Thank you again for reviewing. I love to read what people has to say. I don't know what to say, makes me feel happy. And I understand how you feel. Riku is having a hard time and it hurts me to do this to him but all will be worse and then better.  I'm sorry if you feel like Kairi is the ultimate bad person here. I really didn't mean to make her sound so bad. After all, in the real game Sora and Kairi are supposed to be together. I don't object to that. I just like Riku and Sora better, a lot better.

Love Is Blind

Chapter Four

The next two days was horrible for Riku but for Sora it was heaven made just for him, or at least one would say because of the smile he always seemed to have on his face and all day he would be energetic and uncontrollably giddy.

For the first day, Riku had to sit there, watching as the couple held hands sitting on a log by the campfire. Everyone surrounded them, asking questions. Selphie would squeal and sigh once in a while dreamily, hoping that someday she will be holding hands with the one she loved and talking to friends like the couple were. Tidus just simply approved, saying jokes and cracks to make his friends laugh. Wakka teased and slapped Sora on the back, saying something about what took him so long. While all this was going on, Riku remained silent. He could not say a thing. He really couldn't offer a word of congratulation or such. His emotions ran from bitter to sadness and then loneliness.

The second day did not seem better. They had a picnic. Sora and Kairi stayed by each other's side for the whole time. Already Riku felt lonely without Sora by his side. His eyes were always wondering back to the two and he envied. Kairi without knowing and intention had taken away everything that meant happiness for Riku, leaving him with complete and utter depression. Sora was his light. Without it, what was left?

Already he missed them competing, racing, and even fighting. It seemed so far away now. Felt like it was years since they were really together. It was unfair. After being years of friends Riku still lost Sora. He knew him the best. He knows what this blue-eyed boy liked the most and the least. He knew him so well. And in return Riku was sure that no one knew him better than Sora. So why? Why had Riku still lost Sora? Was Kairi better? Could she be? Could she love him more than Riku? No, that was not possible. This silver-haired teen would give his life if it was for Sora. It didn't make sense. Nothing made sense anymore. How could Sora feel so much for Kairi? What made her special? What made her better than him?

Riku could not dismiss his questions as he stood pole-still in the ocean water, his eyes wondering back to shore where the red-head laid her head on the shoulder of his love. Riku felt the urge to just kill the girl for that moment, but as soon as it came he shook that idea away. Kairi was not, she did not know. She did not know that Riku loved the boy who was now in her arms. How could Riku blame her? He was the one who did not say anything to the boy. He was the one who was late. He let Sora slip away. It was his fault.

Riku reluctantly turned his head away to look up at the sky. The two were too preoccupied with each other that they had not noticed Riku's constant staring.

The sea-green eyed teen, as he stared up at the sky, saw nothing but the dark blue of the early evening. It reflected perfectly upon his mood. There was nothing pretty in the sky to watch anymore. No one knew this, but when people see him look up at the sky, they might assume that he was considering about something troubling or something that needed thinking. It was not that at all. He never thought about the many troubles when he stared into the sky, apart from everyone. He was merely reminiscing about a certain sky-blue eyed, spiky-haired boy. They had always been good thoughts, marvelous thoughts in fact of either how the two were competing or of what Riku hoped to be with Sora.

But now, all of that, all of his fantasies and his wishes, even dreams were suddenly replaced, disappearing by the minute because of his depression. Again he wondered how long he would stay like this. Surely, he could not take more of this. Anymore might even make him crazy.

Riku looked back down at the clear water that was to his knees. He turned around and headed off. He called back to his friends. "I think I'll go now!" Everything seem to stop or more so. They called back in approval.

"Alright!" Selphie exclaimed.

"See ya," Wakka answered.

"'till tomorrow," said Tidus cheerfully.

"Bye, Riku," Kairi said sweetly, her head lifted from the brunet's shoulder.

"See ya, Riku," Sora said in a tone like all the others. There was no excitement, no nothing. Nothing was special about the way he said it. Even Sora's smile was not for him though it was aimed directionally to him. Riku could not feel that joyous feeling whenever Sora had said his name anymore.

Sadly, Riku waved a little and turned away to head home. There was nothing he could do there anymore. Nothing matters anymore. How sad, he thought. Was there nothing else he could do without Sora? For the first time, he actually, realized just how much he needed Sora. Riku had made the boy his life. Without him, what could this silver-haired boy do? What would he become?

Fearful and unsure, Riku opened the front door of his house with his house key. He opened it slowly and with no sort of emotion on his face. He felt blank and looking at the empty living room, dining room, and kitchen only made him feel more void and minor.

His parents knew that he was out. So they must be in bed by now. Riku felt so abnormally lonely as he went into his room and stared out the window.

Finally, he noticed that he was still wet. He walked to the bathroom with no hurry. Almost blindly, he took off his clothing and stepped into the shower. Turning it on, he felt for the soap. Washing his body and then his hair, Riku took longer than usual. Maybe it's because he lacked the usual energy he had or maybe he just felt too sorry for himself.

When he finished, he walked back to his room and sat on the edge of the bed. A night breeze came from the opened window. It moved Riku's hair slightly. He breathed in the fresh night air. Riku had always liked the air on cool nights like this one. It smelled fresh and the coolness of it was smoothing. He closed his eyes for a second to enjoy it.

Then he got up, looking for his briefs in the drawer. He found on and put it on. Since the night was warm, he found no reason to wear more. Edging slowly into bed and placing the covers a little above his stomach, Riku laid there with his head turned towards the window to see the darkness of the night.

Somehow, it was the only thing to relieve him. The moon and stars gave off light that Riku could see pieces of leaves and branches of the outside moving. He liked the silence and calmness the night gifted the island. Riku always thought off the night as a cleansing for the world so the inhabitants of earth could start a new day.

But even with this thought, Riku believed that not even the night this time could cleanse his horrible feelings away. They will stay, for who knows how long? It's not like he is going to wake up one day and forget all about the brown-haired teen. Even if he tried he wouldn't be able to.

Drifting deep into thought about his crisis again, Riku closed his eyes.

He went in and out of consciousness as he thought or dreamt of the blue-eyed boy and him racing towards the Paopu Tree. Riku ran. He ran as fast as he could. But he was happy, running and knowing that Sora was not far behind and if he was not careful the younger boy could catch up to him. He couldn't let the brunet; no matter how much he loved him he would always race him, and he would always try his best to win. What's a race if you don't try your best?

Riku was getting closer to the gorgeously stationed tree. The branches were beautifully green and almost glittering under the afternoon sun. The strange yellow fruits, shaped like stars like always, looked teasingly delicious.

Riku looked behind him for a second in search of Sora. When he did, he was appalled to see no one. "Sora?" he said, stopping and standing in place.

"Right here, Riku!" Sora's voice sweet and cheerful from behind Riku.

Riku turned and saw Sora resting one hand on the Paopu Tree, grinning. Riku could swear that Sora was behind him. Baffled, he didn't say a thing.

"I win, Riku," Sora stated, still with a mockingly gorgeous smile.

Riku just stared at the younger boy, still wondering how he got there before he did without passing him.

Sora just kept smiling. Then, slowly, he grabbed one of the lowest branches of the tree and climbed up. He picked out a ripe fruit and then jumped down. Riku watched intently.

"Now, that I won, Riku, I can do whatever I want," Sora said this in a manner that made it sound so normal while in truth it was really odd. Riku raised an eyebrow. "And I want to...share...the paopu with..."

Riku automatically registered the last word. He knew what Sora was going to say. He covered his ears and cried out. "No! Please!"

Kairi appeared out of no where beside Sora. Riku watched as the two each took a bite out of the delicious yellow fruit.

Riku sank to his knees, feeling like daggers were being drawn into him and then out. He cradled his head back and forth saying no. Hurting, his heart was bleeding. All the pain. Riku shook his head over and over. Then all was gone.

Riku's green eyes popped opened in surprise. He breathed heavily. When his mind finally registered, he laid back down on his bed. He felt sweat throughout his body. All just a bad dream. Yes, it was only a nightmare. Riku tried to relax, telling himself that that never happened, trying to convince himself that it may not happen, hoping that it will not happen.

He finally sighed and closed his eyes for a minute. Then he looked out the window. The sky was a beautiful orange, yellow, and red. It's hard to believe that that little dream took all that time. He didn't understand dreams much. They always seem to show him bad things. Whenever he had a good dream it would just end. They never gave him a good ending. He didn't like it. He rather not have any at all.

After gathering himself mentally, Riku walked out of the room and headed for the bathroom. He did his daily morning routine slowly and oddly. Then he went back to his room and lazily picked out his clothing.

He went down to the kitchen when he was ready. "Good morning, dear," greeted his loving mother.

Riku tried to look at least normal and not sad. "Good morning, Mother."

And as the morning routine went on, Riku's father came down no later. "Good morning, my family," Riku's jovial father said.

"Good morning, Father," Riku returned, again trying to hide his feelings from his parents.

Neither of his parents wanted to see their son like the way he was. Riku looked absolutely heartbreaking. Hid concerned parents wondered what could have happened to cause their son to be like this.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Riku's father said and then he walked towards the front door.

Riku could hear sounds coming from the door but could not make out what his father and another man, he knew, was talking about. He didn't really care either.

When his father came back and sat on the table, he informed his family about what he had just conversed with a neighbor.

"Someone came to the island last night. He's a fairly young man, I think Jack said. He is rather strange. No one really saw his face. The guard just saw him coming and going into the old house in the back of the island. You know, the one that was deserted because a tide washed away the family that once lived there. Well, that guy is there now. I think we should be careful about him. Jack told me that the guard was just terrified beyond reason just from spotting him at the distance."

"Oh my," Riku's mother exclaimed. "I do hope that this is not forecasting trouble."

"Me too," Riku's father agreed.

Riku made no comment. He wondered who that guy might be as to be so bold to live in that old house but why should he care about some new resident on the island? All Riku cared about was Sora and still Sora.

This one wasn't very interesting but the new character is. Guess who?