Fan Fiction ❯ Two Halves of A Whole ❯ THAW (7) ( Chapter 7 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: MercuryGoddess 
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.03.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 389 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.03.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 389 | Status: Completed
Author Notes: I'm getting more reviewers! And its making be happier! Me happy=more updates! Read and Review people. If I'm slow with updating at anytime, don't hesitate to send me an angry email! That usually wakes me up!
Special Thanks To: Sora Lover: Angel of Darkness, Sora otaku, Heather Christi, Hikari_Tenshi4, StuckDreaming, and marina!
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 about this topic because I plainly put my warning here!
Rating: This chapter has some rated R-ish scenes in here.
Reminder:
"............" Means talking
(............) Means author's notes
*...........* Means an action
~..........~ Means thinking
‘………’ Means past sayings
>..........< Means a place
Two Halves of A Whole
Chapter Seven
>Celica's Chamber<
Searching through numerous books left behind by Ansem, Celica skimmed them quickly, then dropped them in an open area next to her. She let out a string of curses while getting up and heading in the direction of the large fogged up mirror. Peering into its depths with great interest, she stared hard at the images forming from the fog. It spun and spiraled, creating figures slowly, but surely. After a few minutes, the images were shown with such clarity it seemed to blend in with reality. The mirror revealed Sora and Riku sleeping peacefully, their arms and legs tangled with one another. Celica's lavender eyes narrowed out of pure annoyance as she turned around, leaving the image on the mirror. She walked over to a small pedestal and put her hands together to form an A. Closing her eyes and chanting softly, the ancient mahogany chest resting on the pedestal began to glow a vibrant blue, filling the entire room with its iridescent light. A sound resembling the unlocking of a bolt rung throughout the sinister chamber, causing Celica's eyes to snap open. The vibrant blue now outlined the chest and it started to open. As the chest opened, a brighter and more vivacious blue was released from its confines, causing Celica to raise her hands and shield her eyes. The blue disappeared as soon as it came and the search through its contents commenced. Rummaging through the ancient scrolls, she pulled out a long piece of parchment with scribbled writing on its exterior. "Damn your messy handwriting, Ansem," she said bitterly, bringing the note closer to her face.
Several minutes and hundreds of curses later, Celica finally deciphered the note Ansem recorded. She grabbed a sheet of parchment and a quill, dotting it with ink and writing rapidly. She finished in a short amount of time, then snapped her fingers. A Heartless appeared instantaneously, keeping its beady eyes on its master. This was a new kind of Heartless; one never before seen or encountered before. It was completely white and its eyes were no longer the eerie yellow, but a disturbing blue. Its skin was smooth and flawless with the new Heartless symbol embedded in its chest. A lengthy cloak rested upon its shoulders, the large cowl covering the antennas that reached its mid-back. The Heartless did not twitch or spasm like the others; it stood straight and motionless.
"Find me the ingredients to these potions," Celica commanded while handing the list to the Heartless. "Be quick! I need this as soon as possible."
The Heartless nodded in response and took the note, placing it in an inner fold of his cloak. Grabbing one end of the cloak, the Heartless spun while covering himself, causing him to disappear in a flash of cobalt light. Celica made her way over to the mirror, grinning maliciously while watching the two unsuspecting Keyblade Masters. "Your past has caught up to you, my dears," she whispered barely audible. "You will suffer."
* * * * * *
It was now three days into the journey and Sora was already restless. He never knew getting to one world took so long since they always warped to the places they wanted to go. But the Warp-G needed to be replaced, therefore making them travel the long way. It was utterly boring. Sora sighed for what had to be the millionth time today and plopped down on his bed, gazing at the ceiling blankly. Riku was with Yuna, causing the restless Keyblade Master to be without his company. It was funny; Riku and Yuna getting along so well. Over the course of three days, they had managed convert from being rivals to best friends. This revelation caused Sora to feel a pang of jealously at how well they can adapt. When he is with a group of people, it takes him forever to warm up and start acting like his usual self. Sora smiled at the way he acts. It was the way he met Riku...
:Flashback:
Approaching footsteps caused the sniffling Sora to look up and gaze at a silver-haired boy who steadily made his way over to his spot. Thinking that he was going to pass him by, the cinnamon-haired four year old, returned to his previous position; his knees scrunched up to his chest and his head between his knees. A splash could be heard, causing Sora to look up once more. A boy, looking about his age, walked towards him slowly, his clear sea-green eyes filled with concern for a boy he didn't even know. His silver hair fluttered in the wind, moving in sync with the movement of his loose yellow tank top and baggy blue shorts. Sora looked to the side in hopes of covering his tears, for he did not want to be called a crybaby anymore. "Whatsa matta?" the silver-haired boy asked innocently.
Hiccupping, the heartbroken five year old looked up, wiping away his tears with the sleeve of his white shirt. He backed up in fear, curling up into a tighter ball. Frighteningly looking at the mysterious boy in front of him, he muffled his whimpering by burying his head deeply between his knees. The silver-haired boy only cocked his head to the side questioningly and moved forward. Placing his small hand on the younger boy's shoulder, he pulled him into an childlike embrace. Sora removed his head from the safe confines of the area between his knees and looked at the older boy, his sapphire eyes filled with a blend of happiness and confusion. "My dad does this ewerytime I get wreal sad," the boy said.
This statement only caused Sora to cry again, alarming the older boy embracing him. "Whatsa matta?" he repeated with urgent apprehension, patting him on the back.
Reassured by the stranger's concern, Sora spoke softly and hesitantly. "T-the older boys cawed me a crybaby cuz' my dad is leaving the island for a..." He paused, trying hard to remember the word he was looking for.
"Week? Month? Year?" the latter queried.
"A year!" Sora exclaimed. His proclamation made him sink back into his depressed state.
A silence passed between the two boys. The older one continued to hold the younger boy. "My name is Riku. What's yours?" he questioned silently.
Sora looked up with surprise etched in his young features. "Y-you're not gwoing to make fun?" he asked incredulously.
Riku nodded and pulled away and smiled brightly at Sora. "I want to be your friend!"
Smiling, Sora stretched his hand out enthusiastically. "My name's Sora!"
Riku blinked rapidly, surprised at the sudden happiness from his newfound friend. Shrugging it off, he laughed and grabbed the outstretched hand, shaking it firmly.
:End Flashback:
Sora chuckled to himself and got off of the bed. ~Where is he anyway?~
Leaving his and Riku's bedroom, he walked down the hall and up the stairs, searching the different rooms that lined the hall. Sora reached the end of the hall, which happened to be a large training area. Laughing and the clashing of some kind of weapon could be heard, making Sora's curiosity soar. ~It's probably just Leon and Yuffie...~
Peering into the room anyway, Sora openly stared at the sight before him. Yuna had her staff out and was standing into fighting stance, red from either laughing or fighting. Across from her was Riku, his shirt strewn carelessly beside him with his Keyblade in hand. His long silver hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, two locks falling out and resting in front of his sweat-covered face. The older boy was clutching his stomach and laughing with Yuna, who was laughing equally as hard. The two stopped composed themselves and looked to Sora; he was still fixated in the same spot. "Hey, Sora." Riku called out. Walking over to Sora, Riku placed a chaste kiss on Sora's lips, causing the younger boy to blush and Yuna to smile.
"What are you guys doing?" Sora asked.
Yuna set her staff down and walked over to the couple. "We're training for the upcoming worlds. Riku told me the Heartless there are pretty powerful and so is their new boss."
"She is so much like Ansem," Riku added. "The only difference between them is - I think - Celica is more cunning. That could prove to be a major problem."
Sora's face scrunched up into a thoughtful expression. "Somehow I wouldn't be surprised if those two knew each other."
Riku nodded in agreement, wrapping his arm casually around Sora's waist. "That is probably true, which makes her dangerous. For all we know there could be 'Celica Reports' scattered throughout the universe."
"What we need to focus on is our strength," Yuna said emphasizing the word strength. "We will be at the next world in less than two days and we have no idea what could be waiting for us there."
"Yuna's right. That is the main thing we need to focus on. Why don't you join us, Sora?"
Sora smirked and began to take his shirt off, revealing well-developed muscles. "Of course you both can't handle me."
Shocked, Riku watched as Sora began to warm up by stretching, doing push-ups, sit ups and toe touches. ~He looks so good right now...~
Sora finished his warm up by cracking his neck and summoning the Keyblade. With a smirk adorning his lips, he crouched into fighting position. "Who am I fighting first?"
Yuna, used to Sora's behavior when it came to fighting, stepped forward and gripped her staff tightly. "Me."
Not giving a chance for Sora to retort, Yuna immediately summoned the beautiful Spirit of Ice, Shiva. She sent Shiva forward to attack. Running, the ice spirit jumped up and spin kicked, only to be dodged by Sora. He raced forward and slashed at Shiva in a diagonal motion repeatedly. Shiva cast protect on herself, then cast a Blizzaga spell on Sora. The spell encased him, freezing him momentarily, then broke apart. The spell left him immobilized for a few moments and because of this, Yuna took the opporturnity to cast Triple on herself, then cast Holy three consecutive times. Sora was hit repeatedly with the blinding white light that caused so much pain, but even after the three spells were cast, he shook himself out of his stupor and raced towards Yuna. With his Keyblade stretched out, Sora jabbed at Yuna's middle. She jumped to the left and to her surprise as well as Riku's, Sora swung his Keyblade to the left as well, causing Yuna to be hit on her side. Jumping back, Yuna quickly cast a Curaga spell, watching Shiva and Sora fight. She cast Blizzaga on Shiva to cure her, then jumped back into the fight. Sora had just blocked Shiva's kick and proceeded to do Ars Arcanum on her, which ended up being her downfall. She collapsed on the ground, disappearing in small oscillating particles that floated to the heavens. Turning around from his spot, Sora wiped a thin sheet of perspiration off of his forehead and crouched back into fighting position. "I know you can do better than that."
Riku gaped. Never before had he seen Sora fight like that. Of course it's been four years, but Sora looked so graceful and cunning as he glided across the training grounds, slashing his Keyblade and deflecting attacks. Sora had done it; he had master the art of fighting. Riku wanted to pounce on Sora right there in front of Yuna. It was amazing. Fantastic. Spectacular! Not only did Riku have the need to fight him, but he also had the need to pull Sora's body against his, their tongues fighting the battle of dominance... ~Stop! Just stop thinking that before you kill yourself!!~
"...Riku...?"
Riku looked at the sweat-covered boy as he advanced towards him. "It's your turn."
Riku looked to the right of Sora to see Yuna bent over on her knees, breathing heavily. The staff was on the ground several feet away from her and none of her aeons were in sight. ~Had I daydreamed that long?~
Suddenly, a pair of soft lips covered his own. Riku was certainly taken off guard, but went with the flow and deepened the kiss. The lips left too soon, causing a small sigh to escape Riku. Sora looked at him slyly and turned around, placing his hand on his hip and turning his head to look at Riku. A seductive smile adorned his features. "If you beat me, I'll give you a special prize," he purred huskily, causing Riku's need to increase by the second.
With renewed confidence and strength, Riku pulled the fallen strands of his hair back into his ponytail and summoned the Keyblade. "But..."
"...if I win, you have to do something for me."
Riku frowned and crossed his arms. ~I should have known they'd be a catch.~ "And that would be...?"
Sora turned around fully and summoned his Keyblade, getting into fighting stance. "That is a secret." he said seductively.
Not waiting for Riku to ponder on the thought, he dashed forward with rapid speed and jumped high in the air, bringing the Keyblade downward. Riku was taken aback by the speed of his best friend/boyfriend, but still managed to hold his very own Keyblade up to deflect Sora's assault. Sora used this block to push off and land far from Riku. He then pushed off from the ground and glided towards Riku, sending fireballs in his direction. Riku easily dodged and headed for Sora. Slashing diagonally, Riku followed up that attack with another slash in the direction of Sora's head and neck. Sora blocked the first attack and quickly counterattacked with his own assault to deflected Riku's other attack. The force of the two Keyblades clashing sent both boys backward, but did nothing to stop the fight. Sora got right back into the battle by using Strike Raid. Riku quickly calculated the time and hit the Keyblade just right, sending it right back to Sora. As the Keyblade spun closer to Sora, he only smirked, which caused Riku to watch and wonder what Sora was up to. The Keyblade finally reached its original master; he caught it perfectly and threw it right back at a lightning fast pace. Stunned, Riku didn't have time to dodge or block and was hit squarely in the chest. The force knocked him off of his feet and he fell with a hard thud on his back. Taking advantage of this moment, Sora raced towards the fallen Riku and jumped on him, pinning him to the cold floor. Holding Riku's wrists to the floor, Sora smiled brightly and placed a small kiss on Riku's cheek. "I win."
Even though his pride had decreased, Riku could only smile brightly at the words spoken from Sora. ~He has beaten me fair and square; I'm impressed.~
"Yes, you did."
Sora's smile got even wider. Unexpectedly, he began to laugh. Not a forced laugh, but a deep, rich, heartfelt laugh that shook the very depths of Riku's soul. It was the laugh that signified something special happening. Yes, Riku did know what kind of laughs Sora had and he was glad that this one was released once again.
Yuna watched the couple in pure happiness. She had never heard Sora laugh so freely and easily. It was something she knew only Riku could bring out.
"You don't get my prize, Riku," Sora said after his fit of laughter, "But you do get to do that special thing for me."
Try as he might, Riku couldn't suppress the moan of dread and regret that escaped his lips. This special thing couldn't be good; he was sure of it. Sighing, Riku sat up to be in sitting position. "What is it, Sora?"
Sora's sapphire eyes gleamed mischievously as he leaned forward and whispered into Riku's ear. "NO!"
Riku had attempted to move but the knowledgeable Sora had pinned him down so that he couldn't. "Riku, it was a bet. You lost the bet so now you have to do what you have to do."
Riku looked at Sora incredulously. "I will not do that!! Absolutely not! I'm sorry, Sora, but you have crossed the line!!
"And what was that stunt you pulled back on Destiny Islands? Trying to seduce me when I was in a bath towel?!"
At that declaration, Riku fell silent. Sora was right; trying to seduce an eighteen-year-old boy in a bath towel was pretty outrageous. "Be true to your word, Riku," Sora whispered in his ear.
Riku sighed once again and looked at Sora. "Fine. Let's get this over with."
Sora immediately got off of Riku and dragged him out of the training room. Riku turned around to see Yuna hysterically laughing at the couple. Slapping his hand to his forehead, Riku groaned as he followed the energetic Sora down the hall. ~This is so embarrassing. How could he do this to me?~
~The Other Side of the Ship~
"Squall, let me fly the ship!!"
"Absolutely not. It's dangerous to let a novice fly a gummi ship! And its Leon!"
Leon tried to remain calm and focused on the destination as Yuffie pounded him with random facts and utterly ridiculous questions. Slowly, but surely his facade of emotionless began to crack as the girls repeatedly hounded him. Aerith and Cloud watched from a distance, waiting for Leon to combust. "Your name is Squall, silly!"
Leon faced Yuffie, a flame of anger sparkling brightly in his stormy grayish-blue eyes. Yuffie backed away in fright and held Selphie in front of her. Selphie only smiled brightly, oblivious of what just took place. "Leon, let me fly the ship!"
Anger was immediately replaced with sadness as Leon looked at Selphie. 'Woo-hoo! We're flying!'
(Reminder: '......' means past sayings: The people who have actually played Final Fantasy VIII know what that phrase is from. For you other people, Selphie got to pilot the Ragnorak and she had said that, just to let you know. Okay? Okie Dokie!)
"Selphie, you can call me Squall. Okay?"
Selphie thrust her fist in the air and did a little dance. "Yay!"
Yuffie crossed her arms angrily and huffed, spinning around and joining Cloud and Aerith in the corner of the cockpit. "He was just reunited with her and already she gets to call him Squall!"
"Well, she is a close friend of his. You can tell," Aerith stated, pointing her finger at the two companions. Selphie was talking to Leon about the journey and Leon wasn't at all perturbed by her presence. In fact, the three friends could see the hidden smiles that flashed on his face briefly as she spoke about her life on Destiny Islands and the adventures she had with Sora and Riku. Yuffie only "hmphed" at this statement and walked out of the cockpit and into the meeting room. Aerith sighed and laughed to herself softly, finding Yuffie's jealously of Selphie very humorous. She began to walk out to follow Yuffie, but lingered when she saw Cloud watching Leon intently. A small smile can to her lips and finally, she left.
Cloud left soon after Aerith, leaving the two old friends alone. An awkward silence ensued between, causing Selphie to squirm in her seat uncomfortably. Taking a deep breath, she faced Leon. "What was I like?" she whispered barely audible.
Leon looked at her in surprise. With his eyes softening, he let out a sigh. "You are almost the same as you were, Selphie," he said keeping his eyes ahead of him. "You're still the overactive bundle of yellow I remember."
Selphie blushed at that statement and keep looking downward, feeling more awkward than before. "Then...why do I make you so sad?"
Even though that statement cut through him like a sharp, serrated knife, Leon showed no signs of hearing and stared in front of him, steering the ship mechanically. After a few minutes, Selphie felt he wasn't going to answer the question and rose from her seat, heading to the door. "Because you died..."
Selphie whipped around to see Leon still in place, steering the ship. "Even though you are here now, the fact is, you still died. Along with everyone else. Zell, Quistis, that bastard Seifer, Rinoa..."
A single tear cascaded down his face as he spoke. "I was the only one who survived and for 13 years I had to live with that. Now all of a sudden....."
He stopped mid-sentence and the emotionless facade began to appear once again. Selphie walked back to her seat and wrapped her arms around Leon's neck, burying her head in his chocolate brown hair. "I wish I could remember, but I have to wait until my eighteenth birthday," she mumbled in a childlike voice. "I'm sor--"
"NO!"
Leon jerked away from her and looked fiercely in the eye, anger with a mixture of sadness etched in his features. "Do not apologize for something that was beyond your control!"
Selphie cast her eyes downward like a scolded child, her bottom lip jutted out in what looked to be a pout. In spite of all the tension, Leon started shaking, covering his mouth with his hand and looking away. Selphie looked up, a bright smiled forming on her face. "You're laughing!!"
She thrust her fist in the air once again and did a little dance. "I made Squall laugh, yay!!"
* * * * * *
The orange and red hues from the rising sun glimmered vibrantly as Noriyuki and Tohma sat silently in a large jungle-like land. Right now, there were camped in the open, tall grasses surrounded them like a boundary. A large rock protruded from the ground in the center, giving them a place to sit besides the dirt-covered ground. A pathway ahead of them led to an unknown place, and the two men were already afraid to check where it lead. "Aw, damn it all!"
A frustrated Noriyuki punched the rock, causing it to crack. "Why are we waiting here?! Let's explore or something!"
Tohma remained calm, unfazed by the sudden outburst from his partner. "Celica's orders," he said dryly.
"Screw Celica! Let's do something!"
Sighing, Tohma brushed some loose crimson strands out of his face. His jade eyes narrowed, signaling his annoyance at the man next to him. "Relax, Noriyuki," he said in a strained voice,"They will be arriving shortly. Then, we can go ahead and get this party started."
Noriyuki let out an exasperated sigh. Running his hands through his golden hair, he closed his violet eyes and leaned back against the rock. "Fine."
* * * * * *
Alright folks, its time for me to work on Trials and Tribulations. Don't forget to review!
~MercuryGoddess~
Special Thanks To: Sora Lover: Angel of Darkness, Sora otaku, Heather Christi, Hikari_Tenshi4, StuckDreaming, and marina!
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 about this topic because I plainly put my warning here!
Rating: This chapter has some rated R-ish scenes in here.
Reminder:
"............" Means talking
(............) Means author's notes
*...........* Means an action
~..........~ Means thinking
‘………’ Means past sayings
>..........< Means a place
Two Halves of A Whole
Chapter Seven
>Celica's Chamber<
Searching through numerous books left behind by Ansem, Celica skimmed them quickly, then dropped them in an open area next to her. She let out a string of curses while getting up and heading in the direction of the large fogged up mirror. Peering into its depths with great interest, she stared hard at the images forming from the fog. It spun and spiraled, creating figures slowly, but surely. After a few minutes, the images were shown with such clarity it seemed to blend in with reality. The mirror revealed Sora and Riku sleeping peacefully, their arms and legs tangled with one another. Celica's lavender eyes narrowed out of pure annoyance as she turned around, leaving the image on the mirror. She walked over to a small pedestal and put her hands together to form an A. Closing her eyes and chanting softly, the ancient mahogany chest resting on the pedestal began to glow a vibrant blue, filling the entire room with its iridescent light. A sound resembling the unlocking of a bolt rung throughout the sinister chamber, causing Celica's eyes to snap open. The vibrant blue now outlined the chest and it started to open. As the chest opened, a brighter and more vivacious blue was released from its confines, causing Celica to raise her hands and shield her eyes. The blue disappeared as soon as it came and the search through its contents commenced. Rummaging through the ancient scrolls, she pulled out a long piece of parchment with scribbled writing on its exterior. "Damn your messy handwriting, Ansem," she said bitterly, bringing the note closer to her face.
Several minutes and hundreds of curses later, Celica finally deciphered the note Ansem recorded. She grabbed a sheet of parchment and a quill, dotting it with ink and writing rapidly. She finished in a short amount of time, then snapped her fingers. A Heartless appeared instantaneously, keeping its beady eyes on its master. This was a new kind of Heartless; one never before seen or encountered before. It was completely white and its eyes were no longer the eerie yellow, but a disturbing blue. Its skin was smooth and flawless with the new Heartless symbol embedded in its chest. A lengthy cloak rested upon its shoulders, the large cowl covering the antennas that reached its mid-back. The Heartless did not twitch or spasm like the others; it stood straight and motionless.
"Find me the ingredients to these potions," Celica commanded while handing the list to the Heartless. "Be quick! I need this as soon as possible."
The Heartless nodded in response and took the note, placing it in an inner fold of his cloak. Grabbing one end of the cloak, the Heartless spun while covering himself, causing him to disappear in a flash of cobalt light. Celica made her way over to the mirror, grinning maliciously while watching the two unsuspecting Keyblade Masters. "Your past has caught up to you, my dears," she whispered barely audible. "You will suffer."
* * * * * *
It was now three days into the journey and Sora was already restless. He never knew getting to one world took so long since they always warped to the places they wanted to go. But the Warp-G needed to be replaced, therefore making them travel the long way. It was utterly boring. Sora sighed for what had to be the millionth time today and plopped down on his bed, gazing at the ceiling blankly. Riku was with Yuna, causing the restless Keyblade Master to be without his company. It was funny; Riku and Yuna getting along so well. Over the course of three days, they had managed convert from being rivals to best friends. This revelation caused Sora to feel a pang of jealously at how well they can adapt. When he is with a group of people, it takes him forever to warm up and start acting like his usual self. Sora smiled at the way he acts. It was the way he met Riku...
:Flashback:
Approaching footsteps caused the sniffling Sora to look up and gaze at a silver-haired boy who steadily made his way over to his spot. Thinking that he was going to pass him by, the cinnamon-haired four year old, returned to his previous position; his knees scrunched up to his chest and his head between his knees. A splash could be heard, causing Sora to look up once more. A boy, looking about his age, walked towards him slowly, his clear sea-green eyes filled with concern for a boy he didn't even know. His silver hair fluttered in the wind, moving in sync with the movement of his loose yellow tank top and baggy blue shorts. Sora looked to the side in hopes of covering his tears, for he did not want to be called a crybaby anymore. "Whatsa matta?" the silver-haired boy asked innocently.
Hiccupping, the heartbroken five year old looked up, wiping away his tears with the sleeve of his white shirt. He backed up in fear, curling up into a tighter ball. Frighteningly looking at the mysterious boy in front of him, he muffled his whimpering by burying his head deeply between his knees. The silver-haired boy only cocked his head to the side questioningly and moved forward. Placing his small hand on the younger boy's shoulder, he pulled him into an childlike embrace. Sora removed his head from the safe confines of the area between his knees and looked at the older boy, his sapphire eyes filled with a blend of happiness and confusion. "My dad does this ewerytime I get wreal sad," the boy said.
This statement only caused Sora to cry again, alarming the older boy embracing him. "Whatsa matta?" he repeated with urgent apprehension, patting him on the back.
Reassured by the stranger's concern, Sora spoke softly and hesitantly. "T-the older boys cawed me a crybaby cuz' my dad is leaving the island for a..." He paused, trying hard to remember the word he was looking for.
"Week? Month? Year?" the latter queried.
"A year!" Sora exclaimed. His proclamation made him sink back into his depressed state.
A silence passed between the two boys. The older one continued to hold the younger boy. "My name is Riku. What's yours?" he questioned silently.
Sora looked up with surprise etched in his young features. "Y-you're not gwoing to make fun?" he asked incredulously.
Riku nodded and pulled away and smiled brightly at Sora. "I want to be your friend!"
Smiling, Sora stretched his hand out enthusiastically. "My name's Sora!"
Riku blinked rapidly, surprised at the sudden happiness from his newfound friend. Shrugging it off, he laughed and grabbed the outstretched hand, shaking it firmly.
:End Flashback:
Sora chuckled to himself and got off of the bed. ~Where is he anyway?~
Leaving his and Riku's bedroom, he walked down the hall and up the stairs, searching the different rooms that lined the hall. Sora reached the end of the hall, which happened to be a large training area. Laughing and the clashing of some kind of weapon could be heard, making Sora's curiosity soar. ~It's probably just Leon and Yuffie...~
Peering into the room anyway, Sora openly stared at the sight before him. Yuna had her staff out and was standing into fighting stance, red from either laughing or fighting. Across from her was Riku, his shirt strewn carelessly beside him with his Keyblade in hand. His long silver hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, two locks falling out and resting in front of his sweat-covered face. The older boy was clutching his stomach and laughing with Yuna, who was laughing equally as hard. The two stopped composed themselves and looked to Sora; he was still fixated in the same spot. "Hey, Sora." Riku called out. Walking over to Sora, Riku placed a chaste kiss on Sora's lips, causing the younger boy to blush and Yuna to smile.
"What are you guys doing?" Sora asked.
Yuna set her staff down and walked over to the couple. "We're training for the upcoming worlds. Riku told me the Heartless there are pretty powerful and so is their new boss."
"She is so much like Ansem," Riku added. "The only difference between them is - I think - Celica is more cunning. That could prove to be a major problem."
Sora's face scrunched up into a thoughtful expression. "Somehow I wouldn't be surprised if those two knew each other."
Riku nodded in agreement, wrapping his arm casually around Sora's waist. "That is probably true, which makes her dangerous. For all we know there could be 'Celica Reports' scattered throughout the universe."
"What we need to focus on is our strength," Yuna said emphasizing the word strength. "We will be at the next world in less than two days and we have no idea what could be waiting for us there."
"Yuna's right. That is the main thing we need to focus on. Why don't you join us, Sora?"
Sora smirked and began to take his shirt off, revealing well-developed muscles. "Of course you both can't handle me."
Shocked, Riku watched as Sora began to warm up by stretching, doing push-ups, sit ups and toe touches. ~He looks so good right now...~
Sora finished his warm up by cracking his neck and summoning the Keyblade. With a smirk adorning his lips, he crouched into fighting position. "Who am I fighting first?"
Yuna, used to Sora's behavior when it came to fighting, stepped forward and gripped her staff tightly. "Me."
Not giving a chance for Sora to retort, Yuna immediately summoned the beautiful Spirit of Ice, Shiva. She sent Shiva forward to attack. Running, the ice spirit jumped up and spin kicked, only to be dodged by Sora. He raced forward and slashed at Shiva in a diagonal motion repeatedly. Shiva cast protect on herself, then cast a Blizzaga spell on Sora. The spell encased him, freezing him momentarily, then broke apart. The spell left him immobilized for a few moments and because of this, Yuna took the opporturnity to cast Triple on herself, then cast Holy three consecutive times. Sora was hit repeatedly with the blinding white light that caused so much pain, but even after the three spells were cast, he shook himself out of his stupor and raced towards Yuna. With his Keyblade stretched out, Sora jabbed at Yuna's middle. She jumped to the left and to her surprise as well as Riku's, Sora swung his Keyblade to the left as well, causing Yuna to be hit on her side. Jumping back, Yuna quickly cast a Curaga spell, watching Shiva and Sora fight. She cast Blizzaga on Shiva to cure her, then jumped back into the fight. Sora had just blocked Shiva's kick and proceeded to do Ars Arcanum on her, which ended up being her downfall. She collapsed on the ground, disappearing in small oscillating particles that floated to the heavens. Turning around from his spot, Sora wiped a thin sheet of perspiration off of his forehead and crouched back into fighting position. "I know you can do better than that."
Riku gaped. Never before had he seen Sora fight like that. Of course it's been four years, but Sora looked so graceful and cunning as he glided across the training grounds, slashing his Keyblade and deflecting attacks. Sora had done it; he had master the art of fighting. Riku wanted to pounce on Sora right there in front of Yuna. It was amazing. Fantastic. Spectacular! Not only did Riku have the need to fight him, but he also had the need to pull Sora's body against his, their tongues fighting the battle of dominance... ~Stop! Just stop thinking that before you kill yourself!!~
"...Riku...?"
Riku looked at the sweat-covered boy as he advanced towards him. "It's your turn."
Riku looked to the right of Sora to see Yuna bent over on her knees, breathing heavily. The staff was on the ground several feet away from her and none of her aeons were in sight. ~Had I daydreamed that long?~
Suddenly, a pair of soft lips covered his own. Riku was certainly taken off guard, but went with the flow and deepened the kiss. The lips left too soon, causing a small sigh to escape Riku. Sora looked at him slyly and turned around, placing his hand on his hip and turning his head to look at Riku. A seductive smile adorned his features. "If you beat me, I'll give you a special prize," he purred huskily, causing Riku's need to increase by the second.
With renewed confidence and strength, Riku pulled the fallen strands of his hair back into his ponytail and summoned the Keyblade. "But..."
"...if I win, you have to do something for me."
Riku frowned and crossed his arms. ~I should have known they'd be a catch.~ "And that would be...?"
Sora turned around fully and summoned his Keyblade, getting into fighting stance. "That is a secret." he said seductively.
Not waiting for Riku to ponder on the thought, he dashed forward with rapid speed and jumped high in the air, bringing the Keyblade downward. Riku was taken aback by the speed of his best friend/boyfriend, but still managed to hold his very own Keyblade up to deflect Sora's assault. Sora used this block to push off and land far from Riku. He then pushed off from the ground and glided towards Riku, sending fireballs in his direction. Riku easily dodged and headed for Sora. Slashing diagonally, Riku followed up that attack with another slash in the direction of Sora's head and neck. Sora blocked the first attack and quickly counterattacked with his own assault to deflected Riku's other attack. The force of the two Keyblades clashing sent both boys backward, but did nothing to stop the fight. Sora got right back into the battle by using Strike Raid. Riku quickly calculated the time and hit the Keyblade just right, sending it right back to Sora. As the Keyblade spun closer to Sora, he only smirked, which caused Riku to watch and wonder what Sora was up to. The Keyblade finally reached its original master; he caught it perfectly and threw it right back at a lightning fast pace. Stunned, Riku didn't have time to dodge or block and was hit squarely in the chest. The force knocked him off of his feet and he fell with a hard thud on his back. Taking advantage of this moment, Sora raced towards the fallen Riku and jumped on him, pinning him to the cold floor. Holding Riku's wrists to the floor, Sora smiled brightly and placed a small kiss on Riku's cheek. "I win."
Even though his pride had decreased, Riku could only smile brightly at the words spoken from Sora. ~He has beaten me fair and square; I'm impressed.~
"Yes, you did."
Sora's smile got even wider. Unexpectedly, he began to laugh. Not a forced laugh, but a deep, rich, heartfelt laugh that shook the very depths of Riku's soul. It was the laugh that signified something special happening. Yes, Riku did know what kind of laughs Sora had and he was glad that this one was released once again.
Yuna watched the couple in pure happiness. She had never heard Sora laugh so freely and easily. It was something she knew only Riku could bring out.
"You don't get my prize, Riku," Sora said after his fit of laughter, "But you do get to do that special thing for me."
Try as he might, Riku couldn't suppress the moan of dread and regret that escaped his lips. This special thing couldn't be good; he was sure of it. Sighing, Riku sat up to be in sitting position. "What is it, Sora?"
Sora's sapphire eyes gleamed mischievously as he leaned forward and whispered into Riku's ear. "NO!"
Riku had attempted to move but the knowledgeable Sora had pinned him down so that he couldn't. "Riku, it was a bet. You lost the bet so now you have to do what you have to do."
Riku looked at Sora incredulously. "I will not do that!! Absolutely not! I'm sorry, Sora, but you have crossed the line!!
"And what was that stunt you pulled back on Destiny Islands? Trying to seduce me when I was in a bath towel?!"
At that declaration, Riku fell silent. Sora was right; trying to seduce an eighteen-year-old boy in a bath towel was pretty outrageous. "Be true to your word, Riku," Sora whispered in his ear.
Riku sighed once again and looked at Sora. "Fine. Let's get this over with."
Sora immediately got off of Riku and dragged him out of the training room. Riku turned around to see Yuna hysterically laughing at the couple. Slapping his hand to his forehead, Riku groaned as he followed the energetic Sora down the hall. ~This is so embarrassing. How could he do this to me?~
~The Other Side of the Ship~
"Squall, let me fly the ship!!"
"Absolutely not. It's dangerous to let a novice fly a gummi ship! And its Leon!"
Leon tried to remain calm and focused on the destination as Yuffie pounded him with random facts and utterly ridiculous questions. Slowly, but surely his facade of emotionless began to crack as the girls repeatedly hounded him. Aerith and Cloud watched from a distance, waiting for Leon to combust. "Your name is Squall, silly!"
Leon faced Yuffie, a flame of anger sparkling brightly in his stormy grayish-blue eyes. Yuffie backed away in fright and held Selphie in front of her. Selphie only smiled brightly, oblivious of what just took place. "Leon, let me fly the ship!"
Anger was immediately replaced with sadness as Leon looked at Selphie. 'Woo-hoo! We're flying!'
(Reminder: '......' means past sayings: The people who have actually played Final Fantasy VIII know what that phrase is from. For you other people, Selphie got to pilot the Ragnorak and she had said that, just to let you know. Okay? Okie Dokie!)
"Selphie, you can call me Squall. Okay?"
Selphie thrust her fist in the air and did a little dance. "Yay!"
Yuffie crossed her arms angrily and huffed, spinning around and joining Cloud and Aerith in the corner of the cockpit. "He was just reunited with her and already she gets to call him Squall!"
"Well, she is a close friend of his. You can tell," Aerith stated, pointing her finger at the two companions. Selphie was talking to Leon about the journey and Leon wasn't at all perturbed by her presence. In fact, the three friends could see the hidden smiles that flashed on his face briefly as she spoke about her life on Destiny Islands and the adventures she had with Sora and Riku. Yuffie only "hmphed" at this statement and walked out of the cockpit and into the meeting room. Aerith sighed and laughed to herself softly, finding Yuffie's jealously of Selphie very humorous. She began to walk out to follow Yuffie, but lingered when she saw Cloud watching Leon intently. A small smile can to her lips and finally, she left.
Cloud left soon after Aerith, leaving the two old friends alone. An awkward silence ensued between, causing Selphie to squirm in her seat uncomfortably. Taking a deep breath, she faced Leon. "What was I like?" she whispered barely audible.
Leon looked at her in surprise. With his eyes softening, he let out a sigh. "You are almost the same as you were, Selphie," he said keeping his eyes ahead of him. "You're still the overactive bundle of yellow I remember."
Selphie blushed at that statement and keep looking downward, feeling more awkward than before. "Then...why do I make you so sad?"
Even though that statement cut through him like a sharp, serrated knife, Leon showed no signs of hearing and stared in front of him, steering the ship mechanically. After a few minutes, Selphie felt he wasn't going to answer the question and rose from her seat, heading to the door. "Because you died..."
Selphie whipped around to see Leon still in place, steering the ship. "Even though you are here now, the fact is, you still died. Along with everyone else. Zell, Quistis, that bastard Seifer, Rinoa..."
A single tear cascaded down his face as he spoke. "I was the only one who survived and for 13 years I had to live with that. Now all of a sudden....."
He stopped mid-sentence and the emotionless facade began to appear once again. Selphie walked back to her seat and wrapped her arms around Leon's neck, burying her head in his chocolate brown hair. "I wish I could remember, but I have to wait until my eighteenth birthday," she mumbled in a childlike voice. "I'm sor--"
"NO!"
Leon jerked away from her and looked fiercely in the eye, anger with a mixture of sadness etched in his features. "Do not apologize for something that was beyond your control!"
Selphie cast her eyes downward like a scolded child, her bottom lip jutted out in what looked to be a pout. In spite of all the tension, Leon started shaking, covering his mouth with his hand and looking away. Selphie looked up, a bright smiled forming on her face. "You're laughing!!"
She thrust her fist in the air once again and did a little dance. "I made Squall laugh, yay!!"
* * * * * *
The orange and red hues from the rising sun glimmered vibrantly as Noriyuki and Tohma sat silently in a large jungle-like land. Right now, there were camped in the open, tall grasses surrounded them like a boundary. A large rock protruded from the ground in the center, giving them a place to sit besides the dirt-covered ground. A pathway ahead of them led to an unknown place, and the two men were already afraid to check where it lead. "Aw, damn it all!"
A frustrated Noriyuki punched the rock, causing it to crack. "Why are we waiting here?! Let's explore or something!"
Tohma remained calm, unfazed by the sudden outburst from his partner. "Celica's orders," he said dryly.
"Screw Celica! Let's do something!"
Sighing, Tohma brushed some loose crimson strands out of his face. His jade eyes narrowed, signaling his annoyance at the man next to him. "Relax, Noriyuki," he said in a strained voice,"They will be arriving shortly. Then, we can go ahead and get this party started."
Noriyuki let out an exasperated sigh. Running his hands through his golden hair, he closed his violet eyes and leaned back against the rock. "Fine."
* * * * * *
Alright folks, its time for me to work on Trials and Tribulations. Don't forget to review!
~MercuryGoddess~