Hello again! I hope you enjoy the latest chapter! ~KB
Disclaimer: KH is Nomura's...

Ch 5: Of Dreams and Doubt

Manami collapsed on her bed without even removing her training gear. To say she was exhausted was an understatement. It's been twelve days since Master Eraqus left and twelve days since Master Xehanort started his version of training. That version was intense. Countless Heartless were thrown at her every single day, from dawn till dusk. Okay, 8am to 7pm with a minor lunch break, same difference!

Master Xehanort's attitude towards her didn't help. The way he spoke to her a couple of days ago really irked her. But what bothered Manami even more was his answers. He basically stated that he could go in and out of the Realm of Darkness as he pleased. Or, at least had access to it.

Manami rolled over on her bed into a more comfortable position. She was also a bit discouraged by his wording. Master Xehanort had practically told her that she wasn't ready to go on missions. Sure, she had been on some before, but that was usually a routine check to make sure all was peaceful. A simple scan through a world to make sure it wasn't slipping into the Darkness.

It was only on occasion that Manami had to fight a Heartless in the field. That only happened when the Heartless somehow managed to escape the Realm of Darkness and find its way into a world. It was always by accident. Any actual reports of Heartless sightings meant that Master Eraqus was usually the one to disperse them while Manami was left in the Land of Departure.

Did he do that to her on purpose? Was she really not good for anything other than recon? After all these years of training, what was she good for?

I'm so useless, Manami thought drowsily. I'm never of any actual use around here.

Finally, sleep overtook her.

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Everything was dark. She couldn't see anything around her.

A soft glow in the distance caught Manami's eye. She began to walk towards it, but she wasn't actually walking. It was more like floating.

Moving her legs, Manami began to drift towards the glow. As she grew closer, Manami could distinguish a body. No, two bodies. Manami squinted her eyes; it was her parents!

"Mom! Dad!" she called. They turned around to face her, each smiling widely.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. It had been so long since Manami had seen her parents. She started to run towards them, but instead she began to drift farther away. The harder she ran, the further away from her parents she drifted.

"No. No! Mom, Dad!" Manami cried, but it was no use. They were so far away from her now, they were nothing but a faint light. Eventually Manami was left in the black nothingness once again.

The surrounding air began to change. It felt heavier than before. Manami could feel herself float down until her feet touched something solid. The ground was— cold.

The black around Manami faded to reveal the front courtyard of the Land of Departure. It was middle of the night, but Manami could still make everything out from the far staircase to the leaves on the bushes. What drew her attention were the two figures standing in the middle of the stone center.

Looking closer, Manami saw it was Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort standing across from one another. Something didn't feel right.

Manami's eyes widened as she saw Xehanort raise his hand. Before she could warn Master Eraqus, Xehanort snapped his fingers. Heartless sprung from every corner, Shadows and Neoshadows alike. Manami jumped forward in an attempt to aid her master, but black smoky tendrils grabbed her wrists, preventing her helping. More wrapped around her ankles and waist. She was completely immobile.

"Master Eraqus!" she screamed, but it appeared he couldn't hear her. Eraqus had already summoned his Keyblade and was fending off the Heartless as best he could. Master Xehanort was nowhere to be seen and the Heartless just kept attacking.

Manami struggled against her bonds. She had to get free. She had to help. Yet no matter how much she tried, Manami could not break free.

The Heartless were overpowering Eraqus by this point. Manami caught glimpses of Master Eraqus under the bodies of black that piled on top of him. Every second, more and more Heartless added to the pile and Manami could only see a mass of black in front of her.

He was losing. Master Eraqus was losing the fight. And there was nothing she could do. The black strands around her wrists and ankles had spread to her arms and legs by now. Tears streamed down her cheeks again as she watched her master fall from the sidelines.

Laughter. Manami heard laughter. It rang throughout the courtyard, powerful and menacing. It even mocked her. Manami looked around frantically for the source but she couldn't pin it. Then it stopped. The mass of Heartless in front of her began to disperse. Each Heartless disappeared into the surrounding shadows. Manami's eyes widened when she saw Master Eraqus lying motionless on the ground.

"No. No! NO!" she cried.

Manami sank to her knees. Her master was gone.

A sound above startled Manami. She looked up and nearly fell backwards from what she saw. A giant pair of yellow eyes shined down on the scene below. She knew those eyes. Those eyes that tormented her for the past two weeks.

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Manami gasped as she woke up in a cold sweat; it wasn't often she had dreams. She closed her eyes again and opened them immediately. Those yellow eyes kept appearing every time she closed hers.

Manami rubbed her eyes and peaked outside. Dawn was close, from the look of it she had almost another hour and a half before she normally woke up. Yawning, Manami flopped back in bed. It was too early for her liking.

Groaning in frustration, Manami sat up in her bed, reflecting on her dream. She was saddened by its accuracy. In the dream she was held back by shadows, but what held her back in the real world? She was so useless… unable to help those in trouble. It was always Master Eraqus to her aid. Never the other way around.

I must be such a burden to him, she thought sadly. Can I even do anything right?

Manami laid back down in bed, still awake. There was no point in getting up so early. She knew she was gonna need her energy for the day. At the rate things were going with her training, she could use all the extra energy she could get.

FIN

So what'd you think? Thoughts, comments, reviews are welcome! ~KB