Chapter 9- The Biggest Nobody of Them All
Riku arrived at The Beast's Castle in a matter of moments, and he breathed in deep, taking in the scents around him. The atmosphere was dark, the looming clouds rolled menacingly across the sky which was a deep purple and black. Because it was so dark around him, Riku had to rely more on his sense of smell rather than his sight. The blindfold tied around his eyes and the dark of the night surrounding the magnificent castle had rendered him practically blind. He could just barely make out shadows through the blackness of the soft cloth. Riku stood with his hood pulled up around his face, hiding his features, and listened to the sounds around him. The chirping of crickets filled the night air, a soft wind rustled through the trees as he began making his way up the stone walkway toward the entrance of the castle. He sniffed the air quietly, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. There was no scent, and he wondered if he was too late in his search for Xion.
Almost as soon as he thought this, everything became still. The wind seemingly came to a halt, the chirping of the crickets stopped. The sound of footsteps approached him from behind, and Riku stood up straight, his stance ready. He breathed. Something about the approaching figure's scent was familiar, and yet he couldn't quite place it. "I found you, impostor," the voice spoke, and it was surprisingly female. Riku tensed, prepared. "My orders are to track down and assassinate the impostor." Her voice was surprisingly soft, monotone and yet there was a hint of strength behind it.
"Huh, is that right?" Riku sneered, still not bothering to turn around. He could feel her now, he could sense the move she was about to make, and could hear her summoning a weapon. He summoned his own. "Go ahead and try. If you think can." Her footsteps quickened in pace, and Riku whirled around, to face a very small form dressed in the same black coat as he, the hood pulled up and over her head, cloaking her features just like him. He couldn't see her face. The teen moved into a battle stance, striking his weapon outward, and he realized the thing in the girl's hand was the keyblade. The moment it made contact with his Soul Eater, Riku was baffled. This wasn't the normal strength of a keyblade or it's wielder. I'll humor her for a bit. Riku thought to himself, feeling amused. The keyblade was a fake, or it wasn't real, or maybe it was just a replica of the real thing, he wasn't sure, but he would find out. He allowed the girl to push him back, offering her a head start to test her strength, and his hood fell off of his head, but she seemed to pay it no mind, and neither did he.
The keyblade's wielder swung her weapon, wildly and fiercely, and Riku almost pitied the girl, acknowledging the fact that she really had no real move or fighting style of her own. She seemed to be in a blind rage, swinging her keyblade. It was almost too easy. He let the fight carry on for a few moments, as she summoned a blast of fire, which he easily countered with his own release of Dark Firaga. The impact sent the cloaked girl flying backward, but she wasn't done. She got up and with a yell, raced toward Riku, leaping in the air with they keyblade raised high above her head, ready to land on arial attack on the silver haired boy.
Riku mused over how sloppy her moves were, and he was too fast as the girl landed hard on her feet, nearly toppling over. He could smell the sweat beginning to build on her skin, and he could hear her panting breaths. I should probably stop before she passes out... This isn't at all the strength of a true keyblade wielder. Sora would've never been...
The Organization girl had now decided to attempt an attack from behind, and Riku spun around fast, too swift for her botched move, and slammed the blunt side of Soul Eater into the girl's abdomen, sending her flying backward toward the gate. Her keyblade went soaring up in the air, flipping manically before it landed hard into the stone, thrusting itself into the ground before him. The girl called Xion was breathing hard, clutching her stomach as she sat on her knees, her hooded face had looked up toward where Riku stood, his back to the girl, Soul Eater thrust outward. He could feel her eyes on him, and then he heard the petite figure grunt with exhaustion, before the sound of her body hitting the ground followed. Soul Eater dematerialized, and Riku turned, slowly walking toward Xion's fallen body.
The girl stirred and moaned, and his curiosity overtook him. Riku went down to one knee in front of her and pulled back the girl's hood. He lifted one side of his blindfold up, revealing one brilliant, aquamarine eye to get a better look at her face. His eye widened as he gasped in shock at the reveal of her face and how familiar it was. Puzzled, Riku stumbled back, staring at the shadow of the girl in shock. With a grunt, the black haired girl, Xion, pushed herself up and gazed upward toward Riku.
"Your face..." was all he could manage to say about the girl. He never imagined the face of Kairi, and of someone else, to be staring back at him. "Who are you, really? And why do you have a keyblade?" the silvery-violet haired boy demanded to know. The familiarity of her was almost overwhelming, and the confusion as to why she'd obtained Sora's weapon was even more perplexing.
Xion pulled her hood back up over her head, hiding her face once more. "Tell me first," she began, staring down at the stone ground underneath her. "Why you are dressed as one of us." She looked up at him once more, and Riku walked away from her, unable to face her anymore. He couldn't explain to her why. She most likely wouldn't even begin to understand the importance, and so instead he spoke one sentence and that summed it up enough for him.
"To make sure that my best friend... sleeps in peace..." Riku walked toward the keyblade, still wedged into the ground, and clasped a gloved hand around it's hilt. "I don't know who you're supposed to be, but... you can't fight fire with sparks." He told her matter-of-factly, and as he held onto the keyblade, he raised it above his head studying it, feeling it. It was nothing like the power of the keyblade he'd felt before when he'd wielded it or even just held it. Sora's keyblade was different. It was filled with a purifying rage and energetic light. This keyblade didn't even feel like half of that. Maybe a fraction of the power the real keyblade possessed. "This keyblade, it's sham... worthless," Riku stated, not missing a beat and he tossed it aside, a nearly powerless, incomplete, imitation weapon and listened to it clatter next to the fallen girl.
Xion gasped as the weapon whipped toward her and landed next to her. "My keyblade is not a sham! What gives you the right to say that!" Riku couldn't help but admire her tenacity and had to give her credit for it, but this girl was getting herself mixed up with the wrong people and they were attempting to use her for all the wrong reasons. Riku could hear the girl clambering to her feet, could see the shadow of her figure moving as she grabbed her keyblade and came rushing toward him, an angry little growl escaping her lips. She lifted it ready to strike, and Riku easily dodged it, ducking underneath her, with a spin and slamming his fist with just enough force into her back to send her to the ground once more. She fell and the keyblade vanished.
"Find a new crowd," Riku told her as he rose to his feet from his crouch. "Trust me. Those guys are bad news." He turned from Xion, as something weakened inside of him. He was almost sure this was her. This was the girl he had to bring back to DiZ, but he couldn't take her by force. Not like this. Not while she was wearing that face.
"Why!" Xion's voice came once more from behind Riku. "You're the real sham!" He stopped, barely inclining his head over his shoulder toward No. XIV. Her words hit him hard. She was right. She could see right through him. She could see right through the act, he'd been putting on, with complete ease. He could feel something inside of him begin to ache, and Riku had to resist the urge to clutch at his chest. Instead, he opted to turn his face completely away, lowering his head. You're not one of the good guys. You never have been. You never will be. Even a replica knows this. Who are you trying to fool?
"Fair enough," Riku answered, refusing to show or succumb to any weaknesses, particularly in front of this girl, the one who wore the face of someone more dear to him than almost anyone else. "You could say I am... the biggest nobody of them all." He frowned and moved away from Xion, walking toward the castle gates that would lead him back into the forest ahead of them. He needed to get away, he needed to gather himself before his darkness could swallow him whole. He could hear Xion's scream of frustration echoing from behind him, and he felt guilty. I'm sorry... I'm sorry this had to happen... I'm sorry it had to be me to do it. I'm not one of the good guys. Not when I'm doing things like this... Maybe that was why he chose to let her go, to convince himself he was, no matter how much he wasn't.
Riku found himself wandering around The Beast's Castle, avoiding the forest for some unknown reason. Not wanting to be seen by anyone, he tugged his hood up once more over his head, attempting to melt within the shadows of darkness that so mimicked himself. He walked toward the back of the castle and saw a small landing. At least Ansem was quiet tonight for a change. It left his head clear enough to properly gather his thoughts. Riku lept up to the balcony effortlessly, thinking back to something that he remembered from when he was little. A promise that he had made with someone. He outstretched his hand, remembering what it was like when he summoned the keyblade from Sora's hand to his own, remembering the promise he made that evening on the beach when he held a keyblade for the first time.
Riku attempted to summon the keyblade, hoping that it may show the light still shining within his own heart, but to no avail. His endeavor failed miserably, and something cracked a little more inside of Riku. Why was this replica Organization member, No. XIV, this Xion girl able to summon a keyblade, even if it was just a shell of the real thing, but not him? Was he truly taken by complete darkness now? A complete creature of the dark, unworthy of summoning and wielding a keyblade? Mickey had once told him that even in the deepest darkness, there was always a little bit of light shining through, but now, he wasn't so sure Mickey was right anymore. Riku sighed, slumping his shoulders in defeat and he threw back his hood, letting the wind rush through his long, layered locks of platinum-violet hair and he stared out over the rustling treetops around him.
"Hey! Slow Down! Would you just wait for me!" came a small, panting voice from behind the little silvery haired boy.
"Giving up already? C'mon Sora," the five year old Riku taunted the little brunette boy chasing him. He was wearing a yellow, sleeveless shirt over a pair of black shorts with blue and white sneakers on his small feet. On each wrist he wore a blue sweatband lined with yellow.
"That's enough! I can't run anymore!" Sora panted, and Riku couldn't help but chuckle at his best friend as the two made their way toward the paopu tree, young Riku's favorite place to sit and enjoy watching the waves ripple on the ocean's surface. He could smell the salt drifting off the water. The sun was slowly setting in the sky, giving the ocean an orange hue, the sky various shades of red, pink and yellow as the massive, glowing circled orb seemed to rest behind the ocean's current.
"Oh!" the brown, spikey-haired boy exclaimed as he lept to his feet. He was wearing a white t-shirt, red shorts and a pair of brown sandals on his feet. "Ahoy! We're over here!" He waved his little hand high in the air, and Riku inclined his head, glancing in the direction of where Sora was waving and saw his best friend's dad standing with the boat, waiting to take the boys back home to the main island. "Riku, race ya!" Sora challenged, playfully tapping his friend on the shoulder with his fist. "First one to the boat gets to be captain!" he urged enthusiastically before jumping off the tree and taking off down the pier. Riku just grinned as he stood up and began walking, not bothering to chase his friend this time. "C'mon!" Sora called, not looking back to his friend. "You call that running!"
He walked down the wooden pier and hopped off of it landing on his feet, cat-like, in the sand as he followed his friend to the boat where Sora's father waited. As Riku walked along the beach, he noticed a man he didn't recognize. The man turned to face Riku, and the little boy stopped, turning to look at this person he had never seen before. "Hmmm?" His large, aquamarine eyes widened in surprise. "Hey. Did you come from the outside world?" He questioned, knowing he'd never seen this person here or the main island before. He was a total stranger, so he had to of came from somewhere, and it wasn't his island.
The man who stood before him had dark brown hair, the top brushed back over the crown of his head, with strands dangling at the sides of his face. His eyes were a dark, sapphire blue and he had a young, kind face. He wore a strange shoulder crest of armor on his left arm, a tight, grey shirt with red straps making an X formation across his chest, and a pleated pair of khaki-colored hakama pants. The man didn't look at all dangerous. He appeared to be in maybe his late teens, the five year old Riku gathered as he studied the older boy in front of him. "Huh? Why would you say that?" the older boy, appearing surprised by Riku's words, questioned him.
"Because nobody lives out here, and I know you're not from the main island," Riku replied easily, not missing a single beat. Everyone on the island knew everyone because of how small it was, and everyone knew that nobody lived on this side of the island.
"Smart kid," the man replied, looking right back at Riku. "So, how about you? What are you doing here?" He seemed to be attempting to make conversation, and the little boy obliged, even though he was still skeptical.
"Oh, my friend's dad took us out on the boat. This is where we like to play but, they won't let us row out here by ourselves. Not till we get older." Riku kicked at the sand underneath his shoe.
"Must be hard, stuck in one place," the older boy seemed to sympathize with how the young Riku was feeling.
The little boy began walking toward the ocean, and stood at the edge of the shore, staring out over the ocean's surface. "I heard once, there was a kid who left for good." Riku turned around to face the older boy who seemed to be giving him a peculiar look. "So how did you get here anyway?"
The dark haired man ignored his question. "Is there some reason you're interested in the outside world?" he asked the younger boy, holding his hand out in an inquiring gesture.
Riku felt a blush creep up on his cheeks and he turned away from the man, to look back out over the ocean. "Yeah. I wanna be strong one day," he admitted, and realized he'd never told anyone about that, and it felt good to say what he was thinking. Riku didn't stop. "Like that kid who left. He went to the outside world. I bet he's really strong now. I know it's out there somewhere... the strength that I need."
"Strength for what?" the man asked, and Riku honestly didn't mind it. Nobody had never really talked to him about this or asked him these kinds of questions before, and the fact that this man was from the outside world had intrigued the boy. He could feel something warm coming from him, a kindness and that he would be easy to trust. Usually Riku was very wary of strangers, but this guy was a lot different.
Riku turned and looked toward the dark haired man. "To protect the things that matter." He smiled at him, his uniquely colored eyes shining with determination. "You know, like my friends!"
The blue-eyed man smiled back at Riku and gave him a nod of his head in acknowledgement and understanding. "Outside this tiny world is a much bigger one." He walked toward Riku and stopped short in front of the young boy. Riku watched in wonderment, as the man held out his hand and large flash of light began glowing and surrounding it. In his hand materialized what appeared to be an overgrown key, with strange angles and blades coming off of it. He dropped down to one knee in front of the boy and held the large key toward him. "In your hand, take this key. So long as you have the making, then through this simple act of taking, it's wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend. No ocean will contain you then. No more boarders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love."
Riku watched the man as he spoke, listening intently and slowly reached a small hand up to grasp the hilt of the large key, and the dark haired man let go of it, leaving Riku holding it on his own. He could feel a warmth spread through him, a strong sense of light, of destiny and protection, something he'd never felt before, and Riku felt much older than his young years at that very moment. How many five year old children did this sort of thing anyway? He stared at the key, his hand gripping it just a little tighter, when- "RIKU!" a voice snapped him out of his reverie and he let go of the key, both he and the dark haired man startled by the voice.
"Huh?" Riku looked up to see Sora standing on the edge of the pier waving his hand back and forth.
"C'mon! Hurry it up!" Sora called, and Riku raised his own hand waving back toward his friend.
"You've gotta keep this a secret, okay?" the man's voice spoke up over Riku's shoulder and he turned his head to look back at him. "Otherwise, all the magic will wear off."
Riku nodded his head understanding, and the man next to him smiled, raising a hand to rub the top of Riku's silver head affectionately. He smiled at the little boy and laughed, causing Riku to laugh as well and he squeezed his eyes shut as the older boy ruffled his hair. Riku took one last look at him, giving him a big smile and then raced off to meet with Sora who was now running toward him. "Hey! What was that all about!" Sora asked curiously.
"Eh, you know," Riku responded, remembering what the blue-eyed man had said to him, and he turned from Sora, placing his hands behind his head and crossing one foot over the other.
"Know what! Why won't you tell me!" Sora insisted, practically bouncing out of his sandals. "Who was that guy? Somebody you know?"
"Maaaaybe," Riku replied criptically, as he walked away from Sora, heading toward the dock where Sora's dad was waiting with the boat.
"Aw, there you go again! Just tell me!" Sora pleaded, throwing his arms in the air, hopping up and down, following his friend.
"I really can't. I've gotta keep it a secret," Riku tried to explain, and he always kept his promises. He wouldn't tell anyone the secret of what just happened. Not even Sora. He was going to be a wielder of that giant key someday, and that key was going to give him the strength he needed to protect all of his friends there on the island. Sora, Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie.
"Not with me you don't! I'm like, the best secret-keeper in the world!" Sora persisted, and Riku felt bad that he couldn't tell his friend, but he knew how important it was to keep this secret.
"Nice try," Riku giggled as he raced off toward the end of the pier and to the waiting boat by the dock.
"Aww, Riku!" Sora whined as he went after his friend. Riku hopped into the boat along with Sora behind him, and Sora's father began rowing them home. The words that man had said repeated themselves in Riku's head, and he ignored the growing complaints from Sora before finally his friend became quiet. "Protect the things that matter." He spoke softly, looking at his now quiet friend who seemed to be dozing off in the boat, as Sora's dad rowed them to the shore of the main island. "I wonder what his name was...?"
Riku sighed. So much for protecting the things that matter. How long had he been gone now? Days? Weeks? He'd left without a word to Naminé, and wondered if she were angry with him, or possibly even worried? No, she wouldn't be angry. Naminé would understand the importance of this, but if she were anything like Kairi, she might be a little irritated that he left without a word. Riku wondered with a jolt in his heart if Naminé were even safe, and remembered how horribly DiZ had mistreated her. He also wondered if Naminé had made any progress in Sora's memory restoration, and felt the sudden urge to go back to the mansion.
His head and his heart were swirling with so many different thoughts and emotions, he wasn't sure what to think or how to progress. He felt worried about Naminé's well being and if Sora were getting any closer to awakening, something inside of him was hurting and he was unsure as to why because his own thoughts were so jumbled, he couldn't work out why he felt the way he did. He felt angry with himself for ditching Naminé in the way he had, and also wondered about the King as well and if he would be upset with Riku. He rolled his shoulders, attempting to shake everything off and tried one more time to summon the keyblade, but nothing came.
He was no longer entitled to inherit the keyblade. It had moved on from him and chose someone else, and it was because of his darkness. Riku clutched his hand to his chest, pressing his fingertips hard against it as he summoned the dark passageway to lead him back to the mansion. He had nowhere else to go after all, and needed to eventually get back and at least make a report to DiZ, but how and what would he say? If DiZ found out Riku had Xion in his clutches and just let her go, he'd be furious. He could just lie his way out of it and say he hadn't tracked her down yet, but that he could keep looking. Yeah, that's what I'll do. I don't know if I can handle DiZ's crap tonight... At least not right now. There's just too much going on. But I know he's going to reprimand me anyway, so it's a double-edged sword. Lying would be the lesser of two evils.
Much too soon, Riku found himself standing outside of the mansion once more. With a deep breath, he let himself inside, carefully and quietly making his way across the familiar foyer, up the stairs and found his feet leading him toward Naminé's door that take him inside of her bright, white room. He could feel his heart beginning to pound in his chest with anxiety and was unsure of why he felt so nervous being back here. No, he knew why, he was lying to himself. He felt a horrible twinge of guilt as he raised a fist to knock gingerly on Naminé's door.
"Come in," Naminé's small voice called from the other side. The familiarity of her voice made his heart leap into his throat, and while he badly wanted to see her, at the same time he felt sheepish from just getting up and leaving without a word. Now here he was, back again. Riku reluctantly opened the door and stepped inside. He straightened his shoulders and walked somewhat professionally into her room, as if this were some kind of business meeting. He pulled a chair out from the end of the table and took a seat, almost too formally for his own good. There was an awkward sensation in the air, and Naminé raised her lovely head to look up at Riku's blindfolded face. He could see the relief fill her features and the sound of her voice was surprising.
"So we meet again," she said gently, happy that he was alright, grateful that he was alive and relieved that he was back. If she had a heart, it would be climbing up into her throat. Naminé had to resist the urge to want to get up from the table and run into his arms.
Riku studied her momentarily. He thought back to when Naminé had mentioned something was going on with her powers, and how some of Sora's memories were missing. He also thought back to how Naminé had promised him she would take care of Sora for him. He wasn't sure why, but he felt somewhat frustrated with her, even though he should be grateful for all that she had done for him. Maybe he wasn't frustrated with her, but frustrated with himself. Why was she being so casual? Riku wondered if maybe it was his darkness creeping up inside of him, rising to the surface. "You made me a promise," he stated bluntly, placing his hands on top of his knees and looking straight toward Naminé. He hoped he hadn't sounded too harsh. He silently cursed himself, hoping he hadn't hurt her feelings. This wasn't all her fault after all. She didn't create Xion.
"I remember. It was to look after Sora," Naminé replied, not missing a beat. She lowered her head, eyebrows drawing upward. Sadness and guilt filled her the soft violet blue of her eyes and tainted her pretty features. "I'm sorry. I'm not sure I've kept that promise very well." She stared down at her sketchbook laying on the table in front of her. On the sketchpad was a drawing of a red haired being, a black haired being and a blonde haired being, that of which Riku did not recognize.
Riku instantly softened, knowing that he made her feel bad. He desperately needed to know though what was going on with Sora and why Naminé's powers were no longer working for her, and why Sora's memory process had come to a complete standstill. He remembered DiZ telling him as much as well. "Can you tell me what's happening?" he asked, sounding more gentle.
"Some of Sora's memories are missing," Naminé told him sadly.
Missing memories? How is something like that possible? All Naminé did was just put herself into Sora's memories in Kairi's place and tamper with them, right? So how was it possible his memories would just disappear like that? "How could that be?" he questioned, still keeping his voice soft, for fear he might upset her again. Riku couldn't help but feel selfishy inclined to just wanting his best friend back. All he wanted was for Sora to wake up again, so he could talk to Sora, tell him he was sorry for everything, and because the world needed Sora. Kairi needed Sora.
"Sora's memories are escaping from Sora's Nobody into a third person," Naminé explained, worry resounding in her voice. "And now... they're starting to become a part of her.
Riku sighed softly, staring down at the table. He knew exactly who this person was. The girl he'd just met with the familiar face. The little black haired girl who could wield the keyblade. The petite girl that looked like Kairi, and to some extent, Naminé. This was why he couldn't hurt her or drag her here. This is why he held so much compassion for that tiny replica. For some reason he could tell what Naminé was suggesting and felt a surge of sympathy for Xion. She had no control over the fact that Sora's memories were escaping into her. She never asked to be created. This wasn't her fault. "Isn't there a way to bring back just Sora's memories?" Riku urged Naminé.
"If they're still separate, then I think I can take out fragments of it," Naminé attempted to explain as she reached down to pick up her sketchbook and stare at the drawing of the three people on the page; the three Nobodies. "...but if her memories and Sora's memory fragments are completely weaved together I would need to untangle them from each other, and that would take more time. Which means, it would taken even longer before Sora can wake up again, and DiZ wouldn't tolerate that." She sighed and laid the sketchbook back down on the table, and looked back up at the blindfolded, young man in front of her.
"So what can you do?" Riku inquired, not wasting any time.
Naminé lowered her blonde head again thoughtfully. "If I just jump in and rearrange her memory, than Sora might wake up... only to find out that nobody remembers him anymore." Naminé finished her last sentence, looking Riku straight in the face.
His mouth opened slowly, and he kept himself from gasping out loud at this revelation. That wouldn't be right or fair to Sora. It would be wrong, and cruel, to want him to wake up, but then forgetting who his best friend was, and Sora having no one around him to remember him and all the memories and happiness that they shared over the years, that he'd shared with everyone, and all the friends he'd made would no longer know who he is. It would be unfair, and something like that would deeply hurt Sora. Riku was not about to let that happen. He didn't take his eyes off of Naminé's form, but she couldn't seem to face Riku, almost as if she were ashamed.
"That's a risk I just can't take," she told the silver haired boy, shaking her head. "It's too late either way. Sora's awakening has already been delayed." She paused for a moment, raising her head once more to look at Riku, and yet again he was grateful his eyes were covered. He wouldn't want Naminé to see the worry and sadness in them. "Sora's Nobody and the one that's absorbing his memory... none of us imagined that they would fight so hard to become their own people," she continued explaining. "Unfortunately, the only real solution... is for them both to go away..."
Riku's heart lept at these words, coming to the understanding that Sora's Nobody and this other person, this girl Naminé spoke of, the girl Riku had fought prior to this meeting with Naminé , would have to return to Sora and cease to exist or else his best friend would never wake up again. He listened quietly and intently as Naminé proceeded on. He never realized something like this would have to happen, and Riku knew DiZ would leave it up to him. How could he just go and take Xion by force with her wearing that face?
"Did you know her face was blank at first? But now... there is a face that is clearly visible. I think that's proof that she has entered Sora's memories. Sora's memories, Sora's Nobody's memories, and her memories... they're all a jumbled mess now, and to put them back into one, I'm afraid there's no other way."
"Alright," was all Riku could respond with. He couldn't think of anything else to say, but the sadness of the situation, the revelation that an innocent girl would have to return to Sora and no longer live, and if she didn't, Sora would never wake up again, it was just too much for a brain to handle.
Naminé stared down at her sketchpad, before flipping the page over to a blank one and grabbed a crayon. She seemed almost uncomfortable, and unable to face Riku, and he sat quietly in his chair observing her. "Naminé? What is it?" Riku inquired gently, and the petite, blonde Nobody raised her eyes up toward Riku, filled with curiosity.
"Did you find her? DiZ told me where you went after you left. He said he sent you and King Mickey in search of this girl and that you were supposed to be bring her back here if you did find her, but Riku," Naminé paused, fidgiting with her crayon.
"I encountered a girl who can wield a keyblade," Riku answered, attempting to rid Naminé of her obvious distress. "We had a small fight outside the castle, but the keyblade wasn't like the real keyblade. It was almost like a shell of the original keyblade. It lacked in power and strength. I...," Riku lowered his head shamefully. "I let her go with a warning. I just couldn't bring her back here by force. Not with her wearing that face," he mumbled, unable to look at the blond in front of him. "I guess I just need some time to figure things out first."
Naminé had turned once more back to her sketchbook and the scraping of the crayons she used resounded on the paper. Riku tilted his head curiously. "Naminé, why do you still draw if you can't use your powers? You once explained to me this is how you link the chain of memories back together again, so if you can't fix Sora's memories right now..."
"Is this her? Is this the girl you fought?" Naminé interrupted quietly as she raised her sketchpad. Sure enough, a black haired girl with a black coat and a Kingdom Key keyblade, just like Sora's, was drawn on the page. Riku nodded his head. "This is her, Riku. This is Xion. She is the one who has Sora's memories. You know what this means. She must return to Sora. She's a part of the Organization and that means-"
"It means, I have no choice," Riku sighed, allowing himself to slump down into the chair. "What am I going to do? How am I going to get her here? I can't force her here. I can't rough handle her and just drag her here if she's not willing to come, but I can't let Sora down either. She's an innocent girl. She didn't ask to be created or brought into this world, and she didn't take Sora's memories on purpose. Dammit," Riku despaired, and out of nowhere Naminé stood up from her chair and slowly approached the boy before he found she was standing right in front of him, a strange expression on her face as if she were torn between something. "Naminé, wha-," Riku began, and did not expect the little Nobody's next move. She threw herself up against him, wrapping her arms tight around his shoulders and squeezing him to her. "Naminé? What are you doing?" Riku questioned, a little surprised by the girl's actions.
"Isn't this what friends are supposed to do for each other when they're sad? Give a hug?" Naminé questioned him, not letting go of him and she laid her head against his shoulder, burying her face into the crook of his neck.
"Yeah. Maybe," Riku replied, before he lifted his arms up and wrapped them around Naminé's frail body, holding the girl as close to her as he possibly could and he buried his face into the softness of her hair, breathing in her feminine scent, and for the first time in a long time, Riku was starting to feel somewhat at peace in her arms. He couldn't remember the last time someone had hugged him so hard, and so comfortingly, as if attempting to pour all of their light into him and make him warm again, and not cold with darkness. The last time he had been hugged like this was before Mickey had left the mansion. He had forgotten what it felt like to be held so close and so tenderly by someone, and Riku had to swallow hard against a lump rising in his throat. "Thanks, Naminé," he whispered to her and if possible, she squeezed him a little tighter. She was, after all, the only friend he had here really.
"It'll be okay, Riku. You'll get everything figured out. I believe in you," Naminé encouraged him softly, and he shivered a bit as her lips brushed up against his ear while she spoke. There was a loud clearing of the throat near the door, and the two broke apart just as quickly as they had embraced.
"I see you have returned, Riku," the voice of DiZ spoke up, as the cloaked man swept toward the two teens. In each hand he held a bar of blue, sea salt ice cream. "And I would say empty, handed," he added accusingly, raising his eyebrow as he held out the two bars of ice cream toward Riku and Naminé. The two lowered their heads, unable to face DiZ, their cheeks blushing pink. "You two seem to have gotten awfully close now, haven't you?"
"I was just giving Riku a hug because he was feeling bad. That's all," Naminé stated strongly, holding her head up and looking straight into DiZ's one visible eye. "Thank you for the ice cream," she added, taking hers from DiZ's outstretched hand, before going to sit back down in her own seat at the other end of the table.
"Feeling bad about what, exactly?" the bandaged man inquired as Riku took his ice cream, and he folded his arms behind his back.
"I couldn't find Xion," Riku lied, not facing DiZ and not eating the ice cream bar he held in his hand.
"I see," DiZ replied, sounding a bit skeptical. "Riku, if I may have a word with you out in the hall." Riku cast a glance in Naminé's direction. Her head was down, and she was taking small bites of her ice cream as if to distract herself and he sighed, standing up and following the cloaked man into the hallway. DiZ turned around on his heel to face the blindfolded boy, a serious expression on his face. "I have noticed that you and Naminé seem to have gotten close to one another. A little too close. I do not want this interfering with the tasks you are assigned if you want Sora to wake up again."
Riku scoffed and rolled his eyes. "There's nothing going on, DiZ and nothing will interfere with Sora's awakening," he told him, but something inside of Riku made him feel like he was lying. Was there really nothing going on?
"Hmmm. You must remember, Riku, Naminé is a Nobody. Nobodies cannot feel love the way that you or I can feel love for other human beings. She is not a human being. She lacks that which would make her capable of feeling love or care for another individual. A heart. She does not know pain. She does not know fear. She does not know love. Therefore, when this is all over," DiZ paused and crossed his arms over his chest, staring hard at Riku. "I will be leaving Naminé's elimination up to you." Riku dropped the melting ice cream bar he was still holding in his hand, and it landed on the floor with with a splat.
Before Riku could even respond to DiZ's request, the man had disappeared just as quickly has he had arrived. What..? Naminé's... elimination? How could he honestly ask me of something like that? Isn't it bad enough he wants me to drag Xion here, and now he wants me to get rid of Naminé? No... no this is too much. I can't deal with all of this. Riku felt something inside of him give, and the strength in his legs wavered. He slowly slid down the wall and drew his knees up to his chest, resting his aching head against them. He was only 16 years old, being given the tasks that a man much older than him should be doing. How could DiZ expect him to do something so heinous and revolting? Eliminate Naminé? Why, so she could just fade back into darkness, doomed to suffer there for all eternity? He knew what the darkness was like, and if there was a person who didn't deserve to fade there, it was Naminé. All was quiet in the hall. Not a sound was coming from Naminé's room, and DiZ had seemed to just evaporate, and so Riku was left all alone, left in despair.