The next POV enters the fray…
Hurray! It didn't take me a year to update! Also good news, I have lots of notes and brainstorming docs about how I want these next chapters to go. Hopefully life doesn't get in the way and lets this creative momentum keep going.
I'm considering writing the three protagonists chapters all together then releasing one a week, that way I have a bit of buffer time to write while also have an easier time of keeping the story lines as consistent as I like them to be. But also I'm eager to post when I finish a chapter, so we'll see about that lol.
As always, please enjoy, and please leave a review if you have the time! I love interacting with everyone who writes one.
Chapter 5: Reunion
"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered."
–Nelson Mandela
The cloaked boy tapped his foot impatiently, reaching up to fidget with the bangs falling across his face. It was fruitless to try and keep them brushed back for long—but it was more so anxious fiddling than anything. Ever since he'd woken up from his interesting dream, things seemed to continue going askew.
He didn't have to wait much longer for a dark portal to swirl to life beside him. From it stepped an imposing figure he had to crane his neck in hopes of making eye contact with. With all hard angles and sharp cheekbones, his resting face was a permanent frown.
He waited for his colleague to greet him, even though he knew it wasn't going to happen. Lexaeus wasn't a man of many words.
"Don't I even warrant a hello, Lexaeus?" He sniffed, a hint of teasing behind the words.
The tall, broad-shouldered man looked down at him, dark eyes meeting bright aqua. He then nodded his head, arms remaining crossed over his chest.
Oh well. Zexion knew that was as much of a greeting as he was going to get out of the quiet man. "Where's Vexen? Weren't you two in the lab together?"
Lexaeus shrugged a single shoulder, then gestured with his chin forward. Zexion turned to see another corridor of darkness forming, the final member he was waiting for striding out of it. He was already huffing and puffing, pushing back long strands of blonde hair from his face.
"What is the meaning of this, Zexion?" Vexen growled as he stood near the huddle, his large green eyes narrowed in annoyance. "I demand an explanation. I was in the middle of my memory studies!"
"Nice to see you too, Vexen," Zexion greeted with the hint of a grin, though his inflection failed to show any amusement. "You know it's such a shame—the Organization used to be the rope that bound us all together. It now seems more frayed than ever if we can't even offer up a mere greeting when seeing one another."
Vexen swelled up, his face filling with color. "How dare you speak to me like that! You're only number 6—and barely double that in age!"
"Vexen." Lexaeus finally spoke, his deep baritone voice an unspoken ask for the older man to calm down. Vexen glanced over at him, lips pursing, but he didn't complain any further.
"It seems we have visitors," Zexion spoke up in the silence that followed. "Marluxia's been busy topside."
Vexen startled, his head jerking up as he fixed wide eyes on Zexion. "Visitors?" He glanced around nervously as if they were about to pop out of the shadows. "It's not the Superior, is it? My newest replica model isn't ready to show yet, he needs to give me more time—!"
"It's not him," Zexion interrupted the man's nervous ranting. "I had a chance encounter with one of his primary interests, though."
Vexen blinked. Zexion watched him mentally flitting through the potential identities of this mystery interloper before it finally struck him. "...The Pure Heart?"
"Indeed," Zexion confirmed with a nod. The two other men stared at him; even apathetic Lexaeus had his eyebrows raised a modicum in shock.
"That's not all though," Zexion continued. "Before I called you both here to talk, I caught wind of a very interesting scent from further down below."
"A scent?" Vexen repeated, hanging on every word.
"One can't help but notice the scent of powerful Darkness. It's something unique—and very similar to the Superior, might I add."
"Similar to the Superior?" Vexen scoffed. "Preposterous."
Zexion ignored the muttered objection, continuing, "I think it might belong to that boy the Superior's other half took a liking to."
Vexen's eyebrows raised even further. " Riku? That's—That would be impossible! He and that King disappeared beyond the Door to Darkness! He can't just waltz back out into the In Between!"
"I can't say for sure without further investigation. But it would make sense why the scent is similar to the Superior's, would it not?"
Vexen hummed, reaching a hand up to stroke at his chin. "Both Akira and Riku arriving at Castle Oblivion at the very same time? This truly piques my curiosity." His green eyes snapped back to Zexion. "What is it you said about Marluxia?"
Zexion could barely contain a grin before revealing this next piece of information. He couldn't help that riling up Vexen was practically the only source of entertainment around here. "I think he invited the Keybearer entourage here. And, for some reason, made an attempt to dispose of Akira."
" What?" Zexion didn't think Vexen could get much paler. Now he looked ghost-like in the dim lighting of their basement hideaway. "B-But—the Superior needs her. We need her! Why on earth would he ever do something so—so idiotic!"
"He won't like hearing that," Lexeaus agreed with a solemn shake of his head.
"He won't like it if we can't manage to draw her out of the Castle's grasp, no," Zexion agreed. "But if we could deliver to him not only Akira, but Riku, the one that got away from his own lesser half…"
The panic in Vexen's expression faded, replaced instead with a devious intrigue. "Then we could rid ourselves of the problem upstairs and gain the Superior's respect in one fell swoop."
"And just think of the research potential each could provide," Zexion added as if Vexen needed any further goading. "I'm sure your Replica Program could benefit from it greatly."
Vexen's grin stretched across his face slowly, prompting a small snort of amusement from Lexaeus. "Have you got a first step in mind?" Vexen glanced at Zexion, but it seemed his question addressed the both of them.
"What else but what the Organization does best?" Zexion unclipped his book holster, pulling his grimoire from the leather straps and opening it to the notes he had jotted down while speaking to Akira. "Reconnaissance."
KH
These halls were unfortunately familiar to him. Riku walked slowly, his steps echoing in the vastness of Hollow Bastion's castle. It was empty—much like it was for most of the time he spent there, aside from the Heartless that had wandered the grounds. But now there was no sign of even the Heartless, leaving everything bathed in a silence that might have been peaceful, had this been anywhere else.
It was a maze of corridors, ones he took great care to memorize in the months he took refuge here. Sometimes that would result in him getting lost for what felt like hours at a time. Seems he's been doing a lot of aimless wandering lately.
He thought as he walked, trying to fit the pieces together of his last moments with King Mickey and when he woke in this dream-like state. There was a voice speaking to him—disembodied, deep. It had offered him a card, and upon grasping it a door appeared in the void he was in. It was blindingly white and seemed to react to the card he held in his hand.
Next thing he knew, he was back in Hollow Bastion with no sign of the door he entered from. His fuzzy memories didn't provide much of an answer, no matter how many times he revisited them. Really, his determination to not give up on prodding the question of his arrival had less to do with the urgency of escape and more with an attempt to keep his mind focused on anything other than the memories hovering at the edges of his vision.
He lost himself here. Not a day has gone by he hasn't been filled with regret and shame at his actions. He had hurt his friends and abandoned them when they needed him most.
Or maybe it was more accurate to say when he needed them most.
His feet stopped on their own accord. He looked up, grimacing at the sight that awaited him. It was his old room—the one Maleficent had gifted him soon after his arrival here. His skin tingled unpleasantly, imagining the sensation of her cold hand on his shoulder.
"This is a world crafted from your memories."
Riku tensed, whirling to look over his shoulder. He couldn't tell if that voice was in his head, or echoing through the open corridors of the castle. Its low, monotonous tone was familiar though. This is the one who gave him the card.
Riku relaxed, but only slightly. His palm was still extended, ready to pull together Soul Eater from the shadows in this room if he needed to.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he shouted into the dark.
"It means exactly what I've said. That card imprinted onto the memories of your time here. Think of it as a…blueprint, of sorts. One the Castle used to make this, specially for you. Oblivion is uncanny in its ability to recreate locations, wouldn't you agree?"
Narrowed teal eyes drifted around his old room. Every detail as he remembered it was there—down to the wooden sword sticking partially out from under the bed.
" You lived here, didn't you? Tempted by the dark powers the witch offered you. You cast away your home, your family, your friends, everything you knew… But at least she gave you a nice little room."
Riku gritted his teeth together, uninterested in hashing out Hollow Bastion's familiarity and his past mistakes. "What exactly am I supposed to be doing here?"
"Ordinarily, you would meet the people from your memories. The ones most important to you make the strongest impressions on the card."
"Ordinarily?" Riku repeated, suspicion lacing his question.
Silence. The voice didn't seem inclined to explain anything further. Riku huffed, glancing once more at his former room before setting off down the hall.
Riku made sure there was no visible tension showing in his posture as he headed towards the castle's grand entry hall. He wasn't sure if he was being watched, but if he was, he wanted whoever this figure was to see his confidence and know he wasn't one to be trifled with.
He remembered vaguely when he was first presented with this mysterious card, the voice had told him to seek out the truth. The truth of what exactly was also not elaborated on in any meaningful way. Frustratingly kept out of the loop as usual. But as far as he saw it, there was only one way forward, and a few people in particular he wanted to see.
Sora and Akira…more than anyone else, he wanted to see them. To look them both in the eyes and apologize properly for everything he's done to them. If this place was built from his memories, then maybe they would be waiting for him at the gardens—the location for their first encounter in this world.
Riku couldn't help but grimace at the memory of it, hoping that the people would be there, but that particular scenario wouldn't have to be repeated. Everything after his encounter in the library was lost in a haze of darkness and pain, but everything that came before… He let out a harsh breath, his heart twisting with guilt at the images replaying with vivid clarity in his mind's eye. The faces of his best friends, staring at him with mixtures of horror and rage, every venomous word he spat at them—none of it would ever leave him. He didn't want it to, as much as it hurt to recall. This was his punishment.
His pace quickened considerably, no longer trying to play it cool for whatever entity was watching him. But, his determined march towards a reunion with his friends was interrupted by a low hiss that echoed through the corridors.
He paused as the temperature in the hallway dipped. Beady yellow eyes blinked at him from the shadows before coalescing into familiar forms. Heartless. Their presence in Hollow Bastion wasn't unusual, but the stance they were taking towards him was. They prowled forward with a hostile intent, clearly no longer recognizing him as an ally.
Good.
Riku fell into his practiced stance, his sword raised defensively. A faint chill ran down his spine as he held Soul Eater level with his head. The weight of the blade gave him no comfort, but it would serve its purpose regardless.
Riku had only really fought with the Heartless once, in the bowels of Monstro alongside Sora and Akira. But that isn't to say he hadn't ever sparred with them. Maleficent kept his skills sharp, setting up training matches with the various Heartless that populated the castle grounds. His eyes flit between the different Heartless clustered together in this pack, identifying them quickly—a singular Defender, flanked by a pair of Wyverns, and a Darkball moving erratically through the air around them.
His body moved instinctively when he saw the Darkball phase out of existence. A waft of cold air blanketed his shoulders as he ducked, the Darkball's jagged teeth snapping closed on empty space. Before it could continue its erratic dance, Riku jutted Soul Eater upwards, impaling the Heartless. He whirled and threw it back at the gathering pack, creating a small cloud of wispy shadows as it burst on contact.
He darted into the cloud, hoping his advance would be somewhat hidden by the wisps obscuring his form. Unfortunately for him, a brickish-red blur slammed into his side, sending him flying across the tiling. He held his breath, using the momentum to roll back onto his feet. He looked up as the Wyvern flapped its tattered wings, soaring back into the sky to join with its counterpart. They gained altitude, gliding closer together until they suddenly dove toward him in a corkscrew spiral, sharpened spikes jutting from their shoulders ready to shred through him.
Riku stood his ground, Soul Eater extended at his side. As soon as they were within reach he jumped with a shout of "Wind!" He felt the wind gather around his form before surging forward, and with a blink, he was now directly above the spiraling Heartless. Their spiral turned into more of a tumble as they squawked in confusion, slamming into the ground where he'd just been standing. Riku leaned into his fall, Soul Eater carving through the both of them in one fell swoop.
As their forms dissipated, Riku moved his head in a near miss of the fireball that burned past him. He turned to the last Heartless left of the pack—the Defender that stood with its snarling shield held before it. Knowing this Heartless preferred a less direct approach than the two previous types, Riku changed his tactics. Switching to hold Soul Eater in an offensive stance, he rushed forward.
The Defender's beastly shield snapped forward, but Riku leaped clear over it, landing on the Heartless's muscular arm that dragged at its side. The knight-like Heartless didn't even have a chance to glance up at him before Soul Eater lashed out, cutting straight through its neck. The Heartless collapsed, Riku riding it to the ground before stepping off as it exploded into a cloud of dark dust and blue embers.
He was alone once more, but he didn't take long to preen over his quick victory. He was still in the high tower—he needed to get to the lower reaches of the castle, towards the areas that held his memories of his friends.
The Heartless didn't seem keen on reforming as he made his way down spiraling staircases, but the feeling of being watched never went away entirely. It kept him tense, but it didn't stop him from traveling at a pace that would've alerted any nearby Heartless to his location. He couldn't bring himself to care.
Eventually, the entrance hall stood before him, just as bare and empty as the rest of the castle he'd been fighting his way through. He rolled his shoulder, Soul Eater still held with a tight grip, before hopping the railing and landing on the marbled floor below.
No Heartless blocked his path this time as he pushed the grand doors open, revealing the courtyard lost to time. The dried and cracked fountain stood tall, surrounded by the withered remains of what must have been a beautiful garden once upon a time. He walked forward cautiously, Soul Eater lowered to his side.
There was no one there.
Riku was momentarily relieved that he didn't have to relive this particular moment in his life—but that relief quickly faded in favor of frustration. Wasn't he told he would meet the people important to him here? He wasn't in the mood to waste time.
He let a moment pass, then two, before he whirled and shouted brazenly into the ether, "Hey, Voice! I know you're watching me, so what gives? Nobody's here but the Heartless! Where are the people from my memories?"
The voice answered immediately, confirming his suspicions. "You want to see them?"
Riku barely held back his scoff at the audacity of the question. "Of course I do."
"But you left them behind. Abandoned them in the pursuit of Darkness. What makes you think they'd want to see you?"
A pang struck Riku's heart at the words. What made it worse was the truth of the statement. "But when I saw them…" He paused, their last moments together playing in the back of his mind—the Door to Darkness closing as they pushed with all their strength, Akira and Sora never once looking away from him. There was no malice in their tear-filled gaze, no matter how much it should've been there.
He reached into his pocket, grasping the thalassa charm kept safely within as reassurance. "I cast the Darkness aside, and they know that!"
There wasn't any laughter, but as the voice spoke again, the hint of amusement left in its tone let Riku imagine it clear as day. "Oh, did you now? And what have you to show for it?"
The hand holding Soul Eater twitched self-consciously.
"Your heart only knows how to cast away. It's empty—like that room. That is why you don't meet anyone. There is nothing left in your memories to draw from, save for the residual Darkness you've failed to rid yourself of."
"You're wrong!" Riku growled, his shout echoing before fading away, unanswered. He was wrong. He had to be.
There was only one place left he hadn't checked.
He backtracked, his pace now less of a mad dash and more of a brisk walk. The Chapel and adjacent Grand Hall were where Maleficent liked to spend most of her time, so Riku tended to avoid those areas when possible. Now he felt a familiar and wholly unwelcome squirming in his gut as he neared them. Nerves. Why was he nervous?
There were several potential reasons, all of which seemed valid in Riku's mind. Maleficent had coaxed him into the Darkness and used his own desperation to save his home and friends against him—much to his current shame. He didn't want to recall his moments with her coaching him in the Chapel. This was also where his memories all but left him after his body was possessed by Ansem's ghost. Practically everything about those moments was blurred in a haze of pain that made him wince just recalling it. He wasn't keen to gaze upon these places again, confront the memories that lay within them. But if that's what it took to see them…
Riku paused with his hand braced against the double doors leading into the Chapel. He took a steadying breath, then pushed it open. The huge open space of the Chapel stood before him, lit with a blue hue from the stained glass overhead. A tall figure stood at the end of the nave, facing toward him.
"I've been waiting for you, Riku."
Riku gripped Soul Eater, staring into Maleficent's eyes with a growl.
His glare only made her smile, her thin eyebrow raising in amusement. "Oh? Is this how you greet me, child? After everything I've done for you?" She began to walk towards him, arms spread as if she were expecting a hug.
"Don't come near me," he shouted, refusing to back down from her.
"I know you were expecting to see your friends," Maleficent sighed as if she were actually feeling sorry for disappointing him. "But when you think about it, doesn't it make sense that your heart wanted to see me first? Me, more than anyone else in your life?"
Riku flinched. "I don't exactly remember hoping to see you."
"You wound me," she sighed, placing a hand against her chest. She hasn't listened to his command to stay back, now only a few feet away from him. "But I don't quite believe you mean that. Don't you remember clinging to me, pleading with me for the power to save those you care about? And didn't I do everything in my power to provide for you, as if you were my own son?"
Riku tried to respond, but as he opened his mouth to retort, he found it was dry. Why were his words leaving him? Now in her presence, he could only recall the memories of her kindness—the moments he felt everyone else in his life had left him behind, she remained. Even if he knew it was a lie.
"You used me," he finally managed to croak, annoyed at how hurt he sounded. "You didn't care about me beyond my place in your plans to get to Kingdom Hearts."
Maleficent tsked. Her hand was on his shoulder now. "Your heart is tainted, Riku. No matter how much you try to deny it, you are a creature of Darkness. But I accepted that; welcomed you as you were. Be glad your heart is not entirely empty. Isn't seeing me better than being alone?" She talked to him so sweetly.
Riku bit his lip and inhaled sharply. Then in a single movement, he slapped her hand from his shoulder and stepped away, holding up Soul Eater defensively. "I'm not like you—not anymore. I rejected the Darkness, and you're stupid if you think you can use the same tricks to manipulate me again."
Maleficent's smile hardened, her eyes glinting dangerously. "My, you have grown, haven't you?"
Riku raised his chin defiantly. "No thanks to you."
Maleficent's smile finally crossed the line into a snarl. "Foolish boy. I made you exactly what you are. Without me, you would be nothing."
"I'm done talking," Riku declared, and he meant it. He wasn't going to allow the chance for Darkness to tempt him again. With a harsh breath, he leaped towards Maleficent. She was ready for him, deflecting Soul Eater's blow with her staff.
"You truly hate the Darkness so much?" Maleficent let out a mocking laugh, twirling her staff. A green fire caught at the edges of her cloak, forcing Riku to jump back. "You poor dear, you must be in agony fighting against your very own nature. At least let me end your suffering, as my final act of kindness towards you."
The fire curled higher, fed by winds that suddenly began to whip around the room wildly. The corrupted flames turned into a raging inferno, completely engulfing Maleficent. When it finally dispersed with a snap, Riku was left standing face-to-face with a massive dragon. Its toothy maw dripped the same green flames, its eyes burning orbs of malice focused directly on him.
Riku had a brief moment of forced recollection that made him audibly wince—of watching this same beast fight against Sora, Akira, and the King's men from above, intently tracking Akira's movements in the fire—
A splitting pain jolted him back to reality. The dragon's tail caught his side, throwing him halfway across the room. He barely managed to right himself in time, landing harshly on his feet as he skidded across the stone floor. Focus, Riku!
As soon as he was steady on his feet, he threw up his hand with a shout of "Protect!" The stream of flame hit the flash of his barrier spell, parting around it. Even through the magically projected shield, he could feel the intense heat of it.
He mentally counted the seconds, and as the flames began to thin, he rushed forward with magically heightened speed. For a second the world blurred as his form became a wisp of shadow, passing harmlessly through the remaining fire before he reformed in the blink of an eye. Now at the crook of the dragon's neck, Soul Eater cut effortlessly through the thin layer of scales.
It let out a beastly shriek, rearing up to swipe at him with a claw. Riku exhaled sharply, cold air condensing from his mouth, before leaping upwards. Ice burst from the ground where he was, crystalline structures jutting into the air and catching the dragon's paw.
Riku shook off the residual cold, a smile twitching at the corner of his lips as the dragon was caught off balance with its arm awkwardly extended, falling with a heavy enough impact that the stone below their feet cracked from the force. "Too slow."
As if responding to his taunt the dragon rolled, opening a wing that encompassed the entirety of the room as it did so. Riku let out a breathless curse as he sprinted, not quite fast enough to avoid being smacked into the ground with enough force it sent his vision spinning.
Dodging on instinct, he felt the dragon's muzzle collide with the ground as it snapped its teeth shut right beside him. With another quick exhale, Riku rolled back and flipped himself onto his feet, gritting his teeth against the pain that shot down his back at the contortion.
The dragon shook its head as it recovered from the collision, scattering a green liquid across the room. Riku watched as this substance very quickly combusted on contact with the remaining puddles of dark flame that refused to extinguish, an idea sparking to life at this sight.
Riku backtracked, gaining distance from the dragon before he wound his arm back and threw Soul Eater forward. It spiraled through the air, hitting the dragon's snout with a loud smack that clearly left it reeling as it stumbled to the side. He caught Soul Eater just as the dragon fixed its burning gaze on him, its wings flaring.
"C'mon!" he shouted, thumping his chest in a move that was much too reminiscent of how Sora used to taunt him. And just like how it worked on him in the past, the dragon inhaled deeply. Green light sparked in its chest, traveling upwards and shining through the scales on its throat. Riku's fingers on his free hand opened, a ball of dark fire spurting to life in his palm. If he timed this right, he could light the fire while it was still building in the dragon's throat.
In the split second it opened its maw, Riku launched forward and sent the coalesced dark firaga down its gullet. With a flash of light and the sound of a muted explosion, the gas bubbling in the back of its throat caught flame. It let out a gurgled shriek before rampaging, tossing its head and snapping its teeth as if it could hope to put the green flames out from the inside.
It was futile. Eventually, it collapsed to the ground, its body bursting into a cloud of dark dust and blue embers as if it were a mere Heartless. Riku pulled his shirt over his nose and turned away to avoid the worst of it. "Not so fireproof on the inside, huh?"
As the dust in the room settled, Riku dusted himself off, almost managing a smile in pride of his accomplishment. Then his smile dropped as he felt the tingle in his hand. He looked down, clutching his shivering wrist as the cold settled into his bones. It didn't take long for him to realize how hard he was breathing either. All symptoms he'd come to know from the adrenaline of Darkness. He'd used it again, and hardly noticed until just now as the blue glow faded from his shoulders.
It seemed that even if his mind was set on rejecting the Darkness, his reflexes weren't so quick to catch on. Riku shook out his hand, doing his best to regulate his breathing. Guess Maleficent got the last laugh in the end.
Looking away from the scorched room, Riku paused in all his motions when he saw the exit leading towards the Grand Hall. A brilliantly white set of double doors stood out against the darkened colors of the castle's walls—a sight he didn't recognize.
He walked forward cautiously, placing a hand against the door's surface. It felt…cold. With a small push, Riku opened the door partially, enough for him to peek into the room that awaited beyond. He could see a hallway stretching forward, the same shade of blinding white as the doors themselves. And at the end of this hallway…another set of doors.
He cast a look back at the chapel in a state of disarray, only hesitating momentarily before stepping completely into this new area. He wasn't going to find what he was looking for in this old memory.
The doors slowly shut behind him as he walked forward. It didn't take long for the hairs on the back of Riku's neck to rise, and a frustratingly familiar feeling washed over him. He was still being watched.
"Why do you shun the Darkness?"
That voice—deep, monotonous, familiar. He hated that his body had such an intense reaction to it—as if it were flinching in preparation for pain. Not like Riku would give the satisfaction of getting a visible rise out of him with mere words.
Riku scoffed, stopping in the middle of the hallway to fix the empty space before him with a piercing glare. "I'm sure you can figure it out. You heard my every word to Maleficent."
"Indeed, I heard the foolish nonsense you were spouting. But just like always your conviction is weak—for I also saw the spells you used to best her."
Riku tensed, his lip lifting in a scowl. "What do you want, Ansem?"
There were no shadows in the stark whiteness of the room, making it all the more obvious when a pool of black suddenly swirled to life in the middle of it. Wisps of shadow formed the outline of a man, who stepped forward and solidified before him.
Riku only caught a single glimpse of Ansem fully formed, back in Hollow Bastion when he prevented him from going after Akira and Kairi. But even then—he wouldn't have needed to put a face with the name when those golden eyes told him everything he needed to know about this person's identity.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and stood with his arms crossed. Black leather pauldrons adorned his shoulders, crossing over the high-collared leather cloak he wore. A brooch in the shape of the Heartless emblem held the cloak together, standing out against the white of his open-chested vest. Ansem smiled without mirth at Riku. "You don't seem surprised in the slightest."
Riku struggled to keep his expression unchanged in the face of this man who treated him like an object—who tried to use his body to take the life of his friends. He wasn't as good at keeping the malice from his tone. "Should I be? You were always going on about the Darkness. Makes sense you'd be the one behind this. Let me guess—you want to pull me back in so you have another shot at playing puppet master."
Ansem's grin widened at Riku's bravado. "You make it sound like such a bad thing. Don't you remember how powerful we were together?"
Riku scoffed. "Not powerful enough to stop Sora and Akira from beating your ass into the ground where it belongs."
Ansem prowled forward, undeterred. "Interesting. Is that how you view your so-called friends killing you mercilessly? Not even giving you a chance to break free of my possession in Hollow Bastion…"
Riku gripped Soul Eater so tightly he swore his hand went numb. "Shut up!" he growled before rushing forward, leaping into the air and bringing the blade down right toward Ansem's face. His sword collided—but not with its intended target. Their eyes locked through a barrier, one that ricocheted his force back at him, sending him flying through the air. He landed hard on the ground, the wind knocked right out of his lungs.
"Perhaps you're not as smart as I was giving you credit for." Ansem lowered his hand with a laugh. "Did you really think you could do me harm? What do you think is giving me the power to manifest here?"
Riku pushed himself up to his knees, panting. He hadn't realized how much Maleficent's fight had taken out of him until just now. It didn't help that a sharp pain tore through his heart, giving him the answer to Ansem's taunt.
"...The Darkness still in my heart."
"Precisely," Ansem walked right up to Riku, grabbing his arm and pulling him harshly to his feet. Riku averted his gaze. "Don't ignore me, boy. The Darkness in your heart will one day consume you if you don't regain your control over it. You will regret the fact you rejected it for the false hope you could ever again walk in the Light. Unless of course, you let. Me. In."
"You're wrong!"
A high-pitched voice echoed around the room, causing both Riku and Ansem to pause. Riku's gaze finally snapped up as he searched the room for the source of it. "Your Majesty?"
A bright light suddenly sparked to life between them. Ansem winced and let go of Riku, backing away from the sphere of light that zoomed to Riku's side. "Finally! I've been tryin' to reach you." Riku could hear the King pause with a laugh. "Boy, talk about deja vu!"
"Where are you?" Riku asked, reaching out towards the light. He could feel the warmth emanating from it as it settled in his palm.
"Hard to say." The light pulsed in time with the King's words. "I think I'm still in the Realm of Darkness. Something's stoppin' me from crossing over after you. But don't you worry about me, you got somethin' more important to focus on!"
Riku glanced up at Ansem, who was glaring at him from over the ball of light. Despite his demeanor, Riku could tell he was squinting his eyes from the pain. "So, you'll just comfort him with words?" Ansem scoffed in a taunt the King either didn't hear or completely ignored.
"We'll talk again soon, alright pal? Never forget: even in the deepest of darkness, the light can find you. You're not alone in this!" The light in Riku's palm spluttered out with that farewell—but the lingering warmth gave Riku all the push he needed. He stood strong against the presence in front of him, ready for round two. However, Ansem just chuckled and turned away.
"Chasing after the Light won't give you the distance you're hoping for. After all, the closer you are to light, the greater your shadow becomes."
"I think I'll be the judge of that," Riku snapped.
Ansem paused, looking completely away from Riku and towards a corner of the room long enough that Riku risked a glance in that direction. There was nothing there he could see, but whatever it was left Ansem smirking.
"...Very well. Go and seek the answers for yourself. That drive is what drew me to you in the first place, after all. But allow me to leave you with a parting gift—something that will help in the trials ahead." He raised his hand, snapping his fingers.
A dark aura flared to life around Riku, and the scent of Darkness permeated the air. "What the hell are you doing?!" Riku grunted, trying to break free of the essence wrapping around his body—but it held him thoroughly in place. His heart beat harder inside his chest, and his stomach coiled as he felt something stirring within him. Then just like that he was freed from his paralysis—but that sickening sensation still lingered.
"I tempered the Darkness that remains within you," Ansem answered simply.
Riku choked out a laugh. "You must really be stupid if you think I'd ever rely on the Darkness again."
"It is up to you whether or not you want to use it. I simply wanted to bring your attention to it, if you should find yourself in need of strength beyond what your feeble body possesses." Ansem crossed his arms, his figure beginning to fade back into the shadows. "Until that moment comes, I'll be waiting…"
And just like that, he was gone.
Riku placed a hand over his heart, feeling it beating slowly back into a regular rhythm. Anger flared at the violation Ansem exerted over his own body yet again—but there was nothing he could do about it now. He just needed to temper his reflexes and make sure he would never call upon the Darkness for help, even if it meant the end of him. He would rather die than be a pawn once more.
Yet it seemed even now he couldn't shake the feeling of eyes on his back. Ansem, perhaps? It was impossible to tell. But as long as they weren't interrupting his pathway forward, he would just have to wait for them to show themselves.
Riku tried one door handle, then the next. Both were jammed. He pushed against the doors themselves, but they too refused to budge. The material composing them looked to be wood, but the jolt he received from slamming his shoulder into them made him second guess it wasn't polished marble like the rest of this place seemed to be.
Turns out he didn't have to wait long for his watcher to appear.
"That door isn't going to open for you."
Riku whirled, Soul Eater instantly appearing in his hand to jut under the chin of the man behind him. The figure simply blinked, bright green eyes staring down at him passively. "Who are you?" Riku demanded.
The man put his hands up, the chains on his black leather cloak rattling from the motion. "Young man, I live here. I feel it is more appropriate to direct that question back at you." His lip curled as he glanced down at the sword still under his chin. "The youth these days have absolutely no respect for their elders."
Riku very hesitantly lowered his blade from the man's throat. The doors prevented him from backing up to create distance, so he still held Soul Eater between them as he skirted around the cloaked figure to retreat down the stairs. "I didn't hear you come in."
"Yes, well, you seemed rather intent on breaking my doors down. Perhaps all your banging about covered my footsteps." The man reached out and rubbed a gloved thumb across the doors, examining for scuff marks.
The nonchalant way he moved didn't exactly inspire confidence in Riku. Surely no ordinary person would take their eyes off a stranger with a brandished weapon. "You said it wasn't going to open for me. Why?"
The man sighed as if exasperated, sparing him a glance over his shoulder. "Because you're not offering up anything for it to take. You think it can recreate a picture-perfect image of your memories based entirely on a whim?"
Riku's eyes narrowed in suspicion at this man's knowledge of this place. He glanced over his shoulder, then back at the man, who was standing at the top of the short set of stairs with his hands clasped behind his back. "...Are you with Ansem?"
At this, the man's face split in a wide grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. Alarm bells rang in Riku's head at the expression. "An astute guess, but only half correct. Let us say he is not the Ansem with which you are familiar."
Riku subtly shifted his feet, tightening his grip on Soul Eater as he readied for an attack. "I don't care for riddles. Try again."
The man scoffed at Riku's impatience. "This hardly qualifies as a riddle. I am merely explaining to you that our Superior and your Ansem are one and the same—with a few significant differences. One is that our Superior walks a path very similar to yours. He belongs neither to the Light, nor the Darkness—as do his followers, me included amongst them."
Riku couldn't hide the spark of interest at this tidbit—and judging by the man's chuckle, he saw this in Riku's eyes plain as day. "Catching on now? It appears we have much in common. Perhaps you would like to come have a chat with me; I could provide much insight to your current predicament, and suggestions on how best to use that dark gift of yours."
Riku tensed, the guards he had begun letting down back in full force. "Not a chance. I don't want to hear a thing from someone who thinks using the Darkness is even something to be considered!"
The man arched an eyebrow. "For someone who reeks of Darkness, that's a strange thing to say."
Riku gritted his teeth, raising Soul Eater level with his head. "Tell me how to open the door, then get out of my sight. I'm only gonna say it once."
Instead of seeming intimidated, the man only looked amused. "Oh ho! So you're picking a fight with me now, are you?" He held up a gloved hand that Riku had just now noticed was coated in a thin layer of frost. "I'm afraid asking me nicely isn't going to do a thing. So then, why don't I oblige that fighting spirit of yours?"
"Fine by me," Riku spat. "Anything serving the Darkness is an enemy of mine!" He rushed forward, watching that ice-covered hand carefully—before the man completely phased out of existence. "Wha—!"
"Keep up, boy!" Something sharp slashed across Riku's back. He fell forward with a grunt, blindly leaping to create distance. As he faced his opponent once more, he saw the man holding a large, tear-drop shaped shield entirely crafted of ice. Crystalline spikes jutted from it like a crown of thorns, a fine misting of red coating the tip of one.
Riku cursed his hasty start to the battle. Using the man's older appearance as a judge of his abilities was clearly a mistake, one he wasn't hasty to repeat. He hung back, his open hand lighting up with a firaga that he flung forward. The man raised his shield to block it, steam hissing forth as the spell met with the hard ice.
"Surely you didn't think that pitiful spell could even hope to put a dent in my shield?" The man gloated. But now it was his turn to underestimate his opponent as Riku sprung at him from the side, using the steam that billowed forth as a cover. Soul Eater clashed with the shield hastily raised once more, Riku's arms shaking as he pressed forward with all his strength.
The man sucked in a breath before stamping the ground just before Riku. There was a bright flash and the sound of ice crackling—Riku barely had time to disengage and break away before sharp icicles sprung from the ground, surrounding the man.
Riku prowled around the icicles, heat gathering in his palm once more. "C'mon, stop hiding away!"
The man's laugh was muffled behind the wall of ice. "Not hiding, simply observing. There is still so much to learn about you."
Another stomp of his foot, another foreboding sound of cracking ice. Riku swiped his hand along Soul Eater, lighting it aflame and spinning it before him as the icicles exploded outwards. Jagged edges caught Riku's skin where Soul Eater couldn't reach in time, leaving behind a sharp burning.
As the barrage of ice petered off, Riku stood amidst the steam warily. The man, no worse for wear, watched him with a sinister grin.
"I hate that this fight is so unfair, Riku. Why don't you use that wellspring of Darkness within you to level the playing field?"
"Not gonna happen!" Riku snapped, ignoring the surge of frustration within him stoking those dark flames. He forced himself to take several deep breaths, tapering off the urge. It almost completely escaped his notice that this man had used his name despite Riku not providing it. That lent more credence to him knowing Ansem. Or at least part of Ansem—whatever that meant.
The man tilted his head, and Riku hated the way his piercing green gaze scrutinized his response. "I see—I won't forget to factor in stubbornness, no matter how illogical."
What does that even mean? Riku didn't have long to ponder. The man rushed forward with supernatural speed, slamming the flat of his shield against Riku's chest. He stumbled back, thoroughly winded. He barely managed to block the overhead swing of the shield—and even then, he could feel his strength rapidly taking leave.
"It really is a shame," the man hummed, leaning against his shield with an almost bored expression. "Here I was hoping I'd find the man able to save the Pure Heart from sure destruction—but you can't even use the Darkness to save yourself."
Riku sucked in a breath, the frost in the air from more than just the shield's icy aura. "...What did you just say?"
The man quirked his head in that infuriating manner again. "Oh, did I say that aloud? Forgive me, but that information is on a need-to-know basis, and I'm afraid you aren't—"
Riku interrupted his witty response with a roar of rage. With a surge of strength, he pushed forward and slid Soul Eater alongside the shield, catching its edge and flinging it away entirely. The shield clattered against the ground, and suddenly they were both back where they started. With Soul Eater under the man's chin, its sharpened edge pressing into his throat.
Riku's breathing was harsh, and his heart pounded in his ears. "Akira—what did you say about her? Where is she? Where is Sora?"
Manic laughter poured from the man's lips. "Oh, superb! Your veins are filled with a formidable Darkness—I see strong surges of emotion is what it takes to draw it forth. Provocation is the answer then!"
Riku growled, his body beginning to shiver from withdrawal. He had been goaded into using the Darkness to overpower this man, to what end?
"All this excitement has provided me with data that will be very valuable to my research. Many thanks, Riku, but that is all we need for now."
The swish of a cloak behind him alerted him a second too late. He disengaged and turned to raise Soul Eater, meeting eyes with a bright-eyed individual as they shouted—
" Sleep."
KH
Vexen waved a hand, his discarded shield melting away as Zexion approached, likewise placing his spellbook back into its holster along his waist. Riku lay collapsed on the ground in a deep sleep.
"How long will it last?" Vexen asked, reaching out a boot to nudge his sleeping form.
"Long enough," Zexion responded. "I suspect your survey for the Replica Program went well?"
"Oh, quite so," Vexen answered with a grin.
The two startled at the sound of a sharp inhale from the boy, but it was merely a passing moment in a dream, as he eventually settled back into the throes of sleep.
"How deep did you surmise the Pure Heart was, exactly?" Vexen waved a hand, summoning a corridor absentmindedly.
"When we had our brief passing, it was the deepest I'd ever dared to delve into the Castle's sleeping memories." Zexion looked up as Lexaeus emerged from the corridor, not even stopping to question how it went as he stooped to sling Riku over his shoulder haphazardly.
Vexen hummed. "Hopefully my theory holds strong then. If Riku manages to fish her back out, we'll present our findings to the Superior."
Zexion swiped his bangs aside, not daring to voice the question of what if Vexen's theory was entirely wrong. "And Marluxia?"
Vexen started towards the corridor after Lexaeus, glancing over his shoulder at the mention of his most disliked coworker. "Figure out what he has planned with Sora. That shall help me determine how best to test my Replica."
Zexion watched as the corridor snapped shut, leaving him alone to his thoughts. He sighed aloud before snapping his fingers, his own corridor that would take him to the top floors forming. He supposed it was time to check in with their fellow members, lest they get suspicious about the lack of communication between the groups. Now, how to prod the information from them…
He stepped through the portal, still fussing with his hair.
I always had such a good time writing for Riku's POV in Two Hearts and exploring his character on a deeper level, so I'm very excited I'll get to do so more regularly for Lost Souls!
Also, for those of you familiar with Chain of Memories, you'll notice his story differs from the game's quite significantly in the end of this chapter. I'm changing a lot for everyone's story so it's not going to be a 1-to-1 rehash of the game's plot, and I'm looking forward to the events I've got planned.
Once again, thank you to everyone who followed and favorited this story! I hope it continues to entertain!
Guest: Thank you so much for enjoying and taking the time to leave a review! I hope you continue to enjoy reading!
Lumi: Aaaaaaa I always adore your reviews girl! They're so kind and encouraging, it always inspires me to jump right back into writing. I'm looking forward to seeing your thoughts on this one. And yes, the cast of the Organization offer so much of interest! Kingdom Hearts II is my favorite game of the series, so my love of the Organization is probably influenced by that a great deal. I was so happy to finally be able to write from the POV of some of my favorite characters! Until next time!