Kingdom Hearts: Hearts Desire
Chapter 13: The Fruits of Training
Part 2: Dawn
Riku wandered the hall of the In-Between cautiously, his ears twitching at any sound, only his own footsteps were his answer in this brightly lit hall. Riku trusted Nathaniel about as far as he could throw him, saving their lives was one thing, but sending him into this hall that was literally a tunnel in space was completely different.
These warriors of Dawn better be worth it. He thought as he looked for the door to his destination. Unlike before where there were many different doors to choose from, this hallway was seemingly devoid of all other doors, life, or really anything. It was just a long hallway that kept stretching on and on. Has he trapped me here in this damn hallway forever? He pondered the thought for a moment and decided this intuition was wrong. There were hundreds of ways to kill Riku, this was simply not the way to do it.
He kept walking for another minute or so until his eyes spotted a difference on the right side of the hallway. A door was discernible amongst the endless wall, and Riku rushed for it with all haste. As he approached, he took the time to examine the door he was about to step through.
The door in question was incredibly intricate in its design, a large golden sun hovering over a horizon shown, the sun glowing ever so slightly with the true radiance of real thing. Just in front of the golden sun, was a castle that covered only a small portion of the door, but fields and small towns took up the remaining piece of the top part of the door. Below it read 'Dawn' in shining red letters that glowed a golden color in the sun.
"This must be it." He whispered as he took one last glance around his surroundings, and opened the door. He stepped through and looked around his new surrounding in amazement. He stood on the porch of a small wooden hut, his surroundings being that of a small town with a magnificent castle shown in the background. His eyes wandered over the scenery as the door behind him closed, and a light he didn't know was there dissipated into the air. He turned and opened the door again. Only an abandoned hut was through the door, dust covering every inch of the place.
As he closed the door a second time and turned around, he was startled to see a young girl no older than nine standing in front of him. "Hiya mister." The girl said while a smile covered her face. The girl had short blonde hair that reached her cheeks and leather brown eyes. She wore a green dress that was covered in dirt, wrinkles and all around grim.
"Umm... Hey there." Riku was never really great with children. He didn't know what to say to them or how to talk to them. Children were more Kairi's style than his. "What's up?"
"Just wondering why you're in front of my house and why you look like an old man." The girl said as she smiled again. Riku felt his face go hot and tried not to lose his cool, but before he could speak she asked "Why are you dressed like that?"
"These are the clothes we wear where I'm from. Well the clothes I wear anyway, I'm not from here."
"Are you from another world?"
The question took Riku aback more than he expected. "No of course not, where would you get that idea from?" He lied quickly hoping he hadn't already managed to get caught.
"No one wears that many straps and belts around here on Dawn, besides. This is the only town for miles, all the other towns are gone since the Legion attacked." Riku's face hardened as he stared down at the young girl.
"The Legion has been here?" He asked as he stooped to her level.
"Yep, they came a few years ago, killed a lot of people and left." She sounded sad and her eyes were downcast. She moved passed Riku into the hut, motioning for him to come inside. As Riku entered the hut, he noticed that it was a complete wreck. There was only one straw bed on the back of one crumpling wall, a rotting blanket sitting on it. One dusty chair that was missing a cushion and an empty fireplace. The girl ran over to the bed and pulled out a stuffed cow toy that was missing a leg. "Mr. Moo and I had to move here after mom and dad got killed." Her eyes broke Riku's heart as she stared down at the toy.
"All of the kids call me names and make fun of me because this is the only place I can live and I don't have parents, but I know mama wouldn't want me to get sad so I try and smile a lot. It's hard to smile when everyone is mean though." Riku watched as the girl continued to stare at the toy and smiled. "But the Avengers are nice, they like to help people because it's their job to protect the universe."
"The Avengers?" Riku sat on the chair and watched as her eyes lit up with joy at the very word.
"The Avengers of Dawn! They're the masters over Dawn and can use magic to beat back any darkness! Most of the members talk about how they once used the darkness and how Master Asher saved them from an eternity of being a slave to evil."
"How many of these Avengers are there?" Riku asked as he smiled at the girl who's face lit up at the mere mention of the warriors of Dawn.
"I think there's around a hundred, they have two different branches, the paladins and the clerics. Both have they own leaders, Master Gaiman for the paladins and Master Erma for the clerics. But the grandmaster is Jace Asher, the most powerful warrior ever!"
"How do you get into the Avengers?" Riku asked the girl, who seemed to know a lot about these Avengers and how they worked.
"I dunno. Usually the Avengers find you when they go recruiting on other worlds." She grew silent for a moment and asked "What's your name mister?"
Riku laughed a little bit and answered "Riku Asa, I'm just passing through for a couple of weeks to train with these Avengers."
"I'm Lizzy Shozu, nice to meet ya Rik!" She said, extending a hand to the much larger boy, who took it with grace.
"It's Riku, not Rik." He said, smiling down at Lizzy.
"Rik sounds good on you, like it just flows off the tongue, ya know?" She said, taking her hand back and smiling. "So Rik, if you want to get into the Avengers, you might need my help. I am the expert on them in these parts."
"Are you now?" He said, quickly growing to like the girl more and more as they spoke. "Help me get into the castle, and I'll owe you one got it?" Riku stood up, the eyes of the little girl gazing up into his aquamarine orbs. "Now who's the guy we have to talk to?"
KH:HD
Riku felt an itch. It was an unusual itch for the 17 year old to feel. It was the itch to fight, and as he wondered the village that stood just outside of the massive castle walls, the urge hit him hard. His hand twitched with the feeling to summon his Keyblade, he resisted only just. His eyes fell on the young girl leading him through many of the villages lesser traveled paths. Underneath bridges of the beautiful flowing rivers, through earthen back ways littered with garbage, it showed just how much time the girl had spent avoiding people.
After checking the corner of the alley they were in, she motioned for him to follow. His eyes were captivated by the sight of the castle on top of the hill only a few miles away. The castle was gigantic, even from this distance the castle took up most of the landscape before him, the golden sun stuck right above the highest tower. "Holy..." Riku's voice caught in his throat as words could not be expressed at the beauty of it all. Even combining Radiant Garden's mighty castle with Destiny Island's natural beauty couldn't come close to this.
"They say that Steven Asher, the First Avenger, built that castle all by himself." Riku glanced down at his female companion who barely reached his waist. "They say it took him 50 years and wouldn't accept help from anyone. He said it was the only way he could repent what he had done in the war. Steven Asher was super powerful from what I hear, and even though most of the time he was building the castle, he came out and helped the people too. He was a real hero."
"Steven Asher? Isn't the Master of Dawn Jace Asher?" Riku asked as the girl once again pushed forward with their quest. Riku marveled at the young girl pushed herself mile after mile to reach the castle. Even when he was a boy he would have been exhausted by now, but she showed no signs of fatigue.
"Grand Master Jace is the son of the first Avenger." Lizzy responded, shooting Riku a smile that showed all of her teeth. For an orphan, she was much better groomed than you would expect. Her long golden hair was some-what combed down , though there were places where it shot up in strange angles. Her teeth were white and sparkling, and her clothes were mostly clean, save for a few rough patches, rips and tears, and moth eaten holes. "He's super nice! He gave me my necklace, and I haven't taken it off since he gave it to me." True enough, she produced from under her shirt an beautifully carved necklace in the shape of a sun. Even the sun in the ornament seemed to shine ever so slightly in the early morning light.
Some time later, they were at the base of the hill and Riku noticed something odd about the sun. "Why isn't the sun rising?"
"There's a legend that says when Steven Asher came to the people of Dawn, it was during the early morning where Dawn was just rising, there was a loud cry from on the hill and a this huge explosion of light, and the sun hasn't moved from that spot in the sky since. Dawn is always... Dawn." Riku nodded his head slightly, after having lived in Twilight Town he could sort of understand the functionality of the worlds. Though while this world was stuck in perpetual dawn, Twilight Town did have a night time.
"Have you ever seen the night time sky?" Riku asked as they moved up the hill.
"Nope, though I've heard rumors that it's beautiful, like staring at million-billion tiny suns! Have you seen the sky without the sun?" Riku was a little surprised to hear of a world without the night sky, whatever threw this world out of sync had to be incredibly powerful. His smile grew a little as he glanced to see a little wonder in her eyes.
"Not only have I seen the night sky, but I've seen dozens of other worlds. Every world is a little different, but they're all the same in the way that some people are good and some people are really bad. Me and my friends go around and stop the bad people like the Legion. It's our job, and we love what we do." He leaned down to her level to see her reaction. Her eyes were glazed over with excitement and her smile grew wider.
"What are your friends like Rik? Are they nice like you?"
"I've got the two best friends in all of the worlds. Ones name is Sora, and Sora is has the biggest idiot I've ever met. But he's strong, and he follows his Heart, and he always beats what needs to be beaten in the end. There was time where I fell into Darkness, and if it weren't for him, I'd probably be dead by now. His trust in me never wavered, not even after I tried to kill him, he never let me be a lost cause. I owe him my life for that.
"My other friends name is Kairi, and for the longest time I had this crush on her. She's got this really pretty red hair, and eyes that I can't describe. After a while, I figured out that she had feelings for Sora and anyone with eyes could tell he had feelings for her. So instead of being a good friend, when I fell into Darkness, I tried to kill Sora to prove I was better for her, that I should be the one she'd pick. I never beat Sora, not after he got his Keyblade. So after I realized how much of an idiot I'd been, I stepped out of the way, helped them get together. But to this day I don't know what I'd do without her, she's my best friend."
"It sounds like you still like this girl." Lizzy said quietly. She had hung on every word he said, and now curiosity seemed to get the best of her. "Like you still like-like her."
Riku stood up and ruffled the young girls hair. "I still like-like Kairi, but more as a friend than anything. I lost to Sora, and I'm happy with my relationship with her. You remind me of her when she was your age."
"See that part about you liking the girl isn't what caught my interest." Said a voice from up the hill. Riku looked up to see who the newcomer was. It was a man, a man who was only a little shorter than Riku and looked to be in his late teens. He had short black hair that covered half of his forehead. His eyes were a piercing blue that held an edge of forgotten anger.
His attire was what attracted the most attention however. He looked to be wearing a long skirt that was covered in armor on his lower half. His upper body was covered in a heavy plate armor, a brilliant sun shining in the center. The armor was excellently carved, it left no noticeable weakness that Riku could immediately detect and shone silver in contrast to the golden sun inscribed on his plate. He carried two long swords in his belt, one having the head of a dragon on its pommel and the other was as basic as you could make a sword. He had a large halberd resting on his back, along with a staff with two short blades on either end, a glaive the size of Riku's torso was also visible, along with a kite shield that rested over all of the weapons on his back. The man was a walking armory.
"That bit about a Keyblade and other worlds really piqued my interest." Said the newcomer, his blue locked with Riku's aquamarine in an unspoken challenge.
"Invadii!" Lizzy yelled with delight as she ran to the man, trying to wrap her tiny arms around the warriors midriff. She pulled away and gave him a scolding look. "Where have you been?" She tapped her foot impatiently and stuck her bottom lip out. It was probably one of the most adorable things Riku has ever seen.
Invadii chuckled lightly and scratched the back of his head. "I got caught up in some Avenger stuff, I was on my way to meet you I swear." He glanced over at Riku yet again. "Hey Lizzy, who's you're friend over there?"
Lizzy's face broke out in a huge smile as she ran back down to grab Riku's hand, dragging him over to Invadii, all the while not noticing the looks the two were giving each other. "Invadii! This is my new friend Riku! He's from another world." Riku inwardly groaned. "He's here to be an Avenger!"
Invadii looked up at Riku, barely able to hold back the contempt that was growing in his eyes. "Is that so?" Was all he said as he held out a hand for Riku to shake. Riku gripped his hand and felt the tight grip. "If that's the case, my name is Invadii of Light. I'm one of the Avengers of Dawn."
"My name's Riku. Good to meet you." Riku couldn't peg why he immediately disliked the man before him, but something deep inside Riku was nagging at him.
"What was that about a Keyblade I heard?" Invadii asked, and although it sounded like harmless curiosity, Riku could see the distrust evident in the Avenger's eyes.
"I don't think that's any of your concern." Invadii's eyes flashed with rage that was quickly quelled. Riku ignored the mans anger and reached into his pants pocket to produce the letter Nathaniel had written. "I do have a letter for the Grandmaster here." Invadii reached out to grab the letter, Riku pulled his hand back. "His eyes only."
Lizzy watched the exchange between the two with confusion. "Are you two fighting?" She asked tentatively. Invadii's eyes lit up with a sudden realization at the sound of her voice.
"Of course we're not fighting Liz, we're just doing grown up things." He met Riku's eyes again and managed to growl out. "Right Riku?"
"He's right. We're just being grown ups right now." Riku smiled at the young girl, reaching over and ruffling her hair a little more, earning a solid glare from Invadii. "What do you say we get going then?"
"Hey Lizzy, why don't you run on ahead and let the men at the gates know that the Grand Master needs an audience with this man. We'll be right there." Lizzy shouted her agreement and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her up the hill. Invadii smiled as he watched her go, then turned his head to Riku, his eyes not even attempting to hide the rage that was behind them. "Listen up Silver." Riku's face grew hot with anger, but chose not to speak. "Lizzy may not be my sister, but she is family. I don't know how you met her, but she seems to like you. I don't like you though." He walked forward and stood within striking distance. "I heard your little speech over there, about how you fell into Darkness. If you even have a passing thought about hurting her, I will not hesitate to end you right where you stand. Are we clear?"
Riku's face was an unreadable mask, but his eyes told volumes. "I used to be a terrible person, I killed people who didn't deserve it, and sometimes I left them to a fate worse than death. That was a long time ago. I'm different, and if you think I'm going to hurt that little girl up there, you're an even bigger idiot than you look." Invadii's face flashed with anger. "If you want to fight, lets duke it out right here and now. But if you don't want to hold up more of my time, get moving."
The silence was profound for a few seconds, Invadii nodded his head, whether in agreement or respect Riku couldn't tell. The two walked in silence, not even glancing at each other. Minutes passed until the two stood at the front gates of the enormous castle. Riku's mouth nearly dropped at the sight. From a distance he could tell the castle was huge, but up close. The walls stood over 100 feet in the air, and that wasn't as tall as the highest tower, which stood at least 50 feet higher.
"Impressive right?" Invadii said, a smirk plastered on his face at Riku's reaction. "These walls have a special set of enchantments ya know? These walls can survive an attack by any form of Darkness, and with all the men we have manning the walls, the Legion would think twice about attacking." The arrogance the man let flow out was enough to nearly gag Riku.
"So the Avengers of Dawn have faced the Legion before right?"
"Only once before. This world used to be teeming with life." Invadii then motioned to the village below. "That's all that's left." Riku felt his face go white, his hand clenched so hard he was almost sure blood would pour out soon. "Despite what they told themselves, the Avengers were thrashed by seven people. Seven. Not an army, only the Legion themselves. We used to be 1000 strong, most were battle seasoned warriors who knew the skills of Dawn magic. Now we're only 200 men, most are still green-boys who barely know how to cast even the simplest spell."
"So you mentioned the Lizzy wasn't your sister. How'd you two meet?" Riku asked as Invadii motioned to the guards at the massive gate to let them through. The gate was very impressive to say the least. A large golden sun made of glowing stones was set in the massive double oak doors, clean polished and looking as magnificent as the real golden sun above.
"One of my favorite memories. Right after the battle, my parents were both dead and any survivors were told to move into the village. I ran into a little girl, no older than 3 holding her stupid little cow toy. She was crying for her parents, and no one was paying any attention to her. I walked up to her and gave her a hug and let her know that everything was gonna be okay. Since then, she's been stuck to my leg like glue. Master Gaiman told her that unless she was going to fuse together with me she had to leave the castle. The Grand Master gave her the pendent she's always wearing and the rest is history." Invadii's face lit up into a smile when they passed through the gate and saw the young girl, her foot tapping impatiently against the ground. "Since I'm not a full Avenger yet, I don't have the free roam to go to the village whenever I choose. I go when I can but sometimes I see her with more cuts and bruises than before. She won't give me any names either, she just refuses to let me deal with the little bastards that do this to her." As they neared Lizzy, Riku heard him whisper "She's afraid I'll kill them."
"You two ladies took you're sweet time." Smiles crept up both of the boys faces at her insult. "I got up here way before you did."
"Yes but you're so small and quick, and I'm in full armor." Invadii pointed out.
"And I had to wait for him to catch up." Riku shoved his thumb at Invadii. He leaned down to whisper something in her ear. "I think he's getting a little fat, don't you?" She burst out in giggles at his comment, doubling over and laughing at the Avenger's confused expression.
"Boy!" A sharp and clear voice rang out from across the yard and Invadii's face was wiped clean of all emotion and his body was as straight as an arrow. "What have I told you about bringing civies back to the castle?" Riku saw the owner of the voice and immediately felt the aura of power this man presented himself with. He was 6 feet tall in armor similar to Invadii's, only the sun on his chest also had seven swords spread out in a half circle across the center of the sun. His hair was was brown with traces of gray on the sides of the very short cropped hair. His eyes were a mud brown color, and with deep creases across his face and a deep scar that streamed down just barely above his left eye that ended right under his cheek, a crooked nose that seemed to have been broken more than once was sported on his face.
His eyes met the young Avenger and he asked again. "That was not a rhetorical question Boy, what have I said about bringing civies into the castle?" He was now in front of the boy, their eyes locked.
"Sir!" Invadii said in the most crisp and clean way he could muster. "You said that if I brought civies again I'd be cleaning the floors of the castle until graduation day!"
"There is a reason I hope, otherwise you've just wasted not only my time, but time that could be spent cleaning."
"The silver haired man has a message for the Grand Master and Lizzy was leading him here, I only met up with them Sir!"
The older gentleman's eyes met Riku's and Riku managed to straighten his back as he stood up. "I take it you're a high ranking officer here?"
"Wow, you must be some kind of genius Silver." Riku's faced flushed red again after being called 'Silver' twice by two different people. "Watch out Invadii, the kid's getting all mad, would hate to see your guest so upset on my account." Invadii's face could have been made from stone for all the emotion he gave his commanding officer.
"I have a letter for your Grand Master." Riku once again produced the letter, and as the man reached for it, he once again pocketed it. "Sorry," Riku's face was curving in a smile as the older gentleman's face contorted with anger. "This is for the big fish, not small fry like you."
"Master Gaiman!" Invadii said before his master could react to Riku's statement. "He spoke earlier of Keyblades and other worlds, he's an off worlder."
"I don't give a damn if he's the Grand Master's mother!" Gaiman's voice rose in anger. "In this castle, he answers to me before the Grand Master!"
Riku smiled as he held out his right hand and let Way to Dawn shimmer into existence, it's black form glinting beautifully in the early morning light. Silence fell upon the trio, Lizzy's eyes shone with wonder, while the two Avengers only had shock registered on their faces.
"I'm on important Keyblade Master business." Riku said, letting his Keyblade vanish and took a step forward to pat Gaiman's shoulder. "It's in your best interests to get me an audience with Jace Asher as quick as possible."
KH:HD
Quick as possible, Riku had been ushered inside a massive audience chamber with two aisles on either side with hundreds of chairs, and a magnificent throne at the end of the hall. Riku was alone for only a few seconds as the large doors opened at his back and people of all ages flowed inside. After 20 minutes of people shuffling around and awkwardly muttering about what the meeting was about, silence fell as footsteps could be heard coming down the staircase at the end of the hall. Thump, thump, thump. Each step was slow, but rhythmic, in time with each other step. More time passed and all rose at the sight of an old man being escorted down the long staircase by Master Gaiman and a woman in identical armor.
The woman was devilishly beautiful, soft golden hair that barely touched her shoulders, deep violet eyes and a smile that warmed the room. On her belt hung a brutal mace, it's hard metal end in the shape of a sun, each ray of metal light glowed and had a dangerously pointed edge. The old man she helped escort to the chair was far from what Riku expected of who he assumed to be the Grand Master. The old man was hunched over, his eyes were white with blindness, and his face was littered in wrinkles. His armor was as intricate as the two who were helping him, and at his belt he carried an empty sheath.
As the two sat the old man down, all members in the room also sat down, whispers and pointing at both Riku and the old man. "I would like to thank you all for coming here today." Said the ancient man, his voice gravelly but loud and commanding. "It is an honor to sit down and speak with all of you today about an important new comer." The blind man gestured to Riku. "This young man brings us grave news of the worlds of the Realm of Light. The Legion of 7 has waged war against all who stand to defy their King. It seems that the King of Darkness is taking his plans to its final stages."
"Grand Master Asher." Said the woman to his left, her eyes twinkling with mistrust. "Can we truly believe this boys claims? I had thought that the Immortal Wielder had gone off to defeat the Legion."
"Master Erma, your concerns are well met. I have no reason to believe the message is false, for I have read it with my own two eyes." Riku raised an eyebrow at the statement and was about to voice his thoughts when the Grand Master spoke again. "I know you have doubts about a blind man reading, young man. When you live as long as I have, you find that with a bit of magic and good friends, nothing is impossible. The old Immortal also likes to send his letters with a little magical help." Riku wasn't quite sure what that meant, but decided not to voice any complaints.
"We shall hear your words now Silver." Gaiman's voice was rough and cold, all eyes locked on Riku's form. "Why have you really come?"
"Master Gaiman, Master Erma, and Grand Master Jace Asher." Riku said in his most clear tone, his brow beading with sweat. If there was one thing Riku hated, it was public speaking. "My name is Riku Asa. I come from the world of Destiny Islands, and two years ago, we lost our world to Darkness. I myself felt the tremendous power the Darkness held and accepted it graciously, and wanted more. I wanted the girl I loved, I wanted the power my best friend has, I wanted it all." Murmurs at Riku's back nearly caused him to stop, his heart was beating so fast he was afraid it would fly out of his chest. "I met a man who offered me more power than I could have ever dreamed, but it came with a price. He took possession of my body." Gasps could be heard, and more and more voices. Riku's breathing was coming out fast now. "His name was Xehanort, more specifically it was his Heartless that took control of me. My friend, and chosen Wielder of the Keyblade, Sora Hikari beat him and saved our world, all of the worlds! But I had to be the one who was left behind to see the job done. I was lost to Darkness, and now I wish to find my way to the Light." Riku took a deep breath and extended his right hand again and let Way to Dawn come forth again. Riku heard more gasps and sharp intakes of breath but paid them no mind. This was his Keyblade, his courage, his life. "I am the Keyblade Master of Darkness." He could hear steel sing against leather as swords were drawn. "But I don't want this power anymore." He stabbed his Keyblade down into the floor, an echo ensued throughout the long hall. "I want to find my way towards something better than Darkness! It only consumes more and more until there is nothing left! So please!" Riku went to one knee, his eyes focusing on the Grand Master's pale orbs. "Help me find the Light."
Minutes of silence passed, not a sound was heard in the great hall. Riku began to fear he had said to much. Why weren't they talking? After another 30 seconds, Riku heard the old man ask "What is the name of your Keyblade, Riku Asa?"
Riku glanced up at Jace Asher, and knew this was his moment. "The Way to Dawn." The laugh that barked out of the old man was full of mirth and joy.
"Well, it appears you found Dawn child. Welcome home."
KH:HD
"Grand Master!" Master Gaiman said to the smiling old man on the throne beside him. "We cannot simply let him in our order! It would forsake all of the ideals your father established."
"I am well aware of the ideals that my father created for our order." Jace Asher's blind eyes fell upon his subordinate with a coolness that caused the taller man to turn away. "Would you have me turn this boy away simply because of a Keyblade? He wishes to repent for his crimes as a warrior of Darkness and Avenge the fallen. Shall I turn him away and let the Darkness consume him again?"
"Your father-"
"My father is dead, and I shall soon join him in whatever plane of existence comes after this one. If I can save one more soul then my life is worth that." The Grand Masters words brought a smile to Riku's lips. A man who he had barely met was fighting for him to repent, that warmed Riku's heart more than anything.
"If you shall not follow the testaments of your father," Master Erma began, her eyes softening at the old man. "We still do not know if he has the strength of Heart to join us. At least allow us to test the boys abilities in battle."
"I shall supply a worthy opponent, and we shall see if the boy even has the capability of using the Dawn, or if he is too far gone." Gaiman's eyes fell on Riku, a mixture of fear and loathing within those eyes almost caused Riku to turn away.
"That would be up to the boy to decide." Jace Asher's voice was quiet, but all could hear it clearly. "I can see better than you, his Heart may be shrouded in Darkness, but there is still light, a pure light that is only waiting for its chance to revile itself."
"I'll fight." Riku said. He stood, his tall frame was straight as a spear and as still as stone. "I want to prove to all of you," He motioned to the entire room. "I want to prove to you that I'm worth your trust, that I have changed. I am ready to walk the path of Dawn."
"Very well." Jace nodded his head in approval. He waved a hand toward Master Gaiman. "Riku's opponent shall be chosen by you Salvador. Choose wisely."
Salvador Gaiman nodded his head in approval. "Thank you Grand Master. I call the Champion of this duel to be a warrior of the Paladin order." At once, half a hundred men stood at attention, their eyes locked forward. Riku noticed the familiar face of Invadii amongst the crowd. "I need only my finest warrior. I call forth my most elite fighter, one who has proven himself loyal and fierce in battle." Master Gaiman's eyes shone with pride. "I call down Invadii of Light to duel the Keyblade Master."
Riku wasn't too surprised, yet managed to act like it when Invadii stepped down and moved to Riku's side. "The fight has two rules." Master Erma announced. "Killing is prohibited, if any man, woman, or child is killed during the course of this fight you shall be executed on the spot. The last rule, should Riku win, he shall be allowed to train with our order for however long he likes, should Invadii win however, Invadii shall be raised to a Captain of the Paladin order, and the right hand of Master Gaiman." Riku and Invadii's eyes locked for a brief moment before returning to the three masters. "You may begin... Now."
Riku was already bringing Way to Dawn toward Invadii by the time she announced the word to begin. He felt his blade come into contact with Invadii's longsword in a clang of metal. Riku was a little surprised to find a sword, the speed at which Invadii drew it was unreal. Slight hesitation was all Invadii needed to gain the upper hand in the fight. He gripped the longsword with both hands and was constantly attacking to keep Riku from gaining ground or forming a counter attack. After parrying a blow to the chest, Riku punched the Avenger in the jaw, causing the young warrior to stumble. Riku immediately went to work, using a blast of darkness to keep his opponent moving, Riku ran in and began hacking away. Invadii managed to hold his ground and the two were at a standstill, both smiling at the others skill.
"I've gotta say," Invadii said as he broke the power struggle and sent Riku back, swinging horizontally at his chest. Riku danced away from the attack and began to charge a black fireball in his hand. "You're really skilled, but you're facing off with Dawn Magic now."
"Dark Firaga!" A massive black fireball shot from Riku's left hand with surprising power, rushing at the Avenger.
Invadii merely smiled and pointed his hand forward, it was flat and glowed gold for a moment. "Ray of Dawn!" A gold shaped beam cut through the dark flames and cut a gash in Riku's shoulder. As Riku backed away, Invadii charged more golden energy in the palm of his hand, a golden orb floating centimeters above it. "Shining Sun Blast!" He tossed the glowing ball at Riku's feet. Riku barely moved in time before a huge blast of golden energy enveloped him. As Riku escaped the blast, a large golden spear was hurdling towards him.
"Dark Shield!" A honeycomb shaped black shield appeared in front of Riku, yet when the spear connected with it, it tore right on through and nearly hit Riku's chest, barely managing to avoid it in time. As Riku was recovering, he saw Invadii smiling sheepishly at him.
"Guess we should have mentioned it before," He said, reaching behind him and removing his kite shield from his back. "Dawn energy is part Darkness, part Light. So when it comes into contact with a Dark source, it absorbs it and destroys it, same goes for Light energy. So in short," Invadii conjured up a second golden spear. "You lost this fight before you even knew it."
This isn't good. Riku saw everything as if it were in slow motion. The golden spear of Dawn energy moved towards him at pathetically slow speeds, yet Riku couldn't bring himself to move. What's happening? Is this what happens before you know you're dead?
You surrender far to easily child. Said a voice in his head, Riku's eyes widened to the size of saucers, he knew this voice. Are you truly going to surrender to death? You who had mastered the Darkness. We need to speak. Now. Riku felt himself fall back, but he knew his body was still as stone, he fell deeper and deeper inside himself.
KH:HD
Inside the Station of Awakening, Riku's feet touch the glass portrait of himself. The portrait showed himself in golden plate armor looking out over Destiny Islands, a Keyblade he didn't recognize in his right hand, while his left hand clasped a golden shield. The Keyblade in his right hand was a deep gold with black and red accents and near the bottom it was serrated like a saw , it's guard was a perfect circle with a golden sun set right below the blade. The Keychain was that of a golden Eye of Darkness. The blade was curved slightly and was at least four feet long, the teeth like that of a blazing red sun.
Around the original portrait were people who were close to Riku's Heart. He saw Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Roxas, Namine, a girl who looked like Kairi with black hair, Lizzy, Invadii, and a man with spiky brown hair that stretched to his shoulder blades with deep ocean blue eyes. Riku's eye also caught a blacked out picture of what he could only assume to be a woman.
"You have finally arrived here Riku." Said a voice that Riku knew all too well. His eyes finally found Xehanort's Heartless, far across the Station of Awakening, his amber eyes lit with disappointment.
"What do you want Xehanort?" Riku spat at the ghost in his Heart. "There's nothing we need to discuss."
"You are allowing this waste of space to drive you to the edge of death, and you think there is nothing to discuss?" Xehanort's Heartless chuckled lightly. "Just like your foolish friend, you have come so far and still learned nothing."
"I know a lot more than you think." Riku glared at the Heartless with burning hatred. "If you have nothing to say then let me go, I have a fight to win."
"If you continue this fight like this you shall only perish in flames."
"You don't know that!" Riku's fist was clenched tightly. "You think I'm the fool but you're the one who doesn't know anything!"
"I understand weakness more than you." Xehanort's Heartless stepped closer to the boy. "When you're enemy knows you have a weakness, he exploits it. But when your weakness is also your greatest strength, you crush everything in your path."
"You're asking me to give into the Darkness again?"
"I'm telling you to stop being so foolish. You have more power than anyone in that room, this entire world. Even if Dawn energy destroys Darkness, it cannot destroy a Darkness greater than itself." He smiled at Riku. "You wish to go towards your light, I say pursue it with all haste, but if you die here than all of this has been worthless; you have become worthless."
"I'm not going to become a slave of the Darkness."
"You need not become a slave, become it's master. Tap in to that power you have, you shall see what I mean then."
"Why are you trying to help me? You've never spoken up before." Xehanort's Heartless shrugged. "Why are you telling me to become a Warrior of Dawn?"
"Dawn energy is considered to be mostly Darkness with a powerful core of light. In most cases against Darkness, the Darkness brings in the Dawn energy, then is destroyed from the inside out. With a Darkness like yours, your powers of Dawn would be phenomenal, enough to destroy worlds one day. I'm more curious to see how this hypothesis of mine plays out." Riku nodded slightly, his eyes still filled with mistrust. "Defeat this idiot quickly with your Darkness, then become either its master or become a Warrior of Dawn, I care not which you choose."
"Alright, I'll win this fight, but after this I'm not going to deal with Darkness anymore." Xehanort shrugged yet again in a nonchalant way. "Send me back."
KH:HD
"What in the world?" Invadii's mouth fell as Riku's eyes opened and an aura of Darkness surrounded him. The spear struck home, and fizzled and died upon impact with the aura. "How did you-"
"Before I came here, I was a true Master of Darkness." Riku said, his black aura whipping around him. "Sorry, I don't have anymore time to waste fighting you." Invadii cried out and shot another Ray of Dawn at him. "Come Guardian!" From Riku's back formed Xehanort's Guardian, its arms crossed menacingly across its chest. It quickly moved to protect its master, and as the Ray of Dawn struck it, the Guardian didn't even budge as the ray faded to nothing.
"Impossible!" Master Gaiman shouted from his place near Grand Master Asher, who's face was unreadable as the fight progressed. "There's no way a Darkness that profound could exist within a child!"
"Dawn Striker!" A golden light encased Invadii's longsword as he charged towards the Guardian and its master. The sword was caught in the massive hand of the Guardian and golden light spilled out from the blade, yet did not cut the Guardian. In one fluid motion, it snapped the blade in half and punched the Avenger in the face, sending him flying backward and crashing into the marble floor.
"Its over." The Guardian flew behind Riku and he stepped toward the slowly rising form of the Avenger. Invadii got to his feet and wrenched the halberd on his back loose and tried to rush the Keyblade Wielder. Riku simply dodged the attack and sliced it in two with his Keyblade. Invadii looked in shock as Riku delivered a powerful kick to the ribs. As Invadii crashed to the floor, Riku placed his Keyblade at his throat while gazing down with pity in his eyes.
"I submit." Invadii growled out. Riku extended a hand to his opponent, who slapped it away in disgust. "All of that 'I'm no longer a slave to the Darkness' crap really was just a lie." Riku looked away from the Avenger in shame. "You're like that damn Guardian of yours. A monster."
Before Riku could speak, he heard a shout from the end of the hall. Master Gaiman and Master Erma were both shouting at the Grand Master. "He cannot be allowed to train here Jace!" Master Erma shouted. "Look at the sheer amount of Darkness the boy was able to generate!"
"He nearly killed my best soldier!" Master Gaiman shouted, spittle flying from his mouth. "Look at all of the destruction he caused!"
"I seem to recall a time where both of you had been lost to the Darkness as well." Jace Asher's voice was calm and steady, yet his white eyes spoke volumes of disappointment. "Both of you came here looking to find a home where Darkness wouldn't consume your essence, and my father had the good graces to let both of you in. He despised the Darkness more than anything and could have killed you on the spot, yet he took you in and trained you both for however long he could. He named you Masters and told me to confide in you if I ever were to have problems.
"This young man has proved himself more worthy than ever now." Jace's blind eyes fell on Riku's form. "He has a very profound Darkness, that is true. He did not harm a single person in this room however." The two shamed Masters did take a look at the citizens sitting in their seats. Although most looked terrified, not a drop of blood had been spilled. "Your warrior nearly killed a Keyblade Wielder as well. Had the boy not summoned the Dark Guardian, the Blazing Spear may have killed him." The Avenger next to Riku huffed in annoyance, clearly wishing now he had. "Do not take that attitude with me boy." Invadii's face went white and he stood at attention. "Had you killed this boy, we would have had to face the wrath of every Keyblade Wielder in the Realm of Light, be grateful most would spare you. Be terrified that one would not."
"We made an agreement that if Riku won, he could train here." Master Gaiman said softly, his face still lined with shame.
"We did indeed. Let's not have it said that the Avengers of Dawn were liars." Master Erma agreed, turning to face Riku. "Keyblade Master Riku Asa." Riku bowed his head. "You have bested our champion and we are honored to oblige our agreement. You shall train under a Master of Dawn Magics, there are the Paladins and the Clerics. Choose wisely."
Riku grasped his chin with his thumb and forefinger and glanced at the two. Neither one of these fools would be fit to clean your boots. Said the Heartless in Riku's Heart.
Two things: first of all I'm not wearing boots. He heard an exasperated sigh in his head in response. Second, I already know who I want to train me. "I choose Grand Master Asher to instruct me."
Jace Asher's face was alive with joy. "Very well." The old mans smile was contagious and all of the people in the hall carried some form of a smile on their faces. "Your training shall begin now. Clear the hall!"
KH:HD
Once the hall had been cleared, Riku stood before Jace's throne while the blind man stared at him. Riku shifted his feet uncomfortable under the old mans gaze. "Silver hair and aquamarine eyes." Jace muttered, catching Riku's attention. "A Keyblade in hand and a Darkness like no other. My final apprentice."
"Umm..." Riku couldn't understand what the old Master of Dawn was getting at.
"Those were the last words a good friend told me before she left." Riku raised an eyebrow as Jace chuckled lightly to himself. "I always thought the girl was as crazy as she looked. She always said that Nate would send an apprentice to us for training, never knew it would be in my lifetime though." He laughed a little harder, his eyes full of mirth. "I'm so glad I could lay my eyes on you again Dawn."
"What are you talking about?" Riku was beginning to wonder if the old man had lost his mind when he saw a flash of light and in the Grand Master's grasp was a Keyblade. No, not a Keyblade. Way to Dawn was in his grasp! "How did you-"
"My father carried a Keyblade once you know," The old man's eyes wondered across the surface of the mythical weapon. "He sustained a mortal blow that in the end killed him. People like to talk about how Steven Asher, oh mighty Dawn Wielder, built this castle with his own two hands when he arrived at Dawn. The facts get so jumbled up over time. My father was born here on Dawn, and ran into a man named Nathaniel of the Key when he was 12, and Nathaniel took the boy under his wing. My father had a prowess for Dawn magic, an art of combining the Darkness and Light in his Heart to defeat creatures of evil and proved an invaluable source. When he returned to Dawn after training with Nathaniel for 20 years, he found that his family had been killed, murdered for their meager possessions. He used his mighty power to stop the worlds motion, the sun never moves because of it.
"He did build this castle, but with the help of a few people. Nathaniel returned for a short while and aided in the construction efforts, and so did my mother. My mother was a kind woman who only wished the best for people, I truly believe that without her he never would have made it as long as he did. It took 30 years to complete construction of Castle Dawn, and I was a teenager at that point. A few years after my 30th birthday, my father was called upon to enter the fray of the Keyblade War, his powers were the only thing that could stop the encroaching Darkness. He returned at the end of the war sporting one less arm and missing an eye. What remained of his arm was blackened and tainted with a Darkness like no other, he had but a few years left. When the Age of Eternal Darkness came, my father was the first target of the force of Darkness known as Dedara. He died by the hand of the creature of Darkness, but not before passing his Keyblade onto me, Everlasting Dawn. Recently, she departed from my side to find a Wielder who needed her more than I, saying she would return with the boy.
"She changed her shape for you Riku, personalized herself to your Hearts preference. You should be honored." Jace smiled as Riku called back the Way to Dawn to his grasp. "She must like you a lot then."
"What in the world are you talking about? She? Keyblade War? Your Keyblade and the Age of Eternal Darkness? What's going on here?" He pointed the blade at Jace's face.
"A new age is on the horizon, I only wish I could live to see it." He sighed deeply, smiling sadly at Riku. "Enough of these old man's ramblings however, we must begin." Jace stood then, his back hunched over from age. The old mans eyes twinkled for a split second as they landed on the blade again. "You wish to step out of the shadows and into the dawn? To become its master and to stop the ever looming darkness in your Heart?"
Riku lowered the blade slowly to his side, answering slowly. "I said before that I am looking to become a master of Dawn yes."
"Then show me your Darkness again, let me see if you even have the Light left in your body to produce a spark of Dawn!" Riku nodded his head once and allowed his aura of Darkness to flare up again, an incredible blackness that filled a space of five feet with ease, a silhouette of the young Wielder could be seen through the storm of raging Darkness. "There it is!" Jace reached out a hand toward Riku's silhouette and a small light appeared. "Do not give in to your Darkness Riku, do not let it control you. Release the storm! Fill it with your Light! What do you fight for Riku? What brings you back from the Darkness?"
"My..." Riku's voice was almost silent among the roar inside his aura. His eyes widened when he found he couldn't disperse the energy around him. All he could see was the Darkness around him and a small blip of light in the center. He shouted a word he couldn't hear through the storm and was knocked back by a wind. Riku inched backwards as he was dragged slowly from the light. He shouted again and took a step forward, only to be knocked back again away from the light. Riku realized that it wasn't a wind shoving him back, but a large black hand.
"Get out of the way!" He shouted to the massive Guardian blocking his path, and in the extremely dim light, he saw the Guardian shake its head. Riku felt the familiar weight of Way to Dawn in his grasp. "If you don't move I'll make you!" As Riku lifted his arm to slash, he was grabbed from behind and pulled back, turning his head to see the Guardian pulling him further and further back. I should have been pulled out of my aura by now. Riku thought as he slammed the blade into the Guardians jaw, having no effect but making his arm go numb at the impact. It's pulling me down. Riku's eyes widened as he saw his Station of Awakening coming up to him very fast.
He felt the impact of hard glass on his face as he was thrown head first into the platform, sliding a few inches of just his face. Quickly picking himself up and turning to face the image of Xehanort's Heartless. "I thought you said you didn't care if I became a warrior of Dawn?"
Xeharnort's Heartless gave an affronted look at the accusation. "If you had bothered to look, that Guardian is not my doing." Riku shot him a quizzical look. "That's not my Darkness, it's yours." Riku looked over at the Guardian, who's feet just touched down. Wait, feet? Riku looked shocked at the new Guardian in front of him.
It stood on par with Xeharnort's Guardian, only it possessed power legs and it's arms were thick with dark muscle. It's face was more human than beast, sporting a shadowed face that resembled Riku's, with bright yellow eyes. On its chest were two white stitching's of Keyblades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion, crossed. The mighty Guardian crossed its arms around its massive chest.
"It seems your Darkness is upset that you wish to lessen its power." The Heartless observed as Riku's Darkness nodded its head. "To gain access to your light you need to beat this beast, simple as that."
"So if you have a form, where's my Light?" The Guardian pointed towards its chest and a small light shone through. "So you're the incarnation of my Darkness and Light?" The Guardian nodded and took up its original position. "So you wanna fight then? Alright lets do this!" Riku charged the mighty Guardian and slammed his Keyblade against its face, flying back after the attack didn't phase it, and jumping back to strike it repeatedly in the chest. After none of his attacks got through he blasted it with searing black fire, which only brought a smile to beasts face.
"Charging into a fight with no idea with what you're going to do is pitiful indeed." Riku glared at the unwanted guest and shot him a rude gesture involving his middle finger. "Heads up." Riku turned to see the massive black fist smashing into his face and sending him flying, recovering in the air to land and begin a new rush at his Darkness.
"Dark Thundaga!" Bolt of black lightning struck against it and it only smiled again. It charged again and Riku managed to get a honeycomb barrier in time to divert the fist that smashed through, throwing it off just enough to send it off course. Riku took advantage of this and slashed at the Guardian, the blade bouncing off of its armor. "Why can't I hurt you?" His rage getting the better of himself as he slammed his fist into its face, hearing a sickening crunch and pain flaring from his hand. Jumping back and cradling his now injured hand, whispering curse words softly to himself.
"Isn't it obvious what needs to be done here Rik?" Said a voice from behind. Riku turned his head to the source of the new voice and saw a girl no older than 20 standing there, long golden hair tied into a pony tail that stretched down to the center of her back, her deep sea green eyes capturing Riku's for a moment. She wore a golden blouse and a pair of tight sky blue pants and high heels. "You gotta use Dawn to beat him."
"Who are you?" Riku said as he turned back to his opponent that was now standing still, arms crossed over its chest. "And what do you mean, I'm trying to beat this thing to cast Dawn."
"I see you consistently get brick walled by that Guardian. You aren't using the right attacks." The woman said as the Guardian charged at Riku yet again. "Hey Xehanort, wanna do me a favor and hold that guy off while I talk to Rik for a minute?"
"Of course you enlist my help." The Heartless grumbled as he summoned his own Guardian and ordered it to stop the charging Darkness. Xehanort's Guardian immediately moved to intercept the other Guardian, stopping it cold in its tracks. "Make it quick, I'm not going to do this forever."
The young girl ran to Riku's side and observed his broken hand. "You're so careless Rik. It's your only problem." She said as she let golden light flow from her hands and Riku's wound stitched up. "Don't let Faylinn find out I did that." She whispered quickly, her face growing nervous. "She'd have me go back to rest for at least 50 years for that."
"Who's Faylinn? What are you talking about?" Riku asked as he clenched and unclenched his hand.
"No one important." She said, giving him a cutesy grin and look over. "You're much more attractive than I first gave you credit for, I mean holy crap! You are ripped!" She reached over and pinched his arm and squealed like a young girl. "Man I sure know how to pick em!"
"Who are you?" Riku stared in shock at the attractive young woman.
"Right right right." She blushed deeply and turned away muttering "I'm so bad at introductions, come on get it together." She turned around suddenly and spread her legs to a horse stance and hands on her hips. "I'm Dawn! Nice to meet ya Rik!"
Something clicked in his head as he glanced down at his Keyblade. "Dawn? Jace mentioned a Dawn that he used to be friends with before she left to find me."
"I'm the very same! You know me better as Way to Dawn, and I must say, your grip on me is very attractive." She winked as he blushed and gave her a shocked look. "And you suck at fighting Darkness. Who uses Dark Magic against something that is Darkness, that's not a Heartless. That's your Darkness that's feeding off of your Darkness... If that makes any sense. You have to fuel your light to free it from that cage."
"I don't know how to free my light." Riku said, turning his head to see the stalemate between the two Guardians of Darkness. "My Darkness is too strong to beat head on."
"Jace asked a really good question before you came here." Dawn said as she rested her hand on his shoulder. "What do you fight for? What pulls you from the Darkness?" Riku stood stiff for a moment. "What is your light?"
"My... Friends." Riku said, and closed his eyes and their faces flooded his mind. "They always believed in me, even when I had given up hope, given into the Darkness." A roar filled the air as Riku's Dark Guardian was pushed back as the spot of light grew slightly. Riku ignored the roar and continued. "My light... It's them. All of them! They bring me back every time, and they deserve more than I give, but I swore to always protect my friends! My light!" Riku's eyes flew open and shouted. "I've got this." Xehanort's Heartless nodded appreciatively as he moved away from the raging Dark Guardian.
It roared again as it's yellow eyes found Riku's, the light shining from its chest covering the majority of its chest. "You want me to be a slave to the Darkness. I understand. That's where we've always been since Dad died. Even around others, we knew down that we were alone in the dark." The Guardian growled at Riku and took a tentative step forward. "But it's not like that anymore. We have Sora and Kairi to always be there. They are our light, and if I have to beat you to prove to you that I'm right. Then prepare to lose." It roared and charged at Riku, who closed his eyes and lifted his left hand up. "I no longer walk the path of Darkness! I now walk to road to Dawn!" Golden light appeared in the center of the Guardian as it's fist was about to connect with Riku's face. They stared one another down, then Riku plunged his hand into the golden light.
A cheer from Dawn echoed throughout the Station and a small smile from Xehanort's Heartless as one final roar ensued from the Dark Guardian that was slowly dissolving. "Excellent job Rik!" Dawn cried to Riku's back. "I knew there was a good reason I picked you."
"Why do I feel so warm inside?" He asked quietly as he stumbled a little, his face showing extreme exhaustion.
"That's your Heart accounting for all the light you have now, Darkness is cold ya know."
"Is that... So?" Riku said as he passed out flat on his face. Xehanort's Heartless laughed at the sight as Dawn rushed to his side.
"The boy has more power than I thought possible." Xehanort's Heartless observed after a few moments of laughter. "He may prove more valuable to the new era than I had anticipated, that is if they survive Xeph."
"They'll have to if things are going the way they are at this time." Dawn said, looking over Riku to see if he was injured. "At this point, we very well may see a rebirth of the Age of Eternal Darkness, and we'll definitely need Riku if we want to survive." She looked over to the Heartless and gave him a quizzical look. "How do you know so much about the new era?"
"Anyone who plays a game like this needs to know all possible outcomes." Xehanort's Heartless said, giving a mischievous smile. "And anyone who wants to win knows how to play the game effectively. Send him back."
KH:HD
"Grand Master!" Said the panicked voice of Invadii of Light as he stared into the black void that all but covered half of the entrance all. "Shouldn't we do something about this?"
"Is Rik okay?" Lizzy shouted from behind her would-be brothers leg, looking horrified at the mass of swirling black Darkness.
"I have a feeling Riku is just fine, he's just progressing further than I expected in such a short amount of time." Jace said, his eyes clouded over with golden light. "He's already reaching the stages masters must face."
"He's combating his Darkness?" Invadii asked, his face lined with worry. "But he can't even cast simple Dawn Magic yet, how can he hope to match a Darkness like that?"
The old man smiled as he saw Riku's light grow ever so slightly. "He has help, help from an old friend of mine."
"Well well well, it appears my old apprentice is subdued for the moment." Said a sinister voice from across the hall. In a blaze of green flames, Maleficent appeared, her green eyes alight with madness. "What a delightful predicament. This will prove very good to Xeph when I bring him the head of Riku Asa."
"Who are you?" Invadii shouted as he drew the longsword from his belt, grabbing his shield with his left hand. "What do you want with Riku?"
"Ah Maleficent." Jace said as he suddenly remembered the name. "You're the Witch who attempted to take over the Realm of Light and was stopped by the Chosen Wielder. What grounds do you believe you can enter my castle and threaten my apprentice?"
"Under the grounds that I plan to eradicate your silly little castle and all of those on this world." Jace's face was cold then, his normally happy face clouded by anger. "What do you intend to do to stop you you senile old fool?"
"You've taken this to far Maleficent. The day this castle falls is the day the Seven Spirits destroy it." Jace's hands glowed a deep gold for a moment. "If you can best me, then you can best anyone in this castle."
"With pleasure." Maleficent charged a green fireball above her head when the force of pitch black Darkness became a torrent of gold light with Riku at it's core. "What is he doing?"
"Incredible." Invadii said breathlessly, his eyes wide with wonder. "He's ascended to a masters level."
"So pretty." Lizzy said with awe as she gazed into the golden light. "It's like staring into the sun, only it doesn't hurt my eyes."
"Maleficent." Riku's voice rang clear as the aura of Dawn faded and reviled Riku in a new set of clothes. He wore a black vest with a gold shirt underneath, his jeans were now a darker shape as well, almost black with seams that were red. He also wore fingerless gloves with Oathkeeper and Oblivion crossed on the backs. He wore shoes that resembled Sora's, only not overly large. He crossed his arms across his chest as he glared at the witch. "You came for me right? Well here I am. If you want my head, come and get it."
"You believe for even a moment that you can face me and live?" Maleficent asked, her smile growing. "I'll destroy you in an instant!" She flung the massive green fireball at her old apprentice, who raised his hand and golden light manifested itself into a great barrier. The fireball didn't even make the barrier shimmer for all the good it did. "So you've learned how to use the Dawn have you?"
"You're just catching on aren't you? I always knew you were an idiot." Maleficent scowled as Riku summoned Way to Dawn to his grasp. "Allow me to demonstrate. Ray of Dawn!" His left hand glowed with golden light as the beam of condensed Dawn collided with Maleficent's barrier, which crumbled and the beam sliced through her shoulder, bringing a cry of pain to her lips. "I owe knowing how to do that by observing Invadii over there." Riku flashed the Avenger a smile.
"Insolent fool!" Maleficent shouted at the Keyblade Master. "You dare to think yourself greater than me?"
"I don't think, I know I'm stronger than you. I'm done with you and the Darkness, I know which is stronger now. Light always surpasses Darkness. And I'm what's in between, I am the Dawn!"
"If you believe yourself so mighty. Then try and defeat one of my new Heartless!" As she finished her sentence, a massive Heartless sprung up from the ground. It stood 10 feet tall and had massive horns that allowed an extra three feet to its height, it's face looked like a beasts and had blood red eyes with pupils of yellow. It's was as wide a bus, taking up six feet in width of all muscle, two large black wings on its back that had a wing span of 12 feet. The Heartless insignia on it's massive chest.
Riku's eyebrows shot up at the sight of the gigantic Heartless and his jaw fell slightly. "These are my Deamon Heartless. Please do enjoy yourself Riku." Maleficent cackled as she vanished from the world and the Deamon Heartless roared with a challenge to Riku.
"Invadii, get them-" Before Riku could finish, the Deamon moved faster than something of its size should be allowed to move and sent the Wielder flying with a punch to the chest. "Out of here." Riku wheezed as he landed on the hard marble floor. He was about to move to get up when the Deamons foot stomped him further into the floor. "For the love of-" Riku managed to get up a barrier of Dawn before the Deamons foot could stomp on him again. "Forget what I said before, get this thing off of me!"
"Shining Sun Blast!" Shouted Invadii and a blast of golden light blew the Deamon Heartless away from Riku. "If anyone here is going to beat Riku. It's me!" Riku shot up from the small crater he was in and charged his blade with Dawn energy as Invadii rushed in doing the same.
"Dawn Striker!" The two teens shouted as their blades cleaved into the massive chest of the Deamon. Dawn energy flooded the across the long gashes across its chest, allowing another roar to ensue.
"Hey Riku," Invadii began as he summoned a large golden spear appeared in place of his sword. "Check this out. Blazing Spear!" As he threw the golden spear, flames rippled up and down its shaft as it pierced the Deamons body.
"Not bad, not bad." Riku smiled as he allowed his left hand to glow with Dawn energy. "But watch this. Fist of the Golden God!" His fist shot out and a large golden hand flew out and struck the Heartless sending it flying back. "Not bad for a rookie huh?"
"Grand Master..." Said Lizzy as she stood behind the old man who was smiling at the two Warriors of Dawn. "I'm scared."
"You are a very smart girl to be afraid, you've seen a lot in a short amount of time." The old man looked down at the young girl. "These two are not in any danger however, both are incredibly skilled and are merely testing their strengths, it was very fortunate Maleficent donated a Heartless to experiment on."
"You ready Riku?" Invadii asked as they grinned at the nearly beaten Heartless.
"Think you can keep up with me?" Riku asked as they bumped fists and charged up golden energy. "So I do it like this?"
"You're a natural, just let it flow out a little more and don't tense up." Riku nodded as the two pointed their left hands at the Deamon.
"Golden."
"Dawn!"
"Barrage!" Thousands of orbs of shining golden light flew from the duo's hands, flying and colliding with the massive Heartless."Finish it Riku!"
"You got it!" Riku jumped high into the air, his Keyblade charged with Dawns light. "Dawn Slicer!" He swung the Keyblade and a wave of Dawn energy flew at the Heartless, slicing the creature in half with ease. A roar of defeat left its jaws as it faded into nothing, a shining blue Heart flouted out of the decaying corpse.
"Riku! Invadii!" Said the excited voice of Lizzy as she ran towards the two teens. Invadii looked fresh and ready to go, yet Riku looked as if he was going to collapse at any second. "You two are the best!" She ran and tackled herself against Invadii's legs and after a brief hug did the same to Riku, who fell over from the contact. "Rik?" She asked worriedly as he stared up at the ceiling. "You okay?"
"Fighting what is essentially the equivalent of two boss fights in one day does wonders for making people want to pass out."
"I'm very proud of the two of you. Excellent work." Said Jace Asher as he moved to Riku's side, smiling lightly at the two. "You have two weeks of training with me. Rest up Riku Asa, you are most certainly going to need it."
KH:HD
Riku stood at attention at the stairs beneath Jace's throne, his face an emotionless mask. In the chamber were Invadii, Lizzy, Master Gaiman, Master Erma, and Grand Master Jace Asher. Two weeks had gone by relatively quick for the Keyblade Master, rising at 4 in the morning to learn Dawn Magic with Jace until 7 am where he trained with the paladin order. 11 am was a quick lunch then it was back to Dawn Magic training with the Grand Master. At 5 pm, Riku would train with the clerics for defensive spells and healing purposes of Dawn energy. He was supposed to be in bed at 9 pm to rest up for the next day, but he would let his body and mind rest while he dove inside his Heart for some conversations with his Keyblade spirit.
At first the overload of work had been a lot for Riku to deal with, but when his body adjusted to the new training regime, it came as simple as breathing. "Your two weeks here have increased your knowledge and power by leaps and bounds, and your presence has given the men a moral boost like none before." Jace said as he smiled down at the Wielder of Dawn. "I am proud to call you my apprentice."
Riku bowed deeply at the compliment. Behind him, the two double doors shone bright with light and opened to revile Nathaniel, Sora, and Kairi. Riku turned to his friends and noticed their new attire.
Sora was not in his usual black clothing, it was now a deep crimson that looked familiar to the valor form, only a shade darker. On his gloves were the same stitched Keyblades that Riku himself possessed.
Kairi was now dressed in a sky blue shirt that had a small breast plate hanging from just above her breasts to just below her ribs, a crown with a heart carved in the middle shining in the center of the breast plate. She also wore a silver plate skirt that hung down to the middle of her thigh, a pair of deep pink leggings covered everything down to her knees. She also wore a heart shaped pendant around her neck. She also wore fingerless gloves with the same design as his own and Sora's.
The couple ran to embrace their friend, who hugged them both in turn. "It's been a while you two. Glad to see I wasn't the only one to get some new duds."
"Nice look Riku, it's very dark and mysterious." Kairi joked as she punched his shoulder with surprising strength, causing Riku to wince in pain.
"Yeah I was a little surprised too." Sora said as he punched Riku's other shoulder, causing the silver haired teen to wince again. "We've both improved a lot in two weeks."
"Hey me too." Riku punched both of their shoulders and they both nearly fell back. They all laughed for a moment before Riku motioned to the group behind him. "These are the people who've been helping me since I got here. Meet Invadii of Light, Lizzy Shozu, Master Salvador Gaiman, Master Erica Erma, and Grand Master Jace Asher."
Most nodded or bowed in the direction of the Wielders, but Lizzy ran up to examine Kairi and Sora. "Hey Rik, I thought you said Sora was a big idiot? He looks really cool!" Sora looked at Riku with mocked shock as Lizzy looked over to Kairi. "And she's even prettier than you said Rik."
"Aww." Kairi said as she leaned over to the girls level. "You're really pretty too, and Sora is as big an idiot as Riku said, he's just my idiot." They laughed as Sora placed a hand over his heart and asked what he did to deserve that.
"Alright kids, settle down." Said the joyful voice of Nathaniel of the Key. They all turned as he walked over to Jace Asher and patted the old mans shoulder. "You don't look a day over 100 Jace." This brought laughter to the old mans lips. "Sorry to force an apprentice onto you, but I'm very appreciative that you trained him. You have my gratitude."
"It was no trouble my old friend." Jace said as he gazed up at the immortal. "You look the same as ever by the way." Nathaniel snorted back laughter and turned to leave.
"Aww Rik are you sure you have to go?" Lizzy pouted at Riku, putting on her most adorable face. "You sure you can't stay here?"
Riku laughed and mussed up her hair like he always did. "I'm sorry Liz, but I'll be back to visit you and old knuckle-head over there. That's a promise, and remember, I don't break my promises."
"Right." She hugged him tight and tears slipped down her face. "Don't forget, you have to come back, you promised and you don't break promises."
"Well Riku, it's been fun, but you do have to come back so I can kick your sorry butt one of these days." Invadii said as he bumped fists with Riku. "You're not allowed to die while you're out there, only I can beat you. Swear to me you guys won't lose."
"I swear." Riku said, then turned to the three Masters of Dawn. "Thank you all for everything you've done for me, I promise to not let these skills go to waste."
"It was out pleasure Riku." Jace said, bowing his head to his apprentice. "Remember, you're journey is difficult and will bring much pain, but you are the shining star that brings light to all of those who cower in shadows. You will always have a home here, Master Riku of Dawn."
Riku nodded and turned to leave with his friends, Nathaniel opening the door to the In-Between. "Where to next?" Riku asked as they entered the brightly lit hall.
"Well we need a new Gummi Ship, so we're traveling to Radiant Garden to ask Cid for help." Sora said, smiling over at his best friend. "How'd your training go Rik?"
"Yeah Rik." Kairi taunted, giggling at the nickname. "How was training with those guys?"
"Eh, nothing terribly exciting happened."
Hello hello hello readers! I'm late as always, but hey, you've come to expect this from me by now haven't you? If you're new here, expect me to be late 99% of the time. Any who, this chapter was an absolute thrill to write! I loved every moment of writing this, it was so much fun to get to introduce new characters and Riku's Keyblade Spirit. Too much fun.
In other news, I have been admitted to my states university and am incredibly busy with classes, so I will try my damnedest to get chapters out quickly and make them presentable for you, my loyal and avid readers. Thank you guys so much for reading, reviewing, following this story and all of that other fun stuff. It means so much to me that I actually get readers as awesome as you guys. If you guys want more fun with me, go to my facebook page and click like, the link is in my profile. Once I get a few more likes, I'll be consistently updating on a weekly basis or when I feel like updating. It'd mean so much to me.
Alright guys, I should stop rambling and get to the part you all actually enjoy. Preview time!
We've heard about the Legion, we've seen Riku become a Warrior of Dawn, but what about the two separated lovers? What forms of training did they go through in the two weeks they had?
Find out on the conclusion to the Fruits of Training: Light!
"I'll win, I'll win for them, not for myself. I'll win because I have too!"
Sora Hikari.
"Beat me down and I'll keep getting up. I'm not some fragile little girl, I'm a Keyblade Wielder! So give me your worst, I'll take it all and dish it right back at you!"
Princess Kairi Haru.
The Doctor, Signing Off.