KH: Antipode [Alpha draft] pt 41

[keybearer]

Chapter 41: Riku’s Choice

How could I have been so stupid?!

SLAM. Clawed hands scraped against the surface of the double doors, barely leaving a scratch. Again and again dug into the surface, occasionally stopping to throw himself against the doors. He’d tried everything so far. Pulling, shoving, kicking, it didn’t matter what he did; the doors just wouldn’t budge. Sora’d been at it for what seemed like an eternity, though it was probably closer to an hour tops. Narrowing his eyes, he lunged at the doors once again, biting his lip as he bounced back and hit the ground. Though no other Heartless appeared in the Final Rest and its overall tranquility might prove relaxing to others, Sora continued to attack the doors with all his might. It didn’t matter if it was futile.

I shouldn’t have left. Now what am I gonna do?! Riku and Kairi need me!

Sure, he was a Heartless. And, sure, he was kind of afraid that they wouldn’t recognize him or that they’d worry or, heck, they’d fear his new appearance. It wasn’t like he could speak and tell them that he was okay. Maybe Riku knew, maybe he didn’t. He did try to talk to him before he took off running, but it wasn’t like Sora knew what to expect. Everything was just a big glob of uncertainty looming over his shoulder. His new powers definitely came in handy, but would he stay this way forever? And what would his friends really think if they did find out? Riku would probably blame himself for it, and the last thing he wanted was for his friends to suffer on his behalf.

But that didn’t change the fact that they were going up against the biggest, toughest enemy they’d ever faced. Riku could fight, and he was definitely strong, but with Kairi there, who knew what would happen? Shutting his eyes tightly, Sora banged his head against the surface of one of the doors. Stupid, stupid… He needed to get his act together. He needed to find a way back to them so he could help fight Ansem! After everything he did under Maleficent’s care, making up for his past mistakes was a huge priority. Something he just…

He winced, taking both hands and grinding his claws against the doors one last time. Then, he fell to the ground, heaving a silent sigh.

“Sora, knock it off!”

His eyes widened, and he took a quick look around, scratching his head. There was that voice again. Ven’s voice. Taking a deep breath, Sora shut his eyes, trying to fight back his fears and frustration.

But I can’t just sit here! I wanna be there for ‘em, even if they don’t see me.

“I know you do. I’d probably feel the same way if I were in your shoes, but…” Ven paused briefly. “Listen, Sora. Even if you can’t be there with ‘em, you can still be with your friends in spirit! Isn’t that what you told Riku before? That you’d still be there in his heart!”

Well, yeah, but… Sora’s brow furrowed, and he gazed down at the floor. No, you’re right, Ven. I shouldn’t worry so much! It’s… just hard.

“Well, I can’t really blame you. I mean, you’re still getting used to all that darkness. It must be taking a lot outta you!”

Darkness was funny that way. Even if he’d managed to wrestle control of it through sheer will power and a little help from Ven, Sora still couldn’t help but fall back to those fears, worries, and doubts sometimes. They were so much stronger now, maybe because he was all alone with just a voice to guide him or maybe because he was a Heartless. Feelings like rage took hold of him with ease, and it’d be easy to let all his pent up frustration get out of control if he didn’t have an outlet like the other Heartless to take it all out on. Even here, he’d almost let the door become his own punching bag. What would Riku and Kairi think if they saw him like this, fighting to the point of exhaustion over a stupid door?

Even if it is kinda exhausting… Sora sighed, shaking his head. I can’t let those feelings get the best of me. Instead of worrying, I really oughta stay positive!

“Exactly! Just keep believing, Sora. That’s all it takes.”

Just believe… I think I can do that. Leaning back against the doors, Sora managed a faint smile. Riku’s the strongest guy I know! He’ll set things right…

x.x.x

Fighting Ansem in his new, gigantic form hadn’t exactly been the challenge Riku expected. For one, his increased size made him one huge target, and even from a distance it wasn’t too hard to strike down. All he really did was float there, swing a double-bladed weapon suspiciously like Sora’s sword, and go on about darkness. Oh, and there were some lasers that chased Riku through the air, but those were hardly a challenge. A bit of speedy flying allowed him to slip between the lasers, only taking a few hits as he took on his enemy in his vain, shirtless glory.

As Riku rushed forward, ready to land another hit, Ansem whirled his weapon around with a grin. “Foolish boy, this is only the beginning!”

“Oh yeah?” Riku swerved to the side, driving the Keyblade against Ansem’s waist. When he tried to fight back, Riku slid back and blocked.

Ansem, all the while, narrowed his eyes and threw himself straight at him. “Perhaps this will enlighten you!”

If there was one thing to be said about Ansem’s swordplay, it was that his attacks were as brutal as ever. He really pulled no punches, striking out even as Riku stood his ground and deflected his blows. As the blade came down, Riku pushed back, sliding down and around. More of those pesky lasers appeared, forcing him to bend in all sorts of directions. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it sure bit being nailed by those stupid blasts. Once the coast cleared, he proceeded to rush forward and slam right into Ansem’s gut, sending him back against the large Heartless behind him.

They kept at this for a while, exchanging blows one after another. Between each spat, lasers shot through the air, circling around their cloudy arena. Even then, it hardly slowed Riku down. Though the fighting definitely took a while, lasting several minutes of nonstop soaring, slashing, and dodging, it almost felt like Ansem was going easy on him. And after their last fight, it was almost disappointing. So much for a big showdown when his enemy just stood there, completely open to his onslaught of attacks.

But, eventually, Ansem lowered his weapon, shaking his head with a smug grin. “Your persistence is almost admirable. It’s a shame you’re so reluctant to accept the truth.”

Riku didn’t even bother with a comeback. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and charged once again, only to find himself soaring right into a bright flash of light; another laser sent him down to ship’s lower level, while Ansem folded his arms over his chest and slid back a ways. Though Riku tried to get back up to him, he soon found his target out of reach. Between his crash landing near the giant cage and his ascent, Ansem had sunk back into the chest of the devil-like Heartless, and an all too familiar emblem appeared in a flash, shielding him from harm.

He let out a sharp groan, Keyblade shaking in his grip. Without even thinking, he rushed for the Heartless’ face, aiming to knock it upside the head; instead, he found himself plummeting to the ground after being swatted by one of its enormous arms. Landing with a thundering CRASH, Riku sluggishly got back to his feet. Once he regained his footing, his eyes widened, as a swirling mesh of greens, reds, and blacks appeared on the surface of the cage. Just what was it supposed to be, some kind of portal? Whatever the case, he took a deep breath and slipped inside.

There, he found himself in pitch blackness, with only the beady eyes of an army of Shadows and the pale blue glow of the floor to break up the monotony. Donald, Goofy, and Kairi still were nowhere in sight, leaving him all alone with the approaching mob. Not that a few Shadows ever slowed him down. Grinning, Riku hurled himself into the masses, hacking and slashing with all his might. Despite their numbers, the puny Heartless met a swift end, as he plowed through them in a matter of seconds. Once he cleared the area, a dimly glowing sphere appeared up above, dangling by a thread. Though he had no idea what this thing was, Riku didn’t hesitate to beat the living daylights out of it. A few hits made it explode in a blinding flash of light.

Within moments, he returned to the ship deck, standing just inches from the cage. However, the sound of lasers rocketing through the air drew his attention up above, where he caught sight of an array of swerving tentacles firing more and more blasts through the air. They were joined by three larger tentacles that launched twirling torpedoes down to the ground. Leaping back, Riku held out the Keyblade, deflecting any sparks that flew his way. He waited for the coast to clear before he zoomed up to the top of the cage, slicing the smaller tentacles in half, one at a time. When lasers drew near, he’d roll to the side, block, and deflect with his aeroga spells. Luckily, he cleared the way in a matter of moments, slowing only to deal with the Heavy Artillery.

Once he wiped out the last of the artillery, Riku found himself facing another ominous portal of darkness. With a smirk, he slid right inside, stepping into the familiar blackness as droves of Darkballs chattered their teeth and rushed straight for him. Before he could make a move, however, he caught sight of a shield whirling through the air. His eyes widened, and he leaped into the fray, only to find Goofy darting around. Once he caught sight of Riku, he stopped and gave him a quick grin before he whirled around, cutting through two more of the Heartless.

“Good to see ya, pal!” As another Darkball drew near, he ducked and banged his shield against it from behind. “You doin’ all right?”

“I am now!” Despite the circumstances, Riku cracked a smile, blasting three of the Heartless with white-hot flames. “But where are the others? I haven’t seen Donald or Kairi anywhere!”

“Ya haven’t?” Goofy frowned, and he just narrowly dodged a Darkball’s bite. “Gawrsh, I sure hope they’re okay! We all got separated once ya beat up Ansem, and the next thing I knew—” WHAM! There went another Heartless. “I wound up in this spooky place!”

“Well, if we clear all these Heartless—” Riku stopped, sending five more flying with a single Strike Raid, “We should end up back where we started. Just hang in there!”

Luckily, their combined efforts made quick work of the army of Darkballs. In no time flat, the area cleared, revealing another one of those hanging spheres. Then, all it took was a few quick hits to send Riku and Goofy back to the ship in a flash. Once they reached the deck once more, they glanced around the area, trying to find anything remotely suspicious to attack. At the sight of lasers rocketing into the air from below, they swooped down, passing the gigantic face that twitched and snarled. Sure enough, more Artillery waited right below it, sending small blasts straight at the duo. Luckily, Goofy’s shield deflected every single shot.

“How ‘bout I take care of these fellers, Riku?” He hovered closer to the twitching tentacles, whirling around once he came to the ground.

Nodding, Riku turned his attention to the hideous face, which snapped its jaws and bared its sword-like teeth. Though it couldn’t really move much, it still managed to keep him on edge whenever it unleashed powerful bursts of electricity with a bellowing roar. Between slashes, it tried to chomp him to bits; luckily, his speed and size gave him the upper hand, allowing him to evade its gaping maw. All the while, Goofy took out the Artillery, giving them one less thing to worry about. Once he finished the job, he flew up to the other side of the face, and together they beat it into a bloody pulp. After banging it up a bit, the head let out a low moan, and its mouth hung wide open. Sure enough, another one of those portals popped up! With nowhere else to turn, Riku and Goofy scurried into the darkness.

The moment they arrived in the next dark area, they caught sight of lightning striking all around. Invisibles flew through the air, dodging the furious, magical assault. And, judging by the incoherent squawking that came with it, Riku already had a hunch that Donald was close by. So, after giving Goofy a quick glance, he charged right into battle, knocking aside two of the Invisibles as he drew closer to the center. There, he found Donald darting around, hurling spell after spell at his attackers. Upon spotting Riku, he let out a sigh of relief, practically beaming as he leveled the playing field with a bit of gravity.

“About time you got here!” he said, slamming his staff against an Invisible’s face. “I’ve been fighting these guys off for ages. What took ya?”

“Well, Donald, ya see—” Before Goofy could finish, he let out a yelp; one of the Invisibles must’ve nailed him from behind. Luckily, he soon retaliated by slamming his shield right into its chest. With that out of the way, he continued. “That Ansem feller must’ve separated us! I was all alone in one of these here rooms until Riku showed up.”

“Bah, it figures!” Groaning, he ducked under a swooping Heartless and hurled ice at its backside. “So what about Kairi?”

Riku winced, slamming into three more of the Heartless with ease. He hesitated to respond, for the thought crossed his mind as well. If Ansem managed to split up Donald and Goofy, then what if Kairi was trapped in one of these rooms, too? Trapped with countless Heartless just waiting to strike? She could’ve been badly injured while they were off dealing with this stupid ship! Just thinking about it made his blood boil, and so he concentrated on nailing each and every Invisible without a word. With the combined effort of Donald and Goofy, it didn’t take too long to clear the place out. Even with the Invisibles’ dirty tactics, they took them out after some frustration and lots of healing.

Just like before, they beat up one of those dangling spheres and returned outside the ship, soaring away from the face as it went up in fire and smoke. Up above, the barrier surrounding the cage began to fade, creating a number of openings between the bars and leaving that purple core wide open for attacks. Given how guarded it was, that core had to be a key component. If they trashed it, maybe it’d put a stopper in Ansem’s plan. Holding tightly onto the Keyblade, Riku silently motioned to the cage, leading the others right inside as another set of Artillery launched a series of lasers.

Of course, with the three of them working together, their journey to the cage took a minute tops. Every time they encountered those pesky tentacles, they plowed right through them, clearing the way to their next destination. Once they slipped into the cage, they dealt speedy blows to the remaining tentacles before charging right at the throbbing core. It didn’t matter that it bore a pitiful, frowning face or that it didn’t remotely fight back as they slammed their weapons against its surface and blasted it with an assortment of spells. Before long, the core began to quiver, and within moments it exploded violently, sending purple smoke all around the arena.

As the core spewed its inner darkness all around, the trio hurried back up to the top. They drew to a grinding halt, however, as soon as they caught sight of the Ansem slipping free from the Heartless emblem and pulling out his weapon once more. He let out a dry chuckle, floating a ways from the ship itself and looked Riku straight in the eye.

“You may have come this far, but surely you haven’t forgotten about the princess!” He twirled his weapon, as lasers formed all around him.

Biting his lip, Riku grabbed onto Donald and Goofy’s hands, pulling them away from the constant blasts. Together, they weaved between each of the beams, making their way up towards Ansem, who continued to face them with a twisted smile.

“Would you like to know where she is? Perhaps I could take you there myself…”

Just what was he trying to get at? Did Ansem really think Riku’d fall for it? Even if Kairi was stuck in one of those portals, he’d fight his way there. No way would he let that creep push him around. Instead, he gave him a scowl and hurled himself forward, slamming his weapon right into his chest. Donald followed this up by unleashing several electric bolts, while Goofy slid up to him and whirled around. Each of them nailed Ansem with ease, only to find themselves scurrying off when more lasers appeared. To top that all off, little wisps started falling like little shooting stars—only to explode once they made contact with the trio.

Talking would only slow them down. Ansem was probably trying to get back at him for their last fight, and if he thought idle chitchat was gonna work, he had another thing coming. Rolling his eyes, Riku flew forward, whacking Ansem right in the face, while Donald snickered and launched a powerful blast of flames at his back. More lasers appeared, forcing the trio to halt their attacks just long enough to avoid taking heavy damage, but they continued to stay on the offensive, even as Ansem retaliated with his weapon, more lasers, and those pesky falling wisps.

Sometimes the Guardian would send them back by creating gusts of wind, and sometimes Ansem would summon a black hole that dragged them straight to its center before erupting in a colossal explosion. That combined with the lasers, swordplay, and wisps did add some degree of challenge. Heck, sometimes Riku had to stop and heal himself and the others before rushing back into the fight. Still, without anything to defend himself but his weapon and the Heartless behind him, Ansem really was just a sitting duck. How did he expect to win against all three of them? There was just no way.

In fact, it didn’t take long before Ansem started panting like crazy. His shoulders sagged, and he held tightly onto his chest. His brow furrowed, and he let out a sharp gasp when Riku nailed him from the side again.

“You… can’t possibly expect to succeed…” he said between gasps. “Even if you do save the princess, the odds are still in my favor!”

“Aw, shut up!” Donald rolled his eyes, hammering his staff against Ansem’s head.

“Seriously.” Riku groaned. “Just look at yourself, Ansem… You’re a wreck!”

With one more jab of the Keyblade, Riku sent Ansem flying back against the giant Heartless, which snapped its jaws and flailed its arms. Wincing, Ansem dropped his weapon entirely and continued to clutch onto his chest. All the while, a familiar mesh of colors whirled around him. Another portal, here and now? That could only mean one thing, so rather than deal with Ansem, Riku flung himself right into the portal without a word. Kairi had to be in there! And if she was, he hoped against all odds that she was doing okay. That nothing had happened to her while he and the others were off fighting Heartless.

What Riku and the others found inside this portal, however, made them stop and stare. Though a number of Neoshadows stood all around them, they covered their beady little eyes with their enormous hands, shielding themselves from the bright light that spread from the center of the chamber. Though it hurt to look straight at it, Riku pushed himself forward, knocking Heartless aside as he and his friends stepped further into the light. Before long, he caught sight of her, standing right in the middle of the light with her necklace clutched firmly in hand. Somehow, Kairi was able to keep those Heartless at bay long enough for him to get there. No wonder she and the other Princesses of Heart had been able to keep the Keyhole at bay back in Hollow Bastion…

Despite the eye-searing brightness all around him, Riku stepped right up to her, giving her a light tap on the shoulder. Within seconds, she let go of her necklace and opened her eyes. The light all around them faded in an instant and she slumped over, breathing heavily. Still, she mustered up a weak little smile and let out a quiet laugh.

“You’re late,” she said, dusting herself off.

“Hey, cut me some slack.” Riku smirked. “At least we made it in time to finish these guys!”

Raising his weapon, he stepped forward and watched as the Neoshadows twitched, straightened their stances, and slowly trudged forward. With the light gone, they’d have to fight through these things, and fast. Luckily, they were more than up to the challenge. After dealing with Heartless after Heartless, it didn’t take that much to clear the area. Sure, they had to worry about the typical claw swipes and watch out for any explosions when those pests leaped out of the ground, but with a combo of slashes, magic, and pure guts, Riku, Donald, and Goofy swiftly cleaned up the entire area, leaving just one last dangling sphere up above.

And once they struck it and the light swept them back outside, they held tightly to one another, hand in hand, watching as the gargantuan ship began to quiver. Explosions roared all around them, covering its entire surface as it shook violently and fell apart. Ansem let out a pained gasp as the Heartless behind him clutched onto its head, swallowed by flames in a matter of seconds. Even the cage started to wither away, shrinking rapidly as smoke spewed out of its bars and more explosions went off all around it. White flames engulfed the entire deck, which shattered into bits of fleshy debris that soon vanished from sight. What once was a fearsome battle ship soon became nothing but ooze and black haze, leaving Ansem suspended in midair.

A bright light formed at his chest, wrapping its way around his enormous body. As the light grew brighter, he became smaller and smaller, reverting to his original size. The life in his eyes returned, replacing the solid orange from before, and when the light finally faded, he hovered just a short distance from the pale doors to Kingdom Hearts. There, he let out a furious growl, straightening his posture and looking Riku straight in the eye. Though his chest still heaved and he remained perfectly still, Ansem gave the group a lopsided smirk, letting out a shrill laugh.

“You may have defeated me, fools, but that will not change the fate of the worlds.” He shook his head, slowly turning towards the doors. “You cannot hope to seal the door to darkness… Especially you, Riku.”

The door… to darkness? Riku cringed, averting his gaze. Just what did those doors have to do with anything? Was the power of Kingdom Hearts truly that strong? And just what was Kingdom Hearts besides the heart of all worlds?

Ansem let out another twisted cackle, reaching out for those pale doors and shouting at the top of his lungs. “Kingdom Hearts, fill me with the power… of darkness…”

The doors creaked, prompting Riku to turn around. He watched as the doors slowly opened and tendrils of darkness spread out from within. Ansem believed that darkness was the heart’s true essence. That it swallowed all hearts and was the true key to power. It only made sense that he would try and wrestle the darkness from within. Heck, it even looked like he was getting somewhere at first, with all that putrid darkness seeping out from between the creaks, reaching out for him.

“Supreme darkness…”

But then something changed. Just as Ansem slid closer to the doors, they swung wide open, unleashing a vibrant burst of pure light. Riku’s jaw dropped at the very sight, watching as the light pushed Ansem back, shining straight in his eyes. He winced as it wrapped its way around him, giving those doors a pitiful look of disappointment.

And at that, Riku laughed. Oh, he laughed hard. To think that, this whole time, Ansem had been going on about the powers of darkness, only to get blasted by the very thing he considered feeble and weak.

Shaking his head, he crossed his arms and watched Ansem struggle with a smirk. “Well,” he said, “so much for your ‘supreme darkness’.”

Ansem didn’t get a chance to snap back. Light continued to engulf him, leaving him completely helpless. His arms fell to his sides, and he shut his eyes tightly, shivering as his entire body became wrapped up in a glowing aura. He let out one final groan before he shut his eyes and slumped over. Soon, he vanished completely, leaving nothing but those distant doors and a small plot of land beneath them.

At that point, Riku’s face fell, and he looked down at his Keyblade. Kairi’s good luck charm still hung from its chain, a gut-wrenching reminder of his promise to her. Though he slowly followed the others up to the doors, he remained at the tail end, continuing to glance at the charm as he made his descent. After all, they’d beaten Ansem. If what Leon said was true, then the worlds would… probably get separated. So why were they still here? Did it have something to do with the door to Kingdom Hearts?

When they finally landed, both Donald and Goofy rushed ahead, straight up to the doors. Riku remained perfectly still, peering down at his weapon silently. Though he didn’t say a word, he listened closely to the others as they made their observations.

“Gawrsh, fellers, this doesn’t look good!” After taking a peek inside, Goofy leaped back and covered his mouth with both hands.

“Then what’re we standing around here for?” Donald shook his head. “I betcha these doors are the real problem! Why else would we still be here?”

“So ya think…”

“Isn’t it obvious, Goofy? If we push ‘em shut…”

If they pushed the doors shut… would that separate the worlds? Would that send everything back to its original place? And maybe, if they used the Keyblade… Then they’d seal off Kingdom Hearts forever. No creeps like Ansem would ever get their hands on it again.

It was the right thing to do. It was what he should have done…

But Kairi… Riku shuddered, giving her a quick glance. This whole time, he still kept his promise in mind. A promise that the two of them wouldn’t set foot on the islands until they found Sora. This same promise really had haunted him ever since Hollow Bastion. It always crept up in the back of his mind, reminding him of his conflicting obligations, as a friend and as the hero of the worlds. Maybe it’d be better to just close the door with no regrets and rest easy knowing that all those fallen worlds would return. Anyone lost to the darkness would come back and live happily without any disturbances from the outside world. Happy endings for everyone, right?

Everyone except him and Kairi…

Sora was out there still, there was no denying it. That man in the black coat left Riku a cryptic hint in the form of Ansem’s report, which suggested that Heartless had counterparts. Empty shells without hearts. Plus, that Heartless who followed them around almost constantly used familiar spells. Green flames, poison… Spells he’d only seen Sora use. Sure, that Heartless ran off without a word, but if he was really an enemy, why would he help them in the first place? And besides, the only person he knew who’d lost his heart recently was in fact Sora.

He really was with them all along, and yet he disappeared right before they went after Ansem. Before they could even spend any real time together. How could Riku possibly have a clear conscience if he finished things without him? How could he even think of going home with his friend off in parts unknown, incomplete and alone? If Sora really had lost his heart, then he’d have to be there for him. Kairi, too.

“Riku, come on!” Donald turned away from the door, frantically waving his staff. “Stop staring and help us out before the Heartless—”

“…I can’t.”

The words slipped out. He didn’t even think twice about it. Though he knew that he couldn’t just sit there and ignore the needs of others… he also couldn’t break the promise to somebody so dear to his heart.

“What do you mean you can’t?” Donald scowled, face reddening by the second. “What’s gotten into you, Riku? Don’t you remember what Leon said?”

“Donald’s right!” Goofy frowned, taking another look inside the door. “And there’s a whole buncha Heartless there now. We’ve gotta do something, fellers!”

“I know!” Riku shook his head furiously, bringing a hand to his chest. “I know that closing the door is the right thing to do. And I know that if we do, all those fallen worlds will come back, but…”

“Riku?” Kairi looked to him with a faint frown on her face and slowly approached. “What’s wrong?”

“I made a promise.” His eyes drifted down to the charm once more. “You and I are supposed to find Sora together. How can we do that if we end up stuck on the islands again? We never even got to see the worlds together…”

“You mean…” She brought her hand to her lips, and her eyes widened.

“That’s exactly what I mean, Kairi. I… I want to find Sora first.” He narrowed his eyes, gazing up at the others. “We can’t just leave him behind!”

“Are you crazy?!” Donald stomped his feet, pointing firmly at the open doors. “Riku, there’s a lot more at stake than just one person. Those worlds are too important to ignore.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Riku jerked forward, slashing his Keyblade through the air. “Donald, I’m no idiot. I still remember what happened at Pleasure Island, and I know that if we leave things the way they are that more worlds might fall into darkness.”

“Then why are ya standin’ there, Riku?” Goofy gulped, pushing himself back against one of the doors. “If we don’t do somethin’ soon, those big ol’ Heartless will bust outta there!”

Briefly, Riku peered through the opening from afar, catching sight of several pairs of yellow eyes. Shadowy figures rose up from the ground inside, towering high above the ground. From their muscled forms to the holes in their chest, it wasn’t hard to recognize those Darksides. Just seeing them sent shivers down his spine, and yet…

Heaving a sigh, Riku lowered his weapon and turned away from the doors. “If we leave now, those Heartless probably will break loose. They’ll spread throughout the worlds and probably try to destroy all of them. It’ll be a rough road for all of us if we go, but…” He winced, peering over his shoulder. “Wouldn’t you guys do the same for your King? It’s not like he’s here either!”

“Well…” Donald practically wilted as he took another look inside the door. “We never did find out where he went, and we’ve been lookin’ all over, too!”

“See what I mean?” Riku shook his head. “There’s still a lot of loose ends. I feel like if we call it quits here, we might save the worlds, but we’ll never be able to find our friends.” He turned back around, slowly stepping up to Kairi. “And, I swear, if that darkness does come out at full force, I’ll take full responsibility for it. I’ll keep on fighting it no matter what, and I’ll keep sealing the Keyholes. Even if it takes years to clean up this mess, I’ll do it!”

“Riku…” Kairi looked him in the eye, and after a moment she stepped closer and placed her hand right on top of his Keyblade. Then, she nodded firmly and managed a faint little smile. “We’ll find him together. Then we can all close this door…” She shut her eyes, bringing her other hand to her heart. “Besides, you know he’s completely hopeless without us.”

Her encouragement really helped. It made this whole situation feel… almost lighter, in a way. While his choice would surely bring a number of hardships along the way, at least they’d be together, and with luck, they’d find Sora before it got out of hand. Then they’d be able to close the door for real and bring all those fallen worlds back. Until then…

Riku took a deep breath, thinking hard on what to do. Donald and Goofy still stood at the foot of Kingdom Hearts, and trails of darkness continued to seep out with each passing second.

“Gawrsh, we better hurry up!” Goofy’s whole body shook, and he took another look inside. “They’re comin’, fellers, and they’re comin’ fast!”

Heaving a heavy sigh, Donald shook his head and trudged over towards Riku and Kairi. “Well, Riku, I hope you’re right about this. There’s still a whole lotta darkness in there. Are you really sure you wanna fight it all off?”

“Darkness?” Riku laughed, shutting his eyes tightly. “We’ve been dealing with darkness this whole time, and we still pulled through. Sure, it’s strong. If it’s not kept in check, it can eat away at our hearts…” He raised his free hand, clutching tightly to his chest. “But you saw what happened to Ansem. Even in the deepest darkness, there’s still a little light. So, even if the odds are against us and we have to keep pushing to save the worlds…”

He cracked a faint smile, taking another deep breath. They needed to get out, and fast, and there was one surefire way to escape. Something he’d seen used time and time again… If his heart could handle it just once, maybe they’d make it out in one piece.

He had to try. Riku’s eyes snapped open, and he flung his arm out to the side, focusing with all his might. “I’m not afraid of the darkness!”

“Riku, what’re you—”

“Just trust me!”

It felt like a dagger pierced him in the heart. That power… the very same power he’d been repressing this whole time… It was their only ticket out of there. And so, despite the pain and despite his reservations, Riku kept on pushing, squinting as a small, whirling sphere of darkness appeared right behind him. With each passing second, it grew larger and more foreboding. Soon, it became large enough for all three of them to slip through. It was at that point that he lowered his hand and let out a sharp gasp.

Darkness… He still didn’t believe it was all that great, but he had to set aside his wariness now. His friends mattered more than any risks. That didn’t mean he’d lose sight of the things that mattered, nor did it mean that he’d fall and lose himself. If he had his way, he’d never tap into this power again. For now, though, there was no time to figure out a plan B. With no Gummi Ship, this was their only shot. Their only hope…

So he sluggishly stepped up to the corridor, panting with each step. About halfway there, he felt that same warmth he experienced back in Hollow Bastion, when he wrestled against Ansem’s control. Kairi took hold of his hand and stood close by, bathing him in that warm light of hers.

“It’s okay…” She looked up at him with a weak smile. “I know why you did this.”

“But are you sure it’s safe?” Donald peered at the portal with a look of flat-out wariness.

“It’s out only way out!” Riku grit his teeth, inching right up to the corridor’s edge. “Now, c’mon, guys. Let’s get out of here!”

Donald and Goofy looked at one another, then took one last look inside Kingdom Hearts. The Heartless were coming right up to the edge now. Any second, they’d be rushing through, and then they’d be out of time. Those two just couldn’t afford to waffle over it any longer, and so Riku took his weapon and pointed right at the portal. Seconds later, the two of them nodded and rushed right up to him. With the four of them all set to go, there was no time to lose. Riku and his friends gave one last look at the door to darkness, watching as Darksides slipped out through the opening, and then they stepped into the dark.

What would his choice mean in the long run? Would he come to regret it later on? How would the worlds fare if the darkness kept on coming out at full force, and would Sora be all right? There were still so many questions left lingering over their heads. So many uncertainties. There was no way of knowing if Riku’s choice would bring doom to the worlds, or if, somehow, that faint little light would continue to shine, giving them a chance to find their friends and simultaneously set things right.

But one thing was clear, regardless of those uncertainties. They weren’t about to turn their backs on their friends or the worlds. No matter what the future held, they’d keep their spirits high and trudge through the murk and despair. They’d keep on going until they were reunited with Sora, King Mickey, and finally came back to seal Kingdom Hearts.

They'd find a way to set things right. It was all just a matter of time...

TO BE CONTINUED

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