None of the Characters belong to me. © Square Soft
Chapter 2
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Riku
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It's 2am. The room is completely black. I panic for a slight second before my eyes focus and start to make out objects in the room. I can't get over the darkness. It's been a while since I got away. Even so I can't help but sigh in relief when I realize I'm not back there... Back in Kingdom Hearts. I shift slightly and quietly, acknowledging the warm sheets against my skin. Another reason to be relieved. I missed sheets. I feel relaxed knowing that when I open my eyes some hours from now that the sun will be streaming in through the curtains. Warm and refreshing.
The sun....
I used to hate it back on Destiny Island. Maybe because I got too much of it. That's why I spent so much time hiding under the Paopu tree. To get out of the sun. I was the palest kid on the Island. I only came out when 'he' came to hang out with me. For him I'd risk a sunburn.
I used to stare at him and drown. He never noticed me watching him. I knew I was staring too hard. Even being his friend. He never realized. And when he turned to look at me with those large gorgeous sapphire eyes of his I'd just grin and challenge him to a duel.
I could hide my longing well I guess.
Maybe I shouldn't have.
He was, is, my best friend after all. I could have told him. He's not the kind of person to push people away because of who they are. He's actually too nice sometimes. It used to annoy me. But I love that about him. He can do what I can't do. Put up with people.
People like Kairi. Gah...
I've never liked girls. Not to play with, hang out with, be friends with, for anything. The species annoys me. But I can't make them go away, so I deal with them until they start liking me. Then I ditch them. Oh yes all of the girls just swoon over me. They love my silvery white hair and brilliant aqua tinted eyes. I'm so 'strong' and oh so 'brave'. What BS.
I blame my mother.
The Bitch.
I'm scarred because of her.
Kairi.
She could have been a boy and I would have still hated her.
Hate. Strong word, I know. But that's what I felt for that girl. She just wormed her way into ours lives with her smile and overly friendly personality. Well, friendly to everyone else maybe. Not to me. She was so fake when the others were there. But when it was just me and her she was different.
She was evil.
I'm not just saying this because I hate her either. There was something truly wrong with that girl. Things were fine on our quaint, quiet little Island until she showed up. I remember the first day I was forced by my mother to meet her. This is the reason why I loathe my mom. She tried to make me like this girl. She tried to force me to be her friend. To play tag and go swimming with her. I didn't want Kairi, I wanted him. But Kairi wanted him too.
She latched onto him like a blood sucking little leech and wouldn't let go. Every where we went she followed. She was always near by or just around the corner. I had to start getting up 2 hours early just to beat her to his house. She was like... a stalker.
Not that I blame her for wanting him. I mean... I was obsessed with him too. But so what!
I'd known him way longer then Kairi had. I had first dibs on him. Okay.. okay, I know he wasn't a prize... but he was my prize. I would do whatever it took to win him.
God... he never even noticed.
It was true, I didn't start getting ideas about leaving Destiny Island until Kairi showed up. I'd brought up ideas about going on adventures to him alone before. But I wasn't serious. As long as I was with him I'd spend the rest of my life on this hunk of sand and water.
I knew that ditz Kairi would want to come along. The little bitch probably figured I was only kidding anyway. That was until I really started building a raft. I was really only kidding to tell the truth. But then, once I started I couldn't stop. What if we, he and I, did reach another world? If we could get away from Kairi it was worth a try.
It almost worked.
But he cared about her too much.
He's too damn nice...
That night on Paopu Island when the black meteor hung over my head... I told him we could get away. That this was our only chance. And he asked about her...
"Kairi... we gotta find her..."
No we didn't.
I lied and said she was coming with us. Hell, I didn't know where she was. Didn't care either.
I remember then that I said the wrong words to him. When I told him I wasn't afraid of the darkness I saw fear in his eyes. Not that, 'oh it's a spider, I'm scared' type of fear. He was terrified...
Of me.
I was lying too. I was so scared I was surprised I wasn't shaking. I didn't really know what was happening. I wanted him to be near me but I couldn't walk to him. My knees would have given out. So I reached out to him. And he breathed my name like he was saying it for the first time... like he didn't know who I was.
I'd lost to Kairi that night.
I saw him reach for my hand. He'd almost grabbed it. But I snatched away at the last second. Because I'd lost. I could tell he was still worrying about Kairi even as we were being surrounded by darkness.
I gave up on him that night. And focused all of my energy on hating Kairi and hurting him.
I can't believe I did that.
It sickens me to think it was me.
Everyone says it wasn't my fault. That Ansem had possessed me. Little do they know I gave myself over to him willingly. If giving up my body was what it took to give me the power to hurt Kiari I'd do it. All that crap about being the true Key blade master was an excuse. It made him more determined to follow me.
I pushed him too far.
I think he started to hate me then. When I tried to seriously take Kairi's heart.
I wasn't his friend anymore that day in Hollow Bastion. I was his sworn enemy. Some how he'd managed to dismiss the fact that we had once been friends. I think he would have killed me if that's what it had taken.
All for her.
I let go then.
When he struck that final blow. I couldn't take it anymore. I felt my soul fade away. Ansem had my body for himself then. Ansem was going to kill him. I watched my love give his heart for Kairi. I couldn't bring myself to cry. But I realized then, he did love her. He truly cared for her. She was more then just his friend. To him risking his life for her was okay.
I gave him to her that day.
I used the last bit of strength I had left to stop Ansem for a short time and let him, Kairi, and the others get away. I watched them leave realizing I may never see any of them again. Then there was darkness.
It felt like a long time before I saw him again. He was tired from fighting, but he was still determined to go on. I watched him from inside Kingdom Hearts in shock. He'd really won... He'd beat Ansem. But I couldn't go back to him. Not yet. He was trying so hard to close the gates with his friends. I had to will myself to step forward and help. I was trudging towards my own doom. I knew that if I closed those doors I'd be trapped in there forever. Without him.
Maybe that was a good thing.
I remember how he looked at me when I popped up behind the doors suddenly. He just stared at me. Like he'd forgotten about Kingdom Hearts altogether. The duck and dog called out to him to hurry. I nodded telling him to go on. I saw the words in eyes;
"But.. If we close the doors... you'll be trapped inside."
I told you he was too nice. Always worrying about everybody.
I pulled as hard as I could. I didn't know what was going on behind me. I could hear the Heartless getting closer. I wasn't afraid of them. I saw the gold light from that mouse king as he tried to seal the doors. None of it mattered. All I saw was 'Him'. And just as the doors closed I said the first words that came to my heart.
"Take care of her."
He nodded once.
Darkness.
I just stood there behind the closed doors. The only light coming from King Mickey's gold Key blade. I watched my tears splatter to the ground absently. The gates locked with an ominous "click". Letting me know plainly that that was it. I'd never see him again.
I'd be turning 17 by the time I was freed from Kingdom Hearts. The light hurt. I was so shocked to see him standing there. He looked like an angel. In retrospect he really was. He'd saved me. But I was confused. Didn't he love Kairi? She wasn't with him.
It was like out of a movie when he started to cry openly after he saw me. I couldn't figure out why he was so sad. He was mumbling about how sorry he was. That if he'd been stronger he could have spared me having to suffer inside Kingdom Hearts. I didn't know what to say. I pulled his hands from his face and stared right into his eyes. Those big beautiful sea blue eyes. His speech was broken. But I know I heard him right. And I embraced him then and cried too.
He'd said he loved me.
That was 2 years ago. He says it every morning, noon, and night. Like a sacred prayer. I'll never get tired of it. Or him.
But... something was wrong with him lately.
Wait... where is he anyway?
To be continued.
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