By: K-c
A/N: HELLO EVERYONE AGAIN! Thank you guys very much for the reviews. I'm so grateful! I currently have a fever of 103.2, so if some of the things in this chappie don't make any sense, blame my brother for getting me sick! I'm glad you didn't fall asleep from reading ch.10 . . .but, like I promised, ch. 11 here will have SOO much more to it! Well, here ya go!
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this fic . . .not a single one, unfortunately . . .
Ch.11: Vacation Side-effects
"Wishing to the stars not only grants your desires, it gives you comfort that somebody out there is listening . . ."
"Is that it? Is that the island?" Rikku shouted anxiously, leaning over me to look out the small plane window and pointing to a large blob in the middle of the crystal blue and green water. I peeked out from underneath of Rikku's arm to see Yuna give a happy nod with a grin spread wide on her face. She nudged Tidus, who was sitting beside her, for him to wake up.
Yes, in case you couldn't tell by now, we are currently flying over the ocean to Yuna's summer home for Spring Break. When I had first heard the news, I was overcome with excitement, but when I found out that we were going to be flying over the ocean, I started to freak out. I've never flown over a large body of water before . . .so . . .I haven't looked out the window much on this flight. Just as I had guessed, Riku and Sora were also invited on this trip along with Selphie, Rikku, Wakka and Tidus. Yuna's summer home once belonged to her uncle, but since he died from a heart attack, it then moved along to Yuna's family. According to her, she had to beg and plead and beg some more to get her parents' permission to allow a whole bunch of High School teenagers on an island in the middle of nowhere. I'm glad that we're finally going, though. I can't wait to see what's going to happen!
I reached down by my feet and grabbed my little carry-on purse that was still slightly damp from the rain on St. Anne as we were leaving . . .even after a three-hour flight. Rikku was still leaning over me uncomfortably, gazing blankly out the window with a dazed expression on her face. I elbowed her gently to bring her back to reality and she looked at me, grinned, and sat back in her seat. A guy that I've never met before in my life sitting behind me mumbled something in a different language that I couldn't understand, but by the way he said it, it seemed like he was annoyed by our behavior. Ok, so the island doesn't completely belong to Yuna . . .there are a whole bunch of hotels and stuff on it as well, but on the other side of it. The summer home that we're staying in is supposedly along the far end of the beach with a forest behind it. There is also an extinct volcano on it, too! I've never seen one in person before!
"Now landing on Emerald Sands island. Please remain seated until the seat belt light on your overhead area turns off for your own safety. I hope you enjoyed your flight on St. Anne Airways and have a great time at your destination!" The little computerized female voice on the loudspeakers said slowly. It seemed that with every word, my heart started to pound faster and faster. I was way too excited to keep sitting down! I wanted to get on that island now! I wanted to feel the sand between my toes, because at St. Anne, there are no beaches . . .just rocks and ocean.
:LATER:
"It's HUGE!" Everyone shouted in unison except for Yuna as she walked casually up to the front door of her summer home and put the key into the lock. She smiled back at us sweetly.
"Oh, it's not that big!" She told us with a faint blush of embarrassment and flattery on her cheeks. I stared open-mouthed at the enormous summer home (or MANSION!) that Yuna was now walking into. There had to be at least four floors with countless windows lining it. The sun beamed off of every one of these windows, almost blinding my eyes from the light. The colour siding of the house was a light beige with white doors and paneling. The roof looked like one of castles'. It had turrets twisting up to the sky and circular rooms also. I knew that Yuna was rich . . .but THIS rich! This isn't a summer home; this is a summer mansion!
"Come on, Kairi! Let's go unpack!" A cheerful voice said from behind me. Sora ran out in front of me, his backpack strapped to his back and his sandals dangling down from his hands. He smiled at me as I hurried to catch up to him, feeling the closeness of our relationship growing yet again. Somehow, the feeling of white sand underneath my feet and the warm sun beaming down on my back made me feel so much more alive. I headed up to the front door and ran up the steps, dragging my bag along with me.
Once inside the dark and cool entryway, I shoved my stuff over by the wall with everyone else's' belongings. The floor was a lightwood, with all sorts of cute little pillars and railings. I looked above me and saw that it led straight upwards to the roof with a winding staircase around it. Up at the roof was a skylight where our current light source was coming from. I felt so small in a place like this . . .
"Okay, listen up everyone!" Yuna called to our attention while standing on the third step so everyone could see her. I looked in her direction and when she saw all eyes on her, she smiled down at us happily. "Welcome to my summer home on the island of Emerald Sands! I hope you will all enjoy this trip I made for us all but we need to go over a few rules. Now, I really don't want to sound like my mother or anything, but these are important! The girls' rooms will be on the second floor. The boys' rooms will be on the third. Now, no guy is to go onto the second floor without a girls' permission or to get downstairs and no girl is to go onto the third floor without a guys' permission, got it? Also, nobody is allowed in the ocean past 12:00 unless we're all out there, okay? You can walk along the beach at any time, but just don't go swimming whenever you like. As you all may have noticed, there is a forest behind this house. Be very careful within it. It's very easy to get lost in. Okay? You guys think you got it? There's just one more rule I have to state before I let you all go to your floors:" she said to us as Riku groaned in annoyance and impatience. After grinning around at everyone, she said:
"Have fun!"
:LATER AGAIN:
Yuna's POV:
It's amazing how big the sky looks when you're out in the open . . .
I sighed quietly to myself and ran my fingers through the white sand on which I was sitting upon. The huge and never-ending ocean stretched out in front of me like a gigantic pink and purple blanket. The setting sun reflected its' beauty upon the gentle sea, making it look as if it were painted there. The waves lapped gently upon the sand near me and pulled back into its' depths once more, only to return again. The salty smell of the sea relaxed me in a way I thought was not possible. Seagulls cawed from above, circling around, looking for any fallen food. The sound of the waves calmed my senses and made my eyes droop from sleepiness. This place is so beautiful . . .why didn't I come here before with my friends?
"Is it okay if I sit with you?"
I looked up and behind me to see Tidus standing near me, his light blonde hair blowing off of his face gently from the breeze. His gorgeous blue eyes seemed to mimic the ocean, how they almost looked pink and purple like the sky. He was wearing khaki shorts and a red short-sleeved shirt. He was holding his sandals in his right hand and smiled down at me sweetly. For a moment, I was frozen in embarrassment. I had brought Tidus along with the rest of us so I could finally get to talk to him without anyone being around. This is my chance . . .don't blow it.
"Yea . . .yea, you can. I don't mind," I said rather quickly, moving my sandals onto my other side to make room for him. A deep blush started to form on my cheeks as he sat down next to me—really close. I told myself over and over again in my mind to play it cool and not act stupid . . .but it was so hard not to . . .Here we are . . .sharing this moment together on the beach at sunset . . .can it get anymore romantic?
"You know," Tidus began suddenly, ripping me from my thoughts. I looked over at him, who was staring out to sea with a dazed expression on his face. Another breeze came and blew around his beautiful locks of gold. "I've never liked the ocean . . .I always thought of it as something boring . . .like a big bathtub or something. But now that I'm here tonight . . ." he broke off from his sentence and looked around to face me. A warm smile crept onto his lips and made my heart melt. Despite the dark blush glowing on my cheeks, I felt completely comfortable here with him . . .
"With you, I like it a lot . . ." he finished, that smile still on his face. I couldn't help but to smile back at him. He's so sweet . . .did I really change his perspective on something? Can I really do that? My heart continued to pound ceaselessly, but I ignored it. The world around me seemed to melt away and it was only him and I. Even the beautiful sunset and ocean didn't seem important anymore. They were just objects of no importance . . .Tidus was what I was really thinking about.
"You probably want me to leave, now, don't ya?" he said suddenly and stood to his feet. I was pulled out of my fantasy and back to reality at these words. I started to panic about losing him and the moment, so I reached up and grabbed his arm. After realizing what I had just done, I let go quickly.
"No . . .it's all right . . .I like being with you . . ." I mumbled quietly to myself more than him. I looked away from his eyes and back on the sand that I started to poke nervously. I'm so stupid. Why did I even think for a moment that he had the same feelings for me as I did for him? He probably just considers me a 'good friend'. I'll never be anything more to him than that. I blew it . . .
Something warm grabbed my hand and I glanced back up to see his smiling face again. He was holding my hand . . .and he was smiling . . .He . . .wanted to stay with me too . . .
"I like being with you, too . . .really . . ." he told me softly, his grasp on my hand growing tighter. That blush that was still on my cheeks was growing hotter and hotter by the second. The mere presence of him makes me feel warm inside . . .he has that kind of effect on me . . .it's amazing. His hand suddenly slipped out of mine and he turned around to walk away. I wanted to stop him, or even walk with him, but I felt like I couldn't do anything. I stood to my feet as well in a rush of panic of him leaving me, but didn't take a step towards him. With his back facing me, he said the next words that froze my heart my mind:
" . . .Because without you, I wouldn't be alive right now . . ."
What did he mean by that? Those words . . .they held a tight grasp on my heart and choked my breath. Whatever they meant . . .they scared me. I didn't know what he was trying to get at, but it was something I'll probably never understand. As I stood there, unmoving and hardly breathing, I watched him walk away from me, my chance of happiness leaving as well. It didn't work out this time . . .but I will have you someday . . .You won't ever walk away from me again . . .
I turned back around to face the sea that was fading into darkness along with the sun. The pink and purple skies were being clouded over with dark and ominous clouds. There would be no stars out tonight . . .it will probably rain.
It's amazing how big the sky looks when you're out in the open . . .
:EVEN MORE LATER:
"Get away from the fire! Do ya wanna burn your hand off?" I shouted over at Wakka who was, once again, trying to light a stick on fire to chase around Sora with. Wakka turned around and grinned at me, dropping the twig on the sand.
Night had fallen and we were now celebrating our arrival on Emerald Sands with a bonfire party. We already had a roaring blaze of a fire and music blaring from a huge stereo that Riku brought randomly. So far, Rikku and Selphie were already drunk. It hasn't even been an hour and they were already drunk out of their minds with at least six beers in their systems. Wakka was working on his drunkenness, too. Kairi, who already had her fill of alcohol didn't touch any, despite the obvious temptation. Getting drunk would be fun . . .I would do it, but I don't want to face responsibility if the cops came over to this side of the island, which would be rare, but you never know. Anything could happen. Sora picked up a beer once, took a sip from it, and spat it out on the ground. Riku was too busy getting more wood for the fire to stop and have a drink. I don't mind Riku not getting drunk . . .I don't want to know what will happen if he does . . .
"I'VE GOT YOU NOW!" a loud holler came from over by the fire again. I looked up from shoving more beers into the already-full cooler to see Wakka running around with a flaming twig, chasing Sora. Everyone started laughing except for Kairi and I who tried to knock Wakka over to extinguish the fire.
"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR DEAL?" Sora yelled at Wakka who was now lying underneath Kairi and I with a very satisfied look on his face. After stamping out the fire, we moved away from Wakka and glared at him. Sora threw a rock at Wakka and it hit him in the head, but his drunken mind was so out of it that he didn't realize it, let alone felt the pain. I sighed to myself but smiled. My friends are so funny sometimes . . .
"I'll be right back everyone . . .there are more drinks in the fridge," I called behind me as I strolled up the beach back to the house. Once inside, I opened up the refrigerator and looked around for some more beers that were going down quickly. I spotted about seven of them and placed them all on a little tray beside the oven. I kicked the fridge closed with my foot and walked back outside. When I neared the bonfire, I saw something that made me drop the tray I was carrying with a clatter. I stood, frozen on the spot, and staring at the site before my eyes. I had to be dreaming or imagining this . . .it can't be true . . .IT CAN'T BE!
Rikku was sitting in the lap of Tidus and was making out wildly with him. Tidus didn't seem to be showing any signs of resistance, which only made it worse for me. That whore . . .HOW COULD SHE DO THAT? Well . . .she is drunk. But that still doesn't give her an excuse to go and give my obvious crush a lapdance! I clenched my hands into fists and started to boil with anger. Despite my fury, tears started to roll out of my eyes. They splashed down onto the sand in tiny drops. Nobody could see me in the darkness and away from the light of the fire, and I'm glad they couldn't.
My feet started to run before my mind told them to. I headed in the direction of the woods, my tears blinding my vision. My mind was so fogged up with thoughts that I couldn't think straight and I just wanted to get away. I must have tripped at least 20 times while trying to trudge through the domed sand to the woods. When the surface I was running on change to grass and mud, I tripped and fell flat on my face. The warm earth and dirt smeared onto my face and I felt a throb in my nose, but I ignored it and stood back up. I continued to run blindly through the trees on no path whatsoever. I had no idea where I was going, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get out of that place as soon as I could. The tears still continued to run down my cheeks, but dried quickly on my face as the wind rushed past me.
It wasn't long until I realized I was lost. I stopped running to the gratitude of my legs and bare feet that were stinging from running on rocks. I gazed around in the surrounding darkness, trying to find some sign that I was near any kind of civilization. It was useless . . . I knew myself that these woods were extremely thick and dense . . .at least there weren't any sorts of wild animals I didn't know about living in here as well.
To make matters worse, the sky opened up at that exact moment and the rain poured down onto me. The water dripped down my hair and on my face, mixing in with my salty tears. I let out a frightened sob when I came to the conclusion that I was hopelessly lost and I'll never find my way out of here. Nobody will find me . . .nobody will come to look for me. The only person I know that will come to find me would be Kairi, but she wouldn't go alone. I though that Tidus loved me . . .I thought that . . .but it seemed so true. But . . .I shouldn't let fantasies get the better of me. We weren't meant to be no matter how many times I had told myself that. I just imagined us being together, hoping for it to become a reality, but it only stayed in my mind, and that's where it shall remain.
A fork of lightening flashed across the sky and a loud clap of thunder quickly followed it. I jumped at the sudden sound besides the dripping of the rain on the forest floor. The air had suddenly grown chilly and I started to wish I had worn something a little bit warmer besides this halter top and skirt. I shivered violently and squinted around in the darkness and rain to look for anything inviting. I had to take shelter from the rain and cold. How stupid of me not to remember that it gets freezing cold on this island at night! I can be mad at myself later, but right then, I needed to go under something.
The only things I saw clearly through all this muddy darkness were trees. I knew it wasn't smart to go up in a tree during a thunderstorm, but lightning never strikes here . . .I think. Besides, there's nothing else here that I can see that will keep me dry from the rain and warm from the cold. The volcano is too far away (which has caves and such) so this would do.
I climbed up the nearest tree with difficulty (for being in a skirt), but slowly made my way up to a low hanging branch. Once there, I situated myself in a temporary comfortable spot and hugged my shoulders. My teeth began to chatter involuntarily and I shook my head free from the water. The leaves above my head were protecting me from any of the rain, but still, lightning flashed endlessly across the sky, and the thunder echoed in my rib cage. Nonetheless, I closed my eyes for some desperate sleep and to try to make this night end faster. Dawn was so far from then, though . . .
Please find me . . .
Kairi's POV:
"Aw, SHIT!" Riku yelled in frustration, throwing a pile of wood that he was carrying to fuel the fire on the sand. I couldn't help but to giggle at his anger. He has been working to keep this fire raging for hours now, and then it rains. Oh well . . .The cold raindrops ran through my short hair and trickled down my neck, causing me to shiver. It was starting to get cold . . .
"I'M NOT GONNA LET SOME STUPID RAIN RUIN MY FUN TIME ON THE BEACH!" Selphie declared, standing in the pouring rain, soaking wet, determined not to move. She whipped out a lighter and a cigarette and flicked the flame on, attempting to smoke in the pouring rain. God . . .when she's drunk, she does really stupid things . . .even smoke. Selphie doesn't smoke and I don't want her to. I reached over to her and grabbed the lighter before she could light one up,seized her hand and pulled my drunken friend back to the house just as a big flash of lightning crossed the sky. An extremely loud roar of thunder followed this, causing me to jump out of my skin. Selphie giggled feebly behind me as I continued to drag her along to the dry inside of the house.
We stepped inside and left wet footprints everywhere we went. I let go of Selphie and she staggered off to somewhere. Rikku was cornering Tidus in a corner and trying to kiss him, so it seemed. He looked completely uncomfortable and kept glancing nervously around for any means of escape. Watching them reminded me of how Yuna had that one dream once that she suddenly stood up in class and tackled Tidus to the floor and started making out with him. Apparently, to Yuna, that was a very good dream, but I remember laughing at it during lunch when she told us about it.
Wait—Yuna? Yuna! Where is she? She went in here about 20 minutes ago . . .and I haven't seen her since! What? Where is she? What could have happened to her? I wonder if she's okay . . .
"YUNA! YUNA, ARE YOU IN HERE?" I shouted frantically throughout the house, trying to listen for any kind of response. Everybody else who was talking merrily stopped their conversations and looked at me worriedly. They hadn't realized her absence either . . .
"Yea . . .where is she?" Sora pondered out loud, glancing around the room for any trace of the girl. Panic started to seize my throat and stomach and at that moment, I lost my breath. Something must have happened . . .but . . .what? She's not here . . .nor is she outside where we were . . .why didn't I think about this earlier? Why didn't anyone else notice that she was gone?
"Yuna's missing?" Tidus asked me, panic rising in his voice. He pushed past Rikku and started to open doors to find her. He ran up the stairs and onto the second floor, where he started to search in our rooms. Selphie shouted something about 'breaking the rules', but we didn't listen to her. Something more important than little rules was at stake. One from our group was missing . . .and nowhere to be found . . .
"THE WOODS! She must have ran off into there!" Tidus suddenly exclaimed, jumping from the second floor to the first by jumping off of the railing. He landed in front of me with a thud and started to sprint towards the door. Riku jumped from out of nowhere and blocked the front door. Tidus gave him a hard glare, but Riku wouldn't move.
"Don't just go running into the woods alone at night, we need to go in groups," he said sternly, still not budging a muscle. Tidus gave a sigh of irritation and impatience and turned around. He stomped over to the couch and flopped down on it, the worry still shining in his blue eyes. Riku walked away from the door and stood on the third step of the staircase so we could all see him. He looked around at all of us for a minute or so, then began.
"It would be easier to find her if we go in groups. Now, since Selphie, Rikku and Wakka are drunk out of their minds and will be no use whatsoever, you guys can all stay here while the rest of us go out to search for her. Now, partners . . ." he looked from one person to the next. I could read every thought that was running through his head by his expressions and I frowned. He didn't want to be paired with me because he hates me . . .he doesn't want to be paired with Sora because he hates him as well . . .and as much as he hates it, he has to pair me with Sora.
"Sora and Kairi, you'll be a group. Tidus and I will be the other, got it?" he instructed through clenched teeth. Even though he hates me . . .he doesn't want me with Sora . . .I can tell that's the truth by the way his aqua eyes flashed dangerously when he said our names. Another clap of thunder broke the awkward silence. Tidus stood up from where he was sitting so suddenly, almost all of us jumped.
"WE CAN'T WASTE ANYMORE TIME! IF WE WANT TO FIND HER BY DAWN, WE NEED TO GO NOW!" he shouted, pointing towards the still-open door. Riku sighed in annoyance. Tidus breathed heavily and glared furiously at Riku who was giving an icy glare as well. The whole situation was starting to freak me out . . .what if something has happened to her? What would we do? What if we can't find her?
"Let's go," Riku ordered all of us as he walked over to the front door and stepped outside. Sora and I exchanged brief glances before we, too, followed him back out into the rain. The chilly air greeted my bare shoulders and legs as I took a few steps out on the porch. I shivered like crazy, but still followed the shadow of Riku ahead of us. I could hear Tidus and Sora behind me, their teeth chattering so loud that I could hear it. Riku lead us to the edge of the deep forest and stopped to turn and face us just as another fork of lightning split through the dark sky. The thunder that followed seemed to rattle my very bones and send shivers up my spine. Riku's aquamarine eyes seemed to glow in the lightning flashes, giving him the appearance of being something fictional.
"Now, don't forget to stick together, got it? She could be anywhere, but try not to get lost as well. If you find her, whistle as loud as you can and maybe we'll hear you. Go," he ordered at us and then ran into the woods with Tidus trailing behind without another word. Their figures quickly disappeared in the darkness of the forest and they were gone. Sora and I didn't move at first, but then he started off into the woods as well. I had no other choice but to follow him. The light that was coming from the inside of the summer home vanished as soon as I took four steps into the woods, blocking out most of the light. The trees above me sheltered me from the majority of the rain, but still, some leaked out and onto my already soaking wet head.
I could barely see Sora in front of me, and had to run to keep up with his pace. He didn't seem to be caring whether or not I was right behind him or not; he was too determined on finding Yuna. I did my best to maintain a steady pace, but after a while, I started to trip over branches and roots in the middle of the path. Once or twice, I actually fell to the ground, but Sora didn't stop to help me up. I got back to my feet, determined on not losing sight of him. It seemed to be only growing darker and darker by the second and we still had no sign of any light. Lightning still crossed the sky almost twice a minute, of course followed by an explosion of sound from the thunder. To make matters worse, the thunder and lightning seemed to be occurring closer and closer to each other by the second, signaling the heart of the storm.
"YUUUNAA!" Sora called out loudly, his voice echoing through the empty forest. A scurrying sound nearby made me jump and glance around wildly for any danger. There weren't any bears in here . . .right? He stopped running and I bumped into the back of him, unable to stop in time because my sandals slid in the mud. He paid no attention to my dilemma and called out her name once again. There was no sound of response from her anywhere except for another clap of thunder.
I shivered violently from a chill that came from the soaking rain and cold wind. My teeth started to chatter like crazy and I felt my muscles vibrate to produce any sort of heat. The temperature only seemed to be dropping as well. Sora didn't act cold at all, but I saw him shiver once, only to ignore it completely. His seriousness was starting to freak me out . . .I've never seen him so straight-faced before. It didn't seem like this was the same person I've known for so long. Why won't he talk to me? He knows I'm here, right?
"There's a volcano here, right?" He suddenly addressed to me, still not facing me, but staring directly out in front of him. I nodded my head even though he couldn't see and he just started to randomly run off again without seeing my response. I followed, of course, tripping and stumbling along the way as usual. What was he planning on doing on that volcano? It's extinct, so it's not like we're going to get warmth from it or something. Was he planning on actually going on top of it to see if we can spot Yuna's location? It might work, but the rain and trees will make it almost impossible to spot anything.
Were we even running in the right direction? How did he know where we were going? I couldn't see a thing in the dark, so how could he? I didn't ask these questions out loud, but continued to run through the muddled darkness and trees, focusing on the boy in front of me. It's so easy to get lost in here . . .its no wonder that Yuna disappeared in a place like this . . .
A looming shadow appeared in front of me and I paused for just enough to see the volcano before us. How . . .did we find it . . .? It rose above all of the trees ominously, breaking the sky in two with its' mass. Lightning forked across the sky above it, lighting it for a near second. I didn't have time to marvel at it, I had to keep running. I was losing track and sight of Sora the further we got in the forest. I was still confused by what he had in mind by running towards this, but I didn't question him. The rain still trickled down my neck and caused another shiver to run up and down my spine. My hands, by now, were numb and I squeezed them tightly to regain some lost feeling within them.
Sora started to run up the side of the mountain, only stumbling for a moment, but never lost his speed. I trailed behind him, tripping several times, but not making any sort of commotion to cause him to stop and help me. I wanted to prove, for some reason, that I don't have to depend on others, and that I can take care of myself. The last thing I really needed was someone to carry me or something like that . . .
We were about halfway up the mountainside when it happened. A rock that I had stepped on slipped out from underneath me in the mud and I started to fall backwards. I reached my hands out for something to grab onto, but I only grabbed air. I was facing the dark and stormy sky for one, slow motion-like second, and then I crashed back down to earth with a breath-taking force. I started to roll down the mountain, hitting any given rock that got in my path and getting a coat of mud as well. I couldn't see anything, because I had closed my eyes tightly in fear of seeing what I was getting myself into. The next thing I knew, my leg seared with pain and I screamed bloody-murder, but still continued to slide down the mountain. How far were we from the ground? It seemed like months until I came to a stop in the mud, my head spinning and my leg throbbing. Tears brimmed in my eyes from the stinging, but I refused to cry.
I didn't hear his footsteps, but I knew he was beside me. I didn't open my eyes, but I knew he was looking at my leg. I didn't cry out, but I knew he could see my pain. He didn't say a word, but just slipped his hands underneath me and pulled me out of the mud. I was suspended in air and in the arms of Sora. The pain didn't cease in my leg, and my head still spun wildly, but I felt somewhat comforted. I don't want to be a burden . . .but here I am . . .causing everyone trouble again . . .
"You'll be okay . . .There's a cave over there and we'll go in there for now, ok? Just don't think about the pain . . ." he whispered softly in my ear, his voice somewhat filled with panic, even though his words were calm and soothing. I nodded my head and it pounded with pain. I gulped down some excess spit and bit my lower lip as he trudged through the mud and trees to a place I couldn't see. I wanted to open my eyes, but I didn't think that I would be able to handle it . . .
The rain stopped pouring on my head and I then opened my eyes to see I was inside a little cave. It was completely dark in here, but that didn't matter . . .as long as we had some shelter from the rain and lightning, I was okay with it. How long were we going to stay out here, though? We have to go back sometime, or signal the others eventually . . .but what if they start searching for us as well? Why does this always have to happen to me!
"Here, stay here while I go find something that's not soaking to make a fire . . ." Sora told me gently, his voice still soft in my ear as he laid me down on the cold and hard ground. My back stung with a sharp pain from my fall, but I bit back the pain without showing any emotion. He made it sound like I will jump up and run away . . .but I can't . . .if it weren't for the continuous pain, I wouldn't be able to feel my leg. I watched him silently as he walked to the back of the cave and squinted around in the dark. After what seemed like 20 minutes, he came back with a bundle of twigs in his arms. He threw them down on the ground somewhat near me and stared at them as if hoping that they would magically burst into flames.
The little lump in my pocket seemed to vibrate to catch my attention. I reached a shaking, numb hand into it and pulled out the lighter I had confiscated from Selphie earlier. The object almost brought a happy and grateful smile upon my face, but I stopped myself. I couldn't bring my lips into a curve of a meek and weak smile . . .I just . . .couldn't . . .
"I have this . . ." I whispered out to him in a raspy voice unlike my own. Sora averted his attention to me and noticed the little green lighter in my hand. I read his expression of what he was thinking and threw it towards his general direction, not finding the strength in my arms.
"I don't smoke . . .I was trying to keep Selphie from it so I took it away from her . . ." I explained, reassuring him of his thoughts. He picked up the lighter, a better look in his eyes than from before. He turned away from me and flicked it on. After a minute or so, a light appeared in the dark of the cave. The flame started to grow and so did the heat. My numb and stinging hands appreciated the warmth of the fire and I started to feel them again.
Sora suddenly unzipped his jacket, which caught my eye. I gasped out quickly, thinking he was going to change or something right in front of me, and felt a warm blush rise on my cheeks. What was he doing? I looked away, thinking that that was the fact of the matter, but he quickly grabbed my shoulder to turn me back around. I did so grudgingly, the blush still growing more and more rapidly on my face. He was wearing a blue tee shirt (thankfully) underneath his black jacket and was holding the jacket out towards me. I didn't know what to do.
"We need to wrap up your ankle . . .it's starting to swell," he indicated my sore and bright red ankle. Wrap . . .it . . .up? Oh . . .yea. That ankle. How could I be so stupid!
He gently lifted up my leg and slipped the soaking wet cloth underneath my ankle and wrapped it around the sore several times. I winced in slight pain at the tightness of the bond, but didn't cry out. He tied a knot (somehow) with the heavy and thick material and leaned back with a satisfied look on his face. I almost laughed at his seriousness that was really starting to get to me. I wish he would laugh . . .or smile . . .
Outside of the little cave we were sitting in, the storm continued to rage on ceaselessly. The wind howled like a freight train and the rain came down like a steady beat on the leaf-strewn ground. Freezing cold wind continued to blow into the cave and made the fire flicker and pop and cause me to shiver involuntarily. Despite the warm fire, the wind still made the temperature in the dark and dank cave below comfort and I continued to long for something warm to put around my shoulders. I kept glancing nervously over at Sora who was trying so hard to not show that he was cold, but it was obvious by how he kept clenching his fists every now and then. We sat in silence, with nothing but the raging storm and popping fire to make any noise. It was so awkward to be in the same place as him . . .though I spent two days with him when he was hurt before . . .it still felt so awkward . . .like, everytime we said something to one another, there was a moment of silence in between when one of us would sigh or fidget in our position, thinking of what else to say.
"You're cold, aren't you?"
I glanced up from staring at the cave floor and poking at the dirt with my index finger at this abrupt interruption of the silence. He was staring me directly in the eyes, his blue eyes dancing in the flames of the fire. I shivered again. Oh, I guess I was. I didn't say anything and I guessed I didn't need to because he just smiled in a casual way and inched over towards me. The closer he got to me, the brighter my face grew. He was now sitting beside me and was smiling at me as if I had said or done something funny. My heart started to pound uncontrollably and my breath came in short little pants, both from the cold, and my nerves.
He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and held me close to his chest. This sudden action caught the breath in my chest. I couldn't move and I was blushing so much, I thought I was going to explode inside. He held me so tight, the warmth coming off of his chest as I remained frozen inside, unable to think or move. I didn't know if he was trying to produce some warmth, or just trying to comfort me by embracing me like this! He rested his chin on the top of my head and sighed heavily. I still didn't know what to do . . .was I supposed to hug him back or just stay where I was?
"You're freezing . . .I don't want you catching a cold . . ." he whispered gently in my ear, his voice so soft and sweet. Another chilling wind blew through the cave, making it whistle and howl like a wild and crazy animal. I shivered once more, letting the chill run up and down my spine like a tingling spider. Sora squeezed me harder and I felt a slight increase of the warmth. I started to freak out from all of this attention . . .
His words cut me into many little pieces that I couldn't put back together. He may just sound like he was talking to me casually, but with each breath he took, my heart pounded in anxiety. My mind had started to grow tired by now. The continuous sound of the rain falling on the ground soothed my mind and I felt drowsy. The warmth I was feeling from Sora melted away my numbness, but I still felt frozen inside; like I would never be warm again.
It wasn't until the cave started to slide in and out of focus before my eyes that I realized I was growing weaker and weaker by the second. My head began to ping with little pains from the fall and it hurt everytime I drew breath. My body felt used . . .tired as if I had just ran a marathon . . .everything was becoming blurry and unfocused and I kept blinking my eyes, hoping to see everything clear again. My eyes started to droop from this comforting atmosphere and I felt like falling asleep right there. I sighed quietly, my head throbbing with the breath, and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I looked up at the person holding me, but I didn't see Sora . . .it was . . .someone else . . .someone blurry . . .my teeth started to chatter and I shivered once again, seeing my breath before me. The scene around me was spinning again and I felt faint . . .even weak . . .
"I'm so sorry . . ." I whispered to the blur that I now saw had silver hair. It was Riku . . .when did he get here? Oh well . . .he's with me . . .he doesn't hate me anymore . . .we're okay again . . .he looked down on me and smiled in a warm and caring way, his aqua eyes dancing in the firelight as his pale skin pinked from the cold.
"It's all right . . .some things just happen . . .it was just an accident," he assured me with that smile still on his face. How was our episode in the car 'an accident'? Was he trying to fool me? He knew very well that it was deliberate . . .
"No . . .I was such an idiot . . .but after all that's happened between us . . .I thought it would be a good way to forget. But it only got out of hand yet again and ruined our lives even more . . ." I whispered softly to him, my voice fading in and out with my consciousness. His expression that I was receiving from him was confusion, which only made me believe more that he was just trying to fool me. Why is he playing so dumb? He knows what I'm talking about . . .
"W-wha . . .?"
"Listen to me! I'm just really sorry for everything . . .I've tried and tried again to get you to return these feelings to me . . .but I've never succeeded. The only time you really kissed me was when we were both not in the right minds . . .I'm just so sorry . . ." I slurred out to him, my mind going numb again. I losing this battle for him . . .I had to do something . . .if my tired body will allow it . . .
I leaned up towards him, my back protesting against my movement, until I was face-to-face with him. He stared at me, his eyes wide in confusion as I stared back at him. I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his in a loose kiss. At first, he didn't kiss me back; he only watched me, a look of amazement spread across his face. Then, he kissed me back, gently at first, but then a bit more serious. I went with it, my head pounding along and my strength giving out every now and then. After a while, I collapsed in his arms, my strength gone and the room still whirling around me. The cold numbed my senses and I couldn't feel any part of my body. I closed my eyes slowly, happy to have finally fallen asleep . . .
SORA'S POV:
I stared at her limp body, a million thoughts racing through my mind.
What was that about?
Why was she talking to me like that?
What was she talking about?
Who did she think I was?
I shook my head mentally and shivered yet again, clenching my fists together. The storm seemed to have died down for the minute, but the chilling air still remained. Tidus and Riku were still probably out there . . .or had they found Yuna yet? Hopefully nothing bad happened in the process of finding her . . .were they now looking for us? I sighed and looked back down at Kairi, who had fallen asleep rather quickly. Her chest rose up and down as she breathed steadily, but still shivered every now and then. Her lips were a dark purple and blue and her face was bloomed with pink. The jacket I had used on her ankle was starting to dry as her leg rested near the fire that was slowly dying down. When it was gone . . .there wouldn't be anymore light in here . . .and our warmth would be gone as well . . .
Did she think I was Riku or somebody like that? When she said 'I thought it would be a good way to forget', she might have been talking about when she got drunk a couple of nights ago and made-out with Riku. Thinking about the very subject made my blood boil. My best friend had enough nerve to go behind my back to do something like that to the girl he knew I liked. I haven't talked to him since . . .I don't necessarily want to. So . . .when Kairi was talking to me right now, did she think I was him? How could she possibly substitute a guy like Riku for me? It seemed almost impossible . . .but I had no other explanation for the situation. Come to think of it . . .her eyes did look rather unfocused and light when she was saying all those things to me. Could she have been hallucinating or something? From the cold? From her ankle? From both?
As I continued to stare down at her, the more I thought about it, the more it seemed reasonable and logical. She might have been so cold or in so much pain that her mind started to wander and not be able to focus on anything. She seriously thought that I was Riku . . .the thought startled me in a way I thought couldn't be possible. Then . . .she only kissed me because of that reason. She doesn't love me . . .she doesn't think of me in that way . . .what was I expecting?
The wind outside of the cave continued to blow ceaselessly and I looked up suddenly, thinking that I had heard an unknown noise coming from outside. It was nothing . . .just the wind . . .but I could've sworn I had heard footsteps . . .and I though for a fleeting second that it was Tidus and Riku coming to look for us . . .or just passing by on their search for Yuna. I was wrong, and the wind howled at my hope.
Kairi stirred in her sleep and turned to face me, her face still pale except for her pink cheeks. I smiled down at her, glad that she was okay and not hurt too seriously. After she had come to me on that day at school and spilled out her heart and begged for my "friendship" again, my feelings towards her changed. I saw, from that moment on, that she really treasured others before herself and would be willing to do anything for her friends. I never knew she was so caring and kind . . .and knowing that only made me want to love her even more. She didn't realize it, though, that for the longest time, I had loved her . . .from afar . . .from right beside her in her closet . . .she never noticed . . .because . . .to her . . .
. . . I was just a friend . . .
A/N: THAT WAS THE LONGEST CHAPPIE I HAVE WRITTEN IN THE HISTORY OF MY FICS! WOOO! CELEBRATION:parties: Lol. So . . .like I said before, this one had A LOT more to it than my others . . .did you guys think so, too? I spent so much time on this chappie and it eventually grew into something huge! I know that it seemed a little strange, but this fic needed a change in the setting.
If you're wondering about the whole "dillusional Kairi" thing, I added that for effect. I mean, I wanted a touchy a moment and, with the help from my friends, THAT WAS BORN! Lol.
So, I hope you guys liked this one a lot and pleaseX500 review this fic! Thank you!
K-c