Okay, so we left off on Riku's POV, but I said it again so no one would get confused! What will happen to Jessica now? Will she make it if she refuses to jump?
Happy reading and tell me what you think!
Chapter 4
(Riku POV)
Jessica stood stock still on the crooked tower top as it slipped still further down, slanting still farther until it was almost strange up and down. She slipped, flailing slightly as she screamed, desperate to keep her balance. She looked up at me, her eyes showing me the depths of her uncontrollable fear and desperation as she struggled not to fall.
"Hurry up Jessica, jump before it's too late! Come on!" Sora yelled to her, his hands cupped around his mouth as he screamed. She shook her head at him, backing away still farther from that perilous tower's edge. Crying out in anger and desperation, Sora turned to look at me instead, his face screwed up in panic. "Why won't she jump? She's going to fall but she won't jump to save herself!"
I looked silently at Sora, unsure of what to say to him for one of the first times in my life. I didn't have an answer for him, because I was confused myself. Why won't Jessica jump? I looked back at her, examining her face as she looked up at me fleetingly before returning her gaze to the tower's edge she feared to fall from.
And then I suddenly remembered in sickening shock that wracked my body and brain that she had looked at me with that same look once before, the only other time in my life I had seen her as afraid as she was now or ever really, she always tried to his her fear from us. It was the same look she had given me on the night I made her the promise, the promise that even now I was breaking by doing nothing. That night she had looked at me through the fence as she clung for dear life with that same fear lurking in the depths of those beautiful eyes, fearing the fall that awaited her but I had prevented from happening only just in time. (A/N: Those of you who have read my 'A Light Inside' will remember the night Riku's talking about obviously as its part of the flashback in that story. Those of you who haven't that story, sorry if you're confused as to what Riku's talking to himself about)
"What is it?" Sora asked me, breaking my line of thought as I stared at Jessica. I looked back at him, seeing terror etched in his face. "Do you know what's wrong with her, why she won't jump?"
"Yes, I know." I said. My throat felt dry, causing my voice to crack slightly under the pressure and nerves. "Jessica's afraid of heights."
"Is that why she never climbed trees or anything with us back home? And why she never went over the bridge to our tree without you close if she could help it?" I nodded and he gasped, everything finally making perfect sense to him, all her strange habits she had taken up to stay away from the thing she feared most. I had known all along of course because she had told me, but I had sworn not to tell, to help her keep her well guarded secret. "What are going to do to help her then? Can we help her at all? I feel useless just watching her as she scrambles around the top of the tower."
"I have an idea." I said quickly, bringing the flyer as close to the tower and Jessica as was possible without smashing into it and sending Sora and I to our deaths miles below. We were about a yard or two away from Jessica, but not as far as when Sora had jumped. "Jessica darling, jump quickly! I know you're scared, but I swear I'll catch you before you can fall. I promise I will, nothing will happen to you, trust me and just jump before time runs out, please!"
The look on her face before she jumped as she looked up into my face was strange, a look I would never forget until my dying day, I knew as she gave it to me. Her face was filled with a mix of emotions I had never seen together starting out from her eyes, some of them never at all. Fear that she would fall to her death, confusion at how this had all happened to her, hope that she would make the jump, and complete trust that I would catch her and protect her as I had sworn to do. Running as she went she jumped for us, pushing off from the tower as she did. She fell a tad short and merely brushes against the bike, screaming as she began to fall.
Letting go of the handles I grabbed her wrists, one of hers in each of my own, stopping her from falling. She screamed, thrashing about below us, making it very difficult for me to keep a good hold on her. I felt her slipping out of my grasp and leaned back, pulling her up a little in doing so. I knew she must be terrified, but so was I in that moment of panic.
"Hold still so I can pull you up, okay?" I called down to her, and she immediately fell still as I pulled her up into my arms. It wasn't hard for me to lift her, seeing as I had often carried her back up to my room on the days she fell asleep at the beach as the two of us watched the sunset from the sand together, but when she had thrashed about it had been impossible for me to pull her up. She wrapped her arms around my neck, her forehead pressed lightly against my own as she cried. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly, comforting her the best I could while trying to keep us airborne. She stopped crying, slipping behind me onto the back of the seat, holding me about the waist as I began to fly us away from the crumbling tower. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"
"Speak for yourself!" Jessica and Sora said together, shouting at me. Sora had been watching the whole time, biting at his fingernails it seemed instead of being any help to us. He had nearly fainted he admitted when Jessica had fallen. There was a strange roar heard below us, and a great silver mechanical dragon flew out from under us, soaring passed.
"After it, quick!" Sora yelled, swinging his keyblade around expertly as we soared off. I nodded at him, and we were off in a spurt of speed. As I drove, Sora killed the nobodies that came whizzing at us like they had been shot out of cannons, Jessica meanwhile watching and attacking the ones that attempted to sneak up on us from behind. The dragon stopped, and we found ourselves facing a familiar villain, the deadly king that Xemnas had transformed into to defeat us when Sora, Donald, Goofy and I had been locked behind the door together. This was the first time I had witnessed Jessica's skill on the battle field as we fought the mysterious king, and I was shocked at how much she knew and the attacks she could pull off on her own. She could pull things off I had never seen anyone do and attacks I could never dream of being able to do. She was doing better than Sora even, running forward into it with everything she had behind her attacks, even if they failed.
A bright light surrounded us as our villain cried out in anger and frustration. When I finally looked around, I saw we were in a strange gray and white realm that stretched out around us in all directions in a never ending pattern. I shuddered, reminded all too vividly of the time I had spent in the realm of darkness. Jessica seemed to sense my discomfort, slipping her small hand into my large pale one.
"If light and darkness go on forever, than surely the nothingness we nobodies feel must be the same. And surely I must be eternal, as eternal as the nothing that made me exist." Xemnas said, lecturing us in his arrogance and ignorance.
"You're right." I said, stepping forward and dropping Jessica's hand. He looked at me, glaring viscously. "Light and dark do go on forever, but that doesn't mean you do!" I shouted, running forward. I lashed out suddenly, attempting to strike him down and he blocked the blow, retaliating swiftly. I dodged him, ducking as quickly and low as I could. His weapon passed right over my head, barley missing me, the force of the blow ruffling my hair so it blew about my face as if caught in a high wind blowing off the ocean waves I had known as a child growing up on the islands.
"No!" I heard Jessica yell, rushing forward to my aid, engaging Xemnas in combat. Sora came right behind her, jumping up and bearing down upon Xemnas fiercely and relentlessly. I quickly joined the battle once more, my keyblade at the ready as I pounced. Xemnas fought, taking all of us on at once. He struck Sora down, his keyblade flying from his hand as he fell. I caught it in my hand, calling out his name as I threw it to him. He looked around, catching it in the tips of his fingers just in time to block Xemnas' next blow that was aimed for his heart that he had left unguarded. Jessica jumped in to help Sora at this point, striking Xemnas swiftly from behind in the small of the back which he had left unguarded. He cried out, doubling over before turning to rain his furry down upon her. She fought back bravely, but he kept advancing on her, out doing her with two weapons so all she could do was defend and not attack herself as not to be caught off guard and hit. Jessica lost her footing and fell onto her back, Xemnas still attacking her forcefully as Sora ran to help. I panicked as I ran to her aid. Out of lack of options and time to think things through I threw myself bodily against him, knocking into him with my shoulder. Pain shot up my arm as he and I both slipped sideways as we lost our balance, Jessica jumping into my path as I tumbled to the ground, fighting in my place as Sora helped me off the ground.
The fight dragged on, each of us taking blows for the good and well being of everyone we had ever known and loved back in all the worlds we had ever visited over the past two years. Xemnas took the most damage, fighting back at all costs. All at once in a sudden last effort of sorts, he beat Sora back, sending him flying across the realm of nothing before us to land painfully on his side, getting up slowly. I turned to run and help him, but –
"Riku, look out behind you!" Jessica yelled suddenly, yelling out to me. I turned around quickly, eyes widening as I saw Xemnas raising his arms, smirking at me as he went to strike. I flinched and closed my eyes, unable to do anything at all in time to save myself from the fate before me. My life flashed before my eyes, seeming all too short and miserable for me to be murdered as I braced myself.
But the blow never fell upon me. I felt small hands pushing me sideways, out of the way. I fell backwards, twisting in the air to watch in horror as Xemnas' blow struck the angel that had just saved my life. He rained several blows down on the body, sneering as he destroyed it. Jessica gasped as she was struck, the wind being knocked out of her as she fell to the ground, unmoving before Xemnas' feet as he continued to advance.
"Jessica!" I shouted, but she didn't move. I scrambled up from the floor, racing to her body to flip her over into my slightly shaking arms as Sora reentered the fight, buying me precious time to help her. She opened her eyes a sliver, looking up at me as she gasped for breath. Sputtering like a dying candle, she groped for my hand and I took it, pressing it against my cheek as bitter guilty tears slipped down the tip of my nose onto her face. "Jessica, no. Why did you do that? Why would you do something that stupid, you got hurt because of it!"
"Are you - alright Riku? Are you – hurt at - all?" She asked sweetly and quietly, her voice breaking as she struggled for air. "I did it because I – love you so much. People do – stupid things for - the ones they – care about. Please say I didn't do it all for nothing."
"I'm fine, you made sure of that my love." I sobbed, pulling her closer. She smiled, making my insides squirm guiltily. "Please don't go, don't leave me like this. I love you."
"I love – you as well. You'll live on Riku, you will." Jessica smiled, stroking my cheek with her trembling hand. "Live on – for me, promise? I can't bear to see – you sad, my dear Riku. Promise me you'll live on without me."
"Jessica, no." I said, struggling to stifle another sob. "You'll be fine, I know it! You just have to make it. You just have to!"
"Promise me! Riku!" She said, grabbing the collar of my shirt to pull herself forward up into my face. She was straining herself, the blood and color leaving her face as she struggled to remain upright.
"Jessica, my darling." I said quietly, staring into her sweetly determined face. "I promise." She looked relieved, letting go and falling back onto the floor slowly. She didn't move, her eyes staring ahead of her dully like a puppet thrown away and forgotten. "Jessica?"
Nothing, nothing at all, just the overwhelming silence and the numb feeling clouding my heart as I stared down at her unmoving body. I reached out a hand to take hers. It was cold and clammy, and raising it up I watched it fall back to rest on her leg when I let it go.
"She's gone." I murmured, shocked beyond reason. Jessica, the love of my life, the angel of my soul, the light that led me through the darkness surrounding me, was lying dead before me. And all because she had pushed me out of harms way to protect me from getting hurt, and she had suffered because of her wanting to take care of me. "Jessica's gone. She's really gone, she's left me for good this time and I can never get her back."
"What?" Sora said sharply, turning to look at me, caught off guard. Xemnas went to strike as Sora looked down horrified at Jessica's limp body, and I did the only think that made sense.
Acting as Jessica had, on instinct more than thought or planning I slammed into Sora, pushing him in the small of the back. He flew out of the way with a 'What are you doing' look as Xemnas stuck me in the back, his blade running along my spine. Gasping in pain, I fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, unable to move. Xemnas went to strike again, and I raised my keyblade to block him – but Sora got there first.
Sora, pushed him back, taking my hand so we both held my keyblade, his in his other hand as we finished it, Xemnas was gone for good in a burst of dark energy. I stood up, wincing slightly as I put pressure on my left leg. My leg felt like lead making it difficult for me to stand and I swayed. Looking over to where I had abandoned Jessica's body, watching with a heavy heart as Sora walked slowly over to her, dropping to his knees beside her. He had loved Jessica like a sister, just as Kairi loved her in her special way. Overcome with emotion and unable to stand on my own any longer, I let myself fall forward onto my face, willing the ground to open beneath me and swallow me up so I could slowly suffocate and return to my one true love, where ever she was.
"Riku!" Sora yelled, running to me to help me up. I looked up just in time to see Jessica's body fading, but not in the way that Xemnas' had. Jessica went out in a burst of pale light, causing her body to glow as it disintegrated. "You can't give up Riku, you just can't!"
"Why not Sora? Jessica's gone now, there's no point to life anymore." I said, gesturing at the space around us from where I lay on the ground. "Look at where we are Sora! Even if we could go on, where would we go?"
"Aw, come on Riku, you have to think positive!" Sora said, hauling me to my feet, clutching onto the back of my hands to half guild, half drag me toward a strange light that appeared before us as we walked. It reminded me of Jessica and the light she always seemed to give off, welcoming me. Unlike the door before, this light didn't scare me, because I knew my angel was looking out for me and that she had sent us this path out of this realm of nothing we were left in, all alone. "Look Riku! It's a light. I wonder where it leads to, let's find out."
We walked through the light, ending up on a strange dark beach. It was a small area, just dark sand and dark water. Somehow I felt at home here, like I finally belonged. Sora stopped walking and I pulled away, convincing him I could stand on my own. He walked down towards the water and while he had his back turned, I gave into the pull of the power before me. I let myself go, falling down onto the cold, dark sand, wishing I could fade back into the darkness as I had wanted to back when I was locked behind the Door to Darkness and my heart and hers had sent me Jessica's image to help me pull through. (A/N: Once again, sorry if you're confused as to what Riku's talking about. It's something out of my other story again, 'A Light Inside')
Sora turned around, having obviously been talking to me when I wasn't listening and turned to check why I wasn't answering him, rushing over to me to help me up again. But I didn't want help, unless he could speed up the fading process. Sora convinced me to give up trying to fade away, that the two of us could make up the darkness instead now that the realm of light was safe and all.
"Sora?" I asked suddenly, looking down at the water. It reminded me of the beaches on Destiny Islands and our islet playground. "Could you help me get down to the water?"
"Sure." Sora said helping me struggle down to the water were we sat together, talking about life and our journeys and how lucky we were to have each other and to be friends. I cared for Sora as my best friend, and even as I was slightly happier that Sora was with me, I still wanted my angel back. I'd take Jessica over Sora any day. We sat in silence for a while, staring out at the dark water as the breeze swept over us, chilling the skin of my face. I closed my eyes, soaking it all in, smiling.
A bottle carried on the wavy water floated about my ankles and opening my eyes I grabbed it, uncorking it to read the letter curled up inside. It was more like a poem than anything else. Somehow I knew it was written by Kairi about Sora from when she had been back on the islands alone waiting for us to return. I nudged him, handing him the letter. He read it out loud to me like he read anything else, seeing as he never was the best at school subjects and things that didn't involve being lazy or waving a sword around like a medieval knight. As he read, he got teary eyed and I could feel his heart aching with longing to see Kairi again and have her back in his arms, and a bright doorway appeared before us. Shielding his eyes from the light, he stared over at me, looking for some reaction or answer.
"Look Riku! The – it's the Door to Light!" Sora said, jumping up and running to the doorway that had appeared a bit out in the shallow water. He turned back to me, offering me a hand that I stared at blearily. "We'll go together, okay?"
I stared up at him, tempted to tell his to shove off and leave me here were I could mope about and mourn my lost love in peace, but Jessica's dying promise kept me quiet and from answering at once as I longed to do. I swore to her as she died that I would live on without her, but I also knew she meant in the company of other people we both cared about, like Sora and Kairi, not all alone to live life as a loner on this beach we had found. But that was what I wanted, to be alone the rest of my life, as I knew my heart could never mend or escape from the pain I was feeling. I would never love again, just as I would never forgive myself for what had happened to Jessica back in the realm of nothingness that Xemnas had lived in.
"Riku?" Sora asked insistently, shaking his hand in invitation.
"I'll go with you, as long as I don't have to go alone." I said finally, pushing myself up to stand. Together we walked forward hand in hand into the light before us, neither of us having or wanting to do this alone. We were suddenly falling from the sky, falling down until all I felt was wet and cool water surrounding me, making its way inside my body and brain. I broke the surface of the water with my head, breathing in deeply to fill my lungs with the salty sea air. I had missed the breeze and the sea spray hitting me gently in the face, making me forget for a moment why I had been so sad before.
"Sora, Riku!"
We both looked around to see Kairi, standing on the beach, waving and smiling to us. She beckoned us forward, and we began to swim for the beach together, racing just as we used to before all the chaos, just for the fun of the chase and the thrill of the rushing water against our skin. Donald and Goofy ran out from behind Kairi, running to tackle Sora, pushing him down into the shallower water at Kairi's feet as she laughed at his shocked expression. The King was standing on the beach smiling at me before he pelted forward, running to jump into my arms. I hugged him tightly, smiling into his shoulder. It was nice to have someone hold me close again, but no one could ever replace my angel. I dreaded the thought of having to tell Kairi that Jessica was dead, knowing she would burst into tears and never be the same again. Donald, Goofy and the King would need to be told as well, but I knew I couldn't tell them, any of them. I still hadn't accepted it myself quite yet.
"Any room for me in that hug?"
I jerked away from the King, looking up the beach at the person who had spoken. I recognized that voice immediately, but I couldn't believe I was hearing it again. My mouth fell open and I dropped the King so that he fell down into the water below my feet. The water was only up to my knees, but the King was a lot shorter than I was. But I didn't care. All I could do was stare at the person in front of my face as though struggling to really see them, the person who was even know running out to me smiling with arms open wide, the person who was pulling me tightly against their body as I cried out of joy and confusion. I didn't know how it was possible; all I knew was that it was happening, that this was real.
I smiled through my tears, looking down into Jessica's smiling face, pulling her higher up in my arms to kiss her passionately, my tears mingling with hers as she held me close to her. I didn't know how she was here or how she was alive or if this was just another trick my heart was playing on me, but I didn't care. All I knew was that I had her back, and I was never letting her go again.
OMG! How is this possible, she's dead! You'll have to wait until next time to find out, sorry to leave you out of the loop! Tee hee! Until next time, best wishes and good writing and reading to you all!