Before Sora can stop him, Master Xehanort strikes down Kairi in cold blood. As he leaves the Hollow Bastion that his memories generated, the voice speaks to him again, asking why he shunned the darkness. Riku asks how he knew, and he replies that DiZ told him, pointing him out at one side of the room. Riku denies this, saying that he rejected the darkness, and the voice questions this as Riku runs deeper into the castle. The average height for men in Japan is something like 5'6'' or 5'7'', I believe. He values his friends deeply and puts protecting them above all else. Even though Xion is unsure of where she truly belongs and what the right choice is, Riku gives her some time to think about it. Riku asks the voice to elaborate, but it goes silent, and after a few moments, Riku heads deeper into the castle. Naminé comes into view, and confirms her identity, while Riku reflects that it was her. 281 notes.
"Riku" then reveals himself as Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness, and approaches Sora. The dark figure materializes before him, and states that he watched him fight, and knows his strength, that his skill with darkness has matured. Riku questions if he's betraying his king, and Goofy says that while he'd never do that, he wouldn't betray Sora either after all they'd been through. Tidus remarked that he, Wakka, and Selphie were defeated by him even after they triple-teamed him and it seemed even at that time only Sora could challenge and surpass him. In another memory, revealed to Data-Sora in the digital version of Castle Oblivion, Riku stands on top of the Clock Tower with an unconscious Kairi, looking out at the moon. Riku states that he can't go home yet, saying that he can feel a faint presence of Ansem in his heart, and expressing his fear that his darkness still might have a hold on him.
Riku asks if he could face them, and as Kairi asks if he didn't want to, a silhouette appears from her showing who was actually speaking: As he reaches the second basement, Riku hears Ansem's voice calling to him again, saying that he knows he can feel the grip he has on his heart, and that now that he's let the darkness in, his heart will soon become an all-consuming darkness. He then requests Donald to give the king his apologies, but Donald responds that they'll tell him together, and then rejoins Sora.
Riku responds with a smile, "Fair enough, Mickey." Ansem gives him the card, and then grants him one more gift, by tempering the darkness that yet remains in his heart. Ansem remarks on his cleverness, and says that he knew he would be the one to most appropriately serve him. However Mickey states that it was to respect her wishes, along with Yen Sid mentioning he forbade Mickey from telling anyone else to avoid any reckless rescue attempts, knowing that while Riku would have understood the danger cautiously, Sora would had made a reckless attempt to try to save her if he knew. As a defeated Xion lies on the ground, Riku pulls off her hood and pulls up his blindfold to get a good look at her. As Riku reaches the 11th basement, he detects a strange scent, and then identifies it as the smell of darkness.
A short while later, both of them walk down a deserted road, wearing the robes they received from DiZ. He says that he found help from a card, which he shows to Riku; the display on it is of Entering into Twilight Town, and remarking on how it was unfamiliar to him, Riku finds that the king was no longer with him, and calls out for him. When Roxas proves too powerful for him to overpower on his own, Riku transforms into Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, and subdues Roxas through Ansem's Guardian, allowing him to bring Roxas to DiZ to place inside a virtual Twilight Town until it is time for Roxas and Sora to reunite.
A card imbued with the world emblem of Hollow Bastion then appears in the air before him, as the voice states that it is a door to the truth.
Following when Organization XIII launches their invasion of Hollow Bastion at the same time as Maleficent, when the sorceress saves Sora, Donald, and Goofy from being overwhelmed by Heartless under the Organization's command, Riku leaves a couple of clues behind for the trio in the Realm of Darkness, one of them being the photograph of Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Roxas from the virtual Twilight Town. When Axel and the Nobodies are able to breach the virtual Twilight Town, Riku enters himself to prevent Roxas from discovering the truth by first stealing the Munny pouch that he and his friends were going to use to buy tickets to the beach, then the blue crystal orb from the Struggle trophy that Roxas kept after passing the other ones to the virtual Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Riku asks who Naminé is, and DiZ replies that he'll know soon before vanishing in a ball of light. he finishes. With those words, he fades away into darkness. Over the years, as he acquires and continues to develop his skill with the Keyblade and gains the powers of both darkness and light, Riku's level of strength has increased greatly. Riku is next seen in Traverse Town, where he finds Sora with Donald Duck and Goofy. There was nothing left in his heart except the residual darkness.
Ansem's laughter echoes from further down the hallway, remarking on Riku's hurriedness, and assuring him that he'll be waiting at the heart of the darkness. Maleficent remarks that he hates the darkness enough to fight it, and says that she will end his pain forever with the wondrous powers of darkness.