Concealed
By: Snakey
Chapter 7: Truth
-------------------------------------
The gang sat inside the gummi ship, with Sky piloting it with his left hand's keyhole. The rest of them just sat at the back making their beds. Tidus looked at Sky's skilful piloting, and wondered about the keyhole.
"Hey Sky, how'd you get that keyhole in your left hand?" Tidus asked curiously.
"Yeah, I want to know too!" Selphie added.
"Well, I'm not sure how I got it, but with it, I can cast magic and possibly summon things." Sky replied.
"Possibly summon….. Not for sure?" Selphie asked.
"Well, I never summoned anything, but I think I can."
'Hey, I said you could if I help you.' Sora said.
"I don't know….. I might be able to do this myself." Sky replied.
'What if you mess up?'
"Look, believe in me for once."
"Umm….. Sky, who are you talking to?" Tidus asked.
"….. Myself?" He said, with embarrassment.
"Okay….. I'll just leave you to it then."
'That made you sound stupid.' Sora insulted.
'I'll talk to you through thinking then.' Sky replied in his mind.
Tidus and Selphie went back to fluffing the pillows and straightening the sheets. Kairi was staring out of the window and looking at the stars. Riku….. Well he was asleep already in the corner of the ship.
"Sky? Is it possible to leave this ship on auto-pilot?" Selphie asked.
"No such thing on this ship." He replied.
"Aw….." Selphie pouted.
"Someone else has to pilot then." Sky turned around, and looked at the bunch.
"Psst….. Take Riku….. Don't look at me….." Selphie whispered while pointing at the sleeping Riku.
"Okay." Sky replied quickly.
"Wait, Kairi should do the honours of waking him up, or he'd flatten us." Tidus declared.
"Well….. Selphie is an exception." Kairi said turning from the window.
"No, he'd still hurt me Kairi, so that leaves only you." Selphie stated.
"Why is it always me when it comes to Riku…?"
Kairi walked over to the sleeping boy, with the others close behind her. Kairi took a deep breath and yelled:
"WAKE UP YOU LAZY BUM!!!!"
The others were shocked and afraid at the same time as they watched as Kairi awakened the angry Riku. Kairi stood her ground and looked at Riku.
"Ow….. My ears….." he said.
"That serves you right for sleeping, while we did all the work." Kairi said, not knowing that was kind of what she did too.
"You could've just nudged me a little to wake me though." He stood up.
"Okay….. Riku, it's your turn to pilot this ship, I can't do so forever without sleep." Sky said.
"Yeah, yeah….. whatever….." Riku said in a Squall-ish tone.
"Come on everyone, lets get some sleep." Tidus announced.
"I'm taking over Riku's bed then." Sky said.
"Do what you want." Riku said.
"Sky, you don't want to share a bed with me?" Selphie said in slight disappointment.
"If I don't have to, then no."
"Fine, be that way."
"….."
Kairi watched as Selphie curled up in her bed, which was beside hers. Tidus and Sky's beds were on the other side of the ship.
"Selphie….. Do you like Sky or something?" Kairi whispered to Selphie.
"I don't know, but it feels more like I'm playing with him." She whispered back.
"What? That's not like you Selphie."
"Yes it is."
"….. Well, you didn't do this to Sora, so why only Sky?"
"I did do this to Sora, you just didn't know."
"Okay….. Are you really Selphie??"
"Of course I am!" Selphie yelled out loud.
The boys looked at them, and Kairi covered Selphie's mouth so there wouldn't be anymore disturbances.
"If you guys want to talk then go ahead, but don't be so loud." Sky said.
"Yeah, you got to think of how you'd bother us too." Tidus said.
"Just go to sleep." Riku said to everyone.
They all curled back in their beds, and went to sleep with Riku wide awake piloting the ship. Sky stared up into the ceiling, thinking about the girl in his dreams who was the closest to an angel that he'd ever seen, or at least, dreamt of. He turned his head, only to find that Tidus was asleep, and snoring.
'Oh man… Tidus snores…' He said to Sora.
'Too bad for you then.' Sora said, like a slap on Sky's face.
'Some hero you are.'
'Hey! I'm only 14.'
'Then respect your elders, I'm 15.'
'…Just get your rest, I need to sleep to you know?'
'Fine.'
Sky turned away from Tidus, and closed his eyes. It was disturbing with the snoring and all, but somehow he managed to drift in to a quiet slumber.
"…Sky?" said a voice.
Sky opened his eyes, and saw Kairi right in from of him. He sat up, looked out the window, and saw light coming through it. He walked to the door, looking around him to analyse the area.
"Traverse?" Sky questioned.
"Yup, Traverse town!" Selphie exclaimed.
"Selphie, how would you know? You've never been here." Riku asked.
"I can read." Selphie pointed to a sign at the World Gate.
"…"
"Hey, let's find Leon and the others! I do hope they've returned from Hollow Bastion." Kairi said.
"Hollow Bastion…" It seemed to give Sky a bad feeling.
"What's wrong Sky?" Selphie worried.
"Just that, the name of that place gives me a sharp pain in my chest." He put his hand on top of his heart, and closed his eyes while taking deep breaths.
"Maybe, Hollow Bastion is your home?" Riku said, somewhat afraid it would be true.
"No… it's not."
'Is it that dark place where I merged with you?' Sora asked.
'I don't know…'
The group proceeded into the 3rd District where they hoped to see Leon, Aerith, or Yuffie. They split up at when they reached Merlin's house, and searched throughout the rooms. Sky went upstairs, but was surprised when you saw flying objects. He looked at them, and they started to charge at him. He didn't wait any longer and ran out of the way. He stomped on the elevator forcing it to lower faster. This was going to be a long search. After 2 hours of searching for the three, the crew gave up. It was too boring for them, so they decided to search else where.
"Okay, next stop, Hollow Bastion… where ever that is." Selphie exclaimed.
"Fine by me." Riku said.
"Let's hope we get somewhere with the journey this time… I just hate dead ends." Kairi said.
"Yes… but I wish we didn't have to go… there." Sky whispered to himself.
'I know what you mean' Sora said.
'How do you know how I feel, you're not me.'
'Um, I'm in you? Of course I'd know how you feel.'
'Too bad, because you don't.'
'Come on, Sky. Don't be so cold. We're all trying to help you. And besides, Hollow Bastion always gets you your answer.'
'You don't know that for sure.'
'Works for me though.'
'…'
"Sky? Are you ready?" Selphie poked Sky on the forehead.
"Huh?"
"We're ready to go to Hollow Bastion!" Kairi said walking into the Ciel.
"Oh, right." Sky followed them.
"Wait, Sky, I need to talk to you. Alone." Riku said grabbing him before he could follow the others on board.
Sky obediently followed Riku to the side, following so close that when Riku stopped, he bumped into him. Riku turned around to face the other boy.
"What's wrong Riku?"
"How should I say this…"
"Huh? Say what?"
"Well…"
"Hey, we've got to get somewhere soon, so try to make it quick."
"…"
"Fine, don't tell me, I'll just go on the ship."
"Wait, I'm ready."
"Speak then."
"…I want you to let Sora take over your body on our next stop."
"What?"
"No use pretending… I know Sora's in you."
"W-What!? Are you serious Riku?"
"Don't play dumb with me!"
"I told you before, I don't know t-this Sora of yours!"
'You're a bad liar.' Sora insulted.
'Shut up.'
"Just let Sora take over in Neverland! That's our next stop."
"I thought it was Hollow Bastion?"
"You can't really see it… but Kairi's not doing too well, so seeing Sora will cheer her up completely."
"… I don't know what you want from me, but… I'll see what I can do."
"Sky, you're a bad liar."
"!!!"
Riku laughed as he went back to the ship; while Sky yelled behind him for saying he was a bad liar. Inside Sky, Sora was laughing just as hard as Riku.
"I'm not LYING!"
"Lying about what?" Kairi startled Sky at the doorway.
"Oh! Nothing!"
"Come on, tell me!"
"It's nothing, really!"
"You're a bad liar." Kairi chuckled, while behind her, Riku started to laugh even harder.
"… I don't care anymore…" Sky said weakly as he joined the others on the ship.
'I hope Kairi can hang in there… because I'm coming back to her, I promised.' Sora said, without Sky even hearing him.
To be continued in Chapter 8…..
-------------------------------------
Snakey: So sorry… I got lazy on typing the fanfic! ^^; I'll try to get this fic done so R&R to motivate me for the next chapter please~
December 26th, '03