Author's Note: Meh, sorry for the lack of update, hectic week and even though I have plans for the fic, it just wouldn't formulate into anything. Pissed me off rather actually. Here tis the next chapter, I apologize for the title, as always, titles should die. Oh yeah, I never really answered your question JMO, about Cocytus/The Sepulcher City, as it actually is one that I can answer. Like I'm really going to give you all spoilers about what happens next! Basically though you get a cookie for realizing that it was Traverse Town, I was slightly worried that people (who have played it) wouldn't get that. I decided to change the name basically to make it sound more ominous, just an indication of how things have gone downhill/changed yadda ya.

Oooh, and another important note, even though it doesn't affect this chapter. I had originally named a character in chapter 7, Terra, but I ended up changing it to Julia, to leave who those people are more open ended, that probably doesn't make sense, but I am happier with the name now anyway, so meh. Just thought I'd clear that up in case there is any confusion in the chapters to come.

Chapter Eight: Meetings and Games

They are playing a game they are playing at not playing a game, if I show them that I see they are, I shall break the rules and they will punish me Therefore I must play the game of not seeing that I see the game.
--RD Laing

The entrance to Hollow Bastion lay at the top of a bone white tower that loomed over the city. It just appeared there one day about seven years ago as yet another reminder to the doomed city of the power of those who controlled the dark. The tower itself was unguarded. Hollow Bastion was teeming with shadow wraiths and everyone knew it. A person would be considered lucky if they held onto their lives for even a minute after they crossed through that gate. However, none of this concerned Riku as he made his way up the spiraling staircase to the top of the tower. After all, if anyone was stupid enough to enter that door then they deserved what they got.

Reaching the top, Riku paused for a moment, glancing down at the nine districts of Cocytus before pulling a blindfold out of his pocket and tying it securely around his head. That done, he continued forward.

As Riku stepped through the portal, he could feel an immediate change in atmosphere. If Cocytus was dying, Hollow Bastion was already dead. It was a cold soulless citadel in a world of perpetual shadow and ice and a night that knew no end.

Riku didn't have to see his surroundings to know exactly where he had arrived. The sounds of water rushing all around him was answer enough. They echoed in crystalline tones as they poured down into an abyss. Riku himself was on a platform of ice, floating eerily, high above the gap. The clicking of claws on the ice informed him that the shadow wraiths were all around him, but he ignored them as he walked to the other side of the ice, knowing exactly how many steps would take him to the edge.

The wraiths were the reason for the blindfold. The ones at Hollow Bastion were older, darker creatures, simultaneously drawn to and damaged by the odd light shining from Riku's eyes. Only a minor hassle asRiku didn't need his sight. He could sense his surroundings anyway.

Unconsciously, Riku lifted his head towards the top spire of the citadel. It was there that he had been immersed in the light. He had been blind for a full year afterwards and was as good as blind for another year after, cursed to wander in the void between the worlds, but Riku was never one to remain helpless for long. He quickly adapted to the change and if anything became a better fighter for it.

Riku never questioned the fact that he hadn't just been killed outright afterwards. He was more useful to them alive then dead, Riku had once been the true wielder of the keyblade and the only one with any measure of control over the powers of those he carried now.

That and he wouldn't...

Smiling faintly, Riku terminated the thought. Finally reaching the far end of the platform, he leapt forward, trusting that the lift was in place. It was so he reached out towards the pedestal in the center and picked up the globe that rested on the top, turning it once before replacing it. After a moment, the lift jerked into motion and the air whipped through Riku's hair as he sped towards the castle gates. The sensation was like flying and perhaps the one thing that Riku actually liked about the place.

Eventually the lift stopped and Riku disembarked at the landing of a long flight of marble stairs. Quickly he made his way to the top, ignoring the flood of shadow fiends around him. They wandered free outside of the citadel, but once inside they came only upon command, but still, once again Riku was struck by their restlessness. They were following him more closely then usual. He could hear their sibilant sounds as they slunk around him and the flapping of leathery wings high in the air as the avian shades scouted the area for fresh blood. Riku had seen them in the full glory of their flight as they swooped down on the unsuspecting, lifting people high in the air and dropping them as they ripped the hearts from their chests, their eyes gleaming as they flew off with the hearts clutched between their sooty talons. They weren't neat and tidy like with the Shedim's work on the summoner, but rather pure violence... not the heart shaped crystal pulled from the soul, but the blood and pain and utter earthiness of the still pulsing organs. In both cases, a heart was irretrievably taken, but with the crystal, it could be used after the death of its donor.

Speaking of which...

Walking through the gates, he entered a side door to the courtyard, leaving the vast majority of the shadow wraiths behind him, the noise of the bubbling fountain, replacing that of the babbling fiends. And something else...

Riku felt the shifting in the air currents right before he saw the flicker in his mind and as the sword whizzed towards him, he ducked and slid past, jerking his elbow hard into the man's back. The man grunted, whirling around, and Riku continued with the momentum, smoothly turning to face his attacker, a faint smile appearing on his handsome face.

"Clumsy... very clumsy." As the man released an annoyed grunt, he charged and Riku moved, waiting until the last second to bring the flat of his blade down to whip him in the back again forcing the other man to stumble. The match was ridiculously one sided so Riku decided to end it, resting his sword at the man's throat before he could make another move.

"Drop it, Donnel. What the hell are you doing attacking with a sword anyway? Stick with the sorcery; it's what you're good at." Riku smirked. "Then you might at least stand some chance." At first Riku thought the lack or response was due to the fact that Donnel was angry, but as he felt another flicker behind him, he realized that he was just waiting for the second attacker to move. Riku spun, moving the keyblade in his right hand up and around, stopping the other man in his tracks as he brought the one in his left back down to cover Donnel.

"You too." A moment later the clatter of metal on marble could be heard as the man quite wisely dropped his sword.

The sound of chuckling and soft clapping filled the courtyard and Riku stiffened slightly.

I should have known...

"How do you do it? How did you know he was there?"

Riku shrugged, having no intention of giving the answer. Truth was that when he gained his sight back, he also got something more, the ability to sense auras. A useful ability, but one he had to concentrate on to fully use, and when he went blind folded, he made sure to be very aware of what was going on around him. Still there was no reason for her to know.

"It was obvious," Continuing on in a bored tone, he tilted his head towards her. "is your little game over now?" Riku could practically hear the sly smile in the woman's voice as she responded, her tone coy.

"Perhaps..."

Hiding his annoyance, he pushed the keyblade into the throat of the man still standing, causing him to yelp.

"You don't like this one much do you?"

The man began to blubber and wave his arms about as once more, laughter broke out once more. Both Riku and the woman ignored the man. The threat wasn't entirely idle, but she wouldn't have given a damn anyway. Still, after a moment she acquiesced.

"Oh you're no fun, but fine, no more games, I promise... for now anyway. You can release them."

Nodding Riku sheathed the keyblades and smirking he reached out a hand to help the surely sorcerer to his feet.

"I got it!" The man snapped at him, a glare in his voice. Donnel always did have a problem with losing and Riku had really only offered the hand to piss him off, but enough was enough.

"Did Ash and Jitt make it?"

Donnel hesitated for a moment and Riku wondered if it was to check for confirmation that he could respond. The man's tone was malicious, when he did.

"Yeah they got here an hour ago. Like you were supposed—"

"Riku, come walk with me." Riku turned as the conversation was interruptedbefore leaving Donnel standing there as he went over to her, absolute accuracy in his approach.

Might as well get it over with.

They both began to walk, and Riku began in a blank conversational tone.

"So, you have the summoner's heart." Riku paused, she had stopped walking.

"Riku, the wraiths aren't around, why don't you take off the blindfold, so I can see your handsome face."

Riku shook his head, a faint smile on his face, despite his annoyance. This was typical. "No point. I'm leaving again after we take care of business... Besides, it's comfortable."

Riku felt her move and quickly caught her wrist, not even liking that much contact, as she tried to remove the blindfold.

"I said, I'll leave it." His voice betrayed nothing, but the emphasis on the last two words was clear enough. He dropped the hand as if it were a venomous snake, which actually wasn't that far off, and her tone betrayed her petulance.

"Oh fine... So stubborn... to business then... the heart was not the right one, but you knew that. I'm terribly disappointed. We all are. You sure it's the summoner's? It wasn't what was sensed."

"She was impossible to miss. If hers wasn't the one you wanted, that's your problem, and what, you doubt your own brother now?"

"Jitt's a good little boy, of course I do. Told me something very interesting actually... something about some girl? A pretty little thing to hear Ash talk. Just exactly, why is it that you were so late? I didn't give you any orders about remaining behind."

Riku remained unruffled, despite the fact that the questioning was a little too pointed. He knew how to handle it.

"That's right, you didn't."

This shut her up, but not for long. Still, it directed the conversation elsewhere, just as Riku wanted.

"I don't give a damn what the hold up is, I expect you to return promptly. Since you only brought a useless heart, you'll keep searching."

"Obviously." Riku replied in a dry tone, which only angered her more, but she wasn't a mistress of Hollow Bastion for nothing, and she quickly controlled it. "Are we done here? Is he around?"

"He won't see you today. He was awfully disappointed with your failure; it's made him physically ill." Her tone was nasty and the lie wasn't even meant to be believable. Riku barely refrained from rolling his eyes, though with the blindfold, it wouldn't have mattered much anyway.

"Well then I'm done here." Riku turned and strode toward the exit, cocking his head slightly as he heard her call after him.

"One week Riku, unless you get a message... and don't think I didn't notice about that change of subject." Riku kept walking...

She watched him go with a slight frown marring her pretty face. He was too damn difficult to manipulate. After a moment though, the frown cleared only to be replaced by a devious smirk.

Not impossible though...

Riku had told her something, just by refusing to mention it. Unless he really did get other orders... She knew she'd have to ask and the thought infuriated her. It put her in a bad position. Either she was for some reason being left out of the loop or she'd risk showing incompetence by her inability to keep tabs on Riku. She was quite immune, but it was the principle of the thing.

"Donnel, go get Jitt and tell him to come to find me. I'll be in my study." The sorcerer nodded and dashed off, and after a moment she departed as well.

Exiting the courtyard, she headed towards the east wing and her lavish suite. Sitting down at the desk in her study, she thought for a moment and then began to compose a letter. Jitt came in just as she finished and she met his arrival with a bright smile, nodding for him to take a seat.

Though Jitt was actually the older of the two siblings, he also possessed a more submissive personality, leaving her to take charge even to the point of turning him into her errand boy. Though this was important and she couldn't trust it to anyone else.

"I need you to deliver this for me." Jitt took it scanning the envelope quickly, looking up with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Cocytus!"

She smiled wickedly and gave him a slight nod.

"Perfect, isn't it?"

After a moment, Jitt smiled as well. "It certainly explains a lot."

"Indeed... I need it done tonight. The sooner he reads it, the better... Now before you go, tell me again what happened with this girl." The behavior was extremely atypical of Riku, but eventually she'd find out what was going on in that head of his. She always did.