This is prob the shortest chapter in this fic at just under 1k. Next one will be longer, I promise.
Roxas steps through the portal and into the Realm of Darkness with Kairi by his side.
"This place is…creepy." She comments.
Roxas looks over to see her faintly glowing. Actually glowing. Like, there's a white light surrounding her.
"Kairi, you're glowing."
"Thank you." She smiles at him.
"No, you're literally glowing."
Kairi looks down at herself and gasps, "Oh! I am! I'm glowing!"
"Maybe it's a Princess of Heart thing?"
Kairi laughs, "Maybe." She twirls once before sighing and folding her arms over her chest, "Any idea how we find Riku?"
"I don't know. We just keep walking until we find him."
Before either of them can say much more, Roxas notices movement in the dark abyss the makes up the realm.
"And I think we should start. Now." Roxas urges her on with a hand against the small of her back and the two of them start racing down one of the many roads that make up the Realm of Darkness.
Riku chokes on nothingness for what seems like forever as he's falling through inky blackness. When he opens his eyes, there's nothing for miles and miles. Or perhaps it's just so dark that he can't see three inches in front of his face.
It's familiar here. He knows this place.
But he can't be here right now. Sora and Kairi are in danger!
I have to get back. I have to help them!
As he keeps floating, his eyes adjust to the darkness. He notices familiar pathways passing him by. He knows they all connect. He knows they're all intertwined and they all lead nowhere.
He notices he's about to collide with one of the pathways and so he reorients his body so he'll land on his feet.
Here, everything is weightless and crushing all at once. He lands with a silent thud.
How do I get out of here?
The first answer that comes to mind is a Pathway of Darkness. But that requires him giving in to the Darkness. The only other way he's ever gotten out was because of the Door to Light.
Maybe someone will come for me, he thinks, if anyone survived.
The last thing he'd seen before being dragged into the Realm of Darkness was Sora, caught in Xehanorts' clutches. Anger boils inside of him, but he stamps it down the best he can.
He thinks about Sora and Kairi. He thinks of the island and his friends there. He thinks about all of his new friends in Hollow Bastion. He thinks of them and lets them calm him down.
When he opens his eyes, the world around him doesn't seem as daunting.
He turns in a circle to see the world about him. He picks a direction at random and starts walking.
No point in standing in one place for the Heartless to find me.
He walks, feeling more and more resentment for himself and this place. How could he let himself get dragged back here? Again.
How weak can I be? He chastises himself.
A chill runs up his spine, telling him that something is watching him. His Keyblade is out in an instant but he doesn't stop walking. There's a shifting in the distance. A large shifting.
A large Heartless rises up in the distance and turns, zeroing in on him in seconds.
Riku knows Heartless are much stronger here, so he picks up the pace. Just ahead of him he can see more shifting. He runs past it, following the path, and knows it saw him too.
He starts panicking when he passes by more and more Heartless. He skids to a stop at an intersection, trying to figure out which way to go before a voice calls out, "Get down!"
Riku quickly darts forward and rolls so he's out of harm's way.
He looks up in time for light to explode everywhere. It reminds Riku of one of Sora's spells and he has to cover his eyes. When he opens his eyes, there are spots of light floating everywhere.
He's pulled by his hand down one of the pathways and he blinks rapidly to clear up his vision. When he can see again, he realizes he's being pulled along by a girl who doesn't look that much older than him.
She pulls him along, appearing to know where she's going.
She's almost as tall as him, maybe an inch or two shorter.
They don't stop running until they reach the same beach he'd found with Sora. The girl drops her hand and turns to him.
"Are you alright? Did the shadows get you?"
Riku gets a good look at her face. She looks…like she's been in the darkness for a very, very long time.
"Yeah. Thanks. I don't know if I could have fought all of those Heartless."
"Heartless?" She tilts her head, "Is that what you call them?"
"It's what they're called." The more Riku looks at her, the more he thinks she looks…strangely familiar, "Have we met before?"
"I doubt that. I've been trapped here in the darkness for a…very long time." She shuffles, playing with a piece of her tattering wardrobe.
"I'm Riku." He offers his hand out to her, "Thank you, again, for saving me."
She smiles and shakes his hand, "It's nice to meet you, Riku. I'm Aqua."
Sorry this took so long. I had a bit more but it got me stuck and it wasn't exactly going anywhere important so after a bit (almost a year and a half i think) I decided to scrap it and post with that cliffhanger.
Comments/Reviews always get me to write more so if you guys want more, you should comment/review or leave an ask in my inbox at .com! Each (non-anon) ask gets the next 100 words written. Each in depth review (at least two paragraphs) gets 250 words written. ;D