Alright folks. Because this chapter is so darn long, I've split it into two parts. Hope that's alright…XD; Anyway, part one basically closes up loose ends of the previous chapter before setting things up for part 2, which ahs three fights going on at once. Ouch. x.x Anyway…
Chapter 17 Part 1: Storming the Castle
The basement of Merlin's house was a peculiar place. The walls were bland, lacking much decoration, being brown in color, and there were countless cupboards lining the vicinity. The floor was hard and somewhat creaky, as if the wood had been rotting for a very long time, and there was but a single light up above. It wasn't much, that was for sure, but regardless, it was a decent enough place to discuss important matters involving Sora himself. This was why Yen Sid, Merlin, the Godmother, Donald, and Goofy all stood, gathered around the unconscious teenager, observing his blackened form.
The poultry mage shrugged, looking down towards the Keybearer with a frown on his beak. He had explained almost all of the occurrences with Sora since they had found him back in Twilight Town. During this whole explanation, the others remained silent, listening intently on how the duck elaborated on each event, from the attack at the train station, all the way to witnessing both Roxas and Axel being mauled by the corrupt teenager. Why, the feathery magician even mentioned the little things, like the way he walked around on all fours like an animal at times. This vivid summary was more than enough to give Yen Sid and the others a picture in their minds that would last.
Yen Sid himself gazed down at Sora's sleeping form, his forehead creased and his eyes narrow. It was clear by his somber expression that he was focusing very intently on the teenager, observing his every motion, the swiping movements of his arms in his rest, his slight twitching, among other things. At the same time, Donald and Goofy wore worried expressions. To them, it was just so disturbing how someone so strong hearted could stoop to this level, becoming a fierce monstrosity, complete with a craving for hearts. The sorcerer could sense this tension in them, and he turned his bearded face towards them.
"His state is far worse than I had imagined," he explained, stroking his chin. "Not even my sorcery has enough strength to recover him completely…" He took a moment to peer down at him before returning his gaze to the two lackeys of the King. "For whatever reason, it seems that Organization XIII has truly caused that darkness buried deep within the bowels of his being to awaken and manifest itself within the boy… In order to cure him, it will require far more than mere magic tricks." Donald shrugged at this, realizing that this DID make sense. After all, magic couldn't solve EVERYTHING in the world.
Shaking his head in disapproval, the fowl said, "So what do we do? There's gotta be a way to knock some sense into him!" Simply leaving Sora like this was no good, and even a hot head like Donald knew this. There had to be a logical way to help him…somehow. However, the three fellow magicians didn't look so content about this. Their visages were all tense, puzzled, and all around unpleasant. This was far more than they could handle, as it was more than a spell or curse.
For a moment, the room remained quiet, as the trio of magic folk quietly huddled together, whispering amongst themselves, Yen Sid being the leader of the conversation, so to speak. The threesome spoke of Sora's condition, a means of keeping him restrained, and also any possible way of researching a cure. All the while, the poultry mage and the defender simply exchanged puzzled glances, the former tapping his large webbed foot. Just what were they up to, and why was it so secret? Both couldn't help but wonder why this had to be kept secret…
"Gawrsh," Goofy pondered quietly to his comrade, as he watched this sight before him, "I wonder what they're talkin' about. Hope it's good, though." Nodding, the feathery ball of fury scowled, a tad annoyed by this. This whole ordeal was taking far too long, and they had a mission to attend to for crying out loud! Why couldn't things be quick and easy?
He sighed, replying, "Who knows? But I'm getting tired of this! Who KNOWS what the King would say?!" Goofy giggled at this, but aside from that, he remained pretty quiet. At this, Donald merely rolled his large, sky blue eyes, turning his attention back to his fellow mages. This time when he looked, though, he found that they were no longer whispering amongst themselves, but rather, they were all focused on Sora, their wands, or in Yen Sid's case, merely his hands, at the ready to perform some sort of spell. Hopefully, to Donald at least, it would be something useful…
Smiling at the two assistants of King Mickey, the Fairy Godmother exclaimed, "Now, dearies, we've decided to use a spark of magic on the poor child for the time being." She turned her attention back to the teenager, while she waited for the approving gesture. When Yen Sid simply nodded, she, along with her colleagues, stepped back slightly, the two with the wands waving said sticks while the sorcerer merely waved hands. Upon doing so, a strange, periwinkle source of light began to form, starting as an orb and becoming a beam of sorts. When it was at its highest concentration, it flew towards Sora.
Said magic began to circle the boy, forming what appeared to be a spherical shape. Both Donald and Goofy simply watched this, as the aura became more and more solid, starting to look as if it were a bubble of sorts, complete with a surreal gleam. However, there was a profound source of power emanating from this strange circle, almost like it was keeping anything from going out or in. This, of course, was a type of shield which clearly was being used to contain Sora, considering his aggressive behavior.
Still, this was incredible. By the looks of things, this barrier was strong enough to even prevent the portaling that nobodies and heartless specialized in. The reason it was so strong was obviously due to the fact that three master magicians had pitched in for this high concentration of power. Eyes wide, Sora's two pals could only stare in awe at this. What could they say? It was, well, a sudden surprise if anything…
Curious, Donald strutted towards the barrier with fascination. He took his mage staff and made an attempt to whack the shield. However, upon making contact with the bubble, said weapon bounced back, hitting the talking poultry in the face. Groaning, he lifted it again, this time with the tip glowing red with heat. He was pretty much just trying to see how strong it was. But, when the weapon, flame spell and all, recoiled once more, the fowl surrendered. "WAH!" he shouted, a tad irritated, yet impressed all the same. "How…how did ya do that?!"
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Leon continued stepping closer to Axel, his arms crossed and his scarred visage painted with suspicion. Just the mere fact that a member of Organization XIII had been traveling with Donald and Goofy just didn't seem right to him. His deep, intelligent eyes were fixed on the Flurry of the Dancing Flames, skimming him over, from top to bottom, just to make sure he wasn't carting around a weapon. Both of his fists were clenched tightly, ready to do anything drastic, if the nobody were to recoil. To say the least, Squall Leonheart was apprehensive and prepared to stop any madness inside the premises.
Axel, of course, was unphased by the movements and seemingly fearsome glare of Leon. Instead of looking even slightly bothered, he simply stood in place, a smug grin spread widely across his facade, as he was very amused by the aggression the young adult was directing towards him. When Roxas shot him uncertain glances, VIII simply shrugged, not worried about this. "Sheesh," he said, crossing both of his lean arms, keeping his composure, "I just get here and you start jumping at me like I'm some threat. Not that I'm safe or anything, but c'mon, you'd think the King's lackeys would know who to trust. Got it memorized?"
"Don't mess with me, nobody!" Leon snapped in return, clearly unamused by Axel's nature. He stepped even closer to the tall, lean being, until he was just a foot away, staring directly at his jade eyes. Despite being shorter, the young man still looked as dangerous as ten daggers stabbing someone in the gut, cutting them to bits. He growled at his adversary, adding, "I know all about you and your Organization! You fill our town with heartless and send in the Tonberries to keep us in place! It's bad enough that you became empty shells, but you're putting everyone else in danger!"
Roxas shifted uncomfortably behind Axel, as he watched his closest friend simply tease and taunt the leader of the committee as if he were a mere kid. Something just told the young teenager that there would be a HUGE problem if Leon got ticked enough. At this, he cringed slightly before gazing around the rest of the room. To his surprise, the others weren't so fond of this either. Aeris and Scrooge both muttered to each other about the temper problems of Leon's, and how he needed to take more things into consideration, while Yuffie and Cid just stared, unsure of what to do. At least, thought the Key of Destiny, sighing with relief, I'm not the only one who thinks they're both going too far here…
"Look, I aint here to argue," Axel continued, rolling his narrow, cat-like eyes, still keeping his cool, for the most part. "I'm here with the kid, Roxas. We're best friends. Got it memorized? I can't help it if I used to hang with the wrong crowd." This was true, in a sense. Just because the pyromaniac had once been a member of the Organization didn't mean that he was still a cold, relentless beast, so to speak. Rather, he was merely a sarcastic kinda guy who was a bit clever. "If you don't believe me, ask him yourself."
Looking down towards Roxas, Leon asked, "Is this true, Roxas?" At this, the blonde merely nodded, a tad unnerved by all this.
"Yeah," he replied, looking towards the Gunblade wielder, "we really are best friends." He looked towards Axel for a moment, finding his pal simply smirking away. "Sure, he looks like a member of Organization XIII, but…uh…he's not. He just…well, he has the same taste in clothing. Nothing to stress over, really." Shrugging, he went back to being quiet, as he observed Leon simply looking towards VIII, and back to him. On the plus side, however, he DID seem to be a bit less tense about the red head.
Finally, Leon said, "Alright. I'll trust you, since you were a help last time you were here…" He still was suspicious about Axel, sure, but if Roxas could openly say that he was his best friend, then why bother hating? Besides, the dual wielder HAD been a help before, and even though he too was a bit odd, there was no point in quarreling over such meager things. "Anyway," he added, "I was going to talk to you about Sora and some other things, but I guess right now isn't the best time…"
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Outside, in the Borough, things were far from social. Not a single being stood in the road, nor were there any heartless, Tonberries, or the likes. Each of the barren buildings stood still, like statues, without even a single light, aside from Merlin's, of course, and even the air seemed cold and lifeless. Riku was surprised, to say the least, that this was the same Hollow Bastion he had visited a year ago, back when he had done so many wrongs. It was just…the whole atmosphere seemed so different that it was almost like a brand new place!
Sighing, the sixteen year old found himself strolling along the barren streets, the wind blowing his head of silver locks back, his bangs tossed astray as he ambled closer to what appeared to be a lone house a few yards away. For a moment, he paused, his yellowed eyes examining the sight before him. He raised a gloved hand to his forehead, and attempted to get a better view. Now, from what he could see, there was a hat-shaped building, with smoke coming from the chimney, meaning that at least the place was packed, but that wasn't all he saw. Rather, sitting outside the door was a blocky, though somewhat sleek, structure, clearly visible due to its vibrant red colors. Obviously this was nothing short of a Gummi ship, considering the cubed shape and design.
Heh, he thought as he proceeded towards the cabin in the distance, I guess they're closer than I thought. Leave it to Sora's friends to be just plain obvious. From what Riku had seen of Donald and Goofy, even if it hadn't been much at all, they did seem like the rather naïve types at times. Then again, this was very likely due to the fact that they hung out with Sora on a constant basis, which was enough to drive ANYONE crazy, really. Either way, Riku was glad to have finally found the right place, though one could say that he wasn't too eager to intrude on whatever was going on indoors.
It didn't take much longer for the teen to find himself a few feet from the house, and the Gummi ship which looked as if it had just been set outside; the Borough wasn't exactly the hugest place in Hollow Bastion, after all. Riku took a moment to glance to the house and back to the vehicle, debating on what to do. He had two options, really. One was to simply barge in regardless, but that would likely cause an unnecessary uproar. This concept made him shake his head in disapproval. As for the other choice…well, what Riku could do is open the Gummi Ship, sneak into the back, and wait for the others to stop at a world. It would work decently enough.
Eyeing the door, Riku reached out for the handle, gripping it tightly, only to find that it was unlocked, fortunately. He gave a slight sigh of relief all before opening up the cockpit entrance and peering inside the large vehicle. To say the least, he was surprised, mostly because he had never seen a Gummi Ship before. The way all of the various buttons, each with their own shape and color, were arranged, or even the way the wide radar screen beeped was totally new. Curiosity aside, though, the sixteen year old stepped inside hastily, slamming the door behind him. Now all he'd have to do was find a proper hiding place for the time being…
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"Ok, everybody, looks like it's time to be movin' on!"
Out of the basement stairway stepped both Donald and Goofy. From the looks of things, however, they weren't the most satisfied with whatever had occurred. The poultry mage wore an unamused frown, accompanied with a strange, irate glimmer in his eyes. Goofy too wasn't so chipper either, simply looking a tad mellow, his large eyes scanning the scenery. Both Roxas and Axel could only ponder over what had just gone on in that basement. After all, one would think that three magicians would be able to handle Sora. Of course, this was clearly not the case.
Roxas tilted his head of spiked blonde hair, a tad puzzled. Was he missing something? Why, both of the King's lackeys hadn't even mentioned Sora, just that they were going to leave! In an attempt to figure out what was up, the fifteen year old exclaimed, "Wait a sec! We're here for, what? A half hour? Yet, here you guys are, leaving already? I guess that Sora's stuck like this, huh?" When both Donald and Goofy nodded, the Key of Destiny gave a slight groan. Why did things have to be so difficult? That's one thing he just didn't get…
Like his pal, Axel wasn't amused either. All he wanted was to take Roxas somewhere AWAY from the Keybearer, so they could just hang out like they used to without any interruptions, and yet here he was, being dragged along on some 'goody goody' mission without a say in any of this. He stepped towards the duo, shaking his head. Things just weren't going the way he had expected, to say the least. "So," he said, "we're just giving up? C'mon, how're we supposed to cure the kid if we just flee like cowards? Makes no sense, if you ask me…"
Donald merely shook his feathered head at the nobody's remark and replied, "No, no. It's not like that. Master Yen Sid and the others are gonna be researching a cure for Sora, and they told us to go ahead and finish up our mission back at the Beast's castle. We DID leave without stopping Organization XIII…" Goofy nodded, his muzzle coated in a pleasant smile, as he stood there next to his pal.
"Yup!" he added, giving a slight chuckle. "We're gonna go on back to that other world and help 'em! But…uh…" He stopped for a moment, looking downwards towards Donald, somewhat puzzled. There was one thing that they failed to take note of, and that was a Gummi Ship. Sure, they could easily go by portal, but that would probably be too obvious. So, the canine simply mumbled, "Gawrsh, Donald, how're we gonna get outta here when we left the ship back in Twilight Town? 'Cuz, once Sora's back to normal, we won't be able to go by portal. Nope, we're gonna have ta do things the hard way. A-hyuck!"
A creaking sound could be heard from behind, as Cid spun around in his chair, facing the group, a smug look on his face. "Don't you be worrying about any old ship," he explained, rolling his eyes. "I've gotcha set up with one of my latest models outside. Flies like a bird, she does. A real beauty too. You should be glad I'm this generous in offerin' you another Gummi, though," here he stopped and narrowed his gaze. "You've already held me up with all yer crazy piloting! Next time, you're on yer own."
Nodding, Donald simply exclaimed, "Thank GOODNESS!" with a salute. "I was starting to worry about even MORE delay in the mission!" He turned to Goofy, who was giggling with glee. It certainly WAS a good thing to have Cid around.
"Thank ya, Cid!" shouted the canine, heading towards the door. "Guess I'll just have to remind Donald not ta mess around." The duck sent a glare at his friend for this, of course, considering that he had just been mildly insulted by the defender. Though, because now was not the time for arguments, he merely stopped at that, turning towards both Roxas and Axel, who had been listening this whole time.
"Anyway," he announced, following his comrade, "let's go. We don't have time to mess around, got it?" Axel snickered at the magician and nodded, leisurely ambling on towards the entrance.
"Yeah, sure," he remarked, keeping his smug looks as usual. He didn't exactly care about what Donald thought, considering his only friend was Roxas himself. The fire loving nobody shook his head all before motioning for XIII to get one with it. If he had to hang around for this trip, there was no way he was going to let his pal slow things down. Of course, Roxas gladly obliged, as he made his way towards his friend, and the two simply followed Donald and Goofy outdoors, closing the wooden door tightly behind them.
Now, standing before them was a shiny, new Gummi, complete with a vibrant red coat. Like most Gummis, it kept the basic blocky structure, but what was different about this one was its size. Why, to see the top, both Goofy and Axel had to look upwards, and that was saying a lot considering their heights. The entire structure was rather lean, clearly built for traveling at high speeds, complete with long, aerodynamic wings on the sides, though it was bulky enough to have decent defense, especially in the front area. Plus, the paint job was a lot like fire itself. To this, VIII smirked, admittedly impressed by this vehicle; one could just say that it was 'his style'.
"Alright, alright," he said, still staring at the vehicle, "I admit this ride's pretty sweet. Better than using some giant square. But…eh, I'd rather travel by portal still. Just my thing, y'know." Roxas forced a slight giggle at this, quite amused by his friend's behavior. It wasn't like him to compliment on something as simple as a Gummi ship, after all.
"How like you, Axel," he sniggered, stepping closer to the vessel. "Gummi ships aren't that bad. I should know, since I have Sora's—" He stopped, quickly taking back what he just said and instead muttering, "Er…what I mean is, since I have Sora's friends to think for taking me away from that castle. Yeah…" Hopefully Donald and Goofy didn't catch onto what he had nearly revealed. The fact that he almost blatantly gave away that he had Sora's memories was enough to drive any nobody mad. Fortunately, however, such was not the case.
In actuality, the poultry mage merely tapped his large, webbed foot in annoyance. Judging by the way he glared at the two nobodies, he was growing quite impatient with all this rambling, which was pretty predictable for him. "Ok, ok," he groaned, pointing a feathered finger towards the entrance of the door, "enough of this. We're goin' by ship, like or not, so get in already." With that, both he and Goofy entered the vehicle, leaving the door wide open for the two buddies to enter. They both passed each other glances, agreeing on entering, though Axel was a tad reluctant, before stepping in as well.
Little did the group realize, though, they were not alone…
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Beast's Castle: The Beast's Room
The Beast's room was a total mess. Tables, dressers, and other furniture were tossed aside, and claw marks were clearly visible along the walls. Debris lined the ones lovely carpet, and there was no sign of sanity within the vicinity. The only object that was in remotely decent shape was the table which had once held the rose…at least, until Zexion had snatched it away. Due to this sudden disappearance, the Beast was darting in circles around his bedroom, swinging his powerful fists at anything that got in his way. His claws ripped and tore at the wallpaper, his brute strength sent a crack through the window. Why, this whole scene was gruesome and awful…though Marluxia and Zexion found it quite amusing.
Both nobodies stood on the far end of the room, observing the creature causing massive destruction in his own living space. The way he had become so desperate was just, well, entertaining to them both, or at least, as entertaining as things could get for nobodies. Zex himself seemed the most amused, however, complete with a wide, beaming expression of twisted delight, as his eyes glimmered in fascination. Marluxia, on the other hand, simply stood still, twirling a rose within his grasp, though it was obviously not the same one that the Beast held dear.
"It's deplorable," said the Cloaked Schemer, eyeing the former prince with quite the cynical expression. "To think, the Keybearer, of all beings, would steal your precious rose is so farfetched, and yet…it only makes sense. Isn't that right, XI?" He looked up towards Marluxia, who nodded in agreement to the young nobody's explanation. Anything to further arouse the Beast was highly necessary for the Organization, and thus this lie had been whittled up at the last minute.
Holding his rose forward, the Graceful Assassin simply exclaimed, "Yes, the boy truly has lost his touch. However, such happens when people become hungry for power, lusting for whatever they can obtain…" His deep, blue eyes made contact with the surface of the table, as he continued, "Even a mere flower with such surreal beauty can contain as much power as a powerful weapon, or perhaps something greater. I'm quite certain that the child heard about this immortal rose and took whatever chance he could to swipe it away from your clawed clutches."
Stopping for a moment, the Beast forced a nod, though this explanation hadn't brightened the mood in the least. Rather, the already slouched monstrosity's rage increased, which was certainly a terrible sign. First and foremost, his anger beforehand had shifted his appearance slightly, his more vicious features, such as his fangs and claws becoming more prominent, while any signs of tenderness in his glittering eyes vanished, leaving raw fury and distaste. What was once a young prince inside the body of a monster was now nothing but a step away from a heartless. It wouldn't be long now until he lost any signs of sanity altogether…
This moment of silence didn't last long, however, and within a few seconds, the Beast leapt forward once more, his sharp claws clinging to the wall, as he hung in place, kicking at it with his hind legs. His mouth opened wide, as he let out a loud, thundering roar. Why, it seemed as if there was no hope in restoring the Beast now. With Zexion's clever illusions, and the lack of the rose, what was there to keep his spirits up? Really, he had no reason to stay calm and sane any longer…
Pleased by this progress, Zexion turned away from both his 'ally' and the monster himself. Despite the fact that he had just returned from his little visit on Destiny Islands, the Cloaked Schemer still had much to do, so it seemed. Briefly, he shot Marluxia a glance, signaling him to continue dealing with the large mass of fur, and when he got a positive response, VI figured there was no further sense in staying here. The all to familiar wisps of the shadows rose up to greet Zexion's being, reaching up and grabbing him, as his entire body became shrouded in darkness.
When he reappeared, Zex found himself inside the Library once more, where a certain Savage Nymph sat, reading a thick novel on execution in mid evil periods. Clearly by the look of her twisted grin accompanied by that sadistic gleam in her eyes she was thoroughly enjoying this to the extent her empty being could. In fact, she was so wrapped up in digging through the compilation of thoughts that she failed to notice the sixth member standing but a foot away from her, looking down with a malicious air in his presence.
"Why hello there, Lightning Roach," he snickered, waiting to see her response. Fortunately, he didn't have very long to wait, as he found the rather aggressive member instantly slamming the book right in Zex's face, her gaze shifting up to his and locking on, a stern frown now painted along her facade. Obviously, she was nowhere near as amused as the Cloaked Schemer in his antics.
"Where were you?!" she snarled, looking quite tense. "While you were out doing WHATEVER it is freaks like you enjoy, Flower Boy and I had to deal with those stinking prisoners on our own. Oh, and the Beast wasn't so happy about your stunt, shorty." Growling, Zexion rubbed his face, rolling his eyes at the electric sadist.
Picking up the book off the ground, VI replied, "For your information, I was attending to important matters. Honestly, Larxene, did you expect anything less? Besides, I knew you wouldn't try anything… You still are so desperate in finding out just what I'm up to." He reached into his pocket slyly, pulling out his little paper, waving it around in a taunting manner. "Curiosity is a dangerous thing, Larxene. I do hope you understand that… Though, technically you…we… are unable to feel, yet here you are, acting out in supposed anger."
"Like I care about that stupid 'no emotions' deal," retorted the snobbish twelfth member, looking cross still. "Besides, what can I say, twerp? You have me interested…which is saying a lot. So, whatever it is you're planning better be good, or I might have to finish what that Replica started. Just because he left you alone doesn't mean I would." At this, she actually smiled, though it was a maniacal one, as opposed to a true grin. How typical of the Savage Nymph.
"I'll take that into consideration then," sniggered Zex, picking up the Savage Nymph's book. "Now then, I believe you had best return to the dungeon, hm? I can already smell the scent of the Keybearer's friends and…Riku… This should certainly be amusing, considering my increase in abilities. And then there's…Axel…" The mentioning of Axel was a curious thing, as it struck the interest of the twelfth member, her visage contorting into a sinister expression. She managed to push herself up from the couch, quite interesting.
In a fiery tone, Larxene mused, "Axel, eh?" To this, Zex simply nodded. This'll be fun then… I still have to 'thank' him for ruining the plans at Castle Oblivion…" Zexion smirked at the girl's antics. After all, he wasn't fond of Axel either…
"Please do," he said, taking her place on the couch. "After all, his treason and disrespect almost lead to my demise. Therefore, I expect you to give him no mercy. Not that it would be a problem for you, correct?" She shrugged, reluctantly agreeing with his logic. Axel had been a bother back in the Castle, considering the fact that he was attempting to eliminate all of the traitors, meaning that, eventually, even Larxene would end up on his hit list. So, as far as she was concerned, he deserved the worst possible torment. Besides, she loved torture as it were.
"I'll keep that in mind, Zex. Believe me, I will…" And with that, the Savage Nymph merely turned away from Zexion in order to, as he had instructed, return to the dungeon. However, this time she was actually looking forward to having some 'fun' with the Keybearer's friends, along with VIII himself. In fact, as she vanished into the depths of the darkened portal, it was blatantly obvious by her kunai clutched in hand that she'd attack without a moment's notice, just as she had done when Roxas was trapped within the castle…
It's all coming together, isn't it, XII? Heh…
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Beast's Castle: Entrance
The group of heroes, and Axel, entered the main hall of the castle in a rather casual manner. Why, as their stepped along the long, violet carpets, they made scarcely any sound. Obviously, there was nobody around this area either, aside from themselves, since the objects from before were in the dungeon. Regardless, if anyone was interested in this desolate place, it was the Flurry of the Dancing Flames himself. In fact, his emerald eyes surveyed each pillar, along with the two staircases along the sides. Compared to the Castle that Never was, this place was so…pathetic.
Little did they realize, they were indeed being followed very closely by Riku himself, who stood behind both Axel and Roxas without making a sound. His hood was still down, revealing his rather darkened features, along with his eyes, glittering in the darkness of the main chamber of this manor. He followed the group, like a shadow, unseen and unheard, as he watched them converse about what they were going to accomplish. Donald was the first to speak, sounding explanatory, to say the least.
"Alright," he said, marching forward with his wand waving about in his grasp, "it looks like whatever happened last time's been totally undone. Though, I guess that's what happens when ya leave Organization XIII without doing damage control. So, I say we should split up, like we did last time. Sound good?" Both Axel and Roxas nodded, the former of the two GLAD to be given the chance to separate from the two flunkies of King Mickey. Anything to get some space was good enough to him. Riku, on the other hand, remained in place, watching from behind the eighth member.
"I'll go with Roxas," Axel said bluntly, looking about. "After all, I know him better than you guys. Plus, it'd give us time to chat about certain things. Got it memorized?" Donald shrugged, not really caring. Right now, he just wanted to get things over with, and fast. Sora had held them up as it was.
"Whatever," groaned the oversized piece of poultry, sighing. "Just don't do anything fishy…" For a moment, he considered trotting off at that, but…something didn't feel right. He peered up at his comrade, Goofy, only to find that the canine himself had an uneasy look on his mug. There was just this strange essence filling the room, and even such a closed-minded being such as Donald could feel this. Puzzled, he added, "Wait a sec… Something's suspicious…" Roxas raised a brow at this, completely oblivious to the antics of the two large animals.
Scratching his head, he asked, "What do you mean? I sure don't see anything weird. No heartless, no nobodies, nothing. Unless I'm missing the point here…" Riku watched them all carefully, still well hidden for now, since Axel was still in place. However, the fact that both Donald and Goofy could sense him there wasn't exactly what he wanted. But, then again, he came all this way for a reason, so why was he hiding? Shaking his head, the teen decided to make himself known…
"Look," he said, walking out from behind the pyromaniac, only to receive VERY confused stares from those surrounding him, "I'm not trying anything suspicious, and I'm not—" He was, of course, interrupted, when a certain magical fowl charged towards him.
"HEARTLESS!" Donald shouted, hitting his staff against Riku's boot. This sudden assault caused the silver haired boy to leap backwards slightly, cringing at the pain in his foot. "What're you doin' following us?! We don't need any more distractions!" WHAM! Again, Riku found himself being nailed in the lower area by this rabid ball of feathers. Goofy watched this in interest, tilting his head. Something didn't seem right about Riku...
Scratching his nose, the canine said, "Gawrsh, Donald, are ya sure it's a heartless? Look at that cloak! Why, he's gotta be one of those Organization XIII fellers!" The fowl shook his head, his visage firm and uncaring. As far as he was concerned, Riku was an enemy, and that meant that he needed to be dealt with.
"He can't be a nobody!" Donald shouted, stomping angrily. "Look at him! Black face, yellow eyes! He's a heartless, and that's final!" Riku groaned, rolling his eyes at the two, though, due to having no visible pupils, it was impossible to tell. The way the two were arguing over his existence was just irking, especially when he wanted to deal with things fast. However, Roxas and Axel were both finding this entertaining, the way the two lackeys of the King were fighting over something so meager.
"Heartless!"
"Well, I say he's a nobody!"
"Well he's not…because he's a HEARTLESS!"
They just kept going on and on about this like it was some huge debate. It was almost as if figuring out what Riku was had become a new priority even greater than stopping the Organization. To this, the teen groaned, shoving past those two. If they were going to continue arguing, that was fine, but it didn't mean he'd oblige. Rather, he made his way to Roxas and Axel, looking at them both apathetically. The blonde himself wasn't exactly comforted by being this close to Riku…the one who had tried to kidnap him. In fact, he backed off slightly, looking down towards the ground, while Axel gave him a questioning glance.
He sighed, simply muttering, "Hey…Riku…" It was blatant that he wasn't so keen on speaking to Riku, even if it had been a year. Something just didn't feel right about him… But, his mentioning Riku's name DID spark some interest in the two anthromorphic animals who had been fighting over his identity. Why, they both stopped, mouths gaping open at the thought of…THAT… being Riku!
"G-gawrsh!" Goofy spat, looking amazed at this sheer strangeness. "That's Riku?!" It just didn't seem right, the way the teenager looked so much like a denizen of darkness now. Why, the last time Donald and Goofy had laid eyes on Riku was right as the door to Kingdom Hearts had been closing, and he looked NOTHING like THIS. Of course, Riku rolled his eyes again, though this was difficult to see, and simply looked up at the ceiling, while Axel grinned with pleasure at this sight, amused by the idiocy of Sora's peers.
"Who else would it be?" snapped the Flurry of the Dancing Flames, tossing a small flame up and down. "Really, is there any other runt who has THAT hair? I think not. Besides, if he were a heartless, you'd think the kid would've gone straight for ya already. In other words, a heartless would have a lot more nerve than Riku. Got it memorized?" To that last statement, Riku grumbled, though he was pleased to see that at least SOMEONE was on his side of the argument. Besides, he didn't have time to deal with all this right now.
Still a tad annoyed, Riku said, "AS I was saying, I'm here because the King told me about Sora… I couldn't just sit there when my best friend was in danger, so here I am, in the middle of this castle. Happy now?" He sighed, hoping that this would be over and done so he could help his best friend before he got any worse. The way all of these guys were just dawdling just didn't impress Riku in the least, not to mention that the Organization was still doing whatever it took to turn the Beast into a heartless. All in all, this small talk was getting nowhere.
Donald himself stared at Riku in fascination. The way he had mentioned a cure seemed hopefully, not to mention a VERY huge plus for them. Curious, he mused, "A cure, eh? Well, in that case, what IS it? We've had enough of Sora behaving like a heartless!" His staff waved around frantically as he waited for Riku to spill the beans. All of this suspense was beginning to get on his nerves, and the fact that magic couldn't help him, yet Sora's best friend COULD seemed odd. Riku shrugged, though, figuring that he might as well say it quick and simple.
"…I have to absorb his darkness…" There. He said it. It was simple enough really. However, each of them, well, spare Axel, grew tense at this. The whole notion of Riku taking in more darkness than he already had just didn't seem right. In appearance, he already looked as if he would lose his heart at any second, and due to past experiences, it was clear that Riku plus darkness equals trouble. Why, cure or not, this was ridiculous! Even if Sora DID return to normal wouldn't Riku just become worse?
Angrily, Donald shouted, "Just wait a minute! You mean to tell me that you're gonna take the darkness?!" Riku nodded, not saying a word, which made the poultry mage stomp his large, webbed foot in frustration. "WAH! Are you NUTS?! If you do THAT, who's to say that YOU won't end up WORSE than Sora?!" The silver haired teenager sighed, looking solemn and very certain on his decision.
"I know what could happen," Riku said, keeping his mind set on his ideal way to cure his friend. "It could be risky, and maybe it IS a bit stupid on my part. But, it's the only way to help Sora. Besides, I've dealt with darkness enough times to be able to handle this. Ansem, anyone?" To this, Donald paused, eyeing Goofy, who merely shrugged. Neither really liked this whole notion of absorbing the darkness, but at the same time, there didn't really appear to be any alternatives. It was either this, or letting Yen Sid and the others research, but that could take AGES. Crazy or not, Riku seemed to know what he was doing.
Finally, the mage of Disney Castle decided to accept this offer. He gave a slight smirk, stating, "Alright, it's a deal. But you BETTER not screw this up. Why, if you even THINK of taking this back…I'll…I'll…" He growled in anger at the mere thought of this whole thing going awry, which actually caused the others, especially Axel, to snigger.
Grinning wildly, VIII exclaimed, "You'll what? Use your cheap magic tricks to pull a rabbit out of a hat? C'mon, Riku may be dense, but he's a smart kid. Besides, you don't want Sora to get too homicidal, right?" That statement sure didn't help with the fowl's mood, and, in fact, it led to his snow white feathers turning beat red in frustration, as Goofy tried to calm him down. Roxas and Riku both watched this scene, though, unlike a certain red head, they weren't as amused. And why should they have been? After all, they were stalling like crazy.
Groaning, Roxas said, "Guys, c'mon. We can save all this for later… I'd kind of like to get this thing over with. Besides, while we're here stalling, the Beast's probably close to being a heartless… As much as I hate to admit it, even Axel's slowing us down." Puzzled at his friend, the pyro gave an appalled glance, unsure why his own comrade would shoot him down like that. However, the blonde did have some sense in him, enough to even calm down the flaming fury of Donald Duck, which was saying a lot right there. In fact, said featherbag gave an expression of concern and agreement, and he even ceased to flail his arms about.
"You're right," alleged the poultry mage, tucking his staff away for the moment. "We've got a mission, and there's no time to chat like palookas. Besides, there's three members of the Organization here, meaning we've got a problem. So, let's get this over with and split up!" The others, even Axel, showed agreement to this. However, Riku WAS quite astonished about the whole three members thing. It seemed as if Organization XIII really was putting an effort into their work by sending multiple members around.
Intrigued, Riku mused, "Three members, eh? I guess Organization XIII's really gone paranoid about this, huh? Well, in that case, I'll go ahead and look around this place a bit, though I'd rather go alone if that's alright." Both of the King's lackeys nodded, approving Riku's lone wolf approach, and the teen added, "Anyway, I'll be heading for the library or something. I mean, a castle like this is bound to have one, right? It'd be the least expected place to find one of them, which is all the better reason to pick it."
"Sounds like a plan ta me," Goofy chortled, giving a thumbs up. He stood up tall, grabbing his round shield and added, "As for us, I guess we'll be heading for the Beast's room. We kinda know 'im from way back in Hollow Bastion, so I guess that means Axel and Roxas get to go to the dungeon, since they said they'd go together anyway. Hope that one lady's not there, though. A-hyuck." Axel paused at Goofy's mention of the dungeon, and, more precisely, the "one lady". It seemed odd of him to mention a lady aside from the princess of heart. After all, who else could it be? Larxene? That wouldn't make sense, since she was dead, or so Axel thought, at least…
Mystified, he exclaimed, "Well, I don't really get this whole 'lady' thing, but I'll go, especially if it means getting away from you two idiots. Though, don't expect us to take our time with this. When I do things, I do it quick and with style. Got it memorized?" When the others agreed, it was clear that they were ready to leave. Donald already had his mage staff in hand, all prepared for any necessary persuasion, not to mention offensive tactics, should a member of Organization XIII be there waiting. The same could be said for his canine companion, whose visage was now creased with a ready gaze, looking actually somewhat serious for once. Riku merely summoned his Soul Eater, with a flash of purplish aura no less, while Roxas fetched his Kingdom Key out of thin air. The only one who didn't ready his weapons was Axel, who didn't seem so concerned about this for now.
With all this said, they each broke off into groups. As they had said, Donald and Goofy stuck together, wandering upwards, towards the West Wing of the castle, hoping that they weren't too late to deal with the Beast. At the same time, Roxas and his fiery ally opened up a portal, the same one that any nobody could use, and they stepped inside, as, though the dungeon was near the West Wing, they didn't exactly wish to follow the two talking animals further. As for Riku, well, he simply trudged off towards the hall which would lead him to the library, all in hopes of finding at least someone from Organization XIII.
End Part 1
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AN: Anyway, part 2 will be up shortly. I just have to finish up one more fight scene, and then I'll post it. But, after this, the Beast's Castle world will be handled. True, I could have done more with it, but I kinda want to continue the main plot. Hope that's alright.