It's the sound of crashing waves enveloping the two in a dreamlike calm, nostalgic and comforting despite circumstance. When was the last time either boy had been given time to properly relax? With targets constantly on them, battle after battle, every small respite shadowed by the ever growing threat of the Organization. There simply hadn't been an opportunity until now; trapped on this world consisting of darkness alone without any clue where to go. Still...
Everyone had made it out before the portal closed, Xemnas was defeated along with his underlings. Though they were quite injured from the final confrontation this outcome was better than expected; now all that was left was to find a way out of the Dark Realm. The countless hours of limping through nothingness would have been mind numbing if not for the company of one another. Stopping to rest only for short breaks before happening upon the end of the line neither boy seemed to have much to talk about the entire way, consumed in his own thoughts for long stretches before breaking the silence with a comment or question on occasion. Relief and exhaustion left them sprawled at the shore when they arrived, where ocean water lapped at their feet in welcome as if the sea never forgot either of them. A reassuring thought in the wake of their victory; perhaps it would be kind enough lead them back home.
Home.
What an alien word; after all the time spent trying to get away from that small world, they had fought like hell to get back. To whom exactly? Their friends, their families? It had been the easiest decision in the worlds to leave it all behind back then; who would have guessed anyone would miss that uneventful life so much? Despite everything he'd seen, everything he'd done, all the people he'd met and good they've done. What he wouldn't do for just one more day back on the islands...
A small thud against the sole of a sneaker is enough to pull Riku from his reverie, teal eyes opening to the darkened sky that loomed overhead and moving to see something bobbing in the water as if urging him to pick it up. Wiping away the damp sand that clung to his palm against the fabric of filthy jeans, Riku leaned forward to take it realizing what it was- a large bottle gleaming in the faux moonlight. How had it gotten here? This place untouched by time, isolated from the Realm of Light and its inhabitants. It didn't appear to be litter either as something was nestled within, protected from the rippling current by a cork alone.
Squinting to see what was inside, he opened the bottle and shook out a rolled piece of parchment before setting the glass off to his side. The handwriting was familiar- not too elegant but not sloppy, straight script that seemed just a tad unnatural on the unlined paper. Reading more like a poem than anything else, the lines flowing into one another with a certain sense of wisdom. It wasn't any shock when the signature read her name, a smile turning up his lips once more. Kairi... How silly, she hadn't even addressed the letter properly yet somehow Riku knew exactly who she intended to receive it.
"I think it's for you." Half joking, he offered the poem out towards the brunet and watched as Sora read aloud the first line in bemusement before falling silent to read the rest to himself. Features visibly softened before a fond smile turned the edges of his lips up upon reading her signature as well. Some things never changed, huh? It was nice to see the inkling he'd carried since witnessing his younger friends reunite was correct. Although, knowing Sora the time apart had only served to make the fondness stronger than before they left. Good... They deserved to share mutual feelings for one another. At the very least it put his own unspoken rejection at peace.
The idle musings were interrupted by a blinding light that erupted out towards the sea, illuminating the waters edge in dazzling white.
Puzzled, the keybearer tore his eyes from the note to where a swelling radiant pillar seemed to beckon them forward into the water. Riku watched through slit eyes as it began to consume the horizon slowly, sparks of light falling away from the edges to die as they touched the sea. The sight alone left him breathless while hope began to fill his once heavy heart. "Light..." The word barely above a murmur as it continued growing further and further out. Soon its warmth would touch every inch of this world as it searched for whatever called it into being.
"The door to Light." Sora's words trailed off as the wonder in his voice became clear on his tanned face. The brunets thoughts were racing, trying to make sense of it all; after they had cast away any hope of salvation, after they agreed to remain in the Dark so long as the worlds were safe, a way out had quite literally presented itself before them-
A pathway out had presented itself to them.
Blue eyes flit down to the streak of white mirrored towards the beach by the water, realizing that not a single ripple was visible where it touch. The door to Light had laid a way to the exit; hope seized his heart once more. This was their way out, their way back home, Sora was certain of it! A blessing sweet enough to make his eyes sting as they welled with emotion. He was the first to spring up to his feet, breathless from anticipation, the hero turned to look at his childhood friend with a gloved hand extended. "We'll go together." It was more of a statement than a question; after all everyone was waiting for them both back home.
Home.
Soon enough he'd be back with Donald, Goofy... Kairi. All that was left was to get back there. Back to her.
A second passed before Riku responded, as though he truly contemplated staying here in the Darkness alone. It hadn't been a joke when he questioned returning to the Light Realm as himself once more- the boy who wanted to run away for years, finally receiving that freedom at the cost of his heart and body. Would he be strong enough to see them all again, knowing that it was partly his fault Destiny Islands was plunged into darkness? Sora may have been able to tease him about it yet the fear remained strong in his heart. Coupled with a sour feeling that began pooling in the pit of his stomach the teen very nearly declined.
"Yeah." The admission was more to himself than to Sora, taking hold of the hand offered to him before pulling up onto unsteady feet. Teeth grit in pain as he shuffled towards the water and realized the water was no longer soaking through his shoes. A strip of solid surface allowed them to make their way into the passage over frozen waves. Warm and welcoming, the ache in his back where Xemnas had nearly snapped his spine began to ease as they stepped into the unearthly glow; it was something short of a miracle that Riku could manage to limp about still. Filled with renewed strength the boys pressed onward into the incandescent passage without any idea where they'd end up. But as long as they were together that really didn't matter.
A muffled noise caught his attention, something akin to a cry carried on the wind, coming somewhere from behind but by the time Riku had turned to look there was nothing left. Only blinding light that continued to rise in temperature until it felt like every inch of his body was set aflame. Barreling downwards into nothingness, he lost consciousness.
Warm water flooding his airways is what brought him back to consciousness, the taste of salt potent enough to leave him gagging before even breaking surface, gasping for breath as soon as he did. The air was heavy, clinging to his skin uncomfortably despite being several degrees cooler than the water yet somehow unrefreshing. It took a few moments to adjust to the dying sunlight, a glare hitting his eyes and momentarily blinding him.
Eventually forms begin to take their proper shape and Sora was able to gather his surroundings, eyes that met with Rikus filled with questions. It couldn't be.... They could not have gotten lucky enough to have been transported back to Destiny Islands...right? Yet clear as day, this was their tiny world in all its uneventful glory. Nothing looked to have changed from the last fateful time the trio met up at the docks. Some of the wood seemed a little worse for wear and some of the foliage inland was overgrown, but then again they hadn't been home for over a year. Even the Heartless couldn't change this place it seemed.
"The island!" Fueled by a burst of excitement the Keyblade hero began heading to shore in the long, even strokes of an experienced swimmer. Halfway up he switched to run through the knee high waters and stumbled onto dry land, collapsing immediately on the hot sand before rolling over to stare at the late afternoon sky. It's orange hue brought a wave of nostalgia crashing over him. How often would he nap here on this very stretch of land? Where it was warm and just barely out of reach of the ocean spray. And how often had Kairi come over to scold him for getting all the sand in his hair? Or Riku coming over to chastise him for being lazy? Much of his life had played out on this islet, coming back felt like a part of him was whole once more.
"Oh!" Bolting upright, he grinned as Riku finally managed to catch up, wiping at his face. Some distant part of him took pride in beating him yet Sora made sure to smash that feeling back down as curious eyes scanned the horizon. "Where are the others? You think they're somewhere around here?"
It was quiet save for the gentle lapping of water at the shore and distant waterfall further in. Some birds sang from within the forestation, falling into harmony with the crickets and other insects. No sign of the King or anyone else. Dusk was near and the nocturnal wildlife seemed to be coming alive. There were no lamps to light the way- they'd need to get moving soon or have to navigate in the dark.
"They might be back on the mainland..." Riku's voice trailed, a frown marring his expression. The sense of dread had been growing and growing, looming overhead like a particularly heavy raincloud ready to release its deluge. Something wasn't right- from the eerie emptiness of the play island to the low tide and overgrowth of greenery. Even the position of the setting sun just felt wrong for this time of year yet the teen couldn't seem to put his finger on it, couldn't piece together what felt obvious. "Sora, is it just me or does something feel off?"
"Huh? What d'you mean? " Looking back up at Riku, chestnut brows knit together in confusion. He pushed back onto his feet, canting his head in bemusement. Clearly something was bothering his friend yet Sora couldn't fathom what it was; hesitance? Reluctance maybe? His need to ensure the others were safe and a long nap to recover left all thought cloudy enough to dismiss the question. Shaking his head sent fine grains of sand flying from the chestnut spikes in all directions. "I dunno what you're talking 'bout Riku. You're probably just real tired from that last fight. Let's go find everyone first before it gets dark then we can figure out what's next."
It wasn't an entirely unreasonable argument, he was having as hard a time keeping heavy lids from staying shut with each blink. At this rate Riku would end up crashing in the small shack before even making it home.
"Guess I am a little out of it still..." The sour feeling remained pooled inside him despite agreeing. Reluctantly he followed after Sora towards the dock after a beat, hoping it was nothing more than the frayed nerves of someone who had received the short end of the stick for so long. Perhaps being too high strung, doubting any glimmer of hope, had really gotten to him. Fingers rubbed at his head it began to throb with a dull ache as well. Riku hoped some rest would prove Sora right.
Secured to the dock by a single braid of rope, a fine layer of dust and crystallized salt covered most of the small wooden boats surface with visible algae that clung to the bottom of the boat- overgrown to the point crustaceans had taken residence in it. Despite being sealed the sun had managed to bleach it a pale dusty color. Grimacing as they did their best to get the worst of it off with the oars the boys met eyes once more. It was Sora who spoke the question on both their minds.
"Who do y'think abandoned this?" Calloused fingers expertly undid the heavy rope securing it to the dock. It was a fairly common knot that most anyone back inland could make and took hardly a breath to loosen, yet was tough enough to keep anything secured even during a storm. Many of the adults taught it to their children growing up, especially those living closer to the beach. "It's covered in a bunch of stuff, so it must have been here a long time... But who would leave it here?"
While covered in sea growth there didn't appear to be any damage to its hull or rotten wood which meant it was perfectly capable of being used without sinking. He paused, tapping a knuckle against his chin in thought trying to think of any logical reason it would be without an owner, yet nothing made sense the more he thought about it. The headache wasn't helping, bogging down his thoughts and worsening his mood. When nothing clicked he gave a half shrug.
"It must have gotten left here by someone getting a ride from someone else." The theory was rather weak, yet not entirely impossible; there were always days when one person would leave their boat out of exhaustion or injury. Several times one of them would have to take Sora back home after pulling a muscle or falling off something too high. It was Kairi though, who had a knack for talking one of them into doing the work of rowing her back after a long day. Although to be quite honest both of them were rather easy targets when all she had to do was smile... "Come on. The sun is going down."
Grunting with effort they pushed off the dock and each took an oar. Rowing together like this took very little concentration as the two fell back into their old pattern of motion and left them to their thoughts. It was as silent as their trek through the nothingness; neither had much he wanted to talk about, running on fumes with their minds on a hot meal and a warm bed. Soon the sky was deep hues of purple, their journey nearing its end when they caught sight of lights bobbing along the coast.
"Hey, what's that?" A gloved hand extended to where the yellow beams sway irregularly. "Flashlights? Lanterns?"
Riku turned to see what his friend was talking about, pushing silver fringe from his eyes to get a better look. Indeed the small lights jostled about in a way that'd be consistent with someone walking with a flashlight... yet it didn't make sense as to why so many of them moved about in rotations as far as the eye could see. The evening lamps were dimmer than normal and barely outlined each figure as they swung around to train their lights onto the boys, shining directly into their faces the closer they got. Far too many people to be just their friends as he'd thought.
"A...search party?" Riku attempted to shield his eyes from the glare, squinting through fingers to try and see who it was waiting for them to dock. Everyone's face was hidden by the long shadows cast by the soft lights behind them, coupled with the lanterns aimed directly in his eyes made it impossible to make out any distinct features. Poised to call his weapon to hand at a moments notice Riku kept his gaze firmly locked onto the crowd forming at the dock.
"Hey! We're over here!" The movement nearly toppled them into the water, Sora launching up on top of his seat to wave at the growing number of onlookers. Despite his friend scolding him for standing upright both arms raised over the spiky head as he called out loudly. "Hey! Everyone! Its us, we're back!"
It was only when they were mere feet away did either of them notice the weapons strapped to their bodies, most with hands on hilts or weapons already drawn in their direction. Sora was pulled off his feet first by a number of adults restraining the struggling teenager immediately against the old wooden dock. Forcibly pulled from the small boat seconds after, Riku didn't put up much of a struggle as their wrists were bound in heavy material behind their backs. With the sheer number of guards surrounding them there wasn't any way to fight through them all without injuring someone seriously. Heartless or Nobodies were one thing but Islanders...? Fighting their own people didn't even cross his mind as he's pulled onto his feet and forced to walk over to where dirt met the fine grains of sand before turning into the weathered path that led back to town. That was a line neither boy was willing to cross even if they were wrongly being detained.
No one spoke to them or offered any sort of explanation as they argued among themselves.
"Since when do the guards patrol the beach?" No amount of wriggling against the restraints could get them free, nor would any of their magic respond to their spellcasting. Defeated, Sora slumped in on himself beside the other after a few minutes of trying. A single guard silently kept watch over them from a short distance away.
"Dunno..." Rikus voice was guarded, audible only to his companion as he studied the armed patrol surrounding them. "But they're trained and equipped better than I remember."
"D'you think something happened while we were gone...?" They'd only been separated for a few hours after Kairi and the others escaped at most.
"They might have changed since...since the Heartless attacked." Voice laced heavily with guilt, he turned away as to not let Sora meet his eyes. While he'd visited the world once while his best friend slept for a year, Riku didn't dare to set foot where anyone could see him.
"H-hey you don't know that. It could have been when Axel came and took Ka- wha!?"
Hauled back onto weary legs by the hood of his jacket, the brunet glared back at the adult who moved to lift Riku in a similar fashion. Despite having lived their whole lives here these people were treating them like they'd done something wrong, like criminals! All they'd done was try to go home and this was the treatment they got?
"What's the big idea!?" Glaring up at the one who seemed to be the leader, the Keybearer tried once again to wiggle out of his binds to no avail. "We're just looking for our friends-!"
"Quiet!" Cold as steel the leader snapped, glaring at the two with an undisguised contempt before looking back to the one who had lifted them up. "Take them to the mayor, let the officials sort this mess. Everyone else, back to your posts immediately!"
Sora breathed a short sigh of relief; the mayor was Kairi's dad, a man who knew them well considering how often they played together. He would recognize them and make sure they knew what a mistake they'd made in tying them up this way. Catching Riku's eye, he shot him a toothy grin as they seemed to share the same idea. This would be over in no time.
"But sir-" The guard stepped forward, clearly not happy with the arrangement to escort them that far inland.
"That is an order!" The leader barked, loudly enough even the birds nesting in a nearby tree were startled enough to take flight. What an unpleasant person...
The group reluctantly dispersed, casting glances back as they did before disappearing into the shadows once more. Something hard jabbed into the older boys spine and tore a cry of pain from his lips. "Get walking!"
Sora still looked ready for a fight even with both hands tied behind his back- despite these people being fellow Islanders they were far more merciless than ever before. Being friends with Kairi growing up he'd been exposed to all sorts of armed guards yet none of them had ever been this cold. What had gotten into them? It wouldn't take much to show them their place in terms of battle...But Riku simply grit his teeth and shook his head, walking through the pain down the main island path with a motion for Sora to follow. With a soft grunt of annoyance the Keybearer begrudgingly trailed behind before he could earn his own jab in the back.
The island itself was unrecognizable in the dimness, it's dirt road barely illuminated from the light being carried by the small band of guards escorting them. Thankfully Sora would know this route better than anywhere else; he and Riku had made this trek uphill many a time to visit the Mayors house. If anyone's word carried power it was his, he'd get them out of this bind the moment he saw them. Who knew, maybe Kairi would
"It's dark out. Almost none of the lights are on." Came the voice beside him, pensive and unmistakably uneasy, breaking the brunet out of his thoughts. "Power outage...?"
The guards ignored the question pointedly, forcing them to shuffle onward.
While Sora had noted it was dark when they set off he hadn't noticed just how dark. Not many homes had any light on despite the night having just settled over the world. At this hour many children would be rushing home to dinner, a number of large boats should be coming in and setting out for overnight fishing, at the very least the marketplace in town would still be abuzz with life as many stores wouldn't shut their the doors for a bit longer. Yet the only sounds were the crunching of sand underneath their feet, the distant cry of gulls, and the even more faint crashing of waves.
He'd brushed off his friends worries when they'd arrived but a knot was beginning to form in his stomach as they approached their destination. Riku was right as usual- something was off.
The Mayors house was the largest on the island; close to the town market, safe from most threats of a hurricane or tsunami, and about 3 levels high. For as long as Sora could remember it was on of the most elegantly designed structure across any of the island chains as well. The delicate vines wrapped around one side of the house and archways, bearing no flowers despite being in season; it grew wildly in every direction, seeming to spread across only one side of the house after being left to grow freely. Long ago Kairi's father wanted it removed for being "unsightly" but she'd managed to convince him to leave it as it gave the house character, in her words. Little did he know that it simply made scaling in and out of her room much easier for the trio. Good to see it was still thriving to this day.
Light flickered dimly from somewhere within the mansion, a soft yellow glow illuminating the strip of road outside if only just barely. Feeling eyes on them, teal eyes dart up towards the windows yet could only make out a shadow as it flit away. Scowling he allowed himself to be ushered inside by unforgiving hands pressing the tender spot in his back. It was eerily quiet within the familiar home, air still and humid as they shuffled into the parlor. Every blind was drawn tightly in that back room, a fine layer of dust clinging to the furniture and dancing in the air as they wondered why exactly they were being brought here. It's been quite a while since Riku had been in this room- after a certain point Kairi wasn't keen on hanging out at her house, opting to make the trip down to their houses. On normal days this room was solely used for tea or celebrations while the Mayor took any important meetings in his office. So why were they waiting in here for him? Surely no one would be with him at this hour.
"Can we sit? I'm exhausted!" The complaint was drawn out, almost whining, as Sora frowned towards the dusty loveseat. "We just wanna-"
"Be quiet. The sooner the mayor gets here and figures out what to do with you both, the better." The uniformed woman sounded weary herself, grumbling inaudibly yet never allowing the tension to leave her shoulders. Neither boy had noticed until now how young she appeared under the helmet and body armor. Yet somehow she seemed much older, as if she knew more than they ever could hope to learn. Wise beyond her years. How young were they drafting now...?
"Who're they?" No one noticed the sound of the door opening or the tiny strawberry blonde girl waltzing in only to hide partially behind their escort. Pale lavender eyes peered inquisitively up at them, a curious tilt to her head. Even for a child it was clear she was quite petite; delicate fingers curled into the pants fabric of the woman as if to shield herself from the two strangers.
The guard was clearly flustered by her presence, quickly kneeling down on one knee to look her in the eye. "Young miss you know you should not be here when your mother is not around-!"
Blue eyes met teal ones before looking back at the girl. Who was she? One of the maids daughters? Often times the helping hands were allowed to move into the Mayors mansion if the commute wasn't ideal- there was always a need for employment in such a large vista, as well as space for extra families. Yet the rooms available for lodging were usually located on the far end of the manor to avoid situations such as this one.
"Hana! I thought I put you to bed already!" A new voice came from just outside the door and the kid, Hana, scurried towards it. "Why are you down here? You know you shouldn't be downstairs when there is a meeting about to take place. This is no place for a child to be in!"
"Mama!" Despite being scolded the child still ran into her mothers arms with a guilty giggle, babbling about the two strange boys yet the words became an incoherent garble as the mother raised her head. Time slowed to a halt as the deep blue eyes flit from Hana to the two staring in silent shock at her. It was a blow to the chest, knocking all the air out from her as they all continued to stare in a prolonged silence. Hana paused in her ramble to reach towards the woman worriedly.
"Mama, why are you crying?"
A trembling hand came up to wipe at her face, realizing that she was indeed crying a steady stream of tears that dripped off the edge of her chin and onto her shirt. Raising slowly to her feet she gently nudged past the child to stand directly before them. Shaking fingers tucked a long strand of bright red hair behind her ear before reaching out towards them hesitantly. "Sora...Riku...? Is that...really you?"
A single word croaked from the brunets lips, rough with an emotion he had no name for.
"Kairi...?"