Disclaimer: Because Nomura-sama never mentioned her in the original KH or CoM, I own Riku's unnamed mother. Therefore, I have partial ownership of Riku. I'll settle for that. ;)

Why? Because I'm replaying KH in order to gear up for the sequel. After seeing the scene with Sora's mom and looking through the site, I've noticed an appalling lack of fics on the Trinity's parents, or I hate the way authors portray Riku's mom... And a rabid plot bunny, coupled with lack of inspiration for my other fics.

Somewhere Out There
RedCrow1120

Riku. My little baby boy. Where did you go?

You never wanted to be called that, even when you were little. You would pout and tell me that you were a big boy, so I shouldn't call you that. And I'd laugh and ruffle your silver hair, long even back then, and assure you that you'd always be my little boy, no matter what.

And you still are, even now, wherever you are.

No one knows that, not even me. But Kairi does, and she won't talk to anyone about it. At times, it just makes me want to go and throttle her, demand to know where my son is. Most times, though, when she and I pass each other in the mainly-deserted village, she's there on her daily visit from Twilight Town, and there's a quiet understanding between us.

We are the ones who have been left behind, who wait for them to come home.

I never knew any of this was going to happen. The evening that you disappeared, you had just finished the raft, and had wanted to make sure that everything was ready for tomorrow, when you'd set sail. I let you go, watched you as you paddled out tot he island where you and Sora had played since you were small.

I didn't know it would be the last time I saw you.

Not long after you left, the sky clouded over ominously. That night, the storm hit, with hurricane-force winds. The creatures that seemed spawned from the darkness that came from the storm stayed. You didn't come back; neither did Kairi or Sora.

When the storm finally settled down the next morning, and I was sure the shadow-creatures were gone, I went over to the island. I wanted to see if you were still there, took shelter there in the storm, or if you'd left on the raft. Kairi and Sora's moms joined me. When we saw the ruins of the island, we desperately hoped that you weren't there. And we were right. It was odd, though; among all the wreckage, the raft had been untouched, and just enough of the dock remained that the boats remained tied to it.

We left it that way, so that you would have a way to get back to the mainland.

We didn't know what to make of it. It was like you three had been erased. We began to think you three had run away. As the weeks went by, we became more anxious and worried, like any mothers, and began to think you were all dead in some gutter. When Kairi came back, a month later, the Mayor and his wife were relieved, and promptly moved the family into town.

Months passed. The village tried to rebuild, but the fish, our main source of income, had left for the most part. And the shadow-creatures killed those who were foolish enough to go out at night. They weren't as numerous as they were before Kairi's return, but it was enough to drive most of the village elsewhere. Sora's parents, convinced they were never going to see their son again, moved away a few months ago.

And me? I stayed here, among the broken remnant of a once-thriving village, firmly tethered to the past.

Sometimes I wonder if I should've been there more for you as a kid. I'd always see you off and Sora off when you went to the island in the morning, and I went and caught fish just off-shore. At night, I'd come home exhausted and make dinner, listening to the tales of your adventures on the island.

More than once, you'd tell me that you'd seen a door with a keyhole in the Secret Place. The day we went to the island, I had Sora's mom show me it, and then I crawled in. There was scribbling on the walls and an oddly-placed door, but no keyhole. I just dismissed it as one of your games.

The meteor shower changed everything.

You were eleven, and you'd crawled into my bed, scared and clutching your little chocobo plushie tightly. You hadn't come into my bed in years, and I snuggled you, hiding you against my shoulder. You were scared of the stars falling, that made your island look so menacing, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.

You were fine the next morning, when you and Sora went out to the island. He came over for dinner that night, and so did the girl you met on the island that day: Kairi.

I think that, in the four years that followed, I didn't know you had a crush on her. I could tell, though, and I knew why. You'd always wondered if there were other worlds out there, and since Kairi didn't come from our village or the town, she was living proof of your belief.

That girl had quite an effect. She changed the relationship between you and Sora; what had been play-fighting before soon became a real rivalry. But, if nothing else, she got you really thinking about what was out there. You started asking questions that I couldn't answer.

And you saw that you were losing your friend towards the end. I think that the raft, besides being a part of your wish to see other worlds, was your attempt at rebuilding your friendship. You valued it over having Kairi as a girlfriend, I think. I don't know if Sora felt the same. All I know is that there most definitely was a love triangle going on, with Kairi as the crux, and you as the odd one out. It seemed like something in one of the fairy tales you liked so much.

I hear tales in the market at Twilight Town, as I sell my meager catch of fish. Tales of the Keyblade Master, who locked Kingdom Hearts, defeated the Hearless, and saved the worlds. But the ones that interested me were the ones of the Child of Darkness, a fallen Keyblade Wielder who'd been possessed by the darkness, but fought it and locked himself in Kingdom Hearts to help his friend, the Keyblade Master. I'll have to tell you about it when you get home...

Twilight Town brings memories back for me. The one that sticks out the most was when I was twenty-two and six months pregnant; alone and considering abortion. My bastard of an ex didn't want a kid, and my parents wouldn't have a pregnant daughter under their roof. An ancient forune-teller took me under her roof for the night. The next morning, she gave me a train ticket to Destiny Islands, and told me that my unborn son would play a part in the shaping of the worlds' fate.

She was right about you being a boy. The other part...I don't know.

All I know is that my little boy is somewhere out there. And that I'll wait here until I see you paddling that boat up to the dock, home at last.

Sad and depressing, I know. Deal with it; KH is not a happy story, when you look at it closely.

Now, let's see some more Trinity parent fics out there! And if you want to see more of Riku's mom, who I named Nadia, read Karite and review!

Review and support the Needy Author's Alliance! And go read my other fics!