Atychiphobia
(Trapped in a nightmare - Azali)
it hurt, everything hurt. A dull aching feeling that seemed to flow over every part of his body. Each slight moment only causing the pain to flare up and intensify. He was stuck, once again he was stuck and this time there was no one around to save him. Even if they were here, they probably wouldn't help. He had pushed Nova away, he had attacked Kayleigh. Then there were those he couldn't go to. Gaia had her own problems, he had watched Luminous murder hundreds of innocent lives. Who was even left? Mimi? No, he promised he would be better than this, promised he would take care of himself. Look at him now, crying on the floor of his own office. How could he ever let her see him like this? A broken shell of himself.
"I'm sorry..." the words felt like glass on his tongue. "I'm sorry..." Each one only hurting more and more. Who was he even apologizing to? There was no one here to hear it. For the first time in a long time, it was just Sora and his thoughts.
"Please just make it stop..." He cried, trying to block out the sounds of his own tears from his mind. It didn't work though, it never worked. He had never found a way to block it out completely. After all, how do you run away from yourself? You can't, it's something you're stuck with... "forever."
"Shut up, stop it..." "Oh Sora... you always have been your own worst enemy... haven't you..." Sora glared up at the figure looming over them. Their wireframe body seemed to flicker as they knelt over him. "You aren't real. I know you aren't real... there is no way you can be real." the figure shook it's head "Even now, you're still refusing to accept the truth. You lose an arm because you break a promise and still that isn't enough for something to click in that thick skull of yours." "I said shut up." Sora couldn't bear to hear that voice again, not now, not when he was like this. It was like rubbing salt in an already gaping wound.
"That's not how this works Sora. I'll always be here, not matter how much you try and get rid of me. You can push me down, try and bury me, ignore me even. However I'll always be here." Sora shakily attempts to stand however a surge of pain brings him to his knees, or would have if the figure hadn't grabbed him. "This isn't healthy Sora. Everyone can see it, why can't you?" Sora shakes off the figure "I'm fine, or I will be once you leave me alone!"
"Healthy people don't keep a physical representation of their trauma with them." The figure noted, pointing to the mask on Sora's belt "Healthy people also don't need to make the promises you did. Or did you already forget that promise and that's why you're missing an arm right now." Sora scowled, slowly moving towards the doors to his office. Perhaps if he just left that would shut it up.
"I, Sora Tatsuya, swear that I will never allow myself to lose sight of who I am, what I stand for, and who I fight for." Sora froze before wheeling around to face them figure. "Why did you make that promise Sora? Is it because maybe, just maybe, you don't trust yourself?"
"You don't not have the right to lecture me..." "I have EVERY right! All the advice you've been given, it all goes in one ear and out the other doesn't it? You said things would be better when Link gave you that mask! You said you'd stop worrying so much when Nova made you promise." The figure pointed a single judging finger at him "You aren't protecting them, you're protecting yourself. Shielding yourself from the one thing you don't want to admit, because then maybe for once you would have to agree to be the one who needs help. Admit that the only thing keeping you from being happy-" Sora grabbed the mask off his belt and hurled it at the figure. Their form flickered and shattered as the mask collided with them, carrying on through them and hitting the wall before clattering to the ground. Sora could feel each beat of his heart in his ears as he collected himself. But as he watches, the figure slowly begins to reform. However, this time they appear different, and much more familiar.
"You have to admit..." The figure says in a voice all too familiar "That the only thing keeping you from being happy..." The figure straightens their jacket and adjusts their gauntlet. "...is yourself." Sora met his own gaze as he stared at the figure it was like the worst form of staring in a mirror. "Are you finally done lying to yourself Sora?"
The lack of air caused him to sit bolt upright. It was dark, much darker than before. Was it night time? When did he fall asleep or did he pass out? The small yip from his lap snapped him back to the current moment as he glanced down and saw a small fox looking up at him from his lap. The small thing must have thought his face was a good place to sleep.
"Oh, I'm sorry about that." Sora said before remembering it was an illusion and not a real fox. In spite of this though, Sora couldn't help but feel comforted by the little one's presence. Come to think about it, Sora had always enjoyed foxes. They were probably his favorite animal from the real world. Maybe that's why he trusted Kayleigh as much as he did. The gauntlet was harder to remove with one hand, but eventually Sora was resting against his desk petting the small fox which had curled up in his lap. "Guess you wouldn't mind if I talked for a bit, would you..." he asked, not expecting a response.
"He was right... I really have been lying to myself haven't I? Bottling up my feelings just like old times. Heh, who would have thought I'd have to learn that lesson twice in my life." The fox's ears twitched as Sora scratched them, the sleeping creature completely unaware of his musings. "It's funny, I always yelled at people when they did the same thing, but I guess that's how it works, huh. We're always critical about the things we ourselves struggle with. Guess that should have been a sign." Sora could feel the rise and fall of the fox's breathing and slowly matched it with his own. "I wanted to be okay, I want to be strong for my family... even when they told me told me I don't have to. Is that wrong? It's it wrong to want to protect people?"
The fox's shifted in Sora's lap, letting out a small sneeze. "Yeah, that makes sense. It's not wrong, but I let it become too important. I cared less about them and more about the act of protecting them. You know, you're pretty good at this whole 'talking' thing." The fox did not respond "...guess that's why." Sora carefully scooped the fox up and sat it down on his desk. "I should probably go... there's some people I need to apologize to..."