Character application for vatheon
[ Player Name ] : Twi
[ Personal LJ ] : twilightschemer
[ Age ] : 20
[ Timezone ] : EST
[ Other Characters ] : None... again ;;
[ Character's Name ] : Riku
[ Character's Age ] : 16
[ Series ] : Kingdom Hearts
[ Canon Point ] : Day 298 (aka the day after he and Xion appear in Traverse Town together; ow that chakram to the spine hurt.)
[ History ] :
Five pages of History just to the canon point says: SWEET BABY JESUS, TAKE THE WIKIA LINK.
"I want to be strong one day. Like that kid who left. He went to the outside world─bet he's really strong, now. I know it's out there somewhere; the strength that I need. To protect the things that matter. You know, like my friends."
Riku was always a sincere child; what most would consider normal with the exception of being rather wise for such a young age. Many things he noticed would be overlooked by others his age, like with Terra appearing on the play island when he was five. Riku immediately knew that he was from the outside world, backing it up with the facts that 'no one lives out here' and 'I know you didn't come from the main island.' It was something that Terra commented on; after a short conversation and seeing his wish to protect his friends upon Seeing the future his ties to Xehanort and Keyblade Master potential, decided that he would pass on the power of the Keyblade to this young child. In doing so, he accidentally sealed the boy's fate to unwittingly follow him in his own footsteps. After all...
"In your hand, take this key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking it's wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend─no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love." ...Riku had forgotten that last part, and it ended up coming back to haunt him ten years later.
Shortly after he meets a blue-haired Keyblade Master, Aqua, who makes Sora promise her that should Riku begin to go down a dark path alone that he would stay with him and keep the older boy safe. It's a promise that he wouldn't be able to keep, but nonetheless, it has an unseen impact on both boys. Unseen, until the door is opened. After all the known Keyblade wielders at the time vanish from the worlds and Radiant Garden fell, two things occurred: First, a strange girl appeared on the beach after the meteor shower without a memory besides her name: Kairi. The three quickly formed an unbreakable bond of friendship and spent nine years reinforcing that friendship. However, something began to whisper to Riku's heart. The second thing to occur was that after the meteor shower, Sora and Riku came across the secret place. While Sora was prepared to leave it be, having found that there was no monster like he thought, Riku lingered longer... he saw the door to Heart of their world that day.
The voices from the shadows continued to whisper to him as the the years passed, curiosity finally getting the best of him. The three friends began to build a raft to set sail for other worlds and see what was out there for themselves─one that would never be used. The night before they were to set sail, Riku opened the door like the sinister whispers suggested. He'd known the shadows all his life; what was there to fear of them? The storm began and he waited in the usual spot, calmly listening as the world fell apart around him. The door had opened; they could visit the outside world!
But Sora only knew fear, and he didn't understand it. Riku held out a hand to his scared friend as the darkness wrapped around them both. But Sora was rejected; Riku ended up through the darkness alone─the voices sent him to Hollow Bastion alone where when he woke up, the only thing he was greeted by was the sights of a fallen world so tainted by sinister darkness that the very water reversed its flow and went upward to escape it. Maleficent took him in under her wing, beginning to poison his heart with the darkness that filled the world he found himself in; his mind with lies and half truths about those he wished to protect, under the false guise of finding his friends. At the time he had no choice but to accept the deal, helping to gather the seven Princesses of Heart in exchange for her help. While Riku never trusted her, he didn't expect the deal to turn sour... but it did.
Led to believe that Sora had betrayed and replaced him with new companions, that he was the only one who could save Kairi by opening the "secret door," he was plunged into the darkness and forsook the principles that held the initial promise of strength that he kept secret; he lost sight of that spark on his own, turning his back on those who wished the best for him and ran blindly into the shadows and directly to half of the person who caused the one who passed the power to him to fade from existence: Xehanort's Heartless, under the guise of "Ansem" and "the Seeker of darkness." Having stolen and then losing the Keyblade from and to Sora, he opened up his heart to the darkness completely.
And he paid the price of his entire being, realizing all too late when all that anger and hatred, that envy that so scarred his heart vanished; when he could no longer move his own body, could no longer speak, was forced to watch through his own eyes what would happen to his friends. 'It's no use. You cannot stop me; cannot warn them of what is to happen.' He hated himself, or would if he could feel it; would cry and scream at the top of his lungs as he watched helplessly as the Keyblade of Heart─that horrid darkness─was forged then used against Maleficent then swung down at the friend he'd forsaken. 'Don't you dare lose, Sora!' But then seeing Sora use it on himself to free Kairi... He had enough and put all he had into just one struggle for control when "Ansem" moved to cut down the Seventh; his best friend. "No... You won't use me for this!"
After warning his longtime friend of the approaching Heartless,he was shoved out of his own body and sent to the realm of darkness where he struggled to even exist as a lost Heart. He couldn't fade now, not until he saw the two friends he'd forsaken─but that resolve almost faded with him until a ray of hope broke through to this wandering heart. The voice of a King from the realm of Light called out to him, urged him to reach out to sense his friends. He could see Sora running closer to him in his mind's eye, but struggling, almost giving up as he fell. "Giving up already? Come on, Sora. I thought you were stronger than that!"
He fought alongside the King to the Door to Darkness, rejoicing quietly to himself when his body was returned to him in the darkness beyond the door. He was there; if he could just pass through, he'd be with his friends again─
The darkness and the Heartless were seeping through the opened Door. As much as he wanted to be reunited with those he cared for, he grabbed a hold of the door from the inside and urged Sora to help him close it; together this time. After one more request; asking Sora to take care of Kairi, Riku was locked on the other side of the door─lost to the darkness. Or so everyone thought.
The next thing Riku knew, he was awakening within Nothing with another mysterious voice calling out to him; giving him the choice of sleeping there for eternity or facing what he referred to as the 'truth.' Not being the kind to turn down a challenge, he accepted the card and thus to face the truth he had to confront to come out victorious over so many struggles that took over his heart. Awakening in the basement levels of Castle Oblivion, Riku would be affronted by his memories of the darkness; halls barren of anything but Heartless and the occassional member of the Organization who sought to use the boy's power for one reason or another. They, like the false Xehanort, tried to make him confront his darkness and harness its power for himself, all for the purpose of toppling Marluxia's plans as the foil for Sora. One of which was the Riku Replica who would be antagonizing Sora as the boy progressed closer to Marluxia after being defeated by the real Riku.
The attempts failed up to the point Lexaeus almost killed him where "Ansem" took over and ended the Nobody's existence. At that point, had it not been for the King's interference, Riku would have lost himself to the passenger once more. It was the final nail in the coffin of his pride, realizing that after all this time he hadn't shaken off the darkness he tried to forsake ever since he felt the malevolent current of darkness from the Keyblade of Hearts. It was a hard blow to his ego as well, and the fear of losing control began to cease control of his heart again. That is, until he was confronted about his actions by none other than Zexion.
"All of the islands you grew up on were sundered, scattered─many hearts were forever lost to the darkness─because of what YOU did. You hated being an islander, so you opened the door to darkness and destroyed the islands. It was YOU. You were pulled into the darkness then, and you belong to the darkness."
After facing a Darkside, Zexion─disguised as Sora─attempted to erase Riku from existence. Riku would have faded in the light and illusions, had it not been for a girl named Naminé calling out to him in the guise of Kairi, urging him to accept the darkness in his heart and to follow where it led right to his friends. Though he was afraid to face his friends at first, his desire to see them outweighted his guilt. He accepted the vast and deep shadows within his heart and crippled Zexion upon shattering the illusion. Zexion fled, leaving Riku to his own devices. Unfortunately, accepting the darkness was the last foothold "Ansem" needed to take control again. It was like this, paralyzed and floating in a somewhat crucifix manner tha King Mickey found the boy and saved him once again from the demon within. Giving him the card to Twilight Town, Riku met with DiZ briefly who led him to meeting Naminé. However, he ended up facing the "Fake" him once more, being forced to end his pitiful existence.
After, he found Naminé guarding the sleeping Sora─he had chosen sleep and giving up his memories of the Castle to regain that which he had lost─and gave Riku another choice: To sleep as she locked away the darkness and "Ansem" (thus making him forget all his dealing with the dark) or to face the Heartless on his own and remember all of it; to go back to how he was before or own up to his mistakes and overcome them himself. He seemed to consider it for only a brief second before declining it and continuing after asking the young witch to watch over Sora while he was gone.
The man that spoke to him in the first place, DiZ, gave him the card to draw out Ansem and a coat to protect him from the dark's influences upon regrouping with the King. Riku accepted these gifts and continued on, giving the King one final request before he went to face Ansem alone: to erase him. Mickey denied it, instead promising to do all he could to bring him back from the edge.
With a smile on his face, Riku walked through that final door and fought through the darkness to Ansem. He could smell that foul stench that forever haunted his existence in this castle, and he'd do all he could to destroy it for good. After a short discussion, the two who followed where the dark led clashed. Riku won, but was almost lost as Ansem's shadow continued to linger and threatened to tried pulling him back into the Realm of Darkness. Before all hope was lost, however, Mickey once again intervened, pulling the slightly weakened Riku into the entrance hall of Castle Oblivion.
It was over for now, but Riku couldn't go home just yet. Not without Sora, nor with Xehanort still within his heart; he couldn't bear the thought of facing everyone after all he had done, and there was still so much fighting left to go. The two─now close friends─donned the black coats and exited the castle. Riku would face one more choice from DiZ; and the answer astonished and disappointed the other two.
He was neither darkness, nor light. He would continue to walk with both hand in hand: on the way to the dawn
.
Riku traveled with the King for many days, still grappling with the shadow of Xehanort that continued to linger deep within his heart. It was a nightmare, and unfortunately he could not lie to his friend; they went separate ways and after ninety-seven days upon leaving Castle Oblivion, he met the Fourteenth member of Organization XIII at Beast’s Castle: Xion. She had been sent to eliminate the Impostor─meaning him─but he easily defeated her, calling her out on using a ‘sham’ of a Keyblade after receiving the shock of his life: seeing Xion’s face. A girl with Sora’s face...how was that possible?
“You can’t fight fire with sparks.”
He continued to wander the worlds until the 255th day since Sora’s sacrifice, when he visited Naminé and asked why it was taking so long to reconnect the lost links of memory. Upon hearing the reason and why he would continue to sleep unless his Nobody and ‘her’ are gone, his resolve to do what he could to awaken his friend doubled. He goes to find Xion and when he does indeed find her, the boy began to travel with her to different worlds and explained what was happening to Sora; what her connection to him was, and why he wouldn’t awaken without her help. But, it would entail her fading from existence which would mean that the memories of her existence would vanish.
Riku gave her the choice, to choose what was best for everyone and not just herself, or him and Sora... but her friends as well. They travelled more during the days before he tried to convince Xion to return for her friends’ sakes. On day 297, however, the two appear at Twilight Town and are spotted by Roxas and Axel. The next day Xion is captured by Axel.[ Personality ] :
Riku... was once a normal teenage boy. He still could be, if you took away his memories of the Keyblade and his experiences with the Darkness. However, that would be detracting from his maturity and all of his progress; something he wishes to never repeat again. He's certainly not the same little boy Terra once met on the play island, nor the one who opened the door and destroyed his own home.
The portions that have, however, stayed a part of him are his cool and collected demeanor, not to mention the inane thirst for knowledge and power to protect his friends. He can keep his head in a battle or debate between himself and those of both realms of Light and Dark, and has the wisdom needed to win in a debate for control of his own body, as is shown throughout Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts II when he takes on the appearance of Xehanort's Heartless at different times, though in the latter it is irreversible until the "heart-shower."
His heart is forever scarred, however, by his past dealings with the creatures of Darkness: Riku's past naivety was destroyed in opening the door to the Heart of his Island, and since then he's become dangerously genre savvy when it comes to dealings in the shadows. Though it repulses him, Riku has gained abilities from his time in the shadows that no normal teen should ever possess and because of this, he can no longer view things in black and white, but forever in the spectrum of grey. He holds grudges for extended periods of time, and has a deep hatred for those who would abuse their powers to harm others. And yet, he still holds on to the hope that one day he'll be free of the shadow he was once trapped in; Xehanort.
That being said, he is incredibly protective of his friends, especially Sora and Kairi. He hates the fear in his heart, thinking that they might end up like him, so he has made it his life's goal to protect and guide them away from any dangers that may attempt to nip away at their strong light that casts shadows on his own heart. They're his friends, and he isn't about to lose them again. He'd even go so far as to submit to the darkness again - which more than likely earns him a Keyblade or several to the head - to make sure they're safe. This willingness to sacrifice it all is fed by his childhood dream to "protect the things that matter. You know, like my friends." Sadly, it causes much heartache for all those around him, because it was that dream which led to his many mistakes and his possession by Xehanort.
He rarely smiles, but when he does... it's genuine. He's built up new walls to protect himself from external forces, and almost always takes everything seriously. He cannot and has never been able to simply follow his heart, because of what has happened to him and it simply is not in his analytical nature. His past experiences have sobered him greatly, and it has caused him to mature greatly in the process of completely shattering his ego and a great deal of his pride.
The curiosity that fueled his heart led to more destruction and chaos than he'd ever like to admit, but now he does his best to right the wrongs he has committed. He cherishes what he has left, and does all he can to keep those precious people safe. Above all, Riku is standoffish; a loner of sorts and an eternal skeptic due to his dealings with his own demons and the darker side of the spectrum. However, once he calls you a friend or ally, you can bet that he'll do anything in his power to watch your back. Knight Templar Big Brother complex, anyone?
[ Strengths/Weaknesses ] :
[Abilities]:
★ Soul Eater - At this point, Riku does not have a Keyblade, but is capable of wielding one thanks to the Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony. Due to this, he is cursed with wielding this sword that grows more powerful with the use of darkness. Soul Eater makes it easier for him to manipulate his dark power and craft it into a powerful weapon.
★ Darkness - Riku is able to manipulate it to his own will, and come out of it unscathed. Though he does his best to keep his usage to a minimum as a means to hopefully gain a balance in his heart, he is more than able to plunge into the deepest darkness and still find a flicker of light to guide him out.
★ Discernment - This has two separate meanings:
a. He has gained not only a new outlook in the aspects of the multitude shades of grey and finding the truth in the lies.
b. He is able to 'sense' (normally is commented by 'that scent' or 'I can smell you' in canon) the light and darkness within the heart, and the very being of an individual. The stronger the character, the stronger their presence is to him.
★ Strengths - Even though he is not exactly a Keyblade wielder yet, his power is that of one; thus he is not to be underestimated. He's cut a person in half with one blow (play TAPS for Lexaeus, everyone! Though, that was while he was possessed...) as well as skyscrapers after gaining the Keyblade. He's quick on his feet and adaptable to most situations. He can't High Jump or Glide, but in his Darkness-wielding mode, he has the power to jump in midair to dodge incoming onslaughts, not to mention what Sora would call "Quick Run" but is more accurately described as a sort of "flash step."
He also has the ability to utilize Xehanort's darkness, but this augments his appearance to mirror that of the Heartless form.
★ Weaknesses - He excels in speed and strength, but magic is his downfall. He only knows dark-based attacks and, while powerful, are mostly offensive and draining in the long run if not wielded properly. When relying on the Darkness in his heart, Riku is also faster and far more deadly. He's able to shoot off Darkness blasts (similar to both Vanitas' spewing of Fire spells in midair and Terra's Dark Volley) at the enemy, to his own expense. However, he is able to wield the Light as well; he just hasn't been trained to do so.
[ Other Important Facts ] :
★ He is the first and only character to have overcome possession in his universe without being either put into a coma or lost his memories and still ended up overshadowed.
★ While he has overcome Xehanort, he has yet to shake off the guilt of his past actions.
★ Riku is able to traverse the corridors of darkness; even with a heart, since his overcoming his possessor, he has had no ill side-effects.
★ The "unchosen one" is easily one of the strongest in his generation of wielders, even without having a Keyblade to wield.
★ Riku is also the first to find the perfect balance between darkness and light within his own heart.
★ Since a faint remnant of Xehanort still rests within his heart, Riku is able to switch into his form to manipulate the darkness more freely. Though, he has to be careful because doing so could get him stuck in that form.
★ He wears a blindfold to fool himself, and to keep others from seeing the darkness within. The eyes are a window to the soul, after all.
★ No matter what, he will be there for and do whatever it takes to keep his friends safe. Threatening them is one of his largest berserk buttons.
★ Though he lacks a Keyblade, it is shown in the fight against Roxas (in which he is the final boss of the game) he has something similar to the BbS Command style of "Blade Charge."
[ Sample ] :
So Xion got captured by her friends...
Riku sat alone on the bed in his old room within Hollow Bastion, the room Maleficent had once given him upon finding himself here, spat out by the darkness into a world so tainted by it. He held his head in his hands, knowing just how much of a setback this was for not only Xion, but the awakening of his friend... and that is what was tearing him apart.
What am I supposed to do now?
He doesn't know when his perpetual black faded into sleep, nor when he fell back on his bed--or when he got soaked for that matter. What he did know was that when he awakened... he was soaked, and could smell saltwater. Not to mention he was on the ground somewhere. "What...?"
Riku opened his eyes beneath the blindfold, regretting it a moment when the salt water began to make them sting. What he could make out behind the cloth was that he was in a city of sorts, a few Hearts passing by... and a coral split into two. It was all vaguely familiar, but... He shook his head, getting to his feet. Maybe it was time to get some answers.
[ Questions? Comments? Concerns? ] :
If/when I canon update him and if it's ever to the point of his previous one (walking through the door to the light with Sora), would he be able to regain his previous memories from Vatheon? Or would they be forever lost?
[ Personal LJ ] : twilightschemer
[ Age ] : 20
[ Timezone ] : EST
[ Other Characters ] : None... again ;;
[ Character's Name ] : Riku
[ Character's Age ] : 16
[ Series ] : Kingdom Hearts
[ Canon Point ] : Day 298 (aka the day after he and Xion appear in Traverse Town together; ow that chakram to the spine hurt.)
[ History ] :
Five pages of History just to the canon point says: SWEET BABY JESUS, TAKE THE WIKIA LINK.
"I want to be strong one day. Like that kid who left. He went to the outside world─bet he's really strong, now. I know it's out there somewhere; the strength that I need. To protect the things that matter. You know, like my friends."
Riku was always a sincere child; what most would consider normal with the exception of being rather wise for such a young age. Many things he noticed would be overlooked by others his age, like with Terra appearing on the play island when he was five. Riku immediately knew that he was from the outside world, backing it up with the facts that 'no one lives out here' and 'I know you didn't come from the main island.' It was something that Terra commented on; after a short conversation and seeing his wish to protect his friends upon Seeing the future his ties to Xehanort and Keyblade Master potential, decided that he would pass on the power of the Keyblade to this young child. In doing so, he accidentally sealed the boy's fate to unwittingly follow him in his own footsteps. After all...
"In your hand, take this key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking it's wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend─no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love." ...Riku had forgotten that last part, and it ended up coming back to haunt him ten years later.
Shortly after he meets a blue-haired Keyblade Master, Aqua, who makes Sora promise her that should Riku begin to go down a dark path alone that he would stay with him and keep the older boy safe. It's a promise that he wouldn't be able to keep, but nonetheless, it has an unseen impact on both boys. Unseen, until the door is opened. After all the known Keyblade wielders at the time vanish from the worlds and Radiant Garden fell, two things occurred: First, a strange girl appeared on the beach after the meteor shower without a memory besides her name: Kairi. The three quickly formed an unbreakable bond of friendship and spent nine years reinforcing that friendship. However, something began to whisper to Riku's heart. The second thing to occur was that after the meteor shower, Sora and Riku came across the secret place. While Sora was prepared to leave it be, having found that there was no monster like he thought, Riku lingered longer... he saw the door to Heart of their world that day.
The voices from the shadows continued to whisper to him as the the years passed, curiosity finally getting the best of him. The three friends began to build a raft to set sail for other worlds and see what was out there for themselves─one that would never be used. The night before they were to set sail, Riku opened the door like the sinister whispers suggested. He'd known the shadows all his life; what was there to fear of them? The storm began and he waited in the usual spot, calmly listening as the world fell apart around him. The door had opened; they could visit the outside world!
But Sora only knew fear, and he didn't understand it. Riku held out a hand to his scared friend as the darkness wrapped around them both. But Sora was rejected; Riku ended up through the darkness alone─the voices sent him to Hollow Bastion alone where when he woke up, the only thing he was greeted by was the sights of a fallen world so tainted by sinister darkness that the very water reversed its flow and went upward to escape it. Maleficent took him in under her wing, beginning to poison his heart with the darkness that filled the world he found himself in; his mind with lies and half truths about those he wished to protect, under the false guise of finding his friends. At the time he had no choice but to accept the deal, helping to gather the seven Princesses of Heart in exchange for her help. While Riku never trusted her, he didn't expect the deal to turn sour... but it did.
Led to believe that Sora had betrayed and replaced him with new companions, that he was the only one who could save Kairi by opening the "secret door," he was plunged into the darkness and forsook the principles that held the initial promise of strength that he kept secret; he lost sight of that spark on his own, turning his back on those who wished the best for him and ran blindly into the shadows and directly to half of the person who caused the one who passed the power to him to fade from existence: Xehanort's Heartless, under the guise of "Ansem" and "the Seeker of darkness." Having stolen and then losing the Keyblade from and to Sora, he opened up his heart to the darkness completely.
And he paid the price of his entire being, realizing all too late when all that anger and hatred, that envy that so scarred his heart vanished; when he could no longer move his own body, could no longer speak, was forced to watch through his own eyes what would happen to his friends. 'It's no use. You cannot stop me; cannot warn them of what is to happen.' He hated himself, or would if he could feel it; would cry and scream at the top of his lungs as he watched helplessly as the Keyblade of Heart─that horrid darkness─was forged then used against Maleficent then swung down at the friend he'd forsaken. 'Don't you dare lose, Sora!' But then seeing Sora use it on himself to free Kairi... He had enough and put all he had into just one struggle for control when "Ansem" moved to cut down the Seventh; his best friend. "No... You won't use me for this!"
After warning his longtime friend of the approaching Heartless,he was shoved out of his own body and sent to the realm of darkness where he struggled to even exist as a lost Heart. He couldn't fade now, not until he saw the two friends he'd forsaken─but that resolve almost faded with him until a ray of hope broke through to this wandering heart. The voice of a King from the realm of Light called out to him, urged him to reach out to sense his friends. He could see Sora running closer to him in his mind's eye, but struggling, almost giving up as he fell. "Giving up already? Come on, Sora. I thought you were stronger than that!"
He fought alongside the King to the Door to Darkness, rejoicing quietly to himself when his body was returned to him in the darkness beyond the door. He was there; if he could just pass through, he'd be with his friends again─
The darkness and the Heartless were seeping through the opened Door. As much as he wanted to be reunited with those he cared for, he grabbed a hold of the door from the inside and urged Sora to help him close it; together this time. After one more request; asking Sora to take care of Kairi, Riku was locked on the other side of the door─lost to the darkness. Or so everyone thought.
The next thing Riku knew, he was awakening within Nothing with another mysterious voice calling out to him; giving him the choice of sleeping there for eternity or facing what he referred to as the 'truth.' Not being the kind to turn down a challenge, he accepted the card and thus to face the truth he had to confront to come out victorious over so many struggles that took over his heart. Awakening in the basement levels of Castle Oblivion, Riku would be affronted by his memories of the darkness; halls barren of anything but Heartless and the occassional member of the Organization who sought to use the boy's power for one reason or another. They, like the false Xehanort, tried to make him confront his darkness and harness its power for himself, all for the purpose of toppling Marluxia's plans as the foil for Sora. One of which was the Riku Replica who would be antagonizing Sora as the boy progressed closer to Marluxia after being defeated by the real Riku.
The attempts failed up to the point Lexaeus almost killed him where "Ansem" took over and ended the Nobody's existence. At that point, had it not been for the King's interference, Riku would have lost himself to the passenger once more. It was the final nail in the coffin of his pride, realizing that after all this time he hadn't shaken off the darkness he tried to forsake ever since he felt the malevolent current of darkness from the Keyblade of Hearts. It was a hard blow to his ego as well, and the fear of losing control began to cease control of his heart again. That is, until he was confronted about his actions by none other than Zexion.
"All of the islands you grew up on were sundered, scattered─many hearts were forever lost to the darkness─because of what YOU did. You hated being an islander, so you opened the door to darkness and destroyed the islands. It was YOU. You were pulled into the darkness then, and you belong to the darkness."
After facing a Darkside, Zexion─disguised as Sora─attempted to erase Riku from existence. Riku would have faded in the light and illusions, had it not been for a girl named Naminé calling out to him in the guise of Kairi, urging him to accept the darkness in his heart and to follow where it led right to his friends. Though he was afraid to face his friends at first, his desire to see them outweighted his guilt. He accepted the vast and deep shadows within his heart and crippled Zexion upon shattering the illusion. Zexion fled, leaving Riku to his own devices. Unfortunately, accepting the darkness was the last foothold "Ansem" needed to take control again. It was like this, paralyzed and floating in a somewhat crucifix manner tha King Mickey found the boy and saved him once again from the demon within. Giving him the card to Twilight Town, Riku met with DiZ briefly who led him to meeting Naminé. However, he ended up facing the "Fake" him once more, being forced to end his pitiful existence.
After, he found Naminé guarding the sleeping Sora─he had chosen sleep and giving up his memories of the Castle to regain that which he had lost─and gave Riku another choice: To sleep as she locked away the darkness and "Ansem" (thus making him forget all his dealing with the dark) or to face the Heartless on his own and remember all of it; to go back to how he was before or own up to his mistakes and overcome them himself. He seemed to consider it for only a brief second before declining it and continuing after asking the young witch to watch over Sora while he was gone.
The man that spoke to him in the first place, DiZ, gave him the card to draw out Ansem and a coat to protect him from the dark's influences upon regrouping with the King. Riku accepted these gifts and continued on, giving the King one final request before he went to face Ansem alone: to erase him. Mickey denied it, instead promising to do all he could to bring him back from the edge.
With a smile on his face, Riku walked through that final door and fought through the darkness to Ansem. He could smell that foul stench that forever haunted his existence in this castle, and he'd do all he could to destroy it for good. After a short discussion, the two who followed where the dark led clashed. Riku won, but was almost lost as Ansem's shadow continued to linger and threatened to tried pulling him back into the Realm of Darkness. Before all hope was lost, however, Mickey once again intervened, pulling the slightly weakened Riku into the entrance hall of Castle Oblivion.
It was over for now, but Riku couldn't go home just yet. Not without Sora, nor with Xehanort still within his heart; he couldn't bear the thought of facing everyone after all he had done, and there was still so much fighting left to go. The two─now close friends─donned the black coats and exited the castle. Riku would face one more choice from DiZ; and the answer astonished and disappointed the other two.
He was neither darkness, nor light. He would continue to walk with both hand in hand: on the way to the dawn
.
Riku traveled with the King for many days, still grappling with the shadow of Xehanort that continued to linger deep within his heart. It was a nightmare, and unfortunately he could not lie to his friend; they went separate ways and after ninety-seven days upon leaving Castle Oblivion, he met the Fourteenth member of Organization XIII at Beast’s Castle: Xion. She had been sent to eliminate the Impostor─meaning him─but he easily defeated her, calling her out on using a ‘sham’ of a Keyblade after receiving the shock of his life: seeing Xion’s face. A girl with Sora’s face...how was that possible?
“You can’t fight fire with sparks.”
He continued to wander the worlds until the 255th day since Sora’s sacrifice, when he visited Naminé and asked why it was taking so long to reconnect the lost links of memory. Upon hearing the reason and why he would continue to sleep unless his Nobody and ‘her’ are gone, his resolve to do what he could to awaken his friend doubled. He goes to find Xion and when he does indeed find her, the boy began to travel with her to different worlds and explained what was happening to Sora; what her connection to him was, and why he wouldn’t awaken without her help. But, it would entail her fading from existence which would mean that the memories of her existence would vanish.
Riku gave her the choice, to choose what was best for everyone and not just herself, or him and Sora... but her friends as well. They travelled more during the days before he tried to convince Xion to return for her friends’ sakes. On day 297, however, the two appear at Twilight Town and are spotted by Roxas and Axel. The next day Xion is captured by Axel.[ Personality ] :
Riku... was once a normal teenage boy. He still could be, if you took away his memories of the Keyblade and his experiences with the Darkness. However, that would be detracting from his maturity and all of his progress; something he wishes to never repeat again. He's certainly not the same little boy Terra once met on the play island, nor the one who opened the door and destroyed his own home.
The portions that have, however, stayed a part of him are his cool and collected demeanor, not to mention the inane thirst for knowledge and power to protect his friends. He can keep his head in a battle or debate between himself and those of both realms of Light and Dark, and has the wisdom needed to win in a debate for control of his own body, as is shown throughout Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts II when he takes on the appearance of Xehanort's Heartless at different times, though in the latter it is irreversible until the "heart-shower."
His heart is forever scarred, however, by his past dealings with the creatures of Darkness: Riku's past naivety was destroyed in opening the door to the Heart of his Island, and since then he's become dangerously genre savvy when it comes to dealings in the shadows. Though it repulses him, Riku has gained abilities from his time in the shadows that no normal teen should ever possess and because of this, he can no longer view things in black and white, but forever in the spectrum of grey. He holds grudges for extended periods of time, and has a deep hatred for those who would abuse their powers to harm others. And yet, he still holds on to the hope that one day he'll be free of the shadow he was once trapped in; Xehanort.
That being said, he is incredibly protective of his friends, especially Sora and Kairi. He hates the fear in his heart, thinking that they might end up like him, so he has made it his life's goal to protect and guide them away from any dangers that may attempt to nip away at their strong light that casts shadows on his own heart. They're his friends, and he isn't about to lose them again. He'd even go so far as to submit to the darkness again - which more than likely earns him a Keyblade or several to the head - to make sure they're safe. This willingness to sacrifice it all is fed by his childhood dream to "protect the things that matter. You know, like my friends." Sadly, it causes much heartache for all those around him, because it was that dream which led to his many mistakes and his possession by Xehanort.
He rarely smiles, but when he does... it's genuine. He's built up new walls to protect himself from external forces, and almost always takes everything seriously. He cannot and has never been able to simply follow his heart, because of what has happened to him and it simply is not in his analytical nature. His past experiences have sobered him greatly, and it has caused him to mature greatly in the process of completely shattering his ego and a great deal of his pride.
The curiosity that fueled his heart led to more destruction and chaos than he'd ever like to admit, but now he does his best to right the wrongs he has committed. He cherishes what he has left, and does all he can to keep those precious people safe. Above all, Riku is standoffish; a loner of sorts and an eternal skeptic due to his dealings with his own demons and the darker side of the spectrum. However, once he calls you a friend or ally, you can bet that he'll do anything in his power to watch your back. Knight Templar Big Brother complex, anyone?
[ Strengths/Weaknesses ] :
[Abilities]:
★ Soul Eater - At this point, Riku does not have a Keyblade, but is capable of wielding one thanks to the Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony. Due to this, he is cursed with wielding this sword that grows more powerful with the use of darkness. Soul Eater makes it easier for him to manipulate his dark power and craft it into a powerful weapon.
★ Darkness - Riku is able to manipulate it to his own will, and come out of it unscathed. Though he does his best to keep his usage to a minimum as a means to hopefully gain a balance in his heart, he is more than able to plunge into the deepest darkness and still find a flicker of light to guide him out.
★ Discernment - This has two separate meanings:
a. He has gained not only a new outlook in the aspects of the multitude shades of grey and finding the truth in the lies.
b. He is able to 'sense' (normally is commented by 'that scent' or 'I can smell you' in canon) the light and darkness within the heart, and the very being of an individual. The stronger the character, the stronger their presence is to him.
★ Strengths - Even though he is not exactly a Keyblade wielder yet, his power is that of one; thus he is not to be underestimated. He's cut a person in half with one blow (play TAPS for Lexaeus, everyone! Though, that was while he was possessed...) as well as skyscrapers after gaining the Keyblade. He's quick on his feet and adaptable to most situations. He can't High Jump or Glide, but in his Darkness-wielding mode, he has the power to jump in midair to dodge incoming onslaughts, not to mention what Sora would call "Quick Run" but is more accurately described as a sort of "flash step."
He also has the ability to utilize Xehanort's darkness, but this augments his appearance to mirror that of the Heartless form.
★ Weaknesses - He excels in speed and strength, but magic is his downfall. He only knows dark-based attacks and, while powerful, are mostly offensive and draining in the long run if not wielded properly. When relying on the Darkness in his heart, Riku is also faster and far more deadly. He's able to shoot off Darkness blasts (similar to both Vanitas' spewing of Fire spells in midair and Terra's Dark Volley) at the enemy, to his own expense. However, he is able to wield the Light as well; he just hasn't been trained to do so.
[ Other Important Facts ] :
★ He is the first and only character to have overcome possession in his universe without being either put into a coma or lost his memories and still ended up overshadowed.
★ While he has overcome Xehanort, he has yet to shake off the guilt of his past actions.
★ Riku is able to traverse the corridors of darkness; even with a heart, since his overcoming his possessor, he has had no ill side-effects.
★ The "unchosen one" is easily one of the strongest in his generation of wielders, even without having a Keyblade to wield.
★ Riku is also the first to find the perfect balance between darkness and light within his own heart.
★ Since a faint remnant of Xehanort still rests within his heart, Riku is able to switch into his form to manipulate the darkness more freely. Though, he has to be careful because doing so could get him stuck in that form.
★ He wears a blindfold to fool himself, and to keep others from seeing the darkness within. The eyes are a window to the soul, after all.
★ No matter what, he will be there for and do whatever it takes to keep his friends safe. Threatening them is one of his largest berserk buttons.
★ Though he lacks a Keyblade, it is shown in the fight against Roxas (in which he is the final boss of the game) he has something similar to the BbS Command style of "Blade Charge."
[ Sample ] :
So Xion got captured by her friends...
Riku sat alone on the bed in his old room within Hollow Bastion, the room Maleficent had once given him upon finding himself here, spat out by the darkness into a world so tainted by it. He held his head in his hands, knowing just how much of a setback this was for not only Xion, but the awakening of his friend... and that is what was tearing him apart.
What am I supposed to do now?
He doesn't know when his perpetual black faded into sleep, nor when he fell back on his bed--or when he got soaked for that matter. What he did know was that when he awakened... he was soaked, and could smell saltwater. Not to mention he was on the ground somewhere. "What...?"
Riku opened his eyes beneath the blindfold, regretting it a moment when the salt water began to make them sting. What he could make out behind the cloth was that he was in a city of sorts, a few Hearts passing by... and a coral split into two. It was all vaguely familiar, but... He shook his head, getting to his feet. Maybe it was time to get some answers.
[ Questions? Comments? Concerns? ] :
If/when I canon update him and if it's ever to the point of his previous one (walking through the door to the light with Sora), would he be able to regain his previous memories from Vatheon? Or would they be forever lost?