Disclaimer: I don't own it. Which is why I added a disclaimer.
Thanks, Kaen and all my other reviewers! I think that was the extra boost I needed to get refocused on this story again. I'm sorry I haven't updated faster, but as you can probably guess, it's finals week. I think I might have ruined my history grade. *sob.
This should get better soon, this part is a little complicated and I can't even explain it to you yet! All I can safely tell you is that this story and Christmas on Destiny Islands are closely related.
~~~~~
Squall sighed in defeat, patting Kairi's shoulder. "Well, I guess I'll go now. Yuffie'll be awake soon. Be good, Cloud." He said as he stepped back and turned, vaulting over the crates and disappearing into the darkness.
Cloud shook his head, motioning for Kairi to take a seat on the couch. She obeyed rather hesitantly. Cloud was still more or less a stranger to her and she wished Squall would have stayed.
"What happened?" He asked, kneeling down beside her as she looked up into his clear blue eyes.
Kairi choked, suddenly remembering the reason she had sought him out in the first place. Tears began forming in her eyes, and she struggled to sort out her feelings.
"It- it's Riku.." She whispered, looking away and wiping a shaky hand across her face. Her body tensed as she fought to hold it in. "I had a dream, but he wasn't himself anymore. He-he terrified me.." She said softly, burying her face in her hands and asking herself why she had even come to Cloud.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt his hand rest heavily on her shoulder. His grip tightened and he pulled himself up to sit next to her on the couch. As if on impulse, she leaned in to him until her head rested on his chest. He gently curled his clawed hand around her and held her close. She was surprised at how natural it felt, not like she was falling in love with him, more like in a caring protective sense. Like he had always been there for her, like an older brother.
"What did you see?" He asked, whispering into her ear. His voice sounded slightly urgent, like he had been expecting something like this to happen.
She reached up and absently began playing with the crimson material of his cloak. "Destiny Islands.. Destroyed. Everything was gone or burning. Heartless were all over, and I saw Sora. Only he was older, I spoke to him , and he seemed surprised that I was there. They had seen the Heartless capture me and some of the others. He took me with him to the beach, were Cid had gotten a gummi ship ready. Almost everyone was there, well.. Except from the other girls. Only Yuffie had made it. We tried to fly away, but we were shot down. We crashed into the ocean, and the ship sank. I was trapped inside, I couldn't move. Then Sora swam back in, he grabbed me and pulled me out. But when I reached the surface, he was gone. Everyone was gone. I looked all over the island, but they had vanished. Then I saw Riku. He had Ansem's eyes, and he was older, too. There was something so completely evil about him, it terrified me. He told me that since he was king of the Heartless and Destiny Islands, that things had to change. So he took out the dark keyblade, and tried to stab me with it, but I woke up before he did." She wound her fingers into the red cloth, tightening her grip and closing her eyes.
Cloud sighed, trying to figure out the best way to word his answer. "Kairi, knowing this, how do you feel about him?" He finally asked.
She was surprised by his question, realizing that she hadn't though about it. "I-I'm worried about him. I love him so much, I don't want to see him taken by Ansem again." She whispered. After thinking about what she had just said, she felt foolish. Laughing, she looked up at Cloud. "But I'm just being paranoid, I mean. I don't know why I'm so worried about this. Ansem can't come back, so Riku is safe. We're all safe, right? The Heartless are gone. Right, Cloud?" She asked hopefully, smiling at him.
Looking back at her, his eyes only reflected sorrow. He was about to tell her something, but stopped. Changing his mind, he opened his mouth to answer her, "Kairi, you love Riku with all your heart. I can see it whenever you look at him. I know he loves you, too, and there is nothing anyone can do to change that." He hugged her tightly to him, resting his cheek against her hair.
"How far are you willing to go to stay with him? There may be a time when the only thing keeping him from the darkness is you. If that time comes, are you willing to do anything to protect him?" He asked, lowering his voice.
His statement shocked her, and she paused to think about it. She understood the impact of his words, silently hoping he was just being cautious. "I would give my heart to the Heartless to keep him from becoming Ansem's tool again." She replied bravely.
"Good, however, I hope it does not come to that. Do you feel any better?" He released her and leaned back, watching as she wiped the drying tears from her face.
"Yes, thank you. I'm sorry if I woke you up.. Merry Christmas.." She said, smiling at him as she stood up.
He smiled behind his cloak, looking down at her as he stood to his full height. "Merry Christmas, now go home. It's still early, and you look like you could use some sleep." He walked with her back to the door, pulling it open as she stepped outside.
"Do you want me to walk you home, or will you be alright?" He asked, examining the snow that covered the alley.
Kairi laughed, "No, that's alright. I can find my way home from here. Thank you, Cloud." She said as she leaned in to give him a hug. She turned abruptly and scampered through the snow, anxious to get back to Riku now that her confidence had been restored.
~
"Shit! For a minute I though she was going to have that stupid Cloud follow her home!" Kyoukou drawled, leaning back against the cold stone wall and grinning at his elder brother.
"Shut up, idiot." Kutsuu snapped, sliding around the corner as Kairi walked into view.
She didn't notice them as she passed the tall factory, lost in her own thoughts. Now that she thought about it, she felt stupid. Of course Riku would never try to hurt her, he had proved that two years ago when he allowed the darkness to take him in an attempt to retrieve her heart. Cloud must think she was absolutely paranoid. She laughed when she tried to imagine what Riku would say if he ever found out.
A sudden noise in the alley up ahead jolted her out of her thoughts. "Hello?" She called, shivering against the cold of the early morning darkness. The sun was beginning to rise, and the sky had turned a deep shade of orange.
When she received no reply, Kairi slowly began continuing up the abandoned street.
~
Kutsuu released his grip on his brother's mouth, shoving him away and scowling at him.
"I told you to be quiet!" he hissed as he listened to the crunch of Kairi's shoes through the snow.
He turned to look back at him. "The sun is rising, we've wasted enough time." He motioned for Kyoukou to follow his lead.
~
Kairi had almost reached the alley when she stopped. She was positive she had heard something that time. "Hello?" She called cautiously into the shadows, stepping forward to try to get a better look.
The wind blew violently around her, making her grip her coat tightly and brace herself against the onslaught of snow. She grew nervous when she heard another thump. She had been just about to turn and hurry down the street when a pair of icy hands gripped her from behind.
One wrapped firmly around her mouth and the other around her stomach, lifting her off of the ground. Her screams were muffled as she watched a scraggly young man come bounding out of the alley, grabbing her legs as she struck out at her attackers.
"Ah! She's stronger than she looks!" He cried, straining against her.
"Shut up and help me get her inside!" The man holding her snapped, tightening his grip on her as he stumbled.
At hearing their words, anger rose up inside of her. With a sudden surge of adrenaline, she bit into Kutsuu's hand as hard as she could, tasting blood as he screamed and pulled it away. Taking a deep breath, she shouted as loud as possible into the morning light.
"RIKU!! CLOUD!!!"
~~~~
Thanks, Kaen and all my other reviewers! I think that was the extra boost I needed to get refocused on this story again. I'm sorry I haven't updated faster, but as you can probably guess, it's finals week. I think I might have ruined my history grade. *sob.
This should get better soon, this part is a little complicated and I can't even explain it to you yet! All I can safely tell you is that this story and Christmas on Destiny Islands are closely related.
~~~~~
Squall sighed in defeat, patting Kairi's shoulder. "Well, I guess I'll go now. Yuffie'll be awake soon. Be good, Cloud." He said as he stepped back and turned, vaulting over the crates and disappearing into the darkness.
Cloud shook his head, motioning for Kairi to take a seat on the couch. She obeyed rather hesitantly. Cloud was still more or less a stranger to her and she wished Squall would have stayed.
"What happened?" He asked, kneeling down beside her as she looked up into his clear blue eyes.
Kairi choked, suddenly remembering the reason she had sought him out in the first place. Tears began forming in her eyes, and she struggled to sort out her feelings.
"It- it's Riku.." She whispered, looking away and wiping a shaky hand across her face. Her body tensed as she fought to hold it in. "I had a dream, but he wasn't himself anymore. He-he terrified me.." She said softly, burying her face in her hands and asking herself why she had even come to Cloud.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt his hand rest heavily on her shoulder. His grip tightened and he pulled himself up to sit next to her on the couch. As if on impulse, she leaned in to him until her head rested on his chest. He gently curled his clawed hand around her and held her close. She was surprised at how natural it felt, not like she was falling in love with him, more like in a caring protective sense. Like he had always been there for her, like an older brother.
"What did you see?" He asked, whispering into her ear. His voice sounded slightly urgent, like he had been expecting something like this to happen.
She reached up and absently began playing with the crimson material of his cloak. "Destiny Islands.. Destroyed. Everything was gone or burning. Heartless were all over, and I saw Sora. Only he was older, I spoke to him , and he seemed surprised that I was there. They had seen the Heartless capture me and some of the others. He took me with him to the beach, were Cid had gotten a gummi ship ready. Almost everyone was there, well.. Except from the other girls. Only Yuffie had made it. We tried to fly away, but we were shot down. We crashed into the ocean, and the ship sank. I was trapped inside, I couldn't move. Then Sora swam back in, he grabbed me and pulled me out. But when I reached the surface, he was gone. Everyone was gone. I looked all over the island, but they had vanished. Then I saw Riku. He had Ansem's eyes, and he was older, too. There was something so completely evil about him, it terrified me. He told me that since he was king of the Heartless and Destiny Islands, that things had to change. So he took out the dark keyblade, and tried to stab me with it, but I woke up before he did." She wound her fingers into the red cloth, tightening her grip and closing her eyes.
Cloud sighed, trying to figure out the best way to word his answer. "Kairi, knowing this, how do you feel about him?" He finally asked.
She was surprised by his question, realizing that she hadn't though about it. "I-I'm worried about him. I love him so much, I don't want to see him taken by Ansem again." She whispered. After thinking about what she had just said, she felt foolish. Laughing, she looked up at Cloud. "But I'm just being paranoid, I mean. I don't know why I'm so worried about this. Ansem can't come back, so Riku is safe. We're all safe, right? The Heartless are gone. Right, Cloud?" She asked hopefully, smiling at him.
Looking back at her, his eyes only reflected sorrow. He was about to tell her something, but stopped. Changing his mind, he opened his mouth to answer her, "Kairi, you love Riku with all your heart. I can see it whenever you look at him. I know he loves you, too, and there is nothing anyone can do to change that." He hugged her tightly to him, resting his cheek against her hair.
"How far are you willing to go to stay with him? There may be a time when the only thing keeping him from the darkness is you. If that time comes, are you willing to do anything to protect him?" He asked, lowering his voice.
His statement shocked her, and she paused to think about it. She understood the impact of his words, silently hoping he was just being cautious. "I would give my heart to the Heartless to keep him from becoming Ansem's tool again." She replied bravely.
"Good, however, I hope it does not come to that. Do you feel any better?" He released her and leaned back, watching as she wiped the drying tears from her face.
"Yes, thank you. I'm sorry if I woke you up.. Merry Christmas.." She said, smiling at him as she stood up.
He smiled behind his cloak, looking down at her as he stood to his full height. "Merry Christmas, now go home. It's still early, and you look like you could use some sleep." He walked with her back to the door, pulling it open as she stepped outside.
"Do you want me to walk you home, or will you be alright?" He asked, examining the snow that covered the alley.
Kairi laughed, "No, that's alright. I can find my way home from here. Thank you, Cloud." She said as she leaned in to give him a hug. She turned abruptly and scampered through the snow, anxious to get back to Riku now that her confidence had been restored.
~
"Shit! For a minute I though she was going to have that stupid Cloud follow her home!" Kyoukou drawled, leaning back against the cold stone wall and grinning at his elder brother.
"Shut up, idiot." Kutsuu snapped, sliding around the corner as Kairi walked into view.
She didn't notice them as she passed the tall factory, lost in her own thoughts. Now that she thought about it, she felt stupid. Of course Riku would never try to hurt her, he had proved that two years ago when he allowed the darkness to take him in an attempt to retrieve her heart. Cloud must think she was absolutely paranoid. She laughed when she tried to imagine what Riku would say if he ever found out.
A sudden noise in the alley up ahead jolted her out of her thoughts. "Hello?" She called, shivering against the cold of the early morning darkness. The sun was beginning to rise, and the sky had turned a deep shade of orange.
When she received no reply, Kairi slowly began continuing up the abandoned street.
~
Kutsuu released his grip on his brother's mouth, shoving him away and scowling at him.
"I told you to be quiet!" he hissed as he listened to the crunch of Kairi's shoes through the snow.
He turned to look back at him. "The sun is rising, we've wasted enough time." He motioned for Kyoukou to follow his lead.
~
Kairi had almost reached the alley when she stopped. She was positive she had heard something that time. "Hello?" She called cautiously into the shadows, stepping forward to try to get a better look.
The wind blew violently around her, making her grip her coat tightly and brace herself against the onslaught of snow. She grew nervous when she heard another thump. She had been just about to turn and hurry down the street when a pair of icy hands gripped her from behind.
One wrapped firmly around her mouth and the other around her stomach, lifting her off of the ground. Her screams were muffled as she watched a scraggly young man come bounding out of the alley, grabbing her legs as she struck out at her attackers.
"Ah! She's stronger than she looks!" He cried, straining against her.
"Shut up and help me get her inside!" The man holding her snapped, tightening his grip on her as he stumbled.
At hearing their words, anger rose up inside of her. With a sudden surge of adrenaline, she bit into Kutsuu's hand as hard as she could, tasting blood as he screamed and pulled it away. Taking a deep breath, she shouted as loud as possible into the morning light.
"RIKU!! CLOUD!!!"
~~~~