As the doors were finally slammed shut, Riku felt his resolve slowly slipping away. The fight was over. Good had once again won. And yet, there was a very large part of him that did not feel like celebrating. How could he? A quick glance around his surroundings and he shrank back against the door. The Heartless had not made a move yet, only peering at him curiously from the shadows. The other one, the one they had called King Mickey, was also gone. Ansem was also gone from him.
He was free, and he was alone.
During the entire time, his only glimmer of hope had been the thought that when everything was over, things would go back to the way it was. That he, Sora, and Kairi, would be back on the island. Even if Sora and Kairi no longer wanted to be friends with him, he would have rather been there than here. He wondered if Sora and Kairi would even remember him. A part of him doubted it.
Kicking at a rock, he frowned some as he felt a familiar presence. "What do you want?" he asked, not bothering to look.
The image, at least Riku imagined it was an image, said nothing. It only watched him, just like the Heartless were doing. It was beginning to annoy him, and finally he turned, eyes narrowing at the shimmering image of Ansem.
"He is lost, you know?"
The silver haired boy stared at the other for a moment, puzzled by what the man had said. It was not what he had been expecting the man to say. "What are talking about? Who is lost?"
"Sora. He is lost," the specter answered back.
Hearing this, Riku slumped back against doors. That couldn't be true. Sora had to be back on the island with Kairi. Knowing that idiot, he was probably trying to get that fruit to give to her. They were supposed to be happy. If Sora wasn't there with Kairi, then just what had his sacrifice been for?
"I don't believe you!" Riku snarled, the Heartless around them beginning to rise.
The spectator seemed to not care, or not realize, only hovering there. " He is lost," he simply repeated.
This time, another image appeared. It was Sora, the boy seeming to be passed out, floating through the air. Where the boy was headed, or if he was even alive, Riku did not know. The only thing Riku knew was that Sora was not living the happily ever after life that he had imagined the boy would. Sora, his friend, he just wanted them all to be happy.
"Why isn't he with Kairi?" he finally asked, looking at the specter."His place is not there. He still has much to do" it answered, and Riku swore that for a minute there had been a smirk on the specter's face. "But, you can find him. You can bring him back."
Those words sent a chill through Riku's spine; it was just like before, except this time he felt as if he were being manipulated. He wanted to ask how he could trust the specter's words, but each time he tried to voice it, the question would not come. It was almost as if something had a vice grip around his throat.
"How can I find him? If you haven't noticed, I'm stuck here" he said, sweeping an arm out around their surroundings.
This time, the spectator definitely smirked. "I will give you the means to leave. Then you can find him."
Even if a question had not been asked, Riku knew that he was being given the chance to make a decision. There was no reason for him to stay trapped here. Even if he were once again being lured into a trap, at least this time he would be wise enough not to fall for the lies and manipulations. He wanted to save Sora, and maybe he would even be able to save himself.
As those thoughts went through his mind, his clothes began to change. The outfit he had been wearing from before was changed into that of a long black robe, and he reached back to pull the hood over his head. He could feel some of the power from before returning to him, though it was not as smothering as it had been before. This power, it was his to control; it would not control him this time.
"I will find him," Riku said, looking up at the now smiling spectator.
The specter only nodded as the doors once again began to open. "Of course you will."
As the doors opened, Riku once again felt himself being engulfed by the light. This time, he was not afraid though. Even as the light stole his sight from him, and he was once again thrown into darkness, he did not care. He would find Sora, and he would make things as they were supposed to be. It's what friends were supposed to do.