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Wherever You Will Go
Of Dusty Drawers and New Allies

The fight with Riku hadn't weighed very heavily on Akii's mind over the past week that he had been absent from her life. At least, not the part that should have bothered her: the fight itself. No, what had been plaguing the silverette's mind was the drastic change in her demeanor during said fight. Her voice had sounded so caustic when she had spoken to him and during the fight itself she had felt so…powerful.

Akii certainly didn't want to believe that she was truly that dark on the inside, no matter how many years she had been exposed to the darkness. She hadn't seen Riku in a week and a half since that particular fight and things almost seemed back to normal, or at least as normal as they had been before she had met Maleficent and Riku. Darius was still sending her on missions to other worlds to flood them with heartless and aid in their destruction and she was still feeling high with power from the frequent use of her powers.

What was different from the norm was the occasional appearance of Maleficent who would appear dramatically in a flourish of wispy green flames and storm into Darius' audience chamber to, no doubtedly, give him orders on what worlds she'd like for him (and by him, she really meant Akii) to destroy. If she was such an all-powerful witch then why couldn't she do all the world destroying herself?

During one of those regular visits from Maleficent Akii found herself sitting lazily on the plush seat of one of the castle's bay windows, her left leg pulled up to her chest while her right one dangled off the side. Her lavender eyes trailing after the tiny dots outside that were the people of her kingdom, happily milling about with their lives. The tinted glass making the world outside seem darker than it really was, it must have been nearly 3 in the afternoon and the sun was high in the pale sky, mocking her. What she wouldn't give to be able to leave the castle and go out to experience the day, letting the warmth of the sun ghost over her with its bright rays. It wasn't fair.

The door to the audience chamber opened and out stepped her uncle, he smirked maliciously at her as he strode forward in a way that he thought was intimidating. His dark charcoal eyes never once leaving her tiny frame and she got the distinct feeling that he knew something that she didn't know, something big. A moment later Maleficent followed after him, a triumphant smirk twisting its way onto her dark colored lips.

"Maleficent and I have spoken and feel as if it is in our best interests that you accompany her to her castle in Hollow Bastion and stay with her and her apprentice there for the time being. It would be more efficient for you to directly receive your assignments from her than to have her make the journey here every other day to inform me what it is that you are supposed to do." Darius' lips formed a tight-lipped smile, like he was torn between losing his greatest asset and letting her go for the time being to further his and Maleficent's sinister plans.

The silverette kept her poker face in check on the outside, but inside she was angered by this decision. Darius wasn't much fun to live with but she'd much prefer him over the green-skinned witch Maleficent.

I bet she's got a crocodile filled mote around her place and a drawbridge that only lowers from the inside. Akii mused darkly, And all her prisoners are kept chained in the dark dungeon.

"Alright, when do we leave?" She spoke quietly, her gaze locked with the witch's dark beady eyes.

"Immediately.", Maleficent smirked, "Follow me, dear."

A swirling portal appeared before them with a flick of her wrist, a medley of purples and blacks melting together in a wispy vortex of darkness. She crossed her arms over her chest, giving her uncle one last fleeting glance before stepping in to the Corridor of Darkness, following after the evil witch.

The journey through the darkness was insanely awkward; the only sound to be heard was the shifting of dark tendrils around them. Not that Akii was expecting Maleficent to chat her up. They stepped out of a portal and in to a dimly lit dilapidated castle, Akii grimaced, it certainly was nothing like her kingdom in Sanctions Keep, that was for sure.

Maleficent stopped walking abruptly, causing Akii to catch herself so that she wouldn't run in to the witch, "This will be your room while you are with us, I hope it is to your liking. I have no need for you today so rest up and I'll send for you when I do need you."

The lavender eyed girl nodded mutely in understanding before slowly opening the old ornate door, it creaked to life with years of disuse. Wincing slightly from the sound she entered the room and sneezed, a cloud of dust billowing around her from the disturbance.

"This certainly is charming. When was the last time someone even came in here?" She ran her finger along the surface of the old wooden dresser, leaving a trail in the inch thick layer of dust.

Disgust for the filthy room clearly evident in her expression, Akii scrunched up her nose and tapped her index finger to her chin in concentration. She'd definitely have to clean up the place before she even considered living there.

Akii closed the door behind her and set to work with an old rag that she found hanging off of her bedpost, her first order of business was to get rid of the thick layer of dust that covered the entire room. The dusting alone took forever and by the time she was finished it was well after dark but she was proud to say that the stuffy atmosphere of her room was long gone and she could breathe easily now.

"I'll finish with the rest of the room another time but at least I got rid of that nasty dust." She mused, tossing the dirty rag to the side and taking a seat on the stiff, uncomfortable mattress that was her bed.

She lay back on her bed, folding her arms comfortably behind her neck in a makeshift sort of pillow as she figured it would be much more comfortable than the actual pillow on her bed. Letting her eyelids close she drifted off into a restless sleep.

There was nothing but darkness for as far as she could see. It engulfed everything in its way, the kingdom, the people, and her home. Nothing was safe from its destructive path.

Flames of darkness rose from the ground, licking at the sides of the castle and rising in power until they reached her window up on the 5th floor. Akii jumped back in surprised horror, who would have done this to her home? She and Darius had done so much to protect Sanctions Keep from the power of darkness, had it all been for nothing?

The scene changed and she was standing atop Serenity Hill, a large grassy hillside covered in lavender and daisies to the south of the town that overlooked the kingdom. A surge of power coursed through her very being and suddenly she felt the corners of her lips twist upwards. She felt oddly…proud.

Her hands began to shake and she glanced down in confusion. Her eyes widened. Where her hands should have been were dark black claws, like that of a Heartless, and tiny wisps of darkness were pouring from the tips.

She turned around suddenly and gasped, behind her was a mirror but what she saw in it was not her, instead, the reflection that it showed to her was that of a giant Shadow heartless. Akii lifted up her hand to touch the glass only to have it shatter from her touch.

Akii woke with a start, her hair matted to her face with sweat.

"I...I guess sleep is out of the question…" She mumbled to herself, panting to try and catch her breath from such a horrible nightmare.

Swinging her legs around so that they were now on the floor Akii pulled herself to her feet and quietly ambled towards the window that overlooked what appeared to be some sort of rocky gorge. She leaned out the window a little ways and calculated a safe route to the ground from where she currently was. Using the door would take too much time, she just wanted to get out of her stuffy room and fast, she wanted to be anywhere but there.

Her eyes locked on the rocky mountainside below her window, it was as if the castle of ruins was built right in to the side of the mountain, she could use that to her advantage. She perched herself atop the window sill, the drop was too far down for her to just jump so instead she slid off of the window sill, feeling her feet hit a solid ledge beneath her window. Once she was safely out of the castle she used the tiny rifts in the mountainside to aide her in climbing down to the bottom until she was safely in the gorge below.

Akii wasn't quite sure where she was going, she didn't know this world at all, but she was sure that wherever she was headed would be better than being stuck in that dusty old castle.

She wandered down the gravel pathway for close to 15 minutes before she started to see a change in the scenery around her in the form of small patches of grass sticking out of the ground here and there. It was a nice change from the monotony of grey gravel and rock that she had been seeing nothing but ever since she arrived on this world.

Akii continued her trek until she came across a tiny field tucked away from the gorge and the castle, dark green grass growing in large clusters around a small koi pond. She felt her lips twitch at the beautiful sight before her, wandering over to the sandy bank of the pond and taking a seat, staring in to the shallow water, becoming mesmerized by the colorful fish swimming close to the surface. It was a peaceful setting, very ideal for just sitting and thinking about things.

And boy did she have a lot to think about.

That nightmare that she had had was something that often plagued her restless mind; Akii rarely ever was able to sleep through the night without waking up in a cold sweat. The nightmares were different but always had the same underlying theme of her being completely taken by the darkness and destroying her kingdom. It was her worst fear. It made her feel pathetic for even accepting the darkness in to her life all those years ago, when she was a young and naïve 8 year old.

"I was so foolish." The lavender eyed girl spat, swiping at her reflection on the pond's glassy surface only to have it waver back in to place, mocking her. I still am.

She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees tightly, a small frown pulling at the corners of her lips, "I'm such a pathetic mess."

"If you keep telling yourself that not only are you going to believe it but so will everyone around you." She knew that voice, it wasn't exactly one that she wanted to hear at that moment. Akii glanced over her shoulder at the silver-haired turquoise eyed boy who was casually leaning against a tree trunk, watching her curiously.

Riku was seeing her completely vulnerable and she didn't like it one bit but there was nothing she could do about it now that he had already heard what she had said.

"What would you know about something like that?" Akii tilted her head to the side, her eyes cautiously narrowing a fraction at him.

He held up his hands in front of his chest in mock-surrender, pushing himself away from the tree and sauntering towards her, "What wouldn't I know?"

She was momentarily taken aback by his sudden civility towards her, it was a nice change from the constant glares and annoyed eye rolls that she normally received from him, it almost made him seem a little more human.

"What, you insecure about yourself too?" Akii laughed lightheartedly, not expecting the silently torn expression he answered with.

Frowning, Akii looked up at him in astonishment, "You are, aren't you? It has to do with your darkness too, doesn't it?"

Riku plopped down in the sand next to her, one knee raised to his chest with his arm casually lying across it while his other leg lay straight out in front of him, inches away from the pond water. His silence was all she needed to know that he too felt insecure and maybe even doubtful of himself.

The two of them stayed like that for a few minutes, just staring out at the glassy surface of the pond, each in their own thoughts. It wasn't uncomfortable like she would have originally thought; it was sort of nice to be in the company of someone who wasn't always scheming up something dark and sinister for once.

"Why'd you choose it?"

Startled by the sudden interruption of the silence, Akii glanced over at him in confusion.

Realizing he hadn't specified what he'd meant, Riku added, "The darkness I mean, why'd you choose to follow this path?"

Biting her lip she hesitated, uncertain of whether or not she wanted him to know about her past and whether she could trust him to not use it against her in some way. Akii hadn't had a friend since Devi the zombie back in Halloween Town and since then hadn't had anyone to talk to about her worries and troubles, the thought sounded nice to her.

"I was a kid, just turned 8 years old, when Darius' secondhand man found me living in Halloween Town with my adoptive father figure. I was young and naïve and it didn't take much for him to convince me to come with him back to Sanctions Keep, after all, what 8 year old didn't dream of being a Princess?

I was stupid to think that things would be simple and easy, I was royalty after all, wasn't I? Instead of being waited on hand and foot by chambermaids and servants Darius came to me and told me that if I ever wanted to be a great ruler I would have to know how to protect my kingdom and my people and the only way I could possibly do that would be to accept the darkness. He made it seem so logical, he knew exactly what to say to manipulate me—still does." She gave a pained sigh.

He tilted his head, "You regret it?"

"Sanctions Keep has never had a problem with Heartless or any other issue involving the darkness; it's been well protected for centuries, from what I've read in the history books, and I want to make sure it stays that way. While I don't particularly like being part of the darkness, something that is widely accepted as being an evil entity, I can't help but to see the good that it does for my world. By having the darkness in me I can willingly control outside forces of darkness and keep them away from my people. If I had a heart of light then my kingdom would constantly be in danger of the Heartless threat, but because of me they're safe." Akii spoke confidently, but Riku could detect her true hidden feelings, he could see it in her eyes.

"The eyes don't lie; you don't really want the weight of it all on your shoulders." He quickly discerned, tilting his head to the side and frowning.

The lavender eyed girl was silent for a moment, chewing on her tender lower lip, "It's not like I like having a heart tainted with darkness, it's just…I feel like it's my responsibility to do everything that I can to protect my world. My parents are dead, my Uncle is a sadist, there's no one else who can do it; it has to be me."

She shook her head to clear away the thoughts, how had they even gotten on the subject of her and her inner feelings? It wasn't exactly a subject she wanted to share with the world and now this boy knew. Wanting to avoid further disclosure of any information that she might regret speaking of later, she opted to bring the conversation away from herself.

"Now that you know my story, what's yours?"

Riku hesitated, he had listened quietly to her story and while he felt a sting of jealousy towards her power he couldn't help but to feel sympathy for her, while he wanted the darkness she didn't. What he couldn't understand was why someone with so much power like her would ever want to give all that up. It was ridiculous!

The thought of his past was still a sore subject and he wasn't at all too happy to talk about what had happened, but it was only fair, right?

The silverette sighed, "I lived on the mainland connected to a string of islands known as Destiny Islands, life was monotonous, every day the same thing; get up, go to school, Blitzball practice, go home, do homework, sleep, repeat. It wasn't what I wanted, I wanted adventure. Staring out at sea I came to the conclusion that we couldn't be the only ones out there, and if it was true, and there were other worlds out there why'd I end up on Destiny Islands? I wanted to see the worlds and travel.

My…" He paused, a dark loathing look entered his turquoise eyes, "…friends decided they wanted to come along as well, so we set to building a raft that could hopefully take us somewhere completely new.

It soon became pretty apparent that I was the only one actually working on the raft, Sora was a lazy ass and Kairi wasn't any better."

Akii noticed that his eyes softened ever so slightly at the mention of Kairi.

He took a deep breath, watching her carefully, "The raft was almost finished but I was getting impatient about wanting to start the journey as soon as possible, so I opened the Door to Darkness. I was separated from my friends and Maleficent found me."

She tilted her head to the side curiously, "And that was that? You felt the impulse to join her and succumb to the darkness in your heart? Just like that?"

He smiled bitterly, "I never gave up hope, I continued to look for Sora and Kairi but I soon realized that Sora wasn't looking for us in return. He had found new friends and didn't care about us anymore. I'm still searching for Kairi, but I've completely given up on Sora, he's not worth it anymore."

Riku grit his teeth angrily, clenching his fists and striking the sand beside him, leaving an indent in the pond shore from the pressure. Her lavender eyes widened and she felt her lips twitch in to a frown, she now understood why he had been so adverse to the keyblade wielder's presence in Wonderland. The boy had betrayed Riku.

Akii wasn't exactly a social person and didn't know the proper way to comfort someone when they were angry or upset, so she wisely chose to stay silent. If she had moved to comfort him in some way there was no doubt in her mind that he would have struck her out of blind fury from the rampant thoughts of his ex-friend. However, it's not like she couldn't defend herself against him, she had proven that a week prior to this moment, she was too tired to fight. After tonight she felt like her and Riku had made some sort of impact on each other, their relationship was different now, not at all tense like it had been before. Granted, she knew they weren't exactly friends, but they had an understanding of each other now.

"We should get back soon, it's almost dawn." Riku spoke up, breaking the silence that had fallen between the two.

She glanced over at him and noticed that he had been staring at her, his turquoise eyes watching her intently, this simple action made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. Akii nodded mutely, pushing herself off of the sandy bank and dusting off the excess debris from her bottom. Riku did the same before offering her a rare smile, it wasn't a mesmerizing teeth-showing grin that could make any girl swoon (though she did admit that Riku was attractive enough and that he probably had girls falling all over him back on his home world), more rather a small twitch of the lips, but it was all she needed to see to know that he didn't resent her quite as much as he had given off in their previous meetings.

That was all she needed, it was nice to have someone to talk to, someone that she could perhaps even call an ally when the time came.