Cold rain poured down. It refracted the neon lights and glowing eyes, turning the fast-paced battle below him into a churning visual mess. At least, it would be if he had eyes unbound to see it.
Riku stood at the edge of the highrise roof, feeling the dull beat of raindrops against his coat. It had come to this… after all his searching, the means he had been hunting was finally within reach. If he could win this fight, Sora would return.
He was bitterly afraid.
His throat tensed as he swallowed. This wasn't a fight he could afford to lose, and yet the fear that he would threatened to be the very thing that would cause his failure. The darkness behind the blindfold soothed him somewhat, a comforting darkness. No, darkness was not bad. Darkness was everywhere, in everything, and it needed only be feared when it grew strong enough to obscure the light.
"Riku! Riku, it's dark!"
The familiar voice bounced off the tunnel walls behind him, but he didn't slow down. "You're such a baby, Sora. The dark isn't scary."
Unconsciously his fingers curled into loose fists. Had it really always been inside him, this disposition to the dark? Was there really enough light in his heart to make it alright?
He relaxed his hands. There wasn't time to dwell on the whole messed up issue of light and dark and shadows and hearts. If he couldn't focus now, if he couldn't find it in him to do what he needed…
You'll never get him back.
The other was coming, the Heartless swarm little more than a temporary distraction in the face of his power. Of course, Riku knew that he would be strong. How could he be anything else, his origins being what they were? The gut-wrenching question was; could he beat him? Could he face that eerily familiar form, and win?
Every tremor that ran down his spine spoke of failure. A failure he could not, would not face.
"Hey Riku. What happens if we find other worlds… but we get lost?"
The light-haired boy stared off into the ocean horizon for a long moment, flexing his fingers over the warm hand resting beneath his. Finally he looked over at Sora, big blue eyes awaiting an answer. "We'll always find each other somehow. I don't think there's any world big enough to stop us from finding each other."
The hand beneath his tensed a little as Sora look down. It was an odd moment of silence, not so comfortable as the ones they usually shared… heavy with something Riku couldn't name and couldn't read from Sora. It dragged on until Sora abruptly lifted his face and swiftly pressed his lips against his own, eyes scrunched up as if expecting a rejection Riku had no intention of giving.
The kiss was chaste and gentle, a first for them both, but it spoke volumes.
"We'll always find each other, no matter what," Sora whispered against his cheek, and Riku tightened his hold on that hand and swore it would be so.
No time left. Riku could already taste the defeat on the back of his tongue, a horrible prelude to the true despondence that was sure to set in when he realised the finality of his failure.
Nothing but darkness will be left… somehow I think you are the light side of my heart, Sora.
Riku's head snapped up as he finished the thought. Darkness. It was within him, he knew that. He'd spent so long fighting it down, denying the shameful evidence of his weakness. But… maybe now it could bring about salvation instead of destruction.
The thought alone of drawing on the well of dark, grimy power within him made his stomach turn. It was abhorrent; it made him sick, it made him hate himself.
You'll never keep your promise if you don't.
He closed his eyes—unnecessary, but it settled his nerves somewhat as he reached inside and let the dark tendrils begin to curl free.
For you, only for you.
For Sora, he'd face the darkness once again.