Chapter Forty-Three

" I'm not sure if Riku had told you just yet... apparently, he hasn't."

The boy began, shifting Kae so that she'd be a little more comfortable. She still didn't look it, though. Sighing deeply, he turned his gaze back to Donald and Goofy. Both were now seated at the foot of the bed,

" You see, when the Keybearer was dropped off back at his home... I'm supposing that it was you who dropped him off, right?"

Both nodded. Tobi cleared his throat,

" Okay... so I'm supposing you know about the Princess, too?"

They nodded again, Donald becoming impatient with him,

" Is there a point you're trying to make?"

The crimson-haired boy nodded, Kae wiggling a little in her sleep. Her hand clenched his shirt tightly, then relaxed on his chest. He smiled a little, rubbing her arm to let her know he was still there. He then turned back to the two before him,

" Well, um... from what I heard, they had a kid together and--"

Goofy chuckled softly, smiling,

" Aww, shucks....hyuck."

Tobi smiled at this, shaking his head,

" Yeah, it may sound sweet, now... but, unfortunately, they never got the chance to raise her."

Donald raised an eyebrow, quacking lowly,

" What do you mean...?"

Taking in a deep breath, Tobi glanced down at Kae and ran his fingers along her cheek,

" I was afraid you'd ask that question. They never got a chance to raise her because... well... they're no longer around to do so. They were both...murdered...fourteen years ago."


Riku winced as he tied on the rest of the bandages and sighed, resting both hands on the edge of the pearly, white sink. Why did it always have to hurt so much? Shaking his head, he slowly headed out of the tiny bathroom and to his left toward the bedroom window. Night had fallen, he supposed, since he could no longer feel the sun's rays on his skin,

' But I can't see it... just like I can't see the floor, certain walls, the ocean, or the internal compartments of a gummi ship... I can't even see my own body!!'

He then took in a deep breath and opened the window. Walking out onto the small balcony just beyond his room, he leaned his arms on the white railing and glanced up at the sky,

' I can see worlds, though... that's a plus. They're golden... Hey, maybe gold is just the light of a world... kind of like Hikari was...'

Sighing deeply, he lowered his head into his hands and bit his lip,

" Da$$#t..."


" I don't believe you."

Tobi's golden eyes widened as the canine's mostly upbeat personality suddenly shifted into a defensive-type mode. Donald quacked lowly, glancing up as Goofy suddenly stormed out of the room,

" Goofy?"

He then turned back to Tobi and frowned,

" Is it...true?"

Tobi nodded,

" You can ask Kae... that is, if she ever wakes up."

Donald raised an eyebrow, confused,

" Why?"

The boy smiled slightly, a few strands of blood-red hair falling in front of his eyes as he glanced down at her,

" Because... she's their daughter."


Riku sighed, a soft breeze fluttering through his bangs. Something about that breeze seemed familiar, like he'd felt it before,

' No...That's crazy.'

His eyes then widened as a familiar giggle filled his ears,

' " What? You don't believe in magic?"'

----

The ebony-haired maiden folded her arms as he shrugged,

" Never seen it done. Why should I?"

Hikari pouted at him, trying hard not to smile,

" Well, aren't you a hypocrite!"

" What?"

She giggled again, turning away from him and heading into a clearing,

" Well, aren't your powers a form of magic?"

He shook his head, shivering a little as a snowflake disappeared down his shirt,

" That's different--"

" How so?"

She turned, her emerald eyes set on him critically.

The girl laughed a little as she spoke, numerous snowflakes visible in her raven hair,

" The darkness can do the same thing as my magic, can it not?"

He folded his arms, a snowflake falling onto his nose,

" Hikari..."

She giggled at this and spread her arms out to the either side as she lightly closed her eyes. Her pure-white cloak began to ruffle as a soft breeze drifted through the woods. She wore a dark blue gown beneathe it a lighter tone of the sky colour ruffling out at her wrists.

Shaking his head, he sighed,

" What're you--"

The winds picked up a little stronger and snow began to spin around her, halting his protest. He was silent, gaping up in awe as she was slowly lifted from the ground. Hikari spun for a short while in mid-air, high above his head.

If he'd been thinking straight at that moment, he could've snuck a peek up her skirt... but one, he knew better, and two, he was in too much of a daze to sort things out correctly. He never knew such magic was possible...

----

Riku opened his eyes at the sound of a yelp below him and he glanced down, surprised to see Goofy sitting on the floor rubbing his foot. He raised an eyebrow at this and frowned,

" Well... that's odd."


" Sora can't be gone..."

Goofy said, shaking his head as he sat on the concrete floor in the garden. He knew it was a bad idea to kick that statue, but... well, he did it anyway. He then folded his arms and glared at a random pillar, refusing to believe that boy's words,

" He can't be gone. He'd never give up a fight against nobody! Sora's the strongest person I know, and if he puts his mind to it, he can do anything! He wasn't beaten by no Heartless..."

" Hey, Goofy!"

The canine glanced up above him at one of the balconies to see Riku standing there. The man had his blindfold off and his paling eyes glinted in the soft moonlight,

" What're you doing down there?"

Goofy smiled, waving a hand,

" Good evenin', Riku! I'm jus' thinkin' to myself..."

Riku smiled. Goofy had always been the friendly one, well, other than Sora. The clumsy canine was the type of figure that would remind you of a shop keeper in a small town or something, the type that always had something friendly to say to you when you'd come into the store.

The silver-haired man shook his head,

" And I suppose thinking requires you to break a statue or two every now and then?"

Goofy smiled sheepishly, shrugging as he glanced over at the now headless statue of the King,

" Oops... hyuck."


" She's their WHAT!?"

Tobi smiled, glancing down at the 19-year-old girl in his arms,

" I thought you'd react that way..."

He then stiffened as Kae began to squirm, hoping that their conversation didn't wake her. It didn't. She mumbled something that sounded either like, " Daddy," or " Bananas," and kept right on dreaming.

Donald smiled tearfully at the girl, looking over her face,

" She looks just like her mother..."

Tobi smirked, brushing her hair from her face, yet again. If she'd stop shifting so much, he wouldn't have to constantly pull her bangs out of her eyes... not that he minded doing so, however...


" So, what's got you so riled up that you felt you had to decapitate the already late King, hm?"

Goofy straightened,

" You mean.. you--"

Riku smiled a little, shaking his head,

" I kind of figured. After spending nearly an entire year in Kingdom Hearts with him, you'd think he'd come and visit an old 'friend' like me. I also can't feel his energy. What exactly happened here, Goofy? Where is everyone?"

Goofy sighed, shaking his head,

" After me and Donald dropped Sora off at his home, we flew back here... and it looked like this. Not me or Donald or Jiminy knows what happened... but we did find the King..."

Riku frowned, noticing the slight shift in Goofy's character,

" Goofy?"

The canine almost seemed frightened as he spoke,

" We found him in several pieces... layin' all over the throne room..."

The silver-haired man's eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat as Goofy continued,

"...along with Miss Daisy, Queen Minnie, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie... they were all gone."

Riku clenched his fists, wincing a little as he shook his head,

" Goofy... I- I'm so sorry... I didn't know--"

" Riku. Tell me somethin'."

The blind-one straightened, raising an eyebrow at Goofy's downcast disposition,

" W-What?"

" Tell me... tell me Sora ain't gone, too. I really need to know he's okay."


Kae groaned, slowly opening her eyes to find herself in a nice, warm bed. She had never felt so comfortable before... never felt so safe. A low quacking soon reached her ears and she frowned, turning her head to the left to see a strange white blob at the edge of the bed. Once her vision cleared, she gasped to find that it was... a duck? The duck chuckled, smiling at her,

" Hello."

Startled by it's sudden speech, she let out a loud shriek and tried to back away from it, her eyes widening at the sudden press on her chest,

" What!? What happened!?"

She glanced down to see a single azure hand gripping her bosom tightly and she snarled, shoving Tobi off of the bed,

" PERVERT!!"

He flipped over and fell off the bed, falling onto his head with a yelp,

" I DIDN'T MEAN TO!! I'M SORRY!"

The girl hugged herself tightly, curling up into a ball as she glared down at him,

" Yeah right! What the He$# did you think you were doing in bed with me, anyway!? I'm not going to give up to you, so stop dreaming!!"

Tobi glared up at her, his fists clenched tightly at his sides,

" Like I'd want to sleep with you, anyway!! I think you're the one who's dreaming, missy!"

Donald's mouth hung open as he watched the two of them argue, his eyes twitching uncontrollably.


Riku coughed, sighing as he lowered his head,

" I... I'm afraid I can't do that, Goofy. I'm sorry."

Goofy's hopeful expression fell and a few tears welled in his eyes.

The blind-one sighed, shifting uncomfortably as he stepped toward the teary-eyed canine,

" Um... I'm not so good with this sort of thing so, uh... do you... need a hug?"

Goofy shot up from his seat and grabbed Riku, howling into his shoulder. Riku winced a bit, as the dog had shoved his nose right into one of his wounds, but didn't press that fact and tried his best to comfort the six-foot, crying pooch,

" Hey...at least he's in a better place, now... right?"