It's been months now since that day.
The others stated to loose hope. They held a funeral even. With no body to even bury.
Riku never stopped believing.
"Riku, are you alright?" Mickey would ask him, and he would say he was fine. Because he knew Sora was out there still, knew in his heart he would come back to them. So why did everyone else stop believing?
"I'm fine Mickey. I have no reason to be sad, Sora will come back to us. I know it." He said with determination.
Mickey looked sad. "Riku..."
More months passed. He never stopped believing. Sora would come back to them, it would just take some time. He just needed to believe he would pull through and all would be okay. Kairi was worried about him.
"Riku... you need to let go already. It's been almost a year-"
"How could you even say that? He will be back Kairi. Didn't he make you that promise?" He spat back with venom. His eyes couldn't lie.
Kairi watched his retreating form.
"Riku..."
Years started to pass.He had since gave up the life of a keyblade master. Having gave up on the friends that had no longer truly believed. He believed, no mater how long it took, he would find his way back to them, to him.
He saw him sometimes , in his dreams, but woke with little memory of what had transpired. It made his heart ache but he kept on believing.
Roxas met with him once. After many years of silence. He seemed sad.
"He loved you, ya know, somewhere deep down inside. I always knew it, and it always pissed me off about you, but now... it just makes me sad. I think I understand now." Roxas looked up into the endless sky.
"You wait for him still? After all these years?" He asked.
Riku smiled. "Of course. I believe in him."
Roxas sighed softly. He kicked a pebble with his shoe into a puddle of water.
"Riku..."
A life time had passed.
He never stopped believing that he would return. He lived his days out quietly. In a small little cottage away from other eyes.
In his old age, he almost even forgot what he looked like. But he never stopped believing.
He dreamed of him every night, meeting in a realm of endless skies and clouds, where they would meet and dance and sing, creatures of many different colors joining them in their dance, forever young, in his memory, their hearts beating together as they reunited in an afterlife, not so far away from him now.
He smiled and dreamed.