The next day they set out for Deep Jungle.
"Where's the landing area?" Tidus asked peering out the window.
"I don't know! All's I can see is trees!" Donald cried.
"Where should we land?!"
"I don't know!"
"Well this was your idea!!!"
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Everyone screamed as the ship landed with a crash in the treetops.
That night everyone set up camp. They sat around the campfire discussing what had happened.
"So tomorrow we go to Hollow Bastion right?" Tidus asked. Riku nodded.
"Yeah, lots of bad memories for me back there."
Mia looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"
Riku sighed. "It's nothing, nothing at all."
Mia looked at him angrily. "It's definitely something if it gives you bad memories! I can't believe that everyone knows but me!"
"Mia listen..."
"NO! YOU LISTEN! I'M SICK OF JUST RUNNING AROUND AND PLAYING HERO! I WANT TO SAVE KATIE! I WANT TO GO HOME! BUT NONE OF YOU COULD UNDERSTAND HOW I FEEL! EVER!"
She got up and ran into the forest crying.
Riku was stunned. Those words had cut through his heart like a knife. He DID understand how she felt He knew what it was like to have a friend lose their heart to the heartless.
"DAMNIT!" He thought to himself, "WHY DIDN'T I JUST TELL HER? IT'S CAUSE I'M AN ASSHOLE! THAT'S WHY!"
"I'll go get her." He sighed, "I'm the one she's mad at."
He got up and went into the forest. Rikku rolled her eyes.
"Oh yeah! Perfect excuse to go see her."
"What do you mean?" Sora asked.
"Don't you get it?"
"Get what?"
Rikku rolled her eyes and leaned back. "Boys..."
Riku searched through the forest for some sign of Mia. He heard a soft crying noise coming from the lagoon. He pushed back some bushes and saw Mia sitting on a log next to the water crying in her hands.
"Mia?" He whispered. She looked up and sighed.
"Oh, hello Riku."
"Mia...please don't hate me."
"I don't hate you Riku. Far from it." With that she stood up and began to walk across a log hanging over the water. There was a loud snap and the log broke in two. She screamed and fell in.
"MIA!" He yelled. He jumped in after her. He scanned the water's surface for any trace of her. Suddenly something splashed his face. He spun around and laughed.
Mia was standing there smiling at him. He splashed her back. They both laughed.
*When these appear a song is playing*
~Can You Feel the Love Tonight?~
* There's a calm surrender
To the rush of day
When the heat of the rolling wind
Can be turned away
An enchanted moment
And it sees me through
It's enough for this restless warrior
Just to be with you.*
Mia and Riku both staggered out of the water soaking wet and still laughing.
* (Chorus)
And can you feel the love tonight?
It is where we are
It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer
That we've got this far
And can you feel the love tonight
How it's laid to rest?
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds
Believe the very best*
Riku: *thinking* So many things to tell her
But how to make her see
The truth about my past? Impossible.
She'd turn away from me.
Mia: *thinking*He's holding back, he's hiding.
But what? I can't decide.
Why won't simply tell me what he's feeling?
Feeling deep inside.
* (Chorus)
And can you feel the love tonight?
It is where we are
It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer
That we've got this far
And can you feel the love tonight
How it's laid to rest?
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds
Believe the very best*
Mia looked up at Riku and smiled. Happiness reflected off her face. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He couldn't help blushing. He looked back at her and smiled.
* There's a time for everyone
If they only learn
That the twisting kaleidoscope
Moves us all in turn
There's a rhyme and reason
To the wild outdoors
When the heart of this star-crossed voyager
Beats in time with yours*
Both of them leaned towards each other and kissed on the lips.
(Chorus)
And can you feel the love tonight?
It is where we are
It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer
That we got this far
And can you feel the love tonight
How it's laid to rest?
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds
Believe the very best
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds
Believe the very best*
~Song Ends~
Mia hugged Riku.
He sighed.
"Mia, do you really want to know why Donald and Goofy were mad at me? Do you want to know why I hate Maleficent so much? Do you want to know why I have bad memories at Hollow Bastion?"
"Yes." She said firmly.
He told her everything there was to know. About how he'd gone over to the dark side in an attempt to save Kairi, how he'd tried to kill his own friends, and how a dark wizard named Ansem had possessed his body and used him to regain physical form.
When he had finished telling Mia was silent. Then Riku noticed she was smiling.
"Why are you smiling about this?" He asked.
She looked up at him and smiled. "It amuses me that you thought I would hate you for this, but the odd thing is that I don't."
"But I don't get it..."
"Listen," Mia said interrupting him, "It doesn't matter who you WERE, you can't fake the kind of good person that you really are. I understand why you went over to the dark side, you were trying to save your friends and things got out of hand, you're not like that anymore Riku."
"We better get back to camp. They'll start to worry about us."
"Right."
They both got off the log that they'd been sitting on and started back to camp.
As they walked Riku noticed that Mia seemed to be thinking hard about something.
"A penny for your thoughts?" He asked.
"Hmmm? Oh! I was just wondering if I'm too young to be sure of something."
"Like what?"
"Nothing, just wondering."
When they reached camp. Everyone was waiting for them.
"What took you so long?" Sora asked, "And why are you soaking wet?"
Riku shrugged. "Mia fell in the lagoon and I dove in to see if she was ok."
"SURE that's what happened." Rikku said rolling her eyes.
Mia shook her head. "Don't confuse me Rikku, well I'm turning in. Good night everyone." She went inside her tent and closed the flap.
"So did you tell her how you went over to the dark side?" Kairi asked. Riku nodded.
"Of course I did."
"And...how'd she take it?" Sora asked drawing in a sharp breath.
"She wasn't mad or anything, she said it wasn't important to her who I was, it's who I am now that concerns her." Riku said ignoring the looks of shock on everyone else's faces.
As the night wore on one by one everyone went inside there own tents until only Riku and Tidus were left sitting by the fire.
"So, what's the deal between you and Mia? You really like her don't you?"
Riku spat out the water he'd been drinking in shock. He stared at Tidus and sighed. "That may be the understatement of the century."
"So you love her?"
"I'm not sure if it's love or not, all I know is that I've never felt this way before."
"Well while you're racking your brain trying to convince yourself I'll be asleep. 'Night Riku." He got up and left.
Riku sighed. "Is it love?" He thought, "Am I in love with Mia?"
Riku shook his head and sighed. "I won't think about it now. I'll decide tomorrow if I do."
He lay down on the ground and fell asleep
"Hello Romeo." The cold voice sneered again.
"SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" Riku yelled.
"But I can't leave you alone, I can never leave. Riku, you and me are one person!"
"Tell me now! Who are you and why do you want to keep me away from Mia?"
"I am your dark side Riku."
"I HAVE NO DARK SIDE!"
"Everyone has a dark side, but unlike darkness in other people's souls I've been given a mind of my own because YOU went over to darkness!"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Riku screamed sinking to his knees and covering his ears.
To his amazement it stopped.
He looked around. He could see Mia standing a few feet away from him. She had her back turned.
"MIA!" He yelled, but he was cut off. The same sword from his first night was raised above Mia's head. It was brought down and slashed her. She lie once again in her own blood.
"HOW CAN YOU DO THIS?!" Riku screamed to the darkness.
"Once darkness taints your heart it will NEVER leave you! You thought this girl had the power to save you from your own trap. You were right. That is why she must die, your love for her will kill her eventually."
Riku jerked awake. Sweat poured down his forehead. He couldn't believe it. Mia would die...because of his love for her?
Riku looked down at the dying embers of the campfire. He knew what he must do. If he truly cared about Mia then this was the only way to keep her safe from darkness.
He walked over to the gummi ship and activated the ship's computer. He instructed it to make a smaller version of the ship. It had to be small enough for him to leave by himself.
He grabbed a few potions and threw them into the new ship.
Before he left he walked over to Mia's tent and peered inside. She was lying there sleeping soundly. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
He climbed into the smaller ship and shot into the air.
Mia awoke the next morning. She yawned and stretched out her arms. She climbed out of the tent and went and sat by the campfire. After a few minutes everyone else came out and joined her.
"Anybody see Riku?" Sora asked looking around.
"I haven't seen him since last night." Goofy said shrugging.
Wakka got up and checked Riku's tent. He came back holding a piece of paper in his hands. His face was white.
"Guys, you may want to look at this."
Mia snatched the note from him and read it out loud.
"You will never see me again."
-Riku
"Why?!" Sora cried, "Why would he just run off like that? It doesn't make any sense!"
"Well, we've got to go find him!" Mia said standing up.
"I'm afraid that's out of the question." Donald said firmly, "We have to get to Hollow Bastion NOW and stop the heartless. Besides, I'm sure Riku's gone there to confront his past or something."
"But..." Mia protested.
"Riku has chosen his own path, now we must follow ours." Lulu said. Everyone but Mia started walking towards the gummi ship.
Mia reread the note. Tears filled her eyes. Would she ever see him again?
"Where's the landing area?" Tidus asked peering out the window.
"I don't know! All's I can see is trees!" Donald cried.
"Where should we land?!"
"I don't know!"
"Well this was your idea!!!"
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Everyone screamed as the ship landed with a crash in the treetops.
That night everyone set up camp. They sat around the campfire discussing what had happened.
"So tomorrow we go to Hollow Bastion right?" Tidus asked. Riku nodded.
"Yeah, lots of bad memories for me back there."
Mia looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"
Riku sighed. "It's nothing, nothing at all."
Mia looked at him angrily. "It's definitely something if it gives you bad memories! I can't believe that everyone knows but me!"
"Mia listen..."
"NO! YOU LISTEN! I'M SICK OF JUST RUNNING AROUND AND PLAYING HERO! I WANT TO SAVE KATIE! I WANT TO GO HOME! BUT NONE OF YOU COULD UNDERSTAND HOW I FEEL! EVER!"
She got up and ran into the forest crying.
Riku was stunned. Those words had cut through his heart like a knife. He DID understand how she felt He knew what it was like to have a friend lose their heart to the heartless.
"DAMNIT!" He thought to himself, "WHY DIDN'T I JUST TELL HER? IT'S CAUSE I'M AN ASSHOLE! THAT'S WHY!"
"I'll go get her." He sighed, "I'm the one she's mad at."
He got up and went into the forest. Rikku rolled her eyes.
"Oh yeah! Perfect excuse to go see her."
"What do you mean?" Sora asked.
"Don't you get it?"
"Get what?"
Rikku rolled her eyes and leaned back. "Boys..."
Riku searched through the forest for some sign of Mia. He heard a soft crying noise coming from the lagoon. He pushed back some bushes and saw Mia sitting on a log next to the water crying in her hands.
"Mia?" He whispered. She looked up and sighed.
"Oh, hello Riku."
"Mia...please don't hate me."
"I don't hate you Riku. Far from it." With that she stood up and began to walk across a log hanging over the water. There was a loud snap and the log broke in two. She screamed and fell in.
"MIA!" He yelled. He jumped in after her. He scanned the water's surface for any trace of her. Suddenly something splashed his face. He spun around and laughed.
Mia was standing there smiling at him. He splashed her back. They both laughed.
*When these appear a song is playing*
~Can You Feel the Love Tonight?~
* There's a calm surrender
To the rush of day
When the heat of the rolling wind
Can be turned away
An enchanted moment
And it sees me through
It's enough for this restless warrior
Just to be with you.*
Mia and Riku both staggered out of the water soaking wet and still laughing.
* (Chorus)
And can you feel the love tonight?
It is where we are
It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer
That we've got this far
And can you feel the love tonight
How it's laid to rest?
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds
Believe the very best*
Riku: *thinking* So many things to tell her
But how to make her see
The truth about my past? Impossible.
She'd turn away from me.
Mia: *thinking*He's holding back, he's hiding.
But what? I can't decide.
Why won't simply tell me what he's feeling?
Feeling deep inside.
* (Chorus)
And can you feel the love tonight?
It is where we are
It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer
That we've got this far
And can you feel the love tonight
How it's laid to rest?
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds
Believe the very best*
Mia looked up at Riku and smiled. Happiness reflected off her face. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He couldn't help blushing. He looked back at her and smiled.
* There's a time for everyone
If they only learn
That the twisting kaleidoscope
Moves us all in turn
There's a rhyme and reason
To the wild outdoors
When the heart of this star-crossed voyager
Beats in time with yours*
Both of them leaned towards each other and kissed on the lips.
(Chorus)
And can you feel the love tonight?
It is where we are
It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer
That we got this far
And can you feel the love tonight
How it's laid to rest?
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds
Believe the very best
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds
Believe the very best*
~Song Ends~
Mia hugged Riku.
He sighed.
"Mia, do you really want to know why Donald and Goofy were mad at me? Do you want to know why I hate Maleficent so much? Do you want to know why I have bad memories at Hollow Bastion?"
"Yes." She said firmly.
He told her everything there was to know. About how he'd gone over to the dark side in an attempt to save Kairi, how he'd tried to kill his own friends, and how a dark wizard named Ansem had possessed his body and used him to regain physical form.
When he had finished telling Mia was silent. Then Riku noticed she was smiling.
"Why are you smiling about this?" He asked.
She looked up at him and smiled. "It amuses me that you thought I would hate you for this, but the odd thing is that I don't."
"But I don't get it..."
"Listen," Mia said interrupting him, "It doesn't matter who you WERE, you can't fake the kind of good person that you really are. I understand why you went over to the dark side, you were trying to save your friends and things got out of hand, you're not like that anymore Riku."
"We better get back to camp. They'll start to worry about us."
"Right."
They both got off the log that they'd been sitting on and started back to camp.
As they walked Riku noticed that Mia seemed to be thinking hard about something.
"A penny for your thoughts?" He asked.
"Hmmm? Oh! I was just wondering if I'm too young to be sure of something."
"Like what?"
"Nothing, just wondering."
When they reached camp. Everyone was waiting for them.
"What took you so long?" Sora asked, "And why are you soaking wet?"
Riku shrugged. "Mia fell in the lagoon and I dove in to see if she was ok."
"SURE that's what happened." Rikku said rolling her eyes.
Mia shook her head. "Don't confuse me Rikku, well I'm turning in. Good night everyone." She went inside her tent and closed the flap.
"So did you tell her how you went over to the dark side?" Kairi asked. Riku nodded.
"Of course I did."
"And...how'd she take it?" Sora asked drawing in a sharp breath.
"She wasn't mad or anything, she said it wasn't important to her who I was, it's who I am now that concerns her." Riku said ignoring the looks of shock on everyone else's faces.
As the night wore on one by one everyone went inside there own tents until only Riku and Tidus were left sitting by the fire.
"So, what's the deal between you and Mia? You really like her don't you?"
Riku spat out the water he'd been drinking in shock. He stared at Tidus and sighed. "That may be the understatement of the century."
"So you love her?"
"I'm not sure if it's love or not, all I know is that I've never felt this way before."
"Well while you're racking your brain trying to convince yourself I'll be asleep. 'Night Riku." He got up and left.
Riku sighed. "Is it love?" He thought, "Am I in love with Mia?"
Riku shook his head and sighed. "I won't think about it now. I'll decide tomorrow if I do."
He lay down on the ground and fell asleep
"Hello Romeo." The cold voice sneered again.
"SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" Riku yelled.
"But I can't leave you alone, I can never leave. Riku, you and me are one person!"
"Tell me now! Who are you and why do you want to keep me away from Mia?"
"I am your dark side Riku."
"I HAVE NO DARK SIDE!"
"Everyone has a dark side, but unlike darkness in other people's souls I've been given a mind of my own because YOU went over to darkness!"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Riku screamed sinking to his knees and covering his ears.
To his amazement it stopped.
He looked around. He could see Mia standing a few feet away from him. She had her back turned.
"MIA!" He yelled, but he was cut off. The same sword from his first night was raised above Mia's head. It was brought down and slashed her. She lie once again in her own blood.
"HOW CAN YOU DO THIS?!" Riku screamed to the darkness.
"Once darkness taints your heart it will NEVER leave you! You thought this girl had the power to save you from your own trap. You were right. That is why she must die, your love for her will kill her eventually."
Riku jerked awake. Sweat poured down his forehead. He couldn't believe it. Mia would die...because of his love for her?
Riku looked down at the dying embers of the campfire. He knew what he must do. If he truly cared about Mia then this was the only way to keep her safe from darkness.
He walked over to the gummi ship and activated the ship's computer. He instructed it to make a smaller version of the ship. It had to be small enough for him to leave by himself.
He grabbed a few potions and threw them into the new ship.
Before he left he walked over to Mia's tent and peered inside. She was lying there sleeping soundly. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
He climbed into the smaller ship and shot into the air.
Mia awoke the next morning. She yawned and stretched out her arms. She climbed out of the tent and went and sat by the campfire. After a few minutes everyone else came out and joined her.
"Anybody see Riku?" Sora asked looking around.
"I haven't seen him since last night." Goofy said shrugging.
Wakka got up and checked Riku's tent. He came back holding a piece of paper in his hands. His face was white.
"Guys, you may want to look at this."
Mia snatched the note from him and read it out loud.
"You will never see me again."
-Riku
"Why?!" Sora cried, "Why would he just run off like that? It doesn't make any sense!"
"Well, we've got to go find him!" Mia said standing up.
"I'm afraid that's out of the question." Donald said firmly, "We have to get to Hollow Bastion NOW and stop the heartless. Besides, I'm sure Riku's gone there to confront his past or something."
"But..." Mia protested.
"Riku has chosen his own path, now we must follow ours." Lulu said. Everyone but Mia started walking towards the gummi ship.
Mia reread the note. Tears filled her eyes. Would she ever see him again?