Riku walked along the top of the wall that surrounded Twilight Realm. The clock tower in the middle chimed as it struck three in the afternoon. The sudden sounds and reverberations from the bells caused a flock of birds to take off. The form of the flock ebbed and flowed in varying shapes. For a moment, it reminded him of the way some Heartless would hoard together to form a swirling vortex: thousands of yellow eyes staring right at him getting closer and closer..Riku shook his head, moving onto another thought. Gazing out on the other side of the wall, the Lucid Mountains were a light lavender and hazy in the distance. Forests and fields sprawled across the landscape. He remembered looking out and seeing tons of villages and towns, and now it seemed..so empty.
Sora had practically begged him to join all of them for ice cream. He had kindly declined, not feeling much for ice cream at the moment. He had told Namine everything, even the stuff he hadn't had the heart to tell Sora yet about Xehanort trying to make him into a nightmare. There was a point when he almost had given in, thinking his suffering would end. It would make things easier, but then he had thought of Sora: someone he had never met in person or at least not from what he could remember, yet he felt intricately connected to him. As expected, Namine was practically in tears by the end of it, giving him a hug tight enough to squeeze all the air out of him. He had to admit that it felt good to tell someone all that. He knew he could trust her, but he really hoped she wouldn't let any of that slip to the others.
"Brooding as usual I see, though that's par for the course for you, isn't it?"
That voice..Riku's ears perked up instantly, quickly turning around with his fists up. Long pink hair and a gaudy outfit that looked like it belonged to some stuffy royal: "Marluxia." He should've known they'd start to show up. Riku's protective instinct kicked in, reaching up to grab the handle of the keyblade across his back.
"Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast. You wouldn't want anything to happen to your..friends." Marluxia gestured to the clock tower. Riku's eyes scanned over it, gritting his teeth when he spotted a man in an eyepatch with the usual shit eating grin. Xigbar, too, huh? "Now, I'm a sensible man. Nothing like a certain prince of darkness. I've simply come to collect the traitors." Marluxia took a step in his direction, and Riku immediately took a step back.
"Traitors, huh? Doesn't that include me as well? You can try whatever you want, but Ventus and Roxas are free now. They'll never return, and I'll make sure of that." Seeing Xigbar taking aim at something, Riku lowered his hand back down to his side.
"Come, now, Riku. You have to admit that you must miss the power given to you by the darkness. Think of what you could've been as a nightmare. You'd have all the strength you need, but..something got in the way of that." Riku scowled as Marluxia looked him over, chuckling to himself. "You fell for that boy ever since you first
connected with his dreams, right? He's a tremendous reason why you clung onto the light, but your shame..you keep your distance from him still. You don't feel worthy of him if he shares the same feelings. Feel free to stop me if I'm wrong."
"Shut up already! I'm not going to discuss romance with you or what's going on with me. Just skip to the part where you say you're going to take them back no matter what," Riku snapped, getting into a fighting position.
"Bottled up feelings will find a way to leak out one way or the other. But fine. Axel?" A man with blazing red hair pulled back into a ponytail emerged from behind Marluxia. His brilliant green eyes scanned over Riku with a look of scorn. "Axel here was good friends with Roxas. The wound only deepened when Xion ran as well. A trio broken up. How sad." There was a fake sort of sadness to his voice.
"Axel, you know what the solution to this is. You can be with Roxas and Xion again that doesn't involve dragging them back there. You can join us." Riku's voice wavered, backing up slightly. He had known Axel's loyalty to the organization. He wouldn't switch sides so easily.
"You know, Roxas said something similar before. If it wasn't for you and your kingdom, things would've been different, but you just can't let things be, can you? Well, I'll show you what true loyalty is. You only had a glimpse of our side. You have no right to try to make me into a turncoat too." With a whisper of a fire spell under his breath, Axel pulled out his twin Chakrams. As he spun them, flames burst out. Riku could feel the deadly heat on his face even from where he was standing. "You have it all: a kingdom, a birthright, a prestigious past life. All I have are my friends, and you took them away!"
"Axel, wai-" One of the flaming blades of a Chakram came inches away from his face. Riku hardly had time to react as one of his feet slipped off the ledge of the wall. For a moment, fire was all he could see along with a raging heat with enough intensity to melt his face clean off. However, a cool wind swept over him, and..he was falling. He felt his stomach drop as there was nothing beneath him but air. Marluxia and Axel were getting further and further away. The twilight sky above him matched the fire that was in his face a few seconds ago. How much time was even passing right now? If he didn't do something..he was going to die. There was a part of him that seemed okay with this. He had been fighting for so long..been through so much pain. It could end in a second, but there was another part that was screaming within him like a vengeful spirit that was hellbent on changing fate. There was a stinging pain ripping across his back. The power. The power within himself that he had repressed for so long..it could save him. He didn't know how much time he had left before the he would meet the ground, but he had to try. The emblem etched into his back burned more and more as he reached for that power. This power is mine, and no one else's. They can't control me..it can't control me. Riku physically reached out for the sky above him as if trying to grasp onto something. With a pained cry, something burst out of his back, out of the emblem. The two points tore through his shirt and jacket, unfurling once they were free. If he hadn't been in some strange, altered state of mind the pain would've been excruciating, but all he could feel was exhilaration. He felt whatever it was that came out of his back catch the wind, starting to slow his descent. Finally, his feet touched down on the ground lightly. His eyes widened as he glanced back and saw..those webbed wings. The same ones that had come out of him when darkness had been forced onto him. Finding some amount of control now that he wasn't falling through the air, he spread them out widely. He flinched as they quickly retracted back into him as soon as he had control over his own body. Riku didn't have much time to try to figure out just what had happened as he saw that Marluxia and Axel were now gone from the top of the wall. Taking a deep breath, he willed his legs to move as he sprinted down the street, using his natural agility to hop out of the way of any pedestrians. He needed to get to them. Fast.
Sora and Kairi were joined by Roxas, Venus, and Xion along with Hayner, Pence, and Olette. They had never had sea salt ice cream before being told that it was a popular treat in this place. Sora grinned happily as flavors of both sweet and salt hit his tongue.
"We usually go up to the clock tower. It's where you can get the best view of the whole city," Hayner explained as they walked.
Sora glanced over at Kairi who was talking excitedly with Olette. He couldn't remember the last time he saw her smiling so much, and there was that hint of blush on her cheeks again. Sora gazed off to the empty space next to him. He wondered where Riku had wandered off to. Surely he had to be done talking with Princess Namine by now.
"Hey, why the glum face?" Ventus picked up the pace to walk next to Sora.
"Oh, uh, just thinking about Riku I guess. He always wanders off on his own. I just wish he'd be a little more honest with me, but maybe I'm just overthinking it." Sora continued to eat his ice cream, grimacing when the cold hit a sensitive tooth. Ventus looked him up and down with a hint of a smirk.
"You..really worry about him, huh? He's sort of always been like that. He wants to protect the people he cares about even if it means pushing himself away from them. I don't remember much from when our old kingdom was destroyed, but I remember Riku riding in on a horse. He must've come from the other city: the one his mom lived in. He was covered in ash and looked really beat up. I learned afterwards that that other city: Scala ad Caelum had fallen too. Riku became even more protective since there were only a few of us left after all that." Ventus rubbed at his thumb with his pointer finger as he talked.
"He must've lost his mom and possibly others he cared about. I guess that would explain why he's so protective," Sora said, trying to remember those details. "Thanks, Ventus. Hopefully, he'll tell me the full story soon. I just gotta get him to work on his communication."
"Hey, want me to tell you something he wouldn't want me telling you?" Another voice came from his other side. Roxas grinned as he playfully elbowed Sora.
"Roxas...what are you scheming?" Ventus sighed, though it didn't look like he was going to protest much.
"Ohhh, nothing, but you know he isn't going to say it himself. You know how he's been connected to you through your dreams, Sora? Weeeell, I know he's had a big crush on you ever since he first connected with you. But in terms of romantic stuff, I don't think he's ever gotten past pining." Roxas' grin only grew when he saw how red Sora's face turned.
"R-really? I mean, he is really handsome a-and nice. I wasn't sure if he liked me back or not," Sora stammered, trying his best not to trip over his own feet. "This is so embarrassing to ask, but since we're on the subject, has he..you know..'done stuff' with other people?"
Ventus and Roxas exchanged glances with Ventus giving a disapproving glare. "Well, yeah. I mean, like you said, he's handsome, but nothing that lasted. So, don't sweat it too much."
"Th-that's good to know. I can't really remember anything before I was put to sleep, so..I fear I'm a lot more inexperienced than him, but if he likes me back, then..I don't have anything to worry about." Sora took in a deep breath, feeling like if he asked anything else he'd eventually die of embarrassment right there.
The clock tower was now looming over them as they approached the entrance. For a moment, all was well. The group happily talked amongst each other. Though most of them had just met each other, a strong connection was there. Sora wondered if maybe many of them had met before disaster had struck.
Xion suddenly darted out in front of all of them, drawing her sword in one fluid motion.
"Hey, Xion, what's.." Kairi trailed off as she followed where Xion was looking and saw a man with long pink colored hair staring down at them. He took the weapon that was across his back into his hand in a graceful movement, revealing a deadly looking scythe. Ventus and Roxas drew their weapons a few seconds after, running up to stand next to Xion.
"Guys, who's that?" Sora kept a hand on the handle of his keyblade, staying cautious.
"Bad news. That's what: Marluxia. He's one of Xehanort's assassins. They call him 'The Graceful Assassin.'" Ventus drew three arrows, readying them in his bow.
"Assassin? But don't they want to bring us back alive or something like that?"
"Well, we don't need all of you alive." All of them practically jumped at the sudden voice, turning their heads to see a guy with scarlet hair brandishing some strange pointed weapons.
"Axel." Roxas and Xion said it almost at exactly the same time.
"Long time no see, guys. You know, it's really great when my friends just up and leave. You could've at least left a note." As he drew closer, Roxas and Xion stayed close by each other. Roxas brandished both his keyblades now: one shimmered with light in the sun while the other was dark as night.
"Listen, Axel, you can still be with me and Xion. We were misguided, and among Xehanort's ranks is not where we needed to be. Just join our side." For a moment, Roxas lowered one of his keyblades, extending a hand out.
"You just don't understand, do you? You really have no loyalty or gratitude." All of them backed up further as he started pacing towards them. "I guess if you won't come back willingly, then I'll have to make you!" There was a flourish of flames as Axel was surrounded by them. As he was about to cast those flames towards them, all of them readied themselves. Sora kept close to Kairi, protecting Hayner, Pence, and Olette with their keyblades drawn. He squeezed his eyes shut as he waited for the inevitable attack, but the heat from the fire never came. Squinting his eyes open, he saw Namine standing in front: her hands extended out as she had casted some sort of spell. A force was absorbing all of the fire until it was gone.
"That's enough! Both of you have trespassed on my kingdom. I kindly ask you to leave before I'm forced to do something drastic," she called out. Her eyes went from Axel to Marluxia.
"Well, Axel? You want to prove yourself, don't you? Take out the witch. With her gone, we won't have to fret about any more spells getting in the way of our plans," Marluxia called down. The cold words made Sora shiver. There was no warmth to them at all.
"Very well. After I take care of this, you're both coming with me. Got that memorized?" He spun the Chakrams around a few times before lunging forward with a burst of flames behind him. In a split second decision, Xion ran out in front of Namine. She readied her sword for a block not caring if she got burned in the process.
"Princess, I'll protect you." She glanced back at Namine with a reassuring smile.
"Xion! You don't have to!" It was too late for her to do anything as she watched Axel getting closer and closer. With a look of pure determination, Xion stood her ground, readying her other hand on the blade of her sword for the impact. However, that impact never came. In the last few seconds, there was a blur of silver along with the clash of metal against metal. Axel was knocked back along with someone else who skidded to a stop right in front of the others.
"You guys just don't know when to quit." Riku used his keyblade to get himself back on his feet, looking to Xion and Namine. "Are you two okay?"
"Riku! We're just fine. But..what happened to you?"
Riku glanced back at the two holes in the back of his jacket where those..things had come out.
"Oh, uh, yeah. I'm fine." It wasn't long before Sora and Kairi had rushed to his side.
"We're here to help, so don't even think about doing this on your own," Kairi said, giving him a look of disapproval.
Riku sighed as he glanced from Axel to Roxas. It had been a long time since he saw him staring so intently.
"Sora, Kairi, and I will take care of Marluxia. I can leave Axel to you, Ventus, and Xion, right?" At the nod, Riku focused on Marluxia on the tower.
"Hey! Don't forget about us!" Hayner, Pence, and Olette ran over too.
"We may not carry weapons like you guys, but we can still help out." Olette gave Kairi a smile before joining the others over by Namine.
"How about you lead the charge, Sora?" Riku pointed to where Marluxia was standing. "Hell, I can probably just toss you up there."
"T-toss me?" Sora shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be scared. He readied his keyblade in preparation. "Sure, why not?" He definitely wasn't prepared as Riku suddenly grabbed his hands.
"Oh, also, there's another guy up there: Xigbar. He'll probably start shooting at you." He didn't give Sora a chance to get another word in as he suddenly jumped up high, twirling Sora around a few times before throwing him with all his might right at Marluxia.