she finds him sitting on the sandy shore, eyes upward at the starry night sky. she’s unsure of the time at the moment. last time she checked it was a quarter after 1am. she wonders why he’s up at this hour which is perhaps hypocritical of her since she’s also awake. it’s just been hard sleeping lately, especially on the islands where sora’s memories are strongest. she quietly strides over to him, sitting beside him in the sand as she looks over to him with a concerned look. “can’t sleep?”
Over the past few weeks, Ven has found himself drawn to the shores of Destiny Islands as if pulled by an invisible string wrapped tightly around his heart. For a place he’s only visited a handful of times in his life before his awakening, it feels a lot more familiar than it should. From the tropical heat and the sound of the waves lapping lazily at the shore to the gentle breeze teasing at his hair and the fresh, salty smell lingering in the air— it all feels like home.
He doesn’t know what time it is when he quietly slips out of the spare room Kairi’s parents are allowing him to use while he visits, but he can’t bring himself to care. His heart is restless, and he knows sleep won’t come without Terra and Aqua by his side, so he figures a late night walk to distract himself won’t hurt. He leaves the large house behind, his feet carrying him down the road that leads towards the beach, following its haphazard path as it winds between the cluster of houses scattered across the main island. Ven crests a small hill, his breath catching in his throat as he finally glimpses the ocean and the small play island in the distance. After a beat of silence, he continues down the path, his footsteps slow as if he’s suspended underwater.
The ocean almost appears black in the dead of night, its surface deceptively calm, inviting, reflecting the near-full moon which shines serenely above it amongst a blanket of brightly shining stars. It’s mesmerising, like something out of the fairytales he liked to read when he was younger. He feels as though whatever spell has been cast over the islands and its waters will be broken if he dares to utter a word.
Before too long, he reaches the shore, his feet sinking into loose sand as he steps onto the beach. He kicks off his shoes and leaves them at the edge of the path, moving closer to the edge of the water which rushes forth to meet him, teasing at the tips of his toes. Wordlessly, Ven lowers himself onto the ground and stretches his legs out in front of him, shivering as the cool water laps at his ankles.
Ven leans back on his hands, his fingers slipping into the cool, silky sand beneath him as he turns his face towards the sky, his gaze tracing out the constellations that are somehow both familiar and unknown all at once. He knows, in his heart, that he’s only ever gazed upon these stars with his own eyes once before ( back when his heart had been torn asunder, his body abandoned for death to take into its willing arms ), and yet he can confidently pick out a string of stars and call them by name, as if it were second nature.
For over a decade, his heart sought refuge within another’s, drenched in memories and experiences that didn’t belong to him. Like a sponge, his heart soaked up every last detail, treasuring the precious dreams his caretaker unwittingly awarded him. These feelings, these memories, the casual knowledge he possesses— none of it truly belongs to him. Sora had given him so much, all while sheltering his feeble light and nurturing his fractured heart, granting him the chance to heal.
Maybe that’s why he finds himself drawn here, following the call of his own heart and the foreign memories he can no longer tell apart from his own. Ven feels closer to Sora when sitting upon these sandy shores that he cherished so dearly, surrounded by the sights and sounds that enriched his dreams during the years he spent sheltered within his heart. It makes him feel less alone.
Without Sora at his side, it feels like a huge piece of himself is missing. To have spent so many years nestled within the warm sanctuary of his heart, constantly immersed in his memories and emotions that made everything seem so bright and wonderful, only to have it all ripped away… Ven has been finding it difficult to adjust. The worlds feel colder and duller without Sora.
Movement at his side startles him out of his thoughts. He flinches, panic clawing at his throat as he throws a hand out in preparation to summon his Keyblade— only to freeze the moment he notices a flash of familiar red hair out of the corner of his eye. Ven releases a shaky sigh, his hand falling back to his side. He hadn’t been expecting company.
“ Kairi? ” Ven blurts in quiet surprise. Did she hear him leave? He’d tried to be quiet, but perhaps it wasn’t enough. His lips part, ready to voice an apology, but the words die on his tongue upon hearing the concern in her tone. Self-consciously, he draws a knee to his chest and rests his chin atop it. “ Yeah, I… I’ve not been sleeping much, I guess. ”
Kairi hums softly in acknowledgement before the two of them lapse into a comfortable silence and Ven turns his gaze out to sea, his eyes inevitably drawn to the shape of the play island in the distance, swathed in shadow. A lump begins to form in his throat.
“ I keep remembering things. ” Ven says suddenly, in spite of himself. He can feel Kairi’s gaze on him, curious and expectant, and forces himself to continue, “ Things that… I shouldn’t. They’re not my memories. I know they’re his. Sora’s. ”
He hears rather than sees Kairi shift closer, his vision beginning to blur as he continues to gaze out across at the small island. “ The more I come here, the more I remember and— the more it hurts. ” Something warm and wet slides down his cheek. Ven hastily wipes it away and wraps his arms around his leg, hugging it closer to his chest. Words continue to tumble past his lips, like water leaking out of a dam, “ I feel empty. Like— like a part of me is missing. It’s not fair. He saved me, he saved everyone! He should— ”
Ven cuts himself off, the lump in his throat making it impossible to continue speaking. He can barely see the outline of the island in the distance anymore, his cheeks damp with freshly fallen tears. A gentle hand brushes against his arm. Ven turns towards Kairi ( how could he have said such selfish things, when she undoubtedly misses Sora the most? ) but he finds himself unable to make out her features, his lower lip wobbling treacherously as he struggles to apologise, “ I’m sorry, I— ”
A pair of warm arms wind tightly around his trembling form and drag him sideways, pulling him against Kairi’s chest. He can’t see her face anymore, not that it would have mattered. Ven squeezes his eyes shut, his shoulders shaking as he cries unreservedly into the hollow of her throat. A cloud passes in front of the moon and the world goes dark. Ven doesn’t feel the warm tears that fall into his hair.
