Disclaimer: not mine
Chapter 12
Kairi wandered along the shoreline, lost in thought, but as the sun began to set she turned towards home. She really needed to pack casual clothes in her school bag for when she wanted to stay out all afternoon, the evening air had a chill to it that her uniform didn't do much to protect her from. She was almost to the street when a hand wrapped around her mouth and she was pulled back into the bushes. She tried to scream, kicking out at her attacker, swinging her bag back at them, trying to twist free like Tidus and Wakka had been teaching her.
"Kairi it's me!" A male voice hissed in her ear. "It's Sora." The hand over her mouth was removed and she relaxed.
Kairi turning her head, finding she had to look up more than she remembered, but she knew that grin. "Sora…" she whispered in shock, and he let her go. She spun around and threw herself against him, feeling him catch her even as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "You're home," she choked as he hugged her back. "I've missed you so much…your parents have been going crazy. Search parties have looked everywhere, and I just didn't know what to say. No one knows I was gone at all," she explained in a rush, clinging to him.
"Shh, it's okay," he whispered. She felt him rest his head against the top of hers. He had to be as tall as…as... "I've missed you too, so much, but…I'm not home, not yet."
"What?" She pulled back to glare at him.
"Kairi, do you remember Riku?"
"Riku?" she asked in confusion, frowning. Riku… "I…"
"He's our best friend Kairi and no one remembers him anymore. Come with me to the Play Island?" he asked, and she nodded. She was confused, but she trusted Sora. "Hold on." She moved back in and he wrapped his arms around her waist. There was a flash of light and then she looked around to find they were on the Island.
"How?"
"A trick I learnt from Merlin," he grinned, taking her hand and leading her towards the Secret Place. They came to the familiar drawing of her and Sora giving each other a Paopu fruit. He traced the image and then ran his fingers over a blank…no…scribbled section. "Can you see him Kairi? You drew this, it's Riku."
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Sora was glad Naminé had a connection with Kairi as well and knew about her adding to the drawing. They both definitely had more talent for drawing then he did. He gently traced the image of Riku on the wall, smiling at the idea of the three of them sharing the legendary fruit. So maybe…that dream could be real? He'd kissed Riku, not that that really counted under the circumstances, and from the way Kairi had hugged him in the waterway and then now…
He reached out and took her hand, bringing her fingers to touch the stone, tracing the image for her. "Please Kairi, try to remember. When we built the raft, it was the three of us, Riku did a lot of the building, I kept falling asleep on the beach and you were teasing me. We all wanted to go but Riku…he wanted it the most. The night the Islands fell, we were separated, I ended up in Traverse Town, he landed in Hollow Bastion, and you,"
"My heart went to you," she said, obviously forgetting Riku hadn't effected that memory.
"Do you remember what happened later at Hollow Bastion?"
"You stabbed yourself with Ansem's Keyblade to free my heart. You were glowing and then…" she took a shaky breath, and he squeezed her hand.
"Hey, I'm okay," he promised, and she nodded.
"You wouldn't wake up and then Ansem was there and..." she frowned. "And…he stopped?"
"Riku stopped him. Ansem possessed him, used his body, but Riku managed to hold him back to save us."
Kairi frowned, running her fingers along the stone where Sora had guided them. "Riku? Where is he then? Why…why can't I remember him?"
Sora took a deep breath but began explaining about Castle Oblivion, the Organisation, and…Naminé.
"So you're playing distraction to give them the time needed for her to fix Riku's memory? And no one will remember him until it's fixed? Even his family?"
"There were only search parties for me, right?" he asked, and she nodded slowly.
"The house…I walk past it and I keep…"
"Thinking something's missing?" he offered, and she nodded. "For some reason, he wasn't fully erased from you, maybe because Naminé came from you? I don't know. Just try Kairi," he pulled out the picture Naminé had given him and held it out to her.
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Kairi took the paper and unfolded it, seeing a drawing of herself, Sora, and…another boy, with long silver hair and green/blue eyes. That was Riku? Wait...why could she see him in the picture but not on the wall. "Riku…" she whispered, hr chest aching like…like something was missing. She glanced at the wall, and she could see the image of the three of them sharing Paopu fruit…she'd drawn him, she could tell, the style different from what Sora had drawn.
"You can see it now?" Sora asked hopefully, and she nodded.
"I want to see him," she said, but Sora shook his head.
"It's too dangerous Kairi, for everyone."
"You're leaving me behind again," she looked away, hurt. He wasn't going into battle so why not? Didn't he want her there?
Sora gripped her shoulders tightly, so that she couldn't move away but not enough to hurt. "Kairi…" he moved one hand to touch her cheek, gently moving her face to look at him, and her breath hitched at the look in his eyes. "There's no guarantee that you're not being watched because of me. That's why I grabbed you the way I did, out of sight, why I teleported us here. The moment it's safe, I'll bring him home or you to him, I promise."
She hated it but…if there was even a tiny chance he was right, then him taking her could put everyone in danger…for a boy she didn't really remember. But the pictures meant he was very important, why else would she have drawn him sharing a Paopu fruit? "Okay," she moved to lean against him, feeling extra muscle under his clothing. She frowned in thought even as she hugged him. "Sora…you've grown…too much," she began to tense, was it not Sora? Was this a fake, a trap?
"Hey," he whispered, and she felt a kiss being pressed to her hair, shocking her. "It's me Kairi, I swear. Remember Merlin? He has this spell, that can speed up time in a place while no or little time passes outside. I've been training under it for at least two years, maybe a bit more. That's why I look a bit older. Remember the year after you arrived, when we came out here and you saw that flower? And I insisted on climbing up to get it for you? Took me four tries and then I fell out of the tree, and you were screaming because you thought I'd killed myself, but all I had was some bruises?"
How would anyone else know that? "Sora," she relaxed against him.
Knowing he was older than her now was odd, but not really upsetting or anything. And it wasn't like he'd shot up a foot in height or something. The muscles…well they kind of felt…nice. She felt safe in his arms, she knew he'd protect her, even if she was learning more and more to protect herself. She looked up at him, taking in the changes to his face, there wasn't much, but he did look a little older. His hair though…
"You need a cut," she offered, and he laughed.
"Well my hairdresser wasn't available," he teased, and she rolled her eyes but dropped her school bag and dug through it even as he sat with his back to her.
Kairi found her scissors and stood behind him, running her fingers through familiar spikes. "Normal length?"
"Shorter please, in case it takes a while before I can come back."
That made sense so she began cutting. She'd taken over cutting his hair when they were eleven, though she hadn't been the best at it back then. She'd gotten a lot better over the years, cutting his and…she blinked and smiled, she knew she had cut someone else's hair but didn't remember doing. "I cut Riku's too, didn't I?" she asked.
"Yeah, the last three years, though he's been letting it get longer lately."
They fell silent as she worked and eventually she ran her hands though it vigorously to remove the cut strands and then stepped back. "Done."
He stood up and took his jacket off to shake it out and then slipped it back on. "Thanks," he smiled at her, and she smiled back.
Kairi put the scissors back in her bag and looked him over, the shorter hair was a definite improvement, showing off his face and wide eyes better. She moved in and hugged him again, soaking up the contact. They'd always been physically affectionate and she had missed him, enjoying being hugged back. He let go and she frowned in confusion but then he lifted a hand and gently stroked her cheek, and she leant into it. She shifted upwards, saw his eyes widen, but then he moved his head down, their lips brushing softly.
"Kairi…"
"Don't say sorry," she warned, and he laughed but shook his head.
"No, I'm not sorry, we should have done that back in the Waterway," he admitted. "I kissed Riku, before he went into the pod, he didn't even know who I was, I don't think he knew anything by that point; his name, how to recognise anything… I just…"
"You had to say goodnight," she finished for him. She glanced at the pictures, the three of them together. "Riku and I…"
Sora sighed. "I don't know, other than what you've drawn. The last few months on the Islands things were getting bad, I think you were…scared of him, because you're a Princess of Heart and you could sense the Darkness growing around him. You wanted to come with me to fight Ansem, to get Riku back, you were so upset when we thought he'd lost his heart to the Darkness."
She remembered wanting to go with Sora but not that it had been to save someone, which made more sese then what she did remember.
"There's a lot we need to talk about Kairi, but we don't have time. I'll try and sneak back and see you again if you want me to."
"No," she shook her head. "If taking me would be dangerous then you coming here is too. If Ansem was possessing Riku…he can fight right? You'll be safer once he's awake and can back you up, then you come get me and we'll kick Organisation ass, together. I've been working with Tidus and Wakka so that I won't slow you guys down. And we can talk everything over then."
Sora laughed and kissed her again but with more pressure. "It's a promise." He pressed something into her hand, and she looked down to see her lucky charm.
"No, you need it more than I do," she smiled at him. "Now, take me home before anyone thinks I've gone missing and then go save the Worlds. I want you and Riku home as soon as possible," she ordered sternly.
"Right," he grinned, and with a muted flash they were back where he'd grabbed her. "Be careful," he warned, and she kissed his cheek.
"You too," it was hard to walk away, but she had to. And tomorrow she would insist on the guys making lessons even harder. Next time something happened, she was going to be able to fight and go with them. She glanced back once but there was no sign of Sora.
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Sora staggered to his feet, spitting out blood, even as he snarled. The group of Heartless and Nobodies just kept on growing, no matter how many he took out. He was lost in a maze and while normally he could burn through the hedges, in Wonderland they grew back too quickly! The quirky World had been sort of fun when he'd been there with Donald and Goofy but on his own it was confusing and frustrating.
He screamed as a sword impaled him, tearing away on instinct, staggering back. He mentally swore even as he barred bloody fangs at the Invisible that had gotten the drop on him. He cast Curaga, feeling his magic drain, blocking the next blow with the Keyblade. Sharp claws raked down his back, mostly blocked by the magical clothing but he could feel welts form on the skin, even as he spun and slashed the shadow apart with his own claws.
A few beats of his wings had him airborne which meant only facing the Invisibles, Artful Flyers, and Snipers. He blinked, looking down, as a wave of cards attacked the ground based enemy…okay then, he wasn't going to complain if the Queen's guards took them out, as long as they didn't then attack him anyway. With the brief break he guzzled an emergency pack and threw himself back into the fight, magic flaring around him.
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Leon helped remove the bloodied jacket and shirt, seeing the still healing wounds that littered the kids body, feeling sick. If he was still human….but he wasn't and he'd come back 'alive', although in need of a change of clothing. Good thing the Fairy Godmother had made a few more copies of his outfit in case of something like this.
Sora was exhausted, moving from fight to fight was not good for him even if it was giving him a lot of Munny and odds and ends to give the Moogles to make new items with. And Sora was making use of that, stockpiling things for when his friends woke since they would need supplies, especially Riku, and if the girl…Kairi was serious about fighting then she would need even more since she didn't have a Keyblade.
He'd like to meet DiZ and introduce him to his Gunblade. The man was using Sora and it was obvious but so long as he was playing a role in restoring the groups memories there was nothing anyone could do.
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Xemnas was pleased by all the sightings of young Sora. It was puzzling to learn he was travelling alone, perhaps a falling out with the King's men? Xion was proving a better investment than he had first believed since it had managed to manifest a Keyblade, or something similar at least, it got the job done even if it didn't feel quite right.
Thankfully, Sora was doing what they needed him to do as well, and managing not to mess up any of their missions. Although, Xaldin was sure the boy had seen him on one of his missions and had attempted to pursue him, thankfully he had followed orders and not engaged.
There had been no sign of Sora's Nobody anywhere that they could find which was very disappointing. He would have made a very good addition to their ranks. The small time Sora had spent as a Heartless would likely have impacted how many memories he had but even if he had Sora's full memory, he was just a child and would be easy to manipulate. After all, destroying the Heartless was something the Keyblade bearer did and he doubted he would see anything wrong with seeking to regain their hearts. He did not need to know the truth.
Axel had admitted that Naminé's powers hadn't worked to erase or rewrite Sora's memories which was strange but perhaps her powers had been exaggerated by Marluxia. Still, no one there would have given him enough information to be dangerous to their goals.
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Sora smiled at Naminé, who smiled and then slipped out of the room to give him privacy. He walked up to the pod where Riku floated, his head tipped down towards his chest, and Sora hoped that wouldn't give him the worlds' worst neck ache when he woke up. The last few months had been busy, with more and more Nobody sightings all over the place, Sora was pretty sure he'd caught a fleeting glimpse of a familiar black coat too but whoever it was had vanished before he could reach their location.
"Hey sleepyhead," he greeted, trying for a teasing tone. If Riku could hear him then he didn't want to worry him. "Sorry it's been a while, but things are heating up out there. I haven't had the chance to visit Kairi again, but I know she's working hard to remember you. She misses you even if she doesn't really remember you. Did I tell you she drew you sharing Paopu fruit with the two of us? When you wake up we have to do that, make sure nothing will ever separate us…I'll do my best not to vomit it straight up. I…I have something important to tell you both then," he admitted. "Naminé thinks you guys can accept it…accept me. I hope she's right cause loosing you guys…" he sighed, closing his eyes.
He heard the door open and turned, smiling as King Mickey entered the room.
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Mickey hadn't seen Sora since they had first left Twilight Town on their own missions, so the change of wardrobe and appearance was a surprise. He hadn't spent a lot of time with humans, especially young ones, but surely that was too big a change over only a few months? He looked…older. Tired too, worn down. That was not good!
"Hello Sora," he greeted, before his gaze drifted to the pod, the boy within looked more familiar now then he had the last time he had seen him, so he assumed the work was going well.
"Hello, your M…Mickey," Sora corrected quickly when Mickey crossed his arms.
"Are you alright Sora?" he asked, and the boy shrugged slightly.
"Just tired," he answered, and yeah, he looked it.
"You have been taking breaks, right?" he asked, moving closer.
"Does flying count?" he asked with a small grin.
"Sora! I know you're worried, I am too," he told him, after all Donald and Goofy were two of his oldest friends and closest companions.
Sora was obviously worried about them too, he had spent months travelling with them after all, but the level of his concern for Riku…well, it seemed closer to the concern he felt for Minnie when they were apart. He couldn't imagine being separated the way they were…to have the one he loved be possessed by someone so evil.
"You still need to look after yourself. How do you think they'd feel if they could see what you're doing?"
Sora looked away, obviously getting the hint. "Fine," he muttered, and Mickey bit back a chuckle at the typical sulky teenager action.
"Have you eaten today?" he asked, and that got an actual eye roll.
"Yes Mom," but at least there was the hint of a smile there too.
Good. Sora had very little to smile about these days. Riku had told him…his eyes widened as he realised, he remembered speaking with Riku!
"Mickey? What is it?" Sora was staring at him in concern, and Mickey smiled.
"I remember speaking with Riku in the Realm of Darkness, not much of it, just a glimpse, but it's there."
Sora's eyes went wide and then a true smile overtook his face, making him look more like the boy he could vaguely remember Riku telling him about. Sora then looked back at the pod, pressing both hands to it. "It's working Riku," he whispered, voice hitching.
Mickey reached out and put his hand on his arm, wishing he could reach his shoulder. "See? It will be okay. You need sleep, I'll stay with him if it'll make you better," he offered, unlike Sora, he had been taking care of himself.
Sora hesitated but then nodded. "Okay…and thanks." He kept his hand on the pod as long as possible even as he walked away.
Mickey watched him go and then settled in to keep watch, smiling at the girl who entered after a while, telling her about the memory which made her happy.
TBC..
