So full disclosure folks, this might be the last chapter of this fic we'll see for a few weeks. I'm burnt out creatively and workwise (my job has been exceptionally busy lately) and I kinda need a bit of a break from writing for a while. Seeing as how I have the rest of this relatively short fic completely planned out, I probably won't be cancelling it but it is going on hiatus for a bit. Maybe. We'll see. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 8: In a Crowd of Thousands

But I knew,
Even then,
In a crowd of thousands,
I'd find you again

"So, the boy and his companions escaped our fair islands, did they?" Xehanort stood before a handful of his followers, his hands poised behind his back. Xaldin, Lexeaus, Demyx, Luxord, Vexen, and Zexion all bowed low before him, all equally humiliated by their failure to apprehend the group of fugitives. A failure their astute king seemed to know about far before any of them even returned.

"Y-your majesty," Vexen dared to speak up. "With all due respect, it wasn't our fault! We would have had them for sure if we'd had even more Heartless at our command!"

"Or if our ship's defenses had been higher," Xaldin added.

"Or-"

"Silence," Xehanort coldly cut Demyx off. "I will hear no further excuses for your shortcomings." He moved from behind his desk to pace in front of the humbled group before him. "You all ought to consider yourselves immensely lucky that I am a merciful king. Otherwise, each of you would have long-since been consumed by the Heartless for your constant incompetence."

Anxious silence hung in the air for a moment or two before one of the Organization members finally worked up the nerve to say something. "My liege." As confident and collected as Luxord usually was, it was rare to hear the hint of fear that was creeping its way into his voice now. "Perhaps… the situation is not so severe. You said so yourself, after all; the young prince is dead. This boy we're after is nothing more than a lowly imposter. What harm is there, really, in letting a few troublesome street rats slip away?"

Xehanort's golden eyes sharpened into a bitter scowl. The hatred on his face seemed to double when he glanced down at the silver crown hanging around his neck. He didn't dare tell them what he knew of their target, not yet. Far be it from a king to let any signs of weakness slip through the cracks of the crown he'd worked so hard to claim. To let something so small and fragile as a simple child tear the very foundation of his kingdom apart.

"Leave me," he ordered his followers. The Organization members dutifully departed, far too afraid to even whisper among each other until they were well out of the king's earshot. Likewise, Xehanort waited until he was sure they were gone before he called upon the Key of Darkness, intent on putting its incredible power to good use.

He conjured the image of the little prince again, fast asleep in a bed somewhere far away from the Destiny Islands. The king's free hand tightened around the crown as he seethed with disgust at the peaceful smile on the boy's youthful face. It was all a game to him, of course it was. A childish charade, a tawdry show he was putting on with those 'friends' of his, instead of something that could send an entire kingdom crumbling to the ground.

He couldn't rely on his followers, the bumbling flock of fools that they are. If he wanted this done right, he'd need to see it through himself. That was exactly why he'd sent his assassin, who even now was lying in wait in Traverse Town for the perfect moment to strike. All Xehanort needed to do was give the little prince the slightest nudge in the right direction.

And he had the perfect way to do exactly that.

"Sweet dreams to you, young prince," he hissed, malice curling into his emerging grin. He hovered the Key of Darkness over the boy's image, allowing shadows to slip from the blade and break through the barrier between words. "You may have thought you've escaped so easily… But inside of your mind, inside of your dreams… there is no escape from the fate that awaits you."

"There is no escape from me…"

There were only two beds in the hotel room. Donald and Goofy barely and begrudgingly managed to fit into one of them, but Riku had adamantly insisted Skye take the other all to himself. It wasn't lost on any of them just how flustered Riku was as he laid a blanket and pillow out on the floor, all but begging himself to fall asleep first.

To his credit, he did, something that Donald and Goofy alike were envious for as they squabbled for space on their shared bed. "Would you move over, ya big palooka!?" Donald squawked, kicking the captain's back. "You're hogging the whole bed!"

"Sorry, Donald," Goofy frowned. "But if I squeeze over any more, I'm gonna fall off the bed!"

Donald let out another angry shout, surprisingly not waking Riku up in the process. Skye couldn't help but laugh as he settled into his sheets. "You guys comfy yet?"

"Don't start," Donald warned, annoyed. "And don't rub it in that you get a bed all to yourself either, 'your royal highness'."

"Guess it's just one of the many perks of being a prince," Skye smirked as he laid back into the plush bed. It was far better than his cot back at the orphanage, that was for sure.

After such a long day of learning and practicing, Skye was more than ready for a good night's sleep. He had almost closed his eyes to let that sleep take him when he noticed Pluto padding over with something in his mouth that he'd salvaged from the few bags they'd been able to spare from the ship. "Oh? Whatcha got there, boy?" Skye reached out, letting Pluto drop something into his open palm. A star-shaped piece of fruit with soft flesh as gold as the morning sun. "I've… seen this fruit before," he brought it up closer, blinking back the ache budding behind his eyes. "Back on the islands…"

"That's called a Paopu fruit," Goofy explained, barely noticing Donald still shoving against him for space. "They grow all over the islands. One of 'em must have fallen off a tree and landed in our bag. Ain't it pretty?"

"Yes…" Skye replied absently, his sights still set on the fruit in his hand. "But… there's something about it… Something… special. Something to do with a promise… and… a secret…"

"You gotta promise not to tell anyone, ok?"

"You better keep that promise, or I'll never forgive you!"

"We'll have plenty of summers to spend looking forward to it…"

"Don't forget…"

"Don't forget…"

"Don't-

Skye started, caught off guard when Pluto suddenly licked his hand. He laughed, setting the Paopu fruit on the nightstand beside him to invite the pooch onto the foot of his bed. "Is that possible?" he wondered, still eyeing the star-shaped fruit.

"Well, shucks, anything's possible," Goofy eased into his pillow now that Donald had finally dozed off beside him. "You taught Riku how to waltz, didn't you?"

Skye laughed as he laid back down, clicking the bedside lamp off. "Good night, you guys."

"Night, your highness," Goofy returned fondly. Donald, who was already half asleep, only let out an incoherent mumble from the far side of the bed.

It didn't take long for the room to fall into a peaceful sort of silence, or for all of its inhabitants to drift off into slumber. Wrapped up in that slumber as they were, not a single one saw the shadows slip in silently through the cracks in the window. They flowed through the room like a fine, black mist, obediently following their master's command as they searched for their intended target. And, when they finally found him, fast asleep and utterly vulnerable, the shadows pounced.

They changed shape as they fell upon him, entering his dreams in the form of white-winged seagulls. Skye smiled when he saw them fly overhead, splitting across the blue skies and warm sun. He rested his arms behind his head, comfortable where he lay in the soft sand. The ocean gently lapped onto the shore just a few feet away, sapphire waves cresting into elegant curls before crashing into the shallows. He couldn't remember the last time he'd enjoyed such a beautiful day, the last time he took in the salty-sweet scent of the sea, the last time he heard that gale of lighthearted laughter.

He slowly sat up, barely paying his unfamiliar, yet casual white clothing any mind as he caught sight of a girl running toward him, clad in the same shade. Her short black hair gleamed in the sunlight, a wide grin spread across her face as she waved him down.

"Come on!" she called and he eagerly got up. From the sand of his dreams and from his bed back in the waking world.

Even from the foot of the bed, Pluto noticed the weight suddenly shift on the mattress. As drowsy as he was, he didn't pay it much mind; at least until he heard the room's door slowly creak open, until he heard a crash of thunder rattle right outside.

Until he realized Skye wasn't there anymore.

Skye followed the girl as she led him down the length of the shore. The seagulls flew low, as if trailing alongside them, though strangely enough, the usually noisy birds didn't make a sound. Skye didn't think much of it, laughing as the girl playfully danced across the sand ahead of him. A boy with blonde hair soon joined them, bounding just a few feet behind Skye to keep up.

"Tell us a secret!" he brightly encouraged.

Skye's smile finally slipped as he glanced away, embarrassed. "...I don't know who I am…"

"That's silly," the girl looked back at him, making a face. "Everyone knows who they are!"

Something inside of Skye's chest tightened when he heard that. The feeling quickly passed, however, when another cheerful call caught his ear.

"You made it!" An older boy grabbed his arm, laughingly pulling him in for a hug. Skye should have let himself relax in that hug, his smile should have come back full force when the boy gently tousled his hair. Except… he didn't feel a single thing when the boy touched him. He didn't feel anything when the younger kids pulled on his arms either. The only thing he did feel was the sand, strangely cold and hard against his bare feet, and the startlingly cold spray of the nearby sea.

In reality, that spray was rain, drenching Skye down to the bone as he was led out into the downpour soaking the streets of Traverse Town. He was already well out of the hotel by the time Pluto managed to finally get Riku to wake up by barking as loudly as possible directly into his ear.

"Ugh… Pluto…" he groggily scolded, turning away from the dog. Still, Pluto persisted, chomping on the hem of his shirt, even going as far as pulling a few loose locks of his hair. "Ow!" Riku finally bolted upright, glaring over at the pooch. "What?!"

Pluto let out a worried whine as he nodded back to the rest of the room. Through the darkness, Riku could just barely make out Donald and Goofy, sprawled out in a tangled mess of limbs as they slept like rocks through the storm raging outside. As for the other bed…

It was empty.

"Skye?" Riku blinked, now fully awake. "Skye!"

He didn't even bother slipping his shoes on as he hurried after the dog, running down the hotel hall before bursting out onto the rainy streets. No one in their right mind would go out into a storm like this, not even someone as flighty and free-spirited as Skye. And after their daring escape from the islands, after grappling with the thought that the Organization could still be tracking them, Riku couldn't help but feel as though something was horribly wrong.

He had no idea how right he really was.

Skye forced a smile on his face as he ran alongside the other children. He didn't know why he was uneasy, but he couldn't shake the feeling no matter how hard he tried. That feeling only grew every time he stole a glance up at the silent seagulls soaring just a few feet above him. Something seemed… off about them, something that the nameless children he was playing with all shared. He wanted to ask them about it, but the question couldn't come out.

That question was all but forgotten when he caught sight of the boy standing on the shore just ahead of them. A familiar castle towered behind him, its large gates only starting to open as the boy waved to welcome them. Skye briefly stalled when he saw him, his spiked black hair blowing gently in the breeze, his face almost identical to his own. His smile was warm, if not just a bit mischievous as he beckoned them closer to the castle. Curiosity won out over caution as Skye continued onward toward the castle.

Toward a trap.

At first, Riku couldn't spot any signs of him. Pluto splashed after him, sniffing the ground in the hopes of catching Skye's scent. But the sheets of rain falling over the streets quickly dashed those hopes just as much as they drastically reduced visibility. Still, Riku fought his way through the downpour until he finally spotted a familiar brown head of hair bounding down the street in the distance.

"Skye!" Riku yelled after him. "What are you doing?!"

He received no answer. Skye didn't even look back as he continued running, his eyes shut, but a soft smile hanging on his face. The other children all beat him to the castle, crowding around the black haired boy as he held a hand out to Skye. "Come with me," he offered as the castle doors fully opened behind him. Within them, a man and woman stood, their arms linked as they greeted Skye with a matching set of adoring smiles.

"Hello, darling," the woman said, her voice as sweet as honey.

"H-hello," Skye returned, suddenly feeling quite shy.

"Come inside," the man beckoned. The other children joined in, their excited calls all ringing out over each other. The only voice he could hear clearly among them was the black haired boy's as he kept his hand extended, repeating his earlier invitation again.

"Come with me."

Skye moved his hand, but hesitated before he could take the other boy's. "I-I…"

"Skye!" Riku sharply backpedaled as he nearly passed by the alley Skye had wandered into. He was certain the boy could hear him, even over the thunderous din of the storm, but he still didn't acknowledge him. Riku refused to let up until he did. "Skye! Stop!"

Skye flinched, looking back at confusion at the faint sound of someone calling his name. He recognized the voice, but as he scanned the shoreline behind him, he couldn't see him anywhere. "Riku…?"

The black-haired boy suddenly lashed out, grabbing Skye by the wrist without warning and holding on tight. The smile on his face was gone, replaced with a look of raw, desperate fear. "Please," he begged, his voice barely above a whisper. "Help me…" There was a flash, and for just a second, someone else was standing in the black-haired boy's place. Someone clad in black, with a dark helmet hiding their entire face.

Riku saw the masked boy at almost the exact same time. He rounded a corner to find the armored figure with an unyielding grip on Skye's arm. If that wasn't alarming enough on its own, a dark portal stood behind them. It took Riku only seconds to piece together what was happening here, especially when the masked boy aggressively began pulling Skye closer to the portal.

"That's right, boy." Skye gasped when the man's voice changed in less than a second. Where there had once been a kindly smile was now a vicious snarl as gold voids filled his eyes and a dark hood swelled over his head. "Come and join your family…"

The woman and the children took on similar forms, all sharing the same sinister black coat as they violently grabbed him and tried to yank him through the castle door. Through a portal as dark as the deepest night, to whatever horrors might await on the other side of it.

"No!" Riku ran as fast as he could, nearly slipping on the wet pavement as he crashed straight into Skye. He shoved the boy aside, breaking the hold the masked soldier had on him. And in the process, finally breaking him out of the dream–or the nightmare he'd been trapped inside of.

Skye gasped, the wind knocked out of him as he opened his eyes to find a chaotic scene unfolding. He had no idea where he was, but what he did know was Riku was on top of him, breathless and wide-eyed as he stared down at him. Just a few feet away, Pluto was growling and barking at that masked boy–the same one from his dream–even going as far as biting the dark red cape that hung from his shoulders. The masked boy retaliated by brutally kicking the dog across the alleyway; the second Riku saw that, he was on his feet again.

He charged at the masked boy, his fist drawn and ready for a punch. The boy swiftly caught his arm and swung his elbow into his stomach before throwing him against the nearest wall. He was a good deal smaller than Riku–the same size as Skye, actually–but he was strong and swift. Even worse, he had a sword strapped to his belt, one that he didn't hesitate to draw and aim directly at Riku's throat as soon as he landed. Riku only had enough time to brace himself as their attacker raised his sword and brought it down in one single, likely fatal blow.

But the blade never touched him.

Instead, he opened his eyes to find Skye standing between him and the masked boy, with his arms stretched wide and a sword mere inches away from his face. Despite that, he stood his ground, even if he couldn't stop his voice from trembling with fear when he spoke. "S-stop… please…"

He stared into the void of a mask in front of him, desperate to see some shred of humanity behind it. For a moment, he almost thought he could spot a set of eyes bearing back into his. But just as quickly as he'd seen them… the masked boy backed away.

He still didn't speak, but the way his body suddenly tensed said more than enough for him. For as steady as he might have been mere moments ago, he was the exact opposite now. Skye and Riku could only watch as he stumbled backward, one hand against his helmeted head, the other grappling for the dark portal he'd created earlier. He stopped just shy of slipping into it, focusing on Skye one more time… before he disappeared entirely.

The second he was gone, Skye fell to his knees. Pluto ran over to him, licking his face to comfort him, but he hardly even noticed. Instead, he stared straight at the wet ground beneath him, choking on air that refused to make its way down to his deprived lungs. His heart was beating far too fast for his panicking mind to keep up with it. His ears were ringing to the point that he didn't hear Riku say his name. When a hand landed squarely on his shoulder, he just about jumped out of his skin altogether as he let out a broken scream.

"Skye," Riku tried his best to ground him. Even though was nearly in just as much of a state as the boy beside him was. "It's ok. It's just me. You're fi-"

"I-I can't… I don't know what's-" He cut himself off as a tight sob forced its way out of him. "I-I keep seeing faces, so many faces," his voice was small, frightened, so unlike anything Riku had ever heard out of him before. "I don't know who they are, t-they won't stop! I-"

"It was just a nightmare," Riku moved in front of him, gripping both of his shoulders to try and steady him. "That's all it was."

Skye finally looked up at him, his face wet with tears and rainwater alike. Then, without warning, he fell forward, throwing his arms around Riku as he continued crying into his shoulder. At first, Riku sat there frozen, unsure of what to say or how to react. When he did move, his arms lifted as if they were outside of his control to return the tight, desperate hold Skye had on him.

They stayed like that for a while in solemn silence that was only broken by Skye's soft sobs and by the pattering of rain that was just starting to let up. Eventually, Skye's breathing evened out as he slowly pulled back, wiping his face dry. He still looked so afraid, so utterly exhausted–but after what just happened, Riku couldn't imagine he was too keen on going back to sleep any time soon.

And neither was he, for that matter.

"Come on," he gently took Skye's hand and helped him to his feet. "Let's get out of here."

The rain had finally stopped. In its wake, a peaceful sort of silence settled over Traverse Town. The clouds were slowly starting to part way to reveal the stars and moon hidden underneath them. For a while, they simply wandered the empty streets, neither of them saying much at all. Eventually, they found themselves back in the town's second district, not far from the hotel. They didn't go back right away as they headed for the massive chapel-like building on the far end of the street.

There was a viewing platform near the roof, allowing the pair a vast look at the sleepy city from above as they scaled up it. They were still largely quiet as they took a seat on the edge of the tower, their nerves still equally frayed from the harrowing night they'd shared. Surprisingly, Skye was the first to speak up.

"That boy in the mask…" he muttered more to himself than to Riku. "He asked me for help…" A shiver ran down his spine; the air was warm and heavy from the recent storm, but his nightclothes were still soaked. Even then, he could tell that the bitter chill flowing through his heart was coming from somewhere else entirely.

Riku wanted to say something, but he had no idea where to even start. He quickly found himself at an even greater loss for words when Skye asked him a question that sent his heart plummeting to his stomach. "...Who do you think I am, Riku?" His eyes were wide and woeful, shining the same shade as the afternoon sky as he stared at the boy beside him. "Do… do you really think I'm him?"

It was amazing how a simple question could rip the ground right out from under him. Riku drew in a shallow breath as his gaze drifted away from Skye. He opened and closed his mouth several times over, struggling to come up with an answer they'd both believe, not just the answer Skye wanted to hear.

"Well…" he cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully. "If I were Princess Kairi… I would want the prince to be… someone like you."

"You would?"

Riku nodded. It wasn't lost on Skye that he still refused to make eye contact with him. "I would want him to be handsome, smart, brave–and of course, an absolute goofball." Skye finally smiled at this; it was enough to get Riku to look at him once more. "And above all else, I'd want him to have a good, kind heart."

"...And you think I do?"

"...Yeah."

"Thank you," Skye's smile suddenly fell. "But… that doesn't answer my question. Do you think that I really could be Sora?"

Riku swallowed hard. He tilted his head up toward the night sky, unable to completely obscure the grief that filled his face. His silence alone told Skye far more than his words ever could.

"...Oh." He pulled his knees up to his chest, staring down at the street far below them.

"Skye, I-" Riku stopped himself before he could say anything he might regret. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he tried to think of some way to salvage this. Sure, it'd be easy to lie and say he believed Skye was Sora. But if he did, then he knew–he'd never be able to look this lost orphan boy in the eyes again. He'd never be able to recall any of his fondest memories of the lost prince without feeling weighed down by the heaviest kind of guilt.

He'd never be able to live with himself if he betrayed either of them–Skye or Sora–any more than he already had.

"I… think it's time I was honest with you," he began again. He owed the other boy that much at least, after everything they'd been through. "The reason why I want to go to Radiant Garden–the real reason… is her."

"Who?"

"Princess Kairi." A bittersweet smile found its way onto Riku's face. "I knew her, when we were both younger. Believe it or not, we were actually friends."

"Really?" Skye sat up, suddenly very intrigued.

"Mm hm," Riku took a moment to think about how he wanted to frame this. He couldn't mention Sora, obviously, not without making things worse than they already were. So he decided to weave a different version of the story he knew so well; it wasn't the truth, but it wasn't a complete lie either. Or at least that's what he planned to keep telling himself. "I met her once when she was visiting the islands for the summer. We ran into each other on accident and we hit it off from there. She'd sneak away to meet me by the beach and we'd spend hours together. It was… those were some of the best days of my life."

"...You must really miss her, huh?" Skye asked gently.

"Yeah," Riku sighed. At least he didn't have to lie about that. "I haven't seen her since that last summer before the islands fell. When I found out she was looking for So–t-the prince, I don't know, I just… I thought it was the only chance I'd ever get to see her again. I never meant for anybody to get hurt in all this. I… I never meant to hurt you."

He wasn't lying about that either. Just a few days ago, he knew he wouldn't have cared about hurting Skye; when they first met, he hadn't cared about him at all. The only thing that had mattered was getting to Radiant Garden and getting an audience with Kairi. But now…

Now everything was different. Now… someone else had suddenly found their way into his broken, brittle heart, someone other than Sora or Kairi. Someone who just so happened to be sitting right beside him.

Skye was quiet for a moment as he took in everything Riku had just told him. Based on what little he knew of the other boy's simple upbringing, it was a bit hard to believe he could have been best friends with a princess way back when. But the yearning in his voice, the longing on his face… those were both been more than enough to convince Skye that he was telling the truth. And as long as they were being honest with each other…

"Even if you don't think I'm Sora," he began, quietly, yet resolved. "I still want to go through with this."

Riku shook his head. "You shouldn't have to. This won't give you any of the answers about your past that you're looking for."

"I know that," Skye admitted. "But it'll get me to the place where those answers are. That's more than enough for me. And before I start looking," he slid just a bit closer to Riku, to the point that there was barely any space between them anymore. "I might as well do what I can to help out the guy who got me there, right?"

"Skye…" Riku said somewhere between the countless feelings flooding through his mind. "I… I don't know what to say."

"A 'thank you' would be nice," Skye joked, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Thank you," Riku managed a small smile. He didn't know what compelled him to say what came out next; maybe it was sadness, maybe it was guilt, maybe it was something else entirely. But he still said it all the same. "You know… you remind me of another friend I used to have."

"Oh really?" Skye leaned in, curious.

"Yeah," Riku couldn't help but let out a small, fond chuckle. "He was… rambunctious. A bit of a troublemaker, someone who could talk your ear off about absolutely nothing at all. In fact, you might say he was a regular royal pain."

"And you said I remind you of him?" Skye raised an eyebrow. "Gee, thanks."

"You didn't let me finish," Riku chuckled. "He may have been a handful, but he was also loyal, and clever, and kind. He noticed me… when no one else did, out of so many others. And if we were standing in a crowd of thousands… I know I'd find him again too…"

"Well, he sure sounds special," Skye said, grinning. "I wouldn't mind meeting him if he's as great as you say he is."

"…You can't," Riku sighed, closing his eyes to keep the anguish in them hidden. "He's… he's gone. He's been gone, for a long time now."

"Oh," Skye looked down. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's ok," Riku said, even though it wasn't really. "In a way… I think he was the reason I was so hard on you when we first met. Because you're just… so much like him that even looking at you reminded me how much I miss him. So I guess I just… took out all of the pain I was feeling over losing him on you. And I'm sorry for that; you didn't do anything to deserve it."

Skye didn't doubt that he meant it. Still, that didn't stop him from letting out a laugh as he nudged the older boy once more. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were starting to get soft on me, Riku."

"If I am, it's because you're rubbing off on me," Riku returned just as wryly. Skye laughed again, a wonderful sound that Riku longed to listen to every single day. Maybe, if he was lucky, he might actually get to keep that laughter in his life; he might actually be able to keep Skye by his side. The only problem was…

Luck wasn't something he ever seemed to have on his side.

He tensed when Skye leaned against him, resting his head on his shoulder. The other boy's eyes were starting to grow heavy, his expression calm and peaceful. He felt safe, Riku slowly realized; he felt safe with him. The thought sent a spark of something sweet, yet sad, flickering through his heart.

"Skye," he said softly. The other boy only barely managed to sleepily look up at him. "You said you wanted to help me. Well… I want to help you too. When we get to Radiant Garden, we're looking for your family together. I won't give up until we find everything you're looking for. I promise."

He could tell Skye was sleeping by now, but he still wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him in even closer. He might not be able to hold onto him for too much longer, for nowhere near as long as he would have liked to.

But he could still hold onto him tonight. And for Riku, even a moment was more than enough.

Like I said, potential hiatus incoming. Once it's over, we'll see what Kairi's been up to. Please don't forget to REVIEW! Until next time.