Chapter 11—And Everything was Perfect
The sunlight was strong, bright, brilliant. It shifted through the clouds, falling across lush green grass, charred rubble and the tent circle that sat at the edge of The Ranch. The sounds of shouts and the hammering of nails, grunts and whistles, animals and laughter reverberated through the valley.
The Ranch was no longer a desolate, scorched place; it danced with life again. The ranch hands had returned. The burned remains of the buildings were being cleared away and new structures, built with slow and deliberate determination, were going up.
A rumble of male laughter floated on the gentle breeze as Lucia came out from one of the tents, carrying a basket. She squinted in the bright sunlight, putting her hand over her eyes. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a clasp, so that it fell down her back, free to swish with her movements. The sundress she wore was light with a low square neck, light blue in hue.
Squinting even more, she raised her eyes to the roof of the barn that was going up quickly. Four men were perched on the top. One was Sora, who was saying something he obviously thought was funny as he spun the hammer in his hand. Two were ranch hands. The last was Riku.
Smiling at the warm feeling that crept through her, she walked toward them, swinging her basket as she went.
"Hello, Lucia," one of the ranch hands said as she passed.
"Good morning," she said back, smiling.
She stopped a few feet from the wooden studs that were the only support for the growing formation, looked up and called cheerfully,
"Hello, boys!"
"Mornin', Lucia," one of them said.
"Look, Riku; your girlfriend's here!" Sora said, jabbing Riku in the arm. Riku kept his concentration on the nail he was diligently hammering in until it was finished, then turned to face her.
He smiled and that smile melted her heart. Tossing the hammer to Sora, who protested with a startled yelp and a scramble to catch it, Riku shifted slightly so that he fell between the bars that would hold up the roof. He caught himself on the beam he'd been sitting on at just the right second, holding for a millisecond, so that his landing several feet below was easier.
He landed on his feet before her, standing tall from the crouched position.
She looked up into his face, tanned from working in the sun. "Are you hungry?"
Smiling, his eyes searched her slowly from head to toe, taking in what she wore, how she stood, the dark circles under her eyes, the timbre of her voice, the color of her cheeks, and the basket she carried.
He nodded. "Yeah, I think I am," He offered his arm to her and she took it, leaning against him as they walked, their footsteps perfect in unison. His head rested on hers and he leaned against her in turn so that they depended on each other's being there to walk forward.
"You look good, Lucia," he said softly as they headed out of the construction area to their spot. "Tired, but not exhausted. There's color to your cheeks now. You look happy."
"I am happy," she said, the smile obvious in her voice.
It had been four days since Riku had returned Lucia's heart to her body. Four days since she'd woken up to be bombarded with Mark's teary-eyed physical attachment to her arm, Kairi's overjoyed face and words, the ranch hand's welcome and Riku's somber, but bright face. She'd barely had any privacy for the first day and it had been nightfall before she had had the chance to speak to Riku alone.
He'd told her what had happened. What he suspected had happened to him.
"Darkness had control of me again, Lucia... I...I was evil,"
"You weren't evil, Riku," she mumbled softly, reaching out to touch his cheek. "You were angry, and hurt, and determined. That doesn't make a person evil. That doesn't make you evil."
"But I was so much more then that, Lucia. I longed so much, I tried so hard and came out with so little, that my being, my self, no longer existed. The Darkness that sleeps within me was all I was. I can't explain it any better then that."
"Oh, Riku... It doesn't matter. Really, it doesn't. All that matters is that we're together again,"
The moonlight had outlined them as they'd come together, their lips blending in a soft, lover's kiss that had lasted for a brief moment, only to be turned into a more fiery, demanding one. It had been bliss, the entire experience.
Now, Lucia spread the cloth over the grass and they sat together, eating their sandwiches in companionable silence, watching the second barn go up. The feeling of progress, of rebuilding after the disaster, was mixed with relief and a long-lost sense of joyful contentment. It mingled with the warm weather so that it was almost perfect... Almost.
Sandwich finished, Lucia turned on the blanket to face Riku. He finished his in two bites, the looked at her, too.
"Have you decided, Riku? Are you going to stay here... with me?"
Riku sighed. He'd done nothing but debate with himself about it for the past four days. When he and Lucia had finally gotten the chance to talk, he'd forced himself to be totally honest with her, telling her everything, though his first instinct had been to hide what he'd been. She'd accepted him then, told him that it hadn't mattered. Now she wanted him to stay. With her. How was he supposed to refuse that offer, especially when both of their hearts were on the line, especially when his heart called to him to stay? How could he stay, though? Darkness did indeed sleep within him. He had the capability to be very dangerous; he'd very recently proven it. Maybe he could learn to control that darkness. Maybe someday, it wouldn't be a threat.
Besides, a little bit of darkness sleeps within every heart.
Riku looked up suddenly to look her full in the face, and in his eyes the lingering doubt was chased out by warmth. "I think I will stay. I'm not afraid of who I am anymore." He nodded, confirming to himself what he'd just said. "I know I can stay; how do you argue with your heart?"
Lucia half-laughed, tears of joy shimmering in her eyes as she gazed up at him. "You don't," she said softly, simply.
They leaned close, melting again into a kiss, their arms wrapping around each other, one pressing against the other.
Then everything was perfect.
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Angel Of Blacksouls, Cheekie Excel: Thank you both for your constant reading and reviewing! I appreciate it so much.
the-light-shines-within, thank you so much. To draw a reader into a story is practically every writer's dream. Thanks for giving me the chance.
Goodness. This is a long story and I've gotten nothing but positive feedback the entire way. First off, I'd like to thank those of you who called for the sequel in the first place; the story never would have happened had you all not said something in the first place.
Second off, I'd like to thank my reviewers: Angel-of-Twilight13, Angel Of Blacksouls, a random idiot, Twighlight-Teen, Tyrell Cchran-DaRk AnGel, Aya Shinonome, Cheekie Excel, Green-Day27, the-light-shines-within and Lucy. You all are the best.
Third off, I'd like to thank those of you who only read the story. I appreciate it simply because you took the time to do it.
Farewell can be so hard. I'll miss writing on this one. There will be others, always, though whether or not they'll be Kingdom Hearts, I've no way of knowing. I hope you all have enjoyed the saga.
--DreamWeaver010
