'I've tried hard to mend my wicked ways. Acted like a lunatic for years.
Lord knows I try to be good. I'd keep my promises if only I could. You
count your blessings that I can't rely on you.'
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and all of its characters are property and copyright Disney Interactive and Square. Any and all song lyrics are copyright their respective owners. I do not claim them to be my own. Yep.
It's late. Figured I'd start working on this. Once again, thanks for reviews! Any and all input is greatly appreciated! And Uncle Tom scares me... please don't make my kneecaps into coasters! .
Listen to 'Memory' from Cowboy Bebop while reading this if at all possible. I keep playing it over and over. It's inspiring me. My evil, child-like muse... My life revolves around music. Some of the thoughts in this are actually song lyrics.
+++
"Hmf."
Riku scoffed at the sound of a never-ending field of heartless approaching. With his strength renewed he felt he could take them on easily. It was almost hard for him to believe that they were once at his beck and call. An evil smirk curled his lips.
It seemed now that, in a way, they controlled him. They controlled where he could go, when he could sleep... hell, he even followed one here. All he'd done recently was kill them, if you can call it killing. They're already essentially dead; worse than dead. They had no souls to speak of, and what little heart they had was stolen from others.
Riku stood up straight then poised himself for battle. The creatures leapt at him. He swung his weapons deftly through the air, catching an overgrown shadow with each swipe. He didn't need to practice. He'd been fighting in darkness for years.
One by one, the heartless fell and disappeared, leaving crystal hearts to float up to Heaven. Riku once again let his senses guide him and entered the massive building before him. He climbed higher and higher toward the radiating evil and penetrating smell of death.
Finally he opened the door to the roof of the building and heard the rain falling around him. He walked to the edge and let the wind and rain wash over him. 'I could jump...' he thought solemnly. He smiled and removed the blindfold, his eyes still closed.
Just as he was about to surrender, his thoughts flashed to a glimpse of a smile. He opened his eyes wide and caught himself, taking a few steps back.
'I've got to keep myself together; you know I hate to disappoint. A masochistic lamb to slaughter. Well maybe you missed the point.'
Riku looked around and saw more heartless appear. 'Dammit! Never let your guard down, stupid!' Then, out of nowhere, a jet of blue flame in the shape of the heartless' symbol surrounded him.
Then he saw it: the keyhole. It was on the other side of the rooftop. If he took five more steps...
He set off for it at a run, but as he reached the edge of the flames, they shot up ten feet high, denying him passage. "Shit." He muttered. "Now what?"
Riku heard a rushing sound above his head. It sounded almost like.. Rushing wings? He looked up and saw a gigantic, bat-like creature swooping down toward him. He ducked and rolled toward the center of the heart. 'Trapped.' He thought. 'I'm trapped. Oh great...'
He stood again but quickly ducked as the monster made another move to strike. 'Stupid bastards think they're invincible.' When the creature rushed back, Riku held one keyblade high and caught its shoulder. It made a horrible, screeching noise. Riku shuddered.
As the creature turned to face him again, Riku noticed its hollow, red eyes. He felt a bit unnerved, but charged at it anyway. With the beast injured, it would be more of a fair fight. He wouldn't have to duck anymore, anyway. He leapt at it with both arms outstretched, spinning like a kind of deadly helicopter. The monster emitted more ear-splitting screams and became enraged. It tried desperately to fly upward and dive at him, but its injured wing kept it near the ground.
Riku saw his opportunity and struck the heartless at the back of its head. The screeching stopped and the creature fell, slowly dissipating leaving behind sparks and a rather large, glowing heart. The flames around him disappeared and he ran past the shadows to the keyhole. Oathkeeper began to glow and stars flew out of its end, connecting to the keyhole. Riku heard a faint clicking sound. The heartless that had surrounded him were gone.
Cloud was waiting for him as he exited the building. Riku couldn't help but notice that the stars seemed. brighter. The air seemed a bit clearer, too. He lowered his hood and let what was left of the rain cool his face.
"I've done my part," he said, turning to Cloud. "Now you do yours."
Cloud merely looked at him and muttered the words "follow me" from the corner of his mouth. Riku did as he was instructed, walking closely behind Cloud through the seemingly endless city streets.
Cloud stopped in front of a large, blown-out looking building. Riku hadn't noticed and accidentally bumped into him. Cloud ignored his apology and looked high up to a broken window.
To Riku's surprise, a small face looked out. Cloud nodded and the person inside whistled loudly. Riku suddenly noticed an awful lot of movement around him. What was that all about? He didn't smell the decay, however, so it couldn't have been bad..
There was suddenly a face at every window of the building; cautious at first, then whoops of victory were ringing throughout the street. Riku couldn't help but smile. This was where Cloud's friends were hiding. Aerith raced out and embraced Cloud, while Squall walked slowly out and leaned against the battered building's doorway, folding his arms.
"We were wondering when one of you would come." Squall looked impatient, though his tone wasn't malicious.
Aerith smiled at him over Cloud's shoulder. "Thank you." She whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"The threat isn't over yet," Cloud said, gently releasing Aerith. "Ansem is still out there, somewhere." He turned to Riku. "I'll let you use my Gummi Ship, but I won't be able to come with you. My place is here now. Riku..." He placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Find Sora. He misses you as much as you miss him. But promise me... Promise me that you'll find and destroy Ansem. You must know his weaknesses."
Riku winced. He knew Ansem's weaknesses, all right. He tried to suppress the painful memories and looked back at Cloud. "I promise." He said confidently.
"Good. Come with me." Riku once again followed Cloud. They went deep into the roofless building and eventually came to a pile of rocks. Cloud began flinging the rocks aside. "I've been hiding it here," he grunted, "incase the heartless ever found us." Riku helped Cloud uncover the ship. When they had finished, Cloud turned to him. "I assume you know how to fly one of these things." Riku nodded. "Go to the Destiny Islands. Even if Sora isn't there... I still think you'd want to anyhow."
Riku smiled and thanked Cloud for all his help as he climbed into the cockpit. 'I'm going home,' he thought, and his smile broadened. Cloud was right; even if Sora wasn't there (though he hoped and prayed he would be), at least he would get to see his island again.
'In our electric storms and our shifting sands. Our candy jars and our sticky hands.'
+++
Ch. 3 Fin
+++
Well, that's that. I hope I portrayed Riku and Cloud a bit more accurately here. I've never played FF7, so I don't know Cloud's personality too well. Oh, and by the way, +huge sob+ I... I... I had to return my PS2 to Blockbuster today! +Wail+ No more KH! Well, at least I beat it. Took me two weeks and fifty dollars, though. I'm saving up to buy a console and my very own copy of KH. Stupid job doesn't pay that much, so it might take a month or so. Oh well..
Ch. 4: What happened to Sora? Is he okay? Will Riku make it back to Destiny Islands? Will Kairi calm the fuck down? Find out next time...!
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and all of its characters are property and copyright Disney Interactive and Square. Any and all song lyrics are copyright their respective owners. I do not claim them to be my own. Yep.
It's late. Figured I'd start working on this. Once again, thanks for reviews! Any and all input is greatly appreciated! And Uncle Tom scares me... please don't make my kneecaps into coasters! .
Listen to 'Memory' from Cowboy Bebop while reading this if at all possible. I keep playing it over and over. It's inspiring me. My evil, child-like muse... My life revolves around music. Some of the thoughts in this are actually song lyrics.
+++
"Hmf."
Riku scoffed at the sound of a never-ending field of heartless approaching. With his strength renewed he felt he could take them on easily. It was almost hard for him to believe that they were once at his beck and call. An evil smirk curled his lips.
It seemed now that, in a way, they controlled him. They controlled where he could go, when he could sleep... hell, he even followed one here. All he'd done recently was kill them, if you can call it killing. They're already essentially dead; worse than dead. They had no souls to speak of, and what little heart they had was stolen from others.
Riku stood up straight then poised himself for battle. The creatures leapt at him. He swung his weapons deftly through the air, catching an overgrown shadow with each swipe. He didn't need to practice. He'd been fighting in darkness for years.
One by one, the heartless fell and disappeared, leaving crystal hearts to float up to Heaven. Riku once again let his senses guide him and entered the massive building before him. He climbed higher and higher toward the radiating evil and penetrating smell of death.
Finally he opened the door to the roof of the building and heard the rain falling around him. He walked to the edge and let the wind and rain wash over him. 'I could jump...' he thought solemnly. He smiled and removed the blindfold, his eyes still closed.
Just as he was about to surrender, his thoughts flashed to a glimpse of a smile. He opened his eyes wide and caught himself, taking a few steps back.
'I've got to keep myself together; you know I hate to disappoint. A masochistic lamb to slaughter. Well maybe you missed the point.'
Riku looked around and saw more heartless appear. 'Dammit! Never let your guard down, stupid!' Then, out of nowhere, a jet of blue flame in the shape of the heartless' symbol surrounded him.
Then he saw it: the keyhole. It was on the other side of the rooftop. If he took five more steps...
He set off for it at a run, but as he reached the edge of the flames, they shot up ten feet high, denying him passage. "Shit." He muttered. "Now what?"
Riku heard a rushing sound above his head. It sounded almost like.. Rushing wings? He looked up and saw a gigantic, bat-like creature swooping down toward him. He ducked and rolled toward the center of the heart. 'Trapped.' He thought. 'I'm trapped. Oh great...'
He stood again but quickly ducked as the monster made another move to strike. 'Stupid bastards think they're invincible.' When the creature rushed back, Riku held one keyblade high and caught its shoulder. It made a horrible, screeching noise. Riku shuddered.
As the creature turned to face him again, Riku noticed its hollow, red eyes. He felt a bit unnerved, but charged at it anyway. With the beast injured, it would be more of a fair fight. He wouldn't have to duck anymore, anyway. He leapt at it with both arms outstretched, spinning like a kind of deadly helicopter. The monster emitted more ear-splitting screams and became enraged. It tried desperately to fly upward and dive at him, but its injured wing kept it near the ground.
Riku saw his opportunity and struck the heartless at the back of its head. The screeching stopped and the creature fell, slowly dissipating leaving behind sparks and a rather large, glowing heart. The flames around him disappeared and he ran past the shadows to the keyhole. Oathkeeper began to glow and stars flew out of its end, connecting to the keyhole. Riku heard a faint clicking sound. The heartless that had surrounded him were gone.
Cloud was waiting for him as he exited the building. Riku couldn't help but notice that the stars seemed. brighter. The air seemed a bit clearer, too. He lowered his hood and let what was left of the rain cool his face.
"I've done my part," he said, turning to Cloud. "Now you do yours."
Cloud merely looked at him and muttered the words "follow me" from the corner of his mouth. Riku did as he was instructed, walking closely behind Cloud through the seemingly endless city streets.
Cloud stopped in front of a large, blown-out looking building. Riku hadn't noticed and accidentally bumped into him. Cloud ignored his apology and looked high up to a broken window.
To Riku's surprise, a small face looked out. Cloud nodded and the person inside whistled loudly. Riku suddenly noticed an awful lot of movement around him. What was that all about? He didn't smell the decay, however, so it couldn't have been bad..
There was suddenly a face at every window of the building; cautious at first, then whoops of victory were ringing throughout the street. Riku couldn't help but smile. This was where Cloud's friends were hiding. Aerith raced out and embraced Cloud, while Squall walked slowly out and leaned against the battered building's doorway, folding his arms.
"We were wondering when one of you would come." Squall looked impatient, though his tone wasn't malicious.
Aerith smiled at him over Cloud's shoulder. "Thank you." She whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"The threat isn't over yet," Cloud said, gently releasing Aerith. "Ansem is still out there, somewhere." He turned to Riku. "I'll let you use my Gummi Ship, but I won't be able to come with you. My place is here now. Riku..." He placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Find Sora. He misses you as much as you miss him. But promise me... Promise me that you'll find and destroy Ansem. You must know his weaknesses."
Riku winced. He knew Ansem's weaknesses, all right. He tried to suppress the painful memories and looked back at Cloud. "I promise." He said confidently.
"Good. Come with me." Riku once again followed Cloud. They went deep into the roofless building and eventually came to a pile of rocks. Cloud began flinging the rocks aside. "I've been hiding it here," he grunted, "incase the heartless ever found us." Riku helped Cloud uncover the ship. When they had finished, Cloud turned to him. "I assume you know how to fly one of these things." Riku nodded. "Go to the Destiny Islands. Even if Sora isn't there... I still think you'd want to anyhow."
Riku smiled and thanked Cloud for all his help as he climbed into the cockpit. 'I'm going home,' he thought, and his smile broadened. Cloud was right; even if Sora wasn't there (though he hoped and prayed he would be), at least he would get to see his island again.
'In our electric storms and our shifting sands. Our candy jars and our sticky hands.'
+++
Ch. 3 Fin
+++
Well, that's that. I hope I portrayed Riku and Cloud a bit more accurately here. I've never played FF7, so I don't know Cloud's personality too well. Oh, and by the way, +huge sob+ I... I... I had to return my PS2 to Blockbuster today! +Wail+ No more KH! Well, at least I beat it. Took me two weeks and fifty dollars, though. I'm saving up to buy a console and my very own copy of KH. Stupid job doesn't pay that much, so it might take a month or so. Oh well..
Ch. 4: What happened to Sora? Is he okay? Will Riku make it back to Destiny Islands? Will Kairi calm the fuck down? Find out next time...!