A/N: Sorry for waiting so long. But I've got a legitimate excuse, yeah. Tons of schoolwork. Don't worry, your suffering won't take long--The ending of this fanfic is scheduled before Halloween. Nice timing, ne? Maybe shatter someone else's heart this Halloween?
...and yeah, if you're an angst fan like me, you should check out Boys Will Beby Lizzy Rebel. It's now officially one of my most favorite stories ever. Like yeah. Wow. I'm still not over it. O.O
Disclaimer: Nuh-uh. I don't own Sora & co.
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XXIII: Take Note
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"...and yeah, here's the room you're assigned to, yep."
Riku didn't know whether to groan or to grin; his roommates (in no particular order) were a engrossed-in-unpacking Roxas, a hyperactive, bored-to-death Tidus, and a snoring Wakka. Why the heck did the professors feel the need to drive him crazy? "Uhm. Thanks, Hayner."
The blonde brown-eyed teen smirked, bobbing his head once. "Have fun. General assembly's at ten."
"I'll try to--" he stared after the punky kid as Hayner strode down the corridor and out of sight. Sighing, he went inside the (their) room and shut the door behind him.
Twilight Academy had prepared for their arrival, it seemed, in a rather flustered way. People have been downright overjoyed on learning a Keyblade Master had just arrived in their world--they seemed to think Riku can protect them from darkness if need be. Sadly, they had no idea that the longer he and Kairi stayed here, the more Heartless and Nobodies would come after them. And yes, it was advisable to keep his ability to control darkness under wraps. Pssh.
King Mickey getting attacked the night before had forced almost all the Worlds to reevaluate their security systems, and Twilight Town was no exception. Pale-faced Twilight-born Paladins stood guard at the Town perimeter, slaying Heartless as they struggled to get in. Posters on what to do in case of a Nobody/Heartless raid had been posted everywhere. No less than thirty-two Twilight Academy students have challenged him to a duel, and it wasn't even ten o' clock yet.
Gah. Riku had a feeling he'd be demonstrating battle strategy the whole afternoon.
...he had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't really a field trip. It turned into something more like a training program.
"Upperclassman!" Tidus half-yelled, chucking a pillow at him, which Riku easily ducked and threw back at the blonde.
"So what...?" he asked boredly, tossing his backpack into the only non-occupied bed in the room. Riku stared around the rather spacious dormitory room; whitewashed walls stood unadorned, and four beds with identical russet orange bedspreads, each stamped with the Twilight Academy seal, stood in a row against the walls. Worn brown carpet cushioned his feet, and white-framed glass windows were thrown open in hopes of tempting Twilight Town's famous cooling breeze.
The dormitory had temporarily been vacated partly to make room for them--thus, the girls were only situated somewhere down the hall. Which kind of made it easier for him to lug Kairi's luggage to her room.
It was made a rule that people(a) may not stay in another room alone with a person of the opposite sex after ten in the evening, (b) bedcheck hours were at ten, and people had to be in their rooms at ten, and (c) no 'funny' things (as professor Zexion had termed while blushing furiously).
"I thought all upperclassmen were stuck-up," Tidus said offhandedly, cerulean blue eyes eyeing him curiously.
Riku collapsed on his bed, and tore off his sneakers (and resisted the urge to throw them into Roxas' face, who had just commented loudly on the smell). "I am not stuck-up. No. Way. Do I look stuck up to you? Tidus, you're my team captain in blitzball--of all the people you should know."
The blonde blinked. "I dunno...maybe you're different on the field than in person."
Riku threw his other pillow at Tidus.
Wakka snorted, and turned over.
"Has he gotten over losing Lulu yet?" Riku asked cautiously. He had heard that the Black Mage was one of those taken by the Heartless in the Destiny Island outbreak.
Tidus blinked at him. "...eh? It was Paine who got hurt, her sister. Not Lulu. D'you really think he'd be sleepin' like a baby if Lulu turned Heartless?"
"Uh...no." He'd gotten far too used to Sora being bipolar, he figured.
Sora...?
He grunted, and flopped onto his stomach, staring at the headboard of his bed absently. The issue of his best friend was popping up in his head recently, and the incredible feeling of guilt everytime he was with Kairi was testament to that.
But why now?
Yawning, he sat up and started rummaging through his bag for his stock of Hi-Potions, hoping that they didn't break from getting hauled around.
"...argh," Roxas suddenly sniffed loudly, pawing through his bag's contents frustatedly, tossing his shortswords to the carpeted floor.
"What?" Tidus asked Roxas, tossing back Riku's pillows to him.
"Nothing," the spiky-haired blonde growled, before sneezing vehemently.
Riku stared at him bemusedly. Roxas had finally given up on unpacking and tossed his own bag at the foot of his bed, which was the one nearest the open window. He then climbed--no, crawled--into his own bedsheets, kicked off his sneakers, and buried his head under the pillow. Which did nothing to muffle his sneeze a few seconds later.
"Dude," Tidus said. "Looks like you're down with the chills or something."
"No, I'm fine," Roxas' voice said hoarsely, muffled by the cloth of the bed.
Riku smirked, and tossed a vial of Hi-Potion in the blonde's direction, bouncing off his chest. Judging from the paleness of Roxas' visible arms, the Nobody was sick with a very bad cold. Probably because he had given his overjacket to Naminé in the Gummi Ship earlier--Gummi Ships were notorious for their excessive airconditioning. "Drink up, it'll help."
"I'm fine, Riku," he groaned, picking up the vial and setting it beside his bed. "I just need some rest, that's all."
"Don't be stupid," he shot back. "Drink the Potion and get to sleep."
"No," Roxas muttered once more, hand dangling over one side of his bed and shuffling blindly in his bag. He drew out a small ebony-black looseleaf notebook and slid it under his pillow tiredly.
Riku eyed the notebook with interest. "Aww, Roxas? You keep a diary?"
"Probably filled with doodles of Naminé's name," Tidus added, stuffing his fist in his mouth to keep from laughing too loud, and waking Wakka up.
The blonde bedheaded boy sighed resignedly. "Shut up, you two. It's my Physics notebook--maybe if I sleep on it, the notes'll pass into my brain..."
"Well that's a good excuse," Riku yawned once more, bouncing slightly as he collapsed back into his pillow.
--------------------
"What is up with people forgetting today?" Pence muttered, twisting the lens cap of his black camera open. "First Roxas, and then you, Kairi."
The redhead shifted uneasily at the edge of her bed, but she was slightly comforted by the sight of a very flustered Naminé staring at her feet.
"Might have had something to do with darkness," Kairi reasoned loudly, wondering what they meant by Roxas and forgetting too. "You know. That."
Olette quirked a knowing smile, and elbowed Pence in the ribs.
Well, Kairi couldn't exactly jerk a thumb in her Nobody's direction and say 'Oh yeah, she kind of chained this memory down', Twilight Town students might hunt Naminé if they learned she was a Nobody.
"Well, we gotta go, our professors are waiting," the brunette, emerald-eyed girl said dejectedly. "Maybe you and Riku could get ice cream with us later?"
"Why not?"
"Olette Winhill and Pence Nakamura, report to the dorm counter please."
Olette made a face and dragged her photographer friend out of sight.
Naminé whimpered and twiddled her thumbs.
She turned to the flaxen-haired girl and scowled. "Care to explain?"
"Erm, Roxas...I actually...cripes, it's a long story."
"...one that I presume you've already told me but chained the memory down?"
"Roxas lived here in Twilight Town when he was on the run from Organization XIII," Naminé said airily, quickly changing the subject. "Once he was remerged, well, I had to chain down the memories of everyone here. But I just broke the chains this morning, 'cause--"
Kairi stared at her disbelievingly. "You can actually stand doing that? That's like breaking Roxas' heart!"
"I don't feel remorse, Kairi," she frowned. "And I had to."
"Like you really had to chain down my own memo--"
"Hey! Kai, Nam! We're back!" another brunette almost screamed from the doorway, jade green eyes sparkling with what presumably was a sugar overdose, and toting no less than five bags.
"Selphie, Yuna," she greeted back, smiling bemusedly at the way Yuna rolled her bi-colored eyes. Probably Selphie had dragged her all over Twilight Academy, seeing the sights. She shot her Nobody a glance, and Naminé stared stoically back.
Selphie tossed her purchases onto her bed, and put her hands on her hips excitedly. "So! You guys ready for the assembly?" And without waiting for an answer, she crossed the room in a few strides and pulled both Kairi and Naminé to their feet.
"Do we have a choice?" Kairi asked weakly, fearing that her circulation might be cut off by Selphie's deathgrip on her wrist.
Behind them, Yuna giggled derisively. "As always, no."
Naminé managed a weak smile. Probably still shaken up by Kairi's interrogation. "Erh, I really don't have any choice. I pretty much got everything from Kairi, anyway."
"...what?" Selphie asked.
"Nothing," the blonde said, smiling a very personal smile.
Kairi did get what she was trying to say. Breaking hearts was something Naminé got from her, her Other. No matter how she tried to wave it aside, Naminé's words stung her deeply.
Biting her lip, she followed Selphie out of their room.
-------------------
Sora woke up feeling very peckish.
Apparently, copious amounts of alcohol-spiked blood and a thirty-minute nap did no good for him and his mind. It left him feeling more guilty (if he did feel guilty) than ever about attacking Organization XIII members. Mercifully, Antiform had still not shown itself--he had probably been more than satisfied with leaving King Mickey near death.
He cringed, but quickly corrected himself. Uh. He shouldn't be feeling guilty for attacking the King who killed him, in an indirect way. In fact, he should be feeling disappointed--why didn't he just kill the stupid mouse...?
Key word there being should.
Groaning, he sat up and scratched his head, forgetting to use his right hand.
"Well that woke me up," he growled, feeling ribbons of blood trace their path down his scalp where his claws had raked through. Sora strode down the hall and into the nearest bathroom, intending to clean up for what seemed like the millionth time.
Internally he wondered how Roxas was faring.
And with that, how Naminé and Riku and Kai--
"Shut up, Sora," he chided himself.
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"...well? Don't hold back!" Kairi yelled, and Riku felt himself blush as he turned around to face another Twilight Academy student. Which was a girl. Uhm.
Now, don't take Riku as a sap. He just doesn't like attacking girls, that's all.
"Hey, I'm Lenne," she smiled, tossing her long mahogany hair over one tanned shoulder. Beaded braids clinked and shone in the twilight, and her periwinkle half-skirt rippled in the breeze. She stood easily, with no sign of a weapon anywhere. "Lenne Remscar. Nice to be battling with you, Sir Riku."
He winced at the 'Sir'. " Don't call me sir, it makes me feel old."
"Fine. Riku then," she said cheerfully. Riku stared at her, bewildered. Wasn't she going to draw a weapon or something?
He twirled the Way to the Dawn in his hand, readying it for his trademark held-upright battle stance. The Heartless Keychain sparkled. "Are you sure about this, Lenne? I'll give it my all..."
Her sienna eyes blinked. "What...? Of course I'm sure!"
"Uhmm..."
Professor Larxene's voice rose above the chatter of the onlooking crowd. "Ready!"
Riku slightly crouched, raising his free hand on level with his raised Keyblade. Lenne shut her eyes. Well, girl or not, he's not going to get beaten by anyone else than So--
gah.
"Stance! and fight!"
He sprinted towards Lenne soundlessly, raising his Keyblade to attack. Well, there were Healers nearby, anyway.
She had still not opened her eyes, and cold metal was only inches from slicing into her head.
"Lenne!" he yelled, not really wanting to hurt her. To his surprise, the girl dodged his weapon easily, crouching and swinging out her booted foot to trip him. He jumped just in time to avoid her. Well, this girl was pretty good, he reasoned.
She spread her palms and a circle of light glowed underneath her feet.
Oh crap. She's a Summoner. Riku grimaced, now knowing why she carried no weapons. Seconds later the ground erupted from beneath his own feet and he was forced to flip backwards to avoid the upheaval of molten rock and metal chains. Something like a grappling hook erupted from the Twilight Academy Quad and dragged up with it the ugliest and most pathetic creature Riku had ever seen.
It looked like an enormous humanoid bound painfully in bloody chains, trapped halfway in two shells of bloody muscle. Raw red flesh peeked from here and there, and what looked like a holy charm was draped around its excuse for a neck. A single malevolent eye glared down at him.
Well, it certainly didn't look remotely like anything he had seen Sora summon.
Okay. Back to reality, Riku.
To his left, two students fainted.
"Anima!" Lenne yelled. "Pain!"
Bolts of light erupted from its eye and sped towards him. Riku managed to deflect the first three volleys of light with the edge of his Keyblade, but he was forced to dodge the remaining volleys that never seemed to cease unless they found its target.
Tempting as it was to call on darkness and get this over with, he gritted his teeth and sprinted towards Lenne, knowing that the Summon would disappear once its Summoner was rendered defeated. No mean feat, considering that Anima was trying her best to pelt him with balls of shimmering, acidic, light.
His eyes widened as his gaze strayed past the brunette. Her guard down, Lenne looked back too--and screamed.
"Heartless!"
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"What do you mean, you're missing one platoon?" Sora repeated, eyebrows furrowing. The Neoshadow slinking before him quailed, and sank back into the white marble, only antennae and glowing yellow eyes visible.
"Eh. We always miss one platoon one way or another," it said timidly.
"But one platoon!" he asked curiously. "You haven't acted in groups lately..."
"We found a Princess of Heart and another Wielder," it paused shrewdly. "Plus, two shards of your heart."
He scratched his head (with his right now, he remembered). "Only one platoon? That's somewhere near two hundred Heartless, and knowing the...uhm, Wielder, you'll be annihilated. Easily."
"We're trying out a new formation, and yep, it's stronger. We're working with a Dusk platoon."
Sora shrugged; like Kingdom Hearts ever ran out of darkness to create Heartless, which in turned ensured an endless supply of Nobodies. Ever since he had turned Heartless and Nobody, he had found out that the two groups have taken to helping each other take hearts, because they did have a common goal: to power up Kingdom Hearts. Well, who had ownership of it was a whole other matter, but right now, they were more intent on collecting hearts. One of which was his own.
Naturally, Heartless had no idea of love and all that jazz, so they didn't understand why Sora left those who had the shards of his heart alone.
Whatever. Just as long as they left Organization XIII alone.
"Good luck then. The Dusks might be still hung over froom the party," he added.
"Oh, we only work with sober ones. Thanks for the luck, Sir Sora."
He watched impassively as the Neoshadow sunk completely out of sight, leaving trails of darkness in its wake. Sora shrugged again; he knew for a fact none of the said Heartless and Nobody platoons would come back in one piece. If they came back at all.
Wielders were ruthless like that.
Just as long as no harm came to the Princess--he didn't know exactly why he didn't want Kairi attacked by Heartless.
Maybe it was his 'love' for her.
Or the urge to kill her himself.
Either way, it still left him feeling incredibly guilty.
-------------------
"Mhmm. This is perfect," Kairi murmured as she licked her ice cream absently. Yep. Ice cream had an amazing cooling feeling after a skirmish with both Heartless and Nobodies.
Beside her, a silver-haired boy stared at his own popsicle of blue sweet-saltiness. "It's weird, but somehow I like it. I never really liked ice cream anyway."
"...that's a crime," Hayner said, putting both elbows on the cafeteria table and tracing the end of his popsicle stick on the white plastic top, leaving trails of faint blue.
Olette growled; the brunette was a bit obsessive-compulsive when it came to cleanliness. No matter whether it was her own room or the cafeteria--messes freaked her out. Kairi learned it the hard way when Olette came upon her in her dorm room rummaging in her bag for a change of clothes after the fight. She ended up having to listen to one of the brunette's ruthless 'cleanliness' lectures.
Hayner immediately reached for a paper towel and mopped the sticky liquid up, chucking the used paper into his dinner tray.
He was good with using his Struggle bat, even if he had slain only about ten Heartless, tops. Which was saying something, considering that he wasn't supposed to be able to slay Heartless at all.
Pence sighed dreamily. "Wow. A real Heartless and Nobody battle." He patted his camera. "I got the awesomest pictures."
Hayner snorted. "You almost got killed."
"Still!"
Riku chuckled quietly. "It's just his adrenalin talking. Give him a day or two and he'll realize how close he came to Heartless-ness."
Kairi nudged him in the ribs and giggled. "Is that even a word?"
"No. I'm too lazy to think of the right word for it. Ugh, I'm beat," he yawned widely.
The platinum-haired Wielder had lived up to his title as Keyblade Master on the Heartless attack earlier. He did most of the cleaning up as Twilight Academy students looked on in awe. Lenne and Anima had wiped out pretty much the rest. She frowned slightly, remembering that her Nobody had control over the Dusk Nobodies, and the battle would've been much more easier if Naminé was there.
Speaking of Naminé, where was her Nobody?
"Sleep early, then," Kairi told him softly, linking her arm with his. He blushed spectacularly, and she giggled.
Pence groaned. "It's bad enough I see Hayner and Olette's PDA everyday, but do you two have to add your own displays of sickly affection?"
"Pssh," Hayner smirked, hand around Olette's waist. "Get a girlfriend, Pence."
"...Shut up."
Kairi laughed.
"...there you are," a flustered blonde girl collapsed into the bench next to Riku.
"Where's Roxas?" Olette asked urgently. Kairi eyed her Nobody, who was currently engrossed in catching her breath. She jumped slightly when Riku answered the brunette's question for her.
"Aww, is he still denying he's sick?" he said bemusedly.
"I swear to God, he's the stubbornest boy I have ever met," she muttered darkly, putting her head in her hands. Kairi noticed she still had Roxas' cream half-jacket over her shoulders. "...do you people have Mega-Ethers on you?"
"Roxas' sick?" Hayner echoed, and his smile morphed into the biggest smirk Kairi had ever seen. "And Naminé's 'doctoring' him? Alone? In your room?"
She watched Naminé blush furiously and almost glow red. "I was just returning the favor!" She said hotly. "He was stupid enough to give me his jacket and then get sick himself!"
"You know," Pence choked, "I think I'm on an overdose of couple sweetness. Ugh."
"We are not a couple!" the blonde almost yelled.
Kairi looked past Riku at a very red Naminé. "Don't be so defensive..."
"I am not defensive!"
She exchanged glances with Hayner, Olette, Riku, and Pence. They burst into laughter simultaneously, and Riku mercifully drew out two galss vials filled with blue liquid out of his vest pocket. "Here," he set the vials down on the table in front of Naminé.
The blonde got to her feet and smiled gratefully at Riku, and shot a glare at Hayner. She turned to Olette. "How much is a Sea-Salt popsicle? Is it still twenty munny?"
The brunette giggled and nodded in reply, and Naminé stomped off, red-faced.
"What?" Kairi asked, bewildered at her Nobody's reaction.
Pence coughed loudly. "Roxas loves the blue stuff."
She stared at him.
"..."
"...oh."
"D'you think she'll hand-feed it to him?" Hayner drawled, making Olette and Kairi giggle, blushing at the thought.
Pence gagged.
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"Welcome to Commercial Gummi Ship Airlines, flight no. 287. I will be your flight attendant this trip, from Disney Kingdom outbound to Radiant Garden. Please fasten your seatbelts and--"
"Eh?" a black-suited, ponytailed redhead raised an eyebrow, adjusting his shades and placing it on top of his head. "I thought only the long-haul flights had stewardesses."
She smiled sweetly, ignoring the pointed stares of the other passengers.
"...you got that right."
...this was going to be a long night.
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knock. knock. knock.
knock-knock.
knock.
knock.
"Stop it already!" a voice hollered, and the door opened, revealing a very irritated Yuna. Her irritation evaporated once she saw who was knocking. "Don't be so enthusiastic, Riku," she said sarcastically.
"Why not?" he asked, inviting himself inside. And was ambushed by a vision of brown tackling him to the ground.
"Riku!" Selphie squealed.
He blinked, and gently shoved the brunette off him, sitting up and rubbing his head. "Okay," he said sternly. "Who let her near the sugar again?"
"She stole one of my chocolate bars!" Yuna whined, flopping back onto the bed.
"No I did not!" Selphie shot back. "Kairi did it!"
Riku's eyes traveled to the second bed nearest the window, on which a surprised redhead stared reproachfully at Sephie. "I'm not as sugar-addicted as you! And I brought my own food!"
Selphie's jade green eyes widened considerably. "You did! Lemme see!"
The sight of her pouncing on Kairi's bag was something Riku wouldn't forget for a long time. It was something akin to a rabid dog.
"Selphie! Not the choco--gah. I give up."
He crossed the room and sat next to the Princess of Heart, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they watched Selphie rummage through Kairi's white suitcase. He looked over his shoulder, noticing that the bed nearest to the window was unoccupied, save for the various emptied vials of Hi-Potion. Naminé had earlier come to their own room and finally returned Roxas' jacket, after casting what seemed to be ten Curagas in a row. The blonde girl had fallen asleep out of exhaustion almost immediately, passing out on Roxas' bed. He and Tidus had covered the two of them with Roxas' comforter, snickering all the way.
"Selph!" Yuna pouted, crossing her arms. "Leave some for me!"
"Hey! That's my food!" Kairi said indignantly.
Riku fought the urge to roll his eyes. "So. Kairi..." he felt color rush up his cheeks. Agh. "Want to go for a walk?"
The redhead blinked, and looked up at him. "What time is it, anyway?"
"Nine in the evening."
Kairi blinked her beryl eyes slowly, then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Just as so long you don't get any ideas."
Riku blushed indignantly. "Kairi!"
She giggled.
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She stared up into the twilit sky, the one visible through the leafy crowns of trees that populated Twilight Town's woods. It was somewhat comforting that the she can still see the sky
-sky-blue eyes the color of a summer sky endless sky blue through thick lashes-
She shook her head vehemently, and almost tripped on a fallen branch. Riku immediately caught her hand and pulled her up. Kairi gratefully clung to his guiding arm, mind still whirling with the thought of So--
Shutting her eyes, she took deep, calming breaths, trying to clear her thoughts. Why now?
"You alright?" Rike asked concernedly, aquamarine eyes shining in the shadows.
Kairi nodded slowly, tucking a lock of ruby hair behind her ear. "Is it near?"
"Yeah, the mansion's just ahead."
Sure enough, before long, the tree trunks parted and sunset light streamed into her eyes, revealing an enormous mansion, handsome and sienna in the twilight
sienne and mahogany and just the brownest brown hair spiky and
"Rundown, eh? DiZ wasn't really particular about our headquarters," Riku's voice said distantly, and Kairi struggled to pull herself back to reality. She had a sneaking suspicion her Nobody was somewhere near here, no matter what Riku had said earlier that the two blondes were asleep.
The platinum-haired boy took a deep breath. "Roxas and Naminé's here."
Kairi stared at the rusty steel gate. The Disney-wrought lock had already been opened, and the gate was ajar. Well, somebody had been here, and she concluded it was because of Riku's heightened ability to pick out scent that he had been able to know the two Nobodies were here. "...why're they here, then?"
Riku grimaced.
"...okay. Pretend I didn't ask."
They slipped through the gates, feet pounding soundlessly on the overgrown grass.
"Naminé's room has a spectacular view of the sunset," he explained, pushing the door open. Musty, stale air assaulted her senses, and she almost choked. As soon as her eyes finished watering, she followed Riku inside.
"Really. Riku, how could you bear to live in this place?" she wrinkled her nose. The house was well-built, she could see that. But it was in a really horrible state of disrepair. Dust an inch think carpeted the hardwood floor, and scattered pieces of crushed lumber was scattered around. A filthy glass box right in the middle of the foyer housed a sculpture of a castle--a broken castle, that was. Suits of armor gleamed forlornly in the sunlight from the windows. It was just pathetic, in any case.
"I stay in the basement," he pointed out, looking very revolted at the thought of staying here more than necessary. "That's the former dining room," Riku gestured to the door on her right, "And that's the former mansion owner's storage room," he pointed to a door on their left, which was blocked by a broken piece of wood.
She rolled her eyes. "Wow," she said sarcastically.
Riku poked her in the ribs playfully, and she giggled. They climbed the stairs and turned left, walking along the corridor. Grimy portraits covered the walls, and an opened treasure chest stood in a corner, gathering cobwebs.
"And, this is Naminé's room," he grinned. Kairi raised an eyebrow as he eased open the door.
She blinked for a few seconds, head pounding. She had expected Naminé's room to be white, but not this blindingly white. Swallowing a curse, she went inside.
Which resulted in some very colorful words voiced out by a stunned Roxas.
Riku grinned.
Kairi raised an eyebrow; so here they were...
Naminé was seated on a chair at the very end of a table that ran the whole length of the room, and Roxas was sitting on the table beside her. Both appeared to be poring over a small looseleaf notebook before she and Riku barged in, and both looked like deer caught in a steamroller's headlights.
"...eheh," Naminé said in a small, nervous voice. "What...uhm...brings you here...?"
"The view," Riku said simply, gesturing to the wall-to-wall windows of her room. The curtains were drawn back, and Kairi saw what he was talking about. She ran to the window and pressed her fingers to the glass. The view was truly spectacular--twilight sky and orange and reds and muted yellows with a fringe of indigo clouds, and the twilight-bathed buildings of Twilight Town, with the Clocktower clearly visible.
She smiled as she felt Riku's arms over her shoulders.
"Okaaay," Roxas' voice said, cracking in places. Kairi looked over her shoulder curiously. The two blondes were smiling sheepishly at them.
"What are you two doing here, anyway?"
Roxas exchanged glances with Naminé. "Physics!" he said, tapping a finger on the black notebook. "I really can't get it, you know, heh," he laughed nervously. The blonde girl beside him bobbed her head, smile plastered on her face.
"Oh. Well, don't let us bother you," Riku said quietly, tipping Kairi's face up and stealing a kiss.
She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around the platinum-haired Wielder's neck, tuning out the sound of ruffling paper and muffled exclamations. "Mmmhmm...don't let us bother you..."
----------------------
His hands traveled from her shoulders to her waist, pulling her closer until his forehead was resting on hers. Aquamarine eyes stared into heavy-lidded beryl ones, and she growled throatily. Riku smiled, his lips curving slightly.
"...oh, and this one...oh God."
Riku and Kairi blinked at Naminé's sudden exclamation, turning to her. Roxas was kneeling beside her, elbows propped on the table as their heads came together, apparently reading something. The flaxen-haired girl clamped a hand to her mouth and stole a fearful glance at the two of them.
Roxas smiled cheerily. "Feh! Don't mind us!"
Naminé, once again, bobbed her head, with that suspicious smile on her face.
Riku's eyes traveled to the notebook they were poring over. On top of the loose, ruled pages was a tattered piece of paper that somehow looked familiar.
The blonde boy must have seen him staring. "And what's this formula for, Nam?" he asked, a little bit too loudly, jabbing at the rectangle of parchment--enough to peak Riku's interest.
"Oh! That's for Materia Efficiency. Work times energy over--"
He immediately knew something was wrong when Kairi's hand slipped from his neck, and she marched over to the table where they were sitting. Naminé hurriedly slipped the piece of paper out of Kairi's immediate reach.
"Give. Me. That," Kairi said in a dangerous voice.
"Kairi," Riku said warningly, striding over the table and eyeing the item under Naminé's sprawled fingers.
He'd recognized the bloodstain on the corner anywhere.
Apparently, Kairi did also, judging from the whiteness of her face. The redhead snatched the note from her Nobody with a muffled curse, and swayed on her feet. Riku steadied her by the shoulders, and read the hurried handwriting over her shoulder.
It hit him like a speeding truck.
King Mickey's note.
"...this isn't good," he heard Roxas say distantly.
"The hell it's not," Kairi breathed, anger slurring her words together. She wrenched herself free of Riku's grip (which was saying something) and advanced menacingly on the two Nobodies, who were shrinking back visibly. Naminé had backed into her chair so much that she was in danger of falling over. Roxas had portalled over to her other side.
"Kairi, no..." he said, but he knew it was no use.
He remembered telling Kairi long ago (in an attempt to pacify her in her anger at Sora leaving) that the brunet Keyblade Master never let the note out of his sight, and kept it on his person at all times. He, too, was internally wondering, when Sora was supposed to be roaming the worlds, out of reach...
A furious Princess of Heart was something Riku had no intention of seeing, ever again. Kairi's voice broke, high-pitched with anger.
"How the hell did you get this?"
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cliffie.
Yay. XD.
It's the beginning of the end, kiddies.
points I made, if you don't get it.
-Roxas had found Sora's journal where Antiform chucked it in the bushes. The lock placed by the Keyblade attracted Roxas. Riku was all too worked up over Kaikai to notice. yeah.
-He brought the journal 'cause the Organization are snoops. Yep.
-He didn't give it back to Sora 'cause he might go berserk on thinking Roxas had read his journal (which he did).
-...and yeah, he tucked the journal under his own pillow. Just in case Tidus decided to snoop. Who knows what Riku might do on reading his best-friend's journal.
-Naminé and Roxas went to the Old Mansion to read the journal, 'cause they needed the privacy. Why'd they read it?
...C'mon. I know even you'll read it.
-Anima's the most powerful summon in FFX, but a real pansy in FFX2. And yeah, I made Lenne a summoner.
-Selphie loves chocolate. Anything sweet. XD
any questions? ask me, and I'll answer.
to Ri2--yep, Naminé chained the memory down. And in my twisted mind, Gamblers and Berserkers smile. The whole lot of them.
to skilled-like-a-ninja--you made me smile. yeppers. like yeah.
Read and review, peoples. Flames do count as reviews, so go ahead.