Chapter 36: Something in the Wind

Welcome to the second half of NLB!! Yay!!

Your POV

"Cage, cage..." you mutter, running around the room. "Gotta find the cage...aha!" You attempt to pull it out. "Sora, give me a hand with this! Hurry!"

Sora helps you pull out the large cage, looking confused.

"Rope, rope...got it! Good thing I paid attention to the movie..." you murmur.

You pull out a length of rope and tie it to the top of the cage.

"Sora, c'mere and give me a boost," you command.

"What're you doing?" he asks, helping you up onto his shoulders.

"Here's what we're gonna do," you say quietly, looping the rope through a hole. "You are gonna hide behind that box over there, holding the cage up. I'm going to hide over there, and when the kids come, I'll make it so they find me first. Then I'll get them into position, and when I give you the signal-" You jump down from Sora's shoulders. "You release the rope and we lock them up!"

"Couldn't they just lift the cage up and crawl out?" Sora asks. Huffing a sigh, you hand him the rope and walk over to a platform.

"Do you know what I'm standing on?" you ask, tilting your head.

"Uh, a platform?"

"Right. A-" You run over and flip a switch. "Magnetic platform. Very powerful, I might add. I saw this earlier today before I went to the graveyard. Oogie Boogie must've used it for something."

Sora's eyes light up in delight. "So then...HAH!! That is awesome!"

"Correction." You smile and put your hands on your hips. "I am awesome."

"I agree. You proved that after what happened to Jafar, remember?"

You both laugh, then you shoo Sora away-although you are loving this attention today! "Now go, and-"

"Wait! What's the signal?"

"Oh, um...I'll wink. How about that? It's subtle enough."

"Sure thing," he says, running behind the large box. You run over to your hiding place. Now all you have to do is wait.

Waiting...waiting...more waiting...

Sora's POV

You lean against the large box you're hiding behind, biting your lip in pain. This cage is heavy! And those stupid kids are taking forever!

Suddenly you hear voices. IT'S ABOUT TIME!

"This is the only place we haven't looked, so they have to be in here!" Shock shouts.

"I betcha they're not!" Lock says. "I bet they're still back in the graveyard!"

"Or in Jack's house!" Barrel adds. You hear them come in. "His house has lotsa places to hide!"

Suddenly you hear Kira's unmistakable giggle. The trio gasps.

"TOLD YOU!" Shock screams.

"Haha, you found me!" Kira giggles. You lean to the side to see her standing there. The trio has their backs to you. Yes...

"You're a really bad hider," Barrel says. Kira's nose twitches.

"Yeah, I guess I am, huh?" she says, walking toward them. They start to back up onto the platform. Ohh, yesssss...

"Where's that dumb kid, Sora?" Lock asks. You clench your teeth.

"I dunno," Kira replies, still walking towards them. "We split up." She pauses, then continues, smiling a little. "Y'know, maybe you shouldn't call Sora a dumb kid. He's really a nice guy." No way...why is she saying this? "We have a lot of fun together. He's pretty sweet, and actually, he's very-" She winks, and you release the rope. The cage crashes down on the trio. YES!!

"Smart," you finish, stepping out from behind the box.

"You tricked us!" Lock shouts

"DUH!" you and Kira shout back, laughing. Barrel tries to lift up the cage, and, to your delight, the cage won't budge.

"Don't even try it," you growl.

"You have Oogie Boogie to thank for this puppy," Kira says, patting the side of the cage. "Guess your idol wasn't all he was made out to be, huh?"

"LET US OUT!" Shock screeches.

"Hm...let's think about it," Kira says, tapping her chin with her index finger. "Why do we hate you? Well... You aren't funny..."

"You called me stupid," you hiss.

"You're selfish brats."

"You helped Oogie Boogie."

"You insulted the way I played Hide n' Seek."

"And you're flat out annoying."

"So our answer is..." Kira looks at you and grins.

"NO!" you both shout, imitating the three of them. You then start laughing and hi-five each other.

"So don't expect to get out of there soon, because around here, you usually aren't released early for good behavior," Kira says, bending over and wagging a finger.

"But good behavior would be a start," you add, winking. Kira laughs.

"Sayonara!" she cries, dragging you away. Slamming the door behind you, you and Kira leave the warehouse.

"Y'know, if you hadn't already locked up Halloween Town, we coulda fed them to the Heartless," Kira says, releasing your arm.

"Hm, maybe," you say, stopping. Kira stops, too.

"Why are we stopping?" she asks, her smile fading.

"Did you really mean that stuff back there?" you say.

"Specify, please."

"The stuff you said about me."

"Ohh, that stuff." She crosses her arms and cocks her head. "Why wouldn't I mean it?"

"But-"

Kira holds up her hand to silence you. She smiles a little touches her fingertips together. "I'm sure it probably sounded staged, but it wasn't. I say what I mean, and I mean what I say. Well, most of the time. But seriously. I meant it." She then puts her hands on her hips. "However crazy you might be, you're still all of those things and more."

"I-"

Kira shakes her head and puts a finger to her lips. "You don't need to say anything, okay?" She smiles. "I can see why Kairi likes you. You were probably pretty good to her, huh?"

"We're done," you say.

"Huh?"

"Kairi and I...are done. We've been done."

"Really?" Kira looks a little confused. "What about the whole 'our hearts are connected' crap, then?"

"KIRA!" you shout.

"Whhhhat?"

"HOW! DO! YOU! KNOW! ABOUT! THAT?!?!"

"FOR! THE! TRILLIONTH! TIME!"

"'I can't tell you', right?" you mimic.

She grins and runs off.

"Kira! Wait!"

You start to run after her, then slow your pace. What would you even do when you'd catch up? It's not like she'd tell you...

Your POV

You finally make it to the ship. Slamming the door behind you, you run to your bathroom, slamming that door, too. You feel like crying.

You step into the shower, and hot water blasts onto you. After a few moments, you let the tears fall. You don't even really know why you feel like crying so badly. Thinking about it for a while, you soon realize the reason.

"I AM SO SICK OF KEEPING SECRETS!!!" you cry, sobbing. "I...can't...do this much longer."

After your shower, you change into pj's and exit the bathroom to see Sora in the main pilot's room, or whatever you call it. He doesn't notice you, though, so you stand there in silence, watching him. He stares down at a map of the worlds, checking off Halloween Town. You watch intently as he writes something down. He suddenly narrows his eyes and clenches his jaw. You hear him curse under his breath as he pounds his fist against the ship's dashboard.

You turn and run to your room, quietly shutting the door behind you. Why is Sora so upset? Is it...because of you?

"Jiminy Christmas™," you whisper, "what if it is?" You bite your bottom lip and sit on your bed. Something white catches your attention, and you look down to see your Ipod...Idea!!!

Sora's POV

You sit in the pilot's chair, holding your head in your hands. This is only the eighth world you've-no, seventh-seventh world you've locked. Kira has, unintentionally, make you homesick again by mentioning Kairi. And now Kira seems to be in a messed-up mood. Things aren't going-

"Hey Soooooraaaaa," Kira's voice calls out over the intercom.

"What?"

A song begins to play, and you immediately recognize it as the song Kira sang earlier tonight. You laugh and jump out of your chair. Kira comes running in, giggling.

"I thought you could listen to this version, too!" she exclaims. You grin, bobbing your head to the beat. "Dance!"

"No, I-" Dude...you don't dance....(actually, you dance pretty well...but you're not tellin' HER that...)

"I know you want to!" she says, laughing.

You stand there for a moment, then shrug and start dancing around with her.

"Yeee-AH!!" Kira shout, pumping her fist in the air. "Now this is Halloween!"

You laugh as you both dance around. Really, you're actually kind of dancing with each other. You somehow think so much alike that your dancing is almost perfectly synchronized. After that song ends, another familiar song plays:

When you walk away

You don't hear me say

Please, oh baby, don't go

Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight

It's hard to let it go

"I KNOW THIS SONG!" you shout, laughing. Kira giggles, slowly shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, Sora," she says.

"Huh? For what?"

Kira grins. "For turning you into a Hikki freak," she replies. You both laugh and continue to dance, shouting, "NOTHING'S LIKE BEFORE!" when necessary. This is...fun!

Your POV

"Simple and Clean" soon ends, and "Hikari" takes its place.

"I swear this sounds familiar," Sora says, eying you suspiciously.

"Another...secret," you reply, sighing.

"Kira..."

"What? Look, I'm sorry-"

"Kira."

Sora approaches you, his big, sapphire eyes looking curious. He stands right in front of you. You look up at him, trying to remain calm.

"Yes?" you squeak.

"If you're so sick of keeping secrets, why are they still...well, secrets?" he asks in a sincere voice.

"I..."

You start to lower your head, but Sora gently lifts your chin so your eyes meet his.

"Tell me," he murmurs. Your head pounds in time with your heart. You close your eyes tightly, trying to hold back tears. Jiminy Christmas™, you wish you could tell him...but you can't! It hurts you, though... His words echo in your head. *Tell me...tell me...*

"...Kira?"

"I CAN'T!" you shout, pushing him away. You run off into your room, slamming the door behind you.

"Kira!" Sora shouts.

"Sora, I can't!" you sob, hugging your knees. Appropriately enough, "Can You Keep A Secret?" begins to play. You let out a scream and stop the song, frustrated.

Suddenly your door flies open. Sora stands there, looking confused, concerned, and angry all at once. You jump up, tears streaming down your cheeks.

"GO AWAY!" you cry, pushing on your door to close. Suddenly your feet slide out from under you and you fall onto the floor. Sora pulls you up, and you desperately try to twist your arm away, but his grip tightens.

"Ahh..." Your knees buckle and you struggle to stay standing. Sora pulls you up and into his arms.

"Calm down," he commands, holding you tightly.

"I'm sorry!" you say through your sobs. It always seems like one minute is fine, then the next is... (well, that might be because you're two moody teenagers stuck together in close quarters, and you both have raging hormones......could be, couldn't it?)

"Kira, it's okay," he says quietly.

"No it's not!" you wail, hugging him tightly.

"Shh..."

Slowly you begin to relax into his arms. You breathe in deeply, trying to savor this moment as long as you can. Finally Sora pulls you back and looks at you.

"Get some sleep, okay?" he says. You nod, smiling a little. He sounded so much like Haley Joel Osment just then. You don't know why, though. It's not a quote, is it? Sometimes, he just really sounds like Haley Joel...

???'s POV

"Half-dozen bananas...check. Ten coconuts...check. Two oars..."

"Hey, Jane!"

"Aah!" you scream, jumping and turning around in surprise.

"How come you wanna go home so bad?" Peter asks you, rolling a coconut on his arm.

"I have to get back to my family," you reply, loading up your supplies for the journey ahead.

"Why?"

"Well, um, I don't want to talk about it."

"Why not?"

You heave a frustrated sigh. "If you must know, we had a fight."

"Why?"

You sigh again. He asks so many questions! "Oh, I told my little brother you weren't real."

"What?!" Peter shouts, falling and dropping the coconut. "Why?"

You sigh once more. He is really beginning to frustrate you! "Well, oh, I don't know! But I have to get back to set things right."

"Why?" You growl and throw your stuff on the ground.

"Because! That's why!" You turn your back and stare out at the sunset.

Peter sighs. "Well, you know, you can't get home that way."

"I-I've got to try." You sniffle, then hold out your hand. "Well...goodbye. It was nice meeting you, Peter Pan. Duty calls!" You shake Peter's hand and climb aboard your raft. You shove off, then suddenly see a hole pop up. "Oh!" Another one appears. "Oh dear! Oh no!" you shout as more overtake your raft. It sinks, you hanging on to the mast.

"You okay?" Peter asks, floating above you.

"I just want to go home."