Chapter 4:
"Cloud." Navi moaned and sat down on his bed. Cloud's head lulled to the side to look at her, "Hmm?"
Navi took a deep sigh, and lay her head down on the pillow his head was on. Cloud turned his body on his side, and looked at her, "What's the matter?" He ran his fingers through her strawberry blonde hair.
Navi looked up at him; "I like Riku."
Cloud chuckled, "You want me to be surprised?"
Navi sat up straight, "You noticed?"
"Of course, it's hard not to. Why don't you tell him?" Cloud folded his hands behind his head.
"Because, I'm me!" Navi stated, swinging her feet around to hang over the edge of Cloud's bed.
Cloud noticed the two lines of scars between her shoulder blades, "Oh, you mean you haven't explained these?"
Navi shot around, "Oh, and what am I suppose to tell him. If he finds out, he'll think I'm some kind of freak, I can't tell him." She didn't mean to snap at him, but it just came out from her frustration.
Cloud rolled his eyes, "I'm sure he wouldn't mind. He's seen his share of bad things over the years."
Navi hunched her shoulders, "I don't know what to do, Cloud." She got up and walked out of the bedroom. "Thanks," She said quietly before shutting the door.
Cloud stared at the door for a moment, and he sighed, a deep one. He looked up at the ceiling; "This is going to be more difficult than I imagined."
~*~
"RIKU!" Selphie screeched, and bounced over to him, grabbing onto his shoulders.
Riku jumped, and turned to Selphie, "What?"
Selphie grinned, and swung on her heels like a child, "have you seen Kairi?"
Riku scratched his head; "She's with Sora."
Selphie frowned, and put her hands on her hip, "Well, what about Navi?"
Riku shrugged, and leant his shoulders on the palm tree behind him, "I haven't see her since yesterday afternoon."
Selphie sighed, "Okay, thanks Riku!" Despite her upset self, she bounded off, singing happily.
Riku frowned, where was Navi? He hadn't seen her since she pushed him in the water. Riku shrugged and started to walk away, when he heard someone call his name.
"Hey Riku!" It was Tidus. "You haven't seen Selphie, have you?"
Riku nodded, "She went towards home, have you seen Navi?"
Tidus stopped from his sprint towards Selphie, "Yeah, I saw her going into the Secret Place awhile ago." He wound up his legs, and ran off to find Selphie.
Riku watched him run away, and he started to walk towards the Secret Place. Why hadn't he thought of that? She was fascinated with that place.
He ducked around the wall and walked down the narrow passage.
Riku could already hear Navi inside, talking to her self.
HE stopped and leant against the wall, "I knew I'd find you in here."
Navi whipped around to see who interrupted her, "Oh, yeah."
She gestured Riku to come closer; "This is a Paopu fruit.right?"
Navi pointed to Riku's drawing of a Paopu tree; he must have been six when he drew that.
Riku nodded, and knelt down by it, "How did you know?"
Navi sat down next to him, "They use to have these where I came from."
Riku frowned, "where did you come from?"
Navi's eyes widen, and she realized that she had to tell Riku about it. She sighed, "Ever since I was born, I lived on an island, like this, just off of Hollow Bastion. When I was six, though, the Heartless came to our island. We didn't know what the Heartless were yet, so we were confused.
So my mother and I decided to actually go to Hollow Bastion, because Cloud was there, and we lost our home. So, we picked up and traveled there."
Riku's frown deepened, "So, you lived in Hollow Bastion?"
Navi nodded, and ran a finger through her hair, "Yeah, and everything was going fine. I was with my brother and father, we were a family. I had Squall, Yuffie, Aerith, and all of them with me. Then, everything started to fall when the Heartless came, and took that world, too. That's when I got this."
Navi pulled her hair up, and turned so Riku could see her back. He saw the two scars of her back. "How did you get those?"
Navi turned straight again, "Cloud went to push me out of the attack of an Invisible, but, he fell, and I got attacked."
There, that should be good enough, Navi thought. Did I really want to tell the truth about my scars? No, because that would scare him.
Riku frowned, and Navi shook her head, she didn't want to hear Riku's sympathy. She had already had enough in her life.
Rising from the spot she was sitting in, Navi brushed the dirt of the back of her skirt, and started to walk away. She stopped and turned back to Riku, "Bye Riku."
Riku frowned, and watched her disappear behind the rocks. Why did Navi run away like that? He ran his hands over his face, and leant his head against the rock wall that was currently digging painfully into his back.
"What's wrong?" A voice rasped next to him. Riku nearly jumped out of his skin, and dug his heels into the ground, preparing to scurry away.
It was only Tatle though, sitting in the same spot Navi was earlier. Those aqua eyes blinked at him, and he watched as they turned from a bluish color to violet, then on green.
"Nothing, I'm just tired," Riku replied, sitting back again. He noticed that the visible mouth frowned at him, and those eyes blinked at him. "Really." He stated again.
Riku wasn't okay. Navi was acting weird, and all he wanted to do was get close to her.
Tatle got up, "I'm sure she wants that too." And instead of disappearing, she walked out.
Riku leant his head back again, trying to let everything sink in.
~*~
"Navi? Are you okay?" Cloud entered her room sat on her bed. It was so hot in her room; he wondered how she could stand it. He shook her shoulder lightly. Navi didn't get up; she just pulled her head from the pillow her face was buried in.
"Yeah, Cloud, I'm fine."
Cloud sighed, and ran his hand over her back. Navi gave a shriek and rolled sideways, arching her back, and face twisted in pain. "Don't touch my back," She gasped, "It hurts."
Cloud face turned solemn, and it reminded Navi that her brother was still a fighter. "You can't keep doing this, you're going to wear yourself out!"
Navi raised from her bed, stiff backed, and sat up with difficulty, "I'm fine, Cloud. I'm not dying for God's sake."
Cloud's eyes narrowed, and he gave his sister a look that would have frightened most people, but she glared back, "Did you tell him?"
Navi lowered her head, "Yes and no." She got another one of Cloud's glares. "Okay, I lied about the scars! I can't tell him, Cloud. Now mind your own business!" Navi hissed.
Cloud shot up from his bed, and the room seemed to grow hotter. He glared at her and sped towards the door, hearing Navi flop back down on her stomach. Her face was still turned to him.
Cloud swiped the sweat of his face, and opened the door. He just had to get out of the room. He gave a unreadable look to his sister, and the room suddenly went cold.
"Cloud." Navi moaned and sat down on his bed. Cloud's head lulled to the side to look at her, "Hmm?"
Navi took a deep sigh, and lay her head down on the pillow his head was on. Cloud turned his body on his side, and looked at her, "What's the matter?" He ran his fingers through her strawberry blonde hair.
Navi looked up at him; "I like Riku."
Cloud chuckled, "You want me to be surprised?"
Navi sat up straight, "You noticed?"
"Of course, it's hard not to. Why don't you tell him?" Cloud folded his hands behind his head.
"Because, I'm me!" Navi stated, swinging her feet around to hang over the edge of Cloud's bed.
Cloud noticed the two lines of scars between her shoulder blades, "Oh, you mean you haven't explained these?"
Navi shot around, "Oh, and what am I suppose to tell him. If he finds out, he'll think I'm some kind of freak, I can't tell him." She didn't mean to snap at him, but it just came out from her frustration.
Cloud rolled his eyes, "I'm sure he wouldn't mind. He's seen his share of bad things over the years."
Navi hunched her shoulders, "I don't know what to do, Cloud." She got up and walked out of the bedroom. "Thanks," She said quietly before shutting the door.
Cloud stared at the door for a moment, and he sighed, a deep one. He looked up at the ceiling; "This is going to be more difficult than I imagined."
~*~
"RIKU!" Selphie screeched, and bounced over to him, grabbing onto his shoulders.
Riku jumped, and turned to Selphie, "What?"
Selphie grinned, and swung on her heels like a child, "have you seen Kairi?"
Riku scratched his head; "She's with Sora."
Selphie frowned, and put her hands on her hip, "Well, what about Navi?"
Riku shrugged, and leant his shoulders on the palm tree behind him, "I haven't see her since yesterday afternoon."
Selphie sighed, "Okay, thanks Riku!" Despite her upset self, she bounded off, singing happily.
Riku frowned, where was Navi? He hadn't seen her since she pushed him in the water. Riku shrugged and started to walk away, when he heard someone call his name.
"Hey Riku!" It was Tidus. "You haven't seen Selphie, have you?"
Riku nodded, "She went towards home, have you seen Navi?"
Tidus stopped from his sprint towards Selphie, "Yeah, I saw her going into the Secret Place awhile ago." He wound up his legs, and ran off to find Selphie.
Riku watched him run away, and he started to walk towards the Secret Place. Why hadn't he thought of that? She was fascinated with that place.
He ducked around the wall and walked down the narrow passage.
Riku could already hear Navi inside, talking to her self.
HE stopped and leant against the wall, "I knew I'd find you in here."
Navi whipped around to see who interrupted her, "Oh, yeah."
She gestured Riku to come closer; "This is a Paopu fruit.right?"
Navi pointed to Riku's drawing of a Paopu tree; he must have been six when he drew that.
Riku nodded, and knelt down by it, "How did you know?"
Navi sat down next to him, "They use to have these where I came from."
Riku frowned, "where did you come from?"
Navi's eyes widen, and she realized that she had to tell Riku about it. She sighed, "Ever since I was born, I lived on an island, like this, just off of Hollow Bastion. When I was six, though, the Heartless came to our island. We didn't know what the Heartless were yet, so we were confused.
So my mother and I decided to actually go to Hollow Bastion, because Cloud was there, and we lost our home. So, we picked up and traveled there."
Riku's frown deepened, "So, you lived in Hollow Bastion?"
Navi nodded, and ran a finger through her hair, "Yeah, and everything was going fine. I was with my brother and father, we were a family. I had Squall, Yuffie, Aerith, and all of them with me. Then, everything started to fall when the Heartless came, and took that world, too. That's when I got this."
Navi pulled her hair up, and turned so Riku could see her back. He saw the two scars of her back. "How did you get those?"
Navi turned straight again, "Cloud went to push me out of the attack of an Invisible, but, he fell, and I got attacked."
There, that should be good enough, Navi thought. Did I really want to tell the truth about my scars? No, because that would scare him.
Riku frowned, and Navi shook her head, she didn't want to hear Riku's sympathy. She had already had enough in her life.
Rising from the spot she was sitting in, Navi brushed the dirt of the back of her skirt, and started to walk away. She stopped and turned back to Riku, "Bye Riku."
Riku frowned, and watched her disappear behind the rocks. Why did Navi run away like that? He ran his hands over his face, and leant his head against the rock wall that was currently digging painfully into his back.
"What's wrong?" A voice rasped next to him. Riku nearly jumped out of his skin, and dug his heels into the ground, preparing to scurry away.
It was only Tatle though, sitting in the same spot Navi was earlier. Those aqua eyes blinked at him, and he watched as they turned from a bluish color to violet, then on green.
"Nothing, I'm just tired," Riku replied, sitting back again. He noticed that the visible mouth frowned at him, and those eyes blinked at him. "Really." He stated again.
Riku wasn't okay. Navi was acting weird, and all he wanted to do was get close to her.
Tatle got up, "I'm sure she wants that too." And instead of disappearing, she walked out.
Riku leant his head back again, trying to let everything sink in.
~*~
"Navi? Are you okay?" Cloud entered her room sat on her bed. It was so hot in her room; he wondered how she could stand it. He shook her shoulder lightly. Navi didn't get up; she just pulled her head from the pillow her face was buried in.
"Yeah, Cloud, I'm fine."
Cloud sighed, and ran his hand over her back. Navi gave a shriek and rolled sideways, arching her back, and face twisted in pain. "Don't touch my back," She gasped, "It hurts."
Cloud face turned solemn, and it reminded Navi that her brother was still a fighter. "You can't keep doing this, you're going to wear yourself out!"
Navi raised from her bed, stiff backed, and sat up with difficulty, "I'm fine, Cloud. I'm not dying for God's sake."
Cloud's eyes narrowed, and he gave his sister a look that would have frightened most people, but she glared back, "Did you tell him?"
Navi lowered her head, "Yes and no." She got another one of Cloud's glares. "Okay, I lied about the scars! I can't tell him, Cloud. Now mind your own business!" Navi hissed.
Cloud shot up from his bed, and the room seemed to grow hotter. He glared at her and sped towards the door, hearing Navi flop back down on her stomach. Her face was still turned to him.
Cloud swiped the sweat of his face, and opened the door. He just had to get out of the room. He gave a unreadable look to his sister, and the room suddenly went cold.