CHAPTER 6--Nemesis

A/N: Something tells me I should update more often. . . Seriously, it's been a few weeks since I posted, hasn't it? I accuse my mother. She wants me to get a job. I want me to get a job, too, but I blame Mom anyway. Because I've been looking for a job instead of working on my fics. And I know that's no excuse! Just because I'm broke and need a job so I can pay for college and move out of the house and buy a car doesn't mean I should neglect my fics!

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Riku unlocked the door to the last room, and was relieved to see it was more of an anteroom than anything. Scratching at some of the black, dried, crusted blood on his face from the fight with Maleficent, Riku stepped into the room, and noticed a glass, diamond-shaped statue of some kind that actually looked like it contained an entire galaxy in it. Curious, and because it didn't look dangerous, Riku got close to it - close enough to touch it. Which he did, of course.

There was a sudden jolt running up his fingers, to his arm, and eventually spreading throughout his entire body. He snatched his hand away, staring at the object, wich continued to twinkle in universal innocence. He shook the remaining tingly feeling from his hand, then looked at it as though checking for injuries. He noticed that the black blood from Maleficent was gone from that hand, and that arm, and. . .

What was this thing, a speed-shower?

But that wasn't it; not only was Maleficent's blood gone, but his own as well. And the rips in his shirt were mended fawlessly. Hastilly, he unzipped his shirt to check the scratches he'd gotten, but they weren't there. There wasn't even a scar to prove that they ever had been!

"This place," Riku said, still staring at his completelly healed chest, "is really starting to creep me out."

Zipping his shirt back up, Riku gave the statue-thing one last look before heading out through the door leading to a white marble hallway.

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"Axel, there's a few things you should know about me."

"Like what?"

"Like, I have a boyfriend, and he's here right now, so I might need to help him out a bit," Mizu admitted, somehow managing not to blush.

"Who?" Axel asked, looking slightly stunned and a little curious. "Sora?"

"Sor-" Mizu started to ask, completelly shocked. "He's here too? What about Donald, and Goofy? What's happened, are they all right?"

"Whoah, whoah, slow down!" Axel said, holding up his hands. "Yes, Sora's here, and so are Donald and Goofy, and they're in a bit of trouble."

"Figures," Mizu said, grinning slightly. "That kid practically invites trouble. But what happened? Are they okay? They're not hurt, are they?"

"Well," Axel said, obviously stalling.

"Axel!"

"All right!" Axel said, backing up a step. "Physically, they're fine. But Marluxia has Namine rearranging their memories to replace herself with Kairi, and - "

"WHAT?"

"Jeese, you can yell! Look, just hold still - "

Axel grabbed Mizu by the shoulders as she tried to push past him down the corridor off the main hall, picked her up, and all but slammed her back down on her feet in front of him.

"There, that's better," he said when she had finally stopped struggling. He let go of her and crossed his arms over his chest, giving her a look she hadn't ever seen him use. "Y'know, you're acting different. You weren't usually this hot-headed."

"Oh, yeah I was," Mizu said, though she stayed put. She had bitten her tongue when Axel had slammed her back on the ground, and really didn't want to repeat that scene again. "But I'll tell you later. What is going on around here, and why the hell is Sora involved?"

Axel sighed and, with exaggerated care, put a hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe you'd better sit down. . ."

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"Why do you shun the dark?"

Riku stopped, snorted, and rolled his eyes, barely containing his smirk.

"Oh, come on," he said. "I know you heard every word I said to Maleficent."

"Darkness is your weapon. I need you to accept it."

"What do you care?" Riku scoffed, having a distinct sense of deja-vu.

"Stop resisting, and accept the darkness. You must. . ."

Riku felt a distinct change in the atmosphere around him, but he couldn't quite place it. It was as though something really subtle had just changed, and if he concentrated hard enough, he could find out what it was.

". . .if you are to serve me again!"

"Ansem," Riku growled as the man appeared in front of him. "Just as I thought."

"You're not surprised?" Ansem asked, grinning much like Maleficent had - meaning he was coming perilously close to leering at the boy.

"You always were chatty when it came to darkness," Riku said conversationally, then leveled a glare at the man. "So let me guess. . . You want to pull me back in to the darkness and play puppet master again. . . right?"

"Clever boy. You'll make a fine host. Now, surrender to me again, and - "

"You're insane!" Riku spat. "There won't be an 'again!'" Riku hastilly whipped out his Soul Eater and lunged at Ansem, aiming for where the man's heart should have been.

Ansem casually raised his arm, sweeping Riku away with an intense, highly concentrated blast of pure darkness. Riku flew back down the hall and landed face-first on the hard marble floor, skidding a few feet before his body finally came to a halt. He groaned, too stunned to move.

"Did you really think you could harm me?" Ansem mocked. "A weakling like you couldn't even defeat Sora, and you had darkness on your side."

"Excuse me for," Riku grunted, finding just enough strength to be snarky, "being weak. . ."

"You need the darkness," Ansem sneered. "Submit! Bow to the darkness, and bow to me."

"Not a," Riku grunted, now struggling to get up, "chance. . ."

"Only darkness can help you now," Ansem said, doing his best to sound calm and reasonable.

"You're wrong!" came a call from a glowing orb of light.

"That voice," Riku muttered, not daring to believe it. He finally got to his knees, and stared at the orb incredulously, a grin threatening to spread across his face. "Your Majesty, is that you?"

"You betcha!" Mickey said in his usual, cheery way. Riku felt himself begin to smile sincerely for the first time in what felt like forever. "Riku," Mickey continued soothingly, "you're not alone."

The orb of light came to hover at eye level barely a foot away from Riku, and, strangely, he was comforted just by seeing it.

"Listen careful now, Riku," Mickey continued, his voice growing stern, the way Mizu's would when she was doing her level best to be both serious and comforting at the same time. "The light'll never give up on you. You'll always find it, even in the deepest darkness! But you have to believe!"

"I will," Riku vowed, though it came out coupled with a sincere laugh of relief. The orb of light winked out, but Riku knew that Mickey was still there, making sure he was all right. "Hear that?" Riku snarled, now climbing to his feet. "I'm not loosing to the darkness today, Ansem!"

"You think some feeble light can save you from the darkness I command?" Ansem sneered, almost laughing. "Fool!"

He held out his hand, an orb of darkness concentrated in his palm, and Riku immediatelly dropped into a defensive position, Soul Eater set to deflect any blow Ansem might send his way. . .

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A/N: Is "snarky" even a word? Ah, well, it is now!