Hello everyone yes I know once again this is up late. I'm sorry time seems to be getting away from me a lot more now. I don't know why. Anyways, thank you to SoraKairiRikuNamine for leaving a review, yes I'm sorry Riku is gone! Sorry and I'm glad you are enjoying the story!
Thank you to 97kingdomwolf for following this story I hope you are enjoying it!
Enjoy and please leave a review if you are enjoying this story!
A week has passed since Riku's death. Everyone had been rocked by the death of another Keyblade wielder, one that had fought with the darkness then turned his back on it. Learning to embrace it and use it in the name of light. Not many could hold that title and now there was one less who could.
Communication through the light crystals made the information of Riku's passing spread quickly through the worlds.
Many mourned Riku's passing, gifts were sent in from every world. Even those who Riku betrayed during his time with Maleficent expressed their sorrow. They knew the sacrifices he had made and the lengths he went to right the wrongs he committed. Not many still held anything against Riku. He was still a hero to them.
The castle was on full lockdown until the Cornerstone could be fully restored. Anyone that could fight was either outside patrolling the grounds or inside the castle walking the halls. Those strong in light magic and old magical items were also brought in to help speed up the restoration process of the Cornerstone. Donald and Goofy had also been called back from their missions. Donald was assigned to the restoration group while Goofy joined the defense group. The two wanted to see Sora again before beginning their work, but Mickey denied them, well more like Sora denied them. No one had been allowed into Riku's, now Sora's, room since that day. Nor has Sora left that room.
Meals had to be brought to the room, as did fresh clothes and towels. Whenever anything was brought to the room Sora would silently open the door and just a quietly shut it. Some have taken peeks inside the room when Sora opened the door and they would report back saying that much of the food had gone untouched. Sora was living from that room. Guards that walk that hall have reported that there were nights that they believed that Sora wasn't sleeping. All they could hear was him crying. They too were beginning to worry about him, afraid that Sora could never find his way back to himself.
Yet they didn't know the whole story of the day that Riku died. No one but Sora and Mickey knew what was said with Riku's last breath. His final and heavy confession to Sora. No one knew the full extent of the burden that sat heavy on Sora's shoulders.
Three days after Riku's death Kairi went to see Sora. She was tired of being alone and dealing with this on her own. She was strong but not strong enough to deal with something this big. Kairi stood outside of Riku's old room.
She had tried to avoid this room, the memories were too raw, emotions too close to the surface. She too had locked herself away from the world and away from the grief and pity filled eyes. Kairi could only take so much of the looks when she would, however brief, take a step outside of her room. She knew what they were thinking and what they wanted to tell her, but no matter what was said nothing was going to take away the hurt.
Still she raised her hand and knocked lightly on the door, almost afraid to ruin it in some manner. Sora did not come to the door and Kairi knew why. She could hear him crying from inside the room. Kairi would also cry if she had any tears left, those dried up only meir hours ago. All she had left was the sadness that came with loss. Kairi knocked once more and when she received no answer she turned the doorknob. The door was unlocked and gently did she push it open.
There on the bed did she find Sora, curled up underneath Riku's blankets. She didn't expect to find him anywhere else.
Kairi looked around the darkened room, no lights had been turned on. The only light came from the hallway that filtered in from the still open door. Enough light filled the room that she could see plates of uneaten food and still filled glasses. Her heart twinged at the similarities between Riku and Sora, it seemed that neither would eat when they were upset or sick. She could only hope that Sora would not require the amount of healers that Riku once did. Still she moved to the bed. She didn't know what to say or even where to begin.
Kairi knew how many people had asked him if he was okay and how he was doing. She would be a fool to think that she was going to get any sort of different response. But there she sat beside Sora, only able to look at him. Or of what she could see. Sora was lying mainly on his stomach his face buried in the pillows and the blanket pull far up so that only the top of his head could be seen.
"Sora," She said just above a whisper that she even wondered if she had said it outloud or only inside her head. Sora's sobs seemed to subside for a moment, only to pick up once again.
Kairi put her hand on Sora's hip, trying without words to get his attention. Eventually they would have to talk about this, someone would be brave or idiotic enough to ask them. She was at a loss of how to comfort Sora, never had either of them gone through this. So she went with what her heart was telling her.
"I remember when we all first became friends." Kairi began smiling softly at the memory. "My grandmother took me to the beach for the first time. I wanted to see the ocean so bad, to be able to hear the sounds of the waves crashing, to put my feet in the sand. I wanted to do all of that. But when we got to the beach I was suddenly so scared. I remember thinking what would happen if it wasn't what I thought it was like. What if it didn't live up to what I had in my head."
Sora's cries seemed to have lost some of their intensity. Kairi started to wonder if she was helping him.
"When I first walked onto the beach I looked around, in awe of how big everything was and how small I felt. The ocean looked like it went on forever as did the beach. I was ready to tell my grandmother to take me home when I heard some boys laughing. And then I saw you and Riku." Kairi couldn't help but smile widely. She could remember how great it felt to see someone else her age laughing freely on the never ended beach.
"And I thought, if you guys could have fun and play on the beach without fear of how small you felt then I could too. My gran saw me looking at you and Riku so she pushed me over to you two telling me to play with you guys. I was so nervous that you guys wouldn't like me or think I was weird. But when you started talking to me and asked me to play all my fears went away. I felt like I finally found where I belonged."
With her story told she felt silent, letting her words hang in the air. Sora also remembered that day. It wasn't like he would forget meeting one of his friends. Kairi sat there a little while longer in the silence. Maybe Sora still needed more time before he could talk about memories of Riku. So she moved off of the bed, deciding to give him more time alone.
"I remember that day too," Sora said when Kairi was about out of the door.
Kairi quickly turned around and saw Sora sitting up, his hair more of a mess than what she thought could possibly happen. She hurried back over to the bed where they spent the next few hours talking about the times and memories of when they were younger.
Somehow in the span of a few hours Kairi had gotten Sora to eat a full meal, which she made sure he ate everything not leaving even a crumb. And had somehow convinced him to take a shower. While Sora was redressing in a separate room, which she didn't quite know where Sora had gotten extra clothes from, a question bubbled up her throat and sat heavy like lead in her mouth.
"What happened before I go to the room? The day Riku died." Kairi blurted out before she could stop herself.
The shuffling of Sora getting ready stopped momentarily before continuing. The light airy feeling in the room was knocked out by a dark and heavy one. Kairi knew she shouldn't have asked, but she just knew more had occurred that what everyone was being told. Slowly Sora came back into the room, dressed in one of Riku's black zip up shirts and some of his own pants. The shirt of course was way too big on him but Kairi wouldn't say anything else, she knew that she had messed up by asking that question.
Sora took a shaky breath, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes but he held them in for now.
"Mickey told you everything that happened that day. You know everything that happened." Sora said tightly. Talking about the past was one thing but talking about that was something different entirely.
Kairi knew what the King told them but someone else happened. The way Mickey acted when others would ask what Riku had said before he died just felt forced. Like he was hiding something big, something private. She knew she shouldn't be asking about it, but she just wanted to know. Maybe if she knew she could find a better way to help Sora. And she was a Princess of Light of goodness sake, she knew when things dealt with someone's heart.
"Sora I know it's hard to talk about but maybe if I knew what was said I could help you in a better way." Kairi said, slightly pressuring Sora into talking.
Sora felt fury bubble up in his stomach. He knew he shouldn't be mad at her, she was just trying to help him. Suddenly all of his anger just faded away. Tears that he had held back fell and the painful memory played once again in his mind. Riku staring up at him, his eyes focused on him and yet on something far away from that room. Sora could vividly remember how Riku was shaking as he held him, how strong the smell of Riku's blood. How still Riku became as he spoke for the last time.
"He said he loved me." Sora choked out, falling to his knees as he shook with sobs. "And I loved him too!"
Kairi sat there stunned by the confession. It felt like ice water was dumped into her very core. Yes she had strong feelings for Sora but she would never admit them now. Nor would she want to add to his burdon. Slowly almost like a machine she moved to Sora and too fell to her knees. She wrapped him in a hug, her chin resting on his head. She too cried, not only for her own sadness of never being able to tell Sora how she felt but she cried for both Sora and Riku. For them to be both in love and to have one ripped away from the other before either could share their feelings fully.
That weekend
Sora had finally felt good enough to walk out of Riku's room and walk the castle again. The guards and workers that passed him would stare at him, their concern for him written plainly across their faces. Sora did his best to ignore them and not run back into Riku's room and hide away once again. Sora was walking around the castle when he saw a familiar face walking towards him.
"Cloud? What are you doing here!?" Sora exclaimed. What would Cloud be doing here? He was sure that they had enough guards walking around the castle to be safe.
"Hey, Sora." Cloud said. He hadn't changed from the last time Sora had seen him. Except Clouds outfit had changed. Now he was wearing something simple instead of his other slightly obnoxious outfit. He wore a dark blue knitted sleeveless turtleneck with a large belt and leather suspenders over it and plain black pants. Cloud's sword was still anchored onto his back.
"I was actually going to see you. The King felt that I was somehow a good person for you to talk to." Cloud said. Sora knew that this talk was going to be different than the few talks they had shared before.
"Well the only place we can really talk in private is the garden." Sora said before leading the way. Sora's mind filled with questions of how Cloud could help him. Sora may be dense but he knew what the King wanted him to talk about. Sora really didn't know much about Cloud and his life before they met. Who could have Cloud lost that would make him a good person for him to talk to?
When they reached the garden Sora turned to Cloud, waiting for him to speak. Sora didn't know what to say, how could he? He didn't know how much Cloud knew or didn't know. Sora didn't want to say the wrong thing and then have to explain something else entirely. He didn't have the energy for that.
"Zack was my lover." Cloud stated bluntly, taking Sora by surprise. He had always seen Cloud as a ladies man, he never took Cloud for being with a guy. But that made this entire conversation easier.
"He was the best person I had ever met. So full of light and joy, so full of life. He lived everyday like it was the last, doing everything he could so someone else could have it easier. That's what made me fall for him. We were together for a year before he died."
Cloud paused, and Sora assumed that Could was remembering that day. He knew that feeling all too well. So he waited patiently until Cloud spoke again.
"We were wanted by Shinra, they wanted us both alive so at first we were given the option to surrender and let them take us in. But we couldn't let that happen. We knew that if we did it wouldn't end well. So Zack and I fought. we were able to get away but were soon ambushed. I was suffering from mako poisoning, and couldn't take much more so Zack hid me away from the fight. He stupidly went out and fought them...he didn't make it."
Cloud said darkly, still upset by Zacks decision to go and fight on his own.
"I watched him die. And I couldn't do anything to save him, and that is my biggest regret in life was not being able to save him." Cloud quickly brushed away a tear that rolled down his cheek.
Sora, eye's wide, nodded at Clouds story. Now he understood why the King wanted Cloud to talk to him. Cloud went through, or is still going through the same pain he is currently dealing with.
"I guess what I am trying to say Sora is that I know what you are going through. Losing someone you love is the second most hardest thing to go through."
Sora blinked in confusion, Cloud said it was the second hardest thing to do. That didn't make sense to him.
"Wait if losing someone is the second most hardest thing to go through, then what is the first?" Sora asked, suddenly feeling like a little kid.
Cloud smirked at the question.
"Telling them that you love them. Having that conversation is the hardest thing to go through."
Sora looked down, he really hadn't gone through that conversation yet. Not really. Riku just said it to him and he didn't even have time to respond. Sora too had to brush away tears as he thought about that moment once again.
Cloud studied him for a moment, "Are you wearing one of Riku's shirts?"
Sora flushed red for a second before he answered.
"Yes...you don't think it's weird do you?"
Cloud laughed, I mean he actually laughed. Sora couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had never heard Cloud laugh before, heck he had never seen him really smile. And now he was doing both!
"Well if I did think it was weird then I would be a hypocrite. You see this was one of Zack's shirts." Cloud said, gesturing to the shirt he was wearing. "Somedays are easier than others to get through, but on those bad days you need a little extra help. So I wear one of his shirts so it reminds me that he isn't completely gone. He'll always be in one place that no one can ever take."
Sora tilted his head at Cloud's statement.
"Where?"
"Here." Cloud said, pointing at Sora's heart. "Someone can take away your memories, take away pictures even clothes. But your heart never forgets anything."
A muffled voice broke the happy mood. Sora look at Cloud, seeing that it was coming from his direction. Cloud frowned in confusion before pulling out the light crystal from his pocket. The voice that belonged to a women became clear.
"Is this thing working? I hope so. If anyone can hear this this is Alice from Wonderland. We have a problem. Wonderland is falling. Requesting immediate help. Be warned, things aren't the same in Wonderland anymore." Alice said before the connection was cut off.
Cloud and Sora both looked at each other before darting back into the castle, both nearly running into Kairi and Mickey as the rounded a corner.
"I take it that you both got Alice's message?" Mickey said in a rush.
Both Cloud and Sora nodded.
"If Wonderland is falling then that means the Heartless are finally attacking and we all know who is behind this." Mickey said. "Wonderland is only the beginning. If it falls, it won't be the first nor the last. Now hurry."
Mickey said, making a Corridor of Light appear.
"Protecting Alice is the most important thing. Do not let the Heartless get to her. We can not let any Princesses die."
And with that loaded mission Cloud, Sora and Kairi raced through the Corridor.
btw who enjoyed the little Clack I snuck in there? I know I did. Anyways thanks for reading and please leave a review!
