Author's note: And chapter three is up. I worked really hard on this chapter and I would like to have feed back on it, so if you have time, please give me a review. Even it it is bad I don't mind. Now, this chapter is really the starting point to the whole story as you will find out once you read it, but enough talk. Enjoy!
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Chapter three: Realizing
It, was hot. No, it wasn't hot, hot didn't describe it. It, was scorching.
"Come on guys, lets go shopping."
Yeah, great idea...
An agitated twitch was visible in his eye as he crossed his arms and began to tap his foot on the sand covered ground, watching the red haired girl rummage through the piles of clothes that were laid out in an unorganized fashion on the wooden shelf before her. The bags that he had on his arms dangled lazily, their contents moving with the motion.
"Kairi, hurry up. I'm going to die from this heat."
But the request went unnoticed as Kairi picked up a pink shirt and looked at it, placed it over her chest to take a guess as if it would fit, then placed it back on the wooden shelf before moving on to the next item. "How does this one look Sora?"
Sora glanced up, looking over at Kairi who was holding up a pair of blue jean shorts. "There okay I guess.." He told her. "If you like them get them, just hurry up and decide before I fry."
Yes, before he fries. What about me? I've been out in this hot sun just as long as him.
He unfolded his arms and blew a piece of hair out of his face. It had been four hours and the three of them had been up and down this same crowded street, looking for clothes for princess dress a lot and not once had she agknowledged his assistance. Only asking Sora of his opinion, never of his. And of course, Sora gave them to her without question or thought. He had only just now started to complain about the heat even though Riku had notice earlier that he was sweating just as bad as he was. His brown hair sticking to the back of his next as they walked from store to store.
"I'm almost finished." Kairi said giggling. Placing her hand on her hip she titled her head to one side, looking at a pair of flip flops that she thought would go great with one of her new outfits. " These shoes are so cute." She said picking them up and looking at the price tag. "Oh...but I don't have enough money..." Here she sighed before looking over at Sora who was sitting in a chair, his eyes closed, paying no attention to her. He didn't notice her pleading gaze until it was to late.
"Sora. " She began, giving him the sweeties girlish voice she could manage. "Do you think you could lend me the money to buy these shoes. I really really really like them, and I'll pay you back. Please, pretty please."
Riku watched shaking his head, knowing what was coming next.
"Well...how much do you need?" Sora asked blinking, his blue eyes looking at the yellow and orange flip flops that she still held in her hands.
Kairi looked down at the ground before placing her hands behind her back.
"Here we go." Riku mumbled.
"Umm...twenty dollars." She finally told him before looking up and grinning.
Sora looked at her before giving a nervous laugh, his eyes watching her movements for any sign of this being some kind of a joke. "You're kidding right? Twenty dollars, for those things?"
"Well these are a really good pair!" She told him trying to explain the glory of the fashion and why she needed them. "These came from one of those major cities from the larger Islands, and they are like really hard to find. I've only seen these things in magazines and-"
Riku turned his attention to a little girl who was begging her mother to by her some ice cream. Her hazel eyes teary as she whined about how she hadn't had anything sweet all week and that they had her favorite flavor. Now who does that sound like?
"But mommy! You promised I could get something to eat!"
"Ice Cream is not food dear."
"It's on the food pyramid." The little girl told her crossing her arms and pouting, reminding Riku so much of Sora back when they were kids whenever the brown-haired boy didn't get his way.
"I don't care. You are not getting that ice cream. Now come on." The mother grabbed her daughters hand, pulling her along as she walked up the crowded street.
"Daddy would have gotten it for me..." Was the last words he heard from that argument before he zoned back in, right as Kairi finished explaining why she needed those ugly shoes.
"-this would be the best thing you could ever get for me Sora. Please, I'll never ask you for anything else ever again." She finished.
Sora looked over at Riku, his eyes begging him to help him out here.
"You're problem, not mine." Was what Riku's told Sora.
Glaring at him, Sora turned back towards Kairi who was eagerly waiting for his reply. "And you say you'll pay me back?"
Kairi nodded. "I promise."
Riku didn't even have to hear Sora's reply to know what the answer was going to be. He knew that Kairi had him from the beginning, even before she told him how much she needed.
"Well, if you really want them Kairi, I guess I could-" He was cut off by Kairi glomping him, her arms flying to his neck, she pulled him into a deep hug.
"Oh thank, you thank, you thank you." She excitedly told him kissing him on his cheek as he pulled out a twenty and handed it to her.
Sora's eyes widened and his hand went to his cheek. Grinning he watched kairi take the shoes and the money he just gave her to the guy who was sitting on a stool, assuming it was the guy who owned the store.
"You Sora-"
He turned around and looked at Riku who was looking at him like he had just thrown away a sack full of money. Which he might as well have because he was never going to get that twenty bucks back, along with all the other money he had lent her. He had a better chance of Selphie acting normal then ever getting his money from Miss Thing over there.
"-are pathetic."
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The black flakes hadn't stopped falling, if anything it had gotten worse. There was no trace of any of the pure white snow that had previously covered the ground with its innocents. No, it was nothing but the black stuff. Everywhere you looked, that was all you could see, and it was starting to make Keyar nervous.
"It doesn't look like it's going to stop..." She whispered sadly looking at the reflection of the cloaked figure in the window that she had been staring out of for the past fifteen minute, her yellow eyes meeting his bored green ones. "I don't like this. I don't like this at all."
"I'm sure it's nothing. Weird things happen all the time around this place." Came the voice behind her. "There's nothing to worry about."
A slow sigh escape her lips, Keyar nervously folded and unfolded her hands in her lap, breathing deeply, trying to remain calm. Then, as she tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear she turned to face her companion, her eyes telling him all he needed to know.
She just wasn't sure.
"Somethings bad is going to happen, I can feel it." she said trying to get him to understand.
The man lifted an eye-brow that was hidden underneath his black cloak and looked at her, reading her face. "Is it bothering you that much?"
Keyar bit her lip looking to her lap before answering. "Can't you feel it?"
"Feel what?" He questioned getting up off the wall that he had been leaning on for the entire conversation.
"...The darkness."
"In case you haven't noticed, the /darkness/ is everywhere. " He stated, glancing at her from underneath the hood of his leather jacket. "You, I, we-" He spread his arms apart and spun around slowly, using this gesture to include everyone that worked with them. "-can feel it all the time."
"No, this is different, " Brow furring, she shook her head, the black braid she had braided earlier that morning swaying behind her. "I know it."
"How different?" He sighed, giving up on trying to convince her that maybe she was just over reacting.
"Well...it's just. I don't know. I know it's different, that's all I can say." She told him miserably, realizing that she really had no information to back up her theory.
Shaking his head, he smirked, his lips forming perfectly. "Ivory was right, you are crazy."
"I'm not crazy." She snapped whirling around to face him, her eyes narrowed catching him off guard. She hadn't raised her voice, but she had said it with enough force and anger that she had caught him off guard.
"Whoa," He said putting his hands up in a defensive manner, his smirk was gone, but his voice still held amusement. This was the first time he had heard Keyar raise her voice at him, at all actually. It was kinda funny once he thought about it, hearing her, someone who hardly ever got mad, have an out burst. "I was only joking."
He is such an idiot
She's sensitive...he should know that
His brain is to small to comprehend such things...
Keyar blinked, a confused expression on her face, then realizing what she had done a blushed deeply in embarrassment. "I'm sorry..." She said casting her gaze to the ground, looking anywhere but his eyes.
Don't apologize to that thing!
He doesn't deserve your pity...
"Hey," Keyar looked up as his voice reached her ears. "Don't worry about it kid, we all get a little edgy at times. Take it from me."
Her eyes lightened up and she smiled. "Thanks..." She stopped here, tilting her head to one side. "...Hey, you know. You still haven't told me your name, and I'd really like to be able to call you something instead of saying 'Hey you' all the time. "
He shook his head smirking, walking over to her, his black boots taping against the marble floor of her room. "So, you want to know my name?"
Keyar nodded watching his hand as it went up to his hood. "Yes, if you don't mind that is."
Gloved covered fingers wrapped around the leather material of his cloak, as he took off his hood to reveal the green eyes she had only seen in quick glances. Black diamond shaped tattoos rested underneath his eyes and fiery untaimned red hair that was only visible briefly before fell into place.
Woah, I'm loving his hair
Focus, he's the enemy here
Is he really? I think he's just a jerk, but if you say-
Shut up, you talk to much.
Keyar looked at the man that stood before her, now being able to see his features completly, other than in small portions like they were before.
"The names Axel." He brought a gloved finger up to her forehead leaving it there as his smirk grew with amusement and the cockiness Keyar recognized and learned to tolerate. "Got it memorized?"
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Riku laughed silently as he snuck up behind them. He could only see the back of their heads and barely hear the voices of Sora and Kairi as they spoke, their legs swinging over the brown wooden dock.
It had been two hours since the three of them had gone to the market to go shopping for Kairi. Riku had to go home to check back in, but he had told the two he would meet them on the here, but they seemed as if they were already deep in an immense conversation.
The silver-haired teen quietly stepped closer to the two, careful not to make a sound. They still hadn't noticed him, which was good. Bringing his hand to his mouth his stifled a laugh.
Man this was going to be good...
"Y'know...Riku has changed."
He stopped in mid step as he heard his name. He had heard right hadn't he? They were talking about him Riku, right?
"What do you mean?" Asked Sora, questioning Kairi's earlier statement.
A second passed before he heard Kairi's voice again. "Well..."
"You okay?" Came Sora, this time his voice holding worry and concern. Riku couldn't see it, but he knew Sora had his confused face on as he looked over to the friend that sat next to him.
"Sora, let's take the raft and go-"
Riku's eyes widened, his jaw dropping slightly in disbelief. She hadn't just said that, he had heard wrong, he just knew it. He was imagining things, his mind was playing tricks on him. Kairi would never say something like that, not about him...would she? But as he listened on his fears were proven right.
"Just the two of us!" She finished with excitement, the sound of her shoes scraping the wood could be heard as she jumped to her feet.
Riku's face dropped, his eyes filling with hurt and disbelief. She really had said it and so easily too, without hesitation or holding back, and she sounded happy about it. Like this was something she really wanted, this unthinkable thing.
It was his idea to make the raft anyway, so who was she to say what they did?
Narrowing his eyes Riku gritted his teeth, glaring at the back of his two friends heads. And Sora, he hadn't said anything to defend him, anything to protect him. No, he just sat there, like he always did, and if anything hurt, that hurt the most.
"...I've...changed huh?"
Both Sora and Kairi jumped at the sound of his voice. Sora's eyes saddening at the look he saw on his best friends face, Kairi's widening
"R-Riku..." Sora whispered, his feet automatically stepping towards his friend but he froze when he saw Riku step back.
"It's not what you think Riku." Kairi explained her voice hurried as she blurted it out. "I was kidding, I didn't mean-"
"Shut up..." Riku whispered, his hair drapping over his eyes, he looked to the ground. "Just...shut up."
Kairi bit her bottom lip gripping the end of her shirt doing as she was told.
They stayed like this, Riku not looking at either of them as they stood on the wooden dock, the sun setting behind them. Sora wanted to comfort Riku while Kairi just wished to disappear.
Riku felt so stupid for not seeing this coming. Blinded by his efforts to keep his friendship with Sora, he hadn't realized that Kairi was doing her part as well. Doing her best to have Sora to herself. Her and him having their own quality time together, she was steadily reaching her goal, while he had come no closer to his.
Riku couldn't hide it anymore, his best friend was gone. The Sora he knew, just wasn't there anymore.
Sora was the first to speak, finally getting tired of the silence he had dealt with so many times before. "Riku..." He said quietly trying once more to step closer to him. "We weren't going to leave you Riku. Honest."
"Yeah!" Kairi said, grinning. "You know we would never leave you behind. It was a joke, really..." She just knew this would get Riku on his good side, forgetting all about what she had said earlier. But to her dismay, it didn't work. Nope, not this time Kairi. Riku's no Sora.
"If you didn't mean it, you wouldn't have said it." Riku snarled finally looking up at the two of them. His eyes glared hard, and if looks could kill those two would surely have been dead. "I was the one who suggested it in the first place! And here you two are, talking about me behind my back, making plans on leaving ME behind!" His voice dripped with venom, each word he spoke holding disgust. " I thought we were friends." Here he shifted his eyes to look at Sora shaking his head, he whispered. "And you Sora, you didn't even say anything to protect me...you went right along with her plan. Not refusing, like you were her stupid lap dog!" Turning away from them Riku clenched his fists before choking out. "I don't even know you anymore..."
Sora's eyes widened, his heart sinking at the sound of Riku's voice. How it held so much pain, so much disappointment...and it was all his fault. Riku was right, he hadn't said anything to defend him, and he hated himself for it. "I'm sorry Riku. I am, I just-"
"You just what? You just can't say no to Kairi. You just care for her too much." The silver-haired teen closed his green eyes gritting his teeth. "Enough to erase years of friendship?"
"No! That's not it!" Sora cried out in desperation.
"Than what is it!" Riku yelled, looking up at his friend once more.
Kairi, who still hadn't said anything this whole time watched, her eyes watering as she saw the two fight. She had never seen them fight. Sure, they rough housed, wrestling for what she thought was for her attention. But she had never seen them truly fight, not like this. And she was afraid.
"Oh, that's right." Riku said slapping his palm to his forehead as if remembering something before laughing bitterly.
The laugh itself was enough to shake Sora up, but what really took the cake, was his face. Riku's usually playful expression had now melted away and was instead replaced with a look of pure disgust. Sora saw this a few times, when Riku had saved him from bullies back when they were younger. Even then sora had feared it, happy that it was not him on the receiving end. But now, as he stared into those death glaring eyes he saw why he had been afraid of Riku. Riku had been there to protect him from everyone else, but faced against him, Riku couldn't save him. He was by himself.
"You're a sap, weak to your emotions."
Sora reached out to touch Riku's shoulder, trying one last time to explain how sorry he was, but he didn't even get inches within him before Riku's quick reflexes swatted his hand away.
"Don't touch me!" Riku cried out backing away from him. Glancing at Kairi who was still watching in horror he crossed his arms across his chest, turning his head to look shamefully the other way. "...Don't touch me.."
"Please Riku...don't...don't do this." Sora whimpered, his eyes watering at the sight of his broken friend. It hurt him so much to so him like this, and it hurt him even more to know that it was his fault.
"I'm not doing anything..." Riku whispered . "this isn't my fault..." And Sora finally letting his tears fall as he watched helplessly as his friend backed away from them before turning, running off in a full sprint.
And what really crushed Sora, what just made him want to crawl up into a ball and die wasn't that he was leaving, it was what he said before he did.
"I didn't do this Sora...you did."
It was just above a whisper, and Sora barely heard it, but when he did he wished he hadn't. He knew that Riku was right, he wasn't able to deny the signs that Riku had given him for the longest now, that he himself saw, but had chosen to ignore.
"Please...wait..." Sora cried out, he wanted to yell it. scream it at the top of his lungs. To run after him, to stop him. Do anything other than stand there like and idiot, and watch him go. But his feet wouldn't move, and his voice wouldn't work, cut off by the steadily flowing tears he was still crying.
Sora stood there with Kairi, alone, together on the dock. Not saying a word to each other or moving from their spots. Even when the sun had almost set, and you could barily see it above the ocean, is reflection rippling in the water from the gentle breeze, they stood there. This was what they had wanted right? To be together with no Riku. Even if this hadn't been the way he wanted it to go, Sora had finally gotten his dream, recieving his alone time with the girl he thought he wanted for so long, wishing to gain her attention, but now wished he didn't have
