Heartagram
Chapter Ten:
Turn Back Time
Author's Note:
It's a slight deviation in the lyrics but I was stuck. Last chapter was a cliffhanger, and this chapter carries on from it. I felt sorry for Tifa, who didn't have anyone to love her, so I brought in Seifer and it was scary how well they worked together.
But then I remembered, there's Zell. I'm not sure where it's going with those three. Like Seifer and Zell's fight was unplanned… Completely…Oh well, now I'm left to pick up the pieces that the characters have left, as usual…
I really love this fic… Probably why I keep writing it, for over a month now. Nine chapters in one month? I that can't be right? Can it?
No wonder I'm not getting any reviews… Oh well, I'm not going to do what some authors do and make you wait months for updates. Okay, I'm rambling far too much and I doubt you read these things anyhow, so signing off…
Disclaimer:
I do not claim to own Kingdom Hearts or anyone or anything in this fic. Except the little chibi, who doesn't work on FF.net but looks really cute on my word documents!
If only I could turn back time
If only I had said what I still hide.
If only I could turn back time.
I'd have only stayed for a while.
If only I could…
Sora sighed as he left Riku's arms. He was so emotionally drained and so tired that he felt like he could fall asleep where he was stood.
"You look tired," Riku said, his voice soft and slightly husky. Sora shrugged.
"Yeah, maybe…" Sora whispered. He stared out the window and out onto the beach.
"Riku, we're going to be together forever right? Until the day we die? And we'll die together too, right?" He asked. He could tell Riku was slightly shocked by this question, but the silver haired bishounen recovered quickly.
"Forever. And as for dying on the same day, if I died tomorrow, I'd want you to live the rest of your life out. I wouldn't want to be the cause of a suicide or something…" Riku rambled. Sora grinned and ruffled Riku's hair.
"Well, we'll be old, old men by that time. Would you still love me when I'm old and wrinkly?" Sora asked, chuckling. Riku sighed.
"Forever, Sora," He replied. Sora felt an attack of warm fuzzies spread over him.
"Forever is a long time," He said simply. In his heart, he wanted Riku to say it again. He liked it when Riku was affectionate. It made him feel more secure.
"It is. That doesn't change the fact that I want to spend it with you," Riku took Sora's hand and pulled the boy forward.
"You're sure about that? You know, saying it to me is like signing a contract. Break it and prepare to die," Sora joked. Riku chuckled.
"I would deserve to die if I left you for anyone. Even when your good looks are gone," He ran his hands through Sora's hair, but then there was an urgent knock at the front door and the moment was spoilt.
"Just hold that thought," Riku mumbled as he jumped over the railings to the bottom of the stairs.
Sora chuckled to himself. He stood there, fidgeting. He looked around and then stared out of the window opposite him. He could see the other side of the beach and the pier. He narrowed his eyes.
Someone was down there… Someone was attacking someone else… There were three people now and the fighting has momentarily stopped.
Then realisation hit Sora like a brick. He recognised those people…
One was Almasy, the man from earlier, the other two were Zell and Tifa. Almasy had been attacking them. Panicking, Sora ran down the stairs, he didn't trust himself to jump the railings like Riku.
"Sora, we've got trouble," Riku said, but Sora dashed out of the door and only stopped to open the front of the gate.
"The pier. Zell. Tifa. They're in trouble!" Sora yelled as he ran down the street. Riku soon caught up with him and then Sora noticed Kairi and Sion were there too.
"Tifa, please let me explain!" Almasy was shouting. There was a dull thud. Sora spurred himself on further until he got there and watched the scene.
"Please…" He hissed, as Tifa drove her knee into his stomach. Almasy looked pretty beat up. His lip was split, his eye swollen, and he had a large bruise on his cheek.
"Shut up! Just shut the hell up!" Tifa yelled as she pushed him over.
"Tifa…" Zell began, but Tifa sent him a glare.
"I haven't even started on you yet!" She spat and then back-fisted Seifer in the face. Blood ran from his nose.
Sora awoke from his paralyzation and ran forward, restraining Tifa, who appeared to have gone mad.
"Get off my Sora. That bastard deserves everything he gets!" She struggled against Sora's hold, but didn't succeed in wriggling her way out. He suddenly felt a heat, a strange rage in his abdomen, quite alien to his normal feelings…
"What is going on?" Riku demanded. It was Almasy who answered, from where he was on the floor.
"Dincht and I have a score to settle. Our hatred goes way back. I was close to beating his sorry little ass, but then Tifa came…" Almasy's face changed, and Sora knew that change. His face had softened almost completely.
"She went crazy. She wanted us all to get along. She doesn't understand that Seifer and I can never be friends," Zell said plainly. "Seifer was the first up to be taught a lesson."
Sora had guessed something along these lines. He let Tifa go, and she fell to the ground, obviously exhausted. He stepped over her and the Keyblade materialised.
"You started it, I'll finish it. I will put you three in hospital," Sora said savagely. Zell and Tifa's faces snapped up and they saw Sora was deadly serious.
"I don't care what you think of me. Hate me if you want. I really don't give a shit," His voice was so low and dangerous sounding. He also looked tired himself, his eyes red.
"Sora?" Riku took a few steps forward, but Sora jumped before Riku could reach him, flying high above their heads and turning in mid-air. He landed with a flash of multicoloured light and a bang.
"They're causing trouble here. It's not just Almasy. None of us belong here… They plan to fight to the death, then they'll fight me," He looked grim, but he saw Kairi, Sion and Riku back off.
"What? All three of us?" Almasy checked over his shoulder. Tifa dropped into stance, as did Zell. Seifer raised his gunblade.
"Well, if that's what you want little guy," He replied, but his bloodied face made the comment lose it's effect.
Sora didn't appear to move, but soon all three were knocked over. To those who knew Sora, they knew he had cast Hasteaga on himself and performed simple attacks on them. However, Riku had noticed something, a subtle change in Sora's fighting style… Something slightly less flowing… Something forced…
"None of you belong here," He said. Tifa groaned and straightened, so did Zell, but Seifer remained on the ground.
"You want me to get up and walk away? Why not kill me? It's my fault after all," Seifer said, as he got to his feet. "I want to die, why can't anyone see that?"
"If I could turn back time, and change the past, don't you think I would? I destroyed everything in me that's human. I'm just a killing machine and I want to die before I hurt someone else," Seifer didn't look up. He stared at his feet. "I had hoped that Zell would beat me, but the chicken wuss was too emotional to beat me at all… Tifa stood a chance, because I hadn't the heart to fight her."
"I think you bear a burden heavy enough," Riku stepped forward, grabbing Sora's arm and pulling the Keyblade from his grasp. There was a sharp intake of breath from the others, except Almasy.
No one had seen anyone but Sora wield to keyblade. It should have disappeared in Riku's hand, but it hadn't… It was still there.
"Give that back Riku," Sora snapped. Riku shook his head.
"No, Sora. I don't know what's come over you. Using force to get what you want? That's not something the Sora I know would do. Wake up!" Riku said coldly. Sora suddenly felt all his anger at the trio leave him. Suddenly he was afraid of himself… What had happened? Where was he?
"Huh? What's going on? The last thing I remember… I was holding Tifa, she was struggling to hit Seifer…" Sora rubbed his temples, he had a strange headache. The heat had gone, almost as quickly as it had come.
"You don't remember anything?" Seifer asked. Sora shook his head.
"There was a kind of heat in my stomach and I blacked out. Why are you all looking at me like that?" Sora asked. Riku stepped forward, holding out the keyblade. It disappeared from his grasp.
"Sounds like possession to me," Almasy said quietly.
"Me too," Riku replied. Sora frowned.
"What did I do?" He asked. Kairi took a few steps forward, looking afraid.
"Sora, you attacked them."
00
/()
Riku watched Sora as he slipped into his bed. The boy was shivering, despite the warmth of the night. He was showing all the side effects of someone who had been under possession.
But he was showing signs of depression and guilt that were worrying Riku. He knew that Sora would become colder and colder until he was impossible to live with…
"Sora, talk to me," Riku said. He was in his own bed, which was next to the window where the moon shone in. He had chosen it so when the lights were off, he could see the moonlight on Sora's face in the bed opposite. Sora turned.
"I attacked my friends. I nearly attacked you. My thoughts were amplified by whatever happened. I was so angry and upset. I wanted someone, anyone to pay for what happened tonight. I was so confused and tired. It could have been me Riku, it might not have been possession at all…" Sora looked away. Riku couldn't resist, he got up and sat on the edge of Sora's bed.
"Budge up," He whispered. Sora obliged, and Riku slipped into bed beside him. Both of the boys were a little nervous. They'd never shared a bed before, well, as far as either of them could remember…
"Um…" Sora bit his lip. Riku hesitantly wrapped his arms around the other boys waist, pulling him close and kissing the top of his head.
"Shh, now. Go to sleep. I'm here to protect you. I'll protect you from anyone, even yourself," He whispered. The brunet smiled, and wrapped his arms around Riku's waist. The boys stayed like that for a while.
When Riku was sure Sora was asleep, he stood up and walked out of the room. He went downstairs and decided to get himself a beer.
He let darkness into his heart by loving you…
"Who's there?" Riku dropped the beer bottle onto the floor. He looked around but there was no one. He cursed as beer and glass spread all over the floor.
It's your fault. He was light, he was pure. You have cost him his innocence. He will become darkness. Like you are still…
Riku didn't look up. He knew that voice. It had spoken to him whilst he had been lost in the Darkness. It had left for a while, but now it was back. The hard voice of truth.
Don't you care about your darling Sora? He loves you enough to turn to Darkness to save you. Could you do the same for him I wonder?
"I would do anything for Sora!" He said through gritted teeth.
But you won't do that. You can't. You'd just let him die. Don't deny it. It's true. If Sora became lost in the Darkness, you'd be too afraid to go to find him.
Riku began to shake. He couldn't deny… The voice was right. He was too afraid of the Darkness… If it took Sora…
Tears welled up. It was taking Sora… Darkness was finally getting it's way on Sora's heart. Riku slid down the kitchen wall and curled into a ball.
It wasn't supposed to be like this…
00
/()
Kairi looked at Sion again. He was staring into space.
"Riku will look after Sora, Sion," Kairi said, rousing him from his reverie.
"That's why I'm afraid. Riku may be the one true love of Sora or whatever, but I get uneasy when I think about him looking after Sora…" He looked at the ground. Kairi sighed.
"Wanna go see them?" She asked. Sion looked up at her, startled. She was smiling, her eyes were strangely hollow though, and Sion knew she was tired and worried.
"Let me just put my mind at ease," He said. Kairi nodded and followed him out of his house and round to Sora's. He pulled out a key and slipped into the house.
Kairi felt a little self-conscious sneaking into Riku and Sora's house late at night. Everything was quiet, it seemed Sion's fears were unjustified.
Then she heard it, the muffled sound of crying. Sion turned to face her worriedly.
"The kitchen," He mouthed. Kairi followed him. The first thing she saw when they entered the room was Riku curled into a ball, his shoulders shaking from practically silent sobs. The second thing she noticed was there was glass and beer all over the floor.
"Where's Sora?" Sion demanded. Riku looked up sharply and then stood, leaning against the wall and drying his face. He seemed slightly embarrassed.
"Upstairs asleep. I stayed up there with him until I was sure," Riku's voice was in the same hoarse tone of someone who's been crying for a long time. Kairi felt her heart go out to her friend.
"You two fight?" Sion asked. Kairi pursed her lips. It was no concern of Sion's whether they had or not.
"No," Riku replied. Kairi got the idea that he wasn't telling the whole truth. He was holding something back…
"You wanna chat?" She asked. Riku smiled at her, and began to sweep up the glass.
"Maybe tomorrow… Why are you here anyway?" He asked, overly cheerful for someone who had obviously been crying themselves to sleep.
"I don't think you can look after Sora," Sion said bluntly. Kairi involuntarily gasped by the blunt way Sion had put it. Riku stood up, putting the glass in the bin. He stared at it for a moment.
"I don't either. I tried so hard not to let the past bother me. But it caught up with me. It's getting to Sora now, I can't let that happen. I can't let my past haunt him too. I can't look after him the way I should…" Riku turned and faced Sion, their heights evenly matched, so they stared into each other's eyes. "But don't get me wrong. I love him. That means I'll do my best for him. I won't let him go."
"You think it was Darkness out there tonight?" Kairi whispered. Riku nodded.
"I know it was," He replied. She clenched her fists.
"It's taken five years… Sora's let his defences down. Don't worry though, I have enough power to protect a heart as strong as his at least!" Kairi winked. Riku blinked at her.
"You can protect him?" He asked. There was something in his words, something underlying that she didn't get.
"Well, yeah," Kairi replied, giggling slightly. "That's what I said."
"You can protect him from himself… Then the promise I made Sora can't be kept…" He whispered, before drawing himself up to his full height.
"I'm going to bed. You can let yourselves out."
Ending Notes:
I despised this chapter. I hated it, utterly. You can probably tell, can't you? I wanted to give a reason for Riku to be wary for the darkness, but now I've put a flaw in my master plan, because Riku will be all cold and… Dammit… Got to make this work… I know, I'll do what all good writers do, and ignore it!
Read and review please…
I am still searching for a beta reader. The job perks include getting probably three chapters, so far not online, straight away, then probably about one or two a week. Unfortunately, it will be on a first-come-first served basis. I want only about one or two, if anyone bothers at all, that is…
I just want someone to give an honest opinion on my work who isn't a friend and isn't afraid to criticise…