The Road to Dawn
By Ariana Aislinn
Chapter 29: Secrets of the Paopu

Sorry I took so long with this! I have a bunch of chapters written, but it's taking me some time to beta and then edit everything. They're kinda messy, so please be patient! I'll get them up eventually. Thank you Koorino Megumi for beta-reading this chapter!

Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me.

The sun was setting on Palm Island as ranks of silver-white Nobodies moved across the sand, their bodies undulating with each step. The Dusks marched in their own peculiar way, following a man in the black leather coat of Organization Thirteen - this one with short, blond hair and small gold hoops in each ear. He grinned, idly shuffling and reshuffling a set of cards in his hands, as he paced leisurely across the sand and surveyed the villagers before him. The islanders stood in a line in front of the open-air stalls of the marketplace, most looking fearful and subdued. Nobody guards stood here and there, keeping an eye on the prisoners.

At one end of the line stood a young teenager, his blond hair sticking out every which way. His brow furrowed, and a determined look crossed his face as he furtively leaned backward and picked up a stray pole that had fallen from a market display. As the man in black neared him, he struck out with his makeshift weapon.

The man laughed, catching the pole easily in his hand. He wrenched it away from the teen, roughly knocking him into the sand. "Nice try, boy, but you shouldn't play the game if you don't know the rules. I'll let you in on a secret…" He leaned down, smirking. "The rules say I win."

Behind a line of bushes some yards away, Riku clenched his fist as he watched Tidus struggle to get up, still staring Luxord down defiantly. He found himself involuntarily rising to his feet, but DiZ put a gloved hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down. "Not now," the man whispered. "We must make plans first." He beckoned to Riku and began to slip away from the bushes, still crouched low. Riku sighed and followed.

"Looks like they've been to several of the residential islands, too." Riku shook his head as he straightened and leaned against a palm tree, once they'd rounded the curve of the island and were relatively safe from detection. "You already told me they'd been to Star Island and captured Kairi's grandmother…do we know where she is?"

DiZ nodded. "I have a suspicion. I think they are using your Secret Place as a base."

Riku muttered under his breath. "Those low sons of - " Managing to restrain himself, he sighed. "So, what's our plan?"

"Hmm." DiZ stared thoughtfully out at the sea for a moment. "We have a few advantages, not the least of which is the element of surprise. There may only be two of us, but the Organization is not expecting any kind of real resistance on these islands. They are hoping merely to scare their captives into submission."

"So…we fight?"

"Possibly…but we must take care. We will need magic, I think." DiZ smiled. "I think we need to pay a visit to Waterfall Island."

"But if they've got Gran there, they'll be guarding her." Riku, like most of the other islanders, always called the old woman Gran. Ever since the night of the meteor shower when she and Kairi had first arrived on Destiny Islands, she had always acted as a grandmother to everyone, and even Riku had come to have a certain affection for her. "What, we're just going to walk up and say hi?"

"Not exactly what I had in mind. I believe we can wait for an opportune moment, however, and get close enough to speak with her while her captors sleep. A carefully crafted reflection spell should do the trick to keep us from being seen."

Riku frowned. "Okay…but how are we going to hold a conversation without waking up the Organization guys? That one back there certainly doesn't miss a trick."

DiZ smiled, showing his teeth - they were extremely white against his dark skin, and they showed all the more next to his red bandages. "No, he doesn't - so we wait until someone else is on guard duty. We may be able to slip past the young musician more easily, should they set him to watching Kairi's grandmother."

"What, Demyx?" Riku nodded slowly. "Yeah, that could work. But…if we did that, why not just make a break for it with Gran?"

DiZ shook his head. "Unwise. If we failed to get her out, we would have given away our presence on the islands, and the other islanders might be in danger of retribution if we succeeded. No, we need to make certain that the Destiny Islands are entirely safe."

Riku sighed in frustration. "Yeah, I know Tidus likes to sword fight with us, and he's pretty good - but no one on the islands has ever dealt with a real attack before, so even my friends wouldn't be too good at defending themselves - like you saw. We'd better make sure they're okay before we plan a major move, I guess. So…we wait for dark and see who they've got on guard duty?"

DiZ nodded. "The past two nights they have followed the same pattern - one of them stays with Kairi's grandmother while the other two go out on reconnaissance. Tonight, since they have made a full capture of Palm Island, I am certain one of them will remain here to keep an eye on the prisoners."

"Right. So…we leave?"

DiZ responded by extending his hand and creating a swirling portal of twilight power. They had decided earlier that although there was a small chance the Organization could detect a portal, it would be more difficult to hide a boat and to row from one island to the next without being seen. There was also the element of time, and they needed to move quickly.

Seconds later they had emerged on Waterfall Island - in fact, DiZ had sent them directly to Riku's island. Riku took a deep breath, looking around at the palm trees with their familiar, curving trunks. Tidus' extra wooden sword even lay on the ground; he was always forgetting it. For a moment, homesickness bubbled up within Riku, and he swallowed back a lump in his throat. "It'll be dark soon," he said gruffly, trying to push back the flood of emotion. He cleared his throat - much better - and gestured to the last fiery speck of light out over the water as the sun slipped beyond the horizon.

"Yes. Now, we wait. Within an hour we will know who is on guard duty for tonight, Demyx or Saïx."

"This Saïx guy…we don't want to run into him, right?"

DiZ shook his head. "Not if we can help it. He may not officially be second in command, but he follows Darkside in all things and is a capable strategist. He will be a hard one to fool."

Riku nodded and crept toward the seaside shack, peering out over the roof to look down at the entrance to the Secret Place. The warm glow of firelight emanated from the little cavern, flickering softly.

They stayed like that for some time, Riku behind the shack and peering out over the rooftop now and then, with DiZ sitting patiently on the ground behind him. Neither spoke for a long while, but finally Riku sighed softly.

"DiZ…there's something I wanna know."

"Yes?"

Riku frowned. "When we first met…you pretended to be Ansem, and you pushed me to use the darkness as a weapon. But…even before that, it was your voice, wasn't it? You were the one who called me out of the World of Darkness."

DiZ remained silent as Riku closed his eyes, remembering. He had been lost, drifting in the darkness. At first Mickey had been there, and they'd stood and fought the Heartless together, but it had not been long before the darkness had washed over Riku, sweeping away everything and leaving him in a strange state halfway between sleeping and waking. It had been…very much like this twilight that surrounded him now, the soft light that remained after the sun had set, slowly giving way to the darkness of night. Gradually awareness had returned, and with it had come the voice…

"Sleep. Here, between light and dark."

"Between…what? The king! Where's the king?! Together we closed the door to darkness, and after that…grr, why can't I remember?"

"Your king is far away. Sleep, and leave the war with darkness in his hands. The thorny light of awakening will bring only anguish to one in your state. Turn from the light. Shut your eyes."

"You talk like I'm some kind of demon of the dark."

Riku kept his eyes closed, letting the memory wash over him. "I…was filled with the darkness. And…I still am." He sighed. "But I chose to wake, and…you were right. The light of awakening did hurt. It still does." The soft light of the sunset, he knew, would not have been so gentle and pleasant if it hadn't been for his protective blindfold. Without it, the sun's dying light would have been unbearably bright. He took a deep breath. "I can still smell it in the air - taste it. The darkness is all around me. Will I…will I ever get rid of it, DiZ? Why did you want me to use it?"

DiZ shook his head. "I did not place the darkness around you, Riku. Darkness is never an easy thing to shake free of, and, for some, the apparent futility eventually leads them even deeper into the darkness. But you - you had managed to claw your way up through it, to a degree. You had exhausted your strength, and you floated in nothingness, halfway between the light and the dark. I could not take away the darkness - you are the only one who can do that, and it will be difficult. Yes, I could have left you there, to sleep forever. But would you have been happy with such an existence?"

Riku looked at the ground. "…No. I wouldn't have wanted that."

"Exactly. And so I woke you, and I gave you the means to travel back to your own world." DiZ smiled. "You may not have realized how close you were to my realm at the time. After all, I rule over that which lies between light and dark. You came to my attention quite easily."

"But…if I'm so vulnerable to the darkness, why push me to use it?"

"Simple. Either you master it, or it masters you. I did give you a choice. You chose to face it head on, rather than allow Naminé to lock your memories away along with the darkness."

"Yeah…Naminé." Riku sighed, shaking his head. "DiZ, who is she really? And why…why did the Organization keep her in that castle?" He muttered to himself. "I should have taken her with me when I left. I should have helped her."

"The journey you had to make would not have been easy on her, any more than it was for you, and she is still quite vulnerable." DiZ spoke in a slightly strained voice. "How many times I have wished I could help her…but I could not have prevented the Organization from coming after her, and I could not have shielded her against the harsh realities she had to face - not until the time was right."

Riku nodded reluctantly. "I guess I understand that. How did she get there, anyway? She always…seems so sad. She told me she was nothing, that she had no home, no past. In fact, I kinda got the impression she didn't feel as if she had a self, if you know what I mean. She never really thought of herself as whole person."

"Organization lies. She has spent so long under their sway, it is difficult for her to believe anything but the reality they gave to her."

Riku closed his eyes again, picturing that gentle face, smiling sadly. Somehow he forgot to press DiZ to answer his question, about who Naminé really was.

They sat in silence for a while longer, until DiZ gently touched Riku's shoulder. "Look, there."

Riku peered out over the roof of the shack, and sure enough, a black-coated figure was walking along the sand, away from the Secret Place. Riku squinted, looking more closely, and grinned. It was Saïx - meaning Demyx had been left behind. "So…now what, we wait for him to fall asleep?"

DiZ nodded. "I think it likely that he will, if we give it time. Let us wait another half hour, and then we will go have a look."

Riku settled into the shadows, schooling himself to patience. They spoke no more for a time, and he found himself deep in his own thoughts.

Eventually DiZ rose, and Riku followed. They made their way quietly down to the sand, dropping softly from the roof of the shack. DiZ wrapped both of them in a simple reflection spell, and they crept toward the Secret Place and the flickering firelight within.

Demyx was not yet asleep; they could hear soft chords as he idly plucked at his sitar. They stood in silence, however, watching and waiting, and Riku could just see his head begin to nod as his fingers slowed, then stilled. Exchanging a glance with DiZ, he nodded and began to move quietly into the cavern.

The Secret Place was just as Riku remembered - the soft moss, the sound of the waterfalls, and the old drawings made with soft kila rocks, scraping them so their lighter color rubbed off on the dark stone walls. Riku glanced at the familiar images, a slight smile tugging at his lips, but he stopped and frowned as he saw one of the oldest pictures. Sora and Kairi had drawn each other's portraits when they were still very small children. Now, however, the portraits had a new addition - each now reached out a hand, offering a simple star shape to the other. Paopu fruits, Riku thought.

There was no time to ponder the drawings further. Kairi's grandmother sat against the wall, her wrists and ankles tied. The old woman appeared to have nodded off as well, but she came awake and looked around in confusion when Riku touched her softly on the shoulder.

"Shh," he whispered, as she tried to focus on the blur in the air before her. "We don't want to wake Demyx. Don't make a sound." He reached out with Soul Eater and gently cut the bonds on her wrists and ankles, then took her elbow and helped her to her feet.

The woman looked uncertain, but she followed as Riku led her out to the entrance of the cavern. "Who are you?" she whispered when they were safely out of earshot.

Riku hesitated. "I'm…a friend." His hood was up, his blindfold was tied tightly, and the reflection spell was still solidly in place, but he felt strangely uneasy. "We've both come to help."

"You're taking me out of here?"

DiZ shook his head, stepping close. He, too, was little more than a blur in the dim light. "No, madam. We cannot risk alerting your captors to our presence until we are prepared to help the other islanders."

She nodded solemnly. "Thank you. Do you have a plan?"

"No…we were hoping you might be able to help us with that."

Riku crouched down; he hadn't realized that he'd gotten so much taller than the short woman. "What is it they want from you? Why are they holding the islanders hostage? All we know is that they're looking for information about the Seekers of Wisdom. Is there anything else you can tell us?"

The woman looked back and forth at the two blurs, frowning thoughtfully - obviously trying to decide how much she could trust them with. Finally she gave them a strange smile. "They don't know it yet, but…I think what they really want to know about is Paosurala."

Riku blinked at the woman. "Uh…what's Paosurala?"

"The secrets of star magic - mostly lost in time, though there are still remnants here on these islands. Among other things, star magic was once used to affect the heart in different ways."

"That is certainly what they are after, then," said DiZ. "The Organization is made up of those whose hearts have been lost or destroyed. One of their primary goals is most assuredly to restore their hearts."

"Do you think it can be done?" asked Riku.

He asked the question of DiZ, but it was Kairi's grandmother who answered. "That's difficult to say, but it might be possible." She scowled. "Still…it's no excuse for what they've done. It does explain a bit, if they've lost their hearts. They have no feeling for what they're putting folks through."

"So…" Riku frowned thoughtfully. "Do you know the secrets of Paosurala?"

The old woman shook her head. "No…at least, not most of them. I can't use magic myself, you see, but I do know a few things." She smiled that secret smile again, unfolding her apron to produce a small, ripe paopu fruit.

Riku blinked at her in confusion. "A paopu?"

"Ah." She waggled a finger at him. "You think it's only a folk tale, a game for children and love-struck youngsters. The paopu was created by the Seekers of Wisdom who first settled Destiny Islands, however, and it uses some of the basic principles of star magic. I don't know much about it, myself, but I do know that if used right, the paopu can shield the heart."

"Wait…paopu really can affect the heart? And people's destinies?"

The woman shrugged. "That I don't know, but it's possible it may hold a key to restoring hearts. If that's the case, though, then these Organization people shouldn't have it. They're ruthless enough as it is. I feel sorry for them if they've lost their hearts, but power like star magic, even in a form like the paopu, shouldn't be theirs."

"I agree," DiZ said smoothly. "In other circumstances, I would want to help them in their quest, but…from the very beginning, they have hurt others to get what they want. Our first priority is to prevent them from doing any more damage."

Riku turned to DiZ. "So…what's our plan, then?"

"Hmm." DiZ paused, thinking. "We cannot bargain easily…but we may be able to bluff."

"What - promise them the secrets of star magic long enough to set the islanders free?"

"Yes. This dear lady does not know the secrets, but if she could pretend she did…would you be willing, madam?"

She nodded. "Of course. So…I tell the rascals what they want to hear, and once they free the islanders, you'll…"

"We'll kick them off the island. You got it. DiZ, you think we can do that?"

"I believe so. We may be able to force them through a portal."

"But…what's to stop them from coming back?"

"We'll have to trust our luck…but I do not believe it will be a problem. They will believe the lady knows nothing of use, and they will move on to more productive sources of information."

Kairi's grandmother grinned, a twinkle in her eye. "Well…I wouldn't say I know absolutely nothing. Here." She pressed the paopu into Riku's hands. "Keep it. You may want to pick another before you leave. I don't know very much, but I can tell you that whatever secrets the paopu holds, it will respond to the use of five elements. One must be a manifestation of light, another a manifestation of darkness, but the other three can be any element. That's all I know, but you might be able to use it - maybe even to protect someone's heart. But be careful with it - it can be dangerous if misused, as with any power."

He stared at it, holding it carefully in his blurred and nearly-invisible gloved hand. "Does it…does it actually work? What they say about binding people's fates together?"

The woman laughed softly. "Enough schoolchildren have tried it to know better…but who knows? I think you might discover that it has many powers that will come to someone with a strong will and a faithful heart."

DiZ straightened. "We are grateful for all your assistance, madam. Now…" He sighed apologetically. "I'm afraid we must return you to your captors. Are they treating you well?"

"Oh, well enough - don't worry about me, sir." She smiled. "I understand. So…tomorrow, then?"

DiZ nodded, though she could not see it. "We will make our move tomorrow. Watch for us, but please do your best not to alert anyone to our presence before it is time."

"Of course."

"I'm afraid we must retie your bonds so they will not suspect. I won't be but a moment." DiZ went around to the seaside shack to gather some remnants of twine, which had been used to tie the woman's wrists and ankles before.

Despite the reflection spells, Kairi's grandmother turned and smiled at Riku. "Even though you can't free me right now…thank you, for everything you've done."

"Um…sure. It's no big deal," he muttered gruffly.

"Do…you know if Kairi is all right?" Worry touched her voice. Riku made no answer, stunned by her question, but she pressed on. "If you're from offworld, you must know where she went. She sent you to help us, didn't she?" She simply nodded at his silence. "I thought so. Please take care of her, will you, Riku?" She fumbled for his hand and grasped it, pressing it warmly before dropping it as DiZ returned.

DiZ quietly led her back into the cavern, where he gently tied her wrists and ankles once more. Riku stood in the entryway, watching. DiZ pushed past him to exit the cavern, but Riku continued to stare into the Secret Place. Despite the blindfold, the hood, and the reflection spell, his eyes met the old woman's, and she smiled.

Riku turned and strode quickly out of the Secret Place, catching up to DiZ.

Kairi's grandmother sighed heavily, shaking her head. Her eyes fell on the sleeping form of Demyx, his head resting against the stone wall of the cavern as he let out a soft snore. The snore stopped, and he opened one eye to look at his captive. A slight grin touched his face.

Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. More Riku goodness coming up!