Chapter Seventeen: A Relentless War
"It's Ansem, Arkath." Riku growled. Scalvatrx shot him a glare, but it faded and turned into a simple, unreadable nod.
"Fine, Ansem." Scalvatrx said with a neutral voice.
Riku sat down as Scalvatrx, Mickey, and Axel left, "I'll come back at dawn, Ansem, I promise." Mickey said before vanishing into the dark portal Axel had made. Riku nodded and then settled down, his elbow resting on the chair's arm with his chin resting in his palm.
Riku could sense the power in his heart and the darkness, but no amount of light or darkness could cover up the regret and shame he felt inside of him. He was wondering if he had chosen the right thing. There was no going back to being Riku, or from what he knew. He would always be Ansem now, and when he went back, what would all of his old friends think? They wouldn't know Riku was in there, they would only see him for who he was on the outside…
"Riku? Are you awake?" Kairi's voice came through the entrance to the Usual Spot.
Riku bolted up, he hadn't expected Kairi to come back. What was he supposed to do now? Mickey was coming for him in the morning, so there wasn't any way he could leave. "Um…uh…yeah," Riku knew no other way to respond.
"Do you need a blanket?"
"Umm…no, there was one out here." Riku lied.
"You sound funny…are you alright?" Kairi asked through the darkness.
"I'm fine, I just want to be left alone for awhile, okay?" Riku told her, his voice etched with worry.
"Oh…Okay, well, see ya in the morning." Kairi said before vanishing behind the curtain.
Riku sighed, that was a close one, too close. Maybe he shouldn't have stayed here after all…Slowly, his cold eyes closed and his mind drifted off into a deep, yet uneasy sleep.
"Riku…"A voice sounded through the surrounding darkness.
"Who's there?" Riku called, turning this-way and that way trying to discover who was talking.
"Why did you open the door, Riku? Why?" The voice sounded familiar to Riku, so familiar. Then it came to Riku out of the blue-well blackness.
"Sora?" Riku breathed. An image of Sora appeared. Sora's eyes held a certain sadness, but they also held a light Riku had never seen before in his friend's eyes. Riku reached out for Sora, but found he could not move. Then he looked down at himself and found that he was not Riku anymore, but Ansem. "Is that really you?"
"Riku, you must tell Kairi. You know that if you don't she'll go looking for you, and Xemnas will find her. He wants both of you, but mainly you. Riku, you must use all of your power to kill Xemnas, I'm afraid he is stronger than you think." Sora said.
Riku nodded and then asked, "Are you for real, Sora?" He wished with all of his heart that he go up to Sora, but he was prevented that. And ever so slowly, Sora began to fade without an answer. "Sora! Sora! Wait!" Riku called, holding out his gloved hand, but Sora faded into nothing.
"I'm alone again…I'm alone with the darkness…and all because I opened the door…" Riku whispered to himself as he, too, began to fade away.
"Huh? What? What's happening to me?" he asked himself as he became nothing.
Riku awoke to find the chilly morning air slicing at his skin. He shivered under the cloak and looked around him and then at his hand. They were gloved like they were in his dream and he was still Ansem, or at least he looked like him.
"Why did I let this happen to me?" Riku asked himself. He looked up at the sky to find it streaked with orange and pink clouds as the sun rose.
All at once Riku jumped out of his chair in shock. Mickey hadn't come when he was supposed to, were they all OK? Riku looked around him for his Soul Eater and found it. He made it vanish and replaced it with his Way to Dawn. Before Riku could move, he heard voices outside.
He quickly pulled up his hood and extended his hand, forming a portal. He was about to step into it, when Kairi called, "Riku? Are you awake?"
Riku stopped, the dark portal vanishing. Sora's word came back to him. Riku, you must tell Kairi. You know that if you don't she'll go looking for you, and Xemnas will find her.
Riku turned to the curtain and waited for them, standing there with his hood up so they wouldn't see him. Kairi and Olette were the first to come in. They didn't even have time to see if Riku was in there when a dark portal opened and out stepped a familiar enemy. "There you are." The man was hooded and he wielded the Destructor in his hand.
All at once, Riku felt a pain go through his whole body as the Destructor came out towards him and slamming into his head. He was flung to the ground by the impact. Xemnas was going to kill him quickly, if it was possible. Riku's hood was thrown back from his face to reveal Ansem's face.
"Riku!" Kairi yelled as she saw the Destructor and Ansem on the ground.
Riku groaned as he looked up from where he was, but his eyes grew colder than they already were and he Way to Dawn under Xemnas's feet, tripping him, but Xemnas didn't fall. Riku earned himself a kick as he tried to pick himself up. "Kairi…go away." Riku ordered, looking up at her with anger, but there was masked fear in his eyes.
"You care too much for your friends now Riku. You used to hate every single one of them. Pathedic!" Xemnas growled, raising the Oblivion above his head. "You'd lived sorrowfully and you'll die sorrowfully." Xemnaa growled, bringing the sword down on Riku head.
Riku groaned, a flash of red flashing through his eyes. He dropped to the ground, gasping for breath. Was everything I did in vain? Did I really try to help Sora or distance myself from him? But now it's all over…the shame…the pain… Riku's voice faded in his head as his eyes grew blank and closed. A pool of blood formed around his lifeless form from the gash on his head.
"Riku!" Kairi cried, stepping towards him, but Olette yanked her back and whispered, "Kairi, there's nothing you can do, come on, let's go."
Kairi pulled away from Olette and shook her head. "If Riku, dies, I die!" she said confidantly.
"But what about Sora?" Olette asked Kairi.
"Sora…I can not help him now. I was his friend, but Riku is gone, no one can help me, Sora's dead, Olette." Kairi yelled at her friend and turned to face Xemnas. Her eyes were full of tears as she yelled, "You killed him unfairly! Now you'll pay because you killed both of my friends!"
"Silly girl, you can die with them." Xemnas growled.
Kairi glared at Xemnas her flower Keyblade appearing in her hand. "Kairi, stop this! Don't kill yourself Kairi!" Sora's voice filled Kairi's ears as Xemnas's body faded and was replaced by Sora's. "If you die Kairi, there's no hope for this world, Riku, and all of our friends. Kairi, I can't live without you!"
Kairi's eyes widened as she saw Sora. "B-But how do I get out of here?" she asked, unable to make a comment on Sora's last remark. She had never guessed he would say anything like that.
"Like this," Sora lifted one of his hands a dark portal appeared. "Go Kairi! Go to Leon, he'll keep you safe for me!" Kairi nodded and stepped through it.
Meanwhile Sora had forced Xemnas to go through a portal to Hollow Bastion until he took control again.
Riku felt the coolness of the ground. He knew that he was alive, though he didn't know how. With a painful stretch, he lifted his hand and touched the spot where Xemnas had hit him, the wound had vanished.
Riku groaned as his eyes opened, but just slits. He had to help Kairi and Sora, but how? He tried to pick himself up and realized that all he saw was darkness. Riku reached up to his face and felt the sash. He was back. Placing his hands on the ground, he picked himself up with much determination, but it took a lot out of him.
The moonlight spilled down on him, his silver hair flowing in the wind. He looked up into the sky and said, "I'm coming,"
(by Linkin Park)
I don't know who to trust
No surprise
Everyone feels so far away from me
Happy thoughts slip through dust and the lies
Tryin' not to break but I'm so tired of this to see every time I try to make myself get back up on my feet,
Riku summoned a dark portal and stepped through it, heading for Hollow Bastion.
All I ever think about is this
All the tiring time between,
And trying to prove my trust towards you just takes so much out of me
I take everything from the inside and throw it all away
Cause I swear for the last time I will trust myself with you
Tension is building inside steadily,
Everyone feels so far away from me
Riku landed on the dust on the ruined town and looked around. Xemnas was standing in front of him smirking. He did not have the Kingdom Key or Oblivion in his hand, but a long sword. "Xemnas, you die here!"
Happy thoughts forcing their way out of me
Trying not to break but I'm so tired of this to see I try to make myself get back up on my feet
All I ever think about is this
All the tiring time between,
Xemnas pointed his sword at Riku, but all at once, Xemnas kneeled over, gasping for breath and suddenly his image changed. Sora stood in front of Riku, a determined look on his face. "Riku! Go, go find Kairi, I'll take care of him!" Sora ordered, Xemnas's form flashing like an image.
"Sora! You have to return to your body, you can't fight Xemnas like that without killing yourself!" Riku shouted.
And trying to prove my trust towards you just takes so much out of me
Take everything from the inside and throw it all away
Cause I swear for the last time I will trust myself with you
I won't waste myself on you, you, you waste myself on you, you, you
I'll take everything from the inside and throw it all away
Cause I swear for the last time I will trust myself with you
Sora nodded and vanished with a flash. Riku quickly scampered away as a figure rushed past him with a sword drawn. The sword was flat and long, covered with bandages. It was Cloud.
Cloud rammed his sword into a hooded enemy. "I'm through with you bugging the hell out of me!" Cloud snarled.
The man staggered back, gasping and clenching his stomach as he fell to the dust. His hood fell to reveal Scalvatrx's face. Scalvatrx was staring at the gap in him until a scream rose from him and his hair slowly grew darker. It turned a black color, his cold blue eyes became kinder and his fearsome features changed.
"Arkath!" Axel yelled, staring at his friend. "You're back!"
Arkath looked up at Axel and nodded, his long sword vanishing only to be replaced by the Kingdom Key. "Cure!" He raised it above him and allowed it to heal him.
I'll take everything from the inside and just throw it all away
Cause I swear for the last time I will trust myself with you, you, you
Riku turned away, confused, but this was not his part of the story. He walked through the dust as Xemnas came back and yelled "It's not over!"
Riku ran on, racing to where Leon and Kairi were fighting off Nobodies. As he reached them, he felt a sharp pain sear through his already damaged body. He turned to see Saix, Xigbar, Xaldin, Demyx, and Larexen standing there, ready to kill him.
"Five against one? How is that fair?" Riku cried.
"Then we'll double the number!" Leon yelled as Yuffie, Kairi, and Tifa joined him.
Riku heard fast approaching footsteps behind him and spun around to see a hooded figure coming towards them, an Oblivion and Oathkeeper in his hands, he drug them along the ground until he got close. The Roxas leapt into the air, swinging his Keyblades and brought them down on Saix and Xaldin. "You have to fight me now!" he snarled.
"Why did you betray us, Roxas?" Saix asked, regaining his balance from Roxas's attack.
"That is not the question, Saix. The question is, is why do you want to harm my friends!" Roxas snarled, bashing Xaldin in the head and narrowly missing Saix.
"Friends! Ha, that's rich, how can a Nobody have feelings enough to call someone a friend when they have no heart?" Saix laughed, swinging his hammer/sword thing.
Riku watched and then remembered. He faced Demyx, "This should be easy!"
Meanwhile Roxas yelled, "I'm different from you! I have a heart!" Roxas yelled. As the words escaped his lips, a bright white light erupted around him. When it vanished, Sora was wielding the Oblivion and Oathkeeper, an angry look on his face.
"What!" Saix gasped. Xaldin picked himself up, rubbing his head and then saw Sora. His eyes grew wide and he summoned his spears around him. Quick as lightning, he flung them at Sora, but Sora easily dodge and turned into Final Form. With his two Keyblades, he quickly killed Xaldin and Saix.
Sora turned to the others and growled, "Your turn!"
Riku and Kairi were shocked to see Sora standing there, his face etched with rage. Leon and Yuffie were watching now and Tifa stood nearby, her eyes looking elsewhere. Riku noticed this and looked to where she was looking. He saw Cloud, he was now fighting Xemnas and other Nobodies along side Arkath and Axel.
Riku blinked and looked at Sora, "You'd better go help him, this is your battle."
Sora turned around and shook his head, "No Riku, it's not my battle, it's ours."
Riku's eyes widened and then he nodded. Now he could take his revenge on Xemnas. He lifted his Way to Dawn over his shoulder and rushed towards Xemnas. Sora followed at equal speed. They clashed into Xemnas with a powerful force, slamming their enemy into a nearby building. Cloud turned to glance at them, but he quickly left into the crowd of Nobodies.
Cloud slashed out at the Nobodies with great force. He slammed them, stabbed them, and slung them. Leaping through the air, he landed, crouched with one hand holding as support. He took a quick glance around him before dashing towards his motorcycle thing. (Anyone ever watched Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children? Yeah, he has that motorcycle thing, I think it's cool and so it earned a right into here-along with his sunglasses! LOL) He put on his sunglasses and opened the weapon thing.
NOTE: No, I have never played the games before, and I have only seen Final Fantasy VII and that was only a few moments ago because it's still in my PSP, anyway, back to the story! Ookkaayy so I played five minutes of Final Fantasy X!)
He withdrew another blade and put the used one in. This one was sharper. Starting the motorcycle, he rammed through the Nobodies, slicing right through them. His blue eyes were cold as he headed towards the rest of the Organization XIII members. Now that he had taken care of Scalvatrx, it was time to get rid of another problem!
His blade cut right through Vexen and the Nobody vanished on spot. Cloud smirked, this was way too easy!
Riku rushed back into the battle as Xemnas used one of his shields. Sora was all over Xemnas, hitting him in the stomach, back, and head. Riku could tell that Xemnas could feel the pain, and he was about to feel more! Riku raised the Way to Dawn over his head with one hand and in the other, his Soul Eater rested. Both smashed into Xemnas at great speed. Xemnas gasped as Sora combined his power to the attack.
"Given up yet?" Riku growled, jumping back.
"Not yet…" Xemnas said, but as he said this, he slowly began to vanish. Their task was over…for now.
Cloud noticed that Xemnas had fallen and one by one, the Nobodies were vanishing. He smiled slightly and reopened the weapon thing and shoved his blade into it and grabbed the other one out, sheathing it. He quickly turned the motorcycle, sliding it across the ground at a very sharp angle and headed towards Tifa who was still watching him while defending herself.
Suddenly Cloud stopped the motorcycle five-hundred yards from Tifa. His eyes caught sight of someone he thought he'd never see again. His eyes widened, "You…" Cloud breathed.
A dark figure on the coming horizon turned around with one wing spread out. A smile was planted on his face. Sephiroth drew his sword and said, "Surprised to see me?"
This concludes this book of Kingdom Hearts: The Darkness Within
Next book: Kingdom Hearts: A Shadowed Heart