So yeah this was actually an English assignment we had to do for King Lear (it was either this or an essay XP). The themes from King Lear I incorporated into the fic was betrayal and forgiveness, and I actually got an A on it. yaaay

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. but if i did, there would be yaoi all over the place *winkwink*

"Wait!"

I felt myself cringe as I heard her voice call out to me.

Damn you Namine. Why the hell did you tell her it was me?

I'm not ready to face her yet. Not here. Not when I still look like…this.

Still, there was no sense in prolonging it any longer. Slowly, I stepped away from the portal of darkness. I made a mental note to find that bastard, Saix, later on. As the portal disappeared, I heard paws running down the ramp and straight towards me. As the dog approached me, I felt myself step backwards. As I heard another set of footsteps running down the ramp, I lifted my eyes, hidden beneath the hood of the black coat I was wearing, slightly from the dog to the figure now standing before me.

I gasped internally as I looked at Kairi for the first time in a year. She certainly wasn't the fourteen year old tomboy I knew back then. She was definitely a lot…girlier now. Her dark red hair now barely rested on her shoulders, and she'd exchanged her shorts and tank top to a rather fitting pink dress. The only thing that hasn't changed about her was her eyes.

Her beautiful purple eyes. Still so full of kindness, and now full of tears at the hope of finding me.

I can't bear to have her see me like this. I don't want to taint her happiness with the revelation that I'm no longer the Riku she knew.

"Riku…" Kairi started, snapping me out of my thoughts, "you're really here."

I noticed her voice had cracked, possibly from trying to fight back the tears that were already streaming down her face.

What she did next, I was not ready for. I felt her place her hands on my hood. As she prepared to push back the hood, I felt as though my heart was going to fail me. I contemplated pushing her away, but I couldn't bring myself to hurt her anymore than I had already done.

As I felt the hood rest on my shoulders, I instantly averted my gaze from Kairi. I never would have thought the floor of the castle we were in would be so interesting. I listened as Kairi took a couple steps away from me. Part of me was half expecting (or hoping) that she would break into a run, trying desperately to get away from me.

That thought was instantly banished as I heard her re-approach me. As she tilted her head to try and meet my eyes, I automatically reached for my hood. She quickly grabbed my hands as they attempted to pull the hood back over my eyes. She didn't even tighten her grip as she managed to detach my hands from the hood.

"Riku," she whispered softly "Riku look at me."

I ignored her request. I was too ashamed to look at her. I turned to the darkness, I watched as our world faded from existence without remorse, I helped take part in the destruction of countless worlds, I caused pain to countless people without reconsideration, and I-I almost killed my best friend.

I'm filthy, a creature of darkness. She's as pure as light. How the hell am I supposed to bring myself to look at her?!

Kairi could obviously sense my distress, because she had taken the opportunity to place her hands onto both sides of my face, and jerked them so that our eyes were finally locked.

I could see my reflection in her eyes, now in the form of the damn man who had taken over my body only a year ago. I had lost my teenage appearance, and now appeared as a man probably in his late twenties. I was now so tall that Kairi had to stand on her toes in order to gain eye contact, and even then I had to bend down slightly. My originally pale skin was now a dark tan, and my silver hair was now pure white. My now gold eyes, which would have been full of malice had Xehanort still been in control of me, was now full of nothing but fear and regret.

Fear that Kairi would reject me for what I had become.

Regret because I had taken away any happiness of hers for allowing her to see me in this hated form.

As Kairi continued to gaze at me, with an expression that I couldn't figure out, I felt my heart continue to pound with anxiety.

I wanted her to do something instead of just looking! Scream at me, punch me, slap me, push me away in disgust. Anything! I can't bear her just staring at me, as though she's trying to read me.

Slowly, I felt her hands slip away from my face. I watched as she took a couple steps back away from me, her bangs now obscuring her eyes. I sighed softly to myself. I figured as much, I thought to myself, there was no way she was going to just-

My thoughts were interrupted as I felt something jump onto me. As I got back to my senses, I found, to my utmost shock, Kairi with her arms clinging stubbornly around my neck, and her face practically buried into the crook of my neck.

Somehow, I managed to wrap an arm around her waist, while trying to regain my balance. The look of shock never left my face. Instead, I felt it grow as I suddenly felt warm liquid stain my coat. Kairi was silently crying into my shoulder, clinging onto me as though I would disappear again.

"Why?" I asked, speaking for the first time since reuniting with her "Why are you doing this?"

Kairi kept her face buried in my shoulder. "Are you really that stupid? Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?"

I felt my eyes widened once again as I looked at the girl in my arms. After everything I had done to her and Sora, she still worried about me? I figured she would've been furious with me.

"Kairi," I started "Don't cry. Not for me…I don't deserve it"

I felt Kairi lift her head from my shoulder. She once again locked her eyes with mine, but this time she had a smile on her tear stained face. "I never gave up hope" I looked at Kairi with confusion "I knew we'd see each other again, and now we can look for Sora together."

I just continued to stare at her as she let herself out of my hold. As she got back on the ground, she wiped her eyes, and then looked back up at me. "Shall we go?" she asked, her smile back on her face.

"Go?" I asked, completely baffled "Kairi, how am I suppose to face Sora like this? And how can you forgive me so easily?"

Kairi kept the smile on her face as she approached me. She gently placed her hand on my cheek. "Because even though you're like this, you're still Riku."

I felt my gaze soften as I placed my hand over hers. As I removed her hand from my cheek, I opened a new portal of darkness.

Kairi looked up at me, seeing the uncertainty in my face. I tried to smile reassuringly, but I knew it was pointless; she was too good at reading emotions. Then, leading me by the hand, we both stepped into the portal.

I'm not sure how easily Sora will forgive me for all that I've done, but Kairi has forgiven me. For now, that will be more than enough.