Chapter Five: Encounter

Xehanort was sleeping. It was an odd thing for any of the Chasers to sleep for long periods of time, simply because the nightmares of the war never let them rest peacefully. They dozed for stretches at a time, using that and their magic to keep themselves awake enough to keep going. But eventually, one of the four would finally be so tired that they fell into an almost coma-like sleep, so deep that the nightmares couldn't reach. It wasn't that they were afraid to sleep, but they were wary of what they would see if they did.

Ven had been the first. They had been eating lunch one day, and he had looked exhausted. Insisting he was fine, he got up to go back to his room and just collapsed. The others had checked him over, and upon determining he was only sleeping, put him to bed. He slept for three days, and woke up as normal as he had been before. Apparently it was Xehanort's turn to be dead tired. He had gone to sleep on a couch while reading. Aqua had put a blanket over him and left him be, knowing that he would wake up in due time.

But there was a feeling in the mansion-like home that just wouldn't go away, and it was not a pleasant one. Ven and Aqua had excused themselves, Ven to the Destiny Islands and Aqua to Twilight Town, just to escape it. Terra had let them go, choosing to remain alone with the slumbering Dusk Chaser. Something was off, something that had not been there when Ven slept. He felt that he needed to be there, in case something happened. Terra looked out for them. Ven, Aqua, and Xehanort were like younger siblings to him, and he protected them as such. They were all orphans, so they were the only family each other had. If something wanted to threaten Xehanort…

It would have to go through Terra first.

Xehanort walked through the dark, silently taking in everything of his surroundings. I'm dreaming… The thought struck him as odd. It never occurred to him that he was having a nightmare until he woke up. But this wasn't a nightmare, or so it appeared. He walked through the darkness, calling out, "Is anyone there?"

I am here.

"Who's there?" Xehanort demanded, calling up his Keyblade, letting the reassuring glow of his violet-and-black gem illuminate some of the blackness. The disembodied voice chuckled.

Little Keyblader of Dusk, can you not feel it? Darkness, residing within your heart. Those who stand so close to the edge of the darkness cannot help but stumble in. Twilight is only half-dark, but you of Dusk stand upon the borderline.

"Forget it." Xehanort bit out. "Darkness offers nothing. I will not betray the others. I will not betray my family." He turned away from where he thought the voice was coming from, defiantly waving his Keyblade in the air.

Do you trust your family? the voice taunted. Do you trust THEM not to betray YOU? The Chaser of Light is jealous of you, for Darkness is stronger than the Light. He would take the Chaser of Twilight, and she him, and they would forget you in their happiness.

"I love Aqua, as a sister and more, and I would not begrudge her happiness." Xehanort said, but he sounded less sure.

Dawn favors them above others. He would put them first, for they are closer to his side. Someone of more Darkness than Light will always be put last.

"Terra wouldn't…" Xehanort murmured.

Can't you see that they secretly have a far closer bond with each other than you? Come into the Darkness, where we will praise you for who you are.

"No!" Xehanort cried. He turned and ran blindly away, far off into the darkness. He tripped and went flying, eyes sailing open to find himself on a couch in the library, Aidin sitting across from him reading a book of short stories. "Terra…?"

Terra set down the book, turning happy eyes to Xehanort. "Good, you're awake." He reached over, handing the Dusk Chaser a glass of water that had been sitting on a side table. Xehanort downed it, setting the empty glass back down afterwards.

"How long have I been out?"

"About three days." Terra replied.

"Where are Ven and Aqua?"

"Ven went to Destiny Islands. Aqua went to Twilight Town." Aidin explained. "I felt that they needed a vacation. I wanted to wait for you to wake up. Anywhere you would care to go?"

Xehanort thought for a moment. "There's a place I found, an empty city. It's not there that I particularly like, but the beach attached to the city… The Dark Beach… It's night, but calm, quiet…"

"Show me." Terra said quietly. Xehanort nodded.

Terra stared out across the dark ocean, amazed by the sight. Black rocks jutted out of the bay, and fine black sand formed a soft seat for them. Xehanort flopped down upon the sand, smiling.

"I like it here." he said. "It calms me, somehow."

Terra glanced at him. He saw the serene expression on his face and wondered. This world was too close to the Darkness for his liking. It worried him, in a way, that Xehanort was so comfortable so close to the Dark. He felt himself grow uneasy despite his desire to show his friend understanding. Standing up, he said quietly, "I'm going to check on Aqua and Ven. Will you be all right here?"

"Yeah." Xehanort said. His voice was tinged with a faint emotion, but Terra nodded and hurried off, invoking his power to summon their Gummi Ship.

Xehanort blinked sadly at the dark-colored sea. Terra really did care more about Ven and Aqua than him. The darkness of this world, and him, scared the Chaser of Dawn away. He found himself growing jealous of Ven, angry at Terra… Terra liked them better. Aqua liked Ven better. Why didn't she show him the same affection she showed Ven? Was she afraid of his darkness? She, who was half-Dark herself!

He forced the emotions away, pushing them to the back of her mind. But they lingered there, smoldering. He forced himself up, when they returned, to greet the laughing Aqua, who gave him a hug, and a smiling Ven, back from their respective world vacations. Terra smiled at him as well, over the heads of the other two. But still, in the back of his mind, he could not shake the feeling that it was all an illusion, and they were fooling him somehow. It was a haunting feeling, and he wondered, maybe the darkness was right after all.

So the story is edited up to here. If there are name differences beyond this point, that means I haven't gotten to that yet. Now, right now, I need sleep. G'night.

ZZZZZ....
Li