Chapter Fifteen: Figuring Things Out
Xemnas felt a sudden rush of rage course through his veins, like liquid fire. Everything dark in him stirred and rose. Xemnas felt unimaginable power flood through him, and then, with his still held out hand, a Keyblade appeared in his hand. It was not just any Keyblade either, it was the Kingdom Key. In his other hand, the Destructor lay.
Riku blinked and froze with horror. Sora was gone and Xemnas's plan was all coming together. Fear flooded through him, but the rage that fueled his strength burned on, giving him determination. He would help Sora return back to himself, there was no way he would give up. Sora had risked his life for him, and now Riku was going to repay him.
He lifted his Dark Keyblade and looked at it. This Keyblade unlocked hearts. He would use it to save Sora, but now was not the time. He had Kairi had to leave before they were killed. "Kairi, come over here." Riku ordered.
Kairi didn't look up at him.
Riku stepped forward, and with that one movement, he suddenly realized how badly he was hurt, but he would be just fine. He was about to reached Kairi when, all at once, he felt a pain sear through his shoulder. He turned to look and saw that Xemnas was standing beside him, while another Xemnas was still standing over Sora.
Riku knew what had happened. Xemnas had multiplied himself! Riku noticed the weapons that this fake Xemnas carried were the light sabers. Riku raised his Keyblade, prepared to fight, but he wasn't fast enough. All at once he was hit in the stomach and shoved back while the other laser slung him up into the air.
There he was virtually helpless and the fake Xemnas seemed to realize it. Riku felt one of the sabers crash into his back, making him grunt as he fell back down, but he landed on his feet, knees bent and one arm catching himself. He stood up and raised his Keyblade, but found that this Xemnas was much powerful than the last time they had fought.
He jumped away from the attacks and headed back towards Kairi, limping slightly, he grabbed her shoulder and made a dark portal. He closed it around them and transported them to Twilight Town.
When he reached the other side, he let go of Kairi and bent over, trying to catch his breath. His whole body ached and he wanted to sit down somewhere and rest, but he had been to rushed to plan where they were going and ended up in the middle of the Sandlot.
And if things couldn't get worse, Seifer just had to step up, not even caring about Riku's injuries, snapped, "I thought I told you guys to get out of my town!"
Riku wished so badly that he just beat the guy into a bloody pulp, but he was too beat up for it. "Kairi…Go find Pence, Olette, and Hayner." Riku managed, ignoring Seifer for the present time.
Kairi turned to look at Riku for the first time and saw the cuts and the blood on him from where, in that little amount of time, Xemnas had beat on him and added to the injuries caused by the Destructor. She gasped, "Riku! You look worse than last time!" Kairi gasped.
"I feel worse than last time…" Riku said, dropping to the ground, unable to stand any longer. "Go find the others."
Kairi nodded turned away from Riku and headed towards the Usual Spot in the back alley. Seifer decided the step up again, but a scowl was planted on his face, "Why do you keep coming around, bringing trouble with you?"
Riku looked up at Seifer, "If you know what's good for you, then shut your mouth!"
"Riku, you don't need to waste your strength on him." Riku looked up and saw a familiar face standing in front of him. Roxas was holding out a hand for Riku.
Saix put the disk into a computer in the underground castle. It was Xemnas's computer that Xemnas had used to screw up the security system. Saix opened one of the files and found something very interesting.
The first signs of the Heartless returning came up about two days ago. We're not sure if they're really there, but we have tried to contact Sora many times, but we never get any responses. Leon believes that someone is interfering with our connection.
We have contacted King Mickey and explained the sighting of a Shadow creeping about, but when Tifa first caught sight of it, it vanished. None of us know if it was her imagination or what because not one of us have seen one since. Also Cloud has gone without telling anybody, but no one can guess where. He had left without a word, we think he left when Tifa reported the sighting, but we are not certain.
Merlin believes that Cloud has gone so he can begin practicing some more, but Tifa believes that he's a greater fighter than he looks.
NEXT DAY
We have finally reached some sort of contact with someone. We discovered late last night who was disrupting the messages we send to Sora. He calls himself Scalvatrx, but no one seems to have a clue to who he is.
He had sent us a message with a different computer. He didn't seem very kind either. He wrote saying that we should stop trying to contact Sora, or he would destroy the connection completely. I was the one who read it, and responded with a why, but I am still waiting on a reply.
I have received a response within the hour of 3 o'clock. This man tells me that it is none of my business and that he has already spoke with Sora. I then replied, 'how do you know him?' after this message was sent and received one almost instantly, this is Scalvatrx's exact reply: 'I know him only because I have watched him through the years, even back to the time Riku was possessed by Ansem. I will not give you much, for Sora does not know, and you can not tell him. I do not trust you, or anyone else besides one person you seem to know very well, or Sora does at least.
It seems that you have never known any other Keyblade wielders besides the King, Riku, and Sora. Kairi seems to have obtained one by Riku. But I will warn you now, that you must keep your guard up, or die, for the enemy is very close.'
I have no idea what he was talking about, and Leon just happened to see me reading this and came over. He just glanced at it and demanded to know who had sent it. I don't know why he got so worked up about it, but after reading the last message, he told me that Sora had never mentioned anyone by the name Scalvatrx, and Leon had never heard of him.
We are all dumbfounded, it seems, with him, and Leon asked me to ask who the person was that Scalvatrx and Sora both knew.
Weeks have past and we did not get a reply and so we continue to send messages without a response, until one finally came in. It was disfigured though and we could barley read it, and when Merlin tried, even he could not dispatch all of it. We only got a 'Go Sora dark warn' that was it, we can't figure anything out and so Leon has left to go find Sora and ask him about Scalvatrx and now we are waiting for his return.
Saix closed it out and was about to open another file when he heard Xemnas's voice, "Come, Saix, I have his heart." Xemnas sounded like he was in a good mood, which surprised Saix; Xemnas was never in a good mood.
Axel looked down the wall at where Sora was. He hadn't turned into a Heartless, but Roxas had appeared. Why? "Oh no…" he groaned. "Scalvatrx, now what are we supposed to do?" Axel asked his companion.
"Do what I wish I had done. Let's go find Kairi and Riku. They are the key to bringing Sora back, but first, we must go inform the King." Scalvatrx said, his voice was rough with anger. After they had escaped from Xemnas's underground city, they had come to find this. Xemnas had just teleported back.
"Alright then, let's go." Axel nodded and formed a dark portal.
"You do realize you can't get there that way." Scalvatrx pointed out.
"Well, I am." Axel stated before running into. Scalvatrx sighed and followed.
All at once, Axel and Scalvatrx found themselves I the Throne Room, standing in front of the King. Mickey looked surprised at their appearance and then demanded, "Why have you come, Axel? And who have you brought with you?"
Axel looked at the King and then at Scalvatrx, who nodded. Axel turned back to Mickey and said, "It's about Sora and Xemnas."
"The fool thinks he can take Sora's heart and be able to use the Keyblade." Scalvatrx growled. "How pathetic. But right now we have to know where Kairi and Riku are."
"What do you mean? Sora's lost his heart?" Mickey jumped from his throne. His golden Keyblade appeared in his hand, "Come on, we can help them, but why do you need Riku and Kairi?"
"They're the ones who can help Sora, if anything. I am no use to them." Scalvatrx spat with disgust, his Flame Destroyer appearing.
"Who are you?" Mickey asked questioningly.
"Arkath," Axel was the first to respond. When he said the name, Scalvatrx glanced at him with eyes full of rage, but Axel wasn't done, "can help us."
"Arkath! But he vanished years ago as the last known Keyblade wielder beside Riku, me, and Sora!" Mickey exclaimed.
"My name is Scalvatrx, the wielder of the Flame Destroyer." Scalvatrx growled, holding up his black Keyblade.
"So you really are Arkath!" Mickey said.
"Not anymore, and not to be rude, but don' t call me by that name." Scalvatrx asked in the nicest way he could.
King Mickey just nodded before calling out to Donald and Goofy who were at the end of the hall, standing guard. Donald was the first to respond by dashing forward, Goofy trailing behind him. It took a moment for Donald and Goofy to reach them, but when they did, King Mickey said, "I should have sent you guys out long before, but now we are all going to Twilight Town."
Axel nodded, now he knew where to go. "We can take the easy way." Axel stated. He could guess where Kairi and Riku were. Scalvatrx shot him a glance before nodding and Axel formed a portal. "Okay, let's go."
Riku excepted Roxas's hand and was pulled to his feet. "Thanks Roxas, but how did you get here?"
"Hey don't I know you?" Seifer asked, peering at Roxas with a confused look.
Roxas ignored him as he helped Riku out of the Sandlot just as Pence and Olette came out with Kairi. Hayner wasn't to be found. "Riku!" Olette gasped. "Are you alright?"
Riku grunted a reply as Roxas and he limped towards his friends. "Roxas?" Kairi asked. "Why are you here? How did you get here?"
Roxas, who was wearing his robe that he had gotten from being in Organization XIII, didn't respond to Kairi's questions, instead, he helped Riku head towards the Usual Spot.
Only when Riku was sitting down, able to rest, did Roxas speak to any of them. "Kairi, you should have guessed, though I doubt you'd like to think about it. Riku knew as soon as he saw me. Remember, I'm Sora's Nobody."
"Oh, right…" Kairi said, looking downcast. Suddenly her eyes shot up to look at Riku with anger, "Why did you just leave him there?" she demanded of him.
Riku looked at her, wincing as he turned his head, and replied, "I didn't want to, but I had too. I could barley stand when it happened. Xemnas intended to kill me. Didn't you notice? That's why I'm beat up like I am."
Kairi shook her head, "No, I didn't notice. I'm sorry Riku."
"It's not your fault Kairi. If it's any one's fault, it's mine." Riku said, his voice rough with anger towards himself. "I betrayed you guys and the darkness in Sora's heart still believed I was against him."
"You're wrong Riku. There never had been darkness in Sora's heart. Xemnas put it there, he told me himself." Kairi explained.
"Enough with all of this!" Roxas shouted at them. "First off, Riku, I'm Sora's other half and I know why the darkness always came after you. No matter what anyone said, it wasn't your betrayal. The darkness, it saw you as a threat only because you were a stronger opponent, lucky for you, you never used all of your power. So Sora's Dark Form tried to kill you, and if it had succeeded, much worse things could have happened besides Sora being stabbed and killed like that."
"If you had died, Sora's light would have forced the darkness out of him, which would have made him give up his heart and he would be stuck in eternal darkness. Thanks to you and Kairi, you are able to return his heart when you kill Xemnas, or Xemnas finds his own heart when he uses his Keyblades to create another Kingdom Hearts."
"So when he finds his heart, Sora's will return to him, and he will have access to both Keyblades without the darkness overtaking him. We just have to begin to train and get at sword-fighting and long distance fighting." Roxas explained.
"But must we leave Sora laying in Hollow Bastion?" Kairi asked, her voice becoming choked as she saw pictures of Sora laying on the stone steps dying.
"I can not answer that, but I do know that he did not become a Heartless, miraculously." Roxas smiled, knowing it was some good news for them.
Xemnas and Saix went down to the last floor of the castle to meet up with the others. Xemnas kept seeing flashes of Sora's past, but almost instantly, they were cut and torn away by the darkness in Xemnas and Sora's heart. Soon enough Sora's heart would no longer have any memories of Sora, it would be like it had been crushed, shattered.
Blinking, Xemnas's eyes pierced through his Organization's members. He approached Larxene, Vexen, Lexacus, and Marluxia. His voice was cold as he spoke to them, "Are you my allies, or are you my foes?" he growled. In Castle Oblivion, they had betrayed him, and now they would pay for it.
"We are you allies," Marluxia was the first to speak up, dipping his head.
"Are you now?" Xemnas's voice was dark with calm rage, "Then why did you betray my Organization? For power?"
"We weren't-" Vexen began, but was cut off.
"Silence!" Xemnas roared, his anger flaring to it's limits. "I don't want excuses, you wanted to control my Organization, but you failed, and now we are about to destroy this world for my use. Can I trust you with this task, or do I need to force you to work for me?" Xemnas snarled.
All four of them withdrew from Xemnas's wrath while the others who had done nothing wrong, and were onlookers, showed signs of nervousness. Saix was the only one who hadn't betrayed anything. He looked calm and ready for a fight.
"Y-You can trust us," Larxene spoke up, but it wasn't loud.
Xemnas's eyes bored into them and then he nodded and gave a gruff reply, "I'd better be able too, or else you'll pay when I get my hands on you."
Xemnas spun around to the others and said, "Everyone of you should know my plan. And remember, the first place we destroy will be the Marketplace so we can draw the fools out of that wizard's house. Once they are separated, kill them."
"What about Riku and Kairi? They are not here." Saix asked.
Xemnas turned to look at Saix and said, "I will take care of them myself."
Riku blinked as Roxas gave him this news and was relieved, but a quick glance around the hangout made him ask, "Where's Hayner?"
Olette and Pence looked at him replied, "We don't know, we haven't seen him all day."
"Then we'd better go find him." Riku said, forcing himself to stand up.
"You're not going anywhere." Kairi told him, pushing him back down. She scowled at him and said, "You're hurt and can barley, stand, you're going to stay here and we'll go look for Hayner, besides, he might decide to come here."
"Yeah in one chance in a million, I'm coming!" Riku growled.
"Riku, stay here, it is possible he'll come here because this is his hangout." Roxas pointed out.
Riku sighed, "Fine, but be back before nightfall if you haven't found him by then."
They nodded and left Riku sitting in a chair that Pence sat in. Riku relaxed and grew rather bored. Seconds had passes, but it seemed like eternity. His friends voices could still be heard, but Riku felt utterly alone. He didn't like being alone, because when he was alone, he always felt the darkness tug at him, call him.
"But this time I have more important things to worry about…" Riku told himself aloud, pulling himself forcefully to his feet. "No injury is going to stop me!"
"That's the spirit!" A cheerful voice floated from outside the Usual Spot.
Riku looked towards the red curtain, "Huh?" He limped towards it, careful to use the wall for support. He pulled back the curtain to see a flash of yellow-white light outside. "Who's there?" he called out.
The flash of yellow light faded away to reveal a tall figure standing in front of Riku with a smile on his face. Riku recognized the figure's dark brown hair and his dark blue eyes. He also knew the sword in his hand very well. "Sora!" Riku exclaimed with shock.
He forced himself towards his friend, "How did you-" suddenly his voice was cut short. His surprised turned to horror. Before his eyes, flashed the image of Xemnas, not Sora.
"Not quite." Sora's voice changed to a deeper, rougher sound. His appearance changed with a flash and Xemnas appeared.
"Xemnas!' Riku gasped, stumbling backwards, only to trip and fall down. Xemnas came closer to him and Riku tried to stand up, but it was useless. His injuries wouldn't allow it. Xemnas laughed as the Kingdom Key vanished and was replaced by the Destructor.
"Now, Riku, you will die!" Xemnas laughed as he raised he Keyblade, ready to hit Riku in the side of the head so he could break his neck, when Riku heard someone calling him from a far off distance.
"Riku! Riku! Wake up!" Riku's eyes popped open and he saw a blurry figure in front of him, and immediately assumed it was Xemnas. He shoved the person away and jumped to his feet, only to find himself hunched over, clutching his stomach in pain.
"Uhhhh…" he groaned, fallings backwards and into the chair. His eyes opened and he looked up to see Kairi brushing herself off.
"Hey! Riku, why'd you do that?" Kairi demanded with fake anger.
Riku looked at her helplessly as he replied, "I-I though you were-" Kairi cut himself, "Yeah, I know, Riku, it's alright, just a dream." Kairi promised.
"But it seemed so real…" Riku breathed, leaning back.
Xemnas eyed every single one of his members, seeing only two missing, but they were both traitors. "Kill anyone you see, call upon Nobodies for help if needed, but keep the Recreation Committee apart!" he ordered and then vanished, letting his Organization XIII handle Hollow Bastion.