You Are My Kingdom Hearts ➳ Axel

Friends

Chapter 11: Friends.

Leon's POV:

"Squall."

"No."

"Squall."

"No."

"Squuuaallll."

"I will throw you to the Land of Dragons in a minute," I threatened, giving Sora a dangerous look. He grinned cheekily, not breaking eye contact.

"...Squall," he whispered.

"That's it!" I raised my fist to hit him, before Cloud held me back.

"Sora, why'd you say that name again?" Aerith questioned softly, sitting next to him in the gummi ship.

"He said he'd throw me to the Land of Dragons," Sora answered with a shrug. "I wanna see Mulan, Shang and Mushu."

"You idiot," I growled in annoyance. "You get more annoying every time I see you!"

"It's a gift," Sora laughed.

"Why are you two at each other's throats?" Tifa asked in exasperation, brushing her chocolate locks out of her face.

I couldn't prevent the forlorn expression that took over my features as I stared down at my feet. "...I guess we're both a little on edge."

Sora sighed, "Sorry for being a jerk, Leon."

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered grumpily.

"Where are Donald and Goofy?" Yuffie questioned brightly, flipping onto the couch with the enthusiasm of a newborn puppy.

"They stayed at Disney Castle. King Mickey figured we'd run out of room on the ship," Sora explained with a nonchalant shrug.

"Clever king, always thinking ahead," I chuckled.

"Where's our destination, cap'n?" Yuffie asked cheerily, holding up a peace sign.

"The Castle That Never Was," Sora and I responded in unison.

"In The World That Never Was," Cloud nodded in understanding. "Hey, Sora... did you ever find those friends you were looking for?"

"Yeah, I guess I did," he replied slowly. "Then they brought up Jai... and I knew I hadn't imagined her."

"You thought Jai was a figment of your imagination?" I asked incredulously. Jai wasn't the type of person you could just imagine up. She was unforgettable too. "What were you on, kid?"

"Well, yeah... after everything I've done and everywhere I've been, I had to wonder if my mind was playing tricks on me," Sora answered, trying to hide the tinge of sadness that crept into his voice.

"Sora, what was she like?" Cloud inquired quietly. "When she was younger, I mean."

He let out a soft laugh, his eyes reflecting the admiration in his voice. "She was a goofball."

"More than you?" I grumbled with a smirk. Sora shoved me with a laugh, before giving me two big thumbs up.

"By the end of the day, I could never find her. She was always hiding in some tree. I remember days where we would just sit there and laugh for ages, forgetting what it was that made us laugh in the first place. She was always happy, and it was infectious," Sora recalled, a fond smile on his face.

"Sounds like Jai was always a bit of a cheeky handful," Aerith giggled softly. The rest of us smiled and nodded, and I was yet again reminded of the gaping hole Jai had left in my life. It just sucked. That's all there was to it anymore. Her absence sucked.