KH: Antipode [Alpha draft] pt 35

[keybearer]

Chapter 35: Unbreakable Bonds

Riku really had been through a lot since his carefree days back home. He and his friends had traveled across countless worlds, facing the thrills of adventure and the challenges that came with it. Challenges that ranged from simple games of croquet to fierce battles against sorcerers, dragons, and the darkness itself. When he first left home, he'd started out as a selfish and arrogant teen, too wrapped up in his own goals and ambitions to worry about the matters at hand. The needs of the worlds just didn't matter, and he seldom stopped to think about risks and consequences. Of course, he’d grown a lot since his journey began. His experiences with Donald and Goofy forced him to look beyond his own desires and gain a respect for others. To face his fears, even if it meant going up against his best friend and to accept that sometimes sacrifices had to be made.

He’d really thought that his journey would end with Maleficent’s defeat. That, somehow, everything would turn out all right. When he and Sora fought together, it really did seem like things had changed for the better. Even when Sora made his sacrifice, at least he had an illusion of closure.

But it was just that: an illusion.

Maleficent’s defeat amounted to nothing. There was no real victory, not with the Heartless still running wild throughout the worlds. With one threat down, another had taken its place in the form of that mysterious, darkness obsessed man. Riku still didn’t know who he was or what he truly planned, but he at least had a hunch about his true identity. After all, whose machinery enabled the mass production of Heartless? Whose fascination with darkness led to twisted experiments on human specimens? And whose reports were taken and utilized by Maleficent in the first place?

That guy had to be Ansem; there was no doubt about it.

He thought long and hard about it on the way back to Traverse Town, just trying to wrap his mind around the implications. If the guy really was Ansem, then he'd be no pushover. Judging by the reports alone, he had the skills to manipulate the Heart for the sake of his own pursuits. His command of the Heartless was bad enough, but now he had access to a Keyhole full of darkness! That same darkness continued to flow far beyond the castle. It wasn't hard to spot all the Heartless leaping onto their ship and tearing into the surface as they made their escape. All the while, the ship's radar went wild with "heavy darkness readings".

In failing to seal the Keyhole, he'd allowed the Heartless to spread even further. That thought alone proved disturbing. Couple that with Ansem's unclear motives and the uncertain fate of Beast, the princesses, and Sora, and Riku had plenty of reasons to fret. Even when he and the others made it back to town in one piece, he continued to dwell on these unfortunate possibilities. He needed to collect his thoughts, to work out a plan. That's why, when Donald and Goofy headed over to talk Gummi maintenance with Cid, he opted to wait outside, leaning back against a lamppost in silence.

Only Kairi remained out there with him, and though thoughts of Ansem and the reports continued to flood his mind, he tried to push them aside just long enough to focus on his friend. After all, they were finally together again. His worries about her fate vanished in the blink of an eye. After all, she was alive and well, no longer staring at him through empty eyes.  In the wake of darkness and destruction, she represented a small victory—no, small didn’t quite cut it when it came to his best friends. Still, at least Hollow Bastion wasn’t a complete failure.

“You okay?”

Kairi’s words jerked Riku back to reality, and he immediately turned to face her. She watched him with a frown on her face, prompting him to idly run a hand through his hair and step away from the lamppost.

“Don’t worry about me.” He shook his head. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

“Well, do you want to talk about it?” She motioned to the nearby stairs. “Maybe it’ll help clear the air a bit.”

“Yeah, that’s…” He sighed, forcing himself to smile for her sake. “You’re right. Keeping it bottled up won’t do me much good.”

“Exactly!” Kairi laughed, and she smiled right back at him. “I’m glad you’re starting to see that.”

“Hard not to when you hang out with those two.”  On his way toward the stairs, Riku shook his head and laughed. “Maybe they’re starting to rub off on me.”

When they finally reached the top step, Kairi plopped down and placed her hands in her lap. “They must’ve had their hands full.”

“Oh, that’s putting it lightly.” Smirking, Riku took a seat right next to her. “You should’ve seen us when we first met. Donald kept having to track me down, and I treated him and Goofy like an excuse to see other worlds. We kept butting heads almost constantly.” For a moment, he frowned, gazing up at the starry sky. Things really were different back then…

A soft tap on the shoulder drew his gaze back towards Kairi, who shook her head and smiled softly. At that, he let out another sigh. There he was again, dwelling on the past. Then again, it was hard not to. She probably knew that just as well as he did, and that was all the more reason for them to talk it over.

“But you know,” she said, “even if things didn’t go the way we planned, I think it’ll work out.”

“Oh yeah?” Riku crossed his arms. “What makes you so sure?”

“Well…” She stood up, turning her gaze towards the stars. “You’ve made it this far. Isn’t that worth celebrating? Not everyone gets the chance to visit other worlds, and you three saved those worlds.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” He laughed dryly and slowly got back on his feet. “We’ve faced some tough challenges, but that hasn’t slowed us down. Not even close. It’s been one hurdle after another, but we’re not about to give up.”

“See? We’ll make it through.”

“Wait a second.” Riku raised a brow, placing his hands on his hips. “What do you mean by ‘we’?”

Grinning, Kairi stepped forward and looked him straight in the eye. “Well, you don’t expect me to stay here, do you?”

“Look, Kairi, it’s dangerous out there, so—”

“Riku…” She frowned. “We’re finally together again, and Sora’s still…”

She had a point there. Neither of them even knew what happened to Sora. If he was still alive, if he’d turned into a Heartless, or if he was out there somewhere just waiting for them to find him. As it stood, the two of them were on their own with no islands to return to. For Kairi, that must’ve been especially painful. Her heart had been inside Sora the whole time, and she probably felt at least some of what went on all around them. Not only that, but they were apart for so long. Maybe it was kind of selfish of him, but he didn’t want to just ditch her. Not when they had so much to catch up on and little time to do it. Plus, Sora told him to keep her safe. How could he do that if he left her behind?

No, Kairi was definitely onto something, so after a few moments in silence, Riku slowly nodded.

“Okay, you win this round." He circled around her and stopped right by her side, shrugging. “I’ll let you tag along, but I hope you know what you’re getting into. The Heartless are no pushovers, and the last thing I want is for you to get hurt.”

“Oh, I know.” Her smile looked pretty darn innocent, despite his warning, and she gave him a light push. “They kind of chased me back home. Remember?”

“Yeah, I do.” Riku narrowed his eyes. “And those were just Shadows. With all that darkness leaking out of the Keyhole, we’ll probably be up against Heartless ten times as strong. Maybe even stronger.”

“But you’ll be right there with me, so I know I’ll be safe.”

“You… really think so?”

It was still a little hard to grasp, maybe because he still kind of blamed himself for what happened to her and Sora. Still, she smiled and laced her hands behind her back, giving him all the confirmation he needed.

“I know so,” she said, sitting down once again. “But, Riku… Do you think Sora’s okay?”

“I…” Riku cringed, bringing one hand to his chest. What was he supposed to say to that when he didn’t even know what he thought? There was just no way to tell for sure. A part of him wanted to remain optimistic, while at the same time, he couldn’t help but worry and fear for the worst. Bringing that up sure wouldn’t lighten Kairi’s mood, and with Sora gone, who else was supposed to keep her spirits high?

He sighed, forcing yet another fake smile. “Well, we won’t know by staying here. Heck, he could be back there waiting for us.” Pausing, Riku glanced back at the Accessory Shop. “But... hey, I can promise you one thing, Kairi.”

“What’s that?”

Taking a deep breath, Riku held up his hand and rolled it into a fist. “If we find a way to bring back the worlds, I won’t set foot on the islands again. Not until we find him." He shook his head. "Home just wouldn’t be the same unless we were all there together.”

And, just like that, Kairi burst into a small fit of giggles. “Did you get that from Sora?”

“Nah, sappy as it sounds…” He leaned forward and smirked. “I came up with that on my own. So, want to help me track him down?”

“Well…” For a moment, Kairi said nothing, bringing a hand to her chin as if she needed to really think about it. Then, after about a second or two, she looked up at him with a grin. “We still need to see the worlds together, so of course I’ll help.”

That was all the confirmation he needed. With that out of the way, Riku flopped down on the steps once more, resting an arm against his knee. “Then I guess that settles it. Now we’ve just got to convince Donald to let you tag along, and…”

The door to the Accessory Shop opened with a creak, followed by the sound of a webbed foot tapping on the pavement. “And what?”

Man, it was almost like he was a mind reader. At the sound of Donald’s voice, Riku stood up and smirked.

“Well, what do you know, Kairi? He’s right on schedule.”

“On schedule for what?” Crossing his arms, Donald let out a huff. “I don’t get it.”

“I think I know!” Chuckling, Goofy approached Donald from behind. He greeted the others with a smile and a wave before he turned his attention to Kairi. “Why, I bet Riku wants Kairi to come with us. Either that or he’s hungry...”

“Nah, it’s definitely the former. We’ve spent the past few minutes talking things through, and Kairi doesn’t want to stay behind.”

Donald gasped, and his face turned bright red. Brow furrowed, he placed his hands on his hips, giving Riku a look like a wrinkled up prune.  “But she’s safer here! If we take her along, we could end up in big trouble.”

“So?” Riku rolled his eyes. “We’re in trouble even if she doesn’t come. And besides, I’ll take full responsibility for her.”

“I don’t know…” Frowning, Donald took a quick look inside the shop. “Cid said it’s gonna be a dangerous trip. There’ll be Heartless all over the place, right?”

“You bet it’ll be dangerous.” Before long, Cid emerged from behind the desk, slowly heading for the door. “If you went the direct route, those Heartless would chew straight through your ship. I might be fittin’ you with some new gear, but even the back route doesn’t guarantee a smooth landing.”

“And if she didn’t come, that would change things how…? Kairi’s not the one piloting.”

“Yeah, but…” Donald sighed. “Goofy, back me up on this one!”

“Aw, shucks, Donald.” Goofy scratched his head, looking at Kairi with a frown. “I bet if we’re really careful, Kairi’ll be okay! And besides, isn’t she one of the princesses? That means she’s got no darkness in her heart.”

“Hey, you’re right!” Kairi’s eyes widened, and she placed one hand to her heart. “And the other princesses are probably still back at the castle…”

Seven princesses with pure hearts… Come to think of it, if they were dealing with an explosive amount of darkness, wouldn’t it make sense to fight it off with light? Though Riku didn’t know the logistics about the Princesses of Heart or just what they were capable of, Kairi did possess something even he lacked—purity. No amount of darkness could taint her heart or those of the other six. If there was a chance they could use that to their advantage, then how could they back down?

The answer was simple: they just couldn’t, and Riku was about to make that known.

“Look, guys, I think we’re at a point where even the smallest bit of help counts.” He pointed at Kairi and narrowed his eyes. “If there’s even a small chance she and the princesses can help, then can we really pass that up? Besides, I made a promise to her, and it’s one I intend to keep.”

At first Donald groaned, tapping his foot as his eyes darted from Kairi, to Goofy, and back to Riku. He placed his hands behind his back and muttered something under his breath. Then, after heaving an airy sigh, he finally nodded.

“Okay, fine, but you’re gonna have to keep an eye on her, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Rolling his eyes, Riku flicked his hand through the air. “But that’s only if she doesn’t keep an eye on me.”

“Well,” said Cid, adjusting his toothpick, “whatever you do, you’re gonna have to be careful. At this rate, the Heartless have probably spread to more than just Hollow Bastion, and I’ll bet ya anything they’ll be a tough bunch to beat.”

“And we aren’t?” Riku laughed. “Don’t get any grey hairs over it; we’ll be fine.”

“Why, you little punk.” Cid smirked, and he took another look inside the shop. “Well, I’ve still got some fixin’ to do, so come check in on me later. Besides, Leon’s been lookin’ for you kids.”

“Then what’re we standing around here for?” Already, Donald started to head towards the Third District door. “We’d better see what he’s up to. Could be important!”

“Yeah, probably.” Riku shrugged, and he held out his hand. “C’mon, Kairi.”

Seeing this, Goofy chuckled, rubbing the tip of his nose with a smile. “Gawrsh, ain’t that sweet?”

Though Riku groaned and rolled his eyes, Goofy continued to follow along with his standard, dopey grin. Man, he was just as sappy as ever.

Still, it didn’t take long for them to make it back to the small house. Just a few short minutes of walking and a bit of sightseeing on Kairi’s part, and they eventually made it to the door. They didn’t even have to knock before it swung wide and Aerith greeted the group with a nice, warm smile. Inside, they found Yuffie seated atop some of the stacked boxes, while Leon leaned against a wall with his eyes closed. When Riku and his friends made it to the center, he let out a sigh and stepped forward. The look on his face was especially grim for a guy like him, who almost always looked serious from the get-go. He must’ve heard about what happened with the Keyhole. Why else would he be looking for them?

Sure enough, Riku’s suspicions were quickly confirmed.

“So, you couldn’t seal the Keyhole.”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Riku frowned, placing a hand against his neck. “We came pretty close, but the Heartless kept getting in the way, and that’s not all.”

“Yeah, there was this creep who kept talking about the darkness.” Donald groaned. “And he did somethin’ weird to Riku!”

“Something weird?” Yuffie blinked. “How weird are we talking?”

“I still don’t know…” Shutting his eyes, Riku thought back to what occurred, the way that Ansem took hold of his heart, and… stretched something inside of it. Almost like he was drawing upon his heart the same way he absorbed the two Darksides.

He shook his head and kept his eyes on Leon. “First, he tried to take control of my body. Said my darkness was strong enough to make me his vessel. And when that didn’t work, he… well, it felt like he took the strength right out of me. I could barely fight back.”

“I see…” Leon crossed his arms, peering down at the table. The Ansem Reports still sat there in a neat little pile. “Any idea who he was?”

Goofy frowned. “Well, we never got his name…”

“Yeah, and he was really vague, too.” Donald sneered. “But, whoever he was, he really wanted that Keyhole to stay open.”

“Actually,” said Riku, “I know who it was.”

“Ya do? Gawrsh, then who was he?”

“Well, it’s mostly a guess, but…” He took a step towards the table, scooping up one of the reports. “I believe darkness sleeps in every heart, no matter how pure…” He paused, scooping up yet another page, and he cleared his throat. “It is my duty to expose what this darkness truly is… Just think about it, guys. Some creep shows up in front of the Keyhole, has a strange obsession with darkness, and controls the Heartless. See the connection?”

Goofy blinked. “Now that ya mention it…”

“Ansem…” Aerith’s smile quickly shifted to a frown, and she brought a hand to her chin. “But what does this mean?”

“Well, I know one thing for sure.” Leon scowled, moving back towards the wall. “Thanks to the Keyhole, there’s been an increase in the Heartless around town. The whole Second District is a mess because of it.”

“Then all we have to do is seal it.” The Keyblade appeared in Riku’s hand, and he lowered it to his side. “If we can get back to Hollow Bastion, it shouldn’t be too hard.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure. If the darkness keeps flowing out of it, then you’ll be fighting a constant stream of Heartless.” Shaking his head, Leon pulled out his weapon. “Not only that, but we don’t know what will happen once it’s sealed. That might not be the end of it.”

“But we have to try,” Kairi said with a frown. “If we don’t do anything, then won’t more worlds be in danger?”

“And besides…” Riku looked down at his weapon, shaking his head. “We never did find out what happened to Sora.”

“That’s right. Sora was with Maleficent that whole time…” Leon raised a brow. “I was beginning to wonder why he wasn’t here with you.”

“That’s because he… freed Kairi’s heart. I’m sure he would’ve followed us if he could.”

“He might be a Heartless, Riku. Are you sure it’s worth the risk? After all, you might never find him.”

Riku groaned, placing his free hand on his hip. “Leon, you should know me by now. I’m not about to back down just because of a few risks.”

“I knew you would say that.” A faint smile crossed his face. “Sora’s lucky to have a friend as stubborn as you.”

“Maybe a little too stubborn.” Donald laughed. “It’s a good thing he’s got us to back him up!”

“Says the duck who flips his lid almost constantly.”

“Hey, what’re you trying to say?!”

Kairi shook her head, heaving a soft little sigh. “Some things never change.”

Goofy chuckled. “Nope! We might be pals, but that doesn’t stop us from buttin’ heads every once in a while.”

“Well, try not to get too excited.” Yuffie grinned. “We wouldn’t want anything to happen to you guys!”

“Don’t worry; I’ll keep my eye on them.” Kairi’s tone was pretty devious, and her smile? Definitely telling. Knowing her, she’d probably have all three of them whipped in no time. While Riku was more than used to it, it'd be interesting to see how Donald and Goofy would handle a new addition to their party.

Their return to Hollow Bastion would definitely bring new perils. If what Leon and Cid said was true, then the Heartless were already on the move. It didn’t help that Ansem probably had a plan laid out for when they finally made it back to the castle. In order to set things right, they’d be dealing with a new onslaught of darkness and danger, and with Kairi on board, they’d need to do more than just fight. Who knew what things were like in Hollow Bastion or if Beast and the others were doing all right? And who knew what they’d be up against once they sealed the Final Keyhole?

All they really knew for sure was that they’d come a long way since their journey’s beginning and had grown closer with each new experience. The bonds between Riku and his friends, both old and new, would keep him going through these tough times. Though he didn’t say it outright, he knew they were unbreakable.

No amount of darkness would change that.

x.x.x

Countless thrones stretched high above the ground, arranged in a circular row. Only a single, rounded platform stood below these towering seats. Though thirteen filled the pale chamber, more than half were completely empty. Only about five cloaked figures sat amidst the sea of white, their black cloaks providing a stark contrast to their surroundings. One of the figures lowered his hood, revealing a scarred face with golden eyes, blue hair that ran down to the small of his back, and lightly pointed ears. He gazed up at the man atop the highest throne with a look of serious disdain.

“Lord Xemnas,” he said, “our newest recruit refuses to cooperate. Even now, he continues to cling to his former identity. What’s more, he questions our motives.”

“He has yet to accept his fate,” said another man, whose long, black dreadlocks gave him a wild appearance. “The boy probably believes he still possesses emotions. Feeble ones, at that.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me!” Yet another man flipped back his hood, revealing a scarred up cheek, streaks of grey hair, and an eye patch. He casually leaned back in his seat, unlike the others who sat stiffly and silently. “The kiddo reminds me of somebody I once knew, and he’s just as dense.”

“Duly noted.” The blue-haired man shook his head, turning his gaze back towards Xemnas. “Now then, what shall we do with the boy? Surely there must be a solution.”

“I see little cause for alarm,” said Xemnas. “If he wishes to hold onto his former identity, then it is of no consequence.”

“Too bad it clashes with the whole naming motif we’ve got here.”

“A minor setback and nothing more.” He shook his head. “No, I do believe that he may prove useful to us, and his behavior is only natural. Let us not forget that he is a child… A child whose former self held close ties to the Keybearer.”

“That is an interesting detail, and one that merits careful consideration.” An older man gazed up at Xemnas with a twisted smile. His bony face and long, pale blond hair made him stand out among the other, much younger men in the room. “After all, we are conducting research as we speak to create—”

“Rest assured that I have given it a fair amount of consideration.” Xemnas nodded. “His memories may prove useful to our objective. We need only provide a few alterations, and he will serve his purpose well.”

“And you’re absolutely sure of this?” The blue-haired man gazed down at the floor.

“Indeed…” Xemnas turned his attention towards the man with the eye patch. “Now, I do believe it is time the boy met our other ‘guest’.”

“Ha, that witch? You’re too much.” He sat up straight and continued to grin. “But if it gets the job done, who’s complaining?”

“Precisely.” Tendrils of darkness wrapped around the bottom of Xemnas’ cloak, and he peered down at the others one last time. “I expect results upon my return. Until then, you are dismissed.”

Soon, Xemnas faded from sight, leaving the others alone in the chamber. Even they left before long, completely engulfed in the whirling wisps of the corridors. One by one, they disappeared, and the black specks among the endless white soon vanished from sight. Only the man with the eye patch remained, and he chuckled under his breath as a portal swept him up into the darkness. He had other business to attend to that involved a certain blondie, a witch, and maybe a few mind games.

That kid had no idea what he was getting into.

TO BE CONTINUED

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