Changing the Curtain
Riku's PoV
Riku had only gone to give Kairi her new outfit–he hadn't planned on staying in the Enchanted Forest long–but Kairi was too fast at changing… and apparently cutting her hair. So Riku saw her in her new look, that sent his heart sputtering despite itself.
It was just that–even though she was clearly hanging onto some of her girly-ness–as she reached back to her tomboy side, in order to better fight, she was again acting like the girl he'd once been in love with.
And Riku didn't know what to do with that, since he'd tried to move on from Kairi for his friends' sakes.
But at the same time… Sora had so much on his plate—and could be such an airhead sometimes—that Riku doubted his best friend would complement Kairi on her look… or anyone, for that matter.
Certainly not Lea, since he still walked on eggshells around her, and her teachers surely wouldn't, nor any of the other guys.
So Riku did… He stammered it, of course, and tried to play it off that he just liked her hair short—to which Kairi giggled—but he still managed to tell Kairi he thought she looked cute without dying inside… and with most of his dignity still intact.
And when Kairi smiled at him—telling him that she liked his new hair better, too—and handed him a flower in thanks, he knew it had been worth it.
…
The trio had decided to go back home before the War, and they were about to do so now.
And Sora—as besotted to Kairi as he always was—had gone to put Kairi's luggage in the gummi ship for her.
And everyone else was leaving to do their own thing… Even Master Yen Sid had mysteriously vanished…
So Riku took the chance to talk to Kairi in a way he really hadn't since right before her training had started, because even their last conversation had been very few words. And so Riku meant to fix that now.
"Kairi," Riku said, as he placed a hand on her shoulder to halt her progression down the stairs, and gently turned her to face him. "You're doing a great job with training… but I think your jumps would be better, if you didn't always change what foot you leap on. Do you think about what you're doing before you do it, or-"
"I'm actually letting that part come naturally, since so much of it… isn't. But I don't know, do you think I should choose a foot and try to use that one before I fly?"
'Fly?' Riku wanted to ask. None of them were flying… unless you counted Sora the few times that he could still call upon what he'd learned from Neverland. But then Riku realized Kairi had used "fly" to mean "jump". She just hadn't said that—or "leap"—because he just had. And as a writer, Kairi was nothing if not a wordsmith.
Riku winked at his best friend to let her know that he'd caught on to what she was doing, and that that would probably be for the best, yeah.
"Thanks- thanks for the advice, Riku. I feel most everyone else is afraid to give it to me, for some reason. But I know I can count on you! …Well, shall we go now Riku?" Kairi asked the last, as she took Riku's arm in her own and began walking down the stairs again. And yes, his breath might have stupidly hitched in his throat.
Then Riku couldn't help but to pat her head once, as he said: "Let's."
And then they were soon heading out the door, going outside, and then helping a falling Sora get his and Kairi's suitcases into the ship.
…
When they were on Destiny Islands, and about to visit their parents before the big battle–Sora had already gone to see his mom and dad; but as Riku and Kairi lived further away, and closer together, they were still waiting to have their goodbyes, themselves—Kairi asked Riku a question: "You seem to really have something on your mind… Can I help with it?"
And Riku doubted that she could with part of it, since… despite himself, he was starting to fall in love with her again—even though he did want her with Sora; he did—and he didn't know what to do with it… and of course she wouldn't, since her eyes had always been for Sora. But he imagined she could at least help with the other thing.
"So, Kairi… this is going to sound crazy… but you know my Riku Replica that I told you about? I, uhh, sort of found him when I was in the Realm of Darkness. And I guess he assimilated with me there? I don't know… But I want him to be able to become his own person, too… But I also don't want to force it on him, since it's his choice in the end. But…"
Kairi was at her house now—exactly where she'd wanted to be before she went into a fight that all could easily kill her or any of them, Riku knew; Kairi had actually been the first one of them who'd suggested they tell their 'rents something now—so he had to appreciate that even with that, she had paused outside of it and was giving him all of her time and attention right now.
"That is touchy, Riku. And I don't know if I have the best answer for it… But I agree that he deserves to be his own person. And I'm sure Sora would, too. But you're right, that it's his choice in the end… I guess, if it comes down to it, give him time… Let him stay with you now, if he wants to be, but allow him to change his preference like I know Roxas and even Naminé are. Does that answer your question?"
And it did. It certainly did. But at the same time, Riku was impatient and wondered if there was still more he might be able to. "It does, Kairi… But I still think I'm going to take a moment by myself to see if I can come up with anything else."
The smile Kairi was wearing before this, as she'd tried to help—and surely been ecstatic that she could—faltered just a little here, before it returned. "Okay, Riku. But come and visit with Sora and I soon. We- we always miss you when you're gone."
…
When Kairi and Sora shared the paopu fruits, he at first felt nothing. And not in a numb sort of way or an–I can't believe you'd do this to me–kind of one. Because this was what he'd expected for a long time–what he wanted for them, even–but after a while, it hurt. Yeah. For Kairi, who Riku was starting to get feelings for again. And perhaps for even Sora himself. Truthfully? Riku had had some feelings for him for a while.
But when the Tornado of Heartless tore Kairi away from Sora; from them–and Sora reacted like that, as the army of Shadows then longed for Sora's heart–Riku would feel awfulfor having again been jealous of what those two had. They truly deserved each other; and all the joy they could possibly find, in this tragic life.
It wouldn't be until a bit later that Riku would realize he could fit into this life of theirs, too.
…
The first thing Riku was aware of after his death, was Sora in the background of his form–whatever was left of it–as the younger boy seemed to be trying to protect him from something, whilst Riku flickered in and out of consciousness and existence.
But he also sensed Kairi, too, even as lost as he was. He could almost see her in Sora's heart… though Riku knew that wasn't quite right. And she seemed to be… praying for Sora to be able to save them all?
So when Riku returned back to the Keyblade Graveyard–back to the land of the living–he knew those two would be okay, but still waited anxiously for their return.
And Riku smiled at Kairi's newfound strength, as she was the one to steady Sora as they approached everyone.
…
When Riku first heard that Kairi had been kidnapped by Xemnas, he'd been terrified for her. He'd stopped in his actions, and sent a concerned look Sora's way–internally begging his best friend to better fill him on the details, but Sora didn't. Too much had already begun to happen again.
But the nightmare had continued, when Master Xehanort had summoned an unconscious Kairi–the bastard not even giving her a fighting chance!–and killed her before everyone's eyes, but especially Sora's.
And then Riku was in shock, and transported back to what he'd felt when he'd had to lug Kairi's unconscious body around for a year. But this was so much worse than that, by a mile! And Riku fought back tears: not because Kairi didn't deserve them from him, but because he wouldn't give Xehanort the satisfaction to reacting to his sadistic show, like he surely wanted them to.
The shock was the main reason Riku didn't react to attack Xehanort right away. But also, because he didn't want to mess up what Sora would do to Xehanort, if it'd work.
But it didn't. And Riku lunged at the old geezer, himself–screaming the man's name in red, hot anger: a ferocity he hadn't felt since he'd been so lost in the darkness in Castle Oblivion or when Saïx had Kairi–and that didn't work, either.
So, for the rest of the battle against the Thirteen Darknesses, Riku knew he had to focus on the world–like Kairi would have wanted him to–but in the back of his mind, he said the mantra "find a way to save Kairi. Find a way to save Kairi", over and over again: hoping that by thinking it so much, his wish would haveto come true.
And wishing was part of the reason Riku didn't go with Sora to try and find Kairi, even though he wanted to do that more than anything else in the world. He told himself that since Sora hadn't been able to defeat Xehanort for Kairi by himself last time, the answer, then–in recompense for that–was that Sora alone would do what they hadn't figured out yet, and bring Kairi back. Because surely the multiverse couldn't be too cruel to Sora. Right?
…
Right now? Riku was sitting with Kairi on the dock–after Sora had disappeared before their very eyes–and holding her in his arms (hoping to offer her some sort of comfort in this dark hour), as she rested away her head on his shoulder and looked out towards the horizon with lifeless eyes. And Riku wasn't too far from doing that himself.
"Kairi, I'm so sorry," Riku said now, as he rubbed her arm and went over all the things he could have done differently in his head. "But I swear to you, we're going to-"
But Kairi, amazingly, silenced Riku with a wink this time, and finger to his lips. "No, Riku… let me apologize to you. I- I want you to know I'm in love with you, too. And I think Sora also is… We should have shared paopus with you, too. But… our relationship has been rocky lately, hasn't it?" Riku was going to say something in response—that Kairi was being much too hard on herself, perhaps—but as she seemed lost in a trance now… and like she really needed to get these words off her chest, he just squeezed her shoulder slightly and listened.
"We were so close when we were young, but your darkness scared me on our first journey… And I'm so sorry for that. But then on the second adventure, I realized that… more than I worried about the darkness, I missed you. And I showed youthat. And we- we were both so good together there.
"I- I have fond memories of walking beside you while Sora was near his new friends," And Riku smiled at this, because he'd felt the same way. That time in the Castle That Never Was hasn't sent him reeling with jealousy the way seeing Sora with Donald and Goofy in the Vacant House had… but he'd still felt a little less sure of himself in Sora's life; so it had felt good to have Kairi to bounce off of, who'd been dealing with some of those emotions herself. "But then you and Sora left again… and I horribly fell into my new, bad habits when it came to you. I can't apologize enough, Riku… And I'm done waiting for anything to be right anymore. So, the two of us are going to find Sora, and then we'll finally all be together."
The expression Kairi wore now, was much like the serious and smirking one she'd adorned when she'd shown up at Master Yen Sid's because she wanted to help… but somehow stronger, too. Riku could only hope that maybe he looked like that right now, too.
And the best answer he could give Kairi to this heartfelt speech, Riku found, was to kiss her on the head–the way he had dreamt of while she'd been asleep, near two years ago. But he hadn't dared it now he did, and Kairi leaned into it as their legs tangled.
Then getting up at the same time, and stepping into the water, the two summoned their Keyblades at the same time and made a Corridor of Light towards Sora's location… and held hands as they stepped into it.