Fan Fiction ❯ Two Halves of A Whole ❯ THAW ( Chapter 8 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: MercuryGoddess 
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.13.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.9K | Visits: 409 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.13.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.9K | Visits: 409 | Status: Completed
Author Notes: Hey, haven't updated in awhile. Sorry about that, but I had major tests coming up and I had to focus. I got A's on all of them so I'm giving this to you all. It's shorter than what I usually write so I'm planning on updating this week or next week with a long chapter. I enjoyed writing this chapter; it twists the plot a little more. I hope you like it as much as I liked writing it! Also, Trials and Tribulations should be updated this week also. Ja ne.
Special Thanks To: Heather Christi, Uzumaki-sama, Sora Lover: Angel of Darkness, shu-chan, Kairi099 and my two reviewers from MediaMiner.org YaisaKitty and SeYa!
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
+..............+Means a dream
Two Halves of A Whole
Chapter Eight
+Blood spilled on the ground, flowing in torrents towards a floating woman. Her sinister smile portrayed her sadistic thoughts as she advanced towards a limp body that rested on the cold earth floor. Darkness emitted from her and hatred illuminated her lavender eyes. Two sleek obsidian swords were in each of her hands, gleaming maliciously despite the darkness that surrounded them. The woman held them downward dagger style, their serrated ends crossed like an X. The body on the ground - a young woman covered with her own blood, sweat and tears - turned to face the woman, a determined look etched on her face. She rose steadily, grasping a dimly glowing weapon from beside her and clutching her side. Crouching into fighting stance, the young woman held her weapon in front of her despite the yelling and cries from two figures in the distance. Her long auburn hair swayed with the wind, along with her tattered clothing. The woman with the obsidian swords cackled loudly, causing it to echo throughout the dark abyss. "You are a fool if you think you can defeat me," she hissed, a purplish-black mist encasing her.
The young woman weakly smiled, a golden aura surrounding her. "Then I guess I am a fool."
Dashing forward, the young woman engaged herself in a futile battle...
"KAIRI! NO!"+
Riku awakened in a cold sweat with his heart pounding and his mind in a blurry haze, the dream was still fresh on his mind. He looked beside him to find Sora sleeping peacefully beside him. Sighing deeply, Riku climbed out of the large comfortable bed and headed to the bathroom. He filled the sink with crystal clear water and dipped his hands in its placid surface. Splashing his face with the water cupped in his hands, Riku tried to rub away the contents of the horrid dream. It was a futile attempt, since the images of the dream saturated his mind. A pair of strong arms wrapped around his torso, causing him to look in the mirror. His love was behind him, watching him with worry. "What's the matter, Riku?"
Riku turned around and placed a soft kiss on Sora's forehead. "Don't worry about it, Sora. I'm fine."
With his lip jutted out in a watered-down version of his pout, Sora rested his head on Riku's chest. "I won't pressure you to tell me anything, Riku, but know that I'm here to listen, ok?"
Riku smiled at Sora's declaration and kissed him softly on the lips this time. "Thank you."
Smiling, Sora returned the kiss and proceeded to head out of the bathroom. "You certainly don't have to worry about the dream right now, Riku. You have a bet to fulfill."
Riku slapped his hand to his forehead. He was supposed to complete the bet yesterday but an urgent meeting ended up disrupted it.
:Flashback:
Sora held Riku's hand tightly as he headed to their room. He was well aware of the sudden resistance, but was not bothered by it at all. This only encouraged him and he began to pull the older boy harder. Turning the corner, Sora picked up his pace, for his room was at the end of the hall. "Sora! Riku!"
Unable to stop the groan of disappointment from escaping his mouth, Sora turned around to see Aerith standing there, a worried look on her face. "We have called an urgent meeting. Follow me."
Sora walked over to Aerith with Riku behind him, an ominous feeling filling him. They arrived at the meeting room in a matter of minutes and each of them seated themselves at their respectable spots. Leon, who was seated at the head of the table, held his hand up to silence the idle chatter amongst them. "It seems someone has directed our path away from our set destination," he explained in an authoritative voice. "Instead of heading to Traverse Town, we're heading to the Deep Jungle."
Not waiting for anyone to utter a comment, he continued. "This is probably Celica's work, even though I'm not sure how she was able to disguise the pathway. We have to take extra precautions since there is probably a trap waiting in that world. We should come up with three groups of four."
"Its probably best to come up with the four teams of three," Sora spoke up. "That way, there will the first team of offense, the second team of offense, a team of defense, and finally a medical team."
Everyone nodded in agreement, which Sora took as encouragement to continue. "The first team will be me, Riku and Kairi. The second team will be Leon, Cloud, and Irvine. The defense will be Wakka, Tidus, and Yuffie. Lastly, the medical team will be Selphie, Aerith, and Yuna. I know you all can fight so if you get into danger, you don't have to rely on us to fight for you, medical team."
All three of the young ladies nodded, Selphie more vigorously than the other two. "Sora, do you think that maybe one of us should replace Kairi on the first line of offense?" Cloud asked. "I mean, she has just obtained a weapon."
Sora smiled. "Me and Riku are going to train Kairi so that she can use her Keyblade properly."
Leaving it at that, Sora faced Leon. "Is there anything else you want to add, Leon?"
"No, I think you covered it all."
"What do you think Celica's mission is?" Riku asked, speaking up for the first time.
"Whatever it is, we're going to beat her down, ya?" Wakka said enthusiastically.
"That's right! She's got another thing coming if she think she can go against the Great Ninja Yuffie!"
Groans filled the room. "What?"
:End Flashback:
Riku sat on the bed. He squirmed in dreaded anticipation as his heart pounded wildly in his chest and his breath came in short, quick intervals. He was going to fulfill his end of the bet by...wearing a leopard print loin cloth. ~Of all the things that Sora could have come up with, he had to get this bright idea. This is utterly humiliating.~
"I got it!"
Riku looked up to see Sora holding the loincloth. A mischievous smile adorned his features as he advanced towards his prey. Riku gulped, wiping the beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. Sora threw the dreaded piece of cloth towards Riku. "Here you go."
Riku stood up, glaring at Sora with as much hatred as he could muster for the boy. The glare only caused Sora to smile with triumph. Gathering up what was left of his dignity, Riku strode into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Sora soon sat on the spot where Riku was just sitting, waiting intently on Riku to come out of the bathroom. As he sat in silence, Celica came into mind. Who was she? What did she what? Was she affiliated with Ansem? How did she get control of the Heartless?
Endless questions bombarded his mind. What was the real purpose of this mission? Going through the first journey with Kingdom Hearts was enough. It caused so much pain to not only him, but Riku and Kairi also. The three friends would have never thought that the desire to see and travel to different worlds would trigger an event like this. Sure, all of them did get to travel through the universe. But the most important thing was to travel together and they didn't even get to experience that. A perilous task had been shoved into Sora's hand, causing him to end up opposing his best friend. His love.
The small shift in the bed wasn't enough to rouse Sora from his thoughts. He was deeply engrossed, reminiscing about the dolorous past. The pain, the betrayal, the utter torture that each of them went had to endure coursed through his body to the point that it was almost palpable. It made his head spin, his heart pound, but most of all, it emerged the depression that was recently buried within him. Sora felt it full force; tears of melancholy cascaded down his tanned cheeks as his lifeless sapphire eyes stared blankly ahead. His body convulsed with vigorous, but diminutive sobs. A warm embrace calmed his sobs as he did the only thing he could do. Let out his sorrow.
* * * * * *
"This is so frustrating!"
Kairi slumped to the ground, wiping the beads of sweat that formed on her forehead over the course of the hour. Her Keyblade rested on her side, giving off a dull yellow aura. The aura represented her energy and at the moment it was diminished. "You have to keep trying," a sweet motherly voice said to her.
"I know, Aerith, but this is really tiring. I feel drained," Kairi responded to her new friend. The long chocolate brown haired woman only smiled at her, offering her hand to help Kairi up. Kairi took it with appreciation and grabbed her Keyblade before hoisting herself up. She looked into the emerald eyes of her friend and smiled, trying to be as enthusiastic as possible. "Let's try again."
The young woman clad in pink smiled as well and began to walk to the sidelines. "Alright, Kairi, remember to keep your eyes on the enemy at all times. You don't know what they could be scheming."
"Whose scheming?" a perky voice underlined with a hidden agenda spoke up.
Kairi laughed softly and crouched into a fighting position. "You are always scheming something Yuffie," she stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Bah! Don't be ridiculous! I don't need to devise a plan to beat all of you. I'm the Great--"
"Yes, Yuffie, we know," Aerith quickly cut in. "Ok, Kairi. Are you ready?"
Kairi looked around the training room. Taking a deep breath, she focused only on her target. "Yes."
"Ok. Three...two...one...GO!"
Yuffie immediately jumped back as a safety precaution and unhooked her ninja stars. This move caught Kairi off guard, but she didn't show it as she dashed forward, Keyblade in hand. Jumping in the air, Kairi slash diagonally. She only met air and landed, twirling behind her quickly to fulfill Aerith's advice. As she turned two stars hit her squarely in the chest, causing her to let out a gasp of pain. Holding her chest, Kairi ran forward in the direction of the jumping girl. Gathering her magical energy, Kairi decided to use the spells Aerith just taught her. "Fire!"
Small fireballs shot from the tip of her Keyblade, soaring through the air in a chain towards the target. Yuffie jumped out of the way, but the fireballs followed her movement and hit her in the back. Holding back any sound that would indicate her pain, Yuffie did the unexpected and dashed forward, delivering several ninja stars in the direction of Kairi. The oncoming stars caused Kairi to panic slightly and she tried to remember a trick Sora would use to deflect Wakka' s blitzball. Remembering, Kairi attempted to mimic that move; twirling her Keyblade in a circular motion so fast that it created a shield. Determined not to get hit, Kairi focused all of her magical energy into her Keyblade, causing it pulsate with power. As she twirled, an actual shield was created with the energy put into the Keyblade. Each one of the ninja stars was deflected off of the shield and was directed to head in the direction of Yuffie. Her mouth gaped in horror as she tried to dodge out the way of the sharp stars. She was too late.
Each star hit her in a different place, inflicting pain to her whole body. The Great Ninja Yuffie was soon knocked off balance by the force of each star, crashing into the wooden floors of the training room. Kairi stopped twirling and looked down at the fallen Yuffie, her heart filling with happiness and concern at once. She ran over to Yuffie and reached the girl soon after Aerith did. Aerith looked at Kairi with a bright smiled on her face as she conjured up a Curaga spell for Yuffie. "Congratulations! Your first victory in your first real battle."
Kairi willed her Keyblade away, smiling with newfound pride. ~If I keep practicing, I'll be able to really fight along side of Sora and Riku.~
* * * * * *
A cloaked figure could be seen descending from the heavens, four prodigious sand-colored bags within its grasp. Two large wings protruding from its back folding instantly as it came in contact with the ground. The strange being landed gracefully, almost gliding through the dark, damp entrance of the cave with unimaginable speed. It expertly dodged the stalagmites and stalactites jutting from the ground and ceiling. After only a few short minutes, an illuminating sky blue light could be seen at the end of the tunnel, quickly changing the scenery to one of a dark, gloomy feel to that of a bright, more upbeat feel. Running down the winding path, the mysterious figure reached the end, slowing down his pace. He walked directly through the large crystal doors, his disturbing blue eyes fixed ahead of him.
" You're back. And it only took two days."
The Heartless only bowed and set the bags on the ground in front of Celica. "Are they categorized?"
"Yes, Celica," the Heartless stated, "Each bag has the proper ingredients for the proper spell."
"Excellent. State your report on the Keyblade Masters."
"Currently, all three Keyblade Masters and their companions are in a gummi ship heading to Deep Jungle. Their original route was Traverse Town, but I switched the routes. They should be arriving in that world in approximately twenty-four hours."
Celica eyed her minion suspiciously. "How did you divert the pathways?"
The Heartless remained silent. Celica waved her hand in dismissal. "No matter, what we should be focusing on is these potions. Shin, make these three potions by nightfall."
Shin bowed once more and, grabbing all four bags, walked to a small black cauldron set atop a pedestal. He picked up the bag with the white markings and peered into it, his face twisting into a malicious smile. Dumping the contents into the cauldron, he looked behind him to see Celica skimming through some more old books.
~Foolish woman....~
* * * * * *
Riku continued to stroke Sora's back as the couple lay on the bed tangled in each other's arms. His gaze never left the sobbing younger boy. Sighing softly, Riku diverted his tired gaze to the ceiling. ~I had no idea Sora was in so much pain...~
"Riku...?"
Riku looked down at Sora, surprise etched in his features. It was only yesterday that Sora was running this mission. And now...? His usual confident, authoritative voice was cracked, weak and shaky. His face was drained of all colors except the red that colored his eyes. Riku tightened his embrace. "Yes?"
"I...hate being a Keyblade Master."
This statement flabbergasted Riku even more. Sora was always the type of person to be the hero, even if he didn't have what it takes to help the person. When characters in a movie or game got hurt, he was always the first one to cry and say 'Why didn't they do this?'
"I know I'm being selfish," Sora whispered, breaking Riku's thoughts, "But the only thing I wanted was a life where only me, you and Kairi matter."
Despite the twang of jealously from hearing Kairi's name, Riku leaned over and placed a small kiss on Sora's forehead. "You aren't being selfish. I don't think anyone could have wished what me, even Kairi and you experienced. We did get to travel the universe, but that had a price to pay. That price was jeopardizing our friendship."
Sora sat up, watching Riku run his hands through his long silver hair. "Even though we went through all that and the hardest thing we are going to have to do is not dwelling on the past, we should keep focusing what is in front of us. Celica is probably a lot more dangerous and cunning than Ansem. We have to be optimistic because of that."
Wrapping his arms around Riku's neck, Sora brought him into a deep kiss. Caught off guard, Riku leaned back, allowing Sora to rest on top of him. "Riku..." he breathed as he separated his lips from Riku's. "Make me forget. Make me forgot it all."
Sora pressed himself against Riku, earning him a small, but audible moan from Riku. Wet lips went from swollen lips to pale neck, suckling and nibbling the flesh there. He grinded his hips against Riku, his breath hitching from contact. Riku squeezed his eyes shut and threw back his head, arching his back as his mind started to fog over in a blissful haze. The fact that he was still in a thin loin cloth was helping either. As much as Riku wanted this - well, more like needed judging from the growing heat between his legs - Sora doesn't need this right now. The kind of sex Riku wanted wasn't from lust or trying to forget something. He wanted it to be special and pure; something that he and Sora would cherish for the rest of their lives. They weren't ready for that right now.
"Sora?"
The kisses never ceased and continued to travel farther down south. Sora's feathery lips brushed across Riku's skin, causing Riku's muscles to tense on contact. His breath hitched; words caught in his throat as he felt a wave of lust cover him. Getting up, Riku switched their positions so that he was on top and Sora was beneath him. Sora's face was flushed; his sapphire eyes filled with lust and desire. His breath came out in long, slow intervals and his chest rose in sync with his breaths. The sight was adorable, but Riku had to focus. "Sora, please."
A hurt look flashed across Sora's face as he began to pull away from Riku. "I get it. You don't want to be with me like that."
Riku stared at Sora incredulously. ~Where did this come from?~ "Sora, what..."
Sora quickly scrambled off of the bed and turned abruptly, walking towards the door. Riku jumped off and followed Sora to the door. "Sora, don't take this the wrong way."
Ignoring Riku's comment, Sora opened the door only to have it slammed back by Riku. He slid his body in front of the door, giving Sora a stern look. "Sora--"
"Don't say anything, ok?" Sora snapped. "I understand. I get it. I'm not as dumb as everyone portrays me to be."
Riku looked at Sora in disbelief. ~Why...?~
Sora glared at him, then reached out to grab the door knob. "Why are you acting this way, Sora?" Riku whispered softly.
Looking back, Sora's glare switched to a sad frown. He looked downward. "How else will we be bound, Riku? We never shared a paopu fruit. I DONT WANT TO LOSE YOU AGAIN!"
A small gasp escaped Riku's lips as he watched the pain-stricken boy. We'll never be separated again, Sora. I promise."
Dry laughter filled the room as Sora looked up into Riku's sea green eyes. Hatred lit up his darkened sapphire eyes; his lips set in a wide grin of almost crazed determination. "If they separate us, Riku, I'll kill them with my bare hands."
*SLAP*
Riku looked Sora angerly, his piercing sea-green eyes burning with rage. Sora faced Riku and fingered the cheek that was just slapped; it throbbed painfully.
"Don't you ever let anger dominate your thoughts, Sora. That is how the darkness claims you!"
Sora put his hands in front of his face, his shoulders shaking slightly. Soon, the boy was sliding against the door down to the floor, sobs filling the room once again. Riku bent down to him and pulled him into an embrace. "Look, Sora, I'm sorry but once you start thinking that way..."
There was no need to finish the statement, for Sora understood the purpose of the slap. Despite his tears and the throbbing pain of the slap, Sora smiled geniunely at the shocked Riku. "Thank you, Riku."
* * * * * *
Please review. Constructive criticism is welcome. NOT flames! ^_^
~MercuryGoddess~
Special Thanks To: Heather Christi, Uzumaki-sama, Sora Lover: Angel of Darkness, shu-chan, Kairi099 and my two reviewers from MediaMiner.org YaisaKitty and SeYa!
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
+..............+Means a dream
Two Halves of A Whole
Chapter Eight
+Blood spilled on the ground, flowing in torrents towards a floating woman. Her sinister smile portrayed her sadistic thoughts as she advanced towards a limp body that rested on the cold earth floor. Darkness emitted from her and hatred illuminated her lavender eyes. Two sleek obsidian swords were in each of her hands, gleaming maliciously despite the darkness that surrounded them. The woman held them downward dagger style, their serrated ends crossed like an X. The body on the ground - a young woman covered with her own blood, sweat and tears - turned to face the woman, a determined look etched on her face. She rose steadily, grasping a dimly glowing weapon from beside her and clutching her side. Crouching into fighting stance, the young woman held her weapon in front of her despite the yelling and cries from two figures in the distance. Her long auburn hair swayed with the wind, along with her tattered clothing. The woman with the obsidian swords cackled loudly, causing it to echo throughout the dark abyss. "You are a fool if you think you can defeat me," she hissed, a purplish-black mist encasing her.
The young woman weakly smiled, a golden aura surrounding her. "Then I guess I am a fool."
Dashing forward, the young woman engaged herself in a futile battle...
"KAIRI! NO!"+
Riku awakened in a cold sweat with his heart pounding and his mind in a blurry haze, the dream was still fresh on his mind. He looked beside him to find Sora sleeping peacefully beside him. Sighing deeply, Riku climbed out of the large comfortable bed and headed to the bathroom. He filled the sink with crystal clear water and dipped his hands in its placid surface. Splashing his face with the water cupped in his hands, Riku tried to rub away the contents of the horrid dream. It was a futile attempt, since the images of the dream saturated his mind. A pair of strong arms wrapped around his torso, causing him to look in the mirror. His love was behind him, watching him with worry. "What's the matter, Riku?"
Riku turned around and placed a soft kiss on Sora's forehead. "Don't worry about it, Sora. I'm fine."
With his lip jutted out in a watered-down version of his pout, Sora rested his head on Riku's chest. "I won't pressure you to tell me anything, Riku, but know that I'm here to listen, ok?"
Riku smiled at Sora's declaration and kissed him softly on the lips this time. "Thank you."
Smiling, Sora returned the kiss and proceeded to head out of the bathroom. "You certainly don't have to worry about the dream right now, Riku. You have a bet to fulfill."
Riku slapped his hand to his forehead. He was supposed to complete the bet yesterday but an urgent meeting ended up disrupted it.
:Flashback:
Sora held Riku's hand tightly as he headed to their room. He was well aware of the sudden resistance, but was not bothered by it at all. This only encouraged him and he began to pull the older boy harder. Turning the corner, Sora picked up his pace, for his room was at the end of the hall. "Sora! Riku!"
Unable to stop the groan of disappointment from escaping his mouth, Sora turned around to see Aerith standing there, a worried look on her face. "We have called an urgent meeting. Follow me."
Sora walked over to Aerith with Riku behind him, an ominous feeling filling him. They arrived at the meeting room in a matter of minutes and each of them seated themselves at their respectable spots. Leon, who was seated at the head of the table, held his hand up to silence the idle chatter amongst them. "It seems someone has directed our path away from our set destination," he explained in an authoritative voice. "Instead of heading to Traverse Town, we're heading to the Deep Jungle."
Not waiting for anyone to utter a comment, he continued. "This is probably Celica's work, even though I'm not sure how she was able to disguise the pathway. We have to take extra precautions since there is probably a trap waiting in that world. We should come up with three groups of four."
"Its probably best to come up with the four teams of three," Sora spoke up. "That way, there will the first team of offense, the second team of offense, a team of defense, and finally a medical team."
Everyone nodded in agreement, which Sora took as encouragement to continue. "The first team will be me, Riku and Kairi. The second team will be Leon, Cloud, and Irvine. The defense will be Wakka, Tidus, and Yuffie. Lastly, the medical team will be Selphie, Aerith, and Yuna. I know you all can fight so if you get into danger, you don't have to rely on us to fight for you, medical team."
All three of the young ladies nodded, Selphie more vigorously than the other two. "Sora, do you think that maybe one of us should replace Kairi on the first line of offense?" Cloud asked. "I mean, she has just obtained a weapon."
Sora smiled. "Me and Riku are going to train Kairi so that she can use her Keyblade properly."
Leaving it at that, Sora faced Leon. "Is there anything else you want to add, Leon?"
"No, I think you covered it all."
"What do you think Celica's mission is?" Riku asked, speaking up for the first time.
"Whatever it is, we're going to beat her down, ya?" Wakka said enthusiastically.
"That's right! She's got another thing coming if she think she can go against the Great Ninja Yuffie!"
Groans filled the room. "What?"
:End Flashback:
Riku sat on the bed. He squirmed in dreaded anticipation as his heart pounded wildly in his chest and his breath came in short, quick intervals. He was going to fulfill his end of the bet by...wearing a leopard print loin cloth. ~Of all the things that Sora could have come up with, he had to get this bright idea. This is utterly humiliating.~
"I got it!"
Riku looked up to see Sora holding the loincloth. A mischievous smile adorned his features as he advanced towards his prey. Riku gulped, wiping the beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. Sora threw the dreaded piece of cloth towards Riku. "Here you go."
Riku stood up, glaring at Sora with as much hatred as he could muster for the boy. The glare only caused Sora to smile with triumph. Gathering up what was left of his dignity, Riku strode into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Sora soon sat on the spot where Riku was just sitting, waiting intently on Riku to come out of the bathroom. As he sat in silence, Celica came into mind. Who was she? What did she what? Was she affiliated with Ansem? How did she get control of the Heartless?
Endless questions bombarded his mind. What was the real purpose of this mission? Going through the first journey with Kingdom Hearts was enough. It caused so much pain to not only him, but Riku and Kairi also. The three friends would have never thought that the desire to see and travel to different worlds would trigger an event like this. Sure, all of them did get to travel through the universe. But the most important thing was to travel together and they didn't even get to experience that. A perilous task had been shoved into Sora's hand, causing him to end up opposing his best friend. His love.
The small shift in the bed wasn't enough to rouse Sora from his thoughts. He was deeply engrossed, reminiscing about the dolorous past. The pain, the betrayal, the utter torture that each of them went had to endure coursed through his body to the point that it was almost palpable. It made his head spin, his heart pound, but most of all, it emerged the depression that was recently buried within him. Sora felt it full force; tears of melancholy cascaded down his tanned cheeks as his lifeless sapphire eyes stared blankly ahead. His body convulsed with vigorous, but diminutive sobs. A warm embrace calmed his sobs as he did the only thing he could do. Let out his sorrow.
* * * * * *
"This is so frustrating!"
Kairi slumped to the ground, wiping the beads of sweat that formed on her forehead over the course of the hour. Her Keyblade rested on her side, giving off a dull yellow aura. The aura represented her energy and at the moment it was diminished. "You have to keep trying," a sweet motherly voice said to her.
"I know, Aerith, but this is really tiring. I feel drained," Kairi responded to her new friend. The long chocolate brown haired woman only smiled at her, offering her hand to help Kairi up. Kairi took it with appreciation and grabbed her Keyblade before hoisting herself up. She looked into the emerald eyes of her friend and smiled, trying to be as enthusiastic as possible. "Let's try again."
The young woman clad in pink smiled as well and began to walk to the sidelines. "Alright, Kairi, remember to keep your eyes on the enemy at all times. You don't know what they could be scheming."
"Whose scheming?" a perky voice underlined with a hidden agenda spoke up.
Kairi laughed softly and crouched into a fighting position. "You are always scheming something Yuffie," she stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Bah! Don't be ridiculous! I don't need to devise a plan to beat all of you. I'm the Great--"
"Yes, Yuffie, we know," Aerith quickly cut in. "Ok, Kairi. Are you ready?"
Kairi looked around the training room. Taking a deep breath, she focused only on her target. "Yes."
"Ok. Three...two...one...GO!"
Yuffie immediately jumped back as a safety precaution and unhooked her ninja stars. This move caught Kairi off guard, but she didn't show it as she dashed forward, Keyblade in hand. Jumping in the air, Kairi slash diagonally. She only met air and landed, twirling behind her quickly to fulfill Aerith's advice. As she turned two stars hit her squarely in the chest, causing her to let out a gasp of pain. Holding her chest, Kairi ran forward in the direction of the jumping girl. Gathering her magical energy, Kairi decided to use the spells Aerith just taught her. "Fire!"
Small fireballs shot from the tip of her Keyblade, soaring through the air in a chain towards the target. Yuffie jumped out of the way, but the fireballs followed her movement and hit her in the back. Holding back any sound that would indicate her pain, Yuffie did the unexpected and dashed forward, delivering several ninja stars in the direction of Kairi. The oncoming stars caused Kairi to panic slightly and she tried to remember a trick Sora would use to deflect Wakka' s blitzball. Remembering, Kairi attempted to mimic that move; twirling her Keyblade in a circular motion so fast that it created a shield. Determined not to get hit, Kairi focused all of her magical energy into her Keyblade, causing it pulsate with power. As she twirled, an actual shield was created with the energy put into the Keyblade. Each one of the ninja stars was deflected off of the shield and was directed to head in the direction of Yuffie. Her mouth gaped in horror as she tried to dodge out the way of the sharp stars. She was too late.
Each star hit her in a different place, inflicting pain to her whole body. The Great Ninja Yuffie was soon knocked off balance by the force of each star, crashing into the wooden floors of the training room. Kairi stopped twirling and looked down at the fallen Yuffie, her heart filling with happiness and concern at once. She ran over to Yuffie and reached the girl soon after Aerith did. Aerith looked at Kairi with a bright smiled on her face as she conjured up a Curaga spell for Yuffie. "Congratulations! Your first victory in your first real battle."
Kairi willed her Keyblade away, smiling with newfound pride. ~If I keep practicing, I'll be able to really fight along side of Sora and Riku.~
* * * * * *
A cloaked figure could be seen descending from the heavens, four prodigious sand-colored bags within its grasp. Two large wings protruding from its back folding instantly as it came in contact with the ground. The strange being landed gracefully, almost gliding through the dark, damp entrance of the cave with unimaginable speed. It expertly dodged the stalagmites and stalactites jutting from the ground and ceiling. After only a few short minutes, an illuminating sky blue light could be seen at the end of the tunnel, quickly changing the scenery to one of a dark, gloomy feel to that of a bright, more upbeat feel. Running down the winding path, the mysterious figure reached the end, slowing down his pace. He walked directly through the large crystal doors, his disturbing blue eyes fixed ahead of him.
" You're back. And it only took two days."
The Heartless only bowed and set the bags on the ground in front of Celica. "Are they categorized?"
"Yes, Celica," the Heartless stated, "Each bag has the proper ingredients for the proper spell."
"Excellent. State your report on the Keyblade Masters."
"Currently, all three Keyblade Masters and their companions are in a gummi ship heading to Deep Jungle. Their original route was Traverse Town, but I switched the routes. They should be arriving in that world in approximately twenty-four hours."
Celica eyed her minion suspiciously. "How did you divert the pathways?"
The Heartless remained silent. Celica waved her hand in dismissal. "No matter, what we should be focusing on is these potions. Shin, make these three potions by nightfall."
Shin bowed once more and, grabbing all four bags, walked to a small black cauldron set atop a pedestal. He picked up the bag with the white markings and peered into it, his face twisting into a malicious smile. Dumping the contents into the cauldron, he looked behind him to see Celica skimming through some more old books.
~Foolish woman....~
* * * * * *
Riku continued to stroke Sora's back as the couple lay on the bed tangled in each other's arms. His gaze never left the sobbing younger boy. Sighing softly, Riku diverted his tired gaze to the ceiling. ~I had no idea Sora was in so much pain...~
"Riku...?"
Riku looked down at Sora, surprise etched in his features. It was only yesterday that Sora was running this mission. And now...? His usual confident, authoritative voice was cracked, weak and shaky. His face was drained of all colors except the red that colored his eyes. Riku tightened his embrace. "Yes?"
"I...hate being a Keyblade Master."
This statement flabbergasted Riku even more. Sora was always the type of person to be the hero, even if he didn't have what it takes to help the person. When characters in a movie or game got hurt, he was always the first one to cry and say 'Why didn't they do this?'
"I know I'm being selfish," Sora whispered, breaking Riku's thoughts, "But the only thing I wanted was a life where only me, you and Kairi matter."
Despite the twang of jealously from hearing Kairi's name, Riku leaned over and placed a small kiss on Sora's forehead. "You aren't being selfish. I don't think anyone could have wished what me, even Kairi and you experienced. We did get to travel the universe, but that had a price to pay. That price was jeopardizing our friendship."
Sora sat up, watching Riku run his hands through his long silver hair. "Even though we went through all that and the hardest thing we are going to have to do is not dwelling on the past, we should keep focusing what is in front of us. Celica is probably a lot more dangerous and cunning than Ansem. We have to be optimistic because of that."
Wrapping his arms around Riku's neck, Sora brought him into a deep kiss. Caught off guard, Riku leaned back, allowing Sora to rest on top of him. "Riku..." he breathed as he separated his lips from Riku's. "Make me forget. Make me forgot it all."
Sora pressed himself against Riku, earning him a small, but audible moan from Riku. Wet lips went from swollen lips to pale neck, suckling and nibbling the flesh there. He grinded his hips against Riku, his breath hitching from contact. Riku squeezed his eyes shut and threw back his head, arching his back as his mind started to fog over in a blissful haze. The fact that he was still in a thin loin cloth was helping either. As much as Riku wanted this - well, more like needed judging from the growing heat between his legs - Sora doesn't need this right now. The kind of sex Riku wanted wasn't from lust or trying to forget something. He wanted it to be special and pure; something that he and Sora would cherish for the rest of their lives. They weren't ready for that right now.
"Sora?"
The kisses never ceased and continued to travel farther down south. Sora's feathery lips brushed across Riku's skin, causing Riku's muscles to tense on contact. His breath hitched; words caught in his throat as he felt a wave of lust cover him. Getting up, Riku switched their positions so that he was on top and Sora was beneath him. Sora's face was flushed; his sapphire eyes filled with lust and desire. His breath came out in long, slow intervals and his chest rose in sync with his breaths. The sight was adorable, but Riku had to focus. "Sora, please."
A hurt look flashed across Sora's face as he began to pull away from Riku. "I get it. You don't want to be with me like that."
Riku stared at Sora incredulously. ~Where did this come from?~ "Sora, what..."
Sora quickly scrambled off of the bed and turned abruptly, walking towards the door. Riku jumped off and followed Sora to the door. "Sora, don't take this the wrong way."
Ignoring Riku's comment, Sora opened the door only to have it slammed back by Riku. He slid his body in front of the door, giving Sora a stern look. "Sora--"
"Don't say anything, ok?" Sora snapped. "I understand. I get it. I'm not as dumb as everyone portrays me to be."
Riku looked at Sora in disbelief. ~Why...?~
Sora glared at him, then reached out to grab the door knob. "Why are you acting this way, Sora?" Riku whispered softly.
Looking back, Sora's glare switched to a sad frown. He looked downward. "How else will we be bound, Riku? We never shared a paopu fruit. I DONT WANT TO LOSE YOU AGAIN!"
A small gasp escaped Riku's lips as he watched the pain-stricken boy. We'll never be separated again, Sora. I promise."
Dry laughter filled the room as Sora looked up into Riku's sea green eyes. Hatred lit up his darkened sapphire eyes; his lips set in a wide grin of almost crazed determination. "If they separate us, Riku, I'll kill them with my bare hands."
*SLAP*
Riku looked Sora angerly, his piercing sea-green eyes burning with rage. Sora faced Riku and fingered the cheek that was just slapped; it throbbed painfully.
"Don't you ever let anger dominate your thoughts, Sora. That is how the darkness claims you!"
Sora put his hands in front of his face, his shoulders shaking slightly. Soon, the boy was sliding against the door down to the floor, sobs filling the room once again. Riku bent down to him and pulled him into an embrace. "Look, Sora, I'm sorry but once you start thinking that way..."
There was no need to finish the statement, for Sora understood the purpose of the slap. Despite his tears and the throbbing pain of the slap, Sora smiled geniunely at the shocked Riku. "Thank you, Riku."
* * * * * *
Please review. Constructive criticism is welcome. NOT flames! ^_^
~MercuryGoddess~