Disclaimer: I have no jurisdiction over Kingdom Hearts, it's not mine, it was never mine to begin with, etc. They're all trademarks of Square-Enix and Disney.
The next few days after the meeting I stayed in the solitude of my room. The company of inanimate furnishings was a nice change of pace, compared to the hostilities I met at the meeting anyway.
Usually I would sit by the fire and become mesmerized by its glow. Other times I'd pace around the room, pondering questions I had no answers for. Otherwise, I would simply lie in bed and stare into space, wondering if I might ever get the chance to see her again.
"What are they talking about…" I muttered to myself. The last words I heard Vixen say still bothered me greatly: "The problem is you." I couldn't get it out of my mind, the scene kept replaying in my head; the same voice, the same words, the same weird - smack
I lay there sprawled on the floor, aching from an extremely sore spot on my forehead. "O…w..." I moaned.
"Oh my goodness! Are you okay?"
Huh? A strange voice entered my head as I felt my right arm being propped up, though it hung by a large slant. Something small was trying to help me get up, so I murmured a gratuitous "Thank you."
"Shhh, don't talk. Just hurry up and come inside, it's not polite to lie in front of someone's door."
I whispered my thanks as we walked into the warmth, the sweet cool warmth.
------
"It's so hot," he complained.
"Well it IS summer," the girl beside him responded.
"To heck with summer, on with winter!"
"Yeah and then you'll be saying it's too cold."
"Of course! If I didn't can we really call it winter?"
The girl simply stared at him and said, "What's winter?"
"What?" The boy asked.
"What is winter?"
"Are you feeling okay?"
"Never better."
"So then why are you asking me what winter is? You just told me a few minutes ago."
"No I didn't. I've never heard of that term before."
"Oh come on! Stop joking around. You know I take these things seriously."
"I'm not joking. What's winter?"
"Stop this, please."
"Stop what?"
"Just stop…stop…this has to be a dream, a bad dream. This has to be! This - "
---
"Has to be!"
"Lie back down, you aren't well."
My face was flushed, my forehead sweating. I sat upright on a bed, with a stranger next to my side. Blonde hair…bright blue eyes…with a short white dress that suited her well. Her hands steadied me as I lay back down in bed, they felt soft to the touch, and I closed my eyes as I dazed off into a sleep.
Sleep, so peaceful, so lasting. Eternal sleep, forever peaceful, forever lasting…
…
I stretched out my arms, cracking tired bones out of their slumber. My mouth gaping with a yawn as I opened my tired eyes. How long was I out for I wonder? Last I remembered a little girl sat next to me, but now no one.
"Are you awake?"
I turned my head to see the door open, with the fragile little girl walking in. Her blue slippers slipped across the floor as she made her way towards me. She seemed concern with worry, and in her hands were a large notepad and a pencil…
"Yes, I'm fine," I said.
"Oh thank goodness. I don't mean to be rude, but exactly what are you doing here?"
I looked at her puzzled, was she in league with the others as well? I gulped, if she was, then what would she do to me? "Wh-what do you mean?"
"Well, it's just that I was expecting someone, and…never mind, it's nothing."
"Oh, I see. I thought you meant - "
"Hmm? Meant what?"
My mouth grew dry, I wanted to say the words but I couldn't. Caught at the tip of my tongue, lodged between my lips and the back of my throat. I couldn't trust her, could I? Still, there was something about her, something that told me I could find an ally within her.
"Vexen, he told me that I wasn't suppose to be here or something and it's been bothering me,
"Vexen was always a bit too calculating, don't worry about him. I'm glad you came."
Her voice sounded so sincere, so light and sweet. One of her blond bangs fell to the side of her cheek, just slightly covering her right eye. Her skin was a pale white…she looked like someone out of a fairy tale. She looked so innocent, and yet so stricken with despair. Behind the blue eyes, past the frail exterior, I could see a girl who spent most of her life alone, something that felt so familiar…
"Are you okay?"
"Huh, what? OH! I'm so sorry! I must've dazed off. I'm sorry."
I bowed my head a couple of times, and when I looked up after the 10th time I saw her trying to stifle a laugh. I couldn't help myself, and even I started to laugh. We started to laugh out loud together, like old friends thinking of lost times.
"I think, I think I should be going." I said as I got up. "I'm a bit tired. Thank you for your hospitality."
I started to bow again but she stopped me mid-way, "I understand" was all she said. Her tone seemed a bit down, but it might have been my imagination.
I started to make my way to the door when I felt her grab my arm. I turned to hear "I know they might be intimidating, but you'll get used to them."
"Thank you," I replied.
"If you want to get back to your room, you simply need to think of it."
"Think of it?"
"Simply concentrate on finding the path of choice, and the rest will be brought to light."
"Okay…thanks again." I started to open the door when I remembered, "You know, you never told me your name."
"It's Naminé."
" Naminé, that's a beautiful name."
I walked out and closed the door behind me. I started to walk when I heard a voice behind the door, but it wasn't Naminé's, it was someone else. Shrugging it off as an effect of the crystal, I wandered my way up and down the corridors, though to my dismay I was still lost.
"What did Larxene do again…right, she approached one of the walls, closed her eyes and…"
"Simply concentrate on finding the path of choice, and the rest will be brought to light."
I remembered Naminé's voice telling me, but what did she mean? Frustrated, I stood in front of a wall in silence.
"Well this is pointless, I mean what did she mean 'concentrate on finding the path of choice'? I don't see how thinking of my room will -"
A flash of light blinded my eyes, I covered them in vain to try and dim them from the onslaught of brightness. Amidst the white, I could feel the warmth of a fire wafting in.
"It can't be…"
Immersing myself in the light I found myself back in my room once more, my place of solitude.