a crisp white shirt underneath it and adorned with a navy blue tie. Every article of clothing stuck to him perfectly, outlining his thin and tall frame. The added height of his black boots only made him appear more statuesque.

It was in this attire that he found wandering eyes on him. Women in gorgeous gowns and jewelry were watching him from every corner of the intricately decorated hotel ballroom in downtown Oathkeeper. Riku held a glass of mineral water in hand and took small sips from it as he walked around taking in the space.

The yellow envelope the receptionist had handed him earlier that afternoon turned out to be an invitation to a party Charlotte La Bouff was holding in a different hotel. It struck him as odd considering the fact she had specifically told him she was going to be returning to her home country of Louisiana only two days before. For her to throw a party of this size and in such a short amount of time was slightly frightening. It clearly spelled out for Riku that Charlotte wasn't exactly a typical every day person. She held a sense of influence and he was now a bit nervous.

With a ballroom full of well dressed strangers, Riku had nothing else to do but simply explore. There were dozens of tables with intricately decorated bouquets of flowers as center pieces. Billowing, heavy drapes of rich red covered the ceilings and fell in elegant fashion creating a warm atmosphere. Food of all kinds dotted an entire side of the room as guests helped themselves to the delicacies. It was quite the spectacle.

After a while of aimless wandering and snippets of hellos from people, Riku noticed a small group of women passing something out to the guests. One by one, people began putting on colorful feathered masks. Riku watched as one of them neared him and with a bright smile, handed him a green sequined mask with a single teal feather sprouting from the middle of it.

"A masked ball?" He said to himself, "didn't think this would be themed."

Shrugging his shoulders, Riku pulled the elastic band and carefully set the mask around his hair before placing it on the bridge of his nose. Riku was now a gray-suited bird of paradise.

"She really went all out," he heard from a conversation behind him, "but it's not surprising really. I mean, this is Sorceress Charlotte we're talking about. She doesn't do anything half assed."

"Sorceress?"

Without realizing it, Riku had turned back to the couple he'd overheard. "Charlotte's a Sorceress?"

Even behind their masks Riku could tell they were looking at him as if he had lost his mind. The woman giggled as she held a frilly fan up to her mouth. "Surely, you're joking? How can you not know of Sorceress Charlotte? She's a celebrity!"

She made no mention of her title at any time during their impromptu dinner date. Now that he thought back to it and really looked at the situation, he did think it strange how people were constantly looking at them. But Riku, someone that up until very recently had no interactions or knowledge of Sorceresses beyond the bit he would hear from every day conversation, would have no idea who Charlotte was.

He felt his eyes widen for a moment. "If she's a Sorceress, then does she know about-"Riku stopped his train of thought and shook his head. "No, Namine said once a reading's been made another Sorceress can't do her own interpretation."

For whatever reason, Riku felt unsettled by the idea that Charlotte could have possibly known about the status of his thread. But he assured himself, that wasn't possible. Still, that nagging feeling had grown strong enough to remain etched into his skin. Having been laughed at by the woman and her partner, Riku offered little more than a turn of his head and walked off.

More and more guests trickled in wearing feathered masks as time went on. Riku was growing restless in a corner of the room as he played around on his phone. There was music playing and he was asked to dance by several women only to turn them down with a gentle smile. Even with the clear disappointment in their voices, the women retreated in giggling fits that didn't match their adult years.

Riku brought a hand up to his mouth to stifle a yawn when he noticed the set of double doors peeking from behind a red drape. He shifted the material enough to see out the glass doors and into what he realized were dimly lit gardens. Taking a peek over his shoulder, Riku grabbed the elongated knob and pushed the door open.

Outside, he was once again met with the warm, tropical scents that carried through the islands. Lanterns had been set around a sectioned off space of terrain covering a size equal, if not bigger than the ballroom inside. Flowers and shrubbery, trees and hedges dotted his line of vision. He tried to peer beyond the light provided by the lanterns and barely made out a pathway.

"That's right," he mused, "the middle gardens. They're massive and cover a huge part of the the center island. This building connects to the beginnings of it."

It was too dark to venture out beyond the lit area, but Riku made a note to check them out further during the day. He looked around and found a bench next to a row of rose bushes. Riku sat down with a soft sigh and glanced upwards at the night sky. The stars were hidden by the artificial light of the city. Raising a hand, he held it above him. Through the gaps in his fingers a series of stars managed to defy the odds and winked at him.

They formed a chain, his fingers acting as a wall and momentarily breaking it, but a chain nonetheless. He followed it across the sky, moving his hand and the stars continuing to find enough luster to overcome the city's light. Riku let out a tired yawn as he felt his eyelids shifting. He brought his head towards his chest and closed his eyes. Seconds later, Riku was sleeping in his seat.

"Sir, if you would like, I can turn back at any moment. There's no need for you to be here if you do not want to."

His hand was clutched into a fist and resting against his cheek. From the backseat of the car Sora looked beyond the window at the skyscraper in front of him. He opened his mouth and grazed his knuckles with the bottoms of his teeth. Sora uncrossed his legs before reaching for the intercom button.

"No, there's no need for that. Just remain on standby."

"Yes sir."

He grabbed the handle and pushed the car door open. Stepping out onto the sidewalk a good chunk of distance from the skyscraper, Sora's eyes shimmered in a brilliant shade of yellow gold. With jet black hair to match the black suit he was wearing, Sora's disguise allowed him the comfort to walk in public without having to worry about people's reaction. Failed Sorceress or not, Sora was still a member of the royal family.

His pace was on the normal side, but his heart was threatening to explode. Every beat that thumped against his chest reverberated throughout the rest of his body. His blood was boiling and freezing all at the same time. There wasn't an adequately correct word to explain what Sora was feeling. Looking at the incomplete ring on his left hand, Sora licked at the fresh wound he had left on his bottom lip.

Even if he entertained the idea, it was just too ludicrous and convenient. How could Charlotte so boldly taunt and belittle him with such a story? This all stemmed from what occurred in her class. Charlotte couldn't bear the thought of being ridiculed by a bunch of little girls and their failure of a Sorceress older brother. This was all a sick joke in order to get him back. That was all there was to it.

Then why was he so anxious it was bordering on a nervous breakdown? Sora had told himself it was all a boldface lie. There was no possible way Charlotte was telling the truth. And even in the most slimmest of universal chances that she was, there was absolutely no way of knowing as he still held an incomplete red ring. Sora could be staring his partner in the face and neither of the two would know it. Sora narrowed his mock yellow eyes.

The skyscraper lobby was monstrous and opened up into multiple hallways and rooms for a multitude of different events. The obvious flow of people bee-lining for the most central ballroom told him he had found the party. Sora effortlessly mixed into the crowds once inside and was provided with a feathered mask the color of ripened cherries. A passing server with a tray of champagne flukes offered him a glance to which Sora accepted by grabbing one.

Bringing the glass up to his lips, Sora tossed back half of the slightly sweet, bubbly liquid. He felt it travel into his belly and send out an instant wave of fuzzy warmth. With a drink in hand, Sora made it his mission to seek Charlotte out. Knowing her personality and flair for drama, it shouldn't have been too hard. But after a good 15 minutes or so, he failed to see a single blonde hair sticking out from the crowds.

"Where are you?" He muttered between sips of champagne, "You have a lot of explaining to do."

A connecting ballroom had to be opened up by the time Sora had arrived and people had dispersed into it thus thinning out the crowds. It was in this instant of space that Sora spotted a ghastly pink gown the size of a dinner table walking along. Somewhere in that mess of pink fabric was Charlotte La Bouff. Sora's hand tightened around his glass.

Making his way around meandering bodies, Sora inched closer to the Sorceress. A gaggle of richly dressed men and women stood at her sides laughing at what he could only presume was a funny joke. But Sora was not laughing. Charlotte turned her enormous gown around and latched eyes with Sora through a garish pink mask. The tension was so thick Sora was practically swimming in it. Charlotte's thick glossed lips curved upwards.

"What a wonderful surprise! So glad you could make it sugar! Not sure I like the ensemble though."

He knew she wasn't referring to his clothes, but his disguise. Sora shot her a look that told her to hold her tongue and not reveal who he was to those around her. Charlotte struck out a pink fan and began wafting herself as she bowed to her guests before excusing herself. Grabbing Sora by the hand, much to his dislike, Charlotte led him away from the crowds. "Lets you and me have a little chat, ok?"

They were drawing more attention than Sora wanted, but as long as they didn't realize who he was, he could deal with it. Charlotte ended up taking them out of the ballroom and into a closed restaurant that sat within the first floor. She winked at the only employee left cleaning up for the night and he promptly walked away. Charlotte had Sora sit at the bar and she managed to somehow squeeze herself behind the counter. With erratic fingers encased in pink gloves, Charlotte took a bottle from one of the walls. "Care for a drink?"

"No."

"Suit yourself."

She plopped a short glass on the counter and poured herself a thick liquid the same color as Sora's yellow eyes. "You inspired me."

He didn't respond. Charlotte raised the glass to her lips and took a tentative sip. "Oh delicious! Now a gal can take a liking to this."

Sora's expression remained unchanged. If anything, he lacked one. Charlotte clicked her tongue before rolling her eyes. "Alright, this is how it's going to go, sugar."

She pointed towards the ballroom with a finger. "What if I were to tell you that your destined partner is standing right in there?"

His face finally showed an inkling of emotion. Sora crossed his arms and ground his teeth. "I'd say you're lying."

"Oh sugar, don't kid yourself. The fact that you're sitting here with me is proof that you believe me. Why else would you bother with me?"

"What proof is there?" Sora replied with a cold tone, "Even if you read my supposed partner's thread and it led to me, as long as my ring remains incomplete there is no way to connect us. The binding red threads won't materialize. So your words hold no weight."

Charlotte took another sip of her yellow liquor. "A good point."

Sora felt his insides unclench for a moment.

"However," she said holding up a finger, "you're forgetting one crucial detail."

He tilted his head just the smallest degree, the soft light of the bar sparkling in his yellow eyes. "And that would be?"

Charlotte giggled and tossed the remaining liquid in her glass before slamming it down. She looked to Sora with eyes that no longer held that sweet demeanor. "I'm a fucking Sorceress, sugar. I know what I interpret and if I say I know who your partner is, I sure as hell know it."

The force with which she spoke took him to his feet. Sora could feel the anger billowing outwards it was practically creating a distortion in the air. "What do you want from me, Charlotte La Bouff?"

She wanted something out of this. Charlotte wouldn't go through the extravagance of this without having a clear goal in mind. What did she see in equivalent value to the possible identity of his life partner? Sora was almost afraid to find out the answer.

Returning to that sickeningly sweet demeanor, Charlotte parted her lips. "Upon the coronation of one of your sisters as queen of Destiny Islands, I am to be appointed as her sole advisor."

A loud crash carried throughout the bar and restaurant. Stools lay toppled over as Sora gripped the counter so tightly his fingers turned ghostly white. Through venomous yellow eyes dripping with disdain he glared at Charlotte, the blonde standing in utter shock. "Over my fucking dead body."

He ripped himself away and ran out of the empty bar. His eyes were growing murky and wet, the world he was seeing through his disguised view was nothing but a blurred mess. Sora was gunning out, he wanted to be as far away from the building as possible. Grabbing his phone slightly broken from its earlier fall from his pocket Sora quick dialed a number. "Pick me up, right now."

Sora wasn't looking where he was going and violently crashed into something. He fell back, landing hard against the concrete sidewalk. Sora coughed and propped himself into a sitting position as he tried to get up. That's when he saw the hand being extended towards him.

Long, thin fingers, porcelain-like skin. There was almost an ethereal glow to the hand that was being offered to him. Sora allowed his eyes to travel to the suited owner, a mane of silver hair cascading around him like a billowing curtain. Gentle, forgiving seafoam eyes looked at him. Sora was rendered speechless.

"I'm so sorry, are you alright?" Riku spoke with complete sincerity. "Let me help you up."

Riku reached down and took a hold of Sora's arm. With a strong, yet gingerly touch, Riku lifted Sora to his feet. They looked at one another for a long pause, no words leaving them.

It was then that they both felt something wet striking their face. The rumbling sound came from above, the skies now blotted out by darkened clouds. A rare rainstorm was insisting on making its presence known.

-O-

A/N: And so they finally met. Thank you for all your support everyone, there's still more to come, but this was a goal in and of itself. Please review if you haven't yet, any feedback is always greatly appreciated. Let's see where this takes us.

I would also like to point out that if any of you are artistically talented, and would be inspired enough to draw a title drawing for the face of this fanfic and allow me to display it, then please reach out to me via PM. Thanks again!