Part two
Riku just stared, dumbfounded. But she continued to smile, clasping her hands together. He thought, for sure, that he would not last the second she came near him. But instead, She threw her hands up to the sky, a bright blue light spreading throughout the area. Riku was shocked when her evil smile turned soft, walking towards him. Strangely enough, the surroundings had froze, every Heartless and even King Mickey, everything but them. She laughed, clapping her hands together.
"Don't look so surprised, Riku."
"You...Jeria...I remember you! You were the only who defeated Sephiroth in the Coliseum...And Ansem's daughter."
"That is correct. And I remember you too, Riku. The shy boy who was new to the Heartless."
"Yeah, but eventually by mistake."
She frowned. "Don't feel to bad. At least you're not the daughter of a murderer."
He grinned half-heartedly. "I suppose you're right."
"Of course I'm right," she stated, reaching forward to his head. He froze, noticing that it did not hit. "As I'm right we're dead."
"D-dead?" he questioned, and she nodded, pulling her hand back from where it had been between his head.
"Right. Well, actually, sort of dead. See, if you're really dead, you can't go back."
"Whereas you can?"
She smiled. "That's why I'm here. Why I spared you. See, I have control over the Heartless, as my father did. Except...I'm not so blinded anymore."
"Blinded?" he questioned.
She shrugged. "I'll explain later. If there's a later. Only question is," she pointed a finger at him, grinning, "will there be one?"
"I don't get it," Riku said.
"Obviously," she pouted, crossing her arms. "Look, to put it plain and simple, what's worse to you. To continue life as you are now, or to die, and leave the responsibility behind? But choose wisely, for it may be your last."
Riku paused, looking deep into her violet eyes to see who sincere she was being. Apparently she was, thus this was more than he was grasping. But if he really did have another chance, here and now, to get out, then he might as well take it.
"To live."
She smiled. "Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Of course."
"Hmm...Are you positive?"
"Yes, already!" he yelled. He hated it when people did that, and he was on the verge of changing his mind.
"Alright. Your path has been set."
Her image began to fade, as well as the surroundings. He felt the floor beneath him give way, falling once more in darkness. But he felt no fear, he couldn't. There was nothing to fear anymore. He was going to get a second chance, and with it the chance to make it up to Kairi and Sora. To everyone...
But where was she? Where was Jeria? Where had she gotten to? He felt childish, thinking with so many questions. He heard his heartbeat, everything going cold within him. He felt a change within his mind, dizziness flooding his system. A sharp wind hit his face, his hair flowing over his face. But was that his hair? It seemed longer, it seemed to be growing on his head with every second. When he finally hit rock bottom, he felt a pain in his side, his ears dull.
He opened his eyes, finding himself sitting there against a brick wall, with one right across. It rained, though he could hear nothing. He looked at his hands, seeing that the gloves he once wore had grown tight around his fingers and almost cut of the circulation. He pulled them off, staring at the nimble hands which were not his own, but were. He stood up slowly, his now long, drenched hair falling over his face in the poring rain. He stumbled out of the alley he was in, coming face to face with this new world.
It was smoggy, gray all around. He saw cars, flashing lights, people laughing and yelling, and yet he heard nothing. It was if his ears had been torn off, and he even put a hand up to them to make sure they were still there. He leaned up against a wall, feeling sick all of the sudden. But he had no time to rest, when suddenly a hand reached out, grabbing his arm and pulling him along. When they were in a secluded area, the woman pulled off the hood of her coat, showing it to be Jeria. But she was older, about twenty, and a bit shorter than he was. She tried to say something, but still he could not hear. She knew of this when he did not respond, grabbing his wrist and pulling him along. They entered soon into a building, looking like a tavern. She set him in a chair near the back, writing down on a piece of paper and pen that were left on the table that she'd be right back. He nodded slowly, just sitting there as she rushed outside.
He just waited there for a few minutes, staring blankly at the same spot on the floor. He saw people's conversation going on, but none really concerning him. One, however, did, when a lady came out and ask a guy who he might be. The man looked around, his eyes narrow with thought when he suddenly stood up. The man, with spiky blonde hair and a blood red cape, walked over, staring at Riku closely. He looked back to the lady and nodded, who's eyes went wide. The man suddenly unsheathed his sword, bringing it up to Riku's neck. He said something, but still he could not hear a word, though he could tell that all but that had gone silent. As the man moved his arm back, Riku knew he was going to kill him, but the man suddenly stopped. It wasn't because he wanted to, but because he was forced, flying back into the barroom counter and back behind it. He saw Jeria standing in the doorway, her hand extended out, as she slowly, with panting breath, looked to Riku, shaking her head.
She walked over to him, kneeling down and handing him the clothes she had just bought. With writing it down again, she told him to go change in the bathroom, and he did so.
Jeria walked over to the counter when the man stood, reaching over and grabbing the collar of his coat.
"Leave him alone or else," she threatened, her teeth gritted.
"Hey what-" a woman with brown hair and green eyes said, but the man stopped her with a hand held up in the air.
"Who are you people?" he asked.
"The question is who are you and why did you try to hurt him?"
"My name is Cloud. I live here. And that kid you protected is a Heartless," he said.
"Used to be," she said.
"I've answered your question, now answer mine."
"My name is none of your concern. What you should be concerned about is what will happen if you come near him again," she stated.
"...Who are you?" the woman with brown hair asked.
"...One you should be worried about more than that weakling. At least, back when."
"Wait a second!" Cloud exclaimed, hitting her grip away and backing up. "I know you! Ansem's daughter! Jeria!"
She smirked. "How could you tell?"
There was a long pause of shock from the whole tavern, when Riku finally emerged from the bathroom, wearing his new set of clothes. Even a coat, which would protect him from the rain. He sat back into the chair he was originally at, Jeria going over and sitting across from him. She handed him a pill, which he had no idea what it was but took it anyway. With one sharp click in his ear he finally began to hear voices mumbling in the tavern, hearing Jeria as she spoke.
"Are you alright? Can you hear me now?" she asked, and he nodded. "Well that's good news."
"Where are we?" he questioned.
"We're in Midgar, Riku...Five year later."
"What?"
"Well...here." She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small mirror, handing it to him.
He stared at his reflection, shocked. He was older too, his hair grown out as he had suspected. He was himself, just at the age of twenty. He looked up, Jeria shrugging. She took the mirror away, putting it back in her sleeve.
"I guess coming back to life has a draw back," she stated.
"A drawback?! I'm twenty! You call that just a drawback?!
"Well, at least your here, aren't you?"
He sat back, knowing she was right. "So why are we here? And why couldn't I hear?"
"We're here because we need to be here, and you couldn't hear because you were being brought back without being released through the door. That pill you took will only last a few hours too, but eventually it will ware off. You won't get your real hearing back for a few months."
"What happened to King Mickey?"
"I took him home too. See, while you were falling to here, I had to save him from the Heartless and take him back to his castle before anything else happened."
"Jeria," he said, "why were you even there? And why did you save me?"
"I was there because...my father learned how strong I was. In being stronger than him, he imprisoned me there, just after I fought Sephiroth, actually. I had a change in Heart, and so that is why I saved you, because I knew, the moment you shut that door on yourself, you had changed to. Or rather," she smiled, "had just been blinded, as I once had."
"So..." Cloud said standing near by with the brown haired woman who listened in. "You two came from the door? Then you were the ones who released the Heartless onto our world again."
"What?" Riku questioned, but Jeria stood up.
"No, it was not us. The door was opened recently, and we left five years ago."
"Then if you didn't...who did?" the brown haired woman asked.
She smirked, laughing a bit. "You people have no idea, do you?"
"What?" Cloud questioned, his eyes set on her.
"The person who opened the door again...is my father."
"WHAT?!" all three of them inquired, speculating on how that could be so.
"That's right," she said. "It even said it in his reports. Long ago he cast his old body into darkness for a new one, finding it frail, weak. After he was destroyed by his own greed to find Kingdom Hearts, he was sent back into darkness too. Eventually, he met back up with his body, and thus he has returned, striking the nearest planet. Unfortunately for you, this is it."
"So that's why! But why are the heartless so much bigger?" the woman asked.
"Because they are stronger, as my father has grown stronger with the consumption of darkness." She turned to Riku. "And you are the only one to can defeat him now."
"What? Why me?"
"Because, with the Key Bearer gone missing, there is no one else who can fight with as great of power. My father is the only one who has any clue, too. Riku, you are the only one left. I cannot fight him, for my powers are too weak after sending both you and King Mickey out of Kingdom Hearts. Please, for the sake of all worlds, fight, and help me, along with the rest who care, find the Key Bearer."
"But I can't. I have nothing to fight him with!"
"Yes, you do. Give me your hands," she said.
Riku did what he was asked, Jeria taking his hands. With a sudden flash of light, something formed in both hands, something heavy. When they finally took form, Jeria let go, stumbling back.
"These are your Keyblades. They will be your source of power. Please, use them well."
Riku stood up, the blades still in his hands. He grinned, putting them to his sides underneath his coat where the sheathes were.
"Heh, kind of makes me feel like a rock star," he joked, seeing the complete steal blades with sort of a black tint.
Jeria tried to smile, but failed when her knees buckled, falling back. Luckily Cloud was there to catch her, setting her on the floor. She looked up at Riku as he ran to her side, pointing out the door. "My father...He's on the other side of town at this very moment...summoning his dark powers. Please...defeat him."
Riku nodded, clenching his fists and beginning to walk out. He pulled his hood over his still wet hair, concealing his eyes from the outside world...
As stepped through the almost abandoned streets, the rain coming down hard now. His hearing had begun to fail long before, and he couldn't even hear himself think. All he did hear was dull sounds of the surrounding world. Whether it be the thunder above, of his feet hitting the wet ground. He finally came to a wide open area, a tall building standing before him. Someone looked down from the roof, smirking. Riku knew who it was, and the person knew who he was.
He stopped walking, looking forward. But suddenly, Heartless began to surround him. The people in the tavern had been right; these were different. They were about two feet taller, stronger, faster, but still with there glowing yellow eyes. But no matter what, he stood fearlessly, continuing to stare straight.
"Where's Sora?" he mouthed, but he knew he said it out loud.
The man up on the building reached for his face, taking off the mask which concealed his eyes and looked up to the sky with his arms outstretched. The Heartless then began to close in, Riku getting anxious. He unsheathed his Keyblades, hearing the cling of the metal dully. Blue flames sprouted from the ground, forming a Heartless symbol around....
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A/N So what did you think? This took me a while to write, seeing how to get it accurate enough. So I'd really appreciate it if you reviewed! Should I continue it?