Chapter 7- Heartless reunion
As Riku and Sairu emerged in the next floor, the duo were suddenly met with a massive quake that shook their surroundings. Once it died down, Sairu asked, out of shock "What on earth was that?" Riku then sniffed the air and answered "One of the scents of darkness just died. It was a very strong one, too" "But I wonder why that happened?" Sairu asked, until a voice responded, one that sent his mind into blank shock. "I'll fill that question for you" Thought it was different, he instantly knew whose voice it was, and it was confirmed when the owner of the voice appeared via a dark corridor, revealing a steel grey-blue haired teenaged boy dressed in yet another black cloak. He appeared with an amazingly composed look as he gazed upon the two boys that stood before him.
Focusing his attention on Riku first, he explained "The keeper of this castle, Marluxia, has just been felled by the Keyblade master" Now it was Riku's turn to be shocked. "Keyblade... You mean Sora! Sora is here?!" he queried, alarmed. "Yes. Want to see him? But... can you face him?" Zexion queried himself. "What's that mean?" Riku asked confused, all the while, Sairu frozen in place gazing upon his best friend ahead of them. "The world of darkness, and Ansem's shadow, still nest in your heart. Do you plan to face Sora like that? Are you not ashamed?" this earned him a growl from Riku, but Zexion continued "Sora's fate is to battle the darkness. He must oppose anyone who hosts the dark- in other words, it's you. If you don't believe the words I say..." As he spoke, he produced a card and tossed it to Riku who caught it "Then you had best see the truth with your own eyes" Zexion finished. "This card! This is our-" Riku started. "Yes. It is your home. However, this time, you will traverse the card world alone. I have other matters to attend to concerning your companion and... the one time best friend of mine" he added, attempting to sound cryptic, but Riku sussed out the meaning behind his words.
"That means you're... Ienzo, aren't you?" Riku added in a surprised tone of voice, and turned to face Sairu, who remained still as a statue, gazing ahead at the individual in a black cloak, a look of shock adorning his face. Zexion merely disappeared for an instant to reappear right in front of Sairu, and turning to Riku, he said "Feel free to revisit your old home. I have some catching up to do with my old friend" he said. Riku attempted to protest, saying in futility "Sairu! Run!" But Sairu seemed not to have heard them, and placing a hand on Sairu's shoulder, Zexion surrounded the two in a corridor of darkness and disappeared. Riku looked on where his friend once stood, paralysed with shock, and realized it was hopeless. "Don't worry, Sairu... I'll find you again. I'm not leaving you here alone" he said determinedly, and approached the door above, using the card to gain access to the Destiny Islands.
Meanwhile, in the darker, secluded rooms of the castle, a corridor of darkness appeared and Zexion and Sairu were deposited before the darkness disappeared around them. After this little trip, Sairu fell to the ground, ending up in a seated position, still frozen with shock. "Yes, that was the same expression that bore my face when I discovered you were here in the castle. It has indeed been a long time since we were last united, Sairu" "It... really is you... Ienzo" Sairu managed in a weak voice. Zexion merely closed his eyes at the utterance of his old name, and callously responded "Not anymore. Ienzo was my name, but I am now Zexion, the Organization's number 6. As with Vexen and Lexaeus before me, I am only but an empty shell of the boy you once befriended"
"What do you mean? You're still Ienzo, you remember who I am, and from what you said, you're as shocked to see me as I am to see you" Sairu said defiantly in a stronger voice as he rose to his feet. "I was indeed, but the truth of the matter is I have no emotions to feel" Zexion said dismissively. "That's just hypocritical. How can you say you don't have emotions if you felt shocked at seeing me again?" Sairu said. "Regardless, if you are here to rescue me, then cease your efforts. If you value your life, you will leave this castle and myself behind" Sairu couldn't believe what he was hearing: leave without him? "Why? After all I went through to find you? Don't you want to come back? Our home belongs to us again, and I swore I wouldn't return to my brother until I found you. You don't know how much I missed you and Kairi more than anything else" Sairu said, hurt evident in his voice.
Zexion's posture lowered at this: he had been expecting Sairu to be stubborn in his desire to save him. With that, Zexion rose his head, and in a saddened voice "Sairu... it's too late. As much as I would return with you, I cannot. Look at me" he said gazing at his hands sadly. "I am only a Nobody, a creature that has no heart to feel joy, sadness, or rage. For us Nobodies, we were never meant to exist in the first place, yet we still do. Furthermore... I'm doing this to protect you" "Protect me?" Sairu asked, confused. "My remaining colleagues in the Organization will pursue you and Riku for your role in our colleagues' demises in this castle. Returning with you will arouse suspicion, and everyone close to you will become a target, including... Kairi" At the utterance of their friend's name, Sairu realized his words were true. Now he knew about Kairi's special existence, she was likely to be a target by these Organization people.
"Wait. What exactly is a Nobody? And how does one become a Nobody?" Sairu asked, wondering what exactly that meant. Zexion merely sighed, and began explaining, "To begin with, you know when someone succumbs to the darkness in their heart, that person becomes a being known as a Heartless, correct?" Sairu nodded, prompting Zexion to continue "What you probably did not know is that the amount of darkness in one's heart determines the strength of the Heartless that is born. For myself and my comrades, our inner darkness was powerful to say the least, and thus we gave birth to powerful Heartless. But consider this: if you also possess an exceptionally strong will, one also creates a Nobody, where the remaining body and spirit live on and act of their own accord. Additionally, unlike the Heartless who rely on instinct, we Nobodies are capable of rational thought and understanding. To summarize, a Nobody can be born through strong will when we succumb to darkness" he finished
"But... if you know all this, why tell me? Divulging such knowledge could be seen as treason, and then you'll..." Sairu's voice trailed off as he considered the unthinkable."Do not worry. I plan to keep up appearances. Besides, this information is hardly confidential. And with that, I shall go to Riku. If that is the proof of my loyalty to the Organization, then I must fulfil it" Zexion raised a hand and a corridor of darkness appeared. "Remain here. I will return" Zexion instructed as he took his leave via the dark corridor. Sairu stood there, his mind filled with conflicting thoughts: his friend gave him new information, and yet, was going to finish off his other friend. But it was too late: Sairu couldn't pursue him now to stop him. With that, Sairu decided to take some time to rest, feeling physically and mentally exhausted. With that, he went and propped himself up against the wall, allowing his eyelids to close, and fell asleep, his mind buzzing with memories of the past together with Ienzo and Kairi.
Meanwhile, in Destiny Islands, Riku was running frantically, having encountered illusions of his friends from the islands, only for them to disappear before his very eyes. Now he was returning to the paopu tree on the stretch of land that was connected by a single bridge. As he ran towards it, he sensed something behind him, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. As he turned to look behind him, he was greeted by another familiar face: his other best friend, Kairi. "Kairi..." he said, and asked her "Hey Kairi! Are you-" until he witnessed her disappear before him like with the others. "Ah..." he simply said, feeling dejected "No!" he said, until a familiar voice spoke from behind him: "Surely, you knew this would happen" Zexion said, eyeing Riku with disdain. "You've been to a number of worlds in your memory before this one. And in those worlds, you only met dark beings. That's all that's left in your heart: dark memories. Your memories of home are gone-each and every one" he continued accusingly.
"That's a lie! I remember everyone from the islands!" Riku shouted in retaliation. "Tidus and Selphie and Wakka! Kairi and Sora, too! They're my... my... closest friends..." he finished, ashamed. This did not dissuade Zexion however, who continued his calm accusation "And who threw away those friends? Maybe it's your own actions that you've forgotten. You destroyed your home!" At these words, the world around them were engulfed in darkness, to be replaced by a remnant of the islands beneath their feet, surrounded by swirling clouds of darkness. "This is... that night!" Riku said, shocked at the unforgettable storm that once consumed their home. "All of the islands you grew up on were sundered, scattered. Many hearts were forever lost to the darkness. Because of what YOU did!" Zexion exclaimed scathingly, pointing to his left, where a second Riku appeared, gazing upon the devastation around him. "You hated being an islander so you opened the door to darkness and destroyed the islands. It was YOU!" he exclaimed again, as he continued prosecuting Riku "You were pulled into darkness then, and now you belong to the darkness. You should look- look at what you truly are!" Zexion declared as he disappeared. With that, the second Riku began to change shape, his form engulfed by the embrace of darkness and emerged from its depths as a giant Heartless, identical to the ones he had encountered in the realm of darkness before sealing the door to darkness. "This... This can't be who I really am!" Riku shouted despairingly as he drew his sword, ready to fight.