AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I'm so used to not posting for Kingdom Hearts that I totally forgot to post yesterday. My apologies.
To make up for it, I'm going to post chapters 3 and 4 today because I'd like to get the Birth By Sleep action started. 3 will be right now and 4 will be in the afternoon.
Happy reading!
CHAPTER THREE
Darkness surrounded my dreams. I looked around, but all I saw was a blanket of black. Unpleasant memories surfaced, sending nervous chills down my spine. I rubbed my arms and started walking. The air seemed to get colder with each step I took.
Hallie.
I stopped and looked around, but I was the only one in this abyss.
"Hello?" I called.
Keep going.
The voice belonged to a girl. I obeyed her command and continued walking. It was shudder-inducing familiar. I could've sworn I've heard it before.
Don't stop, no matter what.
A chill of realization rushed down my spine. I recognized this voice because it was my voice. But at the same time, it wasn't. That doesn't even make sense. I thought. But it was the only explanation I could say about who was speaking.
Even when you find yourself buried under the evils of the darkness, the light will always be there to guide you out.
That sounded very familiar. It sounded very close to the words spoken to me by Aqua, when we met twelve years ago and she cast a protection spell on me to keep me and my light safe from the forces of darkness.
You hold within your heart the salvation of those who suffer. They're counting on you, Hallie, to mend what was broken and heal their pain.
"You mean...?" I couldn't muster up the courage to say their names at this time, but I knew who she meant: Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. Who knows? Maybe she meant more people than them. Maybe she means herself, too. The thought that came startled me.
Keep walking. Don't ever stop... And don't ever forget...
I took another step, and my foot sunk into the ground. I gasped and tried to pull my foot up, but when I looked down, I cried out at the sight of the large pool of churning darkness below me. Even through the blackness, I could still see and feel it. I grabbed my leg and tried to pull it out, but tendrils of darkness shot out and wrapped down my arms and waist. I thrashed around and screamed for help, but I knew no one could hear my pleas. The darkness yanked me forward, and I plunged into the swirling evil.
You will be the one who will save us all.
When I awoke, I immediately screamed and flailed around.
"Hallie!" a voice called. I felt a pair of hands grab my wrists, and the familiar touch sent rapid signals to my brain, causing me to immediately calm down. I opened my eyes and met with Sora's ocean blue irises. I could see his face through the reflection of the moon shining through my window. His eyebrows knit together with concern. "Are you all right?"
"Y-yeah..." I stammered, but my trembling body said otherwise. I swallowed. "I had a bad dream."
Judging by the thousands of stars splattered across the sky, I assumed it was still the middle of the night. My face and neck were damp with sweat, and the cool ocean air sweeping into my room helped dry it up.
"Okay..." Sora said. He stood up and headed towards the door. "Goodnight."
"Sora?" I called.
Sora stopped at the doorway and turned back around. "Yeah?"
I hugged my arms. "Will you... will you stay with me?"
A small smile spread on Sora's lips and he returned to my bedside. He propped his back against the headboard and slipped his arm around my shoulders. I rested my head against his chest and softly clutched his jacket with my hand. I felt his lips press against the top of my head. Finally recognizing that I was safe, my eyelids drooped close.
When I awoke again this morning, Sora was gone. I laid curled up on my bed, and when I lifted my head, it ached and felt compressed. I stood up and twisted my torso to the sides to try and ease my cramped body.
"Did you sleep well?" I gasped quietly and turned around as Sora stepped into my room.
"Yeah. Thanks." I said. "Are we up for some more training today?"
"Actually, I talked to Riku, and instead of training, I thought I'd take you someplace."
I raised my eyebrow, and Sora smiled and reached out his hand to me. I gave him a skeptical look and took it, and he led me down the wooden pathway. He jumped down to the ground platform before he helped me down. We walked towards the tangle of vines and plants that covered a hole in the wall.
"The secret place?" I said. "Why here?"
Sora ignored me and pushed away the vines. I ducked into the hole and we walked into the dark room. Large rocks stacked tightly on top of each other made up the walls, with giant roots poking through the wall and ground. A brown door with no handle was at the other side of the room. I've asked my friends about what's behind the door, but they would just smile and shake their heads. I walked towards on of the walls. Drawings etched into the rock decorated the walls, created by Sora and his friends when they were kids. Sora walked to one of the large boulders and sat on top of it.
"So, why did you bring me here?" I said.
Sora crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "Tell me what's on your mind."
"Huh?" I raised my eyebrow.
"You've been really troubled lately. I brought you here so you could vent."
I giggled into my palm. "Really? What, is this therapy?"
Sora smiled. "It's okay, you're in a safe place."
I continued to laugh, but slowly it faded until nerves filled my chest. I shivered and held my arms.
"I've been thinking a lot about the missing Guardians of Light. I just can't help it." I held my hands together and looked down at them. "They're connected to me in countless ways, and I even feel like they're part of me. I get scared when I think about when it's time for us to find them, because doubt sets in. What if we can't find them? What if they're stuck where they are forever, and there's nothing we can do? What if Xehanort's already gotten to them?"
The images of Lingering Will, Aqua in the Realm of Darkness, and comatose Ventus in the Chamber of Waking brought a wave of nausea through me. I rubbed my temples with my hands. Sora slid down from his seat and walked over to me. He took my hands away from my head and pulled me into a hug. I sighed and hugged his torso.
"Sorry, I bet you're probably tired of hearing me complain." I said.
"I don't mind." Sora said, and my heart softened from his sincere care. "I promise everything will be okay."
"You sure do make a lot of promises." I pulled away. "How do I know you'll be able to keep them all?"
Sora's blue eyes dimmed. "Have I ever given you a reason not to believe me?"
I kicked myself for making him feel bad. "S-sorry, I didn't mean it like that..."
Sora smiled again and laughed. I scoffed and gave him a hard shove before crossing my arms, but I couldn't suppress the smile creeping onto my face. But, all too soon, it faded away.
"I just... really wish I could meet the three, and I wonder how long I'll have to wait before I can."
"I promise, it'll be soon." Sora said, and I raised a teasing eyebrow at him. He responded by leaning in, and I did the same.
The area began to rumble, subtle at first, but then so powerful it almost threw me to the ground. My eyes flew around the area, but my vision vibrated, making it hard for me to see clearly. I turned to Sora, and he grabbed my hand to keep us steady.
"Look!" Sora said.
He pointed towards the brown door at the end of the room. I looked and gasped as it emitted a pulsing, light blue color. Light peeked through the bottom of the door.
"Let's get out of here!" I said.
Sora nodded and we ran towards the path out of the area. The brown door burst open, and tendrils of blue light shot out and wrapped around my arms, wrists, and waist. Memories of my dream from last night raced through my mind, and I thrashed around to free myself. The tendrils only tightened their grip. They yanked me back towards the door.
"Sora!" I cried.
Sora turned around, and his eyes went wide.
"Hallie! Hold on!" he cried. He ran towards me and summoned Kingdom Key. Another tendril of light shot out from the door and zipped towards Sora. It slammed into his chest and sent him flying. He smacked into the wall and crumbled to the ground.
"Sora!"
The blue light yanked me back a great deal, slowly closing the gap between me and the glowing door. The tendrils pulled one more time, and my resisting strength faltered. I screamed as the light sucked me inside the door.
Sora groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. The aching in his chest reminded him of the event that just took place and he scrambled to his feet.
"Hallie!" he cried. He looked around the room, but it was just him in the hidden place. His eyes flew to the other side of the wall, where the mysterious brown door was. It was still there. Sora ran to the door and pounded his fists against it. "Open up!"
He drove his fists into the door until the sides of his hands ached and his knuckles were white. He jumped back and summoned Kingdom Key. He pointed the end towards the door, hoping that he could unlock it and go inside, but nothing happened. His chest heaved from hyperventilation as he dispelled his Keyblade and stumbled back.
"Riku! Kairi!" he cried as he sprinted out of the hidden place.
In the center of the wooden door, a glowing blue heart appeared with a crown hovering above it and a keyhole in the center. Four star symbols glowed around the heart in various colors: orange, blue, green, and red. They glowed for a few seconds before they faded away.
