Unattainable Desire
By Chiharu Tanaka
A/n: Thank you for your reviews, once again! This time, I'd like to personally thank my reviewers for their spanking reviews!
HopelessxDreamer – Yes, I was playing with the F4 people. Heheh.
Blu Rose – Wahh, so nice of you to read my fic! And yes, what you wished for will come true.
Metal Chopsticks – Yes, Sora's HOT. And yes, we're on the same wavelength on the pairing thing…
thesrazrbladekisses – Aww, shucks. It's not that great.
RuinsofTikal – Thank you!
Ukalie – I learn something new everyday…
heartsoblivion – Thanks!
soras friend901 – I'm definitely gonna make more. And yes, there's gonna be more Sora/Kairi fluff.
Sweet Raine – Thanks! More fluff coming your way in this chapter!
Disclaimer:
Chiharu: I'm not saying anything else until my lawyer gets here.
Sora: You don't have a lawyer…
Chiharu: Hush! I'm quoting CSI!
Kairi: You don't own that either.
Chiharu: Fine…
Chapter 3: Different Side
The silent sobbing finally ended at the break of dawn. Sunlight streaked across a maiden's fair features as she slept through the morning, until the sun was high above the serene heavens. The perfectly fine spring day seemed like a stormy winter night after what happened the night before. The catastrophe that befallen the prosperous city of Mirage had turned her world upside down. The maiden slowly turned to her bedside table when she heard her little silver cell phone ringing. She picked it up and flipped it open, still lying down on her bed.
"Hello…?" she asked, in a tired, unenthusiastic voice.
"Good morning, angel…are you feeling okay?"
She got up groggily and sat up, tugging at her white nightdress. There was only one man that would call her 'angel'. "Yes, Tidus…I'm okay. Did you find Kairi?"
"No…the whole squad is still looking for her as we speak. I'm about to leave for another staff meeting in 10 minutes."
"…"
"I know you're upset, angel…so am I, but we're doing our best to find her."
"Yes, I know that. I just hope she's okay…"
"Same here. Listen, I gotta go. Maybe we should have dinner together tonight. Just like old times. Whaddya say?"
"Sure…mom won't mind."
"I'll pick you up at 7, okay? See you, angel."
"Umm…bye."
She snapped the foldable phone shut and set it back on the table. She grabbed the remote control and turned the television sitting across her room on. The headlines were still the same as the night before.
"The search for the President's daughter, Kairi Herrington, is still on. Witnesses claimed to have heard a sound of a car leaving the building in a hurry. Traffic reports confirmed the car to be a white coloured SUV…"
Naminé turned off the television and tossed the remote to the edge of her large bed. She hugged her knees and buried her head in it, crying silently.
Please be safe…we miss you so much…
"Let the meeting commence. We'll start with Elena."
The pallid walls of the meeting room in the headquarters slowly darkened as the light was dimmed. Twelve of the agency's best agents, and their leader and president, Tidus, slowly entered the room and took their seats, with a gloom in the aura of the office. Elena got up from her seat on the far right of Tidus, who was sitting down at the head of the table.
"From the witness reports and traffic reports during the period of the kidnapping, the vehicle used by the kidnappers was a white 4x4 Ford Land Cruiser, an old model. If you will avert your eyes to the screen…" she clicked a button on the remote to show a picture on the projection screen. It showed several pictures of a white vehicle zooming across the highways of Mirage.
"This vehicle was claimed to have entered the alleys nearby the building. We weren't sure of the fact, because the surveillance cameras around the building was destroyed…except for this one we've acquired from an ATM across the street."
She pressed 'play' on the screen, and the video was played. 3 faded figures were spotted, carrying what seemed to be Kairi. "The processing department is still working on refining the videos to get a clearer image of the kidnappers. We will get a copy to all the tables once they do."
Elena sat down and arranged her papers, face still emotionless. Tidus nodded. "Good work. You and Tseng will be in charge of getting the identity of the kidnappers. Next…what do you have for us, Rude?"
"Yes, sir. We have followed the traffic reports and surveillance cameras on the main highways, and found the white Ford heading towards downtown Mirage. As cameras are yet to have been put within the area, two groups have been assigned to a split-up search around the residence there."
He clicked a button on his laptop, and a map was showed on the screen. "The areas in blue are where we have already checked, in contrary to the red. The search may get narrower as we gather more evidence on where the Ford may have gone off to."
"Okay. Rude, you're in charge of tracking down the vehicle. The rest of you, you know what to do. Dismissed."
"Ow…my back…"
Sora turned his head sideways as he heard voices coming from the entrance. Tantalus emerged and hung out in the living room. "Gosh…I need a massage…Ruby, you're worse than an army commander!" wailed Zidane, rubbing his back.
"Oh, stop wailing, Zidane, all of us are making a hard living."
A quick glance upon them from a stranger's eyes, it was hard to think that these people could even stand 5 minutes together – but they were living under one chaotic roof! A slow blink covered Sora's blue eyes. He just smiled as he silently took a sip from the iced tea Yuffie made.
"Hey, Yuffie…"
In the kitchen, Yuffie and Kairi were seated on the table, drinking iced tea themselves. Yuffie turned to look at the young heiress. "Yes, Kairi?" she asked.
"Why does…that guy…look so depressed? You told me that he was really affected and all…" she began, stuttering slightly. She nervously tucked a lock of her shoulder-length red hair behind her ear.
"Well…like I told you, we're all orphans, right? But Sora…he…" Yuffie paused. Kairi looked at her, eyelids drooping down slightly as Yuffie continued. "He showed up on our doorstep one rainy night…he was only eleven at that time, and Ruby and I were already fourteen. His clothes were stained with mud, rain and blood…he wasn't injured or anything…he just sat there silently, clutching a photo in his hands."
Kairi took a moment to bite her lower lip. "When Cid changed him into dry clothes, he asked Sora…what happened. Although Sora…at the time…didn't say anything, he just cried…" Yuffie paused again to take a sip from her iced tea. "He lived under this roof…as one of us, and a few days later, he told Cid what happened."
"What…happened?" asked Kairi tentatively.
"He told Cid that his parents were murdered right before his eyes. His mother told him to run away…and that led him to our house. He told us that the elites…killed his parents. 'The men wore expensive suits', he said. That's most probably why he's so angry at you this morning."
"Just because…I'm one of them? But I didn't know…"
"I know, Kairi. There's a lot of bad people in this world, be it from uptown or downtown Mirage. Either way, Sora is just too stubborn. He won't listen to any of us once he's made up his mind."
"Dinner's ready! Hurry up or Zidane and Cinna will eat them all!" wailed Ruby's voice.
Sora got up from the bed he was lying down on and opened the door. He walked downstairs, where Cid and Baku were already talking to Kairi, Yuffie and Ruby; Cinna and Zidane grabbing all the food they could, while Blank, Wakka and Marcus just resumed eating, tired of the daily antics.
"You're in tip-top shape, right, Miss Herrington? I don't wanna send you back injured or anything…" said Baku.
Kairi nodded. "I'm okay…really. Just call me Kairi."
The whole table came to a silence as Sora took a seat and grabbed a plate for himself. He gave everyone at the table a cold glare, which made them resume their own business.
"Yo, could ya brats shut up for a bit? We gonna have a discussion here," yelled Cid all of a sudden. The rest of the group turned to look at Cid, who seemed a bit annoyed. "Now, listen up and listen well. How long should we keep Kairi here under our roof? One week, tops."
Her indigo eyes seemed damp. It was then Sora saw a different side of her. She looked so confident, so popular on the covers of the magazines, on the screen of the televisions. Her indigo eyes were usually bursting with energy.
She's in no position to say anything…she's being held hostage.
'But she had nothing to do with your parents' murder…let it go, Sora, it's all in the past,' said another voice in his head.
I don't think I can…if it weren't for the people of her kind, Mom and Dad would still be alive.
'But look at her…she's innocent! She has nothing to do with this, you idiot – now listen to your conscience and LET IT GO!'
The raging battle in Sora's head was giving him a migraine. But as he was battling with his conscience, he realised that no one had voiced out anything yet. Then, he laid his eyes on Kairi once more. She was already breathing slowly, trying to hold back her tears.
She…is innocent.
At that moment, Sora felt like the entire burden within his heart was lifted. He set the fork down and looked down at his plate.
I was supposed to kidnap her for revenge…but I ended up hurting more people…she has parents of her own…
"Three days," he said. Everyone turned to look at him with astonished looks on their faces. "Today is already one day, so she'll go back on Friday."
Silence ensued. Nobody thought that Sora, of all people, would speak up, and even if he did, they thought the worst. He was actually letting Kairi off easy, their minds screamed. A few moments later, everyone resumed eating. Sora only dared to look up once, towards Kairi.
Her eyes met his. They were no longer damp with sorrow, but glowing with happiness. Her eyes seemed to say two words to him.
Thank you.
Sorrowful blue eyes were reflected against a mirror. The drapes were drawn to a close, its soft creamy white colour. The pastel orchid white walls hued perfectly with the wicker-coloured furniture in the room, but still she breathed out a sigh. She stood up from the seat opposite the dressing table and headed for her bedroom door, and exited.
Blond hair tucked over her right shoulder as always, Naminé was dressed in a simple caramel coloured blouse and white skirt. She fiddled with a tiny topaz pendant on the end of the white gold chain of her necklace.
"My dear," her mother told her before she moved into her new penthouse a few weeks after graduation. "Inside this box is a family treasure. It once belonged to your great grandmother Eloise Castell, and we have passed it down. Now it's your turn to own it, just like I did when I was a young girl like you."
Naminé slowly opened the box and pulled out the necklace gently. "Why is the pendant…shaped like a star?" she had asked her mother.
"It's a symbol of destiny. Your great grandmother had it made that way because she believed the stars helped her in life. She met her husband, a successful and wealthy man, had lots of kids, and led a happy life. When her husband died, however, everything was left to her name. My mother told me that if you wear this necklace…the destinies of you, and your loved ones, will always be intertwined."
I hope Kairi comes back safe and sound…nothing else matters now.
She exited her penthouse as the door clicked in auto-lock. She tugged her petite white purse and stepped into the elevator and pressed the 'down' button to get to the lobby. There, she walked out and was greeted by Tidus, who was reading a newspaper.
"Good evening, angel…ready to go?" he asked, standing up. Naminé nodded shyly and walked behind her brother to his black Porsche parked outside. They both climbed in their seats, and the car zoomed off towards their destination: a classy French restaurant named Carousel on the upper east side of town.
"How's the search?" she asked, her voice barely audible. They were seated at a table by the window, overlooking the waterfront. Tidus looked at her and sighed.
"Elena found some details on the kidnappers…and they're all working overtime right now. I'm going back to office later anyway."
"I miss Kairi…"
"I know you do, angel…we all do. But we're already trying our hardest…"
A silent nod. A sigh ensued. They said no more until the food was served.
Their footsteps made quick taps against the concrete ground. They were walking back to the black Porsche after dinner, and the indoor car park was deserted. After Kairi's kidnapping, everyone in uptown Mirage suddenly lost the urge to go out and dine.
"Have you decided which college you wanted to go to?" asked Tidus.
"I've applied for an art academy in France…but I haven't got an answer yet."
"I see."
Silence was becoming so used to them. It was they who weren't used to silence. Tidus scratched his neck as he reached the black Porsche and unlocked it with the remote. Without warning, however, a gunshot was heard.
Naminé's shrill scream drowned the silence away as more shots were fired. "Get down!" yelled Tidus, rushing over to his sister. Naminé whimpered in fear. Tidus took a semi-automatic pistol from inside his jacket and took aim.
"Tidus Crucis! Come out, come out wherever you are!" yelled a man's playful but loud voice.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, Axel…" said a second voice, a female one.
"Naminé…I want you to take the car…" Tidus told his sister in under a whisper. Naminé shook her head.
"They're after you…don't worry about me…I'll be fine. Take the car and go…I'll wait until they're gone and take a cab…home."
"No, I won't leave you…"
"GO!" she said, pushing him towards the car. Tidus looked at her one last time in pure regret and hopped in the car. He started the engine and drove off. Naminé quickly hid in the shadows behind an old van. She saw the assailants shoot off at Tidus's car as it left the building. The man had long fiery red hair and eerie green eyes, while the woman had blond hair and icy blue eyes.
"Zexion, he's going up the front area. You and Lexaeus follow him," she growled into a walkie-talkie on her headphones. She snapped the microphone back to place over the earphones and walked upwards, closer towards Naminé's hiding place.
"I hope this mission brings SOME info in…I'm getting tired of chasing Crucis," said the blond-haired woman.
"Yeah, I'm with you too, Larxene, otherwise Marluxia's gonna have us chasing his tail every minute! What's he got against Crucis anyway, a crush?"
They were only several feet away from Naminé on the other side of the van, and she covered her mouth and held her breath as long as she could while backing up towards the van. Unlucky for her, the alarm of the van sounded off when her head pressed against the door handle.
Axel turned his head around the van and saw Naminé hiding in the shadows. "Whehey, what do we have here?" he said, walking up to Naminé. Larxene walked up behind him and looked down at Naminé.
"Aren't you…Crucis's sister? Hmph, seems that you were with your brother just now." She set down her microphone and coughed slightly as Axel grabbed hold of Naminé's hands. "Erm, Marluxia? Sorry to bother you, but we have Crucis's sister in captive. What should we do with her?"
"Take her back to the hideout. We'll use her as bait," replied Marluxia on the other end.
"Yes, sir."
Axel smirked with an evil glint in his eye. "Looks like you're coming with us…hmm…you look like you're good in bed." Larxene shot a death glare at him.
"Shut up, you sadistic sexist."
To be continued…
A/n: Whew! Completed at last! I'm gonna have a whole week of nothing but exams…so I won't be updating until I'm finished with them. Yes, the star-shaped pendant is a Paopu…and yes, now both Kairi and Naminé are kidnapped. Heheh, I'm such an evil writer. Kairi's pretty safe, but what about Naminé? I'm sure Axel and co. aren't very nice…Don't think Tidus is chicken; he's just extremely busy looking for Kairi. Oh, and Yuna will be up in the next chapter! Yay! Now…where does Riku come in?
Riku: You're excluding me, you terrible writer.
Chiharu: Oh, so you want me to write that you will be working in the next chapter in a pink ballerina tutu?
Riku: (gulp) N…no.