Final chapter of HTS. Just outta curiousity, if anyone has done any fanart (not that I expect you to have, just in case) please pm cos I wud love yo see it! Lol, I did one, it's terrible but if anyones curious its at this address : i don't often publish my works cos I like to keep them to myself... that and the fact most are poster sized. Anyway... bow down before the final chapter where some is revealed. I won't say all cos you'll all be cheering but confused by the end.
A wish is a powerful thing.
Falling Together
The stars shone brightly in the sky, Namine grinned and handed Kairi a toasted marshmallow, fresh from the small fire Axel had kindly lit for them. It was a warm summer night and they had all gone to spend the day at the beach. Roxas and Sora were building sandcastles with Demyx whilst Zexion and Marluxia were reading, Riku was strumming on a guitar and the others were running around having a water fight, careful to avoid splashing those not playing; except for Xigbar, he was out to get everyone.
"A falling star!" Larxene cried suddenly.
Everyone looked up, they watched with various 'ooh's' and 'aww's' as one shimmering star with a burning tail became three and then seven until the sky was alight with them.
"Wow… I think that's a wish for every person in existence…" Luxord whistled in awe.
Riku put an arm around Sora, his guitar resting by a rock, "We only need one." He grinned at those who turned to listen to him, "I wish that we all could always be together, no matter what."
Sora smiled and gave him a kiss. Roxas put a finger to his chin and thought, then he grinned and stick his finger triumphantly up in the air, "Then we'll all use our wishes for other things that we want, now that Riku's taken care of the important one!"
They all erupted into heated discussions of what they each wished for. Demyx wished for a HUGE swimming pool, then Larxene pointed out he had the ocean on his doorstep. Zexion wished Demyx would get a brain, Demyx pouted and wished Zexion would be nice. Marluxia wished his new flower shop would succeed, Larxene wished her application to the university she wanted would be accepted, Xigbar wished destiny islands had a shooting range. Xaldin wished he could learn how to swim, Luxord wished for a specific battle card for some or other trading card game he was currently in to and Axel and Roxas both wished for a servant to do all their chores. (Axel secretly wished the servant would be Roxas… in a maid outfit…)
They all chattered about their wishes until Riku turned to Kairi and asked her what she would wish for. She smiled and said, "I don't have anything to wish for. I have everything I want."
Riku grinned and nodded, he looked at Namine and asked the same question, the blonde girl looked up at the night sky serenely, "I wish… I wish that no matter where we are… we can always come back here. No matter what." She watched as the last star fell, "When ever a star falls, we will fall with it and land here."
The wind rushed through the leaves of the trees, rustling sounds the only sound in the somber silence. A small bird fluttered gently through the air, the wind turning its attention to tackle the small animal as it gracefully descended upon a branch to watch the people below it.
There was a large crowd of people. All in black. Namine kept her arms perfectly by her sides, straight as a line and never moving, not even as the wind pulled at her. Tears fell down her pale cheeks like waterfalls; she ignored them, completely absorbed in her own thoughts as the priest spoke. Marluxia wiped his own eyes then leant over to her; gently brushing away her tears which returned again in less time it had taken for him to wipe them away.
Roxas held Axel's hand tightly, their knuckles white as the clung to each other for support and comfort in the fading afternoon light. Everyone was gathered around, Zexion's usual mask had broken and he held Demyx, who was sobbing, their arms tightly around each other as the lilac-haired man tried to hold back the tears that begged for freedom.
The wind increased until the veils the girls were wearing were blown about by the breeze, Axel's fiery locks whipping about the place as he held Roxas tighter, resisting the urge to pull the other to him. He knew the blond just wanted to be free from the place.
"Ashes to ashes…"
Namine closed her eyes in pain as she looked once more upon the graves; there were no bodies, so there were no graves to speak of, just… a nice big gravestone and some flowers. She began to cry again. Marluxia wrapped an arm around her and she cried into his shoulder. Kairi held the rose in her hands as if it held the meaning to life which she seriously doubted existed at that moment in time. A hand pushed into hers and rubbed a thumb over her knuckles; she forced a smile at Tidus and turned back to the priest. Larxene's eyeliner was mascara was running down her face but she couldn't even bring herself to wipe it away, Xigbar never said a word.
"Dust…"
Namine could feel the sun dying, its light slipping behind the horizon as the day closed. She listened to the words and tried to ignore the pain.
"…to dust."
There was a faint 'fwump' as the book from which the priest read was shut. He blessed the gravestone and respectfully turned to leave the mourners. People began approaching the gravestone and leaving flowers, roses, lilies and other plants that they thought would be nice. There were more people than Namine had first thought would come. They probably came for their 'hero', she thought bitterly.
They gradually left until only Namine, Roxas, Axel, Kairi, Marluxia, Demyx and Zexion remained. They had each given their offers and just stood in silence as the sun finally set and they were plunged into a semi-darkness, lights from the various graves around them casting an eerie light but no one was even remotely able to even be afraid. Marluxia slowly lifted a hand in a reverent gesture and thorny vines suddenly shot up from the ground, twining around the back of the gravestone and forming a sort of alcove. From the vines, luxurious roses of white erupted until they were covered.
Axel nodded appreciatively and Roxas began crying silently again. Since his bond had been broken with Sora and he had recovered from the pain, he had felt terribly alone. Demyx fell to his knees and cried anew. Zexion's hand went with the blond but he was frozen and couldn't move as he stared at the gravestone…
Riku & Sora
Lumen Atrum
Beloved friends and Warriors of light.
Forever in our hearts and ever beside us.
Namine heard Marluxia whisper a goodbye in her ear and he quickly left, Zexion and Demyx were soon to follow, the overbearing pressure of emotion by the simple words carved so meaningfully before them brought home the reality that they were really gone and they were never coming back.
She saw Axel ask if Roxas wanted to go, Roxas said no. Axel nodded and left quietly, the only sounds she heard were the ever-present rustling of leaves. Roxas stood beside her, they never said a word, just looked upon the new marker in their lives; the stone that marked the end of their friend's lives and a turning point in their own. Roxas put his arms around the blonde and gave her a reassuring squeeze. He was talking to her through his hiccupped cries, saying something about how it would be okay, that they'd get through this.
Namine remained unresponsive in his arms. She had stopped crying a while ago though tears still ran down her face, she didn't move a muscle. Her body was stiff and she didn't acknowledge as Roxas bid her goodbye and left her as well. She remained like that for a long time, just staring at the stone until she was fairly sure she could have drawn it in intense detail with a blindfold on her eyes. She heard footsteps slowly making their way towards her, the footfalls muffled by the grass beneath their shoes. She felt them stop slightly behind her, she wasn't even remotely curious as to who it was.
"I'm… I'm sorry." The person said.
She knew who it was instantly, she didn't respond.
"I know there's nothing I can say-"
"Then don't." She stated coldly.
The mouse sighed heavily, "This is no walk in the park for me; I was very fond of Riku. He was like a son to me."
"Liar. No father would send their son into a war." She clenched her hands, "Especially when they have a lover waiting for them here and the father knows that the son is never in a million years going to come back." Her voice remained the same tone, calm with an edge to it that instilled fear in the small mouse's body.
Mickey took a deep breath, "I never sent those letters…"
"We know. We know more than you I'd guess. I was with Sora right up until I couldn't be any longer. I can safely say that you were not behind this. Had you been, you would not be alive and talking with me right now."
In an attempt to lighten the conversation Mickey coughed uncomfortably and said, "Ah, yes. I understand I am to congratulate you on your recent coming into your powers? Just after you returned, am I correct?"
"Yes. But there is no cause for celebration." Namine never moved her eyes from the gravestone as she spoke, her words deliberately sculpted to hurt the person she felt was responsible for this.
"I am sorry."
She gritted her teeth and span around, her veil blowing back to reveal her ivory white skin and startling blue eyes which refused to look at the mouse and instead stared out to the horizon as though he wasn't even there. She walked forwards so she was directly beside him but facing the opposite way and hissed, "You're guilt and 'sorry's' will not bring them back. Sora's death is as much your fault as Riku's is."
Mickey hung his head, "…the plan failed anyway. The Door to Light is still open."
"You have had the only sacrifice Destiny Islands will give you. Go find another ignorant world that is all too willing to give their children to your suicide campaign." She spat the last few words and stormed off to her house without another sound, tears returning to streak her face.
Namine curled up on her bed in her room, the large windows opened wide so she could look up at the sky. It was deep into the night and the stars were shining fiercely, twinkling down at her as though it were any other night.
"Nami! Look at der stwars! Wiku says we can catch dem when dey fall… den we gwets a wish!" Sora giggled, his infant self amused by the prospect of a free wish.
She pushed the invasive memories far from her mind as she dared to look up at the stars again, memories of the night they'd all wished flooding back to her as though it were happening again. She whimpered as she fought the painful memories away.
"Nami! Look what Riku gave me!" Sora blushed, pointing proudly to the crown pendant.
She began to cry again
"Nami! Sora say's he's gonna stay with me forever!" Riku grinned.
Her tears turned into sobs.
"I love you, Nami! You're the best little sis anyone could ask for!" Riku cried after she'd helped him ask Sora to the school dance.
'What have I done?! I don't want to remember!" She screamed, hurling her bedside lamp across the room into a wall with a crash, broken glass scattering over the floor, "I don't want to remember!" She curled over on her bed so she was still facing the window and could see the stars through her hair but she was hurting so much she wanted to die, "It hurts too much…"
She closed her eyes and felt her exhausted body slipping into welcomed sleep. Sleep was freedom from pain and allowed her to forget…
Marluxia opened Namine's bedroom door urgently, normally he would have knocked but he couldn't wait. He spied her curled form hidden amongst a tangle of blankets and refusing the world access to her. He pitied her, but he had to wake her up.
"Nami!" He cried, she grunted and hurled a pillow at him, a warning of impending doom should he persist. And persist he did, "NAMINE!"
She squeaked, bolted upright in bed and hurled herself at him instead of a pillow. He caught her light frame and swung her around and back to the bed. She was about to punch him when he forced her to look out the window. She collapsed in his arms, shock releasing all of her muscles so she was limp. She recovered and stared in awe.
The sky was alight with falling stars; sparkling and streaking the black sky gold as they fell.
"Falling stars…" She breathed, she turned to face Marluxia, "Y-you don't think…"
Marluxia shot her a hopeful grin and in an instant they were off the bed and racing to the beach, Marluxia yelling she was barefoot and in pajamas. She yelled back that she didn't care and they Island was probably asleep and there for not going to see, then Demyx appeared from nowhere and yelled at them both that the Island would soon be awake if they continued yelling, Zexion materialized from a dark portal in a run and joined them, yelling that they should shut up.
As they neared the gate to the beach, Namine vaulted over it, followed by the three other boys as Kairi leapt from the large wall on the side of the beach where the houses were. She landed in a crouch as Namine passed her, Axel and Roxas erupting from a hedge that had conveniently caught fire. The seven of them raced down to the water, all stopping at the waters edge as they stared up at the falling stars. Namine wrestled with the hem of her nightshirt in worry, she bit her lip as Marluxia rested a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her.
"Look!" Zexion cried.
They all snapped to attention, each face staring up, their mouths open in awe as two stars were falling side by side, twirling around each other in a striking blue fire against the golden ones around it. They didn't fall beyond the horizon; they descended to the ocean where they struck with an enormous splash that caused the water around them to arch upwards as if an explosion had occurred.
Namine watched; mouth open as if to call out as the waters settled and began to return to an almost level surface broken by the occasional wave. No one said a word as they all watched; eyes wide with hope and jaws slack with fear as though this was an awful trick.
Suddenly a crown of brown spikes broke the crystal water, followed by silver bangs swinging back over someone's shoulder as they gasped air into their lungs. Kairi cried out and jumped into the air, her hand punching upwards in joy. Axel wrapped his arms around Roxas who was crying and cheering. Demyx stepped forwards and waved his arms elegantly, a grin on his face as he commanded the water to bring the two of them to the beach.
Sora fell to his knees in the shallows beside Riku; they slumped beside each other breathing hard as they looked up at the cheering, smiling faces above them. Namine held a hand out to them with a relieved smile, "Welcome home!"
The brunet took the offered hand and helped Riku up; they were badly wounded but alive. Riku's stomach wound had been bandaged and Sora seemed alive, despite the fact Namine had watched him pull his own heart out. Riku pulled Sora into a fierce hug which they all joined in on, laughing and crying, Roxas giving Sora a real ear-bashing about how worried he'd been and Axel threatening he'd castrate the silveret should he ever do something like that again. The eventually allowed the two to breathe and surrounded them as the tired and injured teens grinned at them.
Riku and Sora laced their hands together and yelled, 'We're back!"
"What doesn't kill you, can only make you stronger."
Now who really wants to kill me? If chpater 12 didn't, then I seriosuly will be surprised if this doesn't make you want to throw pointy objects at me. Anyway... I would explain stuff, but thta'll ruin part 2. Lol, if you loved this part, please review and tell me how much!!! -huggles-
Sora: I'm not dead!
Riku: Me neither!
Roxas: You two gave me such a scare you will be in a minute.
Akaiba: -shoves Roxas in a closet and locks it- can't have him killing my two main characters can we?
Sora: -hides-
Akiaba: whats up with him?
Riku: Axel was already in that closet, he needed a shirt.
Akaiba: -eyes widen in fright, looks at the closet as the door begins to shake-
Riku: -runs after sora-
Akaiba: Review and I'll give you a cookie shaped like the closet!!!
