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Patience

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"Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow – that is patience." Anonymous

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A white room, full of light, silent and sacrosanct. The door opens, and shadows play across the room, darting around a flower-like pod in a kind of defiant mockery to the light. A hooded visitor stops in the doorway, unwilling to disturb the peaceful scene any more than necessary. Arms crossed, he leans against the doorframe with a practiced air and stands vigil, unasked for and unacknowledged. Beneath the shadowed hood a wry smile plays across the watcher's face, hope and despair meeting in frustrated patience.

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So, still asleep? You sure are taking your time. 'Course, you always were a lazy bum. I even remember her calling you that, back before everything happened. Not that you'd remember. Yet.

...It's been a year, you know. You're missing out on everything.

I saw your other again today. He seems well meaning, if a bit clumsy, over-trusting, and far too nice. He's pretty oblivious, too. Just like you, actually. You really need to become less naive, you know? You wouldn't believe how easy it was to pick his pocket. People walk all over unassuming guys like you.

I was kinda relieved to see that he's doing okay. If he hasn't been found or kidnapped yet, it means that we're on the right track for eventually getting you back. It's really hard to look at him and see both you and not-you at the same time, though. There's a lot of you in him, obviously. Or is it that there's a lot of him in you?

He can't sense you. I wonder if he ever will. Of course, his dreams are promising — we think he's picking up on your memories as they link back up in your head. Sometimes I wonder if you can feel him. Or if you can feel anything at all. Are you unconscious and completely out of it, or is there some level of awareness in there?

I wish you could give some sort of sign that you knew I was here. It would mean that there's still some of me to be found. As it is, I'm still left wondering what of me is left, and what of who I used to be is gone.

Come on, you've gotta wake up. We're running out of time, and I can't do this. Maybe if you'd ever wake up, I could push you in the right direction, but only you can do what needs to be done, much as I hate to admit it.

You'd probably be dying of shock if you actually heard that. I really did just admit that I'm not always better than you. Not anymore. You've got something in you that I still don't understand. People just gravitate towards you naturally, like you're some great big shiny magnet. Emphasis on shiny. And spiky too — where've you been getting a hold of hair gel since the worlds started disappearing?

…But you're still a total sap. After all, you were trying to find me, after everything I did. I bet you promised her, too. I can't believe you guys. You two are such optimists; it's a wonder you ever survived. But you did, didn't you? Way better than I did, seeing as you saved me from being lost forever in the darkness.

I want to see you out there saving the rest of the worlds. They're waiting for you. All the friends you made, and even more you haven't met yet; pretty soon they'll all be in big trouble, and needing a grand hero to sweep in to save the day. It's not my style, and I doubt anyone would be particularly happy to see me, anyway. You're the guy for the job, not me.

Just... don't keep looking for me while you're out there. Stick to saving the world — you're probably safer that way. They told me that you got like this because you were looking for me. How can you make me feel guilty before I even start trying to avoid you? I am going to do that, you know. I don't want to see your reaction if you were to see me the way I am right now, to see what I've become.

I gave up a lot for you, damn it. The least you could do is prove that it was worth it. Make dumb faces with your friends, laugh at the littlest things, kick some heartless butt. Anything.

I just...

I want to know that you're okay.

–Fin.

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Gaaaaaaaah….. To much KH2 on the brain. Beat the game in exactly a week, and then the plunnies started spawning. O.o

Riku was such an absent character in both games that I wanted something from his perspective, and this came up. As stated in the summary, it's a tag for Day 2 of Twilight Town: Riku's thoughts afterwards, as he continues to wait for Sora to wake up. I avoided names, because the hint of anonymity was kinda fun, and Riku wouldn't need to name names to know whom he was talking about.

I really hope I managed to captured Riku's voice, and also a conversational train of thought. It was really interesting to realize how a person usually speaks in short, staccato sentences – as a writer, my stories tend towards having an epic style, so conversation is definitely a change.

So… review? Please?

Ocianne

5/06