Sora whittled away on a piece of wood that Riku had gathered for him. He couldn't help the lazy smile on his face from his fit of laughter just earlier. Riku was always teasing Sora playfully no matter the occasion, but sometimes he could get just a little silly as well. There were times where Riku could be serious, and he usually was, but it was nice to see him let go sometimes too. Sora was a dork 24/7 though, so he never gave something much more thought than he thought it required.

The warmth Riku gave as he leaned over Sora was comforting in the coldness of the Realm of Darkness and gave something Sora could ground himself to. It was decided that, since Sora needed both hands to carve, he'd be fine if Riku still kept his grip on him in any way he could. Riku's hands rest on the tops of Sora's shoulders as he leaned over to watch him work at making a replica doll that look more or less like the boy who held it. Sora felt Riku lean closer for a better look through the darkness but it was hard enough to work as it was, what with the lack of proper lighting, but Riku's position over him was a bit intrusive and it made Sora more nervous over time.

"Sora, you okay? You're shaking a little."

"Well, of course I am! It's embarrassing—I've never carved anything in front of someone else before."

"Should I move?"

"No! If you do—"

"I know. Don't worry, I've still got you."

Sora felt Riku's body leave his back for a moment and a small tinge of panic began to start into his skin, but Riku's hands did not leave him. Instead, they slid across his shoulders and into the hood of his jacket. He felt his hood be outturned, and with a hand still hanging onto it Riku's body settled back against his, this time his back pressed against him instead. With his friend's eyes no longer on him he felt a little less self-conscious about his work and continued to carve, his red face cooling and his hands no longer shaking as much.

"Thanks, Riku." Sora paused and laughed, feeling to strike up a conversation while he carved, now that any awkward eye contact and distractions were out of the way.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just, those voices you did." Sora laughed again.

"H-hey! I can be funny sometimes."

"Yeah yeah, you're always playing around."

This time it was Riku's turn to laugh, and Sora felt his strong back shake against his. "Like when I said we'd name the raft highwind."

"Pfft, yeah. That name sounds more like it'd be for a huge airship than a small raft like ours." Sora snickered, "Oh! Or that time you wanted to race me and said that the winner would share a paopu with Kairi, because of course who would win but you."

Riku was silent for a while and the only thing that echoed through the corridors was the sound of wood being shaved, but that too, stopped when Sora received no reply from Riku.

"You didn't…You weren't actually going to share a paopu with Kairi, right? That was another joke, right?"

"Sora, remember when you lost that race? I went and I got a paopu, and I wound up giving it to you anyway."

"So you weren't going to share one with her in the first place?"

"Nope."

"But wait, you gave me one. Does that mean that…you wanted me to—"

Sora stammered and his face flushed a deep red. He was sure Riku could feel him quivering against his back, but the thought was just too embarrassing to control.

"Y-you wanted me and Kairi to share one after all?" By this point Sora was blubbering and his words came out so, "R-Riku! You really are a good friend!"

"You're ridiculous. Like you said, it was all just a joke." Riku was rolling his eyes though Sora couldn't see.

Sora laughed off his tears of appreciation and then dropped his voice as he turned to whisper a snide remark toward his friend, as if there was someone around who could possibly listen in. "But Riku, isn't that a bit weird? Pairing up your two best friends? I mean, thanks but it kind of makes you seem like…a pervert." He whispered snidely over his shoulder so Riku could hear him clearly. After Riku's teasing he was trying to tease him back.

"Sora."

"Yeah?"

"You're such a dork."

"Hehe, yeah I know."

"But really, did you ever give that paopu to Kairi?" Riku said snidely.

"Hey!" Sora's ears turned red and he pouted. Even when he tried to tease Riku back, he always got the one-up on him. But when Sora thought about it, he answered truthfully. "Actually…it might sound strange, but I think even without some 'destiny intertwining fruit', Kairi and I will always be connected. Since we're friends, I just feel that way."

Sora's words came out through a smile as he got back to work on his replica doll. It was coming along nicely despite the lack of light, and the conversation he'd just had had gotten him thinking about paopus, so the body turned out as a rather nice star-shape like the others. The hair was the most difficult part, as the wood wasn't soft and the points came out rather jagged and hacked. Even so, those messy points were remarkably similar to Sora's own hair, but he still wished he was working with softer wood.

For a finishing touch, he carved the shape of a crown into the torso. He'd carved a sun into Kairi's doll and straps into Riku's doll that had all but faded out over the years. Still, he was proud his work, new or old. He looked at the old doll and smiled lightly, turning toward the real Riku behind him, whose hand was still in his hood.

Riku's hand moved seamlessly from Sora's hood to his hand without ever letting him worry he was going to break away his touch. Sora was thankful for how careful Riku was being towards making him feel safe, but more so he was very mindful of it. Riku wouldn't be paying so close attention to something like this unless there was a reason for it. Something must be weighing heavily on his mind, but deeper emotions were unspoken between the two and it made Sora nervous to think about it. So, Sora turned to what was familiar between the two of them.

"Riku…"

"What is it? Oh, you're done with the doll?"

"I need you to do something very important."

"Sure, you name it."

"I need you to do a voice for the Sora-doll!" Sora pleaded.

"What!? I thought you were gonna ask for something serious!"

"This is serious." Sora said again in a very matter-of-fact tone before breaking back down to a whine. "Pleeaaase! Riku, the other ones you did were so good."

"You told me to never do them again!"

"Only 'cause I didn't want to die of laughter. Pleeaasse."

"Fine!"

Riku snatched the Sora-doll away from Sora and moved it around while he spoke. His voice was winey and high pitched and Sora could've sworn his doll had been given an even higher voice than the Kairi-doll.

"Riku! You pervert! Riku, don't name the raft highwind! Riku, stop it!"

"Riku stop it!" Sora cried, almost at the same time as the doll. The reaction warranted a big grin across Riku's face while Sora pouted and blushed, clearly trying not to laugh himself and encourage Riku, but clearly still upset about the mockery.

Sora reached for the doll and Riku held him back with a well-placed foot that pressed against his torso. It was an awkward position they were in, for sure, as Riku tried to pull away, Sora begged to reach the doll, all while the two kept their hands tightly locked.

"I do not sound like that!" Sora huffed.

"I do not sound like that!" Riku made the doll say in a drawn out whine. "See? It's practically you."

"It doesn't sound a thing like me!"

"It sure does look like you though. You got the hair down perfect." Riku inspected the replica doll closer, turning it around in his hand. The two of them relaxed and un-sprawled from each other as Sora checked his chest for a foot print. "Yep," Riku continued, "it'd look exactly like you if it weren't for the weird black wood you used."

"It's the wood you told me to use."

"It's the wood you told me to use," the doll mocked.

"Riku, stop it!"

"Hey Sora…are you saying I gave you wood?"

"Riku, you're a pervert."

"Riku, you're a pervert!"

Their bellied laughter echoed down the dark halls as they played with the hand-sized replicas of their friend group. They reenacted memories from their island, from their childhood, and from the would-be future. Some made-up, some true, and some they wished would come true. Riku was insistent that he would marry Kairi for sure, but he seemed to be saying it to tease Sora since he relented when it looked like the boy was about to truly cry. There was no way to count the minutes or hours they spent playing around and recounting certain memories, but lost in each other's company neither of them really cared about the time anyway.

And only thinking about the other, neither of them noticed the living shadows far off in the distance, blended seamlessly with the darkness, steadily coming closer.

Sora and Riku figured they'd had enough of playing and reminiscing, and more than enough sleeping, even if the quiet darkness was perfect for it. Riku suggested to Sora that they get walking again and look for Kairi, to which Sora sternly obliged, the two of them setting off hand-in-hand into the everlasting darkness.

The further they wandered, the colder it became and their island clothes soon failed to combat the chill of the air.

"R-Riku. It's k-kinda c-c-cold." Sora chattered out. He did have a jacket, though it was short sleeved, but for a while now Sora had been holding back his complaints about the cold. He knew there was nothing he or Riku could do about it and he didn't want to get teased, especially since he might be better-off than his friend who was sporting only a muscle shirt that did not come with sleeves. But he did have muscle, and Sora began to contemplate whether or not that kept him well-insulated or not and whether or not he should be upset about this unfair advantage.

After hanging on this thought for a while, he decided that it did keep him warmer and that it was not fair that Riku should be warmer than him even though he was dressed more modestly, and decided it was time to complain.

"Rikuuuuuu." He whined. Riku stopped walking then, which Sora didn't expect, and he hoped he hadn't annoyed him to a halt. Riku's free hand reach behind Sora and he felt the hood of his jacket come down onto his head, pressing his stuck-up hair down against his forehead and cheeks. When he tried to look up, he was pulled into the warmth of Riku's body, his free hand still pressed firmly on top of his hood to keep him still.

"I'm not all that cold myself, but It's not like I have a jacket I could give you anyway. You'll just have to settle for this."

"This is fine, I guess." Sora mumbled. Being suddenly pressed against Riku as he had tried to look up caused his chin to be stuck up against his friend's chest, Riku being a bit more than a head taller than Sora. He swallowed and he was sure Riku could feel it against himself, but what bothered Sora more about any awkward hug was Riku's strange behavior. Much more than him being controlled by darkness anymore, he was being much too kind. Sora was getting uncomfortable and wiggled a bit of room between them so he could move his head back down to a comfortable position.

Why are you being so nice to me?

The bridge of his nose was now pressed against Riku's chest and he could feel the beat of his heart through his clothes. It was strong like the rest of Riku and he furrowed his brow because it was no wonder why he always lost to Riku in races and battles if he was even built enough to keep himself warm from the biting cold around them. Any concern he had for Riku's behavior melted away into jealousy and soon Sora's body temperature had calmed back from the cold too. He pushed him away and the two continued with their walk.

"Riku, you have muscles." Sora grumbled.

"Thanks for noticing."

"No, I mean, how did you get them?"

"It's because it takes a lot of strength to put up with you all day."

"Oh ha-ha."

There he was. Riku's snarky self that Sora was more familiar with. Why did it make him so uncomfortable when Riku was nice as opposed to being like this? Even on the island—Sora wasn't happy about being given extra work or having Riku hark tasks at him. But if Riku one day turned the tables and started helping Sora with his tasks or worse, doing them for him, he'd be at a loss for words…like he was now.

Sora snuck a look over to Riku and scanned him up from their joined hands up to his face. Riku was taking the hand-holding seriously, and even though Sora was terrified of the dark he didn't expect the comfort from Riku of all people. Riku, who's shoulders looked stiff and squared and who's brow had been weighing heavy with thoughts he wouldn't share.

And Riku, who came to a sudden halt pulled firm pull on Sora's arm, unlike when the two had stopped earlier. Sora was pulled back a couple of paces and nearly bumped into Riku. Having been so distracted, it took a moment to steady himself and figure out what was going on, but the answer soon became apparent as he followed Riku's gaping look to the road ahead which quickly turned into daggers at Sora, who would have kept walking had Riku not pulled him back.

Dangerous reasons being that the road was not there. Instead of continuing into the dark like it had, the path broke off into a large chasm and even as hard as Sora could squint his eyes, he could not see the other end through the veil of darkness. A cold shiver settled back into his skin as he turned toward Riku for a solution.

"We're going to have to find another way around," he said matter-of-factly.

"What are you talking about? There's only one path."

"Then maybe this is the end," Riku said with a chill in his own heart.

"This can't be the end!"

An eruption of rumbling sounded behind them and a shadow cast over them in the dark where they stood. Sora and Riku whipped their heads back to see a monstrous figure towering over them. Its wings were sharp and devilish and thick, black tendrils tangled around its face, leaving only a pair of bright yellow eyes clear to stare them down. Through its chest, a large hollow hole gaped through it. A hole in the shape of a heart.

There was nowhere to run. The path ahead of them had stopped and the path behind them was now blocked. Sora's hand was squeezed tight in Riku's grip and Sora tightened his as well, fearful as to what might happen if they let go at this moment. Both of the boys stood still, frozen where they stand in the cold darkness, unable to move.

The shadow swayed slowly, doing nothing at first other than staring at them. It looked from Riku to Sora to Riku again and lifted a great claw above its head slowly, its massive appendage heavy in movement. Sora's heart pounded in his chest strong and hard and he felt Riku's hand tremble in his own. That was the most terrifying part of the moment—that the one who'd been so strong for so long would show any sort of weakness in front of him now.

The hand of the monster dropped fast, gravity acting quick with its weight. Sora tried to dodge but was anchored by his hand. He looked back to see Riku frozen in place. His mouth hung open in fear of the large shadow and his eyes were wide like a deer caught in headlights. Sora cried out for Riku but it was as if he couldn't hear him.

The shadow over them spread as the claw quickly dropped. Maybe it was just the desperation of the moment, or maybe it was the hero in Sora acting on its own accord like it always did, but one thing's for sure, that monstrous claw never laid a scratch on Riku—eyes wide with a fear that Sora never seen before. He had to protect him and with all his strength he pushed him out of danger's way.

Their fingers that were to never be untangled loosely came apart as Riku fell into the abyss beyond the broken path while Sora stayed left behind.

The pain was searingly unimaginable and the cry that left Sora's mouth was horrific. It echoed off the distant walls of the dark cavern as the shadow's claw tore through Sora's body.

He swore he could feel it inside him, taking everything that he was away. In one swell swipe the shadow had entered and left his body in a ghostly manner. Still intact, Sora clutched his hand to his chest where he felt an emptiness that echoed. His eyes fell heavy along with the rest of him and he came to his knees at the edge of the broken path, rag-dolling forward after the friend whose life he'd hoped he'd saved. And how he desperately hoped that he'd saved him…

He wasn't sure if it was the darkness, or if his eyes had merely fallen so heavy that they'd closed, but the fact that he couldn't even see Riku was distressing. Sora's hand went cold as the lingering touch of him faded.

He panicked.

He was falling.

He was drowning.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

To SoRiku or to not SoRiku? That is the question. What I truly love about Kingdom Hearts is that it can be so shameless in its sincerity for the feelings the characters have for each other, friendship or otherwise. There will be other fun moments between other characters too, so I think a little service here and there is allowed. When I'd first written this ten years ago, reader input was encouraged—worlds they wanted to see, characters they wanted more attention given to, and ships they wanted to see represented. I think I'll still do that. So how about it? Want anything special? I'm cookin' it up just for y'all! …And maybe to prove something to my writer-self after all these years.