Chapter 2: The visitor
The girl opened her eyes. It was morning, judging by the low angle of the bright sunlight streaming through the open door beside her. She was lying on her back, and above her was a face. A different face. Not that other one.the one before.
"Hi! It's good to see you awake at last." The speaker was the same age as the blue haired girl. She had short reddish brown hair and wide turquoise eyes. She was smiling.
"How are you feeling?"
The girl was exhausted, so she signed that her head hurt. To her surprise the other girl didn't look at her hands or seemed to comprehend.
"You must be tired. Here, "she helped the girl sit up and handed her a glass of water, "Drink this."
"Thank you" said the blue haired girl, signing as she spoke. Again the other didn't notice.
"I'm Kairi. What's your name?" The girl's hands lay in her lap as she spoke.
"K-k-kai." She couldn't understand the new word. "Spell it."
"K-A-I-R-"
"What?" Signed the first girl, "I don't understand" This time the second girl noticed the signs.
"Why are you moving your hands?"
"We speak this way. Our people speak with our hands and our mouths"
"Oh. My name is Kairi." Kairi said her name slowly so the other could catch the syllables.
"Kai-rai?"
"Kairi"
"Kairi!"
"See you got it!" Exclaimed Kairi, "What's your name?" "My name is Astar" the blue haired girl said, signing as she spoke, "Where are we?"
"This is Destiny Islands"
"Where?"
"Our home. Where is your home Astar?"
"I-I don't remember"
The pair were quite for a second.
"Hey you're awake!" It was Sora, fresh out of the sea and grinning broadly, "Man you scared us falling like that."
"Who is this boy?" Asked Astar.
"I'm Sora!"
"He lives here too," Explained Kairi, she traced the letters of Sora's name on the other girls hand. "S-O-R-A" She said.
"Sora" Said Astar, making other patterns with her fingers as she spoke.
*
Over the next few days Astar meet Tidus Selphie and Wakka, whose double 'k' cause much hassle when spelling things out for Astar. Much questioning revealed that she remembered nothing, other than waking up on Destiny Islands.
Kairi and Astar were sitting inside on the latter's bed.
"So I fell from the sky?"
"Yes. If Riku hadn't caught you I'm not sure we would have got to you in time."
"What's a Riku?" asked Astar, getting the pronunciation wrong.
Kairi laughed. "Riku's a boy, he lives here on the Islands with us too."
"I should thank him," said Astar, "He saved my life."
"He'll be outside. Say, you're strong enough to take a walk? I'll take you round the island!"
Kairi took Astar all round the island, showing here the racecourse, the boys fishing attempt, the coconut trees and the waterfall. Astar though everything was amazing, she'd never seen anything like it.
"Where is Riku?"
"He'll be sitting on the Paupau tree, he spends a lot of time there, it odd really." Paupau, that was another word that had caused trouble.
Sure enough, Riku's half dressed form was lying along the long trunk of the paupau, looking out to sea.
"Hey Riku!" called Kairi, "You've got a visitor!"
He turned at his name, and his eyes locked on Astar. Pale mauve met bright blue concentric circles and held. Slowly, without breaking his gaze, Riku turned round and slipped off the tree, coming towards them.
Kairi watched the positions of the two, Riku, his feet apart, broud shoulders up and back, arms ready at his sides, defensive. And Astar, looking almost level at him, hands by her sides, her brow furrowed in nervousness.
"Hi."
Astar broke their gaze, bowing to him. "Thank you for saving me" She straightened and her hand moved over the air between them, drawing a pattern in the air. Riku grabbed her wrist sharply.
"What are you doing?!"
Astar looked up, only slightly, at him, fear obvious in her eyes.
"I was asking the spirits to protect to in my thanks."
Riku sneered.
"I don't need spirits." He let go of her and lifted himself up onto the paupau tree. "It was nice seeing you Kairi, you can go now."
Astar watched the back of the motionless boy as Kairi pulled her away.
The girl opened her eyes. It was morning, judging by the low angle of the bright sunlight streaming through the open door beside her. She was lying on her back, and above her was a face. A different face. Not that other one.the one before.
"Hi! It's good to see you awake at last." The speaker was the same age as the blue haired girl. She had short reddish brown hair and wide turquoise eyes. She was smiling.
"How are you feeling?"
The girl was exhausted, so she signed that her head hurt. To her surprise the other girl didn't look at her hands or seemed to comprehend.
"You must be tired. Here, "she helped the girl sit up and handed her a glass of water, "Drink this."
"Thank you" said the blue haired girl, signing as she spoke. Again the other didn't notice.
"I'm Kairi. What's your name?" The girl's hands lay in her lap as she spoke.
"K-k-kai." She couldn't understand the new word. "Spell it."
"K-A-I-R-"
"What?" Signed the first girl, "I don't understand" This time the second girl noticed the signs.
"Why are you moving your hands?"
"We speak this way. Our people speak with our hands and our mouths"
"Oh. My name is Kairi." Kairi said her name slowly so the other could catch the syllables.
"Kai-rai?"
"Kairi"
"Kairi!"
"See you got it!" Exclaimed Kairi, "What's your name?" "My name is Astar" the blue haired girl said, signing as she spoke, "Where are we?"
"This is Destiny Islands"
"Where?"
"Our home. Where is your home Astar?"
"I-I don't remember"
The pair were quite for a second.
"Hey you're awake!" It was Sora, fresh out of the sea and grinning broadly, "Man you scared us falling like that."
"Who is this boy?" Asked Astar.
"I'm Sora!"
"He lives here too," Explained Kairi, she traced the letters of Sora's name on the other girls hand. "S-O-R-A" She said.
"Sora" Said Astar, making other patterns with her fingers as she spoke.
*
Over the next few days Astar meet Tidus Selphie and Wakka, whose double 'k' cause much hassle when spelling things out for Astar. Much questioning revealed that she remembered nothing, other than waking up on Destiny Islands.
Kairi and Astar were sitting inside on the latter's bed.
"So I fell from the sky?"
"Yes. If Riku hadn't caught you I'm not sure we would have got to you in time."
"What's a Riku?" asked Astar, getting the pronunciation wrong.
Kairi laughed. "Riku's a boy, he lives here on the Islands with us too."
"I should thank him," said Astar, "He saved my life."
"He'll be outside. Say, you're strong enough to take a walk? I'll take you round the island!"
Kairi took Astar all round the island, showing here the racecourse, the boys fishing attempt, the coconut trees and the waterfall. Astar though everything was amazing, she'd never seen anything like it.
"Where is Riku?"
"He'll be sitting on the Paupau tree, he spends a lot of time there, it odd really." Paupau, that was another word that had caused trouble.
Sure enough, Riku's half dressed form was lying along the long trunk of the paupau, looking out to sea.
"Hey Riku!" called Kairi, "You've got a visitor!"
He turned at his name, and his eyes locked on Astar. Pale mauve met bright blue concentric circles and held. Slowly, without breaking his gaze, Riku turned round and slipped off the tree, coming towards them.
Kairi watched the positions of the two, Riku, his feet apart, broud shoulders up and back, arms ready at his sides, defensive. And Astar, looking almost level at him, hands by her sides, her brow furrowed in nervousness.
"Hi."
Astar broke their gaze, bowing to him. "Thank you for saving me" She straightened and her hand moved over the air between them, drawing a pattern in the air. Riku grabbed her wrist sharply.
"What are you doing?!"
Astar looked up, only slightly, at him, fear obvious in her eyes.
"I was asking the spirits to protect to in my thanks."
Riku sneered.
"I don't need spirits." He let go of her and lifted himself up onto the paupau tree. "It was nice seeing you Kairi, you can go now."
Astar watched the back of the motionless boy as Kairi pulled her away.