***********Woah, I'm back already? Hmm, I must be on a really big Kingdom Hearts kick…not that I was ever off it. Well, I've got some good ideas for this story, and I just can't wait for months on end again to write them.
Chapter Five
"Charlie?!" Bella-Donna yelled in an angry tone through the house. She figured that the boy knew that what he did was wrong and was hiding out somewhere. A whole night had passed since Erin and B.D. found out about the happenings of the video game, and neither one slept a wink. The fact that today would be the last day that their new found friends would be on Destiny Islands made them very uneasy. Also, the idea that was formulating in Bella's head made both her, and the smaller girl a little on the edge. The Egyptian wasn't sure yet, but she could probably make this still mysterious plan work.
"Albie, do you know where that little fungus is hiding?" she asked quickly when she came across the woman shuffling down the hall.
"Charlie, Charlie." her aunt thought. "I believe I saw him in the library somewhere dear." she answered with a sharp nod.
"Alright, thanks." Bella started off down the hallway toward the large room, but not before Albie stopped her.
"Um, Bella, is there anything wrong by chance?"
"Wrong? Why would anything be wrong Auntie Albie?" the girl stopped and turned back to the woman with a shrug and a small smile. She hadn't exactly told her aunt what had happened down the in basement, but was sure that she would tell her eventually. Eventually.
"Well…alright." the older woman accepted the answer and continued down the hall and to the stairway. B.D. let out a small sigh and raced to the library throwing the door open with a slam.
"Charlie." she plainly stated and closed the door again before stepping quietly through the isles of book cases. Books lay scattered across the carpeted floor in front of her, causing her to stumble a few times.
"Charlie?" she said again before coming to a complete halt and listening. She could hear the sound of Albie bopping round downstairs, the sound of the machines running in the basement where Erin was sleeping, and soft breathing. Holding her own breath she focused her ears as hard as she could, then reached up and yanked her little brother out of his hiding place above her head on a shelf behind some of the ancient books. The boy fell to the floor and looked up at his sister with pleading eyes. In return Bella-Donna sent him a glare and kneeled down to his level.
"You went in the basement yesterday. Didn't you." she stated more then questioned. When she got silence for an answer she continued.
"You talked to that guy, you went in the basement, and you pushed a button. Didn't you Charlie."
"Y-yeah." he let out and sighed at the same time, still avoiding his sisters narrowed eyes. The boy had expected loud yelling, scorning, and hating words, but all he got was his sister plopping down on the floor next to him and leaning against the bookcase with an aggravated sigh.
"You don't know what you've done, do you?"
"All I know is that guy told me that he knew you and that his name was Riku and that he was from Destiny Islands, and then I followed him down in the basement even though I know I'm not suppose to be down there, then I saw the Playstation and, and I pushed the start button when Riku left and some lights flashed…so I ran away." he explained all in one breath. Bella-Donna sat there looking at her brother with understanding eyes. Though he may act like he was older, he was still a kid. Kid's do things that they shouldn't, and she couldn't blame him for being a kid. So, B.D. gave him a small smile before standing and ruffling his hair a bit, then exited the library with a tired look on her face.
The daylight outside was fading at a rate that made her cringe. Tonight was the night. The night when the Heartless would invade Destiny Islands, and all the characters would be thrown into this whole adventure. B.D. found it strange to really call them characters though. She'd come to know them as people, not fictional characters that she could only see on the television screen anymore. As Bella walked up the stairs to her attic room, she glanced out the window at the clean and trim neighborhood. Some younger kids played in their yards while the happy families watched carefully. The elderly sat on their porches just watching the day pass, while the teenagers were out working on their cars. So boring. Actually until she stepped into the world of Kingdom Hearts, the girl had never had thoughts like these toward her neighborhood. Of course being in a video game could kinda alter a persons perspective.
Flopping down on her bed, B.D.'s eyes fell on her night stand where the small pile of island sand now rested, along with all the other items she received from the islanders. A shell necklace from Kairi, a little, uh…thing she got from Selphie, and a pearl. Picking up the little black sphere she tried to think back to where she got it. It wasn't Sora, he was to busy eluding Erin. She was pretty sure it wasn't the Tidus kid, they never got along that well. It could have been Wakka. No…
Ah, now she remembered. At first it was from Wakka, that big nutcase had been following her around for some time. Well, when he wasn't with Erin that is. That's it, he had given it to her about two weeks ago on the beach after he lost to the brown haired girl at blitz. He said he had found it in the shallows, at least that was his story before a certain silver haired boy walked up and interrupted. As it turned out, Wakka had snatched the pearl from the said boy when HE found it in the shallows. After the boy with the odd accent retreated, Riku tossed the black orb back to Bella-Donna, saying that he was gonna give it to some one anyway.
B.D. grumbled at that. She knew that that 'someone' that he was gonna give it to was probably not her, but the infamous Kairi. Sure her and Riku had had some great talks and laughs, but Kairi was…well, Kairi. She had the smile, the laugh, and the good looks. Bella-Donna didn't blame Riku for being completely infatuated with the girl. Even though he would never come out and say it, she could definitely tell. The same was true with Sora, but he was a bit more obvious about it. The goofy looks, and the blushing were true on Sora's part, but the constant competing for the beauties affections went for both the young men. Bella-Donna wasn't completely jealous, after all, she had expected this the moment she met Kairi. It was how the plot went, Sora and Riku love Kairi and both do their best to find her. But now, that plot would come into full play. The start button had been pushed and there was no going back for her friends.
Judging by the time, Bella figured it was time to head back into the phone booth and onto Destiny Islands. Pulling herself up, she made her way through the house and down into the dark basement where Erin was fiddling with an old slinky she found. B.D. wasn't sure what the smaller girl had been doing down there all day, but as long as everything was intact it wasn't that big of a deal.
"We goin' in?" Erin asked turning in her seat.
"We're goin' in."
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It was well into the afternoon on the island when the girls stepped onto the white beach. They looked around for a while, and finally spotting Tidus on the paopu island they knew what stage of the game it was. Quickly, both teenagers ran to the hidden cove's door and swung it open just in time to see Sora and Riku speaking to each other. Walking up behind them Bella-Donna cleared her throat and Erin piped up.
"What'cha doin' guys?" the dark skinned girl shook her head with a grin at how bubbly the petite girl could be even under these circumstances.
"You guys at it again? All right, I'll be the judge. The usual rules apply: Take any route you want... First one to tag that tree and make it back here wins." Kairi suddenly spoke walking across the unstable bridge. The race. Bella-Donna remembered racing Riku over and over again in the game, taking different routes each time to see which was the fastest. So, while Erin chatted with Sora, B.D. snuck over to the silver haired and tugged gently on a pointy lock of his hair. The young mans intense gaze turned toward her and he gave her a grin before she spoke.
"Jump down to the beach by the raft and run through the shallows. Its faster then taking that tower rope thingy." she hinted in a whisper pointing toward the little elevation change beside the tower. Riku gave a nod with the smirk still on his face and sent B.D. a little wink before taking his place beside Sora. The previously speaking girl couldn't help but swallow the tight knot that formed in her throat.
"Um, if I win, I'm captain. And if you win…" Sora started, and B.D.'s face soured a bit when Riku interrupted.
"I get to share the paopu with Kairi."
"Huh?" Sora gave him a strange look.
"Deal? The winner gets to share a paopu with Kairi." Riku began to get in his starting position.
"Wha…wait a minute…"
"Ok, on my count." Kairi started before Sora could say anything else, and the race was on. The three girls watched as both boys jumped over the rickety board in the bridge and continued on to the tower where they had to decide which way to go. B.D. smiled when Riku took her advice and jumped down the embankment to the beach below, while Sora climbed the tower and slid down to the other tower. The girls couldn't see which boy made it to the star first, but the next thing they knew, Riku was running over the bridge at full speed while Sora was stuck wading through the water below.
"Ha, I win. We name the raft Highwind." Riku stated when Sora met him up on the small piece of land, greeting the older boy with an angry face. Riku turned, then Sora walked up behind him with his arms crossed across his chest.
"What? The paopu thing? It was just a joke, you should've seen your face." Riku answered Sora's expression with a smirk, then it quickly faded. "Are you mad or something?"
The younger boy just grumbled and headed off to Kairi who was waiting by the raft. Bella-Donna and Erin had watched all the happenings with a bitter sweetness. It was amazing to watch their favorite game take place right in front of their eyes, but at the same time it was heartbreaking. Every line that came from their friends mouths reminded them that the moment when the door would open was approaching. B.D. nudged her friend and motioned her head toward the running Sora.
"Go with him to get all the stuff and meet me back here later on, alright?" she instructed.
"Go with him? That means I'll see Ans…" her words were cut off by the other girl throwing her hand over her mouth. Erin nodded and went after the fourteen year old who was now out of sight. B.D. let out a sight and walked up behind Riku who was gazing out over the ocean. For a few minutes the two just stood there in silence while the girl kept trying to move the spare pieces of hair out of her face that had fallen from her heavy hair that was placed in a messy up-do.
"How did you know?" Riku finally broke the silence and asked without moving his eyes to her.
"Know? Know what?" she questioned back with false stupidity.
"You know. About the fastest way. How did you know? You've never been over here." he continued in a serious tone that almost made B.D. nervous. That was one thing the video game didn't mess up on when it came to the real people. Riku could be pretty intimidating when he wanted to be. Bella had to think fast. The fifteen year old was getting close to figuring out that she wasn't just from another dimension, but she couldn't let him know quite yet.
"Well…I. I had just been looking at it while you and Sora talked and I was just being observant…"
"I don't think so." he finally turned toward her with the same suspicious eyes her gave her when they first met. "That ledge could have gone into a never ending hole for all you knew, and you sounded pretty sure about what you were talking about." Bella-Donna just stood there and averted her eyes. Ok, he was getting WAY to suspicious for her liking. She should have been more careful. Just saying something that she shouldn't even know what plain stupid. A shocked expression set over her features when Riku grabbed her firmly but gently by the arms and turned her toward him determinedly.
"Your not telling me something Bella-Donna. How did you know that? And how did you know your way around here so well when you only first came to this island? How did you know about the raft? We didn't even tell Tidus, Wakka, or Selphie about it, but you knew, you asked me about it remember? I talked to Sora and Kairi, they didn't tell you about it, and I'm sure I didn't tell you. So, how did you know Bella-Donna?" he interrogated and tightened his grip on her arms. He wasn't hurting her, but it made her pretty damn nervous.
"I-I…" she started but couldn't find the words. Luckily Sora and Erin walked up and interrupted. The brave little soon to be Keyblade master walked up next to Riku and gave him a hard look when the silver haired boy was still keeping his eyes intently on B.D.
"Everything alright Riku?" he asked boldly and looked to the older girl with a bit of concern in his eyes.
"Its cool Sora. We're just joking around." she gave a smile and a reassuring nod to both the boy and her friend who was standing near the door. Finally Riku released his grip and let his arms drop to his side before smirking at Sora.
"Yeah, we're just kiddin' around. You got all that stuff for Kairi yet?" he changed the subject while crossing his arms over his broad chest.
"I'm gettin'em right now." the brown haired boy replied and started toward the door again. Pushing the it open, he along with Erin cast one last worried look back toward the duo. When the two disappeared into the other part of the island, B.D. turned toward Riku who already had his sharp eyes locked on her.
"Listen. I know you think I'm hiding something from you…and I am. I just can't tell you. And don't worry, its not something that will hurt anyone. I just can't tell you yet. I will, but only when I find a good way to do it." she tried to explain the best she could with a cringing look on her face. She could still feel Riku studying her, but didn't look his way in fear of seeing angry on his face. It was then that she got the opposite of what she expected.
"I didn't hurt you did I?" Riku asked a bit quietly, almost afraid someone would hear his soft side filtering through.
"No of course not Riku." she answered and gave his arm a soft pat with a half smile. Then something triggered in her mind and her smile disappeared from her face.
"Riku, came you promise me something?"
"Yeah, I guess." he shrugged being completely oblivious to how it would affect the rest of his life.
"If you ever run into a tall green toned woman with horns, a staff, and is dressed in black, and is basically scary beyond all possible reason…Do you promise to stay away from her?" she described receiving an odd look and a stupid grin from Riku.
"Green toned?"
"Look, I know it sounds really, really strange but…" a serious look claimed her face and she grabbed Riku's arms just as he had done to her. "You HAVE to promise me. If you ever see her, you have to run far, far, faaaaar away. Believe me, she's no good, she won't help you, and she's got a lot of pretty bad friends. So, just promise me no matter how stupid is sounds. Promise me Riku." she almost begged and looked him square in the eye to make sure he knew she was serious. He was quiet for a minute then returned her seriousness.
"I promise Bella-Donna."
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"Sora, are you sure we can't find mushrooms any place else?" Erin whined when they entered the cave hidden behind the vines of the jungle.
"Not as far as I know. Why? Are ya scared?" he teased with a grin at the girl clinging to him.
"No! It just that…is awfully moist in here. I don't want to catch a cold or something." she lied.
"Right." Sora laughed and entered the main cavern of the rock formation, leaving the girl in the entry way staring at the wooden door in front of her. At first Erin thought it would be cool to see Ansem, but now that she was here in the cave…she was having major second thoughts. Looking back at Sora, she noticed him kneeling in front of the cave wall with a small rock in his hand scribbling away at something. Erin walked up next to him and watched him draw the paopu fruit next to Kairi. When she saw that she couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. Then a frozen look came over her face when she glanced back to the door. It was him. She tugged on Sora's shirt, bringing his attention toward her, and thus toward the figure. Erin scampered behind the boy.
"Wh-Who's there?"
"I've come to see the door to this world." a chilling calm voice came from the darkness.
"Huh?"
"This world has been connected."
"Wh-What are you talking about?" Sora stuttered, and Erin gripped tightly to his shirt, keeping one eye on the dark corner.
"Tied to the darkness…Soon to be completely eclipsed." the voice hissed.
"Well, whoever you are, stop freaking me out like this. Huh? Wh- Where did you come from?" he demanded.
"You do not yet know what lies beyond the door."
"So, you're from another world!" the boy finally concluded.
"There is so very much to learn. You understand so little."
"Oh, yeah? Well, you'll see. I'm gonna get out and learn what's out there!"
"A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing." the voice said lastly in a dead pan voice. Sora's blue eyes moved to the mysterious door then darted back to the cloaked man, only to find him gone. Behind him, the girl was wide eyes in excitement and fear.
"C-Come on Sora, lets get outta here." she muttered and grabbed the mushrooms from the cave floor before stepping lightly toward the entryway. Behind her Sora nodded and pushed her forward.
"Yeah, I think that would be a good idea."
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The group of teens stood on the beach of the small island, most of them about to leave for home in their little boats. None of the islanders could figure out why Bella-Donna and Erin were taking so much time saying bye to everyone, but it seemed important to them. While they watched Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka paddle away, the two other dimension girls couldn't help but wonder where the three would show up after the Heartless bring this world into darkness. The trio waved as the disappeared in the distance, and the two girls turned back toward the remaining people.
"Well, tomorrows the day." Sora said and put his hands behind his head.
"Yep. Its gonna be strange not having you two around ya know." Kairi chimed in and placed a hand on Erin's shoulder. B.D. gave them a small smile and glance around for the missing silver haired boy. She opened her mouth to ask where he was, but was quickly interrupted by Sora wording his new idea.
"Hey, why don't you guys come with us? It'll be great!" he beamed at his idea, and the red haired girl gave a fast agreement. Erin looked up at her friend, her eyes asking what to say. B.D. only gave a slight nod.
"Yeah, it'll be great. Oh, um. Sora, do you know where Riku is?" the Egyptian responded and asked. The spikey haired youth pointed up toward the paopu island where Riku was sitting on is usual tree. As Bella trotted off she could hear the three talk about the good times they would have aboard the raft. It was sad to listen to Kairi and Sora's oblivious behavior. Within a matter of hours his whole island would be falling apart at the seams, throwing each of them in separate directions. They would see different worlds alright, but not they way they planned.
B.D.'s heavy boots sounded heavily on the wooden planks of the bridge that connected the two clumps of lands together. The sun was beginning to set over the liquid horizon covering the islands in a brilliant orange and red blanket. In front of her, Riku lounged on the trunk of the fruit tree, looking up at the sky absently. Pulling herself up on the tree, B.D. sat quietly near Riku's feet in an attempt to capture this moment in her memory. She would have brought a camera, but for some reason the images taken there only came out as a fuzzy gray picture.
"Something's different." the boy mumbled.
"Like what?"
"Kairi, Sora, the island. You." he looked down at her with tired eyes.
"Me?" She raised a brow and looked toward him.
"Yeah. Your just different." he shrugged and let out a sigh. Bella-Donna kept her eyes on Riku for a few moments before sliding off the tree and walking to the side of the tiny island.
"I'm really gonna miss it here." she whispered to herself and stuck her hands in her pants pockets. Behind her she could almost see Riku giving her a confused look then hopping off the tree as well. B.D. reached down and rubbed her wrist where the remote was attached. After this happened she wouldn't be able to come back without the Heartless being here. She could always start the whole thing over again. But then…then no one would remember her or Erin. Selphie, Wakka, or Tidus wouldn't. Sora and Kairi wouldn't. Riku wouldn't. Sure they would all be the same people, but not the people they came to know. Letting out a frustrating sigh, Bella-Donna reached back and ruffled her up-do before turning to the silver haired boy who was standing behind her, with the suspected questioning look on his face.
"Riku…" she started and bit her bottom lip. She didn't want to say goodbye, but what else could she do? The Heartless where coming at the island would be destroyed. There was still the idea she had though. She had thought about it all day, and she had gone on and off with thinking it was a good idea or not. As she looked at Riku, she felt the need to tell him what this whole place really was, and how she knew about everything. She wanted to tell him that this would be the last time he would see her, but she couldn't find the words. She didn't want this to be the last time, and she was sure as hell Erin didn't want it to be the last time either judging by the hug fest she was throwing down on the beach. Closing her eyes, B.D. decided that for now she would just say goodbye. If the idea turned good again, she would be back, but for right at that moment she didn't think that Riku needed to know that his entire life was a game. So, sucking up her courage she brought her arms up around Riku and pulled him into an unsuspected hug.
Riku just looked down at her with wide surprised eyes at her sudden show of affection. His eyes shifted around side to side before inhaling a deep breath of air and letting it out in a puff of air on top of Bella's hair. The boys arms slowly rested around the shorter teenager and returned her hug, ignoring his confusion.
"I might not be coming back Riku. Just so ya know." B.D. murmured and pulled away from the embrace. "I just wanted to say bye. I'll leave now." she continued a bit uncomfortably and walked quickly over the bridge.
"Wait! What do ya mean you might no be coming back? Why wouldn't you come back?" he ran up and grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks.
"Things are about to happen Riku. Things I can't be here for."
"What things?"
"I can't tell you." she shook her head. It was strange hearing herself say the same thing over and over. Strange, and a little sad. Her attention was brought to the horizon where the sun vanished over the salty waters. "I have to go now Riku."
As fast as she could, Bella-Donna tore her arm from Riku's grasp and headed down the stairs to the beach below. It hurt, a lot. Not physically of course, but the feeling of sea green eyes burning into the back of her head where emotionally painful. In front of her Sora and Kairi were standing with their goodbyes and before they knew it, Erin and B.D. where reaching for the buttons on their wrists. Both took a few minutes to look over the landscape then let their fingers hit the blue gadget. Erin closed her eyes, but Bella kept hers open, wanting to see the fading light of Destiny Islands. Wanting to see Riku before she disappeared, seemingly forever.
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Erin was moping, Charlie was sulking, Albie was worried, and Bella-Donna was angry. They had left their precious retreat an hour ago, and had been watching the activities of the occupants of the island on the monitor in the basement. Albie had finally been told about what had happened, and she was a little disappointed, mostly in Charlie. The greatest opportunity that any teenager could get seemed to be gone. It was still there, and they could just start the game over again, but…it wouldn't be the same. It was all hard to explain. So, they all sat around the house in silence, the only sound coming from the machinery in the lab. Erin sat in the living room staring at a blank television, Charlie ate slowly at the kitchen table, Albie tapped a pencil in thought in the library, and B.D. sat alone in the basement, her eyes locked on the monitor.
Her mind drifted back to the time when Auntie Albie first unveiled the machine to her niece. She remembered the phone booth, the paper, the whole lecture Albie gave her about what would happen if the game got started. At that, the idea was brought up again. A person could go in and get out just as easily, even if they were in a different world. Those words echoed in her head. Just as easily even if your in another world. She also remembered the part about not being able to be hurt. You couldn't bleed, bruise or die. The worst you could get was a game over, and you would pop back again in seconds. The same smile that B.D. had the first day she saw the machine spread across her face.
The more she thought about it, the greater this idea seemed. She didn't know why she had negative thoughts about it in the first place. It was perfect, and they could just come back whenever they wanted. They would be actual players in the game.
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The two girls hadn't told Charlie or Albie what they were doing, and they didn't feel like they had to. They would be back after this first little challenge was done, and maybe they would tell them then. It was starting to become a joke about how many things they hid from people. None of that mattered at the moment though, all that mattered was the fact that they were back on Destiny Islands. Though it looked like the Heartless had already beaten them there. Above them, a huge ball of energy hovered, bringing the island into a state of panic. The trees shook and the water had waves like they had never seen. Looking around, B.D. raised her voice so that Erin could hear her.
"You stay here and go with Sora! I'll go with Riku!" she pointed up to the paopu island where the said boy was standing in his place.
"You mean separate?! Are you nuts?!"
"Hey, if we stay with them, we're bound to see each other sooner or later right?!" Bella yelled back over the winds. "Besides, we got these!" she motioned toward their wrist controls, which came equipped with a communicator to the other person, along with the people back home. Erin looked nervous, but B.D. put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, it'll be great! Its what we've always wanted right?!" she yelled with a smile then looked out over the waters seeing Sora approaching steadily. "Wait here for him! See ya soon shorty!"
With that Bella-Donna took off for the Seaside Shack, but not before hearing her friend call out 'See ya Cleo!'. The old shack squeaked and groaned under the force of the new winds assaulting it, and the old bridge was no better. B.D. walked with steady steps over the boards toward Riku who was standing there all creepy like, just how she remembered. Swallowing the nervous knot in her chest, Bella stepped up beside Riku and looked up at him with confident eyes. His eyes didn't move, but his strong hand took hers in a tight grasp. The minutes passed and finally Sora called from behind them.
"Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you!" he questioned and looked back and forth between the two with their backs still turned.
"The door…has opened." Riku replied and started facing the younger boy and the girl, bringing B.D. around with him.
"What?" Sora and Erin said in unison. Sora because he was confused, and Erin because she just couldn't hear him.
"The door has opened, Sora! Now we can go to the outside world!"
"What are you talking about? We've gotta find Kairi!" Sora motioned desperately with his hands.
"Kairi's coming with us! Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness!" the older boy stated bravely and stood strong with his gloved hand still gripping onto Bella-Donna's.
"Riku." the fourteen year olds voice came out almost childlike when his eyes spotted the swirling mass of darkness beneath his best friends feet.
"Cleo!" Erin broke in and ran up beside Sora, both watching with horror as their friends sunk deeper into the darkness. Slowly Riku raised his hand out to Sora, wanting him to take it. B.D. watched as the chestnut haired boy tried to grab onto the older boys hand, while Erin was trying to pull him back. She heard yelling then felt a cold numbness take over her body when the darkness claimed her vision. She couldn't see or hear anything anymore. The only sign of life she felt was the warmth of Riku's hand still holding her own tightly.
***********Whew, long chapter. I know it all seems a bit rushed, but you just gonna have to deal with it. I'll try to review the next time I can get on my computer, so until then REVIEW!!!!!
Chapter Five
"Charlie?!" Bella-Donna yelled in an angry tone through the house. She figured that the boy knew that what he did was wrong and was hiding out somewhere. A whole night had passed since Erin and B.D. found out about the happenings of the video game, and neither one slept a wink. The fact that today would be the last day that their new found friends would be on Destiny Islands made them very uneasy. Also, the idea that was formulating in Bella's head made both her, and the smaller girl a little on the edge. The Egyptian wasn't sure yet, but she could probably make this still mysterious plan work.
"Albie, do you know where that little fungus is hiding?" she asked quickly when she came across the woman shuffling down the hall.
"Charlie, Charlie." her aunt thought. "I believe I saw him in the library somewhere dear." she answered with a sharp nod.
"Alright, thanks." Bella started off down the hallway toward the large room, but not before Albie stopped her.
"Um, Bella, is there anything wrong by chance?"
"Wrong? Why would anything be wrong Auntie Albie?" the girl stopped and turned back to the woman with a shrug and a small smile. She hadn't exactly told her aunt what had happened down the in basement, but was sure that she would tell her eventually. Eventually.
"Well…alright." the older woman accepted the answer and continued down the hall and to the stairway. B.D. let out a small sigh and raced to the library throwing the door open with a slam.
"Charlie." she plainly stated and closed the door again before stepping quietly through the isles of book cases. Books lay scattered across the carpeted floor in front of her, causing her to stumble a few times.
"Charlie?" she said again before coming to a complete halt and listening. She could hear the sound of Albie bopping round downstairs, the sound of the machines running in the basement where Erin was sleeping, and soft breathing. Holding her own breath she focused her ears as hard as she could, then reached up and yanked her little brother out of his hiding place above her head on a shelf behind some of the ancient books. The boy fell to the floor and looked up at his sister with pleading eyes. In return Bella-Donna sent him a glare and kneeled down to his level.
"You went in the basement yesterday. Didn't you." she stated more then questioned. When she got silence for an answer she continued.
"You talked to that guy, you went in the basement, and you pushed a button. Didn't you Charlie."
"Y-yeah." he let out and sighed at the same time, still avoiding his sisters narrowed eyes. The boy had expected loud yelling, scorning, and hating words, but all he got was his sister plopping down on the floor next to him and leaning against the bookcase with an aggravated sigh.
"You don't know what you've done, do you?"
"All I know is that guy told me that he knew you and that his name was Riku and that he was from Destiny Islands, and then I followed him down in the basement even though I know I'm not suppose to be down there, then I saw the Playstation and, and I pushed the start button when Riku left and some lights flashed…so I ran away." he explained all in one breath. Bella-Donna sat there looking at her brother with understanding eyes. Though he may act like he was older, he was still a kid. Kid's do things that they shouldn't, and she couldn't blame him for being a kid. So, B.D. gave him a small smile before standing and ruffling his hair a bit, then exited the library with a tired look on her face.
The daylight outside was fading at a rate that made her cringe. Tonight was the night. The night when the Heartless would invade Destiny Islands, and all the characters would be thrown into this whole adventure. B.D. found it strange to really call them characters though. She'd come to know them as people, not fictional characters that she could only see on the television screen anymore. As Bella walked up the stairs to her attic room, she glanced out the window at the clean and trim neighborhood. Some younger kids played in their yards while the happy families watched carefully. The elderly sat on their porches just watching the day pass, while the teenagers were out working on their cars. So boring. Actually until she stepped into the world of Kingdom Hearts, the girl had never had thoughts like these toward her neighborhood. Of course being in a video game could kinda alter a persons perspective.
Flopping down on her bed, B.D.'s eyes fell on her night stand where the small pile of island sand now rested, along with all the other items she received from the islanders. A shell necklace from Kairi, a little, uh…thing she got from Selphie, and a pearl. Picking up the little black sphere she tried to think back to where she got it. It wasn't Sora, he was to busy eluding Erin. She was pretty sure it wasn't the Tidus kid, they never got along that well. It could have been Wakka. No…
Ah, now she remembered. At first it was from Wakka, that big nutcase had been following her around for some time. Well, when he wasn't with Erin that is. That's it, he had given it to her about two weeks ago on the beach after he lost to the brown haired girl at blitz. He said he had found it in the shallows, at least that was his story before a certain silver haired boy walked up and interrupted. As it turned out, Wakka had snatched the pearl from the said boy when HE found it in the shallows. After the boy with the odd accent retreated, Riku tossed the black orb back to Bella-Donna, saying that he was gonna give it to some one anyway.
B.D. grumbled at that. She knew that that 'someone' that he was gonna give it to was probably not her, but the infamous Kairi. Sure her and Riku had had some great talks and laughs, but Kairi was…well, Kairi. She had the smile, the laugh, and the good looks. Bella-Donna didn't blame Riku for being completely infatuated with the girl. Even though he would never come out and say it, she could definitely tell. The same was true with Sora, but he was a bit more obvious about it. The goofy looks, and the blushing were true on Sora's part, but the constant competing for the beauties affections went for both the young men. Bella-Donna wasn't completely jealous, after all, she had expected this the moment she met Kairi. It was how the plot went, Sora and Riku love Kairi and both do their best to find her. But now, that plot would come into full play. The start button had been pushed and there was no going back for her friends.
Judging by the time, Bella figured it was time to head back into the phone booth and onto Destiny Islands. Pulling herself up, she made her way through the house and down into the dark basement where Erin was fiddling with an old slinky she found. B.D. wasn't sure what the smaller girl had been doing down there all day, but as long as everything was intact it wasn't that big of a deal.
"We goin' in?" Erin asked turning in her seat.
"We're goin' in."
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It was well into the afternoon on the island when the girls stepped onto the white beach. They looked around for a while, and finally spotting Tidus on the paopu island they knew what stage of the game it was. Quickly, both teenagers ran to the hidden cove's door and swung it open just in time to see Sora and Riku speaking to each other. Walking up behind them Bella-Donna cleared her throat and Erin piped up.
"What'cha doin' guys?" the dark skinned girl shook her head with a grin at how bubbly the petite girl could be even under these circumstances.
"You guys at it again? All right, I'll be the judge. The usual rules apply: Take any route you want... First one to tag that tree and make it back here wins." Kairi suddenly spoke walking across the unstable bridge. The race. Bella-Donna remembered racing Riku over and over again in the game, taking different routes each time to see which was the fastest. So, while Erin chatted with Sora, B.D. snuck over to the silver haired and tugged gently on a pointy lock of his hair. The young mans intense gaze turned toward her and he gave her a grin before she spoke.
"Jump down to the beach by the raft and run through the shallows. Its faster then taking that tower rope thingy." she hinted in a whisper pointing toward the little elevation change beside the tower. Riku gave a nod with the smirk still on his face and sent B.D. a little wink before taking his place beside Sora. The previously speaking girl couldn't help but swallow the tight knot that formed in her throat.
"Um, if I win, I'm captain. And if you win…" Sora started, and B.D.'s face soured a bit when Riku interrupted.
"I get to share the paopu with Kairi."
"Huh?" Sora gave him a strange look.
"Deal? The winner gets to share a paopu with Kairi." Riku began to get in his starting position.
"Wha…wait a minute…"
"Ok, on my count." Kairi started before Sora could say anything else, and the race was on. The three girls watched as both boys jumped over the rickety board in the bridge and continued on to the tower where they had to decide which way to go. B.D. smiled when Riku took her advice and jumped down the embankment to the beach below, while Sora climbed the tower and slid down to the other tower. The girls couldn't see which boy made it to the star first, but the next thing they knew, Riku was running over the bridge at full speed while Sora was stuck wading through the water below.
"Ha, I win. We name the raft Highwind." Riku stated when Sora met him up on the small piece of land, greeting the older boy with an angry face. Riku turned, then Sora walked up behind him with his arms crossed across his chest.
"What? The paopu thing? It was just a joke, you should've seen your face." Riku answered Sora's expression with a smirk, then it quickly faded. "Are you mad or something?"
The younger boy just grumbled and headed off to Kairi who was waiting by the raft. Bella-Donna and Erin had watched all the happenings with a bitter sweetness. It was amazing to watch their favorite game take place right in front of their eyes, but at the same time it was heartbreaking. Every line that came from their friends mouths reminded them that the moment when the door would open was approaching. B.D. nudged her friend and motioned her head toward the running Sora.
"Go with him to get all the stuff and meet me back here later on, alright?" she instructed.
"Go with him? That means I'll see Ans…" her words were cut off by the other girl throwing her hand over her mouth. Erin nodded and went after the fourteen year old who was now out of sight. B.D. let out a sight and walked up behind Riku who was gazing out over the ocean. For a few minutes the two just stood there in silence while the girl kept trying to move the spare pieces of hair out of her face that had fallen from her heavy hair that was placed in a messy up-do.
"How did you know?" Riku finally broke the silence and asked without moving his eyes to her.
"Know? Know what?" she questioned back with false stupidity.
"You know. About the fastest way. How did you know? You've never been over here." he continued in a serious tone that almost made B.D. nervous. That was one thing the video game didn't mess up on when it came to the real people. Riku could be pretty intimidating when he wanted to be. Bella had to think fast. The fifteen year old was getting close to figuring out that she wasn't just from another dimension, but she couldn't let him know quite yet.
"Well…I. I had just been looking at it while you and Sora talked and I was just being observant…"
"I don't think so." he finally turned toward her with the same suspicious eyes her gave her when they first met. "That ledge could have gone into a never ending hole for all you knew, and you sounded pretty sure about what you were talking about." Bella-Donna just stood there and averted her eyes. Ok, he was getting WAY to suspicious for her liking. She should have been more careful. Just saying something that she shouldn't even know what plain stupid. A shocked expression set over her features when Riku grabbed her firmly but gently by the arms and turned her toward him determinedly.
"Your not telling me something Bella-Donna. How did you know that? And how did you know your way around here so well when you only first came to this island? How did you know about the raft? We didn't even tell Tidus, Wakka, or Selphie about it, but you knew, you asked me about it remember? I talked to Sora and Kairi, they didn't tell you about it, and I'm sure I didn't tell you. So, how did you know Bella-Donna?" he interrogated and tightened his grip on her arms. He wasn't hurting her, but it made her pretty damn nervous.
"I-I…" she started but couldn't find the words. Luckily Sora and Erin walked up and interrupted. The brave little soon to be Keyblade master walked up next to Riku and gave him a hard look when the silver haired boy was still keeping his eyes intently on B.D.
"Everything alright Riku?" he asked boldly and looked to the older girl with a bit of concern in his eyes.
"Its cool Sora. We're just joking around." she gave a smile and a reassuring nod to both the boy and her friend who was standing near the door. Finally Riku released his grip and let his arms drop to his side before smirking at Sora.
"Yeah, we're just kiddin' around. You got all that stuff for Kairi yet?" he changed the subject while crossing his arms over his broad chest.
"I'm gettin'em right now." the brown haired boy replied and started toward the door again. Pushing the it open, he along with Erin cast one last worried look back toward the duo. When the two disappeared into the other part of the island, B.D. turned toward Riku who already had his sharp eyes locked on her.
"Listen. I know you think I'm hiding something from you…and I am. I just can't tell you. And don't worry, its not something that will hurt anyone. I just can't tell you yet. I will, but only when I find a good way to do it." she tried to explain the best she could with a cringing look on her face. She could still feel Riku studying her, but didn't look his way in fear of seeing angry on his face. It was then that she got the opposite of what she expected.
"I didn't hurt you did I?" Riku asked a bit quietly, almost afraid someone would hear his soft side filtering through.
"No of course not Riku." she answered and gave his arm a soft pat with a half smile. Then something triggered in her mind and her smile disappeared from her face.
"Riku, came you promise me something?"
"Yeah, I guess." he shrugged being completely oblivious to how it would affect the rest of his life.
"If you ever run into a tall green toned woman with horns, a staff, and is dressed in black, and is basically scary beyond all possible reason…Do you promise to stay away from her?" she described receiving an odd look and a stupid grin from Riku.
"Green toned?"
"Look, I know it sounds really, really strange but…" a serious look claimed her face and she grabbed Riku's arms just as he had done to her. "You HAVE to promise me. If you ever see her, you have to run far, far, faaaaar away. Believe me, she's no good, she won't help you, and she's got a lot of pretty bad friends. So, just promise me no matter how stupid is sounds. Promise me Riku." she almost begged and looked him square in the eye to make sure he knew she was serious. He was quiet for a minute then returned her seriousness.
"I promise Bella-Donna."
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"Sora, are you sure we can't find mushrooms any place else?" Erin whined when they entered the cave hidden behind the vines of the jungle.
"Not as far as I know. Why? Are ya scared?" he teased with a grin at the girl clinging to him.
"No! It just that…is awfully moist in here. I don't want to catch a cold or something." she lied.
"Right." Sora laughed and entered the main cavern of the rock formation, leaving the girl in the entry way staring at the wooden door in front of her. At first Erin thought it would be cool to see Ansem, but now that she was here in the cave…she was having major second thoughts. Looking back at Sora, she noticed him kneeling in front of the cave wall with a small rock in his hand scribbling away at something. Erin walked up next to him and watched him draw the paopu fruit next to Kairi. When she saw that she couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. Then a frozen look came over her face when she glanced back to the door. It was him. She tugged on Sora's shirt, bringing his attention toward her, and thus toward the figure. Erin scampered behind the boy.
"Wh-Who's there?"
"I've come to see the door to this world." a chilling calm voice came from the darkness.
"Huh?"
"This world has been connected."
"Wh-What are you talking about?" Sora stuttered, and Erin gripped tightly to his shirt, keeping one eye on the dark corner.
"Tied to the darkness…Soon to be completely eclipsed." the voice hissed.
"Well, whoever you are, stop freaking me out like this. Huh? Wh- Where did you come from?" he demanded.
"You do not yet know what lies beyond the door."
"So, you're from another world!" the boy finally concluded.
"There is so very much to learn. You understand so little."
"Oh, yeah? Well, you'll see. I'm gonna get out and learn what's out there!"
"A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing." the voice said lastly in a dead pan voice. Sora's blue eyes moved to the mysterious door then darted back to the cloaked man, only to find him gone. Behind him, the girl was wide eyes in excitement and fear.
"C-Come on Sora, lets get outta here." she muttered and grabbed the mushrooms from the cave floor before stepping lightly toward the entryway. Behind her Sora nodded and pushed her forward.
"Yeah, I think that would be a good idea."
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The group of teens stood on the beach of the small island, most of them about to leave for home in their little boats. None of the islanders could figure out why Bella-Donna and Erin were taking so much time saying bye to everyone, but it seemed important to them. While they watched Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka paddle away, the two other dimension girls couldn't help but wonder where the three would show up after the Heartless bring this world into darkness. The trio waved as the disappeared in the distance, and the two girls turned back toward the remaining people.
"Well, tomorrows the day." Sora said and put his hands behind his head.
"Yep. Its gonna be strange not having you two around ya know." Kairi chimed in and placed a hand on Erin's shoulder. B.D. gave them a small smile and glance around for the missing silver haired boy. She opened her mouth to ask where he was, but was quickly interrupted by Sora wording his new idea.
"Hey, why don't you guys come with us? It'll be great!" he beamed at his idea, and the red haired girl gave a fast agreement. Erin looked up at her friend, her eyes asking what to say. B.D. only gave a slight nod.
"Yeah, it'll be great. Oh, um. Sora, do you know where Riku is?" the Egyptian responded and asked. The spikey haired youth pointed up toward the paopu island where Riku was sitting on is usual tree. As Bella trotted off she could hear the three talk about the good times they would have aboard the raft. It was sad to listen to Kairi and Sora's oblivious behavior. Within a matter of hours his whole island would be falling apart at the seams, throwing each of them in separate directions. They would see different worlds alright, but not they way they planned.
B.D.'s heavy boots sounded heavily on the wooden planks of the bridge that connected the two clumps of lands together. The sun was beginning to set over the liquid horizon covering the islands in a brilliant orange and red blanket. In front of her, Riku lounged on the trunk of the fruit tree, looking up at the sky absently. Pulling herself up on the tree, B.D. sat quietly near Riku's feet in an attempt to capture this moment in her memory. She would have brought a camera, but for some reason the images taken there only came out as a fuzzy gray picture.
"Something's different." the boy mumbled.
"Like what?"
"Kairi, Sora, the island. You." he looked down at her with tired eyes.
"Me?" She raised a brow and looked toward him.
"Yeah. Your just different." he shrugged and let out a sigh. Bella-Donna kept her eyes on Riku for a few moments before sliding off the tree and walking to the side of the tiny island.
"I'm really gonna miss it here." she whispered to herself and stuck her hands in her pants pockets. Behind her she could almost see Riku giving her a confused look then hopping off the tree as well. B.D. reached down and rubbed her wrist where the remote was attached. After this happened she wouldn't be able to come back without the Heartless being here. She could always start the whole thing over again. But then…then no one would remember her or Erin. Selphie, Wakka, or Tidus wouldn't. Sora and Kairi wouldn't. Riku wouldn't. Sure they would all be the same people, but not the people they came to know. Letting out a frustrating sigh, Bella-Donna reached back and ruffled her up-do before turning to the silver haired boy who was standing behind her, with the suspected questioning look on his face.
"Riku…" she started and bit her bottom lip. She didn't want to say goodbye, but what else could she do? The Heartless where coming at the island would be destroyed. There was still the idea she had though. She had thought about it all day, and she had gone on and off with thinking it was a good idea or not. As she looked at Riku, she felt the need to tell him what this whole place really was, and how she knew about everything. She wanted to tell him that this would be the last time he would see her, but she couldn't find the words. She didn't want this to be the last time, and she was sure as hell Erin didn't want it to be the last time either judging by the hug fest she was throwing down on the beach. Closing her eyes, B.D. decided that for now she would just say goodbye. If the idea turned good again, she would be back, but for right at that moment she didn't think that Riku needed to know that his entire life was a game. So, sucking up her courage she brought her arms up around Riku and pulled him into an unsuspected hug.
Riku just looked down at her with wide surprised eyes at her sudden show of affection. His eyes shifted around side to side before inhaling a deep breath of air and letting it out in a puff of air on top of Bella's hair. The boys arms slowly rested around the shorter teenager and returned her hug, ignoring his confusion.
"I might not be coming back Riku. Just so ya know." B.D. murmured and pulled away from the embrace. "I just wanted to say bye. I'll leave now." she continued a bit uncomfortably and walked quickly over the bridge.
"Wait! What do ya mean you might no be coming back? Why wouldn't you come back?" he ran up and grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks.
"Things are about to happen Riku. Things I can't be here for."
"What things?"
"I can't tell you." she shook her head. It was strange hearing herself say the same thing over and over. Strange, and a little sad. Her attention was brought to the horizon where the sun vanished over the salty waters. "I have to go now Riku."
As fast as she could, Bella-Donna tore her arm from Riku's grasp and headed down the stairs to the beach below. It hurt, a lot. Not physically of course, but the feeling of sea green eyes burning into the back of her head where emotionally painful. In front of her Sora and Kairi were standing with their goodbyes and before they knew it, Erin and B.D. where reaching for the buttons on their wrists. Both took a few minutes to look over the landscape then let their fingers hit the blue gadget. Erin closed her eyes, but Bella kept hers open, wanting to see the fading light of Destiny Islands. Wanting to see Riku before she disappeared, seemingly forever.
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Erin was moping, Charlie was sulking, Albie was worried, and Bella-Donna was angry. They had left their precious retreat an hour ago, and had been watching the activities of the occupants of the island on the monitor in the basement. Albie had finally been told about what had happened, and she was a little disappointed, mostly in Charlie. The greatest opportunity that any teenager could get seemed to be gone. It was still there, and they could just start the game over again, but…it wouldn't be the same. It was all hard to explain. So, they all sat around the house in silence, the only sound coming from the machinery in the lab. Erin sat in the living room staring at a blank television, Charlie ate slowly at the kitchen table, Albie tapped a pencil in thought in the library, and B.D. sat alone in the basement, her eyes locked on the monitor.
Her mind drifted back to the time when Auntie Albie first unveiled the machine to her niece. She remembered the phone booth, the paper, the whole lecture Albie gave her about what would happen if the game got started. At that, the idea was brought up again. A person could go in and get out just as easily, even if they were in a different world. Those words echoed in her head. Just as easily even if your in another world. She also remembered the part about not being able to be hurt. You couldn't bleed, bruise or die. The worst you could get was a game over, and you would pop back again in seconds. The same smile that B.D. had the first day she saw the machine spread across her face.
The more she thought about it, the greater this idea seemed. She didn't know why she had negative thoughts about it in the first place. It was perfect, and they could just come back whenever they wanted. They would be actual players in the game.
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The two girls hadn't told Charlie or Albie what they were doing, and they didn't feel like they had to. They would be back after this first little challenge was done, and maybe they would tell them then. It was starting to become a joke about how many things they hid from people. None of that mattered at the moment though, all that mattered was the fact that they were back on Destiny Islands. Though it looked like the Heartless had already beaten them there. Above them, a huge ball of energy hovered, bringing the island into a state of panic. The trees shook and the water had waves like they had never seen. Looking around, B.D. raised her voice so that Erin could hear her.
"You stay here and go with Sora! I'll go with Riku!" she pointed up to the paopu island where the said boy was standing in his place.
"You mean separate?! Are you nuts?!"
"Hey, if we stay with them, we're bound to see each other sooner or later right?!" Bella yelled back over the winds. "Besides, we got these!" she motioned toward their wrist controls, which came equipped with a communicator to the other person, along with the people back home. Erin looked nervous, but B.D. put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, it'll be great! Its what we've always wanted right?!" she yelled with a smile then looked out over the waters seeing Sora approaching steadily. "Wait here for him! See ya soon shorty!"
With that Bella-Donna took off for the Seaside Shack, but not before hearing her friend call out 'See ya Cleo!'. The old shack squeaked and groaned under the force of the new winds assaulting it, and the old bridge was no better. B.D. walked with steady steps over the boards toward Riku who was standing there all creepy like, just how she remembered. Swallowing the nervous knot in her chest, Bella stepped up beside Riku and looked up at him with confident eyes. His eyes didn't move, but his strong hand took hers in a tight grasp. The minutes passed and finally Sora called from behind them.
"Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you!" he questioned and looked back and forth between the two with their backs still turned.
"The door…has opened." Riku replied and started facing the younger boy and the girl, bringing B.D. around with him.
"What?" Sora and Erin said in unison. Sora because he was confused, and Erin because she just couldn't hear him.
"The door has opened, Sora! Now we can go to the outside world!"
"What are you talking about? We've gotta find Kairi!" Sora motioned desperately with his hands.
"Kairi's coming with us! Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness!" the older boy stated bravely and stood strong with his gloved hand still gripping onto Bella-Donna's.
"Riku." the fourteen year olds voice came out almost childlike when his eyes spotted the swirling mass of darkness beneath his best friends feet.
"Cleo!" Erin broke in and ran up beside Sora, both watching with horror as their friends sunk deeper into the darkness. Slowly Riku raised his hand out to Sora, wanting him to take it. B.D. watched as the chestnut haired boy tried to grab onto the older boys hand, while Erin was trying to pull him back. She heard yelling then felt a cold numbness take over her body when the darkness claimed her vision. She couldn't see or hear anything anymore. The only sign of life she felt was the warmth of Riku's hand still holding her own tightly.
***********Whew, long chapter. I know it all seems a bit rushed, but you just gonna have to deal with it. I'll try to review the next time I can get on my computer, so until then REVIEW!!!!!