Kingdom Hearts: Dream Team

Chapter 21: Who I Really Am 💜

Cyrena looked exactly like me! Well, exactly like me if I were evil. Her hair was the same shade of brown, but it was much wilder and sections of it had been dyed blue and purple at the tips. Her eyes, oh her eyes, they will haunt my nightmares forever. The shape of them was similar to my own, but the irises were two pools of gold. The very same shade as those of the Heartless! Frightened, I repeated my question.

"Don't you know me?" she asked, closing the distance between us. My fear was water, slowly filling my lungs as I backed away from her. The thoughts in my head were once again annoying insects. "I am you, Aislynn," Cyrena said, a horrible smirk carved onto her (my) face. "I know everything about you. You're a joke; a lousy gullible girl who believes everything she hears." Cyrena paused for dramatic effect ( she was even mimicking my speech style). "Do you really think Joshua loves you?"

Now, she was hitting me where it really hurt: my heart. "He loves the act you're playing," she said. "He doesn't even know the real you: the very reason you could never be like Sora!" Tears poured out of my eyes as I said, "This isn't an act. This is the real me!" An evil version of my hearty laugh escaped from her lips. "Don't lie to yourself! You're too scared to admit that something's wrong with you!"

At those words, my keyblade appeared in my hand. "Wrong choice," Cyrena mocked. "You're weak; you're too scared. You're hiding a secret from everyone. Do you really think Joshua will like you if you tell him?" Angry beyond measure, I lunged. The rest was blurry. I believe Cyrena hit me and everything went black.

When I opened my eyes, I was flat on my back, dazed and confused. Rain was falling from the sky, soaking me all the way through. I could have sworn someone was talking to me, but my hurt so badly that I couldn't make out any words. Surely, I wasn't dead; that much I knew. As my vision cleared, I saw that my friends were huddled around me.

"Aislynn, ya gotta get up!" Beat's voice: Loud and obnoxious, but in this moment, comforting. I bolted into a sitting position. "Where is she?!" The moment my vision was clear, my eyes became a radar, scanning the area for my opponent, but it was no use. Cyrena had disappeared. "OHHH!" I groaned. "How long was I out?!" Shiki shook her head. "It's hard to say." A long pause. I tried to stand up, ignoring the fact that my feet were killing me. "Aislynn, what did Cyrena say to you?"

This was the moment of truth. Ever since the beginning, I had been hiding a secret from my friends. Fear had kept me from telling the truth. However, not telling the truth now would only prove Cyrena was right about me. I sighed. "Guys, I've been something from you. I was scared to tell you before because I didn't know how you would react. My secret is... I suffer from Asperger Syndrome."

"What's Asperger Syndrome?" Beat raised the question. It was immediately answered by Joshua, who has the answers for everything. "It's a type of Autism, Beat. A very high-functioning form of autism at that." 

It's true, I am an autistic girl. I was an early bloomer when it came to walking and words, but ever since I started school, I could never make permanent friendships. When I was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, everything fell into place. The diagnosis happened when I was five, but I didn't really learn about it until I was seven. I never saw things the same way after that.

At first, I was happy because I finally knew why I was different. As time went by, though, I began to feel more and more isolated. Every time I wanted to make a friend, I'd do something weird and they would never talk to me again. I never really... belonged anywhere. Shayla and her cronies  exploited this weakness to make me feel miserable. I thought that if I kept my Autism a secret, I could fit in, but I was really wrong.

Sora is the sky and all worlds share a sky that connects them. I am just the result of a dream that one person had. Just a strange figment of the unconscious that doesn't belong with anything a person actively thinks about. I'm a dream in a field of thoughts; unreadable and unable to connect.

"That's why I can never be like Sora," I explained. "All of the connections he has with people, that's not me. And it's for this reason that I question why the keyblade chose me." I sulked; getting that off of my chest really did a number on me. I didn't think I could be forgiven. Not for this. Would Joshua still love me? "I already knew, Aislynn." Joshua's voice rang loud and clear. "I knew from the start that you were different from the rest."

"The way you go on and on about whatever you're into. The way you like routine. Aislynn, you are a wonderful person, a lone star that chooses to shine on its own." All of this made my head spin. "In fact, you're the first girlfriend I've had that I've actually fallen in love with. Of course, I forgive you."

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The moment I found out everyone forgave me, I realized how long I had been out. It was ten o'clock; the Homecoming dance was over and everyone was headed for home. The rain from earlier was starting to come down harder and the air became more crisp. Now that is autumn for you. To avoid getting more drenched than we had to, the five of us piled into the car. Riding shotgun felt good... for a while. About halfway home, I got a call from the house. Noah's voice rang clear as I answered.

"Aislynn," he said in an agitated voice, "You guys have to get back here as fast as you can!"

"What?"

"The Heartless! They attacked the house! Rhyme and I tried to fight them off, but we just barely made it out alive. Bring the rest of the Dream Team back. We need to know that you're safe!" The call was cut off unexpected with nothing but the sound of static on the  other end. Thankfully, I was able to relay the message to the rest of the team. The car went at the speed of light as we went home.

The rest of the drive I spent wondering if Noah, my little brother, and Rhyme, my little sister figure, were okay. I knew they both could handle themselves just fine, but I still have a right to worry. However, what worried me more was the timing. Cyrena had struck me unconscious during the confrontation and then, the Heartless attacked the house. Whatever was responsible for this knew what they where doing. I just hoped the two youngest members of our team (I realize Noah isn't a member, but still) aren't seriously hurt.

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A/N: Hello, my dreamers. Yet another chapter has been finished. I wanted to include this notice in this chapter because I feel like it's necessary. Though this is story is mostly fictional, it contains a lot of personal truths. Me being autistic is one of those truths. I'm Done hiding that part of myself. Finally, I put it out there for the whole world to see because I'm not embarrassed by it anymore. I'm just hoping no one thinks less of me because I'm different.

If you like the chapter or have any comments, be sure to let me know. This is Aislynn, Queen of Dreams, signing out.