pseudothyrum -i n. [a secret door].
Act II, Scene Four: Pseudothyrum: From whence they came.
Their remaining days in the haven of the crossroads began early and ended late. Three unseen suns passed overhead, invisible to Riku's failing eyes. Ava was away from him for most of the time, returning from magic lessons only for meals and bedtimes.
The village leaders, Vincent Valentine and Quistis Trepe, took good care of these prestigious visitors, but memories of the Heartless attack burned strong and caution dictated actions more often than leisure.
"Tomorrow you will leave," Vincent announced casually (maybe callously?) as dawn trickled over the fourth day. He was standing on the dock looking out over the lake, his back to the meadow from where the Heartless had emerged.
Riku's shoes were beside him and his pant legs were rolled up to allow for the immersion of his feet in the cool, dark water. "All right."
"Quistis has been assembling some supplies for your journey," the dark man continued, apparently completely uninterested in getting his feet wet.
"Thanks."
Vincent shifted slightly in the way he crossed his arms, one metal and one flesh.
"It's too bad… Are you sure Ava can't stay? She really loves it here," Riku said quietly. He got no response and tried to explain himself, however futile it felt. "Here she can count on the sun rising every day. She never could before. She's lost a lot…"
"Haven't you as well?"
"But that was my fault," Riku argued. "Nothing bad would've happened to me without my triggering it. Ava's, well, different."
"In the end, we're all the same to the darkness."
"It's just looking for its next victim."
Vincent stretched his human fingers. "Or its enemy."
Riku gritted his teeth at the disappearing lake and shore far, far away. The breeze that sifted through his hair and the sounds of the lapping waves would remain, but the sunlight reflecting on the deep water would fall into the realm of memory.
"Are you angry, Riku?"
"Yes," he had to admit after turning the question over in his mind a few times. "I can cope with the blindness, and even this new battle, but…"
"You have a past that haunts you."
Riku jerked his head up. It was no use; Vincent was merely a collection of colored, vague shapes.
"We all have memories that would best be left buried," Vincent said, his voice holding more promise of compassion than usual. "But Fate is a cruel master, and decides to pit us against our own doubts at the worst possible time."
"There's no way to escape what I've done. I thought living in Caelestis was my fair punishment, but even if I do go and save the world three times over it will do nothing to erase the damage I did years ago."
Silence settled on them until the standing man chose to make a pronouncement.
"You've let the darkness into your heart."
"I try to push it out but it's sticking there. I…I…" He didn't want to say it, didn't want to be too emotional in front of a man who was more reserved than Riku himself was.
I hate…myself.
"If you do nothing, you'll hate yourself even more." Vincent turned, his cape a mere blood red blotch sweeping through the air, and walked away.
Riku kicked the water.
"I want you to take this," Yuna's outline told Ava's. She was passing something to the shorter, dark-skinned woman.
"Is this…? Oh, thank you," said Ava with a gracious bow.
They were back at the hall making preparations for departure.
Riku picked up the pack that had been given to him. He slung it over his shoulder so it rested on his left hip.
Ava was soon at his side as well, a small backpack over her shoulders.
"We'll escort you," Yuna announced.
They left, Ava offering sad eyes to the small village that had so accepted her. It was the first time she had seen people act like human beings in quite some time. She had half wished that it would be her new home.
The woman chose to make conversation as she fell back in step with Riku. "Yuna and this other girl were teaching me magic. She was really cute. You wouldn't believe it, though—she's got purple hair and a horn on her forehead!"
"Heh. Interesting." Riku squinted his eyes and he could barely make out the path below his boots. One step at a time…
Riku thanked whatever gods might be still lingering over him when they reached the meadow without incident. He wondered if Ava could tell at all of his worsening condition. He hoped she was too miffed to care.
The silver-haired nineteen year old was confused when he saw nothing but the blending greens of the forest and meadow. Where was that huge black hole from the battle?
Ava turned to the others and gave one final bow. "Thank you very much for having us. Take—" Her voice was choking. "Take care of yourselves!" She swiftly hid her face by turning her back to the group.
Avarielle spread her arms wide to the open twilight sky, giving one longing farewell glance to the setting sun. She closed her eyes and a stream of silver light formed over her. She swung both hands in to close the gap and gripped the fully formed Keystaff firmly.
The woman took the rod and gave it a full turn, spinning it across the air expertly until its Key end connected with the giant padlock on Riku's back. She pushed and the pole passed through his body in a blooming flower of silver-blue light. Riku bit his lip till it bled, the world before him vanishing for the very last time.
Ava gave a shout as she yanked the Keystaff back out. Riku's chains melted away as the heavier Keyblade took their place, ready on his back. The man drew it swiftly and in one graceful arc spun and connected it with Ava's Key.
The pulsing vortex was back, but this time it shot out an entire rainbow of colors, much like a prism. Ava's purple light was clear and brilliant in front of him. They were being drawn into the rainbow, heading right for the center as their bodies again lost substance…
"Good luck on your journey!" Quistis called, the sound of her voice growing steadily fainter.
"See you again!" Yuna shouted, although, to their ears, it seemed her words were passing through water.
Vincent was silent.
Either that or his final warning was spoken too late.
We have to concentrate on the light…
Light…
It's bright here…brighter than before…
Are we getting closer?
Maybe…
Oh, I hope so!
I…I wonder…
The rainbow of colors began to swirl…
It's raining. It doesn't usually rain on the islands. The last time it rained like this…
The beach is empty. Everyone has gone home. I don't feel like going back to my empty house on the far side of the island. I'm thirteen, big enough to take care of myself.
I hear something. I look down from the tree house and I see someone on the beach all hunched over. I race down quickly, jumping from ledge to ledge to sand until my feet are running along the wet beach and I'm next to her.
"Hey, what are you doing out here?"
The person looks up and I can see through the sheets of raindrops that it's Kairi. She's soaked all over and she looks like she was crying.
"Did you trip and fall or what?"
She's just a silly little girl. I think she's not even twelve yet. She is always around when Sora and I are trying to play. She likes to hide and watch when we have swordfights or races.
She looks at me with a quivering lip.
She's just a silly little girl, but she's kinda cute…
I grab her wrist and hoist her up.
"Let's go to the Secret Place so we don't get even wetter."
She nods and says nothing. She stumbles a little so I keep holding on to her wrist. We climb up near the waterfall and run indoors, the water now pouring down on us from the trees too. She giggles and splashes me with some of the overflow of the pond.
I shake my head and laugh before we go inside.
The tunnel is dry.
Drip drip drip…
We pad down the walkway on soaking bare feet, ducking under vines and tree branches until we come to the small cave. I shake myself out like a dog and she laughs really hard.
"What are you laughing at?" I ask, but I'm laughing too as she imitates me, shaking her whole self out. She's wearing a blue dress and it sticks close to her skinny body. She has goose bumps up and down her arms.
She rubs her arms for warmth and I do the same. I'm wearing a yellow shirt and oversized blue shorts. I grab hold of one pant leg and wring it out, sending a puddle of cold rainwater to the floor.
The wind roars through the tunnel. I think the storm outside is getting a lot worse.
I look at her and see her eyes pointed toward the outside. I know she came here all by herself. I wonder if she lost her parents like I did… I wonder if she understands how I feel…about storms and everything.
She turns and catches me looking at her and makes a face, pulling her cheeks apart and poking her pink tongue out at me.
I proceed to make an even stranger face and we both end up falling over laughing. It's getting dark and cold so I climb up and get some of the stash of matches and dry logs Sora and I keep here for when we go camping. I build a small fire so there's not too much smoke.
Kairi sits up and watches me carefully. She still hasn't said anything.
I put away the rest of the supplies and sit down across from her. It's a little warmer and a lot brighter in the cave now. I look at all the silly drawings on the wall. There's one particular drawing that me and Sora drew of two pirates fighting. That always used to be one of our favorite games.
"Are you scared of me or what?" I ask, staring her right in the eyes. I am starting to feel uncomfortable in the silence.
"No," she tells me, but she seems unsure.
"If you are afraid," I begin, grinning wide, "it's understandable. "I'm just that cool." I flex my muscles and she giggles uncontrollably. "Hey-Hey! I am the strongest guy on this whole island!"
"I know. I see you beat everyone all the time."
I begin to wonder if she's watching me when she's hiding. Could she possibly…?
"Sora wants to beat you," she tells me suddenly, fiddling with her toes.
"What?" Suddenly my mood changes. Sora?
"He told me he wants to be strong as you and beat you someday."
"He can be almost as strong as I am," I say, feeling uncomfortable.
"Sora's nice…" she says almost wistfully and I feel like I've been dunked into the sea. My eyes follow hers and I see that she's looking at a picture of Sora and her on the rock, freshly illuminated by the fire.
All this time, she and Sora have been playing together? When Kairi wouldn't even go near me? Sora's been going on adventures…without me?
I tell myself she's just a silly little girl. I wonder why I ever tried liking her.
"We can all be friends together, can't we?" I say.
"Yeah, okay. We'll go on adventures together. It'll be great!"
Maybe friends is enough. I'm lucky to be included. She only cares about Sora, and Sora only cares about her… I'm the one on the outside.
I close my eyes.
Ava held Riku's hand this time as they fell. She didn't want any more crash landings. She had her Keystaff and she had Riku, and it was enough.
They were falling very slowly until they finally hit a batch of soft sand. Wherever they were, it was artificially dark. Ava reached up and pushed back a bunch of giant palm leaves.
Riku came back into consciousness slowly. What had initially stirred him was the strong salty breeze, but now he heard the rustle of great leaves. He felt gritty sand sticking into his bare hands.
"Ava?" he groaned softly, putting his Keyblade away.
Avarielle was busy, however, looking out through the space in the leaves toward an empty beach. Far in the distance was a woman with long brown-red hair staring wistfully out toward the sea.
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ooh…and act ii will draw to a close next chapter. how exciting!
just want you all to know that i have been blessed with 20/20 vision my entire life so writing from riku's viewpoint isn't always the easiest thing. X.x
hope everyone enjoyed the ff cameos! i know they were a little out of character to serve my purposes…gomen. well, keep on reading and reviewing, if you'd be so kind!