Kairi opened her eyes, finding herself lying down on a smooth marble floor.
"Riku...? Riku are you here?" She groaned lightly.
"Huh...? Yeah... I'm here." Riku was next to her, a few feet away. He then asked "Sora?"
Silence.
They sat up, finding a blank white hall. They looked at each other, faces long and worrying, then stood and began their search.
Riku and Kairi walked aimlessly through the halls, trying to find some sign of life other than themselves. The empty white marble seemed to consume them, make them feel vulnerable. For all they knew, Sora had been spirited away to another segment of the grand structure, getting just as lost as they were. Or another world. They at least should find an exit, since there didn't seem to be any people here.
Riku suddenly and gently grasped Kairi's hand, keeping his head bowed "I'm sorry... about Ansem... I... I was being an idiot-"
Kairi shook her head "You weren't in control, it wasn't your fault. Besides, Sora is enough of a self-depreciating guy, I don't need two to juggle." She added an encouraging smile on the end. Riku squeezed her hand in thanks, afraid of saying anything more.
They walked some more in silence, not surprised to only find the sound of their own footsteps meet their ears.
"Hey, let's go this way." Kairi said, leading Riku away from the straight path and towards a sudden side door. He protested "But what if-"
"Trust me, something says we should go in there, now help me with this."
Riku reluctantly helped Kairi open the heavy doors, hoping this could somehow lead them to Sora.
"Riku there's someone in here!" Kairi gasped while Riku was still pushing the door aside. He opened the door all the way, and felt his stomach do a loop-de-loop.
A boy, not much older than he was, was peacefully asleep on a throne. His hair was golden blond, and his clothes were dark gray and tan. He had various bits of armor scattered among his outfit, but it looked rusted.
Kairi ws kneeling next to him "This... This is..."
"Ventus..." Riku began walking over. He felt mixed emotions: anger, pity, joy, all thrown in a blender until he couldn't tell what was what. The closer he got to Ventus, the duller his anger became. Yes, Ven did so many things he could hate him forever for, but he... He didn't feel any of that hatred of thirst for vengance. Rather, he felt pity. Had he been asleep all these years? Riku couldn't imagine a worse life. Caught in a comatose limbo like that.
"Gosh, how long as he been sleeping here?" Kairi asked, brushing some dust off of the bits of armor.
Riku bent over Ventus, gently shaking him "Hey... You still alive?" He thought about Sora earlier. He had thrown himself in front of Kairi, thrown himself into a situation where he could have lost his heart. He had changed, but could he forgive?
Ven stirred, then slowly opened his eyes. As Riku suspected, they were blue, but not just any old shade of blue. They were the exact same shade as Sora's.
Riku backed away as Ventus looked at his hands. His mouth was slightly agape as he made sure that these were his hands and no one else's. He then looked up, and his face went from weak wonder to horror, then to remorse. Ven teared up, and looked away from Riku. His lips moved in near-silent apology, Riku only able to decipher a quiet string of breath. Ventus blinked, held a hand to his throat, and tried again.
"...s...sorry... I'm...so...sorry..."
Riku was surprised at the sheer amount of guilt in Ven's quiet and tender voice. Kairi was the first to respond "Hey, it's alright."
Ventus shook his head, looking back at the both of them "No... I... I was..." He trailed off in a few quiet sobs. Moments later he summoned his own Keyblade- it looking something like an abstract wing made from hastily melded and tarnished bronze- put it in Riku's hand, and pressed its tip against his heart.
Ventus then gave him a pleading, repentant look. Go ahead, I deserve any punishment you choose into inflict upon me.
Riku stared at the Keyblade in his hands, then at Ventus. Ven further pressed the blade against him, nodding. Riku swallowed, and brought it back.
"Riku are you sure you want to do this?!" Kairi said almost pleadingly.
Ventus had closed his eyes, bracing for what he hoped was anything-
There was a clatter, and Ven's eyes snapped open. Confused, he looked up at Riku, finding his Keyblade vanished from his hand. Ven turned, finding his Keyblade discarded. He looked back at Riku
"why...?"
Riku shook his head, saying "I'm not that kind of person. You've suffered enough."
Ventus shook his head "No... I was... A-a demon...a monster..." His voice finally raised above a whisper "I took everything from you!"
Riku only extended his hand "Yes, you've done things worthy of being called something like those... But I think you've repaid that debt. What's in the past is in the past."
Ventus stared at Riku's hand in disbelief. He made a shaky smile, tears streaming down his face, and pulled Riku into a sudden hug.
Riku, stunned by this unexpected move, only heard Ventus's breathy sobs of joy "thank you... Thank you...!"
Riku gently patted Ven's back "Hey, don't think you're out of the red yet, there's still-"
Ventus pulled away, looking sad again "Sora."
Kairi tilted her head "How did you-?"
Ventus then chuckled, holding a hand to his heart "He took me in. I've been a part of him ever since I destroyed his- well, I guess your -world." He trailed off, sadness overtaking his features again.
Riku helped him off the throne, saying "Hey, let's go see if we can find him."
Ventus took a step on his own before collapsing and landing in Riku's arms. "Um... S-sorry, I don't think I can walk..." Riku only wrapped one of Ven's arms around his shoulder "It's okay, we can walk together." He then noted that some of the rust stains... weren't exactly rust... He looked away from Ven, resisting his urge to either vomit or yell in disgust.
That was probably the blood of his friends, Sora's parents, his parents. Ventus seemed aware of Riku's discomfort, and said nothing.
Riku broke the ice with a question he wanted answered "The other kid I saw. Who was that?"
"Me." Ventus sighed.
Riku froze "He was who now?!"
"My darkness given physical form. He called himself Vanitas, or at least that was the name given to him. The reason we were fighting was because... He wanted us to be complete again, to forge something called the X-Blade."
Riku furrowed his brow in confusion "Keyblade? Are you-"
"No, it's X-Blade, you know, the Greek letter? Oh well, it confused me too..." Ven trailed off, not really wanting to say any more about his past. He changed subjects "Have you heard or seen anyone named Terra or Aqua?"
Riku shook his head, and Kairi said softly "Ven... They haven't been seen in years."
Ventus stopped abruptly, turning to Kairi. He was about to say something, but then his gaze found the charm. He trembled, eyes growning wide. He stumbled over, grabbing it in one hand while bringing out another, except with green stained glass.
"No... That's... This is Aqua's..." He whispered, looking at both the charms. Ventus collasped, starting to shake and sob "I-if she's gone... No, t-they can't be gone!"
"We never said they were, just that we've lost contact." Kairi knelt next to Ventus, gently embracing him "They're in your heart, after all." After a few more minutes, Kairi then took off Aqua's charm, and handed it to Ven "Here, I bet it means more to you than it does to me."
Ventus wept more upon Kairi placing the small trinket in his hand. He then smiled softly, and whispered "Thank you."
Weeee part 2! those who followed Lost Boys will probably want to follow this one, ESPECIALLY since Ventus is awake.
