I hope you guys are ready for this.
Kingdom Hearts (c) to Disney and Square Enix!
My OCs (c) to me!
Chapter 15: Trauma
A few weeks later, the trio once again exited a corridor as another visit to the Realm of Darkness wrapped up.
"What time is it?" Terra yawned.
"Looks like bedtime to me." Ven glanced out the dark windows before dismissing his armor and trudging off to his room. "See you in the morning."
"Goodnight."
The boy walked to his bedroom, changing into his pajamas as Chirithy stirred on his bed.
"Oh, you're home."
"Yep." The boy flopped onto the bed, the Dream Eater hopping out of the way. "And I'm ready to sleep for a week."
His little friend chuckled before climbing up to his pillow and curling up. "Then get some sleep; I'll be here."
"Thanks…"
Ven's eyes closed, and he fell into a deep sleep.
Chirithy lay beside him, happily snoozing himself-
"Huh!?" He jumped up as he felt a flash of darkness.
Ven's face contorted slightly in his sleep.
On no, another nightmare.
Reaching over, the Dream Eater concentrated, focusing on the nightmare as he tried to change it.
But as his soft paw touched his friend, a burst of darkness sent Chirithy flying back. His little body slammed into the window.
"Gah!" He looked up as wisps of darkness began floating off the boy's body, his face contorting more as the dream consumed his mind. "Ven! Ven wake up!"
But the boy did not move.
"Oh no!"
Poofing out of the room, Chirithy appeared outside Aqua's room. His little paws banged on the door. "Aqua! Aqua!"
The young woman opened the door, a lamp lit at her desk overlooking an open notebook, and a pen in her hand. "What's wrong?"
"Ven's in trouble! I'll get Terra!" He poofed out of the room and appeared in Terra's room, plopping onto the foot of Terra's bed. "Terra!"
"Ah!" Terra jolted up from his sleep, summoning his Keyblade immediately. "Chirithy!?"
"Ven needs help!"
He poofed back out and back to Ven's room.
Aqua now knelt by his bed, holding his hand as the darkness continued to come off his body. "Chirithy, what's happening?"
"He's having a nightmare. And yeah… it's bad."
Terra came in the doorway, blinking. "A nightmare? This looks like way more than that!"
"I don't know what's happening!"
"Ven… please wake up."
Ven found himself standing on the street of a town.
White brick walls and purple rooftops. Flowers in window boxes swayed with a gentle breeze.
For a moment, he saw the sky of daybreak- until a thick fog fell upon the town.
Something began to fall from the sky. At first, it looked to be snow, but as he held out his hand, he found it to be the seeds of a dandelion.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Little footsteps approached.
"Chirithy?"
Out of the fog came a small creature, but not Chirithy. A fox. A fox with pink and yellow fur.
It yipped at him before scampering off, pausing for a moment to glance back. Waiting.
"Hey!"
Ven's feet carried him after it.
Thudding down the empty streets.
Until he came down a set of stairs.
His footsteps came to a halt as the world before him changed.
The street went on, now looking monochrome.
Black.
White.
Mundane.
Boring.
The fox stood on that path, now monochrome as well.
But a second fox, still bright with color, stood by an open doorway.
Two foxes-
Two paths-
"Hey! Wait for me."
Step.
Step.
Step.
After the colorful fox-
Into the doorway-
Into a sea of darkness.
"Huh? Where'd she go…?"
"Who knew?"
Ven whirled around at the voice, his eyes meeting those he knew so well.
"You!?"
While the face of Sora stared back, the golden eyes and black hair betrayed his identity.
"What do you want, Vanitas!?"
"You don't seem surprised to see me."
"I'm not. You're part of me after all."
"Am I?"
"Cut the crap!"
Vanitas laughed, sending chills up Ven's spine; especially now, that as he heard it, he could hear Sora's voice in it as well. "Keep growing that spine, brother. But let me tell you, I'm surprised you'd be so power hungry."
"Power hungry?"
"You seem so kind. So innocent. But you crave power."
"No I don't!"
"Fine. Then prove it."
Vanitas faded into the darkness.
Revealing the fox in the distance.
And in front of it stood the same orange-haired girl he'd seen before in his dreams. But now she stood up, but with her back to him.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Ven walked briskly towards them.
And they got closer.
And closer.
And closer.
"Hey, are you who I saw-" As he reached out to touch the girl's shoulder, she vanished.
The fox vanished.
And Vanitas stood before him once more.
"I was right."
"What?"
"You're just as bad as me."
"No, I'm not!"
"Oh," Vanitas stepped closer, "but you are-"
"-you are."
He faded away.
And before Ven's eyes appeared a figure in a white cloak.
"Who-"
It lunged at Ven.
Shrieking!
And the last thing Ven saw-
A pale, skeletal face underneath-
…
Before he woke up-
"AHH!"
Shooting up in bed, Ven felt sweat drenching his body. His lungs heaved.
"Ven!"
Looking up, he saw Terra, Aqua, and Chirithy all staring at him.
"Wh-what are you doing here?"
"Chirithy got us." Aqua gently reached out, touching his shoulder. "Ven, you were dreaming."
"I… know."
"And there was darkness coming off of you." Terra added, his brow furrowed slightly.
"There was?"
"I couldn't see your dream." Chirithy snuggled into Ven's lap. "What happened?"
"It was Vanitas. He was just taunting me."
"That's all?"
"Yeah. He was just being a jerk."
Aqua's eyes narrowed, but she didn't press. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah."
"Even so," she sighed, "next time Jiminy calls, you should tell him about this dream. This seemed like more than just a normal dream."
Ven nodded. "Yeah. I'll tell him. I promise."
"So, it sounds like you're doing just fine."
Ven sat outside, far away from the castle, Aqua, Terra, and Chirithy. He smiled down at Jiminy's face on the phone screen. "Yep! I'm doing great! Everything's been awesome."
"Well then, I'll let you go. Thanks for checking in."
"Thank you, Jiminy."
The phone call ended.
Ven lay back on the grass, staring up at the sky.
…
"Yeah… everything is just fine-"
After all, it was just a dream.