Summary: While he was stuck here convincing people he was something he wasn't, Sora was still asleep, trying to remember things best left forgotten. Roxas sighed. He couldn't really blame his other half. After all there were memories he refused to forget as well. I swear I have a differant summary every chapter. XD Just keepin' you all guessing. | Chapter I and II | Chapter III | Broken Chains Trailer | Whew, I'm gettin' fancy. Go me. :does fancy dance: _____xXx_____ Chapter Four: Insanity “And though I haven't seen you Are You still there? I cried out with no reply And I can't feel You by my side.” -Never Alone, Barlow Girls She was afraid- no, not afraid. Terrified. She hadn’t even waited for the boat to dock, but instead took off through the shallows. The sand hurt her bare feet, hot and rough against her soft skin, not yet cooled after the summer day. The sun was setting stark red against the ocean, casting its bloody hue over their island. Darkness loomed in the distance, signs of a thunderstorm rumbling in the distance. The effect didn’t help the already frightened child. Fragmented memories like broken glass- floating in the wind, buried in the sand, hiding in the trees. They tugged her along the beach, much more real that reality could even hope to be. A hand suddenly wrapped around her wrist, dragging her along. She looked up, finding herself so much smaller, so long ago. The island was brighter, holding promises of sunny days, sweet innocent games along water's edge, of sand castles and day dreams. She laughed, the sound alien and distant in her own ears. The boy turned, aqua blue eyes peeking out from behind silver hair, and grinned at the girl, as his companion, a smaller boy continued to tug on her arm. She tried to see the smaller boy's face, but it twisted and turned, like ripples on water. "Riku? Where are we going?" Her voice worked on it's own. It was happy and carefree- How long since she had known that voice? "We found it ages ago." The silver boy was saying. "The Secret Place." "It'll be our place now." the other boy said turning. The girl let a gasp leave her. He had no face. "Kairi?" She yanked her hand out of his hold. Stumbling backward, she tripped over her own feet, burning her bare knees on the sand, and tearing her night shift. She refused to open her eyes, the darkness behind them more inviting than the darkening island sand. Suddenly she let loose fresh sobs, wrapping her arms around her waist. Her long deep red hair stuck to her cheeks, where the streams of tears remained. She looked up expecting to see the two boys once more, but they had disappeared into the darkness. "Don't worry." Riku touched her shoulder, bending down with a smile. She looked up, eyes wide and expectant. He smiled. "We'll always protect you." Her voice didn't work, she reached up toward her friend, and he passed through her hand. She bit back fresh tears. He chuckled lightly and walked away. Her mind wouldn’t let her calm down, pumping adrenaline into her already weak body. Ghosts of her past, memories forgotten, continued to torment her. She pushed herself back up, rushing across the rest of her beach, trying to see past the tears in her eyes as she tore open the hut door. Run, run.It whispered, rumbling with the thunder. The storm is coming. Darkness waited for her inside. She paused, fear making her hesitate. Darkness… it reached out to her, threatening her with unseen fingers. It tumbled around her mind, encircling it with sweet lies and seemingly innocent words. She shook her head, as if arguing with someone unseen. She couldn't go on. Not even to him- Him... Her heart ached, painful burning throbs and sent her to her knees. Who was- "Even if you get to another world-" She laughed, the sound sweet, innocent and foolish. "What will you do there?" Riku turned, looking up at her with a smile- one that held hopes and dreams and ideas of a future that didn't exist. "I haven’t really thought of that yet.” He laughed, “But we'll never know if we stay here right?" Movement at her side, "I dunno." Kairi was afraid to turn, and when she finally did. The boy, the voice, was gone- Riku's voice barley made it through her fear- "Exactly." Don't think. Run! Faster. Find Safety. She heeded the words, wiser than her own twisted feelings. She stumbled once more trying to get to get up the stairs, afraid of something that didn’t have a form or even a memory. Yet it dripped with fear all the same, following her with slow deliberate steps. She knew this fear. It had gripped her years ago and dragged her very being out of her body. Her heart had been saved back then- But who would save her this time… "Riku?" He tugged her along, refusing to look at her. The sun was gone, hiding behind the horizons of her memories. She couldn't see his face, and yet she knew something was wrong with him. Riku wasn't himself. Thunder rolled. Riku wasn't his normal self. He wasn't their fearless leader, her dear friend- The blood red sun faded. -her protector. "We have to check the raft! We might have to leave to leave now!" Riku's voice was strained. He was afraid. She was afraid. No, not afraid. Terrified. "What about So-" The name slipped off her tongue. She didn't register it. Riku spun around, eyes hard and angry. "He's coming with us!" She started back in shock. Somewhere in the back of her mind she noticed the fear. He was afraid. No, not afraid. Terrified. No one else would have noticed it. No one else would have seen the fear hiding behind the fierce anger, no one but her and him. It was a mask- a mask she saw right through. "Riku..." It wasn't a question. It was full of pity. Riku rolled his eyes, giving her that look he always did when something bothered him. He pretended not to care. “Where? Where do I go?” She sobbed pulling her tired limbs up the stairs. Who she was talking to- what she was pleading to- she couldn't say. Yet it answered all the same. Faster, Princess. Faster. Farther The unseen voice urged her faster, Find him…Find- The door at the top of the stairs didn’t open. She was sobbing full force now, pulling at the handle, willing it to open. She was afraid- afraid of darkness, of the storm. She was afraid that her friends would fall to pieces. Yet, most of all, she was afraid of the enemy that threatened to tear apart her world once more. Go! Open the door. Run to safety. “I’m trying!” She barely forced out, rattling the handle for the umpteenth time. It gave, and she threw the door open, back into the red sunlight. The tree stark black against the crimson sun set, slowly darkening with every second. She leaned against the nearest tree, trying to catch her breath, her wits- Her sanity. The Island. He’d be there. He’d be waiting. He’d save her. She even saw the silhouette of his head against the flashes of lighting over the water. She almost remembered. It was here. Right here, in the midst of the storm that took her soul. He turned, his face barley illuminated. He looked slightly frightened himself. She pushed herself harder, but it felt as if she was going slower than ever. All she had to was touch him, see his face and everything would come back. Everything. The storm was closer. The fear was growing. Run, Princess. She stumbled across the bridge, hand reaching out for the form on the other side. Her feet hit the island as- He reached out in return. Blue eyes shone with worry and fear, “Kairi?“ Lighting flashed. She fell to her knees once more... And then she was alone. Alone. Rain began to fall on the girl, wetting her skin with soothing cool breads of waters. As if apologizing, the thunder remained far away, and the lighting flashed only a precious few more times before it too faded into almost non-existence. She sat back, drawing her knees to her chest as she hugged them, trying to find some condolence. None came. Nothing but the shaky unsure feeling after fear has left, the feeling when one isn’t sure wither or not to be afraid. Kairi shook her head, brushing her hair back, in doing so trying to do the impossible task of brushing past her tears. When would the feeling stop? When would she stop fearing for her heart? When would he- She looked up, the remaining flashes of lighting sending memories of brighter carefree days, of childhood. She watched him run down the beach toward her, laughing waving something in her direction. Riku was behind him, laughing at the boy's antics to get her attention- Kairi tried to see past her tears, into illusions of past- But the sunlight blocked his face, washed out his features. He stopped, hands dropping to his side. "Kairi?" The lighting flashed again and darkness took over once more. He disappeared. Riku looked up at her, and sighed. Then he too faded away- "No! Wait!" She screamed scrambling toward the edge. She almost fell- Arms gently wrapped around her, stopping her, cathcing her coaxing her into solid warmth. She started, bright eyes full of fear, but the face was familiar. She shut her eyes and held her breath, trying to stop the sobs, but they broke through her barriers. She buried her face in his shoulder as he lightly ran a hand through her hair, trying to calm the girl out of her hysteria. She continued to try and stop her sobs, still trembling. “What happened? What happened that night? Why can’t I remember?” She shook her head, still buried in the comfort of his arm, “Why hasn’t Riku come home? Why hasn’t things gone back to-“ She didn’t say it but he knew he what she meant. Her world was still crumbling down, just as everyone else’s began to rebuild itself. His arms tightened as her cries continued. “Why won’t all my memories- Where are they? Where did they go?” He had no words of comfort, no sweet nothings to calm her down. Just his presence, as if that would fight away the darkness still threatening the light in her. His hand rested on her head, silently remind her of his presence; her curled tightly against him, seeking some child-like comfort. They sat like that for what seemed like ages, the rain soaking the both of them, still apologizing for letting the storm scaring the girl so badly. The boy seemed to understand, looking up and letting the rain run down his face in some sort of acceptance. After long moments of just being there, Kairi finally stilled, eyes falling shut in a dreamless, fearless sleep. The boy brushed the hair away from her closed eyes, watching how her eyelashes made dark crescents on her cheeks. “Is she ok?” The words didn’t seem to startle the boy. He nodded slightly, suddenly, but gracefully shifting Kairi into his arms. He stood fluidly. The girl’s weight didn’t seem to faze him. Without a word of explanation of how he knew to find her here, he turned to the others waiting quietly on the bridge. They were peers, a boy and girl, their own age- childhood friends and fellow schoolmates. They all looked somewhere between releived and still scared out of their mind. The boy was leaning his hands on his knees still breathing heavily. while his friend stood next to him, hand over her rapidly beating heart. Both were dressed in their night clothes, respective bright blues and yellows dulled by the rain and dark. The boy's once bright gold locks and the girl's once chocolate flips were flatted, soaked by the storm.The boy pushed himself up and stepped forward, mouth half opened to speak, “It’s alright, Titus. Where’s Waka?” The girl pointed where their older friend waited by the docks, her voice still missing.. The quiet boy nodded, giving them a half smile that didn't quiet reach his icy blue eyes. The two friends watched him carry her back into the hut, out of sight, as he traveled back to their boats. The girl sighed, putting her face in her hands and leaned against the poupu tree. Titus looked confused and worried all at once, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. “I thought this was over. I thought when he retur-“ He looked at the girl, her green eyes caught somewhere far away. “Selphie?” Selphie picked up her head, shaking back her hair, now limp and wet by her shoulders. “I guess not everything is back to normal for Kairi. It’s like something’s still missing.” Titus nodded, watching the boy converse with Waka, Kairi now just a limp form in his arms. “Let’s hope Riku comes back soon then.” Selphie shook her head, “I don’t think she’s just waiting for Riku.” “What are you talking about?” When Selphie didn't respond, Titus just sighed, "Well be thankful he's here. If he didn't come home, I don't think there'd be a chance in blizball of us getting Kairi back to normal." Selphie nodded absent mindedly as the boy set Kairi down in the boat, and turned to look back up at the other two. Selphie frowned, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Something wasn’t right. The boy waved them over, and somewhere in the back of her mind, Selphie heard Titus respond. He tugged at her wet night gown, and she started to follow. But something caught her eye. The last silent flashes of lighting made their way across the water, illuminating the island for a mere moment. Both Selphie and the boy locked eyes. For a single second, it wasn’t his pale hair radiating in the night, but soft brown locks shining in sunlight, and laughter rung in her ears. Then it was gone. The boy was standing there, shamelessly staring back, but something about his posture told her he knew. She knew. She frowned, feeling something twist, an ache in her heart. Something wasn’t right. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Comments feed me, and I don't see a "Don't feed the Author" sign anywhere. xD
