*This chapter has been posted without been proofread by another person.*

A/N:Hello, my darlings, how are you? I hope you're doing well. : )

Concerning this chapter, I must make a warning for it. It has a bit of torture but it's not that descriptive. I tried to make it as vague as possible, I even wanted to write it differently, but then this happened. So if that's not your cup of tea, you have been graciously warned.

However, in order to understand what's going on you'll probably have to read it. And for that I am sorry, but the show must go on.

And for those of you who might be wondering, "Hey, where's King Mickey?" I assure you that his disappearance is tied up with the plot, so don't you worry about that.

Latin words used in this story are as follow:

Frater = Brother

Gratias = Thank you

Herus = Lord

Daemons = Demons

Now, let the reading commence! And as always, feedback is greatly appreciated!

Chapter 5: Once Upon A Nightmare

Riku woke up to the sounds of her screams. So, Alex had proceeded with the experiment without telling him a thing about it. Oh he had some idea about what it was, but he wanted to be there just in case he overstepped some boundary. Getting out of the bed and putting on his pajama pants, he hurriedly walked to the main chamber where the experiments were being conducted. He wasn't about to let the girl die out on him and leaving Alex alone with her might set his anger loose, putting her in great risk.

The door at the end of the hallway had been left open and in he went, seeing the image that had been burned into his mind a while ago. Alicia had been strapped spread-eagle onto what looked like a cross, her hands and feet tied with metal chains that bound her to it. "To symbolize the death of the Maker's son," had been Alex's answer when Riku had asked about it. She was also naked, something that Riku still couldn't quite assimilate in his mind. She was so beautiful, wonderfully so. He couldn't help but tread on that territory when he saw her like that. Yet her beauty had been marred by the wounds that marked her lovely body, by the things that they constantly put her through.

"No, no, NO! This isn't right!" Alex turned around on the spot after stopping the machine and started walking back and forth, clearly frustrated with the whole situation. "I just can't understand! What the HELL have I been doing wrong?!"

Riku crossed his arms and leaned against the wall near the door, listening to both Alex's rant and her painful cries. He looked back and forth between the two, trying to decide whether he should either help the girl out or calm Alex down.

He chose the latter. "What did you do to her this time?"

Alex immediately stopped when he heard his voice and walked over to him. Riku felt no fear, though. His behavior was already predictable, something he'd come to understand the moment he met him. "Where were you?"

Riku snorted. "I was sleeping, something you commanded me to do, frater." Oh yeah, he now knew their language thanks to another one of Alex's potion. He wanted Riku to become a perfect Stalker, and he would use any methods to achieve this. Or so he'd said.

"Don't sass me, Riku, not now. I'm this close to losing my patience and it will not be good for you if I do."

Huh, so Alex still had yet to find an answer to his little dilemma. Riku again asked his first question and the guy finally answered him. "I'm trying to raise the limit on her mana, that way she'll probably spawn her wings, breaking the spell in the process. But so far all it's done is bounce against the barrier she has!"

"Then why was she screaming, if it did nothing to her?"

"The barrier only protects her magic, you idiot, not her body."

"Hmm…" Riku then stared at her. Man, she looked so weak, so distraught. Alicia was quietly sobbing, too, making his insides squirm for what felt like the first time. Ever since his transformation, his feelings had taken a backseat within him because if he gave into them he was sure to fall into madness, and every progress he'd had so far would surely fail.

He was still going to rescue her, damn the consequences, preferably before the spell broke.

But he still had one problem. How to distract Alex and make him forget about Alicia for the time being? Riku had already gained his trust, something that seemed impossible to achieve at first but then had earned thanks to his actions at being a pliant servant to his master. So now all he had to do was think of a good strategy.

Alex interrupted his thoughts by pulling his arm and leading him to the middle of the room where Alicia was. "Maybe there's something missing," he said while letting go of him and taking a seat behind the machine. "There must be a way that can make her magic react and awaken!" He went through some documents that Riku had yet to know about, because even if Alex did trust him he still held back on some stuff.

An idea suddenly struck him. Riku sat down on the floor next to him and said, "Hey, what if I help you with those?"

Alex stared at him. "You will not be touching these."

"Oh don't give me that! What if you've missed something that's written there? What if I can make a difference?" Alex looked thoughtful. That meant he was actually considering it! "It's how the saying goes: two heads are better than one."

It took Alex a long time to make his decision and when he did, Riku's hope lifted. He was about to find a way to make his plans work, finally. And whatever he found on those documents could be helpful to his cause.

Alex handed him half of the papers, which were written in Latin. "Now, you'll want to read where it starts talking about a Pacifier's wings. Their mana originates from them."

And so Riku read, and he found out things that were quite horrifying in their tale, and very disturbing. At first he thought it was a lullaby because of the way it was written, but then he started to decipher the little meanings hidden here and there. This was not a lullaby, it was a ritual created by his now ancestors! It described how one had to deplete a half-angel of its mana, of its natural life span, and convert those things into immortality. Alex had only told him that the only thing they needed to do to her was release her from the spell that bound her magical powers! He hadn't mentioned anything about this! 'Oh my… Is Alex really going through with this? Riku thought. Is he seriously going to- No, no he won't, not if I have any say in it!'

He looked at Alicia, stared right at her face, and started to unconsciously will for her to look back. She miraculously did, and as soon as they made eye contact he spoke to her in her mind for the first time in a long time. "No matter what it takes, I'll get you out of here. I promise."

She just stared at him as if he'd lost his mind. But when he repeated his vow she nodded in acknowledgement. "Gratias, Riku."

"Don't thank me yet, little one." He then stood up and handed Alex his documents back.

"So, did you find anything useful, frater?"

Riku stood still for a few moments, wondering what to tell him. Did Alex know about the ritual? Was he going to proceed if he did? And should Riku ask him these questions out loud? What if Alex was clueless to the whole thing and Riku somehow spoiled everything? Could he handle the blame if anything went awry? So much questions to be asked, yet there wasn't much time to dwell on them. So he decided to mask the fact that he knew something was up by asking, "Is this some kind of Stalker children story?"

Alex looked at him while laughing. "Oh, you amuse me so! I don't know what part of that document made you think about children, what with all the bloodshed that's been written there." He chuckled again. "That's actually a ritual, Riku, one that's needed to complete the transaction between your little friend over there and myself." He then stood up and slowly walked around Riku, like a predator stalking its prey. There was something in the way he walked that sort of made him feel trapped, made him feel like…

"There's a reason why I gave you those precise documents, Riku."

Shit, he knew, he fucking knew! How did he?!

When Alex laughed this time there was no mirth behind it or his words. "Little one? Oh my, Riku, there are better pet names than that!" He'd heard that? How?! Alex smirked. "I am the same as you, and she is, after all, something that we once were as well. We all keep the same powers, frater. We can all hear each other in our heads." He gave him a sadistic smile. "Now I must ask you something, because this just baffles me. What is it about her that makes you want to rescue her? Don't tell me you're attracted to her!" Riku didn't answer, because he had none. "Oh you are, you are! Oh wait, let me guess! Is it her luscious body?" This he said while pointing straight at her. "Is it her wonderful aroma, her sweet scent?" He took a deep breath. "She does smell pretty nice, doesn't she?" He then stood right in front of him, all of his apparent playfulness replaced by something more intimidating. "Or is it her Light that draws you to her?" He then grabbed Riku by the neck without any preamble and slammed him against the controls of the machine. "Do you take me for a fool, Riku? I know what your intentions are. I know you've been planning on rescuing her this whole time. I thought that by transforming you all of your own Light would disappear, that all of your noble intentions would go away. But I apparently made a huge mistake." He pressed against his throat, crushing his windpipe and making his ability to breathe scarce. Riku tried to fight, tried to snatch Alex's hands away from him, but all he could manage were light scratches on their surface. "She will not escape, not after all of the hard work I've been through! I will avenge the one I cared for! I will have my immortality back! And no weakling like you will intervene!"

Alex threw him harshly on the ground and Riku hacked while he tried to take deep gulps of fresh air. "You pathetic scum. Why did I ever think to awaken you? You have no right being one of us."

Riku managed to stand up, managed to stare straight at his captor once he felt he could normally breathe. His throat still felt a little raspy, but words were not needed right at that moment. He knew that what he was about to do was going to put her in risk, but he had to try, dammit! He had said that he would get her out of here and he was not about to break another promise!

He summoned his Keyblade. He stared right at Alex's eyes. He unknowingly challenged him into battle with his stance, with his weapon. Alex bared his teeth and accepted the fight the way a Stalker would. "May our herus guide our destiny in this fight, frater." He launched himself at Riku, outstretched hands sending a cold blast of a dark substance unknown to him.

Shit, I should've learned how to fight with these new powers, was all Riku could think of as he started to defend himself with his own blade. He dashed back and forth, evading Alex's dark powers as much as he could. He already had a gash on one of his pecks- now I regret not having a shirt on- and he didn't want to add another wound to his collection. Riku then got down on one knee and outstretched his leg, doing a sweep with it in hopes to make Alex trip. He somehow succeeded and as soon as he stood up again he started attacking him.

Riku slashed his Keyblade left and right, trying to stagger Alex more. He then released a Dark Blast that collided against Alex's skin, barely leaving a mark on it. Riku cursed but he tried his move again, this time with the addition of a few slashes of his blade. Alex howled in pain and Riku then realized that Dark powers did nothing against him, but his Keyblade did. He forgot about his powers for the time being and just slashed away with all he had, with every move he'd learned from his past. Alex received a few more hits, blood pouring from several wounds on his chest and arms.

Alex then screamed out loud and just rushed in, crazily taking his Keyblade between his palms. Riku swore. He struggled with Alex for a few moments, unable to attack for the time being. And if he chose to release a bit of his own dark power just to distract him, he might probably heal the guy. So he kept on struggling, trying to make his Keyblade move from side to side in order for him to damage Alex's hands more than what they already were. They were slick enough with blood that he might probably let go soon enough.

"I will not… be killed by this… wretched thing!" Alex said between gritted teeth. He then started to chant in Latin a spell unknown to Riku and for some reason it made him look at his blade. What he saw made him tremble in fear. His Keyblade was slowly cracking in the middle! Riku got desperate and tried to pull his blade back, but Alex had a firm grip on it. Riku couldn't let his precious weapon break just like that! Whoever hears this prayer please! I beg you to help me!

Riku didn't know who answered him, or why for that matter, but as soon as he'd said that a strange beam of white light surrounded his Keyblade, making it whole once more. Riku breathed a small sigh of relief while Alex again howled in pain. He released the blade, finally, and he fell down on his knees, giving Riku ample time to take care of him.

But he never saw it coming.

Alex disappeared in a dark mist and before he knew it, he appeared right at his back, taking hold of his arms and breaking his right wrist with a twist of his own. Riku screamed and released his Keyblade, making it clatter noisily on the floor. "I told you I was not about to die by that wretched thing." He then apparently summoned a knife and placed its cutting edge right at his throat. "I think I found out a way to break the spell, frater." He then used a gravity spell to carry his Way to Dawn with them, approaching Alicia's cross. "And you will be the lucky one to break it."

As they stood in front of her he pried open his eyes, tears of pain falling without his permission from them. He stared at her, and all he could do was to beg for her forgiveness, because not only had he done bad by her, he'd failed his promise to her, shortly after making it, too.

She was crying, for some strange reason. Was she still in pain? Did she still feel the effects of Alex's recent experiment?

"Riku…"she whispered.

Alex cooed right in his ear. "Oh look, your little one is crying for you!" Alex then sent a blast of his dark substance straight at her, making her cry out. "That is what you get for meddling in our fight, you stupid girl." She did what?

"I tried, Riku, your Keyblade was crying and it begged me and-"

Another blast was sent her way. "Shut up, will you? I can hear everything you talk about, so quit with the telepathy bullshit or so help me, I will kill you both right this instance."

Alicia did… what? She could heal Keyblades? She was actually giving them human characteristics? What… His thoughts were cut short when Alex suddenly pressed on his wounded wrist, making him shout. "Pay attention, dear Riku. You've been spacing out and I can't have that." His Keyblade floated closer to him. "See this? In our fight I finally realized what it was that I was doing wrong. What locks away a part of you can unlock even the strongest of things, or so their saying goes. The Pacifiers think themselves clever but I assure you, I am more than that," he said while still pressing on Riku's wrist. "What I want you to do is point it straight at her chest, nothing more nothing less." But that will… "Touch her heart? Why yes, yes it would. That's where the spell took residence and I want it gone."

"I… will do no… such… thing," Riku said in between gasps of pain.

Alex just laughed and mocked his words. "Meh, meh, meh. You will do it, Riku, or you will lose your precious life right this instance, right in front of her. You know, to scar her for what's left of her life, just in case you decide to throw your own away because it's not as important as saving another soul to you."

This could not be happening. He was not going to bring out what he sought to protect the most just so that Alex could sabotage her for his own gain! He just couldn't! But then again, if he didn't do so he could… Shit, he had no other option, did he? Alex gave him no chance to decide, either. He just made his Keybalde appear right next to his left arm, telling him to pick it up and do as he said. Riku kept on denying him his wish, trying as much as he could to stall the moment. "Keep refusing me, Riku, and you'll make it worse." To show that he was serious, he pressed the tip of the knife harder against his neck, drops of blood freely falling down his chest. "Do. It. NOW!"

Riku automatically grabbed his Keyblade and hid his feelings behind his walls, making sure not to break down right in front of his enemy. He then pointed it straight at her heart and as a beam of light started to emerge from it, he whispered two words, words he'd never utter with such sincerity before in his life. "Forgive me."

The beam struck. And as it did, a beautiful, haunting melody escaped from her, accompanied by her own potent aura. Riku swore he started seeing rainbows, started smelling the scent of roses in the air, but then his senses were dulled when her Light grew exponentially larger, bringing his captor, and himself, to their knees.

An unlocking noise was heard. And as it resounded throughout the entire room, the girl started singing, as if she had no cares or worries in the world. Her song was one of deep sorrow and pain, though, being masterfully camouflaged behind her sweet music. Her cries started growing louder and louder, until a shrill escaped her lips, making Riku cringe in utter despair at what she might be going through.

The Light all around them started picking up its pace and as it grew, he swore he felt it caress his skin, welcoming him with open arms as a mother would her adoring child. He felt the sudden urge to cry, to release all of his pain in that one moment, but then it all suddenly ended, the Light that had manifested all around them reentering its master without any warnings at all. He then opened his eyes and saw the last remnants of it go into her, creating a permanent halo all around her. It all looked so beautiful, so majestic, that he couldn't believe what happened next.

Riku heard the sound of ripping, and he thought he heard wrong until Alicia confirmed his suspicions when she screamed in utter agony. He kept on looking at her as her flesh gave way to accommodate her two new acquisitions, blood freely pouring from her back and onto the floor. She fought against her bonds, her body fighting against the intrusion, against the pain, but she could do nothing, they both were powerless to do so. And he cried along with her, and he kept on asking, pleading, for her forgiveness. He wanted to make it all better, he wanted to take her place if he could, but his petty wishes were asked to late to stop this madness from happening.

He thought he even heard bones snapping here and there, and it made him sick, made him want to throw up in utter horror. He couldn't stand this anymore, he couldn't take it! He had to look away!

"Ah, ah, ah, Riku!" Alex grabbed his chin with his unoccupied hand and turned his head around. "You'll be witnessing her transformation until the very end."

And so he did. And so he saw the most haunting image up to date.

She had wings, for crying out loud. They were transparent and shaped like those of a butterfly, and they were beautiful, in a sort of odd way. Yet they looked so fragile, they could break in a literal snap, just like her.

Alex stood up when everything was over and started chanting to his god. He danced, he thanked, he prayed, while Riku damned him and his stupid plans to his personal hell. Riku stayed kneeling on the ground, stayed quiet during the whole thing, while he watched her in quiet astonishment, in quiet pain. She wasn't moving and she'd stopped screaming a while ago, and her breaths were choppy and her head hung loose on her shoulder.

Alex turned around and went straight to him, raising him up and hugging him. Riku had a 'what the hell' moment, especially when Alex started caressing his hair as if he'd done a job well done. Alex probably saw it as that, too. "Oh my, frater, we finally did it! Thank herus!" He let go of him and started cheering once more, while Riku stared at him in utter confusion. Alex looked at him, then. "Well, what are you waiting for? We must celebrate!"

Riku stood still while his anger took hold of his heart. "You just tried to kill me. Why would I join you?"

Alex just laughed and kept on dancing. "Fine, suit yourself! My daemons, take him away and chain him to the cell." As the spawns appeared and took hold of Riku, Alex chuckled some more. "When you're done with this scum, return to me. We must find a sacrifice for the ritual, my loves!"

He tried to break loose of their grip, but suddenly he couldn't move, couldn't even speak. "You're not going anywhere this time, Ri-ku." And so he was carried to he didn't know where.

And so he took his last glance at a tortured girl who was soon going to die.

oooOooo

Riku felt as if an eternity had passed in his prison cell ever since he felt the presence of Alex disappear. Though in reality it had only been a few hours. He sat near the bars but he didn't actually touch them because they had a spell on them that drained him of what little energy he had left. He'd found out about it when the spell keeping him prisoner had lifted and he'd banged against the bars and kept on screaming the girl's name.

His heart felt so, so torn, and he didn't know what to do with himself. Should he cry himself to sleep? Throw a pity party with his own self? Bang against the prison bars until he passed out? He wanted to do something, anything, so long as it made him feel productive. But he couldn't. He wouldn't move from his spot, he wouldn't even dare to feel hope least it got crushed once again.

He gave up on pretending and just lay back on the floor, closing his eyes and thinking about very random things that helped distract him, because if he didn't do so he was bound to go crazy with worry at some point.

He thought about the day were he, Sora and Kairi had gone together to the beach a week after they had arrived, as an official welcome back home. It had been a lovely day where they had been surrounded by their friends and loved ones and just had fun.

When they all had food at the restaurant he used to work at and he had to attend their table, thanks to the decision of a mysterious person (a.k.a. his boss). It had been hard, because it had been his first day at the job, but they were all there for moral support so he served their table like a pro- at least that's what he thought.

And that time when Selphie had kissed Tidus square in the mouth in a drunken fit, saying that he was the love of her life and that they just had to marry. He remembered Tidus's face, and the way he had made fun of him without any mercy at all. Riku smiled at that one.

Then his smile slowly vanished as he started reminiscing about the time he'd seen Sora and Kairi kiss in front of him for the first time. Those memories were clear as day inside his mind because he still remembered how he had felt. Oh he was glad that their friends had finally found each other, had finally gotten what they deserved, yet he couldn't help but feel a spark of jealousy at what they still had. Now that he thought about it, he certainly knew that he still felt jealous of them. Why couldn't he get what they had? Why was it that, even after all he went through, he still had to suffer, had to be alone?

He wanted to share in a passionate love like that with someone of his own. He wanted to have blissful moments with her, share in the wonders of the worlds. He wanted someone to hold his hand when he started feeling bad, wanted to hold hers when she felt the same. He wanted someone he could laugh with, cry with, rage with… He wanted it all.

Yet nothing ever came true for him and he doubted that something would.

For who could ever love a broken doll? Who could ever fall for someone like him?

In between his thoughts of his most beloved friends, his wonderful island, the life he started to lead when they closed the door to Kingdom Hearts, and everything else that had popped into his head, appeared Alicia, successfully ruining his sort of relaxed state. He just sighed. Couldn't his mind just shut up for a couple of minutes?

"RIKU!"

He sat down so fast that he accidentally hurt his injured wrist. He hissed, breathing deeply and counting to ten. As he felt the pain dissipating he then opened his senses a bit more, trying to figure out if he'd just imagined her voice or if he had actually heard it.

"Riku, please answer me! Alicia fainted and her heart feels strange, and I just don't know what to do!"

That was the voice in her head! So it wasn't him imagining things after all! "But if you're talking to me, that must mean she's okay!"

"Riku, you don't understand! I think she's in shock!"

"Whoa, hold it right there. I thought you said she just fainted!"

"Yes she did, but I just can't feel her around her mind!"

Riku again took deep breaths to calm himself down. "Okay, okay, being in shock is better than nothing, right? I mean, she can come back if carefully helped."

"I don't know, maybe?"

"We'll just have to get out of here to find her help!"

"And how do you propose we do that? I can't even feel my toes, so I'll just be a nuisance to you."

"And I'm trapped in a cell where some sort of spell is keeping me back."

He heard her bitterly laugh. "Some team we make."

"Yeah…"

Then just like that their conversation ended, because right at that moment Alex had arrived from wherever he had been, and he stood right in front of Riku, carrying a half-dead woman between his arms. He just smiled, as if he'd done that on purpose just to show Riku that he was, indeed, powerful, and he was not to be trifled with again. Then he walked out of the room, some of his spawns trailing behind him.

Riku stood up and started doing a chant of his own, repeating the word NO as if it were a lifeline. Alex had just delivered him a message.

He was about to start with the ritual.

"NOOOOOOO!"

In his rage he felt his power stir, felt it move beneath his skin and out of nowhere one of the demons appeared. Riku was about to release his pent up anger on the thing when it just cowered in the corner and stared at him with begging eyes. Riku immediately stopped in his pursuit and just stared at it. What was it doing?

The demon noticed Riku's hesitation and uncurled from his spot, slowly crawling back to where he was. And when it reached his legs, it started purring. Did that mean…?

"Are you mine?!" He asked out loud in fear of being found out by Alex if he did so telepathically.

It just kept on purring and rubbing itself against his leg. Well what do you know! He had won himself a friend. And he was so going to put it to good use. "Can you do me a favor?" The thing nodded, and even if Riku felt disgusted with himself at having to trust one of those things, he was going to go through with it.

He didn't know if the thing knew who he was, but hey, it was worth a shot. "Find King Mickey and bring him here."

The thing left through a portal of its own and vanished, leaving Riku there to contemplate his next move. If Alex wanted war, he was going to give him one. Preferably one where he took what he wanted most away from him.

~Chapter End~