A/N: The title of this chapter is a line of lyrics from Jimmy Eat World's song Sweetness. And before we get started here, I'd like to address a reviewer's question. They were wondering when I'd get to the Riku/Sora romance. To answer that, I never really said anywhere that this would be a Riku/Sora story. The genre isn't even romance. I'm emphasizing their strong friend, but no romance. Sorry. Don't let that discourage you from reading the rest of this story! If you want a R/S story, go to my profile. I've got one there.
Dementia
Chapter 11: Dizzy Dance
Only moments had passed since Lulu nearly took her own life. She and Sora spoke for a bit before they both left the room with Sora promising to show her how to play Sudoku. However, when they got to the common room, amazingly enough, they couldn't seem to find a single pencil, so Sora headed back to his room to find one.
He sifted through his desktop's contents, but all his pencils and pens were gone. Frowning, he opened the top drawer of the desk. His frown deepened when he found that not only were his pencils missing, so was the charm that Kairi gave him and the sketchbook that Naminé had owned. His blood began to boil. He knew exactly who was behind the thefts.
"That freaking klepto…" he hissed, storming out of his room and down the hall to Zidane's room. Lucky for him, the blonde boy was just on his way out when he ran into the irate Sora. "You!" he bellowed. Zidane jumped with fright.
"Oh," he grumbled, upon recognizing Sora. "It's just you."
"Just me?" Sora growled. "Just the guy who's gonna kick your ass if I don't hear what I want to hear!" Zidane's eyes bulged out.
"You… your words…not garbled…kick my ass?" He paled significantly while Sora advanced on him.
"Where's my stuff?"
"What stuff?" Sora slammed his fist on the space of wall beside Zidane's head.
"Don't play stupid. I'm missing very important items that I haven't moved since I got here. And you just so happen to be the resident thief. Now if you don't give me my stuff back, we're going to be short one patient." The poor blonde began sweating bullets.
"I… uh… I don't know if I have your stuff in particular…"
"Do you know what they do to thieves in Agrabah?" Sora asked menacingly with a glint in his eyes. "They chop off your hands so you can't steal anything ever again." Zidane looked like he was going to faint. Sora blinked a few times, as if realizing what he just said. This wasn't normal. He couldn't explain it. Part of Sora knew something about his behavior was off. He would normally never threaten someone, but he really wanted his stuff back. Desperate times call for desperate measures. That's how he rationalized it. But he certainly was going to bring it up at his next therapy session.
The blonde fumbled over his own feet and he pointed to his room, scrambling to open the door. Once inside, Sora had to do a double take to make sure what he was seeing was real. Zidane's room was crammed full of stolen goods. There were boxes of clothes, jewelry cases, ornamental items, and things Sora had never even seen before. Before he could say anything, a brown-cover sketchbook was thrust under his nose.
"This yours?" Zidane asked nervously. Sora threw on his angry look.
"Where's the charm?" He folded his arms for affect. Zidane opened the sketchbook to the first page and the star-shaped charm was wedged between the pages.
"Look, I'm sorry!" he squeaked. Sora huffed in disbelief. "I know you may not believe me, but I am sorry. Sometimes…I just can't help but take things, just to prove I can do it, you know? Sometimes I don't even realize I've stolen anything until I reach my room and I'm stashing it somewhere."
"That's what therapy is for." Sora looked around the room again, still amazed that one person could get away with taking so much. "You need to give back everything you've stolen, understand?" Zidane nodded furiously, afraid of retribution if he didn't comply. Sora snatched back his possessions.
The moment he touched the sketchbook, however, he felt an odd feeling drawing his attention to the door. The room seemed strangely dark suddenly as white light streamed through the open doorway. A silhouette appeared in the door – the silhouette of a girl. Sora's eyes blinked, trying to adjust to the light pouring in around her, and when he could see clearly, he recognized the girl as Kairi. She took a few steps forward, a serene smile on her face, placing her hand on the charm, then placing her hand on Sora's chest, where his heart would be. And she mouthed out some words that Sora couldn't hear.
"Kairi…?" he whispered. Kairi tilted her head to the side, her smile never leaving her face, and she backed away slowly, as if floating, before she was completely out of the room and she walked out of sight. "Wait!" Sora charged out the door after her, leaving a bewildered Zidane behind. He turned to the side, catching a glimpse of red hair disappearing around a corner, so he ran after her, but coming around the corner, she was nowhere to be seen. Sora spun around on the spot, trying to find where Kairi had gone to, but she was gone. Was she ever really there to begin with?
OOOoooOOO
"Checkmate!" Riku sat back in shock; unable to believe his brunette friend had just beaten him in a game of chess.
"I lost…" he muttered. "I never lose…"
"Cheer up, Riku," Sora said with a grin as he cleared the chessboard. "These things happen to people in their old age. You're not alone." Riku gave him a sarcastic smile while flipping him off.
"Haw haw, very funny." The older man had come for his regular visit and was pleasantly surprised to hear that Sora's speech had significantly improved. In fact, everything about Sora's attitude seemed to be improving. As Sora set up the board for another game, Riku nervously fiddled with his queen piece, trying to raise the courage to ask something he really wanted to know.
"Sora?" he started. Sora slowed in his movements, looking up. "You're getting better, right?" He nodded. "Then… why don't you come back home now?" Sora stopped completely, his hand hovering over a bishop piece. His eyes looked downwards.
"I can't. Not yet." He looked back up to Riku's face. "Not until I'm sure I'm healed. I can still hear Roxas' voice in my head. He's trying to figure out a way past the medication. I don't know what his intentions are, but I don't want him to hurt anyone." Riku clenched the queen piece he was holding. He hated feeling helpless, unable to aid his best friend.
"It's just that… things have been really quiet without you." Sora managed a smile.
"Hey, don't get like that. I'll be back soon! I've made so much progress here and it's only been a month! Roxas may be trying to figure out how my brain works, but I'm figuring out how his works just as fast." Riku faintly returned the smile.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." He finally relinquished his grip on the chess piece. "I know I've asked this before, but is there anything I can do to help?" Sora gave a lop-sided grin.
"Nah, this is something I need to tackle on my own." Riku nodded thoughtfully. There was no sense in disrupting Sora's recovery when he was so close to a resolution. "Oh by the way!" Riku's attention was drawn away from the chessboard again. "I saw Kairi again!" The silver-haired man nearly choked on his own saliva.
"What?"
"I mean, she wasn't real, I think. But I haven't seen any visions of Kairi in a long while, so it was actually nice hallucinating about her again. I'm positive she's trying to tell me something, but I can't understand." Understanding washed over Riku and he relaxed.
"I suppose you're lucky you get to see her in any form whatsoever. All I have left of her is memories." Sora playfully slapped Riku over the shoulder.
"Memories are the most important things you can have of a person. It means they were special enough to leave an impression on your heart."
OOOoooOOO
It was another day at the Destiny Psychiatric Hospital. Sora, Zell, and Vincent were hanging out in the common room playing a game of Monopoly while the red-cloaked man was muttering under his breath.
"Stupid game…" he grumbled.
"You're only upset because you've only got two piece of property and you keep landing on my Boardwalk square," Zell said jokingly.
"Why do we even play this game?" Sora asked in a bored voice. "Half the money is missing 'cause that stupid kleptomaniac Zidane stole it."
"It's for the principle of it all," Zell explained in a matter-of-fact voice. "Monopoly teaches players that it's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and if you're going to come out on top, you gotta break a few kneecaps."
"That's not what it teaches!" Sora protested.
"So where's Lulu?" Zell asked quickly, diverting the subject.
"Therapy."
"Oh really? I wasn't aware she was actually attending her appointments." He put a hand to his chin in an inquisitive way. "Although, I have noticed her general attitude has improved. I mean, not drastically, but she's certainly making attempts to be friendlier. Maybe she's getting better." Zell noticed a slight shift from Vincent. It was as if the brooding raven-haired man was perking up at the news of Lulu making progress. "Interested, Vincent?"
"Slag off," Vincent replied in his gruff voice.
"No, no, I saw you perk up like a dog waiting for his master to throw a ball. In fact," Zell scooted closer to Vincent as if he were about to share some highly secretive information. "I've noticed you've taken a liking to our Miss Lulu. More than a liking, in fact."
"Don't say it," Vincent hissed.
"I think-"
"I'm warning you."
"-You're in l-" Whack! Zell was out for the count and Vincent was shaking his sore fist out. He shifted his focus to Sora.
"You want some of this?" he asked threatening. Grinning, Sora held up his hands as if to say 'No thanks.' Vincent sniffed in approval, sending a glare at Zell's groggy form. "That'll teach that nosy little fuck." With a sweep of his cloak, Vincent was gone. Zell groaned in pain as he rubbed his jaw and righted himself back onto his chair.
"Mean left-hook," he muttered. "We totally gotta hook him up with Lulu." Sora gave him a look of disbelief.
"You really don't know when to quit. The man just punched you. In the face! And you still wanna meddle in his love life?"
"What can I say? I love people!" Zell pushed away his Monopoly pieces and pulled out a sheet of paper, furiously scribbling some stuff down. Sora peered curiously over his shoulder and saw what looked like some blueprints or a layout for the hospital grounds. "You gonna stand there and gawk or are you gonna help me with this?"
"What is 'this' exactly?"
"I call it the 'Vincent and Lulu hook-up and make babies' plan. What do you think?"
"I think I need a stiff drink…" Sora decided he'd wipe his hands clean of this crazy scheme of Zell's. He was a firm believer that true love didn't need help and things tended to work themselves out in favor of soul mates. "You have fun tinkering with them. I'm staying the hell out of this."
"Suit yourself, but do arrive for tomorrow evening's festivities. I've got it all planned out."
"Oh really? What is it you had in mind?"
"Oh I'm not telling you! You're not involved, remember? You'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out."
OOOoooOOO
And find out, Sora did. It was shortly into dinner that Zell began commencing his plan. Sora had to admit; he was rather looking forward to a little dinner and a show. He was intrigued as to how Zell was actually going to carry out his plan and he wasn't sure what he wanted more to happen: Lulu and Vincent to hook up, or Zell get brutally beat up for even trying. Both had hilarious outcomes.
The first tip-off that Sora got that Zell was setting his scheme in motion was the obvious distraction directed at Vincent.
"Hey Vinnny," Zell spoke up, looking around as if he was afraid of being overheard.
"Don't call me Vinny," Vincent grumbled, poking at his questionable dinner. The man, normally cloaked in red, was missing his trademark cape jacket, and he seemed very sour about it.
"Hot tip from the underground," Zell continued, pretending he didn't hear the other. "Some things have been going missing. I noticed your jacket is gone."
"If I find out you had anything to do with that…"
"Wasn't me. But I will tell you…" Zell leaned in. "Think about how many kleptomaniacs we got on campus. Only one? Sounds suspicious to me… But you didn't hear this from me." Zell tapped the side of his nose before leaning out and returning to his food. The message was clear enough without the obvious hints. Vincent wasted no time in getting up from the table and hunting down a certain Zidane. Sora couldn't believe it was that easy to convince the intelligent man that some hapless young teen was responsible for the theft of his prized red cloak.
As soon as Vincent was out of earshot range, Zell whispered to Sora, "Timing is a factor here. Oh, here comes Lulu!"
Lulu had just returned from a therapy session and she was finishing up her late dinner with the others. Just before she could get up to clear her plate and get some dessert, Zell interrupted her motions.
"Allow me madam," he said sweetly, taking Lulu's plate. The raven-haired woman eyed him suspiciously but made no attempt to protest his unusual generosity. "Want some apple pie and ice-cream?"
"Sure…" she said slowly. "Okay, what do you want?"
"Nothing! Why can't a friend do something nice for another friend? Is it a crime?" Lulu's expression of disbelief and suspicion never left her face.
"I suppose not…" Just as Zell was about to pass her the plate, he pulled it out of her grasp.
"But how much do you want it? It's your favorite, am I right?"
"Give it up, Zell," Lulu said evenly, not about to lose her cool.
"Come get it," Zell challenged. "Or are you too girlie to face up to a man?" Lulu narrowed her eyes. She was never one to turn down a challenge. Especially one that insulted her gender.
"You won't be much of a man once I finish with you. In fact, you won't be anything resembling human." She quickly rose from her seat and chased after Zell out the terrace doors into the courtyard. Sora rolled his eyes at their antics and followed to as far as the double sliding doors to watch what would happen next. Zell was running around, trying to tire Lulu out. Once Lulu grew tired of their little game, she took a seat at one of the patio tables. Zell skimmed over, place the dessert plate in front of her and before she could say anything else, he ran back into the cafeteria and closed the double doors, locking them. He then turned around just in time to catch Vincent coming in from the hallway.
"I can't find that little thieving runt," he growled. He looked around. "Wasn't Lulu just here?"
"Never mind her, I just saw Zidane! He went out to the garden," Zell lied. "I think I saw your cloak in his arms."
"That brat…" Vincent hissed as he threw open the double door leading back out to the patio. As soon as he was through the doors, Zell locked the doors behind him, making the other man jump with surprise and start banging on the glass doors. Zell gave Sora a thumbs-up and flicked on a switch by the doors. Outside, a string of colored lights and lamps lit up, accompanied by some soft music.
"Everything's going according to plan," Zell announced to Sora, who was trying to make himself invisible. Sora wanted absolutely no part in this for fear of enraging Vincent's fists and setting off Lulu's fury.
Outside in the courtyard, Vincent had given up on banging on the window doors and took a defeated seat next to Lulu. Neither said a word to each other. Inside the café, Zell wondered to himself why they weren't doing anything. He was so sure they'd have put the moves on each other by now.
"They're just sitting there…" he complained. "Why aren't they dancing or talking or making out or something?!"
"Maybe because you've locked them up like animals…" Sora muttered sarcastically. "I warned you not to meddle."
"This calls for drastic measures." Zell looked around the near empty room and spied Garnet working in the back and Zidane coming in from the hallway. "Garnet, Zidane! Go out to the courtyard and dance!" Both of the mentioned people blushed.
"How is that supposed to help?" Sora asked.
"If Vincent and Lulu see someone else dancing, they'll be inclined to join in!" Sora shook his head.
"That's about the stupidest thing I've ever heard." But at this point, Zell wasn't listening anymore. He was marching Zidane and Garnet across the room to the double doors leading out to the terrace.
"Now get out there and show them your moves!" With a final shove, Zell force the unwilling couple out to the courtyard and locked the doors behind them. However, he forgot just whom Vincent was mad at at the moment. The moment the raven-haired man laid his eyes on the unfortunate kleptomaniac, he began throwing a string of curse words and advancing on Zidane. The blonde squeaked in panic, backing up into the glass doors and clawing desperately at them for sanctuary.
"Where's my cloak?" Vincent demanded.
"What cloak?" Zidane leapt out of the way just as Vincent lunged at him. This began a short chase around the garden, which ended abruptly when he ran into the table, causing the plate of apple pie and ice-cream to fly up into the air and land squarely on Lulu's head. All motion ceased outside. Sora and Zell slowly backed away from the doors with Zell muttering nervously about how badly his plan had failed, while Zidane, Vincent, and Garnet held their breaths in fear.
Lulu cracked a tiny smile.
The tiny burst into a full-fledged grin before it gave way to a giggle and finally laughter.
True laughter!
Lulu slowly wiped the ice-cream and apple fillings from her face and hair as her body racked with laughter and mirth. All the terrace occupants released their breaths and soon join in with the merriment. Vincent retrieved some napkins from the holder on the patio table and assisted Lulu in helping her clean up. For a moment, their eyes met. Lulu's chuckles subsided and she took one of Vincent's hands.
"You… wanna dance?" she asked shyly. For the first time that she had ever seen, Vincent blushed, and he nodded, leading Lulu to the open area of the courtyard. Garnet and Zidane took this opportunity to flee the scene into the cafeteria while Vincent and Lulu shared a romantic dance together. Inside, Zell wiped the sweat from his brow.
"For a minute there, I was sure I'd have to escape the country and change my name," he said with relief. "Well now, Sora, now you'll never doubt me again, will you?"
"Hmph, you got lucky," Sora huffed. He turned his full attention back to the happy new couple and sighed. It was nice to see that two people affected by mental anguish could find happiness in one another. As Sora watched them spin in very slow circles, it caused a brief flashback to a time he shared a dance with Kairi.
He remembered it clearly. It was their final night of high school and they were visiting the island for old times sake. Kairi was reminiscing over their last few years and she was humming a tune to herself. Sora had shyly put his hand out in a gentlemanly manner and asked for a dance. Her voice had been so heavenly and they simply held each other, spinning in dizzy circles slowly as Kairi continued to hum her beautiful tune. Sora remembered looking up at the stars and thinking 'This is the most perfect night ever.'
He shook his head clear of the memories and looked back out to where Lulu and Vincent were finishing their dance. They seemed to be conversing quietly, every now and then throwing a look in Sora and Zell's direction. Sora suddenly felt panic rising in his chest.
"Zell…" he said quickly.
"Don't say anything, man, you'll ruin the moment." Zell seemed to be in his own little world, clearly happy that his plan worked out after all.
"No, Zell! RUN!" Just as Zell's eyes snapped open, Vincent and Lulu were running towards the unguarded, unlocked patio doors. He didn't have enough time to lock them, so he turned tail and ran for his life as the two enraged, yet deliriously happy new couple chased after him down the halls, all the while Zell screamed "Mercy!" as he tore out of the room.
Sora merely smiled at their antics. Things were definitely looking up.
OOOoooOOO
A/N: Man oh man, school is keeping me busy. I've had this chapter semi-done for a little while now, but never got the chance to post it due to lack of time. Anyway, so how about that? Lulu and Vincent finally hooked up! And Zell is probably a creamy pile of bruises somewhere. I love writing dialogue for him! Next chapter, I get back on track with Sora's therapy. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. Ja!
