~Blinded: Forgive Me for My Sins~
“But inside he hides all his passion’s might. As he fights inner demons alone at night.”
Riku had walked Kairi home when the sun was almost completely full in the sky. He didn’t want to see her go. After all, it had been almost a year and a half since he had last seen her. But Kairi said she would meet up with him later. He needed some time alone anyway. Riku was so excited and caught up in seeing Kairi and his parents, that he had entirely forgotten about his companion he left alone on the other island the day before. Although, that over grown mouse could take care of himself. It took no time in reaching the other island. Riku was the fastest in rowing across the ocean.
As soon as his feet touched the sand, and his boat was tied to the docks, a loud girlish scream could be heard in the distance. Immediately Riku knew it was Selphie. He could recognize that scream from a galaxy away. Riku just smiled as he walked off towards the other side of the island. Nothing was terribly wrong when Selphie whined, cried, or screamed. It was probably just Wakka and Tidus kicking her butt. She always was the weakest one.
Riku couldn’t wait to see his friends’ reactions when they saw him. It actually made butterflies jump around in his stomach, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. He knew he could always confide in these three. They probably didn’t know anyway…or did they? Riku’s eyes dimmed. He still couldn’t believe it. Why had he been so vulnerable? So…weak? Maybe he was the weakest one this whole time…
“Watch out!!” a voice warned, snapping Riku out of his daze, only to be welcomed by a knock to the ground. Riku groaned as he rubbed his head and proceeded to stand back up. He dusted himself off as he met eyes with his collider.
Selphie sat open-mouthed on the sand. Tidus and Wakka standing in awe behind the fallen brunette.
“Ummm….you okay?” Tidus finally asked. Seemingly unaware, or confused, of who Riku actually was. The silver haired teen just walked right by them.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” he snorted.
The three islanders merely exchanged glances and shrugged.
“What’s ‘dat guy’s problem anyway?” Wakka asked.
“That guy? That guy?” Selphie abruptly stood up and half ran, half stomped, off after Riku, muttering angrily to herself as she went. Wakka and Tidus pursued after her. Both completely confused of why her sudden outburst.
‘Do I really look that different? I mean, have they completely forgotten about me?’ Neither of them had recognized him. Leaving Riku practically heartbroken. ‘Maybe I really have changed that much…’
Riku spotted the Gummi Ship sitting on the shore. Partly glinting in the sunlight. He knew he could seek some refuge there.
He stopped walking and cocked his head to the side. Footsteps were coming from behind him. Selphie appeared behind Riku panting. She leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees. Riku waited for her to catch her breath.
“What?” he snapped.
She just looked at him, her eyes scanning every inch of the cloaked teen. Riku didn’t want to wait any longer. He started walking away.
“Wait!” she pleaded, calling after him. “Just, wait…Riku…”
He stopped walking immediately and turned to face her. A peaceful silence settled around them. Tidus and Wakka finally caught up.
“Hey.” Riku quietly replied. The butterflies were fluttering in his stomach again.
Selphie just smiled, holding an outstretched hand towards her childhood friend. Riku hesitated before taking hold of her hand and shaking it.
“We’ve missed ya.” Selphie replied
“Whoah, whoah, whoah! Wait up!” Tidus shouted, waving his hands in front of him. “You mean, that standing right before us, is our very own buddy…Riku? The Riku?” he asked.
“In the flesh.” Riku clarified. ‘So I wasn’t forgotten after all…’
He let go of Selphie’s hand, gave them all a quick smile, and walked off. Selphie took no time in running back to get in her boat and paddle back home. She had to talk to Kairi.
Tidus and Wakka flocked to Riku’s side and kept asking him questions. They couldn’t believe it was really him. Riku was like a legend to them.
“Where did ya go? What was it like?”
“Ya, where’ve ya been man? What’s wit da outfit?”
Riku tried to shoo them away for a while, even though he was overwhelmed with happiness in seeing them again. “Guys, I’m flattered that you missed me and all, but I just wanna be alone for a little bit.”
“Oh, okay!” Tidus said. “We’ll catch ya later then! And boy, do I have a few new tricks to show you!”
Riku laughed. “I can’t wait.”
“Bye, man!”
* * * *
“Hey, Mickey! Where are ya?” Riku called. All that stood around him was palm trees and the gummi ship. Layers and layers of sand beneath his feet. “Mickey?” He worriedly called again. A small crash occurred behind him, causing Riku to spin around with narrowed eyes. All that tumbled out from the top of a tree was King Mickey. Riku sighed in relief. “You had me scared there for a second.” Riku admitted.
“Heh, sorry ‘bout that. That girl, Selphie, found me walking around. Freaked her out, I guess.” Mickey chuckled.
“Oh, so that’s what she screamed about.” Riku took a seat.
“Did ya meet up with Kairi?” Mickey asked his friend.
“Sure did. Felt good to finally see her…safe and sound.”
“That’s good.”
“She’s gonna meet up with me later. You can come along for a while, if you want.”
“I think I’ll pass. You guys catch up. I’ll just give a brief hello.”
Riku shrugged. “If you say so.”
“Hey! Riku!!” Riku turned to the source of the sound. Kairi was standing on the small cliff above them, waving down to the two relaxing at the shore.
“Hey!” Riku cried, standing up and waving back. Kairi quickly hurried down. She wanted to spend every second with Riku that she possibly could. He would be leaving soon…
“Oh! Your Majesty! It’s a pleasure,” Kairi informed, bowing slightly.
“Right back ‘atcha!” he held out a gloved hand towards her. She took hold of it, shaking it as if he were a celebrity. “Now, you and Riku go off and hang out. I don’t want to hold you guys back. But, Riku, wait a second.” he motioned for Riku to hang back for a minute. Riku leaned down to hear what the king had to tell him.
Mickey cupped a hand to Riku‘s ear. “We’ll prob’ly be leavin’ in the next day or so. Maybe even sooner. If you want, you can tell Kairi. I’m sure she’ll understand, but…”
“Yeah…” Riku responded, straightening up. He didn’t want to think about leaving yet. He had just returned home. He didn’t mind breaking it to Kairi…but to just leave again, what would his parents do? ‘They might have a heart attack…’ Riku thought to himself. ‘They worry too much. Especially mother…’
“You okay?” Kairi asked.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Just…thinking again.”
Kairi just smiled.
“What’s this? Kairi, the seventh princess of heart, has a jump rope? C’mon, I thought you said you weren’t into those sorta things.” Riku joked.
“I’m not. But, my grandmother gave it to me. To pass the time by…” her voice trailed off.
“Don’t worry so much! You act just like my mom!”
“How is she? Your mom?”
“She’s doing okay.”
“Hmm, that’s good.”
They were silent for a while. “Riku…do you think that, Sora’s okay? You’re the only one that came back. And he was the one who promised me…”
Riku put a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Kairi, he’s fine. It’s Sora. He can take care of himself. Besides, he promised, right? Sora always keeps his promises.”
“I…guess you’re right.”
“Of course I am!” he boasted.
Kairi laughed. “You’re so full of yourself sometimes.”
“Yeah, but you know I’m just kidding around. I just trust Sora. I know you do, too.”
Kairi smiled. Now that Riku could actually see her, in the sunlight, he saw that she had changed besides himself. Her hair had grown out. Almost past her shoulders now, and her skin was tan from being in the sun all the time. ‘Guess she’s scared of the dark more than ever now.’ Her clothes consisted of a small maroon skirt and a strapless lavender top. Her yellow and black bracelets still jingling around her wrist.
“What?” Kairi asked him, as she had noticed him deeply observing her out of the corner of her eye. But he just shook his head.
“It’s nothing! I’m just happy to be back, that’s all.”
“Me, too.” Kairi said, while entering the seaside shack.
“So, what have you been up to?” Kairi asked Riku, while swinging up onto the paopu tree trunk.
“You know, just looking for the Door to the Light. And Sora.”
“What’s it like? Traveling with a King?” Kairi seemed so fascinated about Mickey being a King of his world.
“It’s no different than traveling with a normal person, er, animal…oh, whatever you wanna call him.”
“Where have you guys been to?”
“Places. Worlds.”
“Like where?”
“Well, me and Mickey ended up on some world where an Indian tribe lived. Most of it was just forest. The best thing ever though, was the snow. It was so beautiful! You and Sora would’ve loved it.” Riku sighed. “I’d never seen anything like it.” A breeze blew by. Casting ripples on the surface of the water and billowing the two youths’ hair about.
“I wish I could’ve been there.” Kairi confessed. Riku jumped onto the trunk, next to Kairi.
“I met up with Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie today.”
“Yeah, Selphie came running to me. She was mad that I saw you before her.” Kairi laughed.
“Well, that’s Selphie for ‘ya.”
They both fell silent. Watching the seagulls dip and dive in the waves.
“Kairi…I, uh, I’m leaving…soon. Either tonight, or tomorrow.”
“What?” she cried, leaping off the trunk and facing Riku. “You can’t leave! I don’t want to be alone anymore!”
“I have-”
“NO!” she looked into his covered eyes, nearly begging him to stay. When he simply turned his gaze away instead of answering her, she bolted off the island towards the Secret Place. Riku chased after her.
“Kairi! C’mon! Wait up!”
Kairi furiously shook her head as she entered the small cave. Riku stopped at the entrance, pausing before entering.
When he had wound down the short tunnel he found Kairi kneeling in the middle of the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks. Riku knelt down next to her and tried to give her comfort, but she only pushed him away.
“Why c-can’t you ju-just stay?”
“Because…Mickey and I have to go. Look, Kairi…” he took hold of her shoulders. “The Heartless aren’t gone! We have to find the Door to the Light. We have to find Sora! He’s the only one who can stop this!”
Kairi kept shaking her head. Riku lightly shook her.
“Kairi!”
“What?!”
I have to…”
“But…can’t I come? I can’t stand just sitting around her while you guys are off fighting. I can’t stand the fact that you guys might be dead!” Her voice bounced off the walls of the cave, hanging in the air for a few moments. Riku hung his head, defeated.
“You know I can’t do that. Sora would wring my neck it I put you anywhere near danger.”
“Right now, I don’t care what Sora said! Listen to me, Riku,” Kairi seemed to be struggling with her words. “I used to be able to think back on memories. I could almost hear your voices. But, lately…His voice…it’s left me.”
‘Left her? Her and Sora are connected. If she can’t hear his voice, then…’
“I’m scared, Riku.”
“Yeah…me, too.”
“Please! You have to bring me along!”
“I can’t!”
“Why not?!”
“Because I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I won’t!”
Riku sighed, shaking his head. ‘She sure does put up a fight.’ “Come on. Let’s take you home.”
“But I don’t want to go home! I wanna go with you. What if Sora’s really…” her voice trailed off.
“He’s not.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I’m his friend, too. Friends believe in each other. Besides…I need him to forgive me. I have to make sure he doesn’t hate me for what I’ve done…” Riku muttered through clenched teeth. He started walking off, Kairi tagging along. It had completely slipped her mind. What had happened between him and Sora. Kairi figured it was better for her to remain on Destiny Islands after all.
Outside the cave’s entrance, Riku stopped.
‘That smell. Its almost too familiar.’ Riku grunted and walked to the docks. Kairi, silent, at his side.
The door to this world--his world--had been locked. He was sure of it…
