songerein | [closed] when the night has come. and the land is dark.

[Sora smiles cheekily at first knowing that Sora would probably want to do the same thing. Kick his butt for taking so long in finding them again. But also because he's missed Cloud very much. He knows it must be a little different for Tifa and that's why his smile softens when she continues.]

I think it would be really good for him to hear that.

[Since Cloud worries about other people even if he hides it a lot in his own weird ways. Takes a lot of blame for things he probably shouldn't.]

But, married huh? I didn't know about that, Tifa? What's the scoop?

Not many people do.

[She hasn't exactly told anyone except for those closest to her, and she thinks that Sora could probably count among them. He has known her for quite some time, after all. Longer than she's even aware of.

There's a distantly whimsical look in her eyes, and she kicks her feet a little in the sand.]

Eustace and I are getting married in the winter. In a few months from now. I'm a little nervous, but I think it'll be fun. [She spins to face him with a glimmer of hope.] You'll be there, right?

[Sora's blue eyes light up with joy.]

Will I ever be!! That's so great, Tifa! Congrats to you guys! That's pretty huge!

[Little sparks of warm light crackle like happy little fireworks around Sora's head.]

If you need any help with stuff I can help out too! Give me all the hard work you don't wanna do!

[It's amazing that Tifa is getting married. Sora knows by now that travelling to these other worlds can really change which way your heart leans. Just look at Sora and Vanitas... The most unlikely pair there is.]

[It really does change where the heart goes. She still, in her heart, cares deeply for Cloud and no matter where she is, that part of her—that young, teenage girl who would gaze up at the stars and wish—would always love him. That much is evident simply by the way she talks about him with Sora or the way her whole face lights up when she says Cloud's name.

But things change, people change. They grow, and they shift with the way the waves move like sand. If they didn't, would they really be human?

She smiles, warm and genuine, and instinctively leans a little closer to Sora.]

Well. Have you ever been to a wedding before? This'll be my first one.

[Sora would understand where she's coming from completely. When he was a little younger he used to think that he would be with Riku and Kairi forever. But it's been so long now that he's changed. His heart still holds them both so close and he loves them with everything he can muster and that will never change. But people do grow up. People do fall in love with the people who are in their lives and who make up their experiences. Sora fell in love too.]

Uh, yeah! This will be my third one, I think?

[He blushes a little with a smile on his face.]

I think I'm technically married to Vanitas. And we've gone to a wedding before too.

[...

......

????

If there were a record scratch in her expression, it would be happening right now.]

Wait.

[There's a stretch of silence, and a surge of warmth around them, but there's also the buzz of confusion that flits around Tifa's head like the crackling of static.]

You're married...? [She shakes her head.] To Vanitas?

[What's really funny about this is Sora's kind of used to that sort of reaction to it. For various reasons. Hah.]

Haha! Yeah! I think we've been married for a couple of years now! We're both nineteen so I guess we're really young for that sort of thing.

[Sora tilts his head. Wondering if Tifa and Vanitas have ever talked before. He knows Vanitas can be quite the personality sometimes. Sora and Vanitas are literally polar opposites.]

In the last world we were in? We had a magical bond that bound us together with the vows we promised each other.

[That's... sweet.]

A magical bond, huh?

[Tifa's voice sounds wishful and light. She wonders if there is some sort of magic bond or promise that they all make in these worlds that will continue to draw them back to one another. It happened to Tifa and Eustace, and now, Sora and Vanitas?]

So, you two also found each other in another world, with your memories, I'm guessing...?

Yeah, exactly! We never had a wedding party or anything like that, though.

[Sora and Vanitas have been very lucky when it comes to this sort of thing. They know that too since not everyone gets lucky enough to be swept off to another world and still remember each other...]

We did. When we woke up in this world we really thought we wouldn't remember each other but when I found Vanitas we both realized nothing changed for us. We remembered everything from before. I know we're lucky.

You are. Not everyone can be that lucky, but I guess it just means you were meant to be together.

[She still isn't sure how much is just a coincidence and how much of it was truly written in the stars, but it's very possible that it's entirely the latter. She knows the feeling well, although she hadn't been blessed with Eustace remembering at first.

There's a thought that occurs to her in that moment, but... she'll tuck it away and save it for a certain journal post conversation...

Tifa gives a little laugh.]

So, is this place special to you two? Where are we, anyway?

[He smiles at her and tucks the little note away in his heart. He really hopes that the fact that Sora and Vanitas found each other again really means they're meant to be together. Sora knows that Vanitas would be a mess without Sora and Sora would be very lost too. At this point... He's pretty sure he'd rather fade away than forget Vanitas.

Then he perks up at her second question. He'll have to tease her about Eustace more later.]

Oh, yeah! This place is called Destiny Islands! It's where I grew up.

[He glances around and looks out at the ocean water.]

But you know, I wonder if I'm getting some of the details wrong at this point. Like were those trees there? Didn't I build a fort over in those bushes? Stuff like that... Want me to show you around a bit?

Oh. You told me a little about this place.

[Her own expression lights up from the softer, more subdued one that she had been wearing. Excitement colours it now, and she seems to already be on her way to getting up as she brushes the sand from herself.]

You did promise you'd show me around here someday, didn't you?

I did!

[Sora grins and hops from to his feet and offer his hand out to her to help her up.]

Come on, let's see how much I can remember about this place.

[Something about what he says pangs at Tifa's heart, and she tips her head up at him before she's accepting her hand to lift herself to her feet. This is his home, isn't it? They've talked briefly about it before, so...

She quickly shakes the thought away and looks around them.]

Lead the way! I'm guessing this is the beach.

[She says with a grin. How very observant of her, but she's teasing.]

[Unfortunately it's a pang that Sora has too. He's been away for so long that he's not sure of all the details anymore. When Sora's memories have been jumbled up like scrambled eggs before too... But he's not going to frown about it. Instead, he's going to show a friend what he can remember of this this special place.]

Haha! You got it, Tifa! You're a natural at island living already!

[Sora laughs along with her teasing and then points at the large docks that are going out over the water. He can remember how far they stretched out. Almost like they go right into the sunset. And the little beach house that sits there at the start of the docks too. But he can't remember how the roof looked. Therefore it seems to be missing...]

Over there is the beach club house. Riku, Kairi and me used to spend the entire weekend out there. It took us so long to build everything too.

You built that!?

[Even with the roof missing, it's still impressive that they had managed anything at all. Something that they could call their own, something that they worked hard for with their own hands. Tifa knows the value of something like that.]

Was it just somewhere you could all hang out? Or was it a special club house for a special club?

We did, yeah! All the kids built it together. It was our special place to hang out just for us kids.

[Sora looks up at it fondly. It's pretty old and a bit broke down but it's put together well enough. Sora wonders how old it really looked the last time he saw it. Maybe some of the wear and tear aren't really there? Or maybe he's dreaming it because it's been so long.]

It was where everything started when I left home too. [Sora laughs. That's a story for another time.] But there's one more really important thing I wanna show you. Follow me!

[And off Sora runs towards the huge jungle of palm trees!]

Oh, alright!

[And off he goes, and Tifa only watches on for a moment with a look of fond surprise before she's chasing after him, following him into the palm trees. It reminds her a little of the new jungle that they have far outside of Reverein—it's not something she sees often, so she does pause to admire it a bit first.]

Where are we going?

You'll see!

[It's a bit of a rough path that Sora leads them through. Watch out for the large branches that hang low or the uneven terrain. It will be a bit of a tropical hike through the trees and rocky paths. At some point, they'll even start hiking upwards.]

Here! It's here!

[And they'll come out on top of a plateau. Where a large beautiful waterfall is thundering water downwards into an earthy alcove below. Water sprays up and leaves the sky looking speckled with colour.]

The biggest waterfall on the island!

[... But then Sora frowns. As he looks down below the view of the island that he wanted to show her is... gone. Instead of more of the island to see outstretched before them, it's simply... blank. Like a page of white paper.]

Wait... Where's the rest of the island?

[This isn't her first rodeo hiking up rocky trails. She's careful, watching out for the low hanging branches and making sure she keeps her footing, as well as watching Sora from behind in case he ends up stumbling or taking a face full of leaves. She can't tell how long it's been before they reach the top, and perhaps the dreamscape itself has helped them along, but as soon as they reach the end of the path...]

Oh...!

[The sight of the waterfall and its loud roar as it falls over the edge into the cove takes her by surprise, snatching the breath right out of her lungs. Not to mention the way the sky looks rainbowy, and she can't tell as she looks up at it if it's magic or the reflection of light on the mist...

She's about to comment on how beautiful it is, how it's unlike anything she's ever seen before in her life—because it truly is something special—when she notices his frown. Her own smile and look of surprise droops, and she turns her attention to where his gaze looks out to.]

The rest...? [She steps up right to his side, and he'll feel a comforting hand rest on his back.] What do you mean?

[Her hand is comforting and pulls Sora away from some of his sadder thoughts. He looks away from the blank horizon and gives her a smile and tries his best to swallow back that ache inside of him. He doesn't want to be sad about this because he was supposed to be showing Tifa something happy. A good and picture-perfect memory about the place he loves and calls home.]

Nah, it's nothing. I just thought it would look a little bit different than this. It's still really pretty. But...

[This is a dream so it's not real. It's not really Destiny Islands. And maybe it's been so long that Sora can't even call Destiny Islands his real home anymore. Not after being away for so long that he can barely remember what the entire island looked like.

He can't let himself be sad about this. He just can't.]

I just hope that someday I can get back here and see what it looks like now. What it really looks like.

[Sora smiles.]

[Tifa would know that feeling well, too. Nibelheim and her childhood feel like such distant memories to her that she wonders if she could faithfully recreate it the same way that Sora did... or didn't, rather. It makes her think back to the few times that she had somehow in her dreams, and if she had missed any details just like this.

It's hard trying to remember these things, but at least he's trying...?

Another small pat on his back, and a reassuring smile to go with it.]

You will.

[And she actually believes that with all her heart.]

Thank you for showing me this anyway. It really is beautiful...

[Her smile and her confidence in that really makes Sora's heart feel more at ease.]

Yeah. Thanks, Tifa.

[It's nice to dream about it. Trying to remember details and things like that... Maybe that's not so important right now. So he smiles warmly at her and promises himself that someday he'll get it all right.]

I liked showing you. Guess it's about time we wake up, huh?

[But their current world is a dream he likes too.]

I guess it is.

[But before they do... Tifa reaches out and wraps her arms around Sora, taking him into a hug. She knows that this wasn't very easy for him, just like her own dreams won't be easy for her, but... she was happy to be here, nonetheless. To be able to reminisce and revisit his home with him.]

If you ever wanna show me around again, just tell me. Okay?

[As she feels that familiar pull back into the waking dreamworld...]

[The hug is a bit of a surprise but Sora doesn't realize how much he needed one just like this at that exact moment. He sinks into it like hugging a big sister he's never had...]

Yeah. I will. I promise I'll ask.

[It just feels nice to have shown someone these old memories that he is still trying to hold onto. It makes them feel more real. Like he's not forgetting. If he can share just a glimpse of this place with someone else then that's okay.

And with that, there is a soft light that envelops them and they slowly wake back into the world of Songerein.]

[closed] when the night has come. and the land is dark.

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

no subject

no subject

🎀