Treasure Planet part 3

In which Riku is too queer and traumatized to function, Kairi's a Studio Ghibli character and Sora is Sora is Sora.

Oh, and Jim's pretty cool too.

Chapter specific trigger warnings: More subtle abuse references, self-harm, overthinking about death and funerals (but no actual death itself)

The sun was beginning to set on Treasure Planet. The dusky orange light saturated the interior of B.E.N.'s home, warming coppery metal and viridian moss. In the center of the room, Jim and B.E.N. were constructing a fire from broken crates and old papers. Kairi started it alight with the few sparks she could summon of a fire spell. Her magic was still spent, but tiny flames hardly took her any effort anymore.

Tucked under his now repaired jacket, Sora was propped against the wall, asleep. Riku stood watchfully nearby, trying not to let on how exhausted he still was. Magic done, Kairi came to stand next to him. Dr. Doppler and Captain Amelia weren't far behind her, moving to sit by the fire with the rest. As they settled, Jim passed the Amelia some of the fresh ammunitions he had found among B.E.N.'s things. For a time, the group simply took advantage of the moment of respite.

Until a laser bolt shot through the open doorway.

"Take cover!" Amelia ordered, crouching low and sprinting to the wall on the right side of the opening. She flattened herself against it, peering carefully around the frame. Shaking Sora awake, the Keybearers were quick to follow her, taking the other side of the door. Jim was at their heels. He stayed low, firing a round of laser bullets over the high lip of the frame. Further back, B.E.N. and the doctor dashed behind some nearby crates, hands over their heads.

Despite having nothing to aim for, the pirates continued to fire at the entrance, scouring black gouges into the back of the room. The captain shot back an ammo-conserving spread that slammed several weapons out of their wielders' hands, slowing the salvo whizzing through the door. All three Keyblades were out, but none of them had a drop of magic left. Before they could reach for their ethers, Silver's voice cut through the chaos.

"Stop wastin' your fire!" he bellowed. His men did as ordered. Jim, Sora, Riku and Kairi poked their heads out, taking in the scene.

"There's six of them," Riku said quietly, "not counting Silver." They ducked their heads back in.

"We can take 'em," Sora growled.

As he spoke, the old pirate called out to them, "Hello up there!" A pause. "Jimbo?" The boy in question narrowed his eyes, gaze hard.

"Don't answer him," Captain Amelia ordered in a tense whisper.

Not getting a response, Silver continued, "If it's alright with the captain, I'd like a short word with ya. No tricks, just a little palaver."

"He wants to parley?" Sora asked, confused.

"Come to bargain for the map, doubtless," Amelia explained, scowling.

Jim suddenly smirked, "That means that he thinks-"

"We still have it," Riku finished for him. "Captain, how should we proceed?"

"If he's asking for Jim, he must think you're still hurt," Kairi pointed out, looking at Amelia.

She was considering Jim. "Mr. Hawkins?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Are you willing to treaty with him? I'm of the opinion that we should keep every advantage we have."

Jim nodded once, gaze steely. "I'll do it."

"Very good."

"One of us should go with you," Sora suggested.

"I've got this," Jim insisted.

"A small show of force wouldn't be remiss," Amelia countered. "It wouldn't be above Silver to be duplicitous."

Jim opened his mouth to protest, then shut it again, scowling at the floor.

"I'll go," Riku said quietly. He glanced from Jim to Kairi. "Keep Sora here," he ordered her, voice still low. She nodded.

"I'm right here!" Sora barked, floored. Riku shushed him, glancing around the door frame to where Silver was waiting.

"Go on then," Amelia ordered. Jim hoisted himself over the lip of the entrance. Riku was right behind him, Braveheart drawn. They stalked down the hill, Jim's shoulders stiff. Riku didn't even have to see his face to picture the snarl etched on it.

Silver stumbled up to meet them, settling himself on a rock as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Morph flew out to greet him, happily nuzzling the old salt's hand. "Morphy! I wondered where you'd lit off to."

Riku stopped a few paces back, but Jim walked right up to the older man. With Morph settled on his shoulder, Silver rubbed his mechanical leg, wincing under his breath. As Jim reached him, he surveyed the teenager, from his lowered brows to his clenched fists.

"Brought reinforcements, did ya?" he asked with a nod towards Riku, tone forcibly light.

Jim's expression didn't flicker. "You're not exactly by yourself."

"No," the old salt mused, "s'pose I'm not." He glanced at Riku, then back at Jim. Steepling his fingers, he looked towards the ground and heaved a sigh. "Let's get to it then, shall we?"

At Jim's nod, he went on, "Whatever you heard back there- at least the part concerning you- I didn't mean a word of it." He glanced back up at the brown haired boy whose shoulders hadn't relaxed an inch. "If that bloodthirsty lot had thought I'd gone soft, they'd have gutted us both," he insisted, spreading his hands across his chest to illustrate his point. Jim's eyebrows softened just the faintest bit, shoulders lifting as he took a deep breath.

"Listen to me," Silver whispered conspiratorially, gesturing for Jim to come closer. The boy's feet moved before he'd even realized he'd done it. Silver wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

Up the hill, Riku tensed.

Silver continued, voice low, "If we play our cards right, you and me can both walk away from this rich as kings." The words made Jim relax, considering the possibility. He put a hand on his chin, processing.

"Yeah?"

Silver chuckled, letting the boy go. "You get me that map an' an even portion of the treasure is yours!" he promised, smiling broadly. He held out his mechanical right hand to shake on it.

Jim studied the ground, the faintest smile lingering on his face. "Boy," he spoke, voice curling into a snarl, "you are really something." His eyebrows lowered, glaring as Silver dropped his arm and sank back down onto the rock he'd been sitting on. The teenager began to move, pacing behind the cyborg.

"All that talk of greatness…" He raised his gaze and his hands, continuing, "Light coming off my sails…" Then, rounding on Silver, "What a joke."

Indignant, the sailor retorted, "Now, just see here, Jimbo-"

"I mean, at least you taught me one thing," Jim cut him off. "Stick to it, right?" He turned, walking back to square up with the man. "Well that's just what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna make sure you never see one drabloon of my treasure!"

Silver growled, "That treasure is owed me, by thunder!"

"Well just try to find it without my map, by thunder!" Jim countered, imitating the sailor's accent.

The older man took a breath, staring at the ground and shaking his head. "Oh, you still don't know how to pick yer fights, do you boy?" His jaw was stiff, shoulders hunched as he spat the words through his teeth. Riku started walking down the hill, Braveheart ready, as Silver continued.

"Now, mark me," he said, putting his tricorn back on his head and straightening up, "either I get that map by dawn t'marrow, or so help me, I'll-"

"That's enough," Riku said, voice ice cold, as he stood beside Jim. The old sailor glanced between the two of them, eyes darting quickly as he measured up the threat Riku presented. The teen stood ramrod straight, teal eyes hard, unearthly silver hair framing his face. His heavy sword hung ready in his fist, not yet raised but still imposing. Grumbling to himself, Silver turned and began limping down the hill towards his camp. Then a thought brought him up short.

"Morph, hop to it," He ordered. The little shapeshifter was hovering between Jim and Riku. He squeaked uncertainly, not moving. Silver whipped around, bellowing, "NOW!"

Riku quickly stepped between them, Keyblade up. "That's enough," he repeated, deathly calm. Poor Morph had startled so hard he'd split into pieces and jumped behind Jim's back. The teenager was glaring, lips curled away from his teeth.

Silver worked his jaw, but he knew he was beaten. "Oh, blast it!" he swore, storming away, leaning heavily on his mechanical arm.

They watched him go, waiting until he reached the base of the hill before turning back themselves. Morph clung to Jim's shoulder, still badly spooked. Riku banished Braveheart. They walked in silence, Jim stalking stiffly, rage still simmering off of him.

"You did good back there," Riku said after a moment.

Jim looked at him, surprised. He studied Riku's face, brows furrowed. "Thanks," he finally replied, looking back ahead. Out of the corner of his eye, Riku saw the other boy's shoulders relax slightly.

Cresting the hill, they stepped over the lip of the entrance. Everyone was still clustered around the doorway, having watched the whole altercation.

"Well?" the captain asked.

"He wants the map by dawn," Jim answered.

"Then he's going to be disappointed," Kairi pointed out.

Riku crossed his arms. "I think it'll be worse than that."

"Did he mention anything specific?" Amelia asked.

"Like sorting our guts from our garters, for instance?" Doctor Doppler muttered sarcastically.

Jim exhaled heavily. "Sort of," he confirmed.

"Well if he searches us and comes up empty, then we've lost what slim advantage we have," Amelia mused. "I propose we steal it back - tonight."

"Yeah!" Sora cheered, pumping his fist. "Let's give those pirates a taste of their own medicine!"

"Maybe you forgot, but we're trapped here," Jim pointed out, gesturing towards the door and the pirate's camp. Their fire flickered in the distance, perfectly aligned to see any movement up on the hill. "Between them and the Heartless, if we step outside, we're dead."

Sora waved his concern away. "Psshh, that's nothing. Leave it to Riku, Kairi, and me."

"No," Riku said flatly.

"What?" Sora asked, startled.

"You're not coming," Riku insisted.

His best friend stared at him, completely baffled. "You're joking. Why wouldn't I come with?"

Kairi moved between them, drawing their attention. "Wouldn't it be better to sneak back on to the ship, rather than face the pirates directly?" she suggested. They didn't need to fight in front of these people.

"She has a point," Doppler agreed.

"Then we only need two of us," Riku decided.

Jim stepped forward. "Then I'm going," he stated. "The map is my responsibility. If anyone is getting it back, it's me." He glanced from Doppler to Amelia to Riku, chin lifted, waiting for one of them to argue. The doctor opened his mouth once, but shut it soon after.

"Kairi should accompany you," Captain Amelia suggested, gesturing differentially to the younger woman. All eyes in the room turned to her as she blinked at the captain in blatant surprise. Amelia smirked, amused at their expressions, before continuing, "She has demonstrated more than sufficient martial skill. And, if I may say so, it might be wise to have a cooler head along."

The comment made Jim rub the back of his neck a little sheepishly, but Riku nodded.

"I think that's a good idea," he agreed slowly. Kairi beamed at him.

Sora clapped a hand on her shoulder. "You'll do great," he said with a smile. Kairi smiled back at him, fighting down a flutter of anxiety at the way his eyebrows were still furrowed.

"Watch each other's backs," Riku added, glancing at Jim.

His expression turned serious. "Yes, sir." Riku just barely kept the surprise of being addressed as 'sir' off his face.

"Small problem," Doppler interjected, one finger raised. "How are the two of you planning on sneaking past them?" he gestured broadly outside once more.

"Um, I might be able to help with that," B.E.N. said, stepping forward. He'd been somewhat quiet since the attack, and now he approached cautiously, hunched over as if he expected to be told off for interrupting.

"How so?" Amelia replied.

"Well, you see, I've lived here a long time and there are just things you know after-"

"Rambling," Jim whispered, not unkindly.

"Sorry!" the robot whispered back. Then, at normal volume, "I have a sort of 'back door'," he explained, putting finger quotes around the words.

"Back door?" Sora asked, tilting his head.

"Yeah, right here," B.E.N. bounded to the back of the room where a large sphere was submerged three quarters of the way into the floor. As he heaved against it, the sphere began to rotate, revealing a large opening that glowed from within. Everyone gathered around it, peering inside. A faint breeze floated up to them, carrying the smell of oil and metal. Inside, leagues of catwalks and machinery stretched far out of sight.

"I get this delightful breeze through here," B.E.N. twittered, resting his head in his hands as he leaned over the edge of the shaft opening.

"What is all this stuff?" Jim asked eagerly as he took in the strange structures and faintly glowing lights.

"You mean the miles and miles of machinery that run through the entire course of this planet?" the robot asked nonchalantly. "Not a clue!"

Kairi was leaning over the edge too, sizing up the distance to the nearest visible catwalk. The breeze lifted her hair, billowing it around her face. There was a feeling like something pulling at her, a deep thrum as the heart of the world reached out towards her. The light of this world was exhilarating.

Sora and Riku glanced at her from either side. The faintest glow coated her skin, bright and warm. In the light of the open shaft, her violet eyes seemed to shimmer. There was something ethereal about her. Both boys couldn't help how their breath caught, heartbeats skittering, as they drank her in.

"Where does it lead?" Jim asked B.E.N. There was no way to tell where the twisting passageways went - they were sealed completely below the planet's surface.

"I know where to go," Kairi stated, voice certain as she climbed the side of the sphere. The glow around her was stronger now. A wind more intense than the one everyone else was experiencing ruffled her skirt and lifted her hair. Strands of her wine red mane floated by her cheekbones, framing her face. She reached the top and balanced over the opening, one foot to either side of it. She held the gaze of everyone in the room.

"Ready?" Jim asked, waiting to follow her. He kept glancing between her and the sphere, unable to look at her for long.

Kairi nodded, the hum of the world's heart louder in her ears. She summoned Destiny's Embrace, and the Keyblade came easily to her hand. She looked at Sora and Riku and had to swallow. Their eyes were round and wondrous, looking at her in a way she hadn't seen before, not even at the gala. Sora's mouth was even open, slack with awe. The light she emitted reflected off their faces, trailing faint golds through the silver of Riku's hair and the tan planes of Sora's skin.

"We'll be back before you know it," she said, smiling. The words felt a little strange, but if she let herself sink any further into the blue of their eyes she would never leave.

Riku nodded, echoing her smile with a soft one of his own. Sora grinned and gave her a big thumbs up, but it didn't hide the flush on his cheeks. She hesitated just a beat longer, then jumped in the hole, floating rather than falling. Jim scrambled after her, movements so rough and human that Sora had to shake his head to clear the confusion the visual dissonance left him with.

For a moment the room was silent, as if held under a spell.

Captain Amelia broke it. "Well, that was certainly illuminating," she said with a mischievous glint in her feline eyes.

"I must say, in all my studies I've never encountered such a phenomenon," Dr. Doppler mused. "Phosphorescent homo sapiens! It's positively mind boggling. Think of the applications!"

Sora and Riku exchanged a baffled look. Riku shrugged, so Sora didn't comment. Slipping his hands behind his head, he let his gaze wander over the markings etched into the metal walls. He wasn't really seeing them, though. His mind's eye was still full of the image of Kairi, radiant and transcendent as she stood before them.

"Kairi is amazing," he sighed, rocking back on his heels.

Riku gave him a good-natured shove. "Dork," he teased, but his eyes were soft, smile almost as love-struck as his friend's.

B.E.N. draped an arm around Dr. Doppler's unwilling shoulders. "I just love old-fashioned romance," he cooed.

—

Left with no other option than to wait, the group settled around the fire. Captain Amelia took watch by the door. Pillowing his head on his rolled up great coat, the canid physicist settled down to sleep. B.E.N. folded himself into comfortable configuration and powered down. Riku stretched out by the fire too, but found himself watching Sora rather than sleeping.

He was sitting close to the flames, knees curled up against his chest with his arms wrapped around them. The fingers of his right hand scratched almost rhythmically against his upper arm. The fire cast deep shadows past his cheeks and in his hair, over his shoulders and along the curve of his spine. He pressed the blunt edges of his nails against his skin, darkening the depressions they made as he scratched. In his shoes, his toes tapped out a frantic beat, just shy of bouncing his entire leg. He hated waiting. He could feel Riku's eyes on the back of his head, so he stubbornly kept his gaze on the campfire.

Eventually, sitting still became too much. He uncurled all at once, digging through his pockets until he'd pulled out the little sewing case. Threading a needle, he held his still ruined shirt away from his skin and began to sew. It would have been easier to take the whole thing off. The holes were high enough he had to crane his neck awkwardly, tucking in his jaw to see what he was doing. But he didn't want to risk another fight if more than just the tattoos on his arms had changed. He could still feel Riku watching him, a sensation that prickled at the back of his scalp and coiled into the clenched muscles of his cheek. He glanced over at his best friend out of the corners of his eyes.

Riku was laying on his stomach, head pillowed on his arms, agonizingly still. He felt heavy, every joint and bone a weight. He stared up at Sora through his bangs, glancing back at the fire when their eyes met. A moment later he heard a little wince of breath hiss through Sora's teeth. His friend had paused his repairs, but picked them back up again a moment later. Watching the way he shoved the needle roughly through the fabric, Riku guessed he'd probably pricked himself. His motions were shakier than before, rushed and frenetic.

Holding back a sigh, the older teen forced himself to his feet. Crossing the short distance between them, he kneeled down on Sora's left. His friend kept stitching, glancing quickly between his own work and Riku's face.

He reached out and caught the hand holding the needle, halting its motion. "Here," he said, shifting his grip to try to take the needle from Sora. "Let me help."

"I've got it," he muttered, clenching his fist tighter around it. His frown was closed off and wary, eyes half-hidden in his furrowed expression.

Riku kept his face neutral, grip gentle. He could stay patient and quiet.

Sora couldn't. "I'm fine," he insisted, looking away. He tried to pull the needle out of Riku's grasp, but he wouldn't let go.

"No, you're not," he murmured. He hooked two fingers into the hole Sora had started to repair, tugging it away from his ribs. The other boy's breath caught as his friend's knuckles brushed his skin. "Let me help."

Sora surrendered the needle, still staring at the ground. Riku watched him for a beat, and then began to sew. He was careful and efficient, trying to ignore the rise and fall of Sora's breathing.

"I'm sorry," Sora blurted, breaking the silence. He leaned away, bracing himself on the palms of his hands, arms stretched out behind him. His fingers were clenched against the metal of the floor.

Riku eyes widened subtly, eyebrows raised. "For what?" he asked. His tone? His secrets? The shadow in his heart and whatever else he was hiding now?

Sora's head jerked up, bewildered at the question. "Aren't you mad at me?" he demanded. He'd been pretty sure Riku had been mad at him. If he wasn't mad, what was all the rest of tonight about?

Riku was genuinely perplexed by the question, eyes scanning Sora's face. He was frustrated, obviously, but angry wasn't how he would describe what he was feeling. It wasn't even close. "Apologies don't mean anything if you don't know what you're apologizing for," he blurted, still keeping his tone level and flat.

Sora frowned, turning his face as far away as he could.

His friend opened and shut his mouth once. What had happened to the Sora who'd wrestled with him and Kairi in the gummi ship? Who'd leaned on him when they were drunk? Who wove magic with his words and with his hands and snapped pictures of the three of them with the edges of his fingers clipping into the frame? He'd gotten so used to Sora trusting him again, he forgot the cold that filled his chest when his best friend shut him out.

The Sora that was here now had frightened eyes and a clenched jaw, his shoulders drawing back as much as they could while Riku still held onto his shirt.

So Riku pulled. He was surprised at how easily Sora swung back to him, rotating forward until their foreheads nearly touched.

"No matter what happened today, you know that we're here for you, right?" Riku asked, searching his eyes.

"But I gave in to the darkness!" Sora protested, volume ratcheting up.

Riku remembered all too well the feeling of being unworthy of his friends. He wondered for a second how they always seemed to know exactly what to say to him. It felt like all he could do was scramble for words in return.

"I can help you with that," he finally managed.

"I can't control it. I'm not like you," Sora murmured, hands balling into fists on the floor.

Riku looked down, hands still. "Well… you're not supposed to be."

Sora huffed. "You know what I mean." He leaned back again, not as far, but enough to give them space to breathe.

Riku started to sew again. "I'm not mad at you."

"Coulda fooled me," Sora muttered.

"You were hurt," his friend went on, "badly. What was I supposed to do? It's not like you'd rest on your own."

"Leaving me out isn't giving me a break!" Sora protested. "We're supposed to do this together."

"And we are," Riku agreed.

"Kairi's out there by herself!"

"She can handle it."

"I know that! It's just-" he cut himself off, running his hands down his face. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here. I"m right here, right now, and someday I won't be." His eyes widened as he realized what he'd just said.

Riku's head snapped up. "What?"

"I mean… nobody gets to be together forever, right?" Sora scrambled, affecting a shrug. "That's just a fairytale, kid stuff."

Riku yanked him forward again until he could feel Sora's hair on his own forehead. "We're not losing you," he stated, green eyes hard as emeralds in the light of the flames.

Sora's lips parted, trying and failing to say anything. He was drowning in teal as deep as the ocean ten knots past the play island, shining like streetlights on leaves in the Rainforest District, the intensity of Ariel's scales lit by a thunder spell. He remembered getting sucked into a riptide once, when he was younger, that the speed of his heartbeat was the same. He gaze darted to Riku's mouth, then quickly looked back up. Hopefully, his best friend hadn't noticed.

Riku had absolutely noticed. His chest felt tight, stomach fluttering nauseously. He knew if he just leaned forward, Sora wouldn't pull away. But that shouldn't even be important right now - he needed Sora to understand he wasn't on his own. He would never be alone, not in this or anything else, not if Riku had anything to say about it. It went without question that Kairi would have felt the same way if she was here for this conversation.

But she wasn't, and Sora was close enough to kiss and maybe even wanted Riku to kiss him.

"Sora…" he murmured, unable to hold his best friend's gaze, unable to look anywhere other than his mouth. "You're not alone. Tell me how to help you."

"You can't," he said, looking down. Still, he pressed his forehead against Riku's rather than pulling away. It wasn't fair. Riku didn't know what he was offering to help with, and he wasn't about to explain. If Riku learned about the deal, Sora knew what he would do. He knew it the same way he knew how the shape of the Dream Eater symbol looked emblazoned on Riku's back; the way he'd catch himself humming their combined sound ideas when he wasn't careful.

He would never let Riku take his place.

Riku's fingers tightened their grip on Sora's shirt. He stared at their knees, Sora's shoes, the pattern of circles and moss worn into the metal beneath them. Eventually, unable to form words, he finished stitching up the hole. The fabric glowed, completing the repair for him. Sora stayed still, leaving their foreheads pressed together.

"You really won't tell me?" Riku finally asked, voice low and quiet. He moved to the other hole, hooking his fingers in it like before.

Sora shook his head. "No."

"What about Kairi?"

"No," Sora repeated, headshake a little more frantic this time. Riku met his eyes again, which was a mistake. They were far too close for that, for him not to get caught in the rays of blue on blue on blue. Before he'd realized it, he'd pulled Sora a little closer.

"Riku… I really can't," Sora found himself whispering, and even he wasn't sure what specifically he was talking about anymore.

"You don't trust me?" the words slipped out before Riku could think them through, before he could pull them back and bury them with a thousand other things he wanted but never would say.

Loyalty flaring, eyes flashing, Sora snapped, "Of course I do! That's not the problem."

"Then what is?" he asked, stomach flipping at how much more like begging that had sounded than he had meant it to.

That made Sora rock back, leaning on his hands again. He looked away, frowning. He still wasn't far, but it made them both feel cold despite the fire. Riku let him think, sewing to keep himself distracted.

"It's my problem," Sora finally said, "my responsibility."

"We'd still help you," Riku asserted, not looking at him. "Your problem is our problem."

"I know," Sora sighed.

Riku looked up at that, suddenly feeling like his best friend might as well be entire worlds away. The look on Sora's face only cemented the sensation. He stared at the floor, brows and eyelids and shoulders heavy as he focused on something that wasn't there. Riku resisted the urge to pull him closer again. Instead, he finished stitching up the hole.

"There," he said, handing the needle back.

Sora tucked it into the case without looking at him. "Thanks."

Riku went to stand, planning on laying back down a little ways away. Sora's hand snapped out to stop him, latching onto his wrist.

"Riku…" he said, locking eyes with him. "Whatever happens… it isn't your fault." He knew he should explain, or at least say something that made more sense, but that was all he could manage to get out.

Riku's eyes narrowed, searching his friend's face. "Then you'd better make sure nothing happens," he ordered, a ferocity in the coldness of his tone that surprised even him. "Because I don't care what I have to do to keep you and Kairi safe."

Sora's eyes widened, heart hammering. He struggled to pull something, anything useful to say from the dozens of sentences swirling around his head. But he couldn't voice any of them. None of them were true, and he wouldn't lie to Riku like this. He wouldn't make another promise he couldn't keep.

Finally, it was Riku who looked away. Pulling his arm out of Sora's grasp, he lay down where he was before, this time on his side with his back to him.

"I'll go take next watch," Sora said, scrambling up. He needed to be literally anywhere else.

Captain Amelia was leaning on the doorframe, rifle slung over her shoulder. She seemed relaxed, but her eyes were narrowed. One ear turned towards Sora as he approached.

"You can get some sleep," the teenager offered. "I'll keep an eye out."

"I wasn't under the impression you'd gotten any rest," she replied archly, not looking at him.

Sora blanched. "You heard all of that?"

She smirked a little. "Not as such, no. Still, it is hard to miss a conversation happening right behind you, even if one is ignoring its contents."

"Oh, sorry," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No apologies necessary. But you won't do me any good dozing off on watch. Go to sleep, Sora. I can hold my post a little longer."

Ignoring her words, he stepped all the way up to the lip of the door, staring out at the darkened planet before them. "Yeah, I wasn't having a lot of luck with that. So I thought I might as well do something useful."

"Sleeping is useful, though it rarely feels like it," she replied, bemused. When her younger companion didn't reply, she glanced over at him. Sora's arms were folded across his chest, expression drawn, eye narrowed.

She straightened, using her shoulder as leverage to rise from her slouch against the doorframe. "Alright," she said breezily, "I'll leave it to you. I've done my fair share of soul searching in the wee hours of the night. I trust you won't need this?" she added, gesturing to the rifle across her back.

"No, I'm good," Sora said with a head shake and a small smile. "Thanks."

"Good man," she replied, patting his shoulder as she passed him. Out of the corner of his eye, Sora watched her pad over to the fire and settle down beside the others. He waited, staring out into the dark field. The crackle of the flames and the buzz of insects filled the back of his throat and settled on his skin. He felt itchy and restless, small under the brilliant lights of stars and planets unfurled in the sky above him. There were many worlds where the sky was clear and bright this late, full of so much color and promise. No others, however, had a thickly shimmering arc of tourmaline space debris. He couldn't help staring at it, even as it reminded him of an entirely different shade of green.

He glanced back over his shoulder. Riku was sleeping on his side, head pillowed on one arm. Most of him was obscured in the deep shadows left by the flickering flames. Even at this angle, Sora could mostly just see his back, rounded with sleep. What was he supposed to tell him? He knew he was dying - there wasn't any denying it anymore. There was nothing the three of them could do to change it, unless one of them-

He bit the thought off, even the beginnings of it making his stomach churn, fists clenching.

He stared back at the star filled sky. An involuntary shiver rippled through his frame, seemingly at random. He shifted his weight, opening and closing his fists. It was obnoxious to be so tired and so restless all at once. He'd never wished for Heartless, but he wouldn't have minded having something physical to do, something concrete to fight. Standing here was almost as bad as being over there by the fire. Almost, but not quite, as unbearable as being so close and yet millions of miles away. He shifted again, falling into a restless half-rocking motion from foot to foot.

Toes heels toes heels toes heels. He focused on the feeling in his feet, attention narrowing as he tried not to think about dying, not to think about leaving them, not to think about what would happen after he was gone.

They'd have each other, but it didn't feel like enough. It was always the three of them. It should stay that way. He skimmed his train of thought over and past his funeral, his mother, none of that could he bear thinking about. Would Riku and Kairi carry his picture? Kawa Mate - a tradition of their people, where a female member of the deceased's family carried a picture of them to anyone who couldn't attend the funeral. He hated the thought of the long, long trek to each person in each world, to everyone he'd ever met. But he'd want Ariel to know, and Simba and Herc, Leon and the others in Radiant Garden, Jack and Sally, Will and Jack and Elizabeth, Rapunzel and Eugene, Hiro and the rest of Big Hero 6, Beast and Belle, Mulan and Mushu, and so, so many others. But he hated the thought of Kairi having to tell them, one at a time, slow and painful and with a silent Riku at her side. The mental image was ghastly. It filled him with a sick, angry feeling so thick and dark he wanted to vomit itd up. But feelings, historically, didn't leave with bile and he couldn't even make himself gag right now, much less the rest of it. So it sat in his stomach and his throat and he scratched and scratched at his arms.

Glancing over his shoulder again, he was pretty sure everyone was asleep. What would it really hurt if he slipped outside for a minute? He'd stay close. He just couldn't stand still anymore. So he stepped over the high doorframe and darted out into the night. He waited to break in a full run until he was far enough down the hill that his footfalls no longer echoed. Loping back and forth in sight of the door frame helped for a little bit. A few heartless showed up, but not many, and fighting them cleared his head. He checked on the door, then on the pirates' camp.

A shadow passed in front of the fire. A few seconds later, a burst of laser fire arced across the night black world. Sora moved closer, focusing his attention. More lasers lit the night as the rest of the crew was roused. Sora could sense what they were fighting: Heartless. He didn't even hesitate. No one was falling to darkness tonight, not if he had anything to say about it.

I'm not dead, I've just been on fire. But I'm somehow magically passed that last bought of obnoxious writer's block so expect another chapter next week. And the week after that. :)

Kawa Mate is a real thing - it's a part of Maori funerary traditions. I did my research on it here ( .nz/en/tangihanga-death-customs) but if I got something wrong please let me know. Tanihanga is one of the few cultural practices that seems to have made it through colonization intact, so I figured it would make it through whatever historical process Destiny Islands went through too.

I never remember what I wanted to say in these things so on to the gratitude mentions!

Thanks to KS02 for following! I know this story has been dormant for awhile so I really appreciate it!

Love you all and hope you're staying safe and healthy