Valiant Hearts II
Chapter XII
The Bond We Share
Almost a week passed by without any sign of Kairi. They had found out that there were hundreds of little islands Kairi could been on. Even if they had a boat, it would take months to search them all.
Food was hard to come by. Olette had been providing it most of the time, but for the last few days, they both skipped breakfast and dinner, even if it only consisted of bread and some fruits the previous day. Living only off water was much harder than they had ever imagined.
Their hideout had been found out and they could not go back. After sleeping one night under the cold stars, they managed to find a unused stable. It was smelly but much warmer than the storehouse. They used a few empty buckets to collect rainwater. It was both luck and misfortune that it rained almost every day. Naminè caught a cold, but it would've been worse if they had stayed in the storehouse, sleeping on the bare ground.
One rainy night, Olette felt something on her face that immediately woke her up. After an incident at the storehouse in which some villagers managed to finally track her down, she never slept very deeply, always keeping one eye open. She had been wanted for stealing food and Olette had been less cautious than usual. If she was caught, there was no telling what punishment might await her. This was an age filled with pirates, after all.
Olette almost panicked when she noticed what exactly was on her face. It was tickling a bit, but different from the straw. It was more...silk-like.
The first thing she saw when opening her eyes was Naminè's face, and it was awfully close.
“What—” Olette tried to yell out, but it was too late.
They were really soft. If angels were real, theirs must feel like this too. But Olette only was startled for a second and pulled away.
“Kairi...” Naminè muttered in her feverish sleep.
“I'm so not going to tell her this...” Olette said, and touched her own lips.
Looking around, everything seemed to be okay. The stable was old but rainproof and warm. There was a base level, for horses and other animals, but there weren't any now and it looked like there hadn't been any for a long time. And there was a upper level, that served as storage for straw. It was nice and dry. Olette had piled most of it into one big huddle that the two used to sleep. They didn't need to sleep close to each other, as it was warm enough with just the straw. But they preferred to be close to each other, almost as if each feared the other would vanish if they were even a little apart.
With the days passing on, and no change in obtaining any info about Kairi, Naminè got more and more depressed, closely sticking to Olette all the time unless she was going out to secure food or trying to get a hold of some info that might be related to Kairi.
Naminè didn't look good. They both were barely eating anything, and the water—even though it was rainwater—wasn't very clear. It really was unhealthy, and they could get seriously sick if this went on.
Olette had problems of her own, more on a emotional level than everything else. For her, not finding Kairi was a horrifying thought. Or worse, finding her dead. Hope was just a faint glimmer after all this time, but there was no way she could show this side of hers to Naminè.
How long would they be able to stay alive at this rate? Or what if they really were waiting for nothing. What if...?
“I shouldn't even be thinking something like that!” Olette said to herself, and fell backwards in the straw.
Naminè really looked miserable. Each day, the hardest thing for Olette to endure was not hunger or the steadily increasing hopelessness, but the disappointed expression Naminè made when Olette could only tell her she found out nothing.
“What should I do? We can't even escape this world...we barely managed to open a portal...did we... lose our only chance of ever getting back?”
It was a horrifying thought. What if Kairi really had given up her life to bring them back just so that they could return to this dreadful world to die a slow death of starvation and hopelessness?
“Olette...” Naminè had woken up.
“Did I wake you? I'm sorry, Naminè. Go back to sleep, everything is fine.”
“...it's not.”
Olette knew what was coming. She felt the same, but there was nothing she could do. But it must be so much harder on Naminè than it was on her.
“We still don't know where Kairi is...and she's not here.”
Naminè felt sick. They hadn't eaten anything for over twenty-four hours, but she didn't feel like eating anything at all.
It was lonely without Kairi around, but she knew that Olette was trying her best. Naminè just couldn't put up a mask and pretend to be well. Her emotional condition was even worse than her body.
Naminè wasn't very robust, nothing like Olette. The current circumstances were hard on her, and it took its toll on her body.
Olette thought back. Things had taken a turn for the worse over these past days. So much so that it was hard for them not to lose faith.
---Valiant Hearts---
It was not a nice day. The days in this town had never been nice. Olette had quickly learned that this town was rough and the people in it were not very friendly to outsiders. And she was a outsider, one to this whole world. For now they had food in the storage room they used as hideout. Naminè's condition hadn't been a good one. She sometimes coughed and had a runny nose, and it wasn't rare that she shivered at night even though they were close together. Olette could only hope that Naminè wasn't getting seriously sick.
Her first checkpoint was a tavern. From the books she had read, a tavern was always a good spot to collect info. But a girl like her in a tavern in a harbor town would certainly look wrong. Well, she had no clothes to change, so there was really no helping it. Olette ruffled her hair, then took some of the mud on the ground and put it on her face, trying to look as much like a wild brat as possible.
Just seconds after she entered the tavern, one of the men inside were already on her trail.
“Hey, this ain't a place for little brats, missy.” His voice was shaken by alcohol and he smelled like a stable of pigs.
“Shut up, drunkard.” Olette felt weird using such foul language, but this was certainly not a place to be picky.
“What did ye say? Hey, I think this damn brat wants a real beating,” the man shouted all over the noise in the tavern.
He violently grabbed Olette's shoulder—she was more than two heads shorter than he—and tried to hold her back. It was clear that he was filled with ill intent.
Olette knew that unless she made an overwhelming first strike, this would escalate in a fight. And that was the last thing she wanted.
A powerful punch in the abdomen followed by a side kick at his ribs sent the man to his knees, gasping for air.
“Don't mess with me!” Olette angrily said.
She was deep down so scared that if not for the poor light in the tavern, everyone could've seen that her legs were shaking a bit. It was just dumb luck that the man had had enough and did not try to continue the fight.
“Hey, barkeeper, I need some info.”
“I'm sorry, missy, but we ain't selling no milk.”
The barkeeper roared with laughter, and everyone else that heard it joined in. It was very humiliating, but Olette endured it.
“One of my friends got marooned on a island in the South Sea. Some guy named Jack Sparrow got us into the mess.” Olette tried her best to sound as pirate-ish as possible, but it was a rather poor show.
The barkeeper seemed to be a nice person, though, as he didn't just send her away. Maybe it was because she had mentioned Jack Sparrow.
“There are hundreds of islands in the South Sea, missy. If ye ain't got the coordinates, you've no chance of ever finding her. If she's alive, anyway.”
Olette bit her lip. Hundreds? Maybe a map would help, but the only thing she knew was the size of the island and that there was nothing else around it as far as the eye could see. This was much worse than she had imagined.
“Many thanks,” Olette said, and was on her way out.
“Next time you come, I'll make sure to have some milk for ye,” the barkeeper shouted after her. Yet again more than half of the tavern broke out in laughter.
Her search was not very effective. The taverns all had little but no time for her problems, and some people even reacted angrily and sent her away when she mentioned Jack Sparrow. The first day of searching was a complete failure. What would she tell Naminè?
The blond girl was waiting patiently in the storehouse, and Olette's first task when she got back was to eat some of the bread that almost tasted good after that hard a day.
“Did you find anything out, Olette?” Naminè asked in a hopeful tone.
“...I'll have more luck tomorrow! I promise.” Olette said, completely avoiding an answer, but feeling guilty when Naminè made a sad expression and let out two small coughs.
She had found out nothing. They went to sleep, and tired as Olette was, she slept like a rock. The next morning was the same as before, rainy and dark. Olette awoke before Naminè, which seemed weird to her.
Naminè didn't look too good either. Olette was scared of the thought that Naminè might get sick. She was physically much more robust than Naminè, so she could do with a fever. But for the frail girl...
They ate some of what they had found—bread again—and Olette left to continue her search.
Nothing. People were unwilling to help, and even if someone was, in a rare case, they could not tell her anything useful. There were too many unmapped islands in the South Sea. It was a hopeless undertaking.
Another thing was on her mind. Food. Olette knew that just living off bread would not work, especially if Naminè was showing signs of getting sick. It was hard to admit, but no one would let her work. She was too young, and even if she had enough strength to work on the harbor, they wouldn't let her. There was only one choice left.
“I will go to hell for this,” Olette muttered to herself, but she too didn't want to eat the old bread anymore. It was not good for their bodies.
Not too far away from their hideout was something like a grocery shop. Many people were going in and out, and after a while, Olette had figured out a blind spot. She waited just when someone was going to pay and hid herself beyond a shelf. She would only take a little, enough for herself and Naminè.
She grabbed a few apples and oranges, then sneaked away. Nobody suspected anything, as she hid the fruits under her clothes. They got a bit dirty, but that was nothing they couldn't solve with a bit of water.
“I got us something to eat,” Olette said, giving Naminè two apples and a orange, leaving a apple for herself.
“Did you find out anything?” Naminè repeated her question as before but with much less enthusiasm this time.
“...I'm sorry. Eat the apples, they're good. You should wash them before, though.” Olette knew that Naminè was needing the fruits more than she did.
“Why do you only have one apple?” Naminè was curious, looking at how Olette was having so much less than she was.
“I ate a orange and an apple already on the way.” It was such a blatant lie that even Naminè would notice. Her smile, her expression, they were all fake.
“Okay, then. Thank you, I'm really sick of the bread,” Naminè said and turned around.
Naminè knew that Olette was lying, but not why. To have other food was good, but Olette lying to her hurt. Also, there were no news of Kairi. She missed the redhead more, each day her hope shrinking that she would see her again.
But...Olette was still there with her. It was really painful that Olette felt the need to lie to her, but at least, she would not leave her.
The night passed as usual, Olette again waking up before Naminè. They always slept leaned onto each other, but this morning, Naminè was lying on the ground, looking really pale.
Naminè was sweating and breathing weird. She looked really sick and her head was burning. Even worse, Olette dreamed of Kairi that night, and now the reality of her being gone for good sank even deeper inside her.
“Naminè, how are you feeling?”
Olette was worried. It was past noon, probably, and Naminè had only woken up now. She could only tell when she asked someone on the street, as she was unfamiliar with this region's day and night shifts.
“I'm...okay. Olette, will you...look for Kairi? I...miss her so much.” Naminè seemed really weak. More than usual. And even worse, now that Naminè was showing signs of being affected by Kairi's absence, she had to hurry.
But could she really leave a sick girl alone? Naminè was needing some vitamins, but there was only so much she could do. Olette would need to go to the shop again.
“I will look for some clues. Please stay here, don't move, and sleep some.” Olette had used two boxes as windshield, and Naminè had the blanket for her alone, providing some warmth.
It was probably only a cold, but Olette could only imagine what might happen next.
It was easy, just as the day before, to get some fruits. It was stealing. A crime. But what choice did she have?
Looking for Kairi had proven to be so hopeless that she ignored it for today and went straight back to the storehouse. For now, Naminè was important to her too.
“Did you find out anything?” Naminè asked, as if Olette had been gone for hours and not just a little more than half a hour.
“I think I might have a clue,” Olette lied, hoping to make Naminè feel better.
“Don't lie to me, please,” Naminè said, tears in her eyes.
“I'm sorry...but...it's much harder than I thought. And I can't leave you alone,” Olette said, kneeling down next to Naminè, hugging her.
“Don't worry about me. We just need to find Kairi and everything will be okay...” Naminè seemed really out of it.
“I...no...we will find her. I promise.” Olette realized how much she truly missed Kairi.
But...just how much hope was there? The last she saw of Kairi was beyond a gateway, on a gigantic freezing platform, left with injuries and exhausted to the point where she couldn't move. Was...she really alive? And was there any hope to find her...in time?
They spent the rest of the day resting, Olette quietly watching over Naminè, as she had demanded that Naminè sleep as much as possible to recover.
The night was cold, but Olette endured it for the sake of Naminè. Three days had passed since they arrived. Three days, and they still had no clue where Kairi was.
Naminè seemed much better in the morning, but Olette didn't let her get up yet. One more day. Just one more day to rest and Naminè could get up again. At least that was what Olette was thinking. Naminè refused to to sleep if Olette was not next to her. It was a irresponsible request, even Naminè knew that, but it was really hard to be alone all the time.
Naminè's condition got better, but only slowly and only on a physical level. She clung more and more to Olette, similar to how she had done with Kairi in the beginning. Olette didn't mind, as it was soothing for her too to have company in this, the worst of situations.
It was the fifth day that would turn over their whole situation. Olette was on her way back when she thought that someone was following her. But wouldn't they just run after her and get her?
She turned around, but there was nothing.
It had to be her imagination. After all, she really was worn out by continuously stealing and the feelings of remorse that came with it. No matter what, stealing wasn't right, but Olette cared more for Naminè than for some shop owner.
Naminè didn't ask anymore. She understood that Olette had not given up on Kairi but had given up on finding info on her while she, Naminè, was sick.
Again, they spent the day without talking much. It was really cold when Naminè got up on her own, leaning onto Olette, to share the blanket. It was so obvious that Olette was freezing that Naminè couldn't bear it anymore, even though there was a chance that Olette could sick, too.
“But—”
Naminè cut her off, laying a finger on her lips. “No buts,” she said, almost immediately falling asleep after that.
Olette smiled to herself for a bit, then petted Naminè's head. Maybe Naminè wasn't as weak as Olette thought she was.
Soon, the brunette also fell asleep. It was tiring to keep watch over Naminè, steal food, and even to think about what they would do next. Olette really missed Kairi, and she did need her now more than ever.
The night was quiet as usual, only disturbed by sounds from a nearby tavern. Olette never could sleep very well in these times. She woke up when some scratching sound was on the front door. She had built up a few boxes in front of it in case someone were to attack them.
From the sound of it, outside were numerous people. Olette got up, trying not to wake up Naminè, and found herself eavesdropping through the thin wooden wall.
“Ye sure she's in there?” a rough voice asked.
Olette didn't know who the voice belonged to.
“That dirty lil' food thief is gonna meet 'er end. The stuff in there ain't owned by nobody anymore, so let's just burn it down and to hell with her.” The person who said this was enraged—and this voice was familiar too. It was the owner of the shop!
Olette had heard enough. She stepped back from the wall, trying to avoid any sound, and took Naminè piggyback. It would take too long to wake her up.
“What would Kairi do? Fight the people? No...Kairi would never harm uninvolved people. But if I take the window, they will get me and Naminè. Leaving her alone and surrendering won't solve anything either...”
Olette was rather desperate, even summoning Circle of Life as last countermeasure. But wait...would those people even notice if they made an attempt to escape? Olette had little choice and trusted her instincts. With one brutal swing, the back wall burst, and in the same moment, a bright light shone in from outside. The front had been set on fire.
It was a wink of luck that they didn't notice the bursting sound of the wall. Olette escaped, carrying Naminè, and dematerialized Hero's Crest, running as fast as she could. For now, they had to escape, no matter where to. Naminè was sick, so it was highly unlikely that she would wake up.
Olette only stopped when there was nothing but darkness around her anymore. She had long left the town, and had not stopped running for another ten minutes at full power. Her legs were still shaking when she finally slowed down. Naminè had just regained consciousness and Olette let her down, herself sinking in the wet grass, unable to stand.
“Olette...what happened? And...where are we? It's so dark...”
“They...found our hideout and wanted to burn us alive...we barely escaped.” Olette was dead tired.
“But why? Did we do something bad?” Naminè asked, not knowing that it was only Olette they wanted.
“We're outsiders. It's only natural to want us gone. We're somewhere outside the town...up ahead is a forest, we should rest there for the night.” Olette was biting her lip. Just how often had she lied to Naminè in the past few days?
“I don't understand...can't we go back?”
Olette shook her head, letting out a sigh. It was impossible. Completely burned down. But how would she tell Naminè they had wanted her head for stealing? The worst part was that she had gotten Naminè involved.
Naminè seemed to feel that something was wrong and asked away.
“Olette? You look...really pale.”
Olette just shook her head, unable to say anything. She picked Naminè up yet again and slowly walked over to the trees.
It was true, Olette didn't feel well. She had not eaten anything but old bread and a few fruits for days, slept in miserable conditions and had been out in the rain for hours in the past days. Olette was at her limit. Running like that for over ten minutes was too much for her. She felt sick and her breath was still going at a alarming rate.
Only a bit further, Olette could see now that her eyes had gotten used to the darkness, was the border of a forest. In there, the wind wouldn't be as strong, and perhaps they could find a dry spot.
“What now?” Naminè was asking, sitting next to Olette.
“Now...a place to sleep...” Olette just couldn't regain her breath.
“The town is dangerous...I guess we can't go back.” Naminè didn't know what had happened, but if the villagers had wanted to burn them alive, they must've been really mad.
“Let's just...sleep under a tree. Little choice there. There is a forest close by.”
Olette's vision was blurred and it took her a lot of effort to force it clear as she tried not to pass out.
Naminè felt sick, but out of the two, she could at least walk, unlike Olette, who was looking like she would collapse any second now. It was now time for her to fight too and ignore the horrible nausea when moving and help Olette, who had helped her all this time.
“Herder of the Travelers, I beg of you, grant us your blessing. Give us the power to reach our destination, to reach the place we desire!”
It was just a simple cure spell, and it wasn't useful for battle-orientated use. It was rather effective if only used to walk another mile or two.
Olette could feel some of her pain being relieved, but it still was hard to stand up. Naminè herself had to fight with a stringing pain in her head that came from the mental exhaustion of using a spell in these conditions.
“Save your magic...let's go over there,” Olette said, grabbing Naminè's hand. Both of them leaning onto each other, they walked towards the dark forest.
They did not waste energy on talking; instead they looked for a place to spent the night. They walked more than five minutes since they entered the thick forest, and finally found a suitable tree with a big crest.
Olette leaned onto the trunk and sank down, barely keeping consciousness. Naminè was next to her, leaning on Olette rather than on the tree.
“I'm so tired...“ Olette suddenly got depressed, thinking about Naminè's condition. “I'm sorry we don't even have a blanket or anything...”
“I'll be fine.” Naminè forced herself to smile. “As long you're next to me, Olette.”
Olette blushed for a moment, slightly embarrassed, then laid a arm around Naminè, trying to share as much body warmth as possible.
“Good...night,” both of them said, falling asleep halfway. Morning was only a few hours away.
The night passed in a wink, and the morning did not hold any change. They both continued to sleep, exhausted to no end, and the day, almost as dark and cold as the night, came quickly to an end.
Olette slowly woke up, sore from sleeping out in the cold. It hurt to move at first, but the pain wasn't as bad as before. First thing was to check on Naminè.
She seemed to be in pain, which was not very surprising, given her illness and that they had slept under the stars with nothing but themselves to warm them up.
“Naminè, wake up!” Olette slapped her face softly while talking to her.
Opening her eyes a bit, Naminè looked at Olette, smiling, then coughing. At least she was conscious. That was a huge relief.
“How are you feeling? Give me a honest answer, okay?” Olette said with a smile on her lips.
“Terrible,” Naminè said, slowly remembering where they were and what had happened.
“We need to find a proper place to spend our nights and for you to rest. I feel better, so I'll carry you.”
Naminè just gave a nod, still sleepy and unable to give a proper answer. She just wanted to sleep some more.
Olette picked up Naminè so she could carry her on her back. Now worried at how light the blond girl was, she started walking. She could only guess where the forest ended, but Olette remembered that they came from the direction she had faced when she woke up.
“Will we be okay?” Naminè asked, trying not to be too much of a burden to Olette.
“I'll find us someplace to stay.”
Somewhere near the borders of the town would be ideal, so that they wouldn't cause too much of a commotion if they were sighted.
Naminè fell back asleep after hearing that Olette was looking for a place to stay. Olette was grateful for that. It was tiring to talk and think at the same time, and she had to think about a lot of things. Most important right now was to find a place to spend the the night.
The town was terribly quiet. There were noises, sure, but not the kind two girls at night wanted to hear. The short distance to the harbor must have had a bad influence on this district.
She continued walking, looking for any building they could use for shelter, but Olette had little choice. In the end, she was limited to where she could go.
If they were thinking she had burned to death, then that was fine. They would not track her down. The matter of food was something that was still giving her a headache. Stealing would lead to a similar situation as before.
How much time had passed since they had gotten back in town? The continuous dark sky and rain had made her lose all feeling of time. It was like this town was cursed.
They were almost at the end of the street, near the wall that was surrounding the city, when Olette found something promising.
A abandoned building. It was big, much too big to be a house, and too far away from the harbor to be a depot for goods. The front door was locked, but the lock itself was old and rusty, which was a good sign. No one had entered the building for a long time.
Looking for a way to get to its back, Olette found a hole in the fence, not too far away. It was time to wake up Naminè, as she couldn't carry her through this. Using her Keyblade would inevitably draw attention, and it also would open the door for just anyone.
“Naminè...wake up,” Olette said, still carrying her, standing in front of the fence.
“Hm...what...where...?” Naminè was still out of it.
It took her a few minutes to fully open her eyes. Olette let her down, but took her hand in exchange. Naminè, being sick and sleepy, was a bit unstable but managed not to fall.
“Where are we?” Naminè started to look around, then looked at the big building slightly to the right.
“The outskirts of the town, at the edge of the harbor district, I guess,” Olette answered, then pointing over to the abandoned building.
“Looks abandoned...I'm not sure what this was, but we can't be picky.” Olette drew Naminè closer to herself, taking a deep breath.
“Olette? What are you—” Naminè was surprised. Olette seemed really tired.
“Nothing. I'm okay. Let's take a look. I had to wake you up since if something is in there, I won't be able to protect you if I'm carrying you.” Olette was considering that bandits or robbers used this place as hideout, even if it was unlikely.
“I'll be okay.” Naminè smiled even though she was not feeling well.
It was not right to always rely on Olette and not give anything back. If anything, Naminè would not show how ill she felt, even if it only lightened up Olette's mood a bit.
Olette just gave a nod, summoned Circle of Life, and crawled through the hole. Naminè followed shortly after, without Keyblade. It was a mental burden for now, and she would only summon it if they were attacked.
They didn't speak a word, trying to be as quiet as possible, and slowly walked over to the building. There was no light, no sound, nothing.
Rumbling. The sky was in turmoil. Soon, the neverending rain would pour down again. They had to hurry; staying out in the rain would gravely worsen Naminè's condition.
The back doors were wide open. Olette took a peek inside, ready to strike at whatever would wait for them.
But there was nothing. Just dust, dust from a long time of no living being entering the place. No sign of anyone living there.
Olette didn't let her guard down. She looked in every corner and had Naminè stand by at the back door.
Nothing. Just more dust. Even on the level above, there was nothing but a enormous pile of straw. For once, luck was with them.
“Naminè, can you come up here?” Olette deemed it safe and dematerialized her Keyblade.
A bit later, they checked every corner again. It was indeed an old stable, but there hadn't been any animals here for a long time. It was wind and waterproof and even a bit warm. They decided to use the straw to sleep on, since it would also give them the advantage of not being found immediately if anyone would enter the building.
Olette and Naminè laid down in the straw, tired and exhausted, almost instantly falling asleep. Olette had embraced Naminè, not caring anymore if she too got sick.
“I'll do everything to protect you,” was the last thing Olette whispered before following Naminè in the land of dreams.
---Valiant Hearts---
Rain was hammering on the roof and thunder was roaring across the sky. It had been like this for the past few days, as if illustrating how the girls were feeling. It had been hard on both of them, physically and emotionally.
Without a word, Olette crawled over to Naminè, hugged her, and petted her head. She had done this often in the last few days, and even though it first had felt weird and Naminè had been a bit awkward, they both were able to calm down like this.
Minutes passed, and Naminè thought Olette had fallen asleep, holding her like this. Even though it wasn't Kairi who was doing this, she felt that Olette had gotten just as important to her as Kairi was.
Naminè wasn't sure how she should feel about Olette. It was clearly different than how she felt about Kairi, but...
“Say, Naminè...what would you do if someone else liked Kairi?”
Hadn't Olette fallen asleep? And what was with that question?
“Everyone likes Kairi. What do you mean?”
Olette started petting her head again. It had somehow a soothing effect on both of them.
“I don't mean that. I mean...what would you do if someone else loved Kairi?”
Naminè knew what love was. Back in Hollow Bastion, Olette had once explained to her the difference between like and love. But it had never crossed her mind that someone else could fall in love with Kairi.
“I don't know. Would that be so bad?” Naminè just never thought about it.
What would she do? It didn't seem like a big deal if someone else liked Kairi. Did it really matter that much?
“Imagine if Kairi stopped liking you, even stopped being your friend, just because she liked someone else.” Olette felt horrible suggesting such a thing, even more so, since she was the one that came to like Kairi too. “Would you hate that person?”
Olette tried her best to not let her voice tremble. If not for the warm straw and Naminè in her arms, she would've surely been shaken by the fear of what Naminè might say now.
“I don't know...if that person took Kairi away from me...I guess I would hate her.”
Olette almost bit her tongue. What should she do? It was good Naminè was a bit dense, so it was rather unlikely that she would find out. But...what should she do? Olette now long knew she was clearly attracted to Kairi. She had even been jealous about the kiss between Kairi and Naminè.
“But...”
Naminè didn't know how to say it. She could feel Olette tremble, and her heart beating like crazy. She was clearly afraid. Even Naminè was not that dense, and it was obvious that her words had caused Olette to act like that. At the same moment she had said it, the brunette had also stopped petting her head.
What if she was right and Olette really was in love with Kairi? After all...on the island...
Naminè was confused. Was it really that bad if Olette was in love with Kairi? She wouldn't snatch Kairi away and leave her all alone, right? Her head felt like it was melting, like it was on fire, and Olette seemed freezing. Was it just her imagination, or did Olette seem to be gritting her teeth?
“If it was you...I...I think I wouldn't hate the person. You are important to me, too. And you wouldn't just take Kairi from me. You are not a bad person like that.”
For a second, the wheels in Olette's head were standing still. Did Naminè really say that? Was it that she had caught a fever too and was hallucinating? If so, then...
“You mean you wouldn't get mad if I were to like Kairi too?”
Naminè was silent for a moment, trying to sort out her inner conflict. Shouldn't she get bad feelings? Be jealous that someone else was hoping for Kairi to respond to her feelings? But there was nothing like that.
“Do you love Kairi?” Naminè just didn't know what to say and went just bluntly saying what she was thinking.
Olette couldn't answer. Naminè had become really important to her and if admitting love meant for those two to end their friendship, she would rather give up on Kairi. Olette couldn't lie to Naminè. Not about this, not now.
“I think I do.” Olette could have slapped herself.
Awkward silence filled the room, only disturbed by the rain and thunder. It seemed like a eternity had passed when Naminè gave out a sigh. Olette was short of snapping and taking back what she had said.
After all the time she had spent around friends, yet being all alone that time, she had finally found two people who were really important to her. And one of them seemed so far away that it hurt. And it was not just Kairi that was far away.
“I...I...” Olette could not even speak properly anymore. Cold sweat on her forehead, her body frozen stiff.
“Say, Olette...why is it that Kairi can only like one of us?”
Naminè had thought of it before, but not talked about it. It had been on her mind for some time now, starting with the night on the island when Olette had been acting really weird. Why did they have to choose? Why couldn't they be together? Naminè didn't want to lose either, not Kairi and not Olette.
“I can't really explain it, but...” Olette was a bit out of it, simply because she still had to fight with her inner fear of being rejected as a friend now.
“It's special to love someone. You can't just love two people. I would say, it's impossible...”
Naminè moved a bit, Olette let her loose as soon as she noticed it, but instead of moving away, which was what Olette was afraid of, she just rolled over, still as close to Olette, but now with her back to her.
Olette was startled when she felt something soft on her hand. At first she thought it was a mouse or something, but it was much softer and...it was holding her hand.
“I don't want to choose between Kairi and you,” Naminè said, holding tight onto the hand of her friend.
---Valiant Hearts---
Darkness. All around him. There was nothing but darkness. No wind, not even air. No sound, not even that of his own breath. Eternal darkness, thick enough to not see one's own hands even if they were held right before one's face. No horizon, just a vast nothingness.
“Ironic, that this is to be the true nature of us, who seek to regain their hearts.”
In front of him was a huge white gate, and beyond its open doors was the unfathomable darkness, a power equal to that of Kingdom Hearts. If one were to step through this gate, both death and immeasurable power would await.
“Why did you call us, Superior?”
Xigbar, kneeling a few meters behind the man he spoke to, was shaken by fear that Xemnas had discovered what he was hiding.
Zexion's research. The artificial creation of Nobodies. Tempering with a power, alien and incalculable.
Left to him was Luxord, who had been beaten badly by the Keyblader. His face was warped in anger, something Xigbar had never seen on the usually calm Gambler of Fate. He had been ordered to collect hearts; yet, he failed and even got beaten. The screams of Luxord when Xemnas had punished him were engraved in Xigbar's head.
One place further left was Saix, calm and uncaring as ever. If something was as dangerous as what laid beyond the gate, then it was Saix. Three days ago, he had obliterated a world called the Land of Pride. A whole world. Xigbar was powerful, but far from that level. Saix was a monster.
Right to him, and he squeezed his eyes when he looked at him, was Xaldin. If Saix was a monster, Xaldin was the tamer with the whip that let the beast dance and destroy everything in its path. He was cruel, as uncaring as Saix, and coldly calculated the death of his opponents using both comrades in arms and enemies to his advantage. Fighting with Xaldin was just as bad as fighting against him.
Right next to Xaldin, there was Demyx, the biggest mystery out of all these weirdos. Xigbar couldn't follow anything he said or anything he was thinking. Even his actions were contradictory and unbelievable. He had fought with the sorceress from Hollow Bastion on equal grounds. But ever since he came back, he had changed. It seemed like insanity had taken over him completely.
All of them were kneeling in a half-circle behind Xemnas, as he had summoned them.
“We will abandon the plan of using the Keyblader to collect hearts. We will seize the hearts ourselves.”
Xigbar first thought he was saved when he understood the extent of what Xemnas had just said.
“What do you mean, Xemnas?” It was Xaldin who first stood up and took a step forward.
In a mere instant, Xemnas had whirled around and where previously had been Xaldin's left arm, there was a huge gap of nothingness in his body.
Xigbar's mind was blank and empty. Xemnas...had just killed Xaldin. On a whim. In less than a second. He didn't even notice how he killed him. It was too fast for even him, despite his sniper-like eyes.
Even worse, nobody seemed to mind. Luxord didn't even notice, Demyx didn't care and Saix's expression was as frozen as ever.
“Xigbar.”
It was his turn. He would be killed next. Xemnas must've turned insane. He would kill them all. And there was no hope of escape. It was further than one hundred feet to the gate and Xemnas had killed Xaldin in a instant.
The said person had collapsed and was lying on the ground, probably already dead. Blood was flooding out of his body and there were no signs of life. His heart must have been gone, along with his arm and half of his chest.
He could not fight against him. His body wouldn't move. The blood was surrounding his feet, his knees. Xaldin's blood. He had not liked him, but to cold-bloodedly kill one of his subordinates without any warning...that was completely beyond anything he had ever seen.
How would Xemnas strike? How would he attack? Was there any chance of escape?
To make it worse, neither Saix, Luxord or Demyx seemed to notice that they were in danger.
“Xigbar, you...”
---Valiant Hearts---
The rain was cold, and she was freezing. They were hungry, and Olette had no choice but to resort again to the means of a criminal. She had been stealing food for a few days now, but she would not tell Naminè. This burden, she had to shoulder alone.
But luck was on her side. She only passed the harbor by accident, and a ship was loading provisions for a voyage. Only two guards, but who would expect a thief to come in this pouring rain? Olette had somewhat overcome her inner scruples to steal. If she didn't, they had to starve, and in Naminè's condition, that could prove to be fatal.
They didn't seem to be heavily armed, and the rain was pouring down, limiting their sight and hearing. Olette didn't waste any time and had already sneaked behind one of the guards. Luckily, he was standing near a building. He didn't notice Olette until he felt a brutal blow on his neck and lost consciousness. It was all but honorable to assault someone from behind, but Olette didn't care.
The other guard didn't notice and while Olette positioned the unconscious guard on the ground, she spotted a one of the bigger boxes not too far away.
Not looking inside, Olette took the box, and with all her might, loaded it onto her back before running for it.
Luck had left her in that very moment, as the other guard went to check on the first guard and noticed Olette. Drawing a gun, he opened fire and chased after the girl. About a round bullets later, he had lost her, due to the poor visibility in the rain.
In a dark side-alley, more than five minutes nonstop running away from the harbor, Olette allowed herself to calm down, take a breath and finally look inside the box.
What luck. The box was filled with cured meat, flat-bread and dry fruits. She must have hit the best box there was. This would last for at least a few days. Now that the adrenaline was gone, Olette felt her mind going fuzzy. Pain was suddenly occupying her left arm. Looking on it, a line of blood was running down from about her upper arm. A stray bullet wound. At least she had not been shot, but she could barely move her arm now that she felt the pain.
It was nothing compared to when she had fought the man from the Organization, but it really was bad. Ripping some cloth from her shirt that was completely soaked anyway, she applied a first aid bandage. It hurt a lot to do it herself, and she surely would not be able to fight the next few days with this arm.
Olette took the box back on her back. Thank God it was even darker than usual thanks to the rainstorm so no one was likely to notice her.
The pain was overwhelming. Blood ran down her arm even though she had applied a bandage. But what did she expect? For someone with a small frame like hers, carrying a huge box like that was usually impossible. She only was able to do it due to her training with Tifa. A few times she had to stop, her mind going blank and almost falling over. She must've lost a lot of blood already.
It was already the fourth time when she had to stop. Olette had barely set the box on the ground when she fell and would have hit the ground if she hadn't clung to the box at the last minute. When she looked down, there was blood on the ground. But her arm hadn't touched the ground. Where did it come from?
It was running down her leg. Had a bullet hit her? But there was no huge pain like in her arm. Olette needed to know, rolled up one of her pants legs and found the cause of the blood. Another stray bullet wound...just how many times had she been hit? But the wound didn't seem to be as bad as on her arm. The bullet must've barely hit her. It was bleeding a bit, but the pain was rather small. She had to make it back fast. Ripping yet another piece of cloth from her shirt, Olette applied a tight bandage on her leg—so tight that it hurt to move it even a inch. But it did seem to stop the bleeding for the moment.
Back up went the box. It was only one more street till the stable. She was soaked and exhausted. She had lost a lot of blood and was injured. If not for her willpower, she would've passed out long ago. But one thing kept her going. One important thing.
“Naminè...I'm almost there.”
But for now, it was clearly Olette that was in the worse condition. They had no means of disinfecting her wounds, nor real first aid. Would Naminè be able to use healing magic? Olette had faith in her.
The warm atmosphere of the stable, the smell of straw—she finally was at home. Home was where her friends were. And for now, Naminè was here.
Hiding the box in one of the horse boxes that were located directly below the platform above, Olette ascended up the ladder and looked for Naminè.
Was she sleeping? Olette looked through the straw.
She was not there. That couldn't be. There was no sign of a intruder. Was her mind playing pranks? Olette looked more carefully, but it didn't change the result. Naminè was gone.
“That idiot must've gone and looked for me!” Olette whispered to herself, and stood up.
Her vision was blurred and her mind blank. Was Naminè okay? She had to look for her. Had to find her. If something had happened to her, how would she be able to face Kairi?
But it was too much. Olette could not feel her legs, could not move. The few seconds she was still able to stand seemed like a desperate eternity. Was this the end? Was this empty dark feeling of failure what Kairi felt when the portal closed? That couldn't be...it could not just end like this...
“Naminè...where are you...?” were her last words before everything went dark.
---Valiant Hearts---
Roaring drums in her head, a familiar sound. The rain was a heavy as ever, and the occasional thunder was like a gong being rung in her head. Slowly waking up, Naminè first looked to see if she could spot Olette. Naminè was still sick, unable to do any magic, and barely able to do other things like walking around, so she was heavily dependent on Olette.
She wasn't there. Naminè assumed that she had gone to look for something to eat. Food. It made her realize that her throat was terribly dry. They used a set of buckets to collect rainwater, as Naminè was too weak to use ice magic to provide water.
But the bucket up here was empty. Olette must have forgotten to change them. Looking at the empty bucket, Naminè first realized with how much Olette had to put up recently. She wasn't of any help and Olette brought food, cared for her, protected her...she really had grown important to Naminè.
She had little choice but to get some water herself. Slowly climbing down the ladder, carrying the empty bucket with her, Naminè walked over to the back gate. They could not close it, due to a lack of doors, but it was a welcome breeze of fresh, even cold, air.
The other bucket was standing next to the door. Leaving the empty one in the rain, Naminè used a cup Olette had brought back one day to drink some water. It wasn't delicious but it was enough for her.
Naminè sated her thirst and looked at the sky that was filled with dark rain clouds. Olette really was amazing. Ever since they had come here, Olette had seem so reliable. Naminè asked herself how Olette managed to keep going even though Kairi was gone and their situation was this bad.
Some time passed. Naminè had no feeling for time in her condition, so she silently looked at the clouds, soothing her mind with the sound of rain coming down. She wasn't really thirsty but her throat was dry again, so she drank some more water. She switched the buckets afterwards so she could take the full one back with her.
It would be a hassle to get it up the ladder, as the full bucket was proving rather heavy to carry for a sick girl, but Naminè wanted to surprise Olette.
Naminè finally reached the top, exhausted and tired, the bucket standing next to her. There was something wet on the ground. Did she spill the water? Looking down, Naminè almost screamed.
Blood. A big stain of blood, going over to the place they used to sleep. A thief? A burglar?
Naminè summoned Monochrome, slowly walking into the direction where the bloodstain stopped. Long before she reached the place, Naminè could see the one who had caused the stain.
“Olette!” Naminè yelled out. Letting go of Monochrome, she ran over to where her best friend lay, not moving.
“Olette, open your eyes, please!” Naminè knelt next to the brunette, rolling her over. Her clothes were soaking wet, her trousers blood-stained, her shirt ripped to pieces.
“What happened, Olette?! Olette, hey!” Naminè tried shaking her, breaking out in cold sweat. What should she do? Just what should she do? They had no medicine, no first aid kit, nothing.
Olette didn't move. Her breathing was faint, but it was still there. Naminè buried her face in her hands, unable to do anything.
“What...what should I do?”
Her voice was trembling. Her whole body was shaken by the thought that Olette might die. Panic filled her head, blocking off every single rational thought. All she could do was sit there and watch the unmoving Olette slowly bleeding to death.
Naminè couldn't bear the thought that she might lose another important person. She wanted to run away. To run so far away, that she would never need to see this again. This horrifying image of Olette, wounded and on the verge of death.
Naminè, trying to get away, stumbled over her legs, falling back over. In front of her lay something that she totally forgot. That was right.
She wasn't just a powerless girl. She had healed Olette before. Her condition was much worse than before, but that couldn't be helped. Olette had taken care of her for several days, and now it was her turn.
It was hard to concentrate and even harder to get the recitation right, but unless she brought in something very powerful, she didn't know what would happen to Olette.
“You, who governs over life and death, commands creation and destruction, decides fate and destiny, the bringer of new lives and the reaper of the soul, I call upon you, Adamantia. Grant me the power to save the life of one important to me. Grant me the power to overcome that which is the fate of all who live.”
Nothing happened. Did she fail? Naminè had never used this particular recitation before. When tears of desperation showed in her eyes, something moved. From Monochrome, a green light was flowing onto Olette. Her breathing immediately resumed and Olette gasped once, but she did not regain consciousness. Naminè, at the same time, could feel both her arm and leg hurting and the pain was overwhelming. Her mind almost went blank, and only looking at how Olette got better and better by the second helped her to stay conscious.
It was a very powerful recitation Naminè had learned from Aerith as last resort to save others. It put a high strain on her body and mind, and if not for her determination to save Olette, she would've failed and both of them died.
Olette curled around, gritting her teeth. This was her limit. Naminè could not put up with this any longer, and both her will and the spell broke. She lost consciousness and fell in the straw, Monochrome dematerializing itself.
Silence but for the drumming of the rain on the roof fell over the room like a iron curtain. It took several minutes until Naminè finally moved, only a twitch.
Would Olette make it? Naminè was not sure. She couldn't see anything, she could barely think. Now she knew why Aerith had told her not to use that recitation unless it was absolutely the only way to save one of the others. Her arm and leg was still hurting but it didn't feel like she was bleeding herself.
Naminè slowly opened her eyes, seeing Olette next to her. She was still unconscious, but the bleeding seemed to have stopped. Naminè was sure that that wasn't enough to heal Olette's wounds. She would have to stay here the next days.
It took Naminè all her remaining power to crawl over to where Olette lay.
Naminè only had one thing on her mind. Just one single thing. She wanted Olette to pet her head, like she had done in the past days, whenever she didn't feel good. It really had become a soothing action to her.
Naminè, now laying next to Olette, could not move anymore. Her fever was still there, and her head was burning. The mind all fuzzy, and vision blurred. If only Olette would finally wake up.
But she didn't. Was she...no. Naminè refused to believe it. Just laying next to Olette, like a loyal dog waiting for its owner to get up, Naminè lost consciousness again.
---Valiant Hearts---
Was she dead? Was this heaven? Around her was bright light, and there was a warm feeling on her skin, as if the summer sun was shining on her. Below her, an immeasurably vast grass field stretched out before her, covering the ground as far as the eye could see. Above her, fluffy white clouds floated in a heavenly blue sky. This really had to be heaven.
She could feel sorrow welling up, sorrow, about never seeing her friends again, never talking to them again, never feeling their bodies next to hers. Falling on her knees, she started to cry. It seemed like a eternity until her tears stopped and only sadness remained. The grass around her had died, the sky was filled with dark clouds, and the air smelled of blood.
And with one instant, unbearable pain ran through her body. Pain so strong that she wished she would die on the spot. But death didn't embrace her, no, the pain kept getting stronger, driving her insane. She curled over in the withered grass, screaming out in agony, and finally the pain was so strong her mind broke.
Darkness. Around her, everything was dark. Her body hurt. The pain was still there. Had she been taken from heaven to hell, and this was her punishment? But...
She opened her eyes a little bit, slowly getting used to seeing anything again, and she managed to analyze the position she was in. Looking up, she saw directly in a familiar face.
It was Naminè.
“You're awake, you're finally awake, Olette!” Naminè said, tears in her eyes.
So, that naive frail girl had treated her injuries and even saved her life. It wasn't a dream.
“Yes, thanks to you.” Olette was sure that if not for Naminè she really would've died.
“I was so worried...I was just refilling the bucket and when I came back up here, you were all covered in blood and unconscious and...and...” Naminè was about to cry.
She walked over to Olette and sat down next to her so that Olette could comfort her. She longed for that now.
“Stupid girl, I won't die so easily,” Olette said, and embraced Naminè. Although she was attracted to girls, it felt more like hugging her little sister or a childhood friend.
“I was really worried! Don't do something like that again!”
Naminè made a sulking face and leaned onto Olette.
Naminè really wasn't the naive spoiled kid she was when she first arrived at Hollow Bastion anymore. Caring for Olette, risking her life for a friend, all those things had helped her to mature a little bit.
They stayed like that for over a hour, not speaking, barely moving, comforting each other by just their presence. They both were more than just happy that the other one was alive, even though they were in miserable conditions.
Finally, their stomachs growled, and both noticed that they were starving. Naminè didn't know about the box yet, but Olette was unable to descend the ladder, so Naminè would have to choose what to eat.
“When you go down the ladder, the last box before the yard—inside is a huge box with food. I can't walk a single step with my leg like this, so can you get something for us?”
Olette didn't like to depend to on Naminè even now, after she had done all this, but there was little choice. Surprisingly, Naminè gave a happy nod, and vanished quickly. It took a few minutes until she came back. The meat in the box was wrapped inside a big cloth, and Naminè used it now as bag to transport a bit of food inside it.
“Some meat—that's good, we will need the protein—and some dried fruits. The bread will make a good breakfast if we combine it with some meat,” Olette said, and waited until Naminè took the first bite.
They ate in silence, again sitting close to each other. They quickly finished what Naminè had brought up, and she went down again to get a bit more of the meat. The box was big enough to secure food for about one week, maybe ten days if they saved up some of it.
“Will you tell me what happened?”
Olette had known that Naminè would ask. After all, she almost died, and Naminè probably too, in the process of saving her.
“I don't really want to tell you, but I guess I should. You have to promise me that you won't ask me about details.”
Olette was still hesitating about telling Naminè what happened, but they had now food for a while and she couldn't go out anyway. They would have plenty of time to talk this out. But that was the problem: Olette wasn't that great at arguing.
Naminè gave a nod and looked closely at Olette. She didn't want her to get hurt anymore, even if that meant to shoulder some of the burden Olette was obviously carrying.
Slowly, Naminè got more and more a hold of how the world really was, and even though she still didn't understand a whole lot of it, one thing was really obvious. The world was not as bright a place as she had imagined. Knowing only Hollow Bastion after her confinement by Organization XIII, she figured that everywhere was like that. But now, she knew that the world, every world, had its dark side too.
“I got that box at the harbor. It's natural that they don't leave a box full of food for a voyage unguarded. I knocked one of the guards out and the other opened fire. I didn't get hit badly, but one bullet got my arm, and even though it was only a graze, it didn't stop bleeding. I used the ground to set off a explosion with Hero's Crest and one of the stone shrapnels must've hit my leg. In the end, I ran for it with the box.”
Olette took a deep breath and feared what Naminè might say now. She certainly wouldn't be happy that Olette stole the food and on top of it, knocked out two men and got severely injured. With a depressed expression, she looked at the ground, wanting to avoid what Naminè might now think of her.
Naminè understood what Olette was saying. Even she knew that one couldn't just take food from other people, even if they were in a dire situation. But looking at the depressed Olette, she could understand how she felt. It must've been hard to shoulder the burden of committing such acts over the recent days all alone.
Naminè abstained from saying anything, just leaned onto Olette, reaching for her hand and caressing it. Olette didn't seem to involve Naminè in such shady business, and the blond girl was grateful for that. Naminè really didn't want to steal from people, but they had to eat. If all Naminè could do for Olette was to keep quiet and support her, then that was what she would do.
“You aren't going to yell at me?” Olette asked.
“I won't. You do this to keep us alive, I understand that. And no matter what you think of yourself, I know you're a good person.”
That was quite unexpected, coming from someone like Naminè.
Maybe it really was time to take her a bit more seriously. After all, she did seem to gradually mature more, especially over the past days. Well, it really would be worrying if she didn't.
They continued to sit there, silently spending time with each other, healing their wounds, resting their minds and even a bit enjoying the sound of the rain on the roof. With a full stomach and in good knowledge the other one was okay, the rain didn't seem to be as annoying as it was before.
“I'm happy I met you and Kairi,” Naminè said after over a hour of silence.
Olette had thought Naminè had fallen asleep, so this took her by surprise. Of course she was happy that she had met those two, even though she only came recently to notice how much she liked Naminè.
Back in Twilight Town, she had been lonely even among her friends. Now, she wasn't lonely anymore, with even just one friend.
“I feel the same way...although I must admit, I first found you a bit annoying and somewhat of a spoiled brat,” Olette said, and made a funny expression.
Naminè immediately started sulking and looked in another direction. It was a very obvious act, so obvious that Olette started laughing wholeheartedly. It had been really long time since she'd laughed, and considering that Kairi was still lost, and they trapped in a foreign world, it was an amazing feat.
Even Naminè joined the laugher, although hers was more of a cute giggling, and in the end, they both laid down, looking at each other.
“If Kairi saw us like this, she would think we're lovers or something,” Olette said, her thoughts getting entangled in moments on the island she had shared with Kairi.
Naminè got quiet for a moment. She looked away and rolled over, now observing the roof. Even though the stable was old, the roof was waterproof and the dark-brown wood gave it a soothing feeling.
“Ah, I didn't mean it like that. I mean...you...you're really cute, but...” Olette was struggling with her words.
“I know. It's just I really miss her, and...”
Naminè had thought about it once before. What if Kairi decided against her? What if Kairi decided in her favor? What would happen to the bond she shared with Olette right now? Naminè didn't want to lose Olette as a friend, even if that meant her relationship with Kairi remained like it was now. That thought frightened her for a moment.
“I feel the same...I...think I love Kairi, no, I...I should have realized it. I do love her. I don't have the right to interfere with your and Kairi's—” Olette was cut off by Naminè.
“Don't say it like that! I don't want to lose you as a friend...”
For Olette, this was the first time she had seen Naminè this serious. It was a bit shocking that their thoughts were the same to such a degree.
“But why do we have to choose anyway?” Naminè complained, and once again rolled over, now looking at Olette.
“I told you, to love someone is special. I've never been in love before, but...I just can't imagine that you can love two people that easily. And—” Olette was again cut off.
“But why is it like that? Wouldn't it be better if you could just love two people? If Kairi could do that, then...” Naminè muttered the rest of the sentence so hushedly that Olette couldn't understand it.
“I don't think it is that easy...I do think it would be better, but...” Olette got depressed by how persistent Naminè was. Just what was she thinking? It seemed like a impossible thing to her, to love two people equally. Or even for someone to tolerate that their partner loved someone else.
“If Kairi...”
“Even if she could love two people...you and someone else...would you be okay with that?”
Olette didn't name herself on purpose. If Naminè could not accept that, she was afraid of hurting their friendship.
“If it was you, I think...”
Naminè blushed while saying it, and Olette couldn't help but think how cute she looked like that. It took her a few seconds until she fully comprehended what Naminè was saying.
Olette failed to understand how Naminè could say such a thing. But at the same time, she was a bit embarrassed that Naminè trusted her that much.
Naminè looked confused for a moment, then averted her face, feeling a bit embarrassed. It was a first for her to feel like that, but it was also weird to say s
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