The Fall into Darkness
*** Traverse Town ***
Aeris's heart had grown unsteady. Her son's world had been consumed by the darkness and she had felt his light fade into the darkness and vanish. She could still feel the small shimmer of it still shiny in the darkness somewhere far off in the worlds. His light had weaken, but it was still shinning, meaning that for the most part he was still okay. She no longer could pin-point him so clearly anymore, but he was alive, and that's all that matters.
She had sensed other Lights of hearts that had escaped from the destroyed world as well. Lights that had escaped and scattered about to the other worlds. Although... not all the Lights could make it off that collapsing world. Some of the hearts had been consumed by the darkness, and that had always tore Aeris's heart, hearing the cries and consuming fear of the Lights on a world's last breath before the darkness took them. Sadly, there was no time to mourn for them, more and more worlds were fading away into the darkness as the days kept on passing, there would not be enough time to grieve for them all. They would have to save as many of the survivors as they could, to help those that were still alive. The Light must continue to shine brightly if they ever wanted to defeat the Darkness and the Heartless.
And... she had to worry about her son. About his dimming light... There was no time to waste. She had to find her son.
BOOM.
CRASH
"(Quuaaaake)!"
"..." Ahh, looks like the King's men have finally arrived here, although a little rough on the landing. Squall and the others had been informed by King Mickey, one of the wielders of the Keyblade, that he would be sending two of his finest men to them for guidance as they embarked on their quest to find the Keyblade wielder, the one that would saved their worlds from the darkness. Although, from the looks of things these two would have a long way to go. "Hm, (giggle)..."
The two of them had a bright light in their hearts, and strong spirits in their practically comical duo. It was no surprise that the king himself had been drawn by their Light, and had made them close commandants and friends.
"..." Oh, it looks like another had made it to their world. Aeris watched up above as the bright light flickered on pass and landed somewhere in Traverse Town's alleyways. Sadly, it was most likely one of the lost hearts escaping from the Destiny Islands that had just been destroyed. The poor thing will most likely be frightened and very sad from losing their home. She would have to go greet them to help them settle in to their new world. However, she had caught her breath as she noticed how its light shined more brightly than any she had the grace of meeting. Its light shinned just as brightly as the heart of those whom had the power to... "(Gasp)!"
She barged back inside the room, alarming the other two residents inside. Her voice slightly out of breath in her excitement.
"Leon, Yuffie, the Keyblade wielder is here!"
"!" Both of them had shot up from their seats in alarm at the news.
"Whoa!" Yuffie shot out, bursting from her spot on the bed where she had been dangling and kicking out her feet.
"Are you sure." Leon questioned to her, sitting up from his spot leaning on the wall. Squall had changed his name to Leon when they had lost their world to the Heartless, and had vowed to never use it again until they had recovered it from the Heartless and brought it back to its full glory. They had been fighting ever since, keeping the Heartless at bay but never truly finding a full solution. The only hope they had of getting rid of the Heartless for good was with a Keyblade. This was a very important matter, and they couldn't afford to be wrong.
"Yes, I'm sure." Aeris nodded in confirmation. Her eyes completely serious, no longer showing the distress they had had before when she rushed out of the room. "I felt his Light touch down here as one of the lights from another worlds went out."
"!" They both had widened their eyes at the news.
"Well, it looks like he made it easier for us to find him by coming to us." Yuffie shrugged off, kicking her foot around as she rested her hands on the back of her head. "Or 'she'. I'm not gonna judge."
"Did you see who it was?" Squall asked, hoping to get some information on whom they were looking for.
"No." Aeris shook her head before placing a hand over her heart. "But I saw their heart's light land somewhere around the alleyway."
"(Sigh) Great." Leon silently groaned out at their predicament. "It'll take us a while to find them around there. And we still have to wait for the king's men to show up."
"They're already here." Aeris clarified. "Although... they seemed to have lost their sense of direction and are wandering around the town."
"So there are more lost children to find." Leon groaned out some more, running a hand through his long, thick, spiked brown hair. "And with the light of the Keyblade here now, the Heartless are bound to come here soon."
"You two should look for the Keyblade wielder." Aeris advised, placing a hand over her heart. "I'll go retrieve the king's men. (Giggle) Before they get themselves into trouble or anything."
"?"
"Okay, me and Squall will find this key guy lick-a-dy split!" Yuffie fist pumped, twirl around on her foot before heading out the door to the down-stair's front door.
"It's Leon." Squall nonchalantly corrected to Yuffie, following after her to begin their search.
"Good luck." Aeris wished to the two of them, lightly waving them off with a gentle smile.
"Thanks." Was all Leon said in response as he exited the room.
"..." She stayed in place until the sound of her friends footprints had completely fading out of sound, and the front door had opened and closed. Taking a deep breath and letting it all out, she prepared herself for the task at hand. Placing her own personal worries on the side, for the moment. "Okay. Let's go find those two lost troublemakers."
She didn't have to go far. She just had to follow the playful flickerings of their hearts to lead her to them. It probably would have been easier for the rest of them if she had been one of the ones to look for the Keyblade wielder. But she had silently taken herself off of the search party since she would have too much emotion invested in it. The wielder had come from her son's world, she would have been too personal about finding them and most likely heartbroken when she asked them about what had happened to their world and the whereabouts of her son, Riku. No. This mission was too important for her own personal drive, the fate of the worlds depended on this. She would leave the task to those whom would completely get the job done with a clear mind.
"Gawrsh, there's nobody here. Sure is spooky!" Said the tall dog in the baggy pants with a long green shirt under a black vest.
"Aw, phooey. I'm not scared." The little white duck in a blue shirt and wizards cap said defiantly.
"..." Ahh, she had found them. They were completely preoccupied by their little banter, not paying attention enough to notice that she was coming-in close behind them. She would have to be careful, so as not to startle them. Gently tapping on the shoulder of the duck, she called for their attention.
"(Quacking Sound)!"
'... Maybe I wasn't gentle enough...?' Aeris thought to herself as she recoiled her finger back away from the frightened duck. The duck at her touch had jumped straight up in the air, going high enough to be over his tall companions head to grab on to it as he came back down. It would have been comical if the duck wasn't so scared, the poor thing was shaking like a bird stuck in winter. "Excuse me. Did the king send you?"
The duck had calmed down at the sound of her voice, it was very soothing. It was hard at times for people not to be at ease around Aeris, especially when she smiled, her presence was soothing. Both of them turned to look at her, guards at ease.
"Uh..."
"Leon's not here right now. He's out patrolling." Aeris answered, already knowing what was on their mind. "But I can help you."
"Gawrsh, are you a companion of Leon's." The tall one asked.
"Hm, yes. I'm Aeris." Aeris smiled, happy that they were understanding her intention and cooperating."
"Well I'm Goofy. And this is Donald."
"(Quake)!" The duck quaked angrily at his companion. "Don't go handing our names out to strangers, you dope."
"But, she already gave us her name. We can't just not give the same courtesy as well." The one named Goofy rationalized. "Uhyak, that would be rude."
"(Grumble)." Donald simmered to himself, tapping his foot repeatedly on the ground in his annoyance, but did nothing to correct his friend's view on common courtesy.
"We can wait for Leon at our base to return. Until then, I'll tell what you want to know about the Keyblade."
"!" Their eyes widened in surprise, but followed her. Not just anybody knew about the other worlds or the Keyblade for that matter, she could be trusted.
Taking them back to the building she was in before, she took them in a separate room. It would seem that Leon and Yuffie had found the Keyblade wielder, she could sense their light from the next room over. It was so warm, and bright. But simmered down as if in a slumber, Leon must have been a little too rough in retrieving them. And probably took the Keyblade from them to lessen the attraction of the Heartless to their Hearts. She would have to meet them later, once they had rested.
Until then, she rested on the edge of the rooms bed while her two guest remained standing and explained things to them. Squall and Yuffie were most likely having the same conversation with the confused Keyblade wielder right now.
"Okay, you know there are many other worlds out there besides your castle and this town, right?" Aeris began, seeing how much they knew so far.
"Yeah." Donald nodded.
"But they're supposed to be a secret." Goofy said, covering his mouth.
"They've been secret because they've never been connected." Aeris explained. "Until now."
"?"
"When the Heartless came, everything changed." She closed her eyes, saddened by her own words.
"The Heartless?" Donald asked.
"Those without hearts." Aeris replied. "The darkness in people's hearts... that's what attracts them. And there is darkness within every heart. Tell me, have you heard of a man named Ansem?"
"Ansem?" Goofy pondered.
"He was studying the Heartless." She tried explaining it to them, ignoring the impatience of Donald whom was loudly tapping his webfeet on the floor. "He recorded all of his findings in a very detailed report."
"Gawsh, uh, can we see it?" Goofy asked, excited at such a find that would make their jobs easier. Sadly, Aeris had to shake her head at his extended hand.
"Its pages are scattered everywhere."
"Scattered?" Ducked quaked in annoyance, his arms crossed.
"Too many worlds."
"Oh, then maybe the king went to find 'em." Goofy concluded like a light-bulb, his fist came nailing down on the other hand like a hammer. Donald nodded in agreement.
"Yes, those were my thought exactly." Aeris smiled in agreement.
"We've gotta find him quick!"
"Wait!" Donald said, making Goofy hold his horses. "First, we need that 'key'!"
"That's right. The Keyblade." Aeris was pleased, they figured it out. "The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade. The Keyblade chooses its master. And it has chosen one."
"Whaa! Then, where are they?!" Donald asked, looking around the room for this Keyblade wielder.
"They're on the other side of that door, right now." Aeris answered, pointing to the door that lead to the other room. Donald was going towards it to open the door, with not a moment to lose. But suddenly, Aeris felt a darkness appeared from the other room, a Heartless! Yuffie came barging through the door, running, slamming the door flap on Donald. "Yuffie?"
She could hear glass breaking from the other room. The Heartless must have jumped from the window. Leon and the Keyblade wielder followed pursuit.
"Gawrsh," Goofy admired the handy work that had comically flattened Donald right on the wall.
"Are you alright?" Aeris asked in concern. But Donald rubbed her off, shaking himself back into 3D, a little more fired up now.
"Come on, Goofy! Let's go!" Donald insisted, following pursuit of the others.
"Wah-ha-ha, I'm right behind you, Donald!" Goofy said, holding on to his hat as he ran after Donald.
They should be fine on their own, what with the Keyblade wielder around. Right now her concern was Yuffie. She was still young, and would most likely need assistance on fighting off the Heartless.
The Keyblade wielder was making the streets clear of the Heartless. Aeris could feel the darkness, slowly fading away, the shadows were calming down. Eventually she felt the three of their lights conversed, the Keyblade wielder and the king's men. They began working together to defeat this stronger darkness, a larger than usual Heartless. Aeris hurried over with Yuffie once they were done, she wanted to see the Keyblade wielder in action. She wanted to at least see who they were.
But when she realized that it was a young boy, just around her son's age, she stopped. She couldn't do it... she wasn't ready to face the reality that her son world was destroyed and her son had disappeared. This boy, this refugee from Destiny Island was proof of that.
She had stayed up the stairs, on higher ground, looking down at the group while Yuffie had instead went down to join them, along with Leon.
"So you were looking for me?" The boy summed up from the previous conversation between Donald and Goofy that she had just missed. The both of them nodding in answer.
"They, too, have been seeking the wielder of the Keyblade." Leon added in, standing alongside Yuffie.
"Hey, why don't you come with us? We can go to other worlds on our vessel." Goofy suggested.
"I wonder if I could find Riku and Kairi..." The boy lowered his head in contemplation, not realizing his words had struck at Aeris heart.
"!" She gasped aloud, and her fists clinched on top of their resting spot on the upper wall railing. So this boy... he knew Riku. Then... this must be Sora.
But if Riku or Kairi weren't with him. That would mean that Riku was somewhere else, and the boy would most likely not know where. And what about Kairi? For all they know, her heart could have been swallowed by the darkness when their world was collapsing. But, she would not give up hope. Sora's heart was strong, if anybody could find them, he could.
"Of course!" Donald confidently answered to Sora's pondering. Whether he honestly believed that or if he was just trying to keep the Keyblade wielder close by was up to debate. Aeris could sense that it was mostly the latter right now. She could tell by how Donald had been whispering to Goofy while pointing at Sora. At the moment, they needed him to find their king. But in time, when their friendship had grown, it would change mostly to the first reason.
"Sora, go with them." Leon advised. "Especially if you want to find your friends."
"Yeah, I guess." Sora agreed halfheartedly, still upset at the disappearance of his world and friends. It was quite sad looking at a boy with so much light looking down in the dumps like that, it almost made Aeris want to go down and comfort him. But, at the same time, her heart wasn't ready yet.
"But you can't come along looking like that. Understand?" Donald insisted, trying to cheer the boy up. "No frowning. No sad face. Okay?"
"Yeah, ya gotta look funny, like us!" Goofy added in agreement, earning a face shove from Donald.
"This boat runs on happy faces."
"Happy?" Sora question, it was hard to tell if he believed them or not since his head was down. He left everyone in anticipation of how he would react, only to make them barely contain their laughter as he shot up with the most ridiculous smiley face. "Heeee! Uhh, huh?"
The others had tried to hold in their laughter, but Donald and Goofy openly burst out in laughter.
"Uhyawk! That's one funny face!" Goofy said, slapping his knee.
"Okay, why not? I'll go with you guys." Sora agreed, his spirit returned.
"Donald Duck." Donald greeted, holding his hand out for a team huddle.
"Name's Goofy." Goofy said, adding in his hand as well.
"I'm Sora." Sora introduced himself.
"All for one, one for all." Sora added in his hand as well at Goofy's words.
This boy... such a strong heart. He has lost everything he held dear; his home, his family, his friends. And yet he still has the hope of finding them again. He can still smile so brightly at the heart of darkness and danger. If such a young boy could do it, then Aeris could do it too. Joining with the others, she greeted Sora, Donald, and Goofy off on their journey to the other worlds.
"Make sure you're prepared for the journey ahead of you." Leon instructed as they were about to head outside the towns gates for their Gummi Ship. "We don't know how far the Heartless have spread."
"Check out the shops here. They've got some pretty neat stuff!" Yuffie advised, silently advertising Cid's store where they made most of their organization's funding.
"This is from all of us." Aeris final spoke to Sora, handing him some mummy to start him off on his long journey. "Spend it as you see fit."
"Good luck!" Yuffie waved them off.
"I hope you find your friends." Aeris sincerely hoped that he did...
"Look out for each other." Leon strongly advised. "Keep your spirits up."
After Donald had given Sora the ability of Fire, or Fire Materia, and Goofy had taught him how to Dodge Roll, they head off. Out into the vast space to the other worlds.
"..." Aeris watched as their Gummi Ship headed up into the sky and into the stars.
"You never got a chance to introduce yourself. Are you sure you're okay with this?" Yuffie asked Aeris, slightly concerned that Aeris had missed her chance at asking about her son, or letting Sora know about her existence in Riku's life.
"..."
"That was him? The Sora that you told us Riku liked to talk about in your dreams? Why didn't you say anything?"
"Hm, it's better this way." Aeris silently concluded with her eyes closed before walking over to the town's cafe, the others joining her. "He already has enough on his plate, he does not need me to add more. And besides... I'd like to keep Riku's origins and lineage a secret until he's ready to tell them. Either way, I'm sure Sora will find him, regardless of the information."
"..." Leon remained quiet, respecting her wishes. If she would say nothing then neither would they.
"You sure have a lot of confidence in him." Yuffie shrugged, kicking her leg around as she rested her hands behind her head.
"Yes. Because I could see the light in that boy's heart. It was strong, and burned brightly, and yet was so gentle and warm. I know he will find Riku in the darkness. I'm certain of it." Aeris believe with all her heart, placing a hand over her heart as she spoke sincerely. "And I, in turn, shall keep the light in my heart shinny bright as I continued to search for my sons and pull my husband from the darkness."
"Geez, for a lady who had four kids you still have a rocking body." Yuffie jibbed, noting how Aeris had hardly aged a day after the fall of their world, even after birthing four sons.
"..." Aeris stared at Yuffie sternly, not taking the joke too well. Yuffie grew nervous and broke into a sweat at Aeris scrutinizing gaze. Aeris was a kind and gently soul most of the time, it was an ire experience whenever she was provoked. And scary since she had the magical prowess to back it up.
"(Nevous laughter) It was only a joke. Don't take it so seriously." Yuffie nervously, rubbing the back of her head with one hand while the other nervously hid behind her back.
"..." Aeris did not hear an apology in her words, and she was not pleased.
"Be grateful that Aeris doesn't participate in the Coliseum tournaments, Yuffie." Leon commented, leaving Yuffie to rive in her own mess.
*** Elsewhere in a far off world ***
Riku had been in a daze as he fell into the darkness. It felt like he was dreaming, but he knew he was awake. Everything felt so transparent, and yet flowing together in a forever consuming night. By the time he had come to, he was sitting on a floating island seemingly in the middle of nowhere surrounded by other floating islands.
"Where... am I?"
(Hollow Bastion)
"What a brave boy you are, plunging into the darkness like that."
"!" Riku turned around, alarmed by the presence of another. A tall woman, covered in a dark garb with a crow resting on her shoulder. She wore a horned headdress and carried a staff in her hand, an orb planted on its top. Riku could feel the darkness surrounding her, empowering her...
She had a wicked smile to her as she looked down to Riku, petting the head of her crow as it moved to rest on top of the sphere of her staff.
"I see much potential in you." She said to him, "with enough training, you could wield great power over the darkness."
"!" His eyes widened, he grew excited at her offer. "You can help me get stronger? Really?"
"Indeed." She chuckled out as if such a thing was a simple task for her. "Tell me, boy, do you desire power?"
"Yes." He would need more power to find his friends... and... her. "More than anything."
"Then are you willing to go through anything to get? Even, if it takes walking in the Darkness."
"Lady, I'll walk through the Darkness blindfolded if that's what it takes." His mother would be so displeased; but then, he's already gone this far, he couldn't turn back now.
"Hm, well said." Her wicked smile grew wider at his words. Little did he know, but she already could sense what he was. An Ancient child tainted by the Darkness, what better blow on the Light than that? And with his naturally enhanced magical and physical tributes, he could be turned into one of the greatest forces on the Darkness' side. "Then come with me."
"?" Riku quirked an eyebrow as she turned around to walk off. "Where are we going?"
"To Hollow Bastion Castle, of course." She grinned at him with only a turn of her head to look over at him before continuing on.
"!" That's when he was startled to realize that behind them this whole time was a castle, the islands floated up the way to it as the waters around it flowed down into the island's pits like a parted waterfall. This world was strange to him, and covered in darkness; but if this woman could give the power that he wanted, then he shall see where this goes.
"I am called Maleficent by the way."
"Hm," Riku nodded in greeting at her introduction. "Riku."
She lead him down the many great halls, further up the tower to where the room quarters were located.
"Hey, how long is this gonna take?" Riku asked her as they went along. "I have to go find my friends."
"Your friends?" She acted as if such a concept was foreign to her.
"Yeah. Sora and Kairi. They had left our world with me when the darkness came. Now, they could be anywhere out there. I have to find them."
"Hmm, rest assured. I will assist you in your search if you properly continue your training. I can't have you putting half-efforts into my hard work, worrying about the other things on your mind."
"Fine, if you can actually help me then that's less work for me." Riku shrugged, agreeing with her demands.
"Your training shall begin tomorrow. I shall give your heart some time to rest to prepare you for what is to come." She clarified for him as they walked up the stairs and along the halls. "I shall have a room prepared for you shortly. In the mean time, look after our other guest for me."
"?" Riku quirked an eyebrow at her as she led him to a door with the beckoning of her hand for him to go in.
"Her arrival was unexpectedly early for us as well, and we had yet to prepare for her. Although we are quite pleased either way." She further said to him, turning the knob for the door and opening the door. "Do keep her company. I'm sure she could use a fellow friend right now."
"..." Riku said nothing, just walking pass Maleficent as she opened the door for him. Walking into the semi-lite room, most of the light coming through the open window from the sunlight. It was a moderately nicely furnished room. With bookshelves and a dresser by the wall, a small table with chairs for tea by the corner near the window, a chair to laze about by the unlit fireplace, and nicely sized bed with a hanging cover over it and a small box for storage by the end of the bed.
Over by the window stood a girl in a blue dress and golden hair. She had a black bow tied in her hair like a crown. On her dress was a white pinafore, accompanied by white tights and black shoes. She had blue eyes and was fairly short, if Riku was to guess he would say she was around ten years old.
"Play nicely you two, until I get back." Maleficent silently chuckled as she closed the door behind her, wondering off into the castle.
"Oh, who are you?" The girl pondered to him at his appearance, turning around and walking a little bit over to him. Placing a hand over her heart in concern of their predicament. "Were you taken here by the shadows too?"
"Hm, I guess you could say that." Riku shrugged to her in answer, walking over to lean on the wall the opposite side of the window.
"I'm Alice," she greeted him with a curtsy. "It's awfully nice to meet you, sir."
"Riku," he nearly chuckled, he had never been curtsy to before. The thought of it happening to him right now was almost hilarious. "Heh, you're sure a well mannered and proper little lady."
"Why, yes." She smiled at him as she stood back up. "My mother taught me that proper manners are most important."
"Your mother..." Riku slightly saddened at the word, thinking about his own mother at the talk of hers... His mother had taught him many things about the worlds and manners herself, but... he was never truly present with her to fully cherish the moments. "Where is your mother now?"
"Hmm, I don't know right now. She's probably with my elder sister and Dinah right now."
"Who's Dinah?" Riku quirked an eyebrow at her, fathoming why she even thought he knew whom that was.
"Why Dinah is, you know who." She said silently over to him, covering the side of her mouth and leaning closer to him as if it was some big secret.
"No, I don't."
"Dinah is my C. A. T..."
"Your cat?"
"?!" She covered her mouth in a gasp, searching the room with her eyes. Only to laugh at herself in embarrassment as nothing happened. "Whoops, I'm sorry. I'm use to that being a bad word around 'certain' people."
"..." Riku pondered her quirky behavior as she calmed down, watching her as she silently laughed at her own personal joke.
"Anyway, I must have wandered off from elder sister too far and found myself in Wonderland."
"Wonderland?"
"It's a wondrous place!" Alice nodded and stretched out her arms in excitement. "There are so many strange things, like rabbits in waistcoats, talking doorknobs, a mad hatter and hare in there never ending tea party, smoking caterpillars, disappearing cats, and a tyrant queen with a furious temper."
"Sounds like an interesting place to call home." Riku replied, smirking at her energy. Her daydreaming and kindhearted nature was contagious, it almost reminded him of Kairi.
"Oh, no. You have it all wrong. Wonderland isn't my home. I found my way there from my home." She giggled, shaking her head at him with her hands behind her back, proud at herself for her own discovery.
"!" That caught his attention. "You mean, you found your way into another world?"
"Yes." She smiled, happily nodding, she was proud of her own accomplishment. "You see, my world was quite dull. Too boring with all its studies, proper etiquette, and rules. I wanted to go away from all that. To a world of my own."
"A world of your own?"
"Why, yes." She happily smiled, rolling on the balls of her feet, back and forth, with her hands behind her back. "If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn't."
"Huh?" He titled his head in confusion, she wasn't making any sense. But she spoke like she was sure she was.
"And contrary-wise; what it is it wouldn't be, and what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?"
"..." This girl was full of imagination and eagerness to show off her knowledge. She was a polite girl, and completely honest, even to a stranger like him. But what really caught his attention was her intense curiosity and adventurous spirit which reminded him so much of himself. "Heh, you're a strange one, aren't you, Alice."
"(Giggle) I've been told that quite often before." She grinned at him, making him smirk back as well. For some reason, he felt much lighter, even after going through the darkness like that. "So what about you? What were you searching for?"
"..." He had to really think about that one. The question was far more deeper for him. "I was... looking for my home."
"That's funny, weren't you already at your home?"
"Not my real home." Riku said with minor bitterness. "Just a small cage that I was put in."
"Any place is home, as long as your family and friends are there."
"Didn't you say that you wanted to get away from your boring world."
"True. But I'd always want to go back and return to the place I call home. Be it ever so humble, there's no other place like it."
"..." Riku was at a lost, such a wise little thing from a girl so young. "What if... your home was two worlds? What if your family was on a different one than your friends?"
"Then I would get greedy and try to have both." She honestly replied, placing her hands on her hips as she lectured. "Frankly, Riku, I'm not going to tell you how to go about this. Just listen to your heart to tell you what's right, it'll know what to do."
"... But it's been awfully quiet recently."
"Then be still and give it a listen." She said in chastise at his blunder of questions. "Goodness knows you won't be able to hear it with all those questions wandering around in your head. So quiet them for the moment, and listen closely..."
"..." Riku almost did a comical take-back. Was he just chastise by a ten year old. The notion of it, this was turning out to be an interesting day. He couldn't help but grin.
But the moment didn't last long. A pool of darkness had sprung up from the floor around Alice and pulled her away.
"Oh!" Alice gasped in alarm as she was pulled down and away.
"!" Riku shot up in alarm too, reaching out for her only for her to disappear with the darkness. He had felt her light being taken to another part of the castle, only for it to suddenly disappear.
Not too long after, Maleficent had reappeared.
"I trust your wait wasn't too long." She spoke nonchalantly, opening the door all the way for him to leave with her. "Your room is ready now."
"Where's the girl?" Riku instantly asked, getting a little on guard. "What have you done with Alice?"
"Hm," she smirked at his energy, taking the both of them through a portal of darkness to the hall where other ladies sealed in a dormant state near a stairway that lead to a heart-shaped locked door. Maleficent walked through the hall, passed through the sleeping maidens as she made her way to the top of the stairway. "They are maidens of the purest hearts. Five of the seven Princesses of Heart. They are needed to open the Final Keyhole to Kingdom Hearts. And to create the Keyblade of Heart."
"Keyblade of Heart?"
"Yes," Maleficent said, turning back to look down towards him at the top of the stairway, Riku had remained close to the sleeping princesses. "A powerful weapon, which allows the bearer to unlock anyone's heart. With that power, you could travel to any world you see fit. Recover the heart of anyone you desired from the darkness."
"..." Such power did sound tempting, but as he looked to the maidens sleeping in their confinement without a heart, he began doubting his choice as he saw the deep sleeping Alice. "What will happen to them...?"
"Fear not. Their bodies will remain in a dormant sleep in the Realm of Light until their hearts are returned." Maleficent said reassuringly to him. "Once this is all over, their hearts will return to them as if nothing had happened."
"..."
"Don't you want the power to save your friends?"
"..." He stared at Alice, looking at her dormant body. She was a good kid, and was kind to him. He was close to saying they were almost friends. But... alas, his best friends needed him more. As much as he hated doing this to Alice, she would have to wait until they were done with what they needed. Turning away from Alice, he faced Maleficent fully. "Yeah. I do..."
"Hm, good. Then you'll need this."
"!" From the darkness and flames she had summoned fort a weapon that tossed towards him by some invisible force. Blindly catching the handle in his hand as he looked the blade over. "?"
"That blade is Soul Eater. It shall give you power. Use it well while your strength in the dark powers improve."
"Hm..." Riku nodded in understanding, looking towards the blade as he felt the power in its weight. 'Hold on, Sora, Kairi, I'll find you soon...'
* * * That night * * *
Their dreamworld seemed... broken.
In the vast blankness that surrounded their tiny field patch, Riku could see the cracks in them. Shatters of darkness that seemed both far away and close by at the same time. It made the realm seem like fragile glass and it was about to fall apart.
The change in itself was disturbing. But, not as concerning as other things.
Like... the fact that his mother was nowhere in sight.
She use to meet up with him every slumber. Or warn him when she couldn't, but she would always appear whenever he would call.
"Mom? You there?"
Except that night. She wasn't answering. She had said that she would always be there for him whenever he called. But she never showed up.
"..." At first Riku thought she was just upset with him, pouting. Moms always had that tendency whenever they were disappointed in one of their children's actions, she was no exception. But she'd never not appear, she would always give him the silent shoulder treatment until she felt he'd learned his lesson. But, then again, he had never disobeyed her so greatly with something this big before. "I'm sorry for upsetting you, plunging into the darkness like that. I never meant to disobey you, nor did I ever mean to hurt you. But... I had to do what I did to get to the other worlds, to be able to reach you... I'm sure you would understand if you'd just hear me out. Please... can't we talk this out...?"
"..." Nothingness was his answer. She made no signs of communication, no appearances throughout the whole dream. He sat there by that tree, waiting... alone.
"..." He pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them, slightly curling up into himself. Her long absence was already making him feel repentant and abandoned, wasn't that enough punishment for her? "How long are you gonna keep me waiting, Mom...?"
The cracks along the vast blankness expands.
"..." He woke up, not as in a good mood as he usually would be. The day was new, and his training would begin soon; but, he was still down about his mother's extreme silent treatment that night. It had put him off that she used her experience to the advantage over him. His powers weren't as well honed as hers; he couldn't sense her heart unless she was close by, unlike her. So if she wanted to disappear, she could disappear from him.
"What troubles you, Riku?" Maleficent asked him in mock concern as he made his way to meet her in the open circle room as they had planned. "Was the room not to your liking?"
"The room was fine. I just... couldn't sleep well, that's all."
"Hm, in time, your body must still be adjusting to the new environment."
"..."
"But enough of the idle drivel." She waved off with a sigh, hovering her hand over the ball of her staff. "I suppose you would prefer meeting your training partners more."
"?!" Riku's face had turned from a quirk of an eyebrow at her words to sudden surprise as she summoned yellow beaded eye creatures from the darkness. They had no Light present from them... they had no Heart... "!"
"These my dear boy are the Heartless. Created from those whom had lost their Heart and now fed off the darkness of others' Hearts." Maleficent explained to him in a nutshell. "Mindless creatures, but tend to make excellent puppets once you gain control over them with the darkness. They're going to be your opponent until you get a grasp of things."
So these were the creatures that his mother had once told him about. Hm, they did not seem so tough from the looks of them. How could creatures like these destroy a whole world? He found that concept hard to believe now that he got a chance to get a look at one of them.
"Hmph, bring it on then." Riku said, getting into a fighting stance.
He had taken on a one-handed style of weaponry. It was weaker than two-handed, but it was much faster. He would run through the Heartless in quick attacks as Maleficent would summon more for him to face after one had fallen. Thrusting through their number and wide slashing them down, only to spring kick himself back up whenever they got a lucky hit in and knocked him down.
It wasn't their strength that was tiring him, it was their numbers. Maleficent was making a point to not let him rest. He had agility, perhaps she was working on his stamina. But she was not, secretly she wanted him to grow a taste for the darkness. The light was still bright in his heart, even if it was such a small glimmer than it once was, it was still holding him back from the potential he could achieve with the darkness.
Eventually twilight had made its way around the corner, and Riku was down on one knee covered in sweat and gasping in exhaustion.
"It would appear that we are done for the day." Maleficent simply stated as she started walking away. "Rest."
"No." Riku insisted, calming his breaths. "I can still keep going."
"Heh, such admiring dedication." She wickedly grinned at him, over her shoulder. "But your body cannot take much more, for now. Recover your strength so we can work to correct this tomorrow. Soon you will be able to keep on fighting even in the darkness when the Heartless are at their peak."
"..." Riku said nothing after that, listening to her steps and her staff as she walked away.
* * * A new night * * *
"You're still not coming?" Riku said out into the nothingness, the darkness cracks much more pronoun than before. "Why won't you answer me?"
"..." Silence was his only reply as the world became smaller and smaller to him.
The vastness of before had never felt so cramp to him than like this. He waited for her, again, but she didn't come. He needed her to help him get through his long day, to help give him the boost to face another one just like she always did. She would always be there with a supporting strength whenever he started any activities to improve himself, ever since he was small. So then... where did she go?
She said if he called she would always be there, but he hasn't seen her yet. Was she even there? He kept calling out to the blankness with no reply and he couldn't feel her anywhere. He was just sitting there, like an abandoned child sitting by themselves by a tree, waiting for her. And in that moment, he truly felt alone.
He had felt lonely many a times in his life, but never fully like this. Riku had felt the loneliness of being different, but never the solitude of being isolated. Now, he had no friends, no family... nobody. He was all alone...
He had thought going out to the other worlds would be scary, he anticipated it. But... he had always thought that he wouldn't have to face it alone. That... there would be someone out there waiting for him as well.
But now that he was out there, he had no friends to face the journey together with. No mother to help him get through the scary new environments that he would have to instantly enrich himself in and fully adapt into to survive. Instead, he was alone in a new world with nothing to him. He would be given none of those things.
And if she didn't care enough to give him such maternal necessities, then he didn't have to care about not receiving them either. He didn't have to care at all.
The thought... stung him.
"Some promise, your words are lies." Riku bitterly huffed out to the nothingness, with the hopes that his words reached his mother, resting his chin on his knees. "What have I done to deserve this?"
The cracks grew larger.
"..." It was another day. And Maleficent had taken him to meet her Dark Council. Together they circled around a glowing table in the darkness of the room, like Moles in Riku's opinion. There were many intimidating powers in the room, all of their hearts filled with darkness, one more evil than the next.
"These are my fellow members in the Council of Darkness, the Dark Council if you will." Maleficent said, vaguely introducing them to Riku, leaving them to make their own introductions if they so wished. "Each of them the greatest minds on their world in the power of the darkness."
"He's a little short there, Maleficent. Since when did you start taking in pupils?" The grey man with blue fire for hair said, giving Riku a quick look over with his eyes. Crossing his arms as if he had seen enough.
"Hades."
"What are you trying to make the kid do? I hope you're not hiding anything from us." All Maleficent did was give him a cold stare in return, silencing him. "Pfft, okay fine. Keep your secrets. You've got your things to do and I've got mind."
"!" Before Riku knew it the man known as Hades had somehow made his way over to him, as quick as a flame, wrapping an arm around him.
"Welcome. The name is Hades, lord of the Underworld, hailing from Olympus Coliseum. Hi, how are you doing?" The man quickly said, holding out a hand for Riku to shake in greeting.
"..." But Riku had simply stared at him for a moment and moved his way out of Hades' arm and away from him, keeping the distance between him. The man had a darkness about him that made him openly admitting to his manipulating and using ways. Riku did well to stay clear of those types, greeting the man's greeting with silence in return.
"Geez, talk about stiffer than the stiffs back home." Hades huffed out, blowing the kid's ignore off. He backed off to leave the kid be. "Okay, fine, I get the picture."
"The boy is rightfully weary of you, Hades." Maleficent said, coming to both of their defense in her own way. "For he is far too young to be confronting the lord of the Dead yet."
"Heh ha, okay, I'll take that one as a compliment."
"Well I think a little fear is simply delightful. Mmm, reminds me of my famous home brewed Boogie Stew." One of the members said with strange accent to Riku. Looking at the guy, Riku had to say he looked like a stuffed up dirty sock poorly sown together. What he was stuffed up with, Riku didn't want to know. The man leaned in, wickedly grinning as he had mistakenly mistook Riku's disgusted look for fear. "(Chuckle) What's the matter, son? Never seen the likes like me before? I hail from the world of Halloween Town, where everyday is Halloween. We all make it our passion to try to give you a scream and make you die of fright. I am the shadow of the moon at night, the thing that fills your dreams to the brim with fear and nightmares. I am the thing that all little kiddies know and fear. I am Oogie Boogie! Ha hahhhh! What's wrong? Still afraid of the Oogie Boogie Man?"
"I haven't been afraid of you since I was four." Riku shot back to him in retort. "Even then, I was mostly terrified of you for being a creepier that would hide under children's beds."
That one tweaked a nerve with Oogie Boogie, and it didn't help much that his pride had been embarrassed in front of the other members as they all silently laughed at Riku's remark against him.
"Why you little ingrate-"
"Enough." Said the tall slender members of the Council dressed as a vizier with a goatee beard, stopping Oogie Boogie in his tracks as he looked like he was about to strangle Riku. "The boy has done no harm, take the insult and stride."
"Hmpf." Oogie Boogie huffed out, crossing his sock-like arms as he turned his head in a pout, giving Riku the cold shoulder.
"And as for you, boy, this is most certainly not a Daycare." The man said, turning his attentions back to Riku. "If you are not willing to take the powers of the darkness serious then it is best you go look elsewhere. We have no time to waste on babysitting children."
"Never asked for a babysitter, old man."
"Old man?" He huffed out in offense at such a title. "I, Jafar, the royal vizier of the Sultan of Agrabah, am most certainly not old."
"Now who is the one being childish, Jafar." Maleficent sighed out in disappointment at her members' antics, lightly shaking her head.
"Err- uhh..." Jafar had no response he could give to that, silencing himself, he tried to blend back in with the others.
"Well hello, handsome, you ever happen to find your gills come look me up in my waters. Hm-heh-hehe." Said a big sized woman who looked to be half octopus at the bottom.
"..." Riku could find no words to respond back to that. He didn't know whether he was disgusted or creeped by her minor flirtation. It was moments like these that he was thankful for what he was and not being something else.
"This is Ursula, the sea witch of Atlantis." Maleficent announced, deciding to speak for Riku. "Do not tease the poor boy, Ursula. He is far too young and busy to get your sense of humor."
"Ohh, that's a pity. Mmh-hm-hm-hm." Ursula chuckle, resting her chin on her hand as her body shook in her chuckling.
"I say this lad is rather scrawny to be any help to us." Said a man dressed up as a pirate captain, pointing at Riku with his hook hand. "If he be part of my crew back in Neverland, I would have had him walk the plank on his first day."
"Don't let his looks deceive you, Hook. He may be young but he has much potential in the powers of darkness." Maleficent in her own assurance at Riku's presence in their halls. "In time, the boy will be a great addition to our cause."
"Who said anything about me joining your club?" Riku said openly flat-out rejecting her proposal of him joining their council. "Lady, I have no idea what you guys are up to. But I'm only here to help find my friends."
"But of course, I have not forgotten." Maleficent brush off his rejection with aloof as she continued on her pace as if nothing had happened. "You help us with our problem, and we will help you with yours."
"Tch, then I guess I'll just have to find out what your deal is on my own then."
"Hm, indeed." Maleficent openly smiled at him with her wicked grin. "But enough of these greetings, it's time for you to return to your training."
"..." With the pleasantries to the other in-and-going residences in the Hollow Bastion halls done, it was time for him to return to his training for another day. And the training regiment had grown harder.
Maleficent had vouched that he could handle it, since his body had built up more of a tolerance since yesterday. And she was right, he didn't feel as tired with the number of Heartless like last time. He wasn't even slightly out of breath. It seems like the training was working.
"Hey, now that I am stronger, I think I'm ready to go out to the other worlds." He had truly believe that, and meeting those people from others words had brought back his fire to see what was out there. He needed to go out and see what those worlds had to offer before he grew stir-crazy. Before Sora and Kairi possibly moved to other spots.
"Why such the rush? You've been training for a mere couple of days."
"I don't have time to waste around like this. I have to find my friends as soon as possible."
"Did I not tell you that I would assist you in your search if you continued your training properly?"
"Yeah, you did. And I haven't seen any results from your word."
"(Chuckle) Oh, foolish boy, you're still learning." She shook her head as she laughed at lack of faith. "Don't you know that the darkness reaches everywhere? Don't you know that everything has a shadow?"
"?" Yeah, anything could make a shadow if there is a light, where was she getting at?
"With the flick of my wrist, I could travel through the shadows of the worlds at any time that I want to." She said, waving her hand along in front of her as if to prove her point. A dark flame came from her hand and left a trailing tail in her movement. "In a matter of time, I could find your companions for you, whether they are in the light or the darkness."
"!" Could the darkness truly be that powerful? "Can you really do that?"
"Why not see for yourself?" She shot back in suggesting, slamming the end of her staff on the floor as she outstretched her arms. The powers of the darkness flowing through her as it swirled around her chaotically. "Let's see if we can find that friend 'Sora' of yours."
"!" Was this really happening? Was she about to find one of his lost friends? The anticipation excited him, even after his long day of training. It was nightfall already and still he was getting pumped up. He nearly had to flinch back as her dark flames grew strong around her, guarding his face with his arm. He waited for its heat to cool down a little before he lowered his arm and spoke. "Well? Did you find him?"
"Why yes." She said with a grin, bring her arm back down to her. "He has been on the move for quite some time now. But has settle down in the world of Traverse Town at the time. If we were to hurry now, we might still catch him."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."
"Heh," Maleficent could only grin with glee as he full-heartedly jumped into her dark portal without hesitation. 'Oh yes, this boy shall truly have the knack for the darkness.'
*** A little time back with Aeris ***
She had been observing as Leon trained, standing on standby to Cure him if his training had ever got out of hand. Which it usually did since he tended to push himself to the limit. That's why he usually trained down in the basement of the town in the underground cavern, so he wouldn't accidentally hurt anyone while he was in the zone. With only a few lanterns to light the caverns.
It was then, that the both of them noticed Sora, Donald, and Goofy swimming through the underground waterway towards them. She had felt a flicker of their light drop down the moment they arrived in Traverse Town in the back of her mind, but that begged another question. How did they find them here, and why didn't they use the door?
Oh, right. Because it was locked at the time. Only the right magic could open it. So they, uhh... must have found another way.
"Boys. What are you doing? You're soaking wet." Aeris chastised to them, gently casting Fire around them to dry them off, Donald instantly fluffed up. "You'll catch a cold like that."
"Sorry, Aeris." Sora apologized, rubbing the back of his slightly warmed head as he grinned. "We had to use the Secret Waterway entrance to get to you guys. We have some things we want to ask Leon about."
"Hm." Leon stopped what he was doing, resting the dull end of his gunblade on his shoulder. "About what?"
"Like: we've been to other worlds and found these large keyholes."
"..." Leon turned to rest his blade on a large stone, giving the three of them his full attention, along with Aeris. "So, you found the Keyhole."
"Yeah." Sora nodded and then explained. "The Keyblade locked it automatically."
"Good." Aeris sighed out in relief, leaving the boys to ponder why she found such a thing a relief.
"Every world among the stars has a Keyhole." Leon explained, answering their silent question for them. "And each one leads to the heart of that world. There must be one in this town as well."
"What do you mean?"
"It was in Ansem's report." Aeris explained to Sora.
"The Heartless enter through the Keyhole and do something to the world's core." Leon continued on, crossing his arms.
"What happens to the world?" Sora asked in concern. Heartless moving around in a world's core did not sound like a good thing.
"In the end, it disappears." Aeris answered.
"What!" A reaction like that from the three of them was not that unexpected.
"That's why your key is so important." Leon continued.
"Please lock the Keyholes." Aeris pleaded with Sora. Other than king Mickey, he was the only one with the ability to be able to do it. "You're the only one who can."
"I don't know..." Sora nervously replied. She had felt so bad for him, asking so much from a child that had barely gotten over the lost of his world. They were putting so much on someone so young.
"Seeing other worlds would probably serve you well." Leon suggested on the bright side.
"Yeah." Donald agreed, while Goofy second in.
"We gotta find your friends! And King Mickey!"
"I guess you're right..." Sora agreed along with his friends, slowly building up his confidence again. "Okay!"
"Hm," Leon nodded down at him in approval. There were many worlds out there. It would be impossible for them to expect him to get them all, but... he could still get as many as he could.
"Hey, Leon." Sora chirped in, suddenly remembering another thing he had wanted to asked Leon about. Reaching in to his back pocket as he pulled it out to show. "This gummi block's different from the others. Do you know what it's for?"
"..." Leon had an idea what it was, but... he was having a hard time finding a way of explaining it to Sora without disturbing him.
"Ask Cid." Aeris finally suggested, coming to Leon's rescue. "He should know."
"Wait, Sora." Leon finally spoke again, halting Sora before he headed off. "Take this with you. This stone holds some mysterious power. I've been carrying it for luck. I want you to hold onto it."
"How do you use it?"
"..." He would not answer. Sometimes, there were things in this world that you would have to figure out on your own.
"Uh, Leon?"
"Please use the stairway this time." Aeris instructed to them, pointing at the stone doorway behind them. "You'll stay dry that way."
"Oh, okay!" Sora nodded, heading up the stairs. Before he started calling back. "Hey, Aeris, there are some Dalmatian puppies in here!"
"Really? They must have lost their way from their home in the First District."
"I'll take them back for you!" Sora offered before she heard a banging sound soon after. "Hey, Aeris, there's no door here!"
"There is one. It's sealed." She said, making her way over to the stairway. "Let me unlock it for you-"
"No time, I'll just take the way we came from!" Sora hastily said, running pass her to dive into the waterway... with the puppies. "Thanks anyway, Aeris!"
"!" She gasped in alarm as they all splashed back into the cold waters, swimming back the way they came from, into the cold night air. "Sora!"
"Sorry!" Sora's apology echoed in the distance as he made his way out of the caverns, soaked again.
"..." Aeris sighed out in minor annoyance that the boys were going to be running around the town all soaked for a while. She hoped that they wouldn't catch a cold.
"You didn't tell them about Merlin?" Leon questioned to her with a quirked eyebrow once they were alone again. The man was requested to help teach Sora about the usage of Magic; he was even directly above them right now. She could have just opened the sealed for the Sora and the others to realize that they were actually underneath Merlin's house.
"You didn't tell them how to use a Summon?" Aeris countered back to him.
"They don't need to know the full extent of what a Summon truly is..."
"Yes..." Aeris sadly sighed in agreement, placing a hand over her heart. "Remnants of strong hearts that have lost their homes. Unable to be swallowed by the Heartless, or vanish with their worlds, they are forced to become Summon gems. Forever trapped in the stone, to only come out in spirit until their world has returned..."
It was so strange to her, calling magic items such as Materia 'Gems' instead. But... the times change with the worlds, as they say.
"Hm, with the way the Heartless are growing, that seems more and more unlikely."
"Don't say that, Leon. We have to have faith in the Keyblade wielder. We have to believe in Sora."
"Heh, having to rely all the hopes of the world in the hands of a scrawny kid." Leon smirked looking off to where the others had disappeared to, shrugging off his complaints. "I guess beggars can't be choosers."
"(Chuckle) You believe in him too, don't you." She chuckled, pointing him out. Holding her hands behind her back as she leaned over to get a better look up at his face. "That's why you gave him your Simba summon, your Lion..."
"..." Leon said nothing, remaining still for a moment just looking back down at her with his eyes before turning around to grab his gunblade again. "Hmph, think what you want."
"Okay I will!" She chirped back at him with a smile, even though he couldn't see it with his back turned to her.
"Now be still for a bit while I finish up." Leon requested to her as he continued with his training, still being polite as she was older than him.
"Hmm, very well." Aeris complied, standing back to watch him once again from a distance as his spotter. She had spent quite some time standing there, silent, until she felt something. "(Gasp)!"
"What wrong?" Leon instantly stopped, halting in the process of his swing as he heard Aeris gasp out in plight. Turning his head around his shoulder to see what was wrong.
"..." But Aeris wasn't looking at him. She was looking out in the distance, pass the stone walls. "My boy... My boy is here."
"!"
"Riku is in Traverse Town." Aeris said with growing excitement, running towards the wall not fully realizing that it was there. "Riku!"
"!" Leon instantly dashed over to grab her arm before she slammed herself into the wall, pulling her back. "Aeris, hold on!"
"But he's here, Leon!" She said in joy. "Finally after so many nights of not being able to break through to him and now he is just within arms reach!"
"We don't fully know 'why' you were being blocked off from Riku." Leon insisted with her, trying to make her see reason before rushing off into who-knows-what. "There could be something seriously wrong."
"The darkness has been blocking me out. I already know that." Aeris pointed out to him, already knowing the reason as to why she couldn't reach her son through their dreams for the past few days. She had heard his call, but was unable to break through, it broke her heart each time he would call out to her with no reply. "That's why I have to get him now before the darkness pulls him back."
"I thought you said you could never meet up with Riku." Leon tried to remind her why she had separated from her son for all this time, why she had to strengthen through her pain to keep him safe. "I thought you said it was dangerous for the two of you to be in the same area."
"He needs me, Leon!" She insisted, even as she raised her voice it was still gentle and soft, not even harsh on the ears. Pulling out of Leon's grasp once she felt a dark presence close by Riku. "Let me go!"
"Aeris, wait!" He called out to her as she made a run up the stairs.
"I can't afford to wait! Maleficent is in the area!"
"What?! Then that is even more reason why we have to regroup!"
*** Back with Riku ***
Riku had rushed through the portal onto the other side that led to Traverse Town, looking around to admire the nightlights and many stores while Maleficent calmly walked out of the portal after him, following behind him as the portal closed after her.
"Is this the place?" He asked her, still admiring the scenery. This place was so different from his home and Hollow Bastion for that matter, it almost felt like it was a mash of things.
"Indeed," she said, walking past him towards the wall railing to look over at the lower grounds of the district with the fountain. "He's down there, passed the door with flames."
"..."
"But don't be surprised by how much he's changed. Don't be too discouraged when you find out you've been replaced."
"What?" Riku looked back at her in disbelieve, enraged that she would even think that. "You don't know what you're talking about. Sora wouldn't replace me and Kairi."
"Hmph, then see for yourself. See the true essence of how fickle one with a weak heart is once it's been parted for only but a while."
"..."
"I shall wait for you here, until you are done." Maleficent said, walking off, along the district stores. Giving Riku his space to reunite with his friend.
Saying nothing, Riku made his way down the stairs to the lower level. Just when the red flamed door opened, halting Riku in his progress as Sora came out. Riku's heart was filled with joy at finally finding one of his lost friends once again, he didn't even know how to proceed after this.
Luckily for him, the Heartless gave the push-start for him as they suddenly appeared and cornered Sora as he was coming out of the alleyway. Before Sora could even get one blow in, Riku had jumped down to finish off the Heartless.
"There you are." Riku said to him, swiping blade clean of any remaining residue. "What's going on?"
"Riku!" Sora said to him happily, walking over to him with his arms out. At first he had thought that Sora was coming in for a hug, but was surprisingly mistaken when Sora grabbed for his face and stretched his mouth around, trying to make him grin or something.
"Hey, hey, cut it out." Riku playful complained, gently swatting away Sora's hands from him.
"I'm not dreaming this time, right?" Sora asked, looking him over as if to see if he was real. Poor kid must have really missed him.
"I hope not." Riku chuckled out, brushing his bangs out of the way as they moved out of place. "Took forever to find you."
"Riku!" Sora happily smiled at him, happy to see him, making Riku grin in return. They both began to walk off together, Riku slowly trying to lead Sora back to Maleficent when Sora suddenly halted at a thought. "Wait a second, where's Kairi?"
"!" That got Riku to turn around. "Isn't she with you?"
"..." Sora lowered his head in disappointment that it would appear that Kairi was still lost out there.
"Well, don't worry. I'm sure she made it off the island, too." Riku assured to Sora, trying to cheer him up again. He walked a little passed Sora to look over and around at the District. "We're finally free. Hey, she might even be looking for us now. We'll all be together again soon. Don't worry. Just leave everything to me. I know this-"
Riku halted in his sentence, turning around as he saw Sora suddenly slay a Heartless that had appeared behind him. He was holding some strange blade that looked like a key. Riku could feel immense power coming from it.
"Leave it to who?" Sora playfully teased, resting his blade on his shoulder.
"Sora, what did you-" Riku asked, confused as he walked over to Sora.
"I've been looking for you and Kairi, too, with their help." That's when Riku noticed the presence of the duck and tall dog. Something about their presence around Sora just didn't sit right with Riku.
"Who are they?"
"Ahem. My name is-" The duck started, about to introduce himself before Sora interrupted him in his excitement.
"We've visited so many places and worlds, looking for you."
"Really?" Riku was listening to Sora's words, but not actually hearing them. It honestly sounded like Sora was slacking off again. Goofing around with his new 'friends' while him and Kairi were still lost out there, easily replaced... "Well, what do you know? I never would've guessed."
"Oh, and guess what?" The dog added, making worst for sting. Placing a hands on Sora's shoulders. "Sora's the Keyblade master."
"Who would've thought it?" The duck sarcastically added in, upsetting Sora a little.
"What's that mean?" Sora huffed down at the duck with a stomping foot, while the duck looked back up to him with crossed arms, or wings? Riku couldn't really tell. But while Sora was distracted, he snatched the Keyblade from him.
"So, this is called a Keyblade?" He asked aloud to them, holding it out in front of him as he looked it over.
"Huh?" Sora turned back to Riku, looking back at his hand in surprise to realize that his blade was missing. "Hey, give it back."
Sora ran after him to get it back, only for Riku to jump back, just out of reach of Sora to make him topple over to the ground as he went to grab it. Riku looked it over some more, admiring the power he could feel coming from the blade. Neither of them ever noticing or questioning that Riku could actually hold the blade when only a true Keyblade wielder could hold a Keyblade.
It reminded him of the boy on the island when they were small. Of the promise that he would be the one to hold such a blade...
"Catch." Riku said, tossing the blade back to Sora.
"Whoa." Sora said in alarm, barely catching the blade in time as it headed down towards his feet. Catching it with both his hands before righting himself again to look back at Riku. "Okay, so, you're coming with us, right? We've got this awesome rocket. Wait 'til you see it!"
"..." Riku was beginning to feel like the distance between them was growing fast. How was it that Sora was asking Riku to come with him instead of the other way around? Why was he holding such power that was promised to him? A power that made his Soul Eater seem like a measly little thing. Why was he the one, to be replaced?
"No, he can't come!" The duck argued, having a say against Riku tagging along with them. As if he was extra weight.
"What?" Sora said in appall.
"Forget it!"
"Oh, come on! He's my friend!"
"I don't care!"
"..." He wasn't even apart of the conversation anymore. He was just a third-wheel in the background of their banter. Hurt and betrayed, Riku faded away and out into the district while the three of them were distracted, not even realizing that he had left.
"Huh? He's gone." The dog pointed out after Riku had taken cover behind the wall railway up the opposite stairway. Finally making Sora look around for him. Riku was surprisingly hurt that it took Sora so long to realize that he left.
"Riku?" Sora called out, looking around for Riku before halting not too far from his new friends, while the duck impatiently tap his flipper foot along the pavement. "Nice going."
"Oh, well. At least he's okay." Sora shrugged off, adding worst to injure. He didn't even try to go after or look for him. It left a bitter taste in Riku's heart. "Who know? Maybe we'll run into Kairi soon, too."
"..." He had waited for Sora and his new friends to disappeared up the other set of stairs and into another house before revealing himself again. Looking over at them from the window at a distance.
"You see? It's just as I told you." Maleficent said, appearing right behind him and coming to his side to look in at the window dwellers as well. "While you toiled away trying to find your dear friend, he quite simply replaced you with some new companions. Evidently, now he values them far more than he does you."
"..." Riku could only silently stare as her words started to speak some truth in them as he watched Sora interact with his dog and duck friend.
"You're better off without that wretched boy." Maleficent insisted to him, hovering an arm around him as she leaned down closer to him. "Now, think no more of him, and come with me. I'll help you find what you're searching for..."
"..." Riku no longer thought of questioning her. At the moment, she was the only truth that he had. Not even his friend appeared to be what he remembered to be. Bitter and betrayed, he walked over into the dark portal after Maleficent opened it, not even looking back.
He never even noticed the other people inside the house with Sora. The ones on the other side of Sora, away from the window. He never even noticed the sense of her presence while in his heartbroken state. For a moment, he had thought he heard someone call out the glimmer of his name. But that faded away into the darkness along with him...
*** With Aeris ***
"Riku!" Aeris called out to him, reaching over to him only to come too late as he faded away into a dark portal.
Leon had calmed her down enough to reason with her to gather in one of their meeting headquarters to discuss the presence of Maleficent in Traverse Town with the others. And even explained whom she was to Sora when him and the other two came around. She could still sense the presence of Riku close by, so she had stilled herself for now.
But that was only until she felt the dark presence of Maleficent directly near her son. Springing out through the back door, so as not to alarm the others of the ominous presence, running after her son to get him away from a greater evil than his father. She had tried to keep her light low, so as not to flicker her light brighter in the presence of Riku's, making them both a beacon of a target. But when she realized she wouldn't make it over to him in time to halt his progress into the dark portal, she shined it as bright as she could, calling out to him.
"Riku!"
It was too late. He was gone...
Back to the place where she could only sense a glimmer of his light. She had missed her chance.
"Why if it isn't Aeris." Maleficent said coyly over to Aeris, drawing her attention as she finally realized that Maleficent was right beside her to where the portal once was. She must have been the one to seal it off. "Still as lovely as ever."
"Maleficent. I see the darkness has done nothing to cover up that wicked charm of yours." Aeris shot back in retort, her guard up and her patience running thin.
"And your light shines as brightly as ever." Maleficent continued on, un-phased by Aeris's remark. Twisting her lips up in disgust as she continued on. "Disgustingly so. No wonder your husband had left you for the darkness."
"!" That one struck a nerve, stinging in ways no magic spell ever could. Holding back the anger and pain, she clinched her fists by her sides and calmed her breath. "What have you done with my son?"
"Why I've only taken him home, of course." She said in fake innocence. "Back to his true home."
"!" Hollow Bastion?! But that place was nothing but Heartless and scraps of what it once was! Taking him there would dimmed his light. Unless... that's what she wanted. "Stay away from my son, Witch! I mean it!"
"Or else what?" Maleficent chuckled down to her with a mocking grin. "What ever are you to do to stop me?"
"Do you think I'm scared of you?" Aeris mocked back to her with relentless determination and integrity. Maleficent may have had her in height but she had nothing over her in backbone. "My Magic is stronger than yours."
"(Light Laughter) Hmm, a battle between the Light and the Darkness. Oh how I've longed to see it." Her laughter was light as chime bells as her hand hovered over the ball of her staff. She wickedly smiled in happy anticipation at the thought of the notion; but, unfortunately, there were other more pressing matters than battling it out with the Ancient. "However, how would this poor town fair in our aftermath."
"!" Aeris gasped in alarm realizing that her words were true. They could destroy half the town if the two of them truly let loose. The Refugees have been through enough with the lost of their homes, they did not need this as well. Besides, the place was full of women and children, she couldn't afford to have Maleficent summon her hordes of Heartless while there were so many in the area.
"I will leave you be for now." Maleficent dismissed her, walking over to the side a little as she summoned her own dark portal to go through. "Come to Hollow Bastion, if you ever find your way. Perhaps we can truly have our battle of the Light and Dark there, if you so wish."
"..."
"Until then, I will be molding your son into a proper master over the darkness as he so truly has the talent to be." She taunted over her shoulder at Aeris with a wicked grin, breaking into a fit of laughter as she faded away into the portal.
"You stay away from my child, Witch!" She shouted after Maleficent, her eyes burning with a rage she rarely revealed to the world. "If you lay one filthy nail on him, you'll be sorry! Mark my words, I will make you PAY!"
* * * Later that night * * *
Once again, she did not show up. Riku was already hurting enough as it was, he did not need this right now.
The place was more of a mess than what is was before. The vast blankness had so many dark cracks along it that its white existence was slowly slipping to gray.
"Come on, Mom. Sora really betrayed me today, I could really use someone to talk to..."
"..."
"Mom, please. I'm really hurting right now. Can't we put our differences aside for a moment? I need your warmth and light, I need your love and kindness, just like you use to give whenever I was feeling down."
"..."
"Please... I'm in so much pain right now. I can't bare Sora's and yours too..."
"..."
"Mom..."
"..." He bit his lips as he held back the tears. Clinching his fists at yet another betrayal. "Fine... be that way. If that's the way you're going to be, then I'm tired of waiting."
He stood up from his place resting by the tree's truck, the cracks along the blankness began to grow and expand as his anger rise. Chips of the white blankness miraculously began to fall off in the process.
"If you choose to ignore me, Mom, then whatever. Do what you want. I don't care. I don't need it. I don't need anybody!"
Bigger pieces began breaking off.
"I'll get stronger on my own! Without your help or Sora's!" He began to growl in his words, shaking his arms violently in the process. "So go ahead and continue watching from whatever place you're hiding yourself in. I'll continue growing, without you! I don't need your stupid rules or lessons! I don't need this place!"
With the wave of his hand the dreamworld had finally come apart, shattered into darkness.
"!" Aeris gasped awake in alarm, bolting out of her bed and out to her balcony as she looked up into the sky. Watching the stars with watering eyes as she felt the last of her son's dimming light fade away. "Riku..."
The last of her children had been taken by the darkness. She began to cry as her knees gave out on her.