The End...Or is it?
Six hours.
That's how much time passed in our world as we wandered around in a different universe for over a week. I excepted helicopters and dive searches when Kaity and I returned to our world. Instead, there was nothing dramatic going on except our sisters wondering around looking for us. It confused us greatly, but we had gone back to the cruise ship in a shocked silence.
After a shower and a meal, all Kaity and I could do was sit in a couple of deck chairs and stare at the horizon.
What were we supposed to do now?
Waves crash against the bow of the ship as it parts the waters to return its heavy load of passengers back home. The evening sun casts delicate shadows along the ground and the chilly air nips the noses of all who dare step foot onto the outside deck. Feeling trapped by the walls of the ship, I run out the nearest glass doors and hastily step up to the nearest set of railing on the side of the ship. A couple of joggers nap at me for cutting across their path, but I don't care. My long dark hair whips about my face and shoulders, my jacket waves to the right as the wind tries to take me with it. Lifting my face to the rushing wind, I take a long, deep breath of freedom. I really needed to get off this ship.
A moment later, Kaity followed me to where I grasped desperately to the white rails. Within the past 24 hours of our return to Earth, this has been happening with us. The journey back through the darkness must have left something with us, it was the only explanation. One moment, we would be doing fine and then the next, we would be suffocating. A massive claustrophobia attack would overcome us. It first happened to Kaity as we were casually walking up a flight of stairs and all of a sudden, she was dashing ahead like a mad woman, clawing at the walls and frantically trying to get outside. Scared the hell outta me.
And then it happened to me in the middle of the night.
A warm hand laid on my shoulder, comforting me through my attack. I closed my eyes, taking the little bit of heat coming from the radiant sun and letting it calm the torrent of panic in my blood. This, whatever it was, had to just be aftershocks from our return journey. It had too. What else could it be?
"This is so screwed up..." Kaity sighed, leaning next to me.
"Tell me about it." I sighed heavily.
We stood there for a good while in silence. When we returned, Kaity and I had discussed everything that happened and debated whether it was a dream or not until we were blue in the face. There was nothing to be said about what we had experienced. If we didn't talk about it, t was easier to accept it happened and to move past it. We fell into oblivion. The boys probably think we died by now or fell into the darkness. Whatever the circumstances, time moves faster there than in this realm. weeks have probably passed in the time we've been gone.
"I miss them."
I looked at Kaity's passive expression as the wind whipped her hair away from her face. Her face might have been empty, but her eyes were sad.
"Me too." I mumbled in agreement. Sighing again, I pushed off the railing. "Come on lets go for a walk to another deck."
Just as I pushed away though, something flew into my head leaving everything around me in darkness for a couple moments.
"Sam?!"
Groaning in pain, I grabbed for the impacted area and forced my eyes tighter. Kaity's voice went in and out like a call in a tunnel. When my hearing stabilized, all I could hear were raised, arguing voices.
"-didn't you watch where you were going, dumbass?!"
"I'm sorry! I didn't see her there!"
"That's why you look at where you're going! Not behind you!"
"Whoa, guys, chill out! She's waking up."
There were three voices in the arguing, the main two being Kaity and a guys voice. Blinking open my eyes, I squinted up at the three people standing around me. There was a heavy throbbing on the back left side of my head, like something hard had collided with it. Might've been the floor, but I'm pretty sure something else hit me first.
Still squinting, I pushed myself up and tried to stand, but toppled to the side. A set of hands grabbed each of my arms and helped hoist me to me feet. "Whoa..." I stumbled back, looking at Kaity. "What the hell happened?"
"This idiot flipped his skateboard into your head." Kaity accused, pointing at the guy on my other side.
I swung my gaze to the other guy holding me up. My eyes widened in surprise. It was the guy. The guy I ran into on the stairwell and pushed into the wall. But what really had my jaw hanging open in shock was that...
He was the guy from the train.
The tall, blond actor from my visit within my heart.
"Um, sorry about that." He said with a shamed expression.
"Uh...um..." I was at a loss. I really didn't know what to say.
Kaity gave a heavy sigh and let go of my arm. The guy let go as well and reality stepped back into my thoughts.
"Um, it's alright." I said, backing up a couple feet. "I'm fine."
"Don't I know you from somewhere?" the guy asked confused. My cheeks grew warm as I thought about the stairwell incident.
"Dude, this is the girl that ran into you yesterday morning." The other guy, a brunette, interjected.
"Oh yeah!" The guy exclaimed in realization. "See we ran into each other again."
"Yeah, at the expense of your skateboard in her head." Kaity grumbled.
Fate was funny that way I guess.
"I'm Riven, by the way," he offered with a smile. "And this is my brother, Seth." The brunette guy smiled and waved.
"Uh, I'm Sam and this is my best friend Kaity." I introduced.
Seth walked over to Kaity and they got into some conversation. I got lost in Riven's deep blue eyes. A very familiar blue. The two boys had very similar facial features... like they were twins. Not to mention they seemed to be the same age. Huh.
"What's this?"
Riven lifted his hand and picked up the half heart charm of my necklace. The one Roxas gave me that night. Riven twirled it around in his fingers for a second before I just reached behind my neck and took it off. The look on his face was weird. Like he was really confused.
"Weird..." He mumbled.
"What?"
Wordlessly, he handed my necklace back and he reached behind his own neck and took of a necklace that was concealed beneath his shirt. He stuck out his palm with the necklace. My free hand flew up to my mouth in a gasp. It wasn't possible...
Taking the half heart charm from my palm, Riven laid it beside the half heart charm in his own palm. A half heart charm the opposite face of my own.
"They fit."
I searched his eyes for a moment before looking at the complete inscription of the completed heart charm.
Not Even Worlds Can Tear Us Apart.
Tears swelled up behind my eyes. Roxas... He didn't leave me. He was here. This guy, Riven, is his other. That's why he was in my heart. Seth must be Sora's other. It was all going to be okay now. Somehow, it would be okay...
Sam! Help!
My head snapped up at the cry. I looked behind me to Kaity, a look of horror on my face.
"Sam?" She asked concerned.
My eyes shifted to the horizon. No, it wasn't over. Not yet. Not until the war had been fought. Not until everyone was freed. Not until...
And remember...
You are the one who will end this war.
Not until we finished what we started.
