The Night Within My Eyes
Description: A sequel to Kingdom Hearts II. When a Gummi Ship crashes into Disney Castle, King Mickey calls on Sora and Riku to help a previously unknown world rid itself of some very familiar Heartless. Pairings: RikuxOC, plus some SoraxKairi because they're cute. Rated T because I can't see myself ever writing K.
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix. But you knew that already.
Twenty-One
It hadn't taken Riku very long to learn that Reno liked to talk. He liked to talk a lot. While Cera and Kairi lagged behind and chatted like they had been best friends for years, he, Sora, and Yuko walked near the red-head and listened to his life story. Apparently, he was the son of a Midgar CEO millionaire and had been on Balamb visiting his grandmother when the apprentices attacked.
"Pissed me off at first," he drawled in his lazy, confident voice. "Of all times Hell had to break loose on this hick planet, it had to be when I was here seeing the old lady. But then I met Cera, so it was totally worth it." He grinned. "Of course, if my old man finds out I'm dating someone as low-born and poor as her, he'll disown me."
"Stuck-up, rich kid!" Cera called from behind them.
"Dirty gutter wench!" he called back.
"Aw, is the pampered, white-bread babe afraid of a little dirt? Scared of getting your manicured hands soiled?"
Reno laughed and shook his head. "Man, I love her," he confessed. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
He had been leading them down a small dirt path that had branched away from the main road, and now he turned off it into the surrounding forest at a seemingly-random point. After trudging through thick underbrush for several minutes, they finally emerged into a small clearing. Tucked away in that little secret spot was a wooden cabin.
Yuko stopped walking. Riku turned to her in confusion. "I remember this place," she murmured in a distant tone. "We used to come here as children."
Ahead, Reno had kept walking, and he commented, "We don't really have any guards up since there's no point looking around for enemies that can pop out of nowhere. Yo!" he called to two brown-haired boys sitting next to each other on the porch. As they turned their heads, Riku could see they were identical twins, no older than twelve.
"Hey, Reno!" one of them called. "The boss was just about to come out looking for you."
"Yeah," the other said, "and he wasn't too happy."
"Oh great," Reno muttered as the first boy leaned up and shouted through a window, "Reno and Cera are back!"
"It's about time!" a strong male voice thundered. The door crashed open, and a well-built blond stepped through and down the steps. His blue eyes found Reno's and glared. "I swear, if you two rabbits have been at it again when you're supposed to be scouting, I'm gonna send you out to the fortress next time! See how well you can get it on with Ienzo watchin' ya from the window."
Reno laughed at him. "Yeah, yeah, I know you're just jealous. Hey ..." He hooked his thumb back at the rest of the party who had all entered the clearing and fanned out behind him. "We found some new folks, and they totally smashed the Heartless that attacked us."
"You got attacked?" one of the twins squeaked.
"By Heartless?" the other added in a higher pitch.
"And you're still alive?" the first one finished in a tone that could splinter glass.
"Yeah," Reno replied, grinning. "Come and meet 'em."
While this conversation had been going on, Riku had run his eyes over the blond leader again and again. He looked familiar somehow. The young man had a tattoo over the left side of his face like branching fingers, and Riku knew he had never seen that before. But his eyes and the shape of his face sparked something in his memory. It wasn't until he realized that Yuko, standing beside him, had stopped breathing that he remembered.
"Zell!"
The blond turned his head to her, confused. He ran his eyes over her as she stood there in shock. "Yeah, that's right," he said. "Do I know you?"
She took a few tottering steps forward. "It's me," she said shakily. "It's Yuko."
Zell peered at her for a minute, unsure. Then, recognition lit up his face in a bright blaze. "Yuko!" he hollered. He sprinted to her, picked her up bodily, and swung her around, laughing like a child on Christmas morning. "Yuko's here!" Putting her down and admiring her at arms' length, he crowed, "Look at my girl, a fancy SeeD just like she said she'd be. Although," he frowned, "what in the name of blitz have you done to your hair? And your eyes? Is this some sort of Midgar fad, 'cause I don't like it." He looked disapprovingly at Reno as if the whole thing were the red-head's fault.
"No, Zell," she told him softly. "I got like this because … because I've been in the machine."
Zell drew back, his eyes wide. Yuko rested a hand on his shoulder and continued, "I'll tell you everything in a bit. I … I'm just so glad to see you. I thought I'd never …"
"What?" he laughed away her threatening sobs. "You thought a little thing like the end of the world was going to stop me? Nah. Not happening." He pulled her into a huge hug and laughed some more. "You should know I'm indestructible."
"His head is, that's for sure."
"Hey!" Zell snapped at Reno. "I heard that. Take your girl inside and get something cooking to eat. We have guests! And no rabbiting, or I'll Mach Kick your head."
"Yeah, yeah," Reno returned with a lazy wave of his hand. "C'mon, Cera. We gotta go be housewives." She appeared at his side and took his elbow, smiling.
"Kain, Kel, you go help them."
"Yes, Zell!" the twins chirped. They bolted into the cabin; Reno and Cera followed at a slower pace.
Riku stood with Sora and Kairi, all three waiting to be brought into the conversation. However, while he could tell that his two friends felt nothing other than happiness for Yuko's reunion with her old friend, he fought within himself to keep the jealousy at bay. It was stupid of him to feel like this. He had promised her his patience and his trust, and she had accepted them with gratitude and relief -- reactions that spoke loudly of her feelings for him even if her voice remained silent. But at that time, Zell had been dead, and now she knew he was still very much alive. And something in the way he rested his arms against her waist made Riku feel slightly sick.
What is wrong with you? First Vincent and now Zell. Can't the girl have any friends? Why can't you accept that she has a past that doesn't include you?
Because then maybe she'll choose a future that doesn't include me.
He felt a warmth in his hand and looked down to see that Kairi had taken it in her own. She smiled encouragingly up at him. Briefly, he cursed himself for allowing his pain to be noticed by her, but the friendship in her face soothed him. She conveyed with nothing more than her eyes that he had nothing to be afraid of. He smiled at her. Princess of Heart indeed.
"Zell, what happened to your face?" Yuko asked. She lifted her fingers and traced along the black lines in a way that made Riku squeeze Kairi's hand a bit more tightly.
He shrugged nonchalantly. "One of the black things got me. I managed to pound it into dust but not before it had swiped at me. Mark hasn't gone away, and at this point I doubt it will."
Sora piped up, "That's not a tattoo? You got it from a Heartless?"
Zell turned his bright eyes to him. "Yeah, that's right. Who are you guys anyway? You Yuko's new friends?" He returned his attention to Yuko and tried to tickle her. "You replaced me and Vinnie, didja? Fickle little witch! Does he know? Huh, does he?"
Even though Riku knew Zell had just been playing around, the young man's choice of words and his actions caused Riku to flush with anger. He dropped Kairi's hand and took a step forward, intending to make the blond knock it off -- using force if necessary -- but Yuko's reaction accomplished the task for him.
"Zell, please. Please don't."
Zell stepped back, shocked and confused by the torturous pain woven in her face and in her voice. Once he had recovered, he took her hands in his and stroked them gently. "Hey, it's okay," he soothed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. You know what an idiot I am." He watched her carefully as she nodded her head and bit her lip. After a moment, his eyes drifted to Riku who still stood nearby with fury etched in his face. Zell looked from him to Yuko to him again. Then his eyes lit up, and he grinned.
Dropping Yuko's hands and stepping back, Zell said in a bright voice, "Well, all of you come on in. I'll fill you in on what's been happening here, and you can tell me your story, too. And we can eat. Reno's cooking tastes like mud, but Cera is pretty good and she knows how to keep him in line." He waved his hand and started leading them to the porch. "C'mon!"
Sora and Kairi followed the boisterous blond inside, leaving Riku and Yuko alone on the grass. He carefully stepped beside her, unsure of her current mood or thoughts.
"You okay?" he asked gently.
"Yeah," she eventually answered. She lifted a hand to her heart. "That hurt."
"He didn't mean it."
A small smile crept into her face. "I know. He's such an impetuous, blundering fool." She lifted her head and gazed at the cabin, happiness filling her face. "And he's alive. All three of us are alive." She paused for a moment, organizing her thoughts, and Riku watched her, uncertain as to whether she still cared he was there. "We've all been touched by darkness," she finally continued. "But Zell is just the same, and Vincent will come back once he's sorted himself out. And I …" She turned to him and held out a hand. "I have you, Riku, to help me find my light again."
He stood there for a moment, frozen by the happiness and relief that flooded over him. Then, he took her hand and felt a warm tingling rise up his arm. She stepped closer and slipped her arms around his neck in a hug. Before she laid her head down on his shoulder, she whispered, "Thank you," and gently kissed his cheek. He had no tongue with which to reply -- his overflowing heart had stolen it away -- so he rested his head on hers and held her close.
Kairi had been right. He had had no reason to be afraid. No reason at all.