Disclaimer: See Chapter One and Two

Out there,

Strolling by the sand

Taste the morning out there

Like ordinary men

Who freely walk

Above there,

Just one day

And then I swear I'll be content

With my share.

Won't resent,

Won't despair,

All there is,

I won't care,

I'll have spent

One day out there!

-Quasimodo, "Out There," "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame."

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Chapter Four: Repentance

Kairi and her father swam to their home in silence. Finally it was her father who spoke up.

"Kairi, I am deeply sorry. What I said there was not true. I love you, and I loved your mother."

"That's the problem," said Kairi. "Loved. Past tense. Just because Mom passed away doesn't mean you can forget about her."

Her father sighed. She was too smart; she saw through his charade.

"You're right, Kairi; that's a great mistake. My mistake, my weakness." He turned to her daughter, taking her by the shoulders. "But, please, Kairi, I can't live with the burden of your tears on me."

But he suddenly found himself in his daughter's hug. He smiled and hugged back.

"I hope you won't do that to me again, Dad." He nodded.

"I won't, Kairi. And that's a promise. You can visit your friends at sunset, but for now, stay here until that time."

She heeded her promise, and the next day she swam to one of her favourite places; the stables.

Now these horses weren't the cute little seahorses that fairytales told to children. There horses were great, magnificent creatures, and hard to control if you didn't know how to control them. Their coats were composed of feathery scales, and their mane and tails were made of pure silk. Their hooves were of real ebony and their eyes were made of crystal. They were like normal horses, except that they had long, elegant wings.

Kairi went swimming through the corridors to see her best and only friend, Riku. He worked in the stables, and had been friends with Kairi ever since he met her in the stables, ten years ago.

She found Riku comforting a grieving horse. The gelding had lost his mate and was grieving. Despite Riku's magic touch with horses, he had no luck with the sad horse.

"Hey Kairi." He had a blue fishtail, and Kairi had laughed when the day came that whenever Riku passed the mermaids would faint at the sight of him.

"Hey, Riku. What's wrong with Challenge?"

"He won't cheer up." The gelding's head perked up slightly at Kairi's gentle voice.

"Let me try." Riku back up and let her go to the gelding, which had stretched his head towards her. He watched as Kairi patted his nose, holding him by the jaw with the other hand.

"I know, boy, I know how hard it is to lose someone close to you. Right?"

The gelding nodded. Kairi continued.

"Well, when I lost my mother, I was just like you. Nothing could cheer me up. Until a certain someone taught me how to live again." She looked at Riku, who smiled. The gelding perked his head up in determination.

"That's the spirit,' she laughed. She turned and laughed again when Riku was with an awed face. She swam to him and tapped him. He came out.

"Wow."

Kairi laughed. "That's all you can say?"

They both laughed and decided to go ride. Riku chose General, a white stallion with blue eyes. Kairi chose her mare, a beautiful black horse with green eyes.

They mounted.

"Last one to the shore loses!"

Kairi laughed. "You're on!"

They raced. They flew/ swam through the water. They were next to each other, racing to the shore.

Riku looked at his side to see Kairi wasn't there anymore. He stopped and looked everywhere and suddenly was greeted by a rush of black passing him. Riku laughed and flew after them, but Kairi already won.

"Damn it! I was supposed to win."

Kairi laughed. "You were supposed to, but you didn't." They decided to let the horses swim back; they were trained to do so.

"Ok, Kairi,' said Riku, as they saw the two horses swim away, "you told me about some humans?"

"Yeah. You'll meet them... right now. I can see them on the port. Let's go."

A hand on her arm stopped her.

"Kairi, they're- they aren't dangerous, right?"

"No, not at all. Come on, let's go." Riku released her arm. "Ok," he said, a bit uncertain. Riku, you see, had a bad experience with a human once. He was swimming, a few years ago, when he was caught in a net. He was pulled up on a ship and maltreated by the humans until the captain told them to stop and he let Riku free. Since that day he never approached the shore, much less a human.

-

Roxas, Namine and Sora sat on the port, waiting.

"Namine, why are we losing time?"

"We're not losing time, Roxas. I'm sure that she was held up or that she had something important to do."

"Yeah, right."

"Roxas," said Namine, as she turned to him, "what is wrong with you today?"

Roxas couldn't tell his real reason, so he just shrugged. "Sorry, Nami. I'm a bit angry today."

"Don't ask," advised Sora.

Suddenly not one but two heads popped out of the water. The first head was Kairi; the second was a young man with white hair and aquamarine eyes.

Was it just she, or did she see Sora looked sad?

"Hey guys. This is Riku, my friend." Sora brightened and smiled.

"Hey, Riku. I'm Sora, this is my sister Namine and her friend, Roxas."

"Nice to meet you, your highness."

Sora widened his eyes. "How do you know what?"

Riku jerked his thumb to Kairi. "Miss Redhead over here told me everything."

Kairi laughed. "And Old Man over here believed me." They all laughed; Riku scowled.

"It's not my fault I was born with white hair." They all laughed again.

"Well," said Namine, as she reached behind her back, "I have a surprise for all of us."