Fan Fiction ❯ Brightness and Darkness ❯ The Beginning of the End ( Chapter 4 )

Brightness and Darkness
Chapter Four: The Beginning of the End

Pairings: Sora/Kairi, Riku/OC, Cloud/Aerith, Leon/Yuffie, and maybe Riku/Sora

Author's note: 4EEH! I seem to be getting more reviews from different people! Most of my loyal fans are still around to give me nice, supporting reviews. Silver-hair Angel wants to know why you guys aren't reviewing. Please…review for me.

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Kairi looked as pale as sour milk whereas Kaze was nothing sort of calm. Motivated by her shaky nerves, she walked stiffly to the fridge, her glass in hand, and turned the faucet on to full power. Kaze had a dreadful feeling that Kairi was bound to babble uncontrollably, and sure enough, seconds later her mouth took off.

"I mean, I can't believe they would do such a thing like that, what were thinking--" Kairi's glass sat in the sink as water began to spill into it.

Try not to kill her, try not to kill her. Kaze thought repetitively to herself as Kairi chattered on.

"--And God only knows what was in that cave, or they could have broken their legs, or they could have been stuck in there--" The faucet spewed out water endlessly, beginning to fill the cup to the brim and overflow.

Don't hit her, Kaze, try not to send her to the hospital in one day…

"--The one place we told them not to go to they go in anyway, and we only know what could have spoken to them, it could have been freaking Ansem for all we know, but--" The sink was now submerged in water. It rose over the top of the sink, crept over the counter, and splashed on the ground.

Her patience cracking like a toothpick, Kaze's voice boomed agitatedly through the kitchen. "Kairi,unless you want to be shitting your teeth out your ass, I suggest you shut up!"

Her mouth clamped shut automatically, her lips so tight that they were the color of her complexion.

"And turn the sink off for fuck's sake, before you turn the kitchen into the fucking Titanic!" Kaze snapped.

Kairi, who was rattling off while the sink was left to its own disposal, in haste turned off the faucet. She moved backwards, nearly busting her head on the floor after slipping on the spilled water. She grabbed onto the counter.

Kaze sighed at Kairi's idiocy, but was satisfied enough that she had her trap shut. She walked to the small closet in the kitchen and grabbed the mop.

"Clean it up," Kaze said as she tossed the mop at Kairi.

The red head caught the mop, but lost her footing as she landed on the floor. She cursed loudly and stared at Kaze, "Why don't you clean it up?"

"I didn't make the mess, now did I?"

Kairi sighed and grabbed the counter again, hoisting herself up off the floor. She walked carefully across the wet floor to a dry spot and started moving the mop back and forth, gathering up the water.

Kaze rolled her ice blue eyes and grabbed pans from the cabinet, placing them on the stove. Avoiding the wet spots, she walked to the freezer and grabbed one large frozen catfish and a small can of sardines. Placing the food on the table, Kaze opened the refrigerator and pulled out a head of lettuce, a ripe tomato, a cucumber, and three green onions. She closed the door with her foot and walked back to the counter.

Looking up from the spilt water, Kairi raised an eyebrow at her friend, "I thought you weren't going to fix supper."

Kaze shrugged, "I think the punishment will suffice, but I'm not cruel enough to send my son to bed without supper knowing he didn't eat breakfast this morning, and possibly lunch." She opened the drawer and pulled out a fairly large knife.

"Fair enough," Kairi said and got back to mopping the floor. While pushing the mop to and fro, she decided to make idol chat. "I wonder whose voice was in the cave?"

Kaze stopped chopping up the lettuce. She inhaled and exhaled slowly.

"--I mean, do you think it could've been Ansem?" Kairi was now leaning against the far wall of the kitchen. "He was talking about a door--"

Don't do it, Kaze. Resist temptation. Kaze was trying her best to ignore Kairi's ranting. Why couldn't the girl just listen to her? She shut her eyes and gripped the handle of the knife tighter.

"--For all we know, he could've been trying to take them away from us! He's probably got Sora and Riku and wants their child--" Kairi stopped in mid sentence as a knife zoomed by and stuck in the wall an inch from her head. She gulped.

Kaze stood face Kairi, arm still extended and an unreadable expression on her face. She walked over to Kairi and pulled the kitchen knife out of the wall, and pointed it in Kairi's face, which was full of fear.

"Next time," Kaze whispered harshly, "I won't miss."

Kairi watched Kaze retreat back to the counter and continue to prepare supper. I need to learn to keep my mouth shut. Without another thought, she returned back to her previous task: cleaning up the floor.

-

Laiktu's stomach grumbled loudly as another minute passed. It was nearly fifteen minutes to nine, and both Kioko and Laiktu had not a sliver of food in their stomachs all day.

"I'm hungry!" Kioko huffed, slamming her head on her pillow.

"Well if someone," Laiktu said in a hard voice, glaring her way, "hadn't told our moms what we were doing, maybe we wouldn't be nearly starving!"

"It wasn't my fault!" she whined. "You shouldn't have been in there in the first place!"

"Kioko, have you ever heard of lying?" Laiktu asked. Kioko, from her apparent silence and blank look, stared at him clueless.

"Lying?" Kioko asked dumbly.

"Yes, that thing, you know, where you don't tell the truth?"

"Lying?" Kioko asked in an irritatingly dumb fashion. Laiktu slapped his palm to his forehead.

"Yes, Kioko!"

"Oh, lying," Kioko said as if hearing him for the first time.

"No, really?" Laiktu asked sarcastically.

"Then what?" Kioko asked, confused. Laiktu gave a growl of exasperation.

"Yes, Kioko, lying! Damn…"

"Lie to who?" Kioko said slowly. Laiktu wondered if all of the times he repeatedly knocked her upside the head rattled her brain.

"Our moms!" Laiktu shouted as his stomach rumbled again. His hunger and Kioko's stupidity were overwhelming him.

"Our moms?" asked a shocked looking Kioko, wasting no time in answering his question.

"You little--"

He was cut off when Kaze strolled into the room. She gave both kids a piercing look, mainly because Kairi worked her nerves downstairs.

"Dinner's ready," she said shortly.

"But, I thought we weren't eating," Laiktu said, not without relief. Kioko, still baffled by Laiktu's previous question, was about to say something when Kaze's announcement of dinner silenced her.

"Well, if you want to continue developing an anorexic lifestyle, that's fine by me. It'll be more food for me and Kairi then."

Laiktu and Kioko, nearly knocking her over, flew past her in a flash, not even before the last word left her lips. Bolting down the stairs, they rushed into the kitchen and attacked the food like a fat kid on cake. Laiktu grabbed three big slices of fish and a bowl full of salad. Kioko opted for salad only, at first, and didn't bother to use her silver ware as she inhaled her dinner.

"Hungry are we?" Kairi asked the two children.

Laiktu nodded his head quickly. He swallowed his piece of fish before replying, "As hungry as a hostage!"

Kioko practically swallowed her own serving of the salad, cramming fist full after fist full of the greenery in her mouth. After her small serving was gone, she grabbed the whole salad bowl and began to wolf it down the in same fashion.

Kairi was torn between laughing and lashing them out for their blasphemous eating behavior. She looked at them both, concealing a small smile behind her hand.

Kaze finally made it downstairs only to walk in the kitchen and see that the kids were well on their way to eating the table next.

"I don't think we raised ANIMALS in this house," she yelled over their loud munching noises. "Although I have seen dogs eat better than you two." The kids looked up at her, half of a fish sticking out of Laiktu's mouth, and salad dressing smeared all over Kioko's face.

At the sight of their faces, Kaze nearly broke into fits of giggles like Kairi. Clearing her throat and trying to look as strict as possible, she said to them, "I believe that you two know how to eat with utensils. Grab them now and eat what's left of your food like you weren't raised by wolves."

They obeyed and took a seat. Laiktu and Kioko were still hungrily consuming all the food in sight, but took care to be as neat as possible.

"So mom," Laiktu said after taking a huge gulp, "I guess this means we aren't grounded, right?"

"Unless there is another Kaze walking around this house that I have yet to hear of, hell no," Kaze said simply, neatly cutting up her fish and taking a spoonful.

"But mom--" Laiktu began, but Kaze put up the sharp looking knife she was holding.

"If you don't want to learn how to eat with your feet, drop the conservation." Laiktu looked as though losing nearly all of his limbs was a reasonable price for saying what was running through his mind, but thought better of it and continued to eat.

"But then why are we eating tonight when you said we couldn't?" Kioko asked innocently, looking up at her mother with her puppy dog eyes.

"Listen, we may not have wanted you to resort to eating tissue paper," began Kaze, still politely eating her food, "but that doesn't mean we are not going to enforce the rules in this house. If you've done wrong, you get punishment, no breaks. Is that understood?"

Kioko shook her head, but Laiktu suddenly took an interest in applying hot sauce to his meatless fish bone.

"Laiktu, unless you want me to clean the ear wax out of your ears with this knife, I suggest you answer me. Do you understand?"

"Yes mother," he grumbled.

"Kioko, while Kaze is not your mother, she still treats you like her daughter, and even though Laiktu is not my son, I treat him like he is. So whatever she says goes for you too and vice versa."

"You're going to clean out my ears with a knife?" Kioko said horrified, dropping her fork. Laiktu rolled his eyes whereas Kaze shook her head slightly.

"No, Kioko!" Kairi said, barely holding back a laugh. "I just want you to know… that we both are looking out for you."

After that, dinner was ate in silence. The occasionally smack from Laiktu and clatter of the utensils on the china plates was heard. After all was said and done, Laiktu and Kioko put their dirty dishes in the sink and retreated to their room to get ready for bed. Kaze and Kairi followed shortly to tuck the two in for the night.

Kioko pulled back her midnight blue covers and hopped into bed, snuggling underneath her comforter. Kairi walked in and sat on the edge of the bed and lightly stroked her daughter's brown hair. She bent over and gave Kioko a light kiss on the forehead.

"Goodnight, Kioko. Sweet dreams. I love you."

Kioko wrapped her small arms around her mother's neck and kissed her cheek, "I love you too, mom. You have sweet dreams too!"

The red head smiled down at her daughter and pulled the covers up to Kioko's shoulders and, before leaving, gave her daughter another quick peck on the forehead before walking out of the door and letting Kaze in.

Laiktu, who had been watching the whole time, frowned as he pulled his nightshirt over his head. Why couldn't his mother tell him stuff like that? Why couldn't she hug and kiss him at night? Even though he thought all girls had cooties, he knew his mother didn't. He sat on the edge of the bed to take off his socks before getting under the covers and rolling over.

Kaze frowned. Sometimes she regretted the way she acted towards her son, but the shadows of her past looming over every corner reminded her daily of her unfortunate childhood. She had promised herself long ago that she would not treat her son how her father had treated her. Kaze walked over to Laiktu's bedside and knelt down, gently touching his downy silver/blue hair.

Laiktu jumped in surprised and turned around. Figuring it was Kioko he raised his fist in the air only to come face to face with his mother. He lowered his hand and whispered, aware that Kioko was trying to sleep, "Mom! I thought you were Kioko. I was about to hit you!"

Kaze didn't speak, but rather stared into her son's eyes, becoming lost in those aquamarine pools. It was just like she had done with Riku's eyes several times. She had gotten lost and was unable to find her way out.

"What did I do know? Or are you still mad about me going to the Secret Place?" Laiktu sat up and crossed his arms. "I said I was sorry already. Do you have to keep reminding me about it?"

He sounds just like his father. Kaze thought. She stood up and sat down beside him on the bed. "You deliberately went against my rules, so yes, I'm still mad. As for you smartass mouth, drop the attitude."

Laiktu frowned and looked up at his mother, "Well jeez mom, who would've thought you cared about me. I can take care of myself, so stop worrying about me so much or do you even worry about me at all?"

Kaze twitched at her son's words. Had she really gave him the impression that she didn't care about him? She lifted her arms and brought her son into a hug.

The silver hair boy was taken a back by his mother's touch. He didn't know whether this was action was out of affection or if she was just getting ready to strangle him. He changed his mind quickly when Kaze rested her cheek on top of his head. He smiled and laid his head on her breast, listening to her heartbeat.

"Laiktu," Kaze said as she ran her fingers through his hair, "I don't want you to ever say that again. You're my son and I do worry about you. There's not a day that goes by when I don't worry about you while you're outside playing with Kaori and the others."

Tears sprang to the little boy's eyes as he heard his mother's confession. Why did he think that of her in the first place? It was stupid to think his mother didn't care about him.

"And as for the other comment," Kaze pulled back to look into Laiktu's eyes, gently wiping his tears away, "you should know that I love you with all my heart, son. The only reason I worry so much is…I've already lost one person I love, and I don't want to lose another."

Laiktu smiled happily and jumped up, wrapping his arms around Kaze's neck tightly. The woman smiled as she too embraced her child. His grip was so tight that Kaze thought he wouldn't let her go. Of course, this was the first time she'd really ever hugged her son.

"I love you too, mom," Laiktu whispered and tightened his embrace. "I'm sorry I said that, but…"

Kaze raised and eyebrow and wiggled herself free of Laiktu's grip, "But what?"

"Am I still grounded?"

Kaze smiled and silently laughed. He was so persistent at times it was unbelievable. She leaned forward and kissed Laiktu's forehead.

"No," She stood up and walked towards the door. "Go to bed, Laiktu. It's late."

Laiktu smiled and pulled the covers over his shoulders before turning back on his side and covering his eyes. With one last glance around the room, Kaze shut off the light and closed the bedroom door.

-

Kaze walked downstairs, feeling in better sprits than she had all day. What a little love can do for you, she thought to herself as she spotted Kairi doing the dishes. She turned her head briefly around, then back to the dishes, and then swerved around again.

"Why are you so happy?" she said suspiciously, catching a faint smile on Kaze's face. Kaze, who was dimly aware of showing any happiness on her face, twisted it into a scowl.

"Before you get a plate jammed down your throat, you'd--"

But she froze before she could finish her statement. Kairi, whose eyes were rolled midway in anticipation from another of Kaze's threats, stared at her, waiting for her to carry on.

"Well?" she said, her soapy hands outstretched. "Aren't you going to tell me to fuck off, or mind my own business, or to go stuff a sock in my big mouth?"

Kaze wasn't even looking her way. Her gaze was focused to the door. Eyebrows furrowed and lips tightly pressed together she opened the door.

"Where are you going?" Kairi asked.

"I need to go for a walk," Kaze said shortly, taking care to slam the door hard, making Kairi drop a coffee mug. It smashed into tiny pieces at her feet.

"Damn her!" she cursed. "What in the hell has gotten into her?"

Kaze stepped outside to have the wind greet her. It blew past her face, making her slightly shiver. It was ghostly dark; the midnight blue sky was devoid of a moon or stars. She trudged through the arid sand to the pier. She couldn't pinpoint it, but it was an unusual feeling about tonight that made her uneasy.

The wind bore down on Kaze more heavily as it whipped her unrestrained hair askew. She looked down at the murky, eerily black water, elbows resting on the pier's edge. For no reason she could fathom, her mind began to drift to memories of her father. Vividly, she could hear screaming in the back of her head at the hands of her father.

She shuddered as another fresh wave of the cool wind blew through. She was then reflecting on the only two things keeping her considerably sane: Kioko and Laiktu. Without them both, Kaze wouldn't have a reason to look forward to her miserable life. Laiktu was her pride and joy, and although she sometimes concealed her true feelings for him, she held love for him that was so selfishly denied from her when she was around his age.

Suddenly, the water bubbling below Kaze snapped her from her stupor. She watched as the bubbling grew more feverish under her. The bubbling began to branch out further in the ocean. Kaze's eyes followed as the bubbling extended into the center of the sea. The bubbling increased in strength as the ring it was forming in the center expanded.

"What the hell?" Kaze muttered to herself as the bubbling began to settle down. The wind howled loudly for a split second before a blazing purple light shone underneath the surface of the ocean. The intensity of the light elevated as something massive began to rise up from under the water. As it floated up above the surface, causing water to blast away from every direction. The massive, bubbly looking black ball rose farther into the sky, mixtures of purple, pink, and blue swirling around in the center.

"Dammit," Kaze swore, and as fast as her legs could carry, dashed to the house.

-

"I can't believe we got off of punishment!" Kioko whispered, as her and Laiktu chattered quietly since their mothers left them tucked in.

"I'm more surprised my mom hugged me," Laiktu said thoughtfully, not in a bitter sort of voice.

"She loves you, Laiktu," Kioko said reassuringly. "She always has. It's just that…it's deep down there."

"Down where?"

"Where is the heart located again?" Kioko asked, examining her own chest. Laiktu, on the verge of saying something cutting to Kioko, couldn't find it in his own heart to do so since he was relieved that he was off punishment, and that his mother loved him more than she did insulting Kairi on a daily basis. Instead, he looked politely puzzled.

"Ah well, it's down there somewhere." Kioko shifted her position from leaning on her elbow to lying on her back. "Our mothers…love us…very much…" he heard her yawn. Smiling to himself, he laid back as well. "Night Kioko."

"Night…"

Before Laiktu barely opened his eyes, a stinging purple light tore through the room. Forming in the center of the room was a circular, watery like bubble with four figures dressed in black emerging from it.

Laiktu sat up and shielded his eyes. "What the hell is that?"

"Grab the kid," one of them yelled harshly. Three of the figures approached Kioko's bed and snatched her up by her arms from the bed. Her eyes snapped open to find the figures yanking her away from her comfy bed.

"NO!" she screeched, legs flailing, trying to kick them off of her.

"Kioko!" Laiktu cried, leaping off of his own bed and prepared to fight for the release of Kioko.

"Get the fuck off of her you crow looking mother fuckers or I'll kick your fucking asses!"

They turned sharply to look at Laiktu, fury etched over his face, fists up. "Grab that boy too!" one of them cried. One of them lunged forward and grabbed Laiktu around his waist. Laiktu scratched him over his face and tried to kick him between the legs.

"I need help!" one of them called, struggling against Laiktu's fists. One of them immediately came to his aid and wrapped their arms around his legs.

"Let me go, you fuckers!" he growled, punching the one that first grabbed him in the nose. He bellowed in pain, but did not release Laiktu.

"Laiktu, Laiktu, help!" Kioko cried.

-

Downstairs, Kairi had just finished polishing the last dish when she heard screaming from upstairs.

"Oh my god, Kioko!" she cried, dropping the dish carelessly to the floor and bolting upstairs. Kaze burst through the kitchen door just in time to catch a fleeting glimpse of Kairi flying up the stairs. She also heard the cries of Kioko upstairs and sprinted upstairs after Kairi.

Kairi pelted through the door just in time to see Kioko roughly being dragged into the purplish portal by figures dressed in black along with Laiktu who was holding up a good fight. The figures spotted her and cruelly yanked the kids along into the portal. The men holding Kioko zoomed into the portal first.

"Kioko!" Kairi shouted.

"MOMMY, HELP ME!" Kioko cried, her tear-streaked face disappearing into the portal. Laiktu was closely behind her, two of the figures dragging him into the portal.

"LET ME…GO!" He yelled as they managed to pull his body in up to his waist through the portal.

"NO!" Kairi cried, rushing forward just as the figures gave a mighty tug and pulled Laiktu in all of the way. Kaze arrived just in time to see her son disappear with Kairi ambling after him.

"No you fool!" Kaze yelled and she hurled forward after Kairi.

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The update is especially for Christmas! So…Merry day after Christmas! Wee! I finished Chapter 4, but not alone! I can't even leave her name in the reviews corner anymore because she's my beta/backup/coach/sister/attorney/bodyguard. Silver-hair Angel has given me more support on this story than anyone else I know. Trowa'sgal2004 has helped as well. Meilin isn't here to back me up, but she's mostly helping me with The New Edition, but all of my friend's/sister's give me support, but the most support I can get are reviews! *hint hint*

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Reviewer's Corner:

Harry: You have yet to see trouble! Wait until latter chapters!

RainWarriorPrincess: I'm glad you liked Kaze. I've tried to make her as lovable as possible, but some people think it's a Mary Sue. And Silver-hair Angel knows that I do not act like Kaze! And I'm glad you like the children too. They play a major role in chapters to come. I'm not telling if they come back or not. My two best genres are romance and angst. Pick one and try to figure out what will happen.

Tiger5913: I'm glad you enjoyed this story and Something About Us. I'm glad you like the Sora/Kairi pairing, but there is nothing wrong with Sora/Riku pairing either. I don't know if I'll ever write any of it, but just to clear it up, there's nothing wrong with it. I hope you're not offended now.

Linear: I'm glad you like the changes in this chapter. Thank Silver-hair Angel for that. She helped me out a bunches! I will try to portray the kids like that more often, thanks for the insight! I like for my "fans" to tell me what they think of the children and Kaze, and what should happen in the story.

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Next Chapter: Kairi and Kaze fight against the dark forces to save Laiktu and Kioko and they end up in another world. Kaze's brother appears, and Kairi can't believe who it is. Stay Tuned!

~~Winter Peacecraft-Yuy