Hello friends!

Some more angsty feels today because I just can't get enough. :')
But also some cuteness! And spunky Sora, spunky Sora is always good.

Specific tags include:
during KH 2; The World That Never Was; some tweaking of dark corridors mechanics for plot convenience; Donald and Goofy are best dads; implied established relationship; fluffy angst; Riku needs a hug; and he kind of gets one?; they miss each other a lot Your Honor; alternating POV

Hopefully you enjoy! ^-^

Chapter 9: Silhouette

"Sora, hurry up! You're falling behind!"

Sheesh, Donald… I would hurry up if I could!

Sora's eyebrow twitches in mild annoyance, but even this comes with difficulty.

There's something about this place, this portal of sorts that Axel just opened (His departing gift for Roxas, wasn't it…?), that feels so odd; so heavy, so draining. It feels like being back at Hades' Underworld, yet the Olympus Stone in Sora's pocket is doing little to help, this time. Because it isn't really like being in the realm of the Dead, where the living don't belong and so, logically, feel out of place. No, this place… it has anguish and grief and sorrow lingering in the air like a rotten mist, so thick that it's a struggle to breathe in here. Which is why Sora is finding himself running slower and slower, till he's practically walking, though Donald and Goofy seem to be unaffected and keep going on up ahead. By now, he's lost sight of them.

"Guys? Are you out, already?"

Sora is assuming there is a way out, isn't he? There must be, Axel wouldn't set them up like this… Sora just has to keep walking, that's all there is to it. It can't be much farther, now – mainly because it feels like he's been wandering for hours, though probably it's not even been five minutes. Does time go by differently here, as well? And everything looks exactly the same, which makes it impossible to stick to reference points… Has he been going around in circles?

"Donald? Donald, where are you…? Goofy…?"

They have to be out by now, that's why they're not answering back. Which means Sora has to be almost out himself. Much as he's determined to not stop, however, his body is begging to differ. Breathing is gradually becoming painful, his limbs feel like they don't obey him anymore, and keeping his eyes open is already a challenge.

Guys, help me… Please…

"Sora?"

This isn't Donald's voice. Nor Goofy's.

"Sora, take my hand!"

But Sora knows this voice… it's so familiar. It's so soothing. So he makes an effort and tries to spot where it's coming from. Everything looks so hazy around him, he's feeling so lightheaded it's a surprise that he can still keep standing… but he manages to find it. A hand hidden by a black leather glove, beckoning. Without a second thought, Sora forces himself to move forward some more and reaches for that hand, stumbling until he has a firm grasp on it and his body is leaning heavily against something else. Someone else, he'll notice soon enough.

"There you are… let's get out of here."

It's easy when Riku does it. One wave of his arm, the free one that's not holding Sora protectively close to him, and the portal opens and allows them out at the Brink of Despair. Fitting little name, isn't it? Because despair made him do it… despair made Riku jump into the portal himself, as soon as he realized Mickey's knight and magician made it out but Sora was taking too long to find his way through. Something he should have expected, now that Riku thinks of it. The dark corridors are highly convenient for those without a heart, like Nobodies and the Organization, or for those whose heart has succumbed to the Darkness, like himself at some point. But someone like Sora, with the brightest heart he's ever seen? No wonder the Darkness tried to swallow it so eagerly, and consumed all his energy so quickly.

But it's all right, now.

They're out now, Sora's already recovering, and soon his friends will be here. There's no need for Riku to stay any longer, his job is done at least for now. Regardless… even if he knows in his rational mind that lingering is a bad idea and a risk that he shouldn't be taking, Riku can't bring himself to pull away just yet. Not when he's finally got Sora in his arms again, after such a long time. Is this the first time they're touching, in over a year? It is, isn't it? Just a little bit longer, he begs, to himself and to his own sense of responsibility, let me hold him just a little bit longer.

Sora is coming back to senses, stirring in this someone's arms with a quiet whimper of discomfort. Why does he feel so tired…? Slowly, his eyes flutter open and, at first, all he can see is a blur of dark and light. As it comes more into focus, he realizes that the light is… some sort of a ramp leading up, all the way up towards a castle? And the dark… the dark is part of a cloak he knows very well at this point. The Organization. Suddenly a lot more awake, Sora glances up and, indeed, finds traces of a face almost completely covered by a black hood. And he would have jumped back and away immediately, would have even summoned his Keyblade and prepared for the worst… but he really is so tired and this hug, somehow, feels so nice. So right.

"Axel…?" Sora asks, still sluggishly.

Axel is supposed to be gone, but who else can it be? Who else, out of those thirteen, can be holding Sora so carefully instead of trying to do to him and/or to his heart Merlin knows what? Closing his eyes again, Sora inhales deeply this mix of scents. Leather, of course… worn leather, leather that has been in use for a long time. But there's also… something that makes him think of home. It makes him think of the waves crashing under his feet, of birds flying overhead, of holding a coconut in his hands and napping lazily on a never-ending stretch of sand warmed up by the sun.

When's the last time that Sora has felt so at home?

It's Riku's cue to stifle his heart's whims and listen only to the cold hard brain. The only purpose was to help Sora out of the dark corridor, and it's been done. Silently, Riku takes a couple steps back – still leaving his hands on the younger one's shoulders, to make sure Sora can keep his standing balance on his own. Or… to enjoy one last moment of touching. Or both.

"You'll be fine. You're safe now, just give your body some time to recover."

"What happened…?"

"The dark corridor took a big chunk out of you."

Oh, right… yes, it's coming back to Sora. That horrible place that felt so wrong, the way it was so straining to keep moving, how he got separated from– "…Wait a minute. Where are Donald and Goofy?"

"They made it out, as well. They'll be here soon."

At least that… at least they're okay. Sighing in relief, Sora brings a hand up to rub at his eyes; still feeling so groggy but much better already. Which is also why he's finally, properly taking in this place and this person. It's not Axel, this much has been ruled out, but then…? Frowning, Sora looks up at the taller figure.

"Anyway… who are you? How do you know all this, why did you help me?"

"You'd have been lost in the dark corridor, if I didn't."

"I thought the Organization would have liked that!"

"I'm not with the Organization."

"Then who are you? You look just like one of them!"

If he's being so spunky already, then Sora's definitely all right; and Riku smiles to himself, bittersweetly. No more excuses as to not leave. Stepping further back, he makes sure his hood is covering as much of his features as possible, just in case.

"Who I am is not important. I did what I had to do."

"Wait!" Sora's not about to let it end just like this, though; with so many questions and so few answers. "You… you're the same person who's been helping us, aren't you?"

"That's also not important."

"I know you are, you have to be! Why are you doing this?"

Sora's trying, he's really trying. One single answer, one single bit of justification that makes sense will already satisfy him. But the hooded figure turns around instead, probably about to summon one of those portals or corridors or whatever the nasty things are, and disappear into it… So Sora bridges the distance between them again, suddenly as bold as to grab the supposed stranger by a forearm.

"Tell me… tell me at least this – why do I feel like I know you?"

"…"

"Do I know you? I don't think I know you, but… but my heart does."

…Sun and stars. Riku could punch himself right now. Because he, of all people, should have seen this coming; should know Sora's unrelenting stubbornness. He definitely should have just left Sora here once they were out, for his friends to find. And yet… the fact Sora recognizes him, even if it's out of consciousness, even if he is still trapped in this cursed body, warms Riku inside so much. So much. Like sunlight shining on scorched earth to give it a glimmer of life once more.

"Your friends will be here at any moment."

"Don't you try to wiggle out of this! Please… tell me, who are you? There's only one person I can think of, but…"

"…"

Sora being too reckless for his own good is nothing new. Sora wearing his heart on his sleeve and acting on gut feeling is also not new. Frankly, Riku would be worried if Sora is ever not like this – even here, even at the end of the world.

"You– you can't be… you'd tell me if you're Riku… right?"

But there really is no way Riku can allow this to stretch any further. Not when Sora is now so close, again, and speaking in a tone of hushed despair that is threatening to make Riku's knees quiver, and… and, suddenly, Sora's arms are wrapped around him from behind, so gently and so hesitantly; Sora's head rested in between his shoulder blades.

"Riku…?"

Much pain Riku has endured, in the Darkness and out, during battle and out, but nothing seems to compare to the stab in his chest that is to break this contact, right now. To force himself to pull away from where he wants to be, from where he wishes he still belonged. To brush Sora's touch off of him, so he can turn around once more and face him.

"Forgive me… Sora."

For what he's about to do and for everything else, he might add, but Riku doesn't waste a further split second. A gloved hand comes swiftly up to the younger teen's chest, right over the heart, and softly taps. Sora barely has the chance to let out a very quiet gasp, more out of surprise than anything else, before his whole body goes limp and consciousness leaves him. Riku's fast reflexes catch him as soon as he starts falling and, this time, he doesn't allow himself time for any last stolen instants of joy. Leaving Sora sat on the floor and rested against one of the walls as comfortably as he can be, Riku opens the dark corridor and slips in, mere seconds before Mickey's royal court finally arrives.

"Donald! Donald, he's here! I found Sora!"

Goofy feels like the weight of the world just slid off his back. They lost Sora somewhere along the way from the mansion to this eerie world, and there's no words to describe how relieved he is now that they finally found him again. Even if the teen doesn't seem to be in his best shape. Kneeling besides, he brings Sora's unconscious body to himself and brushes back the chocolate-brown bangs to take a good look at him; thankfully, there doesn't seem to be any injuries anywhere.

"Sora? Can ya hear me?"

"Wake up! This isn't the time for naps!"

Whether it's Donald's strident voice or the gentle pats on the face, they can't tell, but both guardians immediately beam as Sora starts reacting, eventually opening his eyes.

"Don't scare us like that!" In the same tone of feigned annoyance that only reflects how much he cares, the duck continues his fussing; slipping his hands under Sora's hooded jacket, to start checking his belly and sides for any potential bruises or worse.

"Donald…? Donald– …stop, that tickles!"

Squirming, Sora manages to pull himself away from both his friends at least for a couple seconds. Until Donald clings to one of his arms and Goofy clings around his waist and, just like this, they tug him back up on his feet. Teamwork!

"Don't seem to be anything wrong with ya, but here ya go – better safe than sorry." With his big usual smile, Goofy hands over a bottle of Hi-Potion. At this point, Sora knows better than to argue whenever royal magician and royal knight are both in protective mode, so he accepts it with a smile of his own. As he's about to thank Goofy, though, something else pops in his mind.

"Hey… where did he go?"

"Who're you talking about?"

Licking the last bits of the potion off his lips, Sora glances around with a sudden frown. "The guy in the black hood, he was here just now!"

"The Organization?" Goofy frowns. Those guys again?!

"No! I mean, he said he wasn't…"

"Gawrsh, Sora… there was no one else here. Only you."

"But–"

Even with Donald already moving behind him to start pushing him towards the way up the castle, Sora can't help but take one final wistful glance at the spot where he can swear he saw that black-hooded person standing. Did he dream the whole thing…? His recollection of that dark passage is blurry at best but someone got him out, this is certain. Someone in a black cloak, someone Sora didn't recognize but who felt so… so familiar.

"No buts, we got a long way to go!" Donald continues his literal pushing, like Sora is a sack of potatoes. "You probably just hit your head when you flopped off down here."

Is that right? Is it so simple? Honestly, it'd be just Sora's luck to give himself a concussion right when they've finally unveiled the Organization's hideout. But one thing Donald is absolutely right about – there is a long way left to go. Kairi is somewhere inside this daunting castle, waiting for him… and perhaps someone else is waiting, too. Perhaps, if he did dream the whole thing, it was a premonition of what's to come. Nodding at his friends, Sora summons the Keyblade and takes in a deep breath as they start up the ramp.

Hang on, Riku – just a little longer. If you're in there, I'll find you. I promise.

Thank you so much for reading, everyone!

See you for the next chapter~
Theia