Riku and Sora run off towards the Castle That Never Was but are stopped short when a bunch of Dark Rises appear. Riku gasps and Sora brings his Keyblade out again.
"I'll handle these! You go find your friends, I'll be right behind you!" Sora says.
Riku looks at her father, "But, Dad!"
"Go!" he says and she nods and runs past the Dark Rises.
The Dark Rises turn to her and Sora starts attacking, to keep their attention from her as she runs past.
...
Riku makes it to the castle but it stopped from going in when a dark corridor opens and Ansem steps out. Riku glares and immedietly gets in her fighting stance, summoning her Keyblades.
"It was rather stupid of you to come back here so willingly." he says.
"I won't leave my friends with the likes of you!" she growls.
"Harsh words, are only still words." he smirks.
Riku says nothing, gripping her Keyblades tighter. An orange spear-like weapon appears in Ansem's hand.
"You won't make it past me." he says.
She grits her teeth, He may be right.. He's stronger than I am.. I don't know if I can take him alone..
"You won't be alone."
Riku gasps and looks to her left to find Riku standing there in the form of an apparition.
"Riku!" she gasps.
He looks at her and smiles ever so slightly, "You're right. Ansem is strong, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a weakness."
Ansem glares at apparition Riku in surprise, "You!"
Apparition Riku glares at Ansem, "I was hoping I'd never have to see your ugly face again, and you were hoping I'd be lost. Guess we were both wrong."
"How is this possible? You are dead!" Ansem growls.
"It's called a heart connection, you should make one, oh wait, you can't." apparition Riku smirks and Ansem lifts slowly into the air, Darkness flowing all around him.
"Be ready!" apparition Riku warns.
Riku nods, gripping her Keyblades even tighter, "Right!"
Ansem smirks as his gargoyle monster appears on his back once more. Riku glares at the monster and it lunges for her. Apparition Riku quickly pulls her aside, "Don't let it grab you!"
Riku gasps and nods, "Right, sorry!"
"Just do as I say, all right?" he asks, looking at her now.
She looks at him and nods and he looks at Ansem, "You see that Heartless emblem on his chest?"
"Yeah. What about it?" she asks.
"You have to cut through it to knock him out, think you can do it if I help you?" he asks.
She nods, "I think I can."
"Just watch out for the gargoyle, if it grabs you, it's all over." he warns.
"Right, I got it. Don't let the gargoyle get me and break the emblem." she nods.
"Good, now, we're going to charge him, you move where I say, got it?" he looks at her and she nods, "Got it."
The gargoyle prepares to lunge again and Riku and apparition Riku race forward. The gargoyle lunges down at Riku.
"Left!" apparition Riku yells, and Riku dashes to the left, avoiding the monster's attack.
The gargoyle pulls up and lunges at apparition Riku, who jumps to the left to avoid it. It lifts up again and lunges down at Riku.
"Right! Go right!" apparition Riku calls out, and Riku does as he says.
"Riku, up! Jump up on it! Then attack!" apparition Riku orders, running to attack Ansem.
Riku nod and jumps up on the gargoyle and runs across it, jumping up to deliver and aerial blow on Ansem. Ansem tries to strike Riku with his staff but apparition Riku blocks it and jumps back as Riku comes, down, swinging her Keyblades down across him, breaking the emblem.
Ansem gasps, "I-impossible..!" as darkness covers him and he falls to one knee.
"This is it for me, for now, you'll have to finish this by yourself. I wish you good luck." apparition Riku says as his apparition disappears.
"Thank you.. Riku." Riku sighs, she then turns and runs into The Castle That Never Was.
She runs up the stairs until she finds Celius lying on the ground unconscious.
"Celius!" she gasps, running to him, but before she makes it to him she jumps back as a huge Dark Rise appears before him.
"A trigger.." she growls softly.
Young Xehanort appears on the Dark Rise's left shoulder.
"You are a fool to come back." he says.
"I won't leave my friends. Not ever." she replies.
"You can't defeat us all, Princess." he says.
She smirks slightly, "Never said I was gonna try. I never said I was alone."
"Your father is being..held up." Young Xehanort smirks.
Riku growls, "That was your doing."
"Of course it was." he says, rolling his eyes slightly.
"Where is Dawn?" she growls.
"You won't find him here." he says, grinning lightly.
Her eyes narrow, "Give me back my friends, Young Xehanort. Now."
"Just try and make me, little Light." he challenges her.
She growls as he descends from the Dark Rise and his Keyblade appears. Riku holds her Keyblades tightly in stance.
"This is a fight you cannot win, girl." he says, "Just make it easy on yourself and tell me which one of you has the Key of Resurrection."
"I don't have to win, I just have to get past you. And you won't get it.." she says, preparing for an attack.
"We shall see." he replies, the tip of his Keyblade puling up, revealing the long blue electrical wire as it glows and moves around beside him.
Riku glares at Young Xehanort, I need to get around him somehow, keep him down long enough fro me to rescue Celius, then find Dawn. But how? How do I pull this off?
Young Xehanort shoots the wire at her and she jumps away from it. He swings it around, trying to catch her side and she holds her Keyblade up, to block and the wire wraps around Light of Destiny's Embrace.
Riku tries to pull her weapon back and gasps, realizing it won't come loose. Young Xehanort shoots Darkness at her and she is forced to abandon her Keyblade and jumps up onto a ledge.
Breathing heavily, she surveys her surroundings, trying to find a weak spot for Young Xehanort, but she finds none and stands, a plan forming in her head. She jumps from the ledge and throws her Keyblade at Young Xehanort.
He tries to move the wire to block and or attack, but with Riku's Light of Destiny's Embrace stuck to it, he can't use the wire. He groans as her Keyblade hits and cuts into his left shoulder. He falls to one knee and clutches his injured shoulder. Riku lands on the ground, shoots light at the Dark Rise and it squeals and disappears.
Riku rushes past and drops down beside Celius, taking him into her arms.
"Celius! Celius! Celius, wake up!" she says, shaking him lightly. He's so pale.. I have to get him to King Mickey.
She holds her hand out in front of her, Come on, come on, open! I need to save Celius! I need a portal to The King! Come on, open, please! She gasps in relief as a portal of white light begins to form before her. Once the portal is complete she lifts Celius and tosses him in, it closes behind him. Be safe.
Young Xehanort growls and stands, black blood trailing from his shoulder wound. Riku quickly summons Wrath of Oath Keeper's Dawn, but when she tries to summon Light of Destiny's Embrace it doesn't come.
"Why won't it.. The whip!" she exclaims.
Young Xehanort lifts Riku's Keyblade, still attached to the wire, and he breaks it in half. Riku gasps, grasps her heart, and falls to one knee. She quickly pushes herself back to her feet, "Wh-what did you...?" she's gasping for air.
"Hurts doesn't it?" Young Xehanort smirks.
He then narrows his eyes, "I'm done with you. Where is the Key of Resurrection?"
He doesn't know Celius has it, good.. "I won't tell you where I've hidden it."
"So it was you." he swings the wire around and it wraps around Riku, she gasps as the electrical current makes contact with her and she screams as the shock hits her.
...
Sora gasps, hearing Riku's scream barely, but recognizing it as her.
"Riku, I'm coming!" he vows, running right past the Dark Rises still appearing.
He casts Light at them and keeps running. Having just lost Kairi, he wasn't about to lose his daughter too.
...
Dawn gasps, hearing Riku's screams. He looks up at Sailene, who blasts another ball of Darkness into him. He grunts and pulls on the dark chains holding him back.
She smirks, "The impulse to save your little princess is too great isn't it? Too bad you won't be able to save her."
She laughs at his dismay. He grunts and pulls harder at the dark chains, they begin to bend and snap. Sailene gasps, not expecting such a spike in power. He stands, now glowing in both light and darkness, he shoots light and darkness at her, she hits the wall, and he runs right past her, into a dark portal.
He comes back out in the room Young Xehanort and Riku are in. Young Xehanort growls at him, "How did you escape?!"
Dawn ignores this and summons his Keyblade and he slices it down on the wire, snapping it. He gets it off Riku, then gathers her into his arms and he runs for the stairs. Once he gets outside, he runs by Sora, who turns and follows after him, "Is she okay?!"
"She will be just fine." Dawn replies.
Sora stares at Dawn, seeing some recognition of his old friend. Dawn looks at him ,"You're her father."
"I am." Sora nods.
"I'm Dawn." Dawn keeps running.
"If you're Dawn, who's Celius? Where is he?" asks Sora.
"Celius has been brought to King Mickey." Dawn replies.
"How do you know?" Sora asks.
"I just do." Dawn sighs, seeming worn out.
They summon their Riders, Sora in his armor, and they fly off to meet up with King Mickey.
...
"Can you help her, Your Majesty?" Sora asks, laying Riku down on the floor, Minnie puts a pillow under her head.
"Yes, she doesn't seem to be hurt too bad.. Although, something is off about her.." Mickey replies.
"What is it?" asks Sora.
Data Riku appears, "I have the answer to that."
Sora looks at him, and for a moment, he looks sad, then he quickly changes it back to his neutral expression, "Data Riku.."
"Hello, Sora." he replies, then he turns to Mickey again, "That 'off' feeling you have about her, it's because Young Xehanort broke one of her Keyblades, adn it had connected itself to her heart, for some reason a connection was locked inside it, but from what, I do not know."
Mickey gasps, "Namine! That was the connection!"
"Namine.." Sora mumbles, not really paying attention anymore, now he's just staring at Riku sadly, afraid of losing her too. No, I won't lose her, I won't. I'll save her, and I'll find a way to get Kairi back, our lives can't end this way.
"The rest here, it's just a shock, I can heal it up in no time! Well, gosh, maybe a day is all it will take, but she'll be as good as new." Mickey smiles.
Sora looks at him and smiles, "That easy? She'll really be okay?"
"Yup, gosh, Sora, what do you take me for?" Mickey laughs.
Sora chuckles lightly, "Sorry.."
"No need to be." Mickey turns back to Riku, casting a healing spell on her, the green light hovers above her.
"It'll be okay, Sora. You just need to relax." Minnie says.
Sora smiles, "Thanks, Minnie. It's good to see you too."
She giggles, "Thanks."
He sighs and sits cross legged on the floor. Dawn is sitting in a chair, staring at the wall. Data Riku notices him and walks over to him "Dawn, are you all right?"
"Yeah.." he mutters.
Data Riku frowns and closes his eyes, then he opens them again and turns to Mickey, "Your Majesty, we have a problem with Dawn."
Mickey looks up, "What's wrong with dawn?"
Data Riku's eyes narrow, "Whatever happened to him at The Castle That Never Was, a new Darkness is overriding the Light you gave him."