By the time he'd returned to the Grey Area, Riku's appearance had returned to normal again. Or at least, he corrected himself, what passed for normal at the moment. Normal, if it had ever applied to him, seemed to change for him every time he turned around.
He was concerned for a time about what the other members would think about him appearing to supplant Saïx for longer than intended, but recalled that he'd not specifically told any of them when Saïx would be back – only that he was busy. All they had to know was that Saïx was still trusting him to handle things, and there'd be no concern.
Which meant, of course, he still had free reign to surreptitiously sabotage the Organization. If he could find a way. He had to count on the King to find a way to lure Roxas away, and he had yet to find time to learn how exactly they harvested the hearts, let alone a way to interrupt that flow without something happening to Roxas. Without the loss of other members, what could he do?
The sound of a corridor opening answered that. With everything he'd been doing today, it was hardly surprising that they would be arriving by this time.
Xigbar and Roxas exited the corridor, apparently in discussion over something as they emerged.
"...just strikes me as a bit odd, you know?" Roxas said.
"Well there's the guy you want to mention it to," Xigbar replied, nodding to Riku. "With Saïx busy, he's gotta handle everything. If he doesn't know himself, no doubt he'll find out."
"Just what I need, more work to do," Riku shook his head. "As if minding the stores wasn't bad enough as it is. How did it go?"
"I dealt with the Heartless," Roxas reported. "All of the Fire Plants and even the Pureblood one you mentioned. I'd hardly call a giant Shadow 'powerful' though."
"This coming from the guy who got thrown around like a ragdoll," Xigbar said.
"Since when have I let that bother me? Anyway, got something to run past you at his suggestion just now. Whoever comes with me on my missions seems to be able to liberate hearts just like me. I thought it was just the Keyblade that did that."
"Interesting," Riku observed. "I'll look into it. I might have to co-opt your missions once in a while, if you can be persuaded not to attack me, but that's the price of solving this little mystery."
"Whatever works. When's Axel coming back?"
"Whenever the operation at Castle Oblivion is complete," Riku answered the surprise question as if he'd been expecting it. "As soon as we know anything worth passing on you'll all know."
Roxas's typical irritability flickered briefly over his face, then he merely shrugged and left. Xigbar however came over to join Riku.
"How much did Saïx tell you about Roxas?" he asked, perching on the corner of the desk.
"Not much. Just that he had no heart, but emotions he couldn't control. Why do you ask?"
"Since you showed up he's started to settle, and now Axel's out of the picture he's become almost docile."
"What are you suggesting? Axel and I are having an effect on him?"
"Does seem that way, doesn't it? Anyway, can't sit around gossipping all day, can I? Xemnas has something for you, by the way. Swing by the top of the castle when you're free."
Riku almost asked what, but at that point several other corridors opened, depositing all the other members in one go.
"So all in all, nothing much to report," Riku concluded after filling in Saïx. "Halloween Town is so independent about all we can do is put Heartless there, and the Beast's Castle is still empty, the previous inhabitants status unknown."
"I think we can safely rule Seifer out as a threat," Saïx mused. "He may suspect, but he has no idea what is truly going on. Pete's independence is troubling though."
"What importance is he, anyway? Demyx's report suggested he's just a blundering fool."
"Indeed he is, but he also worked for Maleficent. I am quite surprised you had not met him before, as he frequently was her errand-boy. What of Castle Oblivion – any word as yet?"
"Nothing. There's a question you can answer for me though. In the notes you gave me, you mentioned an agreement that Axel would eliminate Zexion. What for?"
The effect of Saïx's usual blank stare was somewhat offset by the many bruises that had broken out, and periodic wincing every time he shifted his injured arm.
"I get it," Riku said after a time. "It's between you and him. But if I'm going to handle things for you, I need to have something to tell people in case it gets out somehow."
"Would you be satisfied knowing that it would prevent Roxas from overruling certain members with Zexion's authority?" Saïx suggested.
"You and I can overrule that though. Zexion could still be useful to us. Besides, he's the only one who knows where to find anything in the library."
"Regardless, the agreement has been made and cannot be unmade. Is there anything else?"
"I don't think so. Not unless you want to tell me what their missions are tomorrow."
"Later," he replied, then turned back to the paper he'd laid out. Even with his infirmities, he still fully intended to work as much as he could.
Riku left him to it, troubled by Saïx's casual attitude to what awaited Zexion. Perhaps if he intervened... the possibility remained, but like everything else he was truly here for, it lacked a means of making it happen.
For now there was nothing he could do about it, so he opened a corridor up to the Altar of Naught to see what Xemnas wanted to give him, if Xigbar was right. He could have walked it, but it was late and he felt lazy for it.
Almost before he exited the corridor, Xemnas was aware of his presence.
"How is Saïx?" he asked in his quiet voice.
"His usual self," Riku replied. "He's a workaholic, even if I have told him to stay in bed. Ideally he needs to see someone about his injuries, but that means either bringing a doctor here, or taking him out of the castle to see one."
"Perhaps you should visit the moogle store in Twilight Town and see if they can find something for you," he suggested. "They usually can – for a fee."
"Speaking of finding things, Xigbar said you had something."
Xemnas nodded, holding up one arm as if to take something from the air. When he took hold a black line formed, flickering outward into a kind of slow, dark flash, then eventually cleared. In his hand he held what was undeniably a Keyblade, almost completely black but for a few silver adornments along the blade and the key. The blade part split into two, merging again at the top with a gem that looked like a small blue eye. The 'key' emerged from there in three curved spikes that resembled an axe. Below the blade were the wing-like guards around the handle, connecting the two by a lion's head on either side, and hanging from the end was the keychain, another blue-eye gem set into a twisting pattern of silver lines.
"A keyblade?" Riku exclaimed, startled. "You can – but how?"
"That is of no moment. I told you I would obtain a Keyblade for you and thus I have done so. Take it, Riku. As I seldom leave this castle, it can better serve us in your hands than mine."
Riku reached toward it, but as he extended his hand the cold feeling came again, stronger this time.
"Something's not right," Riku murmured. "It can't be Ansem again."
"Ansem?" Xemnas inquired. There had been no change in his expression, save only a raised eyebrow.
"I hosted him for a time before I came to work for you. He was destroyed, but a bit of him got left with me, and now if I use too much darkness it surfaces and I start to look like him."
"And reaching for this Keyblade caused it to react? Curious. Take the Keyblade Riku. I am interested in seeing this for myself."
He had a few doubts about the wisdom of this action himself, but put them aside to take the black Keyblade from Xemnas' hands, ignoring the cold feeling welling up. It peaked when Xemnas let go, leaving him feeling frozen all over, then his view blurred momentarily. Where before he had needed to look slightly up at Xemnas, now he was on the same level as him.
"Very interesting," Xemnas noted calmly. "Are you aware of just what has happened?"
"No, I-" Riku started. "My voice. I sound..."
"Like Ansem," Xemnas completed. "It appears a dark Keyblade acts upon you the same way excessive darkness does. Dismiss the Keyblade, Riku," he ordered.
He did so. Nothing changed.
"I can't go about like this, Xemnas. The other members will notice."
"Then take this also, and draw about you the knowledge of who you truly are," Xemnas answered, holding out a strip of cloth – no, a blindfold.
Riku hesitated. Sora's heart was not with him, but the knowledge that in truth he was Sora gave him doubts again. What would happen if he appeared to be Sora instead of Riku, as they expected?
These doubts he could not voice aloud though, so hoping it was enough he put firm belief in his current identity and tied the blindfold in place over his eyes. Something changed, but without sight he had no idea.
"I hate to seem critical, but this is hardly an improvement."
"Use your darkness to build up a mental image of what surrounds you," Xemnas advised. "You will find it gives you a more detailed view than you are used to, but it will give you sight again."
It took him a while to figure out how exactly, but eventually he achieved it, bringing not just normal vision back, but a view of right the way around him, and even things he hadn't been able to see before – in the sky above there was a shimmering pink outline of a heart, with a thin stream of hearts emerging from a dark corridor he hadn't seen before.
His head felt as if it was spinning when without thinking he wondered what he looked like and the view shifted to a third-person perspective, looking at himself as if he was someone else. His appearance had been restored, thankfully to the one they were used to seeing and not Sora instead. Now he only had to explain the blindfold, at least.
"You do realize that even if I explain this, I'm not going to be able to do much until Saïx recovers," Riku suggested, bringing the view back as close to normal as it could be.
"Leave that with me. For now, continue to act in his stead. However, advise him that I suggest pairing you with Roxas even before he resumes his duties. With you at his side, Roxas's missions will be handled swiftly, leaving you ample time to return and receive the reports from other members."
Riku nodded, turning to leave, then a thought occurred to him. What if he became Ansem even with the blindfold when he called out the Keyblade Xemnas had given him? A quick check proved his concern groundless, however.