Chapter 5

Arashi

Point of View: Kairi

Written by: Lyphe

arashi-[storm, tempest]

Go....

The first word that ran through my mind.

Escape...

But there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The once peaceful, serene ocean, the sea that was once my friend, had turned against me and trapped me. The cold icy seawater crept towards me, rapidly limiting my space. I snatched my pack and stuffed the blanket into it. I slipped the pack onto my back as I backed up into the corner of the raft.

The wood was soaked, the wild winds would rock the raft up and down, and the untamable sea tossed the little raft. I clung to the pole, shaking uncontrollably. My skin was a pale bluish color, my lips, purple. My hair flew about my face wildly, in my face and mouth. I hung on for dear life, which I surely won't have for much left if this storm continues on for much longer. My teeth chattered so hard, I was sure they'd fall off any second.

A sudden crack of lightening stirred my attention.

"God no..."

The bluish grey sky was quickly disappearing, swallowed by dark stratus clouds, bringing with it rain and thunder. The sleepy sky was immediately replaced by a deadly raven sky. It was as if all hope was lost in the swirl of darkness in the skies. My eyes looked pleadingly to the evil sky, malevolence in its winds. Waves chased me. The grey liquid threatened to swallow me whole, leaving no signs of my ever existence.

I stared panic-stricken into the dark, stormy, grey sky. Freezing cold rain fell upon my skin, lightly though. I was eternally grateful for the sweater and scarf I wore, for they provided the only warmth that I could grasp. The waves threw me. I screamed as I clutched the wood, my arms wrapped tightly around it. I was relieved to find I had fastened it tightly enough to the rest of the raft.

How could things seem so terrible?

Surely things weren't as bad as it seemed, it was just my imagination! The wind lashed against my cheek as another crash of a wave drenched me. It passes, leaving me gasping for breath. Okay, maybe it was.

Another crack of thunder.

The light sprinkling rain now poured down on me, leaving me completely soaked. I choked on the water that seeped into my mouth, spitting it out. My maroon shaded hair lashed out against my face, striking across my face. I winced in pain. The pain increased. Every droplet of liquid was a needle, shredding my flesh apart, trying to kill me, right here, right now. I screamed as they hit me.

The cruel sea was merciless.

The raft dipped halfway into the sea once more, taking my frozen legs with it. I screeched. This time, luck was with me, as the raft quickly leveled out...if you'd call it leveling out. The sea took me on another wild ride, threatening to sink me into the depths of the sea. My blue eyes were outlined with red. I couldn't tell apart my tears from the rain.

There's no difference between the rain and your tears...

I cried out to the sea, to the sky. This would surely be the end of me. The wind swirled above me, a roaring sound in birth. I looked overhead. A cyclone had formed. I closed my crying eyes, my long eyelashes dripping the transparent water. The roaring grew louder with each coming second. Tears matched the rain as I clutched the pole. I wouldn't give in just yet. The tempest would have to take me...

Water...liquid water...

I knew no more than these simple words. The everlasting sounds of the fury of the sea brainwashed me. All I knew, all I could see before me was endless water. Liquid water. Could my fate really be so inevitable? Was this really the last scene of my petite lifespan? I cried harder as my regrets and dreams were reminded in my mind, only to slowly fade away. Among these I saw Sora.

Sora...

I opened my eyes. If I died here, I'd never be able to see him again. But, I knew there really was no escaping this watery fate. I clutched the wood harder than ever before. I didn't want to die. I was afraid to die. There was just too much ahead of me for me to go now...

Please...don't let it end like this...

Images of Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka filtered my mind. They all vanished too.

"You're a fool, Kairi, a fool..."

Selphie's words haunted me. Yes...I am a fool... I attempted to find the impossible. To try to bring back the dead. Perhaps I still had a chance of seeing Sora and Riku when I was back at the island. They'd find me... But now...I would die at sea.

Your purpose has not been yet fulfilled. You cannot die.

A strange voice entered my thoughts. I spoke shakily to it.

"I-I can't d-die...?"

These words confused me. Here I was, so close to death, and some strange voice tells me I can't go? I paused for a second, awaiting its reply. The presence was gone.

I averted my blurry gaze upward. The swirl was growing, stretching to its full size. The roaring was now at its fullest, filling my ears with the deafening sound. I screamed. It would not go away. This was a nightmare I just couldn't wake up from.

The ocean lashed out at me.

Everything was dark. There seemed to be no traces of light. My island was nowhere in sight. The sky was black, the clouds, the rain, the sea, all platinum. All grey... The color of forgetfulness... As if a person once loved dearly no more than a distant memory that can't be recalled. Grey... The color of old age. One who's lost all youth, and has surrendered down to the realm of the dead.

And I have surrendered...

I looked pleadingly into the eye of the storm. How could fear see into my eyes like open doors? This was far worse than a nightmare... Tears continued to spring from my eyes. They were swollen and aching. My sore arms still clung onto the wood. My body was a lump on the raft. I stared, my eyes wide with fear. Logs began to tear apart from the raft.

"No..."

...this was reality...

Wake me up... This cruel fate was just too much. This nightmare... This reality... This fate of mine...

Another log tore from the bunch, sinking into the depths of the ocean, never to be seen again. I gulped. That would be my fate too... I closed my eyes as I held the wood tight. Even I could feel it loosening. I couldn't hold on for much longer. This storm was just too much for anyone to endure!

Water freezing, fate undeniable.

There I lay, freezing, praying, for there to be some way, some escape, for me.

And there was no answer...

I cried my heart out. For the first time in my life, I was truly scared. Of course I've been scared before, when I was separated from Sora, but there was always the hope, the knowledge, that that he'd come for me. Now, it was all me, and me alone.

Another log tore away. I screamed. Two logs remained on the opposite side, each unmistakably loose. I was scrunched down in the very corner, terrified, and still grasping the pole. I shivered. The roaring grew louder and sounded closer. Glancing upwards, without a second thought, I screamed. The winds forming the cyclone had overgrown itself, and was now beginning to act as a vacuum.

As the last of the logs slipped away, my grasp on the pole loosened as it flew away. I felt light...a little too light... The winds carried me up to the vortex. Glancing towards it, my eyes widened as I saw a scarlet orb in the center of the storm. I screamed as I was swept into it.

And that was the last time I ever saw the island...

The man was seated on a dark throne as his loyal darkside reported to him.

"So, the princess has returned..."

Author's Notes: Arashi means storm in Japanese, and I thought 'what a great idea!' after I remember seeing a story titled 'fatalis' by Firefly Rebirth (I never read it, except for the credits!) Okay, Amanda! I better not see the next chapter titled with the same idea! It's just a one time random thing! Please R&R!

-Ly