Chapter IX
Gloves of the Girl
Point of View: Riku
Written by: Aniiston (9th chapter)
It was raining...Raining ever so hard...The water slashing at my back as though it were simply a whip; a thousand daggers consuming my flesh, gnawing away at my precious pale skin, drenching my silver hair and black attire. How funny it can seem when only the rain is your enemy. The water that nourishes the ground from the Heavens has come to drown me, rip my flesh and eat my bones. Droplets fall easily, contrasting with the never-showing sun. Always dark, and always dim. Always cold, and always dead.
Kairi leaped into the air, the hood of her jacket falling behind and thrust out her foot, drawing the other back and shooting forward. A clean cut and she fell to the ground, diving into a roll and leaping up, her arms in a blocking position. She turned to me, her eyes expectant, waiting for me to decide. Decide if she had mastered the move to my expectancy. Slowly I let down my hood, the rain soaking me once again, and nodded. She smiled.
Today marked the first week of the second month Kairi had been training under my guidance. Not only had she improved in balance, posture and poise, not to mention agility, but she looked healthier and stronger. She now held herself higher, rather than wrapped in her own embrace, and her personality had become somewhat disciplined and confident. Indeed she had come far, but in my eyes, she had so much more to do...
The rain beat harder as my thoughts deepened, causing my brow to crease. It had been a week since Kairi's argument with me, as well as my promise. I was sincerely trying my best to keep that promise; that promise to allow her independence. But it was hard. One might think that after four years of being isolated from truly living people, I wouldn't care if Kairi was troubled, let alone hurt. It's quite the contrary, actually. I believe because I had longed to see Kairi for so long, having her now in my grasp means that I cannot let her go. And if I do, even for a moment, the chances of her being killed...are immense...I don't suppose I could live with myself.
Coughing slightly, I glanced at my watch through the rain, straining my eyes to see the simple time. 2:30. I sighed, wiping the water from my face. Today seemed long and endless, as though it were trying hard to stop the night from coming, but that was like trying to stop the inevitable. And everyone knows you like stop change. As a matter of speaking that is. Yawning, I stretched out my arms, hearing cracking of the joints, and sat down.
I glanced at Kairi. She was practicing her rolling techniques as I had instructed her to do. She would back away and then sprint full power towards the ground, curving her body and diving downward. Rolling her form, she leapt up for a final time, throwing up her guard and steadying her stance. I smirked. She had truly gotten better. Kairi began walking towards her starting line, her body covered in rain, her hair slick down. She turned away, taking a breath, and began running again. She dived at the ground and executed another roll.
Good, Kairi, I thought, running my hands along my silver hair. I looked at my watch again and realized I had something to do. Something to order, more or less likely. Coughing again and wiping the water from my face, I moved towards her, my footfalls as light as a feather and my movements as quiet as a mouse. I ran behind her, jumping into the air, my fists raised. She turned around and let out a small scream, quickly shutting her eyes. I landed softly, a frown upon my face and placed my hands on her shoulders.
"Calm down," I whispered, my voice nearly inaudible against the rain. "You still need more training... By this time next month you should be able to block that attack." I saw her face fall slightly and her head bow. "Kairi, you're doing wonderfully. You just need more practice, that's all, okay?" She looked up at me, smiling and replied with a soft "Okay, Riku."
"So, what would you like me to do next?" she asked and jumped back, her fists raised. "Are we going to spar?"
I smiled slightly. "No, not yet. I need to make a trip down to Pareja real fast. I want you to come with me, though. You think you could take a break from training for about 20 or so minutes?" I smirked as I saw her grin.
"Of course!" she exclaimed, her hands clasped together.
I nodded, turning away and stopping. Keiko sat in front of me, her blue eyes shining into mine. I glared and shoved her aside with my foot, continuing my walk. "She's not coming, Kairi." I echoed, and Kairi halted in her actions, for she was seconds away from embracing the cat into her arms, bringing her along. I heard the kitten cry out, and Kairi's voice was sympathetic.
"I'm sorry, Keiko," she said softly, patting the ball of fur on the head, "but you can't come. Maybe next time, eh?"
"No," I said bluntly, my voice echoing from building to building, making myself heard. Kairi sighed, explaining to the young kitten to wait in the alley. She stood up, the rain still pouring onto her, and ran to catch up with me, for I was far ahead in our small journey.
It did not take long to arrive at the Gates of Pareja; 10 minutes at the most. The large bars of iron swung open obediently, greeting us in a vile way. I scoffed, walking past without a word and Kairi following me, her form straight and eyes narrow. As we walked through, no Heartless came to introduce themselves. I scowled again, for a day of rain with no Heartless was never a good thing. Kairi, too, seemed evidently baffled, though continued walking.
The streets were bare and glossy, only a few carriages daring to be on the roads in such weather. I ignored them, walking towards yet another gate. It opened at my touch and we walked in, neon lights serving as a guide. Up and across we went only stopping as a wobbly staircase came into view. I ascended it, as did Kairi and we were greeted again by a number of glossy streets. Walking across the assaulted ground, a small Gothic shop came into view.
Opening the door, light filled our eyes, for fireplaces were on every wall. The warmth felt nice against my cold skin and I willingly removed my coat, hanging it on a nearby rack and moving forward. The shop was different from all other shops in this district, for it lacked the neon appearance that everything else took on. Its walls were done with pictures of different weapons, and cases and cases of models sat all over the shop. My footsteps were light against the wooden floor.
"Hey, Kairi, come here real quick," I said, catching Kairi's attention. She came to me, a questioning look upon her face. "Hold out your hand." My best friend did as she was told, holding out her single fair hand, and I placed my hand against it. My hand alone towered over hers and I pulled away. "Thanks." Walking over to the counter that had multiple fireplaces behind it, I signaled for the weapons smith to come to me.
He did.
I explained to him the weapon I wanted made, and he nodded at me, gathering multiple items around himself and walking to a fireplace. I turned away, facing Kairi who seemed interested in a nearby case of weapons. "You like any of those?" I asked, staring into the glass case.
"These weapons are so strong...How can anyone use them?" Kairi asked, pointing to multiple gloves and daggers.
"It takes a Hell of a lot of practice."
"Yeah, I bet..." Kairi muttered, squatting down to look at further weapons.
Gloves of different types sat neatly organized in the glass case, each one of different use. I turned away, uninterested and moved towards a case in the far left corner; a case of simply swords. Multiple short and broad swords hung from the hooks, each one lying by its sheath, its teeth gleaming. I snorted and sat into a nearby chair, waiting for the smith to call me.
I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, thinking of the past and—
Meow...
My eyes shot open and I stood to my feet, looking around the room. Kairi jumped slightly, nearly dropping a catalog to the floor and stared at me, eyes confused. Carefully, she folded the book and sat it back down, turning to me. "What's the matter, Riku?"
"What is Keiko doing here? I thought I said not to bring her!"
Kairi looked at me oddly and turned to where I was pointing. Her eyes widened and brow creased. Keiko sat, her tail curled promptly around herself, by the door, a cat-like grin lay across her white face. Kairi immediately turned back to me, speaking quickly, "I didn't bring her, I swear!" She turned back to Keiko. "Keiko..." she mumbled dropping to her knees, picking the warm kitten up. "I told you to stay put."
The kitten meowed.
"See, the thing doesn't even listen to you!" I scoffed, crossing my arms. "Can't we just get rid of it?"
Kairi scowled. "No!"
I sighed. "That thing's more trouble than it's worth..."
"Sir?"
Both Kairi and I turned to the smith behind the counter. His voice was barely audible and it was clear he hadn't spoken in many years. I walked to him, momentarily forgetting about Keiko and listened closer to the guy. "W-would..." the smith stopped, trying his best to talk, "you like...engravings upon it?"
"On the backside only. Thanks."
The elderly man nodded, slowly turning away and stumbling back to his chosen fireplace. I faced Kairi, eyeing the cat skeptically, and after glaring daggers into its soul for a few moments, decided to sit down. But it was a wasted action, for soon the aged benevolence had returned, the weapon I specified in hand. Standing, I walked to him, placing the currency upon the counter and nodding.
The man nodded back, placing the Gil into a jar. I walked over to a rack and grabbed my coat, slipping it onto my body.
"Try these on," I said to Kairi, handing her the gloves.
She gasped. The gloves were fingerless and black, two strips of metal crossing over the knuckles, engravings of symbols lay on the side. Slipping them on, I found my calculations to be correct, for they fitted Kairi perfectly. "Are they...?"
"Yeah, they're for you."
Her grin widened and she took my hand, shaking it multiple times, jumping slightly off the ground. "Thank you so much, Riku! Thank you!"
I think I blushed. Clearing my throat slightly, I looked away from her gaze to the floor. "Well, you'll need them for your first session in fighting fiends." I felt the shaking of my hand stop, and when I turned to her, the grin upon her face had only grown bigger.
"Are you sure, Riku? You think I'm ready?"
I nodded.
"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, her bright eyes twinkling. Her hands turned into fists and she stepped back, her smile still remaining. I walked beside her, as did Keiko and together we made our way out of the old shop and across the glossy streets. As we neared the staircase, I began walking slower, for the rain had lightened up and was now a mere drizzle. We descended and continued to make our way to the gates, crossing streets and evading cars.
We at last we neared the heart of the city, I stopped, placing a hand in front of Kairi. "The first thing you need to know is to never think you've killed the enemy. They're always alive, Kairi. Even after you've seen them die. Always keep your guard up, don't let it fall and keep your eyes sharp, looking for anything moving, okay?'
She nodded.
"Then here we go." I moved forward, Kairi close at my side, towards the center of the street. Empty it was, and almost instantly did Heartless appear, their glistening eyes golden and their bodies as black as the night. I revealed my short swords from my coat, the silver flashing against the gold. They glimmered and they glared. "Fighting position, Kairi. And relax," I said, noticing my best friend's tense form.
Kairi nodded, taking a breath, and threw her arms into the air, guarding her face and ribs. At once the Heartless charged for me, their mouths watering for my heart. Easily I dodged the first, slicing it in two, and mutilated the second, watching it fall to the ground in pieces. "Your turn, Kairi." I turned back to take a quick look at my friend to see her completely frozen, a Heartless racing towards her.
"Riku..." she whispered, though her voice had utterly stopped.
"Kairi!" I yelled fiercely, causing her to snap out of the trance of shock. "Hurry up! Fighting position, now!" Kairi fixed her stance, relaxing slightly. The raven Heartless charged at her, its fangs showing sharply and leaped into the air, aiming for the young female.
Kairi reacted instantly, jumping into the air as well, meeting the Heartless. She spun around, thrusting her foot into its face. Both fell to the ground. Kairi landed in a crouching position as she watched her foe smash into the pavement. She leaped forward, unleashing several different combos in a row, smashing her enemy as well as two others at once.
She turned to me, a smirk upon her face and stepped back with her left foot, sweeping her arm in front of her and bowing with sarcasm. I had to admit it, but she did pretty well. Rewarding her with a rare smile, I swept my hand in back of me, the other in front, and bowed back to her. Good job, Kairi...
"Riku!" she screamed, pointing towards something behind me. Without thinking, I turned around and killed the many Heartless in front of me, watching as the their mutilated bodies bled under the dying mist. Seeing as the foes had been wiped out, I turned around.
My eyes widened.
Thousands of Heartless stood in front of me, all of them different species and different expressions. Kairi was at my side, a worried pout glued to her face and locked her eyes with mine. "What do we do?!"
My eyes still wide, I took in the thousands of Heartless now standing around us, each one ready to attack. I now understood where they had been when I was here earlier: retrieving more of their 'friends' to ambush me. Damn, why did I have to bring Kairi today? I took a breath, my heart racing and turned to my friend. With a low voice, I whispered to her, "I'm going to clear a path for you. Run to the gate and leave. Don't look back. Do you understand?"
"I'm not leaving you!" she cried, moving closer to me.
"Yes you are..." I gritted between my teeth, the grip on my blades becoming tighter. "Ready..." I jumped forward. "Go!" At once I began slaughtering Heartless, limbs and heads being tossed everywhere, blood splattering to the streets. But Kairi never ran to the gate, trying to get home as I had instructed her to do. No, instead she stood by my side, trying her best to kill off the load of Heartless.
I stabbed the blade of my left weapon into a Heartless' neck, taking my right weapon and throwing it. The blade struck through two Heartless' standing directly behind one another, and Kairi ran to retrieve it for me. With the one blade I had left, I slashed a remaining Heartless in the eyes and stabbed another through the chin. The two fell to the ground.
"Riku!"
I turned around in time to see Kairi running with my blade in hand. She threw it to me and I caught it easily and began my on slaughter of another batch once again.
Another throat slit, a set of eyes mutilated, a limb cut off...
The numerous Heartless were throwing themselves at me one by one. Soon I could see the batch die down by a half, and, with my energy almost gone, I began fighting again. Kairi tried her best in killing them off and she did succeed in helping me quite a bit. She threw her fists into the air, badgering foes one by one, flipping them over her back and kicking them straight to the head.
And when at last the final Heartless was killed, I fell to my knees, breathing hard, sweat pouring down my face and body. Kairi fell beside me in a similar fashion, her breathing quick and strong. She wiped the sweat from her eyes and brow, looking at me.
I smirked weakly, gripping the infinite wounds in my sides, blood gushing thick like honey. "Nice, Kai. You'll be a fighter yet..." I tried to pull myself from the sticky ground and when I finally succeeded, felt a brutal hand shove me backwards. Hitting the ground with a thud, I glared at my attacker. My eyes narrowed.
At least twenty Heartless surrounded us, their sharp claws gleaming...their eyes wicked.
I took a breath...
And let my body rest...
For I could no longer fight...
I was...
Too weak...
"Get up, Riku," a voice rang throughout my ears. Slashing was heard, as well as terrible cries of wounded Heartless. I could smell fresh blood...
Opening my eyes, I peered into the eyes of a woman...a young woman with the most haunting blue eyes I had ever seen...One dark blue, the other light blue...She smirked down at my form, her white-blonde hair falling in her face. She gripped the collar of my shirt and pulled me to my feet, throwing me back slightly. I stumbled, catching my balance at the last moment and slowly looked back into the face of the woman...
"So," she said, that smirk still upon her face. "You want to skin and eat me now?"
My hands went to my head as I tried to make everything stop spinning...My vision was so blurry...I coughed a bit. Blinking multiple times, my eyesight focused slightly and I gazed at the person...and realized...
It was Keiko...
That damn cat...
Was....
Human?
She was a human being this entire time and never showed herself? Never revealed who she really was...?
I coughed harder, causing my wounds to hurt greatly and my vision to become blurry again. And I could no longer take it anymore, and I fell to my knees and ultimately to the ground, losing consciousness.
