InuYasha Fan Fiction / Outlaw Star Fan Fiction / Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Kingdom Hearts II: A New Realm ❯ Materia Girl ( Chapter 4 )

Sora's eyes fluttered open. They took a while to focus but they soon were able to make-out shapes in the weak light of fire. He saw a table, chairs, assorted pieces of furniture, Riku...
"Riku!", the young boy sat up as much as he could but was forced to lay back a bit. His head, stomach, and legs ached terribly. Riku didn't look up at his long estranged friend. He was intensely examining the green orb that had arrived with Sora. The orb was beating and its glow was even dimmer than the fireplace.
"What is this, Sora?", the silver-haired boy held the orb out so the one in bed could see.
"I don't know." Riku set the orb down and walked over to Sora. There was a moment of silence. Sora opened his mouth to speak but Riku dropped down and embraced him. Another quiet moment then Sora gently pushed him away.
"I'm sorry. It's been a long time."
"I know, but where are we?", Sora said, looking around the modest domicile.
"I'm not sure, all I remember is a loud crashing noise noise then waking up here.", Riku put his hand to his head, where a semi-bloody bandages were, "Some old man lives here."
A door creaked open and a wrinkled old man appeared a long with Donald and Goofy. The duck and dog were carrying several grocery bags and the man was explaining the basics of souffle' making.
"And after you put it in the oven-.. oh! I see you're awake, young man. Riku, is this a friend of yours?"
"He is."
"Ah, good good" the old man walked across the room having spotted the orb, "What is your name?"
"Sora?"
"I am Lasara. Is this yours?"
"Actually...", Sora explained what had happened before he, Goofy, and Donald appeared there, "Then he threw that at me and said it was left over materia."
"Hm, this poor materia.", Lasara inspected the crack on the on the ball's outer layer, "If it gets anymore abuse- oops."
The materia slipped through Lasara's fingers and fell to the the floor, cracking into many glass shards. The green content oozed out and formed a large green splotch on the wooden tier. Everyone watched in amazement as the jade colored blob rolled into a ball and began to shape itself. When it finished, the green layer flowed away to unveil a girl, about Riku's age, sitting on the ground, with extremely long black hair and crystal blue eyes. She looked around and saw Goofy and Donald cover their eyes. Her arms were pulled over her chest in girlish defense and she sat with her legs beneath her. Riku glared down at her, having pieced together that she was like the one who attacked Sora. Sora blushed and covered his face. The girl felt Riku's anger and suddenly broke into tears. She leaned forward into a fetal position, her long hair cover her entire backside. Lasara, having broken away from the trance of the young lady, made way to her side and covered her with with a spare sheet.
"Now, now, young one. Get up, let's get you dressed.", he pulled her up into a standing position. Lasara lead the mysterious girl into a back room.
"Who was that?", asked Goofy, taking his hands down.
"I don't know.", replied Donald.
"I know. She's Death's sister!", Riku punched his fist into the soft mattress, causing Sora to bounce on the other side.
"What?", Goofy said.
"But, Riku, she doesn't look it.", Sora knew he was lying to himself. The black hair, though longer than Death's, reminded him every bit of the man.
"Well", Riku crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes, "I don't trusted her."
Lasara reentered the room with the girl. She was wearing a torn t-shirt and patchwork pants. She gazed over the room and saw Sora covered in bandages.
"Oh!", the girl jogged across the room over to Sora and Riku, but as she reached out to touch the brown-haired boy.
"DON'T TOUCH HIM!!!", Riku snatched the girl's arm. She made a faint noise and flinched away from Riku, crying again. Donald and Goofy helped her into a chair where she wiped her eyes on the old shirt, "It was your brother who did this to him in the first place!"
"Riku!", Sora grabbed his friend's shoulder, "What's wrong with you?"
"With me? Sora, this girl's brother hurt you, tried to kill you. And your going to let her touch you? Let alone be in the same house with you?!?!"
"But, she could be different!!", Riku snorted and marched out Lasara's home. The girl looked towards the door and made a confused squeak.
"Don't worry, dearie.", Lasara patted the young lady on her back, "Oh, I never got your name."
The girl blinked up at him and tilted her head.
"Name... your name."
Blink.
"I don't think she understands, Lasara.", Goofy pointed out as he and Donald placed the bags on the floor. Lasara scratched his head and tried in different languages. Still the same result.
"I don't think she speaks at all.", Donald trotted up to the girl and tried to introduce himself, "I.. am.. Donald." He used a bit of makeshift sign language. He pointed to himself and stressed the 'Donald' at the end. Then he introduced everyone else.
"Sor-a... Goo-fy... La-sar-a... Ri-ku."
"...", she blinked again, then giggled as the duck attempt to teach her their names.
"It's useless."
"Don't give up, Donald, she'll learn."
"Thanks, Goofy."
"Well" said Lasara "We should at least give her a name."
"How about Materia? It's simple and we'll easily remember.", Sora had return to lying back, his headache increasing.
"Mah-tear-re-ya" Donald stressed every syllable greatly and pointed at her, "Materia?"
"Huh?", she pointed to herself as Donald repeated it.
"Wonderful!", Lasara hugged Materia, who blinked absently, but was happy anyways.
-later that night-
Materia paced quietly around the little den with a sheet wrapped around herself. Sora and the others had fallen asleep, but Riku sat outside grumpily watching the stars die. She noticed a bookshelf above where the duck was sleeping and rummaged through it. A small blue book fell off of it, onto her head, then into her hand. The book was old, with a faded picture on the front and the word ‘Cinderella’ embossed in gold at the top.
"Oh.", she flipped through the pages as she plopped in front of the fireplace, trying in vain to read it. Frustrated by the several words and pictures, Materia slammed the book and went outside, the sheet fluttering behind her.
"What do you want?", Riku growled, scooting away as Materia sat next to him. She lifted the book and pointed at the title. The boy ignored it, "Who are you?"
"Mater-teria. Materia!", the young woman happily sang out her name, "Materia!"
"Okay, okay. I heard you, I'm-"
"Ri-ku."
"Yeah, I guess they told you. What's this?", he took the fairytale book from Materia and scanned the pages. Materia ran her fingers past the words and pointed to herself, "You want me to read this to you?"
"Uh-hu!", she nodded happily, only to recieve the book back in her face.
"I don't read to relatives of my enemies.", Riku returned to star death gazing as Materia opened the book again. Unable to make out the words, she confided herself to looking at the pictures. One image of Cinderella in her magical ball dress intrigued her. She crawled over to Riku and pointed to it.
"Hu?"
"That's Cinderella. She wants to go to the ball and meet the prince, but her evil stepsisters and stepmother wouldn't let her go.", defeated, Riku took the book and pointed to the people as he talked about them him.
"Ooo.."
"See, after her stepsisters and stepmother lied to her about going, she stayed home and cried."
"Oh."
"But then her Fairy Godmother came to help her."
"Yay!", Materia giggled and huddled against Riku, partly covering him with her blanket."She told her, 'You can't go to the ball in shreded clothes like that.'", Riku continued, using falsetto voices, "'But where can I get a dress for the ball?' ask Cinderella. With a wave of her wand, she turned the torn gown into a beautiful ballroom dress with a pair of glass shoes."
"Ah.", Materia ran her fingers over the picture of Cinderella in her gown.
"Yeah, then her Fairy Godmother turned a pumpkin into a coach and 9 little mice into 9 white horses.", Riku turned the page and saw that what would have been the 'Be back by midnight' page was replaced by an image of little heartlesses and Ansem kiddnapping Cinderella. He jumped and slammed the book and began to make up the ending as best as he could, "She told Cinderella-"
"Zzzzz.", Riku looked to where Materia was and found her laying on the ground asleep, using his leg as a pillow. He sighed, picked her up, took her inside, and laid her near the fire.
"Hmph.", he sat himself in a chair and also fell asleep.

*~*Fin*~*

Iris: I hope this fixes the problem of the weird bolding…