Chapter Thirty-Three
Riku stopped, his ears now ringing from Kae's gunblast. The girl held one of her pistols in both hands, a few strands of hair falling before her eyes as she took in short breaths,
" Now.... tell me."
Riku sighed, not wanting to lose his hearing a second time around,
" Your father was...an old friend."
He then headed for the door again, nearly jumping out of his skin as a distressed Tobi scrambled through the doorway,
" Riku! Kae!"
The boy halted, blinking wide-eyed as he glanced back and forth between them. He then frowned,
" What...what's goin' on here?"
Riku lowered his head, muttering to him softly,
" Nothing."
The man then quietly exited the Hotel. Tobi watched him walk away for a few moments, then turned back to Kae,
" What happened?"
She silently rehalstered her pistol and walked out into the night,
" What he said."
Tobi was left alone in the dark hallway, the door swinging shut behind him after Kae left. He clenched his fists,
" Why..... why don't they tell me anything?"
Barret rushed up the steps to the Hotel, pausing as Riku quietly passed him,
" What happened, kid?"
Riku remained silent and headed on toward the Third District. Barret frowned, glancing up to see Kae also coming down the steps,
" What happen--"
" Nothing," she replied shortly,
" Now, quit asking."
Barret growled at this and turned, grabbing hold of her wrist,
" No. You tell me what just happened in there, now!"
Kae narrowed her eyes and yanked her arm from his grasp, continuing on her way,
" Why don't you just ask Riku!?"
She then stormed into the alley and disappeared. Barret clenched his fists and hurried the rest of the way up to the Hotel. Tobi stepped out just as he reached the top of the stairs. It looked as though the boy was angry,
" What happened, squirt?"
Tobi shook his head,
" They wouldn't say."
He then leapt over the stair railing and ran toward the Third District after Riku. Barret groaned, calling after the boy,
" Wait a minute!"
He then sighed and entered the Hotel,
" What's this? Aw, h%$# no... she put a hole in the wall!! She put a hole..."
Tobi hurried into the Third District, hiding behind a nearby wall as he watched Riku enter a strange building. The door was shaped like a shooting star that was heading upward and all around it were shorting, cylindrical, light tubes. Tobi stood up and rushed to the door, lightly running a hand over it before prying it open. The door slid open about an inch and he peeked inside. The room was dim and he could hear the distinct sound of glass smacking together. He heard a few laughs inside as well and with a quick sniff, he could smell the strong scent of beer.
Tobi straightened, frowning,
' A bar? What the h%$# is Riku doing in a bar?'
" Hey, kid."
Tobi straightened, glancing back inside to see a tall, dark-haired man glaring at him. He gulped,
" Y-Yes?"
" You comin' in or what? Ya lettin' out all da cold air."
Tobi smiled, shoving the door open the rest of the way,
" Yeah! I'm coming in..."
As soon as he stepped inside, he could see that this place was, in fact, a bar. Dim, green lights hung from the ceiling, barely lighting the enormous room. He glanced to his left and saw a few guys playing pool, their women hanging all over them like dish rags.
The strong scent of cigarettes wafted over to his nose and he coughed, hurrying away from that spot. Why would Riku come to a place like this? He frowned, startled as a hand suddenly clasped onto his shoulder. His eyes bulged to see a girl staggering around from behind him. She giggled, her cheeks bright pink,
" Hey..."
He smiled nervously,
" H-hi..."
She then frowned,
" Are you.... like... a Heartloose er som'in'?"
His eye twitched and he shook his head glancing away from her,
" No, I'm..."
The music over head played softly as he spotted Riku sitting by the bar,
/ We dared to ask for more/
/ But that was long before/
Tobi pushed her hand away and quickly headed over to him, the girl screaming at him drunkenly,
" You....you blue-skinned...buttface...pansy %$$...crapmaggot....... Ooh, pretzels!"
She then staggered over to a man that vaguely looked like a young Cid and smiled,
" Hey..."
Tobi paused as soon as he reached Riku and took in a deep breath, then sat down beside him. He quietly motioned to the bartender for a drink. The bartender nodded and headed around to the otherside of the bar to get a glass.
" Aren't you a little young?"
Tobi turned to Riku, who was now smirking at him. Tobi shot him a glare,
" Aren't you a little old?"
Riku frowned at him, then lowered his head as the barkeep came back,
" Don't say I didn't warn you."
Tobi ignored him as he took the glass the barkeep had just filled and took a drink. He swallowed hard, coughing harshly. Riku smirked again, trying to hold back his laughter as the boy wiped his mouth off,
" Little strong, huh?"
Tobi coughed again, glaring at him spitefully,
" Shut up..."
Riku grinned as Tobi took another sip of his drink and cringed, snickering somemore,
" So, why'd you follow me?"
Tobi snorted, coughing a bit more as he finished the concoction and ordered another,
" Who said I was following you? Maybe I just like coming here..."
Riku raised an eyebrow at him,
" Kid, don't try me. I saw you trying to pry the door open back there... if you wanted in, there was a button release right on the door itself!"
Tobi licked his lips in embarrassment, glancing back toward the door,
" Oh..."
Riku smiled, shaking his head,
" So, again. Why'd you follow me?"
The boy sighed as the bartender filled his cup again, watching the foam build up on the top,
" I....I want to know... why are you always keeping things from me?"
The older man then frowned and opened his mouth to protest, but Tobi cut him off before he could say anything,
" And don't just say, ' Because I can' or ' Trust me, you'll understand when you're older' or ' None of your buisness, now take out the trash'!! Riku, I'm serious... I really want to know. Why don't you ever talk to me?"
Riku lowered his head, keeping silent for a moment. Tobi glanced up at him, a slight frown on his face,
" Riku?"
" Because..."
" Because why!?"
" BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER THOSE THINGS, OKAY!?"
The bartender raised an eyebrow, rinsing a few dirty glasses in hot water. He was the only that seemed to be effected by the sudden shout, though... well, other than Tobi.
/ Please understand This Isn't What We Meant.../
Tobi straightened, startled by Riku's sudden outburst. Riku took in a deep breath and sighed, shaking his head,
" I'm sorry.... I didn't mean to yell like that."
Tobi nodded, remaining silent for a moment. Taking a sip of his own drink, Riku turned back to Tobi,
" So... what do you know about me?"
" Your last name is Shimui."
" Who told you that?"
" Barret."
" That son of a b%$#..."
Tobi smiled, shaking his head as Riku continued to grumble.
Kae grumbled, kicking a few pebbles into the waterway. Why did Riku have to be so d%$# secretive all the time?
' " Your father was....an old friend."'
She nearly screamed, picked up a small stone nearby and hurled it at the wall opposite her,
" D%$# HIM!! D%$# THAT DIRTY B%$%%# STRAIGHT TO H%$#!!!"
Pulling out her pistol, she then shot a hole in the wall and took in deep, breaths.
" Going a little ballistic, aren't we... Princess?"
She gasped, turning suddenly to see Darien standing there,
" You....you're the one that made that deal with Riku....about the rings..."
Darien mocked a shocked expression and gasped,
" I did!? Well, it seems you are a smart one. Take after your father no doubt."
Kae narrowed her eyes at him threateningly,
" How do you know my father?"
Darien grinned at her,
" Me? Please, I know nothing more about him then the general public does. ' He fought valiantly and bravely against the Heartless. He succeeded in defeating Ansem at the age of only 14 and then travelled back to his homeland to live happily ever after...' Personally, I find those little parables about the man downright disgusting. There's enough yarn in those stories to sew a sweater..."
Kae growled lowly, Darien continuing on his rambling,
" But, there is something I do know. Why, you should know it too, Princess. The story of your father's downfall? Maybe you've heard it, but...well, maybe not. ' The Keybearer than travelled back to his homeland and lived happily ever after, until one day he had a little girl. Then everything went downhill. He got weaker because he no longer trained. Instead, he and his happy little family were always picnicking in the park, day after day after day. The Heartless knew this and decided that it was the perfect time to exact their revenge on the happy, little Keybearer. They travelled to the Keybearer's home, where they joyously brought an end to his happy, little life. They then had a great feast upon the other souls of the island, including the Keybearer's wife, his friends, and his friends' pathetic little son...' you remember him, don't you, Princess? The one who sacrificed himself to save you? You remember... his name was--"
Kae gritted her teeth, her fists clenching tightly around her gun grips,
" Aki... He was two years older than I was.... and you...you and your stupid clan KILLED HIM!! ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE I'VE EVER LOVED!!"
She closed her eyes tightly, soon seeing the images of a blonde-haired boy with bright green eyes, his parents, Selphie and Tidus, her parents, her grandmother, his grandfather, she saw them all... and she witnessed their deaths a second time around in only a few seconds....
" Say, Riku?"
Riku turned to Tobi, who had downed about four or five drinks by now,
" Yeah, kid?"
Tobi took in a deep breath, smiling a bit sadly,
" When you found me...y'know, as a baby... my mother, what did she look like?"
Riku straightened, then lowered his head. The image of a young woman in a white cloak entered his thoughts, her raven hair tumbling over her face....
She was lying in the grass, her back turned to him. He'd thought he'd heard the sound of a baby crying, but it had stopped. He fell to his knees and placed a shaky hand on her arm, surprised when he heard a strange coo coming from within a bundle of black sheets. Blood stained the ground around her body, leaking from her back. A small, blue object with huge golden eyes peered up at him, cooing again as he lightly touched it's face...
Riku smiled sadly, thinking back on the moment,
" She was beautiful, kid... you look just like her, last I saw."
Riku waited a moment for Tobi's response, then glanced over to see him smiling strangely at him,
" What?"
Tobi laughed, shaking his head,
" Nothing.....it'sjust... Ijustnoticedthatyougot really paleskin."
He then raised a finger and absentmindedly poked Riku's cheek with his index finger. Riku lowered his head as Tobi laughed and nodded as the boy repeatedly poked him in the cheek.
Kae let out a scream of rage and raised her pistol, firing it off as soon as her eyes opened. The bullet whizzed past his face, breaking off a few strands of chesnut hair. She gasped, her eyes widening at who was now standing there, staring back at her.
Piercing sapphire eyes glowed softly through brunette bangs, peeking through at the young girl. Her eyes began welling with tears as his familiar crown pendant glittered with the water's reflection. He looked a bit odd in his dark, leathery get-up, but she didn't care. Taking in a deep, wavering breath, she gazed at him in disbelief as tears began to fall from her eyes,
" D-Daddy?"
A sharp pain suddenly shattered her thoughts and she fell forward, unconscious. Darien smirked, removing his hands from the back of the girl's neck,
" You did a good job of distracting her, Keybearer... I applaud you. You've made this job a h%$# of a lot easier."
He glared silently at Darien as the boy knelt down and slung Kae over his shoulder. His eye twitched a bit... he didn't trust that boy at all, especially not with her...
" I think you've had enough, kid."
Riku said as he pushed the boy's hand away,
" It's time to go."
Tobi pouted, his cheeks now a little purple in colour,
" Oh, c'mon, Riku! Jus'onemore--"
Riku smirked as he grabbed Tobi by the arm and pulled him up,
" No, no, no... I think the cut off mark is when your words start to slur like that."
" Mywordsaren't....slurringtoge..ther."
Shaking his head, Riku slung the boy's arm around his neck and lead him back to the Second District.
Tobi groaned, pulling away from the blind one,
" No, no...Let go. I don't...needanyhelp. I'm jes' fine!"
He flung his arms out to the side and staggered backward, falling on his tail. Riku shook his head and walked back over to him, holding out a hand,
" Here, lemme help you up--"
Tobi folded his arms, shaking his head wildly,
" No! I can... pickmyself up off the ground! I can do anythingIwan' to cause I'm a bigkid now and I don't need help from any..body!"
He pushed himself over and staggered a bit as he stood, swaying as he walked toward the Hotel,
" I caneven fight on my own, which by the way, I'm very...pissssssed at you right now, Ree Koo."
Riku folded his arms as the boy turned around,
" Oh really? What for?"
" Because you," Tobi pointed a wobbly finger at him,
" You never let me.....fight...when there's anythingbiggoing on. It's always youandKae, or youandBarret, or youandTIFA! Never youandTobi! No, I'm alwaysleftat home... EversinceIwas...little. You've alwaysheld me back."
Riku sighed, shrugging,
" It was for your own good--"
" But itwasn't fair, Riku, that'swhat I'm gettingat."
Shaking his head, Riku frowned,
" Tobi, I don't know if this is you or the booze talking, so let's get you back to the Hotel and clean you up, okay--?"
Tobi shook his head, staggering toward the alley,
" No...no, Riku, it'snot okay! I...Iwanna fight, too. Ilook upto you, y'know. I don'tknow if yourealize that, though. Actually, I-I thinkyoujus' don't care!"
Riku sighed, shaking his head as the boy stumbled through the Alleyway doors,
" Kid..."
Tobi coughed, feeling a bit nauseated as he staggered toward the Waterway. Leaning back against the wall, he soon heard someone talking,
" You did a good job of distracting her, Keybearer... I applaud you. You've made this a h%$# of a lot easier."
He glanced up to see two men standing there. The one closest to him had his back turned and was wearing a lengthy, black trenchcoat. Black, fingerless gloves adorned each of his hands and he had a head of chaotic, spiky, brown hair.
The other man had shorter, jet black hair and icey blue eyes. He was the one doing the talking, Tobi was sure of that. The guy also wore the same coat that the Nobody wore, except his was missing it's hood. There was also someone lying unconscious in his arms, a female, it seemed. Tobi gasped, immediately sober,
" Kae!"
The one holding Kae straightened and hoisted the girl over his shoulder. He then motioned to his partner,
" Get rid of him."
The one with the spiky hair turned to face him, his dark eyes piercing Tobi's heart. This guy would be a bit difficult to beat, that was for sure. The man behind him smirked, Kae now dangling lifelessly on his arm,
" You won't want this fight, kid. He's the Keybearer."
Tobi smirked, charging at them full speed,
" Sorry to burst your bubble, pal... but the Keybearer's been dead for fourteen years!!"
Tobi raised a fist at the spiky-haired one, shocked when a black and red weapon soon materialized in his opponent's hand. Quickly, he disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke and reappeared behind the man, rushing after Kae's captour,
" Kae!!"
He ducked seconds later, the spiky-haired one's weapon swiping for his head. Instead, it slammed into a drainpipe, causing the man to narrow his eyes and snarl. Tobi again disappeared, darting behind a large barrel as the man glanced around for him. This made the boy grin and he snickered,
" He won't know what hit him..."
Tobi again disappeared, unaware that the man knew of his little plan. The spiky-haired one grinned, his sapphire eyes flashing for an instant in gold. Tobi reappeared seconds later, his claws raised to dig into the man's neck. In the blink of an eye, Tobi found himself gazing into the man's darkened blue eyes, his body consumed in pain.
His mouth fell open and he tried to speak, but nothing came out except a grunted stutter. The man smirked at him, twisting the blade so that it pierced through the boy's lungs completely. Thunder boomed overhead, a flicker of lightning shining in Tobi's widened eyes. He could feel the man's blade exiting his back...
Riku sighed, shaking his head as he leaned back against the wall, remembering what the boy had said to him,
' " Never you and Tobi! I look up to you, y'know. You just don't care..."'
Leaning his head back, Riku absently played with his gloved, left, ring finger and shook his head again, entering the Alleyway,
" Hey, kid... listen I--"
Riku gasped at what he ''saw''. He could see the flickering, blue, silhouette of Tobi, hanging off the edge of a bright red blade.
Tobi's attacker pushed the boy off his weapon and Riku scrambled down the walk, nearly tripping on his own two feet,
" TOBI!!"
He caught the boy in his arms, Tobi grunting in pain as he lowered him to the ground,
" Tobi..."
The boy coughed, a small bit of blood developing on his lips,
" I....really screwed up.....didn't I?"
He struggled to speak, his eyes threatening to close.
Riku glanced down, the boy's heart a fading blue. It pulsed slowly and he placed a hand on Tobi's cheek, shaking his head,
" No...no, you did just fine. Listen to me, kid...you're gonna be alright."
Tobi winced, coughing up more blood,
" Pr...Promise?"
Riku nodded, offering him a silent smile. The boy flashed him his toothy grin one last time, his body slowly falling limp in Riku's arms. Riku heard the boy's raspy exhale, then nothing.... he went silent. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a timely rainfall beginning to pour.
A/N: I was listening to Breaking Benjamin's " So Cold" while I did this. It really fits!