Road to Dawn
Riku felt a massive wave of guilt as he and the group. Everyone was on edge and knew full well that the situation now had become worse then what everyone had intended. Forehead sweating the battle had taken much out of him, but his hearts still told him that there were still unfinished things left to be resolved. Something grander was happening. It had been apparent since he first appeared to Gravity Falls, and now it was time for him to figure out what was going on and quite possibly stop it.
How could he have let things get out of hand with that fight against the Replica. It was unstable, unhinged. Still, perhaps that wasn't entirely its fault. Being a clone of a person and not one's own person must have been hard. Riku wouldn't know how he himself might handle such a thing if he was a creation of someone else's. Of course he couldn't dwell on anything right now.
"Woah what this place" Dipper looked around the room.
They were back at the Castle but this time it was a different room. This one is far more white than before. It had almost a foggy looking area. What stood out was the large chamber in the center of the room. It looked like a giant egg, a few spikes protruding from it. It felt very haunting to gaze at, heavenly, but with a mechanical bent that made it seem, not completely trustworthy.
"We are in another white room again" Max pointed out, causing Riku and Mable to let go of each other.
Riku nodded, "I know, must be the same Castle"
"What castle is this though?" Max asked, "It's not Hollow Bastion that's for sure, seems to clean for one thing"
"This...Is Castle Oblivion" Everyone faced forward as Diz appeared through a portal of darkness. He just stood there with a smirk on his face. Riku wanted nothing more at the moment then to smack him. Something about the way he acted said that he was responsible for what happened to Dipper and the battle with the Replica. However he held himself back, his need for answers overcoming his need for payback at the moment.
"Castle what now?" Max asked, sounding confused.
Diz groaned, "Castle Oblivion, much has happened before you arrived, be thankful you didn't have to suffer such a fate then the last one who entered this place did".
"Who?" Riku asked, looking at the stranger with an annoyed sneer .
"Where is Grunkle Stan" Mable shouted, still reeling from what happened to Dipper. She kept wiping her eyes down as tears kept streaming down her cheeks
"He is safe" Diz said, although his emotions said otherwise.
"Prove it" Riku sneered, summoning Soul Eater now. He was tired of this guy's constant talk about why they should even trust them.
Diz snapped his fingers as a larger dark energy and to his surprise, Stan arrived, but not just that, a few others too. He seemed quite normal, chit chatting along with them like nothing was wrong.
"So I said to the cop I said-" Stan stopped the moment Mabel and Dipper leached onto his legs
"Woah kids relax, I'm still here" Stan snickered rubbing there foreheads.
Riku noticed a few others as well. First he saw Iago and Zazu both sitting on shoulders, but standing next to him was the King, as well as Soos. Finally the last two he didn't recognize, one was a man drenched in a black coat, similar to the ones he fought before, and the second, a elderly looking Duck in top hat with a cane.
" !" Max said running up to him, "I-I...What are you doing here"
"I've been here for a while lad" Scrooge said smiling, "Glad to see you safe"
Max sighed, going into his pocket and taking out the Star Shard, "I-I'm sorry sir...Here"
Scrooge took the Star Shard, the King taking notice of it.
"Wow," The King said looking at the device, "Haven't seen this thing in ages, does it still work?"
"It did a few times," Max explained.
"Good"
Riku smiled but then grimaced again as he saw Diz and the hooded man talking to one another.
Was this Diz allied to the ones who he had been fighting. Perhaps he was the master of these people.
"So, who are you?" Riku asked, "What's going on"
"I think he should tell you" Scrooge pointed to the hooded figure now.
They began to walk towards the group and up in front towards Dipper and Mabel. Removing there hood Riku gasped to see that they had the exact same face as Stan Pines himself.
"GRUNKLE FORD!" Dipper and Mabel yelled together.
Dipper lurched onto him. "Grunkle Ford! It's you...It's really, really, REEEEALLY YOU"
"Hey, other Stan" Wendy waved.
"Yeesh, what am I chop liver" Stan muttered in a huff.
"Yes" Wendy smirked.
Stan sighed, "So much for my loyal employees"
Ford smiled, "Hello Dipper, I know I have a lot of explaining to do right now? Just know...Just know I've been okay, and since you are here and Gravity Falls is here, you must have helped save the universe the first time right"
Dipper stepped back looking a bit shamed, "Um...Well uh...N-no...Not really" he sighed
"Oh come on Dipper, we helped Sora" Mabel said, "That's pretty close"
"Yeah, Dip, stop trying to be center stage all the time" Wendy replied giving him a wink, "Your center stage to those who matter"
Dipper chuckled, "Y-Yeah, I guess I am" he turned back to Ford, "B-But why didn't you contact us Grunkle Ford, we were so worried, especially since we just got you back"
"Yeah, I'd like to know the same thing actually" Stan sneered, "I mean I knew it was you under the hood, but did you have to be dramatic about it...Stanford!"
"I was trying to keep my cover in case they were you know...Enemies or something, can't be to careful Stanley" Ford said.
Stan rolled his eyes.
"Why didn't you come back," Mable asked looking disappointed, "Or at least left a note, did you come back from darkness or whatever happens when we get caught in a worlds destruction"
Ford sighed, "I did come back, and I would have come back...But then Diz came to me…
"Is Diz someone you know?" Mable asked, looking at Ford with surprise.
"Yes, him and Scrooge, I made contact with Scrooge after I got caught up on what happened with Diz. Look, Mable...Stanley, things are still happening. Bad things, those other in the coats, they are bad people and there are more of them out there"
"Yeah, I've faced them," Riku sneered, "Don't seem like nice guys"
Ford nodded, "Yes, believe me, the darkness still hasn't been defeated not by a long shot and I'm afraid...We may not have a Keyblade Master for a while"
"W-What?" Riku felt his body go limp, "W-what happened? Where is Sora? Do you know what happened to Sora"
"Or my dad" Max interjected, also looking imp.
Scrooge interjected now, "Hold it lads, they are alive...just...out of commission for a bit"
"What does that mean!" Riku asked, getting upset.
Diz just nodded as he turned to a large chamber as it slowly began to open. Riku watched his eyes widening as he began to see what was inside. Sora, Sora was there, floating a bit as if he were underwater. However he looked okay, except he was asleep. What did any of this mean though, that was the real question.
"I-I don't understand," Riku said, voice shaking.
"Namine" Diz boasted, "The time has come"
Now a newcomer to the game as Riku saw her approach from the light. A young woman, a girl really, around Kairi's age perhaps, with blonde hair wearing a white dress. In fact, she looked Kairi a lot, in the face, the eyes, it was just the hair that was off and she could have been her twin.
Riku merely blinked as he saw her approach, it was so strange.
Mable beamed, "Oh hello!" She ran up to her shaking her hand, "I'm Mable, this is Riku and Max...My friends...That is a nice dress, goes with your hair and eyes, I wish I could get something like that for myself….
"Mable…" Riku hissed, "Maybe let her talk"
"It's okay," Namine said keeping a good face, "Just been through a lot these last few hours"
"Hours?"
"Time works differently between the worlds" Diz explained, "For you it has been weeks, here, and what's happened...It's been merely a few hours."
"W-What happened?" Riku asked, sounding hesitant.
Namien sighed, "It's a long story"
Thus Namine told Riku the story of Sora's time here at Castle Oblivion, how he slowly lost his memories one by one, fought the Replica that had kidnapped Dipper, and dealt with a group of those black coated people as well as a demon by Bill Cipher, a name Mable and Ford knew well. Still it seemed things worked out in the end as things typically did for Sora.
"So, Sora chose to forget about the castle, and get his old memories back"
Riku was taken aback, but he supposed he understood.
"Yes," Namine sighed a small tear going down her face, "Riku, I-I'm so sorry ...The Organization and Bill…."
Ford put a hand on Namine's shoulder, "I don't know about the Organization, but I know Bill. He knows how to toy with people, make them do things they never thought"
"Yeah, like go nuts" Stan muttered glaring at Ford for a moment, "But uh...Yeah, that does sound harsh kid"
Namine sighed, "Again, I-I'm sorry"
"Hey, it's okay…" Riku said smiling, "At least your owning up to your mistakes faster than I did"
"Aye, and that's what matters" Scrooge said nodding, "Atonement is something anyone can do, whether we choose to forgive is another matter of choice, but there is always a chance to try to be better".
"Wow" Max said, "Wait...Are-Are Donald and my dad here...D-Did they forget too"
"Yes" Namine said, a tinge of sadness in her fac.
Max face dropped, "D-Did he forget me?"
Namine shook his head, "No, they only wanted Sora's memories altered, and trust me, I don't think your dad could forget you even if he wanted too"
"Well I hope never does" Max said looking tense, "Is he here?"
"Yes," Namien explained, "In the other room in a different chamber"
Without a moment's hesitation Max sprinted off to be with his father leaving now just Riku and Mable alone in the room.
Riku didn't blame Max for wanting to be with his father right now. He hoped that everything would work out for them. However something still was a miss, a piece of the puzzle that still needed to be solved.
"You need to make a choice too Riku," Namine said as if knowing what he was thinking.
"Me?"
"Yes ...I know that there is a darkness that sleeps inside you and in that darkness, Xehanort resides" Namine expression became stern, "We can get you to forget the darkness and return to how you were-"
"No!"
"Everyone was taken aback.
Riku held up a hand, "No, not in that I want darkness to overtake me, but no, in that I don't want to return to the way I was" he could see Diz gave a small smile, this might be what he wanted, "If I'm going to have darkness then I need to face it head on, embrace it, because it is apart of me...But not forget it, or let it overcome me"
"Then you'll need this," Diz went into his cloak and pulled out a card handing it to Riku, "It will extract the darkness from your heart...Well, when you go the proper room of course".
"Riku-" Mable took his hand, "Riku, you don't have to do this if you don't want too"
Riku shook his head, "No...This is something I have to do" He let go of Mable's hand and smiled, "On my own"
Mable took a deep breath and nodded.
Riku knew she had faith in him.
-000-
Activating the card was easy
However going through the door was the hard part. Not because it was heavy or anything but because of what was on the other side. Xehanort, his darkness, Riku's darkness, all of it was about to come out in one big burst. He needed to be strong though, this needed to be a fight that he had to win and be done with.
"Okay Riku-" He said, taking a deep breath as he faced the door. Slowly he began to approach pushing it open a few feet as he entered the small room, "I can do this-I can do this...For Sora...For everyone who has faith in me"
Riku entered the room, it was small and white like the rest of the castle, and worse, completely empty. However, that didn't stop him from smelling the darkness that surrounded it.
Xehanort appears.
"Watching you plunge into the darkness" He said in his taunting tone, "It is almost becoming a joke at this point and yet...Why? Why do you still reist me".
Riku smirked "Easy…" He summoned his soul eater, "I can't stand your foul stench"
"I see…" Xehanort chuckled, "It's a shame really, we are so much alike"
"We are-"
"No, we are" Xehanort interjected, "We are both members of that infernal Island, both of us desiring something more. To get away from the memories that bound us to that small and tiny place...The prison...Surrounded by water"
Riku took a step back...Those words. They were the words he used to think when he thought about his old Island home. The prison is surrounded by water. It was his prison, at least that's what he thought. Not the place where he and Sora used to play together. The place where he met Kairi. The place were the three of them would have fun little adventures and be happy, and carefree. Even when things got tough, he still had them.
"See," Xehanort replied taking a step forward, "We are the same...We should be together, in darkness...Allow me control and I will give you ...Everything again"
"No…" Riku said standing firm, "No...I had everything before you, and even I can't get it back...I won't go back to you"
Darkness engulfed the room.
Now it was just Riku and Xehanort facing head to head. The battle that he had always known that would have happened finally came to pass. He wished his friends could have been here now, but this was a battle that he knew he had to face on his own. Already the stench of darkness was all over him, but he wasn't going to let it consume him. He would use his own darkness, if need be, but he would not submit to it.
Xehanort was the first to attack, launching a blow with his dark powers that Riku was able to deflect with his soul eater.
Now the wiley Heartless Master fired several balls of energy and beams of light which again Riku was able to deflect but only just.
"Submit!" Xehanort yelled.
"No thanks"
Riku managed to dodge his attacks, trying to find an opening in the moves.
Despite focusing on the battle Riku tried to think of those who he had made friends with during this adventure. That would be his strength...His power, just like Sora. Even in the great sea of darkness, these new friends, the King, Mable, Max, the Pines family, all of them were the tiny specks of lights that were keeping him going.
Finally he thought back, back to the memories of Sora and Kairi, the good times. The times of them on the Island, playing, being themselves, without the pressures of anyone or anything. When it was just the three of them goofing around, being silly, memories that made him happy.
As he let these thoughts, good thoughts that Riku found his strength, strength that countered Xehanort attack of darkness and was able to deflect it right back at him even more powerful than before.
With a large explosion Xehanort was engulfed by his own energy
Riku took a moment and breathed a sigh of relief.
Xehanort was down now, darkness and energy began engulfing him, he looked in pain as he panted, "This...Is not ...The end ...I SHALL RETURN"
An explosion of darkness occurred engulfing Xehanort causing him to vanish. Riku thought it was over until that darkness was replaced by blue flame followed by high pitched laugher.
Darkness was now replaced by blue flame, an almost bizarre dimension now engulfed the poor boy. Riku had no idea what was going on, but he was going to fight it either way.
"Who's there" Riku held his sword closer.
"Oh...You know who…." Cam a manic high pitch voice.
A figure emerged...With his two dimension shape and three sided body. Things were starting to get really, really weird.
Standing before him now a floating triangle emerged, his one eye gazing upon Riku's, top hat and cane in hand.
Recognizing the image from Dipper's journal, he was looking at the figure of Bill Cipher, in all his terrible glory.
"Hey Riku!" Bill waved.
Riku kept his sword steady, so this was the demon triangle that he had read about in the journal, not to mention during his time in Gravity Falls, he did see images of him all over. At first he thought he was just hallucinating but perhaps he had an influence in that world. Either way, he could sense great darkness in him, the stench was horrid, but also...Something else, a different kind of darkness, but he couldn't tell what, but it felt ...Weird.
"What are you doing here" Riku said keeping the tip of his sword straight, "Come to hurt my friends some more" He made battle position ready to strike
"What? No! Geez! You are gonna play a big role in things to come and I wanna know what I'm working with it here" Bill laughed, "Gotta say, you aren't as funny as your spiky haired friend Sora, now that was fun!"
Riku sneered, "Don't you talk about him that way!"
"Oh touchy!" Bill pulled back, "Funny...You wouldn't have said something like that a few months ago"
Riku stopped and glared at him, for what he said was true, "N-No I-" he shook his head and tried not to let Cipher's word get inside him, "I've changed, I-I'm not going to hurt Sora again"
"Sure kid, whatever you say, you play Sora's great defender...To bad you undermined everything he tried to protect already"
Riku eyes widened, "W-What are you"
"Names Bill...I had a lot fun with your little pal Sora" Bill took a deep breath as he calmed down, wiping a tear from his eye "
"SORA!" In rage Riku charged forward at Cipher jumping in the air to strike him down only to miss with Bill bursting into flame and appearing behind him now.
"Oh, anger issues, strange for a big sunshine for Sora to befriend you"
"Shut up!" Riku charged again trying to pin him, only to miss again.
"Rude" Bill snickered, leaning on his cane,
Riku sighed, he wasn't going to be able to attack him, he probably wasn't even here, "Why are you even here in the first place?"
"You were battling Xehanort and wanted to see you take him down, which means one more rival out of the way for good" Bill cackled, "I'm was getting tired of all his drama, seriously, what happened to the classic ways of doing evil"
Riku took his sword again ready to attack, "You won't hurt Sora...So long as I'm still alive I will always protect him".
Bill clenched his first for a few moments but took a deep breath, reverting back to normal he just laughed it off waving a hand. "Yeesh kid, relax, I know how lovey dovey you get with him...I don't want to fight, besides I'm just projecting anyway, I'm way gone from here...Besides I'm on your side, we all want the same thing".
"And what's that-" Riku grunted, still pinned to the sky.
"We want Sora to wake up" With those words Bill let Riku go causing him to fall face flat on the ground as he watched him get up. For a few moments the two just looked at one another. Bill demented grin growing only wider and wider as Riku's own frustration grew.
"W-What do you want to do Sora," Riku sneered holding his soul eater closer, "Whatever it is I'll stop you"
"Oh you have no idea what's about to come kid, your story is about to get a lot more complicated, and I'm gonna make sure that it gets worse every step of the way...Enjoy" Bill let out one last maniacal laugh. "REALITY IS AN ILLUSION, THE UNIVERSE IS MY PLAY THING, EMBRACE THE BALANCE! BYE!"
The room was restored to normal now.
Riku just took several deep breaths, finding himself back in the white room, all the darkness and flame had finally vanished. His mind was still rushing from what had happened, but all of that vanished the moment he heard two familiar voices calling from the other room. The door the chamber bursting open as a few familiar faces came to check on him.
"Riku"
"Riku"
Mable and the King came to his aid helping him.
"W-What happened?" Mable asked, quickly rushing to his side, making sure he was okay.
"Cipher" Riku sneered, standing up his legs feeling a bit limp "Bill Cipher, he-he came..."
"What about Xehanort?" The King asked.
"Gone..For now"
"Good"
"So now what?" Mable asked, " Bill is doing...Something apparently...This is bad...Things are still bad"
"They are...But were still here" Mickey smiled, "You know...I realized something"
"What?" Riku asked.
"Your darkness belongs to you just like your light. I thought the darkness was something that should never exist. But now...Seeing you, and how you handled it, I realized that I was wrong. The road you chose was your own".
"Riku if you don't mind...I'd like to join you and your next adventure..., keeping Sora safe….
Riku looked taken aback but nodded kneeling down to the king size so they can look eye to eye, "Your majesty, I'm really flattered I don't know what to say"
"Ah come on Riku were pals" The King held out his hand.
Riku took and smiled, "No problem...Mickey"
-000-
Dipper paced and back and forth in the room. He wasn't quite sure why he was so nervous, but he was. So Bill Cipher was behind some of what was going on. That meant his worst fears were definitely warranted.
"Hey you okay dude?" Wendy walked up to him looking worried.
Dipper shook his head, "No, I don't think anyone knows what they are getting themselves into, not even Grunkle Ford"
"Really? I mean Ford seems to know a lot of stuff"
"Yeah but he didn't see any of the things we saw with the Heartless, or Bill, or Sora. I-I wanna do something?"
Wendy raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"I, remember what Zexion said about a Seeker of Darkness"
"Yeah"
Dipper bit his lip, "What if I become of those, you know, understand darkness and then find a way to destroy it"
-000-
Black looked good on Riku, Mickey Max and Mable as they stood outside the door of Castle Oblivion a long road lay ahead. It would be long and perhaps perilous, but he was ready for another quest, if it means making sure Sora was safe from whatever might come after him. Whatever the plan though, they would face it together, as a team. Finally, he was going to go on an adventure...Just like Sora did, perhaps it would even be just as fun.
Mable especially enjoyed it, though she wanted to add glitter to the outfit.
Apparently these coats were supposed to protect one from the darkness. If they were going to use darkness as a tool, then it would require safety gear.
"Wish you were coming Dip-Dot!" Mabel poked her brother's cheek.
"I know I'd look great in that" Dipper snickered, "But I wanna be with Ford for a bit, I think I can help him with his research"
"I need all hands on deck, especially with what Riku told me" Ford said.
Riku explained what the confrontation with Xehanort was like and the little intervention by Bill Cipher. Apparently this was enough to get Ford to be worried about everything moving forward.
It was weird to think that he was going to have companions now. No longer being a loner like he was used too. However instead of feeling a dream, there was a sense of joy. To know that this time he woul have people around him that he could be open towards, talk too and maybe even share a bit of love and joy with. The sort of things he should have been doing with Sora and Kairi instead of just trying to
Max and Mabel would have made some good friends to have along the way. Dipper would have come too, however he wanted to be with Ford and Diz. The three of them would go into the research of the heart and help Namine wake Sora up. It was important though to insure that this castle was protected, for Bill was out there and who knows what sort of things he would do in the meantime. The fact that he wanted Sora up too was worrisome.
"If Cipher is up to something then perhaps we should change course" Ford argue angrily with Diz as they got ready to head out, "He is one of the most dangerous beings in the Multiverse, if he is out there even with limited power it still could prove dangerous for us all"
Diz didn't seem to care, "Bah, let the Triangle roam around, besides he can't take full form unless he breaks out from his dimension"
"Well at least his only escape is stuck in the Shack, and it's protected with magic" Ford replied.
"Yeah...So, what are me and the birds are supposed to do...and Soos" Stan said looking at the three of them.
Ford sighed, "Stan, we need you to be a spy for us"
"A spy!" Soos eyes widened, "Oh can I be a spy too...Agent double O Soos"
"Sure," Ford muttered, "We need you to go to Hollow Bastion for us"
"Again?" Stan groaned, "Ugh...I don't have to fight anything do I"
"Just snoop on people," Ford replied.
Stan eyes widened as his grin widened, "Can I use the gossip to exploit them for profit"
"Please don't," Ford muttered.
"Spoil sport," Stan muttered, "But I'm still gonna make profit...I can imagine it now...Mystery Shack 2...More Mystery, and more Shack"
Ford just rolled his eyes, "Fine, whatever"
" , are you going to come with us" Max asked walking up to the old Duck, "We'd love it if you did"
The King nodded, "Yeah Scrooge, always happy to have another friend along"
Scrooge shook his head, "Nah, I have other things I need to do, there is still a lot happening the world. Old connections need to be rekindled and hopefully maintained this time. Max...I think you have your own journey to go on this time...Much like your father, I'm sure you'll make him proud".
Max smiled and just nodded.
Riku took a deep breath and looked at Mickey, Mable and Max. Friends, actually companions to go on a journey with this time. Even though they had been through alot together at the moment he felt he still had much to learn about with them. The adventures they could have, the world they could explore, the missions they could go on. But most importantly though, right now they had a common goal. Protecting Sora, that was the key that united them all.
"So...Riku," Diz said, walking up to him, "What road will you choose? The road to light, or the road to darkness".
Riku turned around and looked out on the road and decided to just move straight, turning around and giving Diz a sly smirk, "No...The road to dawn"
Yes, that would be his road.
With Max, Mable, and the King he would have friends and companions by his side no matter what happened.
His friends would be his power...Just like Sora's were.
Finally...He understood.