Balance. Like everything is a mess because darkness is going everywhere, but Kingdom Hearts will fix that. It'll make things whole again and then I'll get my heart back.

[Whether or not Xemnas is actually doing any of that, that's not what he says he's doing and Demyx can only refer to what he's been told. It isn't like he knows anything else about how these things work.

Depending on the question, Riku might get an answer, if it doesn't fall in to traitorous territory. He's deeply concerned about possible ramifications when Xemnas comes out of stasis. He dreads it.

And his question makes Demyx grimace, because why did he have to put it that way? Riku isn't wrong, but things weren't supposed to be this way. A loss was meant to be an accident, something having gone horribly wrong except that they'd been dropping off for awhile now, and the disaster at Castle Oblivion, Roxas' defection and Axel's own dubious agenda has made things go completely nuts.]

I...no, but he must have a reason. I mean...he has to, uh, I can't- [He clears his throat]

He must think I have the best chance.

[But some part of him thinks that isn't true. Even if he's not as poor a fighter as he pretends to be, he knows from meeting Sora he's outmatched.]

It doesn't matter. Turning my back on his orders will have me die even more pointlessly.

[Riku doesn't think Xemnas is the protective type does he?]