Chapter Text
It is cold. So unbearably cold. He can't take it much longer. He fears that the cold may consume him whole. Hah, fear, that's a new feeling for him. At the same time, the feeling was all too familiar. Familiar… Speaking of, who was he? He can't remember his name. Though, he remembers a young boy. Kakavasha. Was that him? Perhaps, but that wasn't much of a concern at the moment.
How does he leave this void? It's endless darkness accompanied by the unrelenting cold. Sometimes, he hears voices from beyond the void. They're distorted, hazy, unrecognizable. Yet, they are comforting. They remind him that there is something out there beyond his futile existence.
Sometimes, the voice are understandable, yet the words they say hold no meaning. Often times, he doesn't even bother with listening to what they're saying. It doesn't matter to him. What value will useless words hold in a place where nothing occurs other than his own thoughts?
Though, at some point (he doesn't know how long he's been here), one of the voices becomes so overwhelmingly loud. It sounds familiar. Everything feels familiar, yet he can't figure out from where. All he knows is the void, nothing before and nothing after.
It calls out to him with an unknown name… "Aventurine" it calls. Is that him? If so, then who is Kakavasha? Maybe they're both him. He finds himself curious about this voice for reasons he can't put his finger on. Something draws him towards it.
"Aventurine… Can you… me?"
"Huh?" His voice sounds foreign to himself. Has he ever spoken in this void? He finds himself wanting to respond to this voice, so he does, "Hello?"
"Aventurine! Are you…"
The voice is muffled, some parts unintelligible.
He wants to reach out towards the voice. It's strange. He has never wanted anything before. This want is all-consuming. He complies with his want and stretching out an unrecognizable hand towards the voice. He yearns for it. Whatever "it" was, he wanted to know.
Please, he silently begs, please take me from this void!
.
.
.
Warmth enveloped him in a sudden wave. Along with it came noise. So much noise. It's too much. His hands rush to press themselves over his ears, a futile attempt as shielding himself from the auditory assault.
"Aventurine?!"
Ah, the voice was here. It brought him comfort. However, he noticed that it was much clearer now.
He didn't respond. Everything was too overwhelming. His eyes were screwed shut, but the harsh light still attacked him through his eyelids.
"I've got you, Aventurine," The voice said (assured?), "You will be okay."
The words brought him comfort. He doesn't know why. He still doesn't know who this "Aventurine" person was yet the gentle way they talked to him made him melt.
The last thing he felt was a warm embrace encasing him before he let sleep take him.
* * *
To say that Ratio was panicked would be the understatement of the century. Despite his usually calm demeanor, he was properly freaking out. In his arms lay Aventurine, freshly rescued from the Nihility, who was currently unconscious.
When he went to look for Aventurine once again, as he did every day, he didn't expect his attempt to be successful. Ratio, recklessly, did not think ahead to the possibility of actually finding the man he had been searching for for nothing less of a month.
He shook away these thoughts with a shake of his head before focusing on making his way to his hotel in the Dreamscape. Although he had found Aventurine's body in the real world, he needed to find his body in the Dreamscape as well (according to the memo keeper). Now that he found it, he needs to go back to reality and try to wake him up.
First order of business, bringing Aventurine to a less populated area. He tried to remain calm, hauling the other's body through the Dreamscape until he ended up in a secluded area. Now, he needs to get Aventurine to wake up. He can't wake up in the real world if he doesn't explicitly think about doing so, and one can't exactly think much when they're unconscious.
With a deep breath, Ratio put Aventurine down, trying to be careful despite the fact that he can't exactly hurt Aventurine in a dream. His anxiety must be clouding his judgement. Now he needs to figure out how to wake him up…
"Aventurine?" Ratio tries, "It would be best if you gained consciousness sooner than later, you know."
Being gentle was… hard. It's most definitely not his strong suit. Still, he must keep trying. He can't lose Aventurine again.
* * *
It was warm. So overwhelmingly warm. He feels like he might melt. It is strange that it's not cold. When was the last time he was warm? He doesn't know. Though, it doesn't really matter. He should just savor the warmth as it comes.
What is truly strange is the ever-so-clear voice he hears. He can't really make out what it's saying, yet it feels familiar. It keeps saying "Aventurine". Right, this must be the clear voice from the void. From the void? Isn't he still in the void? No, he can't be, it's too warm to be the same place as before.
With a hint of hesitation, he tried to reach out towards the voice calling out what must be his name. He needs it. It is his only source of comfort in this place.
Suddenly, a bright light assaults his eyes. Purple, gold, and white, all swarming his vision.
The voice grows more frantic, for reasons he doesn't know.
* * *
Ratio feels more desperate than he's ever felt before. He continues his efforts, calling out his name, talking to Aventurine as if he could hear him. Eventually, he notices those beautiful eyes ease open. Aventurine's face contorts into something unknown. Ratio could imagine the other's confusion. While he isn't sure what Aventurine was experiencing when in the Nihility, he has his own theories. The main one being a strange void.
This theory was solidified when he got Aventurine out of the Nihility, seeing the man crumble almost immediately. He seemed overstimulated, if that could even describe the agony the other was in. Yet, none of that matters now. He needs to get Aventurine to enter reality.
"Can you hear me, Gambler?" Ratio asks, watching the blonde carefully.
"Huh?" Aventurine gasps, voice scratchy as if he had just finished screaming at the top of his lungs, "Where?"
"You're in the dreamscape, Aventurine," Ratio explains, "What do you remember?"
"Who's Aventurine?"
Well fuck. That isn't good.