Water...
So cold...
I was immersed in it. Surrounded by it in it's infinite darkness. It's embrace held no mercy for me as it's cold unfeeling touch stole my warmth and feasted upon it greedily. My hands were numb and barely visible. I tried to move but my body refused to yield. My eyes opened tiredly and met with nothing but the deep and dark of oblivion.
Funny... I think I've been here before.
I feel the icy current take me. Sending me to a place uncertain. The darkness creeps ever forward. Ever forward. I want to cry out, scream, say something but I have no voice. The current just continues to carry me, it's destination unknown.
I hate it.
Then I feel a burning, desperate pain and realize I've been holding my breath too long. I panic and flail about helplessly as my eyes search frantically for the surface. My salvation. Nothing. Nothing but darkness. Nothing at all. With no other choice, I exhale and breathe again before I catch myself. That's when I realize I've been breathing air. Real air! Divine Air! Amazing air! My panic subsided replaced with pure joy. But I was still in water... strange.
So very strange.
I take another breath. Still air! I suck it all in for all it's worth. Happiness. Pure jubilation for the right of the living. Light amongst the chill for the simplist of things. I smile for what seems to be the first time amongst an eternity. I laugh but the sound is unheard and swallowed by darkness that infests this chasm.
Why have I been brought here?
As if to answer my question, the chill leaves me and I catch a flicker of light dancing infront of me. It is far away but it is certain. I try to swim and smile as my limbs respond just fine. The cold is gone replaced by an increasingly gnawing desire to reach that light. I swim. Atleast I think I swim towards it. I feel like an eternity has gone by. I'm tired of the darkness. I just want to be with that light. I just want to feel warm again. Not this frozen nothingness that tries to leech into your very soul.
The journey turns into a race. A race against what? I have no idea. Time? Time has no place here. No meaning. Fate? Perhaps but I wonder... Life? Death? Certainly. My desperation festers and the darkness around me tries to devour the light. But I must reach it! To fail is to lose everything. To fail is to lose EVERYTHING!
At least that's what I feel. Since when did reason exist here? What knowledge was I privy to?
The answer was nothing. I had no reason at all to suspect any of this was nothing but a very convincing illusion. Yet my heart believed. My eyes believed. My entire being believed. That was all the difference that I would need.
And on that note I try harder. I want to reach that light. Even if it costs me everything. Even if I lose myself in the process. My arms stretch forward. My hands spread wide. I push through the strange water with all my might. The light is closer. I can feel the warmth like a flickering shadow. It pulses with the rythm of my own heart. I echo the sweet melody that I feel more then I can hear. I can feel hope building within. It rises within my pitiful depths and fills it. I continue to claw forward. The light is all that matters now. The darkness means nothing. It is nothing. Absolutely nothing but an after thought.
Hope begets desire. And desire begets strength. The light. The warmth. I want it all for myself. The darkness can't have it. I won't let them have it.
And then I reach it.
And the world turns white.
The next thing I know, I feel like I'm flying. Or maybe I'm floating? Can't be too sure but the darkness is gone. Hey, that's always cool! But where am I?
The sky is dark. Night's embrace apparant with the light of a thousand stars gathering and bathing this place in an etheral glow. This was no place I've ever been to. For that I was sure. And yet the place had an unearthly air. Hundreds of tree's surrounded a small lake encased in a bright crystallized sheen, frozen as the beacon. The guide of an age long forgotten.
Silence hung in the air so thick, it was almost tangible. A place so sacred and divine but I felt it. This place served as the last remnants of a distant memory. A sorrowful history that remained unheard. Perhaps... this place may not exist at all.
At last I had heard something. Footsteps tredding down the worn path. I turn and realize that I'm not alone here. At first little more then a silhouette I blink, placing a hand over my eyes to help filter away the sudden burst of light. The light begins to fade and I see someone. Dark muddy brown boots over baggy blue-ish purple trousers held up with a dark cross belt. A matching sleeveless shirt with hidden mythril plating was worn with a few distinct tares indicating a recent battle. His left shoulder was protected with an iron guard with several bolts that stuck out of it for an increasingly intimidating look. The man wasn't overly tall. Just a bit bigger then myself. Blue eyes held true but obscurred by a few strands of blond spikey hair. The sword was missing but the blade did little to take away from the image.
Cloud Strife walked slowly to the lake surrounded by trees of crystialized memory. His face a stony mask of grim resolve. But I saw through it quickly. Past the stony visage was a man burdened with grief, tears held back by years of hardened training. In his arms, he was carrying someone. A red short sleeved jacked covered a pink flowing dress. Dark brown silken hair tied with a pink bow spilled over Cloud's gauntleted arm. The face, innocent with an air of quiet dignity while little brown boots dangled helplessly. Her eyes however were closed. Cloud took it all in stride as he refused to stray from the grim mindset.
"What was wrong?" I spoke for the first time, my voice hollow, weak and ghostly,. It echoed and bounced along the silent abode with nothing but a spikey haired acquaintance to follow the noise with heavy footsteps. I run over to him being extra careful not to trip over myself.
"Hey! Cloud?"
The arena competitor ignores me.
"Cloud?" I ask putting a hand on his shoulder. Only for it to pass right through it.
"What the?"
Gobsmacked, I look at my hand turning it over and back. Gloved as it is, it seems to be okay. Nothing transparant about it. No injuries either.
"Cloud?" I call out to him again but I recieve the same result.
What if... what if he can't hear me?
"Cloud!" I call out yet again testing my theory.
He doesn't even flinch. I sigh dejectedly and just follow him. The warrior's pace is slow and as somber as the mood that had fallen upon the area. I feel a lump in my throat and I don't know why. At last we finally approach the lake which seem's to be Cloud's destination. Why he decided to stop here is beyond me. Cloud just takes a deep breath and walks into the waters still carrying the woman in pink.
"What's going on?" I ask scratching the back of my equally spikey brown head. Of course, at this point I know I'm not getting an answer. Cloud heads deeper into the waters and is now in at waist height. I'm tempted not to follow. I've already had a bad enough experience with water just a little while ago but I swallow and keep up with the pair. Cloud on his part seems to be speaking to the sleeping girl. Whatever he says, I can't hear it. Even when I'm only a few feet away. The girl... I could see was very pretty. Her beauty simply shined even in her sleep.
And then Cloud let's go and the girl in pink is swallowed by the lake.
"Cloud!" I scream out wondering what the hell he's thinking. He doesn't hear me obviously. I bite my lip half expecting her to come up for air. fifteen seconds go by. She doesn't.
"Cloud!" I scream out again. He does nothing but stare at the descending girl forlornly.
Expecting no help from him, I take a deep breath and dive down after her. Why wasn't she waking up? She continues to descend quickly but I'm only a few feet away. The girl's hair ribbon unties itself and threads of long dark hair spread outward under the waters sway.
"Com'on Sora! Get your ass moving and swim!" I tell myself.
Precious seconds tick away. I swim harder. Why is she going down this fast?
The universe must hate me because now she's descending even faster. I won't give up. I have to get her out of here. I'm about to resort to an ability taught to me by a friend at atlantica when I feel myself being pulled right down along with her. I want to cry out to her but I don't even have a name and the water wouldn't carry my voice anyway. I'm running out of air myself. But I can't abandon her. Not... when I... can save her.
But how?
"But... how...-"
I have no answer as I become swallowed in the chilling darkness that surrounds everything.
:-----------------------------:
Who are you? A whisper calls out to me.
My eyes flash open. The worlds a blur as I tumble out of... something. I land hard, sprawling out on my back. I grimace as a brief pain hits me sharply and then fades to a dull throb. The world continues to spin for but a moment before I gather my bearings. My eyesight clears and I... seem to be in my room...
"Huh?"
Double checking my surroundings, yeah, it's definitely my room. Right down to the flipped over Zanarkand Abes blanket. My heart is racing. Just a dream. I breathe deeply calming myself down. When I think I've finally managed to get a hold of myself, I rest on the wooden floor laughing nervously and holding my forhead.
That dream... just what was that? It had been terrible. I nearly ended up drowning twice! And that girl...
That's when I realize that my hair is wet. Down right soaked actually. Infact my white t-shirt and boxers are completely soaked in cold water.
It was just a dream... right?
A/N: This fanfic is based on the premise that Aeris (Aerith) and Sephiroth are dead and did not appear in the current saga of Kingdom Hearts. I'm a big fan of the pairings Sora x Aeris, and Sora x Tifa but there are very few of them out there. So I'd thought I'd contribute one myself and see how that works out. Sorry if the first chapter seems a bit short. I promise the next one will be easily twice as long.
