'I wanna bulletproof your soul. And I'll never let you go. I won't let you
fall until you tell me so. You're a bullet through my soul, but I'll never
let you know. I won't let you fall until you let it go.'
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.
Here comes the pain.
+++
Riku sighed into Sora's soft locks, closing his eyes. His heart had been eased a bit from its heavy burden, but he had to fight to keep back the torrent of pain issuing forth. They couldn't stay like this forever.
Sora, finally feeling at ease with the older boy, decided he should tell Riku what had happened earlier. "Riku, about what you saw, me and Kairi-"
"It's okay." Riku breathed. "It's okay. In fact, I'm glad. You two should be together. I want you to be happy with her."
"What?" Sora turned to face him, his eyes wide. "What do you mean, 'be happy with her'? I'm happy with you..."
"It isn't meant to be." Riku looked into Sora's eyes with a mixed expression of knowing and pain before quickly shutting them. "I have to leave."
Sora sat up straight now, mad as hell, but scared and afraid at the same time. "But you just got here! You can't go! Riku-!"
Riku gritted his teeth, trying as hard as he could to hold back tears. "Sora, seven years ago you locked me inside Kingdom Hearts. I was put in there for a reason. That reason was starting to elude me. I was /failing/, Sora. So I was kicked out. I guess I needed reminding. All that time I thought I wanted to be out here with you. For six years I was /dead/. Now I realize that I /have/ to be in there, so I can protect you."
"Why can't you protect me here?!" Tears ran from Sora's eyes. The deep blue pools reflected more pain than Riku ever thought. He reached out his hand for Sora's face, but let it drop, thinking better of it.
"I would if I could, Sora, but... The other worlds are being destroyed. Ansem is killing thousands. The others-"
"FUCK the others!" Sora yelled in rage. His outburst shocked them both. "I can't lose you again! WHY CAN'T YOU STAY HERE?!"
"BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THIS WORLD IF I DO!" Anger and fear locked onto each other and the contact was quickly broken. Riku looked down at his lap. 'It's like falling backwards into no one's arms.' "I don't know what it means for me to stay here. Cloud said they hadn't destroyed this world because they were waiting for something. Maybe they were waiting for me... Or us." He looked up at the stars, as if expecting the sky to split and a million Heartless to fall out.
Sora looked out to the shoreline. The waves crashed relentlessly, as they had every day before, and would every day after. (AN: Riku means land or shore. How interesting that they are looking at their namesakes and not directly at each other.) "Riku..." he whispered into the wind, letting his voice get carried out to sea. He leaned forward and embraced him, burying his face in his neck. His sobs racked his body, tears flowing freely down Riku's shoulder and back.
Riku rubbed Sora's back gently with his hand, holding the boy's head with his other. "Please don't cry, Sora. You're the last person I want to see hurt, especially because of me..." Riku found tears issuing forth from his own eyes now, catching in Sora's soft hair. "Please don't cry."
"I can't help it. I-I... I just..." he choked out between sobs, hugging Riku tighter every second.
Riku found himself smiling for some reason. "You know, I tried to tell you I loved you once, all those years ago." He stroked the back of Sora's head. "Even I didn't realize it then. I gave you a Paopu fruit. I wasn't sure why I gave it to you in the first place, and I was even more confused as to why I felt so hurt when you tossed it into the sea."
A Paopu fruit. He remembered. They had only been kids. When he thought about it, he realized that maybe that's why Riku had changed, though just a little bit, back then. He was confronting his feelings for Sora. The Paopu was a simple but profound gesture, and Sora remembered that he had been confused as well by one being offered from his best friend. And what about the one he had so eagerly accepted just now?
"Riku, we shared a Paopu. Doesn't that mean that we'll always be together?" Sora's face brightened a little.
Riku smiled and looked back to the sky. He had always loved Sora's naivete. "The legend's a bit more complicated than the romantic fairytales they fed us when we were younger. The people's destinies are entwined, yes, but that doesn't mean that they'll always be together physically." He looked back into Sora's youthful eyes. "Sora, when we ate that fruit, our souls melded together. You're a part of me..."
"And you're a part of me." Sora finished. His tears were subsiding. "So, when you go, you won't really be leaving me."
"No, far from it. Sora, you hold my flame in you now. Don't let it go out." He kissed him lightly on the cheek and pulled away before looking away to the stars. "I wish I could stay here, I really do. But I have to protect you. Please understand, my love."
Sora was a bit surprised that Riku had called him his 'love', but he was pleased none-the-less. "I understand now. I'll never forget you, Riku. I'll keep your flame burning strong."
"But you need to forget, or you'll never be happy. You'll keep my fire alive by just being you, Sora. You promised me, that no matter what happened, you'd be happy. Keep that promise, Sora. That's all I need from you."
"But... But I can't forget you!" Sora grasped Riku's shoulders, his eyes pleading. Riku only smiled.
"You'll forget me sooner than you think. I'm always with you, Sora. You don't need to think of me. Kairi can give you so many things that I can't; family, children. You don't need me. Everything I had to give gave out long before."
Riku hopped gracefully off the trunk of the Paopu tree. He smiled at Sora, and walked away, leaving Sora to his thoughts of what could've been. "Goodbye." It was barely whispered, but it didn't need to be any louder or softer.
Sora found Kairi sitting alone in the secret place later that night. He apologized for what had happened earlier and said he loved only her. She graciously took him back. "You're the only person I've ever loved." She cried tearfully. Sora wished he could've said the same.
++
Sora eventually did forget Riku and their loving embraces on the beach so many years ago. He was happy with Kairi. They had married not long after Riku had left. She had given him two sons, whom he loved very much.
His youngest son looked very much like himself, always happy and playing around. His oldest son, however, was quite the opposite. He mostly kept to himself, and often sat on the Paopu tree to think. Sora would sometimes sit on the dock for hours, just watching his son's silver hair flow in the gentle ocean breeze. And for brief moments, he remembered.
'When you see her sweet smile, baby, don't think of me. And when she lies in your warm arms, don't think of me.'
+++
Ch. 9 Fin
+++
Descend and Conquer Complete
+++
For those of you who had been hoping for a RikuSora ending, sorry. I like pulling things off tragically. Actually, it wasn't as sad as I wanted it to be. The fluff took me over. Gah! It's choking me! Well, I hope you enjoyed it! I'll do another one someday where Kairi doesn't keep them apart. In the meantime, if you're allowed to read super-violent fics, check out Shift Iridescent. It's Riku angst. Rated R for... Various reasons.
They press their lips against you, And you love the lies they say And I tried so hard to reach you, But you're falling anyway. And you know I see right through you Cuz the world got in your way. What's the point in all this screaming? You're not listening anyway.
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.
Here comes the pain.
+++
Riku sighed into Sora's soft locks, closing his eyes. His heart had been eased a bit from its heavy burden, but he had to fight to keep back the torrent of pain issuing forth. They couldn't stay like this forever.
Sora, finally feeling at ease with the older boy, decided he should tell Riku what had happened earlier. "Riku, about what you saw, me and Kairi-"
"It's okay." Riku breathed. "It's okay. In fact, I'm glad. You two should be together. I want you to be happy with her."
"What?" Sora turned to face him, his eyes wide. "What do you mean, 'be happy with her'? I'm happy with you..."
"It isn't meant to be." Riku looked into Sora's eyes with a mixed expression of knowing and pain before quickly shutting them. "I have to leave."
Sora sat up straight now, mad as hell, but scared and afraid at the same time. "But you just got here! You can't go! Riku-!"
Riku gritted his teeth, trying as hard as he could to hold back tears. "Sora, seven years ago you locked me inside Kingdom Hearts. I was put in there for a reason. That reason was starting to elude me. I was /failing/, Sora. So I was kicked out. I guess I needed reminding. All that time I thought I wanted to be out here with you. For six years I was /dead/. Now I realize that I /have/ to be in there, so I can protect you."
"Why can't you protect me here?!" Tears ran from Sora's eyes. The deep blue pools reflected more pain than Riku ever thought. He reached out his hand for Sora's face, but let it drop, thinking better of it.
"I would if I could, Sora, but... The other worlds are being destroyed. Ansem is killing thousands. The others-"
"FUCK the others!" Sora yelled in rage. His outburst shocked them both. "I can't lose you again! WHY CAN'T YOU STAY HERE?!"
"BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THIS WORLD IF I DO!" Anger and fear locked onto each other and the contact was quickly broken. Riku looked down at his lap. 'It's like falling backwards into no one's arms.' "I don't know what it means for me to stay here. Cloud said they hadn't destroyed this world because they were waiting for something. Maybe they were waiting for me... Or us." He looked up at the stars, as if expecting the sky to split and a million Heartless to fall out.
Sora looked out to the shoreline. The waves crashed relentlessly, as they had every day before, and would every day after. (AN: Riku means land or shore. How interesting that they are looking at their namesakes and not directly at each other.) "Riku..." he whispered into the wind, letting his voice get carried out to sea. He leaned forward and embraced him, burying his face in his neck. His sobs racked his body, tears flowing freely down Riku's shoulder and back.
Riku rubbed Sora's back gently with his hand, holding the boy's head with his other. "Please don't cry, Sora. You're the last person I want to see hurt, especially because of me..." Riku found tears issuing forth from his own eyes now, catching in Sora's soft hair. "Please don't cry."
"I can't help it. I-I... I just..." he choked out between sobs, hugging Riku tighter every second.
Riku found himself smiling for some reason. "You know, I tried to tell you I loved you once, all those years ago." He stroked the back of Sora's head. "Even I didn't realize it then. I gave you a Paopu fruit. I wasn't sure why I gave it to you in the first place, and I was even more confused as to why I felt so hurt when you tossed it into the sea."
A Paopu fruit. He remembered. They had only been kids. When he thought about it, he realized that maybe that's why Riku had changed, though just a little bit, back then. He was confronting his feelings for Sora. The Paopu was a simple but profound gesture, and Sora remembered that he had been confused as well by one being offered from his best friend. And what about the one he had so eagerly accepted just now?
"Riku, we shared a Paopu. Doesn't that mean that we'll always be together?" Sora's face brightened a little.
Riku smiled and looked back to the sky. He had always loved Sora's naivete. "The legend's a bit more complicated than the romantic fairytales they fed us when we were younger. The people's destinies are entwined, yes, but that doesn't mean that they'll always be together physically." He looked back into Sora's youthful eyes. "Sora, when we ate that fruit, our souls melded together. You're a part of me..."
"And you're a part of me." Sora finished. His tears were subsiding. "So, when you go, you won't really be leaving me."
"No, far from it. Sora, you hold my flame in you now. Don't let it go out." He kissed him lightly on the cheek and pulled away before looking away to the stars. "I wish I could stay here, I really do. But I have to protect you. Please understand, my love."
Sora was a bit surprised that Riku had called him his 'love', but he was pleased none-the-less. "I understand now. I'll never forget you, Riku. I'll keep your flame burning strong."
"But you need to forget, or you'll never be happy. You'll keep my fire alive by just being you, Sora. You promised me, that no matter what happened, you'd be happy. Keep that promise, Sora. That's all I need from you."
"But... But I can't forget you!" Sora grasped Riku's shoulders, his eyes pleading. Riku only smiled.
"You'll forget me sooner than you think. I'm always with you, Sora. You don't need to think of me. Kairi can give you so many things that I can't; family, children. You don't need me. Everything I had to give gave out long before."
Riku hopped gracefully off the trunk of the Paopu tree. He smiled at Sora, and walked away, leaving Sora to his thoughts of what could've been. "Goodbye." It was barely whispered, but it didn't need to be any louder or softer.
Sora found Kairi sitting alone in the secret place later that night. He apologized for what had happened earlier and said he loved only her. She graciously took him back. "You're the only person I've ever loved." She cried tearfully. Sora wished he could've said the same.
++
Sora eventually did forget Riku and their loving embraces on the beach so many years ago. He was happy with Kairi. They had married not long after Riku had left. She had given him two sons, whom he loved very much.
His youngest son looked very much like himself, always happy and playing around. His oldest son, however, was quite the opposite. He mostly kept to himself, and often sat on the Paopu tree to think. Sora would sometimes sit on the dock for hours, just watching his son's silver hair flow in the gentle ocean breeze. And for brief moments, he remembered.
'When you see her sweet smile, baby, don't think of me. And when she lies in your warm arms, don't think of me.'
+++
Ch. 9 Fin
+++
Descend and Conquer Complete
+++
For those of you who had been hoping for a RikuSora ending, sorry. I like pulling things off tragically. Actually, it wasn't as sad as I wanted it to be. The fluff took me over. Gah! It's choking me! Well, I hope you enjoyed it! I'll do another one someday where Kairi doesn't keep them apart. In the meantime, if you're allowed to read super-violent fics, check out Shift Iridescent. It's Riku angst. Rated R for... Various reasons.
They press their lips against you, And you love the lies they say And I tried so hard to reach you, But you're falling anyway. And you know I see right through you Cuz the world got in your way. What's the point in all this screaming? You're not listening anyway.