Inseparable

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Set after COM. The first time Riku fights Roxas things go very differently resulting in a chain reaction of devastating effects. Riku is incapacitated, Kairi discovers her true power, Roxas is afraid of death, and Sora wakes up much later then intended to a world that is quickly falling apart. This is going to be epic.

Pairings: Eventual SoraxRiku and SoraxKairi, others I'm not sure about maybe some RoxasxNaminé although no more then what was implied in the game and also AxelxRoxas friendship. I want to stay as true as I can to the characters so the SoraxRiku is going to be a bit one sided at first. I'm not really going to focus to much on pairings anyway but more on the story.

Chapter 1: The Start

Riku always thought Sora looked so peaceful asleep inside of the pod. The keyblade master's eyes were lightly closed with dark lashes fanned out across his cheeks, face calm and lips slightly parted, showing no indication that he was alive at all except for the barely noticeable rise and fall of his chest.

Donald and Goofy were there too of course but Riku always felt removed from them and so never regarded them.

In over a year of watching Sora sleep, Riku had never seen his friend's eyes so much as wrinkle at the edges or even the random twitch of a finger. Sora slept on, always completely still and unaware.

Riku was secretly glad for this, wanting Sora's mind to be as peaceful as the brunet appeared from the outside, only hoping his friend did not suffer from dark memories and terror filled dreams. Riku knew all to well what the nightmares were like, nightmares that would wake the silver haired teen up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, gasping for breath, and clutching his shoulders to try and drag himself back into reality. Sora at least if nothing else deserved to sleep undisturbed, the keyblade master did not need dreams.

Riku could not count the number of times he stood in the stark white room, watching Sora's sleeping figure for hours on end, sometimes talking to him but of course, Sora never answered back. Riku noticed the changes in Sora over the quickly passing year. The burnet was still small and his body still extremely lanky but he had grown, limbs were longer, jutting out awkwardly, shoulders were broader and muscles larger even after so much time spent being unused. The once bright red clothing that used to fit him perfectly was now plainly too small for him.

Riku felt a sudden urge to see Sora's eyes, only to know if they too had changed in their blue intensity.

It was not that Sora just changed physically either. The brunet would never again be the same carefree fourteen-year-old Riku had known back on Destiny Islands. Gone forever would be the days when he would follow Riku around with a wooden sword asking for a spar or for a race. Sora would never win but that never stopped him from trying. He'd cross his arms in mock anger, pout, and then challenge Riku again with twice as much effort. Sora still never won.

Sora would not draw in the secret place with Kairi anymore or help her build sandcastles decorated with seaweed dried from the sun, wouldn't walk along the beach with a grin on his face as he watched the redheaded girl collect thalassa shells.

The time when the three of them would lean against the paopu tree and watch the sunset had only been scarcely over a year ago but felt like a lifetime away. Riku could almost still hear their endless conversations as they talked about their dreams and adventure, fantasizing about other worlds and a small raft that would get them there.

The three of them had been so innocent then but Riku…

Riku had been an absolute fool. The aqua eyed teen was older then the other two, the mature one, arrogant, and cocky. At the time, he thought nothing could hurt him, that he could face anything and still come out on top, until the storm that would forever change the three of their lives.

Riku wanted so badly to escape Destiny Islands, a place that felt more like a prison cell then the sanctuary it was supposed to represent. His father drank and was never home. His mother was depressed and hardly spoke to him. His parents never went out of their way to be cruel to him but Riku was repeatedly ignored, growing up fast and learning to take care of himself. On the rare occasions, that his father was home Riku would often initiate screaming matches with him. A few times, they even turned violent and yet Riku couldn't stop himself from seeking the confrontations out.

Riku had nothing on the islands except for isolation, broken beer bottles, and his best friend, a blue-eyed boy who was oblivious to everything yet somehow with just one bright smile was able to keep him sane.

Riku always knew somehow he'd find a way to escape Destiny Islands, the raft being just one of his several ideas, regardless of whatever he might have told Kairi once. He seriously doubted how far it would get them but still it was better then nothing, better then not knowing.

Then when the darkness had offered him a way out he took it without a second thought. Even now he could still feel the cold slithering ropes of midnight black wrapping around every inch of his skin and pulling him down into a sea of unknown depths, could still see Sora's face as his friend and only anchor to life reached desperately for his hand.

Riku did nothing to fight the darkness, letting it slowly consume him. He wished so many times he could go back to that one moment and prevent himself from making the greatest mistake of his life.

Never in his most horrifying thoughts could Riku ever imagine what would happen afterwards. He was in over his head with the darkness and it nearly drowned him. He was used, manipulated, and eventually corrupted. His body was taken over by a man who claimed his name to be Ansem, he was made to fight Sora, and sealed inside a door surrounded by thousands of monsters that were never meant to be alive.

Riku didn't know until the end, but by choosing the darkness on that one fateful night, he forfeited his destiny over as keyblade master, giving the title to Sora.

Sora with the naive mind, a heart of blinding light, and a lion's courage was thrown head first into to a war.

Sora met Donald and Goofy…

Sora had fought

Sora had killed

He defeated Riku

Then the happy go lucky kid from a nowhere place called Destiny Islands had saved the entire universe.

Sora went through hell and back much like Riku had, only Sora had become the hero, the chosen one, when it was Riku who'd always dreamed about other worlds, when Sora hadn't cared one way or the other until Riku drilled the idea into his head and Kairi had came along, when it was Riku who'd opened the door in the first place, while Riku had lost everything and was locked away.

Still in the end, none of it mattered. Riku, Sora, and Kairi had found each other only to be separated once again. Ansem who Sora had spent so much time tracking down and tooth and nail fighting, turned out to be nothing more then a fake and apart of something much greater. There was a new threat with Organization XIII, the heartless were back, and there was a new enemy in the nobodies.

The worlds were starting to fall apart once more as they cried out for the keyblade master. Sora would have to pick up his keyblade and fight to save them all for the second time. There would be no rest or no choice for Sora. It was his fate after all.

While watching Sora lose a year of his life inside the pod, Riku found he had unwanted time to reflect. The silver haired teen had no one to blame for everything that happened but himself, could never forgive all the suffering and pain he put Sora through, did not care about his own life anymore as long as Sora was happy. The only thing he lived for now was to redeem himself, to help his friend at any cost. Riku would find and defeat Roxas. He would awaken Sora.

Riku stepped up to Sora's sleeping chamber, placing a hand on the smooth and clear but glinting surface. The first time Riku touched it, he expected it to feel like glass. Instead, it was soft, delicate, and slick, nearly like gel but completely dry. He could flex the material by simply running his hand down it, had tried several times to break the thin barrier so he could touch Sora's face but was never quite able to force his fingers through.

Riku leaned in closer, his face directly in front of Sora's. "I promise you I'll end it." He whispered softly. "No matter what happens one way or another it will end."

Riku leaned back struck with a sudden sense of devja vu. He'd spoken those same words to Kairi when she was comatose.

Riku always had a love hate relationship with Kairi, never really understanding the redhead. One day she just appeared out of nowhere and like a tidal wave came crashing into his and Sora's lives. From the first day, they met her it was like she'd always been there, never leaving their side or at least Sora's. Kairi laughed with them, played with them, she even competed with them. She was never any good, constantly falling behind when they raced or swam. It never seemed to faze her much but she was always trying to keep up, to be one of the boys. Riku wondered if maybe it was because she was afraid of being left behind.

Kairi came from the sea, a distant land, a different world even if she couldn't remember it. Riku loved her for that. She was living proof that there were other worlds out there, opening his eyes and giving him hope when there was none. Riku felt free around her since she reminded him that there was more then this tiny island.

Kairi was cheerful, intelligent, safe, cute, a princess of heart. She was Kairi. She was also a doubled edged sword.

Sora was instantly drawn to her from the first moment he laid eyes on her, the violet-eyed girl stealing his attention away, making Riku become second best. Soon it wasn't Riku sleeping over at Sora's house anymore. It was Kairi. It was Kairi who Sora whispered too, took to the secret place, and watched the sunset with.

Riku tolerated her only because she was important to Sora, never having the same relationship with her that Sora did. Riku was jealous so he competed with Sora for her affection if only to get Sora to notice him again. Even though Kairi never showed much of an interest in him, it had worked for a while.

Then came the heartless, the worlds, the danger, and the keyblades and nothing of what Riku had done to gain Sora's attention back mattered. After everything, it was still Kairi, Sora worried about, had held in his arms, and fought so hard for. It was because of Kairi, Sora almost died when he literally ripped out his own heart to save her life.

It was never Riku.

After the storm, Riku had gotten lucky, finding Kairi before Sora did, only she wasn't Kairi anymore. Her heart was gone, eyes wide and unblinking, and body stiff but warm. Riku soon found he could move her limbs anyway he wanted and she would stay that way, he even tried sitting her up a few times but she would always slump to the ground.

Riku had hung on to her because she would bring him Sora. Riku felt betrayed, completely alone. With Sora out saving the worlds with Donald and Goofy, Kairi's shell was the only thing he had left in a world that was quickly closing in around him. He'd often let Kairi lean against him, sometimes even holding her while her head rolled limply against his shoulder, running his hands through her short hair and telling her he would save her, that everything was going too be alright, that they didn't need Sora anymore. It was nice to hear the words even coming from his own mouth but he never quite believed them.

Then the last time Riku remembered seeing Kairi before he fought Sora, he ran a hand down her cheek and told her he was going to end it, no matter what happened it would end. For a split second, Riku could have sworn he felt her body tense and quickly looked into her glass like eyes but like always there was only the same vacant expression so he dismissed it.

When Kairi did bring him Sora, things did not go according to plan. After everything, it was Sora who saved Kairi, doing the one thing Riku couldn't, following his heart. Sora could smile brightly in a dying world where everyone else had given up hope long ago. Sora was determined, stronger, and faster. He was just simply better, even managing to save Riku from himself.

Then when Sora had sealed him behind Kingdom Hearts, Riku realized in that moment that Sora truly was the real keyblade master. He would never be able to compare, wanted his best friend's happiness even if it meant being with Kairi. "Take care of her." he said. It was the last time he'd spoken to Sora or while Sora was still able to hear him at least.

Sora hadn't gone back to Destiny Islands with Kairi and Riku doubted if Sora ever could. They'd both seen and been through too much. Instead, Sora had looked for him, ended up in Castle Oblivion, lost his memory, and wounded up sleeping in a pod for a year. It was so funny, Riku could cry.

The aqua-eyed teen walked away from the pod. His black robe a sharp contrast to the blinding room, trailed silently against the sleek ashen floor. Riku leaned against the wall opposite to Sora with his arms crossed, breathing deeply before he refocused his gaze back on his friend's face. Riku still had a few minutes before he needed to leave and wanted to spend them here.

There was the abrupt sound of a door sliding open and shutting. Riku looked over his shoulder and to the doorway to see Naminé. The blonde had her sketchbook that Riku never seemed to see her without, clutched tightly to her chest and a box of crayons.

"I'm sorry" she whispered. "I didn't know you would be in here."

Riku raised a silver eyebrow. "Where else would I be?"

Naminé looked uncertain. "Should I leave?"

"No, it's fine."

Naminé nodded as she mutely made her way across the room and toward the three sleeping chambers, smoothing her white dress and sitting down carefully in front of Sora. She laid her sketchbook out on her lap, picked up a brown crayon and began to draw.

Naminé reminded Riku of a washed out photograph, her skin pale, hair a dull shade of blonde, lips thin and colorless. She could have passed for a porcelain doll, appearing frail yet there was something oddly striking about her.

Naminé unnerved Riku and he wasn't even sure why but he honestly didn't even like being in the same room with her. Although of course, he would never admit it, maybe it had something to do with her abilities or how she was so distant but when he looked at her he always felt off, like something was crawling underneath his skin, and his thoughts for some reason always fled to Kairi. The two girls were completely different, still there was something similar about them and Naminé brought back the pain, the vacancy, the control, the need for power, the look of betrayal in Sora's eyes when he took the keyblade from him, Sora running to Kairi's side, shouting her name, yeah…Kairi was something he definitely preferred not to think about.

Riku felt somewhat guilty for feeling this way toward Naminé. The blonde had tried to do so much for him, possessing the power to help him in a way that no one else could. He would never forget the offer she made him. When she told him, she could erase the darkness in his heart at the price of his memory. Riku declined her offer and in the end, there was really only one choice.

He'd never allow anyone to be in control of his fate again, would make his own path, his own decisions, and fight the darkness himself, would take the road to dawn, helping Sora while doing it. Even so, a part of Riku however distant had to acknowledge her offer was tempting. Naminé could erase what Ansem had done so easily, make him forget the whole violent nightmare his life had become but then he would have also forgotten Sora.

That was something Riku was not willing to live with and with everything he was, he knew he made the right decision, didn't let himself think about the alternative, knew he couldn't afford to wonder on what could have been.

Still even after everything Naminé had done, the fact remained that she was the one who scrambled Sora's memories in the first place, she was the one who sealed him inside the pod. Minutes, Riku had made it to Sora only minutes after, running and shouting his friend's name, if maybe he'd just been a little quicker, a little sooner, things could have been different.

Riku knew it wasn't really Naminé's fault but he couldn't help but feel slightly bitter toward the blonde. She'd been practically forced to put Sora to sleep. It was needed to undo the damage she caused, but the whole process had caused everyone with ties to Sora to lose their memories of him as well, even Riku's hadn't gone unaffected. He could remember Sora at least mostly but there were still gaps and holes, some things more hazy then others. His memory wouldn't be completely restored until Sora was awakened and Naminé had made that choice. Sora had lost a year of his life, all of this had happened because Naminé willed it.

Riku continued to watch Naminé draw Sora, a bit uncomfortable that she was sitting so close to the burnet. Making himself more comfortable, he sat down, letting his back lean against the cold wall. "For a moment there I thought you came to be my conscience."

"I'm no one's conscience" Naminé said so quietly it was almost inaudible.

There was silence once again, which Riku was fine with, not expecting her to speak again, which was why he was so surprised when she suddenly looked up at him, gazing into his face as if she was trying to commit it to memory. Pastel blue eyes met sea green.

"You're not wearing your blindfold." She observed. "I hardly ever see you without it anymore."

Riku's hand automatically went to the blindfold that was currently tugged up just over his forehead, partially hidden by long silver bangs. "I actually wanted to see Sora's face before I left."

"Oh"

Naminé looked away, going back to her drawing but Riku could see her body visibly stiffen and her hand clench around the crayon.

"You don't agree with what DIZ and I are about to do." Riku stated

Naminé jerked her head up quickly and Riku was surprised when he saw anger on her face. Naminé always seemed so passive, acting emotionless around him. She was gentle even sympathetic but always emotionless.

"It's cruel Riku!"

"It's necessary" he countered.

Naminé shook her head. "No, it's not. Roxas needs to accept this on his own terms. It's not something you can force him into."

"There really isn't much of a choice" Riku said calmly. "I'm not just doing this for myself. In case you haven't noticed the worlds are in danger if the keyblade master isn't awakened the whole universe could perish."

"I know the danger but no one is thinking of Roxas. Roxas didn't ask to exist. He had little choice in the life he found himself in but he chose to fight for everything he was worth., chose to survive and I don't see how forcing him to sacrifice himself for the sake of another can lead to anything good."

Riku's eyes narrowed at this. "It's not a sacrifice."

"You're going to take away his consent, his will, and you're making the decision to take his life away. What would you call it then?"

"It's not a sacrifice!" Riku said again, voice cutting like a knife. "He's a nobody. You can't sacrifice something that was never supposed to be alive."

"You've been listening to much to DIZ." Naminé said sadly. "You should know that doesn't matter. Roxas has his own thoughts, his own dreams. He's still a person."

"He's dead inside!" Riku snapped back.

"No he's not he's-"

"He doesn't have a heart. He can't feel. All he knows is instinct and death." Riku continued ruthlessly. "He…he…" Riku trailed off as he focused on Naminé.

The blonde pulled her knees to her chest, hugging herself. "He's like me." She said distantly. "You mean he's like me."

Riku froze and fell silent. There was nothing he could say to that. He watched as Naminé uncurled from her hunched position, firmly gripping her crayon, and placing her sketchbook higher up on her knees. She once more began to draw, only it was different this time, her entire arm shaking as she made angry slashes at the paper.

"That's right." Naminé said, her voice cracking. "Naminé's just a nobody." She pressed the crayon harder to the paper, nearly ripping it. "Naminé can't feel. She can't think. She's just a broken tool."

The crayon snapped underneath her fingertips. Naminé tossed it aside and ripped the page out of the sketchbook before continuing in her half crazed voice. "Let's just lock her in a tower and throw away the key. Let's let the others play with her. Lets let Larxene play with her!"

Naminé mercilessly ripped the paper into tiny jagged pieces. "It doesn't matter if she's alone, if she's sad, it doesn't matter if she screams! Because Naminé's only a nobody. Naminé can't feel!" She violently threw the sketchbook at the wall, right by Riku's head.

Riku didn't try to move away, not even so much as flinching when the sharp edge of the sketchbook came dangerously close to the corner of his eye. However, it hit the wall harmlessly and there was complete silence as it fell to the ground with a lifeless thud. Riku stayed still for a minute as he listened to Naminé gasp for breath. Attentively, he picked the sketchbook up and walked over to her.

"I'm sorry," Riku said as he extended his arm out.

Naminé gently took the sketchbook from him and hugged it to her chest as if it were a long lost treasure.

"Thanks" She said, placing it back on her lap. She glanced up at Sora, took out a red crayon, and once again began to sketch the keyblade master as if nothing had ever happened.

Riku quickly took a couple of steps back, distancing himself from her. "Naminé, I don't really know what happened to you in the tower but I do know that something went on between you and Sora. Didn't he risk everything to help you get away from that place? After everything he did for you I thought you would approve of what I'm doing that you would want to help him at any cost."

Naminé's hand stilled on the crayon, raising her head, blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. "I do more then anything."

Riku gave her a skeptical look. "Then what's with the sudden concern about Roxas? You never mentioned him before. Did you know him while you were in the tower?"

Naminé shook her head. "No, he was never at the tower."

"Then I don't understand. How could you want to forsake Sora to help this thing that you don't even know?"

Naminé's eyes narrowed. "You're missing the point Riku."

"So, tell me."

Naminé tightly pressed her hands onto her sketchbook. "You can't say I don't want to help Sora. You don't know what happened!"

"Like I said. Tell me then."

Naminé took in a deep breath, quickly calming herself and looking thoughtful for a minute before she softly began to speak. "Marluxia said he was the one who found me but the first thing I remember is an all white room. It looked a lot like this one but it was smaller. I was locked inside and I was completely alone except for my sketchbook. My sketchbook was the second thing I ever remembered. It was lying beside me when I woke up. I don't know which of the organization gave it to me but I've always had it. The organization would only come to see me when they needed something. They'd force me to do things, otherwise I was locked inside my room."

Naminé shivered slightly, rubbing her bare arm before she continued. "Then when I thought I couldn't stand it any longer Sora came. I watched every step he took into the castle and against all odds, I saw him force his way to the top. He never gave up he kept trying to get to me to protect me. I can still see perfectly the moment I met him. He looked at me with blue eyes, and he smiled. He set me free."

Naminé clasped both her shoulders as she shut her eyes tight. "I owed him everything but I hurt him instead. I took away his memories and because of me, he's already lost so much. Don't tell me I don't want to help him. All of this is my fault. I only want to put right what I've done wrong!"

"It's not your fault." Riku said from a few feet away. "You only did what you had to, from what I know Marluxia threatened to kill you if you didn't comply."

"That won't change what I've done and Sora wasn't the only one I hurt. Your replica…"

"Yeah, don't remind me" Riku paused before he continued. "Look Naminé, I'm probably not the best one to tell you this, but I think you're being too hard on yourself. You helped Sora in the end right? You acted on your own. That's all that matters."

Naminé glanced up at Riku, looking unsure of herself. "I know…maybe, putting Sora to sleep wasn't my fault and he wanted me too since it was necessary to restore his memories and…even before that when we were together at the top of the tower…when Marluxia told me to break his heart, make him into his puppet, Sora told me to go ahead and do it."

"He told you to?" Riku said doubtfully.

"Yes, he didn't want to see Marluxia hurt me and he said it didn't matter if his heart was broken, he would still know me, still protect me, after everything… that was the only thing he cared about."

"I never knew that." Riku said with a slight shrug. When the silver haired teen spoke again there was the hint of a smile in his voice. "Sora always was to nice for his own good."

Naminé's eyes brightened as she nodded her head in obvious agreement, cheerful like expression then fading as quickly as it had came, her face turning serious. "I refused to do it of course and then things started to crash from there, but erasing Sora's memories in the first place wasn't just because of Marluxia. It was me too. A part of me, a part I don't like to think about wanted to erase his memories. In the end it was my decision and I chose to listen to Marluxia, Vexen, and the others."

"And what was the reason for that?"

Naminé's expression turned suddenly pained, looking for all the world like she didn't want to answer, placing her hands in her lap, she grasped the silky material of her dress before she quickly opened her mouth to reply. "I was jealous of Kairi! I hated the fact that Kairi had someone who cared about her so much when I had nothing. I just had my white room and my pictures. I wanted Sora to care about me like he cared about her. I took away his memories of her and replaced her image with my own. Only, it didn't really work out the way I wanted it too. I should have known Sora could never completely forget Kairi or that I could never completely replace her. I'm just her shadow. That's all I'll ever be."

Riku leaned forward a little as he lowered his head, silver hair instantly falling to cover his face. He fisted a hand in the material of his black robe right over his chest as his shoulders shook.

Naminé peered at him more then worried, trying to understand his reaction. Riku looked back up to her with a smile on his face and the blonde looked relived to see he'd only been laughing.

"You were jealous of Kairi." Riku stated somewhat breathlessly. "I never would have thought we would have so much in common."

Naminé tilted her head so it was nearly against her shoulder. A small snort escaped her nose and she smiled even if it was nothing more then a faint rise and fall of her lips

Riku looked at her, really looked at her as if he'd just seen her for the first time. It could have been a number of things, the way her shoulders were hunched forward, the position of her head, how her eyes stared into his, how her hair laid across her forehead, or that fleeting smile but in that instant everything about the blonde screamed Kairi.

"So" Riku asked before he could stop himself. "Whose nobody are you anyway?"

The just established easy atmosphere in the room once again turned tense. Naminé didn't answer, looking back to Sora and refocusing her attention back on her sketchbook and crayon, wrist making delicate movements as she settled for ignoring Riku and continuing to draw.

"That's right you don't know." Riku said, his voice neutral. "I forgot for a moment you're not like other nobodies, that you can't remember anything of your past life. Sorry I asked."

"I know." Naminé whispered.

"Then who?"

"You won't like the answer."

Riku didn't reply, feeling a sense of foreboding at Naminé's statement and he wondered if somewhere he already knew the answer. Riku wasn't the type to repeat a request and Naminé wasn't the type to ask him if he was sure he wanted to know. Riku's curiosity was peeked but he knew the blonde would tell him. All he had to do was wait it out, give Naminé a chance to collect herself.

Riku wasn't disappointed.

The blonde visibly swallowed and opened her mouth to speak, her voice far away. "Kairi." She said, "I'm Kairi's nobody."

Riku felt his stomach churn and a numb sensation flow through him as if an icy hand had reached into his chest, grabbed his heart, and yanked, only leaving him with a strange impulsive desire to see Kairi.

Riku was on Naminé in a split second, hand gripping her thin shoulder as he shook her roughly.

"Kairi!" He shouted into Naminé's face as if he could bring out the redhead through the blonde. Only Naminé wasn't Kairi. Instead of amethyst eyes he was met with cloudy blue, Naminé's skin was pale and not tanned from endless days spent out on the beach, her hair was a soft shade of blonde instead of vibrant red, and her face was all wrong.

"I'm not Kairi." Naminé said calmly. "Just like Roxas isn't Sora."

Riku's fingers dug into her shoulder, hard enough to bruise, clenching his eyes shut as his free hand formed into a fist. "This whole thing." He said, his voice broken and wavering. "Is my fault. Everything that's happened is because of me because of what I did…I…"

Riku jerked his head up when he felt Naminé's hand gently curl around his wrist. She looked at him with understanding eyes. "Don't blame mine or Roxas's existence on yourself Riku." She said softly. "It's not your fault.'

Riku loosened his grip, about to reply when the sound of a throat being cleared came from the doorway. Both Riku and Naminé turned their heads at the same time, seeing DIZ leaning against the doorframe.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something." DIZ said in his normal dry voice.

Riku pulled away from Naminé. "No" the silver haired teen said as he made his way over to the cloaked man. "I was just about to leave."

Riku turned back to face Naminé when he reached the doorway, still slightly uneasy leaving her alone with Sora.

As if reading his mind, Naminé also stood up. A black portal formed behind her and she stepped backwards into to it, letting it engulf her limbs. "I was just about to leave too."

Riku nodded, preparing to exit the white washed room when he heard Naminé at his back. "Good luck Riku."

Riku would have thanked her ordinarily but Naminé's voice was strained. There was a sense of danger in it, her words sounding final.

"I won't fail." Riku said, voice coming out harsher then he meant it to but Riku had felt a desperate need to say that, to contradict Naminé as much as to reassure himself.

Naminé did not reply. Once more, allowing herself to meet Riku's gaze, her eyes saying everything, shining in a strange mix of disbelief and hope. Then as quickly as the emotion came it was gone. Naminé stepped completely into the portal and vanished without a sound.

Riku felt an odd need to go after her although he wasn't sure why. It wasn't as if this was the first time Naminé had went through a portal, using them to travel almost constantly. Riku never knew or even cared where she went before, maybe it was because of her recently learned identity or because the plan was so close to being put into action. Naminé was a critical part of it after all.

DIZ saw the conflicting anxiety on Riku's face and the tenseness in his stance. "She'll be back." He said almost sympathetically. "She can't go far."

"Yeah, I know."

DIZ turned to leave and Riku followed the bandaged man through a dark hallway as they made their way to the control room.

"Did you know Naminé was Kairi's nobody?" Riku asked with a slight edge to his voice.

"Yes, of course."

"You never told me."

"You never asked."

Riku felt a surge of anger run through him, clenching his hand and feeling his fingernails dig into his palm, he tried his best to not let his anger show through his voice. "I had a right to know."

DIZ gave him an unimpressed look. "It never seemed important at the time."

Riku narrowed sea green eyes. "Like hell!"

DIZ sighed as they reached the control room. It would have been poorly lit if it wasn't for the rapidly blinking machinery. "This is not the time to discuss it Riku, we have bigger things to worry about."

The silver haired teen said nothing, silently agreeing, and letting himself lean against one of the many computer consuls. "What if Naminé tries to help Roxas?"

DIZ looked at the teen fully for the first time. "Why would she?"

"Just humor me." Riku said with a slight smirk.

"Then we remove her."

"Remove her how?"

"If Naminé were to help Roxas she would have to find a way into the program. We remove her from the program. It's that simple."

Riku nodded, satisfied with the answer. Then he felt a sudden piercing pain from behind his eyes, taking a sharp breath, Riku raised a hand to the bridge of his nose and tenderly began to rub.

"Are you alright?" DIZ asked with a hint of concern.

Riku put the blindfold back around his eyes and firmly retied it. The pain instantly began to fade. "Yeah, I'm fine. I think it was just from being in Sora's room to long with my eyes uncovered. I'm so used to being in constant darkness that when I'm in someplace bright like that it just hurts a bit afterwards."

DIZ gave Riku a hard yet regretful look. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Positive, as I told Naminé I won't fail."

DIZ searched Riku's face. "It's not going to be a walk in the park to defeat Roxas you know, especially since you don't have control of the darkness anymore."

"I know."

"If this is going to work." DIZ continued. "You can't have any doubts. You have to be completely sure."

Riku slammed his hands down on the computer console. "I was pulled into darkness, I was used by Maleficent, I let Xehanort's heartless take control of my body, I was locked behind Kingdom Hearts, I battled Lexaeus and barely came out alive, I fought a replica of myself, and I survived when Zexion waged mental war on me. I think I can handle a single nobody!"

"I'm well aware of that Riku." DIZ said calmly. "But you're forgetting one crucial fact."

"And that would that be?"

"You were never alone. If I recall correctly, you had his majesty with you every step of the way."

All traces of anger left the silver haired teen at the indirect mention of King Mickey. Riku crossed his arms and breathed deeply. "I'm getting ahead of myself again aren't I?"

"Just a bit" DIZ mused.

Riku moved his head to the sound of DIZ's voice, until he gauged he was directly facing him, giving his best impression of a glare even if it went undetected through the blindfold.

"I do regret" DIZ said absently after a few moments of silence. "That his majesty would not approve of this."

Riku shrugged. "King Mickey knows me well enough to know he can't change my mind and besides that he knows this is necessary."

DIZ said nothing, turning his back to Riku and sitting down in his chair by the main computer, he started to press an intricate sequence of buttons that held little interest to Riku. "I have a lot of work to do." The bandaged man clarified.

Riku nodded and turned to leave.

"Riku" DIZ called without looking up from his computer, right before the silver haired teen reached the door. "Remember this is just not about waking your friend. It is about protecting all worlds. The entire fate of the universe is on your shoulders."

"The next time that you see me." Riku stated, "I'll have Roxas. Don't worry."

"And on the off chance something goes wrong?"

Riku once again turned to face DIZ. "It won't but if it does I'll just have to regain control of the darkness again, even if it means becoming Ansem. I don't care what happens to me. I come back with Roxas or I don't come back at all."

DIZ stroked his chin thoughtfully. "The keyblade master really means that much to you?"

There was a slight pause before Riku answered. "Yes."

DIZ nodded slowly and raised his head from the computer screen, looking pleased with the answer. "Good, I do believe you will be successful Riku… and then..."

DIZ trailed off and deeply swallowed. When he spoke next, his voice was a mixture of yearning and almost sorrow. "My revenge against Organization XIII will finally be underway."

"I'm not helping you with revenge." Riku snapped. "I'm not letting you turn Sora into some pawn."

"We've been over this." DIZ replied tiredly.

"And you never understand," Riku continued. "Revenge, it never solves anything. I'm going to revive Sora but that's as far as I'm going and when he awakens, I'm leaving with him. This time I'll fight by Sora's side and honestly I could care less if I ever see you or Naminé again."

With that, Riku harshly closed the door, leaving the lab, walking out into the cool night air. He briefly waited to see if DIZ would call him back but there was only silence. For a moment, Riku was struck with the juvenile urge to see what DIZ's reaction had been to his words. Although, it would be mainly pointless because of the blindfold.

It wasn't completely true what Riku had said. He and DIZ had been through to much together for Riku not to feel something and he knew DIZ understood that. The old man would not be phased by his comment, Riku having said worse before. They worked together out of convenience and twisted luck, yet DIZ was the closest Riku ever had to a father figure, but the silver haired teen had been angry and the bandaged man's plans for revenge were the last thing on his mind. Riku even felt a connection to Naminé, a small one but he and Naminé communicated. They hadn't really talked before until tonight, still Naminé was a familiar presence and sometimes Riku would go out of his way to bring her new crayons.

Riku shook the feelings off, clearing his mind. DIZ was right about one thing. He couldn't have any doubts about this, needing to be focused and in complete control.

Riku rapidly made his way to The World That Never Was, jaw tightening and gritting his teeth, a determined look passing over his features. "Just hang on a little longer Sora."