Kingdom Darkness

Title: Kingdom Darkness
Chapter: Recollection
Rating: R [ NC17 later on. ]
Pairings: Riku – Sora
Comments: My first fanfiction. I’ve been writing short stories for a while, but I fell in love w/ KH, so I decided to continue from where the game left off. Warning though, this story is YAOI, which means two men share intimate feelings for one another. For now its Shounen Ai. I have no idea how Squaresoft/Disney may continue their game, but I know they were. So if/when it is released, this story will be off from the true storyline.


“ Speech “
// Flashback //
/ Mental Speech /


Squaresoft and Disney own Kingdom Hearts, and I make no money from this.






Kingdom Hearts.

Those words. Ansem had said it in such a vivid pride in his work, that the words from him had seemed so ironic. Him without a heart calling worlds in distraught a land full of them. When in truth, they were far and wide to find. Ansem had then grinned viciously, like some kind of rabid animal, and attacked. He had fallen totally and absolutely in darkness.

Kingdom Hearts.

Trinity Islands had been torn apart, and those who used to inhabit the warm sands were gone. The ocean was devoid of movement, and the Paopu tree had withered, its fruit turning a now poisonous purple instead of the juicy yellow they used to be. It was haunting, how not even the chirp of a grass hoper, or call of a bird graced the bland landscape. Only Ansems beckons to fight.

Kingdom Hearts.

All the worlds combined, as one kingdom, never before having been connected the way they were now. And it would all be back the way it was, separate worlds again. King Mickey had been there, silhouetted against the gleaming keyhole. It looked like it was forged of evil, with more and more Heartless crawling from the shadows towards the light.

Kingdom Hearts.

Riku was there. His best friend. And besides Kairi, his only friend. He should have fought, grabbed Riku’s hand and brought him with. But King Mickey couldn’t do it alone. Riku couldn’t come. He might not have lived long without the darkness, without the t tht they so effortlessly took. He lost his friend again in more ways than one.

Thunder made Sora’s small frame shiver. It was cold, a polar opposite from the sunny day on the rolling hilltops. The storm had just started moments ago, and the sky had darkened just before it came. But from how the rain was lightening, it didn’t look like it would last much longer.

He found shade from the rain, for now, where one of those hills broke off into a small slopping cliff. Barely three feet high, but enough for him to tuck himself into small divet, legs drawn to his chest, hugging them tightly, and his two friends to stretch out. Goofy had fallen asleep without a problem, on his back with his hands behind his head, snoring loudly, and Donald was sort of piled on top of him, across his stomach, snoring just as loudly. It was a comical scene, and Sora wished he could join them in sleep.

Whenever he closed his eyes, he pictured Ansem, large and hideous, attached to that gruesome ship. Or Hollow Bastian, those walls of water closing around and trapping him. And even fighting Riku in the entrance hall of the castle, how he thought he might never be able to look at his friend the same way again.

But then, when he was closing the large door, closing his friend inside, Riku had smiled at him. Brightly, it was shining, and hard to believe that the darkness lived within him.

Sora sighed and leaned his head against the dirt wall, looking out at the storm, and shrinking back when lightening made the ground shake. Despite what he had been through, fighting some of the largest, nightmarish monsters, he still feared storms. Storms… When it stormed,u wou would come over, knowing how much he feared it. Sit with him, pat him on the back, and keep him company until he fell asleep. And that one night, when the darkness came. Riku hadn’t come, but it had been second in his mind to the raft.

He missed it. Sora felt his heart constrict, almost painfully, to the point where it spread down his arm and tightened his fists. He wanted Riku back, his dearest friend. And he wouldn’t return without him. Trinity Islands would never be the same without everyone there, the way it used to be.

It would never be the same, though. No matter how much he wished that it would be. Sora buried his face into his arms when he felt the familiar sting in his eyes. He didn’t want to cry, but the pain that had been welling in his heart was growing to great. Pain that his friend was lost, King Mickey as well, and that he may never see his home again. At least, he didn’t see any way to go home.

Between sniffs, he could hear movement. Looking up briefly, he saw Donald standing, and fixing his neat little wizard outfit. But his little eyes were peering at him, rather knowingly. Strange how the magical duck could do so.

“ What’s wrong?” Donald said in his rusty voice. Sora didn’t say anything, trying to feign sleep. But he could fear Donald’s webbed feet slopping through the puddle that waved aside Sora.

“ I’m fine.” Sora said quietly, his throat constricting. He tried wiping hice oce on his arm without his feathered friend noticing, “ I’m just tired, that’s all.”

“ You miss your friends.” Donald said, in a nearly consoling voice. Sora’s shoulders stiffened a little, pressing his gloved palms to his eyes.

“ I just wish it could be over. That we could all be back at the island, Kairi, Riku and me, the way it used to be. But it’ll never be like that again. We’ll always be haunted by this.” Sora’s voice was fading near the end, when the tears were flowing freely. Donald extended a blue and white patterned handcercheif.

“ You’ll your friend again, don’t worry! Riku is safe with King Mickey” Donald said, patting Sora on the back, as high up at he could reach.

“ I’m just worried.” Sora said rather miserably, wiping his wet cheeks with the silk clothe.

“ We didn’t think we’d see King Mickey again, but there he was! He was on the other side, fighting them all along.” Donald sat down beside Sora, his yellow legs sticking out oddly. For some reason, he reminded Sora of a nesting hen.

“ I didn’t think I’d see Riku there, either. He seemed so much like himself…” Sora’s shoulders slumped again, his head drooping, “ I cant believe that he lost himself to the darkness. I don’t know why he couldn’t have come with us. I know he would help us fight Ansem.”

“ I don’t know. Ansem was part of Riku for a long time. He might still have influence over him.” Donald was patting his back again. Those soft bird feathers almost tickled through his little red bodysuit.

“ No way! He wouldn’t have let Ansem take him over again. Riku isn’t like that, because… he’s just to strong, and he’s been getting stronger. He could fight him…” Sora’s words died out, looking out into the now drizzling rain. He just realized those words; Ansem was so powerful, enough to overpower the worlds. There would be no way for Riku to fight it again. Sora whimpered and rested his chin on his arms.

“ Don’t worry, we’ll find him and King Mickey again. And everything will go back to the way it was. “ Donald sounded hopeful. Sora wished that he could believe him.

“ I hope.” Sora looked up into the sky, which was clearing of the dark clouds so that bright pinpricks could burn through. He blinked, and it looked line one of them went out.

“ Donald… a star just went out.” Sora said softly, barely above the volume of a whisper. Donald looked up with awe.

“ The darkness is still out there, then.” Donald said, looking back at Sora.

“ What do you think the star was of?” Sora asked. He found that, traveling around between the worlds, that the stars were representations; the worlds, people, etc, “ Do you think it could have been Riku?”

“ Don’t think like that!” Donald said quickly, his eyes slopping towards the middle; his angered look. Somehow the crease in his brow suited him, “ Riku was fine the last time you saw him, right Sora? If he made it this far, then there’s no way he could have lost his heart now.”

“ Unless he gave up hope.” Sora felt another twang, and a new wave of tears come pouring out, “ I left him there, Donald. I didn’en ten try to save him. I was to busy with Kairi. Now that she’s safe though, I have to get him back.”

“ That’s the spirit! Just keep thinking like that, and anything can happen.” Donald said brightly. Sora supposed that Donald was right, and rested his head again. This time, daring to close his eyes.

Donald must have stayed there, sitting beside him, and Sora had to admit that the comfort was welcomed. It was nothing like have Riku there to tell him what a dork he was for thinking that way. Tease him, poke at his sides, taunt him, calling for fights… And that witty smile.

Sora found himself scrunching his face to remember that smile; it was one that a smart ass wore. And, most definitely, Riku was one. But it also held an air of charm, that Sora realized was usually reserved for him. Riku forced a smile around his parents, rarely cracked a grin around Kairi and the rest of the island residents. But when he and Sora were alone, maybe swimming or fishing, Riku would flash that truth, heart warming smile of his.

He cn’t n’t help but inhale when he finally caught a memory of it. It was, actually, almost six months ago. Far before they even planned on leaving the island. But Riku had been talking about it.

// The sun reflected in the rolling waves had almost been to bright. Riku had been beckoning him up to the old watch spot on Trinity Islands, where they had hung the tether line down to the shore. So Sora had climbed the old ladder behind him, brows knitted all the while.

“ What are you doing, Riku?” Sora asked, finally reaching the summit. Riku was sitting there, carefully dealing an old deck of cards, the edges yellowing and bent.

“ Go fish.” Riku answered, having already dealt Sora out his share. He sat down before the pile, carefully raising them, and peeking over the top.

“ Why did you want to play up here?” Sora asked, admiring the way Riku would casually toss a short piece of silver hair from his eyes.

“ Its quiet, we wwe wont have anyone looking over our shoulders.” Riku answered knowingly, and flashing that sharp smile, that would have made Sora giggle, if he hadn’t bitten his tongue.

“ Then they can’t witness me beating you.” Sora said cheerfully. But Riku snorted.

“ You’ll never beat me, Sora. I’m just too good.” Riku smirked, and begun to rummage through his deck.

“ I will, some day. Then you’ll have to do my homework for a week.” Sora leaned back against a pole.

“ Fat chance!”

They played, and as it turned out, Riku won. And Sora, unsurprised, merely threw his hands up dramatically and splayed out on the wooden floor, part in the shade of a large palm.

“ You beat me again, Master Riku.” Sora giggled and rolled his head sideways, looking at his friend. But Riku wasn’t playing along. Instead, he was leaning back on one arm, looking between the wooden bars, and out onto the ocean. Sora followed his gaze, and looked back upon discovering that nothing of interest was out there.

“What are you looking at?” He asked, with a somewhat childish sense.

“ Out there… I don’t want to be here anymore. How did we even get here? Our parents? There’s got to be something more… but… I don’t know what it is… “ Riku looked at Sora, with an expression that was seldom seen in the day. Confusion, lost, Riku searched his friends face for any sign of knowledge, and sighed when Sora just with the same bedazzled look.

“ What are you--… oh, I know what your talking about now. It’s silly, Riku. There’s just water out there.” Sora was sitting up now, leaning on his elbows, “ We settled this last night, didn’t we?”

“ But I can’t stop thinking about it. What if there is something more..?” Riku looked at Sora again, this time, a slow look lightening his features, “ We should go and find out, together!”

“ What!?” Sora sat up so quickly, that he almost bumped his head on a broken and hanging piece of splintered wood, “ We cant leave! What about our parents? Mom would be so angry!”

“ I don’t care. We’ll come back, but I just have to now. So what do you say, Sora?” Riku was looking at him with that meaningful stare; it was hard for Sora to ignore it. Even harder to look away from those beautiful sea mist eyes. Sora almost lost himself in them, and if Riku would have moved closer, he might as well have.

“ W-what?” Sora stammered a little. Riku was hovering dangerously close, and it was odd. The two never touched, accept when Riku mused Sora’s hair, or when they would fight, a favorite way of settling an argument. But right now, Riku’s hand was resting on the floor, barely an inch away from Sora’s thigh.

“ I want you to come with me. Kairi would be nice, but she’s too much of a girl. And she doesn’t know how to sail.” Riku said, following Sora as he scuttled backwards, only stopping when he was pressed back against the bars.

Riku steadied a hand beside Sora’s head on one of those wooden posts, and leaned his face in close, so that Sora could feel his warm breathe strolling down his cheeks. He could almost see the separate little chips of color making up his friends eyes, like a cross between vibrant blue, with a green sparkle dabbing here and there.

Sora felt his jaw go slack and mouth pop open, his eyes lowering a little, since the burning blush on his tanned cheeks was making him feel incressingly uncomfortable. The situation alone was strange, and one Sora had never been familiar with. He watched, in a daze, as Riku parted those full, pale lips of his, which he only now noticed curved into a sweet bow, and his tongue poked through to wet them.

“ R-riku…” Sora managed to find his voice. His heart was beating so quickly, that he felt like it could barely be contained, and thunder from his chest. Riku lowered his eyes a little, his pale blond lashes fluttering down to frame his eyes nicely.

“ Yes, Sora?” Riku’s voice was surprisingly steady compared to his own.

“ What are you d-doing… “ Sora felt as though he had asked the most blunt question known. The corners of Riku’s mouth twitched a little, and if it weren’t for this closeness, then Sora may have never noticed it.

“ What does it look like?” Riku asked, in a sultry voice. Sora gasped when he felt one of Riku’s long, leather clad fingers slowly stroke down across his clenched knuckles. Riku moved in a centimeter more, turning his head to the side, and opening his mouth a little bit more. Sora held his breathe, chest aching, and closed his eyes. The way Riku was acting scared him, buthe found himself waiting for it…

The moment their mouths wohavehave touched, Riku pulled away quickly, laughing out loud. Sora blinked, looking crestfallen.

“ I got you so good! You should have seen the look on your face!” Riku pushed back his silver hair and fisted it in laughter. Sora slowly exhaled the breathe he had been holding all along, but felt the opposite of laughing. Sadness. But why? Had he really been awaiting his first kiss to be delivered by his closest friend?

When Riku finally stopped laughing, looking up and wiping his watering eyes, his expression slowly smoothed over at the sight of his friend. Sora was staring at the floor, must in the same pose he had been in, his lips still parted, as though still waiting that kiss. But his eyes were red.

“ You didn’t really think I would kiss you, did you?” Riku chuckled a few little aftershocks, but Sora didn’t say anything. It had been cruel, and Sora felt as though his heart may crumble. Strange, just from that one little letdown. Why should he have cared anyway?

“ I… I…” Sora didn’t know what to say. So instead he bashfully caught a glimpse of Riku, who sighed and crawled back over to him. Riku slumped beside him, and placed an arm around his shoulders.

“ I’m sorry, that I was mean to you.” Riku said, sounding sincere. Sora finally clicked his mouth shut, and rested against him, though lightly. His cheeks were still burning red, and it was making him steaming hot all over. Even his feet were sweating, making the inside of his shoe’s slick.

“ Come on, Sora… if it helps, even if I did swing that way, you would be first on my list.” Riku teased. Sore felt his mouth crinkle downwards, and his heart sink a little bit deeper.

“ If?” Sora comments weakly. He felt like a little kid again, and he thought himself far from that. He was wrong in more ways than one. Riku frowned, the arm that was about Sora reached further down his arm, and grabbed his forearm.

“ Come on, gimme your hand, Sora.” Riku demanded, but in a light tone. Sora had no noise to comply, and raised his hand for Riku to grab. Lacing their fingers together, Sora could nearly feel the heat of Riku’s palm through the cool leather. His heart was pounding again.

“ We’re best friends, you know that Sora? I wouldn’t try to hurt you on purpose.” Riku consoled, that lean muscled arm tightening slightly around him.

“ I know… “ Sora smiled weakly, turning his head to look up at Riku.

“ You can practice on me, though, if you’d like.” And then there it was. That dashing smile. Brighter than the gleam bouncing off his hair. His was brilliant, and Sora could feel his face heating up again.

And then, Riku finished what he had started just minutes before. It was so light, Sora could barely feel it. Those soft lips had slid past his own chapped ones just once, with a slight press somewhere in the middle, and that was all. The rest of the afternoon was spent napping, since Sora had been the one to fall asleep against Riku first, and then finished off by a few more games of Go Fish //

That smile.

Sora touched his own lips lightly, and was surprised to see that the sun had risen. Goofy and Donald were already awake, and were beginning to cook over a rather sad fire that Donald had obviously conjured.

“ Your up!” Goofy begun over, and extended a hand to help him up, “ Were you havin’ a nightmare or sumthin’? “

“ Why?” Sora was confused at the question.

“ Because ya kept saying ‘ please stop laughing, don’t laugh’.” Sore blushed brightly. Donald looked over, from where he was rather brutally prodding at some cooking eggs.

“ Were you in your boxers in school or something?” Donald snickered. Sora shrugged, and sat down beside the fire, rubbing the back of his head.

“ Yeah, something like that.” Sora tried his best to smile. Goofy laughed, and sat down on a log, reaching into his pockets and rummaging through them.

“ Guess who showed up while ya were sleepin’. “ He extracted al scroll; the same one that Pluto had been carrying. The seal had been broken, so obviously, they had read it.

“ What did it say?” Sora asked. He turned when he felt something fwak him on the back. It was Pluto, who had decided company was better than traveling around alone. He had a stick in his mouth, letting Sora take it out, and then pounded the ground with his front paws until Sora threw it for him.

“ It… grawsh, it says that he still has lotsa business to take care of with the darkness ‘n all. Hmm… “ Goofy rubbed his chin and squinted his eyes. Donald poked him with the stick he had been using the cook the eggs. Goofy looked down, then leaned over the food, “ Mm… ready yet?”

“ Finish reading the message, dolt!” Donald covered the eggs with his wings, then pulled away sharply and bounced on one foot when a ember sparked on the glossy feathers.

“ Oh, right… hmm… it says he’s sending a gummy ship! But how, if all the worlds have been sealed again?” Goofy looked confused. Not to far from his day-to-day vintage.

“ I saw a star go out last night. Just like they were when this all started, remember?” Sora added. He placed his hands on his knee’s, for a moment looking looking into the fire, and then looking back to Goofy, “ Does he mention Riku?”

“ Hmm… not that I see. But the ship should be here in a little while. It says it left yesterday.” Goofy rolled up the scroll and slipped it back into his pocket. Just in time, because Donald was conjuring some silver dining ware. But Sora just smiled sadly, not taking a plate.

“ Aren’t you hungry?” Donald asked in a incredulous voice. Sora shook his head, and threw the stick when Pluto brought it for him again.

“ I’m just… really tired. Don’t worry, I’ll get something later.”

“ Well, you better last till dinner, because I’m not making anything until then!” Donald shook the stick at him gruffly, then dropped it into the fire, which was smoldering out, very slowly. Sora rested his head on his hands, and watched the last of the bright red embers flicker away. Like the star had last night.

/ Could Riku really have lost his heart? / Sora thought, looking away and into the dark hollow they had spent the night in. If he had, then that meant that the darkness… had totally taken him. Riku could never be the same. Sora felt a cool nudge, and looked up to be eye and eye with Pluto. He was sitting before him, tail slashing back and forth. Sora reached out and scratched him behind the ear, and with a gentle sigh, allowed his features to ease, and a slight smile to cross his features when the dog doubled over with a goofy expression.




End Chapter One.


What do you think? I’ll add more, regardless of reviews. But they will help. And tips’ll come in handy.


-L-chan.