Chapter 3: Day 2 and The Darkness
Nick awoke the next day in a daze. She sat up and placed her feet on the wooden floor and rubbed her head. What a strange dream, she thought to herself. She looked at her right hand, the one she had held the blade of destiny with, and tried to make sense of it. The dream just felt so real.
Just then, the door to her little cabin swung open and a blur of white hair came at her. Nick pulled back in surprise but quickly recognized it to be Riku.
He sat down next to her on the bed. "Come on!" he said with a grin, "What are you doing still sleeping at this time?"
"Riku, I had the strangest dream," Nick told him. "I was in this weird dark place and this voice kept telling me all these weird things and I got this sword and there were these strange black creatures and-"
"Whoa, Nick," said Riku, "take it easy. It was just a dream, that's all."
Nick looked down feeling a bit waved off. "Yeah, I guess so."
Riku noticed her shot down look and quickly tried to cheer her up. He bounced up and down on the bed and said, "Come on, I really wanna go see some worlds. We need to have fun on our last day. It wouldn't be the same without you."
Nick let a smile form on her face and she looked at her beaming friend and joined him in bouncing on the bed. "Okay let's go!" she said enthusiastically. The two of them jumped up and ran out of the cabin.
It wasn't long until Sora had emerged from the cabin behind them. The three of them began to discuss the name of the raft but Nick quickly gave up as the two boys were more interested in their own choice than anything else.
"Are they at it again?" Kairi asked Nick as she came walking through the doorway to the cabin.
Nick crossed her arms and watched the quarrelling boys. "Yup, as usual."
Kairi let out a sigh as she stepped forward. "Hey, how about Nick and I be the judge. The usual rules apply."
"The first one to reach the tree and get back here wins," Nick finished. The boys agreed and took their position.
"So, if I win I'm captain. And if you win-"Sora said but was cut off.
"I get to share the paopu fruit with Kairi," said Riku.
Sora shot him a look, "Huh?!"
"Deal? The winner gets to share the paopu fruit with Kairi."
"Wait a minute," Sora said in a panic. He then glanced at Nick who looked hurt and sad.
Kairi called to the boys to start the race and the two took off. Nick watched, desperately hoping Sora would win. She couldn't really figure out why she wanted him to win so badly but just the thought of Riku sharing the paopu fruit with Kairi made her sick.
The boys came back and to Nick's favor, Sora was in the lead. Once they reached the girls, Riku looked smug and turned away from them to look at the ocean.
Nick went over to him after congratulating Sora and said, "It was a good race. Good job."
"Thanks," he mumbled. Then he crossed his arms and faced her. "Listen there is still a few things we need to get. Are you up for it?"
She nodded and he gave her a list of items. Nick took her mental note and took off about the island, rounding up her last minute things. After a few hours and her nearly being done, she noticed that Sora was walking into the Secret Place. Curious as to what he was doing, she followed him into the little tunnel.
She reached the open area and scoped the room. There he was spikey hair and all just sitting on the ground and carving something into the wall. She walked quietly behind him and crossed her arms.
"Whatchya drawing?" she asked. Sora dropped the rock in surprise and scrambled to cover up his carved art.
"What are you doing here?!" he shouted. Nick laughed at his embarrassed expression and he slowly took his arms away from the wall revealing his image.
Nick sat down next to him and admired his work. It was still the old picture of him and Kairi when they were young, but he had added something. A small shape of a star, a paopu fruit by the looks of it.
"You really like her don't you," said Nick softly.
"She's my friend," he began, "I just wish Riku would stop kidding around like that."
"Me too," she agreed. The two friends looked at the drawing for a while. Just as Nick was about to say something else to Sora, something caught the corner of her eye. She stood and faced a man in a brown hooded cloak. Sora noticed it as well and stood beside her.
"Wh-who's there?" stammered Sora.
"What do you want?" asked Nick without fear.
The hooded figure stood there for a moment, then responded, "I have come to see the door to this world."
Sora gave the figure a confused look while Nick glanced at the brown door off to the side of the cave. "Why did you come to see it?" she asked.
"This world has been connected," said the figure as if Nick hadn't spoken.
"What do you mean?" asked Sora intently. Nick however kept watching the hooded figure before her. This person knew about something they didn't.
The figure continued, "Tied to the darkness…soon to be completely eclipsed."
"Well, whoever you are, stop freaking me out like this," said Sora but then he noticed who Nick was staring at and finally saw the hooded figure. "Huh? Wh- Where did you come from?"
Nick eyed the figure cautiously. "What do you mean by darkness?"
"You do not yet know what lies beyond the door," said the figure, again ignoring their questions.
Sora's eyes widened and he looked from Nick to the figure. "So you're from another world!"
"Don't get too excited, Sora," Nick told him. She didn't think this man could be trusted.
"There is so much to learn," the figure said, "You understand so little."
Nick held an arm out to stop Sora. "Oh yea," he said, "Well I'm going to go out there and learn. And Nick already knows. She may not remember but she has been out there."
"Sora, please, that's enough," Nick begged. This kid always got so overexcited.
The hooded figure laughed, "A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing."
Nick glared at the stranger. "My efforts are just as good as yours." With that, the figure disappeared and the two were left there to wonder about the event that had just occurred.
They agreed not to speak of it to the others as they walked back with their provisions. They gave their items to Kairi who was making herself a good luck charm and then called it a day. Later that night, Nick joined Riku by the paopu tree to relax before the big day.
"So tomorrows it," Nick said as she climbed up onto the tree.
"Yup," replied Riku. He joined her in sitting on the tree and crossed his arms.
Nick gazed out at the ocean that was now bathed in the golden sun. She then closed her eyes and let the warm breeze brush across her face and her hair to ride it. The sweet smell of the salt water relaxed her and she thought to herself how much this place was home to her. The feelings, sounds, and smells were all so familiar like she had known them for so long, but then again they were different.
"Are you excited?" Riku asked suddenly breaking her thoughts.
She opened her eyes and looked at him and saw that he was staring at her. "Well yeah. I mean it'll be new and who knows what kinds of places we'll see."
"I hope we do find some place new. Especially your world. I can't even imagine what it must've been like."
Nick looked back at the water somewhat upset. "What do you think will happen if I do find my world, Riku?"
"What do you mean?"
"Will I have to stay there or will I keep going with you, Sora, and Kairi? I don't want to leave you guys but I want to find my world. I want to know who I was and the people I knew. But I really do like it here."
"Nick," Riku began as she looked back at him, "Whatever happens, I promise I'll be there with you. You're my best friend, Nick."
"Thanks, Riku. But I thought Sora was your best friend," she said trying not to show her true pleasure in his promise.
"He is, both of you are. But you know people change. I have noticed a change in me, but you haven't changed at all."
"But neither has Sora. What in the world are you trying to get at?" she asked in confusion.
"Oh I don't know. Just forget I ever said anything," he said waving a hand.
She gave him a smile and rested her head on his shoulder. "Riku, you're my best friend, too."
The two sat there staring out at the orange ocean until it was dark. They never said another word but it was the comfort of each other's presence that kept them there so long.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nick rested on her bed and looked at her sword. It was dull but it was okay. She never really needed it for anything. To be perfectly honest, she was just noticing this to try and keep her mind off of Riku's promise. Why was it so special to her? She just couldn't figure it out. They were friends. Nothing more, but then why did she feel such envy for his liking Kairi. It made no sense.
Outside her window she noticed it was getting quite windy. Then a sudden clap of thunder rumbled that shook her entire room. Instantly she sat up and ran to look outside. The sky look almost purple and the clouds were forming a strange tidal pool image in the sky. Lightning pouring out of it like spears.
"What on earth?" Nick said to herself in awe. Even though it was silly of her, she ran outside and stood still to get a better look at what was going on. The wind was blowing hard and things were beginning to fly up into the air and being carried toward the center of the tidal clouds.
"Nick!" a voice off to her right called out to her. She looked in the direction that it came from only to see her spiky haired friend running toward her. He stopped once he reached her and leaned forward, hands on knees, to try and catch his breathe.
"Sora, what are you doing here? You should be at home! Especially in the middle of a storm!" she called to him over the roaring of the wind.
He looked up, "I came to check on the raft! But I saw Riku and Kairi's boats! They must've come to do the same but we need to find them! Have you seen them anywhere?!"
Nick shook her head in dismay. Riku and Kairi were here too? Something wasn't right. This storm seemed too familiar, yet she had never seen anything like it. At least not that she could remember.
Just as she was thinking this, a crowd of strange black creatures rose from the ground and began to make their way towards them. "Those are the things from my dream!" the two yelled out in unison. They gave each other puzzled looks then looked back at the creatures about to attack them.
One of the black creatures jumped towards Sora, the boy covered his face as Nick jumped at the creature and swung her sword down on it. However, the black shadow monster did not perish; it rather squirmed beneath her blade.
"What are these things?" Nick questioned.
Just as she did, Sora shouted and pointed to the little piece of land that the paopu tree sat. "There's Riku!"
The two rushed in the direction of their friend as the black creatures followed right on their heels. Nick was just ahead of Sora as they reached Riku and stopped. His back was towards them and he was looking up at the dark sky.
"Riku! Thank goodness you're alright," Nick panted.
"Where's Kairi?! I figured she'd be with you!" shouted Sora over Nick's concern.
"The door has opened," Riku replied without showing the slightest notice to what his friends had said.
"Riku, what are you talking about?" Nick asked shaking her head in confusion. He sounded as if he was in a trance. Something was very wrong.
The silver haired boy finally turned to face them. "The door has opened! Now we can finally go to the outside world!"
"What are you talking about?" asked Sora from behind Nick. "We have to find Kairi!"
"Kairi is coming with us," said Riku quickly. "Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness!"
Nick gave him a worried look. It wasn't like him to talk like this. "This isn't right, Riku. There's got to be a better way to go to other worlds!"
Just then, the ground beneath them turned pitch black and it began to engulf them. Nick looked down at the darkness then back up to her friend. Riku outstretched a hand towards them and had an eerie smirk on his face. On first instinct she reached out a hand to him but just as she was about to grab it, something deep inside her gave her the feeling that she shouldn't go with him. Someone needed her. Someone behind her. Sora!
She quickly turned around to grasp Sora's outstretched hand and tried as hard as she could to pull him towards her. But the darkness was already pulling them in. Just before they were completely taken by the pitch black abyss, Nick looked back at Riku and for a moment she could've sworn she saw sadness in his eyes. Then everything went black.
Nick opened her eyes to find herself sitting on the ground precisely where she was before the darkness swallowed them up. She looked up to find Sora standing beside her with a large key in his hand. She then realized she, too, was holding the handle of a rather large weapon. It was the exact one she had seen in her dream. Then the voice came again.
"The Blade of Destiny," it said. Nick stood and stared at the massive sword in awe. She then looked at Sora who whispered something about a keyblade. These were the weapons she had seen.
Suddenly remembering what had just happened, Nick whirled around to see where Riku had gone, but he was nowhere to be seen. Something in her heart hurt with disappointment and regret. The darkness must've taken him.
"Nick!" Sora called, "I have to find Kairi."
Nick nodded, "I know." Just as she said this, the strange black creatures appeared once again behind Sora. She got herself into a fighting stance, ready to take on the monsters. "Listen, you go find Kairi. I'll take care of these things."
Sora turned to face the shadow monsters and nodded in agreement. With that, he ran towards them, swinging the keyblade at them. Strangely they were slain. Nick recognized this and came after them with her Destiny Blade. Her skills with swords allowed her to take them out easily. These things weren't so tough after all.
However, just as she was killing the last one, the ground beneath her feet shook. Nick lost her balance and fell to her knees. Instantly she looked up at the tidal clouds as everything on the island was being completely wiped away. She forced herself to stand when suddenly she was hit with an incredible force, knocking her to the side of the small speck of land that was still left.
She could feel herself beginning to lose consciousness as she lay on the ground. Try as she might to get up and fight whatever had hit her, but she couldn't move. Weakly, she opened her eyes slightly. What she saw was a whirl of objects flying about in the purple sky. The small black creatures running about in a crazy manner. They appeared to be heading to attack something.
What really caught her eye was what looked like the foot of a giant black monster. It looked similar to the small shadows, but far more monstrous. Its yellow eyes beamed as it brought its hand down onto the earth.
Then, as the ground shook with the force of the monster's hit, a pair of yellow shoes appeared in front of her. She looked up at the owner to see a bright red outfit and just a blur of brown spiked hair. She tried to say Sora's name but she could not force herself to.
Fighting to remain awake was inevitable. She closed her eyes just as Sora had lunged at the black behemoth. There was another great rumble of the ground, the sound of her friend calling out her name, the feeling of him grabbing her arm, then everything ended and she was completely unconscious.