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: We're starting to get close to the ending of the second installment. It has come to my attention that some viewers may like a Chain of Memories installment. I had decided against it Originally because I didn't think much would change in the way of content at the time, plus it's the one KH game I have a hard time getting through to the end ... it's probably the longest KH installment thus far... ugh.. =_= doors, numbers, running in circles. Still if my readers want CoM they get CoM.
So we have some options.
TOTAL REVAMP! : Basically where I recreate the entire story from scratch with only a few major plot points stayin, including Sora losing memories, Castle Oblivion, and Organization 13.
Short but Sweet: A basic summary of the entire game listed in a series of flashbacks and monologues. I plan on doing this with DDD and this could be a good practice run on seeing how it works.
True to the material: this options is for if you just want me to do as I have been doing and sticking close to the original story as possible. I will be meshing Sora and Riku's storylines so they coincide in the correct timeline but other than that it'll be as if you're playing the game.
Exnay, with honorable Mention: I can do as I had originally planned and give CoM a brief honorable mention in "If We had Hearts" which is the 358/2 days that coincides within the same timeline.
The choice, my dear readers, is yours.
Chapter 19: Reunited
Kairi stared wide eyed at the face of her former enemy. She remembered Ansem… the man who'd possessed Riku's body and used him to fight against Sora and their friends. She remembered the dark laugh, the ominous aura… but there was something… different about this Ansem that stood before her.
Namine stepped up to her touching her shoulder. "Trust your heart, Kairi. You'll understand."
Kairi glanced at Namine, then looked back up at Ansem. Touching his hand she let her heart guide her actions… she felt.. calm, relaxed. There was a presence here, something that felt friendly… but wary. "Riku… it really IS you. What happened to you?"
"In order to battle inside the Darkness…" Namine spoke. "Riku immersed himself in darkness, and sacrificed his physical form so he could watch over and protect Sora from a distance."
"You talk too much, Namine." Riku grunted and pulled his hand from Kairi and turning his back to her.
"Does Sora know?" When Riku shook his head Kairi stepped forward again. "Where is she, Riku?"
"She's in the castle, searching for you." He crossed his arms. "I guided her here, so the two of you could escape together."
"Escape? Riku don't tell me you intend to fight them all on your own? Sora would never allow that!"
"Which is why she'll never know." He starts walking. "Come on, let's go find her."
Kairi frowned at him… pausing and turning around to ask Namine something but the blonde girl had vanished. She looked around confused and then quickly ran after Riku. The stark gray decor made it easy to feel lost in this world. If she didn't stay close to Riku, Kairi feared she'd quickly lose herself in this inbetween world.
Questions began to rise again, questions involving Riku, and what had happened to him between Ansem's defeat, and now. She'd heard he'd been locked behind the doors of Kingdom Hearts, trapped in the realm of darkness. Was this what caused him to do this?
"About a year ago…" Riku spoke suddenly. "I had completely given into Darkness, and betrayed the person I cared about most." He touched a wall peering around the corner checking for enemies. "She defeated the Darkness, and the heartless known as Ansem who had used me… but his presence continued to linger inside, continually trying to pull me back again."
"Your heart was stronger than his, once you became aware of what he was doing, I'm sure you could overcome it."
"I was stronger, but when you've got a bird nipping at your skin, no matter how small the prick… once they've done it over and over, eventually the skin will break and you begin to bleed. I kept my distance from Sora, afraid that one day that the thin armor I had trapped him in would eventually wear down, and release the monster inside."
He motioned her ahead and the two of them jogged down the steps of the world. He heard a ruckus ahead and stopped so he could finish, "I will continue to protect Sora, that will never change… but I've given up trying to be close to her. Her heart belongs to the light… and I won't let the darkness in mine taint it."
"I really don't think that's your decision to make, Riku." Kairi hugged her arms behind her back and walked ahead of him. She heard a familiar voice, a girl's voice, and her heart warmed and she ran forward. "Sora!"
"Kairi!" Sora's head rose up staring at the figure on the balcony. Her best friend, safe and smiling down at her. Sora turned her body and gasped when she was hit behind by some heartless. Cursing Sora whirled back slashing her blade across the black lump of bodies crowding around her.
"You leave Sora alone!" Kairi shouted, worried for her friend she leaped from the balcony. Landing she ran forward trying to get to her best friend but was overwhelmed by the heartless. Riku came up from behind striking the shadows down and her stretched out his arm handing her something. "Here, Take it."
The blade was beautiful, flower decor embedded into the striking gold blade of what appeared to be key shaped. Kairi would now wield a keyblade. The moment Kairi took it in her hands it felt so right and she rose up, staring with a smile. "This time, I'll fight. Heh, you know Sora's completely useless without us. Come on, Riku."
Amused by her statement RIku let the slightest of smile appear on his face before he rose his own blade up and began attacking the heartless.
Sora got to her feet after being knocked down and she grumbled. "Get off… ugh… ooh Kairi!" She looked up again… and jolted when she saw Kairi fighting alongside Ansem. "What? What's going on?"
"Look out, Sora… here they come!" Goofy shouted as he and Donald fought with their backs to each other becoming encompassed by the mass. Suddenly lazer fire rained from above taking out the surrounding heartless and leaving Sora and her crew on an empty platform. Above them, the organization member Xigbar, whom they'd encountered both in Hallow Bastion, and in The Land of Dragons, stood above weapons at the ready.
"Have you been a good girl?" He came into full view laughing. "Sounds to me like you haven't. Sora… no… Roxas!"
"Roxas?" Sora's brow rose… "wait did he just call me Roxas?"
"You really put the organization into a pickle." Xigbar said exasperated. "It must be why the keyblade chose you, but man did it pick a dud this time. You don't seem half the hero the others were."
"Are you done, rambling?" Sora growled from the insult.
"Rambling, tch, as if. The only thing I'm trying to tell you, traitor is that your time is up!" He readied his weapons and Sora whipped out her blade ready to fight.
~Riku~
Sora! Riku's body paused its assault on the heartless to peek over the edge and watch her take on Xigbar. He wanted to go down there and help, but after moment of watching her… seeing her be patient… waiting for openings and using her new found skills to cut Xigbar off in his assaults he calmed.
She'd improved so much.
Over a year they'd been parted, most of which she'd been lost in slumber… and yet somehow she'd managed to surpass the power she'd had before, she'd learned about battling strategically as well as passionately.
He relaxed, and returned to his own task of defeating a horde of heartless alongside Kairi. Kairi was a natural with the blade… perhaps she had picked some things up from Sora. Either way it felt good to be around them all again. Now he could return to the dark content that he'd been close to them one last time.
Sora defeated Xigbar, a quick victory that didn't last very long. Sora quickly left the platform making her way up the back stairs and to the layout where he and Kairi were finishing off the heartless. With one last swipe Kairi finished off the last heartless and let her keyblade fade from her hand.
"Kairi you were great!" Donald shouted at her with praise. Sora ran past her friends to engulf her best friend in a hug. The two girls locked together rejoicing in their reunion.
"You are a bit different Kairi…" Sora commented and pulled back admiring her. "I'm glad you're here though."
"Thanks, when you and Riku didn't come home I went looking for you." It was real… her best friend was here again, right in front of her. Kairi couldn't stop smiling. Sora had also changed. She'd gotten taller than her by a good inch, and looked more like a girl than before, which would have made Sora's mom ecstatic.
"I know, and I'm sorry Kairi. I didn't mean to stay away so long, but Riku he-... ah.. Ansem!"
She gently pushed Kairi aside and behind her. She'd seen Ansem begin to make his retreat but her words seemed to stop him. "I mean… Xehanort's Heartless. I never thought I'd ever see you again." She frowned… truth be told she wanted to shove her keyblade in his face… but, "just thinking of some of the things you did, especially to Riku… make me so mad. However, you helped Kairi… and I have to be greatful for that… so…. Thank you." She calmed and smiled at him.
Riku, genuinely shocked by her words turned his head away and let the smile appear on his lips. Yeah, he was content. He moved to take a step forward into the darkness… but stopped when he felt a hand on his gripping firmly. He looked, expecting to see Kairi… but had to hold back a strangled sound of surprise hwen he saw Sora, looking just as shocked he by her own actions.
"I… I'm sorry I…. for a minute- I just… had this feeling… that I didn't want you to go."
Let go, Sora… Riku tried to pull back his hand but she held it firmly. Damn it let go… don't touch me!
"I think it's time you told her the truth…" Kairi spoke as she walked up. "Riku."
Donald squawked, Goofy scratched his head, and Sora let out a gasp and whirled her head around to stare at Kairi. "W-What did you just say?"
"I'm nobody!" Riku, his voice casted in Ansem's dark tone, growled out his words. "Just a castaway from the darkness."
"Sora… talk to him." Kairi pleaded. "He needs you." She ignored the glare she got from Ansem and linked their hands again. Riku's head lowered his resolve breaking by Sora's touch. "Here… close your eyes... you'll understand."
Sora stared at the linked hands. Her palm was so much smaller than his… but the grip of it… the warmth… there was something so familiar. Also that feeling… the ache in her chest when she'd seen Ansem try to disappear… it was the same she'd had when she'd closed the door on Riku. WIthout thinking she'd run and grabbed hold of him. Was this really Riku…
Her eyes close coating her world in dark, but emerging from the shadow was a figure… and a familiar face. Silver hair glowing like moonbeams, a face, older than she remembered, and covered by a black strip of cloth, but completely unmistakeable. She opened her eyes… and the tears would stop.
"Riku… It is Riku… RIku… your'e here…" She yanked hugged him, her face pressed on his back tears staining his cloak. "You're really here!" She felt his hands hesitate before lifting up and touching hers that were clasped over his waist. His resistance fell. "I looked for you.."
"Sora… you've got to pull it together." Riku, his voice his own now, tried to reason with her, but he was close to tears himself. He felt her yank away and turn him around so they stared at each other face to face.
"I looked everywhere for you, Damn it!"
"I-" He swallowed and tried to keep his voice calm. "I didn't want you to find me."
"Why not?!" Sora fisted her hands at her side unable to look away from him. "I don't understand… you were gone, and I looked for you everywhere. I was so worried you'd been hurt, or lost. Why didn't you let me know you were okay?" She beat her hands on his chest... he held them, a small attempt to get her to calm down.
"I told you, I didn't want to be found." He pushed her hands away and then stared at his own. "Not like this," he said on a sigh. "I...couldn't." His face became pained and Sora's eyes softened.
"but it was Riku that was following us, wasn't it?" Goofy asked Donald looking up confused. "All those clues we kept finding, that must have been Riku."
"I was beginning to think you'd never catch on." Riku admitted. "Sora never did pick the brightest friends."
"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Donald grumbled.
"So, the picture, and the ice cream was you. I was right. It was also you who I saw in the mountains when I was with Mulan."
"Yes… that was me."
"I knew it… the first time it was just this feeling I had… but the second-" She walked towards him again, he jolted some when she reached into his cloak and pulled out his star shaped pendant she'd given him. "When I saw this… I just knew it was you. I was so happy to know you kept it."
"Of course I kept it…" Riku murmured closing his hand over hers on the pendant and then lifting her braid to touch the one he'd given her. "my feelings… even coated in darkness… have never changed."
Kairi felt her heart swoon a little seeing the young couple bridge the gap a little between them. "So, Riku… will you ever change back?" She asked, hoping for a positive answer.
His attention shifted and he quickly pulled away from Sora having forgotten himself for just a moment. He didn't see the look of disappointment on Sora's face when he'd pulled back. "There's still a fight going on… and until it's finished I need the powers of darkness."
"Then, let's finish it." Sora laced her fingers with his smiling when he jumped a little. "You're still Riku, no matter what." She pulled him down kissing his cheek, Riku's eyes widening and a blush appearing on his face. "Even if you look like an old man."
"Wha- ah HEY!" Riku yanked his hand away grunting. "Not funny!"
Sora burst out laughing. "Yes… yes it is! HAHAHA! You should see the look on your face! HAHAHA!"
"That's it! Get over here!" Riku made a jump for her and Sora scooted off."
"Ah! Nope gotta run, got the organization to finish off… Come on guys!" She motioned Goofy and Donald to follow and she ran ahead. Riku ran after her completely forgetting himself and falling back into step of their old routine. Kairi stood there a moment watching them her eyes bright and happy at the sight. "Maybe I was wrong… maybe it isn't Sora who needs him… maybe it's Riku who needs Sora." She ran after them her eyes still eying the two now running side by side smiling at each other. "Or maybe… they just need each other."
HAPPY AKUROKU DAY! It's August 13th, the Official Akuroku aka Axel Roxas day… but instead of Axel and Roxas you get Sora and Riku.
Axel: Hey hey hey, come on now that's not fair!
Author: Huh? Axel… what are you doing in my Notes?
Axel: Filing a complaint. It's Akuroku day, not Soriku day. I think Roxas and I should have some action.
FemRoxas: Yeah! Axel's right! We got a small blip in the last chapter, but so far all youv'e really concentrated on is Sora and Riku! People need more of US!
Author: Geh, well, uhm… you guys will be getting your own story. you know I still have 358/2 days coming out soon…ish.
FemRoxas: Liar, you said you were gonna take your time with that one because you wanted to play the game again before you even started it! How long is that gonna take?
Author: eh… a little while… I need to finish KH2 first… and uh… the Chain of Memories story… and I was thinking about putting up "If it never Happened" out first.
FemRoxas: *Angerknot* WHAT!? THAT STORY ISNT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN UNTIL YOU FINISHED ALL OF THE STORIES BEFORE KH3! STUPID AUTHOR! *Pulls out keyblade and chases her down* You're HEARTLESS!
Author: GAH! No! Roxas! Wait! AHHH HELP ME! *Runs Away*
Axel: Please forgive this intrusion readers… We're sure once the writer comes back to her senses she'll update again right away. *Winces at the sounds of writer getting beaten up with a keyblade* Oooh. ouch… that is if she doesn't get Amnesia.. .HEY ROXY TAKE IT EASY WE STILL NEED HER YOU KNOW! *Runs off to help*
FemSora: *Holds up sign saying "Happy AkuRoku Day" * Please Review!
Next Chapter: The Wisest Gift