Nobody's Heart
The Kidnapper
“Kairi, have you seen Riku?” Sora asked. “I haven’t seen him since we got that message.”
“No, I haven’t either,” she replied, a look of curiosity on her face now.
“I wonder where he is.” ‘And why he would leave without telling anyone.’
“I bet he didn’t want us to know because he thought we would stop him,” Kairi said thoughtfully. “But he’ll be back. He just thinks he need to do this himself.”
‘He’s always been like that,’ Sora thought to himself. ‘I just hope he knows what he’s doing.’
***
Riku pulled his hood up. It had taken him a bit to get used to the body again, but it was still familiar. It really wasn’t that bad. Last time everyone had understood; hopefully they would understand again.
Despite the cheery and bright atmosphere of the courtyard of the castle, Riku still couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. It was mysteriously quiet and still. He had expected Donald and Goofy to come running out to see who had appeared. That was, if they were here.
Riku went through the door on the side of the castle, stepping onto the carpet that lined the hall. He walked up the stairs silently, still seeing no sign of anyone around. Deciding to check the library first, he made his way down the long hall, stepping in and out of shadow. When at last he reached the doors, he paused for a second before opening one and slipping in. There was Queen Minnie, her back turned to him. As he closed the door behind him, she turned around.
“Oh, what is another one of you doing here?” she asked, distressed. “Have you come for me too?”
Riku stood there silently as she questioned him. When she was finished he simply lowered his hood.
For a moment Minnie just stood there, shocked. Then she finally cried, “Oh, Riku!” A mixed look of both sympathy and relief spread across her face. “I’m so glad you’re here! It’s just terrible!”
Riku tensed up. Wondering if his suspicions were true, he asked, “What happened?”
“One of them came here last night! He kidnapped Donald and Goofy! They were caught off guard and couldn’t put up a fight, and I couldn’t do anything to stop him!” Minnie wrung her hands, distraught.
Nodding, Riku pictured the scene in his mind’s eye. “Did you happen to see the person’s face?”
“No, he just kept his hood up,” Minnie replied.
He had expected as much. “I’ll go and try to find them,” he said. “The King might be with them. If so, I’ll make sure that he gets back here.”
“Thank you, Riku, for offering to go find them, but you look tired,” Minnie told him, concerned. “You should rest before leaving. It won’t help any of us if you get caught too.”
Minnie was right: he was tired. He hadn’t slept at all last night, being too busy preparing to come here. Although he didn’t like the aspect of staying longer now that he knew for sure that his feelings had been right, the possibility of running into a member of the Organization was too high to take lightly. He would need all his energy if he got caught.
Riku let out a sigh. “Alright, I’ll get some sleep before I leave.”
“Don’t worry, Donald and Goofy can handle holding off for a few more hours,” Minnie reassured him. “They did travel around with Sora after all.”
Mentally, Riku winced at the mention of Sora. He still felt slightly guilty about doing all this without telling him. How would Sora react when he saw Riku again?
At least this hadn’t all gone to waste. Riku would’ve hated it if he were stuck in Xehanort’s body for nothing.
***
Moonlight shone on Riku’s face as he walked down the hall again to the library. A crescent moon hung in the sky tonight, surrounded by stars. It felt good to have had those hours of sleep. Minnie’s suggestion had been a good one.
He entered the library again, it
being where Minnie had told him
to come find her when he woke up.
She looked up from the book she
was reading as soon as he came
through the door. She had an
excited air about her.
“I just remembered that
something wasn’t quite right
about last night,” she said
somewhat hurriedly. “Last
night there was a full moon!
And the night before that the
moon was even smaller than
tonight’s.”
Realization dawned on Riku,
and he knew instantly who
had kidnapped Donald and
Goofy. “Saix…”
“No, I haven’t either,” she replied, a look of curiosity on her face now.
“I wonder where he is.” ‘And why he would leave without telling anyone.’
“I bet he didn’t want us to know because he thought we would stop him,” Kairi said thoughtfully. “But he’ll be back. He just thinks he need to do this himself.”
‘He’s always been like that,’ Sora thought to himself. ‘I just hope he knows what he’s doing.’
***
Riku pulled his hood up. It had taken him a bit to get used to the body again, but it was still familiar. It really wasn’t that bad. Last time everyone had understood; hopefully they would understand again.
Despite the cheery and bright atmosphere of the courtyard of the castle, Riku still couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. It was mysteriously quiet and still. He had expected Donald and Goofy to come running out to see who had appeared. That was, if they were here.
Riku went through the door on the side of the castle, stepping onto the carpet that lined the hall. He walked up the stairs silently, still seeing no sign of anyone around. Deciding to check the library first, he made his way down the long hall, stepping in and out of shadow. When at last he reached the doors, he paused for a second before opening one and slipping in. There was Queen Minnie, her back turned to him. As he closed the door behind him, she turned around.
“Oh, what is another one of you doing here?” she asked, distressed. “Have you come for me too?”
Riku stood there silently as she questioned him. When she was finished he simply lowered his hood.
For a moment Minnie just stood there, shocked. Then she finally cried, “Oh, Riku!” A mixed look of both sympathy and relief spread across her face. “I’m so glad you’re here! It’s just terrible!”
Riku tensed up. Wondering if his suspicions were true, he asked, “What happened?”
“One of them came here last night! He kidnapped Donald and Goofy! They were caught off guard and couldn’t put up a fight, and I couldn’t do anything to stop him!” Minnie wrung her hands, distraught.
Nodding, Riku pictured the scene in his mind’s eye. “Did you happen to see the person’s face?”
“No, he just kept his hood up,” Minnie replied.
He had expected as much. “I’ll go and try to find them,” he said. “The King might be with them. If so, I’ll make sure that he gets back here.”
“Thank you, Riku, for offering to go find them, but you look tired,” Minnie told him, concerned. “You should rest before leaving. It won’t help any of us if you get caught too.”
Minnie was right: he was tired. He hadn’t slept at all last night, being too busy preparing to come here. Although he didn’t like the aspect of staying longer now that he knew for sure that his feelings had been right, the possibility of running into a member of the Organization was too high to take lightly. He would need all his energy if he got caught.
Riku let out a sigh. “Alright, I’ll get some sleep before I leave.”
“Don’t worry, Donald and Goofy can handle holding off for a few more hours,” Minnie reassured him. “They did travel around with Sora after all.”
Mentally, Riku winced at the mention of Sora. He still felt slightly guilty about doing all this without telling him. How would Sora react when he saw Riku again?
At least this hadn’t all gone to waste. Riku would’ve hated it if he were stuck in Xehanort’s body for nothing.
***
Moonlight shone on Riku’s face as he walked down the hall again to the library. A crescent moon hung in the sky tonight, surrounded by stars. It felt good to have had those hours of sleep. Minnie’s suggestion had been a good one.
He entered the library again, it
being where Minnie had told him
to come find her when he woke up.
She looked up from the book she
was reading as soon as he came
through the door. She had an
excited air about her.
“I just remembered that
something wasn’t quite right
about last night,” she said
somewhat hurriedly. “Last
night there was a full moon!
And the night before that the
moon was even smaller than
tonight’s.”
Realization dawned on Riku,
and he knew instantly who
had kidnapped Donald and
Goofy. “Saix…”