She muttered to herself as she strolled along the beach, her toes feeling comfortably warm, almost to the point of numb actually, in the sand. "Almost to the point of numb actually" had in fact become her everyday routine. The feeling repeated itself like a mantra, buzzing through her entire core, if you could even associate numb with a buzzing sensation. The sun beat down on her auburn hair as she stole glances at the endless ocean to her right. It had been almost two years since Kairi had even remotely felt something other then that. It had been almost two years since she'd seen…him.
Him, because that's what she referred to him as now. Him, the one with the dark hair and those incredible deep brown eyes, those eyes that shone with utter affection and worldly know-how. Him, the one whom she'd basically thrown her heart at, only to have it abandoned in the long run. Him. It was he, and he alone, that occupied her thoughts.
She sighed and fell to her knees, overcome with a mixed emotion that she could not name. She wanted so badly to hold him in her arms again, feel his warm breath against her neck and his mouth against her own. But that was all memories now, or had it ever even occurred? She dreamed so much now, that she could not say what was real anymore. Had he ever even existed to anyone other than her? She shook her head violently. "Idiot," she spat. Of course he was real! How else could she explain the rotten paopu fruit she kept hidden under the boards in her floor. How else could you explain his face, forever engraved in her mind as well as on the walls of the cave behind the tree? But that's what loneliness does to someone. It warps them. It steals their thoughts and memories, wishes and dreams, and mixes them all into one big puddle of indecipherable black. Words, colors, and emotions all blended into one big nothing. And that's exactly how she felt.
She got to her feet and began to walk back in the direction that she'd came, then stopped. She turned and looked up. The sky that was a usual shade of paintbrush sunset had turned a most unusual black. A black so deep it seemed to swallow the whole forefront of the island; a swirling conglomerate of darkness that could suck the joy out of almost anyone who witnessed it.
A fear arose in her bosom, unlike any she'd ever felt before. Worse even then when…..he…..left her for bigger and better things, new worlds, new faces, a new life. "Fuck him!" she screamed. How was it that even in the face of an unknown horror, her thoughts still turned to the one that had forever broken her heart? Even know in the face of danger she still clung to him, even if it was in her mind. Tears welled up in her eyes as she continued to watch the awful black swirl her way. She thought she heard faint screams in the distance, she thought she felt the wind rushing past her as the children ran towards shelter, she thought she saw a number of unknown creatures crowd around her, funny little shadows that seemed to dance in tune to her inner torment. And then she blacked out.
"Kairi…Kairi…Kairi…" A warm sensation, a bright light, an aura of complete and utter worry. "KAIRI" She opened a set of blurry eyes, and almost fainted a second time at what she saw.
"Well garsh Donald, I told ya she'd be fine!" a lanky dog wearing a silly orange hat laughed dimly at the sight of a confused Kairi awakening.
"How was I supposed to know!" Squeaked a duck in an equally silly green cap. "The way she was layin' I thought she was a goner for sure!"
"What the…." She sat up, a rush of dizziness overcoming her. "How are you…..?"
"Don't be an idiot!" Donald turned to her, his eyes bent angrily as he took a harsh tone. "Lay back down now and don't even think about getting' up and walkin' about, askin' all sorts of stupid questions!"
"Geez, Don. You don't have to be so mean!" Goofy turned a gentle gaze in her direction, his warm eyes smiling. "Here, drink this." He handed her a glass and watched her drink it's contents. Although he wore a face of utter kindness, he seemed changed since she last saw him, older. Well it has been two years, she thought. Still, it was odd. And now that she thought about it, they both seemed changed. And although they looked relieved that she was alive and well, if you could call weak with a splitting headache well, she could sense that something was amiss; and there was someone missing.
It overcame her then. A sensation that she had unfamiliarized herself with flooded back in one elaborate motion, the hope that she'd held onto for more than a year until she realized it was futile and almost forgot the feeling completely . "Where's Sora!?" she blurted, completely forgetting that she had forbidden herself from using his name. Donald and Goofy exchanged awkward glances. Their faces began to swim before her as she felt the effects of the unknown drug Goofy had disguised as a drink.
"There there," he whispered, patting her arm as she fought the unrelenting effects, "We'll talk about all of that later, when you're well; when you're rested." And as she clung to her last bits of consciences, she swore she heard Donald mumble,
"When you're ready to handle it…"