Chapter 2: The Mysterious Tower
"Ughhh," Riku grumbled loudly. "How long are these flights of stairs? Is he seriously all the way at the top of this thing?" An hour earlier, they had finally arrived at the Mysterious Tower, home of Master Yen Sid and parked their Gummi ship behind the tower and out of sight. For at least an hour now, or maybe even longer as it seemed to Riku, they had been tromping up a lengthened flight of steps, leading to the very tops of the crooked tower.
"Stop complaining, Riku and keep moving," Mickey scolded the young man gently as he marched up the steep, winding staircase alongside him. "We'll be there soon enough." Riku sighed as he continued his way up the steps, his legs starting to feel achy and tired from the constant upward movement. "I used to climb these stairs everyday during my training," Mickey said thoughtfully. "I would have to do chores for Master Yen Sid during my apprenticeship, and would carry two heavy, wooden buckets full of water up to the tops of the tower everyday to mop the floors, wash the walls and keep the tower clean."
"I admire your dedication, Mickey, but I don't know how you even did that," Riku replied, his voice sounding tired. He had no idea that the king used to spend hours climbing these marble steps carrying large buckets of water during his training under Yen Sid, and there was no way in hell he would do something like that. Climbing up long flights of stairs was a lot different than traveling straight forward on foot.
Riku was aware of how just much he sounded like a whining, young kid, and he could've cared less. He was tired, hungry and grumpy. In a way that realization comforted him. It was normal woes of teen life, and not the consistent internal battle with darkness he faced nearly everyday. He was, after all, only 15 years old, nearing 16 as a matter of fact, and in truth, Riku was still a kid himself in many ways. His appearance was that of a teenager, sure, but his heart and his mind were much older than that now, and it was only due to the fact of everything he'd been through. Most kids his age didn't normally experience the traumas and trials that he had experienced and still continued to experience to this very day.
Turning his mind back to the ridiculously long flights of stairs, it felt as though he and the king had been walking them for ages. The muscles in his legs were starting to cramp up as they made the long ascension to the very top of the tower where he was sure Yen Sid most likely sat waiting for their arrival. Much to Riku's dismay, too much later, they finally found themselves in front of a giant, stone door. Two, colossal, crescent moon statues made of heavy stone sat on either side of the door.
"We're here." Mickey approached carefully and knocked on the door. The door slowly opened, all on it's own. No one was standing on the other side, but Mickey silently beckoned to a slightly surprised Riku who reluctantly followed. He wasn't sure if he could trust a door just opening all on it's own and wondered if something formidable could be behind it.
Riku found himself walking into a room that he did not imagine would've been on the other side of the stone door. He thoroughly expected a dark room, filled with an ominous aura, but was rather surprised to find a well-lit room familiar to that of a large study. There were bookshelves on the walls, a few books lined up neatly while others lay haphazardly. Other various shelves lined the walls with vials of what appeared to be potions and different colored liquids.
Large, clay pots sat underneath some of the shelves and the windows on the wall were in the shapes of stars. In the center of the room sat a large, wooden desk. A very tall chair with a velvety, green back sat behind it. The chair's height almost reaching the ceiling of the tower. To the left of the desk was a large set of oddly shaped double doors, decorated in fancy, intricate detailing. Across the ways from a desk was a chalkboard Riku assumed was used for teaching. After all, this Yen Sid guy was Mickey's teacher once. Who's to say he didn't have other apprentices? As for Yen Sid, however. There was no sign of him.
"I wonder where Master Yen Sid is?" Mickey wondered aloud, voicing Riku's own thoughts as they acknowledged that not a single person was in the room. "Well, we'll just wait here until he arrives."
Almost as soon as Mickey spoke, the resplendent doors opened. A very tall man, dressed in long, ocean blue, sweeping robes entered the room. A pointed hat adorned with moons and stars sat on top of his mane of long, thick, dark grey hair. He had a long beard, matching the color of his hair, that nearly hung to his waist, split in two sections near the bottom. His hand was placed gingerly upon his beard, rubbing it carefully as he walked toward the two. His eyes were large and very open, with only a black spot in the center of all the white for pupils. He had thick, grey eyebrows sitting narrowed downward above his eyes as if in thought. Unlike Riku's brilliant, aquamarine colored eyes, this man's held no color, and it first glance, Riku found that if he weren't Mickey's teacher, he would've thought him menacing and dangerous. Instead, he gave Riku the impression of someone to be highly respected merely by the way the man carried himself.
"Ah! Master Yen Sid!" Mickey blurted out, surprised at the sorcerer's appearance.
"King Mickey," the sorcerer's low, accented voice seemed to rumble across the room as he addressed the small king in front of him. "I see you have braved your way out of the Realm of Darkness."
Mickey nodded his head confirming his teacher's words. "Indeed I did. I have Riku here to thank for it."
"Hmmm," hummed the old sorcerer, studying Riku carefully, eyes drifting over the young man before staring right into Riku's own eyes, nearly rooting him to the spot. Riku wasn't sure if it was just his mere presence or the sorcerer was using magic to make him stand there and stare back, but he found he could not look away, or blink his eyes as much as he wanted to. The sensation the sorcerer gave him, made Riku shiver. It was almost as if he were trying to look inside of him. "Young Riku. Sora's best friend, I presume? It is nice to finally meet the one Sora has spoke so fondly of."
"Y-yes," the ivory haired boy stammered, caught off guard by the sorcerer addressing him. He lowered himself into a quick bow, in a gesture of respect to the King's teacher, that stood before him. Yen Sid gave the boy a small smile, continuing to stroke his beard. Riku was stunned at Master Yen Sid's words. Sora spoke... fondly of him? After all he had done, Sora still forgave him? Riku had to hold back a snort of derision at the thought. Typical Sora. Even when Riku didn't deserve to be forgiven, he knew his best friend would do it without a second thought, and while he didn't understand it, the sentiment behind it warmed his heart. Sora's heart was almost too pure.
"So tell me, King Mickey. How did you end up the Realm of Darkness?" Yen Sid began questioning the mouse as he moved to his chair to take a seat behind his long desk. He folded his hands on the wooden top looking down at the small mouse.
"Riku and I were both there. We stayed behind to help Sora, Donald and Goofy close the Door to Darkness. Sora fought Xehanort's Heartless, Ansem: Seeker of Darkness, bravely, and defeated him. The only way we could close the Door to Darkness was by my keyblade and Sora's keyblade. It needed to be locked on both sides, and so we closed and locked it from our side while Sora, Donald and Goofy closed and locked it from the other side. "
Riku couldn't help but be filled with grief at Mickey's words, even though the small King was kind enough to leave the fact that Riku had given in to darkness and Ansem had taken over his body out of the explanation, it still pained him greatly. He was glad that Yen Sid didn't ask how Riku had landed himself in there, but something told the silver haired teen that Yen Sid already knew. He lowered his head shamefully, turning away, not wanting to look Mickey's teacher in the eye. Though he could feel the great sorcerer's eyes on him now, and Riku knew that in some way, Yen Sid could see right through him. He could see the man through his peripheral vision studying him momentarily before turning back once more to the King.
"May I ask what brings you here then?" the sorcerer inquired, and Mickey nodded obligingly.
"It has to do with Castle Oblivion, which is where Riku and myself ended up after our escape from the dark realm. There is a new group that has been forming of Nobodies known as Organization XIII. They reside in this castle, and Sora traveled through it trying to find Riku. A Nobody messed with Sora's memories causing him to lose some most precious to him, and now he's asleep at Castle Oblivion while his memories are being restored," Mickey began explaining.
"I see," Yen Sid said quietly.
Riku cleared his throat and found the courage to look at Yen Sid full on. "His memories were tampered with by a memory witch. Her name is Naminé. She has power over Sora's memories and was able to remove certain links connecting Sora to a mutual friend of ours. In turn, she replaced herself with our friend which left Sora confused and with no memory of our friend or her name. Now he's asleep in Castle Oblivion along with Donald and Goofy, and the castle is not a safe place for them," Riku bravely explained, his voice much stronger than it had been prior to this discussion. He continued, not breaking stride. "Organization XIII wants to get their hands on Sora's ability to wield the keyblade, but we're currently unsure of what their motives are. Because of this, we want to move Sora and the others out of Castle Oblivion as soon as possible and somewhere safe. If the Organization were to find him, he'd definitely be in danger."
The King nodded his head fervently next to Riku. "We've been traveling the worlds, trying to find a safe place for Sora, but every single person we've ran into claims to not even know who Sora is," Mickey added on. "We stopped at Hallow Bastion before we came here, but his friends there that he had made didn't even know who he was, though one of the girls, Aerith, had said the name rang familiar to her. What exactly does this mean?"
Yen Sid cleared his throat as well, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again. "The inhabitants of Hallow Bastion no longer remember Sora because Sora lost his own memories of them. Naminé's interference with Sora's memory and his memory chain have become disconnected. Because of this, they do not know who Sora is anymore. They will not know who Sora is until Naminé has succeeded with her task and linked all of Sora's memories back together once more. You are lucky that he still remembered you, Riku."
"Aww, Sora could never forget Riku," Mickey said. "Riku is his best friend after all. Their hearts are strongly connected no matter what. Naminé didn't tamper with his memories of Riku, just his memories of Kairi and his journey to find her."
"Hence why Hallow Bastion's residents do not remember Sora," Yen Sid replied. "Until Naminé links those memories connected to them, they will continue to live oblivious to the fact that they ever met a young keyblade wielder by the name of Sora."
"So, what do we do then?" Riku questioned the old sorcerer. "We need a place to take Sora so he can sleep in peace and be safe. If we can't take him to Hallow Bastion or none of the other worlds, where else is there? Sora needs to be safe. We can't have the Organization getting their hands on him. Sora needs to be protected until he can wake up," Riku added with conviction.
Yen Sid turned his large, intimidating eyes on Riku, but his expression was a mixture of amusement and understanding. "Fear not. There is somewhere where Sora, Donald and Goofy can sleep in peace while their memories are restored. Take the train to a place called Twilight Town. Once you arrive, you will find a man waiting at an old mansion just outside of the town. His name is DiZ." Riku and the King exchanged shocked glances. Neither had a clue that Yen Sid knew who DiZ was. "Ah, so you know DiZ, I presume?"
"Yeah... we know DiZ," Riku responded, light contempt in his voice, his arms folding over his chest. Riku wasn't particularly fond of DiZ, especially after all of the trouble he seemed to cause, the tasks he placed on Riku's shoulders and the almost consistent riddles.
Yen Sid chuckled at the young man's words, seemingly reading the fact that DiZ was not his favorite person. "DiZ will help you make preparations to have Sora moved to the Old Mansion, so that he may sleep in peace. Naminé will also be brought to the mansion so she can work close to Sora and restore his memories safely without any interference from the Organization."
Riku thought of Naminé and they last time they had spoken. Naminé had made him a promise to take care of Sora for him while Riku left to go on his journey. He hoped silently that the pale, blonde Nobody was holding to her word, but also wondered if she was doing alright in such a horrible place. Naminé had gave him almost the same sensations and feelings of being around Kairi again, but at the same time it was different, and this time when she had been mentioned, Riku couldn't help but feel an urge to want to see the blonde girl with Kairi's face, and wondered why he felt that way. He was appreciative of Yen Sid's information, meaning that they were one step closer to bringing Sora to safety. Lost in his own thoughts, he hadn't heard the rest of the conversation between King Mickey and Yen Sid, but as he snapped to, he found himself suppressing a yawn. The sky outside had grown dark now, and stars shone brightly, twinkling cheerfully in the blackened empryean above them. Night had fallen.
"Tonight I will offer you rooms to sleep in. You need your rest to begin your journey and you can do so in the morning," Yen Sid stood from his seat and swept around his desk. "Follow me and I will show you were you can sleep."
Riku couldn't help but feel relieved and grateful, for he could feel the exhaustion slowly creeping up on him. Everything was catching up now, and he was ready to crash into a soft bed with warm blankets and a pillow. The two followed Yen Sid out of the tower study and down the hall where he stopped outside of a door and opened it up. "Riku, you may sleep here for the night. Mickey, you may take the room next to Riku's. I will see to it that you have some nourishment before you sleep." With a small wave and a smile at the king, Riku retreated into his room. Inside, there was a large bookshelf on the wall with more books, a much smaller desk and chair, than the one in Yen Sid's study, across from a bed. There was a large, star-shaped window near his bed, with a comfortable, night breeze coursing through it every so often. On the other side of the room was a dresser and a tall, standing mirror.
Riku slipped out of the confines of his black cloak, laying it over the back of the desk chair and kicked off the black boots that went along with it, placing them next to the chair and out of the way so he wouldn't trip on them. He walked toward the mirror and studied his reflection. His face appeared tired and worn, almost like a veteran of war in the history books he'd seen in school. A guy his age shouldn't look that way already. His eyes were dull and drained, and even he could see the shadow of the sadness he held in them, and he wondered just how apparent his suffering was.
His eyes scanned over the reflection of his body. The yellow, strapped tank top he wore was seemingly a little tight, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the length of his pants that were now practically high waters. He had grown somewhat in these past months without even realizing it. His chest was broadening, his arms were growing bigger, and his height had definitely went up a couple of inches. Even his uniquely colored, ivory hair was longer. It was just past his shoulders now and his bangs were falling into his blue green eyes. The cloak had been somewhat constraining so Riku never noticed how tight his shirt was, nor how uncomfortable his pants were starting to become until now. He wasn't sure why, but it amused him somewhat.
There was a brief knock at his door, pulling Riku away from the mirror. "It's open!" he called out, and inside stepped Master Yen Sid. Riku was startled once more by the man's overbearing presence, and wondered if he could ever get used to the sorcerer.
"Riku, I hope I am not bothering you. I know it is late, but there is something that has been weighing on my mind about you. I wish to discuss it," the older man stated, getting straight to the point.
"Oh?" Riku tilted his head, a thin, silver eyebrow raising in curiosity. "About me?"
"Mmhmm," hummed the sorcerer as he nodded his head. Riku took a seat on the bed and Yen Sid stood in front of the boy with his hands folded against his torso. "I sense a vast and deep darkness emanating from within you, but I also sense light. There is light somewhere deep within the confines of your heart, because if there were not, you would not have the cares you carry with you now. You would not feel the remorse that plagues you."
"Who says I feel any remorse?" Riku retorted, unable to hold his tongue. Who was this old man anyway to say these kinds of things to him? He didn't even know Riku let alone what was in his heart, and even though Riku knew that himself was outright lying, it didn't stop him from saying what was on his mind.
"Oh? So you do not feel the intensity of guilt I sense coming from you?" Yen Sid raised a hand in attempt to quiet Riku as made to open his mouth and speak again, but the boy fell silent, turning his face away from the sorcerer, unable to look at him. "Riku, I am very omniscient. It is not difficult for one such as I to sense your pain. You cannot hide your sorrow nor your guilt from me the way you can with others. No words, no cloaks, no fake smiles or false expressions can trick me into believing you are just fine."
"Tch. You're perceptive, aren't you?" Riku sneered quietly, still not looking at Yen Sid, but he closed his aquamarine eyes painfully. Every single word Yen Sid was speaking rang true, and he knew he'd have to hear it sooner or later. He would have rather it had been later though. He wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea that Yen Sid could read him so well, and it left him feeling somewhat shaken, but Yen Sid was not done.
"Indeed, but I want you to understand something, Riku. No manner of darkness that may reside within you, whether it be your own darkness or someone else's should keep you from your friends. Do you not understand that you alone are what matters to them? This includes everything within you, Riku. Your darkness, your light. They are a part of who you are and what makes you who you are. You are a special entity. There has never been another in all my studies to exist like you. You, Riku, exist between the darkness and the light. You can control both if you just believe in yourself the way your friends do."
"I don't know how to believe in myself anymore," Riku admitted, his voice sounding small. "The last time I tried believing in myself, the darkness took hold and well, I'm sure you can guess what happened." He wasn't so sure he felt ready to begin spilling his guts to a man he just met and so he caught himself before he could start telling him his life story. In truth, if he even tried to begin to discuss it, Riku wasn't sure he'd be able to hold up his feigned strong front he'd learned to gradually perfect. The last thing he wanted to do was to fall completely to pieces in front of King Mickey's teacher.
"Riku, if you hold onto the fact that you exist between the light and the dark, then darkness won't take over your heart and your mind. Only you can allow something such as that to happen. You can try and fight your darkness, but it will only bring you pain." Yen Sid examined the boy carefully in front of him. "Don't fight your darkness. Accept it as a part of you."
"You just don't get it," Riku voiced wryly, shaking his ivory head. "You don't know what's constantly in my mind, in my heart, every single day. It's not so easy to just accept my darkness as a part of me when it constantly-," his words broke off and he turned his head away from the sorcerer once more. He couldn't bring himself to tell the man that Ansem was still in his head, in his heart, his voice ringing out, his influence torturing him, tempting him, luring him, pushing him.
"I understand, and I understand that you are not ready to discuss it, but I just wanted to let you know that there is still hope if you choose to believe in it. Riku, your friends still love you and care for you more than you know. It's not hard to sense the love that both Sora and Kairi have for you, and because they love you, they will understand the manipulation and torment that you have greatly suffered. Your friends need you, just as much as you need them. They want to be there for you when the time comes. Do not push away or shut out the ones who care the most. Let them in." Yen Sid turned away from Riku, bid him farewell and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
Riku sat on his bed, and dropped his face into his hands. Yen Sid had read him like a damned open book. He knew almost exactly the pain, remorse and regret Riku felt on a daily basis, why he felt it, and the mention of shutting out his friends was almost exactly what the boy had planned on doing once Sora had awoken. He couldn't risk getting them hurt again because of his own stupidity, and if the darkness did seize control of him, then what could happen? Then again, perhaps Yen Sid was right. He knew he needed his friends, but did his friends honestly need him? It wasn't hard to acknowledge that Yen Sid was trying to give the young man encouragement, but even so, Riku still had his doubts. Would he truly ever be able to face his friends again? Riku lay his aching head down on the pillow on his bed and closed his eyes which were burning with exhaustion and disgress, Yen Sid's words still reverberating in his head.
"Do not push away or shut out the ones who care the most. Let them in."
How would he even be able to begin to do something like that? Instead of easing his pain, the words just made him feel more lost than ever. Riku stared out of the star shaped window and sighed as he laid back on his bed. "Sora, Kairi... I am so sorry..."