-SPOILERS THROUGH THE END OF KHII-
|||KHII|||
The thing most striking about the rocky, desolate beach where he and Sora find themselves, Riku thinks, is how silent it is. The waves are strangely muffled as they lap at his and Sora's shoes, and there's no bushes to rustle in the constantly stagnant air and no birds to sing and no swishing Nobodies or hungry Heartless to appear from the shadows to be met with the music of Keyblade slashes.
It's just him, Sora, the too-quiet sea, and the starless sky. It could be peaceful, but the air is too static, the loneliness too complete, and the sky is so low and feels heavy. The place seems like it's sucking his soul out with every passing minute, like it's draining him of what little energy he still had after the fight with Xemnas then the hoarde of Nobodies. The only thing Riku feels capable of doing is sitting there in the too-gritty sand with the endless, dark sea spread out in front of him, and try not to get lost in the black thoughts. He's used to warding them off, but the accusations and failures seem louder here. He supposes they are. This is the Realm of Darkness, after all, and he'll be more easily caught in the lies and despair than normal.
Riku may be more used to it than the average person, after all his time alternatively fleeing and fighting his inner darkness, but Sora isn't, Riku thinks, after time has stopped mattering, and he realizes that his friend hasn't spoken since they sat down (not that he can tell when that was, but it must have been a while ago; his leg amd his side aren't throbbing anymore, and the sand is more comfortable, like it always gets after you sit for too long in the same spot.)
When he looks over, Sora's gazing unblinkingly out into the waves, blue eyes glazed and unfocused, eyebrows slightly furrowed, and his mouth twisted in a small frown. Sora hasn't had to get used to darkness whispering in his ear or feeling its quiet presence slowly creep closer until the despair has sunk its claws into your heart. He's too bright himself and spent too much time in the light worlds and fighting to have grown a resistance to the patient, malevolent darkness which Riku's been battling all along. He looks like he's fallen asleep with his eyes open, but his breathing has slowed like his body is forgetting it needs to, and his posture is drooped, defeated. And Riku recognizes the feeling of despair, of hopelessness, and inevitability in his eyes.
Sora, just like the waves and the Realm itself, is too silent, and it's more horrifying a thought to Riku than anything else that he's losing his best friend to the endless, timeless darkness around them.
Neither of you are getting out of here anyway, something inside him whispers, sounding oh-so-trustworthy and smooth. Just let him be. Just let the waves wash away your hope too. What's the point in resisting? But Riku recognizes the lies now, even though this darkness is larger and deeper and more hopeless than his, he shakes it off with practiced force.
"Sora," Riku says, and his friend doesn't even blink. The word is quickly swallowed by the silence, and Riku makes himself move, grab Sora by the arm. "Sora," he repeats, and this time it reaches him. The Keybearer turns, eyes focusing, and takes a short breath.
"Stay with me," they're the only words that come out, though they're more emotive than normal, Riku needs Sora to wake up. He can't do this alone again. They're stuck down here, but it's together, and Riku intends to keep it that way.
For a second, Sora's eyes stay confused and still hold the dragging weariness perpetuated by the silence, but then he blinks, and his eyes clear. "Where'm I supposed to go?" he jokes, and his smile is almost wide enough to make Riku believe it's real.
Riku wants to say something else, keep Sora from sliding back into hopelessness, but the silence tugs at him again, and Sora's gaze slips back to the sea. After a second, so does Riku's. He doesn't want to just let them fade into the scenery here, be lost in timeless darkness, but he can't find a way out himself.
Just when he's starting to lose any need to try and find a way out, he feels something hit his shoe, brought in by the waves.
It's a little, glass bottle, with an innocuous-looking letter inside.
~fin~
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AN: Thank you for reading! I've been writing a lot of little drabbles, so I may be posting a little more often as far as drabbles are concerned-longer fics? Maybe not. BUt I'm slowly getting my discipline back for writing, so I hope to be updating more often.
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I really appreciate all of you who read this! Even if you don't review or follow, I am very grateful you take time to read!
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Sneak preview of drabble #6, Introduction:
Eraqus had been on his own for a long time. Master Yen Sid rarely ever left the Mysterious Tower anymore, and his messages were few and far between. Xehanort was gone, the only evidences of his leaving the scars on Eraqus' face. He was the only one to protect the Realms now, to protect the balance.
It was a heavy burden. A weary, lonely job.
He did it without a murmur. Because he was the only one who could.
But when Eraqus found himself in this murky, gray-tinged world, a new job appeared to him.
The boy wasn't more than eight years old.