Warning: Shounen-ai, boys kissing boys, lots of fluff in this one. Riku's about to snap. Woot.
Disclaimer: ...Well. I'll say this. If I could afford them, I would buy them. . ; But I don't. ; ;
Authors Notes: I am.. so tired. My arm is in paaaain. I'm gonna die! cries I'm not used to writing so much! But I will prevail! looks determined I want to make everybody really happy! I hope you all enjoy this instalment. I know the constant to be continues are a pain, but I think after this there's just one more. But be kind. Like I said, I'm no used to writing so much, so if I didn't do the to be continued things all the time, I think my hand would fall off. X.x;;
I hope you like this. bows Please have a great day!
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It was dark.. and cold. He could see nothing before him, as the darkness spanned out further than his eyes could ever see. Slowly he brought his hands up to his eyes, making sure this wasn't just some crazy dream. He needed some proof of his existence within this darkness, and though he received it, staring back at his spindly fingers, he still couldn't feel it.
It was as if he'd been asleep a very long time, and still was, though he realized it.. Sleeping Consciousness, they called it. When one could dream within deep sleep, for a long long time, yet still grasp what was going on inside their own minds. Some could even control the dreams they were having. But still.. this didn't seem like a dream. And if it was.. it certainly wasn't his dream.
Sora watched, his ever dimming blue eyes searching around for -something-. He was scared...
"Sora..." Someone whispered. That voice! But.. wait. It was different. Someone else?
Sora's eyes darted back and forth, trying desperately to find that voice. Somewhere... left.. right.. straight ahead...? Nothing! "Show yourself! Come out of there, right now!" He shouted, feeling his frustration getting the better of him.
A light chuckle was his response, and suddenly two warm arms wrapped around him. The sudden touch startled him, but soon he relaxed, when he realized who was doing the touching.
A head of wheat blond hair, and dazzling bright blue eyes met his with a small smile and a warming look. Sora's eyes widened slightly, his hand slowly slipped without his own notice over the other boys pale hands... Only one word slipped out of Sora's lips..
"Roxas..."
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Chapter 6
--------- On My White Wings I Sing
"Sora... please come back!" Riku grasped Sora's shoulders and cried, shaking his friend almost frantically. He rarely panicked, and when he did something had to be -really- wrong. Sora was acting strange, and it dawned on Riku just why.
Through those sea blue-green eyes, Riku watched his friend smirk back at him as he was suddenly and very roughly pushed away once more. His own sad and wanting features over his face, begging the brunette to explain.. wanting to know everything he knew was a total lie.
"...Idiot. How can you be so stupid? After everything you people put Sora through.. Everything you made him put -me- through! I'll never forgive you bastards.. selfish, wanting bastards. All you ever think about are yourselves!" Sora yelled, throwing his arm from one side to the other to express his irritation. "Because of his heart, that was broken so many times.. And because of all of you who couldn't even drop one god damn letter to let him know you still cared. Do you even know how alone we've felt!? Do you even care!?"
Riku was aghast at everything that was spilling out of Sora's mouth. Everything he said was... true. But that couldn't be... Kairi, Riku and Sora. They were the three best friends, inseparateable, and always laughing together. Their hearts would always connect, no matter what fate had in store for them.. wouldn't they? They promised.. they've defied fate so many times, it seemed they never had anything to worry about.. Boy.. Were they wrong.
"...Sora... I.. It's not like that..."
"I only tolerated you and let Sora get close to you these passed few days, because you treated him with kindness. You gave him warmth when he needed it. And that's more than what I can say for everyone else..." Sora closed his eyes, trying to block the memories from his mind. Obviously it wasn't working too well.
Riku looked almost sad, slowly standing back up to his feet to look back at Sora with won ton eyes. "...Sora... Forgive me..." He whispered, those same eyes slowly lowering to the ground in shame. So that's why... That's what was going on.
Sora just shook his head. "Be grateful I allowed his last moments with -you-. Even though you never bothered to write, or call. You have no idea.. how much that hurt him."
Riku clenched his fists, and his eyes tighter... He couldn't argue. Sora was right. Though he'd tried, he should of tried harder! He should of done more.. Known more... "Sora.. please don't.. leave me." He mumbled.
Sora just tilted his head. "Why the hell should I let him stay? Even if you're a nice guy, you'll just end up like the rest."
"..I wont.. I will never, hurt Sora!" Riku's eyes shot up then, tears clearly streaming from his eyes, the desperation just melting from him.
Sora looked a bit surprised, but maintained that cocky sarcastic look. "And I should believe you, why?"
"Sora.. Sora's my heart! Sora -has- my heart! If he goes, please, take me with him! I can't stand to be without him again! Not when I finally found him."
Riku slowly landed on his knees, his head bowed and hands firmly on the ground. A normal way for a lowly peasant to beg for mercy before someone so mighty and high.
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That gentle voice, calmed Sora down, his eyes losing all it's shine but gaining a beautiful glow instead. It was so warm here, now. With nothing to hurt him.. and only himself to keep him company. Nobody could bring him pain here.. he was safe.
Roxas smiled a bit, but shook his head, holding Sora just a little tighter. "...You can't stay.. Sora..." He whispered, closing those brilliant eyes.
Sora just turned his head slightly, looking a bit confused. "...But.. wasn't it you who brought me here?"
"...Sora.. I would never hurt you... And I certainly would never take you away from someone... who's heart's have melded with yours..."
Sora frowned a little, not quite understanding. "...Roxas. I want to stay here.. where nobody can hurt me.."
Roxas smiled just a little bit more, shaking his head again. "...You may get a few scratches but.. you know... you'll always have someone to protect you now..." He said warmly.
"...Roxas..."
"...You've ignored your desire, wants and pain, Sora... They've caused another to emerge inside of you. The pain, and loneliness you've felt.. you've discarded and mearly took unthoughtful for years now, with no comfort or way to rest... Because of this, Sora... It has forced you to sleep. Your kindness and love.. just as you did to it."
Sora's eyes saddened slightly. Somehow.. he should of known. Maybe deep down he did, but in his mind this was all so new. "...It's.. getting back at me?"
"It's forcing you to sleep, for your protection. It is apart of you, that needs to be dealt with, Sora. You can't wake up until you do. And if you don't hurry... someone out there, will be hurt by your pain.."
Roxas slowly slipped his arms away from Sora's body, only to slip one hand into the young mans more tanned one. "...Come on, Sora. We'll do it together, you and me. You wont be alone this time, I promise."
Reluctantly, Sora followed Roxas, who gently pulled him along, towards the darkness...
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Before Sora realized what was happening, he felt two larger, strong arms wrap around him tightly. A deeper voice begging him to take him with them.. a soft, warm wetness touching his skin as the older man cried words of love to him. He couldn't place his finger on it, but it felt as if this boy was asking something very valuable to him...
Sora looked up, stiff and making no motion to hug Riku. "...What do you want from me? Take you with me.. Please. Sora's sleeping, he's not dead."
"Then put me to sleep too! Please! Don't take him away from me!"
Sora frowned.. what was this guy playing at? What did he want? What could he gain from this? Nothing.. the back of his mind said.. Riku can't gain a thing.
"...You don't make any sense.." Sora quietly exclaimed "If you go to sleep, you still wont be with Sora. So give up now, okay?"
"PLEASE!" Riku nearly screamed, grasping onto Sora tighter. His words were coming through scratchy tears now, desperation never so clear as it was this moment. "Please, god, please! Sora! Wake up! Please, if you don't.. I'm not doing this without you anymore!"
Sora frowned, placing a hand at the back of Riku's head, taking handfull of that silver mane and jerking his head back to look at it. The sight made him start. His eyes widened and his heart stopped at what he saw before him.
Riku was compleately open. Tears were falling freely from his pale face, his eyes shut tightly and his teeth clenched together.. His heart.. Sora thought. It was.. breaking.
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A soft cool breeze touched his face as the scenery around him began to change. The darkness was washed away by a different image of a grassy hill near a beach, flowly gingerly with the tides new calling. Sora's eyes watched as he saw a younger version of himself sit on top of that hill with a familiar girl. Kairi..
"Kairi.." He whispered, his hand holding Roxas' a little tighter. Roxas just nodded, smiling a bit. "...You remember this place, don't you?"
"...Yeah... Right before the island was attacked by the Heartless..."
Just then he saw a boy creep up near his side. A smaller Riku, hiding behind a palm tree, just watching Sora and Kairi. Sora looked confused a second, not understanding..
"Riku was late that day..." Roxas said, looking over at Riku as well. "That day was Sora's birthday. He promised to get you something really nice."
Sora watched Riku, his eyes softening as he observed. The young man had something clentched in his hand.. Something quite familiar. As he stared at Riku shove the thing in his pocket, a light flush showing through dispite the warm orange of the setting sun, his fingers raised to touch the necklace that Riku had given him when he returned to the island nearly broken. "Iris..." He whispered, his eyes widening. "But.. Riku said he couldn't find anything. Why did he..."
Riku ran up to the two and plopped right next to Kairi with a shy laugh, rubbing the back of his head as if it didn't matter. "Sorry, Sora. I couldn't find much.. It was all kinda junky."
The younger Sora just smiled, lidding his eyes. "Your such a dork, I don't need anything! I'm so glad you came, that's all I want."
With that the image shifted. Again washed away and replaced with another vision. The day Kairi was seeing Sora off. Sora looked bright and happy, with a woman next to him. Arien.. The woman that broke his heart. Watching her roll her eyes and telling Sora he needed to act more his age, made him realize now what he didn't then. She treated him very badly from the beginning. But yet again there was someone missing from this picture...
"Where's Riku?" He asked Roxas, and the blond mearly pointed yonder to a couple of large rocks that hide the man quite well. "...He couldn't bare to see you leave. He came to see you one last time, reguardless, but he just.. couldn't say goodbye."
Sora looked a bit sad now. So that's why.. Riku didn't forget him.. And even looking at Kairi.. she looked sad too.. He never knew.. he always thought they just didn't care anymore...
Roxas turned to Sora, brushing a bit of hair from his eyes. "...Riku loved you.. from the very beginning. That's why he let you go."
"That's why he..."
"Love is only pure.. when you can honestly wish for another's happiness.. even if that happiness isn't with you. Riku wanted you to be happy.. no matter what. So he let you go..."
"Riku..." Sora said softly, covering his mouth as if it would somehow hide the tears that were threatening. "I didn't know..."
Once more the image washed away. And showed something.. extreamly enlightening. Arien was burning something at the fireplace of their old home. Letters.. one after another. His friend from that place, walking in and handing her the new mail... She only grabbed a few of the letters, tearing them up and throwing them into the fire as well. As Sora stepped up to that mail slowly, he caught a glance that made his eyes widen in shock. They were all addressed to him! From.. From Riku!
"She.. She burned the lettered Riku sent me!?"
Roxas nodded, folding his arms. "...For five years. Riku never stopped writing though. Not once.. even though you never replied."
"I thought.. he.. I thought..."
"Do you understand now? Dispite everything bad that's happened to you..You've never left Riku's mind."
Sora looked down, hugging himself tightly. He looked so sad.. he didn't know what to do. All this time, he thought.. that his life had changed after he saved Kingdom Hearts.. Everything just stopped. All his luck was gone and he had no one to say he was loved dearly by. But.. he was wrong. Blind and stupid!
Suddenly Sora turned twords Roxas, his eyes determined.. that young, robust look on his face just as when he was sixteen. "...Roxas..." He said firmly, wiping the tears from his eyes. No more crying.. no more running away.. No more denial. He was going to accept his pain.. accept the bad things in his life.. and realize, that not everything was missing. He had Riku, he had always had Riku.. How could he be so stupid!? Right in front of his eyes and he never once realized!
Roxas smiled, putting a hand over Sora's cheek. "...Looking good. Finally. I think it's time you woke from this nightmare Sora. You've been drifting in and out of it for five years.. It's about time you smelled a little coffee, huh?"
Sora nodded, eyes set and understanding everything now.
"Roxas. Thank you..." Sora said, suddenly turning around and bolting in a dead run. He was going to find his way out of here, by himself this time. He was going to find Riku one more time..
And this time, even hell wouldn't be able to tear him away.
Roxas just rubbed the back of his head, laughing a little. "What an embarassing guy. Go get him Sora... "
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It's six AM and I am so tired. I hope this doesn't suck too bad. I was trying really hard to -not- make it anti-climactic. It's hard to do since i've been winging this story from the beginning.
But thank you everybody for your support. Honestly, your comments and kind words were more than enough to keep me going with this. Even if I don't have much confidence in my writing, at least knowing i've made all of you happy and entertained even for a little bit makes me so glad I started this. So everybody, thank you so much. I mean it. :3