Chapter Eighteen: Worth

By the time Ventus and Naminé made their way down to the campfire where everyone else had set up, almost everyone else had a plate of food. Yuffie looked at the two after swallowing a bite of eggs, "Hey! Just in time. Was beginning to worry you'd sleep through breakfast."

Ventus shook his head, "Well...Naminé helped me up in time. So I think she probably deserves a plate before me."

Naminé nodded before grabbing a serving of eggs and sausage. She looked to Aerith before asking, "I'm...not taking too much?"

Aerith chuckled and shook her head. "Not at all. I'd hardly call your portions big enough to cause problems." After a moment, her smile faded and she looked over to Merlin, "Still no word from Cloud or Tifa?"

Merlin shook his head, "I'm afraid not, my dear. I've kept my ear to the ground, but after Cloud's appearance at Olympus there's been nothing since then."

Ventus looked up from the plate of food he had taken. "Olympus...Hey, that reminds me! I better go and check on Zack and Herc! They're probably full blown heroes by now." His eagerness faltered however, as he saw Aerith look at him in shock. "I...did something happen to them?" worry crept into his voice.

Aerith sighed and tapped her plate with her fork, "Hercules is fine, a hero like you said." Looking away wistfully she added, "But Zack's been dead for a long time."

Ventus winced and looked back at his food, "I…"

"I'll come back when you're a hero."

"Don't you mean when we'll both be heroes?"

"Oh, so you mean never come back?"

"I'm sorry." Ventus began stirring his food with his fork. Realizing that there was yet another connection that was lost.

Aerith shook her head and gave an encouraging smile. "It's alright. I just wasn't expecting anyone else to really hear that name after so long."

Ventus nodded, "Yeah...I guess it's just news to me," and resumed taking a bite from his breakfast

"Now, I believe we were promised your story?" Leon set his empty dish aside before crossing his arms expectantly.

"I'm hoping it can answer some questions. Like say…" Cid rubbed his chin as he settled in his seat looking at Ventus, "You knowing Maleficent, how you learned about X-Blade, who Terra and Aqua are…"

"And how you know Sora," Naminé answered as the rest of the group nodded in agreement.

"This is going to take a while." Ventus swallowed a lump in his throat, "But if Naminé was willing to tell her story, I can too. It'd be better to tell you all the truth."

And so he began to tell his story. The story of the Land Of Departure. The story of his old master and his friends.

And the story of how one man destroyed it all in a mad search for power no matter the price.

In the depths of Castle Oblivion where the halls had been twisted into the belly of a whale, Riku ruminated on his choices. His home. His friends. He had thrown them away. And what were they worth to him in the end?

For a nice room? To be used as a puppet? For a power that he could barely control? Hurting the friends he was so certain he was protecting?

He sighed. He could barely fool himself with that last one. Seeing Sora with the keyblade just drove him to get one over on him. And with Kairi's life in danger, he had an excuse. Never mind trying just to talk to him. Riku needed to be the one to solve the problem. That was how it always was.

And perhaps...a small part of him wished Kairi looked at him rather than Sora when they competed.

But when the same Sora that he once mocked for taking nothing seriously sacrificed his life for her, he understood. Understood how little he had actually done to help them. Understood the depths of how Sora felt about Kairi.

And when Kairi cried out for him, desperately wanting to bring Sora back, Riku knew he had no chance. The best he could do was hold back the monster that had taken his body. Keep Ansem at bay.

"Yet even so. You could not silence me completely."

Riku winced at the aggravating companion that had dogged him mentally in this journey. Even though he could not accept the empty shadows he had slumbered in, it felt little different in these halls of Castle Oblivion. Worlds that were vibrant and full of life, stripped to the bare minimum. Only heartless and hollow copies of Maleficent's band of villains. The only real company being the same whisperings of darkness egging him on.

And then there was that man in the black cloak. Vexen. What exactly was he studying him for, and what was he after? Whatever it was, it just reeked of bad news. More than just the empty stench that followed the man.

But for now, he needed to try. Whatever darkness he had, he could use. Opening the familiar path to the depths of Monstro's intestine Riku looked up to the familiar heartless that he had thrown Pinnochio into. As the parasite cage dropped to the floor, Riku readied his blade and muttered, "Don't have a meal for you this time. All I'm giving you is indigestion."

Cycling through the prisoners on the crystal ball, Vexen looked up at the tell tale sound of the dark portal, "Zexion, good that you have returned."

Walking out of the darkness, Zexion looked back at him with cyan eyes. "The Riku replica. How soon could we utilize it to fight against Sora?"

"Hmm…" Vexen began to stroke his chin in contemplation, before he began to grin, "why, I believe we could use it immediately."

Lexeaus looked up at him, eyebrow raised in doubt, "His mental state is sufficient?"

"Sufficient enough to fight, given basic instruction." Under Vexen's hand, the crystal ball's image shifted to Sora. The boy once again pleading for their former travelling companion to remember. This time, the image of Halloween Town's ruler turned away in confusion. As the image vanished, Sora, Donald, Goofy were still left confused and concerned. But even so, they doubted. They discussed the possibility that this was a ruse. That the floors with various worlds to the entire premise was less a reality and more a fantasy.

Perhaps it was time to re-enforce that reality.

Vexen smiled, and turned to Zexion, "Using him now might be ideal for our premise." After a moment, the academic began to rub his hands in excitement, "And if that's the case, perhaps I could work on another project to unbalance him. I just need the right data." With another gesture, Kairi's image re-appeared on the crystal ball, "Might it be prudent for me to pay a visit to the Princess of Heart?"

Zexion walked to the image with a smile, "Indeed. A replica in her likeness without memories will certainly draw the keybearer closer to the darkness."

Vexen began to conjure a portal…

Then stopped and turned back his colleagues, with a contemplative look, "A question. In the multitude of worlds, the chances that two people might share names is near exponential." Vexen crossed his arms and continued, "Yet I do recall one particular young ward of our former home with a similar name as the princess."

"She is the same Kairi." Zexion without breaking his vigil over the crystal ball. "I remember little from my time in our former home, but I cannot forget her."

Lexeaus crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Zexion, "And you never thought to mention this?"

"Would it matter?" The boy continued calmly.

Vexen sputtered in aggravation, "It most certainly would! It might be possible to emotionally compromise her with this information!"

Zexion turned to Vexen with a smile, "Then consider it fortuitous I have given you this opportunity, and not Marluxia."

Vexen paused then nodded in understanding, "Ah, most fortuitous indeed." With a gesture, he departed into darkness to begin his work.

Walking out the door leading out of the image of Oogie Boogie's lair, Goofy spoke up,"I'll be honest, this has been gettin' kinda creepy. And I ain't just talking about Halloween Town."

Sora sighed, "I'll say." every world that they had been in it was the same. People they had known and fought beside looked at them with fear and suspicion. They were willing enough to help. But once they had fought back against the visage of old foes it was as if they wanted to get away from Sora as fast as possible. Lately, it was as if they vanished when the job was done. "It's like we never met at all. Like they're afraid of us.

"And are you sure that this guy in the black cloak isn't just making it all up?" Donald crossed his arms, grumbling, "As a matter of fact, what's stopping them from making up Riku and the king being here?"

Sora shook his head and groaned, "I know. I know. But right now we don't have the Gummi Ship. And this castle has been the only thing around this world that we could find."

Jiminy Cricket leaped out from Sora's pocket and onto his shoulder. "Well for what it's worth, I think the fact that these doppelgangers are so hostile means they aren't really our friends. Cause all we've been doing here is trying to help them, they shouldn't be afraid of us."

"Yeah...You're right." Sora nodded, though some doubt lingered in his voice. Because even though he did his best to help Riku, he still turned to the darkness. Still wanted to fight against him.

Despite that, Sora still tried to hold onto the memory of Riku helping to seal the door to Kingdom Hearts. That his friend still wanted to do the right thing.

Just like he held onto the charm in his pocket.

Kairi believed in him.

Sora had to believe in her too.

As they opened the door however, Donald squawked in shock "Wha? Hey! Is that?!"

Goofy shoved the door open all the way in excitement, "Well, I'll be!"

And Sora ran forward at the sight of his friend back in his old clothes. "Riku? Is that you?!" It was true! His friends were here!

But Sora's excitement faded as Riku turned to face him. Confusion on his face clear. "What? Who are you?! What do you want?!" Backing away, Riku summoned that dreaded black suit, and a dark blade in his hand.

"Riku...it's me. Sora! Don't you remember?!" Sora pleaded, fear mounting that the other part of the robed figures warning were true.

That his bonds were falling apart.

"Sora...now I remember," Riku's expression became a wicked grin."You're the one I need to defeat!" Sora had no time to process his dismay before Riku lept at him.

Kairi sighed. The maddening world of Wonderland was behind her. Though she didn't have any Queen to deal with, the architecture had given her plenty of headaches. Honestly, how did Sora deal with it?

She couldn't help a chuckle there. If there was anyone who had a chance of making sense of a world like that, it was him. But she recalled just as well how that world had thrown him for a bit of a loop. He got pretty lost in the forest. Granted, she was little better.

Kairi began to ponder, how was Sora right now? Some part of her knew he was here, probably fighting for his life. Probably still had her charm.

Maybe when she found him, they could go on their adventure together. With the major threat of the Heartless dealt with, she wouldn't cause so many problems.

Maybe they could really learn the truth about her past. About Hollow Bastion.

"Greetings Kairi. It has been such a long time since we last met." A new voice spoke at the end of the white room to the next floor. From darkness emerged a middle aged man with silver long hair, clothed in the same black robes as Lexaeus.

Kairi tightened her grip on her keyblade and shook her head, "I don't think so. I have no idea who you are."

"I am Vexen of the Organization," he chuckled as approached with wide arms, "But come now. Have the years on the lost islands fogged your memories of home, Princess?"

Kairi's eyes narrowed, as she pointed her keyblade at him, "Given you're hurting my friends, I'm pretty sure I don't want to remember you."

Vexen only chuckled at the threat, "Really? Would such disdain extend to anyone who hurt your friends?" His grin widened.

"Even family?"

"No…"This had to be a sick joke. A lie! She couldn't be…!

"Ah! So it has dawned on you as well. Then allow me to confirm your suspicions." Vexen smiled on despite Kairi's distress, before he spoke with a firm finality.

"Ansem is your father Kairi."

In a flash, a blue spiked shield appeared before Vexen, "Now show me if you have inherited his power."

A cacophony of horrors cascaded through Kairi's mind. Why did he go so far into darkness?! Let their home turn into a cesspit of villainy?! Destroy everyone for his mad science?!

Why did he hurt Sora?

And that question helped her regain her focus in the moment. Enough to give a simple answer before the fight began.

"I am nothing like him."