If we were Together: A year has passed since their separation, and Riku and Sora have grown both in size and in mentality. Sora slept in her chamber regaining her memories while Riku watched over her clouded in the gray spaces between light and darkness.
Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. Reality likes to rear its ugly head and drag me away from my writing.
Chapter 14: Spy in Black
A photo and some ice cream… these clues that they were given were adding more questions rather than answering any of the ones she had circling inside her head. Sora was still shaken over the photograph in particular. It was her first time seeing Roxas, and now that she could see the similarities between them it made her shake.
Just who was Roxas? What was the connection between them? Where was she now that everyone was looking for her?
Axel seemed to be convinced that she had something to do with her disappearance, but she'd been asleep the entire time? She'd never even met Roxas before. So how could she be responsible?
"Ugh this is all so confusing!" She lounged in the chair pulling her legs to her chest and rubbing her face in exasperation.
"Sora you need to calm yourself down. You've been pondering over this ever since we got back to the Gummi Ship." Donald lectured and tried to comfort. "whatever those clues are I'm sure we'll figure it out when we're meant to."
"Donald is right… right now we've got to keep doing what we're doing. More importantly we can't let people from the organization get into our heads."
Right, she'd nearly forgotten about the heartless situation. If she fought heartless those hearts she released would get stolen… but she just couldn't stop… she had to help otherwise so many people would get hurt.
"Guess we'll just keep on fighting." She let her feet slide off the chair and hit the floor. The world she spotted was Mulan's world. She hoped everything there was okay. The last time they were here Mulan had been awarded as a hero, and had gained the honor and respect she'd deserved. "Wonder how she's handling the stardom."
~Riku~
How long before he won't be able to hold himself back anymore? Riku was nearly at the limit of his self control. He'd been separated from Sora for far too long and it was starting to curve his judgement. That brief moment in the darkness was close enough, but now he'd found himself being chased by her in the mountain summit in The land of Dragons.
It was bad enough he'd lost sight of the organization member he'd been following, but now he had to avoid being caught by Sora and her new friend Mulan. He'd have a hard time explaining why he was there, let alone why he looked the way he did. So he did his best ducking through the mountains and up the path. The snow made it hard to move around, the stinging wet cold caused his feet to go slightly numb and he was glad the coat provided a lot of warmth.
He spotted his target and ran after him faster. He'd gained some distance between them, and barely caught a glance of the organization member calling forth dark power and siphoning it into the ground. What was he doing, Riku wondered. It looked a lot like the spells Vincent used to use to create large heartless beasts, but what heart could possibly be around to be used in such a way?
He heard Sora's voice below, she was conversing with Mulan the woman who had been following him before. Seems they had caught up, but they'd yet sensed the danger lurking. Riku turned his head just in time to see the organization member disappear in the darkness, and replacing him was an army of heartless in the shapes of buzzing flying insects. He used his own power to phase to the bottom of the mountain behind Sora's crew… and though he knew he should be chasing after the member he lingered… and watched.
Sora's back was to him… and he took this time to admire her. He'd kept his distance but this was the closest he'd ever been to her and he wanted to savor it. She'd gotten tall, the long limbs and torso creating a soft feminine silhouette. She wasn't curvaceous, but he could make out the slight changes of her hips and chest showing she was growing into her womanhood… a thought that had the flow of blood rushing to his cheeks. .as well as other places.
She summoned her keyblade which snapped him out of his daze. He glanced up seeing that army of heartless coming down the mountain. Sora's friends rushed forward to deal with a patch of their own… but sora paused… and turned. Their gazes met, and though his face was shrouded he could feel her gaze intensify as if trying to pierce through the darkness.
~Sora~
"Hey you, quit sneaking around!" She warned him. She got a fluttering feeling in her stomach. There was something about this man that made her uneasy. It was strange because all the other organization members just pissed her off, or annoyed her. Yet for some reason this one had her nerves tingling.
Her expression changed when the cloaked male stretched out an arm and pointed behind her. She whirled around just in time to swipe at a heartless that was coming in too close. She looked back, seeing the stranger had drawn his weapon, one that raised alarms in Sora's head. It looked… familiar.
Unable to think much on it Sora drew her attention to defeating heartless, catching moments of luck when her attacks aimed upon the stranger. She dodged and grunted when he attacked back in defense, but for the most part this opponent was just standing still poised to strike. What was he planning? What was his purpose here?
The heartless died down and dispersed as their powers measured up on each other. She couldn't help but feel as though she'd done this before. This vibe and sensation were sending off so many bells and whistles. Who was he? Who was this man? Whose face was behind the darkness?
Their weapons clashed and the edge of her blade caught on his chest… as they broke apart something ripped away from him and skidded off into the snow. Sora's eyes followed it, and the man as he panically grabs for it before it could be buried in the snow. Sora's hands fell and the keyblade with it when she saw the item he held and quickly tucked away... A star shaped pendant.
He ran from her… Sora's feet clumsily following as her head tried to wrap around the idea of what she saw. "That guy.. he… no why would he?" She stretched out a hand as if to touch the vanishing figure in the distance. "Riku?"
She ran toward the dark, her fingers gently brushing against the cold before it all faded away and Riku with it.
~Riku~
Riku reappeared but this time in front of the Palace. His heart pounded in his chest and he clutched it and the pendant close in hand. Damn it, even someone as dense as Sora would be able to make this connection. He looked to the star in his hand gritting his teeth. He had hoped to pass off as just another organization member, but this pendant and more than likely his fighting style had given away his identity to the one person he had wanted to keep his true self hidden from.
"Damn it, I just had to get involved. I just had to be close to her again, even if it was in the heat of battle. Now this could mess things up… How will I be able to keep this face hidden from her now that she knows where to find me?"
Scared, and angry at himself Riku stood there shivering a moment, taking the absence of people to his advantage to try and collect his thoughts and composure. Still his calm didn't last long. As soon as he could breathe again he felt the tremor of power, and his eyes shot up towards the mountain he had just escaped from.
He could just make out the large dragonesque creature erupting from the mountain top and spiraling around towards the city.
"I get it now… that guy must have been manipulating some sort of beast that dwelled in the mountain and used it to create a heartless." He made a run for the palace doors. "I'm sure Sora and the others can handle it, but the emperor needs to be warned, otherwise his people could get hurt."
He busted through the gates, beating off guards without giving them too much damage. When he reached the inside Captain Shang stood in his path. "Who are you? How dare you barge into the palace this way?"
"I don't have time to deal with you. I have a very important message to deliver to your ruler." He let his sword materialize into his palm. The blade meeting Shangs in a quick rush of clanking metal, but being the stronger of the true Rikku quickly knocked Shang aside and down. Riku dispersed his weapon coming face to face with the emperor and frowning. "Sorry to barge in, but as I said I have an important message for you."
"You, you're the rumored spy in black that has been lingering in the mountains?"
"I guess you could say that… but I'm no enemy of yours, your highness. I've come to warn you. The people I have been tracking are men of great evil, and they've disturbed something up in the mountains. You've seen the small heartless lingering about.. .well the beast that's headed your way is far bigger and more powerful than them."
"If what you say is true, then I must alert my troops." He turned his head to Shang, about to give the order, but paused when Riku raised a hand.
"Not necessary your majesty… you've already got all the protection you need. The monster wasn't the only thing I found in the mountains. Two wise guys and their leader have shown up, and you can bet they'll take care of things." Riku turned and headed down the steps. "My advice to you is to clear the courtyard completely of people and give them a wide open space in which to fight in."
"Now hold on a second young man… just who is it are you in reference to?"
Riku stopped, pausing and slowly turning his head back to look at the emperor. The Dark warp appeared and Riku let out a lil laugh. "Let's just say we both know a girl who's really good at getting herself and others in and out of trouble."
~Sora~
The battle against the dragon heartless had been rough, but they'd managed. After the battle Sora and the others were called forth back to the temple, and the only thing Sora requested when offered a reward was to know what the man in black had said to him.
The emperor was surprised by her humble request, but could see it meant a great deal to her. So he explained all that had happened… what Riku had seen and had said to him about the dragon… and about her. He couldn't help but smile when he saw the delight spread across her face in hearing those words.
"That's gotta be Riku!" Sora shouted clenching her fists to her chest and jumping up and down.
"What's he doing with organization 13?" Goofy asked. He and Donald had shared concerned looks and both wondered about it and Riku's behavior.
"I"m not sure… but I'm so relieved." Sora said closing her eyes to stop the sting of tears. "When Saix said that I may not see Riku again, and that he was dipped too far into darkness for me to see both him and Kairi.. I feared the worse. Now, at least I know he's okay, that he's not trapped."
"Yeah. but-" Donald began to protest but Sora turned to him smiling.
"No buts… Riku must have his reasons. Just like with Vincent he may have been coerced, or he may be doing something completely different… but he's still Riku, no matter what." She believed in him. She added silently and fingered her charm. The bond between them was strong, and it was what let her know that Riku was still riku, and that he was not a victim of the darkness. He was working hard on a goal… she wasn't sure what it was, or why he needed the Darkness in order to obtain it, but she gave her support.
Go Riku… I know we'll be together again soon.
~Riku~
One world taken care of but so many more in peril. They had to figure out a way to stop the organization before history repeated itself and the worlds were tumbled into darkness. After leaving The land of the Dragons, Riku circled the remaining worlds, he found Xaldin who was lingering around Beast's castle but with Sora finishing her business in the previous world and following closely behind he doubted he had much to worry about.
Still parts of him twinged in guilt leaving a great portion of responsibility onto Sora's shoulders. Sure she was a keyblade wielder but it left him uneasy making her fight these organization members on her own.
He wished he could fight with her. but it wasn't possible… he just couldn't bring himself to face her the way he was Though he wanted so badly to get close, to hold her, touch her hair… kiss her. He knew he couldn't do so in this form… no so much because he resembled Ansem.. but because this form was tainted with darkness… it was a defiled form and there was no way he was letting the precious source of his light become tainted by it.
He looked to his pendant again memories filling his mind. One in particular playing over and over in his head like a bad record. The moment they closed the door… he remembered seeing her on the other side, seeing her sad face, and the shock when he kissed her. He had liked the way her cheeks had flushed red, and the way her fingers had gently lifted to touch them.
It was watching her, and those little movements that had him confessing his feelings for her right then and there. "I love you…"
He had meant it… and had been swamped with relief that he'd had the guts to say it then before the doors had closed. had he waited he probably would have never been able to express his true feelings.
"I know I promised we would someday meet again… but until I can look at you with my own face, my own body… that day will just have to wait." Until then he would keep this charm close to his heart… keep her light with him. He would protect her at a distance and make sure she followed the right path.
"Alright Riku," He told himself putting away the charm. "That's enough moping and sentiment… it's time to get back to work." He stepped through the opening, the World that Never Was coming into view. Kairi was up there somewhere, and he had to find her. Once she was safe again Riku would go back to following Sora and making sure she found a way to the world so they could put an end to Xemnas' plans.
Yay! Okay so this next chapter I was gonna include as kind of an extra but since Ive made you guys wait so long I'm gonna use it as kind of a filler til I can work the last few chapters out and post them up for you.
Can you guess which world we'll be visiting?
Next Chapter: Sora's Song