Chapter 5: The Radiant Garden
Of course, I agreed to his proposal. And he took my hand in his.
"Watch your back, Riku!" Kairi screamed, preparing her shell attack from the distance.
"Oh-hoho. Not so fast there, Kai." He threw three green shells out in defense. "I'm a'Mario!" He yelled, blocking her attack with ease.
Kairi, Sora, and Riku sat side-by-side on the sofa, chanting at the screen in front of them while the others played drinking games across the room.
"We'll see about that," Sora smirked, spinning three red shells from behind. "As for me.." he transformed his voice: "I'm a Lew-EE-gi!" he belted, dishing out his shells.
His friends had fallen into a fit of giggles, and Riku elbowed his side.
"More like an id-EE-ot," he chortled. Kairi continued to laugh.
But just at the last minute, Sora zoomed in for first place, and Kairi cheered for his victory at the finish line.
Riku groaned in defeat, tossing his controller to the ground.
Kairi stood up and turned off the game.
"Great game guys," she beamed, rubbing her hands into Sora and Riku's hair. They groaned as it fluffed up beyond their liking.
"Hey, I've got a better spot for you to rub," Riku smirked, grabbing at her hand from atop his head. She slipped away from his grip, and poked him playfully in the cheek.
"I've got way more spots than him!" Sora wailed. He touched at the tips of his spikes, totally oblivious to the meaning of Riku's remark.
Kairi grinned adoringly at his cuteness, and wrapped her arms around his neck in affection. Riku grunted in disapproval.
"I've had enough of you guys," he muttered sarcastically, getting up to play beer pong with the others.
Kairi smiled in relief.
"S-Sora?" She asked, eyes widened.
He was completely red in the face, and his heart was beating at a zillion times per minute.
Just as she tried to reach him, he slipped off the couch, and made a run for the exit.
"Wait a sec, Sor-"
She chased him down the hall.
Just as he reached the door, she grabbed hold of the back of his hood, and halted him in his tracks.
"Wait, Sora," she cried, still panting from lack of oxygen. "What's going on?" She questioned, slowly releasing her grip.
He turned around to face her, and she froze at the expression of guilt that was plastered across his face.
-x-
Somehow, there was something terribly wrong with the way he was acting. He had never been so jumpy, and.. well, scared. Sora was fearless by nature, and she had always counted on him to be that way, especially during those times when she needed him most. It made her super uneasy to see him scurrying about in front of her. Something was definitely up.
-x-
In a moment, she saw him take one false step back- and in the next, he had plummeted into the door.
"Sora!" she cried, running to his side.
He rubbed at the back of his head from his position on the floor, but then bounced upright from his knees somewhat miraculously.
"Say," he began, brushing off his shorts. She peered at him in shock.
"How about a game?" He grinned with enthusiasm, completely unaffected by his fall.
"A game?" She repeated, taken aback.
She paused in concern for his well-being, and then nodded to herself decisively, admiring his infallible determination. "Sure." She smiled, folding her arms across her chest, "If you're absolutely sure that you're okay."
They had passed the door in front of them, and were now roaming amidst the magnificent backyard garden of Namine and Sora's mini-mansion.
Kairi halted in the center of the field, surrounded by bushes of ornate shapes. She took a moment to take in the sunshine from above, as she recalled the history of her surroundings.
-x-
According to Namine, the two siblings were adopted as babies by a nice warm couple with royal affiliation. Their mother was a former artisan, known for her ability to spin vibrant, hefty garments fit for mages, and their father was a charismatic prince with a past they never quite uncovered. The couple lived in a well-adorned, white stone castle far along the outskirts of town. When the prince had found that his wife was incapable of bearing a child, he willed it in his heart to take in orphaned children under their family's name, and in doing so, please the desire of his tenderhearted wife. And so, he and his wife came to a humble shelter run by staff dressed in dark hooded cloaks, where they met and fell in love with toddlers by the names of Sora and Namine. They took the two into their home, and lo-and-behold: before they knew it, their life was transformed completely.
Growing up, Sora was a polite and honorable young boy, who would settle any matters of difficulty at home. He watched with the utmost care over his more fragile younger sister, who was in and out of the doctor's office for anemia, and needed the extra attention at home. However, Namine was a wondrous child, whose willful imagination had never failed to lift their moods, and ease them of their anxieties.
The couples' blissful lives unfortunately couldn't last for very long. A war had plagued the lands of their estate, and they had no choice but to move their children to safer grounds. They entrusted the kids to an old friend named Mickey, who promised to find them a better place, in a world far different from their own. They passed along the majority of their settlement, and he put it to good use towards their future. He purchased the land where the siblings live now, and, with his duty fulfilled, returned to his post, leaving the young ones to live out their lives on their own.
-x-
Kairi admired the independent nature of her two closest friends. It inspired Namine to know no limits when it came to her imagination. And it inspired Sora to be the courageous and willful, yet fully considerate softie who she had gradually come to know and love with all her heart.
-x-
It's such a beautiful garden. She thought to herself, as she watched the butterflies dancing from above. One had lavender wings with jet black trimming, and the other was royal red with auburn edges. She cupped her hands in front of her, and smiled in amusement as the red one landed softly upon her palms.
"Kairi!" Sora yelled from the distance, running up the hill in front of her.
She felt warmth from the sound of his voice.
As soon as he approached her, he paused, panting gently with his hands on his knees.
She looked at him peculiarly, dropping her eyes to his chest. She was speechless at the sight of him.
"See those trees?" He asked eagerly, pointing a finger towards the maples at the far end of the garden.
"I uh.. I mean.. yea Sora," she answered.
"Well? I'll race you to 'em!" He beamed cheesily, getting his legs into position.
"Okay," She smiled, leaning down towards his side.
At the count of three, they bolted off into distance, keeping sight of the trees ahead of them.
"Ow!" Kairi screamed suddenly, as she tripped over a rock-
She began rolling on her side down the hill, plummeting faster and faster towards the bottom. Before she knew it, she was heading towards a wall of concrete-
The fine lines and firm surface were coming closer into sight, and her heart began pounding from her chest. She closed her eyes abruptly, bracing herself for the powerful impact ahead.
"Kairi!" She heard a scream out from above her-
"Kairi, NO-!" She heard faintly from the distance, as her world was knocked swiftly from her conscience.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~
"You're such a jerk," Xion giggled, tugging at Riku's hair.
"That's not what all the women say," Riku chortled, red in the face from all the drinking. "Why don't you get to know me better," he smirked slyly, moving in for Xion's lips.
Axel grabbed him by the collar, and forced him upwards from his chair. "And what do you think you're doing?" he threatened, slamming Riku back against the wall.
"You mess with Xion, and you're playing with fire, Buddy." His hands lit up in flames.
"Hey, what time is it anyway?" continued Xion, giggling between her words. "Don't we have somewhere to be?"
"What?" paused Axel, suddenly releasing Riku-
Riku slid onto the floor with a loud thud, knocking himself unconscious.
"Oh CRAP!" bellowed Axel, catching sight of the clock on the wall. "We've gotta go, Xion!" He screamed, grabbing at the back of her coat.
He pushed a couple of chairs out the way, and rushed forth towards the entrance, carrying Xion in his arms.