Everyone was really excited about the obligatory beach episode. A little sun, sand, and surf for our characters. Lots of fun.
Packing everyone into a single Gummi Ship for the trip to the Destiny Islands was trickier than expected.
Not simply due to space issues, though that was a minor concern. Five teenagers and two tall young men crammed together inside the cockpit. It reminded Lea of everyone traveling together to the final showdown against Xehanort and the others. It was even the same Gummi Ship since he kept forgetting to return it to King Mickey. It was crowded, but manageable.
No, the real challenge was keeping everyone organized. It was like herding a bunch of cats. First it was Hayner, Pence, and Olette's reaction to the Gummi Ship. The trio kept going on about how cool it was and Pence asking dozens of questions about how it worked while Roxas and Xion watched in bemusement. It only got worse as they piled inside. While the half-pints concentrated on actually getting them to their destination, flying and shooting as they navigated that chaotic space between worlds, the trio practically plastered themselves against the window. Staring out at the surroundings in wide-eyed shock, equally entranced by the broken fragments of shattered worlds and prowling Heartless forces alike.
Which meant that Lea had to keep yanking them to sit down whenever things grew rough. The evasive maneuvers would have tossed them around the Gummi Ship if they remained on their feet. Isa tried to help, but only when the flight grew the most turbulent. Mostly he just watched the antics with a faintly smug look. Far too amused and thankful that he wasn't the one responsible for everyone after years of always being the one in charge. Lea almost wanted to dunk his oldest friend in a frozen lake.
But they somehow made it to the warm and tropical world without anyone getting hurt. A minor miracle. And as soon as they landed on the far side of the island, everyone tumbled out on the sand.
"Wow," said, Hayner, squinting up at the blinding sun, "that's really weird."
"What?" asked Roxas.
"Just… the sky," he said. "Never seen it that color before."
Nodding, Olette said, "It's such a bright shade of blue. We're really on another world, aren't we?"
"That's what it looks like on a lot of worlds in the middle of the day," said Xion. "It'll look more like Twilight Town's sky later on."
Pence pulled out his camera from his bag, snapping a couple of pictures of their surroundings. Undoubtedly, he would be going home with an entire stack of photos. He was clearly already enjoying the trip.
Along with bringing some towels in the bag that Pence was carrying for them, they'd all dressed for the occasion. Hayner and Pence wore dark green and red swim trunks respectively, already pulling off their t-shirts as they eyed the ocean eagerly. Olette brought a modest orange one-piece swimsuit with a floral pattern skirt that tied around her waist. She would probably untie the skirt whenever she got ready to head into the water.
And after a brief trip to the shops, Roxas and Xion found similarly-styled outfits to their friends in black and white. Roxas wore black swim trunks with white stripes along the sides and Xion's black one-piece came with a flowy white modesty skirt. The two of them had been confused at first that they needed new clothes for a day at the beach. Apparently they remembered Sora and Kairi both swimming in their usual clothes. But since everyone on Destiny Island likely spent a lot of time in and around the water, they probably preferred fabrics that weren't very absorbent and dried quickly. Something that Twilight Town didn't focus on as much. They needed actual swimwear or they'd be stuck in heavy and soggy clothes all day.
Even Isa showed up with a set of blue swim trunks and a white t-shirt that would undoubtedly be shed as soon as Isa felt like swimming. That man wasn't as enthusiastic about the water as someone like Demyx, but Isa always had a fondness for the ocean. He would be drawn towards the waves the same way that the ocean was pulled by the moon.
Lea, on the other hand, had absolutely no intentions of tempting fate by setting foot in the ocean. Oh, he certainly picked up a pair of black swim trunks with red and yellow flames stitched on. But he wasn't swimming and he didn't plan to take off his yellow t-shirt at any point.
There were too many scars that he didn't want the others to see. Scars that would ruin the mood for the entire day. The thin lines from knives. The almost sunburst pattern from burning himself out as a final attack. And the deep and ugly thing that wrapped around his side from a claymore that no one could know about. It was better to keep his shirt on and avoid people seeing them.
Not to mention that Lea tended to burn in the sun. Keeping his shirt on would prevent his whole body from ending up the same bright shade of red as his hair.
"Axel! Roxas! Xion!"
Lea looked up to spot Kairi running towards them across the sand and waving at them, leaving two similar-looking boys to approach at a more sedate pace. She beamed at them, looking absolutely thrilled.
"Hayner! Pence! Olette!" she continued. "And Isa! You made it."
Bracing himself, Lea caught Kairi as she flung herself at him in a hug. She laughed as he squeezed her back. And when they finally broke it off, Kairi moved to giving the others a similar welcome. Isa preemptively stepped back to avoid a possible tackle hug.
"Hello, Kiru," said Xion, waving at him. "It's good to see you again."
Nodding in greeting, Hiru said, "Hey, Xion. And…"
At that point, Kiru trailed off awkwardly as he realized that he didn't know the others, only briefly met them during the battles, or had complicated history with them. Lea knew that he fell into the final category. He needed to apologize to Kiru for using him as a weapon to destroy Zexion.
Lea needed to sit down someday and write out a proper list of people that he still needed to apologize to.
"Oh." Kairi hurried back to grab the arms of the two silver-haired boys to yank them over a little faster than they were walking. "Hayner, Pence, Olette? This is Riku and Kiru. When I first met you three, Riku was still missing because he was running around in a black coat—"
"Causing a great deal of trouble, if I recall," muttered Isa.
"—so you didn't get to meet him before," she continued. "And Kiru is…"
When she trailed off, clearly debating over what she was allowed to tell them, Hayner said, "Let me guess… Riku's Nobody?"
"Replica, actually," said Kiru.
"That's cool," he said with a shrug. "A bit like Xion."
As Kiru smiled faintly at the comment and most the teenagers moved into a conversation, Lea turned his attention towards the next possible crisis. A stare down between Roxas and Riku was underway. Without the distraction of Lea almost dying or a Keyblade War in progress, the tension was a nearly tangible thing hanging between them. Lea didn't know if the fight would be verbal or an impressive clash of Keyblades. But hopefully enough time had passed that they wouldn't go for anything lethal.
Riku made the first move. He walked over to the other boy, shoulders squared and head up. Roxas scowled slightly as Riku stopped in front of him. That scowl vanished as Riku held out his hand, Roxas's eyebrows immediately shooting up. He clearly didn't expect the older boy to offer him a small plain drawstring purse.
"What's that?" asked Roxas.
"I gave Sora the original from the simulation, so I had to find a new one to put it all in," he said. "I know it isn't much compared to everything that's happened, but… Inside is the 5000 munny that I took from you before. I'm sorry, Roxas. For everything."
Roxas blinked, opened his mouth, and then closed it with a swallow. Several expressions shifted across his face. He even glanced towards where Isa was hanging back before looking back towards Riku. Then Roxas seemed to relax slightly and took the offered goodwill gesture.
"I get it," he muttered. "I still don't like it and probably never will, but I get it. You wanted to get your friend back. And when you want to save someone, sometimes you're willing to do anything to get them back. When Xion disappeared and I could barely remember her, I turned against the Organization and tried to release all the hearts they'd collected because I thought it might bring her back. And Axel…"
When Roxas trailed off, Lea grimaced. When he tried to save the people that eh cared about, Lea also abandoned the Organization. Along with kidnapping Kairi, sacrificing himself against a swarm of lesser Nobodies, bullying his way into getting a Keyblade, fighting impossible odds to defend the secret lab…
Yeah, people did crazy things for those that they loved. And Lea loved his handful of friends dearly.
"Anyway," said Roxas, "I don't think I can completely forgive you for everything that happened, but I think I understand why you did it and I've been trying to get past it. If we can give Isa a second chance, then you deserve one too." He shrugged slightly. "But if you try anything like that again, I'll break your other wrist."
Grinning weakly, Riku said, "I never confirmed that you actually broke the first one."
"You didn't have to confirm it. I know exactly what I did in that fight."
"What are you two talking about?" asked Hayner from where he and the others had been getting to know each other.
Shrugging, Roxas said, "Just the past. It's a long story."
"Come on," said Kairi. "Let's show you around the island. We've got the obstacle course for racing around the cove. And there's the Secret Place behind the waterfall. Oh, and Wakka said that he and Tidus have been repairing the shack and the platforms on the tree."
"Obstacle course?" Olette smiled brightly. "That sound fun. Do you want to try it out, Kiru?"
"I call dibs," said Hayner.
They ended up spreading out across the island, drawn towards different activities.
It didn't happen immediately. First, Kairi and Riku had showed them around the island while Kiru trailed behind them. And with some prompting, the pair started sharing stories from childhood. Various misadventures and games that they played. There had been some hesitation when they brought up Sora's antics as a little kid, the loss still stinging, but they eventually relaxed and chuckled about those adventures as well.
After the tour, Isa had pulled out a frisbee from one of the bags. Which immediately made Lea laugh and ask where he found it. And that led to a few rounds of tossing it across the beach. Roxas and Xion did their best to meet the challenge and Hayner got just as competitive as he did with a Struggle match. Unsurprisingly, Lea had completely dominated the game due to his years of experience throwing chakrams.
Only after Hayner finally admitted that Lea was the official frisbee champion did everyone drift towards their own things. Xion and Kairi went seashell hunting almost immediately after the game. Olette vanished with Kiru to try out the obstacle course briefly while Hayner, Pence, and Riku splashed around in the shallow water for a little while. Apparently Hayner and Pence both agreed that it wasn't a real trip to the beach until someone got wet. But eventually Hayner decided to swap out with Olette in order to give Kiru a "real" challenge and even convinced Riku to serve as a judge for the pair as they ran the obstacle course a few times. At that point, Pence and Olette decided to build something out of the damp sand. Isa and Lea claimed the end of the dock, letting their feet dangle in the water while keeping most of the teenagers in view.
Roxas had drifted around at different points. He'd found a few colorful seashells for Xion. Then he tried to help Pence and Olette. But his attempt to build a sandcastle with them kept collapsing the structure. And while he was working on getting along with Isa and Riku, he wasn't quite willing to seek either of them out for some individual fun. Eventually he wandered over to the little islet, claiming a seat on the bent paopu tree.
It was strange being there. Destiny Island felt like home, but not really. It was just lingering memories from his time in Sora's heart. Poor Sora might not have gotten to spend much time back on his home world after Roxas returned to him, but he was there for a little while. But Roxas himself had barely spent time on that world, regardless of how familiar it felt.
The contrast between how he felt and reality left him feeling oddly contemplative. He couldn't help wondering what it would have ben like to live there. Spending his time on a calm and peaceful island with no knowledge of other worlds, Heartless, Nobodies, Keyblades, or anything similar. Roxas couldn't even imagine what that was like.
The salty breeze stirred his hair. Even within Sora's heart and half-asleep, Roxas noticed enough to know that his Other spent a great deal of time around the ocean. Not just on his home world, but on others. Places like Atlantica and the Caribbean. He always seemed happy around the sea. Maybe that was part of the reason that Roxas and Xion always seemed to like the idea of going to the beach someday, though part of it was probably because Axel was the one who suggested that they could do it together on their next day off. Roxas could faintly remember Sora's enthusiasm when they visited worlds with oceans. Diving into the waves like a fish, sometimes climbing on something tall first in order to make a bigger splash.
Perhaps that would be fun.
The problem with collecting seashells was that Xion didn't have anything to put them in. That meant that she and Kairi were limited by the amount that they could hold in their arms. Their first solution to that issue was trying to pick up only the intact and perfect seashells. None of the ones that were chipped or broken. And when they still found more than they could carry, the two of them started stacking the seashells in a small pile on the beach.
"I don't know where I'm going to put all of these," said Xion, holding up another Thalassa shell. "We put some shelves in my room, but there's so many of them here. I normally just pick up one or two when I visit a beach."
Smiling, Kairi said, "Sometimes I make things out of the seashells. Like charms, windchimes, or pictures to hang on the wall. If you want, I can teach you. That might make it easier to keep everything. And it can be fun and relaxing."
A faint memory that wasn't hers. A small object crafted of Thalassa shells. A lucky charm. A gift from Kairi to Sora. Xion smiled at the idea of making something similar. Perhaps even making them for Roxas and Lea if she could find enough that matched.
"Or, if you don't want to take them all home, we can use some of them to decorate the sandcastle the others are building," she continued. "Have you ever tried building a sandcastle before, Xion?"
She shook her head before following Kairi over to where Olette and Pence crouched. There was some kind of structure under construction, vaguely like a miniature version of the Beast's Castle.
"Most of the time, sand comes apart immediately," explained Kairi as she started digging with her hands. "But if you mix it with a little water, the sand sticks together enough to build things. Some people get really good at it. You guys should come for the Paopu Festival this summer. It lasts a whole week while we're off school and there's a sandcastle-building contest on the second day. They can get really elaborate."
Xion carefully scooped up a handful of the damp sand, squeezing it experimentally. She watched how it behaved as she studied the gritty material. Kairi was right. She could probably make something out of it that could support its own weight. Adding water made a lot of difference.
Grinning, Olette said, that "That sounds fun. The Apple Fair doesn't last a whole week."
"What's paopu?" asked Pence.
"A yellow star-shaped fruit," explained Xion eagerly. "There's even a story about it."
"I can't believe you found my old frisbee," said Lea, nudging Isa in the side. "Seriously, where was it? It's been over a decade and there's been a lot of destruction to our home world since I last saw it."
Smiling faintly, Isa said, "That will remain my secret."
Lea's grin was less subtle as he sat there, letting his bare feet drift through the cool water. He couldn't help it. Today was turning out to be a good day. No fighting or arguing despite what he halfway expected, everyone was having a good time, and he was spending the day with several of his friends.
Bringing Hayner, Pence, and Olette to help serve as a buffer had turned out to be a good idea. They not only helped avoid any awkwardness between Roxas and Riku, but they also helped space things out enough that the half-pints didn't have to stay too close to Isa if they were feeling too sensitive. Some days Roxas and Xion were more comfortable with Isa than others. It was a work in progress. And with that buffer, it meant that everyone could actually enjoy the earlier game of frisbee without any awkwardness.
And from his current position on the dock, Lea could keep an eye on his friends. With Isa sitting next to him, Kairi and Xion wandering along the shoreline in search of colorful seashells, and Roxas perched up on the small islet, he could see all of them easily. Reassuring him that nothing would happen to them. That they were safe and nothing would snatch them away. Lea couldn't remember the last time that he felt as calm and relaxed.
Reaching up with both arms to stretch out any stiffness and enjoying the warmth of the sun, Lea groaned quietly. It felt rather nice. He was half-tempted to find a comfortable spot to take a nap. Of course, he knew that the half-pints would tease him for sleeping away their beach day, but it sounded like such a tempting idea.
"Any luck with finding information about the girl?" he asked, trying to distract himself from a possible nap.
Not needing any further clarification, Isa said, "Nothing definitive. Though I do have an idea. Since we suspect that Xigbar might be involved with her disappearance, I thought that researching Braig's past might offer some insight. Both about his time as an apprentice to Master Ansem and about his history before he took the position."
"Let me know if I can help. I'm not as good at research as you are, but I'll do what I can."
An appreciative smile twitched on Isa's face. Lea shared his own brief grin before turning his head back towards the rest of the beach, checking on the others again.
Everyone still seemed fine and having a good time. Kairi and Xion were moving to join the sandcastle construction. And over the islet, Roxas was pulling off his t-shirt. Either getting too warm or planning to go swimming. Lea had already explained to the half-pints that there were slightly different rules regarding modesty during a trip to the beach. Roxas knew that he could go without a shirt and Xion knew that she could wear her skin-tight one-piece swimsuit without getting random stares like she might if she wore it wandering around Twilight Town. They didn't quite understand why the rules of modesty changed with those circumstances, but they accepted his word on the matter.
But the important thing was that everyone was accounted for and safe. Which meant that Lea could focus on different matters. Like the fact that despite Isa's enjoyment of the water, he hadn't tried swimming yet. Probably too busy wanting to spend time with Lea.
"Would you drag me into the water if I shove you off the dock?" asked Lea, giving his old friend a smirk.
"The water is fairly shallow over here. I might risk it."
Lea snorted while Isa maintained an innocent and stoic expression. They might not be teenagers anymore, but they certainly had their moments.
Roxas left his t-shirt draped over the bent tree. Then he looked towards the ocean, considering the bright blue water. Just jumping off the islet into the water might be fun. But he knew that Sora always seemed to prefer making a bigger splash when he jumped off the ship when he explored the Caribbean. He'd even climbed to the top of one of the smaller islands on that world before diving into the deep pool of water. In order to pull off something similar, Roxas would need to get creative.
Climbing one of the tall palm trees would give him the height that he wanted. But he knew that he needed some deeper water for the dive. And that meant a simple high jump wouldn't give him enough distance. Roxas needed something more.
Thankfully his visits to Neverland and repeated exposures to pixie dust left him with the ability to glide even after he left that world.
"Try and beat this, Riku," he muttered under his breath.
Granted, Riku was on the other side of the island and wouldn't see what was happening. That didn't lessen the cool potential.
Roxas scrambled up the sturdy palm tree until the green fronds were brushing against the top of his head. Then, bracing his feet against the trunk of the tree, he launched himself off, twisted in midair, and glided along the salty breeze. And after a few seconds of heading towards the deeper water that waited just out of reach, Roxas dropped the rest of the way. Dropping with a graceful and satisfying splash exactly as planned.
He had a few seconds of pride and satisfaction as he landed in the water, grinning as he twisted around trying to figure out which way was back up. Then Roxas felt the water pulling at his limbs as he tried to get them moving. His arms and legs didn't want to move quickly or easily, the resistance from the water making it hard. He remembered how easily Sora always cut through the ocean. But while so many skills came across instinctively, he couldn't seem to move his arms and legs the way that they were supposed to.
A few seconds after diving into the deep water and feeling the undertow pull him deeper and further from the shore, Roxas discovered that he didn't actually know how to swim. And that excitement transformed into the beginning of startled panic.
"We should have brought some cold drinks or snacks," said Lea.
Nodding thoughtfully, Isa said, "If we attempt such a thing again in the future, we will have to keep that in mind. It is quite easy to get dehydrated in a tropical environment without noticing." Pausing a moment, he added, "And I suppose there would be something appropriate about eating sea-salt ice cream by the sea."
Lea briefly considered telling Isa about how they'd already shared ice cream on the beach right before the Keyblade War. He didn't want to remind him too much about that stressful time though. Back when Isa was still under Master Xehanort's control and believed Lea died from Larxene's knives. Perhaps it was better to leave the matter alone.
Lea's gaze swept across the beach again, taking note of everyone's location. Isa sitting next to him. Xion and Kairi working on the castle with Olette and Pence. And Roxas—
He straightened, anxiety prickling faintly while a cold chill crept down his spine. There was no one on the islet, which made sense since he'd glimpsed Roxas diving into the water a few moments ago. Even climbing higher and gliding first, which was certainly something any teenager would try if they had the abilities available to them. Who wouldn't want to make their diving more impressive? But Lea couldn't see him now. Roxas's head should have been bobbing above the waves by now.
He didn't want to panic yet. He shouldn't panic yet.
Where was Roxas? Why hadn't he surfaced yet?
Cold fear joined the anxiety as Lea climbed to his feet. Something was wrong. Horribly wrong. Roxas was nowhere in sight. Where was the boy? Why couldn't he see Roxas? Why hadn't he surfaced?
"Lea?" asked Isa carefully.
Far too cold for that warm beach and his lungs feeling empty of air, he whispered, "I can't see Roxas. He went into the water, but I can't see him now."
Roxas twisted and fought desperately against the current. But it wasn't like facing a Heartless, Nobody, or Unversed. The ocean was not an opponent that could be defeated. And struggling only made the burning in his chest worse.
Air. He needed air. His body begged for it even as he tried to figure out a way to escape.
Which way was the surface? The water left him weightless and the salt burned his eyes too much to see which way was lighter. He couldn't figure out which way was up. Not that it would help much. His movements were sluggish and slow, the water resistant to his efforts. Roxas couldn't pull off any of his usual acrobatics without any solid surfaces to work with. And he apparently couldn't mimic Sora's movements to propel himself through the water. He was powerless and helpless. There was no escape. There was nothing except the pull of the ocean dragging him somewhere.
A new form of terror had taken root. His chest burned and threatened to burst. A deafening pounding beat in his ears. His vision filled with black spots. And while the rest of him couldn't swim, his head certainly was. He couldn't think. All that filled his mind was a desperation to breathe.
He needed to breathe. He needed air. He couldn't bear it. But he fought the impulse because there was no air to breathe. Only the merciless and endless water.
When Roxas couldn't hold back any longer, the air in his lungs exploded out in a burst of bubbles. And despite knowing that he shouldn't, that it wouldn't do any good, he instinctively tried breathing in.
He thrashed wildly, choking and coughing as the salt water rushed in to fill his mouth. Pouring down his throat. But even as his body spasmed, trying to expel the liquid, it didn't help. More water kept rushing in to replace what he tried to force out. There was no way to stop it. Terror and panic filled his mind, banishing rational thought from his mind in a way that combat never did.
Air. He needed air.
He couldn't breathe. Roxas spasmed and thrashed, instinctive desperate movements. He needed air. He needed help.
But he couldn't keep going. Everything darkened. His body grew heavy. He couldn't fight, so his limbs went limp. The pounding in his head grew slower and quieter. His thoughts unraveled.
He couldn't keep fighting…
Was he returning to Sora's heart? He didn't want to go…
His mind was falling away. Falling… Falling into darkness…
Something long and sturdy –like a metal bar– curled around his chest tight. Pulling him through the water as he lost his grip on consciousness…
Riku knew that Kiru certain shared the most similarities to him, but Hayner's competitiveness couldn't help reminding him of his younger years. Before he ever left the island or re-earned the right to carry a Keyblade. Watching Kiru and Hayner run the obstacle course for the sixth time in a row was like watching him and Sora running around the cove when they were kids. It was a nice reminder of happy and innocent times.
Kiru had the advantage of knowing the area better. Both because of his artificial memories and his time on the island. He'd even run through it a few times earlier against Olette. But Hayner's enthusiasm and determination made the races much closer than they could have been. Kiru mostly used the zipline while Hayner either flat-out ran across the sand or jumped between the tops of palm trees. Sometimes Riku would shout out suggestions to them to make it more exciting.
Crossing his arms, Riku watched them scramble across the wooden bridge. Neck-and-neck. Almost too close to call. Kiru and Hayner grinning as they ran, the replica purposefully avoiding his more unusual combative skills to aid his speed. Making it a fair race.
Then Hayner stumbled and fell through the trick board on the bridge. Landing roughly in the shallow water below just as Kiru reached the finish line.
"Why do you guys even have that?" asked Hayner, laughing as he climbed to his feet.
Smiling at the memories, Riku said, "At first, we were just really bad at carpentry. But after a while, we kept it like that because it was funny. Even years later, we still occasionally forget which board it is when we're in a hurry. Sora tends to fall through a lot, but Tidus does it more often. Wakka is the worst at remembering."
"Are you all right?" asked Kiru, watching Hayner climb back up to where the other two were.
"Give me a minute to catch my breath and we'll try again," he said.
"Seventh time's the charm?" asked Riku.
Grinning eagerly, Hayner said, "That's right. And once I beat Kiru, you're next."
Riku chuckled lightly, shaking his head. Kairi was right. Taking a break to relax and spend some time around people for fun was probably good for him.
But before he could respond to Hayner's challenge, yelling erupted on the far side of the island. Where they left everyone else. Not excited yelling either. Panicked and upset yelling that immediately put Riku on high alert.
"Come on," called Kiru, already breaking into a run. "Something's wrong."
Roxas was yanked out of the darkness, coughing and vomiting up sea water. Trying to remember how to breathe past the way his chest spasmed, jerked, and ached sharply. His body forcing out the water now that there was the chance to finally reclaim air for his desperate lungs. Someone rolled him from his back to his side, making it easier to expel the choking liquid without the danger of swallowing it back down again.
He kept coughing and gasping for air. His chest hurt deeply with every cough that wracked his body. Like he was battered and bruised across his ribs. But the pain was worth it. He could breathe. For now, that was enough.
Someone was talking and brushing back his hair from where the water plastered it to his face. He couldn't make out the words over the way water clogged his ears still and the sounds of his own painful attempts to get enough air finally. Sand clung to him, sticking to his body and itching. And despite the way this body shivered and the way the ragged coughs shook him further, Roxas just wanted to stay still. He didn't want to move. He just wanted to regain his breath, exhaustion weighing him down.
But eventually his coughing began to slow and weaken enough that he felt more stable. Stable enough to risk an attempt to open his eyes. Blinking reluctantly and wincing at the bright sunshine, Roxas managed to make out a few blurry shapes. Shapes that slowly solidified into familiar and worried faces. Some crowded right against him and some watching from a little further away.
"Take it easy and just breathe," said Lea, leaning over him and brushing back his hair again.
Roxas grimaced as he realized that he was at the center of everyone's attention. He didn't like everyone focused on him with worried expression. He didn't like the idea that he'd upset everyone or that they'd all seen exactly how dumb he'd been by diving into the water without making sure he actually knew how to swim.
He reluctantly pushed his head up from the sand, ignoring the pounding headache and the way his breathing scraped at his raw and salt-irritated throat. Lea reacted to the change of position by pulling Roxas up against his chest while Xion grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently. Despite not wanting everyone making a fuss over him, he did appreciate the support. He still felt worn out from his struggles against the ocean.
Blearily, he took a moment to figure out where everyone ended up. Lea, Xion, and oddly Isa were practically on top of him. To the point where Isa was occasionally dripping on him. Riku and Kiru were crouched behind Kairi, who was just a little past Lea with a her hands curled into fists in her lap. Hayner was even further back with Olette and Pence, none of them apparently in the mood to tease Roxas for his idiotic mistake. Unfortunately, the lack of people calling him out already did nothing to lessen his embarrassment over it.
Despite how DiZ treated him or even Saïx did back in the day, Roxas wasn't an idiot. He was smart enough to avoid most obvious problems. At least he liked to think he was. Today was throwing that assumption into question.
"What happened?" asked Hayner.
"Roxas tried to scare me to death," said Lea shakily. "That's what happened."
Looking even more uncomfortable than normal, Riku said, "I'm so sorry, Roxas. We should have warned everyone about the undertow. Everyone around here knows not to go very far past the small islet, so I didn't even think to mention it."
"It's not your fault, Riku," said Kairi. "I didn't think about it either. No one did this on purpose. It was just an accident."
His thoughts weren't working very smoothly yet. He couldn't focus very easily on what everyone was saying. All that really registered was that he felt better now that he could breathe and that everyone knew that he'd messed up badly. Nothing else seemed important enough to think about much. Though Roxas did notice that not all the shivering seemed to be coming from him. Lea seemed to be shaking a little from where he was holding Roxas against him.
"Are you okay?" whispered Xion, eyes wide. Her expression reminded Roxas of how pale and shaken she'd looked when Lea was hurt right after their return to existence, their friend silent and still on the floor. "You weren't breathing when you came out of the water."
He squeezed her hand briefly, trying to reassure her while getting his unsteady and ragged breathing under control. Roxas already knew that his voice would come out rough whenever he got around to trying to talk. Unavoidable with how his throat felt after trying to inhale half the ocean. He didn't want to try talking to anyone right now. He just wanted to rest. He felt exhausted.
"Roxas?" Isa wore a slight and thoughtful frown as he looked at him. "How much experience do you have at swimming?"
Swallowing back another coughing fit, Roxas rasped, "None."
Stiffening and tightening his arms around him, Lea asked shakily, "Do you know how to swim?"
"Sora… does…."
The sharp inhale and brief shudder told Roxas that wasn't the best answer. And judging by the looks exchanged by most of his friends further away, it didn't go over that well with them either. From the way that Lea sounded as he tried to breathe slowly and quietly, he wanted to say something, but was biting back the words. Struggling against the impulse.
"Roxas," said Lea, voice strained and tight. "What were you thinking?"
"We know how to do a lot of stuff because Sora does." Xion looked up at Lea with an uncertain expression. "Wouldn't swimming be the same?"
Shifting awkwardly, Pence muttered, "Apparently not."
"'M fine," mumbled Roxas, not wanting to look at anyone.
"Roxas, you almost drowned." Lea sounded like he was struggling to keep his tone even and his voice under control. "Heartless, Nobodies, and creepy old men with identity theft tendencies aren't the only things that can kill you. You've got to be more careful. Don't assume that just because Sora can do something that you can do it too. You and Xion aren't him."
Lea's words managed to remain reasonable and understanding, but his breathing wasn't very steady or even. Though to be fair, neither was Roxas's breathing, even if it was improving. But Lea was managing to keep calm despite apparently feeling rather upset about the whole situation. He pulled Roxas a little closer, the boy's wet clothes soaking his t-shift where they touched.
Wet.
Somehow that detail stuck in his mind. Except for where Roxas was touching him, Lea's t-shirt was dry. He was only wet from the waist down. As if he'd run into the surf to help drag Roxas to shore, but hadn't swam out to where the teenager remembered diving into the water. But Isa was completely soaked. His hair and swimwear were plastered to him. And he'd been bone-dry before when he and Lea were sitting on the docks. There was only one logical reason why Isa would be wet now.
Roxas knew who pulled him out of the ocean. He knew who saved him. Lea might have helped, but he wasn't the one who reached him first.
"Sorry, Axel," he mumbled. "Won't do it again. And Isa?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks."
Yeah, Roxas can't swim. At no point in any of the games that you get to play as Roxas does he go into the water. And while Sora can go underwater for an unlimited amount of time without drowning when he's visiting the Caribbean in KH3, I'm going with the idea that is due to his time being transformed into a merman when he visited Atlantica in two different games. Like how the pixie dust that lets you fly in Neverland let you continue to glide in other worlds (even Roxas didn't get the glide ability until after a visit to Neverland). Sometimes the effects of magical changes to you continue to linger somewhat. But Roxas (and Xion) were never sent to Atlantica and are still capable of drowning and neither of them have ever needed to swim before.
Definitely not what any of you were expecting when I promised a day at the beach, huh?