My Friend
Sora cried out joyously when he saw him. "Riku!" It was his friend all right-the same white hair, bright green eyes, and mature expression. He ran towards him, grinning. "Where have you been? We've been looking all over for you!"
Riku smiled, but it was tinged with sadness. "Sora, I don't think you'll ever be able to find me. So just give up."
Sora felt his happiness deflate like a balloon. "But-but, Kairi's waiting for you. You're our friend, Riku." He clenched his fists. "Don't give up! We'll find you! I promise!" he said fervently.
"I know. But . . . " Riku's voice trailed off uncertainly. "When I think . . . About what I did . . ." Here, his voice caught, and he stumbled on, more hesitantly. "Especially to Kairi and you. . . How can you still consider me your friend?" Riku's eyes were dark now, with memories of sorrow and regret.
Sora just smiled, like the goofy kid he was. "Riku, I know you did bad things. Your heart probably did fall into the darkness just then." Riku looked down in shame. "But you know what? You came back. You came back to us, Riku. That's far more important to me then anything else in the world." The strong, reassuring tone of Sora's words convinced Riku that he really did care. He looked into Sora's bright, blue eyes, full of innocence and youth.
"That's why I'm not going to stop looking for you," he said. "I'm going to find you, and we'll both go home together. To Kairi."
Riku ruffled Sora's head. As expected, Sora swatted his hand away with all the audacity of a little kid, scowling. Riku laughed. "All right. I'll wait for you. Don't take too long, though."
"I'll find you. I will," Sora vowed.
Bolting straight up in bed, it took Sora a bit to remember where he was; he was in a bunk, inside their gummi ship, and he just had a strange dream.
"Riku?" Sora whispered, the last images from the dream ever so clear in his mind. Thoughts popped into his head, as though someone was whispering into his mind; was that real? . . . What is real?
"Sora! Are you up? I think we found a new world!" It was Donald, chief mage, yelling from the driver seat, sounding as grouchy as usual.
"Gwarsh, he looked kind of tired. Maybe we should let him sleep." That was Goofy, shield-solider, with a more laid-back personality then Donald.
"What? He's been sleeping for two hours! Besides, this whole expedition was his idea! SORA!" Donald cried in annoyance. Sora grinned, for it was fun to see how mad Donald could get. He then jumped out of bed.
Maybe they would find Riku this time. Maybe they wouldn't. But Sora would never stop looking. For Riku was, and always would be, his friend.
Sora cried out joyously when he saw him. "Riku!" It was his friend all right-the same white hair, bright green eyes, and mature expression. He ran towards him, grinning. "Where have you been? We've been looking all over for you!"
Riku smiled, but it was tinged with sadness. "Sora, I don't think you'll ever be able to find me. So just give up."
Sora felt his happiness deflate like a balloon. "But-but, Kairi's waiting for you. You're our friend, Riku." He clenched his fists. "Don't give up! We'll find you! I promise!" he said fervently.
"I know. But . . . " Riku's voice trailed off uncertainly. "When I think . . . About what I did . . ." Here, his voice caught, and he stumbled on, more hesitantly. "Especially to Kairi and you. . . How can you still consider me your friend?" Riku's eyes were dark now, with memories of sorrow and regret.
Sora just smiled, like the goofy kid he was. "Riku, I know you did bad things. Your heart probably did fall into the darkness just then." Riku looked down in shame. "But you know what? You came back. You came back to us, Riku. That's far more important to me then anything else in the world." The strong, reassuring tone of Sora's words convinced Riku that he really did care. He looked into Sora's bright, blue eyes, full of innocence and youth.
"That's why I'm not going to stop looking for you," he said. "I'm going to find you, and we'll both go home together. To Kairi."
Riku ruffled Sora's head. As expected, Sora swatted his hand away with all the audacity of a little kid, scowling. Riku laughed. "All right. I'll wait for you. Don't take too long, though."
"I'll find you. I will," Sora vowed.
Bolting straight up in bed, it took Sora a bit to remember where he was; he was in a bunk, inside their gummi ship, and he just had a strange dream.
"Riku?" Sora whispered, the last images from the dream ever so clear in his mind. Thoughts popped into his head, as though someone was whispering into his mind; was that real? . . . What is real?
"Sora! Are you up? I think we found a new world!" It was Donald, chief mage, yelling from the driver seat, sounding as grouchy as usual.
"Gwarsh, he looked kind of tired. Maybe we should let him sleep." That was Goofy, shield-solider, with a more laid-back personality then Donald.
"What? He's been sleeping for two hours! Besides, this whole expedition was his idea! SORA!" Donald cried in annoyance. Sora grinned, for it was fun to see how mad Donald could get. He then jumped out of bed.
Maybe they would find Riku this time. Maybe they wouldn't. But Sora would never stop looking. For Riku was, and always would be, his friend.
