. Teenage x Wasteland . ©
xo . Kyorii
PLACES:
Disney Castle: The fairytale castle that every Kingdom Hearts Resort Anniversary is held in.
OTHER:
Yin and Yang: A black and white symbol illustrating the Chinese belief of how things work.
Megalixir: A powerful elixir used to fully cure someone with a serious ailment. It can also be used to fight poison.
Worlds Showcase: Much like in Disneyworld's Epcot, the Worlds Showcase is an elaborate showcase event of various worlds and cultures on the island. Teenagers can get a glimpse of every world as well as travel the galaxy in the span of a day. The Worlds Showcase is built specifically for teens who have a passion for travelling, culture and world affairs.
A/N: I obviously don't own anything disney featured here xP Also, the Disney Castle in this story is actually a little different from the one in Kingdom Hearts. It looks more like the castle you'd see in the beginning of every Disney film... you know, the fancy one with the fireworks and whatnot :P It's like the one in Disneyworld. It looks more royal and magical, no? (:
Oh, and before I forget, most of you live in the United States, yeah? Well, if you do, are any of you going to Otakon in Baltimore this year? Since I'm going to be visiting my cousin in Maryland, I might as well go anyway :P If any of you are going, SAY HI TO ME :D I'll be the little asian girl in the Kairi costume lol. Man, this is gona be hilarious. I could be ordering food and next to me could be like... Cloud Strife or something LOOL.
Anyway, on with the chapter! This part of the story is split into 2 parts: the happy half (now) and the not-so-happy half (next).
. Chapter XXV .
. The Anniversary Part I .
. (The Happy Anniversary) .
Line of The Chapter:
"He reminds me that I don't have to be scared anymore."
If Roxas had one wish, it would be to freeze this very moment.
He lay peacefully beside his fragile girlfriend who resembled an angel when she slept. The way the sun rays reflected off her face was just... breathtaking. He had never loved a woman so much in his life- well, except for his mother. Roxie loved his mother. But, without a doubt, no one could capture his heart as much as Namine Emori could.
He felt as if his heart was about to fall out of his chest. He felt as if... as if... as if he had fallen in love for the first time like he did when they first met. And (he was pretty darn sure about this) no matter how many seconds, minutes, hours, days or years went by, he would still feel exactly what he felt now. He would love this girl until the day he died. So what if people thought Sora was lucky to have Kairi? Screw that! Roxas thought he was the luckiest guy in the world.
"Mm..." Namine began to stir in Roxas' arms. In no time, her pale blue eyes met with pure vibrant ones, "M-Morning, Roxas."
"Namine, do you know what today is?" How his breath managed to stay minty fresh through the night was beyond her.
"Hm," She tapped her chin teasingly, "Saturday?"
Roxas pouted, "Baby, it's-"
"Oh I know," She giggled, poking her boyfriend's nose, "It's Axel birthday!"
Roxas shook his head impatiently, "Nami, no, it's-" He froze, "Wait, it's Axel's birthday? !" He suddenly went from being at the top of the world into a pityful hole of despair. How could he forget his own best friend's birthday? His pure eyes showed panic, in which Namine began to laugh. This calmed him down a little. Her laugh was better than any piece of music he could play.
"I'm joking, Roxas." The way she said his name so softly made him shudder. Silence fell between them as they looked into each other's eyes. It was clear that, without saying any words, Namine knew exactly what day it was. To them it seemed hardly possible. Had a year really gone by already? They hadn't noticed.
"Happy anniversary, baby." Roxas then leaned in for a slow, lingering kiss. And in all honesty, he wouldn't be surprised if he repeated those same words a hundred years from then- perhaps even in the afterlife.
"Target acquired. He's approximately 10 meters from your position. Maybe about 67 degrees from that tree over there."
"Affirmative. Appearance?"
"Black hoodie over head, white v-neck shirt, black skinny jeans, red vans and white bandana with black embroidery tied around the neck."
"Damnit, that's Axel's flirting bandana."
"Flirting bandana?"
"He wears it every time he's interested in a girl. Trust me. As his best friend's twin brother, I know these things."
"Second target acquired! She's heading his way as we speak!"
"I see her too. Damn, she's hot."
"Sora!"
"Don't worry, baby. You're still the hottest."
"That's not what I meant!"
"You're blushing right now aren't you?"
"Sora, we're two friends on a mission. This is for Larxene. Focus."
"You are so blushing-"
Screeeeeeeeech!
"Kairi, was that really necessary?"
"Yes, now shut up and watch them closely. I'll flank in from the left and head over to your position." Completely in character, Kairi peeked at her surroundings from behind a tree then barrel-rolled into the bushes where she met up with her fellow secret agent. She de-activated her binoculars and walkie-talkie and brought out a listening device that resembled a satelite from Sora's duffel bag. Even if Hayner was a tech dweeb, he really came in handy.
"You'd make one hella sexy secret agent." Sora complimented. He received a whack in the head from the listening device as a response. Kairi activated the device and peered through the bushes to spy on Axel. He and the young woman named Cinque were currently speaking about something by a spherical fountain. Sora zoomed in with his binoculars, focusing the resolution.
"I really enjoyed doing business with you, Cinque." Came Axel's seductive but staticy voice through the device.
"It's no problem, really. Thank you so much." Said Cinque.
Sora's eyes widened, "You don't think they..."
"They couldn't have," Kairi bit her lip, "Axel wouldn't have."
"So I'll see you tonight?" Axel asked. Sora zoomed in and caught the pyromaniac smirking in triumph. Cinque, in return, tucked her orange hair behind her ear and batted her eyelashes.
"Of course."
"Oh shyeet." Sora cursed. As Cinque left the premesis, leaving Axel all by himself, Kairi tossed the device aside and stood up. Sora grabbed her wrist before she did something rational, "Kairi, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm about to beat the crap out of Axel for cheating on Larxene!" Kairi forced Sora's grip off of her and stomped over to a dumbfounded looking Axel. Sora sighed and tossed the binoculars aside- why did his woman have to be so outspoken and brave? He had no other choice but to follow her, but before he did so, he placed a hood over his head to hide his identity.
"Axel Oryxine!" She whispered loudly. She didn't want to attract too many people and make a scene. He turned to look at her innocently. "Oh don't give me that bullshark look. I know what's going on here."
He gulped, "You do?"
"Hell yeah I do!" The redhead screamed. Poeple turned to look at her but she managed to assure them that nothing was wrong. Then, when all the attention wore off, she continued in an angry whisper, "I can't believe you would do this to Larxene!"
"R-Really? I kinda saw it coming."
"Saw it coming? This is low, Axel. Even for you." Came Sora's voice behind him, "I thought you genuinly cared for someone this time."
"I do." The pyro suddenly looked confused, "I don't think you guys know what's going on."
"Well there's no other possibility," Kairi stated, "We heard what you and that chick were talking about! Larxene's really worried and upset, you know! She's trying really hard, Axel. She's working three jobs just to help you! I know she can be a wiatch (and an even bigger one when she's prego) but she's always helped you! I can't believe you'd cheat on her after all you've been through together!"
Sora whistled at Kairi's boldness. Axel, on the other hand, laughed in disbelief, "You think I'm cheating on Larxene?"
Feeling stupid and judgemental, Kairi twiddled with her thumbs and mumbled, "Well there was no other explanation for what we heard..."
"And what did you hear?" Axel crossed his arms with his signature smirk.
"That you and Cinque had some business goin' on and that you'd see her tonight." Sora answered.
Axel scowled, "And you immediately thought that I'd been sleeping with her? Ouch."
"P-pshh, I didn't assume that," Sora scratched the back of his head (well, hood), "I thought you guys were... going to eat marshmallows together tonight. Ahaha... ahahaha... so really, what's the deal then?"
Axel sighed, "If I tell you two, will you get off my case and promise not to tell anyone? Especially Larxene. If you do, you're getting molotovs shoved up both your butts. And take my word on this- it will hurt."
"P-promise." The double ex-couple said in unison.
Then in a barely audible whisper, Axel answered, "I'm proposing to Larxene. That's why I was talking to Cinque. Her dad owns a jewelry store and can have a ring customized for me. That's our business. I'm going to see her tonight at the anniversary to check its progress."
Sora, knowing how giddy Kairi got about the wedding subject, immediately clasped a hand over her mouth. He could feel her screaming on the palm of his hand. Axel sweatdropped as she continued her actions for about two minutes straight. When Sora's hand was feeling steamy, he let go and wiped his hand on his hoodie.
Kairi squealed but managed to keep her voice at a low level so no one could hear, "You're proposing? ! Oh my gosh, we're totally gonna make this like the Royal Wedding! No, no, BETTER! Oh, this is so exciting! I'm so sorry I judged you, Axel! You are a very great man! I can't wait for this! Can I help you? Please? I can help you plan, I promise! Oh my gosh we're gonna get flowers and fountains and cakes and everything-"
"Wow." Axel's mouth popped, "Girls, tch. So touchy about the wedding thing. I can already imagine how kickass your wedding is gonna be."
"Yeah," Sora grinned, "I know." Not because of the luxurious decorations, but because of this amazing girl right here.
Hikari Household [Living room]
"The Worlds Showcase?" Asked an unsure Hayner, "Do we have time for this? The anniversary is tonight and I need to dress up and get my make-up on..."
"Do you hear yourself?" Roxas gave him a look of disgust.
Selphie placed a hand over her heart and sobbed, "I know. It's beautiful."
"It's... I can't even describe it." Roxas shook his head in disapproval, "The Worlds Showcase would be such a great experience, guys! Besides, the Disney Castle is located in the showcase anyway! We can explore each exhibit and make it in time for the party. We'll just change in the bathroom or something."
"You don't understand, Roxas," Hayner paused his COD (everyone practically fainted), "We can't simply change in the bathroom. There's more work that needs to be done. There's hair, make-up, wardrobe... it would be rather uncomfortable to do all that in a bathroom, don't you think? We gotta look good for the paparazzi."
Selphie began clapping proudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am a genius."
"Did Hayner Arundel, world famous gamer with over a million subscribers on youtube, just say that?" Roxas clenched his aching heart, "I thought I knew you, man!"
"Why do you want us to go, anyway?" The gamer asked as he performed a no-scope headshot, "Isn't it your anniversary with Nami? Don't you two want to be alone?"
"Well, yeah, but I figured that since it's so close to the castle, we might as well go together. Nami and I will secretly ditch you guys, anyway, haha. I'm just doing this for all your benefits, but since you want to turn into California Barbie, I guess I'll just tell Olette that you don't want to go with her. She seemed really excited and passionate about it, too-"
"Tickets. Now." Hayner demanded with a snap.
Worlds Showcase
The plan was plain and simple: go to the Worlds Showcase, have fun, go home early and get ready for the anniversary. There was only one problem, though- The Worlds Showcase. It was far too extravagent to even look away from!
In the center was a fenced lake, and in the center of that lake was a model statue of the galaxy made of metal. The area surrounding the lake was where the magic happened. Each world had its own designated area and was far better than anyone had ever imagined. It appeared as if the creators of the island had taken a segment of each world and tossed it into this miniature galaxy. Everything each world was known for was re-constructed to perfection.
"So, do you regret going now?" Roxas raised a brow as he placed a hand on Hayner's shoulder. Olette was next to him, bouncing up and down in excitement while looking at him with twinkling, admirable eyes. The gamer gave Roxas a sly look before shaking his head.
Kairi, walking aside Selphie with wide eyes, commented, "Wow, you did good with Hayner and Riku. They're really cute." Sora gripped the edge of his map while biting on the edge of his sunglasses in jealousy. Kairi giggled and poked his nose without saying a word. Sora just rolled his eyes with a playful smile. Fangirls would normally kill for that smile, but seeing as Terra was with them, no one dared to step within 10 meters of the Hikari household.
"Okay people, it is currently-" Roxas checked his fancy shmancy watch, "-11:23am. We have approximately 6 and a half hours here, understand? 6 and a half hours to explore 14 exhibits. After that, we go home, get ready, board the limo and party at the Disney Castle as long as we want. If any of us gets lost, we meet here at 5:30pm, got it? 5:30pm sharp. If the clock strikes 5:30 and you're not here, I'm kicking your bumbum."
"Whatever, fairy twin brother." Sora stuck out his tongue as he started jogging towards the first world excitedly.
"S-Sora, wait up! SORA! Augh... well then," Roxas, with Namine clinging onto his arm, checked his WS map, "I guess we should get started. The first world is..."
Land of Dragons
"- it's a symbol of peace, love and balance. Yin, the black half, is said to be dark, passive and feminine whereas yang, the white half, is said to be positive, bright and masculine. But seeing as white suits you so well, my dear Nami, you'll have the white half. You're much brighter than anything I've ever seen." Roxas did the honour of placing the expensive yang necklace around his girlfriend's neck who accepted it with a thankful kiss. She, in return, placed the yin half around Roxas' neck. Together their necklaces formed a heart-shaped yin yang symbol.
"I love you." Roxas whispered with pure eyes.
"I love you, too." Namine embraced him with watery eyes.
"Aww, that is so cute." Selphie squealed from the door of the shop. Their first stop was the Land of Dragons, modelled after the movie Mulan and ancient China. There was a series of shops in the imperial city as well as a festival right at the pathway towards the emperor's palace. Lanterns of various colours swung from left and right, although it was almost certain that it would have looked much more spectacular at night.
As a dragon controlled by teens hiding under it passed by, Kairi couldn't help but agree with Selphie's statement, "I know, right? Roxas is so sweet."
"Please, we all know who he got that from." Sora winked, which was pretty stupid since he was wearing aviators.
Axel didn't seem to enjoy the romance, "Augh, I know it's their anniversary and all, but are we gonna have to deal with this all day?" He found himself being elbowed by his future fiancee. For reasons unknown to him, she seemed more agressive than usual.
"Hey, has anyone seen Hayner?" Olette asked as she emerged from a random shop with hair chopsticks in hand.
A masculine scream was heard nearby the palace. The household, assuming it was Hayner, ran towards the scream and found Hayner clinging onto a large, wooden red pole for dear life. He had two heavy medallions tied around both his wrists and tied around the pole. Atop the large pole was an arrow. Much like the movie Mulan, he was (unsuccessfully) trying to retrieve the arrow.
The instant the household pushed passed the crowd, they were met with a loud thud. Hayner was flat on his butt, arms still hugging the pole.
"A-are you okay?" Sora asked with a helping hand, although the answer was pretty evident on Hayner's pained face.
"My balls are burning." Hayner cringed as he accepted Sora's help.
"I'm guessing it wasn't easy." Riku stated the obvious as he removed the medallions.
"Let's just say they made it look much easier in the movie." Hayner then felt a powerful force against his chest. It was Olette, hugging him before placing her hands all over his body to check if he was injured. The contact made his face turn as red as Axel's hair.
"Riku," Kairi called, "Give me the medallions."
Sora's jaw dropped, "Kai, you're not gonna-"
"Come on, Sora! Let me give it a go!" Riku obeyed the redhead's command and tied the heavy medallions around her wrists, which were supposed to represent discipline and strength, both of which Kairi had. She approached the pole and tied the medallions around each other.
Sora removed his aviators and crossed his arms, "Fine, but if you fall, at least let me catch you." The crowd that had previously gathered awwww'd.
Roxas snorted, "An he thinks I'm the cheesy one."
In thirty seconds flat, an arrow fell from the top of the wooden pole with Kairi sitting at the top.
The crowd cheered (minus Hayner who felt a tad showed up) with Sora left to marvel at Kairi's strength and tolerance. Kairi was wearing a loose graphic t-shirt, jean shorts and wedge sneaker heels and she was still able to hoist herself up to the arrow! And it was freaking high up there! Wasn't she scared?
A whistle from Kairi broke Sora from his disbelief. He outstretched his arms, and in two seconds flat, Kairi fell into them.
"You're amazing." Were the only words he could muster.
Beast's Castle
"Oh my goodness, that is the most magnificent painting I've ever seen." Namine observed the ceiling of the ballroom in delight and awe, "It's as if it were painted by an angel..."
"Oh, so it was painted by you?" Roxas asked innocently while wrapping his arms around her from behind. Again, Axel was not the least bit interested.
"Hayner." Olette called sweetly from the oversized balcony doors. The gamer snapped out of his gaze and diligently followed her to the balcony outdoors. It was beautiful, but it had a creepy tint to it, compliments of the gargoyle statues. Vines spun around the rails and the wall with roses sprouting here and there.
"Yes, Olette?" Hayner gulped nervously as he shut the door behind him.
"You look... different." With the way she said it, Hayner couldn't distinguish whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. In response, he just gave her an odd look. She raised her hands by her chest in defence, "Don't get me wrong! Y-you look... really... good. Cute. Hot, even." She mumbled that last part, but Hayner caught it and blushed.
"Th-thanks." I freaking love you, Selphie.
"But-"
I freaking hate you, Selphie, "But?"
"But you don't need the make-up or the clothes, Hayner." Olette rushed, "You have a beautiful heart. You didn't need to change a thing... b-but I won't deny that it is a nice touch. B-but still, you were perfect just the way you were. I-it's your heart that matters."
Hayner, to shocked and confused to say anything, was saved by Selphie who opened the glass doors with an expression of panic on her face, "Guys, we have to get out of here. I swear a dish tried to hit on me! And you know what else? A kettle whistled at me... and I liked it! *sniffle* We're getting out of here!"
When Olette swiftly walked inside with an obvious blush on her face, Hayner mouthed a simple 'thank you' to Selphie.
Agrabah
"Wow, it looks just like India!" Axel exclaimed. Everyone in the marketplace stared at him oddly. When Larxene smacked him across the head, he found out why. "Agrabah is modelled after Morocco, idiot."
The pyromaniac had a blank look on his face, "So are you telling me that the pointy building over there isn't the Taj Mahal?" Larxene smacked herself in the head and proceeded down the marketplace with the household towards what Axel claimed to be the 'Taj Mahal'.
After about twenty minutes (the group had to take a little detour since Sora and Roxas attempted to belly dance), the household was lined up at the palace for what the island claimed to be the most magical experience of their lives. It was a 4D experience of the carpet ride in the movie Aladdin. When it was finally their turn, the ten were led to a roller coaster underground.
Seeing as it was a fast paced ride and could probably send Namine into cardiac arrest in at least five seconds, the blonde couple decided to pass and go shopping at the bazaar.
"I can't freaking see anything!" Hayner whined impatiently. In return, he slammed into one of the four seater cars.
Sora chuckled and pushed him inside, "Karma's a biatch." While he and the gamer occupied the back seats of the carpet-like car, Kairi and Olette occupied the front and fastened their seatbelts.
"So how do you think this is gonna work?" Hayner asked.
His answer came swiftly as the four were sent flying across Agrabah in an unreal night sky seconds after.
The ride was so fast that it sent shivers down their spines and sent wind in their faces. Smoke machines even produced smoke to make it seem like they were soaring through the clouds. A Whole New World began blasting unbelievably loud from the speakers (soon after they could all hear Axel singing an off-tune version of it from the car behind them) and everywhere they looked, everything looked real. Although Olette could tell that they were all just special effects and that the ground was rigged with screens to make it look like a bird's eye view of Agrabah.
When the coaster came to a sudden drop in the dark, the two girls screamed in fear and delight. Suddenly, a large room was illuminated with lights and the four zoomed across many models of wonders in the galaxy. Sora couldn't help but notice how adventerous and attentive Kairi was as she pointed and squealed over her surroundings.
Under normal cirumstances, an individual would admire the wonders, but Sora admired his own wonder- Kairi. Hayner did the same with Olette. The gamer could have sworn that it was the most breathaking experience of his life- that is, until his PSP fell from his pockets and the coaster rode through a loopty loop.
Halloween Town
"You're really serious about this, huh?" Kairi asked as she walked alongside Axel. Larxene, accompanied by most of the other members, were off to browse shops. Now the two redheads were leaning against a glitchy lightpost with Sora and Hayner sprawled across the bench beside them.
"Serious about what?" The pyromaniac asked with crossed arms, watching Larxene talk to Selphie about fashion from afar.
"About..." Kairi peeked to see if Hayner was listening- he wasn't. He was too busy grieving the loss of his beloved PSP while staring at a tombstone. "About Larxene. I can see it in your eyes."
"You thought I was joking?" Axel chuckled, "I was pretty darn serious."
"And I was pretty darn serious about helping, too." Kairi placed her hands behind her back and began rocking back and forth, "I know what it's like to care for someone a lot, so... I want to help you make this really special. Can I?"
"I'd be an idiot if I didn't accept any form of help." Axel gave her a gracious smile before shaking her hand, "Thanks." From the bench, Sora grinned.
"Oh no." Roxas' grip on Namine's hand tightened as they exited a shop, "We have to get out of here."
"Yeah, this place is giving me the creeps." Selphie lawfully admitted. It was even giving Riku the creeps. If you were to take his old look and transform it into a town, it would look exactly like Halloween Town. Dark, monochrome, old and depressing with a hint of cobwebs here and there.
Hayner patted Selphie's shoulder with his jaw agape, shaking his head while pointing in a certain direction. Selphie followed his shaking finger and dropped her jaw when she located Ultimecia and her minions.
"She found us!" Selphie whispered in panic. Hayner rolled her eyes for stating the obvious and began dragging her off to wherever everyone else was heading. The ten of them hid behind what seemed like a curly hill, huddled together at the bottom.
"I thought you were going to fire her!" Sora whispered angrily to his brother.
"I will, I will! We just... need someone brave enough to face her. We'll give the editing club a call and see if we can switch things up, all right?" Roxas answered, "Now... who wants to volunteer and get the crap beaten out of them by Ultimecia?" Everyone narrowed their eyes at the strongest of their pack.
"Don't look at me." Terra crossed his muscular arms and shut his eyes, "My job is to protect you, not sacrafice myself."
"Oh come on Terra," Sora pouted, "We need someone strong, brave, skilled and masculine!"
"All right, all right, I can take a hint," Hayner smeared two lines of dirt across his cheeks, "I'll do it." Selphie, unable to contain herself, burst out laughing and was soon followed by the rest of the household. Hayner too began laughing although he was actually serious.
Somewhere within sight of Curly Hill
"They're laughing. They don't look the least bit broken, y'know?" Whispered an accented voice.
"Our goal isn't to break all of them," Came another viperous voice, "Just the ones that will lead to Sora's demise. What have you got so far, Ultimecia?"
"His brother with the blonde spiky hair is highly infatuated with his girlfriend today due to their anniversary," Ultimecia responded, "He is equivalent to about half Sora's life. If we hurt him, Sora will be hurt as well. The girl with the red hair is the most important to him. She's equivalent to Sora's life itself. If we break her, Sora would practically die. I've also observed that the girl with short black hair- I believe her name is Xion- deeply cares for both the twins. She's more infatuated with the blond one, though."
"So how shall we kill two birds with one stone, Edea?" The viperous voice from earlier was revealed to be Adel.
"I have an idea." Edea smirked, "Shall we commence Plan B, Fujin?"
After adjusting her eyepatch, Fu uttered darkly, "Immediately."
Destiny Islands [ Main Island ]
Xion could've sworn that the young man beside her was not human, but a divine celestial being- and no, it wasn't Sora nor Roxas.
It was her best friend Riku Somneri.
What had Selphie done to him? Whatever it was, it was magical. Xion had never seen him this way before. Without a dark cloud hovering over him, Riku was heavenly. Now his appearance matched his healing heart. Riku was... beautiful. Although he was just wearing simple jeans and a cowl-hooded sweater, he looked amazing. His features stood out more in this light form. She had never really noticed how perfectly chizzled and manly his face got as he matured.
The thought made her heart flutter. This trip had really brought out the best in him. Looking at him now made everything look brighter, and she wasn't just thinking that because the sun was seeping through the clouds.
Xion shook her head before she got any silly ideas. She and Riku were best friends, and that's how things were going to stay.
"Hey, Xion," Goodness, even his voice, "Are you coming?" When he turned to look at her, the short-haired girl lost her breath. She couldn't think straight with those pure aquamarine eyes staring straight at her.
This is crazy, Xion thought silently. She had never felt this way about anyone before! Sure, there was Sora and eventually Roxas, but this was... different.
"Xion."
"O-oh, sorry." Shaking her head out of her trance, she began to observe her surroundings. She stood before a very accurate exhibit of the main island of Destiny Islands. There were paopu trees, lush greenery, welcoming shops and everything. The place suddenly made her feel sick. There were far too many horrid memories associated with this happy town. She couldn't go back.
"I'm sorry, Riku. I... I can't. I'm just going to sit on that bench over there." While hugging her arm, Xion began trudging over to said bench.
She felt a hand on her shoulder followed by the scent of cologne, "I understand. Let me go with you."
Although she felt the power of his words, she declined, "No. You've never been to Destiny Islands before, so this should be a fun experience for you. Go, Riku. I'll be fine."
"It can't be fun if you're not there." He said with an unevident blush. Xion, on the other hand, was not so lucky in the rosy cheek department. "I'm your best friend," Riku reminded as if she forgot, "I'll stand by you. Always. I know this place bothers you. What kind of friend would I be if I just left you here? I don't think I'd ever forgive myself if I ever left you."
It was official- the young man before Xion was an angel.
Destiny Islands [Marketplace]
"It's this legend Destatiian people believe in," Roxas explained whilst holding what looked like half a starfruit in his hands, "When two people share this star-like fruit called a paopu fruit, their destinies become intertwined. They'll be connected for all eternity! So, Nami, not that we need some fruit to keep us together but maybe you and I could try-"
"Ooh, food!" Without paying any attention, Axel took half of the paopu fruit from his best friend's hands and popped it into his mouth. Roxas, who was far too busy informing his girlfriend remained careless about Axel's actions. So, without any warning, Roxas popped the half he had into his mouth. Namine's hands were up defensively against her chest with her jaw agape.
"Mm, what's wrong baby?" Roxas asked innocently with a half-full mouth.
"Roxas, you just gave the other half of the paopu fruit to Axel."
She had never seen food fly out of someone's mouth so fast.
Some alley in Destiny Islands
Axel hung upside down with his face in a trash can while Roxas held him by the ankles and shook him up and down.
"SPIT IT OUT YOU IDIOT! SPIT IT OUT!"
Back at the marketplace
"This is so pathetic," Selphie lowered her sunglasses to get a better glimpse of the place, "Destiny Islands doesn't even look like this! Like, is this all we're known for? Paopu trees and paopu fruits? Like, they grow like freaking strawberries in our backyard and people here make it such a big deal!" She watched as another couple lined up for the paopu fruits, "We Destatiians have probably consumed over a hundred of these in our lifetime and do we look like we're intertwined to a crapload of people? NO! This is stereotypical!"
"Oh stop being so constructive," Olette teased, "You're just saying that because it's your hometown. Come on, Selphie. You have to admit, it's still beautiful. You're lucky to live in such a welcoming town."
"I'll admit it's pretty," Kairi observed the area with her hands behind her back again, "But it's not nearly as beautiful as what it actually looks like. It doesn't have the right feel to it, you know? Maybe it's just me getting home sick, but... I really do miss that salty sea spray scent..." And those warm hugs Sora would give me while we were on the hammock, the wind brushing against our faces- gah, stop.
Well, Kairi was at least grateful that they didn't replicate her playing island. That would've put a hole right through her heart with all the memories that came with it. Exhibit A: Sora's death.
"Quit the long face, Kairi." Sora then popped out of thin air and tossed her a small white box tied in a purple ribbon. When she opened it, her face lit up.
Chocolate paopucake.
Olympus Coliseum
When the ten entered the Greek fantasy, Sora first thought of Larxene in her Aphrodite uniform. He knew Kairi was probably thinking the same thing so the two doubled over in laughter when their eyes met. Everyone else looked lost at their inside joke.
"Oh will you just tell the boy you love him?" Hayner grumbled in Kairi's direction, to which Olette laughed at his lack of patience.
"What are you talking about?" The colour of Kairi's cheeks matched that of her hair.
"Oh please don't make me put on a toga and sing I Won't Say I'm In Love. I'm warning you, it won't be a pretty sight when I'm in a toga. It's been two weeks since I last shaved my legs-" He was shushed by Roxas, "You know, there are some things you should keep to yourself."
"Yeah, and I bet your singing will just be as scary as your legs-" As Axel let out an evil cackle, Hayner pushed him headfirst into a trashcan. Before everyone continued forward without helping Axel, they froze when a half man, half goat ran past them. They were completely speechless since he looked so real.
"I wonder how much he gets paid for that." Sora scratched his thigh, thinking of how uncomfortable that costume must have been.
"That was Philoctetes. He's the grumpy saytr trainer from Hercules." Olette informed.
"Philoctetes? Wow, what a name." Axel commented with the trash can still over his head, "How do you pronounce that last part? Tetes? Like," He anunciated, "Tih-tees? OH MY GOSH. THAT'S HILARIOUS. LARXENE, WE ARE SO NAMING OUR SON AFTER-" She slammed her purse against the side of the trash can.
"Whoa," Roxas' eyes travelled onto a large poster placed on a very ornate pillar, "Check this out. An Underworld Coliseum Tournament. That sounds intense... winning team gets 250, 000 munny. We should look into this."
"Damn that's a lot of munny," After regaining his composure from Larxene's earlier impact, Axel elbowed Hayner's elbow, "So what do you say lover boy? Why don't you join this tournament and show your lady how manly you really are? ... Pf-PFFFT OH who am I kidding? You? Manly? AHAHAHHAA-" Hayner sent a roundhouse kick to the trash can and sent Axel rolling down the coliseum and into the underworld where he fell into the 'Pool of Lost Souls'.
"Uh, Hayner," Roxas could hear the faint echoes of his best friend's screaming, "Axel can't swim."
"..."
"..."
"... your point?"
Twilight Town
"Ah, home sweet home!" After punching both fists into the air, Hayner fell face-first onto the ground and kissed it, "Just a few more weeks, baby... I'm coming home... I'm going to leave this place... leave the heartbreak... leave the drama... leave everything... soon it'll just be me, the struggle matches, the sea-salt and the PlayStation... just be patient, baby! I'm coming home!"
After rolling his exuberant eyes, Sora pulled on the back of Hayner's stylish zip vest and forced him upward, "Cut it out, will you? You'll scare Olette away." Well, Olette was far from frightened. She was too busy admiring the scenery and taking pictures.
Since the sun was actually beginning to set in real time, Twilight Town was exactly like Roxas, Namine, Riku, Xion and Hayer remembered it. It had the same sunset-painted effect to it and the welcoming feel. Shops lined the area and a large clock tower was placed right in the middle. Roxas could his girlfriend smiling at the clock and felt her hand grip his tighter.
"You remember." He stated while massaging her hand with his thumb.
"How could I forget?" She responded.
"What are you two talking about?" Selphie asked curiously.
"Oh my goodness," Axel whined, "Are you gonna tell them the story? If so, goodbye. I've heard this way too many times. Come on Larxene, let's go get some Quash."
"All right, but if you feed me one drop of that stuff, don't blame me if something happens to your kid." And with that, the soon-to-be engaged couple went off in another direction. Riku and Xion headed off to the downtown region which now looked much brighter in the sunset.
"You see that clock tower over there?" Roxas pointed at the well-constructed tower, "In the real Twilight Town, exactly one year ago, I asked Namine to be my girlfriend up there and kissed her for the first time." Every girl (Xion inclusive, surprisingly) squealed and huddled over the couple.
"So, what's the story behind each kiss, hm?" Selphie giggled. Even Namine looked confused. Selphie rephrased, "Every time a couple kisses, there's usually a story behind it. So, Namine, why do you feel what you feel when you kiss Roxas?" For the first time, it wasn't only Namine that was blushing, but Roxas, too. The couple had never been asked something like that before. Namine had never answered something like that before.
"N-Nami, you don't have to answer tha-" He was immediately cut off by his girlfriend responding to the question.
"A... a nurse in the asylum I was once lived in told me that home would always be where the heart is. That time, I didn't think I had a heart or a home. Then... then Roxas came, and... when he kissed me up in that clock tower, which is one of the most famous attractions in Twilight Town, he made me feel as if I had a heart. As if... I was home. Every kiss... makes me feel safe. Every time I'm far from home, I get really scared. But, Roxas can just kiss me, and... it reminds me of home. He reminds me that I don't have to be scared anymore."
Sora, unable to contain himself, let out a pure 'awww' along with the girls. Roxas' face was being covered by his free hand. Soon enough, he began wiping his face with the collar of his plaid red button up sweater.
"Roxas, are you-" Roxas cut his brother off, "I-I'm not crying!"
"Aww," Selphie stroked the blubbering twin's back, "It's okay little fella. Let it out Roxie, just let it out-"
"I am not crying!" He screeched in denial. He tugged on Namine's hand and led them elsewhere, "Come on Nami!" Selphie let out a sound between a chuckle and an 'aww'.
Sora, on the other hand, watched his brother leave hand in hand with his girlfriend to the direction of the clock tower. With his brother's back turned to him, it reminded him of the day they were seperated. That day was heartbreaking for the both of them. The memory was fresh in Sora's mind, breaking his heart. When the summer was over, he and Roxas would be seperated once again. He would feel that same pain of being separated from his other half.
Whoa... is it just me, or did that sound a little homosexual?
"Quit the long face, Sora." Came Kairi's sweet voice from behind him. She tossed him a small, rectangular package wrapped in a blue ribbon. When he opened it, she had never seen someone's mood change so fast. He thanked her by scooping her up in his arms; she knew him all too well.
Sea-salt ice cream.
Twilight Town [Downtown]
"You see that store over there?" Xion skipped alongside her best friend while pointing at a replica of a store in their hometown, "That's where I won the tickets here. I bought us sea-salt ice cream, paid the woman, and next thing you know, there's confetti dancing all around me!"
"Really now?" Riku remained expressionless about the situation, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. Xion seemed to like his new appearance. He had even caught her staring a few times. He mentally thanked Selphie for her help.
"Well, she had me try out the contest after I paid for the ice-cream. Remember, the one who pulls out a pink golf ball is the winner?" She reminded.
"Oh, I remember." Xion had never heard Riku sound so sure about anything before. From the corner of his eye, Riku watched his best friend marvel at how amazing the downtown exhibit looked. Her excitement over took her as she grabbed his arm, leading him elsewhere. In the back of his mind, behind the blush on his cheeks, he thought, I wonder if she figured out that I paid the woman at the store to rig the golf balls for her...
Disney Castle
"Whoa," When Sora came to a hault with his jaw agape, so did everyone else. "Is that where we're supposed to go later?"
Before the ten was a large, fantasy-like castle. It was no doubt the biggest in the whole showcase and not to mention the best. The structure was the most magical and exquisite thing they had ever laid eyes on. The walls were made of beige coloured bricks and the high, pointed roofs were a royal blue. If it looked this magnificant in the sunset light, they could already imagine how amazing it would look at night with various coloured lights and fireworks. Workers were already hauling out flags with a silhouette of Mickey Mouse's head on it, rolling out the red carpet towards the castle entrance and adjusting lights for the night's events.
It was... unreal. No one was able to tear their eyes off the place.
"Wh-what time were we supposed to get ready again?" Hayner asked in excitement.
Roxas, not even wanting to take a one-second glance at his watch, guessed, "It's 4:30... we have an hour left. I think the next world is Atlantica." The girls had already broken through the spell and began talking amongst each other.
"I don't think I can move. Even my balls are paralyzed." Said Axel. Every guy seemed to be paralyzed by the castle and the girls. Each one of them seemed to be daydreaming about the night's festivities and how it would go with their women.
Roxas was the only one not buying it, "Guys, come on! You can see the pretty castle later! The girls are already leaving! GUYS! HELLO? Atlantica? Clam shell bras, half-naked girls? !"
None moved an inch.
Wow. "... Your girl half-naked with clam shell bras?"
In his eighteen years of existance, Roxas had never seen people move that fast.
Atlantica
"You're such a liar, Roxie." Axel whined with puffed cheeks, "You promised me half-naked girls and what am I looking at? A whale! I'm looking at a freaking beluga whale! I don't think a beluga whale would look sexy in a clam shell bra!"
"Stop complaining!" Sora pleaded, "So what if you're looking at a whale? Enjoy it! It's so cute, don't you think? Look, it's smiling at me! If you ask me, this aquarium is pretty sexy."
Indeed, it was. They were surrounded by one humoungus tank. All the roaming teens were in a clear tube pathway surrounded by ocean life. It looked as if they really were in an underwater fantasy... minus the informational screens.
"Please," Axel scoffed as he scared a dolphin away by smacking his fist onto the glass, "If Kairi took off her shirt right now, I bet-" Sora threw his tanned hand over the older man's mouth as Kairi strolled by.
"Hi Kairi." Sora said casually with a grin.
"Hello, Sora." She responded sweetly as she ran down the tube pathway. Why she looked so excited was beyond the two. After Sora snapped out of his daze, he kneed Axel in the stomach.
"AUGH, YOU SON OF A-" The pyromaniac's ears perked up, "Do you hear that?"
The Oathkeeper's lead singer listened carefully until he heard the sound of happy music coming from the direction Kairi ran off to, "Yeah, I hear it... and..." He listened even more intently, "I know that voice." That angelic voice... Kairi.
Sora dragged Axel down the tube until they arrived at a replica of what looked like King Triton's throne room. Splashes of bright coloured lights danced around the unbelievably large room held up by pillars with seaweed wrapped around it. The detail was so incredible that anyone would have to question just how rich Solice was to even have the place built.
Overall, it looked an underwater club with people dressed as merpeople partying all over the place (and in fact, some fish from the aquarium were dancing, too)- and Kairi was right in the center of it all.
As The Little Mermaid's Under The Sea blasted from the speakers, Sora could see her dancing in a large open clam with some young woman dressed as Ariel. While she and Ariel were the main singers, Selphie (dancing with a rather attractive merman) and the other merpeople sang and danced along. As usual, Kairi's voice was flawless as could be. She looked simply magnificent with splashes of different colours all over her.
"Now this is what I'm talking about!" Axel cheered and went off to dance with Larxene and some mermaids. Roxas and Namine remained off to the side, browsing the gift shop while Riku and Xion were nowhere to be found. Olette was already in the gift shop with Hayner, giggling while holding up a clam shell bra by the gamer's chest.
"Don't just stand there!" Towards Sora came a giggling Kairi with two mics in hand. She tossed him one and placed an arm around his shoulders, "Sing, Sora, sing!"
After being dragged to the center of the clam, he complied after having a fit of laughter, "Darling it's better, down where it's wetter, take it from meeeee!"
Ariel's Grotto
Xion sat in the middle of the treasure filled grotto hugging her knees. It was much darker in this part of the aquarium than anywhere else. She felt as if the darkness truly expressed how she really felt inside- dark and lonely. The only source of light was the sunset light seeping through a small hole in the roof. She looked up at it intently, feeling no warmth.
"There you are." Echoed a voice from the entrance. It was like everything got brighter when he walked inside, "What are you doing here?"
"Moping." Xion answered earnesty. Sora's voice was so loud that it was echoing through the walls.
Riku took the seat next to her on the rock, hugging his knees as well, "I see that. Why? You're not going to join everyone else?"
"I can't." Her head sunk more into her knees. Riku thought it was a shame that she was hiding her beautiful face- it looked so pretty against the sunset light. "I feel like they still hate me for what I've done. At times, it may appear as if they've forgiven me, but... I feel like they're just pretending sometimes. S-Sorry Riku, I'm rambling here..."
He cleared his throat and asked her a rhetorical question, "Who am I again?"
"Right, right," Xion felt stupid for forgetting her relationship with him. It was just so hard to believe with the new appearance and all, "I just wish... I just wish I could really believe that I belong with them, you know? It's like they've all known each other since forever. I want to be forgiven. I want to join their circle... I... I want to be where they are. Up there, where everyone belongs... I know it's just a stupid wish, but a girl can dream, can't she?"
Pride Lands
"NANTS INGONYAMA BAGITHI BABA! Sithi uhhmmm ingonyama...NAAAAANTS INGONYAMA NENGW' ENAMABAAL... UH... TIMONE AND PUMBAA!"
Unlike the wasteland the ten had expected to see, they were faced with lush, radiant greenery, plantlife, clear waterfalls and sturdy, firm rocks that formed what was known as 'Pride Rock'. Currently, at the peak of said rock, Hayner was praising a baby lion that he was allowed to pet by the zookeepers by holding it up into the air.
"Do you have any idea what you're saying?" Asked a chuckling Roxas from behind while petting another cub with Namine.
"I actually don't." Hayner admitted with a laugh. But things soon became serious when he lost his grip on the lion as it fell off pride rock. "OH DEAR GOD! OH GOD! THIS IS JUST LIKE THE PSP THING BUT LESS IMPORTANT!" He screamed whie sprinting down the rocks.
With a sweatdrop, Roxas immediately ran to the edge and looked down below. Luckily the baby had fallen into the arms of Olette down below before Hayner arrived.
"Are you all right, little fella?" Olette cooed as she played with its paw. A zookeeper managed to take the cub away before it began doing anything rational. Then the zookeeper caled security and asked them to kick Hayner out due to animal cruelty.
Hayner came down not long after, breathing heavily, "N-nice *breath* catch."
"Thanks." Olette blushed and hugged her right arm.
From atop the rock, Roxas and Axel began singing in their deep tenor voices, "CAN YOU FEEL... THE LOVE TONIGHT? !"
Almost immediately, the gamer gave them the inappropriate finger while being hauled away by two security guards. The two best friends laughed and high-fived each other, but Axel's laughter died down faster than Roxas liked.
"Is something wrong, Axel?" The sunkist-blond asked his troubled looking 'BFFL'.
For dramatic effect, Axel looked off into the sunset and placed his hands in his pockets, "I feel like we're having too much fun. We're enjoying this showcase when we should be practicing for Battle of The Bands... What if we end up losing, Roxas? I literally can't afford to lose the competition. If we do, there's no way I'll be able to give my family a good life."
"We won't lose," Roxas reassured, "And besides, you have your friends with you. You're not alone, don't worry." Then with a chuckle, Roxas added, "Hakuna matata." Axel, obviously not being very educated in the Disney department, raised his brows.
Roxas clarified word for word from the song itself, "It means no worries for the rest of your days."
"You're such a dork." Axel pulled him into a headlock and began giving him a noogie. In Axel language, that was just another way of saying 'thank you'.
Oasis
"Man it's hot!" Kairi whined while fanning herself with a fake leaf, "This place is amazing, really. Not only do they have the African jungle look to it, but they even have the temperature dead on!"
Sora, being the only one walking alongside Kairi, suggested with a sly smile, "You should go for a swim then." To tease her, he pushed her slightly towards the water. She screamed and leapt into his arms, getting off immediately with a red face.
When Sora began doing his cute Sora laugh, Kairi huffed and began walking back into the jungle, "That's not funny, Sora!"
"Kai- oh come on, Kairi! Don't walk away! Come back! I was just joking!" Sora ran after her nonetheless, finding himself in the wilderness of a lush African jungle. It reminded him of his adventures with Kairi back on Destiny Islands. There they explored every inch of the island and enjoyed every minute of it.
"Kairi?" Sora then called out seriously. He was too caught up daydreaming about the past that he had lost sight of her. The only response he received was the echo of his own worried voice, "Kairi? ! Kai- ahh!"
All Sora heard was a splash and, the next thing he knew, he was underwater. He swam upward and plopped his head back up on the river's surface, spitting out the water he had taken in. A rustle from some leaves caught his attention. Kairi came running through them with a frightened look in her eyes.
"Sora, are you-" When she saw his bobbing head on the water's surface, her laughter echoed throughout the whole jungle. Sora, under normal circumstances, would get impatient and splash the person laughing at him but there was just something about the way the sunset light hit Kairi's face as she laughed. It was just so... refreshing.
"A-ahaha! AHAHAHA! You see that? That's what you get for trying to push me in Sora! AHAHA! IN YO FACE!" She clutched her stomach in pain of laughter, "How'd you get in there, spiky?"
"Ahahaha, so funny. Let's make fun of Sora's hair. I actually think I slipped on something. Now can you help me up? Please?" He pouted with his hair covering his eyes. Since the water was pretty deep, he actually had to tread to keep his head above water.
As Kairi's laughter died down, she lent her hand out to him. Sora took hold of her wrist and clasped it tighter than she expected. Her eyes widened as her attention moved from his tanned hand onto his smirking lips.
"Smart move, Iri."
"No, Sora, NO!"
Sora then pulled her in to join him and all of his soaking wet glory. Underwater, amongst all the bubbles, Sora lost his breath. Kairi underwater looked even more beautiful than he thought. Even with her hair sprawled over the place she was... he couldn't even describe it. When both their heads plopped up at the same time, they gasped for air.
"Augh!" She splashed water in his face playfully, "I'm wearing white, Sora!"
"Sorry, sorry," The malevolent smirk on his lips told her that he didn't mean it, "I'll lend you my shirt after."
"And what about you?"
"Duh, I'll walk around in your shirt. It's gonna be-" He snapped his fingers in a Z-formation, "So stylish and fab-u-lous!"
"I don't even talk like that!" Instead of splashing him, Kairi went for a more violent approach and tackled him. Sora acted immediately and placed his arms around her waist to bring them both down into the water. They don't know how it happened, but when they reached the surface again, their foreheads were pressed together with Sora arms at Kairi's waist and Kairi's arms resting on Sora's shoulders. Sora slowly placed his hand at the back of her neck while looking her straight in the eye. Seeing as Kairi was a slender girl (and a little on the short side), he managed to hold her up with one arm.
The two breathed heavier than usual, trying to take in more oxygen while maintaining perfect eye contact. There was just something weird yet mesmerizing about Kairi's eyes. They were almost as blue as his but contained the strangest splash of purple. He loved them, for Kairi's eyes were open doors to her soul. Not only that, but she smelled so good.
They stared at each other for the longest time until Kairi's eyes dwindled onto something above them. Sora, half-wishing it was a mistletoe, found a loose vine. Kairi's looked at it with eager, adventerous eyes.
Sora did some calculations in his head and snapped his fingers while pointing at a large rock by the river's edge, "Stand there. I'll get it."
Kairi obeyed his orders while Sora swam in the other direction and began climbing a tree with remarkable speed. He leapt from one of the branches, grabbed onto the loose vine and cried out like a freak while swinging over to Kairi. He landed perfectly on his wet converse and offered the vine to Kairi.
"Thanks Tarzan." She accepted the vine with a thankful smile. After taking off her shoes, Kairi took a few steps back before charging towards the river whilst swinging on the vine, performing a perfect tumble in the air before splashing into the water. She plopped up to hear the sound Sora's clapping who had taken the vine in his hands as it returned.
"Brilliant, Kai, bravo! I think that deserves a ten!" Kairi really was proud of her dive until Sora did the same thing with a much more flawless drop. The water barely stirred when he fell in.
When he shook his head to dry his hair (which, by the way, was already starting to defy gravity once again), Kairi puffed her cheeks, "You're such a show off."
"But you love me." He insisted while swimming towards her. He looked so adorable with his hair slightly drooping over his eyes.
"Yeah," Kairi tackled him again, "I do."
Dwarf Woodlands (Deep Woods)
"They've come, Ultimecia." Informed Adel from behind a dark tree. The Hikari's new interviewer smirked and motioned a Fuu to reveal herself from the bushes. She barrel-rolled to a wooden basket selling 'poisonous apples'. The apples weren't really poisonous, just coated with sticky, sugary caramel. Fuu, on the other hand, actually replaced the apples with poisonous ones. When the person selling them returned from their break, Fuu skillfully disappeared into the trees and watched the show.
Cottage Clearing
"Ah, the Dwarf Woodlands," Sora stretched and sniffed the flower-scented air, "The land of Snow White. I could only imagine what Roxas would try on Namine." And soon enough, Sora's sarcastic remark was made correct as the blonde couple shared a romantic kiss while Namine lay on Snow White's coffin. Axel boo'd from his position at Roxas' cheesiness.
"Hey, instead of watching the magical moment I'm sharing with the love of my life like freakish stalkers, why don't you guys explore elsewhere?" Roxas suggested while looking at his watch, "You have five minutes left. Make the most of it."
Selphie's jaw dropped, "Five minutes? ! But we haven't even gone through all the worlds-"
"I'm trying to kiss my girlfriend here!" Roxas pointed in another direction and forced them to leave.
"Oh hell no," Hayner and the eight remaining were faced with a sinister looking forest, "I am not going in there!" He backed away in fear and cared less about showing his frightened and unmanly persona to Olette.
"What would you rather face?" Sora placed an arm around the gamer's shoulders and gave him two options, "This creepy forest that looks like some next Lord of The Rings thing with talking trees, or the vicious Roxas trying to make out with his woman?"
Hayner's decision was quick and easy. In unison, the two boys agreed, "Forest."
Deep Woods
Five seconds into the darkness, Axel came running behind Kairi screaming like a ten-year-old girl. When asked what he saw, the pyro widened his seductive (yet now frightened) green eyes and sputtered, "I just saw Tidus... half-naked!"
Sora, who, by the way, was now wearing Roxas' plaid button up sweater (his twin brother luckily had a white shirt under while Sora gave his v-neck shirt to Kairi) rolled his eyes, "Haven't you seen a shirtless guy befo-"
"Waist down." He clarified. The guys shivered.
"Front or back?" Hayner asked in terror.
"Back," Axel could feel his soul returning to his body once again, "But still! I just saw another's guy's a-... bumbum!"
"Now what would Tidus be doing mooning people in the middle of the woods?" Selphie tapped her chin and began to investigate with everyone else. Olette was the first to find him and, she had to admit, it wasn't the best sight to see. Half of Tidus' body was headfirst in a tree hollow, his jeans already at his knees. The more he struggled to escape, the more he exposed what scared Axel away. Poor Tidus' boxers were lowering by the minute. Rikku, Paine, Yuna and Wakka surrounded him with hopeless expressions.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my best friend." Sora presented with sarcasm.
"What happened?" Selphie asked.
"Well-" Wakka was interupted by Hayner, "Dude, sorry, but since we can't understand a freaking word you're saying half the time, I think someone else should tell the story." After being elbowed by Selphie, she gestured for Rikku to explain.
"While YRP and Wakka went to explore these woods, Tidus ran off somewhere and came back screaming like a girl. He claimed that a black mirror spoke to him," The braided blonde rolled her eyes, "So in fear and carelessness, he bumped into this tree hollow here and got stuck."
In the midst of laughter came Tidus' muffled voice from inside the tree, "It's not funny! The mirror was talking to me, okay? My reflection wasn't even on it! I know what I heard!"
"Baby, calm down," Yuna comforted, "We'll get you out of there." Then from behind some rustling bushes, a teen dressed as an old woman (with very convincing makeup) emerged with a basket of caramel apples in hand. Not knowing that they were really poisonous, she offered some to the group. Rikku was the only one who accepted one, and the instant she took a bite out of it, her legs went numb, her head was spinning and there was a burning sensation in her stomach as she fell unconcious.
"Rikku!" Yuna screamed, shaking her best friend's limp body.
"That smell..." Terra's noise stiffened as he stared at the apple in Rikku's hand, "It's poison." As Sora's head snapped up to find the old woman, he found two things that he really didn't want to see. One, the woman had already disappeared into the dark depths of the woods. And two, Kairi (who was at a pretty far distance from them) was unconcious on the ground with an apple rolling out of her hands.
When everyone averted their attention onto the two girls that had fainted, Tidus began to scream in neglect, "Guys, what happened? Can you help me out first? ! Half-naked guy in a tree here! GUYS?"
Hikari Household
"Hayner, can you get the megalixir from the medicine cabinet? It'll help us fight the poison. Get a potion, too. It'll slow the process of the poison in her body." Demanded Roxas. He and Axel were currently placing the monochromatic looking Kairi onto the couch.
Sora was clearly too fidgety to do so, "Why am I so damn careless? ! I let my guard down for a minute and she ends up being diagnosed with poison in her body! Someone's out to get us. I swear someone's out to get us! Who the hell would do this? ! I'm going to kill them! I'll teach them to get their filthy hands on my woman-"
"Calm down, Sora. Whoever it is, I'm pretty sure they'll get caught soon enough if they have poison in their possesion." Roxas assured, placing Kairi in a curled ball position.
"I bet it's the same person who snuck the orichalcum in her drink." Axel cracked his knuckles at the memory.
"Whoever it is will suffer the same fate once we find them both." Sora growled.
"You know, I never imagined that we'd actually use the megalixir." Hayner returned with the bottle and tossed it to Roxas who caught it so easily that it made Hayner's toss look pathetic.
"How long do you think this will last?" Sora took the seat next to Kairi on the couch and gently removed the strands of hair covering her face.
"With the megalixir, she should be out for at least two hours." Roxas began filling a needle with the liquid and tapping the tip with his finger.
"Two hours?" Selphie exclaimed, "We have to be at the anniversary in two hours! You of all people know that Kairi can't be absent, Roxas! She's in the Infractus Tango!"
"I know that." The sunkist blond slowly injected the liquid into Kairi's left arm, "But it's better than not being there at all." Slowly, colour began to return to her face. Sora was extremely thankful for this.
"I'm sorry." Terra apologized, "If I had known the apples were poisonous sooner, we wouldn't be in this mess."
"It's fine, Terra." The look on Sora's face contradicted the term 'fine', "Without you, we never would've found out that the apples were poisonous, so... thank you."
Not meaning to sound hasty, Roxas informed, "Guys, it's 5:45. We should start getting ready." With agreeing nods, everyone besides the twins and Kairi went to their rooms.
"Sora?" Roxas asked in the silence.
"You know I won't leave." His voice choked as tears brimmed his eyes. He took Kairi's cold hand in his hand and massaged it with his thumb, "We'll make it. My motorcycle's pretty fast."
"I'll take your word on that. Just make sure she gets enough rest, okay? If she wakes up early, give her a potion. We need to slow the poison as much as we can to have the megalixir eliminate it. If she moves too much, it won't take effect so its important you keep her asleep for two hours." Sora nodded as his brother saluted, "Good luck."
"I've lost track of how many times I've had to thank you, Roxas." Sora half-chuckled, "But thank you... again."
When Roxas left and the living room was silent, Sora began scolding himself. He had failed to protect her again. He felt like a failure. How could he let darkness come to his light? Why did people insist on hurting the one he loved? It was like she was the light that attracted dark moths.
"I'm so sorry, Kairi." Sora's grip on her hand tightened as he continued to stare at her pale face. Even when she looked her worst Sora found her extraordinary. Throughout their journey of the galaxy, Sora had come to realize why he loved this girl so much. She was everything.
She was as adventerous and curious as Jasmine, as strong and determined as the warrior Mulan, as doubtful, yet caring as Megara, as wise and outspoken as Belle, as talented as Ariel, as giving as Sally, as hardworking as Cinderella, as skilled as Nala, as sweet (and apparently as gullible) as Snow White, as beautiful as Aurora and as amazing as who she was- Kairi. Kairi Lovelock. The woman he loved with all his heart.
He gulped as his eyes drifted onto her pale lips. They were in dier need of warmth and colour. Warmth and colour that he could easily provide with one gesture. One cheesy, but meaningful fairtytale gesture.
We never did visit the land of Sleeping Beauty, did we? Sora smiled blissfully as he caressed her cheek. She must have been out cold if she couldn't feel his hand on her face. When they were dating, she recognized his touch immediately in her sleep. He bit his lip and tried to resist the temptation of her sweet lips.
But obviously his will power wasn't strong enough to hold him back as he leaned in and captured her bottom lip in a romantic, enchanting kiss.
It was amazing how fast the colour returned to her lips and her face after he had kissed her. Sora's heart fluttered as his hand moved from her cheek to her jawline. Suddenly her eyes began to stir and, eventually, opened fully.
"S-Sora?" She asked groggily with her breath on his lips.
He backed away immediately, "Kairi! H-hi! Uh, you shouldn't be awake, ahahaha! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Her eyes narrowed, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah! Course!" Does she know that I kissed her? I'm so screwed! "Uh, Kairi... did you... feel anything?" Her only response was to look at him tiredly. "Right, Kairi, right. You should be sleeping. I'll explain everything when you wake up. How does your stomach feel?"
"I-it hurts." She answered swiftly. Sora offered her a potion and adjusted her head to a more comfortable position on the pillow. "Thanks."
"No problem. Now get some sleep, Kairi. Don't move, don't worry about anything. I'll make the pain go away. I'll take care of you." Sora sealed his promise as he took her hand in his again. He brought it up to his chest and closed his eyes.
"Sora..." She sounded like she was in pain.
"Mm?"
"I-if it isn't too much trouble..." She mumbled, "Could you sing me a song? A-any song, as long as I can fall asleep your comforting voice..."
"Of course, Kairi." He whispered. Sora didn't even have to ponder over which song he was going to sing. He already knew. They both knew the song very well. It was a well-known lullaby on Destiny Islands. The song that broke them apart and brought them together. Their song. Their own fairytale song.
"Donna toki datte. Tada hitori de. Unmei wasurete. Ikite kita no ni. Totsuzen no hikari no naka me ga sameru. Mayonaka ni..."
And with that, Kairi felt the pain subside as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
In the next chapter:
"I would like to welcome you all to the third anniversary of Kingdom Hearts Resort!"
"That's it, Axel Oryxine. We're through."
"You were right from the beginning, Kairi! The Hikaris are just no-good, lying cheaters!"
"Roxas, why are you BALD?"
"Cause when I'm with him, I'm thinking of you."
"Axel, I'm so sorry."
MUFASAAAA. Lol sorry, killed the mood there. You guys have no idea about the disneyfest I had to go through to get this chapter done. I had to find all my disney movies and literally sit down and watch them while writing this chapter. I went through like... Mulan, Tangled (which will be used later because I absolutely LOVE that movie), The Little Mermaid (1&2), Shrek (LOL I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY), Sleeping Beauty (well, part of it :P), Hercules (again, part of it) The Lion King and Aladdin! Even after... what, ten years? all these Disney movies still have the same effect on me :3 I didn't cry, though :P I'm not a crier when it comes to movies :) And now, thanks to this chapter, I have a whole crapload of disney songs on my iPhone :D
And I know Ventus and Aqua aren't in here. They're in the next one. Trust. And more Ultimecia horror *evil cackle*
Anyway, moving on to why I made this chapter. I know I slowed it down and made modifications but I simply couldn't have written this story without this chapter. First of all, I think most of us can all agree that Disney is amazing. When I went to Disneyworld, the inspiration struck me as fast as lightning. Disney is a huge part of Kingdom Hearts and I really wanted to incorporate that here :) And lastly, I found it kind of unfair that only Sora, Roxas, Xion and Riku got to explore all the worlds. I figured that everyone else deserved to, so, voila :D And I apologize that I couldn't add every world here ): There was actually supposed to be a Port Royal scene but I had to take it out since the chapter was already at 13, 000 words o.o
Now moving onto the fact that I'M FINISHED SCHOOL B*&%#!S ! EARLIER UPDATES BABY! It seems hardly possible that when I first wrote Masquerade, I was just starting high school. In the beginning of Teenage Wasteland, I was just finishing up my first year. Now I'm already finished my second year T-T And to think that a lot of you have been supporting me from the very beginning just makes me so teary T-T ! THANK YOUUUUU.
Okay, moments over. So who's going to Otakon in Baltimore this summer? As I said in the author's note in the beginning, I'll be going as Kairi :) My costume actually just came in two days ago and it's REALLY big on me xD If you do happen to go, I hope I see you there :) I'll be with my cousin who happens to be going as Faith from Mirror's Edge :O We'll be stalking every Sora and Roxas :3
Alright, lastly, thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! I have 43 for the last chapter! FORTY FREAKING THREE! You guys... T-T And since you're all so amazing, I'm going to reply to them all :) I must have replied to over 700 reviews by now... but I don't plan on stopping!
Draco Oblivion: I know you probably haven't reached this chapter yet, but I would still like to thank you for all your reviews :) I really appreciate them and your support!
Orphina Girl: Aww thank you :3 I have a biggest fan AND I'm an idol? *cries* And for awhile I've been thinking about writing my own book but I could never start it :P I wish I could be a celebrity writer too x3
SuGinsomnia: Fanfiction lifeline? Really? That means a whole lot! And I'm sorry that some of your favourite stories have been cut short ): I hate it when that happens, too. And it means a lot that I made you hooked on this fanfic even if you don't obsess over KH as much :)
Noobster: Live of this stuff, huh? *places hand on heart* That's so meaningful. Thank you for the... epic review :3 I see you like that word as much as I do haha
the ultimate kh fan: ty :)
LittleKeybladeNinja: Oh don't worry, I really don't mind you calling me your friend :D I'm glad that you consider me a friend! And don't worry, in the next chapter, it will reveal what Kairi asked of Cloud ;D
Sergant YouDRiPRED: Whoa that is one trippy emoticon design thing! I'm way to lazy to do anything like that, so thank you xD ! And I never really did plan on Cloud kidnapping Kairi, but I figured that if he did it in a more mannerful way (like tossing her in a limo... lol) it wouldn't be as bad xp Oh, and Infractus Tango is latin for 'Broken Tango' which is a dance that inspired me to create said tango (:
KtheHABIT: Thanks, that means alot :3 I worry if I disappoint my fans sometimes, but you reassured me :)
Fuline Lite: Lol, I know right? If I was watching Teenage Wasteland in real life, I'd freaking slap Kairi and tell her to wake up LOOL. We're so violent. And I love it x) And I don't know why, but ever since I started playing Kingdom Hearts, I've always thought that Riku would have an obsession with his perfect flowing hair... I dont know why, but to me it's just right there xD
Dreamstation369: LOL you totally get me with the korean idol thing around xD AND LMAOOOO AT YOUR SISTER. She has every right to go "Mmmmm" at the iPhone. It's SEXYYYY.
Artism: OMG LOLOLOL I promise you that I won't make Roxas and Axel a gay couple. You can SO bet my soul on that xD The thing between them is just meant to be a non-harmful joke. Besides, they're tied to their own women at the moment :)
Demon-Dragoness: Thanks, I appreciate that :D
Sookdeo: Aww, you have summer school? I went through that. HELL. But it feels SO GOOD when you're done :D I had the option to take summer school or not this year, and I chose not to xP And I'd love to hear what you think Kairi asked of Cloud! If you get it dead on correct I'm gonna be a little freaked out ahaha.
xSmielage: Is it just me, or have I see your username on my youtube page? :O And thank you for the long reviews :3 You know that I LOVE long reviews don't you? You're making me very happy :D ~! And ooh, you play the clarinet? So do I :) LMAO I KNOW in the game, no matter what the hell Hayner does, Olette doesn't do a freaking thing about it xD And actually, Kairi refers to Sora as the better and good looking twin xD If she said that to Roxas, Namine would have her head on a stick... I really can't picture Nami doing that. The most she could do is throw a crayon at Kairi LOOL.
beckster411: I'm so glad that you appreciated Riku's new hairstyle. I was thinking "What if the readers can't imagine it? What if I'm not writing this clearly? What if it sounds retarded? ! *pulls hair out*" and thank you :3 I appreciate that.
Redeeming Endeavor: First of all, your avatar. Unless my eyes are deceiving me, I see Legolas from LOTR. I. Freaking. Love. Legolas. OHMAGAWSH. In fact, I even bought the whole trilogy in blu-ray just to see him in HD *insert heart here* And I'm not going to lie. My heart stopped when I saw your username. I've heard about your story Milk and Marshmallows (I think that's what it's called... sorry if it's wrong) since it's really popular. I decided to give it a read and OMG, I FREAKING LOVED IT. You're really talented, you know? So I really appreciate someone of your mighty talents to read this youngster's story :3 I really appreciate your rather long review and the compliments ! Not only that, but I feel like when I rea your reviews, they make me a better writer. You don't necessarily drool over the chapter, which is good :) And I'll keep your promise. I won't stop writing as long as I have fresh ideas in my head and new experiences I want to share. So really, I'll never stop writing. Thank you SO MUCH.
Phenomenon45: Hah, people have been using the word epic a lot now, haven't they? Don't worry, I love that word :P Oh, and Ultimecia is actually a character from Final Fantasy VIII and dissidia :P I can't take credit for creating that 'cool name' :P And did you ACTUALLY sleep through a test? OMG, I'd shoot myself. Hope everything's okay with you D: I feel it's legit, though. COD is more important LOL JK JK. And really, I don't know how Kairi can resist Sora's cuteness ): If I were her I'd freaking-... I don't know if I can keep this PG13 ahaha. And if ANYONE tried to steal my white iphone, they have to face the wrath of a little asian girl. We're very vicious when it comes to our belongings. AND OMG. BEAT THE PERSON UP WHO STOLE UR PHONE. TEACH THEM TO TAKE IT AFTER A WEEK. *kicks air, fails*
ChibixGiraffe: ty :) cute avatar :3
Rytex: LOL I know I freaking hate that song too. And sorry, that's my weakness, actually. The speed of my stories constantly changes. Like this one. This chapter went really slow :S Sorry!
The Moon's Berserk: LOL I know Sora listens to EVERYTHING. He goes from U2 to Utada to Nicki Minaj then Rebecca Black. I love him *insert heart here* and it's okay if you missed a review, I'm just happy that you do review :)
Moon Princess016: Thank you :) I really don't know how I got so lucky with all these reviews :) And saying that this is your favourite story really means alot, so thanks :D
Dusk-Sky: I'm actually really glad that you say my chapters are worth it. I get a little frightened before I update a chapter! Thanks for reassuring me. And thank you for saying that this is your favourite fic :)
ChocoIsu: LOL "Cloud should be a feeling" oh man, I want to get that legally made. I want that to be legit. "You're such a Cloud!" Sorry, I found it entertaining :P And yeah, I'm a full supporter of Lightning x Hope too but it might freak people out xD ... but I'm gonna put it in anyway. Shh!
One Sky One Dream One Destiny: Thank you :3
Spellbound akaSoragirl4ever: Aww, don't say that ): I'm sure you're a wonderful person and will find the perfect guy. There's always someone out there for everyone that's made for them. I actually tried to teach that in this story :) I was actually fourteen when I went through some stupid love stuff (this was last year. lol.)... it didn't end so well. I suggest you guard your heart and wait for someone amazing, which I'm sure you'll get :)
TheMaskedGirl: You have Sora? Oh no you di-in't! *swarm of fangirls attack* ha, I'm joking. And aww, thank you :3 No one's complimented my personaity before! I figured that if people take the time to read and review my work, I should take the time to reply back :D And OMG, of COURSE you can use my name for a fic! Even give me the link- I'll add it onto my epic fan gallery on my profile page :D It means so much to me that you're doing this T-T I INSPIRED you? *cries even more* and of course you can call me Kyra :)
MusicalSage: Thank you, it means a lot that you say I'm one of the best :) And ooh, Riku fangirl ;) Don't worry, since he's such a sweetheart (and a sexy beast), I won't change his godly appearance
(there's no username O:) I THINK YOU'RE LUPUS7: Uh. Yeah. There's no username xD So since I think you're Lupus7, THANK YOU! And I'd like to go for some realistic matchups, because really... Sora and Olette... not gonna happen xD Don't worry you're not a creep haha. And how old am I? I'm fifteen, actually :P
DragoNik: Something about your username makes it seem so epic... I think it's the capitlized N lol. And ooh, how did your exams go? I just finished mine yesterday :P And I WISH this was a manga! I was considering on drawing it myself lol. And maybe an anime. I'd love that O:
Tyjet Ansatsu: Oh, so you're Irish? Your language seems interesting- in a good way!
Suzumiya Haruka: Course I'm alive xD If I were dead I'd send someone to hack my account and tell all my fans that I'm dead or they'd think I abandoned them or something :S And don't worry, I have a huge knack for greek mythology :3 I love it!
sunshinemeg82: awww did you really cry at the ven and aqua thing? I'm so sorry :S !
paopufruit-to-go: Oh don't say that D: To me, no reviews are better than others. They're all special because people actually took the time to write them :) And I actually don't think I'm the major of Kingdom Hearts, there are... about 2 I think that have a higher fame status in Kingdom Hearts than I do :P And I've been thinking about writing a real book, but I can't seem to start it :P
ShadowSpooky: LOL if Riku walked around shirtless, that would've exposed his scars from being abused :/ And I think I answered your question :)
DeadxColour: Aww thank you :) I have to reply to my reviews. If you all took the time to read and review, I should reply :)
xLycheeRAiN: How exactly do you proounce lychee? I say lai-chi but my chinese homies keep saying lee-chi. Sorry, I just really wanted to know xD And yeah, this story will be ending soon :S Maybe 6 more chapters? Maybe more? I don't want it to end either ):
CupcakeLerman: LOL YEAH it's from a song called 'Discovery Channel'. And omg, your review made me faint. College people. Talking about MY story. For half an hour. I. Just. Died. SERIOUSLY? DFJKGBDSFJKBGSDFJ. WHAT DID THEY SAY? Sorry... I'm curious xD Don't worry, I can take criticism!
lala: aww ty :3
Q-A the Authoress: Wow! I'm glad that someone knew who Shiki was xD TWEWY should be in more KH fics. They're also Squenix and deserve some love x3
InfinityStream: So did I blow your mind with this chapter? :P The mindblowing one is actually coming up next x)
Wishful Thoughts: LMAO aww, I love it when my reviewers say they're reading with a crowd of people around them then they just start laughing and get unwanted attention xD And ahaha. Baby-daddy. That's cute.
DestinyKeyblader28: thank you :)
Wildfire37: Wow, last to review on the last chapter and first to review on this one :D And for sure. You can totally be creeped out by the new crew. AND LMAO. OMG. YOUR REVIEW ACTUALLY MADE ME LAUGH. "COD reference. It's getting serious." LOOOLLLL.
Guys, thank you so much for all those reviews :) I thought they were never gonna end! Thanks for all your support, really. I feel like I'm getting closer to all of you :) Thank you! Now I hope you enjoyed the chapter, please review and I'm sorry for any grammar errors!
xoKyorii