A/N: Here we go, fic number... uh... what're we on again?

Teek: Other than crack?

Me: I meant what number fic is this for the Hikari series?

Teek: I dunno. Four?

Me: That sounds about right... ((counts on fingers)) Yup, four! Anyway, readers, this fic is seen entirely (or as close to it as I can get) from Riku's POV, so please, enjoy the wonderful Riku-ness and please let me know if I get him too OOC, will you? Admittedly, he gets that way alot around Mizu, but let me know if it gets out of hand, okay? In other words, read and review, please, and thankies for reading this!


Riku watched as Sora and two other characters sauntered out of an alleyway into the third district. Sora still had a self-assured swagger to his steps that told Riku the recent events hadn't changed him much. Riku silently debated with himself as to whether or not he wanted to go out and great Sora, or if he wanted to just let the past go and move on with his new life. Unfortunately, fate took that option away from him.

Before Sora could even pull out his sword, Riku jumped in and destroyed the Heartless with one swift blow. Then, deciding it was too late to change his mind now, Riku turned around and grinned at his friend.

"There you are," he said jovially. "What's going on?"

"Riku!" Sora exclaimed, leaping forward and stretching out Riku's cheeks.

"Hey, hey, cut it out," Riku said, slapping Sora's hands away. Sora's usual childish grin widened.

"I'm not dreaming this time, right?" the boy asked.

"I hope not," Riku replied, cheeks still sore. "Took forever to find you."

"Riku! Wait a second, where's Kairi?"

"Isn't she with you? Well, don't worry. I'm sure she made it off the island, too. We're finally free. Hey, she might even be looking for us now. We'll all be together again soon. Don't worry. Just leave everything to me. I know this-- "

Without any warning, Sora leapt forward, right past Riku, and swung his own sword on the Heartless that had appeared without Riku's noticing. Sora slung his sword over his shoulder, returning Riku's earlier grin.

"Leave it to who?" the boy asked.

"Sora, what did you--?" Riku started to ask, but was cut off by another voice he had missed.

"Nice hit, shrimp!" Kage called from one of the upper balconies. She swung herself over the ledge and ran up to Sora, clapping him on the back. "You jus' keep gettin' better with that thing, huh?"

"Hey, I'm pretty good with a sword!" Sora protested. "I held out against Cloud for a while, didn't I?"

"Don't get your britches in a bunch, I never said you weren't any good!" With about as much warning as Sora had given when he attacked the Heartless, Kage spun around, grabbed Riku by the head, and pulled him into a very heated kiss. "But you could still run circles around 'im!"

"Whatever I did," Riku said, stunned but still able to speak, "I should do it more often!" Mizu laughed out loud, kissed him again, only with less passion, and let him go.

"Popping up out of nowhere after I've been worried sick about you?" Kage said with a grin. "Try it an' I'll knee you in the groin."

Every male within hearing distance flinched and instinctively moved to cover their privates, knowing full well that it wasn't an empty threat.

"Okay, then I won't," Riku said, having seen her do just that to Wakka on more than one occasion. "So what's been going on with you guys?"

"Duck hunt," Kage said, eyeing the duck Sora was with maliciously. Then she turned a grin on Riku and finished with "And you and Kairi're the ducks."

"If you threaten me one more time--" the duck said, holding up a staff.

"Can it, turkey."

"Will you two knock it off?" Sora snapped. "It wouldn't kill you two to get along for once, you know!"

"I wouldn't take that bet," Kage growled under her breath. Sora just snorted and turned back to Riku.

"I've been looking for you and Kairi, too," the younger boy said, then looked at the duck and the other character, "with their help."

"Who are they?" Riku asked. The duck cleared his throat and started to introduce himself, but Sora cut him off when he noticed Kage's glare.

"We visited so many places and worlds, looking for you," Sora said hastily before Kage could snap again.

"Really?" Riku asked, genuinely impressed. "Well, what do you know? I never would have guessed."

"Oh, and guess what?" Sora's other friend said, putting his hands on Sora's shoulders like and affectionate parent. "Sora's the Keyblade master. Who would've thought it?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora demanded. Riku leaned over and snatched the Keyblade while Sora was distracted, but didn't miss the speculative glint in Kage's eye. He decided to ignore it for the time being, however, and concentrated on annoying the crap out of Sora.

"So this is called a Keyblade?" he asked. Sora then noticed that he didn't have it anymore.

"Huh? Hey, give it back!"

Riku took a step backwards and tossed the Keyblade to the boy, calling out "Catch!" Amazingly enough, Sora caught it. That more than anything convinced Riku that Sora had definitelly changed since the last time they'd seen each other.

"Okay," Sora said when the Keyblade was firmly back in his possession, "so, you're coming with us, right? We've got this awesom rocket. Wait 'til you see it!"

"No, he can't come," the duck immediatelly snapped. Kage opened her mouth angrily, but Sora cut her off before she could get anything out.

"What?" he demanded, rounding on the duck with as much fury as Kage would have probably demonstrated.

"Forget it!"

"Oh, come on! He's my friend!"

"I don't care!"

Riku split before any of them noticed, putting as much distance between himself and Sora as he could as quickly as he could. However, he did manage to hear the rest of the conversation.

"He's gone," Sora's other friend said, sounding surpised.

"Riku?" Sora called. Riku peeked around a corner to see what was happening, and it turned out that Sora had turned around and cast an infuriated scowl at the duck. "Nice going." Then, Sora turned to look at Kage, who was staring straight at Riku. "Mizu, did you see where he went?"

"Huh?" Kage asked, turning to look at Sora. "Oh, uh, no, I didn't."

"Then what were ya lookin' at?" Sora's other friend asked. (A/N: Seeing as Riku doesn't know their names at this point, I'm not going to call Goofy and Donald by their names. Until Riku learns otherwise or I get sick of vague references, Donald is going to be refered to as "the duck" and Goofy as "Sora's other friend" or "the other character.") Kage shrugged and looked right at Riku again.

"Nothin'," she said absently, then winked at Riku. "Just a shadow, I guess." Riku took the hint and started to leave again, but he still managed to catch the rest of what they had to say.

"Hey, don't you have a meating with Leon to get your behind to?" Kage asked.

"Yeah, but..." Sora said, though he never elaborated on the "but."

"Don't worry," Kage said, and Riku could quite easily picture the reassuring smile on her face. "If I see Riku again, I'll tell him what happened. And Donald..."

"What?" the duck asked.

"Pull a stunt like that again, and I'll personally roast you alive."

Riku heard Kage's distinct footfalls moving away from the group and Donald's frightened gulp.

"Oh, well," Sora said. "At least he's okay. And who knows? Maybe we'll run into Kairi soon, too."