Chapter Eight-The Keyblade of Sorrow

Brooke staggered backwards and bumped into the wall. "He can't be! No…no!" she screamed as she slid to the floor in tears. Brick got off the bed and ran to her, tears flowing as he did. "I know. I know! I don't wanna believe it either! But…I saw it…happen." He said hugging her tightly. "What are you doin? Are you switchin up on me, man?" Lance asked questioningly. "What are you talkin about Lance?" Brick asked as he helped Brooke stand up. "Just a few days ago, you were determined to kill this guy and now you're cryin cause he's dead?" Lance said starting to get angry. "You don't get it, do you? I never wanted him dead. Just stop his plight."

"No, what I don't get is how phony you are! How can you sit there and tell me that you didn't want this guy dead!" Lance yelled. "Alright, fine. You wanna play that way?" Brick said starting to get angry. Lance summoned his Kama w/chain and Brick summoned his keyblade. But his keyblade was different this time. His keyblade was more twisted at the handle and the key was shaped in the form of a tear. Lance noticed this and was kinda disturbed by it. "Dude…wassup with your keyblade?" he asked but Brick didn't respond. He just glared evilly at Lance and so did Brooke whose two short swords were already summoned. "What's wrong with you guys?"

Nor Brick nor Brooke responded, only attacked. "Hey guys! Cut it out!" Lance said blocking as Brick swung his newly formed keyblade. Brooke then jumped on the attack and slashed at Lance who dodged quickly over the Brick's bed. He started to get angry with both his friends. "You guys need to snap out of it! I didn't mean it…really!" he called to them as they both jumped at him swinging their weapons. He ducked as Brick tried to stab him with his keyblade and cut his shirt. He leaned back when Brooke took two swings at him with her short swords. "I gotta snap them out of it." Lance thought as he blocked another one of Brick's angry swings with his Kama.

"It…hurts…so…much!" Brick said with each swing. "So…much…pain!" Brooke added as she slashed. Both Brick and Brooke seemed to be slowing down. "They're slowing down. Maybe this is my chance." Lance thought as he leg swept Brick and kicked Brooke in the back. All three weapons dismissed themselves. "Are you guys done now?" Lance asked as he tried to get his breath back. "Yeah…but it still hurts." Brick said. "Look…I'm sorry about that. You never really tell us how you're feeling." Lance said as he caught his breath. "How do you even know that he's dead though?" Lance asked. "Because I SAW it happen. It was one of those dreams again."

"But he can't be dead though. He just can't." Brooke whispered wiping her face. Lance looked at her strangely. "Why EXACTLY are you taking this so hard? I mean…I guess I can expect it from Brick here but you?" Brooke stood up and turned away. "I didn't want to say anything before…but I could feel Nicole's pain. I actually dreamed watching Raheem get blasted in the back but I tried not to think anything of it." Brick got up off the floor and crossed to Brooke. "Why didn't you say something before?" he asked and turned her around to face him. "I didn't want to believe it was true." She answered as she pulled away from him. "This gets weirder and weirder."

Lance shook his head. "But you guys didn't feel it though. I felt as if I were dying. That's why I dropped like that before. It hurt so much to see it happen and feel it too." Brick said as he sat back down on his bed. "Well…I'm glad that you guys are ok. Do you know how hard it is to try blocking both attacks from your friends? What the hell happened with you guys anyway?" Lance said. "I don't know. The pain was just so intense that I couldn't help it. I actually blacked out for a little and awakened to fighting you." Brick commented and Brooke nodded. "Yeah, that was the same with me." Brooke added. "You guys are starting to freak me out." Lance said as he left.

Brooke hugged Brick and then went back to her room. Brick layed down on the bed and just stared up at the ceiling. "But he can't be dead. He just can't. It's impossible. If he died…then I would too." Brick thought to himself before falling back to sleep. Morning came quickly and a light shone through the window and onto Brick's face causing him to fall out of bed. "Ouch! Stupid piece of…" he started as he began to rub his head. He stood up and looked through the window. He took a shower and then got dressed. He then headed for the kitchen and plopped down in a chair. "He's not dead. He's not. He can't be." Brick continued to think to himself in the chair.

Lance and Brooke made their way to the kitchen also and dropped in the chairs like Brick. "Brick? Are you alright?" Lance asked as he waved his hand infront of Brick's face and Brick snapped to attention. "Huh? What?" he said. "I asked if you were alright." Lance said and Brick nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. Raheem's not dead. He can't be." Brick said as Brooke and Lance looked at each other. "Brick…it's ok to be in denial. I know how you feel." Brooke said as she placed a hand on his. "I'm not in denial. I'm not! Raheem can't be dead and I refuse to accept it." Brick said standing up. "Calm down man. We're only trying to comfort you." Lance said standing also. "No!"

Brick ran from the kitchen and back to his room. Brooke and Lance followed after. "Brick! Brick! Calm down! We're only trying to help!" Brooke called to him. "Okay, so which is it? Is he dead or is he NOT dead?" Lance said getting slightly irritated. "He's not dead and I won't believe it until I see it." Brick said. "Ok…now last night you said you saw him die. Isn't that proof enough?" Lance commented. "No…until I see his body for myself then I won't believe it." Lance sighed angrily. Brick rocked back and forth slowly, his head started hurting. "Oh man. My head's killin' me." He thought as he swayed slightly. "You alright man?" Lance asked him.

Brick nodded slowly, his vision getting blurry. "Raheem." He whispered before falling forward and Lance caught him just in time. "Brick!" Brooke screamed as she hurried over to him and Lance. "What happened?" Brooke asked as her eyes started to fill tears once again. "I don't know! I don't know!" Lance shouted as he brought Brick over to the bed. "Oh god. Please don't do this." Brooke thought but Brick's body disappeared. "What the hell's going on?" Lance thought. Darkness surrounded Brick everywhere. His mind was racing. "What's going on? Where am I?" Brick thought aloud and it echoed. "Wow. An echo? I must really be lost."

Twilight Mansion appeared with the lock on the gate. "What the hell?" Brick said and his keyblade summoned itself. He pointed at the lock and it disappeared. "This is weird." He thought as he walked through the gates and entered the mansion. "This place is HUGE!" he said as he stood in the middle of the floor and looked around. "Tee hee hee…" a feminine voice laughed and Brick spun around. "Who's there?" he called out but the feminine voice just laughed still. A door upstairs opened and a light shone through. "What the hell…?" he said to himself before running up the stairs. He got to the door, summoned his keyblade, and pushed open both doors.

The entire room was white and filled with drawings. A girl around his age sat in a chair at a white table. She smiled serenely and waved at him. "Hi! I'm glad to finally meet you Brick." Brick cast a suspicous glance at her and walked over to her. "How do you know my name and what is this place?" Brick asked. "My name's Namine'. I've known all about you for awhile now." She said still smiling. Brick got his fighting stance with his keyblade at the ready. "Don't worry. I'm not here to hurt you. Just to inform you of somethings." She said as Brick lowered his guard. "How can I be sure to trust you?" he asked and she smiled. "You don't." She giggled sweetly.

"You're a weird one." Brick said as he dismissed his keyblade. "So where am I?" he asked as he began to walk around and look at the drawings. "You're here with me, in the White Room." She said as she started to draw in her little drawing pad. Brick looked at the drawings and noticed a pattern. "Hey…I know him. That's…Sora isn't it?" he asked and she nodded. "Why am I here?" he added. "I was told to keep an eye on you." Namine' said looking at him directly. "Wait…keep an eye on me? Who told you to do that?" Brick said starting to get unsure about Namine'. "The new organization. They told me to keep an eye on you. I told them its wrong."

Brick crossed over to her. "Then why exactly are you doing it?" he asked and she looked away. "Because I'm told to do so." She responded and continued to draw. "You always do as you're told?" Brick said folding his arms. She looked at him and smiled. "No." Brick then crossed back over to the wall and continued to look at the drawings. Most of the drawings were of Sora but a few started to catch his eye. "Hey…wait a minute. That's me! That's me, Brooke, and Lance. What are you doing drawing us for?" he said turning to her. Namine' didn't answer but just kept on drawing whatever it was she was drawing. "Namine'…what are you drawing?" he asked.

Namine' stopped drawing. She looked down at the pic and giggled. Brick started to walk over to her but was stopped by himself being encased in an unopened flower. She smiled and walked over to it. He banged on the glass. "Let me out!" he yelled and she held up her drawing pad to show that she had drawn a picture of him encased in the unopened flower. He banged on the glass again but she still smiled at him. "What are you doing Namine'? Let me out!" he shouted but it seemed like she couldn't hear him. She whispered something unusual and Brick's eyes fluttered slightly and he fell backwards into complete darkness. Memories of his life began to flash by as he fell. His last memory was of him, Brooke, and Lance. "Almost there."