towerofanimus | Awakening

Entry tags:

Awakening

Characters: Sora and YOU.
Setting: His dorm room (1-06), the dorm floors, and then wandering. Feel free to choose whatever floor you want to run into him on!
Format: Starting with action, but I'm fine with either that or prose.
Summary: Sora wakes up in a world that isn't his own, and decides to so search for his friends. Maybe he'll find some answers, too.
Warnings: None initially. Will be updated as needed!

[This was all a dream, wasn't it?

That's what Sora had wondered when he first woke up. His head had been foggy, and for a moment he couldn't figure out where he was, or why he was so tired. But it wasn't long at all before everything came rushing back to him. Everything that had happened the night before...no, that definitely hadn't been a dream.

So where was he now, he wondered? And where were Kairi and Riku? He almost panicked when he realized that he couldn't move, but thankfully it was only about fifteen more seconds before he had been on his feet, looking around the room. He notices the collar on his neck, but hasn't quite decided what to make of it by the time he spots the letter.

"Your world has been destroyed."

So...the islands really were gone. He could have stood there staring at the letter in disbelief for a good long while, but that wouldn't have helped him answer the main question...]

So...what is this place, anyway?

[Well, there was only one way to find out, and it wasn't by sitting around all day. If he was here, his friends had to be close by, too, and he would never find them if he didn't get moving. Sora got on his feet and decided to head for the door, not taking the time to read the second letter through carefully. He could do that later - right now, he couldn't focus on anything but the idea that, first and foremost, he needed to find his friends.]

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[His hand hovers over the handle as he turns his head a little, facing Sora as he finally speaks up.]

If you don't want me to touch it- [He reaches down again, hand closing around Kingdom Key as he picks it up and straightens, turning his face again as if to inspect the Keyblade.] -you shouldn't let go of it in first place.

[He almost kind of wants to laugh, because this whole scene is so very familiar, and amuses him and makes him feel almost kinda sick as well.

But instead of laughing he just shakes his head, flicking his wrist to throw the Keyblade back to it's owner-] Catch. [-then reaches up again to pull back the hood.]

[It takes a moment for what he's hearing to sink in after the man finally speaks. Once it registers that he's not just hearing things, the anger in Sora's expression fades into shock; slowly but surely, he begins to let his guard down.

He has every reason to be surprised. That voice sounds so familiar; of course it does. Sora's known it for almost his entire life. But could it really be...?

There's no time to answer that question before the Keyblade is thrown his way; he manages to catch it fairly easily, if not without a "woah!" and some fumbling. By the time his grip on the weapon is secure again and he looks up, Riku has already pulled back the hood.]

Riku...?

[He looks so much more different than Sora had expected; taller, older-looking, longer hair...even though Namine had warned him, Sora hadn't really taken the time to imagine what a Riku who was a whole year older would look like.

But it was definitely him. Sora was sure of it.]

[Once upon a time he would have smirked, would have called out some smart line like "Cat caught your tongue?" or something similar. Instead, there is just a small smile sneaking over his face as he crooks his head again - who else would he be?

~~...Or you know what; don't answer that.~~]

...Next time you lose your grip, don't run after it. Call it back instead.

[Sora doesn't really react to what Riku says. Honestly, the words themselves don't sink in. The boy is far too busy being happy (and relieved, to tell the truth) that the person speaking them is there at all.]

Riku! Why didn't you tell me that it was you?

[He should have expected that, shouldn't he? Really, Sora.

Riku doesn't answer the question; not with words anyways - all he does is shrug. His reasons are just that; he doesn't really want to talk about them. Especially since he doubts that Sora will understand any of it.

Instead he asks a question of his own.]

How much do you know about this place?

[Though Sora finds it odd that Riku has been giving more shrugs than answers, he decides not to push the question. Maybe he has a really good reason for not saying anything. How would Sora know? Besides, Riku is his best friend - Sora trusts him.]

A little bit. I met a girl named Namine who told me a bunch of stuff. Umm...[He looks off to the side, trying to recall everything that he's learned.] I know that we're stuck here...and that this tower brings in people from a lot of different times. Actually, she said that you're probably a whole year ahead of me. And I got a letter that told me where everything is.

[It's not much, but at least he knows a little bit.]

[He'll find that Riku is kind of doing this a lot more; he has grown a lot more quiet since leaving the Islands.

He nods at that; he had figured right it seems. As for the distance of time between them...]

...More than that, actually. Counting the time I've spent in the tower, it's been eighteen months since I left the Islands.

[He frowns a little, he should probably pick up where she left off. It's better for Sora to know what awaits him, rather than be caught unaware after all.]

Did Naminé tell you about the doubles?

[Sora doesn't even try to hide his shock when Riku says that it's been eighteen months. Eighteen months. That's...well, a really long time, when he doesn't even feel like he's been away from the islands a full day.]

Er...doubles?

[No, no she did not mention that.

But right now, there's something that Sora's a lot more worried about.]

Wait, Riku, just forget about that for a second!

Look...I know it's been awhile for you, but it's only been a few hours since the islands got attacked for me. And, well...

[He hesitates, closing his eyes for just a second and trying to think.]

Well, I still don't really understand what happened.

[He doesn't even have to say that he needs help - that he's looking for answers. The look on his face does that well enough.]

[...He probably should have expected that. Not just the shock, but that particular question as well. He hesitates himself as he tries figure out what to say, because what happened to their Islands is simple and complicated at the same time... especially with his involvement. Which he doesn't want to talk about. But probably should anyways... it's better if Sora doesn't find out about that second hand.

Finally he sighs, walking up and past Sora to his room.]

...Come. This isn't a conversation for the hallway.

Yeah, okay.

[He nods, following Riku into his room without a second thought. It was probably better if they went to a place where they could sit down and talk, anyway. There was a lot that Sora still wanted to ask...and who knows how much Riku still needed to tell him.

He just hoped that...well, he wasn't sure what he was hoping for, exactly. That maybe, even though he doesn't have a lot of happy questions to ask, there will be some good news mixed in with all of the answers.]

[He lets Sora step in and closes the door behind them; if he could he would lock it as well - they'll need time with all there is to talk about and he'd really rather not have his room mates overhear anything not meant for anyone to know but the two of them.

Walking over to his bed, he reaches down to pull off his boots before settling down, waving at Sora as invitation to do the same.

It takes him a moment to figure out just how to get started on this, frowning down on his hands - there are so many things he'd like to say, and some he'd rather not; he wants to apologize, but this Sora wouldn't understand why so...

Finally, he is somewhat certain he knows where start.]

All right... The first thing you have to understand about this place is that it seems to exists outside of time, outside the universe as we know it. [...Or as he knows them, at this point at least.] That's why you can't trust the letters as they stand; the time line issues alone pretty much contradict them already.

[So much for the easy part... The next one is going to be so much, much harder.]

They may apply in this particular case though... if the last thing you remember is really the storm and the Heartless.

[Sora sits down as well, waiting patiently for Riku to start. He's still worried, and he's eager to know more about what's going on, but he doesn't want to rush Riku. For something this important...well, maybe it's better to go a little slow.

When Riku finally does start, he listens closely, trying to process everything as well as he can.

At the last part he nods, confirming Riku's words.]

The storm, yeah. A huge storm came to the islands, and those weird monsters attacked while I was trying to find you and Kairi, and then-...

["The islands disappeared." He doesn't want to say it out loud, because that makes everything far too real. But not outright saying it doesn't make it any less real, either.

Still, the words don't quite make it past his thoughts.]

The Heartless? Is that what those things were?

[Well that cements it now; the things he's almost known, now confirmed beyond any doubt.

Sora might not say it out aloud, but Riku can fill the blank well enough and he barely stops himself from flinching. Instead he nods at Sora's question.]

Yeah. They are monsters made from the Darkness of peoples hearts. That weapon of yours... the Keyblade... it's one of very few things that can cause them harm.

[Not to mention that it's actually the only thing that can release the Hearts. But yeah... for now it's probably better not to go there.]

So...that's why it showed up when I was fighting them?

[He takes a closer look at the Keyblade - which he had never dismissed - really looking at it for the first time. It's different, that's for sure. But if it can defeat those shadows...Heartless...then he's glad to have it.]

Are there Heartless here, Riku?

...Yes.

[Probably. Most likely, if one were to oversimplify things. It would certainly do for now.

He nods.]

There are. They are... a bit different from how they are- [-back home] -outside the tower.

[Whether or not it was entirely true, simple answers were probably best for now. Even if Sora would have wanted to know more, if he knew there was more to know, there's only so much he can take in at once.

Especially when there was still so much he needed to be told.]

Different? How?

[Yeah, that's what Riku figured.]

They act a little differently for one. [Shadow Globs didn't usually try to eat people's feet after all.] They also-

[He grimaces slightly as he tries to find words to describe it - how exactly does one describe a layer of wrongness within a smell and that special ting of the tower's darkness mingling within by the way? He knows leaving it at this won't quite do here, even though it's unlikely that Sora could tell the difference given how little exposure he's had to now.

So yeah... give him a moment.]

...Their 'aura' is different... it's like they have become a part of the tower. [He shrugs, looking slightly apologetic.] ...It's hard to put into words.

Edited 2012-03-11 06:57 (UTC)

[But Sora nods, not needing an exact explanation. He understands what Riku's getting at...or, at least, he's pretty sure he does. Probably.]

So you mean that this place did something to them, right? Are they worse?

[He kinda doesn't want to ask that last question - he thinks of the Heartless appearing in huge numbers on the island, almost invisible save for their gold eyes, attacking him and the island both...and he remembers that huge one he fought right before waking up here. All of that was bad enough. What could they be like if they were worse?]

Yeah... I'd say so.

[Of course Sora probably won't be able to tell... the Heartless here are stronger and overall much more dangerous than the Shadows and the one Darkside he has faced to now.]

It's not just the Heartless here though... there are other monsters, many that I'm not familiar with.

Sounds like it's pretty dangerous here.

[Knowing that just makes him even more glad for the things he's stumbled upon - Riku, this Keyblade thing - and he's glad that, if he's stuck here, at least he doesn't have to figure everything out without help.

Which is why, even though he still has plenty to worry about, and even though this conversation hasn't been the lightest, he smiles.]

At least we can help each other out, right?

It is. Understating this place would be a pretty big mistake.

[Because all they've covered so far are the monsters. They haven't even gone into the ways the tower changed itself from time to time - presenting even more of a danger than usual; and not just physically.

Sora's smile is familiar though, so very typically, even in the face of a danger he can hardly be expected to fully understand.]

Right.

So that means we'll be okay, as long as we work together.

[They always had been, after all. He and Riku were a team - between the two of them, they could figure out just about anything.]

[Riku just. stares at him for a moment. Because well... Sora does not realize - cannot realize, really - that there is maybe sorts of a bit of irony in that statement. Considering. Maybe.

He shakes his head, a helpless chuckle escaping him, even though he really, really doesn't feel like laughing, old memories and feelings burning bitter on the back of his throat as he tries to get a grip and smile - just so that Sora won't question what he is really thinking about.

Remembering what had happened in Monstro's stomach is bad enough. He doesn't exactly feel like speaking of it on top of that.]

Yeah... probably.

[It's kind of hard to tell with the tower.]

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Awakening

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