Song credit: Beauty from pain - Superchick (minor editing so it fits better)
"Who's there?" Yumi asked, getting up from her seated position.
'Gotta play this cool Sora...'
I reached down and plucked a flower from the field.
"Sora, is that you?" she asked as I approached.
"H-hi Yumi..."
She smiled at me.
"What are you doing here?"
I looked down at the flower I was holding and stuck it out towards her.
"This is for you!" I said quickly.
"Oh, a calla lily. My favourite!"
I looked down and noticed all the flowers around us, including the one in my hand, had changed.
'Whatever, it's a dream...'
She took the flower and placed it behind her ear. It stood out next to her dark hair and dress. She looked beautiful...
"You never answered my question. What are you doing here?"
She broke me from my thoughts and I was quick to regain composure.
"I...I came to see you. I wanted to tell you something."
I couldn't bring the words to my mouth, so she grabbed my hand for reassurance.
"Sora, you know you can tell me anything," she said with a smile.
I blushed and smiled back. Why was this so hard! I saw a piano and a bench behind her so I led her over to the bench. I just needed to sit, in case I passed out. She looked a little confused but smiled at me anyway, just waiting for what I had to say.
"Yumi...I...do you play the piano?" I asked, chickening out.
She giggled and nodded.
"Would you like to hear something?"
It was my turn to nod and she turned to face the piano and placed her hands over the keys.
"Now, even if you don't like it, pretend you do so I don't feel bad okay?"
She took a deep breath and began to play.
"The lights go out all around me. One last candle to keep out the night and then the darkness surrounds me. I know I'm alive but I feel like I've died and all that's left is to accept that it's over. My dreams ran like sand through the fists that I made. I try to keep warm but I just grow colder; I feel like I'm slipping away. After all this has passed, I still will remain. After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain. Though it won't be today, someday I'll hope again and there'll be beauty from pain. Please just bring beauty from my pain. My whole world is the pain inside me. The best I can do is just get through the day. When life before is only a memory I wonder why God lets me walk through this place. And though I can't understand why this happened I know that I will when I look back someday and see how this brought beauty from ashes and made me as gold purified through these flames. After all this has passed, I still will remain. After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain. Though it won't be today, someday I'll hope again and there'll be beauty from pain. I hope for beauty from my pain. Here I am at the end of me trying to hold to what I can't see. I forgot how to hope; this night's been so long. I cling to the promise there will be a dawn. After all this has passed, I still will remain. After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain. Though it won't be today, someday I'll hope again and there'll be beauty from pain. I pray for beauty from my pain."
She stopped playing and there was a tear running down her cheek.
"Yumi...did you write that?" I asked her, wiping away the tear.
"Heh, yeah...I lied to you today Sora. I loved Roxas, a lot. He...he hurt me really badly. And I think it makes me scared to let myself fall in love again. But I knew from the start he was meant for Namine, just like you were meant for Kairi. It was fate. I still let myself fall for him like an idiot though. God I'm stupid..."
More tears were falling down her cheeks and I kept wiping them away.
"Hey, hey, hey, you're wrong okay? It was his fault for being such an ass and taking advantage of that big beautiful heart of yours. You aren't stupid. And you need to know, I'm not meant for Kairi."
"What are you talking about? Of course you guys are meant to be together. You've been dating for a billion years; trust me, Riku tells me all the time how jealous he is that you got 'his girl.' Besides, she's a Princess of light and you're the keyblade master. It's like the perfect match."
'I KNEW HE LIKED KAIRI. Ah well, why do I care?'
"Yumi, Kairi and I broke up the afternoon they were taken. Did Riku not tell you?"
She looked a little shocked.
"No, but that would explain why he was so happy when he came over..."
I smiled at her.
"Besides, if I was with Kairi, I would be in a lot of trouble."
"For what?"
"For doing this..."
I leaned her head up and pressed my lips to hers. I really didn't know why I did it. She didn't kiss back so I began to pull away. Then her hands suddenly shot up to my head and pulled me back in, pressing her lips on mine. There were fireworks and explosions and birds singing somewhere and just...whoa...Eventually we broke apart, although our foreheads were still pressed together. I let out a small laugh, which caused her to blush.
"God, I'm so glad I'm falling for you," I breathed out.
"The feeling's mutual," she said happily.
I pulled back a fair bit and looked at her.
"You're glad I'm falling for you too?"
Laughing, she said, "Well I meant that I'm glad that I'm falling for you, but it's pretty nice you like me back."
Quietly, I whispered, "Are you sure you aren't falling for Roxas again?"
She stopped laughing and scooted closer to me.
"Sora, I told you I wouldn't lie to you. Lord knows this has got to be a dream because I'm being so ballsy, which means I have no reason to lie to you right? Right. So let me put this down on record: you are nothing like Roxas. He was the bad boy with a soft interior. He acted one way but was a different way around everyone else. You're upfront and honest; kind and good looking; the guy who won't up and leave you when times get hard. You're my dream guy, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
I knew I had the biggest smile on my face, but I didn't care. She liked me. Not Roxas, not Riku, but ME. I was about to pull her in for another kiss when suddenly things around us were beginning to disappear. DAMNIT, we were waking up. This could not be happening...why now?! Things were getting distorted and blurry, and then suddenly everything was black.
Yumi's POV.
I woke up with a jolt. I was just having the best dream ever, WHY BODY, WHY?!
'So the dream with Sora is the best dream ever eh?'
Oh shut up, it's too friggen early.
I got out of bed and stretched, walking towards my door and opening it. I looked in the cockpit and saw Sora stirring, so I walked into the kitchen and started to make coffee, bacon and eggs. By the time it was done Sora was in the kitchen sitting at the table. I brought him over some food and coffee and then made my own plate and sat across from him.
"So," Sora asked as I stirred my coffee, "did you have any better dreams after you went to sleep in your own bed?"
I dropped the spoon I was holding and blushed. There was no way he knew what I was dreaming about, right?
"Uhm, nothing that I can remember! But I slept soundly so it must have been good..."
We ate breakfast in silence and Sora grabbed the dishes after we were done.
"I'm going to go see how close we are to the next world okay? Just turn on the dishwasher before you come follow!"
He nodded and cleaned up what was left out as I walked towards the cockpit. Too weird...
A few minutes later Sora came and sat next to me.
"We're almost there Sora, just like five more minutes," I told him.
"Dumb question, but do you play the piano?" Sora asked out of nowhere.
"I could try, but I would be horrible at it. Where are all these questions coming from this morning?"
I was getting freaked out. Had Sora had the same dream I had?
"Oh, I thought I heard someone playing the other day. Must've imagined it."
I sat silent until the world came into view.
"Alright, let's go find us a princess and some dwarfs!" I said, getting up from my seat.
Sora smiled and followed me out the door of the ship. We walked into the dark forest and immediately I felt uncomfortable. I took a few steps forward and looked around to see if I knew where we were.
"Ugh, I hate this forest. It's so...eerie. Okay, let's get this right; last time I was here Snow White and the prince were getting married, and the dwarfs were off in their own little world. Hmm, wonder who we should see first?"
"Let's just walk towards somewhere that has people, cause this place freaks me out."
I nodded and we walked towards what looked like a lighter part of the forest. I walked pretty close to Sora, since this forest gave me the heebie jeebies. I did not want to get lost out here on my own and have to try and find a way out. We walked for just under a half hour until we came upon a clearing with a small little hut.
"Look Sora, that's where the dwarfs live!" I exclaimed.
I picked up my pace and practically ran to the clearing, just so I didn't have to be in that forest anymore. Sora was quick to follow and when we walking into the sunlight I took the time to note what we were wearing. I had on black ballet flats with a little black bow on the tops, a traditional peasant's dress that had a grey bottom and a white long thee-quarter sleeved shirt with a light blue corset like vest over top. Yeah, I suck at explaining my clothes...sue me. My hair was done up in a low braid and I had a ribbon that tied a bow around my head. Sora was in an outfit similar to the prince's: he had on black pants with tall black boots, a white long sleeved shirt with a red and yellow vest thing over top and a blue cape.
'Of course, Sora's gotta be a Prince Charming kind of guy and I'm the unworthy peasant girl...art reflects life I suppose.'
"C'mon, let's see if anyone is home. I miss the small guys," I said.
I lead the way to the door of the cottage and Sora obediently followed. I knocked on the door and waited for an answer. Nothing. So, I tried again. There was some feet shuffling, but there was still no answer.
"Hello! Guys it's Yumi; please open up," I spoke to the door.
A few mumbles were heard, and then the door was swung open. Doc was standing on the other side with a small smile on his face.
"Yumi! It's so good to see you again. And, you brought a friend. Please, come in."
Doc stepped aside and Sora and I walked into the little cottage. It was very homey, with a couple rooms on the main floor and one giant bedroom and a bathroom on the upper floor. We walked in to the kitchen/living room area as Doc closed the door behind us. He walked to the center of the room and smiled.
"Okay everyone, it's safe to come out!"
Slowly, the rest of the dwarves came into view. Each one seemed to have a sense of relief wash over them as they saw Sora and I standing in the doorway.
"Hi guys, it's good to see you again!" I said to them.
"Who's that guy?" Grumpy asked.
"Oh this? This is Sora. Sora, this is Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Doc, Happy, Dopey and Grumpy."
Each one respectively gave a wave or nod.
"Why were you all hiding?" Sora asked.
They all looked uneasily at each other as if debating giving us an answer. Eventually Doc stepped forward.
"It's...it's Snow White. None of us know what's wrong with her! It was like the moment she got married some crazy force over took her and she went crazy! She started enforcing all these crazy laws and said we were beneath her. We tried to go to the castle to see her and she said 'If you don't have diamonds for me then you can just leave.' I thought...I thought she liked us..." he trailed off.
'What is wrong with people!? You marry into power and you go psycho.'
"Listen...I'll go talk to her and see what's going on. There has to be a reasonable explanation for this. Just point me in the direction of the castle and this will all be fixed ASAP!"
The dwarfs gave a small cheer and lead Sora and I towards the door. After giving us some pretty straight forward directions, Sora and I began our trek to the castle.
"Sora, can I ask you something?" I asked after a few minutes of walking.
He made a grunting sound to let me know he was listening.
"I mean, not that I'm complaining or anything, but...where are all the heartless and nobodies? I thought they were supposed to be making a comeback..."
As if that was all they were waiting for, the dark forest was lit by a million yellow eyes.
"You just had to mention that in the darkest forest imaginable didn't you?" Sora murmured.
"Hehe...whoops! So what's the plan: take them all on at once or run like a bunch of cowards?"
Sora took a minute and looked around the forest and seemed to debate it.
"Well, in my opinion, there are two of us...and probably about five gazillion of them. I'm thinking it's in our best interest to run," he deduced.
"Well then, ladies first! After you."
I could tell he was rolling his eyes.
"Shouldn't you be running then?" he asked.
"And leave your slow butt behind? Hell no. I'll fend them off until you're in the clear and I'll meet you at the castle."
The yellow eyes seemed to be moving closer and closer to us.
"I'm not leaving without you."
"Well, I'm not leaving till you go blade boy. So hurry up and get outta here before we get attacked."
The next thing I knew Sora had his blade out and he was grabbing my hand.
"God, why do you have to be so stubborn?" he yelled as he began running in the direction of the castle.
"What?! All I'm trying to do is make sure you're safe."
"I'm just trying to do the same for you."
We both had our keyblades in our free hands and were slashing at whatever dared to jump at us along the run. I swear, it seemed like there was no end to the chaos. Almost as if to make it worse, Sora piped into my thought process.
"Hey, at least they aren't nobodies!"