The sky was cloudless and the sun dipped into the ocean. Sora sat on the
bank of the ocean, staring into the distance. His shoes were beside him
and his hair was drying in the warm air. He sat in silence and watched as
the water tried to catch his still feet. A soft smile formed across his
face as the water licked at his toes.
A shadow slowly encompassed Sora, but he didn't seem to care. He turned to face the stranger. The smile on his face never left as his eyes met with those of a silver haired man. The man was a little older than Sora, his eyes, a dull blue-gray, shinning with joy as he took a seat beside Sora. The two looked at each other in silence, the waves making the only sound to be heard.
Sora turned his head and looked back to the horizon. He heaved a heavy sigh and looked down at his hands. "He looks just like you." he whispered, the wind slowly caressing his face. Sora looked once more at the silver haired man. He looked at him and smiled.
"The one you told me about?" the man asked. He looked at Sora and smiled softly. "Riku, was it?"
"Yeah." Sora said in a whisper. He stared at the man, taking in every aspect about him. The similarities between this nameless man and Riku were striking. There was something, though, that was different about them. Sora couldn't figure it out. "You never told me your name." he whispered.
"I'm called Taigan." the man said with a slight smile. He looked back at the ocean and sighed happily. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Sora nodded and brought his legs close to him. He rested his chin on his knees and stared deep into the world before him. "Back on Destiny Island you could see sunsets like these everyday. They were really nice."
Taigan glanced at Sora. "Did you ever sit and watch them with anyone?"
"Yeah." Sora replied with a cheerful nod. "Kairi and Riku would watch them with me. Kairi loved to look at the sun's rays in the sky and just go on about them. Me, though, I liked how the sun turned the water different colors on the horizon. Like right now!" Sora pointed out to the water and smiled. The water around the slipping sun was painted different shades of red. "See? I love seeing it."
"It is beautiful." Taigan whispered. He stared out into the water, his eyes half closed. For a moment it seemed like Taigan would lose himself in the memories in his mind. He blinked, though, and raised his eyes to the sky. "Did Riku like the sunsets as much as you?"
Sora shrugged. "I don't know. He was always really quiet when we watched them. There was one time, though, that seemed really nice." Sora rested his chin on his knee once more. He stared out to the dimming sky and smiled softly. "Everyone on the island loved to practice their fighting skills with each other. Riku was the best of us; we both fought with wooden swords. He would train me so I could be like him.
"That day we trained really hard. Kairi had left earlier because her parents needed her home, so it was just the two of us. We just sat on the pier, watching the sun set and listening to the birds. I guess we both drifted off around the same time. When I woke up, my head was in Riku's lap and he was looking at me; smiling actually. It seemed really weird but it was nice. We went home and never really said much else."
"You really seem to care about Riku." Taigan said. He lowered himself onto his elbows and looked at the sky above them. "I bet he cares about you as well. The two of you seem like good friends."
"Yeah." Sora whispered. "Friends."
With a heavy breath Sora stood and slowly began to walk towards the water. He glanced over his shoulder, watching as Taigan slowly sat up. The silver haired man watched as Sora turned once more and continued his walk into t the water. The waves crashed into him, but he never moved. Slowly the water encircled around him, reaching higher and higher with every step he took.
"Sora, what are you doing?" Taigan asked, cocking his head to one side. He moved his hand slightly. "That wound is going to open up if you let the waves crash into you so much."
"I just wanna show you something. I think you'll like it." Sora said with a broad smile. He turned and faced the water before. A wave rose a few yards before Sora, growing with every lurch. Sora raised his hands and closed his eyes. "Blizzaga."
A sudden wave of frost flew from the palms of Sora's hands, freezing the water instantly. The spray of the wave instantly turned into snow, falling around Sora softly. He turned and looked at Taigan and smiled happily. The silver haired man smiled back, never moving.
Taigan rested his chin on his knees and stared at the auburn haired boy. "You just have to show off, don't you?" He slowly stood, throwing his calf- length black jacket behind him. Taigan began to walk towards the water, letting the waves lap at his bare feet. With every step he took the waves reached higher, little by little. The water darkened his navy blue pants and caused it to stick to him.
Coming to rest beside Sora, Taigan looked at the wall of glistening ice. He glanced at Sora and sneered. He turned his dull eyes back to the ice and narrowed them. Taigan raised his hand to the ice and stared hard past it. His lips moved, but Sora couldn't hear a word he said. Suddenly the ice before them melted with a sizzle.
"Whoa." Sora whispered. He turned to Taigan but he had begun to walk back towards the beach. Sora quickly made his way to his side, looking up at him and smiling. "So, I take it you know some spells."
Taigan gave a curt nod, keeping his eyes focused on something before them. "Years ago I learned from a very well known sorcerer." For a moment Taigan's eyes darkened with a sense of anger, but the emotion left quickly. "He taught me everything I know, including how to fight with a sword. He took me under his wing and protected me. Now he's gone and I don't really mind the loss."
Sora paused a moment, shocked at the sudden hatred Taigan was emitting. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped. Taigan had left his side once more and was walking towards his home. A figure stood beside one of the doors, disappearing quickly inside. Taigan followed, saying nothing and forgetting his jacket and shoes.
Mumbling to himself Sora rushed up the beach, gathering his shoes and than Taigan's things. He wondered what had caused the change of mood in his friend; was it the magic or the visitor? Sora couldn't figure it out as he slowly walked up the beach, gazing at the house before him. It was simple, much like the one he had lived in before disappearing from Destiny Island.
"I don't care." Taigan's voice rang out. Sora paused for a moment before hurrying his steps to the house. Taigan's voice came again, this time full of anger. "Get out of here. I told all of you that I didn't need your help. I can handle this myself."
Sora pushed the door open with his back and stumble into the front room. Silence settled over him as he steadied himself and stood. Sora froze for a moment, looking at Taigan and then the stranger. It was a woman, actually, standing a little more than a head shorter than Taigan. Her hair was about as long as Taigan's, pulled back into three tight braids and her eyes were an ominous violet. The woman wore something that reminded Sora of a ritual robe; white and embroidered with gold lettering.
"Eh." the woman said, raising a gloved hand to her mouth. Her violet eyes darted from Taigan to Sora. "Is this. . . ."
Taigan glared at the woman angrily and slowly moved over to Sora. "This is Sora. I helped him earlier today; he passed out on the beach from a wound on his leg." He looked at Sora. "Is it alright?" Sora nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving the violet eyed woman. Taigan glared once more at the guest. "Sora, this is Betsuri, an old friend of mine."
"Hello." Sora said, waving a pair of free fingers for a moment.
A strange smile suddenly crossed Betsuri's face. She took a step forward and knelt before Sora. She looked up into his eyes and the smile slowly turned into a sneer. "Some things never seem to change." She stood with a sigh and looked at Taigan. "Always picking the pretty ones for yourself and none for me."
Taigan lurched forwards with a growl and Betsuri sprung away with a cry of terror. Her violet eyes were wide with fear for a moment. Sora stood silent for a moment, still quite confused on what was happening. What ever it was, he knew that the two of them were very interested in him.
"Get out of here." Taigan growled. He glared at Betsuri while she regained her composure and slowly began to walk towards the door. "It would be nice if you let me know when you decided to pay me a visit."
Betsuri raised her chin up in slight pride. "That would ruin the surprise of my visits, Taigan." She waved her fingers with a grin and brushed past Sora, never looking at him. In silence she disappeared, leaving Sora dumbfounded of the whole confrontation and Taigan, more or less, seething with anger.
Taigan looked at Sora. "If you see her again, it would be best not to listen to what she says. Betsuri has a tendency to lie about everything." He slowly smiled, the tension leaving him quickly as he looked down at Sora. "Come now, I think it would be good if we ate something before we got some sleep."
**********
Sora couldn't sleep, no matter how tired he was. He sat in the large bed, the blankets pooled around him from tossing and turning. He couldn't get Taigan and Betsuri out of his mind. Most of all, he had a hard time not thinking of Riku with Taigan around. Sora didn't really know how much he missed Riku until he met Taigan. All this time he had his mind set on Kairi and never thought twice of Riku.
The ocean outside stirred restlessly and the full moon's silver light reached through the window. Sora looked into the light, watching as shadows moved across the floorboards. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. He wondered how Kairi and Riku were managing. Kairi was alone, without her two friends, on the Islands and Riku was trapped in Kingdom Hearts with the Heartless.
"I wonder." Sora whispered, gazing into the soft moonlight. He remembered that he was forever connected to Kairi through their hearts. There were times where he could feel her strength and it would give him the will to go on. Sora wondered, though, if there was some type of bond that he held with Riku.
Taking in a deep breath Sora closed his eyes. All he saw was the darkness he always did. Slowly he pushed all his thoughts away, focusing on that darkness and his breathing. For a moment he sat still with the emptiness flowing in his mind. Taking in a deep breath Sora yelled Riku's name in his mind, letting his whole body feel his internal scream. The word echoed and faded into the darkness.
For a moment Sora wondered why he did such a thing. Then, though, in the darkness of his mind he saw a sparkle of light. That light flowered and images seemed to form in the light; clouds, an island, and familiar figures running down the beach. Sora felt his heart skip a beat and the light faltered. The light wavered and faded slightly, the images growing fuzzy.
'Sora?' a voice whispered.
With a gasp Sora's eyes flew open. His name echoed in his mind for a moment and slowly his eyes came to focus on the moonlight. In the midst of the light stood a hazy shadow, slowly solidifying and morphing into the form of a human. Sora watched in a mixture of amazement and horror as the shadow turned into the hazy form of Riku, standing with his back to him. His hair was longer and he was taller than Sora last remembered, but he reminded himself of how many years had passed.
Sora scrambled off the bed. "Riku? Riku!" he said, his voice soft in the midst of the night. Riku's shadow turned to face the sound and Sora froze. His eyes widened as he noticed the blindfold over his friend's eyes. Sora stood before Riku and stared at him in wonder. He wondered if he could reach out and touch him, to see if he was really there but as the moonlight shifted, so did Riku's form.
"Riku?" Sora muttered. He took a step forward but paused. "Can you hear me?"
"Who's there?" Riku asked, turning his face towards Sora.
Letting out a sigh of relief Sora smiled, happy to know Riku could hear him. "Riku, it's me. . . ."
Riku tilted his head to one side. "Sora?"
"Yes!" Sora replied with a wide smile. He reached out and felt his hand slip through a thick mist as his fingers inched closer to Riku. "Where are you?"
"I'm home." Riku replied. His voice shook when he spoke. "Where are you? What happened?"
Sora pulled his hand away. "I don't know where I am. I lost Donald and Goofy in a battle a few days ago. The creatures we fought cast a spell on us and we were separated. I. . . . I'm on a beach somewhere." Slowly Sora took a step forward, feeling the moonlight around him. He stared at Riku's face, focusing on the blindfold. "What happened to you?"
Riku turned his head so he faced Sora once more. "I lived in Kingdom Hearts for so long my eyes are sensitive to the light. I can only see when it's dark and it's still too light at times."
"It's my fault." Sora whispered.
"No," Riku replied, shaking his head. "It's my fault for turning to the darkness in the first place."
Sora smiled slightly. "Do you think you could take the blindfold off?"
Riku didn't reply. He bowed his head and lifted his hands. His fingers disappeared into his hair and slowly began to untie the lose knot. Sora watched in silence, his mind full of wonder. He couldn't believe this was happening; he couldn't believe they held a bond that could bring them together, even worlds away.
The blindfold fell from Riku's face and he held it in his hands. Slowly he stood straight, lifting his face. Sora's eyes widened in horror. In the light of the moon Riku's eyes were dulled, tinted gray from the glow of the moon. With the image of Riku in his mind Sora grew scared; Riku and Taigan looked like they could be twins.
"What?" Riku asked, staring at Sora.
Sora raised his hands, wishing he could touch Riku. "This can't be happening." he whispered, his eyes filling with tears. "I must be dreaming. You. . . . He doesn't look like you." he said, wishing it was true.
"What are talking about?" Riku asked. His haunting eyes stared hard into Sora's. "Who are you talking about? Who doesn't look like me?"
"Sora, are you okay?"
With a cry Sora spun around and saw Taigan standing in the open door. The silver-haired man looked at him and than raised his eyes. Those dull blue- gray eyes widened with horror and his mouth opened slightly but nothing was said. Sora turned and looked at Riku. His face held a frightened expression which soon turned to horror.
Riku's eyes turned quickly to Sora. "Sora, r-. . . ."
"Be gone." Taigan yelled, cutting Riku off. Riku's image suddenly disappeared into the light. Sora spun around to face Taigan and froze. Taigan pointed his hand at Sora. "Sleep."
Before Sora could react he fell to the ground, his mind quickly forgetting what had just happened.
A shadow slowly encompassed Sora, but he didn't seem to care. He turned to face the stranger. The smile on his face never left as his eyes met with those of a silver haired man. The man was a little older than Sora, his eyes, a dull blue-gray, shinning with joy as he took a seat beside Sora. The two looked at each other in silence, the waves making the only sound to be heard.
Sora turned his head and looked back to the horizon. He heaved a heavy sigh and looked down at his hands. "He looks just like you." he whispered, the wind slowly caressing his face. Sora looked once more at the silver haired man. He looked at him and smiled.
"The one you told me about?" the man asked. He looked at Sora and smiled softly. "Riku, was it?"
"Yeah." Sora said in a whisper. He stared at the man, taking in every aspect about him. The similarities between this nameless man and Riku were striking. There was something, though, that was different about them. Sora couldn't figure it out. "You never told me your name." he whispered.
"I'm called Taigan." the man said with a slight smile. He looked back at the ocean and sighed happily. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Sora nodded and brought his legs close to him. He rested his chin on his knees and stared deep into the world before him. "Back on Destiny Island you could see sunsets like these everyday. They were really nice."
Taigan glanced at Sora. "Did you ever sit and watch them with anyone?"
"Yeah." Sora replied with a cheerful nod. "Kairi and Riku would watch them with me. Kairi loved to look at the sun's rays in the sky and just go on about them. Me, though, I liked how the sun turned the water different colors on the horizon. Like right now!" Sora pointed out to the water and smiled. The water around the slipping sun was painted different shades of red. "See? I love seeing it."
"It is beautiful." Taigan whispered. He stared out into the water, his eyes half closed. For a moment it seemed like Taigan would lose himself in the memories in his mind. He blinked, though, and raised his eyes to the sky. "Did Riku like the sunsets as much as you?"
Sora shrugged. "I don't know. He was always really quiet when we watched them. There was one time, though, that seemed really nice." Sora rested his chin on his knee once more. He stared out to the dimming sky and smiled softly. "Everyone on the island loved to practice their fighting skills with each other. Riku was the best of us; we both fought with wooden swords. He would train me so I could be like him.
"That day we trained really hard. Kairi had left earlier because her parents needed her home, so it was just the two of us. We just sat on the pier, watching the sun set and listening to the birds. I guess we both drifted off around the same time. When I woke up, my head was in Riku's lap and he was looking at me; smiling actually. It seemed really weird but it was nice. We went home and never really said much else."
"You really seem to care about Riku." Taigan said. He lowered himself onto his elbows and looked at the sky above them. "I bet he cares about you as well. The two of you seem like good friends."
"Yeah." Sora whispered. "Friends."
With a heavy breath Sora stood and slowly began to walk towards the water. He glanced over his shoulder, watching as Taigan slowly sat up. The silver haired man watched as Sora turned once more and continued his walk into t the water. The waves crashed into him, but he never moved. Slowly the water encircled around him, reaching higher and higher with every step he took.
"Sora, what are you doing?" Taigan asked, cocking his head to one side. He moved his hand slightly. "That wound is going to open up if you let the waves crash into you so much."
"I just wanna show you something. I think you'll like it." Sora said with a broad smile. He turned and faced the water before. A wave rose a few yards before Sora, growing with every lurch. Sora raised his hands and closed his eyes. "Blizzaga."
A sudden wave of frost flew from the palms of Sora's hands, freezing the water instantly. The spray of the wave instantly turned into snow, falling around Sora softly. He turned and looked at Taigan and smiled happily. The silver haired man smiled back, never moving.
Taigan rested his chin on his knees and stared at the auburn haired boy. "You just have to show off, don't you?" He slowly stood, throwing his calf- length black jacket behind him. Taigan began to walk towards the water, letting the waves lap at his bare feet. With every step he took the waves reached higher, little by little. The water darkened his navy blue pants and caused it to stick to him.
Coming to rest beside Sora, Taigan looked at the wall of glistening ice. He glanced at Sora and sneered. He turned his dull eyes back to the ice and narrowed them. Taigan raised his hand to the ice and stared hard past it. His lips moved, but Sora couldn't hear a word he said. Suddenly the ice before them melted with a sizzle.
"Whoa." Sora whispered. He turned to Taigan but he had begun to walk back towards the beach. Sora quickly made his way to his side, looking up at him and smiling. "So, I take it you know some spells."
Taigan gave a curt nod, keeping his eyes focused on something before them. "Years ago I learned from a very well known sorcerer." For a moment Taigan's eyes darkened with a sense of anger, but the emotion left quickly. "He taught me everything I know, including how to fight with a sword. He took me under his wing and protected me. Now he's gone and I don't really mind the loss."
Sora paused a moment, shocked at the sudden hatred Taigan was emitting. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped. Taigan had left his side once more and was walking towards his home. A figure stood beside one of the doors, disappearing quickly inside. Taigan followed, saying nothing and forgetting his jacket and shoes.
Mumbling to himself Sora rushed up the beach, gathering his shoes and than Taigan's things. He wondered what had caused the change of mood in his friend; was it the magic or the visitor? Sora couldn't figure it out as he slowly walked up the beach, gazing at the house before him. It was simple, much like the one he had lived in before disappearing from Destiny Island.
"I don't care." Taigan's voice rang out. Sora paused for a moment before hurrying his steps to the house. Taigan's voice came again, this time full of anger. "Get out of here. I told all of you that I didn't need your help. I can handle this myself."
Sora pushed the door open with his back and stumble into the front room. Silence settled over him as he steadied himself and stood. Sora froze for a moment, looking at Taigan and then the stranger. It was a woman, actually, standing a little more than a head shorter than Taigan. Her hair was about as long as Taigan's, pulled back into three tight braids and her eyes were an ominous violet. The woman wore something that reminded Sora of a ritual robe; white and embroidered with gold lettering.
"Eh." the woman said, raising a gloved hand to her mouth. Her violet eyes darted from Taigan to Sora. "Is this. . . ."
Taigan glared at the woman angrily and slowly moved over to Sora. "This is Sora. I helped him earlier today; he passed out on the beach from a wound on his leg." He looked at Sora. "Is it alright?" Sora nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving the violet eyed woman. Taigan glared once more at the guest. "Sora, this is Betsuri, an old friend of mine."
"Hello." Sora said, waving a pair of free fingers for a moment.
A strange smile suddenly crossed Betsuri's face. She took a step forward and knelt before Sora. She looked up into his eyes and the smile slowly turned into a sneer. "Some things never seem to change." She stood with a sigh and looked at Taigan. "Always picking the pretty ones for yourself and none for me."
Taigan lurched forwards with a growl and Betsuri sprung away with a cry of terror. Her violet eyes were wide with fear for a moment. Sora stood silent for a moment, still quite confused on what was happening. What ever it was, he knew that the two of them were very interested in him.
"Get out of here." Taigan growled. He glared at Betsuri while she regained her composure and slowly began to walk towards the door. "It would be nice if you let me know when you decided to pay me a visit."
Betsuri raised her chin up in slight pride. "That would ruin the surprise of my visits, Taigan." She waved her fingers with a grin and brushed past Sora, never looking at him. In silence she disappeared, leaving Sora dumbfounded of the whole confrontation and Taigan, more or less, seething with anger.
Taigan looked at Sora. "If you see her again, it would be best not to listen to what she says. Betsuri has a tendency to lie about everything." He slowly smiled, the tension leaving him quickly as he looked down at Sora. "Come now, I think it would be good if we ate something before we got some sleep."
**********
Sora couldn't sleep, no matter how tired he was. He sat in the large bed, the blankets pooled around him from tossing and turning. He couldn't get Taigan and Betsuri out of his mind. Most of all, he had a hard time not thinking of Riku with Taigan around. Sora didn't really know how much he missed Riku until he met Taigan. All this time he had his mind set on Kairi and never thought twice of Riku.
The ocean outside stirred restlessly and the full moon's silver light reached through the window. Sora looked into the light, watching as shadows moved across the floorboards. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. He wondered how Kairi and Riku were managing. Kairi was alone, without her two friends, on the Islands and Riku was trapped in Kingdom Hearts with the Heartless.
"I wonder." Sora whispered, gazing into the soft moonlight. He remembered that he was forever connected to Kairi through their hearts. There were times where he could feel her strength and it would give him the will to go on. Sora wondered, though, if there was some type of bond that he held with Riku.
Taking in a deep breath Sora closed his eyes. All he saw was the darkness he always did. Slowly he pushed all his thoughts away, focusing on that darkness and his breathing. For a moment he sat still with the emptiness flowing in his mind. Taking in a deep breath Sora yelled Riku's name in his mind, letting his whole body feel his internal scream. The word echoed and faded into the darkness.
For a moment Sora wondered why he did such a thing. Then, though, in the darkness of his mind he saw a sparkle of light. That light flowered and images seemed to form in the light; clouds, an island, and familiar figures running down the beach. Sora felt his heart skip a beat and the light faltered. The light wavered and faded slightly, the images growing fuzzy.
'Sora?' a voice whispered.
With a gasp Sora's eyes flew open. His name echoed in his mind for a moment and slowly his eyes came to focus on the moonlight. In the midst of the light stood a hazy shadow, slowly solidifying and morphing into the form of a human. Sora watched in a mixture of amazement and horror as the shadow turned into the hazy form of Riku, standing with his back to him. His hair was longer and he was taller than Sora last remembered, but he reminded himself of how many years had passed.
Sora scrambled off the bed. "Riku? Riku!" he said, his voice soft in the midst of the night. Riku's shadow turned to face the sound and Sora froze. His eyes widened as he noticed the blindfold over his friend's eyes. Sora stood before Riku and stared at him in wonder. He wondered if he could reach out and touch him, to see if he was really there but as the moonlight shifted, so did Riku's form.
"Riku?" Sora muttered. He took a step forward but paused. "Can you hear me?"
"Who's there?" Riku asked, turning his face towards Sora.
Letting out a sigh of relief Sora smiled, happy to know Riku could hear him. "Riku, it's me. . . ."
Riku tilted his head to one side. "Sora?"
"Yes!" Sora replied with a wide smile. He reached out and felt his hand slip through a thick mist as his fingers inched closer to Riku. "Where are you?"
"I'm home." Riku replied. His voice shook when he spoke. "Where are you? What happened?"
Sora pulled his hand away. "I don't know where I am. I lost Donald and Goofy in a battle a few days ago. The creatures we fought cast a spell on us and we were separated. I. . . . I'm on a beach somewhere." Slowly Sora took a step forward, feeling the moonlight around him. He stared at Riku's face, focusing on the blindfold. "What happened to you?"
Riku turned his head so he faced Sora once more. "I lived in Kingdom Hearts for so long my eyes are sensitive to the light. I can only see when it's dark and it's still too light at times."
"It's my fault." Sora whispered.
"No," Riku replied, shaking his head. "It's my fault for turning to the darkness in the first place."
Sora smiled slightly. "Do you think you could take the blindfold off?"
Riku didn't reply. He bowed his head and lifted his hands. His fingers disappeared into his hair and slowly began to untie the lose knot. Sora watched in silence, his mind full of wonder. He couldn't believe this was happening; he couldn't believe they held a bond that could bring them together, even worlds away.
The blindfold fell from Riku's face and he held it in his hands. Slowly he stood straight, lifting his face. Sora's eyes widened in horror. In the light of the moon Riku's eyes were dulled, tinted gray from the glow of the moon. With the image of Riku in his mind Sora grew scared; Riku and Taigan looked like they could be twins.
"What?" Riku asked, staring at Sora.
Sora raised his hands, wishing he could touch Riku. "This can't be happening." he whispered, his eyes filling with tears. "I must be dreaming. You. . . . He doesn't look like you." he said, wishing it was true.
"What are talking about?" Riku asked. His haunting eyes stared hard into Sora's. "Who are you talking about? Who doesn't look like me?"
"Sora, are you okay?"
With a cry Sora spun around and saw Taigan standing in the open door. The silver-haired man looked at him and than raised his eyes. Those dull blue- gray eyes widened with horror and his mouth opened slightly but nothing was said. Sora turned and looked at Riku. His face held a frightened expression which soon turned to horror.
Riku's eyes turned quickly to Sora. "Sora, r-. . . ."
"Be gone." Taigan yelled, cutting Riku off. Riku's image suddenly disappeared into the light. Sora spun around to face Taigan and froze. Taigan pointed his hand at Sora. "Sleep."
Before Sora could react he fell to the ground, his mind quickly forgetting what had just happened.