Becoming the Nightmare

Chapter 2

"Three's a crowd"

The shadows were restless; millions of the same small black creatures shambling over one another, unable for the moment to go anywhere for the connection was failing. Only three other creatures were moving in the Void between the worlds. On their island above the chaos they hatched a plan they felt would finally come to fruition. All they needed was a Keyblade wielder.

Later on the Destiny Isles…

Sora was the last to the beach. He found the other two sitting idly around a blazing campfire, close to the tide line.

"Well finally…I thought you had bailed on us." Riku said as Sora wandered within range of the firelight.

In silence Sora sat down opposite Kairi who was now dressed in a black t-shirt and khaki combats. He himself was wearing a black hooded top with several clips and fastenings, a gunbelt (a present from Leon) and three-quarters length trousers with new red near knee high boots. Riku he noticed was dressed a good deal smarter than he usually was: he was wearing a simple white shirt slightly flared at the sleeves with black trousers that were artfully torn.

This only made Sora feel even more isolated from his friends. He knew that Riku would always be Riku and Kairi would always be Kairi but it had never crossed his mind what would happen if…if he happened to become the third wheel. It was obvious from his point of view how Riku felt, whether or not Kairi realised it was not really an issue. Riku was older, more poplar and grudgingly he had to admit more handsome so it was more a question of time. These days whenever Riku entered the room he felt like hitting him. Sora had only begun to realise the extent of his feelings for Kairi, admitting them though was another thing.

"The Destiny stars are bright tonight aren't they?" Kairi asked as he sat down.

Sora looked up and sure enough the stars were superbly bright, unnaturally bright.

"Yeah they do seem a bit bright don't they?"

"Hey when you two have finished discussing the stars I would like to discuss what to do before the connection fails."

This time Sora noticed a slight disgruntled air in his speech. He cast an inner sigh. So this was how it was going to be, he couldn't even have a conversation with Kairi without Riku getting annoyed at his lack of attention.

"So O Revered Leader what's the plan?" He asked in a bid to lighten the mood.

"Well…I think and hear me out before you shout me down." Riku glanced briefly at them, his eyes resting on Kairi a few seconds more than Sora, before shutting them pensively. "I think we should use what little energy the Keyblades have left to open the door in the cave."

"But Riku there is no door. It disappeared and the cave collapsed in on itself. Besides King Mickey say we weren't to use the Keyblades no more." Sora stated diligently.

"Riku…"

Riku's eyes snapped open.

"Yes Kairi."

Then Kairi proceeded to speak.

"Riku I don't think going into the Darkness would be wise. What if we release more Heartless?"

"Hey if there are Heartless I…we will defeat them."

"Hmmm…" Kairi didn't sound reassured.

"Look I've gone over it a thousand times there is no other way. That door is our only way out."

Then Riku heaved himself to his feet.

"Tomorrow I'm going down into that cave." Dusting himself off, he continued. "I would really appreciate it if you were there."

Sora had the distinct feeling that Riku wasn't really addressing him.

"I suppose a look couldn't hurt." Kairi admitted.

"Sure what else would I be doing?" Sora spoke up.

As Riku turned to leave Sora felt a sharp shiver of relief go through him. At last he could talk to Kairi without Riku watching like an ill-tempered hawk. But low he had counted too soon for at that moment Riku whirled round.

This time he spoke directly to Kairi.

"Hey since your house is on the way maybe I should walk you home. It's got dark really quickly tonight."

"Ah…sure." Taking the hand offered by Riku she rose to her feet. She then smiled at Sora in the dying firelight. "Coming?"

Sora didn't need to see Riku's face to know his reaction.

"No I think I'll dilly-dally here a while."

"Oh…ok. Well see you tomorrow then."

With that they disappeared into the growing gloom.

He couldn't understand what made him do it. Maybe it was a well-suppressed need to be reckless, maybe it was just simple curiosity, whatever it was Sora found himself facing the fallen in entrance to the cave.

Even though the cave was only a hop and a jump from the beach the atmosphere had changed dramatically, becoming inhospitable with every step, the slight trickle of dust from the fissures in the rock gave it an almost alive feel, as though it were a slumbering beast. The stars continued with their unnatural silver glow, giving a slight sickly light that barely penetrated the brooding dark. Nothing else was moving, their fire on the strand was but a pinprick of gold left far behind. Sora placed both his hands on the rocks, gently applying pressure to see if any were movable. Air sifted through the rocks with its haunting cries. He could have sworn that he heard someone call his name. Only wishful thinking he thought.

Again he heard his name being called. Now he knew he wasn't hearing things. Putting his ear to the cave-in, Sora listened for the voice he had heard. Again it called with more urgency this time.

Come Sora. Come find us.

Sora closed his eyes, trying if he might to remember to whom the voice might belong. His eyes snapped open, his efforts were in vain. He had never known anyone with a voice like it.

Come Sora… Come find us Keyblade wielder.

His mind was made up. He took several steps back from the cave mouth. With unthinking speed Sora summoned the Divine Rose Keyblade, and then with a quick flurry of movement, sent a thousand mini beams of light directly into the fissures. His power over the Keyblade was indeed failing, for never before did Sora feel so drained. The attack succeeded in breaking a decent sized passageway though. Sora then leant against the rock wall, exhaustion tearing away at his defences.

Come Sora. You are so close now…Come find us Keyblade wielder.

The voice gave him strength so he entered the passage, his Keyblade held firmly, just in case.

Tunnels usually are winding by nature. This one was no exception: the cave-in seeming to make it even more so. Sora couldn't hear the voice anymore but he kept going. Rightly he supposed it was a chorus and not a single voice he heard, their voices, whoever "they" were, mingled so melodiously into one that it was hard to hear the separate chords. Around every turn he expected to meet the owners of the voices but he met no-one. Finally he came to the room where he, Riku and Kairi had spent so much of their childhood. The wall paintings he and Kairi had drawn were still there, an odd glow emanating from them. The room was pretty much as it had been; vines dangled from the ceiling, mushrooms grew in the corners and…the door.

The door that now faced Sora was not the one he remembered.