In Alexandra’s mansion, Shana and her crew spent the day hanging out, assisting Alexandra and her team with preparations for their mission, and getting proper food and rest. That night, they didn’t enter Dreamworld. After their encounter with Yuryo and the mob, Shana was even more cognizant of the dangers of visiting Dreamworld too often or remaining there too long.
I won’t become like Leon. And I won’t be like Yuryo.
I’m the Dreamer. It’s my responsibility to handle these powers properly.
The next day was another day of relaxing and helping, mixed in with some Dawn Riders training sessions aided by Adelaida and Andrea. Alexandra’s pair of handmaidens/bodyguards were incredibly skilled, and were more than willing to observe and point out specific ways in which Shana and her team could improve as a unit.
Maxwell and Tock were gone, soaring through the universe somewhere, looking for more valuable additions to Alexandra’s team. Shana missed them. Tock had an enthusiasm and energy that she immediately clicked with, and she loved watching Maxwell and Shias put their minds together.
Night came, and Shana and her team settled down on the massive bed that had been dubbed “The Dreamer’s Bed.” Holding hands, they all closed their eyes, fell asleep together…
And returned to Dreamworld.
“Back to the city?” Kathryn asked.
But Shana was distracted. She spun to the left, but what had just been there, just out of the corner of her eye…
Was gone.
“What’s up?” Shias asked, watching her.
“I thought I saw… that same thing,” Shana said, shaking her head. “Just out of the corner of my eye.”
“The sliver of darkness?” Rae asked.
Shana nodded, then looked to Heart. “Do you know what it might mean? I mean… I’m not just going crazy here, am I?”
But Heart seemed distracted, as well. She was looking away from Shana, gazing out into the distance at a group of floating sky-islands, but…
Shana got the sense that Heart wasn’t looking at them at all. Her focus was on something that couldn’t be seen with the eyes.
“Heart?” she asked gently, flying closer to Heart. “Is everything all right?”
“Oh, yes,” Heart said, smiling at Shana. “I just…”
“It’s the thing you had a thought about, right?” Shana asked.
Heart nodded. “I was thinking about the Library of Solitude. I am… connected to it, in a way. I can feel that connection, and I thought perhaps I could take you there without having to physically travel there, but…”
“You think you could do that?” Annabelle asked, eyes wide. “But how would that work? From the Dreamworld… to the Waking World… somewhere that we didn’t go to sleep? Is that possible?”
“I’m not… certain,” Heart said softly. She shook her head, then focused on Shana. “I’m sorry, you were saying something first?”
“Oh, right,” Shana said. “The sliver of darkness. I thought I saw it again. Twice can’t be a coincidence, right? But when I turn to look —”
“There is something strange in the air,” Heart said, gazing down at the ground far, far below. “I’m not sure what it is. A faint sense of… malice. It’s barely perceptible, but it’s there.”
“Oh, great,” Kathryn said, her serious tone not matching her slow backflips in midair, playing a sort of tag-team flying acrobatics game with Altair, who was doing backflips across from her. “Is something invading Dreamworld?”
“Could it be some kind of Nightmare?” Rae asked.
“A Nightmare?” Ben asked. “But whose?”
“I don’t know,” Rae said. “But that’s the only kind of thing that could invade or infect Dreamworld, isn’t it? Evil forces can’t physically invade from the Waking World… can they?”
“It shouldn’t be possible,” Heart said. “A Nightmare… perhaps we should speak with Nocta.”
“I’d like that,” Shana said. She thought she could feel a chill in the air, too. A sense of dread, or, like Heart put it, malice…
Yeah. I don’t like this feeling at all. I really hope Nocta can help.
Heart led the way, soaring across Dreamworld. All of them were comfortable with flying at this point, to where it was second nature. Kathryn and Altair showed this off the most freely, doing all sorts of loops, twirls, spins, and flips as they soared along. Ben played with them, too, his fidgety, easily-distracted nature meaning he could never just fly in a straight line.
And who would want to? Shana only stayed out of the games because she was flying at the front with Heart, and because she couldn’t shake the bad feeling she had. She wanted to get to Nocta as soon as possible, to try and get some clarity, some hope, some answers.
But she did manage a small smile. She didn’t want everyone to be down just because she was.
They didn’t have to go all the way to the Nightmare Citadel. In the center of a vast forest was the meeting ground where Shana and her team had met with Heart and Nocta before — a tall, wide, ruined tower.
“Why is it in ruins?” Shana asked as she soared down for a landing.
“I believe it is to reflect the common conflict between Dreams and Nightmares,” Heart said. “But in truth, I do not know.”
“You don’t know everything about Dreamworld?” Kathryn asked, speeding by to land on the tower first, hitting the stone roof running and taking several steps to stop herself. She wheeled around, hands on her hips. “I thought you were the one in charge around here!”
Heart laughed as she landed in front of Kathryn. “I hate to dispel such a flattering notion, but the Dreamworld is older than I am. Dreamworld has always been. I have not. I was born into Dreamworld, and of Dreamworld. And while I know many of its secrets, I do not know all.”
“Huh,” Kathryn said, considering that. “Do you think Nocta knows?”
“Nocta knows some things that I do not,” Heart said, “so perhaps. But she knows overall less than I do about Dreamworld. She is, after all, Mister Midnight’s Summon. The Nightmare Queen has not been the same being across the ages, like I have for my role.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Kathryn said. She let out a sigh. “Well, I guess you can’t ever know everything.”
“How do we reach Nocta?” Shana asked.
“I have already called her,” Heart said. “She should arrive shortly.”
“So that’s a thing you do, or is it something I can learn to do as well?” Shana asked.
“I am meant to be a go-between,” Heart said. “You are the Dreamer, bearer of the Dreamer’s Heart. The Nightmare Queen’s role is to test you, and so she is not at your beck and call.”
“Oh,” Shana said, lowering her gaze. “I suppose that makes sense. It’s just… she’s been so kind to us.”
“I apologize if I gave the wrong impression,” Heart said, bowing her head. “Nocta is grateful to you for rescuing her. And she is quite fond of you, and willing to assist you when she can. We’re just following the rules, that’s all.”
Shana smiled. “Thanks,” she said softly.
A moment later, a shadow swept over the tower. Everyone looked up to see the dark, magnificent form of Nocta wheeling overhead, her glorious wings fluttering in the wind. She came to a soft, nearly soundless landing on the roof and inclined her massive head to Shana and the others. “Dreamer,” she said in her resonant, musical voice, “Dawn Riders, and Princess. I am glad to see you again.” She raised her head, scanning the horizon with her large, glittering eyes. “Ah… I feel it, too. This malice… distant, undirected. It is hard to tell its true state or origin yet. But unless it is dispelled, it will continue to spread.”
“So it really is invading Dreamworld,” Rae said.
“More like… an infection,” Nocta said.
“Whose Nightmare is it?” Ben asked.
“Nightmare… yes, that may well be what it is,” Nocta said, bowing her head, closing her eyes in thought. “But whose? I cannot tell. And how? There is power here. Fear… hmm. I am sorry. Shana, the reason you have only seen this as slivers of darkness out of the corner of your eye is because the Nightmare is just barely beginning. I cannot tell much about it at this state.”
“So the only way we get answers is if we let it spread?” Shana asked. “We can’t do that!”
“I will work to mitigate its spread,” Nocta said. “And I will see what I can do to neutralize it.”
“Can’t… I do something?” Shana asked. “I’ve been learning to purify Nightmares, so…”
“Your powers require that you know the source,” Nocta said. “And we do not yet know from whom this Nightmare stems. I will watch, and observe, and do what I can to hold it back. Even if I cannot stop it, there is still a great deal of time before it becomes truly dangerous. If it reaches that stage, by then we will certainly know where the Nightmare originates, and be able to properly put a stop to it.”
Shana held back a frustrated reply. This was the best that could be done right now. And while she didn’t know everything — and the answers she’d received were worrying — knowing a little more helped her to think about things more calmly.
She could deal with Nightmares.
“Thank you, Nocta,” Shana said, managing a smile. “Please don’t push yourself too hard, okay? If things become too dangerous, then let us know as soon as possible. We’ll work together on this.”
Nocta chuckled softly, ruffling her feathers. “Thank you for your kind concern, Shana,” she said. “Don’t worry. I do not share the reckless nature of my Summoner.”
Shana laughed at that. After a few moments, they bid each other goodbye, and Shana and her team flew back, away from the woods, and into the wider skies of Dreamworld.
“What now?” Shias asked, flying alongside her, his hand nudging hers.
“I’m not sure,” Shana said, frowning. “Maybe we should go back to the Palette in the Clouds and investigate more? I’m not sure I should try talking to Yuryo’s group again so soon, though. But if we leave them alone too long, that could also cause problems… hmm.”
Shias nodded. “Come right at them so soon, and they might not have had enough time to process the things you’ve said and start changing in their hearts. Leave them alone too long, and they’ll think they’ve won, that you’re not coming back — and be more angry than before to see you return.”
“Come on, it’s been a whole day!” Kathryn said, zipping right on up to the twins, Altair in her arms. “Let’s just go show them what we’ve got! Show them you only mean well, and that waking them up from their Dream is the best thing that can happen!”
“Maybe…” Shana started, and then Altair, from Kathryn’s arms, let out a short, encouraging bark. Shana stared at him, and he wriggled free from Kathryn’s arms, wagging his little tail, eyeing Shana meaningfully.
That sealed the deal. “We’re going back to the hidden city!” Shana said, a grin spreading across her face. She led the way, Heart alongside her, and everyone followed. This time was even easier than the last to get there. A faint sensation of warmth, and then everything went blank for a moment, and a pop! later, and…
“Wait, what?”
Shana stared. This was not the Palette in the Clouds. This didn’t even seem to be Dreamworld. There were no magenta clouds, no golden skies.
It was dark here, and enclosed. Shana couldn’t see the sky, because all were walls and floors and ceilings of smooth stone. It wasn’t totally dark — there were lamps here and there that were lit, shining pale white light.
And in the faint light, Shana could see that she knew this place.
Or… it resembled the place she knew, at least. There was something different about it, something she couldn’t quite place.
Next to her, Annabelle took her hand, squeezing it slightly.
“It’s…” the little girl started, trailing off.
Shana nodded, then turned to Heart. “Heart, how can we be here? This is…” she looked out at the vast hub room, with its many bookshelves and cozy study areas, “the Library of Solitude.”
“Not… exactly,” Heart said, sounding just as bewildered as Shana. “But I… I didn’t attempt this. I didn’t plan it.”
“Plan what?” Ben asked. “If this isn’t the Library of Solitude, then where is it?”
“This,” Heart said, her golden eyes shining with reverence, “is the Library of Solitude’s dream.”