Sleeping.

Sleeping without dreaming.

A forced sleep. He couldn't help it. He had no energy.

Returning silence.

The awful silence.

No. Not quite. There was a sound. There was a sound just on the edge of awakeness. Not just any sound; a familiar sound. Not a sound, but a voice. He knew that voice. But was it real?

"Bryan! Bryan! Wake up! Please Bryan, open your eyes!"

Slowly he did so. For a second he could barely see anything. After a short time the world came back into focus.

"Kairi?"

"Oh thank goodness. I've been trying to get you to wake up for at least ten minutes. I was starting to think they'd done something to you. I'm so glad you're okay."

"I wouldn't say I'm okay."

Immediately Bryan could tell he didn't have the strength to get up. With closed eyes he called the Bass Blade again. No sooner had he held it in both hands the links began glowing as a rhythm flowed out of it without being prompted.

"What happened to you? How long have you been here?"

Here-? Right. He was still in the mountain stronghold. If Kairi was here that meant she somehow had been captured too. Ugh. He hated trying to think with his brain at half-mast. Thankfully the Bass Blade worked its musical miracle quickly. His strength came back slower than his focus but it was nice to feel coherency returning. The ability to Hear came back faintly but quicker this time too. That was how it only took a hot minute to know for sure the person talking was in fact Kairi. No doubt even the best illusion could imitate the song of a person's being.

"They got you too, then." He said.

"One of the Aurora Nobodies. I think she's still here somewhere, keeping guard on us. How long have you been here? What have they done? Why didn't-?"

"Kairi, listen to me," Bryan propped himself up the best he could to look at her. The clarity of his vision was almost normal now. "Have you met the leader yet?"

"I-well, no, not yet. Why? Have you?"

"Yes. And if you do, you need to do everything in your power to keep your distance."

"Distance, why? Bryan, what's going on?"

"Xhosar can Leech away your energy and abilities just by touching you."

"He can…steal powers?"

"More or less. Not permanently but I also don't know how long he can use what he took. Nothing good can come of it if he takes any energy from your pure Heart."

"Oh…right."

Bryan could hear the grave realization in her voice.

"Is that, um, is that what happened to-?

"Yes. Twice. That's the only reason I was brought here. Xhosar wanted to know about the Music in All Things. I wouldn't tell him so…" He didn't bother finishing. It wasn't that great a stretch of the imagination to guess.

"Well now that we're together he won't get a third chance. It was a really bad call to put any of our group together if they expect to win."

"That is odd we were put in the same cell."

"We weren't. I woke up in the one next to you. But the bars weren't magically enforced so I turned into a squirrel and slipped through."

"Good. I'm going to have to rely on you for a lot for a while. Right now I got nothing."

"How bad is it?"

"Remember how sore you said you were after Master had you start running the obstacle course? Think like that but coupled with days of little to no sleep. I think that'll get you close."

Through his closed eyelids Bryan could see a quick flash of light. He recognized the subtle sound of a Keyblade materializing.

"Heal,"

That green glow was unmistakable too.

"Does that help?"

"It does chip some of the fatigue away."

"Then I'll keep doing it."

Several moments passed in silence. The continuous haze of Curaga magic was making a difference. While that power to heal wasn't designed for an affliction like his, Bryan could feel the exhaustion ease away to the point where he could sit up without getting light-headed.

"Any better?"

"Well, I don't have to fight against the urge to fall asleep anymore but honestly I think a Soldier could out-maneuver me."

"That paints a vivid picture considering how un-coordinated they are. We have to get you out of here and find a way for you to get your strength back. Can you think clearer now? Are there any weaknesses we can take advantage of?"

"Get out? You wish to leave us so soon, Princess? That is such a shame."

A lovely woman appeared from the shadows down a nearby passageway. Most of her long golden hair was held back in a loose braid down her back while one lock curled over her shoulder. Her garb looked unlike some kind of warrior monk. Three sashes hung in panels around her waist. The separation would undoubtedly be integral for kicks and agility. From elbows to wrist her arms were wrapped in some kind of tough brace material. One would be forgiven if their first impressions based on appearance determined her to probably be a melee fighter.

"Are your accommodations not to your liking? I see you found a way out of your cell. No matter. Even if you escape the cell, there is no way to escape the prison. You do not have the abilities yet required to be a match for me, your dutiful guard. And he does not have the strength to help you."

Kairi stood up and held the end of her Keyblade through the bars.

"Either let us go or stay back."

"But of course, your highness. But I am afraid I can only honor one request."

"Why are you holding us here?" Kairi demanded.

"You couldn't guess? Xhosar has been curious about your friend for a while. You? You are one less piece to get in the way. Your presence in this time is more of a nuisance than a threat. However, your attempts at thwarting us are being dealt with, quite easily might I add."

"Attempts? Ha! I happen to know at least one part of your plan has been stopped."

"Oh? Do you perhaps mean your magic friend finding the Heart we've been looking for? Because that has saved us a great deal of trouble."

"Rachel?" Bryan sat up straighter. "How do you know that?"

"My sister reclaimed it."

"And what did she do with my sister?" Bryan asked warningly.

Arihana shrugged. "Adaira is keeping the Heart safe until the Keyhole is found. Then Xhosar will have all the power necessary for us to begin our reigns as true queens of the worlds."

"This really is a world domination plan?" Bryan wondered aloud.

"Good luck with that." Kairi replied smugly. "If the Keyhole really is that important to the plan, you best start thinking of something else. I found it. And I sealed it."

"Nice try," Arihana chuckled. "Is that really the best you could come up with? Not exactly clever, are you?"

"You found it?" Bryan asked her.

"You actually caught me not an hour after leaving the place where it is. I did my duty as a keybearer and I left. I'm surprised you couldn't sense it when all that power was suddenly cut off."

Arihana studied Kairi for a long minute. The change was slight but the moment she sensed Kairi was in fact telling the truth her expression darkened.

"The Keyhole is out of reach then," She said to no one.

Bryan could tell from her tone she was trying to keep her anger in check. Kairi's posture reflected the triumph in her voice. It was good to know they were making a difference in thwarting the master plan. Going through Time was a huge risk for it not to amount to anything. Considering how easily the princesses reclaimed the talisman shield and scattered the group he had been wondering just how much of an impact they could make.

"I need to report this immediately," Arihana continued to herself. "Prepare yourselves for my return. We may have been given orders not to cause lasting harm to you heroes of the past but this slight against our plan will not go without its due repercussions."

She turned to leave.

"Hey! Don't you walk away!"

Kairi shot a blast of fire from her Keyblade as a warning. However, Arihana didn't make any move to dodge or deflect. The Nobody Princess just took the hit! Only…not quite. A faint shimmer of silver-green energy flickered around her entire body like a shell. As soon as the fireball hit it, both fizzled out. No damage had been taken at all.

"My apologies. Did you say something?"

Arihana laughed as she turned back to them. Bryan could tell their looks of confusion were amusing to her.

"You journey through time to defeat us yet you know nothing. Your buffoon of a professor didn't tell you about me? I'm hurt. My Somebody was once terribly cursed by the same woman who made my existence possible. I am sure that is why no magic can touch me. Not even your old fool of a mentor has what it takes to cast a spell on me. Your attacks with their origins of magic do nothing to harm me. Consider that in the escape plans I'm sure you will be putting together in my absence."

A Dark corridor appeared and Arihana vanished into it.

"Augh!" Kairi clawed at her hair. "Ludwig did mention one of them was immune to magic! Whatever. No big deal. We can still do plenty without magic if we have to fight her. These cells aren't hard to get out of. We just need to find a way out of this place entirely."

"And what good am I going to be to you?" Bryan lay back down. "It took me hours to stop feeling exhausted and sick last time and that was with the Bass Blade helping to restore the Music. She's sure to be back by then."

"I will keep casting healing magic over you if you like,"

"That'll help but I don't know if that'll make me battle-ready the way I'd like to be."

"Any step forward is good for me. Besides, this circumstance does have a silver lining."

"Okay, Sora. What is it?"

"One, you're not alone. Two, of all the Nobodies we might have to fight together you have an advantage in a fight against this one."

"Advantage?"

"You hardly ever use magic in combat anyway! You would barely need to adjust how you fight. But we'll get to that in a minute if we have to." We can still plot an escape while you get your strength back."

"That might be tricky." Bryan said. "I'm pretty sure the tunnel Arihana came from is an exit. Well, maybe something like one."

"What do you mean?"

"The second time Xhosar came I heard the sounds of a lot of rocks grinding against each other. Cosmaira, the Cinderella Nobody was with him. I wonder if we're in a pocket cavern of the mountain where she completely blocked the entrance with rock like it were a wall."

"That makes sense. That would explain why Arihana used a Dark door. If only Reality could open the passage, that'd be the only other way she could get in. I'm beginning to see what she meant about escaping the cell but not the prison. It would be more challenging to escape a place without a proper door. Oh! Wait, you could take care of that too!"

"Take care of what?"

"If the wall isn't super thick, you could use Showtime and smash it to powder! I remember you completely disintegrating a huge bolder on a mini quest the same way."

"Three possible problems with that. It will be very loud. It might make the roof collapse too. I don't know how long it will take before enough of my energy is restored to try it. Your healing spells are helping. And I can feel the Music slowly coming back. But I want to be as little below par as I can before we sound the battle cry."

"It keeps rounding back to you getting better first. How can we speed that up and still have time to escape before she comes back?"

"Believe me, if I knew it would've been the first thing I said. This whole thing-." He stopped.

"What?"

"It's just…"

"Bryan, are you okay?"

Bryan closed his eyes and took a long inhale.

"No. No, I'm not."

"This isn't just about being weakened, is it?"

"I-." Bryan clenched his jaw. "He took it, Kairi. He took it and I couldn't do anything to stop him."

"You can't blame yourself. None of us knew what to expect with this guy so-."

"No. You're not getting it. This isn't…it's not…Kairi he took it! He pulled the Music out of me! It's my gift! It's my special power. No one else has what I have! Even Master Yen Sid and Xehanort had never heard of it before. It was mine and mine alone. I have every right to be selfish with it. I don't think I've ever been without it, not really. And Xhosar he…he pulled it out from so deep inside of me for a while the Music stopped. I'd never known silence like that before. Kairi, I honestly thought I was going crazy. And now he is somewhere using my gift. I just…I just…"

He couldn't finish. He wasn't even sure what he 'just'. Bryan closed his eyes and turned his head from Kairi. Kairi didn't say anything for a long while either. He didn't blame her. He felt violated by the theft and had no idea how to really express that horrible, wrenching feeling.

"Can you sit up?" Kairi eventually asked.

"Probably, why?"

"I know how to help you now."

"How?"

"Just sit up."

Kairi helped Bryan get up and leaned back comfortably. She sat down close next to him.

"Bryan…I won't pretend to understand exactly what you're going through right now. But you're my friend and you've been hurt. That makes me angry. You once shared your gift with me, remember? We listened to the song of the Mysterious Tower. I'd never experienced anything that amazing before. Later you listened to my Heart Song and that helped ease Xehanort's song out of your head. You said hearing my pure Heart made it better." Kairi put her hands on either side of the Bryan's head. "Listen again. Listen again and let my pure Light restore the music; restore you. It helped you before. I know it can help you now."

The Bass Blade stopped beating out its rhythm. The entire Keyblade glowed gently as it started humming quietly. The effect was almost immediate. The Song of the mountain and the island became less muffled. Kairi's familiar song rang clear.

Relief and a sense of peace flowed over and through him. Tension melted away. Kairi held nothing back and opened her Heart entirely. The pureness of her Light vanquished the heaviness on his Heart and mind. He Heard the song of all who Kairi was.

The perfect orchestra. The radiant music. Steel drums. Wind instruments mimicked the sound of tropical birds. The notes swayed and moved like running water. It wasn't just sound. It was a torrent of emotion tied to the music. Sounds painted a picture. The song was the perfect representation of what feelings sounded like. He knew this song. He'd heard the sound before of looking out over a wide open world. The sense of empowerment as all fears were blown apart. Music as a voice louder than a bomb but as beautiful as a firework. A silent moment between someone trusted. All senses were alive and ignited, taking in the world in new and unimaginable ways.

Her pure light breathed life anew into his gift. Sharp focus returned. The background noise of the island came to life as the radio-on-at-the-other-side-of-the-house again. With the Music rekindled everything else felt instantly better. The weariness of his mind vanished. His muscles only left minimally fatigued.

Bryan opened his eyes and sat up straight.

"It worked, didn't it? I knew it would-!"

Kairi stopped as Bryan took her by the hand and looked her directly in the eye.

"You brought the Music back. I don't think you could ever fully understand what that means to me. There's no way I could properly thank or repay you for that."

"Bryan, I only-."

"I'm back to revvin' at full throttle because of you. We're getting out of here. And no power in the 'verse can stop me."

Title Translation: Close Friend