Chapter 3

What's wrong with me?

"I'm sorry but the boy is not for y-you." Kairi said with a low whimper. Tears from her eyes were falling violently. The creature seemed to be very astonished and angry.

"What! Why did you bring that damn boy here then!" He yelled raising a hand. Suddenly he hit Kairi square on her cheek. She fell to one side grasping her cheek, she was bleeding. He looked at me even with more hate.

"What is your name, you scum?" He asked getting closer. The putrid smell was worse.

"Sora, sir." I said looking down. If only I could go to Kairi and help her, but that monster would kill me if I did, which would be even worse. She would be alone…who knows what he could do to her?

"Sora? How dare you call yourself that? You're scum and you belong in the dirt…just like her." He said pointing Kairi. He slapped me on the cheek and clawed me. I fell, blood splattered all over my face. The wound stung with such strength that I almost lost conscience. The creature snarled and slid fast into his shadows. The door closed and the shadows were gone.

I crawled over to Kairi. She was sweating cold, tossing and turning; her painful moans broke my heart. I grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to wake her.

"Kairi! Kairi! Come…on!" I yelled in a cloud of frustration.

"Mmmm…" She moaned drowsily. I raised my hand, not forgiving myself for what I was about to do, and slapped her hard across her cheek. She opened her eyes, furious yet weak.

"You bloody beast, can't you see I'm weak!" Her voice was merely comprehensible. Her eyes weren't clear, they looked around clouded and troubled. She lifted her hand and felt my wounded cheek. I winced, but I doubt it was because of the pain. Suddenly, she brought her hand to my brown hair and pulled it in a angry fashion. I tried to stop her but her grip was too strong. Hadn't she said she was 'weak'?

"I tell you, little beast, back off! You shan't steal what is mine, you hear me?" Her eyes were not purple anymore, but pitch-black spheres on her face and her voice was rough and very clear, too clear.

"Kairi! Who are you? What are you talking about?" I demanded in a brave way, yet I felt horribly scared.

"You can run but never hide! Be alert, you monster. We won't stop at anything." With this, Kairi's eyes cleared and she fell into a deep sleep in my arms. What. Is. She. Talking. About. ? Who is 'we'? Why ? Where? When? How? What? I looked down at her in her peaceful slumber, she looked so fragile, a porcelain doll.

"You may be as beautiful as an angel, but you surely are as heavy as a cow…" I said to myself, smiling. I lay her upper body on the floor gently and lie down besides her, my hands supporting my head. She shivered with cold and tossed restlessly, murmuring incoherent things. I took off my warm robe, leaving only cotton pants and a loose shirt on. While I put the robe over her, I noticed how cold it was. I lay back again and stared at the ceiling. Soon enough my dreams were deep and restful.

When I woke up the sun was already up and bright, Kairi wasn't there. I looked around and realized that was in my room. My robe was folded right besides me. I put it on and placed my hands in the pockets; a newfound, yet familiar habit. There was a small note in it, I opened it very cautiously.

Meet me at the stone steps. Be fast.

I knew it was Kairi's. I read the small piece of paper again and put it aside. What is it that what she wants to tell me? Or show me? I asked myself while changing my clothes. The sunlight poured on my window filling the room with light. I grabbed the note and got out of the room.

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Kairi's p.o.v.

I reclined against the hard rock of the steps. I wish he found the note…what if he's too lazy and never checked his robe? What if it's too late! What if my plan falls apart! Unthinkable! The minutes ticked by until I see his slim body approaching. I sighed in deep relief and straightened my back. He came to me and when I saw his face I felt all my blood crawling up my face. I remembered last night…next time I'll try to stay awake.

FLASHBACK

When I woke up the full moon still shone brightly in that cloudless, dark night. I didn't want to open my eyes, it was so warm and soft. Wait…what was 'warm and soft'? I gasped as I found myself cuddled up against Sora's chest. His arms around my small waist, our faces were two inches away…awkward position…very awkward position. I tried to slip away as careful and graceful as a swan leaving its nest. Our faces nearly collided as I tried to get away. Grace and beauty I posses! How could we get into this? I remembered when he fell asleep—at least I didn't feel his body warmth—he never touched me, not even a graze. Anyway, I slipped away successfully…after half an hour; he's quite heavy. I liked how he looked when sleeping…so innocent and cute…argh, don't start again, Kairi! I wrote him a small note and put it in his robe. I folded it and carried it.

END OF FLASHBACK

"Hey, Kairiii!" He yelled in the distance, waving. I waved back as I walked fast to him.

"Sora, I need to talk to you", I said seriously, "something happened yesterday. Come with me." I took his hand (still blushing) and led him up to the steps. When we got up, I removed some bushes and helped him pass.

Rasshhh!

Silence.

Rasshhh!

Silence.

Rasshhh!

Silence.

Rasshhh!

I touched my sword, my senses awake and aware. He shot me a worried glance, my eyes told him to hush. All of a sudden a shadow jumped in front of us.

"KAIRI! HERE YOU ARE!" The shadow screamed. It was a girl. The voice was quite familiar…Lydia's.

Lydia had long, red curly hair and big celery-green eyes. Her tall, ivory figure moved around us happily.

"Who's this boy you brought?" She said, clearly interested in poor Sora. No. Rewind that. She said, clearly interested in lucky Sora. He looked intently (ahem!) at her.

"Well, Lydia this is Sora, Sora, Lydia. Found him here yesterday. Weird you didn't find him first." I said. She lived here in the forest…wonder how she never gets dirty…"Where are the others?" I asked.

"Oh, they're here, somewhere. They'll be here soon." As if on cue three shadows appeared from behind a bush.

"I told you already, Luke. I do believe Atlantis exists! It is true we just-" John, a black haired, terracotta eyed guy--a risen demon-- was interrupted by our presence. Luke was a blond haired guy with amazing grey eyes…a fallen angel…And there was Alice, John's sister. Her long black hair covered half her face…she had eyes as black as coal.

"Kairi…what happened?" Alice asked in her dark, gloomy voice.

"Before we start, I'd like you to meet Sora." I said taking the boy's hand in mine. The others introduced themselves very curtly, I daresay. Alice stepped towards Sora and stared into his eyes. I already know what she's about to do. Her pupils are smaller and the iris changed into some dark purple shade. He trembled a little…bloody witch.

"The boy is clean. He's pure at heart…but there's a little something that stains it. Something quite strange." She said in a trance-like manner. I walked to Alice really pissed off.

"Would you give the poor guy a rest! Can't you sense it in his blood, Alice! Can't you smell it! I know all you want is to take him out, but can't you feel he's one of the last generation! One of the only that survived?" I yelled sick of their rudeness and their pointless prejudices.

"He's not from here, Kai. Why do you care so much about him, He'll leave us in the end." John looked at me gently, I felt as if his looks were caressing my ivory face. I glared, he has to learn.

"But he's our only hope!" I turned around to see a very confused Sora…he would leave us if he knew anyways…I won't let that happen…not again…

"What are you talking about?" He asked skeptically at me. I glanced at my other comrades, doubting what should I do. Lydia looked at me; 'Tell him', her eyes encouraged. Luke wore the same expression. Alice looked right into my eyes, I felt the electricity running through my veins, it stung. I turned my face to lock eyes with John. His expression was much stronger than the others. 'Don't let him in…don't let false illusions get to you'…he already knows…

"I'll tell you later, kiddo." I responded ignoring the others. "Okay guys, we've got to get working." All of us except Sora formed a circle and held hands. We chanted the words of the forest and the sea; we're under their protection. We finished and sat on the moist earth. "The reason of this meeting is that Sorax had an encounter with the boy yesterday, and also Lirael senses something, despite my desperate acts of deception." Lirael, the Supreme Guardian, is the one that guards the home of the Element owners (gods and goddesses). He is the one in charge to maintain peace and eliminate those who intrude with this plan. We are rebels, we fight against him, though in secret…he doesn't know the ones closer to him are the ones scheming for his death…for this place's freedom.

"Lirael senses? It was about time! I think the guy's a retard or something." John said.

"Yeah, but what worries me worse is what Sorax might do to the kid." Alice pointed out looking at Will.

"What? What happened?" Luke asked.

"Well, based on Kairi's memories, her fiancé hates the boy. One, because he thought it was her gift to him, but he wasn't. Two, Sorax felt too strange about this boy, like he had to be careful or something. An third, well, because Kairi led Sora to her and Sorax's place. That really pissed him off." Alice explained, making use of her memory-reader abilities. I nodded, Lydia took my hand and kissed my forehead.

"It's going to be all right, don't worry, Kairi."

"Sora is the one you should try and comfort." I whispered in her ear.

"Wish I could, though." She whispered back, giggling. She patted my head and tiptoed towards John and, from the back, placed her arms around his shoulders. She whispered something to him and he nodded.

"Um…Kairi, could you leave with the boy, please?" He said, Lydia still clinging to him. I wanted to ask why but decided to do so later. I went over to Sora and took his hand, leading him closer to the village. This was strange…what did Lydia said for John to react that way? Why couldn't I hear the conversation? Obviously it was about Sora, but why couldn't I listen? After all it was me the one who found him, it was I the one who was with him when Sorax came to us.

"What were you talking about?" He asked immediately we passed through the bushes, I sighed.

"You don't remember a thing, do you?"

"No, why? You know that already." He answered.

"Oh, well, it's just that I had something in mind. The other guardians and I were talking about what had happened yesterday with Sorax. However I want to take you somewhere…I know this man who can help you. He's some kind of a mind-breaker."

"A what?" Will asked.

"A mind-breaker. Someone that can read minds and also read your past." I explained walking towards a small house in the center of the village.

"Oh…are you sure it's okay I go? Maybe I don't want to know my past after all." Will commented a bit nervously. I ruffled his hair playfully.

"Don't worry, besides I'm not very sure if it works on you." I said.

"Why?" He asked when we were in front of the house.

"Just an inkling." I responded as I knocked the rough wood of the door. A voice was heard from the inside, not very clear though. Moments later a wrinkled little man came out. I bowed and nudged Sora as he was still standing there like an idiot, the old man bowed down too and took my hands.

"Oh, Kairi! I was longing to see you, you haven't come to me in a very long time. I was already missing your stories about your battles and all those creatures. Oh! Why, look at this! You brought a friend." He said looking up at Sora.

"Sorry, I forgot. Um… Uncle Katori this is Sora." I introduced my two acquaintances. The males bowed and Katori opened his eyes in realization.

"Is this the young man Mother said you found?" He asked.

"Yes, he is. Mother sure is fast spreading news, isn't she?." I commented

"She is…why did you brought him here anyways? You know that this isn't the safest place to hide him." Katori said.

"Hide him? Why would I hide him, Katori?" This man…he knew more than he was telling.

"I can't say…but the best for you two is to runaway together. Here neither of you will survive long." He said in a very alarming tone.

"Why? What did we do?" I asked.

"First of all, you infuriated Sorax yesterday. Second, the guardian of Night senses something wrong and dark in the boy. And third, you helped him survive."

"But he was going to die in the forest, dammit! I could never let someone die like that!" I protested. Nothing made sense. 'I helped him survive'?

"You're not getting the damn point! He was supposed to die, Kairi! Can't you see it! That's why the guardian of the Forest left him there! Can't you see it?"

"NO! Lydia, my best friend, would never, ever deceive me, let alone abandon someone to death!" I yelled indignantly. Katori was already red in the face and the little blue vein popped out from his neck.

"YOU, above all people, should know that appearances can deceive! Take a look at yourself! Who would ever think that someone looking so beautiful and delicate like you could be such a monster?" The little man yelled. I took a glace at Sora and saw he was quite confused.

"What did I do wrong?"

"Your blood is your folly, boy. All in all it's not your fault, but your ancestors. I really am sorry." Katori said with soft eyes.

"What has my blood that others don't have!" Sora asked very pissed off.

"A curse." He simply said.

"A curse? That's why I have to die? A curse?" Indignation ad disbelief echoed in his voice.

"Your family has been hunted for centuries now. Rumor has it that no more than twelve years there was a war in the Far East and only the last generation survived; Mother believes that you're part of that group."

"Yes, but what about the curse? What's wrong with me?"

"Officially it's a curse, to me it's a gift. When the Necromancers and the Elementals lived, chaos reigned; as you all know they hated each other to death. But there were some rebels; they conspired with their enemies to bring the others to their downfall. The conservative ones made a pact to keep peace while they eliminated the traitors and their offspring, what happened wasn't very nice. In one of the wars to eliminate these traitors, the Elementals betrayed the Necromancers. The latter swore no rest till they killed every single one of the Elementals, but they also swore that the new specie of Necromancers and Elementals should have their characteristics and that they should help in the killing of the Elementals." Katori paused to drink water.

"So I'm a mix of Elementals and Necromancers?"

"Called Nocis Monstrum…" I found myself saying. Sora turned around to face me, a surprised look lingered on his face. His shocked blue eyes met my purple ones.

"You knew?" He asked me. I nodded.

"Just a little. I knew how to recognize you…" His expression was a bit hurt.

"And yet you acted as if you knew nothing…I trusted you, and you didn't."

"No! It's not like that! I wasn't sure if you were one of them; that's another reason I brought you here." I tried to explain.

"Makes me wonder about your true intentions when you took me to Sorax…" Now I was the one hurt.

"WHAT? ARE YOU BLOODY IMPLYING THAT I WAS GOING TO BETRAY YOU?"

"GIVE ME ANOTHER REASON THEN!"

"I DIDN'T WANTED YOU DEAD, IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, FOR CHRIST SAKE!"

"AND YOU THINK I WOULD EVER BELIEVE ANY OF THIS BULLSHIT?"

"Look, you! If I ever wanted you dead I would've left you in the forest alone!" I yelled, angry tears came to my eyes.

"WHY DIDN"T YOU LEAVE ME THEN!" Sora screamed. I tried to look for Katori but found that he had silently escaped in our argument. It took me moments to answer.

"I don't know…anymore." Only a whisper was brave enough to speak up for me. For some time, he stared at me, breathing heavily with anger and frustration whilst I could only stare back with hurt, wet eyes. I have never felt so humiliated.

"You finished screaming?" The old man asked from behind a door . He opened it and got out as silence greeted him. I wiped my tears, hiding them from Katori. "We'd be lucky if Mother didn't hear you." He said.

"What should I do, Katori-sama?" He asked the man.

"The best thing you can do is runaway to the Far East with Kairi-san and find the other survivors." Sora grimaced.

"Do I have to go with her?" He asked bitterly.

"Yes, why d'you ask?"

"I would go with her if I had a guarantee that she wouldn't kill me."

"Hey! You're a Nocis Monstrum and we're one of the last Elemental villages! I did much by sparing your life!" I protested, he looked down at me, pondering.

"Kairi is right, Sora-kun. Besides, if you leave her behind she'll die; wouldn't that be like stabbing her back?" I glanced at Katori quite confused and decided to play along

"Please…" The word came out forcefully from my mouth. The boy's face was hard and emotionless, but his eyes showed a great insecurity.

"We have no time, boy! Soon they'll call you and it'll be too late; leave your resent aside!. If you're separated neither of you will survive, do you understand me? Both of you will die!"

"Why won't we survive if we're separated?" Sora asked.

"The prophecy! The prophecy made by the Guardian of the Air! He said that neither the Traitor nor the Enemy would survive if they're apart! They have something that, when together, makes some kind of a shield...you two are very powerful together...probably the ones that'll end with this blood feud."