Author's Notes: See chapter one for disclaimer.
OPM says that Kingdom Hearts II won't be released until Spring 2005. That's at least six months longer than I had first heard and hoped was true. I wanna see new Riku and Sora! I'm also upset about Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children being delayed. They often say that the best things are worth waiting for. I hope that's the case here.
The room was deadly silent.
Riku lay in a dormant state on his and Leiya's bed, his mate sitting on the edge beside him, keeping an unending vigil over her silent partner. Their son had found him in some sort of seizure in the main hallway ten days ago, and Riku had very suddenly stiffened, then gone limp, as if all strength had been sucked out of him. Leiya and Tanis had both been sore afraid that he would die, but he had not changed since then. It seemed as if he were in a sound sleep, but no amount of effort from them would wake him. Only once had his eyes opened, but they were glassy and dilated, signaling no present consciousness. Leiya had looked away and closed them again. To see those beautiful eyes so shallow and featureless was to put an even greater fear in her heart. What if he was trying to die? What if whatever struck him was meant to kill him, but his soul was somehow trapped in his body? What if he never came out of his strange trancelike state? She couldn't bear the thought of her love suffering a living death like that.
She was frustrated to her core. She had spent her life studying the healing arts, learning and perfecting the soothing magic that mended wounds, purged sickness and poison, and banished pain. She still considered herself learning, every day seeking to refine her skills, make herself more useful should a disaster happen. Yet, for all her effort and knowledge, there was nothing she could do for Riku. His body was sound and healthy, strong and resilient. There was no physical problem for her to fix. Whatever it was that kept him from waking was beyond her reach. All she could do for her mate was watch over him and pray.
Most frightening of all was his mind. She had probed him gently but desperately, calling for him, pleading with him to come back. She had felt nothing. He would not let her in. A barrier had been erected between his mind and the outside world so powerful, that not even his soulmate could penetrate it. It was like he was rejecting her, mistrustful of her to the point that he would no longer allow her to truly be close to him. She had wept bitterly when her repeated attempts to touch him failed.
It is not entirely unexpected, a tiny part of her whispered. It was her irrational, assuming part, the small portion of her mind that always assumed the worst. Everyone had such a side to them, and it always emerged when things are at their worst. She tried to quiet it, but to no avail.
"No," she shook her head. "He wouldn't do that. He couldn't do it."
It was thought impossible, the whisper continued, but his father defied that "natural law". He betrayed his soulmate, coupling with a human woman hardly worth the dirt under his feet.
Leiya paused, looking at Riku's relaxed face. Whatever she may say, that fact remained the same: Sephiroth had not only survived an unnaturally long time after Wenna's death, but he had also mated with another woman, a human that he barely knew and who grew to hate him for his nonhuman blood. Riku had been born from that union. He was the product of something altogether wrong.
Like father, like son, the whisper leered as a sick feeling washed over her.
"No," she said again, forcing herself to composure again. "Fate demanded Riku's birth, and Sephiroth was in a mad haze. He couldn't be held responsible for what he had done." She gently stroked Riku's cheek. "I have absolute faith in him. He will not betray our union."
The voice was silent, speaking no more.
Leiya slid off the bed after a few moments, shedding her clothes and putting on a nightgown. It was late, and she suspected Tanis to already to asleep. Willing the small lamps along the walls to dim, she climbed into bed beside Riku's still form.
He was warm, and his breathing and heartbeat were normal for a sleeping person, yet he did not stir. Leiya lay very close to him, reaching out with her left hand and grasping his, twining their fingers together. Riku often meshed their fingers together in bed, either making love or drifting off to sleep. To Leiya, it was a manifestation of the melding of their souls. His hand did not respond. She gently kissed his forehead and settled next to him, breathing him in. His comforting scent had lulled her to sleep almost every night since meeting him. The first time, after healing the massive skeletal injury he had incurred by falling to the ground from a great height, and before they had really recognized each other as soulmates, she had nearly been overwhelmed by the desire to become closer to him, to feel both their physical and spiritual union as they willingly exposed their deepest and warmest secrets to each other. Oh, she would never forget that glorious night…
She woke suddenly with a jerk. The disorientation of sudden wakefulness had just barely dissipated when she felt herself squeezed in a crushing embrace, the air almost forced out of her. Both ecstatic joy and fearful concern rose up within her when she realized what had happened. Riku had spasmed violently, waking with a sharp cry an instant later. She had been the first familiar thing he had recognized, and he had seized her tightly to him, as if he feared losing her. Now, he was whimpering shakily into her chest, so relieved to be awake that tears were flowing from his eyes.
"R-Riku!" she gasped, holding onto him as tightly as she dared. "Riku…oh, my love, my darling…" Her hands couldn't stop moving, stroking gently through his hair, over his back, across his shoulders and down his arms. She was trying to comfort and calm him as much as she was trying to convince herself that he really was awake. The mental link was reestablished between them, and she wept as well.
"Am I…really awake…?" he asked hesitantly, lifting his eyes to meet hers. He reminded her of a child frightened out of sleep by a terrible nightmare. She could only bring herself to nod.
"Riku," she asked after several minutes, waiting until both his and her tears had stopped. "What happened to you?"
"I tried to make the thought-shadows that linger in this house my own," he murmured quietly. Slowly, as if gathering his thoughts even as he spoke, he told her what he remembered of what happened, shuddering at the memory of the flood that burst into his mind, overwhelming and hurting him.
"Oh, my love," she sighed. "Let the past be the past. You can only truly be happy if you live for the future. Your own memories will suffice for you. The essence of memory and thought is a very dangerous thing to meddle with."
"I know," he whispered. "I just…I was grieving over losing Cloud, and was thinking on all that he had done. I was then overwhelmed by a curiosity to know not just about him, but everyone who had ever lived here. So…I opened myself."
"Promise me you won't do it again," Leiya said, meeting his eyes again.
Riku smiled softly. "I promise, Leiya. It would kill me to worry you like that again." He brushed a kiss over her cheek, then pushed himself up, as if he were about to stand.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I'm wide awake now," he said. "I've been sleeping for two weeks, after all. I think I'll go get something cool to drink, then maybe go outside and watch the moons. I won't be getting any more sleep tonight." He stood, then turned and covered her up more. "You stay here and sleep, Leiya. You look exhausted." He kissed her, caressing her sweet lips lovingly, then touched her right temple with the fingertips of his left hand. As their lips parted, she relaxed completely, quickly feeling the effects of his touch. Soothing energy flowed from him to her, coaxing her into a deep, restful sleep. He could feel her mental and physical tiredness through the bond between their souls, and he knew that she was still very worried for him. That worry was pumping adrenaline and other wakeful chemicals into her blood, and if left up to her body alone, she would not rest anymore tonight. He would not stand for her losing any more sleep, so he helped her surrender to her most immediate need.
"Sweet dreams, my life," he purred into her ear. "I will see you when you wake."
The sun was rising. A crescent of gold-white light was blazing forth from the east, shimmering beams piercing through the predawn glimmer. The western sky was a deeper shade of blue, and three moons in varying stages of fullness were visible. Having ten moons, it was an everyday occurrence that one or more of the One World's satellites were visible even in the middle of the day. It was a very rare occurrence, however, that all ten moons were visible from any one place on the large planet. For all of them to be in such close proximity was cause for wonder. Their orbits hardly ever allowed such a happening.
I wonder, Riku thought, feeling the morning sun's heat warming him, if you could ever see all ten moons from one spot on the world's surface, and have them all completely full. What an astonishingly rare event that would be. He had never heard of it happening before, but there was always the miniscule chance that it was possible.
Once in his life, he had witnessed a very strange phenomenon. The Blue Moon—so named for its color—was directly in front of the larger White Moon, centered almost perfectly. The effect had him thinking of a colossal eye, albeit without a pupil. It was a very uncommon positioning, and most of Aerie was outside that night to see it. It was indeed called a Night Eye, and the astronomy books in the library recorded the times it had happened over the canyon city. There was only one remembered occurrence where the tiny Black Moon, which was entirely invisible during the night, was in front of the Red Moon in front of the White Moon. The phenomenon had been visible from the area surrounding Kworey, a hillside city in the southwestern hemisphere. It had caused much amazement and even fear, many viewing it as some sign of ill fortune. Riku wasn't sure if the area experienced more misfortune than normal after that night, but he could understand where they were coming from. To see that in the night sky would be enough to raise the hair on the back of your neck.
Riku looked up into the lightening sky. One of the three moons that he could see was directly above him, and it was indeed the Black Moon. That moon always looked full, as the One World's shadow was lost on the pitch-blackness of its carbon-rich soil. It was perfectly visible if it was in the day sky, but in the night sky, it was impossible to find. People didn't even notice if it passed over them during the night.
"Riku!" a clear voice called from a ways away. He turned his gaze from the sky toward the city proper, and he saw Leiya coming toward him. She was dressed in white and light blue, her favorite colors to wear in springtime. He was in a far corner of the area protected by the city's barrier, yet he was not at all surprised that she found him here. A little while ago, he had felt her searching for him, so he had reached out and touched her consciousness, telling her where he was.
"Riku," Leiya said again, coming close. "What are you doing out here?"
"Thinking," was his one-word reply. It was often that he fell into contemplative trances, his intelligent mind mulling over anything from the most mundane of subjects to things that hardly ever crossed the mind in everyday thought.
"About what?" Leiya asked, sitting down next to him, reaching out to take his hand.
"The moons," he answered truthfully, squeezing her delicate hand warmly.
"I see," she replied, nodding slightly.
"You didn't just come here to find me," Riku said slowly after several silent minutes.
Leiya sighed, again nodding slowly. It had been several days since Riku had recovered from his coma-like state, but he had not spoken to her of it. He had refused to until she was well rested. He knew that she had drained her energy staying beside him for those two weeks, and he wanted her to take care of herself before he told her about it. It was an incentive to get her to rest adequately.
"I feel good, Riku," she said. "I'm as rested as I can be. Please, tell me what you felt and saw during that…that trance."
"Nothing," he said. "I felt absolutely nothing. I don't even remember having any dreams. It's all darkness. The way I remember it, my mind went suddenly blank, and then, the next moment, I woke up in bed with you lying beside me, asleep." He brushed some hair away from his face. "I have no memory of the thoughts and emotions that flooded my being. I've searched all throughout myself, and I can't find any of them at all. I think my mind must have been purging them while I was unconscious, as the body purges poisons." He was glad of this. He was still curious about the past, but he would never again attempt something so dicey.
"They say that, once something is stored in your mind, it is never truly lost," Leiya pointed out.
"Perhaps they were never stored in my mind, then," Riku shrugged. "I felt them very clearly, but maybe they were played through my head without ever really entering the memory portion. That would make it easier for the mind to erase something beyond all recall."
"Mm," Leiya nodded, her head against his chest. His arm was around her, and she was leaning against him, listening to his heartbeat. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Never better," he replied. "Don't worry about me, Leiya."
"I can't help it," she said, a tiny guilty tone creeping into her voice. She knew how Riku felt about her tendency to be anxious over what he considered small problems.
"Leiya," he sighed, "please don't do that. I want you to be happy, but if you keep worrying about so many things, you'll never be content, no matter how hard you try otherwise."
"But, Riku," she said softly, looking up at him, "I am happy. Just being near you, loving and being loved by you, makes me happy. You're everything to me."
Riku paused. He knew that was true. He felt the same way about her. Squeezing her gently, Riku let his affection flow through the link they had, warming both of them like a hot drink on a cold morning.
"Leiya," he said after a long while, the sun having climbed up into the sky, now in midmorning. "Do you mind if I go off alone?"
"Alone?" she asked. "What for?"
"It's been a long time since I've walked in the Wilds," he replied. "I think I want to see them again, but I know you don't like them."
"All right," she said slowly. "Just…promise you'll come back safely."
"I will, I will," he chuckled. On average, attacks on ylfen by kitschen were dropping, but the majority of the older race still thought of them with a mixture of fear, revulsion, and anger. Riku had never been afraid of them, though he had quite a lot of reasons to be, having been grievously wounded and almost made a victim of ritual killing. Truthfully, he felt a strange pity toward them. He supposed that they were only acting according to their nature, and were hated and reviled for it. He also supposed that the ylfen enmity toward them was equally as nature-driven, but that didn't mean he would have to side unwaveringly with his own people. Though they were fair-minded and readily opened their hearts to others, the ylfen were just as likely to be wrong about something as the kitschen were.
"Be careful," Leiya sighed.
"Don't worry, Love," Riku smiled, kissing her forehead and then extracting himself from her embrace, standing up. "I'll be back this evening at the latest. I promise."
I should be getting back, Riku thought, glancing at the sun. It was almost touching the western mountains, and Leiya would be expecting him to show up any minute.
It had been too long since he had explored the Wilds. He loved their feel, untamed and totally natural. Ylfen settlements almost always incorporated themselves into nature as best they could, but there was something special about the Wilds that made Riku's blood sing in his veins. It really was a pity that most ylfen feared to visit the Wilds for longer than it took to get to wherever they were going. Then, they were concentrating on traveling, watching out for danger, not absorbing the beauty of it all. Riku really was quite gutsy in this respect.
He had observed a few kitsche settlements from afar, as he once did frequently. Evolution had brought their society a long way since the first time he had seen them. Each nomadic village had its own flavor, developing semi-independently from all the others, but they did have common elements. Their weapons, clothing, shelter, and crafts were done with much more skill and attention to detail than before. The appearance of ornamentation was a sign that a culture is advancing, as the artisans have the time, means, and imagination to apply decorations and designs that have no practical purpose. Their thoughts are not solely on survival anymore. Riku felt that even the kitsche language was refined from before. It sounded less harsh and more fluid than he remembered from when he had been captured and sentenced to be sacrificed. True, the ylfe language was still much more "civilized", but there wasn't such a huge gap between them anymore.
Riku wondered if the ylfen and kitschen would ever have peace. There was much less violence between the two races as there once had been, even though the number of ylfen venturing out into the Wilds to travel to other cities was no less than it had been before. Ylfen and kitschen seemed to just ignore each other's presence more often. Still, the two peoples still harbored great mistrust and dislike for each other, and he had yet to hear an ylfe say anything positive about a kitsche.
He took one last look around the wooded area he was in, and was about to make his way back home, when a faint sound suddenly made him stop. It sounded like it came from several yards away to his right. Was that…a moan of pain? Turning quickly, he moved toward the sound. As he got closer, his suspicions were confirmed. It sounded like someone was in terrible pain, and he thought he smelled blood on the air. It was coming from a thicket nestled between several large trees, and pushed his way through to the middle after listening for any wild animals that may be nearby.
It was a kitsche. More specifically, it was a kitsche huntsman, his bloodied spear on the ground near him. He was very young, perhaps not even a full-fledged adult. He lay on his side, clutching his abdomen, upon which Riku saw a horrendous gash. Blood spilled from the wound to the ground below, and it was very possible that the arms he held tightly around himself were holding his stomach and intestines in. Blood was also dripping from his mouth and nose, and his breathing was thus gurgled and painful. He was dying, and dying quickly.
It must have been a hunting accident, Riku thought, stepping fully into the thicket. Kitschen usually hunted in groups, but some preferred to do it alone, going after small game for their family, not large game to split between himself and his hunting mates. From what he could see of it, the injury looked like it had been made by tusks or horns, and bloody hoof prints could be seen leading out of the thicket. The young man had apparently injured his quarry, but had in turn been mortally wounded, probably caught off guard by the ferocity of the animal's counterattack. The animal had limped away, and this man was left to die in the woods, alone and in agony. Riku's sense of pity welled up within him, and he approached the man, who drew in a watery, rattling gasp at the sight of him. It seemed that the image of a green-eyed, silver-haired ylfe with a blue-black wing was still in the kitsche consciousness. No doubt the Silver Devil legend was still told and feared. Riku idly wondered how much it had changed, as legends inevitably do.
Don't be afraid, Riku said softly, making himself understandable to the young hunter. I'm not going to hurt you. I want to heal you. He knelt down, barely outside the pool of blood soaking the dirt. Will you let me?
Shock was in the kitsche's eyes, but Riku wasn't sure if it was from his words or from the pain.
Well? he asked.
The young hunter nodded slowly.
Riku pulled his knife from a leg sheath, cutting the leather shirt off the kitsche. Then, remembering how traumatic to the nerves a powerful healing spell can be, he gently touched the boy's left temple, effectively putting him into a deep sleep. This enabled Riku to roll him onto his back and pull his arms away from his mangled abdomen. Indeed, some inner organs were visible, but it wasn't quite as shredded as he had feared. Riku removed his gloves, pushed up his sleeves, and placed his hands on the massive laceration. Concentrating, he let powerful healing energy flow down his arms and out through his hands. He felt the flesh begin to reform, shrinking the wound, putting the entrails back into the body cavity in the right positions and locations.
Sweat trickled down his face. He would be nearly exhausted by the time he was finished. This was more of a job for Leiya than for him.
Finally, many minutes later, he took his hands from the kitsche and sat back, finished. There was still a large scar over the youth's abdomen. He was a skilled healer, but he couldn't keep scar tissue from forming with wounds this extensive. It didn't really matter, though. Many kitsche tribes consider scarring to be proof of one's experience as a hunter or fighter.
He sat there, breathing a little heavily, for a long time, then picked up the smaller being, standing as he did so. The kitsche was not yet waking up, but he would be in pain when he did. Healing magic usually did not take the pain completely away. His limbs were tingly with fatigue, but he scouted out with his mind the nearest kitsche settlement, and teleported straight there. This young man needed more attentive care. The style of dress in the village was the same as this hunter was wearing, so he was definitely from this place.
Every kitsche in sight of him was staring, both at him and at the unconscious hunter in his arms. Many had looks of horror, and he knew it was both because of his looks and the fact that it probably looked like he was holding a dead kitsche. Both of them were bloody, but most of it was on the youth.
Riku did not enter the village proper, not wanting to incur the wrath of any of this hunter's townsfolk. Instead, he slowly knelt down and placed the youth gently on the ground, then stood again and backed off a few steps. He didn't look anyone in the eye, knowing it may be intimidating.
After several minutes, thee kitschen, a man and two women, ventured over, their eyes both fearful and anxious. When Riku did not move toward them, they darted over to the youth. Startled gasps where followed by joyful exclamations as they realized that he was very much alive, and with confused glances at Riku, they lifted him up and took him to their home.
Riku watched until he couldn't see them anymore, then slowly turned to leave. Ylfe magic often startled and frightened kitsche, so he wanted to get out of sight before he teleported.
Wait! a young voice called after him. He looked back, and one of the women who had taken the youth had returned, only she now carried a basin in her hands filled with clear water. She looked near to the youth's age, and her face told Riku that she must be his sister. She did not go up to him, instead stopping several paces from him and setting the basin on the ground. Please, use this to rinse the blood from your hands.
Riku turned back around. He could see fear in her eyes and hear it in her voice, but she was offering him the opportunity to clean up as a gesture of thanks. His heart went out to her, and he approached the basin. She did not move away, remaining where she knelt, though he could tell she was very much afraid of him. He knelt on the other side of the basin and did as she asked. He did not make eye contact, knowing that his bright eyes might be enough to make her change her mind about him. He didn't want her—or any kitsche for that matter—to fear him.
Thank you, he said when he had finished. Before he could take his gloves from the pocket he had stuffed them in, her smaller hand reached out and grasped his. Her skin felt warm next to his, which had been cooled by the water.
No, thank you, she said. You saved my brother's life. How can we ever repay you?
Don't, Riku replied. I do not wish you to be in my debt.
The woman nodded slowly. All the kitschen around were still watching, but murmurs were passing among them, questioning the ancient idea that ylfen cared for no one but their own kin.
I must return, Riku said, standing. My mate will be very worried about me. As he turned again to leave, he felt a warm feeling in his heart. That above all else told him that he had done well to help that young hunter. He had done the right thing today.
"Riku!"
Leiya had been waiting for Riku at Aerie's gate, indeed very anxious for his return. It was long after sunset, and she had been fearing the worst. She knew he was not dead, as the death of a soulmate was unmistakably felt no matter how far apart the two were, but she worried about all other misfortunes befalling him out in the Wilds. As soon as she had seen him come through that gate, she had run toward him and thrown herself into his arms, practically crying with relief.
"Leiya!" he laughed, holding her tightly. "I'm all right! Calm down!" Leiya could find no answer but to squeeze tighter.
"What happened?" she eventually asked when she had calmed herself. "Why are you so late?"
"Well, I—" Riku began, but he wasn't able to get any further.
"You stink of kitschen," a soft yet strong voice said from behind Riku. The guard shift had just changed at the gate, and an acquaintance of Riku's was just now being relieved of his duty for the night. There were several shift changes every day, so no one ylfe was stationed at the gate for too long a time. It was to keep the guards from becoming careless, their concentration drained from long hours of watching and waiting for people to open and close the gate for. Shorter shifts kept the guards much more alert.
"Aryn," Riku said. "Hello." Though he had a light tone to his voice, Aryn's greeting hadn't escaped him. The dark-haired man had a strange ability. He had a very strong sense of "smell" for residual auras. He could tell who you had been with for a certain amount of time after you part with the person, the length of time it took for the "scent" to fade depending on how long you spent with the person and if you touched them (and how much you touched them) or not.
Aryn also hated kitschen. They had killed his father when he was a child, and his mother had soon after died as well, wasting away in her grief.
"What were you doing, Riku?" Aryn asked. "I hope you were out killing them."
"No, actually," Riku said, smiling tightly. "I saved one's life, to tell the truth."
Both Aryn and Leiya froze, and Riku could feel their shock. Leiya's was laced with confusion and concern, and Aryn's with loathing and horror.
"You…what?" Aryn finally managed to ask, his teeth half-grit.
"I saved a kitsche's life," Riku repeated. "I found a young hunter dying from a tusk-wound. I couldn't just leave him lying there to die."
"Yes, you could!" Aryn roared, his anger making him take a step toward Riku and Leiya. "They're filthy little animals! They don't deserve to live!"
"Oh, please," Riku said. "They belong in this planet's ecology just as much as we do. If we killed them all off, the natural balance would be upset. You know that. There's even a law that says so."
"One less kitsche in the world is just fine by me, and most every other ylfe in this world," Aryn hissed. "You disgust me, Riku."
Riku's green eyes narrowed. "Perhaps you can pass by a suffering person without a second thought, Aryn," he said slowly, "but I can't do that any more than I could kill my own soulmate. Pain is pain, no matter who is feeling it. No one deserves to die alone in the woods like that."
Aryn didn't answer, though he did meet Riku's stare without flinching. The shine in his brown eyes made them blaze almost red, and they looked eerie when he was angry. Finally, he broke the eye contact and departed with a sound of distaste. Walking down the footpath toward the canyon's edge, he soon took to the air in the direction of his home. In a few minutes, he disappeared, diving downward into the canyon itself.
"Riku," Leiya asked slowly after several minutes, "what happened?" He could tell that she was not happy that he had saved the life of a kitsche, but she couldn't bring herself to disapprove of his reasoning. As a healer, she understood perfectly where he was coming from. She couldn't stand to see a person suffer, and she probably would have done the very same thing if she had been in Riku's place.
Riku sighed. "Let's go home, Leiya," he answered. "I'll tell you everything."
Author's Notes: Yay, I'm done with this chapter. It's a couple days later than I had hoped, but better late than never. I've had a couple hard days at work, so I think I have an excuse.
Now, Separate Destinies is going to draw to a close soon. The way I have it planned out, chapter twenty-two will be the last. That doesn't mean I won't have more than twenty-two chapters. I might (operative word: might) decide to write another chapter or two between now and the end. Don't count on it, though. I have no aversion to more chapters, but I like how I have it planned out, and probably won't change that plan. Besides, I'll have been working on this fic for more than a year by the time it's finished, and it's a good time to complete the story.
Do you like this chapter? I like it, so I hope you all do, too. Let me know in a review or an email, onegai shimasu!
