Chapter 4: Old clothes, new clothes
Astar sat on the dock. It was early morning and she had now been on the island for 9 days. In the four days since she had first called the sword to her, Astar had learnt to call other weapons, such as staves, staffs and a pair of rings in to existence. She was also learning how to use them, practicing late at night when everyone else had gone to bed.
The young girl sighed and looked down at herself. 9 days of sun, sea and sand had taken their toll. Her once glossy hair was thin and dry, her skin tanning a nice brown, and her deep purple dress, faded, water-stained, grass-stained, and looking more than a little worse for wear.
-I need a shower- she thought to herself, and jumped up to go find Kairi.
*
Kairi and Selphie had her in a hot bath faster than blinking and spent a long time washing Astar's hair for her. Once they were finally done, Astar was wrapped up in a big fluffy towel.
"What are we gonna do about your dress?" asked Selphie plaintively.
"You're so tall," sighed Kairi, "None of our stuff will fit you."
"We could make her some!"
"Yeah, but she can't stay like that 'til we do! You're even taller than Sora, Tidus and Wakka so you can't even borrow theirs."
The three girls were silent for a second.
"I know!" Exclaimed Selphie, "You can borrow some of Riku's!"
"What! No! He'd never let me!" said Astar.
Kairi on the other hand thought it was a good idea and went to go find Riku.
*
Riku was floating in the pool under the waterfall when Kairi's shadow fell over him.
He stood up.
"What do you want?"
Kairi gave him a winning smile.
"Can Astar please borrow some of your old clothes as no one else's will fit and we haven't had time to make her any?" She said the lot without drawing breath.
Riku looked surprised.
"What? No, she can't have my stuff!"
"But we can't leave her with anything! It'll take us all day to make stuff for her! Please Riku?"
"No."
Kairi stamped her foot.
"Oh come on, have a heart! Just try being nice for once, you might like it!"
Riku sighed, she'd plague him all day if he didn't give in. He lifted himself out of the water.
"Fine, bring her over to my place so she can find something to fit."
*
Astar waited in Riku's bathroom while he began pulling out clothes for her to try, handed between people by Kairi.
They found a pair of Riku's ¾ length blue shorts fir nicely but shirts were a different matter.
"Riku!" Yelled Kairi from the bathroom, "Don't you have any old stuff? Astar hasn't quite got your shoulders!"
Riku grumbled and moaned and pulled a draw out roughly, digging through the contents.
"Try this." He said, pulling out a slightly too small green and blue t shirt.
It fit, and so Astar came out of the bathroom.
"Catch up with you in a minute." She said to Kairi. "Sure."
"Thank you Riku," Astar bowed and began to draw the symbols over him, then looked up, stopping halfway through. "S-s-sorry," she stammered, "I forgot, you don't like."
Oddly Riku smiled.
"Please go ahead. What spirits are you calling anyway?
Astar smiled, and made a symbol like an 's' with the tail going right up and over the top.
"This is the symbol for the spirits of day." Then she made a symbol with one hand, like a ankh with curved arms.
"That one is for the spirits of night." Finally she made a curved, very fast symbol.
"Those are the spirits of shadows."
Riku looked on. -That's amazing-
"Astar?"
"Yes?"
"Will you teach me the spirit symbols?"
"It's not just the signs, there's power behind them, I could teach you some of the language if you wanted."
"Yes."
"You want to learn?"
Riku smiled, slow and perfectly.
"Only if you'll teach me."
Astar sat on the dock. It was early morning and she had now been on the island for 9 days. In the four days since she had first called the sword to her, Astar had learnt to call other weapons, such as staves, staffs and a pair of rings in to existence. She was also learning how to use them, practicing late at night when everyone else had gone to bed.
The young girl sighed and looked down at herself. 9 days of sun, sea and sand had taken their toll. Her once glossy hair was thin and dry, her skin tanning a nice brown, and her deep purple dress, faded, water-stained, grass-stained, and looking more than a little worse for wear.
-I need a shower- she thought to herself, and jumped up to go find Kairi.
*
Kairi and Selphie had her in a hot bath faster than blinking and spent a long time washing Astar's hair for her. Once they were finally done, Astar was wrapped up in a big fluffy towel.
"What are we gonna do about your dress?" asked Selphie plaintively.
"You're so tall," sighed Kairi, "None of our stuff will fit you."
"We could make her some!"
"Yeah, but she can't stay like that 'til we do! You're even taller than Sora, Tidus and Wakka so you can't even borrow theirs."
The three girls were silent for a second.
"I know!" Exclaimed Selphie, "You can borrow some of Riku's!"
"What! No! He'd never let me!" said Astar.
Kairi on the other hand thought it was a good idea and went to go find Riku.
*
Riku was floating in the pool under the waterfall when Kairi's shadow fell over him.
He stood up.
"What do you want?"
Kairi gave him a winning smile.
"Can Astar please borrow some of your old clothes as no one else's will fit and we haven't had time to make her any?" She said the lot without drawing breath.
Riku looked surprised.
"What? No, she can't have my stuff!"
"But we can't leave her with anything! It'll take us all day to make stuff for her! Please Riku?"
"No."
Kairi stamped her foot.
"Oh come on, have a heart! Just try being nice for once, you might like it!"
Riku sighed, she'd plague him all day if he didn't give in. He lifted himself out of the water.
"Fine, bring her over to my place so she can find something to fit."
*
Astar waited in Riku's bathroom while he began pulling out clothes for her to try, handed between people by Kairi.
They found a pair of Riku's ¾ length blue shorts fir nicely but shirts were a different matter.
"Riku!" Yelled Kairi from the bathroom, "Don't you have any old stuff? Astar hasn't quite got your shoulders!"
Riku grumbled and moaned and pulled a draw out roughly, digging through the contents.
"Try this." He said, pulling out a slightly too small green and blue t shirt.
It fit, and so Astar came out of the bathroom.
"Catch up with you in a minute." She said to Kairi. "Sure."
"Thank you Riku," Astar bowed and began to draw the symbols over him, then looked up, stopping halfway through. "S-s-sorry," she stammered, "I forgot, you don't like."
Oddly Riku smiled.
"Please go ahead. What spirits are you calling anyway?
Astar smiled, and made a symbol like an 's' with the tail going right up and over the top.
"This is the symbol for the spirits of day." Then she made a symbol with one hand, like a ankh with curved arms.
"That one is for the spirits of night." Finally she made a curved, very fast symbol.
"Those are the spirits of shadows."
Riku looked on. -That's amazing-
"Astar?"
"Yes?"
"Will you teach me the spirit symbols?"
"It's not just the signs, there's power behind them, I could teach you some of the language if you wanted."
"Yes."
"You want to learn?"
Riku smiled, slow and perfectly.
"Only if you'll teach me."