This is a companion to my other two fics, Fear and Tape. You don't have to read those, but they make a nice little collection. Please don't tell me that my style is annoying, repetitive, and hard to read, because that's the way I wrote it. ON PURPOSE! I enjoyed writing the run-on sentences here because I thought that it gave an idea about how complex and mature Riku's thoughts were! So don't start flaming because my style is a little different. I think that it gives the story a better feel. Trust me, I wrote this multiple ways—this turned out the most powerful.

So, please, try to finish it. I know, it's kind of tedious to read, but I'm really proud of it—especially the end.

Oh, and I listened to the instrumental piece 'Forever Love' by Nobuo Uematsu when I wrote this. I recommend downloading that from Limewire or something to listen to while you read because it only makes the story that much more powerful.

I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

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Loneliness

Because first there was loneliness. He had no one. Everything was so big. It was all unknown. Nothing for him, no one for him. He was alone. No one thought those big thoughts that he did and no one wanted to read instead of play tag and no one else asked their Mommies why they were here and where else they could be and everyone laughed at him when he said that he liked to think about the future even though he was little and only big kids had to worry about the future.

Then He Came

Because it wasn't lonely anymore, because Riku had a friend. Sora. He had someone to talk to, to go exploring with. It didn't matter that everything was big and unknown because he wasn't the only small unenlightened one and Sora didn't laugh at him when he said that he liked to think about the future even though he was little and only big kids had to worry about the future and Sora would even try to think about why they were here and where else they could be even though he really didn't understand and only wanted to play but it didn't matter so much to Riku because he was trying and Riku could pretend that Sora really understood.

The Girl That Was A Meteor

Because she was falling with the meteors, plummeting towards the ground like the shooting stars that they watched on summer nights. Bringing a crowd of people around her, and then taken to the Mayor's house. She was different. She was unknown. And suddenly he felt smaller than he ever had before because there was something about her that confused him because no one would tell him anything about her and she didn't know her name or where she came from and suddenly everyone was focused on her and it didn't matter that Riku was smarter and more mature than everyone else because he was just a little kid when compared to her because she was so beautiful and pitiful and was such a poor little girl that everyone ignored him.

Like The Ocean

Because they named her Kairi—they said that it meant ocean. But how could Kairi mean ocean when ocean meant ocean? Now he was confused too and small and alone because Sora didn't think the same way that Riku did and it didn't matter to him that Kairi couldn't mean ocean because ocean meant ocean because to Sora two things could mean the same thing and it made Riku's head spin because it made him think those strange thoughts again about why he was here and where else he could be and now where Kairi came from because no girl could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from and he decided that one day he would find a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from and he'd fall from the sky without a place to fall from even though he wasn't a girl so that maybe he could get all the attention and someone would tell him why he was here and where else he could be so that he didn't feel so small.

And He Grew Up

Because he was fifteen now—he didn't dare think strange things out loud anymore. And he was still friends with Sora even though didn't think the same way that Riku did and it didn't matter to him that Kairi couldn't mean ocean because ocean meant ocean because to Sora two things could mean the same thing because now Riku understood that Kairi could mean ocean and ocean could mean ocean at the same time and now she was his friend too even though she was so beautiful and pitiful and was such a poor little girl that fell from the sky without a place to fall from because she understood him more that Sora Wakka Tidus and Selphie could even though she was so beautiful and pitiful and was such a poor little girl that fell from the sky without a place to fall from but she didn't understand completely and he still thought about why he was here and where else he could be and where Kairi had come from because no girl could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from.

The Raft

Because he wanted to know. He wanted to know more than anybody ever had and he wasn't going to do it alone. Because he couldn't stop thinking about why he was here and where else he could be and now where Kairi had come from because no girl could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from and he still wanted to find the place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from and he'd fall from the sky without a place to fall from even though he wasn't a girl so that maybe he could get all the attention and someone would tell him why he was here and where else he could be so that he didn't feel so small so he decided to build a raft to get away and find out why he was here and where else he could be and where Kairi had come from and find a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from and he'd fall from the sky without a place to fall from even though he wasn't a girl so that he didn't feel so small and he decided to bring Sora and Kairi because once upon a time Sora didn't laugh at him when he said that he liked to think about the future even though he was little and only big kids had to worry about the future and would even try to think about why they were here and where else they could be even though he really didn't understand and only wanted to play though now they did have to worry about the future and because now she was his friend too and even though she was so beautiful and pitiful and was such a poor little girl that fell from the sky without a place to fall from because she understood him more that Sora Wakka Tidus and Selphie could even though she was so beautiful and pitiful and was such a poor little girl that fell from the sky without a place to fall from.

Darkness

Because it was scary. But he was never scared because he was strong and tough and in charge and he wasn't afraid of the dark but this dark was different because it was tangible but Riku still didn't want to be afraid of the dark so he said that he wasn't afraid because somehow he knew that if he wasn't afraid of the darkness then he could find out why he was here and where else he could be and where Kairi had come from and find a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from so he said that he wasn't afraid of the darkness even though it terrified him and he wasn't so sure anymore that he wanted to find out why he was here and where else he could be and where Kairi had come from and a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from but it didn't matter because he had no choice unlike Sora who wouldn't take his hand because he really didn't understand and only wanted to play like when they were little kids because it was all some big joke to him because nothing scary could ever happen in a place where no one would tell Riku why he was here and where else he could be and where Kairi had come from and how to find a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from so that he could fall from the sky without a place to fall from even though he wasn't a girl so Sora didn't go with Riku and Riku realized that it was because Sora was afraid of the dark and Riku almost wished that he was too and wasn't consumed with his thoughts about why he was here and where else he could be and where Kairi had come from and a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from because if he wasn't then maybe it could all just be a joke to him too.

Maleficent

Because was taking him under her wing, so to speak, trying to do what was best for him. She was the one that showed him that Sora had found new friends and that he was the rightful keyblade master. And since she knew all of this Riku wondered if she knew why he was here and where else he could be and where Kairi had come from and how to find a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from so that he could fall from the sky without a place to fall from even though he wasn't a girl and so he asked her and she just laughed at him because he even threw in the part about wishing that he was afraid of the darkness and she told him that he was a stupid boy and that he shouldn't ask so many stupid questions because only no one thought about why they were there and where they could be and where others had come from and that no one could fall from the sky without a place to fall from even though he had seen Kairi do it and it made him feel smaller than he ever had before because there was something about her that confused him because she wouldn't tell him anything about her or anything else that he knew that she knew about.

Ansem

Because he scared Riku. And that scared Riku. Because Riku wasn't scared of anything but not knowing why he was here and where else he could be and where Kairi had come from and how to find a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from and the darkness and Ansem and being scared and when he thought about it he was scared of a lot of things and it made his head hurt and reel and made him even more scared to the point where he was scared of everything but it didn't matter anymore because he could think of nothing but darkness and not even why he was here and where else he could be and where Kairi had come from and how to find a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from because the darkness and Ansem were consuming him until he was a prisoner in his own body and that scared him even more but it didn't really matter anymore because there was nothing that he could do about it but watch even though now he knew why he was here and where else he could be and where Kairi had come from but he still didn't know how to find a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from so that he could fall from the sky without a place to fall from even though he wasn't a girl but it wasn't likely that he would ever find out so Riku tried to dismiss the thought but it still haunted him because now all he wanted to do was be himself and find a place where he could fall from the sky without a place to fall from even though he wasn't a girl so that maybe he could get all the attention and someone would tell him why he was here and where else he could be even though he already knew so that he didn't feel so small.

The Road To Dawn

Because his body was his again. Because it didn't scare him anymore. Now he knew all of the things that he wanted to know and then some because Mickey had told him why he was here and where else he could be even though he already knew so that he didn't feel so small and he had figured out how to find a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from so that he could fall from the sky without a place to fall from even though he wasn't a girl even if he hadn't gotten the chance to fall yet however that was okay because he wasn't sure that he needed to even though he knew that he really did but was able to move past this because the most important thing was saving his friends because once upon a time Sora didn't laugh at him when he said that he liked to think about the future even though he was little and only big kids had to worry about the future and would even try to think about why they were here and where else they could be even though he really didn't understand and only wanted to play though now they did have to worry about the future and because now she was his friend too and even though she was so beautiful and pitiful and was such a poor little girl that fell from the sky without a place to fall from because she understood him more that Sora Wakka Tidus and Selphie could even though she was so beautiful and pitiful and was such a poor little girl that fell from the sky without a place to fall from so he focused on saving them and not on how to find a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from so that he could fall from the sky without a place to fall from even though he wasn't a girl.

The Transformation

Because it scared him again. Because he wasn't himself anymore. His biggest fear besides not knowing why he was here and where else he could be and where Kairi had come from and how to find a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from and the darkness and Ansem and being scared was not being himself and now he wasn't himself but he tried to tell himself that it was worth it because he was doing to save Sora because once upon a time Sora didn't laugh at him when he said that he liked to think about the future even though he was little and only big kids had to worry about the future and would even try to think about why they were here and where else they could be even though he really didn't understand and only wanted to play though now they did have to worry about the future and Sora was so innocent because to Sora two things could mean the same thing and he shouldn't have to go through this so Riku endured it anyway because he told himself that it was worth it and afterwards he'd find a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from so that he could fall from the sky without a place to fall from even though he wasn't a girl so that maybe he could get all the attention and someone would tell him why he was here and where else he could be even though he already knew so that he didn't feel so small.

Falling

Because they had beaten Xemnas and ended up on a beach. It was like a mockery. Until Sora had read the letter. His heart opened the door and suddenly they were falling. They were just falling from the sky without a place to fall from even though neither of them were girls and Riku had thought that only girls could fall from the sky without a place to fall from but they were doing it anyway and it made him smile because no he knew everything and his journey was over because he had no more questions to ask and no one to ask them to because he knew them all himself better than anyone did because he had fallen from the sky without a place to fall from just like Kairi who was so beautiful and pitiful and was such a poor little girl that everyone ignored him but they wouldn't now because since he had fallen maybe he could get all the attention and someone would tell him why he was here and where else he could be so that he didn't feel so small and he wouldn't tell them that he already knew because that would ruin the dream.

The End

Because it was over. And he knew. And he was at peace. Because now he truly knew why he was here and where else he could be and where Kairi had come from and he even knew how to find a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from so that he could fall from the sky without a place to fall from even though he wasn't a girl so that maybe he could get all the attention and someone would tell him why he was here and where else he could be even though he already knew so that he didn't feel so small but none of it mattered anymore because he still knew all of this and someone had still told him why he was here and where else he could be even though he already knew so that he didn't feel so small but he felt small anyway and he was at peace with himself because maybe it didn't matter that he felt small because everything was small in the big picture and it was okay because he wasn't the only small unenlightened one and no one laughed at him when he said that he liked to think about the future and why he was here and where else he could be and where Kairi had come from and he even knew how to find a place where girls could just fall from the sky without a place to fall from so that he could fall from the sky without a place to fall from even though he wasn't a girl because they all understood now and then there was peace.