Chapter Text
Sora gazed up at the multitude of stars above him - the fruits of his efforts in defeating the heartless and bringing back the worlds.
"Can't sleep, Sora?" Chirped a voice to his left. "You'd get sick if you don't rest."
Sora turned to the voice's general direction, and downwards to face Jiminy cricket, his group's record keeper. Or chronicler, as the cricket had told him.
"I could say the same about you." Sora replied.
"I'm fine," Jiminy replied. "I just need to finish compiling the events of today."
After a moment to let Sora digest the information as well as to look at his (admittedly small for a person) journal, Jiminy went on to inform Sora that he still had to inform Queen Minnie about what they had been through together - part of his job of being a chronicler and all that. The boy's face turned forlorn at that comment. The journey that he took to reach here…
Sure, he had Jiminy's journal for that, but what about before? Him, Riku and Kairi had wanted to see the world outside their home islands. Even built a raft to go see them all. Sure, he got to see the outside world, but he never would have thought his wish would come true in the way it had;
Getting thrown into an outside world. Getting the keyblade and thus being effectively forced to save all the worlds. But then again, thanks to that ordeal, he got to know and befriend his current companions - Donald, Goofy, and of course, Jiminy! Everyone has been so supportive in their own right, it felt wrong to not thank them for what they've done… so that's what he did.
As things settled into a companionable silence between the two, the boy felt he could ask one of the questions lingering in his head: "hey Jiminy, will I… Get to see my world again?"
"But of course!" Jiminy exclaimed, surprised at the negativity that seeped through. "What's that face for? You've promised your girlfriend, right?"
Sora felt his face redden at that. Kairi, his g-g-girlfriend? She's not his girlfriend. She's his… friend. His friend, who had given him her lucky charm, and to whom he had given a promise to return to as they were separated… yeah. A friend.
"Don't be embarrassed!" Jiminy told him with a chuckle. "Donald and Goofy think the same, you know. They'll find the king, and return to their world someday. So will you! So don't give up on that goal, alright, Sora?"
Sora could not help but smile at that. "Thanks, Jiminy. That means a lot to me…"
Jiminy smiled in return. "No problem, Sora…"
The two sat in companionable silence for a while, before Jiminy broke it to wish Sora good night. The boy returned the greeting before turning in for the night.
Normally, that would have been it for Sora, who would have fallen asleep nearly instantly. However, he has a great number of thoughts and feelings that refuse to be washed away by sleeping. For one, the kingdom key did not feel right in his hands anymore… whenever he got it into his hands to begin with. Because more often than not, he'd enter a fight with the heartless and after the battle was over and he'd make to unsummon it, it was to find himself holding either a gold-plated keyblade (he thinks its a keyblade anyways) with stars and a sun-shaped tip (the Starlight, a voice told him), or a keyblade with a cyan glow and a clock design near the handle (No Name (from BBS' Unknown)…).
And then there were the nightmares. Ever since he came back from being a heartless, whenever he fell asleep, he found his dreams transiting from either Riku or Kairi (or both) into dreams of kids his age or, to his dismay, younger, killing one another before getting killed in turn by human-looking animals. The cobra, leopard, unicorn and fox were kind enough to apologize for their soon-to-be mess. The bear, however, seemed to take sick pleasure in killing their opponent and was often seconds away from mauling him before he woke up drenched in sweat.
After trying to sleep for the nth time with no success (someone was supposed to help with that, but they were g-Gone! L-like everyone else!), Sora got up from his resting spot amongst the grass. Hrggh, I could use a walk. Sora thought to himself. Maybe then I'll be tired enough to sleep properly…
He turned around to look at Donald and Goofy sleeping peacefully nearby and allowed himself a wan smile. The two of them seem so peaceful in every sense of the word, there was no way he'd let their sleep get interrupted without reason.
Sorry guys… With that, he turned away and started walking down the path he and his companions would go down once dawn broke. It's for a good cause. I swear! Sora walked on and on and on, and while he tried to note differences in his surroundings so he could guide his companions later, there was only so much he could note when he's surrounded by grass, grass and even more grass.
Bored out of his mind, Sora turned his mind to his friends, or more specifically, to Riku. Where is he right now? Is he and the King alright? Are they safe? Surely they are, right? With how strong the two of them are and all, he tried to reassure himself. Because the alternative would be… Sora shook his head. Happy thoughts, he told himself. Riku, last he checked, is safe. Sure, his heart felt different - a mix of twilight and plush (cat), but he was safe! But what about now? Another part of him asked. Riku didn’t have a trace for you to follow, and you didn't manage to get the King's heart signature. So for all you know, they could both be dead by now….
“Aaaaarghhhhhhh!!!!!!!” Sora all but screamed. He was taking this walk to calm himself down, not work himself up some more! After a few minutes had elapsed, Sora lowered his head in sadness. "What am I to do…?"
"Ahead lies something you hold dear…” Sora lifted his head up at once. That was a stranger's voice. He was certain it was. Yet, why does it sound so familiar? When he did, it was to a sight that made his blood go cold. In front of him was a hooded figure dressed in all black, their coat swaying in the breeze.
His keyblade was in his hands in an instant. What? When did they get here? How did they manage to get by his heart-sensing power?
Memories of the black coat he, Donald, Goofy and Beast fought while sweeping out Hollow Bastion flooded his mind. Memories of how creepy that fellow looked and sounded, and that was before they clashed blades. At that point, the guy whose habit of floating whenever not walking, swinging glowing blades or shooting lightning from his fingers combined with fighting abilities that give Ansem a run for his money ensured that he would be the second source of nightmares to come.
Feeling his panic rising, Sora tried to expand his senses. Anything to keep himself from trembling. Anything to keep himself from doing anything stupid…
After a while, he sensed something. It wasn't a creepy aura. If anything, it seemed like a rose garden… ie it wasn't the man from Hollow Bastion.
Reassured but still on edge, Sora allowed himself to shift to a more defensive stance. And lucky him, for the hooded man chose to speak at that moment: "But to claim it, you have to lose something first."
Something that I hold dear? And something I have to lose in order to gain…? “H-Hey! W-Wait!” Sora yelled.
But it was too late, for the hooded man had already turned around and vanished. Sighing, the boy was about to resign himself to never getting any answers to his questions when he felt something that pushed his queries out of his mind.
Riku! And Ephemer! And Chirithy too! They’re alright! They’re safe! If I follow the path that i am already scouting, I'd find them!
Energized at the prospect, Sora ran back the way he came, intent on getting Donald and Goofy so they could follow the trail before it went cold. Lucky him, for in his eagerness, he had not noticed that the man had reappeared and that he was smirking.