"Welcome to the Hollow- er, I mean uh… The Radiant Garden Restoration Committee!" Cid accosted from his seat at the large computer monitor. Personally, Riku had always preferred the name 'Hollow Bastion' -it felt darker, more mysterious, and it had a better ring to it, but that was just him.
"Long time, no see!" piped Yuffie.
He had met most of the committee separately in Traverse Town in what seemed like ages ago. He had been acquainted with Cid the most, going to his shop often for supplies. Riku didn't have the best attitude back then, he hoped they wouldn't remember.
"Were were so glad to hear Mr. Cranky Pants made it out of the Realm of Darkness alright," Yuffie continued, "Sora told us the whole story!"
"And Merlin," added Aerith, "He filled us in on the rest. We were relieved to find out the three of you made it home safe."
The three of us. Home. Safe. Those sorts of words were always thrown around so casually.
"Sora's told me so much about all of you," Riku replied politely. "I'm- I'm so sorry for what I did back then." Regardless of the extent of their knowledge, Riku needed a clean slate. He didn't want his past to terrorize him for the rest of his life. He had disrupted these peoples' home, served the powers that had torn it away from them, then he didn't stick around to help rebuild.
"Riku is a Keyblade Master now! Fully appointed by Master Yen Sid himself!" Mickey cut in, forever his fierce little defender. The room awed and then all eyes were on him again. Riku cleared his throat.
"We're here on an assignment." Said Riku.
"We know. Merlin said you'd be showing up soon." A tall, stoic, brunette man with a long, foreign weapon slung over his shoulder explained as he emerged from a shadowed corner. "I don't think we've met," he said to Riku, "The name's Leon."
"Riku," Riku replied with a nod.
"Whaddya mean Leon? What did Merlin say?" Asked the king.
"Is he here?" Implored Riku. Maybe Kairi would be, too. It would be good to see her. She had been extremely nervous when they had left her with Lea and Merlin.
"No, he left over a week ago," answered Yuffie. "You guys need to find a way into the Dark Realm, right?" The wizard was quite sharp, Riku realized.
"Yea…" Riku said. "We need to speak to-"
"Ienzo. He's in the corridors beneath the castle, Ansem the Wise's old study. Take the shortcut through the restoration site," said Yuffie. "Here, he left this for you." Yuffie pulled out an enchanted parchment and handed it to Riku. "He said it will help guide you through your perilous journey."
"Wow, ha-Ha! I guess we're pretty predictable," said Mickey, scratching his head.
"I like your clothes," Aerith complimented as she eyed them up and down.
"Yea, looking sharp," added Cid with an unsubtle smirk.
"Very spiffy," Yuffie agreed, eyes smiling and covering her mouth with her hand.
"Gee, thanks!" Mickey responded, obliviously.
Gray clouds painted the consistently overcast sky. Radiant Garden. Sure. He supposed the plants in the said garden would receive enough moisture, but as for sunlight, he was dubious. He couldn't believe the vibrant people to come out of such a dreary place- Lea, Diz, Kairi- it was almost enough to make Riku wonder why he ever wanted to leave his beautiful, sunny island. There was a certain charm to the place, he supposed, sidestepping the rubble. Determination among its citizens had fortified the town. They were stubborn to stay, relentless in their attempts to rebuild to an uncertain former glory, and determined to survive time and time again.
Mickey led the way, taking the alleyways and leaping over dangerously exposed pipelines. Through a haphazard construction tunnel, the large castle facade snuck up alongside them, protruding high into the violet, foreboding sky.
"It's this way," said Mickey, glancing in both directions, looking as serious as a mouse king could, before approaching the ramp. Riku followed closely behind down the entryway and into the corridors. It was a maze to Riku, but the king charged onward confidently, rounding each corner so fast that Riku practically had to step on his tail to keep up. They finally came upon an entrance where multiple hallways intersected, at the end was a gold door with a symbolic crown engraved into it.
Kingdom Hearts.
Riku stood motionless and let Mickey open the door. Within was a disheveled round study chamber with bookshelves lining most of the wall, long lost to the scholars and the vultures. There was a door opened to the left side connecting to an opaque glass pathway that led out of sight. The mouse was already scurrying through the office and around the corner by the time Riku had fully stepped inside.
Measured, Riku strolled around and absorbed the room, reading the various writings on the wall and examining the collection of hearts floating in goo, as well as other unrelated items and keepsakes. The books looked as if they had been rifled through, and the stench of darkness lingered in the air.
"Riku! Over here!" The king called. Riku followed the voice into the grey corridor. The hallway opened up into a massive locker, used for some unidentifiable reason, though Riku could probably guess. Riku stopped and stared, awestruck. "Riku, you know Ienzo." Mickey took his hand and led him into the conjoining laboratory, where a boy about his age awaited in a white coat instead of black, his blue bangs styled to one side, obstructing half of his face, while one cerulean eye followed Riku.
"So nice to see you again, Riku," greeted Ienzo cordially.
"Yourself as well." Riku's eyes went about the space. "You seem to be doing alright."
"Well enough," he replied. "I'm happy to be of service to two keyblade masters." Riku nodded. It had dawned on him earlier that morning that they had little to no sufficient reason to trust Ienzo. Mickey had assured Riku of his loyalty, but Riku was still apprehensive about the situation. All that they knew about him for certain was that he was there, in the lab, when he was resurrected, and that he hadn't left much since. He had taken shelter with the Restoration Committee when the Organization had raided the study, but that could have been a ruse. Seeing his eye was not yellow certainly helped Ienzo's case, but, most of all, Riku trusted his king.
"And we're so glad you could join us!" Chimed Mickey. "Have you gotten any closer to figuring out what the organization was looking for?"
"It's unclear," Ienzo answered, "the data on Ansem the Wise's computer was tampered with. Nothing about Castle Oblivion or the origin of darkness within the heart remain. Even my own personal notes were stolen. However, files related to the origin of nobodies, the Princesses of Heart, and the Heart of All Worlds have also been opened. Whatever it is they're after, it's something that exists outside of the Organization's current plan, some knowledge they're trying desperately to recover."
"Do you think we should be taking this more seriously?" Inquired Riku.
"I don't see how you would right now. Your mission today seems severe enough," Ienzo remarked.
"He's right, Riku. Best to focus on what we can do now," Mickey agreed.
"Right. So, how do we get into the Realm of Darkness?" Riku asked. The single blue-eye stared at him blankly before Ienzo smiled thoughtfully.
"Well, how did you get there the first time?"
"We can't take that route." Mickey expressed determinedly.
"We were hoping you might have another solution." Riku implored. Ienzo folded one arm across his torso and rested his chin on his palm.
"You want me to activate a dark portal, is that it?" Ienzo observed.
"If that's not too much trouble," Mickey verified, "Lea was able to use one. Saved Sora and the rest of us."
"Couldn't Lea, then, have opened one for you?" Inquired Ienzo.
"He's busy right now," Riku replied, vaguely.
"Gosh, Ienzo, we were sure hoping you could help us with this. We're running out of options, and we can't risk bringing Lea out of hiding just yet," said Mickey.
"Hm. Has he jilted that many people?" Ienzo japed. Mickey attempted to say something, but Ienzo continued. "It's alright. Merlin told me this would happen. I'll see what I can do." Ienzo looked down at his attire. "Give me a moment." He turned and left the laboratory.
Suddenly aimless and terribly anxious, Riku reached for his phone and fiddled with the buttons on the screen until he found himself dialing one of five numbers that had been programmed in.
"Hello? Riku!" Sora beamed colorfully.
"Hey Sora," Riku smiled. His best friend's steadfast innocence brought comfort to Riku in the bleakest of times.
"Wow, I can see you so clearly!"
"Hiya Riku!" Goofy greeted from the corner.
"How was your trip?" Donald quacked from the other corner. "Is the king with you?"
"Still haven't left yet," Riku replied.
"Hey ya fellas!" Mickey leapt to greet the screen. Riku rose his phone and angled it downwards so they both could be seen.
"Aw." The trio expressed disappointedly in unison.
"Hey! Give us a break, it's not that easy getting into the Realm of Darkness." Riku said. He could hear Ienzo shuffling around the office. "How have you guys been? Saving the world still all it's cracked up to be?"
"For sure!" Sora said giddily. "In the last world, we were TOYS! Toys, Riku! Have you ever heard of such a-"
"I'll tell you what I told Merlin, I can only guarantee your passage to the realm in-between. From there, you'll be left to navigate on your own." Ienzo interrupted, strolling back into the lab wearing his black Organization uniform.
"Merlin?" Sora asked, "Merlin is there?"
"No, he's not." Riku replied, firmly, but not unkindly. He pulled the phone down to eye-level. "He was gone before we got here, apparently he knew we'd come by looking for Ienzo. He left us a sort-of legible map of the dark world."
"Sounds like he's really on top of things," Sora admired. "Did he mention where he was off to? Maybe he can help us track down the other Organization members before they commit any more heinous acts."
"Oh yea?" Riku smirked, fighting the urge to roll his eyes back into his skull.
"Yea! And his magic is really advanced, I bet if I learned a little more from him…"
"Sora?"
"What?"
"Let it go."
"What? What did I say?"
"What's Kairi supposed to do while her teacher is off training with some other student?"
"Well, I mean, she doesn't have to be-"
"Sora, she's fine, you're fine, I'm fine, we'll all be fine. Just, let her be. Let her get stronger on her own. Was she always around you when you were first learning to use the keyblade?"
"Well, actually, yea-"
"Okay, never mind. Look, Sora-"
"Riku…" Sora zeroed in on him, choosing his word carefully. "Axel abducted Kairi-"
"Yes, and Lea saved our lives."
"Yea, but"-
"Sora," he had to be stern, "don't do anything reckless." Though fiercely protective and given the ethical high ground, Riku was still only human, and detested seeing his friends' disappointment.
"Fine." Sora said, blowing his bangs out of his face. "I won't do anything reckless."
"She should be quite powerful," Ienzo interjected. Riku turned the camera towards the hooded figure, deflecting. "A pure heart of light and a keyblade master, and she's under Merlin's tutelage." Riku was dismayed to realize the precious pieces of information that had incidentally been divulged.
"Oh…" Sora uttered, recognition dawning on him. "I-Enz-O," he said slowly, "right."
"Charmed as always, Roxas," Ienzo's one eye scrutinized Sora's wide, baffled ones, "if you can, indeed, hear me." Sora stared silently a moment longer.
"Did you know Roxas well?" Sora asked carefully.
"Not very well. I was assigned to Castle Oblivion shortly after his induction into the Organization," Ienzo said, "He was an innocent one, that much was clear." The turn in conversation was making Riku uncomfortable. Of course, Roxas was innocent, he was part of Sora, what did that have to do with anything?
"Sora," Riku said, directing the camera back at himself "whatever you do, whatever you find out, do not open your heart under any circumstance, you got it? Promise me you won't look for Kairi and you won't stab yourself… or let anyone stab you, okay? Promise?"
"Terribly sorry, I don't mean to rush you, but I do loathe wearing this thing again." Ienzo said from behind him. Sudden dread crept over Riku as Ienzo summoned the darkness. Ienzo groaned as inky tendrils dispersed into an onyx abyss, beckoning him once again to the world below.
"I promise," agreed Sora.
"Let's hurry, Riku!" The little mouse cheered. "My sincerest thanks, Ienzo," he said, skipping happily into the black void.
"The darkness… It's too.." Ienzo grunted, clutching his free hand to his chest. The debilitating nature of his dark power was proof that he was no longer enslaved to it, but Riku himself had never experienced such strain as Ienzo was appearing to.
"Is he okay?" Asked Sora, panic-stricken.
"Riku, now!" Cried Ienzo. Riku peered back into the monitor.
"I have to go," he said, approaching the portal.
"Be safe, Riku" Sora's large blue eyes were filled with doubt. Riku wished he could bring him assurance in some way. Usually, Sora had to convince Riku of a brighter tomorrow, it wasn't supposed to be the other way around.
"You too, Sora," he said, pressing the end button as the darkness, once again, enveloped him entirely.