A/N: School is back, so, weekly updates again *sigh* But, here's an update to get you through the week! ^^; I hope you like it.
Riku falls and gasps as Vanitas swings his Keyblade down on her. Celius' Keyblade blocks the blow, protecting Riku. She stares up at Celius,. wide eyed.
"Thank you!" she breathes.
"Don't thank me," Celius growls, "help me!"
Riku nods and gets up, summonming her Keyblade again and she slices at Vanitas, catching him in the side as he jumps away. He hisses and glares in her direction. She breathes heavily, not used to the strain of battle, and the idea that one wrong move could get her killed.
"Celius," she breathes, "I don't know how much more of this I can do.."
Celius looks at her, worry showing in his eyes briefly before he turns back to Vanitas, "Just stay behind me, back me up if I ask you to. Conserve your energy the best you can for now."
Riku nods, watching him with weary eyes. Celius dodges Vanitas' blow and then delivers one of his own, but Vanitas blocks him with ease.
Vanitas grins, "You're so much weaker than I had anticipated the son of Terra would be."
"Shut up!" Celius growls, "You know nothing about my father!"
"I know more than you'd think." Vanitas sneers.
Celius growls and swings his Keyblade at Vanitas and Vanitas jumps back and shoots darkness at Celius. Celius brings his Keyblade up to block and the darkness hits the blade and disappears. Celius grunts and runs forward. Vanitas grins at meets Celius head on, locking their Keyblades together. Celius pushes against Vanitas, but it's obvious Vanitas is stronger as he pushes back, almost knocking Celius to the ground. Celius grunts and tries to hold back from falling onto the ground. Riku watches in horror as Celius is slowly pushed to the ground.
I have to do something! Riku runs forward, her Keyblade in hand and she aims it for Vanitas and screams, "Light!" Light shoots from the tip of her Keyblade and hits Vanitas dead on. Vanitas roars and jumps back several feet, he covers his face with his free hand and he screams curses at her. Celius looks at her, "Riku, I told you to stay back!"
"You needed help.." she says quietly.
Celius sighs and casts heal on himself and Riku, "I guess I did. Just, be careful, okay?"
"Okay!" she sm,iles, bringing her Keyblade up ready to fight.
Vanitas uncovers his face, a huge burn mark covers a lot of the left side of his face. His eyes are deadly and he holds his blade up, pointing it right at Riku.
"I'll make you pay for that." he growls.
Celius stands in front of her and he says, "You'll have to go through me to get to her."
"Celius..." Riku says in awe, looking up at him.
"You want me to kill you? I'll be okay with that. Maybe I can get your deadbeat father to show up after I kill you." Vanitas laughs evilly.
Celius' eyes flash, "Take back what you said about my father!"
"Make me. But hey, at least he put up more of a fight than that wimp Sora." Vanitas laughs.
Riku goes rigid and her eyes flare, "I won't let you say bad things about my Dad!"
Vanitas grins, "So you are his kid. Perfect."
Riku growls and runs at Vanitas. Celius gasps and screams for her to stop and he runs after her, grabbing her arm and he pulls her to him, holding her back.
"Let me go!" she screams.
"You're not ready to fight someone like him!" Celius growls.
Riku shakes her head, "Well I can't just let him get away with what he said about Dad!"
"Another time." he urges, "He said bad things about my father too, but even I'm not enough for him, and I'm way more skilld with a Keyblade than you are. Another time, Riku."
"But, how do we get him to leave?" Riku whispers, pushing off Celius, standing beside him now.
"You have no place here, Vanitas!" Cloud growls, walking up beside Celius, his sword in hand. Tifa and Zack stand beside him, Tifa in her fighting stance, Zack with a BUSTER sword of his own.
"Cloud, Tifa, Zack!" Riku gasps.
"This is our world, you have no place here!" Cloud repeats.
Vanitas backs up a few steps and smiles, "Well, well, well, look who it is."
"Leave now, you have no right to be here." Tifa growls.
"Are you going to make me?" Vanitas smirks.
"If you stay here any longer I will." she replies.
Vanitas laughs lightly, "It seems I have other places to be." He winks at Riku and Celius, "I'll be seeing you two again. You can count on it." He then disappears through a dark corridor, taking all the Heartless-like creatures with him.
Riku sighs then turns to Cloud, Tifa, and Zack, "Thanks for your help, guys."
"No problem, Riku." Zack smiles, "I'm just glad you're okay."
"We'll help anyone who needs it." Tifa smiles.
"It's our world, darkness doesn't belong here." Cloud says.
"Still, thanks." Riku smiles.
"Yeah, we needed the help. He's too strong for us alone. We need some help." Celius sighs and crosses his arms.
"I think I know where you can get some help." Cloud says.
Celius and Riku look at him in interest and Cloud explains, "Sora told me once that when he and his friends needed training they went to a Master Yen Sid."
"I know where that is!" Celius gasps, "Dad told me when I turned sixteen he'd take me there to learn more about how to use the Keyblade in battle."
"We can go there and train!" Riku says excitedly.
Celius smiles and throws his Keyblade into the air, turning it back to his Rider and he taps his shoulder, activating his armor. He jumps onto the skteboard as it lands and he pulls Riku up with him.
"You're leaving already?" asks Zack.
"We have a mission." Celius says.
"We have to find our parents, and return our worlds." Riku explains with a soft smile.
"Well, be careful you two. I hope you find what you're looking for." Zack says.
"Good luck!" Tifa smiles.
"You're goign to need it." Cloud says, "We'll always be willing to help, so just give us a call, we'll be there."
Celius and Riku give their thanks again and they blast off into the Between Space.
...
"Uhn..." Sora moans, picking himself up off the ground. He looks around wearily and thwen his eyes widen with recognition. He looks around and finds Kairi right beside him, still unconscious. Roxas, he's not here with us... And Riku...Where could she have gone? He softly nudges Kairi up and she opens her eyes and looks at him. Her eyes widen and she hugs Sora tightly, tears already falling from her eyes.
"Where are we?" she asks.
"If I remember correctly, and I do, we're in Traverse Town. The place where travelors who've lost their worlds end up." Sora says, taking another look around.
"Sora? Is that you?!"
Sora turns around and Yuffie's standing there.
"Y-Yuffie?!" he stands up and smiles.
"It is you!" she smiles, running up to him and hugging him tightly, "I've missed you!"
"I've missed you too, Yuffie." He lets her go and introduces Kairi, "This is my wife, Kairi. Hah, you've already met her."
"I have." Yuffie smiles, "But still, it's nice to see her again."
Kairi smiles, "You too, Yuffie, you look well."
"So do you!" Yuffie jumps lightly.
Same old Yuffie. Sora continues to smile as the girls conversate.
"Have you found her yet, Yuffie?"
Yuffie turns around and frowns, "No, not a sign of 'er, Squall."
"Leon!" Sora gasps and smiles.
Leon looks at Sora and smiles briefly, "Hello again, Sora. Kairi, if I remember correctly."
"Yeah, Kairi." Kairi smiles.
"Who are you looking for?" asks Sora, looking from Leon to Yuffie and back to Leon.
"Tifani, our daughter." Leon replies.
"She disappeared almost two days ago. We can't find her anywhere." Yuffie sighs, looking sad now.
"We're looking for someone too." Kairi says, reffering to Riku, "Our daughter, her name is Riku."
"She was here about two or three days ago." Leon says, "She stayed with us while I taught her how to fight."
"Fight?" asks Kairi, her eyes narrowing.
Sora looks at her, then back at Leon curiously.
"Yes, the girl came here with a Keyblade." Leon replies.
Both Sora and Kairi's eyes widen and they gasp at the same time, "Riku has a Keyblade?!"
...
Terra lands his Rider in the Square of Radient Garden. He sighs and looks at Aqua, who had fallen asleep.
"Terra?"
Terra looks towards the voice, finding Cloud there, "That is you, isn't it."
"That's right." Terra nods, "Can you help me? Aqua's asleep and I can't move from the Rider until she's moved."
Cloud walks over to the Rider, as close as he can to it, and he takes Aqua from Terra and steps back so Terra can get off the Rider. Terra jumps from it and it turns into his Keyblade and he lets it disappear on the ground and he taps his shoulder, deactivating his armor.
"You haven't changed much." Cloud notes.
"You haven't either." Terra nods, smiling lightly, he takes Aqua back.
"So, what brings you here?" asks Cloud.
"The Land of Depature has fallen to the darkness and Aqua and I fled." Terra explains.
"Didn't Aqua have a Rider too?" asks Cloud.
"Aqua gave up her rights to the armor and the Keyblade when our son was born, but I kept mine, to teach him. I'm glad I did, she and I would be dead if I hadn't." Terra explains.
"I see. Oh, about a half hour ago, a boy by the name of Celius was here. He said he was your son." Cloud says.
Terra looks relieved, "He is. And now I know he's safe. So, he left?"
Cloud nods, "That's right."
"Where did he go?" asks Terra.
"He, and a young girl, went to Yen Sid, they plan to train to fight the darkness popping up everywhere." Cloud says.
"Then that's where we're going." Terra says, half to himself.
"They'll be there for awhile, Terra. You and Aqua should rest. You can stay with us, Tifa wouldn't mind the company and neither would I. And you need to rest before you go off to fight the darkness again." Cloud sighs.
Terra sighs, "You're right. Thanks for the offer. Lead us to your house if you will."
Cloud nods and leads them through the Square.
...
"We're finally here!" Riku sighs with relief.
"You really don't like the Rider, huh?" Celius laughs lightly.
"It wouldn't be so bad, if you didn't drive so fast, and if I didn't get cold air smacking me in the face until I have to close my eyes for the rest of the ride." Riku smirks.
Celius laughs,. "Then get off!" and he playfully pushes her lightly.
She giggles and jumps from the Rider to the ground, only three feet away. Celius shake shis head and he jumps off, catching his Keyblade back in his hand, then unsommoning it, and he taps his arm guard and lets his armor disappear.
"So, Yen Sid lives in that tower?" asks Riku, staring up at the crooked tower in awe.
"That's right. And he's Master Yen Sid." Celius corrects her.
"Right. Master." Riku nods.
Celius and Riku walk over to the tower's front door. Riku puts her hand on it, but she doesn't even push it and it opens for her, and Yen Sid is standing there, staring down at her.
"I have been expecting you, Riku. And you as well, Celius." he says, turning and walking back up the stairs.
Celius follows Yen Sid and as he passes Riku he whispers, "Follow." and She runs after them, the door closing behind her.
