Things are about to Change ~Chapter 28~

~Ayame's POV~

She could feel herself slowly change back, and then black all over. Opening her eyes, she could see that she was back at the Gummi Ship's cockpit. Looking over at the clock, seeing that it was only 10:30 pm, she decided to go take a shower, even though she spend most of her time in water. Walking towards their room, she opened it slowly, and put her smaller bag underneath her bed, her eyes looking around, and grabbed her other larger backpack, while coming out of the room, closing the door in the process. She looked over at the kitchen, and saw the guys talking amongst themselves. She was debating whether or not to eavesdrops, but decided against it, and slowly walked into the hallways bathroom, where she set her backpack on the sink, and started the shower. Slowly stripping down, she could here Sora say goodbye to his two best friends, and then doors shutting close. Walking in the water, she did her shower routine, while also practicing more with her elements, and then turning off the shower, drying herself off, putting on her clothes, putting everything back into her backpack, while putting her dirty undergarments (which were filled with sand) into a bag, brushing her teeth, and coming out of the bathroom, her hair still wet, but not dripping. She went over to the kitchen, noticing the time-11:15, and then coming inside the room. She carefully set her backpack under her bed, while getting herself into bed, Sora already in bed. She shifted so that her sheets were just underneath her chin, while they also blocked her view from around her, her hands to her sides, while her body was as close to the wall as possible. Silence was the only thing heard, until a certain brunette decided to break the silence by shifty his body into another position, and then asking a question.

"Ayame?" The soft voice spoke distantly, which made Ayame think that he was facing the wall.

"Yes, Sora?" She mumbled, while she closed her eyes, still awake.

"Why didn't you fight Scar with us?" She tensed up, as her hands went into a losely ball.

"I...didn't feel well"

"Did you get sick?"

"Kind of, yeah..." Silence after that. She let out a sigh from her nose, and shifted so that she was facing down, her arms still at her sides, her face facing the direction to the nightstand, while she sheets blocked her view, though she could still breath.

"What do you mean by 'kind of' ?" Ayame sighed quietly, knowing that Sora wouldn't let it go, which surprised her slightly, since before, she thought he had never noticed those little things.

"I don't know myself. I got dizzy, probably because of the water, and I didn't want to be a burden, so I stepped out until I felt better" She said in her usual quiet voice.

"What do you mean 'by the water' ?"

"When you were with Simba, I was with Nala, and in the water. I guess the water was too much for me, and made me sick" She plainly said.

"Oh.."

"Are you sure?" Ayame sighed, a little bit louder, while she shifted to get more comfortable, her arms now asleep, while they ached.

"Yes, Sora, I'm sure" There was a long silence after that. She could barely hear Sora's breathing, but she knew he wasn't asleep.

"You do know you can tell me anything, right?" She instantly got tensed, her eyes flashing open, showing her shock. She could feel herself get numb for a short period of time, slowly going back to normal, her eyes still showing her emotions.

"You do know that, right, Ayame?" She gulped, not loud enough for him to hear.

"Yeah" She said loudly, trying to compose her voice. A chuckle was heard.

"Okay, just wanted to make sure. Good night, Ayame" Said as cheerful Sora, and he shifted for the last time. Ayame just gulped, as her eyes went watery, and she covered her face with her pillow, sobbing silently.

~If only you knew...~

But on that night, both knew nothing...

~Late Morning~

She woke up with her back leaning against the wall, herself seated on something hard. She looked around, where something straight stood besides her. Slowly blinking, she lifted her sleeping hand to it, her fingers slowly coming down the cool hard material. She looked up, and saw a bed, where her gaze hardened. She let out a groan as images started running through her head, with her barely seeing them. She clutched her head, trying to control the massive headache, only to prove futile. But the ache only lasted for about 20 seconds, where she slowly then opened her eyes.

Dead

Slowly lifting herself up, she walked over to the bed, where her whole entire body ached all over. She bumped into the two beds twice, Sora's shaking from the massive bruise that was going to appear on her leg, while another bruise was going to form on her hip from her bed. She just covered herself up, where she only glaced at the clock, then at the ceiling.

She was completely dead...

She could feel no remorse from last night. Not from what happened before he went to sleep, and not after.

She was not prepared for any of that. No, she was not prepared for that at all.

~Why...?~

She could not understand. No matter how much she thought about it, she could not understand at all.

She just couldn't

There's always that saying, 'Can't live with them, can't live without them'.

But she didn't know she had to choose

Everything was going to quickly. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to think. Getting up from the bed, she slowly walked out the room, and into the kitchen. After searching for about half and hour, she finally found the medicine cabinet, where she took necessary medicine, with her fever slowly coming up even higher than the night before. Going back into the room, she just plopped herself into bed, where she continued to stare up, her eyes closed, threatening to cry again, which they still stung from last night. She could hear something shift, though she payed no attention to it, and then footsteps. Her sheets only covered her chest down, while she felt a presence besides her.

"Ayame, are you awake?" She only nodded, her lips feeling as if she opened her mouth, a bloody mess would appear in the room.

"Are...are you okay? You look extremely red..." His voice trailed off, while she felt his hand touch her forehead for a second, and then retract back immediately.

"Ayame, your burning up!"

"I know, I already took medicine" She hoarsely said, but feeling nothing.

"Are you sure!?" She just nodded her head, while she slowly drifted to sleep.

~Evening~

"I'm really worried, Donald. I mean, she's been asleep since eleven-ish or so, and she still hasn't woken up. And it's six!" The young Keyblade Master exclaimed, while he laid on the couch, his foot bouncing in the air, while his leg was over the other one, hands behind his head in a relaxed position.

"Well, uh, Sora, she's sick, so I think she's gonna be asleep for a while " Goofy said, while looking over at Sora, coming out of his bored state.

"And also, she's gonna need all the rest she can get. We'll be arriving at Twilight Town in about five days or so. That'll help her a lot. And didn't you say that she felt sick at the Pride Lands?" Donald asked, while glancing back at the worried young man.

"Yeah..." Sora said dazily, his eyes softened.

~Let's just hope she gets better soon...~

~Late at Night~

Waking up with a nightmare, she took several deep breaths, trying to control her breathing. The dizziness was NOT helping at all. She opened her eyes, but had to close them from the intense darkness. She turned around, and cluthed her sheets, her face in the pillow, trying to control herself. It had taken her quite a while just to stop her rapid breathing, and an even longer time to put her emotions at ease. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head up, looking around in confusion. The room was dark, the door closed, while snores could be heard, which made her tilt her head. Getting up from the bed, she slowly walked to the noise, and stood besides the other bed. She saw something spiky at the top of the bed, which made her wonder, slowly lifting her hand, reaching out to touch it. She expected for those 'things' to stab her finger, but instead, her finger went through the spikes. Images went through her head, as she slowly retracted back, and out of the room, bringing her large backpack with her, and into the darkened laundry room.

~Very Early in the Morning~

Quietly exiting out of the room, soft pants were coming out of her mouth, as sweat ran through her skin, her pajamas completely soaked. She went in the bathroom, and took a long bath, letting all her worries go away with the water. Her muscles were all sore, as well as her eye sight going blurry from the warm water. Turning around to change the water temperature, her head gave off a huge pain, which made her gasp, and fall to her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Clutching her head with one hand, she changed the water so that it was the temperature she could withstand. The pain went away as quickly as it came, and she put lifted herself up, putting her hand on the wall to keep her balance, as she continued to take her shower. Minutes after, she was completely done, and was now changing, getting out her old clothes, her uniform from school to be exact, and put them on, as she put everything else in her backpack, while getting her bags of dirty clothes, her towels, and her sweat- soaked pajamas, and exiting out of the bathroom, and into the laundry room once more. Starting all of the washing machines, she put her clothes in different washing machines, putting the necessary amount of soap, closing the lid, while putting in the time, and leaving the room with the semi-silent sound of the machines doing their work, and into their room. Putting her backpack under her bed, she carefully laid in her bed, and drifted off to sleep.

~Evening~

Sink overfilled with dirty dishes.

Counters filled with many different liquid spills, as well as many types of colored foods covered by those mysterious liquids, or just there, solid and all.

Stove completely dirty with oil, milk, and other ingredients as a huge saucepan sat there, with a high heat, as it started to bubble over, the lid jingling, trying to come off from the pan, the steam trying to get out.

"Are you SURE that's what the recipe said?" The young man asked for the 15th time. The duck just huffed, trying very hard not to whack him on the head with the hot spoon, and just nodded, as he tried to open up the lid, only for him to start quacking and running around, his hand completely red. Goofy flinched, then sighed, not knowing how long they would be able to stay calm and not crack.

"Maybe we should read the recipe one more time. Donald..."

"No, NO, NOOO!!! I already read the recipe, and that's what it said to do! 'Keep the lid on for 15 minutes, or until it boils, and then remove from heat!' It hasn't even been 15 minutes!" Donald shouted at his calm companion, his eyes on fire...literally.

"But uh, it's already boiling, Donald..."

"IT'S NOT FIFTEEN MINUTES!!!!"

The Duck Had Cracked

There was suddenly a door opening, since the cracking sound could be heard, and then closed, while footsteps thumped the floor. A very sick Ayame appeared at the entrance of the kitchen, her eyes dazed, while her hair was sticking to her face, only revealing one of her eyes, which were dazed. She was in her uniform, which was sticking to her body, all wrinkled. Her only visible eye just widened at the sight of the kitchen.

"What...happened..." She whispered out, as she pulled away her hair from her other eye, as she just examined the trashed kitchen. Suddenly, a popping sound was heard, as the lid from the saucepan had finally come out on it's own, and landed only a couple of inches away from her bare feet, as steam came out of the lid, the intense heat could be felt. She took a slight step back, and then to the side, as she started to walk inside the kitchen, getting a better look.

"Well, uh..." Sora said, while scratching his cheek lightly, not really wanting to say. Ayame saw Donald running around, still trying to get his hand to cool down. She grabbed his good hand when she saw him running her way, and turned on the sink, the cold water then running through his hand. He just sighed in relief as he sat on the counter, grateful that the burning sensation was gone. She turned off the sink, and then went to turn off the stove, seeing the hot liquid on the floor now, and all over the counter (thank Kingdom Hearts that it was an electrical one, or else the Gummi Ship would have been on fire from all the liquids around the stove). She grabbed two towels, and grabbed the hot saucepan with them, and putting the pan in the sink, balancing through all the dishes. She didn't even dare to look at the mixture, the smell was enough. She tried her best not to vomit, and instead made only two gaging noises, as she started to wash one sink load of dishes. The boys just looked at each other, and then down in shame, knowing that they had messed up everything. She had finished a plate, and was about to set it on the counter, until she saw that she counters were all messy with many...things. She let out a big sigh, as she set the dish down, knowing that she had to wash it...again. She went over to get paper towels, got them damp with water, and cleaned off the counters, while setting Donald down on the floor, without his permission (not that he even said anything, it was practically his fault). After cleaning the counters, she then went to clean the stove, her eyes dazed, her fever still the same temperature as before, or even higher. After that done, she went to clean the floor, using another damp paper towel, and a dry one to dry the floor, she didn't need anymore accidents. She noticed that everyone was still standing, and behind the table. She only glanced at their feet, and then went to clean the dishes. She cleaned one sink load of dishes, as she set them on the counter, paper towels surrounding the counters so that she only had to set the plates down, and then dry them later, without having to clean the counters that much after. She then went to clean the other sink load of dishes, and set them on the other side of the sink, while going over to clean the hardest of all: the huge saucepan. She took a deep breath, and dumped the contents of it down the sink while looking away, not wanting to have to clean her vomit as well, though she did make a gaging sound. Without looking back at the dish, and only looking at the other side of the sink, she started cleaning all of the pan with a very rough sponge material. It took her many minutes to get the bottom of the pan all cleaned, and then started at the sides, which also took some times to clean, and then washed the pan normally, and then setting it to dry. Grabbing a towel, she started drying all of the dishes, one by one, then stacking them, and putting them back to their original place. After she was done with that, she wiped everything up with the wet paper towels, table, stove, counter, floors, even chairs, and then threw the bundle in the trash, and then walking over to the refrigerator. It seemed that it was the only thing cleaned in the whole entire kitchen, and started looking at to what she could make with the ingredients remaining, as well as calculating what she should save up for later. She wanted to make something simple, but that also filled enough until tomorrow. She decided to make her cream of chicken soup, even though she had already made it before. But since it had cured Sora, she would think that it would also fill her up, no? But also, she wanted to make a salad. But not just any ordinary salad, but a yogurt and fruit salad. She smiled weakly, as she pulled out all of the necessary ingredients. In about an hour and a half or so, she was done with the soup, and had moved to the salad. Getting out some yogurt, she took out a huge glass bowl, and set it on the counter, while a wooden spoon was next to it. She walked towards where the fruit was, and pulled out two apples and two pears. She chopped them up into squares with a knife and cutting board, and put them in the bowl, and then added in the yogurt, using the whole entire container, which was about two or so pounds, and stirred the contents until she fruit was completely covered in yogurt, and went to grab some pecans, and ordinary small nuts, and added them to the yogurt salad. She could literally hear a bunch of growling besides her, even though the growling came from many feet away. If it weren't for her mood right this minute, she would have smiled, but a frown was the only thing there, as she continued to stir until it was done. She slowly walked over to where the plates where, trying to balance herself, though she showed it slightly, and pulled the cabinet doors open with some of the strength that she had, though it looked like she was doing it normally, and grabbed eight bowls, and set them all around the saucepan and the large yogurt bowl, and started pouring in with two different ladles their contents, four with soup, while the other four with the salad, and put all six of them on the table. Walking again to the counters, she grabbed spoons, and napkins, while setting them out on the table, and then walked once AGAIN to the counters, pulling out four glasses, and going to the fridge, getting out milk and orange juice, and set them on the table, while pouring a glass of milk for herself. Slowly turning around her head, she checked to see if there was more to be done, and just grabbed her two bowls, a spoon each one, napkins under the bowls, while the glass of milk on one hand, as she slowly, slower than she was before, walked to the hallway, opened the door with the hand that had the milk, opened it with her foot, and then closed it with her foot as well, and then silence after that.

"...."

The boys where just in complete shock, not knowing what to do or say, and just stood there, until the sweet aroma of the soup came to their nostrils, and then loud growls echoed through the Gummi Ship, as well as materials breaking...well, not really breaking, but really falling to the floor.

~The Room~

Slowly going to her bed, she set the plates on the nightstand, moving the lamp that was there farther away, and closer to Sora's bed than hers, while also sitting down, making the nightstand a table. She just started eating slowly, her eyes distant, glossy, while reaching up to turn on the lights. She winced when the light hit her eyes, not used to light that intense, but soon relaxed, going back as to what she was doing, sweat all around her body, her hair again sticking to her face, though she didn't care at all.

The only thing she cared, was what happened the night before...

Re-thinking back to that same minute, she could feel herself shake, which made the bed shake as well, her spoon shaking in her hand as she continued to eat it, slowly cracking from the inside.

Oh, how much she wanted Hikaru this very minute

To tell her all that has happened, to tell her what will happen...

But more selfishly important...

To be embraced...

She had now finished her soup, and was going to the salad, her fingers trying to grab the spoon, though it kept slipping from her shaking. She stopped for a second, and grabbed the spoon, putting it's delicious contents in her mouth, though for her, it tasted like water.

Nothing

She could not take it anymore, and closed her eyes, tears falling in the white and colored soup, making small ripples as they fell down, though yogurt is thick, her mind thought otherwise.

~Why...?

She could only think that as she finished her salad, tears just streaming down her face, making it seem as if the yogurt was never eaten, though she was already done, and tapping the bowl, until later she noticed, staked the two bowls, and drinked her milk slowly, trying not to choke from her staggered breaths. Finishing with the drink, she started at the lamp for many minutes, until she laid down on the bed, but the covers over her, her back facing the light, while her front was facing the shadows, going to a deep, unpredictable sleep.

~Night~

She awoke from her deep slumber to the pressence of someone. She slowly opened her eyes, as she stared at the ceiling, her eyes still glossy, her sheets damp from all the sweat. She could feel the presence exactly next to her, but she made no movement, breathing slowly from her mouth, her arms at her sides, asleep. She blinked slowly, as she turned her head trying to see what it was. But the darkness of the room made it impossible to even see the nightstand, since it seemed that someone had turned off the lights, though the window should have at least poured in some light, but it was also covered, which made her wonder as to what was happening. She started to move her arms, but they were pinned down, though there was no one holding them.

She was completely paralyzed, her mind only conscious

She started to panic, her eyes becoming wide. She tried to move herself, but it proved pointless, and made her eyes to get a bit blurry, which made her panic once more, since she didn't know as to what the hell was happening, and as to why her eyes went as to how they were now.

~Don't worry...I won't hurt you~

She started to panic even more, her breathing quickening, while her eyes tried to search for the voice. She felt her eyes go even more blurry, and then, she could only see black, but she was still uncontious.

~I said not to worry. If you keep panicking, it will only make you feel worse than you are now. Just relax, I won't hurt you, I promise~

She now knew as to where the voice came from, and relaxed slightly, though she had her guard up still, her body tensed. She could feel the bed the presense get closer, though she did not know if he had sat down on her bed. She had now recognized who it was, the person who had hugged her from behind, giving her comfort. She felt something on her forehead, and then nothing, which made her wonder what he had done to her.

~You are extremely warm...have you taken medicine yet?~

~Yes...but I forgot to take it today...~ She thought in her mind, while scolding herself that she had forgotten such a simple thing.

~I see...

The man disappeared, since his presence was no longer in the room, but still in the Gummi Ship.

~What medicine did you take?

She told him which medicine it was, giving him specific instructions as to what it looked like, what color liquid it was, where it was, and how much she should take.

~But...what if he's just trying to win me over, and instead give me a different one, and different measurements to take?~

~I could have done that a long time ago. You are paralyzed, completely vulnerable. He is there, asleep, and I could have killed him the moment I got there, but I didn't, did I?

She gasped quietly, not realizing that Sora was also in the room. But his facts were also true. He came back, his presence stronger now. She could feel herself being lift up carefully, and placed to lean against something hard, which she though was the wall.

~Open your mouth~

She hesitated in doing so, gulping, but knew that she had no other choise, and did what she was told, opening her mouth. She could feel something cool go in her mouth, as her lips shaped the spoon, and swallowed, the spoon retracting from her mouth, and she opened her mouth once more, the spoon in her mouth, swallow, and then retract back. She cleared her throat, trying to get the awful taste off. She could feel herself being lifted, and then laid back down. Her hair was lifted off her face, which she tried not to smile, since it was getting annoying.

~I hope you get better~

~WAIT! Why did come?~ She asked, trying to not get him to leave just yet. She needed to know why he didn't kill her and Sora, and also, why did he help her?

~...I just came to check on you... She could barely hear his response, and then, he was gone. She could feel her body's temperature return, which made her groan from the intense heat. Her finger twitched, now being able to move. Slowly and carefully, she sat up, her head throbbing from the blood pumping through her skull, her vision becoming clearer. Looking around in wonder, she noticed that what the hooded man had said was true. The brunette was indeed in his bed, sleeping peacefully, and from her distance, she could see nothing wrong with him. Her eyes narrowed slightly, while staying silent. After a long pause, she stood from her bed and left the room without a word. Walking down the hallway, she went inside the laundry room, turning on the lights, and closing the door silently. She walked over to the washing machines, and opened them, getting out the contents inside. Closing the machines, she laid them flat, and started the process in drying them. It took her many times to even get air out of hands, and an even longer time to keep it there. It was no surprise that it took her more than an hour or so to get everything done, and grabbed the dry clothing, exiting, the room in darkness. She walked and kept walking until she was inside the room, and folded her clothing, putting them all inside a clean bag, while also throwing away the dirty bags. Pushing her backpack under her bed, she laid on top of her bed once more, thinking of how weak she felt with all the rest she was taking, sleep overcoming her once more...

~Evening~

It had taken them many hours to prepare breakfast, since they didn't want as to what happened yesterday to happen again. Donald had this time read the directions on the recipe more than once, which was a wonder as to how the paper was readable from the many times it was fumbled by Donald's hands, though many stains covered the now brown paper. A timer could be heard nearby from the ticking noises heard around the kitchen, the place a complete mess...again. But not as bad as yesterday, rest assure. Sora just sighed, as he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, flour all over him, and his hands covered with chocolate. He looked over at the clock, his eyes squinting as he tried to read the small numbers from his distance.

8:45 pm

A sweatdrop appeared on the back of his head, as he had expected it to be much sooner than later. They had spend almost the ENTIRE day in the kitchen, since they had woken up late, two something in the afternoon, and had eaten breakfast at about four, since they were trying to not crash the kitchen like they did yesterday. And now they were eating 'lunch' at around nine.

He usually ate lunch the minute he came back from school

~School...~ He thought in his mind, as his eyes went dazed, leaning against the counter, the apron he was wearing making some sort of noise, his arms crossed across his chest, his head bowed low. He was thinking about how it was before he had gotten the Keyblade.

Waking up in the morning...

His arm dropped.

Playing in the beach, while trying to get coconuts from the trees to drink because of the hot day...

His other arm dropped.

Being with his friends, and having no worries in the world...

His eyes closed.

Being able to feel the waves crash around his feet, the sand through his toes as the island wind swept through his hair, smelling the saltiness of the ocean breeze...

He took a deep breath, smelling the delicious scent of burnt cookies.

~Wait, burnt cookies...?~ His eyes went wide open as he looked over at the oven to see the start of black smoke come out, which made him gasp, and rush over to put the oven gloves, opening the oven. Smoke came out of it, and straight as his face, while he kept coughing and waving his hands around, trying to get the smell away from his face. Moments after, he got out the brown semi-burned cookies out of the oven, and into a cooling rack, while grabbing the other batch, and closing the oven with his foot. His two companions ran over to the source of the smoke, so see Sora trying to get the sticked cookies from the cookie sheet, and into different plates. He had remembered as to what his mother had told him when she was baking cookies for him when he was younger.

NEVER stack them, always spread 'em

~Mom...~

His eyes went sad when he though of her, all the hugs she would give him, all the 'Congratulations Honey!' when he did something right for once, everything. He wiped his eyes with his arm, trying not to let anything fall.

"Sora, are you okay?" His head went up, as he looked over at his friends, eyes closed, smiling.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Why'd you ask?" He asked, while looking back down at the sheet of cookies, trying to scrape a cookie off from the sheet with the spatula.

"Oh, okay...it's just, you looked really down..." Goofy said, while frowning and looking at his best friend in concern.

"Oh, no. I'm okay. It's just that this cookie, doesn't, want, to come, off!" Sora shouted in frustration, as he was now hitting the cookie sheet with the spatula, and trying to remove the cookie at the same time, which made Donald sweatdrop. He finally got it off in one strong push, and went flying to a wall, where it exploded into little crumbs, which made Sora's jaw drop, not expecting that to happen.

"Gawrsh..." Goofy said, while his hand was close to his mouth, staring at the poor crumbled cookie in pity. Donald just sighed, not wanting to deal with the drama off the cookie 'dieing'. Sora just laughed nervously, as he put the spatula and the cookie sheets in the half-full sink of plates. He untied his apron, and set it on the chair, almost falling to the floor, while grabbing a plate of cookies and running to his room.

"Donald, it's your turn to wash dishes" The young man shouted, as he opened the door with his elbow.

"WHAT! YOU HAVEN'T EVEN CLEANED AT ALL!" Donald shouted furiously.

"YEAH I HAVE! I HELPED AYAME DRY THEM!" And then a door slamming shut and a pissed off duck cursing out was heard.

~In the Room~

He slowly navigated through the room, trying not to make any noise or bump into anything. But the light shined around him, as Ayame could be seen, her eyes wide, pale as snow, her arm extended towards the light switch. He froze, looking over at her with wide eyes as well, looking a lot like a thief trying to get inside a house without being heard or seen.

"S-Sora?" She whispered, as she kept staring at him, her eyes slowly becoming their normal size, as she her arm slowly came down to her side, her skin color slowly coming back.

"Uh, hi Ayame! Funny seeing you awake!" He said, while laughing nervously and coming to sit down besides her, the plate of cookies sitting on his lap. She blinked, and her eyes slowly trailed down to the plate of almost burnt chocolate chip cookies. A growl could be heard, as she hugged her stomach, her face completely red.

"I-I am s-so sorry!" She said, while bitting her lip, about to cry from embarassment. But Sora just laughed.

"It's alright! You haven't eaten at ALL today, so you must be pretty hungry" He said casually, while grabbing a cookie.

"Now say 'ah!' "

"A-" She looked up, about to say the whole entire word, but a cookie stopped her from doing so, which was sticking out of her mouth, Sora grabbing it, smiling. She blinked, completely stunned, and chewed off the cookie, munching it and swallowing.

"How do they taste?" Sora asked, while giving off a grim smile. She stayed silent, staring at him with the same expression, her face pale once again.

"Well?" Sora asked, while he bit his lip, having very little hope now.

"W-Wonderful..." She finally managed to spit out, her voice a mere whisper.

"Really!? That's great! Donald, Goofy, and I though that they weren't going to be that good for you to eat, but we still tried, Donald reading the recipe a million times and all-"

"W-Wait!" Sora just blinked, stopping from blabbering all that had happened when cooking the cookies.

"T-These...these are...for me?" She whispered, her eyes going wider than before, which made Sora blink.

"Of course they're for you. And when you found the kitchen a mess yesterday, that was because we wanted to make a soup for you, since you were sick and all...But I guess it didn't go as how it was suppose to..." Sora said, while scratching his cheek, avoiding eye contact. She just kept staring at him, not moving, not breathing, no movement.

~They did all that...for me ...~

If it weren't for her to still be in shock, she would have balled her eyes out. Bowing her head, she stayed silent still, her hands on her lap, clenched into fists, trying with all her soul not to start crying. Sora noticed this, and looked up at her in curiosity. But when he saw her head bowed, he immediately felt horrible.

"Ayame, are you going to cry? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, I swear! We though that this would have made you happy, not make you cry! Oh, please don't cry, Ayame! We won't do this again, I pro-"

"No, it's fine! It's just...really sweet of you three" She said quietly, lifting her head to see Sora.

"Thank you...for everything" She said, her lips turning to a warm smile, her hands still clenched into fists, and digging into the sheets to stop from crying. Sora just blinked again, confused, but smiled moments after, nodding.

"Your welcome! But are the cookies really good?" He asked, while smiling. She nodded, and grabbed the cookie from his hand, munching on it, her eyes closed, the smile still in her face. He smiled as well, and grabbed a cookie from the plate, munching on it, and savoring the chocolaty taste.

~Morning~

Feeling her eye lids open up slowly, she took a deep breath, and rolled to her stomach, grabbing so that her sheets where close to her, and getting herself comfortable once more. She couldn't get that much sleep last night, since the sugar from the cookies didn't let her. She could feel that her sheets were completely wet, which didn't make it that much better. She shivered, and made herself go into a little ball, her back now against the wall, the sheets all around her. She couldn't concentrate on anything else but her breathing and shivering.

Even the bed shook with her

She could feel her head start to pound, as she clutched it, taking deep breaths.

She wanted to scream...

But she couldn't...

She didn't know as to what was happening, but the only thing she knew, was that she was in the Gummi Ship no more.

Bookcases covered everywhere. A table stood in the middle of the sunbathed room, as doves had somehow reached the inside of the room, as some also flew across the very large church-like windows.

Water started to pool at the bottom of the place, though it just soaked through the rug.

Drip, Drop

Tickety, Tock

Drip, drip, drop

Tick, tock, tick, tickety

"No I didn't! You were the one that tried to go around, but caught your foot on the chair!" A giggle was heard and then a screech and more running.

"Come on ________, play with us!"

"Yeah, _______, and _______, come and play with us, PWEEEASE!!!"

"I'd rather not" Two children calmly walked in the room, their expressions hidden withing the shadows.

~Who...who are they?~

"AW! You're no fun! Come on you two, please!!! For your little sister!" A small child came to the two other children, and it could be seen that she was the youngest of all the children playing. Her blue sundress just swayed with the wind of her running, her white shoes tapping the rug, and then stopping. The two children just looked at each other, and sighed, while one of them came out from the shadows, black shorts, and gray shirt on the child, though it could be clearly seen that the child was a he. Another sigh heard, and the other child, which was recognized as a she, came out, having the same dress as the youngest child, though her shoes where blue, a darker shade than the dress, and a ribbon that was shaped as a bow, laid on the top of her head, which was white.

"Fine, we'll play..."

"YAY!!! ONI-CHAN AND NEE-SAN ARE GOING TO PLAY WITH US!!! LEON, AERITH, YUFFIE, HIKARU!!! DID YA HEAR THAT!!!"

~Leon...? Aerith...! Yuffie...!? Hikaru!?~

....

.....
RESTORATION: 5%

~Gummi Ship~

Ayame's eyes slowly opened, as the first thing she saw was her bare hand clutching her pillow. She groaned when her eye sight got better, and could feel her head pound less, and less, and less, until it stopped. She looked up, and saw that she was in her bed, laying face down, her sheets all around her, half of them on the floor.

"What the hell...was that?" She whispered to herself, as she turned around laying on her back, her arm over her eyes. She didn't know as to what happened, but that little scene kept playing in her head over and over again. It was a shame that she couldn't see anyone, but she did hear everything correctly.

"But why Leon...and Aerith and Yuffie? But...why was Hikary there as well?" She asked herself in hushed whispers. She groaned once more, feeling her head about to eplode from the many questions she wanted to ask. She could hear something opening which made her tense up, and breathe slowly.

"Ayaaaame...it's seven and you haven't woken up this whole entire day to take your medication..." A hushed whisper was heard around the room, which made her get goosebumps, and shiver from how the voice sounded.

Completely Seductive

She could feel her bed go down slightly, and then clatter of a dish, or dishes. She could feel herself being shaken, while her arm was gently pulled off from her face. She fluttered her eyes open, and looked down as to who the person who woke her was. She gently sat herself up, and leaned against the wall. She could see Sora in his night clothes still, just staring at her with a smile.

"Good Afternoon, had a nice sleep?" Sora asked, while Ayame rubbed her sleepy eyes and nodded sleepily. Sora outstretched his arm, and turned on the nightstand's lamp, which made Ayame wince from the light, and opened her eyes as they watered.

"Sorry, but you have to eat so you can take your medication" Sora explained, while he felt bad from waking her up from her nice long nap. He grabbed the plate of food, and cut it up, while grabbing a piece of it with the fork.

"Now say, 'Ah!" Ayame opened her mouth slightly, and in went the food with made her blink. The fork was then taken out, and she chewed slowly as she tried to confirm as to what the food was.

Spongy...

Chocolaty...

Warm...

She smiled happily as to how the food tasted, and grabbed the fork from Sora's hand and literally stuffed her face as her stomach growled for more food. Sora just chuckled, and waited for her to finish her plate of chocolate chip pancakes. She was done minutes after, which made Sora stare in shock at how fast she ate the entire thing.

And it was three plate size pancakes as well...

"Well, I can see someones hungry..." He stuttered, and grabbed a spoon and the medicine. Ayame turned to look at the bottle and was completely surprised that it was the same medicine that she was taken and that the mysterious hooded figure had given to her. Maybe left it on the counter? He gave her the right amount of medicine, and put the spoon as to where the plate of pancakes where, and left, only saying that he was going to put them in the sink, and closing the door. She blinked slowly, thinking of only the scene that had played in her head.

Why was Leon there? What made it happen so that Aerith was there? Where was Yuffie exactly? And what did Hikaru had to do with all of this?

Many question ranged through her head. She could feel her eyes begin to water, which made her bite her lip, and rubbed her eyes, making herself not cry.

Why did she had to witness that?

She heard the door open, and she quickly laid down, and went into the same position Sora found her. She heard a sigh, and then some mumbles, while the door was quietly shut, and then something creaking, which made her tense up.

"The only thing you've done, is sleep, Ayame..." The voice said quietly, though it sounded more as the person was telling himself that, and not in a negative manner either. She sighed minutes later, and just brought the sheets around her once more, feeling the medicine take effect on her. But she was worried that another scene would befold in her sleep, though she was also happy that if that did happen, she would have no nightmares.

~Your right Sora, the only thing I do is rest...~

~Morning~
She cracked an eye open when she heard the noise of running water. Opening her other eye, she noticed that there was light under the bathroom door in their room, which made Ayame blinked, and look over at Sora's bed.

Empty

Blinking once more, she stood up slowly, and got the covers around her off. She grabbed her big backpack from under the bed, and exited out the room. Her mind was a blur, but went inside the hallways bathroom, and closed it, while turning on the lights and starting opening the water for her to take a shower. Her clothes were all sticking to her but she felt better than before.

"I wonder what we're doing to day" She whispered, and undressed herself, while going in the shower. The water was very warm, which she turned down, and squeezed some shampoo in her hand, and started her routine.

She didn't know as to what day it was, and as to what world they were going to. But at the same time, she didn't want to know, and just relaxed, while also doing her daily practice in the shower. Fifteen minutes had passed, and she turned off the shower, while grabbing her towels, and drying herself off. She came out of the shower, and got out her usual clothes, the ones that Namine had made for her. A soft smile went on her lips as she started chaning, and put on her bracelets, her sapphire crescent necklace, and her clips in her hair, making her bang go away from her face. Putting on some clean socks, she then put on her shoes, and also cleaning the bathroom up, hanging her towels, and putting her clothes into bags and into her backpack. She walked out, and into their room, while pushing her backpack under her bed, and grabbing her other one, which still had Potions, Hi-Potions, and a couple of Ethers. Walking out of the room, she noticed that there was an aroma in the air, which made her stomach growl, and follow the scent. Once she got in the room, she noticed that Goofy and Donald were sitting down, while Sora...was cooking.

"Sora?" Ayame asked shocked, while her jaw was slightly dropped. Hearing his name, her turned around, and smile when his eyes meet hers.

"Hiya Ayame, sleept well?" He asked, while paying attention to the eggs he was preparing. Her lips then slowly went a grin, and she just leaned against the counter, arms crossed and watching him.

"I never knew you could cook" She said, while her smile turned slightly into a smirk, which made Sora stick her tongue at her.

"Well, I usually cooked in our past quest, but since YOU were usually the first one up, I couldn't" He mumbled, a teasing tone he used, which made Ayame chuckle.

"Well excuse me for cooking, I never though you did. And as for your question, I did sleep well, thank you very much" She said, while she also sticked her tongue out, which this time made Sora chuckle. He could see that the eggs where done, and plopped them into a plate, the last plate that had no eggs. All of the plates did however have bacon, which made Ayame's stomach growl again, and she just blushed, while she hugged her stomach.

"And someones hungry too" Sora said, while he grinned over at her, and brought the plates to the table. Ayame took her seat, and everyone ate in silence. She had now started to wonder as to why no one ever talked to each other, and only when they were closing the Keyholes. But she sure wasn't going to start a conversation, that's for sure.

"So, Ayame, how'd ya feelin'?" Goofy asked, while eating his last remaing bacon.

"Much better than before. But also...thank you very much" She said quietly, while eating her first bacon, now done with her eggs.

"What for?" Donald asked, while he was still eating his eggs.

"For making a mess in a kitchen, when you three were trying to prepare something for me because I was sick" She said, and ate her second bacon. Donald and Goofy looked at each other, knowing that they had never said anything. But then their stares went over to Sora, which he just smiled, and leaned back at his chair, his arms crossed, a smile on his face.

"Well, you were sick Ayame, and you hadn't eaten anything, so it was normal for us to make something...even if we did make a mess" Sora said, while laughing nervously at that memory. Ayame smiled, and nodded, her head still bent low, and had finished her bacon, and stood up to put her plate in the sink. Everybody else stood up, and had put their plates in the sink as well.

"Uh, Donald? Are we going now?" Goofy asked, while he noticed that Donald had walked into the cockpit.

"Yeah"

"Going where?" Ayame asked, while she grabbed her backpack, and slung it over her arm, though she kinda already knew where they where going.

"To the new world" Sora said, while not looking back at her, and walked over to the portal, which Donald and Goofy had walked through. She nodded slowly, butterflies flying through her stomach, as she bit her lip, and also walked through.