This chapter is short, but it's got some important stuff in it. I thought since Sora and Kairi got their very own Nobodies, why don't we give Riku one?

Riku: "DarthKingdom doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Square Enix, or anything else.If he did, well like he said, I'd have a Nobody."

--

Chapter 16: Ruxik

All of their jaws dropped.

"Did he just say he was Riku's Nobody!?" Roxas exclaimed.

Riku's Keyblade was in his hand immediately. He flourished it and took a menacing step toward Ruxik. "How can I have a Nobody?"

"Don't you remember?" He replied with a smirk.

"The Keyhole is now complete. You have served your purpose. But now it's over." Said "Ansem". He took a few steps toward Kairi, Donald, and Goofy, murder in his eyes. Suddenly, he found himself stopping dead in his tracks.

"Impossible..."

A glowing, transparent image of Riku appeared before him.

"NO! You won't use me for this!" He shouted. Xehanort snarled at the insolent boy.

"Riku!" Kairi cried.

"You've got to run!" The figure shouted. "The Heartless are coming!

Right on cue, the five of them were surrounded by Shadow Heartless. Looking as if it was the hardest decision of her life, Kairi nodded and ran. Donald and Goofy followed after her.

"What about the Keyhole!?"

"Let's just get out of here!"

Interestingly, one Shadow appeared later than the others, and took off in a completely new direction. Xehanort noticed this, but didn't particularly care.

He was too angry.

The second Riku began losing control, he reached out and grabbed him around the throat. The glowing being proved lighter than air, and Xehanort understood now that it was a manifestation of the boy's heart.

He lifted him off the ground and pulled him close to his face. "Thanks for the body."

He reeled back, and tossed "Riku" into the depths of the final Keyhole. He began to lose his shape, and became a glowing ball; a heart.

Xehanort smiled evilly as the Princesses of Heart began to wake behind him. "Back to the Darkness."

--

"Kingdom Hearts!" Xehanort, horribly wounded exclaimed. "Fill me with the power of darkness!"

The enormous white door opened slowly. Behind him, Sora called out, "You're wrong! I know now, without a doubt, Kingdom Hearts... is light!"

Before Xehanort could laugh at him for his outright foolishness, something poured out of the door that he would never have suspected:

Light. Pure, white Light.

"Impossible..."

That was all he could say. All of his beliefs had just been shattered.

The light blasted into him, and he was scattered. Most of him returned to the Darkness. But one piece miraculously made it's way to the lingering heart of Riku; the very boy who's old body he had stolen.

Somehow, the power of Kingdom Hearts, the release of Darkness from Xehanort, and the fact that Riku's heart was so strong created a strange burst of power. This resulted in the creation of a brand new body for Riku; exactly as it had been.

--

In all the confusion, it was easy for Sora, Riku, and the others to miss.

Riku's old body that was taken by Xehanort began to reassemble itself in the black abyss around Kingdom Hearts. Far below Kingdom Hearts, each individual particle came together again to form a new body. It rather resembled what it once had been.

--

"And so, I was born." Ruxik finished.

There was silence for a long time. Sora was stunned. How could they have overlooked the fact that Riku had indeed, lost his heart? He just hadn't become a Heartless.

Ruxik seemed to really enjoy the impression he had made. That arrogant smirk that Riku had nailed so long ago was still firmly in place on his face. He laughed quietly, but Sora knew good and well that he was only putting on a show for them, Nobodies weren't amused by anything.

"Such a powerful enemy." He said, "Formed from your own body, Riku. And you never evan realized!" He laughed more.

Riku couldn't take it. With a howl, he charged at his Nobody with his Keyblade coming down. Only Ruxik wasn't there anymore. In an impossible move, he had side-stepped the falling blade. Lightning fast, he delivered an uppercut the the point of his chin that knocked him onto his back.

"Yes, give into your anger Riku..." He said, "I've always wanted a Heartless partner."

"Quit antagonizing him!" Kairi shouted, summoning her Keyblade as Sora drew his own.

Ruxik eyed the Keyblades for a moment and chuckled. As Riku stood up he said, in an annoyingly arrogant tone, "Must this all end in violence? I could just take this traitorous annoyance back to headquarters and leave you well enough alone." He pointed to the unconscious Axel.

Riku moved to block Axel from him immediately. "We like the sound of the second part." Sora said.

"And what do you mean 'headquarters'?" Riku asked, raising Way to the Dawn again.

"As if I'm actually going to tell you where the Brotherhood of the Dark has set up shop?" Ruxik said, his smirk widening.

"So you're part of the Brotherhood?" Sora asked.

"Duh, Keyboy." The Nobody replied with a roll of his head. "Oh, a little advice; stay away from this one." He nodded his head at Riku. "He has far too much darkness in heart to be trusted."

Riku snarled and lunged at Ruxik again. The Nobody smiled wickedly and lept back from his blade. He jumped clear over Sora and Kairi and sprinted back down the hallway. Over his shoulder he cried, "Come on then! Show me some of that dark power!"

As Riku began to give chase, Sora and Kairi rushed to block his path. Before he could go anywhere, they had each grabbed an arm. While Riku was physically stronger, he couldn't throw the two off, even under the influence of pure rage.

"Let me go!" He shouted.

"Riku!" Kairi exclaimed, "He's just trying to make you angry! Don't listen to him!"

"She's right!" Sora added, "Riku if you go along with this, he wins! Don't let him get inside your head!"

"Don't lose your temper!" Kairi implored.

Riku stopped struggling against their grip. He lowered his head, and was silent for a minute. Sora and Kairi thought it safe to let go. Eventually, Riku's heart beat slowed down and his breathing returned to normal.

Still with his head down, he sighed. "I won't give in to the darkness." He muttered. "Not again." He looked up. "Thanks guys."

They smiled at him.

"Now let's go!" Sora said, though he was smiling, "We've got a Nobody to fight!"

Ready for battle, the three friends ran down the hallway.

--

Well, I hope that some of that made some sort of sense. I'm not entirely sure if it did. But it's a story, (and you're not part of it)! In unrelated news, I turned sixteen yesterday! Woot! Please review!

SamuraiJedi: Thank you, I try.

DaemonArts: I figured those three diserved a little glory. Riku and Yuffie pairings just seem right somehow, regardless of the fact they've never met. How did you know?

Reigning Chaos: Hense this chapter.

Voltair27: Thank you. But how exactly do you half expect something? (winks)

Heaven-Monument: Well, I do love cookies. I'll do everything I can!