Maleficent smiled wickedly as she noticed her pet's growing dependence on her former puppet. Riku knew his job and did it well, to her delight. She marveled at the two's ability to communicate without words. Their kinship ran deep, and she smiled at the irony of their fates.

Riku gestured at her, and Sora turned, but made no attempt to leave the older teen's side. The witch found this to be quite amusing, and waved off his dismissal of her. Seeing him abase himself in her presence was pleasing enough, but seeing him do so at the feet of his closest friend was even better entertainment!

Abase himself the keyweilder did indeed, despite Riku's chastisements. Not even a swift kick from the Dawn Treader was enough to stop Sora's self-degrading behavior.

It just made it worse.

The witch chuckled as Sora began whimpering after being kicked, sitting like a dog and lifting his chin piteously. Riku's reaction to this was to summon his Keyblade with a sigh and smack the pathetic boy upside his spikey head with the flat of the blade.

"Stop that!" he barked sharply "Enough, Sora!"

The witch sighed in disappointment as the Keybearer ceased as ordered and gurgled under his breath. She was surprised when Riku continued chastising the boy, but was absolutely dumb struck when the silver teen outright scolded him with confermation of his future by saying, without any manipulation on her part,

"Honestly, how do you expect to become a prince when you act like a cur? Shape up, your highness!"

Was this a trick? She didn't underestimate Riku's cunning for a second. She replayed the moment in her mind. No, the silver teen was focused entirely on Sora, she was in the background. He didn't care if she'd been watching. It wasn't sarcasm either. That left only one option, and it was glorious.

Riku had decided to take it upon himself totrain Sora how to be a noble. He was Sora's 'lord in waiting' and she hadn't needed to lift a finger to make him be so!

"Well, well, seems ur old comrade has decided to adopt the old phrase 'If you can't beat them, join them' as his new way of living." Jafar observed. "I always knew that boy was an opertunist."

"So it would seem." The witch pondered, "However, Riku is often more than what he seems."

"You do not believe he's genuine?"

"Oh, he's genuine. However, for what purpose? That boy's agenda is rarely obvious and his motives, although they seem simple, are rarely so. He accepted my recent victory as gracefully as one can, but in his eyes I saw hunger for victory. You see, Jafar, while Sora posed a threat physically, Riku, though he is no slouch with a blade, is a Thinker. His strength is in strategy and getting things done efficiently as aposed to rushing in blindly, blade swinging, a trait wich I used against Sora to great effect, because he has a rather bad habit of doing so."

"The tiger sleeps then" The vizier suggested.

"To put it mildly, yes. Though it may be more accurate to say, it is waiting to pounce. I shall keep a close eye on him. He is not to be underestimated."

"Perhaps I should join this battle of cunning."

Maleficent snorted "Please, Jafar. Riku is far above your level. You're welcome to learn this yourself, if you choose. Do not expect a victory. Your mind games pale in comparison to his. And don't expect your staff to aid you."

Jafar snorted, "Oh please. You put that boy on a pedestool, my dear. I'll engage, and I will be victorious!"

"Go then, my dear Jafar. See what the tiger does to the snake"

As the vizier slithered to her rival, Maleficent chuckled evily.

"You poor, simple fool."

KHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Riku was in the middle of syphening off some excess Darkness that seemed to have gotten bored with trying to enter Sora's being, when he felt a presence behind him. Sora reacted negatively and hissed, crouching low. Riku soothed him and addressed the intruder, not pausing in his task.

"What do you want, wizard? I'm busy."

"How did you-?"

The youth wrinkled his nose.

"Right...that thing you do."

"What do you want?" Riku asked again, redirecting the errant Darkness.

"I find it odd how you are going along with all of this, and so calmly as well. Tell me boy, do you feel justified? After all, you more than any of us, have the most reason to hate Sora. He is a thief, after all."

Riku snorted and summoned his blade briefly. "You were saying? Even if I did still resent Sora for being chosen before, none of it matters now. The Keyblade still chose me. I had to be ready, and at the time, I wasn't. So no, in answer to your question, I don't feel justified."

"Then why bother helping us achieve our goals?" The vizier pressed.

The boy narrowed his eyes, seeing the wizard's motive immediately. He finally turned to face Jafar.

"Alright, I see what this is. Fine, then let it begin. My motives are a bit obvious, aren't they? I'm doing what I can to keep Sora safe."

"Yet you're going beyond that, aren't ypou, my former lackey. You're doing your job far too well, though you know that eventually there is no higher reward for doing so. In fact, for all your efforts you cannot change your cruel fate, even a little."

The boy's reaction surprised the wizard, who was expecting fear and uncertainty.

"I could care less what happens in my future." The youth said nonchalantly, "I know I can't change my fate. All I care about...is if my actions change his. Which they have, so far."

Jafar recovered and slithered in for another attack, his voice became low and slimy as he murmured in the youth's ear,

"Or have you made things worse for the brat who now fauns at your feet? Yes, admittedly, he still lives, but is this existence better than a peaceful death? Is the pain and mind warping in store for him better than simply making him cease to exist? It seems to me that your desperate gambles simply prolong his torment. Your recent determining of his fate will result in his corruption! Had you not interfered this most recent time, Sora would have simply stayed as he is for all eternity, But no, you had to make one final gamble. Everything that he is going to suffer is your fault! Just remember that every time he screams and begs, and goes through countless torments in his future. Everything is entirely your doing. And you call US the villains."

Riku pondered what was arguably a good blow by the slimy vizier.

"You aren't wrong." He said at last, "However, I'll pay tenfold for my actions. Whatever happens, I'll consider it a penance. Now, as for death being a quick experience for Sora...You don't fool me. His death would be neither quick nor painless. So do I think his existence now is better? Yes. Yes I do."

"But surely the agony he'll feel during the process, you cannot ignore, surely!"

"My heart smites me for that. However, Maleficent, in her gloating, revealed that whatever horrors he'll face, whatever agony he'll endure, it will take hours, not a month. Like I said before, I'll pay for my involvement tenfold." He looked down at his friend "He'll make sure of it."

Jafar threw up his hands "The witch was right about your growth, Riku. Truly, you've grown from a pathetic rat, to a cunning Tiger. This snake must yield ground."

Riku snorted but nodded his head cordiuly, graciously accepting his victory. Jafar nodded back, then slithered back to the witch.

The Dawn Treader shrugged, then turned his attention back to Sora.