Chapter 208: Strange Creatures
They made their way down the hall, slowly, quietly, weapons all drawn. Mickey supposed they should just walk, casually, and maybe pull their weapons out when they finally saw the creature—that way the creature wouldn't run before they got to it—but, oh well.
"You sure it was around here?" Donald asked. His voice was hushed, but he was still impatient.
"Yeah, somewhere around here," Goofy replied. If he noticed Donald's impatience, he didn't show it.
Mickey paused, then, ears twitching. He couldn't quite… hear the creature, but he could sense it. A dark presence, at the end of the hall. By Sora's room.
"This way," he whispered, starting forward.
Donald and Goofy followed behind him relatively silently (Goofy's armor clinked as he walked), not questioning him.
He paused outside Sora's door, listened for a moment, then pressed himself up against the wall. Goofy immediately took place against the wall behind him, and Donald took place on the other side of the door.
"It's in here," Mickey told them, lowering his voice even more.
"This is Sora's room," Goofy said, aloud, not that Mickey needed to know that. He already knew.
"What's it doing in there?" Donald asked. He sounded skeptical, as always.
"Not sure" Mickey replied, ignoring—not for the first time—Donald's skepticism.
"Do we go in there and attack it?" Goofy asked, bending down to Mickey's level so he could whisper but still be heard. "Or d'ya think we'll scare it off?"
"Hmm…"
"Well we won't know sitting out here," Donald said, reaching for the doorknob.
"Donald wait!" Mickey called.
"Uh-oh," Goofy said.
It was too late. Donald had opened the door and thrown himself into the room, staff raised to attack.
Mickey quickly followed after him, and then stopped in his tracks. He blinked a few times in astonishment, not sure if he was actually seeing what he thought he was seeing.
There was a boy on Sora's bed. The boy looked exactly like Sora, minus the fact that, well, his hair was black and he was wearing slightly different clothing. But that wasn't even the most shocking part. The most shocking part was the fact he was… sniffing Sora's bedsheets. Or, he had been—now he was just sitting there like a deer in the headlights.
"Hey, you were right! He was in here!" Goofy said, proudly.
Mickey couldn't find his voice to answer.
"What are you talking about, Goofy!?" Donald snapped. He was looking around the room, eyes narrowed with confusion. "There's nothing here!"
"Y-yes there is," Mickey said. His eyes were still locked with the boy's—with Sora's Shadow's. Because, of course, who else could this be? Who else could possibly look so much like Sora?
Though, the more important question here was: what the heck was he doing?
Mickey didn't know everything about Shadows, but sniffing bedsheets seemed a little out of character. Not to mention just… weird in general.
"I don't see anyone!" Donald protested. He was still looking around the room, more fervently now, stepping closer to the bed.
"Uh, Donald, he's right on the bed," Goofy said. He bent down and added in an exaggerated whisper: "Ya might wanna back up."
"What are you talking about!?" Donald demanded, rounding to look at them.
"Donald, Goofy's right," Mickey said, slowly, urgently, not taking his eyes off Sora's Shadow. Sora's Shadow had stopped staring at him in shock, and was now surveying the room with interest, eyes lingering on Donald. "There is someone on the bed."
"Maybe you guys are seeing things…." Donald mumbled.
A small smirk spread across Sora's Shadows face, then. He dropped the sheets and moved off the bed, slowly, as if hoping not to draw too much attention. After a second he looked up at Mickey, then grinned, before coming up behind Donald.
"Donald!" Mickey shouted.
He wasn't quick enough. Sora's Shadow jabbed Donald in the ribs, playfully, but the act still sent Donald about three feet into the air, screaming at the top of his lungs.
Sora's Shadow giggled.
"What are you doing here?" Mickey demanded, taking a step forward.
Sora's Shadow looked over at him, and shrugged, casually, making his way over to the bookshelf. He ran his fingers over the edge of it, waiting until Donald had stopped quacking incoherently to speak.
"Just looking around, that's all," he said, picking up one of the trinkets off the shelf, running his fingers over it.
"What were ya doin' on Sora's bed?" Goofy asked.
Anger flashed across Sora's Shadow face. His fingers tightened around the trinket. "I was just—" he shouted, rounding on Goofy, looking about ready to attack. Mickey stepped forward, blade bared, ready to block whatever Sora's Shadow might throw.
Sora's Shadow paused, then, face twitching, before turning back to the bookshelf. "It's been… a while… since I've seen Sora," he said, slowly, as if calculating his words very carefully. "Haven't seen him since the witch stole him from me!" His voice rose with anger, suddenly, and he slammed the trinket back onto the shelf, making the whole thing rattle.
Donald turned his head, hearing that.
"Witch…?" Mickey said, eyes narrowing as he thought. "You mean Maleficent!"
Sora's Shadow just grimaced, as if her name was something foul to him. That, at least, Mickey understood.
"No one mentioned Maleficent!" Donald said, stamping his foot with frustration.
"Y'mean ya can't hear him?" Goofy asked.
"No!"
Sora's Shadow smiled slightly.
"There you are!"
All of them turned to see Daisy in the doorway. She appeared to be in a hurry, and immediately addressed Mickey. "Sora says he knows what you're looking for—well, he thinks it's his Shadow."
"I thought so," Mickey said, turning back to look at Sora's Shadow. He'd gone back to examining the trinkets on the shelf.
"Thought what?" Daisy asked. She paused. "What are you looking at?"
"Apparently we found it," Donald grumbled.
"Donald can't see him," Goofy explained.
"Well, I can't either," Daisy said. She didn't sound happy about it, but she was calmer than Donald about the matter.
Sora's Shadow slowly set down the trinket, gripping the edge of the bookshelf again, gritting his teeth. He shook a little, and he asked:
"How is Sora?"
His voice cracked, and he leaned his head against the bookshelf, like it pained him to say those words.
"Sora's doin' just fine," Goofy told him.
"He'll probably be better off once you're gone," Mickey added, pointing his blade at Sora's Shadow's back. Sora's Shadow didn't move—if he even noticed.
"Gawrsh yer majesty, he was just asking a question…" Goofy muttered.
Mickey swallowed. Maybe the extra malice was unnecessary, but he wasn't comfortable having a creature of darkness in his castle. Especially not one bent on dragging Sora back into darkness.
"Yeah, gawrsh your majesty," Sora's Shadow mocked, bitterly. He didn't move, though. Not much. "What do you want from me, anyway? Aren't there more important things you should be taking care of?"
As he said it, there was another tug in Mickey's chest. It was strange how impeccable the timing was, but he couldn't deny that something had tried to threaten the Cornerstone. This tug was sharper, but brief. Not an immediate threat, but still worrisome.
"Donald! Daisy!" Mickey said, turning to them. "Go help Minnie and Sora! Me 'n Goofy will stay here and take care of this."
"Got it," Daisy said.
"Fine," Donald grumbled.
And they left.
"What are you going to do?" Sora's Shadow laughed, drumming his fingers against the wood. He still didn't turn to face them, though. His forehead still rested against the bookshelf. "Fight me?" He chuckled again. "It's a waste of your time. I'm not causing any harm right now."
"Maybe we don't trust you," Goofy told him. "I know I wouldn't trust you! In fact… I don't trust you!"
"If you leave and promise never to come back…" Mickey began. But that wasn't right, entirely. "Promise to- to leave Sora alone! Then we'll—"
"I can't do that," Sora's Shadow interrupted. He turned to them, then, finally. His mouth was turned down into a grimace, and his voice caught when he spoke. "I can't leave Sora alone." He took a deep breath, shutting his eyes. "And you're really going to fight me over that?"
"If I have to," Mickey replied.
"It's Sora's fight."
"Mmm."
Mickey thought about that. It would be Sora's fight, wouldn't it? His Shadow. His battle. His duty. But it didn't change the other facts. They couldn't afford to lose Sora to the darkness. It was a miracle—it was lucky—he was here now. He couldn't be lost again.
"What d'ya think, Mickey?" Goofy asked, addressing him as a friend. "Shouldn't we let Sora fight him? If it is his fight and all…"
Mickey swallowed. Wouldn't Sora want to fight his Shadow? But would he complain if Mickey killed it here?
They couldn't lose Sora again.
"Maybe it is Sora's fight," he said, baring his blade. "But I'd protect Sora anyway, if you two were to fight. I don't see anything wrong with fighting you now!"
Goofy sent a glance at him, but after a second straightened into his battle position. "Yeah! What- what he said!"
A string of darkness lashed out at Goofy. He brought up his shield to block, and the darkness hit it with a clank, having transformed into a string of chains.
Mickey swung his Keyblade at Sora's Shadow, but he blocked with his own Keyblade. Mickey's eyes widened at the sight of it, but he said nothing. It really wasn't too surprising, after all.
Sora's Shadow sunk into the ground, then, like an actual shadow would. Mickey turned around, and jumped back, as Goofy moved in to block Sora's Shadow's blade.
Sora's Shadow stumbled back, and Mickey pushed him out of the room with a well placed strike to his chest.
Goofy rammed into him, shoving him against the wall. Mickey jumped and drove his blade through Sora's Shadow's heart.
Sora's Shadow cried out, but it was a short cry.
Mickey looked at him for along moment. There was no blood, but that wasn't too much of a surprise. Except… he wasn't starting to fade, either, like most creatures of darkness would upon death.
So… he wasn't dead?
Sora's Shadow looked down at Mickey's blade in horror, having already dropped his weapons. His stunned silence appeared to be a response not to his apparent death, but rather to his lack thereof. Even he had expected that to kill him.
"Maybe he's like a Heartless," Goofy suggested
Mickey grimaced, but tightened his grip on his blade, nodding. He poured light through the blade—as much as he could muster. Light would kill any Heartless. Kill any Shadow, theoretically. And Sora's Shadow certainly cried out in pain, in agony, like it was hurting him. Mickey hated hearing it but hopefully, hopefully—
"IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT WORKING CUT IT OUT!" Sora's Shadow screamed.
Mickey did without hesitation. He pulled his blade out, and banished it, his hands shaking. "Why didn't that work?"
Sora's Shadow crumpled to the ground, clutching his chest. He looked up at Mickey, face scrunched up with hatred—no. Fear.
"I. Don't. Know."
Mickey took a step backwards, sending a nervous glance at Goofy. Goofy's attention was fixed on Sora's Shadow, though, looking concerned. Mickey swallowed, casting his own attention back to Sora's Shadow.
He'd bent over double, clutching his head. "Why didn't that work!?" he screamed. His voice shook the normally quiet halls. "Why am I not dead!? That much light should've killed any creature as dark as I—"
He broke off, trembling. A choked sob left his lips, but he stifled it.
Mickey swallowed, again. He wasn't sure what to do. How to respond.
"I'd of expected him to be more happy about the fact he can't die," Goofy mused, keeping his words hushed. "That means Sora can't beat him."
That news only seemed to upset Sora's Shadow more. His choked sobs grew worse with each second. His breath came in ragged gasps, like it was hard to make air enter his lungs.
Mickey stared, and had to swallow yet again, this time forcing bile out of his mouth. He'd never seen a creature of darkness look so distraught. So broken. His first impulse was to reach out and comfort Sora's Shadow, to ask what was wrong, but it felt strange to ask a Shadow that sort of thing.
He couldn't deny he felt sorry, though.
Taking pity on the poor creature, Mickey directed his attention towards Goofy, and said:
"Of course Sora can still beat him."
He wanted to say the words to Sora's Shadow. It was Sora's Shadow who needed to hear them. It was Sora's Shadow who needed to know that yes, maybe it was possible he could die, since apparently the alternative scared him so much. But there was no telling how a Shadow would react to such sympathy. Most creatures of darkness didn't react positively.
"But if he can't die—" Goofy began.
"Sora has to be able to beat him," Mickey interrupted, firmly. "Maybe I don't know everything about Shadows, but I know they can be defeated."
Goofy thought that over, but he didn't take too long about it.
"Oh! I get it!" he said, lighting up immediately. "You're sayin' that even if we can't kill him, Sora can!"
"Yeah!" Mickey agreed.
He wasn't sure if he believed it.
He wasn't sure if he believed anything he thought he did anymore.
But the words seemed to comfort Sora's Shadow. He got control of his sobs, and his breathing calmed. He stopped clutching at his head, too, though he didn't look up at Mickey. There was second of silence, and then all of a sudden, Sora's Shadow vanished.
"Where'd he go?" Goofy asked, a little surprised.
Mickey just shook his head.
"The… the Cornerstone," he said, slowly.
"You think he went there!?" Goofy asked, automatically worried.
Mickey had to stifle a small laugh. "No I… we should go see how Minnie's doing," he clarified.
"Oh! Alright."