Again, this is not pre-planned, but I needed to do a re-vamp for the extras I intend to post soon.
I know I mentioned before that this story would continue if I got the right feedback, but to be honest, it was my easily distracted muse that's keeping this a one-shot. I wrote many extras for the story, including other scenes and visions, but I don't have enough middle stuff to make it into a story. I'm really sorry, but that's my flaw.
Same summary as before. The original was some hyper-IM chat that I was having with my friend and fellow writer Zeronix that I modified into something feasible for It seems arrogant and mean, but my dedication is changing to the author that made this fic-esque thing into what it is. RedCrow1120 has been harassing me to update this story, supported me in every possible way and has currently become one of my most favourite reviewers and writers from this site. Without you, this story would be just another block of text. Thank you.
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I could never love...could never feel before you brought our hearts together. But now that our lives finally attain the chance at happiness, a wall is fiercely erected between us. I watch tearfully as we start drifting back to our previous oblivions. Is this truly our fate?
I've been having these weird thoughts…
"Ahhh, I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day." Misty expressed gleefully as she spun joyously upon the goldening sand of the wondrous island; the mid-afternoon sun was beginning to take its leave. She could hear everyone laugh with playful exasperation at her action, mostly because it was really out-of-character for her.
"It's just like every other day on this sandy chunk of land, Misty. You should know that by now." In mid-spin, she could see her silver-topped friend give her an impossible expression, which of course was fancy for "smirk", whilst he shook his head lightheartedly, his metallic mop swaying with the gentle motions. There was a huge grin upon the amused face of the toffee-covered best friend and former hero, and a jovial giggle from his maroon haired girlfriend. Not that these reactions are out of character for them, however, each having their own discernable characteristic qualities.
"You are no fun. Even after everything that's happened, you're still a hopeless killjoy, Riku." She drew to a stop and folded her arms across her chest sulkily. Her deep ocean hues flash "sorrowfully" while her bottom lip extended outwards slightly. She watched her red and black bangs float down in front of her eyes, as they always loved doing. And there you had it; the classic "hurt" routine.
'I'm finally acting human and they laugh at me...jerks...'
--I'm sure the events of Kingdom Hearts are no mystery to any of you, being that it did threaten the universe, as we know it. I won't bore you with the details, but after a long and taxing journey, Sora and his friends were finally able to seal Ansem and his Heartless plot away, hopefully for good. Upon locking those gigantic and intimidating white doors, the two groups, Sora's and King Mickey's, gave their final goodbyes as the worlds once again separated, each returning to their own. Well...except for me...--
"I hardly call the past events reason to not be a killjoy. And a hopeless one at that." She could tell immediately by his eyes, his tell-all, yet enigmatic aquamarines, that he regretted his blunt statement in a bad way. Sora looks at Riku with a stunned expression on his chiseled angelic face while Kairi's petite hand comes up and connects with her sun-kissed forehead. Her face shifted into an actual hurt expression, her lips separating slightly in a small form of shock. He couldn't see her eyes now, but she knew he could feel them, their shaky and insulted glow being able to pierce any barrier.
"O-Oh, right. How could I forget? Thanks for clarifying the situation for me, Riku." Her hands fell to her sides, totally hurt, along with her pride. 'I can't believe he would say something like that. I mean, I know what he "means", but still...' Her shoulders automatically slumped a little, dragging her heart with it. Her face followed suit and angled towards the sand that she had just been dancing happily on, casting her injured visage into a shadowy one. She knew she was over-reacting, but...
--For those who knew Sora, Riku and Kairi before this journey began, know that there was nobody with my name filtered in there. I had been taken back to the darkness from the island one year prior to Destiny Island's disappearance. I had landed on the island a year before that, pulled there by some unknown force. Long story short, I became really close to the island trio, but especially...Riku. But I was part of the "Dark Key" needed to re-open the door to the darkness, hence why I was found and returned there. In their mission to close the Kingdom Hearts again, Sora, Kairi and Riku revived my lost memories and saved me from an oblivion fate. But it was a very draining and harsh job, something I still felt guilty for...--
She could hear him walk up towards her, but her head defiantly moved to the side, trying to deny his presence. Never one to be ignored, or beaten, for that matter, Riku reached over and gently took her chin into his black-gloved hand. His digits tightened when she started to fight back, so she hesitantly surrendered to his will. He always knew how to tilt her head just right, so that her bangs could no longer hide her now freely emotioned eyes from him. Totally exposed, she didn't bother trying to avoid his apologetic gaze.
"I didn't mean it like that and you know it, Misty." Her shaking eyes shifted towards the sparkling water, his sincerity striking her deeply. A soft breeze randomly brushed through the two, the steady air sending a ripple not just through her dual-coloured hair, but the shifting sea as well. She wiggled free from his insistent grasp and answered solemnly, keeping her eyes to the stunning ocean,
"Yeah...I know..."
--It was so strange having emotions again; your heart shifts and twists so much sometimes, that you become surprised that it isn't a deformed blob. For a while, I wondered why people even wanted emotions; often times, all they did was cause pain. But I had thought the same thing about friendships too, and look where I am now. It takes a long time, but the wonders of friendship really do stifle the harmful moments.--
"C'mon Misty, don't let Riku's mindless mouth ruin the whole day." Her lips indignantly pulled into a smile at Sora's well-placed comment. The irony was killing; usually, no, practically always, that sentence would apply to the 'fluff-for-brains' Keyblade wielder. However, his lack of most intelligence was easily forgotten because of his sweet disposition and kind heart. Her eyes shifted as they noticed Riku's sudden move to turn, his lips posed for a return strike. But once he noticed Kairi's inquiring glare, he stopped completely. The fact that her glare was called for makes the seventh princess of heart's victory that much more potent. Biting back a smirk at Riku's silent and abrupt defeat, she responded to Sora's statement, her eyes locating his dazzling azures,
"Don't worry. I won't. Nostalgia reigns over Riku any day." He re-turned to her and they both clashed in the battle of smirks. They would always stalemate to no end for the longest time; that is, of course, until Riku resorted to cheating. Purposely calling his dream-aqua to glimmer in the island's beautiful setting light, he let his lips slowly mouth the three words that she had always thought would never apply to her 'darkness-embossed life'. Totally losing her stone composure, her smirk dissolved into a blush-driven smile and she decked the well-built bicep of his right arm. Doing so got her caught in a hug and then, turned into a pole to lean on. The tension gone, Kairi suggested that they head over to the new complex that had recently opened to celebrate the vanquishing of the Heartless. Misty gazed longingly at the preparing sun for its night travel, something she had always loved, and a once forgotten warmth filled her chest.
"Sure. What harm could that do?"
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Needless to say, the evening was one of the most enjoyable that they ever had together. It had been a week since they were finally reunited on the beautiful Island of Destiny, but tonight just held the joy of the past few days within it. Despite herself, she had really missed them and this place. And now, Misty couldn't imagine a more perfect life...
"Well, now that we've completely drained the place of things to do, what say we head out for a while before packing it in?" Sora suggested as nonchalantly as he could muster, after losing to Riku for the tenth time at the new "Dance Dance Revolution" game that had been the main attraction of the complex. A small snicker escaped Misty's throat at Sora's "attempt" at being a gracious winner. Kairi threw her a smirk, also noticing Sora's frustration eating away at his pride.
"All right, Sora. Where would you suggest we go?" Everyone could tell that he was in no way prepared to answer that, especially since his suggestion was slightly pride-driven. Thoroughly thrown, Sora shrugged and mumbled out an answer,
"I dunno...A walk...?" Figuring she had tortured Sora long enough, Kairi nodded, walked over and linked arms with her 'connected-at-the-heart' boy. Riku had subtly shifted beside Misty, who only noticed as his arm lightly slipped around her shoulders.
"I'm not quite ready for the walk idea yet." Riku stated lightly as he flashed a victorious smirk at Sora. Misty elbowed him in the ribs and complied. The other two smiled, spun and sauntered out, arms connected like their hearts, into the usual warm night. A grin pulled at Misty's lips also as her companions of Light disappeared into the crowd. Not a second later, she stumbled off balance into her silver paladin, his strong arm being the culprit for the sudden klutz attack. She looked over at him indignantly, her viridian eyes playfully challenging his; the two shades of blue-green intermixing in a heartfelt manner. He broke the link as his face moved close to hers. His soft, smirking lips lightly brushed her cheek and drifted smoothly over to her ear, his perfect nose pushing aside her obstructing hair.
"Now, I have you all to myself..." Her eyes shifted upwards as her head shook in small swings, though a flushing smile still tugged at her mouth. Misty's elbow contacted his ribs again, more lovingly this time. He laughed with impish irritation at his "failed" flirt attempt and backed away. Smirking gloriously, she rotated to face the Silver Angel that held her heart. Their eyes met again and a stomach-fluttering wave of recognition passed between them. With a mind of its own, her hand drifted up to her chest and clutched the ocean stone pendant that hovered close to her heart, her eyes never straying from his.
--Encased in a unique sandstone formation, the gleaming aqua orb never ceased to catch and reflect the sun's rays or any other form of light for that matter. It held the colour of Riku's eyes, which only heightened my love for it. He gave me this pendant days before I was recaptured by the darkness and even through the darkest days of adversity, I could never part with this stone. It kept my heart, my memories, and my love for my silver paladin alive. And now as I gaze into his captivating gemstone hues, I feel the rest of the world fade and my mind drift back to the moment where I stepped forward to realize my one true wish; to be with him forever...--
"Hey, you're the two who've captured the title for this game, right? Care to delve into some team competition?" Clearly jumping, her eyes struggled to exit her possessing dream world and re-focus on where that challenge came from. Breaking her longing gaze with Riku, Misty noticed one of the other teens of the island standing behind him with a confident look on his face. Fighting back the speckling blush at being caught so off-guard, she shot him an intimidating glare of acceptance. Riku caught her eyes and nodded, eager to compete some more as well.
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"Poor fools. Didn't know what they were up against." A victorious laugh escapes the mouth of the silver escort, his imaginary ego ballooning exponentially. His partner couldn't help but snicker at his exuberance over such an easy win. Or rather: 7 wins...
"Gee, modesty not come with the package. I should demand a refund." She yelped a little as his hand squeezed my shoulder tightly, his draped arm purposely growing heavier on her shoulders. Deciding to use Sora's earlier idea, the two had left the complex after the massacre of a competition for a walk along the beach. Though Misty loved the sunset and sunrise the most, the night always held a calming and loving aura to her; she didn't know why, but the thought never bothered her. The ocean sparkled that much more with the millions of stars that float in the ebony sky and the moon constantly shed its bewitching light over the dream-like island. And she knew it couldn't be more perfect when shared with someone she deeply cared for.
"Now who's being the killjoy?" She nudged him with her arm, but move closer this time. Though the day had been phenomenal and the evening events were definitely what Misty wanted to call memorable, she found herself looking forward to just being with Riku. She had been staying at his house since they returned, and she treasured the moments. A separate room was set up, but she always ended up falling asleep in his arms. It would start as some simple thing, like just getting busy talking, and suddenly, she would be leaning against his chest, his chin would position on top of her head, and they would submit and drift into a peaceful slumber. She remembered the first time that happened, before Kingdom Hearts awakened. They had opened our hearts to each other then, not realizing that it was almost foreshadowing the future. Sometimes, she doesn't believe she will sleep at all if she can't hear the steady pulse of his heart beside her.
"Why, your overactive ego, of course. Whom else could it be?" A shocked gasp jumped from his throat and he leaned into her, causing the girl to fall off-balance again. Though tempted to play-fight with him in the sand, which was just another favourite pastime, she used whatever she could to keep herself upright. Their counterforces however, nearly caused them both to tumble anyway. Though they didn't actually fall, they burst out laughing. Why? Neither one knew? Their quota was surely not met over the last few years, so they figured they deserved to laugh, even for no reason.
But it wasn't to last...
"Hey. What happened to your boyfriend? Wasn't he here earlier?" Misty's expression of joy came to a quick halt at the sound of such a false and invading question. Riku stopped like someone had hit him in the throat, though not that Misty could blame him; both shifted to face the persecutor of such a perplexing question.
"Excuse me?" Misty knew Riku had wanted to say something, but she quickly beat him to it. The questioner turned out to be just some merchant that the two assumed they must have passed earlier that evening. But still, his inquiry and assumptions were just the indignant things that could place major tension in the air.
"Oh, that spiky, coffee haired kid with that Crown necklace. Ain't he your boyfriend?" Misty stared at this man with stunned and confused eyes. Sora?
'What in the world would make him think that Sora was my boyfriend? Hello, the kid is practically attached to Kairi, like she is to him. So then, why...'
"No. What gave you that idea?" Misty's tone exited her lips a little frostier than she had intended, causing the man to shrink back as though she had threatened to slap him. She could see a dark flicker in Riku's eyes; she assumed it was likely jealously. She cared about Riku very deeply, but he wasn't without his slight flaws.
"Oh, I'm very sorry. I never meant no harm. It's what I thought was...oh, dear, I'm sorry. Now I've ruined your good mood." Misty bit her lip a little, regretting the harsh tone a bit. The man's words were practically dripping of sincerity and he did look embarrassed for suddenly bursting such a query when she stared at him again. She quickly offered him a small apology and a "Don't worry. Honest mistake" notion, before turning to leave with Riku, the boy she was actually with.
"A-Ah, wa-wait a minute! Let me make it up to you." Neither of them really felt like talking with this guy much longer. Despite the unintended action of his question, Misty still felt rather uncomfortable and was growing uneasy about Riku. But they hadn't exactly gone anywhere, so the man just shifted in front of them. His hand waved over to a machine that he had been pulling along the designated path for wheeled devices, and he started to explain.
"This here gives an accurate read-out of your soul mate when you press your hand on the pad. Why don't you give it a try? Free of charge because of my earlier arrogance." Misty just stared at the machine with mock fascination. It was one of the only ones she'd ever seen, but she knew exactly how they worked.
'All they do is go by temperature, moisture, etc on the hand to give a prediction that a programmed machine makes up as it goes. Besides, I don't need some stupid machine to tell me that I belong with Riku.'
"Why not try?" Riku whispered teasingly into Misty's ear, his head on her shoulders and his arms wrapping around her abdomen. "Just to prove to this guy that he's really out of his skull." Her hand came up and she placed her forefinger in the middle of his forehead and pushed him off her shoulders, his arms releasing as quickly as they had fastened. Smirking, she removed the black cut-off glove on her right hand and wipe whatever moisture was on it onto her black and silver shorts.
"And what makes you think I'm not aiming for Sora to be my result?" Misty could practically feel him tense, though he wasn't even making contact any more. Her gaze tilted backwards and becomes halted by the glower of her silver guardian. Shaking her head, she walked forward to this guy's weird machine. "Riku, lighten up, will you...I was kidding. You know you're the only one meant for me." Turning her head to look at him again, she could see prideful relief and affection seep back into his expression, which pulled her lips into a confident, solemn smile. Stretching her hand out, she gingerly placed it upon the indicated area of the bizarre machine. It quickly sprang to life, lights flashing like crazy. An alchemistic pulse emitted through the machine and entered her hand, causing her entire body to flinch. It almost seemed creepy...
Instantly, a white piece of paper floated out from a slot on the top and Riku snatched it before Misty could get the chance. Replacing her glove, her viridian spheres watched him closely, a slight uneasy feeling pooling in her stomach. Her teeth sank into her lip as Riku's fingers tightened slightly around the page, his entire body going rigid. She whispered his name quietly, the unsettling flutter in her stomach getting much worse.
"Just kidding, huh? Guess your heart speaks for itself..." Before Misty could even grasp time to consider reacting, he hurled the white slip to the ground and ran angrily off across the beach, the sand flying heatedly up around him as he quickly faded into the night. Tears of confusion burning beneath her eyes, Misty bent down and gently scooped up the crumpled piece of paper that now lay darkly upon the cool sand of the beach. Her hand began to tremble as she brought the results to her vision range, almost afraid to know what lay printed there. A noise darted through her entity and she whipped around to watch with shimmering eyes as the merchant casually continued on his way, like nothing had occurred. Unconcerned about him anymore, despite the damage he'd just caused, she focused her attention on only one thing. She shifted her trembling orbs downward to the page and not seconds later, the building tears flee from beneath her stained ocean eyes.
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Slowly losing focus on her surroundings and not having the energy or the initiative to keep herself going, Misty came to a steady stop in the steely grey grains beneath her feet. Her head didn't shift from its position, her chin remaining against her chest and her hurt orbs refusing to stray from the sight of the ground. Turning her body to face the ocean, Misty slumped down into the sand and fought to not become a pathetic mass of tears.
'I really was just kidding, Riku. If I had known that my results would be so insane, I wouldn't have even considered touching that stupid thing.' Finding no reassurance in her own words, she blankly shifted so that her knees pressed against her chest while her arms held them tightly. Her eyes finally moved and gazed out across the ocean. The water was seemingly more beautiful than ever before, the moon's light gaily dancing amongst every ripple and the stars giving it a sparkle that the pained girl forgot existed. But despite its beauty, to her, it also seemed to yield a disdainful aura, likely brought on by her own will. But it was there just the same.
'This is so stupid. For one thing, it's a random machine that's not meant to be accurate; it's supposed to be amusing.' A pained "hah" burst from her chest, racking her entire body with a shudder. This was far from amusing to the abandoned girl. 'Sora's a great guy, but he has Kairi and I care about you Riku. It's always been like this, so why the sudden doubt?' She could feel more tears wishing to free themselves, but she held them back, causing the enigmatic sea to become blurry, only heightening the saddening air it was giving off. Wanting to block the visual, Misty closed her stinging deep ocean eyes and began to drift around the darkness beneath her lids. Trying to locate an answer to such utter and sudden confusion proves useless; her chest heaved out an exasperated sigh at the realization.
'This isn't the perfect ending to such a great day that I had in mind.' Her thoughts were severely cruel, offering no solace in sight, and she slowly became in an even worse frame of mind than before. Her eyes re-opened to the shifting sea, but she soon wished she had reconsidered that. Misty watched brokenly as the dancing light also produced daunting shadows that fluttered mockingly in front of her, their hateful movements enhancing the pain of the situation.
Sure…... What harm could that do……?Giving up, Misty's hands soon released her elbows and she fell back into the soft, cold sand that lay all around her heartbroken entity. Her eyes now blankly faced the twinkling star-filled sky and she felt a harsh sob dig at her heart from deep within. Everything she saw rooted back to what had happened between all of them, the memories lying wherever she dared glance. Her entire expression became like her eyes, blank as a stone tablet. How she wished just to be right beside Riku right now. Misty had never been a very dependant person, but she so deeply longed to be in his arms right then, like it was the only thing that could complete her.
Closing her eyes to block more impending tears at such a wishful thought; Misty began to drift again, trying to make sense of such a trivial matter.
The ground almost seemed to disappear from under her, as though materializing into some bizarre mist. No longer supported, Misty began to fall through a strange state of unconsciousness, not really sure what was happening to her or where she was.
After a while, her body began to slow down in its descent. Soon, Misty could sense herself turning upright and slowly felt her feet touch something solid, coming to a landing. Her legs bent slightly to secure her footing. Uttering a small moan, gradually regaining a bizarre consciousness, Misty opened her eyes again.
And she saw...
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Absolutely nothing. It's dark all around, as though she were in some strange void. But it wasn't intimating at all. Just empty. It was almost like she was in a dream. She was awake, yet she felt asleep; like some solemn trance. She had been in the darkness before, but it never felt like this…just a mindless void.
Misty blankly looked around this strange place, feeling strangely calm. Oddly, she wasn't scared or even nervous. However, she quickly noticed something peculiar.
'If there's no light in here, why can I see my hand and the rest of me? This makes no sense…where am I?'
Then gradually, Misty began to hear a strange pulse. She closed her eyes and listen harder, putting her focus on this new, yet familiar sound.
'It seems steady enough, but what could it be? What do I know that sounds like this, like a pulse…?'
'No, wait... It sounds more like a beat...'
Misty's eyes opened little by little and she took a deep breath, causing the beat sound to alter slightly. The words quietly slipping off her lips, Misty silently wondered, "Is it possible?"
Her hand came up and flattened against her precious ocean-stone pendant, which was resting on the middle of her sternum. "Am I... inside… of my own heart?" Realizing the ridicule of this assumption, Misty shook her head furiously, her hair flying wildly. "No, that's impossible...How in the heck can I be there?" But the steady beat continued around her, mocking her denial. The rhythm was frighteningly calm, like it was at peace. However, it had increased a little when she had become slightly concerned with her situation, only furthering her confusion. 'How can my surroundings be reacting to me?'
Misty sighed with frustration and began to chew her lower lip. "This is completely insane, but it doesn't look like I have the 'what's behind the other door' option, so I guess I'm stuck in this disturbing place." Hesitating a little, she took a couple of steps through the oblivion-like environment. Nothing changed; nothing moved, just the same, bleak dark all around. She didn't even know what she was standing on…
'There's nothing here, except me…'
Growling a little, Misty walked through the never-ending nothingness. "If this is someone's idea of a joke, there'll be hell to pay." She discouragingly crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips together heatedly. She began to stomp, but instantly stopped when she received a sharp pain between her ribs. This only furthered her frustration though; it almost felt like this darkness was playing games with her.
Continuing on in slight annoyance, Misty came to a sudden stop as she heard what sounded like whispering. It wrapped around her like some creepy fog; surrounding…binding. It weaved around her body, my arms, through her hair, yet avoiding her ears. But it didn't makes sense,
'How can there be whispering if I'm in...'
Taking a deep breath and ignoring the sudden change in beat rhythm around her, Misty closed her eyes again; struggling to hear what was being said. It was so quiet, yet insistent. That weird pulse all around the unsettled girl began to fade away, almost like it was being masked. She swallowed deeply to keep calm; the reality that "her heartbeat", if that's what it could be called, was disappearing… No! Focus. Taking another deep breath, the struggling girl put her concentration on deciphering those words. It was so low; I could barely make out what this voice was saying. It almost could be compared to the Nosgûl from "The Lord of The Rings", chilling, yet incomprehensible. But what she did eventually make out, strikes fear deep within her terrified chest.
...It...is...time...
"Time?"
...The...day...is...near...
"The day…? Near?"
...Your...decision...
"M-My decision...?"
...will...make...or...break...
"What? Make or break what?"
...It...is...fate...destiny...Cannot...escape…
"F-Fate? Ca-Cannot escape…What the heck are you talking about!"
...It...is...time...your...decision...
And then, the voice faded away, leaving a terrifying sense of dread in its sudden absence. So many questions, too few answers…
Gasping, Misty's dilated viridian eyes snapped open to the dark void that still surrounded her; nothing had changed except for the foreboding fear that now lingered in the dead air. Losing control of her vocal chords, she shouted desperately into the emptiness. "No, wait a sec! What are you talking about? I don't understand!" But she received only empty echoes. The steady pulse she heard before became slightly louder, hurtfully mimicking the pounding in her chest.
Biting her lip, Misty struggled to calm down, though her shoulders continued to shake slightly. She had been a malevolent victim and user of the darkness her entire life; fear was not an accepted thing in her life. And yet, she stood in this void, something that should have felt achingly familiar, terrified…almost close to tears. Something deep within her was growing painfully uncomfortable; like the feeling someone suffers when a teacher singles her out. That voice still lingered around her, like cruel mocking laughter, but she shook her head a little in a weak attempt to block it out. "Okay, let's think about this rationally...Ha! Yeah, right."
'Okay, so rational isn't exactly my strong suit, especially when I'm in a dark abyss that's masquerading as my heart. But what else am I supposed to do?' Rubbing her temples a little, Misty fought to figure out exactly what was going on. 'All right, I'm trapped in the rather dark chasm called my heart, whilst strange voices coerce me with a message of judgment day. Man, I can't even begin to describe how screwed up that sounds.' Just as she was coming to the conclusion that this entire thing was beginning to seem slightly intimidating, a rather direct voice spoke awakened from behind her. The baritones in that voice sent absolute chills throughout her paralyzed body.
"The door has opened…"Misty shuddered violently before rapidly whipping around, nearly stumbling onto whatever force her feet were standing upon. She recognized not only the voice, but the icy words as well. The sight caused her heart to stop cold; she also noticed that haunting silence suddenly possess from the background too. Her shaking vision took in the image of a daunting figure whom she assumed had to be Riku; shoulder-length silver hair, and the same clothes he'd always worn on Destiny Islands. His back was turned to her though, so she couldn't really be sure. Forcefully coercing herself to speak, Misty's voice whispered his name nervously, an obvious waver floating through it.
"Won't change a thing………Finally free………But it all ends here……… Forgetting about me…………The door has opened……………"
'This is crazy! He's spoken these words before…so what are they supposed to mean now…?' Growing rather frightened, she again forced herself to speak to this unknown Riku-ish character, "Ri-Riku...what are you talking about?" She watched in desperate wonder as he slowly moved to turn around, but as he did, he disappeared before she could identify his face. "No wait! Don't go!" She ran forward to where he had been standing, but it did little good. He had disappeared entirely, leaving no identifiable trace.
Again trying to regain her composure, the faltering girl took a deep, but now, shuddering breath. She tried fruitlessly to figure out what was going on. 'Okay……A hidden face Riku just confronted me in "my heart", speaking some creepy message with his own words. So that tells me…… absolutely nothing!' Her useless and reaching irrational thoughts didn't last long as the same voice, only much more soul-freezing and hollow than before, filtered through the milieu from behind. The words were different now, but the symbolism was freakishly similar. Fear struck deep, as she recognized those words.
"Ironic...just another puppet...failed to notice...fitting end...such a fool…"Without thinking, she spun around wildly. A shockingly stupid decision on the tormented child's part as she was confronted by her worst nightmare, though only his back. But the outfit alone was enough to bring terrified tears to her eyes; the blood crimson and vein blue shaped like some twisted muscle tissue that had been ripped from an innocent's chest. The torn cloth hung limply at his waist, but it was swaying to the ripple of some hidden wind. Misty flinched as she noticed the evil red and black weapon clutched in his sadistic palm. "I-It can't be..."
Her terror seemed to entertain him; a foreign treat since she rarely showed it, and therefore it was raw and unfettered. He tilted his head back and a laugh that had the chilling potential to scare an emotionless Heartless flew gloriously from his lips, much like the insane Sephiroth after an evil scheme had been committed perfectly. Misty bit her lip fiercely to keep from screaming as the laugh grew in intensity. Then on a split second, he stopped, as though someone had slit his vocal cords. Uttering a "hah", which she guessed indicated a pleased smirk was spread across his insidious lips, he muttered in a sickeningly amused tone.
"The path has emerged... tied to the darkness...you understand so little..."
'Why is he repeating what he once said before…? What connection could those words have to do with me…?' Misty readied her lips and vocals to ask him these questions, but she just couldn't get the words to form when they tried to get out of her mouth. Misty's breathing froze as he, like his former, went to turn, but again, her "messenger" disappeared into the dark before a face could be determined.
Struggling to stay composed proved useless as yet another voice appeared from beyond the anguished girl's sight. This one easily took her heart to be the most frightening of them all. His words remained attached to Misty like some insistent burr. They buried deep within her soul and remained to constantly echo and reverberate, as time seemed to slow.
"A fragmented tale...A memory beyond.…………"Turning like she were in some binding fog, each movement a fight in its own, Misty came to see the trenchcoat unknown; a black bandanna around his flowing platinum head, though he was not facing her either. His hair and clothes flowed also, though there was still no trace of any wind… But something looked off to her. Everything was weighed down; almost like it was wet….
"…………Something so simple.…………."
His voice was so cold and merciless, icicles practically dangling from his arrogant words. Since he hadn't disappeared yet, Misty took advantage of his enigmatic statement and yelled angrily his black-coated back. "This is far from simple! Tell me what the heck's going on!" Worry was not hidden from her cry, neither was the pure fear that was slowly taking hold of her body. It hurt…it hurt to feel something so deep and possessing.
But just like the others, he just turned and disappeared. But before he did, his blindfold, through some ominous force, untied itself and gently flew to her. It settled gingerly into her hands as his face faded into the dark. She had guessed right; the fabric is wet, but that only heightened her fear. To be able to feel something so real and solid…within her own heart… Despite herself, she was falling apart.
He didn't go far though; not seconds after his body faded, she felt his chilled entity appear right behind her. His chin came down and rested on her left shoulder, his wet skin sending chills down her back. His hands grabbed her upper arms to hold her still, assuring that she wouldn't turn towards him again. His gloved fingers dug into her flesh, the soaked fabric clutching at her shivering skin. His dripping hair slid over her neck and clung to her like it had been statically charged. Misty's entire body was shuddering from this damp paralysis that this unknown was slowly filling her with. His chin turned slightly, so that his lips were next to her ear. He whispered quietly, his icy breath sending more shivers throughout the frightened girl. His voice was velvety and soft, but deceiving and rather terrifying, like a deadly rose that killed on contact.
"A world without you……utter silence……The eyes will close……silence…"Her trembling no longer a secret, Misty desperately begged that he let her go. Tears broke loose onto her paled cheeks and she began to sob softly. Only then did he release her, disappearing entirely. His entire aura had wrapped a dark hand around her heart. She felt her soul begin to tear and become unwound…so many years of trial…and all it took her some words to break her. She wanted to leave…wanted someone…anyone…
Her breathing becoming rapid, she fought hopelessly to contain her tears. They were burning upon her skin…
…It hurt to feel something so deep and possessing…
The bizarre blindfold clenched between her fingers, Misty began to run through the endless dark, not caring where she ended up. She just wanted to be free from this place… On a strange whim, she looked up after about a minute, and came to a dead stop. Another figure stood in front of her, but she couldn't tell whom it was. The figure was completely in shadow, like a mutated Anti-Sora Heartless. Its arms were at its sides and she stared blankly at it, totally frozen by the sight. It slowly turned, but not on its own, more like it were on a turntable. Its stance, form, appearance, all remind the pained girl of Riku, but since it was just a shadow in the darkness, I couldn't draw any sure conclusions…
…Though at this stage, she wasn't in favour of the rationality of uncertainty…
Tears still burning her cheeks, she could hear it utter something heart shattering, as it finally faced her.
"I am now---blind."
The areas where its eyes were likely meant to exist opened immediately and Misty was faced with two glowing yellow orbs, like the eyes of a Shadow Heartless. Completely shocked, her eyes froze and her entire being became paralyzed once again. Lost in a frozen state, stricken by what she had faced, the broken girl began to fall again…
----------------------
After what seemed like an eternity, Misty's eyes slowly and calmly opened. She was back on the island from where she began. She was still upon the sand, facing the starlit sky. Still trying to register what had just happened, she didn't hear someone walk up from behind her. Riku's confused face hovers over hers, a smirk of mild contempt spreading over his lips. "Gee, are you quite comfortable?" Using whatever strength she had to not scream upon seeing him, Misty whispered quietly, inwardly taking note of the annoyance still in his voice.
"Y-Yeah, I'm great. Nothing beats the cool sand at night..." He glared at her with obvious irritation and muttered,
"Good, cause you'll probably be sleeping there tonight or at least anywhere without me." He started to leave, but then swiftly turned and bent down, holding his face inches from hers. "Are you okay? You look upset or tortured is more like it." Finding a hidden solace in his stunning aquamarine orbs, Misty simply answered softly.
"N-No, I'm fine. Just tired…I'll just lie here a bit longer before I head back, okay?" He looked at her strangely and uttered an unsure "Okay. The door will be unlocked..." before standing up and leaving. As she sat up, Misty took notice that her temples were really wet, which worried her greatly.
'Did I really react that emotionally to that haunting nightmare?'
As Misty slowly pulled herself up, she felt a small lump in her pocket. She knew it wasn't there before… She reached in slowly, her heart pounding in her ears, and pulled out a black bandanna. She lost all concept of time, as paralysis possessed her vulnerable form. In all those violent years of her past…she had never felt more alone than she did then.