Darkness Itself
Riku breathed heavily, he felt like his heart was going to explode at that very moment.
The trip back to Hollow Bastion through the dark corners of the world was harrowing, Riku had never attempted before to go through such a distance using nothing but his dark powers. He had proven that he was strong enough to make it back, though not strong enough to not hope for a reprieve. As he entered back into the main chapel of the Castle he got to his knees and needed to rest, feeling weak.
He hated feeling weak, what made it worse though was the fact that as he felt this way Maleficent was standing over him. Her smug expression caused his heart to clench in anger, it just made him feel weaker by comparison. It was the same look his parents gave him sometimes when he screwed up in front of him. If he wasn't so tired he would have stuck without a moment's hesitation. Sometimes he felt that he was under the thumb of this diluted witch instead of taking on his own destiny.
Riku felt that with his growing power in the darkness he would be able to break free of Maleficent clutches once and for all and finally be free. Still though, he had a few things to learn from the witch, if only a few.
"You know, you are enigma Riku" Maleficent said the tip of her staff near his chin, "When I first saw you, I saw someone with raw energy in the darkness, whose refinement would make you the most brilliant warrior for our cause".
Riku sneered at her, "What of it!"
"Every time you face Sora, you know what I see" Her smile slowly turned into a frown, "Someone who is still torn to his past. Who is unwilling to take the final plunge and embrace the darkness fully"
"Well then perhaps that's a failure of your teachings" Riku snickered back as he got back up and stepped back, feeling too close to her.
Maleficent clenched her staff a bit harder before smiling again, "Perhaps, perhaps it is" She walked over to her throne to sit back down, "Perhaps I have kept things from you my boy, things that may or may not have allowed yourself to fully commit to the darkness"
Riku just sneered. He was committed to darkness. The only reason he hadn't fully gotten rid of his friend was because he wanted Sora to see him finally achieve his goal. If there was no satisfaction in victory then why seek it.
At least that's what he told himself.
Riku stood in silence now in the darkness of the hall, seeing Maleficent tap her fingers on the arm of her throne. He wondered what went through the witch's mind. Everything she had done so far must have had an end goal. The plans, the kidnapping, he remembered what Jafar had said, but something about it still remained unclear. A missing link that connected all of this.
"I can tell you want answers" Maleficent smirked, "Then I shall give"
Riku eyes narrowed at her, "Good, tell me"
"There are seven maidens" Maleficent began to say rubbing the orb on her staff, "Seven pure hearts of light, two of which you have already met"
"Alice and Jasmine"
"Yes, gather them together, and a door will open to the heart of all worlds. Within lies untold wisdom, untold power that could make one ruler of all worlds. Perhaps one could even reshape them to one's own desire if one wished. Create something better, something perfect. Or something more malleable to rule over."
Riku's eyes widened for a moment before narrowing again. Some of this sounded like fairy tales. Things that he would hear about as a child. Heart of all worlds sounded ridiculous. Such a great power couldn't possibly exist. Could it?"
"You don't believe me" Maleficent said standing up again, "Oh believe me the research is here. The original owner of this castle Ansem the Wise, studied the Heartless, learned the different techniques of the heart. Thus why I the others have been able to create the kind of Heartless we've been able to devise, through the vast collection of Hearts we have brought here to forge our army".
"Hmm, guess the scientist was interested in power then" Riku smirked.
"No," Maleficent replied, "He was curious, but he never went full on, his was just a stepping stone to the one who told me first hand of Kingdom Hearts, and the powers of darkness"
"Someone else?" Riku curiosity started to grow, "Who?"
"A former Keyblade Master who died long ago, his name ...Was Xehanort".
-000-
Xehanort.
Xehanort.
Riku wondered just who this Xehanort was. A Keyblade Master, who himself was an ally of darkness. It sent tingles throughout him to think that someone wielding the Keyblade could be in tune with darkness. Instead of Sora who was so intuned with light and his own naive ideas of morality and justice that he always hated.
Sitting at his desk, he wrote a few notes and just thought, Lumiere was standing there giving him light but looked at him worried. He couldn't help but think of Sora back at Neverland though. Just how ungrateful could a friend for all the years and now just to betray him like that. Couldn't he realize that everything he was doing was for him, to make them happy.
Perhaps Sora did, and that's why he was so resistance, he didn't want Riku in his life anymore, he was the Keyblade Wielder after all.
"You look tired" Lumere said seeming concerned.
Riku snarled back he didn't have time for any of this right now.
"You'll have to rest eventually," Lumiere said, "After all a young lad like you needs to sleep, despite the youth"
Cogsworth walked up to the desk, "For once I have to agree. I know surprise, surprise, "
Again Riku just snarled back.
He didn't want to deal with any of these servants at the moment. Right now he just wanted to be left alone. He wanted to feel the darkness.
"Leave" Riku said, his voice deep, "Now"
Cogsworth and Lumiere looked worried before leaving.
Now Riku was just in a room of darkness, not even a smidgen of light and he enjoyed it. The darkness was the ultimate security blanket. A place of comfort and stability. Light was to blinding and felt painful and he hated it.
"I can see you enjoy the darkness. Good, that will be easier for you to fully embrace it"
Riku jumped up in horror, "Who's there"
"Calm, calm, boy, I'm merely a friend of the darkness"
Riku eyes turned a corner as he saw a ghostly image emerge. A figure, in a shabby brown cloak, surrounded by a blue aura, just standing there. He couldn't see anything underneath the hood but a empty void. Though Riku could smell something about him, a foul stench, the strongest foul stench he had ever smelt before. No Heartless, or Maleficent had ever suffered this before.
"Who are you?
"That is not important" The figure said, "Like I said, just a friend of darkness, and one who can't help identify with your plight"
"My plight?"
"Yes? The Plight in your heart, the tug between darkness and light is always hard to deal with at first. Believe me, I've been watching you, and you've been struggling for some time. Yearning for control over your own destiny and wishing to get off that accursed Island. Control over those who would seek to bind you...Like your parents...Like your friend . That I think is something we both have felt at one time or another. The yearning for control, the yearning to be free".
"Island?" Riku mind began to put two and two together, "The boy. The boy in the story, the one who left the Island".
"Indeed I am, or was, as you can see, I have grown quite a bit," he chuckled, "And so will you, once you embrace the darkness"
Riku mind began to race, he had so many questions so many things he wanted to know. This was the boy from the legend who left the Island. He could have the answers he thought. Perhaps even more than Maleficent did. Still, if what he said was true, then Riku knew he would still have to proceed with some caution. Trust was something he was on short supply off.
The figure chuckled, "I understand, you mistrust me, but ...I do have knowledge that even Maleficent won't be able to give you"
"What's that?"
"Simple ...I can give you something that even she couldn't, more than darkness, more than an army of mere Heartless"
"And that would be" Riku asked becoming interesting.
"The only thing that could provide true freedom. The only thing that could give you REAL power…..A Keyblade"
Riku could feel something coming from him, a coldness, but also a warmth. The more he stood in front of this person the more he began to trust him. He didn't know why, but it felt right, it was a yearning he was looking for. Something that he was missing to fill the emptiness of his heart. Perhaps this was the answer he sought, something that would allow him to finally push forward from Sora and the heartache he'd been feeling.
"Alright, what's your name"
"My name….." The figure just chuckled, that was all Riku needed to hear.
-000-
Riku was summoned by Maleficent one more time, however he felt far more confident now then he had just a while ago. Things started to make far more sense to him than ever. His place in this world, Sora's place, Kairi's place, everything. No more playing games, next time he and Sora confronted one another it would be their final battle.
Clarity, yes proper clarity at last.
Instead of the throne room Maleficent had summoned him to an area with a large machine in the shape of a heart. The machinery cracked and churned as he entered, he could hear the hum of energy coming from the machine, creating a votrek. It definitely looked magnificent, Riku could feel the dark energy churning from it. The energies felt good, they made him feel strong, powerful, and he was ready to embrace it with open arms.
When Maleficent saw him approached she looked impressed.
Riku had gotten a change of wardrobe. No longer was in his usual yellow jacket but instead wore what apparently was called a darksuite. An armor used by the dark warriors of old. It was quite powerful, he had his new friend to thank for this.
"Well, I see someone has gained some clarity since last we spoke" Maleficent chuckled.
Riku smirked, "You could say that...So what's this thing? I've seen, but you've never told me what it is?"
"This my boy is the Keyhole to the darkness"
"The darkness?"
"Yes," Maleficent said looking proud, "The former owner of this castle Ansem the Wise was building it so that he would create a pathway directly to the great door itself, not only to gain the untold wisdom, but to finally unleash the great darkness yearning within it"
"That sounds like a lot of darkness"
"It is," Maleficent eyes widened in hunger, "These Heartless we've been sending would be nothing compared to what lies beyond that door. The power we could seek to rule all the worlds, and more, it would replicate the legends of old if we succeed"
"Pfft, a lot of effort to kidnap people and destroy worlds. Was hoping for something a bit more...I don't know, grander".
"Grander? My boy there isn't anything grander than this. Believe me it will all be worth it once the power beyond this Keyhole is unlocked and belongs to us"
"Us?"
Maleficent smirked, "Of course, I will share in the darkness with those who truly earned it. I have watched you become more and more akin to darkness, I am proud child, in many ways you have become like a son to me. Someone truly worth having this power and gift".
Riku felt a sense of pride rush over him for a second, finally someone proud of him.
Everything he was hearing fascinated him, such great darkness just might be the ticket he needed to finally get the sense of freedom he had longed for. No longer feeling like a prisoner trapped on his Island home, but to roam without consequences or fear of being crushed by anything or anyone. Such unhinged, unlimited potential was definitely something that was needed in order for all of this to come together.
"Hold on," Riku realized something, "You said if? What's wrong?"
"This requires the seven princesses of heart" Maleficent continued, "Unfortunately, we are missing one"
Riku's eyes widened, "Well...Why don't we find, let's look at all the worlds, you have had to have known who the final one was. Maybe we could send the Heartless, some sorta magical spell...Something!"
"Sadly know, but we may not need it, we may have all the answers we seek with the princesses we have right now. All I requires is a bit more time and patients, I know I am getting close to finding it, just give me more time" .
"Well what about Sora? He is still out there somewhere? Him and those idiot friends. Ugh, he's such an idiot sometimes.
"Nuisance more like it" Maleficent sneered.
"He still doesn't understand anything, he understands nothing! Can't he see what I've been trying to do this whole time. Doesn't he get it, he's always so blinded by the light and everything! Sometimes he just-Ugh, again he's an idiot! He understands nothing!"
Riku could already see it now. Somehow in his stupidity Sora would find a way to undo all of this. Realizing just how ungrateful his friends was for all the times he tried to protect him only to have it tossed into his face over and over again. Now he realized that Sora was not just a danger to himself but to others and everything he had to achieve, freedom to see the worlds and no longer be a chain to him.
He clenched his fist as he felt the anger and dark energy start to consume him.
"He doesn't know of this location, and so long as that is the case we have nothing to fear" Maleficent assured him easing him, "Don't let anger cloud your judgment, the plan is still in place, the others will soon be ready for the final event"
"Hey Boss" Riku turned to see one of Maleficent weasels approach them, "We uh, we got a bit of a problem"
Maleficent sneered as she approached the weasel, "What is it"
"We found out that Jafar's old pet Iago has gone awol, and is somewhere in Traverse Town, we think he's gonna spill the beans on us, knowing him, he probably will...He spills lots of beans"
For the first time Riku saw Maleficent entered into a bit of a panic.
"That would lead the Keyblade Master and his allies to us" She said, clenching her staff, "Everything I have planned will be ruined".
So Sora had a good chance of knowing the location of Maleficent's castle. If Riku knew Sora and he did, he would rush to this place probably to find him, Kairi and most likely stop all of this. For a moment he felt a surge of anger, but then all of a sudden he felt calm, for an idea struck his mind. Something would definitely be considered just good old fashioned pay back.
"Let him," Riku said voice sounding smug.
Maleficent turned around, sligtly annoyed but intrigued, "Why? Not when we are so close"
"Easy" Riku interjected, "I'm more powerful with darkness now, I could take him, and he still can't really master his keyblade, he's still weak. Coming here to where you and the others are, it would be easy to take him out here and now. Not only that, why not have the entire Anti-Heartless resistance come here and just take them out all here on your home turf"
Maleficent stopped and pondered this, only to reply with a smirk, "Yes...Yes...You are right, perhaps I have been to cautious, perhaps it is time that I finally bring all my enemies to heal. Crush them, and finally show them the power of the darkness that I have so yearned to unleash"
"And I'll get back at Sora"
"Precisely"
Riku took a deep breath only to be shaken again by a large roar.
The ground around him shook for a moment. He didn't understand what was happening. Maleficent however just seemed quite calm, she looked into her scepter and smiled.
"Ah, so i was right" she chuckled, "A castaway?"
"A what?"
Maleficent sighed, "Though his world parished, his heart did not, when we took the princess from his castle, he apparently followed her heart through sheer force of will. But fear not, no harm shall come to you-"
"Of course it won't," Riku summoned his sword, "if you want, I'll take care of this myself"
Maleficent eyes widened as her sinister smile grew, "Good, I see you are finally embracing the darkness ...I hope you will feel the same way next time you and Sora clash one again".
"Believe me I will, I'll make him understand" Riku tightened his first, "Or know once and for all that he really does understand ...Nothing"