Woo, long time no update, huh? Sorry about that, but I’ve had a bit of a block with this chapter, and, actually, I don’t like how it turned out. Regardless, here is chapter 13!

Chapter 13: Confrontation

In the center of the Tram Common, a large, dark, circular shape took form. Its tendrils reached upward, an aura of suspicion emitting from the center. From its alternating purples, blacks, and blues, this strange gateway gave the citizens of Twilight Town quite the fright. Even more interesting was the mere fact that, out of the center of this opening, a large ship, and three beings were spat out. CRASH! With a bang, the red and yellow Gummi made a collision with the streets of the Common. Landing right in front of it was Roxas, followed by Donald and Goofy. Dizziness overwhelmed them, while clouds of dust curled around the vehicle. Roxas had indeed transported himself and the others back to his home, but he could have been more precise.

Groaning, Donald was the first to pull himself upright. His zipper clad had been tossed askew, while dirt coated his beak. Frustrated, he shook his head in order to be rid of the filth covering his being all before adjusting his cap. “Aww phooey!” he squawked irately. “What’s the big idea, Roxas? How can you make those portals like…like the Organization?!” He narrowed his eyes and turned his feather coated head towards the blonde in suspicion.

Goofy, who had also managed to sit up, was also interested in this. From what he had seen thus far, it was as if only users of the darkness could warp so easily. Chuckling, he exclaimed, “Gawrsh, Donald’s right. How didja do that? And why did that Organization feller call ya a traitor?” A gullible gleam along with much curiosity gleamed across the defender, who simply scratched his nose while he waited for XIII to speak up and give some clarification.

Nervously, Roxas pondered to himself about a good excuse. There was always the option of telling the truth, but what if that just caused more trouble? By all means, the two lackeys of King Mickey could end up taking things the wrong way and trying to defeat him just because he was a nobody. Obviously, this wasn’t Roxas’ desire in any way. Somehow, he just knew that telling them everything would also lead to Sora figuring things out too, and there was NO WAY he was gonna let that happen. Shaking his head, the boy reached into the depths of his mind in order to come up with some way to fool these nimrods.

“Uhh…” he began, shaking slightly as he improvised, “about the whole traitor thing… You see, at one time the Organization, well, they…er… they were good guys, and I was there to help them.” So far, this little fib seemed to be working, as Donald and Goofy listened attentively. Grinning slightly at his success, the Key of Destiny continued, “Well, after a while they sorta got all corrupt and became nobodies, and they became evil…But I wasn’t, so I sorta betrayed them…because it was…the right thing to do?”

“And what about the portals?” Donald demanded, tapping his foot eagerly. “You never did explain that.” What was once a pleasant expression had once again reverted to a frown as the snow color fowl became more puzzled by Roxas’ logic. There was just something that didn’t seem right, despite the plausible explanation he had given. It was almost as if he had been hiding something.

Shaking his head, the teenager continued his little lie, hoping it would work. “Actually,” he falsely explained, “there’s a funny story about that. Uhm, well, the reason why I have dark powers is because, at one point…I was kinda… tricked into the darkness? Kinda like Riku. Yeah, that’s it. So, even though I’m back in the light, I still have that power.” When no snappy responses were given by either of the king’s servants, Roxas couldn’t help but sigh. Despite the total improvisation of his fib, it was apparent that it had done the trick.

Yet again, Donald’s visage shifted. After hearing Roxas’ ‘story’ he was convinced that the strange Keybearer was good enough…well, sort of. He still had his doubts, but thus far, he had not done anything out of the ordinary, meaning there was a good enough reason to trust him. Not making a single irate sound, the featherbed picked up his staff and trotted forward a little. Goofy also prepared to leave the Common area, as it was blatantly clear that Sora was still…somewhere. Staying in one position wouldn’t change that. Knowing this, Roxas reluctantly made his way towards the two animaloid allies of Sora. He had to refrain from any more unusual behavior.

For the next few minutes, the trio remained silent as they trudged through the busy streets of Twilight Town. Despite the hubbub, maneuvering seemed to be relatively simple, as the crowds were mostly gathered around the various shops. However, upon reaching the Station Heights, this all began to change, as, out of nowhere, a man in a black cloak could be seen leaning against a wall, pondering to himself. The immediate reaction, at least for Donald and Goofy, was one of surprise and rage. Here was a potential enemy, just standing there at leisure.

Axel cocked his head to the side. His suspicion earlier from hearing the crash had been confirmed. Just as expected, there were Donald and Goofy…but with them was someone he was actually surprised to see. From his blonde, matted hair to his strange getup, it was blatant that Roxas had joined the duo for whatever reason. Not that this mattered, since the very reason why the Flurry of the Dancing Flames had remained in Twilight Town so long was because he had been waiting for his best buddy to arrive. Seeing this, he casually stepped forth, beaming with pleasure.

“Well, Roxas, I didn’t expect to see you with Sora’s lackeys,” he snickered, coming closer to the threesome. “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for you, kid.” At this, both Donald and Goofy leapt in front of the fifteen year old, angrily scowling with their weapons clutched tight and at the ready. Axel’s response was a simple snigger, as he shook his head. “Heh, I guess you two think that I’m one of the bad guys, eh?” Instantly, the feathered bag of hot temper leapt forward, waving his staff angrily.

“Gah!” he snapped, stomping his large, webbed foot in fury, “Don’t try and fool with us! You’re part of the Organization! We know better than to trust you.” Despite the seriousness of the moment, Axel wasn’t exactly phased by the fowl’s warning. Being a playful sort, he simply stepped right past the featherbrain, giving him a gentle shove. When Goofy tried to block him from coming near Roxas, the pyromaniac just flicked the canine on his nose before stopping inches away from XIII.

As opposed to his traveling buddies, Roxas wasn’t near as agitated. In fact, his visage beamed with pleasure at the sight of his closest companion. While Donald and Goofy tried to get back in front, the Key of Destiny simply smirked, crossing his arms at the sight of his bud. Snickering, he exclaimed, Well, Axel, surprised to see you around here. I thought you were still bummed about how I walked out on you…” Sighing, the flame head shook his head in response.

“Actually, I’ve been waiting for you, kiddo,” replied VIII gleefully. “And believe me, Roxas, it’s been a real snooze cruise in this place. Well, besides the fact that Sora’s been terrorizing everything. THAT sparked things up a little.” At the mention of Sora’s name, Donald suddenly interrupted this little conversation. He was totally shocked by the idea of Sora being…terrifying. The feathery hot head just couldn’t bear the thought of it. So, he simply decided to interrogate VIII.

Tugging rapidly on Axel’s cloak, Donald squawked, “WHAT was that about Sora?! And just who do you think you are, anyway?!” Something told the poultry mage that there was more to this than the mere words Axel had spoken. For someone he had ventured with for so long to suddenly go insane and dark just sounded terrible, and even a hot head like Donald had to admit that the notion was frightening. For all he knew, the change could have been irreversible! If THAT were the case, who KNEW what would happen then?!

Shaking the fowl off his leg, Axel explained with a sneer, “Look, Sora’s…well, he’s a little out of it right now. Got it memorized? I think Vexen, one of the Organization members screwed with him a little. Frankly, I don’t really care, since I only came here for Roxas. Still, if you want him so bad, he should be up by the station by now. Have fun, freaks.” Roxas stepped away from the two followers of King Mickey and stopped right next to his pal, who simply sniggered again.

Shrugging, XIII exclaimed, “Look, guys, I think I’m gonna hang with Axel for a bit. He’s my best friend, and we kinda…well, we got separated. Yeah, let’s go with that.” Confused, both Donald and Goofy passed strange glances at another. To them, it was strange how Roxas had suddenly decided to travel with someone who was a potential threat. The only thing Donald could think of was more reasons to ponder over Roxas’ alliance. After all, Vexen had considered him a traitor, so maybe there was more to things than the blondey had said.

Raising a brow, the fowl demanded, “Just what do you think you’re doing? He’s with…with THEM! You can’t just…just…WAH!” Sputtering and squawking, the poultry mage went into a slight tantrum. Now, Axel watched this with pleasure, a broad smirk spread across his mug, while Roxas just shook his head. It seemed like just about anything could light that feathery bomb’s fuse. Unlike the two nobodies, however, Goofy wasn’t so pleased. He stood there, trying to calm the raging mage, only to fail.

In this madness, Roxas found that the King’s servants were too distracted to pay attention to Axel and himself. This meant that the chance to sneak off was right around the corner. Now was better than just waiting for the feathery time bomb to chill, anyway. So, with a grin, Roxas motioned his bud to get moving. Donald and Goofy would figure things out eventually, but, for now, they’d be preoccupied Axel’s response was a simple nod before about-facing and heading towards the back alley. Now that the two friends were alone, they could converse about more important matters.

“So,” Axel said with a broad grin, as he and Roxas slowly ambled through the alley, “I’ve been meaning to ask, Roxas, why the heck were you traveling with those kooks? Certainly your best bet would be to stay AWAY from Sora’s lackeys, right?” Roxas frowned. Clearly Axel had no idea what had went down since the last time they met. Yep, the blondey would definitely have some serious explaining to do.

Looking towards his bud, the Key of Destiny explained, “Well, it’s kinda funny, but I guess I was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Eh…” Axel simply raised a brow at this remark. He had a slight understanding of what had happened, well, sorta, but all the same, there were many blanks. At this, he shook his head of untamed red locks, somewhat annoyed. He wasn’t just going to go without answers.

“Umm…you could be more specific, y’know,” shrugged the Flurry of the Dancing Flames, leaning against one of the brick walls within the alleyway. “Just saying that you weren’t in the right place aint much info, kid. Got it memorized? Look, you don’t have to hide anything from me…I’m your best friend, after all.” Frowning, Roxas came to a slight halt, looking away from his so called partner in crime. His eyes showed worry and confusion.

“I know, I know…” he muttered, looking in the distance. “I guess it’s just…I’ve been through a lot lately. Sorry…” Heaving a sigh, Axel just shook his head once more. He didn’t exactly like seeing his pal all blue, etc.

“Hey, take it easy, Roxas,” he said in an encouraging manner, “you’ve had it rough. Heck, we all have. I say we should get outta here and lay low for a bit. Maybe catch up on a few things. Sound good?” Now, Roxas would have responded to this, but something shortly after Axel’s remark caused a slight interruption. Yes, in the distance, a few voices could be heard conversing. From the sound of it, they belonged to three teenagers who Roxas knew far too well.

“I just don’t get it!” Hayner shouted in the distance. “What could’ve messed Sora up like that? I mean, last time we saw him, he was cool! I mean, it’s not any day someone comes around and kicks Seifer’s butt! You know what I’m saying? Now he’s obsessed with HEARTS?! What’s up with THAT?” Eyes wide, Roxas was almost tempted to run in the direction of Hayner and the others. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the sheer fact that he indeed knew that this wasn’t his Twilight Town. Therefore, the trio wouldn’t even recognize him, nor would they even care, he thought.

“I dunno,” said Pence in response. “At least that cloaked guy was there to help us, though.”

Mystified, XIII turned back towards Axel, who remained up against the wall, wearing a casual expression. Upon Pence’s mentioning of a “cloaked guy” it seemed quite clear that Axel was the only one around to fit that description. Plus, the flame loving nobody had explained how he had been waiting for his best friend for quite some time. But, still, it was strange for the blonde to imagine his best friend being generous for once. If anything, Axel seemed, more or less, like a casual joker. Heroism wasn’t his thing, at least, most of the time.

Baffled, Roxas exclaimed, “You were here to help them?” Mellow, the Flurry of the Dancing Flames responded with a nod. “Dang… I guess even you can be a softy, Axel!” Snickering, the thirteenth member of Organization XIII watched as his only remaining friend’s face turned beat red in embarrassment. VIII then rolled his eyes, somewhat annoyed by Roxas’ little tease.

“Look,” he responded, finally pushing himself away from the wall of bricks, “enough small talk. Sora’s still here, so we should leave A-S, A-P…Got it memorized?” At this, Roxas rolled his eyes. “Of course…” added the pyromaniac, paying no attention to his partner’s teasing, “if you want to take one last look around this place, I guess we could hang around for a little bit. I mean, this dump may not be your real home, but I know how much it means to ya, kid. So, what do ya say?” A beaming grin spread across Roxas’ mug, as he ambled towards his rather unorthodox companion.

Spirits lifted, the nobody of Sora said, “Thanks, Axel… I really guess I owe you one, huh? Anyway…I guess we better get this over with before Sora decides to come after me, huh?” When Axel gave an assuring nod before trudging downward, Roxas knew it was time to head on down. From the looks of things, VIII seemed to be interested in going down towards the Sandlot, which meant Seifer, for sure, but it was the closest area around. Besides, it would give the teenager an air of nostalgia that he had been devoid of for so long.

--

Twilight Town: Station

Sora stood atop the Clock Tower, peering down below. His still gleaming, amber eyes examined the scenery below, awaiting any signs of living beings which could prove to be a useful remedy for his thirst for hearts. Both of his gloves hands were clenched into fists, one grasped tightly onto the golden hilt of the Kingdom Key. A stern expression gleamed upon his features, from his yellowed orbs to his contorted frown. One thing was certain to Sora, and that was the mere fact that he craved hearts with such a supreme desire that even a heartless could scarcely compare.

I don’t know what’s wrong with me, he thought, continuing to gaze at the world below. Despite being incredibly vicious and dangerous at the moment, a part of his innocence remained in the depths of his mind, telling him that all of this was wrong. I just can’t control myself. Without any real reason, he slowly began to burst into deep, bellowing laughter. He shook his head, continuing his sniggering. “This is pathetic. My heart keeps calling to me, trying to make me do what’s ‘right’. Heh, moralities… how typical.”

Down below, Donald and Goofy trudged towards the station building. It was plain to see by their expressions that they were, or at least Donald, was quite irate. Goofy, on the other hand just kept his placid smile, all while gently cradling his shield within his grasp. Both of them were equally worried about Sora’s condition, of course, it was just that the poultry mage just showed his emotions in a different manner. The sight of the seemingly empty station didn’t really improve matters, either. Sighing, both he and Goofy came to an abrupt halt, just a few yards away from the station building.

“Gah,” grumbled the frustrated bag of feathers, “I knew we couldn’t trust that guy! Why did you let him get away, Goofy?!” Ruffled by this absence of the oh so important Keybearer, Donald impatiently tapped his large, webbed foot while eyeing Goofy sharply. The dopey canine, of course, simply looked to the side, scratching his head with a gloved finger. Certainly he was just as concerned as his ally.

Up above, Sora noticed his two familiars in the vicinity. Judging by their positions and lack of motion, it was clear that they knew not of his location. Grinning maniacally, he crossed his arms, seemingly entertained by the lack of awareness in his so called comrades. It seemed that he would have to ‘greet’ his friends…oh yes, he would give them a greeting that they would remember. It was only a matter of trivial moments until the corrupt teen would make his appearance once again. Then, he would strike. Even if… he thought, they’re…my friends…I can’t help it…

Back on the ground, Goofy was going through a thorough explanation of the situation. “Well, umm,” mumbled the nervous defender, “I guess he just got the best of us. Yup, I’m thinkin’ that Organization feller was messin’ with us. Gawrsh, but does that mean Roxas was lyin’ too?” In response, Donald merely shrugged his shoulders, tucking away his mage’s staff. From the looks of things, Axel had totally mislead them…probably so he and Roxas could ditch the two ‘freaks’.

“I don’t know what to think, Goofy,” mused the feathery magician of sorts, now looking less arrogant. “But I guess Sora isn’t here…and now we’ve lost Roxas! What’s the big idea, anyway? It’s not fair!” In the corner of his eye, a slight tear could be seen. Yes, for once Donald Duck, head magician of Disney castle and local hot head was sincerely worried. Who knew what could have happened to Sora? What if he was stuck in his dark form with no way of changing back? The sheer idea was discomforting to him.

Now was the time for the Keybearer to make his grand entrance. Simply from listening to that mild mannered conversation, he could assume that the duo was incredibly concerned. This would make them perfect targets indeed. Worry and sadness would mean that the two fools would be unable to bare attacking someone they cared for. Failing to defend themselves would lead to easy picking. But in all this consideration, Sora couldn’t help but ponder over the mention of Roxas’ name… Even if he had been messed up in his mind, there was still that curiosity that overwhelmed his thirst for fresh hearts. However, due to his rather unstable state, this interest was turned into a longing for Roxas’ heart itself…a heart which he didn’t have.

As opposed to merely snatching Donald and Goofy’s hearts, Sora’s motives changed. He would merely entertain the two until they were weak enough to squeeze the answers from. Not only would the torment delight his anti state, but finding Roxas would also soothe his true self, buried deep in the bowels of his heart. In the end, it would potentially work out for both sides of Sora. So, lifting up his weapon, the Keybearer made his descent, darkness enveloping his very being as he slowly floated towards the ground.

The sudden whir in the air caught the attention of both of King Mickey’s servants, who instantly whirled around, only to see the being they had been searching for this whole time. Because Sora had yet to turn into Anti Form, the duo simply assumed that he was alright, and therefore, they darted towards him, bright smiles replacing their lugubrious gazes from before. Sora smirked at this mere notion. How clueless they were of his present state. Was it really that hard to notice his distraught essence? Regardless, he lowered himself to the ground, trekking forward, the aura forming around his fists.

“Donald, Goofy!” he exclaimed in false excitement. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” How blissfully unaware the duo was of his widening smirk along with the darkness slowly but surely altering his being. All that mattered to them at the moment was seeing their close pal in one piece. Heck, he hardly looked corrupt or messed up to them. They just went on darting towards Sora as if they had totally forgotten Axel’s warning. Oh how this amused Sora.

Yes, they did hug Sora. Yes, it did seem as if things were looking up, as a trio of friends was reunited after a brief separation. Donald went on about how stupid he was to have let the spiky haired teen go off on his own, only “Riku” keeping him company, while Goofy simply giggled. For a few moments, the Keybearer went along with this charade. Getting the two this close would only make striking at the opportune moment a simpler task. While the babbled on, he allowed his being to be consumed by the darkness, his form changing once again.

By the time the two started to notice this metamorphosis, it was too late. Sora already had enough power to handle his allies, and there was nothing the king’s fools could do about it. His first move upon reaching anti form was shoving both Donald and Goofy towards the station building with his increased strength. From there, he hurtled himself straight at them, pinning them hard against the outer wall. His emotionless eyes peered deeply, at the two who were overcome with fright. When no counter attacks were made, Sora grabbed the duo again and tossed them up into the air, cackling with pure glee.

WHAM! With extreme force, both the magician and the mage met the concrete ground of the station itself. Ruffled as he could get, Donald scurried to his feet, holding his staff. Goofy shortly followed, clutching his tool of defense at the ready. However, the drake was unsure of what to do in his present situation, as a powerful spell would only injure Sora, who was already preparing for another assault. Weak nerved as he was, the only thing he could think of was a weak flame spell, producing a meager ember which just scarcely caused the Anti Sora any pain.

Regardless, he and Goofy rushed out of the way, right before Sora could ram into them, but instead of crashing into a wall, like he had done with Axel, the teenager merely about faced, increasing his speed as he got closer and closer to his worrisome prey. Again, the skilled poultry mage used a weakened spell, this time using thunder, but all it did was cause a very weak shock. The problem was, he was too fearful to take any aggressive matters. Goofy was even worse, since he had no other weapons, bar his shield. In short, those two were sitting ducks, hindered by a simple friendship which, at the present moment, Sora couldn’t care about in the least!

“What’s wrong?” spat Anti Sora, diving at the fleeing twosome. “Are you afraid to get a little dangerous? Do you think that hurting me will make things worse?” This time around, he managed to hit both of them, his clawed hands mauling them. “Don’t you understand? I’m not going to let down…until you tell me about Roxas!” SLASH! Donald winced at the immense pain brought from Sora’s assault. SCRATCH! Goofy could only whimper at this horrid form of torment. “TALK! Go ahead! Or would you rather I removed your hearts?! DON’T MAKE ME RESORT TO IT!!!”

As the pain increased, both friends began to struggle. Just the sheer force in which Sora was inflicting was becoming too much. It was like being constantly stabbed with a steak knife, only less dangerous, but just as painful. Friend or not, this was insane! Not that this mattered to Sora himself. All he wanted was answers, and torture would only make things come at a much swifter pace---if it weren’t for the fact that he was about to meet the fury of an incredible jolt.

Out of nowhere, Donald abruptly shouted “WAAAAH! TAKE THIS!!!!” as a surge of white-hot electricity beamed down from the sky. Its first target was Sora himself, and it only took a second for the bolt to strike his spine, sending him backwards. This was not the end, though, as this little lighting had a bit of an after shock. Followed by this large surge were two smaller bolts, which left a perfect opportunity for both Donald and Goofy to break free. Their primary action would be finding a useful way of keeping defensive, while trying to figure out how to help Sora.

Snorting, the Keybearer watched his comrades on the move. Despite that large onslaught of electricity, they were not trying to harm him any longer. Either way, he pondered for a moment. With both Donald and Goofy, it would prove to be far more challenging, if the two were to decide to become offensive in their tactics. Two to one was far from fair game, so to speak. So, instead of just striking again, he snapped his clawed fingers, as a strange, glowing form of energy began to emerge from beneath the ground. Surprise filled both Donald and Goofy, who were ever alert, as they found this aura forming between the two of them! It wasn’t long before it had stretched above Goofy’s immense height, creating a barrier between the two…and allowing Sora to strike at Donald as he pleased.

“Hehe,” purred Sora delightfully, “this shall be quite interesting…”

--

Traverse Town

It had been ages since Riku had last visited Twilight Town. Even now, he could still vividly remember his encounter with Sora in the Third District, and his shock to not only see his Keyblade, but also his new friends. At that time, he had been far more foolish and prone to jealousy, and Maleficent’s influence had only made things worse. He could only shake his head at the mere thought of succumbing to her treachery. Then again, things had changed, and he truly had learned from his experience, so, as he stood in the middle of the first district along side the King, gazing at the social activities within the immediate area, he felt far less shameful.

The place had barely changed since he last visited. The neon lights, various shops, and social activities were all the same. Perhaps things were a tad less vivid than he remembered, due to many of the citizens returning to their homes after they had been restored, but there were still enough locals to keep the place in shape. He was just glad that people weren’t alarmed by his appearance. Then again, being a harbor for those who lost contact with their home worlds, he was certain that his near heartless-like appearance was nothing compared to some of the visitors. King Mickey’s presence only made things easier to bear.

Casually observing some passers by, the sixteen year old quietly said, “You know, I guess this isn’t so bad…” For quite some time, he had been going around without his hood hiding the darkness within him. Perhaps this was simply because he was trying to be less closed up. In truth, Riku had become far less shameful of his appearance after some encouragement from his highness. “At least I’m still myself. You were right, your majesty…I shouldn’t just run away from all my problems! Sora could use my help, anyway.” Smiling, the rodent looked up to his associate and nodded.

“I’m glad you’re finally seein’ that it’s the strength in your heart that counts, not what’s on the outside” chortled the king in response. As usual, the King was in bright spirits, despite the blatant crisis going on throughout the worlds. There was seldom a moment where that mouse didn’t smile. “You just gotta remember your friends, and keep your hopes high! After all, even in the darkness, there is always a light.” It was really great that Mickey had stuck with Riku after all this time. It was likely that without his influence, the darkness might have swallowed the silver haired teen completely!

Riku tugged on his sleeve and muttered solemnly, “My friends…yeah, I can’t just let them down. I guess that’s why I kidnapped Roxas in the first place, even though it was wrong… Maybe, if I get the chance to meet him, I can apologize.” He brushed back his bangs and added, “By the way…why did you bring me here, Mickey? I haven’t seen any heartless, and I really doubt Organization would bother with this place. What’s up?” Mickey’s gaze changed to a frown at that last notion, as he ambled in front of Riku.

“You see, Riku,” he explained, “I brought us to Traverse Town for that very reason. The Organization wouldn’t bother messin’ around with a world that’s been sealed, and it just makes it easier to discuss things in private…” This talk of private discussion did make sense to Riku. It was bad enough that the king had to hide his identity with a cloak, so Traverse Town would at least be less uptight. Of course the explanation did not end here. “Anyway, I’ve got some bad news about Sora…”

Suddenly, the sixteen year old’s eyes widened. Had his pupils been visible, a look of pure surprise would be clearly apparent. “WHAT?!” he shouted, suddenly alarmed. After all, Sora was his closest friend, and he had already been through a lot with just trying to help Naminé and DiZ restore his memories. “Tell me what happened, your highness!”

Still wearing the same, unhappy expression, the royal rodent said, “Well, it’s kinda complicated…But, you see, back at Beast’s Castle, he was kidnapped by the Organization. That’s not the worst part either. It was Marluxia who kidnapped him, meaning that they’re all back…even Zexion. And…and they made Sora corrupt. I don’t know much else about it, but I thought you’d wanna know, since he’s your best friend…” This sudden news saddened Riku greatly. Had he not been so foolish and actually shown his face, none of this would have happened. Now there was an even greater guilt on his shoulder than the mere fact that he had let the darkness swallow him.

“I can’t believe this…” he sadly crooned, “I should’ve been there for him! Instead, I was a coward; afraid to face my best friend…I’m such an idiot…” Even with his normally calm and collected personality, this news was greatly affecting his calm. This was someone he had known ever since he was a little kid, someone he had grown up with. The mere fact that Riku had fled only made his grief worse.

Seeing this, Mickey placed a hang on Riku’s leg, being too short to reach his shoulder, and tried to give him a reassuring gleam. However, this didn’t help much, and the Keyblade’s True Master remained silent and calm. He just was too overwhelmed by the news to be cheery. Nonetheless, Mickey would not give up. Standing up straight, wearing a stern expression, he exclaimed, “Riku! You shouldn’t blame yourself! It’s not your fault. C’mon Riku. You shouldn’t be standin’ here and mopin’ about. You can still help Sora!”

This was all so amusing. Here, blissfully unaware, were Riku and his royal highness. How they had been unable to spot a certain cloaked figure was completely uncertain to Saïx, but it mattered not. He had been sent to Traverse Town for a reason, and there was no way he would let the Superior’s plan go astray. All the Lunar Diviner would have to do is wait for the opportune moment to strike, and then he would unleash his power. Oh how enjoyable it would be, even for an empty being like himself. Yes… it was only a matter of time.

End of Chapter

AN: If this chapter is confusing, I apologize, but, again, writer’s block does that. Anywho, I added the Riku bit because I haven’t done anything with him in a while, and I felt it was high time he showed up again. Hmm, I really need to make a picture of what he looks like in this fic. XD

You may have noticed that Zexion hasn’t shown up in these last to chapters, but do not fear! He shall return in the next chapter, with a bit of spicy info. Hehe, I can’t wait. Well, as usual, reviews are encouraged, as I’d like comments and critique.