Sora sat reclined in the window of the Centigrade, listening to Rikku give
Donald all of the details of how the Heartless had returned up to where
they found him. Donald nodded slowly, piecing together what Rikku had said
and looked at Sora.
"Uwaaaah....Sora, you haven't seen the King have you?" Donald asked tentatively. Sora shook his head. Donald sighed and paced around the Centigrade's glowing globe, then poked the part where he was found. "Sooo....there are worlds that are really this big?" he asked. Auron stepped forward and nodded.
"Not too long ago the world looked like this, but the whole is still missing. There was a war and most of the world split apart. When the Heartless came, the remainders were broken apart." Auron informed. Sora thought for a long moment.
"So...since the war was so long ago, the worlds Donald, Goofy and I went to could be part of it?" he asked. Auron slightly turned his head in Sora's direction while everyone gave Sora their full attention. "Well, remember Agrabah? That could be part of the Bikanel Desert..." he paused. "But that doesn't make sense. Why would the capital part of the world break away from the rest?" he asked. Auron and Brother seemed to bristle at this, Auron wasn't as noticeable as Brother, who began ranting in Al Bhed. Rikku looked behind her in surprise, then smiled and sat besides Sora. Sora moved his feet to make room for her.
"You know, you're kind of rushing into that assumption. There could have been plenty of deserts in the world." She informed him. Sora was staring at Brother, who was yelling at no one and throwing his arms around. "I think he thinks you were insulting the Al Bhed by talking about the desert that way." She said softly.
"Ah! I didn't mean to Rikku! Really!" Sora held his hands up, afraid the Al Bhed girl had a trace of her brother's temper. She laughed and kissed his cheek, then got up.
"I believe you Sora. Brother just jumps whenever something about the deserts are questioned. Anyways, the Centigrade has detected some of the Islands. We have to convince them into rejoining us before anyone else. Gippal's orders I suppose." She shrugged and tried to calm Brother enough so he could navigate the AirShip.
Sora watched her go, then looked at Donald, who was apparently grinning. Goofy was stifling a laugh. He was about to ask why they were so happy, then he remembered. He couldn't handle himself well around girls; he always blushed a deep crimson, except if they were older. Rikku was his age, and cute. His face was red. That's why she smiled too.
"Leave me alone!" he snapped, and went into his cabin. Auron watched, bemused.
-------------------------------------- --------
"We'll be landing in 15 minutes! Man your weapons and ready your magic in case there are fiends!" Rikku's cheery voice cautioned over the speakers. Sora sat on his bed, holding his KeyBlade. He looked into the distance with a thin smile.
Home.
He was heading home in a mere 15 minutes. His Island, where he had fought to go to for over 6 years.
He shuddered suddenly, as if a cold breeze had come in. Why was he nervous? Was it abut seeing Kairi again? He wondered about his old friends, how they would have changed—if Riku had been there while he was gone.
He shuddered again. Rikku and Riku. They both meant so much to him, but in different ways. Riku had always been his childhood rival in everything. They had grown up together, laughed together and fought together....and loved the same girl...
But Rikku. He had only known her for a few weeks---weeks! Not even! It had been barely two since they first met, but he felt himself falling into her swirling green eyes every time he looked into him. He wanted to just relax when she was near, but the danger at hand kept him from doing so. He hoped she didn't think he wasn't interested in her.
Was he? Didn't he still love Kairi?
"---landing! Sora, where are you?" Rikku's voice jolted Sora into the real world. The whole ship shuddered as it passed through clouds and landed on uneven ground. Sora ran to the cabin. Everyone was there, waiting for him. Sora's head tilted a bit in confusion.
"We think you should go first Sora." Goofy explained.
"Yeah! You've been dying to be here since we met you!" Donald added.
"It wouldn't be right if you didn't go first Sora," Rikku said, walking to Sora and taking his hand in both of hers. "Don't be nervous. The Heartless haven't been here, everything is the same except they've gotten older." Sora was too dizzy to ask how she knew, but he let her lead him to the teleportation pad.
"Rikku?" he asked, pausing before stepping on the device. She smiled at him and tilted her head quizzically.
"Yea Sora?" she asked. Sora tried not to stare into her green eyes, but at her smile. Her happiness seemed to rub off and he smiled back.
"I don't think we'll need the weapons." He said, then disappeared.
-------------------------------------- --------
"Ohhh...your hair is so pretty LuLu!" Yuna moaned. LuLu smiled as she finished one of her long braids. When she was finished, she leaned back into Wakka's who was tossing his Blitzball to Tidus. Wakka held the ball in one hand, then threw the other around LuLu.
"You'll watch us play later, ya?" he asked apprehensively. LuLu smiled up at him and nodded.
Kairi felt jealous of her two friends. Tidus, with his eccentric Blitzball uniform was holding Yuna, who wore a sky blue skirt that reached to her knees and a soft white shirt that barely hung from her shoulders. LuLu wore black, per usual, but her skirt was designed after her dress; the bottom made of belts.
Kairi was still wearing her blue and white school uniform. She and Yuna were the youngest of the group, along with Selphie, who still had to go to school. Lately, she spent more time there. A part of her wondered if she did so to avoid seeing Riku.
She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice when Riku sat next to her and dropped a coconut in her lap. She shrieked when feeling the hairy weight and dropped it. The group laughed at her while Riku picked it back up and playfully tugged her hair.
"Forget tonight? It's Coconut Credenza." He smiled down at Kairi. "What would you like carved in your coconut?" he asked, brushing her hair away from her face. Kairi blushed and looked at the sand.
"A monkey?" she asked. Rikku and Tidus laughed. Wakka was sneaking off with LuLu, and was already out of earshot of the group. Tidus called out to them, making Wakka turn and give him a gesture which Tidus laugh off. Suddenly, there was a roar, then a moment later, Selphie came running and yelling to the group.
"Where's Wakka and LuLu?" she yelled. Tidus pointed. "Get them!" she panted. Tidus paused, then jogged after the couple.
"What's wrong Selphie?" Kairi asked, concerned. Selphie sucked in air, then grinned at the group. "It's a surprise you'll love!" She said, then took Yuna's and Kairi's hands and ran back to where she came from. Riku put his black and yellow shirt on and waited for Tidus and the others to get back before he followed.
-------------------------------------- --------
Selphie finally released the girl when they arrived at the docks and flung herself at a man talking to Lord Braska and Governor Gyver. He laughed and hugged the girl. Kairi and Yuna had stopped walking as they absorbed the scene:
A large, black and blue machine was sitting on the edge of the shore; a group of people were walking towards the figure Selphie was hugging....
Kairi gasped as Yuna squealed and ran towards her father. Lord Braska smiled at his daughter, excused himself and met her, then took her down to the shore. Kairi followed, numbly aware that the sun was hotter here than were she and her friends were before and that her feet were now in the ice cold water.
"S---Sora?" she asked cautiously. The man looked down at her and smiled hesitantly. His hair was spiked in all directions, his skin was pale and his clothes dark, but his eyes were kind...and looked like they have found something they were searching for, for many years. Suddenly, she began to cry, and just as suddenly realized that the rest of the group had caught up and everyone was watching her cry.
"Hey man," Riku greeted, wrapping an arm around Kairi before she could hug her long-lost friend. Riku's eyes were icy as they looked into Sora's. Kairi shuddered as Sora's turned to steel and focused only on Riku. A tan, lean and scantily clad girl tugged on Sora's arm, smiling happily as if she didn't notice the two boys' silent fight.
"Sora, you're home! This is what you always wanted, wasn't it?" she asked, looking around.
"Wh---who are you?" she stammered. Kairi found that her voice was small and didn't even sound like her. The girl smiled and stuck out a hand, which Kairi gingerly took.
"I'm Rikku, glad to meetcha!" she said, energetically shaking Kairi's hand. Kairi feebly smiled back.
"Kairi, I'm glad to see you again," Sora told her. Kairi was amazed at how deep his voice was. Governor Gyver cleared his throat and welcomed the travelers, and introductions were made.
----
"This year, the Coconut Credenza will have a new celebration theme! Instead of celebrating when the coconuts are the ripest, we will celebrate when our Sora has returned to complete his Quest to resurrect our world!" Gyver announced that night.
The whole island was on Besaid around a large bonfire. The older men had carved totems, the married men had already carved their coconuts and built the temple that would be burned down after each token of bad luck was thrown into it, and the youngest men made the tokens that would be burned. Some people muttered, wondering what Gyver meant about 'resurrecting their world', but they cheered for the celebration and filled the night with dancing.
Each youth had talked to Sora, marveled at his battle scars and asked about his adventures with Donald and Goofy. The older men were more interested in hearing about the battles than the youths; the youths liked seeing Sora give examples of his fighting techniques.
Around midnight, while all children under 15 were asleep, the couples dispersed to celebrate in their own fashion. Kairi left Yuna and Tidus, who were talking to Lord Braska and Auron about their lives before Auron brought the three to Besaid. She was interested in that her Lord Braska and two best friends weren't from Besaid, but knew her friend would fill her in later.
"Kairi?" Kairi turned to see Sora standing on the shore. He wore the same small smile as the one when he first saw her. She wondered if that was the extent of happiness he could show. Nonetheless, she walked to him. "I've been dreaming of staring at the ocean for six years. It seems so long since I've been here...more than six years...maybe sixty. I miss the way things used to be." He sighed and looked out into the ocean, although all one could see was black sky on black water. Sora didn't seem to mind.
"Sora?" she tugged on his sleeve. Sora looked down at her. It disturbed Kairi at how his eyes were no longer innocent, but she took her chance. Sora's eyes widened when Kairi kissed him, and held the kiss. Slowly he closed his eyes and held her. Sora didn't ask why she stopped, or why she started crying. "If Riku finds out....we're supposed to be getting married next year..." Kairi sobbed and looked up at Sora. "...because we lived together for so long..." Kairi stopped when Sora held her head in his hands and looked into her eyes seriously. The dying bonfire illuminated his face oddly, and suddenly a part of her was scared of him. In the dying light, his face showed all the pain he had endured for the past few years.
"Kairi, can't you see that even if we were together, I can never be truly happy again? Everything I've done, everything I've failed at, endured, suffered through...I can never forget it, no matter who I'm with." He sighed, then forced a smile. "I've been dreaming of this for years Kairi, but now it's pointless to even have a scrap of hope." He paused, then kissed her briefly, then left her on the beach. Kairi touched her lips with a shaking hand, then fell to her knees in the water, not caring that she scraped her knees on seashells, or that Riku walked past her to Sora.
"Uwaaaah....Sora, you haven't seen the King have you?" Donald asked tentatively. Sora shook his head. Donald sighed and paced around the Centigrade's glowing globe, then poked the part where he was found. "Sooo....there are worlds that are really this big?" he asked. Auron stepped forward and nodded.
"Not too long ago the world looked like this, but the whole is still missing. There was a war and most of the world split apart. When the Heartless came, the remainders were broken apart." Auron informed. Sora thought for a long moment.
"So...since the war was so long ago, the worlds Donald, Goofy and I went to could be part of it?" he asked. Auron slightly turned his head in Sora's direction while everyone gave Sora their full attention. "Well, remember Agrabah? That could be part of the Bikanel Desert..." he paused. "But that doesn't make sense. Why would the capital part of the world break away from the rest?" he asked. Auron and Brother seemed to bristle at this, Auron wasn't as noticeable as Brother, who began ranting in Al Bhed. Rikku looked behind her in surprise, then smiled and sat besides Sora. Sora moved his feet to make room for her.
"You know, you're kind of rushing into that assumption. There could have been plenty of deserts in the world." She informed him. Sora was staring at Brother, who was yelling at no one and throwing his arms around. "I think he thinks you were insulting the Al Bhed by talking about the desert that way." She said softly.
"Ah! I didn't mean to Rikku! Really!" Sora held his hands up, afraid the Al Bhed girl had a trace of her brother's temper. She laughed and kissed his cheek, then got up.
"I believe you Sora. Brother just jumps whenever something about the deserts are questioned. Anyways, the Centigrade has detected some of the Islands. We have to convince them into rejoining us before anyone else. Gippal's orders I suppose." She shrugged and tried to calm Brother enough so he could navigate the AirShip.
Sora watched her go, then looked at Donald, who was apparently grinning. Goofy was stifling a laugh. He was about to ask why they were so happy, then he remembered. He couldn't handle himself well around girls; he always blushed a deep crimson, except if they were older. Rikku was his age, and cute. His face was red. That's why she smiled too.
"Leave me alone!" he snapped, and went into his cabin. Auron watched, bemused.
-------------------------------------- --------
"We'll be landing in 15 minutes! Man your weapons and ready your magic in case there are fiends!" Rikku's cheery voice cautioned over the speakers. Sora sat on his bed, holding his KeyBlade. He looked into the distance with a thin smile.
Home.
He was heading home in a mere 15 minutes. His Island, where he had fought to go to for over 6 years.
He shuddered suddenly, as if a cold breeze had come in. Why was he nervous? Was it abut seeing Kairi again? He wondered about his old friends, how they would have changed—if Riku had been there while he was gone.
He shuddered again. Rikku and Riku. They both meant so much to him, but in different ways. Riku had always been his childhood rival in everything. They had grown up together, laughed together and fought together....and loved the same girl...
But Rikku. He had only known her for a few weeks---weeks! Not even! It had been barely two since they first met, but he felt himself falling into her swirling green eyes every time he looked into him. He wanted to just relax when she was near, but the danger at hand kept him from doing so. He hoped she didn't think he wasn't interested in her.
Was he? Didn't he still love Kairi?
"---landing! Sora, where are you?" Rikku's voice jolted Sora into the real world. The whole ship shuddered as it passed through clouds and landed on uneven ground. Sora ran to the cabin. Everyone was there, waiting for him. Sora's head tilted a bit in confusion.
"We think you should go first Sora." Goofy explained.
"Yeah! You've been dying to be here since we met you!" Donald added.
"It wouldn't be right if you didn't go first Sora," Rikku said, walking to Sora and taking his hand in both of hers. "Don't be nervous. The Heartless haven't been here, everything is the same except they've gotten older." Sora was too dizzy to ask how she knew, but he let her lead him to the teleportation pad.
"Rikku?" he asked, pausing before stepping on the device. She smiled at him and tilted her head quizzically.
"Yea Sora?" she asked. Sora tried not to stare into her green eyes, but at her smile. Her happiness seemed to rub off and he smiled back.
"I don't think we'll need the weapons." He said, then disappeared.
-------------------------------------- --------
"Ohhh...your hair is so pretty LuLu!" Yuna moaned. LuLu smiled as she finished one of her long braids. When she was finished, she leaned back into Wakka's who was tossing his Blitzball to Tidus. Wakka held the ball in one hand, then threw the other around LuLu.
"You'll watch us play later, ya?" he asked apprehensively. LuLu smiled up at him and nodded.
Kairi felt jealous of her two friends. Tidus, with his eccentric Blitzball uniform was holding Yuna, who wore a sky blue skirt that reached to her knees and a soft white shirt that barely hung from her shoulders. LuLu wore black, per usual, but her skirt was designed after her dress; the bottom made of belts.
Kairi was still wearing her blue and white school uniform. She and Yuna were the youngest of the group, along with Selphie, who still had to go to school. Lately, she spent more time there. A part of her wondered if she did so to avoid seeing Riku.
She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice when Riku sat next to her and dropped a coconut in her lap. She shrieked when feeling the hairy weight and dropped it. The group laughed at her while Riku picked it back up and playfully tugged her hair.
"Forget tonight? It's Coconut Credenza." He smiled down at Kairi. "What would you like carved in your coconut?" he asked, brushing her hair away from her face. Kairi blushed and looked at the sand.
"A monkey?" she asked. Rikku and Tidus laughed. Wakka was sneaking off with LuLu, and was already out of earshot of the group. Tidus called out to them, making Wakka turn and give him a gesture which Tidus laugh off. Suddenly, there was a roar, then a moment later, Selphie came running and yelling to the group.
"Where's Wakka and LuLu?" she yelled. Tidus pointed. "Get them!" she panted. Tidus paused, then jogged after the couple.
"What's wrong Selphie?" Kairi asked, concerned. Selphie sucked in air, then grinned at the group. "It's a surprise you'll love!" She said, then took Yuna's and Kairi's hands and ran back to where she came from. Riku put his black and yellow shirt on and waited for Tidus and the others to get back before he followed.
-------------------------------------- --------
Selphie finally released the girl when they arrived at the docks and flung herself at a man talking to Lord Braska and Governor Gyver. He laughed and hugged the girl. Kairi and Yuna had stopped walking as they absorbed the scene:
A large, black and blue machine was sitting on the edge of the shore; a group of people were walking towards the figure Selphie was hugging....
Kairi gasped as Yuna squealed and ran towards her father. Lord Braska smiled at his daughter, excused himself and met her, then took her down to the shore. Kairi followed, numbly aware that the sun was hotter here than were she and her friends were before and that her feet were now in the ice cold water.
"S---Sora?" she asked cautiously. The man looked down at her and smiled hesitantly. His hair was spiked in all directions, his skin was pale and his clothes dark, but his eyes were kind...and looked like they have found something they were searching for, for many years. Suddenly, she began to cry, and just as suddenly realized that the rest of the group had caught up and everyone was watching her cry.
"Hey man," Riku greeted, wrapping an arm around Kairi before she could hug her long-lost friend. Riku's eyes were icy as they looked into Sora's. Kairi shuddered as Sora's turned to steel and focused only on Riku. A tan, lean and scantily clad girl tugged on Sora's arm, smiling happily as if she didn't notice the two boys' silent fight.
"Sora, you're home! This is what you always wanted, wasn't it?" she asked, looking around.
"Wh---who are you?" she stammered. Kairi found that her voice was small and didn't even sound like her. The girl smiled and stuck out a hand, which Kairi gingerly took.
"I'm Rikku, glad to meetcha!" she said, energetically shaking Kairi's hand. Kairi feebly smiled back.
"Kairi, I'm glad to see you again," Sora told her. Kairi was amazed at how deep his voice was. Governor Gyver cleared his throat and welcomed the travelers, and introductions were made.
----
"This year, the Coconut Credenza will have a new celebration theme! Instead of celebrating when the coconuts are the ripest, we will celebrate when our Sora has returned to complete his Quest to resurrect our world!" Gyver announced that night.
The whole island was on Besaid around a large bonfire. The older men had carved totems, the married men had already carved their coconuts and built the temple that would be burned down after each token of bad luck was thrown into it, and the youngest men made the tokens that would be burned. Some people muttered, wondering what Gyver meant about 'resurrecting their world', but they cheered for the celebration and filled the night with dancing.
Each youth had talked to Sora, marveled at his battle scars and asked about his adventures with Donald and Goofy. The older men were more interested in hearing about the battles than the youths; the youths liked seeing Sora give examples of his fighting techniques.
Around midnight, while all children under 15 were asleep, the couples dispersed to celebrate in their own fashion. Kairi left Yuna and Tidus, who were talking to Lord Braska and Auron about their lives before Auron brought the three to Besaid. She was interested in that her Lord Braska and two best friends weren't from Besaid, but knew her friend would fill her in later.
"Kairi?" Kairi turned to see Sora standing on the shore. He wore the same small smile as the one when he first saw her. She wondered if that was the extent of happiness he could show. Nonetheless, she walked to him. "I've been dreaming of staring at the ocean for six years. It seems so long since I've been here...more than six years...maybe sixty. I miss the way things used to be." He sighed and looked out into the ocean, although all one could see was black sky on black water. Sora didn't seem to mind.
"Sora?" she tugged on his sleeve. Sora looked down at her. It disturbed Kairi at how his eyes were no longer innocent, but she took her chance. Sora's eyes widened when Kairi kissed him, and held the kiss. Slowly he closed his eyes and held her. Sora didn't ask why she stopped, or why she started crying. "If Riku finds out....we're supposed to be getting married next year..." Kairi sobbed and looked up at Sora. "...because we lived together for so long..." Kairi stopped when Sora held her head in his hands and looked into her eyes seriously. The dying bonfire illuminated his face oddly, and suddenly a part of her was scared of him. In the dying light, his face showed all the pain he had endured for the past few years.
"Kairi, can't you see that even if we were together, I can never be truly happy again? Everything I've done, everything I've failed at, endured, suffered through...I can never forget it, no matter who I'm with." He sighed, then forced a smile. "I've been dreaming of this for years Kairi, but now it's pointless to even have a scrap of hope." He paused, then kissed her briefly, then left her on the beach. Kairi touched her lips with a shaking hand, then fell to her knees in the water, not caring that she scraped her knees on seashells, or that Riku walked past her to Sora.