Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, if I did then life would be beautiful

Key:

- Dream State - , Flashback , ' thoughts ', " Dialogue "

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- A change in writing style/time/place/whatever (will notate in () which one)

Author's Note: This takes place after Chain of Memories. Hope you guys like it. Comments and critisism's loved, be kind it's my first fic!

Romance/Drama/

Rating: M

Warning: This is a Yaoi fic! It pairs Sora and Riku and lemony stuff, so if you don't like kingdom hearts... or Sora+Riku, or yaoi, don't read it! Possible spoilers as well.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Chapter 9: Is love the key?)

Riku groaned and opened his emerald eyes, the initial blurriness wore off almost immediately and he glanced around. Namine was nearby washing some bandages in the sink. Riku sat up and rubbed his head trying to remember how he'd gotten beaten up. Then he sighed, catching Namine's attention.

"Good to see you're finally awake." Namine said sadly, wringing out the bandages and bringing them over to wrap them around the places where his bruises sported a particularly painful shade of purple.

"How long have I been out?" He asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"Only a few hours. You've got quite a constitution." Namine replied. Riku winced as she tied a bandage particularly tight, but he made no sound to indicate that it was painful.

"And Sora?" Riku asked.

"Gone." Namine replied, taking a seat beside him and sighing quietly.

"Damn." He replied running his fingers through his silver hair. "Well... did you manage to give his memories back to him?" He sighed.

"Yeah... mostly. I imagine that whatever I missed will be filled in by his own mind. I just hope his heart has the time to process everything before its too late." Namine bites her lip, "I would've never thought that Sora could ever be taken by the darkness like that."

"Really puts some perspective on your hero doesn't it?" Riku replied in a tone of voice laced with hidden meanings.

Namine glared at him, "How dare you say something like that about Sora? He was your best friend since childhood! You and Kairi know him better than anyone. He's not the type... always so carefree and forgiving." She said as she turned over a small glass ball in her hand.

"He's been a heartless before... maybe you missed that when you were playing with his memories. Or perhaps you conveniently skipped over it." Riku replied.

"What! No... he became a heartless to return Kairi's heart." Namine replied angrilly. Riku's laugh brought her up short. "What are you laughing at?" She demanded.

"I'm not having this argument with you. It wouldn't be fair... I had been a heartless at the time too." He responded snidely. "Anyways... we're waisting time. We need to think of a way to get him back."

"How else do you get back someone from the darkside? You've got to save him Riku." Namine answered crisply, causing Riku to stare at her in mute astonishment.

"Me? Why me?" He asked.

Namine rolled her eyes, "You're smart... you tell me why." At Riku's blank stare she elaborated, "Oh come on... you spend all your waking hours drooling over that boy... all you ever used to do was worry about how telling him the truth, involving your feelings for him, would destroy the very fabric of reality. Well... you're favorite nightmare has come true... so tell me Einstein. How do you bring someone back from the darkside?" She said, practically laying it out for him on a silver platter.

"Love." It was so simple and clean... but the idea of having to use the power of his feelings to win Sora back made Riku's heart heavy with sadness. "What if that doesn't work... what if I'm not strong enough... what if Sora really doesn't think...?"

"Oh would you stop that already? What other choice do you have?" Namine intterupted, bringing him back to the present reality with a gentle but obvious question.

Riku buried his face in his hands. "As usual... you're right." He muttered quietly, already going over several different ideas in his mind on what he would have to do in order to get his love back.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Several days later)

Riku had been waiting for days for a sign, even something small, that would announce the return of the man he loved. No matter how hard he had tried he wasn't able to distinguish him from the rest of the darkness. Today, all of the sudden he spotted it. The smallest flicker of light within the darkness. He stood and nodded to Namine who'd glanced at him curiously.

"Good luck Riku." She waved to him.

"Thanks..." He returned and with that he slid through the darkness, following the light. However, this time getting to him was tougher than he thought. Just as he'd stepped into his warp he encountered thousands of heartless all wanting a piece of him.

'So... she's been preparing all this time.' He thought bitterly as he fought off the creatures. 'She know's that I'm coming for him... I'm walking right into her trap.' He sighed to himself as he hacked away at the annoying creatures that were in his way. His muscles did all the work for him, his mind was distracted, he was gathering his heart together. When he reached her he needed to be strong. His heart had to be ready for what she would have in store for him.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Saigi's domain)

"So... you made it to me." The little girl crowed as Riku slid into view, his dragon-shaped blade preceeding him by seconds. "My you are a fast one." She smiled.

"You know why I'm here little girl... hand over Sora." Riku growled threateningly.

"My name is SAIGI!" She screamed, her voice amplifying and becoming physical air waves which sent Riku flying.

He landed roughly on the ground and skidded a bit. It didn't seem to phase him much as he bounced right back up onto his feet. "Indeed... but who, Saigi, are you?" He replied with a dark smile.

She smiled and laughed, her voice echoing through the room. "That's a good question. I am the embodiment of jealousy. My mother created me with her great dark powers. I hid myself away inside the heart of your lover, twisting his thoughts to believe that you were making love with everyone around him." She grinned at the horrified look on his face. "His heart became horribly jealous which helped me to grow. He kept trying to convince himself that he didn't care that you were interested in other people. After all... it didn't make sense that he should be in love with you. Isn't that silly?" She laughed.

"You monster." Was all that Riku said, dashing forward with his honed reflexes and aiming to take off her head.

"Uh uh! You don't want to be doing that!" She said gleefully as another person suddenly appeared in the way, blocking his attack with a very similar weapon of white and gold.

"Sora!" He gasped in surprize, his heart wrenching at the sight of his normally gentle love looking so positively furious. The boy was wearing a white and gold version of the outfit that he himself was wearing.

"You backstabbing bastard." Sora replied continuing the fight without even a second thought, spinning and slashing at once. Riku barely had enough time to recover and defend himself.

CLASH the two swords parried back and forth.

"FIGHT ME!" Sora demanded, hacking and slashing in a whirlwind of anger.

"No... I wont hurt you." Riku replied, only moving to defend himself.

"Damn it fight me! Or are you too chicken?" Sora taunted slashing some more.

"No Sora. I can't hurt you. I love you." Riku replied quietly.

Sora paused momentarily, then he hacked and slashed anew. "Liar! You've hurt me plenty. If you won't fight me... then I guess it will be easy for me to kill you."

Riku sighed, "If I hurt you... I didn't mean to. Sometimes its inescapable."

CLASH the two danced a deadly waltz across the floor, swords flashing against each other.

Riku made up his mind, he would need a strategy to fight Sora. A plan in order to defeat him without hurting him.

"I'm sorry..." He muttered before summoning all his strength and blasting Sora across the room in one fell swoop.

"What! Impossible!" Saigi shrieked.

"Till next time." Riku muttered vanishing into oblivion.

Saigi growled. "Oh yeah? Next time I'll be prepared!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Omg... ; - ; the end cometh soon. Maybe within the next couple of chapters.

rozukitsune.