Chapter 3: The first memory
Astar was a little shaken up by her meeting with Riku. Unlike the islands other occupants he had been openly aggressive and it scared her slightly. But Kairi reassured her that Riku was always like that, and she let it go.
It was a bright afternoon when the boys finally managed to get a good catch. Sora ran into the shady patch under the trees where the three girls were sitting carrying six large fish.
"Hey Guys! Look!" He called as he ran towards them, "we can have a beach barbecue tonight!"
"Alright!" Selphie jumped up, "Whoo-hoo! We gotta get some other stuff though."
They all walked out onto the beach where the three others were waiting.
"Okay", said Kairi, "If the boys do a bit more fishing, Selphie and I'll start the fire and Riku and Astar get coconuts, mushrooms and stuff. Riku knows where to look." she added to Astar as an afterthought.
Riku and Astar set off towards the coconut trees. Riku pulled out his wooden sword.
"What's that?" asked Astar.
"This?" Riku looked at his sword, "It's sword"
"Sword" Said Astar, very quietly. It stirred a memory somewhere inside her, she knew.something.but she couldn't think, her brow furrowed in concentration, eyes half closed.
"What are you doing?" Riku's question interrupted her, "No time for mucking around."
He struck the tree several times, resulting in two ripe coconuts.
"Can I try?"
"Sure" He handed her the sword, and after several unfruitful attempts, Astar managed a single ripe coconut.
"That'll do for now, let's get the other stuff."
The pair spent the afternoon collecting fruit and eggs, many trips back to dump it all by the beach where Kairi and Selphie were coaxing the flames into life.
The silence between them was uneasy, and Astar kept catching him watching her. It didn't make her anymore comfortable in his presence.
They were walking back up to the beach with the last armload of stuff when Riku dumped his load in her arms and shinned up the paupau tree, grabbing a bunch of the yellow fruits as he did so.
"What are they?"
"Paupau fruits, they grow all year round on the island."
*
They sat around after the barbecue for a long time, chatting idly and eating the remainder of the fruit.
Astar was almost full. She took the last remaining paupau fruit and spilt it down the middle.
"Anyone want the other half? Riku?"
Riku stared at her. Kairi smiled.
"Astar, there's a legend about paupau fruit," the other girl said, "If you share one with a person your hearts and destinies will be entwined forever."
Astar looked at the fruit in her hand to Riku and back again.
"Oh. Sorry." She put the second half on the plate and lay back against the rock, munching her bit.
"Look!" Said Tidus, breaking the silence, "Fireflies!"
"Come on Astar!" the six younger kids got up and moved away chasing the little lights, "Aren't you coming Riku?"
"Be there in a minute." He watched them run off, then his eyes strayed down to the remaining half of Astar's paupau fruit.
-Tempting- Riku gave himself a mental shake -What the hell are you thinking Riku? You're losing it- Slowly he went to join the others up by the water fall.
Tidus and Sora were training again, Astar watching in total fascination. Her eyes were fixed on the two wooden blades as they struck back and forth. Riku could have sworn he saw a little blue glow around her outline.
-You really have lost it-
For Astar, the world went suddenly dark. In her kind she could see, feel the shaking beneath her feet, people running everywhere, buildings falling, screams, her own voice crying out a word she had almost forgotten.
"Mother!"
Her shout made the others stand still.
"Astar are you okay?"
"What's wrong?"
The girl was glowing blue.
"Sword" she whispered. A soft breeze came out of nowhere blowing her hair and making her skirt ripple. Blue light flashed and flickered between her hands, forming the shape of a thin crystal sword.
"Wow!"
"Astar that's amazing!"
The young girl turned, her eyes straying to Riku's face.
"I remembered."
Astar was a little shaken up by her meeting with Riku. Unlike the islands other occupants he had been openly aggressive and it scared her slightly. But Kairi reassured her that Riku was always like that, and she let it go.
It was a bright afternoon when the boys finally managed to get a good catch. Sora ran into the shady patch under the trees where the three girls were sitting carrying six large fish.
"Hey Guys! Look!" He called as he ran towards them, "we can have a beach barbecue tonight!"
"Alright!" Selphie jumped up, "Whoo-hoo! We gotta get some other stuff though."
They all walked out onto the beach where the three others were waiting.
"Okay", said Kairi, "If the boys do a bit more fishing, Selphie and I'll start the fire and Riku and Astar get coconuts, mushrooms and stuff. Riku knows where to look." she added to Astar as an afterthought.
Riku and Astar set off towards the coconut trees. Riku pulled out his wooden sword.
"What's that?" asked Astar.
"This?" Riku looked at his sword, "It's sword"
"Sword" Said Astar, very quietly. It stirred a memory somewhere inside her, she knew.something.but she couldn't think, her brow furrowed in concentration, eyes half closed.
"What are you doing?" Riku's question interrupted her, "No time for mucking around."
He struck the tree several times, resulting in two ripe coconuts.
"Can I try?"
"Sure" He handed her the sword, and after several unfruitful attempts, Astar managed a single ripe coconut.
"That'll do for now, let's get the other stuff."
The pair spent the afternoon collecting fruit and eggs, many trips back to dump it all by the beach where Kairi and Selphie were coaxing the flames into life.
The silence between them was uneasy, and Astar kept catching him watching her. It didn't make her anymore comfortable in his presence.
They were walking back up to the beach with the last armload of stuff when Riku dumped his load in her arms and shinned up the paupau tree, grabbing a bunch of the yellow fruits as he did so.
"What are they?"
"Paupau fruits, they grow all year round on the island."
*
They sat around after the barbecue for a long time, chatting idly and eating the remainder of the fruit.
Astar was almost full. She took the last remaining paupau fruit and spilt it down the middle.
"Anyone want the other half? Riku?"
Riku stared at her. Kairi smiled.
"Astar, there's a legend about paupau fruit," the other girl said, "If you share one with a person your hearts and destinies will be entwined forever."
Astar looked at the fruit in her hand to Riku and back again.
"Oh. Sorry." She put the second half on the plate and lay back against the rock, munching her bit.
"Look!" Said Tidus, breaking the silence, "Fireflies!"
"Come on Astar!" the six younger kids got up and moved away chasing the little lights, "Aren't you coming Riku?"
"Be there in a minute." He watched them run off, then his eyes strayed down to the remaining half of Astar's paupau fruit.
-Tempting- Riku gave himself a mental shake -What the hell are you thinking Riku? You're losing it- Slowly he went to join the others up by the water fall.
Tidus and Sora were training again, Astar watching in total fascination. Her eyes were fixed on the two wooden blades as they struck back and forth. Riku could have sworn he saw a little blue glow around her outline.
-You really have lost it-
For Astar, the world went suddenly dark. In her kind she could see, feel the shaking beneath her feet, people running everywhere, buildings falling, screams, her own voice crying out a word she had almost forgotten.
"Mother!"
Her shout made the others stand still.
"Astar are you okay?"
"What's wrong?"
The girl was glowing blue.
"Sword" she whispered. A soft breeze came out of nowhere blowing her hair and making her skirt ripple. Blue light flashed and flickered between her hands, forming the shape of a thin crystal sword.
"Wow!"
"Astar that's amazing!"
The young girl turned, her eyes straying to Riku's face.
"I remembered."