Title: 100 Steps To Somewhere
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Claim: Cloud/Riku
Theme: 065. Holes
Word Count: 6,115
Rating: M
Summary: Hey, Sora? Wake up already!
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Kingdom Hearts whatsoever other than I am a super obsessive fangirl. It all belongs to Disney and Square Enix. I've accepted this, and you should, too.
Author's Note: I felt really fucked up after writing this. Hope you all fare better than I did.
Step Sixty-Five: Duality
Riku never went to bed that night—that fateful, horrendous night when his already shaky world crumbled just a little more. It wasn't that he didn't sleep; he just didn't go to bed, opting instead to pass out in the computer room as he relentlessly rolled his own death sentence around in his head.
For several minutes after the call with Cloud ended Riku sat on his bed, staring at phone and waiting. Waiting for what, he couldn't be sure. A miracle, maybe. Perhaps to retain his own form, magically appear in Midgar (or Edge, Gaea, or wherever), and put Zack back in the grave (Lifestream?) personally. Part of him hoped the phone would ring again, it would be Cloud and Leon laughing at him, and this story about Zack being the undead was just a highly unentertaining prank—and that Riku was so stupid to fall for it. Nothing happened; Riku didn't really expect anything to. For several more minutes he stared at the bedroom door unsure of what to do next. His nerves felt jumbled; his stomach twisted—queasy and nauseous. His fingers twitched around the cell phone still gripped tight in his right hand. He had to get out of here.
For the following thirty minutes Riku walked restlessly around the mansion. At one point the door to DiZ's room opened, and after a brief scolding (if Riku wasn't going to sleep, he could at least not keep others awake) he retired to the computer room. Sora's restoration was at ninety-nine percent.
"That was Zack."
How could Cloud be so flippant about the whole thing? Riku knew that he said the initial reaction was shock—that Cloud had actually freaked out over the whole scenario. If Riku knew Cloud as well as he hoped, that probably meant a lot of guilt, blame, and self-abuse, but over whom? Did he really want to be with Riku over Zack, or did he feel too guilty about the terrible timing? Even if Cloud wanted to go back to Zack, would he really admit it to anyone? Even himself? The Cloud Riku knew probably wouldn't. He wouldn't even recognize what he was really feeling until he started to resent Riku. Tifa would keep pushing for a reunion between Zack and Cloud, and eventually it would just be over. They would be over. Considering the burden Riku had been over the past year, he didn't even want to think on how fast it would happen, either.
Riku sighed and dragged a hand over his face. Perhaps he was getting ahead of himself. If the change was really as abrupt for Zack as Cloud made it sound and he honestly didn't remember a thing about dying, then it was understandable if Cloud was trying to be sensitive to his feelings. As far as Riku could tell, Cloud never stopped blaming himself for Zack's death. It was perfectly natural if, now that he was back and Cloud had moved on, he would feel some kind of guilt. That didn't mean he didn't care about Riku, right? He had called Leon for support and worried about how Riku would react. Surely that was a sign that he was trying to consider Riku's feelings about the situation, too. Maybe Cloud was just trying to be true to his heart without hurting anyone. He had waited until he had his own emotions sorted out until he broke the news so he could be completely honest about how he felt. That was something.
This ordinarily would have been the time when Riku would seek out a friend—Sora or Kairi—for consolation. These days, the only friend he really had was Leon. Leon would have insight into the situation, not only because he always had insight into these kinds of things, but because he'd been there when Cloud lost it, too. Even if Cloud couldn't see where his heart really belonged, Leon would have some idea, but just talking about this with someone was bound to make Riku behave like a lunatic, and he already went off on Leon once this month. A second time wouldn't do their friendship any good.
Who was this Zack, anyway, and what made him so goddamn special? Once upon a time, he had Cloud's utter, undying devotion, and very well still could. Apparently he could tease Leon as if he were Yuffie. He even had Tifa's vote, and even Riku wasn't ignorant enough to notice that Tifa was less than taken with him. Zack even managed to defy the laws of death.
Fuck it. Riku was screwed. Maybe Cloud had been sincere over the phone and truly meant every word spoken. Maybe he really did intend for them to get married one day, and if Riku looked like Ansem for the rest of his life, it wouldn't matter because Cloud wasn't going anywhere, but that was all right now in this moment. In this moment Cloud wasn't going anywhere, but what about two months from now? Five months? A year? It was only a matter of time.
Time passed quickly and unnoticed as Riku sat before the computer monitor without registering a thing. His hands continued to rake through his hair; his breathing was harsh. Thousands of thoughts raced through his mind and filled up the empty minutes he should have spent sleeping. Riku teetered between hope and despair. Maybe everything would work out. Cloud was sure to run back to Zack. He said he wanted to get married. He probably said the same thing to Zack before he died. Cloud insisted that Riku meant more than Zack ever did, but what was he saying to Zack, and how could Riku possibly believe him?
Faith was a funny thing in that just when you need it the most is when it's the hardest to grab onto.
-----0-----
The last of the holes were starting to fill in.
Sora's voice, which was so unlike Roxas's. Sora's laugh. The sound of Sora's shoes crossing the bridge as he approached the bent-over paopu tree. The way Sora worried his lower lip when he was upset or jutted it out in that ridiculous pout he used to make when he lost a fight.
The Harada house in the summertime, which always smelled of brown sugar and cinnamon. Tall frosty glasses of cold lemonade while Sora, Riku, and Kairi played in the yard. Sometimes Mrs. Harada would take them down to the shoreline and watch while they played, and sometimes she let them go off on their own, usually out to the play island until dinner.
Destiny Islands Junior High. At least twice a week Sora could be counted on to poke his head up at the window of one of Riku's classroom doors, out on a bathroom break. Riku would ask to use the lavatory pass and they ended up skipping more school than Sora could ever afford to. This inevitably led to Sora's 'pity me' pout and a cute little whine because he had fallen behind in one of his lessons again. A little pleading paired with Riku's almost obsessive crush on his best friend ultimately led to Riku not only tutoring Sora, but doing his homework for him . . . again.
Late night sleepovers in early August before the school term began after a long day on the beach. The first time Sora, Riku, and Kairi spent the night in the secret place. They told ghost stories and had to the leave in the middle of the night because Sora got scared, had a nightmare, and wanted the security of his own bed where at the least the spooky shadows in his room were familiar. Riku and Kairi, not wanting to make Sora feel bad, helped clean up their campsite and moved the whole thing to the Harada backyard.
Sora's stance and almost endearing glare when he was losing in a fight and claimed that now he was going to "get serious." The furious blush in Sora's cheeks at the mention of Kairi's name. The deeper blush of Kairi's name paired with the paopu fruit legend.
The way he had looked—so smug and proud—in Traverse Town. Sora, Keyblade drawn, staring hard in Monstro ("Heart or no heart, at least he still has a conscience."). The way disappointment, fear, and anger had twisted Sora's boyish features in Neverland. Sora, unyielding, as he declared, "My friends are my power!" and won back the Keyblade in Hollow Bastion, and then . . .
Nothing.
-----0-----
Dawn was breaking over Twilight Town when Naminé entered the computer room to find Riku slumped before the desk, head resting on his forearms. The hood of the Organization robe was down and exposed the face she knew caused him so much torment. His skin was sticky; his hairline was drenched in sweat. Naminé frowned as she kneeled down beside him and gently shook his shoulder.
". . . Riku?"
He coughed a little, flinched, and pulled away. Naminé shook him a second time. Riku's eyes popped open for half a second, revealing a vivid, startling orange, and then snapped shut. He squinted.
"What time is it?"
"Early. I just wanted to check on Sora. What are you doing down here?"
Riku took a long, shaky breath and pulled himself up into a seated position. He groaned.
"It's a long story."
"Your heart's hurting."
Riku nodded.
"Yeah."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Riku shook his head.
"No. How's Sora?"
Naminé glanced toward the monitor.
"Ninety-nine percent."
"Still? He was there last night."
Naminé shrugged.
"Roxas. He's . . . he still needs to be integrated. That's all that's left to complete the restoration. It's already started. His heart—it's merging, but he's resisting. I suppose we'll take care of that today."
"And then Sora will wake up."
Naminé smiled. She nodded.
"Yep . . . but . . . DiZ wants to move on to the World that Never Was once Sora's awake to keep an eye on the Organization. Continue to help Sora out on his way across the worlds—give him little clues and such. I figured you would help with that since you don't want Sora to see you like this."
Riku nodded.
"Yeah. I guess. What about you? Where are you going to go?"
She grinned and shrugged.
"Home."
". . . Kairi, right?"
"So you did know."
He touched a hand to his chest.
"Yeah. In my heart, right?"
"That's right."
"Hey, Naminé? When you go back to Kairi, and Roxas goes back to Sora, and then . . . I mean . . . When I'm me again . . . Will we all still . . . ?"
"I can feel about a thousand ways your heart wants to end that sentence."
"I can't really find words to what I want to ask."
"I don't think everything can ever go back to how it used to be, and considering everything that happened, it probably shouldn't, but . . . We'll always be friends. We'll always be together. You, Kairi, and Sora . . . and Roxas and I will be there, too. We always were."
"Do you think Sora can ever forgive me?"
"I think he already has."
"I was in love with him."
"I know."
"Did Kairi?"
Naminé frowned and nodded.
"Yes. She did."
"But Sora . . ."
"Never had a clue."
"Cloud's ex-boyfriend is miraculously back from the dead."
"So that's what the turmoil in your heart is all about. What does that have to do with Sora?"
Riku opened his mouth to reply, and then shut it again. There were so many ways to answer that question, and yet no words would come. He sighed and shook his head, running a hand across his still-damp hairline and back over his head.
"I don't know. I guess . . . I knew Sora was never going to love me the way I loved him. I knew. I didn't want it to be that way, but it was, and I really thought I would never love anyone as much as I did him until I met Cloud. And now . . . Everything I felt for Sora? Back then? It just seems so childish now. So . . . trivial. And I guess . . . But with Cloud . . . you know? With Cloud it was supposed to be . . . different, I guess. And everything was okay, and then I found out about Zack."
"His ex-boyfriend that's miraculously back from the dead?"
"Yeah. He . . . They were really in love. And then Zack died. They didn't even break up. Before he came back Cloud kept saying that I meant more than Zack ever did. He . . . I didn't really believe him, you know? I just thought he was being nice, because if Zack hadn't died . . . I guess . . . I don't know. I guess Cloud and I would've probably never met. We'd have never been together. And even if we had met, he wouldn't even consider me because he would still have had Zack."
"Riku, if Zack hadn't died, he probably wouldn't even be the same person you fell in love with."
"I know. It's just . . . I keep going two ways on how I feel about this. Part of me is terrified. Zack was his first love. They'd probably still be together if he hadn't died, and now Zack is back, it's a miracle, and it happens just when I turn into . . . this. It's just perfect, isn't it? The timing is just freaking perfect. But then . . . Cloud was so young when he was with Zack. Sora was my first love. And what if . . . Cloud said that now that Zack's back, he knows more than ever that I mean more than he ever did. That he really loves me. He even said he wants to marry me, so what if it's the same?"
"What? That now that Zack's back and he's fallen in love with you, his knows his feelings for Zack were still real, but . . ."
"But maybe they feel just as childish as my feelings for Sora do."
Naminé smiled.
"You need to trust him. Just believe in him."
"I trust he means what he says, or at least he thinks he means it, but I don't trust that it won't change. That the way I look right now won't interfere."
"Tell you what. I'm going to wake DiZ and get breakfast. We're going to get Roxas to merge with Sora so that lazy bum wakes up, and then I'm going to go back to Kairi. DiZ is going on to the World that Never Was. Let him know you'll meet up with him, but there's something you have to do first. Then go, apologize, and find out what you need to know."
"Apologize? What for? Besides, I can't. He's busy with some Sephiroth stuff, and . . ."
Naminé giggled.
"Not Cloud. Leon."
Riku's eyebrows rose. He gaped.
"Leon? But . . . Wait . . ."
"He's close to both you and Cloud. He ought to know what's going on. You already know that in your heart, and if you're going two ways, it can't hurt to find out which way he thinks you ought to lean. Anyway, you wanted to patch things up with him to start, and you really just want someone to listen. Cloud usually does that for you, but this is about him. Think about it. If you were on Destiny Islands, even if you were in a fight or whatever it was that transpired between you and Leon, who would you go to?"
"I used to go to Sora . . ."
"No, you didn't. Not for big things. Sora came to you. If you needed someone to listen, offer some advice, lean on a little bit, especially if it was about something like a relationship, you would go to . . ."
Riku frowned. He closed his eyes for a pained second.
"Ayumi."
"Exactly, and whether you realize it or not, somewhere along the way Leon has taken a spot in your heart much like your sister's. You look up to him the same way, don't you?"
Riku nodded.
"I know. I did realize. I just . . . I was so harsh to him . . ."
"Ayumi wouldn't hold it against you."
"I'm her brother. It's in the rules."
"And Leon regards you as something of a brother. One little disagreement isn't going to change how he feels about you, so when we get things squared away go on to Hollow Bastion. Tell DiZ you'll meet him in the World that Never Was when you've got some of your own things taken care of."
"And you'll . . ."
"See you soon. Next time Kairi does, most likely."
Riku tried to smile. His heart ached.
"I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too."
-----0-----
Roxas was flickering. Not even flickering like a badly tuned television station, but morphing into Sora, back to Roxas, Sora, and then Roxas again. He dressed. He walked through a mostly deserted town to the Usual Spot, but when he got there . . .
"Something's different," said Riku as he peered over DiZ's shoulder.
"Man, I could not sleep last night . . ." said Roxas, scratching the back of his head as he approached Hayner, Pence, and Olette. They didn't respond. "Guys?"
Roxas reached out as if to tap Hayner on the shoulder. His hand passed right through, and for a moment, Hayner went transparent before solidifying again. A small gasp issued from Roxas's lips as the three friends laughed and then they simply turned and ran out as if on another day's adventures. Maybe even with the intent of another try at a visit to the beach. Riku frowned as Roxas picked up one of the photos lying around the Usual Spot—the one that used to hold the images of all four friends in front of DiZ's mansion. Now there were only three.
"What's going on?" Riku turned to Naminé, standing beside him, watching intently on the scene transpiring on the screen. "You removed his memory from them?"
"And every trace of his existence in that town. It will simplify the restoration process," said DiZ.
"And make the loss easier on Hayner, Pence, and Olette," said Naminé. "At least I hope. The heart is more powerful than we can ever imagine."
DiZ laughed. Once again, Riku felt he missed the joke—a joke that was, most likely knowing DiZ, in poor taste.
Riku frowned as Roxas turned to leave the Usual Spot, his expression crestfallen. Sora had looked that way once, for the briefest of seconds, right before he closed the door on Riku and Mickey to the realm of darkness. His heart pulled tight.
"I'm sad for him," said Riku.
Naminé nodded.
"And them, too," she said.
"Be careful of your emotions. Roxas's fate is unavoidable," said DiZ.
"I know. You keep telling me so," said Riku. "I'm just . . . sad."
There was no time, however, to feel sad. The alternate Twilight Town was a busy place, Roxas was a targeted guy, and just when Riku's emotions were going one way, all hell broke loose. It was becoming a pattern by now, and so Axel's appearance in the Back Alley with a small arsenal of Dusks at his command came was almost expected. DiZ started to pound away at the keys.
"I'm tiring of this Organization brat," said DiZ.
"I don't know," said Riku. "He's starting to grow on me."
"Look at what it's come to. I've been given these icky orders to destroy you—if you refuse to come back with me," said Axel in the system.
He said it with such forced nonchalance and uncomfortable body language, in such a way that suggested, "Sorry, kid, I really don't like this, but my hands are tied," that for a moment Riku almost sympathized. He could see why Sora would've liked him, too.
Roxas straightened. The news about being best friends must have been preying on his mind as he took a moment to eye Axel up. This scrutiny seemed to make Axel even more uncomfortable.
"We're . . . best friends, right?" said Roxas.
Axel didn't even flinch. His previous discomfort manifested further as he scratched the back of his head and tried to keep up the façade, but Riku knew better. He'd seen that act on Cloud one too many times. Riku snickered.
"Sure . . ." said Axel, "But I'm not getting turned into a Dusk for . . . Wait a sec! You remember now!?"
There it was. He was a little slow on the uptake, Riku thought, grinning beside himself. Axel's sheer elation at being remembered lit up his entire face. The calm, collected demeanor was gone. Riku snickered again; Naminé grinned. Roxas, however, shifted his weight and hesitated for a second.
"Y . . . yeah."
Either this was the part of Sora that was a terrible liar, or Sora, whether in light or darkness, just wasn't capable of depiction in the slightest. Axel, however, was equally matched with his skills of observation and literally did a little arm pump in victory.
"Great!" said Axel. This time, Riku actually outright laughed. "But, you know, gotta make sure and all. So, umm . . . What's our boss's name?"
"He's screwed," said Riku.
"But think of how much help it'd be against Organization XIII if he knew," said Naminé.
"I already know," said DiZ. "There's no need for this exchange."
He continued to almost lazily tap away at the keys. Roxas still didn't answer. Axel was starting to get the picture. He genuinely looked depressed as he dropped his head and sighed.
"Can't believe this . . ."
Before anyone knew what had happened, Roxas called and the Keyblade appeared. Riku almost laughed a second time. That expression! Why hadn't he noticed it sooner? That face Roxas made when he was angry, when they were fighting in the World that Never Was—it was such a Sora face! Kairi called it Sora's 'This means business' face. It used to be enough sometimes to coax Riku into throwing a fight. Axel, however, recovered quickly and readied himself, but just as he raised his chakrams he froze.
"That's enough out of you," said DiZ as he moved to fiddle with the microphone and then tapped a few more keys.
"Oh, come on," said Riku. "I had a bad night. At least let me see them fight."
"We don't have time for such trivial matters," said DiZ as Roxas stared ahead for a moment, bewildered, and dropped his arm to his side. "Roxas, to the mansion! The time has come!"
Roxas, however, was still not giving in without a fight. He turned his face toward the sky.
"Hayner! Pence! Olette!"
Naminé frowned; Riku shrugged.
"Well, it worked once," said Riku.
"I shouldn't have troubled him so much," said Naminé.
"He cannot alter his path now," said DiZ. "He will simply have to accept his fate. Nothing either of you could or should have done anything about it."
"I know that," said Naminé. "It's just . . ."
Riku tore his eyes from the screen where Roxas was making his way toward the mansion, fighting off Nobodies that had invaded the systems from every possible entry point. After all this time, after thinking she was so much like Kairi and then knowing that Naminé was, indeed, her Nobody . . . after knowing about Roxas . . . and Kairi and Sora . . . It was no wonder Naminé was so intent on Roxas's well-being. It was no wonder she wanted him to be content and whole. She wanted him to understand that he wouldn't disappear and find peace in it, because Naminé loved Roxas just as Kairi loved Sora. Riku didn't know how he'd missed this, but there she was, twisting her blonde hair between her fingers like Kairi did with her own fiery red locks. She was biting her lips like Kairi, so much concern in her eyes that were only for one person.
Riku looked back to the screen. He reached his arm around Naminé's back and gave her a slight hug.
"He'll be all right."
She nodded.
Roxas ran through the Marketplace and Tram Common, making his way through the woods to the gate of the mansion. He tugged on the bars several times, and as he did so, Dusks sprung up behind. He frowned and leaned against the gates.
"Don't call me and then lock me out . . ."
"Use the Keyblade," said Riku.
"He'll get it," said Naminé.
He did get it. Seconds later there was a flash as if he was remembering something, and then he called the Keyblade again. With the gates unlocked, he rushed toward the mansion, but more and more Dusks were springing up behind him in pursuit.
"Well this won't do," said DiZ.
"We need to get Roxas alone," said Naminé.
"I'll hold them off while you both take care of Roxas," said Riku. "Hurry, though. I don't know how long I can keep them away."
"Do you need to use the data machine?" said Naminé.
"With all the open entry points in there?" said Riku. He shook his head.
Riku held out a hand, opening a dark portal into the corridors of darkness. He intercepted the Dusks right at the gates just as Roxas made it inside. The iron doors closed behind him and he readied his weapon as they swarmed in to attack. He just had to keep them outside for so long, and then Sora would be awake, and things would really begin again.
-----0-----
There were too many. Dusks, crazy blade-like things Riku had never seen before hiding in the ground, and so many other kinds of Nobodies—more than he even knew existed with swords and cards and guns. He was losing. There were too many at one time to take on without another group sneaking up from behind. There was no choice. He opened a portal to escape back to the computer room, and when he got there, he found Naminé sitting at the monitors, desperately pounding on the keyboard.
"What's going on?" said Riku.
"DiZ! I was trying to talk to Roxas . . . And he . . . Oh, he makes me so mad!"
"I have to go in and talk to him. There're too many Nobodies to hold off. You gonna be okay?"
Naminé huffed.
"Yes . . . Oh, I can't believe it! He locked me out!"
Riku gave her an uneasy glance for a moment before he opened another portal into the computer world. This time the destination was the white room.
DiZ and Roxas stood across from one another. DiZ looked as calm and detached as ever, and Riku didn't even need to turn to see how vexed Roxas was. He tried to focus on the task at hand, but the anger and desperation radiating from Roxas was a sensation he knew too well only last time he'd been blindfolded.
"DiZ, we're out of time," said Riku, trying not to turn and look. "Too many Nobodies."
Before DiZ had time to respond, another portal opened, and Naminé stepped out.
"Roxas, Nobodies like us are only half a person. You won't disappear. You'll be whole!"
"I'll . . . disappear . . .?"
Riku wasn't sure what was really going on, only that Naminé was out of time, too. She couldn't try and coax Roxas into understanding anymore, but DiZ had interfered, and she wasn't backing down without a fight. Riku couldn't stop himself as he turned toward Roxas. He took in the confusion and anger, wanted to reach out and do something, but then DiZ stepped toward Naminé and Riku remembered the mission at hand. This was for Sora. Roxas was half of Sora, and Naminé was right. He would be whole, and better off than he was now.
"No further outbursts!"
DiZ stepped forward and grabbed Naminé, attempting to drag her back through the dark portal. She frantically shook her head and Riku's heart broke watching her being pulled away.
"No, you won't disappear! You'll . . ."
DiZ covered her mouth with his hand. Roxas lunged forward.
"Wait!"
With reluctance, Riku stepped forward, cutting Roxas off as Naminé struggled against DiZ.
"Roxas!" she cried out again, trying to fight DiZ off. "We will meet again. And then we can talk about everything. I may not know it's you, and you may not know it's me. But we will meet again. Someday soon. I promise!"
DiZ was dragging her back through the portal as she called out to him and Riku stepped back toward it. His eyes were on Roxas, his heart with Naminé, and his mind focused on Sora. This was for Sora. Naminé called it being whole. She called it going home. She only wanted him to understand, and now she'd said all she needed to say. There wasn't time for anything else. As Roxas cried out to DiZ, demanding he let her go, they disappeared, and the portal closed. Riku disappeared in his own cloud of dark smoke, and then reappeared in the computer room. DiZ was hovering over Naminé.
"I leave you alone for one second . . . !"
"He had to know the truth!" she cried back at him. "He was troubled! He had to know!"
"DiZ," said Riku. "Let her go."
"She's completely out of control!"
"She's in love with him."
"Preposterous. Nobodies don't have hearts. They can't love."
"But we remember what it feels like!" said Naminé. "I know I do! I remember. Kairi loved Sora, and I love Roxas! He won't be content unless he understands! He needed it, and you need it to! If half of Sora is discontent . . ."
"That's enough," said Riku. "Look, we have to keep an eye on him, right? We have to get him to merge with Sora, and he's on the move again exploring the rest of the mansion. It's not very big. He'll find the computer room soon enough. He'll find Sora sleeping soon enough, and then what? We can't throw away all the hard work we've done over this, right? Whether he needed it or you didn't like it doesn't matter anymore."
Naminé took a breath. DiZ glared at her and took his spot back before the computer monitors. Riku turned to glance at the screen and then touched his fingertips to Naminé's elbow.
"Are you all right?"
"Roxas needed to know . . . right?"
Riku nodded.
"Right."
His exploration of the mansion was short. He went through the library right after the white room, found the note on the table, and revealed the hidden staircase. Roxas followed it right to the basement and the computer room. It didn't take him long to deduce what the computer was all about—his memories as a member of Organization XIII were now complete as he looked upon the screens, including memories of their fight in the World that Never Was—and as DiZ, Naminé, and Riku stood around the monitors in the real Twilight Town, in the alternate world, Roxas called the Keyblade and smashed those monitors to unrecognizable pieces.
Riku had no idea Sora had so many anger issues.
After beating the computer, he continued on, growing closer to the room where Sora slept, but he was intercepted by Dusks, and once defeated—
"Simply amazing, Roxas."
"Axel."
Axel, who from their previous encounter, seemed to have developed some anger issues of his own.
"You really do remember me this time? I'm so flattered! But you're too late!"
It wasn't just anger issues, either, because fire erupted around the room, and this time they did engage in battle. DiZ didn't even try to stop it; they just sat back and watched as Naminé chewed on her knuckles. Axel, it seemed, hadn't taken too kindly to being both forgotten and tricked, but Roxas didn't just call one Keyblade this time. His memories of Organization XIII, it appeared, gave him the strength to call two. Axel lost so quickly, Riku kind of felt bad for him.
As the fire dissipated around the room, Axel stood, hunched over, breathing hard. Roxas stood there watching him, regarding him with careful eyes as if recalling another long-lost memory. It was unfortunate, Riku thought, that Axel and Roxas's friendship had to end this way when Riku's best friend was about to come back. It was unfortunate, and it was unfair.
"Axel . . ."
Axel looked up and his eyes met Roxas's. He almost smiled.
"Let's meet again in the next life."
Roxas nodded.
"Yeah. I'll be waiting."
The hint of a smile faded as a corridor of darkness opened, black and purple smoke surrounding him. Axel locked eyes with Roxas one more time.
"Silly. Just because you have a next life . . ."
And then he was gone. Roxas had nothing left to see other than the hallway where Donald and Goofy slept, and then . . .
Roxas regarded the human-like animals fast asleep, drifting in their pods, instantly recognizable to him from the dreams. He looked at the next door with hesitation. It was obvious, really, climatic, tension building, and DiZ was typing fast into the computer again. He stood and walked toward the data projection machine. Riku didn't even need to be told he was going into the system as he stole DiZ's chair and Roxas entered the large, blinding white room where Sora was fast asleep in the center. DiZ was standing before the pod as Roxas approached.
"At last," said DiZ, "the Keyblade's chosen one."
"Who are you talking to?" said Roxas. "Me? Or Sora?"
Riku smiled. The attitude was fitting on Roxas, and the way he said Sora's name with such familiarity, as if they were friends . . . He spared one glace back to Naminé. She, too, was smiling.
"To half of Sora, of course," DiZ answered. "You reside in darkness. What I need is someone who can move about the realm of light and destroy Organization XIII."
"Why? Who are you?"
"I am a servant of the world," said DiZ with a laugh. "And if I'm a servant, then you should consider yourself a tool, at best."
"He's such a freak," said Riku. Naminé chuckled.
"Was that . . . Was that supposed to be a joke?" said Roxas. "'Cause I'm not laughing!"
Roxas called the Keyblade to him and rushed forward, tried to attack, but it simply cut through the data projection leaving DiZ unharmed.
"Tough crowd," said Naminé. Riku snorted.
"My apologies," said DiZ. "This is only a data-based projection."
Roxas actually screamed and started to hack away at DiZ, possibly trying to break him into as sad and sorry state as he had the alternate computer. It only slashed through the data, harmlessly. Naminé and Riku exchanged glances.
"Really tough crowd," said Naminé.
"I had no idea Sora had a part of him that was so unhinged," said Riku.
"You and me both."
The projection of DiZ disappeared and then reappeared behind him.
"And DiZ is a masochist!" said Riku. "Look! Now he's taunting him."
"What a moron."
"Come, over here," said DiZ.
"I hate you so much . . ."
Roxas swung the Keyblade as if to punctuate the point.
"You should share some of that hatred with Sora. He's far too nice for his own good."
Riku nodded.
"It's true."
"He's sweet," said Naminé.
Roxas swung the Keyblade again.
"No! My heart belongs to me!"
He ran forward a second time and tried to attack the projection, but it simply disappeared again, and when it did the pod in which Sora was contained cracked open to reveal him inside. Roxas continued to hold the Keyblade poised and stared up at the face he'd seen so often in his dreams, so like his own, and Riku's heart pulled as he spoke Sora's name with almost affection.
Roxas lowered the Keyblade and stepped closer, his eyes focused on nothing but Sora floating in the pod.
"You're lucky," said Roxas. "Looks like my summer vacation is . . . over."
Riku's eyes stung as Roxas disappeared from the screen. DiZ reappeared in the computer room just as the computer announced, "Restoration Complete."
She lives!
So I meant to do this post yesterday for the one-year anniversary, but alas, I am chronically late. I apologize.
I've realized for quite some time now that the timeline for this story has become incredibly jacked up despite my best attempts to keep things organized, so for those who may be confused...
Notes on Story Timeline:
I assumed (for whatever reason) that Destiny Islands was destroyed circa April (year 1). Cloud and Riku met shortly after, spent that month together, and started dating circa late May. I figured it probably took a few months for the KH1 charade leading into mid September. Riku was gone in the realm of darkness/Castle Oblivion for the rest of September and all of October, and somewhere during this Sora went to sleep. Then he was in Hollow Bastion with Cloud until about March, and this is where I messed up, because it really should have been April, because I figured he was probably with DiZ about a month leading it to mid-May, making it just short of one year that they've been together and Sora in the pod for about seven/eight months, which could be roughly rounded off to a year (since he's supposed to be sleeping for about a year). This has become horribly messed up, I know, and I apologize for that, too. Had I chosen to write this whole story first, it could have been corrected in editting (along with a thousand other little mistakes), but I didn't and so I will take the blame. For the sake of the story, though, in my head it is currently mid-May (year 2). So I guess it should be in your heads, too. Heh.
Well, now. Onward.