~*A Promise Held Forever: Drawing Pictures*~
“We sat side-by-side in the morning light
and looked out at the future together.”
--: DaRkNeSs2LiGhT:--
The blazing sun was now set high in the sky, shining it’s powerful rays down on the beach. They woke Kairi up.
She had been resting on the beach, buried in the sand. She squinted to the bright sunlight and stretched, yawning. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Nothing new. Same old beach, same old ocean, same old loneliness. Absolutely nothing new. Kairi rolled over onto her stomach and sighed. “Come back soon. It’s lonely here without you guys…” she whispered to herself. A slight breeze tousled her hair, waving it in the wind like the waves from the sea.
Nothing was the same anymore. Not since what happened. Ever since Kairi arrived back on Destiny Islands, nothing was the same. Constantly, there was this tugging feeling in her gut telling her something was wrong. Something was going wrong. But maybe princesses are supposed to have that kind of feeling. Kairi shook the feeling away again. Slowly, she took her finger and began drawing in the sand. It was like an impulse, just automatic. Her finger traced through the sand without needing directions-it directed itself. As her finger ran in loops and lines, memories went through her head. Memories of Sora and Riku.
“Sora…” upon whispering his name, her finger stopped. Her heart beat faster. She just couldn’t get him out of her head ever since he left her at the door to Kingdom Hearts. She kept seeing that big smile of his and his bright blue eyes. The shades of the ocean.
Sora…
He was the one who fought for her, kept her safe…kept her heart safe because it was with him all along. Thinking of him brought a smile to her face. The first one in a few days. Once again, she started drawing in the sand.
Riku…
Now he’s someone different. One of her truest, bestest friends…he had always been there for her. Why did he leave? “He didn’t…” she convinced herself. But at the same time, he did. Maybe not physically, but spiritually, he was gone. Out of reach. He gave his heart away so that the darkness could consume him. But he did it for her. He did it because she was his friend. He gave up everything for her. “He shouldn’t have…I could’ve taken care of myself. You didn’t have to, Riku…” a tear peeked from her eye and slid down her cheek. And for a moment, she could’ve sworn she felt someone wipe it away. Don’t cry…a voice said. She tilted her head to look up at the entrance to the Secret Place. She hadn’t gone in there since she got back. Just once she went inside to look around. That’s where she stumbled upon it.
It was the drawing that convinced her he would come back. That, and he had her lucky charm. But she couldn’t pull herself together to go back in. She was afraid to. Afraid that she would see them there. It scared her. Not because she was worried for their safety (because she knew they could care for themselves), but it scared her because she was afraid that the memories would vanish. They were all she had left. They were what kept her alive.
“Sora…” she choked. She couldn’t hold it in. She had to let it out. Tears sprang from her eyes. It was uncontrollable. Kairi buried her head in her arms. “Please, come back. I can’t live without you...” she stopped. There it was again. That feeling that someone was there, keeping her company. Don’t cry... the voice said again. It’s okay, Kairi.
“Where are you?” she pleaded.
Right here…
She spun her head around. There he was. Standing over her, with a helping hand reaching down towards her. All she could do was stare at his offering. A puzzled expression spread over his face. “What? I thought you missed me.”
But…how can this be? She thought to her self. Sora’s not really…she instantly shook the thought away. She couldn’t say he wasn’t there. It was what she wanted in the first place…to see his smile.
“No, that’s not it, Sora." she said, looking into his eyes.
“What is it then?” she shook her head. “It’s nothing. Just nothing…” Sora shrugged and sat down next to her.
“Where have you been?” she asked.
“Nowhere special.” he laced his hands behind his head and sunk into the sand, closing his eyes. “It sure is good to hear the ocean again.” he took in a deep breath, then let it out.
“It’s good to see you back.” Sora smiled. He stood up and walked to the water’s edge. Kairi stood up and followed. She didn’t want him too far away…away out of reach. He stopped to look out at the horizon. Kairi stood next to him.
“Sora…You won’t leave again, right?”
“Course not! Why would I? I’m already here, aren’t I?”
But you’re not…
“Hee, right.” She sat down. The water came swiftly up and down, shifting stones and shells back-and-forth. Sora leaned down to pick a shell up, then sat down, too.
“Here,” he said with a grin, holding the shell out to her. “For you.” Kairi reached for it and gently grasped the shell between her fingers. Opening her palms, the shell appeared. It sure was beautiful. Baby blue and a pinkish-white swirled on it. She folded her fingers around it once more. “Thank you.” she said, leaning over to rest her head on his shoulders. “No problem! Anything for you, princess!” Kairi laughed.
“You’ve never called me that before…”
“That’s because before, you weren’t a princess.”
“But I’m still the Kairi you knew as a kid.”
“Sure are.” Kairi smiled.
“Sora,” she began. “I think it’s time you left.”
“But, I just got here! You want me to leave!”
“Please, go find Riku, then you can truly come back. This isn’t real…we can’t both be here on the same old beach, in front of the same old ocean…it’s not possible…”
“But I don’t want to leave you!” he grabbed her hands. Pleadingly, he looked into her eyes…awaiting her answer.
She turned her gaze away from his out onto the horizon. “But don’t you remember what you told me in the waterway at Traverse Town? No matter how far apart we are, our hearts will always be connected. I’ll always be with you, Sora.”
Sora looked down at the warm sand with a pouted expression on his face. Abruptly, he picked his head back up with a grin plastered on it. “Promise you’ll come back to me?” she asked…still not looking at him.
“I promise!” Kairi smiled one of her soft smiles. Thank you… she felt his hands slip from her grasp and when she turned to see his smile one more time…he was gone. But his presence was still there. Wrapping his arms around her. Don’t worry, Kairi. I promise, I’ll come back to you…
She knew he would keep his promise. It was his promise that kept her alive and willing to keep going. Knowing that all hope was not lost.
“I know you will.” her fingers clasped around the blue-pinkish shell once more as the same old ocean waves slapped up on the warm, sandy beach.
