'You can't be in love, for there is no true love.'
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and all of its characters are property and copyright Disney Interactive and Square. Any and all song lyrics are copyright their respective owners. I do not claim them to be my own. Yep.
Hello. This is my... second fanfic ever, I think. No, third. Yep. The other two were X-Files. Anyways, I don't write like this in the story. This is the part where I get to goof off, so don't judge my writing style by this, k? I'm an AP English student and my teacher would kill me if she read this part. ^^;; Heh, spellchecker doesn't like this part much. So, just to let you know, this takes place seven years after the game, around the time of the trailer for KH2. There are spoilers. BIG spoilers. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! This may be a RikuSora romance, but it be very angsty. The first three chapters actually document their time apart. In the fourth they meet up again. Sooo... yeah. My writing style is a bit complicated. Big words. 8th grade vocabulary at least is recommended.
I don't know if anybody is going to like this, so I'll hold off on the second chapter until I get a review saying someone likes it. I don't actually write the stories in my head often, so this is special to me. Enjoy! XD
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Darkness...
The darkness engulfed him. His descent into darkness once more...
'This isn't what I wanted...'
"So...ra..."
Torrents flowed around his body, sucking him deeper, deeper, into the pain...
He couldn't feel, he couldn't hear, he couldn't see, only pain.
Pain and darkness.
"So...ra..."
He could feel his heart being wrenched from his body. God, it hurt.
Almost as bad as losing him...
'I was so stupid...'
He had lost all of his memories. All but a faded image of a ghost-like Sora.
'Where is my sun? Where is my sky? My beautiful blue sky...'(AN: Sora in kanji is sky)
"So...ra..."
He didn't bother to open his eyes. He was used to darkness now. Seven long years in darkness.
He fought to keep his heart, but the thought of giving in felt more and more inviting...
Just as he thought all hope was lost, the translucent Sora reached out to him.
"Don't give up, Riku."
Riku opened his eyes wide. His heart was coming back to him. He saw the shining swish of a keyblade, two large, yellow shoes, and a pair of red shorts.
"Sora?"
He scanned further up the form in front of him and saw not spiky, brown hair, but two large ears. It was King Mickey.
"Get out of here, Riku! Go hide!"
Riku obeyed his orders and got unsteadily to his feet. He staggered as quickly as he could to a nearby alcove. Once inside, he closed his eyes. He could already feel tears forming.
It had been seven years since he had helped Sora seal him inside Kingdom Hearts. He now regretted that every day. He was 22 years old now. His silver hair was a bit unkempt, and his bangs covered his eyes. The fire that had once burned bright in his seagreen eyes had dulled considerably since he had last seen Sora. His memory of the boy was now the only thing keeping him going. Even if it was just a faded image, it was something; something to hold on to...
"Has it really been that long, Sora?" he thought aloud. He looked at his hands. They were weak, and his arms were cut and bleeding. That last fight had been close, too close. He had almost died. If Mickey hadn't been there...
Riku was used to darkness now. It was everywhere. Giant heartless lived inside Kingdom Hearts. Riku didn't need to see anymore. He could hear them coming, feel the vibrations of the floor, even smell them. All heartless had the distinct smell of something decaying. It made him sick. All he could think of was destroying them all. Then maybe he could leave... Maybe he could be with Sora again...
Seven years is a long time to think. Other than fighting the heartless, this seemed to be all he had been doing. Thinking about Sora. What had gone so wrong between them? All he could think of now was being with him again. He loved him... Sora was his light. Perhaps the two Keyblade masters were destined to fall in love?
Riku tried to think of ways to justify his actions seven years ago. Why had he sided with Ansem; let Ansem use his body? He hadn't known the consequences would be so severe... Deep down, he merely wanted to best Sora again. 'But it runs even deeper than that...' He sighed. He knew now that he had loved Sora, even if he hadn't known it then.
Kairi had been a distraction, a separation of the two. (AN: Kairi in Kanji means separation.) Riku had felt abandoned by his best friend, one whom he had known since childhood. He wasn't going to let some girl tear them apart. Riku feigned interest in her, when all the while his real interest was in Sora. His search for Kairi was really just a way to be close to Sora again. When he had seen Sora with Donald and Goofy, his heart sank. The only person he really trusted abandoned him. Riku had to challenge him once more. He had to find Kairi first; he had to bait Sora. The darkness could help him with that.
Yes. Darkness was all he had left to turn to. He had to jump into the abyss. He didn't really know if he'd come back, and at the time he didn't really care. He just wanted Sora.
Riku let himself drift out of his thoughts and back to reality. He could smell them. He steadied his wounded arm, which held his keyblade. 'Please let it be a little one...'He couldn't tell in the pitch black of the alcove. He could hear it scuttling toward him.
'If I could just hear your voice I don't think I'd need to see at all...'
He sat up and waited for the monster to come for him. He didn't know how long he could last against anything bigger than a shadow. He needed a potion badly. Much to his surprise, the small shadow jumped right over him and scurried up a tunnel Riku hadn't seen. He leaned over to look up. Light. There was light. 'But... what? How? It can't be... The only light in this damned place comes from the Kingdom Hearts at the center!' Intrigued, Riku began to climb, nursing his arm as he went. The light became brighter, but not by much. It seemed dingy. The shadow turned and looked at him with its beady, glowing eyes and hopped out. Riku hurried after it. Once he jumped through the hole, however, he smelled the unmistakable scent of death.
"What the hell is going on?" he said quietly. He was in a city. A large, seemingly abandoned city. 'But all the neon signs are on... where is everybody?' He turned around, thinking he could just go back, but the hole was gone. "Shit." he cursed. He saw the shadow out of the corner of his eye. It ran down the street and turned down an alleyway. Riku chased after it, having to hold the keyblade in his left hand. 'This thing has to know a way out...' As soon as he rounded the corner, however, he didn't see a way out, but larger shadows, taller than he was, all poised for battle.
Riku gasped. He could barely hold his weapon, how the hell was he supposed to fight twenty or so huge shadows? He winced as he switched his keyblade from his left to right hand. At once the shadows leapt on him. He merely hacked away as best he could. 'I can't do this... I'm going to die... Sora, give me strength... give me strength, give me strength...' He could feel darkness descending on him. He hated feeling helpless, but he was. He was utterly helpless.
Suddenly, someone jumped in and killed shadow after shadow. "Run, Riku!" shouted a familiar voice. Riku hid next to the Dumpster in the alley. The other man mowed down row after row of giant shadows. Riku watched the back of the man's head with great interest. He had spiky hair... was he...? 'No, it couldn't be... could it?'
"Sora?" Riku looked up at the man when he had finished the last of the heartless.
"No." the voice replied. The man turned to face him. It was Cloud.
"Cloud? Huh... where am I? What is this place?" Riku was disappointed but also afraid.
"This is my home," said Cloud, looking down the alley to the deserted city. "It has been taken over by heartless."
"How?" Riku thought that the heartless were no longer a threat, as long as he and King Mickey could keep them away from Kingdom Hearts.
"Ansem. Two years ago, he thought it would be safe to seek the darkness once again." Cloud had turned his back to Riku. "It was horrible. He destroyed many worlds, including Hollow Bastion. My people were forced into hiding. Yuffie is dead. We had no way to stop him. We needed a Keyblade Master..." Cloud eyed the Keyblade Riku was holding: Oblivion. It had been Sora's. Riku didn't know how he had obtained it; it merely came to him when he called for a Keyblade one day. "However, we were hoping it would be Sora... which leads me to ask you, why the hell aren't you guarding Kingdom Hearts?"
Riku was taken aback when Cloud rounded on him. "I-I don't know... I saw a light... and I ended up here. The portal is gone. Besides," he now sounded indignant, " King Mickey doesn't need me. I'm practically useless. I've been saved twice today already."
"King Mickey saved you. You're supposed to save him in return. That's why there are two of you! One person cannot carry out the task alone. They need help. You need to go back." Cloud almost sounded angry.
Riku was getting annoyed. "Where's Sora?" he asked, trying to change the subject. Cloud turned from him again.
"No one knows. After he defeated Ansem, he disappeared. For seven years he's been searching for you."
"For... for me?" Riku's heart leapt. 'Could he...?' "Why?"
"Because you're his friend. He couldn't leave you out there alone. He left Kairi to look for you. After all that, he left her alone for seven years. Yet her affections haven't faltered. She still loves him and waits patiently for his return." Cloud looked thoughtful. "You know, the Destiny Islands are the only place that hasn't been affected by the heartless. No one knows why. Seems they're waiting for something..."
"Waiting for something?" Riku asked. He moved his arm and winced.
"Here. Drink this." Cloud fed him a potion. A cool wind surrounded his bloody body and sealed his wounds. Rain started to fall. Cloud handed him a black raincoat. "You might need this."
"Thanks." Riku replied, putting it on. "So... how do I get out of here and find Kingdom Hearts again? Or Sora..."
"Seven years without seeing your best friend." Cloud tutted his tongue. "You've had an awful lot to think about while you were in there, haven't you? Questioning things..."
Riku stood up. "What do you mean?" 'What is he getting at? Could he know how I feel? No... Of course not.'
"Oh, nothing..." Cloud looked at him thoughtfully. "Don't worry Riku, everything will work out. It always does."
"Yeah, I suppose. But you haven't answered me yet. How do I find him?"
"Ah ah ah," Cloud wagged a finger. "If you want me to help you, you have to help me first."
Riku stepped backward. "How?"
"I told you we needed a Keyblade Master. I need you to find the keyhole. Once my home is safe, I'll take you anywhere you want."
Riku considered Cloud's offer. He had never really searched for a keyhole before, but he knew the behavioral patters of the heartless. That would help. And he desperately wanted to find Sora... "Ok," he said confidently, taking a step forward. "I'll do it."
"Good." The phantom of a smile flitted across Cloud's lips. "You might want to wear this." Cloud tossed Riku a piece of black fabric.
"What's this for? " he said curiously, turning the fabric over in his hands.
"The heartless steal light now. All light. You may end up having to fight them in pitch black."
Riku looked almost angry. "I've lived in darkness for seven years. I know how to fight!"
"At least you had the glow of the Kingdom Hearts. This is total darkness. Can't-see-one-foot-in-front-of-you darkness. You need to practice."
Riku reluctantly put the blindfold on. "There. Can we go now?"
Cloud seemed satisfied. "You lead the way."
Riku was now thoroughly annoyed and ran ahead, following the sickening smell of decay to its most potent area. He was standing in front of a large building covered in giant TV screens. The rain came down in torrents. The slimy sound of heartless rising from the ground surrounded him. He held out his hands. Oblivion appeared in his right, while another appeared in his left. Riku saw from under his blindfold that it was Oathkeeper.
"Sora...?" he looked at the blade inquisitively. Was Sora helping him? Riku regained his state of mind and focused on the task at hand.
He faced the crackling sound of the television screens. "Where's Sora?"
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Ch. 1 Fin
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Yay! Wasn't that fun? Now, remember, I won't post the second chapter 'til someone says they want me to. I'm not always confident about my writing.
Chapter 2: Where has Sora been for the last seven years? What about Kairi? Are their feelings of love still mutual? Find out next time... if there is a next time...
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and all of its characters are property and copyright Disney Interactive and Square. Any and all song lyrics are copyright their respective owners. I do not claim them to be my own. Yep.
Hello. This is my... second fanfic ever, I think. No, third. Yep. The other two were X-Files. Anyways, I don't write like this in the story. This is the part where I get to goof off, so don't judge my writing style by this, k? I'm an AP English student and my teacher would kill me if she read this part. ^^;; Heh, spellchecker doesn't like this part much. So, just to let you know, this takes place seven years after the game, around the time of the trailer for KH2. There are spoilers. BIG spoilers. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! This may be a RikuSora romance, but it be very angsty. The first three chapters actually document their time apart. In the fourth they meet up again. Sooo... yeah. My writing style is a bit complicated. Big words. 8th grade vocabulary at least is recommended.
I don't know if anybody is going to like this, so I'll hold off on the second chapter until I get a review saying someone likes it. I don't actually write the stories in my head often, so this is special to me. Enjoy! XD
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Darkness...
The darkness engulfed him. His descent into darkness once more...
'This isn't what I wanted...'
"So...ra..."
Torrents flowed around his body, sucking him deeper, deeper, into the pain...
He couldn't feel, he couldn't hear, he couldn't see, only pain.
Pain and darkness.
"So...ra..."
He could feel his heart being wrenched from his body. God, it hurt.
Almost as bad as losing him...
'I was so stupid...'
He had lost all of his memories. All but a faded image of a ghost-like Sora.
'Where is my sun? Where is my sky? My beautiful blue sky...'(AN: Sora in kanji is sky)
"So...ra..."
He didn't bother to open his eyes. He was used to darkness now. Seven long years in darkness.
He fought to keep his heart, but the thought of giving in felt more and more inviting...
Just as he thought all hope was lost, the translucent Sora reached out to him.
"Don't give up, Riku."
Riku opened his eyes wide. His heart was coming back to him. He saw the shining swish of a keyblade, two large, yellow shoes, and a pair of red shorts.
"Sora?"
He scanned further up the form in front of him and saw not spiky, brown hair, but two large ears. It was King Mickey.
"Get out of here, Riku! Go hide!"
Riku obeyed his orders and got unsteadily to his feet. He staggered as quickly as he could to a nearby alcove. Once inside, he closed his eyes. He could already feel tears forming.
It had been seven years since he had helped Sora seal him inside Kingdom Hearts. He now regretted that every day. He was 22 years old now. His silver hair was a bit unkempt, and his bangs covered his eyes. The fire that had once burned bright in his seagreen eyes had dulled considerably since he had last seen Sora. His memory of the boy was now the only thing keeping him going. Even if it was just a faded image, it was something; something to hold on to...
"Has it really been that long, Sora?" he thought aloud. He looked at his hands. They were weak, and his arms were cut and bleeding. That last fight had been close, too close. He had almost died. If Mickey hadn't been there...
Riku was used to darkness now. It was everywhere. Giant heartless lived inside Kingdom Hearts. Riku didn't need to see anymore. He could hear them coming, feel the vibrations of the floor, even smell them. All heartless had the distinct smell of something decaying. It made him sick. All he could think of was destroying them all. Then maybe he could leave... Maybe he could be with Sora again...
Seven years is a long time to think. Other than fighting the heartless, this seemed to be all he had been doing. Thinking about Sora. What had gone so wrong between them? All he could think of now was being with him again. He loved him... Sora was his light. Perhaps the two Keyblade masters were destined to fall in love?
Riku tried to think of ways to justify his actions seven years ago. Why had he sided with Ansem; let Ansem use his body? He hadn't known the consequences would be so severe... Deep down, he merely wanted to best Sora again. 'But it runs even deeper than that...' He sighed. He knew now that he had loved Sora, even if he hadn't known it then.
Kairi had been a distraction, a separation of the two. (AN: Kairi in Kanji means separation.) Riku had felt abandoned by his best friend, one whom he had known since childhood. He wasn't going to let some girl tear them apart. Riku feigned interest in her, when all the while his real interest was in Sora. His search for Kairi was really just a way to be close to Sora again. When he had seen Sora with Donald and Goofy, his heart sank. The only person he really trusted abandoned him. Riku had to challenge him once more. He had to find Kairi first; he had to bait Sora. The darkness could help him with that.
Yes. Darkness was all he had left to turn to. He had to jump into the abyss. He didn't really know if he'd come back, and at the time he didn't really care. He just wanted Sora.
Riku let himself drift out of his thoughts and back to reality. He could smell them. He steadied his wounded arm, which held his keyblade. 'Please let it be a little one...'He couldn't tell in the pitch black of the alcove. He could hear it scuttling toward him.
'If I could just hear your voice I don't think I'd need to see at all...'
He sat up and waited for the monster to come for him. He didn't know how long he could last against anything bigger than a shadow. He needed a potion badly. Much to his surprise, the small shadow jumped right over him and scurried up a tunnel Riku hadn't seen. He leaned over to look up. Light. There was light. 'But... what? How? It can't be... The only light in this damned place comes from the Kingdom Hearts at the center!' Intrigued, Riku began to climb, nursing his arm as he went. The light became brighter, but not by much. It seemed dingy. The shadow turned and looked at him with its beady, glowing eyes and hopped out. Riku hurried after it. Once he jumped through the hole, however, he smelled the unmistakable scent of death.
"What the hell is going on?" he said quietly. He was in a city. A large, seemingly abandoned city. 'But all the neon signs are on... where is everybody?' He turned around, thinking he could just go back, but the hole was gone. "Shit." he cursed. He saw the shadow out of the corner of his eye. It ran down the street and turned down an alleyway. Riku chased after it, having to hold the keyblade in his left hand. 'This thing has to know a way out...' As soon as he rounded the corner, however, he didn't see a way out, but larger shadows, taller than he was, all poised for battle.
Riku gasped. He could barely hold his weapon, how the hell was he supposed to fight twenty or so huge shadows? He winced as he switched his keyblade from his left to right hand. At once the shadows leapt on him. He merely hacked away as best he could. 'I can't do this... I'm going to die... Sora, give me strength... give me strength, give me strength...' He could feel darkness descending on him. He hated feeling helpless, but he was. He was utterly helpless.
Suddenly, someone jumped in and killed shadow after shadow. "Run, Riku!" shouted a familiar voice. Riku hid next to the Dumpster in the alley. The other man mowed down row after row of giant shadows. Riku watched the back of the man's head with great interest. He had spiky hair... was he...? 'No, it couldn't be... could it?'
"Sora?" Riku looked up at the man when he had finished the last of the heartless.
"No." the voice replied. The man turned to face him. It was Cloud.
"Cloud? Huh... where am I? What is this place?" Riku was disappointed but also afraid.
"This is my home," said Cloud, looking down the alley to the deserted city. "It has been taken over by heartless."
"How?" Riku thought that the heartless were no longer a threat, as long as he and King Mickey could keep them away from Kingdom Hearts.
"Ansem. Two years ago, he thought it would be safe to seek the darkness once again." Cloud had turned his back to Riku. "It was horrible. He destroyed many worlds, including Hollow Bastion. My people were forced into hiding. Yuffie is dead. We had no way to stop him. We needed a Keyblade Master..." Cloud eyed the Keyblade Riku was holding: Oblivion. It had been Sora's. Riku didn't know how he had obtained it; it merely came to him when he called for a Keyblade one day. "However, we were hoping it would be Sora... which leads me to ask you, why the hell aren't you guarding Kingdom Hearts?"
Riku was taken aback when Cloud rounded on him. "I-I don't know... I saw a light... and I ended up here. The portal is gone. Besides," he now sounded indignant, " King Mickey doesn't need me. I'm practically useless. I've been saved twice today already."
"King Mickey saved you. You're supposed to save him in return. That's why there are two of you! One person cannot carry out the task alone. They need help. You need to go back." Cloud almost sounded angry.
Riku was getting annoyed. "Where's Sora?" he asked, trying to change the subject. Cloud turned from him again.
"No one knows. After he defeated Ansem, he disappeared. For seven years he's been searching for you."
"For... for me?" Riku's heart leapt. 'Could he...?' "Why?"
"Because you're his friend. He couldn't leave you out there alone. He left Kairi to look for you. After all that, he left her alone for seven years. Yet her affections haven't faltered. She still loves him and waits patiently for his return." Cloud looked thoughtful. "You know, the Destiny Islands are the only place that hasn't been affected by the heartless. No one knows why. Seems they're waiting for something..."
"Waiting for something?" Riku asked. He moved his arm and winced.
"Here. Drink this." Cloud fed him a potion. A cool wind surrounded his bloody body and sealed his wounds. Rain started to fall. Cloud handed him a black raincoat. "You might need this."
"Thanks." Riku replied, putting it on. "So... how do I get out of here and find Kingdom Hearts again? Or Sora..."
"Seven years without seeing your best friend." Cloud tutted his tongue. "You've had an awful lot to think about while you were in there, haven't you? Questioning things..."
Riku stood up. "What do you mean?" 'What is he getting at? Could he know how I feel? No... Of course not.'
"Oh, nothing..." Cloud looked at him thoughtfully. "Don't worry Riku, everything will work out. It always does."
"Yeah, I suppose. But you haven't answered me yet. How do I find him?"
"Ah ah ah," Cloud wagged a finger. "If you want me to help you, you have to help me first."
Riku stepped backward. "How?"
"I told you we needed a Keyblade Master. I need you to find the keyhole. Once my home is safe, I'll take you anywhere you want."
Riku considered Cloud's offer. He had never really searched for a keyhole before, but he knew the behavioral patters of the heartless. That would help. And he desperately wanted to find Sora... "Ok," he said confidently, taking a step forward. "I'll do it."
"Good." The phantom of a smile flitted across Cloud's lips. "You might want to wear this." Cloud tossed Riku a piece of black fabric.
"What's this for? " he said curiously, turning the fabric over in his hands.
"The heartless steal light now. All light. You may end up having to fight them in pitch black."
Riku looked almost angry. "I've lived in darkness for seven years. I know how to fight!"
"At least you had the glow of the Kingdom Hearts. This is total darkness. Can't-see-one-foot-in-front-of-you darkness. You need to practice."
Riku reluctantly put the blindfold on. "There. Can we go now?"
Cloud seemed satisfied. "You lead the way."
Riku was now thoroughly annoyed and ran ahead, following the sickening smell of decay to its most potent area. He was standing in front of a large building covered in giant TV screens. The rain came down in torrents. The slimy sound of heartless rising from the ground surrounded him. He held out his hands. Oblivion appeared in his right, while another appeared in his left. Riku saw from under his blindfold that it was Oathkeeper.
"Sora...?" he looked at the blade inquisitively. Was Sora helping him? Riku regained his state of mind and focused on the task at hand.
He faced the crackling sound of the television screens. "Where's Sora?"
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Ch. 1 Fin
+++
Yay! Wasn't that fun? Now, remember, I won't post the second chapter 'til someone says they want me to. I'm not always confident about my writing.
Chapter 2: Where has Sora been for the last seven years? What about Kairi? Are their feelings of love still mutual? Find out next time... if there is a next time...