Chapter 19

A small fire burned just outside the underworld. The tall Nobody sat by it, silently watching Sora, Riku, Donald, and Goofy.

He'd been far too lax. Two Remnant members had come and gone without him knowing, and Sora and Riku had very nearly been taken by that thing. He shook his head. Stopping to heal Hercules had almost been a fatal error on his part. The Nobody sharpened his saber briefly. He looked over at Sora and Riku. Sora didn't move; his exhaustion after the ordeal he'd been through most likely prevented it. However, Riku twitched, and his fists were clenched; both boys had troubled expressions.

"These are dark days indeed when the Keybearers are no longer safe in their own dreams…" The Nobody said quietly to himself. He looked up at the sky.

"Lady Linnia…what am I to do…?"

Riku found himself standing alone in the darkness. There was absolutely nothing else there but him.

"Sora?" He called, his voice echoing. "Kairi?" There was no reply.

It's starting. Riku's eyes widened as he heard a familiar voice all around him.

"You…" He whispered.

The Key has been connected. The voice went on, echoing maddeningly.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Riku gasped, but he already suspected he knew.

Tied to the Darkness… Riku looked for the speaker, but the dark mist around him prevented any vision. Riku got the impression there was something just beyond his ability to see.

Soon to be completely eclipsed. Riku suddenly saw all the worlds before him. They were tiny, practically marbles before him, but he saw all the worlds he and Sora had been to, from their island to Radiant Gardens. Riku's eyes widened as a large darkness grew on the Destiny Islands, and soon began to spread, consuming Radiant Gardens and shattering King Mickey's world.

"What does this MEAN?" He breathed.

So much…there is so much still to learn, boy…you still know so little… Riku's eyes hardened, and he turned around, summoning Way to the Dawn.

"Show yourself…Xehanort."

Pointless. You see nothing, hear nothing…understand nothing. You know nothing…it's already too late for any of you.

Riku suddenly had to cover his eyes as the realm turned a dead, pale white…a white Riku had come to associate with Organization XIII's fortress. To his shock, he saw twelve black shapes…he realized that they were the defeated Nobodies that had formed Organization XIII, with the exception of Roxas.

"But…they're all dead…" Riku saw that they were alive, but wounded horribly…many were in agonizing positions, propped up or impaled on their own weapons, and each skewered by many Keyblades. "They're…suffering?"

Riku turned slightly, and saw Sora standing before the tortured Organization, the same uncomprehending look on his face.

"Did…I do this?" Sora said, not seeing Riku.

Riku stared from Sora to the Organization. It was the only reason he noticed that the shadow of one impaled on his own Scythe was moving. It suddenly stretched out, like a living thing, and raced towards Sora. Sora didn't notice it until a being made of shadows rose from the dead Nobody's shadow and stabbed Sora through the stomach with a sword. Sora's cry rang through the white void.

"Sora!" Riku ran forward to help his friend, but he was suddenly unable to move. He watched helplessly as the other Organization members' shadows joined the first, flowing below Sora and then stabbing him again and again. Sora staggered back.

"Sora…" A different voice came. Sora, wouned, turned to see Roxas kneeling behind him, near dead but pinned upright by his own Keyblades. As Sora turned all the way to face Roxas, their shadows met and combined. A thirteenth shadow lunged from the combined shadow and summoned a Keyblade, stabbing Sora through the heart.

"No!" Riku shouted. The shadow paid him no heed, casting the dead Sora aside and raising one dark hand. The white "sky" of the void opened as if rent by massive claws. Riku watched as the dark being closed its fist, and all the stars in the sky flickered and died. The creature then turned to look directly at Riku.

Way to the Dawn fell from Riku's hands, shattering when it hit the ground. Riku, frozen, looked into the utter darkness that made up the creature, and saw something else beginning to unfold.

An image of himself…older, missing an eye, and leading a group that looked similar to the people calling themselves Chasers that had helped him in Radiant Gardens…The older Riku turned to face his present counterpart.

"You don't have much time, boy." He said sadly. "Be wary of the darkness within or without…and keep a close eye on your friends. Whether everything you've fought for is saved or lost will depend on your choices." He faded away. "Don't let Sora be lost in Birth Through Sleep…"

Riku saw Sora standing again, this time in front of the gates of Kingdom Hearts itself. He closed his eyes and spread his arms, no Keyblade in hand. The gates opened. Riku could only watch in horror as the light flew out, flowing over Sora. In moments, the force of it burned Sora's flesh from his bones. Visions continued, faster and faster as Sora's ashes and dying cry were washed away in a torrent of light.

Mickey was cut down by a legion of armored keybearers…Cloud was stabbed again and again by a tall man wearing a ragged black cloak…Leon, badly wounded, stood hopelessly outnumbered by Heartless and more of the creatures that had attacked Riku earlier…Yuffie and Aerith both looking on in horror as Leon's gunblade clattered from his lifeless hands, moments before the cloaked man appeared behind them…

Finally, Riku fell to his knees. The last thing that lay before him was Kairi's battered body. The cloaked man stood over her, covered in blood and holding a black keyblade Riku couldn't quite recognize. Riku stared at the man.

"Who are you? Why is this happening?" He shouted. The man stepped over Kairi, standing before Riku.

You'll find out who I am soon enough…I will walk among you before long. I will show you and Sora what Darkness truly is.

Riku got up defiantly.

"I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

The man grabbed him by the throat. His grip was like an iron vice.

NOT YET.

Riku awoke in cold sweat. The sun was rising. He looked over, seeing his friends were all okay. He started, and turned to see the Nobody standing behind him.

"You! You helped us, didn't you?" He said, trying to get up. The man handed him a satchel.

"You'll need this." He said, backing away.

"Wait! Who are you?" The Nobody just shook his head.

"I'm not anything. I'm a Nobody." He paused, and took a deep breath. "Everything depends on you and Sora, Riku. Don't ever give up. No matter what happens…you're not alone."

Before Riku could say anything more, the Nobody was gone.

Riku sat for a moment in silence.

"Never give up…what do they know that we don't…?" He asked himself.

Riku waited for his friends to awaken, alone with his unanswered questions and growing fears about the future.