Kingdom hearts : Part 2: Rising Dreams

By: Cauryn Terenkey

Chapter Ten: Shinya's Lair

I do not own any Disney or Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts characters.

Part 2: Sora's nightmare has become reality when he wakes from the explosion. He is forced to continue alone, but he's not the only one with problems. Each member of the group had landed somewhere different, One in the grasp of Shinya, another in the waiting arms of the Guardian. To reach his friends again, Sora must fight his way to them, and find the strength inside that he didn't know he had.

Sora sighed and looked at his scanner again. No sign of any worlds for three days. The SBW (Space Between the Worlds) was darker than it used to be, and he saw more enemy ships than he wanted too. Hopefully his movements were invisible to Shinya, he couldn't face her and Zheonart on his own.

Gurgi was sound asleep in a tiny hammock Sora had fashioned out of an old sheet and a worn out shirt. He was wide awake with no one to talk too. He had thought about speaking to the phoenix, but he had forgone that idea as it was still a little odd to him. He gave the computer Matt had helped him set up in the ship a wary look. The Ghost Hunter had downloaded all sorts of information onto it, having built a massive hard drive for Sora to also enter any other information he came across. Sora had been using it as a journal, but hadn't been looking at any of the information. Perhaps now was as good a time as any…

Although there wasn't much he could do, Sora was interested in learning about the past, and the beginning of Kingdom Hearts. He hadn't been able to sleep since leaving Elder Town, his nerves were wired to tightly.

Sora.

Sora jumped off of his seat, landing comically several feet from his chair. He had been so absorbed in the data on the computer that he had forgotten he was mentally linked to the Keyblade. He tried to ignore the warm laughter in his head, standing again.

"Is that you, Keyblade?" It felt off to call the blade thus, but he didn't have anything else.

I suppose I should formerly introduce myself.

"Um, sure…"

I, am Exodous, the Last of the phoenix's and part of the royal family. I may have died millennia ago, but I sealed myself here to aid my son in his fight against the darkness, and to ease my own guilty conscious. I am pleased to meet you. It is rare that I am able to speak to my holder.

"You…You were the voice I heard!" Sora thought, remembering the voice that was there the first time he had taken the dive into his heart, and the one who had spoken to him when the Keyblade had first came to him.

Yes. Exodous chuckled. He seemed to be enjoying this immensely. But as much as I would like to continue, you must wake your friend, and keep him quiet. We are approaching a world filled with an aura I recognize all to clearly.

"Okay." Sora walked over to Gurgi and gently poked him awake. The little creature blearily agreed to stay silent and clung to Sora's jacket sleepily.

"So, where is it that we are? This world isn't on my chart."

It wouldn't be. This is Shinya's lair.

"You know who Shinya is?"

All to well, young master.

Sora looked ahead and out the window at the Phoenix's grim tone. He could see a hulk of a world behind what seemed to be a curtain of mist. He navigated the ship through the fog carefully, coming to a landing dock shortly. He cut the engines and looked up at the castle, shocked to see castle oblivion above him.

"This… Is odd."

Have you seen this place before?

"Yes. My friends, Riku and Kairi, were here and in trouble last time we had to fight the darkness." Sora replied.

"Gurgi does not like this place.' Gurgi muttered, cowering down in Sora's hood. Sora smiled and patted Gurgi's head.

"I know, buddy."

"Is Shinya here?"

Luckily, no. For whatever reason, there is no one here, besides several people below in the dungeons.

"Gurgi, one of the others may be here. Come on."

"Okay!" Gurgi said happily.

Watch your step, there is no telling what may lay around every corner. Sora felt the presence leave his mind, and was torn two different ways. One was relief, the other was uneasiness. He kept the Keyblade out as he crept down the halls. He could hear the activity of heartless on the upper floors, but for some reason he didn't run into anything here on the lower floors. He had never been this low in the castle so he his senses were on over drive. He had never been this apprehensive.

Sora gulped as he came upon the heavy wooden door that separated the gleaming hallways from what he was sure were dark and dingy passageways teeming with heartless. He was proven wrong yet again, as there were no ambushes at the door, and nothing in the stone pathways. Each door he passed was open, keeping him on his guard. The air was cool, and he began to feel the urge to shiver soon enough. Exodous helped out a bit here, flooding the Keyblade Masters body with warmth. Sora smiled gratefully and patted a cowering Gurgi's head.

Sora froze moments later as he heard what sounded like someone talking up ahead. He strained his ears, but he couldn't make anything out. Taking a chance, he crept along, the voices growing louder as he went.

"..et out of here soon. You need medical help man." Sora blanched as he heard Dylan's voice. Who was he talking too? There was a strained reply, the voice rising above no more than a whisper. Gurgi sat up though, able to hear.

"Sora, he's hurt bad!"

"One of them, at least." Sora whispered. He hurried along, coming across the only closed door. He could barely see inside, but he could see Dylan well enough. The werewolf froze, sniffing, then he looked over to the door, his visible eye widening before a grin spread on his face.

"Shit, Sora! How'd you get here?"

"A lot of work and a little bit of help. I'll fill you in later. How did you end up here?"

"Shinya nabbed me just before the worm exploded. Seems my transforming intrigued her. She's been trying to pull experiments, but between me not cooperating and Crookie biting, she hasn't been able to."

"Crookie?" Sora wondered for a moment. "SID!" Sora now knew who was injured, and he hurried to unlock the door, forgetting for a moment that he could use his blade as he yanked at the heavy chains. He was inside fast enough, seeing a, amazingly, still goggled Sid chained to a wall, a bit of dried blood by his mouth.

"He's been here longer than me, and beaten pretty badly, he can hardly breath." Dylan said. Sora nodded, releasing the locks and laying Sid on the floors carefully as Crookie started walking back and forth in small lines, watching his master in worry.

"Help me, he can't die like this…" Sora thought, hoping the phoenix could do something. Exodous did. Sora could almost feel the smile on the phoenix's face.

I would not let him die if I have the power to save him. Follow my instructions. Sora nodded, and did as told. Dylan watched in fascination as his nose filled with a new sent, one of feathers and fire. He whined in concern, trying to see if what Sora was doing was helping Sid any.

Several minutes later, Sid was smiling a thanks, back to normal. Crookie leapt into Sid's arms, chirruping happily. Sora moved over to Dylan, and unlocked his chains as well.

"What happened to you?" Sora asked, concern flooding him again as he got a look at the side of Dylan's face.

"That woman has some claws. I'll warn you right now." Dylan said, letting Sora look at the right side of his face where it was swollen, scabbed, and most likely infected. He also still had the blood stains on his skin and clothes too. The cut reached from the corner of his eye and went all the way to the back of his jaw. Sora placed his hand over the wound and closed his eyes, uttering the words he was instructed too. Dylan felt relief wash over him and smiled.

"There'll still be a scar." Sora said as he finished.

"That's fine. Tell me later where you learned that, Iakkah'll want know. Speaking of which, she with you?"

"No." Sora shook his head. "I woke up alone in the woods outside a place called Elder Town and met Gurgi there. He's lost his world too."

"Damn, I hope she's okay."

"I'm sure she's fine.

"Hey you two, lets go." Sid called quietly. "Shinya may come along at any moment. I think I still know where they stashed my bike."

"Good, that'll get us all out easy." Dylan said. The five walked out of the dungeons, not bothering to be careful as there were no heartless. Sid led them up a flight of stone steps, instructing Crookie to look for his 'hearts.' The little heartless fairly skipped along at this order, his nose on the ground, in the air, shifting between being solid to being a flat spot on the floors or wall.

"We're heading up to the lower ground floors." Sid said as they came to some more stairs. "Time to be a little more cautious."

"Roger." Sora said.

"I'm going wolf." Dylan's voice was already raspy from the transformation. Sora and Sid nodded, and he collapsed into wolf form. He stretched, giving a happy whimper and a wag of his tail. Crookie vanished for awhile, leaving the Sid to guide the other three along the halls he could barely recall to where he thought his bike was. Sora stayed in constant contact with Exodous, beginning to feel more and more comfortable with the spirit speaking to him telepathically.

It was beginning to feel dangerous when a half hour had passed and the small group hadn't run into a single heartless. Crookie returned, tugging at Sid's clothes with a piece of his food in his mouth.

"I've been meaning to ask you Sid, what is that that Crookie eats if not actual hearts?" Sora asked as Crookie made himself comfortable on Dylan's back.

"Along the lines of rock candy. Not to sure myself. I found some in the cave I found him in, and I just threw things together. Almost blew my face up the first few tries, got it right eventually and was able to make it on the road." Sid let Dylan pass him, Crookie chattering, pointing out what way to go.

"Interesting…" Sora said, looking around. He had a really bad feeling about this.

"Sora. Something isn't right." Sid said. Sora saw the stiffness in the mailman's shoulders, and felt it in his own.

"I know what you mean." Sora said. Several minutes later, they reached a door where Crookie slid underneath to the other side. The little shadow opened it from that side, looking rather comical as he dangled from the doorknob that was four feet from the ground. Sid picked the shadow up and placed it on his shoulder, hurrying over to his bike. Sora remained with Dylan at the door, watching the hall. The two froze as Shinya and Zheonart round the corner. He swore violently.

'Sid! Hurry!" He nearly yelled as Dylan growled lowly and ran into the room to try and help Sid. The wolf's fur bristled as his lips curled, showing more teeth than Sora had ever seen on him. Sid kicked the gas pedal, with no results. Sora watched as Dylan's tail grew to twice it's normal size, each and every hair on his body standing on end as a screech of anger sounded from down the hall. Suddenly, Sora's body was no longer his own. The Keyblade was out and he was charging for the door as Sid continued to try and kick his bike to life. He skidded out past Dylan, making Shinya freeze as he took a defensive position. Anger grew in her eyes as did in Sora, though he knew it wasn't his anger, it was Exodous'.

"You!" She hissed. Sora glared, realizing something about himself must have changed, or she wouldn't be this angry. She was definitely not seeing him. Sora heard Sid's bike rev up, and felt Dylan vanish from his side, but he remained where he was. Shinya screeched in anger, and flew at Sora just as Sid came speeding out of the room. The mailman gabbed Sora's shirt collar, and tossed him on the back of the seat, making for very cramped seating. They sped underneath Shinya's claws, heading for the doors Sora had come in.

"Go left!" Sora yelled, hearing Dylan growl behind him, Shinya was still in close pursuit. They came across the doors, now swarming with heartless. Sora flung out the Keyblade, and uttered a spell he had never learned before. A burst of fire ran from his hand, down the shaft of the blade, and hit the doors with a roar.

"I must say, where ever you were, you gained a few handy tricks there, Sora." Sid said.

"I gained a very handy friend." Sora corrected, uttering another spell that opened to door to the gummi ship, so that they could ride in at full speed. Sora leapt off of the small bike as Sid and Dylan shut the door while Gurgi and Sora started the ship.

Place your hands on the engine, Sora!

"Why?"

You will not clear the harbor in time to avoid the Shadows.

"R-right." Sora did as told, uttering a spell the phoenix had known. There was a loud roar from the rear of the ship, and they rocketed off at a speed Sora had never been at before.

"Thank you"

Not a problem.

"Okay, Sora. What is going on with you?" Dylan asked.

"I honestly have no idea." Sora answered. "While I was in Elder Town, the place I woke up in, I discovered a phoenix residing in the Keyblade. In the legend I looked up, it says he was the last, and sealed the bringer of darkness behind the doors of darkness. Where Riku and the king Killingly went. He died from the struggle though and sealed his soul into the Keyblade."

"Wait, aren't phoenix's supposed to rise from their ashes?" Dylan asked.

"A phoenix can rise again however he wishes." Sid said. "This one obviously chose to stay behind in the form of a weapon to help the future fighters against darkness. He possibly knew it wouldn't stay defeated forever."

"That's exactly it." Sora said. "How do you know so much?" Sid only smiled and sat back on his bike.

"I should go and inform King Mickey of these happenings. I should have a letter for you soon." Sid said with a trace of a bow. Crookie chirruped happily and sat on his masters shoulder as Sid turned the bike on again, and vanished through the now open door that Sora had let down. He turned his bike for Disney Castle, smiling a little.

"He will want to know that Father has shown his face once more."

Now, what could Sid be talking about I wonder? if you haven't read The Legend of Kingdom Hearts (check out my profile) then you won't exactly get whats going on. if you can't wait, go and read it!!! Raziel, if you don't get this i'm gonna kick you into next week. Ah, here we go, ice-cream induced sugar rush see you all next time XD