Disclaimer: I don't own KH. Did you honestly think that would be possible? x.x
A/N: Hello, m'lovelies. Time travel gives me a headache, people, so yeah. o.o I hope you're satisfied with this chapter, and the news you hear at the end of the chapter. NO, don't scroll down and spoil it for yourselves. xD Anyway, on with the chapter now... OH! And it's my dog's, Milo, 2nd birthday today so if you wish him a 'Happy Birthday' in your review, I'll update faster... muahah, I'm so mean. x)
xoxo Bianca.
Intertwined Destinies
Chapter Seventeen.
Kairi slept fitfully. Actually, she didn't sleep at all. She was lying to one side on the comfortable-but-squeaky bed in her Inn room. She stared at the shadows creeping along the walls. She heard nothing but the groan of the bed as she shifted her weight slightly and her deep, anxious breathing.
Where was Sora? What was he doing? What was taking him so long? Did he leave Traverse Town? And what about Riku? Whatever happened to him and that creepy scream? Did anything bad happen? Why wasn't he back yet? Oh, and Toshi. She hadn't seen him in such a while. And even though she wasn't fond of him, she still wondered what became of him.
Kairi sighed. Where had those three boys gone?
Giving in, Kairi slipped out of bed and dressed herself in her regular clothes. There was no use trying to go to sleep with so much on her mind. But, oh, she was so very tired... but she couldn't rest peacefully, so why bother?
Kairi knelt down and fastened on her shoes. Suddenly, as Kairi straightened her posture, a sudden rush came over her head and she found herself losing her balance. Kairi sat down at the edge of the bed shakily, bringing her hands to her temples in confusion and bewilderment. Her head was throbbing. She didn't like the feeling. Kairi closed her eyes.
But this feeling wasn't new.
This wasn't the only time it had happened.
Kairi opened her eyes and thought back. When had this happened before? When had she gotten this painful headache rushing in her mind, buzzing and pinching and whirring through her thoughts and brain? It had happened at least once before... but Kairi didn't remember.
Kairi slid off the bed and sank to her knees. Running a hand along her forehead, Kairi gulped. She gasped for breath. Whatever happened to her share of oxygen? Her eyes traveled across the room and she stared out of the window placed against the wall, looking into the gloomy night. No... it was more like dawn. Then, her eyes averted to a dresser next to her. Atop it sat a large book. It read, 'Traverse Town History.' Kairi took another sharp breath. History. She vaguely remembered some more.
Tapping of a pencil. Severing the silence. Pencil dropping. Falling. Destiny Islands. History textbook. Memories... nearly two years...
Kairi remembered, and the aching pain her head enhanced... she couldn't take it anymore, she was feeling so faint. But she still remembered... the last time she had this feeling was that moment in her bedroom in the early morning that seemed like such a long time ago. That time seemed ancient. It still happened, though.
Why was she having this splitting headache once again? What was happening? How come...
Kairi squeezed her eyes shut and all at once everything became blank.
"But, dear..."
Kairi opened her eyes. She was sitting with Trinity on the sofa in a well-lit room, facing towards her.
"... You know what I always say?"
Kairi blinked. What was happening? She struggled to find the right words and the only thing Kairi could practically automatically whisper was, "What?"
"No matter the hardship, there's always a way."
Kairi's heart jumped. This had already happened! She was at loss for words. Why was this moment replaying? Kairi looked off to the side with a quizzical look on her face, gasping for air in shock and wonder and disbelief at what was happening.
"Kairi?" Trinity reached forward and placed a hand on Kairi's shoulder. "Is anything wrong?"
Kairi didn't reply. What the HECK was happening? Her mind went wild as she thought of a crazy possibility. It was like... it was as if someone had...
It was just as if someone had set back time.
Alexandra gave no warning. She waved at her companions and everything went blank.
"Well, well, well." Riku found himself shaking his head slowly and letting out a sigh. "Sora... did you ever consider that Kairi might be so hung up on seeing you again that she wouldn't even care that you lost the Oathkeeper?"
Sora, Toshi, and Riku froze. They look as if they had just awoken from a deep sleep, but their faces also held a look of disbelief. Alexandra smirked.
Riku's jaw dropped. "BUT I ALREADY SAID THAT, LIKE, HALF AN HOUR AGO!"
Sora's heart was beating an insanely quick rhythm. His mind felt like jelly. Toshi felt the same. It felt as if his mind had turned into gooey goo, and like he was desperately trying to contain all of that goo in his fingers but it was slipping, slipping.
"Anywhoo," Alexandra said cheerily. "That's how it all works out. You guys feel like jelly?"
Mutely, Sora and Toshi and Riku bobbed their heads up and down in amazement.
Alexandra reached up and stretched. "By the way, I am not risking to go back such a time span as ten years, a decade. We may never be at this place ever again if I fail to undo it."
"So we notice," Sora said slowly, his mind still feeling muddled, "whether time had been played back or not?"
Alexandra put a finger to her chin. "Not necessarily. Some do, some don't. Some people recognize it immediately, some people recognize it eventually, some people think it is déjà vu, and others just go along with the entire thing wholeheartedly, and relive that moment as if it were truly the present time."
The three males were still speechless.
"Well," Alexandra yawned, looking bored. "I might as well bring us back... I mean, forward. To the real present time."
When Kairi finally found her voice to speak and ask Trinity what was going on, her breath was caught short and she found herself back up in her temporary room bathed in moony light. She was on her knees, staring emptily out the window quietly. Then, she suddenly choked out and heaved deep breaths, for it was as if she had forgotten to breathe or had been out of oxygen for quite a while. She breathed like how she breathed after a swim contest, or being underneath the salty sweet water for a long period of time before resurfacing.
Kairi struggled to stand but her efforts were worthless, instead she only brought herself up enough to fall back on to the softness of the bed. Still trying to catch her breath and looking up and the bleak ceiling, Kairi felt rather uncomfortable and flustered.
"This is insane," griped Kairi, finally getting over her need for air and horrible headache. She rolled over and grabbed a fistful of the white sheets.
Her mind felt like jelly.
"Ugh," Toshi fell back against the cobblestone ground. "I didn't know time travel could be so..."
"Mind boggling?" offered Alexandra.
"Whatever that means."
Riku and Sora found themselves being momentarily cross-eyed before regaining full alertness. They felt like they had been stuck in a revolving computer chair and swerved around and around and around until they felt lightheaded and sick and had to vomit. In fact, until their eyes went on full focus, they saw two Alexandras smiling at them.
Toshi felt better and he sat up. He got an interesting sort of glint in his cobalt eyes and asked, "Alexandra, would it be hard to go back... let's see... two years ago?"
Alexandra looked wary. "Well, it'd be a bit difficult... although it is possible... but... why?"
Toshi shrugged. "Let's try it. It'd be fun, right?"
Both Riku and Sora lifted an eyebrow. "Fun?" they warbled in unison.
Whoever said feeling like wiggly old jelly was fun?
Alexandra sighed. "I'm not so sure... this sort of thing is rather tricky, you see. Since there are different worlds in different places, it means that there are different times. In a different world from this world, it may be midday instead of the crack of dawn. You all were obviously in a different world two years ago, I can tell. And the trickiest part is... I probably didn't even exist two years ago. In fact, I know that I didn't exist two years ago. I was made almost a year ago, created slash born as a Heartless with female, teenaged features. If I sent everything and everyone back two years ago, I won't be able to undo it because I wouldn't be there to make it possible."
"Exactly," Sora inputted, shying away from the idea of going back two years. If he felt like pure jelly by just being set back half an hour, then imagine how he would feel being sent back a couple of years!
"Which is exactly why we shouldn't go off and feel like jam. I mean jelly," agreed Riku.
Riku, Alexandra, and Toshi suddenly started chattering all at once, talking about time travel. Sora fell silent and drowned out their voices with his own thoughts. Where had he been two years ago? On that exhilarating adventure with Donald and Goofy, most likely... going around all those types of contrasting worlds, arraying from themes like jungle frenzies to castle mysteries to Arabian nights. It was a time when all things were confusing but exciting yet filled with worry. Confusing because of the sudden adventure, exciting because of the battles and weapons and new friends, and worry because of the possibility of getting killed and because...
Because Sora trying to save Kairi from getting hurt.
Sora's heart plummeted. If he had one wish right now... just one wish...
Okay, so maybe with that one wish he'd ask for a never-ending supply of wishes, but then he'd wish to be with his girlfriend. I mean, Kairi.
"And then I'd wish for world peace," Sora announced randomly, putting a hand over his heart as if he were pledging. Everyone stopped talking at once and gave him a puzzled look. There was an awkward silence as Sora flushed bright pink, and then Riku decided to continue on whatever he had been saying.
"Anyway," said Riku, eyeing Sora, "Before I was interrupted by Miss World Peace here... Alexandra, if you can set back time, can you go forward in time?"
Alexandra shook her head. "Not that I know of. I do not know how to make time go forward. But... can we please cut the time travel talk? There are more interesting things to talk about."
There was an expectant silence as everyone stared at one another. Toshi piped, "Like what?"
"Oh, I don't know," Alexandra said irritably. "Perhaps why Toshi and Sora look like each other, or... how Riku got here." Her eyes wandered over to the dashing silver-haired male.
Riku sighed. "Right. I got here because Merlin sent me, I think you guys got that part down already. But you see, after waking up when Alexandra set back time, I did a lot of wandering around... looking around for King Mickey, and wondering where Alexandra went off. I was, well, pretty far from the path of Twilight... I think. But one day there was this sort of clot of darkness, swirling and approaching me. I was like, whoa. I tried resisting, but the Darkness swallowed me up. I woke up in some really, really bright place. It was pure white. It was there that I saw a bunch of people, scattered around... lifeless. Not dead... but something else. Maybe unconscious, I have no idea, but they were all limp and sleeping like rag dolls. But there was one person who was conscious, awake, alive... however you want to call it. It was Merlin."
Sora pondered about this. Did the same sort of Darkness he himself had gotten engulfed in, transport Riku to another place as well? Sora pursed his lips. Same sort of Darkness? No matter what kind of Darkness, it was still Darkness. They were all the same, through and through. Dark and without light.
But then again, Sora thought, there's always the slightest bit of light in the Darkness.
And then Sora lifted an eyebrow at the mentioning of a place filled with unconscious people. And Merlin. It was very possible that they were the missing people of Traverse Town. Why wouldn't they be?
Riku continued. "I had a talk with Merlin. He said he was not in a 'deep sleep' like the others because his powers were just barely strong enough to hold on to consciousness. He told me that they were all from Traverse Town, and they had been transported there, forbidden to leave and unable to get out. He said everyone from Traverse Town was in that bright dimension. Except for Trinity, who seemed to be the cause of how Traverse Town was emptied. Merlin explained that Trinity must have done the spell too early, and I confirmed that because Trinity had told me that during my earlier meeting with her. Merlin asked me to do something for him, and of course I agreed. He told me that he was giving me a task to travel back here, to Traverse Town. He told me to find Trinity, and told me to watch out for a single wandering Heartless that looked like a girl. I told Merlin that I met her already, the Heartless girl obviously being Alexandra. I told him that I wasn't exactly sure what Alexandra was up to, but that I'm sure that she's free to be her own person. Merlin told me to be careful nevertheless... because no matter what, Alexandra would hold on to her duty..." Riku looked up and turned to Alexandra, his eyes fixing on hers.
Alexandra would not look at Riku straight in the eyes.
"Alexandra..." Riku spoke slowly. "What's your duty?"
"Yeah," Toshi butted in. "You never told me. And you said that you needed my help. Because I'm... uh... psychic. Still, if you want my help, I've got to know what you're up to."
Alexandra sighed. "I figured that I would need your special help, Toshi, because since you see the future as well as people in your visions... you could aid me in finding the person that I need to find. My duty is to find that person."
"Who?" floundered Toshi.
"The brother of the young woman whose name I believe is Trinity."
"I do not understand what you are talking about, dear," Trinity said in concern, looking across the table at Kairi, who was sipping at a cup of green tea with honey mixed in. Trinity believed that in order to soothe someone, it always had to involve tea. With honey.
Kairi stared into her tea. "I mean, that time went backwards. And then I was back in the living room with you. But then time went forwards, and I was back in my room upstairs."
"I did not notice. Why did you?"
Kairi shrugged. "Maybe when it happens, sometimes people don't notice and some people do. I have no idea, Trinity! This is really confusing. Maybe..." Kairi shuddered and her eyes grew wide. "Maybe I'm delusional. Maybe I've gone wrong in the head. Maybe I'm seeing things, feeling things."
Trinity sighed and took the empty cup from Kairi, getting up and placing the cup in the sink. She ran a thin hand through her pale blonde locks and looked out of the window thoughtfully. "Well, we can talk about this in the morning. Ah, I mean in the later morning, since it is morning now. But run along now, go ahead and take a peppermint and to bed you shall."
Kairi did not run, but she obeyed and picked out a pretty peppermint wrapped in clear plastic from a crystal bowl and trotted upstairs to her room. Popping the peppermint in her mouth and getting rid of the wrapper, Kairi entered the room, kicked off her shoes, and let herself drop to the bed.
This time, with warm tea settled in her stomach and a refreshing mint in her mouth, Kairi found herself nodding off slowly. Her room had brightened a bit... the moon was slowly descending.
She wondered what morning would bring. Well, the later morning.
"You're looking for her brother?" asked Sora incredulously. "We may not even know if he really is alive, though. And didn't you ever hear about side effects when trying to raise someone from the dead? Since Trinity did it wrong, then most likely her brother acts and looks different. How will you know just who to look for?"
"Ah, he's alive alright. I know it. But that's why I need Toshi's help," Alexandra replied calmly. "He sees things in his mind that others can't see, therefore he is able to identify things others can't identify."
"Oh, this is just isn't fair," Riku huffed. "That was my job."
Alexandra looked at him, eyebrows raised. "What?"
"Merlin sent me to look for, not only Trinity, but for the possibility of her brother being around. But most likely Trinity..."
Alexandra stood up and huffed as well. "Oh, I see. You stole my job! How infuriating!"
Riku stood up and towered over Alexandra slightly. He had a height advantage, but that didn't stop him from slightly caving when he looked at those eyes, emerald green and honey yellow. "I didn't steal your job. I see what happened. We simply have the same job... but it looks as though only one of us can accomplish it. I know I'm doing it for a good cause, because Merlin said that the key to bringing Traverse Town back to life is reuniting Trinity and her brother. That's the answer. They're each other's answers."
Alexandra would not back down from Riku's high-powered gaze. She may have barely twitched uncomfortably under his stare, but she did not take into submission. Toshi and Sora watched in silence from their place on the ground.
"Alexandra, who sent you to find Trinity's brother?" asked Riku, reaching down and pushing a stray lock from her face. She blinked hard and her knees imperceptibly buckled but she still raised her chin defiantly. She would not give in to his touch.
"I can't," Alexandra's voice faltered. Her eyes refilled with determination. "I can't tell you."
"Yes, you can," Riku said softly, bending down and tickling Alexandra's ear with his warm breath. "You can tell me anything."
Alexandra winced. His voice was like velvet, like icy liquid. So soothing, so hard not to give in... diverting her eyes, Alexandra did not withdraw. She wasn't telling him what he wanted. It was forbidden. She closed her eyes.
"You will never, by any chance, ever speak of me. You will never tell anyone I sent you. You may tell people partial of your duty and get your way, but never mention I, or the most important parts of your mission. It is forbidden, and it always will be forbidden."
"Forbidden..." Alexandra's eyes glazed over, as if in a deep trance. "Always... forbidden."
"It's... it's," Alexandra opened her eyes and suddenly stared Riku down so forcibly that he flinched. "It's forbidden. I will never tell anyone. Especially not to someone like you, Riku."
Riku was appalled by the strength of Alexandra's eyes, and the words she said had a bigger impact on him than she intended. He watched as Alexandra took a deep breath, whisk around, and run away as quick as a cheetah. Her footsteps faded off into the distance as she turned the corner.
I will never tell anyone.
Riku shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down.
Especially not to someone like you, Riku.
"Well," came Toshi's voice, stretching his arms upward. "Looks like she won't be needing me, after all..."
"Wonder where she's going," muttered Sora.
"To finish her duty," Riku said, his voice tightening up. "Now that I've got her so psyched up... nothing's stopping Alexandra now."
Kairi's eyes fluttered open. She was a light sleeper, and she had heard something downstairs. Something was happening down there. She just didn't know what. She felt like that something was wrong. So wrong, that she felt obligated to wander downstairs to find out what it was.
A few minutes later, Kairi was standing at the end of the stairs. The kitchen to her right was dark. The living room to her left was dark. The only light was from the traveling moon, moonlight slightly spilling out of the windows and dripping into the Inn. All was quiet.
So what made me think something was wrong? Kairi was about to turn around and walk back up, but then there was a sudden array of voices.
"No, wait, please, don't!"
The voice sounded shocked, desperate, terrified... petrified, even. But Kairi identified it as Trinity's. Her heart thumped with worry as she cautiously moved towards the voices. She heard something collapse. No, someone collapsed.
"Mmph!" Trinity could only mumble, her words smothered. It was as if someone bound something over her mouth to silence her.
"Trinity," Kairi's voice quavered, coming closer yet still not seeing what was happening.
Once Kairi spoke, everything went silent. Kairi heard nothing but the painful slamming of her heart against her chest. She gulped. Trinity's strained murmurs had stopped... the unknown shuffling had stopped. Kairi's own breath was ragged as she struggled to maintain her tranquility, not that she ever had it. She sucked in a mouthful of air and waited. And waited.
A few moments passed. Still quiet. Nothing happened. Kairi decided to let out her breath... but as she exhaled, some sort of covering immediately clamped over her mouth. Kairi didn't know if she screamed or not. She didn't know if she kicked or struggled to pull free of the thing that now grabbed her and dragged her away. Everything happened so fast.
And then everything, for Kairi, went black.
Sora turned to Riku. "So you're looking for Trinity and her brother?"
"Oh, I've found Trinity already," Riku replied, and by the sound of his voice you could tell something was sort of distracting him, troubling him. Sora didn't have to ask because he knew it must be about Alexandra. But, suddenly, Riku's eyes grew wide. "Oh, my God. I forgot one of the most vital reasons that I had to find Trinity. How could I be so stupid?"
Riku angrily started walking quickly to where the alleyway opened up. "C'mon you guys," he growled, waving a hand to beckon Toshi and Sora.
Toshi reluctantly got up and followed, right on Sora's heel. "Where are we going?"
"To the Inn," Riku replied hastily, turning the corner.
"Riku, what's this 'vital reason' you're talking about?" questioned Sora, catching up to his friend.
"Merlin told me that if I don't keep watch on Trinity," said Riku, his eyes darting different directions in caution, "then something... something will happen to her. Someone's out there to get her, Sora." Riku cursed. "Man, how could I just forget like that? Ugh, I hope nothing happened to her. You see, Merlin predicted that Trinity would be 'abducted by a nefarious force.'"
Sora wrinkled his nose in vexation. "So Merlin thought Trinity would be kidnapped? There's hardly anyone here in Traverse Town! It's just us, Alexandra, Kairi, and Trinity."
"Yeah, but," Riku wiped at his forehead, quickening his pace, "you never know. There's always something out there, lurking. There's always some sort of mystery, and things that are completely ironic and unexpected. There's always deception around the corner."
Deception? The word echoed in Sora's mind.
"Hurry you guys," urged Riku as they finally reached the steps to the Inn. The door was ajar. Riku muttered profanities under his breath as they all realized someone obviously arrived there first.
The three males stepped into the Inn and looked around. Riku flipped a nearby switch to turn on the light. He instantly started looking around, in the kitchen, in the living room. Sora's heart throbbed madly at the possibility of coming face to face with Kairi any moment now.
Toshi looked in the refrigerator.
"Hello?" shouted Riku. "Anyone here? Trinity? Kairi?"
"Trinity!" Sora cupped his hands around his mouth in a calling gesture. "Kairi! Where are you two?"
"Laaadies," Toshi drawled with no effort, strolling out of the kitchen with a bitten sandwich in his hand. His mouth was full. "Wheeere aaare yooou?"
Half an hour passed. Riku and Sora searched everywhere. Downstairs, upstairs, every darned inch of that darned Inn. Another half an hour passed.
Sora stopped beside a Toshi who was lounging on a sofa, his feet propped up on the coffee table in front of him and hugging a jar of jellybeans to his chest. Sora sighed in exasperation.
"Why don't you help, Princess?"
"Fine, fine," Toshi said with a tone full of annoyance and a mouthful of fruity jellybeans. "Laaadies," he called out lazily. He turned to his side, lifted a maroon cushion, and peered underneath. "Where'd jooo go?"
The moon had finally disappeared from sight and the sun peeped out from the distant horizon. Sora and Riku looked out of the windows in horror.
"They're gone," Riku said, his voice strained. "We've checked... everywhere, anywhere. Trinity's gone. Kairi... she's gone, too."
Sora's heart sank. He breathed in deeply, mixed emotions dwelling in his mind. He did not know what to do. He wished he did. Kairi was gone, and he had been so close to her...
Toshi looked discontentedly at the empty jar of jellybeans on his lap. "Well, this sucks."
"You're right," grumbled Sora.
"Do they have any more candy?"
Riku refrained himself from strangling the Sora-look-alike. He clenched his fists and snapped, "You idiot! How can you think about candy at a time like this?"
"Easy," Toshi replied, standing up and stretching. "I think about it all the time."
No one replied to him. Sora tensed as he shook his head, thinking about Kairi. What had happened to her? Was she hurt? Was she all right? Was she safe? Sora then gulped. Was she even alive?
"Kairi..." whispered Sora, his voice cracking. "What I would give to... to just..."
"By the way," mused Toshi, walking over to Sora. "I know you were worried about not having the Oathkeeper before seeing Kairi and all, but I had a vision."
Sora looked up, and stared right into Toshi's smug eyes. "What?"
Toshi shrugged. "It happened not that long ago, when Alexandra was explaining setting back time. My head felt seriously out of control."
Sora raised an eyebrow. "I remember. You looked sick. But I thought it was because the whole thing confused you."
"No, I'm not that feeble-minded," replied Toshi with a roll of his eyes. "But you know what I saw? It had you in it. I know it was definitely you and not me. Because of your demeanor, the way you acted."
"So it had me," Sora said. "What happened?"
Toshi looked around. "Well..."
"Tell. Me. Now."
"Sheesh, so testy you are." Toshi lazily played with a loose thread on his shirt. "Anyway... Keyblade or not, Oathkeeper or not, whether she's here or not... you and Kairi are going to meet real soon."
SPECIAL THANKS TO...
BattleAngelKurumi, Shirozora, Heavenly Demon, Sweet Raine, Pooky, daaku, Sorasgirl333, thesrazrbladekisses, dearlyxbeLOVED, angelady, & Mysterious Prophetess.