"How ya holdin up, Riku?"
Riku blinked, coming out of his exhausted trance as he absently stared at the navigation screen of the gummi ship. Blue translucent holograms of planets spun in front of him, still waiting for him to select where to go next. He leaned back in his seat, glancing over at Mickey sitting just a few feet away and patiently awaiting a reply.
"I'm alright," Riku assured him, though he knew that was a half-truth at best. Clearing his throat, he chose their next destination and listened to the computer chime in response as the coordinates were set.
If Mickey knew Riku was lying, he didn't say anything. Their short exchange fell to silence as the ship changed course. Stars whizzed past the windshield, shimmering lights against the dark backdrop of space. Riku watched them pass by, well used to the sight after the dozens of missions he'd taken on over the years. The wonder he used to have had faded, or maybe he was beginning to take it for granted.
His eyes felt heavy. They yearned to close, to allow the hum of the engines to lull him to sleep, but Riku fought the urge. He knew all that awaited him were dreams of unfamiliar cityscapes and an ever present need to find his way to Sora. It seemed as much as he may have needed or wanted to, he couldn't rest until things were made right.
But even he knew it wasn't a viable way to live. Riku, Kairi, all of them were doing everything they could to search. Why couldn't his dreams give him the reprieve he so sorely needed?
"Ya'know," Mickey's voice cut through his rambling thoughts. "You never did tell me about the Dream Realm."
A subtle smile tweaked the corner of Riku's mouth. It had been a long time since he thought about that place.
"The one from the Mark of Mastery exam?" he asked, keeping his gaze on the streaks of stars passing by.
"That's the one," Mickey replied with a small laugh. "Sora told me there were some critters the two of ya became pals with!"
"Yeah," Riku recalled, giving a breathy chuckle of his own. "Dream Eaters. I had one called Komory Bat, he stayed by my side the whole time."
"Aw, that sounds like you two had a pretty special connection!"
"We did." Riku's smile grew from the memory. "He could always tell when I was about to fall back asleep and would warn me to get somewhere safe. At least, I think he would, I couldn't understand him."
Both of them chuckled before Mickey hummed in thought.
"Gee, I wonder if he's still lookin' out for ya?"
Riku turned his seat slightly to look over at him. "What do you mean?"
"Ah, nothin' really. Just thinkin' out loud!"
"Now you got me thinking too." Riku let out a breath of amusement, resituating in his seat as he focused his gaze back to the navigation holograms. He stared at the blue gridded sphere he had selected as their next destination, his mind wandering as he watched it spin.
Was Komory still there?
He never did get the chance to thank him, or to say goodbye. It was something that occasionally bothered him, but he never focused on it for long. Too many other things required his attention.
Still, it didn't change the fact that Riku missed him. But maybe he was still there, buried deep inside his heart.
The thought comforted him enough to ease some of the tension in his shoulders that had been building throughout the last several weeks. His head lulled back against his seat, propped up by his palm. He wasn't sure when it happened, but his eyes steadily slid shut. His memories of Komory warbled as thoughts faded into dreams.
When he opened his eyes again, he expected towering buildings and glaring lights. Instead, he found himself in the familiar courtyard of Traverse Town. Cool brick was spread out beneath him, vibrant moss growing between the cracks. The endless night sky glistened with stars, their dull light overshadowed by the neon signs hanging on every store front.
Riku pushed himself to stand and turned in place, taking in the world around him. A familiar chirp caught his attention. He spun around just in time to see Komory flying right for him. Riku spread his arms to catch him, but the force of the fluffy impact sent both of them falling to the ground. Riku laughed as he fell, struggling to sit up as Komory nuzzled against him.
"It's good to see you too, buddy," Riku told him, amusement still riddled in his voice. "It's been a while, huh?"
Komory lifted off of him, letting out a trill as Riku stood back up, brushing off his pants.
"Did you bring me here?" Riku asked, smiling fondly as Komory flapped about.
Without a reply, Komory turned around and flew away, disappearing behind the accessory shop.
"Hey, wait up!" Riku called, breaking into an immediate sprint.
A trickle of adrenaline pulsed in his chest, a feeling he was well accustomed to from his time in the Dream Realm. With a smirk, he leapt forward, landing perfectly on the stair railing. Shimmering purple light surrounded him, sparking at his feet as he glided along the metal.
He jumped off at the end, gripping the rooftop of the accessory shop with ease. Komory was at the top, bouncing up and down before soaring further into the district. Riku sped after him, gliding from one place to the next with a grin spread across his face.
"You won't win that easy!"
Komory glanced back, squeaking and jumping out of the way as Riku rushed right past him. For the first time in months, a genuine laugh filled the night air as Riku heard Komory's tweets fading behind him.
With a push of his foot, Riku vaulted from the highest rooftop, his sights set on the following district to continue the race. Then everything froze. The shimmering light around him fizzled away, the town flickering out of existence. All at once he was surrounded by the towering skyscrapers, dread digging into his gut, glaring lights blinding his sight until his head was throbbing. His breath left his chest as everything glitched back to Traverse Town, except now he was falling.
Wind whistled past his ears, panic settling in before he could focus enough to glide. The sensation of two clawed feet gripping the back of his shirt barely registered before his fall was stopped. He jerked forward, taking a moment to come back to reality before looking up and seeing Komory struggling to keep him afloat.
The ground came fast and the two tumbled into a roll against the brick laden ground. Riku reached up and grabbed Komory, wrapping his arms protectively around him as they rolled to a stop. A breathy laugh escaped Riku once they were safe, though not as genuine as the one before.
He lifted his arm, about to ask if Komory was alright, but was interrupted as Komory flapped his wings irately and lifted from his grip. Riku blinked in surprise, simply watching as Komory looked him over, seeming to check for cuts or anything that resembled him being hurt.
After a moment, Riku couldn't help but smile, his heart warming. "You really have been looking out for me, haven't you?"
Komory paused his worried chirping, meeting Riku's softened eyes. He tilted his head, before flying forward and nuzzling onto Riku's shoulder.
Riku snickered, his hand brushing the soft, comforting fur of his friend. "Thanks."
"Riku?" Mickey's voice rang through the courtyard, the world around them rippling simultaneously. "Riku, you gotta wake up."
Riku blinked, and found himself greeted by the same navigation screen he had been staring at moments before. The repetitive beeping from the computers brought him back to reality as his tired eyes looked around before meeting with Mickey standing beside his seat.
"I'm sorry to wake ya, Riku," Mickey apologized, patting his arm. "But you're better off sleepin' in your bed. You'll feel much better rested that way!"
Still in a sleepy haze, Riku nodded with a yawn, rubbing his eyes. Mickey stepped back as Riku stood up, allowing him to start towards his room.
"Say, Riku, did you have the same dream again?" Mickey asked as Riku reached the doorway.
Riku paused, smiling to himself before he shook his head.
"No, this time it was different."
**Author's Note: This was my second fic for the Riku Zine: The Things That Matter! Something short and sweet diving into Riku and Komory. I absolutely adored Komory in DDD and when I was given the choice of who I wanted to write about, Komory was the first one that came to mind. Thank you so much for taking the time to read!**