"I'm scared."
Silver states it simply, and Blue imagines there is no emotion plastered on his face. She's never seen it, but she hopes someday their eyes will meet, no masks or ice or pain preventing it.
It's late and blistery cold. After yet another treacherous day of training, sleeping is a luxury Blue and Silver look forward to. But as per usual—Silver can't find it in him to sleep. Which means Blue won't be resting for a while, either.
"Ah, Silver, sweetie, let's get some rest! I'm sure you'll feel better after sleeping," Blue coos into his ear, patting the blanket down onto his body. Silver nuzzles closer to his sister in an attempt to conserve their shared heat. In their bed, they've a single pillow and blanket for the both of them.
Silver doesn't reply, but Blue knows he won't be snoring anytime soon. She leaps out of bed and lands on the wooden floor with a thud!
Blue's always had an overactive imagination, and she often puts it to use in regards to her restless younger brother. Her gloved hands rest on her hips and Silver's head jolts up due to the sudden noise.
"Silver! Do you ever dream of the outside world?" Blue says in a booming voice.
"Y-yeah, yeah, I do."
"Well, you know what, so do I!" Blue reaches out to Silver and pulls him out of bed to further engage him in her little show. "And lucky for you, Silver, I know quite a bit about it!" She winks obnoxiously and gets a smile out of the boy.
"There's these great places called forests, that are filled with trees a million miles high! And they've got luminous, green leaves that twinkle in the sunlight! But," Blue spins rapidly, "there could be monsters in the forest! And you gotta be especially careful, cus' they go after children the most!"
Silver gasps and clutches her hand tighter.
"Don't you worry, though, I'll protect you when we go there! You know me, I'm tough!" The older girl puts up her fists playfully. "Do you want to hear more?"
He nods.
"Okay! There's a shining city called Goldrenrod that's right by the forest. Someday, you and I will live there. We'll walk down the streets every day and buy things from street vendors, and visit the arcade!" Silver seems confused. "An arcade is a place where you play games and win prizes!" Blue clarifies.
"Do you really think we can go there?" A shaky yet hopeful voice says.
White gloved fingers brush over black ones.
"Definitely. As long as we're together, no matter how cold it is, we'll be warm!"
"But how do you know for sure?" Silver inquires, ever-curious.
"The world is always speaking to us," Blue says, "we just need to learn how to listen."
They slowly curl back up in the bed. If they hadn't any masks, their red-tipped noses would be touching.
"Someday, we'll get away from the cold wind, and we'll find shade under the clouds of a faraway place! I know you don't see clouds a lot here, but they're really puffy, like…a Flaaffy!" Blue tickles Silver playfully and elicits a giggle from him.
"You and I, we'll travel all over and see everything! Now, let's sleep! I'm sure you must be as tired as me," Blue feigns a yawn.
"Okay," Silver says, "But, Blue, I'll miss you while I'm asleep. I'll be all alone."
Blue wraps her skinny arms around the equally thin Silver, lacing one hand through his hair. She feels him loosen up slightly and inch closer to her chest.
She whispers, "Silver, it's okay, you know why? Because in a few moments, when we're asleep, I'll see you in my dream."
Silver relaxes a bit more. "We'll visit all those places I told you about! Now, you'd better hurry up—or I'll leave you behind!"
"Okay, Blue, I'll see you in my…" his voice trails off into slumber.
The girl sighs in relief. Though it may be yet another sleepless night for her, as long as her dear Silver, the only person in this cold, dark world she's sure she loves, is alright, she is content. Blue rolls onto her side away from him.
Though she's able to convince little Silver that they'll go to wonderful places someday, she can't convince herself.
Blue could go on for hours thinking of ways to escape. But she suddenly remembers she has a previous engagement. She shuts her eyes tight and gets as comfortable as a girl can in the small, creaky bed.
Because she's promised to meet Silver.