Chapter Eleven
" Hey, Riku? What does this button do?"
" Hey! Don't touch that!"
" Why not?"
" Cause I said so, now get your %$$ back in a seat!"
Tobi pouted, leaning back again,
" Fine."
Placing both hands behind his head, he glanced over at Kae. She was silent and seemingly staring at her reflection in the window. He blinked, clearing his throat and turning his gaze to stare at the ceiling,
" Hey, Kae? What was your hometown like? Y'know, where you grew up?"
Riku stiffened, his grip on the controls loosening a bit. A faded image appeared in his mind, kind of like an old film reel. Sora was sitting, laid back behind Kairi, who was staring out at the ocean. The boy's voice echoed through his mind like a ghost, his smiling face a haunting sight,
' Say, Kairi? What was your hometown like? Y'know where you grew up?'
Kairi giggled, her eyes focused on the gorgeously blue ocean ahead of her,
" I told you before. I don't remember!"
Sora frowned, raising an eyebrow,
" Nothing at all?"
Kairi paused for a moment, frowning,
" Nothing."
Sora stopped before speaking and turned,
" Riku, look out!"
Straightening, he nearly dropped the log he was carrying as he stepped out of the Seaside Shack,
" Huh?"
Riku blinked, jerking back as he saw a huge rock in the path of the ship. He immediately steered the ship away from it, Tobi and Kae giving him incredulous stares as they narrowly escaped what was almost certain death. Riku took in short, quick spouts of air as he stared out at the glittering stars ahead of him. Tobi gulped and leaned over the seat, holding tightly to the chair as the Gummi Ship came to a complete stop,
" R-Riku?"
Riku coughed, blinking repeatedly as he lowered his head,
" I... I uh... I--"
He stiffened again as a thin, glowing hand softly touched his. Turning slowly, the pale yet sunny face of a woman with her ebony hair in braids was smiling at him. She wore a white cloak with a golden fasten, an equally white dress underneath. Her nails were painted a silvery blue, and a charm bracelet hung from her right wrist, the other wrist adorned by a single white bangle. A silver ring rested on her right ring finger and she giggled warmly, poking at one of the controls,
" It's alright, silly... just relax!"
Her eyes opened, revealing softly glowing emeralds. Riku blinked, staring wide-eyed at her in shock.
" Riku?"
He blinked and shook his head, her image instantly disappearing from sight. Glancing back at Tobi, he frowned,
" What?"
Tobi coughed and shook his head as he leaned back,
" N-Nothin'! It's nothing."
Riku pressed the button the ghost previously pointed to and the ship whirred to life, the group resuming their pace to the next world.
The trio landed in a desert area, a barren wasteland of sand. Up ahead was the town gates and as they began to make their way to them, Tobi cleared his throat,
" Hey, Riku? What...um... what was that back there? I mean.... you looked a little out of--"
Riku quickly sped up his steps, almost angrily heading for the double doors,
" It was nothing and I'd rather not talk about it."
Tobi stopped, watching the man storm off and throw the doors wide open,
"--it."
Kae gasped at the ghastly image that was this town. Town...? More like ruins. She glanced all around at the charred remains of humans and animals alike, gasping at the lifeless shells of screaming children strewn about across the square. The buildings themselves weren't in much better of a condition, either. Half the buildings were reduced to burning embers, the other half on their way to becoming burning embers. Kae lightly covered her mouth, glancing all around her at the scene,
" What... what is this place?"
Riku stepped up beside her, staring at the once golden palace in the distance. Now it was cracked and crumbled, the ceiling nearly collapsed as far as he could tell. He closed his eyes, remembering when he was last here,
" This.... is Agrabah."
