Ok. . .This is getting so twisted, these conversations.
BTW, if you're really adamant about becoming a member of my following, you'll have to PM me. I don't keep track, sorry. ><
Anywho. Chapter Nine! Only about three more and it'll be finished!
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--Blinded--
--Chapter 9--
--by Darkened Heart--
--Introduction--
Namine's still unconscious, and now the doll Kairaishi promised to give to Sora is finished. Sora is the only one that trusts Riku, and he's thankful for that. But how long until everyone else takes out their mistrust on him?
And, by the way. . .The theories can stop, because Kairaishi's motives are revealed this chapter!
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Kairaishi played with her doll, making it walk on the windowsill of Riku's open window while Riku sat on his bed, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.
"Aren't you going to do anything today?" Kairaishi asked, an edge of impatience to her voice. After Riku had left Namine's home, he had gone straight to his bed and sat there, thinking, for ages.
Now he glared at her. Her feigned innocence and naivetie was beginning to wear on his nerves.
"Yeah, that's right. I'm going to leave Namine there by herself." he said sarcastically. Instead of saying sorry as usual, Kairaishi stopped playing with her doll and glared right back.
"There are other people who can look after her." came her icy reply.
"I'm not about to leave her alone!" Riku replied loudly. There was no worry of waking his parents now - they were both awake and eating lunch.
"You left Kairi alone." Kairaishi's eyes narrowed and her voice lowered dangerously.
Riku's eyes widened in surprise. H-how did she know about that?
"I don't know what you're talking-" he was cut off by Kairaishi.
"Yes you do. You left her for the darkness. You've had experience betraying your friends."
Riku was speechless. There was absolutely no way that Kairaishi could know these things. No way. His frustration was replaced with fear. Who WAS this girl?!
--
"What took you so long?" Sora answered the door as Riku returned to Namine's home, fully dressed, with Kairaishi behind him. Only a few minutes before, Sora had phoned Riku from Namine's house, inviting him to see how Namine was doing. He had reported that her breathing was getting better, and he swore that her fingers had twitched a bit.
However, as Riku realised as he entered the living room of Namine's home, Sora had neglected to mention that everyone else had come as well.
"Hey, Riku." Wakka said. "I see you brought dat girl with ya."
"She wouldn't have stayed behind even if I forced her to." Riku replied, his voice edged with cold. He was fully prepared for a verbal - and possibly physical - fight. His adrenaline was running high at the unpleasant surprise of everyone being there.
"Hey, guys." Sora said. "Don't fight." He didn't look up from his doll, however. He was still trying to get it to coordinate itself. Kairaishi went over to him and showed him with her own doll how to make it move. Sora laughed as Kairaishi made her doll perform an Irish jig.
The merriment that Kairaishi and Sora possessed wasn't shared by the rest of the group, however, as Riku was still staring warily at the seated Kairi, Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie.
Kairi sat quietly, not wanting to anger Sora, but her mistrust was evident in her eyes, which didn't stray from Riku's. Tidus, however, didn't seem to hear Sora's admonishment.
"Are you sure? Or maybe you brought her here to put the rest of us in a coma?" Tidus said testily.
"What are you talking about?" Riku replied. "That wasn't my fault!"
"Yes it was!" Selphie said. She stood, pointing accusingly at Riku, tears in her eyes. "She was doing it for you! You made her do it!"
"No!" Riku shouted back. "No!"
"Oh, are you gonna say dat you were under some mind control? Drugs? 'Cuz it ain't gonna work, Riku." Wakka said, and also stood up. Tidus followed suit, and Kairi pursed her lips. For Sora's sake, she would not get involved.
"Guys, c'mon." Sora said. He had now managed to get his doll to walk disjointedly.
Kairaishi was hugging her doll tightly to her chest. Her blue eyes were filled with a mixture of anticipation and fear, and she backed away a couple steps. She did not want to be the center of this. Riku's connection with her was.
No one seemed to hear Sora, though. They continued with the verbal warfare.
"Oh, you think that I'm stupid enough to get duped by a creepy little girl who just appeared one day?" Riku shot back.
"It sure seemed like it! One minute you're saying how much you hate her, the next you're waiting on her hand and foot!" Selphie shouted.
"You said you hated me?" Kairaishi whispered quietly.
When she said that, Riku felt a pang of guilt. He had been trashing her behind her back. But why was he feeling so terrible over it? He hadn't wanted her to be living in his house. He hadn't wanted her to control his mind. There was nothing he could say, though, that would erase her doubts. He didn't believe in lying.
"We know that you made a deal with her to take Namine out." Tidus said, throwing out the group's trump card.
Riku was taken aback. What the hell were they saying?!
"And you say I'M the one on drugs!" Riku cried. "I'd never do something like that! Namine's just as much my friend as she is yours!"
"How can we be so sure?" Kairi said quietly. There was no use resisting it. She was caught up in the group mentality. The tension in the air and the pumping adrenaline had gotten to her, and now she stood, too.
"I DIDN'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN!" Riku shouted, pointing in the general direction of Namine's room. "HOW CAN YOU THINK THAT I WANTED THAT TO HAPPEN?!"
The resulting tears on Riku's part took everyone back. Riku did not cry. Ever. And yet here he was, standing there, his breathing ragged and tears pouring down his cheeks.
A tense silence, save for Riku's breathing, filled the air. No one knew what to say. Even Sora, who had been trying to lighten the mood, stood dumbstruck. Kairaishi smiled.
"She's controllin' you, ya?" Wakka said finally. "You're actin' just like she wants you to act, like her little puppet. See her smug smile over dere?"
Riku looked, avoiding the white-haired demon's eyes. She was indeed still smiling.
"THAT'S IT!" Sora shouted. He was livid with rage. He was sick of his friends all fighting! This was supposed to be about Namine, not who caused what and whether or not Kairaishi was an evil sorceress bent on ruing everyone's lives.
"I AM SICK OF THIS! WHAT KIND OF FRIENDS CAN'T TRUST EACH OTHER? YOU SHOULDN'T BE ANYWHERE NEAR NAMINE! WHEN SHE WAKES UP, YOU'LL ALL JUST KEEP BLAMING EACH OTHER BEFORE SHE CAN EVEN SAY ANYTHING! GET OUT! ALL OF YOU!"
Kairaishi put a hand on Sora's shoulder while his tears added to the flow.
Kairi's eyes began to water as well. She had never seen Sora so angry before. It was like his good mood and diplomacy had evaporated as quickly as Kairaishi had appeared.
"Sora. . ." she said, but Sora shook his head hard. He looked down, and his shoulders shook as silent sobs racked his body.
"Go." he managed to choke out. Kairi's tears flowed freely as she, Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie all left, each carrying the guilt of causing Sora enough pain to make him lash out like that.
Riku stayed where he was. He hadn't started this fight. He didn't want to be in the fight. He shouldn't have to leave.
"Riku. . ." Sora looked up. It was obvious that he was biting his lower lip when he wasn't speaking. "Could you go too?"
"But. . ." Riku began, but was cut off.
"IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW YOU PUT IT, YOU WERE FIGHTING TOO!" Sora shouted.
"This isn't like you." Riku said, undaunted. He would not be swayed. He glared at Kairaishi. Now that it was out in the open that he had said he hated her, there was no need to hold back. "What did you do to him?"
"I did nothing." Kairaishi hissed.
"Riku. . .I'm sorry." Sora said. He fell limply to his knees, holding his forehead, his doll still clutched in his hands. "Why am I so mad? It doesn't make sense. It's like there's this dark void deep inside my heart, that tells me that everyone's being selfish. But that's not true."
Something clicked in Riku's mind. An unexpected dark void. The doll that Kairaishi made for Sora. Maybe he was just being paranoid, or maybe he had watched too many movies, but. . .
He squatted down in front of Sora, and reached for the doll. As soon as his fingers brushed it, Sora moved like lightning, snatching the doll away from Riku' reach and holding it tightly to his chest, much in the fashion that Kairaishi did.
"Don't touch it." he said dangerously.
"What's wrong with you?!" Riku said. "Don't let the darkness get to you!"
Sora snickered.
"Yeah, like you did?"
Riku's eyes widened in surprise.
"Hey! I know what it's like. I've been there. It's not somewhere you want to be, Sora!" Riku placed both hands on Sora's shoulders as he gave his pep talk. No one should have to go through the pain that Riku did.
Sora didn't respond. Riku anxiously waited for Sora's response. The closing of the door startled both of them, and the doll slipped from Sora's grip, tumbling down his knees and onto the floor, face first, the limbs in odd directions. They both froze, listening for footsteps.
"Kairaishi's gone." Riku observed. Sora looked up. She must have left when Riku was trying to get some sense into Sora's head.
"Riku. . .It's gone." Sora said softly. He brought one hand to his heart. "The hate. The dark void is still there, but the hate is gone."
Riku didn't say anything. There wasn't anything he could say without it sounding repetitive or stupid. The most he could do was remove his hands from Sora's shoulders.
"I don't think my heart's strong enough, Riku." Sora continued. "Only strong hearts can hold the Keyblade, right? I bet I can't even touch it. I wouldn't be surprised if it disappeared, right out of my. . ." he reached into his pocket for the Kingdom Keychain, and his eyes widened in panic. It wasn't there. He couldn't find it!
Riku's paranoia set in again.
"I bet Kairaishi took it."
"No, she wouldn't. She's too nice for that." Sora shook his head.
Riku shook his head right back, and stood up. He had to find Kairaishi.
--Extroduction--
Keep guessing, now that you know what she's after.
