Kingdom Hearts
Aged Youth
by Vash/PrettySephy/RikuDawntreader
-Chapter 04-
Sora was yanked from sleep by a scream of anguish. Getting to his feet,
he ran to see what had happened.
As soon as he saw, his heart shattered. Riku's mother was seated on the edge of her son's bed, cradling Riku to her and rocking him, gently as tears of grief ran down her face.
He didn't need to ask what had happened. He knew right away that Riku's older body had finally given in. That Riku had died in his sleep.
The others arrived shortly after he did. After a moment, King Mickey put a hand on Sora's shoulder.
"Gee," he said, sadly, "I'm really sorry, Sora. He was a great friend.
I sure will miss him." "Me, too." Sora said, rubbing his eyes with his fists. "Riku was my best friend"
"We should go," Kairi suggested quietly.
Riku's mother finally laid her son's body back down onto the mattress and stood up. "No," she told them. "Stay. I'd really like your company right now. You were all his friends, right"
They nodded.
"He would have wanted you here," his mother told them, as she closed the door and led them into the kitchen. She started getting things out for cooking, Kairi hurrying to help her "I'll make breakfast, and we'll try to collect ourselves a bit. Then I'll begin f- ..." the word stuck in her throat for a moment, finally coming free in a choked sob. "Funeral arrangements"
"For whom"
Riku's mother dropped everything she had been holding and whirled around in shock.
Riku was standing there in the hallway, smiling sleepily at her, his eyes still hidden under a blindfold.
"Riku!" She forgot the eggs that now lie broken in the middle of the kitchen as she ran over to her son and threw her arms around him. "How is this possible. You... died"
"Xehanort's heartless died. It was only an assumed form, to use the power of Darkness." Riku patted his mother's back, reassuringly.
"I'm glad you're not dead," she told him. "When I thought I'd lost you,
I was so dreadfully upset"
"I'm sorry I worried you," Riku told her. "I'm fine for the moment"
"For the moment"
"There is still one member of Organization XIII out there," he told her. "And I intend to fight him alongside Sora. I may not survive the battle. But if I don't fight, Sora definitely won't. I'm not going to let Sora die, mom"
"My Riku," his mother sobbed, hugging him as if she had no intention of letting him go. "Must you go out in the darkness"
"You needn't fear the darkness while I live," Riku promsised. "As long as any part of me dwells within it, I shall do my best to make it as safe as daylight"
He stood back from his mother after a moment, then turned to Sora. "Do you want to see your mother before we go?" he asked.
Sora thought about it, then shook his head. "Sooner we go, sooner we get back." He turned to Riku's mother. "Tell my mom..." he couldn't think of any words.
"I understand," Riku's mother smiled. "Now, make sure you'e snug and warm. I wouldn't want you catching cold while you're saving the universe"
"Yes, mom." Riku promsised. He and Sora stepped out onto the porch, feeling somehow that this was the proper way to start the last leg of their adventure.
"Ready, Sora?"
Sora was yanked from sleep by a scream of anguish. Getting to his feet,
he ran to see what had happened.
As soon as he saw, his heart shattered. Riku's mother was seated on the edge of her son's bed, cradling Riku to her and rocking him, gently as tears of grief ran down her face.
He didn't need to ask what had happened. He knew right away that Riku's older body had finally given in. That Riku had died in his sleep.
The others arrived shortly after he did. After a moment, King Mickey put a hand on Sora's shoulder.
"Gee," he said, sadly, "I'm really sorry, Sora. He was a great friend.
I sure will miss him." "Me, too." Sora said, rubbing his eyes with his fists. "Riku was my best friend"
"We should go," Kairi suggested quietly.
Riku's mother finally laid her son's body back down onto the mattress and stood up. "No," she told them. "Stay. I'd really like your company right now. You were all his friends, right"
They nodded.
"He would have wanted you here," his mother told them, as she closed the door and led them into the kitchen. She started getting things out for cooking, Kairi hurrying to help her "I'll make breakfast, and we'll try to collect ourselves a bit. Then I'll begin f- ..." the word stuck in her throat for a moment, finally coming free in a choked sob. "Funeral arrangements"
"For whom"
Riku's mother dropped everything she had been holding and whirled around in shock.
Riku was standing there in the hallway, smiling sleepily at her, his eyes still hidden under a blindfold.
"Riku!" She forgot the eggs that now lie broken in the middle of the kitchen as she ran over to her son and threw her arms around him. "How is this possible. You... died"
"Xehanort's heartless died. It was only an assumed form, to use the power of Darkness." Riku patted his mother's back, reassuringly.
"I'm glad you're not dead," she told him. "When I thought I'd lost you,
I was so dreadfully upset"
"I'm sorry I worried you," Riku told her. "I'm fine for the moment"
"For the moment"
"There is still one member of Organization XIII out there," he told her. "And I intend to fight him alongside Sora. I may not survive the battle. But if I don't fight, Sora definitely won't. I'm not going to let Sora die, mom"
"My Riku," his mother sobbed, hugging him as if she had no intention of letting him go. "Must you go out in the darkness"
"You needn't fear the darkness while I live," Riku promsised. "As long as any part of me dwells within it, I shall do my best to make it as safe as daylight"
He stood back from his mother after a moment, then turned to Sora. "Do you want to see your mother before we go?" he asked.
Sora thought about it, then shook his head. "Sooner we go, sooner we get back." He turned to Riku's mother. "Tell my mom..." he couldn't think of any words.
"I understand," Riku's mother smiled. "Now, make sure you'e snug and warm. I wouldn't want you catching cold while you're saving the universe"
"Yes, mom." Riku promsised. He and Sora stepped out onto the porch, feeling somehow that this was the proper way to start the last leg of their adventure.
"Ready, Sora?"