Chapter 2
The next few months or so Alex kept a close eye on Riku, well as good as she could as she only saw him every other night in their dream scape. She could see that he was becoming more agitated, snapped more and that darkness was slowly taking over him. It worried Alex but when she tried to share her concerns with Riku he simply told her that she was imagining it. Of course Alex's worry for her friend didn't go unnoticed by her brother and fellow rangers. "Hey Alex what's going on?" Jason asked one afternoon well they were all hanging out at the youth center. He and Tommy (the new leader and white ranger) had been sparing on the mats when they saw Alex walk in and taking a seat at a table. They both had taken note of the exhausted and bothered look on her face.
"Nothing Jase, just tired is all." she assured her brother as she avoided his eyes well pulling out her homework. Having known Alex for over a year now he knew when she was keeping something back as she was never the best at lying, which he liked about her. Jason sat down and after taking her homework away he made Alex look at him. "Alex you know you can tell us anything, so tell me sis what's bothering you."
Alex sighed as she looked away and thought about the best way to explain the situation without giving anything about who Riku really was. "Alright, I have this old friend of mine, he was the only one I've had left before I meet you guys, and hes in a bit of trouble. He lost his home and was kindly taken in by a women who I don't like one bit. I'm trying to convince him that he should maybe come here and let me help him but he has changed since the women has taken him in. Now hes angry all the time and he believes that his best friend has replaced him and he wont listen to anything I say. I just don't know what to do anymore to make him see that something is wrong."
Jason and Tommy exchanged worried looks, unsure of what to suggest their little sister do. "Alex I can't help but feel that you may have left out a few important details." Tommy said surprised when she groaned and let her head fall on the table with a thump. "I have to ask but where is your friends parents?"
"He doesn't know."
"Ok has he tried going to the police for help?" Jason asked.
"I suggested that but he shot it down."
"Ok, how about we teleport and see this friend of your in person. That way he can't turn down your help." Tommy suggested, hoping that would putt her at ease.
Alex raised her head and gave him a bland look before she asked. "And how prey tell would we explain to him how we got there? If he agrees to come with us how would we get him here without reviling who the Power Rangers are?"
Jason couldn't keep the smirk off his face as Tommy realized she was right. "Ok so teleporting is out but we still could-"
"Look I appreciate that you two are trying to help me with my friend but I think I'm better off just trying to reason with him and hope that he comes to his séances." Alex said sourly as she cut Tommy off and took her homework back. Jason and Tommy exchanged looks again before deciding to leave her be for the time being. Of course Alex knew that her two big brothers were keeping a close eye on her now, most likely to find out anything about her friend. She simply chose to ignore them and go about her day as she always did, well hoping a new development would happen to bring back the old Riku.
However later that night Riku seemed much worse as he was pacing back and forth, well scowling when Alex arrived. "Hey Riku-" she was able to get out before he turned and cut her off.
"What the hell took you so long?" Riku snapped as he stopped pacing and glared at her, the darkness in his eyes reminding her of what she always saw in Dick's eyes.
"I'm sorry about that. I had a hard time falling asleep after finishing all of my homework before the weekend. Jason and Tommy promised to teach me-"
Riku cut her off again with a load groan of announce well rolling his eyes as he turned away. "You're as bad as Sora. It's always Jason this or Tommy that- I'm tired of hearing about your adoptive older brothers who keep teaching you new fighting moves. Can't we just talk about something else?"
Alex almost couldn't believe that he had said that as she stared at him in shock. "Riku, what's wrong? This isn't like you." Alex stated worry filling her.
Riku looked at her and saw the worry but was that also fear in her eyes? He turned away as he tried to push all of his growing rage, frustration and other such dark thoughts aside. "I'm sorry Alex it was wrong of me to snap at you."
"No its ok. I have been talking about them and the others a lot lately. After everything you've been through lately I can see how you might feel that I'm not thinking about you. Though it seems I have been as they have noticed that I am worried about you and have left them suspicious of who you are." Alex said before she told him about the little chat she had with her older brothers at the youth center.
"You really have found some good friends if their willing to help someone they don't know, save what you told them." Riku said with a small smile as they finally sat down, next to each other. This time their dream scape had taken on the appearance of a hug field behind Alex's school. They were sitting under a tree that she often sat under when she had been getting back in the swing of school and being around other kids her age again. They didn't talk for a bit, simply enjoying each others company. Not really thinking about it Alex moved closer till she was against his side and rested her head on Riku's shoulder.
His eyes went big in surprise as he froze, then looked at her from the corner of his eyes and smiled as he saw that she had fallen asleep. Despite all that had been going on with him, the growing darkness with in him, the disappointment of Sora replacing him and Kairi, he knew he still had Alex. Even though their friendship had started out with him being her comfort when she needed it most, Riku knew deep down that he could always count on her to be there for him when he needed her to be. What he didn't know at the time was that a presence that was behind the growing darkness inside of him had a plan to drive a wedge between his young host and the girl that was a beacon of light.
-o0o-
Alex's Pov
After the confrontation with Riku in our dream scape, he had been less grumpy and calmer. He almost was like his old self before his home had disapeared. I still worried about what Maleficent could be planning to do with my friend and I soon had a small idea. One night I arrived in our dream scape first, which looked like the Destiny Islands this time. I sat on the bent Paopu fruit tree watching the sun set well I waited for him a new plan of action to get him to leave Maleficent's side and come to my world.
"Kairi?" I turned and looked at Riku in surprise as he ran up to me, the smile on his fading a bit when he saw it was actually me. "Oh- sorry Alex. For a second there with your back to me, well sitting on the tree like that I thought-"
"I was Kairi." I finished for him as he came to stand next to the tree and me. "Its ok, I understand that you miss her but maybe if you come to my world I can help you find her." I was hoping that with my offer of help I could get him to come and then by introducing him not only to Jason and the others but Zordon as well. With our mentor being as old and wise as he is, he had to know about other worlds. I was not prepared for what Riku said next. "Maleficent already helped me to find Kairi but she's lost her heart."
"What?!" I shouted in surprise and confusion.
"It turns out that she one of seven Princesses of Heart. It means that her heart is so full of light that the darkness has no hold on her. Also it seems if you bring all seven together you can open a keyhole, a gateway to a place known as the Door of Light. When my home was destroyed Kairi's heart was ripped from her and went into Sora and the silly fool doesn't even know it." There was that bitterness in his voice as he said all this and it had me worried.
"Riku, if Sora doesn't know hes caring Kairi's heart you need to tell him and then I think its time the three of you come to my world." I said as I jumped down and slowly approached him. "I know someone who can possibly help."
"There's no way your "big brothers" can restore her heart." Riku snapped as he rounded on me angrily, well he used his much bigger size to tower over me.
"I wasn't meaning Jason or the others." I told him trying to calm him down and back up from him to get some space between us. "I was actually talking about-"
"I don't care who you could have been talking about!" he snapped cutting me off well making a slashing motion with his left hand, nearly hitting me. "There couldn't possibly be anyone in your worthless world who could help Kairi! Only Maleficent can restore Kairi's heart, that or a keyblade meant to remove hearts."
I stared at him. "Keyblade?"
Riku looked down at me, the expression on his face was one I never thought I would see. A smirk that said he was better than me, that he took pried in knowing something I didn't know. "That's right I never told you about the weapon that was suppose to be mine. No instead it goes and laches on to Sora, making him think hes better than me!"
As Riku had shouted this he struck out with both of his hands and shoved me hard, forcing me backwards. It was then that I realized I was right by the edge of the small cliff that was over the water and his shove sent me over the edge. I saw the shock that quickly crossed his face as I started to fall backwards, as I imagine he remembered my fear of large bodies of water. Riku tried to reach for me but he missed and I continued to fall and despite knowing that the water wasn't very deep, I still woke with a start back in my room.
"Hey easy Alex, take deep calming breaths." Janet said as she pulled me close and rubbed my back in a soothing manner that I didn't take much comfort from at that moment. Quickly realized that I must have woken her, James and Jason as I saw both men standing in my doorway. I just sat there letting Janet hold me as I was too shocked by what had just happened, wondering if it had been a nightmare. It had to be as the Riku I was friends with would not have acted that way but then again everyone was allowed to get angry every now and again. 'Yeah that had to be it'. I reasoned with myself as I recalled the look on his face when he realized what he had done. He would probably apologize the next time I saw him.
-o0o-
It was nearly a week before I saw Riku again and in that time a great many things had changed. Jason, Trini and Zack were chosen to represent America in the upcoming peace talks that would be taking place on the other side of the world. This was such a great opportunity for three members of my ranger family but it also meant they had to give up being Power Rangers. At the same time we made friends with three new people who had just moved to Angel Grove, Aisha, Rocky and Adam. They also gained the interest of Lord Zedd, for their own skills in martial arts and such.
So it was after one last mission with the 7 of us working together to get the Sword of Light, Jason, Zack and Trini transferred their powers to Rocky, Adam and Aisha. The three new rangers were of course surprised that I, a soon to be 14 year old, was the Phoenix Ranger. I was quick to put any worries or concerns they had for my safety to rest after a few times we fought Zedd's monsters together. I wish putting my worries and concerns for Riku were so easy to put to rest.
Then Aisha invited Kim and me over for a girls night at her house, which we both were happy to except and it was fun, the most I had had in a while. But it soon went to hell as we fell asleep, Kim and I in sleeping bags on Aisha's bedroom floor and I entered our Dream Scape.
I stood in a dark room that seemed to be some kind of bedroom as there was a bed that was near a window. I walked over and looked out the window to see a castle that was in the middle of a water fall, well heartless patrolling the area. As I frowned in confusion I felt to strong arms sneak around my waist and pulled my back into someone's chest. I immediately freaked and started to fight against the person's grip, which only tightened as a familure voice filled my ears. "Calm down Alex it's just me."
"Riku? Where are we?" I asked him as I calmed down some but still tried to pull out of his grasp.
The chuckle I heard come out of him sent unpleasant shivers down my spine as he pulled me flush against him. "This is my room in Hollow Baston, do you like it?" Riku asked as he placed his palm flat on my stomach and he seemed to then smell me, as he ran his nose along my shoulder. "Have I ever told you that you smell so wonderful?"
"Riku-" I tried to keep the fear out of my voice as I pulled harder to get out of grip. "What's gotten into you? Please let go of me."
In a flash he had me turned around and pinned against a wall, my hands above my head, well a shout of pain left my mouth. Riku cut off my shout as his lips sealed against mine, and were ruff as he forced his tough in my mouth, well he trapped me between himself and the wall. I tried to pull my hands free, push him off or even knee him between the legs but he was so much stronger then me. "Do you realize how wonderful you taste Alexandria?" he said as he pulled away from my mouth and latched onto my neck.
Hearing him say my full name, much the same way that Dick always did when he did similar things to me, caused me to lose control of the Light Shard's energy. It blasted him off me and out of our dream scape as I collapsed on the floor as his weight was gone, tears streaming down my face as I screamed. I then woke up in Aisha's room with her and Kim kneeling next to me well Aisha's parents came running in to see what was wrong. I latched on to Kim, using her as a life line well she rubbed my back. "Its ok Alex, just breathe. Dick can't hurt you any more." Hearing her say that just made me cry harder.
-o0o-
Riku's pov.
Most of the time that Ansem had control of me I don't remember save everything horrible thing I had said and done not only to Sora but Alex as well. Thinking back on it I realized that I had been the worst friend- no I had been acting like Dick the past few times I saw her before our connection had been broken. That's right, ever since Ansem's influence had made me force myself on to Alex and she had forced me out, the connection to our Dream Scape had been broken. When I was free and come to my senses I had tried or simply wished time and again to see her. To not only apologize to her for my actions but to explain why I had acted the way I did towards her.
Over time as I found my way out of Realm of Darkness and into Castle Oblivion, the more I thought about it the more I realized that it hadn't all been Ansem's influence behind my actions. I knew now that Alex was more to me then just a close friend, she was my other half. She was the light to my darkness and I was feeling empty with her gone. I missed her smile, the way it lite up her whole face, when ever she laughed it always made my soul feel lighter. So even though I now had the mission of helping Diz and Nomine to return all of Sora's memories to him, with the help of a friend of Mickey's, I had another mission. If I could not establish the connection to our dream scape, I would search the worlds when I could, find the one she lived in and find her.
No matter what.