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Yus, it's Snowdog again.
This time, it’s not a one-shot- it‘s a sequel. Even if you didn’t read KH:TFF, or Someday, things should be fairly easy to pick up. If you want to know what happened in those two, feel free to PM me or ask here. I can give you a quick run-down of what happened, or the links to the stories.
Now, on to business, as usual. I’ll be honest - I never really expected to be writing a sequel to KH:TFF, which is why I wrote ‘Someday’. But I suddenly felt like writing KH stuff, and I kept thinking that more could be done with my story, and I kept getting new ideas for a storyline. (What happened next, etc...) So I started writing, and this is what happened.
This takes place after Someday ends. And please, keep in mind, this is written as if KH2 never happened. So forget Roxas and Co, lol.
Enjoy. (And please, if the beginning isn’t your thing, don’t be put off. You’ll see what I mean…)
EDIT: I should probably mention that there'll be violence at some point or another.
Chapter One
“Baby Taiko,” he smiled softly, overwhelmed with feelings of such powerful love. His turquoise eyes beamed with joy as he held the little baby in his arms, watching him blissfully sleeping, all wrapped up in a soft, blue blanket. His little pink face peeked out of the blankets, little fingers grasping his father’s. Although just a few hours old, this baby was now everything to him. He was so tiny there, cradled safely in his proud father’s arms.
Strong sunlight streamed in through the small window, lighting the entire white room with a pure, heavenly glow. The walls seemed to shine in the bright light. Various pieces of medical machinery were dotted around the room, but apart from that, the room was quite empty. The hospital bed stood against one wall, with a white cabinet at one side and a pale blue chair at the other. A number of cards stood on the surfaces, and a big bunch of flowers was in a vase on the cabinet. The sterile smell of the hospital lingered in the air. Footsteps on cold tiles could be heard from outside, along with squeaking wheels and muffled voices. However, every so often, the golden silence would be allowed to fill the air in another perfect moment, and not a sound could be heard. Tearing his gaze from the sleeping baby, he watched her lying in bed, her eyes closed. She opened her eyes, somehow knowing he was watching. He stood at the foot of the bed, baby Taiko held closely as he gave her a smile.
Imari weakly smiled back at him, watching from the bed with deep, dark brown eyes. Soft curls of tawny hair fell over her pale, snowy skin. She was wrapped up in a pastel yellow dressing gown beneath the white blankets of the bed. Exhausted, it was clear from her face and weary movement that she needed her rest. Any woman in her condition did. She slowly propped herself up in the hospital bed as he approached her, a smile from ear to ear. He sat in the chair at her bedside, looked back at her with wide, loving eyes. Raising one hand, he caressed her flushed face.
“Why don’t you get some sleep?” he suggested, concerned at her drained complexion. He spoke quietly, fearful of waking the sleeping baby. “You need your rest.” She shook her head with a yawn, curls bouncing with each movement.
“No,” she whispered, with a smile. Her voice was pleasing to the ear, soft and gentle. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. Besides, they should be here soon.” She looked down at the baby, gently caressing his pink forehead with light fingers. His little snub nose wrinkled, his chubby, rosy cheeks warm to touch. He moved a little at her touch, but did not wake. A light, silvery sheen ran across his wispy, thin hair as he moved. Imari smiled again, looking back up at his beaming father. “Just like his daddy.”
Riku smiled warmly, sincerely kissing her forehead.
A lot had happened over those seven years, and now Riku felt as though he had somehow changed as a person. No longer was he so overly adventurous or competitive, nor arrogant and self-assured. He felt more able to talk of his emotions, able to share his thoughts with the ones who loved him most. In addition, an entire year of being alone gave him quite a lot of time to think of this. It made him more appreciative of those who cared about him, made him thankful for everything he had. It helped him find his inner light, helped him discover just who he really was. All that time to think made him realise just what he wanted. Now, as far as he was concerned, everything was perfect. He, Sora, and Kairi were home, safe together. The days of fighting and struggling against the Heartless were gone. Ansem was gone. Mikado was gone. The New Generation were gone. For good, he hoped. Nothing could tear him away from the ones he loved. Now together with Imari, and their baby, Taiko, life was wonderful again.
“He’s perfect,” Riku mused, looking back at her with a smile. Imari nodded, eyeing her son’s face carefully.
“He looks just like you,” she smiled at him, placing her hand over his. “He doesn’t look like me at all.” Riku suppressed a small laugh, looked back at her with that unchanging brazen grin.
“Good job, huh?” he smiled. She laughed too, knowing that he was just joking, as always. He kissed her again, before being interrupted by a knock at the door.
Both turned to see a nurse, stood in the doorway.
“Visitors,” she stated, stepping forward into the room, allowing the guests in before leaving.
Sora and Kairi had rushed over to the hospital after hearing the news of the baby’s birth. From Sora’s smart appearance, tamed hair, and full business suit, it was evident that he had been working yet again. Kairi had not been at work that day, and so was dressed in simple jeans and a pink t-shirt. She immediately hurried over, eager to see the baby. Sora closed the door, holding various presents for them in his arms. He softly followed Kairi over, leaving some of the presents at the foot of the bed.
“Congratulations,” she whispered to them, seeing the baby was asleep. She carefully moved the blanket to see the baby‘s face. An uncontrollable grin spread across her face. “He’s beautiful!” Sora put an arm around Kairi, smiling as he saw the baby too, noticing that he looked just like Riku. This proud father thanked them, carefully moving so that both could get a better look at him.
“His name is Taiko,” Riku beamed, so eager to show off his new son that Imari could not get a chance to speak. Not that she minded too much, she was exhausted. Sora smiled in remembrance of the baby’s namesake.
“After a certain someone we know?” Sora asked very quietly, trying not to let Imari hear his words. Riku had not told her of what had happened to them - after all, it would seem completely unbelievable to anyone who had not experienced it themselves. He did not regard it as a deep, dark secret, just something he felt he should keep to himself. It was not as though he did not trust her to know those things; he just felt it would be best if he kept it quiet. Besides, it was not as though she would believe him. He suppressed another laugh at Sora‘s question, smiling and nodding in response.
“Yup,” he replied. It was not long before his eyes wandered back to his baby’s face, ignoring all those around him. Imari smiled, knowing this would be her chance to talk to their friends.
“He looks so happy,” Kairi smiled back at her. Riku was oblivious to everything around him, his attention completely focused on Taiko. Imari smiled again, gazing at Riku before looking back to Kairi. “How are you?”
“Fine,” she replied, “just a little tired.” Kairi suddenly blushed, feeling slightly guilty at Imari’s response.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she quickly responded, scratching her neck nervously. “Sora and I can leave if you need to rest.” Sora nodded, not replying along with Kairi. Still, it was clear he was thinking the same as her. Imari chuckled, realising Kairi misunderstood.
“Of course not,” she shook her head, “you just got here.” She suddenly turned her attention, noticing Taiko wriggling in Riku’s arms. “I think he’s waking up.” She leaned over to look at his face, saw it contorting as he stretched. His tiny fingers grasped at the air, before finding his father’s hand. With a wide yawn, he opened his eyes, looking up at Riku’s growing smile. His eyes were a smoky, turquoise blue colour, wide and keen to see those around him.
“Hello there,” Riku said softly, gazing down at his face. Taiko took a moment to look at him, before staring around the white room. He examined the new faces, looking them up and down with a seemingly puzzled expression. He saw Sora’s smile, but Kairi, who squealed with delight at his tiny little face, stole his attention. Blinking, he looked around the room again, his eyes searching for his mother. Imari held her arms out, gestured for Riku to give her Taiko to hold. Taking the baby into her arms, she held him closely, gently holding his hand. She cooed at him, softly kissed his tiny hand. Noticing the time from the corner of her eye, she quickly looked back up at Riku.
“Maybe you should go get some food,” Imari suggested to him, his eyes still fixed on the baby cradled in her loving arms. “You haven’t eaten anything in hours, Riku.” He gave an absent-minded nod, reluctantly getting up.
“If you say so,” he smiled, stretching his arms out. “You coming, Sora?” He glanced down at his best friend, who gave a single nod, standing up next to him. “We won’t be long.” Riku waved goodbye to Imari and the baby, before wandering out into the hallway, followed by a listless Sora.
Making sure they had both gone before continuing, Imari looked at Kairi, who stared longingly at the doorway. After Imari and Riku met, she and Kairi built up a strong friendship. They trusted each other with almost everything.
“How is he?” she asked quietly. A tense atmosphere filled the air, along with an uneasy silence. Kairi sighed, slowly turning to look at her friend.
Sora just had not been himself for a few months now, and things had taken a serious turn for the worse recently. He disappeared after work, without telling anyone where he was. Terrified after returning home to find that he was not there, Kairi was sent into a panic. Sora had been depressed for months now, and his disappearance led her to fear the worst. After hours of searching the nearby towns with Riku, they found his car at the docks, and finally realised just where he had gone - Destiny Island. Rowing across was not easy in the darkness of the night, but they managed, desperate to know that Sora was alright. Finding him outside the Secret Place, they brought him home again safely.
But he still moped around, still not back to his normal, cheerful self. He often made trips alone to the island, but now they knew where to find him. To this day, she still had no idea why he had gone off like that, why he had felt such an urge to return to their childhood island. He just would not talk about how he was feeling, would not let anyone help him. It seemed nothing they could say would brighten his dreary spirits.
“Imari, you just had a baby,” she smiled weakly. “You shouldn’t be worrying about me and Sora.” Although Kairi was happy to have someone to talk to, she felt guilty about taking the attention from the hour-old baby in her arms. Imari shook her head, glancing down at Taiko, who had dropped off to sleep again.
“He’s fine,” she smiled back, carefully cradling him as he peacefully slept. She could tell from Kairi‘s mannerisms and expressions that her nerves were fraught with worry - her kind, caring nature could not let her leave Kairi to deal with this alone. “So how is Sora?” Kairi nodded, understanding Imari just wanted to help. She gingerly scratched her neck, the hurt beginning to fill her entire face.
“Well, just now was the happiest I‘ve seen him in a long time,” she sighed, moving up into the chair Riku was sitting in. Imari looked shocked.
“Really?” she whispered, looking Kairi in the eyes.
“Yeah,” she replied sadly. There were long pauses between her sentences. “And he still won’t see his doctor. He won’t talk about it either; he just mopes around the house, then disappears without warning.” She folded her arms tightly around herself. “If I’m being honest, I still don’t know what’s wrong with him.” She looked at her shoes, avoiding Imari’s eyes. It seemed Sora‘s depression made her even worse. “He won’t tell me.” Imari’s eyes widened, feeling a great deal of sympathy for her friend. She took a quick glance at little Taiko, making sure he was alright before continuing.
“I didn’t realise things were like that,” she whispered, fumbling around in the cabinet for a tissue as Kairi’s azure eyes began to stream with bottled tears. “Doesn’t he know what he’s doing to you?” She found a tissue, kindly handed it to Kairi.
“Please don’t tell him,” Kairi cried quietly, drying the tears that flowed from her eyes. “I don’t want him to worry about me, too.” Imari sighed.
“Kairi,” she began, “I’m sure he’d try to open up a little more if he knew how much this was hurting you. Just tell him.” Kairi looked back up at her with red glassy eyes, then looked back at the floor. “I think we both know Sora wouldn’t want you to be so upset over him. And I bet he knows you just want to help.”
“I know, but…” Kairi sighed. The room was silent for a few moments, as each was lost in thought. And Taiko, of course, was sound asleep. “I’ll try it. I just don’t know what I’ll do.”
She stopped abruptly as Sora and Riku returned, fearful of letting him hear her words. They explained that although the cafeteria was a short walk away, Riku had not been allowed to take any food back into the room, meaning that they had taken a lot longer than they first thought. Upon their return, Taiko awoke again, seeming happy to see his father again, and stayed awake for a few hours. The entire afternoon was spent in the hospital with Riku and Imari, but all too soon, visiting hours were over, and Kairi and Sora had to return home, leaving the new parents with their baby.
~*~*~*~*~*~
As Sora and Kairi travelled home, the sun was beginning to set. The orange sun sunk behind the mountains, but left its pastel marks in the vast skies, pink and blue as the first stars began to dot the great beyond. Wispy puffs of white cloud were tinted with a flossy pink glow. Shadows were long on the ground. Their street seemed sleepy already, deserted except for themselves. Kairi dreamily gazed out of the window, watched the houses rushing past as they drove. Then she caught sight of their own house, just up ahead. It was of average size, one of the smallest along their street.
Pulling up the driveway, Sora got out of the car before passively pacing over the front lawn. He stared up at the stars, breathing a long, pondering sigh. Kairi stood silently watching him, arms wrapped around herself. She could not help worrying about him as he stood there, just gazing up into the eternal heavens, without care. He suddenly turned to face her, silently handing her the door keys. She looked up at him with a smile, tried to make him smile too. She made an effort, trying to get make him feel a little better. But he avoided her eye contact, as usual. Sighing, she took them, turning and unlocking the door. Turning, she noticed him looking up again, clearly without any intention of going inside just yet.
“Are you coming, Sora?” she whispered, trying to hide her crumbling voice. She felt the warm tears filling her eyes, blinked them back as she awaited his response. It was getting too much to bear, and she was not sure just how much longer she could handle him. He nodded silently.
“Yeah, just…” he didn’t avert his gaze as he spoke. “Just give me a minute.” Kairi gave a single nod, gently touched his shoulder as she went inside alone.
The front door closed behind him, but it did not disrupt him much. He was too focused on the stars, standing beneath the skies. His face creased into a frown as he thought things over again. Unlike everyone else, he knew that there were other worlds out there. Somewhere in the endless universe, he liked to think someone else was there, watching him as he was watching them. He felt desperate, would do anything to travel the worlds again. Along with his friends, of course. But with each day that passed, it seemed less and less likely that he would ever see Donald and Goofy again. It was just something he had to accept - but no matter how hard he tried, he just could not accept the thought into his heart. He could not tell Kairi or Riku of this either. They seemed to have accepted their new lives here themselves, and he felt they would just ridicule him for his thoughts of adventure. Remembering Kairi was alone inside, he gave a sigh, before letting himself into the house.
Yes, the beginning is pretty different to other stuff I‘ve written. And might put people off reading this. But I mentioned Riku becoming a father in ‘Someday’, and it’s not exactly something I could just leave behind ^-^ That wouldn’t make sense, would it? Plus, Imari and baby Taiko play a part in the storyline later on ^_~ That’s all I’m saying for now!
General thoughts and comments would be nice, along with some criticism. Even if you don’t like it, please leave a comment. I don’t need hundreds of page views and only two posts. -.-;
This time, it’s not a one-shot- it‘s a sequel. Even if you didn’t read KH:TFF, or Someday, things should be fairly easy to pick up. If you want to know what happened in those two, feel free to PM me or ask here. I can give you a quick run-down of what happened, or the links to the stories.
Now, on to business, as usual. I’ll be honest - I never really expected to be writing a sequel to KH:TFF, which is why I wrote ‘Someday’. But I suddenly felt like writing KH stuff, and I kept thinking that more could be done with my story, and I kept getting new ideas for a storyline. (What happened next, etc...) So I started writing, and this is what happened.
This takes place after Someday ends. And please, keep in mind, this is written as if KH2 never happened. So forget Roxas and Co, lol.
Enjoy. (And please, if the beginning isn’t your thing, don’t be put off. You’ll see what I mean…)
EDIT: I should probably mention that there'll be violence at some point or another.
Chapter One
“Baby Taiko,” he smiled softly, overwhelmed with feelings of such powerful love. His turquoise eyes beamed with joy as he held the little baby in his arms, watching him blissfully sleeping, all wrapped up in a soft, blue blanket. His little pink face peeked out of the blankets, little fingers grasping his father’s. Although just a few hours old, this baby was now everything to him. He was so tiny there, cradled safely in his proud father’s arms.
Strong sunlight streamed in through the small window, lighting the entire white room with a pure, heavenly glow. The walls seemed to shine in the bright light. Various pieces of medical machinery were dotted around the room, but apart from that, the room was quite empty. The hospital bed stood against one wall, with a white cabinet at one side and a pale blue chair at the other. A number of cards stood on the surfaces, and a big bunch of flowers was in a vase on the cabinet. The sterile smell of the hospital lingered in the air. Footsteps on cold tiles could be heard from outside, along with squeaking wheels and muffled voices. However, every so often, the golden silence would be allowed to fill the air in another perfect moment, and not a sound could be heard. Tearing his gaze from the sleeping baby, he watched her lying in bed, her eyes closed. She opened her eyes, somehow knowing he was watching. He stood at the foot of the bed, baby Taiko held closely as he gave her a smile.
Imari weakly smiled back at him, watching from the bed with deep, dark brown eyes. Soft curls of tawny hair fell over her pale, snowy skin. She was wrapped up in a pastel yellow dressing gown beneath the white blankets of the bed. Exhausted, it was clear from her face and weary movement that she needed her rest. Any woman in her condition did. She slowly propped herself up in the hospital bed as he approached her, a smile from ear to ear. He sat in the chair at her bedside, looked back at her with wide, loving eyes. Raising one hand, he caressed her flushed face.
“Why don’t you get some sleep?” he suggested, concerned at her drained complexion. He spoke quietly, fearful of waking the sleeping baby. “You need your rest.” She shook her head with a yawn, curls bouncing with each movement.
“No,” she whispered, with a smile. Her voice was pleasing to the ear, soft and gentle. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. Besides, they should be here soon.” She looked down at the baby, gently caressing his pink forehead with light fingers. His little snub nose wrinkled, his chubby, rosy cheeks warm to touch. He moved a little at her touch, but did not wake. A light, silvery sheen ran across his wispy, thin hair as he moved. Imari smiled again, looking back up at his beaming father. “Just like his daddy.”
Riku smiled warmly, sincerely kissing her forehead.
A lot had happened over those seven years, and now Riku felt as though he had somehow changed as a person. No longer was he so overly adventurous or competitive, nor arrogant and self-assured. He felt more able to talk of his emotions, able to share his thoughts with the ones who loved him most. In addition, an entire year of being alone gave him quite a lot of time to think of this. It made him more appreciative of those who cared about him, made him thankful for everything he had. It helped him find his inner light, helped him discover just who he really was. All that time to think made him realise just what he wanted. Now, as far as he was concerned, everything was perfect. He, Sora, and Kairi were home, safe together. The days of fighting and struggling against the Heartless were gone. Ansem was gone. Mikado was gone. The New Generation were gone. For good, he hoped. Nothing could tear him away from the ones he loved. Now together with Imari, and their baby, Taiko, life was wonderful again.
“He’s perfect,” Riku mused, looking back at her with a smile. Imari nodded, eyeing her son’s face carefully.
“He looks just like you,” she smiled at him, placing her hand over his. “He doesn’t look like me at all.” Riku suppressed a small laugh, looked back at her with that unchanging brazen grin.
“Good job, huh?” he smiled. She laughed too, knowing that he was just joking, as always. He kissed her again, before being interrupted by a knock at the door.
Both turned to see a nurse, stood in the doorway.
“Visitors,” she stated, stepping forward into the room, allowing the guests in before leaving.
Sora and Kairi had rushed over to the hospital after hearing the news of the baby’s birth. From Sora’s smart appearance, tamed hair, and full business suit, it was evident that he had been working yet again. Kairi had not been at work that day, and so was dressed in simple jeans and a pink t-shirt. She immediately hurried over, eager to see the baby. Sora closed the door, holding various presents for them in his arms. He softly followed Kairi over, leaving some of the presents at the foot of the bed.
“Congratulations,” she whispered to them, seeing the baby was asleep. She carefully moved the blanket to see the baby‘s face. An uncontrollable grin spread across her face. “He’s beautiful!” Sora put an arm around Kairi, smiling as he saw the baby too, noticing that he looked just like Riku. This proud father thanked them, carefully moving so that both could get a better look at him.
“His name is Taiko,” Riku beamed, so eager to show off his new son that Imari could not get a chance to speak. Not that she minded too much, she was exhausted. Sora smiled in remembrance of the baby’s namesake.
“After a certain someone we know?” Sora asked very quietly, trying not to let Imari hear his words. Riku had not told her of what had happened to them - after all, it would seem completely unbelievable to anyone who had not experienced it themselves. He did not regard it as a deep, dark secret, just something he felt he should keep to himself. It was not as though he did not trust her to know those things; he just felt it would be best if he kept it quiet. Besides, it was not as though she would believe him. He suppressed another laugh at Sora‘s question, smiling and nodding in response.
“Yup,” he replied. It was not long before his eyes wandered back to his baby’s face, ignoring all those around him. Imari smiled, knowing this would be her chance to talk to their friends.
“He looks so happy,” Kairi smiled back at her. Riku was oblivious to everything around him, his attention completely focused on Taiko. Imari smiled again, gazing at Riku before looking back to Kairi. “How are you?”
“Fine,” she replied, “just a little tired.” Kairi suddenly blushed, feeling slightly guilty at Imari’s response.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she quickly responded, scratching her neck nervously. “Sora and I can leave if you need to rest.” Sora nodded, not replying along with Kairi. Still, it was clear he was thinking the same as her. Imari chuckled, realising Kairi misunderstood.
“Of course not,” she shook her head, “you just got here.” She suddenly turned her attention, noticing Taiko wriggling in Riku’s arms. “I think he’s waking up.” She leaned over to look at his face, saw it contorting as he stretched. His tiny fingers grasped at the air, before finding his father’s hand. With a wide yawn, he opened his eyes, looking up at Riku’s growing smile. His eyes were a smoky, turquoise blue colour, wide and keen to see those around him.
“Hello there,” Riku said softly, gazing down at his face. Taiko took a moment to look at him, before staring around the white room. He examined the new faces, looking them up and down with a seemingly puzzled expression. He saw Sora’s smile, but Kairi, who squealed with delight at his tiny little face, stole his attention. Blinking, he looked around the room again, his eyes searching for his mother. Imari held her arms out, gestured for Riku to give her Taiko to hold. Taking the baby into her arms, she held him closely, gently holding his hand. She cooed at him, softly kissed his tiny hand. Noticing the time from the corner of her eye, she quickly looked back up at Riku.
“Maybe you should go get some food,” Imari suggested to him, his eyes still fixed on the baby cradled in her loving arms. “You haven’t eaten anything in hours, Riku.” He gave an absent-minded nod, reluctantly getting up.
“If you say so,” he smiled, stretching his arms out. “You coming, Sora?” He glanced down at his best friend, who gave a single nod, standing up next to him. “We won’t be long.” Riku waved goodbye to Imari and the baby, before wandering out into the hallway, followed by a listless Sora.
Making sure they had both gone before continuing, Imari looked at Kairi, who stared longingly at the doorway. After Imari and Riku met, she and Kairi built up a strong friendship. They trusted each other with almost everything.
“How is he?” she asked quietly. A tense atmosphere filled the air, along with an uneasy silence. Kairi sighed, slowly turning to look at her friend.
Sora just had not been himself for a few months now, and things had taken a serious turn for the worse recently. He disappeared after work, without telling anyone where he was. Terrified after returning home to find that he was not there, Kairi was sent into a panic. Sora had been depressed for months now, and his disappearance led her to fear the worst. After hours of searching the nearby towns with Riku, they found his car at the docks, and finally realised just where he had gone - Destiny Island. Rowing across was not easy in the darkness of the night, but they managed, desperate to know that Sora was alright. Finding him outside the Secret Place, they brought him home again safely.
But he still moped around, still not back to his normal, cheerful self. He often made trips alone to the island, but now they knew where to find him. To this day, she still had no idea why he had gone off like that, why he had felt such an urge to return to their childhood island. He just would not talk about how he was feeling, would not let anyone help him. It seemed nothing they could say would brighten his dreary spirits.
“Imari, you just had a baby,” she smiled weakly. “You shouldn’t be worrying about me and Sora.” Although Kairi was happy to have someone to talk to, she felt guilty about taking the attention from the hour-old baby in her arms. Imari shook her head, glancing down at Taiko, who had dropped off to sleep again.
“He’s fine,” she smiled back, carefully cradling him as he peacefully slept. She could tell from Kairi‘s mannerisms and expressions that her nerves were fraught with worry - her kind, caring nature could not let her leave Kairi to deal with this alone. “So how is Sora?” Kairi nodded, understanding Imari just wanted to help. She gingerly scratched her neck, the hurt beginning to fill her entire face.
“Well, just now was the happiest I‘ve seen him in a long time,” she sighed, moving up into the chair Riku was sitting in. Imari looked shocked.
“Really?” she whispered, looking Kairi in the eyes.
“Yeah,” she replied sadly. There were long pauses between her sentences. “And he still won’t see his doctor. He won’t talk about it either; he just mopes around the house, then disappears without warning.” She folded her arms tightly around herself. “If I’m being honest, I still don’t know what’s wrong with him.” She looked at her shoes, avoiding Imari’s eyes. It seemed Sora‘s depression made her even worse. “He won’t tell me.” Imari’s eyes widened, feeling a great deal of sympathy for her friend. She took a quick glance at little Taiko, making sure he was alright before continuing.
“I didn’t realise things were like that,” she whispered, fumbling around in the cabinet for a tissue as Kairi’s azure eyes began to stream with bottled tears. “Doesn’t he know what he’s doing to you?” She found a tissue, kindly handed it to Kairi.
“Please don’t tell him,” Kairi cried quietly, drying the tears that flowed from her eyes. “I don’t want him to worry about me, too.” Imari sighed.
“Kairi,” she began, “I’m sure he’d try to open up a little more if he knew how much this was hurting you. Just tell him.” Kairi looked back up at her with red glassy eyes, then looked back at the floor. “I think we both know Sora wouldn’t want you to be so upset over him. And I bet he knows you just want to help.”
“I know, but…” Kairi sighed. The room was silent for a few moments, as each was lost in thought. And Taiko, of course, was sound asleep. “I’ll try it. I just don’t know what I’ll do.”
She stopped abruptly as Sora and Riku returned, fearful of letting him hear her words. They explained that although the cafeteria was a short walk away, Riku had not been allowed to take any food back into the room, meaning that they had taken a lot longer than they first thought. Upon their return, Taiko awoke again, seeming happy to see his father again, and stayed awake for a few hours. The entire afternoon was spent in the hospital with Riku and Imari, but all too soon, visiting hours were over, and Kairi and Sora had to return home, leaving the new parents with their baby.
~*~*~*~*~*~
As Sora and Kairi travelled home, the sun was beginning to set. The orange sun sunk behind the mountains, but left its pastel marks in the vast skies, pink and blue as the first stars began to dot the great beyond. Wispy puffs of white cloud were tinted with a flossy pink glow. Shadows were long on the ground. Their street seemed sleepy already, deserted except for themselves. Kairi dreamily gazed out of the window, watched the houses rushing past as they drove. Then she caught sight of their own house, just up ahead. It was of average size, one of the smallest along their street.
Pulling up the driveway, Sora got out of the car before passively pacing over the front lawn. He stared up at the stars, breathing a long, pondering sigh. Kairi stood silently watching him, arms wrapped around herself. She could not help worrying about him as he stood there, just gazing up into the eternal heavens, without care. He suddenly turned to face her, silently handing her the door keys. She looked up at him with a smile, tried to make him smile too. She made an effort, trying to get make him feel a little better. But he avoided her eye contact, as usual. Sighing, she took them, turning and unlocking the door. Turning, she noticed him looking up again, clearly without any intention of going inside just yet.
“Are you coming, Sora?” she whispered, trying to hide her crumbling voice. She felt the warm tears filling her eyes, blinked them back as she awaited his response. It was getting too much to bear, and she was not sure just how much longer she could handle him. He nodded silently.
“Yeah, just…” he didn’t avert his gaze as he spoke. “Just give me a minute.” Kairi gave a single nod, gently touched his shoulder as she went inside alone.
The front door closed behind him, but it did not disrupt him much. He was too focused on the stars, standing beneath the skies. His face creased into a frown as he thought things over again. Unlike everyone else, he knew that there were other worlds out there. Somewhere in the endless universe, he liked to think someone else was there, watching him as he was watching them. He felt desperate, would do anything to travel the worlds again. Along with his friends, of course. But with each day that passed, it seemed less and less likely that he would ever see Donald and Goofy again. It was just something he had to accept - but no matter how hard he tried, he just could not accept the thought into his heart. He could not tell Kairi or Riku of this either. They seemed to have accepted their new lives here themselves, and he felt they would just ridicule him for his thoughts of adventure. Remembering Kairi was alone inside, he gave a sigh, before letting himself into the house.
Yes, the beginning is pretty different to other stuff I‘ve written. And might put people off reading this. But I mentioned Riku becoming a father in ‘Someday’, and it’s not exactly something I could just leave behind ^-^ That wouldn’t make sense, would it? Plus, Imari and baby Taiko play a part in the storyline later on ^_~ That’s all I’m saying for now!
General thoughts and comments would be nice, along with some criticism. Even if you don’t like it, please leave a comment. I don’t need hundreds of page views and only two posts. -.-;
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