Chapter 9
It was two days before the wedding.
Sora stood in the kitchen of his home, staring at the phone that lay idle on the countertop. He suddenly recognized the phone for what it was after a few seconds of bewilderment. He had hung up so abruptly, he could imagine Riku's worried voice speaking ineffectually against a flat dial tone. He debated with himself whether or not to pick it up, but decided to wait for it to ring instead. If it was truly important, Riku would call again.
It didn't ring.
Sora let out a sigh of relief. He should've been shocked, worried, or upset but he wasn't. The whole situation was somehow expected—obvious even. Maybe she finally recognized him for who he really was; a gutless coward. Seeing Kairi was the last thing he wanted to do right now, and he was sure she felt the same way. He had no desire to look for her, not after that mess at the beach.
"Did something happen?" Xion asked. From her seat at the table, all she could see was Sora's back. He was quiet.
He turned around, showing an exhausted but amused expression, and shrugged his shoulders. "Kairi's gone."
Xion gasped. "She's…gone?" He crossed his arms and nodded. "What happened?"
"Riku's searching for her," he explained, "but he can't find her. He called to tell me." The brunet got off the counter and walked back to the table. He took a seat, grabbed another slice of melon, and bit into it. His teeth gnashed the fruit, reducing the melon to red particles and juice.
The raven girl watched as he ate the melon in silence. "Aren't you going to look for her?"
"No."
She was taken back with the quick answer. "Why not?"
"I don't think I'll be much help. I thought I knew her but—a lot changes in ten years. I have no idea what she's thinking or where she could be. Riku would know better. If he's not having any luck, what hope do I have?"
The logic made sense, but…it didn't fit—not with Sora anyways. "Don't you love her?"
His head snapped up, surprised by the question. "Of course I do."
"Then you should look for her, even if you don't know where she is."
He looked down in shame. "I'm the reason she ran away. If I found her, I doubt she'd be going anywhere with me."
"Sora…"
"She'll turn up sooner or later. Riku's out there looking for her. That should be enough. Getting myself involved would just make things worse." That was right. Doing nothing was the best thing he could do now. He had already done enough damage, why add more fuel to the fire? There was no point anymore. Doing nothing was his specialty anyways. He had been doing nothing his whole life. He was roused out of his thoughts when two arms snaked around his neck from behind. "Xi-Xion?"
"It'll be okay," she offered. It was a bold move, but when she saw his face, she could tell that he was beginning to withdraw. She recognized the pattern, the pattern of self-abuse, a vicious cycle of negative thinking. She didn't want him to fall into that deep pit of despair, so she did the only she could think of: hold him.
He closed his eyes, feeling Xion's small arms wrapped around him. He felt her warm breath blowing against his skin. It was comforting.
He tilted his head and saw her looking back. She stared at him with those eyes of hers, a shade of purple-blue that reminded him so much of Kairi. Her gaze held something fierce, it was belief. She believed in him. Why…why did she have so much faith in him?
But…
He was grateful. Perhaps that was all he wanted, for someone to just say that everything was going to be okay, even if it wasn't. It was nice to hear those words. He tugged at her arms until she let go. "Thank you," he said.
"You're welcome," she replied back, looking away embarrassed.
"No, really, thank you. I needed to hear that."
"You would do the same, wouldn't you?"
He smiled. "I'm going to sleep now; it's been a long day."
"I understand."
He got up, walked to the entrance, and looked over his shoulder. Xion stood awkwardly by the table but gave him a small nod. "Good night."
"You too."
He exited and saw that the living room was empty. He went up the stairs and dragged his feet slowly. He tried to process everything that happened that day but it was too much. He finally confessed to Kairi only to be rejected outright, he totally screwed things up with Naminé and Roxas, and to top things off, Kairi was gone.
He reached the second floor and looked to the left where the guest rooms were. He quietly made his way over and leaned against the doorway. He could hear the low voices of Naminé and Roxas. They were talking. That was a good sign.
Naminé and Roxas were the two people closest to him. They were there for him when he was alone. Despite all they did for him, he took their generosity and crushed it with his own selfish desires. There was no excuse for what he did. He just hoped that things would be okay for them. He would never forgive himself otherwise. He backed off and went to his room.
As much as he wanted to check out, his brain was in too much turmoil. There was no way he could go to sleep. His mind would turn things over and over without stopping. Going to bed was simply not an option, so he sat down at his desk. He stared at the empty surface, thinking about what to do next. Then he opened the drawer where all his old school supplies lay. There was an old notebook, half-filled with notes, diagrams, and other random scribbles. It wasn't like he forgot about them. They were reminders of his "accomplishments" in school. All the things he did in an effort to lose himself in work. It was these accomplishments that he used to write The Keyblade Chronicles. They were the events of his life, all the ups and downs that mirrored his character's story.
But all he had done in life was run away. Running away was the worst thing he could have done. Running away never takes you where you want to go; it only takes you away from the real problems. What did he hope to accomplish by running? There was no endgame to it, no long term solution, it was only logical that things would blow up in his face when he could no longer run. Kairi reacted in the worse possible way. The only explanation was that she hated him. She always had a fiery personality…maybe that should've tipped him off. She was never going to welcome his confession, not when she was about to be married. He made things more complicated than they had to be. She just wanted her Sora back, Sora the friend and nothing more, not some lovelorn loser trying to ruin her wedding because he was too much of a coward to tell her years before. Her best friend ran away for ten years and came back only to tell her that the reason he ran away was because he loved her…
He laughed. He could see how crazy, how utterly ridiculous it all was. When he actually thought about it, his reason for running away, while true, made absolutely no sense. Of course she would never believe it; it just came off as some twisted joke. That was what his life was—a bad joke.
He looked down on his notebook and turned the pages until he reached a blank one. It was where his life stopped. He didn't keep diaries, but he did write down random thoughts. The last entry was right before he left Destiny Islands for Twilight Town:
Today is the last day I'm going to see her. I'm not going to say goodbye or let her know that I'm leaving. My mom asked me if I was sure about this. I'm absolutely sure. The faster she forgets about me, the better. I hope she's happy now. I don't care about myself anymore. The only thing that matters to me is Kairi. Her happiness is the most important thing. Goodbye.
He snorted. He made himself sound so noble, so honorable, and so selfless. It was all a load of bullshit. He just couldn't stand them together. He would rather not see them at all then see them together. He didn't want that pain, and the best way to deal with it was to avoid it altogether.
He pulled out a pen and wrote a sentence:
I return home to find that everything has changed.
He underlined the sentence and made another one:
But I haven't changed at all. I'm still the same coward I once was.
He circled it:
Will I ever change?
He underlined it:
"Can I…change?"
A drop of water hit the notebook.
He clenched his eyes shut, to keep the tears from leaking out. The sentence was like a punch to his gut. He could feel his heart sink and his chest collapse. It was a stunning realization, a realization that filled him with profound sadness. After all this time, he was still the same. It was the worst feeling of all, to know that can you never grow; that there was no such thing as a better tomorrow.
Who am I?
Nobody.
I can't change my real life but if things were different…then I would be different. Then—
His pen scribbled furiously, the questions and ideas flowing out of his fingers. His feelings, his thoughts, and his dreams spilled messily over the blank page, with random circles and lines filling every inch of the paper.
This was it!
Inspiration.
He knew there was no hope. It was too late for him, but not for Sky.
For a writer, nothing is more important than his own experience. He uses it to write the story. Sora couldn't finish the book because he lacked the necessary experience, but now that was no longer the case. Isn't that the origin of all great art? From the pure exquisite pain of life experience? All the disappointments and disillusionment that comes with growing up? He was no longer lacking in that department. He was seized by turbulent emotions, a reaction from the delirious mix of harsh reality and his own fantastic imagination. Life was a desperate run towards some unknown goal. He was sprinting for a chance that no longer existed. What makes life bearable is the illusion of possibility. His Keyblade Chronicles was just that, an illusion of happiness, a happiness that he wanted for himself.
He continued working throughout the night until he filled up the notebook. He closed it and scoured his drawers for more paper. He wrote on everything he could find: old essays, books, and even newspapers. If it had a writable surface, he wrote on it. He did not stop for fear of losing the thread that lead to the conclusion. He chased after it, following its twist and turns until finally; he reached the most important part: the ending.
He had to make a decision.
A decision that would change the entire outcome of the story.
But he couldn't make it. Not yet anyways. His story wasn't over yet. The wedding date hadn't come. After that, surely, the end would become clear.
He leaned back against the chair, tired and aching from his night-long writing session. Natural light was beginning to seep into the room now. He checked the time; it was 6:00am. He had stayed up all night. He got up and walked over to his bed. Before he could have a chance to collapse, the door opened suddenly.
It was Riku.
"You're awake," he said in relief.
"What are you doing here?" Sora asked back. Instead of falling over, he sat down on the edge of the mattress.
"You have to help me find her." Riku looked terrible. His eyes were heavy, tired from aimless searching, and his clothes were disheveled. It was obvious he was out all night.
"I won't be any help," the brunet said simply. He had no idea where she could be—he hadn't even seen her for the last decade for god's sake.
"You were the last one to see her!"
"Xion and Naminé were the last ones," he corrected.
"Yesterday…what did you tell her Sora?"
"What do you mean?"
"Her disappearance, it must've been something you said. What did you tell her?"
Sora gave a grim look, he couldn't escape this. Riku had every right to be furious. The only reason she was gone was because of him. It was time to come clean. "I—I told her that…" He let the statement linger in hesitation.
Riku lurched forward and shook Sora furiously by the shoulders. "That what?"
"That I loved her alright!"
Riku's face froze, his pupils shrinking in shock. "You…no…that…" He couldn't string together a coherent series of words. Was he so furious that he could barely speak? He snapped his head up and stared at Sora straight in the eye. "You have to help me then, you're responsible!"
He knew he was responsible but what else could he do? What's done was done. It's like killing somebody; you can't bring them back to life again. "I—even if that's true, I still can't help you."
"Don't lie to me! You know where she is, don't you?"
"Riku, did you even hear what I said?"
"I heard you perfectly clear; it means you're hiding her!" The accusation was ridiculous to the point of hilarity. The brunet couldn't stop himself from bursting out in laughter. Riku was not amused. "What are you laughing about?"
"Because it's impossible, why would I be hiding her? She rejected me outright okay? If I knew where she was, I would've told you already."
The silver haired man shook his head. "I don't believe you. You know where she is! Help me!"
"Riku, I can't help you because I don't know!" he emphasized again. Was Riku always this dense?
"No, you can help; you just have to do it for me. That's all, please," he pleaded.
"Riku, I haven't seen her for the last decade. I'd have no idea where to start. You should know better than me."
"You're lying!" he accused. "You know where she is!" He repeated his earlier assertion, as if it were the truth. His persistence was puzzling.
"I—I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm being completely honest here."
"No, you know, I know you do. She—she told me so. Look, I know you don't want to help me but please, I'm begging you, just…do it, find her." Riku fell on his knees and bowed down. "I'm begging you."
"Riku—what are you doing? Get up! What the hell is wrong with you?"
The man on the floor grabbed his friend's leg. "You got to help me Sora!" This wasn't like him, why was he acting so…desperate? So miserable?
"Christ Riku, calm down."
"I can't! I love her too much. If I can't…" He went silent. "If I told you the truth, would you help me?"
"Huh?" What truth is this?
"I'll tell you the truth…" He got up on his knees again and eyed the floor. He began to chuckle deliriously. "It's all my fault." He looked up with a pained expression. "It was all my fault," he laughed.
He was getting tired of these cryptic words. "What was your fault?"
"Everything Sora." The brunet gave a blank stare, unsure of how to react. "I guess you had no idea huh?"
"Spit it out already."
"Your accident…"
"My accident…?"
"It wasn't an accident."
"What accident?"
"The one…before prom."
That accident.
The accident that changed everything.
"What are you talking about?"
Riku closed his eyes, recalling the events. "I didn't borrow your scooter to go shopping Sora. I tampered with it."
"Mind if I do a little bit of shopping?"
"You what?" Sora replied incredulously.
"Of course, you probably would've realized it right away, but that was only if you were thinking straight."
"Thinking straight?"
"Hey, let me make it up to you, have a nice pretzel."
"I made sure that you wouldn't be when you were riding back."
"You got any drinks? Salty pretzels always make me thirsty."
"And how were you supposed to do that?"
"Yeah, let me pour you some soda."
"I put alcohol in your drink."
"Alcohol?"
"It was your first time so you probably didn't notice, but you were drunk."
"That's impossible! I—"
"Could you remember Sora? What happened right before you crashed?"
No, it was always a blank. He just blamed the accident for the memory loss, but if that wasn't the case, "Then you…?"
He nodded sadly. "I did it so…so that I could take Kairi out."
The world stopped.
Riku was responsible?
He was responsible for the accident?
All just so that he could—
"What the fuck?" Sora's shoulders were shaking. "You did that just—I could've died!"
"I—I know that! But you didn't!"
"Were you trying to kill me? And for what? Just because—just because you—"
"Because I LOVED HER! I loved Kairi okay? I couldn't let you take her out because I knew that if you did—then—it would be too late for me."
This wasn't happening. THIS WASN'T HAPPENING. The world was spinning. Sora got down on one knee and held on to his head. It was too hard to concentrate, his head was burning. "Too late?"
"I couldn't let you take her away from me Sora. I just couldn't! It was my only chance. You understand right? If you had the chance, wouldn't you take it? Wouldn't you? It was love—it makes you do crazy things!"
No. He couldn't understand. He couldn't understand at all. He would never do anything like this. "Fuck you Riku."
"I know," he let out shamefully, tears running from his eyes. "I know. I'm a terrible person. I'm horrible, I'm scum! I deserve everything you say but…I did it for a reason. It was love. That's why you have to help me!"
The brunet, shaking with rage, looked up to see his friend's tear-stained face. The one friend that he thought was his best was the one who ruined everything. He betrayed him. How could he? How dare he? And he had to gall to ask for his help after admitting his crimes?
He pulled his fist back and punched Riku in the face. "Fuck you Riku! All this time, all this fucking time—it was because of you. I should kill you right now. I should fucking kill you right now!" His hands clasped Riku around the neck. "I'll kill you!"
Riku didn't offer any resistance. He lay there, limp with Sora's hands around his neck. "Help me find her Sora. Please…"
"Umpth!" The brunet was tackled against the bed. Roxas was on top him, holding him down.
"What the hell are you doing?" the blond asked, doing his best to restrain his cousin.
"Let go of me!" the brunet yelled angrily.
Naminé rushed in and looked over Riku, checking his neck for injuries. She looked at Sora with wide eyes. "Calm down Sora, just tell us what happened."
Sora gave a mirthless laugh. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" Naminé and Roxas both turned to Riku, who appeared catatonic. "Let go, I won't do anything. I promise." The blond gave him a disbelieving look but complied.
"What's with all this racket?" a voice said from the door. It was Ms. Hikari.
"Nothing." Sora walked past his mom and ran down the stairs.
"Where are you going?" she called after him worriedly.
"Nowhere." He put on his shoes and ran out the house.
His head was on fire. He clenched and unclenched his hand to work off his frustration. His blood was boiling with the heat rising to his brain. He couldn't think straight, everything was red. He looked at his shaking hands. They were bleeding from the fingernails that dug into it.
He almost—if it wasn't for Roxas, he really would've—fuck! He started running, sprinting off in some random direction. He pumped his legs tirelessly, on and on, without any heed to the outside world.
His fatigue finally caught up with him.
He collapsed onto the sand.
And began dry heaving into it.
Bile mixed with last night's watermelon poured from his mouth. He was struck by esophageal spasms hurling unwanted excess from his stomach.
It was all a bad dream. No—it was a fucking nightmare. He spat out the last remnants of whatever bad taste was left in his mouth and wiped the saliva trails away with his hand. He turned over and fell on his back.
He was back where it all began.
The beach.
He was just so tired. He didn't have a chance to sleep, and with everything that had happened, he just wanted to die. The finely honed narrative that he carved out for himself no longer fit. It was always his fault; it had to be, because if it was, then everything was under his control. It was the only way he could get through life. If he blamed himself for everything, then nobody around him could get hurt.
But that wasn't the case. Riku, his best friend, betrayed him. Because of Riku, he spent ten horrible years drowning in his own misery. If only they had never met…
No, that wasn't right.
It wasn't Riku.
"You understand right? If you had the chance, wouldn't you take it? Wouldn't you?"
Riku just did what he couldn't.
Take a chance.
"It was love—it makes you do crazy things!"
Love makes a mockery of us all. Love, what a terrible thing. Was love responsible for everything? All the hurt and pain he had to suffer? If this was love, then love could go to hell.
Love makes us pathetic.
Love makes us stupid.
Love makes us horrible.
Riku…
Riku had never known love until Kairi came along.
He had no parents.
He lived alone.
Kairi was the first time he felt it. It must've been intoxicating to feel that warmth and comfort. To feel the loneliness inside just…disappear.
He craved it.
He needed it.
So much that he would do anything to keep it.
Even if it meant destroying his best friend.
Even if it meant destroying Sora.
It was understandable.
But it wasn't an excuse.
There was no excuse for such blatant betrayal.
People are such horrible creatures.
But why did Riku have to tell him that? Why confess now? It would be better to keep it buried. Why was he so damn desperate?
"No, you know, I know you do. She—she told me so."
What did Kairi tell him to make him think that?
Where was she?
How could he know anything?
Forget it. There was no point in thinking about it. Destiny Islands was just too big. She could be anywhere.
Wait.
Destiny Islands?
The Destiny Islands which is famous for the legend of paopu fruit?
"Basically, when two people share paopu fruit together, their destinies will be intertwined forever."
"We even shared paopu fruit with each other but that legend's just bullshit."
He shoved himself off the ground. He knew where she was. He ran across the beach towards the docks.
The legend was true after all, but it worked its magic like a monkey's paw. The wish came true, but in the worst way possible.
He finally reached the plank walkway with small rowboats floating in the ocean. He jumped in one and started rowing towards a small island off in the distance.
Their destinies were inextricably intertwined. They had controlled each other's lives whether or not they realized it.
He was dead-tired but it didn't matter. He continued to strain at the oars against the small waves.
He remembered where it was that they shared paopu fruit together. It was in their "secret place," a place that he had almost forgotten.
"Come on Sora! Let's try it!"
"Why are we doing this again?"
"Because of destiny!" She broke a star-shaped fruit in half. "Here! Let's bite in at the same time!" He nodded. "One…"
"Two."
"Three!" They both bit in simultaneously. "So…?"
"I don't feel any different."
"Hmmm…I guess its up to us now."
"Huh? Then what's the point of eating it in the first place?"
"Who cares silly?"
They stopped going to the secret place after elementary. Since they met Riku in middle school, he never knew about it.
Sora laughed. The legend never specified whether their intertwined destinies would be for good or bad, just that they would share it together. No doubt, the legend was making sure they were sharing a horrible destiny.
After twenty minutes of rowing, he finally reached the shore. Grounded on the sand was another rowboat. He pulled his boat further inland to make sure it wouldn't drift off to sea. Opposite the beach was a line of trees, shrubberies, and small hills.
He ducked through leaves, bushes, and shady palm trees until he found a pond with a small waterfall. Behind the waterfall was a cave entrance to the secret place. He shimmied over a wet stone path until he reached it. His eyes finally adjusted to the darkness. He continued to explore the rocky hall until it opened up into a big room. There was a giant hole in the cave ceiling, letting light shine on a lone person sitting in the middle.
It was Kairi.
She looked heavenly.
"I knew you would find me eventually."
He walked over and stood in front of her. She was subdued, lacking the fire that she displayed yesterday. She was hunched, her hair veiling her face. Despite everything, he still loved her. "Everyone's looking for you."
"I know." Her shoulders sank. They were both exhausted. Was there anymore to be said? She made it pretty clear how things stood between them. "Are we still friends?" she asked.
"Huh?"
"I want to know if we're still friends," she repeated.
He heard it perfectly clear the first time. Was she being serious? "I should be the one asking you that."
She chuckled softly. "I'm sorry…for everything. I—I overreacted." Damn it Kairi, why did she have to make it so hard for him to hate her. All it did was raise his expectations for no reason.
"Just forget I said anything. Hell, forget everything. Let's just go back to the way everything was," he suggested. "It's better that way."
"No," she replied curtly.
"Kairi?"
"What happens after that Sora? We pretend to be best friends again? Is that how little you think of our relationship?"
He was a bit shocked. "What's the alternative? It's better to pretend it never happened."
She gave a cheerless laugh. "How could I forget what happened?"
"If you don't, it'll just make things harder. Let it go."
"Is that what you really want?"
No, but what choice do I have? "Yes."
"You don't understand anything do you?"
"What is there to understand?"
"I love you."
Had he…imagined that moment? He could've sworn that he heard something impossible. He shook his head. "Explain to me what I don't understand."
"Sora. You're not listening. I love you."
He busted out laughing. How many times had he heard that? It lost all meaning at this point. She was joking right? "That's funny Kairi, but a bit demented don't you think? If it were anybody else but me, they'd probably be real angry right now," he joked.
"I love you."
He hadn't heard wrong the first two times. Was she actually…? "S-say it…again."
"I…love you Sora."
"C'mon Kairi, this joke's in rather bad taste don't you think?" he said uneasily.
"I'm serious Sora."
"Don't fuck with me Kairi!" He grasped her shoulders, looking at her with wide eyes. "Don't fuck with me! Haven't I had enough? Please, you don't have to make me feel better. Just…"
"I'm serious Sora…I love you, and I've always loved you, and I still do..."
"No Kairi, you don't, you're marrying Riku in two days okay? You don't love me, you don't! You hate me Kairi, say you hate me okay? Hate me!"
"I don't…I love you Sora," she repeated tearfully. Why was she crying? He's the one who's supposed to be crying!
"No! No! Why…why are you saying this…? You can't love me, it's impossible! Because if you do—" Then what the fuck have I spent the last ten years of my life doing?
"It doesn't matter how many times you say it Sora, I will still love you no matter what."
"Why? If you're telling the truth, then why didn't you ever tell me?"
"Why didn't you?"
"Because I—" He was at a loss for words. "Because you—there was no way you could ever feel the same way."
She gave a sad smile. "I felt the same."
"No—that's, that's completely wrong. How can you be—there's no reason for you to think that! Look at you Kairi, you're beautiful, you're fucking beautiful. Me, it makes sense, I'm nobody, I'm—"
"You're wrong Sora."
"I'm not!"
"You're a good person."
"Don't say that! It's not true! I've always been a coward, I've always been afraid, I'm just—I'm just—"
"Human."
He stared at her in shock. Even when what he was chasing for all along was right in front of him, he refused to believe it. He collapsed to his knees and fell against her. She held on to him. "I've always loved you Sora. I loved you so much that it hurt."
"But why?"
"Are you kidding me Sora? You saved me. If it wasn't for you, I couldn't imagine how my life would've turned out."
"I…saved you?"
"I was alone…until you came along. I lost my parents, don't you remember?"
"But the mayor took you in."
"That was the problem. The kids treated me differently because I was the mayor's daughter—but not even his real one. They hated me because…I don't know—jealousy? I was never popular. They shunned me. I started to hate them you know that? I was beginning to think that I was better than them but then you came along."
"Weren't you always friendly? You were so popular in school."
"That was only because of you. You treated me normally because you didn't care who I was. Because of that, the other kids changed their opinion about me…that was when my life really changed."
"I don't remember that."
She smiled. "Of course not, because to you, it wasn't special. You did it simply because that's who you are. For me though, it was more than that. You watched over me, you defended me, you encouraged me, and you always listened to me. Around you, I felt safe. Your smile, your bright smile, it always made me happy to see you with it. You're an amazing person, so much so that I…fell in love with you."
Who was this person she was talking about?
"That can't be me."
"It was and still is."
"Then for how long?"
"I don't know. Elementary school? Middle school?"
"That far back? Then why didn't you…?"
"I was afraid," she laughed uneasily. "I was so afraid that you wouldn't accept my feelings. Each moment I spent with you was more painful than the last. If I ever told you and you rejected me, I would…I would die."
"Then why did you go out with Riku!"
She put her head down, her voice turning into a soft whisper. "I was really surprised when Riku confessed to me at prom. I didn't feel the same way but I saw it as a chance…"
"A chance?"
"I loved you Sora and because of that, I was afraid of what would happen if you ever found out how I felt. For all I know, you would never talk to me again. I couldn't destroy our friendship."
"So you…?"
"So I agreed to go out with him. I was only using him to run away. I thought that if I had a boyfriend, it would take the pressure off, and then I could stay by your side as friends."
"But that didn't happen."
"I thought you hated me Sora. I thought the reason you ran away was because you hated me! For ten years…it broke my heart that you left without ever saying anything. You never gave me a chance to tell you how I really felt. But there was still someone there, someone who loved me even though I didn't feel the same."
"Riku."
"He helped me put the pieces back together; he helped me get over you."
"That's why…"
"When you told me you loved me, it's just…my entire life felt so pointless. If you had told me you hated me, I would've been able to marry Riku with no regrets because I would've believed that I never had a chance with you but now…"
"I've ruined everything. You can't marry Riku because everything's changed now." He gave out a dark laughter. "We're the same. We're both idiots. Two sides of the same coin. "
He wanted to curl up and cry forever. He thought he would be happy to hear her confess but he was even more frustrated than ever. If they had both hated each other, it would've been easier to move on but now…it was all just a massive waste. In their fears, they both ran away from what they were looking for all along. If only one of them just had the courage to tell the other how they really felt…they could've been happy, happier than they could've ever imagined. Instead, they chose to suffer away from each other because of fear.
"Do you remember when I asked you to share the paopu fruit with me?"
"How could I not?"
"Even then…I think I knew you were the one I loved."
"I'm not…that special."
"You never realized it Sora, but you are a good person. The most generous, most kind, most welcoming person I know. You're far better than me."
She loved him before he even loved her. Wasn't that supposed to be enough? Wouldn't things work out as long as they loved each other?
But it didn't.
"I couldn't let you take her out because I knew that if you did—then—it would be too late for me."
Riku knew. So that was why he went as far as he did.
"Do you love Riku?" he asked suddenly.
She averted her gaze. "Yes," she confessed. "Ten years is a long time Sora, just as long we knew each other. It's a lot of time for feelings to change and grow."
"But you still love me."
"Yes…"
"It's the same with you and Kairi isn't it?"
Roxas' words echoed. Despite his aloofness, Roxas was sharp. He predicted everything exactly. That must be why he was so good at business.
Naminé and Kairi. His two best friends who happened to love him and another man. What the hell was he? A second option? A back-up?
"So what now?"
There was a long silence.
"I trust you Sora." She stood up and walked in close, clasping her hand around his. "That's why I'll leave it up to you."
"Leave what up to me?"
"Tell me what to do and I'll listen." Did she mean…? "If you don't want me to marry Riku, I won't."
"Why?" Why leave the decision in his hands?
"Because you're the one who was the hurt the most right? I can never make up for my own shortcomings, so I'll leave it up to you."
"You can't do this. You can't just shirk your responsibility." Why was he fighting against this? Wasn't this his chance to get what he'd always wanted? Kairi. To be happy with her forever?
She gently squeezed his hand. "I'm a selfish woman Sora. Please, just let me make this one selfless decision. Just this once. I owe it to you."
If that was the case. Leave Riku. Don't marry him. Go away with me. We can be happy together, forever. You love me don't you? I love you too. Let's be together.
She was so close, closer than she had ever been in his life. She admitted that she loved him. There was nothing standing in his way now. This was it. He took his hand and gently stroked her cheek. Her face was warm. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. She—his destiny—was in his hands. He put his forehead against hers. "Kairi…" he softly whispered. He could feel her. The gentle warm aura that he remembered. The feeling of comfort, of safety, of home.
"Yes…?"
"I…" Let me be selfish just this one time. I deserve this, don't I?
He kissed her. Their moist lips met, letting out years of frustration, years of disappointment, years of anger, years of misery, years of harbored love out in one passionate kiss. Each felt their hearts soar. Their tears mixed with each other. They wanted it for so long. They thought they would never have a chance. It was almost unreal, like it was fake, a complete fabrication, a fancy dream that they would soon awake from.
He pulled away, sucking the air in between his clenched teeth. She tasted so sweet.
"Kairi…"
She pulled him closer to kiss him again. They kissed, again and again, as if the world would end. With her arms hooked around his neck, she pulled him closer to the ground against the dirt.
"Sora…" she gasped, calling out his name. "I love you so much…" He was over her, one arm holding her up, and the other stroking her hair. She arched back and exposed her neck. He moved to it, biting her flesh softly, sucking at the skin. She let out soft moans. Her breath was getting shorter and her heart was racing.
He dipped his head further in, moving from her neck to kiss her jaw, and back down to her collarbone. His hand snaked underneath her blouse, feeling her soft skin with his hand until it reached her bra. She pulled the blouse off and scrunched her hands in Sora's shirt and began tugging to get the offending article off him. She succeeded.
They stopped; marveling at the other's half naked form. His hands went to her jeans, popped the button, and pulled down the zipper. She pushed the denim off, leaving her in nothing but panties.
She was so beautiful.
Didn't something like this happen before? No, of course not. Something like this had never happened. Only in his dreams and in his fantasies…but not anymore. This was real. He could have her. She was his. He could feel her hands running through his hair, he could hear her soft moans and whimpers of pleasure, but most importantly, he could feel her. A pair of hands went to his pants and eagerly pulled on the belt. She leaned up and nibbled on his ear. She gave a sharp tug and his pants were down. She wrapped her legs around him, feeling his hard excitement against her.
She wanted this. Just as much as he did. God he wanted this, so much it physically hurt.
So why, why couldn't he continue on?
"Sora…?" she asked. "What's wrong?" He looked into her confused violet eyes. They were begging him for an answer.
"I…" He let out a shudder. "I made my decision."
Her face crinkled in confusion. Didn't he already make his decision? "What do you mean?"
He pulled his arm from under her and leaned away, setting his back against a boulder. "Marry him. Marry Riku."
She lay there, shocked by his declaration. Was he serious? "Why?"
Why indeed?
Insanity?
Reality check?
As much as he loathed to admit it, it was because of Riku. The pathetic image of the Riku, on his knees and clinging to his leg, stopped him. Kairi meant far more to Riku than anything else in the world. If he took Kairi away from him, Riku would probably fall apart in ways unimaginable. The brunet had never seen his friend, who was always so cool and collected, be so wretched and pitiful before.
What did it matter? Riku was a traitor wasn't he? Did he not commit an act so deplorable and despicable? He deserved this. He deserved to have Kairi taken away from him.
But the man was driven by an emotion that he had never experienced before.
Love.
It was true; love makes us do crazy things, and maybe that was why Sora made his decision.
"It's because I love you."
"I don't understand."
He didn't quite understand it himself. Why was he trying so hard to deny himself what he wanted for so long? Was it because he loved the idea of Kairi more than the actual girl herself? No, that wasn't it, he really did love her but…why? "I've always—we've always lived…by leaning on each other. Because of that, we'd probably be happy together."
"Then why?"
"Because nothing would change."
"But things would change. We'd be together, we'd be happy!"
The logic was sound, but deep inside, something told him that it wouldn't be the case. He wished that he would shut the hell up already.
"No. We'd continue to live on each other. We would never grow. We would never learn to rely on ourselves."
"Rely on ourselves? What's wrong with relying on each other? Isn't that what love is?" Yes, that's what love is! Somebody please stop me from talking!
"No. It isn't." Why do people fall in love? "Isn't the only reason we love each other is because we're hopelessly dependent on each other?"
"You say it like it's a bad thing."
"Isn't it?"
She shook her head. "It's nonsense. It doesn't mean anything. You don't want to accept it because you don't believe in yourself."
"Exactly!"
"What?"
"Even if you believe in me…I still won't believe in myself! We still won't believe in ourselves. We won't live according to what we think, we'd start to dictate the other's lives."
"Aren't you just being paranoid? Why are you rejecting me?"
"I'm not! I'm just—I—it's because I'm afraid okay!"
She grabbed onto his hand. "Don't be."
"It's just…I mean, what if things don't work out? What if, in the end, things fall apart and we go back to where we started?"
"Isn't that a risk worth taking if it means a shot at happiness?"
"Of course! That's standard! It's what every couple goes through! I know that but…"
"What is it? What's the real reason Sora?"
"It's because…I just can't. I can't be together with you if it means taking you away from Riku."
She was shocked.
He couldn't believe that he actually said it out loud.
Was that really the truth?
Her shock begin to melt into a soft smile. "You see Sora, that's the reason I love you. You're kind and generous to a fault."
Even though Riku was the worst piece of trash out there for being such a cockblock of epic proportions and for being a traitorous swine, he was still a friend. He shouldn't care about Riku's feelings but he couldn't let it go. He didn't have it in him to backstab a friend. "I'm an idiot."
"Don't say that, you're not."
"Come on Kairi. When you put the choice in my hands, it's not really a choice. You knew what my decision was going to be all along didn't you?"
She shook her head. "No. It's just because I'll always trust you to make the best decision. But is this what you really want?"
He thought about it. Why do we love, why do we crave the attention of others? Because we're not satisfied with ourselves. We look for others to correct our flaws. We want to find the kindness and warmth that we lack in others. We latch on to them and hope that we can have it, ignorant of the possibility that we hold it in ourselves to be just as kind and gentle. The answer was told to his face countless times. Every time someone said it to him, he never believed it.
If this wasn't damning evidence to the contrary, then what was it? Self-delusion? No matter how he looked at it, this was the decision with the most benefit. He would move on, Riku would be saved, and everything would finally change.
We change so that things could be different, so that things could be better.
"Does Riku make you happy?" he asked.
"He does. He really does," she answered.
"So then, there's no problem right?"
"What about you Sora? What about—us?"
"Although it might sound immature, the fact that you loved me makes it easier for me to let go and move on."
"Why would that be immature?"
"It sounds like I'm just a kid who only wanted a toy he couldn't play with."
She laughed. "I know you don't think that way."
"I'll move on. I think…more than anything, I just wanted to let you know how I really felt. I didn't want to regret never telling you when I had the chance."
"Sora…"
"I'm sorry Kairi. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. With things as they are, I don't think we can be together as lovers."
"But—"
"We can still be together as best friends."
"What?" She looked up only to see him grinning back.
She was stunned. That smile. The smile she fell in love with was there again. How she longed to see it. She broke down, crying. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" She hugged him tightly, holding on to him for dear life.
Why did he come back again?
It was to make things better. The reason why Riku asked him to be the best man, the reason Kairi demanded to know the truth…it was all because they wanted his grace, his approval, and his blessings. There was no way they could get married otherwise. It was impossible to marry, not unless he said that it was okay.
He was an idiot wasn't he?
"Come on, your fiancé is waiting."
She wiped her eyes. "Yeah…"
They left the "secret place."
They approached the beach where they saw two rowboats. They decided to go back in one. He rowed while she sat quietly, contemplating about everything. The boat rode the waves, going up and down in a gentle motion. She wore a serene expression, a look of peace. He looked past her as the small island shrunk smaller and smaller until it was a distant piece of rock.
He was still waiting for that moment to come, the moment where he realized how completely insane he was, then he would change his mind and tell Kairi he was just kidding but…that moment never came. The burden of his love had finally lifted and for the first time, he could breathe again. He felt…peace.
Still, he was an idiot wasn't he?
After they reached the docks, they walked all the way back to his home. They never said a thing to each other. Just a day before, they rode in awkward silence but the current silence was anything but awkward.
They finally reached the front entrance. They gave each other a look and went through.
As soon as the door opened, somebody shouted. "Kairi!" Riku jumped from the couch to see her. "Y-you're back!"
"Yeah…" She noticed something odd. "Riku, what happened to your face?"
"Oh," he looked at Sora guiltily. "I…"
"I punched him in the face," Sora revealed.
"What? Why?" Were they fighting over her?
Riku's eyes were downcast. "The truth is…I—"
"He was so worried about you; I had to calm him down. I figured a punch in the face would do the trick." They both looked at him shocked.
"Really?" she gasped.
Riku's face asked the same question.
"Yeah, really. Now if you excuse me, I need to go to sleep."
That was his good deed for the day. Hell, it was his good deed for his entire life. Riku owed him big time now. Better to have him owe a big favor than be miserable.
Sora ran up stairs, ignoring the stares of his Twilight Town mates, the couple, his mother, and entered the door to his room. He walked over to the bed and fell over.
Gone.
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
Thud!
Sora woke with a start, feeling the impact from falling off the bed. He looked down, seeing his body drag down the comforters with him. He tasted the inside of his mouth. It was dry. He got up on his knees with exhaustion still tugging on his muscles. He went over to the dresser and spun the clock around. It was 8am. How long was he out? He got up unsteadily and walked out the room. The house was quiet. He looked down the hallway and saw that the door to the guest room was slightly ajar. Long shadows were cast out in the hallway. He approached the door and poked his head in.
Xion was looking at herself in the mirror. She was dressed in a strapless satin dress that left her neckline exposed. The upper bodice was tailored with pleats and the dress reached down to her knees, giving ample view of her legs. A small bow coiled around her waist. It was emerald.
Sora gave a low whistle.
"Eek!" she turned around, hugging herself, blushing furiously. "S-Sora, you're up!"
"You look nice." He meant it. "You don't have to be so shy."
"I—usually don't wear things like this," she admitted nervously. "But Naminé…"
"Has good taste," he finished for her.
"Y-yeah. Anyways, how are you? You've been sleeping since yesterday."
"Yesterday? Doesn't that mean?"
"Today's the wedding."
"Oh…shit."
She giggled. "There's still plenty of time though. Actually, there's something I want to ask you."
"What is it?"
She fussed over the hem of her dress for a few moments. "Roxas told me about his plans to expand to Destiny Islands and he said that…he wanted to me to handle it."
"Congratulations."
"You knew?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "I only found out two days ago."
"Oh."
"Is something wrong?"
"N-no, it's just…I don't know if I can do it." He gave her a rather long and uncomfortable gaze. "W-what?"
"Is it if you can do it, or is it if you want to do it? There's a difference."
"Huh?"
He grinned. "I know you can, but whether or not you want to, is up to you."
She stared at him in stunned silence. "Your lady-killer gri—oh my god, it's highly effective!" She turned around abashed. "I'm not ready for this, g-get out of here!"
Sora narrowly dodged a thrown pillow before he could wonder what on earth she was going on about. "Jeez, I'm going, okay!" He closed the door and went downstairs. He peeked into the dining room and saw that it was just his mom. With a flower basket in hand, she spotted him immediately.
"Sora! Finally up huh? You slept the entire day." Flowers were placed all around the kitchen. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I missed something."
His mother giggled. "You always do, dear."
He smiled. "Mom, can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?" she said, pausing to look at her son.
"Am I a good person?"
She put down a basket and walked to her son, giving him a tight hug. "Only the best. You have your father's genes after all." She mussed his hair. "You should get dressed, the wedding's going to happen soon," she chided.
"Thanks. I…I love you mom."
"I love you too."
He left through the dining room door only to see Roxas and Naminé carrying baskets.
"Whoa, Sora, you're finally up!" his cousin said.
"What are you guys doing?"
"We're just helping your mom load up the car with flowers. We'll going to drop them off at the church," Naminé supplied. "Why aren't you dressed yet?"
"I—"
"You men are so lazy," she decried. "Let's go." She grabbed the brunet by the arm and dragged him up the stairs. "We're gonna get you dressed!"
After a whirlwind of wedding-related tasks from getting dressed, making sure his bowtie was straight, carrying flowers into the car, driving back and forth just to get everything ready, Sora found himself on the steps of the church. He looked at his watch. It was 10:30. The wedding would be in 30 minutes. He looked down at himself and saw the smart tuxedo he wore. It was true what they said, clothes really do make the man, and he felt exceedingly sophisticated at the moment.
So came an honest day. The sun was uncovered, bathing the chapel in an unnatural and ethereal light. The chapel sat in the middle of the city, the brick-by-brick bell tower clanging for the world to hear. He walked underneath giant arched doors.
"Sora, is that you?" He saw a blond with spiky hair look back at him.
"Tidus?"
"Holy crap, it is you!" he laughed. "Damn, haven't seen you in ages, how have you been?" He went and gave the brunet a bro hug, one arm to the chest, and the other with a pat on the back.
"I just got here, kind of wondering where everybody is."
The blitzball player nodded his head. "There are rooms on each side." He pointed to the left, "bride," and pointed to the right, "groom."
"Thanks." Sora decided to see Riku first. He opened the door and saw the groom pacing back and forth nervously. He decided to call him out. "Yo."
The silver man did a small bunny hop. "Sora? Y-you're here?"
He put on a confused face. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"It's just—I thought—I mean, don't you hate me?"
Sora strolled into the room and took a seat on one of the couches. He looked up at his friend, who was wearing a nice tuxedo. There wouldn't be many girls who could resist him although the scared-out-of-his-mind expression did break the image a little bit. Good. At least he wasn't totally heartless. "You pulled a dick move, that's for sure, but that doesn't mean I hate you. You only did it because you love her right?" Riku nodded his head quietly. "And love makes us do crazy things…things like backstabbing your best friend and totally screwing his life over and scarring him for life and cheating him out of the love of his life."
"Sora, I'm so—"
"And despite all the horrible horrible things you did to me, I'm crazy enough to still consider you my friend."
"Wha-really?"
Sora nodded. "But you owe me big time."
"Of course! What do you want me to do? I'll do anything to make it up to you!"
"Hmmm, I wonder…how about this: be happy."
"W-what?"
Sora gave a grin. "Just be happy."
"Sora…" He was a true friend. Riku's eyes began to water. "You…"
"But that's only the first favor. You owe me two more, and I reserve to right to invoke it at anytime. And I guarantee you, they're not going to be something as cheap as be happy, okay?"
He wouldn't get off that easy. "Yeah. What's fair is fair right?" he laughed. "You know…you don't have to be the best man if you don't want to."
Sora shook his head. "It's okay. I'll do it."
"Really?"
"It's because I'm the best man."
He really was.
"Thanks…Sora."
"Don't mention it. If I'm going to be completely honest here, I'm kind of glad you told me what you did. It means that we don't always control everything. Shit happens right?" And with that, he left the room and started heading towards the bridal chamber.
"Hey, no guys allowed!" Selphie warned at the doorway.
"Who is it?" Kairi's voice called out.
"It's nobody," Selphie yelled back.
"It's Sora," he answered, rolling his eyes.
"Let him in."
"But—"
"He's not the groom is he? It's fine."
Selphie blew on her bangs. "Fine."
"Can you leave us alone for the moment?"
"But Kairi!" she gasped, scandalized.
It was Kairi's turn to roll her eyes. She loved Selphie, she really did, that was why she was the maid-of-honor, but she was way too overdramatic. "Please?"
"Okay." She finally left the two alone.
Sora walked past a curtain and saw Kairi on the stand, wearing a beautiful wedding dress. "You look amazing."
"You're not so bad yourself," she complimented back.
"Put anybody in a tuxedo and they'd look good," he replied disarmingly. "But not everybody can pull off a wedding dress—I certainly couldn't."
She giggled. She stepped down from her stand to be level with him. "Are you sure about this? It's not too late you know."
"I think you got it backwards Kairi. That's my line isn't it?"
They both laughed.
"No, we're just sides of the same coin. We'll always be friends won't we?"
He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Forever. I mean, if not, I dread to think what the curse of the paopu fruit would do if we weren't friends."
She smacked him on the arm. "Funny."
He looked at the bride's face and admired her features. It's true what they say, a girl is most beautiful on her wedding day. "This is good…isn't it?" She was quiet, but her silence was an agreement louder than anything she could say. "I should get going, and you should be getting ready." He was about to leave.
"Sora!" He turned around. "Thank you...for everything."
As far as weddings went, what was there to say? They stood in front of an altar while the priest, with years of practice, went through his lines like a pro. As he went through them, he finally reached a particularly perilous part of the ceremony.
"If anybody has any objection as to why these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Both the bride and groom gave the best man an expectant look.
Don't look at me! I'm not going to do anything!
They both smiled.
"Well in that case, you may now kiss each other!"
And off they went, under a shower of rice and white doves with the wedding bells clanging up above. The whole church followed after them outside.
But we all know weddings don't really start until the reception.
"Cheers!"
The sound of corks popping resounded all around Balamb Garden where the reception was being held. Champagne spilled over on tables and carpets with reckless abandon. Sora, by virtue of best man, sat at the same table as the groom and bride. Xion, by virtue of being Sora's plus one, sat next to him. They were both doing their best to avoid the arterial spray of bubbly. It was certainly a blast from the past. He recognized many of the people from his high school days.
"Sora!" they universally yelled with disbelief.
"If it wasn't for this guy…" they would start, and then tales of his high school exploits would soon follow. Some of it flattering, some of it funny, but most of it embarrassing. Xion certainly drew some attention of her own since she was new. Everybody made her feel welcome, but it mostly boiled down to the guys hitting on her, and the girlfriends apologizing for their boyfriend's drunken behavior.
Sora looked to his seatmate and laughed at the attention she garnered. "Having a good time?" he asked amused. He had to scream since the place was a riot. So much for Balamb Garden's austere reputation.
"Yeah!" she nodded. "Can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"What will you do now?"
"I—"
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am the host for today's reception!" the loud voice of Demyx interrupted. "If you would all please calm down, the bride and groom would like to hear a few special words from the best man, Sora Hikari!" The crowd whooped and hollered at his name. "Ah, but there's something else you should know about Sora here, and this is top secret information, courtesy of Ms. Hikari." What the? "He goes by another name you might all recognize…Tetsuya Nomura!"
The entire banquet hall went into stunned silence. A large swell of excited chatter and yelling soon erupted from the room.
"Holy crap!"
"Really!"
"I love that book!"
"Gimme an autograph!"
"Dammit mom." He turned to Xion who was staring at him with her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.
"You're Tetsuya Nomura?" she yelled. "You're Tetsuya Nomura?"
"You already said that," he answered plainly. She smacked him on the arm. "Ow!"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"It wasn't exactly relevant."
"Relevant? I'm a HUGE fan of the books! I absolutely adore Sky, and I—" she stopped her gushing and blushed. "Sorry about that, I'm acting like a geeky fangirl aren't I? You probably get that a lot!"
He laughed. "No way, nobody knows who I am! This is the first time a fangirl geeked out in front of me!"
"Ahem!" Demyx coughed into the microphone. Now that order was restored to the restaurant, he resumed his introduction, "Without further ado, Sora Nomura! I mean—Hikari!" The blond went over to Sora to hand him the microphone. He whispered something in his ear, "Hey, you think you can like, sign a copy of mine? It's for—er, my girlfriend, yeah, that's it."
"Sure." He stood up and pulled the microphone to his mouth. He didn't prepare a speech although he knew the best man would have to do something like this. All eyes were on him. "Kairi and Riku…what can I say? You're both my best friends and now you're married. Congratulations! I hope that you make each other happy.
"The thing about love...is that it's not just a single feeling. It's a collection of feelings. Happiness, joy, laughter, relief, and peace. Love makes us do crazy things, but isn't that craziness the thing that makes life fun and unpredictable?" He grabbed his glass. "A toast, to Kairi and Riku!"
"A toast!"
Now that all the formalities were done, it was time to dance!
Sora wasn't one for dancing, but he didn't have a choice when Riku came over and pulled him onto the floor. "The lady's waiting for you pal."
"Hey, what about—"
Riku winked, "I'll take care of her, now go!" The groom shoved him in the back until he fell into Kairi's arms.
"H-hey," he said. There wasn't much to say now was there?
"Care for a dance my lord?"
He smiled. "Sure." They clasped their hands together and heard the string orchestra wring out a melodious ballad. They started moving in step with each other.
"That was a nice speech you gave there."
"Really? I came up with it on the spot."
She giggled. "I couldn't tell." He gave her a little twirl. "I never knew that you wrote The Keyblade Chronicles."
"It's nothing really."
She scoffed. "Over a million copies sold isn't nothing Sora. I'm a big fan."
"That's what everybody tells me."
"That's because its a great story. There's a reason why its so popular."
"All stories have to end sometime."
"Oh, that's right; I've been meaning to ask you something."
"Shoot."
She leaned close to his ear. "Who's Xion?"
"Huh? Xion? She's…"
"Someone special?" she filled in, grinning devilishly.
"There's nothing really special about me."
That wasn't true.
"Yeah, she's someone special alright."
She slapped him on the shoulder, but softly this time. "Look at you! Hardly been a day and you're already moving on!" He just grinned. Her eyes went wide. "Damn it Sora, when you smile like that, you make it hard for me not to fall in love with you again."
"What are you talking about?"
"Sora!" They stopped dancing and turned around to see Roxas and Naminé. "You mind if I have minute with Kairi?" his cousin asked. He looked to Kairi and she gave him a shrug.
"I don't see why not." He walked over to Naminé. "Know what's going on?"
She nodded. "He wants to apologize for some nasty things he said."
"Ah…I see."
Naminé gave him a great smile. "How about a dance?" The string orchestra stopped playing the slow ballad and changed into a more up-tempo beat, the tango. "Wanna give it a shot?"
"I'm the tango master, didn't you get the memo?" The both took a step back and straightened out for the duel. They stepped forward, circling around each other tentatively, and then attacked with a quick jerk of the body. Their legs folded in with each other, step in, step out, and a quick twirl. Their arms stretched, and they were pulled together. They moved sideways, shoulder-to-shoulder. "So tell me Naminé, how are things between you and Roxas?"
She kicked her legs. "Wouldn't you like to know? Jealous?"
He pulled her close, her back to him. "A little bit."
She laughed. "We had a long talk that night. It cleared up a lot of things."
"Sounds productive."
"It was. I never got a chance to thank you."
"For what?"
"For stopping."
He grinned, "It's not like I wanted to…"
She leaned back, as if wilting. "Sora…"
He leaned forward to keep her from falling. "What?"
"You sure know how to make a girl feel special…"
"Hey Sora," a voice called. He looked up to see Roxas. "Mind if I take this dance?"
"She's all yours cousin." He let go of the blonde woman gently and handed her to her rightful man.
"Thanks."
Sora looked around when he noticed Xion by the veranda. She was by herself. He made a move to walk over when the string quartet stopped. A chorus began to play. He recognized the song. It was one of his favorites. Soon after the chorus ended, the sounds of guitar began playing in breezy fashion.
I saw her today at the reception
A glass of wine in her hand
He shook his head. He couldn't believe it, were they actually playing this song at the wedding? They were totally rubbing it in weren't they?
I knew she was going to meet her connection
At her feet was her footloose man
Cold-blooded. He went to the veranda and stood next to Xion. It was the second floor, which gave them a rather great view of the island. They let the cold air cool their heads.
"You never answered my question," she brought up.
"What question?"
She gave a annoyed look. "What are you going to do now?"
"Oh, that, yeah…well, I guess the cat's out of the bag now."
"I had no idea…"
He put his arms against the railing. "Actually, before coming here, I had the world's worst writer's block."
"A writer's block?"
"Yeah. But…after all this, I think I found it."
"Find what?"
"The ending I was looking for."
"Do you think you could maybe…tell me what happens?"
"Sorry, but I'm under contract."
"Awww…"
Her disappointed face made him laugh. "But I can say that it's going to be a happy ending."
"That's good."
"It is. I think I'll come back home after I finish."
"Home?"
"Here. Destiny Islands of course."
She was taken back. "H-how long do you think it'll take you to finish?"
"A year and a half—two years maybe."
"Is that so…" She looked at her drink, seeing the soft ripples spread out. "I've decided—I'm going to take the promotion."
"Huh? What changed your mind?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I just feel like I have a lot of confidence now." She gave a big smile.
Two years. She could wait that long.
"That's great, how about a dance?"
"Gladly." He pulled her into the dance hall. He looked around and saw smiles and glowing faces. Weddings were such happy occasions.
The song was still playing.
"What's this song?" she wondered. "It sounds familiar…"
I saw her today at the reception
In her glass was a bleeding man
She was practiced at the art of deception
Well I could tell by her blood-stained hands
"It's a classic. The name of the song is in the song itself."
"And what's that?"
"You can't always get what you want."
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need