Author's Note: Okay, Shirozora here acting like an ol' jackass again. One, I shouldn't be doing this; two, I got tempted into updating the next chapter; and three, I found a series of errors while scanning all the previous pages. That makes me a plain old fool and I apologize sincerely for that. In short, I should be doing my school homework right now because school started; I get caught and I'm dead and you'll never hear from me again. Which is why once again I have no way of answering your questions. You will have to e-mail me instead your questions or simply state them in the reviews and hope I remember well enough to recall those questions and answer them.
This chapter is the beginning of a series of recollections. Really sappy stuff so I don't know if you people are going to cry over your keyboards and render them useless. I'm not trying to be mean here! (reference: check my Bio)
And seriously, Ave Maria is a powerful piece; thank the original Fantasia for influencing me with that.
Alas…that my dream of joining Square-Enix is but a dream…woe is me. I'll shut up now.
Rain of Sorrow
Chapter 6: Remember
In the end all that remained was the rain pitter-pattering against the windows.
Mostly they sat in thought. Some chose to stand, stretch their sore legs, and walk a bit, to wonder and contemplate. Some chose to latch onto their seats, wishing with all their heart that the television was working and they were all simply gathered at Kairi Hitoame's house for a movie night.
If only.
Auron took the couch formerly occupied by Tetsu and Kairi, who were both up and pacing, keeping their distance from each other and the rest of the world. Naminé kept twisting a lock of hair in her delicate fingers, looking more and more worried as the minutes ticked by. The others kept daring each other to say something, anything, except Riku, who stood before the windows and watched the rainwater slide down the glass and distort his view of the storming sea off the beach. Kairi stopped by, placing a hesitant hand on his arm.
" What is it?" Riku asked quietly, looking at the auburn-haired young woman.
Kairi looked away, unsure of why she was there. Her eyes caught black boots stop in their pacing and she shook her head. She hoped Riku could understand what her dilemma was right now.
Oh not that dilemma! That was most certainly NOT on her mind tonight.
" So…" Wakka was the brave one to break the silence. " What do we do now?"
" That's what they always say…" Lulu murmured but nobody hushed her.
" Well, it looks like a couple of us are going to be dropping high school," Auron muttered, so fast it quite stunned the teenagers. It was like he already had the footwork laid out. " Not only that, I won't have to pay rent anymore."
Yuna looked at her guardian quickly. " You're going to leave?"
" Do I have a choice?" the man replied gruffly. He looked at Yuna kindly. " Don't worry, Yuna. I'll be fine."
" But what are we going to do?" Tidus demanded, rising to his feet. Tidus, always taking the affirmative action; so typical of him. " I mean, us group of high school seniors? What are we to do without you and…um…"
He looked at Kairi, understanding quite well what she had to do.
" Wait, Kairi's leaving Destiny Islands?" Riku came to life, stirred by the suggestion in the younger boy's words. " She's not leaving! The Universe isn't safe!"
" She hasn't got a choice, Riku," Naminé said softly. " Neither do we."
" Wait, what do you mean?" Tetsu had come alive as well. " You two are going with us?"
" You?" Riku was already bristling at the idea.
Oh no, Kairi realized. This really isn't good.
" All four of you lot are coming with me," Auron stated sternly. " The rest of you are to stay here and hold the position. Don't budge, no matter what happens. This place must be defended. I promised some people long ago…"
He wouldn't say more. Turning on his heels, he strode to another part of the first floor, clearly stating he wanted room to think.
Yuna sighed. " This is not good."
" Why's that?" Selphie asked curiously, twisting her nunchucks in her hands.
" What do you think?" Riku snorted. " We've got the Princess of Heart following us around while we look for Sora. Both of them attract Heartless so we're bound to-"
Tetsu cut him off. " Thanks for the tip. We stop by a world, get some supplies, and look for where the Heartless are. The more there are, the more likely it is that Sora will be there."
Kairi hemmed and hawed at this. It was a pretty ambiguous strategy – she really didn't like the way Riku referred to her as the Princess of Heart; he could've just called her the 'Heartless magnet' – but it was the only sensible way to find the lost Keyblade Master.
" I'd say we go to Disney Castle first," she suddenly found herself saying. " Ask King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy some questions, then go out there and look for Sora. And find the other Princesses of Heart…if possible."
It could be a lost cause; what if their hearts were already taken and all they needed was for a Heartless to rip her heart out of her body? What if the Heartless attack was a method for convincing them to go look for Sora and stray away from Destiny Islands? What if Tetsu was actually working for the Organization? What if the Organization had Sora? What if Sora's de-
" Auron's already a pretty good fighter, from what I could tell," Tetsu was musing. " We can guard the girls – assuming Naminé doesn't mind – and make our way around whatever worlds remain-"
" What about me?" Kairi demanded.
" What do you mean?" Everyone was suddenly on the alert, save Auron who clearly was out of earshot.
" Well, I went around the Universe for a bit looking for that bloke-" both Kairi and Riku twitched at this "- and what do I find but plenty of worlds vanishing. Sora was clearly not doing his job right or perhaps something indeed has gone wrong-"
" No, that's not possible," Kairi snapped. " I would've known it!"
A hand drifted to the place above her heart. It wasn't that she could sense that he was alive or dead; he was just…gone.
His voice, I've lost it. Now I need to go out there and find out why.
She looked grimly at Tetsu. " He's NOT dead! We just need to find him and right every wrong there was committed while he – and some other people – were out for two years."
She desperately tried to avoid looking at Riku and Naminé as those words came out of her mouth.
" It's not our fault we can't recall anything," Riku began hotly. She winced; she could feel the hurt in his voice. " There were those two explosions, and everything went black!"
The blonde girl said nothing and only looked away; did she know something about this?
" Alright then," Tetsu decided. " We go to Disney Castle, ask around, then go to the other worlds. We ask where Sora is, what the Organization wants with Kairi and the rest of the girls known as the Princesses of Heart, and figure out why people suffer from amnesia. Is it just me or is everyone close to Sora forgetting things?"
Having ticked off the list rapidly, he gave pause to let others ponder the question.
" I haven't forgotten anything," Wakka countered. " Like meeting Lulu."
He flashed her a grin but she only rolled her eyes. Surprisingly, they were a couple.
" I guess we haven't forgotten anything," Selphie agreed. " Problem is, we aren't as involved in this as the rest of you people-"
" So are we back to square one?" Tidus demanded. " And what did Auron mean by 'hold the position'? What does he expect, an army?"
" Yes," came the unexpected answer from Yuna. She stood up, leaning on her staff and looking quite the leader she said she wasn't. " He wants the rest of us to remain here because the Heartless may come here even with Kairi gone. So we have to fight, those of us still here."
" Should tell that to Irvine…" Selphie mused. " He might not like it…you think we can get his dad to help us out?"
" Does he believe anything about the Heartless?" Naminé asked.
" Some people should," Kairi retorted. " You can only be truly stupid if you remain oblivious to what the skies have been telling us-"
" They're only portents of the future," Auron uttered, reappearing. He seemed set on something, a plan of sorts. " We're leaving in the evening. I want Kairi, Tetsu, Riku, and Naminé to meet me at the train station. By nine, we're out of here."
" Which train?" Tetsu asked.
" Line 6. Now everyone who shouldn't be here, scram! But here's my advice: don't spend too much on school. When life is threatened, who gets the better grades doesn't matter. Yuna, focus on what you learn from your magic classes. And someone call up Irvine-Selphie, brief him. You know him best. Riku, say goodbye to your parents; Naminé, I think it's better you come with me. Tetsu, guard Kairi. The Heartless are back and I don't want to lose her."
" You don't need to worry, old man," he shot back. " I got it all covered."
He gave Kairi a reassuring smile, something she hadn't expected from him.
" Can we trust you?" Riku demanded.
" The Keyblades don't choose what they don't trust," Auron answered. " Now knock it off, Riku. Let's go. And be careful, people. Remember everything I taught you. Once we leave this house, keep your senses on the alert or I swear…"
Reluctantly everyone rose to his or her feet. They had preferred staying in the house, where they felt they could face anything thrown at them and still stand. After all, power was greater with the masses. But under the grim stare of Auron and his dark spectacles, they had to disperse.
" Take care, Kairi," Selphie said half-heartedly; she didn't want to lose her friend again.
" Yes, take care," Tidus and Wakka nodded in agreement.
" Best of luck to you," Yuna smiled. " You'll find him, I'm sure."
Lulu gave a warning. " Don't stray or we'd be in real trouble."
She felt faint at this. What did Lulu mean?
They filed out, into the fiery rain. Auron still stood at the doorway, waiting for Riku and Naminé to leave as well. Naminé looked at Riku apprehensively; he seemed to be fighting himself over something.
" Riku…" Kairi whispered; she already knew. " It's alright; I'll be fine here. You can go."
Her silver-haired friend frowned, leaving her puzzled. " It's-it's not that…never mind. See you at the train station."
He turned and followed Naminé out the door, leaving Kairi to deal with both Tetsu and Auron. The latter looked bothered, as did some of the other people she knew.
" I wish I knew why this was happening," she heard him admit. " But I guess we'll have to ask His Majesty that…and your friends at Hollow Bastion. That's where we'll go next. You-" he looked pointedly at Tetsu, who shifted on his feet "-don't screw it. If she doesn't get to the train station safe and sound I will personally carve out your heart and feed it to the Heartless. Understand?"
Tetsu scowled at him. " I get it, old man. Don't need to say it twice."
" Hmmf!" Auron turned and shut the door behind him. Through the windows, Kairi saw him stride down the stairs and meet with Naminé and Riku. The three of them began to stride away, in the direction of Riku's home. Every so often, she saw Riku turn back and stare at her house, at her.
She felt Tetsu wander around the living room.
" Best change out of your clothes," she heard him say. " Unless you can fight wearing that."
She turned on him. " If you hadn't gone and broke the washing machine, I would be able to!"
" It's not my fault you didn't tell me what that thing was for," he replied evenly, his mouth a thin line.
" That goes to show how much of an idiot you are," she snapped, heading for the stairs. Tetsu stepped in front of her, though.
" If we're going to work together, I suggest you be…nice."
Kairi glared at him. She felt so tempted to summon her staff and knock him over one. Instead she held out a hand and shoved him aside. " Go away."
She proceeded to storm up the stairs, stomping as best as she could in her waterlogged shoes. Oh how she wanted to force some emotion into his face, grab him by the collar of his shirt, and shake him!
" If only he didn't break the damn machine," she muttered as she proceeded to lock the door into her room and shed her wet clothes, "then I'd have something more than uniforms!"
So saying, she forcibly convinced herself she could fight wearing a white blouse and a blue-plaid skirt while she put them on.
" After all, I was able to practice at Auron's place wearing these…" she sighed, sitting on her bed and pulling on a fresh pair of socks. Once she accomplished that task, she continued to sit on her bed. She then looked at the clock on the white side table next to her huge bed.
" Two more hours," she murmured. " Two more hours then…I'll be gone."
Gone to find you, Sora.
The reality of it suddenly hit her. " I'm leaving…I'm leaving home. I'll be leaving this place, maybe never to see it again. Gone to find…Sora. I'll finally be doing things, going places, finding our old friends, fighting the same enemies, all to find you…"
She pulled a huge white pillow to her and buried her face in it. "…can I do this? Can I do this, Sora? Can I face the dangers that come with it? We're all looking for you, Sora…maybe even the Heartless. Can we find you, help you, so that you can come home…again?"
She suddenly wasn't sure, didn't know if she could do this, leave the comforts of home and school – yes, school! – to journey to worlds out there in space and find the one person she had been waiting for so long.
" So far away…"
" Are you going to sit there forever or should we start moving?"
Kairi jumped, stifling a scream with her pillow. She whirled around, keeping the pillow in front of her, and saw Tetsu was sitting on her bed.
" How'd you get there?" she gasped, looking around wildly. All she saw was a locked door…and her pile of clothes on the floor. That included her undergarments.
Flushing, she tossed her pillow onto the pile and snagged the other pillow on her queen-sized bed. Huddling with that one, she glared at Tetsu.
" You were taking quite a long time, so I decided to teleport myself into your room to see what you were up to," he said calmly, not at all the least affected by the furious blushing on her face.
" What-what did you see?" she stammered, horrid thoughts crossing her mind.
" Not much," he frowned, unsure of her behavior. " However, you were blabbering continuously about leaving this shitty city and its damn rain, so I had to do something-"
" What's wrong with you?"
Silence. Tetsu had frozen, was staring at her. Kairi glared back, her blue-violet gaze boring into him and those blue eyes of his.
" What are you talking about?" he managed to shoot.
" All this anger, insensitivity, your utter lack of compassion, what's with you?" Kairi demanded. " I brought you here after you got hit by a car and picked up a fever on the way here and what do you do? You trash my house, eat through my cupboards, fight with my friend, and bring up some smart-ass remarks for everything I know and love. What kind of gratitude is that?"
Tetsu continued to watch her. His face was absolutely unreadable. " Gratitude? I don't know gratitude; my life's been a hellhole as far as I'm concerned. The only time it wasn't was when Cid helped me out for two months, but even then I lived a life on the run. I do not appreciate the way my life was handed to me; all my life I knew this wasn't me. I knew I didn't know myself. I don't know who I am."
" Oh really?" she challenged. " Well, I'll tell you: you're a heartless jerk with a Keyblade I gave to my friend! I don't know how you came across it but that I gave to Sora! And once we find him, you have to give it to him."
" And what, leave me without a weapon?" Tetsu snorted at the thought. " I'm not a fool like you say I am, Kairi. I don't know the things you know but I know what you don't. So if you're going to tag along on this little adventure, you'd do well to listen to me and do what I tell you to do."
" And if I don't?"
He pulled himself up on the bed until he was right in front of her. She watched him apprehensively, propping up the pillow between them. What was he going to do; she doubt she could summon her staff in time.
" Do you really want to know?"
His question came out a bare whisper as he stared at her. She could see herself in his eyes…and the emotions behind them. He knew what was out there, he had gone through enough in the worlds out there alone but…there was something else in there, besides the fear, the anger, the experience. What was it?
She reached out, touched his face. All that remained was silence, besides his breathing and the beating of her heart. He didn't move away but stayed still as her fingers traced the contours of his face. As she slowly slid a finger down the bridge of his nose and brushed over his lips, an image formed in her mind…
She touched his face, wanted to know if he was real, if he really was there, holding her in his arms.
" Don't worry, Kairi," he whispered, placing his head on top of hers as her hand drifted to the place over his heart, beating under his black jacket. " I'm real, I'm here…"
" Sora…" she murmured and buried her face in him.
Kairi pulled back and abruptly turned away, taking a deep breath and trying to hold back her tears. Behind her she heard Tetsu shift, then the bed's surface rose. He unlocked and opened the door, then stepped outside and closed it.
Biting her lip, the auburn-haired girl felt a tear sliding down her face. She made a fist of her trembling hand, then promptly released and touched her bed. Why, why did she do that? She didn't know what he would do once she touched him, what would happen afterwards; she just felt compelled to see, to feel, to hope that maybe they didn't have to go look for Sora, that maybe he was sitting in her room, that he was him.
But what if he wasn't? That little voice in the back of her head, the voice of doubt, nagged her. If he wasn't Sora, then what? You'd have to go out there into the Universe to look for him, won't you? And now you've got to face him, after that little spectacle of yours. He'll think you're making a move on him…then what?
" Shut up," she whispered, wiping her face with the pillow. " I don't want to hear you."
She lay down on her bed on her back, still hugging the pillow. She could feel the warmth of the other person who was here, the person who made her remember.
Night at Disney Castle was beautiful. The stars that were saved, were restored, were still there winked at her; the moon's pale face cast a silvery light in the gardens and gave everything an ethereal glow.
" It's so beautiful," she whispered, resting her head against his shoulder.
" Yeah, beautiful…" Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him staring at her, not at all paying attention to the sky.
" I was talking about the moon," she remarked and saw him flush with embarrassment. " Nights here are so beautiful."
He leaned over, whispered in her ear, " But not as beautiful as you."
She closed her eyes, blushing. It had taken only one year but the friendship they shared had grown, was budding into something more…
" Don't leave me, Sora," she murmured, wishing this one night would never end.
His arm went around her shoulders and held her close.
" I promise."
''
Tetsu looked out the tall windows, watching the rain make a total debacle out of the beach to his left. It was so wild, so dark, so wondrous. The waves crashing against the wet sand reminded him none of the storied tropical seashores of Destiny Islands; he only saw the storming of the shores of the world he left in his search for Sora.
" So beautiful…" he whispered, pressing a hand against the pane. He felt the coldness cool his hot fingers and pressed his forehead against the window as well. " Wish I was here to see the sun…"
The other hand went and touched upon the trail left behind by her fingers. They rested briefly just above his mouth, then slid to the side and pressed against his heated cheek.
Why did that happen? Maybe that'll remain a mystery but he wasn't happy with his response to it. That explained why his black clothes suddenly felt stifling, despite the distinct rainy chill.
He sighed, let his eyes drift to his feet, and resigned himself with counting the veins in the wood-paneled floor…
…but her eyes burned in his mind. He knew what was in there, her hope, a glimmering candle in the dark. All around her was danger – manifested by the Heartless that materialized in the streets – and yet she still held hope of meeting the one with the key, the one who could end the nightmare.
" So faithful, so devoted, despite the years, despite the distance," he continued to say, his breath fogging the window. " He's so lucky to know such a girl."
Especially a beautiful and fiery one-
He closed his eyes, tried to recall his first memory, tried to block her out of his mind. He had done this so many times before, staring out of Cid's store, leaning against the windowpane and trying to recall his very first memory.
Voices. There were voices around him. They bothered him.
" The poor boy, how'd he get here?"
" Does he have a home? Does he live here?"
" He doesn't look like he's from around these parts?"
" Move aside, move aside! What's all this, eh…"
He frowned. That wasn't what he wanted.
" If all you remember is the day you first came here, boy, I suggest you keep searching. There's more in your brain than it'll let on but the more you look, the more you find."
Cid's voice echoed in his mind. Cid, the bald mechanic with a talent for messing with spare parts and creating things, was his mentor for the months he stayed in that world.
He looked down at the body, sprawled in a grotesque position in the puddle of water. He could barely see through the darkness the bloody stain that spread from it.
The trench coat under his arm, he turned away, not wanting to remember the look of surprise on the man's face when his key-shaped blade brought him down-
The frown deepened. That was one memory he didn't want to walk through. He didn't want to remember his murder of another human being, thank you very much.
But all that remained were the more recent memories. He flipped through them, bringing to mind all the faces, the pain of the impact with the car, the wetness of this world, the voices, and then paused in turning over another page.
Her.
Of all the faces, hers appeared most often. Then again, he had taken up residence in her house, refusing to budge because he didn't want to take his chances with the streets again. He saw her everyday. But there was something else-
Sun. Endless sun, shining amongst the white clouds in the bright blue sky. Sun and the cry of birds.
He blinked. That was sudden; he never remembered a memory like that before. What the hell?
He looked up, tilted his head to give himself a better view of the world beyond the windows. Was it just him or was there a cluster of islands on the sea a distance away from the shore?
" What is that?" he wondered. He narrowed his eyes and made out a pier down the shore. Small wooden boats tossed in the violent sea; only the ropes tied around the poles kept the boats from floating away. He counted five. " I wonder…"
Sun and the cry of birds. And the song of a waterfall.
''
An hour had passed. Kairi had passed into the blissful realm of deep sleep, in an endless sea of peaceful darkness-
" Hey."
Sora's voice echoed into the endless abyss. She stirred.
" …S-Sora?"
" No," was the cross reply. " It's Tetsu. Wake up; I want to ask you something."
Night was shattered. So did the sudden hope.
" What do you want?" she asked crossly, covering her face with the pillow and turning on her side so that her back was in the direction of the voice.
" To ask you a question," was the patient reply.
" What question?"
" About the islands."
Destiny Islands? She sat up abruptly and turned to face him. " What do you want to know about the islands?"
Tetsu shrugged. He stood next to the bed, toyed with the white fabric of the blanket covering it. The other hand twitched in the pocket of his trench coat. He didn't meet her eye.
" I just want to know if you and your friends visit there."
Kairi stared at him, the question buzzing in her mind. When it finally made sense, she shook her head. " We used to but…after a while I stopped going there. Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka kept going…until the rains came. It's been a long time since then."
" Why'd you stop going there?" Tetsu asked curiously, slowly sitting on the bed and watching her.
" Because…" she stared down on the bed, tracing circles with her finger. " Because it reminded me too much…of him."
" You two used to play on the islands when you were little?"
" And Riku," she quickly added. " It was the three of us. Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka messed around with each other and the six of us played out on the beach, on Paupu Island-"
" I heard about the paupu fruit," he interrupted suddenly. " But I don't believe its story."
" Really? Well, let's hope Selphie never hears of it; she's a romantic and a sucker for stories like the one about the paupu fruit," Kairi said, now tracing a star on the blanket. Really, the words stung her. " And then there's…"
She stopped tracing the star. She saw Tetsu looking at her, saw the look of curiosity and worry in his face.
" And then there's what?"
His words were distant as something came to mind.
She didn't know what she'd expect to find in the Secret Place. But she decided to go in there and recall the childhood days.
Smiling, she traced over the doodles done in the dark slate by six young children ages ago. Ages? It seemed to be.
The sun seeped through the roots of the great tree the Secret Place was under. She cast a look to her left; the door was there, untouched, unmoving. It was still ominous, despite its plain look.
She continued to drift a hand through each of the chalked-in drawings, when something caught her eyes. She drew nearer, then dropped to her knees, staring.
It was the old drawing she and Sora had done of each other. They were so crude but she could see him so clearly, could see herself in the thick white lines. And underneath Sora's head was…
Tears welled up as her hand drifted to her lips, trying to stifle a sob. Briefly she saw an image of Sora chalking in the paupu fruit, the hand that offered it to her; then it vanished, leaving her alone with a drawing that pierced her heart.
When she was done, she turned and left. Etched into her mind forever was the old drawing and his hand offering her the paupu fruit. And her hand giving him the fruit as well.
Everyday for a year she visited the Secret Place, sat in front of the drawing, and wondered what Sora was doing. At times she could feel his presence in her heart strongly; at other times she didn't know if he was there. And then came the meteors in the sky…
" I didn't go back," she whispered, her eyes looking down at the blanket, looking beyond it. " I never went there again. After I left him in battle, I never went back to the Secret Place."
She looked up slowly, fearfully, at Tetsu, her eyes shining. " But I wish I could go there and see that drawing…one last time."
She then closed her eyes and looked away again, burying her face in the well-used pillow. She left Tetsu baffled; he didn't understand what in hell she was talking about. But he sure as hell knew what he could do. What he had to do.
" Come with me."
So saying, he stood up and held out a hand to her. She looked up slowly, her eyes red and her face tearstained.
" Wh-what?"
" Take my hand."
She looked at his outstretched hand, then up at his face. There was nothing suspicious in his expression, so she took it. He pulled her off the bed and onto her feet.
" Where are we going?" she asked, not knowing what was going on.
" Hold on."
" What?"
Suddenly the whole room darkened and the ground leaped out from under her feet. She clung to him with her other arm and yelped. Vaguely she felt his arm go around her as well as she felt herself continue to drop.
Her feet hit rough sand. Since the only things between her and the ground were socks, the landing stung and she staggered into Tetsu, knocking him over. They landed in a heap on the ground.
" Ow…" she head him groan. Where was he? She couldn't quite tell where was who and what was which; they landed somewhere quite dark. And out of her home.
She felt her back press into the ground. Reaching out, her knuckles brushed alongside small pebbles and rough sand, then banged against stone. She yelled.
" What, what did I do?" she heard Tetsu's voice yelling.
Stifling a curse, she continued to reach out with her bruised knuckles and touched…hair. She pulled back quickly and blinked in the darkness for a moment, heard only ragged breathing…then became aware of the ocean storming somewhere nearby.
" Someone get me a light…" Tetsu moaned. " Can't see shit…"
Kairi tried to get up and then realized that the warm weight on her wasn't the pillow she was holding onto only a few minutes ago.
Light suddenly flickered to her right; a hand was holding a ball of light. It grew stronger, casting out long arms of white…and revealed to her the Secret Place.
She gasped; this is where Tetsu brought her?
Turning her head, her gaze suddenly locked into blue eyes. His eyes. She stared, her mind going blank.
" Sorry about that," Tetsu muttered, rolling off of her and rising to his feet quickly. He ran a hand through his hair, keeping the ball of light as far away from him as possible to hide the blush on his face.
Kairi sat up, embarrassed and confused at the same time. She looked around, saw the white drawings and graffiti on the stone walls. There were some new additions, too…
Wakka likes Lulu!
Tidus likes Yuna!
Those little exclamations cluttered all around the older drawings, along with lines crossing them out. Slowly, they stopped…except for three statements: two of 'Walla likes Lulu' and one of 'Tidus likes Yuna'. Other then that, the place was untouched…except-
" The Door," she whispered and staggered to her feet. " Ow…"
" Here." Tetsu withdrew shoes from his pocket – must be one big pocket – and held them out for her.
Eyeing him oddly, she took them and slipped them on. Then she walked – more like hobbled after the tangled landing – towards the door. She heard Tetsu following her, the light in his hand illuminating the path towards the door, the door that began it all.
Suddenly she didn't want to see the drawing, the image that taunted her, tortured her, kept her hope alive. She couldn't bear to face it again; that was why she never came back, after Sora told her to leave Disney Castle-
" Ah…" Tetsu had seen it. Kairi covered her face with her hands, couldn't bear to see the expression on his face.
She heard footsteps crunching through the roughage, felt a presence behind her. A hand rested on her trembling shoulder.
" You should take a look," his voice whispered. " Just once, before we go."
She shuddered, kept her eyes covered. Her very last memories of the Secret Place stung in her memories, provoking her, forcing her to recall the impossible-
Something gripped her wrist and pulled away her hand. She shielded her face with her other hand until that was taken away; she turned and buried herself into Tetsu's chest, tears forcing their way through her tightly closed eyes.
" I-I don't want to see it," she sobbed, trying to hold back the pain in her voice. " I can't…it hurts too much…"
" You need to," Tetsu said firmly and turned her around.
Her vision was blurry and she wiped her eyes with her hand, sniffing as well. Then she was able to see in the flickering light. Her reddened eyes widened.
" Oh!" she gasped and stumbled forward to the huge boulder, the only one untouched by all others hands. The one only she and Sora had marked.
The very last time she was here, she had slowly etched in the phrase "I love you"; she left soon afterwards to show both Sora and Riku what had become of their home. At that time Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus weren't there; they had been transported to Traverse Town, though soon after the barriers went up again, they forgot their experiences and carried on with life as it always did for them: normally.
Her eyes scanned through the long-lost art of innocence; the horrendous drawings that represented Sora and herself. They drifted to the paupu fruits they gave each other, then reluctantly drifted upwards to where she wrote that…phrase.
For right below it someone had written, " I love you, too. Remember me."
She slowly touched the cold surface, the hardscrabble handwriting she knew well. Did-did he…?
" Come on, Sora, we have to go!" Riku shouted as he neared the gummi ship. A violent unnatural storm was nearly upon Destiny Islands and the winds were whipping up.
" Hold on a second!" Sora shouted as he headed for what she could only deduce to be the Secret Place. " Get Kairi in the gummi ship!"
" Let's go." Riku grabbed her by the arm and guided her to their ship, the one Sora, Donald, and Goofy had used to travel the Universe looking for the Door of Light, King Mickey, and Riku. She looked back, her heart dropping at a million miles-per-hour. He was going to notice the paupu fruits, no doubt about it! " Don't worry, he can take care of himself. He'll be along in a few minutes."
She didn't notice the reluctant sadness in his voice; she only saw Sora vanish into the Secret Place. But why? Who'd want to go near that horrid door?
" Did he know…?" she whispered, falling to her knees. The tears were coming again. " Did he know he wasn't coming back? Were those promises empty?"
Her heart beat painfully. The voice of doubt overruled her loyalty to her friend, gave voice to the aching heart in its death throes.
" No, perhaps not," Tetsu said quietly, approaching her. " But he knew something terrible was going to happen. Did it?"
She shook her head violently, tears spraying. " That's-that's not it! Stop it, Tetsu, stop it!"
She rose to her feet and turned on him, looking furious. " Why did you have to bring me here? Why'd you make me remember? Do you have any idea how much it hurts? Do you have any idea how empty my heart feels, waiting day after day, hoping that one day I'll look down at the beach and see him waving to me from the pier? Do…you have…any idea…"
She couldn't continue her barrage, tried to forget the last horrid moments before she left Sora, couldn't stop crying. Vaguely she felt Tetsu step forward and slowly, hesitantly, embrace her. She leaned against him, couldn't stand on her feet by herself anymore.
" I…I'm sorry."
''
" What's taking them so long?" Auron grumbled, glaring at the huge clock face over the ticket booth. It was three minutes to nine; everyone had learned Auron wanted them at least ten minutes early.
" Maybe something happened," Naminé dared suggest. " Maybe they got held up on the way here-"
" Tetsu wouldn't do that," Riku interrupted, earning a puzzled look from the person he just interrupted. " He's not the type to take long; he'd have used that crazy teleportation method…and scared the crap out of Kairi."
His voice hardened slightly at the last part.
" Tetsu's also not a fool; you don't need to worry about Kairi," Auron said. He then eyed above his sunglasses the few others who made it through the rain to the train station. He seemed to be on the look out for anyone who looked remotely suspicious. " But I do want to know why they're taking so long."
One minute to nine…
Riku brushed at his black trench coat absentmindedly and adjusted the dark sunglasses he wore in all weathers. Naminé, looking quite vibrant in her peach jacket over her light yellow shirt and white capri pants, looked at him worriedly. She had in her keeping her sketchbook but apparently lacked a spark of inspiration. Or the gloomy weather could be dampening her mood; who really knows?
" Maybe I should go and see what's up…" she heard Riku mutter to himself.
Poor Riku, she thought sadly. He can't help it but worry after Kairi like he loves her. Literally. Her heart's to Sora, though; he just won't deny it. I just wish he noticed more than just Kairi, just the Heartless…
" Finally!" she heard Auron exclaim and looked up.
It was exactly nine.
From the opposite end of the train station Kairi and Tetsu strode towards them, her in a dry school uniform and him in his trench coat. It looked like nothing remotely dangerous happened, though Kairi kept her eyes down on the ground as they neared the other three.
Come to think of it, maybe something did happen…
" Kairi!" Riku jogged forward and greeted her. " Are you alright?"
She didn't answer, only nodded. Her bangs shrouded her face, kept away curious eyes. Tetsu stood a little ways, ignoring the exchange. Auron was glaring at him.
" What took you so long?"
Tetsu eyed the clock behind the man. " It's nine. You told us to come at nine. If you wanted us to come earlier, you should've said so."
Auron nodded in the direction of Kairi. " She didn't tell you?"
The younger man hemmed and hawed at this. " That's a very good question…no."
" What happened?"
" Nothing that concerns you."
Auron raised an eye at this. Riku turned and looked at him. Naminé prodded him on the shoulder, though, in a successful attempt to shut him up.
" Train's here in ten seconds; here's the tickets."
In his free hand he produced five train tickets. Tetsu took one and looked at what it read: Destination: Disney Castle. Departure From: Destiny Islands Train Station. Train: Line 6. Time at Departure: 9:01 PM. Time at Arrival: 8:01 AM. Note: Due to outer world threat, be prepared to leave the train through emergency exits at all times. Bring only what you need. If you are seated near the emergency exits and are in any way unable to help train staff guide passengers out of the train (i.e. have more than one child age 15 and younger, pregnant, mentally handicapped, physically handicapped) please ask attendant to reseat you. Thank you.
Tetsu turned the ticket over and read the most disturbing line ever. It might have been printed there as a joke…or a warning: Board at your own risk.
Apparently Riku and Naminé also spotted the line.
" What the hell's this?" Riku demanded, flipping the ticket over several times and re-reading the lines. " Is this a joke?"
" Maybe if you read between the lines…" Naminé said slowly.
Auron only hmmf'ed and handed a ticket to Kairi. " Here…"
A whistle shattered the brief, rainy silence that followed. Most of the other would-be passengers continued to sit; they were not headed for Disney Castle like the suspicious group of one adult and four teenagers were. Most others stared at them curiously; some simply propped up the Daily Island to read yet another article on the weather.
" The train…" Kairi whispered, looking up. Riku widened his eyes, startled. Her eyes were red from crying but they were dry. " It's here. Riku, we're leaving…"
He didn't know what had happened during the trio's stay at Disney Castle two years ago but he understood her immediately. " It's alright, Kairi. I'm here; I promise it won't take long."
Naminé remained silent, though Tetsu saw her sighing sadly and turning away, clutching the sketchbook to her chest.
Auron suddenly cleared his throat and all four teenagers jumped.
" I suggest we actually board the train," Auron suggested, as the white train with gold and blue trim and design sat…rather cheerfully. It was obviously waiting for them to board, along with the couple at the far end who were entering the velvet compartment.
Silently they filed into the 'Economy' compartment, which wasn't all that bad, considering the carpets were red with royal blue curtains for the windows the seats were next to. There was gilt designs all over the walls, swirls, crowns, and Mickey's head. Kairi slowly reached out and touched one of the small heads; the Silver Key came to mind.
" Where are we seating?" Riku wondered, mostly at the emptiness of the train. There were people sitting in the compartment – obviously from other worlds – and they were all sitting far apart from each other.
" Well, whatever we do, the train's going to move and quick," Auron said, looking at his ticket and striding down the wide lane in the middle. " And…I sit here."
He pointed to the golden number 87 above one of the seats. " I bought a cluster; you four spread out around here. If anyone tries to get you to move, tell the bastard you're with me and there's nothing he or she can do about it."
Kairi smiled at the serious tone in her mentor's voice. She chose a seat two rows behind him, next to the window. Since the rows came in seats of two on either side of the aisle, she wondered who'd be sitting next to her. She hoped it would be Tetsu; despite the brutal fact he made her recall painful memories she wanted to know more about him, find out who he was.
Maybe the strange man ran along the same train of thought; he almost hesitated but chose to sit next to her. He smirked as Riku chose a seat on the other side, one row up; the silver-haired legend had the unhappiest look on his face. Naminé sat two rows down from him; Tetsu found it odd that the two kept their distance, given what he's been able to surmise so far…
The train lurched, groaned, then the engine went into action. Line 6, Destination Disney, slowly but surely began to pull out of Destiny Island's train station, and out into space. Kairi pressed her head against the window, watching as the world began to flash by; the train was picking up speed, pulling her away even faster from her home.
I wonder if I'll ever come back, she thought sadly. It would be three times she'd be leaving Destiny Islands and each time it was because of the Heartless. Hopefully the third time's the charm; hopefully she and her friends would find Sora, open the Door of Light, and end the nightmare.
A radio in the train was playing classics; she closed her eyes as a forgiving piece flowed through the chilled air.
Ave Maria…
Gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena
Ave, ave dominus
Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu in mulieribus
Et benedictus
Et benedictus fructus ventris
Ventris tuae, Jesus
Ave Maria…
(Hail Maria
Full of grace
Maria, full of grace
Maria, full of grace
Hail, Hail Lord
The Lord is with thee
Blessed art thou among women
And blessed is
And blessed is the fruit of they your womb
Of thy womb, Jesus
Hail Maria, full of grace)
She shivered. It seemed the people taking care of the train did not know of Destiny Islands' weather situation; then again, she didn't bring a jacket. She wasn't exactly in her right mind and things happened before Tetsu teleported the two of them to the train station…
She heard soft sounds next to her and then something heavy and warm rested around her shoulders. She reached out, felt leather and soft fabric.
" Thank you," she whispered, pulled the trench coat more firmly around her, before the music and the quiet hum of the train engine brought sleep to her mind.
Ave Maria…
Mater Dei
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus
Ora pro nobis
Ora, ora pro nobis peccatoribus
Nunc et in hora mortis
Et in hora mortis nostrae
Et in hora mortis nostrae
Et in hora mortis nostrae
Ave Maria…
(Hail Maria
Mother of God
Pray for us sinners now
Pray for us
Pray, pray for us sinners now
Now and at the hour of death
And at the hour of our death
And at the hour of our death
And at the hour of our death
Hail Maria)