lightwithin | 1st ♥ [Text]

Um.

[Okay, he knows he looks odd, but he's pretty sure Lucova isn't another world. But he's also pretty sure Kairi didn't mean it like an insult - she sounded so happy, and she's smiling so brightly.]

I-I, uh. Th-there's... only... th--the one w-world?

[It should be a statement, but it comes out more like a question.]

[Her face falls.]

You don't know.

[She flips through her book, to the front where the letter is, and holds it out to him.]

There are many worlds. Or, there were many worlds.

[Xanth looks at her, unsure, and then looks down to the book. He recognizes a couple of words - welcome, work, service - but the majority is lost.

He looks back up to Kairi, blinks once.]

I-I, uh, I-- I c-can't... read.

Oh, sorry!

[Of course he can't read it. It's different to the language tattooed on his nose. Kairi tries not to get caught staring again and instead looks at her book.

Hesitating only a beat, she reads the letter. It sounds so much more real, hearing it aloud. By the time she's done, she doesn't want to look up and see his reaction.]

Wh-- What?!

[This can't be real. Ontological cataclysm? What the hell is that? What happened to his world? ]

This-- th-this is-- it's-- a-a joke, r-right, it-- it h-has to be!

[Kairi looks up and shakes her head.]

It's happened before. You probably don't remember.

[Most people don't.]

But it'll be alright...

[Though she doesn't yet know how. This all sounds so different to how it was before. And she still doesn't know where Sora and Riku are.]

Wh--

H--How do you kn--know? Do-- d-do you r--remember?

[How could this have happened before?]

[She hesitates again, and then nods.]

I didn't before, but I do now.

[But none of this is important.]

The letter says we just have to wait, and everything will be alright. Who knows? Maybe we can help.

[But that doesn't make any sense! And the look Xanth gives her says that much. But then Xanth touches a hand to his temple and glances away.

Don't mind him. He's just busy reeling from the very idea of his world being destroyed. Or. Ontological-cataclysmed.]

O-Okay. Um. Um. Okay.

O-Okay.

[He looks back to Kairi, like she's got all the answers in the world, or at least what's left of it.]

W-What... w-what now?

[Kairi shrugs, torn between curiosity and wanting to make sure he's okay. It seemed like a long time ago now, but when she first thought she'd lost both her friends, she hadn't taken it too well either. But right then, curiosity won.]

Do you... Remember anything between when you left home and when you got here?

[Maybe he saw heartless. Maybe he saw nobodies. Either one would go a long way to explaining exactly what had happened.]

N...No, [he replies with a shake of his head.] I-I just... w--walked through a d-door, a-and then... I... I-I w--woke up h-here.

Oh. Me too.

[It's difficult to hide her disappointment, so she distracts herself with her other question.]

Are you okay?

[Her question catches him by surprise. He thinks about it for a moment and decides that no, he's not really okay, but her concern is... well. It's nice. He cracks an awkward, slightly crooked, half-sincere smile.]

Y...Yeah. Th--thanks.

Okay.

[She goes to move past him and but stops before taking a step. She doesn't know where to go.]

I'm going to find some food.

Do you want to come?

S--Sure.

[He's not really hungry, but he doesn't want to be alone. Kairi is friendly and that puts him at ease.]

D-Do you... know wh-- where to g-go?

[She starts toward the orchard and the way Xanth had just come.]

Heh... Not really. I've never been to a castle like this before. Do you know where to go?

Uh...

[Xanth scratches his cheek in thought. He's never been in a castle, but he'd be a fool to not know them. This was the orchard; earlier he'd passed the stables; and he knew they were along the side of a very large building. That, along with its central location, made it a prime target for investigation.]

N-No, but, I h-have... an i-idea.

[He flashes her a quick smile, then heads toward the Great Keep.]

S-So... uh... wh-- what have... y-you seen h--here?

[Silence is awkward. This is Xanth awkwardly trying to fill it.

But he wants to know if she'd seen the raptors.]

[Kairi lets Xanth take the lead. She shrugs, her gaze remaining on the big building ahead of them.]

I haven't seen much. There are some ponds over that way.

[And she points back the way she'd come, and then toward the training field.]

And a field over there. But I haven't been into any of the towers or buildings. Heh, except for the one I woke up in. Have you?

[She looks at him, curious. What has he seen? Is there danger here? Maybe he didn't even wake up in the same building. He doesn't have a book like hers.]

[Ponds. Hmm. That seemed like a strange thing to keep on castle grounds, but when he thought about it, this whole place was strange.

At her question, Xanth chews on his lip.]

U-Uh, I-I did... l-look in the s--stables. Th-there's, uh, m-more than j...just horses in th--there.

Oh? They have horses?

[Kairi has never seen a horse in person! This immediately has her attention. And then she comprehends the rest of what Xanth said.]

What else do they have?

Um.

A m--moose.

A-And g--giant l-lizards.

[Kairi stops dead and stares. Then, realizing that she's done so, she giggles.]

Heh. I should go see! I've never seen a horse before, or a moose.

[Only the giant lizards give her pause. But they couldn't be anything bad, could they?]

And giant lizards don't sound so bad.

[It's Xanth's turn to stare. Never seen a horse? He could sort of understand never having seen a moose, but never a horse? But he cuts the stare short, even shorter than Kairi's stares.]

Th-they, um, well, m-maybe not, but... th-they didn't look... s-safe. L-Lots of-- teeth.

[Like lots of teeth.]

Th-they were i-in a p-pen, though, so, I-I... don't know.

The letter from Lord Deior said we could take refuge here. I'm sure he wouldn't unleash anything unsafe.

[Although she doesn't even know who 'they' are yet. And all the same, she'll probably avoid the giant lizards and their teeth.]

Heh, but I think I'd like to find the kitchen first anyway.

S-Sure.

[Xanth is relieved. He didn't particularly want to go see the raptors again, as he's not as sure everything would be fine here.

He still can't believe his world is gone.

This is probably a dream.

Well, let's roll with it.

As they walk along the side of the Great Keep, Xanth notices a set of doors. He hadn't seen them before, but he hadn't been playing too much attention. His smile turns to a thoughtful frown. It doesn't really look like an official entrance, not like he saw at the front of the building. But, well...]

I-In here? M...Maybe...?

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