onepassingnight | ○ 02 ○ A Day on the Islands

Entry tags:

○ 02 ○ A Day on the Islands

[This dream starts in what appears to be a cave, though a very small one, much taller than it is long or wide. It doesn't seem all that cramped or scary, though - light filters in from the outside, thanks to a hole in the stone at the top, and the walls are easy to see.

Actually, for a tiny cave, this place is fairly inviting. Moss grows on some of the rocks, and the area feels safe rather than closed-in, like a little hiding spot that you can go in and out of at any point. In fact, that's exactly what it is. Should you go to the opening, which is a very short walk, you'll find that it opens to the outside; a small, peaceful tropical island.

But good luck getting outside before a certain someone notices that you're there. A little boy, who some may recognize as Sora, is sitting comfortably near one of the walls of the cave. He picks up a piece of chalk and starts drawing what...looks like an attempt that drawing some kind of animal. In fact, the walls are covered in these drawings; childish scribbles of animals and adventures and stars.

There's also something else strange about this cave; a door, built right into the very back. No, not built - it looks like it belongs there, or has always been there. But what could it be for?

Well, whatever it is, it's not opening anytime soon. Besides, Sora has put down his chalk, already standing up and looking right at your before you have much of a chance to investigate anything.

Talk to the small, slightly confused looking child?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Well, it's true most caves wouldn't have a butterfly in them. The blue one flying near the walls and among the shadows is a bit out of place. As soon as Sora notices her, she flies nearer, examining him from closer-up.

Little boys like chasing butterflies, don't they? As if baiting him to do so, she flies right near his nose. Those wings are distracting, and quite possibly ticklish.]

[Normally, Sora didn't see many butterflies around the island period, so seeing one in here of all places is definitely enough to grab his attention. For a minute, he just watches, fascinated, and stays totally still when it comes closer to him, for fear of scaring it away.

He can't suppress a giggle when it lands on his nose, however.]

Hey!

[Gently - as tempting as it is to try to catch the butterfly, Sora doesn't want to hurt it - he reaches for it, trying to see if it'll land on his hand instead of his nose.]

[What would be the fun in that, though? The butterfly teasingly flutters into the air, just a hair out of reach.

Chase her.

Higher and higher (but not high enough to make Sora give up, leading him on instead) the butterfly starts to soar. There are advantages to this form; that freedom is one of them.]

[Awww, he missed! Sora keeps reaching, but he can never quite make it, though he keeps moving forward to try. But now it's running off...was it trying to get outside? He hoped it didn't fly away through the hole in the ceiling.]

Huh...wait up! Where are you going?

[He does chase her - not aggressively, for he still doesn't want to hurt the butterfly. But quickly enough to keep up and not lose sight of her.]

[Tantalizingly, the butterfly stays just ahead of its pursuer as she heads towards the cave entrance. Islands suit her, somehow. She hovers, and then slyly slips just outside.]

[Sora continues to follow, thankful that the butterfly didn't fly out through the ceiling as he had feared. Still, it takes a moment for his eyes to adjust to the light, and he begins to lose sight of her.]

Hey, wait!

[Even though he knew very well that butterflies and animals and whatever else don't just wait whenever he asks them to - he only hopes that he'll be able to catch sight of the butterfly again when he opens his eyes.]

[Even better: when Sora opens his eyes again, the butterfly will be only a few inches away, practically begging him to keep chasing and keep reaching for it. (Did it seriously just start doing flips and patterns in mid-flight?)

There's so much out here to see and explore!]

[There it is! Right there, and now it's...

...woah.

That's the coolest butterfly ever.

Sora watches the midair tricks, stunned, and he giggles happily when it's over. But what's it going to do now?]

Are you going to look around the island? Can I come?

[Either way, he's going to come - he's too fascinated to stop chasing now.]

[The way the butterfly bobs up and down might signal a yes; but she's been mischievous enough so far that it might just be more of her antics.

It's probably a better sign when she starts to fly away - deliberately slow enough to keep up, but fast enough to make Sora have to run, or at least jog.]

[He takes it as a yes, anyway, continuing to chase after her. He does have to run, though - as much as he hates to admit it, he's not as fast as Riku.

Still, he has to wonder about this butterfly. There's something...odd, about it. It's been taking awhile, but he's starting to think he might have an idea about what it is. Maybe he's just imagining it, but...

Even though he's slightly out of breath, and focused on catching up, he has to ask:]

You aren't from this island, are you?

[Can the butterfly really answer? Maybe not - but Sora's pretty sure that if any butterfly could, it would be this one.]

[The butterfly is definitely shrewd. How very strange. It spreads its wings as far apart as it can- a show of a great distance, perhaps the distance it believes it crossed to come to this island.

It is, after all, a butterfly that will go the ends of the world.

With its wings spread and still, it loses height and dips downward towards the ground.]

[It spread it's wings...was that a yes?

He stops thinking about it when he notices the butterfly losing height, and he holds his hands out to catch it if it falls far enough.]

Woah!

[Nooo pretty butterfly, don't fall. D:]

[Watch out!

She hadn't expected the hands there suddenly, and the butterfly lands roughly. Gingerly, she flutters her wings and slowly waves her antennae. Ouch. She's resilient, though, and after a few seconds, she's crawling along Sora's hand as if nothing happened, light enough to be no more than a faint tickle.]

[The boy just holds still, watching to make sure that she's okay. For all of his normal, youthful clumsiness, his hands are careful. They've held something much more delicate than a butterfly before, after all.

He feels the movement when she starts to crawl around, and he smiles in response - it feels a little funny, but but not bad.]

It's okay, I've got you.

[He wants to ask her why she's here, but he hesitates. Maybe it would be easier if he just stuck to yes or no questions.]

Are you looking for something?

[The butterfly can't speak, but maybe it doesn't have to. The answer might be in the fact that she seems contented to stay in Sora's palm. There are times it's nice to let herself let go a little. She walks casually towards his wrist, and starts to circle to the opposite side of his hand, walking almost upside-down.]

[He just watches and smiles, keeping a careful eye on her - especially when she starts circling to the other side of his hand. Slowly he turns his hand as she moves, so as to make certain that she doesn't fall and hurt herself. That's the last thing Sora wants to see happen.]

I wish you could tell me where you came from. It must have been a nice place.

[This butterfly is so pretty that she had to come from somewhere nice, right?]

[Butterflies don't speak, or she might be able to tell Sora the opposite, that she comes from a damaged world and from darkness. It's not a world where the innocent, like him, are allowed to remain innocent very long, it seems sometimes.

But she also comes from a world that is building itself with its own strength, a world where all that once saved it was humanity's shared wish, a world that's still stubbornly reaching for a golden future. A world she'll still protect because none of them wanted to see it destroyed.

The light powder of the butterfly's wings glitters, like ice catching the light, as if to cast a glow over the world all on its own. She circles higher and higher, as though flying away into the sky- perhaps where she claims to come from, a distant planet.]

Edited 2012-07-26 01:40 (UTC)

[Somewhere far away - like the stars, glittering in the sky at night. Though it was not taught, or perhaps even known, by anyone on the island, he and Riku and long wondered if those stars were really other worlds. Proof that, though distant, those other places were out there. If they could reach far enough, one day...]

My best friend and I have always dreamed about going to other worlds. I don't know when it'll happen, but maybe someday I'll get to see your world, too.

[He laughs, still watching her.]

Maybe I can even figure out how you got here, and then I can show Riku!

[Without an answer, she goes higher and higher still, until it seems like she might be totally lost against the sky, and then the butterfly finally disappears as Ami rises to wakefulness.]

[ He should be claustrophobic, in a cramped place like this-

But that pervading air of peace is enough to keep more than the fleeting notion of nausea or panic at bay, the hint of fresh air (with its promise of much wider, more open spaces) not far off, a few bright rays of sun poking through the natural skylight overhead. It's strangely pleasant - and even mildly interesting, as he studies the (obviously childish) works of art scattered all over the uneven rock walls.

A little too engrossed, at first, to recognize that he already has company, Cloud jumps on a nervous start when he turns to find he's being stared at rather intently. Well, time to blurt out the first thing that pops into his head. ]

Uh- I didn't know anybody else was in here.

[ At least he isn't wearing his helmet (or armed), in this dream; so he looks more like an awkward (and slightly embarrassed) teenager, at the moment, than some invading enemy force. ]

I didn't see you come in, either!

[And it had been pretty quiet, so he should've heard something, right? But, oh well. Sora doesn't mind having company (heck, he probably wouldn't even notice if Cloud was armed, as long as he was being nice)...but he's certainly wondering about something.]

You don't look like you're from around here, Mister.

[Could this really be someone else from another world? Sora hoped so. He liked meeting people from other places...and, somehow, he'd been getting the chance to do quite a bit of that, lately.]

[ No, he's definitely no islander, wherever he's from, pale as the chalk on the walls as he shuffles his feet inside his clunky, military-issue boots, tugging the heavy scarf around his shoulders down a little farther like a nervous habit. ]

I don't think I am. Um, from around here.

[ Which, really, begs the question- ]

...Where is here, anyway?

[And Sora's face just lights up when he hears that question, both because this person really WAS from someplace outside of the islands, and because he got a chance to explain something.]

This is Destiny Islands! It's my home.

[Which, to this little boy, sounds like a perfectly solid and complete explanation.]

So you're really from another world?

[ Destiny Islands doesn't ring any bells - and why should it? As well as he can remember, Cloud doesn't think he's ever been to an island in his life, let alone a whole chain of them.

With a frown, he shakes his head, and reaches for the phone that should be in his pocket. (And, as always, it is, which is something of a relief.) ]

Uh, no. I'm just from- Well, I'm stationed in Junon. [ Which simply can't be on another planet. First of all, that's ridiculous. And secondly - well, actually the first one pretty well covers it.

Accidentally discovering the secret to interplanetary travel would be a pretty decent excuse for somehow ending up completely out of his service area. No reception. Great.

With what he hopes is only a polite measure of skepticism in his expression, he looks back from the blank screen of his cell to the little kid (who, regrettably, seems to have a much better handle on this strange situation). ]

Can you tell me which way to get to town from here?

...Junon? I dunno, I've never heard of it!

[That doesn't sound like any place around here, which means that it MUST be another world he's talking about. Nothing else makes any sense at all! At least, for all that Sora knows. But how'd he get here? Was it an accident?

Instead of asking more questions, though, he smiles brightly, reaching for Cloud's hand so that he can lead him out of the Secret Place.]

But I can show you the main island. Come on!

[We're gonna go find a boat~!]

H-Huh?

[ A boat!? WAIT! That's a terrible idea!!

But, unfortunately, Cloud has no choice but to follow. For now. Just until he finds signs of civilization other than pushy little kids hiding out in caves. He doesn't mind the hand-holding, at least, except that it causes him to stumble a little as he hastily attempts to keep up. ]

The main island? How big is this place?

[What are you talking about? It's the best idea. Boats are awesome.]

It's not that big! Don't worry, it's really easy to find.

[And it looks like Sora knows what he's talking about, actually. When they step out of the cave, Cloud will see that they're on a very small island; there's a beach, a pier, and a small shack, but otherwise it's just a small island area, full of signs that children frequently play here.

Across the ocean, not too far away, is the main island - it looks like nothing more than a small town, even from this distance. Nothing too daunting, and certainly easy enough to get around.

But suddenly, after letting go of Cloud's hand and looking out over the beach, Sora seems very concerned about something.]

Oh no...

[ But- Seasickness! Noooooo... ]

Um, okay.

[ Well, that's somewhat reassuring. A big place would just be more of a hassle, really, and though Cloud has no special fondness for small towns, he wouldn't want to get even more lost than he is, at present.

Which is pretty lost, all things considered.

Tugging at the scarf around his neck to loosen it further (he is decidedly not dressed for island weather, either), he squints into the distance toward the town. Nothing familiar, but that doesn't bother him much. He hasn't been to a lot of places, after all.

A second later, he blinks, glancing down at his suddenly worried miniature guide. ]

What's the matter?

[ Looks like a normal beach, from here. No monsters or anything. ]

[For the moment. Sora forgets about his duties as miniature guide, making a beeline for the pier. He climbs up, taking a good look near the edges at out onto the ocean around them - and he doesn't look all that happy with what he finds.

In fact, when he finally gives up and makes his way back to Cloud, he looks just plain guilty.]

My...my boat is gone. I don't know what happened to it.

[It seems like, with every passing second, the little child is visibly drooping more and more. What if it's gone for good? It was brand new, and his dad told him to be really really careful with it, and...oh no. What's worse is that he can't help anymore.]

[ Crud.

Though even a (socially inept) kid his age probably knows that succumbing to the same obvious despair will only make matters worse, Cloud can't help the way his own moderately hopeful expression falls, at that wonderful news. If there's no boat, they're stranded. At least until someone else comes around - and not knowing the island, Cloud can't say when that might be.

His survival training definitely doesn't extend to taking care of children.

...But that's not the way a SOLDIER would think, and he's duty bound by his own aspirations to do something. Looking out toward the horizon, again, and that other island, Cloud seems to come (reluctantly) to a decision. ]

...I guess- I could swim.

[ With a destination in sight, it couldn't be that far. Maybe. (Not that the distance is his main concern, watching those waves rise and fall in that fake-calm way that's really just as roiling once you're in it.) ]

And bring somebody back with another boat, to get you, too.

[Cloud opens his eyes to find himself lying on his back staring at the ceiling. Which is rock. When he'd closed his eyes he had been pretty sure it had been to a white plaster ceiling in a roadside inn so that means -

Careful he sits up, drawing one leg up as well, eyes that glow slightly in the cave interior narrowed as they sweep the area. Nope. Doesn't recognized it. So he must be dreaming. And it's not his dream.

His eyes settle on the small boy that's obviously just noticing him as well and his first thought it 'wow. That's some hair.' Coming from Cloud it might be hypocritical but he thinks if anyone's got a right to sympathize it would be him. There's a brief rub to the back of his head. What to say to explain?]

Hey.

Um, hey.

[It's okay - Sora isn't really sure what to say, either. Or, at least, he isn't sure where to start. He's wondering who this is, first of all, and how they found the Secret Place...he and Riku were the only ones who knew this was here, right? Not that Sora minds the company; the little boy is just surprised, and curious, and that shows in his expression.

Finally, his mind settles back on his first question, instead of one of the million others that he always wants to ask someone who looks like they're from another world.]

Who are you?

[Yeah. His name would be a good place to start. The hand that was at the back of his head goes to rest across his raised knee.]

I'm Cloud. What about you?

[ She'd been drawn to the door of all things, about to knock on it before she realized someone was there. Someone she recognized, even--and it looks like he'd caught her first! She must have been distracted. ]

Sora! It's been a while.

[For a moment, Sora's eyes also wander to the door...but then immediately, as if the door's existence barely registers to him, his attention goes back to Aerith fully. He smiles when she finally notices him, glad that she remembers meeting him, too.]

Aerith!

[How long had it been? Sora couldn't quite remember - trying to think about time here made his head feel kind of funny.]

How'd you find me here?

[ Hm? It seemed he had found her first, judging by the staring, which made Aerith wonder if he changed it around for a reason. ]

Is this a secret place?

Sure is!

[It's too bad that he hasn't figured out how to find her special place, yet...but he doesn't mind her being here, either. If Riku knew her, he'd probably be okay with it, too.]

But it's not just mine.

A lot of special places aren't just one person's.

[ The memories made there are important, after all. Usually takes more than one. She crouches down, tilting her head in question. ]

Who do you share it with?

My best friend. His name is Riku!

[Speaking of, where was Riku? It was strange - he was always there first.]

I dunno where he is right now, though. He's really late.

You were supposed to meet up here? Maybe we should look for him.

[ If he's Sora's age, maybe he got lost or something, she thinks. ]

Really? You'd help me find him?

[He wasn't sure where to start looking...but between the two of them, there was no way they wouldn't spot him if he was around here.]

Two eyes are better than one. And two sets of them, even better!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

○ 02 ○ A Day on the Islands

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

soraaaa always so adorable T_T <33

;ajsdfkl he's made of light and adorable and cavities I swear

/mock glare. MY TEETH. >|

no subject

no subject

no subject

the cute that is sora is rotting all my teeth T_T

C:

no subject

no subject

sora, too sweet T_T

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

...Speaking of late. >_>

no subject

no subject