Wow, we're halfway through the fic, ya'll! Yeah, only halfway. I have some original stuff planned for the final few chapters of the fic, so get excited about that! As for now, enjoy as our heroes finally make it to Radiant Garden!
Chapter 10: The City of Light
Come dance through the night,
And forget all your woes,
The city of light,
How it glitters and glows
And one never knows what will start!
The harrowing events of the previous night had made it more than clear that the Organization knew where they were. As a result, Donald and Goofy didn't want to waste anymore time and honestly, Riku couldn't blame them. They checked out of the hotel at the crack of dawn, dragging a sleepy Skye down to the town's shipyard to book their spot on the first ferry out. It would take about a day for them to fly to Radiant Garden, so they used the trip as a chance to rest up and rehearse for their important meeting with the princess.
Try as he might to focus practicing, Skye couldn't help but stare out at the countless stars passing them by as they sped through the Lanes Between instead. To say he was nervous would be an understatement. In just a few hours, he would know for certain whether he was Sora or not. He'd know for certain what he really was: the last living Prince of the Destiny Islands… or the nameless nobody he'd always been.
Of course, there was much more to it than his identity alone. If he wasn't Sora, then he'd be right back to square one in his search for his family and his past. But if he was Sora… then he'd be expected to marry a princess he didn't remember, to bear the weight of an entire kingdom all on his own. He tried to find solace in remembering that Riku didn't believe he was the prince, which meant he very likely wasn't. And yet, some small, annoyingly persistent part of him couldn't help but think, maybe even hope against all of his fear… that he was all the same.
"When we meet Princess Naminé, and Princess Kairi for that matter," Donald continued his rant about royal protocol. "You need to bow, be respectful, but you also need to act like you know both of them, otherwise you won't have a chance at convincing either of them and–are you even listening?"
Skye didn't answer, his sights still set on the window beside him. "Skye?" Goofy asked, frowning.
It was only as Riku finally spoke up that Skye finally glanced back at them. "Maybe… we should take a break."
Skye offered him a small, thankful smile. With all of the heavy thoughts running rampant in his mind right now, the last thing he wanted was to have to cram anything else in. Riku finally seemed to understand that, even if Donald and Goofy didn't.
"We don't have time for a break!" Donald scowled. "We're almost to Radiant Garden, which means we need to be ready for-"
"Attention, passengers," the ferry's captain announced over the intercom. "We're now on our final approach to Radiant Garden. Please prepare to disembark."
"...Scratch that, we are in Radiant Garden," Donald grumbled, sighing.
"Really?!" Skye's face instantly lit up. Riku stifled a laugh as he watched the other boy press his face against the window to take in the sight of the fabled city from above. The very city he'd been dreaming of seeing for as long as he could remember, now finally within reach.
Radiant Garden was often called the City of Light, and for good reason. It was as bright and beautiful as it was big and bustling, with pristine houses arranged neatly between the city's famed gardens. Those gardens were a draw for many tourists, as well as the elegant fountains spaced throughout the town, flowing with the purest water imaginable. Unlike the Destiny Islands, Radiant Garden's people were happy and thriving, unoppressed by the kind of cruel dictatorship the group had gotten so used to. For that reason, as soon as they stepped foot off of the ferry, it was like taking in a breath of fresh air. The sun shined crisp and warm in the skies above them, sweet birdsong echoed through the gentle breeze, and everywhere they looked, there seemed to be a new opportunity ahead of them. At last there was freedom, there was a future, there was hope in the air.
That hope was what led them to the crowning jewel of the city, its royal palace. The castle rose high above the city, its towers glistening in the sunlight as its large clock kept time for the entire town. It was far larger than the old palace back on the islands; perhaps that was why Skye and Riku felt so nervous as they stood in the shadow of it. Aside from the hundreds of other reasons they had to be nervous right now.
"Well," Riku steadied himself as he led the way to the castle gates. "Here goes nothing."
As expected, their approach was quickly halted by the pair of guards stationed at the gates. "State your business," one of them commanded.
Riku cleared his throat, squaring his shoulders to make himself look older than he was. "We're here to meet with Princess Naminé," he said, motioning back to Skye. "Tell her we have found Prince Sora of the Destiny Islands."
The guards exchanged a dubious, almost anxious glance. Before either of them could say a single word, however, someone else beat them to it. "Oh, have you now?"
"Lady Aqua!" the guards turned, bowing low to the lady-in-waiting as she emerged from the castle behind them. From the first glance the group got of her, she looked unimpressed, even as she spotted Skye on the other side of the gate. A worrying start when it came to one of the two people they needed to convince.
"At ease," she ordered the guards away. "I'll handle this."
Now, more than ever, Skye was grateful that they'd agreed Riku would do all the talking here. He simply followed the other boy's lead in bowing to the sullen noblewoman in the hopes of improving their first impression with her. "Mi'lady, we're here to-"
"I know very well why you all are here," Aqua crossed her arms. "And I'm sorry to tell you that you're too late. Princess Kairi will see no more boys pretending to be the prince."
"What?!" Donald and Goofy asked in apt alarm.
Shaken by this sudden, startling news, Skye finally worked up the nerve to speak up. "But… we came all this way-"
"And so have so many others before you," Aqua retorted unsympathetically. She didn't notice someone peering out of one of the castle's nearby windows to watch the ongoing exchange. Someone who couldn't believe her eyes when she spotted one of the boys her lady-in-waiting was dismissing far too quickly. "The princesses have much better things to do with their time than indulge this fantasy any longer than they already have. Now, please, be on your way."
With that, she turned on her heel, not even giving them a chance to plead their case any further. As the castle gates closed shut in front of them, it felt like any chance they might have had was closing right along with it. "Gawrsh… what do we do now?" Goofy asked, wringing his hat in his hands.
"...I don't know," Riku answered honestly. His heart sank when he noticed the look of sheer disappointment on Skye's face. He knew the other boy was essentially doing this all for him now, and as a result, he likely felt as though he let him down. Riku was just about to tell him otherwise, to tell him that they wouldn't have even made it this far without him, when-
"Wait!" A new voice called just as they began to turn away from the castle. They looked back to see a girl, only about 13, running out of the castle. Her pale blonde hair rested on her shoulder and she gripped her white skirt as she hurried down the stairs. It was only as Riku got a better look at her face that he realized exactly who this girl happened to be.
"You… you're-"
"That's right," the girl smiled as she finally reached them at the gate. "I am Princess Naminé." Donald, Goofy, and Skye shared a gasp, each of them bowing before the royal once Riku already had. Pluto, however, was far less concerned with manners as he trotted over to the princess and eagerly licked her hands. "Oh, hello there," she chuckled, fondly petting the dog. "And who all do we have here exactly?" she asked, looking up at the others.
"I'm Donald Duck, court magician of Disney Castle!" Donald proudly proclaimed.
"I'm Captain Goofy of Disney Castle," Goofy tipped his hat to the princess. "And that there is Pluto," he grinned over to the cheery pooch.
"Oh, Disney Castle?" Naminé asked, curious. "Do you both work for King Mickey, then?"
The pair eagerly nodded, glad that this meeting was already going far better than their interaction with Aqua had. Riku wanted to share their relief, and yet, his nerves were still getting the better of him when the young princess looked his way.
"I'm Riku, your highness," he said, keeping his head low in respect. "And this…" he glanced back at Skye, nearly panicking as soon as he did. Because instead of sticking to the protocol they'd so thoroughly taught him, Skye was staring straight at the young princess, his eyes wide and his jaw hung. As if he was searching for something in her face, something he couldn't quite find no matter how hard he looked.
"Let me guess," Naminé said with a knowing grin. "Prince Sora of the Destiny Islands?"
Skye slowly nodded, wishing he could act more certain of that fact. To his surprise, Naminé's kind smile grew as she carefully looked him over again. "...You certainly do look like Sora. But…" her grin faded a bit as her gaze drifted back to the castle. "So did many of the others." She closed her eyes to think for a moment, a moment that might as well have felt like hours to the others. "I think…" she began only once she reached a decision. "You all should come inside. I have some questions I'd like to ask you."
"But," Goofy scratched his head, confused. "Lady Aqua said-"
"I know," Naminé winked, her smile turning mischievous. "We'll just have to make sure she doesn't find out, won't we?"
To Naminé's credit, she made sure Aqua didn't discover them, or anyone else for that matter. She snuck the group into one of the castle's other entrances, into a secluded drawing room where no prying eyes or ears could spy on them. To this end, she even prepared hot drinks for her guests herself instead of relying on a servant to do it for her. "Alright, first question," she sat a tea tray down on the table in front of Skye. "How does Prince Sora like his tea?"
"I don't like tea," Skye said, trying not to sound too rehearsed. "But I do like hot chocolate."
"Good," Naminé grinned as she poured him a cup. "How old were you when you first met my sister?"
"Four."
"That's right. Which one of your siblings did you and Kairi play with the most during our summer visits?"
"Roxas, and you, of course, Naminé," Skye remembered the advice Donald and Goofy had given him, throwing in a bit of a charming smile to help win the princess over.
Naminé chuckled, if only to hide the hint of sadness in her eyes when she heard Roxas' name. She continued her questioning from there, asking him about everything from the royal family to the summers Sora and Kairi had spent together. To Skye, it really wasn't much different from the practice Riku, Donald, and Goofy had been putting him through since they left the islands. Naminé was easy to bounce off of, easy to talk to. She was eerily familiar too, but Skye tried not to let himself dwell on that for too long lest he lose his momentum.
Throughout the interview, Riku, Donald, and Goofy sat by in anxious silence. They didn't need to say a single word, didn't need to even signal to Skye in case he needed any sort of clue. He clearly had this covered, but even then, they couldn't afford to rest on their laurels. Not when there was a chance that this could go wrong with any given question at any given moment.
Nearly two hours had passed, with more questions than any of them could even count. The tea and hot chocolate had long since run dry, but Skye remained focused all the same, putting on an impressive show for someone who hadn't known the first thing about being a prince just a few days prior. The last question Naminé had for him, however, was one that none of his companions could have ever expected, one that they couldn't have prepared him for even if they had seen it coming.
"Finally," she began, choosing her words carefully. "You'll probably find this a… trivial question, but… indulge me. How did you escape during the siege on the palace?"
A shiver ran down Riku's spine the second he heard this. From his spot near the mantle behind Skye, he slumped against the wall, knowing this is where it was all going to fall apart. One question alone, the final question at that, would be all it would tear apart his last hope at ever seeing Kairi again. He couldn't blame Skye for it; it was his fault that he hadn't gone over a question only he had the right answer to.
Which was exactly why he was so shocked when that was exactly the answer Skye gave.
"...There was a boy…" His voice was soft, his eyes glassy and distant, as if he was somewhere, some-when far away. "He saved me from the Heartless and he… he opened a wall."
As soon as he heard this, Riku's entire world grinded to a stop. He barely even heard Skye laugh such an outlandish story off, apologizing to Naminé as he commented on how ridiculous it was. And maybe it might have been, if Riku hadn't been the boy who opened that wall. If the boy he opened that wall for wasn't…
He wasn't.
He wasn't.
He couldn't be.
…Could he?
Suddenly, he felt sick, unsteady on his feet. He didn't even bother excusing himself as he rushed to the nearest door, escaping out into a small garden for some much-needed air. None of the others noticed him leave as the interview finally reached its long-awaited end.
"So?" Donald asked expectantly. "Is he the prince?"
"Well," Naminé stood, retrieving the tea tray. "He did answer every question."
"So that means we get to see Princess Kairi, right?" Goofy asked, grinning.
"...I'm afraid you can't," Naminé sighed sadly. "You heard what Aqua said. My sister won't allow it."
"Why not?" Skye asked.
"Sora was Kairi's best friend," Naminé explained as she returned to the table. "The pain of losing him, of spending the past ten years without him… it's made her sad and bitter. I want to help her find happiness again, I want to help her find him again, but… she doesn't want to keep looking for him. I just don't know what to do to-" She gasped as a burst of inspiration suddenly struck her. "Wait! I have an idea! Kairi and I love to go to the Radiant Garden Royal Playhouse. They just so happen to be debuting a new play tomorrow night. We never miss a performance…"
At first, nobody caught onto what the princess was alluding to. When they finally did, a wave of excitement washed over them when they realized they'd actually have a chance to see the older princess after all.
Naminé let herself smile as she watched them celebrate. She didn't want to set her expectations too high like she had with so many others before him. But the way this boy spoke, the shade of his eyes, the warmth of his smile… it was all too uncanny to dismiss the way Aqua had before her. She could only hope Kairi saw what she'd already seen, that she believed what she already had.
She could only hope that she'd finally found her beloved sister's long-lost prince, once and for all.
On the night the islands fell, Riku watched his life fall to pieces along with them. Everything he'd known for the past several years had been swept away in a violent storm, any semblance of safety or security gone, the first and closest friend he'd ever had lost to the devastating tide of it all. There'd been so many nights in the weeks and months that followed where he'd cry himself to sleep, unable to chase the pain away, unable to satisfy the longing for something that no longer existed.
Until now.
Skye is Sora… he thought over and over again as he sat alone in the garden. Skye IS Sora… It echoed through his mind like a mantra, like it was the most important revelation anyone had ever made. For Riku, at least, it was, for everything it meant, for everything it changed.
It shocked him how he hadn't pieces it all together sooner. A boy who remembered nothing before the islands fell, with no family left and such a startling resemblance to the prince, on his way to Radiant Garden, the very place that prince's betrothed lived? There were far too many coincidences he'd been so blind to, far too many similarities that he shouldn't have simply shrugged off. He should have known, right from the very start, right from the second he laid eyes on Skye that he was the one. That he was exactly who he'd the past eight years yearning for, pining after, loving even long after he thought he was gone.
He should have been happy to finally know that he wasn't, that fate had somehow found a way to bring them back together again. He should have been celebrating, should have ran right back inside to wrap his arms around him and tell him all of the things he'd never had a chance to say. This should have been the happiest moment of his entire life, the beginning of something bright and warm and wonderful.
If only it were that simple.
Knowing what he did now, he regretted so much of what he'd said and done to Skye–to Sora. He would have never treated him so coldly and callously, would have never scolded or shouted at him. And above all else, he wouldn't have brought him to Radiant Garden, to the princess who he'd been promised to long before he ever met him.
It was a selfish thought, one that Riku quickly shook out of his head. Sora and Kairi belonged together, they had then and they did now. Together, they created a beautiful song, a legendary love story, a fantastical fairy tale that, after years of doubt and despair, was finally about to become real.
And, just like he had years before, Riku knew that their story was one he was never meant to be a part of.
"We did it!" The back door burst open as Donald and Goofy happily hailed the good news.
"We're gonna see Princess Kairi tomorrow night!" the captain proclaimed, clapping a congratulatory hand on Riku's shoulder. As elated as they were, neither he nor Donald noticed Riku's solemn silence or the woe-stricken look hanging like a shroud over his face.
"We're gonna get five million munny!" Donald cheered, leaping high into the air. "We'll all be filthy rich!"
Riku jolted at this reminder as an all-new spark of guilt shot through his veins. "Wait, hold on, you two-"
"Skye did great!" Goofy continued. "He was even better with Naminé than he was pracitin' with us."
"He was so good he almost had us believing he was the prince!" Donald chuckled.
"That's because he is," Riku said. Not that either of his companions were listening to him between their excited rambling. He didn't even know how he'd begin explaining it all to them, and it seemed as though he wouldn't get a chance to either. Right before he could even try to calm them down, Skye ran outside, clearly as thrilled as Donald and Goofy were.
"You guys!" he called to the group in the garden. Riku nearly melted when he saw those ocean-blue eyes of his shine with wonder and delight. Just like they always used to when he was little. "Naminé wants to take us shopping for the play! Come on! Let's get going!"
Donald and Goofy sprinted after him, eager to take the princess up on such a generous offer. Riku stayed behind for a moment or two, reaching a hand out to Skye as soon as he turned away from him. "Sora…" he sighed, unable to stifle a bittersweet smile. Just as he was unable to reconcile the grief and the joy swelling into his heart. "I finally found you…"
As night fell over Radiant Garden, the city seemed to wake up even more. Its smooth-stoned streets were aglow in warm streetlights and shop windows, filled with folks enjoying the cool evening breeze. Musicians played skillfully near the central square as surrounding restaurants filled the air with all sorts of tantalizing scents meant to lure customers in. As busy as it all was, it would have likely been intimidating to any newcomer. Thankfully, Princess Naminé knew her way around her city well.
She led her guests to a handful of upscale boutiques, gladly paying for several finely-tailored suits for each of them, and even a new collar for Pluto. The shopkeepers all eagerly welcomed their princess' business as citizens on the streets between each of them greeted her like the celebrity she clearly was. Her presence brought an air of festivity to the square, with couples twirling in time to the street minstrels' cheerful tunes.
When their shopping was done, Naminé and her guests were quickly swept up into the excitement of it all. Skye and Riku found themselves pulled into more than a few dances, each of them reminding them both just how different Radiant Garden was from the islands they had come to know. Riku only barely remembered a time when their home had been like this too, so happy and bright instead of desolate and downtrodden. He couldn't help but wonder if Sora might just be the one to finally bring this kind of joyful freedom back to a world that so desperately needed it.
The evening was still young, so Naminé treated the group to dinner and drinks. They enjoyed a delicious meal at one of the finest restaurants in the city, complete with an open ballroom for patrons to enjoy. It wasn't long after they finished eating that a handful of girls approached their table, asking Skye and Riku to dance. While Riku politely turned them down, Skye indulged them, putting his dancing lessons to good use as he took turns gliding across the floor with each of the girls. Riku couldn't take his eyes off him, wishing now more than ever that he was the one twirling alongside him, just like he had back in Traverse Town. Just like he'd dreamed of that night back on the islands.
"He's quite the dancer, isn't he?" Naminé spoke up, finally tearing Riku's sights away from the dance floor. The two of them were alone at their table, as Donald and Goofy had run off in search of the nearest dessert cart. "Kairi will appreciate that. She and Sora used to spend hours dancing at make-believe balls they'd throw for the rest of us when we were little."
Riku didn't return the almost sad smile that sprang to life as she recalled this memory. It was one he shared with her, but not in the same exact way. Because instead of enjoying those pretend parties alongside them, he'd hid in the shadows, stood on the sidelines, watching and yearning, just like he had his entire life. Just like he continued to do even now.
"Princess," he chanced the question, even though he knew he shouldn't. "Do you really believe he's Sora?"
Naminé pondered her answer. Riku couldn't help but respect that about her, how she was so tactful, so thoughtful, despite being so young. "I think he certainly could be Sora," she concluded before turning the question back around. "Do you believe he's Sora?"
"...I know he is," Riku said. And for the first time, he completely meant it.
"Hm," Naminé pursed her lips. "You don't seem very happy about it though."
"I-I am." And it wasn't a lie. At least not a complete one. "I'm happy we helped him find out who he really is… W-who he's supposed to be with…"
"Even if that's not with you?"
Riku swallowed hard. He had no idea how Naminé was able to see right through him, but she had all the same. "I-is it that obvious?" he practically dropped his voice down to a whisper.
"It's very obvious," Naminé chuckled. The humor slowly drained from her face as she looked back at Riku, this time narrowing her eyes in concentration. "Say, Riku… have we met somewhere before?"
"N-no," Riku quickly denied. In a way, it was true. He'd never met Naminé directly before now; even if he had seen her from a distance so many times before. "We couldn't have. After all, this is the first time I've ever been to Radiant Garden. And besides, it's not exactly like you and I run in… the same sort of circles."
"Are you sure?" Naminé pressed, not quite convinced. "You look awfully… familiar. I feel like I've seen you somewhere, a long time ago…"
"I think you have me mistaken with someone else, your highness," Riku hastily stood, bowing before making his escape. "Please, excuse me, I need to get a bit of fresh air."
Naminé didn't try to stop him, though he could feel her eyes trained on him as he left. He narrowly managed to dodge one bullet before he was caught by a different one entirely when someone suddenly grabbed him by the arm on the side of the dance floor. "Riku!" Skye cheerfully called, tugging on his arm. His hair was a mess, his suit a bit askew, but his eyes bright with laughter that he was only barely holding back. At least he was having a good time tonight. "Come dance with me!"
He almost said yes without a second thought. It would have been so easy to, so easy to take his hand, to float onto the floor with him, to tell him everything right then and there and finally bridge the gap between them that had stood for far too long.
But in the end, he decided to widen that gap instead.
"Sorry," he nearly choked on his next breath as he pulled away. "I can't right now."
"Why not?" Skye's smile suddenly vanished. Riku hated himself for being the one to chase something so beautiful away. "Riku, are you ok?"
"I-I'm fine," he lied through his teeth. "Just a little hot. I was on my way outside to cool down for a bit."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"No," Riku said almost too forcefully. "I mean… you don't have to. Keep having fun in here. I'll be back soon."
"...Ok, if you say so," Skye pouted. "But don't forget, I'm saving the last dance of the night for you, ok?"
"I wanted to see if you'd dance with me later!" It was the same invitation, still saved for him even eight years later. In a different ballroom but with the same exact prince. And as much as Riku might have wanted to, it was an invitation he could never take. He couldn't afford to, not now, not when they were so close to the end. He couldn't afford to fall in love with him any more than he already had.
"Yeah…" he said in the exact same way he had back then too. "Ok."
Skye offered him one final smile as an entirely new girl dragged him back over to dance. Riku lingered to watch him for a moment, and as he did, he could so easily see Kairi in that girl's place. She was the only one who really belonged in Sora's arms, the only one who was meant to stand by his side. And after tomorrow night, that's exactly what would happen. They'd finally be together in Radiant Garden, like they were always destined to be.
Together… without him.
Next time... the Organization isn't about to let Skye slip away from them so easily... Don't forget to REVIEW please!
