A/N: I must apologize for not updating the story. I've been so busy with homework and research projects for school…ugh, it's a horrible life. Anyways, I'm back in action and ready to post the next chapter of the story.
Ardonius-Servant-Of-Zeta: It is quite ironic, isn't it?
Brightshadow 5: Sora's already been introduced. Riku will make an appearance later in the story.
Tetsusgirlfriend: -sighs- You need to get more patience. Here. -hands over a jar full of patience-
Before I begin, I would like to say that there will be two new characters coming into play in this chapter (Thanks, Tetsusgirlfriend. You're the best ). I've been thinking a lot about adding more custom characters like these two, but I haven't decided yet. If you think it's a good idea, put it in your review. Anyways, let's start the third chapter of Another Chance to Live. Enjoy.
Chapter 3: Encounter
"That kid's got a problem. Honestly, he does."
"Oh, stop it Rayth. Sora was probably in a cranky mood."
Kairi and I returned to her house after my little encounter with the guys. I knew first impressions were usually wrong, but I had little trouble convincing me otherwise. Something didn't seem right, the way Sora was looking at me. I bet he sensed something about me that I had overlooked, though it seemed very unlikely.
I was pacing around her room, throwing my arms around like a crazed maniac, whining to my new friend. As I turned around for the umpteenth time, the bright glare of the sun surprised me, causing me to stumble into her desk. Pushing myself straight on the chair, I sighed with a slight blush. "Cranky mood? Yeah… right."
Kairi frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "Blitzball practice can go bad, you know," she argued in reply.
I sighed with more emphasis as I strolled towards her. "The way he was looking at me… let's just say his practice wasn't bad." I seemed to tower over her; my shadow seemed to engulf her.
We stared at each other for a long time before Kairi turned and opened the door. Slightly irritated, I strode swiftly towards her, my hands outstretched. "Where are you going?" I asked.
She turned towards me and glared. "Why do you beat down on everyone?" she asked in reply. This caught me by surprise; I didn't expect that kind of answer. When she picked up on my silence, she continued. "Sora's been sour since he lost his most prized possession. And that they had lost the blitzball tournament last year and came in last place." Her voice grew slightly louder. "Perhaps you should pay attention to what you say. Just because Sora says something mean like that, which is entirely different from his normal behavior I should add, it doesn't give you the right to talk behind his back." With the flick of her hair, she strode boldly outside and shut the door behind her in my face.
I stood there speechless. What she said made quite a bit of sense; I do have a tendency to talk behind people's backs. But her explosion made me feel quite uncomfortable… and slightly depressed. Here I was, a very beautiful girl in my line-of-sight… and I ticked her off. Big time.
A few minutes went by before I slumped down onto her bed and stared at the ceiling for what seemed like forever. Thoughts swirled in my head. That man in the black cloak… who was he? Why did he save me at the last possible moment? My eyes softened as my gaze lowered to the bottom-left. Kairi… She's the first person I met, and she's mad at me…
Suddenly, there was a loud splash outside. I snapped out of my thoughts and jumped for the window, peering out of it. A small group of kids were on a dock, staring intently at the water. Ripples from where the splash was turned into waves as they crashed on the beach silently. I thrust the bedroom door opened and dashed down the stairs towards the entrance.
"Where are you going?"
I stopped in mid-stride and peeked over my right shoulder. Kairi was standing there, hands on hips like before, her right eyebrow cocked. I narrowed my gaze. "There was a splash outside, and a bunch of kids are there."
Kairi's hardened eyes softened, tearing slightly. "No, not again," she whispered before taking my hand and dashing out the door. I tried to keep up, hoping my feet wouldn't do something stupid to trip me.
I chuckled nervously. "Umm… you're not still… mad at me… are you?"
Kairi glanced past her shoulder at me. "Wrong." I sighed.
We turned the corner and dashed for the docks. She led me up some steps and rushed towards the nearest kid. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but that wasn't concerning me; Everyone's eyes were glued onto me. Even now, I still don't know why they did that. Perhaps it was because of my clothing. Or maybe it was because I was a strange face. But I was sure that it made me feel slightly uncomfortable.
Kairi jogged towards me, but she wasn't alone. He was really tall, perhaps 6'1", and his jet-black hair was pulled back into a long braid. His eyes were a golden color mixed with amber; quite a combination. He was of a medium build; not skinny, but not muscular. He wore a black wife-beater with the words "Careful, I'm trigger-happy", black baggy pants, and combat boots. His favorite color has got to be black. On his left hip was a gun fitting nicely into the holster. But what I really noticed was the curved golden dagger on his right hip. The dull part of the blade was perfectly straight, but the cutting edge was morphed into different shapes, perfect for making several cuts in one slash. "This is Gunnar," she introduced. "He said that his sister dove into the water, trying to save a young boy who had fallen in." What struck me speechless was that Kairi was gazing up at him admirably. "Isn't that right?" Gunnar nodded slowly, glancing over at Kairi with soft eyes.
Oh brother.
Suddenly, another splash was heard. All eyes, including mine, gazed at the figure that had leapt out of the water and landed on the deck. She wasn't very tall; she was much shorter than me. Her bluish-black hair was pulled back into a similar braid like Gunnar's, but in a more feminine way. Her eyes were also the same shade as Gunnar's; a golden-amber mix. She was of an hourglass build, and it seemed quite… sexy. She wore a dripping-wet black tank top, revealing her bellybutton. Her black pants were covered in chains with water dripping off of them and, like Gunnar, wore combat boots. But the most unique thing about her was the crescent moon birthmark on her forehead. There was a blue whip coiled on the back of her pants as well.
She put the boy, who was shaking like mad, onto one of the dock pillars. "You're safe now," she whispered into his ear. I couldn't hear what else she was saying, but it made the young boy blush furiously. She smiled and stood up, ignoring all the guys who were staring at her with a passion. Kairi walked over with a smile. "You did it again, Saphera," she congratulated. Gunnar scoffed.
Big mistake.
The girl named Saphera smiled sweetly and closed in on Gunnar. Her eyes seemed to flash anger as she grabbed the scruff of his shirt and hurled him into the water, which was immediately followed by a huge splash.
Kairi chuckled nervously as Saphera brushed her hands together. "Don't worry," Saphera assured her. "He'll be fine." She glanced at the water's surface and smiled. "That's what siblings do." Kairi nodded as the girl swept past her, flinging the dripping water from her braid everywhere. "It's a shame there isn't a guy around who's like my brother."
She walked past me, and I noticed her take an impossibly quick glance at me. She stopped and turned around slowly. I did the same and watched her size me up. Suddenly, she blushed and quickly turned and strode away quickly.
I stepped back towards Kairi, my gaze still on Saphera. "What's her problem?" I asked.
She chuckled. "That's Saphera, Gunnar's older sister," she informed me. "They're the two newest recruits to the island. Aside from you, that is. They're so popular because Gunnar is such a heartthrob, and Saphera's an ice queen.
"All the guys have a crush on her, but she dismisses them like they were dogs. But you made her blush." She turned her head and grinned. "I think she likes you."
