We'd probably be looking at a BBS but for the newer generations. If Riku had taken the Keyblade he might have done things different than Sora. I would doubt that Sora would give into the darkness because Riku, if he were on the side of light, would guide him into the light. Sure the two of them would still have feelings for Kairi since they would've been fighting to get her back. Though since Sora didn't seem to have the guts to open the door that meant probably Kairi's heart wouldn't have gone into another person's body. Meaning that they only thing they would have had to worry about would be the darkness swallowing up the islands. Somehow I got the feeling that all three of them would've ended up in different places if Riku had taken the Keyblade. Then again since Sora was afraid of the darkness the darkness may have used that fear to contorl him to open the door. Meaning Riku would have to go and try and get him back... There's a lot of possiblities you know?
"More like 3..." Case said looking at the labratory that was around them. Giant computers and test beakers of all sizes surrounded them. The Professor had gone upstairs. "Hey you smell that? Aw man that smells so good!" she said looking back at Markus. Case's stomach growled loudly. "..." --- "Fine, fine..." Nero said sensing the energy around the young man. Nero slowly started to back off and walked down the area. "Demons, werewolves, and other creatures might start coming through these places though... The search for Paradise begins today..."
heh, thanks for the comment. Huh, well I really can't answer all of that but I mean that's why I'm posting another chapter. This one's a bit shorter though for my liking. Traditionally when I wrote the others chapters there was going to be a POV shift but it started to flow better in the sixth chapter and later on. Sorry for the typos! Enjoy! Chapter Six: It’s a Start R I K U I sighed for a moment staring up at the unfamiliar ceiling before my eyes. I had not been able to rest for two weeks, we just got back from a place called Atlantica, or something like that, I can’t really remember the name. It was pretty cool though. Donald used his magic to transform us into mere people. Sora had a dolphin fin on his mere-man tail, and Kairi had one that was almost a splitting image of that girl Ariel’s. Ariel, she’s the daughter to King Trident, and she married someone from above the surface, I think his name was Eric. Anyway they have a kid now, she’s a cute kid, I think she’s two years old or something like that. The Heartless made their way to the ‘surface dwellers’ and at the bottom of the sea. It was hard learning how to swim with meremaid’s tail. Mines ended up looking like a skinner version of an orca. I was able to take a picture of the sunset on where the humans of that world lived. Did I mention that Ariel’s a human now? Yeah, it’s pretty strange. Sora clued me in what happened with that world since I never set foot, or rather fin, in that place. Donald had octopus legs and Goofy was a turtle, it was pretty funny. I probably got a big work from that world because fighting underwater was pretty rough for me, and for Kairi too. Sora showed us the rope’s though, and Kairi’s fighting skills are developing, slowly, but hey it’s a pretty big improvement. The only time I saw her fight was in the World that Never Was. I remember looking out of the gummi ship, the day we left Destiny Islands. Even when I close my eyes I see my home, and I see her too. I turned over in my bed, hearing the springs creak as I shifted my weight on the divan. This room, I call it the Blue Room, I think that’s its name anyway, it has a blue sheeted bed with a coffee table in the middle of the room, with a black rug, and a desk up against one of the blue walls. We had to stop in a place called ‘ Traverse Town’ because we ran out of supplies after our little adventure in that world. At least there was an outlet in my room, so I can charge the mp3 player and my phone, I’d rather use the outlet then have Donald use his Thunder spell to charge if back up. There was a light knock on my door, and told whoever it was on the other side that they could come in. I turned my head slightly and looked at whoever it was that entered. It was none other than my best friend, Sora. He said ‘hello’ and waved at me slightly, and I waved back. “Anything new today?†he asked referring to something, I just didn’t know what that something was. “Wha?†I asked, blinking for a moment. “Did she send you anything?†he asked, his blue eyes holding some sadness in them. “Not yet, it’s going to take a while before it can reach her.†I said speaking in a rather low tone. “Oh…†he said obviously thinking of something else to say. “We’re going to be leaving soon, I just came by to tell you that, so…†“Got it…†I said watching Sora say his little goodbye and closed the door of the Blue Room. “I wonder where we’re going…†I got up from the bed and stretched for a moment. I put on my black sneakers, and grabbed the black hooded shirt from the chair on the coffee table. When I slid my shirt on I heard a strange sound coming from in the room. I looked around, looking under the bed, under the pillow, I came up to the desk and noticed it was my cell phone. I flipped it open and smiled as I knew who it was from. It was a feeling that came from the bottom of my heart, and I could feel my breathing stop for that small moment in time. I held it in as I opened the text message from her. ‘Hey what’s up, Riku? I loved the sunset picture from that place, it was so beautiful! I’ve been using that kit you bought me, I know, when you come back I’ll show you all the cool stuff I’ve drawn, I’m sure you’ll like it. I’ve been checking up on your mom, like you asked me too, I haven’t forgotten my promise, and neither should you. P.S. I miss u.’ “ Selma…†it warmed my heart knowing that she kept her promise. I unhooked the charger from the phone, and did the same thing to the little mp3 player. Funny, we almost forgot those boxes Sora had laying around by the pier, if we did I wouldn’t have had anyway to communicate with her, or keep the mp3 player charged. I sent her back a text message. From the date on it, it would take at five days for it to get there. ‘Hey Selma, I miss u 2… I’d love to see the drawings you’ve made so far, hey send me one on your phone. We’ve been missing you a lot over here, I feel bad for Kairi she’s the only girl in the group. I’m glad you liked the sunset, I’m going to be leaving soon, so I have to go, ttyl.’ I pressed the send button on the menu from the cell phone’s screen and sighed. “She sent you something, did she?†Kairi’s voice was heard from my room. I turned around and saw her leaning against the doorframe with a little grin on her face. “I saw the look in your eyes when you sent it. It’s kind of cute,†she said laughing for a while. “Sora told me to tell you that we’re leaving so…†“Yeah I hear you…†I told her grabbing the items on the desk and tucking some two items in the pockets of my black jeans. “Do you know where we’re going?†“I have no clue…†she said as the two of us walked down the hallway of the hotel. It was like this the last we boarded the gummi ship. Donald and Sora were arguing about who got to pilot the gummi ship. It as a good thing that I have her mp3 player, and I stuck the little ear pieces into my ear and heard the music it had to offer. The title, it read as followed ‘The Lost Horizon’ from the play list titled OCRemix. It was very, how could I put this, strange. It stirred feelings in my heart thought I wouldn’t feel again. Kairi was fast asleep, so I didn’t feel bad that Sora and Donald were still arguing even as we traveled through space on the red colored ship. I looked out of one of the windows, watching the stars in their natural environment. They looked beautiful there, I couldn’t help but take a picture of it. I grabbed my camera phone and clicked the flash button. It captured the image of the stars as we were traveling through space. I placed my hands on my chest and I sighed for a moment. ‘I wish you could see what my hearts sees…’ I prayed a little, silently in my head. ‘I hope this thought can reach your heart,’ I felt a sly smile creep up on me and I shook my head placing the camera phone back into my pocket. “Destination, Radiant Garden. Arrival time 3 hours…†the intercom was fully automated, and it pierced through the sound of the music I was listening too. A M A T E R A S U “Welcome back, Amaterasu.†A cheerful looking ninja greeted me. I blinked for a moment, still not use to my real name yet. I grinned sheepishly at her. She was wearing a black outfit, it reminded me of the one she wore when she was a kid. Mind you I’m older than I look, but that’s my little secret. I looked back at the others who came with me. I really shouldn’t call them others, they are in fact my family, well the only family I have let that is. “It’s nice to see you too, Great Ninja Yuffie!†I said giving her a big smile. Yuffie Kisaragi blushed, I don’t know if it was because of how I said it, or rather that I was embarrassing her. I knew she was still the same Yuffie, no matter how great of a ninja she became. She still got motion sickness I know that much of her is still true, I won’t forget that. “It’s nice seeing you too, Yomigami, Tachigami, Gekigami, Moegami, and you too Kazegami!†she said cheerfully as we all smiled at her pleasantly. “I’d like to welcome you all back home, to Radiant Garden.†“They sent you of all people to be our receiver…†Gekigami said trying hard not to laugh. “Excuse me, excuse me…†he said bowing slightly. “It’s just that you… flying this little hovercraft…†he pointed to the cargo like craft ship. “Don’t you still get motion sickness?†“No!†she said shaking her head, hopefully she knew that my brother was just joking around, or least thought that he was. “Listen, just let me do my job you guys, besides this wasn’t the kind of reunion I thought we’d be having.†“True, true…†I told her smiling softly. “I didn’t think the darkness would swallow Destiny Islands again, I guess I thought wrong…†I sighed heavily. “That’s where…!†I noticed the look of worry in Yuffie’s eyes. “Don’t worry; they left long before that happened.†I calmed her down. Yuffie started to talk about what happened while we were gone for who knows how long. It had been so long since we were home, I mean finally home, back where this all started, at least that’s what I can remember at least. All of us started to go to the little cargo ship. “ Selma…†I heard Yuffie call out my preferred name. “How have you been most of all?†“Just peachy!†I said smiling a bit. “Why do you ask, Yuffie?†“No reason…†she said shaking her head for a moment. “Ready to see the others?†“Hey, do we get cake after this?†I asked her trying to lighten up the mood. “Still the same old hungry girl…†the ninja said laughing. We all ended up hearing some unearthly barking sounds from the black painted gummi ship my big brother had piloted. “What’s that?†Yuffie asked stopping all of us in our tracks. “A Shadow Hound…†Yomigami said pushing back his hair a bit. “We picked Chico up a while back…†R I K U “Riku…†my eyes weren’t opening. “Riku, hey come on wake up…†someone was trying to get me to wake up. I couldn’t hear the roaring engine of the gummi ship. “Are we here?†I asked whoever it was that trying to wake me up. I walked outside of the ship, rubbing my eyes. I was surprised that I didn’t stumble forward or anything, because I was pretty tired, a three hour nap. Everything was different in Hollow Bastion, well now it’s called Radiant Garden. Hollow either might mean empty or depressed, and ‘bastion’ meant fortress or citadel. The name probably came from the fact that the castle looked depressed, hence the title, Hollow Bastion. Anyway with that aside the place had a lot of green things, and by that I mean bushes, trees, it was looking more like a place from those Old English towns you see in fairy tales. Donald and Goofy were showing us the way to the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, or what I like to call HBRC, a better way to remember it. Sora was excited about coming back, because of the friends he had made while he was there. All of us were walking through the area, when something, like a needle, was slowly working its way into my heart, a little jab here and there. I winced slightly looking at my chest for a moment, there was nothing there. As the group walked… Riku sighed for a moment and that it was nothing more than just heartburn, or something like that. He continued to follow the others down the area, sometimes though he would look over his shoulder, thinking that he was being watched sometimes. “I wonder what’s up with everyone…†Sora said looking back at Kairi and Riku. The others just shrugged they didn’t know. It took a while for everyone to finally make it to the headquarters of the HBRC. Sora noticed that a couple of people had gone inside, and for a moment he could’ve sworn he saw Yuffie in that bunch. He shook his head and made a mad dash to the front, he couldn’t wait to see everyone again. Within the building… “They’re in a meeting?†Sora asked looking at what the wooden door inside the building had. “But…†he thought about it some more and sighed. The younger male Keyblade wielder just sighed and sat down on one of the wooden chairs. He was looking forward to seeing them again, but he had to wait now. Donald and Goofy looked around the place, calling out some of the people’s names from the HBRC. Upstairs… “As I live and breathe,†a man with brown hair and matching facial hair cried out happily. He wore a blue suit that was rather strange, but that’s how he carried himself. “If it isn’t the Hikari family.†The members smiled slightly, and corrected him on their last name. “Diaz, Hikari’s our code name remember?†the youngest one corrected him quite casually. “It’s nice to see you too, Reeve Tuesti.†Reeve was head of Radiant Garden’s Urban Development Department and was a primary architect for the construction of the capital called Midgar. He was a very serious, middle-aged man, and with that came into possession of a strong sense of responsibility. It had been a long time since the Diaz family had seen him, he’s now the head founder of the HBRC. “Did you really have to put that little sign on the door though?†Yomigami said hearing voices coming from downstairs. “Whoever came in sounded like they really wanted to talk to the others.†Selma hunched over slightly in her chair feeling a little jabbing pain in her heart. She exhaled sharply and muttered something under her breath. “That sounded an awful lot like Sora…†they all heard Yuffie speak out. “Sora?†Amaterasu called out looking up at the others, she breathed in a bit, feeling her heart mentally twist in pain. She noticed that Reeve leaned forward in his leather chair, placing his elbows on the wooden desk, he had his hands closed together. “It’s better for now, that you all keep under a low profile. It’s not all that safe for you guys to be sticking your heads out from hiding.†The others nodded understanding everything that was at stake. Downstairs… Sora was pacing back and forth a bit, looking at the wooden door with the note on it. He did kill some time as he had gone to pay his visit to Winnie the Pooh in the book. He had taken Riku and Kairi along for the ride, both of them seemed to have liked the peaceful setting there. It made the others feel better too, they didn’t really like waiting that much. The spiky haired Keyblade wielder sighed and suddenly his curiosity couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed hold of the brass doorknob and the others watched his every move. Sora’s blue eyes scanned the area upstairs and noticed a white light coming forth from the cracks in the door, the air was a bit frosty, which meant that someone had the air conditioning on. He stopped himself from going any further and closed the door letting his conscious get the better of him. Sora sighed a bit and went to go sit on a wooden chair, he titled the chair back and forth hopefully passing the time as he did that. Upstairs… “I suppose that’s all I have to say for this meeting…†Reeve said as he adjusted his blue suit. “Hey… How’s Cait Sith?†Moegami asked. “If I remember correctly…†Reeve was going to say something but Yuffie interrupted him. “He’s on a mission, I think…†the ninja said laughing sheepishly noticing she had cut Reeve off. It was a miracle that the little robotic cat had kept quiet during his little mission. “You know, I know I really shouldn’t be asking this but,†Amaterasu asked the question her siblings had wanted to ask earlier. She still felt the stinging sensation in her heart but ignored it as she spoke. “Did you ever find Vincent Valentine?†As she said this a pang of hurt rose to the ‘Great Ninja Yuffie’s’ face. The question was directed to anyone who could anser with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The silence Amaterasu… Selma in this case, she took the silence for a bit fat ‘no’. Selma shook her head and apologized seeing as how the whole group turned melancholy as she mentioned that person’s name. “But I know we’ll find him,†it surprised everyone in that room that Leon, the young man with a scar across his face, was the one to speak out in that optimistic tone of voice. In his opinion he just didn’t want to see Yuffie look so hurt by that. Aerith Gainsborough would most likely have been the one to say something like but currently she wasn’t here at the moment. With Aerith… Aerith Gainsborough rushed inside the building, panting a moment as she caught her breath. She attracted a lot of attention to herself seeing as how she stormed into the building, her and her little pink outfit. The maiden was glad to see Sora, Donald, and Goofy once more thanking them for their journey and how it had brought some peace to the worlds once more. She greeted Sora and the others with her trademark smile and voice. Sora and the others greeted Aerith in their own way and the brown haired maiden opened her mouth to speak as introductions were said and done. “Do any of you know if they’re still holding the meeting upstairs?†she asked looking at everyone in the room. Her greens eyes tried to scan the other’s eyes to get an answer. They all nodded. “It’s still going on…†Riku said looking at Aerith for a moment. “I’m late…†she said smiling slightly as she started to open the door that led upstairs. “What exactly is the meeting about?†Kairi asked since no one else would ask the question. “That… I don’t know,†Aerith place a slender finger on her chin as she thought about it for a little while. “They just told me to be here by 1. I ended up oversleeping, you know how that can be.†She rubbed her eyes slightly, her green eyes seemed watery as she tried to fight off a yawn. Upstairs… Selma sighed and ended up spinning around in her chair. There were wheels attached to the bottom of it. The oer members of her family just looked at her a bit confused by her actions, she smiled brightly at them, and it was a sign that indicated something was on her mind. Tachigami noticed a small necklace around her younger sibling’s neck. “What’s that?†she asked taking some interest in her younger sister’s personal gift. “A gift…†she felt a gentle tone of voice creep up on her when she explained the little pendant. As Selma’s fingers touched the little pendant she felt that pain come back into her heart. ‘Why won’t it go away?’ she thought back to something Riku had told her. ‘No matter the distance I’ll always be with you…’ she shook her head for a moment and just let out a heavy sigh. ‘It’s a start, anway…And if Sora’s here that must mean he’s here too!’ her heart was pounding with excitement. ‘But I can’t…’ Downstairs Riku felt his heart beating a little faster whenever he’d look at the door that separated the meeting. He couldn’t explain what it was his heart was trying to tell him, but he knew that he couldn’t just barge in there and disrupt the meeting.
((That's good to know though for future reference.)) "Relax kid..." Nero said letting his body fall down from the roof. He felt the air rush past him and landed on the ground upright without difficulty whatsoever. His eye watched the strange looking circular thing and the steel pole that was levitating off of the ground. "Can't a demon compliment on something..." he said sneering. "Then again I've said to much. You on the other hand..." Nero looked up at him. "What are you doing around here anyway?"
"Demons eh...?" Nero laughed as he sat on the edge of one of the roofs. He watched a man down below and chuckled for a moment again. "Doubt those tommy guns would be much of a help though..." "You're pretty quick with them though..." he said acknowledging Jason's skill with the weapons.
Thanks for waiting you guys! Chapter Five: Can I Tell You? Riku looked at the girl for a moment and played a small smile on his lips when her gaze didn’t catch up with his. The girl was in rapture, this here being the sense of joy, that she was eating a sea-salt ice-cream popsicle stick so early in the morning, strange how someone could find it that enjoyable to be eating ice-cream so early in the morning. He in turn ate the ice-cream he bought for himself and savored the taste that melted into his mouth. “Thanks, Riku,†she said quietly looking at him for a moment. “No problem,†he said patting her on the head. He asked her to give him her hand and she did without question. Riku pulled something out of his jean pocket; it was the little blue mp3 device. He handed it to her, letting his hand linger on hers for a second longer. “Did you like the songs?†she asked looking at him. “I liked the Black Mages a lot,†he said remembering a tune from her mp3 device. She said that they were her favorite. “I liked Jenova,†he told her smiling slightly as he took a bite out of the ice cream. “Jenova was pretty good,†she said smiling slightly humming the tune as she moved side to side. “Those Who Fight Further, and Matoya’s Cave were my favorite.†Riku smiled for a bit, watching the area around him. The two of them were sitting outside the ice cream parlor, it opened around 8 in the morning considering that the temperature would get around the 80 mark, especially during the summer. He decided to wear a black and white version of the clothing he wore two years ago, his other clothes didn’t fit him, and so he had gone to buy some new ones. Selma was wearing a black t-shirt with some sort of tribal marking on it, it was fabricated in white material, and she also wore some black jeans and white tennis shoes with black skulls on them. “Hey come on,†Riku said holding a bare Popsicle stick, “let’s go we have more things to do.†He out stretched his hand and waited for her to take hold of it. Selma looked at the wristband for a moment it had an emblem, it looked to be custom made. It was a shape that looked oddly familiar in her eyes. It brought back a feeling of nostalgia, she let a smile slip out as that little emblem brought a warm fuzzy memory into her heart, but she didn’t know why. ‘It’s been decades since anyone has seen that,’ she thought to herself, unknown to her that Riku was trying to get her attention. “ Selma…†she finally snapped out of her little trance and blinked for a while looking up at Riku. “Come on, we have more stuff to do,†he said in a gentle tone. “Ri…Right!†she said trying to push the embarrassment off of her. She took hold of his hand and he led the way onto their next destination. Unbeknownst to the two of them Sora and Kairi were watching them from a safe distance. Riku’s two good friends enjoyed seeing him this happy, but at the same time when they thought about it, it was also depressing. Out of all the days he finally found happiness he had to leave to do what it was that Keyblade wielders did. Riku led her down the sidewalk, and Sora and Kairi were right behind them. Selma with her free hand placed her little mp3 device into her pocket and allowed Riku to led the way. ‘I feel like a little kid,’ she thought walking behind him. ‘But he’s enjoying himself, so that’s good.’ “Where are we going now?†she asked looking at the back of Riku’s head. “Hey come on, don’t tell me it’s a secret.†“I can’t really say…†he told her looking at her for a moment. “But I think you’ll like it.†“I’m sure whatever it is I’ll like it anyway.†She told him honestly as she patted his hand with her free hand. Riku felt a small blush creep up on him and he turned away from her, clearing his throat. The two of them were waiting for the cross light to turn green, because no matter where you lived green meant ‘go.’ He still held onto her hand and at some points he had to pull her close to him when the streets would get crowded as the two of them went deeper into the area. Sora and Kairi struggled to keep up with them, and Sora had to follow Riku’s tactic, Sora didn’t want to lose Kairi in the sea of people. “Hey hold on,†Kairi said wrapping both of her arms around Sora’s left arm. “Where the heck is he leading her?†“Beats me…†Sora said looking straight ahead. “I think he’s taking her to the little shopping area, the one in Anatore.†“Anatore, hey remember when you and Riku said you’d take me there?†Sora laughed slightly, out of embarrassment and out of nervousness. He finally remembered that day. He told her that it was lucky her day then, since it did happen to be true that they were going to the shopping center in the city of Anatore. “Anatore…†Riku said answering Selma’s question. “You said you wanted to go, so that’s where we’re going.†“You were actually paying attention when I said that?†she said stopping him as she squeezed his hand. “I listen to what you have to say…†he said sounding a bit wounded. Riku looked back at the dark eyed girl with his turquoise eyes. She was able to mend him without words all it took was a big smile to get him moving again. “So then, Selma where do you want to go?†“Anywhere you decide to go.†She said laughing a bit as they walked past the crowd of people. “Besides you’re the one leading the way.†She said holding hold his hand in her grasp. Riku laughed nervously completely forgetting that he was still holding her hand. He let go of her head as they finally reached the outside door of the shopping center. Selma stated that she didn’t have any money with her at the moment. “Don’t worry, I’ll buy you something, as a little keepsake.†He said looking back at her. ‘That’s very gentleman like of him. Though it’s not right for him to buy me anything he doesn’t have to, I mean I haven’t given him anything, or have I?’ she thought about it for a moment and sighed, she managed to smile. Riku held the door open for her and she thanked him, he loved watching the way she would act, it was almost funny, but in a cute way, if that way could even be accomplished. If it could, Selma had it down to perfectly, it made him feel like he was at peace whenever she thanked him or smiled at him. He noticed right there that the blue streaks in her were gone they had faded away with time. He never noticed the little things, until now that was. “Hey your streaks are gone.†He pointed out following after her. “They fade with time of course,†she said bumping into him. The place was crowded; after all it was the weekend. “Hey you know what I’ve noticed, the weekend is a time for couples…†she started to ramble on a bit about the subject. “Yeah I guess they are,†he said tapping her shoulder to get her attention. “So then, since I’m leading the way,†she turned to face him, “I’m guessing we should probably go to Little Tokyo. Does that sound all right with you?†“Yeah!†she said nodding her head happily. A couple of people passed and Selma leaned against Riku so that they wouldn’t bump into them. Riku blushed slightly looking away for a moment. “Little Tokyo it is!†she said wrapping her arm around his waist. “You act like such a little kid.†He said messing up her hair slightly. She in turn did the same to him, the two of them laughing for a moment. He placed his arm over her shoulder and expressed amusement for a second or two, “I forgot how short you are…†On the Second Floor Above on the second floor Kairi and Sora were gasping for air as they had to make a mad dash so that the other two wouldn’t see them. “Do you still want to spy on them?†Kairi asked closing her eyes for a moment. “How about…†Sora thought about it for a moment. “How about we just walk around, you know relax, I know for a fact Riku does have his cell phone, so…†he played a devilish grin. Little Tokyo “I’m not coming out…†Selma said standing a mere inch away from the curtain. “I change my mind I don’t like how it looks on me…†she had finally picked something out. Riku sat in the waiting room flashing a nervous smile to the lady who was waiting for the girl to finish up in there. “Is she your girlfriend young man?†the woman in her mid forties asked. “Ah, no we’re close friends,†Riku said looking up at the lady for a moment. “Yeah, it starts out that way,†the woman said reminiscing about her days when she was young. Riku pleaded with his friend to get out of the dressing area so that others could use it. The owner of the store was patient, but still he prayed that, that one girl would come out some time soon. Selma sighed slightly and shook her head; the good thing was that no one could see her due to the curtain in the way. “Amaterasu let’s go!†“Wait hold on Xe-†she paused for a moment not wanting to say his name. “The ceremony’s going to start. King Ansem said I can’t be late!†he took a hold of her hand and led her down the corridors. “Besides you said you were going to wear that dress, and you look nice in it too, and I REALLY don’t think you want to keep King Ansem waiting.†He said smiling at her. That day he smiled at her, it was the first time she had blushed in plain sight. “I like how it looks on you,†the woman in her mid forties brought Selma back into reality. Selma blinked and gave a big smile to the woman, and bowed at her in gratitude. The woman walked past her and it was her turn to try on the clothing she wanted to buy. Riku stole a glance at his close friend and he felt a blush creep up on him that was when he looked away from her. “Does it look okay?†Selma asked modeling the dress shyly. She wasn’t a big fan of Asian inspired dresses, although she did think that they looked very attractive. “Um,†his turquoise eyes scanned the dress from head to toe. It was rather elegant looking in his eyes. It had a mixture of blue, white, and gold designs on it, with a thick black lace around the torso to keep it all together. The sleeves were a bit long on her, but they both didn’t care, the length went to her ankles with a slit down the thigh area on each side. Riku pulled out his phone from his back pocket and switched the cellular device to act as a camera. “Cheese!†he said. “Cheese!†she said giving a big smile. The flash of light from the little phone came out and Riku’s phone captured Selma in a stylish looking kimono. “How does it look?†she asked leaning over him, watching the screen on the phone. “See for yourself…†he said handing the phone to her. Outside of the store “Kairi!†Sora whispered to her grabbing her arm. The blue eyed brunette boy pointed inside the shop. “It’s Selma! Look at that!†Kairi turned around and smiled. She commented on how that type of dress appealed a lot to the girl’s figure. And from what she could tell it looked like Riku was also having a good time, just being around her. Sora pulled out his own phone and zoomed in, he wasn’t able to get a good resolution from the picture, but he knew who it was anyway. He pressed the flash button and there in still life, captured a picture of Selma standing next to Riku smiling slightly. “They look like they’re having a good time,†Kairi said. “I really wish we didn’t have to leave though, it makes me sad just thinking about it.†“Think of how Riku must feel,†Sora said, he knew quite well how his bosom friend was feeling. “I’m sure of it though, well meet up with her someday, right?†The question was directed to Kairi and she nodded, watching the two of them, the dark haired girl and the boy with silver hair, it was a bitter-sweet. The moment was cut short due to the fact that those two were already purchasing something. Sora and Kairi left entrance of the store rather quickly. The cash register “Wait Riku, I mean $35.60, that’s too much!†There was no way around to stopping him. He had promised her that he was indeed going to buy her something and that he didn’t care how much he paid so long at he did indeed get her something. She protested once again, and this time he did listen. “I love the dress, but it’s too much for me…†she said getting out of the line. She let other people pass by her so that they could pay. “I love to draw…†she said pointing out a small set of pens and pencils by the register. “I want that instead.†“What a shame, you would’ve looked so cute in that kimono,†he said joking around with her of course, but then again fifty percent of the joke is always true. “Ha…†she forced herself to laugh as she brought the pen and pencil kit to him. “So, give me the kimono and I’ll go put it back, and you can pay for that.†Riku watched her walk across the store with many Asian trinkets, and items, lamps, clothing, and even food. After a while he lost her in the crowd of people with the same colored hair. He missed watching the blue streaks, since they stood out from that of other people. The young teen went back in line to pay for the $20 item. As he approached the cash register she came back standing next to him, like a little kid impatiently waiting for their turn. The cashier rung up the total and told the two of them to have a nice day. As Selma was the last person to leave from the register she heard the cashier say that Riku was ‘pretty hot,’ her cheeks blushed slightly and she shook her head laughing away the reaction on her face. It was about 2 o’clock now, and the walk back to the beach from Anatore would be too much for both of them to handle. Kairi and Sora for the most part, unknown to the other two, were already back at the beach. It was Riku’s idea to take the bus to the beach. Selma still felt bad about the whole thing, he was paying an enormous amount, she added everything up in her head and the total came out to about $50. She sighed for a moment feeling even worse because of how much he was spending. ‘I know it’s out last day, but he doesn’t have too… In a way he was like that too, funny they’re both so alike,’ she thought sitting next to Riku on the bus. There were so many things she wanted to tell him, ‘But not like this, this isn’t right, he’s leaving and I don’t want him to worry,’ she thought sighing for a moment or two. Riku was lost in his own thoughts. He had never felt so, happy, ever, but the only times he did remember being happy was when he was with his friends. Selma was his friend, but it was completely different. Even after spending less than a month with her, well really almost a month, he felt as though he could accomplish something new each day. He loved the fact that when he could ramble she would listen so intently. Though the same question came back to haunt him, ‘I wonder if that’s just how she is?’ He wanted to hold her tightly like he did the two nights ago; he wanted to comfort her when she cried. He knew that when she did cry today, it was because of him. He didn’t want her to cry because he was leaving. ‘I’m just thinking selfishly,’ he thought to himself, as he so desperately wanted to stay by her side, to protect her. Riku’s turquoise eyes looked at her face, it was flawless to him. The way she smiled the way she talked sometimes. He realized that was what drew him to her, their first meeting she was shy. He closed his eyes and leaned against his seat thinking back to that day, she had made him feel more cheerful. ‘She doesn’t deserve me as a friend though…’ he opened his eyes slightly looking at the scenery from the moving vehicle. The girl glanced at him for a moment and flashed him one of those very smiled that he enjoyed seeing. The more she thought about him and Riku, the more she began to see how similar the two were. ‘His smile, his jokes, everything about Riku does remind me of him… But Riku’s different he’s so much more, Riku-ish,’ she thought trying hard not to laugh out loud. She noticed the familiar scene, the beach was coming into view, from where the sun was positioned in the sky one could say it was about 3 o’clock now. She looked at the yellow chord that would signal the bus to stop. She was about to pull on it when she heard a familiar ding. “Stop requested,†the automated voice said from the speakers overhead. “Riku, hey, come on,†she said nudging him softly the boy had fallen asleep. “Our stop’s right here.†She said softly whispering into his ear. “Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey,†a Chester cat smile was plastered onto her expression. On the other Island “Give her a paopu fruit?†Riku asked again for the umpteenth time. “Yeah, it’s kind of sweet, don’t you think?†Sora said reiterating what Kairi had told him a while ago. “It’s obvious you really do like her.†“I don’t know if she feels the same way though,†Riku said scratching the back of his head. When it came to emotions that made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, Riku didn’t rally major in stuff like that. It was even a miracle if Sora understood that feeling, the only one he could turn to was Kairi, but she said it was better and more rewarding if Riku found it on his own. “I should probably give it a try though…†“That’s the spi-†Kairi almost feel forward, straight down the pier. She had felt something creep up against her leg. She regained her balance and titled back before she dove forward. “As I was saying before, that’s the spirit. I’m sure she feels the same way about you, I mean isn’t obvious?†It was like talking to a pair of rocks, the two of them just shook their head. “Well it is…†she said whining a bit. “Riku, E-R-F to Riku, hello?†she said exaggerating the last word a bit. “Hey…†he finally blinked coming back to reality. “You dozed off on me there buddy. Are you okay?†he nodded a bit confused but never the less back once more into reality. “I was asking you if you knew at what time they were going to come and pick you up.†“Around…†the turquoise eyed teen started to speak, but then found the cause of the problem. “I don’t know…†he said hearing her sigh sharply. Riku called up Sora on his phone and waited to hear his voice pick up. Sora and Kairi Sora finally was able to get into the moment of things. He was just about to plant his first kiss on the girl he came to care for so much. Though just as he was mere inches away from her his cell phone rang out. Selma and Riku “ Five o’clock,†Riku said hanging up with Sora. “He sounded a bit depressed though when I called.†“Aw, I hope he wasn’t in the middle of something important, like eating or something,†she said thinking about if for a moment. “You think about food 24/7.†He said. “What can I say, I love food!†she said happily twirling around for a moment, her plastic white bag moved along with her. Riku took a hold of her wrist, he held on to her gingerly for a second and pulled her carefully. She spun around for a moment, and she bumped into him. “Hey…†she looked up slightly at him. “We got about an hour or so before I have to go back to the other island,†he said sounding a bit dejected. She tried her best to cheer him up, but she felt as though she didn’t have the mental stamina to do it. “Hey, come on…†she said poking him slightly in the ribs. “It’s not going to be that bad. We can send each other text message through our cell phones, you know that.†The two of them sat down by the shore of the beach taking in the beauty that Destiny Islands had to offer. The skies were starting to set, and it as around 4 o’clock now. The firmament was starting to display a color of pink orange, and light crimson dusky color, painting the water as well. It was peaceful just sitting there hearing the waves hit the shore, or hit the larger body of water in the distance. “You’re lucky,†she told him; “You get to see the sun set in a lot of different worlds, don’t you?†he turned to her slightly. “I’ve… I’ve never really paid attention when I was in the other worlds,†he said holding some remorse in his voice; he wanted to cheer her up a bit. “Well then,†she said punching his arm playfully, “Start paying attention, I want you to take pictures of the different sunsets in each world you visit, okay?†“It’s a promise then,†he said holding out his little finger to her. “All right?†“A promise,†she said grasping his little finger with hers. “I had a lot of fun today.†Riku eyes brightened up a bit when he heard her say that. His heart was fluttering around when that sentence rolled of her tongue. She started to fidget around with the necklace he had given her not that long ago. At that moment a very faint smile was placed on her face. Selma’s vision was starting to double as tears were starting to form. She tried her best to smile at him, but al she could do was let the tears fall, and her bottom lip started to tremble. “You can cry…†he said to her as softly as he could. Riku looked down at the sand. ‘She probably doesn’t want me to look at her while she cries,’ he thought hearing her sob a bit. At that moment he felt a pair of hands gently touch both sides of his cheeks. They felt cold and he quickly cupped them with his own hands. She closed her eyes and gave him a big smile. ‘I wish we met earlier, you’re probably thinking the sam thing, aren’t you?’ he removed one of his hands from hers and wiped away one of her tears with his thumb. “You know, I really would’ve loved to have bought you that dress…†he tried to get her to relax. “It’s…†she cleared her throat and placed her hands down to her lap, “It was too much for you to pay.†“It wouldn’t have mattered to me,†he said looking at the white plastic bag she had placed by her feet. “You’ve done so much for me, and I wanted to repay you with something.†“But…†she shook her head slightly. He noticed she had her eyes closed tightly. “It was a lot, and I mean…†“Well technically…†he smiled at her, “You’re worth more than that.†“Oh hey… did you know there’s this survey you can take on the internet, and it tells you how much you’re worth? Anyway, because I’m left handed I’m worth $5 million,†she said trying to get him to laugh. “I’m sorry, here you were trying to make a point and…†she paused as her eyes wandered to his facial expression. “Riku…?†Riku felt his eyes get a bit warm, and his vision was starting to blur a bit, his own emotion of sadness finally caught up with him. He didn’t express it for one because it was not a part of his nature, but part of him wanted to have her comfort him. Selma wrapped her arms around him, placing her chin to rest on his head. She rocked him gently side to side, hearing him breath, his body felt tense as he began to break down a tad bit in his own way. “Riku…†she whispered his name. “I’m glad I met you.†His turquoise orbs looked up slightly, watching her expression and he looked back down. He felt a little bit like a child in her arms and hugged her tighter. He could hear her heartbeat race as he rested his head on her chest. She finally let him go and the two of them cleared their throat forcing a smile out of the other person. “Listen, Selma…†he started to twirl his thumbs around. Riku sat with his knees against his chest. “I…†he stammered a bit, but yet she still placed attentive eyes on him. “Come with me…†he finally mustered enough courage to say. He took her hand in his and the two of them stood up. They walked down the shore and into a little shack. It was dark in there, so the two of them had to watch their step as they went up the stairs. Riku pushed the door open and watched the sunset touch the area they were on. The two of them walked down the wooden bridge and Riku ran up to the paopu tree. He plucked two out from the crooked tree and ran back showing her what he held in his hand. “A paopu fruit…†she said touching the edge of one of the curious star shaped fruit. The silver haired Keyblade wielder placed one of the star shaped fruits in her hand . She accepted the gift and smiled happily. The dark haired girl paused for a moment and offered to share her piece only if he shared his. “This way,†he said smiling to her, “we won’t be that far apart. We’ll always be connected.†“Friends in my heart…†she whispered to herself. The two of them bit into the star shaped, it was tangy, but the after taste was rather sweet. “It’s sour…†she said making a face as the tangy flavor danced in her tongue. Sora and Kairi The two of them sat near the edge of the pier waiting for Riku and the gummi ship to arrive. It was Sora who had noticed that Riku’s boat was gone, so it would be a nice surprise to greet the two of them after their little ‘date’ ended. Kairi pointed out a silhouette traversing over the water, it looked like a boat. The two of them waved happily to their friends. It was at that moment that something was glistening in the sky. Sora looked up at the dusk setting in the sky and noticed something red approaching. It was the gummi ship piloted none other than Donald and Goofy. Riku finally made it to the pier and looked up at the sky, pointing out the rocket that would take them away. Selma looked up and smiled, she felt a distance memory come back to her, though that feeling went away as the gummi ship started to hover over the beach. “I’m going to miss you,†Sora said helping Selma out of Riku’s boat. “You’ve been a great friend to him, and to us too.†He said giving her his trademark smile. “I really hate saying goodbye…†the dark haired girl said blowing up her cheeks. Kairi hugged her with all her might and Selma felt as though her ribcage was going to collapse or something. The ship landed on the sand of the island, and all four of them huddled by the red ship. It made a loud hissing sound as the engine was slowly starting to turn off. One side of the ship started to slowly come down, like a mechanical garage door. Selma watched the ship for a moment and looked back at her new friends. At that moment a white duck with blue clothing walked down the hatch and onto the side. Selma titled her head slightly trying to figure out how the duck came to be, but she didn’t get anywhere with her thoughts. This duck’s name was Donald Duck, Sora had spoken about him once or twice around her. She remembered that he used magic, it stuck in her head as Sora use to poke fun at him. Then a tall figure came out making a a-hyuck sound. Her mind went back to a distant memory, but she brought herself to reality before she became absorbed into her childhootroductions were said and done hugs were given out to everyone, a warm fuzzy feeling and a lot of other things too, like nostalgia, and it was almost time for the three teenagers to leave. “Ya know, you look pretty familiar…†Goofy said nodding slightly to the dark haired girl. “Ya sure we haven’t met before?†“Nope, Goofy,†she said shaking her head. She pulled out her little mp3 device and checked the time on the little machine it read 5:25 p.m. “It’s late you guys, I mean I really hate to spoil the fun but…†she heard the duck laugh nervously. “Let’s go guys,†Donald said also bidding his goodbye to Selma. Goofy said his good bye as well. He still didn’t shake off the fact that he had seen her somewhere else. Kairi and Sora walked towards the ship, and they each looked back at Riku and Selma. The silver haired teen was trudging behind them slowly. A gentle voice called out his name and he looked back at her. Selma held on to his wrist and forced a smile on her face. “Take this with you…†she said forcing the little mp3 device in his hand. “I want it back, so you have to take good care of it, okay?†‘There are so many things I want to tell you…’ Riku thought for a moment pulling her into a hug. ‘I’m not going to see you for who knows how long, I won’t see you laugh or smile, get angry, or even see you cry,’ he sighed heavily onto to her hair, it smelled just like mandarins, papaya and paopu. ‘I understand what it is I’m feeling, I…’ “I…†Riku started to whisper softly to her. “You have to go…†she said letting go of him. “Take care, please?â€
"For the two of you a thousand years didn't seem that long..." the professor added looking at Markus for a moment. "For right now it'd be best if the two of you walk around for a while, see outside, it might do the two of you some good." "You're kidding, right?" Case blinking for a moment. The look in the man's eyes didn't seem to lie. She huffed for a moment and tried to smile. "What's your name?" she asked. "Duarte..." the man said in a slightly up-beat mood. "Upstairs is where the real house is..." his voice started to trail off as he ascended the stairs to the seond floor. --- Nero moved about, the scent of another creature caught his attention. He looked behind him and noticed someone walking on the sidewalks. The humanoid demon decided to ignore the young man and continued to walk. He looked off into the distance watching some people run out from an area.
Well to me: D.N. Angel the thing that killed it for me was that I just couldn't get into it, sure the plot seemed all right but I don't know if never caught my interest, and so it disappointed me, plus some of the voice actors got annoying. Naruto sure when I first heard about it I was all pumped but then I have people reading the manga around me, and people watching the subbed version and they sucked the fun out of it. When I did get around to watching it though I couldn't stand Naruto's English VA. Pokemon yeah it was great when I was about what 7? I mean some of the arcs did have their reasonable amount of 'stuff' to keep me entertained but then after you go past the Hoenn(sp?) I just lost it from there. Other than that there's Tokyo Mew Mew, Yu-Gi-Oh, and the English version of Sailor Moon, not to mention Negima! and Spiral, no closure I tell you... AND Inuyasha sure after a couple of parts of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's rivalry I got hooked, but then came the fillers...
Case heard the buzzing noise loud and clear now, and it was starting to get on her nerves. She growled for a moment feeling her fangs show, the noise was starting to fill her thoughts. "As I was trying to tell you before..." the professor cleared his throat to try and get their attention. "Your awakening means that the scearch for Paradise will begin. --- Nero moved about the area and in the distance he heard something like a gun go off. He looked off into the distance trying to pin point where the noise had come from, but it was no use the buzzing noise from Paradise was starting to interfer with his other senses. "Paradise or not, this stupid noise..." he mumbled walking through a slightly crowded alley.
Since there has been a 'Ultima Weapon' and it is Square Enix, there's no doubt in my mind that they would put something that looks like Ulitma weapon. As with what others members have said, they might make Ultima Weapon look different.
Professor Duarte stared at the two individuals for a moment and chuckled. He had heard stories about the two from the other professors that were once in charge of Markus and Case's well being. Case looked around the room in a daze, and covered her eyes with one arm to try and keep the light from hurting her delicate vision. "Too bright..." she hissed struggling to keep one eye open. Professor Duarte clapped his hands once and the lights from within the habitation dimmed making it somewhat easier for Case's eyes. "The two of you have been asleep for a thousand years." the man said looking at the two of them. Case looked down for a moment her faint colored eyes flickering over the lines of the floor. So many things rushed through her head she didn't know where to begin. "Forma..." she murmured softly and looked up at Markus. At that point she heard the faint buzzing noise, it was all too familar.
Mine would be... You're Not Here - Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
"Hehe... The one and only Case." she responded looking at her good friend Markus. "Man my head..." She heard the sound a timer echo through the pod and she squinted as light began to burst through the cracks of the opening pod. "Good morning you two." the man by the name Professor Duarte said greeting them. "You guys woke up right on time."
Nero moved about the area looking up at the sky for a moment. He could've sworn that in the distance he heard the sound of a motorcycle as it went through the streets. The demon disguised a human yawned and stretched for a moment wishing to let his wings to do the same, but he had to keep his identity concealed. He walked through the streets, there was a buzzing noise in his head, no doubt the rest of the demons could hear it, as well as all the others that came because of Paradise's first opening. "Huh..." A woman and her children were conversing on something that kept his curiosity peaked for a moment. 'Paradise' was a word that he had memorized since he came to earth. That's all the humans talked about, was some place called 'Paradise'. Without that though none of the other creatures would've came to earth. He walked through the streets and stopped at a stop light. He could smell the trail of that biker, going on straight ahead for what seemed like miles. Rurmors went around about the Chave and the Navigo, and how they had gone into hiding of some sort. "What about the Forma?" he asked himself yawning a bit. The Forma wasn't mentioned this time, meaning that probably the original Forma had died. If that was the case no doubt people and creatures alike would be looking for the next Item of Paradise.
Thank you very much you guys! Well this is the last one for the night for me! I'll be updating about three times in one day. Chapter Four: Plan of Action Selma was back in her house where it was nice and warm, and she just sighed. Her big brother Yomigami though wasn’t going to let her off the hook just yet. He wanted to ask her a couple of things. This was mainly Tachigami’s, a.k.a Monica’s part, but tonight Yuki would be the nosy girl, in this case it was a nosy guy. Yomigami heard the door close and sat up from the couch he was napping on. By the hall way the time was marked as 10:55. It was past the curfew hour that the islands went by, he was amazed that neither her nor Riku were caught by the authority figures. “Someone’s home late…†he said hearing Selma’s footsteps by the hallway. He was fiddling with a small locket that he had found on the couch. “I know, Yuki…†she said calling her brother by his nickname. “I’m sorry… It won’t happen again, I promise…†her brother told her to come into the living room. “Where’s everyone else?†she asked looking at her brother for a moment. She sat down next to him on the couch. “Are they asleep?†“Yeah… They went to sleep just after Mom left…†he said looking down at the locket for a moment. He opened it and there on one side of the opening was a picture of Yomigami and their mother. “Memories are a very powerful thing, aren’t they, Amaterasu?†he said looking at his little sister. “I…†Selma sighed and looked down at her feet. She hadn’t heard that name in so long, it was very foreign to her ears, so distant like a far off memory. “Please, don’t call me that again, Brother…†“You can’t change who you are, ya know? Mom called you that for a reason, and yet it’s funny you bring her to life with the memories from your heart… Her image is there everyday, she feels real to the touch… But you know that it doesn’t last that long… You haven’t told Riku, have you?†he said in a very calming voice. “No, and I don’t want to, not yet I don’t think I’m ready… Besides any one of our memories could bring Mom back, I mean it’s nice, living like a family again…†she said trying hard to smile. “Let’s drop this subject for now…†he said placing a hand on his sister’s head. “What were you doing anyway…? You were out pretty late, and with a guy no doubt…†She showed her the necklace around her neck, and he laughed. Selma frowned for a moment, but she laughed anyway. She thought back to what had happened a while ago and she was a bit upset that her friend was leaving, to go and save the world. “He’s leaving the day after tomorrow, Brother…†“Did he tell you why?†She shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, “But the notebook has a good justification as to why he is.†Her brother nodded in agreement, he like his sister believed the words that Riku had written down. This was his side of the story that Sora had made for himself in the other worlds. Yomigami scratched his head for a moment and then just scrunched up his face for a moment. “He wants to spend time together on the last day.†She said messing with the necklace. “He’s asking you out on a date, you dumb head…†he said slapping his forehead lightly. Selma just made a face, it was one of two things, confusion, or embarrassment for accepting the invitation. Her head was trying to figure out exactly what Riku was trying to say when he used those words. She didn’t have a good explanation for it, and she ended up taking her brother’s advice. “A date?!†she yelled out, almost making her big brother go deaf. “If I remember correctly this had happened a long time ago too…†he said smirking. “Hey!†she yelled. “You said you wouldn’t bring up that story…†she started to whine covering her ears as her brother started to speak. She muffled out the sound by thinking of something else. “…And then he left… And you never told him goodbye that day.†He finally finished the story. Names, dates, or places, weren’t given out because Selma had locked away that incident a long time ago in her memories. It was one she didn’t really like all that well because that was the first time she ever really liked anybody. Selma shook her head and pouted at her big brother. “You liked that’s guy’s sister, and she dumped you…†she said. “Anyway back to Riku…†he said smacking his little sister upside the head. “He’s got a crush on you…†“Ouch…†she grumbled for a moment. “I don’t think he does…†“Well you’re thinking wrong little sister.†He said shaking his head. “Besides if Tachigami was here right now she’d do anything in a heartbeat to get him away from you…†“Not this again…†she shook her head. “Listen let’s just drop this whole conversation, it’s getting nowhere… All right?†Selma stood up and kissed her brother on the cheek. “Good night, Yomigami.†“Night, night, Amaterasu…†he whispered, and looked back at the locket with the picture in it. “I hope you’re watching over us, Mom…†he said softly under his breath. That night the sky was full of stars, but in the distance if you looked closely enough, you could see some stars fade out, as the darkness was starting to come and take the worlds in its grasp. People here on the island had no clue as to what was going to happen, and it seemed that the events would start again just like they did two years ago on that day of the storm. Riku was sitting at the edge of his bed, staring the black checkered sheet and he was thinking back to what had happened about an hour ago. He took out this little device that was in his pocket, it was his friend’s mp3 player. As a relaxing exercise, she told him to keep it until he had to leave. He had gone through 13 songs already, but he wasn’t sleepy at all. “We’re letting go of something we’ve never had…†Riku found himself singing slightly, he laughed at himself. “I don’t have anything planned for tomorrow… I think I’ll spend that time with Mom…†he placed the little mp3 device on his night stand and got ready to go to sleep. “How we long for heaven…†he yawned as he mimicked the vocals from the song. And with that he knocked out like a light. Bright and early the sun greeted the new day, which meant to three people that they had to start packing for the next day. It was hard for all of them, but they knew they had to do, it was their responsibility as keepers of the peace. Somewhere in the distance of Riku’s living room a band by the name of ‘Secondhand Serenade’ was playing in the distance. His mom did like the sentimental lyrics within the song the one man band was playing. “That’s in her mp3 player?†his mother asked him. “Yeah, I’m guessing she’s emo.†He said sitting up straight on the couch. “You don’t know that for sure, besides do you think people really need labels?†He looked at his mother for a moment and smiled. In response he shook his head and believed that people were people, and that putting labels on them was just another way to distance themselves. “Do you have anything planned for your little date tomorrow?†his mother asked him. “..Uh…†he scratched his cheek. “I have something…†he said, not really sure what that something was. “Well whatever that something is, I’m sure the two of you will have fun.†His mother said smiling at her little boy. It was hard to believe it, but he hardly could be called a ‘little boy’ now, he was a seventeen year old now. Riku sighed for a moment and pushed back some of the strands falling over his face. He was thinking of what to do for tomorrow but he couldn’t get anything in his head, in fact he just wanted to spend that last day with Selma, and he didn’t really care about what they did so long as they had fun. “I think we’re just going to hang around the island…†Riku said finally speaking up, “You know the one where we use to play on?†His mother nodded in satisfaction and added her own little piece to the idea: “You should probably make that your last stop.†“Hm,†he thought about it for a moment, and he felt his stomach churn again like it did the night before. “Wait why?†“You’ll get the idea soon enough,†she said patting her son on the back. He in turn looked at her with confused eyes trying to scan her eyes for an answer or an idea as to what she was trying to say. “But what if I don’t?†he asked hoping that he’d get the answer. Riku’s mother shook her head and gave a big smile. ‘Mom, you’re really brave, I hope you know that,’ he thought watching his mother laugh a bit. It was going to be really hard to leave her, and the new friend he made. Another song came out, carrying out it’s melody into the area of the living room. The screen, from the little blue mp3 playing device, read that it came from an album titled Wolf’s Rain. It was in another language of course, Selma had a strange liking for other world music. The title of it was called Coracoa Selvagem, which meant in English ‘Wild Heart.’ “It’s in Portuguese,†his mother said to him. “I took that as a foreign language, but that was years ago.†“So you have no idea what it’s saying?†he asked her blinking a bit. She shook her head and that was enough for him. It was already late into the afternoon and Riku didn’t really do anything, other than not answer his calls. Surprisingly neither Sora nor Kairi called him in almost the whole day, which was a record in Riku’s book. The sun was starting to cast long shadows as the afternoon was starting to set, signaling another day passing by. Since the three of them were leaving this day in general was starting to go by pretty fast. Riku laid on his bed watching the sun set for a minute, in his hand he held the little mp3 device and closed his eyes for a moment. The song from before, the one titled Snow, played in his head for a moment. ‘Tomorrow’s the last day,’ he thought to himself taking in a mouthful of air, he exhaled slowly and frowned for a moment. ‘A week in advance would’ve been nice, but that’s not how it works,’ he could imagine Selma saying something along the lines of that, and he chuckled a bit to himself. He looked up at that same familiar ceiling that was over his head, and in a day and something hours that wasn’t going to be there. ‘I know when I go out tomorrow I won’t come back home to this,’ he felt a bit upset about leaving the life he knew for only a couple of months now. Final Day… “Come on, Sora!†Kairi yelled at him as he was lagging behind. He said something about the items being too heavy. “Come on, put some muscle into it!†“I’d like to see you try!†Sora said straining under the weight of the items. “In case you haven’t noticed I’m not that-†there was a heavy thud and Kairi rushed over to the spiky brunette’s side. “Are you okay?†she asked, the look of concern sketched on her face. Kairi pulled him up and sighed in relief noticing that he wasn’t bruised nor had any cuts on him. “Like I was saying before…†Sora sighed heavily and put his arms up in the air, “I’m not that muscular…†“Sorry,†she said laughing nervously looking down at the ground for a moment. The boxes were dented a bit, but it wasn’t that bad. A couple of items had fallen out of one box and she went over to pick the items up. “You brought snacks?†“Well there aren’t any in the gummi ship.†He pointed out putting his hands on the back of his head. “Do the words ‘wrap drive’ mean anything?†she asked tossing him a bag of potato chips. He caught it and laughed nervously and innocently said he had forgotten about that. It was true he did forget about that, but with the worlds and their barriers the paths would be lost again, and they’d have to travel like they did in their first adventure. “Where are we meeting up again?†Sora asked helping Kairi pick up the items from the ground. “By the edge of this island where you can see the other island we use to play on as kids.†“Does Riku know?†the male teenager asked. “I tried to call him on his cell but he won’t pick up, and his mom said he wasn’t home.†“What the heck is he doing out so early in the morning?†Sora asked finally being able to carry the box. Kairi shrugged for a moment and carried the lighter box as the two of them walked down the sidewalk. “I’ll take a guess…†Kairi said nudging her head forward. Sora’s blue eyes followed as he spotted two familiar people. It was Riku and Selma, the two of them were walking down the same sidewalk as Sora and Kairi. “That’s should be enough to guess…†she said smiling. “But what he’s doing taking her out so early in t€ “Beats me…†Sora said trying to think of something. He watched the two of them mess around with the other’s hair. “He likes her a lot, doesn’t he?†“So you noticed it too?†she asked looking at Sora for a moment. “It’s kind of hard not to notice it…†Sora said almost tripping over his own feet. “Be careful…†Kairi said starting to worry a bit about his well being. Sora gained control of his balance and laughed it off. The two of them started to follow slowly behind to other two individuals. He thought of a plan and laughed triumphantly as Kairi gave him a confused stare for a second or two. “Come on don’t look at me like that, I know you wanna see what they’re going to be up to.†“Not really…†“But you were thinking it…†Sora said hoping that his little plan would work. “Well now I am…†Kairi said sighing in defeat. “Yes!†Sora said feeling like he won something big. “So let’s drop off these boxes by the pier and then we’ll go and spy on them.â€
((All right then let's get this party started!)) Time moved on like it always did, people slept and ate, the days went by morning turned into night and things seemed normal. Talk of Paradise opening was but a thing of the past, but little did everyone know that that day was slowly approaching from the shadows... --- The young Chave opened her eyes looking through the glass of this strange looking pod and noticed two other things in the area. A man in a white lab coat, and another being within the pod. "...Markus...?" she called out softly. The man in the white lab coat pressed buttons in a complex pattern and looked at the pods that housed Case and Markus seperately. "It's time for the two of you to wake up..." the man said softly noticing the timer above his head. The seconds were staring to countdown.
((All right you guys thanks very much! This is directed to the one who is controlling the Navigo. Navigo already knows that they are chosen and therefore has been placed in a state of suspended animation in a sleep chamber seperate from the Chave. They're in the same area but in different pods.))
WOOT! *does a happy dance* I want to remind you guys that I wrote this around a year ago and I'm reposting it, sort of like a revised edition, of course I won't catch every typo. Now on with the story! Chapter Three: The King’s Seal and Snow The sun was slowly starting to set as the night was finally going to pop up. Everyone said their goodbyes, and the two groups of people went their own separate way. Riku went as far as to leave Selma at her house, and Sora probably did the same thing to Kairi. The night was starting to pave the way into darkness, and a new day would come up… It had been two weeks since the day at the ice-cream shop… The afternoon sun was hitting Kairi’s back as she was running up a hill. She ignored the fact that some people were calling her. ‘I can’t give up now…’ she thought holding on tight to a clear bottle. Going up the hill was the hard part, but it was running down the hill that was a bit harder for her. She had to control her speed so she wouldn’t end up tripping over her feet. She breathed in and out trying to run as fast as she could. Kairi had found the bottle washed up on shore on the other side of island where they use to play as kids. The green seal was the only thing that caught her eye, if it wasn’t for that then there would’ve been no point in running. She rushed past the small field of wildflowers and with each step she made she was getting closer to her friends, but farther away from home. Her blue eyes scanned the clearing where the paopu fruit was growing. Meanwhile, while Kairi was running her little heart out, Riku and Sora were both talking about, well guy stuff. “Hey have you given her a paopu fruit yet?†Sora said looking at the tree for a moment. “I don’t… Have you given Kairi a paopu fruit?†Riku asked avoiding his question. “I’ll do it, but I mean she wants everything to be romantic so…†“Then do it when she’s least expecting it.†“What?†“You know what I mean…†he was going to say something else but he stopped. In the distance the teen with the pink outfit finally made it to the area, she was panting and gasping, like if she had ran away from a lion or something. Sora took no time grabbing the bottle, as it clearly bore some kind of message of urgency. He wrapped his fingers around the little cork and with a slight pop out came the long awaited news. His blue eyes held some kind of happiness as he held the paper under his trembling fingers. ‘It was going to happen sooner or later,’ Sora thought reading the paper. Dear Sora, Riku, and Kairi, It’s been a while hasn’t it? Of course we all knew this day would come sooner or later. The realm of light is safe, but for how long no one really knows. It can only be said that the darkness is the last thing to be taken care of. I’ve sent a Gummi Ship in advance to arrive on the island, it should take at least two days. I’m asking you to go ahead of me and try and restore some of the other worlds that haven’t been cleansed of the darkness. It shouldn’t be too much, just a couple of worlds in this galaxy, but that shouldn’t be a problem for the three of you. Also I’ve been informed that somewhere in this world, somebody can provide some details on the past of the Keyblade. You will treat her with respect, as well as her brethren, and sister. In addition if you hear about the ‘Chasers’ please notify me immediately and whatever you do take caution if you should face on of them. If you can’t reach me tell the person I mentioned of earlier. By then I’m sure you’ll have met her.. Please take care. Signed by, King Mickey “Another mission…†the expression on Sora’s face was one with pure happiness. “And some clues as to the Keyblade… But where are we going to find this person?†he didn’t think to long about it. Kairi held an expression of worry, she didn’t really want to believe that they were going to have to fight again. They’ve only had a couple of months rest, but when you’re a Keybearer what could you expect? Kairi looked at the letter that Sora held within his grasp. The moment of peace seemed to shatter right before her eyes. Riku looked at the piece of parchment with some wonder and disbelief. He had just gotten use to the whole routine, but he never dreamed of being asked again to help. Riku thought that Sora would be the only one to go. Then he remembered his life on the island, the only person he could think of was Selma. His little personal counselor, she had helped him for a couple of weeks, but they had a bond that couldn’t be broken. ‘What about Mom?’ he thought. Sora thought for a moment and his mother popped into his mind. ‘What do I say to her? What is she going to say?’ he thought. What would he say to his family? The brunette’s mother was in a state of depression for the first couple of months when he left. He couldn’t really end up breaking his mother’s heart like that. His father though believed in his son’s ability, but he still worried, whether he showed it or not. For Kairi her adopted family, they would react the same way anyone of their family’s would act. They understood the situation, but they also took into grave consideration the risk of losing her. They didn’t want anything bad happening to her, but they believed that she could take care of herself. It was on that day the each of them went their own separate way, they walked the road they had to take in order to go home. The ocean breeze, and the warm sun comforted them. They each felt the warmth from the sun creep over from their backs, while the ocean breeze brushed past them leading the way. Kairi was the first one to arrive home, and there her explanation was the first to be heard. The young princess of heart walked up the steps of her white painted home. She found her mother and father in the kitchen as she tip-toed down the hall so as not to make so much noise. Her parents heard the door from the house close slowly, as it had a bad case of creaking. They both knew she was home. “Mom, Dad…†Kairi’s body was shaking with the embarrassment and nervousness of the whole thing. Her mother and father watched their little girl take a hold of her feelings. Her voice was becoming less and less shaky. “I…I have something to tell you,†she confessed, sitting next to both of her parents. They each listened, “I received a letter from King Mickey,†she saw the face of her mother, “and in two days I’m… I’m going to leave…†she said gripping the fabric by her legs. She could hear her mother start to sob, and Kairi’s eyes were starting to get hot. “I… I’ll be all right, I promise…†she choked and the tears began to fall. Kairi’s mother took off the necklace she wore and placed it on her daughter. It was a religious artifact, and her mother believed that it would guide her on her journey. Kairi’s father held on tight to her and told her how much he loved her. Sora’s path came to an end as he was already inside the living room of his own home. He asked his mother and father to sit down as he stood up. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?†his mother dared to ask, tears were forming around her eyes. She was afraid of the response. Sora nodded as he stared at the beige carpet, he felt the tears start to slide down his cheeks and his face was getting red from embarrassment. He walked towards his mother and just hugged her. “I’m leaving in two days, but I won’t go alone, Kairi, and Riku are going too.†He said trying to fight back the tears. Sora’s father looked away, his emotions were ones of sadness, but he couldn’t get them out. At that small moment though he got his son and held him tight. “You take good care of Kairi, you hear?†he said to Sora. “Yeah, I will…†he said whispering. Riku had two paths to take, and he chose his mother first. He was in her room speaking in a low voice. The first thing one could hear were the sobs of a depressed mother, she clung to her little boy as if he was melting away. “Mom, please don’t cry…†he said holding his mother tight. “How can I? I just…†she sobbed for a moment. “I just found out my little boy is leaving me again… How can I stop crying?!†she said letting the tears slide down. Her makeup was smearing, but she didn’t care. “I don’t want to go either but…†“Then why are you going?†she asked. “It’s my job… My duty to the King.†He said looking down, his eyes were feeling warm. “I love you, Mom.†“I love you too, Riku.†She said in a very tender voice as she held her son for one last time. “I suppose you’re going to tell Selma?†she asked looking at him. “I… I don’t know how to tell her…†he said feeling afraid now. “I’m afraid of what she’ll say…†“If she’s as good a friend as you describe her, then I’m sure she won’t be mad. But she’ll be a bit worried about you.†His mother said wiping her tears away now. “Are you going to tell her here?†“I think it’d be best if I go over to her house…†Riku said feeling something vibrate in his pant pocket. The words ‘SoRa’ flashed on the screen. “Sorry buddy…†he said clicking on him. He dialed Selma’s home number, and he felt a bit nervous. Riku’s mother had left him alone so that they could talk for a while. For a moment he thought that no one was going to answer the phone… At Selma’s house… “I got it!†she was wearing a navy colored shirt with some long black pants, and a black hooded sweatshirt. The teen grabbed the phone and flopped to the couch. “Hello?†she answered. ‘Is Selma there?’ a familiar voice asked. “This is her… Riku?†she asked, the voice sounded a bit different. “Riku, are you sick or something?†‘No, no… Listen I have something to tell you, but I want to tell it to you in person.’ He said. “Hold on, have you been crying?†she asked noting the change in his voice and the noise in the background. ‘It's not… Don't worry about it,’ he admitted to her. ‘But forget about it, just meet me outside.’ “Why…?†her voice turned into a tone of concern. ‘Please… Just wait for me outside, Selma.’ “All right, I will Riku, talk to you later.†She said saying her goodbye and hanging up the phone. She told her older sister and brother that she was going outside. They in return didn’t ask why, but told her to be careful. Selma agreed and then noticed that the black notebook she was guarding was plainly seen on the little night stand out in the open. “You thought you could hide that from us?†Monica called out from the living room. “We believe in what he says, so don’t worry. But don’t hide things like that from us, we’re family.†She heard Yomigami voice. “I know that’d you’d all understand, but what if strangers got into our house…†Selma explained. “They couldn’t even get past the front door, heck one of us would be there at a moments notice. But anyway, listen go… You’re friend is waiting for you.†Yuki said. “I had to eavesdrop, Monica made me…†he said laughing. Selma nodded to her older siblings and then opened the door. She waited in the dark watching the people move around, finding their way home. The street lights suddenly turned on, and then the little moths started to gather by one street light. She watched the street for a sign of her silver haired friend. Her dog was sound asleep inside, and they wouldn’t be disturbed for the remainder of the time. In the distance her heart flipped as she saw her friend walking down her side of the street. He was wearing black clothing, she noted that he was wearing something around his neck too, but she couldn’t make out what was on the pendant. He waited by the steps, and she in turn walked down the steps of her home and greeted her friend. “Riku.†She said in a soft tone. “ Selma, listen I don’t have much time but…†Selma had placed a finger over her lips to tell Riku to be silent for a moment. “Would it be better if you sat down?†she asked looking at him for a moment. He seemed to be struggling with something. “Yeah… No wait, better yet let’s go to the park.†He said. “Okay.†She said nodding her head. The two of them walked side by side to the park, and the night air was beginning to get the better of the two of them. Riku didn’t expect for it to get so cold, so early, but considering they went to place with no buildings the air was moving about freely. Selma picked out a place that was right underneath the tree Kairi and Sora were at. The two of them just sat there. Selma could tell that Riku was nervous about something. She didn’t pressure him into saying it, but waited for when he was ready to speak. For a couple of minutes there was silence, and the girl could tell the teen was shaking a bit, either from the cold or of nervousness. “Here…†she offered her friend her little electronic device. In her palm was a small blue mp3 player. Riku looked at it, he was confused by her action. “Play a song, it’ll ease you up a bit.†He took her little blue device and searched through the songs she had on there. One of the songs was something familiar. He had heard her sing this song a couple of days ago by one of her favorite bands, FAKE? It was titled 'Snow' it was a bit more on the mellow side for his taste, but that was the only song he could remember the words to. Selma had the other ear piece and listened to his selection. She laughed for a moment, but then cleared her throat. “You drilled that song into my head.†Riku said messing up Selma’s hair. “I didn’t know I had that impact.†She said sticking her tongue out, she was joking or course. They sat next to each other looking out into the sky, it was being blanketed by the stars of the night sky. Each twinkling as it came to life in the darkened sky. Riku was starting to relax for a moment, but when he thought of what he was going to say he panicked again. “ Selma…†Riku started. “No matter what happens we’re always going to be best friends, right?†“Of course, you’re my buddy.†She said looking at his turquoise eyes. “Now… what’s the matter?†she asked in her patient tone. Riku was still trying to figure out how he was going to say it, and he had two days to tell her. But on the last day he wanted to spend the whole day with her. He figured that telling her goodbye today would give them time to hang out more on the second day. “I’m going to be leaving…†he finally said. He looked into her eyes. “I’m getting picked up in two days.†“It’s funny… But for some reason I thought it’d happen.†She said looking down at the single blade of grass. “When I read what you wrote in the notebook I knew that something like that would one day happen to you.†She said trying to smile. “Remember when you said not to be depressed?†Riku looked at the expression on her face, he didn’t know whether to hold her, or let her continue to talk. As a friend he let the teen continue her talk. She breathed in, and gripped on the sleeve of her sweatshirt. “You did figure me out that day, and I was sort of surprised, but I didn’t even think of that for about 3 years… It’s funny, but I mean I’m still feeling like that…†she said pulling her knees up and holding them tight. Riku placed a hand on her head and stroked her hair back, feeling the softness of it. She cracked a smile and placed her hand on top of his where it rested on her head. “But, so you’re leaving…†she said the tone in her voice was still soft, but it held some sadness. “Yeah… I am, with Sora and Kairi,†he said holding her hand and putting near his lap just for comfort. “I came here to say goodbye.†He said hugging her tightly. Riku took in the smell of the faint wildflowers and fruits that would forever cling to his memory. The ear piece came off now. “I want to say thank you, for everything.†Riku said closing his eyes feeling his own heartbeat thump in his chest. Selma held on tight to him and sighed, if she spoke right now she felt her voice was going to crack, or that she might just start to cry at that point. The music was still playing in the background, a tune for their emotions right now as the ear piece fell to the cold grass. Riku just held on for a bit longer trying to figure out his next move. He wanted to plan the last day for the two of them, with no distraction, just two good friends on their last hang out. “I don’t really want you to leave…†she whispered in his ear, still trying not to let him go. “I don’t want to go either, Selma.†He said in a low voice. “But you know why I have to.†“I know why, but I mean it’s only human to be selfish.†“I’m going to miss our talks.†He said laughing under his breath. They finally let go of each other and sighed. Riku sat closer to her, but he felt some stress come up on him giving him a headache. Selma offered her shoulder for a good resting place and he didn’t refuse it. “It’s not good getting worked up about it.†She said pinching his cheek for a moment. “Let’s plan something the day after tomorrow, just the two of us, no distractions.†“All right, that’s a good way to relax, before you leave.†“Really early in the morning, bring something warm.†He said kissing her on the cheek. She scrunched up her face when she felt his lips touch her cheek. The teenage girl stuck out her tongue and shook her head. Her brown eyes looked at the turquoise ones and just smiled, the two of them smiled at one another. “So then something warm… where are we going, buddy?†she said. “A surprise, I can’t tell you.†He said waving a finger at her. “So… How did your mom take it?†she asked concerned about the woman. “It was getting to me,†he would only say it to her. “So that’s why I sounded a bit weird.†“You gonna cry when it’s your last day?†she asked punching him in the arm. “I might not…†he said sneering, “but you’re gonna have to stay through the whole day if you want to see me cry.†“I think I’ll pass, seeing a guy cry is worse than anything I’ve seen.†She said, saying serious, but then she changed. Of course it’s nice to see a guy get in touch with his emotions. Crying doesn’t show a sign of weakness; remember that, it means you’re strong because you have the guts to cry.†“I’ll keep that in mind…†he said closing his eyes, he was resting his head on her shoulder. “I almost forgot…†he shifted himself for a moment and took off the necklace he wore. It was a small friendship pendant that was crafted in half. It was a heart painted in black with one side holding yellow writing and the other side in red writing. It read ‘to the grave best…’ and the other side ‘…friends till the end’. Riku gave her the side with the final part that was written in red. Selma carefully placed it over her head and put it on. She smiled and swore to cherish it till the ends of the earth. She hugged him for a moment and told him again how lucky she was to have a friend like him. For Riku those words were more than enough for him, yet for sometime now he felt that he wanted something more, but for now he wouldn’t dare let this ruin the moment him and his best buddy were having. For right now Riku didn’t give in to the emotion he was feeling other than happiness. He would wait till the last day to find out what he was trying to make sense out of…
Thank you very much for joining! Seriously though I really need to know who will be playing the Forma and who will be playing Navigo before we can get this underway. More people are still welcomed to join.
Aww man that has me nailed down! >__< I already knew most of that stuff though.
