Post by Riku on Sept 17, 2009 22:39:35 GMT -5
The castle seemed smaller somehow. Maybe it was just that Riku was older, or the Oblivion from his memories had seemed so much emptier and scarier at the time. Sure, there wasn't much he could fear from white walls and nothing spirits, but at the time he hadn't known what he was dealing with. He could take the exact same mentality about the darkness, for that matter. Now that he could recognize the castle's dull tug at his memories, fogging over the present and bringing the past into brighter focus, he knew not to get too bogged down. After all, this was nothing more than a routine check. Given that the Organization's stronghold at The World That Never Was seemed functional again, he had every reason to make sure Castle Oblivion didn't follow suit.
He didn't enter through the basement like last time, though. The only opening he could reach without the power of darkness was the same entrance Sora had discovered a little over a year ago, and Riku couldn't help but wonder what all had gone on here while he was running around downstairs. Sora had told him, to a degree, but there were still holes in his memory where Naminé was concerned and it wasn't the same as being there. What had he thought when he encountered the Replica? What kind of emotion had he shown to Naminé? The castle didn't betray anything. Pristine white on every floor, like every room had gotten erased.
Riku stopped when he reached what amounted to the attic, where Naminé had been held before she changed hands. The records weren't very specific, but the King seemed to think there was an orb here that would make his job easier, sweeping the basement as well as the upper floors for any intruders. Plus, if there were any Organization members around, he'd probably have run into them by the time he got this far.
Hesitating at the double doors, he called Way to him, reassured by the weight in his hand--and then pushed them open, smelling obsessively clean nothingness. He didn't encounter anyone right away, but that didn't mean he wouldn't down the line, and his sense of smell wouldn't be warning him anymore. The orb wasn't hard to find, at least, and about ten minutes later found Way leaning up against the sole chair in the room while Riku analyzed it awkwardly from a position almost sprawled on the floor, completely mystified by whatever spell made it work.
He didn't enter through the basement like last time, though. The only opening he could reach without the power of darkness was the same entrance Sora had discovered a little over a year ago, and Riku couldn't help but wonder what all had gone on here while he was running around downstairs. Sora had told him, to a degree, but there were still holes in his memory where Naminé was concerned and it wasn't the same as being there. What had he thought when he encountered the Replica? What kind of emotion had he shown to Naminé? The castle didn't betray anything. Pristine white on every floor, like every room had gotten erased.
Riku stopped when he reached what amounted to the attic, where Naminé had been held before she changed hands. The records weren't very specific, but the King seemed to think there was an orb here that would make his job easier, sweeping the basement as well as the upper floors for any intruders. Plus, if there were any Organization members around, he'd probably have run into them by the time he got this far.
Hesitating at the double doors, he called Way to him, reassured by the weight in his hand--and then pushed them open, smelling obsessively clean nothingness. He didn't encounter anyone right away, but that didn't mean he wouldn't down the line, and his sense of smell wouldn't be warning him anymore. The orb wasn't hard to find, at least, and about ten minutes later found Way leaning up against the sole chair in the room while Riku analyzed it awkwardly from a position almost sprawled on the floor, completely mystified by whatever spell made it work.
