I don't own anything associated with Kingdom Hearts or Silent Hill. They belong to Square Enix/Disney and Konami respectively.

Chapter 16

It was so cold.

Terra pulled his jacket in closer, shivering as air flowed through the holes. One hand keeping it in place, he used the other to pick the lock, a grin breaking across his face when he heard the tell-tale click. The doors opened easily, as if inviting him in.

Some security, he scoffed. The warehouse was old and dirty, with crumpled wrappers lying everywhere. Dozens upon dozens of huge boxes lined metal shelves, which divided the warehouse into what may have been a hundred aisles. Within them, every nook and cranny was filled, and somewhere in here, there must have been something worth a bit of money.

He ran down the aisle, letting his intuition guide him. It flared up at the second one, pointing at a box whose bottom was right above his head. He leapt up, sinking his nails into the metal shelf, and pulled himself up. Out came his pocketknife, and he neatly ripped through the tape keeping the top shut.

A plume of gritty dust flew into his face. He sneezed once, but that was it. He couldn't even tell apart the new dirt from the dirt already matted in his hair.

Jackpot! These were furs; he could definitely sell them. The clothes were as precious as gold to him, and he took them out carefully, as if they would shatter at any sudden movement. Once out, he was much less careful, and set to stuffing some down his clothes. When his clothes were filled to bursting, he flung a few more over his shoulder and carried the rest. It was so hard not to laugh; he could almost hear the coins jiggling in his pocket.

He should have known that it wasn't going to go according to plan.

"Stop! Who's there?"

The order came just as Terra stepped outside the warehouse. For a moment, he was frozen. Then he was sprinting, letting the furs fall from his arms.

The guards followed him, two of them; big, strong and determined. Some more of Terra's precious cargo slipped out as he vaulted a fence, hoping that its height would deter his pursuers.

One made it; one did not. Terra could tell by the voice that the one following him was fairly young for a cop. That only meant that he could perform the feats that Terra could. No amount of climbing, jumping or sprinting shook the young cop, and much too soon, Terra felt the burn in his legs.

At last, too exhausted to run, he crawled underneath a dumpster and prayed.

"You got him, Fair?"

"Yeah, he's holed up under here. Hey, just relax, kid. We don't want to hurt you; we're the good guys!"

The young cop's head appeared. He extended a welcoming hand to Terra, smiling. "We just want to talk to you."

Terra was still, not trusting himself to speak. The cop backed off, waiting, and slowly, Terra inched his way toward the open.

"Come on, just a little further."

The light fell across Terra's face as he peeked out of his hiding place. He eyed the young cop, then the other, bigger one, and hurriedly made to retreat underneath the dumpster.

"Whoa, don't do that!"

Terra saw a hand swooping down towards him and reacted –

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Officer Fair lay dead on the ground.

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Terra woke with a scream in his throat.

He was first aware of the sound of dripping water, and then the cool metal on his back. He was lying down, with a ratty sheet covering his upper body. It was warm underneath the covers, comfortably so, almost like home. Only home didn't smell like mould.

Stone made up the ceiling above. It was divided into a checkered pattern, with the edges of each square betraying a long life. Drops of water gathered on the ceiling, forming crystals before they fell and scattered on the ground. The walls were worse; here, erosion had carved pathways to the floor, thick enough that Terra's finger could easily fit inside.

Save for his bed, a sink and a toilet, the room was bare. It was long, but narrow and should Terra have stood in the middle and put his arms out, he would have been able to touch both sides. The length was about five paces, though with such a lacking width, it didn't seem like much. Thick stone greeted him on three sides; on the fourth were iron bars.

He was in a cell.

Terra scoffed. Did they really think a cage could hold him? He didn't even need to exert any energy.

He raised Earthshaker, pointed it at the cell lock, and held it steady. It would be so easy. It would just take a thought.

And yet, the more he thought about it, the more he thought it was the wrong thing to do.

He could escape, yes, and then what would he become? A fugitive. He could easily keep that secret, restrict that knowledge to the forgotten voids of his mind and never let it see the light of day. But would it remain there, or would someone from his past drag it out into the open? Would his friends ever trust him again if it did? Did they now?

Shaking, he lowered his keyblade. Unlike last time he had woken up in a strange place, Terra remembered exactly what had occurred previously. Especially Aqua's expression. There had been horror there, and fear. Even before, when Terra had lost control of his darkness in the castle, Aqua had never looked at him that way. Sure, she had feared his darkness, had feared what he could do when he lost control, but she had never been afraid of him. And that hurt even more than her rejection had.

He sunk back onto the bed, and held his head in his hands. His chest heaved with the sobs he held back, not wanting to appear weak even in this dismal place. His neighbour didn't quite feel that way. Terra could hear him blabbering frantically, and then bursting into giggles.

He's mad, Terra thought with scorn. He sobered up though when he realized that this was what his life had been reduced to. One secret, one rash move had cost him everything. He would spend the rest of his life tiptoeing around the crazies.

Aqua . . . Ven . . . Master . . . I'm sorry.

He had failed in every way. He failed to redeem himself for Master Eraqus, failed to take care of Ven, and failed to keep Aqua safe. And in failing them, he had failed himself. His friends were lost in a nightmare with their Master innocently unaware.

A crack resonated through the prison as his neighbour bashed his head against the wall. Terra didn't notice. His attention was consumed by memories of the monsters, of the dark world, of the sirens that beckoned them all. What was he thinking, leaving his friends to deal with that alone? He couldn't . . . He swore . . .

He failed them once, he wouldn't fail them again.

He whipped Earthshaker up, snarling. No matter what, he vowed, I will get them out of here.

A beam of light connected Earthshaker and the lock, and the time between that and the resulting click seemed endless.

The bars scraped against the floor as he pushed them open. The prison block was empty, dark, and water ran everywhere on the walls and pooled on the floor. A humid stream of air wound its way through the hall, making the place appear smoggy under the red-tinted lights. It didn't seem like a prison; he thought one would be better guarded.

Out of curiosity, before he left, he checked the cell next to him. There was no sign of the laughing man, but there were bloody hand and footprints all over the floor. Though they seemed random, eventually Terra saw that they originated from the bed – no, under the bed – and ended at the wall that connected his designated cell with this one. At this point, the wall was marred with scratches and blood.

As he walked past the cell and down the block, he heard the man giggle again.

The lights randomly waned and regained strength during his journey through the labyrinth. The layout made no sense; he was sure he had gone this way a few times already. Even if Terra had been reckless enough to do so, there was no one to ask for directions. The cells were empty; the halls were empty; he didn't see anyone. However, he kept hearing things. He heard laughter, whispers, crashes and rattling chains. At no point, was he able to pinpoint the origin of the noises. He was beginning to think this place was haunted.

When he heard the footsteps, he paid them no mind. They were one of the many sounds that continued to haunt him. But this time, the sound was attached to a couple of legs that moved as if they were broken in a few places. Slowly, the humanoid figure shambled up behind Terra, holding a bloody knife in its hand.

The point came down on his armoured shoulder, and slid off.

Terra whipped around, ducking back as the knife came down again. Earthshaker was summoned, raised, but the monster was too close for him to strike at it. At most, he could hold the keyblade horizontal and use it to push it back. That was easier said than done though, when the other party had a close-range weapon.

The monster flopped over where Terra had shoved the side of his keyblade into its body, as if it lacked bones. He grabbed the wrist before it could stab him in the eye, twisting it in an attempt to force the hand to release the knife. Instead, he just twisted the entire forearm and snapped the bone. The monster pressed against him, its other hand twitching forwards and grabbing hold of his shirt.

One of monster's legs slipped behind his and he stumbled over it, bringing them both to the ground. The monster crawled on top of him, straddling his waist and there Terra saw just how disturbingly human it was. The monster was clearly female, yes, he could tell. It had clothes: a white blouse that ended in a V below the neck, exposing areas at which Terra tried his hardest not to stare. The top was stained with grime and blood, but it was still clearly distinguishable as a uniform, a nurse's uniform. The nurse's face appeared to be enveloped in bandages, but he could see the flesh underneath them contorting as she moaned.

She was too close for Earthshaker. He grappled with her for the knife, one hand on one of her wrist, the other reaching across her chest. She bent over his arm, her face coming eerily close to his, and a sour smell leaked into his nostrils. He jerked back, but she followed, creeping even further up his chest, so that her knees reached his shoulders. The knife teasingly hung above him, red in the light.

The knife flashed, plunged, and Terra moved his head to the side. The upright blade, embedded in the ground, quivered next to him. His eyes were glued to that for a few seconds, and in that time, the nurse adapted to her loss of a weapon. His breath caught as cold, clammy hands travelled up his chest to his throat.

Not on his watch. With a grunt and a massive influx of strength, he shot up and grabbed the nurse by the shoulders, slamming to her to the ground. Now he was in charge. He placed one knee on either side of her waist, preventing her from fleeing. Underneath him, the nurse thrashed, alternatively batting at his torso or reaching for her knife. Though he didn't think she had the reach to get it, he grabbed her wrists and as a precaution, held them above her head.

With his other hand, he summoned Earthshaker.

The nurse saw this and started to shake her head. Weird, undecipherable moans came from her, and Terra steeled himself. He brought Earthshaker down, and a piercing scream echoed through the prison.

His heart was racing. Terra rolled off the monster's body, panting as he lay against a wall. That scream, it had sounded . . . it had sounded like a real person. Terrified at what he may find, he leaned forward to glance at the corpse.

No blood. It was okay.

Kingdom Hearts, he wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. His nerves were strung so tightly that they would snap with any more tension. He hadn't eaten for at least a day, although he didn't feel hungry. Dreamily, he noticed that he had stabbed the nurse exactly where he had stabbed Officer Fair. That brought him back to reality, and with horror, he realized that it bothered him less than it should have.

I need to get out of here. He stood and stumbled forwards, one hand on the wall. He'd navigated the maze of Wonderland before, he could get out of this. All he had to do was follow the right wall.

Chains rattled. Terra closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and held Earthshaker up. What now?

Down the hallway, where the straight path was blocked and he either would have to turn right or left, a shadow passed. There was no body attached to it, at least not one that he could see. A heartbeat after the shadow faded from view, there was the sound of whooshing air, then the thunk of flesh falling against rock.

He was still, waiting for any other signs of danger. When none appeared, he tiptoed down the hall, peeking to the side that the shadow had crossed. There was still no sign of a body, but there was fresh blood splattered against the wall.

Follow the right wall. That mantra became his anchor to sanity. Terra never stopped moving, his feet moving automatically even when his mind failed to function. Earthshaker remained in his hand, and his eyes were wide and haunted as they took in his surroundings. Ahead of him, he saw the shadow of a hanging man, heard the strain on the wood as it swung from side to side; yet, he knew, if he looked behind him, nothing would be there. There were giggles and voices from the dark cells, and he'd nearly had a heart attack when someone began knocking on the bars as he passed. Again, he saw no one. It was like he was caught in the middle of a shadow-puppet show, unable to see the audience or the puppeteers.

The only living beings he saw were nurses. Sometimes, he snuck past them. Other times, they fought. He beat them, of course, and each of them screamed when they died. The last few had left behind the scent of the ocean.

And then he was no longer in the halls. He stood in a large, circular room instead. Behind him, an iron gate slid across the floor, separating him from the door. He glanced at it, uninterested; he could unlock it whenever he wanted.

On one side, there was a reception office built into the wall. Otherwise, the room was empty. He wasn't surprised that the owners had packed up and left; who wanted to work in a place with creepy monsters everywhere? On that note, who in the worlds would want to live in this town anyways? Whoever they were, they should be checked into an asylum.

He approached the office, hoping it might have a map. The light from the room didn't illuminate much of the office's interior, so he pulled out his flashlight. The beam passed over the wall, casting long, waving shadows.

And lit up a pair of orange eyes.

Earthshaker hummed, sparkling with energy. The figure did not move, his hands clasped behind his back. Their standoff was brief, over when Terra realized that this was not someone he had to fight. Awkwardly, he lowered his keyblade, too weary and suspicious to offer an apology.

"It's not safe here," Terra croaked. "You need to leave."

The other man said, "And what of you, keyblader? Will you continue down this dark path?"

"Not if I can help it."

The man nodded. He stepped to the side, out of the beam of Terra's flashlight. A door opened, and the man stepped into the circular room. Oh. Terra was pretty sure a door hadn't been there before.

The man wore a black cloak, exactly like the one Xaldin and Lexaeus had worn. He closed his eyes, shuddering as he relived the memory. Even more than Officer Fair's death, having his friends find out that way was the worst moment of his life.

"Who are you?" Terra asked.

"My name is Xemnas. I am here to offer my assistance."

"Assistance?" He shook his head, convinced this was all a sick joke. "You can help me get out of here?"

"No."

It was a good thing he hadn't gotten his hopes up. Still, Terra felt as angry as if he had, and his voice dripped with venom as he growled, "Then what are you talking about?"

"I cannot help you escape this place; that is up to you, and you alone. However, I may assist your transition. I can help make existing in this place simpler."

"Tell me." At this point, Terra was willing to try anything.

Xemnas dipped his head. "You must learn to accept," he said, as he walked past him.

"Accept what, that this town is freaking insane?"

"Not that." Xemnas looked over his shoulder, and his mouth curled into a cruel smile. "You must accept the darkness inside of you."

Terra stiffened. Eraqus' words rang through him: the darkness can never be trusted.

Xemnas laughed hollowly. "You place absolute trust in that man, a man who failed to even inform you of what dangers you would be facing? A cruel test, is it not?"

It didn't even occur to Terra that he hadn't spoken out loud. "Test?"

"Eraqus is not the man you believe him to be. He is intelligent, knowledgeable, but blind and certainly not wise. He is mortal: right about some things, wrong about others."

"You don't know anything," Terra growled.

"No? I know you killed Officer Fair. I know you tried to kill Ventus, Terra."

"That wasn't my fault!" he roared.

Xemnas held up a hand for silence and despite himself, Terra obeyed. Xemnas' head tilted to one side, studying him as if Terra was a particularly interesting painting. "I also know that you saved Ventus, and that it was not your light that assisted you in that task, but the darkness."

His mouth was dry. Terra clenched his fists and looked away, unwilling to admit anything.

"Darkness is but a tool," Xemnas said, "no more a force of evil than the light is one of good. They are the same as that keyblade you hold: capable of saving a world, or bringing ruin upon it."

"It's users of darkness who bring ruin upon the worlds," Terra rasped.

"On what evidence?" Xemnas asked. "Your Master preaches, but does he offer proof? He is blind, Terra, scared of a force he does not understand. He fears the darkness."

Xemnas stepped closer, so that the bottom of his cloak brushed against Terra's feet. "He fears you."

The hairs on his nape prickled. Terra stepped back, breathing hard as not to lose his temper. The other man was unarmed, but he had the air of a fighter around him. His cloak outlined hard muscles, and Terra was keenly aware of his lack of fear. However, since he still had yet to draw a weapon, Terra would force himself not to lash out.

"He has crippled you, Terra, tamed you. Through this preconception he has planted in your mind, he has locked a leash around your neck." A tanned finger rose, sliding across Xemnas' neck and at the motion, Terra thought he could feel something around his own. Xemnas smirked. "As long as you are content to be led around like a dog, you will never escape this place."

"I don't care about myself," Terra admitted. "I just want my friends out of here."

"Then you need the darkness. It helped you once, let it help you again."

For a brief second, Xemnas' eyes flashed yellow, and something within him responded. Terra gasped and tore away down one of the halls, a hand over his heart. He could feel energy curling inside him, pounding at his ribcage in a frenzied attempt to get free.

"If you continue to hold it in, then eventually, it will explode out of you." Xemnas had followed him leisurely, eyes gleaming. "You must surrender, Terra. Give into the darkness."

"No!" Terra snarled. "I'll . . . I'll figure this out. My way, not anyone else's!"

"Not even your Master's?"

Terra closed his eyes. He didn't know what to think anymore. He knew, had known since he was a little boy, that the darkness was forever a part of him. Through Eraqus' training, he had suppressed, but never eliminated it. It would always be there, lurking, waiting, striking out when he let his guard down. The darkness, his darkness, was dangerous.

But Xemnas was right too. The darkness had saved Ven, allowed him to open that portal to reach his suffering friend. Apart from darkness, there was only the power of light and he . . . he wasn't like Aqua or Ven.

He looked back at Xemnas. "I'll do this my way," he said firmly.

Xemnas said nothing, but as he watched Terra's retreating back, he smiled.