She walked down the sidewalk. It almost seemed like a ghost town. She had, low and behold, seen a whopping three people straying about so far. It was almost as if she was the only one there.
Awhile passed and Kairi turned down a boulevard, still no one in sight. She was beginning to ponder what Sith had told her about never truly being alone here.
'Hi!'
Kairi let out a small scream as she slammed into a bench in front of her. She flipped her head around when her face met that of an eager boy who stood on a sandy beach to her left. Next to him stood two other boys and a single girl. A frown bordered one of the boys' lips as he punched the eager blond in the arm, sending him back a few feet.
'Look what you did, you scared her!'
Kairi stood and watched in amusement.
'Ouch! Riku, that hurt!' the blond boy complained, rubbing his arm.
'You're such a baby Tidus,' the girl exclaimed/ Riku raced up to where Kairi stood.
'Hi, I'm Riku,' he smiled as he went to go shake Kairi's hand. Suddenly the rest of the cavalry approached.
'Hey Riku, who is she?' Tidus asked anxiously.
'Would you shut up? I'm trying to figure that out!' Riku threatened.
'Eh, stop yelling,' the girl complained.
'Well if you would stop whining, ya?' the third guy spoke up.
'I'm Kairi,' she said lightly, but her words were drowned out in the argument.
'You're such a butt weed Tidus!'
'Shut up!'
'I'll punch all three of you if you don't shut your god da...'
'Hey, man! Fighting is not the answer!'
'Would you all be quiet!?' Kairi screamed. The four eyed her and shut their faces instantly. She sighed and smiled. 'Good now, I'm Kairi...' she trailed off as she pointed up a finger to the silver haired boy who had first approached her, 'Riku...' she said, then moved her hand over to the left. '...And Tidus...' she said pointing to the short one with blond hair. She eyed the other two curiously.
'Oh! Wakka,' he lit up.
'Selphie!' the hyper brunette exclaimed chipperly. Kairi nodded and bit her lower lip.
'Oh, sorry I scared you before. It's just, you don't see many unfamiliar faces... let alone faces... around here that often... and, well...' Tidus trailed off.
'What Tidus is trying to say is that he got excited because he thinks you're hott,' Selphie smiled. Tidus whacked her head hard with his kudo stick and blushed madly.
'Am, do, had... NO!!!' Tidus exclaimed as Selphie giggled through the pain.
'Hmmm...' Kairi sighed looking around the still deserted island.
'So, um, where're you from?' Riku questioned at last after a few brief moments of silence. Kairi thought about it and shrugged.
'I don't remember... I'm staying at James Abbott's house, down... there somewhere,' she said pointing off in a random direction.
'Hmmm... Where all parentless souls go...' Tidus sighed.
'Is it really as horrible as they say it is?' Selphie questioned, rubbing at a large bump on her, already oversized, head. Kairi shrugged.
'I don't know, I only just arrived yesterday...'
'So, what happened to your parents?' Riku questioned, again Kairi shrugged.
'I don't remember even ever having parents,' Kairi replied. The four all nodded in unison. An awkward silence filled the surrounding area.
'So, um... how 'bout we show you around the island a bit...?' Riku offered lighting an irresistible smile. Kairi opened her mouth to answer when Selphie whacked Riku's head with her nunchaku.
'Eh, Riku, you're such a flirt!' Selphie exclaimed. Riku snapped around.
'I'd keep that damn jump rope to yourself. I don't want to have another reason to kill you today!' Riku exclaimed in an angry whisper. Selphie hid behind her fortification of Wakka. Riku spun back around and raised his eyebrows playfully. Kairi lit a wavering smile.
'I-...' she began, but let out an exaggerated sigh as Riku's longing beg sunk in. 'Fine,' Kairi let out. Riku smiled cheerfully, took hold of Kairi's hand and yanked her down the beach. She was hesitantly forced to follow.
'This is the beach. I am basically here everyday,' Riku smiled.
'I'm sure you are...' Kairi trailed off as Riku let her hand go.
'Was there an ocean where you came from?' Riku questioned. Kairi shook her head as everyone's eyes went wide. Riku shrugged in dismay.
'Hey, who's that?' Kairi asked as she pointed out to a person sitting alone at the end of a nearby dock. Everyone followed where she was aiming.
'Oh... that's just Sora...' Riku's voice trailed off. 'He doesn't talk much.'
Kairi's face morphed into a slight frown. 'Why?' she questioned. Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus all shrugged in unison.
'Maybe he doesn't know how?' Selphie suggested.
'That's not it, he probably just doesn't like the sound of his voice,' Tidus conjured.
'No man, I bet it's because he doesn't think anyone will listen to him, ya?' Wakka exclaimed. Kairi looked over at all of them and then shifted her gaze towards Riku.
'His mom died when he was seven. He barely talked after that,' Riku sad as everyone turned to look at him. 'We used to be best friends, Sora and I... but ever since he began to distant himself, I guess our friendship just kind of... faded out,' Riku explained with a semi- frighteningly blank stare upon his face. Everyone fell silent.
'Riku...' Selphie trailed off slowly. Riku frowned and turned around, walking off.
'He doesn't like to think about it,' Tidus explained. Kairi nodded as her gaze shifted back to Riku.
'Nice meeting you guys,' Kairi smiled at Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie.
'No problem, man, anytime!' Wakka smiled. Kairi smiled back and followed Riku.
'Hmmm... too bad she doesn't know that Riku doesn't like to be followed,' stated Selphie airily.
'Yeah, Selph, you'd know,' Tidus smirked playfully. Selphie whacked his head with her nunchaku.
'Ouch! Selphie!!!'
Riku sat on a small island connected to the larger one by a long bridge. Kairi crossed the bridge and stood behind Riku as he sat on a bizarrely shaped tree bearing strange, star-shaped fruit.
'Is there something you want?' asked Riku coldly. Kairi shook her head.
'No,' she replied lightly as she walked up behind him and sat down next to him. She squinted against the blinding, afternoon sun. They sat in the bitter silence of each other's company until Kairi spoke up
'Does he have any friends?' Kairi questioned as Riku shook his head.
'I gave up trying to talk to him years ago,' Riku sighed.
'Well, maybe he just needs someone who'll listen to the silence... you know?' Kairi questioned as Riku shook his head slowly.
'No... I think all he needs is a way out...' said Riku lightly.
'You mean... out of, his life?' Kairi questioned, Riku nodded. Kairi fell silent.
'His dad is never home anymore. When he is, he's drunk. Sora used to come over to my house whenever his dad would threaten him. We knew it was just the booze talking... He never physically hurt Sora... Just threatened to,' Riku explained.
'Why didn't you go to the police or something? Physical violence or not, it's still abuse,' said Kairi. Riku shook his head.
'We had no proof of mental harassment. Mr. Darco (his dad) would be sober at all the court trials and always told the judge that his son was mute because of a family tragedy. On those days, his father would always treat him really nice, like they were nothing but a normal family,' Riku continued slowly.
'Couldn't you do something?' Kairi questioned.
'Nope. I was only eleven. Nobody takes anything an eleven year old kid says seriously,' Riku paused. 'And my mom didn't want to be involved. She believed Sora's father... Go figure,'
Kairi nodded slowly and bit her bottom lip.
'When his mom did, his sister was only just born. His father decided, a year later, that he couldn't take care of a baby... Mr. Darco abandoned her,' Riku sighed. 'That's when Sora stopped talking altogether... His mother, then his sister, his father went nuts... He's had a tough life,' Riku finished. Kairi took a deep breath.
'So... That's why he doesn't talk, huh?' Kairi replied. Riku sighed.
'I guess so,' he said in response.
'Hmmm,' Kairi agreed. 'Do you know where his sister went?' Kairi questioned. Riku shook his head.
'I can't sat... I haven't seen her since she was a year old,' Riku stated.
'What was her name?' Kairi questioned softly. Riku smiled.
'Brenna...' he answered. Kairi felt her heart skip a beat and her eyes went wide. 'What is it?' Riku questioned.
'Oh, um... Nothing,' Kairi spat out quickly. 'It's a pretty name,' she smiled. It was probably just a coincidence anyway. Sith had told her that most kids under two were gone as soon as they came. If Sora's sister had been one then she must have been adopted already.
A silence drifted over and the only sound emanated off the ocean surf and the seagulls calling overhead.
'Do you want me to walk you home?' Riku questioned, aiming his gaze towards Kairi. She nodded slowly, looking down at the sand.