A Moment's Rest (Sabin, open)

[Sora]

(OOC: This thread takes place immanently after raid #85.)

Finally. The darkness had been banished by the Light once more.

It was later that same day, the sun still high in the sky just after noon, still the same bright blue sky as it always rightfully was. The waves were gently lapping against the shore with the tide coming in, the crash of sparkling salty foam and seagulls calling adding to the tranquility of the peaceful shore. Here Sora lay in the warm sand, on his back and arms crossed behind his head in the usual pose, stretching out his toes within his large shoes towards the extending waves washing backwards near his feet. The creepy man in the white-hooded cloak and the human Heartless had left the island, and the aura of light was kept safe for the residents to enjoy. And this is what exactly Sora was doing, after such a long time hopping between worlds in his gummi ship, his body and his mind felt exhausted.

His friends were gone, back out into the inky black of the sea of stars above, but that was alright. They were always welcome back to this comforting warmth, and the friendship that was always present with it. The Key That Connected Them All felt he could finally truly rest on his home world, if only but for a fleeting moment, since he had earned the right to keep it a sanctuary he could rest in. And after meeting all the new and returning Keybladers in the Mark of Mastery that were out amongst the worlds, he could trust they were out there doing their best to aid the worlds when they called to them. Enough to allow this tired boy the closest thing he had gotten in a long time to sleep.

Blue eyes were closed as the ocean waves lulled him into a light slumber, remaining somewhat half-awake due to the sunlight illuminated beyond his shut eyelids. He daydreamed about a time before the Heartless started invading worlds and it was just the three of his best friends, looking to sail a small raft across a large world. A peaceful time he would look back fondly on and cherish his innocent childhood, but like everything else in life, it would not last forever. And like this moment, nothing good ever seemed to stay golden, not even the darkness encroaching on his doorstep. But he took the bad with the good... if he had never gone on his adventure, he wouldn't have ever discovered new worlds and friends, discovered the depth of his relationship with Riku and Kairi, and those two were on the adolescent's mind as his thoughts melded into the verge of peaceful dream.

[LT:BBS Soundtrack - Destiny Islands]

[sabin]

He was still trying to catch his breath. Sabin had just successfully sent the horrible gunman packing with one of Duncan’s blitz techniques, and he decided he had definitely earned a few minutes of relaxation before he tried to figure out where exactly he was. As it was, someone or something kept transporting him from world to world whilst he was asleep. He didn’t have a clue in the world to go off of, but it had to be someone with immense magical powers, right?

”Oh man, I’m worn out…”[/b]

The bulky fighter leaned over the rocks, clasping his hands to provide himself with a makeshift glass, and took a gulp of fresh water from an unusual water fall that almost seemed out of place on a small island such as this. As the cool relief forced itself down younger Figaro’s throat, he made a small sound of pleasure as he tasted the best water to ever relieve his burning throat. After finishing the last drop, he fell backwards on his bottom to stare upward into the bright sun.

”Ok, now…where am I?[/b]

As the bear continued to lean backwards, another figure entered his view on the beach. It took him a second to recognize the figure as the spikey-haired kid he’d fought with earlier. It struck him as interesting, because he thought the kid had left with the duck and the dog-man after the battle. He supposed he actually hadn’t seen them leave, mostly because he was trying to get his foot out of the dock it had become stuck in, but he was still surprised to see him.

Sabin could almost feel his muscles groan in annoyance as he forced himself to his feet. That moment of rest felt amazing after the battle with the weird guy and the hooded dude. He sluggishly stumbled towards the beach, taking his time to enjoy the warm bathe of light and the fresh breeze of this world. If he was stuck here forever, he definitely wouldn’t have trouble enjoying his time. When he could finally see the kid’s face, it was instantly obvious that he’d passed out in the sand. Heh, he stole my idea.[/i]

Sabin crouched down, as low to the ground as he could get without actually sitting there and just observed him for a second. He’d seen a moment of his fight with the hooded guy, and he was no pushover, that’s for sure. It struck him as odd that such a powerful warrior could rest so peacefully after such an intense skirmish. It kinda reminded him of Gau in a way, with the easy-going nature and all. As he spoke, the kid’s name rushed into his head in memoriam of what he’d heard in passing a while earlier.

”Sora, right? How does a lazy kid like you end up being that good of a fighter?”[/b]

[Sora]

He would have completely dozed off, if it wasn't for heavy footsteps crunching on the fresh sand behind him. His hands having been laid to rest behind his head, Sora opened those azures of his and tilted his head back to see who it was. "Riku?" No, it sounded too large to be his best friend, and he had lost track of him, Donald and Goofy after the dust from the battle was over. (He hadn't even noticed their extra ally got his foot wedged into the dock, after chasing the darkness off their island.) He yawned, stretched and then sat up, dusting sand off his back as he spotted the figure of a familiar man.

Hey, wasn't he that guy that helped him out?

The man was crouching in the sand, and now he could allow himself to be still and not have to keep his eye on the enemy's movements, he could get a better look at the mountain of a man that knelt nearby. The guy was huge,, and had a lot of muscle to boot. He was awfully glad the guy fought on their side - he'd hated to have to fight against guys with such immense brawn, like that flunkie of Sephiroth's brother he had to fight in Radiant Garden. He called him by name to confirm it, and he nodded before answering the man's question, remembering he must have heard Riku call it out during the battle. "That's right, I'm Sora. Well... I guess I can thank my friends for that. It's because of them... no, it's them that are my power."

He placed a hand to steady his balance as he pushed himself onto his feet, brushing more sand off his clothes, and stretched his arms to work out some of the kinks in his joints. "Hey, thanks for helping us out with that hooded guy and his Heartless back there. You were good too... are you some kind of hero or something? What's your name?" he wondered, feeling curiosity bubble within his mind. He had given his new friend his name, so it was only the nice thing to do to give his back in return. He returned his hands back behind his back as he stretched his upper arms, looking towards Sabin. It was always fun to make a new friend, and he was glad the burly man was enjoying the island he had helped fight for, because he felt an underlying gentleness from him that would always be welcomed as long as his island remained in the Light.

[LT:BBS Soundtrack - Destiny Islands]

[sabin]

[EPIC LATE, I know…]

The hot sand between his toes and blistering heat were never a match for the cool relief when a friend was nearby. Sabin knew, after their battle moments prior anyway, that Sora was definitely someone he could trust. He’d seen the kid throw caution to the wind in order to save his home world, and now Sabin finally had a chance to figure out who he the worlds’ savior truly was.

Apparently, his name actually was Sora, and he had heard the silver haired kid right. He fought for his friends, and his friends were his power. As he thought about that for a moment, images of his own friends flashed in his head. First, he couldn’t help but wonder where Edgar went after Figaro Castle was taken by the shadow creatures. Next, Terra, Locke, and Celes all flashed in his mind, and Sabin was again lost in thought of what had happened to him. The rest of his friends, including a small ruffian he almost looked after as if he was his own child, entered his thoughs, and Sabin completely understood what Sora was talking about. He recognized this with a burst of booming laughter that echoed through the palm trees and the nearby structures.

As the hero in front of him pressed himself to his feet, Sabin stepped back a pace or two to give him some personal space. He mentioned something about a Heartless, whatever that is.

”I’m Sabin, and I wouldn’t call myself a hero or anything. I’m just who I am. Master Duncan trained me so I could stop people from being oppressed like that. I just know what it’s like to someone torn from you by people like that.”[/b]

Sabin laughed the thought of his father’s death with another fit of his booming laughter. This one could probably have been heard a good mile away. If there’s one thing he learned from the war against the Gestahlian Empire, it was to always keep your head up. He definitely had Locke and Edgar to thank for that, especially Locke. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the ‘treasure hunter’ down in the dumps. It was kind of encouraging, really.

“Anyway, what’s this Heartless thing? Is that the hooded guy you were facing?”[/b]

Sabin shifted his head towards the sands where he’d just seen the White Robed Man just moments prior. He wasn’t really that strong, nor was the horrible gunman he’d seen near where he’d awoken on this world. He would have had trouble, but he probably could have taken out Whatever without the talking duck and the dog-man-thing. However, it’s always best to have friends at your side, even if you are just now introducing yourself to them.

[Sora]

(OOC: It's okay, if you like we can end it now, unless Sabin wants to find out anything from Sora. Thanks for posting!)

This moment of serenity, this paradise that was this moment, wouldn't last forever. Sora had just come from a chain - a gauntlet - of battles without so much as having a moment's peace outside of sleeping. And he knew there would be even harder battles to come, an even more challenging journey ahead that would be much more difficult than the last, especially considering the adversity he had gone through before. But no matter the hardship, as long as he kept his friends and loved ones close to his heart, even if they somehow were forgotten like previously experienced or something happened to them he would find a way to bring them back home. Here, to this island paradise, and he considered even his selfish doubts of being a lazy bum would be accepted and even convinced by those closest to him that his body needed to take a break.

He found his blue eyes turned away from the stranger, who now he knew his name didn't even feel like a stranger at all, but an old friend whom he hadn't met yet. The seagulls made long, nostalgic cries as they flew across the coastline, their wings trailing along the crystal clear waters, which only now was beginning to recede from the pure white sand. This island was a paradise... maybe that's why so many that wanted to turn it to darkness came here. Either to destroy one of the last few worlds that was so pure and beautiful out of jealousy or spite, or simply to control and turn it into something which suited them just because they could, but this paradise was also their home. Not just Sora's home, but Kairi's and Riku's too, and in a way it was home to everyone connected to them... a sanctuary for those who wished to find peace among the sea of stars. The warmth coming from the fresh white sand illuminating as a comforting warm light to those that entered it, this place would be a home away from home that needed to take shelter from the storm coming over the horizon, and Sora would keep fighting to make sure it stayed that way.

After taking a moment to reflect as crystal as his own reflection upon the aquamarine waters, he turned back to regard the man, his brown spiky hair bobbing slightly in the wind. His booming laugh hit his ears with surprise, and if it had been any louder Sora could have sworn it would be able to knock him back off his feet. But it was a encouraging laugh, and soon Sora found himself laughing alongside him as well. "Sabin, then, good to meet you. Not the hooded guy, the one covered in shadow and had yellow beedy eyes... you've never heard of the Heartless before? When a person gives their heart up to the darkness, or their heart is stolen, the darkness in their hearts surrounds it and creates a Heartless." he explained simply, as if it were common knowledge, and with an experienced and casual manner as if he had recited it more than a million times. He looked back at the mountain of a man, wondering what world he had come from where the Heartless hadn't reached it... which he was glad for that, at least. "So when you're out there, be careful of the darkness, okay?"