Chapter Two: A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes
Two birds arrived and opened the shades of the tower that was Aqua's room. Aqua was sleeping in a light blue nightgown. They then chirped for her to wake up, but Aqua just turned around in her bed, pillow and all.
They continued to chirp incessantly. One of them got the brilliant idea to chirp at her through the small space between the bed and the pillow but Aqua pulled it down and blocked that off too.
The male bird then chirped on top of the pillow until Aqua brushed against his tail feathers with her fingers, and he chirped in surprise. Aqua then got up and laughed good-naturedly.
"Well serves you right, Spoiling people's best dreams." Aqua said with a smile.
The two birds chirped both joyfully and in indignation as they flew to the window and indicated the beautiful sunrise outside.
"Oh, I know it's a lovely morning but it was a lovely dream too." Aqua Sighed.
The birds chirped questioningly.
"What kind of dream?" Aqua asked.
The birds chirped in affirmative.
"Uh-uh." Aqua said with a smile. "Can't tell."
They chirped a why.
"Because if you tell a wish, it won't come true and after all..."
A dream is a wish
Your heart makes.
When you're fast asleep.
In dreams, you will lose your heartache.
A red bird tried to sing with her but he was stopped by one of his companions.
Whatever you wish for, you keep
The little silver bird finally got a couple notes in and he nodded smugly to his companion who shrugged.
Have faith in your dreams and someday
your rainbow will come smiling through.
A mouse in a black-shirt with yellow sleeves and black pants came out and yawned. Two other mice come out too, a red-haired one in a white top and skirt and the other was brown with a black shirt with white jacket and black shorts. The three mice sat down and listened to Aqua.
No matter how your heart is weeping,
If you keep on believing,
The dream that you wish,
Will come true...
Everyone was smiling until the clock suddenly chimed.
"Oh that clock!" Aqua grumbled. "Kill joy."
The clock chimed again.
"I hear you." Aqua groaned. "'Come on! Get up!' you say. 'Time to start another day!'" She then turned to the mice. "Even he orders me around." It had been the same ever since her father had passed away.
The reddish female mouse named Iris put her paws on her hips and scowls in a way that says "How dare he?" The smaller Burnett female mouse named Hikari was still smiling until she saw Iris's scowl and then tried to imitate it.
"Well, there is one thing." Aqua said with a hint of a smile. "They can't order me to stop dreaming." She then added wistfully, "And perhaps someday... a dream that I wish will come true."
Aqua then hummed as she made her bed and prepared for a shower as Iris shooed all the boy mice away. Aqua then got behind a screen and took her nightgown off as birds dried a cold sponge on her.
"Ah!" Aqua exclaimed. "I've really gotta try and find a way to heat water or something."
The mice then hummed along with Aqua as they got her outfit ready for her to wear, a dark brown shirt with a brown sleeveless dress and white apron. Aqua then put the clothes on and waved at her friends as she brushed her hair.
No matter how your heart is weeping,
If you keep on believing,
The dream that you wish,
Will... Come... True . . .
The dark-brown mouse, named Sora, ran in with a black haired mouse named Surane.
"Aqua!" Sora called out. "Aqua! You won't believe what Surane and I found!"
They both began talking so that Aqua can't understand what they were saying.
"Woah, woah, woah, calm down you two." Aqua said calmly. "I can't hear you when you're both talking at once."
They quieted down.
"Now Sora..." Aqua began. "What's all the fuss about?"
"There's another mouse in the house!" Sora explained. "I never saw him before!"
"Oh, a visitor." Aqua said as she opened a drawer and pulled out a frilly, bright pink dress. "Well, she'll need a dress and-"
Sora burst out laughing.
"It's not a she!" Sora said with a smile. "It's a he!"
"Oh, well that's different." Sora said. "He'll need a shirt and a jacket and-"
"Decide on that later!" Surane called out. "Right now, he's in a trap!"
"What?" Aqua said in surprise. "The trap? Well, why didn't you say so?"
She stood up and quickly descended the tower stairs, Victor and Robin following after her as best they could. There are already several mice chattering loudly around a black wire cage and inside was a green mouse.
"Now, now, calm down everyone." Raven advised.
She picked up the cage and opened the door to peer inside. The silver mouse had scampered to the back of the cage and was shaking with fear.
"Oh, the poor thing is scared to death." Aqua observed. "Sora, maybe you should explain things to him."
She put the cage back down on the ground with the door still open.
"You've got it Aqua!" Sora said with a smile.
He entered the cage.
"Hey pal." Sora said kindly.
The mouse took a swing at Sora.
"Whoa take it easy!" Sora said quickly. "We're your pals. Aqua's your pal, I'm your pal, and everyone else here is your pal."
The mouse slowly lowered his fists.
"That's better!" Sora said kindly. "Come on now, let's go say hello."
"Uh... okay." The mouse mumbled.
He was lead out of the trap and he waved at the other enthusiastic mice welcoming him.
"Well, now." Aqua said. "That's much better. Here are some clothes for you."
The mouse put on a black shirt with a yellow jacket and dark purple jeans.
"And I've got a few name ideas." Aqua said. "What do you think of Land?"
"La." The mouse said as he made a face.
"Alright." Aqua said with a chuckle. "Riku."
"Hey, that's a nice name." Sora said. "What do you think, Riku?"
"Riku... Riku... yeah, I like it." Riku said.
"Now I've got to work." Aqua said. "Make sure he stays out of trouble, Sora. Oh, and don't forget to warn him about the cat."
"No problem!" Sora said with a smile. "So uh... have you ever seen a cat?"
"Uh... cat?" Riku asked.
"Yup!" Sora said. "Cat. His name's Vexen." Sora started to imitate a cat stalking after prey. "He's mean... arrogant... sneaky... and will POUNCE ON YOU!" He pounced at Riku who fell onto the stair below as Sorastarted mewling and howling. "So... you got that."
"Uh... no..." Riku said.
"D'oh!" Sora called out agitatedly.
"Could you show me instead?" Riku asked.
"Oh, fine!" Sora said as they went down one of the mouse holes they had made as the chateau became less and less well kept.
()()()()()
In Larxene's room, Raven appeared.
"Vexen?" Aqua asked quietly.
Vexen woke up and went back to sleep.
"Vexen, come here!" Aqua whispered authoritatively.
Annoyed, Vexen walked out of the bedroom, holding himself up as if he was royalty and he gave Aqua a condescending look before yawning widely. Not waiting for him, Aqua closed the door and pushed him the rest of the way out, making him stumble forward before regaining his dignity.
"I'm sorry if His Highness objects to an early breakfast." Aqua said sarcastically. "It's certainly not my (itlcs) idea to feed your first. It's orders... Come on."
()()()()()
Sora and Riku came a little ways out of a mouse hole and watched Aqua and Vexen walking away towards the stairs.
"That's Vexen." Sora said simply.
"That's Vexen?" Riku asked with a laugh. "AHHAHAHA! He's just a stupid cat! I could beat him with one hand behind my back!"
"Oh no you don't!" Sora called out as he grabbed Gar's tail and pulled him back against the wall. "Vexen's not something you want to mess with! Vexen's mean and crafty and..."
()()()()()
Aqua walked down the stairs to the kitchen, Vexen only a few steps behind her. There was a growling sound from the kitchen floor and Vexen stopped short, in instinctive fear. Aqua opened the top part of the door to the yard and light shone through on the form of a massive dog growling and snarling a little in her sleep. Aqua walked over to the big dog until her shadow stretches across her body.
"Tifa?" Aqua whispered.
The dog's growls became louder and her legs started moving quicker as if she was chasing something.
"Tifa!" Aqua called out.
The dog seized an end of the rug she was sleeping on before she realized that Aqua had said her name and she woke up from the dream. She let go of the rug as she gracefully stood up, stretching her elegant but powerful legs as she did so, the sunlight playing happily across her illustrious jet-black fur.
"Dreaming again." Aqua observed. "Were you chasing Vexen?" Tifa nodded. "Catch him this time?"
The dog continued to nod but there was a proud air about her.
"That's bad." Aqua said in a suddenly sharp and disapproving voice.
Tifa stopped nodding and looked shocked while Vexen snickered in his darkened corner.
"Suppose they heard you upstairs." Aqua explained. "You know the orders. So if you don't want to lose a nice warm bed, you better get rid of those dreams. Know how?"
Tifa shook her head.
"Just learn to like cats." Aqua explained.
Tifa groaned as she looked at a snickering Vexen while Aqua prepared the breakfast trays for Larxene, Rikku, and Yuna.
"No, I mean it." Aqua continued. "Vexen has his good points too."
Secure in his safety and "superior class" as the head mistress's pet, Vexen padded over to Tifa with a smug smile on his feline face and rubbed up against her, knowing that she wouldn't be able to retaliate without getting in trouble.
"For one thing he..." Aquz began.
She stopped, not knowing what to say. Tifa noticed the close proximity between herself and Vexen and pulled away from him as much as she dared without leaving her spot, snorting at him in disgust. She was a top predator, one who could take down a moose, and she knew it. She could make her own kills to feed herself should the need arise and she had no tolerance for those lesser creatures who fed themselves with small rodents. Such "predators" often served as her play things and Vexen was just asking to be put in his place with his cocky attitude.
"Hmm... there must be something good about him." Aqua mused.
Vexen's ears flattened against his head as he glared at Aqua's back and Vexen started making the canine equivalent of a laugh at how even her mistress, the nicest girl in the world, couldn't come up with something good to say about Vexen.
Vexen then smirked and lay on his back as he scratched Tifa's face. Tifa roared a warning, and Vexen howled in fear.
"Tifa!" Aqua called out in shock. "You naughty dog. What would Father say if he saw that? You remember him. The man who took you in when you were just a stray puppy?"
Tifa put her head down as she thought about her master.
"Come on, girl." Aqua said as she opened the lower half of the door. "Outside."
Tifa glumly walked outside.
"I know it isn't easy, but at least we should try to get along together." Aqua explained as Mel lied down on the dirt road.
Aqua then turned to Tifa.
"And that includes you, your majesty!" Aqua said angrily.
Aqua then set a bowl of cream down as she walked to where they kept the corn for the livestock.
Chaos dose not own Cinderella or kingdom hearts, but she owns Iris, Surane belongs to SuraneSpiral, Hikari belongs to WingBladeWeaver1357, and Drew belongs to RedDiEnd.
