Note: I always liked the idea of Riku staying on the darkside for a longer period of time. I also like the Riku/Kairi pairing...
So here's a AU one shot about those things.
What you need to know: Riku defeated Sora during their first fight (after that friends are power speech Sora made. The difference being Riku kept the keyblade). In the process though, he accidently freed Kairi's heart. Maleficent proceeded to slowly but surly take over the galaxy after opening the door to darkness and Mickey never showed up (Ansem is still in hiding. Plotting.)
Three years went by.
Miserable At Best.
Flickering candles, couples in love, soft music playing, that was the scene he found himself in. All and all, it made him a tad dizzy. Riku stepped out of the shadows, looking around the room for any sign of trouble, tense and snappish. The silver haired teen was dressed in a sharp suit with golden trim (it 'matched his eyes'. The witch's sense of humor was just as twisted as she was) that caught the eyes of more than one woman as they passed by.
"Someone's popular tonight."
Riku didn't bother to turn around as Olette walked up beside him, he assessed her from the corner of his eye. She was dressed in a sparkling blue dress, long hair curled. She had out done herself. One sniff of the air told him that she'd even put on some sort of perfume and..high heels?
"No more than you," he replied stiffly "You'll have to beat them off with a stick."
"Any sign of the target?"
Riku scanned the room again, no one fit the description of the man the fancily dressed duo had been sent here to..acquire. Which meant that he simply had not arrived yet. They had some time to kill in the meantime. Judging by Olette's satisfied look that's what she'd been banking on.
"You seem a little too excited," he remarked "You do realize that we're not here to enjoy ourselves don't you?"
"Hmph. We finally get to do something that doesn't involve murder and genocide and your trying to rain on the parade?" Olette chastised him
"Just trying to avoid any mess ups" he replied "You haven't forgotten what happened at Kingdom Of The Sun have you?"
"I remember saving your bacon after you pulled the wrong lever" Olette fired back "If anything I should be warning you against being reckless."
Riku looked offended but the amusement was clear in his eyes "I'm never reckless."
"Then I guess I was just imagining a certain someone leaping into a portal of darkness to save a pretty brunette girl he met minutes before hand, who tried to KILL HIM minutes before hand" Olette commented loftily.
"Your over active imagination is going to be the death of us." Riku sighed melodramatically
"Bite me."
"Later." Riku batted back without missing a beat, smirking lightly "Time to split up and get started."
Olette looked more than willing to go off and mingle "Meet back here when the target's spotted?"
"Meet in the center of the dance floor." Riku amended. It was Olette's turn to smirk now
"Looking for an excuse to dance with me?"
"Of course," Riku replied "I might even deepen my voice like I used to do when we first met."
"Oooo," Olette said sarcastically "I'm getting tingles just thinking about it."
The two went their separate ways, Olette vanishing into the crowd while Riku made his way to the punch bowl, pointedly ignoring the looks he was receiving from the female next to him. He served himself and took a sip as his eyes scanned the room once more. Falling on a familiar figure from across the room with red hair.
He damn near chocked.
She wasn't the girl he left behind in a dark castle, a memory that still haunted him despite the two whole years that had passed. Her hair was a little longer, her clothes were different, like Olette she was in a dress, her's red, but there was a look in her eyes. A look of sadness and pain that tore at Riku's heart.
Well, what was left of it.
He had done that to her, it was his fault she looked so pained. There wasn't much that could make him feel guilty anymore, not after the things he's done and the people he's killed, but the idea of hurting Kairi the way he did.. he took another sip of punch as if he could drown the hurt tightening his chest.
Her eyes drifted around the room and he quickly turned away, refilling his cup so she wouldn't see him and start anything that would draw attention to the traitorous boy. He idly wondered if Selphie was there, or Sora. He turned back to look at her and his eyes hardened.
HE was talking to her. Tidus.
Riku couldn't stop himself, darting forwards and getting closer, wanting to know what that scumbag (who was he to call anyone else a scumbag?) had to say to Kairi.
His. Kairi.
You pretty much lost any sort of claim over her when you betrayed everyone champ.
Oh lovely. His heartless half.
You again? I thought I was rid of you.
Please. You'll never be rid of me. You may be a dirtbag now but that doesn't mean i'm just going to forget about wanting to take over your body.
Whatever.
"Tell you the truth, I can't even begin to understand how he could hurt a pretty thing like you," Tidus was saying "Did that heartless take over? Or did the asshole just give up on caring?"
Riku's fist clenched. Tidus nearly killed Olette the last time they ran into each other, how could HE refer to anyone else as an asshole?
Kairi looked pained for a split second before turning to face the sandy haired boy beside her, features neutral.
"Was I wrong to believe my grandmother?" She wondered "Was I wrong to believe the story she told me? That you can use darkness for good?"
Tidus looked shocked while Riku's fingernails dug painfully into his palm, he knew what she meant, remembered that night they had discussed it. She had been trying to make him see some sense and come back to the light side. To help the good guys stop Maleficent once and for all. To patch things up with Sora. He had refused. He had ignored the way his heart cried out for her and simply drowned out those feelings with the darkness.
He had let himself be consumed to save Kairi. There was no going back to the way he was before.
Tidus shifted uncomfortably. Kairi had always told them all the stories her grandmother had shared with her back on the islands, but they were fairy tales. Fiction. The dark couldn't be used for good, it was only evil. The only thing it did was corrupt.
"It's not your fault you couldn't save him." he said eventually.
The pained look flashed across her face again and she shifted in her chair, ready to excuse herself. Tidus stood, taking her hands in his as he pulled her to her feet. "Dance with me? Please?" he asked "To take your mind off of things?"
Fingernails broke skin as jealousy shot through him. Riku winced, feeling blood dribble down his wrist.
"No, obviously you've been mistaking my reactions…" Kairi said, and Riku's eyes widened "I don't need help. I'm in between dances, I'll be better come tomorrow morning."
She walked away and Tidus stared after her. Riku took a step forward, wanting to go to her. To comfort her. The urge to apologize and beg for forgiveness overwhelming for a heartbeat. But he stopped, clenching his bloody hand as it throbbed with pain and turned around. Seeing Olette in the middle of the dance floor. He looked over his shoulder, Tidus was gone. Riku took a breath and moved towards his partner. He had made his choice, he'd walked away. Going back now, when their ideologies clashed so much, would simply hurt her even more. He would never give up the darkness, would never surrender the power that it gave him. He would never forgive Sora, not when the so called keyblade master had done his damnedest to keep Kairi away from him when all of this first started, not to mention all of the things he and his little space crew had done to him since then. No, Kairi was strong, she'd move on and forget about him. Meanwhile he would find Sora and make sure he was dead, he and that little band of bastards he ran around space with. He would have his revenge and then he would comfortably enforce Maleficent's will. Maybe he and Olette would overthrow her. Who knew? What Riku did know was that he would learn to live without the woman he'd fallen in love with. Who he had no right to approach.
They would both live on, he assured himself as he reached Olette, the partner in question stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, he pulled her forward and she stood on her tiptoes, whispering in his ear. To all the world they looked like a perfect young couple in love.
"Balcony," she whispered "There's a staircase nearby and it leads up to it and then we can go outside. It's perfect."
Riku nodded "Then let's get moving, after the dance ends."
She smirked "I knew you just wanted an excuse to dance with me"
Riku wagged his eyebrows, pain carefully hidden behind the facade he'd created for himself.
"Of course."
He and Kairi would live on. He could even live without her. But that didn't mean he'd be happy about it.