Fan Fiction ❯ Trials and Tribulations ❯ T&T (13) ( Chapter 13 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: MercuryGoddess 
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.19.2004 | Pages: 5 | Words: 5.9K | Visits: 299 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.19.2004 | Pages: 5 | Words: 5.9K | Visits: 299 | Status: Completed
Author Notes: I have a HUGE announcement so please don't skip this, even though I know you're anxious to read it. I have decided to make this story a trilogy...that means three parts. This is the first part, Trials and Tribulations. It will cover Sora's sophomore year. The second part
is Ordeals and Obligations, and it will cover Sora's junior year. Finally, the third part, Rules and Regulations, will cover Sora's senior year. And then, that's it! No more. This trilogy is called Dealing with Fate. I told you this because I don't want you guys to be mad when this part ends and Kairi may not be with someone or something like that. So, if this story ends and something you want to happen doesn't happen, there are still two more parts left! That is all.
Clarification for Princess of Mirrors: There should be more emotion instead of just saying it; I do agree with you on that part. As for making their actions justifiable...well, their actions aren't. They know it, and we know it. I didn't try to make it seem like they had an absolute reason to doing it because, to me, it would seem unrealistic if I did. There are some things that we do that are not justifiable, but we still feel the need to do them and yes, it may seem selfish, but there are
some points in our lives where we are selfish. Riku and Sora have been hurt a lot - don't they deserve a small chance at being selfish for once? By the way, I only get mad at flames that are about the subject of homosexuality since I already stated my warning. And I think you'll ease up
more to the plot in later chapters/parts...especially since I designed a wonderful guy for Taiyou.
Clarification for ~Bob~: You start and finish with saying that the story is good...and then you say its revolting. So, before I make a proper response to this, you will have to make up your mind. *smiles*
Clarification for Ominee: You will find out later in the story...*insert evil laugh here*
Special Thanks To: Crimson-cruel, Heather Christi, Uzumaki-sama, Kairi099, Psykre, Twinstar1, Joonie, Ariana, kawaiidark, LovelyLioness57, Kieshar, Lightdemondarkangel, XxSurrealAngelxX, diamond_princess06, Princess of Mirrors, Raven's Light, fxxtidus899, Dreamer, KoaruFan, myredraincoat, ~Bob~, SoraTheSeme, Junsui-san, Aoi Nikko (x2), Raziel, Bob Bob Bob lol jk, Rinoki Rio, Ominee (x3), ChibiCatDemon, YaisaKitty, Rock-Howard-17, crazytomboy1, Van De Fanelia, x Dreamin Of You x, and my Mediainer reviewers Blackrose Thorn, yamichaos(me), sakayume, Echan2, and yaoifangirl!
Thank You Crytalline Tears For Your Excellent Beta Work!!
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!
Rating: I have boosted the rating on this story for future chapters...
Reminder:
"..............." Means talking
(...............) Means author notes
*..............* Means an action
~..............~ Means thinking
'...............' Means past sayings
>.............< Means a place
Trials and Tribulations
Chapter Thirteen
Part One
'Love is the figment of a fool's imagination; they get a fluttery feeling in their groins and call it love. Remember son: there's hate, and there's lust, but there isn't love.' This was a familiar statement that his father told him this countless times before.
Taiyou knew how much his father lived by that statement and decided that he would do the same. He did exactly what he was told - he chanted the statement like a mantra each day, and even went as far as to shape his life based on what his father said. His father was the epitome of success; why wouldn't he follow in his footsteps?
By the age of twenty-five, Keichiro Tanaka had successfully created the largest chain of electronic stores in the Sidus Archipelago, and he continued to expand it with the help of his wealthy family and sheer determination. He was married to his hand-picked wife, Aneko Sato, at thirty and had his heir to the company at thirty-two. That was the way his life was supposed to go.
So, who was he to mess it up? Who was he to hand over one of the most successful chain of businesses to some unknown when he was the heir, the birthright, of that fortune? If his father lived by that statement and it made him that successful, why shouldn't he follow it?
Why should he break tradition for someone he may not even see again after they graduate?
His thoughts were scattered at the sound of glass meeting concrete, his eyes snapping to the door of Riku's room. He didn't quite know how long he had been up and thinking about his father, but for the moment he didn't care as shouts of anger drifted through the house.
"CUT IT OUT!" he heard Riku scream from downstairs. "JUST CUT IT OUT!"
Using worry as his motivation, he sat up, stretched his tired limbs, and made his way over to the door. He turned the knob of the door as quietly as he could and peeked outside before tiptoeing into the hallway. Bits and pieces of the argument between father and son drifted into his hearing range.
"...mah allowance on tha' bottle..."
"...world...going to end...last...bottle of scotch..."
Taiyou sighed. Yuki must have gotten drunk again. Taking his chances, Taiyou knelt down next to the staircase to hear the conversation more clearly.
"I have a hell of a lot more problems than you do, but you don't see me getting wasted, now do you? For fuck's sake, clean yourself up and don't go in my room. Leave. Taiyou. Alone."
The sound of the door slamming shut followed the angered command almost immediately, and silence filled the house for a few moments before slurred profanities broke it. Taiyou decided to head downstairs so he pulled his hair into a neater ponytail and straightened his wrinkled clothes. He descended the stairs and paused when he spotted the man staggering towards him. He took two steps before collapsing and throwing up on himself. Taiyou backed away in disgust, letting Yuki go though the procedure alone. Yuki was an angry drunk so he knew better than to bother him.
When Yuki could retch no more, he passed out. Taiyou watched the passed out man in pity. His usual tidy silver hair splayed haphazardly on the linoleum floor, saturated with his own vomit that covered most of the area. His clothes were in the same state, and the sections of flesh that peeked out from under the rotten-smelling clothes were littered with tiny, but deep cuts from the shards of glass. Taiyou wrinkled his nose at the sight and smell.
No wonder Riku was upset.
But...
Riku's seen this many times so why would he be so upset? He told Taiyou himself that his father used to do this on a regular basis back when the memory of his wife's death was still fresh in his mind. Never before had he screamed at his father like that. In all actuality, he ignored the scene as if it were a daily occurrence; as if it were something normal to what his father was doing.
Looking down at the mess, Taiyou walked over to the small alcove next to the stove in the kitchen and pulled out a mop and some garbage bags. He took one of the garbage bags and wrapped it around Yuki's long hair. He pulled the older man into sitting position and hoisted him over his shoulder, trying his best to ignore the repugnant smell that rolled off of the passed out man in waves. Stepping over the pile of vomit, Taiyou made his way up the stairs and into the closest room near the staircase, which was the bathroom. He walked directly into the room and gently laid Yuki in the bathtub; he then grabbed the shower head and hosed him down.
That was the best he could do.
---
It took Taiyou close to an hour to finish ridding the kitchen of the glass, the scotch, the vomit, and the smell that followed. All the while, he thought of Riku and Sora - their relationship, their personalities, the people they associate with...and he couldn't help feeling that they were more of a perfect match than he and Riku. Sora was pretty much a passionate person when he came to his feelings. Even though recently he had been able to disguise it, he wears his heart out on his sleeve and tends to let others know exactly how he's feeling, even if he doesn't mean to. Riku, on the other hand, is calm, aloof, and definitely more introverted when feelings come to mind. One cannot completely pinpoint a definite emotion with Riku most of the time; which is opposite of Sora. Yet when the two are together, it compliments one another.
Ying and Yang.
Two halves of a whole.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that what they had between them was special...and that special bond was theirs and theirs alone. Taiyou figured it out the moment he set eyes on their clasped hands back when Kairi was first at the hospital. And he was jealous. Jealous at the fact that, despite the mantra he used to chant when his father was still alive, he couldn't have that strong bond with Riku.
Only Sora could.
Taiyou even conjured up a list to try to explain this situation:
1. Sora has only known Riku for 5 1/2 weeks. Taiyou has known him for two years.
2. Sora knows nothing of Riku's past. Taiyou knows a good chuck of it.
3. Sora has only seen Riku's basic habits. Taiyou has seen public and private habits.
See? The list proves how much Taiyou is closer to Riku than Sora...then why did he feel like the third wheel? Why was he jealous to the point of wanting to hurt Sora? If Taiyou's relationship with Riku was truly solid and compact, then he shouldn't be feeling the way he is. There was always that small cloud of doubt in the back of his mind, whether he was truly in love with Riku or whether Riku was truly in love with him. Sora's targeted statements hit home and caused that said cloud to rise once more.
'You have no right to be jealous of Riku when you're the one who left him in the first place.'
'You don't deserve Riku! Crawling back on your hands and knees and screaming to an EMPTY street that you love him. Bullshit! I know about guys like you.'
'Once a coward, always a coward.'
As harsh as they were, they were true. Every single one of them. He had no right to be jealous of Sora when he was the one who caused his relationship with Riku to become unsteady. He didn't deserve Riku for what he did, and he never said that he loved him in front of people before, not even when they were together. He was a coward, and the likelihood of him running away from future problems was high.
Sora...was right.
But what was he going to do? He was definitely going to apologize to Sora, but when the time comes for him to be alone with Riku, what would he do? Would he be a coward once more and completely and utterly ignore the situation at hand or would he take action and seek out a solution? He was lost, and the only person who could help was Kairi.
Putting away the cleaning supplies, Taiyou looked over his work with pride and walked out to go to the hospital.
-Room 211-
"Thank you, Joyce."
"No problem, sweetie!"
Kairi just finished dressing into her pajamas after Joyce helped her from her wheelchair to the shower, and then to her bed. The plump nurse left the room with a smile on her face, leaving Kairi to the company of her thoughts and the dim lit hospital room. Riku had told her earlier that day that Sora and Taiyou were meeting at his house to talk about what was going on between them, and although she prayed with all her might that it went without problem, she was positive that something must have happened. One, Sora hadn't called when he said he would and Taiyou said he would drop by after the 'meeting.' To top it off, the conversation with Taiyou from a couple of days ago still hung fresh in Kairi's mind.
-Flashback-
"Kairi?" Taiyou called out after setting aside a deck of cards.
"Yes?"
"What do you think about Sora and Riku?"
The question was unexpected, and Kairi turned to meet Taiyou's contemplative gaze while eating an Oreo. She mentally cursed him for the emotionless mask he had set in place and took a few moments to come up with an answer. "Well...I think they have a lot in common to become so close so fast."
Taiyou frowned slightly at her admission. "But...don't you find it a little strange? I mean, I'm not saying it's not good to be close to somebody, but..." He sighed before he continued. "I just think they spend a lot of time together."
"It's good to have someone to spend your time with though," Kairi said thoughtfully. "I don't think Sora has really had a real friend since middle school before Riku. There was Tidus and Selphie, but when you really look at their 'friendship' with Sora, you could see that they were just people to hang out with...to talk about meaningless things like the weather or something."
Kairi leaned forward and took Taiyou's hands and squeezed them reassuringly. "It seems that way with Riku too."
Taiyou slowly closed his eyes and rested his head on Kairi's shoulder. "I know," he admitted in a defeated tone, "but isn't Riku supposed to come to me if he needed help? I'm his boyfriend and I hate sitting back and not being able to do anything, but I can't tell if Riku is ok or not...if this close relationship is only because of Sora's struggles instead of Riku and Sora's struggles."
Feeling guilty, Kairi began to rub Taiyou's back softly. From the talks that she and Riku had been having secretly, it seemed that Riku still struggled with something in his past. On many occasions, when she tried to bring up some of his memories, he would just look down and not say a word. She gave him his privacy, but with each passing conversation, her curiosity would get stronger. What happened that made Riku not want to talk about it? Did Taiyou know? How did Taiyou and Riku get together anyway? The only thing she knew was that Taiyou had helped Riku...but in what way?
"I'm sure something will work out, Taiyou," Kairi whispered soothingly. "If Riku has something to tell you, I'm sure he'll come to you when the time is right."
Taiyou looked into her eyes and smiled sadly. "I don't think I'll be the first one he'll go to, Kairi."
-End Flashback-
The small click of the door indicated a visitor, and Kairi looked to the door, hoping it was one of the three boys she was just thinking about. Although she was slightly disappointed that it wasn't Sora, she still smiled brightly as Taiyou stepped into the room and shut the door quietly behind him. When she saw his face, she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Something was wrong.
"Taiyou?"
He raked his fingers though his hair - in the process, taking out the hair tie - and played with the tie as he walked closer to the bed. Kairi's gaze fell from his tear-stained face to the tie he continuously stretched, then looked back up, her concern rising. "Taiyou, what's the matter? What happened at Riku's house tonight?"
He didn't bother asking her where she found out about the meeting, only plopping down heavily on her bed and letting out a deep sigh. "Some feelings were exchanged tonight, as planned, and I guess it went farther than expected."
Kairi shifted her weight so that she was now facing her seated friend. She rose her hand to his face and traced the tear stains, her eyes widening with worry. "Why were you crying, Taiyou?" she asked as if he were her child. "Tell me why you were crying."
Taiyou leaned into the touch while wrapping his arms around her waist. She pushed down the uncomfortable feeling. "I'm fine, Kairi. No need to be worried. Some of the things that were said were just...a little harsh that's all."
"To the point of making you cry?!" Kairi exclaimed in anger. "Even I haven't seen you cry and I have known you the longest. Who made you cry?"
Taiyou mentally cursed himself. He was already on Sora's bad side. If he told Kairi, they might get into an argument and Sora would come after him...
"Look, I'll try not to be too angry. Just tell me; was it Riku...or was it Sora?"
A pause. "It was Sora."
Silence.
"There were some things he said that stuck a nerve. It was no big deal, especially since he was right."
"What did he say?" Her voice was full of barely suppressed anger, and the tone of her voice made Taiyou wince. She tended to lecture people when she was angry. He braced himself. "Well, he called me a coward and told me that I don't deserve Riku...and said I had no right to be jealous when I was the one who left Riku in the first place."
"He SAID those things?!" Kairi asked incredulously.
Taiyou nodded, but quickly regretted it as he saw the expression on her face darken. "It's not as bad as it sounds, you know."
"What do you mean 'not as bad?' Those statements were harsh and...and cruel!"
She stopped rubbing his back and leaned completely out of his embrace, crossing her arms with an absolute look of anger on her face. "He shouldn't have said those things to you."
"He was angry...I said some things too..."
"Were they just as harsh and cruel?" she asked with a hint of disappointment.
"No..."
"Then it's no excuse!"
She leaned to the right and picked up the phone. Taiyou panicked. "K-Kairi?"
"What?"
"Let's talk to Riku before we talk to Sora, ok? I'm sure he can explain some things more clearly."
Kairi eyed Taiyou with suspicion, but nevertheless, gave Taiyou the phone to dial Riku's number. He let out a breath of relief and dialed his boyfriend's cell phone number.
Watching patiently, Kairi felt her anger die down at Taiyou's worried expression. She saw him hang up the phone and dial his number once more, but to no avail. "He never turns his phone off..."
'CUT IT OUT! JUST CUT IT OUT!'
Taiyou put the phone down, got up, and headed to the door, all worries of Kairi's wrath set aside. Only one thing mattered at the moment.
Riku.
"Where are you going?" Kairi asked while sitting up.
"To look for Riku."
---
Trials and Tribulations
Chapter Thirteen
Part Two
"I need to go."
Riku backed away as he raked his fingers through his hair. He avoided eye contact with Sora, all the while making his way to the window and getting ready to climb out.
"Wait."
Riku paused, and he tilted his head just enough to see Sora out the corner of his eye. The younger boy was shifting from foot to foot, eyes cast downward, and his hands entwined behind his back.
"What was that for?"
His voice sounded hopeful with an underlying dread. Riku sighed. "I don't know."
Sora met Riku's gaze this time, his hands now untwined and balling into a fist. "You don't know?" Sora asked Riku; as if he were talking to a small child. "How could you not know?"
"I JUST DON'T, OK?" Riku shouted as he turned to fully face Sora. "I just...it's hard to explain."
"Well explain. I got time and obviously, so do you."
"What exactly do you want me to say, Sora?" His voice dropped to a mere whisper, yet it still had the power and intensity of a shout. "Do you want me to get down on one knee and confess my undying love for you while pulling out a dozen roses? Do you want me to say I can't live my life without you because you are my air and carry you off into moonlight where we live happily ever after? Well, I'm not going to confess anything or do anything remotely romantic because life is not a fucking fairy tale and we don't always get what we want!"
Sora opened his mouth to speak, but Riku abruptly cut him off. "Let me finish--"
"No, I think I've heard about enough," Sora said while crossing his arms. "You felt the need to make it clear to me that there's going to be no romance novel bullshit going on."
Riku involuntarily winced at the acidic tone Sora's voice transformed into. "I wasn't hoping for you to make a love confession. No, I was hoping that a dragon would burst in here and capture me and because you love me oh-so-much, you would jump on your white stallion, ride for days on end without food, water, or supplies to heal the deep gashes you have conveniently placed on your well-toned chest and biceps, and save me from the dragon. Then it would be happily ever after."
"Sora..."
Sora shook his head and took a seat on the floor. His brows were furrowed in thought, and he took deep, steady breaths before looking up at Riku. "Why don't you tell me what's got you so strung?"
Riku stared at him in disbelief. Was it really that obvious? And where was the sarcasm from just minutes before?
"What?"
"Riku, you came to my house, gave me a passionate kiss, and then got angry because I asked you why." Sora let out an amused chuckle, a sad smile gracing his features afterward. "I think
I know you well enough...you don't do stuff like that out of the blue.
Forgetting the swelling anger in the pit of his stomach, Riku plopped down next to Sora and buried his face in his hands. "The more I thought about the deal, the more complex it seemed to get."
Sora nodded in agreement. He had thought about it too within the last two hours. Riku continued. "Taiyou's still asleep, but my father was drunk again, and I guess that kinda made me sore."
They sat in silence for several moments, Sora assessing the situation while Riku bowed his head in shame. He shouldn't have snapped at Sora like that...
"Then let's just...forget what happened between us."
The phrase was whispered so lowly that Riku almost didn't hear it, but when he turned and saw the expression of absolution on Sora's face, hurt briefly settled into Riku's expression before switching to cold indifference. "That won't solve anything."
"Actually, it will."
Riku raised a single eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"
"Well, a lot has been happening this past month, and those events are really the ones we need to work on. This...thing...that we have would just be added stress. We can deal with this once everything has...settled down?"
He was asking himself more than confirming it with Riku. Riku caught the hesitation in his voice and sighed deeply. "That won't work and you know it. We might as well talk about it now."
"I guess we could try to destroy it while it's small, but---"
"Destroy it?!"
Riku crossed his arms and was now glaring at Sora with more anger than before. "You make it see like this relationship is some kind of disease that's unwanted and unsatisfactory."
"Riku, I---"
"Listen to me!" he interrupted while standing up, glaring down at the younger boy before him. "We can't just store it away in the back of our minds and act like this never happened. I can tell you want this as much as I do, and---"
"You don't want this!" Sora accused, also standing up. "You were terrified after that last kiss. Forgetting it would do us both the favor!"
Riku fell silent as he cast his eyes downward. "I was terrified," he mumbled," because I never had a kiss like that before."
"What are you talking about? You've kissed me before, and you've kissed other people before so how could you not have had a kiss like that before? A kiss is a kiss!"
"It was different!"
"Whatever, Riku, I'm not going to argue with you over a stupid kiss." He suddenly seemed exhausted. "What are we supposed to do? Continue this thing and run the risk of breaking Kairi's and Taiyou's heart?"
"No..."
"Then what should we do?! It's all or nothing; there's is no in-between!"
"Well, we should try to think of something instead of running away like a coward."
"This isn't a matter of cowardice," Sora growled as he inched closer. "It's a matter of morals. I will not cheat on Kairi. Just because your relationship with Taiyou is shaky doesn't mean---"
"SHAKY!" Riku yelled as he shortened the distance between himself and Sora, "And who's fucking fault is that?!"
"His!" Sora yelled just as loud. "He's the one who's jealous!"
"Only because you've given him a reason to be!"
"No excuse! If Taiyou is jealous of me for being your best friend, then your relationship has got some serious issues!"
Riku froze. Does this idiot even realize that if he hadn't been so fucking clingy that this situation wouldn't have happened in the first place? That Taiyou wouldn't have cried himself to sleep today for the first time? That this damn KISS would never have happened and they wouldn't even be arguing with each other? All of this was his fault! Giving into the tidal wave of rage that washed over him, Riku grabbed Sora by the collar and slammed his fist directly into his nose, causing the cinnamon brown-haired boy to fall back on the bed while clutching his nose. Blood trickled in small streams down the sides of nose and pooled in the crevice of his mouth as he watched Riku struggle to regulate his breathing. "Fuck you, Sora Miyazaki!" he spat as he nursed his fist in his other hand. "You're the one who caused this royal mess in the first place! Kado was no one else's enemy except yours. Maybe if you had kept your fucking head out the clouds, none of this would ever have had to happen!"
He ignored the tears springing into his eyes, and before Sora could retaliate or retort, he spun on his heel and stormed out of the room without forgetting to add his last thought: "And go to someone else with your fucked up problems! I'm sick and tired of being the shoulder you cry on!"
Riku shut the door - not giving in to the urge to slam it shut - and descended the stairs, schooling his features to form a pleasant smile. Mrs. Miyazaki sat at the kitchen table, concern etched in her features after hearing the loud argument from upstairs. Riku took a deep breath, and smiled as politely as he could. "Thank you for allowing me to stay in Sora's room while he was away."
She gave a small nod. "Is everything alright, sweetheart?"
"Yes, ma'am. Just a small argument. Nothing really to worry about."
"Riku...?"
Silent tears were streaming down his face although he was still smiling. "It's fine, Mrs. Miyazaki, just fine."
Slowly making his way to the front door, he whispered one more time for his reassurance, "Just fine."
He jumped in his car and sped out of the driveway and onto the road, barely missing the mailbox cloaked in darkness. He drove past by his house and drove directly to the beach, climbing out and running to the edge of the water.
Collapsing, he let out the sob he held in since talking to Mrs. Miyazaki and gave into all of the pent up sadness and anger. His breath came out faster as his heart constricted painfully in his chest, and as he took in one last shuddery breath, he passed out.
---
Sora sat on his bed and stared at the door, unaware of the minutes that ticked by. His nose was still bleeding, but he didn't care.
Because nothing - absolutely nothing - matter anymore.
He lost his source of comfort...and he was pretty sure it was permanent. Once again, he spoke before he thought it over and wound up costing him the most comfort he had in a very long time. It was as if someone decided to rip out the happiness he recently experienced and dangle it in front of his face, just out of reach, but not out of sight, torturing him endlessly and reminding him that Fate decided to screw him over at every chance of happiness since his day of birth.
This pain...it was something he had never felt. Not when Kairi betrayed him for the first time. Not when Irvine and his group of friends played that horrendous joke on him.
Not even when Irvine left him.
His mother had come to check on him; she cleaned up most of the blood and told him to stop the flow, but a blank stare was the only response as she left the room. She also informed him that he had a visitor. He continued to stare at the door until it was pushed opened and revealed the person he really didn't want see.
Taiyou.
Even though he looked slightly out of breath with his eyes widened in alarm, Sora stared at him with controlled hatred. He saw Taiyou grimace at the expression. "What do you want?"
"I'm looking for Riku."
"Well, he's not here anymore, and do you want to know why?"
Sora didn't wait for him to answer as he stood up from the bed, tears building up in his eyes. "Because of you! You, with your little jealous fit and crocodile tears afterward! You took MY source of comfort away because of your insecurities!" He jabbed a finger at his nose. "Wanna know what he said after he slammed his fist in my fucking nose?! He said, 'And go to someone else with your fucked up problems! I'm sick and tired of being the shoulder you cry on!'"
Falling to his knees, Sora buried his face into his lap and cried, saying no more to Taiyou. Taiyou backed away in horror, and the guilt from earlier increased tenfold. What would happen now that Riku and Sora's friendship was destroyed?
-Beach-
The police officer slammed on the brakes when he reached the shoreline, almost crashing into the pole when he saw a silver-haired boy sprawled out on the beach. He could spot that silver hair from a mile away; it was like the mark of his friend Yuki's family. He was almost absolutely positive that this boy was Riku, his son, and from a distance, he looked to be dead. He didn't care how he got here - the only thing he was set on was getting Riku to the hospital.
Picking up the heap off the sandy shore, he ran to the car and gently put him inside, grabbing his radio. "Hey Jim?"
"Yessir?"
"Contact my buddy Yuki. His kid was just found unconscious on the beach."
"Yessir!"
"And be quick about it! He don't look like he has any injuries, but I'm taking him to the hospital as fast as I can."
---
Finished! I won't take as long as last time. Constructive criticism welcome.
~MercuryGoddess~
is Ordeals and Obligations, and it will cover Sora's junior year. Finally, the third part, Rules and Regulations, will cover Sora's senior year. And then, that's it! No more. This trilogy is called Dealing with Fate. I told you this because I don't want you guys to be mad when this part ends and Kairi may not be with someone or something like that. So, if this story ends and something you want to happen doesn't happen, there are still two more parts left! That is all.
Clarification for Princess of Mirrors: There should be more emotion instead of just saying it; I do agree with you on that part. As for making their actions justifiable...well, their actions aren't. They know it, and we know it. I didn't try to make it seem like they had an absolute reason to doing it because, to me, it would seem unrealistic if I did. There are some things that we do that are not justifiable, but we still feel the need to do them and yes, it may seem selfish, but there are
some points in our lives where we are selfish. Riku and Sora have been hurt a lot - don't they deserve a small chance at being selfish for once? By the way, I only get mad at flames that are about the subject of homosexuality since I already stated my warning. And I think you'll ease up
more to the plot in later chapters/parts...especially since I designed a wonderful guy for Taiyou.
Clarification for ~Bob~: You start and finish with saying that the story is good...and then you say its revolting. So, before I make a proper response to this, you will have to make up your mind. *smiles*
Clarification for Ominee: You will find out later in the story...*insert evil laugh here*
Special Thanks To: Crimson-cruel, Heather Christi, Uzumaki-sama, Kairi099, Psykre, Twinstar1, Joonie, Ariana, kawaiidark, LovelyLioness57, Kieshar, Lightdemondarkangel, XxSurrealAngelxX, diamond_princess06, Princess of Mirrors, Raven's Light, fxxtidus899, Dreamer, KoaruFan, myredraincoat, ~Bob~, SoraTheSeme, Junsui-san, Aoi Nikko (x2), Raziel, Bob Bob Bob lol jk, Rinoki Rio, Ominee (x3), ChibiCatDemon, YaisaKitty, Rock-Howard-17, crazytomboy1, Van De Fanelia, x Dreamin Of You x, and my Mediainer reviewers Blackrose Thorn, yamichaos(me), sakayume, Echan2, and yaoifangirl!
Thank You Crytalline Tears For Your Excellent Beta Work!!
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!
Rating: I have boosted the rating on this story for future chapters...
Reminder:
"..............." Means talking
(...............) Means author notes
*..............* Means an action
~..............~ Means thinking
'...............' Means past sayings
>.............< Means a place
Trials and Tribulations
Chapter Thirteen
Part One
'Love is the figment of a fool's imagination; they get a fluttery feeling in their groins and call it love. Remember son: there's hate, and there's lust, but there isn't love.' This was a familiar statement that his father told him this countless times before.
Taiyou knew how much his father lived by that statement and decided that he would do the same. He did exactly what he was told - he chanted the statement like a mantra each day, and even went as far as to shape his life based on what his father said. His father was the epitome of success; why wouldn't he follow in his footsteps?
By the age of twenty-five, Keichiro Tanaka had successfully created the largest chain of electronic stores in the Sidus Archipelago, and he continued to expand it with the help of his wealthy family and sheer determination. He was married to his hand-picked wife, Aneko Sato, at thirty and had his heir to the company at thirty-two. That was the way his life was supposed to go.
So, who was he to mess it up? Who was he to hand over one of the most successful chain of businesses to some unknown when he was the heir, the birthright, of that fortune? If his father lived by that statement and it made him that successful, why shouldn't he follow it?
Why should he break tradition for someone he may not even see again after they graduate?
His thoughts were scattered at the sound of glass meeting concrete, his eyes snapping to the door of Riku's room. He didn't quite know how long he had been up and thinking about his father, but for the moment he didn't care as shouts of anger drifted through the house.
"CUT IT OUT!" he heard Riku scream from downstairs. "JUST CUT IT OUT!"
Using worry as his motivation, he sat up, stretched his tired limbs, and made his way over to the door. He turned the knob of the door as quietly as he could and peeked outside before tiptoeing into the hallway. Bits and pieces of the argument between father and son drifted into his hearing range.
"...mah allowance on tha' bottle..."
"...world...going to end...last...bottle of scotch..."
Taiyou sighed. Yuki must have gotten drunk again. Taking his chances, Taiyou knelt down next to the staircase to hear the conversation more clearly.
"I have a hell of a lot more problems than you do, but you don't see me getting wasted, now do you? For fuck's sake, clean yourself up and don't go in my room. Leave. Taiyou. Alone."
The sound of the door slamming shut followed the angered command almost immediately, and silence filled the house for a few moments before slurred profanities broke it. Taiyou decided to head downstairs so he pulled his hair into a neater ponytail and straightened his wrinkled clothes. He descended the stairs and paused when he spotted the man staggering towards him. He took two steps before collapsing and throwing up on himself. Taiyou backed away in disgust, letting Yuki go though the procedure alone. Yuki was an angry drunk so he knew better than to bother him.
When Yuki could retch no more, he passed out. Taiyou watched the passed out man in pity. His usual tidy silver hair splayed haphazardly on the linoleum floor, saturated with his own vomit that covered most of the area. His clothes were in the same state, and the sections of flesh that peeked out from under the rotten-smelling clothes were littered with tiny, but deep cuts from the shards of glass. Taiyou wrinkled his nose at the sight and smell.
No wonder Riku was upset.
But...
Riku's seen this many times so why would he be so upset? He told Taiyou himself that his father used to do this on a regular basis back when the memory of his wife's death was still fresh in his mind. Never before had he screamed at his father like that. In all actuality, he ignored the scene as if it were a daily occurrence; as if it were something normal to what his father was doing.
Looking down at the mess, Taiyou walked over to the small alcove next to the stove in the kitchen and pulled out a mop and some garbage bags. He took one of the garbage bags and wrapped it around Yuki's long hair. He pulled the older man into sitting position and hoisted him over his shoulder, trying his best to ignore the repugnant smell that rolled off of the passed out man in waves. Stepping over the pile of vomit, Taiyou made his way up the stairs and into the closest room near the staircase, which was the bathroom. He walked directly into the room and gently laid Yuki in the bathtub; he then grabbed the shower head and hosed him down.
That was the best he could do.
---
It took Taiyou close to an hour to finish ridding the kitchen of the glass, the scotch, the vomit, and the smell that followed. All the while, he thought of Riku and Sora - their relationship, their personalities, the people they associate with...and he couldn't help feeling that they were more of a perfect match than he and Riku. Sora was pretty much a passionate person when he came to his feelings. Even though recently he had been able to disguise it, he wears his heart out on his sleeve and tends to let others know exactly how he's feeling, even if he doesn't mean to. Riku, on the other hand, is calm, aloof, and definitely more introverted when feelings come to mind. One cannot completely pinpoint a definite emotion with Riku most of the time; which is opposite of Sora. Yet when the two are together, it compliments one another.
Ying and Yang.
Two halves of a whole.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that what they had between them was special...and that special bond was theirs and theirs alone. Taiyou figured it out the moment he set eyes on their clasped hands back when Kairi was first at the hospital. And he was jealous. Jealous at the fact that, despite the mantra he used to chant when his father was still alive, he couldn't have that strong bond with Riku.
Only Sora could.
Taiyou even conjured up a list to try to explain this situation:
1. Sora has only known Riku for 5 1/2 weeks. Taiyou has known him for two years.
2. Sora knows nothing of Riku's past. Taiyou knows a good chuck of it.
3. Sora has only seen Riku's basic habits. Taiyou has seen public and private habits.
See? The list proves how much Taiyou is closer to Riku than Sora...then why did he feel like the third wheel? Why was he jealous to the point of wanting to hurt Sora? If Taiyou's relationship with Riku was truly solid and compact, then he shouldn't be feeling the way he is. There was always that small cloud of doubt in the back of his mind, whether he was truly in love with Riku or whether Riku was truly in love with him. Sora's targeted statements hit home and caused that said cloud to rise once more.
'You have no right to be jealous of Riku when you're the one who left him in the first place.'
'You don't deserve Riku! Crawling back on your hands and knees and screaming to an EMPTY street that you love him. Bullshit! I know about guys like you.'
'Once a coward, always a coward.'
As harsh as they were, they were true. Every single one of them. He had no right to be jealous of Sora when he was the one who caused his relationship with Riku to become unsteady. He didn't deserve Riku for what he did, and he never said that he loved him in front of people before, not even when they were together. He was a coward, and the likelihood of him running away from future problems was high.
Sora...was right.
But what was he going to do? He was definitely going to apologize to Sora, but when the time comes for him to be alone with Riku, what would he do? Would he be a coward once more and completely and utterly ignore the situation at hand or would he take action and seek out a solution? He was lost, and the only person who could help was Kairi.
Putting away the cleaning supplies, Taiyou looked over his work with pride and walked out to go to the hospital.
-Room 211-
"Thank you, Joyce."
"No problem, sweetie!"
Kairi just finished dressing into her pajamas after Joyce helped her from her wheelchair to the shower, and then to her bed. The plump nurse left the room with a smile on her face, leaving Kairi to the company of her thoughts and the dim lit hospital room. Riku had told her earlier that day that Sora and Taiyou were meeting at his house to talk about what was going on between them, and although she prayed with all her might that it went without problem, she was positive that something must have happened. One, Sora hadn't called when he said he would and Taiyou said he would drop by after the 'meeting.' To top it off, the conversation with Taiyou from a couple of days ago still hung fresh in Kairi's mind.
-Flashback-
"Kairi?" Taiyou called out after setting aside a deck of cards.
"Yes?"
"What do you think about Sora and Riku?"
The question was unexpected, and Kairi turned to meet Taiyou's contemplative gaze while eating an Oreo. She mentally cursed him for the emotionless mask he had set in place and took a few moments to come up with an answer. "Well...I think they have a lot in common to become so close so fast."
Taiyou frowned slightly at her admission. "But...don't you find it a little strange? I mean, I'm not saying it's not good to be close to somebody, but..." He sighed before he continued. "I just think they spend a lot of time together."
"It's good to have someone to spend your time with though," Kairi said thoughtfully. "I don't think Sora has really had a real friend since middle school before Riku. There was Tidus and Selphie, but when you really look at their 'friendship' with Sora, you could see that they were just people to hang out with...to talk about meaningless things like the weather or something."
Kairi leaned forward and took Taiyou's hands and squeezed them reassuringly. "It seems that way with Riku too."
Taiyou slowly closed his eyes and rested his head on Kairi's shoulder. "I know," he admitted in a defeated tone, "but isn't Riku supposed to come to me if he needed help? I'm his boyfriend and I hate sitting back and not being able to do anything, but I can't tell if Riku is ok or not...if this close relationship is only because of Sora's struggles instead of Riku and Sora's struggles."
Feeling guilty, Kairi began to rub Taiyou's back softly. From the talks that she and Riku had been having secretly, it seemed that Riku still struggled with something in his past. On many occasions, when she tried to bring up some of his memories, he would just look down and not say a word. She gave him his privacy, but with each passing conversation, her curiosity would get stronger. What happened that made Riku not want to talk about it? Did Taiyou know? How did Taiyou and Riku get together anyway? The only thing she knew was that Taiyou had helped Riku...but in what way?
"I'm sure something will work out, Taiyou," Kairi whispered soothingly. "If Riku has something to tell you, I'm sure he'll come to you when the time is right."
Taiyou looked into her eyes and smiled sadly. "I don't think I'll be the first one he'll go to, Kairi."
-End Flashback-
The small click of the door indicated a visitor, and Kairi looked to the door, hoping it was one of the three boys she was just thinking about. Although she was slightly disappointed that it wasn't Sora, she still smiled brightly as Taiyou stepped into the room and shut the door quietly behind him. When she saw his face, she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Something was wrong.
"Taiyou?"
He raked his fingers though his hair - in the process, taking out the hair tie - and played with the tie as he walked closer to the bed. Kairi's gaze fell from his tear-stained face to the tie he continuously stretched, then looked back up, her concern rising. "Taiyou, what's the matter? What happened at Riku's house tonight?"
He didn't bother asking her where she found out about the meeting, only plopping down heavily on her bed and letting out a deep sigh. "Some feelings were exchanged tonight, as planned, and I guess it went farther than expected."
Kairi shifted her weight so that she was now facing her seated friend. She rose her hand to his face and traced the tear stains, her eyes widening with worry. "Why were you crying, Taiyou?" she asked as if he were her child. "Tell me why you were crying."
Taiyou leaned into the touch while wrapping his arms around her waist. She pushed down the uncomfortable feeling. "I'm fine, Kairi. No need to be worried. Some of the things that were said were just...a little harsh that's all."
"To the point of making you cry?!" Kairi exclaimed in anger. "Even I haven't seen you cry and I have known you the longest. Who made you cry?"
Taiyou mentally cursed himself. He was already on Sora's bad side. If he told Kairi, they might get into an argument and Sora would come after him...
"Look, I'll try not to be too angry. Just tell me; was it Riku...or was it Sora?"
A pause. "It was Sora."
Silence.
"There were some things he said that stuck a nerve. It was no big deal, especially since he was right."
"What did he say?" Her voice was full of barely suppressed anger, and the tone of her voice made Taiyou wince. She tended to lecture people when she was angry. He braced himself. "Well, he called me a coward and told me that I don't deserve Riku...and said I had no right to be jealous when I was the one who left Riku in the first place."
"He SAID those things?!" Kairi asked incredulously.
Taiyou nodded, but quickly regretted it as he saw the expression on her face darken. "It's not as bad as it sounds, you know."
"What do you mean 'not as bad?' Those statements were harsh and...and cruel!"
She stopped rubbing his back and leaned completely out of his embrace, crossing her arms with an absolute look of anger on her face. "He shouldn't have said those things to you."
"He was angry...I said some things too..."
"Were they just as harsh and cruel?" she asked with a hint of disappointment.
"No..."
"Then it's no excuse!"
She leaned to the right and picked up the phone. Taiyou panicked. "K-Kairi?"
"What?"
"Let's talk to Riku before we talk to Sora, ok? I'm sure he can explain some things more clearly."
Kairi eyed Taiyou with suspicion, but nevertheless, gave Taiyou the phone to dial Riku's number. He let out a breath of relief and dialed his boyfriend's cell phone number.
Watching patiently, Kairi felt her anger die down at Taiyou's worried expression. She saw him hang up the phone and dial his number once more, but to no avail. "He never turns his phone off..."
'CUT IT OUT! JUST CUT IT OUT!'
Taiyou put the phone down, got up, and headed to the door, all worries of Kairi's wrath set aside. Only one thing mattered at the moment.
Riku.
"Where are you going?" Kairi asked while sitting up.
"To look for Riku."
---
Trials and Tribulations
Chapter Thirteen
Part Two
"I need to go."
Riku backed away as he raked his fingers through his hair. He avoided eye contact with Sora, all the while making his way to the window and getting ready to climb out.
"Wait."
Riku paused, and he tilted his head just enough to see Sora out the corner of his eye. The younger boy was shifting from foot to foot, eyes cast downward, and his hands entwined behind his back.
"What was that for?"
His voice sounded hopeful with an underlying dread. Riku sighed. "I don't know."
Sora met Riku's gaze this time, his hands now untwined and balling into a fist. "You don't know?" Sora asked Riku; as if he were talking to a small child. "How could you not know?"
"I JUST DON'T, OK?" Riku shouted as he turned to fully face Sora. "I just...it's hard to explain."
"Well explain. I got time and obviously, so do you."
"What exactly do you want me to say, Sora?" His voice dropped to a mere whisper, yet it still had the power and intensity of a shout. "Do you want me to get down on one knee and confess my undying love for you while pulling out a dozen roses? Do you want me to say I can't live my life without you because you are my air and carry you off into moonlight where we live happily ever after? Well, I'm not going to confess anything or do anything remotely romantic because life is not a fucking fairy tale and we don't always get what we want!"
Sora opened his mouth to speak, but Riku abruptly cut him off. "Let me finish--"
"No, I think I've heard about enough," Sora said while crossing his arms. "You felt the need to make it clear to me that there's going to be no romance novel bullshit going on."
Riku involuntarily winced at the acidic tone Sora's voice transformed into. "I wasn't hoping for you to make a love confession. No, I was hoping that a dragon would burst in here and capture me and because you love me oh-so-much, you would jump on your white stallion, ride for days on end without food, water, or supplies to heal the deep gashes you have conveniently placed on your well-toned chest and biceps, and save me from the dragon. Then it would be happily ever after."
"Sora..."
Sora shook his head and took a seat on the floor. His brows were furrowed in thought, and he took deep, steady breaths before looking up at Riku. "Why don't you tell me what's got you so strung?"
Riku stared at him in disbelief. Was it really that obvious? And where was the sarcasm from just minutes before?
"What?"
"Riku, you came to my house, gave me a passionate kiss, and then got angry because I asked you why." Sora let out an amused chuckle, a sad smile gracing his features afterward. "I think
I know you well enough...you don't do stuff like that out of the blue.
Forgetting the swelling anger in the pit of his stomach, Riku plopped down next to Sora and buried his face in his hands. "The more I thought about the deal, the more complex it seemed to get."
Sora nodded in agreement. He had thought about it too within the last two hours. Riku continued. "Taiyou's still asleep, but my father was drunk again, and I guess that kinda made me sore."
They sat in silence for several moments, Sora assessing the situation while Riku bowed his head in shame. He shouldn't have snapped at Sora like that...
"Then let's just...forget what happened between us."
The phrase was whispered so lowly that Riku almost didn't hear it, but when he turned and saw the expression of absolution on Sora's face, hurt briefly settled into Riku's expression before switching to cold indifference. "That won't solve anything."
"Actually, it will."
Riku raised a single eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"
"Well, a lot has been happening this past month, and those events are really the ones we need to work on. This...thing...that we have would just be added stress. We can deal with this once everything has...settled down?"
He was asking himself more than confirming it with Riku. Riku caught the hesitation in his voice and sighed deeply. "That won't work and you know it. We might as well talk about it now."
"I guess we could try to destroy it while it's small, but---"
"Destroy it?!"
Riku crossed his arms and was now glaring at Sora with more anger than before. "You make it see like this relationship is some kind of disease that's unwanted and unsatisfactory."
"Riku, I---"
"Listen to me!" he interrupted while standing up, glaring down at the younger boy before him. "We can't just store it away in the back of our minds and act like this never happened. I can tell you want this as much as I do, and---"
"You don't want this!" Sora accused, also standing up. "You were terrified after that last kiss. Forgetting it would do us both the favor!"
Riku fell silent as he cast his eyes downward. "I was terrified," he mumbled," because I never had a kiss like that before."
"What are you talking about? You've kissed me before, and you've kissed other people before so how could you not have had a kiss like that before? A kiss is a kiss!"
"It was different!"
"Whatever, Riku, I'm not going to argue with you over a stupid kiss." He suddenly seemed exhausted. "What are we supposed to do? Continue this thing and run the risk of breaking Kairi's and Taiyou's heart?"
"No..."
"Then what should we do?! It's all or nothing; there's is no in-between!"
"Well, we should try to think of something instead of running away like a coward."
"This isn't a matter of cowardice," Sora growled as he inched closer. "It's a matter of morals. I will not cheat on Kairi. Just because your relationship with Taiyou is shaky doesn't mean---"
"SHAKY!" Riku yelled as he shortened the distance between himself and Sora, "And who's fucking fault is that?!"
"His!" Sora yelled just as loud. "He's the one who's jealous!"
"Only because you've given him a reason to be!"
"No excuse! If Taiyou is jealous of me for being your best friend, then your relationship has got some serious issues!"
Riku froze. Does this idiot even realize that if he hadn't been so fucking clingy that this situation wouldn't have happened in the first place? That Taiyou wouldn't have cried himself to sleep today for the first time? That this damn KISS would never have happened and they wouldn't even be arguing with each other? All of this was his fault! Giving into the tidal wave of rage that washed over him, Riku grabbed Sora by the collar and slammed his fist directly into his nose, causing the cinnamon brown-haired boy to fall back on the bed while clutching his nose. Blood trickled in small streams down the sides of nose and pooled in the crevice of his mouth as he watched Riku struggle to regulate his breathing. "Fuck you, Sora Miyazaki!" he spat as he nursed his fist in his other hand. "You're the one who caused this royal mess in the first place! Kado was no one else's enemy except yours. Maybe if you had kept your fucking head out the clouds, none of this would ever have had to happen!"
He ignored the tears springing into his eyes, and before Sora could retaliate or retort, he spun on his heel and stormed out of the room without forgetting to add his last thought: "And go to someone else with your fucked up problems! I'm sick and tired of being the shoulder you cry on!"
Riku shut the door - not giving in to the urge to slam it shut - and descended the stairs, schooling his features to form a pleasant smile. Mrs. Miyazaki sat at the kitchen table, concern etched in her features after hearing the loud argument from upstairs. Riku took a deep breath, and smiled as politely as he could. "Thank you for allowing me to stay in Sora's room while he was away."
She gave a small nod. "Is everything alright, sweetheart?"
"Yes, ma'am. Just a small argument. Nothing really to worry about."
"Riku...?"
Silent tears were streaming down his face although he was still smiling. "It's fine, Mrs. Miyazaki, just fine."
Slowly making his way to the front door, he whispered one more time for his reassurance, "Just fine."
He jumped in his car and sped out of the driveway and onto the road, barely missing the mailbox cloaked in darkness. He drove past by his house and drove directly to the beach, climbing out and running to the edge of the water.
Collapsing, he let out the sob he held in since talking to Mrs. Miyazaki and gave into all of the pent up sadness and anger. His breath came out faster as his heart constricted painfully in his chest, and as he took in one last shuddery breath, he passed out.
---
Sora sat on his bed and stared at the door, unaware of the minutes that ticked by. His nose was still bleeding, but he didn't care.
Because nothing - absolutely nothing - matter anymore.
He lost his source of comfort...and he was pretty sure it was permanent. Once again, he spoke before he thought it over and wound up costing him the most comfort he had in a very long time. It was as if someone decided to rip out the happiness he recently experienced and dangle it in front of his face, just out of reach, but not out of sight, torturing him endlessly and reminding him that Fate decided to screw him over at every chance of happiness since his day of birth.
This pain...it was something he had never felt. Not when Kairi betrayed him for the first time. Not when Irvine and his group of friends played that horrendous joke on him.
Not even when Irvine left him.
His mother had come to check on him; she cleaned up most of the blood and told him to stop the flow, but a blank stare was the only response as she left the room. She also informed him that he had a visitor. He continued to stare at the door until it was pushed opened and revealed the person he really didn't want see.
Taiyou.
Even though he looked slightly out of breath with his eyes widened in alarm, Sora stared at him with controlled hatred. He saw Taiyou grimace at the expression. "What do you want?"
"I'm looking for Riku."
"Well, he's not here anymore, and do you want to know why?"
Sora didn't wait for him to answer as he stood up from the bed, tears building up in his eyes. "Because of you! You, with your little jealous fit and crocodile tears afterward! You took MY source of comfort away because of your insecurities!" He jabbed a finger at his nose. "Wanna know what he said after he slammed his fist in my fucking nose?! He said, 'And go to someone else with your fucked up problems! I'm sick and tired of being the shoulder you cry on!'"
Falling to his knees, Sora buried his face into his lap and cried, saying no more to Taiyou. Taiyou backed away in horror, and the guilt from earlier increased tenfold. What would happen now that Riku and Sora's friendship was destroyed?
-Beach-
The police officer slammed on the brakes when he reached the shoreline, almost crashing into the pole when he saw a silver-haired boy sprawled out on the beach. He could spot that silver hair from a mile away; it was like the mark of his friend Yuki's family. He was almost absolutely positive that this boy was Riku, his son, and from a distance, he looked to be dead. He didn't care how he got here - the only thing he was set on was getting Riku to the hospital.
Picking up the heap off the sandy shore, he ran to the car and gently put him inside, grabbing his radio. "Hey Jim?"
"Yessir?"
"Contact my buddy Yuki. His kid was just found unconscious on the beach."
"Yessir!"
"And be quick about it! He don't look like he has any injuries, but I'm taking him to the hospital as fast as I can."
---
Finished! I won't take as long as last time. Constructive criticism welcome.
~MercuryGoddess~