Bound By Darkness
Warnings: Angst, Riku-Abuse, Violence, Dark, Ansem + Riku, Yaoi
Summary: After Riku let the darkness take him from Destiny Island, what happened to him? While Sora went on his quest, what was happening to Riku, Why did he end up with Malificent, what shattered his heart, what was the deal he made with Ansem and why doesn't he remember it? This is Riku's side of Kingdom Hearts and it isn't pretty. It's an attempt to explain what could have happened to him that made him give into the darkness of his heart.
Categories: Action, Adventure, Angst, Drama,
Author: Nyxe
Author's Note* ^_^ Once again, I'd like to let you all know how much I appreciate the feedback, you guys rock ^_~ Here it is chapter 5, and without further adieu let the Riku angst continue.
Disclaimer: I own nothing from Kingdom Hearts except my own copy of the game, which I play all the time ^_^
Chapter 5: Desert of Despair
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Having been led through the doorway to Agrabah, Riku found himself in a dry, desert wasteland. The sun bore down on him like a fiery furnace, the wind threw harsh sand at him, and the horizon seemed to flaunt false promises of water at him.
With little effort, Riku's conclusion was, "This place sucks!" He decided the door he had entered couldn't be too far from civilization so he began his walk in the direction the door had faced.
The desert terrain was difficult to say the least and Riku was totally not cut out for such a harsh environment. His big shoes kept collecting sand; they were clumsy and hard to walk in on such a surface. Then there was his tank top, while it did manage to keep him cool, it offered no protection against the angry sun and it wasn't long until his alabaster complexion turned into a painful pink.
"This is ridiculous!" thought Riku, "I don't even know what this Princess Jasmine looks like!"
"Don't worry, you'll know her when you see her." Spoke Ansem. He was communicating telepathically with Riku, a rather irritating habit he had picked up in Riku's opinion.
"Could you possibly go bother some other poor tormented fool and leave me alone?" asked Riku, his words dripping with sarcasm.
"No." replied Ansem, "I like you." Riku muttered a few incoherent noises of disapproval and continued on his way. Hours went by and still no sign of anything. Riku was beginning to think he was lost, but then again, hadn't he been lost from the beginning? In any case, he was tired, burnt, thirsty, and had sand in places that he'd rather not mention. He continued to stagger across the sandy dunes for a few more agonized steps before giving into his exhaustion and collapsing face first into the hot sand.
It wasn't until the sun was at last beginning to set before Riku began to stir. He woke up and brushed some of the sand off of him and hissed in pain when he made contact with his blistered skin. He got up and scanned his surroundings, nothing, as far as his eyes could see, in all directions.
Riku's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden quake, as the sun slipped into darkness a fierce earthquake began and what looked like a giant tiger's head made of stone erupted from the sandy ground. It let out a ferocious roar that sent out a strong gust of wind that threw Riku several feet back. When at last it settled, Riku cautiously approached it. Although his first instinct was to run like hell in the opposite direction, something told him that this was his intended destination. Riku stepped into the cave-like tiger's mouth, wary of the giant teeth that would probably love to impale him. Despite everything, a bit of Riku's old trademark curiosity got the better of him and he just had to see what was down there. At the very least, it would provide him shade and he could have sworn that he could hear running water in the distance.
Riku traveled deep into the cave, he was careful not to trigger any traps, or to fall off one of the many gaps that disappeared into darkness. For a short while, Riku was able to forget his sorrow and satisfy his innate curious nature by exploring the well-lit cave. But just as Riku rounded another corner, he was brutally grabbed and swung around to come face to face with a tall sinister looking man.
"Who are you boy!?" snarled the tall man who held a long serpent staff. An obnoxious red parrot flew nearby repeating its master's question.
"I don't have to tell you anything! Let me go now!" yelled Riku, struggling against the man's grasp.
"You'd better watch you mouth boy, those who dare to interfere with Malificent don't die pretty." Warned the tall man. That got Riku's attention, he looked up at the man questioningly.
"You work for Malificent?" asked Riku.
"I am the all powerful Vizier, Jafar. I am one of Malificent's many accomplices. Who are you? You don't seem to be the keybearer that I was told of." Said Jafar; he loosened his grip on Riku.
"My name's Riku, Malificent told me to bring her some girl named Princess Jasmine." Explained Riku, grateful that his burnt arm was free of the painful hold.
"Looks like Malificent doesn't trust us eh boss?" squawked to obnoxious parrot. Jafar contemplated for a moment before once again grabbing Riku, this time by the collar of his shirt.
"Malificent would dare and insult my competency by sending a mere child to do my work! Blasted witch! Well I'll show her, poor dear child, it seems he went missing in the Cave of Wonders." Spoke Jafar while dragging Riku towards the edge of a deep chasm.
"Hey wait a sec! Don't you think this is going too far! Let go of me you freak!" yelled Riku, he began to panic as his feet now dangled helplessly over what would surely be a nasty death.
"Farewell child, rest in pieces!" sneered the evil vizier as he dropped Riku into the dark chasm. The cruel man laughed with joy as he listened to Riku's scream fade into nothingness.
Riku landed in a deep pool of fresh water, there he managed to reclaim his wits and swim to what seemed to be the base of a staircase. He took a moment to catch his breath, he glared up in the direction he had fallen, "Stupid son of a bitch in heat!" spat Riku. Before deciding to go any further, Riku renewed his energy and strength by drinking his fill of fresh water.
After taking a much-needed break, Riku began to climb the nearby stairs up to the main part of the cave. This time, Riku proceeded with much more caution, not wanting another encounter with the tall snake-like bastard. Riku soon came to a room that he hadn't previously explored, this one was full of gold and treasures. Riku paused and stared at the pile of gold, is jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. "Wow," thought Riku, "If only Sora was here, this is the kind of adventure I had wanted to go with him on." The sudden memory of his friend caused a sharp pain to his heart but nevertheless Riku proceeded to the next chamber. He could hear shouting, explosions, and wicked chants; a battle was going on in the next room. Riku wanted to see if it was that Vizier guy fighting someone but something else caught his eye. On a high ledge, a young woman called out for help. "Is that Princess Jasmine?" thought Riku. Without much effort, Riku was able to leap up and grab the ledge. As he pulled himself up he noticed a light emanating from the woman. It was strange; it seemed like it was coming from her heart.
"Are you Princess Jasmine?" asked Riku.
"Of course I am, have you come to save me?" asked the princess. Riku felt a pang of guilt but knew that if he didn't bring the girl, he was as good as scorpion food.
"Sorry Princess, I need you to come with me." Said Riku. The frightened woman began to step back but Riku approached her still. The Princess panicked as Riku continued to approach her and cried out for help.
"Aladdin! Hel..!" The princess fell limp before Riku. His eyes had momentarily glowed a bright orange as he had cast a sleep spell. Riku shook his head violently, suddenly aware that he hadn't acted on his own.
"What just happened?" whispered Riku to himself.
"Call it a bit of divine intervention." Replied Ansem from within his mind.
"You lying bastard! What did you do, You used me didn't you!?" stammered Riku, frightened by the idea of Ansem being able to manipulate him so easily.
"Calm down, I merely assisted you in casting a spell that you didn't know. Now hurry back to the surface, Jafar as been defeated and his assailants will soon come after you!" commanded Ansem.
"Jafar's assailants," the thought crossed Riku's mind, "could they be Sora and his new companions?" Riku hesitated for a moment, a part of him longed to see his lost friend but Ansem intervened.
"Riku hurry! This cave is going to collapse, you must leave now, carrying the princess will slow you down as it is!" said Ansem's voice. Riku could see Ansem's point, the cave had already begun to quake and tremble. Without any further hesitation, Riku scooped up the princess and ran as fast as he could towards the exit. As he ran from the mouth of the cave, something caught his eye; he thought he saw a carpet fly out from the cave and disappear into the horizon. The cave let out a loud rumble as it sank into the sand behind him, sand was kicked up and hurled at him and his captive. He accidentally let go of the girl who became partially buried in sand and fell flat into the angry sand. The sun glared down on him with a new vigor that made his already burnt skin scream in agony.
"Curse this wretched place!" snapped Riku, he turned towards the fallen princess as he struggled to his feet when suddenly a voice from behind startled him.
"Hello there, Riku." It sounded like… Sora? Riku turned his head warily, afraid that he would once again see a phantom or worse. He came face to face with a pair of sapphire eyes and cheeky grin.
"Sora?" asked Riku cautiously. The boy who appeared to be Sora smiled back at him in a casual manner. Riku approached the boy slowly, never taking his eyes off of him.
"You sure are acting funny Riku." Said the boy. Riku looked at him dumbfounded, was this really Sora or another trick? Riku couldn't decide whether to run from what could be another cruel trick or to stay and hope that this time he really was reunited with his friend. Sora giggled at him and gave him a big hug before he could protest. Riku hissed as his skin screamed but nevertheless he was glad to be held by his friend and made no move to brush the boy off.
"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner Riku." Said Sora. Riku felt warm tears well up in his eyes and he reached around to return the boy's embrace.
"I've missed you and Kairi so much! You have no idea what I've been through!" sobbed Riku, trying his best not to all out cry. Sora rubbed his back lightly and gently lowered him to the ground. Riku held Sora as if his life depended on it but his eyes jolted open when he felt the straps on the back of his shirt being undone.
"Sora? What are you?" Riku asked but was stopped when Sora leaned in and kissed his lips lightly.
"Hush now," whispered Sora softly as he continued to play with the fasteners of Riku's shirt. Riku began to struggle but found Sora to be unusually strong and heavy.
"Sora cut it out!" snapped Riku. Sora ignored him and held him tighter. That's when Riku noticed the slightly yellow tinge to Sora's eyes. He experienced another wave of muddled memories fragmented with nightmarish content and struggled harder against the fake Sora's hold on him.
"I want you Riku." Whispered the fake Sora in a lustful tone. Riku continued to struggle, unaware of Sora's hand that had reached behind him to pull out a large keyblade with a dagger-like serrated edge.
"And more than anything Riku…" breathed Sora into Riku's ear as he lifted the menacing keyblade above Riku's chest, "I want you dead!" Riku cried out as he watched the keyblade thrust towards him, but it never pierced him and there was no sign of the false Sora.
Riku opened his eyes, he was almost completely buried in sand, his shirt was secure on him without any signs of tampering, Riku concluded what just happened to have been some sort of hallucination or mirage. Riku got up and found the princess, rather than search for the doorway, he used his new ability to summon such a door and quickly made his way to the End of the World.
Riku didn't get far before collapsing… into Ansem's chest. Ansem had caught Riku just in time and gently cradled his silver-haired imp as he carried him off. Ansem waved his hand and a small horde of heartless took the princess to Malificent. Riku was half-awake while Ansem carried him to his place; he was too tired to curse Ansem and decided to pretend to be asleep so as to avoid any unnecessary confrontations. Riku let himself be placed onto Ansem's bed and fought the urge to run when he felt his tank top removed. For a few minutes that passed like years nothing happened and Riku wondered if Ansem was even still there. However, not wanting to risk letting Ansem know he was awake, he kept still and waited patiently until he heard footsteps approach. The familiar weight settled on the bed next to him, but what came next was entirely unexpected. A cool, slimy substance was being gently massaged over Riku's burnt skin. Riku couldn't suppress a soft moan of approval and let his eyes flutter open to see Ansem with his sleeves rolled up, methodically applying a green medicinal substance to his body. Ansem looked up at him and gave him a wink.
"So you finally decided to drop the act eh?" remarked Ansem, a playful smirk upon his face.
"Oh leave me alone." Replied Riku. Ansem smiled and gave a light slap to Riku's burnt cheek.
"Ow! What the hell was that for?" stammered Riku. He was answered by a green glob of aloe being smeared across his face. Ansem took a moment to look at his handy work and started to laugh, the sight of an aloe dripping, redskin, Riku with a look of indignation was just too funny. Riku rolled his eyes in self-defeat.
"Flip over." Ordered Ansem.
"No." replied Riku, defiant as usual.
"Now." Ordered Ansem.
"Piss off." Retorted Riku giving Ansem the finger.
"Have it your way." Replied Ansem nonchalantly before lifting Riku clear off the mattress and flipping him over manually. Riku was held firmly in place by a strong hand, but it was soon replaced by the soothing aloe, as it was massaged over his sore back.
"Hey Ansem?" asked Riku.
"Hmm?" responded Ansem.
"Why are you doing this?" asked Riku. He couldn't help but relax under the skill of Ansem's hands.
"Simple, I take good care of my possessions." Stated Ansem.
"Would you knock it off with that crap already? You make it sound like we're some sort of S&M couple." Retorted Riku.
"No, I don't particularly care for S&M, too messy. I prefer my partner to be totally at my mercy, crying out in desperation while I take them." Replied Ansem; unaware of the suggestive manner in which he was now stroking Riku's rear.
Riku was staring at him over his shoulder with an expression of slight fear and anticipation.
"Oh but don't worry, I use protection." Said Ansem cheerfully; his eyes sparkled with a touch of mischief.
"You better not be getting any ideas over there!" warned Riku as he glared at Ansem. Ansem wrapped his arms around Riku's waist and whispered into his ear, "You needn't worry my dear silver imp, my plans are none of your concern." Ansem prevented any further argument with a gentle, seductive kiss to Riku's lips, which Riku actually found himself melting into with little resistance. He couldn't explain it, but it was as if there was a part of him that longed to be with Ansem despite his mind's better judgement. Ansem handed him his shirt back and as Riku was putting it on, Ansem directed him to the door to Hollow Bastion.
"Until we see each other again my dear corrupted angel." Said Ansem as he pat Riku lightly on the head. Riku gave out a subtle growl of disapproval and returned to Malificent's throne room.
"Welcome back my dear child. I'm so glad to see that you've safely returned and good work on bringing the Princess." Said Malificent, a wide malicious grin spreading across her face. Riku gave her his usual scowl.
"We had a deal, you said you'd help me get Kairi back." Said Riku.
"Of course." Replied Malificent, an evil smirk played across her features and she summoned a wave of green energy from her staff that enveloped Riku. Riku felt his powers charge up but at the same time a part of him seemed to cry out in protest but it was ignored.
"Now you have even more power that can be used to find the girl." Said Malificent.
"Why are you doing this for me?" asked Riku. Malificent smiled at him wickedly as she knelt down to cup his face in her hands. By now, Ansem's miracle aloe had fully restored Riku's soft white skin.
"My dear child, you're like a son to me, it's only natural that I would want to see you succeed." Coaxed Malificent.
Riku, not forgetting the scorpion incident angrily slapped her hands away, "Tch! I doubt that!" he retorted.
Malificent stood before him, her shadow cast menacingly over him.
"In any case, I have another job for you. You are to accompany this pirate, Capt. Hook, and retrieve more pure hearts for me. As before, I will reward you generously." Riku turned to face the pirate whom she pointed at, a tall dark haired man with a hook replacing a hand.
"Just so you know, this isn't going to be some cruise." Remarked the pirate. Riku couldn't help but see this man to be a complete fool but he had no other choice but to accompany him. He was about to follow after the pirate but was held back by Malificent.
"That man's a fool but he knows the whereabouts of another princess, bring me the princess and then leave him. Kill him if you must, I'll check on you from time to time to watch your progress. Now go get some rest, you leave early tomorrow." Explained Malificent.
"The witch's words sent chills down Riku's spine, if only he could find Sora and Kairi, then he would leave this crazy woman and that bastard Ansem and go somewhere far away where they wouldn't be able to find him.
To be continued…
*Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed chapter 5, I've been trying to incorporate a bit more action/adventure into the chapters to balance out all the Riku abuse ;P Anyway, gotta love Riku, he's a cute little punk @$$. I've also been attempting some light humor; after all, I'm just trying to entertain not drive anyone off the deep end.
*Side Note: This is my Kingdom Heart revelation… Destiny Islands are actually Florida… yes Florida, Panama City to be even more specific. Its got white sandy beaches, no sign of real civilization, is right near the "Kingdom of the Mouse", and finally, the inhabitants want to escape. Since I'm also accursed to such a fate, I can totally relate to Riku's plight. So does that mean I should go down to the Florida Keys and wait for them to unlock the path to darkness? ^_^ hee hee, bad pun I know, hope you can forgive me.