Rewritten version!
Enjoy!
Chapter 2: Hello, Sora
The rest of the school day passed somewhat quickly for Sora, as his attention wasn't on any of the subjects he was supposed to be learning. He was too distracted by his excitement. It had been so long since he'd done something like had a sleepover with any of his friends! Even with Riku's acceptance now, his loyalty had been a little questionable in the beginnings of the current events.
It was understandable, Sora supposed, even if it did bother him. After all, it is human nature to keep away from the things that frighten you. And even if Riku hadn't been 'scared' in the normal sense of the word, there was still uncertainty, and that was enough to put a little rocky ground between them. The cautious tiptoeing around him was what had caused the brunet's doubt of his friendship with Kairi and Riku in the first place.
A quick shake of his head as the bell rang for the last time that day dispelled his thoughts. It didn't matter anymore anyway. Riku was with him now, and that was all that mattered to him at the moment. Sora gathered his stuff quickly, and sped out the door with the rest of the class, not even minding as he was jostled through the doorway. He didn't have that class with Riku, so they had a silent agreement that they would each go straight home, then meet up again later.
"Sora...SORA!" Said boy was forced to stop with an antsy huff as his name was called from behind. With a slight giggle, Kairi walked up and set a much slower pace than Sora had been going. "What's got you in such a hurry? I mean, I know school's terrible and all, but..." she trailed off with a smile, which Sora returned with half sincerity.
Without replying, Sora took a moment to silently study Kairi, as discreetly as he could. He thought about how he felt talking to her now, and how it felt compared to Riku. There was something in the air between them, a nearly tangible tension as she fiddled with a bracelet on her wrist. After a short talk with Riku, laying everything in the open, they'd been totally relaxed and their friendship immediately fell into its old, familiar groove. Kairi blurted out anything that came to mind, trying to make normal conversation, but neatly avoided the topic of the boy right beside her. She was dancing around the shadows, acting as if they didn't exist.
Suddenly, Sora planted his feet, and it took a few more steps before Kairi realized he'd stopped. She turned to face him with a questioning gaze. "You're afraid of me." The realization hit him the moment he said it. That was the difference. She didn't really show it, not so that anyone not looking for it would notice. But he could tell. It was so clear in his mind now. "I can't believe it...all this time we've been friends, and you're actually afraid of me. You...you don't trust me." It was such a painful thing for Sora to say.
"Sora...I don't...what are you talking about?" Kairi asked, honestly wondering. She hadn't caught up with the abrupt change in conversation - she'd just been talking about normal things, so why had Sora said that? Where did it come from? And then the implications hit her all at once. Her eyes grew wide, and she frantically shook her head. "No! Sora, I don't- how could you say such a thing! I'm not-" but she was forced to stop as Sora began walking again, faster this time and head bowed low so she could not read his expression behind the brown tufts of hair that suddenly hid his eyes from view.
After he had travelled a few steps past her he stopped, and without turning he stated in a low voice, "Please don't lie to me, Kairi. If you can't talk to me normally now, then maybe you just shouldn't talk to me at all..." And then he was walking again, hands clenched tightly in his pockets as he wondered, did I just break a friendship? The thought cut a hole in his heart, and he quickened his pace even more. Kairi could do nothing but stare wide-eyed after his retreating back, mouth agape with silent shock.
o0o
Sora opened his front door in lower spirits than when he had left the school. Whether it was for what he said to Kairi, or the fact that she felt that way in the first place, he really wasn't sure. All he knew was that he wanted these shadow things to go away, so he could get his life back. His normal life. Even though he was starting to forget what normal was. He only sighed at the thought, then turned it into a smile when his mother greeted him. "Hey mom, I'm spending the night at Riku's tonight, all right?" he mentioned as he passed by the living room, heading towards his own room at the end of the hall.
"Oh honey, that's great! I haven't seen Riku in ages; how's he doing?" the woman gushed in one breath, obviously excited that her son was being social again.
Sora smiled and rolled his eyes (with his back to his mother) and answered, "He's fine, Mom." He set his backpack down in his room and started gathering his stuff, not that he needed much. Clothes, toothbrush, a couple of games and he was ready. "Okay, I'm going now!" Sora called as he walked swiftly past the living room, hoping to avoid any fussing. No such luck.
"Oh, wait Sora!" his mother stopped him, and he sighed as she stood up from her position on the couch and walked over to him, fussing over some imaginary piece of lent on his shoulder. "Remember to be careful, okay? And to look both ways before crossing the street, and don't talk to strangers, or-"
Sora cut her off with a slightly disbelieving laugh. "Mom, I'm not five anymore! I know how to take care of myself."
With a sigh, his mother relented and stepped back, though the teen was a bit surprised at the serious expression he found in her eyes. "I know, sweetie, I just have this- oh, never mind. I'm just being silly. You run along and have fun now. And tell Riku hi for me!" she finished with a wave.
Sora blinked a couple times, trying to understand his mother and, failing to do so, decided he would just get going like she said. "Will do, Mom. Bye!" He waved back and turned around, this time actually making it out the door.
It was a surprisingly quiet walk to Riku's house, even though it was the middle of the afternoon. It made the hairs on the back of Sora's neck stand on end; he didn't like it. His sense of danger had always been surprisingly acute, which had saved him a few times in the past. It was a blessing, really, but right now he hoped with all his heart that this sense was a fluke, and not an indication. Not tonight. Any time but tonight!
The closer he got to Riku's house, however, the sense of foreboding began to be replaced with excitement. He couldn't remember being so happy to sleep over at anyone's before. Laughing at his own childishness, Sora stepped up to Riku's door and knocked four times, waited two seconds, and knocked again twice. It was some code they'd come up with when they were little, and for some reason never grown out of. Heck, Sora couldn't even count the number of things like that they had between them. It came with the territory of growing up together and being inseparable best friends.
The door swung open seemingly by itself in front of Sora. Blinking in confusion, Sora slowly stepped forward, looking around for Riku, when he was suddenly attacked from the side.
"Gotcha!" Riku cried as he tackled Sora - who let out a very unmanly shriek - to the ground, causing them to roll for a bit before stopping. Sora's bag was quickly lost somewhere near the door.
As they tumbled, Sora somehow managed to end up on top, and pushed Riku's shoulders back to the ground when he tried to move. "Who's got who?" he gloated with a smug grin, lightly poking Riku's nose.
Riku grinned back. "Who's got whom," he corrected and stuck his tongue out at the younger boy, who returned the gesture. "Now get off me, I need to go close the door."
Sora laughed in response and rolled to the side, placing his arms behind his head and lounging on the carpet as Riku closed the door, and picked up Sora's bag to put it by the couch in the living room. A few seconds later, a head of silver hair peeked around the corner from the living room. "Hey, you plan on getting up any time soon? 'Cause I'm up for a round of Smash Bros. if you are."
A competitive spark lit Sora's face at the mention of one of their favorite games, and he jumped up in a rush to get to the living room. "You're on!" he shouted and leaped over the back of the couch, landing -almost - gracefully on the cushions. Riku chuckled and chose to sit in a much more conventional manner after turning on the TV and GameCube. He tossed Sora a controller, and settled in for a good old-fashioned smash-fest.
o0o
Countless games later, with Riku in the lead by only two kills, the boys finally decided they'd had enough of the game. Sora pouted lightly at the loss, but all animosity was quickly forgotten as Riku suggested ice cream. In a single bound, Sora was off the couch and halfway across the living room. "Ice cream!" he shouted as he ran to the kitchen, where Riku was already getting out bowls and spoons.
Riku laughed at the child-like response, and reached out his arms to brace Sora as the other boy skidded into the kitchen, socked feet sliding on the tiled floor. His momentum slammed him into Riku, who let out a muffled 'oof!' into Sora's hair as his back hit the counter.
Sora backpedaled, giving Riku a guilty glance through his own laughter. "Whoops, sorry. Are you okay?" Without giving Riku a chance to answer, he spun the taller boy around and lifted up his shirt. "Hmm...nope, not bleeding. I think you'll be fine, Mr. Tanate."
"What the hell, Sora?" Riku asked through a laugh, peeking at the boy behind him from over his shoulder. "What's gotten into you?" He hadn't seen his friend this playful in a while.
He hadn't realized how much he missed it.
Calming down, Sora smiled softly and shook his head, wrapping his arms around Riku's waist and resting his forehead between his shoulder blades. "I'm just really happy to have you back."
Riku stilled at the admission, staring guiltily forward. He'd never left, which just showed how far they had drifted. His head lowered until his bangs fell across his cheeks. "Yeah...me too, Sora."
They stayed there, frozen in time for a comfortable moment before Sora stepped away and punched Riku lightly in the shoulder, causing the older boy to huff and shove him back. "C'mon, you promised me ice cream!" Sora yelped as he tried to sidestep away from the retaliation.
"Well maybe I shouldn't if all I get out of it is abuse!" Riku replied, crossing his arms stubbornly.
Sora rolled his eyes, and placed his hands behind his back. Riku watched him suspiciously. "That's okay…I know where it's at anyway." He took a step toward the freezer but Riku blocked him. He tried again, only to be stopped a few more times until he was all-out flailing trying to get to the promised treat. "Riiiiikkuuuuu! Lemme uuuuup!" he whined, finding himself caught in a grappling hold on the floor that would make any wrestler proud.
"Are you gonna behave?" Riku asked smugly.
Sora scoffed. "Yeah right!" And the impromptu wrestling match started again until they were red-faced and out of breath from both exertion and laughter. When they finally did eat the ice cream, they wore matching contented smiles.
o0o
Licking the last of the ice cream off his spoon, Sora noticed Riku's gaze was set outside, completely unfocused. He nudged the older boy with his foot, calling his name questioningly. When he got no response, he set down his bowl, and scooted across the couch until he was right next to him. When he followed his gaze out the window, he noticed one of those rare, perfect sunsets that would captivate anyone, easily seen through the large glass sliding doors facing the west. He took a moment to admire the reds, blues, oranges and many other colors of the sunset, and thought about teasing his friend for doing the same, but easily dismissed the thought and asked instead, "Whatcha thinking about?"
Riku blinked a few times, and turned towards Sora. There was a lot of emotion in his eyes that caught Sora a little off-guard, and he wished he could decipher them all. "I was thinking..." Riku began, and with a start, Sora realized he'd been leaning forward in his attempt to figure out what Riku might be hiding. With a small, embarrassed noise, he jumped back to his previous position, cheeks nearly matching the hue of the reds outside. Somewhere in his mind, he was teasing himself for that reaction. He should get his own mess of a mental situation figured out before he tried to unravel the mystery that he calls a best friend!
Smiling a little at the brunet's actions, Riku turned back towards the window, appearing unfazed. He opened his mouth to continue speaking, but stopped and shook his head. "It's stupid," he muttered, resting his chin on his palm.
Sora's brow furrowed and he found himself scooting forward again. "Aw, c'mon, Riku," he pleaded, giving his friend the puppy eyes.
"You'll laugh."
"I won't!"
Riku sighed in defeat and closed his eyes, as if seeking shelter in the false security of the protective cover. "I was just thinking about the sunset. All those bright and pretty colors that are just being swallowed up by the dark. And I- well, it made me think of you," he said softly, opening his eyes a little to glance sideways at a definitely not laughing Sora. He looked perplexed.
"Why would you think of me?"
Riku smiled half-heartedly, and reached out to the boy who had moved within touching distance. He pulled Sora close, wrapping his arms around him in a little more tender gesture than was normal. He ignored the slight awkwardness for a moment, and Sora's nervous fidgeting, to tuck his nose into the shockingly soft spikes of hair. "The sun always comes back, right? Bright as ever?"
Sora's fidgeting slowed in favor of pondering the question. "...of course it does," he replied, sounding as though he thought he should be sure of the answer, but stumbling over the doubt in Riku's question. "And there's sunrises and sunsets, and sometimes it's cloudy and sometimes it's perfect. Riku...why are we talking about the weather?"
The laugh that escaped the silveret was a little choked, and he shook his head, pulling the smaller boy even closer. "Because you're the brightest and most colorful person I know," he whispered.
Sora, obviously still confused, set aside the slight weirdness of the intimate hug, and wrapped his arms just as lovingly around Riku's sides, laying his head on his shoulder and allowing himself to just relax for a moment.
On the other hand, with that same movement, realization slammed into Riku so suddenly it left him breathless for a second as his whole mind and body seemed to focus in on every place their bodies connected, causing every touch to burn pleasantly.
He…kind of liked Sora.
He didn't just love his best friend. He actually liked the boy.
When in the world had that happened? And why was he just now realizing it? Had it always been there, hiding under the guise of a very close friendship? How could I have missed it...? he wondered as he felt Sora relax further into him. The clues were everywhere, now that he could look back on them.
"Riku?" Sora questioned, snapping the older boy from his thoughts. "You okay?" He was a little concerned at how tense Riku had suddenly become, and wondered what was going through his head. The boy had been a little off since they'd patched their friendship earlier, and Sora was honestly terrified he was going to change his mind. What if he decided he didn't want to help him after all? That it was all just too bothersome? Please don't let me be alone again, he begged mentally, fisting the back of Riku's shirt until he felt a gentle hand on the back of his neck.
"It's nothing; besides, you're the one we're supposed to be worrying about here." He broke the serious moment by ruffling Sora's hair, loving the way it brushed at his hand. It was soft and fluffy and always gave Riku the impression of a lion's mane, which was fairly amusing on a puppy-like personality such as Sora's.
With a protesting noise, Sora ducked out of reach once more, sticking his tongue out again from his spot on the other side of the couch. Riku smirked, before turning his attention to the outdoors again, staring for a moment at the darkened sky. "Well, it's gotten dark, but we can still try for those fighting lessons if you want." He paused for a moment and slid his gaze over to Sora, already knowing what his response would be as he finished his statement. "Or we could save that for the morning after a full night's rest, and just hang around and be lazy for tonight."
"Hmm..." Sora pretended to consider. "I pick the second one!" he answered with a nod to confirm his own statement.
And so the next several hours were spent playing video games, eating dinner (which was sort of an afterthought to the half gallon of ice cream already consumed), talking about the great mysteries of life, and whatever other random things they came up with to do.
Several times, Riku caught himself staring at his friend, entertaining thoughts that had certainly never been there before. Frankly, it was disorienting, and led to a couple of awkward moments on his part when he received curious glances from Sora for a gaze that lingered a little too long, but mostly he was able to act just as he always had. It was better that way. Especially now - the last thing Sora needed to worry about was feeling awkward around his best friend because of a stupid, out-of-place crush.
Finally, when the digital clock on the living room's DVD-player was blaring 3:42, Sora let out a huge yawn and fell sideways on the couch, as movie credits scrolled up the TV screen. "I'm tired..." he muttered, eyes closing heavily as he nestled his head comfortably in Riku's lap.
Riku smiled softly, and ran his fingers through the cinnamon-brown locks of hair splayed over his legs. "Yeah, we should probably go to sleep," he agreed, letting out a much smaller yawn of his own.
Sora hummed his agreement, and let out a contented sigh at the gentle caress over his scalp, making no effort at all to move.
Riku chuckled at the response. "Are you just gonna sleep right there?" he asked, half hoping for a positive answer, and yet almost wishing for (and expecting) a negative. So he was fairly surprised when all Sora did was nod with another affirmative hum, snuggling deeper into the cushions of the couch. Riku's grin faded into a small smile, and he lay his head against the back of the couch, the absent-minded petting continuing until he drifted off, his hand coming to rest on Sora's neck.
o0o
It was only an hour or two later, soon before the sun was to rise, that Sora bolted upright, breathing heavily and sweat dripping down his forehead. He felt as if he'd just had a nightmare, but he couldn't remember any details, or anything at all about it, really. It was more of a feeling - a sort of foreboding that did not settle well on his nerves. What had caused him to jerk awake like that? His gaze fell on Riku, who was still sound asleep, lips parted slightly from the angle of his head. Sora, distracted for a moment, smiled softly at the sight, but frowned again when a shiver ran down his spine and the hairs on the back of his neck were once again standing on end.
Bright blue eyes darted back and forth frantically in the dark, searching for anything that had upset his sleep so abruptly, and continued to set him on edge. And that was when he saw him. Sora gasped and scrambled backwards on the couch.
There, standing near the window in just the right spot so that half his body was silhouetted by the moonlight and the other shrouded by shadows, stood a tall figure in a black cloak, hood pulled up so that only two cat-like golden eyes were visible, glowing eerily.
"Hello, Sora..." the voice whispered, somehow menacing despite the soft tones of a would-be friendly greeting.
As soon as the words were out of this mysterious figure's mouth, Sora found his breath escaping him, eyes widening in shock as the familiarity of the voice brought back the memory of that first dream so long ago.
"Surrender your heart to me..."
The figure smiled, somehow conveying his amusement despite the collar of the cloak which covered his mouth, hiding his expression. "I see you remember me. I have come for you, my young warrior..." The man extended his hand, palm up and fingers extended as if he planned to ask him for a dance.
The possessive claim cause Sora to shudder. "Wh-what do you want with me?" he asked, cursing his voice for shaking, and obviously exposing his fear. His entire body was tensed, muscles coiled and prepared to spring into action the moment something even twitched the wrong way.
"I want you to come with me," the man replied simply.
Another shiver worked its way down Sora's spine. He did not like where this was going. "Go with you...where?" He paused for a moment and shook his head. "What makes you think I'd go anywhere with you!"
The man chuckled, another evil sound, and Sora wondered if he had to practice making everything sound like that, or if it was some weird natural talent. "Dear Sora...to my world, of course! Leave this boring existence, and come with me. I could show you a power beyond your wildest dreams!"
Sora raised an eyebrow, slightly caught off-guard by the movie-villain cliché. "And what, in the history of my life, makes you think I would care about power?" Who the hell was this guy? Some random shadow man comes into his life, interferes with everything, and then wants to whisk him away to God-knows-where as some sort of dark lord apprentice? He shook his head in disbelief, but stopped abruptly as he heard movement beside him. He turned and saw Riku's eyelids fluttering as he slowly left the world of dreams behind.
"Sora...?" he whispered, voice rough with sleep, and he reached up a hand to rub his eyes. When he lowered his hand, his gaze fell on Sora and cocked his head. "Hey...are you okay?" he asked, sitting up a bit straighter as he took in Sora's tensed position and fearful eyes.
"Riku..." the brunet breathed, almost inaudibly. His gaze snapped to the figure by the window - who seemed content to stand back and watch for the moment - and back to Riku, and again to the man of shadows. Riku seemed to be trying to follow his gaze, but he missed the mark and was looking out into the night sky instead. Silver brows furrowed, trying to figure out what was drawing Sora's attention.
The hooded figure chuckled in seemingly honest amusement at watching the panicking and confused teens before him. "He cannot see me, Sora. You are the only one. And you are the only way into this world for the shadows. That, my dear boy, is why I need you to come with me, and if you continue to defy my requests, I will have to find...other ways to convince you."
His voice was edging towards impatience now, and Sora was frantically trying to figure out what to do. The questions in his mind wouldn't let him focus clearly on escape, though. He was the only way into this world? What was that supposed to mean? He glanced at Riku again, and saw concern in his friend's teal eyes. He was sure Riku was starting to pick up on what was going on. He might not be able to see him, but Riku was smart; he'd put two and two together. Sora directed his gaze back to the mystery man and narrowed his eyes. "I don't understand," he confessed, partially trying to stall for time. "What do you mean I'm the only way in?"
Riku looked at the younger boy, eyes openly questioning. "Sora...who are you talking to?"
The shadow man laughed. "Sora, Sora...I will explain everything to you when you come with me. Then you will have the answers to all your questions and more. If you refuse this opportunity, you will be left forever in the dark. Literally," he emphasized, voice deepening into something purely threatening in just one word.
Sora's lip curled up into a snarl, surprising poor Riku, who had no idea what could be causing such an expression. "I don't care! I'll just have to keep wondering, then, because there's no way I'm going anywhere with you!" the youngest teen replied, the conviction in his voice absolute.
Golden eyes narrowed within the hooded darkness, and the frown was as audible as his former grin when the man spoke next. "So be it," he said with a snap of his fingers. There was a moment of silence, in which Sora held his breath from anticipation of what the man would do, and Riku sat straighter on the couch, trying to understand what was going on. And then with a pop and a puff of dark smoke, a shadow creature appeared next to the man. It was like the ones Sora had seen before, but taller and leaner...nearly the size of himself, actually. Probably bigger if it wasn't always crouched.
Before the teen had time to comprehend what was going on, the man spoke a word in a language Sora had never heard, and pointed towards Riku. In the next instant the creature was leaping toward its target, obviously out for blood.
"RIKU!" Sora barely had time to think about his actions as the tension in his muscles finally found release when he surged forward, knocking Riku out of the way just in time. Sora, however, was not so lucky. The creature slammed into Sora's side, tipping the couch backwards with the force of its tackle. He cried out as the shadow's claws caught his sides, and knocked the wind out of him as he hit the floor.
"Holy shit..." Riku whispered from his spot on the floor. As soon as that...thing had touched Sora, it materialized in front of Riku as well. This was the proof - Sora definitely wasn't crazy. That or he was dreaming, but he dismissed that notion easily as he felt his head throb from where he'd hit it against the floor after tumbling over the armrest of the couch. Then he realized he was just sitting there, staring stupidly while his best friend wrestled with some monster. He jumped up and made a mad dash for a room at the back of the house that served as both a training room, and storage for his father's sword collection. He spared a brief moment to wish the man was here to actually put them to use, but since his parents were out on an anniversary vacation, he'd have to rely on his own skills, which were at least formidable in their own right.
Back in the living room, Sora was able to pay no attention to what Riku was doing, as he was desperately trying to keep his assailant from beheading him. Its claws were razor-sharp, and scratched at Sora's arms when he threw them up as a shield, adding to the healing cuts from the last attack. In an attempt to throw the beast off, Sora rolled backwards and kicked its stomach, launching it into the wall behind him. He thanked his lucky stars the thing wasn't any heavier than it looked.
Not even giving its prey a chance to breathe, the creature recovered quickly, bouncing off the wall and launching itself towards Sora again. The brunet attempted a clumsy roundhouse kick, but the shadow barely flinched at the blow, and wrapped its unusually long fingers around Sora's throat, carrying its momentum through and managing to push the boy against the opposite wall.
Sora frantically clawed at the creature's hands, trying to pry them from the death grip they had around his throat. He gasped for air as his vision began spotting black, until suddenly the pressure was gone. Sora fell to his knees, coughing and gasping as the threat of death faded. Before he could even breathe properly, a shout from across the room caught his attention.
"Sora, duck!" Riku cried. Sora heeded the warning instantly as he flattened his body to the ground.
As soon as Riku had entered the room again, the shadow's attention had been drawn to him, obviously recognizing him as a threat. It leapt toward him, and Riku only had time to issue his warning to Sora as he lifted the short broadsword he'd grabbed from the training room. He took a moment to aim, and tossed it like an oversized throwing knife. It spun through the air, and caught the shadow right in its chest. The throw was powerful enough to propel the shrieking creature backwards, directly over Sora's head and through the glass doors, causing them to shatter and shower the floor with glittering shards of glass. The monster faded back into a puff of cloud, the echo of its dying shriek leaving the two boys grimacing. The sword was out of sight, having landed somewhere in the backyard.
Breathing heavily from adrenaline and exertion, Sora and Riku took a moment to stare at each other in disbelief, but Sora's attention was quickly diverted as the man of shadows - who had frankly been forgotten by Sora up until this point - made a noise of frustration. "I see you wish to do this the hard way, then," he told Sora, his eyes narrowed into slits. All pretences of friendliness had vanished.
Hard way? Sora shivered at the man's tone. He didn't want to do this any way! But he was beginning to see that 'this', whatever it happened to be, was inevitable. He was definitely going to have to fight...and he realized now that he needed Riku's help more than ever, which meant his best friend needed to know what they were up against. His mind was working a mile a minute, trying to comprehend everything that was happening. His thoughts went back to when that shadow creature had attacked them. Riku had been able to see it, or he wouldn't have been able to hit it like that. Then something the man had said came back to him. You are the only way into this world for the shadows...
And suddenly Sora realized what that meant, strange as that realization was. By coming into contact with him, the shadows were able to take a physical form in this world, instead of being just a vision from some other world. That's why no one could see them before! In a moment of rash decision, and without even trying to figure out how or why he was some sort of walking inter-dimensional gateway, Sora leapt at the man, throwing him to the ground in his haste to catch him off guard. He didn't dare think he would get a second chance.
It worked, too, and the man grunted as his back came in contact with the floor. Like his minion, he quickly recovered and threw Sora to the side, knocking him into the coffee table. "Impertinent brat!" he yelled, standing up again and dusting imaginary dirt from his cloak.
Sora had already stopped paying attention to him though; he was looking at Riku. Even through his slight daze from his head's impact with the table, he was able to see the surprise in Riku's eyes as the man was revealed to him. He couldn't help the small wave of relief that flooded him at Riku now knowing the situation, even as it selfishly put his friend in more danger with him.
Shaking the thought aside, as well as the headache already crawling over his head, Sora looked back to the stranger, who had finished grumbling about Sora's behavior and had turned his attention forward again, locking gazes with the brunet. "This isn't over," he stated simply, the lilt in his tone replaced by flat irritation. "I told you a year ago the darkness was approaching, and there's nothing you can do about it now. Your friend here won't always be around to save you, and trust me when I say I will have control of your heart."
He waved his hand behind him, opening a large, black and purple portal that crackled with energy, making Sora's hair stand on end - worse than usual, anyway. With one last, lingering look at Sora's weakened form, he stepped through and disappeared without a trace.
Riku watched with wide eyes, a thousand different thoughts running through his head, along with one that kept repeating itself like a mantra, 'No way this is real...'. After the man's departure, his teal eyes darted nervously around the room, making sure there were no more creatures or strange figures in his house, before his gaze finally came to a rest on Sora. The younger teen was shaking, and Riku had honestly never seen his friend look so scared in his life.
Like the flip of a switch, all of Riku's concern focused in on Sora, and he rushed over to him. Dropping to his knees, Riku took his friend's face in his hands. "Sora...?" he whispered, a bit worried at the mildly glazed look in the other boy's eyes. "Come on Sora, it's okay now. You're safe." He patted his cheeks, relieved when he saw those bright blue eyes begin to focus properly again.
As Riku's voice managed to penetrate the slight shock that had taken Sora, he blinked a few times, the concerned expression directed at him practically materializing in his vision as worried aqua eyes searched his own. And when everything that had just happened caught up to him, Sora found himself blinking back the sting of tears. His head ached, his arms and sides were bruised and bleeding, and he could still feel the ghost of fingers around his neck, as if they were there waiting to finish the job of strangling him at any moment. And to top it all off, the man's words of warning would not stop echoing through his head. This isn't over. What else was coming...? Sora felt his lower lip tremble, and he looked pleadingly into his best friend's eyes. "Riku...I'm scared," he admitted, almost too quietly to hear.
But hear Riku did, and he pulled the smaller boy into a tight hug, mindful of his wounds - something they would have to take care of soon - and rubbed small circles on his back. "I know, Sora. But it'll be okay, you'll see. I...don't really know what's going on, but I'm here for you, beside you, every step of the way. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you; I promise..." he consoled, barely paying attention to his own rambling. He just needed to comfort Sora, because now he understood what had driven the boy to want to learn how to fight.
After a while of occasional nonsensical mutterings and silent comfort, Sora finally stopped shaking, but still clung to Riku tightly, completely ignoring the pain of his wounds in exchange for the secure embrace of his friend. The whole situation was so surreal, like something Sora would have made up; a story to tell in the duller moments of life. And yet, at the same time, nothing had ever felt more real to him than the dangers he was up against at this moment. "What's going to happen to us, Riku?" he asked, cheek nuzzled against Riku's neck so that he could feel the steady pulse there. It was comforting, and Sora relished the warmth that assured him Riku was, and always would be, just there. And there for him whenever he needed him.
Riku sighed, fighting off a blush at Sora's affection. Now was no time for petty things like crushes. So in turn, he buried his nose in Sora's hair, inhaling the sweet, amusingly fruity scent of his shampoo. "Later? I don't know," he answered, trying to sound more confident than he felt, for Sora's sake. "But I do know, that right now, we are going to take care of all those injuries, and then we're going to give you a crash course in fighting and defense. After that, we'll take everything one step at a time, and face whatever is thrown at us when the time comes, okay?"
Sora nodded and pulled back a little, feeling the full extent of his injuries as he moved, now that the adrenaline was fading. He winced in pain as he stood up, and allowed Riku to help him into the bathroom, where a first aid kit, along with various household medical supplies, were stored.
The brunet sighed as Riku lifted him onto the counter like a child and tended to each of his wounds, and allowed his mind to wander to the situation at hand. As the silver-haired teen watched his friend get lost in his thoughts, he frowned and pat the younger boy's cheek lightly. "Hey," he whispered. "Don't think about it now, okay? We'll worry about everything later. Right now let's just get you fixed up, and get some more rest." He smiled gently, and was pleased when Sora returned the gesture.
Sora was so glad to have Riku in on the situation. He always did have a good head on his shoulders, and his ability to keep calm, or at least appear so even if he wasn't in situations like this, was more comforting and reassuring to Sora than any words could ever hope to be. Riku was right, as usual. They'd get through this, and then everything would go back to normal.
Once they got rid of that creepy shadow man, they could go back to their lives, and things would be as they always were, and as they always should be.
That's all they had to do. Surely they could handle that.
At least, that's what Sora was going to keep telling himself.
o0o