"So, do you have any plans on how we're going to go about doing this?"
Mickey looked up from the pilot's seat and seemed utterly confused by Riku's question. He just sighed and tried rephrasing.
"We're about to land in the world where the Organization has their headquarters. I know that we need to stop them, but we don't even know what they're doing. And I don't know if the two of us can take out eight of them."
The king nodded and seemed to ponder over the question. Then, with his usual finesse, he shrugged. Riku just rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Well, no matter what happens, we'll need information. So I guess we'll have to do some recon. Which is why Yensid gave us these awesome new cloaks."
He had to admit, the cloaks were pretty cool. And exactly like the Organization. But whether or not they could remain undetected in the Organization's world was still to be seen. And if Yensid had been as great a magician as Mickey claimed, then why couldn't he give them better disguises? Or some sort of magic spells or something.
"We're here..."
Riku noticed the hesitance in Mickey's voice as he carefully piloted the gummi ship onto the strange world. He maneuvered it carefully into a dark alleyway and drew his cloak up around his head before hopping out. Riku couldn't hold back a chuckle at the king's pathetic attempts to hide himself. After all, the ears were a bit of a give away.
But following his lead, Riku pulled his own hood up and leapt out of the gummi ship.
"Can you hide it?" Mickey pointed to the rather obviously out of place ship. Its brightly colored blocks practically emitted their own light compared to the blackness and shadows of the town, having only faint neon lights to chase away the darkness.
Extending his hand to the ground, Riku managed to pull up a dark barrier, closing off the end of the alleyway and hiding their ship from any passers by. After he had finished, he stood carefully against one of the walls of the alley, barely letting his hooded face peer out. Mickey did the same across from him, and they both jumped and pulled back when they heard someone softly clearing their throat.
Riku spun around and the soul eater was in his hand and outstretched before he found his footing. But standing in front of the barrier he had just created was the man in red, Diz.
"Jeez, trying to give me a heart attack?" He hissed at the man, but held onto the soul eater, just in case anyone else had noticed their arrival. He could swear he saw Diz smirk.
"I've come to give you a bit of important information."
Mickey approached and Riku noticed for the first time that his golden keyblade was drawn as well. Despite their time traveling together, Riku had rarely seen Mickey fight. But he knew that the mouse was immensely powerful, just reluctant to use his skills in battle.
"It must be important for you to come all the way out here. And how exactly did you manage that?"
Riku already knew the answer. He could smell the remains of darkness on Diz. He had used, or had someone else create, a dark portal for him to travel here.
/Of course, I could have done the same thing. If...if I wasn't so afraid./
--What is there to be afraid of?--
With a gasp Riku shut his eyes and clapped his hands over his ears, falling with his back against the hard alley wall. He could hear Mickey's worried calls, but couldn't answer. Couldn't speak. Just in case.
/You're not there. You're not real. You're gone. I won't let you take over again./
When there was no answer, Riku opened his eyes and saw the terror on Mickey's face.
/He thought I was going to give in again./
With another polite cough, Diz began to speak.
"As I was saying. Namine has said that it will take longer than anticipated to revive Sora with all his memories. It could take a few years--"
"What!"
Mickey looked slightly embarrassed at Riku's outburst, but he figured that he was well within his rights to be surprised. He needed Sora. The worlds needed him. He was the true keyblade master now, and couldn't afford to sleep for a few years while the Organization took over.
"There is a way that we can help accelerate Sora's recovery."
"How?"
Diz looked slightly miffed at Riku's obvious disrespect but cleared his throat again and continued on. Riku had to wonder if that was a nervous tick or something.
"When Sora became a heartless, despite how brief a time it may have been, a Nobody was created from the experience. I trust you know the basics of what a Nobody is?"
Mickey nodded and Riku did so hesitantly. He had been told the basics, but was still a bit fuzzy on the finer points.
"As you know, Sora's heart is one of the strongest we're come across. Naturally, considering he is a keyblade master. And so in turn his Nobody is equally strong, and dangerous. He was made the thirteenth member of the Organization. The final one, and quite possibly the strongest."
"So what are you suggesting Diz? If we destroy his Nobody will Sora be able to return faster?"
Mickey sounded slightly ill at the thought. He knew that fighting had to be done, but if this Nobody was really a part of Sora, it would difficult to kill him.
"Heavens no. You have to capture him alive, and bring him to the mansion in Twilight Town. Namine will be able to fuse the Nobody with Sora, speeding up the process of recreating his memories."
Riku noticed that Mickey was relieved at not having to kill anyone, while he himself was even more worried. He knew from experience that the Organization members were not to be taken lightly. How where he and Mickey supposed to get this newest member away from all his superiors, and transport him alive back to Twilight Town.
/Oh yeah. This is gonna be fun./
Riku heard shuffling from outside the alleyway and flattened himself against the wall where he was leaning. Mickey did the same and Diz merely stepped into a nearby shadow. Judging by the faint scent on the air, Riku figured he was using just enough darkness to conceal his presence. Outside the alley, a man with long blue hair and a scar across his face was walking along and scolding two other Organization members. Riku recognized one as the red head, Axel. The other he had never seen before, but had a mohawk and for a second his childish face reminded him of Sora.
/Maybe that's the Nobody we need to capture./
He glanced to Diz, but the man shook his head, indicating that none of them were Sora's Nobody.
When they were out of earshot, Diz explained that the Nobody they would be looking for was named Roxas, and would look somewhat like Sora. Also, that he would be the same age, and would most likely not be allowed out of the castle.
The mention of a castle intrigued Riku, and he leaned farther out of the alleyway to look at the enormous white structure that was partially hidden behind the dark skyscrapers of The World That Never Was. Storming a castle and escaping with a live prisoner was definitely not something Riku wanted on his to-do list.
"Is it possible that we could draw him out? Attack him while he's in the city?"
Diz nodded. But before he could say more, he seemed to be distracted by something.
"Pardon me gentlemen. I'm needed elsewhere. Its too dangerous to stay here, so I suggest you try finding shelter in the neighboring worlds until you're ready to capture the boy. And from now on I will contact you with a hologram, for I'm needed at the mansion to assist Namine."
Riku nodded and the man sunk through a portal of pitch black, and with a small sniff at the offending odor, he could no longer see any evidence that the man had been with them in the alleyway at all. Mickey had released the keyblade long ago, but only now with the mysterious man gone did Riku drop his guard and his weapon as well.
"Looks like we got our work cut out for us, huh?"
As always, the king could put an optimistic spin on any situation. Riku just smiled to him and adjusted his hood further down, before walking completely out of the alley.
"Wait! Riku, where are you going?"
Mickey ran after him, and almost into him when the boy stopped in the middle of the street. He was just standing there, staring at the castle sitting far in the distance.
/Part of Sora is there. I won't let them keep it. I will bring him back./
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Okay, gonna try something with this fic that I had always wanted to do with Darkside. Whenever I post a chapter, I will also draw a picture of a scene from that chapter. So as of now there is a picture posted on my fanart-central account (the homepage on my profile here on FFN) called 'Chapter 1' and its a picture from chapter 1 of Twilight Thorn. When I post chapter 3 of the fic, the picture for chapter 2 will be up.
Got it memorized? Hope you like, and please leave me reviews of what you think of it so far.