As I am sitting watching more cassette tapes I gather what I know so far as an educated guess of what had happened. I had lost my heart and the ability to go back home to the land of the living.
Truth to be told it is not bad here in the world of sea and sky. The eerie silence and the melodic ways the water pounds underneath my shoes make a nice rhythm. I decide to adventure outside the library to see if there is anyone else out there. I remember my first visit when I had piece myself back together I had met with many people in the forms of stars. Perhaps I could find those stars again somewhere around here.
As I am walking an endless path I start to notice that there was a movement from the corner of my eye. I turn to see empty space although. I think to myself if I am starting to go crazy and shake my head vigorously and walk ahead shoving my hands into my pocket to keep warm. I miss the warm breeze and the sweet smell of the ocean and the large lush palm trees. Closing my eyes I envision it. Sighing I open my eyes and to my surprise, I see beautiful sand and palm trees around me in abundance. I looked around in awe and approach a palm tree. I touch the dry thick bark and smother my face into the bark smelling it for all its worth.
"Ahh... it smells just like the destiny islands"
"Funnily enough it may as well be"
I spin around and bring up my arms to punch any danger oncoming, it's the oddest thing I encounter... well not the oddest... not really.
"You look like..."
He points at me.
"You? Yeah, I don't I?"
"Huh" Sora puts down his arms. "Your all black and white and devoid of color although"
The alternate Sora crosses his arms across his chest. "Well yeah, I'm you from this time period. I'm the magnification of your souls' desire. I knew that we were more than what others saw us capable of" he grins.
Sora offers him a grim smile.
"So, are we the only ones here, or are their others?" Sora asks his alternative version self.
"There were others... when you came the first time you kind of rest everyone and were powerful enough to send a lot of hearts home Sora"
"... it sounds like not everyone got home from the way you're saying it"
"That's right, there are a couple of other hearts scattered around here." He looks around and grabs a bunch of sticks and places them in a compass made out of sticks. He draws the directional arrows from the compas. After he is finished he throws the stick aside and slaps his hands-free of sand.
" This is a sort of map on where to find them. Just follow the directions of the arrow and you'll get there"
"Thank you. You know, I'm a bit confused about this place and I'm looking for answers. Like, am I able to go back to the other world? And what are you?"
"The first question I can't really give you an answer Sora as for the second I'm more of a memory slash guide? You did always have good mental strength Sora " he grins.
"... sure." Sora turns in the direction of an arrow. "Okay, off we go"
Sora begins his journey to a corner of the world.
-0-
"Sora"
"Huh?" I run towards the sound and find a floating star.
"How do you know my name"
The star lights and dims repeatedly
"...Sora. A lot has changed within you."
Sora scratches the back of his head while looking up. "Who are you?" He asked instead.
"My name doesn't matter anymore. I have forgotten Sora. You hold great power of the kings' Sora"
"Power of the Kings? What do you mean?"
"You hold power Sora... yet you are inexperienced. Beware Sora."
"Do you know how to get back to the land of the living by any chance?"
The star floats in silence for a few moments before answering.
"You must first have a vessel and then a heart. A link strong enough to stream across the galaxy to connect you back to the land of the living. You are missing two"
"Two? What do you mean?"
"..."
Sora tilts his head and frowns. "Hello?"
"Sora, that is no way to speak to the lady now is it?"
My eyes widen as I feel the cold sweat start to develop around my body soaking the palms of my hands. I slowly turn my body around. The one sight I thought I would never see again stares before me.
My father. Just as I remember him stands a couple of yards away just as I had remembered him last. Drunk and haggard out of his mind.
"D...Dad?"
"The one and only"
He chuckles.
"I...I thought you were..."
"Dead? So did I but like the many anomalies in the universe, I just happen to run into one once again. That's you Sora."
Sora furrows his eyes in a confused expression
"Me? What do you mean?"
"Ah, you sound just as dumb as I remembered you Sora. See here, you are a powerful being. I can't create shit but you can create things out of nothing in this space. Let's say this place is you Sora"
"... your joking"
I say with my mind agape
"Does it look like I'm joking brat?"
He takes a swig out of a bottle in a brown paper bag.
Sora holds his head and crouches so his head is between his knees.
"You'renotrealYou'renotrealYou'renotreal"
Sora repeats like a mantra.
I hear the obnoxious sound of him popping his mouth off the rim of the glass bottle.
He approaches me and leans his whole weight on me, landing his arms and forearm on top of my head as a rest. "Oh no, I'm real"
"God... even in death I can't get a break!"
"Well technically..."
"Bah! I don't want to hear it!" Sora covers his ears.
Soras' father smirks.
"Ah poor little Sora, just as pure and precious as I remember you. You see I have a ... we'll call it a sort of community service job I have ta get done. I have to prove my worth and face judgment on whether I pass into the good, the bad, or the in-between, and apparently, you are my test."
Sora gets up abruptly and starts to speed walk away.
"Woah! Where are you going!?"
Sora's dad runs after Sora, the klinking of his gym shoes against the floor audible.
"Away from you! Leave me alone!"
Sora yells.
Sora gasps and he looks back to his father in fear.
"I! I! I didn't mean to yell! I'm sorry daddy!"
Sora covers his head with his arms to protect it.
Sora heard a chuckle from his dad not taking the chance of speaking.
"Sora, oh Sora. It's nice to see that you still obey me like the good pet you are."
Sora's dad caresses Sora's hair and then grips it in a vice grip. He pulls up sora's body a few meters off the ground.
"So... you think you're some kind of hero Sora? Without your toothpick you're nothing. Yeah I've heard what you've been up to"
He says and sora's eyes open wide and they sting from widening them so big that they start to water.
"Daddy, p-please stop… you're hurting me."
"Poor little sora, pitiful and useless as ever. Some things never change, do they sora."
My father raises his beer bottle within the brown bag and I could see it descending rapidly, I could feel everything start to fade away suddenly and the just darkness.
-o-
Hello everyone, do I still have an audience?
Does it hurt yet? Don't worry, there's more.
see you soon.
AC formally known as Lonely Shattered Heart