Silver Lining: Silent Monologue

Author's note: Read this playing really sappy FFX instrumental music. It provides great BMG. This part of the story revolves around Sora and his past. 

Now onto the serious bit: If you are not a Sora/ Riku fan, you either stay away or get converted. This piece of fiction is set in an alternate reality/universe. In other words, everything but the characters (they might also be altered) is different from the original Kingdom Heart storyline. Many apologies for naughty thoughts, bad grammar and spelling because I just cannot be bothered to check my work beyond a cursory glance.

Disclaimer: None of the KH characters belong to me, they belong to those who spent their youth designing and developing them.

Sora wanted to die. He was alone now. Everyone he knew, everyone he loved had been taken away from him. A wandering band of mercenaries swept into the village and destroyed Sora's home place. They raided, pillaged and left no one alive. Only Sora, who had left the village on an errand, was spared.

Sora, furious and heart-broken, rode on his black steed for three days and three nights, without any rest or sustenance. He rode to the palace and stormed in seeking aid from the King. He pleaded for the King to lend him his soldiers to hunt down those mercenaries. King Mickey had to refuse Sora's adamant demand. Floods on the northern border required most of his men; he could not waste resources chasing a random band of mercenaries who would have now fled to the Eastern Mountains to count their loot. Queen Minnie was more sympathetic and ordered some of the palace guards to return with Sora to help bury the dead.

Escorted back to his devastated village, Sora mindlessly returned to her half-torched hut. He collapsed onto the cold floor as recent memories tugged at his mind.

*

From a distance, Sora saw trails of smoke rising from the village ahead. Trepidation crept into his heart as he urged his horse to go faster in the direction of his village. Cold sweat poured down his back as he saw flames engulf the roofs of huts. Strangely, there were no cries of panic; there was only an uncomfortable silence.

Acting upon instinct, he jumped off his horse and ran to his hut. His blood chilled as he saw the mangled bodies of his parents lying in a pool of deep red. Even in death, the loving couple clung to each other and died in each other's embrace. Sora felt his heart drop as he turned and ran to 'her' hut. He entered the burning hut and saw her sprawled on the floor. Tears of anguish welled in his eyes as he bent down to take her into his arms.

His tears fell upon her pale visage and that woke her up, but only for a moment before she would yield under the lure of everlasting slumber.

Her breath faint and weak, "Sora?"

Sora blinked and his vision cleared to see her eyes half-opened, staring at him. He fumbled a reply, "I'm here! Don't speak, I will carry you to get help."

He picked her frail frame up and she felt a bolt of pain, telling her help would arrive too late. She knew she would die, but without regret, because he was by her side.

"Sora, I need you to listen."

Sora paused and looked into her blue eyes, he saw peace in her calm gaze. In his heart, he was shouting, "Don't leave me! Not yet!"

But he remained silent as he listened to what she wanted him to hear.

"You know I love you. But we were not meant to be. You will find someone else. So promise me, don't give up on yourself or kill yourself. Just do one last thing for me: Forget me."

Sora wanted her to stop, stop speaking of impossible things. How could he ever forget her?

He leaned down and pressed his lips onto hers. She smiled. Sora knew when she left him. He felt her life slip away from his grasp.

Rain had been heaven's way of comfort. The downpour killed the flames and cleansed the ravaged village. Tears flowed freely down Sora's face. He buried his grief-filled face into her hair and let out a howl of loss and hurt.

*

He knelt there for so long. The memories just kept coming again and again. Like a cycle. Memories of the times they had, happy memories. But it always ended with her in his arms, limp and lifeless.

A palace guard came and told Sora that they had finished digging graves for all and need him to identify the deceased. Sora used the back of his hands to wipe the tears off his cheeks and resolved not to weep. He had to do what was needed, and then he could waste away in the memories of the past.

*

Sora knocked himself in the head. He needed to stop thinking of the past and concentrate on the task at hand.

It was mid-autumn and the weather was cool. Sora pulled his coat tightly around him and felt for the small box hidden in the depths of an inner pocket. He was on a journey to the Southern lakes. For the past few years, Sora had been travelling the whole kingdom. He had take up a new occupation. He was now a hunter. A treasure hunter to be more specific. He was not interested in the money or the adventure. He chose the job because it meant more danger and chances to be killed.  Yes, Sora still wanted to die. But he wanted to keep his promise to her, he would not kill himself but that did not meant he would not give others the chance to end his life.

So far, Sora had been severely wounded several times but never enough to be fatal. This time, Sora was transporting a highly sought after treasure and he was sure there were some excellent assailants out to get him.

Just as he was thinking so, he spotted a lean figure in the shadows.

Sora purposely walked towards the hidden silhouette. After all, he was seeking death.

The person was tall. At least a head taller than Sora. And he had beautiful silver hair that was tied back with a black ribbon. He wore a long black coat. And he was smiling. Sora did not like his smile. It was too cold and unreal. Sora looked up into his eyes. They were the lightest shade of blue and reflected a strange frost. 

'Good', thought Sora, 'he would definitely be able to kill me.'