Sora and Kairi continued walking, holding hands and following King Mickey.
"So, dad, is everything okay?" Kairi asked.
"Well, besides all the sadness around, there's plenty to be happy for." Mickey said, but the words sounded like he was trying to reassure himself more than them "We're alive, Ventus... He's finally got a break..."
Sora shifted uncomfortably. Mickey glanced back, then said "Hey Kairi, come with me, I have a few things I wanna check with you. Meanwhile, Sora you... um..." Mickey grew noticeably more uncomfortable "Were your clothes always like that?"
Sora held the material of his shirt, finally taking notice of the dried blood on it. VEN'S blood. He suddenly felt nauseous, dizzy. Traumatized memories surged into reality, screams and sobs blending disorientingly with Mickey and Kairi's concerned questions. Colors started swirling around in his vision, and he swayed lightly as the world around him teetered around like a barge at sea.
Sora blacked out, crumpling to the ground.
"Oh dear! Sora! Sora are you okay?!" Kairi knelt down and shook him. Mickey was about to join her when Riku rushed over. He supported Sora into a sitting position, and after several moments of observation he asked "What happened?"
Kairi shrugged, and Mickey said "He just saw the blood on his clothes and fainted."
Riku glared at him "Excuse me, but he's come home with more blood than this on him. WHAT. HAPPENED."
Kairi forced Riku to look at her "Listen, Riku, I understand you're scared for your friend, but we just told you the truth. It's what- Sora!"
"Ugh..." The teen moaned, holding a hand to his head "Riku, why the hell is the room spinning?"
Riku patted his shoulder "Dunno, but we're gonna find out-"
Sora glanced at his clothes, then scrambled away yelling "KINGDOM HEARTS I'M GONNA BE SICK~!"
Riku sighed, then followed after "I'll make sure he's okay... Probably a stomach bug."
He found Sora vomiting in a bathroom, shirt and jacket already discarded. He worriedly knelt next to him "Sora, you okay?"
"I don't know!" Sora snapped and groaned back "I... Just get those away from me-URK!" as he once again poured out his stomach, Riku very gingerly moved the bloodied clothing out of sight into a laundry basket.
"Ugh... First I lost Ven, now this...!" Sora lamented.
"I didn't know you cared that much." Riku remarked.
"I didn't know too... At least, until he was already gone..." Sora's voice suddenly grew tired and sad. "Already gone and I can't apologize for anything... What a waste I am."
Riku remained quiet, but was relieved that the rumors he had heard around the castle weren't true. He was also relieved that Sora had finally let things go, but started growing concerned over the lack of self-esteem that had remained.
Sora stood uneasily, then wrapped an arm around Riku's shoulder "Hey, could ya help me to our room? I wanna get out of this-"
He saw the blood on his pants, and went right back to where he was.
"Kingdom Hearts, Sora! Did you eat anything spoiled?!" Riku asked.
"No- BLEEURGH -I was fine- EUGGHH -Yesterday!" Sora got out between heaves.
"Okay, just started today... When?"
"After I passed out, which was after I saw my jacket and shirt- WLAGUUH." As if the very thought seemed nauseating, Sora resumed his puking. Riku waited for him to stop, a plan already formed in his head. He reached into the laundry bin, his hand grabbing for a certain piece of cloth.
Sora sat back sighing in relief "I think I'm finally done-"
Riku pulled out the jacket, and Sora didn't even get more than a glance before he started violently retching. "I think we've found our problem." Riku said as he put it back.
"YOU- BLEUURGHH -YOU JERK!" Riku blinked at the toned down choice of language "Excuse me?"
"You JERK." Sora growled, wiping his mouth.
Riku laughed "This is the point where you'd start calling me a jackass. What's the deal?" Although, he wasn't mad at the revelation. He couldn't have been happier.
"I just felt like saying it, so what?" Sora got up "Is it wrong for me to keep my mouth clean for once?"
Riku smiled "You've changed, sir pukes-a-lot."
Sora stopped. He turned back, looking a little annoyed and surprised "You think so?"
Riku took off his vest and gave it to Sora "I know so, now lets go get you some clean clothes." He then stopped, sniffing the air.
"Riku, are you okay?"
"Yeah... Just..."
"I know, I smell like puke-"
"No..." Riku trailed off. He had a wistful look that did not go unnoticed by Sora "What's reminding you of home?"
"... I think it's you."
"Excuse me?"
Riku held up a hand "No, I mean... You have that sickly sweet smell about you like usual, but... You smell like the sea... The Paopu trees..."
"Sickly sweet?! Since when have I smelled like that?" Sora asked, shoving the rest away to keep himself from breaking.
"Since... Since Ansem. I apparently learned how to smell things... Differently." Riku said almost sheepishly "I don't know what to label it really. But I have noticed it around myself, the Organization..."
"Darkness." Sora answered flatly "I think the scent is darkness."
"... Well, back to the others. The scents of home." Riku quickly turned the subject back around "I really think it's a sign you've changed. The darkness is still there, just not as strong as it used to be." Riku smiled "A sign of you mentally going back home."
Sora shrugged "I don't know... Maybe."
The voice, after a long time of silence, returned. Darkness?! PLEASE! You don't have enough to really get in trouble... Just let it go, you shouldn't worry, Sora. After all, with Ven gone, you have tons more to worry about.
Sora thought about it for a moment, then said "Riku. I..."
"Yeah?"
Sora felt his throat seize shut. No, I shouldn't have Riku worry over this.
Exactly.
"I think I'll get these pants off, think you could go and get me my old clothes?"
Riku shrugged "Okay."
Sora stared at him "Just 'okay'? No promises not to 'leave' you?"
Riku was already leaving "I don't think you're gonna do anything stupid anymore. I trust you Sora, okay?"
Riku then quietly closed the bathroom door behind him, and Sora sat on the sink, wondering about their future. Demyx had said there was... Sora counted on his fingers, mentally shoving away the rust-like stains on his pants.
With the currently defeated members, there was six left. Six Nobodies left to defeat. He sighed: they were all crippled from losing Ventus, how could they take on six more?
He was completely flipped around on perspective thanks to the shattering event, and apparently blood was now a trigger for a severe anxiety reaction, Kairi was probably still a little sensitive and fragile from being in contact with so many grieving hearts, Riku seemed mostly unbothered, but Sora was pretty sure there was still an undercurrent of feelings he wasn't showing, Mickey was also not expressing his defeat fully, but Sora knew he was crushed, and Aqua...
Sora paused, thinking about the old Keyblade Master. She was absolutely distressed to find Ventus in his arms and dead. She had even blamed him on the murder in her anguish. Now she was like a mother who had miscarried, constantly mourning and shattered. As another first in his life, he truly felt sorrier for someone other than him or Riku. If she was in a better state, though... Her assistance would be invaluable.
Sora shook his head, reminding himself he shouldn't be thinking so heartlessly. There was a knock, and Kairi's muffled voice reached through the door "Sora, are you okay? You've been in there awhile."
"I'm fine Kairi. I'm just changing clothes, that's all."
"Getting rid of the barf and blood?" She asked.
Sora nearly threw up again, but squeaked out "Yes."
"Did I just make things worse?! I'm sorry!" Kairi quickly said.
"No, it's fine. What did King Mickey need you for?"
Kairi took a long time to reply "Things... Stuff." She then curtly said "I'll be in the garden if you need me."
Sora heard her leave. He then sighed and closed his eyes to make getting rid of his pants easier, dumped the dirty clothing as far into the laundry bin as it would go, then waited around in his boxers for Riku. There was a knock, and Riku held out some clothes and saying "For sir pukes-a-lot."
Sora grabbed them, and began getting dressed while he growled "Quit calling me that."
"Sorry, just trying to lighten the situation."
When Sora was dressed, he looked at his new wardrobe with interest: the pants were light tan, the area around the thighs being a charcoal black. The t-shirt underneath his cream jacket was a similar shade and the jacket itself was just a smooth ivory long-sleeved one with black trim and a high gray collar.
Sora then realized that something was missing, and he dug through the dirty laundry for his old jacket and shirt.
"What 'chya looking for, Sora?"
He sighed in content when he found Ven's Wayfinder and keychain "Good, didn't lose these." Good, didn't blow out my stomach again. Still feel like it though.
Riku blinked "Where did you get those-"
"Ventus handed me the keychain, and Aqua said that she had a dream where he wanted me to have his charm." Sora explained. He then summoned the Kingdom Key "I think I'll put this somewhere safe."
He clipped on Ven's keychain, and in a flash he was wielding Wayward Wind. "...Backhanded grip, can't believe I didn't notice it before..." He sighed.
"Hey, you didn't notice a lot of things."
"..." Sora dismissed it, and walked away "thanks for the clothes..." As he left, he put the Wayfinder around his neck, feeling nausea well up, but deciding to bear it as a mark of past sins.
After all, he had a lot to atone for.
Sorry for the long delay, I just got very sidetracked with one shots and Birth by Sleep. Also, in fantastic news...
AMERICA IS GETTING KH1.5 HALLELUJAH. Thanks to Jesse McCartney for tweeting about recording lines for Roxas and sharing battle grunting.
but anyways, Sora's new outfit is primarily inspired by Roxas, and unlike his previous two (fan-made and canon KH2) has primarily white for the color scheme as a symbol that he's getting better. And Vani's back~ what's he up to now? XD