i'm terrified of seeing

[retrieves]

Sender: Riku
To: Everyone
Subject: passive dream recording, network post



Everything is dark, too dark.

The sound of a heartbeat drums in his ears, and he's not sure if it's his or not. He's not supposed to be afraid of the darkness anymore, but there's a panic rising as he's in this blackness without ending.

Submit.

The sound of the voice is a physical and mental gut punch -- he doubles over, gasping for breath. But something's coming out of his mouth instead of oxygen. It's more darkness, seeping out of the pores of his body.

The feeling of something hitting him between the shoulder blades knocks him to the ground, and suddenly the light is so bright that he's temporarily blinded. When his sight finally adjusts, he realizes he's in a purely white room, with what looked like marble pillars. Marble steps. White marble everything.

His panic rises, and he feels like he's fifteen all over again. His Keyblade won't answer his call. Nothing would.

"You thought you'd tugged the last of me out of you, boy." A man said, looking down at Riku as he still gasps for any sort of breath that he can take. "You can't make peace with darkness."

"I...did..." Riku gritted out, and he forces himself to his feet, slowly, painfully. He feels like very air is trying to crush him down, down into the marble floor and past that, into oblivion.

There's still darkness pouring out of him. Every breath he takes clouds dark around his head, but he can still see Ansem through it.

"You never will." Ansem says, moving forward to grab Riku's chin. He flinches, and tries to tug it away, but his grip is too strong. "I've taken your heart twice, now. Both by choice. When are you going to welcome me into your heart again? The third time will stick."

Finally, there's a release in the pressure. He's able to summon a Keyblade, and he swings, but something catches it before he can even touch Ansem. It growls at him and throws him back, and he lands on his back onto the white floor, looking up and gasping for breath.

"I would've expected more from a so-called Master." Ansem says lightly as he walks over to Riku. The guardian watches from behind him coolly, as if waiting for Riku to take the next swing. "That is what they call you now, correct?"

"...Yes." Riku grunts, and he rolls over. But Ansem puts a boot on his chest and Riku cries out, feeling like there's ten tons of weight on his body, pushing him down all over again.

"What a Master. Still afraid of me." Ansem says, kneeling down now and grabbing Riku by the hair and picking him up slightly. "Look at yourself."

Riku's forced to look at the marble below, and there's a figure of himself staring back, with yellow eyes. Shrouded in darkness.

"That'll be you soon, boy."

Darkness starts to seep out of every pore in Riku's body. Every breath he takes is another cloud, and he coughs when he feels like it starts to choke him. It becomes thick, and there's so much darkness--

And then Ansem shoves him under, into a pool of it that's under him, and he feels like he's drowning.


[and then, a little later, there's a message.]

i know it's kind of late so feel free to ignore it.

is there anyone around to spar with tonight?

Comments

sender: link

[skyglider]

[Link wakes with a gasp, and while he's not entirely sure what he's just seen...he's certain he isn't the only one who has seen it.

So when he sees a message appear in the journals, he doesn't say anything about it. Goddess knows he understands the vulnerability of sharing dreams quite well, and calling it out just feels like adding insult to injury. Instead he focuses on the message itself.]

Yes.
Where would you like to meet?

[retrieves]

[thank god he's not mentioned anything.]

i set up some temporary training grounds near the tree of stories.

[skyglider]

[True to his word, Link arrives shortly thereafter by way of his paraglider. Once his feet are back on solid ground, he begins looking for Riku.]

[retrieves]

[he wasn't really expecting Link to come from the air, but when he touches down and starts looking, Riku waves at him. there's a couple of training dummies that he'd conjured with dreamotion behind him, completely torn apart. he's also breathing like he's run a marathon, and sweating too.

coping.]

I'm over here.

sender: kor

[spirialink]

[Maybe it was because Kor lived in the same tree complex as Riku, but it was pretty hard for him to ignore Riku's dream once it starts. It felt almost as suffocating to him as it did to Riku.

Or maybe it was because it was a situation that he could actually deeply sympathize with. The fear of a darkness that was once sealed within you resurfacing and taking over... It was a feeling he understood all too well.]

yeah i can spar

[he was tired but... well, it wasn't like he'd be going to sleep any time soon after that one.]

[retrieves]

i'm by the tree of stories.

[and then as an explanation, since he knows Kor is nearby:]

i thought i needed a run or something. but it seems like beating up some magical training dummies helps more.

[spirialink]

okay i'll meet you there.

[there's a pause from Kor. And then:]

and if you need it, maybe we can talk?

[retrieves]

[SIGH. he doesn't talk about his feelings!!!]

I'll be okay. I just need some help getting my mind off it.

sender: ira

[iracorn]

If you still need volunteers.
I can help

[He's probably not going back to sleep after that. Some fears linger after all.]

[retrieves]

i'll take it. i've been waiting to see what you can do, anyway.

[so...it works?]

i'm by the tree of stories.

[iracorn]

I'll be there shortly.

[There aren't really a lot of opportunities for him to show off, after all. Not that he shows off.

But true to his word, it's not long before he arrives.]

Riku.

[retrieves]

[Riku's in the process of using dreamotion to reset the dummies when he sees Ira approach in his peripheral. he nods at him in acknowledgement, and then rubs a forearm across his forehead to wipe off some sweat.]

Hey, Ira. Sorry you had to see all that.

[it's. a little embarrassing.]

Sender: Ken Amada

[whatsamada]

I'd be willing.

But I'm not sure if you're okay with sparring against me.

i don't think riku's met Ken so smack me if i'm wrong--

[retrieves]

why wouldn't i be okay with it?

[he doesn't remember seeing or hearing that name before...]

Nah, he doesn't!

[whatsamada]

Because I'm only 11?

i figured that was just percy but i wanted to make sure! 1/2

[retrieves]

[there's a long pause.]

i mean, i've beat up 11 year olds before.

[L O N G E R SILENCE.]

when i was 12, anyway.

[retrieves]

if there's anything you want to learn, i can help teach you instead, if you want.

you got a weapon?

Sender: Vanitas

[darkcharge]

[ Look, he doesn't like Riku. That much is obvious. He's tolerating him just because it's the expectation. But if there's something that they can probably agree on... It's residual feelings about Xehanort in general. That, for Vanitas, at least extends to all the different forms of the man. ]

Do you think you could keep up?

[ Working out anger and uneasy feelings this way - well. Vanitas can understand that too. ]

[retrieves]

of course.

[don't try to wound his ego like that.]

it was just a dream. they can't slow me down.

[rip to the training dummies that's absolutely demolished behind him, though.]

[darkcharge]

I wasn't thinking about your little nightmare there. The question was posed to you.

[retrieves]

and i answered.

i can keep up.

sender: sora

[oathkeeper]

[There is a certain level of panic, here. Sora is so sick of feeling that sort of dread whenever "you know whos" show up in various iterations. It's choking. But mostly it's just extremely annoying these days.]

RIKU

[The response comes almost immediately. Sora's letters are HUGE.]

[retrieves]

[Riku's definitely sick of it.

he takes a little while to answer, because after he sent out the message he's started to run. exercising and meditating were always good ways to clear his head, but the latter...not so much this time. when he was this twitchy, sitting still just made it worse.

it's not until he's run himself to the point of exhaustion somewhere in the city that he finally opens his journal for the first time.

... ah fuck.]

i'm fine, sora.

[yea ok]

[oathkeeper]

[Sure, Jan.]

riku?? i've been waiting for you to write back forever! are you okay?

[He's seriously worried for Riku right now. Aside from how much these two dislike Xehanorts in any form Sora didn't think he would catch a glimpse into Riku's nightmare and see that he's still plagued by these things. Sora is rightfully worried.]

where are you?

[retrieves]

[he just said he's fine!!!

but he knows Sora, and knows that he worries like crazy about him, even when he shouldn't. this is one of those times that he shouldn't worry about him, because he's got everything under control.

or, he will have everything under control.]

sorry, i went on a run. i just stopped to take a break when i saw your message. like i said, i'm fine.

[pointedly avoiding telling Sora where he is, exactly:]

i'll be back home soon.

[maybe.]