The Road to Dawn
By Ariana Aislinn
Chapter 14: Midnight Mysteries

More Riku goodness. Mostly happy with this chapter but not entirely...I'm hoping enough happens in it to keep everyone's interest. Hey, at least I introduced a new character! Look familiar to anyone? ...Er, that is, after the annoyingly vague and tantalizingly mysterious interlude! (rubs hands together with a mischievous grin)

Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me.

DiZ leaned back in the battered, old chair with a sigh. He looked around the mess and debris of the mansion's large dining room, a small smile quirking his lips. So much forgotten in this place…so much lost. He looked up as the door opened to admit another figure, this one swathed in a familiar black coat. DiZ nodded in greeting. "I'm surprised you made it."

"I really shouldn't be here at all."

"This mansion is a mere reflection, set up only for this meeting. You need have no fear of running into anyone you should not."

The other relaxed visibly. The release of tension was almost palpable, despite the fact that his face was entirely hidden and his body wrapped in heavy black leather. "So, is it done?"

DiZ nodded. "It is. And fear not, I shall not let slip where I have taken her. Simply know that Naminé is in good hands for the time being." He smiled wryly. "I've managed to locate another friend."

"You know I don't want to know who she is with. But if it's who I suspect…" He sighed, reaching into his hood and massaging his forehead with gloved fingers. "It'd be dangerous if you took her to see Riku, you know. Having the two of them in one place is a serious liability."

"You think Darkside would attempt to tamper with Riku's memories?"

The man shrugged. "You never know."

DiZ gave him a reassuring look, his golden eyes softening behind the red bandaging. "I wouldn't worry so, my friend. You said it yourself - Darkside is unlikely to do anything at this point to risk the possibility of later retrieving Ansem's shadow from within Riku's mind. Until he is ready, he will not attempt anything untoward."

"Yeah, but you forget - what I know, he knows," the other pointed out.

"I forget nothing. I also have more faith in you than you seem to have in yourself."

"Hmph. What about the other - the Keyblade master?"

"I have seen to it. The proper hints have been dropped, and our young friend should be on his way shortly."

"Good. And…while it's not quite as big a deal, I'd really rather you kept it quiet where he's going."

DiZ inclined his head. "Of course. Now, if you'll excuse me…" He stood. "I have another matter to see to, one we discussed earlier. As I'm sure you understand, I cannot elaborate on details."

"And I wouldn't want you to. But I trust you - got no choice, have I?" He chuckled bitterly.

"Unfortunately, no…but have heart, my friend. We shall see this through." With a nod, DiZ gestured to the door. "That will take you back. As I said, this is merely an illusion; you needn't worry about ending up in the town. Will you contact me when next you find a chance to slip away long enough to meet?"

"As usual, yeah. Thanks. And…DiZ?"

He turned to face the other, one of the bandages twitching slightly as an eyebrow rose.

"I'll do my best to set things right."

DiZ inclined his head slightly in agreement. "I know you will."

And with that, the two went their separate ways, leaving the damaged room as empty as if they had never come at all.

It had been a long, eventful day, and when night fell, Riku had been only too glad to fall into bed. Sleep had overtaken him almost immediately, his muscles sore from training and his brain tired and spinning from going through books in the library. Something had awakened him, however, and with a sigh Riku lay still in the large, curtained bed, listening to the silence of the castle and wondering what had disturbed his sleep.

Everything was peaceful, and a gentle breeze blew in through the window, which was open just a crack. A candle sat on the bedside table, cold and unlit - Riku had no need for such a thing now. He lay in the darkness, the glows and shadows on the wall from the faint light of the crescent moon as bright and crisp to his eyes as sunlight and shade at full noon. Perhaps it was the light that had awoken him; usually he remembered to close the drapes at night.

Just as he was deciding that must have been the cause, Riku heard a slight bump and a scratching sound in the corridor. He was halfway out of bed with Soul Eater in his hand before he even realized what he was doing. Freezing again, he forced himself to stop and listen. The sword vanished. In all likelihood it was just Dale looking for a midnight snack, and there was no good reason to give the chipmunk a heart attack by appearing with weapon in hand. Still, best to be sure.

Riku had taken to sleeping in a pair of loose pants, but that didn't seem enough for investigating in the slight chill of the wee hours. Moving with almost unnatural silence, he slipped on a shirt and tied his blindfold around his temples, reducing the room's light to a softer, silvery glow. He did not bother with shoes, but rather crept softly into the hall, looking around cautiously. He left the door to his bedroom ajar behind him, so as to avoid making any noise.

Riku could make out a flicker of light down the hall - a candle. Peering more closely, he realized that it was coming from the direction of Naminé's door. There was a soft scraping sound, and a faintly whispered curse. The hair on the back of his neck rose and bristled, and Riku moved forward, one silent step at a time.

A young man crouched near Naminé's bedroom door. At first Riku thought he was peering in through the keyhole, or possibly trying to enter…but then he realized that the intruder, in fact, was a couple feet away from the door. He appeared to be fiddling with some strange construction made of light, a small, faint apparition floating in the air before him. The softest of breezes blew up out of nowhere and gently lifted a few strands of hair from Riku's forehead. He frowned, smelling the scent of sun-warmed stone and hearing the tinkling of windchimes. Children laughed in the distance, their feet pattering on cobblestones. There was a faint aroma of freshly baked bread, as well. Then, as soon as it had come, the sensation was gone. Riku shook himself, staring at the blond boy, who still crouched before Naminé's door.

Though he was some distance away, Riku could see, at least, that he had pale blond hair that stood up in spiky cowlicks, and he wore a short-sleeved jacket and baggy cargo pants of white trimmed with black and a bit of red. The boy's face was not visible, but his hands were - practiced fingers worked deftly with thin pieces of metal, twisting and fiddling with them inside what appeared to be…a keyhole? Riku squinted, looking more closely. A keyhole indeed, but one not attached to any door. Larger than an ordinary keyhole, yet still smaller than the boy's hand, it floated in midair before Naminé's bedroom door, glowing with the very faintest light.

Enough observation. Smoothly, Riku stepped out from his concealment in the shadows of the corridor and shifted his weight to one foot, looking sure and at ease. Soul Eater did not appear in his hands, but his posture was confident, almost cocky, as he rested his hands easily on his hips and cleared his throat softly. "Hey. Lost something? Your way, perhaps?"

The young man whirled, his eyes going wide, and the keyhole vanished instantly, the pieces of metal disappearing into his pockets. He squinted at Riku, frowning warily. "Who are you?"

"I might as well ask you the same thing. But I'll indulge you. I'm a friend of Naminé's…you know, the girl whose door you seem to be prowling around? And as I don't recognize you at all, I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be in this part of the castle, if you actually belong in the castle in the first place. Which I doubt." He grinned, showing his teeth. "Need an escort out of here?"

"Got it covered, thanks." The kid had seemed to recover some of his composure. For that matter, something almost like recognition sparked in his eyes. Though he'd been startled at first, he now relaxed and even seemed to smile knowingly. Riku almost had to admire the way he mirrored Riku's own cocky confidence - even his posture was almost the same, as he leaned his weight on one foot and rested a hand on his hip. His other hand brushed back spiky bangs.

Riku stopped, blinking. The hair, clothes, and coloring were all wrong, but…there was something eerily familiar about this young man. He paused. "Huh. You know…you look a lot like him," he muttered, not realizing he'd said it aloud until the words were out of his mouth.

"Who, Sora? Yeah, I guess I would, wouldn't I? Sorry though, no time to chat." The kid saluted Riku mockingly. "Later, Riku. Try not to miss me." With that, a portal of purply blackness opened behind him, and the young man in white backed into it, giving Riku a cocky grin before vanishing.

Riku just stood and stared for a few long moments, then finally shook his head. "What the hell was that all about?" he muttered to himself, then sighed. "Well, better at least check as long as I'm out here…" Taking a few steps forward, he rapped his knuckles softly on Naminé's door.

There was silence for a moment, and then a sleepy, slightly worried voice called out, "Who is it?"

"Riku. Just checking on you. I…heard something in the hall."

"Just a moment."

There was a creak of hinges and a rustle of cloth, and after a few moments the door opened to reveal the girl. Naminé rubbed her eyes sleepily with her right hand and tightened the sash of a sky blue dressing gown with the other - apparently provided by the castle staff, as she had brought no extra clothes with her. Riku had to hide a smile with his hand, seeing that her blond hair was sticking up in all directions.

"Is anything wrong?" Naminé yawned drowsily.

"Doesn't look like it. Looks like you were sleeping peacefully." Riku paused. For some strange reason, he found himself hesitant to mention the strange visitor. "You didn't hear anything?"

"I…no." She blinked, obviously still bleary-eyed with sleep. "To tell the truth, I was dreaming. Pretty vividly, in fact. It was sunset, and there was a breeze…a bakery with fresh-baked bread, and some children off in the distance. It seemed so…familiar, somehow." She stopped, catching Riku's sharp look. "What is it?"

"Uh…nothing." He shook his head, as if to clear it. "Just sounds a little like something I…dreamed too." He was at a loss to explain further. Instead, he forced a grin onto his face. "Well, sorry I disturbed you for nothing. Go back to bed, okay?"

Naminé smiled sleepily, but sweetly. "Not at all - I don't mind. Good night, Riku."

They exchanged nods, and Naminé headed back into her room, stifling a yawn. Riku stood in the corridor a moment longer, frowning.

He was still tired, but questions demanded his attention more than sleep at the moment. With a sigh, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and strode off down the hallway in the direction of the library.

The library was, unsurprisingly, dark and empty. Riku did not bother to light a candle, however; he could see perfectly well in the darkness. Moonlight poured in through the skylights above, providing more than enough light for him to read by while searching book titles. He wandered over to a section of shelves he had not yet explored, though he thought Mickey may have already checked it. Still, it couldn't hurt to try again. Riku's mind wandered as he fingered the spines of books, reading with only half his attention.

He wondered if he ought to tell anyone about the strange boy he'd seen in the hallway. He seemed very suspicious, of course, and yet…Riku wasn't really certain that he'd intended any malice. Regardless of whatever it was he'd been doing, he certainly could have tried to harm Naminé if he'd wanted to…and yet, to all appearances, he hadn't. Still, Riku had no idea what the boy had been doing. What was that keyhole, and what was he doing with it? A keyhole…it can't just be a coincidence. Maybe he'd better at least talk to Mickey about it. The mouse king might have some idea what it meant, and if there was any threat to Naminé.

Riku stopped, his fingers hovering over the spine of a book bound in dark green leather. He frowned, studying the title. Seekers of Wisdom? That sounds…familiar. He couldn't quite place it, however. Shrugging, he pulled the book off the shelf and carried it over to the table, setting it down and turning to the first page. He did not bother to take a seat, instead resting his palms against the desktop while leaning over to read.

"'The Seekers of Wisdom are an ancient order," he muttered softly, reading aloud from the introduction, "steeped in tradition and the knowledge of centuries, some say even millennia. It is even said that they gained the ability to cross worlds. Herein lies what little we know of this sect, which has long since passed from our world, along with the scraps that remain of the ancient texts they left behind.' Huh. Interesting."

"Hey, pal. What's that you got there?"

Riku looked up as the king padded in, wrapped in a fuzzy red dressing gown with fluffy gold slippers on his feet. He set his candle on the desk next to Riku, who gestured to the book. "Found a book that looks interesting. What're you doing up, Mickey?"

The king surprised Riku by looking embarrassed. "I uh…got hungry. I came to grab a midnight snack," he said sheepishly, brandishing a half-eaten gingersnap.

Riku chuckled. "Fair enough. Well, come take a look. I seem to remember you going through this shelf, but I saw the title and it looked kind of familiar to me. Does it mean anything to you?" He stepped aside for the mouse to move close enough to peer at the page.

"Seekers of Wisdom, huh? I'll admit, it sure does sound familiar…I think I heard about them a long time ago. They used to live in this world, hundreds of years ago."

"Yeah?" Riku frowned thoughtfully, then suddenly snapped his fingers. "Wait - I think I remember where I've heard the name. I'm pretty sure I remember learning about them in school at some point. We didn't get a lot of detail back then - that era of history was reserved for this year." He paused. "Huh. You know, I hadn't even really thought of the fact that I've missed several months of school." He chuckled. "Small blessings, huh? Though the information might have come in handy right now."

"So what do you know about the Seekers of Wisdom, pal?"

Riku furrowed his brow, racking his brains. "Not a lot. Supposedly they were sages who lived a long time ago, when the Destiny Islands were first colonized. They vanished a ways back. Some say they could do magic, but no one's really sure. It's kind of a legend back home."

Mickey tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. Magic isn't too common on your islands, is it?"

Riku shook his head. "Not at all. No one uses it anymore, and all we've got left to show there ever was magic are strange plants like the paopu fruit, and stuff like that. I'm not sure I ever really believed magic existed, before that night in the storm." He stopped, looking thoughtful, and turned his head upwards to gaze at the star-strewn sky through the windows above. "Although…maybe I always knew. I was always so sure that other worlds existed, that we were a part of a much bigger universe. I guess that part of me must have believed in magic, too."

Mickey grinned, nodding. "I think you may be right. After all, Sora learned to use magic, so who's to say others from your islands couldn't have also used it in the past?"

"True. But still…how does this help us? What does it have to do with any of the questions we're trying to answer?"

Mickey shook his head. "I don't know, pal. But I sure think this book is worth taking a closer look at!" He covered a yawn. "But not tonight. I'm awful sleepy…can we talk about this more in the morning?"

Riku smiled, nodding. "Sure. I ought to get back to bed too." He closed the book, but left it out on the desk. "See you in the morning, Mickey!"

The two walked to the library door and then went their separate ways down the hall, toward their respective rooms. It was only when Riku was halfway up the stairs at the end of the hall, climbing to the north wing, that he realized he'd forgotten to mention Naminé's strange visitor to the king.

Oh well. I suppose it can wait till morning… Oddly enough, Riku had an inexplicable feeling that the blond boy would not return tonight. Wonder how I know that? Guess it doesn't matter, at least not tonight. He suddenly yawned hugely, realizing just how very tired he was. Shrugging off the rest of his unanswered questions, he finished climbing the stairs and headed down the hall to his room, after glancing quickly at Naminé's door. It was shut securely, as he'd left it, and looked undisturbed to all appearances.

In his own bedroom, Riku stripped off his shirt and untied the blindfold, then sank into bed, exhausted once more, and dragged the covers over himself. Fatigue came on without warning these days…which he supposed was better than the almost constant weariness that had plagued him for the first weeks of his convalescence.

It was not long before Riku fell into a deep sleep once more. Still, his mind was not yet ready to rest, and shortly after his head touched the pillow, the dreams began…

…Dreams of keyholes and memories.

Hope you liked this chapter! As always, comments are very much appreciated, and constructive criticism always considered.