Kingdom Hearts:Linked Destinies

Chapter 10: Riku Returns

Link, Sora and Fi were leaving the dungeon after taking on Girahim and powering up the Biggoron Sword to it's second level. After walking out of the Shadow Temple, they were all a bit stumped because they didn't know where the third flame could've been.

Link had been thinking as he asked Fi, "Hey Fi? Do you have any idea where the final flame is? I cannot even begin to think of where to look."

She didn't know either as she answered him with disappointment in her voice, "I do not know either Link for I have been in that sword all this time. Has the Master Sword not resonated anymore than those two spots?"

Link then shook his head as replied with his head down, "No it hasn't. Not that I know of anyway."

Sora then felt the need to say something, "So wait. Without knowing where the third flame is, that means you can't stop Ganondorf and Riku and myself can't get home can we?"

He knew Sora was right as he answered, "No, you can't. I have no idea how to send you back on my own. But I have a theory that if we defeat Ganondorf, then you two will be sent back home no problem."

From beyond the air, Zelda's voice rang to the three there saying, "Link... have you collected the three flames yet?"

Placing his hands on his head in shame he answered, "No Zelda we got two of them, but we can't find the third one."

The air was peaceful for a split second as Zelda continued, "I am speaking to you now because of two things! I have good and bad news. I will go ahead and say the good first. With what you just said about defeating Ganondorf sending the two foreigners back to their world, your right about that actually! The dimensional plane can't take Sora and Riku's existance in account correctly so everything is off balance, that explains Girahim returning without fading. Now the bad, Ganondorf knows that if he is defeated everything will go back to the way it was before. So he found the third flame and hid it, you must find out where it is Link and fix everything."

Feeling uplifted as well as shocked, Sora said, "So, after defeating Ganondorf... everything will just fix itself? How would that work?"

Link looked at Sora and said, "I don't know but I'd sure like to find out. How would we know where he hid it?"

Saria then spoke from the crowd, "I might know where he has hid it. He has not left the Kokiri Forest but only once! I imagine he got someone to retrieve it for him so he could hide it close where he could watch it so you wouldn't be able to get to it. I have a feeling it was hidden in the Forest Temple, it's about the only place it could be because you haven't been back for a long time."

Trying to remember back, he then saw that he revisited the Forest back just twice back then as he said, "Wait, it can't be there. I mean, I went back once or twice to cure the Forest Temple and spoke with the Deku Tree Sprout even. I don't see how~"

Zelda interrupted, "Link! Think about it! If he just hid it there you wouldn't have noticed anything because it wasn't there when you went through there."

He then smacked his face with his hand as he said, "OH RIGHT! He just recently hid it there... yeah! That is where it HAS to be! But I am willing to bet that Ganondorf has Kokiri Forest blocked off AND the teleport song won't work because of his dark magic... so how do we get there?"

Darunia stepped in as he said, "Why not take the secret entrace from Goron City? You know what I am talking about bro."

Link then said, "Oh yeah, that's right! There are two secret entraces to Lost Woods in Hyrule. One near Zora's domain and the one in Goron City! Hmm, we might be able to do this a lot sooner than we thought. To Goron City! Thank you guys for the info."

Zelda then replied, "No problem Link. Anything to stop that no good evil king Ganondorf, glad to help! Oh yeah Link? One more thing, Saria also felt a VERY powerful force enter the Kokiri Forest not long ago. I have a feeling it's Ganondorf summoning someone back to finish the job. I also believe that this summon is going to be his most powerful by far."

After listening to Zelda Link then said, "Understood, we'll be careful guys. Don't worry, we're going to go get it now!"

They all three then left for Goron City to enter the secret entrance to Lost Woods. They were en route to the Forest Temple to retrieve the final flame to finally have the power to finish Ganondorf off once and for all.

However, we now join Ganondorf's New Castle as he was sitting upon his throne awaiting Girahim's return.

After Girahim was shown up in the Shadow Temple, he returned to Ganondorf as he pretended to look wounded. He then bowed to Ganondorf as he said with creepy intensity in his voice, "Ganondorf, I have failed you sir. I couldn't perform at my best."

Ganondorf then slammed his fist in the arm of his throne which left a large crack in it as he yelled at the top of his lungs, "YOU COULDN'T PERFORM AT YOUR BEST!? WHAT KIND OF EXCUSE IS THAT!?"

Lowering his head in slight anger, Girahim then stated, "Sir, it's not an excuse! It's the nature of what I am! I am a sword spirit, I can't perform at my best without my master Demise. That's all there is to it."

Ganondorf then stood up form his throne as he said, "I see where this is going Girahim. You are wanting me to revive Demise through the Sacred Mirror just so you two could overpower me and take throne right? Well let me tell you this, I already thought two steps ahead of you there bud. I told myself NOT to revive the Original Evil King Demise. I know how powerful he is, he just doesn't have the smarts to defeat Link is why I am not bringing him back. Also he might not even go after Link if he is revived, there is no telling what he will do is all."

Girahim then smirked as he said, "So, you take him for being unpredictable right? Well, since you won't bring him back, why not me?"

With evil eyes peering over his shoulder, Ganondorf then said, "For the exact same reason Girahim. I can't have him running around Hyrule overpowering me and taking my spot and possibly losing everything I've worked for here. I can't let that happen and that's that!"

Girahim then cuts the act and stands up in his usual stance and says, "You know Ganondorf? You underestimate Demise and myself. I am way more powerful than I let on to be noone ever lets me show them is all."

Turning around and trying to call his bluff, Ganondorf then said as he noticed Girahim standing rather than bowing like he is supposed to be, "You don't say huh? Hey, why aren't you bowing to me?"

Blowing the dust off of his nails, Girahim retorted with, "Because, I know your not my master. I only bow to Demise, like I said you underestimate us. So, either you go revive him or I do, it's going to get done for a fact now."

Feeling betrayed, Ganondorf then threw up a hand and called out, "RIKU COME KILL GIRAHIM! NOW!"

Out of nowhere Riku appeared, but next to Girahim rather than in front of him. Ganondorf hadn't a clue why Riku was next him for as he said, "Riku what are you doing? He's right there! Kill him!"

With those words, Riku's eyes burst open as they glimmered a bright red. He then began walking towards Ganondorf slowly with no sign of stopping.

Ganondorf was confused by all of this until he heard his throne room doors explode open as Demise himself began walking in with a smug look on his face.

Everything was beginning to make sense to him as he looked from Girahim to Riku then to Demise and said, "You revived him before reporting back to me didn't you Girahim?"

With his arms crossed he said, "Yep, you know your security is a bit weak around here. I wouldn't be surpirsed if Link sees right through your actand goes straight for the third flame in the Forest Temple. I mean you have guards but only in front of Kokiri Forest and that's it. What about secret passages? I know there are some but I know you haven't covered them yet. So, what about it Demise? What's next master?"

Demise made it to Girahim and Riku as he slightly turned his head to Ganondorf then to Girahim as he stated, "Take this Riku here to guard the Temple itself then return and wait it out. We have work to do reinforcing this castle with everything possible so the chance of invasion is not likely at all. Ganondorf, you were right, I was planning on taking throne from you, but I don't plan on doing anything else with you. So until this whole thing is over you work for me got it?"

Ganondorf knew the power difference between himself and Demise were tipped greatly in Demise's favor as he said and got up, "Yeah, whatever. What should I do exactly?"

Sitting upon the throne and enjoying his spot on it, Demise then said, "Nothing for now, just keep close so I can get ahold of you if needed. Also, Girahim, send Riku there to the Temple to guard it. I can't control him like you and Ganondorf can so you will have to do it. Ganondorf, your dismissed."

As he was walking outside his own throne room, Ganondorf had a very angry face as he stomped away from the throne room doors as they closed.

Now back with Link and the others, they were just now coming up to the Lost Woods entrance in Goron City. As they were walking through the tunnel to the Lost Woods, Fi was telling Link and Sora about the first Link's journey in his time.

Fi was finishing up the story, "And with that, Link and I went to this random area where there was tons of water below our feet and only Demise and Link was there. After a bit of fighting some a huge storm brewed as a bunch of lightning fell from the sky with ferocious intensity and hitting the ground."

Link was listening, but he interrupted for a second as he said, "So, there Link defeated Demise and sealed him within the Master Sword correct? Sounds a bit like what I went through, I mean, I was looking for Zelda whilst on my journey as well as getting the Sages and whatnot. I feel like I've repeated his journey to be honest."

After a while of walking from the Lost Woods secret entrance, they made it to and through the Forest Meadow maze and was walking up the stairs to the Forest Temple entrance. As they made it to the top of the stairs, Fi felt the third flame's presence as she said, "Link, just like they said, the third flame is here!"

Link then stated aloud, "Well then, let's go on in here and see find it then!"

As they made it to the center of the clearing, they stopped in their tracks when they a familiar face there. Riku was standing atop the tree up on the ledge to the Forest Temple.

He was just standing there with his arms crossed and a blank face and his eyes closed. Sora noticed immediatly who it was as he yelled out, "Riku! What are you doing here?!"

His eyes shot open which revealed the bright red coloring in them again. He then leaped from the tree to the ground in front of the three travelers as he landed gracefully on his feet and stood up straight as he stated, "Lord Demise has instructed me to guard this Temple from you Link. I cannot let you pass as I will stop you all by killing you where you stand."

Sora stood forward as he began to yell, "Riku, what are you saying? Your listening to someone? That's not like you at all! You don't take orders from anyone remember!? TRY AND REMEMBER RIKU!"

Without a facial expression or any kind of response coming from Riku, Sora then knew it was too late to try and reason with him as he said, "Fine, you only won last time because I wasn't focused, I will defeat you this time. I was also holding back too, now I have gotten my mind set to know that it'll take all I've got to stop you, I won't have any trouble in stopping you Riku, bring it on!"

Riku then held his hand out and called his Keyblade forth. Sora then did the same and they both took a fighting pose as the battle was about to begin.

Who was going to win here? Will Sora win and save Riku, or will he lose and force Link to take over? Find out in the next riveting Chapter in Kingdom Hearts:Linked Destinies!

Hello again guys, this Chapter is actually a bit late, I had it planned to upload yesterday but things happened and I just couldn't but here it is! I hope you guys are still reading and enjoying it. I can't tell if all of you guys are enjoying because I am only getting very little feedback, but I probably won't know. Anyway, the next one will be typed today but not uploaded until tomorrow I promise! Until next time, stay awesome guys~