A friend and I have been doing a RP for a while now, and it has been scattered across several threads on two different sites. It started as a group story (about fast food of all things ) but then it transformed into something else entirely.

 

We request that nobody join in this RP or post anything on this thread; if you wanna say how awesome we are, message us some other way.

 

Um...You're free to read this for fun if you want to, but this thread has major Birth By Sleep spoilers. And since we've been doing this for a while, we will probably refer to things we've done in the past and you will have no idea what we're talking about. So if you want to save yourself from confusion, then you probably wanna stay away. If not, hey, whatever.

 

The plot was discussed and posted on another website, but here's a quick summary of the whole thing: It's the return of Xehanort.

 

Characters:

Peanut: Sora, Namine, Leon, Aerith, King Mickey, Terra, Ventus, Xehanort, etc.

Forever Love: Riku, Kairi, Roxas, Yuffie, Aqua, Vanitus, Tron, etc.

 

I believe I've said everything that needs to be said...Forever Love, let's get this show on the road, eh?

Even if Serah was in Lightning's personal space, she wasn't one to back down easily. "I know what you can and can't handle," she said calmly. And trust me, you can't handle this. "I'll remember that when I have something I need to tell you." But for now, she was going to leave out the details yet again. She started to turn back to the dishes but felt a hand grab her arm.

 

Serah glared at Lightning in disbelief. If she thought this lie was going to fool Serah, she was sadly mistaken. She wasn't going to leave until Lightning spilled, even if her husband and friends had to leave without her. "I'm not leaving until you tell me," she declared aloud. "Claire." Her sister's eyes widened slightly at the name. Serah hadn't called her that since Lightning was fifteen. And apparently Lightning was too surprised to be offended right off the bat. Too stunned to respond, too.

Riku saw that this was heading nowhere good, and fast. He crossed his arms, eyes narrowing slightly as he studied his beloved. "I can see it too, Light," he declared softly. He knew something was up. While he wasn't sure what exactly, much like Serah, he was ready to find out. Any problem Lightning had, he faced as well. Even if they weren't married, they were in any and all situations together.

Lightning looked past Serah to Riku, that being an easy task since she didn't want to meet the former's eyes. I know, she thought silently to him. And I meant to tell you. I will let you know what's up, just when everyone's gone. But apparently Serah wasn't planning on giving her that option. At that moment, Serah let go of her arm and went to the living room to tell Snow and the others to go home without her, and that she'd be spending more time with her sister.

When Serah left the room, Riku took it upon himself to approach Lightning. He stopped right in front of her, lifting a hand to set against the side of her head. "...What's going on?" he asked softly. He knew that they ended the night in the wrong way last night, but he wasn't upset about it anymore. Not really. He and Lightning could completely disregard that bit, if that was what was upsetting her.

Light lifted her hand to Riku's on the side of her head, glancing down towards the ground. Was now the right time to tell him everything? To tell him that the man that she met only once was still haunting her? ...Did he have any clue all this time that she was scared of her fate being connected to his? "A lot," she answered quietly. A lot was going on, and it would take a long time to explain. She left him in the dark too long. Maybe Serah too.

Riku's eyebrows furrowed at that. "...Once everyone leaves, you're talking to me," he told Lightning softly. "Okay?" He didn't want this to be ignored any longer, whatever "this" was. Clearly it was a serious issue, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible.

Lightning nodded faintly, gripping Riku's hand a little more tightly. She'd talk to him. After all, she planned on sharing from the very start. She'd need his help to do this. But Serah, what about her? If she said that she was staying until Lightning spilled, she meant it. Especially if she used the name "Claire". She never wanted to hear her sister use that name so bitterly again. "...We should go and say goodbye then," she declared softly. The sooner everyone left, the sooner they could talk.

Riku nodded, keeping still for a moment before he lowered his hand from Lightning's hair. He motioned for Lightning to head in first. He doubted Serah would be leaving, but Snow and Hope would. He would say goodbye, and then they would get to the bottom of things.

The goodbyes weren't long and heartbreaking; Lightning made sure that nobody knew why Serah was staying longer. They made it sound like she just wanted more time with her sister. So once they were gone, Serah sat down on a chair so that she was facing Lightning while the latter sat down on the couch. She didn't meet Serah's eyes easily, because when she did, she saw a look of scolding that she didn't like at all. She supposed it was time to come clean.

Riku rested on the couch beside Lightning, elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the coffee table. Was she going to fess up now? He was eager to hear what she had to say, especially since it didn't seem good. But why did she hide it for so long? It was then that it hit him. Sora and Kairi, he realized, eyebrows furrowing a little more. Lightning kept her secrets until the wedding was over...

Lightning wasn't sure who she was speaking to more: Riku or Serah. She decided that whatever came out of her mouth would just have to be good enough for the two of them. "...Remember a while ago, how we were stuck in the Realm of Darkness?" she asked quietly. Serah at least knew that much of the story. And Riku...He was there with her. Surely he remembered how miserable she was, facing the ghosts of all her dead friends.

Riku nodded slightly, though he kept his gaze on the table. Unfortunately, he thought bitterly. That was a time he didn't like to remember, but he was thinking of it now that Lightning said something. But what about that was so significant?

Lightning lifted her gaze from the table to Serah, since the girl didn't know this part of the story. "We ran into someone there," she said. "He called himself Caius Ballad and said that we were fated to be rivals. He attacked us and would have won if he cared about sticking around. Instead he let us go and told me to build up my strength for the day I'd have to face him." She looked away again, staring down at the ground. I guess it's that time. Time to face him.

Riku turned his head to look at Lightning, a question in his eyes. It's Caius? he silently asked. Is what he said true? Did Lightning really have to go fight him? Because if that was the case...well, Riku wasn't really sure what he would do. Caius was incredibly strong, and Riku honestly didn't think Lightning was strong enough just yet.

"I've had nightmares every now and then," Lightning confessed without looking up. "About being dragged off to fight him and getting caught up in some war of the gods. ...I've lived in fear for a long time that I'd be torn away from home." From you. Both of you, even if I don't see you often, Serah . "But last night I had another dream. He said if I didn't face him now, he'd force me to him. ...So I'm going to face him. I'll get to him before he gets to me."

"...Are you strong enough for that?" Riku asked, speaking his thoughts. He didn't doubt Lightning often, or ever. But this...he just couldn't help. He had to be sure she was strong enough; Lightning had to be sure she was strong enough. Caius meant business, and wasn't afraid to bend the rules to get what he wanted. Appearing to Lightning in a dream was clearly his way of doing that.

Lightning looked over and met Riku's eyes. This conversation was causing her to be brutally honest, since she kept the truth hidden for so long. Now wasn't the time to keep anything at all hidden. "I have to be." Maybe she wasn't strong enough, but she no longer had the option of waiting. She had to face him.

Riku's eyes showed his fear at that moment, and he lifted a hand to sit on Lightning's knee. So...she wasn't strong enough, not yet. That didn't settle any worries he had, and he didn't want to think about what Serah was feeling. It was probably similar to his thoughts as well.

"If you're not strong enough, then...you can't face him," Serah declared softly, leaning forward and looking at Lightning. There was no way that Serah was going to just sit by and endorse a battle that Lightning couldn't win. She wondered about this man, Caius. Why was he haunting Lightning when she clearly wanted nothing to do with him?

 

Lightning shook her head softly. "I no longer have a choice." Caius was forcing her hand. It was either go willingly or get sucked into the fight without being prepared. It was obvious which course of action she had to take.

"If you're going," Riku started, his eyes moving from Serah to Lightning, "I'm going with you." He said he would make sure everything went well here at home while Sora and Kairi were away, but he couldn't keep that promise anymore. He had to make sure the person he loved most in the worlds stayed alive.

"And I am too," Serah instantly said.

 

Lightning looked at her sister and shook her head. "No. Absolutely not." Riku was welcome to come with her, though she didn't want him to necessarily. She was scared for his safety. But Serah's? That was ten times worse. Serah didn't even know how to fight. Did she not understand that she was going off to what could become a full-scale war?

Riku looked over at Serah as well, surprised with her declaration. He knew she was headstrong, much like Kairi, but Kairi had a weapon. Serah didn't. "...Sorry, Serah," he said softly. "But I agree with Light on this one." How would Serah protect herself against Caius?

Serah looked at both Riku and Lightning, eyebrows furrowing. "I know magic," she declared. Ever since she lost her l'cie brand, she had a natural knack for learning magic. "And I'm really good." She began with defensive magic so that she could stop being a damsel in distress, but then she began learning offensive spells to protect her hero. She wasn't a bad mage at all.

Riku's eyebrows furrowed a little, and he shook his head. "I don't think that'll be enough," he told Serah. He felt bad for saying that, denying her the chance to help protect her sister, but there was just no way. Serah wasn't ready for this yet, especially if Lightning wasn't.

"I'll just have to prove you wrong then, won't I?" Serah asked with an arched brow. Even if Riku and Lightning didn't think she was strong enough, she was going to prove them wrong. Lightning raised her, so of course she was strong. "When are we leaving?"

 

Lightning furrowed her eyebrows at the question. "We--" She motioned to herself and Riku. "...Have to talk about it." She wanted to leave immediately, but if Riku needed to take care of something beforehand, she'd have to delay for his sake. She knew going alone wasn't an option.