Story: Valiant Hearts II (chapter 10)

Authors: Fairytale

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Chapter 10

Title: Loneliness, I and the Sunset

[Author's notes: As usual, devianthearts doesn't like my formarting, so it's plain test. I ask for your understanding.]

Valiant Hearts II

Chapter X

Loneliness, I and the Sunset


The sun was almost setting when the three girls finished exploring the deserted island. Nothing but small animals and a lot of wild fruit were present. At least they wouldn't face hunger soon. But much more important and grave was the fact that there was no Keyhole portal as they had hoped. Kairi, Olette and Naminè were trapped on the island, and there didn't seem to be any possibility of getting away other than through a gateway.

“I think we can at least say this: we're stuck and have no idea how to get out of here.”

Kairi stated the obvious, but it wasn't really helping. In such moments, she had to keep a clear mind for the sake of the others. In such a situation, she had to stay calm. Surprisingly, Naminè wasn't as scared as Kairi had thought. And Olette, if she indeed was scared, didn't show it openly.

For now, they had neither a way to escape from this island nor from this world. It was only logical to assume that the number of problems wouldn't increase any further. First off was to secure water and food, of which the latter was a easy matter, as the island was full of fruit and palms. For water, beside the water of the vast ocean, there wasn't any source of matter on the tiny island. Kairi had once made the mistake of drinking salt water from the ocean. It was not fit to be drunk. Maybe they could use some—

Kairi was ripped out of her thoughts. Sparrow, the former captain of the Black Pearl, had walked up to Olette and had just given her a nip of the contents of a bottle he was holding. The brunette coughed immediately and her face turned more red by the second.

“What is in that bottle?” Kairi asked, demanding a answer.

Sparrow stood up, leaving Olette, who was even more confused now, where she was and walked over to where Kairi was standing.

“This, girl, is some of the finest and best swill you'll ever find across the seas. Each 'n every pirate would sell 'is own mother for a bottle of this,” Sparrow mumbled.

The pirate was drunk on the bright day. And whatever was in that dirty bottle, it wasn't good for the girls to drink.

“Olette, stop that. It tickles too much,” Naminè said, which got Kairi's attention. The blond girl was being hugged by Olette, who was nibbling on Naminè's ear.

“Don't you dare give them any more alcohol. I'm not trusting you yet,” Kairi said.

“That's some mean thing to say. Didn' I save yer pretty friend? But 'tis the fate of a good ol' honorary pirate. Always the ingrates I get, I tell ye,” Sparrow responded, more or less, and walked over to the beach to lay down and drown himself in more of the weird swill.

It took Kairi a moment to separate Olette and Naminè. While one had been constantly giggling, the other was slightly confused by the odd behaviour. That's right, Naminè didn't know what alcohol was, nor what it did to otherwise completely fine people. But Olette, having had a normal life for about sixteen years, was bound to know. At least, that was what Kairi had been thinking. But to give someone injured alcohol wasn't the brightest of all ideas.

“Kairi, don't be a prude. I was just teasing her a little bit,” Olette said, in a voice that implied Sparrow wasn't the only person here who was drunk.

They had to get Olette back to her senses, and fast. Kairi didn't know when the sun was going to set, nor how cold it got at night in this world. Not to mention that sleeping out wasn't the brightest idea, considering that the Organization was still after them.

Pulling Olette along, Kairi got her close enough to the ocean to just sprinkle some water on her face. It had little to no effect. Olette's face had turned bright red from whatever Sparrow had given her.

“Okay, I bet she is going to complain later, but we need Olette in a sober state if we want avoid sleeping out under the sky today. And I really want to avoid being found by those pirates, in case they come back. Help me to get her into the water, Naminè.”

It was a bad habit to be overly careful, but Kairi didn't know anything about this world or about the pirates or the member of the Organization. It felt like things couldn't get any worse.

“Kairi, shouldn't we ask Sparrow for help? He looks like he knows this island and we don't.”

That much was obvious, but Kairi didn't want to rely on a drunken former pirate ship captain. “We don't know anything about him. Sure, he helped us to escape, but he really doesn't look like he is very reliable.”

Kairi wanted to get out of this misery on her own. “On her own” meant not relying on others, proving that she wasn't just an accessory from the Hollow Bastion gang. Naminè and Olette were new to this, but they managed themselves better than Kairi had in her first missions.

Naminè had noticed that Kairi was a bit more timid around Aerith and Tifa. It wasn't so odd when she reminded herself that those two were like parents to the redhead. But it did look like Kairi's mood always hit rock bottom when the topic changed to missions in other worlds.

From the argument they had at the evening of the night they left, Naminè could only guess that Kairi wanted to show her parents that she was able to do things on her own. Aside from the natural affection she bore for Kairi, this was one of the things that attracted her. The will to stand up for her own mind's decision, and the power to go through with that very decision. There were other things too, but Naminè couldn't really grasp what they were.

A not-so-elegant and mighty splash later, Olette was dripping wet, but at least she had come back to her senses.

“My head is spinning,” Olette grumbled, and held the very same to make it stop.

“Sparrow gave you some of his whatever-it-was. I'm not sure if it was in good intent, either,” Kairi replied, and walked over to help Olette up.

“My whole throat is burning, my head is spinning, and I swear, if he ever comes near me with a bottle, I'm going to hit him with the Hero's Crest right on the head,” the more or less drunk girl mumbled.

It took a while for Olette to be able to walk without stumbling every so few steps. Kairi had checked the island. It was roughly a few hundred feet long and about as wide, in the middle a collection of palms and other things. There were plenty of wild fruit and coconuts. Water was now a urgent matter, but even that was resolved rather easily. Naminè had seen Sparrow vanishing between the palms, and just a bit later, they had found a trap door in the ground that led to an underground hideout.

For whom, and by whom, that didn't matter at the moment. The ridiculous amount of alcohol aside, there were other things they could drink, although only very little of what they found had any labels. Most of the bottles were identified by sniff and test, which inevitably led to three slightly primed girls.

At least they had found a resolution to the problems of water and a place to sleep. It was very smelly down there, though, and it was basically impossible to breathe for a short time period without coughing, so they started moving most of the (for the three girls) worthless alcohol out of the hideout. Sparrow didn't protest, as it saved him from having to go down the stairs into the mouldy underground to get another bottle.

In the middle of all that chaos, Kairi had stopped working and looked at the ground. This was definitely the worst mission and situation she had ever been in.

“Missions usually don't go this badly. I just wanted you two to know that I will get you two home, no matter what happens to me. It's me who got you into this mess, and--” Kairi was brutally cut off by Olette, who took Kairi's hand. It was wrong to take all the blame for herself.

“We went along on our own decision. It's not your fault. And you don't have to do this on your own. At least let me help you, Kairi. I'm sure I won't be...”

Olette knew this scenario. Someone didn't manage to go through with what they had planned and was about to give up midway. That someone always ended up relying on her, or wanting her to help. And Olette would always give it, no matter how she felt about it. She feared no one would respect her if she didn't. It had always been like that. Even Hayner and Pence only acknowledged her after she showed to be a natural in struggle. Now that same tired scenario would repeat here with Kairi. It would be just the same. People only liked her because she was good with many things. If she were just a normal girl, nobody would care.

“I know you want to help, but it already helps that you're here, that I'm not alone. For now, that's more than enough for me.” And Kairi freed her hand and continued to put away the bottles.

It was a shock for Olette. No one had ever denied her help before. Or even wanted to not rely on her, to do things on their own. Was it because Kairi had gone through a lot of horrible things? Was she scared to rely on others? Whatever it was, this feeling was pleasant but strange. Olette felt that it was weird to look back at her, now that she knew that Kairi didn't rely on her. Was she just stubborn? Unable to accept there was someone that didn't want or need her help? For now, all she could think of, was that this had left a nice feeling inside her. Was Kairi special? Someone Olette could rely on?

Time went by much faster than they thought it would. According to Sparrow, they were in a southern sea, on which the nights are short and the days hot and long. That meant most of the time they would immediately know when a ship was coming.

The girls moved a few old wooden boxes and cases into a corner of the basement and used the cloths that protected the boxes inside from dust to get by in the cold of the night. They helped, even though the cloths were rather thin and dusty. To provide a bit more warmth, they slept close to each other.

Kairi had first been against that, simply because she already knew that Naminè wasn't likely to just lie there. Olette was immediately annoyed when Naminè came up with the idea and refused to say anything. She was still in distress over that. Was she simply annoyed by how natural Naminè acted about this or was there something else?

By the time they finished the emergency cleaning of the basement, the sun was setting. It was getting cooler by the moment, but it was still warm enough to run around in much less than they usually wore. Kairi left the basement to look for something to eat, and Olette went with her, leaving Naminè at the entry of the hideout to watch for Sparrow. Kairi didn't trust him.

Olette wanted to say something about earlier. It was eating her up from the inside, and her head was feeling funny. But the words didn't want to flow. After a few fruits and coconuts, it was the redhead that started talking.

“I'm sorry about earlier. I...just want to do this on my own. I'm not a little kid that can't do anything by herself. Nor are you, that's not what I'm saying. But this is my fault, no matter how you arrange the pieces. I'm...usually not this talkative. I don't know, it just feels like I can talk to you about anything.”

Kairi didn't stop walking and picked up another fruit. It was almost enough for the three. Tomorrow, they would have to come up with a plan how to escape from the island.

“I don't think it's your fault alone. You're not responsible for everything and anything alone, Kairi. Deep down, you're just another girl, like I am. The Keyblade has chosen you, but that doesn't change the fact that you have weaknesses and emotions like everyone else. No Keyblade will change that,” Olette responded.

She stopped walking and looked to the sky. She was right. Kairi was just another girl. Even though she traveled through worlds and had to fight those things. It didn't change the fact that she had feelings, dreams and fears too. It was only now that Olette fully comprehended what Kairi had gone through. All this Keyblade business must have kept her from all those things.

For Kairi, that was one weird thing to hear. 'Just another girl'. It was like someone was directly looking inside her, past the Keyblader, past all the responsibility, past the mission. Kairi was often thinking how her life would have been like if the Heartless had never come. If she hadn't been the chosen of the Keyblade. The thought of a normal life wasn't so bad. But that would also mean she never would have met Aerith, Tifa, Leon and all the others.

Olette didn't seem to just look at her like everyone else (Naminè aside) did. For them, for everyone back in Hollow Bastion, she was first the Chosen and then a girl. For her, for Olette, it seemingly didn't matter that she was a Keyblader. For Olette, she was just a ordinary girl. Up until now, Kairi didn't really look that closely at Olette. Naminè was the one who really captured her attention with her behaviour and mysterious relation. Olette had none of that. She was the most normal Keyblader out of the three. But somehow, it was good that way. It felt like she could let loose a bit with her around.

“-- back?”

Kairi was ripped from her world of thoughts. Olette must have been talking for a while, since the brunette was looking rather curiously at her.

“Did you say something?”

Kairi had to admit, she wasn't there with full concentration. Not only was this mission one of the worst ever, but she had problems of her own to attend to. Naminè was one. But at least Kairi knew she could talk to Olette. A strange comparison, but for Kairi, Olette was like a secret diary in that one could write anything, that one could share its dreams with. Olette had a life that Kairi envied her. A ordinary one, up to when the Keyblade destroyed her peaceful life too.

“I said, should we go back? The sun is setting and we should have enough for today and tomorrow morning.”

Kairi walked next to her, every so often looking out of the corner of her eye at the so normal and yet not normal girl. It was a bit weird how she could find someone who was the closest to a normal person she had ever known that interesting. Olette didn't seem to notice, but she smiled all the way back for some unknown reason.

They got back at dusk and Naminè was waiting for their arrival. The load of fruits was put into a previously emptied basket. Due to the lack of dining utensils, they had to resort to more or less funny methods.

Olette cut the fruits. With her Circle of Life Keyblade. It was quite a disaster of fruit juice and leftovers on the ground until she got used to only cutting and not using her full strength. Tifa's training seemed to have had quite an effect. Naminè was to cook them and freeze the leftovers. Fire and Ice magic were easy to use, and Kairi could have done it too, but Naminè had better control of the spells due to her ability to use recitations. Some fruits, however, ended up as charcoal and some just died upon the flash freeze. Kairi had to make the best out of what was left over after the disastrous cutting exercise and the burning or freezing.

“It tastes...interesting,” Olette said, and her facial expression said more than thousand words.

“It smells funny,” Naminè said, poking the fruits with a little stick that served as fork.

“I wonder if I would choose this over Tifa's curry,” Kairi said, and with a unpleasant expression, she ate whatever it was they had cooked up. There was a severe lack of words to describe things like that. And it was good that way.

“We'll keep watch in groups of two. Olette went with me and collected fruit, so she can take the first sleep from us. Where is that Sparrow fellow anyway? If he comes near this hideout, don't let him in,” Kairi instructed, and left immediately later.

Olette held Naminè, who was about to just run after Kairi like a loyal dog, back for a moment.

“You didn't forget what you promised, yes?” Olette didn't know why she reminded Naminè of that in this moment. Was she feeling a bit jealous about being left in the basement? Or was she just being mean to the girl in white?

Naminè just smiled. After Olette let her go, she quickly left the hideout and went after Kairi, who was standing just a few meters away.

“In six hours, you can go to sleep and Olette will switch positions with you. You and Olette can take the last part together. That way everyone gets enough sleep for the moment,” Kairi said when Naminè had caught up.

“Okay. But what is keeping watch? What do we do?” Naminè asked the question Kairi was waiting for.

“We look after the hideout and make sure that no one enters and that no Heartless come onto the island. We have to keep our eyes open for the Organization member too. I'm sure he'll come back once he finishes his business with the pirates.”

That was enough of a explanation for Naminè. In short, she had to stay awake and look after the island. In the meantime, she got to spend time with Kairi, just the two of them. It wouldn't hurt if she clung to her just a bit. Maybe it would help the redhead to relax a little.

For the first couple of minutes, Kairi was busy with looking around, making sure that she hadn't overlooked anything. In a situation like this, it was important to keep a keen watch.

She startled and immediately summoned Oathkeeper when Naminè laid a hand on hers. Kairi was clearly on a end with her nerves. Taking all the blame for this whole thing was definitely something that surpassed her limits.

“I'm sorry. I'm just a bit nervous. We don't know when the enemy will lead his next attack, and --” Kairi sighed.

Explaining all that to Naminè seemed a little bit pointless. It was not that she didn't understand. But the fact that Naminè could stay that calm made Kairi feel a bit stupid. And maybe she was right. Was Kairi taking all this too seriously? The Organization had not shown any interest in them after they had become stranded on the island.

“The sun here looks almost like the dusk sky over Hollow Bastion,” Naminè said, and walked in direction of the beach.

When Kairi glanced over at the sun, her eyes immediately became glued to the view. Naminè, walking towards the ocean, the sun shining against her, and the warm wind blowing created a really special atmosphere.

It was weird. Kairi had never really cared for these aspects of life. Or rather, she couldn't, up until now. The view was amazing, and before she knew it, Kairi had joined Naminè in her walk to the beach.

They walked next to each other, each once in a while glancing over at the other, feeling the wind in their hair, the warm sun of the dusk on their skin, and the presence of a familiar person by their side.

It had been a long time since Kairi just enjoyed walking on white sand simply because she wanted to and not in order to fight, not to comply with all the expectations people had of her. The last time she had done this had been on the Destiny Islands.

Naminè stopped walking and knelt down, running sand through her hands. Everything was new to her, as she didn't know anything but what she had learned from her dreams. But the feeling of this, the feeling of being here with her, was something she could never have learned from just illusions and dreams.

“Say, Kairi...how long do people keep being friends? You won't disappear, right? This isn't just another dream, and when I wake up, I will be back in that white castle, and --”

Before Naminè could finish, Kairi knelt next to her and took her hand. Naminè didn't look sad. It was more like she had her own worries. Kairi never had thought about that, simply because Naminè didn't seem to be the type to worry overly much.

“I won't just disappear. And you won't either. This is real. You can feel my hand, can't you? That is proof this isn't just a dream,” Kairi said.

With a smile on her lips, Naminè got closer and finally leaned against the redhead. She didn't let go of Kairi's hand, the proof that this was not a dream. It was stupid, but she couldn't help but think that once she let go, it would become a dream again. Even though she was basically untouched by the problems of normal people, she had grave ones of her own.

Kairi didn't mind. Not in the slightest. It could have been the atmosphere or her overworked mind, but she freed her hand and embraced Naminè. She sat behind her, able to smell her hair, her scent, able to closely feel her skin. It was completely different from the forced relationship they had before.

“You're warm. Much warmer than before,” Naminè said, leaning further back.

“You think so? It might be the sun,” Kairi responded, still holding the girl. She took another deep breath.

“Not that. Your feelings are much warmer. You don't have to be cold, Kairi.”

Naminè freed herself from the embrace to turn around and take place on Kairi's knees, looking directly in her face.

“I don't know what you mean. I'm not --” Kairi knew. She knew what Naminè meant and the lie she wanted to spout had been confirmed by those eyes inside her. She just couldn't lie to her.

“I...will try. I can't promise anything,” Kairi said, slightly sighing. She had been avoiding all that she was experiencing right now. It would be a hindrance on missions, and that was all she had cared about in the past.

“That is good enough.” Naminè gave her another smile and clung even closer now, returning the embrace, dangerously close to Kairi's face.

It was Kairi who started blushing upon her advance. Naminè did these things as if they were the most normal acts in the world. Kairi envied her.

“You're awful close, Naminè...didn't we want...to stay just friends...?” The words came slowly and with hesitation. A voice in her head, the one of reason, was screaming for her to stop, but her body wouldn't listen.

It was a strange feeling. Really pleasant, but awfully wrong at the same time. And yet Kairi didn't want to stop. This was a first for her, and she didn't want to devote her life to the Keyblade mission for all eternity. In her own eyes, Kairi was first a girl, a teenager, and then the—no, one of the three Chosen of the Keyblade.

“Don't friends share their dreams with each other? Their feelings? Isn't that what makes us truly friends?” Naminè could feel Kairi's warmth, could feel her chest moving under her breath, going faster by the second.

“That's the line between lovers and friends...I think.” Kairi wasn't so sure of that in the moment.

It was hard for Kairi to keep a clear mind. The whole situation was literally breathtaking. Her heartbeat was going faster than even in the most difficult battle, and Kairi could not remember when she had ever been so nervous.

“It's like I'm looking into my own eyes.”

“Then you're looking into beautiful eyes.” Naminè really was a natural at smooth-talking.

Naminè really knew when to say such things. Either it was just instinct or being natural, Kairi couldn't stand it any longer. She looked at the ground and her face turned a deep red in seconds.

“Your face is all red.”

“That's the sun.” Kairi could feel that she was blushing.

“My face is not red.” Naminè had a little smirk on her face upon saying this.

“But it should be!”

Kairi lift her head and looked directly into Naminè's eyes. She was so close that a few strands of blond hair tickled Kairi's face. Her face was not red. It was so unfair, and yet, Kairi couldn't blame her.

“You're cheating.”

“How so?” The blond girl giggled as Kairi turned her head away in embarrassment.

“Because you aren't...” Kairi was almost whispering to herself.

“I can't hear you.”

Kairi was still taken by her presence. She was like a completely different being. No tactical planning, no calm and calculating mind, no fears of other people. Naminè was like a key to her inner side, to a side she had long sealed away in order to survive the harsh life of the Keyblader. But maybe it was time to open that lock. Maybe a bit. A little bit. Just to take a peek at what was beyond.

“Say...why do you like me?”

Kairi had wanted to ask that ever since Naminè had first shown her affection to her. There was apparently no reason for it. If it was only for showing up in that castle, it really didn't matter that it was her. But if there was something else...

“At first, I didn't know. Even now I don't even know why. But you're strong. I know I can depend on you. I trust you. And you protect me, don't you? I think...I like that part about you. The strong-willed Kairi, the Kairi that can protect me. But I like the other side of you too.”

Kairi never knew that Naminè could be so profound. She had anticipated a simple answer. Not knowing what to think about this, Kairi took it as compliment. If there was one thing real, then it was Naminè's affection for her.

“The sun is about to vanish. You won't vanish, right, Kairi?” Naminè leaned her forehead against Kairi's and waited for her to respond.

“No. I won't.”

The response was different to anything Kairi had anticipated. Naminè pulled herself closer in an instant and after seconds or hours, Kairi couldn't tell, she felt the blonde's soft lips on her own.

The kiss was amateurish, as they were inexperienced, but in this moment, both of them felt like they were in heaven.

Naminè was being demure and waited for Kairi to return the kiss. It only took her a instant to do so.

This was different. Not only did Kairi grasp a much better feeling of it, but there was something else inside her that started to move. It was like a wave, something that wanted to burst out. A immense feeling, but Kairi didn't care. All that important was right in front of her.

Kairi could feel a urge to go further, to make one more step. It was completely overwhelming and everything seemed just to be right now. Burying her hands in the flaxen hair, Kairi deepened the kiss and could feel Naminè responding to it as she laid her arms around her.

Just when Kairi wanted to continue all that was she was doing, a most awful feeling walled up. Nothing like guilt or blame—it was more like a hunch of something terrible.

Scared like a mouse, Kairi jumped back. Naminè fell over in the sand as Kairi tried to get back to her senses. The last seconds had been more than just strange, but the kiss wasn't the problem.

Kairi had seen pictures of Naminè's mind. Inside the white castle. Being tortured. A red-haired man. Kairi was so agitated that it was several seconds before she noticed Naminè was still lying on the ground.


---Valiant Hearts---


Where is she? This island. Those people. She has seen them before. But there are neither names nor faces for those people. Shortly after, darkness walls over the sky. The island is being devoured by darkness, by the creatures called Heartless.

The images fade away, showing a town with a ever-dark sky. A feeling of duty, one of a immeasurable size. The urge to escape, to run away, fear. Whose feelings are those?

The images fade again, drifting in darkness. Soon, a town in the desert, the feeling of guilt. Soon it changes to a different place. A vast ocean, a ship, disappointment and despair. Yet again, only seconds pass until the image fades. There is nothing but darkness. No emotion. No hope. The empty darkness is icy and empty. A light tries to reach the path that is there, in the absolute darkness, but fails. Again, the urge to run away. The scattered belief in oneself.

Time goes by and slowly, the darkness lifts, just to show what fears are made of. The death of a star, the end of yet another world. A dark night sky, star-studded. One star falls, the next follows. The images rotate. They show the ground, blood and tears. They let one feel the bitter truth of failure, and then the night sky again, empty as the shadows.

Only to fade once more, the images change again. Nightmare, the ultimate test for courage. The feeling of mistrust, of jealousy and of hate. A world that is not one. A ruin of that what was once a kingdom. The door to the heart of darkness. Infinite cold beyond. No way back. The fear for one's life. And yet, a shimmer of light, of bliss and ease after the darkness is past.

Lastly, a shivered image of a white door, immense and powerful, and two people. The same people that were on the island, in the first image. A arm is stretched out, the light of a Keyblade roars through the air, tears fall and hope is crushed yet again. Falling on knees, screaming out to the vanishing door, screaming out how unjust fate is.

The last image fades and nothing but darkness is left.


---Valiant Hearts---


“...up!”

Someone was calling. The last thing she could remember was darkness.

“Naminè, wake up!”

Kairi was calling. Did she fall asleep? Was all that a dream?

She opened her eyes to see Kairi right above her, Naminè's head laid on her lap. Kairi wasn't making any effort to hide the fact that she was worried sick.

“You were passed out for almost half a hour. I was about to carry you to the hideout and ask Olette for help. What happened? Right...before you passed out, I...I think I saw some images of your past.”

That was not as shocking as what Naminè had experienced. A flood of images and memories had gone through her, something much bigger than all of her own memories together. It had been frightening. Naminè didn't move; she tried to catch her breath. It felt like the whole island was ice cold, cold as the darkness that had been the last image.

“I saw your past too.”

Those words hit Kairi like lightning. Her past was full of horrible things. Most horrible things. She didn't want anyone to know what happened back there. Nobody should know. Kairi wanted those memories sealed away.

“It is time for Olette to switch with you. You should get some sleep.”

Kairi was back to the cold tactician. She helped Naminè up and turned away, only showing her back in the darkness. The sun had completely vanished.

“I'd like to forget tonight. I think that is the best.”

That wasn't a plea. It felt like a command. A cold command, one that a officer gives a foot soldier. Kairi was, deep down, infinitely scared of the thought that Naminè had seen her past. The present was bad as it was, with the Organization now posing a new threat. But someone who could stir up her past was definitely not good.

“Kairi, I think—” Naminè wasn't able to finish her sentence.

“I'm going to patrol the beach. Wake up Olette.”

And Kairi vanished in the shadows of the night.


---Valiant Hearts---


Olette was worried. She had never seen Naminè like that. It was as if Kairi had vanished or something.

She had only slept a few hours. Her whole body was aching, her head still slightly spinning from that day. Maybe fresh air would do her good. But first, she had to find out what happened to Naminè.

“I'm just tired.”

Naminè didn't want to talk about it. True, Kairi had wanted to kiss her, she even went along with it, but what happened after that was definitely not her fault. It was wrong to blame her, and it was wrong for Kairi to act like that. It wouldn't help to tell Olette.

Naminè went to sleep, but it was not peaceful. It was the first time ever that Olette saw Naminè so miserable.

It was too early to blame Kairi, but it couldn't be a coincidence that Naminè was like that after being alone with the redhead.

It was pitch black out and it took Olette a few minutes to find Kairi, who was sitting on the beach, glazing on the dark horizon.

“You look tired.”

Kairi startled and immediately went up, rubbing her eyes and trying to keep a poker face. It failed so miserably that Olette was a bit scared that the usually that strong-willed Kairi was like that. Just what had happened when those two were alone?

“I-I...oh, never mind.” Kairi didn't know how to act. Maybe she should just tell Olette, or keep it a secret, but at this rate, she would break out in tears any moment and there was little choice but to tell her anyway.

“Calm down, Kairi.” Olette took her hand but Kairi immediately pulled hers back.

Olette tried it once again, trying to help her, and again Kairi tried to break free. This time she failed. The brunette was a lot stronger than she was, even more so in her current state.

When Kairi had no choice but to admit defeat, she began to calm down a bit. It was a surprise, but Kairi leaned against Olette, hoping for comfort.

It had been ages since something happened that agitated her that much. She just didn't know how to deal with this alone.

For Olette, this was not what she had hoped for. She had only wanted to talk with her, not comfort her on this level. But before she knew it, Olette had laid both her arms around Kairi and, standing like that, pulled her closer.

At some point, denying the obvious was just being ignorant or a dreamer. Olette had to admit that it felt good, holding Kairi like that. It was a little sad that Olette had to admit this to herself while Kairi was in such a bad state.

“Will you tell me what happened with Naminè?” Olette never knew she could ask like that. Soothing and nice. Not forceful, but not allowing a 'no'. It was even more surprising that Kairi nodded and came even closer.

Olette could feel her breath on her skin. She got immediately goosebumps and her heart was racing. To what extent did she like Kairi? Was is just the urge to comfort her because Kairi wanted her to, or did Olette herself want this as well? She didn't know.

“We... kissed.”

Olette could have guessed about as much, but to hear it firsthand wasn't as pleasant as she had imagined. It was hard not to push her away, but Olette kept holding her. It was a mix of feelings.

'Why Naminè and why now?' It was the first thing Olette was thinking. Didn't Kairi want to keep her at an arm's length for the time being? Olette even gave her advice on the matter. And most important, what should she do now?

“So? I guess she forced that on you, right?”

That was the logical guess for Olette, and in the moment, it felt ridiculously good to blame Naminè for the state Kairi was in. Was that jealousy? Envy?

“It's complicated...”

Olette had different ideas as to what Kairi meant and none of them were especially pleasant now that she knew for sure that she had a interest on Kairi, or girls in general. Which of them, Olette couldn't tell yet.

“I'm listening.”

Kairi took a deep breath and stepped away from Olette. She turned around and got back to her position, sitting in the sand, as she had been when Olette arrived. Of course the other girl wouldn't just stand by when Kairi was about to possibly break out in tears again. Seconds later, Olette sat right next to the redhead, but not looking on her face.

“I can't really explain it, but while we kissed, it happened.”

Olette didn't understand. What was it? This was just another unpleasant thing to hear. Naminè was a friend, but if Olette found out that Naminè had forced something on Kairi, then...

“It was like...we saw each other's pasts. There wasn't much in Naminè's, and I was just seconds later back to my senses...but Naminè was out for almost half a hour. I don't know how much she saw, but my past is definitely nothing I want anyone to see.”

Olette didn't understand. It was weird that someone as strong-minded as Kairi was so overly sensitive about some mistakes in the past. Also, it didn't look like that was the whole reason. From the little time Olette knew Kairi, she could tell that the redhead was tending to keep a lot of things to herself.

“I guess that's not all. I bet you're hiding something.”

It wasn't all, and it really was bugging Kairi, but to tell Olette wasn't really pleasant.

“No, really, that's all.”

“Am I that untrustworthy?” Olette knew that something was bugging Kairi. She was also curious what had happened aside from the kiss. It was bugging her, too.

Even though nothing much had changed, Kairi felt that there was little choice but to believe in Olette. During the time Naminè had passed out, Kairi had thought a bit about several things.

“Am I weird?” Kairi couldn't look at Olette. Instead, she looked at the ground.

That came, for Olette, out of nowhere. What did she mean? Of course it was weird to travel through worlds and have a Keyblade, but that wasn't what she was talking about.

“I mean...yeah, I did give in to the kiss. It...wasn't bad. I...think I liked it. That's weird, isn't it?” Kairi really seemed worried about this.

That was the talk of someone who would find oneself guilty anyway, regardless what was being said. One of Olette's friends was like that.

“I don't know...sure, liking another girl isn't really the most normal thing on earth, but...look, you live with Aerith and Tifa and—” Olette couldn't finish her line, Kairi butted in.

“Tifa and Aerith are different. This isn't anything like with those two.”

Olette was a bit annoyed that Kairi just cut her off like that, but that was to be expected from someone who was a emotional wreck.

“I never thought about liking a girl before...”

“I don't think there is anything wrong with liking a girl, Kairi.”

Olette could feel that this conversation was slowly but steadily slipping out of her control.

“I just gave in to her. Just like that. I didn't really think twice about it. And I thought I really had willpower...”

“I don't know. Are you sure Naminè didn't force it on you? I mean...maybe you only think you gave in, when she really—”

Kairi stopped Olette midway. It hadn't been like that.

“No, really. If I had resisted, she would have stopped. I think.”

“So...maybe there was something else? I heard from Tifa that you aren't really hanging out with people your age. I guess your body finally demanded some comfort. If it is only that, you can come to me. I won't force anything on you, just because you're vulnerable.”

Maybe it was the truth, maybe not. Neither Kairi nor Olette knew for sure.

“Thanks. I...will come back for that offer.”

Olette was sure that there was still something bothering Kairi. It took Olette only a short moment to notice what she had forgotten.

“How are you going to handle Naminè now?”

Kairi knew what Olette meant but decided to play dumb. In all honesty, it really was a bit annoying when one was able to see through someone else like Olette did right now with her.

“What do you mean?”

“She broke her promise, so what are you going to do?”

Kairi had already handled that. For now. It had been a unpleasant decision, but it was necessary. They could think about what to do after this mission.

“I told her the kiss never happened. I...don't want to lose another friend. I'd rather forget all about it and continue like before, even if it would be a bit awkward...”

Olette at first didn't know what Kairi meant with 'another', but she then remembered that Kairi really was on a quest to look for her childhood friends.

“I don't like thinking about all this. I just...don't know what I should think anymore!”

Kairi looked to the right side, and from the noises she was making, Olette guessed that she was about to cry again. But she wouldn't put salt on her wounds.

To prevent any further crying from Kairi, Olette laid a arm over Kairi's shoulder and pulled her closer to herself. It always was soothing to be held.

“Olette, don't...it's nothing, and...” Kairi tried and failed.

“It's not nothing. I don't know your past, and I'm not interested. It's not anything we can change anyway. And remember that you're a girl, just like me, and after that, we're Keyblader. There's nothing wrong with making mistakes and sometimes showing a weak side.”

It was as if Olette could read her mind and said exactly what Kairi wanted to hear. But for the moment, that was a good thing.

Kairi leaned on Olette a little more, resting her head on the girl's shoulders as she slowly began to calm down down. It was like this afternoon—unlike everyone else, Olette saw the girl in her. In a sense, it really was something special. Around Olette, she could let loose, could forget about the important mission that carried on for years already.

She moved even closer, still leaning on Olette. She was now really close to her. Kairi could feel Olette's breath on her neck, could feel her chest going up and down. For Kairi, it was a chance to be her other self, the ordinary girl who liked to fool around with her friends.

“You think you could pet my head?”

Olette almost laughed, but she managed to suppress it and instead just smiled. At least Kairi seemed to be opening up a bit. Her own feelings for Kairi were in complete chaos, but for the time being, this was more than enough.

“You're a dog or something?” Olette sneered, and blew a bit warm breath in her neck.

Kairi immediately got goosebumps, but didn't move. It wasn't that bad. After all, she knew that Olette didn't have any intentions like Naminè had. It was just fooling around a bit.

“Tease. Bad tease,” Kairi complained and played a sulking face, even though Olette couldn't see it.

It was more of a sister relationship, or one of best friends.

Instead of doing it again, just to tease her further, Olette really started petting her head. It was a nice feeling to have Kairi's hair running through her fingers, and when Kairi leaned further back, so that Olette could almost look down in her face, she felt her heart going faster by the second.

“Say Olette...when I'm like this...can I come to you and you'll pet my head?”

Kairi said it with a smirk, even showing Olette her tongue and then giggling.

Olette slowly felt a heat. They were in the south sea, but this heat was uncommon. Where did it come from?

“If you pay me, that is,” Olette responded.

She could have immediately hit her own head. 'If you pay me'—what kind of ridiculous response was that? Why did she ever so often stumble over her own words when talking to Kairi?

“Okay, I'll pay you. But I decide on the payment.”

That really was a unexpected response. It seemed that Olette was not the only one who was a bit clumsy with words when it came to such situations. Or Kairi had something evil in mind.

“You're plotting something, aren't you?” Olette teased the first Keyblader further.

“Yes. Something really evil.” Kairi smirked again and poked Olette's sides. The other girl returned that action in an instant.

After continuing that game for a few minutes, both of them were gasping for air. The poking had gone a bit overboard and they had both started laughing. Olette was laying on her back in the white sand of the beach, which was more a light grey in the darkness. Kairi was right next to her, also laying on her back.

“I never knew you could have fun like this, Kairi.”

“It's thanks to you. I would never be able to do this with Naminè or even Yuffie.”

Olette was happy that both their faces were bright red. She could tell that she would've been blushing if not for her already reddened face.

It took them a few minutes, and out of lack for breath, they didn't speak a word. It was, for Olette and Kairi likewise, fascinating how they could be like that. Not so long ago, Kairi had been crying and Olette was deeply annoyed by the fact Naminè had kissed her.

“We should look around the island,” Kairi said, but it was not her usual cold attitude.

Olette was happy to tag along. In the darkness of the jungle, Kairi would be unable to see that her face was still red. Guessing was one thing, and all the time she had been in Hollow Bastion and near Kairi, the question plagued her. Did she like girls, and if so, did she like Kairi? At least the first question could be answered with yes at this point. Maybe it was because of the situation that she was looking at Kairi like that.

After a few minutes of silent walking, Kairi stopped, half-hidden in the shadows of the night, half-visible from the light of the moon.

“You are okay, aren't you?”

Olette had no idea what Kairi meant. They hadn't done anything dangerous in the last few minutes, and why was her voice wavering?

“I think so. We didn't really do anything dangerous. I'm feeling good, a little headache and lack of sleep—”

The next action made what Kairi meant very clear. She had, the previous one and the argument on the night of their departure aside, never seen Kairi have a outburst of emotion. Kairi turned around, apparently angry over something, and smashed her hand on a palm.

“You almost died on that cursed ship! How can you say we didn't do anything dangerous?! God, I was so worried...”

Olette didn't really know what to say now. She was good at comforting people with their problems, but this time, she herself was the problem. Sure, it wasn't her fault. There was little she could've done to prevent what happened. And now that she was thinking about it, right after she woke up, she saw Kairi's face. And, yeah that was it, Kairi had apparently cried back there.

“You cried, thinking I was gone, didn't you?”

Bullseye. Kairi said nothing but turned around and hid her face in the darkness.

Most people would now have said something to comfort the other, something to make clear it wasn't their fault when they apparently were giving themselves all the blame. Not so Olette.

Kairi was embraced and could then feel how Olette was whispering in her ear.

“I'm fine though. I get by that completely inhuman training with Tifa. If a bit of darkness and stuff is all that is necessary to make you worry, I'm going to have to comfort you every night. How should I keep up with that?”

Olette could feel heat rising inside her. Standing like this, even though she was just comforting Kairi, gave her more than just a pleasant feeling. It was much more. For a split second, she had wanted to draw Kairi closer to herself, tighten the embrace and do...some things. Olette really was happy that Kairi cared about her. Nobody else did. Not like this. But how long would she be able to stay like this? Her heart was going faster by the second. Kairi would notice.

Kairi was feeling a bit better. When Olette was joking about it like that, she didn't feel so bad anymore. Maybe she really had a bad habit of forcing the blame on herself.

“Thanks.”

“Oh, uh, no problem. I guess. Just...” Olette didn't know what to say. Her mind was all fuzzy.

“Shall we...continue our rounds? You'll need to let me go first for that...”

Olette was a bit startled. Sure, she had only meant it to comfort Kairi, but now that she was about to let her go, it occurred to her that this was more of comforting herself.

There was a certain thought in Olette's head, and it had become more clear by the moment. If she really saw Kairi just as friend, why was her heart beating like that?

Before Kairi could say anything further, Olette let her go and took a few steps backwards. She felt a bit dizzy.

After some time, as they had no clocks to check the time and they both weren't able to measure the time on the hands of the moon, Kairi and Olette returned to the hideout. It was Kairi's turn to sleep.

When Kairi was about to go down the stairs, Olette wanted to make sure everything was okay.

“You sure you told me everything that bothers you? About you and Naminè...kissing?”

It wasn't the most pleasant topic for Olette. She had to admit it now, she liked Kairi more than she had guessed. Olette wasn't sure if she had a crush on Kairi or not, but still, talking with her about her and another girl kissing wasn't pleasant.

“Yeah...I...look, I want to forget that it happened. I want to stay friends with her. At least for now. I'm not so sure what I should think anymore.”

Kairi was confused. Sure, she had wanted to be just friends with Naminè. She even got Naminè to promise that she wouldn't cling to Kairi like before. And now? She had given in to that kiss so easily, even liked it. What did she really want? Was all what she was thinking just made up? Was she afraid of confronting her emotions?

“I think you should, at least until we're out of here, act like nothing happened. After that we'll have enough time to think about it. But if you can't take it anymore, you can just come to me and talk to me.”

Olette could have run into a palm tree. Just what was she saying? Leaving the issue like this? That wouldn't help Kairi at all. If anything, it only made it worse. And there was this stinging feeling in her chest whenever the issue came up. Why did she say something like that? Was that...being jealous?

Olette's still having advice for her put Kairi at ease. It was good to see that she wouldn't leave her side. On her way downstairs, however, Kairi remembered something important.

“I forgot. Your payment.”

Before Olette could clear up the joke, Kairi had already done it. One step forward, both hands on her shoulders, and a kiss on the cheek.

It came as such a surprise that Olette stood there with open mouth. There was no ill intent from Kairi—she had done it to get Olette back for before.

“See you in a few hours.”

Kairi was about to step down the ladder to the basement again when Olette held her back for a second.

“You'll be okay with Naminè?”

Kairi just nodded and vanished.


---Valiant Hearts---


“Are you mad?”

Olette and Naminè had walked almost three times around the whole island. Olette's feet were aching all over, but standing still meant talking with Naminè, and Olette wasn't sure she would be able to be friendly to her. Kairi had calmed down and even when Olette checked on her, after she had talked to Naminè, everything seemed to be fine.

“I'm not. What should I be mad about, anyway?”

Olette knew very well about what. In fact, she would've been mad if not for Kairi and the happy time she had with her after the disaster with Naminè.

“I broke my promise. Kairi said it was a slip-up, but you're still mad.”

Naminè could instinctive feel when someone was mad or not. But in this case, it was kind of obvious that Olette was annoyed and mad.

“I'm not mad!” Olette practically yelled at the girl in white, who was frightened by that action and took a step back. “Okay, I am, but what did you expect? You broke your promise, kissed Kairi, saw her past although no one can blame you for that. But I can blame you for kissing her. I doubt Kairi humped you and started it.”

That much was true, but Olette was keeping quiet about what happened between Kairi and herself. Naminè didn't need to know that, at least not now. It would only lead to annoying questions.

“I don't know. I don't want you to be mad. I was scared too when I saw... felt those things. It wasn't something I wanted to see. I didn't do that on purpose.”

Now Naminè was fighting back. It was not right for Olette to put all the blame on her. Sure, she did something wrong with kissing Kairi, but when Kairi had already forgiven her, it was stupid for Olette to carry it any further.

“You did kiss her on purpose!”

“She isn't that upset about it anymore. It's more that—”

“But she should be! You broke your promise, forced a kiss on her, and who knows how far things would have gone if that weird memories thing hadn't happened!”

“Why are you angry about me kissing her and not because she got upset?”

Olette could feel that this wasn't going to end well. Naminè saw right through her.

“Because...'cause...who said I'm angry about you kissing her?!”

“So you are mad about that.”

“That's none of your business!”

Naminè was now a bit mad herself. Olette was acting childish.

“I don't want to argue with you, Olette. I know it's my fault for kissing her, but you're really acting odd.”

She knew it. Olette knew she was acting odd. But it wasn't so easy to just swallow what she had seen and heard and still be friends with Naminè.

“I don't want to argue with you either, not really. But...I don't know, maybe I'm just tired and overacting.”

Naminè made a effort to get along with her. It would be really stupid to stay stubborn and continue like that. Maybe she should talk openly with her. After all, Naminè wasn't out to displace Olette or anything.

Olette decided to cool down a bit and went to the close beach, throwing some of the icy water in her face. She needed to clear her head; her mind was filled with nonsense. Why was she acting like this? Kairi wasn't her girlfriend or anything even remotely close to that.

“I'm...um...sorry. I didn't want to act like a moron, but the more I was thinking about it, the more I got heated up. I didn't even hear your version of the story.”

“That's okay. Aerith told me that even the best friends argue and act like idiots from time to time.”

“You didn't have to call me an idiot, Naminè...”

Olette took a deep breath and sat down in the sand. The night was a bit chilly compared to the hot day that had welcomed them. Maybe it was time to face reality and think about what to do.

“What did it feel like?”

Now that she was at least halfway over the matter and had cooled down a bit, curiosity got the better of her.

“What do you mean?”

Naminè was unsure what Olette meant. The kiss, the memories, the—

“The kiss. What else would I ask about?”

The slightest thing was enough to get her back in a annoyed state. Her mood was very delicate right now. On one hand, Olette really was jealous. On the other hand, she was even more curious.

“It felt...good. I can't really explain it, but her lips really are soft, and she was so shy when we kissed. Completely unlike the Kairi we know. It was like a fire was building up inside my chest. And I could feel that Kairi liked it too.”

Naminè drew several lines in the sand while telling the other girl and didn't dare to look up, secretly blushing like a ripe tomato. Now that she was talking about it like that, it seemed much bigger of a deal than it had been.

“I wish I could have switched with you.”

“Did you say something?” Naminè had overheard whatever Olette had said.

“No. Nothing. Brr, it's really gotten cold.” Olette tried to escape, now that she had said that.

“Are you sure you said nothing? I'm pretty sure I heard you mumbling something.”

“Maybe you got a little too excited from telling me about kissing her, huh?” Now Olette was teasing her, poking her a little.

She had said that out loud, by mistake. The urge to imagine how it would be to kiss Kairi was simply overwhelming.

“Look, the sun.”

Naminè pointed on the horizon. It really was time for her to get up. The first night was over.



---Valiant Hearts---


“That was...the most interesting breakfast I've ever had.”

Kairi looked down at the leftovers. Some sort of fruit, by now unidentifiable, was lying there, having survived Olette's preparation process and Naminè's more or less successful cooking attempt. It was amazing in itself that anything was able to get past that. It was a good thing the Heartless weren't that persistent.

“Not much we can do on this forsaken island,” Olette complained as she threw every leftover in a bush.

The three girls were sitting on a big stone that served as table and chairs at once. The early morning hours had brought a terrible rain, and now the whole island was soaking wet. The sun had just come out, and the only halfway dry place was this rock. To eat in the basement was impossible. Due to the rain, almost every single insect one could think of was hiding down there. Not even a horse would get Naminè or Kairi down there. Olette had offered to dispose of them, but Kairi got away with saying the air down there was as thick as a wooden plate anyway.

“We shouldn't waste time. We need to get away. Now that I think about it, did either of you see Sparrow?” Kairi asked, less out of curiosity than because she thought Sparrow could know a way out of this misery.

Both girls shook their head. That was weird. This island wasn't that big, and even when the rain had been pouring down, there had been no trace of Sparrow.

“He isn't our main problem. I don't think this guy from the Organization will leave us alone. Sooner or later, and I think it's going to be first one, he will come back. We escaped to a isolated island, but he could have easily followed us. That also could mean he must have some sort of plan.”

Kairi was almost like someone with a split personality. While both of the girls had gotten to know a completely different site of her, they were always surprised how easily Kairi could adjust back to her tactician personality.

“We don't have the time to wait for a ship to come by, nor do we have the tools to build a float ourselves. I have an idea how we could get away, but it's going to be really dangerous. We don't have much of a choice, though. The only other option would be to stay here and play sitting duck.”

Kairi wasn't thrilled by that idea. It was basically even stupid and childish, but there really was little other choice. It was good that Kairi knew a bit about the nature of Keyhole Portals.

“We will freeze our way to where the ship was and use the remains of the portal there. A gateway leaves a certain signature, and like almost everything, a Keyblade can open that signature. I alone wouldn't be able to make it big enough for a person to pass, though, but with the three of us, we should be able to—”

Olette stood there with open mouth. This was a tad too ridiculous to come from Kairi. Had the fruits been poisonous? Had Kairi gone mad? Was she hallucinating? Naminè didn't seem to understand what Kairi was saying, as she didn't have that 'Are you insane?' look on her face at all.

“Do you even remember where the ship was?!” Olette turned around, randomly pointing in directions.

“That's easy to find out. A Keyblade remembers the last portal it opened,” Kairi said and summoned Oathkeeper, pointing it straight at the sky.

A second later, a thin light ray emitted from the blade roared a few hundred feet through the air and vanished in mid-air above the ocean to their right.

“Naminè, it's your job to freeze the water. I'm barely able to do so, since I lack the ability to use recitations, but you should be able to do it. Olette and I will take care of any Heartless that try to attack you from the water.”

That was a huge duty for the blond girl. It was quite far, and freezing even a small part of the ocean should be ridiculously hard. They had to walk on it, so it had to be pretty massive too.

“I'll try my best.” She didn't want to stay on the island forever either.

It was a bit weird to look at Kairi like that, after what happened the night before. Sure, she shouldn't have kissed her, but seeing Kairi completely ignoring her hurt. Maybe it was for the better this way, but somehow, Naminè would've preferred it even if Kairi would have acted a bit awkward around her. Like this, it was as if the previous night never happened.

Naminè decided to talk to Kairi after they left the island. It shouldn't remain between them like this, and Naminè was eager to clear the air. After all, she wanted to be with Kairi.

“We're in the south sea, so we'll have to wait until it's dark. Otherwise, we'll be too much under time pressure. Having the sun melt the ice won't help,” Kairi instructed further.

Olette sort of looked up at her. She had thought about this in this short time, and considering what had happened that night...

“We'll rest to gather our strength until it gets dark. Especially you, Naminè. I don't fear the Heartless in the ocean as much as us running out of energy halfway. If we do, we'll have to swim. And with the countless Heartless in the water waiting for us, that's not a good decision. But I know you can do it. I trust you. And you too, Olette. If not for you, I don't know who else I would trust to watch my back.”

For the brunette, was that a huge compliment. Kairi trusted her to such a extent already. Even though Kairi usually didn't rely on her, it was obvious that it would be stupid not to. Olette was a good fighter. And even though she was completely unable to use magic, Kairi had a high regard for her.

Naminè knew that this was her first chance to prove she wasn't just tagging along and needing continuous protection. Her great latent magic potential would finally be put to use. And on the vast ocean, she could completely let loose.

“We will keep guard alone. It's bright and I don't think the Organization would attack in the middle of the day. I'll do the first guard since I slept the most. You two go to sleep. Olette, I'll wake you up in a few hours. We need to be in top form for tonight.”

Both of the girls agreed on that, even though Olette would have preferred to keep watch with her.


---Valiant Hearts---


“Mistress of Ice, Lady of the Cold, Shiva Irselia, lend me your power, grant me your might and let all and anything that stands in our way freeze until the end of all days.”

It was a extremely powerful recitation that Aerith had taught her to use in case of a emergency. It was very draining, but the spell was on par with the most powerful Blizzaga one could possibly imagine. Only a summon would be more powerful.

At least three hundred feet ahead of them, water was forming a bridge of ice more than five feett wide. It took them over half a hour to walk to the end of it. Magic ice was very smooth and they had to be careful not to stumble.

“That really was impressive, Naminè. I didn't know you could do this kind of stuff.”

It was like a sweet dessert for her to be praised by Kairi. Honestly, the spell had completely misfired, as it was intended to be a attack spell that had a range of over one thousand feett. But it was good that she had managed to use it correctly at all.

“Now the second wave. The direction is still good.”

As if to prove her words, Kairi hold her Keyblade up and the light passed over them in the same direction Naminè was facing.

“Aerith said I can use that special recitation only once every twenty-four hours. A second use could anger Shiva, and Aerith said that it would be suicide to anger a spirit lord.”

Kairi knew what Naminè meant. Aerith told her of several stories about when she had used summons, and a few times she had even

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