Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts
Sora could feel himself drifting.
His eyes flickered from open to closed to open again as he lay on the beach with his back rested against a paopu tree. The sun was warm, and there was nobody around to disturb his peace. The sound of the waves reaches him gently, soothingly. He smiled, digging his elbows deeper in the dry sand. Listening only to the sound of the sea, he leant his head back, shifting slightly as his necklace pinched tightly at his neck.
The waves grew fainter, fading into near silence as sleep overtook them. Sora's head fell to one side.
Kairi smiled, almost laughing at Sora's position. He never noticed when she would stand here, watching him as he lay on the beach. She'd waited ages before, standing and watching for a while before greeting him for their daily meetings on the beach. She would not wake him. This was too funny and lovely for her to. Instead, she quietly laid herself next to him, careful not to disturb his position. Sitting down, she could understand his falling sleep; it was wonderfully comfortable down here. Leaning her head beside his against the tree, she shut her eyes. Sora's head fell a little in his slumber, brushing at her forehead. Yes, definitely wonderful, she thought. She sighed happily.
She could hear Sora breathing lightly and shuffled slightly closer to him, leaning her head back against the tree.
Riku stood in front of the two of them, and neither noticed him. The eldest boy looked down at them both as they slept. Kairi wore a small smile, a satisfied expression clear on her face even asleep. Her hair spread around her, running over Sora's shoulder and flowing across the paopu tree's trunk. Her skin glowed softly in the sunlight, perfectly clear. Sora, next to her, didn't look as quite pleasant, Riku thought, as his mouth hung slightly open and his head bowed downwards. Riku smiled, but a cool rush poured through him. He shook his head, and laughed properly, though quietly. He knew who had lay there first without even asking. Home then, he told himself, deciding not to wake the two of them.
He didn't move, instead standing their and watching his two best friends sleeping. The ice was still their, streaming under his skin. Kairi pulled herself closer to Sora. He sat down.
His eyes flickered between the two of them as he dug is hands into the sand. He pulled an arm up and rested his elbow on his knee and his head on his palm. Biting his lip, Riku shut his eyes tightly. Sora and Kairi still floated in front of him, only now they were surrounded by darkness. Sora edged closer to Kairi, whose soft, sleepy smile grew into a bright toothy grin. The smile found its way onto Sora's face, as they both rested against each other, arm in arm as they both beamed. Riku struggled to open his eyes, but they refused, determinedly remaining firmly closed. His head sat on his own shoulder, and the world faded, Sora and Kairi still sleeping before him.
Naminé looked around her. A dream of Kairi's this would be, she supposed. She was surrounded by a clear white, a plane that extended in all directions around her with no end she could see. It was completely empty, with no decorations or obstacles blocking her view forward. Just a huge field of never-ending white. This wasn't at all like Kairi's usual dreams, she thought. They were usually bright and confusing and loud and messy. This was just… blank.
-For the first few moments. A figure faded into few, collapsed on the ground in an awkward heap. As it appeared, Naminé wondered how she had not noticed it before now. It had always been there, of course, she knew that somehow. She simply had not noticed it. The shape came into focus, and yes, Naminé decided, it was definitely human. Or at least human shaped. A girl, Naminé guessed, about Kairi's age judging by the size.
She turned away as another creature appeared to her side, human again, though this time it appeared rather more masculine.
It, too, had, of course, always been there. Just… unnoticed.
Here, Naminé noticed that she was herself sprawled across the floor, limbs bent outwards in all awkward and painful directions. She pushed herself up onto her elbows, and gazed down at herself. She was wearing her usual white dress, though it looked cleaner and newer than she could ever remember it being. The magic of dreams, she thought to herself.
Somebody else came then, lying against her back. They were warm beside her, their bodies touching gently, and she turned her head to see them. She smiled as she found Sora beside her.
Yes, Kairi's dreams. She chuckled gently.
She watched him for a while, forgetting the others around her. She doubted that they were still there at all; dreams were not often heavy in their continuity. She pushed a strand of Sora's tussled hair out of his face. Because his hair was quite messy, she thought, laying in almost matted strands over his face rather than up in spikes. It didn't usually look like this at all, especially in Kairi's dreams.
He stirred.
"Sora?" She whispered down to him.
His eyes quivered open.
For Kairi's dream, Naminé thought, it was oddly lacking in the red-haired girl. She pulled at a lock of her own hair, checking the colour. Blond. She was definitely herself here. No Kairi anywhere. She shook the thought away, it didn't matter. She too much enjoyed being with Sora herself for a rare once. And this wasn't real.
"Hey, sleepy," she said softly, pushing his arm tenderly.
"Kairi?" Sora mumbled. "Kairi, I-I'm sleeping, don't make me get up, don't wanna-" He pulled his arm away from her.
"It's Naminé," she said, her amusement audible. "Kairi's dreaming about you."
"Okay," Sora said sleepily, nudging the floor with his forehead. "That's nice. I'm gonna… I'm gonna dream about her, too."
His head fell back and his eyes snapped shut. Naminé's felt her insides twist sadly. "Sora, she's already dreaming." She giggled slightly, assuring herself that this was only a dream Sora of Kairi's. "You can't dream in someone else's dream."
Sora laughed lightly for a few moments. Naminé continued to smile to herself.
He stopped his tired giggles very suddenly, apparently waking up.
"Naminé, am I dreaming?" he asked, confusion strong in his voice.
Naminé's smile faded. "No, it's Kairi," she said sadly. "She's imagining all of this." She frowned. "At least I think so." She paused thoughtfully. "Maybe it's me dreaming… I've never done since I…"
Sora opened his eyes slowly. "Maybe," he said as Naminé trailed off. "But, it's like…I know what's happening. I can think and stuff. I don't think you're imagining me."
"No," Naminé said slowly, drawing out the word, "It's Kairi, I'm sure. You just think you're real." She smiled over him, forcing it only a little.
Sora watched her for a moment before responding with a genuine grin. "Naminé, I-"
Footsteps clicked in the background, interrupting their conversation.
"Sora?" Riku's voice reached them. They both turned to face him. He appeared panicked, his mouth slightly open as his eyes flicked between the two of them.
"Riku! Are you in the dream, too?" Sora smiled at him goofily, forgetting the doubt he had moments ago.
Riku frowned back. "Sora…" he said quietly "I don't think-"
Another voice called over, a girl's. Kairi, Naminé thought. The blond pulled away from Sora, finding she suddenly felt uneasy. "Sora? Riku? Heh, am I dreaming?" Kairi giggled, swerving slightly to one side as though drunk. Sora raised himself up on his arms, hopping to balance on his toes in a low crouch.
"Hey, Kairi!" He grinned at her. "This is great, everyone's here!"
Naminé glanced at Riku. "Sora, I don't think this is a dream. It- it feels real."
"Of course it does! Dreams always feel real. I remember falling asleep, too." He smiled warmly at her, placing a hand gently on her arm; she didn't return it.
"Sora," Riku said, urgently, Naminé thought. "I think Naminé's right. Something's wrong."
Sora's face fell. "But-"
Riku shut his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath "I can pinch you, if you'd like?" he said, seeming to almost smile and only half holding his hand out in offering.
Sora nodded frantically. "Yeah!" he said, reaching his arm towards Riku. The older boy pulled firmly at the skin on his hand.
Sora hurriedly retracted his arm. "Ow," he yelped.
"You might be imagining it," Riku said slowly. He turned to Naminé. "Do you know what's happening?" he asked.
Naminé shook her head. She didn't have any idea. But this didn't feel like a dream anymore, whatever was happening.
Kairi moved closer to Riku. "I really don't like this," she said shakily. "Are you all dreaming? I mean, am I? What?"
Riku shook his head at her steadily. "Kairi, calm down," he said firmly. "I- I don't know what's going on either. But panicking won't help any of us."
Kairi nodded quickly so that her hair bounced around her shoulders. Her breathing was still rapid in anxiousness.
Something behind Naminé let out a low groan. She spun around, remembering the two bodies that had been here before.
Only one lay there now. It was dressed in a black cloak and had light blond hair laying in tangles.
"Roxas!" Naminé cried, smiling as she tugged at his arm. Roxas fell sideways onto his back and coughed. "Oh, are you okay?"
Roxas mumbled something indistinct. Naminé whimpered softly.
"R-Roxas?" Sora clambered over to see him. "Is that-?"
"Both of you, leave him." Riku's voice was firm. "None of us know what's going on here, and we… we have to find out what's going on before we do anything."
Sora was leant next to him on his knees. He reached out to lay a hand on Roxas's arm. Naminé gave him a faint smile.
"Riku, do you have any idea what's happening?" Kairi's voice was heavy with panic, cracking towards the end.
"I don't know," Riku said, looking directly at Kairi. He leant down to feel the floor, running a hand across it slowly. He knocked it, and it replied with silence. Standing up again, glanced around him and upwards. Sora and Naminé followed his gaze upwards only to see white. Kairi simply stared at him. Roxas's head twitched.
They all stayed in complete since save for Roxas's occasional small mumbles.
Kairi finally spoke. "We should look around. I mean, this place has to end somewhere, right? It can't just go on forever."
It took a lengthy few moments for anybody to answer her.
"Kairi's right," Sora said. Kairi smiled at his support. "We should try to find something." Sora stood up properly for the first time since they had ended up here, wherever it was. He paused for a moment, apparently thinking. He swung his hand into the air, taking a breath. Nothing happened. "Wha-?" he said, looking at his empty hand. He repeated the action, shutting his eyes and scrunching his face. "R-Riku. I don't think I can summon my Keyblade."
"Well," Riku said slowly, seeming to make an effort to keep his expression clear. "Let's all go together. That way, if there's anything there, we'll stand a chance against it."
Naminé was not happy with this idea. "But what about Roxas?" she asked, glancing around at the semiconscious boy who lay on the clear floor.
Riku tapped his fingers lightly against his leg, following Naminé's eyes to the ground. He nodded, keeping that same forcefully blank expression. "We- We won't go until he wakes up properly. He'll be able to come with us."
"How long will that take?" Kari asked with faint annoyance.
Roxas made another little moan. "I don't know," Riku answered.
Kairi had sat down, cross-legged on the floor. She sighed. "So what do we do until then?" she said, staring out into the pure white horizon.
Riku lowered himself to the floor wearily. He sighed as he spoke. "We wait."
Author's Note: So yeah. Did that even make any sense? Oh well, I'll try to make it make sense.
I would love to get some reviews, just to know if anyone is interested in this continuing. Or if you have some criticism. Either way is great, or just anything else. I just love reviews, and I love people who leave them, too.
Anyway, thanks for reading!