I do not own Kingdom Hearts
Riku wandered into the kitchen looking to for something to ease his throbbing headache. He purposely waited until midnight when he was sure everyone would be asleep, or at least in their rooms. He didn't want to have to face anyone at the moment. He strolled into the kitchen and flicked on a dim light, then made his way to the medicine cabinet. Unfortunately, he had no idea what he was looking for. When he opened the cabinet, he saw that none of the bottles were labeled—they were just color coded. Dozens of small, glass bottles in red, yellow, green, blue, and white stared right back at him. He sighed and shut the cabinet.
This is stupid. How do I get myself into these messes? Keiya won't talk to me, everyone else overheard us fighting, and now my head hurts and I can't even find a stupid potion bottle…
He was about to start looking through another cabinet for labeled bottles when someone turned on more lights, making the room brighter. He turned around sharply to see Sora standing in the entryway, still in his day clothes. He smiled and walked casually over to Riku and handed him a potion from his pocket. Sora sighed and leaned against the refrigerator.
"Thanks…" Riku murmured, taking a large swing from the bottle. He downed it quickly and plopped down on a kitchen stool. His head started feeling lighter as the potion worked its magic.
"So what happened? You almost never get sick." Sora asked.
"I'm just tired. It's no big deal." He said nonchalantly.
"Sounds like you two had a pretty bad argument back there." He stated.
"Oh… yeah…"
Sora watched as Riku hopped up from the stool and put the empty bottle in the sink to be reused. He lingered at the sink an extra minute and looked out the window so that his back was to Sora.
"Do you… wanna talk about it?" He pressed, mostly out of concern but somewhat out of interest. He leaned over to the side to get a glimpse of Riku's distant expression as he continued to keep his eyes fixed on the window. Sora leaned over more so that Riku would be able to see him out of the corner of his eye and started making face after face, rolling his eyes and sticking out his tongue until he finally got Riku to let out a short laugh he had been holding in. He fell away from the window and wandered back to the table with Sora following close behind also laughing.
"So why don't you tell me what happened? Was it about anything serious?" He asked again. Riku sighed and plopped back down on a stool.
"Yeah, it was pretty bad." He admitted. "We've fought a couple of times before, but this is by far the worst."
"What are you going to do about it?"
"I dunno. I want to talk to her, but I know she wouldn't listen. She never tells me anything. Whenever she's upset or lost I feel like I know her better than herself. But when it comes to things like her childhood or her powers, I'm completely in the dark. There's just no getting through to her when she's angry." He said, thinking out loud. He had almost forgotten that Sora was still listening.
"Sounds tough." Sora said, wearing a smirk. "To be getting into arguments this deep, you two must be pretty close. Kairi and I don't really get into these kinds of fights."
"Keiya's different." He said vaguely. He was staring blankly at the counter with half his mind still dwelling over what he would do to resolve the fight.
"Have you tried to talk to her yet?"
"She's just so stubborn. I tried knocking on her door a couple of hours ago, but she wouldn't answer me."
"It sounds like you've met your match." Sora said teasingly. "You were always the one to get worked up over games and titles."
Riku immediately looked up and starting defending himself. "It's not my fault if you always lose. And anyway, that's a completely different scenario. I'm talking about—"
"I didn't lose today." He pointed out.
"I let you win." Riku said in defense.
"No, I won because you weren't paying attention. You were too busy talking to your girlfriend."
"I told you that it was a re-do because I wasn't paying attention." He stressed. He saw Sora's smug look and then added, "And she not my girlfriend."
"Oh, I forgot. You guys are fighting now."
"You know what I mean." He said, slightly annoyed. "Look, right now, all I'm concerned with is getting her to talk to me."
"Then go talk to her!" Sora pulled Riku up off the chair and pointed toward the hallway. Riku sighed and began the long trek down the hall to where his and Keiya's rooms were located.
You make it sound so simple, Sora…
…………………………………………………
"Oh, it's you. Back so soon?"
Keiya stood in the center of the large foyer. She had dirt and grass stains marking her skin, and her hair and clothes were soaking wet. Her clothes were slightly torn and were faded from the sun. She nodded solemnly and starting walking up a nearby flight of stairs that ran along a stain glass wall. She was freezing cold and felt lightheaded from lack of sleep. As she approached the main lift stop to the top of the castle, she ran into Sai. He looked surprised, then glanced around the hall to see if anyone else was around.
"I don't think you should be walking around here like that. The council is here today. Maleficent won't be happy if they see you dressed… like that."
"That's why I'm changing." She said, walking past him.
"They've been using the lifts all day to get around. Just open a portal." He suggested.
Instead of answering him she activated a crystal, which called on a lift to come sailing from across the room.
"Hey, did you hear what I said?"
"I don't need a portal—I'll just use the lift." She murmured. She felt drowsy and weak, and really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.
"Oh, not this again. Every time you try to fight Maleficent's darkness, you get into so much trouble."
Keiya was about to step onto the newly arrived lift, but Sai blocked the entrance with his arm. "Remember what happened last time? You fell asleep for one hour, and you couldn't leave that room for three days. It would be much less painful if you would just accept the darkness without a fight."
"…"
Eventually, the lift went back to its original spot since no one was getting on board. After it left, Sai removed his arm and strolled to the other side of the room.
"Besides, isn't it awesome, this power? I can't imagine why anyone would want to fight it—if I could do half the things you can, I'd have taken over this whole castle already!"
"Don't say things like that in front of me. You'll get us in trouble." She said firmly. She was also annoyed at Sai for making her miss her lift. Now it was rushing off to a different stop to pick someone else up.
"You get yourself in trouble. Why can't you just be grateful to have that power for once?"
…………
"Are you in there? Keiya?"
Keiya jumped up out of bed with a start. She looked around the room frantically and held her head with one hand. She saw bright lights for a few seconds from getting up so quickly. Slowly, her surroundings sank in. Wait… I'm still here... It was just a dream…
A few more knocks came at her door, and she suddenly recognized the voice as Riku's. Memories of their fight earlier that night rushed back to her and she immediately became angry at him again. She let him continue knocking until he finally walked away.
Everything felt so real… I was so afraid I had actually left… She thought. The clock next to her bed read eleven o'clock. She had only been asleep for an hour. She got up and started rummaging through her closet for nightclothes, but kept the lights off in case Riku came back.
I remember that time… I think I was twelve or thirteen. That was the shortest time I had been away, but I got in the worst trouble when I got back…
She pulled on a white T-shirt and pair of shorts, then ran a brush through her hair a few times. When she came out of the bathroom, the wind had picked up and was blowing leaves into her room. She quickly shut the window and pulled the curtains closed. It had gotten chilly since that afternoon.
I must've had that dream because I saw Sai today… that really was a close call. I can't blame Riku for being upset, but… since she didn't see me it shouldn't be such a big deal, right? She debated. Their conversation was lagging on her mind; she couldn't help but second guess herself after hearing Riku's input. If they found out where I was staying, everyone here would be hurt… naturally he has the right to be worried. She thought. Her mind reeled through his words, but then stopped when she remembered his comment about her being afraid to fight. She wandered around her room as she thought.
But then, he doesn't have the right to say that I'm scared—he has no idea what he's talking about! He's always throwing in his opinion without knowing the whole story! It's not—
"You aren't giving me a chance to understand! You can talk to me—if I'm not getting something, then fill me in!"
She suddenly stopped everything she was doing upon remembering Riku's words. She flopped onto the bed softly and felt all her anger directed at Riku fade away in an instant.
"Why won't you let me help you?"
……………………………………………
Sai wandered down the long corridor past his room and the staircase. He had never journeyed farther than that, because he didn't want to appear childish. Now that he had a leading role, he didn't feel so bad about wanting to explore. He had even begun going through some of his old things—pictures of his parents and small wooden toy cars he had from his childhood. He decided that he would begin packing since information had leaked that he would be getting a new room soon. Maleficent wanted to move the entire council in the castle so she could keep an eye on them, turning the hallway Sai's room was in into a gigantic dorm. He, in turn, would be moved upstairs into a nicer room.
He passed up all sorts of pictures and statues—no doubt souvenirs from the various worlds Maleficent had taken over. He eventually came to the end of the hallway where there was a large, cold-looking staircase.
This is where my room is going to be… He thought eagerly, climbing the stairs. It was a short climb, and when he reached the top, he was greeting by an even gloomier setting. He now saw knights in armor and old, dusty pictures that had lost their vivaciousness. After a few sharp turns and another short staircase, he came upon a wooden door that looked as if it hadn't been opened in a while. He reached out and turned the handle, not even thinking to knock first.
Inside was a poorly lit large room with a boarded up window. There was no bed or couch or anything to sit upon; there was only a small bookshelf which contained a dozen or so novels, a small wardrobe for hanging clothes, a cardboard box in the corner of the room, and a candle with some matches. The overall look was that of a prison.
Sai walked over to the cardboard box, similar to the one he kept his stuff in, and started pulling things out, one by one. First, he found a small red bag with a few shiny pebbles inside. He looked at it curiously, not even bothering to wonder about its value, and threw it aside. He reached back in to pull out an old, faded scrunchie that had orange hairs tangled around it.
Wait—I'm in Keiya's room? What the hell? This place looks more like a dungeon than a bedroom.
The last thing in the box was a pair of dangling earrings made out of a beautiful violet glistening crystal. It was the only thing in the room that looked as if it hadn't aged at all. There was not a speck of dust on them, and they shone bright enough to light up the whole room.
I can't believe it—even my room is nicer than this. Why would Maleficent make her live here? No wonder she kept running away. He thought. Then he noticed the boards covering the window. Suddenly, he felt a portal open behind him.
"You're always sneaking up on me." He said, putting the earrings, hair tie, and pebbles back in the box.
"I thought I heard someone up here. I thought it might be Keiya." She said coolly.
"Was this her room?" He asked casually.
"It was, when she misbehaved. It used to be nicer, but she continued running away. I had to do something." She explained nonchalantly.
"Like board the windows and not give her a bed?" He said, disapproving discretely.
"Watch your tongue. I didn't want to encourage her to leave, so I boarded the windows. As for the bed, I didn't want her to think she could live here and reject the darkness. One who is immersed in darkness has no need for such mortal necessities."
"…"
"Don't worry—I see now the mistakes I've made in training her. When she comes back, I'll correct them."
…………………………………………
Riku leaned against the wall outside Keiya's room, silently laughing.
She locked me out. I can't believe it—she actually locked me out.
He tried the door one more time, but it still would not open. He pushed off from the wall and checked the time on the clock in the hallway.
Half past midnight… she knows I check on her for 'heartless attacks', but she's never locked the door on me before. She must be really mad… He thought. For some reason, he found the whole situation hilarious. He continued laughing as he walked across the hall to his room and opened his window. Fine… two can play at that game.
He climbed out the window, ending up on the side of the house. He then proceeded to walk around the perimeter of the building, ducking under other windows so he couldn't be seen. He could have asked Sora to just open the door for him, but didn't want awkward rumors going around the house as to why. After a five minute power-walk around the house, he came to Keiya's window. The lights were all out, and she appeared to be sleeping, but the window was closed. It figures… the one night that she remembers to close the window… Riku carefully pushed it open, trying not to let it creak. When he finally had it open wide enough, he slipped inside and shut the window again. Keiya was indeed asleep and, as always, was over the covers rather than under them. He pulled back the covers and lifted her up and under them just as he did every night. As he did so, he spotted the mark on her wrist which had faded since he first saw it. After laying her down, he took a seat next to her and gently turned her wrist upwards so he could observe it better.
This is great news—why didn't she tell me? He though, a little saddened. Does she hate talking to me that much?
As he examined the heartless mark, her body started to radiate an aura of darkness. Riku automatically sat up and prepared to jump in just in case she couldn't handle the attack on her own. However, after about a mere ten to fifteen minutes of less than-intense struggling, the darkness just evaporated away. Riku's eyes widened in disbelief. That was it? That was… fast. I haven't seen an attack so mild yet. He reached out and stroked her hair back gently, admiring its softness. His hand easily became entangled in it. She's so beautiful…She definitely looks as fiery as she is. If she knew I was here, she wouldn't be too happy, He thought, smiling to himself. I have to make amends tomorrow. I can't let her slip away just because of a stupid argument. When he saw her start to stir a little bit, he hopped up off the bed and made his way to the door. He glanced back at her one last time before turning his attention back to the door. He unlocked it and opened it just wide enough to sneak out.
That's the least pain I've ever seen her in during one of those attacks. She's getting better, somehow… I wish I could tell her.
…………………………………………………
The next morning, Keiya entered the kitchen with her head held down. She was embarrassed beyond words to talk to Riku now—she was unable to just go up to him and apologize, even though she knew he'd forgive her. As she suspected, Riku was already in the kitchen along with Sora and Kairi. They were all sitting around the high counter, Sora and Kairi talking happily while Riku only threw in a word here and there. Aerith, Cid, and Leon were up too, and were sitting in the dining room drinking tea and coffee. Keiya walked briskly to the front door trying not to draw attention to herself, but when she got close to the window, she noticed that it was pouring outside. She stood by the window for a second, unsure of whether or not she should go out anyway. She had planned on staying out of the house for a while until she felt ready to talk to Riku. Meanwhile, Riku had hopped up from the table when she entered and placed his bowl in the sink next to the door. Keiya instinctively turned away shyly from him and started walking back towards the hallway.
"Wait—don't you want anything to eat?" Called Aerith in a mother-like tone. She still insisted on offering even though everyone in the house knew the answer was 'no'.
"No thanks." She replied politely. She passed up Riku hastily, who had been standing by the sink watching her, and headed back toward her room.
"Ouch." Sora commented after Keiya was out of earshot. Riku sighed and watched her walk away, then walked back to the table and sat with his head in his hands. The whole situation was really starting to bother him; his head began feeling heavy again. Kairi looked at him sympathetically, wondering whether or not she should say anything to him.
"I don't think she meant any harm…" She suggested.
Aerith, Leon, and Cid were all facing Riku's direction, waiting to see what he would say. Once again, he had the spotlight. Sora glanced around the room at the eyes and quickly pulled a deck of cards out of his pocket.
"Hey, you guys! Let's go play until the rain clears up!" He offered. Kairi followed him out of the room along with Yuffie, who had walked in during the awkward silence.
"What happened? Why is everyone so quiet?" She asked obnoxiously. Kairi shushed her and discretely pointed to Riku.
I can't take much more of this. I was going to try and talk to her now, but… I don't think she's ready to listen.
"Riku, you coming?" Sora called from inside the living room.
"Sure." He said, getting up slowly. He knew he wouldn't be able to have fun—not at the moment. His mind was too preoccupied. He just put on a fake, weak smile and took a seat next to Sora at the coffee table. When the kids were all situated and playing cards in the next room, Aerith and Leon began cleaning up the kitchen.
"I feel bad for Riku. He looks really down. I've never seen him so distracted." Aerith commented. Leon was, as usual, reading the paper with his cup of coffee.
"On the contrary, I think Keiya has it worse. She doesn't have anyone else to talk to—at least Riku has his friends."
…………………………………………
"It's so cold out here…" Keiya muttered to herself amidst the pouring rain. There was a quick flash of lightening followed by a crack of thunder a few seconds later. She couldn't stand being shut up in her room all day, so she had decided to go outside anyway. She now sat on a boulder in the middle of the field behind the house, overlooking the woodland further ahead. I can't go back in now, though… I might run into Riku… I'm not sure what to say to him… She thought miserably. And after this morning he must think I'm still mad at him… I should have just used the window instead of trying the front door.
She crossed her arms across her chest, trying to keep warm. She was drenched from head to toe and her hair stuck to her face like a magnet. It had gotten dark from the clouds, so it seemed a lot later than it really was. She could see lights dimming in the kitchen, which meant that everyone had already eaten dinner and was cleaning up.
It's that late already? I've been out here since lunch… I guess I should go in before anyone thinks I've left…
On the trek back up the shallow hill to her window, she saw Leon a little ways off swinging his gun blade. He noticed her immediately—her hair stood out against the grayscale landscape. He was also soaked, and had a mixture of water and sweat dripping down his forehead. He put down his weapon and walked toward her casually. Keiya braced herself for the worst; she had never spoken to Leon without at least one other person in the room. And she didn't exactly get along with him.
"Keiya? What're you doing out here?" He asked, kind of surprised.
"Nothing, really…" She replied, barely audibly.
"You should go inside. You could get sick." He stated. "Besides, Riku was looking for you before."
Her face immediately flushed when he mentioned Riku. Leon seemed to notice, because his expression changed from evaluating to all-knowing. "O-okay."
"He came out here before on the other side of the house to try and find you, but Sora convinced him to go inside. That you wanted to be left alone."
"Thanks, I guess… uh, shouldn't you go inside, too?" She offered. Leon began walking back over to where his left his gun blade and started toward his training spot.
"I'm fine. I need to go patrol the town. There's been an attack on a small forest on the other side of town that I want to check out."
"Oh… Oh! That was…"
"Do you know anything about it?" He asked, turning around and giving her his full attention.
"Yeah, I mean… didn't Riku tell you?" She asked. She had assumed that Riku would automatically tell Aerith and Leon. She never thought he would keep something like this from them.
Leon shook his head. "We could really use the information. According to witnesses, that place is virtually inhabitable now." He pressed.
"It was destroyed by Maleficent." She said solemnly.
Leon's eyebrows raised and he became more alert. "Are you sure? That's a big assumption to make if—"
"I was there. I saw it happen." She defended. She was frustrated that he would even think she was making it all up. "I was walking in the forest when she destroyed it."
Leon looked at her suspiciously, unsure of what to say. Keiya suddenly realized just how bad that sounded for her—that she was present when Maleficent destroyed part of the town.
"B-but I don't want you to think that—"
"What am I supposed to think?" He said bitterly. "You're telling me that you were there by chance. That it was a coincidence. How can I believe you?"
"She didn't even see me. I didn't come into contact with her!" She protested. "If you think I helped her—"
"Well it certainly seems credible." He stated bluntly.
"…"
He ran a hand through his hair, obviously stressed. "I'm not the one who wanted to let you stay here, but we did so as a group, thinking you could change. Right now it looks like you're trying to sell us out. Have you thought of what a let down that would be to everyone inside?"
"Leon, I swear… I would never do anything like that." She half-whispered. "It really was a coincidence…"
Leon sighed and walked past her, slinging his gun blade over his shoulder. "I'm going to check it out. Just… go inside. For your sake, and everyone else's, I hope I'm wrong about this."
Keiya stood still as he walked away, half broken. She had never contemplated how bad a situation she had put herself in by just taking a walk into that forest. She now had more to deal with than she could possibly handle. Leon was bound to spread his opinion to the other adults, and soon, even Sora and Kairi would think she was a traitor. She knew Leon was right to think the worst—for the safety of his friends—but now she was being accused of treachery.
"Leon!" She called, turning around quickly. He was a little ways off, but he stopped when he heard his name. "What would have been more suspicious? Giving you the information or keeping it a secret?"
Leon continued walking, leaving Keiya out in the rain by herself.
……………………………………………
"Please… s-stop…"
"You think you can resist the darkness?! Darkness is your life now! I gave you a home—I own you! All I asked is that you obey me—that you fight for me with the powers I've given you! That is your payment—your job!" Bellowed Maleficent, shooting off another wave of darkness at the girl crying in the corner. She gasped for air as the darkness encircled her and suffocated her, trying to work its way into her heart. "Fear makes you weak, Keiya! Now let down your defenses or I swear I'll force the darkness into you again!"
As the last dark cloud subsided, Keiya gasped for breath, only able to let out meek coughs and whimpers. She slowly tried to stand up, groping the wall for support. Her vision was blurry and her legs were wobbly from lack of oxygen. Maleficent gave her a few seconds to answer, but when she did not, she released another wave forcing her back down to the floor. In the background past the thick fog, Keiya could make out Sai's faint outline. He stood in the entryway behind Maleficent, just watching. The only expression evident on his face was pity.
Maleficent walked toward her as the fog disintegrated again. Keiya was still choking for air and had tears streaming down her face from trying to keep the darkness from penetrating her. Maleficent yanked her up violently by the arm, causing her to stagger back into the wall.
"P-please don't make me—" She started pleading desperately, her voice cracking. But she was cut off by an involuntary gasp when a strikingly dense mass of darkness engulfed her—even lifting her up slightly in its grasp so that her toes were only brushing the floor. Then the all-too-familiar sensation of suffocating commenced. There was nothing for her to do to save herself consciously—she couldn't even see beyond the cool blackness encircling her. As seconds ticked away, her body began going limp and her eyes fluttered closed. No air could reach her, and she was beginning to fade out. Finally, as a dreaded last-resort, her body over-ruled her will and let the darkness in in one devastating rush. She fell to the ground as all the darkness seeped into her skin and starting installing itself into her body all over again. Now, to her body, there was no dire need for air. The darkness could replace it.
Her body shook with resentment and overwhelming frustration. Maleficent, who was pleased enough, turned around and walked back to the entrance, not even giving her a word or a second glance. Keiya looked up and watched her leave, catching Sai's eye in the process. He looked at her with guilt and half-hearted sympathy, but made no move to help her. He followed Maleficent out of the room, closing the door behind him.
…………………………………
Riku sat slouching on his bed, carving the violet stone he had started a week ago. He had swapped lessons with some of the kids in town. He taught them how to fight, and they showed him how to use the chisel and knives they lent him and where to cut the crystal so that it didn't break apart messily.
A whole day wasted… I shouldn't have listened to Sora. If I had gone out to look for her, we could have made up by now…I guess I'll check up on her soon…
He glanced over at the digital clock next to his bed, which read one thirty in the morning. He carefully began putting away his work—wrapping the tools up and putting the crystal back in its steel-woolen bag. He yawned and stretched his arms above his head, then strolled over to the other side of the room to close the window.
While he was drawing the curtains closed, he heard a soft knock on his door. He turned in surprise, wondering who would be up at this hour. "Is that you, Sora?" He called, unlocking the door. He swung it open lazily while pulling on a white T-shirt, which he had left on a nearby chair. He had only been wearing grey sweatpants before.
"Keiya…"
"I-I'm sorry to bother you so late… Were you asleep?" She asked shyly, one arm across her torso. She was wearing a plain white nightgown with a light blue sweater thrown over to cover her shoulders.
"What happened? Is something wrong?" He asked, ready for the worst.
"No, I just…I felt like talking to you… J-just forget it—I mean, it's stupid. You're probably tired. I don't know why I even—" She started, about to turn around. Riku reached out and pulled her back gently by the arm, then let go just as fast. He held the door open and motioned for her to enter. He didn't even bother to try to prevent a small smile from forming on his lips.
"Come in."
She walked in timidly and watched Riku flick on more lights and shut the door behind her. She felt awkward coming to him so late at night, just expecting him to be awake (even though he was), while they were 'fighting'.
"What did you want to talk about?" He asked. He took a seat against the headboard of his bed and motioned for her to do the same. She sat down uncomfortably on the opposite side.
"I don't know. I just… got the urge to talk to you, I guess…" She admitted. They sat in an awkward silence for a few moments, listening to the crickets outside.
"You okay? You look kind of pale." He remarked, playfully tossing her a pillow. She flashed him a quick smile, then turned back toward the window. She kept the pillow in her lap and sat with her back against the footboard.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry if it seemed like I blew you off this morning—I didn't mean to. I didn't want to talk to you in front of—"
"I understand." He said simply. He couldn't express how happy he was that she had come to talk to him—he loved the kind of relationship they had. That they could just sit here like this after a whole day of not speaking to each other. He didn't realize how much he had missed talking to her.
"So you locked me out of your room last night." He said pleasantly, jumping into another conversation. Keiya let out a short burst of laughter and shifted so that they were facing each other. Even in context, it was the most awkward statement.
"What?"
"I had to sneak in through the window."
"You still came?" She asked in disbelief, though slightly amused.
"Of course. I couldn't let you win that easily."
She smiled at him again, making brief eye-contact for a change. Riku couldn't help but smile with her. "Do you have to make everything a competition?"
"You challenged me. You locked the door."
"I can do whatever I want with it—it's my door." She argued playfully.
"But you knew I would come."
"No, I actually wasn't sure. I still can't believe you went all the way around the house to climb in through the window."
"Like I said, you challenged me." He repeated smugly.
"Whatever."
Riku slouched back a little bit, drifting off into thought. "That mark on your wrist got lighter." He announced suddenly.
"O-oh, I know." She said, absentmindedly turning her wrist to look at it.
"Why didn't you tell me? That's something to be proud of." He asked in a serious tone, but still easy enough to keep the conversation light.
"I guess I forgot—I would have told you, but then we…"
Riku smirked. "We fought. We tend to be pretty good at that."
"Yeah…" She said softly, still staring at her wrist.
"Listen, Keiya… I really do want to help you, if you'll let me."
They sat in another silence, this one filled with more tension than the last. Riku watched her, eagerly waiting for a response. She continued examining the mark as an excuse not to look at him, and lightly traced over it with her finger. Then, she leaned forward and brought her knees up to rest her head on.
"I've been having the weirdest dreams these past couple of nights. About when I worked for Maleficent." She stated. Riku's heart sped up. He sat up straight, inviting her to continue.
"Just… from when I would try to fight her power."
"I thought you said she never punished you."
"Not for running away. For resisting like I am now, she would lock me up until I gave in. And when I didn't, she would drown me in her darkness until I couldn't fight anymore."
"Resisting?"
"Like how I need to sleep and breath. It's a sign that I'm not 'fully embracing' it or whatever. She would use the darkness to suffocate me until my body just accepted it on its own."
She kept her eyes fixed on the window as she spoke, a little reluctant to see his reaction. She could feel Riku's eyes on her. He crawled over to the other side of the bed and sat next to her. Keiya felt her face heat up, and kept her head down and facing the side. Riku gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders, causing her to blush deeper.
"Keiya… I had no idea … What I said yesterday, about you being afraid to fight—"
"No, I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you. I never told you…"
I can't even imagine… to keep fighting, over and over, only to keep slipping. No… being pushed.
He stared at the ceiling a few minutes, just thinking. He knew Maleficent was bad news; that she would do whatever it took to get what she wanted. But he was never her apprentice. He had never really understood the difference. Obviously, more training and strict rules. But now he realized just how serious a business it was. While he was being sweet-talked and given deals, Keiya was being tortured and isolated. He had fully immersed himself in darkness; she was always trying to escape it.
He gazed down at her, only able to see the back of her head. She was running her fingers through her hair as a distraction. He frowned and removed his arm from her shoulders.
"Keiya, why won't you look at me?"
She turned in surprise, a little flustered. "What do you mean?"
"I feel like you're afraid to look me in the eye. You're always looking away from me."
"Don't be ridiculous. That's not—"
"Then look at me."
She swallowed, still nervously playing with her hair. He was sitting so close to her—she could feel the warmth radiating from his body. She reluctantly looked up and met his steady gaze. His eyes were a deep azure, but weren't cold. Their warmth drew her in—she had always been too self-conscious to face him. She always felt like it wasn't her place to.
Riku smiled softly at her and reached for her hand that was in her hair. His hands were so much warmer than hers. He spread his fingers out over hand, trying to warm it.
"Not so bad, right?" He asked jokingly. She smiled, basking in the feeling of his hand around hers. Her heart was fluttering wildly in her chest. Then, all of a sudden, she began to feel dizzy and weak. Her smile faded and she gently tugged her hand free from his.
"It's really late. I don't want to keep you up." She said, excusing herself. She got up off the bed and started walking toward the door, careful not to lose her balance. What is wrong with me? I feel kind of lightheaded… Riku glanced at the clock then followed her. He had almost forgotten how late it was. It was already two thirty.
"I'll see you tomorrow." She said, waiting for him by the door.
"Yeah."
They stood by the door for a few minutes, staring at each other. Riku unlocked the door and was about to open it, but dropped his hand. He looked down at her in debate as a thought crossed his mind. Keiya looked up at him quizzically, still feeling a little weak on her feet.
"Is something wrong?" She asked.
Riku shook his head, then opened the door. But before she could step out, he took her hand to hold her back. Before she could realize what was happening, Riku leaned in and touched his lips to the side of her face in a soft, unexpected kiss. Keiya froze, feeling even more flustered than before. He pulled away slowly and took a small step back, slowly coming to his senses. When he let her hand go, Keiya turned back to the door. She felt confused and nervous, but also as light as air.
"I'll… I'll see you tomorrow…" She repeated quietly. She quickly walked across the hall and entered the relief of her room. Keiya sank to the floor as soon as she closed the door. She felt dizzy and overheated. It wasn't a bad feeling, though. It felt light and fluttery. She heard Riku close the door of his room, bringing another blush to her face. She absent-mindedly reached up and touched the spot on her cheek where Riku had kissed her.
This is so bizarre… Did that really just happen?
She slowly got up and kept a hand on the wall for support. The dizziness began to subside, but the rush of weakness throughout her body remained. She was about to lie down on the bed, when she spotted the mark on her wrist, which was now even lighter. It looked half faded, like some of it had disintegrated off without her noticing. Her eyes widened and she sat back down clumsily, eyeing it again. As she traced over it, her mind automatically replayed the moment when Riku had caressed her hand. She blushed and smiled to herself, letting the newfound feelings take her over. For a moment, she seemed to forget everything else—all the other troubles occupying her mind.
I guess… It's not so bad…
………………………………….
Riku watched her walk to her room across the hall. As soon as she was inside, he shut the door and ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. His world was spinning every which way.
I don't know what came over me… I think I made her uncomfortable… He thought, reflecting on his sudden action. But… I don't regret it.
……………………………………
"Aerith…" Keiya called, standing in the kitchen entryway. She had gotten up early so that there would be no one else in the common rooms. The sun had just risen a half-hour ago, and everyone was just starting to get up. She didn't even feel embarrassed to ask for anything anymore. Nothing could compare to how she felt with Riku that night. Aerith was in the kitchen getting ready for breakfast.
"Oh, good morning. You're up early today." She said happily, turning on the stove.
"Could I… have something to eat?"
………………………………………
AN: So chapter eight is finally finished! I was able to get done all the milestones that I was supposed to cover in the last chapter, so I might actually be able to get back on track now. A lot of stuff happened in this chapter, what with relationships and flashbacks—I would really appreciate hearing everyone's opinion so far. I hope nothing was too confusing. I didn't want to put the first flashback in italics because I thought it would be more effective if it seemed like part of the story.
Thank you for reading, and please let me know what you guys think!