Chapter 10 Warnings: implied Yaoi (Sephiroth/Genesis). You should probably assume that these two will be implied throughout.


Mahāvātika Ṛkvyaṇa

Kāṇḍa 1, Varga X

After conversation and a decent paced walk with Ven, Riku managed to navigate his way back to his Uncle's quarters. He took as many back corridors and secluded stairways as he knew he could, secretly practicing summoning the blade that had appeared earlier. He wanted to ensure that he could prove what had happened earlier when he tried to show his uncle. Riku was hesitant to open the door, not entirely sure if his uncle would be home.

"Uncle Sephiroth?" he called, excitement barely hidden in his tone. He wasn't sure how to explain what had happened—he hadn't told Sephiroth about his arrangement with the king and Ven. He hadn't wanted the man to worry or stop him. Sephiroth could be more protective than his mother at times.

Sephiroth glanced up from his book as he heard Riku's call. He glanced over at Genesis, who seemed to be sleeping soundly, before rising from the bed. Marking his place, he laid the book on his pillow before quickly pulling on a pair of discarded pants and the shirt he had been wearing earlier, though he made no attempt to button it up. Quietly, he padded out of the room and down the halls, poking his head out of the dining room.

"Yes, Riku? What is it?" Sephiroth asked as he approached the boy, his voice a great deal softer.

"…Promise you won't be mad," was how the boy started off his explanation, "It's no big deal, but I should have asked or at least told you…" Riku bit his lip lightly, hesitating. "…Will you sit down with me?"

Sephiroth cast a sidelong glance at Riku, stepping slowly into the sitting room. "What did you break?" Sephiroth asked, moving toward his favorite chair.

"…I didn't break anything. I…went exploring, in a way. To the Waterway, with Ventus and Master Xemnas," Riku began, standing rather than sit opposite of his uncle.

"You did what?" Sephiroth hissed, rising from his chair. "Riku, that was extremely dangerous!"

"It wasn't!" he protested, shrinking slightly as his uncle rose from his chair. That was what he had been afraid of… "It wasn't—at least at first, I mean." Riku dropped his eyes for a moment, thinking on how to approach the topic. "I…wanted to see Heartless and Ansem convinced Master Xemnas to take me along to see one of his experiments. Master Xemnas was just letting little Heartless through his machine, little Shadows, nothing worse than what showed up on the Islands…"

"And what experience do you have with Heartless, Riku?" Sephiroth asked, "Ventus and Master Xemnas have trained for years to deal with Heartless…"

"I've…I've helped my dad and some of the other men in my village chase them off," he half-lied, face warming lightly, his brows furrowing slightly as he couldn't help but bristle somewhat. "…Master Xemnas asked me the same thing. And I would have had more experience if you would have helped me," he muttered, taking what the Xehanort had said earlier to heart. Sephiroth's brow furrowed at Riku's muttered response.

"I beg your pardon?" he replied, "What would you have liked me to do? Take you down to the Waterway to fight Heartless? I haven't even taught you how to spar with humans, let alone with Heartless. They're too dangerous for you right now."

"Why? Why are they too dangerous for me?" Riku said, hurt by hearing his uncle tell him he wasn't strong enough. "What makes me so damn weak compared to everybody else, General Sephiroth? Tell me. What makes me so…worthless?"

"You're not worthless, Riku. Don't ever say that," Sephiroth replied, his voice growing stern in response to Riku's tone. "You're not worthless. You are inexperienced. You have a lot of catching up to do, is all." He stepped closer to Riku, bending down closer to his level. "When I was your age, I was a Lieutenant already. It would be prudent of you to trust my greater experience and judgment. The Waterway is dangerous, even if you are in the company of a Xehanort. Did you even have something to defend yourself with?"

Riku's form stayed tense, eyes full of the emotion that tormented him, made him want to scream and lash out—like a child. But, he wasn't a child… Why couldn't Sephiroth see that? He was behind in his schooling, but what made him weaker than everyone else? What did his ability to fight have to do with how far behind he was?

"…I know," Riku paused, "I know… I'm not as good as you are, and…and I probably won't ever be. I'm not a noble. I'm not, don't even say otherwise," he added quickly before Sephiroth could protest. "I just share a name with you… Nothing else. I didn't get any of your skills or…anything, but-but I can take care of myself, Uncle. Why won't you understand that? I didn't have anything to protect myself with, but…when I needed it, I…I found something to fight off the Dark Thorn that came through Xemnas' machine," he said softly, using the name Ventus had used for the beast in their walk back to the castle through the Waterway. Sephiroth frowned slightly, raising a hand to cup Riku's cheek.

"Riku…calm down," Sephiroth whispered, stepping closer. "I know you are capable. You are a noble, and you were born stronger than those who are not. I brought you here to help you, Riku…to teach you to be stronger. I can help you, so you will be able to protect yourself in the Waterway, if you wish to return there. Now…what do you mean you found something to protect yourself with?" Sephiroth added, squeezing Riku's shoulder lightly with one hand.

Riku felt the other's warmth and took offense to it. Why would Sephiroth even care? For him to continue on their family name? With a bit of contempt, Riku shrugged off the man's hand. His arm extended quickly, his wrist snapping and light erupting from his palm, his eyes locked on Sephiroth as the Keyblade formed in his grasp. Sephiroth's eyes widened as a weapon appeared in his nephew's hand, taking a step backward.

"…I got something to make me stronger," Riku stated simply, voice low, an unamused mutter. He had come in excited and nervous, but now…he was hurt, his feeling of worth injured as well.

"That is…" Sephiroth murmured, staring at the weapon. "…That is a Keyblade," he whispered, his gaze flicking back up to Riku. "It chose you?" he asked, his voice seeming to grow softer with every word. He slowly backed into his chair again, sitting as if in a daze. Riku stood motionless for a moment before turning away from his uncle.

"…We have to tell the Council," Sephiroth observed, staring into the empty fireplace for a moment, "…You have the Mark…the Keyblade chose you…"

"…Are you that surprised?" Riku practically whimpered, glancing down at his Keyblade. Why did he feel so inadequate? Why did he always feel he wasn't good enough for his Uncle, when the man always said otherwise...? "…Are you…upset, Uncle?" Riku asked softly, simply gazing at his blade, letting it hang at his side. He had…expected, or perhaps hoped Sephiroth would be excited and possibly praise him. But instead, the man sat listless in his chair, looking at an empty fireplace…

"Upset?" Sephiroth replied, his gaze shifting to Riku. "…I'm not upset…I'm just…surprised, yes," he murmured. Surprised… Did he honestly not think Riku was strong enough for the Keyblade to choose him? …Why did it even choose him in the first place? Riku had no idea.

"Then…why don't you seem happy? Ven acted like it was amazing that it showed up, you…sound like I shouldn't have it," Riku murmured softly, his fingers tightening on the hilt of the blade slightly under Sephiroth's gaze.

"I do?" Sephiroth replied, attempting to gather his wits. "That's not it…that's not it at all, Riku…It, it is amazing," he began, standing up again. "But…now your destiny has changed. Or…perhaps this was your destiny all along," he breathed, moving toward the boy again. "I've witnessed the birth of a candidate…my own nephew…!" Sephiroth replied, a twinge of emotion re-entering him as the corners of his lips started to pull upward. Riku gazed up at him as he rose, unsure of what to. Sephiroth moved towards him and all he could do was let the Keyblade disappear from his hand, already feeling its weight.

"I-I don't understand…" Riku murmured softly, looking lost as his blue eyes rose to his uncle, whose mood seemed to have changed for the better. "What do I do, Uncle Sephiroth?" Sephiroth nodded slightly, glancing up at him.

"It seems I have been remiss. I shall have to train you in combat now," Sephiroth murmured. "Your heart is steady and strong, to be noticed by the Keyblade…I must train your hands to be the same."

"…No more pressure on the history lessons then?" Riku asked with dry humor in his tone as he let his shoulders drop slightly. Sephiroth smiled, reaching up to grasp Riku's shoulders.

"From now on, Riku…you will be history," Sephiroth said.

"What does that even mean?" Riku sighed, leaning forwards to rest his forehead against his Uncle's chest, closing his eyes.

"Keyblades are incredibly rare, and Keyblade wielders are destined to do great things…Ansem and the other Xehanorts all have Keyblades…it's one of the marks of a Xehanort," Sephiroth said. "It is a mighty weapon, magically potent, and it answers only to the call of its chosen master. It is…a part of you."

"The Xehanorts?" Riku blinked, tipping his head back to look up at his uncle, "…Why would it choose me? I'm not like any of the Xehanorts. You were right… I'm not experienced—I'm behind," Riku murmured softly, eyes searching his uncle for answers, quickly becoming overwhelmed.

"That doesn't matter…it is your destiny," Sephiroth replied, reaching up to stroke his hair. "You were meant to have the Keyblade…they will want to know about this. They can tell you much more than I can."

"I—" Riku looked up at his uncle with surprise and confusion, lightly gripping the hem of his unbuttoned shirt. "…Why don't you have one?" If anyone should have one, it was Sephiroth.

Sephiroth shook his head, a wistful smile on his lips. "I don't know, Riku. It didn't choose me," he replied simply, "My destiny was never meant to be guided by the Keyblade…"

"I think we might have our destinies backwards," Riku said softly, then amended his statement. "…Or maybe I just stole a piece of yours." After all, he couldn't command an army.

"No…this was meant for you. It chose you, not me…" Sephiroth smiled, leaning down to kiss the top of Riku's head. Riku's eyes slid closed, the man's kiss washing away his anger, his concern, leaving just Riku in its place. He smiled, hugging the man tightly, inhaling his scent softly and simply enjoying his warmth and comfort.

"…I need your help, though," Riku murmured softly, "I don't know what to do with it…"

"I will do everything in my power to help you," Sephiroth whispered. "Destiny has come to call, and I want to make sure you are prepared to meet it." He pulled back slightly, looking down at Riku. "We can begin training immediately. Unless you're tired…you could sleep, if you'd like. It must have been an exhausting day," Sephiroth continued, looking down at him. His emotions were beginning to catch up with him.

The boy smiled back at him. "…No, I'm not that tired. I…I want to train with you!" Riku said with a bit of excitement. More time spent with Sephiroth, more time spent doing something more than reading. It was…what he wanted. Sephiroth positively grinned, cupping Riku's face in his hands.

"That's wonderful, Riku," Sephiroth whispered, leaning down to kiss Riku's forehead. "I'll go get dressed, and we'll go to the training grounds." Riku smiled at his uncle, blinking slowly as he felt warm lips against his forehead, warmth flowering in his stomach.

"Hurry?" he asked, relaxed as Sephiroth pulled away, happier than he had been in some time.

"I shall. You may want to wash up, as well," Sephiroth offered, smirking lightly as he pulled away, padding toward the door. Riku smiled and nodded, pausing just a moment to watch his uncle disappear down the hallway before heading to wash up himself.


Whew, things are getting hectic around here (two or three concerts' worth of music to learn). Buuut I kind of like it that way. Keeps my room pretty messy, though.

Work on part two keeps plodding along, as does work on all my other projects. But I think you all know what makes people work faster: reviews! It's the next best thing to cashy money in the fanfiction trade.

Namaste!