Darkness. Impenetrable. It's so thick that it practically clogs his pores, fills his mouth and sinks down into his throat, coming to a rest just over his heart, where it will remain for the rest of his days. Guarding, protecting, so that he never gets hurt again.
Riku knows it's not meant to be this way.
He knows that he must keep fighting.
And most of all, he knows that his friends still care.
But he's in too deep now, too far to stop. He clenches his fists and stares at the ground, silently willing the tears not to fall. He has to help Sora, get his memories back where they belong. And standing there, crying like a lost child isn't going to help him.
Riku looks up, straight at Sora, through the pearly, glass-like pod that surrounds him. His best friend, for as long as he can remember, and here he is with no memory of that time they spent together. Riku doesn't want that – he'd give up everything, including himself, to bring Sora back. Riku looks one more time at Sora's sleeping form before walking away silently, not a tear on his face.
And he knows-
He can destroy the darkness.