The Rain That Melts The Shadows

By: Salem

Rating: Eventually NC-17 for swearing, sex, slash, blood, gore, violence, and other fantasticals that make this rating as good as it is. ALSO: it isn't Sora x Kairi, even though it may seem that way. Sora may also seem a little OOC, BUT! I believe that everyone has a darker side to them, and as he is in a situation that comes rather unnaturally to him, I think that his personality is explainable.

The idea came to me while I was thinking about white Organization coats. And so here we are. The plot is mine, but the characters (Xirakumi exempt), clothing (ish), references to game, etc. belong to Disney and Square Enix, because they are the lovelies who started the whole shebang. I say Xirakumi exempt, because for a while, he is my own character, but that may (or may not) change later on. So! With a dash of half of an original character (who I promise you will love and understand), a splash of white (.), and complete boredom on my part, here we go...

Chapter One: My Dreams Eat My Reality

It's dark. Everywhere, it's dark. Beady green eyes are staring at me, waiting for my next move. Thing is, I seem to be frozen. I can't move. Not if I wanted to. And in the enclosing, claustrophobic black that is around me, that is the thing I want most. This darkness...it's not the silky pleasantness of nighttime. It's alive, and hungry, and voraciously devours all that is or will be. It is a nothing that is a something, and it wants me. It takes all of my effort to look at the heavy key that I hold in my hands. It shines amid the black, albeit dully, like it's about to die. Deep inside, I feel that it is. That I am also going to die. That everyone out there will die too. And also, very deep down inside...

I know that it is my fault.

# # #

"Sora! Wake up, sleepyhead!"

I peek my unwilling eyes open a crack to see a certain redheaded someone standing over me, a big grin on her face. I sighed, and sat up, promptly hitting my head on the underside of the bench I had fallen asleep under.

"Ow..." I moaned, rubbing my head. There was gonna be a bruise there now.

Rolling out from underneath the bench, I stood up and straightened my uniform out. No grass stains, luckily, or else the teachers would flip.

"Why'd you have to wake me up, Kairi? I was dreamin'..." I complained, making sure the chains were in their proper places. Kairi just giggled and flipped her hair out of her face.

"Because it's ten til first class, you haven't eaten breakfast, and when you dream...you..." She trailed off, her face becoming apologetic. I shrugged it off, pointing toward the campus cafe.

"Forget it. Let's grab something to eat before class."

We stood in line at the cafe, which was one of three across the huge campus. It was a very selective, expensive school, so it could afford three cafes, but they were also very functional, as none of us were allowed off campus during the school year and the place was too good for a cafeteria.

I stared off into space as we waited for the line to move, lost in thought. The dream I'd had had been very strange. Suffocating, almost. That was all I could remember, but that wasn't surprising. I hardly remembered any of my dreams. Not the nightmares, anyway. Kairi noticed my thinking.

"Something on your mind, Sora?" She asked. She was so sweet. I'd liked Kairi for a very long time, but couldn't ever summon the courage to say so. I was worried it would ruin our friendship, blah blah blah, sappy crap like that. The usual.

"Not really. Had another nightmare...ish. It wasn't as bad as usual, but I still don't remember it, " I explained, shrugging. The nightmares were oftentimes a lot worse, scaring me into staying up for nights at a time, unable to remember why I was scared or what of.

"Hmm. These need to stop, Sora, they're going to start affecting your grades. And you know how important those are, " she pointed out. I checked my pocket to make sure I still had my munny (which I did) and turned to her.

"Kairi, look, if I could stop them I would, but I can't. They're going to keep happening until I remember one, or they kill me. And of course I know how important my grades are. Don't be ridiculous, I want this as much as the next kid," I replied, a bit snappy. I saw her wince slightly, and softened. "I just don't know what else I can do about them, Kai. I'm trying the best I can."

She nodded, and I turned back around to look at the menu, when someone slammed into me rudely. I spun around, mouth open and ready to fire off a few choice words, when I froze. The kid who'd bumped into me was tall and lean, with long, deep black hair and piercing aqua green eyes. Suddenly, I was hit with the feeling of compression, and I couldn't breathe. Like I was surrounded by cloth, and it was choking me. A distant memory of beady green eyes flashed in my mind as I grabbed my throat and struggled to inhale. Kairi bent over me, concerned, and I watched as the mysterious boy left the cafe swiftly. I could just barely hear Kairi, and my head was swimming from the lack of oxygen. The door to the cafe jingled shut, and the feeling left me as quickly as it's bringer. I gasped in air, ignoring Kairi and everything around me as I simply breathed.

"I'm...I'm fine, Kai, get off..." I mumbled half-heartedly, pushing her away a bit. I took a deep breath and stood, swaying a little.

"No, you're not! What was that? You couldn't breathe, Sora! I don't call that fine!" Kairi practically yelled. I shot her a glare and crossed my arms.

"I am fine, Kairi, god. I'm not that fragile. It was just...just an asthma attack or something, I'll live." Even I had to admit that the excuse I came up with was lame. I'd never had asthma in my life. That was one of the reasons I could attend the school.

"Right. Whatever. I still think you should go to the infirmary."

"Nuh-uh. Anywhere but there. Professor Vexen is creepy enough as a science teacher, I don't think I want to give him full reign of my body, " I grumbled, and ordered a muffin with a juice box. Kairi, flustered, ordered a bagel.

I left without her, walking fast. She caught up with me though, and looked miffed.

"What, so now you're mad at me for being concerned? I'm sorry, " she said sarcastically as we approached Class One's building. I rolled my eyes, her sarcasm lost as she tried to keep up with me.

"I'm not mad, I'm just annoyed. It's not your fault, but I'm okay now, so can we just drop it?" I pleaded as we sat in our seats. I took a bite of the muffin so I wouldn't have to talk to her anymore.

"Yeah. Sorry...I just...I just don't want you to hurt, y'know? Between the night terrors, and the schedule, and the lack of sleep, I worry that one day, you're just gonna collapse and not get up." Kairi stared morosely at her hands, and I immediately felt bad.

"Hey...it's...it's okay. Sorry I scared you like that, I really don't know what happened back there, " I said, after swallowing. "This kid bumped into me, and then I looked at him and all of a sudden, I couldn't breathe, and then I remembered something weird-"

"Wait, you mean you looked at this kid...and couldn't breathe."

I nodded, eating more muffin.

"And then you remembered something weird."

I nodded again, chewing.

"I know it shoundsh weird, but it'sh shtrue, " I said, my mouth full. Kairi made an 'ew' face, so I swallowed and tried again. "It sounds crazy, but I think I actually remembered a piece of my nightmare."

Kairi looked shocked, but before she could respond with the questions I knew she had, Professor Xemnas walked in, creating an instant hush in the room. He was one of the more stern teachers at the school, part of the elite Organization XIII. You could tell by the long, black, leather coat he wore, so much like our uniforms, except ours were a pristine white. I stuck my straw in my juice box as quietly as possible. While we were allowed to eat during class, Professor Xemnas freaked if you made noise while doing it. He faced the class, his amber eyes sharp and unforgiving.

"Today, we have a new student."

That was all he could get out before there was a collective sigh of disappointment. New students meant more competition, and nobody liked that very much at all.

At Kingdom Academy, you studied and took tests and had extra-curricular activities, just like a regular school. But there were two main goals that had nothing to do with schoolwork-the x and the black uniform. Rumor had it that Kingdom Academy was started to look for future members of the Organization, which was why the classes were so hard and the expectations so incredibly high. For years I had gone to this school in hopes that I would be next, after a tragic accident in which I lost my parents. It was everyone's dream, so a new student was everyone's nightmare, especially so late in the game. Usually, you went since kindergarten. I was a slight exception, starting in third grade, but the bullying I had endured would look like hugs and kisses next to what the new kid was going to get. Although we all had the advantage, because at the end of senior year, there was a test. A test so great, so hard, and so dangerous that no one had passed since Professor Roxas (who everyone took very seriously, as he's only about twenty-looking or so). And we'd studied and trained for the test far longer than this new kid. The Organization was the best of the best, pure strength and raw power. I'd do anything to be dressed in the black uniform, just the uniform, no x. But I wouldn't mind having an x in my name as well. Only the Organization had x's in their names. If you came to the school with an x in your name, it was taken out, or your name was changed. And that was just how it was. I slumped in my chair. This was turning out to be a real suckish day.

"Enough. You should know as well as any that only the elite get into the Academy. He has just as much of a chance. But let's do face facts. " Professor Xemnas leered at the class. "That's all he has. A chance."

A shiver of laughter flitted about the room, and I smirked. Yup, that was all he had. A ch-

The door opened and in walked the boy from earlier. I couldn't think. Couldn't move. And that feeling of compression was coming back. He turned to also face the class, his expression set and fierce and formidable. I could still breathe for the time being, so being the idiot I am, I used that time to take a better look at him.

He really was tall, and from what I could tell, muscular without being annoyingly so. His skin was a deep, porcelain color that reminded me of rich egg meringue, and dear GOD, those eyes...those eyes looked like chips of the ocean when the sun hits it, like pieces of razor sharp sea glass that could cut a dolphin to shreds. His hair reached the middle of his back, layered and thick and framing his face perfectly, a scary shade of black that reminded me of my night terrors.

"My name is Xirakumi. I am pleased to have been allowed so late into the Academy, " he said, his voice clear and cold, like ice. "I want you all to know that I don't view any of you as friends, but as opponents, and I will do whatever it takes to come out on top."

He then walked to an empty seat and sat down, looking indifferent to the whispers and glares he was receiving. He wasn't any different from us, wanting to be first, but maybe it was the way he said it. Commanding, almost. I wasn't sure what I thought about it. I did think that I should probably stop staring at him so that I could breathe properly. It was like he was sucking the air from the room. And that, I didn't like.

"Sora! He has an x in his name!" Kairi whispered to me frantically. I gave her a Look.

"It could totally be a z. Chill out."

"Fine, we'll ask him then."

I shook my head, trying to pay attention to Professor Xemnas' lecture.

"No, I don't like him. That's the kid I bumped into earlier, " I replied as quietly as I could muster. Still wasn't quiet enough, though, because before Kairi could reply, an eraser flew past her ear as a warning. Professor Xemnas hadn't stopped his lecture, but was giving her the evil eye, which she avoided sheepishly. I glanced over at Xirakumi, confused as to why I felt like this around him. I never remembered my dreams. Ever. Then he shows up, and all of a sudden, I can't breathe and I'm remembering a little more than I want to. He was glaring at me, so I looked down at my shoes instead.

What could I do?