Chapter 8
Sora woke up on Riku's bed. He sat up and Riku was sitting on a chair, by the bedside.
"The nightmares." he said softly.
Sora nodded and Riku exhaled.
"I see them too. In my sleep. Stories of men, women, creatures and beings from different places, dealing with trouble in their lives. And whenever I wake up, I feel this sense of guilt." said Riku.
"Roxas has them too. That makes three of us." said Sora.
"I was an idiot to tell Xehanort the first time. I shouldn't have done that." said Riku.
"What?" asked Sora.
"When I started to have the nightmares, I went straight to Xehanort and told him about it. He dismissed me, but not before silently watching over me. Braig, Axel, and even Ventus were watching me like hawks. And this one time, I found something that they feared." said Riku.
"What did you find?" asked Sora.
"I found a wayfinder. Do you know what those are?" asked Riku.
"No. I never heard of them." said Sora.
"I found one in the boy's locker room. I was about to get it, to examine it. But not before I felt Vanitas come inside. I hid in the bathroom stalls and watched as he picked it up. They must have assumed that I was the one who put it there." said Riku.
"What's the wayfinder?" asked Sora.
"It's a star shaped charm. It represents an unbreakable connection with friends and family. However, it represents what Xehanort fears." said Riku.
"What is he scared of?" asked Sora.
"He's scared of losing his grip on Oblivion." said Riku.
"What do you know?" asked Sora.
"For the past few months, I have been digging into Oblivion and where we live. I have noticed some things that were out of place. For example, our classmates and the people around us. They all appear in nightmares, living different lives. And then, the ones where we come in. You, me, and Roxas. We are also different people. The only person who was ever truly close to being the same both here and in the nightmares was Namine. I wanted to talk to her too, but I learned that she was missing. And all traces of her were gone. And very few people actually knew her. I kept on digging and eventually, I found some dirt on Xehanort.
I have found that he is indeed a Lord. A rich man. Richer than Scrooge McDuck himself. But he is responsible for a number of heinous crimes. He had business relations with Syndrome Industries, a mafia that sells weapons. He's also founded a cult known as The Overtakers. They are run by Maleficent. She needs no introduction. Xehanort also is responsible for embezzling money. The man spends all the money the school needs on wine, women and song.
For some reason, he fears the wayfinder. I don't know why. I overheard him talking with Vanitas, Braig and Axel not too long ago. I sneaked close to Xehanort's office and they clearly mentioned me. I know they were talking about me. They believe I put the wayfinder in the bathroom. But the thing is, I found it.
Why they fear it, I don't know. There are dozens of wayfinders sold in stores all over the world, and yet he's shaken by one I found." said Riku.
"Weird. Was there something about it that could have alerted him? A pattern or a feature?" asked Sora.
"It had a crown, similar to your necklace. And the style looked very much like an antique." said Riku.
"I see. So this means we have to be extra careful. And he's on to us." said Sora.
"Us?" asked Riku.
"He saw me cry in the hallway. I don't know what happened to me. I don't know why I started to cry. There is just more questions than answers." said Sora.
"Tell me about it. I come across those all the time. So what's the plan?" asked Riku.
"You're asking me?" asked Sora.
"I am. I do have an idea, but if we are going to seek answers in solving this, we need to work together as a team. You, me, Kairi and Roxas." said Riku.
"What about Vanitas. He warned me to stay away from you." said Sora, until he realized what he just said.
"Vanitas told you." said Riku.
"We have to be careful about him too." said Sora.
"We should gather Kairi and Roxas. And also, is there anyone else that might help us?" asked Riku.
"Mickey, Donald and Goofy know. And Rafiki." said Sora.
"Good. We'll talk to them. We'll gather everyone in the same room, but in secret." said Riku.
"Where could be a safe place to talk?" asked Sora.
"I know a place. It's a different school not far from here. Xehanort won't know if we go out on the weekend. The old man is cooped up in his office counting his money I bet." said Riku.
"A different school?" asked Sora.
"The headmaster of that school is good friends with Mickey. He can put in a good word." said Riku.
"Really? Okay. I can ask him for that favor." said Sora.
"We have to be undercover. Vanitas won't know about this." said Riku.
"Alright." replied Sora.
A few moments later, Sora asked Mickey for the favor.
"Okay. I'll do it. It's been quite a while since I spoke with him." said Mickey.
"Thanks. And I'm sorry I gave you guys a hard time back there." said Sora.
"It's alright. Perhaps there's something bad going on after all." said Donald.
"You think?" asked Mickey surprised.
"As a duck, I know when there's danger around. I can feel it in my feathers." said Donald.
"Okay." said Goofy as he drank a soda.