Bound By Darkness

Warnings: Angst, Riku-Abuse, Violence, Dark, Ansem + Riku, Yaoi, Sora + Riku

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, Anyway, this chapter is a bit naughtier than the others, lots of Ansem/Riku action as well as some Sora/Riku action although the Sora/Riku is more like fluff. A light touch of humor because I'm twisted like that as well as some good old fashioned violence and the ever continuous Riku angst.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Kingdom Hearts except my own copy of the game, which I play all the time ^_^

Chapter 6: Devoured by Betrayal Part 1

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Only a few days had passed since Riku had been sent out to accompany Capt. Hook in search for another princess. Much to Riku's dismay, the mode of transportation was that of a large ship that rocked against the waves and stirred up Riku's stomach. Apparently, Riku was subject to seasickness as he spent most of the voyage hanging over the side of the ship. Sure, he came from a seaside village, but small fishing rafts were not the same as the huge, rickety, 'constantly in a state of nauseating motion', antique ship which he was being forced to endure. For the most part, the Captain and his idiot crew kept to themselves and stayed out of Riku's way; for one thing, they resented Malificent's favoritism over the boy and another thing, none of them wanted to know what Riku's last meal was.

Riku gazed at his choppy reflection in the water, he could tell he was more pale than usual, and wondered if he would have been this sick on the raft he had helped build with Sora and Kairi. Riku gave out a longing sigh as he watched the sun sink into the cold waters, if only he was with Sora and Kairi. He was deeply annoyed by the fact that both Ansem and Malificent were against him seeing his friend Sora, more than anything he thought that if he could just talk to Sora, then he could sort things out.

His thoughts were interrupted when a bit of salt water splashed him in the face. Riku jerked his head angrily from side to side to see which one of the idiot pirates were going to find themselves overboard. A second splash struck him and he noticed that it came from beneath him. He looked over the side of the ship to see an image of Ansem starring up at him in place of what should have been his reflection.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked Riku angrily.

"I came to check on you. I've had some rather tedious work and was unable to visit you sooner." Explained Ansem.

"Well I wish you would keep to your tedious work, I want nothing to do with you!" stammered Riku. A few pirates gave him funny looks as they walked by.

"I knew he was sick, but I think he's getting delirious." Whispered one pirate.

"I see what you mean." Whispered the other pirate.

Riku spun around and shot both of them a vicious death glare that sent both of them running into a frenzy. He then returned his attention to Ansem who was trying not to laugh.

"I'll say this once, GO AWAY!" said Riku, he was about to give into another bout of sickness. Ansem nodded his head with an amused smirk playing across his features.

"Very well my darling, perhaps when you're feeling a bit better I'll come see you then." Said Ansem as he faded out, effectively avoiding Riku's lunch. Riku crawled to his cabin and collapsed on his bed feeling absolutely wretched. He was about to attempt sleep when something caught his eye, a strange crystal vial had been placed on his bedside table. It was labeled 'Esuna' and its contents seemed to give off a subtle glow. A note lay next to it and Riku reached for it so that he could read it better.

Dearest Riku,

Take this potion and it will make you feel better. You're starting to

turn as green as Malificent, and that simply won't do. You'll need

your strength so take care and get some rest, a bath wouldn't be a bad idea either,

you're starting to smell like fish bait.

Your Loving Master whether you like it or not,

Sir Ansem

P.s. Stop scowling!

Riku continued to scowl at the letter. "Of all the nerve!" he thought as he wadded up the note and tossed it into a nearby bucket. He was about to roll back onto the bed and sleep but his stomach once again started up its usual protests, Riku silently cursed in defeat and took the offered vial. He downed the contents and was relieved to discover his nausea vanished. The liquid was cool and refreshing, and it didn't leave an awful aftertaste like most medicines. Upon feeling this sudden relief, Riku could see or rather smell what Ansem was referring to in the letter. He did smell like fish bait, rotten fish bait at that. Riku got up and prepared himself a modest bath, it sucked being on this ship with no real plumbing, he had to basically fill a large tub with water and that was his bath. "Oh well," Riku thought, "Anything is better than smelling like this." Riku took off his smelly clothes and tried to figure out what to do with them, he decided to go ahead with washing himself first and then to use the leftover bath water and soap to clean his clothes in.

Once bathed and odorless, Riku hung his clothes over a wooden beam on the other side of his cabin for them to dry. It was getting late and Riku knew none of the pirates would come for him, for all they cared, he could be eaten by mermaids. Riku couldn't help but feel a bit 'exposed' since he had no other clothes to change into. However, his cabin door was locked, his window too small for anything much less a view, and he did have a rather thick comforter blanket which he had to admit felt good against his bare skin. Riku curled up in his blanket and soon drifted off into a much-needed sleep.

Ever since Riku came to Hollow Bastion, his dreams were either nightmares or unnerving images that would ghost away as soon as he woke no matter how hard he tried to remember them. However, tonight he dreamt of Sora and it was his Sora, not the yellow-eyed demon that terrorized him. Riku knew he was dreaming but he didn't mind; he didn't want to wake and simply allowed the dream to run its course. Sora was sitting beside him on the paopu tree that was Riku's favorite perch. Despite the awareness in the back of Riku's head that knew he was dreaming, he couldn't help but be awed by the dream's unusual clarity. Sora reached over and effortlessly plucked a paopu fruit from the tree and held it up to Riku's face. Riku wasn't sure what Sora wanted and gave him a curious look. Sora smiled at him happily and leaned in a bit closer.

"Who do you like Riku?" asked Sora. Riku was caught off guard by such a direct question. Unable to think of a better answer he simply said, "Kairi."

"Really?" asked Sora. Riku thought a moment and responded, "I guess…"

Sora smiled and waved his finger at Riku in a teasing manner, "Guess who I like?" asked Sora.

Riku simply answered, "Kairi." Sora laughed softly and swung one arm up and over Riku's shoulders.

"True, I like Kairi. Now guess who I love." Said Sora, a hint of seriousness in his tone.

Riku just starred blankly at Sora, unsure of what to say. Sora smiled at him warmly and posed another question. "Do you love Kairi?"

Riku was at a loss, sure he had had a crush on the girl but now that Sora had asked such simple yet serious questions, he wasn't sure exactly how he felt. Sora gave Riku a friendly squeeze and asked, "Can I tell you what I think?" Riku simply nodded, not sure of where this was all heading.

"I think you love me." Said Sora cheerfully. Riku's face jerked suddenly in shock but before he could say anything Sora continued, "Because I love you and I'm the one who you think about when you're alone. I'm the one who's name you cry out when you're scared. And I'm the one who promised to rescue you no matter what." Riku continued to stare at Sora, his cheeks flushing red and his heart thumped wildly in his chest.

Sora gave a sudden worried look and said to Riku, "Am I wrong, I'm sorry if I made you mad." Riku felt his heart twitch when he felt Sora's arm retreat from his shoulders, he couldn't speak because he didn't know what to say so instead he reached out and gave Sora a desperate hug. Sora's arm returned to hold Riku gently into the embrace while his other hand presented the paopu fruit.

"So can I take that to mean you wouldn't mind sharing this paopu fruit with me?" asked Sora, a bit taken aback by the force in which Riku hugged him. Riku released his friend and wiped away a few small tears of joy. He never thought he would be attracted to guys, but it just felt so perfect with Sora, as if their destinies were intertwined and had been from the beginning. Sora bit into the fruit first before handing it to Riku, who in turn took a bite as well.

Sora turned once again to Riku as he hopped off the tree, "Please be careful Riku, I won't give up, I'll save you, but the darkness is very powerful. I have to go now, my body is beginning to wake up but I'm thankful that we were able to meet like this, even if it was only in a dream."

"What do you mean? Sora don't leave me!" Riku desperately reached out for his friend but just as his hand went through Sora's vanishing form, he too began to feel the signs that his body was also waking up. Riku tossed back and forth on his bed, mumbling Sora's name and reaching with on arm into the air. Ansem sat patiently still as he watched his lovely possession begin to wake. Riku's eyes fluttered open and struggled to focus. The darkness that filled his cabin meant that it was still night outside; he sat up to rub his eyes and scan his surroundings only to be startled by Ansem sitting at the foot of his bed.

"What do you think you're doing here? I thought you couldn't come out into this world directly." Said Riku as his began hugging the blanket against his body. Ansem grinned his usual grin, a bit of moonlight flashed in his cat-like eyes giving him an ethereal look.

"I see you're feeling better, as for my appearance in this realm, it's simple; as you get more powerful, so do I and I was able to save up enough energy to materialize in this realm but only for a short time. Anyway, I wanted to check up on you and make sure you took that medicine I made you." Said Ansem.

"Hmph!" was Riku's reply. Ansem's face took on a stern look that caused Riku to shrink back into his blanket a bit more.

"Most civilized beings would say 'thank you'." stated Ansem. Riku turned his head to look away as he muttered something that sort of sounded like 'thank you'. Ansem beamed happily and crawled up the bed to sit next to Riku. Riku kept his eyes fixed on Ansem's, the slight predator-like gleam making the older man look like some hungry tiger stalking towards its intended prey. Riku wanted to run or at least scoot away but something prevented him. It was as if there was something inside of him that longed to be close to Ansem. Ansem gently cupped Riku's face in his hands and kissed the youth lightly on the lips. Riku felt his body relax and tense at the same time, almost as it there were two forces waging a war inside of him.

"Don't be afraid, you belong to me so it is only natural that you submit to me." Said Ansem softly.

"Don't…" stammered Riku, he was having difficulty speaking as Ansem's lips assaulted his.

Ansem ran a hand slowly down Riku's chest and stomach causing Riku to gasp as his body reacted to the touch. "You are now an extension of my power, trust me and let me take care of you, only when you are with me will you ever feel whole." Whispered Ansem. Riku willed his body to obey him and he managed to push Ansem aside and climb out of bed. With his blanket wrapped around him like a protective barrier, Riku made his way to the door only to be reminded that he had locked it. He automatically reached for that nail in the wall that was the hanging place for the key but there was no key there.

"Poor Riku is all locked up," said Ansem playfully, Riku turned to find Ansem happily playing with the key, "Looks like I'm the one who possesses the key to your heart." Riku stomped his foot angrily on the ground "Bullshit! My heart belongs to S...!" Riku stopped himself from saying his friend's name, unsure of what sort of reaction it might get from Ansem. Ansem's smile darkened and the man looked absolutely frightening for a moment, "Care to repeat that Riku?"

Riku stood perfectly still and didn't say anything, Ansem held out a hand in his direction and a burst of green energy poured from Riku's body and enveloped him. Ansem curled his hand in a beckoning gesture and the green energy that surrounded Riku bound him and dragged him towards Ansem. Riku gasped in horror as his blanket was left behind and he was rather carelessly tossed onto the mattress next to Ansem. No sooner did the green energy seep back into Riku's body than Ansem's arms coiled around his waist and held him firmly.

"Do you finally understand? You are mine." Stated Ansem as he gave Riku a gentle squeeze.

"Let me go! I don't want to be yours!" yelled Riku, hoping someone might hear him and care enough to help him. "What do you want!" demanded Ansem as one arm trailed up to firmly hold Riku's chin and the other gripped his hip. Riku tried to struggle but it was no use, he thought of Sora, and what Sora had said to him in his dream. Ansem brought one of his legs over Riku's and trailed his tongue down from Riku's ear to the curve of his shoulder. "I want…!" cried out Riku desperately; still unsure of what to say to make Ansem stop. "What is it!" growled Ansem, he moved his hands across Riku so that one held Riku firmly across his chest ant the other gently massaged his rear end. "Stop!" cried Riku, his struggles more desperate than ever. "No." stated Ansem, one of Ansem's hands had found Riku's opening and lightly brushed it with an exploring finger. Riku bucked wildly against Ansem and suddenly cried out "SORA!" Ansem suddenly aware that he had gone farther than he intended released the boy who was now in a fit of hysteria. Riku lay on his stomach with his face hidden beneath crossed arms as he cried violently and occasionally managed to utter Sora's name and 'sorry' between sobs. Ansem got up to retrieve the blanket left by the door and returned to Riku's side. Riku paid no attention to Ansem as Ansem wrapped the blanket around Riku and gathered him up like a mother would gather her baby. Ansem held Riku gently in his arms and rocked the crying boy softly while giving him soft kisses and running his hand through the boy's hair in a soothing manner.

"Shhh, I'm sorry for scaring you, I went too far. Please calm down, I said in the beginning that I wasn't going to hurt you and I meant it." Coaxed Ansem. Riku's crying soon came to a stop, it wasn't just Ansem's attack on him that had made him cry; it was the sudden memory that had come back to him. The memory in which he had been raped by a dark copy of his best friend Sora. Even if it wasn't the real Sora, there was the fact that it claimed to be a part of his Sora and after all that had happened, Riku wondered if it was actually possible. Could it be that his beloved Sora had a dark side? If so, did that mean that the Sora that he knew and loved and even shared a paopu fruit with was in a sense, the same as the one that had violently attacked and raped him in the darkness? This revelation was what kept the tears coming out of Riku's emerald eyes as Ansem continued to cradle him. Riku wanted Sora, he had to find his friend now more than ever and try to find out what Sora truly thought about him. Riku's tears at last subsided and he allowed Ansem to gently wipe the few remaining drops of sorrow from his face. Ansem gave Riku a concerned look and spoke softly to him, "Forgive me, I merely wanted to teach you a lesson, but I went too far." Riku just stared blankly for a minute, letting his thoughts recalibrate into a coherent working order before at last responding to Ansem, "What do you want with me?"

Ansem's gaze softened and he answered in his usual deep soothing voice, "I want you to set me free, however, I am anxious to escape and sometimes I act without thinking like just now. However, I also want you, I like you and I would like it if you came to me willingly, but sadly that is something that even I can not control." Riku considered Ansem's words and made an effort to sit up on his own.

"Why do you want me?" asked Riku, his eyes suddenly cold and critical.

"I have my reasons, some of which are more obvious than others." Said Ansem matter-of-factly.

Riku arched as eyebrow as if to silently say, 'Let's hear them.' Ansem gave a soft chuckle and decided to humor the boy.

"You have an interesting heart, it's both fragile and strong, I still don't fully understand it but I love things that are mysterious. You're also beautiful, but that is easy for anyone to see. Lastly, you remind me of myself when I was younger." Explained Ansem.

"How so?" asked Riku, his interest peaked by the last statement.

"You're someone who doesn't quietly settle down into their preordained, mundane slot in society. You rebelled against the complacency of your island prison and dared to have the ambition for greater things. You paid a price heavier than you yet realize, but I can always respect those who fight to make their own destinies. I have known others who did the same; they took destiny into their own hands and rebelled against those who meekly conformed to systematic lifestyles. Granted, most of them brought about their own downfall in the process, but all the same I find their short lives to be far more beautiful than of the many mundane lives I see everyday." Riku was taken by surprise at the depth in which Ansem spoke to him. Riku thought about what Ansem had said, part of him could relate to it easily. All his life, he had grown up in a village where everyone knew each other, nothing really exciting ever happened except for the occasional festival. The children did the same things their parents did, some were fishers, others craftsmen, and some settled for domestic house (wife/husband) roles. Riku had always wondered if there was more out there to life, it was his greatest wish and worst fear. He was afraid that maybe Destiny Island was all there was, but then Kairi came and that changed everything. Kairi was living proof that there was something else out there and that's when Riku decided that he would find out what lay beyond the seas no matter what. Riku was slightly bothered how Ansem spoke of 'normal people' as if they were insects, Riku would agree that they could be frustrating and even a bit annoying, but he had never thought of them as lowly creatures which seemed to be Ansem's opinion of them.

"Why are you trapped in the darkness?" asked Riku, his curiosity reaching its peak.

"That's none of your business, besides, you'll find out later anyway." Responded Ansem. Riku pouted defiantly. Ansem smiled and his eyes flashed with moonlight once again.

"It seems you're coming back to your usual self, that's good, I was afraid I had shattered your mind." Said Ansem. Riku rolled his eyes and starred into space to contemplate a few things. Ansem watched the silver-haired boy contently. Riku was easy to manipulate; his emotions were dominant over his logical sense. But he was also strong, his will would be tough to overpower, in fact Ansem couldn't help but wonder if he would ever be fully able to control the boy. His original plan had been simple; gain Riku's trust, betray him and shatter his spirit, destroy his heart, and be reborn in his body so that Ansem would once again walk freely in the physical realm. However, as black as Ansem's heart was, there was a part that had actually grown quite fond of the boy; he enjoyed Riku's rebellious spirit and was greatly attracted to the youth. Therefore Ansem's plans had changed, he would still use the boy's body as an eventual means of gaining physical life but instead of destroying the boy's heart, Ansem now hoped that he would be able to forever keep it and in so doing Riku would remain his for all eternity. A wicked smile of dark things to come formed on Ansem's face. Riku, however, missed the wicked look, as he was still lost in thought.

Riku snapped out of his trance when he felt the mattress shift. Ansem had gotten up and was walking over to his side, which was closer to the door. Riku looked up at Ansem who reached out and gently grasped one of Riku's hands. Ansem gently stroked the captured wrist as he said to Riku, "My energy is wearing out and I must go. But remember this, you belong to me now and no one will ever love you more than I. No matter what, I will always be with you, there's no escape from my love." Ansem ended his statement with a light kiss to Riku's wrist before vanishing into darkness. Riku couldn't help but shudder as Ansem left. At last Riku was aware of his love for Sora however; he couldn't deny the fact that something inside of him desired Ansem. Rather than dwell on what would surely be an added complication to his already stressful predicament, Riku decided sleep came before all other concerns and curled up to do just that. Before he was able to close his eyes, something caught his attention, draped around the wrist that Ansem had kissed, was the key to his cabin. He hadn't noticed Ansem putting it there, but all the same he lay it on the table next to him and went to sleep.

The next morning, Riku was relieved to find his clothes dry and no longer reeking of fish bait. He got dressed and made his way to the dinning hall. No one on the ship ate together, the dinning hall was more of a self-service but Riku didn't mind, he enjoyed a solitary meal that promised to be the first one since the voyage had set off that Riku would be able to keep. After eating his meal, Riku went up on deck to find his former 'hang out'. Upon arriving at his spot he noticed something big, far off in the distance. It looked like an island, the thought crossed Riku's mind 'could it be Destiny Island?' but he shook his head, he knew Destiny Island was destroyed, he had felt it even in the darkness. So far, this world was perhaps the most boring one ever, nothing but rough waters as far as the eye could see with the exception of the large thing on the horizon. Riku figured that unless this 'princess' was a damn good swimmer, she couldn't possibly be on this world but at the same time, Riku wasn't exactly in a hurry to return to Malificent either.

Then suddenly, the pirate stationed in the crow's nest began screaming something that Riku couldn't make out. All of the crew rushed on deck to see what all of the commotion was about. Riku looked out in the same direction as everyone else to see the small island getting closer… no on second thought… that small island was actually a very large, very angry whale. Riku's jaw dropped at the sight of such a monstrosity. He had never heard of whales as being aggressive but this one certainly was the exception. The whale charged the ship at full speed, luckily the ship withstood the impact. However, half the crew did not and found themselves thrown overboard where they met gruesome ends as they hit the water hard and got sucked under the water by the whale's movement. The whale gave the ship another strong thrust and the boards began to creak under the stress. Capt. Hook was busy in his cabin, frantically searching for the control switch that would activate the gummi drive. Riku held onto the railing as tight as he could but the second impact caused one of his hands to let go. He tried desperately to regain his grip as he dangled helplessly by one arm just above the whale's menacing mouth that opened in anticipation of a silver dish meal. Riku cried out for help but his cries fell on deaf, uncaring ears as the crew was under a policy of 'every man for himself'. The whale pushed against the ship, causing it to tilt backwards. Riku's hand slid down the railing, inch by inch towards the hungry beast. Just then, the ship began to glow, apparently, the Captain finally found the big red button labeled 'activate gummi drive'. The ship rose above the water as the monster whale still waited; its jaws wide open, from below. Riku tried pulling himself up but when the ship's gearshift faltered due to possible damage to the transmission; Riku was sent hurling down towards the waiting beast below. His cries lost in the dark caverns of the whale known as Monstro while the ship managed its shift to gummi drive and left him behind.

To Be Continued…

*Author's Note: Wow you guys like my story ^_^ Thanks for all the positive feedback, one can never have enough. Anyway, I tried to make this chapter long to make up for the fact that it took me so long to get around to writing it. Reason being, I've become addicted to Suikoden III and I totally recommend it to RPG lovers. Anyway, my plans for this chapter were so long that I had to divide it into 2 parts. I hope you like it and remember, the more reviews I get the more motivated I am to write more. ^_^ Although that goes for any author.

-Nyxe