Riku found his breathing in the pit of his throat suddenly becoming stuck. His limbs contrasted vastly with his heart that felt to be moving at a lightning swift pace that willed for his chilled blood to begin moving once more, but it was unable to.
Sora had just been shot.
The words swarmed his psych repeatedly like a similar bullet to his own brain and each time the short sentence hit him, the power seemingly increased a significant amount that made an immediate and evitable headache begin to rise.
Riku could feel body begging to take his sight off from the armed male ahead and to turn his attention back to the person by his frozen hands that he knew needed his concentrate more than anything at the moment.
Even as his eyes rested in contact with brown eyed man, his mind continuously replayed the sight of Sora's body silently descending to the ground after the shot of the gun.
It made the prince's stomach clench as though he'd just been punched.
"Why did you shoot him!?"
His voice came out more forcefully than he originally anticipated and unlike how his body felt to still be stuck in shock, his voice managed to come off as strong, a fact he was silently grateful for.
Dark hair and strongly built, the man who stood before with his gun still steadily pointed looked to be several years older than Riku himself, his appearance was clean but at the same time it didn't set off safe feelings as a possible ally, something that immediately brought qualms into Riku's being once more.
"He was too dangerous to leave alive, obviously." The answer was spilled from a pair of lips that were curled into a rather simple smile, "I don't know if you're aware or not Your Highness, but he's supposedly one of the best pirates out there."
"I know who he fucking is, alright!?" Riku shouted back almost instantly, his eyes flashed dangerously and now his emotions were beginning to bounce. Sora needed medical attention if he wasn't already dead and now this man was here complicating things. He was beginning to go crazy.
The silverette scowled heavily, "He wasn't doing anything but fucking walking! How fucking dangerous is that!? Give me the real reason as to why you shot him right now!" He felt his body tense almost as though he expected the man to shoot him for his words, and as he did so Riku allowed one of his hands that had once been placed Sora's back to trail up to his neck to feel his temperature.
At this moment he truly wished Kairi was here or he had some sort of true knowledge on how the body worked when one was dead.
Sora was still completely unresponsive. Not a groan or a moan escaped him even as Riku touched his still warm skin and the prince tried to ignore the pain inflicted in his body and the tears that threatened to well up at his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away.
It hurt too much to think about and he had to stay focused on himself getting out of the forest alive.
He moved his gaze back up to the man who had actually just killed Sora right before his eyes.
Riku's mind briefly flashed back to the same pirate who'd been shot down from Sora that one time in his study from the rogue ship that had spotted him and he suddenly found some possible reasons as to why this was all happening.
"I'm here to take you back to Radiant Garden."
The prince's eyes immediately widened and now his full attention was turned to the man who looked to be no more than a common man you'd find in the streets of Hollow Bastion.
If he was there to take him back to Radiant Garden that would have meant that someone had alerted the Navy where he was.
Of course they'd shoot Sora in the situation considering his status. If he wasn't killed, chances are that whoever was sent to get him would have been killed first.
Just as quickly as the question of how they found him rose to mind, Riku's brain found the answer…
Back in the Bailey, when he had been spotted and he nearly jumped but stopped because of he hadn't completely thought things through.
That meant that the whole Navy must have either gotten to the island already or were on their way.
He could feel his head growing lighter but his body becoming heavier as he watched the adult eye him, as though taking in the young royal's reaction to his words. He'd put down his weapon to his side, an action somewhat reassuring to Riku's nerves but not much.
"I…" He couldn't formulate any words.
For once, Riku truly didn't know what to say.
If he was from Radiant Garden and worked for the Crown, he was completely in the legal right to shoot Sora… But all the same…
"A life is a life; you really didn't have to shoot him! He needs medical attention or something, alright?" Riku knew he sounded desperate, but he didn't care. Having Sora die because of him was a thought his mind refused to accept.
The man quirked a single brow upward almost in amusement, an expression that made Riku grit his teeth impatiently, "Medical attention? Prince Riku, excuse my disrespect but he's a criminal. Leave him there to rot on the floor like he deserves and come along, the rescue ship is waiting for you. Radiant Garden misses you."
"I know but—"
"Your family misses you."
His teeth bit his bottom lip and his eyebrows furrowed at the mention of his family, "I understand that, but criminal or not, no one deserves to be left out to die like this."
Not even someone who'd done so much like Sora, especially considering what the ultimate reason he was out killing was.
"Sora Caeleum… He kidnapped you and you're defending the way he's treated after he's dead? Your Highness, do you understand how ridiculous you sound?" The male released a chuckle, one that didn't at all do anything but make Riku's expression darken, "Come along now before the others get impatient." He flashed Riku a smile that wasn't returned.
Riku shook his head as he lowered his head to look at Sora's still motionless body and he allowed his hand to feel the younger male's hair in a melancholy manner.
His brain refused to align the fact that Sora was dead.
If anything, he needed medical help and fast.
Stubbornly, the royal kept his fingers intertwined with Sora's hair gently, almost as a way to show the silent and motionless pirate captain that he wouldn't give up on him, "I'm not going anywhere unless he comes along for help. I don't give a fuck what you tell me. This is a direct order coming from your Prince, understood?" Riku commanded strongly, his gaze not leaving Sora as though he were waiting for the brunet to show some sort of movement of survival.
After a few beats of silence that followed, Riku heard the man clear his throat gruffly, "Yes, but I'll allow one of our lesser men to come back here for him. You and I can go now—"
"I'd bite one of your fucking bullets before I did something as fucking stupid as that." Riku grunted, his blue eyes instantly tore up from the now dull bunch of curls beneath his fingers.
It was obvious that that wouldn't be the case.
If he went, Sora's body would be left alone with no hope of getting any sort of attention.
"Why? You don't trust me?"
"I've had enough of you," Riku snapped in aggravation with a glower pointed the male's way, "Just get someone to fucking help him or else I'm not going with you."
A bit taken back from his sudden outburst, the man's eyes widened a considerable amount before he narrowed his eyes ominously,
Riku's own attention that had briefly returned back to Sora was challenged the moment he heard the sound of a pistol being loaded. The click made him turn his eyes back to the still nameless man that now brought his gun up in Riku's direction distastefully,
With a scowl, the dark haired man sighed, "I honestly didn't want to waste anymore bullets on you than I did for Captain Sora, but you're more annoying than I thought you'd be. I'm sure if I sell you with a shot leg, you'll still be worth a lot."
Riku sat, gaping at the man he once thought to be an ally in angry, shock, and mortification. He opened his mouth to protest and shout, but before he could, he watched as the man's fingers moved toward the triggered.
"Get down!"
Riku didn't have time to give anything but a gasp in complete and total surprise as his whole upper body was grabbed and swung to the ground powerfully right as the sound of a gunshot rang through the air.
The voice that had commanded him was oh too familiar and sent immediate chills throughout his once quivering body.
With his eyes opened, Riku was able to see the front of the neck that he'd just been feeling for temperature not too long ago and the sight of Sora's pale, moving neck had never once been as a big a relief as it was now.
"For fuck's sake." Sora hissed out in aggravation as his arms still held Riku close to his body; his green eyes were trained on the man that had fired the shot who was currently watching at Sora in nothing short but mortification.
"Sora!" Riku found himself exclaiming, happiness and relief overtaking a majority of the disclosure within his tone. His mind completely ignored the situation they were in, instead praising whatever miracle that had occurred to bring the pirate captain up, alive and healthy once more.
Sora didn't spare him a glance, his gaze still focused on the enemy that still had his pistol pointed in their direction.
"Y-you shouldn't be alive." The man stuttered out in clear fear right as Sora allowed his arms to let go of Riku and instead push himself up from the ground.
The pirate captain scoffed while he straightened out his coat, irritation clearly seen on his facial features, "Neither should you and yet you still pathetically stand in my presence like a child who just learnt to hold a gun for the first time."
"You mock me but if I remember right, I was the one who had you face first in the dirt a few seconds ago! Don't think I won't shoot you again, Sora!"
"You can try," Sora simply remarked and at the very moment, Riku found himself wincing at the unexpected ring of a gun going off along with the straggled shout of pain that erupted from the man's mouth as he slid to the ground, his hand dropped his gun to the floor as both his hands moved to grasp his thigh that was slowly beginning to stain with dark red.
Riku's hand moved to his mouth in shock at the sudden change in atmosphere of the situation while Sora took the chance to shoot once more, this time his bullet apparently hit the male's other leg.
"But I doubt you will." The pirate captain finished in a rather bored tone right after he began approaching where the man now sat on the ground, his hands at his wounds painfully.
The fringed haired royal anxiously began to pick himself up from the floor and watched from afar as the young pirate captain brought his cutlass out from his side and drove it into the same spot where he'd first shot the man in the lower limb.
The sight was enough to make Riku want to gag especially with the amount of blood that was now beginning to stain at the man's once dingy light brown trousers.
He watched back as Sora leaned forward and downward until both he and the older man were face to face, "From what I heard between you and the Prince and common sense, I can assume that you were given a lead on our whereabouts from someone. My only questions to you are who sent you, why did they send you, and what you wanted with Riku. Answer now and I'll kill you as painlessly as possible."
Riku unsurely took a step forward, his eyebrows furrowed downward, "I don't think that's—"
"If you don't answer, I'll twist this cutlass until it leaves a hole big enough for a gold coin to fit inside the gap." Sora threatened icily as his hand danced at the handle of his sword that still remained stuck inside of the male's thigh.
Face flushed red with pain, the man nodded, "I was sent by a man back in the Radiant Garden. You'd visited him before I had and when I went in he told me that you had the Prince and you were looking for The Dark Meridian, he said if I got both of them from you in a single swing he'd reward me."
From the description, Riku himself found his mind going back to Sora's former Captain that he had visited briefly in Traverse Town not too long ago…
Not only that, if he recalled correctly, not too long ago in the cave, Sora himself had said that his old mentor was a bit crazy.
"So Captain Cid sent you?" The pirate inquired what had been on the prince's own mind, his hand lightly gave the sword's handle a push and the man beneath him gave a staggered gasp of pain.
"Y-yes."
"Why should I believe you?" Sora continued with a slight tilt to his head and as he inclined his head downward, the small turn he gave his weapon was undeniable that even Riku couldn't hold back his flinch the moment Sora cruelly gave it a quick and rough jerk to the side.
The man grunted his mouth contorting into a way that easily translated to the expression of agony written on his face, "I have no reason to lie. I swear."
"You're lying to me right now. Captain Cid didn't send you. Tell me who did right now or else I will leave you here to die with my sword in your leg."
Defensively, Riku cleared his throat, "I think he's telling the truth, Sora. Who else could have told him about where we were? You only spoke to him when were in the Radiant Garden, right?"
"No, I didn't." Sora coldly answered, "I spoke to someone else and even if this useless thief is afraid of telling me, it doesn't matter. I know who he is and that's enough."
"Speaking of which, do you want to explain to me how you aren't dead like you were about two minutes ago before you swung into action so quickly?" Riku sarcastically inquired though there was still validity in his words.
He truly had no clue how Sora did what he did.
One second just there, practically dead the next he was saving Riku's life from getting the pain of a bullet in his arm.
"You thought I died?" The words came out of Sora's mouth so heavily laced with ridicule that Riku felt it reach his ears like an insulting slap to the face. Sora released a deep, humorless chuckle, his teeth gleaming as he gazed over at the prince with a growing smirk, "I'm hurt that you think that I'd die that easily."
"But, you…" Riku trailed off unable to think of any words, his mind just becoming clouded with the repeated sight of Sora's body crashing into the dirt after the gunshot.
Riku had gone up to him and his body had been completely unresponsive even as Riku's shaking hands had felt around his hair… But now… He was okay.
Sora was okay.
"I'm a trained predator, Princess." Sora informed plainly, almost as though he were bored with the conversation like it was common knowledge and Riku was just plain stupid for not knowing, "I know how the mind of those who kill work. Acting dead when you only get skimmed across the chest isn't easy but you manage." He moved his hands back to open out his coat and show his shirt that sure enough, had a long cut across the front where Riku could assume the bullet had crossed.
Sora's pale skin beneath appeared slightly irritated, but it was nothing big, not even big enough to leave a scar.
The invincible Captain Sora continued his streak of not being scarred for years.
But it made sense… Had Sora continued up even when he'd just been skidded with a bullet, he would have been shot again and it could have been fatal.
He'd just been waiting for the perfect opportunity to show he was alive, but it was probably ruined when Riku had been in danger of getting shot.
It worked out the more Riku thought about it… Something he had to applaud Sora for because what the prince came to a revelation to in minutes, Sora had come together with in a mere moment.
"I'll give it to you," Sora remarked, his hand sliding down from his chest lightly, his face turned into a scowl as he craned his neck to gaze at the fallen male dangerously, "I honestly hadn't been too considerate on an ambush occurring when I walked out. You nearly got me."
His eyes scanned the man pretentiously, "Unfortunately, you didn't get me and your fate was sealed from the moment you even thought of aiming your pitiful weapon at me regardless of your intentions."
"Which were shit in the first place," Riku pitched in dryly, "I'm not a fucking object, you ass." He crudely deadpanned as seriously as he could.
"Calling him an ass is too high of his character. He's a pathetic, lying worm is all." Sora claimed easily, "Resorting to sneak attacks and deceit. Even in the face of death you can't tell the truth, not even when you're caught in your own lie. How disgusting." The pirate captain scoffed out with an impassive expression lighting to his face.
With a strained look of anger, Riku found himself tensing the moment the man lifted his head upward to catch eye contact with Sora once more, his teeth were gritted against each other tightly as he spoke harshly, "I find it terribly ironic how you call me the disgusting one and yet you and the Prince have no doubt had some sort of affair, Sora."
Riku's heart skipped a beat from the criminal's so spot on statement despite his whole ignorance to the whole spectrum of the actually situation between both he and Sora and Sora himself went rigid in silence.
"The Prince is no better than the lowest criminals out there! He threw away his dedication to the Crown, his own blood! Just to sleep with one of the cruelest, sinful beings the seven seas have ever know. If that isn't disgusting, I don't know what is! The Prince betrayed not only his family, but his whole country! If you think I'm disgusting, I'm more than positive his own family doesn't think anymore of both him and you, Sora."
The words held more power than Riku ever would have expected them to, yet he continued on.
"The VanSinclair's think they lost a precious son to pirates when in actuality they gave away a traitor to the likes of those he belongs with. You may think he likes being with you and he may, but to give up his own family's wealth and love for you, the Crimson Prince of the Sea? One of the Radiant Garden's most wanted? Then both he and you are out of your fucking minds."
Unable to hear any more of it, Riku turned on his heel and began stomping off.
He didn't know where he was going; all he knew was that he had to get away from the stray thoughts that were beginning to burn at his psyche from the man's words.
Again, he heard the sound of a gun going off, and he found himself shuddering as he continued walking throughout the trees that seemed to consume him the more and more he walked in.
The amount of times he heard a gun being used within the past four weeks was more than he had in his entire life previous. It was crazy and the more he thought about it, the more nauseated he felt.
He'd practically forgotten about his family and it was like he'd just given up on them in exchange for his life on the Kingdom Heart.
He really was sickening.
Not too far off, he could hear his name being called out by Sora, but he just kept walking forward, unable to slow down and unwilling to face him with his emotions on the verge of just cracking down.
If there was anything Riku could say he treasured more than his own life, he could easily say it was his family.
He loved his sisters and he loved his parents so much it was painful to think that in their eyes he was nothing more but a dirty traitor.
"Wait, Riku is that you?"
"Roxas, put your gun down! It's Riku!"
Surprised at the close proximity of the calls, Riku stopped his steps and turned to the side, his eyes catching sight of Axel, Roxas, and Ventus.
Roxas lowered his gun from in front of him quickly before he turned his attention back to Axel and Ventus who were both struggling to wrap a piece of Ventus's shirt around Axel's clearly bleeding arm.
The scene combined with the four motionless and bleeding bodies that were piled near Roxas' feet struck Riku as incredibly random and on a normal occasion he would have stopped to ask if they were okay, but he simple shook his head at them once before he turned and continued walking away quickly.
He heard them call after him in confusion but he kept going.
Abruptly, Riku found his arm being caught from behind rather roughly.
He prepared to hit the hand that grabbed him, but before he could, Sora's face was near his, "Don't just go running off alone, do you know how stupid that is right now? You don't know if that guy had his friends around on the island. You need to stay close—"
"Okay, whatever just let go of me." Riku snapped as he yanked back his arm from Sora's hold.
Just from looking at Sora, Riku's being was filled with a morbid sense when he knew without a doubt that the man who'd assaulted him earlier was dead by Sora's hand as the two spoke.
He knew he'd rather it be that way than having Sora be the one gone, but a life was a life and the fact one was lost so quickly made his blood freeze up a bit.
Sora paused for a moment, his mouth opening as though he was about to remark on something before he stopped as though to reevaluate what he wanted to say.
Riku sighed with a look away right as he began, "Why are you upset?" The pirate captain seemed to settle on questioning.
"I'm just angry with myself, alright? I think I have a right to be." Riku proclaimed in irritation.
Sora arched a brow at this curiously, "Angry with yourself? Are you crazy? You've literally done nothing wrong."
Heaving a breath, Riku clenched his fists tightly to his sides, "He was right. My brothers and sister, my mother, my father, everyone back home, they'd all hate me and they'd be disgusted with me because of what I've become, Sora. All this time I've been subconsciously telling myself that I could adjust to the ship and everything would be alright, but I'm so fucking ignorant it isn't even funny! I'm the heir to the throne!" He hadn't meant for his voice to elevate but it had and it was obvious that Sora didn't intend on intervening in his rant as the curly haired male simply stood and watched his passively,
Riku took his silence as a means to continue while he felt his emotions begin to drain out, "I'm supposed to lead a whole fucking nation in only so many years! I have so many responsibilities, not only to my family, but to all those people out there in Radiant Garden and in the colonies! All I've been doing is getting comfortable here and ignoring it all and I'm just the worst fucking person ever, okay!? If my father saw me, he'd tell me how much of a disgrace I am, if my brothers saw me, they'd be ashamed of calling me big brother, if my mother saw me, she'd… She'd… She'd just…" He couldn't keep going; the very idea of his mom being disgusted by him was too much.
He literally felt like collapsing into a fetal position and just crying. It felt like everyone was against him and that everyone hated him.
"Sora… If they all saw me now, I'd be dead to them."
His shoulders slumped but just as quickly as they did, Riku found support given to his front as Sora's arms wrapped around his body tightly and securely.
"I don't understand how anyone on this planet could ever be disgusted by you." Sora lowly replied, his arms not releasing their hold and for once, Riku found himself able to let out one huge breath while he allowed his eyes to close.
He could feel security within Sora's embrace and as the pirate captain kept him close he could only remain silent as he continued, "If any of them thinks any little of you than before, then they don't deserve you, Riku."
His words, though lightening to the morbid feeling clouding his head still made Riku's stomach flip before he shook his head in denial and opened his mouth to protest, "No, Sora, that's—"
Just as quickly as he started, Sora interjected strongly, "No, just stop and listen to me, okay?"
"M'kay." Riku softly responded after a few seconds of silence.
"You have honestly done nothing wrong. Trust me, I've done things I'm not proud of and I understand how it feels to think that your family hates you… Like everyone does… Like you're the worst person on the planet. But I need you to believe me when I say that your family would never feel anything other than love for you. You can hold me on my word for this because unlike me, your family is still alive for you to see it for yourself. I have no clue if my mother or brother would even be able to look me in the eye after all that I've done."
His words made a tinge of guilt filter into his system but Riku didn't have much time to linger on it as Sora moved his head back to stare into Riku's eyes firmly, "Riku, you are literally the most forgiving, understanding, and kindest person I have ever met in my whole entire life. I've put you through so much shit that makes me beyond repulsed by my own self and yet you still manage to look me in the face every day with a clear mind. I've hurt you more times than I wish I had and despite that, you forgave me. You forgave me and you were willing to start over. You're compassionate and open minded, you're sympathetic and comforting, and you're perfect. I hate the thought of you thinking otherwise. I love you too much to see you go through what I have to feel practically every day."
Riku immediately brought his own arms up to return the hug just as tightly, his head sinking into Sora's shoulder while he fought tears from coming to his eyes.
The two stood there for a few more moments, their arms still wrapped around one another as Riku found his head slowly clearly of all self loathing and doubts and every so often his own thoughts to Sora's previous confession that had quickly resurfaced minutes ago.
Sora loved him when he didn't know him.
He knew last time he nearly lost his chance in a single instant to let Sora properly know his response,
"You said you loved me earlier, and I never really got to answer you before, right?" Riku quietly questioned and he could feel Sora's body tense up at the mention of it.
It was almost funny that Riku's lips pulled up into a bit of a smile.
"Well, Sora Caeleum," Riku let out a breath as he released the spiky haired brunet with a slight tilt to his feet, "I can't necessarily say that I love you back or anything… It's confusing; I don't even know what's wrong with me so if you gave me some more time to properly figure it out, I may love you back too." He offered a small smile to the younger male that watched at him with seemingly expressionless eyes.
"I understand if that's not good enough for you, but—"
His words were silenced by Sora's own lips that dipped downward and pressed onto his own firmly.
The kiss was a few seconds long and when Sora pulled away, he wore a soft smile on his face, "I've literally waited about ten years for you. I think I can wait a few months."
"I'm not that special, honestly."
"To me you are."
Riku released a small and short laugh; his own cheeks flushing as he found his hand slipping down to catch hold of Sora's own.
But just as quickly as his laughter subsided, his thoughts were brought back to his family.
He knew he couldn't stay on the Kingdom Heart much longer without getting to see them. He'd probably go crazy if that were the case.
"I want to go home." He mumbled, he knew he sounded like a child, but at this point in time he didn't care all too much. Riku's eyes darted to the floor, too meek to meet up with Sora's at first while he uttered his phrase before he bit his bottom lip sullenly.
The homesickness that he'd suffered from since his beginning times onboard was coming back from its repressed state and hitting him full blast.
He knew if he went home, he'd be leaving Kairi behind… He'd be leaving the ship he'd grown accustomed to for a month behind, he'd be leaving the crew, Aqua, Roxas, Ventus, and Axel behind and he'd be leaving Sora alone.
Even if that was the case, right now he knew he needed to see his family back at the palace as soon as possible. So long of being separated was taking its toll on him and even with Sora's reassuring words, he had to make sure they knew he was okay even if it meant parting away.
Sora's ocean blue eyes, normally cold and empty whenever the topic of Riku straying too far came to conversation, were now more calm and sympathetic as he nodded at Riku in understanding, a notion that made Riku's spirit rise before he spoke softly,
"Whatever you want, Princess."
With that, Riku let out another heavy breath before he buried his face into Sora's shoulder and he felt the shorter boy mirror his motion right as he allowed his arms to hug him tighter, "Thank you, Sora."