Really, even I realise it's been ages since this fic was last updated, that long that the game's even been released over here! Apologies abound as always, hopefully people haven't yet given up hope or interest. Saying that, many, many, many thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter.
Not to be confusing anyone, but please note that the very beginning of this chapter takes you slightly back in time before Kairi's pov. Sora insisted his, Naminé and Riku's part be shared.
Bind These Broken Chains
Chapter Nine
"What's going on?"
The familiar voice, though soft in its tone, cut clearly through to both sets of ears, rendering the arguing pair speechless where they stood, unable to do anything but turn towards the speaker that neither one had expected to hear just yet.
Taking in the scene before him, a carefully neutral expression displayed on his face, Sora knelt down to dispose of the belongings in his hands, slowly and cautiously rising up as his gaze swept over each one of the two in turn. Naminé, for her part, unable to look anything but guilt ridden as she wearily admitted to herself that everything now was truly over.
"Sora," Her voice was coloured with sorrow, her face a pale white as she looked up to meet him, her eyes searching his in an effort to discover just how much he had already overheard.
On instinct, sensing her distress, he took two steps towards her, clearly planting himself in the space between her and Riku. Tentatively her fingers found his arm, the familiar feeling of his clothes against her skin soft and comforting. Feeling the slight touch, his attention turned back to her. An impassive face stared back as before; one that she knew didn't belong on him, clearly unsure on how he was supposed to respond to what was going on.
"Sora," her voice cracked, "please, I-"
Harshly, his gaze left hers and flew over to Riku. The older man losing his confidence and looking lost faced with blurting out the truth to his former friend; his determination vanishing as the prospect lay waiting out before him.
Of course, despite what Naminé wished, there was no hope that Riku would just leave, "So," He cleared his throat, taking a breath and trying once again, "Sora?" The look the younger man threw at Riku stopped him dead in his tracks, a heavy, accusing stare that held no amount of warmth for the stranger in and upsetting his home.
Shaking his head, Riku turned towards Naminé as if she could provide him with an answer. A serious turn to her face as she shook her head shortly, saddened, frightened eyes piercing his as she silently pleaded with him to leave everything alone.
"Naminé!" Anger flooded her name.
Her fingers gripped tightly to his arm.
Her voice hushed and filled with pain as she spoke, "Riku, please… don't."
Her fingers lost their grip, falling slack to her side as Sora stepped back.
His voice quiet, "You two know each other." The sentence was hollow, not even a question really, but Naminé felt the need to nod an answer all the same.
She felt Riku take a step closer, her breath shaky as she waited, her mouth barely able to form the words, "You, you know him too."
Confused, Sora shook his head, eyes narrowing as he looked from one to the other.
Riku was quiet, clearly wanting to take charge of the situation, but lacking the skills needed to do so. His arms moved up to his sides in a placating gesture, his face twisted into a grimace as he watched everything slowly fall apart. "Sora,"
A small, false laugh interrupted his sentence, "We met once…" Sora stared at Riku, his head shaking slowly from side to side, "you bumped into me, right?" He turned back to Naminé, eyes questioning her statement.
A tearful smile took place on her face, her fingers twisting frantic circles around each other. "You knew him before that." She admitted, pausing to swallow, "you just-"
"-Can't remember." Riku didn't even glance her way, his eyes remaining fixed on Sora's face as he became more and more confused.
"What?" His voice was low, almost on the verge of a whisper and much more frightening than if he'd have shouted.
Naminé stared back at him, mouth parted slightly as if she had the answers on the tip of her tongue. Riku was speaking to her, his words a jumble as they slowly filtered through and out of her head, leaving her cocooned in the silence that was her own mind. Freely able to watch as Kairi stepped in to take her place in the tangled mess, undoing everything she had bound together with a single touch.
And Sora stared at her wide eyed… waiting for all the answers she could, but couldn't provide.
"I know it's hard to believe, understand-" Sora felt his head nodding automatically, waiting for someone to jump around the corner and shout surprise, for one of the two to crack up laughing uncontrollably. Yet they didn't. Riku kept saying things that didn't make any sense and Naminé seemed to be drifting further and further away with each passing second. Leaving him feeling more frantic and slightly less in control with every thought that flew through his head.
Surely, he was dreaming… but a sharp pinch to his left arm had already proven he was both awake, and capable of bruising.
Maybe he really had just forgotten… somehow misplaced this man from his youth… but talk of an island and growing up together, sandcastles and competitions, all words as far as Sora was concerned; just words that didn't make any sense in the slightest.
Nothing made any sense, and the one constant he did have wouldn't even look at him.
"Naminé?" Sora watched as she fell to sit heavily onto a chair, concern still tearing through him for her despite all of his clouded thoughts.
"Sora, don't!" He stopped. Teeth gritted and feeling as though everything would snap at any given second.
Warily, he stepped back, unsure which direction to go in or who to turn to as another stranger stepped into the room. All eyes turning as she made her entrance, making her way to stand in front of him and looking, for all of the world, more lost and confused than even he felt.
Staring, her eyes traced over his face, studying every single detail as though sketching him into her mind, her hand slowly reaching up to lay mere inches away from his skin, her lips moving to sound out his name in a whisper. As though she knew him, as though he knew her… but he didn't.
He blinked back at her, whispering the only name he could think of, "Naminé," waiting for an answer that would not yet come.
The redhead in front of him shook her head hesitantly, a fierce resolve burning in her eyes, her hand hovering so close to his skin that he could feel her warmth seeping into him.
"Why did you leave me?"
He didn't understand the question, and in one sharp movement, she slapped him hard, his head snapping sharply to the side with the unexpected force.
The image of the woman in front of him filled his head, now, no, then a girl, lying still and unresponsive on a stone cold floor.
Bewildered, he lifted a cool hand up to his stinging cheek. She had never hit him before… he shook the notion out of his head, he had never met her before.
…and she lay there silent, paler than he'd ever seen her before… and he would give anything to wake her up…
"I know that you don't remember me, but-" Her voice cracked, unable to carry on, and Sora stared back at her, face blank, saying nothing. "I don't understand!"
His heart pounded, beating frantically at the thought she might never wake up… but she had, she was… here?
His hand left his throbbing cheek, staring at her intently, every nerve in his body shivering, "Kairi?
The room grew a deathly silent, the air filling with a thick cloud of unease as everyone stared at him. Time seemed to halt as nobody moved, spoke, breathed, all too aware of what it meant to break the moment.
Sora watched as the woman in front of him drew in a shaky breath; an amused tinkling of laughter escaping her lips; echoing and fading all too quickly back into the silence of the room, leaving it once again feeling cold and empty.
He bit his lip, hesitant, wanting beyond anything to understand what all of this meant. Who she, she meant more to him then anything else, was? "Kai-"
She looked up, thick, salty tears running rivers down her face. No sound uttered, but pain, clear and hurtful, holding onto him tightly and burning into his skin.
"You let me believe…" She trailed off, refusing to look at him any longer.
Still not capable of grasping what was going on and bewildered beyond all belief, he took a step back, his gaze searching around the room to find Naminé. The only person right now that he felt remotely comfortable with, but the blonde-haired woman was paying him no attention, her head bent and staring down at her hands, absorbed in her own pain as everything around her broke.
His breathing grew quicker, the images locked in his head and Kairi still upset in front of him, crying girl's had never been his forte, especially when he was -seemingly- the cause of it all in the first place. He shuffled back another foot to distance himself, the urge to flee thumping through his veins.
"Sora, don't."
The voice was quiet, yet held a tone that froze Sora in his steps, hesitant eyes flicking up to find cold green ones staring back.
"Just hold on a second." This time his voice was much softer, comforting and desperate to keep everything together. One pale muscular arm stretched out to wrap around Kairi, squeezing the girls shoulder and pulling her up and towards him to sob on his chest. He looked back to Sora and smiled softly, "Do you?-"
Sora looked up, swallowing nervously and slightly wide-eyed as he watched the pair, who just minutes ago had been nothing but strangers in his home and a practical joke sent to drive him mad, but they were more than that, and he understood that now. It was how, deep down he knew that, that he had yet to work out.
Riku cleared his throat, eyes narrowed slightly and nodding his head, seemingly satisfied by whatever Sora had done. "You don't."
He blinked, brought back into the moment, "Don't?"
Riku placed a solid hand on Kairi's back. "Remember everything, but we're going to sort all of that out." He looked away, Sora following his gaze until it landed on a still silent Naminé.
Against his better judgement, Sora found himself nodding, eyeing the pair warily but feeling the need and familiar want to trust Riku for the moment.
Naminé's eyes glazed over as everything transpired before her, the voices of everyone else in the room fading to a slow hum in the back of her mind. It was all so easy to just pretend; after all, she'd had years of practice.
None of it was happening and she was perfectly happy.
She had never been able to believe the lies herself.
She hadn't moved since she had heard Sora speak her name, unable to do anything but listen to the many voices in her head that screamed it wasn't fair. Hollow and broken apart inside as their voices of confusion and pain had drifted lazily in and out of her mind, taunting and whispering it was all her fault, her own selfishness that had destroyed everything.
They were right.
She could tell when he looked at her, eyes settling in the small of her back and pushing for her to explain.
She didn't want to.
She could tell that right now he would be pushed against the wall, eyes shut tight as he tried to figure out what everything meant, what exactly it was that she had taken away.
She was tired of the lies and sick of pretending.
More than anything, she wanted it to be real.
"Sora?"
She could provide him with the answers… but would she lose him in the process?…
He turned to look at her and she hesitated, shutting her eyes and holding her breath.
To be continued…
Mean, I know, but it seemed fitting to end it there. Let me just say now for the record, the end relationship is still up in the air. I know how it'll end, but I guess you'll all just have to just keep guessing.
Let me know what you think…