"Sea Salts to Heal."
Disclaimer: I don't own very much and certainly not Square or Disney.
A/N: sighs This is a very fluff-less, plot-less chapter. But I was listening to 'Dust in the Wind' by Kansas...and my muse wanted me to write this chapter, so I did.
My favorite part of this chapter is the part with Shuyin. Just to let you know
Warnings: This COULD be a tissue alert, if you're a very, very sensitive person. It's a pretty sad chapter, but I don't know if its sad enough to make you cry. But just in case, be warned!
Shoutouts:
Deplora: hehehe...sadly, there is no Squffie in this one. Since it's a pointless chapter, I couldn't really fit them in there but... next time. Heh, lucky Yuffie.
Tonkeli: You're not an idiot! Heh, but you told me to ignore this review, so that is all I shall say.
Iris: Yeowch. I wouldn't have put humor in that chapter if I knew you were getting oral surgery. If you're still in pain, this chapter doesn't have much funiness in it at all, so you're safe
Bronzetoast: Merci buckets!
Ann: Sorry, I was too lazy to write your full name. Muah. giggles I couldn't help myself with the wax boy thing but..you know what the magnificent cough medicine does, eh? Well...is sad there's no Squffie in this one but..there is SORTA some Riku/Tynan like you asked for. Sorta
P.S. Sora and Riku's idioticness was inspired by my guy friends in real life. Fun, eh?
Destinyintertwined: Heh, you're name made me think of Riku and how he says 'intertwined.' That made me happy. As did your review, of course. Ahhh! Worry not, my friend! The Sora/Kairi will come later in the fic. There's even some reference to it in this chapter!
P.S. Nope, there's no Japanese to Ku-ri. It's just Riku's name put backwards. But you inspired me for ANOTHER nickname for Riku. If Sora were to call Riku Ku-rin, that would have had a Japanese tone to it. Adding 'rin' to the end of one's name is what school girls traditionally give as nicknames to eachother or themselves. so by Sora calling Riku 'Ku-rin' he'd be calling him a school girl.
Angel-yuripa: Heh! I wouldn't really call this a long story...more like several one-shots put together.
Zarrel's Darkside: Five Internet Bucks? YES! I need some of these! Um...digs through the plushies and finds the shadow one woot!
Spacecowqueen: Squffie's are the funnest to write!
I'd like to thank you all for reviewing. I love you.
As a final note, if there are those of you that have not already joined, there's a STELLAR (yes, I said stellar) Squffie Forum now. Go to w w w. amekaze. net / forum/ index . php. (Take the spaces out of course) and check it out!
Tynan was unbelievably quiet on the night before the tournament would begin. She had never been too ostentatious, although she tended not to think before she said things, most likely resulting in the new found indignation sent in her direction from Riku. Indeed, the older boy was angry at her again and she could sense from his expression that right about now, he wished she would leave the room. She hadn't felt so in a very long time, not since she had left her home World. That feeling, mixed in with the odd sensation she was feeling in her stomach, was enough to keep her silent.
I close my eyes,
only for a moment, and the moment's gone
All my dreams,
pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Sora and Riku were fighting with their new weapons in the middle of their room, their dining table pushed aside in order to give them space in which to spar. Tynan sat on the floor, out of the way, arms slung over her knees as she stared at the floor.
Sora hissed loudly once Riku cut his hand, glaring at his best friend as he nursed the wound, only just noticing his female companion. He raised an eyebrow, bringing his hands to his lips and sucking on the wound.
"You okay, Tynan?" He called. Tynan jumped slightly, looking over at them with a glazed expression.
"Yeah." She murmured, rubbing her eyes. "Just tired, I guess."
"Then go to sleep." This little piece of advice came from Riku, cold and meanly spoken. Tynan's stomach gave another little jolt. Why did she feel so horrible?
"Okay." She said hoarsely, trying to hide her face from the boys, in case any of the odd emotion she was feeling showed on her face.
"Goodnight?" Sora said tentatively, turning to Riku in confusion as Tynan shut the door without so much as a word. "What's up with her?"
"The usual." Riku said casually, setting his weapons down. "She's being deplorable (A/N: I couldn't help myself ), insolent, childish, impractical, completely unpleasent and bitchy."
Sora blinked. "I don't think I've heard you use so many big words in one sentence before. I mean, apart from the bitchy thing.."
Riku didn't answer, picking up his jacket and pushing the door to the alley open. Sora was left standing alone in his room, confused beyond belief and wondering what the heck had been going on between his two closest companions without him noticing.
Dust in the wind,
all they are is dust in the wind
Shuyin was caught with such familiarity when he stepped into the third district that all he could do was stop and stare. Traverse Town had always been, atleast to him, a quiet and lonely place. There were no crowds and no flashing lights. No concerts, sports or events to bring the people together. It was the way he wanted it; the last thing he needed was a reminder of Zanarkand.
Yet the Third District was bustling. The sound of people talking, of building things. The sounds of excitement. He leaned against the side wall of his usual alley way, his head resting against the corner as he watched Traverse Town prepare for a tournament. He scanned the faces of each happy person in the crowd and it took nearly ten minutes before he realized what he was doing.
He was looking for Lenne.
How long would it last? How long would it be until his heart stopped quickening every time he saw someone with her hair? He wouldn't be able to maintain any of the decent sanity he had reacquired much longer if..if his heart continued to control him like this.
He continued to watch until the lights and colours blurred, he touched his face and realized he was crying. It was like an erruption, he hadn't cried in so long. He turned into the wall so that he was no longer visible, slumping against it and sliding to the ground. He felt cold inside, somehow, ashamed. As if it were his body crying but not his soul. Some cool part of his mind observing his emotions in disdain.
But it didn't seem to matter anymore.
His sobs were a dull sound, a backdrop against the noisy commotion and laughter taking place outside. The sound of them echoing off the brick walls and striking him in the face like a physical hit. He was weak; that was why Lenne was gone. These people had all gotten over there loses, moved on. And here he was, sitting in a dark alley, crying over something that would never be again.
Same old song,
just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do,
crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
The town was much louder than usual, Sora observed, as he stood on the roof of the Gizmo shop. He supposed it made sense, since preparations for the tournament were beginning to take place. But even those who were not involved seemed to be excited, wondering around the district and watching the commotion. He smiled. The tournament had been a good idea.
And yet everyone seemed to be suffering from emotional PMS, himself included, although he could not explain it to himself. Shouldn't he be completely ecstatic and excited? It wasn't as though this was his first tournament; he knew what it was supposed to feel like before an event such as this. His heart was supposed to be pounding, butterflies in his stomach, caught between being exhilarated and terrified.
Instead, he felt like rolling into the fetal position and clenching his eyes shut against the world. He felt disheartened but what could he possibly be upset about? He had no relationship problems besides the fact that he didn't have one, he wasn't angry and nobody was angry with him. But the upsetting feeling was there, gripping his heart like a spider-legged machina and not letting go.
It was really, really rare that he felt this bad, especially when the sadness appeared to have no cause. The last time he could remember feeling like this with a cause was the first day he'd been to Traverse, sitting in Leon and Yuffie's room with no hope in his heart.
'That's it.' He thought, eyes turning to the sky. 'No hope'
The thought hit him like a bowling ball. No hope. No use. What was the point of staying in this place if he wasn't needed? Why couldn't he just go home?
The sadness in his heart increased, and he finally realized what had been in his subconscious to make him so sad.
He could not go home. One of the stars he was currently staring at was his home. On one of those stars, his peace was sitting on the beach, looking up at the same sky and wishing he was there. But he couldn't go. He couldn't keep his promise.
But what for? He wasn't needed here!
Turning rapidly, he let out a loud growl, flinging his stupid new weapon at the far wall with as much strength as he could muster. It hit the wall without making a scratch, falling to the ground with a dull, unsatisfactory clank.
"Sora?"
He turned sad and frustrated dark eyes to his intruder. Tynan stood at the top of the ladder, looking slightly shocked at the expression on his face. He looked away for a moment, eyes clenching shut. When he looked back, his face wore its usual open and friendly expression.
"H-hey, Tynan." He said, trying to regain some composure. "What are you doing up here? Weren't you going to bed?"
"Couldn't sleep." She explained, scrambling up from the ladder. "You..uh..okay?"
"'Course." He grinned untruthfully, ruffling her brown hair with his hand. "Wanna spar?"
She sighed, bending to pick up his thrown weapon and handing it back to him. Sora was obviously not fine if he was throwing his weapon around like that. But she wasn't necessarily open with her emotions, and she respected her friend enough not to ask.
"Sure." She smiled weakly instead. "Just let me get my stuff."
"I'll come with." He said, joyful as ever, a bounce to his step as he followed her to the ladder. "And on the way, you can tell me what the heck went on between you and Riku."
Tynan sighed again, loud enough for her smirking companion to hear. Emotionally unstable or not, he definitely had not lost his one-track mind.
Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, all your money won't another minute buy
When Tynan opened her eyes next morning, the feeling in her stomach was completely different. It was still uncomfortable but it made her heart beat so fast, it made her smile. Nervousness. That she could deal with. It was only made better when Sora burst into her room, pouncing on the bed like a child on Christmas morning.
The three teenagers made their way to the first district, weapons in hand as the excited people around them did the same. Tynan found that the closer she got to the Accessory shop, the harder it was becoming to breath. Sora snickered.
"Nervous?" Sora teased, getting in her face. "Shaky from anticipation?"
"About to vomit?" Riku added, eyebrows raised as Tynan was forced to dart into an alleyway and regurgitate the breakfast Aerith had insisted she eat. Aerith, who had been following a few steps behind, hurried off to her side. This caused a fresh wave of snickers amonst Sora and Riku, only quieted when a throughly annoyed Tynan rejoined them. Everything seemed to be back to normal.
But Sora was still forced to stand between the two of them, Shuyin stood by himself with deep bags under his eyes. Sora glanced up at the sky one last time, praying that Kairi had no lost hope as he had.
Cid stood in front of the Accessory Shop, grinning at the eager faces in the crowd that had assembled before him.
"Let the tournament begin."
Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind
Woot! That, my friends, was a completely pointless chapter. You could have skipped this and the story would not have been effected but..I was listening to the song and it just happened..
Well?