Authors Note: This is named after Donald's and Goofy's strongest weapons from the second game because I couldn't think of anything better. You know, the one's you have to synthesize. :3 I honestly have no idea where this story is going, or what I'm planning to do, or who I want Kairi to end up with. So send me your input, I'd like to know what you think!
"And our hearts will always be together.
Through the darkest night and brightest day,
Our destinies have been intertwined
and my future forever written with you.
In any darkness you will be my light, Kairi.
Love Forever,
Sora"
"What a wimp," huffed Riku, tossing the letter back at Kairi.
"Aw Riku, you're just jeeaallouuss." She joked after catching the letter, which was hazardously close to touching the ground. She danced in front of him to grab his cheeks playfully.
He swatted her away, agitated. "Am not."
"You so are," she laughed, but quickly stopped as Riku glared darkly at her, "You are." She shrugged, and crossed her arms, sending him a dark glare right back to illustrate her point, then sticking her tongue out childishly.
He shook his head and walked around her into Cid's shop, "Cid!"
"Riku, are you mad?"
"Cid, hey Cid!"
"Hellooo? What's the matter?" Kairi prodded, perplexed by Riku's sudden anger.
"Cid, where the fuck did you go?" he said, waving Kari off and turning his back to her, leaning both elbows on the sales counter.
"Riku, you know bad language is not allowed in my shop," growled Cid, as he hauled a large box full of who-knows-what's into the store front.
Riku grinned, "What about the fact you curse like a sailor?"
"As owner, I'm exempt." Cid looked up, grinning as well. He pulled the toothpick from his mouth and pointed at the box, "Hey you two kids; open this up for me and fix 'em up nice a top the fireplace?"
"Sure, Cid." Kairi smiled, walking over and bending down to rip open the box's four folds.
"Okay, but first I need some advice." Cid quickly glanced at Kairi, but Riku shook his head feverently, praying she didn't notice. "It's about my gummi ship."
"Ooooh, well, lay it on me." He said, looking both guilty and bummed at the same time.
"I have this broken block," he pulled out a big chunk of neon green gummi, then continued, "At least, I think it's broken. It won't fit in with the others, though it looks like it should. There aren't any cracks either; I've looked it over a few times. It just… won't stick."
"Are you sure it's even a gummi block?"
"What else would it be?"
"I don't know," scowled Cid, "Where'd you get it?" he questioned, taking the square shape from Riku's grasp, "It's not like a gummi block to be so inflexible. They usually mold to any ship, so long as there's enough space. "
"There's more than enough space. It doesn't stick or conform to anything. I just assumed it's broken."
"No, this ain't a gummi block. It can't be if it don't conform. Looks can be deceiving, kid," he looked at the block in his hand speculatively, then toddled to the store's back leaving the mysterious block behind.
"Not a gummi block?," chirped Kairi, sitting on the floor cross – legged sifting through the box's contents. "But Jiminy swore on his life it was a Navi-G piece, didn't he?"
"Yeah, well Jiminy swears his life on a lot of things."
"Usually, he's right, though." Kairi denounced, thinking back to all the times Jiminy and his experience had proven her wrong. "He has been everywhere. Anyways, Riku come look at this stuff. Its baby Cid!" she laughed, tossing a large picture frame at Riku. "Wasn't he adorable? He was a gummi block nerd even in his early years." She grinned widely and returned to unloading the box, infatuated by every new treasure she found.
Riku examined the aging black and white picture and smiled back at the baby. Cid must have been a year old and was chewing on a large, yellow Thundara-G gummi piece.
"I had a cute little smirk, didn't I?" rasped Cid who came back equipped with a Gummi Magnetism device and Microscope.
"The cutest." Kairi giggled. "Why do you have all this stuff out? I never took you for the sentimental type."
"Wellp, I had this bet with Yuffie that I lost," said Cid, positioning the gummi block under said microscope, and reconfiguring the Magnetism device.
"What was the bet?" inquired Riku who'd just placed the large picture in the middle of the fireplace's wooden top.
"I'll let her tell you that. It was rigged, I'm practically positive of it."
Riku laughed, "Of course, Cid."
"Don't sass me boy, I can refuse to fix this."
"You would never." Riku grinned, leaning coolly against the counter once again. "So what's the result, doc."
Cid grunted and 'hmmed' a few more moments, fiddling with the microscope button before turning the cube around in his palm and facing Riku. Kairi looked up curiously from the floor, after successfully emptying the box of Cid's fondest memories. "What you have here is a gummi block, but it belongs to a very specific ship I don't know much about. Just heard of it in books and places. Random snippits of information. Don't even know if it's real." He grew quiet after that, so deep in thought Riku had to remind him to continue. "Three ships. I'm pretty sure only three ships have blocks configured like this." He relayed with confidence, "Three ships that fly to three different places. And. . . ehh. . . that's all I can remember. Sompin' about doors after that, but that's all I know." He shrugged, handing the unmoldable gummi block to Riku, who eyed it suspiciously.
"Do you know where we can find information on the three ships? Do they have names?" chimed in Kairi who'd joined Riku on the counter top.
Cid shrugged deplorably, "I only remember each ship comes from three different World's who used to rule over many worlds, known collectively as its kingdom. Those three ruling World's were a big factor in King Mickey's decision to disconnect the World's from each other. Ya know, lock the keyholes of those that were open way back when. The Kingdom's citizens were awfully oppressed, `sept the one World which ruled over its kingdom peacefully."
"They were CONNECTED?" Kairi questioned, wide eyed and leaning closer to Cid, hanging on every world. Riku, who was much more collected than Kairi, asked, "I thought no World's were supposed to know about each other. How did they find out about one another?"
"The Kingdoms knew about each other, but nothin' about anyone else. The story goes that they used to make up One World but some dark creature ripped them apart into… eighty – four or so?... little ones, and the three largest pieces of the broken World took over whatever smaller ones were nearby. They were constantly fighting for territory."
"A dark creature?" questioned Kairi.
"Sompin dark. Don't know if it was a creature, but it was something terrible. I don't remember how they got rid of it… or who did, either."
"Why were they fighting?" Riku inquired, a peculiar look on his face.
"One wanted to take over the other. Two disagreed with each other on everything. And all three wanted credit for eradicating said darkness, and blamed each other for who started it. Look you two, I can't remember much. All's I remember is each World made a ship for one reason or another. I don't know why they didn't make more than one ship each; I don't know why they all used the same basic configuration and system. All I know is that this block here is a navigation gummi and after King Mickey heard about there fighting he drove over there to fix everything, himself. If you want to know more, you'll have to ask him or take a trip to his library."
"Donaaalllldd! Donald Duck!" cried Sora, hands cupped around his mouth for the maximum echo effect. The deep cave shook at the sound of his voice, which bounced off every wall, entering every crevice. "Where did you go D?" Sora mumbled to himself, stumped. He'd been right beside Sora their whole day of excavation. They'd dug up a few artifacts and even an unusual gummi block or two. The most impressive relic they'd uncovered was a yellow diamond the size of Goofy's fist. Donald had identified a strange mystical energy emanating from the unusual stone; strange but harmless. Unfortunately, he'd wandered off after the analysis and was MIA at the moment.
Goofy's inimitable laugh rang through the cave and the voice echoed, "Aw Donald." Immediately after Donald's raspy laugh followed and Sora smiled; he knew they hadn't gone far.
He wondered over to their location via his two best companions' laughs, which still hung on the fissure walls. "What are you guys cracking up about?" he questioned, finding them in an area he had yet to explore.
"We found this, Sora." he said, waddling up to greet his spiky haired pal, too enthralled by the item to address Sora's question.
"King Mickey musta been here." informed goofy, straightening his arm to hold out a singular small pallid button, encrusted with three miniscule circles. Sora took a closer look and 'hah'ed at the symbols resemblance to Mickey Mouse, grabbing it from Goofy's hand for examination. No one could mistake those big ears for anyone else.
"Oh, cool. I wonder why he was here." Sora suddenly doubted his right to be here… he felt like an intruder. Was he not supposed to take things from the cave? Based off the enormous amount of items the trio had found, King Mickey obviously hadn't. He'd asked Tarzan and Jane if the intrusion was alright and they didn't seem to mind. And then, he experienced disappointment as his excitement for this cavern's investigation diminished. So, they hadn't been the first one to discover it? After a few more seconds of private deliberation, he realized King Mickey had been everywhere; Sora would probably never be as cultured or wise as him. He shrugged and handed the button back to Goofy. "We should return this to him. Maybe he'll even tell us this cave's story? I mean, the stuff we've got so far is pretty awesome. Especially, that jade heart and the ginormous yellow diamond. Kairi will be so impressed!" he smiled sincerely, practically skipping back to the clear water pool present at the cavern's center.
The pair chuckled again and Sora rolled their eyes at him, "What now, you two chuckleheads?" But, he was grinning nonetheless.
"Ooooh, nothing." smiled Goofy, a crooked gin adorning his lips.
"Yeah, not a thing." agreed Donald, looking awfully satisfied with himself.
"No really, what? You've been exchanging funny grins all week. Pleeaaaseee, let me in on the secret?" Sora begged, putting his hands together as if in prayer as he walked backwards.
The two just shook their heads and chuckled, speeding ahead of Sora. He spun around and chased after them, all three in an unannounced but completely official running race to the pool, where they're newly unearthed treasures were waiting.
Riku leaned tiredly against the shop's side wall and gazed solemnly at the sky; dusk was his favorite time of day. I guess the urge for darkness has never really left me. He reflected, sighing in regret as he revisited the memories of his many, many mistakes and weaknesses. But, somehow, he had ended up with everything he knew he didn't deserve. Two strong, brave, supporting long - time friends he could always trust, and would always love.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Kairi commented on the sky, it's orange and purple hues slowly phasing into a deeper rich navy blue, its colors blending faultlessly into one another, only to be broken up by wisps of stray gray cloud. It would be a peaceful night.
"Beautiful." he agreed, smiling easily at her. "My favorite time of day." He could just make out her petite, toned frame. Her soft burgundy hair coiled delicately in the almost nonexistent breeze as she joined her friend against the wall.
"How come?" she questioned curiously. She didn't have any particular reasons in mind; she just liked learning what made her friends happy. She always made an effort to remember, too.
He was silent for a moment, choosing only the most concise words, "Because, it reminds me that even something so beautiful fades, even leads, into darkness . . . only to be replaced by the next beautiful day, or the next beautiful dusk. Darkness doesn't last forever." He shook his head, realizing just how hopeful those words sounded, and how much about himself he'd just divulged. He was still struggling with his past, but he'd finally come to terms with it. And on this very night, next to Kairi, he'd allowed himself to hope.
She couldn't think of a proper response, nothing she said could match the power in his words. Nothing she said could really relay to him how happy she was to see him healing. He may not have realized it, but for the past year and three months after their battle with Xehanort, he'd been struggling to keep up with reality. She could sense him spacing out; she could see the guilt and shame he charged himself with; she could hear the self - deprecation in any reminiscent words. He may have given into darkness, but, in her opinion, it took even more strength to free himself from its grasp on his heart. "Or maybe it's just a different kind of beautiful. The kind of recurring beauty that never gives up, never backs down because it's just that powerful." Without a second thought she grabbed for his hand and held it firmly; absolutely. She would not let him or Sora out of her sights ever again.
He held on loosely for a moment, unsure about this physical contact. She may be oblivious to his suppressed feelings . . . he had tried to hide them for years, too, but now he had even more reason to keep his distance from Kairi. He couldn't help the emotional attachment that would always connect them, but physical, too? More so than it already was? He couldn't deny how attractive he thought she was, but he also couldn't interfere with Sora and Kari's current relationship. They were meant to be, they were made for each other. They deserved each other. Riku, on the other hand, deserved neither of them.
He looked up at her face, which even through the diminishing light he could see was stern and unwavering, as well as proud and serene. He tightened his grip on her smaller hand, interlocking their fingers; she was his friend. She would always be his friend, and that's what this interaction was. Completely friendly, almost sibling like.
She smiled brilliantly and Riku almost regretted the action. He was falling in love with this girl more and more each day and getting closer than he already was to her would only cause him trouble. But, he very well couldn't distance himself from her now. No, that was not even an option; he was already in too deep.