And welcome back to another chapter of Souls of the Heart! Thank you everyone again for giving so much support to this story!
I don't got much else to say so let's get on with it!
Ch.11
Sora, Riku and Kairi were all playing tag along the beach. They ran along the shoreline, chasing each other and giggling throughout it all. They soon ran into the edge of the water, trying to splash one another. What had started as a game of tag was now a game of soaking each other with the water. But none of them really cared, they were having fun either way.
Ventus was watching them play through Sora's eyes, but he couldn't help but feel sad. For a brief second two people overlapped the image he was seeing of Riku and Kairi, a guy with brown hair, and a woman with blue hair. They were only there for a second and then they were gone, but the image stayed longer in Ventus's thoughts. Their images were just a blur for when he had seen them, but he knew that they were important. The sadness was back within him. He felt as if he knew these two people, that they were special to him, that they were his closest friends, yet he couldn't remember their names.
Ventus figured that only he had seen the images, as Sora never once stopped playing with Riku and Kairi. The three of them just continued playing around, with not a care in the world. Ventus sometimes wished that life could be like that for him, so simple and peaceful. Maybe one day it would be...but for now he could only enjoy these carefree moments through Sora's eyes.
Vanitas frowned to himself as he watched through Sora's eyes, seeing him playing with those two other brat's that he called friends. Ever since he had awoken in the boy's heart he had started feeling strange. There was this warmth that was slowly filling him the longer he spent around the boy. Was this friendship? Was this what his annoying other half was always going on about? The feeling of doing anything to help his friends? Vanitas knew without a doubt that he would make anyone who hurt Sora suffer. Well, he would if he had a body. For now he could only try and help the boy get stronger. Maybe it was time to up the boy's training since it was pathetic watching the boy lose to the brat all the time.
Vanitas watched the friends all stop and take a break. He watched through Sora's eyes as the princess hugged the brat and then turned to them, a large grin on her face. 'Don't tell me the little princess is going to hug the boy?' he questioned out loud annoyed at his other half.
His pathetic other half only sent him feelings of amusement, not even bothering to answer out loud. Vanitas inwardly sneered as the princess hugged the boy. He growled annoyed as a strange feeling filled him. It was warm. So much warmth, and it was so bright. He hated it.
A second later the brat joined in on the hug. With all three of them so close together there was a lot of light. Vanitas growled louder, why did the boy allow the other two to hug him like this? 'Didn't the brat and princess ever hear of personal space?' He was once more sneering, hating the strange feeling that was filling him.
'Jeez, lighten up Vani! It's just a hug,' Venuts replied with an annoyed tone. Vanitas could feel his other half would be rolling his eyes if he had them.
The summer days kept coming and going, each day filled with another fun adventure for the trio. Another day of them getting closer and really getting to know each other. There would be days where they would stay on the mainland and play there, but there would be times where they would see Rin somewhere in town. Whenever that would happen, they would immediately go the other way and hope not to run into him. Overall though, the three mostly prefered to go out to the large island to play there. Out there they could have as much fun as they wanted, and it allowed Sora be able to talk about Ventus and Vanitas openly.
Throughout the summer, they explored and played all over the island. There were days when they played in the water and in the sand, and days when they would run and chase each other around. There were also other times when Sora and Riku played with their toy swords and Kairi cheered them both on. Sora still was not as strong as Riku, and lost a lot of the time to him, but he still never once gave up.
They would also look for any other secret hidden places on the island, like their cave hideout. Though there were a few little cove areas around the island, nothing truly beat their secret cave spot. It was far cooler in there, so they found it a great place to chill and relax on the hottest of the summer days. But they started to feel the cave was a bit empty, it needed something to make it more special.
"How about we draw pictures on the cave!" Kairi suggested as she ran a hand over part of the cave. She picked up a small rock the size of her hand, "We can use these little rocks. I was told we can draw on rocks with smaller ones." Kairi then took the small rock and made a few small lines across the cave wall in front of her to demonstrate her point.
"What would we draw though?" Riku asked.
"Anything!" Kairi suggested cheerfully. "What do you think Sora? You think it would be a cool idea?"
Sora nodded quickly, getting more chances to draw was something he had been developing over the months. "Yeah! It sounds fun!"
'Ohh, you're going to be drawing again!' Ventus exclaimed happily.
'More of the doodling nonsense?' Vanitas questioned with a scoff, though even if it was only to himself, it was interesting to see the boy get better and better at drawing him and his other half.
"Doodle is not nonsense Vani, it's fun" Sora said as he frowned.
"Hmm yeah, drawing can be really pretty. So don't be mean about it Vani," Kairi added.
"Does Vani ever say anything nice?" Riku asked with a small chuckle.
Sora stuck his tongue out, "Just cause Vani's a grouch doesn't mean he isn't nice. He just shows it differently!" He said defending his older brother.
'I am not nice,' Vanitas grumbled in protest.
'Oh just give it up, Sora can see right through that little mask of yours Vani!'
Vanitas spluttered but went silent. Ventus could feel that his dark half was pouting. Sora couldn't help but giggle a little at the short-lived batner between his older brothers.
"Now what did they say?" Riku asked.
"Ven is just teasing Vani again," Sora said as he smiled.
"They really do sound like fun brothers," Kairi said.
"Yup! They are the best!" Sora cheered.
Ventus cheered, 'Yay! Little Sora thinks we are the best'
'Of course mini-me would think we are the best, he doesn't know any better.'
'Don't spoil the mood!' Ventus gently reprimanded his other half.
'Hmpf,' was Vanitas's only reply before he fell silent.
After another moment of Sora giggling at Ventus's and Vanitas's argument the three children picked up various small rocks laying around in the cave and began to draw various images and things on the cave walls. Every so often when they came to play on the island they would run to the cave to add in a few new drawings. They drew all sorts of different things from various different objects, to animals, to silly faces. After many days of drawing, the cave walls were eventually covered in all different little drawings from the three, and they all thought it made their hideout all the better.
One day it was just Sora and Kairi sitting in the cave. Riku could not make it that day to hangout as he had a family event to go to. But the two of them still managed to have fun together on the island. It was another hot day and they were taking refuge in their cool cave.
"Hey! Why don't we draw each other! That way we'll always be here to watch over each other!" Kairi suggested bouncing onto the balls of her feet.
"Yeah! That sounds like a great idea!" Sora said as he went to grab a small rock to draw with.
The two then walked over to one of the corners of the cave, near the strange wooden door. They sat down next to each other and begin to draw. Sora already knew that Kairi's drawings were far better than his, but he still had been improving a whole ton ever since he decided he would draw more often.
The minutes passed by and soon their images started to come into clearer form. Both their drawing were far from perfect, but Kairi's drawing of Sora's face was better than his of Kairi. Hers had smoother lines and was nicely filled in, Sora's on the other hand, while not unrecognizable, was a little more scribbled and shaky. But Sora and Kairi looked at each other for a moment and then at each other's drawings. And for that moment that they were looking at each other, they both smiled happily.
And that wraps up another cute fluffy chapter. Next chapter things pick up again :)
Can't wait till then, so see you all next time!