NeoJericho Productions Present...
a fanfiction by Khaoi
we went down
at 11:42 (PM)
Flicking open a simple brass pocket watch, empty sockets watched the tiny hands tick past with every second flying by. Weight shifted to one side, they waited. Rain darkened the sky and rainclouds coiled while lightning rolled in, with shapes within them forming and fading. A wall of wind hit the figure. Standing unmoved, the heavy sheets of rain followed and those vast black pits watched it consume all the world in its path. One gloved hand snapped the watch closed. In the face of the oncoming storm, heartbeats away, the figure took in a single deep breath and then released it with a short puff that formed into a tiny plume of breath. The rain overtook their still form and swallowed the breath whole. From behind them, there came a precise click. With motions too fast to see, an old and imperiously arched umbrella was over the stately person's head, inches from their top hat. The sky roared its anger and thunder shook the cobbled ground.
Chuckling, the still dry person spoke, "Charles! I almost thought you'd miss this."
"My apologies for being late, Mr. President..." came a dry, yet entertaining voice in the direction from whence the umbrella had come in so fast.
"None needed Charles!" the man laughed, "I am simply glad you did indeed make it... you will surely enjoy this little show."
"Yes, Mr. President." the dry voice belonged to a young man in his late teens. A cloak hid his appearance and he was standing straight, arm outstretched with the umbrella, he himself in the furious rain. Victim to the warring elements.
"Almost time Charles, soon destiny will be set in motion..." the strange man smiled, "tell me Charles... when was the last time you did something truly worthwhile?"
"Mr. President?" questioned said youth.
"When was the last time, you fought for your very life... in a situation you had no control over?"
"... upon first joining the Company."
"Exactly Charles... exactly. These young people... they will face much worse horrors... the horrors of the heart, and of darkness. It's so delightful... I'm getting shivers."
Charles knelt his head down and smiled a little, cruel smile. Bitterness filled it, "As am I, Mr. President."
Laughter bubbled from their throats and the wind and rain tore it to pieces, scattering the shreds to every corner of the known universe.
Kairi bolted up in her bed, laughter colder than ice sending goosebumps and fear rippling down her spine. Panting, she touched her face. Sweat ran down her pale bronze skin, soaked her sheets and drenched her now plastered hair. Trembling with a feeling she couldn't shake, she swung his legs over the bed. Letting them touch the ground and stay there a moment, she checked his alarm clock.
11:42 PM.
Reaching forward with only three fingers, she turned the alarm off and lurched from the bed. There would be no more sleep for her. Not that night. Not until the sun rose and chased away her bad dreams and past demons. Too much wandered in her flitting thoughts.
11:43 PM.
"Soon the bearer of Light will begin to awaken..." the President grinned, revealing uneven, sharp teeth, "as the bearer of Light does, soon the bearer of Darkness will follow suit."
"Mr. President... when will the rain let up?"
"Charles, dear boy... it won't."
"Mr. President?"
"Do you know where we are?"
"Not... no. I didn't read the specifics, I didn't need to. I accompany you wherever you may go, that is the basis of my contract."
The President laughed, "Indeed it is... but you really should start reading them... you might know what exactly you've gotten yourself into with your... deal with the devil." saying no more, the President's laughter echoed eerily in the unnaturally silent world, even as rain fell from the sky like acid.
Charles' only reaction was to tighten his hold on the umbrella, and for his jaw to tighten imperceptibly. Deal with the devil indeed, Mr. President. His tight, cold eyes watched the old man as he waved down a long and sleek black limo. It pulled to a slow stop. Without a word, the President ducked inside the car. Charles strode forward and shut the door, gave the umbrella to the driver, stepped back and watched the President's amused parting wave as the car rolled off into the gathering darkness.
Damn you old man. Damn you to the eternal hell that eagerly awaits you, and your games. Turning away, the torrents of wind and rain only further enraging themselves, Charles took one step and then another. Soon his footsteps took up a wild, dancing rhythm. Pounding against the cobblestones and his breath leaving a trail of steam, while sweat mixed with droplets of acid rain, soaked and chilling to the bone. Running... he was running again, but to nowhere and not to anywhere. Soon enough, he'd find himself in Roxas' dreams and Sora's waking memories. But, Charles could not decide in all of this frantic movement, if he was running towards them, or seeking to run from his life by intruding upon another's, and in the end, he figured it wasn't important enough for him to care. Sora had enough happiness... he could spare some.
Kairi roused as the first stray rays of dawn touched her face. Goosebumps decorated her skin. Opening cerulean blue eyes with blood doused locks running down her face and shoulders, her confusion searched the far-off horizon. For a moment, sleep lingered in her hazy mind. Brushing it off with a stretch, the crack of her bones cut through the silence. Sitting up violently, her eyes darted around cautiously and she touched the side of her face curiously. Warmth welled up and spilled over. Tears dripped onto her nervous fingers and she stared at them without emotion.
What in the world... is happening to me? She wondered and as the tears increased, she clapped her hands to her face. Shoulders shaking, she fought back sobs. Why am I... so unstable? Dear heart, please come back soon, or I may forget even your faint memory.
I'm sorry.
Kairi's head shot up. What? Who – who was that? She gazed at her palms and the crystal clear, glittering pools on them. Am I going crazy? Her fingers tightened into fists. No. I know I'm not, there's something behind these... these dreams of mine. There has to be. Once more, she buried her face but with her knees and wrapped her arms around herself. Or... Dawn enveloped her. Or I don't know what I'll do.
"Kairi! Selphie just called!"
Selphie... "Okay mom," Kairi couldn't find it in herself to yell. Nor had she, not for a while yet, not after the boy she couldn't quite remember had vanished into the background. She knew everything about him, but she couldn't remember his name, or picture his face. Who he was, she didn't know. Or why he was even important, but she knew she loved him.
Dear heart, wait for me. I'm almost there, I can almost remember you now.
"Kairi?!"
"Mom. Okay." Kairi murmured, coming to rest at the top of the stairs. Pain stabbed vehemently at her from inside her stomach. Like a knife, it twisted around. Coiling like the darkness that had consumed the world only a year or so ago... almost two now, Kairi recalled. Thinking of darkness brought sadness into her heart.
Thinking of you wherever you are...
Kairi froze and then grabbed her mouth as familiar coughing fits bloomed blood onto her hand. Clutching her round stomach, Kairi slammed her fist into the wall. An abomination grew within her naval, and yet, in spite of everything that had come to be, the first instinct that passed her mind was still the same. Something good could yet come from something evil. She would hold onto that, even as it sent her world and her self spiraling towards the same darkness her heart detested so much. The child would be hers; not his, but hers.
I can almost remember you now...
We pray for our sorrows to end,
and hope our hearts will blend.
Just give me a little more time, and I'll find you, Dear heart. Brushing back her hair in the soft breeze, Kairi stared out the window, one hand on her stomach, the other just behind her ear. Letting it drop to her stomach, she nodded absently. "Yeah, just a little more time..." a soft smile lit up her weary face.
Reaching out to trace aimless patterns on the flower, Naminé curled her hands into fists and then collapsed against it. Crumpling on the white marble floor, tears pooled hot and thick, beneath her frosty blond locks. Silent, she forced down the thick lump in her throat. Grasping forward, her hands struggled to claw her way across the floor and wobbled when she managed to rise. Protectively winding her arms around her stomach, she breathed deeply. It just wasn't fair. Why did She get to feel these things, and how come Naminé had to feel them too?
Not... fair... Naminé sucked in a quick breath. I hate you! Soaking her dress and forming puddles on the floor, her tears were salty and bitter. In her chest, a hollow spot ached unbearably.
"Naminé?" called a deep voice. A tall, cloaked person's baritone rang out in the empty room.
"...Riku..." she whispered.
"Naminé, what's the matter?" he asked, "Why are you in here?"
Bitting back a tasteless laugh, she slumped against the flower chamber and shrugged. So small and frail, she truly was a shadow of her Somebody. Of Her. She was so full of life and passion, even now, with her mind numbed and soothed by that damned child... Naminé would never be her.
"...Naminé?"
"She... She's so lucky... I... I hate Her Riku." Naminé tried to force down more tears and failed. Coming to her side, Riku gently pulled her into an embrace.
"Shh... you shouldn't hate her..."
"Tell me about Her... please?"
"About Kairi?"
"...yeah."
Riku was silent a long pause and Naminé wondered if he'd refuse. Then he spoke, "Kairi... she's beautiful. She has short red hair like blood, but I'm sure it's long now." Riku paused and chuckled, "She was such a firecracker. A little nut-case, but he... Sora, really loved her for the longest time... and I was... jealous."
"Jealous?" Naminé asked, her eyes wide and innocent. Riku glanced down at her then nodded tersely.
"Yeah. She had his heart, and I would never be more than the best friend who was supposedly, and secretly, also in love with her." Riku shook his head, "I hated her too. It seemed I would never stop hating her, until Sora came looking for me, or, that's what he said. Him and Kairi had fought. They never fought, but something had come up and he came to me, struggling with tears... I thought I was going to break apart. Just then, I hated Kairi more than anything in the world."
"What happened?"
"They'd been fighting over me. Kairi didn't like that Sora spent so much time around me, and said she felt neglected... but Sora wouldn't let me go. He said he deserved – that I deserved – to have his company, and that we'd been friends for a really long time... My heart had almost skipped four beats by the time he was there, trembling, and kissing me."
Naminé felt a smirk rise on her unsteady lips, even though it hurt and she too, loved Sora. Triumph made her half a heart glow.
"We never told Kairi."
"I know..." Naminé murmured, touching her lips. Her fingers folded and she looked up at Riku, eyes watering again, "I know... She didn't – doesn't – know." reaching out she traced Riku's smooth cheeks and gazed into his golden eyes.
"Riku?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I see you? The real you?"
"...yeah," he murmured, form shifting in darkness. Though it grew tendrils and wrapped around Naminé's slim fingers, she didn't flinch or feel any real fear. How could she? She was a Nobody, half a person without a full heart and felt very few emotions. They were dimmed, bland. It was like seeing everything from behind a glossy film, it was blurry and had a touch of not quite solid reality.
"You're beautiful." Naminé whispered and then pulled his head down. Their lips met. At first, Riku was hesitant, and Naminé was unsure what to do, but quickly enough he took control. Fire moved like molten lava within Riku's naval. Naminé gasped when his fingers grasped her pale gold locks. Pulling her closer than was actually possible, he picked her up and darkness consumed them. Ice licked at their feverish skin, a sudden desire that had been built up nearly two years, began to finally eat away at them. Hurrying along the formidable corridors of darkness was no challenge for either. It felt like slipping through water. Navigating with ease and precision, Riku and Naminé stepped from the swallowing darkness and into her room, white crystal and white sheets were blinding but much ignored. Twisting around, Naminé wrapped her legs around Riku's waist. She entangled her fingers in his hair. His large hands were everywhere on all the skin they could reach, slipped up and down her dress.
"Is this what you wanted?" Riku asked hoarsely, suddenly. Naminé paused at the tone he used, and looked up at him, looking into her rough, glazed eyes. Something like a flame, ready to combust, flickered behind them. She didn't answer.
"Did you want to feel the giggling bitterness of a secret shared?" Riku's words cut like knives, and his kisses were abruptly cold. They froze against her skin. Yet, underneath they burnt up her system and sent her mind haywire, the sharp and composed little girl taking for the hills as an inner animal took hold.
"Well, did you want to beg and grovel and taste something tangier?" Riku was cruel. So cruel, and cold, and Naminé could, for that moment, believe that he truly was of darkness.
"Did you want to feel the sweetness of love? Even if it was a lie...?" no. Not of darkness. Riku was the Twilight road, not too good, not too dark.
"If I did..." Naminé began, "then... would you give it to me?" she took Riku's face in her hands. He didn't want to look at her, but she made him.
"Riku... we're hurting. You're hurting bad, and..." she pulled his hand against her chest, where there was a faint throbbing. "...so am I."
Riku didn't answer, and instead pulled her face up and kissed her once more. No more words were said. They'd said enough and were sick of their voices, they wanted their bodies and their emotions, and the sickness that would wake them in the morn.
All they wanted, was a piece of truth. Harsh as it might be. Dark, distasteful and bitter as it may be. Reality really was a bitch, but so was payback.
I hate you.
Kairi's hands became fists.
You're so lucky...
Her lips tightened.
You're so happy...
She shook her head.
I hate you!
Why? Kairi called out desperately. What have I ever done? Who are you?
You know who I am. I... am you.
Fisting her hands against her head, Kairi shook it violently. The world spun and she felt the ground drop from beneath her.
You have everything I never will... and you're someone I'll never be. I hate you...
But... who are you?
My name is...
Kairi stirred quietly, her hair was a mess and her palms had cuts shaped like her nails in them. These bleed freely, though shallow.
"Naminé?"
His fingers were everywhere. His kisses were so cold, but his touches set her afire, and her blood thundered in her ears... in her veins. Sweat dripped down her. His rhythms broke her apart but his lustful, smoldering eyes put her back together. There was no love. There was hate, there was remorse, there was need. There was emptiness... and there was hope and desperation. But there was no love.
I hate you...
Whatever you say.
Faster!
Dammit...!
A-ah!
Ngh...!
Riku!!
Naminé!!
A soft, graceful kiss on her lips, then he rose, letting her sigh into sleep. Gazing at her a moment, she was not who she was. She was Her, the red haired goddess. But only for a moment, then she was pure, shattered and destroyed innocence. They were so different, even if they appeared the same. Even if they were of the same heart... nearly of the same mind...
and he'd destroyed her.
Gathering darkness around him, clothes on his arm and pulling his cloak on, he stepped through and away. But he never heard her soft whisper.
"Love... you... Riku..."
and he'd broken her.
"Charles... I thought I'd find you here."
"Hello, Mr. President."
"So, what have you found out, poking around in their memories?" the old man's curiosity was well concealed in his amused voice. Standing with both feet solidly on the depression on the clock tower's inner edge, he watched the hunched young man with empty eye sockets. Should he have had eyes, they would have glittered with delight.
"Kairi..."
"Sora's little lady friend, correct?"
"Yeah, she's pregnant."
The President didn't answer straight away, but then he did, "Well, that's how nature works, Charles. Find out who the father is. I'm quite curious to know how the child came about."
"Rape."
"Indeed? How quaint. Sora will, no doubt, take it upon himself to love her 'no matter what' and take care of the child as well."
"No doubt, Mr. President. No doubt."
"Is something the matter Charles?"
"... the rain hasn't let up."
The President chuckled and shook his head, tapping his cane in good natured manner against the clock tower's side. "I told you it wouldn't." laughing in an empty, coldly amused way, he stepped forward and off the clock tower's edge, wind whistling through his stately suit. Landing, his knees collapsed like springs and then he was up on his feet, moving. Making his ambling, yet quick way down the cobbles, he didn't turn back or acknowledge Charles was still there, on the clock tower edge. Charles was staring at the ground without actually seeing it. Once more, he was submerged in the thoughts, feelings and memories of others. Time didn't exist when he was like this... though it would ravage his body, he would not feel it till he emerged, famished with no food to sate himself with.
Such was his punishment.
Just wait a little longer, Dear heart.
Kairi?
I'll come and find you.
Kairi! I'm here, right here!
I'll find you, Dear heart. No matter what.
No, wait! Kairi! Come back!
I'm sorry.
Naminé?
I'm so sorry...
No, Naminé, don't be! No, wait! Don't... go...
It was her you're supposed to love.
...not me.
Sora's eyes opened. The flower was open but his eyes were still covered by the film of sleep, and his eyesight was blurry. There were two figures. Naminé was one of them and the other was...
Riku?
"Sora... go back to sleep."
Riku! I've tried so hard to find you!
The flower's petals were closing in around him and he struggled. Thrashing violently. Riku watched with pained aqua eyes. Naminé shook her head and reached out, her fingers brushed the flower. As if reacting to fire, the petals shied away from her and further enclosed Sora.
"Riku...!" came his quiet cry before the flower completely contained him. Sleep once more consumed him. His last concious thought was but a sigh.
You're okay... Riku. His expression was of a smile.
"He's glad you're okay, Riku." Naminé murmured to the distressed teen. He nodded then strode from the room. Naminé watched him go.
How painful was that for you, Riku? To watch the one you love struggle against their fate, and you being powerless to help?
"I'm sorry... but this is how it's supposed to be for now. You'll love again, don't worry Riku." she bit her lip and clenched her hands, "We both will."
For the thousandth time, she found herself on the beach. This time, during sunset. When the sky was dyed red and gold, and dusted with purples and the far-off blue hues. Quietly, the waves lapped against the shore. Inside her, the baby stretched. Touching her stomach timidly, Kairi smiled and hummed a little.
"Thinking of you, wherever you are.
we pray for our sorrows to end,
and hope that our hearts will blend.
Now I will step forward to realize this wish.
And who knows:
starting a new journey may not be so hard
or maybe it has already begun.
There are many words,
but they share the same sky –
one sky, one destiny." she opened her eyes.
"Kairi?"
"I think, Dear heart... it's time I came and found you."
"Kairi, what are you doing out here?" Selphie asked curiously, until she saw Kairi's stomach. "Oh wow, they're getting big!" then she paused, "I thought you were going to get an abortion... Kairi?"
"Dear heart... I'm coming for you." Kairi whispered, gazing out into the sunset. "Don't fear, for soon I'll be near." she touched her stomach tenderly. "We both will."
I hate you... yet I yearn for you... Radiant Garden, how far you have fallen... will you once more, ease my sorrows?