"Who's that?"
Sora pauses and looks up into the face of his new…friend? He doesn't really know, his first meetings with the Shinigami involved a lot of running, fights and miscommunications. When his 2 day fighting spree finally came to a close, and the situations explained Sora still wasn't exactly greeted warmly among the citizens of this world. He suspected that the leader, Yamamoto? Had several people watching him at all times to see if the 'Black cloaked vermin' came back. He still had no idea what the Organization was doing here.
"Oh, Ichigo…san." Sora is a bit uncomfortable with this particular Shinigami.
Ichigo is nearly the same age as him, but his mannerisms are that of an old man, tired and ready to just sleep everything away. And there is something else about him. Something just beneath the skin that moves and pulses with power, a being all its own. He doesn't know if Ichigo is aware of it, or anybody else either. Because this power that twists and moves and he swears that there is a non-existent scream (maybe a laugh?) that accompanies it, but of course, its all invisible to the naked eye, and thus difficult, even impossible to explain to others. He just knows it's powerful. And dark. Very, very dark.
"Oi, Sora!" And Sora snaps awake, sheepish and a bit embarrassed. He felt like he had to impress this one for others to even near him, and falling asleep while the guy was talking to him wasn't going to do that.
"Sorry, Ichigo-san." Sora looks back to the piece of paper sitting in front if him, one he wasn't aware of until Ichigo had pointed it out. And, to much of his surprise, it was filled with faces of people he knows, all from others worlds and even a few from this one.
"That's Riku, he's my best friend. He's traveling the worlds like I am, fighting the heartless and such." Sora doesn't know why he was drawing, it wasn't his thing. It was mostly Kairi who would sit and draw for hours in her white room and…
What was he thinking about again?
Oh yeah, Riku.
To his surprise, Ichigo sits down with him and asks more about the people. For once, there isn't any silent scoffing or underhanded remarks about loyalty, just quite questions about other places and small debates about rationality.
'How can a ship run off smiles, its impossible! A smile cant possibly contain energy to move a hunk of metal across light years of space when a rocket going faster then the speed of sound cant even get to the moon in a year!'
'You're a half dead guy fighting against other all the way dead guys over a hunk of land to enter a castle. Don't lecture me.'
Over time, more and more people gather to see. Not too many of coarse, and only those who decided to give Sora a chance. But they too ask questions about the people on the piece of paper.
'What the hell is a gun-blade? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of.'
'Says the guy who has a monkey for a sword.'
'How big is that guys sword? 7 ft?'
'It would be better with a few bunnies.'
'Oi, Rukia, put down that marker! Rukia!'
And Sora laughs along with them, cause this is the most fun he's had since he's got here and its nice not to be alone. He's pretty sure when this is over, they will go away and be cold to him again, so he soaks it up while he can.
"How about this one?"
"That's Yuffie, she's a ninja at Hollow Bastion along with Leon and Cloud."
"How long is this guys hair?"
"Sephiroth? All the way to his feet I think. He worked with the Heartless. Im not to sure if he's alive now or not…"
"Oh, she's cute. Who's she?"
But this time, Sora is silent.
At first, they wait, Sora is just choosing his words. But the silence laps longer and longer and Sora makes no move, no sound. Doesn't look into their faces with a grin or a funny story to share.
Just silence.
Ichigo, who if asked, refuses to admit he's worried for the stranger, grabs a shoulder gently and shakes. Really, he's not concerned at all.
"Sora?"
"Her name was Namine."
Its small and quite, and only in the silence they heard him.
"Sora?" Orihime is a sweet girl. Always showing concern for others.
"Hmm?" and Sora looks up and he's all smiles and bright blue eyes. Soraish. There is nothing that can bring him down, not while there are people for him to protect.
Sora wasn't aware of the puzzled and somewhat worried gazes that were looking at him, cause he's untrustworthy, right?
"Hey, whos the chick with the tail?"
'Arial? She's the princess of the ocean. She's getting married soon, I think.
'A mermaid? Are you shitting me?'
'No! Shes real! I know, cause I used to swim with her and sing songs about the surface and freedom!
'…Your serious aren't you?'
'Yes!'
'Ok fine, how about this one.'
'She's Aerith. She's the mother hen of Hollow Bastion. She always gives me candy or ethers when I see her.'
'Hey, check it out. There is somebody with crazy hair like Kenpachi out there!'
'Who's he Sora?'
But Sora is not there. He is gone, far far away in his heart. And there is only a stranger sitting before them now. One they have not met before. One that wears Sora's face, but not his eyes.
Eyes that are just as blue, but do not shine with happiness or innocence, but with unshed tears and guilt.
Sora does not hear them.
The stranger does.
And he speaks, a voice that is remarkably similar to Sora's, but isn't cause there is no way that Sora can be this quite, this sad. Heartbroken.
"He's Axel. He was my best friend. He's gone now."
'And I don't know where.' Its unspoken. It doesn't need to be.
And this Not Sora cries. The tears are silent, no sobs or shaking shoulders. The tears just fall, disappearing before they can hit the table's surface.
This Not Sora, he breaks their hearts.
And he's gone. And there is just Sora again babbling about another person on the paper. There is no tear stains, and no sorrow. There is not guilt.
There is just Sora.
They don't say anything, because Sora doesn't say anything either.
They look again, later. When Sora falls asleep in the middle of a sentence. They have been told that he sometimes to that, and they wonder if its because of Not Sora.
The faces that Not Sora cries over are gone. Replaced by a strange cross.
COPYRIGHTCOPYRIGHTCOPYRIGHTCOPYRIGHTCOPYRIGNTCOPYRIGHT
Fun, eh?
Its messy, but it was written on a whim and I don't bother with Beta readers. So, understandable, right? Right.
Anyway, Bleach is © to Kubo Tite (is that even spelled right?)
And Kingdom Hearts is © to Square Enix
By the way, this was sort of based off 'Bleached Hearts'. Go read it, its pretty good.
And yes, Not Sora is Roxas.