Okay, so here we go. I'm not 100% happy with this chapter (only like 73.6% happy, to be exact), but I have rewritten it probably four times in the past month and just want to stop looking at it. Just as a side note - this chapter is meant to be a little confusing. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it!
Oh, and an extra-amazing-chocolate-covered-thank-you to everyone who reviewed!
6
Hollow Bastion
Panting fiercely, Riku tore through the deserted halls of Hollow Bastion's castle. His footsteps were his only company as they resonated along the walls, masking the painful hammering of his own heart. Riku could feel his many injuries weighing on him, slowing him down as they throbbed with each breath and every step. However the cause of his wounds hurt far more than any physical pain could have ever wrought.
"W-why? It was mine…" he lamented in a voice that ached with disbelief.
His Keyblade was gone. It had been stolen – ripped from his hands – by the one he had called his best friend. Sora was never supposed to wield the Keyblade, and yet it now resided in his possession. He, Riku, was the Keyblade's chosen one and Sora's ownership of it was merely an accident, and one that Riku aimed to correct. He had trusted that Sora would understand and hand it over willingly, knowing in his heart that it was always meant to belong to Riku. But Sora's greed had overtaken him as he instead called the blade back to his unworthy hands and turned it against its true owner.
Sora's betrayal hurt more than he could imagine, though somehow it failed to surprise him. Riku knew that Sora had always been jealous of him and should have guessed that Sora
Suddenly a voice cut through his thoughts. "Know this," it said, "the heart that is strong and true shall win the Keyblade."
Riku halted his run and spun furiously towards the source. A tall man garbed in a long, black, hooded coat stepped out of the shadows. Riku could not make out his face as it was obscured by his hood, yet felt surprisingly unfazed by his sudden appearance. "What? You're saying my heart's weaker than his?"
"For that instant it was. However, you can become stronger."
Riku stepped forward and called Soul Eater to his hands. With a painful twinge of regret, he spared it the slightest glance. It was not a Keyblade but at least it was a weapon he knew how to use. Turning his gaze back towards the visitor, he commanded, "Who are you?"
Wordlessly the man reached up and lowered his hood. The simple action caused a small flurry of pink petals to flutter amount the man's face, framing his cold blue eyes and blending with his feathery layers of rosy hair. "My name is Marluxia."
Nice effect, Riku thought with a smirk as the flower petals dissipated at Marluxia's feet.
"So why are you here?" asked Riku with more assurance that he really felt. Marluxia looked harmless enough, but there was something terribly unsettling about his eyes - they seemed almost blank, like they belonged to a corpse.
Marluxia gave thin smile, as if he was laughing at his own joke. "To find is to lose and to lose is to find."
Tentatively Riku waited for a continuation of that thought. But Marluxia seemed content to just stand there grinning to himself like he thought he was the cleverest man in the world for that single line. "Are you going to elaborate on that, or…?"
A loud shout and a bang interrupted him. Riku tensed as a he heard a squawk and the sound of a thunder spell. He caught the scent of a Defender Heartless fading away and could hear Sora's voice loudly cheering on his friends. They were getting closer. Riku felt his stomach knot at the memory of what Sora had done to him.
"You lost your friend," said Marluxia as if the sound had called him back to reality. "And your Keyblade with him in a single, fell swoop."
Abruptly Riku decided that he really didn't like Marluxia. "I hadn't noticed. Thanks for clearing that up."
"To lose is to find and to find is to lose…" Marluxia repeated as that weird smile played again on his lips. "Do you understand now?"
Frowning and trying not to roll his eyes, Riku responded, "I lost Sora and my Keyblade, sure, but I don't exactly see how that constitutes me 'finding' anything."
Marluxia shook his head. It was an oddly elegant gesture. "Not that you can see – now that you have had everything torn from you, you can finally begin to rebuild. Do you recall the reason you had for leaving your island home?"
"I wanted to see other worlds. I knew they just sitting there waiting for me, and I had to know what was out there." His answer was stiff, emotionless, almost like it was practiced. Riku knew it was the truth and yet admitting it to Marluxia made him feel empty and hollow.
"You have lost so much," Marluxia said quietly. Riku found it odd that there was not even the slightest touch of sympathy in his tone; Marluxia almost sounded bored. "And that is why I, on behalf of the Organization, have come to take you with me to Castle Oblivion."
Riku just stared at him blankly, thinking it had to be some kind of joke. "Why should I go with you? I don't even know anything about you."
"To lose is to -"
"I heard you the first time," snapped Riku.
For the first time since he had appeared, Marluxia actually showed the slightest hint of a reaction as his lip curled and his eyes narrowed. "Do not interrupt me again. You will have to learn your place within our ranks."
"I never said I was interested in joining up," Riku countered angrily. "I don't know anything about you or your organization and you're just expecting me to follow you to… Castle Oblivion, or whatever you called it. I'm going to need more than that."
Marluxia's glare intensified as the ground began to tremble. Vines as thick as Riku's arms tore through the stone floor, seizing Riku's torso and lifting him into the air. The thorns punctured easily through his clothes, cutting into his skin, as the vines encircled him. Struggling only made the pain worse as they curled around his limbs, pinning his legs together and forcing his arms out to the side. Creepers grew across his chest and shoulders, and Riku began to panic as they tightened around his neck. Suddenly the creaking and swishing of the vines halted as Marluxia gave a quick nod. The vines dipped forward, almost like they were bowing, and presented Riku to him.
Clearing his throat, Marluxia lifted his head to look Riku in the eyes and continued like nothing had happened. "I am the Lord of Castle Oblivion. You have been given the opportunity to witness my dominion over living things first hand and I would advise you not to test me again. Once you enter there, you will be in my realm. However, I intend to make it worth your while. You have lost everything you have ever known or cherished, but in return for your servitude I will return what has been stolen."
"So all I have to do is be your slave and you'll get me my Keyblade back? Forget it. I'm not that desperate." Riku cried out as the vines tightened. He lost all feeling in his hands as Soul Eater tumbled from his grasp. Riku suspected that there was some kind of paralyzer in the thorns.
"I never said anything about your Keyblade, though I cannot deny it will play a part," Marluxia told him. "But answer this - is that truly what you're searching for?"
Riku did not even grace him with a reaction. Never before had he loathed someone as much as Marluxia. He hated how helpless he had made him, how Marluxia seemed to know everything about his life, and how he just expected Riku to comply with whatever he wanted with only vague explanations to draw him forward.
Marluxia, however, did not appear to be disposed by Riku's lack of a response. "I want you to dive into the deepest recesses of your memories and recall how you became who you are today, the reason why you left on your voyage to other worlds, and remember what you're truly searching for. All I have is a word, a single word that will make you understand everything you have lost and everything you stand to gain."
"Try me," snarled Riku.
Marluxia's cold glare locked on his as the faintest of smiles appeared on his face. "Naminé."
The world seemed to end as Riku's heart stopped as his mind unleashed a flood of thousands of memories that had been locked away. Her bright, blue eyes. Her golden hair. The warm, comforting smile that she reserved only for him.
Naminé.
His Naminé.
"S-she disappeared," he whispered to himself, momentarily forgetting that Marluxia was even there. "She vanished one night after the meteor shower. But when I tried to find her, no one believed me. They made me think I was crazy, that I was lying. Everyone on the islands said I made her up... that I just made her up. They treated me like there was something wrong with me – even my parents and friends abandoned me. I stopped looking for her, stopped thinking about her because it hurt so much. I forgot about her because it was the only choice I had left." Riku did not even realize he was crying until Marluxia's face began to blur. The years of pain and loneliness seemed to dissipate as Naminé's image became clearer. He could even hear her laugh again. "But she's real. I knew she was real."
"She's more than real," Marluxia said. "She's alive. In your heart you knew the truth all along. Ten years of being told that you were lying could not erase your love for her. That was why you left for other worlds - you knew in your heart that she had never really died and had to lie beyond the boundaries of your home. You knew she was waiting for you to save her from her unfortunate fate."
"Where is she?"
"Castle Oblivion."
"I'll go!" Riku cried as he strained against the vines. "I'll do anything! Please, just take me to her."
"Do you understand what you are giving up in exchange?"
Riku answered with a hollow, bitter laugh as his mind raced with pure adrenaline. "Those islands… I never belonged there. I was always different. The other islanders were just content to live their sad, simple lives. What would they become? Fishermen. Shopkeepers. Teachers. There was nothing else for them. Yet they were content with that." Riku's eyes took on a heard gleam. "But I knew that I was meant for something more. That world was much too small."
"Go on," said Marluxia.
"No one could see the pain I was going through after Naminé vanished. I'm not turning my back on them – they abandoned me first. Even Sora…" Riku felt a lump in his throat as he continued, "even Sora betrayed me for his new friends. And even if I wanted to go home, the islands are gone. The Heartless took them. I don't have my Keyblade, I don't have any friends or family, I don't have a home… I have nothing left except Naminé." Despite himself, a gentle smile spread across Riku's face as he recalled the face that had been lost to him for so long "She's all I really ever had. Naminé means everything to me."
Suddenly the vines released him, vanishing as quickly as they had appeared. Riku landed nimbly on his feet, feeling much stronger than he had ever known possible. He had made his choice. Whatever Marluxia and his organization wanted would be worth the cost just the chance to see her again.
"Soon Sora will remember her too. I, myself, will see to that," said Marluxia, almost warningly.
His eyes narrowed. In his excitement, he had almost forgotten that Naminé had been Sora's friend too. It was Sora's insistence that she was just a figment of his imagination that had hurt the most. But after what had just happened the thought of Sora even being close to Naminé – close enough to take something so precious from him - made him feel sick with anger. "Why? Sora doesn't deserve her."
"I thought you would be pleased." Before Riku had a chance to counter, Marluxia explained, "Sora will follow you to Castle Oblivion after you have had the chance to train and hone your dark powers further. Even with the Keyblade at his side, Sora will be unable to stand against you. As long as you follow my orders, Sora will fall to the Organization and the Keyblade will be yours once again. With Naminé by your side, your heart will finally be strong enough to conquer his."
Hardly able to believe what he was hearing, Riku called Soul Eater back to him. It looked so ugly and plain compared to the majesty of a Keyblade. But if Marluxia was telling the truth, soon it would be returned to his hands once again. Not only that, but he and Naminé were going to reclaim it together. Riku reached into his pocket and pulled out the soft, yellow, star-shaped toy he had carried with him for as long as he could remember. He knew what it was now.
"I'll go with you. Whatever it takes to find her, I'll do it."
"I'm glad to hear it," said Marluxia, though his inflection failed to change. "I'm going to put you to sleep now. The use of dark corridors is treacherous for the uninitiated."
The air surrounding him turned yellow and hazy; Riku was instantly reminded of springtime on the islands when all of the flowers were pollinating. Instantly his eyes began to droop and his legs began to sway. Riku scarcely had time to realize what Marluxia had been saying. "I'm not… ready. Wait…" Riku pitched forward, landing hard against the stone floor. He could sense Marluxia approaching him.
Slowly Riku, turned his head upwards to face the man. Marluxia's lips opened as if to speak, though his words were instantly silenced by a sudden screech. Falling into slumber without recognizing anything unusual, Riku's eyes closed as light and darkness began to intertwine behind his closed lids. The screech faded as a voice carved through the sudden stillness.
"Open yourself to the darkness. That is all. Let your heart, your being, become darkness itself."
Hollow Bastion
"Aerith! Aerith, wait for me!"
Spinning on her heels, the woman called Aerith turned towards the sound and felt a warm smile grace her lips as she laid eyes on the little girl dashing towards her. Aerith set her staff on the cobblestone path and knelt down with her arms open. The girl leapt straight into her warm embrace. "Good morning, Marlene," said Aerith. "How are you?"
With a cheerful grin, Marlene stepped back. "You dropped this," she said while holding up a long, red ribbon.
Aerith's hand flew to the base of her auburn braid. Sure enough the ribbon that usually tied it in place was missing. Thanking her, Aerith took it from Marlene's outstretched hand and reached back to quickly re-tie her braid, already feeling where it was becoming loose. She was nearly done when she caught Marlene's wide eyes following her every movement with an intense curiosity.
"Say, Marlene," said Aerith with a wink as she unwound her hair and passed the ribbon back to her, "would you like me to do your hair up like this?" The smile that broke across Marlene's face was worth much more than a ribbon, Aerith thought.
"Oh, yes please!" she cried.
Picking her staff up, Aerith beckoned her forward. "Perfect. Let's find somewhere to sit."
A warmth settled in Aerith's chest as she led Marlene through the new Hollow Bastion. Though the city walls and streets were battered and crumbling, there were strong men and women already mending them. The water system was running smoothly, gathering rainfall and runoff from the castle's ancient waterway to ensure clean water for all. Orphans, many of whom had already been adopted years ago, were all being cared for and educated. Even despite the Heartless that roamed the streets, designated fighters were ensuring that the pathways were clear and safe. Through their hard work and perseverance, Hollow Bastion was finally beginning to heal after ten long years.
But, Aerith reminded herself, the streets were not as full and lively as they should have been. Of the Traverse Town refugees who had originally hailed from Hollow Bastion only half of their original number had been able to make it back.
"Not for long," she promised herself while tightening her grip on the staff. "One more week and we'll all be home."
A large family passed by them, waving and grinning at the pair. Aerith knew that parents were not Hollow Bastion natives though had adopted a large number of children while in Traverse Town; when their world had been restored, they had opted to remain and stay with their new family.
But as she watched them pass by, Aerith was hit with a sudden thought – Marlene had come to her alone.
"Marlene," she asked cautiously, "where are John and Terry?"
She quickly answered in that casual, cheerful voice that only a child could manage. "There was an emergency at the power plant and they got called out to fix it. That guy with the long beard, um, Russ, I think, came to get them. They told me to wait inside the house but I saw you drop your ribbon from the window and had to give it back to you. I knew I'd be safe with you."
Aerith glanced away, pretending to be fascinated by a woman selling healing potions and remedies so that Marlene would not see the frown crossing her face. John and Terry were a lively and bright young couple who had never intended to have a child. But after learning of Marlene's tragic and seemingly incessant cycle of being abandoned by her caretakers, they had temporarily relented on their stance and taken her in until a more permanent arrangement could be made.
After Marlene had returned to Hollow Bastion with some of the other orphans, Aerith's best friend, Cloud Strife, had offered to care for her. Many members of the community were hesitant regarding the arrangement as Cloud would be out of the house constantly and working as hard as everyone else, yet instead of construction and farming had the added risk of clearing out Heartless as his profession. However, as only half of the residents had made it home, spaces were scare and families simply could not afford another child.
At first Cloud had surprised everyone with how quickly he adapted to his new roles. In the mornings he would teach Marlene reading and arithmetic, and in the afternoons he would supervise her and the other children while they played. Sometimes he even taught them basic self-defence, instantly earning their respect and admiration. Aerith had laughed when she walked by one day and caught two girls play-fighting with sticks, arguing over which one would get to be Cloud in their game.
Then, after sleeping for a few hours, Cloud would take on the night shift and rid the town of its daily infestation nearly all by himself. Watching Cloud's silhouette as he walked back home in the breaking morning, instantly recognizable by his spiky blond hair and the enormous Buster Sword swung over his shoulder, had quickly become a ritual for the older Hollow Bastion citizens.
But far too soon, Aerith thought, everything had fallen apart.
It started off simply. Marlene had mentioned one day that Cloud was looking unwell. No one considered that to be anything unusual; they were all working exceptionally hard to restore their home, but Cloud had taken on a number of new and additional roles. But two days later Marlene mentioned anxiously that Cloud wasn't speaking to her anymore but could be heard arguing to himself in the darkness of his room. Aerith found that worrying as Cloud had clearly been warming up to the affection he was receiving from everyone in Hollow Bastion.
Like the rest of them, Cloud had been the victim of an extraordinary amount of trauma that had left him with heavy emotional scars. However, unlike the rest, Cloud had managed to escape the confines of Traverse Town and disappeared for nearly two years. When he had returned to Hollow Bastion after the fall of Maleficent, Aerith and the others had scarcely recognized the worn and hardened young man who appeared before them.
Cloud had become distant and cold, often staring off into the distance for no reason and flinching for his sword every time he heard footsteps approaching. He refused to explain what had happened in the time that was gone and would change the subject or leave the room if it was brought up. Even Aerith had faltered when he asked to take Marlene. Within minutes, however, she could see a light return to Cloud's eyes and he looked almost years younger. Aerith knew she had made the right decision.
However, the next two weeks had become a nightmare for Cloud's friends as more and more horrifying stories of his recent behavior began to come to light. A frightened man claimed that Cloud had nearly stabbed him while walking home from the quarry at night, children admitted that he would often whisper to himself while watching them, and adults thought he was looking sickly and angry.
Marlene, however, had the worst stories of Cloud telling himself very disturbing things every night while ignoring her, disappearing for hours throughout the day, and just staring off at shadows while he was supposed to be watching her. Aerith had tried to talk to him, but he always shook his head and walked away each time, muttering to himself that it 'wasn't safe'.
But the final straw for Aerith had been when a tearful Marlene had run to her in the night, braving all the Heartless just to reach her. After wrapping the trembling girl up in a warm blanket, Aerith asked her what had happened.
"I thought there was a bird. A-a crow," she explained, sobbing freely. "I was getting ready for bed and saw a black feather on my pillow. I was worried that it might have gotten hurt and flown in through the window, so I asked Cloud to help me look."
"And then what?"
Marlene brushed away her tears as she said, "He came into my room. He was getting ready to leave so he had his s-sword. I showed him the feather and he went really, really quiet. And then… " Marlene hiccoughed and buried her face into the blanket.
"Marlene," Aerith had said firmly, touching the girl on her shoulder. "What did Cloud do?"
"H-he started screaming and stabbing my bed with his sword. I tried to get him to stop but he wouldn't listen to me!"
Aerith's breath hitched as a horrible knot formed in her stomach. "What was he screaming?"
Marlene's tear-filled eyes watched Aerith brokenly as her lip trembled. "Leave me alone."
With tears in her own eyes, Aerith had promised the terrified girl that she could stay the night at her place and the two of them would come up with a solution in the morning. About an hour after Marlene had drank some warm milk and finally drifted off in Aerith's bed, she heard a knock at the door. Aerith knew it would be him before she even opened it.
"I can't stay," Cloud had said before Aerith had time to speak. She noticed that his eyes were red rimmed and his skin looked pallid. Even his hair was limp. "I'm sorry. I tried."
She crossed her arms, but felt her anger melting away the longer she stared at his face. "You frightened her, Cloud. You absolutely terrified her." Aerith held out her hand for him, frowning when he flinched away. "Come inside. We can talk about this."
"I'm sorry. I tried," repeated Cloud.
Aerith sighed, telling him kindly, "I know you did. Please, Cloud, I can't help you unless you can tell me what's going on."
"It was a warning. He was going to hurt her to get to me. I thought it was finally over but he won't stop. He's everywhere, haunting me and everyone I care about and showing me visions over and over of what will happen."
"Who are you talking about? Who was going to hurt her? Cloud, please tell me what's going on!"
Cloud just stared right past her. "I won't let him hurt anyone else. I have to go to another world. He'll follow me wherever I go, but I won't have anyone he can use against me."
With a glance at her door, behind which slept Marlene, Aerith sighed. "Then let me come with you."
Cloud's eyes widened and he shook his head quickly. "You can't – he'll take you. It's too dangerous, especially for you." The night wind whipped through his hair and he shivered. He placed a taunt hand over his stomach and tore his gaze away from hers. "He told me he would. He took him first and I know he'll come for you next."
"Took him?" she repeated. It was innocuous phrase that could have meant anything, yet Aerith instantly understood the implication. A hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened as the image before her of Cloud's blond hair turned raven black while his blue-green eyes seemed to flash with unmatched bravado. It was a face that had belonged to a stranger for ten long, lonely years.
"I have to go," said Cloud, quickly turning around before she could say another word. The illusion faded and Cloud became his blond, exhausted self again. "I have to end this. Whatever it takes, I'll stop him. I'm sorry it has to be this way, but I can't risk anyone else but me getting involved." Looking over his shoulder, he allowed her a small smile. "I'm strong enough to fight him this time. I promise I'll be back."
Cloud had received no response. She had heard those words before.
"Aerith! Look out!"
Snapping herself out of the reverie at Marlene's shout, Aerith blinked and glanced ahead. She had stopped dead in the middle of the road and had nearly gotten herself and Marlene run over by a wheelbarrow that was loaded down with bricks.
"Careful, Aerith," cautioned the load's driver, though with a teasing grin. He was puffing and sweating despite the overcast sky. "It's hard to see past all of these."
"Sorry," she said earnestly. "I was just thinking and lost myself."
The driver peered over the load and glanced down at Marlene. As he met her eyes, his smile fell instantly fell. Tearing his gaze away, he muttered, "I'm sure you have a lot on your mind."
In their small town, news spread quickly. Everyone knew that Cloud had vanished again and his name was now met with shakes of the head and mutterings. Marlene had been assured that he had gone to seek help, though everyone else thought he had just abandoned her when he couldn't handle the pressure. Cloud had insisted that she not say a word, and so Aerith had to painfully keep quiet.
With an incline of his head, the driver took off as the girls skirted around him. After a moment's awkward hesitation, Marlene said, "This looks like a good spot." She pointed ahead of them at a large rock that had yet to be cleared away.
Aerith allowed herself to be led to the rock and took a seat. Marlene plopped down beside her and passed over the ribbon. She hummed a simple tune quietly to herself as Aerith used her fingers to comb Marlene's hair into three sections. Aerith wished she could have smiled and enjoyed the simple moment as well as her young friend. But the memory of Cloud departing that night had haunted her ever since. Aerith's skills lay in healing magic, and it infuriated her that she could do nothing to help him.
As if she sensed her distress, Marlene softly asked, "Have you heard any news about him?"
"Cloud?"
"No, um. You know… him." She spun around and her braid gently slipped between Aerith's fingers. "My dad."
Aerith fought a sigh, unable to meet Marlene's eyes. Barret Wallace, Marlene's first adoptive father and Aerith's very good friend, had tried taking the first true Gummi Ship prototype back to Hollow Bastion nearly two years ago to see if there was anything left to even try to rebuild. He never returned.
"I'm sorry, Marlene. Nothing yet."
"You don't think he's made it back to Traverse Town yet? Has anyone said anything?"
"I don't think so."
"I hope he'll be back soon."
Closing her eyes to hide the tears brimming beneath them, Aerith smiled for Marlene's benefit. "Me too."
A piercing shriek shattered the moment. Both girls jumped in alarm as a shared look of alarm passed between them. Marlene's lips formed over the word 'Heartless'. Without another word, they leapt from their spot and sped towards the source.
It was easy to find where the scream had originated; in the square's centre stood cluster of people huddled in a circle, surrounding something on the ground. Aerith could make out a tall, brown-haired man in the centre of the commotion. The mob seemed to be granting him a wide berth. As the crowd shifted, Aerith could see that it was her friend Leon.
"What's going on!" shouted Aerith while her staff ignited in preparation. Her magic would allow her to heal even fatal injuries, but if the heart had already been claimed there was nothing would be nothing she could do.
"Leon!" she shouted, trying to get his attention while tearing her own path through the crowd.
"He just came out of the ground," a young woman muttered in disbelief. Aerith could see that her face had gone sheet white. "Like hell itself refused him…"
In frustration, Aerith whirled on her. "What's going on?"
The woman's eyes grew wide and panicked as she backed away. Suddenly Aerith felt a tug at the hem of her skirt that made her halt. A little girl looked up at her with tears in her eyes and whispered, "It's Riku. He's back."
Riku.
Heads turned in alarm at the sound of the name. It was instantly repeated from every mouth, spreading throughout the crowd like a crackling fire.
Riku.
Fear began to grip them as faces grew pale and hands itched for weapons. Parents moved their children out of the way, intending to use themselves as shields. Aerith felt Marlene's hand be tugged out of her grip as she was herded to safety.
Riku.
The disposition of the crowd had instantly turned foul as panic gripped them. Aerith knew there was little she could do to stem the tide as people who had been her friends and companions for so long quickly turned murderous.
"Kill him! Do it, Leon!"
"He'll bring back the witch!"
A pregnant woman on the other side of the mob cried, "Don't let him destroy everything we've worked for again. Kill him before he kills us."
"Kill him before he kills us!" another agreed savagely.
An old man, who Aerith knew to be kind and gentle, raised his hammer and rallied, "He's the one who murdered King Ansem and the apprentices!" He was met with calls of affirmation. "There has to be justice for that. We've waited ten years."
"That's not what happened," Aerith thought with a shake of her head. But she recognized the futility of trying to convince them otherwise; the damage to Riku's name had been done. It had been much easier to believe the lies when the truth had been so cruel.
Leon pointed his gunblade at the ground. Cries to end Riku's life had become a frantic chant. Aerith could see the hesitation in Leon's deep, blue eyes as he stared down at his target.
"Let me through!" she declared. When no one moved, she shoved them aside with her staff. These were good people, she knew, but they were frightened of losing everything and knew that Leon would do whatever it took to protect them. "Leon, I'm ordering you to stand down and not lay a hand on that boy until I've seen him."
"Aerith…" said Leon in a voice meant only for her. "It's not what you think."
Keeping his sword tightly trained on the ground, he stepped to the side to let her pass. Aerith felt her heart nearly stop when her eyes fell on the sight. Drowning in a pool of darkness was unmistakably Riku. His silver hair was in disarray and his pale skin was flecked with dirt and dried blood. Deep, ragged breaths shook his body and Aerith could practically feel his racing heart from where she was standing. His yellow shirt was torn open, revealing a vicious gash in his chest; his red-stained hands and nails appeared to be the obvious culprit. Riku's eyes were squeezed shut as his face contorted in a horrible agony.
Aerith could easily understand how the sight had frightened everyone, though all she saw was a terrified and badly injured child. She knelt at his side, ignoring Leon's warnings and, feeling the icy darkness' clutch underneath her knees, tried to shift his head to lie on her lap.
"Don't you dare touch me!" Riku snarled as blazing golden eyes snapped open. The darkness surrounding him flared and she could feel its grip tighten around his shuddering form. Without warning he winced as those eyes were forced closed, as if an unseen force was holding them shut. Riku whispered, "I won't let you…"
Despite the situation, Aerith managed to keep her voice calm as she assured him, "I won't touch you if you don't want me to. But you're very hurt and you need to let me help."
Suddenly the fear in Riku's face released, and Aerith hoped it meant he had heard. Her faith was instantly shattered as a deep chuckle resounded from his lips and Riku began to speak with a voice that made Aerith's blood run cold. "You will submit to me no matter how long it takes to break you."
"No…" Her breath caught painfully in her throat, Aerith's eyes widened as she shared a look with Leon. It was not Riku's presence alone that had unnerved him so – Ansem was about to revive in Hollow Bastion.
In desperation, Aerith glanced back at the crowd and allowed herself a small amount of relief. They had not reacted to Ansem's voice yet.
"No. I won't submit to you," he muttered weakly, now shaking terribly with pain and exhaustion. Suddenly Riku cut himself off with a cold laugh that was completely different than the first. He flinched, hissing and rolling over onto his side as he began to scratch at the fresh wound on his chest. Unable to keep herself from wincing at the sight, Aerith realized that in his delirious panic Riku had been trying to claw Ansem out of his heart. Hastily she reached down and pinned his hand against the ground to make him stop before he made it any deeper.
Aerith knew it was a mistake the instant those horrible yellow eyes shot open. A callous grin cut across Riku's face as he asked grimly, "What did I just tell you?"
Aerith fought a gasp. The voice was not Riku's, nor was it Ansem. "There are three of them. He's fighting off both of them at once."
Screans ripped a through the crowd. Aerith looked down to see a number of monsters crawling out of the dark pool surrounding Riku. They were small and blue, with thin crescent-shaped red eyes, long claws, and crinkled antenna. Though the ravenous look in their eyes and their frantic movements likened them to Heartless, Aerith was certain they were something else entirely. Heartless felt blank and cold, yet she could sense pain and anguish radiating off of them. However Aerith also remarked that, though she could not place a name to them, these creatures felt strangely familiar.
One lunged at her, but she had grabbed for her staff and she caught it under the stomach, throwing it back. She heard a bang as Leon shot it against the ground with his gunblade. Riku gave another unsettling laugh as three more joined the others. Ordering everyone to move back, she heard a rapid shuffling right before Leon began to swing his sword in fearsome arcs, cleaving each one in half as they vanished. "Aerith, move. Now!"
Heavily she returned his order with a glare and tried again to cradle his head in her lap. He winced at her touch like it burned him. Perhaps out of weakness, however, he did not fight back. Now that they were touching, she could verify that there were three distinct personalities in his heart, each savagely fighting for dominance.
One was clearly Riku himself and the other Ansem. The third was the most aggressive despite being weakest of the three, though she could sense it seemed to be restrained by something. Riku's eyes opened again and she was relieved to see they had returned to their normal aqua colour.
"Shh, it's alright," she soothed him, stroking his silver hair. He was trembling so fiercely that she was unsure if he could even feel her hands. Suddenly he glanced up at her with wide eyes that seemed to be pleading for help. Reassuring him over the cries of the crowd, she said, "No one is going to hurt you. You're safe now. But you need to fight them off."
"F-fight?" he whispered like it was a new word. His eyes squeezed shut and he gave a weak scream in protest. "I won't submit to you…"
"He can't fight them like this – he can barely hear me," she told herself as Riku's breathing became even more agitated with every passing second. Her eyes strayed to the gash on his chest. His head and neck too were marred with barely healed lesions. An idea struck her and, holding her other hand over his body, began to cast healing spells over his many wounds. Riku flinched and whimpered, trying to pull away. She almost stopped but quickly realized it had nothing to do with her.
The process was slow, but the more his wounds were mended the less frequent their attacks seemed to be. His breathing slowed considerably and the tremors had nearly subsided. Soon all of his injuries had been sealed save for a persistent x-shaped scar on his lower jaw that could not be banished. Riku opened his eyes once again and Aerith knew she had little time left until his heart would no longer be able to hold them off.
Riku had less than a minute, she knew, to regain control. Otherwise Ansem and his Heartless army would be revived in the middle of their main square.
"I can heal your wounds, but there is darkness inside you that I cannot reach. You need to fight them before they take over or many innocent people will be hurt."
"Hurt?" he asked uneasily and Aerith wondered how much he actually understood.
"Yes, hurt. But you can stop that from happening. I know you can."
"You can do it, Riku!" a tiny voice added from Aerith's other side.
Her heart skipped a beat. "Marlene! Get back – it's too dangerous!"
Ignoring her, Marlene shoved her way past the crowd and crouched down beside Riku. Marlene took Riku's bloody hand into hers and offered him a comforting smile. "It's going to be okay. I know you can fight them."
Despite herself, Aerith had to smile. Marlene had not yet been born when Hollow Bastion had fallen, yet had in the past few months grown up hearing the rumours surrounding Riku's name since he had first appeared alongside Maleficent in Traverse Town. She knew nothing about Ansem and his apprentices and had repeatedly been told that Riku was the cause of all her misfortune. And yet she too only saw a boy who desperately needed someone to believe in him.
Another brutal attack seized him, causing Riku's body to go taunt as he tried to fight back. Marlene winced as his hold tightened but she refused to pull away. Aerith's heart pounded as she tried to think of a way to buy him more time.
Suddenly Marlene's eyes lit up. She reached to the base of her braid and began to unwind it the way Aerith had done earlier. Shaking her hair lose, Marlene removed the red ribbon Aerith had gave her and threaded it between Riku's fingers. "Take this," she told him gently. "It's a good luck charm to keep you safe from them."
To Aerith's amazement, Riku seemed to register her words far more than anything else he had heard. With a small nod he reached into the back pocket of his jeans, removing a small, thin object. As he brought it towards himself, Aerith could see that it was a card. On one side was a large, blue symbol that resembled a heart while the other had a picture of a tropical island.
Scarcely able to breathe, Aerith watched his hand, still holding the ribbon, closed around the card and held it over his heart. His pained expression became almost serene. "I won't submit to you… either of you," he said with surprising calmness and clarity, drawing in a deep breath. "And I won't let you hurt them."
Aerith watched in a strange sort of spellbound awe as Riku's card began to brightly shimmer, draping the three of them in a comforting embrace of light. Marlene gasped, though her shock immediately turned to joy as the light danced around them. Aerith could see sparks reflected against Riku's eyes like stars. With her hand resting upon his forehead, Aerith could sense that it was not the card that was slowly forcing his tormenters to recede; rather it was his own heart using the card as a key to separate himself from them and lock them deeply within his own heart. She had never seen magic like that before.
Slowly the darkness surrounding him vanished, like fire being smothered. She could sense Ansem's heart, intertwined with the other, becoming fainter until their presences were little more than a whisper. The threat banished, the light abruptly died out as Riku collapsed against Aerith's lap in exhaustion.
"Well done," she told him proudly while gently running her fingers through his hair to soothe him. Her heart was racing with exhilaration, though she too felt drained from the ordeal. "You were very brave. Few could have done that."
"Helped?" Riku questioned softly through dry lips. He rolled over onto his side with his cheek pressed against her skirt.
Beaming warmly as Marlene giggled, Aerith confessed, "We helped a little, but you fought them yourself. I can't imagine the pain you must have been going through. But you did it. You pushed them back."
"For now," she reminded herself dolefully.
"I did… before," admitted Riku and Aerith almost laughed at how smug he looked. Suddenly he tensed and glanced around frantically, even trying to push himself upright. Marlene leaned back slightly to provide him space, her expression becoming concerned as he struggled.
"Nah...mine… eh?" he whispered softly.
Knowing he was past the point of delirium, Aerith smiled and continued to stroke his hair. "That's right. Nah-mine-eh."
"Nah-mine-eh," he repeated warmly with an almost childlike bliss. Aerith could make out a small smile on his face as he said, "Thank you."
With that, Aerith felt his tense body finally relax, keeping that gentle smile preserved on his lips, as he fell deeply asleep against her lap. Triumphantly she locked eyes with Marlene.
"I think Riku should keep the ribbon for luck, don't you?" said Marlene with a wide grin. "I think it helped."
"That was very clever, Marlene," she congratulated proudly. "How did you ever think of that?"
She shrugged. "I just thought he needed a little hope so that he'd know he wasn't fighting all alone."
"Aerith," Leon said suddenly, crouching down beside them. "It's over?"
She gave a slight jump at the sound of his voice, having blocked out the world save for herself, Marlene, and Riku for so long. "Yes. Riku fought him off." She neglected to mention the other soul, preferring to tell him in private.
Only appearing slightly shaken by what had happened, Leon sternly declared as much to her as to the crowd, "We'll lock him up in the dungeon and interrogate him when he wakes up."
Aerith's eyes narrowed as she addressed him crossly, "Absolutely not. We're taking him back to headquarters with us where he'll be safe and looked after."
The dungeons were in the remains of the old castle; they were dark, cold, and teeming with Heartless. Not to mention the fact that she could not discount a sudden vigilante attack from some of the more restless citizens.
Not unkindly Leon told her, "We can't afford that sort of risk. He's a danger to himself and everyone here. It's either that or he has to go." His words were met with applause from the crowd.
"Then you'll have to lock me up with him because I will not leave his side until he's better." Sternly she faced the crowd. "This is a child who came here for help like so many of us. He is hurt, he is scared, and he deserves to be treated like a human being."
"You saw what he is!" a curt voice shouted to approval from the crowd. "That's not a child – he's a monster. He's the cause of all this!"
"What's a monster?" The speaker, a tall man with short blond hair, rudely shoved people aside to reach them. Aerith recognized Cid's gruff voice instantly.
Cid shook his head, proclaiming, "I leave for fifteen minutes and you've already got a mob going." His gaze fell on Riku, now sleeping peacefully against Aerith's lap. Cid pursed his lips and reached into his pocket, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. "Well, shit."
"Cid, he appeared from a dark portal. And he wasn't alone." Leon let his final word hang in the air knowing that Cid would catch the implication.
Looking completely unfazed beyond a slight raise of his eyebrows, Cid nodded. "Huh. Well I know how this is going to go – you both know who'll win this one," he said while gesturing between Aerith and Leon. He crouched down beside her and said, "Give him to me. I'll carry him back to headquarters. We can use Merlin's manacles to restrain him for the time being."
Without another word, despite the protests from the crowd, Aerith assisted Cid in lifting Riku into his arms. After giving her a quick nod, Cid took off with him while Aerith and Leon watched each other with silent looks of warning.
"You understand what you're putting at risk," Leon said finally.
She glanced around at the mob, which was beginning to disperse. The looks of dread were all too evident on their faces. They had no idea that Ansem, their beloved king, was the one possessing Riku and who had nearly caused their city to fall to ruin once again. They also had no idea that Riku, the very one they were so set to vilify, had just saved them all. Leon gave a heavy sigh and slung his gunblade across his back as he took Marlene by the hand. "I hope you know what you're doing."
Aerith held her head aloft and declared, "And I hope you understand what you almost did." Out of the corner of her eye she caught Marlene nod in agreement.
Marlene almost said something, but was cut off by the sound of a grunt followed by a loud clank and a particularly nasty swear. "Hey if I get attacked while running this favour for you, you'll really regret it," Cid advised while stepping around several Heartless that had just spawned at his feet. "So get over here before I have to drop his ass."
With a shake of his head, Leon dragged Marlene away. Aerith almost ran to Cid's side, but hesitated as something caught her eye on the ground. It was Riku's card lying forgotten in the dirt; it must have been jostled loose when they had lifted him. Bending down to grab it, knowing that Riku would surely be devastated if it was lost, Aerith let her confident expression fall with a soft sigh.
"Please, Riku," Aerith desperately prayed as her hands closed around the card's edges. "Please prove to them I'm right in giving you this chance. Because if not, I'm afraid things are about to get far worse than we could ever begin to imagine."
Notes for Rep's Memory:
I love Marluxia - he's one of my favourite Org members, so this part was a lot of fun for me. This part is meant to give a quick look into Rep's psyche and I hope it helps in explaining some of his thoughts and actions. However, first, I just want to address the fact that this section makes Vexen's role in writing these memories more pronounced. The memory is essentially showing Rep's first encounter with the Organization, so Marluxia goes all out in demonstrating his power. The point of that was to basically show him that disobeying them is a bad idea and, as the memory shows, it was all about respect. Next, Rep is told that Namine is still alive and instantly has a melt-down and pledges his completely submission to the Organization.
But the main thing I want to address here is Rep's personality. In the game, the Riku Replica basically tells Sora that he 'forgot all about those losers on the islands', which is kind of a nasty thing to say. But here the Organization has crafted a scenario in which Rep's life literally had no purpose without Namine. Worse, once she disappeared, no one would believe him when he claimed she had ever existed. This made Riku feel lost, alone, and angry. So he put away the memories so that it wouldn't hurt any more. However, this led to him continually feeling angry for years without any clear reason why. When he learns that she is alive, he is relieved, but also ashamed.
Finally, he explains to Marluxia that he thought he was above island life. However, he very specifically draws a line from Young Master Xehanort. Rep's personality prior to his heart being smashed is a combination of Riku and Xehanort in a bad way. That's what he's trying to overcome.
Notes on Aerith's section:
I also love Aerith. You might be wondering why there is such a long and kind of random section about Cloud in the middle there. Here is what happened:
1) Decide to rewrite chapter, switching focus from Rep to Aerith to heighten the tension
2) Try to figure out a way to introduce her. Come up with a girl named 'Sally' who gives Aerith her ribbon back.
3) Scrap Sally because Marlene is totes cannon. Duh.
4) Realize Barrett would never let Marlene run around in danger. Realize you have no idea if Marlene calls Barrett 'Dad'. Give Marlene foster parents.
5) Realize that you actually FORGOT YOUR FAVOURITE FINAL FANTASY CHARACTER IN THE ORIGINAL DRAFTS OF THE NEXT 7 CHAPTERS. But it's okay, because I'm re-doing them all anyway, so I'll just add him in...
6) NOPE! Come up with a really complicated story for later.
And done :D :D
Oh, and if you're having fun - please leave a review!