Chapter VII

Caige, the Mirror Dweller

Point of View: Riku

Written by: Aniiston (7th Chapter)

Run...

Hurry...

Make Haste.

You mustn't stop...

Don't stop.

He'll kill you Riku....

From the inside out.

Take away what you love the most...

And then you'll die.

From horrid isolation...

And suffocating realism.

I'm getting tired...So tired...Though my eyes cease to shut, my energy is slowly draining from my body, and I am beginning to feel weak; feel empty. I can no longer run at my full capacity, nor can I fight with all my strength. My form fails to stand straight and my vision has become blurry, slowly causing my strategies to fall and my thinking to die. I feel helpless and lost. Alone and isolated. Time goes by and it always gets worse.

I feel as though I can no longer fully grip the handles of my blades, and my once sharp movements have become dull. I find myself falling constantly, and more wounds have appeared on my body. Potions...the precious potions that I must drink to survive are slowly disappearing before my eyes as I drink them so quickly. I feel my breathing become heavy; I can sense the air crisping.

My insomnia has becomes worse; it will not leave me be. Sleepless nights have become my only companion in the depths of the dark, for I believe I am trying to kill the inevitable. I no longer can sleep; if I shut my eyes it hurts, or at least my mind hurts. It is slowly killing me the inside out. My restless form will be the end of me. My eyes are now black, lifeless orbs that simply serve as my guide to move...I know I'm worn...

I am worn.

It has been four weeks that Kairi has lived by my side, constantly training to the best of her abilities. I feel proud of the girl; she's putting every ounce of strength into these lessons and because of that, she has improved. Her reflexes have become swifter, and she is more aware of her surroundings. 10-hour days of training have done her well, though she still has much to learn.

Because of this training, she's had to learn to let me touch her. It's awkward, and I understand that she abhors being touched, but if I'm to train her, we're going to have to make physical contact. But oddly enough, she's dealing with it quite well and no longer flinches when being touched. I respect her...I always will respect her.

Kairi, as many know, has begun training in the marital arts, not the short sword. My intentions were to have Kairi learn how to use a weapon, but it backfired. She wouldn't touch it; wouldn't allow her fingers to grip the handle. And so my skills in martial arts came in handy; the ones I almost never use. She has taken to it as well as she has to everything else. I thank her for that.

But now, four weeks later, our training has become slow and gradual, forcing Kairi to halt her learning. I'm finding it hard to train her for 10 hours a day, and regularly it has become less and less. I believe she has begun to notice this and has started training on her own. Though I have yet to understand how she does this.

But right now, right now I'm trying hard to teach the beautiful young woman. Her round kicks are off again, and she's not keeping her guard up...And that stupid cat won't leave me alone. I turned to Kairi once again and instructed her a move she had just recently learned. Sending me an apologetic glance, she jumped into the air, doing a 540 turn with multiple kicks.

She failed and fell to the ground.

"Again."

She rubbed her head and jumped to her feet, once again trying the move. I soon found her on the ground again, rubbing her head from the impact it made with the land. She smiled softly and pulled herself to her feet, ready to try it anew. She fell. Moving away from her, I demonstrated the kick again, giving her the proper instructions of how it should be carried out.

She tried and failed again.

"Keep going." My voice carried on my tired appearance. But it was odd. I didn't feel tired. I felt empty; without an ounce of energy. Loosing my balance slightly, I stumbled, gripping a wall of the decayed building we trained in and took a small breath. "Now."

Kairi obeyed, jumping into the air and spinning around. She almost made it, though her landing was terrible and she tumbled to the ground. Keiko jumped on her chest, licking the girl's face. I growled. "Come on, Kairi. Try it again."

She stood up, letting the kitten jump from her shoulders. "What am I doing wrong?"

I exhibited the spin and the multiple kicks again and explained that she threw off her balance as soon as she threw the last kick, which explain why she lost her footing every time and fell. Nodding at my explanation, she tried the kick again.

Spin...

She fell.

I rubbed my eyes, sighing and looked at my watch. 10:30 p.m. "That's enough for today. We can get up earlier tomorrow and practice."

"Sounds good."

I saw her yawn and stretch her arms above her head before leaning over and picking up Keiko. The kitten meowed and jumped from her arms, scurrying out of the building towards my apartment. I rolled my eyes as Kairi came to my side, her arms folded nonchalantly across her chest. Our eyes locked.

"You seem tired."

"I'm not."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

She seemed to accept my answer, despite how lame it really was and walked beside me as we made our way home. The kitten was waiting for us patiently as I unlocked my door, waiting for Kairi to walk inside before shutting it behind me. I watched as Keiko leaped up onto the couch and Kairi sprint to the kitchen for water.

I said nothing to them and fell upon the couch, causing Keiko to tumble off and cry to Kairi. For the first time in the month I've been with her, she ignored the pleas of the stupid cat and quickly ran to my side, dropping to her knees and shaking my shoulders gently. "Riku?" I barely opened my eyes, and I saw her worried face peering down into mine.

"What?"

"Come on..." she mumbled, grabbing my hand and yanking me off the couch. I was surprised at how strong Kairi had gotten in the past four weeks, though she wasn't strong enough to support my body as I literally fell into her. The two of us crashed into a nearby wall, sending items falling as though they were rain. Sluggishly, the young woman dragged me to my room, allowing me to fall to my bed.

"Good night, Riku."

"Night, Kairi."

And she was gone.

It would be three hours before I would see Kairi again.

I heard the door slightly open, only darkness lighting the way as Kairi slipped in, my boxers and shirt as her nightwear. Calmly, she lay down beside me, pulling some of the blanket over her shivering form. She spoke: "...Why didn't...." she paused. "Why didn't you tell me you were an insomniac?"

I snorted. "Because I'm not."

She knew I was.

Hell, I knew I was.

"How long haven't you been sleeping?"

I told her three weeks.

"...Riku..." She turned to me and locked her lovely eyes upon mine. "You need to sleep."

"Kairi, I can't."

"What?"

"I can't fall asleep. Don't you think I've tried?"

I heard the young woman sigh and turn away from me, shifting slightly. "Riku...I worry about you sometimes." And that was all she said before sleep overtook her body and mind.

I lay here in the middle of the night, watching the sleeping princess that I had tried to save so many years ago. I had failed and Sora had won. He was the one who Kairi loved, and he was the one who promised to take care of her.

And he didn't.

I had beaten him in everything, except for Kairi's attention.

I wanted that attention.

I smirked. But then again he wasn't the one lying next to her, now was he?

No, he wasn't.

I was.

Her form was pale, an almost ghostly ashen that far exceeded the inhabitants of this world. With her long, scarlet-chestnut hair that was sprawled elegantly across her back and the pillow, her eyes shut calmly and her body still, I believed myself to truly be blessed. It was a blessing that I had found Kairi. It was a blessing that she had come to live with me.

And for that I thank the skies.

I wrapped my arms around her shivering body, pulling her into my warm, yet cold embrace, and buried my face into her hair, taking in her fragrance. Her hair was silky, almost velvety in way, and looked as though it was the threads of an angel, rather than the hairs of a young woman. This only caused me to hold her tighter, entwining my ankles with hers.

I loved Kairi.

And she loved Sora.

Whom I believed to be dead.

These thoughts always succeeded in causing my head great pain, and I try my best not to think of them. So slowly, I lay my head beside Kairi's, feeling at ease as well as slightly relaxed, and for the first time in such a long while, I fell asleep.

The night seemed short.

I shifted comfortably, my eyes glued shut and with my sleeping form numb, I yawned. What time was it? I could sense no light at the moment or the shuffling of Kairi or Keiko, and so with little curiosity, I pried open my sleep-shut eyes, yawning again, though barely moving. The white ceiling greeted me and that was when I noticed Kairi was no longer in the room.

I groaned, sitting up with my hand immediately following to rest upon my forehead, rubbing gently. Had I actually fallen asleep...had I actually slept the entire night? It didn't seem likely, but before I had a chance to answer my own thoughts, my best friend appeared. With her hair pulled back messily and her attire still consisting of her nightclothes, I understood that it must have been 2 or so in the morning. She came over, a small grapefruit in her hand, accompanied by water and handed it to me. Kneeling, she smiled. "You're awake."

"What time is it?"

"11:30."

As I had thought. I had only slept for a mere hour, and the night was still young. I sighed, falling back upon my mattress that I called a bed, and spoke: "Why are you up? You still have time to sleep."

I heard Kairi laugh lightly.

"What?"

"Riku, it's 11:30a.m."

My head shot up as did my chest and I stared at Kairi, wide-eyed, and choked. "Are you sure?" She nodded.

Then that meant only one thing. I had slept for 12 hours straight, without waking once. And that, my friends, was when I began laughing. Kairi gave me a glance only the sane gave the crazy as I pulled her into my arms, hugging her tightly. "Thank you!"

"R-Riku? Why are you thanking me?" I knew she felt uncomfortable, but I needed her to look past that at the moment.

I left the embrace, smiling, and stood upon my own two feet, running my hands through my silver hair. I felt so revived...so happy. "It's because of you, Kairi, that I could get to sleep!"

She smiled softly. "Riku, I think you were just tired."

Maybe I was...but something inside of me told me I wasn't.

But nonetheless, the two of us ate our grapefruit and drank our water, and as for the rest of the day, trained. Though I do believe I wasn't nearly as hard on her as I should have been.

As the day grew colder and my attitude mimicked it, I began working Kairi harder until she could no longer stand. That was when I allowed her a short 15-minute break, though after that was completed, it was back to training. The girl was working hard; hardest I had ever seen her work, actually. She was determined to become a great martial artist, and I believe she would become one with time.

If a sun existed here, it would be setting now and the haunting, yet golden rays of sunlight would be splashing over our shoulders and drowning inside our eyes. But there's no sun here, and so I watched as the moon appeared, dim and bright all in one and frowned, yet smiled upon us. I turned to face Kairi, who stood in the center of the area we trained, practicing her forms and concentrating on her breathing.

"Hey, Kai?"

She faced me. "Yes?"

"I'm going to be out for a while. Just stay inside while I'm gone, okay?" I explained as she nodded in understanding and moved in the direction towards my apartment, Keiko nipping at her heels. I turned away, blades in hand and a dire need of bloodshed upon my face.

Little did I know Kairi had no intention of returning to the apartment. Silently, she unlocked the door, only to shut it tightly, re-locking it and throwing the key into her pocket without so much as a word. Slowly, the young woman's back faced the door, and she sprinted through the buildings of the village, Keiko following her as well.

If most of the village had been intact, it would surely have been beautiful. One could just tell that the buildings had once been something of great importance, that they truly did have a purpose. Kairi's sprint sank to a walk as she began looking around. For as long as she had lived in this world, outside of Pareja was unknown territory.

Her arms were strong and had much tone to them, so it was relatively easy for the girl to pull herself over bars and gates, as well as ladders and ledges. Her stomach had improved greatly and now was firm and compact, allowing her to receive multiple hits without collapsing.

As Kairi reached for another bar of a ladder, she hauled herself up and took a breath. Now was a lovely building underneath her feet, a wide and vast view of numerous skyscrapers and dark skies in her eyes. The air, the atmosphere was fresher the higher one was, though so much pollution and smoke inhabited it already. With Keiko by her side, she walked across the black rooftop, examining her surroundings.

Crates of anonymous items and junk lay about, odors of different aromas inside them. Peering into each of them, she found nothing of interest, each one holding nothing of importance. Old decaying weapons...assorted cans and tools, but nothing that seemed... special. Ignoring the remaining boxes, she walked towards another ladder, no taller than herself and began climbing it. Before a minute passed, she came to a platform, a tall brass door greeting her.

With a strong pull of the handles, the new fighter opened the doors, revealing a dusty room of simply mirrors and glass. Each one shimmering off one another, smiling evilly at Kairi in their own malicious way. Breathing quickly, Kairi walked inside, her reflection hitting each slate of glass. The young woman halted, eyeing a certain mirror that hung at the end of the large room. With its marble white color and lovely engravings, who couldn't help but notice it?

Reaching out a hand, she skimmed the surface of the mirror. A slice of pain rang through her body as she tumbled backward, gasping loudly, her eyes wide. The mirror...it had caused her pain? Moving forward again, she gleamed at the mirror, holding her breath and reaching out...

A hand caught hers.

She screamed.

The hand was light tan, and the owner slowly gripped its fingers around Kairi's, ignoring her desperate struggle to get away. Her skills from the 10-hour days of martial arts were forgotten as the hand brutally pushed her away, forcing her to the ground. Kairi's eyes widened as the owner of the hand appeared, walking out of the mirror.

He was tall and well built, his blonde feathery hair falling in his gray eyes. A white sleeveless shirt only known as a 'wife beater' and loose, gray pants accompanied by numerous belts was his attire, with cuffs of black leather wrapped around his wrists. His eyes were set in a glare and as he stepped forward in his black boots, he crouched down, his eyes locking with Kairi's.

He spoke:

"Hi!"

Kairi screamed and scurried backward, crashing into a nearby mirror, her face stricken with panic. The young man's face turned apologetic, and he quickly sprinted over to Kairi, kneeling beside her again. "Are you okay?"

With her breath in a stutter, she inhaled, closing her eyes and reopening them. "W-who are you?"

The young man smiled. "I should be asking you that, now shouldn't I?" He pulled Kairi from the glassy mirror and sat down beside her, crossing his legs. Eyeing her again, he smirked. "Now, what are you doing in a place like this alone?"

Kairi said nothing and the young man's smile turned to a grin. "Come now, you have to speak. We won't get anywhere if you keep your mouth shut."

Hesitantly, Kairi looked up from the dusty marble floor. "...I was...looking around..."

"Looking around? Not much to look for here." He gazed at the room of mirrors. "Unless you want to find your double." He laughed at his own joke, though stopped as Kairi averted her gaze back to the floor.

"...I'm Kairi."

"Kairi eh? Nice to meet you Kairi. The name's Caige, Dweller of the Mirrors."

She looked at him oddly.

He laughed. "I live in mirrors."

Arching an eyebrow, she gazed. "Why would you want to live in mirrors?"

He grumbled. "It's better than living out there."

"No kidding."

The flow of conversation died down as though a drought had overcome a flood, and soon the mirror-filled room was silent. Only the drips of the newly falling rain could be heard. Keiko, who had mysteriously disappeared, remained gone, and Kairi and Caige remained in their positions, a word never leaving their lips.

Breaking the silence, Caige spoke: "Why were you wondering around without a protector?"

Kairi snorted. "I don't need a protector."

"Really?"

Kairi smirked. Don't sound so surprised. Stretching out her arms, she turned to Caige, for a question had struck her mind. "Why can you speak?"

The short-haired young man looked quite taken aback, though brushed it off with a smirk. "Why were you out alone?"

"Answer my question first."

"Didn't I actually ask the first question?"

Kairi looked annoyed. "My friend...he went out for a while, and I went off on my own."

"And I can talk because I wish to."

"But I thought all inhabitants here couldn't talk?"

"Everyone can talk. They just don't want to."

And before another word was spoken, the brass doors were forced open and I rushed in, my duel short swords absent from my grip. Before Kairi had a chance to stop me, I had grabbed this blonde haired young man by the neck and had thrown him up against a mirror, a glare set in my eyes. "What'd you do to her?!"

He said nothing and to my surprise melted directly into the mirror. My hands met the glass and I quickly pulled away, for I felt as though I had been sliced in the palms. Stepping back, I looked around the room, ready for him to attack.

He never did.

"Riku stop!" Kairi yelled, running to me with a look of worry spread across her face.

I glared.

"I thought I told you to go home?!" I said angrily, causing her to rear back from me.

"Calm down, man, she's fine," I heard the man say as he walked out from a mirror.

"And who the hell are you?"

"Name's Caige Cyste. Nice to meet you...eh...?"

"It's none of your business." His friendly attitude had caught me off guard for a mere moment, though I easily brushed it off. Turning back to Kairi, I saw her kneeling down, petting Keiko.

"So you went to get Riku, now did you?"

I glared and pulled Kairi from the ground. "Let's go."

"Riku—"

"Now."

A pang of guilt rang through my heart as I watched Kairi sigh silently, gently pulling the small cat into her arms. Waiting until she was completely out of the tower, I gave a final friendly glare to Caige and made my way out as well.

With the rain pouring harshly and the smell of Heartless roaming about, I caught up with Kairi, accompanying her down the many ladders and buildings at which she had climbed so easily. Placing my jacket over her trembling bare shoulders, she spoke,

"Keep it." Her voice was low and dry.

"You'll freeze."

Kairi stopped, turning to me and glared. "Fine, then let me freeze." And taking the jacket, she let it fall from her fingers to the muddy water beneath.

"Kairi—"

She turned back, the water slipping through her hair and drenching her body. Her form was pale, though her cheeks did contain an ounce of color, proving to me that she was indeed mad. "Riku, I'm not a little girl anymore."

"I know—"

Kairi's glared deepened, as did the rain. "I can take care of myself for an hour or two, Riku! I've been doing it for the past four years! I'm 18 for crying out loud and you treat me as though I'm going to die if you're not by my side!"

She ran.

And I ran after her.

When I arrived at my apartment I found Kairi locked in my room, her back against the door with tears running down her face.