A/N: I'd suggest reading all introductions, because I'm going to be sprinkling in little hints about the plot from here on out. This one's a little darker than the others, which will also be happening depending on the guy's personality. Some of them are doing just fine after the War, some are struggling. Sora and especially Noctis are fine. Riku is struggling. Which then bleeds into [Name], because if the guy is struggling, then so is she. Vicious cycle.
Enjoy~
♥ Alex
[ONE YEAR LATER]
You glance around your surroundings – you're atop a rocky mountaintop amidst deep canyons. The sky is practically black, and rough winds thrash your body as you struggle to stand. The wound on your shoulder has re-opened, as well as your hip. Blood pours down, drenching your clothes and your body.
The canyons where you almost lost your life have become your purgatory.
"There's nothing you can do, [Name]."
Your eyes dart up to the cloaked man before you. Any relationship with him would be considered minimal, at best – so why is he always following you?
"Ah, Xemmy, don't be cruel," the woman standing beside him laughs wickedly, her dark eyes locked onto your stumbling form. "Just finish her."
"What do you want with me?" you ask, taking a weak step backwards as you hold onto your bleeding arm.
Your Nobody saunters towards you, hands clasped behind her back. A wide smile is on her face as she watches you closely. She stops right in front of you, leaning in so her lips are brushing against your ear.
"Silly [Name]," she coos, and your face distorts in disgust. "I want you."
With all of your strength you shove her away with your good hand, and with another loud laugh she grabs onto your injured shoulder. You cry out in pain, nearly collapsing to the ground.
"I'm going to take him for myself. You know that, right?"
Your eyes widen, searching hers for emotion. There's none.
"What's his name – Riku? I've been watching the two of you, late at night," [Na-x-me] continues, running a finger down your cheek. "He's quite handsome, you know. I wonder if he'll look at me the same way he looks at you."
Your breath catches in your throat, and your eyes start to burn with tears.
"I can easily," she clears her throat, her voice suddenly becoming much softer, "be you. Never forget that."
"Let's just get this over with," another voice decides, and your eyes dart to the side to see Vanitas suddenly standing beside you. "I'm sick of this game."
"No!" you cry out as [Na-x-me] roughly grabs your arms, holding you still as Vanitas marches towards you, summoning his Keyblade.
"[Name]," Xemnas speaks up, though his voice sounds... different.
Younger.
"[Name]!" he repeats, louder this time, and you glance over at him in confusion. "[NAME]!"
You wake up with a gasp, sitting up. Your hands rise to your head, grabbing roughly onto your damp hair as screams escape your throat. A hand on your back slowly brings you back to reality, more aware of your surroundings. The damp sweat clinging to your body. The soft sheets surrounding your body. The familiar surroundings of your bedroom. The man kneeling before you, aquamarine eyes wide with worry as he watches you. His lips are moving, but you can hear nothing. Even though you've stopped screaming, all you can hear is the beating of your heart. Finally, his voice breaks through.
"You were having another nightmare, [Name]."
Again? God, how many times were you going to have these dreams, of your Nobody taking over your life? Xemnas killing Riku? Vanitas killing you?
It's like your brain doesn't know they're all dead.
"I... I..."
You trail off in a weak sob as Riku wraps his arms around you, cradling you into his chest as he leans back against the pillows. His nose nuzzles against your cheek, and you can feel your heartbeat steadying, the tears drying. You remember you're no longer trapped in war; you're on the Islands.
Safe.
"Get some sleep," he mumbles tiredly in your ear, closing his eyes as you do the same.
"I'm sorry," you whisper, holding onto him for dear life. "I'm sorry."
You've lost count at how many times you've had to fall asleep like that.
[♥]
"And then – [Name], I kid you not – Riku literally starts BAWLING, going on about how he can't believe Andy's leaving."
Sora explodes in laughter, holding onto his stomach as he throws his head back. You can't help but join him as Riku shoots both of you aggravated looks.
"It's okay, Rik. I don't think it's possible to make it through Toy Story 3 without crying," you point out, ruffling his shaggy gray hair.
The two of you decided to pop into Sora's parent's coffee shop after another relatively restless night. Something about visiting the little brownie seemed to put you both at ease. His carefree attitude despite witnessing so much horror helped to put everything in perspective, and remind you that hope is on the horizon.
"Whatever," Riku grumbles, taking an angry sip of his coffee. "This tastes terrible, by the way. Like... Garlic? How is that even possible?"
Sora's eyes widen as a hurt expression crosses his face.
"Riku," you scold, though you had to admit – the coffee really did taste terrible, and like garlic.
"I made it just how my parents told me to," he argues haughtily. "Besides, I hate this place! Work, school... It's like nobody cares that I saved the worlds!"
Sora crosses his arms over his chest as he starts to huff angrily. This had sadly become a running theme. Sora had been struggling to keep up with his GED program (since he had left school so many years ago), and worked for his parents on the side. You would take some of his shifts at the coffee shop – his parents had been nothing but welcoming towards you – and you'd also volunteer to help out with the kids at Destiny Elementary. Riku was working for his parents, who traveled so much you often wondered if Riku had raised himself as a child. Sora had hinted at this possibility more than a few times.
Although the three of you had settled into a comfortable life, it didn't mean that everything was without drawbacks. Sora's presence, though calming and fun, would occasionally put a wedge in your and Riku's relationship. He never protested or acted anything but happy for the two of you, but the hurt and almost pained expressions were hard to ignore.
Despite this, your relationship with Riku had flourished into something you never thought was possible. Every night you fell asleep in his arms, to the point where you half-jokingly wondered if you'd be able to sleep without him at this point. Scars from the war had undeniably followed both of you, but this only made your bond grow. He could still be cocky, sarcastic, a little rude... but honestly, that only made you love him more. And judging by the admiring and caring looks he'd give you nearly constantly, there's no doubt he felt the same way about you.
"Saving the worlds doesn't mean you can't finish high school," Riku points out.
Sora groans before shaking his head.
"Yeah yeah, I guess... So what are you guys doing today?" Sora asks, the peppiness quickly back in his smile.
"Taking it easy. It was a long night," you reply, fighting back a tired yawn.
A hand gently grabs yours, and you glance up to see Riku grinning down at you. It's incredible how after all this time, he still makes you feel like you're the only person in the room. A quiet cough breaks the silence, and the two of you look towards a sheepish Sora, who's avoiding the sight in front of him as he rocks back and forth on his heels.
"On that note, we should let you get going. I'm sure you have a lot of work to do," Riku teases with a small smirk.
"Yeah, we're swamped today," Sora responds sarcastically, glancing around the empty shop. "I'll see ya guys later!"
"Bye, Sora," you call out with a wave as Riku starts to drag you out of the shop.
Sora nods at you before fishing his phone out of the pocket of his apron and starting to play a game. You and Riku make your way onto the street, his hand releasing yours to instead wrap around your waist. His fingers trail over the scar on your hip, a frown etched on his features.
"So, what do you want to do today?" you ask.
"Um..."
"We could watch Toy Story 3. Maybe Bambi? Or Dumbo, that's always a laugh-riot."
Riku rolls his eyes before releasing a chuckle and shaking his head.
"Never gonna live that down, am I?"
"Nope."
Riku comes to a stop, tugging on you to bring you up against his chest. With a small smile you wrap your arms around his neck, leaning forward to peck his cheek. He quickly shifts his head so that his lips capture yours, a hand resting on the side of your face as he holds you against him. Instantly you melt into the kiss, pulling him closer as your hands desperately clutch at his shirt. His fingers dig into your hair, laying claim to you as he's done so many times before.
"Should we be doing this, here?" you ask as Riku breaks the kiss, a hand running up your back as he stares down at you.
His gaze is heated enough to make your knees buckle.
"I don't care," he replies gruffly, his fingers playing with your hair.
"Don't stop," a voice calls out, causing you and Riku to jump in surprise. "I was enjoying the show."
You peer over Riku's shoulder, eyes widening when you spot a man in black standing in the middle of the street. How long had he even been there?! Riku turns around, keeping you behind him as he stares at the stranger.
"Excuse me – what did you say?" Riku asks, pure venom dripping from his voice.
"Still so angry," the man muses with a tilt of his head. "I figured [Name] would have eradicated all of the darkness from your heart, Riku."
The man chuckles under his breath, and you swear your heart stops. The world pauses. Your blood freezes.
"V... Van..."
Riku glances over his shoulder at you for a second and, taking the opportunity, the man raises a hand.
"No!" you cry out, desperately pushing Riku out of the way.
You're too slow. A burst of air comes from the man's hand, hitting Riku directly. He flies through the air, landing roughly on the concrete. He hits the ground with a loud "thunk," and you can hear him groaning in pain as his hands fly to his head.
"Riku!" you yell, running towards him.
You're forced to come to a stop as the man appears before you. In the melee his hood has blown backwards, revealing your nightmare in reality – bright, golden eyes.
"Gotta let him go, [Name]. It'll make this whole thing easier for everyone."
Your gaze darts down to Riku, who's watching you in dazed horror as his hand rests against the side of his head, which is bleeding profusely. He starts to stand up, just as Vanitas' hand lands on your shoulder.
"Ri-!" is all you manage to get out before you disappear into darkness, leaving Riku kneeling in the middle of the street with his eyes wide in panic.
"Riku!"
His entire body is shaking as he slowly looks up to see Sora running towards him, blue eyes as wide as saucers.
"Riku, oh my God, who was that?" Sora asks, helping his best friend to his feet.
Riku pulls back his hand from his head, barely registering the amount of blood he's lost. Not that it matters. He'd lose all of his blood to get you back.
"Get your ring. Call Sephiroth," Riku mutters, his voice harsh and short. His eyes quickly dart up to Sora's. "They're back."