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on the first day, riku didn’t get out of bed. he lay on his side, silver hair spiraled out around him, and kept his eyes screwed shut. if he didn’t open them, maybe he wouldn’t have to face a world without him.
on the third day, someone pulled him out from beneath the covers of his bed. strong hands braced under his armpits, dragging his lifeless form to his feet. he staggered once, twice, before reluctantly prying his eyes open. lea’s twisted frown met his tired gaze as tears welled up and spilled down his cheeks. lea’s whispered apologies echoed amidst the empty room.
i’m sorry we couldn’t find a way to save him.
on the fifth day, riku boarded the gummi ship. he arrived in radiant garden by noon, extended a hand for namine to take with her own. they road in companionable silence, her hand curved against his arm. she’d lost something, too. someone. someone who’d never really existed to begin with.
on the ninth day, riku went to corona. he laid down in the tall grass, arm covering his eyes, and let the silence envelop him. it was different from the darkness; it was warm, uninviting, and brought tears to his eyes. braveheart laid abandoned by his side. he doesn’t need it anymore.
on the ninth day, riku goes to the keyblade graveyard.
on the ninth day, he leaves braveheart behind in the dirt.
on the tenth day, he goes back and retrieves it.
he cries himself to sleep that night.
on the twelfth day, kairi finds her way into his room. she’s all wide eyes and apologies, her hands curling in the front of his shirt as she sobs. she’s sorry, he’s sorry. it doesn’t make either of them feel better. when they fall asleep like that, clinging to each other like the world is ending, riku wonders if they’ll ever feel complete again.
on the thirteenth day, he leaves.
he gets on the gummi ship, turns off his gummiphone, and leaves.
he visits all the worlds they visited. together, and apart.
he sees wonderland, the deep jungle, agrabah, the 100 acre wood, and halloween town.
everyone remembers
him.
they don’t remember him. some days he smiles, others he can’t bring himself to meet anyone’s gaze, but the scattered pieces of sora’s memories feel like the closest he’ll ever get to having him back.
he remembers being in sora’s dreams.
he remembers pulling him back from the edge, waking him up. saving him.
there’s no dreams to eat this time.
there are no nightmares because this is a nightmare.
on the eighty seventh day, riku returns to the islands.
he finds kairi sitting on the branch of a tree, her gaze watching the horizon.
he sits beside her. they don’t speak.
on the one hundred forty fifth day, riku can’t breathe.
he’s sitting on the beach, sand sifting through his toes, and he sees a visage in the distance that steals his breath away. he’s running before he’s even standing, stumbling blindly towards the water. his hands reach out to touch but come back with nothing but air.
whatever he thought he saw was gone.
he sinks down on his knees.
the spark of hope burned so bright, his fingers claw at his chest as if he’s on fire.
behind him, he hears kairi whisper,
did you see what i saw?
on the one hundred forty sixth day, riku and kairi go to the land of departure.
aqua meets them outside before they even hit the steps of the training area.
“ventus felt it too.”
ven is behind her, his gaze solemn. he nods, stepping aside so that xion can stand beside him. her hair is longer; it frames her face and hides her eyes. eyes that are too familiar, too painful for riku’s gaze to settle on. “ me too. “ she adds.
kairi’s hand reaches for riku’s.
she squeezes.
the hope sparks again, fighting to burn freely.
on the two hundredth day, they rest.
they’ve been training for weeks. something is coming, but the what is uncertain.
the message comes from yen sid, dropped into riku’s palm in a blaze of fire.
it burns his flesh but the message remains.
verum rex.
with new direction, braveheart lives again.