Chapter 54: Hyena Scratch

"Has 19 complained to you about 23?" Riku asked, as he sat down on the couch next to Namine. "Or was that just me?"

Namine frowned. "Well…" she replied slowly. "He hasn't complained, but I thought I heard the two of them arguing earlier. Though… I wasn't exactly sure if it was them… I still can't distinguish them by voice only."

Riku laughed. Namine turned to him, slightly confused, but she couldn't help but smile.

"Sorry," he said. "But… I can hardly tell them apart just by their voices. I mean, there are a few who I know, just because they're obvious or because I spend time with them the most but-" he laughed again. "Honestly, if it isn't 29, 19, 2, or the original Vexen, your guess is as good as mine."

Namine laughed.

However, that reminded her, she still hadn't asked Riku about his attitude to the original Vexen. Or, the Vexen from the parallel universe, technically. She wondered briefly if Riku only called him the original because to him, that's what he was. However, it didn't really matter.

"I wonder what 23's problem is, anyways…" Riku muttered. "It sounds like he's been complaining for a while, from the way 19 put it."

But… maybe now wasn't the right time to ask.

Besides, she had a nagging feeling that there was something else she wanted to ask Riku, and it was important. She just… couldn't remember what.

She decided it wasn't worth it, and just went back to focusing on the conversation.

"Maybe you could talk to him," she suggested. Riku only laughed again.

"Please," he said. "I don't care that much. If it becomes an issue, though…" he trailed off, and then just shrugged.

"At least 19's helpful," Namine said. "Finding all that research for us. Even if the research itself wasn't helpful-"

Riku rolled his eyes at this and groaned slightly.

"At least he's trying…" Namine finished quietly.

Riku was silent for a moment, thinking about that. "Yeah," he said finally. "You're right. He seems to be doing more around here than anyone else, when it comes to researching your meltdowns."

Namine frowned, noting a touch of bitterness in his voice as he said this.

"I'm sure if you asked, plenty of people would help," she said.

He sighed. "Maybe…" he whispered, slowly turning away.

Namine raised her eyebrows, noticing something. "Riku," she laughed. "Look at me." Her voice was stern, but still kind.

Riku frowned, confused, but turned back to her.

"What's this?" she asked him, reaching out and running her fingers over the scratch on his cheek.

He was silent for a second, trying to come up with a coherent response to that. It was hard, as his thoughts refused to stray from where they currently were. And his thoughts were currently focused on his pounding heart and the feel of her hand on his cheek. Her touch was warm, and soft, and gentle.

A smile played on his lips.

I wonder if her thoughts ever get all crazy like this… he couldn't help but think.

It would be such a weird question to ask.

Let alone stupid…

He quickly pulled his thoughts back to forming an answer, though struggled slightly in doing so. Finally, all he managed to reply was:

"Well I- what?"

Namine laughed. "There's a scratch on your cheek," she told him simply.

"Still?" he asked, finally forming a coherent thought. That scratch had had weeks to heal. He was quite shocked that it hadn't. "That's weird," he said. "That should have healed a while ago."

She shrugged. "I'm more surprised that I just now noticed it."

She ran her fingers over the scratch again, and Riku tried as hard as he possibly could to keep his thoughts from going crazy again. He did his best to try and figure out why the scratch was still there, instead. However, it was hard to think about for some reason.

"I just…" he said after a moment. "I don't understand…"

"It probably got infected," Joseph said, coming from seemingly nowhere. "Y'know, with darkness. Darkness always scars. Especially if you don't bother to treat it properly."

Namine raised her eyebrows. "Darkness…?" she asked slowly.

Joseph stifled some laughter at the look Namine was giving Riku. It was an odd mix of concern, anger, and confusion. Riku gave her nothing more than a helpless look back, as if unsure if what to say in response.

"Well," Joseph continued, figuring he'd respond for Riku. "Considering what got him-"

His plans to help Riku were quickly foiled as Riku shot a deadly glare at him. He swallowed the rest of that sentence.

Namine frowned.

Riku sighed.

"Sora… got me…" he muttered, turning away. "We were fighting a couple of hyenas, and his darkness got out of control. I tried to make sure no one got hurt, but… well… I did…"

Namine raised her eyebrows at the "hyenas" part, but didn't press that issue. There were more important things at hand than wondering where in the Worlds Sora and Riku had been that had hyenas.

"Sora apologized, right?" she asked instead.

"He doesn't know," Riku whispered. "I don't think he remembers what happened, and I didn't bother to tell him. I didn't think-"

"Hey," Namine laughed, interrupting him. She gently turned his face so he was looking at her again. "Don't blame yourself, alright?"

"But I-" Riku began.

Namine stopped him again. "Just don't," she said.

Riku slowly smiled.

"Oh please," Joseph moaned. "You two aren't gonna-"

"Going to what?" they replied simultaneously, both confused.

Joseph stared at them in shock. There was silence for a moment, as they tried to figure out what he meant, and he tried to decide what to think of them. Finally, he just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm just gonna leave you two alone…" he muttered, starting off. He paused after a few steps though, turning back to them with a wicked grin on his face. "Though, Riku, that probably wouldn't have scarred if you had used the Repair Program." He laughed maniacally and ran off before Riku could get too angry.

"Really?" Riku called after him.

Namine's eyes widened in shock, remembering what it had been that she had been meaning to ask Riku. "Repair Program?" she asked, pulling her hand away from Riku's face. "What's-"

Her sentence was cut short as a scythe was brought swinging down, just narrowly missing them as it embedded itself into the couch right between them. They sat there for a moment, eyeing the scythe in shock.

"Are you okay?" Riku asked after a moment, turning to Namine.

She nodded. "You?"

He nodded and then turned, quickly locating the Marluxia Replica that the scythe belonged to. It was Tulip.

"Hey!" he shouted. "That nearly hit us!"

"I am so sorry, sir!" Tulip said quickly, summoning his scythe back to him. "I'm having trouble with the-"

His sentence was cut short by the sound of a few opening dark corridors. Both he and Riku groaned, as 37 and the usual set of Replicas that were sent with him emerged. There was, however, a distinct lack of Larxene Replicas. Namine sighed and formed a dark corridor, heading to her room before anyone saw her.