Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Final Fantasy, and everything else that's tied to the game. Nor do I make any profits out of this.
A/N: I'm very, very, sorry on the long update but my life became quite busy with moving and school so, yeah. I'm also sorry for the grammar errors in chapter 1, my spell check is being stupid and isn't catching them. I hope this chapter is better and if it isn't… I just must suck at writing. So, criticism would be nice but no flames, I don't have time to put up with it. If that makes sense. I also want to thank all you people who all subscribed/favorited/reviewed my story.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
Darkness Within The Light
The voice faded away. Sora stared at the ceiling wondering what had just happened. Who was that? What was that? What…? He let out a surprised gasp. Something cold and dark was wrapping itself around Sora… Squeezing his body, suffocating him! He couldn't breath. He was drowning… drowning in the unknown. Fear overcame him, he tried to summon his Keyblade but nothing came! Panic arose inside him slowly. "No… no… it can't… nooo… NOOO…!"
Sora closed his eyes and slowly started hyperventilating. He didn't understand. Why wasn't his Keybalde coming? It always came to him in situations like this. Ever since the destruction of his Island, his Keyblade had always come to him when called, except for the time Riku had stolen - no Xehnort, he had stolen it. But why? Why now of all times? Why had it chosen to abandon him now? Or was it… Sora himself? The brunette felt himself being pulled into the darkness, he tried to open his eyes, but he saw only darkness. For a second, or perhaps an hour, he stayed there. Sora shook himself, breaking out of the odd trance. He then put a hand over his chest and slowed his heavy breathing down to a steady pace and opened his eyes. The darkness that had been sucking him in had stopped. Once he was convinced nothing else would happen, he closed his eyes again; trying to remember that odd… dream, was it?
Sora let out a sigh and opened his eyes again; his dream had completely vanished from thought because of his panic. Except for one sentence that is; 'For the key is light and can bring harmony to the worlds but, it can also be dark and bring destruction to the worlds. Do no forget this, for when you do… that is when you will lose your light.' He didn't understand that sentence and yet, he did. Sora let out a groan of confusion. He looked around to find himself standing in his room. Sora's jaw dropped in shock. 'I-I … I thought I had been dreaming! How can I dream and stand at the same time?!'
Sora let out another sigh and rubbed his eyes. He's tired. It's the only explanation to the oddness that's been happening. 'So, I only imagined it, huh? It seemed so real though.' Sora shrugged and turned towards his bed, determined to forget all that had just happened. 'Well, that's what happens when you think to much, I guess. I'd better stop worrying, I don't want this to happen in public or anywhere else.' Especially around his two overprotective friends. Sora shook his head and got into bed, determined to forget the weird occurrence that had just happened. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. Now to fall into a hopefully peaceful slumber…
BEEP! BEEP!
Sora jumped out of bed and summoned his Keyblade. First the weird daydream now someone is attacking him!? What is going on!? Well, at least Sora can summon his Keyblade now. Wait… the loud beeping continued. Sora slowly looked over toward the noise. His alarm clock. He wasn't being attacked, he simply had to wake up. Except he was already awake. Wait, hadn't that weird dream started around 9:00 p.m.! His alarm clock was set to 5:30 a.m.! He had been dreaming for… Sora looked up to the ceiling and closed his eyes. One, two, three, four, five… "Seven hours? Or was it eight?" Sora said out loud. He sighed. Eight hours of day dreaming? For dreams, while your sleeping, it's normal, but while your awake? Sora scratched the back of his head in confusion. He'd ask Kairi. She would know. Kairi's smart. Riku… Riku is also smart but… he'd probably find a way to tease Sora. His mother was automatically out of the question. No way was he asking her. Sora shook his head and walked over to his dresser to turn off his alarm and get some clean clothes. As soon as he got his pants out he froze. He gulped and slowly turned over toward his calendar. Saturday.
Sora stood still for a moment and let out a frustrated sigh. 'If it's Saturday, then why is my alarm clock on?' Sora thought with clenched teeth. He threw his pants on the ground and hopped back into bed. 'Since it's 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday, I might as well go back to sleep.' Sora closed his eyes and fell into a nervous slumber.
A few hours later, Sora woke up again. He sat up and let out a yawn, stretching his arms. He blinked his azure eyes sleepily at his clock: 7:30. Well, at least he had received some sleep, even if it was only a little. Still… he had to be careful. Sora couldn't afford to have his friends worrying over him at the moment. Truthfully, he didn't want them worrying at all. He is, after all, the Master of the Keyblade. It is him that should be worrying over them, not them worrying over him. 'I am perfectly fine, after all.' He let out another yawn, walked over to his dresser to get his usual attire, and dragged his tired self towards the bathroom down the hall. Sora entered the bathroom and shut the door. He then turned on the shower to heat the water and started to undress. While removing his night shirt he froze, his head snapping up to the mirror.
He gazed into the mirror in confusion, curiosity, and a bit of, fear perhaps? Sora continued to stare at it. Something had been in the mirror and it had looked like a shadow of something. His heart skipped a beat. Heartless! Could it have been a heartless?! After all it made sense; for the weird dream he had earlier with the darkness. Could it have been the darkness slithering its way back into his world, hiding within the reflections of people and altering the their dreams? "No." Sora told himself sternly, "The door is on the Play Island in the secret place." It wasn't in his bathroom. That made no sense. He gasped, his eyes widening in realization. 'The Play Island! What if…?! I have to see!'
Sora rushed out of the bathroom in a panic; forgetting to turn of the water and dressing out of his night outfit and into day clothes. He ran down the stairs and quickly exited his house in his gray nightshirt and red boxers with little black mouse heads all over it. Sora ran down his driveway and used as much speed as possible to get to the docks. He had to make sure the island is safe. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he let the darkness engulf the Islands again. He shook his head and continued toward the docks, ignoring various looks directed at him by bystanders. Eventually, he reached the docks. Sora stopped for a moment and grabbed his chest, breathing heavily. He shook his head and untied his boat with shaky hands. However, the knot was to difficult and his shaking hands didn't help. "Come on, come on already!" Sora let out a frustrated noise and threw his arms up into the air.
The brunette stood silent for a moment in, his face in his right hand, left hand on hip, and tapping his foot. Then out of a mixture of panic, frustration, and complete stupidity; summoned the Keyblade where everyone could see and cut the rope of the boat and jumped in. He grabbed the oars and started to row as fast as he could. 'I have to get there.' Sora thought desperately. "Come ON already" Sora muttered angrily. Sora stopped his muttering but continued to row. He thought, though only for a second, that he had heard a voice. Dismissing it, he continued to row furiously. Eventually his boat reached the Play Island close enough to see the Paopu Tree. Not bothering to continue rowing, he jumped out into the icy, cold, blue-green water. Hesitating for a moment out of the shock of feeling the freezing water on his warm body. He shook his head. Sora had to get to the door to lock it, the door, to save Destiny Islands!
Still breathing hard, Sora, with a stitch in his chest from the long run, slowed his swimming. His body was so heavy. He also was tired. Very tired. Sora stopped swimming and blinked sleepily towards the island. He had to get there but… 'So tired… must save…' His head dunked under water. The meeting of the cold water to his stinging eyes awakened him. But not his body. That was odd. Isn't it suppose the awaken both? Sora never was good in science. He shook his head and swam out towards the island again. He heard a splash in the distance and his name being called. He ignored it. Eventually, he got to the shore; the boy crawled out and let out a gasp. He forced himself up but then collapsed into a sleep out of exhaustion.
"Sora! Wake up!" a voice suddenly said loudly.
Sora stayed quite, he was to tired to do anything. "Sora!" it yelled more harshly.
The voice sounded vaguely familiar…
"SORA! WAKE UP!"
Sora groaned in protest of the loud voice.
SLAP!
Sora sat up in shock, his hand automatically going to his now red cheek. His eyes having snapped open in the process. Who had…? He blinked and looked up to find a tall sixteen year old with long silver hair that just went past his shoulders. His sea-green eyes held a look of worry while his facial expression was filled with anger. He continued to stare down at Sora then held out his hand for Sora to grab onto. Sora hesitated for a second before grabbing it. "What were you doing?" Riku demanded as he pulled Sora up. "You almost drowned and you summoned the Keyblade in public. You know not to do that; what were you thinking?!"
Sora glanced down to his feet then let out a nervous laugh. "Well, you see I… I had to come…" Sora paused. "Well, I had this dream you see, so… I just… I had to come and… well…" Sora said. Riku stared at him for a second then nodded in understanding.
"You had to check to see if the island was safe right?" Riku said flatly.
Sora nodded. Riku let out a sigh, his expression softening. The older boy stared at the brunette for a second then looked around.
"Was it about… the darkness?" Riku said a lowered voice. Sora hesitated, kicking small amounts of sand. Sora stared at Riku then nodded.
"Was it a nightmare?" Riku questioned Sora.
"Well…" Sora didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell Riku about the shadow in the mirror but, he just couldn't. What if Riku went back to the darkness? Sora wasn't sure if he could handle that again, to loose your best friend twice to the darkness. He knew he wouldn't be able to handle that. As for the dream he had earlier, he didn't know what to say. But if he lied, Riku would know. Sora bit his lip. 'Well I suppose I can tell him half the truth. After all that's not really lying.' Sora nodded his head.
"What was it about?" Riku ushered. It was obvious Riku wanted to know what had happened. Sora thought for a second.
"You know… memories." Sora said distantly. 'I'm not lying, Sora thought, persuading himself out of guilt. After all, I don't really know what happened, so…'
"What kind?" Riku asked quietly.
Sora stared at him. Well, the dream had involved a voice speaking to him… darkness swallowing him and… Sora closed his eyes trying to remember. "I'm not quite sure." Sora said, happy at the fact he had said something honest.
Riku searched his face to see if the brunette was lying to him. Apparently Riku believed the half-lie half-truth, because he let out a smirk. He put his hand on Sora's head and ruffled his hair.
"Honestly, Sora you need to stop worrying so much…" Riku said, an odd look on his face.
"How can I! After everything that's happened!? I…." Sora said, taking in a deep breath., "I mean… the Islands were swallowed… Kairi was… and you, you…"
"Betrayed everyone and joined with Maleficent, right?." Riku answered for Sora, bitterly. Sora opened his mouth to say something but closed it. What could he say? 'After all Riku had… NO! I can't…! Everyone makes mistakes and…' Sora closed his eyes and forced a smile.
"Everyone makes mistakes Riku. It's okay." Sora said with closed eyes. Riku gave him a look of weary, but Sora missed it.
"Yeah." Riku said, his hair hiding his face. Sora frowned, and opened his mouth, about to speak but closed it. He felt… woozy. Sora let out a couple coughs and attempted to step forward only to fall face first into the sand.
'Sora!"
He sat up and spat the grains of sand that had went inside his mouth during the fall. He clutched his head in exhaustion. His eyes stung and his body ached everywhere. Riku rushed over to help his friend. "Are you okay?!" Riku would have been laughing, if it weren't for Sora's failed drowning earlier. "I need to get you somewhere, a bed maybe?" Riku muttered, bending down to check Sora's body for any type of injuries he may have gotten. Sora put a hand up to stop him. Riku raised an eyebrow but obeyed the younger boy. Sora summoned his Bond of Flames Keyblade. He raised it over his head and simply said "Cure."
A warm feeling went through Sora's body as green leaves swirled around him, healing him. The aches in his body disappeared immediately. However, his eyes were still stinging. Sora dismissed the key blade and rubbed his eyes. The spell had cured the aches but not his exhaustion - 'Wait - why was my body aching? I only swam and I don't remember running into anything.' Sora let out a frustrated noise and glared at the sea. Riku stared at him, his head tilted slightly. Sora turned his head toward him and snapped, "What?!"
"Looks like someone's a bit grumpy." Riku teased.
Sora sighed, "Sorry…"
"It's okay, everyone gets grumpy." Riku laughed. "Besides we need to get you to a bed or something. Do think you can make it over to my house? It's closer then yours is."
Sora stood up and shook his head. "No… can't I sleep here?" Sora asked looking over to the wooden shack that everyone had built years ago. Riku looked over to the shack then to Sora and nodded.
"Yeah, as long as I'm with you is that okay?" Riku asked, watching Sora.
"Sure," Sora replied without really thinking.
"Well, come on. Do you need help getting there?"
"No," Sora said. He was a big boy he could walk, and to prove his point he marched forward on his own, proudly. His march however, only lasted for a few moments before falling again. Riku shook his head and pulled the brunette up and put his arm around his shoulders and began walking towards the shack. Sora gave no resistance but asked, "Before we go there Riku… do think you could take me over to the secret place?"
"…Why…?" Riku asked turning his gaze to his best friend, as he continued towards the wooden shack.
"I… need to see… I have to make sure everything is - is…" Sora didn't get to finish his sentence as he fainted from lack of sleep.
A/N: So there's the second chapter, I hope it's as good as the first chapter. I'm not sure how long it will take for me to update this but, I won't abandon this story. It will one day be put in the complete section! Hope you like it so far and that you review!
