- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Riku's Report #3: Bad Union

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Through the blackened haze, cloaked in shadow, Riku followed Maleficent's directions - or rather, the feel of the place she had given him. It had to be exact...

"Precision is the key to all travels, no matter where or through what," she lectured, gliding past him. "Always know where you are going..." here she stopped, looking ahead, "or prepare to lose your way. Beware wandering the darkness, Riku. It will not hesitate to claim you."

Distorted by time and space, odd echoes drifted back to Riku's mind - cries of pain, battle shouts, voices...

All the same, the constant whisper in the back of his mind caused him almost to lose focus. It said nothing, just providing a presence in his consciousness, neither strengthening nor abating. Riku was beginning to learn to ignore it.

One voice out of millions...

...but when everything else is muted, the one thing is easy to find.

If darkness has anything, it's the power of silence.

There was a screeling cry, and the darkness gave way. Riku leapt clear, slashing out with his sword to dispel the waiting Heartless, then turned to the small group the Shadows had been pursuing.

"There you are," Riku grinned, shouldering his blade. "What's going on?"

"Riku!" Sora exclaimed, running over to his friend. Riku blinked in surprise as Sora proceeded to tug his friend's mouth into odd shapes. He recovered quickly enough, batting Sora away with a laugh.

"Hey, hey, cut it out."

"I'm not dreaming this time... right?"

"I hope not," Riku replied with a chuckle, brushing strands of hair from his eyes. They immediately fell back into place. "It took me forever to find you."

Sora grinned back. "Riku!"

- - - - -

Reunited, the friends started off - when suddenly Sora halted in midstride. "Wait a second. Where's Kairi?"

"Isn't she with you?" Riku turned, his look of puzzlement changing as Sora hung his head, defeated. "Well, don't worry," he continued quickly, walking past Sora as he began to pace, "I'm sure she made it off the island, too. He glanced back to the younger boy, then up at the buildings. "We're finally free. Hey, she might even be looking for us now. We'll all be together again soon."

He paused, then grinned. "Don't worry. Just leave everything to me. I know this-"

A metallic ring echoed, and he turned back, alarmed. What he saw, however, surprised him even more.

Sora was crouched low, his right hand held behind him, gripping an odd weapon of sorts. Is that a key?

Riku watched as Sora straightened up, expertly twirled the thing, and laid it confidently on his shoulder. "Leave it to who?"

Riku started towards Sora, not quite sure he believed what he'd just seen. Was this really...? "Sora... w-what did you..."

"I've been looking for you." Sora replied evenly. "And Kairi, too. With their help."

Speaking of... "Who are they?"

For the first time, Riku truly looked at Sora's new companions. Whatever they were... A duck... I think... and... whatever that thing is. You sure find strange people to hang with...

The first of them was of small stature, wearing a vest and a hat. It was pure white, with a large orange bill and matching webbed feet. Riku was almost certain he was a duck at some point or other, come to think of it... Kinda creepy, how it goes around with a shirt but no pants...

Riku ended that thought immediately, and turned his attention to appraise the second of Sora's companions.

The taller one was what got Riku's attention. Two buck teeth jutted out from a soft muzzle, topped by what could have either been king of all olives or a ovuloid nose. He nodded along with his companion, loose ears flopping at his side. He wore a green vest, gloves, and baggy tan pants, as well as a pair of goggles. Unlike the first, Riku had no earthly idea what it could have been.

"Ahewm," the duck started, and Riku blinked. The thing sounded nasal, hoarse and slightly whiney, all at once. "Mhy name ish-"

"We visited so many places and worlds, looking for you," Sora interrupted, much to Riku's relief. How Sora could stand that was beyond him... maybe you just got used to it...?

"Really?" Riku mused. "Well, what do you know. I never would have guessed."

Inwardly, he smirked. I knew it... he wouldn't abandon me, or Kairi. I knew it...

"Orr, and guess what?" the other companion started in, and mentally, Riku rolled his eyes. What did you do, hire from the circus? "Saora's the keyblade myaster!"

"Who would've thought it?" At least, that's what it sounded like the duck said...

Riku ignored them, reaching out and snagging the strange weapon while the three were otherwise occupied. He set to inspect it as Sora whirled upon the duck, who glared up at him with crossed arms-wings? No, they were definitely arms- in defiance.

"What's that mean?!"

"So... this is called a keyblade?"

"Huh?" Sora looked up, then glanced to his clearly empty hand. "Hey! Give it back!"

As the one ran forward to reclaim his new toy- ...er... weapon, the other stepped back, raising it high. Riku held the pose for just a moment before giving a mental shrug. "Catch."

"Woah-" Sora caught it, fumbling with it for a moment before getting a firm grip on the thing. Smooth as always, I see. Heh.

"Okay. So you're coming with us, right? We've got this awesome rocket! Wait till ya see it!"

"Nroo!" the duck squawked indignantly. "He can't com-muh!"

"What?"

"Forget it!"

Riku stared at the two, suddenly wary. Surely not...

Sora leaned down, as if to confer. "Oh, come on! He's my friend!"

Oh, now I get it, Riku thought bitterly. You'd rather stick around with the traveling circus and ask their permission? Ask them if I can come too? Maybe you should ask 'pretty please.' Jeez, Sora, you've only known me your whole life. Guess I'm not all that important to you.

"I don't care!"

If that's how it's gonna be... Maleficent was right about you. I can't believe I stood up for you. I thought I knew you, Sora...

He stepped back and past the town, fading out of sight. Inwardly he seethed. How dare Sora even consider ditching him?! After all this time, what did he do? Demand that Riku come, or that he go with Riku now? No... he had to ask permission-

As he left, he caught the last few pieces of speech.

"He's gawrne!"

"Riku? ...Nice going. Oh, well..."

Stick together, huh? Best friends forever, huh? Yeah, right.

As he left the darkness, Riku could swear he heard a faint, echoing laugh. It stayed with him far after he stepped clear into the palace hall, stalking away in fury.

The last echoes of the laugh remained with him as he punched the wall in anger, ignoring the pain in his fist.

Presently he drew away, taking a deep breath that ended in a sigh, and turned to go, stopping only when Maleficent's dark figure glided to his side. The monitor screens on the opposite wall blinked to show a relaxed and happy Sora and the Dorky Duo, now playing at a 'tube near you...

Riku's face became impassive, but his fists clenched.

"You see?" she asked, sounding vaguely annoyed. "It's just as I told you. While you toiled away trying to find your dear friend, he quite simply replaced you with some new companions. Evidently, now he values them for more than he does you. You're better off without that wretched boy." Her voice grew progressively softer, gentler, and eventually she crouched slightly to place an arm about Riku's tense shoulders, her dark glare softening to a cold smile. "Now, think no more of him, and come with me. I'll help you find what you're searching for..."

- - - - - -

From then on, Riku obeyed every order given him. Maleficent brought him before a council of others, introducing him as her apprentice. Largely what this meant was that he became an errand boy of sorts, helping retrieve things. It did not escape his notice, however, that their attentions were largely focused upon Sora...

...well, let them focus. Riku became more and more disgusted with every new thing he saw. It wasn't as if Sora really cared about him or Kairi anymore - all he seemed set on doing was running about randomly, killing what he could and making friends with just about everything else. He certainly didn't seem too interested in finding older, supposedly dearer ones...

Blinking, Riku returned from his reverie and back into the present, where the blue-haired... alright, it was pushing it to call a mess of flame hair... where the fire-headed Hades was talking. "That smarmy vizier could've had 'em... if someone had stuck around to give them a hand."

"Hey, I did my part," Riku replied, only a slight hint of bitterness in his voice. Do what you want, but I'm not about to help kill Sora. Some of us remember who our friends... were. "I brought the princess, didn't I?"

"Jafar was beyond help, consumed by his own hared," Maleficent' mellifluous voice smoothly cut in. "One should beware of letting it burn too fiercely."

"Whoa, whoa - lighten up," Hades said, a nervous laugh edging his voice. "I'm as cool as they come, okay?"

He turned to Riku. "By the way, kid, have we got something special for you."

"Huh?" Riku looked from Hades to Maleficent.

"We had a deal, yes?" Maleficent asked. Green lights lit the table, a circle spiraling outwards. "You help us..." Four smaller circles appeared, giving the circle edges - "...and we grant your wish."

A miniature image of Kairi appeared, floating above the circle.

Riku's reaction was instantaneous, leaping forward as if to embrace the small figure. "Kairi!"

"Go to her," Maleficent told him. "Your vessel is waiting."

Footsteps echoed, each step heralded with a precise click. The first thing Riku saw was red - the swaggering figure seemed to dress predominately in its color scheme, and favored ruffles and robes. "Just remember this is no pleasure cruise," he declared, twirling one of his two amazingly straight black whiskers. His hand was missing; in its place was a sharp, gleaming metal hook. "It won't be a pleasant voyage."

"Why are you doing all this for me?" Riku questioned, turning his attention back to Maleficent. "What's the catch?"

"Catch," Maleficent repeated softly, slowly turning. "What's the catch? Silly boy. You're like a son to me," she intoned, moving nearer to Riku, and reaching out a pale hand to caress his face. "I only want you to be happy."

Riku knocked her hand away, leaping back and out of her reach. "I seriously doubt that."

"Believe what you wish," Maleficent replied, "but lest we forget, I kept my end of the bargain."

Riku watched her for a while more, before slowly turning, and walking away.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, Organization XIII would not be comprised of members all of whom have the character 'X' in their name.

Not all Nobodies, (Namine a prime example) have either the anagram name and/or the 'x'. (though sometimes I think that the anagram is rare - what would Axel turn into, 'ale'? 'Alex'? ...maybe that's a bad example. What about Larxene? Relane?)

And by the way, there is one member who can still be anagramized into something entertaining and... disturbing.

Yes, I am referring to Xemnas/Mansex. Considering what the 'x'-less name anagrams to, it seems oddly fitting...

Oh, joy. More prescripted scenes. I cannot contain my excitement. How thrilling.

On Goofy - it was only last year that I figured out what exactly Goofy was. As far as I can tell, he's supposedly a dog. At least... I think he is.

From here, I think I can manage to skip a few upcoming cinematics... and I probably ought to rewrite the desc... again...