KH: Antipode [Alpha draft] pt 30

[keybearer]

Chapter 30: Broken Bonds and Preparation

Sora had returned to the castle chapel after his adventures in Neverland. With Kairi secure and the princesses gathered, all they could really do was wait and make preparations. Maleficent had warned him that Riku was on his way, and if Riku came, that meant the Keyblade would too. It was strange to think that he feared his friend’s arrival when he’d been so excited to see him again and again for the longest time. How could things have changed so much in so little time?

If Riku brought the Heartless with him wherever he went, could he really be trusted now? Maleficent had assured Sora that he’d be safe from harm, but something still felt fishy about the whole situation. And now that they’d saved a number of princesses, they could finally try and open the door. What if Riku’s Keyblade screwed everything up? Could they really risk it? The Heartless brought disaster wherever they roamed. And disaster was one thing they couldn't afford.

Taking a deep breath, Sora pulled out his sword and swept it through the air. He went through the motions of his training, bit by bit. A combination of magic and speedy attacks gave him an edge. He wasn’t strong like Riku, but if they had to fight, he’d be ready for the worst. True, the thought of facing him stung and filled his heart with dread, but the idea of losing Kairi forever hurt even more. If they were really going to create a miracle, not even friendship could interfere.

“You have truly improved,” said Maleficent from afar. She stood at the far end of the chamber, below the heart-shaped emblem. “I have full confidence that you will be able to keep the Heartless at bay, should they arrive.”

Sora leaped back and fired a blast of green flames at one of the walls. When the fire subsided and left only smoke, he turned to face his friend.

“I just don’t know what to do, Maleficent.” He frowned, looking down at his weapon. “Am I really gonna have to fight Riku?”

She nodded and placed one hand to her chest. “It is quite unfortunate, but we cannot allow the Keybearer to interfere. His weapon brings darkness, and he’s gone astray. It is too late to save him now.”

“But…” Sora bit his lip, and he looked away. “I know we can’t let him mess things up, but do I really have to hurt him?”

“You are such a kind boy.” Maleficent smiled, stepping down into the center of the room. “Your heart is brimming with light, and I do understand how much it must hurt to turn your blade on such a dear friend.” She placed a hand right below his chin, lifting it up just enough to make eye contact. “If you do not wish to harm him, then I cannot make you. However, it is of utmost importance that he stays away from the castle and the princesses. Do you understand?”

Keeping Riku away sure sounded better than having to really hurt him. Enough fighting to wear him down would probably do the trick. It… he could just pretend it was another one of their sparring matches, like old times. Only, this time, he’d finally settle the score.

So, despite his reservations, Sora nodded and clutched tightly onto his sword. “I’ll keep him out, no matter what.”

It hurt, having to choose between friends, but this was for the greater good. It just had to be.

x.x.x

The time had come to prepare for the worst. After returning to Traverse Town, Riku, Donald, and Goofy immediately consulted with Leon and the others. After all, they had no idea where to search for the far off world of Hollow Bastion, much less what they were getting themselves into. However, what they did know was that Maleficent was behind everything they’d experienced so far. It was she who rallied together villains such as Ursula, Jafar, and Oogie Boogie. She was the one who took Sora’s dreams of heroism and twisted them around, and she commanded the countless armies of Heartless throughout the worlds.

By now, they’d collected a few pieces of Ansem’s report, and each one revealed information on the Heartless and the darkness itself. When the trio met up with Leon’s gang in the Third District, they revealed their findings to the group. Even if they’d only picked up about four of the reports, their efforts weren’t for naught. Somehow, Aerith had managed to scrounge up several more of the missing pages. While there were probably more missing pages out there somewhere, the nine they had collected still provided deep insight on the Heartless themselves.

And so Riku, along with the others, gathered in the room and read through the many pages.

“It is my duty to expose what the darkness really is.” Riku paused, and he narrowed his eyes. “Wait, so he performed experiments on people? Apparently he tried extracting the darkness from people’s hearts, and then… their hearts collapsed.”

“And that’s not all,” said Leon. “It says here that he created a machine to mass produce Heartless.”

“What?!” Donald’s eyes widened, and he hopped up to get a better look at the page. “You mean he could make them any time?”

“I just don’t understand.” Aerith frowned, as she peered over Leon’s shoulder. “Ansem the Wise was such a kind ruler. What would drive him to create the Heartless?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t like the sound of it.” With a groan, Riku put down one of the reports and scooped up another. “If there’s a machine that can create Heartless, I bet anyone could use it. Even somebody like Maleficent.”

Yuffie gasped. “Hey, you’re right! And I bet that’s how she—”

“It has to be.” Leon’s brow furrowed, and he slapped his palm against his forehead. “And that means you can’t take her lightly.”

“Gawrsh, Leon.” Goofy scratched his head. “We’re gonna have to be extra careful, aren’t we? ‘specially if we’re goin’ to that Holler… er…”

“Hollow Bastion?” Leon sighed. “You’ll have to do more than that. You’ll be walking right into Maleficent’s stronghold, and she probably knows you’re coming.”

“And she’s still got Sora on her side.” Riku’s face fell, and he gazed at the floor. “He’s just so stubborn. There’s no way he’d believe one of his ‘friends’ would betray him.”

“It’s probably a part of her plan, Riku. Just think about it for a minute.” Leon stepped away from the wall and peered out the window. “You’re the Keybearer, and Sora’s your best friend. Now, what would happen if you had to face him? Could you handle it?”

Could he? It was something Riku’d been considering since he left Neverland. In the past, he’d faced Sora in combat, but it was always just for fun. Sparring matches held no high stakes like the fate of Kairi and the worlds. Back then, villainy had nothing to do with it, but things had changed since then. They’d both gotten a lot stronger, and each of them was equally dedicated to their causes. Sora really thought he was being a hero by ‘rescuing’ princesses and helping Maleficent. Riku knew the truth, and he’d been fighting to protect the worlds ever since Pleasure Island went down.

There was no delaying the inevitable. If Sora wouldn’t come to his senses, then they would have to fight. Sora was probably Maleficent’s trump card all along, and she probably expected Riku to back down. It was smart thinking on her part, and he couldn’t deny his fears. What if one of them got badly injured, or worse? Or… what if it ruined their friendship forever? Would things ever be the same between them? And suppose they did fight. Would that really be enough to make Sora come to his senses?

He wanted to believe the way that Donald and Goofy believed in their King. Deep down, he wished that he could have faith in Sora the way that he used to believe in him. But wishful thinking wouldn’t change the situation. It wouldn’t magically wash away all their problems. It was difficult. On one hand, sulking would only slow him down, and it wouldn’t be fair to Sora to give up hope. But on the other hand, was optimism even reasonable at a time like this?

Conflicting feelings filled his heart, and he let out a sigh. “I don’t know.”

“Riku, look.” Leon shook his head. “I know this is hard, but you’re going to have to make a choice. If Sora’s the only thing standing between you and Maleficent, then you can’t let your feelings get the best of you.”

“I know that, okay?” Riku scowled. “But it’s easier said than done. I just… need time to think things through.”

Aerith kept her eyes on Riku for a moment or two. Then, without warning, she approached him with a smile.

“Riku, it’s all right,” she said. “Take all the time you need. Your feelings are important, and you shouldn’t feel forced to fight.”

“Besides,” said Goofy, “we’re with ya all the way! No matter what happens out there, we’ll be there to cheer ya on.”

At least they understood how tough it was. It was easy to say he could fight for the greater good, but that’d just be lip service. Riku was still human, and he had fears just like anybody else. And Sora, who he’d known since he was a kid, meant the world to him. Seeing him so lost out there stung. Hearing him go on about his blind loyalty to Maleficent made his blood boil. The inevitable waited just around the corner. He and Sora would come face to face, and then…

He tried to summon his Keyblade, but, for some reason, it took longer than usual and a great degree of focus. Then, when it finally appeared, he looked down at it with a small frown on his face. The Keyblade was the only way to protect the worlds from the darkness that preyed upon their hearts, and he was its chosen wielder. It put a lot of pressure on him, and throughout his travels, he hadn’t located the man who passed the blade onto him all those years ago. Nobody there could truly understand, then, how it felt to carry the burdens of countless worlds on his shoulders.

But he did have friends. Friends who would stand by him and would try to understand. It did help, at least a little. Even if things went horribly wrong, he’d still have somebody to fall back on and give sappy encouragements to him. A light within the darkness, in a sense. Donald and Goofy were ridiculous and, at times, just plain silly, but they knew how to keep things lighthearted and maybe a little fun.

Riku couldn’t dismiss his fears, and he still couldn’t accept the idea of fighting Sora, but he wasn’t about to run. If his fears got the best of him, then he could at least say he tried. And trying sure beat giving up before he reached his destination. If Sora were in his shoes right now, he’d probably do the same. And Kairi… he had to keep going, for her sake. He wanted to see her smile and laugh again, and he missed those carefree days when she'd always keep him and Sora on their toes.

And so Riku laughed, albeit dryly, and he propped his weapon against his shoulder. “I guess… I’ll just see what happens when we get there. I know that once we do, there’s no turning back.”

Donald nodded, and he cracked a small smile. “But we’ll be together! And, you know, all for one and one for all.”

“We’ll just have to find a way to make the bad times a little better!” Goofy chuckled.

“That’s right!” Donald’s brow furrowed, and he frowned. “No frowning, no sad face.”

“Yup! Our ship runs on happy faces.”

“Man, you guys are such saps.” Riku shook his head. “But… thanks.”

“They have the right idea,” said Leon. “You have to face your fears before they get out of hand.”

“Oh, lighten up, Leon.” Yuffie smiled and rolled her eyes. “I’m sure they’ll be great out there! I mean, they made it this far.”

“Yeah, we’ve fought some pretty tough enemies before. Evil sea witches, sorcerers…” Riku smirked. “A sack full of bugs.”

“Not to mention all the Heartless!” Goofy grinned, and he pulled out his shield. “Why, I’d say we’ve gotten stronger after everything we’ve been through together.”

“Everything you’ve faced until now has been setting you up for this.” Leon narrowed his eyes. “Remember, Maleficent was behind it all. You’ll have your work cut out for you.”

“What else is new?” Leaning forward, Riku placed his free hand on his hip. “Trust me, that’s all pretty routine for us now.”

“And we’re not giving up!” Donald pulled out his staff.

For once, Leon let out a quiet chuckle. “You’re either brave or just plain reckless. Still, at least you understand what you’re getting into.”

“Of course we know.” Riku lowered his weapon and sighed. “I’m not about to act invincible here. That’s why, when Cid finishes fixing our ship, we’ll need to be ready for the worst.”

“It should be any minute now.” Leon crossed his arms. “Are you guys prepared?”

“You betcha!” Reaching into his pockets, Donald pulled out a number of potions, elixirs, ethers, and other miscellaneous items.

Riku nodded, and he held out the Genie’s lamp. “We’ve got plenty of tricks up our sleeves.”

“Then… good luck out there.” Somehow, Leon actually managed to smile, even if it was a bit faint. It was a little surprising to see, but at least he was trying to be encouraging.

The next few minutes were spent quietly skimming through the Ansem Reports one last time and double checking their inventories. As time ticked on, the inevitable loomed ever closer. A showdown with Maleficent waited right around the corner. Who knew what they’d be up against, really? Powerful Heartless? An assortment of traps? The only thing Riku knew for sure was that Sora’d be there waiting for them, and that alone was a challenge in and of itself.

Before long, the door creaked, and Cid stepped inside, ushering the trio back to their ship. On the way, he warned them of the dangerous path ahead. Hollow Bastion lay shrouded in darkness, and a trip to the castle would take more than good maneuverability. Heartless ships would strike without mercy. Obstacles would stand in their way like never before. Just getting there would be risky, and the world itself? Probably just as dangerous, if not more.

Yes, their journey would not be an easy one. It’d be like walking right into an ambush, and they all knew it. Yet, as they climbed into the Gummi Ship and prepared for takeoff, neither Donald nor Goofy fussed or fretted about the challenges ahead. While the ship soared up above the peaceful town, the two kept smiles on their faces. They really thought it was going to turn out okay, didn’t they? If there was any doubt, they sure did a good job of hiding it.

Riku still didn’t know what to expect or how to feel, but one thing remained crystal clear. In spite of the challenges, he'd have to keep going, somehow. Some way. If only he could get over his fears...

TO BE CONTINUED

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