Fan Fiction ❯ Tides of Fire ❯ Preparation ( Chapter 2 )

AN: <smiles, leaning back in chair> So, tell me, is this darker and more peaceful than my last story that seemed similar to this? ^^ I plan on having this story very unlike "Unexpected" as that thing was all fluff and nothing serious enough to suit my expectations. I mean, I don't think there's anything wrong with my fluff, but I want to do something that's darker and will capture the reader more then just what I did with ol' "Unexpected." And also, this one should have more logic in it then just stuff flying here and there. <scratches back of head> Oh well, I guess you'll know what I mean later on. <bows> Enjoy and read please! And don't forget to review as well!

Tides of Fire

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Chapter Two

The alarm clock blared in a certain brunette's ears, waking him up. It was with a groan and violent slam of his hand to the 'Snooze' button on the mechanical thing that he woke slowly, stretching and wrapping himself up in his blanket before sitting up in bed.

Sora rubbed his eyes before staring as his clock. Red numbers shined against the black that was the rest of its structure. Reading the numbers, he groaned and yawned, choosing the moment to blink several times to ensure his vision was correct before rolling out of bed.

And once out of it, he untangled himself from his sheets before stumbling out of his room, in only his under garments, to the bathroom across the hall. There he splashed cold water on his face, toweling it dry, then headed back to his room to change.

Silently, if ignoring the occasional yawns, he dressed, pulling on red shorts and a matching shirt that zipped up. There over his shirt he wore a light jacket of white and black, the inside of his hood only displaying a dark shade of blue, nothing like the color of his eyes.

Sora checked himself over briefly in the mirror as he searched over his dresser for his necklace, chain and gloves. It didn't take long to find his chain and necklace, quickly putting them on after finding them scattered and hidden on his dresser. But one thing he could find was his gloves. Where did they go?

The brunette threw open all this drawers and sifted through them, but found nothing. Hmm...that was weird.

He then checked his floor and bed, but still nothing.

Giving up after a long search, the teen exited his room and found his shoes by the door. Slipping them on, he snatched some breakfast off the table before disappearing from his house to the miniature dock that held his boat. There he sat as he pushed himself from shore, letting his boat drift a bit in the water before he picked up the oars that lay across his lap to paddle his way to the island.

It wasn't until after several minutes of drifting that he thought of a last solution. Immediately, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and... Alas! His gloves!

Sora smacked himself in the forehead for being so stupid, and put on his white gloves, grasping the oar and rowing his way to the island where everyone else was.

Kairi bit the bottom of her lip. It was just an hour or two away from noon and Sora still hadn't shown up yet. What was taking him so long? It couldn't be sleep if staying up late at night was a routine for him (as she overheard a bit about that part while coming over to the Island, the wind carrying their voices toward her accidentally). So... What was taking him?

The redhead exhaled sharply, worried and impatient at the same time. In the corner of her eye, she saw Riku appear from around the tree where a hole in the solid hill was, creating a short cut from one side of the island to the other.

The teen was in his usual black jeans, but instead of his yellow top that he used to wear, he wore a black long-sleeved shirt that still hugged his honed body, but exposed less to the sun. Against the dark colors of his clothes, he looked pale and almost sickly, especially with his unnatural hair color of silver. And with that were his eyes that stood out like that of a cat's in the night, almost glowing as if he was in the dark, though he was in the broad daylight.

Kairi bit her lip even more as she noticed the teen was silent like it was when he first appeared back on the island, looking reluctant to talk. Hopefully, she thought, he wouldn't feel that way when the time came to present to the others.

Riku approached her and sat near her as all the others did while waiting for the brunette to arrive. He saw the nervous look on her face and reached out to pat her on the shoulder.

The girl turned to him under his touch and saw the expression on his face. She sighed and tried to cool her nerves, giving a grateful smile toward her older friend. She turned to look out into the waters again.

And, much to her great joy, something was nearing them. This something resembled a boat and in it was a red-clothed figure.

Kairi sighed, smiling as she got up to meet Sora. She waited for him to tie his boat down before he scowled at him.

"Sora! What took you so long!"

The brunette smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry Kairi, I couldn't find my gloves."

The redhead rolled her eyes before taking the boy by the forearm and dragged him to the others who looked amused at the scene.

Once in place, Kairi and Selphie started laying out their plans for the rest of the group, stating that while those who came from the other worlds to help in remodeling the island they were to practice the new parts until memorized. Just an hour or two before sundown would be the start of the play, and a few hours before that, would be when everyone got dressed and ready for the presentation. But until then, they would practice, practice, practice. It was something that they didn't want to do, but to make everything 'perfect' for later on that day, they had to agree with the terms and started.

For lunch, the group stopped their work to eat. In the middle of their luncheon, the rest of the cast, those from the other worlds, came and joined them in their meal. Then, those of the Island explained the new changes thoroughly to them.

While Selphie and Kairi were doing most of the talking, Sora took the chance to escape from the noise and eat somewhere where there was more space. Almost as if on their own, his feet took him to the Paopu tree where he found his friend eating as well, staring out into the calm sea.

"Hey," came the brunette's quiet voice as he paused just behind the silver-haired teen. "Mind I sit?"

"No, go ahead."

Sora smiled inwardly and plopped down next to his friend, shifting to pull his script out of his back pocket, as it poked him annoyingly in the butt, before he settled into a cross-legged position on the sand.

He did as his buddy was previous doing, silently eating as he fixed his gaze on the open sea.

"You know what?" the brunette said after some time, breaking the silence between them.

"Hmm?"

"I think I know why you wanted to travel so much."

"Really?"

"I think. ...What I'm guessing is that even though this place is so wonderful and full of life and fun, just one island is not all that great to explore if you knew everything on and in it. There are other islands out there in this world, as there are other worlds in this galaxy and universe. We never meant to get off this world, but just get off this island. I'm sure that's what you wanted, right?"

Riku tore his eyes away from the waters as he listened to Sora, and reverted them toward the boy. Their eyes met and an unsaid understanding stood between them.

Riku nodded. "Yeah. I don't think I ever really meant about leaving the world, but who knew I'd open myself to darkness along the way of dreaming of getting off this island?"

Sora smiled, taking a bite of his sandwich and breaking the eye contact between them. Again, he looked out. "Anyone could've..."

Riku, who kept his eyes on the boy, frowned. "What do you mean?"

The boy glanced sideways at the paler boy before continuing. "Anyone could accidentally open themselves to the darkness and not know of it until it was too late and they were already consumed by it. Even myself. Or Kairi, Tidus, Wakka or Selphie. You just happened to be the one they took."

Riku was mum, letting Sora's words sink in. Anyone could accidentally open themselves to the darkness...? Even... Sora himself? But he was the keybearer! He was destined for light!

As if reading Riku's thoughts, the brunette chuckled. "Yes, I know I am the keybearer and the light in all darkness, but what people forget is that I too have fallen into darkness's grasp. Even if it was for a short while, I still lost my heart to free another's. Even light falls to darkness at times..."

The boy's silver-haired friend looked understanding towards him. He knew what it was like to fall in the darkness and not know how to come out. Darkness was like the night, silent and seemingly everlasting, whereas the day seemed so short. ...Hmm, was Sora like the day, the light, that couldn't or didn't last forever while night seemed to do just that? Well, that was one heck of a metaphor if so was true.

Sora turned to his friend and saw him lost in thought while still staring at him. The boy smiled and continued to eat his sandwich while his friend thought his way through.

Riku's frown deepened. Sora seemed happy, even with what he just said. He was the opposite of Riku where he sulked and thought to himself, by himself, while Sora kept smiling along. ...But then again, was the boy just masking his real thoughts and feelings behind that smile of his? How could anyone tell?

"Sora...?" a soft whisper escaped into the air.

Even thought it was barely audible, the brunette heard it and turned to his friend, locking gazes with him.

Riku stared into those pools of unique blue, a color that couldn't match any other. They were the kind that was able to capture anyone if they dared staring long enough and drown themselves deep enough. And that's what Riku did; he drowned himself in those pools of blue, searching for his answer.

When he thought he reached the bottom, he looked further and saw it. Immediately, he pulled himself out of the depths of Sora's eyes and stared at the horizon. He knew his answer, and oh how he wished he didn't. He wanted to go back and erase what he did, erase what he found, and erase why he did what he did.

Sora, on the other hand, simply watched him, trying to read the boy's expression of carefully hidden mixed feelings. He wondered why the teen stared at him for so long, and then quickly look away.

"Riku...? Is anything the matter?" he asked, his voice quiet as he touched the other boy's arm.

Riku jumped slightly, hesitantly looking back at the boy. "What?"

Sora frowned. "I asked you if anything was wrong. ...Is there?"

Riku hesitated, frowning as well, but not at the other boy; at himself. Then, slowly, he leaned over and hugged the smaller boy, an action something entirely itself.

For long time while the boy hugged the other, and the smaller of the two didn't know what to do. "Um... Riku...? Are you...?" But he didn't have to finish as the other pulled away and stared at him again.

Sora frowned as the other smiled. "Why did you...?"

Riku shook his head. "You're just like me... I guess it's a hug for a hug. I just thought you deserved it, that's all."

Sora smiled, unsure if what Riku said was actually an answer, or evasion of one. But nonetheless, the hug was nice. He was glad the other boy showed his feelings, even if it was a simple hug to another friend.

"Whatever you say..."

Later on, the two rejoined the others as lunch was being cleaned up. They helped their share and participated in the planning just like before lunch.

Kairi cleared her throat after everyone was settled and stood up, Selphie at her side. "Okay, guys! It's back to work! Pretty soon, others will be coming in to fix up the place for the play, and we're to keep moving as if they weren't here."

Selphie smiled. "That's right! We're putting this thing on no matter what! Hee-hee! Now, does everyone have their scripts?"

All who cared waved their packets of paper around for the eager girl to see.

Selphie, satisfied, smiled even more. "Yay! Then let's get started!"

The participants practiced as planned, and as promised, those who offered to help in fixing up the island for the play came and did their job. Activity was all over the island and silence was nowhere to be found. Many were happy and bustling around the place, pumping with energy and excitement. They were all eager for the production of the play, especially the two creative girls who planned it all, and news was spreading fast about it.

Sora and Riku grinned at each other as they watched from their spot by the Paopu tree all of their friends put the finishing touches on the island.

"Quite the stir, huh?"

The older of the two nodded, his grin slowly fading to a small smile. "Sure is."

Sora laughed then as he saw Kairi and Selphie both yelling and Tidus and Wakka for tripping over some of the props. It was good to have normal activity on the island again. He didn't want anything to change, even though things and himself had.

Riku read the look in his friend's eyes and the playful tug of his upward curving lips, and smiled inwardly. The boy was still glorifying over coming back to this island, to his home. He was still giving his hugs and "thumbs up!" signs to everyone. Even...him. Sora still believed that he, Riku, deserved a second chance. And... thinking of it now, he wondered. Maybe he did deserve another chance. Well, if that was what he was given, he might as well make it up to his friends and redeem himself.

Riku almost laughed out loud as his suddenly cheery thoughts, disguising it as a single cough behind his hand, small and not nearly loud or defined enough to catch the brunette's attention as he shook his head and continued laughing. He too shook his head a bit, dismissing the thoughts.

Sora was too amused to notice his friend's actions, so when he turned to grin at him again, he didn't suspect anything wrong with the boy when he saw him with his hand over his mouth looking as if he were about to rub his chin.

"Kairi and Selphie are funny, aren't they?"

Riku looked sideways at his friend, regaining his composure. "Yeah."

Sora shook his head, getting up from where he sat on the tree. "It's like they're suddenly best friends. I'm glad, but I wouldn't want to be in their way when they come stampeding with weapons in their hands." He paused to check the time with position of the sun, estimating what it was as he always did when he didn't have a watch or clock around to look at. "I guess we better get down there and calm them down and do as they say before they really do stampede all over this island."

Riku stretched slightly and got up as well, following his friend back to the main island. "Indeed, but I don't think that they will be holding weapons when they massacre everyone." He grinned. "More like they will be holding women tools."

Sora lifted a brow. "Oh? And what are these?"

Riku chuckled a bit. "Frying pans and cleavers of doom."

Sora burst laughing then. He liked his friend's joke, but also that he still could in his melancholy. "Frying pans and cleavers of doom?" he repeated in question.

The other nodded. "Yes. Very deadly," he stated in a matter-of-fact manner.

Sora laughed again, clapping Riku on the back. "Stop!" he managed to say through his fit. "You're going to kill me with your jokes, Riku!"

Riku smiled a bit, not saying anything. The gesture of clapping him on the back was a great thing to him. It was like he was returning to the normal life again... and he cherished the idea of it.

He followed his friend down to the two girls who had just finished chewing out the other two males of the island. He watched Sora as he used his usual charm to get the girls happy again.

"Kairi, isn't it about time to get everyone ready and dressed?"

Selphie nodded, answering for the redhead. "Yeah. We just had Tidus and Wakka go and round all of them up right now."

Kairi nodded as well, turning to Sora. "Oh, and we also have a favor to ask you."

Sora, grinning his trademark grin, tilted his head slightly. "What is it?"

Kairi frowned, knowing the other boy probably wouldn't like the idea, and hesitated. "Well, our main character is missing a role."

Sora blinked, his grin still in place. "Really? What happened?"

Selphie glanced at the hesitating redhead and rolled her eyes. She would just have to come out and say it for her. So, bravely stepping up to the other brunette, she placed a steady hand on his shoulder. "Sora, your part has been moved and canceled. You are now going to play the lead role. No more narration for you."

Sora straightened. "What?" His grin disappeared and in its place was a frown. "The lead role? What do you mean?"

Selphie sighed. "Jasmine can't do her role because there was an accident in her home and she was injured. So we are missing our main gal. We needed someone to take her spot, and you were the one for the job since you know everyone's lines."

Sora coughed behind his hand. He wasn't surprised Selphie knew about Jasmine since he and Kairi (Riku did not because he was in a non-sharing mood at the time) shared their journey with the other three, but what bothered him was that they asked him to substitute. He was a guy, not a girl. He was not comfortable with cross-dressing, as he never did so in his life, but also because he would be cross-dressing and presenting in front of a large audience. Knowing that, his nervousness amplified tenfold.

Selphie, though, had a look that said she insisted on him taking the role or else hell will rise. "You're the only one who knows everyone's lines well enough, Sora. Now, all you need to do is concentrate on more of the lead role instead of the stupid narration you were stuck with in the first place."

Sora blinked, feeling his face color. "But... well... If I have no way out of this, which I'm assuming I don't, why didn't you tell me sooner? Like when you first noticed Jasmine wasn't here for practice today?"

Kairi played with one of her bangs. "Well, we noticed and would've told you then, but we weren't sure if you would really be a good choice. See, we were weighing our options on who would do best for the role, and when we came to you, we doubted you'd agree. But Selphie insisted you wouldn't mind while I insisted that you would." She paused to stare at her feet and toed the sand. "So, we finally agreed you would take the role, but be told at the last minute possible. Which would be right when we needed to get ready for the play. So..." She looked up questioningly at the taller of the two brunettes.

Sora rolled his eyes. "I suppose... But I will truthfully tell you that I will not like what you're doing to me. But since this thing is incredibly big for you two, I will oblige and cooperate. As far as I remember, the role should not wound me badly."

He nodded his agreement to the two and watched them go off then, leaving him with Riku again. When he turned to the other boy, he lifted brow, puzzled by the other's expression.

"What?"

Riku shook his head, his arms crossed lightly over his chest. "You certainly don't remember much then, if you think that what you have agreed to won't 'wound' you badly."

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean that you forgot the very end of the script. If you cannot recall, they changed the ending a bit, and it will most certainly 'wound' you."

Sora frowned. He still didn't know what Riku was talking about.

Riku was tempted to roll his eyes at his friend's confused expression. "Why don't you read your new script and I'll see you later." And with that, he left his friend to think over his words while he himself disappeared up the tree to the tree house that was his home/room.

There, he mused. It would be amusing so see Sora in female clothing, but moreover, in female clothing while presenting in front of others. And also, with him co-playing the lead roles.

Riku sighed lightly. He would be playing the lead role with Sora instead of Jasmine (who was perfect for the role with her natural acting skills and kind character). Well, it was be an interesting development at least...

"Oh well…" Riku thought aloud before sliding his eyes closed and drifted into half-slumber.

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AN: Okay, I also have this story up on fanfiction.net. (In fact, there's more on ff.net than here - so far, anyway.) If anything, please check it out over there as well, okay? My name on ff.net is "Duchess of Darkness", and yes, I know that's not how you spell it... But trust me, that's how it's spelled.

But please review for me and tell me what you think! And more will come in... well, due time.