Torture and Torment
The night had been cold in the cell and Riku had curled up in a ball and lay against the wall. He slightly shivered; breathing hard and watching the steam from his breath accumulate and evaporate. There was the sound of rattling chains and moving mechanics reverberating within the chambers. Riku sat upright; the neck shackled choking him slightly. He waited for the sound of footsteps to approach him. Sure enough, he heard a group of steps lurching their way to the cell he was kept in. Riku shuttered and backed into the corner. A torch appeared before his cell along with five men. Amongst them was General Ameba.
"Get up, Riku!" Ameba ordered. "Today's the day you know the meaning of pain!" The cell was opened and three of the guards walked in and unshackled the boy. They then escorted him out forcefully to the other side of the chamber. They moved to a chamber that was filled with what looked like primitive medieval torturing devices.
"This is a collection of classical torture devices, which had been used since the days of the old Holvan Rebellion." Ameba explained. "To me they are still items that deploy old style, yet still effective ways of loosing one's tongue, spilling one's blood, causing one to scream in utter agony. You, Riku, shall be the next victim to feel the pain of such devices."
Ameba pointed his way to what looked like a crucifixion cross. On the arms, was a pair of cuffs that were constructed right on the table. On the lower end, two chained shackles hung down. And at the head of the cross, a rope loop was fastened.
"Place him here." Ameba ordered. "And strip that old shirt from off his back. I don't want anything to protect Riku's delicate skin." The guards took the shirt from off Riku's back and placed him onto the table. Riku, still weakened from yesterday's trials couldn't put up any sort of resistance. They placed him on the beam and locked his arms, shackled his feet and placed the rope around his throat. "This is called the cross table, due to the bizarre shape of it. It is here you will experience your first series of tortures." Ameba took out one of the daggers at the table's side and poked at Riku's arms, not hard to cause it to bleed. Riku flexed from the sudden pain. "Nice firm muscle tone," Ameba then stroked his fingers across Riku's chest, "And such delicate, youthful skin. It's such a pity that we have to damage it though."
Ameba snapped his fingers and suddenly, the four guards, armed with iron clubs, began to simultaneously beat Riku. Riku cried out as each blow to its toll. The guards beat him up and down the body, creating severe bruises, which in some areas began to bleed. Four ten minutes, the guards took a hit to Riku, on his arms, his legs and his chest and gut area. Riku could only cry out in pain, but still he remained strong. One of the guards had struck Riku in the chest and shoulder prematurely and the club hit the right side of his face. A severe cut developed and blood began to trickle down his face.
"That's enough." Ameba uttered. The guards stood down and withdrew their clubs. Ameba then took hold of the rod which held the neck rope and began to twist it. Immediately, Riku could feel the rope tighten around his throat and he began to strangle. Almost instantly, Riku began to struggle, thrashing about violently. The more he thrashed about, the tighter Ameba's grip became. Two of the guards ran over and grabbed hold of both of Riku's legs to keep him balanced on the table. Riku kicked, but the guards held tightly onto him. "That's right, Riku, struggle, thrash about violently. I love the sight of your pain." Only when Riku started to lose consciousness did Ameba let go. "Untie him, unshackle him, and bring him to the next device."
The guards obeyed and took Riku off of the table. They then dragged him to yet another table. This table was extremely elongated with shackles at both ends for the hands and feet. They placed him upon the table and locked him in blade. They then placed sand bags on each side of Riku and put a thick wooden board over his chest and abdomen.
"This is the next torturing device, which we have dubbed the name the Press Table." Ameba explained. "The way this works is that it'll constrict you of air with every ounce of weight added by piling stones atop this plank of wood. Let's begin shall we?"
One of the guards took a heavy stone and placed it upon Riku. Then another guard placed his heavy stone. Then the next and the next, until there were estimated six stones on top of Riku. Three more stones were added to the stack, and then four, then five, and two more were added. The first level of sandbags, at Riku's sides, was removed and further began to constrict his oxygen supply. The boy cried out in agony as he slowly began to suffocate. Again more weight was added.
"How do you like this kind of torture?" Ameba asked, with a smirk streaked across his face.
"More…weight…" Riku uttered.
"What!"-
"More…weight…"-
Ameba gave the signal and ordered three more stones to be placed on top of Riku. Riku's pain increased and he began to gasp out.
"You're a glutton for punishment aren't you?" Ameba chuckled. "But I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to allow yourself to die aren't you? Well, that won't happen while I'm around. I can't have you dying on me." He snapped his fingers and the guards began to withdraw the weighted slabs of stone. "Unshackle him and take him to the next torture."
The guards once again unshackled Riku and brought him before another torture device. This time, it was a wrack. They placed Riku's hands and feet in chain shackles. At the head of the wrack was a large bucket of water. At the foot of the wrack were large iron weights. The large bucket was filled and both it and the weights were released at a free dangle over two pits on the opposite sides of the wrack.
"This is what we call the water wrack." Ameba said. "It's virtually an unmanned torturing device. The first machine powered device of its time. This is how it works, that large bucket full of water is about ten gallons full. The iron weights at the end, equal the same amount of pounds. However, there is a small hole at the bottom of the water bucket that drips slowly. With every pound lost in the bucket, the weight of the iron grows heavier. Thus, the lower the iron goes into the pit, it'll trigger this counting scale and pull your arms up about a centimeter, or so. This process continues, stretching you further and further, until your ligaments are torn, or your back breaks. Let's see if you can last for a good ten minutes, or so.
Ameba wand the guards only watched, or engaged in their other activities. Ameba could only watch on as the counter began to clime its way up the scale of little teeth. With every passing minute, the water would drain more and the weights would increase in weight, thus causing the stretching to occur. Riku could feel the tension as his body was beginning to wear out from the pressure. With every centimeter gained on the scale, Riku would cry out in agonizing pain. The echoes of his screams could be heard throughout the chamber. He would eventually tire from crying out and would gasp heavily, bracing for when the next tooth would click. For over ten minutes he lay there, feeling the muscles in his back gave in.
"Have you had enough?" Ameba asked. Riku did not answer. "I suppose you want to stay tied down a little bit longer."
"No…" Riku uttered. "I've had enough…"
"Good to see that you're at lease begging." Ameba ordered the guards to take Riku off the wrack. "I think we've wasted enough time at the wrack. I still have a lot of torture devices that I want to show you."
They moved on to the next to the next torturing device called the water seesaw. They again strapped Riku to the table. At the head of the seesaw was a tub of ice cold water.
"This is another unique device that is meant to torture people without inflicting any true bodily harm." Ameba chuckled. "I would show you the more intense torturing devices, but I can't have you dying on me can I? Anyway, this next torture is perhaps one of the newer devices, which we call the water seesaw. The function of this is that we swing this side of the platform upward and send your head into that tub of ice cold water. A lot of people never really survive this, either because they can't hold their breath long enough; or we just hold them down too long. Can you hold your breath in cold water for an extended period of time? Oh well, only one way to find out."
The guards pushed the seesaw upward and dunked Riku's head into the tub. Within a few seconds, Riku began to struggle again, but because he was tide down, he could only jolt the seesaw slightly. For a full minute they held him down and Riku tried desperately to hold his breath. After the minute was up, Ameba ordered him pulled up. Riku gasped heavily for breath. He coughed and gasped, trying to take in much air as possible. Had his head been held down in the water any longer, he would've succumbed.
"Excellent work, Riku," Ameba chuckled, "I must admit that you're tougher than I thought you were. Let's try it again for an additional four times." Again, the guards forced the seesaw at an upward incline and Riku again found his head held under water for another minute. The process continued another three times after that. Finally, Ameba pulled him out for the last time. Riku gasped again for breath.
"I've had enough of this torture." Ameba said. "I'm getting a little bored with this, on to the next one!" The guards took Riku off of the seesaw and led him to where General Ameba had stopped again. This time, Riku was placed on a table with copper shackles. Next to this table was a meter that counted from 1-100. They forced Riku onto the table and strapped him down again.
"We're almost reaching the end of our tour." Ameba chuckled. "This last table torture is what I like to call, the lightning table. And there is a reason why it's called the lightning table." Ameba then realized that Riku was barely conscious; he slapped the young man at the side of the face. "Listen to me Riku. I can't have you falling asleep on me can I?" Riku however, was still limp. "Have it your way then. I know exactly how to wake you up." Ameba then placed copper plates onto Riku's chest, his abs, and his head. He then flicked a little switch that started the flow of an electrical current. He then raised the level up to five. There was a sudden surge of electricity running through Riku's every muscle. His muscles flexed and contracted and the young key bearer was overcome by the electrical flow. He began to cry out in agony. Louder and louder, Riku cried as the volts of electricity surged through his veins. Ameba turned off the flow and turned the meter down to zero again.
"Not bad wouldn't you say?" Ameba chuckled. "Now let's see how you handle the surge at level ten." Ameba turned the juice back on again and raised the meter to its level ten mark. Riku again began to cry out. However, this time, Ameba didn't stop at ten. He later increased the level to fifteen, then twenty, then twenty-five. He went as high as thirty-five and in that process. With every increased level, Riku's cries turned to screams and grew louder and more intense. Ameba looked on, his eyes full of delight, to see Riku mangled in agonizing pain. Ameba turned the juice off again and lowered the level to zero again. "Have you had enough, Riku?"
Riku nodded his head. His body now burned red from the intense surge. The blood from his wound had dried up by the electrical surge.
"Please..." Riku uttered. "No…more…"
"I think not." Ameba unleashed the electrical surge again. This time, he didn't hold back and raised the bar to one hundred.
"Not one hundred, sir!" one of the guards cried out. But the deed had been done and Riku's back was sent arching to the ceiling. His muscled contorted, contracted, flexed in a hard manner, and the blood curdling scream he let out could be heard throughout Gombria. For fifteen seconds, Ameba let the electricity surge the young man's body.
"Please stop this, General Ameba!" the guard cried. Ameba turned off the juice again. "He's suffered enough, sir! He's still just a boy and you raise the bar to one hundred! Not even our toughest prisoners could survive that level! None ever survived passed the fiftieth level!"
"Keep your opinions to yourself, soldier!" Ameba ordered. "Riku is under my custody so I'll do with him what I damn well please. As for his suffering, he hasn't fulfilled it entirely. He hasn't satisfied my taste yet. We have one last stop and then I'll let him be after that." The guards unshackled Riku yet again. This time, his body had become so limp and numb that Riku couldn't even stand. Ameba then grabbed the key bearer by the throat, nearly strangling him. "It isn't over yet. I still haven't spilled enough blood."
He threw Riku to the ground.
"Take him to the whipping post!" Ameba ordered.
The guards took their time and picked Riku's limp body up. Riku could only see swirling mist and blurred shadows. The guards dragged him to the last destination and the last of the torturing series.
At that same time, General Kai had made his way back to Gombria and worked his way to where Ameba was having his little fiasco with Riku.
"If I had enough sense, I would've killed Riku and spare him the torment and torture of that man." Kai thought to himself. "Death by my hand would've been easier for Riku. My revenge has been fulfilled, but I know Ameba. He won't stop until every drop of blood has been squeezed from that boy's body. Well, not today, I won't let another individual have to be tormented in such a way and be a victim of Ameba's twisted lust for blood."
Ameba brought Riku to what looked like a cross, with the arms jolted back at a slight angle. On the end of the arms were iron shackles. The guards placed Riku on the lashing post in a standing position. On the ground, old blood stains smeared the base of the post.
"This is my most favorite torture device of all." Ameba said. "The whipping post is designed to keep you in a standing position, by having those cuffs at the end, hold you in place. You won't be able to move from that spot."
"Haven't you've seen enough blood!" a voice bellowed out. Ameba turned to see General Ameba standing there. "Look at that boy. He's already had to endure the pain of your other torture devices. Now you want to whip him!"
"I won't be satisfied until I see this boy's blood spilled."-
"Even if you were to wrench out all the blood in his veins, you still wouldn't be satisfied! You think this as some sort of a game! A person doesn't deserve to be punished like this!"-
"You forget your place, General Kai! Riku is under my custody, so I may handle him in the manner that suits me! And no one, not the guards, not you, nor His Excellency, Master Arakis can tell me otherwise!" Ameba turned to the taskmaster. "Taskmaster, use the blunt bull whip!"
"But the blunt bullwhip wouldn't inflict that much damage, sir." The task master replied.
"You think I don't know that?"-
"But why the blunt bullwhip? All it'll do is inflict serious pain, but no damage to the skin."-
"That is unless you beat hard and long enough with it. Then, he'll eventually have to bleed. Just like trying to cut someone's heart out with a spoon. The spoon is dull, so it'll hurt more." Ameba turned to one of the guards. "You will act as counter and crier. Count out two hundred lashes!"
"What!" he replied. "Two hundred lashes!"
"Two hundred and fifty then."-
"But we've never lashed someone passed fifty."-
"Do as I say."-
"You've lost your mind, Ameba!" Kai shouted. "Two hundred and fifty lashes, Riku will die from the sheer exhaustion, if not the loss of blood!"
"Silence, General Kai! I make the orders here! Taskmaster, make the sentence three hundred lashes!"-
"General, sir, with all due respects," the crier uttered, "Please be reasonable and try to reconsider this decision."-
"I don't give reasons, I give orders! Now do as I say!"-
"Yes, sir."-
"But before we begin," the taskmaster uttered, "May I at least see if he is secure?"
"Very well then." Ameba uttered. "But make it quick."
The taskmaster checked to see if Riku was shackled securely to the post. He then whispered in Riku's ear.
"Please forgive me, my boy." He uttered. "Brace yourself…"-
"Begin already!" Ameba shouted.
The taskmaster returned to his post. He raised the whip into the air and with one swing, cracked the whip over Riku's back. Riku cried out as he felt the sting of the whip. The crier began to count.
"1…" he shouted. A second crack of the whip and a third and a fourth, still rising. "2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10…"
The lash struck Riku across the back again. Again and again the lash streaked across his back, causing welts to appear and red streaks to emerge on his delicate skin. Riku cried out as each strike of the whip landed upon his back.
"15…16…17…" the crier continued. By now Riku's back was tainted a red color from the striking whip. Again and again, the crack of leather bellowed. Riku cried out with every strike. Yet he could do nothing to defend himself, he could only take on the blows one at a time. Ameba continued to look on with delight, glaring at Riku's back and how the whip with lash at it.
Somewhere around the fiftieth lash, Riku's back began to tear. Blood soon trickled down from the tender flesh. Again and again the lash made its damage. Now, Riku's back began to break and streaks of blood began to trickle down his body. But still the taskmaster continued to strike.
"Don't let up!" Ameba ordered. "Keep on striking!"
"61…62…63…" the crier continued on. "64…65…66…"-
By now, Riku's agonizing screams began to die down as the pain gave way to numbness and exhaustion. Still the lash was cracked upon the poor boy's back. Riku gazed up and could only think of the faces he knew he may never see again. The image in his head emerged and disappeared with every impact of the whip's leather.
"72…73…74…75…" the cried counted on. By now, Riku's back had begun to bleed on his back, his shoulders, everywhere the whip had struck the most. Now little drops of blood began to splatter and most of it ran down Riku's white belt to the seat of his pants, but still the lashing continued.
"Please, that's enough!" Kai shouted.
"It's far from enough!" Ameba chuckled.
"85…86…87…88…" the crier continued. His voice became hoarse from constantly counting. The taskmaster's whip was now beginning to collect stains of blood from Riku's scourged back.
"Keep it up! We still haven't reached our first one hundred yet." Ameba grinned, glaring at the dripping blood and sweat of this youth.
"93…94…95…96…" the cried counted. By now, pieces of skin were beginning to be ripped off from Riku's back. Blood now began to splatter about the room, but still Ameba ordered the continuation of the sentence.
"Please, General! Stop this at once!" Kai insisted.
"Hold your tongue!' Ameba shouted. "I will do as I wish! I will say when it is enough!"-
"It'll never be enough for you! Stop this now, or he's gonna die!"-
"So let him die!"-
"But you know he's no more of value to you if he dies! You'll never be promoted to lord if you allow him to succumb to your own vile tortures!"-
"Then let it be so! I can always find another way to become a lord! Right now, my thirst to see this whelp's blood is all that I want to take in right now! Keep on lashing!"-
"108…109…110…111…" The crier continued. By now, Riku had nearly stopped crying out all together. He only gazed up again into the ceiling and saw the faces of his friends.
"I've gotten myself into this." Riku thought to himself. "I falsely accused my friends on an issue that I did not fully understand. I left off in search for my own ambition. I thought I could handle this myself, but again I was wrong. As a result of my reckless act, I have regressed to being tortured like this." Riku's legs began to give way. "My body, it's so heavy. I can take no more of this. I can take no more of this pain. But perhaps it is something that I deserve. But now, I'm all alone. I have no one here to be with me. I have no one here to care for my fate, or care for my being. I have lost everyone. No one knows where I am. I am alone…" Suddenly, from his eyes, tears began to run down his face. "I am utterly alone." Riku looked up to see the face of Sora in his mind. Emotions ran high and Riku began to cry even more. "Sora, I'm Sorry. I didn't see how great the challenge was that you faced. Now it's as clear to me as the lash on my back."
"120…121…122…123…" the cried shouted.
"This has to stop!" Kai shouted. "Now you listen to me, Ameba! I…!"-
"I told you to remain silent!" Ameba implied. "That youth deserves every affliction for every assault on the Empire as well as my pride! I can't take my anger out on Sora! So I'll just take my rage out on the next best thing!"
"Look at him! He's no longer conscious! He can no longer feel any pain!"-
"Then leave him there! He deserves such punishment even when he's no longer aware! Keep lashing!"-
"Sir," the taskmaster uttered, "don't you think he's suffered enough?"-
"Give me that lash and back off if you don't have the sand for it!" Ameba snatched bull whip and pushed the taskmaster aside. He began to lash at Riku even harder than before and caused the blood to splatter. The droplets of blood sprinkled on Ameba's face and the general lapped it up with his tongue.
"This is how you lash someone!" Ameba roared. "This is for my pride, for the Empire, for all the worthy soldiers whom you've killed. You are a criminal and so you will suffer like one! Suffer Riku, I will hear you scream and cry and gasp for breath! You dared to stand in my way and so you will pay with agonizing results!" Ameba went into a frenzy, lashing away at poor Riku who could no longer stand on his feet. The blood flowed in streams on his back now, but Ameba did not let up. He continued to lash without mercy, without thought, without regards to the condition of Riku's being. "Suffer! Suffer! Suffer! Suffer like you never have before! The punishment will be beyond what you had expected!" Ameba suddenly stopped, catching his breath. Riku hung almost lifeless on the post. Tears continued to run down his face.
"No…more…" he uttered. "Please…no…more…"-
"You will suffer until I say you've had enough!" Ameba roared. Again and again, he lashed at Riku, the blood splattering along the walls, along the helmet visors and uniforms of the guards. "Pay you miserable dog! Suffer as a consequence of your defiance against us!" Ameba threw the whip up again. It was by now smeared with blood and torn flesh from Riku's back. Drops of blood trickled onto the handle of the bull whip. "Now prepare yourself, Riku. We go for the three hundred mark! So say your prayers, you insolent brat!" Ameba thrust down the whip to make another crack upon Riku's back.
But suddenly, there was a flash of light and the whip was cut in half. Ameba was shocked at what had happened. There, standing between him and Riku, General Kai stood, with his sword drawn. He was the one who cut off the whip.
"I told you that was enough!" Kai shouted.
"I said for you not to interfere! You dare to disobey my orders!"-
"Look at him, Ameba! He may be our enemy, but he's still just a boy and a boy that has suffered more than any other prisoner who was ever sent down here!"-
"What treatment I place upon this boy is none of your affair!"-
"I have to say that this concerns me greatly! I too was seeking revenge because this boy killed my best friend! But I would never allow him to suffer like this, not like some common animal! Riku gave Kahn a swift and painless death! I should be obliged to do the same thing! But you just do this for your own twisted ideas. You want to see this boy suffer! And for what, for your own selfish pride!" Kai ran over to Riku and unshackled him from the post. Riku fell limp in Kai's arms. "I'm taking you back to your cell, Riku. You've endured enough torture for one day."
"Leave that boy where he is!" Ameba roared. "I did not give you permission to take this young man from the whipping post!" Kai only continued down the corridor. "If you do not put that boy back where he is, I'll have you court-martialed!"
"It's as if you're any threat to me!" Kai placed Riku into his cell. "Guard, fetch some bandages and medical supplies and get this kid mended up."
"Yes, sir." The guard replied. Kai walked out of the cell, only to be grabbed by the collar by General Ameba.
"How dare you interfere!" Ameba shouted. "I had everything under my control and yet you have to decide to play a Good Samaritan! This boy is under my custody and if there are any issues regarding this whelp, then I shall be the one to handle it, not you! I will see that you are charged for disobeying a superior officer and I will see you demoted of your position!" Ameba stormed into the cell and pushed the soldier aside. He kicked Riku in the gut and the young key bearer curled into a ball due to the pain. His body was still limp, so it was hard for him to move. Ameba picked him up and slammed Riku against the wall. He punched the boy several times in the face and then threw him down on the floor. He took the neck shackle and locked it around Riku's throat. He kicked Riku again and then stormed out. "No help will be given to this boy! No food, no water, nor blankets of any type! He will freeze, he will starve, and he will die of thirst!" Ameba turned to Kai. "And as for you, you will arrive here tomorrow to help me with my final torture! You will be here by 0600 sharp tomorrow, or I will have you charged with disobeying your superior officer! Do you understand me General Kai!"
Kai could only sneer, but he knew full well of the consequences for daring to defy a superior officer. Kai stood at attention and bowed respectfully. He then diminished from the realm of torment. Ameba then shouted back into the cell.
"This isn't over yet, Riku!" Ameba shouted, ferociously. "Mark my words, Riku; your suffering hasn't ended yet!" He then stormed away in great fury, leaving Riku bloodied, cold, hungry, and thirsty. Riku could only lay on the cold stone. He tried to sleep and lock out all the pain that he suffered, but he could not and he feared the next day when they would return to finish the job.
"It's my fault that it's come to this." Riku uttered. "I forced this upon myself. Now, no one knows where I am. Does Sora even care about where I am? After the way I treated him, after I falsely accused him, would he even think about helping me? He doesn't even know where I've gone. Sora, I'm so sorry. If I had my choice, I would get on my hands and knees and beg for forgiveness for the injustice I've inflicted upon you. But I see now that I may never get that chance." With those final words, Riku curled up in a ball and tried to keep warm. On that night, it was one of the first nights where he actually cried himself to sleep.
In his dreams, Riku saw himself back on Destiny Island. The sand gleamed brightly in the mid-day sun. The blue of the sky and the crash of waves upon the beach, Riku saw himself walking on the sandy shore, amidst the tall coconut and Paopu trees. The smell of a warm summer day was in the air and Riku never felt more comfortable. He saw his friends, Kairi and Sora coming to greet him. There were smiles on their faces, gazing at Riku like nothing had happened. Riku, Sora, and Kairi lay in the sand gazing up at the blue sky. This was paradise, this was home.
But the harsh reality emerged from this comforting dream as Riku suddenly awoke from his slumber. The cell was opened and General Ameba walked in.
"Get him on his feet!" the general ordered. The guards unshackled Riku and dragged him across the ground. The blood still dripped from the open wounds in his back. "Lay him on his belly on the table! Get that lemon juice over here and pour on his wounds! We can't have them festering can we!"
The guards bent Riku over the table and held him down. Another one of the guards took a large bucket of lemon juice and spilled it upon the open wounds. Riku screamed out in agonizing pain as the juice was poured over his back.
"I hope you don't mind!" Ameba uttered. "But I have to clean up your wounds and make sure that no rats get to them! As if anything could live down here though. I also took the liberty of changing the guards due to some of them being rather soft in the concern of your fate! You will also learn to stand on your own!"
"Get moving!" one of the guards shouted, using the whip upon Riku's back again. Riku flinched, but did not cry out. He could only stagger and stumble with all the energy he had left. The guard whipped him into his crawl while two others pulled him with a chain that now bounded his hands. Riku staggered and fell as they led him. They led him to where the lashing post was. Next to the lashing post, the cross table had been erected upright. Standing next to the upright cross, General Kai awaited them. The guards tied Riku to the table and let him practically hang down. The neck rope nearly strangled him as the strength in his legs gave way. The guards had to force him up to prevent Riku from suffocating himself.
"I have heard from General Kai that I have been too harsh in your treatment." Ameba said. "So be it! I will no longer throw the lash upon your back, or let you suffer the pain of all my classical devices. No, I've come to a conclusion that'll prove to be very tormenting. It regards what had happened to you years before. I understand that you had temporarily lost your sight as punishment for accepting the darkness."
Immediately, Riku's eyes grew wide with fear.
"No…please…" Riku uttered. "Anything…but that… Don't take my sight…away."
"If you won't endure the pain of my torturing devices, then you shall be tormented with eternal darkness!" Ameba turned to Kai. "If you please, General!"
"Sir…" Kai uttered. He accumulated his darkness energy and handed it to Ameba. Ameba took the darkness and split it in half. He then placed the darkness upon his heart and the other over Riku's eyes.
"Oh God, please don't…do this…" Riku cried out. "I…don't want…to be in eternal darkness…again…"
"It shall be your punishment." Ameba chuckled.
Suddenly, a shadow consumed them both and there, a flash of light soon followed. Kai watched as the deed had been done.
"I only hope that I still have enough nerve to fight Sora, when he arrives." Kai uttered. "But I will fight him as a defender of the Empire, as the leader of the Cavendish Shinobis. I have seen too much revenge inflicted. I will drive myself with our true cause, or I may be haunted by that disturbing spectacle forever."
The day before, General Kai took the liberty of sending word to Sora and the rest of the KH team that they were to meet at a city called Dorian, located three hundred miles east of Oceansburg, the Alliance capital. He gave word of where toe be and when. He declared that only Sora was to engage in the fight. No one else was to intervene. Kai's declaration however did not mention anything about Riku, or his fate. He believed that it was not his responsibility to tell Sora.
Immediately receiving word from Kai, Sora and the others took their repaired gummi ship and headed towards their destination.
"Don't worry, Kairi." Sora uttered to himself. "I'll be there soon. Just one more Shinobi before the grand battle with Lord Arakis! Then, we can end this! We can all go home after this and live in peace just like what had been promised!"
"You know Kairi's really gonna be happy when she sees that you've come to rescue her." Goofy uttered.
"That's right." Mickey added. "She'll probably hold you tight when she first sees your face."
"You're probably right…" Sora uttered. He then gazed down.
"Is something wrong, Sora?" Donald asked.
"I just hope that when all this is over, Riku would forgive me. I hope that he will."-
"Speaking of Riku, I wonder where he is." Goofy asked.
"Yeah." Mickey added. "Shouldn't he have been fighting against Kai already?"
"That's what worries me." Sora implied. "What if he already saved Kairi? Then, there's no way that would ever forgive me."
"But if that's true, then we never would have received word from General Kai."-
"But what if it's another plot like what happened with Hades?" Donald asked.
"It shouldn't turn out that way. The guy who gave us the message bore the symbol of the Empire."-
"There's only one way to find out." Sora said. "I'll have to ask Kai himself."