Chapter 10
Aftermath

"That's... okay".

Sora continued to sleep undisturbed inside the crystal pod, even after being moved in a hurry to the basement of the old mansion, in Twilight Town.
Naminé was looking after him, as she had promised to the real Riku. The Nobody's mind, however, was engaged in the last events: four days had passed since Riku's copy disappearance after the fight with King Shadow. Every now and then she looked around, sometimes slowly and sometimes snapping, as if she felt the presence of her friend close to her. But all the time she was always alone. The girl sighed, downcast, but kept wondering hopefully if she would ever see her friend again.
The entrance door opened and the long and heavy steps of Ansem the Wise echoed in the room completely devoid of furniture. The man reached the Nobody and said: "I have also fixed Donald and Goofy. Now we just have to wait".
Naminé nodded silently. Then, remembering suddenly, she began: "There is something strange in Sora's memories".
"How, something strange?"
"It felt like a sort of... disturbance, a tremor in the process of recovery. Now everything appears to be back in place, even though I couldn't figure out what it was".
"Maybe it was just due to the movement... anyway, keep monitoring everything. If you discover something, tell me immediately".
The girl nodded again without saying anything. She looked back at Sora, but was absorbed in her thoughts.
At first DiZ started to leave, then asked her: "Are you still worried about Riku?"
"Do you think there is any chance that he might return again?", Naminé asked in return.
The scientist took a deep breath. He returned to the side of the Nobody and answered: "He has managed to emerge from the Kingdom of Darkness three times, so I do not see why not. Still..."
The other turned to the man with his blue eyes disbelieving and full of surprise.
"Still" Ansem continued, "it's also true that last time he was satisfied. He had accomplished his goal, so... I don't know".
DiZ remained silent. His nature as a scientist made him hate having to admit that he didn't know such a thing.
"I understand..." she simply replied to the other, almost whispering.
"In addition, I think it's appropriate not to say anything to the real Riku. I wouldn't want him to decide on going to look for this phantom King Shadow".
"You think King Shadow is still a threat?" Naminé asked. Her face was frozen and the idea that their opponent was still alive, was terrorizing her.
"No. We've seen him disintegrate, I think we'll never hear about him again," Ansem explained. "We just don't know how Riku might take it... he may even decide to leave to make sure that he's dead, or to investigate his purpose. I'm sorry to ask you about that, but we need Riku here with us and Sora".
The Nobody remained silent at first, returning to stare at Sora on the other side of the glass. "Okay", she said.
The other person bowed his head and turned to leave, but stopped once again.
"Ah, I have a thing for you," continued DiZ, taking the lucky charm in the shape of a Paopu fruit from a pocket under his blue cloak. "I found it at Castle Oblivion last time I returned there to pick up my equipment. It was on the floor and I thought that maybe you'll like to keep it".
The man didn't even realize he was treating the girl like a human. Naminé took the pendant and observed it in amazement, as if just the sight relieved the torment, but she could not find the strength to thank the scientist.

King Shadow had woven his plots there, in a distant place, far away more than physically. The shadows enveloped every corner of that place which was empty and apparently devoid of boundaries. Only two souls stayed there, one in conflict with the other.
"I hope you've finished harassing those people" said one, a young Keyblade wielder. "They didn't deserve what you did to him".
The other one gave him his shoulders; he was a Master and much older, slightly hunched and with his hands joined behind his back. He laughed with his crackling voice, pleased with the work done by his avatar.
"I was just testing the power of that puppet," justified the man unperturbed. "I have to choose my vessels carefully..."
The boy puffed, looking tortuously at his opponent. He turned around, with his yellow amber eyes looking at the boy for the umpteenth time, then his grin unraveled and he asked: "Are you not curious to know the outcome?"

DiZ had gone to prepare his stuff. The man had mentioned something about Sora's heart and the results of his research, but Naminé had not listened to him. She was not in the mood.
The Nobody had therefore remained alone, again. She had hung the lucky charm in the shape of a Paopu fruit on the white wall. Every now and then she looked around, eager to see her friend reappear from nowhere, but was losing hope.
She sighed, headed toward the door to go and get some air, thinking that perhaps it would do her well. She had almost left the room when she heard a faint metallic noise, like that of a swinging chain.
She winced and turned around, but there was no one except her. She approached the lucky charm hanging on the wall, but due to the agitation she couldn't understand if she was standing still or if she was moving in a barely perceptible way. She looked around once again, a mixture of emotions intertwined on her face, from joy to worry and from hope to a bit of fear... but there really was no one in the room. Perhaps it was just her imaginaton.

The End