Hey, I got a lot of reviews again! Woot! You dudes are awesome. It seems like I'm always saying that but hey, it's so true. ^^ And yeah, some of you mentioned that Axel was being a bit of a jerk. I say he deserves the time to vent. He's been through a lot so far. But he's slowly getting over his issues, cause he's awesome like that. Hm. So yeah, not much else to say this time. Thanks much to: Twilight-Oblivion, XenoKosMos, ramen-is-my-goddess, Aindel S. Druida, A-chan, kurumaotokoiscarmen, -xX Twilit Memories Xx-, CloudedMirror, Sanya Kielo, Sexy-Tacos-Emo-Waffles, My Lyf, Dust to Dusk, Mirror and Darkling, deludedfreak, keitorin.24, Chaotic Darkness, 73n5Hl, Ivy J., merrakesh, Silver Butterfly07, XfallenXshadowX, Randomasdf, FlurryDivider.

Thanks! Your reviews are what keep me writing! :D

O


Chapter 6


The palace was much larger than it had first seemed from far away. Not a few yards away from it, crouching behind some bushes, the details came into better focus through the darkness. The palace was surrounded by massive walls extraordinarily tall. A large, imposing gatehouse was carved into it, just as dark as the walls themselves. The portcullis was down, the dark, rusting lattice bars dug deep into the ground. Behind it, double wooden doors were firmly sealed together, their intricate decoration obscured by the night sky. By the look of things though, the main entrance to the palace hadn't been opened in a long while. It was almost as if it was trying to hold off against a siege with no enemy.

Crouching between Demyx and Axel, Riku whispered. "Why are the gates closed?"

"They've been closed since the dark elements overthrew the royal family." Axel whispered quietly back. His apparent hatred for Riku seemed to be slowly settling back to indifference. To Riku it was like being forced to make friends all over again; except this time he actually had to work at it. "It's not so much that they want to keep people out, it's that they want to keep everybody inside in."

From Riku's other side, Demyx shifted a little. "I think we can get in though. I can sense a stream flowing under the castle walls. There's probably a way to get in that way without being detected-"

"Shh. The guards are coming around again. Everyone stay down."

Riku tensed at Axel's whispered command. Just able to peer through the nearly non-existent foliage of the brush they were hiding behind, Riku was able to see something silvery staggering along the top of the wall. The thing's movements were jerky and stretched; even from so far away, Riku could tell it wasn't human. They waited for a tense five minutes before the creature disappeared around the corner again. So far it had circled the top of the castle walls with almost clockwork precision. Undoubtedly it would be on the front wall again in another twenty minutes or so.

"What is that thing?" Riku asked.

"The palace guards. They're called Dusks. Just think of them for now as stronger, smarter Heartless that only obey the dark elemental in charge."

"And who would that be?"

"I'm not sure. I escaped before the darks could organize everything after their rebellion. Who knows which one finally fought to the top spot. But anyways, we should take our chance while we have it. Demyx, what direction is the waterway in?"

Demyx closed his eyes then placed his hand against the ground. Concentrating hard for a moment, he then blinked and smiled over at Axel. "It curves around the east. Lucky for us, it's telling me that it's pretty clean, so we won't have to worry about walking through sewage or anything."

"Always a plus. Cloud, is the coast completely clear?"

On Axel's other side, Cloud lifted his head a little, glowing eyes scanning the palace critically before he nodded critically. "Now is as good as we'll get."

"Right. Let's go. Come on."

Taking the lead, Axel scrambled out of the bushes, running toward the castle. Cloud, Demyx, and Riku followed after him. Personally, Riku was just amazed at how quietly the others were moving; it was as if he was running with ghosts. They dashed across the empty field in front of the palace, just a few feet from the wall when there was a sudden flash of black out of the corner of Riku's eye and Demyx stopped with a sharp gasp as if he had been hit by something.

Tripping to a halt, Axel spun around, red eyebrows drawn together worriedly, his whisper both concerned and agitated. "Dem, what's wrong? We're kinda in a hurry here."

Demyx frowned, shaking his head as he whispered back. "I don't think I can." He raised his hands, pushing them forward only to have a black disc flash in front of them, blowing them back. "Ow! It's a magic barrier!"

"But we could all get through."

"It must be spelled to keep gods out." Demyx tentatively stepped to the side and tested another part of the invisible shield. Again, as soon as his fingers got to close, a black disc flashed and zapped his fingertips. "Ah! Sorry, Axel! You'll have to go ahead without me. The waterway isn't far though. Just keep to the wall, you'll find it fast enough. It told me that it was rather large."

Biting his lip, Axel stepped forward. "Dem, I don't want to leave you here alone. What if the Heartless attack?"

"I can handle them. Besides, if it's just me, the probably won't be so attracted. From what I've seen, they usually keep away from gods." Demyx smiled then winked playfully. "I'll be fine. Now, get going."

"Axel!" Cloud growled quietly. "A guard's coming this way."

"Shit." Axel turned to Demyx. "Quick. Back to the bushes! Riku, Cloud, get against the wall!"

Riku did as he was told, running the last few steps to press up against the wall, Cloud and Axel next to him as Demyx hurried back toward the bushes. The three of them could only hold their breath as Demyx ran. If the guard really was coming, then the water god would be caught out in the open. Riku looked down to his side as he heard a dull thud, letting out a small breath when he saw that Axel's clenched hand had hit the stone wall, the red-head's other hand pressed tightly over his mouth to keep from making a sound. Axel was scared for Demyx.

Riku nearly gasped as Cloud's arm suddenly shot out across his chest to grab Axel's arm, the wolf spirit pressing them both close to the wall. Twisting his head, Riku could see that Cloud's chin was lifted, his eyes on the wall towering over them. Tentatively, Riku did the same, heart skipping a beat when he saw a white, dagger-like arm stretching over the wall far above followed by a strange sort of head; it looked like the Dusk was taking a good look around. Had it seen Demyx? Was it going to look down?

Riku heard the distinctive clank of Cloud adjusting his grip on his sword. He tried to smother even the sound of his breathing and heartbeat as the silvery-white thing swiveled its sinuous head around just as Demyx disappeared behind the bushes.

Multiple tense minutes passed.

Then, the thing slowly withdrew his head back over the wall, continuing on with his rounds. Riku let out a sigh of relief at the same time as Axel; none of them had been seen. Cloud though, was still tense, and sniffed the air once before dropping his arm. "This way," he murmured quietly, "I can smell the water."

Pressed against the wall, the three of them slunk along. Along the way, Cloud motioned for a stop only once more as the guard passed over again. To Riku, it seemed as if years had passed pressed up against that cold stone wall until his ears caught the faint sound of water trickling. A moment later, he peered over Cloud's shoulder to see a dark semi-circle hole in the wall ahead of them and a large stream flowing into it.

Silently, Cloud jumped down into the water, barely making a splash. He showed no change of emotion at the undoubtedly uncomfortable wetness that came all the way up to his stomach as he leaned down and inspected where the river was flowing into. After a moment, he glanced back up at Axel and Riku. "There is a metal grate, but it ends before the bottom of the stream. If we go under, we should be able to come up on the other side."

With a grimace, Axel nodded. "Thought you might say that. Well, we've got no choice. Everyone into the water."

Riku scowled but slipped into the water, hissing when he found it to be freezing. How could Cloud be so emotionless?! Especially because Riku was slightly taller than the wolf spirit! If he was squirming at having the water reach his waist, he couldn't imagine how cold Cloud was. A muffled yelp and curse from behind left him know that Axel was just as happy about the situation as he was. But if there was no other way, then there was no other way.

"D-damn. G-Gonna ki-kill Dem for suggesting this." Teeth chattering from the cold wet soaking into his pants, Axel sloshed forward passed Riku. Cloud snorted but stood to the side as well, allowing the other spirit to inspect the grate closer. After a second, Axel cursed. "Shit. Well, I guess there's nothing for it, we're going to have to go underneath it. I'll go first. Get it over with."

With another few minutes to ready himself, Axel then dove down into the stream, feet kicking as he twisted down under the latticed grate. A second later after a bit of maneuvering he popped out on the other side, bent nearly over in half now that he was underneath the wall. Red spikes dripping down his face and neck, looking very disgruntled and soggy. Spitting out water, he nodded up at them through the metal bars. "Its freezing, but it looks as if the waterway tunnel cuts fully through the wall. We should be able to get inside fine. Oh, and careful with coming under that thing. The ends of the bars are sharp."

Riku glanced over at Cloud but, seeing that the blond had no intention of going first, he scowled then moved over to the grate himself. The water was so cold; this was not going to be fun. He looked back at Could again then over to Axel before he growled and dove under the water. It really was freezing! Fumbling for the bottom of the bars, Riku wrapped his hands around them, careful to be wary of them when he kicked forward and under them. There really wasn't much room between the bottom of the stream and the points of the bars, but he just barely slipped underneath unharmed, popping up on the other side to take a quiet gulp of air.

As soon as he hit the surface of the water Axel had grabbed the back of his shirt and heaved him up. From the other side of the grating, Cloud waited for the both of them to settle down before he passed them his sword underneath the grate then followed after the weapon. Faster than the other two, he popped up then grabbed his sword back from Axel.

Soaked and shivering in the cold air, Riku could only follow Axel as the redhead picked his way down the tunnel. It was cramped, the ceiling of the tunnel so low that it was actually painful being bent forward moving at the pace they were.

After five minutes of walking, Axel slowed to a stop. Riku was about to question him when he saw that there was a glow of light up ahead, from above. Carefully, Axel crept forward until his face was bathed with light. He paused for a moment then reached up, his fingers curling around something. There was a scrape of metal against stone then Axel tentatively raised himself out of the tunnel.

Riku wasn't sure if he should follow or not but, feeling Cloud push him forward, he sloshed through the waist-deep water to the light source. After being in the dark for so long, ever since he had come to this world, the light was almost blinding. But being able to stand up straight was more appealing than sight and so he lifted himself up and out of the water tunnel.

Stumbling up into the light, Riku quickly looked around the new area, momentarily caught up in the new sensations. It was like having lived in a black in white world and finally having been thrown into color. He was in a courtyard of sorts, but the open space was filled with plant life. Flowers and trees flooded the place with brilliant colors and smells. Even the floor was covered with bright mosaics set in geometric and floral patterns. He didn't even know where the light was coming from. There were torches on the wall, but he couldn't imagine that they were lighting everything. But then again, this was a world of magic. He stood there, dripping wet, taking everything in when a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.

He whipped around. It was Axel. Riku let out a breath of relief and followed after the red-head as Axel led him to a hidden corner of the courtyard. A second later Cloud leapt out of the drain, the wolf spirit shaking himself off in a very canine fashion before he immediately pinpointed Axel and Riku's location and hurried over to them.

With all three of them together, Axel leaned forward. "Alright," he whispered. "So far, so good. Unfortunately, we're all fairly recognizable, and none of us can be seen without ruining everything. We need a safe place to hide until we can get our bearings."

"Axel."

At Cloud's cautionary murmur, Axel went silent. A second later a woman came into view from behind a large cluster of rose bushes. She was dressed in a simple black and white floor-length dress, an apron tied around her middle as she carried a basket of what looked to be clothes through the courtyard. A few seconds after she disappeared, Cloud shifted and nodded to Axel.

"Who was that?" Riku asked quietly.

Axel frowned. "Just a servant. Their uniforms haven't changed at least. Eh? Cloud, do you have an idea?"

"I know someone who will help us." At Axel's curious gaze, Cloud grunted. "Squall."

"Cloud…Squall was really close to the royal family. The chances that he was unharmed during the power shift is slim to none. He wouldn't have exactly taken it passively you know. He would have fought back. The dark elementals could have made him a prime example." Riku felt out of the loop again. By the pained conviction from Axel and the intensely defiant look Cloud was sending back, he knew that he was missing something big.

Feeling like a little kid whose parents were talking about something he didn't understand right in front of him, Riku crossed his arms and spoke up. "If Cloud thinks he knows someone who can help, let's find him. I'm cold, wet, and I don't think either one of you really knows what to do right now."

Axel stared at him for a moment then let out a low breath and scratched the back of his head. "Feh. Fine. Cloud, lead the way. If Squall's even alive, we need to find him fast before we get found by the Dusks."

Cloud nodded curtly then closed his eyes and sniffed the air. His blond eyebrows furrowed as he lifted his chin, sniffing the air once more before his eyes flickered open again to reveal more distress than Riku could ever remember seeing.

"What's wrong?" Axel asked, putting his hands on his hips. "Can't you smell him?"

"Smell's different." Suddenly Cloud's eyes narrowed and he took off on a run.

"Hey!" Axel called out to him but Cloud paid him no heed. Tisking, Axel took off after the wayward wolf, Riku close on the red-head's heels. They tore through palace hallways at reckless speeds. Their footsteps clattered against the stone floor as they ran; every once in a while Riku would see flashes of people through open doors or windows. Even he knew this was risky, and he didn't even know what would happen if they were caught, just that it would be bad. He couldn't imagine how hard Axel's heart was pounding right now.

They must have been hurdling through the servant quarters. The halls had become smaller and less extravagant, the stone cut rougher as Cloud led them up a spiral staircase. By the time they reached the top, Riku was panting heavily, he could even hear that Axel's breathing had become more labored as Cloud pressed on like something possessed.

With an extra burst of speed, Axel rushed forward and grabbed for the back of Cloud's fluttering, black, half skirt. Just managing to snag it, he held on tight, forcing the smaller man to a stop. By the time Riku caught up, Axel was trying to catch his breath, his expression a mixture of anger and exhaustion. "Cloud…what…the hell? Dozens of people could have just seen us. Dusks could already be on our trail!"

"They're not. No one saw." Growling low, Cloud ripped his half skirt out of Axel's hand only to have Axel grab his arm. "Let go."

"No. We're not risking a stunt like that again. You might be fast, but you've got to remember that not everyone's so stealthy. Cloud, are you even listening to me?" The wolf spirit's attention was diverted again, his glowing green eyes locked on the hallway ahead of them. Suddenly the noise of footsteps could be heard from down the hall. Paling, Axel looked around wildly for a hiding place and, spotting an open doorway, grabbed both Riku and Cloud and dragged them into it.

The room was dark. Even so, Riku could tell that it was a supply room of sorts, full of towels, brooms, buckets, and other cleaning supplies. Taking a look at everything, Riku turned back to the hall only when he felt Axel tense beside him. A second later a man walked by. It had been just a flash, but Riku had seen that he was tall with brown hair falling to his shoulder blades drifting behind him.

Riku was just relieved that the man hadn't spotted them, so was confused when Cloud let out a low whine. "Why didn't he smell me?"

Axel suddenly lunged to grab hold of Cloud. Cloud though was too quick and bolted out of their hiding place. "Shit!"

"Squall!"

Rushing out of the room, Riku and Axel watched as the man stopped then turned. Riku withheld a noise of surprise when he saw the man's face. From the side he hadn't been able to see it but there was a large scar crossing the man's face, deep and contrasting to his lightly tanned skin. His steel grey eyes though were emotionless.

Standing across from him, Cloud scowled. "Squall! What happened to you?"

"You aren't a member of the palace staff." The voice was low, the growl rolling up the back of the man's throat. There were no tone changes though, nothing to indicate any show of emotion. "I'll need to inform the guards."

"What did the dark elementals do to you?"

Behind him, Riku spotted a ring on Squall's arm as the man shifted slightly. "Dark elementals couldn't have done anything to him. He's wearing a Chaos ring like me."

Axel's gaze sharpened, flying down to the man's hand. Suddenly, he stiffened. "That's not a Chaos ring. It's a Master's Ring that's been synthesized with a Dark spell. He can't think for himself. For him that must be crueler than being killed."

Squall's eyes narrowed. "Don't bother to run. The guards will find you as soon as I notify them."

The man just turned away when Cloud dropped his sword and leapt forward. As fast as Cloud was though, Squall whipped around and grabbed the wolf's arm, slamming him back against the stone wall. Riku stepped forward but Axel grabbed his arm to hold him back, shaking his head seriously.

Riku looked back to Cloud as the blond kicked out at Squall. Snarling, Cloud's eyes flashed as Squall took the blow with only a wince and the wolf spirit kicked out again, this time catching the other man in the stomach and sending him flying to the other side of the hallway. Squall growled, shaking his head before he shot his hand out, aiming for Cloud's throat. Cloud blocked the blow with his arm, blood spattering down both of their clothes as four deep gashes appeared on the blond's arm. The man had claws.

"What the hell is he?"

Axel didn't even bother to look over to Riku to answer. "Lion."

Riku's eyes flashed back over to the fight. The man did look like a lion, bigger and broader than lean Cloud. As Cloud dodged another of the other man's strikes, it was clear that he was faster, but Squall looked more powerful. Dodging another one of Squall's clawing strikes, Cloud went low and kicked out at the man's ankles, sending him to the ground. Then he tackled the lion spirit, straddling his body as he pinned his hands above him. Chest heaving, Cloud called out to them in a cracked voice. "Get the ring off!"

Axel moved forward but before he reached the pair, Squall had wrenched one hand free and grabbed onto Cloud's pale throat which the wolf had left momentarily unprotected. Cloud actually yelped as Squall threw him to the ground, switching their positions in the blink of an eye.

Cloud's eyes closed as he clawed at Squall's arm, scratching deep wounds but doing nothing for his release. Blood was beginning to run down his neck and pool on the floor as Squall dug his claws into the other's skin.

"Shit." Axel threw his hands out, calling his chakrams to him, about to strike the lion spirit down when Cloud gave one final desperate kick, catching Squall in the stomach and sending him flying to crash against the far wall, knocking him momentarily senseless.

As Squall's grip ripped away from his throat, Cloud coughed and rolled onto his knees, covering his throat with one hand before he lurched toward Squall who was still clearing his head from the hit to the wall. Grabbing Squall's hand before he knew what was happening, Cloud grabbed the ring and tore it off of the man's finger.

Cloud's head dropped to rest against the other's shoulder as Squall's eyes slowly cleared, his breaths panting and shaky. Clenching his eyes shut, Squall raised a hand to clutch at his forehead, appearing almost dizzy before his nose twitched slightly.

Then his eyes flashed open.

His forward lurch caused Cloud to topple back but with lightening-fast reflexes Squall caught him before he could hit the ground. His eyes, which were now a stormy blue grey instead of a chilling metallic, flashed down to the other's bleeding throat.

"Cloud." His voice cracked from emotion bridging on panic. "Prince Cloud!"

Cloud opened his eyes, a hint of a smile touching his lips. "I've told you before, call me Prince and I'll have to hurt you. But at least I know you could still put up a good fight, Squall."

"Don't call me that." The lion spirit frowned, his face turning hard. "I don't deserve…" his voice trailed off and he growled. "Squall died the night of the raid. My name is Leon now." Before Cloud could argue, Leon shook his head, "It was my own personal punishment. The scar might have come from Xemnas, but the name change is my own."

"Xemnas?"

It had been Axel who had spoke up, breaking the intimate moment between the two animal spirits. Leon glanced over to the Axel and then to Riku, stormy eyes narrowing. "Axel." When the red-head nodded, Leon's eyes settled on Riku. "Who is he?"

Riku felt mildly intimidated under the lion's gaze, but having grown up with Sephiroth for a father and having spent too much time with Cloud, he had been rather desensitized to glares. So he stepped forward, speaking for himself before Axel could step in. "I'm Riku Jenovan."

"We've come back for the princes." Axel added. "Jenovan's the key to finding them."

Leon's intense gaze moved back to Cloud. Then he grabbed the wolf's wrist. "You'll need a place to hide then, if you're here without the Superior's knowledge. I know an empty room in the servant's quarters you can stay in for now. We need to get there quickly. Undoubtedly someone has smelled the scent of blood and is coming to investigate as we speak. Hopefully they won't be able to identify it as Cloud's. Now, hurry. Pick up your sword, Cloud, so that we can go."

Leon led them back down the spiral staircase but then turned a corner they hadn't come down, leading them deeper into the servant's wing. He walked at a quick pace, his shoulders strong and sure. He really did radiate the calm, raw power of a lion.

Riku couldn't help but notice though that he didn't let go of Cloud's wrist once. And Cloud really didn't seem to mind. It was almost amusing seeing the wolf still so stoic while being led by the hand; Riku didn't think it was physically possible. After they had passed by a few servants, Axel spoke up. "Hey, Leon, do you think you could avoid running into every single person? We're kind of trying to keep a low profile if you haven't noticed."

Leon sent a glare back to him then snorted. "No one will care so long as you're with me."

"And who made you so high and mighty?"

"Xemnas killed the former head of the palace staff. I was given the job after he had secured my loyalty with that ring. Although I had no will, I could still see everyone's interactions. The staff have long understood that I am nothing more than a puppet for the Superior's orders." Leon paused, his face dark, and then smirked dryly. "Besides, if you are truly here to free the princes and return them to the throne, than what servant would try to stop you? Hundreds of years of imprisonment will be enough to seal anyone's lips, I am sure." Turning down into one final dark hallway, Leon motioned to one of the doors. "That room there is unoccupied. It is large enough to fit the three of you."

Curious, Riku walked over to the door. It was thick and heavy enough to require some effort to open but the inside was far from impressive. The room was more like a cell built out of stone blocks. There was one window, but it was open to the night sky; a depressingly familiar sight. There were two bunk beds, the mattresses thin with skimpy blankets thrown over them as if attempting to give the impression of warmth. The only other decoration was an unlit torch hanging on the wall. Besides that though, it was empty.

Stepping out of the room, Riku gave Leon a blank stare. "You're joking, right? We're in a damn palace, I expect something better. That's practically uninhabitable."

"Stop being a spoiled brat." Axel rolled his eyes then walked over to look into the room over Riku's shoulders. Seeing it though, he blinked then turned back to Leon. "Actually…for once, I'm going to agree with him. It does look a little less…comfortable than usual."

Leon's shoulder's fell somewhat, his gaze falling away from them. "The servants…have not been well treated. We are locked in here, and yet the court demands new goods to flaunt, so the staff has been forced to give everything they own."

Riku had not known Leon for even an hour, but even he could see the shame in the man's eyes. Obviously Leon was proud; but being the official head of staff, and seeing the state of destitution that they had fallen into. It must have been a strong blow. Perhaps sensing the near tangible guilt, Axel smirked easily. "Hey, it's fine. If we've been able to sleep out in the middle of fields, we'll think this place is like the royal suite itself. A mattress is a mattress, and I for one, am grateful that we have any kind of place to hide out for a while."

Leon let out a rumbling sigh then nodded. "I will look about for extra blankets. Before that though, I will locate a bandage for you, Cloud."

Cloud glared, apparently not taking well to the attention. "I'm fine."

"You might be, but I don't want to look at it. You're getting a bandage."

Axel swung a lanky arm over Cloud's shoulder before the blond could protest. "You go ahead and do that. No one wants to see this guy get blood everywhere anyway. I would however, also like to request perhaps a bit of food and some information about what's been happening here. In no particular order of course, just whenever you find the time."

"You can have both, but you might have to wait for the information until tomorrow morning so I can pull my own thoughts together. I'll be gone for a while, so feel free to rest until I return."

Cloud frowned, his eyebrows drawing together as he took a step toward Leon. The lion scowled, sending him a pointed look. "You, lay down. The first thing I'm doing is to find some clean water and a bandage if the infirmary can spare it." When he saw Cloud's expression darken, Leon sighed. "As soon as I've finished my duties, I'll come back and we can talk. But until then," Leon pushed Cloud back onto the bottom bunk, "Stay."

Cloud snarled but remained lying down. Smirking, Leon walked out of the room, the sound of the door slamming closed echoing through the now-quiet room. With a sigh, Axel walked over to the torch on the wall. He snapped his fingers to create a spark then gently blew it onto the torch. The room was instantly lit by a soft glow. Smiling, Axel rubbed his hands together then turned to his two roommates. "Well, we're here. Awesome. Step one complete."

Riku walked over to the window. They must have been just over the height of the walls because he had a clear view of the low hills stretching out around the palace grounds. "What about Demyx?" he asked quietly.

Frowning, Axel crossed his arms then sighed. "I think…I think that Dem will be okay. No, I know he'll be okay. He was right saying that the Heartless will target him less. They've never been known to attack a god on their own before. And Dem's resourceful. If he needs to he can find ways to survive." Axel let out a wry laugh. "Besides, at the moment, I think he's in a better place than we are. There's only little Heartless out there. Inside the palace, we've got to worry about things like Dusks and worse. But there's nothing to do about it now. Let's just try to get some rest like the so-called Leon suggested." He smiled brightly then turned to Riku. "But before you go to sleep, your little mention of your Chaos Ring reminded me. Give it here."

"What?"

"Your Chaos Ring. Give it here. It's time to take it off and work with your magic."

Riku shifted, his fingers automatically moving to touch the cool ring on his finger. "What are you even talking about?"

"You told me that Luxord gave you that ring, right?" Riku nodded hesitantly. "The thing you don't know about Luxord is that he's cool, but he's really not that inherently kindhearted. It's true that the ring did protect you against the Heartless a bit, but it also sealed off your own Dark magic. We're going to need your magic in order for you to find Sora. Hold on, this might be a bit of a wild ride for you."

With that said, he grabbed Riku's hand and, like Cloud had done not minutes before to Leon, pulled the ring off.

Riku gasped. It felt as though a wave of cold crashed over him. He wrapped his arms around himself and fell back onto the bottom bunk, trying to catch his breath as he felt his throat freeze over.

"- he okay?"

Shuddering, Riku opened his eyes to see Axel looking down at him curiously, Cloud sitting up on his own bunk bed in the background. His eyes widened when he realized that his own body was surrounded by a dark aura, gaze flashing up to Axel worriedly. Smiling almost comfortingly, Axel nodded to him. "He's okay. Don't worry, Riku. Your magic's just been building up for a while now under that ring. Sleep it off and it should die down in a few hours. After that we'll start to teach you how to control it."

Riku felt himself tremble. It felt as if ripples of energy were moving through him. It wasn't painful, it was just…so cold. Was this how all dark elementals felt? He would have to trust that Axel was right; he didn't want to feel like this all the time. He forced himself to lie down on the ratty mattress and close his eyes. He was tired after all; it had been a long day. Letting out a long sigh, Riku tried to settle his mind, trying to ignore the energy rippling through him. He would have to rest.

He was dreaming. He knew it instantly. It was really bright though, brighter than even the interior of the palace. He could distinguish floors and walls, but it was an empty room.

"Riku…?"

Riku blinked as he heard the voice from behind. It was a warm voice, soft and pleasant to listen to.

"It is you, isn't it, Riku?" A soft laugh. "You're so grown up, it's weird."

Riku looked down as a pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind, enveloping him in a hug. It wasn't startling; on the contrary, he had somehow felt it coming. He felt himself smile as a head rested against his back. The voice was quieter this time, sadder, which sent a pang of sympathy through Riku. "I don't know where I am. Please, find me soon. I want to make sure my brothers are okay, and we need to set things right. So find me, okay? I know you can do it. Find me."


O

O