Axel opened his eyes. Something felt wrong- something terrible had just happened.
"Roxas, Roxas, wake up." Axel said, shaking the teen gently. Roxas groaned, shaking his head lightly and blinking.
"Wha"
"Something bad just happened- can you feel it? Something big..."
"What do you think it was?"
"I don't know." Axel admitted. "We should find the girls as soon as possible and get out of here. You feeling well enough to move?"
Roxas nodded, getting to his feet.
"Let's get moving then."
Altar of Naught
"Riku? RIKU!" Sora yelled as the silver-haired teen slumped against him, coughing up blood.
"Sorry... Sora... I told you to leave... so you wouldn't have to see..." Riku hacked again, more blood landing on Sora and the concrete below.
"No- you're not dying! You just can't!" Sora said, pressing Riku closer.
"I'm sorry... promised to protect you..." Riku laughed hollowly. "Never told you... I love yo-" A cough interrupted Riku's confession, both drawing tears from Sora.
"Don't speak. You can tell me when you're feeling better, okay? Tell me when we're back on Destiny Islands, okay Riku? Riku?"
"I... don't think I'll make it." Riku admitted. Sora didn't respond, instead gently laying Riku down and facing Xemnas with tears and hate clear in his eyes.
"He died to save you, and you're going the throw that away?" Xemnas asked, amused. Sora shook his head violently.
"He's not dead!" The brunette leapt at Xemnas with a cry, but Xemnas merely sidestepped and sent Sora tumbling down to the ground, the Keyblade clattering a few feet from him.
"Face it boy- he's dying because of you. I know very well what wounds can kill no-wings like that- he won't survive. Only a full angel could survive such a blow, and Riku is not." Sora looked at Riku's meeting his friends eyes.
The vibrant green he loved was fading as Riku bled to death. It was inescapable- Riku was already resigned to dying. Sora let two more tears slip down his face as he bowed his head in defeat.
'If Riku can't be here... what's the point?'
"Sora... wha...?" Riku asked weakly. Sora glanced up one last time as Xemnas brought the blade up.
"I'm following you."
"Why?" Riku asked, desperation clear in his pained voice. Sora smiled simply, even as tears poured down his cheeks.
"Because I love you too, Riku." Riku's eyes went wide at Sora's confession, just as Xemnas brought the blade down.
Riku saw everything as if it were in slow motion.
'I love you too, Riku.' Sora's words echoed in his mind. Riku tried to force his broken body to move, to save Sora's life just one more time...
'Please... I can't let him die... without Sora... no, he can't die!' His thoughts in a loop, Riku barely felt his back burning as he forced himself up, going fast, faster than he could ever remember being...
He snatched Sora up into his arms, out of reach of Xemnas. Only after he had saved the brunette did he realize what miracle had taken place.
"Riku... your wings!" Sora said in shock. "You have wings." Riku glanced over his shoulder, seeing the familiar silvery feathers and felt the healing in his own body as the healing abilities of a full angel returned to him.
"How...?" Sora asked, flabbergasted. Riku gently kissed Sora's forehead.
"You. You healed me." Riku flew to the other side of the round battle area, far from the stunned Xemnas.
"It's... not possible..." Xemnas said as Riku landed and carefully set Sora down. "You haven't been forgiven... I never pardoned you!" Xemnas rushed forward, but Riku brought Way to the Dawn up to block.
"I found something stronger than your hatred." Riku shoved forward with all his might, driving Xemnas a few feet away. "And he loves me back. The 'light' Cloud and Sephiroth talked about-"
"You expect me to believe that 'love' is stronger than I am!" Xemnas demanded, eyes lighting up as he allowed his full power to flow. "Let's end this." Xemnas flapped his wings, rising higher and higher into the sky.
"Agreed." Riku snarled, preparing to take off when Sora stopped him.
"Riku..."
"Yes?" Riku asked, eyes trained on Xemnas.
"Come back safe, okay?" Riku glanced at Sora for a moment, smiling reassuringly.
"I'll come back. Don't worry Sora. Smile for me?" Hesitantly, Sora smiled. Riku nodded once and took off in a flutter of feathers.
Sora watched fearfully as the two silver-haired angels fought in midair, each skillfully blocking and countering. To any casual observer, it would seem more like a graceful dance than a fight.
"Riku..." Sora whispered as the battle sped up, going faster and faster until Sora couldn't tell who was who or who was winning, when all of a sudden...
The battle came to an abrupt halt, Xemnas' blade buried deep in Riku's gut and Riku's blade through the other's heart. They fell together, Riku getting enough strength to twist and decapitate the leader of Organization XIII before hitting the ground with the sword still buried deep in his body. He hit the ground with a heart-stopping crash, and lay there unmoving.
"RIKU!" Sora shouted, running to the angel. He didn't even notice as he ran past Xemnas' body, barely cared that he was getting more blood on himself as he knelt next to Riku.
"Are you okay? What should I do, Riku?" Sora asked, worry scrunching up his brows.
"I think... we won, didn't we Sora?" Riku asked, dazed. Sora nodded.
"Xemnas is dead- you'll be all right, right Riku?"
"Don't know... even angels can bleed to death..." Riku coughed up blood, cursing. "Looks like I passed my limit..."
"No... Riku? Riku!"
Scene Change
Axel and Roxas ran up the steps to the Altar of Naught. After almost thirty minutes of huried searching, they had found the girls huddled together underneath one of the tables in the computer lab.
"Riku? Sora?" Axel called out upon reaching the Altar. All he could hear was the sound of crying.
"Sora!" Roxas yelled, recognizing his brother kneeling in the middle of the Altar. The brunette jerked his head around, eyes red-rimmed.
"Please, help him." Sora said, indicating the person laying before him. Axel was momentarily transfixed when he realized what he was seeing.
"Riku has his wings back?" he questioned in shock.
"He's dying! Please..." Sora begged, lifting Riku slightly to hold him.
Roxas was instantly by his brother's side, Kairi and Namine following shortly after.
"He's not going to die, Sora." Roxas said reassuringly.
"He really is an angel..." Kairi said, touching one of the beautiful wings.
"What can we do?" Namine asked gently. Axel walked quickly up to Riku, kneeling next to the angel.
"I need someone to pull the sword out when I say. I need to cast Cure. Any questions can wait until Riku's okay, alright?"
"I'll do it." Sora offered instantly. Axel nodded, placing his hands around the wound.
"One, two... three! Now, Sora!" Sora yanked the sword out, causing the unconscious Riku to shout in pain even as Axel began casting Cure after Cure.
Slowly- far too slowly- the wound closed, but the blood had already been lost. Riku was deathly pale.
"We need to get him somewhere where he can rest- his body has to make up for the blood loss. I hope we made it in time..." Axel muttered, lifting Riku carefully.
"Will he be okay?" Kairi asked.
"He's too stubborn to die so easily." Axel said automatically, but everyone could hear the uncertainty in his voice.
Sora grabbed one of Riku's limp hands, squeezing it gently as he willed Riku to get better.
'You can't leave me alone. You promised you'd come back...'
Silently the group made their way to the exit of Castle Oblivion, Sora opening the portal back to Destiny Islands only when prompted.
He never let go of Riku's hand.
Time Jump
Sora sat next to the bed. He hadn't moved since they arrived. Not even for food- his anxiety wouldn't let him eat.
Kairi came in and stood next to him, looking down at Riku. Riku took up the entire bed, his wings even hanging off the edges a little. They had had to move the bed away from the wall to make room, and get another pillow for support at Axel's instruction.
"Do you love him?" Kairi asked suddenly. Not bothering to think about what had prompted the question, he answered truthfully.
"Yes."
"How long?" Kairi asked quietly.
"I don't know. Always?" Kairi laughed.
"That's so like you Sora." There was silence for a while before Kairi spoke again. "It was never me, huh? The picture in the Secret Place? That was you and Riku?"
"Yeah."
"He'll be fine, Sora."
"How do you know? Are you certain?"
"It's a feeling I have. Riku will be back to his old self again, and soon." Kairi left the room, passing Axel on her way out.
"Sora." Axel started, walking into the room and sitting on the floor next to Sora.
"Hmm?" Sora really wasn't in the mood much for conversation.
"If Riku hasn't died yet, he won't. We got to him on time." Axel said confidently.
"It's only been a day- you sure?" Sora asked, unable to keep the hope from his tone.
"Positive. Besides, I want to know how he did the neat 'wings-grew-back' trick. He can't die without telling me, right?" Sora laughed weakly, slightly amused by Axel's obvious attempt to cheer him up.
"He found the same 'light' that Cloud and Sephiroth did a century ago." Sora said. Axel rolled his eyes.
"Could you be more cryptic?"
"Love." Sora replied. Axel's mouth dropped open.
"You're kidding. Love is the cure?"
"It is for most things." Sora replied, smiling. "Thanks for cheering me up."
"Not a problem." Axel said. "I have to, uh, go check something." Axel stood and left, quickly walking past Roxas, Kairi, and Namine as they made lunch.
"Where are you going?" Roxas asked, dropping the knife and the vegetables he was cutting to follow Axel.
"To check something!" Axel replied over his shoulder, breaking into a run down to the beach. Roxas followed, ignoring the shouts of the girls behind him.
"Axel!" Roxas called, seeing the red-haired man dart into the woods. Roxas followed, curious.
'What could he be checking in the forest?'
Roxas' question was answered as he heard Axel laugh joyously. Speeding up, he saw Axel, beautiful red wings attached to his- now-shirtless- back.
"Well I'll be damned..." Axel muttered, flapping his wings lightly. Roxas stared in shock, slowly walking forward to gently touch a bright red feather.
"They're so soft..." Roxas muttered. Axel smiled at his boyfriend.
"What? Didn't think they'd be soft?"
"How?" Roxas asked. At Axel's confused look, he continued. "How did you get your wings back? I thought you couldn't..."
"Well, I talked to Sora, and apparently 'love' is the cure. Probably something about love being stronger than hatred, yadda yadda yadda."
"This is great!" Roxas exclaimed, throwing his arms around the redhead. Axel smiled, holding the blonde to him.
"Thanks." he said quietly, so that the blonde just barely heard it. "Thanks for giving me back my wings."
"No problem." Roxas said. "Promise to take me flying?" Axel smirked.
"Anytime."
A/N: Okay, so it was cliche, and very obvious, and I'm sure at least half of you figured this was coming... so I'm a sucker for happy endings.
There is just ONE more chapter to go! (Can't have Riku being all comatose for the last chapter, ne? We will find out Riku's fate next chapter, and also.
We get to find out what happened with Demyx, etc. It should be fun)
How many people want to kill me for nearly killing off Riku- twice?