Water grey... Through the windows, up the stairs...
K2323's eyes opened slowly, and all he could see above him was water, with light shimmering down through it. He was... At the bottom of a lake, or ocean... And he couldn't breathe. Slowly, his body began to be lifted up through the water, towards the surface. His mind was... Blank. He didn't know what was happening.. Or how he had gotten here.
Chilling rain... Like an ocean, everywhere.
He could feel himself dying, the water entering his body. He didn't struggle. Somewhere deep in his mind he seemed to think that was the most wise choice -- he'd heard that if you were drowning it was best not to struggle. And besides, he wasn't sinking, he was rising up. Maybe he'd already died, and he was entering the afterlife... Not at all like he remembered.
Don't want to reach for me, do ya? I mean nothing to you.
He felt a bit abandoned. He figured someone he cared about would be there for him when he died. His wife, his sons. Then, they couldn't exactly travel around right now, could they? For that matter, how had he gotten here? Where WAS here? He had been at the tournament arena, announcing the cancellation, and now... He was here.
The little things give you away.
Then, he saw a figure above, hovering in the air, above the surface of the water. It's shadow rained upon him, taking away the light from his face. He didn't know who the figure was, but he strangely recognized it... Was the figure an ex-lover of his? Maybe an old friend? He couldn't make out whoever it was... And it bothered him.
And now, there'll be no mistaking. The levees are breaking.
He could feel himself slipping now, into the abyss of darkness. Something was keeping him from dying flat out, his magic was working inside his body even if he couldn't externalize it. Still, the effect it had on him was chilling, and it made him shut his eyes, try to drift off.. It wasn't working. He could feel his body getting closer and closer to the surface, waiting and waiting until finally...
He broke through the surface, floating on his back.
All you've ever wanted was someone to truly look up to you.
That was when he realized that the figure he'd seen... Had been him.
And now, six feet under... I. Do.
K2323 slowly looked around. He knew where he was. He was in the Outerverse -- only it was a lot different than it had been last he was here. That'd probably been two or three years. He only came when he sensed trouble. How had he gotten here? And why was there water everywhere?
What he didn't realize was that the Outerverse's landscape took the form of it's owners mind. Under Hikaru's rule, it had been a harsh climate. Under K2323's rule, it had often been grassy... But now, there was water... Why? Was K2323 drowning? He looked around the Outerverse for some sign of why it had brought him here. Then, he finally saw it -- or rather, felt it.
He felt Hikaru's magic signature, being echoed by the Outerverse, as if it were shouting at K2323, telling him that she had returned... Even without magic, it had brought him here, because the bond between the Outerverse and K2323 wasn't just of magic -- it was of the spirit. Leaving, though, would be a different story. How was he to do it without magic or technology?
Slowly realizing he'd have to use a bit of his spirit energy to leave, he relented, and in a moment, he was gone.
