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Not until about a week later did Sora find us. We were both on edge because of each other, but we had gotten quite used to it. Sora spotted me and yelled. "Hey, Tuni, over here!!" My heart jumped as I heard his voice, and I raised my head up and beamed. I hurried over to him and flung my arms around his neck. He patted my back and said, "Where have you been?" "Waiting for you!" I replied happily. Riku strutted over next to me and gave Sora a 'hey'. "Geez, dude, you look like you've been crying. you okay?" I looked at Riku, and was shocked when I realized Sora wasn't lying. The look on my face faded in shame and I felt sorry for myself. I had been a b***h lately, and I didn't know why. Usually, Riku and I got along fine. But this past week had been hell. "Sorry." I mumbled, under my breath. Only Riku heard me, and he felt sorry for himself too. Anyway, Sora invited us along to look for Kairi, but a loud duck and a tall, stupid dog argued with him. Riku was very annoyed by this setup and walked away, with no notice from Sora. I followed. Sora wandered into a small house a little way away from where he had just been, and started talking to some people inside. I suggested to Riku that we go in and talk, but he said "No" in a cold tone and retreated. Just then, a tall woman in a cape and oddly horned headdress appeared out of absolutely nowhere. I instinctively moved behind Riku and he stood up straighter and more boldly. The woman glided over to us, and said, "Look at that. He's abandoned the both of you and found new friends. What will you two do now, I wonder?" She was smiling evilly at us, and I made myself as small and inconspicuous as I could possibly have gotten. Riku replied, very strongly, "We are going with him, as soon as he drops the duck and dog. Right, Tunika?" He arched his neck around to look at me, and I nodded. The witch retorted with "I don't think I will allow that to happen. Come, join me and you shall possess power greater than any you could imagine!" She held her hand up in a claw-like manner as she said this and it creeped me out. I unknowingly clutched at Riku's arm for protection, and he didn't acknowledge it. "Sorry, wench, but we're fine the way we are." Riku glared at her, and the wicked grin fell from her face. Her freaky yellow-green eyes fell upon me and she responded with "Hm. How would you feel if I took your little girlfriend?" With one swift movement, she had me by the throat and I was dangling in midair, gasping for breath. Riku's eyes widened and he tried in vain to rescue me from the immorality of the sorceress. He let out a breath and I saw tears forming at the corners of his eyes. He had been defeated. And it was my fault. "Just-t g-go." I rasped. She tightened her clawed death-grip on my throat and I felt blood rushing to my face. "." Riku stood still. He hung his head and softly whispered, " I cannot." "Ri...ku." I tried to reach my hand out but the lack of oxygen overpowered me and I fainted. Just as I lost consciousness, I felt myself hit the stones and. did someone try to catch me?
About two hours later, I awoke in a large, stone-walled room. I was lying on a bed, with red satin sheets flowing all around me. Riku lifted his head and his eyes immediately brightened. He crawled over to me and said, "I'm so glad you're okay. I thought she'd killed you for a minute there." This surprised me, but I retorted," Careful, Riku, your libido is showing." I laughed, and his face just fell, and he sighed. "Yep, back to normal. I wish she had at least knocked some compassion into you." I furrowed my eyebrows and said "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" I pouted and further narrowed my eyes, and he chuckled. I tackled him, and he sent me flying off the end of the bed. He was laughing as he poked his head over the side of the bed to see me sprawled out on the floor in pain, which in turn made him laugh even harder. "Not ~ow~ funny, Riku." I got to my feet and sat down on the end of the bed. He slid up next to me, lying on his side, and I used his head for an armrest. "He-ey, get off." He pushed my arm off his head with a small snort and I was smiling at him. He sat up beside me and scratched his neck. "You know. uhm." he rouged, and I was looking at him with anticipation. "I. uhh. well." "Spit it out, Riku." "." "Come on." "..." I sighed and hung my head. "I was really worried about you when she had you by the throat." I looked at him, and his expression was serious. "Really?" He nodded and turned a most brilliant shade of scarlet. "I didn't think you gave a crap about me at all anymore." He looked at me and smiled gently. "Well. I do." I joined him in blushing, and at that moment a peculiar little creature appeared in the doorway. It was carrying a tray with two complete meals on it. The little animal was orange, with red on its face and tail. It had cream-colored fur on its chest and paws, and big black claws. It walked over and I looked right into its sad-looking yellow eyes. It offered the tray and I took it. "Thanks, little guy." I said in a voice dripping with the sweetest substance you can imagine. He looked at me and made the cutest noise. I slowly brought my hand toward his head, and he sniffed me, but then gestured that it was okay to pet him. I scratched above his ears and his foot started thumping. I giggled, and Riku 'hem hem'-ed. The small creature bowed deeply, and scooted out of the room and down the hall. I shot a stern look at Riku. "You scared him away, you jerk!" Riku raised an eyebrow. "Tuni, he brought our food. He's a SERVANT. You don't make friends with servants." I looked at the silver tray with steaming food on it, and replied "I make friends with whomever I please, sir, and if you try to interfere you aren't a very good friend yourself." "Well, MADAM, you obviously don't have many friends if you pet a moomba." Ouch. That one hurt. I turned away from him and a tear rolled down my cheek. "You're absolutely right. I don't have very many friends. Most of them are just people who feel sorry for me, the loser who pets moombas." I shot him a look, filled with tears, and his heart struck bottom. "I. I didn't mean it like." He trailed off, and put a hand on my shoulder. I sniffed, and looked at his hand. I glanced at his face, and he was almost crying himself. "The reason I bicker with you all the time is. well. I'm sort of jealous. You're the perfect girl, you know, all friendly and cheerful, everybody LOVES you. I have three close friends and the rest of the people all think I'm a self-centered freak who could care less if everybody died." I looked at him and I answered, "Well, aren't you?" He closed his eyes and smiled. "No. You probably wouldn't believe me, but. I'm really a sensitive guy who." He sighed heavily. "I'm just lonely." He let his hand fall from my shoulder and I felt sorry for him. Ashamed with myself, I handed him his dinner. We ate in silence, and didn't talk for a long while afterward. When I was about to turn the lights out, he popped up behind me and hugged me. I squeaked with surprise and turned around to look at him. He was crying with his head down, and I leaned into him to comfort him. He flicked the light switch off.
Not until about a week later did Sora find us. We were both on edge because of each other, but we had gotten quite used to it. Sora spotted me and yelled. "Hey, Tuni, over here!!" My heart jumped as I heard his voice, and I raised my head up and beamed. I hurried over to him and flung my arms around his neck. He patted my back and said, "Where have you been?" "Waiting for you!" I replied happily. Riku strutted over next to me and gave Sora a 'hey'. "Geez, dude, you look like you've been crying. you okay?" I looked at Riku, and was shocked when I realized Sora wasn't lying. The look on my face faded in shame and I felt sorry for myself. I had been a b***h lately, and I didn't know why. Usually, Riku and I got along fine. But this past week had been hell. "Sorry." I mumbled, under my breath. Only Riku heard me, and he felt sorry for himself too. Anyway, Sora invited us along to look for Kairi, but a loud duck and a tall, stupid dog argued with him. Riku was very annoyed by this setup and walked away, with no notice from Sora. I followed. Sora wandered into a small house a little way away from where he had just been, and started talking to some people inside. I suggested to Riku that we go in and talk, but he said "No" in a cold tone and retreated. Just then, a tall woman in a cape and oddly horned headdress appeared out of absolutely nowhere. I instinctively moved behind Riku and he stood up straighter and more boldly. The woman glided over to us, and said, "Look at that. He's abandoned the both of you and found new friends. What will you two do now, I wonder?" She was smiling evilly at us, and I made myself as small and inconspicuous as I could possibly have gotten. Riku replied, very strongly, "We are going with him, as soon as he drops the duck and dog. Right, Tunika?" He arched his neck around to look at me, and I nodded. The witch retorted with "I don't think I will allow that to happen. Come, join me and you shall possess power greater than any you could imagine!" She held her hand up in a claw-like manner as she said this and it creeped me out. I unknowingly clutched at Riku's arm for protection, and he didn't acknowledge it. "Sorry, wench, but we're fine the way we are." Riku glared at her, and the wicked grin fell from her face. Her freaky yellow-green eyes fell upon me and she responded with "Hm. How would you feel if I took your little girlfriend?" With one swift movement, she had me by the throat and I was dangling in midair, gasping for breath. Riku's eyes widened and he tried in vain to rescue me from the immorality of the sorceress. He let out a breath and I saw tears forming at the corners of his eyes. He had been defeated. And it was my fault. "Just-t g-go." I rasped. She tightened her clawed death-grip on my throat and I felt blood rushing to my face. "." Riku stood still. He hung his head and softly whispered, " I cannot." "Ri...ku." I tried to reach my hand out but the lack of oxygen overpowered me and I fainted. Just as I lost consciousness, I felt myself hit the stones and. did someone try to catch me?
About two hours later, I awoke in a large, stone-walled room. I was lying on a bed, with red satin sheets flowing all around me. Riku lifted his head and his eyes immediately brightened. He crawled over to me and said, "I'm so glad you're okay. I thought she'd killed you for a minute there." This surprised me, but I retorted," Careful, Riku, your libido is showing." I laughed, and his face just fell, and he sighed. "Yep, back to normal. I wish she had at least knocked some compassion into you." I furrowed my eyebrows and said "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" I pouted and further narrowed my eyes, and he chuckled. I tackled him, and he sent me flying off the end of the bed. He was laughing as he poked his head over the side of the bed to see me sprawled out on the floor in pain, which in turn made him laugh even harder. "Not ~ow~ funny, Riku." I got to my feet and sat down on the end of the bed. He slid up next to me, lying on his side, and I used his head for an armrest. "He-ey, get off." He pushed my arm off his head with a small snort and I was smiling at him. He sat up beside me and scratched his neck. "You know. uhm." he rouged, and I was looking at him with anticipation. "I. uhh. well." "Spit it out, Riku." "." "Come on." "..." I sighed and hung my head. "I was really worried about you when she had you by the throat." I looked at him, and his expression was serious. "Really?" He nodded and turned a most brilliant shade of scarlet. "I didn't think you gave a crap about me at all anymore." He looked at me and smiled gently. "Well. I do." I joined him in blushing, and at that moment a peculiar little creature appeared in the doorway. It was carrying a tray with two complete meals on it. The little animal was orange, with red on its face and tail. It had cream-colored fur on its chest and paws, and big black claws. It walked over and I looked right into its sad-looking yellow eyes. It offered the tray and I took it. "Thanks, little guy." I said in a voice dripping with the sweetest substance you can imagine. He looked at me and made the cutest noise. I slowly brought my hand toward his head, and he sniffed me, but then gestured that it was okay to pet him. I scratched above his ears and his foot started thumping. I giggled, and Riku 'hem hem'-ed. The small creature bowed deeply, and scooted out of the room and down the hall. I shot a stern look at Riku. "You scared him away, you jerk!" Riku raised an eyebrow. "Tuni, he brought our food. He's a SERVANT. You don't make friends with servants." I looked at the silver tray with steaming food on it, and replied "I make friends with whomever I please, sir, and if you try to interfere you aren't a very good friend yourself." "Well, MADAM, you obviously don't have many friends if you pet a moomba." Ouch. That one hurt. I turned away from him and a tear rolled down my cheek. "You're absolutely right. I don't have very many friends. Most of them are just people who feel sorry for me, the loser who pets moombas." I shot him a look, filled with tears, and his heart struck bottom. "I. I didn't mean it like." He trailed off, and put a hand on my shoulder. I sniffed, and looked at his hand. I glanced at his face, and he was almost crying himself. "The reason I bicker with you all the time is. well. I'm sort of jealous. You're the perfect girl, you know, all friendly and cheerful, everybody LOVES you. I have three close friends and the rest of the people all think I'm a self-centered freak who could care less if everybody died." I looked at him and I answered, "Well, aren't you?" He closed his eyes and smiled. "No. You probably wouldn't believe me, but. I'm really a sensitive guy who." He sighed heavily. "I'm just lonely." He let his hand fall from my shoulder and I felt sorry for him. Ashamed with myself, I handed him his dinner. We ate in silence, and didn't talk for a long while afterward. When I was about to turn the lights out, he popped up behind me and hugged me. I squeaked with surprise and turned around to look at him. He was crying with his head down, and I leaned into him to comfort him. He flicked the light switch off.