Disclaimer: See other disclaimers for details. Please do not consume.
Sorry I haven't updated like, since the plague or something. I was doing some other crap for the story and yeah. I'll try to update faster now.
I will try to get some sketches up at some point. As soon as I do, I'll let you guys know. Please keep reviewing! I love your reviews, they're so cute (unless you didn't want them to be)!
Don't be afraid to give me some suggestions on plot development, as well. I think you'd be surprised how much of the story has already been formed based on reviews. I hope this chapter doesn't seem too confusing…
~~~~~
Ansem cried out in pain, feeling his connection to Kairi break as he hit the cold floor. Growling angrily, he struggled to his feet and turned to face his attacker. His shadow replica grinned back at him, holding up its spear to examine the dark blood dripping down the tip. Hesitating in mild surprise, Ansem moved forward, his own black spear materializing.
"Not so fast, Ansem. You're not in control around here anymore, and Lord Sephiroth doesn't appreciate you helping out his enemies." The Heartless said sweetly, waggling a finger at him haughtily.
"His enemies? You mean I'm not?" Ansem spat darkly at the Heartless, fighting the urge to leap at it.
It laughed, an empty sound echoing around the Dark Depths. "No, you can still join us, it's not too late."
Its words caught Ansem by surprise. If they thought he was 'worthy' of joining them, then he must have something that they wanted. Obviously, he wasn't as useless as he had thought he was.
Forcing his body to relax, he stared across at the Heartless. "And just what would I gain from helping Sephiroth?" Other than the Masamune through my back, he added silently, watching the replica distastefully.
It almost laughed, grin widening as it stared back at him. "Once the worlds have been consumed by darkness, you will be second only to Lord Sephiroth. Control over the Heartless will be returned to you, and you will have the pleasure of destroying the Keyblade Master and the lesser keyblades yourself." it said rather smugly.
Ansem could have laughed. "Well you can tell your master to go screw himself. I know better than to trust him. I will not reduce myself to doing his dirty work. Especially not when it involves the keyblades. You think I don't know what will happen if he goes through with this ridiculous war?" Ansem scoffed, shifting sideways as a small soldier Heartless scurried past his boots.
Slowly, the haughty grin faded from the replica's features, leaving a dark scowl behind. "Very well, Lord Sephiroth will have no trouble carrying out his plan without you." It turned to leave when Ansem stopped it.
"Where is Sephiroth? What are you planning to accomplish by destroying the keyblades?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
The Heartless slowly turned back to face him, "My Master regrets being unable to speak with you in person, but he is currently preoccupied on.. The Destiny Islands, I believe they are called?" It grinned evilly.
Ansem's eyes widened in horror, and with a shout, he lunged almost desperately past the Heartless, heading for the portal back to Hollow Bastion.
The replica's boot caught him swiftly in the ribs, sending him to his knees as he gasped. He quickly pulled himself back up, attempting to dodge past the Heartless as it blocked his path.
"What are you so worried about? Are you that anxious to get rid of the keyblades yourself? Still holding a grudge after all this time?" It laughed, blocking the spear he swung at it as it watched him with curiosity.
"Get the fuck out of my way before I make you move!" He growled, grabbing the replica's spear as it was thrust at his face and twisting it out of its grasp. The spear immediately vanished, reappearing a moment later back in the replica's hand.
"Temper, temper. What's the rush? Want to get a piece of that Kairi girl before Lord Sephiroth is done with her?" It laughed, abruptly cut off as Ansem's fist slammed into the side of its face.
It stumbled backward, rolling to the side and shaking its head in an attempt to regain its composure. Yelping slightly in surprise, it brought up its spear, blocking the blow aimed for its forehead. Its foot shot out in reflex, slamming heavily into Ansem's stomach.
Coughing, he moved quickly toward the door, remembering the task at hand. The Heartless dodged in front of him, blocking his path as he skidded to a stop.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to go through me if you want to get out of here. Not that you would even get there in time if you ever did." It grinned evilly, taking up a battles stance and brandishing its spear dangerously.
~*~
"Hurry up! Come on! Don't worry, my parents aren't even home." Selphie laughed happily, pushing Tidus through her front door and waving to Riku and Kairi.
Riku quickly followed Selphie upstairs as she led him into her bedroom. He set the girl gently down on the bed and the brunette quickly ushered him back out. "Go play blitzball with Tidus or something." She said, tugging Kairi forcefully into the room and clicking on the light.
He gave her a strange look, "Blitzball? In the middle of the night?" he exchanged glances with Tidus.
Kairi growled, "Just, go watch TV then." Closing the door behind them and turning back to the unconscious heap on the bed.
Leaning over the dark-haired girl, she sighed. "How does she look to you?" Selphie shrugged, feeling the girl's forehead.
"She has a fever.. I'll get some water." She disappeared out the door. Kairi swiftly unzipped Riku's cloak and discarded it on the floor, pulling the blankets up around her instead and brushing the long black hair out of her face.
Selphie slipped quietly back into the room, holding a glass of water and a wet towel. Placing the towel on the girl's head, she gently gripped her jaw. Selphie gently held the girl's mouth open as Kairi dripped some water down her lips. She stirred slowly, chest heaving as she coughed. Groaning in pain, she rolled over and held the pillow next to her tightly.
Kairi rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder, gazing worriedly up at Selphie. "I'm going to run home and get her some proper clothes." She said, turning after the brunette nodded her understanding.
Closing the door softly behind her, she made her way down the stairs. "Riku, come with me." She said absently, not bothering to look at the silver-haired boy as he pulled himself off of the couch.
Tidus stopped them as they opened the front door. "Hey, be careful. I have a bad feeling about this.." Riku nodded, Metal Chocobo appearing in his hand as he closed the door.
~*~
"So, where are we going?" Riku asked, watching as Kairi stared worriedly ahead.
She glanced over at him, almost appearing to be surprised he was there. "Oh, uh, to my house. That girl, she needs some clothes.." She trailed off, thoughts drifting back to the girl. She was simply the human form of the replica that had followed her around in Hollow Bastion. It felt so odd to Kairi to look at her and see her human face instead of the blank shadow…
"Hey, is that girl alright? Who is she?" Riku's voice jolted her out of her thoughts. He looked down at her with a mixture of concern and curiosity.
"I-I don't know her name, but I suppose in a way I do know her.. She should be fine, just tired, maybe a little overworked from being restored.. She has a fever, but it doesn't seem too serious." Kairi stared ahead as her house came into view.
Silently, she pushed open the front door, surprised to find that her parents weren't awake after the horrendous racket she had made earlier. Walking up the stairs, she entered her slightly thrashed room. Riku stepped in behind her, patting her on the back reassuringly.
"I think it's about time you cleaned your room, Kairi. I mean, Sora's place is cleaner than this.." He gave her a serious look before she shoved him playfully.
Leaning down, she picked her backpack up from the floor. Hastily throwing open her dresser, she began shoving whatever article of clothing she thought they could use in the bag. Picking up a pair of black boots, she shrugged, quickly stuffing them in the bag, too. When she finished, she turned back to Riku. He was standing beside her bed, holding a thick book in his hands.
"Ansem gave you this?" He asked quietly, holding the book up so she could read the title on the page he was reading. Romeo and Juliet. He lowered the book and began examining the picture that had been shoved between the pages.
Kairi choked back a gasp and blushed, snatching the rather worn book away from him. "So? What if he did?" She shoved the book unceremoniously into the bag and turned to face the door.
Riku came up behind her, gripping her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I was just rather surprised." he whispered.
She turned slowly to face him, "Surprised? Why?" She asked quietly, clutching the bag nervously.
Riku seemed slightly unsure. "Well, when he had control of me, sometimes when he wasn't doing anything else, he would pull out that book and just read it. He read the whole thing, but I think Romeo and Juliet was his favorite. He drew that picture when he thought I was asleep.. I get the feeling he's been through more than he lets on.." He paused, watching Kairi glance down and gently hug the bag.
"I'm not sure if you realize how much it really means to him…" He said, looking down at her calmly. He smiled before walking past her out the door. "Come on, we should get back as soon as we can." He said, walking down the stairs.
Kairi loosened her grip on the bag, looking down at it almost guiltily. Hugging it again, she dashed down the stairs after Riku.
~*~
"Kairi! Hurry, I think Selphie could really use some help!" Tidus whimpered, nursing the side of his face as Riku and Kairi walked through the door.
"What happened to you?" Riku snorted, poking the side of Tidus' face as he scowled up at the older boy.
"That-! that-!!" He growled in anger, stomping his foot angrily, "That horrible girl!! Don't go in there, Riku!" He turned and stomped back into the kitchen, retrieving some ice for his bruised cheek.
Kairi dashed up the stairs, throwing open the door in time for Selphie to shove her way out. "Enough! I give up!! You deal with her!" She howled, yanking on her hair as she thundered down the stairs.
Kairi and Riku exchanged worried looks as they cautiously entered the room.
The black-haired girl seemed to be perfectly fine, a blanket wrapped securely around her body as she stomped around the room. Though she didn't appear to be particularly happy.
"Where the fuck am I!? What happened?!" She stomped her foot furiously, turning angrily back to the door to face Kairi and Riku.
"Will someone just tell me where the hell I-" Her sentence was cut short as she made eye contact with Riku.
He couldn't stop the light gasp that escaped his lips, her green eyes were just as piercing as his. Blushing lightly, the girl quickly turned her gaze to Kairi.
Kairi cleared her throat, "Riku, perhaps you should wait outside.." She said, smiling reassuringly at him as she shoved him out the door.
"Uh, okay.. I guess." he scratched the back of his head as the door was slammed in his face.
Kairi turned quickly back to the girl, tossing the bag onto the bed and walking slowly toward her.
The girl watched her rather absently, a look of concentration crossing her face as she stared at her. "Do I know you?" She asked softly, voice wavering as she pulled the blanket tighter around herself.
"It's a long story.. What's your name?" Kairi replied, leading the girl back to the bed and emptying her backpack on it.
The girl sniffed lightly, wiping away a stray tear as she gazed at Kairi. "Arashi…" She whispered.
Kairi smiled, "I'm Kairi. Here, I get the feeling this was yours to begin with." She motioned down at the clothing strewn across the bed.
Arashi quickly began sorting through it, pulling out various articles before turning back to Kairi. "Thanks.." She muttered, tears slipping down her cheeks as she dressed herself.
She sniffed softly, sitting down on the bed as she struggled to pull some thigh-high red and white striped socks on. Finally pulling on the boots, she brushed a hand across her face. Slowly adjusting her black shorts, she turned to face Kairi.
"Where am I?" She asked softly, picking up Riku's cloak and examining it. Finally deciding she liked it, she pulled it on, hiding her tear-stained face with the hood.
Kairi sighed, "You're on Destiny Islands. It's a long way from Hollow Bastion, which is where you lived, right?" Arashi nodded, playing with the zipper on Riku's cloak as she watched her.
"Alright, this must all be really confusing for you, so I suppose I'll just start at the beginning…"
~*~
Half an hour later, after many questions and confusing answers, Kairi finally led Arashi down the stairs. Walking slowly into the living room, Selphie, Tidus, and Riku all looked up from their places on the couch.
They all stood warily to their feet, Selphie yawning slightly as she glanced at the clock. Stepping forward, she held out her hand. "You look like you feel better! My name is Selphie." She smiled warmly, elbowing Tidus in the ribs as he muttered something dark about women.
Arashi cautiously took Selphie's hand, shaking it gently as she smiled. "Sorry about earlier, I'm Arashi."
She glanced at Tidus, watching him step backward as she noticed the red mark on his cheek. "I'm sorry I slapped you. I won't do it again, I promise." Her voice wavered slightly, running a hand quickly over her face to hide the forming tears.
"Oh, that's just Tidus. Don't worry about him, it wasn't the first time he'd been slapped. Today." Selphie scowled at him as he slid cautiously behind Riku to avoid her.
"Hey, I'm Riku." Riku smiled down at the black-haired girl, holding out his hand. She gently took it, the breath almost catching in her throat. He squeezed briefly before releasing her hand, still smiling as he looked back up toward Kairi.
"Well, we really should get going. Thank you, Selphie. We'll see you tomorrow." Kairi hugged the brunette before taking Arashi's hand and leading her toward the door. Riku moved quickly forward and opened the door, waving as he slipped outside.
"Bye, Kairi, Arashi, guy with social problems!" She waved enthusiastically, sticking out her tongue at Riku.
Kairi laughed, closing the door as she pushed Arashi out into the cool night air. The two girls caught up with Riku, slowing their pace and gazing around at the still night.
"Are you going home, Riku?" Kairi asked, watching him casually kick rocks down the sidewalk.
He laughed, "No way. Sora and Cloud would kill me if they ever found out I left you two alone after that little incident."
Arashi looked up, stopping in her tracks and giving Riku a startled look. "Cloud? He's here? Where is he?" She shifted her glance anxiously between Riku and Kairi.
"Uh, he's probably hanging out somewhere on the beach. He doesn't really have a home, so he just lives wherever nowadays." Riku said, looking down the street.
"Please, I have to see him!!" Arashi practically howled, jumping excitedly in place.
Riku couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "Sure, come on. Last I heard, he's been staying with Squall lately." he led them quickly down a side street, helping Arashi over a fence as they crossed someone's backyard.
"Squall.." Arashi smiled, nearly latching on to Riku's arm as she followed him across the lawn.
~*~
"I'm serious, Yuffie, something doesn't feel right…" Aerith said, watching the small ninja as she dug excitedly through the cabinets.
"Oh, you're just paranoid! Everything's fine. Did you see where Squall hid the syrup?" She backed up and gazed around the kitchen.
"No, I mean- syrup? What are you doing?" The older woman stepped forward, contemplating whether or not to alert Squall.
"This'll be awesome, I swear! I saw it in a movie once!" Yuffie laughed, hoisting herself onto the countertop and digging through the open cabinets. "For God's sake, he's a guy! He has to own syrup! It's like a law!" She hopped down and opened the refrigerator.
"What do you think you're doing?" Squall asked coldly, leaning casually in the doorway.
Yuffie jumped, spinning around and slamming the refrigerator shut as she smiled at him. "Nothing, just, looking for a snack." She chirped, sliding innocently past him and bouncing into the living room.
Squall looked questioningly at Aerith. "I have no idea, she was looking for syrup." She shrugged and followed him through the doorway.
Squall sighed, collapsing tiredly on the couch and watching the small battle taking place at the TV.
"You're cheating! We agreed on no smash attacks!!" Sora howled angrily, glaring at the boy sitting beside him on the floor.
"What?! And you're not using any, ya?!" Wakka replied, shoving Sora's shoulder and finishing off his character.
"You crack-whore!!" Sora yelled, tackling the older boy and flinging the controllers aside. The two boys rolled across the carpet, knocking over one of Yuffie's cans of soda in the process.
"Hey! Knock it off!" Cid yelled, throwing a magazine at them as Yuffie enthusiastically joined the wrestling match.
"Yuffie! Stop encouraging them!" Aerith called from the couch, digging her fingers into Cloud's cloak as she watched the trio slam against the coffee table.
They were interrupted when a loud knock sounded at the door.
"Huh? We aren't the only nocturnal people on this island?" Sora asked no one in particular, releasing Wakka from his head-lock and scrambling toward the door.
"Hey, Riku! What's up?" Sora chirped happily, throwing the door wide open. "Oh, hey Kairi.. Who are you?" he added, watching as the black-haired girl shoved past Kairi and frantically gazed into the room.
Joyful tears filled her eyes as she stared around the room. Cid, Squall, Yuffie, Aerith, and Cloud all leapt to their feet at once, staring back at the girl in disbelief.
"Oh my God, Arashi?!" Yuffie cried, snapping everyone out of the shocked daze.
Letting out a choked laughed, Arashi launched herself into the room, meeting the outstretched arms of her friends.
"Yuffie! I didn't know you were here, too! Cid!! God, it's so good to see you guys! I thought the world had ended when I woke up!!" She laughed happily, everyone talking excitedly around her.
"Cloud!" She cried, noticing him standing next to Squall. Bouncing over with Yuffie, she quickly pulled him into a hug. Gazing anxiously around at everyone, she coughed lightly. "Umm, can I talk to you?" She asked quietly.
He nodded, gently taking her hand and leading her down the hall. He opened Squall's bedroom door and led her inside, the door clicking shut behind them.
"What was that all about?" Sora asked huffily, staring down the hall after the two.
"I dunno, I feel like I missed somethin'." Wakka said, reaching down and retrieving his blitzball from behind the door.
Aerith sighed happily. "It's a long story, I'm so glad she's alright! Where did you find her?" She asked, walking calmly over to Kairi and smiling.
~*~*~*~~~~
Sorry I haven't updated like, since the plague or something. I was doing some other crap for the story and yeah. I'll try to update faster now.
I will try to get some sketches up at some point. As soon as I do, I'll let you guys know. Please keep reviewing! I love your reviews, they're so cute (unless you didn't want them to be)!
Don't be afraid to give me some suggestions on plot development, as well. I think you'd be surprised how much of the story has already been formed based on reviews. I hope this chapter doesn't seem too confusing…
~~~~~
Ansem cried out in pain, feeling his connection to Kairi break as he hit the cold floor. Growling angrily, he struggled to his feet and turned to face his attacker. His shadow replica grinned back at him, holding up its spear to examine the dark blood dripping down the tip. Hesitating in mild surprise, Ansem moved forward, his own black spear materializing.
"Not so fast, Ansem. You're not in control around here anymore, and Lord Sephiroth doesn't appreciate you helping out his enemies." The Heartless said sweetly, waggling a finger at him haughtily.
"His enemies? You mean I'm not?" Ansem spat darkly at the Heartless, fighting the urge to leap at it.
It laughed, an empty sound echoing around the Dark Depths. "No, you can still join us, it's not too late."
Its words caught Ansem by surprise. If they thought he was 'worthy' of joining them, then he must have something that they wanted. Obviously, he wasn't as useless as he had thought he was.
Forcing his body to relax, he stared across at the Heartless. "And just what would I gain from helping Sephiroth?" Other than the Masamune through my back, he added silently, watching the replica distastefully.
It almost laughed, grin widening as it stared back at him. "Once the worlds have been consumed by darkness, you will be second only to Lord Sephiroth. Control over the Heartless will be returned to you, and you will have the pleasure of destroying the Keyblade Master and the lesser keyblades yourself." it said rather smugly.
Ansem could have laughed. "Well you can tell your master to go screw himself. I know better than to trust him. I will not reduce myself to doing his dirty work. Especially not when it involves the keyblades. You think I don't know what will happen if he goes through with this ridiculous war?" Ansem scoffed, shifting sideways as a small soldier Heartless scurried past his boots.
Slowly, the haughty grin faded from the replica's features, leaving a dark scowl behind. "Very well, Lord Sephiroth will have no trouble carrying out his plan without you." It turned to leave when Ansem stopped it.
"Where is Sephiroth? What are you planning to accomplish by destroying the keyblades?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
The Heartless slowly turned back to face him, "My Master regrets being unable to speak with you in person, but he is currently preoccupied on.. The Destiny Islands, I believe they are called?" It grinned evilly.
Ansem's eyes widened in horror, and with a shout, he lunged almost desperately past the Heartless, heading for the portal back to Hollow Bastion.
The replica's boot caught him swiftly in the ribs, sending him to his knees as he gasped. He quickly pulled himself back up, attempting to dodge past the Heartless as it blocked his path.
"What are you so worried about? Are you that anxious to get rid of the keyblades yourself? Still holding a grudge after all this time?" It laughed, blocking the spear he swung at it as it watched him with curiosity.
"Get the fuck out of my way before I make you move!" He growled, grabbing the replica's spear as it was thrust at his face and twisting it out of its grasp. The spear immediately vanished, reappearing a moment later back in the replica's hand.
"Temper, temper. What's the rush? Want to get a piece of that Kairi girl before Lord Sephiroth is done with her?" It laughed, abruptly cut off as Ansem's fist slammed into the side of its face.
It stumbled backward, rolling to the side and shaking its head in an attempt to regain its composure. Yelping slightly in surprise, it brought up its spear, blocking the blow aimed for its forehead. Its foot shot out in reflex, slamming heavily into Ansem's stomach.
Coughing, he moved quickly toward the door, remembering the task at hand. The Heartless dodged in front of him, blocking his path as he skidded to a stop.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to go through me if you want to get out of here. Not that you would even get there in time if you ever did." It grinned evilly, taking up a battles stance and brandishing its spear dangerously.
~*~
"Hurry up! Come on! Don't worry, my parents aren't even home." Selphie laughed happily, pushing Tidus through her front door and waving to Riku and Kairi.
Riku quickly followed Selphie upstairs as she led him into her bedroom. He set the girl gently down on the bed and the brunette quickly ushered him back out. "Go play blitzball with Tidus or something." She said, tugging Kairi forcefully into the room and clicking on the light.
He gave her a strange look, "Blitzball? In the middle of the night?" he exchanged glances with Tidus.
Kairi growled, "Just, go watch TV then." Closing the door behind them and turning back to the unconscious heap on the bed.
Leaning over the dark-haired girl, she sighed. "How does she look to you?" Selphie shrugged, feeling the girl's forehead.
"She has a fever.. I'll get some water." She disappeared out the door. Kairi swiftly unzipped Riku's cloak and discarded it on the floor, pulling the blankets up around her instead and brushing the long black hair out of her face.
Selphie slipped quietly back into the room, holding a glass of water and a wet towel. Placing the towel on the girl's head, she gently gripped her jaw. Selphie gently held the girl's mouth open as Kairi dripped some water down her lips. She stirred slowly, chest heaving as she coughed. Groaning in pain, she rolled over and held the pillow next to her tightly.
Kairi rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder, gazing worriedly up at Selphie. "I'm going to run home and get her some proper clothes." She said, turning after the brunette nodded her understanding.
Closing the door softly behind her, she made her way down the stairs. "Riku, come with me." She said absently, not bothering to look at the silver-haired boy as he pulled himself off of the couch.
Tidus stopped them as they opened the front door. "Hey, be careful. I have a bad feeling about this.." Riku nodded, Metal Chocobo appearing in his hand as he closed the door.
~*~
"So, where are we going?" Riku asked, watching as Kairi stared worriedly ahead.
She glanced over at him, almost appearing to be surprised he was there. "Oh, uh, to my house. That girl, she needs some clothes.." She trailed off, thoughts drifting back to the girl. She was simply the human form of the replica that had followed her around in Hollow Bastion. It felt so odd to Kairi to look at her and see her human face instead of the blank shadow…
"Hey, is that girl alright? Who is she?" Riku's voice jolted her out of her thoughts. He looked down at her with a mixture of concern and curiosity.
"I-I don't know her name, but I suppose in a way I do know her.. She should be fine, just tired, maybe a little overworked from being restored.. She has a fever, but it doesn't seem too serious." Kairi stared ahead as her house came into view.
Silently, she pushed open the front door, surprised to find that her parents weren't awake after the horrendous racket she had made earlier. Walking up the stairs, she entered her slightly thrashed room. Riku stepped in behind her, patting her on the back reassuringly.
"I think it's about time you cleaned your room, Kairi. I mean, Sora's place is cleaner than this.." He gave her a serious look before she shoved him playfully.
Leaning down, she picked her backpack up from the floor. Hastily throwing open her dresser, she began shoving whatever article of clothing she thought they could use in the bag. Picking up a pair of black boots, she shrugged, quickly stuffing them in the bag, too. When she finished, she turned back to Riku. He was standing beside her bed, holding a thick book in his hands.
"Ansem gave you this?" He asked quietly, holding the book up so she could read the title on the page he was reading. Romeo and Juliet. He lowered the book and began examining the picture that had been shoved between the pages.
Kairi choked back a gasp and blushed, snatching the rather worn book away from him. "So? What if he did?" She shoved the book unceremoniously into the bag and turned to face the door.
Riku came up behind her, gripping her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I was just rather surprised." he whispered.
She turned slowly to face him, "Surprised? Why?" She asked quietly, clutching the bag nervously.
Riku seemed slightly unsure. "Well, when he had control of me, sometimes when he wasn't doing anything else, he would pull out that book and just read it. He read the whole thing, but I think Romeo and Juliet was his favorite. He drew that picture when he thought I was asleep.. I get the feeling he's been through more than he lets on.." He paused, watching Kairi glance down and gently hug the bag.
"I'm not sure if you realize how much it really means to him…" He said, looking down at her calmly. He smiled before walking past her out the door. "Come on, we should get back as soon as we can." He said, walking down the stairs.
Kairi loosened her grip on the bag, looking down at it almost guiltily. Hugging it again, she dashed down the stairs after Riku.
~*~
"Kairi! Hurry, I think Selphie could really use some help!" Tidus whimpered, nursing the side of his face as Riku and Kairi walked through the door.
"What happened to you?" Riku snorted, poking the side of Tidus' face as he scowled up at the older boy.
"That-! that-!!" He growled in anger, stomping his foot angrily, "That horrible girl!! Don't go in there, Riku!" He turned and stomped back into the kitchen, retrieving some ice for his bruised cheek.
Kairi dashed up the stairs, throwing open the door in time for Selphie to shove her way out. "Enough! I give up!! You deal with her!" She howled, yanking on her hair as she thundered down the stairs.
Kairi and Riku exchanged worried looks as they cautiously entered the room.
The black-haired girl seemed to be perfectly fine, a blanket wrapped securely around her body as she stomped around the room. Though she didn't appear to be particularly happy.
"Where the fuck am I!? What happened?!" She stomped her foot furiously, turning angrily back to the door to face Kairi and Riku.
"Will someone just tell me where the hell I-" Her sentence was cut short as she made eye contact with Riku.
He couldn't stop the light gasp that escaped his lips, her green eyes were just as piercing as his. Blushing lightly, the girl quickly turned her gaze to Kairi.
Kairi cleared her throat, "Riku, perhaps you should wait outside.." She said, smiling reassuringly at him as she shoved him out the door.
"Uh, okay.. I guess." he scratched the back of his head as the door was slammed in his face.
Kairi turned quickly back to the girl, tossing the bag onto the bed and walking slowly toward her.
The girl watched her rather absently, a look of concentration crossing her face as she stared at her. "Do I know you?" She asked softly, voice wavering as she pulled the blanket tighter around herself.
"It's a long story.. What's your name?" Kairi replied, leading the girl back to the bed and emptying her backpack on it.
The girl sniffed lightly, wiping away a stray tear as she gazed at Kairi. "Arashi…" She whispered.
Kairi smiled, "I'm Kairi. Here, I get the feeling this was yours to begin with." She motioned down at the clothing strewn across the bed.
Arashi quickly began sorting through it, pulling out various articles before turning back to Kairi. "Thanks.." She muttered, tears slipping down her cheeks as she dressed herself.
She sniffed softly, sitting down on the bed as she struggled to pull some thigh-high red and white striped socks on. Finally pulling on the boots, she brushed a hand across her face. Slowly adjusting her black shorts, she turned to face Kairi.
"Where am I?" She asked softly, picking up Riku's cloak and examining it. Finally deciding she liked it, she pulled it on, hiding her tear-stained face with the hood.
Kairi sighed, "You're on Destiny Islands. It's a long way from Hollow Bastion, which is where you lived, right?" Arashi nodded, playing with the zipper on Riku's cloak as she watched her.
"Alright, this must all be really confusing for you, so I suppose I'll just start at the beginning…"
~*~
Half an hour later, after many questions and confusing answers, Kairi finally led Arashi down the stairs. Walking slowly into the living room, Selphie, Tidus, and Riku all looked up from their places on the couch.
They all stood warily to their feet, Selphie yawning slightly as she glanced at the clock. Stepping forward, she held out her hand. "You look like you feel better! My name is Selphie." She smiled warmly, elbowing Tidus in the ribs as he muttered something dark about women.
Arashi cautiously took Selphie's hand, shaking it gently as she smiled. "Sorry about earlier, I'm Arashi."
She glanced at Tidus, watching him step backward as she noticed the red mark on his cheek. "I'm sorry I slapped you. I won't do it again, I promise." Her voice wavered slightly, running a hand quickly over her face to hide the forming tears.
"Oh, that's just Tidus. Don't worry about him, it wasn't the first time he'd been slapped. Today." Selphie scowled at him as he slid cautiously behind Riku to avoid her.
"Hey, I'm Riku." Riku smiled down at the black-haired girl, holding out his hand. She gently took it, the breath almost catching in her throat. He squeezed briefly before releasing her hand, still smiling as he looked back up toward Kairi.
"Well, we really should get going. Thank you, Selphie. We'll see you tomorrow." Kairi hugged the brunette before taking Arashi's hand and leading her toward the door. Riku moved quickly forward and opened the door, waving as he slipped outside.
"Bye, Kairi, Arashi, guy with social problems!" She waved enthusiastically, sticking out her tongue at Riku.
Kairi laughed, closing the door as she pushed Arashi out into the cool night air. The two girls caught up with Riku, slowing their pace and gazing around at the still night.
"Are you going home, Riku?" Kairi asked, watching him casually kick rocks down the sidewalk.
He laughed, "No way. Sora and Cloud would kill me if they ever found out I left you two alone after that little incident."
Arashi looked up, stopping in her tracks and giving Riku a startled look. "Cloud? He's here? Where is he?" She shifted her glance anxiously between Riku and Kairi.
"Uh, he's probably hanging out somewhere on the beach. He doesn't really have a home, so he just lives wherever nowadays." Riku said, looking down the street.
"Please, I have to see him!!" Arashi practically howled, jumping excitedly in place.
Riku couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "Sure, come on. Last I heard, he's been staying with Squall lately." he led them quickly down a side street, helping Arashi over a fence as they crossed someone's backyard.
"Squall.." Arashi smiled, nearly latching on to Riku's arm as she followed him across the lawn.
~*~
"I'm serious, Yuffie, something doesn't feel right…" Aerith said, watching the small ninja as she dug excitedly through the cabinets.
"Oh, you're just paranoid! Everything's fine. Did you see where Squall hid the syrup?" She backed up and gazed around the kitchen.
"No, I mean- syrup? What are you doing?" The older woman stepped forward, contemplating whether or not to alert Squall.
"This'll be awesome, I swear! I saw it in a movie once!" Yuffie laughed, hoisting herself onto the countertop and digging through the open cabinets. "For God's sake, he's a guy! He has to own syrup! It's like a law!" She hopped down and opened the refrigerator.
"What do you think you're doing?" Squall asked coldly, leaning casually in the doorway.
Yuffie jumped, spinning around and slamming the refrigerator shut as she smiled at him. "Nothing, just, looking for a snack." She chirped, sliding innocently past him and bouncing into the living room.
Squall looked questioningly at Aerith. "I have no idea, she was looking for syrup." She shrugged and followed him through the doorway.
Squall sighed, collapsing tiredly on the couch and watching the small battle taking place at the TV.
"You're cheating! We agreed on no smash attacks!!" Sora howled angrily, glaring at the boy sitting beside him on the floor.
"What?! And you're not using any, ya?!" Wakka replied, shoving Sora's shoulder and finishing off his character.
"You crack-whore!!" Sora yelled, tackling the older boy and flinging the controllers aside. The two boys rolled across the carpet, knocking over one of Yuffie's cans of soda in the process.
"Hey! Knock it off!" Cid yelled, throwing a magazine at them as Yuffie enthusiastically joined the wrestling match.
"Yuffie! Stop encouraging them!" Aerith called from the couch, digging her fingers into Cloud's cloak as she watched the trio slam against the coffee table.
They were interrupted when a loud knock sounded at the door.
"Huh? We aren't the only nocturnal people on this island?" Sora asked no one in particular, releasing Wakka from his head-lock and scrambling toward the door.
"Hey, Riku! What's up?" Sora chirped happily, throwing the door wide open. "Oh, hey Kairi.. Who are you?" he added, watching as the black-haired girl shoved past Kairi and frantically gazed into the room.
Joyful tears filled her eyes as she stared around the room. Cid, Squall, Yuffie, Aerith, and Cloud all leapt to their feet at once, staring back at the girl in disbelief.
"Oh my God, Arashi?!" Yuffie cried, snapping everyone out of the shocked daze.
Letting out a choked laughed, Arashi launched herself into the room, meeting the outstretched arms of her friends.
"Yuffie! I didn't know you were here, too! Cid!! God, it's so good to see you guys! I thought the world had ended when I woke up!!" She laughed happily, everyone talking excitedly around her.
"Cloud!" She cried, noticing him standing next to Squall. Bouncing over with Yuffie, she quickly pulled him into a hug. Gazing anxiously around at everyone, she coughed lightly. "Umm, can I talk to you?" She asked quietly.
He nodded, gently taking her hand and leading her down the hall. He opened Squall's bedroom door and led her inside, the door clicking shut behind them.
"What was that all about?" Sora asked huffily, staring down the hall after the two.
"I dunno, I feel like I missed somethin'." Wakka said, reaching down and retrieving his blitzball from behind the door.
Aerith sighed happily. "It's a long story, I'm so glad she's alright! Where did you find her?" She asked, walking calmly over to Kairi and smiling.
~*~*~*~~~~