Both suggestions for getting water out of the ears were welcome. After a few tries, Xion had found that the best way of even attempting to float meant leaning her head so far back in the water that she ended up with some splashing into her ears. No word to describe the feeling exactly came to mind, but it made her want to stand up and shake the water out. Hence why she was on about her fifth try.

She leaned back to try once more, gritting her teeth and the feeling and forcing herself not to stand again. After a few moments, the worst of the annoyance faded, and she felt herself relax. She couldn't hear, though--at least, any sound was so distorted by the water in her ears that she might as well have been deaf. That made her tense again, and she stood to keep from sinking.

Shaking her head, she caught Sora's remark about learning to kick. That sounded easier than floating. "How well do we need to float before we can move on?"

Over near the stairs she saw Namine stop to talk to Riku once she reached where he was.