"You have got to be kidding me!" After Baloo, Mowgli and Bagheera had parted company with them, they key bearers stayed on the plains. This was usually the part where after the happy ending, valuable lesson or problem solving happened the Keyhole appeared. They looked through the sky like a couple of bird watchers. But the Keyhole was nowhere to be seen. "Why do the rules keep changing in here!" Bryan snapped.
"Son of a monkey," Rachel cursed. "Just wait until I get my hands on whoever wrote this script." She was just as irritated as her brother.
Was there something else they had to do before the Keyhole appeared? Was it like in the real world this time? Could the Keyhole be in a set place that they'd have to go find? How the heck were they supposed to find the Keyhole in a freakin' jungle! But it wasn't like they had a lot of choice. Either something else had to happen before the Keyhole appeared or they'd have to find it. Thankfully the dream must have sensed something had just happened because they saw very few Nightmares.
"So whad'ya say? Split up again?" Bryan suggested. He hadn't told Rachel about Kaa, but fully intended to keep at least one Spirit at his side at all times from then on because if that incident.
"Might as well." Rachel answered. There weren't a lot of options and would have to embrace whatever chance presented itself if they ever hoped to get out of this world and move on to the next one. The dive gate would probably open even if the Keyhole hadn't been sealed. But that wasn't even on the table as an option. After The Big Top and The Great Forest they'd learned their lesson about being sure a job could be finished later.
"Same signals? Ice regroup, Fire help, Lightning Keyhole?"
"Sure. Cya later then."
They each picked a direction and parted company.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid." Rachel complained. Jewel flew above her and held herself upside down in front of Rachel's face. "Not you,"
The Spirit chittered happily and flew off again. Fantasia walked tall and proud behind her. Perhaps to show she was the much better choice over RolliPolli. With that in mind, Rachel switched out Jewel for Rolli. He may not have been the best choice when they were looking for something as he was easily distracted by everything but Fantasia would have to come to grips he was a part of the team.
The obvious problem with traversing a dream jungle was there was no way to know if she was actually getting anywhere. In all other worlds, they'd been in a specific town or city. But what if in the dream the forest kept shifting as it remembered different things from different points in time? That seemed more likely to happen than being in a town when a specific event was going on. Fantastic. They might never get out. But another thought came to her that Rachel really hoped her brother was around to hear.
What if the sleeping world had regained its heart? Would make sense they wouldn't find a Keyhole in a sleeping place that no longer had to abide by the same rules? If that were the case, couldn't they wake up at any time then? Would they wake up automatically? Then again, that probably wasn't it. Master Yen Sid said he'd be keeping an eye on them to make sure nothing went wrong. If the worlds had regained their hearts he would have known and have pulled them out of the sleep.
Rachel mused about how the consciousness of a sleeping world worked. Master Yen Sid had warned them not to trust the events they would witness as truth, especially in a world they were familiar with should they find it. She started talking out loud to her Spirits as she thought these things. The world had no heart so it protected all it had by folding them into the depths of sleep and dreamt about them. There was no reason to think the dreams of a sleeping world couldn't be just as disjointed as a real dream could be. Who's to say in this world's reality Shere Khan got the better of Mowgli? White had caused the lightning that set the tree on fire in the dream. What if that hadn't happened in real life?
And when were the events they had been seeing anyway? Perhaps (shy of their interference by existing in something elses dream) what they had just witnessed was a carbon copy of what had happened in the past or what was happening in the present at the time the world lost its heart. Maybe neither. Maybe the dreaming world was taking characters and situations and putting them together in alternative or future outcomes. Should they return to this world in real life, what would they find? If there ever was a Baloo at all, would he be the same? If they were to inquire about Mowgli would anyone know who they were talking about? Maybe at their present was Mowgli's future. The list of 'maybe' was quite long so Rachel tried not to think about it. She still had a job to do after all.
Rachel hadn't even been paying attention to the change of the landscape. The land was gradually rising. On the top of a tall slope she made an incredible discovery. Down below in a shallow valley a huge ruined city was half-swallowed by the jungle. Some buildings or temples still towered high. Despite being covered with lichen or vines the majesty of the city could still be seen. Carvings of jungle animals could still be made out on the sides of walls or as statue corner decorations even though the wear of erosion had taken its toll. From her standpoint on the slope, Rachel could see one side of the city was completely crumbled. No idea why that corner was nothing but brick piles while the rest stood tall and proud.
Rachel hopped on Fantasia's back and rode her down into the valley. This certainly looked like a likely spot for the Keyhole to reside. If not, it would be a lot of fun to explore. As she approached, the young key bearers mused how long this place had been deserted or why it had been abandoned. Colorful birds roosted in the high ledges. It felt really cool and creepy in a cool way to walk down the empty, overgrown streets. Was this a city? Or a palace? A temple of some kind? Perhaps a little of each? It certainly looked grand enough. Seeing it in its glory days really would have been spectacular. A distance away Rachel noticed they were being observed.
Monkey's had noticed them and were coming nearer. The second RolliPolli saw them he yipped with delight and bounded after them. They scattered but the Meow Wow was certain it was part of a game so he kept chasing. He looked like he was having fun and Rachel knew he wouldn't hurt them even by some miracle he managed to catch one so she let him. She then switched Fantasia for Jewel and let the Frozluga join Rolli in monkey-tag while she looked around. Going through the streets was cool but the best part was finding the way into the palace. For being in the jungle it was surprisingly quiet the deeper she went. Surely there would be small mammals or snakes or something that had moved in but she hadn't seen so much as a beetle. Of course, that might not be the case in real life. And there were no Nightmares either so no sense complaining.
Rachel made her most incredible discovery completely by accident. She'd gone below to explore the underground floors where she tripped a secret panel and ended up behind a wall. Rachel raised her Keyblade like a torch; the jewels at the teeth glowed brightly, illuminating a dusty stone staircase. A little creepy but also exciting. So Rachel got her inner Indiana Jones on and carefully investigated where the stairs led. The bottom opened into three corridors. One had stairs that went up, the second opened into a wide circular room and the third a long narrow hallway. There was something suspicious about the empty room. Rachel found a few dislodged bricks and stones and threw them through the doorway just as a test. Good call too. One of the bricks crumbled a floor tile and a heavy stone lowered in in front of the exit. Instinctively Rachel lifted her feet and started floating. The hallway was the final option but she was going to be extremely careful about not touching anything.
Imagine being in a giant game of Operation, only your entire body is the tweezers. That was about how Rachel felt as she flew in as straight a line as she could while remaining as centered as possible. The tiles changed many times down the hallway, making her wonder how many of them were actually disguised switches. That also made her wonder what could be down this way that needed to be so heavily guarded. The answer was soon apparent. The hallway opened into another wide corridor that had many entrances coming off all sides. Many were decoy chambers and other undoubtedly held booby traps but all led to the same grand destination.
The journey ended at two tall heavy wooden doors. The doors were adorned with all sorts of carvings and metal-workings. Naturally it was stupidly heavy and stuck after years of disuse. Nothing a quick tap from a magical key couldn't take care of. Slowly and gently one of the doors swung open just wide enough for one person to pass through. There were huge masses and shapes all over, seen only because of a single pillar of light from above but not bright enough to illuminate the entire room. Rachel kept a hand brushed against the wall to feel around. She really wanted to see where exactly she was all at the same time, not just by the light of her Keyblade.
Her hand brushed against a carved stone outcropping against the wall. She continued feeling it out and her fingers were dunked into something wet. Eww! Who knew how long that water had been there or what was living in it. And it smelled funny, yuck! Wait, that wasn't a rotten or mildew-y smell. Actually Rachel wasn't sure how to describe it. And like a curious idiot she carefully dabbed the end of her tongue to her wetted fingertip. A stupid decision she immediately regretted. Whatever that was tasted horrible. Still, one bad idea can beget a good one. With a new thought forming in her head, Rachel held the end of Renewal to the stone gutter. The jewels lit up and a bright spark ignited the oily water. Rachel's eyes widened and her hands slowly moved to cover her mouth in astonishment at what she saw as the room was cast in blazing light.
The oil lit rapidly across the stone gutters that surrounded the enormous room. Scattered throughout, huge tarnished silver cobras reared up like hydras, flames spitting from their mouths. The walls were painted with jungle animals and ornately dressed people in an art style she had never seen before. Despite being very old, the colors were still very vibrant. They depicted decorated elephants and mighty kings, grand palaces and bountiful life of all kinds. The room itself was nothing shy of spectacular. Every corner glittered with mountains of gold and jewels. Massive gold statues of men with the heads of elephants had their hands folded in eternal prayer. Light rippled off the polished blades of ornate bejeweled daggers. Strings of fine pearls were strung across silver candlesticks and other fine statues like elegant spider webs. A fountain of beautiful polished white stone had been built around a natural spring that still bubbled in the center. Several paths had been made for the water to travel out from. Jewels sparkled like rainbow stars beneath the ever-moving water. Flint's trove may have been the loot of a thousand worlds but this place, even being a mere fraction of the old pirates treasure, had a certain majesty that went beyond compare. Rachel was so overwhelmed by its riches and splendor she almost started crying. No question. Back in the real world she wouldn't rest until she found this place and could see it in its true glory with her own awake eyes.
Another light flickered on a far wall. Above a painting of a king and his new bride under a sky of flowers, stars the moon and the sun the lines of the Keyhole etched itself on the wall. As much as Rachel would have liked to keep this place a secret so it could be her own special place in all the cosmos she knew Bryan would have to be present in order to seal the Keyhole. So she called for Jewel. When she appeared, Rachel instructed her to go back outside and shoot up several ice beams to signal her brother. Jewel whistled in acknowledgment and vanished in a short burst of light. Rolli, not wanting to be left alone, also appeared at her side. He didn't know much about treasure but thought it was fun to roll around in the coins.
While she waited Rachel tried on several shinies that caught her fancy. It wasn't like there was a shortage of things to choose from. She picked out gold rings, fine bracelets, a sapphire tiara and an exquisite necklace with a braided chain and teardrop shaped emeralds adorned with pearls. Rachel laughed and spun around several times with her arms spread. It was fun to feel like a five-year-old playing princess. It wouldn't really be stealing if this was a dream, right? Odds are the jewelry wouldn't be able to pass through the next dive anyway so why not let herself feel like a queen? Now if only there was-aha! A mirror. The mirror was a huge oval with a silver frame studded with rubies. It had fallen forward a little so she had to prop it back up to look into it. Ahh, such fun. What a wonderful princess feeling. She'd never owned many sparkles before and certainly none of significant quality. RolliPolli had never seen his reflection before and was trying to figure out how to get that other Meow Wow to play with him. Then he began to growl and huff at it with fervor.
"Relax, pudgy, it's just your reflection."
But Rolli wasn't looking at the mirror anymore. He had turned around to growl at something behind them. Rachel felt a cold shudder prickle its way across her shoulders. Something else was down there and she hadn't even sensed it. Panic jabbed an icy claw into her stomach when she noticed its reflection in the mirror. Rachel whipped around, Renewal immediately in hand. The dark figure stood back in the shadows along a wall. Despite being near one of the cobra lanterns, the flickering flames only just caught the outline shape of a human standing.
"You again?" It wasn't like that change of atmosphere was difficult to remember once she was made aware of it. Odd how he could somehow mask his presence so well.
"Forgive me for startling you."
"I appreciate the long overdue civility. Would it kill ya to just come out and say who you are and what you want? This beating around the bush is getting dumb."
"I have already told you what I want. You have answers I seek. It is not easy to enter the realm of sleep so time is of the essence."
For you maybe. Rachel thought. RolliPolli was still tense and growling. He didn't like this guy. There was something unpleasant about him and she didn't like the arrogance or assuming air he had that because he wanted to know something she would provide an answer.
He was silent for a moment. Rachel couldn't imagine he was waiting for her to speak first. More than half the time the conversation felt one-sided anyway. Then,
"I must admit, you have me quite perplexed."
"I'll let you finish before I decide if that's a good thing."
He continued as though she hadn't spoken. "You wield a Keyblade that does not behave like a Keyblade. As does your companion. I trust that is not just how Keyblades function in the realm of sleep."
Rachel felt a cold shiver down her spine. It shouldn't have come as a surprise he would know about Bryan if he'd been watching her, but still, she didn't like him and neither did her Spirits. She didn't want him around Bryan at all.
"You have a strong heart. Anyone could see it is full of light. Yet you are not possibly powerful enough to have gotten here by yourselves. The time of the Keyblade Masters has passed."
"Would there happen to be a caboose to this train of thought?" Rachel was set on not saying anything that might incriminate anything or anybody. And the sooner they could part company the better.
"But that is not what perplexes me about you the most. Answer me this: Why do you care?"
Rachel blinked, not even sure if she'd heard him right but he didn't add anything further to the peculiar question. "Why do I care? About what?"
"Everything. When you and your companion first entered the world of dreams I could sense a great change had occurred somewhere but did not bother myself with it. Then I sensed you. Deep in the depths of sleep your emotions could be felt beyond the reaches of slumber. That was how I found you. Atop those clouds you mourned for the forests' guardian as though she had truly died. You know this entire realm is only a dream and yet you allowed yourself to experience the agony of loss even though none of this is real. You sang to comfort a grieving prince when you had no reason. When this world wakes, what good will it have done you? Why do you waste your compassion on those who won't even remember you?"
Rachel wasn't sure how exactly to respond. Frankly she was a bit more unsettled that he had been keeping tabs on them almost from the very beginning. And still he continued, in fact, he almost sounded annoyed.
"I can sense a special power within you yet you frequently act like a child." He made a gesture to the jewelry she' decorated herself with. One little wrist flick expressed very plainly his opinion of the frivolity. "You acknowledge this world is just playing out dreams, memories and imaginings yet you try and right the wrongs and comfort the hurting even though it is just a waste of your time. What good will it do for you? Gratitude is a meager reward at the best of times and often goes unoffered. What have you ever gained by helping those who can offer you nothing? You cannot be so foolish to know opening your heart to others with such careless abandon only invites pain that others never fail to take advantage of and yet you do it anyway and freely. Unfettered kindness is folly. It does not gain you power, knowledge or wisdom. So I ask you again, why do you do it?"
She could tell when he was no longer talking about just the dream worlds anymore. That was a horrible way to think. But Rachel did give serious thought to what he said. Could it be summed up in mere words to describe why she allowed things to nestle a piece of themselves in her heart and embrace them? She'd honestly never thought about it before He did have a point. Opening herself to others the way she did without evening thinking most of the time did invite hurt. Like so many she knew exactly what it was like to give of herself freely only to be stabbed in the back. Rachel felt no hesitation to think about his question and do what she could to answer it. It wasn't like a bit of soul searching incriminated her brother, the nature of their Keyblade or how they were apprenticing under Master Yen Sid.
"Huh," She said quietly and thoughtfully. "That does leave for some heavy pondering. You're right. If I ever meet the forest nymph or Prince Edward again they will not know me. The fact I let my heart break for them wouldn't mean anything because it never actually happened to them." Rachel thought hard to express her words carefully.
"You're right. Good deeds often go without thanks. But if you're doing something just for acknowledgement you have no business doing it at all. I don't know if you've just had bad experiences or if that's just the way you see things, but to me, kindness is not folly. Showing others that someone found them worth taking the time is never without reward. No one wants to open themselves up only to invite pain. But I try to see passed that when I can. Pain is a hidden gift. If we shut ourselves up from pain, how can we possibly know the hurt we inflict on others? I know why I care. I know why I invest so much of myself into the people I meet and the things I do. It's because," Rachel laughed at herself a little, it wasn't the most eloquent or philosophical answer but to her it felt right.
"I choose to."
Rachel was almost positive she could hear the astounded buzz of his thoughts but his tone remained level.
"That…that is your answer?"
Rachel really wished she could see his face. That expression was sure to be hilarious. But between the hood or mask or whatever he was wearing and the shadows he stood in all features were obscured by blackness.
"What exactly were you thinking or hoping I was going to say?"
He was silent again for another minute or two. No surprise.
"Such a waste of power." He said. "Perhaps all you need is to be shown how to redirect that power." He took a step forward.
Rachel was about to warn him not to get any closer when a voice interrupted them.
"Heeey! I'm here, where you at?" Bryan's voice called faintly from above.
"Another time then."
"Hey! You can't just leave!"
But it was too late. The man had turned away. The shadows behind him rippled and he vanished within them. No trace anyone had been there at all remained. A cold shiver zapped down Rachel's whole body. Who was that guy and what exactly was his end game? Her stomach turned uncomfortably. What was his last comment supposed to mean? It seemed inevitable he'd be back. He still didn't know how they entered the dream world or the nature of their Keyblade. And, of course, he obviously found her answer unsatisfactory. Thankfully he didn't seem at all interested in their efforts to seal the Keyholes.
Rachel hovered above the spring, directly below the hole in the ceiling and shot up a thunderspark. It was a bit of a squeeze but Bryan managed to fly through the opening down to her. Said he now knew what toothpaste felt like. He too was astounded by the hidden treasure room. Together they sealed the Keyhole and awaited the dive gate to open. Rachel shifted uncomfortably standing next to her brother. She knew she should tell Bryan about the encounters but something held her back. Hopefully she'd never have to.
