Chapter 238: Teeming Darkness

"…I suppose that did come back to bite me," Vexen grumbled, his eyes flickering over Riku's data again. He stood at the computer near the door—the one closest to the cot they'd put Riku on. 7 was at the other computer (the one next to the cot Toby was on), and Vexen thought he was also looking at Riku's data, but wasn't sure.

7 looked up at him, then, his brow furrowed with worry.

"What did you do?" 7 asked. He sounded like he dreaded the answer.

"I, uh…" Vexen coughed. He felt quite awkward now that he had to explain it. Especially that he had to explain it to someone who knew the dangers of— "I may have… built him… without a lot of the darkness protection protocols I would normally give a Replica." The last set of words came out in a blur, as if speaking them quickly would prevent 7 from understanding them.

(It wouldn't.)

"You did what?!" 7 gaped for a moment. Then he started yelling. "Even in this universe we know better! Darkness is one of the most deadly things for a Replica—it is the most vicious and most likely to attempt to change our data, which, may I remind you, does not like being changed. And having it be tampered with by external forces such as—"

Vexen cut him off. "I know! I know." He sighed. "I just wasn't sure if he'd be able to properly utilize the darkness to its full potential if he had shields to protect his data from it. I assumed it'd hamper his control over it? I'm not sure why, but I didn't think it'd be…" He broke off, his heart sinking.

He distinctly remembered having thought that, yes, it could be dangerous. He also distinctly remembered not caring.

He knew he hadn't cared because he'd lacked a heart at the time, but that hardly comforted him.

"How could you have been so stupid?" 7 demanded.

Vexen jumped a little, startled by the accusation.

"I- I wasn't thinking?" he stammered. "He was a rushed job—I thought I need to act quickly to… well…" He decided not to mention that he'd intended to use Riku to stop Larxene and Marluxia, all that time ago. He shook his head and continued: "Honestly, at the time, I thought it wouldn't make a huge difference."

7 didn't look much happier, but he also didn't start yelling again. That was good.

"Besides… he's fine, really!" Vexen said quickly, to distract the topic from his… past deeds. He gestured to the computer screen he was at, not that 7 was close enough to see. "His darkness levels are higher than normal, yes, but he can withstand these levels. I'm sure of that, at least."

"But he doesn't have any darkness protection?" 7 asked, to be clear.

Vexen fumed a little. He'd hope to get out of answering that question.

"Well, no, but—"

"Vexen! Toby literally just died because he had too much power rushing through him," 7 interrupted. He drummed his fingers impatiently against the desk. "You really expect me to not worry about Riku? Especially when the darkness is so much more deadly…"

"He's not compatible with this program, 7," Vexen reminded him. "There's nothing we can do, even if we wanted to."

"You'll have to do something about him being incompatible eventually…" 7's eyes darted over Riku, still asleep, then he returned his attention to his computer. "What if something goes seriously wrong with his data, hmm? What will you do then?"

Vexen swallowed. He'd been wondering that himself. "I'll figure something out," he assured 7. "But, for right now, there's nothing we can do. Of- of course..." He forced a small laugh, to lighten the mood. "It's not like it matters right now, seeing as Riku's not in any immediate danger."

"But he is in danger?"

The forced smile fell from Vexen's lips. He didn't reply.

After a second more of clicking aimlessly at the computer, Vexen turned his attention to Riku once again. It was funny, how serene he could look when he was unconscious. Vexen'd never seen the boy look so calm in his entire life. Vexen's attention trailed down, away from Riku's face and to his abdomen, over the spot of black which had patched his skin.

It was so odd. Vexen had never heard of the darkness doing anything like this before, but that certainly confirmed one thing: the darkness in Riku was quite alive, and likely quite deadly. Somehow it had grown past the initial strength it'd been programmed to be… but how?

Vexen's thoughts were derailed as King Mickey stepped into the room.

"How's Riku doin'?" King Mickey asked, glancing between 7 and Vexen, as if he wasn't sure which he should be asking the question. Vexen couldn't blame him.

Vexen was honestly a little surprised the King cared to ask about Riku, however—or he was surprised until he thought about it a second longer. King Mickey was the one who'd healed Riku, along with the one who'd dragged all four of the kids back to Castle Oblivion. And Vexen'd always known the King to be a compassionate man, er, mouse, so it really was only logical and expected for him to come to check up on Riku.

Vexen sent one last look at the boy, and then turned his attention to the King.

"Riku is alright," he said. "The darkness, well…" He sent a nervous glance at Riku again, eyes still lingering on the spot of black. How to explain to King Mickey, without making himself feel like more of a fool? "…it was a flaw of his Programming—a flaw in the way I'd built him," Vexen settled on, finally.

"Can't you fix him up?" King Mickey pressed. His eyes narrowed slightly with confusion.

"Not here," Vexen replied. "He's- he's not from this universe, either, and there's nothing I can do about him with the computers that are here."

"You were able to pull up his data to observe it," 7 corrected.

Vexen shot him a dirty glance. "But I cannot edit it, and you know that," he said, slowly, trying not to sound too angry. It would be bad form, and in front of the King…

"Who's that?" King Mickey asked, a little suddenly.

Vexen was a little confused, at first, but then he saw where the King's attention had fallen. It'd fallen right on Toby.

There was a clench in Vexen's gut.

"That's Toby," 7 said, his voice quiet.

King Mickey sent a brief look at 7, then his attention was back on Toby. He took a few steps closer to Toby's cot. "Is he alright?"

7 opened his mouth to speak, but the words cracked on his tongue. He closed his mouth again and shook his head. Vexen swallowed. King Mickey tensed quite noticeably. Obviously the lack of an answer had been enough.

"What happened to him?" The King's voice was much more somber when he spoke this time.

"It- it was… a spell misfire," 7 said. It was a simplification, but Vexen didn't really blame him for it.

King Mickey hung his head.

"So he's…"

But even he couldn't finish the sentence.

7 nodded. "Y-yes."

King Mickey had to turn away. After a moment or two of silence, he turned to Vexen. He looked incredibly disheartened, and though his voice didn't crack, it wasn't as chipper as normal.

"I… I hafta ask… was that… Ienzo? Who led me here? I mean, he's obviously a Replica but—"

Vexen nodded. He hadn't seen anyone lead the King here, but obviously Alpha had. "Yes," he said. "He's a Replica of Ze—Ienzo." He caught himself at the last second. While it was true Alpha was a Zexion Replica, there was no telling whether or not King Mickey would understand that Zexion and Ienzo were one in the same person. Theoretically, he should, but… better safe than sorry.

"Where is Ienzo?" King Mickey asked.

Vexen shrugged, slowly. "I can really only speak for my Ienzo, which is in the other universe…" He sent a look over at 7. "But… here… Zexion was?"

"He's dead now," 7 said.

"I figured."

Everyone else in the Organization was dead, after all. And he would've seen Zexion had he not been dead. Most likely.

"Shoulda known," King Mickey mumbled. He sighed deeply. "He was in the Organization, after all, wasn't he?"

The heartbreak on the King's face was unbearable.

"Well, don't worry, he'll be back," Vexen told him, quickly. He was just hoping to reassure the King, but he realized his mistake when the King's eyes narrowed with confusion.

"Whaddya mean, 'he's coming back'?" the King asked.

"Yes, Vexen," 7 said, firmly. "What do you mean, 'he's coming back'?"

"Ah…" Vexen cleared his throat. He hadn't even considered having to explain this. It wasn't like he assumed they knew, he just hadn't thought this over.. "Well. When a Heartless and Nobody are defeated, in that order—Heartless first, Nobody second—it about guarantees the return of the original somebody that they used to be."

King Mickey stared up at Vexen, his whole body tense with disbelief or anger at the news. "Is that true?" he asked.

"If it were not, I would not be standing here before you," Vexen answered.

The King's hands clenched into fists, and he looked towards the ground. "All that work… for nothing…"

Vexen paled. It was just now that the implications of this settled in his mind. If this universe's Zexion would likely be back, then the rest of the Organization here would likely be back, too. Including…

"Ah, Xemnas is dead, then?" he asked.

King Mickey nodded slowly.

Vexen felt himself start shivering, and he clutched at the computer desk to steady himself. "Ah. That- that would mean… that Xehanort is… is coming back." His throat was awfully dry.

If Xemnas had wanted him, there was no denying Xehanort would want him, too.

King Mickey's whole body clenched with anger. Had Vexen not known the mouse better, he would've feared his outburst. But King Mickey was not someone who was prone to such outbursts.

Even so…

"I am not happy about this realization, either, Your Majesty," Vexen said. "It didn't even occur to me until—"

"It's fine," King Mickey interrupted, sharply. He started pacing, and over all looked incredibly twitchy and jumpy. "It's fine," he repeated. "Xehanort'll come back and we'll finish him off for good." He paused. Sent an uneasy glance up at Vexen. "It will be for good, won't it?"

"I am quite certain of that, Your Majesty," Vexen said. He nodded eagerly, happy to please with this question. Then again… this was Xehanort… "Well… he shouldn't have any means to come back after this, as far as I'm aware of, anyway," Vexen corrected. "But there is no telling what that man may have plotted."

King Mickey tapped his toes impatiently against the ground, but nodded to show he'd heard. "I need to go," he said, rather quickly.

"Go where, Your Majesty?"

Vexen looked up. It was Sora who'd spoken—no mistaking that voice. Kairi was with him.

"I need to talk to Yen Sid," the King told Sora. "Again," he added, almost as if it were an afterthought. Perhaps… an afterthought they weren't supposed to have heard. King Mickey seemed awfully antsy, after all.

Vexen grimaced a little, considering it was his fault the King was so unsettled. But, then again, what else would he have done? Not told him about Xehanort?

"What about?" Sora asked. Clearly, he hadn't heard the bit about Xehanort. Was that a good thing?

"Uh…" King Mickey began.

He sent a look over at Vexen, then gave a quick shake of his head. Vexen frowned, trying to decipher what that'd meant.

"Nothing to worry about right- right now," King Mickey said, returning his attention to Sora. There was a reassuring smile on his face—well faked. "I'll let you know if anything's up, but I hafta talk to Yen Sid first. To be sure." His eyes narrowed, then as he studied Sora. "Do you have a way home…?" he asked.

"Yeah I'll find something," Sora replied.

"Alright. Good. See ya."

The King slipped out into the hallway, activated his star shard, and was gone. Vexen sent a worried glance out after him, and Sora and Kairi both did too. Sora shrugged after a moment, clearly not worried, but Vexen…

Vexen couldn't help but wonder why King Mickey didn't want to tell Sora about Xehanort. That would've been a good idea, wouldn't have it? Sora needed to know eventually, so why not now? And had the King signaled for him to… not tell Sora?

And why does he need to speak to Yen Sid? Vexen pondered. Does he really distrust me that—never mind. I suppose I am not an easy person to—

"Where's Namine!?"

Vexen jumped a little, startled.

Riku'd woken up.