AN: Ok, this is a little bit of a gory chapter... don't exactly know how it ended up like that but o well! Read on if you dare ~.^
Disclaimers: Same as the other 10 chapters... I only made up Mariha, Natia, Naomi and Alee for this story, nothing else... well, maybe the plot too! :P
The Plight of Riku
"Hurry!" called Donald to Sora as the giant dog chased them around the room.
"What-does-it-look-like-I'm-doing?!" yelled Sora frantically. The dog was right behind him. It barked gleefully and licked Sora on the back.
"AHH!!!" cried a drool covered Sora. He stopped running, totally out of breath.
"Sora! Look out!" yelled Goofy who had found a hiding spot under something with Donald.
"Down boy!" called a voice.
The dog immediately sat down obediently. Sora was right at the paws of the dog. Then, the person who must have called out to the dog to sit walked over to Sora and helped him up.
"Sorry about that," he said holding out an arm to help Sora to his feet, "he just wanted to play."
"No problem," said Sora lamely for the lack of anything better to say. His helper was a cowboy with a hat and boots and everything. "Um, who are you?"
"O, pardon me! My name is Woody," said the cowboy.
"Hi, I'm Sora."
"Nice to meet you Sora. Hey, do you think we could continue this in Andy's Room?" asked Woody.
"Ok," replied Sora. At least they new they were in the right world. A place with Andy's Room must be Andy's House. "Hey Donald, Goofy, get over here!"
After some quick introductions, Woody jumped up onto the back of the dog that sat there and waited patiently.
"Come on up!" he said, "Don't worry, it's safe. And it's the fastest way up to Andy's room
"Um, ok," said Sora, a bit uneasy about riding a giant dog that tried to turn him into a chew-toy moments before. But he didn't want to argue so he got up on the dogs back and sat behind Woody. Goofy and Donald, with a little coaxing, then followed.
As the dog carried them through rooms and down halls, Sora began to realize that everything seemed to be gigantic. The furniture and rooms were so big that compared to the dog, the dog was nothing more then a little puppy. When they reached the foot of the stairs, Sora gazed up at a mountain.
What's going on, he thought. Why was everything so big? Finally, they reached Andy's room after the dog loped up the mountain of some stairs. The dog let them off then went out the door. Sora, Goofy, and Donald followed Woody onto the huge bed in the even larger room.
"He Slink! Can you close the door for us?" called Woody toward the big bedroom door. Sora looked around but he didn't see anybody.
"No problem Woody!" said a voice. Sora looked down. There on the floor by the door was a dog, Sora's size, which walked over to the door and pushed it shut. The only thing about this dog was that it had, to Sora's surprise, instead of a body, his head and forepaws were connected to his tail and back paws by a silver metal spring.
"Ah!" called Sora in surprise. Now he defiantly knew something was wrong. A giant dog? Giant rooms? And now a springy toy dog? Toy! thought Sora.
"What's wrong Sora?" asked Woody.
"A-a-a," stuttered Sora, "Ah, Woody?"
"Yes?" Woody.
"Are we shrunken down to toy size?" said Sora.
"What? O! I'm so sorry; I forgot that since you might come from a different world you wouldn't be used to this. But yes, you are toy size and we are the toys of Andy's Room," explained Woody. As he spoke, Donald and Goofy noticed other toys emerging from under the bed, out of cupboards, toy boxes, and anywhere else a toy could be put.
"So if you're not a toy, then what are you doing here?" Woody thought aloud.
"We're looking for someone named Buzz," said Donald.
"Buzz!" exclaimed Woody, "Well why didn't you say so! I can take you to him."
"Great!" said Sora, "Lets go!"
"Um, but there is one small problem," said Woody.
"O, what's that?" asked Sora.
"Well it's kind of hard to explain," Woody said scratching his head, "But here, I'll show you what I mean."
Woody motioned them to follow. They followed him off the bed and to the door. Woody opened it a crack and peered out.
"Hey Slink, can you pass me that marble?" Woody called to the slinky toy dog. The other toy brought over a marble the size of Sora's head and Woody tossed it into the hallway.
At first Sora didn't see anything. He didn't know what they were looking for but suddenly, he saw it. A black spot appeared on the floor. It slowly grew into a solid form as about five other black figures joined it to inspect the marble. Sora stared in awe.
"Heartless..." he whispered.
~*~
The Fire bandit roughly dragged Riku into a dark room.
"Let me go you big lug!" he yelled but the heartless ignored him. It continued its task in locking Riku's wrists to a pair of shackles on a chain that came down from the unseen ceiling of the room.
Riku struggled, but the large heartless kept a firm grip on him. When it had finished and left the room, Riku's hands were chained in such a way that as he stood straight up, his arms still were pulled up over his head. The room he was in was totally pitch black save the small shred of light coming from the door where the Fire bandit was now waiting outside.
"Ansem!" he yelled, "I've had enough of this! Come out of the dark you coward!"
Riku was replied by a mocking laugh.
"You foolish boy," Ansem said stepping into the little bit of light so Riku could just make out his tall figure, "You should have joined me when you had the chance. Now you shall pay for the mishaps you have caused me! I thought you would like to be by my side once again, but I was wrong about you all along. You are a nothing. An ant that I'm about to crush!"
Ansem laughed again. "Now, tell me where the light is and I may spare you pathetic life." He took out a whip and cracked it loudly, making it clear that he was not playing around.
Riku's eyes were hidden in the shadows and there was a moment of silence. Then, he began to laugh. Quietly, as if just to himself at first, then louder until his voice echoed through the darkness.
"What's so funny?" demanded Ansem clearly not seeing anything for Riku to laugh about.
"You still think I'll tell you?" said Riku as if it were some sort of joke, "You say that you could kill me at any instant. But I'm still here. You won't kill me because I'm the only one who might tell you where this light is. The only possible way you could get it out of me would be through Mariha. You know that I have no value for my own life, but you can't hurt her."
Riku glared at Ansem and for a moment, the lord of darkness felt uneasy being stared at with those eyes from the sea.
"Because you love her."
Ansem growled and clenched a fist.
"You love her so much that you can't bring yourself to harm her," continued Riku, "Ha! You'd rather have her than rule all other worlds? Wow, am I seeing a soft spot on our tough Ansem?" he teased.
But Ansem had heard enough. He cracked his whip loudly as the end hit Riku across the face.
"Silence!" he roared.
Riku felt the burning sting of the whip against his face. He bit on his lip to prevent himself from crying out. Now it was Ansems turn to laugh.
"O I'm sorry," he said sarcastically, "Did that hurt? Here, let me help you feel better!"
He cracked his whip again, this time across Riku's back. Riku cried out in pain as the whips lashing end cut right through his flesh, leaving blood streaming down the cut. The pain was so overwhelming and Riku coughed though he found it hard to breath.
"Had enough already?" said Ansem menacingly. He lashed at Riku again, then again, then again. He continued to whip at him over and over, every time cutting through clothes and flesh. Every time making Riku to cry in pain as it rushed through him endlessly. Ansem didn't stop though, he kept going until the pain was too much and caused Riku to loose all sense of time and place. All he knew was the burning pain is his back that never ended.
Riku cried out again as Ansem lashed him, but then he stopped. Riku hardly noticed though. The pain still stuck with him and rushed into his head, flooding it until he thought it would burst. He practically dangled from the chain above and his shirt was in shreds in the back. He hung there panting for air as his blood dripped and drenched him. He felt as if he was burning over an open flame, his face all sweaty and pale.
Ansem walked over to Riku's bowed head and lifted it up by grabbing the boys silvery hair. "Where is the light?" he said.
Riku's eyes met Ansems but they just stared into space, looking right through him. All the pain Riku felt was too much and he was totally unaware of what was happening around him. He was lost in a world of tourcher within his own head. Riku continued panting for air then began to cough. He coughed so hard that he coughed up blood. It sprayed out his mouth onto the floor as some ran down his chin. Ansem let go of Riku with a shove in disgust. Riku let his head fall, bowed over like a rag dolls.
"Take him to his cell with the girl!" Ansem ordered in that strange language to the Fire bandit that had been waiting at the door. The heartless bowed and proceeded to remove the shackles from Riku's wrists. It then threw his limp body over its shoulder and carried him down into the dungeon.
Riku didn't notice that he had been released from the chains. He didn't notice the heartless carry him down into the dungeon. He was completely dazed by the loss of blood and the stinging of his bloody body. He didn't even notice himself being dropped in his cell again. He only began to become aware of what was happening when he heard a voice call his name.
"Riku!" he heard Mariha say in horror.
"Ma -ri -ha," he managed to stutter, looking up and her blurry figure over him from where he lay on the floor.
"What did he do to you?" she said, her voice shaky and fearful. "Riku..." She began to cry, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Riku slowly raised his arm to wipe away her tears, but halfway there he faltered. Before his hand fell back down to his side, Mariha caught it and held it tight.
"O Riku," she said speechlessly and closed her eyes, "Please, you can't die. You just can't! Not now, not ever!"
"I-I'm still here..." he forced himself to say in a whisper. He smiled weakly.
"I know..." answered Mariha quietly. She didn't know what she would do without him. How could she escape and search for this light without him when she didn't even really know what it is?
"Mariha..." Riku struggled to say, his voice now so quiet that it could barely be heard, "Mariha..."
"Yes what is it? I'm here," said Mariha looking down at him.
"I-I..." Riku's head swam in dizziness, "I..."
"What?" Mariha said desperately, gripping Riku's hand tighter. But he couldn't reply. He passed out from the lack of blood.
"Please make it," she prayed. She raised her hands holding Riku's to her heart and closed her eyes, "I couldn't live without you."
~*~
"That's crazy!" exclaimed Woody after Sora had explained to him about the heartless and Sora's journeys to stop them, "I mean, I had no idea all these things had been going on. Although I don't really have any idea of what goes on at all outside of Andy's House..."
"Yea, I know what you mean," said Sora, "My island was totally cut off from other worlds until the heartless connected with it."
"But why are the heartless here?" asked Goofy, "Shouldn't they have all disappeared when we sealed Kingdom Hearts?"
"Maybe they were here from before, you know? And never left because no one has fought them off yet," said Sora with a little shrug.
"Anyways," said Woody to change the subject, "I'd love to take you to Buzz, but Andy left him somewhere in the house and we can't go anywhere with all those heartless out there!"
"Well gwarsh don't ya have weapons to fight the heartless with?" asked Goofy.
Woody thought for a moment. "O wait!" he said excitedly, "I think I have something." He ran to a toy box and began searching through it, throwing a thing or two out to see the bottom. Finally, Woody emerged. "Found it!" he said triumphantly.
Sora, Donald and Goofy gathered around Woody as he held up a rope lasso for them to see.
"I never actually thought of using it until just now," admitted the toy cowboy.
"Ok, then let's go find Buzz already!" said Sora. Woody nodded and they all went out Andy's bedroom door to face the awaiting heartless.
"Good luck!" shouted Slink from the small crack in the doorway. "You're going to need it..."
AN: I have a sad announcement for you: unfortunately, I'm going on holidays for the week so I won't be able to update until next Monday. I'm very very sorry for this guys but it can't be helped! *ladies from 'Dude Where's my Car?': We are not guys, we are hot chicks* o.O um anywho, u'll see more updates next week! Gomen gomen gomen!!! *Bows* Dewa Mata (See ya!)
Disclaimers: Same as the other 10 chapters... I only made up Mariha, Natia, Naomi and Alee for this story, nothing else... well, maybe the plot too! :P
The Plight of Riku
"Hurry!" called Donald to Sora as the giant dog chased them around the room.
"What-does-it-look-like-I'm-doing?!" yelled Sora frantically. The dog was right behind him. It barked gleefully and licked Sora on the back.
"AHH!!!" cried a drool covered Sora. He stopped running, totally out of breath.
"Sora! Look out!" yelled Goofy who had found a hiding spot under something with Donald.
"Down boy!" called a voice.
The dog immediately sat down obediently. Sora was right at the paws of the dog. Then, the person who must have called out to the dog to sit walked over to Sora and helped him up.
"Sorry about that," he said holding out an arm to help Sora to his feet, "he just wanted to play."
"No problem," said Sora lamely for the lack of anything better to say. His helper was a cowboy with a hat and boots and everything. "Um, who are you?"
"O, pardon me! My name is Woody," said the cowboy.
"Hi, I'm Sora."
"Nice to meet you Sora. Hey, do you think we could continue this in Andy's Room?" asked Woody.
"Ok," replied Sora. At least they new they were in the right world. A place with Andy's Room must be Andy's House. "Hey Donald, Goofy, get over here!"
After some quick introductions, Woody jumped up onto the back of the dog that sat there and waited patiently.
"Come on up!" he said, "Don't worry, it's safe. And it's the fastest way up to Andy's room
"Um, ok," said Sora, a bit uneasy about riding a giant dog that tried to turn him into a chew-toy moments before. But he didn't want to argue so he got up on the dogs back and sat behind Woody. Goofy and Donald, with a little coaxing, then followed.
As the dog carried them through rooms and down halls, Sora began to realize that everything seemed to be gigantic. The furniture and rooms were so big that compared to the dog, the dog was nothing more then a little puppy. When they reached the foot of the stairs, Sora gazed up at a mountain.
What's going on, he thought. Why was everything so big? Finally, they reached Andy's room after the dog loped up the mountain of some stairs. The dog let them off then went out the door. Sora, Goofy, and Donald followed Woody onto the huge bed in the even larger room.
"He Slink! Can you close the door for us?" called Woody toward the big bedroom door. Sora looked around but he didn't see anybody.
"No problem Woody!" said a voice. Sora looked down. There on the floor by the door was a dog, Sora's size, which walked over to the door and pushed it shut. The only thing about this dog was that it had, to Sora's surprise, instead of a body, his head and forepaws were connected to his tail and back paws by a silver metal spring.
"Ah!" called Sora in surprise. Now he defiantly knew something was wrong. A giant dog? Giant rooms? And now a springy toy dog? Toy! thought Sora.
"What's wrong Sora?" asked Woody.
"A-a-a," stuttered Sora, "Ah, Woody?"
"Yes?" Woody.
"Are we shrunken down to toy size?" said Sora.
"What? O! I'm so sorry; I forgot that since you might come from a different world you wouldn't be used to this. But yes, you are toy size and we are the toys of Andy's Room," explained Woody. As he spoke, Donald and Goofy noticed other toys emerging from under the bed, out of cupboards, toy boxes, and anywhere else a toy could be put.
"So if you're not a toy, then what are you doing here?" Woody thought aloud.
"We're looking for someone named Buzz," said Donald.
"Buzz!" exclaimed Woody, "Well why didn't you say so! I can take you to him."
"Great!" said Sora, "Lets go!"
"Um, but there is one small problem," said Woody.
"O, what's that?" asked Sora.
"Well it's kind of hard to explain," Woody said scratching his head, "But here, I'll show you what I mean."
Woody motioned them to follow. They followed him off the bed and to the door. Woody opened it a crack and peered out.
"Hey Slink, can you pass me that marble?" Woody called to the slinky toy dog. The other toy brought over a marble the size of Sora's head and Woody tossed it into the hallway.
At first Sora didn't see anything. He didn't know what they were looking for but suddenly, he saw it. A black spot appeared on the floor. It slowly grew into a solid form as about five other black figures joined it to inspect the marble. Sora stared in awe.
"Heartless..." he whispered.
~*~
The Fire bandit roughly dragged Riku into a dark room.
"Let me go you big lug!" he yelled but the heartless ignored him. It continued its task in locking Riku's wrists to a pair of shackles on a chain that came down from the unseen ceiling of the room.
Riku struggled, but the large heartless kept a firm grip on him. When it had finished and left the room, Riku's hands were chained in such a way that as he stood straight up, his arms still were pulled up over his head. The room he was in was totally pitch black save the small shred of light coming from the door where the Fire bandit was now waiting outside.
"Ansem!" he yelled, "I've had enough of this! Come out of the dark you coward!"
Riku was replied by a mocking laugh.
"You foolish boy," Ansem said stepping into the little bit of light so Riku could just make out his tall figure, "You should have joined me when you had the chance. Now you shall pay for the mishaps you have caused me! I thought you would like to be by my side once again, but I was wrong about you all along. You are a nothing. An ant that I'm about to crush!"
Ansem laughed again. "Now, tell me where the light is and I may spare you pathetic life." He took out a whip and cracked it loudly, making it clear that he was not playing around.
Riku's eyes were hidden in the shadows and there was a moment of silence. Then, he began to laugh. Quietly, as if just to himself at first, then louder until his voice echoed through the darkness.
"What's so funny?" demanded Ansem clearly not seeing anything for Riku to laugh about.
"You still think I'll tell you?" said Riku as if it were some sort of joke, "You say that you could kill me at any instant. But I'm still here. You won't kill me because I'm the only one who might tell you where this light is. The only possible way you could get it out of me would be through Mariha. You know that I have no value for my own life, but you can't hurt her."
Riku glared at Ansem and for a moment, the lord of darkness felt uneasy being stared at with those eyes from the sea.
"Because you love her."
Ansem growled and clenched a fist.
"You love her so much that you can't bring yourself to harm her," continued Riku, "Ha! You'd rather have her than rule all other worlds? Wow, am I seeing a soft spot on our tough Ansem?" he teased.
But Ansem had heard enough. He cracked his whip loudly as the end hit Riku across the face.
"Silence!" he roared.
Riku felt the burning sting of the whip against his face. He bit on his lip to prevent himself from crying out. Now it was Ansems turn to laugh.
"O I'm sorry," he said sarcastically, "Did that hurt? Here, let me help you feel better!"
He cracked his whip again, this time across Riku's back. Riku cried out in pain as the whips lashing end cut right through his flesh, leaving blood streaming down the cut. The pain was so overwhelming and Riku coughed though he found it hard to breath.
"Had enough already?" said Ansem menacingly. He lashed at Riku again, then again, then again. He continued to whip at him over and over, every time cutting through clothes and flesh. Every time making Riku to cry in pain as it rushed through him endlessly. Ansem didn't stop though, he kept going until the pain was too much and caused Riku to loose all sense of time and place. All he knew was the burning pain is his back that never ended.
Riku cried out again as Ansem lashed him, but then he stopped. Riku hardly noticed though. The pain still stuck with him and rushed into his head, flooding it until he thought it would burst. He practically dangled from the chain above and his shirt was in shreds in the back. He hung there panting for air as his blood dripped and drenched him. He felt as if he was burning over an open flame, his face all sweaty and pale.
Ansem walked over to Riku's bowed head and lifted it up by grabbing the boys silvery hair. "Where is the light?" he said.
Riku's eyes met Ansems but they just stared into space, looking right through him. All the pain Riku felt was too much and he was totally unaware of what was happening around him. He was lost in a world of tourcher within his own head. Riku continued panting for air then began to cough. He coughed so hard that he coughed up blood. It sprayed out his mouth onto the floor as some ran down his chin. Ansem let go of Riku with a shove in disgust. Riku let his head fall, bowed over like a rag dolls.
"Take him to his cell with the girl!" Ansem ordered in that strange language to the Fire bandit that had been waiting at the door. The heartless bowed and proceeded to remove the shackles from Riku's wrists. It then threw his limp body over its shoulder and carried him down into the dungeon.
Riku didn't notice that he had been released from the chains. He didn't notice the heartless carry him down into the dungeon. He was completely dazed by the loss of blood and the stinging of his bloody body. He didn't even notice himself being dropped in his cell again. He only began to become aware of what was happening when he heard a voice call his name.
"Riku!" he heard Mariha say in horror.
"Ma -ri -ha," he managed to stutter, looking up and her blurry figure over him from where he lay on the floor.
"What did he do to you?" she said, her voice shaky and fearful. "Riku..." She began to cry, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Riku slowly raised his arm to wipe away her tears, but halfway there he faltered. Before his hand fell back down to his side, Mariha caught it and held it tight.
"O Riku," she said speechlessly and closed her eyes, "Please, you can't die. You just can't! Not now, not ever!"
"I-I'm still here..." he forced himself to say in a whisper. He smiled weakly.
"I know..." answered Mariha quietly. She didn't know what she would do without him. How could she escape and search for this light without him when she didn't even really know what it is?
"Mariha..." Riku struggled to say, his voice now so quiet that it could barely be heard, "Mariha..."
"Yes what is it? I'm here," said Mariha looking down at him.
"I-I..." Riku's head swam in dizziness, "I..."
"What?" Mariha said desperately, gripping Riku's hand tighter. But he couldn't reply. He passed out from the lack of blood.
"Please make it," she prayed. She raised her hands holding Riku's to her heart and closed her eyes, "I couldn't live without you."
~*~
"That's crazy!" exclaimed Woody after Sora had explained to him about the heartless and Sora's journeys to stop them, "I mean, I had no idea all these things had been going on. Although I don't really have any idea of what goes on at all outside of Andy's House..."
"Yea, I know what you mean," said Sora, "My island was totally cut off from other worlds until the heartless connected with it."
"But why are the heartless here?" asked Goofy, "Shouldn't they have all disappeared when we sealed Kingdom Hearts?"
"Maybe they were here from before, you know? And never left because no one has fought them off yet," said Sora with a little shrug.
"Anyways," said Woody to change the subject, "I'd love to take you to Buzz, but Andy left him somewhere in the house and we can't go anywhere with all those heartless out there!"
"Well gwarsh don't ya have weapons to fight the heartless with?" asked Goofy.
Woody thought for a moment. "O wait!" he said excitedly, "I think I have something." He ran to a toy box and began searching through it, throwing a thing or two out to see the bottom. Finally, Woody emerged. "Found it!" he said triumphantly.
Sora, Donald and Goofy gathered around Woody as he held up a rope lasso for them to see.
"I never actually thought of using it until just now," admitted the toy cowboy.
"Ok, then let's go find Buzz already!" said Sora. Woody nodded and they all went out Andy's bedroom door to face the awaiting heartless.
"Good luck!" shouted Slink from the small crack in the doorway. "You're going to need it..."
AN: I have a sad announcement for you: unfortunately, I'm going on holidays for the week so I won't be able to update until next Monday. I'm very very sorry for this guys but it can't be helped! *ladies from 'Dude Where's my Car?': We are not guys, we are hot chicks* o.O um anywho, u'll see more updates next week! Gomen gomen gomen!!! *Bows* Dewa Mata (See ya!)