A/N:
XCX: I have a new alarm clock.
Jin: Why?
XCX: I destroyed the last two.
Jin: What happened to them?
XCX: Smashed the first with a baseball bat when life sucked at the moment. Then the second one my friends and I used at a test subject in our homemade catapult… It flew twenty yards out in the fields… then hit a cow… Grounded for a month and stuck milking cows for two months…:Shudders:
Jin: And it was your alarm clock that was used because…
XCX: I don't know. I think I have a problem with alarm clocks. Either that or I have a ghost who loves to posses them. They don't like me so when I play a CD on one it skips. I get angry. I hit it with something heavy. And the alarm clock is now broken. What's a better use for a broken alarm clock from hell!
Zil: Not… mutilating it?
XCX: Nonsense! Take it from me kids! Alarm clocks are bad, especially on Monday mornings! You should DESTROY your alarm clocks as soon as possible so they won't turn on you and eat you! EVIIIIIL SPIRITS POSSES THEM!
Tsubasa: I'll have to admit. I'm not a morning person either. So if I were to knock an alarm clock down or something, it's quite easy for me to understand.
XCX: My first follower!
Tsubasa: Uh… no. I was just saying I don't like alarm clocks, but I don't like to destroy them.
XCX: NooooOOOooOOoooOO! She's gone over to the DARK side!
Ansem: Don't say she's gone over to the dark side. I know the dark. And that, I will hold as an insult.
XCX: Kyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa:grabs steel pipe (again): Ahhhh! Not you again! Kyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa:beats Ansem mercilessly with a steel pipe:
Jin: No! XCX! We need him for this chapter! Don't kill him! We finally need him for the story!
Sora: Jeez… this girl doesn't need a Keyblade…
XCX: Lemme go! I wanna kill the creepy man!
Tsubasa: Uh… Jin… now may be a good time to… well start the fic?
Jin: Yeah… before she gets out the-
XCX: I almost forgot! We need the penguin maker!
Jin: Oh no…
XCX: Hahahahahahahaha! XD :shotting penguins by the dozen:
NOT IMPORTANT TO YOU, BUT IMPORTANT TO ME, RANTING!
XCX: Just a little ranting on my part… I HATE MY 7TH PERIOD TEACHER!
Jin: …Why…?
XCX: That bitch had the right to call me close-minded when she was the one who was too positive and always telling me: "You're too negative. You should be more positive like everyone else."
Translation: "Please. Become a retard who has to be connected to sports and religion in this tight-knit community in order to function!" I don't mean to offend anyone, but I hate it when others take pity on me.
As a joke my friends had told me to say I didn't believe in god when some girls asked me and they gave me a look that said: "You poor, poor retard." When I did. And then before they walked off they said: "We're gonna pray for you and hope that one day, you'll come to our church."
I AM NOT A FUCKIN' RETARD YOU BIMBO BITCHES! (off topic)
My Literacy teacher drives me up the wall! It's an easy class for me, and I rather read morbid than all pretty and happy and jolly poems. I wrote a poem that was dark because I couldn't think of anything else, but beforehand she had said: "I look forward to reading your work." But after she read the damn thing, she said: "I think it's too dark. Maybe we should read something else. We ended up reading about a fuckin' pony given to a girl on her birthday and then the freakin' pony gave birth to another little pony! She said it was the best she had ever read! Part of it said:
"Oh me, oh my, oh me, oh my! I couldn't believe the horse was before my eye!"
Pardon my French… but… THAT WAS SHIT!
Jin, Zil, Tsubasa, Kiho, and Inzi: Whoa… Oo"
XCX:panting: Okay… I'm done with my ranting. I just HAD to get that outta my system.
Jin: That… was……… scary.
Zil:nods:
Tsubasa: That has to have been the first time I've seen her so… frustrated.
Inzi: Frustrated doesn't begin to cover it.
NOW IT IS IMPORTANT! BEING IN THE READING OF THIS!XCX: Sorry 'bout ranting. Anyways, what you really want to know… The back-up beta reader is…
:drumroll:
XCX: Ariel!
Everyone:Clapping:
XCX: Congratulations! You've won a brand new car!
Inzi: You can't afford that.
XCX: Um… one hundred dollars?
Zil: NoooOOOoOOOooo…
XCX: A new computer?
Tsubasa: Almost… (Sora: Almost?)
XCX: Penguins?
Jin: Get on with it woman!
XCX: Okay, okay. You get to be the next beta! May not seem like much, but its very special! You've earned a special place in mah heart! Just like hide-san!
(hide-san:off dealing with the real world:)
Jin: She has a heart?
Zil:shrugs:
XCX: Okee dokee then! Let's get this fic rollin'!
Read on and live for the thrill of life. X3
Disclaimer: Don't own KH. I really wish I did. Because if I did, the English version of KH2 would already be here in the US and Final Mix would be available in English too. Darn it. But I've got Chain of Memories and I'm playin' as Riku! Life is good!
Chapter 8
Is it you?
Jin eyed the Keyblade in Riku's possession with obvious hate looming in his eyes. His mind already swarmed with his darker side's primitive instincts.
Keyblade!
Another heart!
Light!
Powerful heart!
No touch!
Gritting his teeth, Jin pushed those screams to the far reaches of his mind and focused on the Riku.
"Okay kid. You asked for it. I can kill you now and make Sora's world a little happier." He grinned when he saw the desired affect as Riku's eye twitched.
"You did something to him Jin. Sora wouldn't act this way." Riku said, ready to take Jin down once and for all.
"Did you ever stop to think there's something in everyone that they hide? Sora hid his love for you for years, and when he finally showed you something he showed no one else, you pushed him away." Jin retaliated, holding up his hands in front of him and letting a black staff with long purple markings flash in front of him.
"…" Riku remained quiet, but refused to break his glare with Jin.
The two stared at eachother long and hard, before Riku surprised Jin, as he lunged forward and tried to strike Jin and to be blocked by Jin's staff, its inscriptions glowing as the weapons clashed.
Jin eyes narrowed as he twisted his weapon around, trying to knock the Keyblade from Riku's grasp.
Riku held the Keyblade tightly, twisting around so he was facing Jin's back.
"You never took that into consideration did you?" Jin grinned from in front of him as Riku held the blade up to his spine.
"Shut up. The Sora I know wouldn't do something without taking other's feelings into account. Sora's a lot more considerate that that." Riku said, his grip on the blade tightening.
"He doesn't seem to care very much for you or Kairi anymore. I, personally, don't think he'd care what happen to either of you… even though you three are in the prophecy." Jin grinned, thinking of a way to confuse the Keyblade master further and get a laugh or two out of it.
"Prophecy?" Riku blinked, his tense muscles easing in the slightest.
No stopping now… Jin chuckled mentally. "'The key and his princess. Intertwined with the angel of forgotten blood and shadows. To seal the looming darkness and bring either salvation or destruction to the world'." Jin recited.
"Ah… the Keyblade…" Came another voice.
Both teens looking up, they saw the Cheshire cat perched on a branch above them, grinning.
"The blade of destruction. Able to save the hearts and vanquish those without." He smiled. "Able to turn the world to a haven or ruin."
"Not you again." Jin snapped, watching Riku out of the corner of his eye while Riku did the same.
"The princess… so pure of heart, that only the key can unlock her heart." The cat taunted. "Wise beyond her years, and able to hold the light and guide many…" The cat said, dancing along the branch. "The princess… so pure of heart, but concocting things unseen by all."
Riku watched the strange cat warily, hoping this odd cat wasn't on Jin's side. The creature would probably confuse him to death.
"The angel… its wings formed in its own blood, shed for its love but forgotten. The very darkness of its own heart winding itself around the holy wings of those lost to dormant memories…" He continued. "The Darkness forming against the trio… but we have an actor here who should not…" The cat said, pointing his clawed paw at Jin.
"The twilight that should wait to be loved instead of seeking his own angel."
"I'm the twilight." Jin growled, pulling his hair back to reveal his amber eye.
Riku, thinking this was an assault of some sort, jabbed his Keyblade forward, tearing Jin in two.
Or more like Jin's cloak.
"He's… gone?" Riku said, eyeing the limp cloth on the end of his blade.
"Yes… left to find your beloved angel." The cat teased while he stood up and bowed goodbye.
"Where? Where is Sora?" Riku demanded.
"In a world of fighters… though it will take time for you to get there. Go to the next world… there you will find him. Be careful of the shadows that await you, my friend… they are always waiting for the Key." The cat warned, but Riku was already leaving to find Kairi and the others.
OoOoOoOoOoO"OK kid, next one's a toughie. He's from another world and we've got orders to get rid of him, pronto." Hades consoled a boy leaning against a wall.
"Fine." The boy snuffed and turned his nose up.
"Don't underestimate him though, he already took care of Cloud and Leon. He looks worn out, so it should be a too much of a problem for you to take him out." Hades watched as Phil talked to the silver-haired teen across the arena while a girl with auburn hair clung to his arm possessively. "You'll be fighting him alone, by the way. So I can't help you there kid." He almost shuddered at the intensity in the silver-haired boy's eyes when he looked over to where they stood. He'd only seen eyes like that when he'd first met the cold, cold Sephiroth.
"Hades, Lord of the Underworld, taken on a maternal instinct?" The boy raised a brow at Hades, who, in turn, gave him a forced, toothy grin. "And you're scared of him, too… aren't you?" He flashed Hades a mocking grin, watching the god's hair turn a slight orange.
"Fine, fine, I'm cool." He ran a hand through his blue, flaming hair and tried not to shout at the stubborn teen in a futile attempt to calm himself. The one feature no one could miss about Hades was his short temper. That, and his hobby for making more deals that no one could fulfill.
"Just get out there and win!" He shot his hand out in a fist to make his point clearer than before.
"Don't worry." The teen had pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning against and was stalking toward the arena. He turned to face Hades with a smirk set on his face, raising his gloved hand to give Hades a deriding wave. "I will win." He said firmly.
"For Cloud's sake." He muttered under his breath.
"Right. Go get 'em tiger." Hades rooted idly. The fighter didn't respond; only walked into the blazing sun and into the arena. "And if all else fails... I always have back-up." Hades said to the darkness, the sound of gnashing teeth accompanying his thoughts.
OoOoOoOoOoO"Next up is one of the toughest opponent we got here in the ring. He's only been here for two weeks, but he's pretty good. I can't give you any tips except for Hero rule number 842: Keep on your toes and be prepared for anything." Phil instructed. He kept glancing at the ring, like he was scared of an upcoming threat.
"I'm sure Riku can take it!" Kairi cheered, snuggling, if possible, closer to Riku's arm.
"Like I told you earlier: we're only stopping by to find a friend of ours." Riku cast a glance at the empty ring, and then to the shadows not too far from the ring.
"A name might help." Phil steamed and placed his tiny hands on his hairy hips.
"His name's Sora. Has anyone registered as that name?" Riku said firmly, his eyes boring hard into the goat man's.
"Sora?" Phil let the name slide from his tongue. "It should tell on that board over there." Phil pointed over his shoulder at the chalkboard located near the entrance.
Riku, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy all jogged over to the board and let their gaze travel up and down the green board, searching for any name, even close, to Sora's.
"It doesn't look like your friend is on there." Hercules said striding up to them.
"I guess not..." Kairi let her shoulder's droop
"It's OK Kairi, we'll find him." Riku wrapped his arms around the girl's waist and placed a kiss to her temple. Ever since that run in with Jin and what the cat had told him, he had thought it better to keep a close eye on Kairi. One would never know what Kairi could be thinking at times…
"What does he look like?" Hercules asked, trying to help in anyway.
"He's a little shorter that Riku, and he's very kind-hearted." Kairi described.
"Don't know anyone around here that's kind-hearted." Phil snorted while he walked up the board to change the score beside one of the names.
"He has brown, spiky hair and blue eyes almost like mine but brighter." Kairi explained, trying to give them more physical appearances.
"Hm… None of that sounds familiar." Hercules said, scratching his chin.
"What about a silver-crown necklace?" Riku interjected. "He never takes it off. Maybe he's changed over the last week and he's dyed his hair or something. But I know he'd never take that necklace off." Riku nodded his head firmly. He remembered he had given that necklace to Sora when he was only eight, and since that day, when Riku had helped him put the necklace on, Sora had never taken it off. He had promised that as long as they were best friends, that he'd never take it off.
"There is a teen here who wears a crown necklace." Hercules concluded.
"That may be him!" Goofy laughed and gave Riku a pat on the back.
"K-kid, you better get to t-the ring." Phil stuttered.
"Huh?" Riku turned around from his conversation with the hero to see the half-goat inching toward Hercules, his hairy knees shaking.
"H-he's here." Phil finished, he shot behind Hercules's leg and quivering in fear at the power radiating of the ring.
The air around them became deathly cold and the sky above them darkened, the stars blinking (but thankfully not blinking out) softly overhead.
Looking toward the ring, a teen clad in many belts, buckles and chains stood in the center.
His face was half-hidden in the darkened night, but the torches on either side held little light to his features. He had piercing deep blue eyes but they weren't the same as Sora's.
He had spiky hair, but it was longer and was a deep black, not the cinnamon color Riku had grown used to through his years with Sora.
The teen's top was a black vest with long sleeves ripping at the seams here and there and his hands were covered in black gloves. Chains rattling off the edges of the gloves as he flexed his hands before him.
Black pants covered in pockets and sealed with buttons and hooks lined down the legs and zippered up the sides ran up until his knees blocked their passage.
Silver, black, red, blue, and white chains were hooked to his waist and neck, some looked heavy enough to slow him down, but none of them moved from their place on his hips while he swayed, shifting his weight in an impatient manner.
It couldn't have been Sora. He was too different. Riku knew his friend couldn't change that much in a two weeks.
Could he?
Giving Kairi another kiss, Riku walked into the ring, his Keyblade in front of him. It seemed to glow power; even in the faded light of the torches lining the arena it gave a greater light than the flame could.
"I won't let you win." The boy in front declared coldly.
"That's what that other fighter said." Riku retorted and took a fighting stance.
The boy across from him did the same and held out a black metal blade. "You tore Cloud's honor in half. So now I'm going to tear you in half."
"Oh. How corny of you…" Riku teased, mentally laughing at how the boy's right eye twitched in anger.
They stood opposing, waiting for Phil to sound the beginning of the fight.
"O-okay..." The goat-man stuttered. He was visibly shaking at all the tension the two could cause in the arena.
Forcing himself to speak louder and talk like he was in charge of the whole thing (though confidence was the last thing he had in mind) Phil announced the rules.
"This is a one-on-one fight. First one to touch foot outside the ring, surrender or loose consciousness is the looser. There's no time limit and anything goes."
"Ready... GO!"
The black-haired teen didn't hesitate in the least. He lunged at Riku with lightening speed, but Riku managed to bring his blade up to block it, a breath away from his neck.
With a wolf-like strategy, the boy leapt away before Riku would swipe at him with his own blade. Again the boy charged, but he dodged to the right before Riku could bring his blade to his arm. The boy twisted and brought his blade again to take off Riku's head, but the silver-haired boy's Keyblade sang into the night when the other's black blade struck again.
Riku swung around to hit the boy again, but again he had dodged and was at the other end of the ring.
He was taunting him!
Riku watched the boy smirk, his eyes gleaming in the dim light. His opponent's eyes seemed to gleam in the dim light. His frenetic smile giving him a look that told him he was too slow.
"Damn..." Riku said aloud when his blade hit nothing once again. He was tired of blocking the boy's assault and then trying to counter, only to meet with chilling night air.
"Come on! You can do it, Riku!" Kairi cheered from the seats. Donald and Goofy were sitting on either side of her, let out their own scrambled cheers of encouragement.
Noticing the aqua-eyed teen was in his own thoughts the other blindly charged again.
He didn't notice Riku's muscles twitch as he neared.
The Keyblade was brought down before the boy could act. It hit deep into the boy's right shoulder and Riku smirked at the damage he had caused the boy.
"Shit..."The teen held his arm close to his body, and switched the blade into his uninjured hand. "That was a lucky hit." He growled.
"Lucky, or it was just a stupid move you made." Riku snorted, holding his blade up again.
Riku thought the boy stupid enough to try hitting him again, but instead he turned and fled to the other end of the ring.
"You're in trouble kid!" Phil shouted.
"Oh... looks like you made him angry." Hades jeered from the sidelines.
"Huh?" Riku stood straight for a minute, never noticing the Lord of the Underworld was even there, and then tried to contemplate what the god meant.
Striking his blade in the ground the boy gripped the sword tightly enough it was a surprise it didn't melt to the shape of his palm.
Around him, shadows resembling the boy in every aspect rose out of the ground one by one.
"What the hell!" Riku stuttered.
"You said this is a one-on-one fight!" Donald screamed at Phil.
"These Heartless aren't regular Heartless, plucky." Hades strolled up to the group and addressed Donald.
"What do you mean?" Kairi asked.
"These Heartless are the shadows from that kid's heart, and no matter how many you kill they all come back. Must have been something terrible to have that much hate in one little guy?" Hades clarified. "But nonetheless, they're all from the same kid."
"So it's a fair fight?" Hercules demanded.
"I'm afraid so Wonder-boy." Hades grinned.
Riku felt the slight stinging in his arms and legs from the cuts each of them had dealt. Each had the opportunity to strike a more critical blow but every time they chose to only scratch him.
Purposely tiring him down.
It was like a test in many aspects. Make it to the battle and survive till the finals.
Meanwhile the boy was standing on the other side of the ring watching with a revulsion frown on his face. He looked worried but irked at the same time, with his arms crossed and his face set into a concentrating look.
He's destroying all my copies... each and every one of them aren't returning, they just disappear... He mused, sneering as another copy was taken out and disappeared, sword and all.
The Keyblade... A voice nagged in the back of his mind.
Fearful. Pure light.
"Five down five to go." Riku smirked. Truthfully he was tired and the hidden fatigue was slowing him down, it started to show in his slowing movements.
"Sure you can last that long?" The boy smiled. It vanished as quick as it had come when Riku took out four copies at once.
"Yeah. I'm sure I can handle it." He gave the dark azure-eyed teen another arrogant smirk before finishing off the final shadow. "Now...will you last that long?"
"Come on Riku! You can do it!" Kairi continued to cry out her encouragement.
The boy fumed at the continuously screaming girl and decided to finish this before she continued. It wasn't just the girl; it was the duck and the dog that were also rooting for the silver-haired boy at the same time. Their scrambled encouragement ringing in his ears and annoying him to no end.
Riku seemed to take strength from his girlfriend's words of encouragement and ran at the boy.
Riku slashed him across the arm he had damaged earlier and then doubled back to hit the boy clearly across the chest.
Riku was almost laughing at the fact that he had dealt such a blow, much greater than the last one. Finally he was hitting the other teen with such force no one could last too long.
But a victory never lasted long either.
He froze in pure shock when he saw the Keyblade hit something he had described just minutes before the battle.
It was the silver chain necklace he had given Sora.
Riku felt as though he was watching a movie. The boy was sliding across the arena; his only brake was when he crashed into the pillar on the opposite side of the ring, hitting it with a sickening 'thud', blood gushing from his wounds to splash onto the stone and hit Riku.
The silver-crown necklace flying from his opponent's chest, like it was in slow motion, falling from the air is suspending slowness and giving off a slight a ring when it bounced off the floor of the ring. It rested on the ground, still glittering from the dancing flames on the torches.
OoOoOoOoOoO"Ugh… where… am I?"
Slowly, Cloud raised himself off the mattress to take a look at his surroundings.
He was in the hospital ring of the Coliseum.
But how?
Silver hair.
Like Sephiroth's.
Shorter.
A Keyblade…
Sora watching him, helplessly as the warrior struck him.
His blue eyes filled with worry.
His new black spiky hair framing his face.
And then…
Darkness.
"Mister Cloud. You shouldn't get up yet." One of the nurses pleaded, gently pushing him down onto the bed.
"Sora… Where's Sora?"
"You mean the boy?" The nurse asked, walking over to the cabinet to grab a bottle of some clear liquid.
"YES!" Cloud shouted, trying to get up from the bed once more.
"He's now fighting the boy whom you lost to." The nurse answered, coming over to dab at the many cuts on his arms.
"I have to find Sora." He said, trying to get up, only to be pushed down again.
"Oh no you don't. You're in no condition to walk. I'm sure Sora will visit you after the fight."
Cloud never saw Sora again.
OoOoOoOoOoOSora raised himself up on unsteady arms, shaking his head from the effects of the blow Riku had dealt upon his battered body, and how he seemed to be loosing consciousness in seconds.
He coughed and brought a hand when he felt a warm, coppery taste in his mouth.
Looking at his hand in shock, he watched it leak from his fingers and land on his heaving chest.
He had never been hit into coughing blood.
He raised his head to see the same shock-written expression on Riku's face.
Riku couldn't believe his eyes. There in front of him was Sora.
The Sora he had been searching for after he had disappeared from his and Kairi's lives.
The Sora he had seen, kissing Jin.
The Sora he loved.
And the Sora that hated him.
Battered and bloody because of him.
"Sora..." Riku let the name hang in the air.
"Long time no see. Riku..." Sora gave him his old grin, but his effort wasn't put into it. Smears of blood were hanging on the corner of his lips.
He took in an unsteady breath and stood up, supporting himself with his hands on his blade.
"How'd you get here? I thought Jin took you away?" Riku said, hoping to gods that the boy wouldn't run.
Again.
"You sound like you're surprised to see me again... or unhappy..." Sora gave him a cold smile. This time it wasn't the old smile he had given him on the island to either say he was kidding or the one where he covered up his silence. It was a pure smile that said he DIDN'T want to see Riku there.
"Sora; Kairi and I have been looking all over for you... and… and we've finally found you. We can travel together." Riku whispered. He walked in long strides toward the boy, who, in vain, tried to move as far away as he could possibly go.
Sora tried again to move away, but the gashes on his body prevented him from moving away fast enough. He could feel his body scream in protest, but he kept moving, intent on getting away from the elder teen.
Riku was only two feet away when a giant dog with three heads bounded into the arena, its huge teeth snapping and its claws raking the ground.
"Donald! Goofy! Protect Kairi!" Riku yelled over into the stands, as if automatically.
"Heh. You still only care about her?" Sora laughed.
"Listen, Sora, we can talk about this later, right now we need to get out of here and treat your wounds." Riku wrapped his arms around Sora's limp form and hoisted him over his shoulder, running to the door Kairi and the others had gone through, leaving only Hercules, who was holding the monster back with his bare hands.
Sora tried to pry himself from Riku's grasp, but the older boy had always been stronger, making his efforts useless.
Stronger... and now he was the Keyblade Master. The one who would save the world? Were he was just on the sidelines watching.
Sora felt his undeniable hate swell inside of him and he struggled even more until Riku had had enough.
"I hate to do this Sora but..." Riku hit Sora in the back of the head, causing all of Sora's surroundings to become blurry, and then darkness.
OoOoOoOoOoOSora moaned and held his eyes tightly shut.
"What...?" Sora looked around at his surroundings, to see he was in a bed in one of the many rooms of the Coliseum.
"Sora! You're finally awake!" Sora turned around just in time to see Kairi fling her arms around Sora and hug him tightly. "We've been looking all over for you Sora!" She sobbed into his shoulder.
Sora's emotions, of shock from the sudden assault of the girl, changed to hatred when his thoughts came back to him.
Destiny Islands.
Kairi.
Together.
With Riku.
Riku flinging him away.
"Let go." He whispered firmly.
He pushed himself off the bed he had been lying on, to an upright sitting position. He winced when a pain from his stomach had him holding onto his swelling pain.
"Sora you shouldn't move. Riku did more damage than I think he really meant to and damaged one of your arms. Donald fixed you up, but you have to lay down and rest." She demanded in a motherly tone, hoping the stubborn boy would listen to her.
"Leave me alone." He scowled and pushed himself up so his feet hung from the edge of the bed, determined to find Hades.
"Sora!" Kairi demanded.
"That liar tricked me. He said he wouldn't send in Cerberus!" He shouted, his rage blinding his perception that another was in the room. "Where's Hades!"
"Gone."
"Huh?" Sora turned around, Riku standing in the doorway arms crossed over his well-defined chest, his aquamarine eyes watching the slightest move.
"What do you mean 'gone'?" Sora snapped. His expression was guarded and he looked at both of his past friends in a sense of wariness.
Riku mentally winced. He had never really been on the receiving end of that kind of look from Sora. To draw conclusions; he had never seen his friend give anyone that look. Sora was always warm and welcoming to new people. But he received that look in Traverse town, so a second helping just cut his scars of self-pity.
"We can't find him anywhere, after Hercules and I took care of Cerberus, a guy named Cloud said he left."
"Cloud..." Sora said, his tone softening.
"But the question is: Are you alright Sora?" Riku said sternly walking over to the side of the bed. He placed a hand on Sora's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze, but Sora withdrew his arm to his side and avoided Riku's gaze intentionally.
"Yeah, just peachy." Sora growled.
"Why didn't you tell me it was you out there..." Riku's tone softened.
Sora didn't say anything.
"Sora? Say something..." Kairi pleaded.
"Okay." Sora sighed.
Kairi and Riku held their breath, both wanting, but half fearing, what their friend would say.
"Bye." Sora pushed himself out of the bed and walked briskly to the other end of the room gathering his things.
"No. Not bye." Riku stood up and put his hand on Sora's arm again, firmly this time so the boy couldn't run away. "What's wrong with you? You've never acted like this." Riku's sea-green eyes bore hard into Sora's, demanding answers.
Sora shot him a look that read: 'Oh, so now that Kairi's here, you're pretending you never found me in Traverse Town with Jin?' but Riku gave it his all to ignore that look.
"People change." Sora announced, slipping on his gloves with a jerk.
"You've changed for the worst." Kairi said, making herself known.
Sora yanked his arm from Riku and slid on his shoes and straightening his shirt and black pants that had been (thankfully, in Sora's opinion) left on.
"Your hair and eyes..." Kairi spoke up from her seat on the side of the bed. "You changed them with magic... or that's what Donald said."
"Well tell your wise-ass friend 'Donald' to mind his own business." Sora snapped, sending them both a look that said to back off.
Kairi gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Sora's never cursed before.
"Sora...wait a minute." Riku said, trying to calm both his surprised girlfriend down and keep Sora's anger under at the same time.
"Go screw your girlfriend." Sora sneered over his shoulder and left the room.
Both Riku and Kairi were frozen in shock. What in heaven's name has gotten to Sora? Was the question on Kairi's mind, but Riku knew better.
Riku was the first to recover. Running out the door, he looked for any signs of his friend, trying to find out where the boy had disappeared.
He stopped when he ran by the arena.
There in the center of the ring, shining in the dim light while coiled around Sora's blade was the silver crown necklace, woven about it artistically.
OoOoOoOoOoOSora grumbled as he opened the door to his apartment, closing it with a slam.
"Sora..."
The said teen expected to see Cloud greeting him, but instead Jin stood in the blonde's stead.
"Jin!" Sora gaped as he ran over and hugged the green-haired teen. "I missed you Jin…" He said, holding onto Jin like a life-support.
"I missed you too, Sora." Jin said, smiling, reaching down to cup the boy's face with his hand and place a chaste kiss to his nose.
"Can… can we go… home?" Sora asked, almost pleading.
"Sure… just get rid of that disguise." Jin smiled.
Sora nodded his agreement and closed his eyes. He just needed to concentrate and…
"Didn't know I'd miss your spiky brown hair so much." Jin said, ruffling the mop of brown spikes.
"Love you too." Sora scoffed, though it held no bite.
"We need to report to Lord Ansem. Then we'll check on that girl."
"It'll be nice to see Selphie again." Sora said, hugging Jin tighter. "But it's even better to be with you…" He whispered.
OoOoOoOoOoO"That was foolish."
"I know…"
"Make sure things do not get out of hand again."
End ChapterXxX Chains XxX: Welly, welly, well then... that was a surprisingly good chap. I'm am TERRIBLE at battle scenes, but this turned out quite nicely and a lot of my friends loved it.
Jin: Despite all this… I'd actually say you did pretty good on your battle scene in this one.
XCX:Eyes shine: OH. MY. GOD! Jin you said something nice about my fic! Oh my GOD:Squeals: THANK YOU!
Jin: Yeah… yeah… I only saying that because you gave me and Sora some small time together… eheheheh…
XCX: Either way, it works!
Riku: Man… you suck. When am I gonna get some from Sora!
XCX: Maybe later…… maybe.
Riku: Maybe!
Sora: Maybe!
Jin: Maybe!
XCX: Echo, echo…echo……echo…………echo…………………
Zil: idiots… idiots… idiots…………��
XCX: Well… I kinda typed this out and printed it so I could proofread it better, and my folks found it.
Jin: OO"
XCX: I know it was a long jump, so I'll try to be more careful so I can continue. I'm surprised they haven't said anything yet… if they do, I'm soooo dead.
Reviews!
Underlined: SignedNot underlined: Anonymous
LilAznSp0nge: Long names are no problems! Iz okay! I'm continuing and I'm having fun! XD
no name: Jin… he's pretty happy that Clouds in the hospital… and I think he was able to actually thank Riku on that part. Yes! That is the reason Alice was in court! Have you read 'Alice in wonderland and through the looking glass'? She's really irritating in that book, but it's decent nonetheless. Why do you think I like penguins so much? They're homo! XD (:everyone scoots away:) :Ahem: anyways… no I didn't kill Jin, as much as alotta you guys didn't want him to die. I bet hide-san appreciates the thought! But don't forget to thank Ariel who will be beta-ing the next chapter!
Seralokiiph: Very sorry… Please accept my decision for having Ariel as the new backup, however, if I need your help, expect me to call! Thank you very much!
Ariel: Hello back-up!
Senrae: Shmank you for da cookies! Like I said above, my folks found and read this… hope they don't mention any of this or I'm in some deeeeeeeep shit…
Minerva Teller of tales: Happy Minerva iz good! More Jin and Sora-ness on the way!
…: I'll respond in the following… A). Jin will pick a side, but not yet… B). Normal? He's got green hair and two different colored eyes! Dat's not normal! (Jin: HEY! That goes for Riku too!) C). Like I said, it's a thought about killin' Jin… (Jin: You wouldn't!)
And to respond to your other ramblings!
A). I was good! Do I get a pony! B). It could be okay… XD C). Jin is a good character some of the time isn't he? And I'm glad I did a good job on him! I'm REALLy glad you (and everyone else) like my OC, and good job on writing one of you longest most complimenting review! It's not pathetic either! All reviews are helpful:squeals: YOU IS SOOOOO CUTE! XD
Zil: There weren't that much this time was there?
XCX: Salright! So long as I am in the receiving reviews I am in the promising of the updating!
Jin: That made little sense.
XCX: Whatever, see ya all in the next chapter! (please feed review button and make it full with a hundred reviews!)
Read on and live for the thrill of life! X3