Author's Note:
I'd just like to mention I really enjoy writing this fanfiction, because I actually believe this could possibly happen in real life to different characters. Sure, I find it very confusing, but I'm just happy to find that other people don't think so or not as confusing as I do find it to be.
But, hey! I'd like to thank JoannaD for all of her support and alot of my friends for after begging them, actually read my fanfiction and don't diss it like my brother does. -=grumble grumble=- Yes, I am aware Leon is about eight years older than Yuffie, and in our world, that's pretty wide river to cross. But after reading a certain fanfic, I decided I shouldn't think that way. Y'know, where you think it's bad for someone to be almost a decade older than their soulmate, becuase if they truly love eachother, it's none of your damn business. It's the same with all races, sexes, and the religions. If two people really love eachother, despite sex, color, and belief, then nothing really matters.
I'd like it if some people would actually read this section of the chapter where I rant on and on about Kami knows what, because I think I'm actually making a point here this time. I mean, my philosophy could mean squat right now, because all I really care about is the coexistance of everyone. Now a days, I sense more and more hatred toward the Sora and Riku couple fanfictions and even more toward the "I hate Kairi" fanfictions where all that is done is bashing Kairi. Yes, I can understand how someone could despise the fiction of SoraxRiku and the insulting of Kairi as the bitch between the two boys. Yet, I can understand how someone could adore the couple of Sora/Riku and the hate one could express toward Kairi. But what I don't understand is how this happened. Yes, Kairi does like to play with the two boys heads, flirting with both of them, and not minding if they fight over her. That, I especially find odd to me that someone would enjoy seeing her loved ones fight over her. Not to mention, I've never liked the fact Kairi plays a princess. She should be the kind of girl who wants a say and part in everything and not stand in the background to be considered as a prize. Most girls find that revolting. Another reason, Kairi's kind, loveable, and "I'll always be loyal to you" sort of girl. That's why in the story it seems like Riku and Sora really want to be the one to be with Kairi forever because they both lack that nature to want to love everyone and not to fight. Yet, it was Kairi who seperated Riku and Sora alot. She brought distance between them the more the two developed feelings for her. I can't really say what Sora had that Riku didn't, because I'm not Kairi. All I know is, Riku's love turned out to be more of a brotherly love and Sora's turned out to be romantic, everlasting love. Then there's Riku and Sora. They're two boys. Who're rivals. Who talk about girls. Who fight over the last slice of pizza, the tv remote, and the girl they want to love. Yet, both know they should have a girl and the only girl they could ever be with is Kairi. Yet both know, they wouldn't want to spoil their friendship because of love. No, if both of them seperately had to make a choice between the other and Kairi, they'd choose their bestfriend. Why? Because their friendship is stronger to them, and someday, they might actually realize its more than friendship that it could either be brotherly love or rare love, the kind that only becomes stronger and stronger. But YAAAAAAAWWWWWWN, this is probbably boring the crap out of you, so I'll just let ya go. -=unhooks the bear trap=-
RAWR!!!
O_O oops. Actually bear, this time.
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Chapter 5. Makes you wonder; makes you think
"So why the Kareoke bars?" asked Sora, hands behind his head as he walked along with them down the sidewalks of Zanarkand.
"Well, I like going to Kareoke bars. It's fun to watch people sing and people mimmic the moves of the music artists," declared Hikari, smiling at him. Hikari led the two boys with a map in her hands, however, it confused her like the French Language. "Uhm, Sora? You don't happen to know any bars, do you?"
"Well, there is the one over there on Jagan Street," spoke Sora, pointing off north toward the corner of an intersection. Riku rolled his eyes as Hikari thanked his friend. They made their way to the cross road.
But just as they crossed the street -
"Hikari!" exclaimed Riku.
"Huh? Ah!" gasped Hikari as an arm wrapped her waist and gathered him into the seat of his motorcycle.
Hikari was kidnapped!!!!! (A/N: O_o How did this happen? Who would kidnap Hikari-chan?)
The kidnapper was helmeted, so his identity was unconfirmed, but Hikari, who was sitting so close to him, could see very clearly the golden, burning eyes behind the mask.
"Hikari!" shouted Riku running after the motorcycle down the street. Sora panicked. He searched his surrounding desperately to use something. A mechanic was prying open the hood of a truck with a pry bar.
"Sorry!" Sora quickly apologized as he snatched the bar as someone cried out after him. Holding the pry bar in one hand, Sora raced after Riku, hoping to catch up with him. But Riku was already reducing himself to other measures.
"Riku, wait up!" called out Sora. Riku glanced back at him as he seat himself onto the motorbike.
"Hurry up, Sora!" snapped Riku as Sora flipped a leg over the side and wrapped an arm around his neck.
"Hey! You can't just-!"
"WATCH ME!!" Riku shot back, and with that, he sped off, jolting Sora who was unready for the impact of Riku's speed. Luckily, the target was still in sight and so was Hikari and the kidnapper.
"Riku!" exclaimed Sora, clasping to Riku's body as he shut his eyes tightly.
"Sora! Do you have that pry bar!?" called out Riku above the winds of the traffic. Sora squinted his eyes open as he glanced down at the metal bar in his hand.
"Yeah! How'd ya know?!" demanded Sora, loudly.
"Nevermind that, just when we get close enough, jab the metal bar into one of his wheels!" instructed Riku. "But how are we going to rival his speed! He's too fast!" shouted Sora, in doubt they might ever rescue Hikari.
"Just TRUST ME!!" shouted Riku. Sora closed his eyes tightly, and moved his arm to wrap around Riku's waist.
"RIGHT!!" shouted Sora, holding tighter to Riku.
And with that, Riku purposely raced into the border walk, shocking Sora completely. Riku waved one arm for the obstacles in his way to move.
"MOVE! MOVE!!" shouted Riku, waving his right arm. People shrieked and squealed as they dodged out of the way of the speeding motor bike. They rode from the boarder walk to a six wheeler truck and with a boost of the bike, ripped over the unloading vehicles -
"SORA!" shouted Riku.
"ERRR- YAH!" Sora raised his head from Riku's back as he swung his arm and the bar back to strike below at the motorcycle.
He threw it.
It hit the kidnapper's bicep instead.
"AHH!" he yelped grabbing his bicep.
The motorcycle began to swerve. Hikari clung to her kidnapper, praying mentally. "Rih- RIKU!!" she shouted in fear.
"DAMN!" cursed Riku in frustration, fear, and anger.
"Riku!" shouted Sora in panic.
They flew off the top of the truck.
Riku rammed it against the kidnapper's motorcycle.
At those few seconds....
Sora reached over just as Hikari wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hikari!" Riku exclaimed, and with one foot, shoved the motorcycle away.
The two motorcycles separated off onto different roads: one onto the main highway - one into a highway, still being constructed. The motorcyclist, stopped abruptly, still clutching his bleeding wound. He took off his helmet to reveal silky black hair and the gleaming yellow eyes. He looked to be still in his high school years. He watched as his enemy, the protagonists, road away, holding his prize.
He said nothing.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Riku, stop here."
With that command, Riku slowed down as he pulled the motorcycle over to the side lane where they couldn't be run over. He shut it off, and Sora pulled Hikari and himself off. She clinged to Sora like a child to its mother.
Full of anxiety, worry, and fear, Riku desperately climbed off of the vehicle to Hikari. He placed his hand on her shaking body.
"Hikari?!" he demanded. Was she all right? Was she okay? Was she hurt at all? Was she scared? Was she-
Hikari pried her tear strain faced from Sora's chest to turn to Riku with a scared face of a little girl. Riku's feelings were instantly grazed by the hurt look. 'I'm the worst big brother in the world,' he told himself. 'Even if only by a few minutes, I'm the worst.' But then she smiled, despite the tears streaming from her eyes, Hikari smiled at her brother like he was light at the end of the tunnel.
"Riku!" she cried out as she immediately tackled her own brother, encircling her arms around his waist while she poured out her tears and fears. He stared, wide eyed and a bit surprised at first, then brought his arms around her and fled a hand through her hair.
"It's okay...it's okay...." he murmured to her to comfort her.
"No! No, it's not okay! I - I thought I was never going to see you again! Or mom or dad! Or even Sora and Yuffie! I was so scared......Riku... I was so scared.... that I'd never.... ever.... see you again.... Riku," Hikari began to mumble into his shirt as she started to stifle her tears. He kissed her silky, silver hair and rested his lips against her head. He gazed at Sora thoughtfully as he held his sister.
Some feet away, Sora stood hands tucked into his pockets, staring at the ground as if interested in it and rocking back and forth in his shoes. He looked to be.... sort of depressed to Riku. Maybe it was just the clouds shrouding the sun or maybe it was just his relieved thoughts but.... Riku could definitely tell that Sora was thinking.......about something sad.
Sora couldn't put his finger on it. He couldn't understand why he felt so lonely all of a sudden. For his whole life, he's had no other siblings. He's always been the only child. So why now, all of sudden, did he feel this annoying pain in his heart that he had no one to care for him and no one to care for? In his childhood memories....Sora was always alone. At home.
"Sora," spoke Riku, bringing Sora back to life. He turned to his friend.
"Yeah?" wondered Sora. The look upon Riku's face, this somber, sorrow, yet grateful expression, made Sora's heart beat a little bit faster. Then Riku smiled warmly.
"Thanks," Riku appreciated. Sora turned his head away, trying to hide his blush.
"Uhm, yeah. Y-You're welcome," explained Sora. "I think."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Y'know what? That silver haired girl isn't here today...."
CLANG! CLANG! CLASH!!
"UWAH!!" Yuffie cried out as she backwards onto her bum. The girl pressed the bend-able tip of her sword against her chest.
"POINT!! Melody!" exclaimed the girl standing in for referee. Melody stepped back, removing the tip of her sword from Yuffie's chest. The tip made no cut, because it was bruised down so that it wasn't sharper to hurt anyone.
Yuffie's chest rose and fell at her heavy breath. She pulled off her helmet as she stood up. 'I can't keep going on like this! I'll never be able to make a point for myself!' Yuffie told herself.
"C'mon, Hannah. Your turn," exclaimed the student referee. A girl left the wall, pulling on her mask, as Yuffie retreated to the mall with her mask under one arm. She sighed, resting her back against the wall as she slid down to sit up against it.
"Wow, Yuffie, you're terrible!" exclaimed one of her classmates.
"Thanks for the support," sneered Yuffie, still trying to catch her breath.
"Sorry, but..." began a friend. "In the words of our Professor, 'you suck.'"
It was true. Right after Yuffie's Professor sent Riku, Sora, and Kairi to go stand outside of the school, he made Yuffie immediately square off against him in a battle. But after only a few seconds of clashing sword against sword, she fell and he succeeding. Then, after winning, he instructed her to get up and try again. This continued until the bell rang. It made Yuffie's stomach churn when she thought about how he made her fight him in front of everyone. Each time she lost, he pointed out the flaws. 'Move slow,' he would say. Suddenly, all of his words began to flood back.
'Never attack in anger.'
Yuffie's eyes drifted over to Professor Leon.
'Don't immediately go for the kill'
He was walking toward her, the ends of his hair swaying a bit.
'Don't hold the sword in two hands unless you're willing to stake you life on it'
Yuffie closed her eyes, hoping he wasn't coming for her.
'Never put your guard down.'
"Miss Kisaragi," spoke the cold, firm voice.
'Never put your back to your enemy'
Yuffie opened her eyes.
'There is no one else in the room but your opponent.'
Yuffie dragged her eyes from his feet...to his legs...to his chest....to his face.
'Never underestimated your opponent.'
"Yes, Professor Squall?" wondered Yuffie in a quiet voice.
'There is no one else in the room but your opponent.'
"It's Leon."
'Understood?'
"Get up."
Yuffie obeyed, rising to her feet. She took her helmet and slapped it on as she made her way to the floor where the line divided the two. This time, not everyone stopped to watch the master and the pupil play. No, this time, they were anonymous as Professor Leon placed another helmet on as well.
"Ready!" began the student referee.
They positioned themselves opposite of each other.
"Set? GO!" shouted the student referee, hyped up since their master was the one battling the worst swordswoman of their class.
'I don't want to fight him,' Yuffie whispered to herself, even in her thoughts. 'I'm hungry. Since Sora was grounded, he wasn't allowed to make our school lunches. I'm tired, too. We've been practicing all day.'
CLANG! CLANG! CLASH!
'I want out of here. I don't care anymore. I want to prove myself but..'
At that instant, Leon knocked the sword out of her hand and Yuffie onto her bum on the ground. He poked her with the tip of his sword.
"Where's your fighting spirit, Miss Kisaragi?" questioned her professor. He took the sword from the ground and handed it to her. "It seems to be stolen."
Yuffie coughed into her hand "Dick" as she took her sword. She stood onto her feet and they began again.
CLANG! CLANG! CLASH!
'I hate this. I hate swords. I hate fighting him this way,' Yuffie confessed in her brain. 'Why does he even bother with me? Why doesn't he persist the other students like he does with me? This is... it's unf-'
"Point! Professor!" exclaimed the referee pointing a finger to their professor. Yuffie stared at the tip of his sword pressed against her chest bow to her Professor. He released it and stepped back a few steps to his original place.
"You used to be so dependent on that spirit as if it were your skill," he explained, recalling to the absence of her fighting spirit he mentioned before.
"Ready? Begin!" exclaimed the referee once more.
CLANG! CLANG!
"Point! Professor!" exclaimed the referee, referring to the quick, painless stab Professor Leon made at Yuffie's chest again. She took off her helmet, breathing deeply.
"I don't know. I guess I'm tired of fighting this way," Yuffie confessed to her opponent. Yuffie placed her helmet back on, and turned her back to him.
"Then which way would you rather fight?" asked Professor Leon, flipping the point of his sword toward her.
"Ready? Begin!" exclaimed the referee.
"Like... THIS!" shouted Yuffie. In all one turning motion, she shot out the sword at Professor Leon like a ninja star. Before he could react, it struck through the metal wire mask.
For a moment or two, he was silent and motionless and so was Yuffie as she glared at him.
"Point! ....Yuffie?" wondered the Referee pointing to the girl on her left.
Instantly, it hit Yuffie. She had just scored a point for herself! And she almost killed her teacher! Wait, she almost....
Yuffie ripped off her mask, revealing an expression of complete concern.
"Oh, my god, I'm so sorry, Professor Squall!" Yuffie apologized as Leon straightened his stance to just standing as he tossed his sword onto the ground.
"It's Leon," he corrected her once more as he pulled off the mask gently with the sword still rammed through it. "Ow!"
"I'm really sorry! I- I don't know why I even did that!" exclaimed Yuffie, rushing to his side to help him. He pulled it off to reveal a wide cut across his left cheek. He ripped the sword out of his helmet and muttered a curse.
"Are you okay?" she asked, still overly concerned.
"I'm fine," he replied, softly glancing at her worried expression.
"I wanna help," she spoke, gathering the hem of her sleeve and digging her arm further back. She licked the hem of it that she wrapped around her thumb.
"No, really, it's fine," he replied louder, watching her attempt to wipe away the trickling blood.
"Shut up, ya big baby!" she snapped, frustrated. She grabbed the neck of his shirt to hold him down and delicately gathered the blood into her hem.
An awkward silence continued as Yuffie gather more sleeve to clean his cut. Yuffie felt a bit guilty for going nuts and attacking him the way she did. She shouldn't have. He wasn't being unusually mean to her - that's the way he always was. Wasn't he just trying to improve her skills? Wasn't that all he really wanted to do?
"Y'know, I'm really sorry," apologized Yuffie, yet again. She finished treating his wound.
"I know," he spoke in his usual cold tone. "But what is that style?"
Yuffie blinked, curiously as she stepped back. "Huh? Oh, you mean when I threw the sword? Oh, I'm just used to that! I'm a ninja so I can throw anything from stars to cards at a defined directed object accurately no matter how far away," she told him. Yuffie placed her hands on her hips, grinning boldly. "I'm the Best Female Ninja there is in miles!"
Professor Leon gazed at her, silently. Yuffie felt his unbelief. She sighed and picked up his sword.
"Well, yeah. I am a ninja. I'm used to ninjitsu and other martial arts, but...." she began, "my father never taught me anything like sword fighting. Probably, my best skill is ninja star throwing."
"That's how you struck the sword into the locker room wall," presumed Professor Leon, folding his arms over his chest. Yuffie twirled the sword a bit with her fingers.
"Uh-huh, it's not very hard if you think about it mathematically. It's those sort of habits that die hard," she explained. "It's possibly keeping me from mastering the sword technique you teach me, Professor."
"Not at all," spoke Professor. She snapped her gaze upward toward him. He shook his head to emphasis his reply. "I think the sword technique could improve both your ninjitsu, and your ninjitsu could improve your sword technique."
Professor Leon took his sword from her hand and placed the broken mask under his arm.
"That'll be all for today, Miss Kisaragi. However, tomorrow, I would like it if you'd come to school at Four PM. I know it's the weekend, and you might have other things planned, but I'd really like it if we-"
"I'd love to!" exclaimed Yuffie, excitedly. Professor was surprised by her abrupt answer and cleared his throat.
"Great. Then bring your ninjitsu equipment. We'll begin tutoring classes," declared Professor Leon. With that arranged and said, Professor Leon walked away.
"Tutoring classes...? Hmmm..." considered Yuffie, placing a finger on her chin. "This....this could be fun. Oh no! I forgot! I promised to go to a blitzball game with Hikari! Oh well, I don't think the lessons will last that long. Besides, she'll understand if I can't."
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I'd just like to mention I really enjoy writing this fanfiction, because I actually believe this could possibly happen in real life to different characters. Sure, I find it very confusing, but I'm just happy to find that other people don't think so or not as confusing as I do find it to be.
But, hey! I'd like to thank JoannaD for all of her support and alot of my friends for after begging them, actually read my fanfiction and don't diss it like my brother does. -=grumble grumble=- Yes, I am aware Leon is about eight years older than Yuffie, and in our world, that's pretty wide river to cross. But after reading a certain fanfic, I decided I shouldn't think that way. Y'know, where you think it's bad for someone to be almost a decade older than their soulmate, becuase if they truly love eachother, it's none of your damn business. It's the same with all races, sexes, and the religions. If two people really love eachother, despite sex, color, and belief, then nothing really matters.
I'd like it if some people would actually read this section of the chapter where I rant on and on about Kami knows what, because I think I'm actually making a point here this time. I mean, my philosophy could mean squat right now, because all I really care about is the coexistance of everyone. Now a days, I sense more and more hatred toward the Sora and Riku couple fanfictions and even more toward the "I hate Kairi" fanfictions where all that is done is bashing Kairi. Yes, I can understand how someone could despise the fiction of SoraxRiku and the insulting of Kairi as the bitch between the two boys. Yet, I can understand how someone could adore the couple of Sora/Riku and the hate one could express toward Kairi. But what I don't understand is how this happened. Yes, Kairi does like to play with the two boys heads, flirting with both of them, and not minding if they fight over her. That, I especially find odd to me that someone would enjoy seeing her loved ones fight over her. Not to mention, I've never liked the fact Kairi plays a princess. She should be the kind of girl who wants a say and part in everything and not stand in the background to be considered as a prize. Most girls find that revolting. Another reason, Kairi's kind, loveable, and "I'll always be loyal to you" sort of girl. That's why in the story it seems like Riku and Sora really want to be the one to be with Kairi forever because they both lack that nature to want to love everyone and not to fight. Yet, it was Kairi who seperated Riku and Sora alot. She brought distance between them the more the two developed feelings for her. I can't really say what Sora had that Riku didn't, because I'm not Kairi. All I know is, Riku's love turned out to be more of a brotherly love and Sora's turned out to be romantic, everlasting love. Then there's Riku and Sora. They're two boys. Who're rivals. Who talk about girls. Who fight over the last slice of pizza, the tv remote, and the girl they want to love. Yet, both know they should have a girl and the only girl they could ever be with is Kairi. Yet both know, they wouldn't want to spoil their friendship because of love. No, if both of them seperately had to make a choice between the other and Kairi, they'd choose their bestfriend. Why? Because their friendship is stronger to them, and someday, they might actually realize its more than friendship that it could either be brotherly love or rare love, the kind that only becomes stronger and stronger. But YAAAAAAAWWWWWWN, this is probbably boring the crap out of you, so I'll just let ya go. -=unhooks the bear trap=-
RAWR!!!
O_O oops. Actually bear, this time.
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Chapter 5. Makes you wonder; makes you think
"So why the Kareoke bars?" asked Sora, hands behind his head as he walked along with them down the sidewalks of Zanarkand.
"Well, I like going to Kareoke bars. It's fun to watch people sing and people mimmic the moves of the music artists," declared Hikari, smiling at him. Hikari led the two boys with a map in her hands, however, it confused her like the French Language. "Uhm, Sora? You don't happen to know any bars, do you?"
"Well, there is the one over there on Jagan Street," spoke Sora, pointing off north toward the corner of an intersection. Riku rolled his eyes as Hikari thanked his friend. They made their way to the cross road.
But just as they crossed the street -
"Hikari!" exclaimed Riku.
"Huh? Ah!" gasped Hikari as an arm wrapped her waist and gathered him into the seat of his motorcycle.
Hikari was kidnapped!!!!! (A/N: O_o How did this happen? Who would kidnap Hikari-chan?)
The kidnapper was helmeted, so his identity was unconfirmed, but Hikari, who was sitting so close to him, could see very clearly the golden, burning eyes behind the mask.
"Hikari!" shouted Riku running after the motorcycle down the street. Sora panicked. He searched his surrounding desperately to use something. A mechanic was prying open the hood of a truck with a pry bar.
"Sorry!" Sora quickly apologized as he snatched the bar as someone cried out after him. Holding the pry bar in one hand, Sora raced after Riku, hoping to catch up with him. But Riku was already reducing himself to other measures.
"Riku, wait up!" called out Sora. Riku glanced back at him as he seat himself onto the motorbike.
"Hurry up, Sora!" snapped Riku as Sora flipped a leg over the side and wrapped an arm around his neck.
"Hey! You can't just-!"
"WATCH ME!!" Riku shot back, and with that, he sped off, jolting Sora who was unready for the impact of Riku's speed. Luckily, the target was still in sight and so was Hikari and the kidnapper.
"Riku!" exclaimed Sora, clasping to Riku's body as he shut his eyes tightly.
"Sora! Do you have that pry bar!?" called out Riku above the winds of the traffic. Sora squinted his eyes open as he glanced down at the metal bar in his hand.
"Yeah! How'd ya know?!" demanded Sora, loudly.
"Nevermind that, just when we get close enough, jab the metal bar into one of his wheels!" instructed Riku. "But how are we going to rival his speed! He's too fast!" shouted Sora, in doubt they might ever rescue Hikari.
"Just TRUST ME!!" shouted Riku. Sora closed his eyes tightly, and moved his arm to wrap around Riku's waist.
"RIGHT!!" shouted Sora, holding tighter to Riku.
And with that, Riku purposely raced into the border walk, shocking Sora completely. Riku waved one arm for the obstacles in his way to move.
"MOVE! MOVE!!" shouted Riku, waving his right arm. People shrieked and squealed as they dodged out of the way of the speeding motor bike. They rode from the boarder walk to a six wheeler truck and with a boost of the bike, ripped over the unloading vehicles -
"SORA!" shouted Riku.
"ERRR- YAH!" Sora raised his head from Riku's back as he swung his arm and the bar back to strike below at the motorcycle.
He threw it.
It hit the kidnapper's bicep instead.
"AHH!" he yelped grabbing his bicep.
The motorcycle began to swerve. Hikari clung to her kidnapper, praying mentally. "Rih- RIKU!!" she shouted in fear.
"DAMN!" cursed Riku in frustration, fear, and anger.
"Riku!" shouted Sora in panic.
They flew off the top of the truck.
Riku rammed it against the kidnapper's motorcycle.
At those few seconds....
Sora reached over just as Hikari wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hikari!" Riku exclaimed, and with one foot, shoved the motorcycle away.
The two motorcycles separated off onto different roads: one onto the main highway - one into a highway, still being constructed. The motorcyclist, stopped abruptly, still clutching his bleeding wound. He took off his helmet to reveal silky black hair and the gleaming yellow eyes. He looked to be still in his high school years. He watched as his enemy, the protagonists, road away, holding his prize.
He said nothing.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Riku, stop here."
With that command, Riku slowed down as he pulled the motorcycle over to the side lane where they couldn't be run over. He shut it off, and Sora pulled Hikari and himself off. She clinged to Sora like a child to its mother.
Full of anxiety, worry, and fear, Riku desperately climbed off of the vehicle to Hikari. He placed his hand on her shaking body.
"Hikari?!" he demanded. Was she all right? Was she okay? Was she hurt at all? Was she scared? Was she-
Hikari pried her tear strain faced from Sora's chest to turn to Riku with a scared face of a little girl. Riku's feelings were instantly grazed by the hurt look. 'I'm the worst big brother in the world,' he told himself. 'Even if only by a few minutes, I'm the worst.' But then she smiled, despite the tears streaming from her eyes, Hikari smiled at her brother like he was light at the end of the tunnel.
"Riku!" she cried out as she immediately tackled her own brother, encircling her arms around his waist while she poured out her tears and fears. He stared, wide eyed and a bit surprised at first, then brought his arms around her and fled a hand through her hair.
"It's okay...it's okay...." he murmured to her to comfort her.
"No! No, it's not okay! I - I thought I was never going to see you again! Or mom or dad! Or even Sora and Yuffie! I was so scared......Riku... I was so scared.... that I'd never.... ever.... see you again.... Riku," Hikari began to mumble into his shirt as she started to stifle her tears. He kissed her silky, silver hair and rested his lips against her head. He gazed at Sora thoughtfully as he held his sister.
Some feet away, Sora stood hands tucked into his pockets, staring at the ground as if interested in it and rocking back and forth in his shoes. He looked to be.... sort of depressed to Riku. Maybe it was just the clouds shrouding the sun or maybe it was just his relieved thoughts but.... Riku could definitely tell that Sora was thinking.......about something sad.
Sora couldn't put his finger on it. He couldn't understand why he felt so lonely all of a sudden. For his whole life, he's had no other siblings. He's always been the only child. So why now, all of sudden, did he feel this annoying pain in his heart that he had no one to care for him and no one to care for? In his childhood memories....Sora was always alone. At home.
"Sora," spoke Riku, bringing Sora back to life. He turned to his friend.
"Yeah?" wondered Sora. The look upon Riku's face, this somber, sorrow, yet grateful expression, made Sora's heart beat a little bit faster. Then Riku smiled warmly.
"Thanks," Riku appreciated. Sora turned his head away, trying to hide his blush.
"Uhm, yeah. Y-You're welcome," explained Sora. "I think."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Y'know what? That silver haired girl isn't here today...."
CLANG! CLANG! CLASH!!
"UWAH!!" Yuffie cried out as she backwards onto her bum. The girl pressed the bend-able tip of her sword against her chest.
"POINT!! Melody!" exclaimed the girl standing in for referee. Melody stepped back, removing the tip of her sword from Yuffie's chest. The tip made no cut, because it was bruised down so that it wasn't sharper to hurt anyone.
Yuffie's chest rose and fell at her heavy breath. She pulled off her helmet as she stood up. 'I can't keep going on like this! I'll never be able to make a point for myself!' Yuffie told herself.
"C'mon, Hannah. Your turn," exclaimed the student referee. A girl left the wall, pulling on her mask, as Yuffie retreated to the mall with her mask under one arm. She sighed, resting her back against the wall as she slid down to sit up against it.
"Wow, Yuffie, you're terrible!" exclaimed one of her classmates.
"Thanks for the support," sneered Yuffie, still trying to catch her breath.
"Sorry, but..." began a friend. "In the words of our Professor, 'you suck.'"
It was true. Right after Yuffie's Professor sent Riku, Sora, and Kairi to go stand outside of the school, he made Yuffie immediately square off against him in a battle. But after only a few seconds of clashing sword against sword, she fell and he succeeding. Then, after winning, he instructed her to get up and try again. This continued until the bell rang. It made Yuffie's stomach churn when she thought about how he made her fight him in front of everyone. Each time she lost, he pointed out the flaws. 'Move slow,' he would say. Suddenly, all of his words began to flood back.
'Never attack in anger.'
Yuffie's eyes drifted over to Professor Leon.
'Don't immediately go for the kill'
He was walking toward her, the ends of his hair swaying a bit.
'Don't hold the sword in two hands unless you're willing to stake you life on it'
Yuffie closed her eyes, hoping he wasn't coming for her.
'Never put your guard down.'
"Miss Kisaragi," spoke the cold, firm voice.
'Never put your back to your enemy'
Yuffie opened her eyes.
'There is no one else in the room but your opponent.'
Yuffie dragged her eyes from his feet...to his legs...to his chest....to his face.
'Never underestimated your opponent.'
"Yes, Professor Squall?" wondered Yuffie in a quiet voice.
'There is no one else in the room but your opponent.'
"It's Leon."
'Understood?'
"Get up."
Yuffie obeyed, rising to her feet. She took her helmet and slapped it on as she made her way to the floor where the line divided the two. This time, not everyone stopped to watch the master and the pupil play. No, this time, they were anonymous as Professor Leon placed another helmet on as well.
"Ready!" began the student referee.
They positioned themselves opposite of each other.
"Set? GO!" shouted the student referee, hyped up since their master was the one battling the worst swordswoman of their class.
'I don't want to fight him,' Yuffie whispered to herself, even in her thoughts. 'I'm hungry. Since Sora was grounded, he wasn't allowed to make our school lunches. I'm tired, too. We've been practicing all day.'
CLANG! CLANG! CLASH!
'I want out of here. I don't care anymore. I want to prove myself but..'
At that instant, Leon knocked the sword out of her hand and Yuffie onto her bum on the ground. He poked her with the tip of his sword.
"Where's your fighting spirit, Miss Kisaragi?" questioned her professor. He took the sword from the ground and handed it to her. "It seems to be stolen."
Yuffie coughed into her hand "Dick" as she took her sword. She stood onto her feet and they began again.
CLANG! CLANG! CLASH!
'I hate this. I hate swords. I hate fighting him this way,' Yuffie confessed in her brain. 'Why does he even bother with me? Why doesn't he persist the other students like he does with me? This is... it's unf-'
"Point! Professor!" exclaimed the referee pointing a finger to their professor. Yuffie stared at the tip of his sword pressed against her chest bow to her Professor. He released it and stepped back a few steps to his original place.
"You used to be so dependent on that spirit as if it were your skill," he explained, recalling to the absence of her fighting spirit he mentioned before.
"Ready? Begin!" exclaimed the referee once more.
CLANG! CLANG!
"Point! Professor!" exclaimed the referee, referring to the quick, painless stab Professor Leon made at Yuffie's chest again. She took off her helmet, breathing deeply.
"I don't know. I guess I'm tired of fighting this way," Yuffie confessed to her opponent. Yuffie placed her helmet back on, and turned her back to him.
"Then which way would you rather fight?" asked Professor Leon, flipping the point of his sword toward her.
"Ready? Begin!" exclaimed the referee.
"Like... THIS!" shouted Yuffie. In all one turning motion, she shot out the sword at Professor Leon like a ninja star. Before he could react, it struck through the metal wire mask.
For a moment or two, he was silent and motionless and so was Yuffie as she glared at him.
"Point! ....Yuffie?" wondered the Referee pointing to the girl on her left.
Instantly, it hit Yuffie. She had just scored a point for herself! And she almost killed her teacher! Wait, she almost....
Yuffie ripped off her mask, revealing an expression of complete concern.
"Oh, my god, I'm so sorry, Professor Squall!" Yuffie apologized as Leon straightened his stance to just standing as he tossed his sword onto the ground.
"It's Leon," he corrected her once more as he pulled off the mask gently with the sword still rammed through it. "Ow!"
"I'm really sorry! I- I don't know why I even did that!" exclaimed Yuffie, rushing to his side to help him. He pulled it off to reveal a wide cut across his left cheek. He ripped the sword out of his helmet and muttered a curse.
"Are you okay?" she asked, still overly concerned.
"I'm fine," he replied, softly glancing at her worried expression.
"I wanna help," she spoke, gathering the hem of her sleeve and digging her arm further back. She licked the hem of it that she wrapped around her thumb.
"No, really, it's fine," he replied louder, watching her attempt to wipe away the trickling blood.
"Shut up, ya big baby!" she snapped, frustrated. She grabbed the neck of his shirt to hold him down and delicately gathered the blood into her hem.
An awkward silence continued as Yuffie gather more sleeve to clean his cut. Yuffie felt a bit guilty for going nuts and attacking him the way she did. She shouldn't have. He wasn't being unusually mean to her - that's the way he always was. Wasn't he just trying to improve her skills? Wasn't that all he really wanted to do?
"Y'know, I'm really sorry," apologized Yuffie, yet again. She finished treating his wound.
"I know," he spoke in his usual cold tone. "But what is that style?"
Yuffie blinked, curiously as she stepped back. "Huh? Oh, you mean when I threw the sword? Oh, I'm just used to that! I'm a ninja so I can throw anything from stars to cards at a defined directed object accurately no matter how far away," she told him. Yuffie placed her hands on her hips, grinning boldly. "I'm the Best Female Ninja there is in miles!"
Professor Leon gazed at her, silently. Yuffie felt his unbelief. She sighed and picked up his sword.
"Well, yeah. I am a ninja. I'm used to ninjitsu and other martial arts, but...." she began, "my father never taught me anything like sword fighting. Probably, my best skill is ninja star throwing."
"That's how you struck the sword into the locker room wall," presumed Professor Leon, folding his arms over his chest. Yuffie twirled the sword a bit with her fingers.
"Uh-huh, it's not very hard if you think about it mathematically. It's those sort of habits that die hard," she explained. "It's possibly keeping me from mastering the sword technique you teach me, Professor."
"Not at all," spoke Professor. She snapped her gaze upward toward him. He shook his head to emphasis his reply. "I think the sword technique could improve both your ninjitsu, and your ninjitsu could improve your sword technique."
Professor Leon took his sword from her hand and placed the broken mask under his arm.
"That'll be all for today, Miss Kisaragi. However, tomorrow, I would like it if you'd come to school at Four PM. I know it's the weekend, and you might have other things planned, but I'd really like it if we-"
"I'd love to!" exclaimed Yuffie, excitedly. Professor was surprised by her abrupt answer and cleared his throat.
"Great. Then bring your ninjitsu equipment. We'll begin tutoring classes," declared Professor Leon. With that arranged and said, Professor Leon walked away.
"Tutoring classes...? Hmmm..." considered Yuffie, placing a finger on her chin. "This....this could be fun. Oh no! I forgot! I promised to go to a blitzball game with Hikari! Oh well, I don't think the lessons will last that long. Besides, she'll understand if I can't."
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