Song: 13th Discretion
Organization XIII sent six of it's number to a second base, known as Castle Oblivion.
Axel, Larxene, Zexion, Lexaeus, Marluxia, and Vexen were all somewhere in the Castle. Axel was a red haired man with green eyes. Larxene was a blonde woman with blue-green eyes. Zexion, the shortest of the group, was a boy with light blue hair and blue eyes. Lexaeus, the largest in the group, was a muscular man with brown hair and blue eyes. Marluxia was a man with pink hair and blue eyes. Vexen was a man with platinum blonde hair and green eyes.
They all had something they were doing, but there assigned goal was the same. Axel and Larxene were doing just that right now.
"You know… I'm beginning to wonder if that room even exists."
His companion at the moment scoffed. "Just keep looking. Work is all your good for anyway."
"The last time you said that was right before you threw a bra at me. I think you enjoy teasing people a bit too much, Larxene."
Said female put a hand to his chin. "It's one of the few things I still find enjoyable. Now keep looking." She went towards one side of the room while Axel went towards another. Suddenly, the door opened and a dark form entered the room.
Vexen was down in the basement with a test subject. A replica of a silver haired boy.
"Hmm… It just isn't complete yet. If only I had the real thing to analyze."
His fellow scientist, Zexion, looked alert suddenly. "You may have your wish, but something major seems to be happening.
Marluxia was on the top floor with a captive, a girl with platinum blonde hair, trying to see a use for her.
"A witch without a purpose. How sad."
The girl gave no response, but Marluxia was no longer paying attention, as something sparked his interests on the floors below.
Song: Face It!
Axel and Larxene had a very powerful Heartless on it's last legs, but it simply refused to die.
Axel twirled his chakrams. "You asked for it." He threw his chakrams cloaked in fire at their foe, but the Heartless wouldn't go down. "What's going on!?"
Larxene held her knives tightly. "You're getting on my nerves!" She continuously rushed at her foe while charged with lightning, but she didn't do any more damage than Axel.
The Heartless was going to attack, and this one might finish them, but was subdued by a swing from a large scythe.
Song: Just Wondering
Axel and Larxene turned to see Marluxia behind them. "This Heartless is uncharacteristically powerful, considering the hero it came from."
Axel's eyes widened. "You mean this is the heartless of…"
Vexen entered the room. "That's interesting."
Zexion and Lexaeus followed. "This is the darkness that remains of the Hero of Light's heart."
Marluxia had a certain look about him. "His soul under our command, and his heart in custody… maybe we have a use for our captive upstairs after all."
Song: Disquieting
A silver haired boy lay asleep in the darkness, wearing a yellow and black shirt and blue pants.
He awoke, questioning his whereabouts, to be met with a voice.
"Stay asleep. Sleep will keep you safe, in this realm between light and darkness."
"Huh?" The boy looked through the gas(?) that surrounded him with his blue-green eyes. Then he gasped in realization. "Where's the King?" The last thing he remembered was closing the Door to Darkness after being informed of his best friend's sacrifice.
"You came here alone. You could not overcome the darkness. Or… maybe you were close to it."
"Hm… As if I'm some kind of demon!" The boy replied.
"Turn from the light. Shut your eyes. Here, blanketed by the darkness, sleep is safety. Sleep is eternal."
"No." Riku declined, and the dark fog immediately dispersed to reveal a white room. "That seemed like a boring place to take a nap anyway."
"That was very well said… Riku."
Song: Scent of Silence
Marluxia and Larxene were the ones who put Namine to work.
"First step is to contain the Heartless. Next you will search for the heart itself, and control it." Marluxia commanded.
Namine, a blonde girl who came up to the tall man's waist, looked up with her sad blue eyes. "And if I were to fail?"
"If you don't break the heart's grip on the Heartless…" Larxene started sweetly. "We break you." She ended acidly.
Namine flinched and got to work.
"I expect results." Marluxia said as he and Larxene walked away, leaving Namine with the Hero's Shade.
Song: Disquieting
Riku had a brush with danger as he faced off against Maleficent, who was supposed to be dead.
Their battle was not as eventful as Riku had thought it would be. It was more their conversation that stuck with him.
"I am but a figment of your memory… Your heart is steeped in darkness. You can only see those who exist in that same darkness… Your heart is empty. Were it not for the darkness it contains, you would be completely alone… You once turned to me to sate your hunger for darkness."
"I surrendered my heart to the dark… All I did was lose myself… Empty myself! I'm finished with all that. If I'm stuck seeing people like you, people of the dark, I'll take you out one by one."
"Then you mustn't forget to destroy yourself last. For, like me, you are one of the dark."
As he left the odd room he had entered, he found himself in another white room, like the one he had found himself in when he started.
"Why do you shun the darkness?" The now familiar voice spoke to him once again.
"Don't play innocent. You heard every word I said to Maleficent."
"It is time you learned you must accept it." The voice spoke again.
"What do you mean?" Riku questioned.
"Stop resisting. Accept the darkness. You have no choice!" Ansem said as he appeared in a glob of darkness. He had silver hair, orange eyes, and dark skin. He wore a white open shirt as well as a black jacket, black pants, and black boots. "If you are to serve me again!"
"I thought it was you, Ansem." Riku said quietly.
"Oh." Ansem replied. "You don't seem surprised."
"All you have been talking about is the darkness. I can only assume…" Riku's voice picked up more power. "You wanna pull me back in. So you can play puppetmaster."
"Clever boy. I knew you would be the one to most appropriately serve me. And now… surrender to me again!" Ansem put his hand out towards Riku.
"You're crazy!" Riku yelled, pulling out his blade, Soul Eater. "Not again!" He ran at Ansem and swung his blade, but he was easily blocked, and Ansem pushed him back without even needing to touch him.
Riku fell on his back, as Ansem watched. "Did you really think you could do me harm? A weakling like you couldn't even defeat Sora and you had darkness on your side."
Riku sat up with a groan. "Well excuse me… for being weak."
"You are weak. You need darkness." Ansem walked closer to Riku. "Surrender. Bow to darkness. Bow to me!"
"That's not gonna happen!" Riku growled.
Ansem stopped and raised a fist victoriously. "Only the darkness can offer to you all of the strength you need."
"You're wrong!" Another familiar voice exclaimed.
Riku gasped as a ball of light floated towards him. "Your majesty?"
"That's right! Remember Riku, you're not alone." The light faded into Riku's chest. "Listen close. The light will never give up on you. You'll always find it. Even in the deepest darkness."
"I got it." Riku responded, and then he stood up. "I won't lose to darkness. Not today.
Song: Face It!
Ansem scoffed. "You think that feeble little light can save you? From the darkness that I command?"
Ansem swiped at Riku, who parried with a well timed block. Ansem took another stab at it, and Riku somersaulted out of the way.
Riku swung his blade at Ansem, who grabbed it almost telekinetically.
"Not giving up? I wonder how much of this you can take." Ansem taunted.
"I'm just going along until you give up."
Ansem scoffed and unleashed a barrage of dark energy at Riku. Riku took the brunt of the attack, but when Ansem tried the attack again, Riku was ready to guard, and he counterattacked with an energy bolt and a flip slash maneuver(Impulse).
Riku stood ready to fight and Ansem simply floated a few feet away. "What, that all you got?" Riku taunted.
"It seems to me that you are intent on resisting the darkness… Alright. Then see it for yourself." Ansem motioned towards Riku's only way out of the castle. "Move forward through the memories this Castle shows you, and you will understand. Chasing after light is not the way. It will not give you distance from the darkness. There is no running from the darkness."
"Don't worry, I'm not running." Riku replied. "I'll go forward. And if in the end, if I haven't given in to the darkness, then I win."
"I have one more gift for you." Ansem said. He motioned his arm towards Riku and made a pulling motion, at which point Riku began to feel a tug at his chest, and dark energy formed around him.
"Huh, wha…" Riku held a hand to his chest. "What'd you do!?"
"I simply tempered the darkness that yet remains in your heart."
"You still think that I'd rely on darkness?"
"To use it or not is your choice." Ansem replied. "I'll be waiting, Riku. For you to sense it, and yield to the darkness in your heart!"