"Celius!" Riku is at the brink of crying now as she keeps trying to wake Celius.
"Come on, kid. Wake up now.." Phil says, trying to keep Riku from crying, he helps her in trying to wake Celius.
Celius remains asleep and Riku starts to cry, "Celius, don't die on me! I need you! You promised to be there for me! Don't leave me yet! Please, wake up! You have to wake up! Please!"
Phil sighs and backs away, "Yellin' at him isn't goin' to work, kid. He isn't goin' to be wakin' up any time soon."
Riku looks up at glares at Phil, tears still streaming down her face, "I'll do whatever I have to if it makes him okay again. He's my friend, I'd die for him." She looks back down at Celius, her voice is quiet now, "I know he'd do the same for me.."
Phil sighs, "Bring him inside, I'll see if I can find some help for him."
Riku nods slowly, still staring down at Celius as her tears fall onto his face. Phil waits for her to move, but after a few minutes of her staring down at Celius without moving Phil sighs and walks off, and he comes back a few minutes later with Hercules.
"Oh, I see, you were right, she won't move. Hey, uh, Riku?" Hercules leans down to her, "Hey, are you okay?"
"I'm fine." she says, "Celius...he needs help. He won't wake up." She looks up at Hercules, "What do I do?"
He smiles softly at her, "Let's get him inside, we'll figure out how to help him, I promise."
He takes Celius from her and she slowly stands up.
She looks at Hercules expectantly and he smiles, "After you."
She shrugs and walks ahead of him and Phil and into the collesium. Hercules lays Celius down on a table inside and Riku stands by him.
She looks back at Hercules, "Can you help him?"
"I believe I can."
Riku looks away from Hercules and in front of her, where the voice had come from.
"Hades." Hercules glares.
Hades smiles, "Well hello to you too, Herc."
"Get outta my collesium, Hades!" Phil throws his fists up, as if trying to scare Hades away.
"Who are you?" Riku asks, still looking at Hades.
Hades smiles, "I'm Hades, Lord of the Underworld."
"Lord of the Underworld?" Riku asks.
"That's right, kiddo." Hades continues to smile.
"Why are you here, Hades?" Hercules asks.
Hades ignores him and continues to talk to Riku, "So, what's your name, kid?"
"Riku." she answers.
Hades grins, "Right, of course, of course."
"You said...you could help Celius?" Riku asks.
"Ah yes! That I can do!" Hades says.
Riku brightens, "You can?"
"Riku, don't trust him." Hercules growls.
Riku looks at Hercules and blinks, "But he said he could help Celius..."
"Hades isn't to be trusted. The things he promises always come with a catch. You can't trust him, Riku. We'll figure out how to help Celius, but don't trust or listen to Hades."
"Oh that's hurtful." Hades laughs, "Let the girl make a choice for herself, Herc."
"Only Phil and my friends can call me 'Herc.'" Hercules crosses his arms and glares.
"Right, of course, of course." Hades waves his hand nonchalently. He then speaks to Riku, "Like I said, sweetheart, I can help your little friend there."
"How?" Riku asks, taking Hercules' words into consideration.
"That's easy. I can take away what ails him." Hades smiles.
Riku gasps, her eyes widening, "You...you can do that?"
"Don't listen to 'im, kid!" Phil urges.
"He's just going to trick you." Hercules says, still glaring at Hades.
Riku looks at Hercules, then at Hades, then back at Hercules. She nods to him and he seems to brighten in attitude. She looks back at Hades, who is looking at her expectantly.
"Well?" he asks.
"I don't need your help." she crosses her arms, her eyes stern, "I've got the help of friends."
"Hm, yes, yes, I've heard someone else say that once before. Very well. But mark my words, little one, we will be seeing each other again." Hades smirks as he turns and leaves.
Riku sighs and looks down at Celius again, who had just started to open his eyes.
...
"Man, that was lame." Vanitas plops down on a black couch and lays down on it, one hand behind his head, the other strown over the top of the couch back.
"What was 'lame'?"
"That mission. The kid wasn't even fun to hurt. Man, his dad put up more of a fight.." Vanitas yawns, "Seriously though, babysitting is Sailene's job. I'm more important, and strong, and cooler too." he laughs at the end.
"I. Can. Hear. You." Sailene growls through clenched teeth.
Vanitas looks at her and grins, gold eyes flashing mischeviously, "I know. I wanted you too."
"Silence. Ansem, are you here?"
"I am." Ansem comes forth from the shadows.
"Good. Then it's tie to tell you of my new plan."
Vanitas sits up, "New plan?"
"Yes. I have come up with a new way to bring Him forth. Are any of you interested in participating?"
Vanitas jumps up, "Count me in!"
Sailene growls at Vanitas, steps forward, and addresses the figure, "Then count me in too!"
"I'm in. I have nothing else to be here for anyway." Ansem says in a bored tone.
The figure turns his back to them and clasps his hands behind his back, "Good. I was hoping you all would agree. I believe you, Vanitas, will enjoy this most of all."
Vanitas' grin widens, "Oh, nowe I must know what this new plan is!"
"I'm glad you are so eager, Vanitas."
"Well, what is it?" asks Sailene, rather impatiently.
The figure grins beneath his hood.
...
Celius stands out in front of the collesium. He holds his arms out in front of him, examining his hands, which are palm up to him. He examines his entire body, his eyes narrowed to slits. He gasps lightly as he stares at his skin, at the purple and black aura now surrounding him. He brings his arms down and clenches his fists and he growls, "NO!" Almost instantly, the aura disappears.
He sighs, smiling lightly in relief as he looks like himself again.
"Celius?"
He turns at the sound of Riku's small voice filled with fear. He looks at her with soft eyes and smiles lightly, "Riku?"
"How are you feeling?" Riku slowly makes her way over to him.
He shrugs, looking away from her with his eyes, "Okay.." Did she see..? He wonders fearfully.
She comes up beside him and stares up at him, her eyes searching. He looks back at her.
"I know we should be moving on... But if your still recovering..." she murmers.
"We should be going." he says instantly, "You want to find your parents as soon as possible right?"
She stares at him wearily. He's afraid of something.. "Are you sure you're ready to go? We can stay until you've fully-"
She was cut off by him snapping, "I'm fine!"
She winces back at the hostility in his voice and his eyes widen and he backs up a step, "Riku, I'm sorry."
She shrugs it off, "That's okay.."
His eyes soften once more and he hits the arm guantlet and his armor appears. He summons his Keyblade and throws it up swiftly. It turns into his Rider and he looks at Riku. "You ready?" She nods and wraps her arms around his neck as he takes one arm and wraps it around her waist as he jumps up onto his Rider and they blast off into the Between Space.
"So, where are we going now?" Riku asks.
Celius doesn't look at her when he answers, "Back to Yen Sid. I'm going to get him to make you a guantlet of your own, that way you can fight with armor too, when the time comes.."
"Kay.." she nods.
She watches him curiously, Something's not right about him... I'm always close to him like this when we travel, but now... Being near him like this.. Makes my heart ache. Why?
...
"That should do it." Yen Sid says, handing Riku a guantlet identical to Celius', but her's is silver and pink in color.
"Does it really work?" Riku asks, helping Celius strap it to her left shoulder.
"Try it out." Yen Sid says.
Riku smiles and nods as Celius steps back. She taps the guantlet with little applied pressure, and warm light surrounds her. When the light fades she is covered in armor, silver with pink lining and a helmet to match.
"This is so cool!" she gasps.
Then she fidgits, "Now, uh, how do I turn it off?"
"Same way." Celius smiles, "Just tap it again."
She nods and taps the guantlet again and the light returns, and when it fades, she looks normal again. She smiles, "Cool!"
"Now, young warrior, we need to teach you how to create and use your Keyblade Rider." Yen Sid explains.
Riku nods, unable to hide the excitement in her eyes. Celius smiles, finding her excitement amusing.
"How do I do that?" she asks.
"First, summon your Keyblade." Yen Sid instructs.
Riku nods and summons her Keyblade, but she gasps, finding her Keyblade had changed. It now has gold wings around he hilt, looking of one angel wing and one bat wing, the blade now has a red line running down the middle, with the blade itself being white and the top, and it runs down to grey, then falls to black at the bottom.
Yen Sid looks surprised, "Your Keyblade has changed form. It is not the same as it once was."
"Wrath of Oath Keeper's Dawn..." she breathes.
"Is that its new name?" asks Celius.
Riku nods, staring down att eh new weapon in her hands. She looks at Yen Sid and repeats, "How do I make my Rider?"
Yen Sid takes them outside and he instructs, "Throw it up into the air, and think of a Rider of your own, made just for you."
Riku nods, closes her eyes, and throws the Keyblade up intot he air. To her disappointment, the Keyblade falls back to the ground and disappears in a mixture of light and darkness. She frowns, "Why didn't it work?"
"Hm. It has only ever done that, that I know of, if the wielder had to have two Keyblades to morph and form the Rider." Yen Sid says with interest.
Riku's eyes widen, "You mean...I have two Keyblades?!"
"That is the only logical explanation, given no Keyblade Wielder has ever been unable to summon thier Rider." Yen Sid nods, "So, given the circumstances, I assume the logical answer is that you are to have two Keyblades. When the second appears to you, your Rider will as well. Until then, you will just have to ride with Celius as you have been. Oh, and Celius," Yen Sid turns to Celius then.
"Your father was here days ago looking for you. He wanted to know your location. I am certain he will come here again, do you want to give me a new location for which he can find you?" Yen Sid asks.
Something flashes across Celius' eyes, then the narrow and he shakes his head, "He doesn't need to know."
"Celius," Riku crosses her arms, "I would give anything to let my dad know where I am. I know you said you and your dad had a fight, but he's looking for you! That means he's worried, and he wants to know you're safe!"
Celius growls, "Shut up, you don't knwo what you're talking about! It isn't me he wants! It's the stupid Keyblade I took from his vault!"
Riku's eyes widen, "Celius..." She gasps as darkness begins to swirl around Celius, hate flashes through his eyes as the darkness thickens around him.
Riku cries out, "The darkness! Celius, the darkness!"
"I'm not afraid of the darkness." he says.