A black-coated man with dark blue hair waited inside the room, pondering events that had just transpired. He lifted his head when an older light haired man appeared before him from a corridor of darkness, seemingly annoyed.
"This had better be important Zexion? I have more important things to do than fester around here."
Zexion lifted his head, discontent with the tone of his superior in name. "Nice to see you too, Vexen. It's such a shame. The Organization used to be the rope that bound us together."
Vexen narrowed his eyes at the younger man, "You're only number 6! How dare-" But held his tongue as he attempted to control his temper, instead crossing his arms in annoyance. "I assume you didn't call me to merely waste my time?"
"It appears we have visitors." Zexion informed, "I picked up two scents in the castle's lowest basement. One of them was Maleficent-"
"Don't be absurd." Vexen interrupted, growing impatient. "The witch is gone. She cannot return from the realm of darkness of her own volition."
Zexion "...If you would let me finish... The scent belonged not to the real Maleficent but to a very convincing double. But I truly cannot say much beyond that since the double is no more. Our other visitor saw to that."
"Other Visitor? Impossible, how could another enter the castle with no one unaware..."
"I do not know for sure... But the scent was very similar to that of the Superior."
Vexen lowered his head, his attention peaked, "And yet, not exactly the same, was it?" his words trailed off as he lifted his head with realization.
Zexion simply nodded as he watched the scientist beginning to pace before him."Now what to do?"
"Keep him under strict observation, if he is whom I believe then this could prove to be a useful research opportunity."
Zexion narrowed his eyes towards the man, something unsettled him about Vexen's interest, something almost familiar about the glee the nobody seemed to radiate. "May I ask why you've taken an interest with our new visitor?" he asked, to which Vexen stopped pacing, turning his head towards Zexion with a smile on his face.
"Because if we play our cards correctly, then it is possible that the boy could awaken the "key" that Marluxia's own pet project supposedly harbors."
[Why do you shun the darkness?]
Riku scoffed as he stepped into a white hall leading towards another door before him. "Hmph. You're still here?"
[Darkness is your weapon. It is time you learned you must accept it.]
He stopped in place, lifting his head slightly, as he caught a whiff of a familiar scent."Maybe you didn't hear me before, back when the witch was still lingering around in my head. I don't need darkness anymore to get where I'm going."
[Stop resisting. Accept the darkness. You have no choice...]
Through an aura of darkness appeared a far too familiar man standing before Riku with his arms crossed, giving him a disproving glance.
"...if you are to serve me again."
Riku was taken aback, seeing the Seeker of Darkness in one piece. Even though his heart shook, he placed a hand on his hip. Narrowing his eyes at the powerful being that once took control of him. "I thought it was you...Ansem."
Ansem smirked, towards him. " Oh? You don't seem very surprised."
Riku shook his head, "All you've been talking about is the darkness. I can only assume you wanna pull me back in...so you can play puppet master."
"Clever boy. I knew you'd be the one to most appropriately serve me. And now, surrender to me again-"
Riku almost laughed. "You're crazy old man, was getting knocked around by Kairi not enough for you? You actually think the same trick's gonna work twice?" He asked summoning his weapon, prepared for whatever the Seeker would throw at him. Even if Ansem was part of the illusions of this castle, of his heart just as Maleficent was, there was no way he'd allow himself to repeat past mistakes.
"You speak of casting aside the darkness, yet you still use the gift bestowed upon you." Ansem pointed to the weapon of darkness in Riku's hand. "A remnant of your past arrogance, if you believe you've actually changed then perhaps you are not as clever as you may believe. After all, even with the aid of my power, a weakling like you couldn't even protect the one person whom you eventually sacrificed your body for."
A blind rage took over as Riku tried to impale the Seeker of Darkness, grunting as he was easily thrown back against the wall.
"Fool." Ansem chided as he glared down towards the young boy.
"Excuse me...for being weak..." Riku grumbled, struggling to his feet.
"It was why you needed darkness; You were too weak to escape your prison; You were too native to believe that you could actually protect others; And now you are too blind to see that you have no chance against me. Surrender, bow to darkness, bow to me!"
Riku could feel the weight of Ansem's dark power weighing him down. He struggled against his raw strength, refusing to fall to his knees. "Grr... That's not gonna happen!
Ansem, smirked in amusement, a smile drawing on his face as the hall began to turn black. "Only the darkness can offer to you all of the strength that you will need. Now submit, just as you did once before..."
Riku tried to take a step back, grasping at his chest as he could feel his breath escape him, but instead fell to his hands and knees; unable to break the control of the Seeker of Darkness.
"You're wrong!"
Within the darkened hall a light flashed bright, eradicating the darkness that festered around the two beings. Riku gasped for breath as he looked up, seeing a sphere of light before him materialize, standing between him and Ansem.
"That voice..." Riku's eyes widened with realization, "Your Majesty?!"
"That's right!" The king confirmed. "Remember Riku, you're not alone." he remarked as the sphere disappeared into Riku's heart; his voice still echoing within the halls. "Listen close. The light'll never give up on you. You'll always find it, even in the deepest darkness!"
Riku placed a hand over his heart for a moment, feeling the warmth of where the sphere disappeared into. "Yeah," He nodded as a small newly reassured smile broke out on his face, standing on his feet to face against Ansem. "I got it. I won't lost to darkness. Not today."
Ansem scoffed at their words, "You think that feeble little light can save you from the darkness that I command? You shall feel my dark powers-in your bones!"
Riku brandished his sword of darkness before him, ready to face against the powerful Seeker. "Give me all you've got. I'll give it right back!" He remarked as he charged towards Ansem again, this time with newfound strength.
...
...
"What, that all you got?" Riku panted as he'd destroyed Ansem's heartless, yet the man still stood before him.
Ansem mused for a moment, reading the boy's expression. "It seems to me that you are intent on resisting the darkness. All right. Then see it for yourself." he remarked as a he summoned a blue card from his hand, throwing it towards Riku who caught it with ease.
"Huh?" Riku glanced at the card, confused as to what it exactly was.
"This is a card crafted from your memory. Advance through the world it creates and soon, you will understand... Chasing after light is not the way. It will not give you distance from the darkness, it will only serve to delay your fate."
Riku smirked, pocketing the card. "Don't worry, I'm not running. I no matter what world I, no matter who I see, if I haven't given in to the darkness... Then I win, you'll have no more control over me."
"Very well,"Ansem said, "I have one more gift for you." He clenched his hand, a dark sphere forming around his grip as he gritted his teeth seemingly pained as he used his dark power. Then the sphere, flew towards Riku into the same place where the king's light had disappeared. He was so overcome with a writhing sharp pain that he dropped his weapon, black sparks electrocuting him as he lifted his head towards the Seeker's amused face as he faded away.
"What...What did you do?!" Riku demanded as he clawed his heart.
"I simply tempered the darkness that yet remains in your heart." Ansem simply answered, his voice echoing.
"You still think that I'd rely on darkness?!" Riku demanded.
"If you truly believe that you no longer have any use for darkness, then ignore my gift, to use it or not is your choice. However, I shall be waiting, Riku...for you to sense it and yield to the latent darkness within your heart!"
Ansem's voice disappeared, as Riku grunted in pain. He closed his fist angrily as looked ahead towards the door in front of him, limping towards what he hoped was a step closer to finding his friends again.
Omake:
Riku woke up with a buzzing in his ear, his vision fuzzy the first time he opened his eyes to a new world. It was barren, he standing upon one of the floating rocks in the debts of a cavern that sunk below a violet skyline.
A fear clutched his chest as he tried to recall what happened on the islands. All he could remember was someone shouting his name, and then…
He shook to attention immediately looking around, searching for anything - or anyone- familiar.
"Sora! Kairi!" He yelled, looking around for his friends desperately, but he was surrounded from all sides by overbearing cliffs; realizing that there would be no way to scale them, no matter how much he tried.
"It appears you have been guided to this world."
Riku gasped slightly as he turned to see a woman with horns, off color skin, and a black cloak smiling down at him with a staff in her hand.
"Who are you?!" He demanded to know. "Where am I?!"
She merely smirked in amusement as the platform she stood on glided towards him. Stepping off if it, she caressed the jewel on her staff, her entire being radiating a foul stench that Riku couldn't help but wince at.
"Why, I am Maleficent my dear boy, and you a in a place known as Hollow Bastion."
"Hollow Bastion...?" Riku murmured for a moment, his face lighting up with a somber realization. "Is...is this another world?" He asked looking around again.
"Indeed, and it would seem that you seek power greater than what you could obtain in your original world." She remarked with a sinister aura radiating off of her. "And to that end, I may be of assistance."
But Riku merely glared at her, taking a step back defensively. "I don't need anyone's help."
"So you say, but there is desire in all beings. Merely speak of what your heart wishes for and I shall do all within my power to aid you."
"Desire?" Riku almost laughed at her words, but was overpowered by the concern in his heart. Lowering his guard as he stood defeated. "I want to find my friends, I got separated from them when our world was destroyed."
"Very well." She said turning her back towards him, guiding his attention to the castle before them. "This realm is under my control, no harm shall befall you so long as you serve me."
"Hey-" Riku snapped, "I don't 'serve' anyone! Whatever you want, I'll help you, but if it turns out we have conflicting goals," he clenched his fist angrily, an aura of darkness beginning to radiate off of his very being. "then there'll be no hard feelings."
Maleficent looked amused by his answer, " So be it then." She remarked, turning back towards him, holding out her hand.
With little hesitation, Riku shook the hand of the witch.
Sora, Kairi don't worry. I swear I'll find you two.
/Notes/
- Oh wow, another update? Yayyyy.
- Yes, Lexeus ain't here, but really, did ya'll really notice? (If ya miss him dun worry, he will become a, very, important character later on :3 )
-Riku is a good boy.
- Ansem is getting sick of Riku's denial, effectively trying to trigger and make him relapse in a sense of the word
-I'm kinda disappointed that bloodhound Riku is no longer mentioned, because now I'm wondering if Mickey just gave Riku something with Aqua's scent, and that's how they eventually found her
- Omakes are going to try to be Riku's side of what happened in KH1. He just wants to sit on a tree and be with his friends.