KH: Antipode [Alpha draft] pt 33

[keybearer]

Chapter 33: Regretful Realization

When Maleficent failed to return, Sora knew right away that something went wrong. He’d waited alongside Kairi and the other princesses for what seemed like ages, longing for the answers she’d promised him and the chance to bring Kairi back and complete the Keyhole. Sure, he probably wouldn’t be there to see the end result, but after his chat with the strange, cloaked man, Sora had gained at least some understanding of what would happen to him. It was still a little scary, and he definitely wanted to hold onto his memories for as long as possible. If nothing else, Maleficent’s absence did give him a little more time to reflect.

But when she failed to come back after ten whole minutes, Sora couldn’t bear it any longer. Never mind the sharp pains in his chest from his Keyblade and Kairi’s heart. Never mind the fact that the Keyhole was incomplete and sparked like a broken machine. He had to go see what was taking her so long, especially if there was a chance that she’d coddled him again. And if the Heartless had anything to do with it, he’d use his new weapon to fight back, even if wielding it made him sluggish compared to his sword. It was a gift and a special one at that. He’d use it to its full potential!

Sure enough, when he returned to the chapel through a hidden pathway, he found the whole place deserted. Not just deserted, in fact, but a complete wreck. Bits of broken stone lined the floor, including some huge chunks in a pile of rubble. Scorch marks lined the walls. The weirdest part, though, was the dark corridor just… sitting there with nothing passing in or out of it. It was suspicious enough for Sora to march right over, take a deep breath, and push himself through the creepy portal. Maybe Maleficent was inside. He had to check.

The portal led him into an enormous, rounded room with a high ceiling and elegant markings right beneath his feet. Bent up pipes lined the walls, not to mention some huge roots. There were holes in the walls that let in faint glimmers of light from the sunset sky. What really stood out, though, was the scene unfolding right before his eyes. Maleficent stood bent over and breathing heavily. Riku, Donald, Goofy, and some kind of Beast looked like they were about to gang up on her! Sora’s first thought was to get over there and lend a hand, but when the group started speaking, all he could do was watch and listen. What was going on…?

x.x.x

“You fools…” Maleficent cringed, clutching tightly onto her staff. “I shall not allow you to interfere with my plans. As soon as that foolish boy completes the Keyhole, this world shall be plunged into darkness!”

So that was her plan all along. She wanted to use the Keyhole to send darkness throughout the world. And maybe not just this world, but other worlds, too. The very idea made Riku sick and only served as a reminder to what happened back on his island home. How he let that man trick him into opening the islands’ Keyhole all for the sake of freedom. Did Maleficent really think she could control that kind of darkness? Sneering, Riku held up his Keyblade and looked her straight in the eye.

“Not a chance, witch.” He leaned forward. “You can try all you want, but I’m not about to let any more worlds disappear. Your time’s up.”

“You shall pay for what you have done!” The Beast practically roared each word, getting louder as he spoke. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and his entire body tensed up. He must’ve been desperate to get a piece of her.

“So you still continue to fight, even when the odds are against you.” Despite her weakened state, Maleficent managed a hoarse laugh. “I suppose, then, I have no choice.” Green flames formed all around her feet, and she stood up tall. “This castle will be your tomb, as I unleash all the powers of hell!”

A pillar of green flames shot down from the ceiling, and Maleficent’s blackened form stretched higher and higher. Her once lean figure grew bulky and large, as a coat of scales took the place of her elegant robes. Her once green face grew long and narrow, forming a hooked snout lined with jagged teeth. Spines lined her snake-like neck and her hunched back, and a pair of tiny wings fluttered wildly. No longer did she pant and groan. Her now gargantuan form stood firm and tall, towering high above Riku and the others as she reared her head back and green flames formed in her mouth.

“You liar!”

Riku was about to leap back and perform an aero spell when he found himself being thrown aside and slid across the hard floor. When he looked up, he caught sight of something shocking. Maleficent’s gaping maw clashed with a blade as dark as night, wielded by someone he’d never anticipated. Sora stood right in front of her, carrying a strange looking Keyblade. Tears welled in his eyes as he slammed his weapon against her snout. How long had he been there? Did he hear what she’d said? After all this time, had Sora finally realized the truth?

When Riku rushed over to his best friend’s side, Maleficent stood up on her kind quarters and slammed her front legs against the floor. A blue, circular shock wave spread all around the chamber, forcing Riku, Sora, and the rest of the group to jump out of the way. Before they could fight back, she began stomping along the floor, creating a series of smaller shock waves with each step. In the corner of his eye, Riku caught sight of a bunch of large roots. Taking a deep breath, he motioned to the roots and darted their way, right as green flames floated through the air in a hot pursuit of him and his friends.

They reached the roots before too long, and it was at that moment that Sora looked his friend in the eye.

“Riku, you were right all along…” He cringed, knocking away several more flames that slipped between the roots. “We’ve gotta stop her! I don’t care what it takes.”

“But I thought you two were ‘friends’.” Donald crossed his arms and scowled. “Why’re you on our side now?”

“Does it really matter? Right now, we’ve gotta focus on Maleficent.” Sora huffed, peering out between the roots. “And she’s coming this way!”

It must’ve hurt, knowing the truth. If Sora heard everything, then it was probably a huge reality check for him. While he thought they were friends, she probably only saw him as a means to an end. And the fact that she outright called him a fool must’ve hit him pretty hard. It really was no wonder he looked to tense, so angry for a change. Even if Riku had about million questions to ask him, Sora was right about Maleficent. They wouldn’t get anywhere by cowering behind some roots while she spewed out flames and sent shock waves their way. It was time to put aside their differences and team up to defeat that witch once and for all.

There were five of them and only one dragon to beat. In order to take her out, they’d just have to deal with her tremendous power and outsmart her somehow. Donald could dish out just about any spell imaginable, Goofy definitely had defenses covered, and the Beast? Brute strength all the way. Plus, with two Keyblades, how could they lose? Already, Riku had a rough strategy forming in the back of his mind. So, before he slipped out from under the roots, he turned to face the others, pointing his Keyblade at the approaching dragon. He launched an onslaught of ice at her feet to slow her down, and for a few short moments she struggled and snarled. It’d at least buy him enough time to address the others.

“Donald, you keep her busy from a distance. Goofy, see if you can distract her. Sound good?”

Donald and Goofy looked at one another, and then they nodded.

With a smirk on his face, Riku continued. “Okay, Beast. I know you want to get back at her, so I’m counting on you to go all out. Think you can handle it?”

“I know I can.” The Beast flexed his claws and slid over towards the edge. “I refuse to run from that witch, no matter what form she takes.”

The pieces were falling into place. Now all he needed to do was work something out with Sora. Luckily, that wouldn’t be too hard. They both had a combo of magic and fighting skills to keep things from getting too nasty out there.

So he turned his attention back to Sora and put a hand on his hip. “C’mon, Sora. Let’s do this together.”

“You mean you’re not mad…?” Sora frowned, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Nah, don’t sweat it.” Riku shook his head, sliding out from under the roots. “Now, enough stalling! We’ve got a dragon to beat.”

“You got it, Riku!”

The group spread throughout the room, each of them fighting Maleficent in their own special way. As she snarled and stomped throughout the chamber, Goofy hopped around, evading her shock waves and retaliating by hurling his shield at the tip of her snout. She hissed in response, rearing her head back to dish out some flames, but the Beast lunged at her from the side, dragging his claws against the side of her neck. To top it all off, Donald sent a chilling breeze straight at her mouth when she once again tried to spew fire and smoke.

Riku and Sora darted around Maleficent as she dealt with the others head-on. Though small flames pursued them from behind, both boys dealt with them by blocking with their Keyblades and using wind to douse the fire. When they neared her rear, she swished her tail back and forth, but they leaped right over it and proceeded up her back. This strategy sure worked against Cerberus, so why not a dragon? When Riku made it onto her shoulders, he launched his Keyblade at her head from behind, letting it knock her around a little bit. Sora followed this up with several rapid jabs. For some reason, though, he looked kind of fatigued as he fought. Was he okay…?

Eventually, Maleficent threw herself against the ground again, sending Sora and Riku straight into the air and on a nasty collision course with the floor. The shockwave that followed hit them at full force and stunned them just long enough for Maleficent’s flame breath to ignite their clothes. To douse the fire, they rolled out of the path of her snapping jaws and fired countless bolts at her face. Ice struck her in the cheek, while the Beast latched onto her face and swiped at her eyes and the top of her snout. It kept her busy long enough for Goofy to fling his shield and for Sora and Riku to climb back onto her for round two.

This time, she put up a bit of a fight, shaking her shoulders in an attempt to get them down. To keep from falling off, Riku clutched onto her neck and took Sora by the hand. This only made her thrash even more wildly than before, giving the boys noise choice but to come up with a plan B. Sora did the honors of dishing out a slow spell, which made her move at a snail’s pace and allowed them to get in a few hits before she got back up to speed. Down below, the Beast latched onto her face again and continued to claw at her eyes. It was a gruesome sight, but if he blinded her, then at least she’d have a harder time spotting them on the floor.

When the spell wore off, Riku and Sora hopped down to the ground, watching Maleficent frantically lash her head all around. Her eyes were shut tightly, and she constantly spewed flames and thrashed her claws in her hot pursuit of the group. The Beast’s attacks must’ve worked because many of her attacks kept missing. For a moment, though, Sora stood and stared at the sight with his eyes open wide. It was probably more than a little gruesome for him, but after a few seconds, he hopped out of the way of a shock wave and slammed his Keyblade against her chin.

They didn’t even bother to evade her any longer. The whole group, Donald included, surrounded Maleficent and attacked a full force. Thunderbolts struck her horns and made her twitch in agony. Goofy’s shield knocked her head all around, and the Beast thrashed at her with all his might. With the combined power of their Keyblades, Sora and Riku jumped up and hammered against her jaws constantly. She was outnumbered, outmatched, and running out of steam. All it took was one more hit from both Keyblades before she let out one final roar and fell over onto her side.

Green flames enveloped her entire body, consuming her blackened form from head to tail. Sora looked away from the dismal sight, and Riku placed a hand on his shoulder. It must’ve been hard to do this to her, especially after so much time spent as her loyal lackey. The whole fight probably did a number on him emotionally, and even if Riku wasn’t happy about his unwavering loyalty, he couldn’t stay mad at his friend. So, he stood by his side as the flames dissolved her draconic form, leaving nothing but her tattered robes on the floor. Then, when the flames finally faded, Sora took a deep breath and stepped back, facing the others with a grim expression.

“Guys, I…” He sighed. “I don’t know what to say. This whole time, I really thought Maleficent was my friend.”

“She must’ve been pretty convincing to fool you this long.” Riku shook his head. “Sora, it’s fine. You were just doing what you thought was right, and now Maleficent’s gone. You don’t have to worry about her anymore.”

“I know, but…” He looked down at his Keyblade. “It’s not over yet. You’ve still gotta steal the Keyhole, Riku! And I’m gonna…”

“Aw, Sora.” Goofy smiled and moseyed on up to him. “We’re not mad at ya. Now that Maleficent’s gone, we can take care of the Keyhole together.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Donald’s brow furrowed, and he let out a sigh. “We’ve gotta save the princesses, anyway. You know where they are, right?”

Sora nodded, and he looked back towards the dark corridor. “Yeah, I can take you guys to ‘em. After everything that’s happened, it’s the least I could do.”

“Lead the way, Sora.” Riku smirked. “And don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s over now.”

On his way to the corridor, Sora managed a lopsided smile. He still moved pretty slowly, and every now and then he’d stop, clutch onto his chest, and let out a groan. Something had to be wrong with him if he kept having issues like that. It didn’t sit well with Riku, but he’d wait to bring it up until they made it to their destination. Fortunately, Sora’s leadership saved them a lot of trouble. When they returned to the chapel, a surprise entrance appeared along one of the walls, and Sora ushered them through the doorway. Even in Maleficent’s absence, Heartless appeared, but the five of them plowed through the masses without breaking a seat.

Eventually, they arrived in a darkened chamber. Capsules lined the two side walls, each one containing a single, sleeping maiden. When they stepped inside, Donald and Goofy gulped. Although they took the first steps, Sora stood in their path and shook his head. Now what was he up to? Riku raised a brow and followed him into the center of the room. Once there, he crossed his arms.

“Okay, Sora, what’s up?”

“Well, you see…” He frowned. “Guys, if it’s okay, could you give me and Riku some space? I’ll try not to take too long, it’s just… there’s something I need to tell him.”

Okay, now there had to be something up, but what? For now, Riku stayed silent, watching Sora carefully. Whatever it was, he’d find out soon enough. And besides, some one-on-one time with Sora wouldn’t hurt.

“Well, just don’t take too long.” Donald frowned. “We’ve still gotta finish what we started, and I know Beast really wants to find Belle.”

“Don’t worry! Belle’s okay; she’s just asleep right now.” Sora smiled sheepishly, pointing at one of the walls. “Anyway, Riku, let’s go. I’ll explain everything in a second.”

Not like he had much of a choice. Riku nodded, and he followed Sora through the eerie room, passing all the princesses. It was funny; he recognized Alice and Jasmine, but the others were complete strangers to him. Had Sora participated in their captures too, or was that Maleficent’s doing? No matter what, seeing them there was more than a little eerie. Luckily, they didn’t dwell on it for too long; instead, they approached a winding stairway, passing bits of broken machinery and wiring on their way up to the top.

More musty looking machines lined this upper level, sparking with surges of electricity. Huge pipes lined the walls, wrapped tightly around one another, and in the center of it all appeared a massive, heart-shaped machine. Its center glowed with an assortment of colors, and five points of light shined in the center. This machine made a terrible buzzing sound, like it was about to overheat. Sora didn’t give it much heed, for there was more to the room than the machinery. When Riku caught sight of Kairi’s body, he stopped staring at the crazy contraptions and rushed right over to her. Sora slowly followed behind.

“Sora, what’s Kairi doing in here?”

“That’s what I wanted to tell you, Riku.” Sora looked down at her, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know what really happened to Kairi now, and it’s got nothing to do with the Heartless.”

“Then what happened, Sora?” Riku’s eyes widened. “Tell me, what’d you learn?”

“Well, it all started in Wonderland.” Slowly, Sora turned away from Kairi and peered up at the heart-shaped device. “When I was off looking for the Cheshire Cat, I thought I saw Kairi for a second, but… she wasn’t there. The same thing happened in Traverse Town, and that wasn’t the last time. It seemed like no matter where I went, I’d always keep seeing or hearing her, and it just kept getting worse the more time I spent with her.”

Sora did act like he’d seen her back at Merlin’s place, but what did that have to do with anything? It seemed awfully suspicious. Luckily, he didn’t have to ask for clarification; Sora kept on explaining the situation for him.

“When I asked Maleficent about it, she said it was all in my head, but I kept feeling weird around her. It was like something was wrong with my heart.” He turned around, placing a hand to his chest. “I still feel it, too. Especially now that I’ve got this Keyblade.”

“So, what are you trying to say?” Riku frowned, and he narrowed his eyes.

“I know why Maleficent was helping me. It wasn’t because she cared.” Sora shook his head. “This whole time, Kairi’s heart’s been right here, inside me. And not only that, but… Riku, she’s one of the princesses. That’s what this about.”

“What?!” Riku jerked forward, grabbing onto Sora’s shoulder. “What do you mean her heart’s inside you? How’s that even possible?”

“I don’t know, but that doesn’t change what’s happened.” He winced. “Riku, I’m… gonna have to release her heart. This Keyblade’s got the power to do it. All I’ve gotta do is use it on myself, and she’ll finally wake up. Then she can complete the Keyhole, and you can close it for good!”

“And what about you, Sora? If you release her heart, how are you going to be there when she’s finally awake?”

There was no way using that Key on himself wouldn’t have some kind of repercussions. That thing was pitch black, like the darkness, and if it could open his heart somehow, wouldn’t that put him in danger? Did Sora even think things through?! Riku didn’t want Kairi to stay lifeless for good, but there had to be some other way. A way they could both make it out in one piece!

But Sora looked away again, and he let out another groan. “If I release her heart, I don’t know what’ll happen to me, but I’ve still gotta do this. If I don’t, she might never wake up, and I really mean it this time.”

“But, Sora, there has to be some other way!” Riku shook his head. “We were supposed to see the worlds together! How can we do that if you’re not here with us?”

“Riku…” Sora laughed, and he turned to face his friend with a smile. “We’ll still be together. No matter what happens to me, I’ll always be there… in your hearts.” He took a few steps towards the heart-shaped machine. “If you think of me long enough and if you don’t forget me… our hearts will be one. No amount of darkness is ever gonna change that.”

If his words were supposed to encourage, they sure didn’t work that well. Just hearing how Sora’d just… accepted this fate filled Riku’s heart with an agonizing pain. Sora was his best friend. They’d known each other since they were kids. Losing him, possibly for good, was a thought he hadn’t fully entertained, and now he was left with a choice. Either Sora kept Kairi’s heart inside him, continued to feel pain and hallucinations or he could release Kairi, allowing her to wake up and complete the Keyhole somehow.

Leon had told him not to let his feelings get in the way and reminded him about the greater good. If that meant saying goodbye to his longtime friend, then, as much as it stung, what choice did he have? He was only delaying the inevitable. Even then, it still hit him how twisted this was. After spending so much time on opposite sides, he and Sora had finally come to an understanding, and now they were running out of time. What was he supposed to think about this? How was he supposed to accept it?

…He couldn’t say no. Sora really was right. And besides, that machine would probably overload if they didn’t do something, and then they’d probably have to deal with the consequences. So, as much as it pained him, Riku nodded. They had to set things right. But before that…

“Sora,” he said, stepping up to him from the side. “If this is what you have to do, then I guess… I’ll just have to stay strong.”

“You can do it, Riku!” Sora grinned. “I’ve always thought you were the strongest guy around.”

“Yeah, but… to tell you the truth, Sora?” He sighed. “I was jealous of you all along.”

“Jealous? But why?”

“Because you’ve always followed your heart. You never did let worries get the best of you for too long, and you lived in the moment. Me? I just kept focusing on the future and what-ifs. Some good that did us, huh?”

“I dunno, Riku. I’ve got my share of problems, too. And besides, I always wanted to be like you. Guess that makes us both jealous, huh?”

“Just a little.” Riku lightly slugged Sora on the shoulder. “But that’s fine. I mean, neither one of us is perfect. I know I’ve got my share of regrets. That’s why…” He laughed. “Sora, before you do anything, let’s go one last round, for old time’s sake.”

“Huh?”

“I mean it. No Keyblades, no magic. Just the two of us going one-on-one like we used to, before everything got out of hand.”

“Well…” Sora glanced down at his Keyblade again, and then he set it aside. Then, he reached into his pockets, pulling out two battered looking toy swords. “Good thing I managed to save these!” He grinned, tossing one of the swords over to Riku.

“Just our luck.” Grinning, Riku slipped into his fighting stance. “Now, let’s see what you’ve got.”

The two boys rushed at one another, dealing a series of blows. Without magic or Keyblades, they had nothing but their own skills to rely on, and boy had things changed. Sora no longer left himself wide open for attack. In fact, he stayed on the offensive, making several jabs at his friend whenever possible. Sure, Riku managed to block most of the time, but it was still impressive to see. And when Riku did get knocked down and flung himself forward, Sora managed to dodge a few times in order to avoid a swift kick to the gut.

Each one got plenty of chances to knock the other around, and they both had to stay on their toes to avoid too many unsightly bruises. Occasionally Riku’d slip behind Sora and nail him in the back, only for Sora to whirl around and jab Riku’s gut. But, really? It didn’t matter who won this round. This was all about giving Sora one last moment of lighthearted fun, just a good way to see him off. And in those brief moments of fighting, it was almost like all the problems around them had faded away, bringing them back to a time of innocence and those carefree days Riku once longed to escape. He imagined himself on the small island at sunset with the warm breeze and the sound of the waves still clear in his mind.

Several minutes passed before both boys began to slow in their movements. After going at it for so long, they both had to be running out of steam. And while Riku could have easily used this to his advantage, he smiled and stood perfectly still, allowing Sora to come close to him. For once, he wasn’t going to try and win it. Sora deserved better than that, especially after everything he went through. No, for once, he’d throw the fight, letting Sora take in some of the glory. So, when Sora got in a good enough hit and sent Riku down to the ground, he dropped his sword and lay still for a moment. Just long enough for Sora to get close and point the sword at his chest.

Then, Riku grinned, pushing the sword aside as he got back to his feet. “Well, I guess that’s one to three. You’re catching up with me, Sora.”

“I can’t believe it…” Sora laughed, and he gave Riku a gigantic grin. “You’re the best!”

And before Riku could even blink, Sora threw his arms around him. It took a moment for Riku to respond; hugs weren’t exactly his strong point, and it came out of the left field, anyway. Under normal circumstances, he would’ve called Sora a sap and probably pulled him into a headlock, but now wasn’t the time for it. Who knew if he’d see Sora again? He couldn’t brush him off. Instead, he slowly but surely reciprocated the hug—tightly, at that. It was a rare moment of softness brought on by desperate and unfortunate circumstances. Still… it did help lighten the mood a small bit.

But they couldn’t stay like that for good. The fact remained that Kairi remained fast asleep, and the Keyhole’s buzzing grew progressively louder, while dark tendrils emerged from its center. Just what was waiting for them on the other side? If they completed the Keyhole, darkness would probably run wild; it was all the more reason to finish things. Already, Sora was reaching for the Dark Keyblade with a stern expression. He kept his eyes locked on the Keyhole whole time.

“I guess this is it,” he said, turning to face Riku once more. “I’ve gotta set things right.”

“Yeah, that’s…” Riku took a deep breath and nodded. “We’ll do this together, Sora.”

“Right!” He smiled faintly, raising the Keyblade towards his chest. “But before I go, there’s one more thing I’ve gotta say.”

“What?”

“Riku, take care of Kairi for me, okay? And could you tell her I’m really sorry?”

“Sora…”

Like he had to ask. If Sora really was going to disappear, then who else would look out for Kairi? Who else would be there to explain it all? If this was the inevitable consequences of his actions, then he owed it to Sora and Kairi. He’d do it without question.

“I’ll keep her safe, Sora.” He held up his fist. “You can count on me.”

“Then, I guess…” Sora took a deep breath. “I’ll see you around, Riku!”

Without another word, he turned the Keyblade’s point towards his chest and stabbed himself on the spot. As if that wasn’t heart-wrenching already, he did it with a huge grin. Moments later, the Keyblade floated away from his chest, surrounded by a purple light. It sparkled faintly as six bright, glowing hearts took its place and floated through the air. All the hearts took off towards the stairs, and in the distance Riku heard the sound of Donald gasping. Sora still remained, however, at least for a few more seconds.

When the hearts dispersed, a bright light formed at his chest, and he held out his arms. From within him, another heart emerged, slowly drifting towards Kairi’s body. All Riku could do was watch as the heart sank through her chest, and her eyes slowly opened. The light at Sora’s chest spread all around his body, and he quietly laughed. When Kairi caught sight of him, she got to her feet and bolted right for him, but it was no use. He fell right through her, breaking into several small bits of light that floated away in an instant.

Riku bit his lip and rushed over to Kairi, and at the sound of his footsteps, she hurried over to him. The two faced one another for all of two seconds before Kairi threw herself at him and held on tight. Tears streamed down her cheeks; Riku, too, felt a bit of moisture on his face. After all this time, she’d finally woken up. A mixture of feelings welled up inside him. It was hard to hold it all in and stay strong for her sake, but he had to now.

And so he pulled her closer and shut his eyes tightly. “Kairi… I’m so sorry. I’m the one who did this to you.”

“Riku, it’s okay… I know you didn’t mean to.”

From behind, Riku heard the sound of frantic footsteps. When he opened his eyes, he caught sight of Donald and Goofy bolting up the stairs. Both of them stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of Kairi. They didn’t have a clue. But now that Kairi was back, they couldn’t dwell on what had just transpired. Though Riku stayed close to her, the sight up ahead made him step back and stare.

Darkness… pure darkness leaked out of the Keyhole. Tendrils spread across the floor, and beady, yellow eyes emerged from the blackened pools. The massive claws, lanky bodies, and antenna made it perfectly clear that these weren’t ordinary Heartless, either. Though they didn’t move a muscle, Riku immediately drew his weapon and slid right in front of Kairi. Neoshadows… the same Heartless that appeared on Pleasure Island. Was that what waited on the other side?

The Neoshadows weren’t alone, either. Some of the darkness stretched high above the group, taking on muscled forms with powerful arms, twisted tendrils for hair, and a gaping hole in their chests. Two Darksides stood right behind the ranks of Neoshadows, motionless but imposing. To top that all off, an all-too-familiar man in a musty, brown cloak stepped forward and chuckled.

Just when he’d thought all the battles were over, Riku had come face to face with darkness in its purest and most devastating form. Now what were they going to do?

TO BE CONTINUED

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