Chapter 8: Washed Ashore

It was almost dawn before Iris dragged Ventus to the shore. She had to take off his jacket to make it easier to get him there as she couldn't risk a human seeing her. As she arrived at the shore, she met up with Sora, Aqua, Terra, Axel, and Leon. Leon looked extremely relived to see her that she knew he had only helped the others first out of loyalty for their friendship. Iris placed Atem down on his back.

"Did I make it?" She asked sadly. "Will he be okay?"

"It's hard to say." Sora said somberly. He then put Ventus's foot to his ear listening hard. "No heart beat."

"Sora…" Leon began until he heard a small laugh of relief from Iris.

"He's breathing." Iris said happily. "He's gonna be okay."

"Well, let's get going." Leon said as he walked foreword. "Father would have a royal fit if he found out what we've been doing."

He suddenly stopped and saw Iris looking at the human in a way he'd only seen once before.

"If only…" Iris began sadly. "If only I could be here with him."

"Oh no." Leon said holding his head in his hand and rubbing his temples with it.

As Axel, Aqua, and Terra watched on, Axelwas taking it far worse than Leon.

"Oh, crud!" Axel said fearfully. "Do you two know who the king's gonna blame for this? Me, that's who!"

"Oh, shut up Axel." Aqua said with a dreamy look on her face. "I think it's romantic. Like Romeo and Juliet"

"Oh, yeah." Terra said. "I remember that story."

Unaware of everyone else, Iris stared intently at Ventus's face. It was serious, and yet kind. She wished, oh how she wished to be with him on that beach for the rest of their lives. She began to sing softly.

What would I give to live where you are
What would I pay to stay here besides you
What would I do to see you smiling at me
Where we would walk, where we can run
If we could stay all day in the sun
Just you and me, then I could be
Part of your world

Ventus began to stir. He could hear a voice. It had to be the most beautiful voice in the world. It was singing to him. As he opened his eyes, he saw a dark figure of a girl about his age group starring at him. He couldn't make out the details with the sun in his eyes, and he was still to woozy to move that much.

Iris blushed as she saw his eyes. A deep blue. She leaned her head so close their lips were only about two inches apart when suddenly…

"PRINCE VENTUS!" A voice yelled. Iris didn't want to go, but Leon put his hand on her shoulder, and she consented to hide in the sea with the others, but she wasn't ready to go home just yet. She saw the old man Ventus had talked to running over, fairly quickly for an old guy. "Prince. Thank heavens. We'd almost given up hope."

"Vexen?" Ventus said weakly. "Where…?"

"You are back at the palace my prince." Vexen explained "The storm was so powerful we couldn't hope to save you from the fire, so we had to trust in your luck."

"It wasn't my luck Vexen." Ventus said as he stood up. "It was a girl. A girl saved me. She had… The most beautiful voice I'd ever heard."

"You appear to be delusional my prince." Roxas said walking up. Ventus saw he had changed into his regal garb. "If a woman had saved you, she'd be here right now, or at least close enough for us to at least slightly see her. You just need rest."

"What I need is to find that girl and thank her." Ventus said, he tried to stand up, but his legs gave out, and Vexen had to catch him.

"What you need is rest Ventus." Vexen said. "Your uncle will be greatly relieved to see you well."

"You, at least, believe the girl was real, don't you, Vexen?"

"Of course, my prince." Vexen said with a smile he hadn't seen since he was a little boy.

At the rock where Iris was peaking over the side, Leon tried again and again to pull her back down, but she wouldn't budge. This was bad. There was no way she could be with the prince, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that. It would break her heart for the second time in her life.

"So here's what I'm thinking." Axel informed Sora, Aqua, and Terra. I won't tell. Neither of you two will tell. Definitely Sora won't tell, and Iris ESPECIALLY won't… Hey, where is she?"

"She's on that rock as Leon's waiting for her to come down." Terra said pointing.

"Oh, Mama." Axel said nervously.

Iris sat by the rock and smiled. She knew that this wasn't good-bye. She could feel it in her heart. She'd meet Ventus again.

I don't know when, I don't know how
but I know something's starting right now!
Watch and you'll see, someday I'll be
Part of your World!

Iris then slid sideways and let the sun warm her as she smiled happily.

Why? Axel thought. Why did it have to be a human?

Leon starred up worriedly at Iris. This was a secret that was harder to hide than Iris's pet Phantomtail, but they had to.


Choas: am i dreaming? is this real? if light and darkness are eternal, surely we are nothing but the same, for nothing probably goes on forever.

Iris: for darkness is born because of people, from hatred, their sorrow, it grows and grows... all coming to one source... me.

Aqua: i am the pain, the sorrow, the emptiness coming from a cess poolof dark emotion! i am darkness itself. the shadow of all things- including you!

Ven: great job girls.

Choas, Iris, & Aqua: thanks!

Terra: what happen to you Choas for the past two months?

Aqua, Iris, & Ven: yeah tell us.

Choas: had a computer virus, and i heard that my teaher's daughter who works at my school died June 1 an hour before school started.

Ven: wow thats a lot (hugs Choas)

Choas: thanks for the hug Ven. (hugs back) take it away Aqua.

Aqua: alright, Chaos dose not own the little mermaid or kingdom hearts, but she owns Iris.