Chapter 7: Before His Very Eyes
DiZ and Naminé made their way silently down into the basement and to the room where Sora slept soundfully, suspended in his pod like there wasn't a worry in the world. Naminé approached his cocoon of sleep, gazing upward, her expression filled with worry. DiZ's footsteps echoed across the floor as he slowly approached Naminé who didn't take her eyes off of Sora's snoozing form.
"You seem to be struggling," he pointed out, his voice softer than usual.
Naminé closed her violet eyes and folded her hands against her chest, bowing her head, unable to look DiZ in the eye. "A Nobody is interfering, I think..."
"A Nobody?" DiZ repeated, slight contempt heard in his tone.
"I keep trying to piece his memory back together... but what if some of the pieces got lost?" Naminé stressed out loud, still unable to bring her head up, struggling to face the possibility. "There would be no way for me to finish. If that happened, and they found their way into someone else, he'd never get them back."
DiZ remained quiet for a moment, then spoke up, almost as though he were trying to comfort the young Nobody, and it confused Naminé. Sometimes DiZ could be very kind, and others he wasn't so kind at all. "Oh I think he could do without a memory or two."
Naminé's eyes widened and she turned to face DiZ. "But what... what if he needs those memories in order to wake up? What if they're the key..."
"Naminé. You are a witch who has power over Sora's memories and those connected to him. Are you seeing something I cannot?" the cloaked man questioned the young Nobody, his eyes never leaving Sora's pod.
"If his memories become her memories... she will never survive it," Naminé spoke, sadness could be heard in her voice and her head lowered once more as she clenched her folded hands tighter around one another.
DiZ glanced down at the girl. "She?" he asked incredulously, but Naminé had no answer. She wasn't sure who this girl was, only that this overwhelming feeling that a female Nobody was responsible for the delay in Sora's memory restoration.
"I can't tell if it's her interference or something is wrong with my powers," was all Naminé could truthfully answer. "I need more time." The man swept from Sora's room leaving Naminé alone to ponder what was happening, how she could fix it and if Sora would wake back up again.
Later that afternoon, DiZ had returned to Naminé's room, looking less than pleased, and seemingly on edge. Riku was still in bed, sound asleep, and Naminé sat quitely at the end of the long, white table, staring downward at her drawings, unsure of where to go to from there. When she and DiZ last spoke, she had informed him of Sora's memory process coming to a halt and remained uncertain of what to do now that using her powers had come to a complete standstill because of what ever the interference may be.
DiZ had left immediately, most likely trying to find out the reason as to why this was, but Naminé guessed that DiZ may have already had a lead as to what was going on. A couple of hours later, DiZ had burst into Naminés room catching the girl by surprise. Her sketchbook went flying and the crayons scattered all over the floor. DiZ took no notice as Naminé scrambled to pick up her rolling crayons across the stark white floor.
"I have figured out the source of the problem, Naminé. It has nothing to do with your powers being gone, but rather they have been rendered useless for the time being," the man began explaining, looking somewhat annoyed as Naminé lifted her sketchbook and crayons into her arms, laying on the table. He sighed impatiently. "Can you please leave that alone for now? This is important."
"Y-yes, I'm sorry," Naminé stammered as she dropped them all on the table and then sat down in her chair, giving the bandaged man her full attention.
DiZ inclinded his head, giving the impression that he was searching around the room. "Where is Riku? He should be hearing this as well."
"He's still sleeping," Naminé answered quietly. She rubbed her bare arms with her hands. "He didn't look so good when he left to go to his room. I think he's just overtired and needs the rest right now," she insisted, peering up into DiZ's one, amber colored eye with her own violet ones. "Let's... let's just let him sleep for now. He'll be filled in on this soon. I promise."
DiZ nodded his head. "Very well then. I have discovered the culprit behind disturbing the process of restoring Sora's memories. Sora possesses a Nobody by the name of Roxas as you well know. He is the Organization's thirteenth member. Sora's memories are escaping from Roxas and finding their way into another person, this 'she' you mentioned earlier. Awhile ago, Riku had explained to me about the Organization's Replica Program and what became of it. I'm sure you remember all about that?" DiZ spoke inquiringly at Naminé, causing the girl to avert her head and close her eyes painfully, nodding her head.
It still hurt that the Organization had used to her to create a fake heart and false memories all based on lies for Riku's replica, and what she had done to him, regardless if he were real or not, was something Naminé was not sure she could ever forgive herself for, just like how she had tampered with Sora's memories. If she had a heart, it would've been broken from the pain she had put the replica through. Even though she knew it was wrong, the little blonde Nobody had been forced to do it, and watching the replica suffer made Naminé suffer as well, or at least remember what it was like to suffer and hurt for someone else.
DiZ placed his arms behind his back in his usual manner. "Vexen, who was number IV of the Organization, whom was also dispatched of back in Castle Oblivion, created a replica from Sora's Nobody. The replica's name is Xion. She was made by the Organization, but I remain unsure of as to why just yet. She is a perfect Replica of Sora's Nobody. Sora's memories are escaping from Roxas and into her, which is why your powers over Sora's memory restoration have been put to a halt," DiZ explained and Naminé's head shot up. Her eyes widened and she gasped. "Do you understand what I'm telling you, Naminé?"
Naminé nodded her light golden head. "Yes... Sora won't wake up unless we can take those memories out of Xion and put them back into Sora. His Nobody will need to go back to where he came from too. Right?"
DiZ nodded his head. "That's correct. You understand now why I wanted Riku to hear this as well, I'm sure. I need to go and look into a few more things. I will be back shortly. Make sure that Riku is awake upon my arrival. I will be sending him on an errand once he is caught up on what's happening."
Naminé tilted her head to the side, curiously, furrowing her thin browline. "What sort of errand?" She questioned as the images of Riku stumbling into her room after being gone for days on end, dripping blood, his coat ripped, hair touseled, face dirty and collapsing onto her floor, came to mind. She wasn't sure she was going to like the idea of DiZ sending the boy out on another one of his errands and the thought made Naminé angry. She was tired of watching Riku suffer physical harm under DiZ's orders.
"It will be up to him to bring Xion and Roxas here to us. Without Xion and Roxas, Sora will never be able to wake up again," DiZ stated bluntly. "He must do it, Naminé. No matter what the cost, no matter what risks he must take, because if he does not, then Sora will never open his eyes and step out of that cocoon of sleep ever again."
"I'm worried," Naminé began, twiddling her fingers together. "This is going to prolong the process, DiZ. You do realize that, right? If Xion's memories are still separate from Sora's memories, then I should be able to take out the fragments and put them back where they belong in no time, but if not...," Naminé trailed off.
"Then Riku and yourself will know what to do. Riku must bring them here by force if he has to, but they absolutely need to be brought here and soon. Sora's memory process has already gone on much longer than it should have. We cannot hesitate or wait much longer." DiZ walked away from Naminé and towards the door to her room to exit. He glanced over his shoulder. "If they are not, then Riku will have to deal with the fact that he failed his best friend, and will risk losing Sora forever."
Naminé stood up, her small fists clenched at her sides, feeling a shadow of the anger she felt earlier fill her up from the inside. "DiZ? That's not fair. You... you put way too much on Riku's shoulders. He's just a boy! He's only sixteen years old, and you treat him like he's a grown man and your slave." DiZ turned around, his arms folded across his chest to look at Naminé, but said nothing. Naminé continued. "I-I heard the way you talked to him, about his darkness. Don't you think he's scared enough already? You're not giving him much confidence." Naminé sighed and lowered her head. "If anything, you're hurting him more, and that's not helping."
"Why do you care, witch?" DiZ sneered. "You are a Nobody. You have no heart. You are not capable of understanding human emotion or the workings of a human heart. You cannot feel. Riku has done his share of terrible things, and this is his punishment. He must atone for the things he's done, and until he's atoned, he will not earn the forgiveness that he desires. He will not let go of the fears he feels, and the hurt will not just drift away, no matter what one says to him."
"But your words don't help!" Naminé stamped her sandaled foot onto the marble floor, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "You're hurting him more! He doesn't need to hurt more... There's got to be someone else out there that can do this. Riku's going to get himself killed. He shouldn't have to suffer forever just because of some mistakes he made. He can be forgiven too! I think you're just using him and putting him in your place so you can get your revenge through him-," Naminé was interrupted by DiZ bursting out with laughter, which abruptly stopped.
"You think so, witch?" DiZ snapped, and Naminé could tell she had touched a nerve, and knew she wasn't far off. "You do not know the first thing about this young man and what he's done, nor could you even begin to understand what he feels, nor could you comprehend what I feel. Now, I have work to do. I will be going now," DiZ walked away from Naminé, opened up the door and slammed it behind him, the sound echoing off the barren walls in Naminé's room. She didn't understand where this strange sensation in her body was coming from, but DiZ had repeatedly told her she was incapable of feeling, and called her a witch.
Naminé could feel her face growing hot, and the echoes of a heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to scream to the tops of her lungs, throw a chair, cry, hit something, she wasn't sure, but since she was a Nobody not allowed to feel because of the lack of a heart, instead, Naminé chose to just sit in a chair, subduing herself and wait quietly for either Riku to wake up or DiZ to return. She hoped that Riku would be the one to show up in her room next.
Riku opened his bleary eyes, gazing around his room and rolled over on his back. He yawned behind his hand, rubbed at his aquamarine orbs and sat up in bed, gazing around his room. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table and realized it was late afternoon, nearing 5pm now. This seemed to wake him up significantly as he realized just how long he'd been sleeping, and he swung his legs over the side of his bed. Wow... I slept for nearly four hours. I must have been really tired. Riku stood up, stretched and ran his fingers through his long, silvery-violet locks, attempting to pull out the tangles with his fingertips.
Riku walked across the floor to the door of his bedroom, ready to head back to Naminé's room. His curiosity on what DiZ had wanted with her earlier got the better of him, and Riku wanted to find out from Naminé what the bandaged man had said to her. He stepped out and shut the door behind him, about to make his way toward Naminé's room. Riku had just turned on his heel when he nearly ran headlong into DiZ.
"Good. You're awake. I hope you slept well," DiZ stated, and Riku inwardly groaned. The last person he had hoped to see was standing right there in front of him, arrogant as ever. "I have a mission for you, so you had best be well rested. I have a lead that the Organization is lurking around Hallow Bastion. There has been an increase in Dusks. I want you to go there, eliminate the Dusks and find out any information possible you can and bring it back to me. I have a feeling we may learn something there."
"So, because there's an increase in Dusks, you're sending me to Hallow Bastion because you think that's where the Organization is hanging out? You're sending me back to that place on a mere hunch?" Riku didn't waste time on what he had to say. It didn't take much for DiZ to put him in a bad mood these days, and considering he just woke up, this was the last thing he'd wanted to hear.
"Let me make this more clear to you so that you understand why I am sending you," DiZ began, his body stretching tall as if attempting to tower over Riku and he stared down his nose at the boy with his one, amber eye with an unreadable expression. "Naminé's powers of restoring Sora's memories have come to a complete standstill, as I'm sure you know. I have discovered that Sora's Nobody and his replica are behind this issue."
Riku raised an eyebrow in confusion. "His... Nobody and his Nobody's replica? Just what in the hell are you getting at?"
DiZ ignored Riku's attitude and continued. "As you know, when Sora released Kairi's heart from within himself, he released his own heart as well. Because of this, what was left behind from Sora was his Nobody, which was given the name Roxas. Now, you remember Vexen I'm sure? He is the one who created your replica. Essentially, he has done the same to Roxas. He's created a doll, a puppet, of Roxas. She is a perfect replica of Sora's Nobody. Riku, they are a part of Sora." The man attempted to explain, but Riku just folded his arms and huffed.
"So then maybe you could explain their significance. You say they're a part of Sora, right? So exactly what does this have to do with Sora's memories? What does this have to do with you sending me off to Hallow Bastion?" Just the mere thought of that place sent chills down Riku's spine. The horrible memories he held of that place, the things he did, the suffering he went through and caused... It was enough to send Riku to his knees, but he couldn't show weakness in front of DiZ. Not now. Not ever. Resolving to do so, he replaced his pain with anger. If he got angry, then that would give him motivation, because the boy knew there was no way he was getting out of this.
"Do you not understand!" DiZ raised his voice, causing Riku to flinch slightly. "Do you not realize the importance of this, Riku? This is up to you. You must find out what the Organization is using Xion for and what their purposes are, and you must find Roxas. This is why we must know what their plans are for and what path we must take from here. If you ever want Sora to wake up again, you have no choice," DiZ stated coldly.
Riku felt his shoulders slump and he dropped his head, silently despairing, clenching his fists at his sides. How... how am I going to do this? Why does it always have to be me? Why does DiZ put everything on my shoulders? I'm struggling with my darkness enough as it is and now I have to fight in Hallow Bastion, one of the worst places I can even imagine going to and now Sora won't wake up unless I do this? What if I can't? What if my heart becomes weak again, and I succumb to the darkness in me? How will I save Sora then... "How?" Riku asked through clenched teeth.
"As I said, you have no choice in this matter, Riku. If you do not do this, then your best friend will never wake up again," DiZ's voice rang loud and clear through Riku's ears, and his head shot up, fury rising in him like a raging storm and Riku growled, his eyes blazing, and he stared into DiZ's red-bandaged face full on. Even just looking at the man was enough to make the boy want to explode like a time bomb.
"WHY, DIZ! WHY DOES IT ALWAYS HAVE TO BE ME! WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME!? DON'T YOU REALIZE I'M DEALING WITH ENOUGH AS IT IS!? I CAN'T HANDLE ALL OF THIS ON MY OWN!" Riku screamed, his voice echoing across the walls of the mansion. His breathing erratic and heavy, Riku grasped at his chest with a gloved hand. He could feel the darkness snaking it's way through his heart, and he struggled to calm himself but couldn't seem to. His words just poured out of him with nearly no control. His floodgate had finally burst open and everything he'd wanted to say to DiZ spilled out of him like a torrential waterfall. Riku took several deep breaths before continuing, but his voice had quieted down, though his words came out in angered pants.
"I'm constantly struggling, and you keep sending me on these missions and these fights. I get hurt because of you. I'm trying to save Sora. I nearly get myself killed at times, and then you criticize me beause I use my dark powers? How can I save Sora if I get killed? You say I can't control my darkness the way you seem to think I need to. Now here you are, sending me off again. Hallow Bastion is one of the worst places to send me because of the darkness of my past there. You of all people should know that, and all because you want me to find information that you could go and find for yourself. I'm tired of this, DiZ. I'm tired of being your damn delivery boy," Riku paused for a moment, attempting to control his emotions, but he couldn't. He just kept tallking. It was like someone had flipped a switch inside of him. Before Riku knew it, he was rearing back fist and slamming it right into the side of the man's face. The impact of his punch made DiZ stumble backward, losing his usual, stiff, tall demeanor, his one free eye widening in shock as he touched the place on his face where Riku's fist had landed, but Riku wasn't sorry, and he wasn't done.
"I'm tired of being your workhorse. I'm tired of shouldering responsibilties you should be taking on, and not me. You do nothing but use me. You use me to fight your battles, you use me to wound and destroy, and you use for me for your own purposes so you can get your revenge on whatever has happened to you in the past, right?" Riku could feel the animosity building up inside of him again, and his wrath had finally reached the surface. "And most of all, I am so damned sick of you holding Sora over my head! Dangling him like a worm on a hook above me and using his waking up to your advantage to get me to do whatever you want! I've had ENOUGH! I WON'T STAND FOR THIS ANYMORE!" Riku bellowed, his agony and his rage to this brink and without willing it so, a ball of dark fire burst from his left hand while the Soul Eater materialized into his right hand.
DiZ lept to the side and out of the line of fire as Riku's dark energy went zooming down the corridor and past the cloaked man, barely grazing his arm, and leaving the sleeve of his cloak smouldering lightly. The dark fireball slammed into the side of the wall in the mansion hallway and disappated in a haze of dark light. DiZ rushed forward and grabbed Riku by the shoulders and whirled him around, his hands slamming down hard onto the back of the boy's shoulders and he pushed him. "W-WHAT ARE YOU-," Riku burst out in surprise as he felt himself get forcefully shoved forward.
"LOOK AT YOURSELF!" DiZ yelled, and Riku was shocked to find himself coming face to face with his own reflection. DiZ had nearly shoved Riku into the remnants of a broken mirror hanging on the wall, and he placed his hands against the wall on either sides of the mirror as he studied his features. Staring back at Riku was his face, but his eyes were not his own.
Instead of their usual, unique shade of aquamarine, these were a horrific amber-orange color, and they were vivid and sharp. They weren't his eyes anymore. They were Ansem's eyes; eyes from the dark figure still lurking inside of his heart, and he could hear the seeker of darkness' taunting laughter echoing in his head. Something inside of Riku broke. DiZ let out a sigh. "Look. Look at what you're becoming, Riku. Look at the darkness. Look at your eyes. Your eyes cannot lie. They cannot conceal the truth that lies far into the depths of your very own heart."
"N-no... this...," Riku stammered as the pounding in his heart increased, and he reached a hand upward slowly to touch the mirror where his eyes flashing that horrible, evil, shade of orange reflected. "It can't be...," Riku murmured as he brought a hand to his own face now, and placed it over his eyes, shielding them from view. He took several steps backward, shaking his silvery violet head back and forth in denial and disbelief before he finally collapsed, keeping his hand closed tight over his face. Riku dropped his head, letting it hang low, keeping one hand closed over his eyes while leaning on his other hand to keep himself upright, long strands of silver hair falling against the sides of his face.
"Was this... was this what the King was talking about?" Riku wondered outloud remembering what Mickey had said to him back on the train, his voice tight and trembling. Seeing Ansem's eyes staring out of his own face was something Rikujust was not ready to face, nor was he sure he'd ever be ready for something like that, but it had happened, and there was nothing he could do about it. Riku squeezed his eyes shut as tight as he possibly could behind his cupped hand, trying to take in some sort of comfort in the darkness behind that hand, and clenched his jaw, teeth clamping down hard, feeling a familiar tingle behind his closed lids, and his nose burned. Riku felt like he was going to cry for the first time in a very long time. He took several tremulous breaths at an attempt to compose himself. No... not in front of him. Of all people. Riku felt a hand lay gently on his shoulder.
"Riku," came DiZ's voice softly from somewhere near him and the teen inclined his head toward DiZ ever so slightly, not removing his hand from his eyes. "Come now." Riku felt DiZ wrap his long fingers around his wrist, and slowly pulled the boy's hand from his face. "Take this." He then handed Riku a broken shard of the mirror. "Now, look at yourself." Riku blindly took the shard from DiZ's hand, still keeping his burning eyes closed. "Open your eyes, Riku."
Reluctantly, Riku opened one of his eyes slowly and looked down into the shard of glass in his hand. He opened the other eye and peered into the mirror and his heart nearly lept into his throat. His eyes were once again, his own. They were the brilliant, blue-green coloring of the ocean back home that he so well remembered and they were shining, burning with angry, frightened, unshed tears. Riku averted his head away from DiZ, blinking back his tears and brought a hand up to the side of his face, so DiZ wouldn't see him trying to discreetly rub away the wetness in his eyes. He absolutely would not cry, and especially not in front of DiZ. He was too old and too mature to be acting like such a child.
"Stand up, Riku," DiZ ordered gently, and the platinum haired teen was surprised at how DiZ seemed to have softened so quickly. It was one of those things about the man that confused him so much. Sometimes he seemed harsh and cold, and other times he seemed kind and understanding. This was one of those other times. Riku did as he was told, and stood up, his body still shaking as he attempted to recover from what he had seen staring back at him in the broken mirror.
Broken, just like he felt on the inside, and Riku cursed himself for being so weak and so shattered, showing his weakness in front of DiZ the way he had, almost crying like a baby, but the older man hadn't seemed to mind it. "Here. Take this," the bandaged man held out a hand and there draped over the back of his hand was a long, black, thin piece of cloth. "Tie this around your eyes, and it will help keep your darkness under control."
Riku looked over at the blindfold and took it from his hands. He brought the piece of soft, dark cloth up to his eyes and tied it around his face. The blindfold blackened most of his vision, but he could still make out shapes, shadows and outlines through the cloth. Riku brought his blindfolded face up toward DiZ's, grateful that he had the blindfold to hide his eyes. He didn't want DiZ to see his sorrow. "How will this help me?" Riku asked, his voice sounding small and brittle, and he hated himself even more. How would a blindfold keep his darkness at bay when he could still hear the terrible echoes of Ansem's jeers and eerie laughter inside of his heart and his mind?
"This will hide the truth in your eyes, and it will help you contain the darkness in your heart, but it will only help. This is not a fix all, and you can't rely on it forever. Riku, you are responsible for your own darkness, and while this will be a temporary solution, it will not save you. Only you can save yourself if you so choose," DiZ explained, before he let go of the boy's shoulder. He cast one more look at the boy, and Riku could tell DiZ was studying him momentarily before he left the hall and disappeared toward the library, heading to the basement.
"What if I can't save myself?" Riku asked out loud, his voice reverberating off the walls around him. He sighed as he placed placed his fingertips against his now shielded eyes and he glanced down the empty hallway. The only way to find out was to do was he was told and head to Hallow Bastion and fight. He summed the Dark Portal and Riku stepped through it, heading to the world he loathed with all his heart.
Within moments, Riku found himself in the horrible familiarity of the place, and his lifted his silvery head, taking in a deep breath through his nose. He could identify the scent of the Heartless and knew that they were nearby. He could also smell the Dusks as well, and so placing one foot in front of the other, no matter how mentally weary he felt, Riku began moving forward. He summoned Soul Eater once more, and a swarm of Heartless began making their way toward Riku. Riku prepared himself, positioning his body into that of a battle stance and set off at a dead run, using his sense of smell and feel to find his way toward the Heartless.
Riku took a flying leap and with a yell, raising his sword high above his head, and landed on his feet right in the middle of the flock of dark creatures, swingly his blade swiftly and expertly as he went. Within moments, they were defeated, and Riku straightened himself, continuing his ascent up the crystal fissure of Hallow Bastion. He was surprised that the scent of darkness that normally emanated from his very own skin, despite wearing his black coat, was nowhere near as strong as it normally had been when he fought. The silver haired teen was momentarily felt grateful for the blindfold that DiZ had given him. He couldn't feel the darkness. He couldn't see the darkness. If he couldn't see the dark, then the dark couldn't tempt him.
Riku moved through the crystal fissure, effortlessly taking out Heartless by the handful, and seeking out the creepy Nobodies. He could smell the intensity of their scent, a darkness mixed with a void and something rank he couldn't identify, but he knew he was coming closer. Out of the nowhere the scent grew stronger, but it was a mix of both Nobody and Heartless alike. "Oh, crap," Riku muttered as the Dusks weaved their way toward him with swift poise, which was something he wasn't ready for. A massive hoarde of Dusks and Heartless were heading his way and coming right for the young man, and he had no choice but to summon the dark powers within him.
Much like the fireball he had released back at the mansion, Riku unleased it once more, but it flew out of his hand in a four separate masses of dark energy, slamming into Dusks and Heartless alike, sending them flying. Riku soon discovered that fighting with his blindfold on was a lot harder than he had imagined, and the Nobodies and Heartless that were now swarming him weren't just Shadows and Dusks anymore.
They were growing bigger, stronger and changing form. The Nobodies were a lot harder to fight than the Heartless. They were much stronger, almost with wills of their own, and Riku cried out as he felt a sharp object that one of the Nobodies had been wielding slash through his arm. He swung Soul Eater, attempting to parry an oncoming attack, but was unprepared as another one came up from behind him and sent it's own blade into Riku's side. Three more attempted to climb onto Riku, and their claws dug into his coat, clawing him down his back.
"Urgh," moaned Riku as his gloved hand went instinctually to his side. "I can't do this. I'm completely outnumbered. I gotta make a run for it." Riku unleashed one more powerful attack of Dark Aura, taking out more Heartless and Nobodies as he cleared a path to make his escape. He could feel the blood seeping out of the gash in side and arm, and the cuts and lashes down his back burned. He raced forward, eventually escaping the hoarde of monsters, and found himself behind a large rock, to which he finally went to his knees. He slammed the tip of Soul Eater into the ground and clutched onto the hilt for support, his head hanging in between his arms as he breathed heavily, clenching his teeth and hissing in pain as each breath jarred the deep wound in his side.
Riku gave himself a moment to regain some of his strength, casting a weak cure spell that helped dull the pain, but not heal his wounds. Riku heard footsteps coming from somewhere above him. Damn... He scampered to his feet as best he could and hid behind a large boulder, peering upward to see the shadows of two tall figures. From what he could make out through the black fold of cloth on his face, they were dressed in the same black coat that he himself wore. Riku breathed in and instantly recognized their scent. The Organization! So DiZ was right...
Riku couldn't tell what members of the Organization they were. Their hoods were pulled up to hide their appearances, nor could he even make out was being said between the two, but could hear their voices, and then one summoned a dark passageway and the two cloaked figures disappeared into it. Riku stood up, ready to follow them, when he felt the wound in his side seer with agony. He groaned, placing his already blood-soaked, gloved hand back over the wound, attempting to put pressure on it to stem the flow. He could feel himself growing hazy.
"I've gotta get back. I've gotta-," his voice trailed off and Riku summoned his own dark portal that would take him back to the mansion. Riku stumbled into the all white room that was Naminé's, knowing why he had decided to come here. This room and Naminé gave him comfort after a hard battle, and this had been one of the toughest ones he'd fought on his own yet.
"Riku!" Naminé burst out in shock as his the whirring of the dark path appeared in her room and he came stumbling out. He took a few steps, raising his head toward the brightness that could be seen through his blindfold and of Naminé's shape. He breathed in the glow of her familiar scent and felt his heart ease in his chest. "What on earth happened to you!" she gasped, fear resounding in her tone. Naminé had helped him many times in the past from when he'd come back wounded, but this was more intense than the other times. "Riku! Answer me! Are you alright!?" Her voice reflected panic, and Riku felt guilty for making her worry so much about him.
"Nami- I... so tired," Riku tried to say, but his words came out broken and slurred. He could feel the vertigo overtaking him now and the silver haired boy began falling forward. Naminé rushed toward Riku, her arms outstretched as Riku went to his knees, and Naminé caught him before he could fall onto his face against the cool, white marble of the floor. He laid his heavy head on her shoulder. The exhaustion swept up on him, and the pain was jarring and sharp as he felt the softness of Naminé cloak him, before his eyes closed and consciousness wavered out, finally succumbing to the pain of his injuries, and Riku knew no more.
