Kingdom of Chaos

Chapter 13: Déjà Vu

Author: Sketchy Sunshine of OSTOCOM

Rating: PG-13, just to be on the safe side

See chapter one for summary, disclaimer and other goodness. Otherwise, here's chapter thirteen! XD

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The street ended at a wrought iron gate, standing tall and foreboding in Sora's path. Beyond the gate, the road circled up to a train station and the clock tower. Both seemed relatively quiet; only a few people were seen passing through the station.

Sora walked up to the gate and rattled it. It appeared locked, and was not giving way to force anytime soon. Donald groaned as he looked up at the setting sun. "Well, this is great. Now where do we go?"

"I don't know…" Sora scanned the area around them. A high brick-and-iron wall stretched on in both directions without an end in sight. "Maybe we can jump over the wall."

"Mmm, perhaps we should wait an' see if someone meets us here," Goofy suggested.

"Wait for who?" Donald said impatiently. "It's getting dark. We need to do something."

"What you should do is leave," a new voice spoke.

Sora, Donald and Goofy jumped as a figure stepped out of the shadows by the gate. Sora's eyes widened at the sight of a fifteen-year-old boy with large black pants and silver hair.

"Riku!"

A broad smile spread across Sora's face as he raced towards his friend. He skidded to a stop in front of Riku, suddenly breathless. Sora's smile did not reach Riku's face. "Riku, I finally found you! How did you get out of the world of darkness? Where is—"

"Save the questions," Riku interrupted him. "Or at least stop to ask why you're here."

Sora blinked, confused. "What are you talking about? We were looking for you and the king."

Donald and Goofy walked up behind Sora, only slightly less excited. "Where's King Mickey?" Goofy asked.

Riku looked at Sora and his companions with an air of disdain. Sora felt something cold settle in his stomach. "I haven't seen him since the Door closed. And I really couldn't care less. He can take care of himself."

Sora's face fell. "Riku, what are you saying? We found you…we can go home now! We can see Kairi."

"Then run home, if you're so desperate," Riku sneered. "I forgot about those losers ages ago."

Sora mentally winced. He slowly realized it was from more than just Riku's statement…he was overcome with a sense of déjà vu. Hasn't Riku said this before?...

"Listen to yourself!" Sora finally responded.

"I never asked you to come and save me," Riku glared down at Sora. "I told you to take care of Kairi. And here you are, wandering around some town you don't even know. How do you suppose Kairi feels now?"

Sora recalled his strange awakening in the castle. Another image came to mind…standing in one of its broad white halls, facing Riku just as he was now. He looked up again at his friend, and found the same cold smirk. "…You're not really Riku, are you?"

"Look, I don't know what happened to you, but things changed for me," Riku said bitterly. "You don't come out of the world of darkness unscathed. I can't go home anymore."

"It's more than just that. You've said this to me before. I just…" Sora winced. "…I just can't remember." He felt a strange pressure in his head. Just like when I was dreaming in the castle.

"Lay off on Sora, we lost some of our memories in this weird castle!" Donald squawked, becoming increasingly frustrated with the silver-haired boy.

Riku laughed suddenly. The laugh sent a chill down Sora's spine. "I heard about that place. Figures you got caught there…you always were oblivious when it came to new worlds."

"It might have happened differently!" Donald argued. Sora stopped his excuses with a look.

"Riku, tell me what really happened!" Sora said, his voice on the verge of pleading. "There's something more to this, I just know it!"

Goofy leaned over to Donald and whispered, "maybe he knows somethin' about that Toshi fella and doesn't wanna say?"

Unfortunately for Goofy, Riku overheard the comment. His deep aqua eyes suddenly blazed with fury, and that fury concentrated entirely on Sora. "Just go home, Sora! Stop trying to worm your way into my heart."

This time, the déjà vu was so strong that it completely incapacitated Sora. He backed away from Riku, his hands pressed against his forehead. The images came rushing back to him in a storm, clouding first his vision and then his other senses.

He was standing in a long hall, with Donald and Goofy by his side. The hall was made of frosted glass and flowers; cold and sterile. At the end of the hall stood a massive door, covered in silver-curled linings. The door was blocked by Riku. But it was not the Riku he knew…this Riku wore blue and black clothes, heavy boots and a twisted smile.

"Can't take a hint, can you? Leave, Sora".

"I'm not leaving until I rescue you and Naminé," he responded.

"Ha! What makes you think I need rescuing?"

"Then think of Kairi! She wants you to come home too, remember?"

"I do remember…" Sora tried to force the memories to the back of his mind. He needed to concentrate on the present, but his choppy memories were getting the best of him. "I remember we were looking for a girl…her name was Naminé!"

"Doesn't look like you found her," Riku said, his voice full of malice. "Seems you just keep finding all the wrong people."

Sora ignored Riku's comment. "There was more…we fought in that castle! There was this woman with blonde hair, and she said…"

Sora suddenly stopped. His blue eyes locked with Riku's aqua ones for an instant. He then quickly stepped back, every muscle tensed. Donald and Goofy watched in shock as Sora summoned the Keyblade to his hands, and held it at the ready. "You're a fake! You're not the real Riku!"

Riku's composure tightened at Sora's accusation. The air seemed to shiver around him. "You're delusional! You have no idea what you do or don't remember."

"I remember enough," Sora said, gripping the Keyblade. "You were made by this man…there were others like him! And they were holding Naminé prisoner! Everyone was trying to control my memories."

Riku's smile didn't disappear…if anything, it grew all the more sinister. He unsheathed the Soul Eater. "And yet you still don't know anything. I don't know what you think I am, but you're stupid if you want to take me on."

"Tell me where the real Riku is!" Sora demanded.

"Right here."

Sora barely had time to block the attack. Riku gritted his teeth and swung the Soul Eater again. Sora blocked it a second time, feeling the clash of blade against blade send vibrations down to his bones.

Donald and Goofy backed away as the two circled each other, blocking each others' attacks and executing new ones in turn. Riku came at Sora aggressively, keeping him on the defensive without even breaking a sweat. Sora had to dodge past Riku several times to avoid being pinned against the wall. He found himself tiring quickly. Riku's stronger than I remember!

Riku seemed to read Sora's thoughts, and came at him twice as fast. Sora saw an opening, and brought the Keyblade's edge to Riku…only to have a sudden pain explode across his shoulder.

Sora stumbled forward with a cry, and felt something warm and sticky trickle down his back. He tried to hide his wince as Riku walked past him with a smudge of blood on the edge of the Soul Eater. "Is that the best you can do?" Sora grimaced.

"I'm just getting started," Riku said coldly.

Suddenly, Riku turned and slashed Goofy with the Soul Eater. The unprotected knight stumbled to the ground with a yell of pain.

"Goofy!" Sora and Donald cried at the same time. Donald tried to step in and cure Goofy, but Riku floored the magician with another quick thrust.

Sora was instantly back on his feet, breathing hard. "H…how could you! Donald and Goofy weren't fighting you; this is between you and me!"

"I know," Riku said. "I'm just keeping it that way."

Sora gave an inarticulate war cry, and launched himself at Riku, adrenaline pumping. Sora pulled back the Keyblade to disarm Riku…and was blocked easily. It's like he knows exactly what I'll do next!

Sora tried to get close to his two fallen companions and cure then with the Keyblade. However, he could barely manage to hold off Riku's attacks, let alone use a spell. He swung again and again and again with the Keyblade; this strange weapon that had become a part of him…and yet couldn't even land a scratch on his opponent.

He stumbled back against the iron gate as Riku gave him another cut across his arm. He attempted to hold back the tears that were brimming in his eyes. "I won't believe that you are really Riku!" he gritted.

Riku pulled back the Soul Eater for another strike, but hesitated. At first, Sora thought he might actually be thinking things over…until he saw the tendrils of dark energy swirling around the wing-shaped sword.

The force of the spell sent Sora back against the gate. He banged hard against the iron bards, and fell to the dirt. The Keyblade spun from his hands…and landed under Riku's foot. Sora looked up, and locked eyes with Riku, who looked back down through silver bangs. He raised the Soul Eater above his head. "If you're waiting for me to explain 'Why am I doing this'…you're going to be disappointed."

Before Sora even had time to shut his eyes, several things happened at once.

A dark figure moved like lightning between Sora and Riku, his black robe sailing in the sudden gust of wind. The figure brought up a sword, and blocked Riku's attack. The two weapons grated against each other, sending sparks into the air. At the same time, another figure in an identical robe sprinted around the three towards Donald and Goofy.

Sora blinked up at the robed figure protecting him. It took him two takes to realize that the sword the figure wielded was identical to the Soul Eater…and that its owner had the same long, silver hair.

Riku?

The other Riku instantly backed off at the sight of the robed figure, his eyes wide. "Y…you!"

The figure moved to the side, and Sora saw a blindfold tied around his eyes. The blindfolded figure faced his enemy with both confidence and hatred. "Zexion. I can recognize that stench anywhere."

Right before Sora's eyes, Riku changed form: he became a taller, leaner man with long blue hair that hung in his face. He wore a robe identical to the other two figures. "How dare you interfere with—"

He stopped as the other figure approached. He pulled back his hood, revealing a head of spiky blond hair. He joined the blindfolded figure's side guarding Sora…and clutching a Keyblade almost identical to Sora's as well.

Zexion looked between Riku, Sora and Toshi, the panic evident in his eyes. He pointed a shaking finger at them. "I won't let you…"

"Want to try and stop us?" Toshi challenged. He and Riku brandished their weapons, more than ready for a fight.

Zexion knew this was a battle he could not win. Seething at his failure, he stepped back and teleported out of sight. As he disappeared, the sun finally followed suit, and the city was plunged into night.

Riku and Toshi turned to face Sora. Toshi offered Sora a hand, and he took it…but felt something he didn't expect. An electric shock passed through him the moment they touched, and Sora felt his skin run cold. The face of the blond-haired boy staring down at him was hauntingly familiar.

"Sora, are you alright?" Riku asked.

Sora gazed in wonder at Riku, confused at his strange apparel. "…You know it's me?"

"Of course," Riku answered. "I can smell you."

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Done Time! Next chapter is written, and should be posted tomorrow evening.

Check it, I'm doing fanart-ish-type things for this fic here: http : lynxgriffin . deviantart . com (spaces added so that the addy wouldn't be deleted.)

Reviews are greatly appreciated! XD