So after a bit of a sour ending last chapter, we return to Radiant Garden, partly to tease you and make you wait for the resolution of what is happening on Luna's side and in Twilight Town. As the chapter implies, we're going to see for a bit how Sora deals with his new ordinary life. Yes, the chapter is inspired by a Duran Duran song. Also, please favorite and feel free to leave a review if you like. Don't be shy, I don't bite.
Chapter 79
An Ordinary World
Sora spent the first days of his new life moving about so much that it was hard for anyone to keep track of him, not even him. As soon as Riku and the others left, Sora retreated to the only other friend left in town that could provide some comfort for him. He found Namine drawing in the Epcot Gardens, something that she had been doing on a daily occurrence ever since she had arrived in Radiant Garden. It was either at the postern watching the town and doing her best to sketch the details and colors she saw or it was the gardens, where she felt completely at peace. Sitting down and watching as she sketched, Sora realized that it was hard not to be calm in such a beautiful landscape.
"You're moving your head," Namine warned suddenly. Sora looked at her in surprise and peered over to see what she was drawing. "Sora!"
"Sorry. Err, I wasn't aware that you were drawing me," Sora said, resuming his previous position. "You're not… mad at me for giving up the Keyblade, are you?"
"How many people have you asked that question?" Namine asked.
"Let's see… Colette, Aerith, Neuge… yeah, quite a few people," Sora said, as if counting of the top of his head.
"Then I'm no different. I'm happy for you, as long as it's what you want. I've always felt it was your choice. You had one at Castle Oblivion, remember? Roxas had one too when he chose to find you. The world is full of choices and we won't always be sure as to how they'll turn out until we see them through. What matters most is that we have the strength to do so. It's so easy to make a choice but not stick with it, don't you think?" she asked.
"You're right. But I'm not strong. Everyone else, they could accept the things we'd learned back in Atlantis. The Keyblade… I've always wondered why it felt like it could understand me. Like it was protecting me. I guess it was because all this time, it's been the product of experimenting on other people's hearts. Just knowing that someone's existence is trapped inside my Keyblade makes me sick. But that's where I and the others differ. They can still face forward, because they see a light at the end of the tunnel. All I can see is the darkness that follows when I try to make things better. Whatever this is, it's not being strong," Sora said.
"Maybe it doesn't have to be. Not the kind you've experienced. You stood up to Yen Sid and told him about how you felt, didn't you? It takes a lot of guts to do something like that," Namine said. Her pencil left the page and she laid it on her lap before showing the sketchbook to Sora. In the depiction was a side shot of him as well as the surrounding greenery that accompanied Namine's side view. It was simple and yet incredibly effective, and what warmed Sora's heart most of all was his own smile. "You're smiling. You always are. That takes a lot of strength in itself."
With that knowledge, Namine and Sora spent the rest of the day having a picnic in the gardens. More mischievously than he ought to have been, Sora snuck into the hotel's cafeteria during lunch and sneaked out some of the food they had been serving. Truth be told, he was surprised it had been that easy. While they were eating and even after they discussed things such their lives and hobbies, though obviously Sora had more to talk about in both departments. By the end of the day, Sora felt he knew Namine more than ever, enough to feel confident that he wouldn't see Yeul in her anymore.
A topic that inevitably did come up even though Sora tried hard not to mention it was Namine being a seer. Namine was the one to bring it up. Having not told her about what they found out in Atlantis yet, Sora gave her as much information as he could on the Farseers' origins.
"The book didn't mention anything about passing on powers to someone else?" Namine asked.
"If it was there then it was in one of the pages that were torn out. Yen Sid should have the book right now and I would go and get it for you except for that I really don't want to talk to him," Sora said.
Namine chuckled. "It's fine, I can ask him. Maybe we can go over it and grab something to eat. You know, there is somewhere I'd like to go, outside of this world."
"Really? Where, Namine?" Sora asked in surprise. Namine had never really shown interest in travelling with them. She was content enough to stay in one place usually.
"Yeul's hometown. If Yeul gave these powers to me intentionally, then there must be a purpose to them, something she wants me to do. At first, I thought the power to see all of time was a curse. Something like that couldn't possibly be any good. But the more I though about it, the more I realize that there is a reason for everything. I think there's a pattern, like multiple dots that you have to connect and when you do, something is revealed. A truth behind truth… Sora?"
Sora appeared stunned momentarily, unable to speak. Had he just misheard? The truth behind truth? The words from the note in the puzzle box briefly crossed his mind. They were similar but surely it must have been a coincidence. Either way, Sora had had enough of truths.
"Namine, I know you want to find out more. I understand that feeling but… I can't be a part of that," Sora said.
"You don't want to find out more about Yeul?" Namine asked.
"If I did, my choice would mean nothing. It's selfish, I know… and I'm sorry," Sora said, looking away. He couldn't bear to see whatever expression was on Namine's face. He really should have left it at that and faced whatever Namine would say next head on but guilt was a powerful thing and it ultimately crushed Sora's resolve. "But… I can help you learn more about Yeul's world. I can't go with you but I'll go as far as anything before that."
"Oh, Sora, thank you!" Namine said, throwing her slender arms around him. Sora really didn't feel proud, only the sensation that he had been somehow guilt tripped. He made sure to set another picnic with her in a few days' time before seeing her back to her room and returning to his own.
The next day would prove to be even busier. Handed a list of groceries by Aerith, Sora made his way over to the shop that she had recommended, one that had been to on plenty of occasions with Kairi at that. On his way there, he stopped and looked at one place in particular, one he had not been to in a long time. It was the café he had been in when he had met Desiree or Delcia as she had called herself when working there. He had been avoiding this place ever since, purely out of fear and bad memories. Something in his mind screamed at him to turn around and walk off. Instead, he clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and entered.
Everything was as he remembered. Of course it was. It wasn't like his poisoning would have altered the way the café would direct its daily business. He located the table he had been sitting at quite instantly, or perhaps it was more that his eyes were magnetized to it. His body followed them without much thought and soon he found himself sitting in the exact same chair with a good view of the bustling shopping district outside. He hadn't been looking at the pleasant view but rather down at a book when Desiree appeared in front of him.
That's right, he remembered with a smile. He was trying to get into reading because at the time he had wanted to impress Luna once they found and rescued her. It seemed so silly in retrospect because little came off it. After setting of to find her, Sora barely had any time to read and even after rescuing her, his mind had been preoccupied with Squall and Rinoa's wedding and just a lack of enthusiasm in general. Maybe now he could actually get back into reading. This time he would work on impressing not someone else, but himself.
"Excuse me… um, Sora?"
Seeing a familiar outfit in front of him, the startled Sora tried to back away. In the process, his knee hit the table causing it to shake and the flower vase that was on the table lost its balance and tipped forward. Sora reflexing stuck his hand out and caught the vase before it could smash to pieces.
"Sorry about that. I thought you were… someone else," Sora said, looking at the girl as he set the vase down on the table. He looked around quickly to check the other customers. It appeared that they had briefly made notice of the commotion before averting their gazes and returning to whatever they were previously doing.
"No, I shouldn't have startled you by saying your name outright. It's just… you've done so much for this town and you're right here in front of me," the platinum blonde said with a quivering voice. She couldn't have been any older than twenty—not that it mattered. Sora was pretty much done with flirting with strangers after what had happened last time, although in his defence, 'Delcia' had completely misinterpreted what he had meant to ask as him asking her on a date.
"I'm glad I could help," Sora said wearily. He was mostly sure that Moira's Crescent wouldn't try the same trick on him twice with a different person, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
"So do you-"
"No. I mean, I just want something on the menu this time. No dates," Sora told her with a glum smile.
"That's… what I was about to ask you," said the girl with a raised brow.
"Oh. Then an espresso will do," Sora ordered. His eyes found the name tag attached to her clothing. So something had changed then. The last time he had come here, the employees weren't usually required wear name tags or anything like that. "Jayne?"
"Hmm?" She hummed curiously.
"Thanks. It's glad to know I'm appreciated," Sora said with a smile. Jayne returned it before heading off behind the counter.
By the time Sora had left the café, he was feeling incredibly giddy, no doubt thanks to the caffeine. He set off down the street again and soon arrived at the grocery store with time to spare.
"Why good morning there, Sora. You seem more excited than usual today," said the store's owner, an old man with his back arched slightly forward. His name was Cato, but Sora had come to know him by something else.
"I have no idea what you mean, gramps. Anyway, today's not the usual. Aerith asked me to get something specific this time," Sora said, handing him the list. Cato adjusted his glasses and peered down at the piece of paper, nodding every now and then.
"Alright, let's see…" The old man ducked down behind the counter and after half a minute, sprang back up with one of each item. Aerith must have reserved them to be picked up later, Sora guessed. "That'll be 2,600 munny. Kairi's not with you?"
"No. No, she, Luna and the others are gone. They're still fighting," Sora said.
"You aren't?" Cato asked.
"No, I'm retired. In the end it was all just too much for me," Sora explained.
"That's a shame. My grandkids were looks forward to another story about the legendary Keyblade wielder," he replied, his smile fading from his face.
Sora's hand paused just as he reached the money in his wallet. He looked up. "You told your grandkids stories?"
"About you, yes. They look up to you, you see? They actually get more excited when I tell them stories about you rather than stories about me and their dad. Stamp collecting isn't exactly the most fun thing to talk about, after all. This town has a lot of nicknames to refer it by. The City of Light. The Town of Stories. As I'm sure you'll come to see, everyone here has a story to tell, be they boring or not. Though they may have stories, some are heard and others are not. Yours is the one people are probably most familiar with."
"Gramps, I think you give my name more credit than it's worth. I'm just Sora. Still, it's funny. I just left the café on the other block and I met someone who really appreciated what I'd done. It was heart-warming…" He didn't want to say it outright, but it had also been sad at the same time. It was the same guilt that had washed over him the day before with Namine. He knew it was naturally a part of the process but it really did hurt to go against his better judgment and ignore that guilt. It was as if he were involved in a game of tug of war with his conscience pulling him to one side and his desires pulling him in the other.
"Well, I'll just have you know that you're always welcome here, Sora. You're a great adventurer but even greater customer," Cato said. Realizing that he was still paying, Sora took the money out and laid it on the counter, taking the paper bag with both hands afterward.
"I feel like I'm being exploited, but I'll take that as a compliment," Sora replied with a laugh. "Alright, I'm sure Aerith's wondering where I am right now."
"My regards to her. You know, I knew her ever since she was a wee child. I even held her in my lap once. That was only seventeen years ago if I recall. And to think that young girl would be a prominent figure in restoring our Radiant Garden and going beyond even that. There's no way I can't feel proud of that, even if she ain't my own flesh and blood. Anyway, do drop by soon Sora. Don't be a stranger."
"You either, old timer," Sora called back to him as he left the store. He started to make his way back to the residential district when the corner of his eyes caught something by the alleyway. Turning his head left, he watched as the Soldier Heartless ran about while clutching its head, as if it were confused. It just kept running in circles, not even noticing Sora who was too close in proximity for it not to have mattered. For a split second he considered summoning the Keyblade, but then he thought otherwise. He shook his head, turned and left, the sound of town's defence system kicking into gear playing like beautiful music to his ears.
The following hours after that were spent helping Aerith prepare her steak fillet dish. Having never cooked before, he was glad to have her guide him in chopping up the leeks, ginger and mushrooms.
"Alright, now we need the sake," Aerith said, clasping her hands together.
"Err, I didn't know you liked this stuff, Aerith. You don't seem the type," Sora said, grabbing hold of the bottle's neck and carrying it over.
Aerith giggled. "No, it's not for me. This is just to bring out the umami in the meat."
"The what now?" Sora asked fish-eyed. His head was spinning from all these food terms that he had to grasp. It was almost like he was back in school. The thought sent a shiver down his spine.
"It helps to draw out a certain taste in the food that you otherwise wouldn't get. Naturally, meat tends to be very gamey so you lose that taste and bring out the meat's flavor when you soak it. The more specific explanation has to do with breaking down protease but I'd rather not have you sit through a chemistry lesson," Aerith explained while adding the alcohol into the sauce pan. She put the bottle back down and grabbed the thyme, plucking the leaves from their stem and dropping them in. "Soy sauce would also have been acceptable, but Cid asked for some sake so I figured I might as well kill two birds with one stone."
"And that's called umami? I have learned things today!" Sora exclaimed with a prideful grin. "You should be a food critic. I think you may know more about this stuff than most people."
"Oh, I know a lot less compared to the experts, but I do tend to experiment from time to time. That way, things aren't always the same. If you're not happy with the way something is, then even the slightest alteration can make it fun. For example, I plant flowers in the garden every now and then. My favorite flower is the hydrangea, but it would be incredibly boring if I planted only those. So I take it upon myself to make art out of my flowers. Peonies, orchids, you name them. I have a lot of fun just deciding where to arrange them," Aerith said.
"It sounds fun. I'd like to help. I know Rapunzel would definitely be interested as well," Sora offered.
"Really? Oh, you'll love it, I'm sure of it. Actually, we can go after this if you'd like. You don't know how many times I've tried to bring Cloud with me but he's always refused," Aerith said. Was it really that confusing? Cloud had never struck Sora as the type of person to want to plant flowers. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen the guy in quite a while. He directed this question to Aerith. "He's on a mission with Leon. They're both quite busy these days. Ah, I think it's ready to grill now."
By the time the steak had finished cooking the steak and rice, an orange glow poured through the windows signalling that it was becoming evening. The dish wasn't really for either of them as it was for the people at the retirement home that Aerith volunteered for. Even so, Aerith did allow Sora to have a slice to see how he felt about it.
"Mmm, it tastes really soft. Delicious!" Sora judged with a broad grin. There was the obvious hint of garlic and ginger that they had put in earlier but other than that, they blended in with meat's juices quite well. There was also a buttery texture that left him disappointed when its residue eventually disappeared down his throat. He described this taste to her as best he could, ending by saying, "She wouldn't like hearing it, but you certainly put my mom's cooking to shame."
"Aw, that's sweet of you. Alrighty then, let's get this quickly to the home and then we'll pick up Rapunzel," Aerith said.
They quickly set off and only had to turn a couple of streets before arriving at a large building just before the hospital. Sora politely declined Aerith's offer to come in with her and chose to wait outside instead. It was the beginning of summer and Sora couldn't contemplate the thought of leaving the warmth of what had been a warm day. Along with his Keyblade, he had also abandoned the outfit Neuge had given him, something that had been even harder to do. He now wore a simple navy blue summer jacket over a white shirt and jeans. They had no special properties whatsoever like his previous wear but they were comfy and that was all he needed from them.
After a few minutes alone, he was taken out of his thoughts by Aerith's return. Together they set off for what was an even longer distance, though one of which they greatly benefited from in terms of checking out the town. Their journey's end arrived at the Bailey where they found Rapunzel watching in awe as Palom and Porom tried to both impress her with their magic.
"You wish your white magic could be as good as my black magic. Just give it up, Porom. Rapunzel's not interested," Palom said.
"It's not a contest! Besides, do I sense that my dear brother has a little crush?" Porom teased.
"Ah, shut it! You are sensing no such thing. Not that your weak little magic would be able to sense something like that anyway," Palom retorted, blushing nonetheless.
"These two aren't giving you a hard time, I hope?" Sora asked, alerting them to his and Aerith's presence.
"Oh no, they're quite the joy. Say, I was just asking them, do you think I could perform magic too, Sora?" Rapunzel asked with gleeful hope in her eyes.
"Hmm, I don't see why not. Mind you not everyone can just use it but I think it just might work for you," Sora answered. There was probably a chance that her mana energy had been somehow altered or had increased because of the magic properties of her hair at the time. Though she didn't have the hair anymore, there was still a chance she could fill something in its place. "You really want to?"
"If I could," replied Rapunzel instantly.
"Alright, we'll talk with Merlin on our way back. Say, do you want to come with us to the flower garden? Aerith and I are going out to plant some flowers and we thought you might like to come with," Sora said. It would be a lie for him to say that it was his only motive for having her come with him though. He also wanted to hear her honest opinions on being fast tracked for a new position as a Princess of Heart as well as wanting to find out what Yen Sid was up to.
"Definitely. I'd love to help," Rapunzel answered. "And to think I've been missing out on all this stuff. I can't believe how crazy my life is right now!"
"Eighteen years in a tower to this in only a week of arriving here. Yep, it's a definite improvement," Aerith said. She had met Rapunzel on the day that, she, Sora and the others had come back from Atlantis, just before they met with Yen Sid. Sora remembered back to what Cato had told him earlier today. Everyone in Radiant Garden had a story to tell but only some were heard. He guessed that was most certainly applicable of the rare few coming into the world from others.
"Oh, do you think I could come along too, Miss Aerith? I love flowers," pleaded Porom.
"You know you don't have to call me that Porom, Aerith will do just fine. And of course you can come along. How about you Palom?" Aerith asked.
The young boy folded his arms and looked away in disgust. "As if I'd want to spend time looking at a bunch of flowers. That stuff is for girls anyway."
"Gee, Palom. I didn't know I was a girl. Guess my birth certificate was wrong all this time," Sora said sarcastically to the giggles of Rapunzel and Porom.
Rapunzel knelt down and looked at Palom. "But you know, some day when you're a big strong man and you have a girlfriend, she'll probably want you to show her that you care for her. I hear flowers are a really nice way to do that."
"Ah, stop confusing my brain! You're not changing my mind," A blushing Palom said before running farther off into the bailey and disappearing from their sights.
"Well, I tried." Rapunzel shrugged and turned back to the others. "Is something wrong, Sora?"
"Huh? Oh. Rapunzel, was it true about what you just said?" Sora asked.
"Well, it's usually a sign of affection for the other person, yeah," Aerith answered for Rapunzel. She stepped forward towards him and leaned in on purpose, making Sora feel uncomfortable. "Are you thinking of showing your affection to someone, Sora?"
"Huh? Wait, where did this come from all of a sudden?" Sora waved his hand about frantically, flushing a deep scarlet. Aerith lifted a finger and buzzed it around in front of his face before gently touching his nose. Sora suddenly began to feel the blood pouring into his face.
"Sorry, didn't mean to make you feel awkward. Alright then, let's go everyone," Aerith said, with a drooping Sora letting out a relieved sigh as a result. She had totally meant to make him feel awkward.
The group spent the rest of the evening in the garden caring for the growing flowers and listening as Aerith told them story after story of her experiences with each one. Her mother had been a part time flower seller as well as a teacher, a huge inspiration for Aerith. She had been in the garden along with her mother when the Heartless had invaded the town. They were accompanied by Namine, who Sora found on the bench drawing like she did yesterday. With a little convincing Sora was able to get her to tag along. He found it really cute how shy she got when she was around others. He would even tease her about it from time to time.
"My memory's kind of hazy. Bits and pieces come up every now and then, that's true for all of us. I've tried not to remember much but… losing my parents is something I could never forget. Oh, here's the hydrangea I was telling you about, Sora," Aerith said as they walked through the garden. She pointed to a bush with a bouquet of blue and purple flowers. "They come in two arrangements with many varieties in between. The ones you're looking at here are mophead flowers, as you can see, their heads kind of resemble mops. The other ones are on the opposite side of the garden. They're lacecaps."
"Wow, they sure are beautiful. I can see why they're your favourite. They kind of look like butterflies," Sora examined, unable to hold in his glee.
"That's an understatement. Everything here is beautiful. I could live here forever!" Rapunzel said, taking hold of Sora's hand and dancing with him. She stopped when she spotted Namine drawing something with her sketchbook.
Namine glanced up from her sketchbook and upon seeing Rapunzel's curious gaze, she looked around demurely. "Oh, don't stop. I was just so happy that I wanted to capture this moment."
Rapunzel nodded. "It's okay, but you're joining in. You have to be in this moment too. You too Porom, Aerith."
"But how am I supposed to draw and be with you at the same time?" Namine asked.
"Ah, playing coy, are we? Well there's more to experiencing something than just jotting it down. Come on, it'll be fun," Aerith added, extending her hand. Namine looked down at her sketchbook for a moment and then back up. Seeming to make up her mind she set her sketchbook down on the path and took Aerith's hand with a smile.
When night came, the trio saw Porom and Rapunzel off before separating. Namine retreated for the hotel and Sora helped Aerith do a little spring cleaning in her home before leaving. He was headed back for the hotel but when he realized that he wasn't really ready to return to his room, he decided to go to the bar instead where Neuge was probably hanging out.
He entered the shopping district. The bar would be at the very end of the long street, leading into the industrial district. As he continued walking down the street, he heard a cry coming from behind the general store. He looked around quickly before setting his sights on the back alley behind the café. He took off into a run down the dark and narrow path and turned left to come across someone in the dark lying on the ground, a group of Soldier Heartless surrounding her.
Sora looked down to see a pebble in front of him. Picking it up, he weighed it in his hand before flinging it at one of the Soldiers.
"Over here!" Sora commanded their attention. The Soldiers turned away from the figure and ran for him instead. Sora walked towards them, completely unfazed by the fact that he was walking right into danger. As he neared them he began gaining speed. He waited until just the right moment before kicking off the wall and flying forward. He jumped over the Heartless in a perfect arc and landed on the other side.
He didn't have time to celebrate his own impressive feat because the Heartless were moving fast. He sprinted over to the figure who he soon saw was a woman, and a familiar one at that. It was the waitress that worked at the café, Jayne was her name, he recalled. She was still wearing her uniform, though it was slightly torn at the front. She was beginning to stir, much to his relief. Her brown eyes opened and took in her savior.
"No way… you?"
"Gee, thanks for that," Sora said. "Can you stand?"
"Yeah, I think so," Jayne answered. She stood up to prove her point, but ended up wobbling a bit. Sora quickly supported her until she regained balance.
"Come on, stay close to me," Sora said. Looking around for anything to defend them both with, his eyes caught finally caught sight of something. With a grin, he bent down and picked it up.
"Um, why did you just pick up a stick?" Jayne asked. "Oh, wait, wait, don't tell me. This is like a diversion tactic or something, right?"
"Huh? What have you been reading?" Sora asked.
"Classical Literature. Guess what a bachelor in liberal arts gets ya? A job as a café maid," Jayne said.
"I shouldn't have asked," Sora said to himself.
"Well, you did," Jayne pointed out. Sora shook his head before assuming his battle stance. One of the Soldiers jumped and spin kicked towards them but Sora parried the attack with the stick, stunning the Soldier. Jayne looked on impressed. "That… is some stick-WHOA!"
Sora took hold off Jayne's hand and started running back down the alley. The other Soldiers attempted to block their way by lining up one after the other. Sora pulled Jayne to the side and sidestepped past them, knocking away the Heartless that attempted to jump attack them.
He let go of Jayne and looked to her. "Go on ahead. I'll keep them from following."
"Oh no you don't. It's your turn to follow me," Jayne said, dragging Sora along with her. The two emerged out of the alleyway with the Soldiers right on their heel. They backed away into the main street while keeping their eyes on the Heartless. "Don't you have that weapon of yours or something? The Keyblade?"
"I…" Sora trailed off. He couldn't tell her that he didn't trust himself to use the Keyblade anymore. He had managed to get her out of that situation without it so he was sure there was something else he could do besides giving in and using it. Then again, was his reluctance really worth putting someone in danger? He was about to extend his arm when fire flew over his shoulder and hit one of the Soldiers. The fire split off as soon as it hit the Soldier and rained down on the remaining Heartless, taking them out.
"Heya there, Sora!" The small girl called with a grin. She looked very familiar but her Keyblade made him more cautious of her.
"You're a member of Moira's Crescent," Sora said.
"Yep, yep, I'm Salome. Remember me?" the girl asked. Now that she had introduced herself, Sora did remember. The faux assistant librarian who had been with Alfonso and had been watching over Sora during their time in Radiant Garden.
"Don't tell me you guys are still watching me? I guess that explains how you found us near the Powhatan village," Sora said, referring to his fight with Alfonso.
"No, you've got it wrong. Alfonso's just a really good tracker. He picks up on breadcrumbs wherever he sees them. As for why I'm here, I just happened to have a mission here when I came across you guys," Salome said.
Sora let out a sigh. He supposed he had to give credit where credit was due. "Well, thanks."
"So… have you been considering Rhea's offer?" Salome asked. She looked down and started drawing and invisible line with the tips of her toes. "Technically under popular vote we're opposed to you, but I'm not Moira's Crescent right now. I'm Salome so... it would be great to have another Keyblade wielder by our side."
"Thanks for the offer but no thanks. I'm not a Keyblade wielder anymore. I'm done with that life so you don't have to worry about me," Sora said.
"Huh? But why?" Salome asked confused.
"Because I left too many breadcrumbs," Sora answered. He looked over to Jayne and smiled. "Do you want me to walk you home?"
"Hmph? Oh, yes, thank you," Jayne said. She seemed distracted by the Keyblade in Salome's hand.
"Sora, wait!" Salome called as he turned his back on her. "Those kids. Did you really…"
Sora turned to meet her again. "Even if I told you, would you… no. Would they even listen?"
Silence followed. Sora turned again and placed a hand on Jayne's back, motioning for her to lead the way.
