Looks like we got another chapter rewrite on our hands! Decided to double down and focus more on Riku's character development here, and I think it turned out nicely as a result. Also this chapter gay AF but don't get it twisted. We ship Sorikai around here so we'll get plenty of that later on for sure. Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter 6: Braveheart
Faith, should I take the leap?
Darkness, raw and unfettered, stretches out as far as the eye can see, drenching every single inch of the realm in a mire of empty gloom. Every rock and spire is permeated by it, just as much as the silent air and infertile soil are. It all culminates into a vast, lonely, hopeless place, devoid of any light or natural life or even the passage of time itself to bring any sort of change to its ever-stagnant shadows.
It's a place that can only be called the Realm of Darkness. And it's this forgotten, forlorn place that Riku and Mickey start their search for Master Aqua.
It's a risky endeavor, they both knew that well before they even came this far. The Realm of Darkness is outright hostile to anyone or anything that originates from the light. That's a lesson they'd both learned not long after arriving in the shadow-seeped wasteland, only to be beset by a flock of Heartless almost instantly. Similar creatures aren't in short supply anywhere else in the realm either, to the point that the pair is able to spare little time to even gather their bearings as they're forced to fight their way through. It's only after what seems like their fifth scuffle so far that they're able to take even a brief respite, though it's hardly a comforting one given their largely dreary surroundings.
"Unbelievable…" Riku muses, taking a look around amidst catching his breath.
"Something wrong, Riku?" Mickey inquires, concerned. "That sure was a lot of Heartless we had to face right off the bat, so if you need to stop to take a rest, then I understand."
Riku offers the king a small smile as he shakes his head. "No, I'm ok, it's just…" he pauses, walking over to the edge of the narrow trail they're standing on. A trail that bridges the gap over the seemingly endless void of unknowable black below them. "This place looks exactly the same as it did the last time I was here… It's… almost kind of funny; even though it hasn't been that long, it feels like it was a lifetime ago now."
"I know just what you mean," Mickey agrees as he joins his young companion. "A whole lot has happened in not a lot of time at all. Or at least… it has for us." The king's smile fades as the slightest hint of remorse slips into his usually upbeat tone. "Aqua's been stuck right here in the same place for over a decade now. Every time I think about all that she's missed, well… I can't help but feel a little guilty. Really guilty, to be honest."
"Why?" Riku asks, frowning. "You said so yourself: there wasn't anything you could have done back then to bring her back. It's not your fault."
"Aw, gee, I appreciate it, Riku, but...I still wish I could have done more…" the king sighs sadly. "It's taken me way too long to come up with a safe way to get back here. I'm sure she's gonna give me an earful when we find her."
"You're being too hard on yourself," Riku counters with a small, encouraging grin. "It doesn't matter how long it took; what matters is that you're here to help her now. I may not know Master Aqua personally but I think anyone would understand that. I know I would."
Riku can't help but find plenty of room for relief when he sees Mickey perk up at this. After all, he isn't used to seeing the king so melancholic. "Thanks, Riku," he grins as he begins to lead the way down the winding path ahead. "Y'know, you weren't wrong when you said this place hasn't changed. But you wanna know something that has?"
"What?"
"You have!" Mickey's smile turns a bit brighter at this.
"I… what?" Riku raises an eyebrow, confused.
"Just think about it. The first time you and I ever met was right here, in the Realm of Darkness, remember?"
"...Yeah, I do," Riku nods thoughtfully. "I lost my way here after Ansem-" he cuts himself off, shaking his head to keep himself from even voicing such unpleasant memories. To keep himself from slipping into the same kind of despair he always falls into whenever he thinks too hard on everything he's done wrong. "I-I… I was just wandering around here in the darkness, but then, out of nowhere, I heard a voice. Your voice."
"That's right," Mickey nods brightly. "The second I sensed you here, I could tell you needed help, just like Aqua did when I first found her. And in a place like this, nobody deserves to be left alone without a helping hand to lead the way back to the light."
"...Maybe I did deserve that..." Riku mutters, glancing away.
"Riku! Don't say that!" Mickey scolds. The sudden severity in his tone is more than enough to catch Riku off guard, stopping him squarely in his tracks as he turns to listen to what the king has to say next. "You did deserve to be saved; I knew that and so did Aqua!"
"Yeah, and that's why she's still here," Riku sighs, shame still weighing heavy on his shoulders. "She gave up her only chance to escape… because of me. Maybe… maybe it would have been better if I had been the one who was left behind instead…"
Mickey stays silent for quite awhile as Riku presses on ahead. When he finally does speak up again, his voice is smaller, softer than before, but still every bit as sincere. "You said the Realm of Darkness hasn't changed. And if you'd stayed here, then you wouldn't have either."
"...I'm still not sure I know what you mean by that…" Riku quietly admits.
"You n' me have been through a whole lot together since we first met," Mickey begins, seeming to go off on a different tangent entirely. "And since then, I've watched you go through years of growing in almost no time at all! You might've struggled with the darkness before, but you turned around and made that darkness work for you in a way that no one's ever seen before. You've even worked your way up to being named a full-fledged Keyblade Master! So even if you aren't proud of yourself after all that… well, I sure am."
Riku falls back into silence at this, knowing he won't win this argument, not against Mickey, at the very least. A large part of him wants to believe and agree with the king's kindly claims, to take the same measure of pride in the achievements and accomplishments he's made as of late. And maybe he would… if those minor accomplishments weren't weighed against all of the much more momentous mistakes he's made in the past. Mistakes that even now that he's come this far, make him think that he still might not be worthy of the lofty title he now bears.
Because what kind of Keyblade Master watches gladly, excitedly even, as their own world is destroyed all around them?
What kind of Keyblade Master sells their body, their heart, their very soul away just for the slightest taste of the false power the darkness promises?
What kind of Keyblade Master is so jealous of their own best friend that they not only fight that friend… but fails to protect them when they truly need it most?
Even several days out from the end of the Mark of Mastery exam and Riku still finds himself largely reeling from it. True, he'd passed the trials and tribulations the test had to offer with flying colors, and had even been named a Master for going above and beyond the call of that test, or at least that's what Mickey and Yen Sid had claimed. But for as much as he might have succeeded, Riku knows he failed even more. He'd failed the very last person he ever wanted to see in such grave danger again. He'd failed someone he's let down and disappointed in so many different ways, far too many times to count.
He'd failed Sora. And that fact alone is enough to make any measure of triumph he'd had feel like nothing more than the most crushing kind of defeat.
It's only through sheer luck alone that his failure hadn't cost Sora his freedom, his heart, his very life itself. Because if the others hadn't rushed in at the very last minute, if they hadn't been there to save him when Riku should have been able to… he doesn't even want to think about what might have happened. He doesn't want to think about fighting his way through the very worst the Organization had to offer, only to show up seconds too late. He doesn't want to think about how he'd almost been forced to watch, pinned helplessly to the ground, as Sora had nearly been taken away from him forever. He doesn't want to think about how he'd be feeling now if they'd been forced to leave him there, if he'd fallen into the hands of their cruel, uncaring enemies. He doesn't want to think about what would have happened if Sora had been turned into everything he's not, if he'd been forced to become one of them… And of course, he's unable to think of anything else.
"Oh!" Fortunately, his troubled train of thought is soon broken as Mickey starts to sprint past him to the end of the lengthy path. It evens out onto a vast expanse of shadowy sand, and at first, Riku wonders if they've happened upon a strange sort of otherworldly desert. At least until he notices the inky black sea spanning out to the endless horizon beyond it.
"This beach…" Riku mutters, struck by a sudden sense of familiarity as they approach the water. It's so vivid in his memories, in fact, that he can almost picture himself sitting on this very same shore not so long ago, he can almost imagine Sora sitting by his side, he can almost see the letter in a bottle slowly drifting across the gentle waves to reach them. To beckon both of them back home where they belong.
"It's gone," Mickey speaks up, his tone fretful.
"What is?" Riku asks, watching the king as he stops just shy of the water.
"I was almost certain this is where we'd find Aqua," Mickey explains. "Not long after we arrived, I sensed a small spark of light in the darkness. I just knew it had to be Aqua! That spark is what led us here, but now… her trail's gone dim. There's no trace of her anywhere…"
"Hm," Riku pauses for a moment of careful thought. Thought that soon gives way to a theory that, even as it comes to him, seems too good to be true. "This is the furthest edge of the Realm of Darkness, right?"
"It sure does seem like it," Mickey nods. "I don't think there's anything past this. Well… unless we're counting the sea itself."
"I've been to this sea before, actually," Riku says, looking to the dull "sun" hovering over its distant horizon. "With Sora. This is where we found our way back to the realm of light. So… if we could find a way back from here… then maybe Master Aqua did too."
Surprisingly, Mickey doesn't share in on such optimism, instead shaking his head as he lets out another apprehensive sigh. "No, if she was back in the realm of light, I think we'd know it," he counters, his sights still set on the unfathomable ocean before them. "If Aqua isn't here, then that means she must have fallen even deeper into the darkness. Somewhere we can't reach her, at least not right now."
"So… does that mean we have to-"
Riku's cut off as something behind them suddenly shifts, the ground shaking as a massive wave of shadows bursts up from the sands below. That shadow shapes itself into a towering column of writing darkness, darkness that's composed of a pack of countless conjoined Heartless, each of them more than eager to attack the very first thing they see. And of course, the only things even remotely in their radius are none other than Riku and Mickey.
"They never quit here, do they?" Riku scowls as he summons his Keyblade.
Mickey is quick to do the same as he adopts a steady battle stance. "No, they don't," he says as the Heartless swarm surges high over them. "Be careful, Riku. Remember, even the least threatening Heartless are stronger here!"
"Right," Riku heeds this warning as he raises his Keyblade, ready for the first strike. It's a strike he isn't able to immediately land however, as the tide of Heartless suddenly crashes down toward them, spiraling at them at frightening speeds. They both have the wits about them to leap out of its path just in time, and in the process, they both manage to slice through it on a well-timed shared swing. Despite sustaining such a solid blow, the tower doesn't fall apart, and whatever Shadows that might have slipped out of it quickly mend themselves back into the collective fold. Into a group that shares the same vicious, mindless intent: to destroy anything and anyone unfortunate enough to get caught up in its path.
Even though their first attack didn't deal much damage, the pair tries again when the tower circles back around for another strike of its own. Riku casts a bout of dark flame at the creatures while Mickey goes in for another direct slice, though the Heartless swerve out of the way of both. They both manage to catch the tail end of the tower when it passes them by, though once again, the Heartless that they do destroy are quickly replenished in a matter of mere seconds. And in those seconds, Mickey just so happens to spot how that's possible.
"Riku!" he calls over the chaotic din of the fight. "We have to attack it at its core!"
Riku takes the briefest of pauses, scrutinizing the swirling tower before spotting exactly what Mickey is talking about: a brightly glowing orb, largely concealed by the horde of Heartless covering it. "I'm on it!" he calls, brazenly rushing in. To distract the shadows, Riku shakes them up with a bit of ice, freezing the tower's base in place as he jumps high to strike the core. Mickey hurries after him, providing ample backup in the event that the ice breaks, which it quickly does. The Heartless lash out to knock Riku away, only to be stalled by the king's Keyblade diving through it, taking out several Shadows in the process. With the other creatures stunned from such a devastating blow, Riku comes in with one of his own, this time aimed for the newly-opened core. He hits it with the very tip of his Keyblade, a powerful blow that destroys the core on contact. And, with nothing else to hold them all together, the tower of Heartless quickly falls apart.
Riku and Mickey allow themselves a moment of rest as the Heartless collapse back onto the shore. Unfortunately, despite being scattered, they aren't defeated, as they soon rise up from the shadows once again, ready and eager to keep their onslaught going. "It's not over yet!" Mickey warns, already knocking a Heartless away. "Be careful!"
Before Riku can even think about responding, a sudden explosion of darkness rocks the entire beach once more. The culprit is an entirely new Heartless tower, an all new threat to add onto the immense horde they're already up against. Riku steadies himself to take that threat head on while Mickey handles the other Heartless, though his plan quickly falls through when the tower rushes down in a torrent of shadows aimed not at him, but at the king instead.
"Mickey!" he shouts, rushing forward without a second thought. The king only has time to let out a startled gasp before Riku pushes him out of the way just in time… for the destructive tower to slam into him in full force instead.
When it hits him, there's only the distant echo of Mickey calling his name from afar, only the slightest pinch of pain pounding through his chest. And then… there's nothing as the darkness swallows him whole.
"-ik-"
"Ri-"
"Riku…"
"Riku?"
He opens his eyes to find himself upon a different shore than the one he'd just been standing on mere moments ago. A shore he knows far better than anywhere else in any other world.
The vast night sky reflects upon the surface of the calm sea, and shooting through it are dozens, possibly even hundreds of stars in a dazzling show of celestial light. To anyone else, a meteor shower like this would be a beautiful phenomenon well worth enjoying every second of. But to Riku, it brings to mind a bittersweet memory from years ago. A memory that, unsurprisingly, is playing out before his very eyes now.
A small, anxious whimper sounds out from somewhere behind him. When Riku turns to face its source, sure enough he finds Sora, only around four years old, just as he'd been on that distant night. Riku finds it strange that he's still his current age set against this scene of his own past. But he doesn't have a chance to question it when he sees the shooting stars illuminating the tears streaking down Sora's much younger face.
"R-Riku," he lets out a small, frightened sob. His hands hover close to his chest as he stares up at Riku, his blue eyes wide and tearful and filled with terror. Terror that Riku couldn't stand the sight of even back then, much less now. "I'm scared. What if one of those shooting stars hits the islands?! It'll hurt Mommy and Daddy a-and you and-"
"Don't worry, Sora," Riku had cut him off back then. But his mouth doesn't move to voice in time to what his younger voice says next. "If a shooting star comes this way, I'll keep you safe. I promise-"
"I'll protect you, no matter what happens…" Riku finishes in a whisper. He doesn't know why his heart aches when he sees Sora smile, comforted by that promise. A promise he knows he's never been able to truly keep.
If anything, it's a promise he's outright done the exact opposite of, something that he's bitterly reminded of when the scene around him suddenly shifts. The peaceful shores of his childhood are gone, replaced by the roaring waterfalls surrounding what used to be known as Hollow Bastion. Sora's older now, on his hands and knees with his head hung low. Riku only briefly glances away from him to see the Kingdom Key has somehow appeared in his grip. A weapon that had always been meant to belong to him, yet he still feels like he'd stolen it all the same.
"Let the Keyblade choose its true master," his own voice rings out around him, taunting and callous. The mere sound of how haughty, of how proud he'd been over doing something so heinous to his best friend just about sickens him. But what he hears Sora tearfully whisper next is more than enough to make the painful guilt pouring through his heart all but unbearable.
"R-Riku…" his voice is barely audible, but wracked with grief as he refuses to even look up. "How could you…?"
"I-I didn't… I just wanted to…" Riku trails off, unsure of how to explain himself, even now, even after all this time. Not that any of his feeble excuses matter as his voice doesn't reach Sora. The only one that does is the cold, cruel words he'd said back when he'd somehow enjoyed seeing Sora like this.
"You don't have what it takes to save Kairi."
"You were just the delivery boy."
"No," Riku shakes his head as he takes a step closer to Sora. "No, Sora, you weren't, I was wrong, I'm-"
He stops short when everything around him changes once more. There's still a Keyblade in his hand, but it's his own now. And enclosed tightly around in his other hand is both of Sora's. He's the right age this time, still on his knees as he lets out a small, joyous sob, his smile bright and joyous as he looks up to him in a way that makes Riku's heart feel warm and weak all at once.
"It's really you!" he exclaims between his relieved tears. "I looked for you!"
"C'mon, Sora, pull it together," his own voice says as Riku finally manages a small smile.
"I looked everywhere for you!" Sora repeats, his grip on his hand tightening. Riku finds himself dreading the moment when he'll inevitably have to let go.
"I didn't want you to find me…" Riku speaks along with his past voice this time. And as he does, he realizes just how ridiculous that had been. Because even if his voice, even if his face, even if everything about him had become so incredibly different and wrong, Sora had still been able to see him for who he truly was. Sora had still been the light that helped lead him out of the darkness he'd willingly walked into. The light of hope that had been enough to finally guide him home.
And yet… the one time Sora had needed Riku to be a guiding light, he hadn't even come close to being enough.
The ground suddenly gives way beneath them, and when it does, they both fall into a void of endless darkness. Sora plunges fast into the abyss beneath him, the shadows ravenously eager to swallow him, to snuff his radiant light out altogether. Panicked, Riku reaches a hand out toward him, unable to even hear himself call out his name against the fearful pounding of his own heart. And yet, for his part, Sora simply sleeps, completely unaware of the darkened, deadly fate he's drifting ever closer to with every passing second.
"Where he is going, you cannot reach him... He is the one who will open the door…"
"What?!" Riku shouts back at this unknown voice as it echoes through the void. He's quick to forget about it in favor of turning his focus back on Sora. He isn't far from hitting the bottom now, into a circle of twelve figures in telltale black coats, waiting for a thirteenth to complete their sinister set. A set that Riku refuses to let Sora become a part of.
"No…" he hisses, his grip on his Keyblade tightening as he dives ever deeper into the darkness, even despite the risk. Because really, he'd dive into any danger headfirst if it meant keeping Sora safe. "No!" he shouts, his voice powerful and strong. "I won't let you take him away from me! Not again, never again!"
The shadows swirl violently around them both, to the point that Riku can feel them latching onto him, clawing away at him, drowning him in a kind of darkness even he's never felt before. The malice and misery it carries is overwhelming, but he forces his way through it, forces himself to continue reaching for Sora, no matter what the cost might be.
Because even if he'd failed him, even if he'd hurt him before, he can't imagine losing him forever. For as silly as it might be, as selfish as he knows it is, he can't deal with the idea of having that light torn away from him. He can't bear the thought of living a life that Sora isn't a part of.
"I know it's out there somewhere. The strength that I need," he hears the faintest echoes of a conversation he only barely remembers ringing through his own mind. A conversation with a stranger he hasn't seen since.
"Strength for what?" the stranger asks as Riku continues inching ever closer to Sora.
"To protect what matters."
To protect his home, his family, his friends. To protect Sora most of all.
"In your hand, take this key."
The darkness ravages his body, eats away at his heart, but he still doesn't stop. He can't stop, not until Sora is safe and sound and free from the same kind of shadows he's gotten all too used to struggling against. Shadows that someone like Sora doesn't deserve to be burdened with in the slightest.
"So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be."
The twelve below reach their hands up to welcome their newest member. But Riku doesn't give them that satisfaction as his fingertips finally, finally skim Sora's for the first time since their fall began.
"And you will find me, friend—no ocean will contain you then."
The Keyblade in his hand suddenly shifts the second his hand fully takes Sora's. He doesn't see it, doesn't pay his weapon any mind at all as tears begin to brim in the corners of his eyes. But he smiles when he feels the shadows around them begin to lift away. When he watches Sora slowly open his eyes and smile at him again.
"No more borders around, or below, or above-"
"Riku…" he says quietly, contentedly.
"Don't worry," Riku whispers, pulling him closer as the empty void fills itself with welcome, comforting light. "I'm here for you. I'll protect you, no matter what happens," he repeats that vow from so long ago. A vow made in childhood innocence that means so much more now. A vow that this time, he decides to dedicate every part of himself to keeping. After breaking it so many times before, that's the least he can do to set things right. "I promise."
"So long as you champion the ones you love."
Just as he secures both of his arms around Sora, however, he suddenly disappears in a burst of shadowy light. Riku gasps as the Destiny Islands form around him again, and just like before, he hears a mournful sob ring out from behind him. When he turns, he sees Sora again, still the correct age as he stands behind him, his face buried in his hands as he weeps morosely for reasons Riku doesn't understand. Not when he'd seemed so happy mere moments ago.
"Sora…?" Riku reaches a hand out to him. A hand that he draws back the moment he hears Sora speak.
"You're lying," his voice is low, his face still covered by his hands. "You can't protect me from everything. Even you know you can't."
Riku jolts at this, refusing to let his own countless doubts slip in to compliment Sora's. Not when he's already set this one goal, this lone purpose in such a high place within his heart. "Yes, I can," he insists, even though he knows he shouldn't. Because Sora is right about one thing; even he doesn't know everything that the future might hold, the dangers they might face, the darkness they might be up against. But whatever comes their way, he's more than ready to stand against it if it means holding on to those he holds most dear. If it means holding onto Sora most of all.
"But Riku," Sora pulls his hands away from his face, but his eyes are still closed. Something slips into his tone that Riku doesn't like in the slightest: the smallest hint of icy disdain that's so completely unlike Sora in every way. "How are you going to protect me from the darkness..." He stops, only for a second to open his eyes. And when he does, Riku is stunned, horrified to see that they're no longer the shade of vibrant, welcoming blue he's always known them to be. They're a bright, bitter shade of glowing gold instead. "When darkness has always been a part of me all along...?"
Riku bolts upright with a sharp gasp, one that quickly shifts into a pained groan at the burst of agony that shoots through his spine from the sudden movement. Likewise, his head pounds, his vision initially dizzy and disoriented as he tries to make out his surroundings. It doesn't take long for a familiar darkened shore to make itself apparent, though just as his first memories of what had happened before begin to trickle back to him, Mickey abruptly pops into his field of view.
"Riku!" the king exclaims, clearly relieved. "I'm so glad you're ok!"
"Ok… isn't really the word I'd use right now…" Riku mutters, pressing a hand against his aching head. The rest of his body is similarly sore, his limbs marred with cuts and scratches, though there doesn't seem to be any substantial wounds. He can only figure he has Mickey's knack for healing spells to thank for that, though he's still hardly comforted as his thoughts wander back to whatever it was he'd just seen. "Was… all that just a dream…?" he wonders more to himself than to the king.
"Must've been a pretty bad one from the way you were thrashing around while you were out of it," Mickey notes with a worried frown. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
"No," Riku quickly replies. Because by all accounts, the last seconds of that dream, that nightmare, in particular are something he'd much rather forget completely. Even though he knows he's not likely to have much luck on that front. "Where did the Heartless go?" he asks, deciding to change the subject.
"I got more than half of 'em," the king reports. "And the rest vanished. But they spit you out first."
"Thanks…" Riku groans, using the rock Mickey had propped him up against to help him stand. "I owe you."
"Don't mention it," Mickey says with a spirited grin. "If anything, I owe you after how ya rushed in to save me like that. But we gotta be more careful. The Heartless here are stronger than we expected. Maybe diving in without a plan wasn't the… best idea we could've come up with."
"It wasn't much of an idea at all," Riku chuckles. "So… what should we do now?"
"I think our best bet is to head back to Master Yen Sid and ask him for advice," Mickey proposes, though it's an idea that Riku isn't much of a fan of from the moment he hears it.
"But… Aqua's still down here, alone, facing enemies like that," he says, staring out across the endless sea of shadow before them. "What if she's feeling as scared and alone as I felt the first time I came here? How long are we supposed to keep her waiting in this awful place?"
Initially, Mickey doesn't have much to say to counter such an unpleasant thought, at the idea of leaving his longtime friend behind here yet again. But even so, the king still finds room to hope that Aqua will be alright. And that hope is what he decides to share with Riku, just as his young companion had done for him before. "I know you're worried about her, and I am too," Mickey begins earnestly. "But Aqua… well, she's like Sora."
"What?!" Riku starts, dumbfounded by the king's implications. After all, he'd always heard that Aqua had been a wise, coolheaded Keyblade Master. But to think that she could be anywhere near as thoughtlessly reckless and wildly brazen as Sora often tends to be is more than enough to floor Riku completely.
"No, no, no! I mean she's strong like Sora!" Mickey quickly clarifies. "He could swim his way outta any darkness, easily, and so can she! I'm sure of it!"
"...I hope so," Riku sighs, his anxious thoughts drifting back to his dream. Back to that ominous question Sora had posed, a question he still doesn't understand in the slightest: "How are you going to protect me from the darkness when darkness has always been a part of me all along?"
"I don't wanna keep Aqua waiting here any longer than she already has," Mickey says, turning away from the shore. "But we're not doing her any favors if we're beaten this early on. So let's head back and see what the master has to say, and then we'll come back here as soon as we can, ok?"
"...Alright, sounds like a plan," Riku relents this time, knowing they don't have too many other options. He solemnly summons his Keyblade to help open a portal back into the realm of light, only for Mickey's reaction to his weapon to catch him off guard.
"Oh wow!" the king exclaims, awestruck. "Riku, what happened to your Keyblade?"
"My… what?" Riku starts in surprise when he steals a glance down at the weapon in his hand. What he holds isn't the Way to Dawn, that much is obvious from its larger, sturdy frame and pure, silver exterior. He has no idea where this Keyblade could have come from, or why it's replaced the one he's always known. But what he does know is its name, as it echoes itself to him, its power and potential pulsing through him as he realizes that whatever this weapon is, it's now entirely his own:
Braveheart
"Strength to protect what matters…" he repeats from his dream. Strength that he'd always thought he lacked, strength that he'd once gone to such horrible, underhanded lengths to get. Strength that, at long last, he might have finally found. And it all starts with this, with a new Keyblade, a weapon that reflects his heart in far more ways than one. A Keyblade to embody the bravery buried within that heart, bravery that builds the foundation for the strength he knows he's always wanted, the truest kind of strength there is.
Yet as he stares at his own reflection showing on the pristine surface of his new Keyblade, something still isn't quite right. Of course, his clothes are different; both he and Mickey are clad in special outfits Yen Sid had given them to shield them from the darkness of this realm. But Riku frowns when he skims a hand through the stay silver locks still hanging over his eyes. Not so long ago, a blindfold had covered those eyes to conceal the darkness he'd been so desperate to keep buried inside the depths of his heart. But now, he has nothing to hide, not anymore, not when he knows now more than ever exactly what he wants his purpose to be.
He walks closer to the shoreline, stopping just shy of the dark water of the sea. He keeps his grip secure on Braveheart as he uses his free hand to carefully pull up a handful of his own hair, much to Mickey's confusion as he watches on from afar.
"Uh… Riku?" he frowns, taking a small step forward. "What are you doing?"
Riku doesn't answer, instead taking a deep breath as he holds the edge of his Keyblade against his hair. He closes his eyes and, on a burst of impulse and in a single swift sweep, he slices his weapon straight through. His remaining hair falls back down to his head, now several inches shorter than it's ever really been before. For a moment, he glances down to what he'd just chopped off, long strands of silver locks lying limp in his hand. He feels strangely lighter without it, in so many different ways. As if even something as simple as his very own hair had been weighing him down just as much as all of the many regrets he's been harboring for far too long. Regrets that he lets go of along with his now severed hair as he releases it into the sea, watching with a sense of newfound satisfaction as the tide carries them both away.
"Gosh, Riku," Mickey pipes up, surprised. "Whatcha do that for?"
"...I was just thinking about what you said earlier," Riku glances back at the king. "You were right; I have changed. I'm not the same person I was even just a few months ago. I think that's why I have this now," he holds Braveheart aloft, admiring the weapon as it shines even in the darkness around them. "Even if I refused to see it, my Keyblade could tell that there's a difference."
"Ya know, they do say Keyblades reflect the hearts of their wielders," Mickey agrees, grinning. "But I've never heard of somebody's Keyblade completely changing out of the blue like yours just did. That's pretty special if ya ask me."
"Special…" Riku echoes thoughtfully, looking over his new Keyblade. A Keyblade he'd managed to forge entirely on his own, through the merits and strength of his own heart, strength he'd once doubted he even had before. But now, he not only knows for a fact that it's there; he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt what he needs to do with it. "You said you were proud of me," he says to Mickey. "And well... I think who I've become is someone I want to be able to see in the mirror and be proud of too."
"Well, are you?" Mickey asks, expectantly.
Riku pauses for a moment, peering at his reflection in his Keyblade once more. Sure enough, his hair is much shorter now, his ends somewhat messy though by all accounts, he's given himself a surprisingly decent cut. It frames his face quite differently than his hair had before, his bangs no longer draping over his eyes, allowing their bright teal to shine through more clearly. In a strange way, the new look almost makes him appear to be a bit older, or at the very least, a bit more mature. A fitting change from before, when he'd been shackled to the pain of his past, pain that he'd largely been solely responsible for creating himself. Pain he's finally ready to begin mending, in the hopes of similarly mending each and every person he'd shared that pain with along the way. In the hopes of keeping one person in particular from ever feeling that kind of pain ever again.
In the hopes of finally starting again, of finally, finally taking his first step forward to a future far better than any he once thought he'd have before.
And as far as Riku is concerned, that step is one that he's just taken. "Yeah," he says, offering his own reflection a small, steady smile. "I am."
Unsure of what else to do following their trip to Olympus, Sora, Donald, and Goofy decide to head back to the Mysterious Tower to report their progress to Master Yen Sid. Or rather, their lack of progress, something that the sorcerer takes in with the same sort of masked disappointment the trio's still stewing in after everything they'd recently faced.
"I see," Yen Sid muses, stroking his long beard. "So you could not regain your strength…"
Sora jolts at this, practically feeling Donald and Goofy's mutually worried gazes fall upon him in turn. Still, he forces on as much of a smile as he can manage, hanging his arms behind his head as he tries to act unbothered. An act that even he isn't completely convinced by. "It's no big deal," he says, his voice somehow strained and flippant at the same time. "It's bound to come back to me sooner or later."
"Or at least you hope it does," Donald remarks, crossing his arms.
"Garwsh, Sora, I don't think your strength is somethin' that can just be switched back on just like that," Goofy notes, scratching his head.
"Yeah, but maybe-"
"That is correct," Yen Sid interjects, cutting Sora off. "It appears as though you have no other choice than to rebuild your lost strength from the very beginning again. As I'm sure you already know, such a process will be far from short or simple, but if there is anyone fit for such an arduous task, it's you, Sora."
"Oh…" Sora falters at this, his hands falling slack at his sides. "Um… I… y-yeah," he relents, even though he doesn't want to. Even though what he really wants to say is that none of this is fair, that none of this is his fault, that he shouldn't have to put weeks, possibly even months of work into regaining strength that had been stolen from him in a matter of mere minutes. But of course, he keeps those frustrated thoughts to himself, masked and buried under the surface where they belong as he pretends to gracefully accept the daunting challenge he's been presented with. A challenge that he shouldn't have to face to begin with. "I… I can do that. No problem."
The fretful hesitance in his tone is something Donald and Goofy both catch, hesitance they both know is an ill fit for someone as usually upbeat and optimistic as Sora. They have a clear hunch as to where it's coming from; after all, Sora had been uncharacteristically quiet the entire way back from Olympus. And given what he'd gone through there, from turning into a feral, heart-seeking monster to nearly falling into the deepest depths of the Underworld, it's not hard for either of them to see why.
And, just before they can detail any of those perils to Yen Sid, he asks a question that prompts them to do exactly that. "For now I am curious to know: were there any more significant developments the three of you might have come across during your brief journey?"
Sora prepares to answer this question by revealing their brief, yet concerning encounter with Maleficent and Pete. However, he doesn't even get the chance to say a word before Donald and Goofy cut in with just about the last story he wants to get out from their most recent adventure.
"W-well, ya'see, we were fightin' a whole bunch of Heartless," Goofy begins apprehensively. He catches a curious glance from Sora, who wonders exactly where the captain was going with this.
"And Sora had gotten himself hurt by not listening to us, as usual…" Donald continues, crossing his arms.
"And when we tried getting' rid of 'em," Goofy goes on with a worried frown as Sora finally catches on. "S-Sora… well, he-"
"I-I got back up and cleared them all out, no problem!" Sora hastily exclaims before either of his companions can say what really happened. He wears another tight and anxious smile, one that he hopes Yen Sid will believe when Donald and Goofy immediately don't.
"Wha-?!" Donald scoffs, looking to Sora suspiciously. "That's not what happ-"
"Y-yep, that's absolutely what happened!" Sora reiterates, cutting the magician off by rushing to cover his beak before he can get another word out. Despite Donald angrily flailing against him, Sora still keeps up his almost aggressively cheerful grin, silently wishing that both of his companions would just let this shameful matter finally go. "It was pretty boring though, which means we really don't have to talk about it anymore!"
"Would you get off of me?!" Donald fusses as he finally pushes Sora away. Goofy looks between the pair, briefly confused, though upon catching a pleading, practically desperate look from Sora, he's quick to finally get on board.
"Oh! That's right!" the captain adds as convincingly as he can. "It really wasn't anything special. And of course it didn't have anything to do with any sorta darkness, if that's what you're thinkin'!"
"Very good," Yen Sid nods, much to Sora's immense relief. "It is good to hear that some of your usual verve and vigor in the heat of battle has returned to you, Sora. That is an important milestone on the path to reclaiming your lost strength."
"Y-yeah…" Sora says with a bit of a nervous laugh. "I guess it is…" That laughter is quick to die out, however, as guilt starts to settle in his stomach. Guilt over the blatant lie he'd just fronted, made even worse by the fact that he'd dragged Donald and Goofy into it with him. But it's a necessary lie, or at least that's what he insists on telling himself. Because the last thing he needs now is for Yen Sid, or anyone else for that matter, to know about his bewildering, downright embarrassing slip into sudden darkness. For as much as he might want answers as to where that darkness could have come from, he knows those answers won't be worth yet another mark against him when it comes to his recent and all too numerous shortcomings.
The trio doesn't get much of an opportunity to continue discussing their trip to Olympus with the sorcerer from there, however. Because only a second or two later, the study's door creaks open to herald an unexpected arrival. Or rather, an unexpected return.
"We're back, Master!" Mickey calls as he enters first, Riku trailing not too far behind. They'd managed to make it back to the realm of light with few problems, and, not wanting to waste any time in continuing their search for Aqua, they'd decided to seek Yen Sid's counsel on what to do next first. Even so, they're both surprised to find that they're not the only ones who have. "Oh wow!" Mickey exclaims, greeting the trio with a bright grin. "You fellas are all here too!"
"We just got back, actually," Goofy informs. Though before either he or Donald can continue, Sora steps past both of them, his eyes wide and his expression awed as he stares solely at Riku.
"Whoa…" he begins, his voice soft as he takes in the sight of his longtime friend. His outfit is quite different than it had been the last time they'd seen each other just a few days ago, now a slick gray jacket over a light blue shirt, with navy pants and black boots to tie the entire ensemble together. It's a simple look, yet it's one that suits Riku perfectly, at least as far as Sora is concerned as he struggles to even put such a thought into words for some reason. "Riku… you… you look… different."
"I feel different," Riku nods with an easy smile. "What? You don't like it?"
Sora flinches, suddenly flustered as a rush of warmth that he can't explain suddenly starts to fill his cheeks. "N-no, I do! I just-wait," he stops short, reaching forward to skim some of Riku's now much-shorter locks. "Did you… cut your hair?"
"Mm hm," Riku's smile turns into a smirk at this.
"By yourself?"
"Yeah."
By now, Sora's face is largely bright red, something that isn't lost on Riku as he narrowly holds back an amused laugh over it. "W-wow, uh… g-great job!" Sora forces an awkward smile as a cover, holding two thumbs up in a further feeble attempt at playing it cool. "It looks-you look, uh… um… y-yeah."
"Yeesh," Donald mutters to Goofy, aside. "He's hopeless, isn't he?"
"When it comes to Riku or Kairi, then yup," the captain chuckles warmly. "He sure is."
"His hair isn't the only thing that's changed," Mickey pipes up. "Why don't you show 'em your Keyblade, Riku?"
"Oh, that's right," Riku holds his hand out, allowing Braveheart to flash into his grip. While Donald and Goofy express their shared wonder at the intriguing new weapon, Sora's smile swiftly falls when he sees it.
"Why is your Keyblade different?" he asks, knowing this Keyblade is a far cry from the one he's used to seeing Riku use.
"...Because it can tell that I've changed," Riku says, though he knows that's only a fraction of the truth. The real reason is something that he still doesn't quite have enough courage to reveal, something he only wishes he were brave enough to look at Sora and say: "Because I've decided that from here on out, every battle I fight, I want to fight for you."
As for the answer Riku actually gives, Sora lets a small, indignant scoff over it. He all but forces himself to look away from the sturdy, shining new Keyblade as he internally compares it to his own. As he wonders just how Riku has managed to change and grow so much in such a short amount of time. As he realizes just how many steps forward Riku has taken since the exam… all while the only thing he's been doing is stumbling backward.
"Your new Keyblade is indeed impressive, Riku," Yen Sid says with a pleased smile. "A weapon truly befitting a master such as yourself. I trust that you have been able to put it to good use in your search for Aqua, yes?"
Riku lets out a small sigh as he lets Braveheart disappear. Fortunately, Mickey is quick to volunteer to explain everything in his stead. "Actually, that's why we're here. We sort of… hit a dead end when it came to lookin' for her."
"We tracked her as far as the ocean at the edge of the Realm of Darkness," Riku continues solemnly. "But that's where her trail goes cold."
"So we came back here to see if you could help us out, master," Mickey offers Yen Sid a small, respectful nod. "Any ideas about where we should go from here?"
The sorcerer pauses for a moment to mull the question over before offering them his level headed wisdom. "If Aqua truly is lost within the deeper depths of the Realm of Darkness, then it would be ill-advised for either of you to pursue her any further into such unfathomable shadows, lest you risk losing yourselves to the same fate."
"So… does that mean…?"
"We've already lost her for good?" Mickey finishes where Riku left off, scarcely able to bear such an awful thought.
"Not necessarily," Yen Sid counters calmly. "Perhaps if one with a deep enough connection to Aqua's heart were to call to it from the shadows she has sunken into, then that person could very well be the guiding light she needs to return to this world."
"Someone close to Aqua…" Mickey repeats, quickly realizing just how difficult finding such a soul would be. "Gosh, I'm not even sure whose left to ask. Ventus is hidden, and Aqua's the only one who knows where. And nobody's seen Terra in ages; Aqua was the last."
"So Aqua—she's bound to be the key to finding all three…" Riku muses, his tone every bit as somber as the king's.
"Yes," Yen Sid agrees, his tone grave. "Their teacher, Master Eraqus, would have been another possibility… had Xehanort not mercilessly struck him down…"
The sorcerer bows his head at this out of respect for his fallen friend. Likewise, a dejected, empty silence fills the rest of the room, with just about everyone at a complete loss about what to do to help Aqua, Terra, or Ventus alike. But then, just as that hopelessness truly starts to sink in, a burst of unexpected warmth rushes through Sora's heart. It's a far cry from the small bursts of pain he's been feeling ever since the exam, a contrast he can't help but be confused and comforted by all at once. It's faint, yet bright and oddly familiar as it carries a sense of earnest longing mingled with dutiful purpose. A purpose that drives him to speak without so much as even thinking about it, because if no one else can rescue Aqua, then he will. Just as she had so selflessly rescued him all those years ago.
"I'll save her!" he volunteers boldly. His tone is brazen, his stance steady, but the words aren't his own. At least not entirely.
Whatever had prompted those words is quickly pushed to the wayside, however, when the others rush to firmly protest the downright reckless plan he'd just proposed. "But Sora," Goofy whispers worriedly. "Master Yen Sid already told ya: you can't go to the Realm of Darkness!"
"That's right!" Donald agrees much more fiercely. "And you're definitely not going there after what just happened back in Olympus, that's for sure!"
"What happened in Olympus?" Riku asks, a question that's finally enough to forcibly throw Sora right back into reality.
"Huh?" he blinks, quickly shaking his head to clear it. He falters, though, when he meets Riku's wondering gaze, forcing him to fumble to come up with something to say. Something that's as far away from the truth as possible. "N-nothing happened!" he exclaims a bit too sharply. "Everything went great, r-right, you guys?" he looks to Donald and Goofy for help, neither of whom really offer it right away.
Of course, before the newfound awkward silence can settle in for too long, Yen Sid speaks up once more. "Sora," he begins, his tone stern. "Recovering Master Aqua is not your task to undertake. Instead, your mission is to-"
"To get my strength back," Sora interrupts with a small, disgruntled huff. "I know…"
"Yes," Yen Sid concurs. "However, this is another goal I would like you, Donald, and Goofy to work toward as well. One that is essential for laying the groundwork in unraveling the schemes of the new Organization XIII." Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike quickly perk up with interest upon hearing this. And yet, instead of describing this seemingly significant goal to them, the sorcerer, ever clever and tricky, decides to keep them waiting just a bit longer for more. "But first," he continues, going off on another tangent entirely. "Mickey and Riku, I recall that Master Aqua visited many worlds and connected with others who could be the link we need. Seek these places out in the hopes of finding a heart bonded strongly enough to hers', with fortitude and strength enough to pull her out of the darkness she is now trapped within."
"Good plan, sir," Mickey nods with renewed hope that such a plan can succeed. Or at the very least, can begin leading them in the right direction, a direction that might just end up pointing them to Aqua herself when it's all said and done. "Riku and I will retrace her steps and see if we can find any clues. And if we're lucky, maybe we might be able to find out how to help Ven and Terra along the way!"
Yen Sid nods, just shy of waving a hand over his desk to conjure up two distinct suitcases. "While on your travels, I would like to ask a favor of you. As you are already aware, Kairi and Lea are continuing their training under the tutelage of the wizard Merlin. What I have here wasn't quite ready by the time Kairi set out to Radiant Garden. But as they have just been completed, I would like you to deliver these for me."
"Oh!" Mickey exclaims, recognizing this type of luggage from before. "Are they…?"
"Yes, they are the same as the ones I gave you," Yen Sid nods as Mickey and Riku take the cases. "Special vestments to shield Lea and Kairi from the darkness."
"What?" Sora speaks up, not even bothering to hide his obvious disappointment. "No fair! What about my outfit, master?"
"Sora!" Donald quickly, harshly scolds. "Don't bug him like that! It's inconsiderate!"
"Settle down," Yen Sid cuts in with an even grin as another suitcase appears on his desk. "I have new clothes for you too, Sora. A gift from the good fairies. They have very special powers, so it took extra time to prepare them. In addition, there is also a gift from Chip and Dale inside."
"Cool!" Sora cheers, rushing over to claim his case. "Thanks!"
"Happy now?" Riku asks him with a wry smirk.
"Mm hm," Sora flashes a broad grin back at him as he slings his suitcase over his shoulder. "Looks like you won't be the only one around here with a fancy new look. Who knows? I might even cut my hair too, just like you did."
"Please, don't," Riku retorts with a small, amused scoff. "There's no telling what would happen if you tried that. Knowing you, you'd probably end up with no hair by the end of it."
The others all let out a healthy bout of laughter at this, laughter that Sora himself joins in on after fixing Riku with a faux, playful scowl. As soon as the levity fades, however, Yen Sid calls the group back to order, his serious tone a stark contrast to the humor that had filled the room mere seconds ago. "Now, for your mission," he says to Sora, Donald, and Goofy, all of whom are quick to snap to attention to hear what he has to say. "There is a prophecy, as old as time itself, that speaks of thirteen special Keyblades, each hidden far and wide across the worlds. It is said that whoever possesses all thirteen will be granted the power to rule over the heart of all worlds. None other than the one, true Kingdom Hearts itself."
The trio lets out a sharp gasp of shocked unison upon hearing such an alarming prophecy. After all, their past experiences with Kingdom Hearts have repeatedly shown them that it's a dangerous force, an immense power that needs to be shuttered and kept safe from falling into the wrong hands. A force that, if what Yen Sid just said is true, only requires the combined might of just thirteen Keyblades to unlock and unleash to cause untold damage and devastation across each and every world in existence.
"I am almost certain that, aside from filling out his own ranks, Xehanort's current intentions are to gather these thirteen Keys to the Kingdom so that he may claim Kingdom Hearts as his own," Yen Sid continues solemnly, confirming what the trio has already begun to fear. "Finding and securing each, if not all of them from the grasp of Organization XIII is a paramount task that must be undertaken to forestall the end of all worlds. And it is a task that I have decided to entrust to the three of you."
"Whoa, really?" Sora asks, awestruck. Likewise, Donald and Goofy echo his amazement over being tasked with something so very monumental. "Ha! See, I told you guys we'd get to do something important soon!" he exclaims, flashing a proud grin back at his baffled companions.
"Gosh, the thirteen Keys to the Kingdom…" Mickey muses, familiar with the old legend thanks to his master's teachings. "Searching for them is an awfully big responsibility, but I'm sure you fellas are up to the challenge!"
"As am I," Yen Sid voices his solid agreement. "This will be no easy task; even with the members of Organization XIII that you will no doubt have to contend with while searching for them, the Keys themselves are rumored to be notoriously hard to find. Inasmuch as they are connected to Kingdom Hearts itself, each one is tied to the very nature of the heart and the feelings it is known to express. Perhaps that knowledge will prove to be of assistance in your search."
"Um, ok… feelings…" Sora repeats, confused. "Makes sense, I guess," he says, even though it really doesn't.
"Worry not, Sora," the sorcerer reassures. "So long as you follow your own heart to wherever it may lead, then I have no doubt the Keys will find their way to you. And even beyond that, perhaps exploring worlds both old and new will in time help you regain your lost strength."
"I hope so…" Sora mutters, already knowing that regaining that strength is bound to be a frustrating slog. But for as frustrating as it might be, he knows well just how necessary it is if he ever hopes to stand alongside his friends in the final battle to come. A battle that brings him a spark of sudden, untold terror the moment he so much as thinks about it, terror that he swiftly shakes off lest any of the others see.
"And with that, I believe you are all ready to proceed," Yen Sid says to the entire group. They're all just about to do exactly that too, until a small, spritely voice cuts in.
"Hey, wait! Don't forget about me!"
"Jiminy!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy all exclaim excitedly, watching as the cricket hurries across the sorcerer's desk to greet them. It's been quite some time since they'd all seen him, not since their last journey together, so they're more than happy to reunite with their favorite tiny record-keeper once more.
"Every journey worth goin' on needs a cricket to keep track of it," Jiminy grins as he tips his hat to the trio. "And I can't let ya start this one without ol' Jiminy Cricket by your side!"
"The whole team's back together again!" Goofy chimes in.
"Yeah! On a whole new adventure!" Donald adds just as boldly.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Sora finishes, smiling as he holds his hand out, allowing Donald, Goofy, and even Jiminy to pile each of theirs on top of it. Despite what might have happened in Olympus, despite whatever doubts his heart might still be harboring, Sora is more than comforted by the sight of his trio of loyal companions. Regardless of the danger the Organization might pose and the challenges their new mission might bring, he's confident that they'll get through it all just fine so long as they stick together. Just as they always have. "Let's find those Keys!"
As eager as they are to set out on their respective journeys, everyone begins to spill out of the tower almost as soon as Yen Sid dismisses them. Still, that doesn't mean that they don't spare at least a brief moment or two for one fond, final farewell amongst themselves.
Donald and Goofy have already whisked the king aside to bombard him with plenty of hugs and well wishes, leaving Sora and Riku a chance to converse in private. Something that they haven't done in quite some time now.
"I know you don't really need it," Sora begins, still clutching his suitcase as he offers Riku a broad grin. "But good luck. I hope you guys can find a way to help Master Aqua, but I don't think that'll be too hard for you, "Mr. Master"."
"Thanks," Riku can't hold back a small chuckle at this, amused as ever by Sora's lighthearted sense of humor. Humor that he finds himself cherishing now more than ever after knowing just how close he'd been to losing it forever.
That mere, small thought alone is enough to make him think back to the bizarre dream he'd had in the Realm of Darkness. A dream that, true, had gifted him his new Keyblade. But at the same time, it had also brought him a burst of steady worry that he still can't shake. Not even now when Sora is standing right here in front of him, safe and sound and smiling as happily as he always has.
"Sora…" he begins diffidently, carefully studying Sora's eyes for even the slightest speck of yellow. Yellow that doesn't even exist amidst the calming blue tides he's always known. "I… a-are… are you feeling alright?"
Sora flinches at this question, but he answers it as evenly as he can. Because the last thing he wants to ever do is tell Riku just how close he'd been to being dragged into literal death itself back in Olympus. "O-of course I am," he lies with a complacent shrug. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Riku's frown deepens as he closes his eyes. Part of him wants to divulge the details of his dream, but in the end, he decides to keep it to himself. Largely because he doesn't even know how to put exactly what he saw into words to begin with. "I know I'm probably just worrying over nothing," he begins pensively, opting to take a different route instead. "But I can't stop thinking about what happened during our exam. About… just how close Xehanort was to turning you into one of his vessels."
"Y-yeah, but he didn't!" Sora quickly says with a somewhat unsteady smile. "So, crisis averted. Nothing to worry about anymore, right?"
"Wrong," Riku crosses his arms and lowers his head in shame. Shame that he still hasn't moved completely past, despite his best efforts to try. "If the others hadn't jumped in when they did, I don't think I would have been able to save you on my own. I wasn't…" Strong enough to protect what matters most, is what he almost says, though something else comes out instead. "I didn't protect you like I should have. I'm sorry. I'll never let something like that happen ever again."
Riku doesn't see Sora's hands clench into tight fists at his sides in the seconds that follow. He doesn't see the flash of bitter annoyance that flashes over his face. In fact, he only barely hears the flustered frustration that slips into his tone when he speaks a second later. "I-I don't… you… you don't have to protect me," he says, glancing away. "I can take care of myself."
"I know you can," Riku looks up, only to finally see Sora's stubborn pout. A look he's seen many times before, one that he's always found to be oddly adorable on some level, even now. "And I know I don't have to protect you. But here's the thing: I want to." He catches Sora off guard by taking his hand, keeping a secure hold on it as he steadies himself as much as he can. "I want you to-need you to know that whatever happens in the future, I will do whatever I can to keep you safe. I promise."
Sora draws in a sharp breath at this, quickly pulling his hand away. His response surprises Riku as he tries to figure out what exactly he'd done wrong, what he might have said that could have set Sora off even more than he already is. "Sora-"
"Riku, I-I…" Sora trails off, staring down at his own hands. Recalling that horrifying moment not so long ago when he'd watched them turn into shadow-streaked claws. Claws that he'd had no control over, just as he hadn't had any control of the rest of his body, over his very mind for that matter. "I, uh…" he stammers, suddenly wanting to tell Riku about what had happened. Because certainly, someone like Riku, someone who's struggled with the darkness and overcame it before, could help him work through whatever frightening anomaly had befallen him back in Olympus. Even beyond that, Sora knows that if there's anyone he can trust with something as alarming, even downright terrifying as this, it's someone like Riku, someone he's always been able to trust ever since they were both very little. And yet… for as much as he wants to tell him… why does he still feel as though he absolutely shouldn't?
"Sora?" Riku speaks up upon noticing his clear apprehension. "What's wrong?"
Sora throws on a small, false smile at this, something he's realizing more and more he's developing an alarming talent for. He makes his tone as chipper as it can be as he lets that smile widen, hanging his arms behind his head as he buries the truth back where it belongs: as deep under the surface as it can possibly go. "I, um… I just wanted to tell you that I'm so… glad I have someone like you looking out for me," he ventures, a blatant lie, one that only makes him feel so much worse the second he says it.
Even so, it's a lie Riku doesn't instantly buy. Instead, he continues scrutinizing Sora with a careful, critical glance. Sora struggles to maintain his forced composure under it, knowing that Riku has always had a knack for reading him all too well. "Is that all?" he asks, his expression softening after a beat. "Because if you ever feel like something is wrong, then I want to be the first to know."
"Oh b-believe me, you will be," Sora assures, trying to mask his own guilt all the while. For something had indeed gone wrong back in Olympus, when darkness had covered his heart, mind, and body like a shroud and had left him with far more questions than answers, far more dread than hope. And as much as he still wants to confide in Riku, if no one else, about just how frightening that moment, that absolute loss of all control, had been, he instead keeps that burden to himself, however unbearable it might be.
"Good," Riku nods, satisfied. "Looks like it's time for both of us to head out. Be careful out there, ok? I don't doubt that Donald and Goofy will keep an eye on you, but you need to keep an eye on yourself too. Got it?"
"Yeah…" Sora says with a halfhearted smile as he turns to walk off and regroup with his companions. "Got it…"
"Oh, and one more thing, Sora?"
"Hm?" Sora turns back around, only to be completely blindsided when Riku suddenly folds his arms gently around him. Caught up in this unexpected embrace, Sora freezes up completely, forgetting to speak, forgetting to breathe, forgetting to even think against his rapidly racing heart. He doesn't return the hug, though Riku doesn't seem to really mind as he instead offers him a warm, whispered farewell.
"Don't forget, I'll protect you, no matter what happens," he repeats the same promise he'd made so long ago. Perhaps the very first promise he'd ever made to Sora, and by far the most important one.
Sora says nothing when Riku eventually lets him go, merely offering him a small smile and a final wave as he heads off to rejoin Mickey. Vaguely, he can hear Donald and Goofy calling for him to get going too, but he stays exactly where he's standing instead, his sights set on Riku alone. As he watches him leave, he feels it once more, that brief yet bitter burst of pain gnawing away at his heart, pain that he doesn't know the source of, just like he doesn't know the source of the equally unpleasant feeling also filling his heart along with it. A feeling that he can't say he's felt toward any of his friends before, especially not toward Riku before. Yet he still feels it all the same, still lets himself sit in it, lets it burn beneath his chest like a blaze that he's powerless to extinguish, not that he even wants to extinguish it to begin with.
And as that blaze burns on, so too do his eyes, tainted with a piercing shade of garish gold as he watches his best "friend" walk away.
Ohohohoh looks like I can't end a chapter without foreshadowing hohohohoh ANYWAY, gotta say that bit between Riku and Sora at the end was my fav part of this chapter for sure. Those two have a pretty special bond and dynamic that I can't wait to explore more of later on down the line. Speaking of dynamics I'm really interested in exploring, next time around I'd say we'll be popping in on Lea and Kairi as they begin their training, so that's exciting! Hopefully that should be coming up soon, so keep an eye out for it and until then don't forget to REVIEW! Until next time! :)
