Prism Hearts Chapter 13 Final Distance by Amazoness Duo amazonessduo@hotmail.com Stars were falling. It was as if the universe itself were crying. They plumetted one after the other, falling from their perches in the sky. They never grew in size, tiny droplets of stars falling around her, winking out of existence when they touched the ground, their magic disappearing when they no longer soared in the heavens. And still they fell, creating a light drizzle of stars, beautiful luminescent teardrops. And this is where we find our heroine, in the midst of raining stars, lying unconscious and curled up on the shadowed ground. Quiet footsteps echo nearby, moving with a silent purpose through this darkened land. Sparkling dew of dying stars bathe Kairi as she struggles to remember, to hold off whatever is trying to end her sojourn. Something that is very close indeed. Weary eyes slowly blinked themselves open. The fact that she wasn't alone in a room on her bed comforted her, but only for a moment. Her fingers scrabbled along the cold ground, finally managing to push herself up to her knees. A tiny star, smaller than a snowflake, landed upon her nose. It was warm to the touch, fading slowly. Glancing around her, she could see thousands of other stars falling, raining about her. It was beautiful. They were the only light in this endless night. Cupping her hands, she reached out, watching as several stars landed in her hands. They helped warm her cold hands, their light casting shadows around her as they slowly began fading. Holding the stars to her chest, Kairi began to see what else was around her. Just where was she? This place held no familiarity to her, nothing that she had ever seen before. Everywhere else, she knew from someplace. 'From Squaresoft games and Disney movies,' a part of her kindly added before she could force it away. But this place... An involuntary shudder passed through her. She had never seen this place before, had never been there. And once again, she was all alone. There were no friends to stand by her, no one to catch her when she stumbled. Getting to her feet, Kairi brushed some of the glistening dew from the stars off of her clothes. All around her were objects of varying shapes and sizes, some not much more than stones with etchings in them and others large and intricate statues. Kairi clenched her fists, her fingernails digging into her palms. Fear wasn't going to get the better of her. She had to push forward. 'Or you could give up. It's almost over, you know. This can't end the way you want it to, Kairi. Come back home. Give up on these dreams.' Shaking her chestnut hair, Kairi held her head. “Leave me alone.” Her voice sounded so quiet, nothing more than a whisper. Her fingernails scratched against her temples, almost wishing she could claw the voice out of her head. Making her way to the nearest of the objects, Kairi strained her eyes to make out the etched words under the statue. It seemed to be a beautiful mermaid, it's arms outstretched to the skies above. The falling stars made it look like it was crying. Kairi felt sorry for it, reaching up to brush the glowing tears away. “You don't like it here, either, do you?” she asked quietly. More stars fell, finally illuminating the placard beneath. Bending down, the princess brushed some hair out of her eyes to read it. 'Here lie the dreams of Kathryn. From the gentle sea of her soul they rose, but the storm that ravaged her heart sank them. May they forever roam tranquil seas as they wait for her to return to them.' “What's that supposed to mean?” Kairi ran her fingers over the cool stone and etched words. A grave? But why? Not for this Kathryn, but for her dreams? Standing up, curiosity gnawing at her, the princess moved to the next one. A graceful unicorn stood atop the next marker. It almost looked real in the half lit darkness that draped over the entire area. A sigh escaped Kairi's lips. If only it was real. She could climb on it and go far, far away from this cold, lonely place. 'When a child grows, her dreams change and some come and go. Chiyomi's dreams as a child have been replaced by a new dream. May those that filled her nights long ago never lose their magic where they are now.' The next was of two women entwined, holding each other amidst the falling stars. It read: 'Megumi used to dream of the future she would spend with her love. But this dream died when she found out she wouldn't live long enough to see it fulfilled. Soon, she will be joining them.' “What is this place?” Kairi stepped away from the statues. This place wasn't a far away kingdom or a city at the edge of forever. This was... “The Graveyard of Lost Dreams,” a voice said behind the princess. Whirling around, her heart pounding in her chest like a runaway train, Kairi got a look at who had snuck up on her. She was a little smaller than Kairi herself, with short, messy dark hair. She wore a long sleeved white blouse and shorts. Her dark eyes seemed incredibly sad, deep, dark pools that went on for an eternity. Kairi had to pull her gaze away from those eyes, afraid she'd never see the bottom of them. “Who are you?” she asked, taking a step back. She nearly started again when she stepped into another statue. There was something... strange about this girl. “I'm... the caretaker of this place,” the girl stated simply. “And you... You are the dreamer of dreams.” Stepping past Kairi, she set some pink carnations down in front of the mermaid statue. “Do you all speak in riddles?” Kairi asked, exasperated. Straight out, simple truth seemed to be something that no one other than herself enjoyed. Everything had to lead in circles. It was like she was lost in Wonderland. “Sometimes it's the best way to explain things. Especially if you aren't ready to understand them.” The girl turned back to Kairi, stars twinkling around her. A star landed in her hand. Without seeming to notice, the dark haired girl closed her hand, snuffing out the star. “What's your name?” Maybe she had heard of this girl before. Or she'd at least have a name to attach to her. It was better than just meeting some creepy girl in the middle of a graveyard. Harle, Aya, and Maya all had names even if they wouldn't tell her much else. “I have no name. I've gone by many, but none are my real name. I simply... am.” Walking past, she continued on a meandering path through the graveyard. “But what use are names? Yours isn't even your own.” “What's that supposed to mean?” Kairi hurried to follow the girl. She was the only one in this place and whoever she was, she seemed to have some answers. Even if she wasn't exactly being forthcoming. “You know exactly what I mean. Kairi is the name you took on in the Destiny Islands. It is neither the name of the Princess of Hollow Bastion or a lonely girl who is bleeding to death in her room even as we speak. Your name is Hikari,” the girl explained in her soft, calm voice. “But if you can pretend Kairi is someone else, you can be neither of those things, right?” Kairi shook her head quickly, denying the girl's words. “No, it's not like that. I am Kairi. Those other lives...” Trailing off, she shook her head again. “I don't know. But I am Kairi.” “Then if we're pretending right now, you can call me Sophie.” The dark haired girl bowed her head. “It's nice to escape who you are. To lose yourself in someone else. To be everything you're not. Pretty, popular, strongwilled. It's so much better than reality sometimes.” For some reason, Sophie's words cut to the bone. “I am this way,” she said angrily. Fear and uncertainty began to surface inside of herself. 'Are you? Or is this all to get away from everything? To be all you wanted to be?' Her heart pounded again and she suddenly felt sick. No. This wasn't all make believe. She wasn't some lonely little pathetic girl who'd slit her wrists rather than deal with her life. That was the lie. She wasn't the lie. That life was. It had to be the lie. Ignoring Kairi's inner turmoil, Sophie continued, trimming some of the flowers near one of the statues. “This place is a graveyard for all the dreams that die. When someone gives up on their dreams, when someone forgets them, when life crushes them, they die. This is where their broken, battered bodies go. Where other dreams can mourn their passing. But it's a lonely place. Few come out here, to this place at the edge of eternity. To this place at the edge of sanity. I'm sure the souls of all these dreams are happy that you would come to visit them.” “But... Why? Why have this? Dreams don't die... They just...” “Go far away? That is dying. The ceasing of life. Dreams are born inside of people. And they die inside of people. They need a graveyard just as much as people do. You're thinking too much of what is 'real'. Reality is nothing more than a filter. Dreams live just as surely as you do. Or did. You all go back to the same place when you die,” Sophie explained. “Riku is already being called there, but I can't reach him yet. He wants to see you very badly. But you're dying, too. Right now. Time flows differently here. It's been so long here, but it's only been a short time since you cut yourself over there. But that's simply your body. If you decide to remain a dream, it won't matter if it dies. But once it does, you can never go back. The clock is ticking, Hikari. You're running out of time.” Speechless, Kairi could only watch the pale girl. Running out of time? Before, it had just been wherever her journey took her on her search for Riku and Sora. But now... she was... dying? No, that life... But even though she wanted to say it was a lie, she couldn't. Not completely. She couldn't entirely deny it anymore. A droplet spattered against her cheek, running down her chin. Still warm, but wet now. Not like the stars that had been falling. Wiping at it, Kairi brought her fingers up to her eyes. Crimson streaked them. It was raining blood. Searching around frantically, Kairi could see the bloody raindrops falling about the statues in the graveyard. She looked back at the girl, realization dawning on her. “You... You're Death, aren't you?” A small, sad smile crossed Sophie's lips. “People seem to think Death is a monster, something hideous that needs to be feared. But I'm only doing my job.” She turned towards Kairi. “I know what it's like to forget who you are, to leave your life behind, to hate what you are. But no matter how far you run, you can never escape it. It always manages to find you.” “But...” Kairi began, tears forming in her eyes. “I don't want to give this up... I don't want it to go away.. I don't want this dream to die...” For a moment, just a moment, she could accept that she was Hikari. For a moment, she could almost remember everything. “Then you have to fight for it. You have to deny the other world. If you give it up, then you'll still be here when your body dies over there. I won't be taking you with it.” Sophie stopped in front of several tombstones, the warm rain bloodying her. “But 'reality' won't give up so easily. Sometimes sacrifices are needed.” Rubbing at her eyes to force the tears away, Kairi glanced at the statues next to Sophie. “Riku!” She recognized the statue instantly. Hurrying to it, she read the inscription aloud. "Plunging into darkness, Riku wanted to save his dreamer. Lost in the night, but never swallowed by it, his spirit shines on.” The tears that threatened returned, dripping down her already bloody cheeks. “Riku...” He was dead now. His soul was still waiting for her. “Oh, Riku... I'm so sorry...” He only wanted to save her. And he had made the ultimate sacrifice for it. “I won't come for him until you've unlocked the Door and seen him. He's determined to stay until then. I'll give you that long. Then I'll take him to the other side,” Sophie promised. Kairi wanted to argue, wanted to beg the incarnation of death to let Riku stay, but she knew it would be pointless. The dark haired girl wasn't one to break the rules. “It's my fault. He never would have lost his body to Ansem if it weren't for me.” “He only wanted to save you. If you live, isn't that what he wanted? Doesn't that make his sacrifice worthwhile?” Sophie asked, tilting her head to the side. “But...” It was true, wasn't it? “But I don't want to lose him. I need him.” And that was just as true. Her gaze slowly turned to the statue next to Riku's. “Tidus?! But... No! What's going on?” The princess whirled to the dark haired girl. “What's happening to the Destiny Islands? He shouldn't be here. He should be fine. I saw him before I left. This... this is all wrong!” “The Destiny Islands are dying. They're the center of your dreams. And now that it's falling apart, it's caving in on itself. The rest of them will die as well if you can't save it. The dream is becoming a nightmare. The dream will soon be here in the Graveyard of Lost Dreams if things don't change.” “It's... dying?” It felt like the ground was crumbling beneath Kairi's feet. The stakes were much higher than she'd realized. She had to save Riku, had to find Sora, had to save the Destiny Islands all before she died. They were dying just like she was. It was all too much. “What about Hollow Bastion? If I'm it's princess, why isn't it dying just like the Destiny Islands?” “Because you aren't the only dreamer. There is another dreamer on Hollow Bastion who is managing to keep it from falling apart. Maybe she can help you.” Sophie turned to leave. “But remember, time is short. You brought the Heartless here by leaving the door to the real world open. Only you can close that door.” “Sophie... Thank you.” Sophie didn't turn around. “I'll be seeing you soon.” And with that, the graveyard shattered into a million pieces. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yuna sat in silence as the sounds of music and dancing and subdued laughter permeated the air around her. It was the night of the Destiny Islands Festival, but she really couldn't work up the will to celebrate. And she was angry with herself over that. It didn't matter if she felt like celebrating or not. The pain inside of her was inconsequential. Everyone was scared. They needed hope and she certainly wasn't helping anyone by sitting near a tree with her legs to her chest trying not to cry. But she couldn't help it. She felt on the verge of falling apart. The islands, their home, it was all falling apart in front of them. Some hideous nightmare had come to life. The same creature that had killed her father. And now it was coming for her, for the Destiny Islands. Everyone was still in shock over the loss of Tidus. Wakka had asked if they'd all disappear at this rate. Riku, Sora, Kairi, and now Tidus. No one knew what would happen next. Their world was falling apart at the seams. Selphie had insisted they still have the festival, despite everything else. She had said this was exactly what they needed the festival for, as something to keep them going, something to push back the madness that seemed to surround them. There had been some argument about it, but it had finally been agreed to have the festival anyway. After all, if they didn't have it because of the way things had been lately, they would be doing exactly what the adults had done. And so here they were at last, dancing and singing and playing under the starlight. But no matter how much Yuna told herself to go and join them, for their sake if not her own, the green and blue eyed girl couldn't get herself to move. Fear and indecision and pain froze her in place, leaving her a lightly shivering statue. “It's a beautiful night tonight, isn't it?” A voice asked from behind Yuna. At first, the brunette tried to collect herself, to push back the tears she knew would be present in her voice, but her surprise quickly took that away. “Elder Seymour?” Her shock broke the spell on her paralysis, allowing her to turn and see the older man. None of the adults had known of their plans to have their own festival. So what was one of the most respected elders doing here? For a moment, she thought he was here to end the festival, to send them all home, but his eyes told another story. His being here had nothing to do with the festival. He was here to see her. Swallowing involuntarily, Yuna continued to stare heavenward. Did he know? When explaining the monster and what happened to Tidus, she hadn't told the council of elders that she'd seen the creature before in her dreams, that she knew it's name was Sin. But had Elder Seymour somehow seen through her? “So strange that we would have such a beautiful night on the edge of such tragedy. Life certainly can be ironic, can't it, Yuna? Almost as if that beauty grows out of tragedy. It's all a cycle. Life leads to death. To escape death, new life is born only to be snuffed out. And why? Why this needless cycle? Why this continuous march towards death? We live simply so that we can die? Nothing ever escapes death. No matter how much we struggle. It continues menacingly forward.” Kneeling down, he glanced over at Yuna, to see if she understood. The younger girl looked down, her pretty face hidden by her hair. ”I know you feel bad about Tidus. But there was nothing you can do. His suffering is over now. We who remain here are the ones who are afraid, who are hurting and suffering. He is free.” Tilting her chin up to see him, he smiled softly. “He is truly free in a way you or I can never know in this world. Not afraid. Not always worried. Never having to cry.” Looking back into Seymour's eyes, Yuna found herself nodding. His words spun around in her head, leaving her dizzy. Free.... How she longed to be free. Not bound in chains by her own fears and indecision. Not having to hide her feelings for the sake of others all the time. Not scared of whatever was inside of her. Not paralyzed by indecision over everything. All of these things that plagued her life. The depression that would set in even as she would smile till it ached so no one around her would know. But... Would that freedom only come in death? As if reading her mind, Seymour continued. “Life is tragedy, Yuna. Pain hunts the living. Sorrow fills our souls. And yet we continue to fight death, even though we cannot possibly win. We only prolong suffering. This world, this universe is awash with the tears of all who live. And all we can do is sit and wait for the cycle to begin again, just as it always has.” “But... That's not fair...” Yuna shook her head, hugging her legs tighter. “Why does everyone have to keep hurting? Why can't things ever be happy?” “Because the painfilled cycle of life and death, their endless battle, continues on. As long as it does, we will keep struggling through the loss and fear and suffering.” Pausing for a moment, he stared deep into Yuna's mixed eyes. “But if we could find a way to break this cycle, to destroy the wheel we keep spinning on...” Yuna swallowed nervously. She wanted to look away, but his gaze was magnetic, keeping her from turning. His gaze seemed to go to the deepest depths of her soul, uncovering all the things she hid from the world. It was as if he was speaking directly to her. But how could she possibly destroy the cycle of life and death? That was far beyond a simple girl like herself. But if she could... wouldn't it be worth it? To be free? To end all pain and suffering? “Death is a salvation to those who die, but a curse to those who continue living on. We continue on this path, waiting to be swallowed up even as we see those we love fall around us. You're right, Yuna. It's hardly fair. This cycle is one of madness and despair.” Leaning forward, he placed a hand on Yuna's shoulder. “But I think we can break the cycle. I think we can finally end this once and for all. Even when you save someone, they will eventually suffer more pain and death. But we could save everyone.” Her heart pounding, Yuna felt anxious and hopeful. She certainly couldn't break the cycle of life and death, but maybe Elder Seymour could. And if he needed her help, wouldn't it be worth it? “How?” she breathed. Smiling, Seymour shook his head. “Not now, Yuna. But soon. Very, very soon. Now you enjoy the festival. I'll talk to you soon. Enjoy yourself. Soon there will be nothing more to haunt your soul.” With that, the elder stood up and walked back through the shadows. None of the others seemed to have noticed he was here. He must have docked his small boat elsewhere. Shaking her head, thoughts spun chaotically through Yuna's head. If Seymour was right, then no one else would have to get hurt. They wouldn't be stuck watching their friends and loved ones disappear. They could save everyone from the pain inherent in life. She could be free. Finally free. “Yunie, are you okay?” Rikku asked. The catgirl looked down at her worriedly. Yuna hadn't said much to her since... that thing had shown up. When the brunette would say something, she would smile and pretend everything was fine. Which obviously it wasn't. It scared Rikku to see Yuna like this. She wanted to help her, to protect her, but she didn't know how. To her surprise, Yuna looked up at her and smiled. Not the brittle, fake smile she had been using, but a bright, hopeful smile. Rikku was even more surprised by how good it made her feel to see Yuna smile like that. Her tail swished at the sight. “I'm fine. I think... I think things are going to be just fine.” And Yuna felt it, too. If Elder Seymour was right, she would do anything to break the cycle. Then it wouldn't matter that Tidus died or that Kairi and the others were missing or that the island was falling apart. They'd all be far away from this. Seeing Yuna hopeful again had a warming affect on Rikku's soul. The catgirl felt invigorated, as if she were feeding off of the brightness she saw in Yuna. It took her a moment before she realized she was purring. Finally managing to stop herself, she saw Yuna giggle softly into her hand. Still energized by Yuna's uplifted spirits, Rikku reached down, taking Yuna's hand into her paw. “Yunie, do you wanna dance?” she asked eagerly. Despite the sudden flush that arose on her cheeks, Yuna nodded. “I'd love to, Rikku.” She felt the catgirl pull her to her feel. Almost stumbling forward into Rikku's arms, she felt the other girl's paws on her hips. Blushing, she looked up into swirly green eyes. All of her worries and fears had evaporated for the time being. Right now, she was just under a starlit sky with a girl that brought up lots of warm, confusing feelings inside her heart. She'd usually be a bit more embarrassed about dancing with someone, but right now she felt free. She knew that she liked her, didn't she? So why not dance with her? The knowledge that everything could be saved soon made her feel like dancing anyway. Sweatdropping, Rikku's whiskers twitched. “I don't exactly know where to start. Most of the dancing I've done have been in plays with the rest of the Radical Dreamers. It's usually pretty planned out.” Laughing softly, Yuna position her arms on Rikku. Slowly, she began to move witht he other girl. “It's not about planning. It's just about moving. Dancing is fluid. If you plan too much, then it loses that. It needs to be alive.” The two danced to the rhythm of the music, sandaled feet and paws swishing over the sand as the water lapped the beach near them. They moved past other couples dancing on the beach, all to the music Irvine and several others had been forced to play courtesy of Selphie. The beach was beautiful, decorated with everything they could find for the festival. Magical lights hung in the trees, blazing with beautiful colors. Yuna smiled as she saw Wakka over near the pier, eating as much as he could from the food they had all brought over. Lulu was stamping her foot impatiently, waiting for him to dance with her. Yes, things were going to be just fine. She wouldn't let down the people she cared for. Her eyes went back to Rikku's beautiful green swirls. They were like a whirlpool, pulling her in. Absolutely beautiful. The slightly shorter catgirl caught on quickly, dancing wonderfully against her, the two shifting about underneath the multicolored lights. 'She must be a very good actress to catch onto things so quickly,' Yuna thought absently. Dancing was something that she always loved to do, now more than ever. It was the one thing that truly made her feel free. Losing herself to motion and emotion. Letting everything simply flow around her. And here, dancing with Rikku, she could feel it even stronger. It felt like everything was coursing around them, as if they were in the middle of a stream. The whole feeling was much stronger than when she danced alone. She could imagine that she could see the glow of their hearts and feelings mingling as they danced. It was perfect. Resting her head on Rikku's furry shoulder, she moved gently with the pretty catgirl. Holding onto Yuna, Rikku hoped Yuna couldn't feel her thundering heartbeat. But then, did it matter? She held the brunette closer, unable to keep from purring. Her paws rubbed up and down Yuna's back. What would she do when Yuffie finally found her? She missed her big sister, but she didn't want to leave Yuna. Being part of the Radical Dreamers had meant everything to her, but now it didn't mean nearly as much as being near the brunette. Maybe she'd finally found her treasure, the one she'd been looking for. Let the others find riches and fame. The girl in her arms was all she wanted. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sitting on the beach itself, another couple listened to the music surrounding them. It was a bit more distant from where they sat, but it suited them just fine. Sandals lay piled near them, their feet dipping in the water as small waves brushed up the beach. Selphie's head rested on Quistis's lap, looking out at the starlit ocean. Quistis's lithe fingers moved through her brunette hair, taking the time to play across her ears or her lips now and then. “You finally got to have your festival. It took a lot of work, but you did it. Good job, Selphie.” Quistis brushed Selphie's hair past her ears, gazing down at the other girl. “Did it work out the way you wanted it to?” Pausing for a moment, Selphie thought. A laughter from further up on the beach settled it for her. Nodding, the girl in the yellow dress smiled faintly. “Yep. People are relaxing and having fun. That's what I wanted.” Quistis nodded, her blonde hair shifting in the wind. “Then I'm glad it worked out. This might be our last chance to relax, so it's good that you could help give that to everyone.” Silence surrounded the two for several long moments. The music seemed so dreadfully far away. Selphie shifted, looking up at Quistis. “What happens next, Quisty?” she asked, her voice tinged with concern. She had been so busy planning on this that she had phased everything else out. Now that it was over, there was only the reality of their world crumbling out from under them. The blonde didn't answer at first, simply looking down at Selphie. Her fingers traced along Selphie's cheeks softly. “We do what we can. We try to find out what's doing this to the islands. And we fight to protect them. This is our home. We can't let it die.” Selphie bit her lip, still looking up. Her big, green eyes were slightly wet, tear stained. “And what if we can't find out? What if we can't stop it?” Smiling softly, and feeling just as worried, Quistis wiped the tears away from Selphie's eyes. “Whatever happens, Selphie, I'll be here with you. We'll see it through together, no matter what.” Leaning up, Selphie kissed the other girl. Slowly, at first, but with more and more of her strength. She needed to know she was there, needed to be with her. And this might be their last chance before everything fell apart. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The huge, almost labrynthine library did little to ease Yuffie's thoughts. She was home at last, back on Hollow Bastion. The book in front her remained open on the same page it had since she'd opened it over an hour ago. Her thoughts were too fragmented to try to figure anything out right now. Besides, Aerith was better at that sort of thing than she was anyway. She'd welcomed the distraction when Leon had entered the library to see her. “So she's really the Keyblade Mistress?” Leon was saying. Nodding, Yuffie finally shut the book. “Seems like it. Which doesn't make any sense. She was one of the seven princesses. Maybe it has something to do with her being Ansem's daughter. Besides, the other two Keyblade Masters are currently out of the picture, so I guess she was necessary. Though her Keyblade seems a little different. Maybe her mission is a little different from theirs.” “Could be.” Leon crossed his arms, thinking. “Sora closed the Doorway to the Darkness. So what we're dealing with is only the remaining Heartless and their current growing numbers. If she's supposed to open the Doorway to the Light, then maybe that will finish this. Sora started it and she's supposed to finish it. With the Doorway to the Darkness closed and the Doorway to the Light opened, that should be the end of the Heartless.” “But for some reason, the Doorway to the Light is locked by a different Keyholes. So we need to unlock the last of those before we can open the Doorway. Assuming we can find it.” Yuffie shook her head. “Which we will. She's got me working with her, so she's already better off than that Sora guy was. Hey, Leo...” She paused, correcting herself. “ Squall, where is Aerith? I thought she'd be here? Or have you both been running around with your lovers while I've been getting all the work done.” Squall's eyes narrowed. “Aerith's checking on Princess Hikari. She's still unconscious. You and the other girl woke up a lot quicker than she has. Whatever's been happening has put a big strain on the princess.” In response to the rest of Yuffie's question, he added, “We've been trying to protect Hollow Bastion and to figure out exactly what's going on. Running around wouldn't do us any good if we don't know what we're doing. And I don't want to leave Hollow Bastion to get consumed by Darkness again.” “It won't,” Yuffie assured him. “We were caught by surprise last time. No one knew what King Ansem was up to. This time we can go out and stop it before it gets that far.” She grinned. “The Heartless aren't going to stop the multiverse's best ninja. Just leave it to me.” Squall didn't look impressed. The ninja girl simply stuck her tongue out at him. “Yuffie?” Yuffie froze, turning to spot the speaker. Relm stood there, blond hair peaking out from beneath her bandana. She looked back to Squall for an opportunity to escape, but the older man was already leaving to let them be alone. 'Crap!' The ninja didn't know what to do about Relm since their last meeting. She hadn't been able to deal with her jealousy at all. Avoiding Relm had been her plan of action, but being in the same room made that incredibly difficult to pull off. Relm pulled up a chair next to her. The painter stared at Yuffie as the ninja flipped through pages in the overly large book in front of her. It was almost comical how nervous she was. “Thanks for saving me, Yuffie.” Yuffie closed her eyes, letting out a breath. She relaxed a bit at those words. If that was all, then maybe it wasn't so bad. They could ingore the rest of it. Like whatever feelings were pumping through her. Yeah, that worked for her. She smiled her best cocky grin and turned to the other girl. “Hey, don't worry about it. If you died, I wouldn't have anyone to draw my exploits.” The way Relm was looking at her gave a serious blow to her nonchalance. Relm stared into her eyes knowingly. It was starting to freak her out. “I made her up, Yuffie. She was just a painting I made. I wanted to make you jealous. I wanted to know if you felt anything for me. If you liked me the way I like you. The way I love you.” Relm tried to keep eye contact as Yuffie shifted around uncomfortable. Relm took her hand, kissing at her fingers. “I love you, Yuffie. I saw it. That's why you came back, isn't it?” Yuffie tried weakly to pull her hand away. Part of her reminded herself that if she was such a good ninja, she could get her hand back in an instant. So the only conclusion was that she didn't want it back. That didn't make her feel anymore secure at the moment. “It's my fault your stuck in this mess. I couldn't let him kill you,” Yuffie said unconvincingly. “Then why had you been following me to know I was in there?” Relm asked, arching a thin, blonde eyebrow. Standing up, she held Yuffie's hand to her heart, pressed against the black cloth of her top. Her heart pounded against Yuffie's palm. “I... I...” Words were starting to fail Yuffie. Her mind was racing in two different directions at once. One for a decent explanation and the other right towards Relm. She swallowed, trying to focus. Focus refused to come. “I... I was worried about you. And Kairi.” She added the last hastily. Pressing Yuffie's hand closer to her breast, Relm straddled Yuffie's lap, gazing directly into the ninja's eyes. Yuffie's short shorts rustled against Relm's puffy pants. The younger girl gazed into Yuffie's eyes, her nose brushing across the brunette's. “I love you, Yuffie,” Relm whispered. Her lips brushed against Yuffie's. She kissed Yuffie lightly again and again. The ninja sat there tensely as she wrapped her arms around her, pulling tightly against her. Licking Yuffie's lips, she felt the ninja shudder in her arms deliciously. Yep, Yuffie was much, much nicer when she had nowhere to turn. She suppressed the grin as she cuddled closer on the chair, kissing more. Her hands ran up Yuffie's sides, slipping under her short green top. Yuffie tried to sit up as Relm's hands pressed against her soft skin, but the painter made it impossible to get up. Yuffie was stunned. Not entirely by Relm's behaviour, because this wasn't the first time she'd done anything like that, but by her own lack of response. She should have pushed her away by now. Have told her to leave her alone. Have done -something-. So finally, she did do something. She started kissing Relm back. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kairi could vaguely feel a wet washcloth rubbing away the sweat from her face. She'd been slipping fitfully. She felt so strange. Was she sick? The bed shifted as someone sat next to her, brushing back her hair as they used the washcloth. 'Mom?' Kairi's distorted mind called out. It had to be. This was all just a nightmare. She was sick in bed. Her mother had probably stayed home from work to be with her. For a moment, she was homesick. She missed her mother. The only person who actually cared for her. But it was okay. She was there now. It was all right. Her mother would take care of her. But... It didn't smell like her mother. It was still nice, comforting, but not the same as her mother. She smelled like flowers. Kairi strained to open her eyes, already worried about where she'd end up now. “Please don't strain too much, Princess Hikari,” a gentle voice said. Accepting that Kairi wouldn't end her struggling, she helped pull the princess into a half sitting position. The world blurred and turned on end in front of Kairi. She would have fallen back to the bed if not for the woman's hand on her shoulder. Slowly, things began to clarify. “Princess Hikari? Then...” She looked over, seeing Aerith on her bedside. “This is Hollow Bastion, isn't it?” She shook her head, trying to clear away the last of the dizziness. “Did I bring myself here? Or did that girl send me?” “You came here because you had to. Does it matter how?” Aerith smiled, setting the washcloth to the side. “I guess not...” Kairi ran her fingers through her slightly damp bangs. She looked up at the chestnut haired woman. “Is Hollow Bastion okay? Is it still holding together?” Aerith nodded, though her smile disappeared. “For now. Though if the Heartless get much stronger, I don't know how long it will stay that way for any planet.” Kairi sighed, nodding. “At least it's not falling apart like the Destiny Islands.” Looking up, Kairi's mind began spinning. “I have to find the other...” she choked back the word 'dreamer'. She didn't want to admit that any of this was simply a dream. It was too real for that. “You won't have to look too far. I had a feeling you would want to talk to me.” The older woman brushed her hair back over her shoulders, smiling softly. “You're... like me?” Kairi asked, still not wanting to call it dreaming. Aerith nodded. “So I'm not the only one.” This was both a relief and a curse. If she wasn't the only one, at least she wasn't alone in all this. But it meant it couldn't just be something crazy a few people were telling her to throw her off track. Aerith nodded. “All of the seven Princesses were. Girls from another world who escaped here, forgetting the lives they once led. They were all like you, Hikari. I was like you. Fantasy helped sustain us. It helped us get through life. Until finally we decided our dreams were more worthwhile than our lives and we joined them. The rest of us turned our back on our pasts, forgetting. But you couldn't entirely forget. You clung to one thing. And that left the doorway open. That's how the Heartless began to appear here.” “My mother...” Kairi said softly, holding her hands to her heart. That memory that had grown foggy, but never entirely forgotten. She'd held onto it even when it was only a shadow. And while she held onto it, the doorway to another world was left open, one she had been supposed to forget. “So Aya was...” Nodding again, Aerith watched the younger girl. “That's why you're the Keyblade Mistress, Hikari. Only you can close that door because it's your door that's been left open. The rest of us don't remember our other lives. I don't know who I was before this, why I came here. I only know that I did. And I know of the others who did, too. I don't regret giving all that up. I feel like this is where I belong. With my friends. With Cloud. On this world.” Licking her suddenly dry lips, Kairi nodded. “That's what I want, too. I want to go back to the Destiny Islands. I want to be with Riku and Sora and my friends.” “But part of you also wants part of the other world, doesn't it? You're torn. That's why that doorway is open. And only you can close it. But will you step back through before you do? You have to decide soon. Which side will you be on when it shuts?” Taking Kairi's hand, Aerith sighed. “I'm sorry it has to be so difficult. Usually it isn't a problem. You're simply here. But something's still holding you back.” “You don't remember anything? Anything at all?” Kairi looked up at the taller woman. She had all sorts of snippits of her other life. Mostly cold and dark, but she could also feel homesick over the warm memories of her mother. And she was getting more and more memories back of being the princess of Hollow Bastion. Both seemed integral. Both felt like necessary parts of who she was. Shaking her head, Aerith's hair swished behind her. “I don't remember any of it. I came here to be with my prince. To live the life I never could in the other world. Just like you.” Smiling, she suppressed a giggle. “Though it looks like you have two princes.” Blushing, Kairi looked down at the sheets in front of her. “I need to find them. I need to be with them again.” Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. “I need to close that door to the other world before it's too late.” “Thank you, Hikari. I'll help however I can. All of us are willing to grant our strength to make sure these worlds don't fall apart,” Aerith promised. “All of us? The other princesses?” Kairi asked, curious. “All of us. We'll try to hold everything together long enough for you to close the door once and for all.” A small smile spread across Kairi's lips. “Then... Take care of Hollow Bastion for me. I remember growing up here. I don't want anything bad to happen to it. I'll do my best to protect all the worlds. I'll stop it. I promise.”