Title: Savin' Me
Rated: T for Teen
Game: Kingdom Hearts II
Started: 25-May-2006
Finished: 6-June-2006
Summary: Riku thinks back, and contemplates the feelings he has towards Sora.
Why: My sister and I were listing to the song "Savin' Me" by Nickleback, when she came up with the idea. We thought the song fit well with Riku's emotions towards Sora.
Note: This is set three years after the completion of the first game. We are ignoring the fact that the King sent them a message, and the extra special scene about the Keyblade Wars at the end of the game.
Disclaimer: The song "Savin' Me" by Nickleback does not belong to me. And NO, I don't own Kingdom Hearts II. I only wish I had a Riku of my own.
Wind ruffled the blue jacket that Riku had thrown over his shoulders. He pulled the material closer to his body, trying to keep out the cold that came with the breeze.
Three years. Had it really been that long since they had come back home? Had it really been that long since he and Sora had defeated Xemnas and saved the worlds? Had it really been that long?
Riku tucked his hair behind his ears. He sighed and pulled his legs to his chest, resting his arms on his knees and placing his head on his arms.
Prison gates won't open up for me
On these hands and knees I'm crawlin'
Oh, I reach for you
A moment passed. One of Riku's hands reached out and grasped a stick. He began to draw shapes in the sand as thoughts came to him. Thoughts about everything. Thoughts about anything. Thoughts about nothing. Thoughts that all led back to one thing: Sora.
Yes, it had been all about Kairi at the beginning. When she was kidnapped, he desperately wanted to save his friend. He wanted to bring her back home so things could be way they had been. He wanted to save her with Sora.
When the darkness came, it told him that it would help bring Kairi back, and he gladly accepted it. If it was willing to help save the girl he liked, then so be it. But when Sora didn't come with him…it confused him. Why wouldn't his best friend help save Kairi? Why would he just leave him all alone in the darkness?
Time passed in the black realm. He met Maleficent and forged a bond with her: She would give him the power to save Kairi if he would help her endeavor to take over the worlds with evil. Embracing the darkness, he gained a power that brought Kairi back to him.
And then it changed. Suddenly it wasn't about her anymore. It was about defeating Sora and his stupid new friends. It was about showing Sora that he was the only one that truly cared for the girl. It was about showing Sora that he was better, that he was better than the Keyblade master, and that darkness would always be better than the light.
When he was defeated by his friend, a man named Ansem promised him even greater power than Maleficent had given him. All he had to do was give up his body for a while.
Riku agreed, and watched as Sora was hit with everything that Ansem had. He watched as Sora beat down all of it. He watched as his friend declared that Kingdom Hearts was indeed light. He felt Ansem leave, and when he got control of his body back, ran to the door.
Well I'm terrified of these four walls
These iron bars can't hold my soul in
All I need is you
Come please I'm callin'
As he entered, King Mickey asked for his help in defeating the Heartless that inhabited Kingdom Hearts. He accepted the challenge.
As he bid Sora goodbye, fear engulfed him. He was about to enter a battle he wasn't sure he would win. What if he was killed by the Heartless? What happened if he never got out of the darkness? What happened if he never saw Sora or Kairi again?
And oh I scream for you
Hurry I'm fallin'
The fear he had went away instantly when he was faced with the multitude of Heartless inside Kingdom Hearts. Battles went on and on, and somehow he ended up in Castle Oblivion. He saw Sora battle his way to the top, losing his memories as he went. As the final battle ensued, he fought his fight with Ansem, and finally defeated the foe that had possessed him and messed with his feelings.
Sora was locked away in a pod for year by Namine, the girl who he had confused with Kairi. It was no surprise though, as she was Kairi's Nobody. Riku had no way of getting Sora out of the pod, and was left to wander Kingdom Hearts again with the King.
Show me what it's like
To be the last one standing
And teach me wrong from right
And I'll show you what I can be
Time passed, and he met a man who called himself "Diz." He asked him to fight a boy named Roxas, who was a member of Organization XIII. This boy was supposedly a bearer of The Keyblade, and needed to be defeated. Riku knew that it had to do with Sora and set of to a place called The World That Never Was.
Say it for me
Say it to me
And I'll leave this life behind me
Say it if it's worth saving me
It didn't take long. The fight had barely begun, and Riku was shot down by Roxas. As the boy left, he laid there, thinking. What kind of person was Roxas? He hadn't even gotten the chance to pull out any kind of finishing move before the blonde had countered it, and hit back with twice the ferocity. What kind of person was he, getting defeated by someone other than Sora? It disgusted him.
Heaven's gates won't open up for me
With these broken wings I'm fallin'
And all I see is you
These city walls ain't got no love for me
I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story
And on I scream for you
Riku began to wander The World That Never Was in search of an answer. It didn't matter how it came to him, just as long as it did. But as time began to pass, nothing came to him. Nothing to help him get stronger, nothing to help him get back home, nothing to get Sora out of his slumber. As the thought of him not being strong enough to do anything took root, he realized he was on top of the tallest building in the city. How had he gotten there? Did it really matter? Why should it? He wasn't even capable of doing anything for Sora…
Suddenly he found himself standing on the edge. One more step and gravity would take over, plummeting him towards the ground.
Come please I'm callin'
And all I need from you
Hurry I'm fallin'
It was then that he was hit with the memory of Sora's voice. Calling out to him as they ran on the sand back home; shouting at him on Captain Hook's boat; reaching out to him as he was possessed by Ansem; and finally as the door to Kingdom Hearts closed. All those times, and Sora hadn't once condemned him. Not once had Sora told him that he didn't want to see him again, not once had Sora told him that they were no longer friends. Not once. So what was he doing here, thinking that he should just end it all? What gave Riku the right to just give up?
Show me what it's like
To be the last one standing
And teach me wrong from right
And I'll show you what I can be
Riku decided then and there that he would do anything to get Sora out of his capsule, and defeat Organization XIII.
And he did. He embraced the darkness for a third time, making himself look like Ansem to help save Sora, and get him free of his containment. He battled countless Heartless, faced many Nobodies, and defeated anyone that came between him and Sora.
When Sora finally came to The World That Never Was, Riku was so terrified that he didn't want to be seen, and tried to run away. He wanted to be happy with the fact that he had helped Sora get to where he needed to be, and that he didn't need to be with his friend. Who was he to stay with the light when he was the darkness?
Say it for me
Say it to me
And I'll leave this life behind me
Say it if it's worth saving me
But when Sora fell to his knees holding his hand…what choice did he have? Sora had cried for him, told him over and over that he kept searching for him, saying he hadn't ever given up…who was he to leave that? How could he just walk away from the friend who had worked just as hard to find him as Riku had to save him?
When he changed back into himself and took the blindfold off, he could see everyone again. He saw Donald and Goofy smiling like the weirdoes they were. He saw King Mickey give a grin. Kairi smiled and tilted her head like she always did. And Sora? Well, he gave the biggest smile that Riku had ever seen. He smiled back, and together they set off for Xemnas.
When the battle was finished and they had gotten back home, things were a little awkward. His parents had almost killed him for being gone for two years, but they were glad that he was safe. When he told them what he wanted to about his adventure, his mother replied, "Well I'm happy that you are safe, but the next time you decide to go gallivanting off with King Mickey to save a world or two, make sure to leave a note." Riku chuckled, and agreed.
School was weird as well. He hadn't seen anyone for two years, and could barely remember their names. When he asked Sora how he was coping with the change, the boy shrugged his shoulders, and said, "Hey, this is easier than battling Heartless."
Riku dropped the stick he held, and stood up, making sure to keep the jacket on his body. He sighed, and looked out to the sea. A few moments passed, and Riku closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he turned and found Sora panting, his hands on his knees.
"Sora?"
Said boy took a gasp of air.
"Riku! There you are. I've been looking all over the island for you! Do you know how mad Sensei is at you?"
"Why, 'cause I skipped out on class again?"
Sora stood up fully and moved to stand next to his friend.
"Duh. This is the sixth time you've up and left in the middle of lunch. She gets mad at you, and then she gets mad at me!"
Riku looked over puzzled.
"Why would she be mad at you?"
"Well," Sora started, scratching the back of his head. "They all seem to think that I'm your keeper or something. I keep telling them that just because we were both gone for two years at the same time doesn't mean that I should know where you are every second." Sora faced his friend and grinned. "So, why are you out here? Are you making a rendezvous with a girl?"
Riku shook his head and turned his face to the sea.
"No…I just needed a place to think."
"About what?"
"You," he responded. A quick glance confirmed that Sora was indeed blushing.
"Oh…"
"I was thinking about all of the things that I went through with you and Kairi. I've been thinking about it a lot lately."
"Really? I think about Donald and Goofy all the time too. I remember this one time—"
"No, not anything like that." Riku paused, and turned away, making sure his back faced his friend.
"I thought about…all the stuff you went through to get to me. I realized that I'm really lucky."
Sora tilted his head, although Riku couldn't see it.
"How are you really lucky?"
Riku faced his friend again, but kept his eyes locked on the sand.
"I went through a lot of crap while we were separated…I kept thinking that you didn't like me. When we got separated, I told you to look after Kairi, because I knew that we would see each other again. After you went through Castle Oblivion, you got locked in that capsule. I tried to get you out by fighting Roxas, but I was defeated…at one point I almost killed myself because I thought I was too weak to help you."
The silver-haired boy looked up at his friend and smiled.
"Then I thought about all the times that you came after me, even when you were mad at all the things I had done. I realized that I was lucky to have you as a friend."
As soon as Sora digested everything that Riku had said, he shook his head and smiled.
"Riku, you are such a dork."
"Why am I a dork?"
The brown-haired boy looked Riku straight in the eyes.
"I don't think you've realized how lucky I am to have you as a friend."
Riku's eyes widened a little, and he watched as Sora threw his hand out to him.
"Come on, we're missing seventh period."
Blue-green eyes closed, and a smile spread to his face. Riku took hold of Sora's hand, and they walked back to school together, closer than they ever had been.
Fin.
Author's notes: Wow…that was my hardest fan fic ever. I'm more in tune with the feelings of Sora than Riku, but I had to get this out of me. I really hope that you enjoyed it, and that I didn't screw it up. Oh, sorry to the people out there who wanted it to be a yaoi. I sometimes think that they could have that kind of relationship, but I don't like the idea very much. I like them just being friends more than likeing each other that way. Thanks goes out to my sister for letting me bounce ideas off of her and approving all my fics, and to all of you! Even if you don't review, I appreciate that you read my story. Please review anyway! I love the comments you guys give me, even if they aren't necessarily the kind of reviews that I like.
Arigatou minna-san. Until next time.
Tamababymiko-chan