A/N: O.o It's the apocalypse! Oni-Gil, posting three chapters of one story within 24 hours?! AAAH!

9. Riku at Port Royal

“So, here’s the deal,” the gruff commander called Cid told Sora, Donald, and Goofy. “We took care of Cap’n Barbossa for ya, but there’s a big monster Heartless out there somewhere and still old Cap’n Hook. We’ve got a few ships on our side. The rest are Heartless craft, or Barbossa’s crew. Me ‘n’ Jack ‘n’ Jack are your captains.”

“Captain,” one of the Jacks drawled. “That’s Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?”

The other Jack rolled his eyes. “And Captain Jack Durol to you lubbers.” He winked at Sora. His voice was more cultured than those of his companions, as if he were an aristocrat who had accidentally been placed on a pirate ship. “Or just Durol, if you’d rather. Having two Jacks around makes for confusion.”

“I got it,” Sora said. “So where’s this Captain Hook now?”

“There,” the lookout called. “The Jolly Roger, Commander, Cap’ns!”

“Got to get to my ship,” Durol said, tipping them a wink. Jack Sparrow gave a vague sort of wave and swung back to his own ship.

“We’re gonna need you to get on over to the Jolly Roger,” Cid said, going for the wheel. “I’ll get as close as I can, but I ain’t riskin’ my Bronco.”

“I always wanted to be a pirate when I was little,” Sora told Donald and Goofy as they searched through the ship’s hold for more Heartless on their way up. Jack Sparrow’s idea for getting them onto the ship had involved a catapult and lots of pain and had landed them in the bottom of the ship. “Me and my friend Riku were always dressing up in eyepatches and stuff and fighting with wooden swords. I don’t know when we grew out of the eyepatches, but we never stopped swordfighting. It was all fun stuff, but Riku was always better than me.” He grinned, brandishing the Keyblade. “I bet I could beat him now, with all this experience I’ve gotten!”

“You think so, Sora?”

Sora gasped, spinning around. “Riku!” he cried. His friend stood on a ledge just above, and in his arms was—

“Kairi!”

“That’s right,” Riku said. Something was wrong, Sora realized. Riku’s voice was too cold, his eyes narrowed too much. He had never looked this way at Sora before. “While you were off messing around with your new friends, I finally found her.”

“Then we can all go and—” Sora began, starting forward, but Heartless suddenly surrounded them.

“No shenanigans aboard my vessel, boy,” a man in an extravagant coat and hat said, appearing beside Riku. Where his left hand should have been, there was a wicked-looking hook. Sora looked between them.

“Riku?” he said weakly. “Why? Why are you siding with the Heartless?”

Riku smirked. “The Heartless obey me now, Sora. I have nothing to fear.”

“You’re stupid!” Sora cried. “They’ll take your heart!”

“Not a chance,” Riku laughed. “My heart’s too strong.”

He turned and began to carry Kairi’s limp form away.

“Wait, Riku! Please!” Sora cried.

“You’ll just have to catch up to me,” Riku replied, glancing back over his shoulder with a nasty grin. “Once you get past these guys, of course.”

Captain Hook followed him out and the door slammed with finality. The Heartless attacked. Sora fought, but his mind was numb. Riku… Riku was with the Heartless? Riku was against him?

“So, that’s your buddy Riku?” Goofy asked when the Heartless were gone.

“Wonderful guy,” Donald growled. “I appreciate your taste in friends.”

Sora stood staring at the door Riku and Kairi had vanished through.

Riku.

“I… I can’t fight Riku,” he said. “I can’t. Anything else. The Heartless, Maleficent, whatever. I’ll fight them. But not him. Not Riku.”

“Riku’s not your friend anymore,” Donald said.

“And you’ve gotta save Kairi,” Goofy reminded him. “Isn’t she your girlfriend?”

Sora went red. “Girlfff— no way,” he grumbled.

They dispatched Captain Hook and were almost satisfied with their victory when the massive Heartless arrived. Sora had no time to think of Riku’s betrayal throughout this battle. After, he was distracted again when they were forced to flee the capsized Jolly Roger. Jack Sparrow waved at them from the Black Pearl, but they knew better than to get on that ship. Knowing Sparrow, he’d take them on some long journey to the ends of the world. Instead they climbed aboard the Tiny Bronco and found a very wet and forlorn Durol.

“Bloody Heartless sank my ship,” he moaned. “My poor, dear Lady Luck, sitting at the bottom of Davy Jones’ locker.”

A message had arrived from the king, summoning them at last to the secret base.

“Oooh, wait ‘til you see it, Sora,” Goofy said.

“Kairi and… and Riku and I had a secret base,” Sora recalled, his spirits drooping again.

“Cheer up, lad,” Durol said miserably. “At least you’ve something left.”

A second, less welcome message had arrived as well. Cid’s voice was gravelly as he delivered it.

“Zack’s dead,” he announced. “Him and ‘is whole army. Some huge new Heartless in the Pride Lands.”

Sora felt a lump rise in his throat. For the short time they had known each other, he had liked Zack. The dark-haired man’s smile flashed in his memory. “I… can we stop at Traverse Town on the way?” he asked. “Only Zack gave me something for Aeris, and… and I think she should have it.”

Aeris took the letter and excused herself for a time. When she returned, her eyes were red and puffy, but she smiled gratefully.

“Thank you, Sora,” she said. “I’m really… really happy that you… gave this to me.” She hugged him tightly. “I hope you find your friends, Sora. I know you’ll find them.”

Sora gulped, thinking of Riku. “Yeah,” he said. “I will. And we’ll all go back to the Islands together.”

Over her shoulder, he saw a familiar blonde girl standing in the corner. She smiled at him and disappeared through the open door.

Ienzo lay silently, ears straining for the slightest sound. The Heartless could move almost silently, he knew, so the silence he heard may not be safe. His stomach twinged, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten in two days. Two, or three? He couldn’t quite recall. It was dark where he lay, trapped under… well, he didn’t want to think about what he lay trapped under. At least it had hidden him from sight long enough for the raiders to lose interest and leave. He was terrified to move, even to look for something to eat. After seeing what had happened to the others when the Heartless had taken them…

He heard crunching noises and lay still, hardly daring to breathe. Who was it? What was it?

“Is anyone alive?”

It was a low voice, rough, but he didn’t get a bad feeling from it. At least it was a human. It could be worse. Still, the man leading the Heartless had been human, or at least he had looked like one. Some of the other creatures, the ones that weren’t Heartless, could talk. Perhaps he shouldn’t answer.

“It’s all right. I’m here to help.”

Should he believe him? No, best to remain still and silent. The crunching— footsteps— drew nearer. They paused just by his head, and a moment later, a hand stroked his bangs out from his eyes. Terrified, he looked up.

It was a human, after all. A rather large human in armor, but a human nevertheless. His blue eyes were kind.

“I’m here to help, little one,” he repeated. Ienzo opened his mouth. It took a few tries, since his throat was sore both from screaming and from lack of water, but he finally managed to croak, “Help?”

The large man shifted whatever pinned Ienzo to the ground. The boy took one brief look before turning away. To his shame, his eyes filled with tears. The big man must have noticed, for a comforting hand rested on his shoulder.

“They protected you well,” the man said. Ienzo nodded. The large man offered a flask. “Water.”

Ienzo drank thirstily, swallowing down half the flask before remembering to pace himself. It would do no good to be sick from drinking too quickly.

“The Heartless are gone,” the big man said. “The King sent me to search. My name is Elaeus.”

“Ienzo,” the boy croaked in reply. Elaeus nodded, as though he had already known this.

“Come,” he said, offering a helping hand. “We have a chocobo for you.”

“Chocobo?” Ienzo asked dazedly. He had always wanted to ride a chocobo. Elaeus smiled.

“Come,” he repeated, and Ienzo took his hand.

There was a cold wind blowing through the shattered houses, and Xehanort shivered. He hadn’t been here since the war’s beginning. The houses had been gutted recently. Some embers still glowed. Evidently his twin hadn’t bothered to do it on his first visit here, but had been too eager to allow his army to do what they wished. His ear itched and he turned, eyes already seeking out the shape he knew had to be there.

“I can’t say I like what you’ve done with the place,” he said. He heard a chuckle and, after a moment, his twin emerged from the shadows of a half-burned wall.

“You've grown a backbone since last we met,” he said. He paced around Xehanort slowly. “And you've gotten stronger, too. But your stamina is sorely lacking. You would probably put up a good fight, for about ten seconds.” His grin was sharp and knowing. “But then, that's not so surprising. I've been doing this all my life, and you've only been doing it for a few months. Don't get me wrong-- your progress is astounding. Let your ever-so-infuriating friend Even know.”

“You’re just bitter because you couldn’t kill him.”

“Your Keyblade Master is doing a fantastic job. Do pass my compliments on, will you?”

“Why did you call me here?” Xehanort asked. His twin smirked.

“I thought you’d come,” said. “I was hoping you would. I have a proposal for you.”

“I'm listening.”

They were both circling now, keeping at an equal distance from each other.

“Just think of what we could achieve together,” the twin said. Xehanort's immediate reaction must have shown on his face, for his double quickly added, “Hear me out.” He moved closer, lowering his voice as though imparting a secret. “Prophecy is a notoriously faulty branch of magic. Open to interpretation. We can fulfill the roles laid out for us-- except for the last part, but that doesn't have to happen. We have to work together. We could rule this world, together, as equals.”

“Equals.”

“Yes.” His twin made an aimless gesture with one hand. “I have power, true. I can control the Heartless. But I don't know how to run an empire. I don't know this land or its people as well as you do. You're familiar with government, with politics. You see? I destroyed the old kingdom. Now you can help me build the new one.”

He had moved intimately close, his hand coming up to rest on Xehanort's arm. He leaned forward, eyes meaningfully wide. “Think about it!” he whispered. You and I... there's nothing we couldn't accomplish! No one could stop us!”

Xehanort met his gaze steadfastly, shaking his head.

“No?” the other asked, genuine confusion clouding his face. “You don't want it?”

“This world already has a king,” Xehanort said coolly. “I'm not like you.”

For a moment, his double seemed shocked. Then he grinned. “On the contrary, brother. Someday you'll do exactly as I've done... because we're the same, you and I. Bonded by more than blood.”

“I'm nothing like you.”

“You're lying to yourself. You'll see.” His twin turned to leave, only pausing to grin over his shoulder.

“You, Xehanort, you're just like me.”

Xehanort came back, and after muttering a few code words that Ansem had taught him in case his twin tried to impersonate him again, mounted his gold chocobo. Ienzo got a shock from seeing him, staring at him with wide blue eyes.

“It’s all right,” Elaeus told him. “It’s not him.”

“Don’t worry, Elaeus,” Xehanort said. “I get that a lot.” And he did, too, every time his twin led an attack personally. He had done this to taunt his brother, to make a point, and sometimes for no apparent reason. In any case, it caused many to distrust Xehanort. He had grown used to it, but it was painful to see mothers hiding their children when he passed. “Is this the only survivor?”

Elaeus nodded. “It’s time to return,” he said. “Ansem wants us to meet the seer and the Keyblade Master.”

A/N: Please review! :) Or the evil twin will undoubtedly murder your families. O.o

Or, for tradition's sake, Marlu will steal your knickers for his collection. But anyway, please review. You, as fellow authors, know how wonderful it is to get reviews. sniff Ah, reviews. I remember reviews. We should try those again sometime.