CHAPTER 6
Stranger
In the World That Never Was, down a silent alley, walked a strange existence. The being was full of light but was constantly surrounded and consumed by streams of darkness, allowing no physical form. She had been somebody, but now was an in-between. Not a Heartless. Not a Nobody. Not anything. But not only was she a nothing – she was a nothing with little time left. Yet this didn't matter. She wasn't afraid. She knew this – her alternative memories attested to the future. It's happening, she thought to herself. Sora is asleep, and Avice will soon awaken. Despite having no reason for purpose, she carried on the wishes of her somebody. I have to help him – all of them.
I love my Dream Eaters, Riku thought to himself, smiling despite his situation before sobering at his next few thoughts. I'll be sad to see them go, he noted, knowing that as soon as Sora awoke, his new power would disappear and he would be unable to use these allies. But I will get Sora back, no matter what. Riku's words of self-determination pushed him forward as he approached the end of the Dreamline he had forged with his Komory Bat.
Flipping off of it expertly, he and his dream eater separated from each other. The little furry creature landed on his master's shoulder and received a few affectionate strokes in thanks before vanishing. Riku smiled at the thought of the creature's cheerfulness before turning his attention to the Meow Meow cat he had spotted at the base of the floating, otherworldly castle. It came bounding up to him cheerfully, its pudgy little body giddy with gladness. Giving the Spirit a brief pat as well, Riku stood and scanned the area, looking for any sign of Sora other than his dream eater. But there was nothing in the area except an empty hallway ahead that seemed to lead deeper into the castle.
The caring dream didn't need to be asked to lead the way, for it sprang away from Riku and began running down the passageway as fast as his little legs could carry him. Smiling in this brief amusement, Riku followed the curious little animal down the corridor, walking as slow as the tiny cat-dog cross could run. The hallway was not long, and in almost a minute they had reached its end – a large open room with nothing inside of it. The Spirit halted to catch its breath before looking from side to side as if confused of where to go. Riku also looked about, bewildered. Why would the dream eater have led me here?
His thoughts were interrupted when a corridor of darkness suddenly opened a few feet in front of him. Standing ready for ambush, Riku paused a moment to wait for someone to emerge, yet no one did. The dream eater, however, immediately rushed towards the pathway, stopping and turning only to see if the keyblade wielder was following him. But Riku was hesitant and stopped to ponder his questions. Who opened this, and why? It seems as though the dream eater thinks Sora's in there, but…could this be a trap?
"Please…help him…" a voice seemed to say out of nowhere. Indeed, it seemed like the sound had no source but instead echoed and originated from inside his head. But the voice was not his; it was the sweet but sad tone of a girl he heard ringing through his mind. Looking around for the source of the noise, Riku was surprised to spot an open balcony high above the entryway behind him.
Sitting on the edge of the balcony was a young woman who seemed to be shining with light. However, the figure was shrouded in a thick darkness that swirled around her swiftly and constantly, so Riku was given no tangible evidence as to whom this figure might be; her face, hair, and even her outfit were not visible at all. But he could sense her light; there was no doubt in his mind that her heart was full of it. He was immediately stunned, for although she shined with light she used darkness to open a path. Could that be the reason the darkness is surrounding her? Could the darkness be devouring her heart because she gave me this gateway?
He didn't have much time to study her or think on the subject, for the girl leaped down from the balcony and fell towards the ground, seemingly floating on air. Yet as she descended slowly, the darkness that composed her dispersed until it had completely dissipated into the air, engulfing the mysterious figure and causing her to vanish as if she was never there. Riku stood stunned as he watched the event, believing she had turned into a Heartless because of the darkness or possibly suffering from a worse fate.
That voice…why does it sound…so – so familiar, Riku pondered, clearing his eyes and wondering if he had imagined the entire encounter. But the path before him was real, and so he knew that she must have been too. Wondering who this mysterious helper was, he began checking his memories trying to find out where he could have known her from. A sudden thought passed by, but he shook it away. Surely she couldn't be the one who I met on the islands – I couldn't see a brand. She was too nice…and she was helping me, not confusing me. No, it must be someone else.
But…who? Her mannerisms did not seem to resemble that of an enemy despite the darkness surrounding her, yet Riku knew looks were deceiving. I could feel her light, but the darkness tried to disguise it. Did the darkness…take her away? Is she still alive, or did she just…die? And her voice…for a minute, I thought there were two people talking.
Riku was forced to lay these thoughts aside when the whimpering of the Meow Meow drew Riku's attention back to him. Turning to see the happy creature, Riku was a bit surprised to find the portal growing as streams of darkness seemed to flow into it. He was immediately wary but watched Sora's dream eater as it dove into the growing portal with no hesitation, leaving Riku alone in the large room. Although knowing the entire thing could be a set-up, Riku was willing to take that chance if it meant finding Sora. After all, he thought, she did ask me to help Sora…and the Dream Eater should know the way. Finishing his brief contemplation session, Riku dove into the darkness, cautious of what lay ahead but also strangely comforted in this encounter.