Elements: Darkness and Light.

Part 14

Arizona pulled Keith into a room. It had white walls and a white and black checkered floor.

"Wh-What are we d-doing?" Keith tripped over his words.

"Bath." Arizona said. "You're getting a bath. You must be very dirty having traveled this far into the underworld."

Keith looked at Arizona. What the Quiznak?! Like heck he was gonna let her give him a bath.

"Um, no." He said.

"What?" Arizona looked at Keith.

Arizona was a small girl, no taller than 5' 2". She had short black hair and wild blue eyes. Somehow she had tan skin and she wore a black dress like the girl that walked Keith and Lance to the throne room.

"But you must...you must be very unclean." Arizona started to pull Keith to a changing room. "Change." She said.

Keith changed into a pair of shorts. Then Arizona told him that he had an hour before servants, male ones, would come and dress him.

Keith frowned. After so long by himself, he had gotten use to clothing himself. Now that he was back in a royal place, he had to remember everything was done by servants.

Keith put a toe in the water. It was warm...and it felt nice. He slowly sank in, the warm water heating up his body. He could get use to this. He closed his eyes and relaxed.

Then he heard a sound. It was a soft sound, like a cry almost. Keith looked around. Nothing. Keith looked around again.

Then he saw it. Glowing red and yellow eyes...in the dark. It slowly crept out of the corner. Black claws dripping with blood. Dry blood hanging from its mouth. It came slowly towards the bath.

"No. No! You're dead. You can't be here! Get out! Get out." Keith screamed.

"Oh but Keith, I am here." The creature was so close Keith could feel it's breath.

"No, you're not real. You are just a figment of my imagination!" Keith grabbed at his hair in frustration. His tails were tucked under his legs. His ears pinned back, flat on his head.

"Keith, I'm real. I am real. You never won." The monster stood right above Keith's face. Blood dripping down onto the prince.

"No, no, no, NO!" Keith pushed the monster's face. It growled...

"Keith, it isn't real!" Lance came running into the room. "Keith, he's not real!"

"No, he's real. I-it wan-wants me." Keith cried. The monster turned its head. Only Keith could see the monster, but the monster could see Lance.

"Don't listen to him, Keith. He's not real. I'm real. Nothing you know is real." The monster looked at Keith.

"Keith, snap out of it!" Lance grabbed Keith by the shoulders, shaking him.

"Lance, it want me...it wants me!" The prince looked at Lance. Fear dripping his face in the form of tears.

The monster raised a claw. Keith screamed. It was going to kill him. Then right before it came down...

"Keith...you okay?" Lance asked.

Keith blinked. It was right there. He could almost swear it was there.

"L-Lance...?" Lance looked up.

"Yeah?"

"W-where d-did it go?" Keith looked around the room for the creature.

"Keith, it was never here." Lance told the dark.

"How did you g-get me out?" Keith asked.

"Um...I-I hugged you." Lances face heated up. Keith looked at Lance with confusion.

"Lance..." Keith looked at the younger boy.

"Thank you." Lance nodded and got out of the bath. He was wear black shorts, like Keith.

An hour had gone by. Both Keith and Lance were just talking the whole time. Some servants came in and handed them some clothes. Keith told them he could change by himself....but it was useless. They did it anyway.