Well here she is, le chapter 2!
Some notes:
The Unknowing Herald (TUH): What? I get to have my very own note now? Why thanks Tor, I thought I was your slave there for a second! Well guys, just here to remind ya, this IS a co-op fic so… hello to all that made it this far! It means you are interested enough to actually continue reading the fic, so I hope you have a blast. I'll see you by the end of the chapter!
TorNathan (TN): Well, you're welcome, Herald. Anyway, the same thing here, in addition I would like to say my stories are in hiatus right now. I have shifted my entire attention to this. That's pretty much it.
TN: So, Herald, what do you think about she turned out?
TUH: I'm just glad I got called up here. That and that you got the right chapter two.
TN: Well, I couldn't leave out the other half of the story. . . again. And you're still harping about that?
TUH: That or the death threats finally reached your mailbox.
TN: Well, so do you enjoy my room's view? All those roses. . .
TUH: Tor. Chapter. Now.
TN: Oh, yeah. . . Haha
TN: Anyway, shall I do the disclaimer, or you?
TUH: Whatever, if someone thinks I own the rights to any Square related stuff, they totally don't know who I'm a fanboy of. So yeah, I don't own any of that stuff... yet.
TN: Well, here it is, chapter 2, enjoy. Right, Herald?
TUH: Just hope they leave reviews, since someone thinks 8 reviews in a chapter is anything less than mindblowing
TN: . . .
Chapter II
Farewell
July 16, 2010
Destiny Islands
Sora felt the hot rays of the sun strike his face, burning his eyes as he lay in bed, sleeping the morning away, only until the oppressive rays forced him awake. He rolled his face away from the heat and let out a long yawn. His clock read 9:00 am and he let his head plop into the mattress, not wanting to get up. Today was his last day on the Islands for who knew how long. All day yesterday he had hung out with Riku, Kairi and some of their other friends like Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie. Forgetting all about the world order, Sora had explained everything to them, and now, all the other teens knew. Soon, their whole part of the island was bustling with the news of Sora and his adventures. All of his friends, in readying for his departure, had organized a big going away party. Kairi, Riku, and himself were the guests of honor and it was to be a full day of food, sport, and fun. There would be a blitzball match today and he was eager to play it again, even if he wasn't as good as Tidus, not that he'd ever admit that to him.
He yawned again and stretched, relaxing his stiff muscles from their sleep. His hands rubbed his eyes and he turned on his side, looking out the window into the morning day. It looked to be a great day. Not a cloud in his namesake. See what he did there? He lay there and thought of Kairi. His heart swelled and his stomach did tumults, that butterfly sensation. The party was planned to be at the school blitzball stadium. There would be food and drinks, sports, a big match and loud music. Then at nighttime, there would be a massive bonfire on the beach, along with music and food meant for roasting (your average smores and hot dogs). He thought about sitting with Kairi, watching the fire, the soft music in the background, the twinkling night sky. To see the stars reflected in those eyes, his heart soared. Maybe, just maybe, he would not be nervous or shy in front of her.
"Tonight, Kairi," he barely whispered.
"What was that?" a voice asked, a hand grabbing him in the side. He let out a small scream as his heart crash-landed from its flight in fear. He turned around hastily, and his nerves skyrocketed. Kairi was right next to him, already dressed in a pink tank top and white short shorts. She had some white sandals on her feet and a beautiful smile on her face. Sora's heart was doing a drum roll and his breathing was sharp and quick. He steadily calmed himself.
"K- Kairi," he began, "what're you doing in here?"
"The party started half an hour ago, you lazy bum," she said with a wink, using her favorite nickname of his. She sat down on the bed with him. He smiled at that and sat up, the blanket falling from his frame, exposing his naked torso. He closed his eyes and stretched again, tensing and contracting his toned muscles. He never saw Kairi glance over them, a gleam in her eyes. In all of his nervousness, this didn't bother him. In all the past years leaving on a beach, he had been topless a lot, and so this was regular with him. He stood up, dressed in some pajama pants, and walked to his closet, extracting his clean adventuring outfit. He thought to himself, Maybe Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather can give me some new clothes.
Yeah, those are reaching their limit, Roxas said with a yawn.
Are- are you tired? Sora asked incredulously.
I just woke up. Naminé wouldn't stop talking to me.
You can sleep? How does that even-
Yep, now be quiet so we can talk.
Sora stopped talking to Roxas as he walked to his door, about to head to the bathroom for a shower. Just then, he noticed that Kairi was still sitting on his bed. He looked at her and cocked an eyebrow.
"Kai, are you coming?" he asked with a small laugh. Now he noticed her staring at his torso.
"Sora, you never told me. . ." She left the sentence hanging.
"What?" he asked.
She approached him and he became nervous again. She walked right up to him and placed a hand on his chest. He let out a slight shudder as her cool fingertips ran across his chest, grazing over a particularly long scar. He sighed in revelation as he thought about that moment. He not only saved Kairi that moment, but he also earned a long and rigid gray scar. After that she began to notice all the others. They were mainly small, pink and very faint, almost not there, but if you were to look carefully, you would find quite a lot. Here and there you would find larger ones, but only a few of them. They were all mementos, souvenirs, tokens of appreciation, left by the Heartless. Sora had never thought about it, but they could have been symbols of his love.
For her.
"Sora," she whispered. She looked up at him.
"Kairi?" he said.
"Is this because of me?" she asked, placing her soft hand against his chest, rigid and hard muscle, scarred by that one laceration. Her fingertips brushed the cold steel of his pendant that he never took off. He looked at her. Honesty was always the best.
"Yes." He did not expect her to do anything about it, because nothing could be done. But what he really didn't expect was for her to hug him. Her arms wrapped around him, and he felt her tender skin bump over those very tiny scars on his back. His heartbeat quickened and his nerves started losing some control. He didn't know what to do, so he returned the hug as she laid her head on his shoulder. He rested his head on hers. They both smiled radiantly, though neither one saw it. After a few moments, it ended, and they broke away. He was blushing madly as he looked to her face. She wasn't at all, and that made his face even redder. He looked away from her as he walked to the bathroom, leaving her there alone.
The bathroom was cold and pale. He placed his clothes and a towel he had grabbed onto an outlying shelf. He reached over, turned the water onto a nice steaming hot, and undressed. He climbed in and let the hot beads of water roll down his face and neck, ending at his feet. His hair fell down as the gel rinsed out and he had to flip it out of his way, seeing as it was rather long without the gel. Water bounced off his pendant and splashed off the ceramic of the tub. He grabbed some if his shampoo that had lasted over the past couple years of his absence, and lathered his hair. He began to sing a poem that was embedded into his heart and soul.
Thinking of you, wherever you are.
We pray for our sorrows to end,
and hope that our hearts will blend.
Now I will step forward to realize this wish.
And who knows:
starting a new journey may not so hard
or maybe it has already begun.
There are many worlds,
but they share the same sky-
one sky, one destiny.
The bathroom rang with the sound of splashing water and Sora's smooth and tenor rich voice. He had never thought himself as a good vocalist, but he was. As the poem came to an end, he began washing his body, his heart aching.
HoL:TS
Thinking of you, wherever you are.
We pray for our sorrows to end,
and hope that our hearts will blend.
Now I will step forward to realize this wish.
And who knows:
starting a new journey may not be so hard
or maybe it has already begun.
There are many worlds,
but they share the same sky-
one sky, one destiny.
Was his voice really that beautiful? Kairi stood outside the bathroom door, listening to Sora sing the poem she had written so long ago. Well, it wasn't really too long ago, but it felt like forever. Something about him singing that particular piece made her want to cry. Not out of sorrow or angst, but joy and longing. Over the past years, she had struggled to understand what it was she felt about him. She had always had this crush on him. She would eye him without him knowing, and would dream about going to dinner with him or even a magnificent ball, if only the Islands would hold those. But now, after the past two years, maybe something else was growing. Maybe her crush was developing, evolving into something more. As his voice continued in her mind, though he had actually stopped, she thought about it, and maybe love was actually starting to grow, even if it only had a hold. It would grow, she surmised, and she would love him from afar.
Why? Naminé asked.
Why, what? Kairi countered.
Why would you love him from afar?
Because he doesn't feel the same way about me.
You don't know that, Naminé said.
Well, suppose he did. Wouldn't he have done something by now? Kairi asked.
Well, Naminé began, you both just got back. He hasn't had the time.
No, Naminé. He has had a little over a decade now to express or say anything about his feelings. He could even tell me that he doesn't love me. But he hasn't.
Naminé kept silent. Whether she was thinking of a counter or if she was just defeated, Kairi would never know.
Also, look at everything he's done for you.
He did that for Riku, too.
Okay. . . He just sang your poem.
At the time, that poem was his only light in the dark. Of course it would have some effect on him, no matter who it was written by.
Urgh! Kairi. . . Naminé sounded rather annoyed and it set Kairi a little off kilter. She stood there and realized that the water had stopped flowing. She suddenly became nervous as she hurried down the stairs and into his living room. Abigail was doing something in the kitchen, so she just sat and waited.
Also, Kairi continued, don't you notice how he acts around me when we're alone together?
No.
He acts a lot differently. Unsettled is the best thing I can describe it as.
Ever thought that he was just nervous? You know, the thing you usually feel when you have something special to say to a special someone?
Nervous isn't right. I just know that he doesn't feel the same way about me.
They stopped their conversation when they heard the bathroom door close. Sora's footsteps thundered down the staircase and he came into view. He was in his normal adventuring clothing, some rips here and there. But aside from that, he looked marvelous. She loved his smile, always had and always will. That and those perfect white teeth behind it. His hair was always different from everyone else, but she absolutely adored it. She took a deep inhale as he approached her and could smell his cologne. That was something she could lose herself in, that and those dreamy cerulean eyes. He was damn near perfect, and he couldn't be hers.
HoL:TS
Sora descended the stairs, just after cleaning up and gelling his hair. He had put his favorite cologne on and was ready for a great day. There she was, sitting by herself and looking rather confused and almost sad. The girl he loved, sitting right there before him, the two of them together, alone. She had put a bit of makeup on today. Her rosy red cheeks nearly matched her luscious red hair. And her purple eyes accented her face, his heart rolled. She smiled at him and flashed pearly white teeth. He offered out his hand to her, and she took it, allowing him to help her to her feet. Her soft skin met his rough hands and he felt electricity spate through his nerves. He breathed in, and she was wearing her cherry blossom perfume. He exhaled in euphoria. Aside from these things she had an amazing body and he fought his hormones at seeing her in that short pink skirt, garbed with the rest of her own adventuring outfit. She was damn near perfect, but he was too shy to do anything about it.
"Ready, Kai?" he asked as they opened his door, heading out into the sun. She looked over at him and smiled.
"Yep," was her only and simple reply. He nodded as they walked onto the road and headed for the high school blitzball stadium. The sun was bearing down a harsh heat, so Sora took off his jacket, leaving him in his black t-shirt. This was hardly any better. He slung it over his shoulder as they walked in silence, the only sound being the booming music that was steadily growing louder as they neared the stadium. The parking lot was crowded with people and tents. Not many cars were here, seeing as it was an outdoor event and most everyone lived in a walking distance. People, mainly students and their families, bustled here and there, buying food from stands, buying trinkets and oddities from other stands. A lot was happening, all for Sora, Kairi, and Riku.
Sora noticed that there were even some carnival sideshow games, classics like knocking over the pins with a baseball. Kids were having fun at the next door park where inflatables were up and little ones were jumping and screaming. Water slides and sprinklers were also set up in the park. The sounds of the blitzball sphere being readied were heard under the babble, a deep whirring sound followed by the occasional splash or splosh. He entered the stadium, being one of the guests of honor, where it was much less crowded. Some of his friends (all those who had arranged it) and their families were here, including Riku.
Sora strode over to him while Kairi left him to talk with Selphie. He wrapped his jacket on the back of a chair and looked up at Riku.
"How are you feeling?" Sora asked. Riku sat down in a chair and placed his face in his hands. After a couple moments, during which Sora sat down as well, he lifted his head and looked Sora sternly in the eyes.
"I don't know," he responded. Sora looked back at him and saw something waver in Riku's demeanor. Sora felt pity for his best friend, though he didn't know why.
"What do you mean?" Sora asked, scooting closer to him. Riku shifted in his chair and sighed.
"What I mean is, what if on this mission for Mickey, I lose control again and mislay myself to the darkness?" he asked, his voice almost tinged with fear. Sora understood him. On more than just one occasion, Riku had handed himself over to the darkness, both for Maleficent and Ansem, even to where he took Ansem's appearance. Sora sighed and looked at him more intently, leaning forward.
"Riku, you are going to be with me and Kairi. Nothing bad is gonna happen. Be more happy and cheerful. We'll always win and everything will always be okay!" Sora told him, leaning back and reclining, locking his hands behind his head.
"Are you sure?" Riku asked him beneath that long hair.
"Yes. Besides, you have the extraordinary Sora here to keep you safe from the evil dark stuff!"
Riku nodded and stood up, regaining his usual disposition. "Well, I know one thing for sure though," he began. Sora looked at him as he also rose.
"My team's gonna destroy yours today," he said with a smirk. Sora glared at him and smiled.
"No you're not. We have both Wakka and Tidus. How can you beat that?" Sora said, crossing his arms.
"We will," he replied calmly, walking away. Sora brushed it off as he walked over to the end of the stadium, glancing up at the scoreboard. Right now it had the two teams listed off, both without their team names. On Sora's side, there was Tidus, Wakka, Lucy and Sophia. On Riku's side there was Morgan, Robin, Jake and Catherine. Sora thought his chances were good, the teams being stacked heavily in his favor. It was approaching to afternoon as he walked around and talking to numerous people, usually his friends that wanted to know all about his journeys. It was tedious explaining it all, even in brisk and low detail, but they were all in awe nonetheless. He found a group of some of his friends that had organized this entire event, all of which were playing in the blitzball match here soon. There was Jake, Morgan, Robin, Lucy, Sophia and Catherine.
"Oh, hey Sora!" Sophia yelled over to him as he walked towards them. Sophia was a few years older him, just turning nineteen last month. She was Selphie's older sister, though she looked nothing like Selph. She had black hair with white streaks through it that fell to her shoulders and startling green eyes. She was as tall as Sora and every guy was always drooling over her and her body. Sora had never thought about her like that because his love was always focused on Kairi. All the teens were wearing matching outfits (black shorts with a white tee emblazoned with a logo supporting the party). Sora glanced at the logo on the shirt. It read: Party for the Worlds and Their Saviors. It also had black silhouettes of what was supposed to be himself, Kairi and Riku.
"Sora," Sophia said amused in fake ire, "my eyes are up here." She pointed to her face with a finger before laughing and crushing him in a hug.
"Thanks, Soph," Sora said, returning the hug. Jake walked up and put an arm around Sophia. She giggled and looked at him before looking back at Sora. Jake was a burly senior with very short blue hair and matching aqua eyes. He had a scar under his chin caused by his now dead father. No one ever mentioned his dad. It wasn't because he was deceased, but because of the horrid memories it would well within Jake. Sora thought that there more than that single scar.
"Better watch how friendly you get with my girl," Jake said with his own smile, taking his arm off Sophia and grasping Sora in a hug. "It's great to have you back, man."
"It's great to be back, for now," Sora replied.
Morgan sat down in a shaded chair and looked up at Sora. "Looking forward to the game?" he asked. Sora looked down at the younger boy. He was thirteen and small for his age. It was known he was adept at blitzball because his size made him naturally faster than others, but he was more likely to get hurt. The youth moved his brown hair out of his brown eyes.
"I'm always excited about winning," Sora said brashly. Everyone laughed as Lucy stood next to Sora, throwing an arm around his shoulder.
"Other than Tidus and Wakka, they have me," she said with a wink. She had never played blitzball before, but wanted to for whatever reason. Sora looked as she hugged him and ran off to talk with another girl, her very dark brown hair cascading over her bare, dark shoulders in comparison. Sora shook his head bemusedly. Sora looked over to see Robin and Catherine break apart from a kiss. Catherine's cheeks flushed a deep red to match her short hair as she looked bashfully away, averting her stark blue eyes. Robin only chuckled as she swept back his disheveled and long black hair, revealing his pink irises. That was a quality that set him apart from everyone. How many people did you ever come across with pink eyes? Both the seventeen year olds were blushing.
"Maybe I won't have to worry about you two if you keep this up. Riku might knock some sense into you," Sora said as Morgan chuckled. Sophia laughed as Robin's face blared red. Sora was just about to catch up with Robin, a good friend of his aside from Riku and Tidus, when the intercom blared through the speakers, alerting everyone inside and outside. It was Kairi.
"All players into today's game are to go to their respective locker rooms and discuss their strategies. Admittance, which is free, to the stadium will be in half an hour."
Kairi repeated the message before the soft static and fuzz of the speakers was cut off. Babble broke into a new intensity outside the stadium as well as inside. Sora huffed as he and Sophia started walking to the locker room. They met up with Lucy on the way there. Sora opened the door for the girls, and they giggled at his gesture. He only gave them his goofy grin before following them in. Before he could however, a hand grabbed his shoulder. It was Kairi.
"Hey, Sora?" she said to him, her feet twisting on the spot as she fingered her hair. Sora knew her enough to know that this was a sign of her nervousness.
"Yeah, Kai?" he replied.
"It doesn't mean anything, but I'll be rooting for you while I commentate, okay?" she told him. This threw Sora off guard and he found himself feeling timid in front of her again.
"Th- thanks Kai," he replied. "I'll win it for you." She smiled at him and blushed before turning away and walking to the press box. Sora's breathing returned to normal and he felt fine after a few minutes. He opened the door and walked into the locker room. Being a guy after all, the first thing he saw was a vivid pink bra.
Sophia threw her shirt into a locker and this earned a wolf whistle from Tidus. Without looking she threw up her hand and flipped him off. This got laughs from everyone, including Tidus as they all began to strip and change. The girls were done before the guys. They turned and saw Tidus in his briefs. Their eyes glanced at this particular area and back up to his red face. It was Sophia's turn as she wolf whistled and locked in Tidus' embarrassment. He quickly changed into his gear before Lucy let out a gasp of shock. Sora had removed his shirt and now their eyes had locked onto his scars, predominantly the one above his heart. After a barrage of questions and concerns, he was finally able to quiet them down so he could finish changing. He walked to the end of the room and brought back with him the mobile blackboard. He removed a nub of chalk from the tray and drew the sphere.
"Okay, plan," Sora began. "First of all, since there are only five of us instead of the regular six, we will need two strong fielders to make up for the loss of the third. Who is our fastest?" All eyes glanced at Tidus (his face this time) and he sighed.
"Okay, what's my main objective?" he asked in defeat. Sora looked at him sternly. Aside from Riku and Kairi, Tidus might as well have been another best friend.
"I will be the other fielder alongside you. You have always been the better shot, so always be on the lookout for me should I have the ball. I'll give a signal. . ." he did a motion with his left arm, "to let you know it's coming your way. This is a two period game, so we will change the signal each half." Tidus nodded in comprehension as he leaned back next to Lucy, stretching his arms and relaxing them. She looked over at him with a wink as she leaned back next to him.
"Okay, Wakka," he said, looking at the senior. "You are to be right defender, seeing as you are both powerful and as tough as iron," Sora said. Wakka nodded and rose from his seat. He walked a bit to the side and began doing pushups to prepare his muscles.
"Lucy, you'll be the left defender, got it?" Sora asked. She, too, nodded.
"That leaves me as the goalkeeper, correct?" Sophia asked.
"Wakka, get over here," he said. Wakka obeyed and sat down gruffly. "Okay, now let's talk strategy and moves."
HoL:TS
"The stadium is now ready for admittance!" Kairi's voice boomed, trailing over the sea of people. There was a sudden rush as people swarmed the gates, crowding to get in and find a good seat upfront. These people weren't afraid to get a bit wet. Kairi cut off the mic as she leaned back in her cozy chair next to her co-commentator, Selphie, her best girlfriend. They were lounged in a room, cool from the air conditioning, and they had a table of refreshments courtesy of Abigail. They both sipped on some ice tea, but quickly finished.
"Hey Kairi," Selphie said.
"What?" Kairi replied, looking over at her. Kairi's mind had been on what Sora had said to her. I'll win it for you. It made her heart swell a bit, but he had only said it to her because they were best friends, nothing more.
"I have an idea to make this more fun!" she said, reaching around the table. Kairi heard the rustling of a bag and she reappeared holding a bottle of. . . was that—
"Wine?" Kairi asked, lucky that the mic was off. She stared at her friend of only just having turned sixteen. This look was one of shock, but intrigue.
"Yeah," she said as she found the corkscrew. "I swiped it from mom's cabinet. She has so much that she'll never know." Pop! There went the cork. "how about it, Kai?"
"I- I don't know Selph," she said cautiously. She had never had alcohol before. She had seen what it did to Sophia, who was only seventeen, and it looked like it had some bad effects. She was nervous, but it would be her last day with Selphie in a long time. She turned it over in her mind before deciding.
"I'll have a bit, but not too much. I don't want to end up like Sophia," she said with laugh. Selphie procured a couple of wine glasses a poured them each a bit. She handed over the glass and took a sip of her own. She let out a giggle and place the glass down, readying her own mic. Kairi looked at her glass with trepidation. She smelled it and the aroma was bittersweet. It was aged. She took a sip and her tongue exploded in a frenzy of different reactions. Her faced scrunched at the initial taste, a bitter thing. Then, it eased into a strong sweetness and she enjoyed it. She took another sip that was not nearly as bad and giggled along with Selphie. The teams had five minutes left.
Hol:TS
"I can't wait to finally hand Riku's rear on a silver platter to him! I don't care how good he thinks he is at Blitz, I don't care how much he whooped me when we were kids, this time he's going doooown baby!" Sora exclaimed, his excitement being a little too easy to spot while he warmed up in the locker room. Well, it was quite impressive how he could do so many squats that fast and always talking to himself over them, but his teammates weren't exactly happy for it.
"Yo Sora, save some of that for the game, ya?!" Wakka exclaimed, stopping him forcefully as the time for the blitz-off neared. Sora scuffed and was about to make his case, but even Tidus joined the conversation now.
"He's right you know? Just because you have us on your team doesn't mean it's gonna be easy peasy," he told Sora, crossing his arms. "We all practiced Blitz on the islands, especially guys, which they have more of by the way, and to make it worse they have Morgan. He may be young and small but he can really play and he's one hell of a goalie. I can barely score a goal against Morgan. We have a very good offense, but Lucy and Sophia aren't the best defenders, nor players. We're equally matched, we just have the best AND the worst. No offense girls."
"None taken," they replied in unison. The two girls didn't hide how they only did Blitzball for fun, so they had no problem with not being on the same level as the other guys and gal. Lucy winked at him and said, "Besides, I can make it up with something else," she said. Tidus just kind of stared at her before it dawned on him.
"Fine. It's time already, so let's get to the stadium!" Sora exclaimed in all of his cheerful glory. He wanted, above all else, to have Kairi see him beat Riku at. . . anything. Okay, he was technically and arguably better with the Keyblade, but that hardly compensated for Mr. Perfect Riku overshadowing him on all else for their entire lives.
"Alright guys, team hug!" Tidus proclaimed, opening his arms, the whole group joining in. "Let's Blitz guys!"
HoL:TS
The team captains had just entered the room.
"Kairi, are you drinking wine?" Sora asked coyly as he walked over to her. He took her glass and took a large drink. He shook his head as the alcohol took effect. Kairi looked up at him in shock and trepidation. He looked back at her with that boyish grin of his.
"It's okay, Kai. That was my first time ever having alcohol, too," he explained. Riku chuckled at them.
"Okay, team names?" Selphie asked, taking a sip of wine. She looked at Riku first.
"Dākuraitoningu" he said to her, then, "Dark Lightning." She nodded at him before writing it all down, he left without another word.
"I'm so going to kick his ass today," Sora said as he drain the rest of her glass. Her heart did leaps at seeing him act like this. It was these special little nuances of his that she loved. Kairi looked up at Sora and became lost in those eyes. She saw his lips move, but heard nothing.
"Kairi?" No response, only those eyes.
"Kairi!" Selphie screamed at her. This brought her back to reality. She cleared her thoughts and looked back to Sora.
"So what was the name?" He only looked at her, chuckled and grinned, before leaving. She turned and looked a little embarrassed. Selphie laughed at her, before switching on the mics. They looked to each other and nodded. Kairi took in a breath and began her job.
"Welcome one and all to today's game!" The crowd cheered and romped on the stands of the amphitheater. Noise-makers sound, toy horns were blown, people stomped and yelled. This wasn't even a league game and they were this excited. Why? She and Sora had been wrong to think it was only their part of the island here today. It looked like everyone from all the islands were here, and boy was it going to be a helluva game!
"Hello, I'm Kairi. And I'm Selphie," they both announced. "And we will be your commentators for tooooooday," they said simultaneously. The northern locker room opened, and Dark Lightning entered the stadium.
"From the north entrance are the strong and hot Riku, Catherine's man and hot-headed Robin, little yet truculent Morgan, Sophia's man Jake (can't wait to see that tension) and Catherine, or in other words. . ." Selphie took a deep breath and shouted, "Dākuraitoningu! Dark LIGHTNING!" Half the crowd erupted in cheers, the obvious fans of Riku's team. Girls squealed in delight as he walked by them. He smiled at one and continued into the metal sphere surrounding the water. This is where blitzers would immerse themselves in immensely dense and humid air, preparing them for the sphere.
The southern gates opened and here came Sora and his team. The crowd burst into cheers, even the fans of Riku. Sora waved at them with his goofy grin and walked with a cocky stride. He could be so immature, but Kairi loved that about him. She readied herself and began.
"And from the south entrance we have Master Sora, legend and son of even more legendary Jecht, Tidus, man from the Aurochs Wakka, mother of the jungle Lucy, and very pretty as always and Selph's older sister Sophia, or in other words. . ." and like Selphie she took a deep breath and shouted—what was the name? Selphie handed her a piece of paper with the name on it. She shouted, "Unmei no hi! Destiny's FIRE!" Destiny's Fire entered the sphere. A hush fell over the crowd, the only sound being the whir of the sphere and the hollowed voices emanating from within.
"Ready to have your ass handed to you, Sora?" Everyone heard Riku's voice amplified and a loud oooooohh resounded from the crowd.
"Just you wait Riku, I thought I'd have made you realize just how different I am now!" Sora exclaimed, amid to the reaction from the crowd.
"Yeah! You tell 'em Sora!" Kairi exclaimed from the box and into the mic, perking Naminé's interest.
Way to make it obvious. . . her Nobody teased, earning the mental equivalent of an elbow to the gut from the teen.
Suddenly, the metal sphere began contracting. The crowd was going wild as were Kairi and Selphie, no doubt because of the helping wine. "Aaaaand we're here folks! The farewell game for our beloved heroes, Sora and Riku! And we go to our refs as they are magically able to speak within the sphere
"I'm Biggs and we're here to referee," Biggs exclaimed in the water. "And I'm Wedge! We're here to watch some Blitzbaaaaaaaal!" the near-twin man exclaimed. Hard to believe they were not brothers, but we're not here to discuss this, are we? No, we are here to discuss how Biggs took out the ball of said game, holding it skyward, the rays pouring down unto it.
"And that's what we're going to do! Both teams, get set!" He exclaimed, Riku and Sora taking one look filled with a smirk at each other before the announcement. "BLIZTBALL!" Biggs announced, letting the sphere drop from the stands and into the water bubble. Now, normally, the players would simply dive into it and swim towards the ball, but not Sora and Riku. No, they JUMPED, up and above the sphere they went, both gunning for the ball. The crowd gasped as they surged forward at each other at breakneck speeds, the air around them rippling the water. Riku smiled, his greater speed paying off. In a fluid movement, he grabbed the ball midair, dodged Sora's lunge and let the ball go, lining up the shot perfectly in Sora's goal, shooting. Lucy was not ready for a shot so early into the game and could only gasp as the ball wheezed past her and then Sophia, straight into the goal. The buzzer sounded for the point. The crowd was speechless.
"AMAZING! That may just be the fastest goal I have witnessed after Jecht's legendary first goal fifteen years ago! History is in the making people!" Selphie exclaimed, causing the entire crowd to erupt into cheer. All but one girl.
"Sora. . ." Kairi whined sadly.
It's just a game Kai. You really ARE head over heels. Even Naminé didn't expect this degree of bound between the two, which only made it more painful to see both act so oblivious around each other. "And Destiny's Fire gathers for a quick talk," Selphie announced.
Sora's team quickly grouped up, Tidus and Wakka sharing sign language with the others. They were basically only telling everyone to keep their minds into it and that it was not over yet. Tidus grabbed his shoulders and gave him a thumbs-up in his direction. Sora knew exactly what he meant. As soon as the whistle gave way to the restart of the game, they game really got going.
"Okay, Sora in possession, he surges right and barrel rolls away from a lunge by RF Riku. He smirks as he continues going. He passes to LF Tidus, who catches it remarkably. He really is good, isn't he. Jecht would be proud. He scrambles after a tackle from LD Robin. He passes the almost fumbled ball back to— oh! Intercepted by Riku. He advances forward, Sora trailing behind him. He tackles Wakka out of his way, shoots, and— no! Caught by Sophia and Destiny's Fire is back with possession. Tidus speeds forward, aims, and throws for— no it's to Sora, back to Tidus, and SCORE! Tidus ties it up one to one!"
The next three minutes found themselves to be an extremely close match between the two teams, as Sora and Tidus were able to exert pressure on the goal, the entire team except Riku was specialized on defense, making it hard even for two of the aces to get a shot in. Even when they did, Morgan was an amazing goalie for his size. Soon, the frustration started to well up on Sora more and more to the tipping point.
"Tidus passes the ball towards Wakka but Sora, seemingly angry and aggravated, surges forward and takes the pass! Oh, Kairi he is hot-headed isn't he?" Selphie asked her fellow commentator. Kairi looked at her and smiled, but it was heavyhearted. They continued to commentate. "Sora expertly dodges both Catherine and Jake, swimming aggressively into Morgan's goal. Oh no, Riku looks pissed. He takes matters into his own hands and—OHHH! That has got to hurt! This game is getting fired up!" Riku had tackled Sora so hard, it must have knocked the living daylights out of him. Sora was knocked back into the stands, water splashing all over the fans in that area. Not only that, but he also managed to grab the ball and do the exact same thing to Tidus, whom of which landed right next to Sora. Riku scores a goal.
"Oh it looks like the two heartthrobs of today's game have been TAKEN OUT!" Selphie said into the mic. Kairi looked down with extreme concern as she saw Sora and Tidus dazed in the crowd. They each shook their heads and—
"That bitch!" both Kairi and Selphie shouted into their mics. They immediately realized what they just said as they watched two very attractive girls on either Sora and Tidus' side peck them on their cheeks. The boys smiled at them (Tidus returning the kiss) and dove back into the sphere.
"We seriously have some tension in the game now!" Selphie exclaimed, her composure back with a new glass of wine. Kairi had a refill as well.
"The game resumes as Riku passes to Robin, the only one in front of Lucy. Here goes another easy score for Dark Lightning but— NO! Tidus makes an impressive comeback and saves the goal himself! How impressive as we go to our half time."
Once the teams had exited the sphere, Tidus rounded on Sora and started yelling at him. Kairi couldn't tell what was being said from here but she could tell that it was bad because the look on Sora's face was crushing and sad. Once their ten minutes were up, Sora looked directly at her and flashed him that grin that just made her melt.
"And we're already nearing the start of the second halve ladies and gentlemen! Will Sora's team manage to pull through Riku's amazing first two goals? Or was the result decided in the first five seconds of the match?! Either way, let's have one helluva show!" Kairi exclaimed, preparing the crowd for the second halve as Wedge reached for the Blitzball.
"Everyone get ready, because it's time to BLITZBAAAAAAAAAAL!" He exclaimed, letting go of the ball. This time, Riku didn't go for those big jump shenanigans, neither did Sora. They didn't want to abuse their powers. This proved to be a mistake however, as Tidus got the ball. He smiled widely, raising three fingers up in the water.
"Oh… this cannot be! Is Tidus REALLY going to go for it?!" questioned Selphie. Her question was answered once Tidus pulled his leg back and shot at the goal with all his strength. Robin got in the way, but the impact was too strong, leaving the ball to rebound into Tidus, which was already spinning around, reading another shot. "HE IS! Ladies and gentlemen, open your eyes wide!" Again did he shoot, this time even surprising Riku with the power behind it. Next up, the crowd roared once more the moment Tidus began spinning upwards, Selphie and Kairi both yelling along with the crowd: "Jecht Shot Mark THREE!" everyone shouted as Tidus' foot hit the ball, speeding towards the goal with such power and speed that it didn't prevent Morgan from catching it, no, it took Morgan in WITH IT! "And he scoooooooooores!" Kairi shouted, the score now two to two. The next four minutes, neither team scored and that meant overtime. They would get fifteen minutes before the final match off.
"We'll be back with OVERTIME!" Selphie exclaimed, cutting their mics as the teams went back to the locker rooms. Kairi finished her glass and walked out of the box.
HoL:TS
Sora slouched into the locker room with his team, sore and tired, but ready to beat Riku. They sat in the locker room for a few minutes, water glistening off of them and dripping onto the ceramic tile underneath. Sora kept noticing Lucy eying Tidus and chuckled to himself. Why couldn't Kairi be that way with him? As if on cue, the doors opened and she walked in.
Is she. . . drunk? Roxas asked Sora in an amused voice. I think she is. . .
No, just buzzed, but why is she in here?
Kairi walked over to Sora and sat down next to him, a large and sheepish grin on her face. He could smell the wine coming from it and smiled at her on the inside. She looked at him.
"I came to wish you luck and I hope you win," she said to him. All eyes were on them.
"Th- thanks Kai," Sora said, looking back at her. His eyes grew wide in shock and his nerves shot as she leaned in and pecked him slightly on the cheek, a gesture that was so small and quick it barely counted as a kiss, but Sora relished in it either way. His heart was rolling as she got up and left the room, wolf whistles and catcalls echoing and following her like her shadow. He sat there stunned as his team laughed at him. Wine made her flirtsy? Okay, that was cool-diddly-o with him. He shook his head and came up with an idea. He looked at Tidus and Tidus looked back. That single facial expression was all the two needed.
HoL:TS
Overtime was announced via a loud horn and the voices of Kairi and Selphie. Sora nodded to his team, the plan ready, and they walked into the sunlight, now declining from its zenith. Girls shouted, boys hooted, and the crowd was bursting as the teams emerged and entered the metal preparation sphere. It was time.
I gotta hand it to him, his stamina is scary. Sora groaned inwardly as the kickoff for the overtime took place. Riku had again taken the ball and was now spearing through the defenders left and right. First, Lucy tried to tackle him, hurting herself more than she did Riku, her black form hurtling through the water, rolling haphazardly. Then it was Wakka's turn to fail, passing right through the middle of his legs with his own tackle. Riku's training had been more formal and intense than Sora's, even more so when he wasn't forced to sleep a year, so even when Sora of all people was getting tired, Riku was still going at full steam, just as he always had at everything. Sora was always number two, right before Riku. The only positive for Sora's team was that it was really just Riku; Jake and the rest were all but immobile. He dodged Tidus' mighty lunge and it soon became Sora's turn to stop him. Sora began preparing for a lunge, just to be interrupted when Riku let go of the ball.
"He's gonna shoot from there?!" Sora heard Selphie's voice boom. Sora thought the exact same thing, and sure enough Riku was readying. They were still a fair bit away from the goal so Sora's thoughts lined up with Roxas at that point.
Well just grab it, Sora, Roxas pointed out. Sora regretted saying yes. He wasn't expecting the sheer power and the pain.
The moment Riku's boot collided with the ball, the entirety of the water inside the sphere vibrated, giving Sora a small glimpse into what was coming for him. His body vibrated along with the water and his eyes bugged and shook. His mind seemed to rattle and his teeth clacked furiously as the ball collided with his stomach, even with Sora's hand grabbing it. His entire body was hurled back in the direction of the goal. Sophia couldn't defend this, and Sora knew it. The best he could do was extend his right hand and leg, having them collide with the sides of the goal, making them ripple with pain and leaving a dense red mark on both spots. Sora groaned in malaise and looked back at Riku, who was clapping and signaling to come at him. That taunting bastard.
Go get him tiger! Time to show off to your girl! Roxas yelled at the top of his lungs, again, metaphorically speaking. Sora nodded and just speared towards Riku, using the goal behind him for momentum. He rushed at Riku, who started to prepare himself accordingly. Trying to juke him to the right, Sora gravitated all of his weight to the right, but Riku saw right through him, blocking him both to the right and then to the left. Thing was. . . the ball wasn't in Sora's hands anymore when he looked at them. Sora had thrown it in between his own legs, going through Riku's, into Wakka's hands who had passed it straight to Tidus for a perfectly timed sphere shot.
The crowd went wild as the game just about ended. Selphie and Kairi were just babbling away on those mics and Sora grinned widely at Riku, who just smirked at him. The next three minutes inched away with no scores when they decided to try the same move again. It worked all the way up to Tidus' shot. Morgan was expecting it and Morgan, despite his age and size was a worthy opponent, diving into the ball and punching it upwards, making it miss the goal entirely and just leave the water dome entirely.
Thirty seconds left.
Sora? What are you doing? Roxas questioned when Sora gave Tidus a thumbs up and pointed upwards. . . with three fingers. Tidus seemed to understand since he released the same toothy grin when Sora left Riku in the bubbles.
Twenty seconds left.
"Wait! What was that signal?!" Selphie screamed into the mic. The entire stadium was on its feet, everyone screaming and cheering. "Sora isn't possibly thinking abo— by the GODS HE IS!"
Tidus then spun around, now laying horizontally with his chest pointing upwards and his legs doubled up over it. Sora flipped forward, his feet colliding with Tidus' feet and, at the very same time, they both used all their strength to propel the Keyblade Wielder upwards. Sora surged with such speed it must have broken blitzball records. The water rippled around him and vibrated. It coursed through his hair and ripped at his clothing, snapping and lashing. He burst through the edge of the sphere and into the air, the sense of weightlessness gaining domination. He breathed in the air and his blood pumped hot with fresh oxygen as he lined it up.
Ten seconds.
Sora then started to spin around, memories of both Tidus and the tapes flashing through his head. With an almighty roar, he slammed the ball with all his unbridled strength, his muscles screaming in victory and pain, turning it into something that could be compared to a meteorite in its sheer speed and power. It blasted a massive hole through the sphere, leaving a malevolent maelstrom in its wake.
Jecht Shot Mark Three.
And the arena chanted the name in euphoria.
Five.
Morgan knew better than to even try and block it. Riku, however, did not. He swam forward and put himself in between the ball's trajectory and the goal. The ball struck into him with colossal power, and the entire sphere shook with the power of the impact. He was taken away with its titanic force, going straight through the goal just as the horn blared the end of the game and plummeting right out of the edge of the water sphere, landing butt-first on the ground. Dirt sprayed and he rolled with the force, and nearly out of the stadium's entrance.
He was always number two, but not today. Kairi was watching.
Victory was Sora's.
The screaming was deafening as the crowd rushed upon Destiny's Fire. Sora felt himself hoisted up and laid on someone's shoulders. He looked around at the sea of people and his eyes found Kairi and she smiled at him while he smiled back.
Hey, Roxas, Sora said amid the shouting and rustling.
Yeah, what?
Tell Naminé to tell Kairi that I told her that I would win. . .
Got it.
"Party at the BEACH!" someone screamed and there was a rush to get out of the stadium and into the declining sun. The land was cast a rough orange and the palms blew softly in the gentle and tender wind. Sora heard so many voices call his name but he did not register any of them. He won and had beat Riku. He was still being carried through the parking lot when he looked down. It was Riku. Sora smiled down at his best friend and smiled at him, flashing those teeth in his traditional grin. In a flash, Roxas materialized, the Oathkeeper at his waist, hung by a chain.
"Roxas!" Sora shouted to him.
What?
Oh, um why do you have the Oathkeeper attached to you by a chain?
Because as long as Naminé and I touch an item as magical and powerful as the Keyblade, we can manifest bodies, meaning I can eat!
Sora laughed as he rushed off, flashing out the Oblivion as he attached it to an ethereal Naminé. He hopped down from Riku as they all approached the beach, a massive pile of wood ready for a bonfire and smaller piles scattered throughout for individual groups. Volleyball nets were scattered and frisbees and other toys were distributed. Sora was excited because there was plenty of food ready for roasting and ice cold soda awaiting him and his friends. Sora turned around and found Tidus' arm wrapped around Lucy as they walked down the beach. He winked at Sora and Sora returned it. He found Kairi afterward but did not have enough gall to wrap his own arm around her. Catherine and robin sat with Kairi and Sora. Lucy and Tidus sat with them as well as Jake and Sophia. Riku and Selphie showed up as well. Roxas and Naminé finished the group.
"Firaga!" Sora shouted, his left palm upraised towards the wood. It caught fire immediately and the sound of crackling and aroma of burnt wood filled his senses. Night was descending as the sun's nadir crashed into the horizon and cast an amazing glow on everyone and everything, a deep blood red that contrasted to the fire's bright red and orange. Shouts and laughter emanated everyone, including from Sora. They all sat around the fire in camping chairs, roasting spears out and adorned with anything they want. The winners were hot dogs and marshmallows. The couples were feeding each other, especially Roxas and Naminé. Their feelings for each other were shown and they didn't care. Roxas had told him he and Naminé had pretty much talked the entire time since they had figured out they could communicate. They had expressed their feelings and love for each other and now that they were physical, they were not shy to show their love. Melted chocolate dripped from her lips, dribbling down her chin as Roxas swooped in and licked it up, meeting her lips, giving them a kiss. She giggled at him as the whole group laughed. It put Sora off, though.
Just because I'm having fun with my girlfriend doesn't mean that you can't do something, anything, with Kairi. Make a move buck-o!
I'm too scared.
Pathetic.
Sora growled a bit and Kairi looked at him before Sophia jumped up and yelled: "VOLLEYBALL!" Everyone looked at her and agreed. The group split the teams and played some volleyball, which Sora was pretty good at. After a while of playing, laughs being made, memories created, and friends having a good time, Riku walked over to him. Before Riku could say anything however, catcalls and wolf whistles were streaming from Tidus' direction.
"Yeah Tidus, go get some!" Robin shouted, amid Tidus' embarrassment. Lucy was leading Tidus away by his hand as they made their way towards her house that was right on the beach. He looked back at them, grinned and pumped his fist, before following after Lucy at a faster pace. As his eyes came back to Riku, he noticed a scowl and negative demeanor cover Selphie's face. Did she still have a crush on Tidus? He shrugged it off, happy for Tidus' situation, and looked back to Riku.
"What is it, Riku?" Sora asked, regaining his breath from the game.
"Let's fight, let's give these people a show," Riku said. Sora looked back at him and a grin broke on both of their faces. Sora jumped backwards, did a flip, and summoned the Oblivion in his hand. The area surrounding them immediately became quite save the crashing waves and the crackling fire. There was a type of sparkling sound as The Way to Dawn was summoned. They both readied into their battle stances and a circle was formed around them. Sora looked over at Kairi and saw concern creep across her face like a shadow. He nodded at her before glaring back at Riku. He noticed Naminé had become ethereal when he had summoned the Oblivion.
"Ready to lose. . . again?" Sora taunted. Riku smiled a tight-lipped smirk at him.
"Nah. I'm so totally going to kick your ass!" he said exclaimed to rouse the crowd.
"Nononono! I'm going to kick YOUR ass!" Sora shouted back, readying himself.
"Oh, it's on now!" Riku exclaimed as he charged forward.
"It's on like Donkey Kong!" Sora finished, preparing for Riku's assault. Riku threw his Keyblade towards Sora, then using both hands to eject orbs of light following it in hot pursuit. Those orbs were flawed, tinges of darkness swirling in them. It was the darkness that still resonated inside of Riku. Sora deflected the blade, sending it towards the crowd. They screamed in terror but Riku summoned it back before it could reach them. As for the orbs, Sora cast a simple Reflect spell and they bounced into it, their energy dispersing into the shield. Sora stood up from his knelt position and brandished his sword at Riku. "Firaga!" A bolt of fire shot at Riku, singing his hair as it flew by. It dissipated into nothing as Riku slashed at Sora.
Sora deflected the blow with a skillful parry. He arched his arm and flicked his wrist, aiming for Riku's neck. Riku stopped the Oblivion and punched Sora in the gut, making him stagger backward a bit. Sora stood up from the pain and charged Riku. Metal clashing with metal filled the beach front, whirs and blurs of blades striking back and forth, spells flying and people cheering. Sora finally landed a cut on Riku's leg, painting the white sand a scarlet. Riku fell to one knee and stopped another blow toward his head. People gasped at the blood, not thinking that Sora and Riku would go that far. Just as Riku healed the cut, Sora's foot met Riku's face, smashing into it and sending him backward, breaking the nose and losing more blood, flowing like a river. Riku had not time to heal it as Sora continued his barrage, landing hit after hit on Riku before Riku finally backed up. He healed with a Curaga, consumed an ether, and reinitialized the fight.
He held out his hand and summoned tendrils of darkness from the ground, wrapping them around Sora's ankles and legs. Sora stumbled and cast a Firaga spell at the dark fingers, snapping them away. He cursed silently and rushed at Riku, Keyblade in hands. Riku sidestepped and tripped him, making Sora face-plant into the sand. Sora got to his knees, spat out the sand and turned around. More darkness flashed towards him. Okay, it was time to win. . .
Sora flashed in a bright light. His clothes had changed into a bright red and now he wielded both the Oblivion and Oathkeeper. He surged forward and unleashed a torrent of attacks and spells upon Riku, the darkness dissipating as he barraged his attacks. Riku tried to keep pace, but more blood was losing and he couldn't handle it any longer. Sora had won.
"Okay! You win!" he shouted, dispelling his blade. Sora nodded in satisfaction as he walked over, dismissing his Keyblade, returning to normal, and healing Riku's broken nose and cuts with a strong Curaga spell. Sora patted his best friend on the back before turning to face the silent crowd. They all looked at him for a brief moment before erupting into cheers. He smiled and looked over to Kairi. Roxas and Naminé had become whole again, the Keyblades returned to them.
How about now is the time you make a move? Roxas said, staring at him from behind Kairi.
You know I think you're right.
What are you going to say?
I'm going to tell her how I feel and ask her out, of course.
Good luck.
Thanks.
Sora walked assertively to Kairi, a tone and aspect of steel in his nerves now, not the flimsy, scared feeling. He walked right up to her and she looked up at him. The night was beautiful, just like her, and the stars flickered and twinkled in her violet eyes. The sand was soft underfoot and the chilling wind from the ocean caressed them, rippling their flesh in goosebumps. Sora exhaled as he had taken a breath in of her cherry blossom perfume. He had memories of all the things they had done as children, especially the moments they had shared in the secret place. He had had so many times to embrace his love for her and show it, but he hadn't. He was too shy, but no, not tonight. Tonight the world was his and he would finally do something about it before they left in what would only be minutes. The gummi ship, the Highwind, would be arriving via autopilot very soon, and now was the best time to do it, in front of all his friends. He would not be afraid.
"Kairi, I need to tell you something. . ." he began. She looked up at him with a faint smile.
"Yeah, Sora?" she replied.
"Kairi, I—"
HoL:TS
July 16, 2010
The World That Never Was
Maleficent stood among her assembled group at the Alter of Naught, gazing with black eyes up at Kingdom Hearts. As of now it was much smaller than it used to be, seeing as how that idiot Ansem the Wise had desecrated it and its power. Why he was called wise she would never know, but he was dead now, which made her happy. No more interruptions from him. Diablo cawed and flew to her, resting upon her shoulder in a ruffle of feathers. Meat hung from his beak, still slightly twitching. Dinner was always best alive, or so she had surmised on a few accounts. She looked among her assembled group, her allies, and she evaluated them. She was not disappointed with the outcome, but she thought she could have been graced with better allies. Though, she did have one that was the ultimate ally, in her opinion.
"Okay, doll, why are we here?" Hades asked sarcastically. She smirked at him and his cheeky attitude. He was the only one she let get away with things like that. His fiery hair loomed in her eyes and reflected shadows all about.
"Yeah?" a high pitched voice called to her. She became immediately annoyed. While he was stupid and chaotic, he was highly useful, so she had to deal with all his stupidity and insubordination.
"Keep your mouth shut and maybe we can get to work, you bumbling fool," she said coolly to him. He took a feigned look of hurt as he cackled.
"Do not talk to my brother that way, witch," his brother said in a much calmer demeanor. Why did he have to come along? Well, maybe they made a good tag team. He would be the brains while the other would be the doer.
"I did not ask you for your opinion, now you shut up as well," she demanded.
"Yes, let us get on with this," a deep and alluring male voice emanated. Eyes shot towards him as he swept back his hair and eyed them.
"What's that, Mama's Boy?" the first brother cackled. His brother laughed as well as a few others. Within the blink of an eye, the man had appeared before the first brother, a hand at his throat. He squeezed, cutting off oxygen, a choking and gurgling sound resonating.
"Call me that one more time and see what becomes of you," he said menacingly, crushing the first brothers larynx slightly. He choked out some unintelligible words.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Okay!" he worked out. He released his grip on the brother and returned to his spot, a scowl on his face and his arms crossed.
"Don't worry about the lesser-minded," one of the men said. The other looked at him and actually smiled. Maleficent thought that those two would get along just great. The man that addressed the Mama's Boy sleeked back his already waved blond hair and adjusted his sunglasses. "We are the real intelligence here." Maleficent smiled at him.
"I really will enjoy having you here," she said to him. He adjusted his glasses some more and nodded to her.
"Geez Louise," Hades said, procuring a chair from the darkness and sitting himself in it, sipping from a fresh martini with a worm in it.
"Why is it you are all so impatient?" another man stated. His shook his disheveled red hair and looked at them all.
"As it turns out," the only other female their said, "I am yet to complain about anything except for those idiot brothers," she said, her voice as harrowing as ice.
"Oh look, another opinion from another witch. You're too kind, get in line, if you don't like it just kiss my beHIND" the first brother shouted, cackling following it. His brother smirked.
"IF YOU ALL ARE DONE, I WOULD LIKE TO GET THIS UNDERWAY!" the last man shouted. His voice shook the entire alter and all those standing there. Maleficent smiled at her greatest ally and thanked him. Now they could finally get down to business.
HoL:TS
July 16, 2010
Destiny Islands
"Kairi, I—"
HoL:TS
July 13, 2010
I'ltorien
Her sleep had been all but reassuring, all but comforting. In the short time where she allowed herself to rest she had lived through hundreds if not thousands of the hardships she knew as her life. She would question why, but she had learned that the hard way. Even so, she wanted to live, maybe out of some twisted sense of self-preservation or maybe out of respect for the ones who had not made it to where she was. At this point, she only hoped that the outside world would be different. Freedom better be what they all cracked it up to be.
With all of this in mind, she opened her tired eyes, the dull colors of the room she was kept in doing nothing to reinforce the notion of her freedom. At least she was laying on a bed. It had been what. . . four years since the last time she had had one? Her feet were burning though. Not that she was expecting any less, but she felt that they had been treated well enough, better than she had ever been after the experiments on her body, so her hopes were slightly revived by it. At least they wanted her well. . . for now. Then, the moment of truth came. Her body was wailing in malaise as she did it, but she did it anyways. She forced herself up and looked around, evaluating the room. It had more things in it than her old one had. And by that she meant that it had a cupboard, a window and a painting. The clear blue sky. . . it entranced her so. She had seen it only once in her life. And he had been shot moments later. A part of her just wanted to admire it for hours, but she knew better than to let her guard down so easily. The painting. . . well the painting depicted a giant, burnt down city, survivors scattering everywhere, a man in golden and shining armor raising a silver inscribed blade with a synclinal curve near the end of the blade, a golden carved circle floating in the midst of the curve just before the blade ended. Its pummel was a mix of golden and orange for what it was worth. Rounding out the inspection of the room was a man. At the door. She felt dumb for not noticing it. The way her eyes boggled seemed to clue the man in.
"Well, well, well, Dollface finally woke up! Gotta hand it to ya, you're quite the catch!" the man exclaimed, making the girl cringe at the nickname. It was so. . . fitting. He then took a giant barrel and sipped into the mead inside it happily, slamming it back down and gulping crudely before cleaning his still dripping face with his forearm, it was obvious he was not there to cause an impression. His hair was black and unruly, falling even lower than his shoulder. He had a deep red bandana covering his forehead and his face was as masculine as it could get, square chin, unkempt beard and a snide smile to top it all off. His shirtless body? Well, the girl, while not interested in it, could only compare it to a bronzed god. Nobody, and she meant NOBODY was as toned as him back in the facility. Speaking of his body, his torso was adorned with a strange black tattoo and his right arm was covered in a spiked gauntlet. Finally, he wore a fed sash over black shorts, nothing covering his feet. "I mean, I'm surprised you lived through all that, your body is a MESS, and let's not talk about the scars on it. What did do to ya? Scratch that, I can guess!" he was far too liberal talking about it for the girl's tastes, so she went right for the throat. What? She didn't attack him, you hooligans, she could barely move. She just spoke as directly as she could.
"Where am I?" she asked, breaking eye-contact with him soon after, as her tone had made him glare for a moment. Just for a moment, then he blared out laughing.
"Ouch! The edge of that tone just cut me! Look, we saved ya Doll, some thanks would be appreciated." he told her, shaking his head and taking another sip. He didn't even clean himself up when he answered, already tipsy. "Anyway, I'll give the answer. Dollface, welcome to the-"
HoL:TS
July 16, 2010
Destiny Islands
"Kairi, I—" Just as he was about to say it, Riku broke in.
"Guys, the ship is here!" he shouted. Indeed, in the distance it was landing, waves of air billowing in all directions, shaking palm trees and blowing sand. Sora was going to KILL him! Clothes and towels flapped and the water rippled. Sora, Kairi and Riku made their way there, all of their friends and family waiting for them. Roxas and Naminé disappeared and became whole with their Somebodies. Sora came up to them all and first went to the parents.
"I'm going to miss you all," he said, hugging them all, finally finishing with his mom.
"Be safe son," she told him through a chocked voice.
"I will," he told her. He moved to all his friends and Tidus was there. His hair was a mess and his clothes were in a disarray. His shirt was even on inside-out.
"Hey, you all be safe, okay?" he told them, hugging each in turn. Once all the farewells were said, they each transcended into the gummy ship, closing the door behind them, the air lock sealing in place. Sora roared the Highwind to life and took flight. Within minutes he hit the atmosphere and was now in orbit of the Destiny Islands. He put into auto pilot mode and the estimated time until arrival would be on the morning of the third day. Sora yawned and realized just how sleepy he was. It had been one very long day!
"Where are the beds?" Riku asked irritably.
"Just this way," he said. He resigned to give them a tour in the morning as he led the to the semicircular room that held the living spaces. On the far right was his original bedroom. In the middle was Donald's and the left was Goofy's. He explained how all the rooms were identical in structure and how each had its own bathroom. Riku went to Goofy's while Kairi went to Donald's. Sora left for his own room, not flicking the lights on as he crashed into his bed and let the night take him into the cast realms of sleep.
TN: Well, that was a LONG chapter, eh Herald?
TUH: Called it.
TN: Whatever do you mean? You helped WRITE it?
TUH: Hence why it's so big. You see how big mine are?
TN: Hey, I have some hefty ones, too.
TN: Not like it's compared to Shire Folk
TUH: The noobie is trying to stand up to the vet? Go level a bit before that.
TN: Don't make me demote you down a level in the-
TUH: Gee, and I thought I almost spoiled stuff...
TN:Anyway, anything you'd like to say?
TUH: Of course, here it is: Two notes? Moving up in the world, are we?! Anyway, I want to see you guys guess which scenes were my doing and which scenes were by Tor. See if my readers really do know everything about me… like stalkers. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, we're closing in on the main plot, you know how slow my starts are (Radiant doesn't count Jade, don't throw that in my face). So yeah, stay tuned for the next chapter, aka, the actual plot!
TUH: What about ya fresh meat? Got anything to add?
TN: Demoted.
TN: And. . . I agree, I would like to see if the fans can differentiate our styles. I am also looking forward to Chapter 3, the beginning(s) of the real plot! I do hope you all enjoyed this!
TN: Well, thank you, we hoped you enjoyed AND reviewed!
TUH: You underestimate my powers. Such as the power to command everyone reading this to review. Watch. . .
May the Love of Anuwëy guide you when all Hope is lost
TorNathan
The Unknowing Herald