Bittersweet Melody: by hikari-aozora

Bold: parts of the chapter's song

Italics: a thought or flashback

Underlined: emphasis on words

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the KH, KH2, or Final Fantasy Characters used, unfortunately ...

CHAPTER THREE: There You Were

Falling ... falling ...

Into darkness ...?

Then ... why ... do I see light?

Sora? Riku?

Kairi awoke with a start from her dream, looking around her dark room to make sure she was in the right place. It had been such a vivid dream, one that looked so real, but how could it be? And what was it about? She could have sworn she had seen her two best friends ... falling ... into what looked like darkness, eternal peril. But then she had seen it, the light, the emense light that had engulfed them at the last second. They had fallen out of the darkness and deep into the light, but she had seen no more after that.The light had ended her dream and awakened her to the darkness of her room. She sighed as once again her dreams of them being together had left her alone.

You've been gone so long

So many days

Kairi glanced over at a digital clock on her bedside table. It read 7:43 AM. Though this was a Sunday, meaning no school or work to attend to, Kairi thought it best to get an early start. After all, this was the last day ...

The girl pulled back her comforter and sheets and swung her legs over the side of her bed. Groggily, she made her way to her closet, opened it fiercly, and began rummaging through it for something "nice-but-not-too-fancy", or in other words "casual", to wear just in case this was the day. After a few moments of searching and many articles of clothing being thrown aside carelessly, she found a slim-fitting white cami to wear under a light pink hoodie with a matching pink skirt. She undressed and pulled these clothes on as quickly as she could in her state, and then hurried out of her room and downstairs to her small kitchen. She searched through her refridgerator for something to eat, but, finding nothing and realizing that she was just wasting time, she hurried out of the front door without another word.

Come on, Kairi, can't you walk any faster? she thought as she scurried along, power-walking her way to the docks, careful not to run so that she didn't look as desperate as she felt and actually was. Really, she was hoping that nobody would see her, for anyone that did would know where she was going instantly.

Of course, someone did see, and that someone, unfortunately for Kairi, was Selphie.

The peppy brunette had left her house at 7:45 to take her morning walk, alone, for some strange reason, for she was usually accompanied by her mother. She was on her way back to her house when she had noticed Kairi, in a hurry, as was the norm, to get to the beach. When Selphie was in the company of her mother, she was powerless to stop Kairi from heading to her obvious destination so that they could talk. But to day, as you know, was different. Today, nothing stood between her and a nice, long talk with her obviously desperate friend.

"Kairi, wait!"

Kairi was just about to untie her boat from the docks when she heard her name called. She knew instantly who it was that had called her, and she really wasn't in the mood to talk to Selphie, but it was not like Kairi to be rude, especially to a friend. So, plastering a fake smile on to her face, she turned toward Selphie.

"Hey, Selph ..." she began, but she was cut short by her friend.

"And where are you going at this hour in such a hurry?" Selphie said, putting her hands on her hips.

"To the beach," Kairi said, wondering why Selphie had asked because Kairi was sure she knew.

Selphie rolled her eyes. "As usual ... look, Kairi--"

"No, not as usual, Selphie!" Kairi interrupted, raising her voice slightly. Then she hesitated to tell her friend why this was not "usual", for the thought still pained the poor girl. "T-today i-is the l-ast d-day," she stammered, choking back her tears. Stay strong, Kairi. This is what you have to do, remember?

Selphie was shocked. Did I just hear what I think I heard? she thought. "The last day? The last? Kai, are you sure?"

Kairi held her head up and forced the tears back, not letting them show. She had to prove that she was strong, if not to Selphie, then to herself. She had already cried enough. With an emotionless face, Kairi nodded.

I've learned to love you

in so many ways

Selphie was completely blown away. Kairi was finally letting go of her past and facing the future, and she, Tidus, and Wakka had been trying to convince her to do for so long. She was finally standing on her own two feet and facing the future like a mature young woman ... or at least, thats what Selphie wanted to believe. Could the truth have been that Kairi was really weak because she was losing faith in her friends? Was Kairi giving up? The normally bubbly, talkative young girl was utterly speechless. All she could manage to say was, "Oh."

Kairi nodded again and turned back to her boat and began fidgeting with the knot. "Yeah, Selph, and that's why I have to get down to the beach. I have to make sure I don't miss anything! What if they come and I'm not there? I have to get down there now!"

"Wait just a minute, Kairi!" Selphie grabbed the girl's arm, pulling her away from her work. She yanked Kairi into a position so that they were facing one another and were awkwardly close. However, as Kairi's expression remained that of any confused teenage girl, Selphie just smiled. "What are you going to miss, huh Kairi? Do you think that they are going to come here and leave if they don't see you? No, of course they wouldn't do that!"

But deep in the dark I have to stay

"But, but--" Kairi stammered, trying to argue.

"Shh!" Selphie said, silencing her. "You didn't let me finish. Now, because you and I both know Sora and Riku wouldn't do anything like that, you couldn't possibly pass up the chance to have breakfast with me, my treat, now could you?" When Kairi didn't answer, Selphie said again, "Could you?"

Kairi sighed, and then smiled weakly, realizing the pointlessness in arguing with her friend. Reluctantly, she nodded, and was instantly whisked away to the nearby coffee house for food.

Within 30 minutes, the two girls had finished off two cups of coffee and a cream-filled pastry each. Kairi, feeling that she had stayed much longer than she needed to, thanked Selphie for the food and got up to leave, but was stopped at the last minute by a groggy Tidus and a drowsy Wakka, who punctually stumbled into the coffee house to order something to drink. Fifteen minutes later, Kairi was once again seated beside Selphie, and the two had been joined by their guy friends who were still trying to wake up. Once Tidus and Wakka were up, Selphie decided it would be a great time to start a conversation about ever-changing random subjects, as usual, such as the color yellow, fashion tips, and the hair-do on the person sitting behind Wakka. Tidus and Wakka joined in on the conversation, adding their own bits and pieces, and Kairi found herself trapped. Since there was no way out, she had decided to give in and join in.

Kairi didn't check the time again until it was nearly noon. Her eyes widened. How could I have wasted so much time? she thought. What if they're here? What if they're looking for me? I have to get out of here! She immidiately rose to her feet, catching the attention of her three friends. They all stared at her as she dusted off her skirt and bowed to Selphie several quick times.

"Thank you for buying me breakfast, Selphie!" she blurted out as she weaved through the occupied chairs that surrounded her. "I'm sorry, but I -- ow! -- really have to get going!"

"Kai--" Selphie began, but then she, too, glanced at the time, and gasped. She lifted her head once more to make eye contact with Kairi, and then she nodded.

Kairi interperated this as a signal to go for it and she bolted toward the door, toward freedom, and hopefully, she thought, toward Sora.

"Wait up, Kai!" Wakka called after the girl, a little unsure of what was going on.

"Kai! Kairi!" Tidus bellowed, but the girl paid no attention to them. She sped through the doors and raced down the street toward the dock, frankly, not giving a damn what people thought of her. All she could think about was getting to the small island where they used to play, where she could watch and wait.

"Guys, it's okay. Let her go," Selphie told them.

The two boys turned to the brunette, eyeing her questioningly. But it was the look that she gave them in reply that told them everything. Instantly, they realized where she was going and what she was going through, all by the mixture of sadness and joy in Selphie's expression. They sighed, for they knew that they couldn't go after her, no matter what, not today.

Because it's so hard when you're far away

meanwhile ...

Kairi secured her row boat to the dock on the small island where they used to play, turning quickly afterward to face the open waters before her. They were as blue as ever in the blazing noontime sun, and the brilliant sparkles in the brine further inhanced the beauty of the endless sky reflected in it. Kairi searched these breathtaking waters and skies for several moments, but Sora and Riku were nowhere to be found. There were no streaks in the sky besides those of the clouds that shaded the lands from the sun, no ripples in the water besides that of the waves lapping upon the shore, and no footprints in the sand besides those that were her own. Nothing had disturbed the peace of this island.

The girl sighed, partly out of disappointment, yet partly out of relief that she hadn't missed anything.

I prayed to God last night for something more

I prayed that you would somehow show up at my door

But, do I really expect them to come? Surely not, after everything I've been through.

This thought shocked Kairi, for she did not expect it to suddenly arise in her head. She carelessly shook this thought away, as if it meant nothing, as if it were insignificant, but really, it wasn't. Instead of dwelling on these strangely important thoughts, Kairi sat at the edge of the dock and dangled her feet over the edge, gently caressing the surface of the water with her toes as her legs swung back and forth. Just like the crests of the ripples formed drifted farther and farther apart, her thoughts drifted far away, to thoughts of Sora and Riku, and where they were, and why they were wasting so much time ...

Heartbreaks are poison, just like the pain

and when you're down, it only starts to rain

Time flew by as fast as the gulls flew overhead, and before she knew it, nightfall was fast approaching. Kairi's heart was beating faster and faster with anxiety as she continuously scanned the horizon for any sign of her beloved friends. She nervously fidgeted and pushed her red-violet locks behind her ears, wondering where they were.

Where are they? Where could they possibly be?

Suddenly, Kairi felt a tap on her shoulder. She jumped in surprise and turned around to see that it was none other than Selphie, who was sporting a worried expression. "Kairi," she said in a depressing tone, "it's almost nightfall. I ... I think it's about time ... you ... ya know ..."

Kairi's heart dropped. No ... please ... it went by too fast. But it was really that time ... already ... the time to leave and go home for the evening. She sighed heavily and said, almost too quietly to hear, "Yeah, I-I know ... I-I'm c-coming ..."

It floods, and you start drowning in your tears

How do we stay afloat throught the hard years

Selphie smiled weakly, turned on her heel, and left as soon as she could, so that she could leave Kairi in peace. She was sure that any misplaced word said now would set off an emotional breakdown on Kairi's part, and Selphie wanted to avoid that by all means. So, without looking back, the brunette boarded her rowboat and made her way home.

Kairi, on the other hand, had barely moved an inch. She was standing now, but she was still staring at the same sea, now reflecting the beautiful pastel colors of the sunset. Though her face showed no emotion, deep inside, Kairi was grieving. After all of that waiting, they hadn't returned. After everything they had been through together, Sora's promise hadn't been kept. After all of this, her sacrifices had meant nothing.

At that moment, as Kairi gazed out upon the horizon, she thought she saw two shooting stars ... not one, but two. But my eyes could just be decieving me, she thought, just like they did last time when I wished for their return. But something inside Kairi compelled her to wish again, for her own sake, if for no one else's. So as Kairi watched the stars continue to fall together in the sky, she wished aloud. Her wish was no more than words from her heart that just had to be said.

But I pulled through those times

All the rainy days

But did I really expect them to come?

"Please," she said with a gulp as her vision became blurry with tears, "I wish again for Sora and Riku, but unlike those other selfish wishes where I wanted nothing more than the two of them to be brought back to me, I am wishing for something more. I am wishing now for my words to reach them, these words that I am speaking now from my heart." She paused here as a single tear rolled down her cheek, glistening in the setting sun and falling with a plop against the wood boards of the dock. She shuffled her feet ever so slowly as she made her way down from the dock to the shore and let the waves wash over her feet, so that as more tears fell, they were carried away in the tide. Then she continued. "Please, oh shooting star, let them know how I feel. Let them know how much they have let me down ... after all the good times, the bad, and the promises that were made. Let them know how much they have let everyone else down, their friends who waited patiently for their speedy return for over a year. But most importantly of all, let them know how they have hurt me with thier lies. They promised to return to us, to me, promised us all that everything was going to be okay but ... but everything is far from okay! Nothing ... nothing is okay anymore." Kairi held her head high again, as if proud of the tears that continued to roll down her cheeks. "And so," she finished, "with this wish, I end my wait. I will no longer watch the ocean in ... in high hopes that ... somehow ... someway ... they will appear for me, for they have not, after so long a wait. With this wish ... I ... I ..." Kairi briefly placed her hand over her heart, and then sat it back at her side. Tears streamed at a constant rate now, and her cheeks were wet. Yet her countenance was unwavering, and she showed immense courage as she stood there, still but dignified. Then, with one swift movement, the princess of heart turned her back to the ocean -- forever. "... I give up."

Because my heart was mended

When I saw your face

Yes ... I did!

Instantly, her heart shattered into a million pieces.

Kairi could no longer controll her emotions. Every tear that she had been holding back all this time came pouring from her eyes, drenching her face and shirt. Her vision was completely blurred, and she could see nothing past her own pain and misery. Sadness flooded her soul as each teardrop landed with a deafening splash upon the sand ... well, the first two, anyway. After the first two drops, the rest came raining down upon the ground like a thunderstorm. The sounds of her uncontrollable wails would break any heart within earshot, for they radiated her emotions throughout the air. She cringed in sorrow, anguish and pain. She began to grow weak in the knees as every bone in her body trembled. She felt as if she were dying ... no, she was dying. The pain was just too unbearable. The crumbs that remained of her heart were too heavy, and her legs gave way.

Kairi!

But before Kairi could fall to the ground, she felt a hand grab ahold of her arm, just barely holding her up. Kairi, though her heart seemed like it was no more, somehow mustered the strength to support herself so that she could turn her head and feast her weary eyes upon those of her rescuer.

There they were, piercing green, unlike any other color ever seen before. Piercing green -- the color of the eyes upon which her gaze was now, eyes that told tales of sorrow and hope, a never-ending struggle with darkness and light. They were wise eyes that portrayed a life of pain, and suffering, and sin ... and yet, despite all of that, a life of forgiveness and second chances. They were strange, mysterious eyes that were set back into a handsome, yet angular, face framed by long, sleek silver hair. They were the eyes that belonged to the long-lost --

"Riku ..." Kairi said softly, half asking her rescuer if it was really him.

But it was, it really was him, and she could feel it in the shattered pieces of her heart that it was. He gave her a reassuring smile and nodded, before pulling her up into a protective embrace. Somehow, Kairi regained the strength to stand, and she wrapped her arms around Riku's neck, running her fingers through his hair, as if she did not completely believe in his existance quite yet. But there he was, holding her, lifting her to her feet with his muscular arms, and restoring her strength.

There you were

Behind me waiting

Kairi broke away from the embrace so that she could get a better look at her friend. Besides the fact that his muscles were bigger, he was at least 6 feet tall, and his wardrobe was more simplistic, he was the same, wise, bossy, protective, kind Riku that she had always known. She smiled, really smiled, for the first time in what seemed like ages, and he returned it.

"I just can't believe it," Kairi said as one tiny tear of joy trickled down her nose and dropped off the tip. "Here I was ... giving up and ... there you are!" She ran and threw her arms around him again. Riku picked her up and swung her around once in the embrace before setting her back down and pulling away.

"Careful," he said with a chuckle. 'I'm soaking wet."

Kairi giggled at his even deeper, more manly new voice and stared into his eyes again, completely forgetting the world around her for a moment. One of her best friends had returned after so long and was standing right in front of her! This had to be the best day of her life! "Oh, my God, it's really you!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down.

Riku only smiled wider at her reaction. "I'm as surprised to be here as you are to see me here, Kairi ..."

Kairi ran and threw her arms around him one more time, squeezing him tightly before quickly pulling away at the thought of something even more important than this precious moment ...

The 5 foot 6 inch girl stared into her silver-haired friend's eyes, her own expressing concern, and asked, dreading the answer, "Where's Sora?"

At first, Riku didn't respond. His smile had faded, and he was staring blankly into Kairi's eyes. Kairi's heart was beating fast. Does this mean something bad happened to him? she thought. Oh, please, oh, please, no! She could feel her lip trembling as she dreaded the worst, her eyes growing wider and wider each second. But then, a smile re-appeared on her best friend's face, and he slowly stepped out of the way to reveal the waters behind him.

There you were

Smile unfading

There, standing ankle-deep in the water, was a boy of about 5' 9" dressed all in black, save the silver crown chain that hung around his neck. His hair was chocolate brown and sat in unruly natural spikes on top of his head, sticking out in every direction. He was currently standing with his feet shoulder-width apart, staring at his oversized black-and-yellow shoes as he shook his own head, trying to knock out the water. He didn't seem to notice what was going on until --

"Sora?"

The boy stopped what he was doing and slowly raised his head, until he was gazing straight into Kairi's eyes, who was now standing very close to him. They just stood there for a moment while Kairi studied his face. It looked pretty much the same. Of course, it had aged a bit, but his eyes were still the same. They were still as clear, azure blue as the skies on the islands, and they told stories of anxiety, passion, love, motivation, and determination. They were certainly the windows to his soul, but their beauty was different than that of any other pair of eyes. They showed compassion, always, even to their enemies, for there was always a glint of his loved ones in them. That is what made them beautiful. That is what made them undoubtedly Sora's.

And there you were, when I turned around

There you were, the sun was shining down

Kairi pounced on Sora and threw her arms around him, causing him to sway a little and nearly knocking him off balance. Sora hugged her back, embracing her warmly and gently and resting the side of his face against hers. Then Kairi slowly pulled away so that they could look into each others eyes. She ran her fingers gently along the contours of his face and asked, as more tears of joy streamed down her cheeks, "Is it ... really you?"

There you were, to sooth all my fears

Sora could only smile his goofy, trademark smile as he stroked the side of her face with his hand. "Yes, Kairi," he replied in his new, deeper voice. "It's me ... I'm real ... I'm here."

As soon as Kairi heard those words, she threw herself back into his warm, strong arms again, and they rested there in each others' embrace. Kairi burried her face in his shoulder and cried tears of joy as Sora held back his own tears. They both breathed a heavy sigh of relief: he, that he was finally home, and she, that she was finally safe in his embrace. They closed their eyes and, for a moment, observed nothing but the feel of each other in their loving arms as they stood there, completely still, as two intertwined souls finally reunited, finally, after far too long.

Instantly, her heart was mended.

Kairi pulled her head out of Sora's shoulder and he, seing the tears on her face, wiped them away with his thumb, saying, "Shh, Kairi, it's okay. Everything is going to be alright now, I promise."

The girl nodded and smiled, for she knew that she could trust in Sora to keep his promise.

and take away my tears

Meanwhile, Riku watched this happy reunion from a few feet away, as the two others stood oblivious to his prescence. In looking at them and their happiness, he couldn't help but feel a pang of envy in his heart. But he knew, that despite how much he cared of Kairi, he couldn't interfere. These two teens had fought for and saved each other in many more ways than one, and they were meant to be together. They were inseperable, and so try as he might, he could never break them apart. So why even try? Riku smiled at their happiness now, knowing that he had helped bring that smile to their faces, and knowing that he would and could do anything in his power to keep them together. That was all the satisfaction he needed.

"Hey, Riku!"

Riku snapped out of the trance he had fallen into while watching them and saw that Sora and Kairi were now standing side-by-side. One of each of their arms was wrapped around each others' shoulders, and they were using their free arm to wave at Riku, gesturing for him to come and join them. Riku walked down to meet them, and he got into the same position as them so that they were all three huddled together, bright smiles on their faces.

and take away my tears

They were the inseperable trio, united unstoppable, and divided, still strong. They had been seperated for so long, but their destinies had brought them together again. So there they stood, the Keybearer, the Vessel, and the Princess of Heart, best friends forever, reunited at last.

(A/N: Okaaayyy, so that was chapter three, really long, I know, because I had to get in all the fluffy detail about an emotional reuniting scene between the three of them and junk, yeah, so, please review ... please!)