Kingdom Hearts
Aged Youth
by Vash/PrettySephy/RikuDawntreader
-Chapter 02-
After everyone else was through the dark passage, Riku stepped through. He wasn't at all surprised to see that they were standing on his mother's front porch. That had been deliberate.
His mother, on the other hand, had been rather startled to see a talking Mouse King, a duck, and a strange-looking two-legged dog land on her doormat.
She had been as polite as it was possible to be while being totally flummoxed. And Sora's arrival shortly afterward brightened her spirits.
"Where is Riku?" she asked, looking around. She saw Kairi, the three newcomers, and an older man she did not recognize brushing dirt from their clothes, as they straightened themselves out.
Wordlessly, Sora pointed at the older man.
Riku's mother went over to him and looked at him, imploringly.
"If you know where my son is. Please, tell me"
Riku wanted to lie to her, to tell her he didn't know where her son was, and to depart from this house for what remained of his life. But he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Mom, I"
Something in the way he spoke revealed his inner soul to his mother.
She gave a cry of both joy and despair, and hugged him.
"Goodness," she agonized as she took in her son's current appearance.
"You're older. A lot older. What happened"
"I couldn't let the world be swallowed up by the Heartless. So I gave up my youth in exchange for a body that would allow me to protect it"
"A noble sacrifice," the round-eared mouse-king praised, "you should be very proud of your son. Even though he has joined with the Darkness, his heart is still pure"
Riku blushed at this. His mother, on the other hand, frowned slightly.
"What do you mean joined with the Darkness?" She turned to Riku.
"You're not evil, are you dear"
Riku laughed at the way she had asked the question, as if deciding to be evil were some kind of current fashion trend designed to appeal to young people while annoying the older generations.
"No, mom," he assured her, "I'm not evil. The Darkness has a magical power which I have learned to put to good use"
"I'm glad," his mother smiled. "Now, let us have no more talk of Darkness today. It is almost suppertime. If you expect me to feed the lot of you, you will wash your hands and set the table"
"Of course," Riku nodded. He turned back to his friends. "Hey," he called, "come lend a hand"
His mother watched them as they set the table, wincing as Riku suddenly staggered, dropping a glass to the floor.
"Sorry, mom," he told her. He wanted to sweep it up, but as he bent down, a sudden wave of dizziness overtook him and he lurched forward,
his mother catching him and helping him into a chair.
"Perhaps you should rest a bit," she offered, "I can keep a plate of something warm for you"
"I'll be fine," Riku assured her. "I just keep forgetting this isn't a young body"
"Don't argue with me, Riku," she told him, sternly, "you may be older than me, now. But I'm still your mother, and I know what's best for you. Now, get some rest"
"Okay, mom," Riku was too weary to argue, and after more than year of lying alert night after night, lest he be overtaken by his foes, he was looking forward to a night of uninterrupted sleep.
Once his eyes were closed, his mother gave him a small kiss on the temple. She watched him for a moment, from the door. Then she returned to the kitchen to find the table set, and her guests tidying up the kitchen.
"Thank you," she said, glancing back at the bedroom. "You guys take your seats." She didn't really like using the word 'guys', but couldn't think of a better one to fit a dog, a duck, and a mouse. "Kairi, why don't you help me serve dinner"
Kairi agreed, and soon they were all seated at the table with plates full of food.
Sora couldn't help remark that it was a nice change from the tidbits he and his companions had been eating during their adventures.
The comment was well-received, but Riku's mother did not smile,
despite her thanks. Instead, she turned to King Mickey, her eyes glancing in the direction of the bedroom where Riku slept as she tried to gather up the courage to ask the question that was upon her tongue.
After everyone else was through the dark passage, Riku stepped through. He wasn't at all surprised to see that they were standing on his mother's front porch. That had been deliberate.
His mother, on the other hand, had been rather startled to see a talking Mouse King, a duck, and a strange-looking two-legged dog land on her doormat.
She had been as polite as it was possible to be while being totally flummoxed. And Sora's arrival shortly afterward brightened her spirits.
"Where is Riku?" she asked, looking around. She saw Kairi, the three newcomers, and an older man she did not recognize brushing dirt from their clothes, as they straightened themselves out.
Wordlessly, Sora pointed at the older man.
Riku's mother went over to him and looked at him, imploringly.
"If you know where my son is. Please, tell me"
Riku wanted to lie to her, to tell her he didn't know where her son was, and to depart from this house for what remained of his life. But he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Mom, I"
Something in the way he spoke revealed his inner soul to his mother.
She gave a cry of both joy and despair, and hugged him.
"Goodness," she agonized as she took in her son's current appearance.
"You're older. A lot older. What happened"
"I couldn't let the world be swallowed up by the Heartless. So I gave up my youth in exchange for a body that would allow me to protect it"
"A noble sacrifice," the round-eared mouse-king praised, "you should be very proud of your son. Even though he has joined with the Darkness, his heart is still pure"
Riku blushed at this. His mother, on the other hand, frowned slightly.
"What do you mean joined with the Darkness?" She turned to Riku.
"You're not evil, are you dear"
Riku laughed at the way she had asked the question, as if deciding to be evil were some kind of current fashion trend designed to appeal to young people while annoying the older generations.
"No, mom," he assured her, "I'm not evil. The Darkness has a magical power which I have learned to put to good use"
"I'm glad," his mother smiled. "Now, let us have no more talk of Darkness today. It is almost suppertime. If you expect me to feed the lot of you, you will wash your hands and set the table"
"Of course," Riku nodded. He turned back to his friends. "Hey," he called, "come lend a hand"
His mother watched them as they set the table, wincing as Riku suddenly staggered, dropping a glass to the floor.
"Sorry, mom," he told her. He wanted to sweep it up, but as he bent down, a sudden wave of dizziness overtook him and he lurched forward,
his mother catching him and helping him into a chair.
"Perhaps you should rest a bit," she offered, "I can keep a plate of something warm for you"
"I'll be fine," Riku assured her. "I just keep forgetting this isn't a young body"
"Don't argue with me, Riku," she told him, sternly, "you may be older than me, now. But I'm still your mother, and I know what's best for you. Now, get some rest"
"Okay, mom," Riku was too weary to argue, and after more than year of lying alert night after night, lest he be overtaken by his foes, he was looking forward to a night of uninterrupted sleep.
Once his eyes were closed, his mother gave him a small kiss on the temple. She watched him for a moment, from the door. Then she returned to the kitchen to find the table set, and her guests tidying up the kitchen.
"Thank you," she said, glancing back at the bedroom. "You guys take your seats." She didn't really like using the word 'guys', but couldn't think of a better one to fit a dog, a duck, and a mouse. "Kairi, why don't you help me serve dinner"
Kairi agreed, and soon they were all seated at the table with plates full of food.
Sora couldn't help remark that it was a nice change from the tidbits he and his companions had been eating during their adventures.
The comment was well-received, but Riku's mother did not smile,
despite her thanks. Instead, she turned to King Mickey, her eyes glancing in the direction of the bedroom where Riku slept as she tried to gather up the courage to ask the question that was upon her tongue.