Sora was becoming increasingly dependent on Riku, and the older boy was increasingly becoming easy to be depended on. Throughout the week, Maleficent noticed that Riku's attitude towards his pupil had become noticeably protective, becoming short with anyone who wished to harm the 'young prince.' This even extended to the witch herself, wich she found amusing even after Riku drew his weapon against her after she punished her pet for a misdeed, going so far as to block her staff with the Dawn before it collided with the spikey head. Sora took the opportunity to hide behind the older boy, and Riku rewarded him by backhanding him harshly and telling him he was a coward.

"A prince does not hide behind his lackeys" he said sternly "Nor does he scurry on the floor like a dog!"

His tone grew softer "However, I'll let this slide, as Mothers can be scary. It's only natural for you to hide behind big brother to avoid her wrath."

The scene caused Maleficent to ponder. Whether it was Riku's cunning that prompted him to speak that way in front of her, or just plain chance, there was an old truth that was rearing its head because of it.

Riku was, for all intents and purposes, Sora's big brother.

She could use that.

The boy's fate would not change, however. Her plans for vengeance required that the ironic fate be played to fruition. The older boy would become the younger's slave, and Sora himself would willingly put him in that position. However, nothing was to say it would be permanent. Riku's command over the Darkness made him a candidate for a second son.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Sora's Light screaming. Although the witch relished any sound of discomfort from the Light Chasers, this scream had a note within it the witch was not expecting until much later in her vengeance scheme...

Betrayal.

"Stop it Riku! You're hurting him!"

Maleficent was surprised not just by the words, but by the scene that sparked such a tone.

Riku had his pupil pinned to the ground, the Way to Dawn buried between the younger boy's shoulder blades. His knees were digging in the small of Sora's back, and no matter how much the Keywielder struggles and thrashed, he only succeeded in causing himself more pain. Surprisingly, this brought a smile to his mentor's lips.

Intrigued by this action that seemed to be a display of dominance, the witch continued to observe.

Kairi tried pulling the older boy off, but Riku shoved her away with a growl. The girl tried again, and the older teen gave her a look so uncharacteristically nasty that Maleficent swore that Jafar had momentarily possessed him She soon recognized, however, the spark in her rival's eyes that alerted her that his cunning mind was forming a plan.

Riku backhanded the girl. Hard. She began to cry.

Sora's eyes went wild, and with an enraged roar, he threw his attacker off and drew his weapon, yelling and snarling as he forced Riku into combat. This seemed to be the desired response, and the older boy laughed/

"There it is!" he encouraged, before pinning his pupil down again. Sora, still outraged, was having none of that and threw his older brother off again. He once again engaged, Riku letting him vent, smirking slightly. Sora gurgled angrily at him, pointing at Kairi and throwing the hand not swinging the Keyblade up in the air. Riku pinned him to the ground yet again, this time holding him by the wrists so he couldn't escape.

"Yes it was necessary!" he grunted, "But it shouldn't have been! You might not admit it, Sora, but abasing yourself for so long has made you pretty much a doormat. Maleficent's made you unwilling to fight your abuse, but as a prince, you can't just lay down and take punishment. You have to fight! Even if it's the witch herself. Even if it's me!"

He twisted Sora's wrist, causing the younger boy to yelp loudly. Riku whispered in his ear "If you have to rely on the creeping Darkness, then do it! The Dark is there to aid you, Sora...use it!"

A defiant response erupted from his friend's throat, and Sora again broke free, swinging at Riku's chest with his blade. The two engaged again, but this time Sora made himself less vulnerable.

Maleficent watched all this with a surprised yet satisfied air. Riku's attempt to have Sora start weaponizing the Darkness surprised her the most, as well as the method he chose to employ. It was her method, the same she had used to snare the silver-haired youth during his first adventure.

The witch smirked As much as he tried, Riku could never get his experience with her out of his mind. She wormed into his heart and part of her remained there. She had given him everything, and left him with a claw still embedded in his soul. It was why he was such a worthy rival now, and why it was fitting that he be hers again.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKH

"You didn't have to smack me!"

Riku sighed. Sora had forgiven him for backhanding his Light. The girl herself however, was ticked off beyond placating.

"I told you Kairi, yes I did. I also said I was sorry." The teen sank into the couch, exhausted from the days' training and feeling fatigued from keeping up appearances. The angry girl's voice hurt his head, so he lay it down, closing his eyes.

"It hurt!"

"That was the point. Sora wasn't fighting. He needed motivation, and you were that motivation. You always were, and his reaction proved that you never stopped being so."

Kairi threw up her hands in exasperation, "You've become callous!"

"You were also in the way."

"You were hurting him!"

"He was hurting himself." Riku said pointedly, lifting a hand in a shrug. "I gave him an out, but he didn't take it."

The Princess of Heart narrowed her eyes, her voice soft and acusitory, almost a growl as she spat lowly,

"You're relying too much on closing your heart. You don't even see when you're torturing your best friend."

Riku started, but sank back down. He gave no answer. His mind was tired, and he doubted very much he could win, even engage in, a battle of wits against Oogie Boogie right now, let alone Maleficent herself. He had absolutely no comebacks for Kairi, and even less words to defend his actions to her. He looked at Sora, who had once again decided to stay with his friends and was lying spread out on a cushion on the floor, sleeping hard, having been also exhausted from the days' training.

Kairi curled up next to her hero, tears lacing her cheeks as she realized that Riku was just as upset about their situation as she was. Sora was taking all of it in stride, and she was bickering because she feared for him..

Namine, who kept to herself and to Roxas, placed a hand on her somebody's shoulder.

"Kairi...you aren't really angry with Riku are you."

The redhead shook her head and sniffed "No. It's her. She's to blame for Sora's suffering. For Riku's harshness...for everything! Why did Sora have to sign that contract with the Keyblade?!"

"You know the answer to that." The Nobody said softly, squeezing the other's shoulder. Kairi sobbed, burying her face in Sora's chest and clutching the boy as if her life depended on it.

"Oh Sora! Forget about us just this once and run! Run before she can...don't let her change you!"

Of course, the girl knew her hero would never run. Her pleas would go ignored. Sora had given his word, and contract or no, he would keep it. That was simply who he was, and Kairi knew he would never change.

"I guess...what I want to ask." Namine said softly, clasping her hands together nervously "Is if you'll stay by his side once he becomes prince."

Kairi shot up, eyes blazing for a split second as she glared at her Nobody indignantly. "How can you even ask that?! Sora is Sora. He'll never really change. I'll always be here for him."

Namine looked at the sleeping boy on the cushion, her eyes not daring to shine with hope as she remembered one truth that was still hanging like a knife ready to fall. "We'll see. He has one week left."

"Not so, child."

The voice of their enemy sent the relaxed group instantly into combat mode. Axel and Roxas summoned their weapons instinctively. Maleficent chuckled softly at their antics, but also noticed Riku made no attempt to even rise let alone draw his blade. Her cunning rival had already surmised that she wasn't here to fight, so he made no attempts to even open his eyes.

"What are you talking about, witch?" Axel snarled, "The second week's half over already!"

"Indeed. However, the end of the three weeks merely means the the end of our glorious celebration, not the beginning of Sora's reign."

Kairi, despite her fears, was desperate for answers and pleaded urgently, one hand on the still sleeping form of Sora, "Please….tell us straight...besides Riku and me, are you going to kill the others?"

Maleficent seemed to think on this question, clearly enjoying the girl's begging as she stroked her staff. At last, she smiled wickedly, speaking in a calm, gloating tenure that suited her mood.

"I have decided to confine all of you to the castle. If you leave, you will die. Not by my hand of course but by the curse this castle holds. Sora is the exception to this, as he is soon to be my son, but anyone else who wanders without my permission will perish."

"If Sora won't be prince in a week...then his voice-?"

"I will return his voice as promised when I infuse my powers within him. That ceremony will begin immediately after the weeks have ended. Then his true training begins!"

Kairi clutched Sora's hand, "Will he change much?"

"Not at this time. Make no mistake however, child, the Darkness will see to it that he does not stay stagnant for long. Eventually even Sora will change. How this change will manifest itself, I do not know."

She caressed Sora's chest with a gnarled hand almost lovingly, making Kairi shudder. That gesture solidified to the girl that the witch, their tormentor, Sora's captor, Riku's once-enslaver, already viewed the boy as kin. That kind of affection from the Mistress of All Evil was both creepy and unsettling. The witch caught her unease and smirked.

"I must admit, the concept of having Sora as my heir, thus attaining the most delicious form of vengeance and irony, never occurred to me until dear Riku so boldly suggested it. You have him to thank for Sora's continued existence..and his future."

"She's right you know." Axel pointed out, "We should thank Riku that Sora's still alive, instead of banging him over the head with the fact that it was also his idea to crown Sora prince."

Maleficent couldn't tell if the redheaded Nobody was being sarcastic or not, and at the moment she didn't much care. The bottom line was she had won, for now and for the foreseeable future. With time running out for her enemies, she almost wished she could throw another party.

Perhaps during the coronation...

A/N

And so, after eleven years, the first third of this epic tale is concluded! You read that right...it's a trilogy folks! The next installment, Debt to Pay, is on the way! But first a question...Would you like to see what the Resistance is doing in a side fic, or we just keep that ambiguous until the final installment?

To you who stayed throughout...I give my thanks and I know it's been a super long road! See you in the second part!