Usagi: Here we are back with a new chapter so STOP ASKING FOR CHAPTER 3 ALREADY!
Zakura: maybe you shouldn't give out your MSN-address to your fans.
Usagi: Meh. It's more fun than talking to my brother who's sitting across the room.
We have a bit of a sad chapter coming up…except that with space-travelling teens it's not so sad after all. I am starting to regret never giving Kairi's step mother a name…but since she probably won't even appear past this point it'd just be awkward giving her a name now.. So she won't be getting one. I am just that evil.
Sora: and that's obviously the meanest thing she's ever done…
Usagi: what? You know of something more evil I've done?
Sora: oh…I dunno, what about RIPPING MY HEART OUT?
Usagi: please Sora, that was LiD1, this is LiD2. Get over it already.
Sora: (sharpens the Oathkeeper)
Usagi: enough of that, enjoy chapter 3:
Chapter 3
Saying Goodbye
It was nearing sunset and Sora and Kairi were sitting alone at the bent tree over at the smaller island.
They had already been and explained what had happened to all of Kairi's friends, and she had to promise Selphie to write six times a day and visit as often as possible to make her stop crying.
"I've never noticed how pretty the sunset looks from this place, I'm gonna miss it" Kairi said.
"You never know what you've got till you loose it right?" Sora said. "But its not like you'll never see it again, you can still come visit. Besides, no matter where you are, I'll always be with you".
Kairi giggled slightly and looked up, noticing a single star-shaped fruit, hanging by the tree.
"You know…we never did test out the legend of the paopu fruit" she said.
"I don't really like paopu fruit" Sora admitted.
"Well we could always get some sea salt ice cream instead" Kairi suggested.
"Paopu it is then" Sora said and started climbing up the tree.
He got all the way up to the top and was about to loosen the fruit, when something apparently startled him and he fell backwards and landed in the water.
"Oh my! Sora! Are you okay?" Kairi yelled.
Sora re-emerged almost immediately and glared at something in the tree.
"I'm fine. Just gotta do something, stay back please" he said and summoned the Kingdom Key. "FIRAGA!" he yelled and a fireball hit one of the branches of the tree, which fell of, along with a small red animal, which hit the water close to Sora before jumping out and climbed up onto his head.
"Axel, what the heck are you doing?" Sora asked.
"Nothing…just felt like climbing some trees that's all…you know, animal-instincts and all" Axel said innocently.
"Is that so? Well your "animal instincts" made me loose the paopu fruit in the water, and since you're half otter then I guess you could swim down and get it?" Sora suggested.
Axel gazed down into the water nervously.
"I would…but…I just remembered…I have another appointment…elsewhere…bye" Axel said, before disappearing into a puff of black smoke.
"Well at least we destroyed the evidence" Sora said and picked up a camera that had fallen into the water, a couple of sparks flew out of it, and it was obviously broken. "But I'm afraid the same can be said about the fruit, I said I didn't like paopu fruit and particularly not when it's wet".
"Never mind that. We probably won't be able to be alone with Axel running around now anyway" Kairi said. "Too bad he used a portal, now we have no way of knowing where he's hiding".
"I know one place we could be alone" Sora said, as he was climbing up the ladder.
"The secret place?" Kairi asked.
"I figured it would be smart to have one place where he wouldn't pop up all the time, so I never told him about it" Sora said. "Too bad he might see us go in there…unless…"
Kairi just sighed at Sora's non-spoken suggestion.
"You know what I feel about those dark corridors" she said.
"But you said so yourself it would be okay to use it in emergencies, and Axel uses them all the time" Sora said.
"Yeah but Axel doesn't have a heart to loose in the first place" Kairi reminded him.
"Well it's not like were going to another world or something, just a short distance" Sora said. "Unless you have another idea on how to get away from him".
Kairi thought over this, and then sighed.
"Fine, let's go" she said eventually.
--
The next morning Kairi was busy packing her stuff…except for the fact that Kairi wasn't there so it was pretty much her mom and step-parents packing, and Zexion watching from the sidelines.
"Where is that girl?" Nanami asked impatiently.
"Like I said earlier, she and her friends are sleeping over at the smaller island" Kairi's stepmother said. "They do that sometimes, and I would bet she'd want to spend her last night out there."
"You really let the kids stay out there all by themselves?" Nanami asked.
"Oh don't worry, there's nothing dangerous out there. Of course we won't let them go there if the weather is too bad or anything" the other woman assured her. "And look, here they come now."
Out of the window they could see Sora, Riku and Kairi walking down the street, Sora was holding Axel by the tail and Demyx and Trixi, Sora's one-eared cat, were running behind them.
As they entered the door, Trixi ran up to Kairi's stepmother and dropped a dead mouse at her feet.
"Ugh, that's disgusting" Nanami said.
"But rather useful if you have a rodent problem" the other woman said and petted Trixi on the head. "Too bad our cat won't catch mice."
"And I would want to stick my teeth into a dirty little rodent because…" Zexion muttered as he came out of the kitchen, careful not to let Nanami hear him.
"That's good to hear, if he's going to live with us" Nanami said. "No offence against cats, they're cute and all but I can't stand having rodents dropped on my feet all the time, that's why I got a dog."
Zexion flinched at the last word and quickly jumped up into Kairi's arms. "Please tell me she didn't just say she had a dog" he said quietly. "Annie had a dog, a big one, and he hated my guts".
"Ehm, mother? This dog you mentioned… does it like cats?" Kairi asked.
"Oh don't worry, Fluffy is just a puppy, and a small breed to" Nanami said. "He probably won't even outgrow little…I don't think you ever told me what he was called?"
"Er.." Kairi started, if she told her mother his real name, she might figure out it was an anagram of Ienzo, and she wasn't so good at making up pet names she could come up with one on the spot, particularly not seeing Zexion's dislike towards any cute and cuddly names.
"His name's Schemer" Sora said quickly. But Kairi and Zexion turned around and looked at him.
"From "Cloaked schemer", right? It beats Fluffy anyway" Sora said. "You can thank me later".
"That's a cute name, it kind of fits too, he looks mischievous" Nanami said and bent over to pet Zexion, who jumped out of Kairi's hands and ran out the door.
"Sorry about that…he doesn't like to be petted by strangers" Kairi said.
"He doesn't like to be petted. Period" Riku said.
"Yeah…that too" Kairi admitted.
"Oh I'm sure he'll come round once he's gotten used to tender loving care back in Radiant Garden" Nanami said.
In any other situation Kairi might have replied that she highly doubted that, but what her mother said just reminded her she had to leave the islands, she looked over at Sora.
"Hey, don't worry. Its not like we won't see each other again" he said. "Tell you what; We'll come visit you every day".
"You are aware it takes about two hours with the gummi ship to get to Radiant Garden right? And that is when you DON'T take any random heartless attacks on the way into the count" Kairi said.
"Yeah, so?" Sora asked.
"Like I said, we'll find a way" Riku added.
"We've already packed down all your things and are ready to go as soon as our transport gets here" Nanami said. "Have you finished saying goodbye to your friends?"
"Almost" Kairi said with a sad look towards Sora and Riku.
"Well then hurry up, we'll be leaving in a few minutes" Nanami said. "And make sure your cat won't stray too far away, otherwise we might have to leave him behind."
"Don't worry he won't" Kairi said quietly.
--
Some ten minutes later another gummi ship showed up at the island, noticeably bigger than the Highwind, which was still standing on the beach (Donald, Goofy and the chipmunks had been sleeping over inside.)
"Great, I was worried we would have to ride with that tiny gummi ship the way home too" Nanami said.
She was waiting for the ship to land next to Kairi (carrying Zexion) Sora, Riku, Axel, Demyx and Kairi's step-parents.
The doors on the new ship opened and the king Mickey Mouse came out of it.
"Your transport is ready" Mickey said.
"Oh god, more talking animals" Nanami said flinching.
Kairi couldn't help but laugh. "Mom, I'd like you to meet our friend, King Mickey of Disney Castle" she said.
"Oh, I'm sorry your majesty" Nanami said.
"No problem. It still doesn't beat Ansem the Wise's reaction when we first met, but he got used to it rather quickly" Mickey said.
"Well…I guess this is it then" Kairi said sadly.
"It's not the end though, and wait" Sora said and reached for something in his pockets. He picked out a star-shaped charm made from shells. "Here. I forgot to give it back to you the last time".
Kairi pushed his hand back. "Keep it. For good luck."
Sora put the charm back into his pocket again. "I'll come visit as soon as I can, I promise" he said.
"Just don't exhaust yourself, and whatever you do, don't let Riku drive the gummi ship" Kairi said.
"Thanks for the support Kairi" Riku said. "Then I'll make sure Sora doesn't do anything too crazy trying to visit you."
"Don't worry about the boys Kairi, I'll look after them for you" Selphie said suddenly, before anyone had time to even notice her arrival.
"Oh, thanks Selphie…what are you doing here?" Kairi asked.
"I just had to say bye before you left…and do this" Selphie said before she suddenly grabbed Zexion and hugged him.
The cat quickly squirmed loose and hissed at her.
"What did you do that for?" he asked.
"Aw come on, you've been here for two years and I haven't even been able to pet you. You wouldn't leave without saying a proper good bye would you?" Selphie asked.
"Actually I'd rather leave pretending we've never met" Zexion replied.
"You're mean".
"Thank you".
"Kairi, pick up your cat we've got to leave" Nanami said from the doors of the gummi ship.
"Well…good bye then" Kairi said.
"See you soon" Sora said.
Kairi just smiled as she went into the gummi ship with Zexion at her heels. Within a few minutes the ship had already left the atmosphere, but what Kairi didn't know, was that she would see her friends far sooner than she expected.
Usagi: I'm afraid that was all the fun we had for you today.
Sora: is there any part of this fanfic you don't consider fun?
Usagi: usually parts where no one gets hurt.
Sora: …
Kairi: what scares me most is that she might even have meant that…
Riku: sadistic little…
Usagi: wimps.
Axel: I'm starting to dislike you too after the start of this chapter.
Usagi: D:
Zakura: oh geez, get over it already…
Usagi: Okay... so see you next…
Unknown voice: HOLD ON A SECOND!
Riku: hey…isn't that the demon girl we met in the Netherworld?
Etna: That's right! The Beautiful Demon-girl Etna! I just had to break in; we can't possibly end the chapter without giving a preview for what's to happen in the next.
Usagi: but its not been written yet…
Etna: WHO ASKED YOU? So next chapter: The heartless has gotten our heroine surrounded but with help from her faithful prinny squad Etna fights her way through and finishes of the heartless even the keyblade master couldn't handle!
Sora: wait what?
Etna: but wait! The gigantic monstrous heartless of the nine-tailed-demon fox appears! What will our heroine do? Log on next time for another chapter of Darkness of Etna chapter 4!
Riku: That's not the name of this fanfic! Does anything of that actually happen?
Flonne: Probably not.
Prinny: she does that all the time dood.
Etna: spoilsports..
Usagi: er…okay… Please review peps.