Return to the Light
Chapter 3
`blah` = thoughts/annoying voice inside his head ~*~
"Riku?!"
Riku paused, hearing the feminine voice. Slowly he turned his head towards where he had heard it, wondering if...
A soft hand touched his cheek, and he pulled it away. It was her - the person he had mentioned to Sora in his final words. His thoughts about that from earlier still pained him at the heart. But he wouldn't let that show, he never would.
"Here, let me take that off for you..." The girl's suggestion frightened him, as he tried to back away from her, to stop her. But alas, her hands gripped the silky black blindfold and pulled it away - letting the sunlight hit his eyes at full blast.
He screamed, dropping to his knees, his palms once again pressed against his eyes, which were practically smoldering. His breath was rapid, both in pain and horror. One thought got through the pain however, 'Get the blindfold back.' Riku let his eyes take in the sunlight for a moment, as he saw a glimpse of Kairi holding the blindfold, dumbfounded. His hand quickly reached out and snatched it back, immediately covering it over his eyes.
Riku let the pain float away after a few moments, before finally tying it at the back of his head. Now he found he was exhausted, from all the things that had happened today. But being the ever-so-stubborn one he shakily stood, leaning against the giant tree.
"I'm sorry." Kairi's voice said solemnly, taking in a sense of guilt. "I should've known that blindfold was there for a reason."
"Yeah, you should've known." Riku answered bitterly, now standing at full height. Then a thought struck him, and let the question roll off his tongue and into the air. "Where's Sora?"
For a long time there was silence. Maybe she's too selfish to tell me, he thought.
"I don't know."
Riku's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean you don't know?!" He shouted, hand clenching into a fist. He had to be here! Sora was the only thing that had gotten him to survive for so long in Kingdom Hearts. And if he found out something had happened to Sora...his thought stopped there. It was too painful to think about.
"I haven't seen him since he closed the door three years ago." He heard Kairi say softly.
Where had Sora gone? If Kairi hadn't seen him...then he was pretty much lost in finding Sora. Perhaps he's still searching for me, he thought trying to calm himself. This was much more easier to think about. But what would he do if he found Sora? He couldn't see his lover, because nothing was worth having to face that searing pain again. Nothing. Not even to see his Sora again?, he wondered. Riku sighed, things were so complicated now. For a fleeting moment he wished he were back in Kingdom Hearts.
"Then, Kairi," When he spoke her name it sounded funny to him. He had said it a thousand times before - but now it was just awkward. "Help me find King Mickey."
Riku heard a relieved sigh come from the girl as he mentioned the king. "Okay. He's just on the deck." He tensed as Kairi suddenly grabbed his hand and started leading him to the deck. Riku didn't want to touch her at all...he was faithful to Sora. `But face it,` the voice came into his head again. `You're more helpless than a child right now.`
It was right, he was helpless. Not being able to see and not accustomed to how the worlds were now, he had to take all the help he could get.
After a few minutes of walking, and climbing up an uneven ladder, they reached the wooden deck. A cool spray of ocean water hit his face, surprising him and dampening the blindfold. Riku scowled, he couldn't afford to have this thing soaked.
"Riku!" He heard the mouse king exclaimed. "I'm so glad I've found you, I thought you went back through the door. And thank you, Kairi, for helping him here. Now we should get going, it's going to take us a while to travel back to the castle."
"Why don't you two stay here tonight?" Riku heard Kairi perk up hopefully. "You can start going back to your castle in the morning."
"I'm sorry, Kairi, but we must get there by tonight. Or the possibility of the barriers appearing might actually happen. We can't risk it." `He speaks like a true king.` Riku thought to himself, impressed by Mickey's planning. And besides, he really didn't want to stay here. The memories would come back quicker than if he were somewhere else he guessed. Also Kairi was here, he felt uncomfortable around her, even if he didn't have the sight to see it.
Kairi sighed loudly, "Alright then."
Then Riku's wrist was taken by that familiar gloved hand and lead in that complicated maze like way. The coolness of the island pushed him on though, and relaxed him about the whole situation. If not for the blindfold, he would be swimming in the ocean right now.
Mickey stopped suddenly, and without realizing, Riku ran into him. The two stumbled a bit, but didn't fall. The sound of a hiss entered his ears, followed by a deep thud. Riku noticed his hearing was more alert now, so he could here things that he wouldn't have been able to hear normally...
There was then another thud and Mickey's gloved hand was laid on Riku's shoulder. In silence Riku was led into some sort of small circular area, with about three or four seats. He cautiously sat into one, and waited. The hissing sound was heard again, then the rumble of an engine. This reminded him of something he had heard that duck thing talk about. A 'gummi' ship, he thought it was called. Mentally he sighed, he wouldn't be using the heartless to travel anymore.
The silent ride through abyss lasted for several hours. Riku fell asleep dozens of times, causing his blindfold to go askew. He had to retie it dozens of times, but he didn't mind. His mind also wandered off into half- baked thoughts. Would Sora be the same as when he last saw him? And if he was different, how different? He wanted to see whether Sora had grown up. Riku cursed, if things kept the way were, the only thing he'd see is a black shadow.
Silently his fingers ran along the blindfold, contemplating how he'd sleep with this at wherever they were going. He'd probably take it off with his eyes closed and lay it somewhere. But what if it got lost? What if a rat took it? What would he do then? Riku sighed heavily, breaking the tense silence as he continued to think.
The gummi ship then gave a sudden jolt, knocking Riku out of his seat and to the floor. He grumbled, sitting up and crawling back onto his seat. "Hold on." He heard Mickey mutter warily, as the gummi ship gave another jolt.
Now making sure his hands were clamped tightly to the seat, he listened intently for anything unusual. However nothing got past the annoying buzzing and beeping of a hundred buttons. Suddenly the gummi ship jolted into a high-speed drive, going so fast Riku was forced to sink into his seat.
Then it started to slow, as he guessed they were landing in a world. The engine sighed, cooling off as the ship landed on the ground with a heavy 'thud.' Riku sighed in relief again, standing up. Hissing entered his ears again as the roof of the gummi ship supposedly opened, and he felt his way out. He could here Mickey jumped out onto the ground after him.
"Hiya Mickey." A deep, sort of dim-witted voice said first, making Riku jump. "Me and Donald have uh..."
"Your Majesty!" An annoying high, squeaky voice exclaimed. It was the duck, he guessed. Donald, was it? "We've found him! We've found Sora!"
Riku's heart started to beat rapidly. Sora...
~*~
So what do you think? It's about 200 words more than the last, but that shouldn't matter, should it? And I bet I surprised you all with Kairi, didn't I? Oh well. I'll try and post a new chapter everyday now, seeing as it's steadily becoming easier.
Meanwhile, please review!
Chapter 3
`blah` = thoughts/annoying voice inside his head ~*~
"Riku?!"
Riku paused, hearing the feminine voice. Slowly he turned his head towards where he had heard it, wondering if...
A soft hand touched his cheek, and he pulled it away. It was her - the person he had mentioned to Sora in his final words. His thoughts about that from earlier still pained him at the heart. But he wouldn't let that show, he never would.
"Here, let me take that off for you..." The girl's suggestion frightened him, as he tried to back away from her, to stop her. But alas, her hands gripped the silky black blindfold and pulled it away - letting the sunlight hit his eyes at full blast.
He screamed, dropping to his knees, his palms once again pressed against his eyes, which were practically smoldering. His breath was rapid, both in pain and horror. One thought got through the pain however, 'Get the blindfold back.' Riku let his eyes take in the sunlight for a moment, as he saw a glimpse of Kairi holding the blindfold, dumbfounded. His hand quickly reached out and snatched it back, immediately covering it over his eyes.
Riku let the pain float away after a few moments, before finally tying it at the back of his head. Now he found he was exhausted, from all the things that had happened today. But being the ever-so-stubborn one he shakily stood, leaning against the giant tree.
"I'm sorry." Kairi's voice said solemnly, taking in a sense of guilt. "I should've known that blindfold was there for a reason."
"Yeah, you should've known." Riku answered bitterly, now standing at full height. Then a thought struck him, and let the question roll off his tongue and into the air. "Where's Sora?"
For a long time there was silence. Maybe she's too selfish to tell me, he thought.
"I don't know."
Riku's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean you don't know?!" He shouted, hand clenching into a fist. He had to be here! Sora was the only thing that had gotten him to survive for so long in Kingdom Hearts. And if he found out something had happened to Sora...his thought stopped there. It was too painful to think about.
"I haven't seen him since he closed the door three years ago." He heard Kairi say softly.
Where had Sora gone? If Kairi hadn't seen him...then he was pretty much lost in finding Sora. Perhaps he's still searching for me, he thought trying to calm himself. This was much more easier to think about. But what would he do if he found Sora? He couldn't see his lover, because nothing was worth having to face that searing pain again. Nothing. Not even to see his Sora again?, he wondered. Riku sighed, things were so complicated now. For a fleeting moment he wished he were back in Kingdom Hearts.
"Then, Kairi," When he spoke her name it sounded funny to him. He had said it a thousand times before - but now it was just awkward. "Help me find King Mickey."
Riku heard a relieved sigh come from the girl as he mentioned the king. "Okay. He's just on the deck." He tensed as Kairi suddenly grabbed his hand and started leading him to the deck. Riku didn't want to touch her at all...he was faithful to Sora. `But face it,` the voice came into his head again. `You're more helpless than a child right now.`
It was right, he was helpless. Not being able to see and not accustomed to how the worlds were now, he had to take all the help he could get.
After a few minutes of walking, and climbing up an uneven ladder, they reached the wooden deck. A cool spray of ocean water hit his face, surprising him and dampening the blindfold. Riku scowled, he couldn't afford to have this thing soaked.
"Riku!" He heard the mouse king exclaimed. "I'm so glad I've found you, I thought you went back through the door. And thank you, Kairi, for helping him here. Now we should get going, it's going to take us a while to travel back to the castle."
"Why don't you two stay here tonight?" Riku heard Kairi perk up hopefully. "You can start going back to your castle in the morning."
"I'm sorry, Kairi, but we must get there by tonight. Or the possibility of the barriers appearing might actually happen. We can't risk it." `He speaks like a true king.` Riku thought to himself, impressed by Mickey's planning. And besides, he really didn't want to stay here. The memories would come back quicker than if he were somewhere else he guessed. Also Kairi was here, he felt uncomfortable around her, even if he didn't have the sight to see it.
Kairi sighed loudly, "Alright then."
Then Riku's wrist was taken by that familiar gloved hand and lead in that complicated maze like way. The coolness of the island pushed him on though, and relaxed him about the whole situation. If not for the blindfold, he would be swimming in the ocean right now.
Mickey stopped suddenly, and without realizing, Riku ran into him. The two stumbled a bit, but didn't fall. The sound of a hiss entered his ears, followed by a deep thud. Riku noticed his hearing was more alert now, so he could here things that he wouldn't have been able to hear normally...
There was then another thud and Mickey's gloved hand was laid on Riku's shoulder. In silence Riku was led into some sort of small circular area, with about three or four seats. He cautiously sat into one, and waited. The hissing sound was heard again, then the rumble of an engine. This reminded him of something he had heard that duck thing talk about. A 'gummi' ship, he thought it was called. Mentally he sighed, he wouldn't be using the heartless to travel anymore.
The silent ride through abyss lasted for several hours. Riku fell asleep dozens of times, causing his blindfold to go askew. He had to retie it dozens of times, but he didn't mind. His mind also wandered off into half- baked thoughts. Would Sora be the same as when he last saw him? And if he was different, how different? He wanted to see whether Sora had grown up. Riku cursed, if things kept the way were, the only thing he'd see is a black shadow.
Silently his fingers ran along the blindfold, contemplating how he'd sleep with this at wherever they were going. He'd probably take it off with his eyes closed and lay it somewhere. But what if it got lost? What if a rat took it? What would he do then? Riku sighed heavily, breaking the tense silence as he continued to think.
The gummi ship then gave a sudden jolt, knocking Riku out of his seat and to the floor. He grumbled, sitting up and crawling back onto his seat. "Hold on." He heard Mickey mutter warily, as the gummi ship gave another jolt.
Now making sure his hands were clamped tightly to the seat, he listened intently for anything unusual. However nothing got past the annoying buzzing and beeping of a hundred buttons. Suddenly the gummi ship jolted into a high-speed drive, going so fast Riku was forced to sink into his seat.
Then it started to slow, as he guessed they were landing in a world. The engine sighed, cooling off as the ship landed on the ground with a heavy 'thud.' Riku sighed in relief again, standing up. Hissing entered his ears again as the roof of the gummi ship supposedly opened, and he felt his way out. He could here Mickey jumped out onto the ground after him.
"Hiya Mickey." A deep, sort of dim-witted voice said first, making Riku jump. "Me and Donald have uh..."
"Your Majesty!" An annoying high, squeaky voice exclaimed. It was the duck, he guessed. Donald, was it? "We've found him! We've found Sora!"
Riku's heart started to beat rapidly. Sora...
~*~
So what do you think? It's about 200 words more than the last, but that shouldn't matter, should it? And I bet I surprised you all with Kairi, didn't I? Oh well. I'll try and post a new chapter everyday now, seeing as it's steadily becoming easier.
Meanwhile, please review!