Bait, Chapter 31

"It's as though Riku's heart is sleeping..." Yen Sid said after briefly entering a meditative state. It was only him, Sora, Mickey, and Riku in the room. "I can still sense him, but he is hidden away, deep within his own psyche. We might be looking at another mission like when Organization 13 trapped Sora's heart in darkness."

"But master! Are any of us even capable of enduring the darkness in Riku's heart? He is the only individual that knows how to handle it."

"I could do it... I've taken on every form of darkness that has possessed or fought against Riku, and I still remember that double-nightmare the Organization put me through. I think I can handle it!"

"Sora. I really think it would be better if you didn't..."

"Please. I want to prove myself, and I want to be there for him like he was for me."

The old wizard sighed."I feel for you, Sora. But you should know all too well by now that if you were to fail, you would only succeed in getting lost in the darkness yourself."

"Than at least he wouldn't be alone..." Sora said sadly. "He's been... I keep thinking it's my fault that he's suffered so much in the past few years."

Mickey walked to Sora's side, putting a supportive hand on his shoulder. "I have faith in you. In fact, I think you are the one best suited to do this. Because of the strength of the connection you two share, you just might be able to find him in the deepest folds of his heart. And if anything goes wrong, I'll be right there to bring you both back. Go, Sora. We'll be waiting for both of you right here."

Sora gave a parting nod to Yen Sid and Mickey, then summoned his Keyblade and aimed it at Riku. A strong glow issued around both his and Sora's body, and a portal formed beside him, which seemed to draw Sora's spirit into it. The glow faded, the portal disappeared, and Sora collapsed, Yen Sid catching him before he hit the ground and lowering him gently.

"There he goes. You're absolutely sure he'll be able to do it?" Yen Sid asked.

"Positive. You haven't witnessed their bond in action as much as I have."

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Sora had somehow been teleported to the Destiny Islands. No, he thought to himself. Riku's memories of the Destiny Islands. As he explored more of the world, he noticed something... odd about it. The world seemed to be broken yet slowly becoming whole again with each passing moment. It was dawn, the sky becoming brighter at the same pace the world was being repaired.

"What is going on?" Sora wondered out loud, taking in more of the surroundings, when he saw it.

Riku, suspended in a sphere of seawater, fast asleep. Sora summoned his Keyblade and prepared to free his friend from his prison of water, when somebody else grabbed him by the arm before he could land his blow.

"Wait Sora, not so fast!" The voice sounded so familiar, yet he couldn't believe it, as the owner of the voice was currently sleeping in that sphere of water. He spun around and a look of shock registered on his face.

"RIKU?"

The figure standing before him shook his head. "No, just a replica."

End of Chapter 31.