Hello once again! I hope you are all doing well. v.t.7 you are wonderful as always for leaving a review! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think just who could be behind all of this.
Over the next month Riku would sneak out of his house at night and go to Sora's. The Heartless would follow him on his walk over to Sora's and back. Yet they wouldn't get close to him. No, they kept their distance from him, but they lined the streets for him. As if he was their ruler. And they, his subjects, waiting to do his bidding.
For a while, spending the night with Sora helped him sleep. The nightmares would fade away and he would have pleasant dreams. The voice would be silent, seeming to have nothing to say to him.
But as the month drew on the nightmares came back full force. Instead of only the Heartless haunting his dreams there was another figure in the background. Someone he knew, but he couldn't see them clearly enough to know who. Whenever he would get close to them, they would vanish into the darkness.
Laughing at him. Taunting him.
He was having more fights with his parents. They were still upset about his fight at school. They felt like he had changed, that he wasn't their little boy that they knew. But Riku knew that he wasn't that same person, he hadn't been for sometime.
Riku would snap at them for the smallest things, accuse them of going behind his back and saying things.
He heard his father on the phone with some "specialist" that dealt with kids. His dad told him that the specialist knew what he was going through and they would be able to help him. Sure, they knew what to do that could help him. Riku's response to that was some very colorful words to his father that got him another two weeks of being grounded.
But today Riku was lucky. His parents decided that they needed some time alone with each other. So they took a couples weekend getaway, they made it clear though that Riku was not to leave the house or have anyone over.
Sure, like Riku was going to listen to that rule.
The night Riku's parents left he called Sora and asked if he would like to spend the weekend over at his house. Which Sora quickly agreed to.
It was early morning and Riku hadn't slept all night. The nightmares were too real, and they were starting to involve Sora being hurt.
In those nightmares Riku would be facing large swarms of Heartless of every kind. He would be able to hold them off for a while but everytime he would be overpowered by them and fall. Then from somewhere in the darkness Sora would appear.
Sometimes Sora would fight off the Heartless and get them both out of their, but in the majority of his dreams Sora would end up bruised and bloody. Riku would be unable to move, pinned to the ground by the mass of Heartless. Darkness would trap Sora in one spot and the Heartless would swarm on Sora.
Riku could never watch at that part. It felt too real. He would try so hard to wake up so he wouldn't have to listen to Sora's screams as the Heartless would beat him.
The dream would always end the same way. Riku would be forced to look as Sora's cries ended and a twinkling heart would rise into the sky.
Riku couldn't take those dreams anymore, so he made the choice to not sleep. He started drinking black coffee to stay awake, or the best he could, in class. Some days he could pull it off and not sleep. Others he would fall asleep and be pulled into that nightmare.
The worst was when he would fall asleep in class and have those nightmares. His teachers would ask him questions, the other students would question him, as would Sora and Kairi. But they would be the last ones to know about his nightmares. He would do anything in his power to made sure that Sora would never find out.
This night into morning was bad. He would constantly fall asleep and wake up in a panic due to the nightmares. Riku was exhausted. Every few minutes he would catch himself starting to fall asleep so he would do some exercises to keep himself awake. It would never last, he would end up falling asleep.
Riku rubbed his face, then looked at his clock, it was 7:20. Sora should be here in 10 minutes. He didn't need to worry about a shower or getting ready, he did that three hours ago. Riku stretched out on his bed, he knew he shouldn't but what would taking a 10 minute nap hurt.
It wasn't like he would sleep anyways.
He was wrong.
Riku slept and dreamt. This dream was different. He was floating in a soft white room. There were no Heartless, there was no fighting. Riku only felt safe and warm. Nothing could harm him wherever he was.
Riku…
A women? He felt like he knew this voice. Like someone he met when he was little.
You have grown so much since we have last met. Let me help you child.
Riku wanted to listen to this voice, it wasn't like the other one. This one was soft and caring. He trusted this one. Riku couldn't understand why he trusted this women but he did.
You have fought so hard, Riku
Yeah he had. Riku was fighting this Darkness with all he had. He wasn't going to give up.
You need to rest. It will do you no good to keep doing this to yourself. You can't win this way.
Riku understood that. But there was nothing else he could do, there was no one else that could help him.
Would you like me to help you Riku?
Riku didn't know what this voice could do to help him. It was just a voice from a dream, what real help could it provide?
All you need to do is let me in, dear boy. I will help you. I promise.
This was just a dream right? If this voice could help him he would be stupid to not let it.
"Alright, do what you wish." Riku said.
Riku felt himself rising up towards this voice. He felt so safe. So warm. He could feel himself falling asleep.
Then the world went black. Something was wrong, then he was falling. Falling into Darkness, he felt so cold. Where had that nice voice gone?
Foolish boy! You have come this far and you still understand nothing!
Out in the real world, Riku stood against his will. His body trembled as he tried to fight against the Darkness. Riku felt the darkness crawling on him. The cold that accompanied the Darkness made him shiver.
Yet he felt so powerful, like he could take on anything. He remembered this feeling, he remembered how much he could do with the Darkness by his side. He had so much power when he wielded the Darkness. Riku's chest tightened again, but the darkness clouded his mind.
Yes...come to me. Give into me. Lose yourself to the Darkness.
Riku knew he should be fighting the darkness but he felt so good. He wasn't in anymore pain, he felt safe. More importantly, he wanted to rest. Forever
.
Someone laughed behind him, and he felt a hand slid onto his shoulder.
Open the door Riku. Let me in.
Riku struggled weakly against the voice, he felt his clothes changing form. The Dark Mode outfit was replacing his normal clothes.
"N-no..."
Open the door. Now.
Riku shook his head, shutting his eyes tight. This wasn't right. He needed to fight. He had to. But the darkness has a death grip on him.
Against Riku's will, his hand raised out in front of him. He opened his eye's and saw a dark corridor was slowly forming.
Yes. Yes!
"...No!"
Riku could see something in the depths moving and twisting. It was trying to come through the door. When he saw the creature he suddenly got the strong urge to sleep, to fall into the darkness.
Sleep child, you've done your part. Sleep. Rest and forget everything.
"C-can't….not….right…"
Riku felt his eyes sliding shut and he fought to stay awake. He couldn't let whatever was coming out of the Dark Corridor through. A dark hase was filling his mind.
Sora knocked lightly on Riku's door. He thought he heard Riku talking to someone. But he could only hear Riku.
"Riku? It's me, Sora. Can I come in?"
Riku looked to the door. Sora...Sora was important to him, right? All the while the creature was getting closer.
You are so tired boy, rest. I will handle everything. Close your eyes.
He wanted to listen to that voice so desperately, he hadn't slept in so long. He couldn't take it anymore, he wanted to sleep.
"S-sora?"
Sora smiled from behind the door. "Yeah it's me. Is it alright if I come in?"
Sora was getting worried. Something didn't feel right. He knocked again when he didn't get an answer.
"Riku. Are you okay?"
A hand came over Riku's eyes. The creature was starting to take a human form, any moment it would be able to step into their world.
Whatever plans it had for their world it would be able to unleash them in mere moments.
Sleep. Once I am done you will remember nothing. You will be made new.
Riku shook his head weakly, his whole body felt like it was made of cement. Sleep called to him.
"Sora!"
Riku started to struggle more forcefully.
"Sora!"
When Sora heard Riku call out his name he forced the door open and saw Riku completely covered in Darkness. Riku's normal clothes were gone, they were replaced by Riku's Dark Mode outfit. He then saw the Dark Corridor and the person trying to step out of it.
Sora saw Riku was struggling against the darkness and trying to close the corridor. Sora summoned his Keyblade he ran to the creature and slashed at it. Forcing it back as it let out an inhuman shriek.
Something that scared Sora was when the creature screamed, so did Riku. Every hit that Sora landed on the creature made Riku scream. Sora tried to ignore Riku's pained cries as he tried to kill the creature. But when he saw that his hits weren't doing much he ran to Riku.
He tried to pry Riku out of the darkness, but the hold it had on Riku was too strong. Sora glance behind him at the portal and the creature was making its way back out. Breathing short, Sora did the only other thing he could think of doing.
And if it worked for him and Kairi, he prayed that it would work for him and Riku.
He hugged Riku tight.
"Riku, come back. Get out of the darkness. You don't need it. You're stronger than it." Sora pleaded. He could feel the darkness trying to ensnare him.
"Come back to me Riku! It's me Sora! You need to look at me. Look at me with your heart."
Riku was slightly confused at this new voice, he knew it, but it was trying to keep him from sleeping.
"If I could see you through your darkness, I KNOW you can see me!" Sora cried, holding Riku tight. He was trying to ignore the coldness of the Darkness.
The dark creature...or human? Was starting to get free from the portal, but was struggling.
Look at this person with his heart? He could barely feel his, but he would try. He concentrated on the person holding him tight. It was hard trying to see through all the darkness.
It was so inviting, he wanted to-NO. He had to focus on the person that was clinging onto him. They were...important to him.
Slowly the veil of darkness was starting to lift. He could make out brown hair, brown spiky hair. He felt the need to brush his hands through the spikes.
Riku concentrated harder on the person, he was getting even more tired doing this. It would be so easy to just give up. He would be able to sleep. Forever.
"Riku...please. Don't leave me again. I don't think I could handle it if you do." Sora said weakly, his voice trembling. Riku swore he felt tears fall onto his chest.
He saw that the person was tan, like the sun personally came down and kissed the person's skin. So perfect. So smooth. The boy's skin was soft...oh it was a boy.
Sora's tears flowed freely as he felt the creature's darkness ooze out and get closer to him. He was going to lose Riku.
The brunette didn't see that his tears slowly eating away at the darkness that covered Riku. He looked up at Riku, who's eye's were still covered. He wanted to see Riku's eyes once more. Before the darkness took them both.
"Look at me Riku." Sora whispered. "Please."
The tears were shining brightly against Riku's chest as they burned away the darkness that covered it.
Suddenly Riku could see the boy clearly, Sora. Sora was clutching him tightly, and he was crying. Why was Sora crying? He shouldn't be crying!
Riku opened his eye's when he heard Sora whimper, he saw a dark and oozing hand reaching out for Sora.
"No!" Riku shouted and the creature paused. Sora would never be touched by that thing. He didn't know what it was but Sora wouldn't be touched by it.
The Darkness around Riku and Sora started to recede.
Riku looked straight at the creature's eyes, or where he guessed it's eye's would be. There were only gaping black sockets where the eyes should be.
"You will never touch him. You will never bring any harm to Sora. You filthy creature." Riku spat out.
With every word that Riku spoke seem to wound the creature, since every time Riku spoke it flinched. It also seemed to be shrinking, crawling back to the also shrinking portal.
"Go back to the Darkness, I don't need you. Don't you dare show your face to me again or I will kill you."
The creature was limping back into the portal now. The darkness that encased Riku was gone. He was back in control.
"Fade. Fade into the darkness." Riku said before raising his hand once more and shut the Dark Corridor, trapping the creature in the darkness once more.
Sora, who was quiet throughout the whole conversation stared up at Riku, eye's wide with what, Riku didn't know. His arms wrapped around Sora.
"I saw you." Riku said, giving Sora a tired smile. "You brought me back."
Sora took a deep breath. He didn't realise he was holding his breath through the whole thing.
"N-no problem. Anything for you." Sora smiled, his own arm around Riku's neck. He felt Riku shivering against him. Riku was freezing!
"You're freezing Riku! Come on, you need to get wrapped up!" Sora exclaimed, trying to move Riku to the bed.
"Are you okay? Nothing hurt you?" Riku asked, looking over Sora for any harm. He completely ignored what Sora had said. He wanted to make sure Sora was okay first.
Sora shook his head.
"No, I'm okay. You made sure of that. But you need to get warm!"
Riku smiled before collapsing onto Sora who was barely able to hold him.
"Riku!? Riku are you okay?" Sora asked quickly and fearfully.
Riku groaned before nodding. Sora moved Riku to his bed and laid him out on it. Sora pulled the covers up over Riku, making sure to stay by Riku's side of course.
"I guess that took more out of me than I thought." Riku confessed, short of breath. Riku teeth chattered as he spoke.
"Rest Riku, please. I'll be right here. Nothing will happen." Sora said, laying next to him.
Riku smiled softly, Sora was too good to him.
"Alright, but only because you are here." Riku said before shutting his eye's. He was more willing to sleep when Sora told him to than that voice.
Sora stayed with Riku the rest of the day and night. He pulled out his cell phone and called Kairi.
"Hey Sora, what's up?" Kairi said cheerfully.
"Kairi write another letter to the King it's an emergency." Sora replayed solemnly. "Something almost came through a dark corridor. And Riku almost lost himself to the darkness. I'll go into more detail later. But you need to send that letter now."
He heard Kairi scrambling around her room before frantic writing could be heard.
"Alright Sora, I got the letter. I'm heading out now to send it."
"Kairi do you have the Crystal thing the King sent us?" Sora asked quickly.
"Yeah he said that it would send whatever letter to him directly and we wouldn't have to wait." Kairi said.
"Use it for that letter, we don't have any time to waste we need to get Riku to the King as soon as we can." Sora looked over at Riku. He saw a lock of hair moved on to Riku's face. Sora moved it out of Riku's face and tucked it behind his ear.
Riku hummed slightly. He rolled onto his side, moving closer to Sora, Riku put an arm around Sora's waist.
Kairi was quiet for a moment.
"Sora...do you think we're going to lose Riku?"
Sora's chest tightened at the thought. He could never lose Riku.
"The King will help. He knows what to do. Just get that letter to him." With that Sora hung up and curled closer to Riku, his head in line with Riku's.
Sora touched Riku's cheek, he wasn't as cold as he was before, but Sora wasn't happy with the temperature and put his own arm around Riku.
He wasn't going to lose Riku. Not now. Not ever.
Sooooo that happened. Who do you think was the creature coming out of the Corridor? Let me know with a review! Thank you all for reading!
