Post by Hayate on Oct 19, 2006 20:09:25 GMT -5
Chapter 9: Aftermath
Hours (?) later, Shiro awakens after a long sleep.
Shiro ‘What…is that I…hear? Voices…? Where…am I?’
Glancing around, Shiro sees that he’s in his house, in bed. At his bedside, Ayane was sleeping soundly.
Shiro ‘Ayane… She’s alive… I’m so relieved…’
Pleased to hear that his friend was alive and well, Shiro goes back to sleep. More hours later, he awakens again, this time to find Ayane, Xavi, Leon, Yuffie, Zidane, Garnet, Kaizo, Ryuma, and King Mickey all around him.
Shiro “Hmm…?”
Xavi “Hey there, sleeping beauty.”
Garnet “You sleep well?”
Shiro “Mmm, very. How long was I out for?”
Leon “Six days…”
Shiro “Wow… That long, huh?”
Ryuma “We’re all extremely proud of you, Shiro.”
Zidane “Yeah!! To defeat Lucius all by yourself… You’re really somethin’ else!!”
Yuffie “So, how did you defeat him, Shiro?”
Shiro “Well… To tell you the truth, I don’t remember.”
Everyone looks at each other, not comprehending what Shiro said.
Mickey “What do you mean, you don’t remember?”
Shiro “It’s hard to explain, really. Seeing Lucius steal Ayane’s soul – I just lost it. This incredible force was welling up inside me, but everything after that is a complete blur.”
Kaizo “King Mickey told me about the incident, Shiro, but I never would’ve believed. To think that my own student was a twilight walker.”
Shiro “I know… I could hardly believe it either.”
Ayane “I’m just glad you’re okay, Shiro…”
Shiro “I should be saying that to you, Ayane. How’d you get your soul back?”
Ayane “Dunno. One minute, I’m staring Lucius in the eye and everything’s going black. Next thing I know, I’m waking up in a bed covered in bandages.”
Mickey “It was weird. I woke up after the fight was over, and it was like all of my energy was back.”
Leon “You and Ayane were the only ones out cold after it was over. So, Zidane and Garnet helped us bring you back to Origin City.”
Shiro “I see… Huh?”
Just then, Shiro sits up in his bed and draws his Keyblade, the Wings of Exile.
Garnet “Shiro?”
Yuffie “What’s the matter?”
Shiro “Hmm…”
…He puts the Keyblade away seconds later.
Shiro “…It was a dream I had. I was facing someone whose face I couldn’t recognize. And I was holding a Keyblade I’d never seen before.”
Leon “Hmm…”
Xavi “Well, Shiro, we’ll leave you to rest now.”
Ryuma “Coming, Ayane?”
Ayane “I’ll be right with you.”
Everyone else leaves the room one by one, leaving Shiro and Ayane alone.
Shiro “…I’m really glad you’re okay, Ayane. Huh?”
Shiro is surprised to see tears rapidly falling down Ayane’s cheeks.
Ayane (sobbing)
Shiro “What’s wrong, Ayane?”
Ayane suddenly embraces Shiro tightly and cries into his chest.
Ayane “I almost lost you…for the third time, Shiro!” (sobbing)
Shiro “Ayane…”
Shiro wraps his arms around Ayane as well.
Shiro “…I’m sorry.”
Days later, Shiro was fully rested and recovered, and leaves his house. He takes in a deep breath and looks at the sun.
Shiro “Ahhhh… A great day to go outside.”
Xavi “HEY!!! SHIRO!!!”
Shiro “Huh? Xavi?”
Xavi sprints over to Shiro, holding an envelope. He was out of breath with his hands resting on his kneecaps, as usual.
Xavi “President Drake…asked me…to… Oh, god…”
Shiro “Catch your breath, Xavi! What did Drake want?”
Xavi “Okay, okay… Whew! President Drake asked me to deliver this to you.”
Shiro “What is it?”
Taking the envelope, Shiro opens it and pulls out a letter. He unfolds it and reads it to himself.
Shiro “WHAT THE HECK?!?!?”
Xavi “What? What!? WHAT!?!?”
Shiro “TAKE A LOOK AT THIS!!!”
Shiro shoves the letter in Xavi’s face, having him read it up-close.
Xavi “No way… NO WAY!!!! IS THIS FOR REAL!?!?!?”
All of a sudden, Shiro grabs the letter and dashes east.
Xavi “Hey! Where’re you going?”
Shiro “I’ve gotta show this to Ayane!!”
Xavi “Man! Out of all people, why choose him? It should’ve been me!!!”
Ayane waters the plants in front of her house, humming a cheery tune, when Shiro comes running.
Ayane “Huh? Shiro, you’re all better!!”
Shiro “Ayane!! You’ve gotta see this!!”
Shiro approaches Ayane and shows her the letter he received from Xavi.
Ayane “What’s this? ‘For displaying extraordinary bravery in the face of danger, fearlessly mastering the art of utilizing darkness as a weapon, and ridding the universe of Lucius, the king of the Darklings, it is with great pride and honor that I bestow upon Keyblade Master Shiro Nanbara the title and rights of…JUNIOR CAPTAIN KEYBLADE MASTER’!?!?!? YOU!?!?!?”
Shiro “I know!! I couldn’t believe it myself!!”
Ayane “Ability to take on a solo mission… Ability to lead of group of three or less… This list goes on!!”
Shiro “Unbelievable… ‘Junior Captain Shiro Nanbara’… I like the sound of that!”
Ayane “This is great news, Shiro!! I’m so proud of you!!”
Ayane tightly wraps her arms around Shiro’s neck.
Ayane “We should celebrate!!”
Shiro “That’s just what I was thinking! We’ll invite everyone!!”
Ayane “And we’ll hold it at Disney Castle!!”
Shiro “Yeah!!”
Shiro and Ayane begin planning a great celebration to be held at Disney Castle, with the approval of Queen Minnie, of course. That evening, the party rages on in the castle’s royal garden. Everyone had attended: Xavi, Leon, Yuffie, Cid, Aerith, Tifa, Kaizo, Ryuma, Zidane, Garnet, Hayner, Pence, Olette, the other Key bearers of Origin City; it was truly a bash to remember.
Kaizo “Excuse me! May I have everyone’s attention, please?”
Everyone at the party turns their attention to Kaizo, who was holding up a glass of champagne.
Kaizo “I’d like to propose a toast. To Shiro – a great warrior, an even greater friend, my finest student, and hero. Without him, the galaxy, perhaps the entire universe, would have been completely destroyed by Lucius. Even though the Darklings still plague us, the worst, I believe, is behind us. I speak for all of us when I say, ‘Thank you, Shiro, for giving us hope, newfound faith, and victory against evil.’ Cheers!”
All “CHEERS!!”
Xavi “All right, all right!! That’s enough of that! Let’s PARTY!!”
For the next few hours, there was merriment, excitement, and dancing galore. Cloud, being his laid-back self, leans against a tree.
Cloud “…”
Aerith “Hey, Cloud. You wanna dance?”
Cloud “…Sorry. Dancing’s not really my thing.”
Aerith “Oh, come on. Don’t be like that!”
Cloud “Ahh! Let go of my arm, Aerith!”
Eventually, it came time for slow dancing. There were dozens of couples dancing together: Cloud with Aerith, Zidane with Garnet, Mickey with Minnie, etc. Shiro and Ayane stand side by side at the food table.
Ayane “Everyone sure is having a good time.”
Shiro “Yeah. This was a great idea, Ayane.”
Ayane “Mm-hmm…”
Shiro “…”
Ayane “…”
Shiro “…Ayane?”
Ayane “Huh?”
Shiro “Would you…like to dance?”
This shocked Ayane deeply. Of all the dances they’ve been, Shiro’s never asked her to dance before.
Ayane “I…I’d love to, Shiro.”
He takes her hand and leads her to where the other couples were dancing. He clasps his right hand with Ayane’s left and places his left hand on her right hip. Ayane places her right hand on his left shoulder, and the two softly rock from side to side while moving in a clockwise motion. Shiro gazes into Ayane’s soft blue eyes and his very being is overwhelmed by a heavenly bliss. In an act of instinct, Ayane moves closer to Shiro, closes her eyes, and rests her head on his chest as the two continue to sway from side to side. Seconds later, she whispers something to him.
Ayane “...I don’t ever want this night to end, Shiro…”
Shiro “It won’t, Ayane… Nights like this never have to end.”
Ayane moves her head away from Shiro’s chest and looks up into his hazel-brown eyes. The way he was looking at her, she could tell exactly what he was thinking. As the song playing winds down to its end, Shiro’s face draws closer to Ayane’s. Ayane closes her eyes ever slowly as their lips meet in a deep, passionate kiss. When their lips finally draw apart, they look intently into each other’s eyes. Just then, explosions lit up the night sky, producing a multicolored field of fireworks. This brought ooh’s and ahh’s to the mouths of the spectators below. But, as beautiful as they were, Shiro and Ayane couldn’t turn away from each other.
Shiro “…”
Ayane “…”
Neither of them uttered a single word. All they did was look…and smile…
…And to think, this all started with a simple mission to Disney Castle. Destiny can be ironic at times, can’t it?
THE END
Hours (?) later, Shiro awakens after a long sleep.
Shiro ‘What…is that I…hear? Voices…? Where…am I?’
Glancing around, Shiro sees that he’s in his house, in bed. At his bedside, Ayane was sleeping soundly.
Shiro ‘Ayane… She’s alive… I’m so relieved…’
Pleased to hear that his friend was alive and well, Shiro goes back to sleep. More hours later, he awakens again, this time to find Ayane, Xavi, Leon, Yuffie, Zidane, Garnet, Kaizo, Ryuma, and King Mickey all around him.
Shiro “Hmm…?”
Xavi “Hey there, sleeping beauty.”
Garnet “You sleep well?”
Shiro “Mmm, very. How long was I out for?”
Leon “Six days…”
Shiro “Wow… That long, huh?”
Ryuma “We’re all extremely proud of you, Shiro.”
Zidane “Yeah!! To defeat Lucius all by yourself… You’re really somethin’ else!!”
Yuffie “So, how did you defeat him, Shiro?”
Shiro “Well… To tell you the truth, I don’t remember.”
Everyone looks at each other, not comprehending what Shiro said.
Mickey “What do you mean, you don’t remember?”
Shiro “It’s hard to explain, really. Seeing Lucius steal Ayane’s soul – I just lost it. This incredible force was welling up inside me, but everything after that is a complete blur.”
Kaizo “King Mickey told me about the incident, Shiro, but I never would’ve believed. To think that my own student was a twilight walker.”
Shiro “I know… I could hardly believe it either.”
Ayane “I’m just glad you’re okay, Shiro…”
Shiro “I should be saying that to you, Ayane. How’d you get your soul back?”
Ayane “Dunno. One minute, I’m staring Lucius in the eye and everything’s going black. Next thing I know, I’m waking up in a bed covered in bandages.”
Mickey “It was weird. I woke up after the fight was over, and it was like all of my energy was back.”
Leon “You and Ayane were the only ones out cold after it was over. So, Zidane and Garnet helped us bring you back to Origin City.”
Shiro “I see… Huh?”
Just then, Shiro sits up in his bed and draws his Keyblade, the Wings of Exile.
Garnet “Shiro?”
Yuffie “What’s the matter?”
Shiro “Hmm…”
…He puts the Keyblade away seconds later.
Shiro “…It was a dream I had. I was facing someone whose face I couldn’t recognize. And I was holding a Keyblade I’d never seen before.”
Leon “Hmm…”
Xavi “Well, Shiro, we’ll leave you to rest now.”
Ryuma “Coming, Ayane?”
Ayane “I’ll be right with you.”
Everyone else leaves the room one by one, leaving Shiro and Ayane alone.
Shiro “…I’m really glad you’re okay, Ayane. Huh?”
Shiro is surprised to see tears rapidly falling down Ayane’s cheeks.
Ayane (sobbing)
Shiro “What’s wrong, Ayane?”
Ayane suddenly embraces Shiro tightly and cries into his chest.
Ayane “I almost lost you…for the third time, Shiro!” (sobbing)
Shiro “Ayane…”
Shiro wraps his arms around Ayane as well.
Shiro “…I’m sorry.”
Days later, Shiro was fully rested and recovered, and leaves his house. He takes in a deep breath and looks at the sun.
Shiro “Ahhhh… A great day to go outside.”
Xavi “HEY!!! SHIRO!!!”
Shiro “Huh? Xavi?”
Xavi sprints over to Shiro, holding an envelope. He was out of breath with his hands resting on his kneecaps, as usual.
Xavi “President Drake…asked me…to… Oh, god…”
Shiro “Catch your breath, Xavi! What did Drake want?”
Xavi “Okay, okay… Whew! President Drake asked me to deliver this to you.”
Shiro “What is it?”
Taking the envelope, Shiro opens it and pulls out a letter. He unfolds it and reads it to himself.
Shiro “WHAT THE HECK?!?!?”
Xavi “What? What!? WHAT!?!?”
Shiro “TAKE A LOOK AT THIS!!!”
Shiro shoves the letter in Xavi’s face, having him read it up-close.
Xavi “No way… NO WAY!!!! IS THIS FOR REAL!?!?!?”
All of a sudden, Shiro grabs the letter and dashes east.
Xavi “Hey! Where’re you going?”
Shiro “I’ve gotta show this to Ayane!!”
Xavi “Man! Out of all people, why choose him? It should’ve been me!!!”
Ayane waters the plants in front of her house, humming a cheery tune, when Shiro comes running.
Ayane “Huh? Shiro, you’re all better!!”
Shiro “Ayane!! You’ve gotta see this!!”
Shiro approaches Ayane and shows her the letter he received from Xavi.
Ayane “What’s this? ‘For displaying extraordinary bravery in the face of danger, fearlessly mastering the art of utilizing darkness as a weapon, and ridding the universe of Lucius, the king of the Darklings, it is with great pride and honor that I bestow upon Keyblade Master Shiro Nanbara the title and rights of…JUNIOR CAPTAIN KEYBLADE MASTER’!?!?!? YOU!?!?!?”
Shiro “I know!! I couldn’t believe it myself!!”
Ayane “Ability to take on a solo mission… Ability to lead of group of three or less… This list goes on!!”
Shiro “Unbelievable… ‘Junior Captain Shiro Nanbara’… I like the sound of that!”
Ayane “This is great news, Shiro!! I’m so proud of you!!”
Ayane tightly wraps her arms around Shiro’s neck.
Ayane “We should celebrate!!”
Shiro “That’s just what I was thinking! We’ll invite everyone!!”
Ayane “And we’ll hold it at Disney Castle!!”
Shiro “Yeah!!”
Shiro and Ayane begin planning a great celebration to be held at Disney Castle, with the approval of Queen Minnie, of course. That evening, the party rages on in the castle’s royal garden. Everyone had attended: Xavi, Leon, Yuffie, Cid, Aerith, Tifa, Kaizo, Ryuma, Zidane, Garnet, Hayner, Pence, Olette, the other Key bearers of Origin City; it was truly a bash to remember.
Kaizo “Excuse me! May I have everyone’s attention, please?”
Everyone at the party turns their attention to Kaizo, who was holding up a glass of champagne.
Kaizo “I’d like to propose a toast. To Shiro – a great warrior, an even greater friend, my finest student, and hero. Without him, the galaxy, perhaps the entire universe, would have been completely destroyed by Lucius. Even though the Darklings still plague us, the worst, I believe, is behind us. I speak for all of us when I say, ‘Thank you, Shiro, for giving us hope, newfound faith, and victory against evil.’ Cheers!”
All “CHEERS!!”
Xavi “All right, all right!! That’s enough of that! Let’s PARTY!!”
For the next few hours, there was merriment, excitement, and dancing galore. Cloud, being his laid-back self, leans against a tree.
Cloud “…”
Aerith “Hey, Cloud. You wanna dance?”
Cloud “…Sorry. Dancing’s not really my thing.”
Aerith “Oh, come on. Don’t be like that!”
Cloud “Ahh! Let go of my arm, Aerith!”
Eventually, it came time for slow dancing. There were dozens of couples dancing together: Cloud with Aerith, Zidane with Garnet, Mickey with Minnie, etc. Shiro and Ayane stand side by side at the food table.
Ayane “Everyone sure is having a good time.”
Shiro “Yeah. This was a great idea, Ayane.”
Ayane “Mm-hmm…”
Shiro “…”
Ayane “…”
Shiro “…Ayane?”
Ayane “Huh?”
Shiro “Would you…like to dance?”
This shocked Ayane deeply. Of all the dances they’ve been, Shiro’s never asked her to dance before.
Ayane “I…I’d love to, Shiro.”
He takes her hand and leads her to where the other couples were dancing. He clasps his right hand with Ayane’s left and places his left hand on her right hip. Ayane places her right hand on his left shoulder, and the two softly rock from side to side while moving in a clockwise motion. Shiro gazes into Ayane’s soft blue eyes and his very being is overwhelmed by a heavenly bliss. In an act of instinct, Ayane moves closer to Shiro, closes her eyes, and rests her head on his chest as the two continue to sway from side to side. Seconds later, she whispers something to him.
Ayane “...I don’t ever want this night to end, Shiro…”
Shiro “It won’t, Ayane… Nights like this never have to end.”
Ayane moves her head away from Shiro’s chest and looks up into his hazel-brown eyes. The way he was looking at her, she could tell exactly what he was thinking. As the song playing winds down to its end, Shiro’s face draws closer to Ayane’s. Ayane closes her eyes ever slowly as their lips meet in a deep, passionate kiss. When their lips finally draw apart, they look intently into each other’s eyes. Just then, explosions lit up the night sky, producing a multicolored field of fireworks. This brought ooh’s and ahh’s to the mouths of the spectators below. But, as beautiful as they were, Shiro and Ayane couldn’t turn away from each other.
Shiro “…”
Ayane “…”
Neither of them uttered a single word. All they did was look…and smile…
…And to think, this all started with a simple mission to Disney Castle. Destiny can be ironic at times, can’t it?
THE END
