Whispers in the Dark
Notes: Thanks for the reviews. My first KH real fanfic, so its appreciated : ) . Fixed a lot of the POV switching so its less confusing. Search for a reliable beta continues.
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[ Chapter 01: The King and the (almost) Casualty ]
"The silence of the people is a warning for the king." - French proverb
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In retrospect, Kairi knew that Jam and Mustard Potatoes did not a hearty breakfast make. After all, she was distracted at the time she made it.
She wasn't proud of it, but everyone had their own ways of dealing with things. Some people had knitting, some people had punching bags, some had long sob-fests on the phone with best friends, and some people just turned self destructive.
Well, Kairi had catastrophic cooking, which wasn't so dangerous for her as it was for everyone within smelling distance. Meals made in distress tended to send her adopted family running for the hills. It was always a toss up between curiously good, or atrociously disgusting.
On good days where her nerves were solid, her cooking was fine, if not moderately tasty. Mornings when she woke up and the sun was shining and the birds chirping, the alluring aroma of her making breakfast was enough to entice the entire family down to the dinner table at ungodly hours. Today? Well… today's batch was a wild card. Who knew what it would taste like…
The only reason she had decided to bring this particular monstrosity with her on the trip to see Sora was because she couldn't decide whether it would be a good present (if it tasted good) or a better punishment (if it tasted terrible). She would be satisfied with either, because as much as she wanted to help Sora feel better, she was still ticked off at her self-proclaimed hero for leaving Destiny Islands without telling her. Again.
Riku certainly hadn't been very pleased with Sora's wordless departure either. There were the beginnings of dark circles underneath his eyes and it certainly hadn't been from late night TV marathons. Riku didn't do TV marathons. He'd probably stayed awake brooding about what he could possibly do without using his old powers to follow his friend off to other worlds. When Sora left without telling anyone, what was Riku supposed to do? Riku could do nothing short of asking the darkness oh-so-nicely if he could hitch a ride through a portal without having to sell his soul a second time. He was done with that. He'd been unable to jump from world to world since being stripped of his inner darkness at the battle for Kingdom hearts, which meant it was impossible for him to find his best friend when he'd disappeared. Not without help, anyway.
From Donald and Goofy's gummi ship, that is.
It's been weeks, so Sora's totally due for an earful from both me and Riku, she thought as she settled herself down in the co-pilot seat up front.
The gummi ship was set to autopilot so Donald and Goofy probably wouldn't mind if she took up the space for a few minutes. They weren't due for Disney Castle for another few hours, anyway, so the dynamic duo was spending their time away from the cockpit and in another room of the ship, trying to fit all their extra junk into a supply closet.
She turned to the seat beside her where Riku was biding his time reading star maps. He was half bent over the colorful control panel resting his elbows on the console, his aquamarine eyes scanning the monitor, which periodically blinked their location every few seconds. One of the faulty lights overhead sputtered to life long enough to see his solemn expression in clarity before the light sputtered back out, leaving them once more in the dim green lighting. The monitor painted them both an eerie shade of neon.
"I put it in the refrigerator so it wouldn't spoil before we get there," she said, motioning coolly to the back of the ship.
Riku deliberately slid a finger across the screen's touch panel, moving one map aside for another. He didn't spare her a glance, but Kairi knew he was listening, "He knows better than to touch it."
"Oh but he's stuck in bed," She waved a finger at Riku. "When I bring it to him, he won't have a choice."
He moved aside another map, this time of Wonderland's star grid. Riku tilted his head towards her, eyes connecting with hers through a side-glance, "It smells like death in the galley."
Kairi wrinkled her nose, "I know."
Nothing but the steady bleep of the control panel filled the small space. She imagined his thoughts as little thunderclouds floating above his head, heavy with questions. She wasn't much of a mindreader, but she liked to think maybe Riku had the same hesitations, the same little demons sailing around in her head, insisting that something had probably gone horribly wrong for Donald and Goofy to have to come out all the way to Destiny Islands to pick them up. About the closest she could do to figuring out what Riku was thinking was to stare at his face until Riku told her to stop or started fidgeting under her gaze.
He did neither, which made Kairi sigh and join him in examining the maps from where she sat.
Still don't know what he's thinking, but at least we're much closer now than we were before, she reminded herself. Since the argument, they'd done away with some issues getting in the way of them getting along. She found it unusual that they'd get each others tempers so easily in the past weeks or so, considering that they'd always been really compatible. Fights were few and far in between, but she supposed maybe the stakes were so high recently that the pressure must have weakened their reserve.
All it took was one good screaming match and things panned out. It wasn't the most dignified or mature way to deal with their problems, but in the end, Kairi didn't have to work as hard to pry things out of Riku and Riku was more comfortable having someone to confide in. Progress was slow, but steady and she could feel the difference. He was even able to relax around her a bit more, too. She was worried that the days of him fidgeting or needlessly angsting to himself about the past would never end. It almost hurt her to see Riku walk around with his guilty memories following him around like half-hearted ghosts. Since Riku had started talking to her more often, the ghosts had faded somewhat. Now she had to work on the feelings they carried.
Especially the guilt. She just wasn't sure what to do. She'd already forgiven him for everything. There was only one person left who had to forgive Riku for what he'd done, and it wasn't Sora or Kairi. They were that special brand of best-friend that could salvage any broken relationship and rebuild the bridge that had been burnt there before. In the end, maybe Riku wanted someone to hate him. Riku needed with a hidden intensitysomeone to tell him that it was all his fault.
Kairi leaned back in her chair and crossed her feet at the ankles as she watched the stars speed past the head of the ship. They were little more than streaks of light.
"It's good that Goofy and Donald picked us up."
Riku's little storm clouds were brewing again. If she squinted, she thought she might've seen Sora's face in them.
Sora was safe and sound, recovering at Disney Castle. But what he was recovering from or why Donald and Goofy had decided to bring them to the castle after so much time had passed, Kairi didn't know. She imagined words she'd be terrified to hear at the edge of their tongues like a dirty secret.
Missing, gone, too late, I'm sorry, can't, lost, dead-
Think positive, she kept reminding herself. Nothing good would come of worrying. It was like a rocking chair, all this movement that got you nowhere.
Still…
She shook her head. Sora was just mere worlds away and that by some stroke of luck, she didn't even have to lift a finger to get there.
Some time passed before Riku took his attentions away from the panel and joined hers on the fleeting starscape. Something seemed to change in Riku's expression, and so did the atmosphere between them.
"He didn't say good-bye when he left," Riku said suddenly, and Kairi blinked at the sudden jump in topics. As usual, Riku's thoughts processed lightning fast. She counted herself lucky Riku was saying what was on his mind at all. Even if she was lost for a moment in his thought process. When she gave herself some time to reflect, it came together and made sense.
Sora was the type of person who never had the word 'good-bye' in his immediate vocabulary. Those words were strictly reserved for those 'We'll probably never see each other again' moments. In Sora's mind, everyone he met on his journey, whether they'd done him some wrong in the past or not, he always assumed they'd meet again someday so those moments happened next to never. Good-bye was more of a permanent fare-well, a finality that Sora found completely unacceptable.
In a way, it might have been for the best that he hadn't said good-bye. Especially to his two best friends.
Kairi folded delicate hands over her heart, "I'm glad."
Both her and Namine were chilled when a tiny voice spoke up inside, wondering what the words 'good-bye' would sound like coming from Sora.
The stars flew past cold as the words burned in her mind.
---
Judging from their warm reception in the Castle's Gummi hangar, Riku figured that Sora couldn't have been in too grave danger. After all, if there had been a serious problem, Chip and Dale would've approached both him and Kairi in a far more solemn manner. As it stood, the two chipmunks had practically fallen all over themselves in excitement trying to get down to the landing pad as he and Kairi emerged from the gummi ship.
As Riku set foot onto the ramp, he took in his surroundings glad to be out of the ship. Left, right, overhead, and all around, there were gears turning and conveyor belts clanking gummi ship parts to opposite sides of the hangar. Simplified pulleys and gloved mechanical hands did most of the work putting together and taking apart other various models of the stuff.
Riku was amused to notice that aside from the neutral gray of the stone walls, everything was painted in bright primary colors, almost like the whole world had been designed by an elementary schooler with a box of crayons.
He'd rather have this instead of the inside of the gummi ship. It wasn't terrible to look at, but he'd never been a good flier. Mickey and him did their traveling on foot and through dark portals, instant doorways that took them straight to their intended destinations. He never flew in a gummi ship or took ferries or even took cars anywhere. The first time he did, he realized why his subconscious was in such a hurry to keep him from doing so. If he didn't concentrate on doing something during the flight, he often got seasick. Or was it skysick?
"Well, here we are! Disney Castle, home of his Majesty, the King," said Goofy as he came out from the gummi ship from behind Riku and Kairi, lankily marching past them on the ramp. Once he was in front of them, he stretched out his arms in a grand welcoming gesture and let them take in the sight of the hangar as if it were the most magnificent room inside their castle. "Make y'erselves feel at home! My casa is su casa."
Riku ignored the butchered saying and took the greeting for what it was. It made the Captain of the Guard a bit more endearing, at least. The encounters of the past had always left Riku with bad impressions of the knight, so getting to know him after all the emotional baggage had cleared was like starting on a blank slate. He was clumsy with words, but he meant well.
"It's about time we got here, I'm starved," Donald said lightheartedly and grumpily padded out after him. At his feet, the two chipmunks skittered to a stop, one of them standing atop the others' shoulders to combine their height. Riku finally did laugh quietly when he noticed Kairi's surprised expression.
He could imagine her thoughts, Riku look the little things are TALKING. And they're wearing aprons! Aprons!
"Everything in order while we were gone?" Donald asked the chipmunks, oblivious to Kairi's gawking.
"Tip top shape!" replied one of the chipmunks. They both turned their attention to Riku and Kairi, encountering them for the very first time.
"Chip," said one.
"And Dale!" said the other.
Both chimed in at once, "At your service."
Two miniature hands were outstretched towards Kairi who had crouched down to get a better look at the smaller animals. She looked down at her own hands with a laugh before she allowed them to shake both (each chipmunk shook a hand, but they only really only had paws big enough to shake one finger at a time).
"These are the two ship mechanics of the castle. They're okay unless you touch or break anything you aren't supposed to. Then they're a pain in your tailfeathers," Donald said, ignoring undignified shouts from Chip and Dale. Riku had the feeling he was speaking from experience. Donald gave a firm nod, "Let's go see His Majesty first."
Riku tried to swallow his impatience. He knew that he wasn't going straight to see Sora, since protocol and political correctness meant they'd need to see the King of the castle first. In fact, he was really looking forward to seeing his old friend. He just… wished he knew if Sora was okay.
"My name is Kairi," she said to her new acquaintances and turned to look behind her where Riku stood. He offered a silent wave to the chipmunks. "And this is Riku."
"Oh we know. We've heard!" One said, hopping down onto the floor and off his companions' shoulders.
"Lots of things!" the other added.
"Come follow us. We'll take you inside!"
"His majesty is waiting inside the library."
The chipmunks both skittered off unexpectedly as a pair of magical walking brooms entered the hangar from the far door, carrying armfuls of oversized tools into the room. Kairi let out a small yelp in surprise as they bristled past her. The first broom absentmindedly dropped a wrench onto the bristles of the second, and they spent ten seconds threateningly sweeping at each other before Donald had to step in.
Riku watched Kairi's back straighten as they settled down and returned to work. She exchanged glances with Riku. What she was thinking was all over her face. Brooms that danced and did chores and fought with each other and - Was this the type of thing Riku and Sora saw all the time?
Riku smirked. She hadn't even seen the more unique residents of Disney Castle yet. She had surveyed the sights and sounds Traverse Town and had been dragged through the underbelly of The World That Never Was, but she'd never seen a more benevolent worlds where little black and white creatures didn't devour hearts. Hard to enjoy things that way, really.
"This is pretty tame. When we see him, ask Sora about Wonderland. That's where the weird stuff is," Riku shrugged and walked casually towards the entrance to the courtyard. "Best not to keep the King waiting then." Kairi followed too with a grin, accompanied by the Magician and the Knight, who took pride in telling them about the different highlights of the rooms they passed. Most of the different chambers had one story or more to tell and Goofy was just a well of information. Sort of like a lanky tour guide in metal armor.
Riku noticed that Kairi had also avoided asking when they'd get around to seeing Sora. Though Kairi wasn't anywhere near as battle-hardened as Riku, but she was still an otherwise strong person on the inside. After losing a heart, being lost in the darkness, wading through heartless and ghostly nobodies in a world that never was and worse, Riku imagined there was little left a person like Kairi was very afraid of. This appeared to be different. That tiny nagging thought was enough to still even her tongue. The last thing either of them wanted in the world was to ask if he was all right and to get grim looks in return. Riku never did ask either, but he was willing to bet that the reasons she was holding his tongue about Sora's possibly grievous injuries were the same as his.
Our of the corner of his eye, Riku could see Kairi leaning forward slightly, as if in an attempt to peer through untamed locks see his face. They passed the Audience Chamber just as Kairi's expression switched from one very thoughtful to a more lighthearted grin. Goofy continued to drone on about the castle's history in the background, the occasional sharp correction from Donald interspersing his speech.
"You're excited to see His Majesty."
"Didn't think I'd be seeing him so soon," he admitted. After Kingdom Hearts had been sealed and Mickey and his entourage had left the islands, he'd had the distinct impression that their next meeting wouldn't happen for a great many years. He knew that Sora or he might have been called away to tend to the nature of the worlds again, but he hadn't expected it to happen only a few weeks after they'd just settled down into their lives as normal kids. Maybe the misguided notion that he actually deserved some kind of warning before the wings of change came sweeping in made him too comfortable. He should have figured from the cryptic message in a bottle that they'd be walking worlds again all too soon.
At least it wasn't too hard to get into the rhythm of travelling again. It was akin to riding a bike (only with monumentally bigger potholes and where the dogs chasing you tended to eat your heart). You never quite forgot how it felt or how to do it. Besides, he thought with a quick glance at Kairi, things are a little bit more interesting this time around. It was all in the company.
"Too bad we only get to visit the King when things go wrong," Riku added.
Kairi drew an invisible square in the air, an imaginary invitation, "Maybe if we had a barbeque, he'd come over more often."
She looked pleased when Riku turned to her and let out a small laugh. "Nice. Maybe on your birthday."
"Two months. Don't forget it," Kairi said.
"I think Sora's is coming up first." His voice was steady, but knew Kairi was snart enough to detect that touch of caution.
Be careful. Don't talk about it. Tiptoe. Don't bring up his recovery. Be careful with your words.
They passed through another series of columns that opened up a beautiful view down into the lush, colorful courtyard. She could see the flourishing gardens where they'd first entered. They were getting closer to the the library doors, but Riku followed her gaze and shaded his eyes from the sunlight. Disney Castle was a little bright for his taste, but it was clean and pure, something to appreciate.
"He's easy to shop for, but I want it to be special." She said as they both took in the sight, and Riku instinctively knew that Kairi was feeling a pang of guilt. After all, he was too. They'd missed Sora's last birthday. In fact, at the time, they'd forgotten who he was at all. He'd been sleeping amongst petals of transparent white while Riku and Namine had been scrambling in the dark to put him back together and weave the tears in the tapestry of his memories. Yeah. This year had to be something amazing.
He smirked to lighten the mood. Don't talk about it. "He'd probably be happy with a pet rock, as long as it was from you."
"Pet rock? They say that some pets reflect their owners," She laughed. Wish they were seeing him already. "I'll have to get one that knocks over furniture and hogs the bed at night."
"Hope you put as much thought into mine," Riku said.
She nudged his arm, "Don't worry, I have forever until yours. You're a winter baby . You're lucky; They have the best stuff out near Christmas."
Riku thought for a moment and Kairi tilted her head curiously, "Neverland." He said after a time.
"What?" She was puzzled and Riku realized what he'd done. She'd insisted once that one of these days, she'd find a way to figure out how he jumped from topic to topic so fast. Generally people had the sense to have transitions between one topic to another. Riku had a habit of making her head spin.
"For yours. Let's go to Neverland for your birthday. I think you'd like it."
She nodded approvingly. A proper visit (with her heart intact and consciousness present enough to appreciate the trip this time) was due, "Let's tell Sora when we see him."
Their conversation came to a stop as they neared the double doors of the library where the King resided. Goofy and Donald opened the doors, and led the way as Chip and Dale skittered in alongside Riku and Kairi. The room opened up into a grand library with shelves upon shelves of books that spanned three of the four walls. A mahogany desk stood at one end, covered in paper work and wonky little charms from various worlds in the center of it. Pluto's precious bed cushion sat a mere two feet away from it accompanied by a bowl. A crackle to their left alerted Riku to the fireplace where someone stood engrossed in the pages of a tattered old book.
On approach their, he lifted his head and gave a familiar smile that Riku wasn't surprised he missed, "Well gee, you folks got here real fast!"
"We didn't bother packing anything… and the parking was good," Riku replied and give the King's hand an awkward shake. Without hesitation, Mickey pulled him down into a hug. Riku tensed at first and then relaxed into the embrace like an old friend. The King had a habit of making him feel more welcome than he thought he deserved. "It's good to see you, Majesty."
Mickey slung the book under his arm and rested a hand on his hip, "Riku, I told ya before, it's not Majesty. We're friends, so it's Mickey to you."
"Sorry um… Mickey. Habit, I guess," He shrugged.
"And the same goes for you too, Kairi. You can call me Mickey too," the King nodded and then turned to Donald and Goofy, who gave bashful chuckles when he followed up with, "I try to get these two ta' call me that but it looks like they're stuck."
Kairi gave a slight bow to the king in respect, "I'm honored, Mickey. How have things been since we last saw each other?"
Kairi smiled. Invisible words on her tongue. Where is he?
Mickey exhaled, expression slightly grimmer, "Golly a lot has sure happened since we talked."
Riku noticed Kairi's smile wavering, but only a moment. Her worries were only a ripple on the surface, the very image of a willful young woman flickering doubt.
"I'm sure. It's probably why you brought us here, right?" Riku guessed. Was Kairi's heart going through the same thing that his was? Panic. Mickey nodded.
Riku's composure never cracked, even as he asked, "You're still running into problems, even after we cleared away Organization XIII?"
"Well, things sure have quieted down since they're gone," Mickey said, "But now things are back where they started."
Riku understood. The Heartless had been the problem since the beginning, even before Organization XIII had begun their existential experiments and their exploits to bring about Kingdom Hearts. They were only memories now. In terms of the heartless, there was still no end in sight in their battle against the heartless.
Organization XIII was like a third team on the playing field where there was only supposed to be two. Once the shady group of individuals were dismissed from the arena, it didn't take long for the players to figure out that the game was still in play. While many worlds were certainly much safer with their hearts sealed, far more worlds were still vulnerable to the remaining heartless. Other worlds still had heartless who ravaged worlds on the surface.
"So that's why Sora left home?" Kairi asked.
Goofy gave them a contemplative 'Humm,' before voicing his thoughts, "Well that's kinda sorta why, but not really…"
Riku's impatience grew.
"This was supposed to be the last time," Donald said, with an almost apologetic tone.
Last time to fight? Last time to quest? Last time to fix the worlds? Last keyhole, least heart of the world, last what? Kairi wondered, equally uneasy.
Mickey placed the book on the mantle of the fireplace, "I'm not even sure we can really tell you what happened in one sitting, but the short of it is that we ran into some trouble on some worlds. We handled the situation, but Sora took the hits a little harder than us."
There it is, Kairi knew.
Donald let his arms relax at his side, "So we went back to Disney Castle to heal up instead of clearing more heartless off all those sealed worlds," he said. "Sora just needed some rest."
"Is he really hurt?" Kairi wondered, inching forward a bit, though her arm remained hooked within Riku's. He hadn't even remembered her reaching out to him.
This time, Mickey was glad to explain, "He's fine now. Nothing a little Curaga and time won't fix."
A tiny echo of relief, reverberating through the bond they shared.
"So what's this about it being the last time?" Riku wondered. "Just what was everyone intending to do to get rid of the darkness for good?"
"Sorta… kinda hard to explain." The court magician scratched his head.
"Sora knows more so you can ask him. He can explain," Goofy offered before he was interrupted by a swift kick in the knee from Donald. The duck followed up with a harsh shush which made Goofy apparently realize his mistake. He was quick to cover his mouth, "Oops."
"Couple weeks and already he's neck deep in trouble," Riku shook his head. Their tight-lipped explanations had him in a less than stellar mood. They were barely giving an inkling of what had occurred, and he was getting vibes from Kairi that she was thinking the same thing. Not that he was going to call them on it, of course. He didn't particularly know Goofy or Donald that well, but he and King Mickey harbored a deep understanding of the other. They could even finish each others sentences at times. If the King saw fit to withhold information, it was probably for good reason.
He didn't have to like it though.
"Gawrsh, Riku. Don't be too hard on Sora for leavin' without tellin you two nothin'. He's still all worn out, ya know?" Goofy said worriedly.
"We'll take it easy on him. We'll at least wait until he's more awake," He heard Kairi offer a light laugh, but the doors to the library opened and the pleasant visage of the queen came into their vision. All the patrons of the room gave slight bows, which she returned with a nod, save for Mickey who came to her and took her hands in his.
"You won't have to wait long. He's awake if you'd like to see him," Minnie spoke, lightening the mood with her upbeat tone. "He's in the guest room."
"Well, gee, Minnie, that's good news if I ever heard any," Mickey laughed. "You always have the best timing."
"All in a days work," she chimed back. Kairi took Riku's arm tighter into hers when the royal pair leaned in close for an Eskimo kiss, nose to nose and eyes closed.
"Well, what're we waiting for, let's go see Sora," Donald said.
---
Time passed more slowly in Disney Kingdom.
Instead of the break-neck pace most worlds had, this world's speed was comparable to a leisurely afternoon stroll. The patrons of the castles moved at their own pace, singing or (in the case of Clara Cluck, the resident musical diva) clucking in opera as they did their daily chores. The world had a bounce in its step, one that permeated everything and everyone on it so well that Riku could almost hear faint music in the back of his mind. He knew it was his imagination, but sometimes he swore the people of Disney Castle were moving in sync to this music.
He'd been to so many worlds that becoming attune to the natural rhythm was like second nature to him. He could be at any world and he could simply pause, listen to the wind and find the beat well enough so that he could blend in with the locals as if he'd lived there all his life. He was practically an expert.
That was why when Riku suddenly felt the hairs on his neck stand up and the invisible music he'd just begun to walk to stopped as he approached Sora's room, Riku knew something was wrong. Donald and Goofy seemed oblivious to the change, but Kairi frowned beside him, her eyes drawn to the same doors at the end of the hall that Riku's were. It was almost as if someone had flipped a switch and suddenly, the imaginary orchestra that played the world's theme song in his head ended in a nerve-wracking screech.
Donald and Goofy spun around, curious as to why Riku and Kairi were not following anymore.
He held his breath, afraid to detect the familiar scent of the enemy on the wind. In his mind, the image of haunting yellow eyes danced, placing over him a stillness very close to being fear. He could sense it. The thick, sickening scent of heartless filled with malice and greed. He was too familiar with the smell to ever forget it. He didn't know what it meant if the heartless were back in the castle.
"Riku," Kairi said worriedly.
"I know," he said.
And the tension snapped.
The next second, he was flying down the hall towards the guest room so fast the squeak of his sneakers were echoing in the hallway. The run seemed to stretch forever and the smell of darkness became thicker as he approached. His heart was racing, and the deep urgency sticking in his chest like a knife summoned the Way To Dawn in his tense fingers. The feel of the keyblade in his hand was familiar and comforting amidst his panic.
He could smell the dark nearby.
He didn't even slow himself as he neared the guestroom doors and they swung open with his momentum as he burst through them. The doors swung open and hit the adjoining walls with two loud thuds. He surveyed in the room. Like a seasoned warrior, he scanned for both immediate threats and the layout itself: the bed tucked against the wall, an open window just above it, the open balcony doors, all the exits of the room…
Instantly, he noticed how empty the bed where Sora was supposed to be. The blankets were tangled and mussed. The table in the corner was overturned, and a puddle remained on the floor where a cup had fallen. Most of the furniture was askew, as if a scuffle had taken place. Red flags everywhere.
"Sora!" said Kairi as she came inside with Donald and Goofy hot on her heels. The three of them had finally caught up with Riku, looking alarmed.
"What's going on?" Goofy wondered, taken back by Riku's sudden outburst.
Donald shook his head once he'd had a chance to look around, "This is a mess!"
"And Sora ain't here either," Goofy said worriedly and opened the door to an adjoining room, as if they had all just entered the wrong one and Sora was simply sleeping in the next.
Riku was already moving away from the entrance to the far side of the room. He gripped the keyblade in hand as he tracked the thick stench of darkness thickened to its worst. It was overwhelmingly strong, a pungent and almost sweet smell in his nose. He grunted in annoyance when all he found at the end of the invisible trail was an empty balcony framed by flowing, almost transparent curtains. There were no heartless around, and breathing in the scent again revealed that whatever heartless may have appeared was no longer there. What he was sensing was residual traces of the culprit. It was gone, and maybe Sora with it.
"Where could he be? We just saw him this morning!" Donald padded over to the closet and scratched his head when he found no other clues to his whereabouts.
"Me and Clara brought him food and everything," Goofy said. And that's when something caught Riku's ears. Distant barking down below. Definitely Pluto, and from the excited, hitch pitched yapping he was making, something had gotten him riled up below. So Riku strode to the edge of the balcony and peered over the railing.
"The heartless maybe?" Donald wondered, still ambling about the room.
"We've got to tell Mickey," Kairi said and her first instinct was to move back the way they came. To head to the library where the King still was.
"Right!"
Goofy nodded firmly and gave a salute, "An' I'll tell everybody to search the castle too! He might still be 'round here."
"Now wait just a second, Goofy! It's way too dangerous if this thing is still here. We can't have everyone looking. What if they find it?" Donald said. His words must have set off alarms in Kairi's head because she stared at him for a long time.
That is, until Riku's emotions filtered through that strange an invisible connection they had discovered they shared on the island. He had even dismissed his keyblade by the time that Kairi had recognized the signs. He was usually the one to take charge in any situation where Sora was in danger, so his uncharacteristic silence was something to note. She moved up behind him, laying a hand on his shoulder.
"Hold on," Riku said to the others just as they began to leave the room. Something crept along their connection, something that Kairi could barely identify as a flame of mirth and a cool rush of relief. "It's okay."
Donald scrambled to his side, sticking his head between the long balusters of the railing to see what Riku was talking about. "What? What happened?"
Kairi was right behind in casting her eyes out into the courtyard below. Her shoulders loosened and her posture relaxed. Her lips curled into a smile, "Pluto happened."
"Gawrsh, ya mean all that mess was all because…?"
Donald scoffed, "… Cause that pesky dog wanted to play."
In the courtyard below, the motley bunch could see Sora in the Gardens. He was clad in black trousers and a red shirt with gold trim, the typical garb of one of Disney Kingdom's soldiers in casual wear. Pluto was with him, tumbling in the flowers and the two were spending their time chasing each other between the carefully pruned foliage. It was a far cry from what the image of him injured and hurt, especially since they thought he was recovering from his injuries in bed.
He looked hardly touched at all.
"That nincompoop! Nearly gave me a heart attack!" Donald said, waving the wand he had summonded threateningly. "When I get down there, I'll give him a good whack!"
"I'm glad," Goofy said. "Better a false alarm than the real thing."
Riku was right behind Donald in wanting to give Sora a piece of his mind. He could feel the irritation creep up amidst his laughter and gratefulness, but he felt Kairi's arms wrap around his shoulders from behind. It easily quelled the rising feeling. He raised an eyebrow at her as she pressed closer to him, forgetting why he'd been irritated in the first place.
"The stairs would take too long," was all that Kairi said. Somehow, Riku understood and with a smirk, he took hold of her hands to strengthen her grip around him.
"Hang on," Riku said and he took some steps back. Kairi only let out a squeal of delight when he ran forward, leapt over the railing and all at once, they were both airborne.
---
By the time that Sora realized that Pluto was barking at something behind him (or rather, above him), the wind had picked up, sending leaves and petals into the air in a whirlwind of color. The morning air was filled with the taste of freedom, sweet and refreshing.
Pluto must have sensed it too because he'd burst into the room earlier that morning like a newborn puppy brimming with energy, bounding all over the guest room before crashing into Sora and slobbering all over his face like they hadn't seen each other in years.
Pluto's barking, though, just would not let up. So Sora, wanting to know just what was so important, turned up in time to see two figures in freefall, their laughter ringing in his ears like a song. He could have sworn that time had slowed as the two figures fell from the balcony and through the sea of petals. One was a blur of cheerful pink and the other a pure blue and white. Their landing was as light as a feather and just as soundless.
He couldn't conceal his surprise when Kairi slipped off of Riku's back and came running towards him, arms outstretched.
Their meeting was a familiar one, one that reminded him of their reunion on the World that Never Was as she crashed headlong into his arms. He barely managed to keep his balance after the collision. To make matters worse, Pluto felt left out of the game, which simply wouldn't do for him, so he leapt towards Sora and the three of them finally landed in a bed of flowers in a pile of laughter and petals. His grin by then was so wide that it hurt. Kairi's laugher filled the air again and he relished the feel of her arms around his waist.
He laid there for only a moment before he felt a sharp bop on his head. He rubbed the sore spot and gave Kairi an offended look.
"You already know what that's for," Kairi said and Sora gave her a guilty grin as he sat up. "At least say it to me in person if you go anywhere."
Riku was already kneeling by their side, cool and collected as always. He placed a hand on Sora's shoulder, which Sora took into his and squeezed like they always did. Then Sora, knowing exactly how to ruin the mood, started a series of hand-shakes and familiar motions that Riku mirrored with his own hands. All 'best buds' had their secret handshakes and Riku was secretly happy to oblige when Sora started theirs.
"Thought you could leave us behind?" Riku remarked. "Nice try."
"And warn me before you give me another heart attack," Kairi said right after, taking Sora's hands in hers, "We saw your room and it looked like an army marched through."
Sora scratched the back of his head and motioned to Pluto, implicating the true criminal.
Kairi scooted closer as well, placing an arm behind Sora and resting her head on his shoulder. For the first time since her arrival, she felt like she could relax. Everyone had assured her that Sora was in one piece, but actually seeing him in person and touching him was a sort of confirmation that words could not provide.
"We figured as much. You're supposed to be healing up in your room. Not out here communing with nature," Riku said with a smirk as Sora only sighed, blowing one a stray lock of hair out of his face. As if they could really keep him down for long. Recovering or not, Sora had never been able to sit still for more than a few hours let alone a few days. He'd been that way since they were kids, and Riku knew it.
"How are you feeling?" Kairi wondered. Sora held out his hand and gave them a 'so-so' motion. "Really? I heard you were in trouble."
Sora paused, as if he were unsure of what to say. He lifted his hands as if to narrate a story, but then lowered them when he couldn't find the motions, feeling irritated. Riku narrowed his eyes just a little as Kairi asked, "…Sora? What's wrong?"
Sora only bit his bottom lip and tugged distractedly at his collar. When Kairi still received no answer from Sora, Riku said, "You're awful quiet."
When Sora looked away, Riku could no longer hide his suspicion. Sora was deliberately holding his tongue. If there were two things in the world that Sora could not live without doing, it was always being on the move … and talking up a storm. The Sora they stumbled upon today had yet to utter even a word.
Riku quickly scanned Sora for injuries, finding nothing save for the occasional bandage around the arm (which was minor, and ended up looking more like a bad fashion statement than an honest attempt for recovery) and the medical tape holding gauze to his cheek. Being this close to Sora, he could even feel the very aura his friend exuded and it was filled with nothing malevolent as far as he could see. His body was healthy and his aura was sound. So what could have been wrong?
They heard the crunch of leaves behind them as the King and Queen approached apprehensively. It felt as if a grey cloud were hovering over them as the atmosphere suddenly became heavier. Something was wrong. Sora's inability to look either of them in the eye confirmed it.
"Sora's had some trouble speakin' since he got back," King Mickey informed them as Sora dutifully found the most interesting patch of grass and picked at it. Kairi leaned back and placed a worried hand over her lips. Mickey's voice was apologetic, as if he were at fault. Riku knew better, though. Mickey had the miraculous ability to make the right decisions in even the most dire of situations, and he doubted that whatever was wrong with Sora was due to the King's negligence. He mentally picked at the King's words for any other clue as to what his friend might have gone through, "He writes just fine, but out loud's a problem."
"You can't talk at all?" Kairi wondered, and Sora shook his head no, still not looking at them. Kairi couldn't seem to accept it, "I thought he was good now. Why would this happen? Is this from the heartless?"
Donald and Goofy, who had approached them a few moments prior, finally made their presence known. Donald spoke first, doing his best to answer the barrage of questions, "Maybe. Nobody knows for sure."
Mickey nodded. "Until a few days ago, we thought he was just weak from the fight. When he was here in the castle, all the places he was hurt got better, so we thought he'd recover that last bit. But the way things are looking now…"
"So he's not better after all, is he?"
"Well he was supposed to be. He just can't…. yanno. Talk."
Riku dug into the heart of the matter, "Since when?"
"Like I said before, it happened when we all ran into some trouble on a few worlds we were patrollin." Mickey explained.
Riku never took his eyes off Sora, "So is that the only reason that's why Sora's here. He left because he had to take care of leftover heartless?" Mickey hesitated, and then gave a half-nod which Riku supposed was as good as he was going to get. This time, Sora frowned at Riku when he continued, "I dunno, it seems like something that'd be done quicker if he wasn't alone. You know. If he brought friends."
Sora had the grace to look guilty.
"It's a long story, really. One better left for another time when you've rested up after such a long trip. All your answers will come in time. Just know that we brought you two out here for a reason. If anybody knows Sora best, its you two. Maybe you just bein' here with him would help wake up that part of him that's sleepin'," Mickey said. Sora whipped around until he faced the king, urgent expression on his face. It was almost pleading. What he was trying to say to the King, Riku wasn't sure, but it sure had changed the King's countenance. Afterwards, his words were more clipped and vague than they already were.
Riku felt nothing less than exasperated, though he was careful not to show it. All this wouldn't have happened if Sora just had the sense to take his best friends with him for once. They'd refused to get left behind before, and Sora knew better than to even try this time. One way or another, they'd find a way to follow him. In fact they'd spent several long midsummer afternoons on the island talking him out of his fears of losing them, and getting him excited about showing them all the worlds he'd seen. They'd spent enough time separated.
Hadn't he heard a word they said?
Here he was trying to play the lone wolf when he was obviously a team player. He belonged with Riku and Kairi, regardless how dangerous he thought the journey was. It might not have been written down on paper, but they'd had an agreement.
It wasn't supposed to be this way, Riku thought looking at Sora.
Where was their happily ever after? Wasn't it about time that things finally went right for them?
Riku let the anger go for once and internally sighed, feeling tired, "What is it we have to do?"
Mickey took Riku's hand and Kairi's hand and placed them both over Sora's in a way that spoke volumes in itself. "What you folks do best."
And out of the corner of his eye, Riku spied Sora's smile.
He couldn't help but wonder why it looked so sad.